Business Services

How long can COVID-19 live on common household surfaces?

Blog provided by Wicker Paradise

Most of the coverage and preventive measures we’ve seen related to COVID-19 have focused on preventing the spread of the disease while outdoors and in contact with other people. Wearing masks and social distancing may help stop the coronavirus from being spread from people, but are you taking the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease inside your home?

Whether we’re indoors or outdoors, we touch many surfaces. The unfortunate truth is that the coronavirus can enter our system through our hands when we touch our faces after touching a surface it’s lived on. And according to the research, it can last for up to 4 or 5 days on common household surfaces such as wood and metal. Plastic and stainless steel are other surfaces the coronavirus can stay on for days.

This is why it’s important to routinely disinfect commonly used surfaces and furniture. Experts believe that the virus does not live on soft surfaces like as it does on hard surfaces, but it is still wise to disinfect often-used furniture and its cushions. You can check the EPA’s list of registered disinfectants effective against the coronavirus or make your own disinfectant from a diluted bleach or alcohol solution. Follow the CDC’s directions to ensure safety and the best results.

Wicker Paradise is available to assist with all your furniture needs during the pandemic. Whether you need a new rattan couch or some outdoor replacement cushions, you can order online or set up an appointment to pick up your products by phone at 800-894-8357.

Where to get the best appliance financing

Article provided by Curacao

Today, many major retailers have been perceptive enough of their customers’ needs to offer customer-friendly payment options for the best home appliances on the market. Buy now pay later appliance financing is one way that retailers have made their products more accessible to buyers on a budget. Here are four retailers where you can find the best appliance financing for your financial needs.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s has been one of the top brands for home appliances for many years. They offer a Lowe’s Advantage Card that can either give you 5% off all eligible purchases or 6 months of buy now pay later special financing for large purchases. This allows you to pay off appliances with monthly payments, but be sure you’ve paid in full by the end of 6 months, or you’ll be charged interest.

Best Buy

As of right now, Best Buy’s store card payment plans range from 6-month to 24-month financing options. In addition to offering a store credit card, Best Buy also offers a rewards program for store credit card users where you can get up to 6% back in rewards after you reach a certain amount of purchases. Before you apply, just be aware that a Best Buy credit card requires a good credit score.

Amazon

As you might know, Amazon sells nearly everything, and that includes home appliances. Amazon also offers a store card that features 6 to 24-month payment plans and rewards of 5% back with a valid Amazon Prime membership. You’ll also get a $10 Amazon gift card just for applying, which will come in handy if you love Amazon’s brand of eCommerce.

Curacao

Curacao has a history of providing customers with easy in-house financing, even when other businesses won’t give them a chance because of their credit score. It’s quick and easy to apply for Curacao Credit, and it can help you improve your credit so you can qualify for the regular credit cards you want.

Furthermore, Curacao promises to beat interest rates from its major competitors, including the three aforementioned brands. If you bring in a pre-approved offer or recent billing statement from one of Curacao’s competitors, they’ll beat interest rates by an additional 0.25% up to 15 days after your purchase! You can apply today online or by phone, and you’ll never have to worry about getting the best deal elsewhere.

Ideas to update your office design

Blog provided by Wicker Paradise

Does your office need a makeover? No one wants to keep coming back to work in a drab, lifeless space. Having a welcoming, encouraging office interior can help you and your co-workers feel comfortable, inspired, and proud to fulfill your brand’s core principles. Here are a few ways you can update your office design to make it a more pleasant place to work.

Pictures and artwork

Adding appealing, non-distracting prints or framed paintings to your walls can help add some color to your workplace. From abstract shapes and lines to inspiring photos with quotes, art and photos can help convey your company’s identity to employees and visitors alike.

Lighting

Light and darkness can have a noticeable impact on a room’s atmosphere, so being able to pick and place light fixtures exactly where you need them is an important skill for office design. Be sure to strike a good balance between aesthetics and functionality when you choose light fixtures for decorating your office.

Furniture

It seems as though every other office uses a dull, angular modern design for furniture, but you don’t have to. If you want furniture that is more stately and elegant, it can change the color of your office space, making it feel more cozy and graceful. Bamboo rattan furniture works great as a unique, natural addition to an office space that evokes the lush quality of the outdoors.

Wicker Paradise has an exquisite collection of bamboo rattan furniture that looks great in the office or at home. Contact them today for more details.

Goals And Objectives For A Successful Finance Department

Article was written by Herb Kimble .

Although small businesses don’t have the resources to have a finance department that has a large number of employees, it is important that the finance teams’ goals and objectives go beyond accurate record keeping. Here are some key goals and objectives for any finance department.

Strategic budgeting – Budgeting is an important role and involves estimating revenue based on demand forecasting. A finance team should provide budget projects that provide information to the management to set target profit goals, overheads, and spending.

Cost containment – To receive the best quality and lowest price for materials, supplies, and services, your finance team should receive multiple bids for large purchases. It is also important that vendors, suppliers, and contractors rebid their contracts each year.

Cash flow management – A business should know when their bills are due and when to expect payments from their customers to have sufficient cash on hand. Finance should help the business manage the business’s working capital and credit so that the company can pay its bills on time.

Debt service – Debt that is out of control can have serious long-term implications on business. It is important that the finance team keeps a close eye on interest rates and maintains healthy credit scores.

Tax planning – A efficient finance department will not wait until the end of the year to find out the business’s tax liability. Push your finance team to include proactive strategies that will lower your tax burden and your payroll taxes.

This article was written by Herb Kimble. Herb Kimble is the founder of CineFocus Productions, a film production company in Los Angeles and Urban Flix, a streaming network that specializes in multi-cultural content. For more info, about Herb Kimble, visit his Facebook.

Common Permits Used in the Construction of Buildings

Summary: Before any construction can occur, certain permits must be acquired.

Working on a construction project requires multiple parties. Adding up the number of workers, lawyers, planners, and contractors, it could be in the dozens, if not more. With so many people working collectively on a single project, and with so much on the line, you need to make sure that you obtain the right permits in order to comply with state and federal regulations.

Change of Use

If the structure is undergoing a change of use, you will need to obtain permission from both the planning and safety divisions. For instance, if you and your crew are converting a former restaurant into a retail store, you will need to change the foundation and the structure of the building. It is also recommended to that when changing the intended use of a building that the appropriate modifications are utilized to satisfy the health and safety codes.

Occupancy

An occupancy permit is something that every construction project must have before anything can legally go on. This permit showcases that the building that is being worked on is up-to-date on the area’s building codes and that both the city and fire departments have given the green light for construction. Many owners turn to construction advisory services to aid them in making sure that the building meets the codes. This is typically where the project owner will specify the building’s use. Designating things like residential or retail is a crucial step in the process. Be mindful that without the approval of all the departments, you could be stepping into a legal grey area.

Blog submitted by Lyle Charles Consulting: Lyle Charles, of Lyle Charles Consulting, is an expert in the construction industry. If you require assistance with construction delay claims or a construction expert witness, visit them online for more information.

Renovations That Do Not Pay Off

Summary: Renovations can make your house more personalized to fit your particular lifestyle. That being said, not all renovations will boost your house value when you decide to put it on the market.

One of the main benefits of owning your own property is the fact that you can put it on the market when you please. Depending on the condition of the house, when you put it on the market, and how desirable the area is, you could make a hefty profit when you find the right buyer. Even if you are not planning on selling your house in the near future, you should be aware of the various renovations that ultimately will not boost your house value by much.

High-End Appliances

If you are thinking of ways to improve your house your house you might be thinking of splurging on some higher end products. An expensive and sophisticated kitchen could be perfect for the person who loves cooking. Stainless steel appliances and a large marble island will instantly grab visitors’ attentions but you have to keep in mind that not every potential buyer will value a fancy kitchen. A construction claims consultant can also be costly if there are problems with a complicated project.

Bigger Garage

Many people feel like they simply do not have enough storage space in their house. If you want an extra space to park your car or if you simply want more room for your belongings, then expanding your garage might be a no-brainer. Although you might get a good amount of use out of the expanded garage, whoever is looking at your house might not want to pay extra for the feature.

Firms like Lyle Charles Consulting will tell you that a garage is usually something that tenants tend to expect and might not be inclined to spend more on

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Areas to consider when creating a Business Plan for a retail shop

Creating a business plan is an important step to making a business successful, mainly because a business plan will summarize the steps that the business will take to grow and reach its goals. If you are looking at opening a retail stop, it is best to draw up a clear business plan to ensure you stay competitive. Here are a few areas to consider.

Main investments – It is important to ensure that you have a list of tangible and intangible goods that will be required to run and open your store. This means that you will need to know details about the size of the shop, its location, employees and their needs and many others. Your main tangible investments will include investments in inventory, equipment and furnishings. You will need to do some research to find wholesale suppliers in your industry.

Intangible investments, on the other hand, will include start-up costs, bureaucratic expenses, registration trademarks etc. It can be a good idea to get assistance from a consultant for these stages.

Marketing – You will need to set aside a budget for online and offline marketing. There are a few things that you may be able to do yourself, such as getting yourself listed in online directories. However, you will need some marketing budget to run ads online and offline. Talk to some marketing companies to get an idea of the budget that you may need.

Shop promotions – Shop promotions are a great way to get your shop and products noticed. Include weekly and monthly promotions in your plan with a budget that will cover the event. To get ideas on how to organize a promotion, look for inspiration online and visit your competitors.

How to Save on an Expensive Trip

Summary: When you are budgeting for an expensive trip, every little area where you can save can go a long way.

Traveling is an experience that can help you see new parts of the world and immerse yourself in a different way of life. Whenever you are out traveling there are some essentials you need to take care of. Finding a place to stay is one of the main priorities but so is figuring out how you will get around to take care of business, find places to eat, and explore.

One of the major challenges of traveling is finding out how to pay for it all. Transportation, hotels, food, activities, and souvenirs can all add up very quickly. Budgeting wisely for an upcoming trip can make it much less expensive.

Use Rewards

There are several companies out there that have rewards programs. Hotels, airline companies, and credit card companies might reward you with points if you spend money on their services. For instance, a hotel chain could give you a certain amount of points for each night you stay at one of their locations or each time you spend over a certain amount. If you travel frequently for business you could save your points to put them towards getting discounted nights during that family vacation you want to take next year.

Timing is Everything

Traveling may be pricey but, depending on where you want to go, certain times of the year might be less expensive than others. If the majority of tourists tend to visit a certain area in the spring, you could save some money if you look for travel accommodations in the autumn.

Blog submitted by Monte Carlo Rent A Car, LLC: Finding transportation in another country can get hectic. Get in touch with Monte Carlo Rent A Car, LLC to find a cheap car rental in Amman Jordan.

Consider Coffee at Your Gelato Shop

By nycgenerationtech.com

A gelato shop can be a great source of both revenue and satisfaction. People love gelato, after all, so you’ll never find yourself without a friend. It’s also considered a very trendy food item at the moment, meaning if you play your cards right, you can expect to see more and more customers in the near future. But don’t settle there. All businesses need to make sure they’re exercising all their avenues for profit. One way a gelato shop can do this is by introducing coffee.

While you might not think of a hot caffeinated beverage pairing well with a cold sweet treat, that’s not necessarily the case. Gelato is Italian, after all, and so is many of the world’s best coffees.

Just like your gelato is considered a better version of traditional ice cream, so too can you introduce Italian coffee that will be considered a better version of the other options around.

Of course, there will be some overhead with coffee cups and lids but thanks to sites like Amazon, you can save on those like never before. Furthermore, they provide you an excellent place to put your logo so you can get free marketing from your customers.

Although it’s important to focus on the business at hand, don’t shy away from expanding. One great way you can do this is with Italian coffee.

Amongst other things, Gelato Products sells frozen yogurt paper cups as well as personalized ice cream cups and all the other supplies you need to run a successful gelato shop.

Implementing electronic data interchange (EDI) in your organization

A lot of organizations that are part of a supply chain are using EDI. Here is a quick primer on EDI, and why it should be a part of your long-term IT strategy from the experts.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is a common term used to refer to the unambiguous exchange of data between two trading partners. EDI involves the electronic interchange of business information in a machine supported format as opposed to the use of paper. The business entities involved- that is from the supplier side and the buyer end, are referred to as trading partners.

The evolution of EDI technology has greatly revolutionized the ways businesses operate today. Besides allowing businesses to transact through computer networks and fast document transfers, EDI systems reduce administrative costs and minimize errors associated with business transactions. For efficiency, every business needs a system that reduces complexity in business operations, EDI serves this purpose.

Why implement EDI? Above and beyond administrative benefits, from a financial perspective, there are impressive reasons for implementing EDI in business. With EDI many businesses across the globe have recorded a total reduction in their order costs, many businesses have shown that EDI provides a clear return on investment.

There are a lot of benefits in implementing EDI, with a good EDI service bureau you get a complete solution for nearly every business retail or supplier in the modern marketplace.

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