Learning the Basics of Shopping For Baby Clothes

One of the most exciting things for parents-to-be is the preparation for the coming of their bundle of joy. Just as enthusiastic are friends and family who tend to give gifts even months before the baby is even born. As a consequence, the number of baby clothes for infants pile up and before you know it, the baby no longer needs them. Baby’s growth is a swift stage which makes it quite challenging for parents to sustain the clothing needs. And of course, family and friends are not always there to provide. Furthermore, parents do not always have the ready cash to purchase baby items which are ‘disposable’ by nature.

So when it comes to purchasing baby items especially clothes, one must think of the most advantageous in terms of durability and functionality. Another question that one must answer is the protective features of these items. After all, we are doing this for our vulnerable precious ones.

As the shopping begins, it is a must to think about of the primary and most important factors to consider – SAFETY! This should always be at the top of the list and everything doubt dawns on you, then it is worth dropping immediately. Safety comes from two different viewpoints. First is the kind of the flame retardant material the clothes you are eyeing on is made of. Such material should always appear on the tag. If not, then disregard it immediately as it is not worth risking your baby’s welfare. The other important feature is the presence of buttons, elastics and buttons. These materials could injure babies. Buttons may also get sucked and swallowed by babies. They also possess choking hazards which is a common accident involving babies. Elastic bands should be removed as they are just as hazardous. The risks are much higher especially when babies are left unattended.

Baby’s comfort is also of prime importance. More often than not, cotton is the most recommended kind of fabric. This fabric has a natural supple feel on babies’ skin which makes them very comfortable. One drawback of using cotton is its tendency to shrink after being washed several times and so it is always wise to purchase baby clothes that are bigger in size. This way, you can reuse the clothes for a long time. Another option is to purchase clothes made from both cotton and polyester. They may not be as soft and supple as clothes made form purely cotton, they don’t shrink and they look good for a long time.

Money is also a factor to consider. One way or another, as parents, you need to find other ways to purchase clothes without putting a strain on your finances. This can be achieved by paying a visit to places where used clothes are available. This is also one of my strategies. Shopping on-line for used clothes helps me get hold of good clothes without hurting my pocket. Convenience is also an important …

Costs of Staff Turnover in Your Marketing Department

Marketing Department turnover has an impact, not just on the Marketing Department, but in other parts of the organization. For example, a lack of fully trained resources (trained in the company’s way of marketing) can force marketing projects to be delayed, which can lead to loss of sales or delay to the market with the formal release of a new product.

Hiring and retaining skilled staff is always a high priority for managers who direct marketing functions. If we create turnover, then we face a series of costs.

Cost Categories

There are four major categories of costs associated with the turnover of positions.

Staff Labor

Non-staff Related

Training

Productivity

1. Staff Labor Costs

The company expends labor costs searching for a new employee. These include:

Scheduling and conducting the interview

Background check

Processing paperwork

Orientation

Attending job fairs

2. Non-staff Related Costs

Non-labor recruiting costs include:

Advertising

Drug Testing

Associated costs and overhead allocations to manage involved departments.

3. Training Costs

Marketing continues to evolve. Consider, for example, Social Media that did not exist, even a few years ago. The whole field of Inbound Marketing has exploded. Staff needs to obtain new training and refresh past skills. Training could cost up to 5%.

4. Productivity

Even a well-oiled machine will hit a few bumps integrating a new employee. A few of these items are:

Employee not yet up to speed with department, division or company practices.

Manager concentrating with on-boarding the new employee rather than other duties.

The usual smooth hand-offs between team members require more effort to avoid dropping the ball on processes and procedures.

How Can We Avoid These Costs?

As managers, we need to be active in managing our employees and departments. Key activities to help prevent turnover include:

Letting employees know they did a good job and are appreciated.

Team building and camaraderie activities help employees feel connected.

A simple pat on the back and “thank you” do not cost anything but go far in the bonding process.

Pitch in and pick up some tasks when the team or an individual is trying their best to meet a deadline, but cannot meet it.

Provide new challenges and opportunities to expand knowledge and learn new skills.

The Takeaway

Turnover of staff is natural, over the course of time. We can minimize turnover by engaging, encouraging and rewarding staff as part of our day-to-day management.

That Is My Thinking. Over to You.

1. How do you minimize marketing staff turnover?

2. What kinds of recognition or rewards do you employ?

3. Do you find that Marketing turnover is similar or dissimilar to other staff types?

Copyright 2011 by Rob Berman…

Ways To Improve Productivity – 5 Powerful Tips

Every day we’re extremely busy, juggling our time among work, family, social life and so on. We’re either struggling to cope, embroiled in fire-fighting half the time or simply accepting our lot in life thinking this is the best we can perform. What about you – how are you managing? Do you ever wish you’re more productive, your brain moves faster, you can get things done more efficiently?

Allow me to share with you 5 extraordinary ways to improve productivity. It’s very useful for many of us who get entangled in the mundane but busy daily activities. Why? Because it helps us to Refocus, Reprioritize and Recharge to continue to be productive in the areas that are most important to us.

The 5 Powerful Ways to Improve Productivity are:-

Tip #1: Take Action on What is Important

Clearly assess which options will give you the best return on your time and priority. Do not make the mistake of getting sidetracked by little things that are calling out for your attention. Many tasks that require your immediate attention are not important in the bigger scheme. So get your priorities right.

Tip #2: Aim High

Always identify what are focused, high-impact results that will change the outcomes you get in your life. You know you don’t want merely mediocre results. Find inspiration to achieve outcomes that were previously outside your reach. Stretch your boundaries.

Tip #3: Build your Agenda Around the Important

Rearrange and re-rank your activities to concentrate only on those that will bring you forward in your career and personal life. Do not move 10 steps forward and 3 steps back! Look for ways to improve productivity so that you will make day-to-day decisions that are focused on your most important outcomes instead of the grit that’s blown into your eyes.

Tip #4: Control Your Technology

Find a dependable system that speeds up your capability to get things done, instead of being frequently distracted by technology. Tools and equipment are there to make it easier for you to achieve your goals. Do not let them bog you down and divert you from your ultimate objectives.

Tip #5: Keep Your Passion Burning

Make sure you constantly regenerate and revitalize yourself by relaxing, sleeping regularly, and eating nutritiously so that you can be recharged for the significant things in your life. As the clock ticks, we are no longer the super men/women that we were when we first stepped out of school. If you do not rejuvenate yourself, your internal machinery will break down. Nobody can be productive in that state.

The essence of effective productivity is achieving the results you want in a way that enables you to get even more of these results in the future. I urge you to ponder upon these ways to improve productivity and make full use of them.…

Create the Perfect Birth Experience – Natural Childbirth Or Medicated

By about week 35, most pregnant women start to feel some fear and anxiety about the upcoming labor and birth experience. This is true for first time mothers and for mothers with multiple children. The main reason is fear of the unknown. Wondering when and where labor will begin, how long it will last, and how much pain and suffering is going to be involved. This burden of wonder is unhealthy for the mother and the developing baby. It causes stress that effects both of them.

Additionally, labor has often been thought of as something that is out of control. The mother is at nature’s mercy. This is true to a point. There is something a woman can do before the process begins to help calm fears and guide the delivery experience in the way that she desires. It includes using the Law of Attraction and visualization.

The Law of Attraction has become increasingly popular over the last decade and is frequently used in seminars on creating wealth. However, it is a universal law and can work in any area of a person’s life. Briefly, the Law of Attraction states that thoughts have energy that attracts to whatever the person is thinking about. Think of it like thoughts are charged like magnets. They are have an actual physical draw to those things that are similar. If your thoughts are positively charged they will attract other positively charged things. It also is true for negative. If a person can decide what they want most, send their thoughts out to the universe asking for it, truly visualize receiving, and be open to accept it, they can create their own destiny.

Woman can use this law to create their perfect birth expedience before the first contraction begins. First, the mother should decide what kind of birth she wants to experience. It is good to be specific. Think of the time of day, how it feels, who is there, how long it lasts. Connecting emotion to the visualization makes it even stronger. Second, she should continue to revisit the mental experience. Ask for it to happen out loud. Make the situation so real that it becomes a part of who she is. Third, believe that it is true. Have faith that it will happen just how it was visualized in her mind. Finally, be grateful. Be open to receive the perfect birth and give thanks for receiving it before labor begins.

There are many who believe that the Law of Attraction is for dreamers. People who don’t act, but instead, simply wish for good things to happen. It is not true. Actually, those who understand the Law of Attraction are individuals who have set attainable, believable goals. They are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve them. They understand the way you think can effect the way you live. They are ready and willing to act. There are people in the world who …

Merchant Warehouse – The Best Merchant Account?

“So, Give me your best rate.” Those are the words that are heard more than any others by customer service reps at merchant account companies. If you ask that question the reply you get will tell you a lot about whether you should be doing business with them.

A ‘cheap merchant account’ is ultimately about much more than just a rate, because there are many other things that need to be considered.

It is true however, that most people are drawn to an company web page on the basis of the figures. However, the idea of ‘what you see is what you get’, does not apply to merchant credit card processing services.

For example, let’s say a company offers a rate of 1.3%, however they do not tell you that the rate is based on a $25 dollar monthly minimum and a 3 year contract with a $200 termination fee.

Suddenly the complexion of things changes significantly. Many people get burned in this way from only paying attention to the ‘low rates’.

That’s where Merchant Warehouse comes in and is the reason for Merchant Warehouse Review, because their approach is refreshingly different. They do not present a headline number to get people to sign on the dotted line.

They offer a consultative approach, which involves telling people all of account charges involved, not just for them but for all the industry. This really allows people to be able to understand what is the best company for them, because they can now compare ‘apples with apples’ by doing a proper comparison.

Their service is also excellent. They have just been voted Sales Organization of the year by the Electronics Transactions Association, an industry regulator, because of the overall quality of the accounts that they provide. Simply put it is a recognition of being the best merchant account services provider in the country.…

What Is the Process of Having a Baby? – The Stages of Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery

Upon getting pregnant, many women wonder, “What is the process of having a baby?” The answer to this question has three parts to it. There are three different aspects of having a baby that are very different from one another. There is the pregnancy itself, the labor process and the birth of the child. It is important to become education on the entire process to know what to expect when the time comes. Below is a list of the stages of pregnancy, labor and delivery of the baby that will help to answer the question, “What is the process of having a baby?”

Pregnancy – This stage is the longest, and a normal pregnancy can take anywhere from 37-42 weeks. The average time of pregnancy is typically 40 weeks of gestation. There are three different stages within the pregnancy itself, which are the first, second and third trimesters. There are many different milestones that take place within each trimester, and it is helpful to understand what is happening during each trimester. During the first trimester, women tend to develop early pregnancy signs, such as morning sickness and sensitivity to smells. This is the most common time for women to ask, “What is the process of having a baby?” The second trimester brings a major growth spurt in the child as well as the mother’s belly. Most major organs are formed during this stage. The third and final stage of pregnancy is the third trimester, in which the baby’s growth finalizes and the weight gain takes place.

Labor – The labor can begin with the woman’s water breaking. This refers to the sack of amniotic fluid that keeps the baby protected inside the woman’s uterus. Once this breaks, the baby has 24 hours to be delivered safely without risks of complications. The labor can last anywhere from minutes to 24 hours, depending on the individual circumstances. After the water is broke, there is typically a bloody show of mucous that appears. This signifies that the cervix is beginning to dilate. Many women wonder “What is the process of having a baby?” They think about the labor portion, which can be the hardest to predict. Many women go into labor at different times, so it can be a complete surprise. Some women have little pain, while some women experience major amounts of pain that require an epidural shot in the spine to numb the body from the pelvis down. This can be the most difficult time of the entire process.

Delivery – The birth of the baby can be one of the most momentous times in a parent’s life. When mothers and fathers are asked the questions, “What is the process of having a baby?” They typically refer to this part in their memory, because it is the most joyful part. The memory the pain and discomfort can quickly fade, because the miracle of childbirth overpowers …

The Challenge For Managers When Introducing a Productivity Improvement Program

Improving productivity in the workplace is a significant value to senior management. However just communicating the need for improving productivity will not motivate staff members to change their behavior. The reason for this is that the things that are of significance to management are not the things that are significant to the staff member.

In an interesting survey, 800 workers were interviewed and asked to rank their values. The results were:

1. Training and personal development

2. Increased input to their job

3. Promotions

4. Pay increases

5. More communication with immediate supervisor

As managers, we must be aware that the basis of our communication must be the values of the people with whom we want to communicate. It is absolutely pointless basing our communication on values which are irrelevant to the people we are addressing.

We tend to communicate the values of the senior people in the organisation. Of course it is totally logical and worthwhile to them because they support and live those values. However, these values are not going to appeal to people who respect different values. Why should they change their behavior because of someone’s values which do not make sense to them?

Many companies throughout the Western world have conducted employee surveys. The results are broadly the same.

1. People want personal, face-to-face communication. Of lesser importance are notices, memos and videos.

2. Their immediate supervisor is the most trusted source of information. Trusted more than their Union representatives or more remote management.

3. The most valuable information concerns plans for their immediate workplace environment and the way that tasks are performed.

The challenge for the manager who wants to improve workplace productivity is how will he or she get the message across and be certain that it is understood. The answer seems to be that issues surrounding their local workplace (self interest) are much more important and relevant than issues concerning the wider organisation.

The reason for this is simple. The individual on the shop floor can only make decisions about their own behaviour. Consequently, the areas of greatest interest to them are going to be narrow and relate to their environment and their job. The wider issues are much less interesting or relevant.

The challenge lies not in the method of communication, but in the content of the communication. This means that all the content must address the self interest of the workers. They must be given relevant reasons why they should be doing things differently. The reasons should not be reasons that make sense to senior management but reasons that make sense to the people who you want to change their behavior.

This emphasises the need to plan the implementation and the communication of a productivity improvement program. The skills of the managers and supervisors are critical to the success of the program. If the introduction and the initial communications fail to address the issues which are relevant to the workforce, the …

Why Spring is a Wonderful Time to Head to Southern California’s Largest City

Los Angeles is known as the place where movie stars and other beautiful celebrities live. It has warm, sunny weather and great beaches as well as a number of exciting things to do while visiting according to an owner of a Los Angeles contract warehouse and Los Angeles 3PL. Spring is a wonderful time to visit because the weather is ideal and it is less crowded than the summer months. This article will give some fun ideas of things to do and see this spring when visiting Los Angeles whether it is visiting an amusement park or running in the Los Angeles marathon.

If you would like to accomplish a great goal while at the same time as going somewhere nice for a vacation then running the Los Angeles marathon would be a great idea. It is scheduled to take place on March 21st this year and will give you a great tour of the city that will take you past some of the great tourist attractions in Los Angeles. If you would rather watch a race then be in one, be in LA in May to see some of the best cyclists in the world racing in the Amgen Tour of California race. Part of it goes right through downtown LA and you may even see Lance Armstrong too.

For thrill seekers, make sure you take the time to go to Universal Studios Hollywood. It gives visitors the chance to see how movies are made as well as television shows and no place is better than that than Hollywood. You can go behind the scenes of the movie War of The Worlds or see Wisteria Lane from the TV show, “Desperate Housewives” which is fun to see. Nearby City walk is also fun to see bands, go out to eat and have a fun night out as well. Another fun thing that tourists do is to go on a star tour viewing celebrities and movie stars homes in the area.

When in the Los Angeles area, you have to go to Malibu and spend a day at the Malibu Lagoon State Beach. The weather is absolutely perfect in the spring and not only is it great for bird watchers then but it is also fun for celebrity sightings as many famous people own beach homes on this beach. After some time at the beach go to the Malibu Country mart for some great shopping and wonderful dining options.

Spring is a great time to go through the section of downtown LA known as Little Tokyo. It is a fabulous place where you can find wonderful Japanese cuisine and sushi as well as shops that sell interesting Japanese things. In April is the Cherry Blossom festival that showcases Japanese culture with dancing, food, crafts and music. Also in Little Tokyo is the Japanese American National Museum that has gorgeous artwork that is both traditional and more modern …

Productivity Improvement – Learn What Steps to Take and Which to Avoid to Improve Productivity

The challenge is before you: improve productivity in your hospital. Before you can do this, it is necessary to know how your results compare to your peers. Benchmarks are a useful tool for establishing this information. So, you are interested in benchmarks, or maybe you already have benchmarks, but you are unsure of how to incorporate the results into your management strategy. This is a dilemma faced by many hospital executives, usually resulting in the failure to take any significant action. To alleviate this problem, we have created a distillation of what we have found to be the most important “do’s” and “don’ts” when pursuing productivity improvement.

DON’T decide to reduce a specific number of department FTEs based solely on external comparisons and the need for expense reduction without regard tot he impact on throughput. DO use comparative data as a screening tool to identify the greatest improvement opportunities. DON’T impose arbitrary productivity goals without regard to potential barriers within and outside the departments. DO identify organizational effectiveness barriers at the department level and quantify their impact. DON’T make cost reduction an activity that involves only the managers. DO involve employees constructively in the improvement process. DON’T start uncoordinated projects that focus on individual departments and miss the synergistic effect of factors that cross department lines. DO implement tailored improvements that take the total organizational impact into account, not just the effect on a single department. DON’T implement arbitrary, crisis-driven cuts that damage quality, impair physician confidence, destroy employee loyalty, and tarnish community image. DO make a improvement of organizational effectiveness an ongoing objective to be routinely pursued throughout the hospital. DON’T waste time fixing symptoms. DO fix root causes. DON’T develop a fear-based hospital culture. DO develop a trust-based hospital culture.

Above all, DON’T wait until a fiscal crisis looms before taking constructive steps to reduce costs through improved organizational effectiveness. The longer you wait, the fewer your options!…

The Two Essential Steps to Improve Workplace Labor Productivity

Train your leadership team

Without a doubt the most significant contributor to workplace productivity is the ability of the leadership team. It is extremely difficult to increase productivity without having effective levels of leadership throughout the business.

People respond to role models and follow their example either good or bad. All leaders can have a profound effect on the productivity of their people. However, it is necessary to train people in leadership positions how to behave and influence the people that work for them.

Effective leadership training is not common. Too much of it focuses on theory and not enough on the practical aspects of being a leader. The very best leadership training equips the learners with practical skills which they can put to work straightaway. It also provides coaching in the workplace to show supervisors and managers how to get the very best from their people. 

Leadership training which does not have follow-up and does not have on-the-job coaching is of limited value. Because there is little evidence of any transfer of learning to the workplace without it. With no transfer of learning, it could be argued that leadership training of this type is a waste of money.

Remember that everybody in a leadership position is a role model. The best way of doing it is to follow this simple procedure.  If you are in a leadership position, make a list of the characteristic behaviors you want from your team. For example, if you have a team of supervisors you are likely to want them to be responsive to the needs of their own team.

If you want your team to behave in this way then you need to be behaving in this way with your team because you are their leader. Now this is quite demanding because it means that you have to be responsive to their needs and coach them to higher performance when necessary.  

In other words if you want a team that uses good leadership skills then you have to demonstrate good leadership skills to your team.

Just write down all the behaviors that would make a perfect team and as you do so, reflect on what that means in terms of how you will model the desired behavior for them.  Most of it is not too hard but it becomes difficult when the pressure come on.

This first step of training your leadership team to model the behaviour that they want in other people is critical to your success in improving productivity.

Improved levels of productivity always seem to result from effective leadership training.

Through involvement, decide the level of productivity required and identify milestones to the goal.

This is the area where many people fail. They decide the level of productivity required and then impose it on the staff. Then they are in a situation where they are fighting the resentment of the staff because they have had something imposed on them and generally speaking, failure follows.

Without a doubt, the secret …

Hiring 101: The Application Process

The labor board comes in your location and you have a stack of applications that reach back to the Reagan Administration. Is that a problem?

Well, besides the fact that this probably means you have never conducted your annual HR audit, you have created a strong suspicion that submitting an application is not how someone gets a job with your company. This means that you will need to show that you have a fair process at your company for gaining employment.

Here are some questions to answer prior to the labor board rep showing up at your door:

What is the process for getting employed at your company and is it fair and equitable at all of your locations?

Are you really an equal opportunity employer?

Do you have over 50 employees for federal employment compliance or are you over the number of employees for some state and local labor board compliance?

If you have a lot of employee referrals, do they follow a well-established process for obtaining employment?

Do you interview every candidate?

Does every new hire complete an application before they are hired?

Do you conduct background and drug tests on every new hire?

What is your process?

If you use the internet to post jobs, you need to determine how you separate resumes and at what point your company decides that a resume moves from the general stack to that of a candidate. Companies are required to treat official applicants and/or candidates differently once they have been identified as such.

The real problem is created when a position becomes open and you don’t follow either your written or unwritten procedure.

For example, a manager finds out that an employee’s brother is available and he simply hires the brother. Having no real interview, application, drug test or background check would further complicate matters.

However the next time a position opens, there is an interview process. A candidate is offered the job but something else trips him up: a positive drug test or a bad background check. You withdraw the offer but the candidate finds out that you only used your “process” on him; other people were hired without going through all of that. He files an EEO complaint or even worse: he files a grievance with the local labor board.

The best answer is to create a process for hiring people with your company.

Establish a time to purge old applications and resumes. Some companies have gone paperless and all applications must be taken virtually. The internet has made things easier in the application process but it has also created some additional complexity. The EEOC is still playing around with the definition of when someone on the web becomes a “candidate.”

Does this mean that you can never have an exception to your hiring process? No, but exceptions need to really be exceptions and should be documented and explained every time they are made.

To avoid possible lawsuits and fines, conduct your annual …

How Logistics Consultancy Benefits Business

Employing the services of a logistics consultant can be very useful if you have a business where you need to move, manufacture or store goods at a cost effective-price. Consultancies can provide strategies that will help your business improve efficiency and profitability. Advice offered can include all aspects of coordinating your supply chain, such as warehouse management and materials handling.

Logistics consultants ensure that each client is assessed and the best advice is offered to suit that particular business, whether it be upgrading a warehouse or looking at asset management in the supply chain. Tailored system planning ensures an effective and profitable business and a ‘hands on’ approach to implementing strategic operational solutions really make product handling and distribution systems work.

Managing the supply chain means coordinating business processes to achieve efficient movement and storage of goods from producer to consumer. Companies offering this type of consultancy can give specialist advice from the ground up, starting with process design and business modelling then advising on ways of implementing strategies to improve capabilities. This advice can focus on areas of the supply chain including transportation, stock control and warehousing.

Some companies find that their warehousing capabilities just aren’t efficient for the kind of levels of storage they are hoping to achieve. If this is the case then specialist advice can be given on functionality. Warehouse consultants can offer design ideas as well as reviewing and improving clients’ current warehouse operations within areas such as inventory analysis and use of stock management tools.

Optimizing current resources ensures effective processes for clients, with focus placed on whether companies are using their capabilities to optimal effect. Another area of expertise within a logistics consultants remit can be materials handling, with advice offered on everything from system design to asset management and tracking.

In short, supply chain and logistics consultants can offer strategies on all key industrial business areas. Implementing these logistical solutions can significantly increase profitability. After all, efficient process strategies can result in substantial cost savings and so therefore increase profits in the long-term.…

Warehouse Inventory Control Management Systems

Your business is growing. You just leased a secondary warehouse down the street from your current location. Your warehouse manager has filled every crack and crevice in your current warehouse and you hope the new space will relieve some of the pressure caused by fulfillment delays, inventory shortages, and even damage cause by poor packing.

Warehouse Inventory Control Management Systems, or WMS, are designed to help the warehouse facility, vendors, and even customers stay on top of inventory status in real time. Suppose you know an order for widgets is coming in next week. That doesn’t bother you be cause the manual inventory that was run last month shows more than enough product is on hand to fulfill that order.

What you may not have remembered is that the inventory you were counting on was destroyed in a roof leak and removed from the warehouse. Had warehouse inventory management systems been put in place, you would have seen an up to the minute report of the exact inventory status and even the location of the destroyed inventory waiting to be disposed of.

With the development of micro computing devices like RFID tags, mangers are able to keep track of vital warehousing information in real time. Whether you want to track the movement of whole pallets of product, or the individual item, a WMS may be the answer.

Since these systems are computer based, it is important to work closely with your IT manager to insure proper implementation. These systems can be based on your company’s network or be internet based. Taking time to do a careful survey of needs of all systems in you product stream can prevent costly mistakes in the future. These systems can often pay for themselves in a reasonable amount of time.

Another key person to include in the development of these systems is the warehouse manager. These personnel understand critical product flows and inefficiencies within the plant. When expanding to supplementary warehouse space, employees must often do extra work in compiling orders from both facilities due to poorly created pick procedures.

Warehouse management systems can give the operator a birds eye view of the products flowing in and out of their warehouses. These computerized systems can show quickly areas of weakness that could be costing the company millions in lost product and high man hours.

Companies that implement computerized inventory management systems find they save a significant amount of money in loss prevention and man hours. These systems are necessary for just in time suppliers meeting customer requirements and fulfillment houses providing responsive processing for their clients. Knowing where your inventory is within your warehouses, both local and remote, is essential for maintaining a successful flow of product from the manufacturers floor, through the warehouse, and on to the seller and consumer.

By bringing together members from each specialty in the supply chain, companies can develop a dependable system that will enable them to quickly meet their customer’s needs and …

Lectures and Meetings in the Workplace

Providing employees with further education and training is one of the best ways to motivate people to really engage in their jobs. When a person feels confident in their skills and abilities, they are free to really expand the work they can do and what they can accomplish. Meetings, lectures and training programs are all useful and beneficial ways for employers to help their employees. These types of events often have specific regulations outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act that must be acknowledged.

There are four distinct regulations that determine whether or not an employee should be compensated for their time spent in a meeting or training program. As distinguished by the FLSA, if other work is being performed concurrently while a person is engaging in a lecture, meeting or training program, an employee must be compensated for their time. So if an employee is asked to continue to perform part of their normal tasks while engaging in a lecture, they must be compensated for that time, just as they normally would be.

Also, if a meeting or training occurs during an employees normal working hours, they must be compensated for this time as well. Employees schedule their time in order to maximize their income. If a company asks an employee to shift that schedule for a meeting, they must be compensated for that time.

Finally, a meeting or lecture must be considered paid time if it is work related or mandatory. If a meeting is not work related and is voluntary, an employer is not obligated to pay its employees for this time. Also, any employee who is exempted from FLSA standards because of their title does not have to be compensated for this type of activity.…

Inducing Labor at Home – Three Methods You Can Start Right Now

First, I would like to give you a warm congratulations for the baby that is about to bless your life. However, right now, you are probably in a lot of pain because that due date has come and gone. I have been in your shoes before. I know how it feels to be pregnant and have the due date pass you by. It’s miserable, point blank. Have you ever thought about inducing labor at home? Many do not know that they can induce labor in the comfort of their own home. Instead, they turn to the doctor to give them medications to bring on labor. Those medications have side effects that could harm the baby. I know you do not want to harm your baby and that is why I want to tell you ways that can help you out.

First on our list, there are spicy foods. Did you know that consuming foods that are spicy can induce labor? It’s true. In fact, this is a very popular method.

When I was pregnant and the due date passed, it was one of the tips that our midwife gave us. My husband loves spicy food but I really don’t, but at that point, I was willing to try anything to relieve the misery we were in. It’s so hard to wait for the baby come!

Relaxation is another technique that the midwife told us about. Your body is so tight to the point that the baby is not going to come out. When you are relaxing, you will be loosening up your body a bit. Relaxation includes bubble baths, massage, reading, resting in the recliner as you are watching a movie or whatever else you like to do.

Inducing labor at home is not that hard to do. All you have to do is follow these two methods we just told you about. Apart from these two methods, there is a third one that is widely popular and has a great success rate. That method is acupressure.

Research has been conducted and is showing that over eighty percent of pregnant women who use acupressure to induce labor experience a normal labor with less complications than other women that do not use the techniques. Did you know that it can also shorten the amount of time one is in labor?…

Benefits of Locating Call Centers Near Educational Centers

Evaluating availability of low cost labor source is an important aspect to consider when establishing new operations units. Contact centers are not an exception in this regard. However, the nature of call center operations requires a constant supply of labor force since not many people are willing to work odd shifts for long periods in their lives. Yet, college and university students represent a very attractive and beneficial segment of transient workers for call offices.

Most of students pursuing a degree are still in need to earn money to pay for their tuition. In addition, unlike people that have families or other community obligations, students are often available and willing to take odd shifts late at night or early in the morning. Consequently, students make themselves an attractive low cost labor source and possess adequate knowledge and skills.

However, employing students for work requires quite considerable corporate decision making. Although students from universities, colleges and vocational schools most probably won’t become constant workers, they are readily available for short periods and can become transient workers at call centers. In addition, students are less vulnerable and influenced by employment cycles that affect employment and, consequently, operations in a number of industries. They are well-prepared to call and answer calls of customers with appropriate courtesy.

Benefits of employing students as transient workers at call centers are:

Students are willing to take odd shifts that are not suitable for most other people;

Students have sufficient communication skills as well as academic credentials to service calling customers with appropriate courtesy;

Students are an excellent low labor cost source since they are willing to earn extra money to pay for their tuition as well as entertainments.

The only drawback of considering students as potential workers at call center is the fact that they might place their job to the second place, while giving the first priority to the studies. Thus, call center managers might need to seek for compromises that would allow students choose schedule to work part-time and pursue educational excellence at the same time.

It is obvious that college and university students can become valuable asset of call centers as most of them possess necessary communication and technical skills. Furthermore, numerous universities, colleges, as well as vocational schools now offer invaluable certification programs that equip students with so much needed skills and competencies for working at a virtual office. Thus, locating contact centers nearby educational centers is most likely to turn out a beneficial and quite profitable enterprise.…

How to Make Your Warehouse Safer With the Right Equipment

Warehouses are necessary if you’re running a medium- to large-scale business. Safety in warehouses is also something that can’t be stressed enough. If you’re setting up your industrial business, then you should know that the safety of your crew should always be your top priority while you’re shopping for equipment and storage equipments. For tips on how to find the right warehouse safety equipment, read on.

Make a list of all the safety needs of your warehouse

Before setting out to look for good suppliers of warehouse equipment, you should make a comprehensive list of all of the items you’ll need to keep your warehouse safe. Will you be handling and transporting liquids in your warehouse? If these don’t come in spill-containment vats, yet, you should include sealed vats and drums in your list as well. You should also include spill-containment berms, along with the necessary sizes you’ll require for both transportation and warehouse storage needs.

Next, consider what kind of storage equipments you’ll need. Pallet racks are economical storage equipments if you’re keeping heavy materials which can be exposed to its environment. Harmful chemicals, on the other hand, may need to be contained in refrigerated or heated areas. You’ll have to purchase sealed containers as well as temperature-regulating equipment to preserve these chemicals. These enclosed spaces will also keep your crew safe from harm.

It’s a must for any warehouse to have carts, forklifts, and possibly even larger cranes to transport its heavy materials from one point of the warehouse to another. When shopping for storage and lifting equipment, check the weight capacity of every machine, cart, or rack. Don’t settle for equipment that has a low weight capacity. Most warehouse accidents happen because people overload forklifts and racks.

Look for a good equipment provider

Don’t just settle for the cheapest deal when you’re shopping for safety equipment. Do your research and gauge the credibility of your equipment provider. You’d want a firm that can live up to your expectations and be liable enough just in case any of the warehouse safety Solutions you’ve purchase from them turn out to be defective. Look at how long they’ve been operating in the field, and don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials from previous clients.

Warranties would also work to your advantage when it comes to warehouse safety solutions. You’d want to get at least a year’s worth of service warranty for your forklifts and pallet racks.

As soon as you’ve found a provider for all the big safety solutions you’ll be using on your warehouse, it’s time to arm your men. Be very strict about clothing rules, and make sure they wear all the necessary gloves, goggles, and hard caps while they’re inside your warehouse. Make sure they don’t overload racks and lifting equipment. Sometimes, the safety of the crew doesn’t just depend on how well-manufactured the storage and lifting solutions are. Their safety also relies on how well they …

Natural Induction of Labor – How to Speed Up Labor Without Medical Induction

A doctor can induce your labor for you and start the process of delivering the baby. It is easy and simple and effective. The only problem is that it is not natural and side effects can come from medical induction. Side effects and labor are two words that don’t work well in the same sentence for you. You want your baby and you to be safe.

You wouldn’t want to run the risk of something terrible happening during this process. Although statistics are low of babies not making it through medical induction, these are still risks that you are not willing to play with. You want to make sure that your baby is going to be safe and you are not going to be taking any risks.

You want a natural induction of labor. You want to bring on labor naturally and to speed it up without medical induction. You want some ways to make this happen today so you can make the baby’s birth easier and healthier for you. Thankfully, you can.

There are treatments that you can do at home that will help to speed up your labor. A great method that you can try today is meditation or yoga. Meditation gets your mind and body in sync with one another. When this happens, you are in complete control of your body and most importantly, you are relaxed. When you are relaxed, your body is open and that makes room for the baby to come through. When you are tense, your body is tight and tightness is something that won’t work in your favor when it comes to giving birth. You must be as loose as a goose for this moment in time. Yoga can also help to induce your labor because it also loosens your body up. Either way, using one of these methods will help to bring on labor early for you.

If yoga or meditating isn’t your thing, then you can feel free to munch on some spicy foods and get the same results. Spicy foods help to clear out your body and they also speed up the natural processes of your body as well. So when you eat something spicy, your heart rate goes up and all of the other systems of your body also increase in tempo, so the same thing happens down there for you. You’ll open up and your body will go into labor.

Don’t worry about medical induction anymore. All hesitations and worries can go out the window with these natural labor induction methods.…

Using Acupuncture During And To Promote Pregnancy

Being pregnant is definitely a thrilling and fantastic time. On the other hand, with all the bodily and hormonal modifications that take place, it may also be a time of soreness. Several expecting females endure fatigue, nausea, backache along with other problems which are regarded as a “normal” component of being pregnant. Acupuncture is a safe, mild and successful method to tackle these ailments, particularly given that Western medicines cannot be utilized throughout this time.

Normal acupuncture in the course of being pregnant sets the basis for a wholesome mom and child. Furthermore, ladies who utulize acupuncture through pregnancy typically experience a less difficult pregnancy than females who do not use acupuncture. Research done in Europe concluded that “women of all ages who obtained acupuncture every week through the final month of being pregnant had considerably shorter labor than ladies who didn’t acquire any acupuncture.”

A few of the ailments that acupuncture can deal with are:

Nausea, Vomiting,

Insomnia

Decreased Energy Levels

Anemia

Anxiety/depression

constipation

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Substantial blood stress (pre-eclampsia)

PUPPs & other pregnancy-related skin problems

Pre-term labor

Delayed labor

Labor discomfort

Lactation complications

Postpartum depression

Prenatal acupuncture has been employed for thousands of years to help sufferers ease into and through pregnancy, and to have an uncomplicated delivery. An Australian study conducted by Adelaide University in 2002 found that acupuncture throughout being pregnant had no adverse effects and was completely safe when provided by a trained acupuncturist.

You may well have heard that some acupuncture points are forbidden for the duration of being pregnant. This is true – certain points on the body are to be avoided for the duration of the pregnancy as they might stimulate uterine contractions. Nonetheless, a trained specialist in acupuncture will know specifically which points are unsafe to utilize during various treatments.

Acupuncture in the course of the first trimester focuses on setting the basis for a wholesome, safe, and uncomplicated pregnancy. Therapies are provided to prevent miscarriage and to tackle any early problems, such as nausea and fatigue. For optimum results, the recommended frequency of acupuncture throughout the first trimester is once per week.

Acupuncture throughout the second trimester aims to maintain balance and offer relief from numerous problems and ailments that arise during this time. The recommended frequency of therapies for that second trimester is evaluated for each individual. Sufferers may possibly come one to two times per month if the pregnancy is uncomplicated and there are no complaints. If addressing a certain issue, sufferers may perhaps need to come more often.

Acupuncture in the course of the third trimester prepares the body for labor and delivery. Treatment for labor induction can and should be offered anytime after the thirty-ninth week if there are no complications present. For the duration of the third trimester, sufferers are encouraged to seek weekly treatment to ensure a smooth labor and delivery. Research show that women of all ages who acquire normal acupuncture in the course of …