Making an Impression During the Holidays

The holiday season is a time of celebration, reflection, and coming together with loved ones. It’s also a season of giving, gratitude, and spreading joy. As we gear up for this special time of the year, it’s crucial to not only make an impression but also make a positive impact. Here, we’ll explore five ways to make an impression during the holidays that go beyond the superficial.

Inclusivity and Empathy: Include Those Less Privileged

One of the most impactful ways to make an impression during the holidays is by emphasising inclusivity and empathy in your holiday marketing campaign. While it’s a season of joy for many, it can be a difficult time for those who are less fortunate. Your holiday campaign can make a meaningful difference by reaching out to those in need. Consider partnering with local charities or organisations to donate a portion of your holiday sales to support the less privileged in your community.

Also, include diverse and authentic representations of people from various backgrounds in your marketing materials. Highlight stories of individuals who have overcome adversity or have dedicated their time to helping others. By showcasing these stories, you not only spread awareness but also inspire others to make a difference in their own way. As videos tend to attract online viewers more, you can use social media video services to create meaningful content. Graphic design services can also be used to create engaging pages specially designed for the holiday season. Remember that the true spirit of the holidays lies in giving, and your brand can leave a lasting impression by demonstrating its commitment to social responsibility.

Creating Cherished Memories with Loved Ones

graphic design services

The holiday season is an excellent time to strengthen bonds with loved ones and create lasting memories. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often forget to pause and appreciate the moments that truly matter. This holiday season, make an impression by encouraging people to prioritise spending quality time with their family and friends.

Promote the idea of meaningful gift-giving. Instead of focusing solely on materialistic gifts, suggest experiences that can be shared together. Whether it’s a cosy winter cabin getaway, a cooking class, or simply a heartfelt handwritten letter, these gifts create memories that will be cherished for years to come.

Consider hosting events or workshops that facilitate family bonding and relaxation. Encourage people to take a break from the chaos of the season and engage in activities that promote connection and togetherness. By emphasising the importance of these moments, you can leave a heartfelt impression on your audience.

Sustainability: Making Choices Good for the Planet

As we become more aware of the environmental challenges we face, sustainability has become a significant concern for many during the holidays. Your marketing campaign can make a powerful impression by promoting eco-friendly practices and products. Encourage consumers to make choices that are good for the planet.

Highlight sustainable gift options, such as reusable products, organic and ethically sourced goods, or items made from recycled materials. Share tips on reducing waste during holiday celebrations, such as using reusable wrapping paper or opting for digital holiday cards. Consider offering incentives or discounts to customers who make eco-conscious choices.    

Your brand can also take a stand by implementing sustainable practices within your own operations. Reduce your carbon footprint by minimising packaging waste, using renewable energy sources, or supporting initiatives that combat climate change. By aligning your brand with sustainability, you not only make an impression but also contribute to a more sustainable future.

Community Engagement: Making a Positive Impact

The holiday season is a perfect time to foster a sense of community and give back to the neighbourhoods we call home. Your marketing campaign can make a lasting impression by encouraging people to engage with and support their local communities.

Promote the importance of shopping locally and supporting small businesses. Encourage customers to explore their local markets, boutiques, and artisans, which not only stimulates the local economy but also creates a sense of belonging.

Try to organise or participate in community events as well, such as food drives, toy drives, or volunteering opportunities. Share stories of individuals who have made a significant impact within your community, whether through acts of kindness or charitable initiatives. By emphasising the power of community engagement, your brand can inspire others to make a positive difference in their own neighbourhoods.

Gratitude and Contentment: Being Happy with What We Have

Amidst the holiday rush and the desire for more, it’s essential to remind people to appreciate what they have. In your marketing campaign, encourage your audience to reflect on their blessings and express gratitude for the abundance in their lives.

Promote acts of kindness and give back to those who may be less fortunate. Whether it’s donating to a local shelter, volunteering at a food bank, or simply spending time with someone in need, these acts of kindness remind us of the true spirit of the holidays.

All in all, making an impression during the holidays goes beyond the superficial. It’s about inclusivity, creating cherished memories, promoting sustainability, engaging with the community, and cultivating gratitude. By incorporating these values into your holiday marketing campaign, your brand can leave a lasting impression and contribute to a season filled with love, joy, and positive change.        

How to Create a Strong Business Image

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, creating a strong business image is essential for success. Your business image is more than just a logo or a catchy slogan; it encompasses your reputation, brand identity, and the perception customers have of your company. A strong business image can attract customers, build trust, and set you apart from your competitors. These are five key areas that are crucial for creating a strong business image.

Define Your Brand Identity

Your brand identity is the foundation of your business image. It’s how you want your business to be perceived by your target audience. Defining your brand identity involves creating a clear and consistent message that reflects your company’s values, mission, and personality.

Start by asking yourself these questions:

What is the purpose of your business? Why does it exist?

What are your core values and principles?

Who is your target audience, and what are their needs and preferences?

Once you have a clear understanding of your brand’s identity, you can begin to create a visual and verbal identity that aligns with it. This includes designing a memorable logo, selecting a colour palette, and creating a unique tone of voice for your marketing materials. Consistency is key here – all your branding elements should work together to convey the same message and evoke the same emotions in your audience.

Deliver Exceptional Customer Service

the SEI tool

Your business image is closely tied to the way you treat your customers. Exceptional customer service can leave a lasting impression and build a positive reputation for your business. On the other hand, poor customer service can quickly tarnish your image and drive customers away.

Here are some tips to provide a high-quality customer service:

Train your employees: Make sure your team is well-trained in customer service skills and knows how to handle various customer interactions, including complaints and inquiries.

Be responsive: Respond to customer queries on time. This shows that you really care about them and are committed to offering them the best.

Go the extra mile: Surprise and delight your customers by exceeding their expectations. This could be through personalised recommendations, special offers, or thoughtful gestures.

Gather feedback: Actively seek feedback from your customers and use it to improve your products and services.

Resolve issues gracefully: Mistakes happen, but it’s how you handle them that matters. Apologise sincerely, take responsibility and find a solution that leaves the customer satisfied.

Build a Professional Online Presence

In today’s digital age, your online presence plays a significant role in shaping your business image. Potential customers often research businesses online before making a decision, so it’s crucial to present a professional and trustworthy image on the internet.

It’s extremely important to create a website that is user-friendly and visually appealing. Your website should be easy to navigate, provide essential information about your products or services, and have clear contact information. Ensure that your site is mobile-responsive, as many users access websites from their smartphones. If you already have a website, you can use The SEI tool to check how it is performing online. You can then use The SEI Method to work on the areas that need attention to improve the overall user experience.

Active engagement on social media platforms is also essential for building a strong online presence. Choose the platforms that align with your target audience and industry, and consistently share valuable content, interact with your followers, and respond to comments and messages.

Online reviews and ratings can heavily influence a potential customer’s perception of your business. Request satisfied customers to leave a positive review on popular online platforms. Address negative reviews professionally and aim to resolve any issues mentioned.

Showcase Your Expertise

Positioning your business as an industry expert can significantly enhance your business image and credibility. When customers perceive you as a knowledgeable and trusted source, they are more likely to choose your products or services over competitors.

Here’s how to showcase your expertise:

Content marketing: Create high-quality content for your target audience. This can be in the shape of blog posts, articles or videos that you can put on your website and share on your social media channels.

Public speaking and webinars: Offer to speak at industry events, conferences, or webinars to share your expertise. This not only establishes you as an authority but also provides opportunities for networking.

Thought leadership: Write opinion pieces and guest posts for reputable publications in your industry. Express your unique perspectives on industry trends and challenges.

Case studies and testimonials: Highlight successful projects or satisfied customers through case studies and testimonials. These real-world examples demonstrate your ability to deliver results.

Give Back to the Community

Creating a strong business image goes beyond the bottom line; it also involves contributing to your community and society as a whole. Consumers today are increasingly conscious of a company’s social responsibility and ethical practices. By giving back, you not only improve your business image but also make a positive impact on the world.

Consider the following ways to give back:

Support local charities and nonprofits: Partner with organisations that align with your values and contribute to their causes through donations, volunteer work, or in-kind support.

Sustainability initiatives: Implement environmentally friendly practices in your business operations, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and sourcing eco-friendly materials.

Ethical business practices: Be transparent about your business practices, from sourcing to production. Show commitment to fair labour practices and ethical supply chains.

Educational initiatives: Offer scholarships, internships, or mentorship programs to support the education and development of future professionals in your industry.

Always remember that creating a strong business image is a multifaceted endeavour that requires a thoughtful approach in several key areas. Building a strong business image takes time and consistent effort, but the rewards in terms of customer loyalty and growth are well worth it.

Why You Should Secure Your Data

Data security is the practice of protecting digital information against unauthorized access, corruption, and theft throughout its life cycle. Data security is a concept that covers all aspects of information security including the physical security of hardware storage devices, administrative access control, and logical security of software and applications. It involves the use of tools and technologies that improve an organization’s visibility about where its critical data is located and how it is used.

For a company with many employees and clients, securing your data is important as there are multiple stakeholders whose information is at risk. As a business owner, you owe it to these stakeholders that their private data is protected, so you must employ some kind of IT consulting Service for that added peace of mind.

 This guide examines what data protection means, what key strategies, trends, and compliance requirements exist, and how to address the many challenges involved in protecting this critical workload. We also explain which data security measures can improve your data security and how it interacts with regulations and compliance.

Data generated, collected, stored, and exchanged by your company is a valuable asset. Protection against corruption and unauthorized access by internal and external individuals prevents your company from financial loss, reputational damage, loss of consumer confidence, and brand erosion. The data security processes and technologies used to protect information such as financial or payment data, intellectual property, and sensitive personal information about employees and customers are critical to protecting your company’s reputation and fiscal health.   

Data backup and security

When data that should be private falls into the wrong hands, bad things can happen. For example, a data breach in a government agency could put top secret information into the hands of the enemy of the state. An infringement in a company could put proprietary data in the hands of a competitor or the loss of private data relating to Clients or employees could lead to that personal information falling into the hands of hackers 

Organizations, businesses, and governments must abide by data-protection laws to keep sensitive information secure, accurate, and lawful. Failure to comply with data protection laws, where all organizations are expected to comply with a high level of data protection, can lead to legal action that could affect your business. Companies must comply with changing data protection laws, as the only way for them to ensure compliance with data protection rules is to comply with the latest data protection laws in a particular state.

Recent infringements have shown us that the consequences for organizations can have major legal consequences. People expect companies to protect their sensitive data, and a loss of trust can have a huge impact on the future of customs, the economy, and profits. The increasing amount of data that we store online and the ease of storing data in storage, on sticks, hard drives, or cloud hosting, as well as penalties for non-compliance with strict data protection rules such as the European GDPR and cybersecurity in New York, mean that more organizations have to be careful to keep data secure.

 Keeping this data secure is of the utmost importance for businesses, as a breach of data can lead to loss of brand trust and result in a severe decline in growth for your business. Even small business owners should consider implementing data security through an organization that offers small businesses IT support, as no organization is safe from a security breach regardless of the size of the business.

What Is Cloud Computing and How Does The Cloud Work?

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services beyond physical devices. In other words, it involves having or providing IT services virtually. It can also be said to be the ability to store data and applications on remote servers and later accessing them remotely via the internet. This saves you the hassle of saving or installing them on your computer, as all the files you need are stored remotely. When you store data in your phone or computer, you will not be able to access it from any other device as opposed to cloud computing where you can access it from any other device.

The term ‘cloud’ is often used because data and applications are stored up ‘in the air’ on a cloud or collection of web servers owned by a third party. The ‘cloud’ is just a metaphor to help the general public visualise the way cloud computing works. The cloud can be accessed through the cloud computing systems interface software; it can be as simple as using a web-based service which hosts all the applications and files. 

With cloud computing, you only pay for the cloud services you use, this, in turn, helps you in lowering your operating costs, running your infrastructure more efficiently and scaling as your business needs change. This avoids the need, but perhaps if you are looking for a larger solution, you could look at venture capitalists to assist in getting a larger network up and running.

Cloud computing enables you to store all your documents or files on the internet space of the world-wide-web instead of the limited spaces of computer hard drives. For instance, looking at Google Docs, it is a perfect example of cloud computing as a service. You can access and edit documents anywhere, anytime as your information is always at your fingertips. On top of this, the documents can be accessed by more than one person at once to help with the speed of collaboration. Gone are the days of completing one side of your document, to then email it to the other party for them to add their part and wait for a response. Google Docs, as an example, is neither dependent on the processing speed of any laptop nor the storage space of the computer. Its only requirement is the internet because the processing and storage are done elsewhere on their servers.

Another example is your online email account. When you log in to your email account, the contents of your email are not stored in your computer but on the email providers’ cloud. 

We can also take a look at Google Photos, when you have backed up your photos on google, it enables you to get access to them on whichever device you log into. This implies that you don’t have to keep all your photos in a particular device, you can always have them backed up in the cloud – not only for easy access but to save yourself the hassle of having to purchase additional hard-drives or memory cards.

access documents from any device

Cloud computing is a cheap, efficient and flexible, compared to having to spend a budget on computing hardware and software. The state of the economy means that we should be watching every dollar carefully.

Cloud computing architecture comprises of two parts. There is the front end and the back end, which are all connected by the internet. What users see is the front end where they gain access to cloud computing services through a browser. The back-end stores and retrieves the data. It comprises of computers, servers, and data storage systems, which stores all your information. The back end has a database (storage), a central server, a computer network, and a server. The system also monitors the traffic to ensure seamless operation. It also follows a set of protocols and uses a software called middleware that allows the networked computers to communicate with each other.

Cloud services can either be private or public. Public clouds are accessible to any interested party on the internet. An example of a public cloud is Amazon Web Services. On the other hand, private clouds are patented, and the services are available only to a limited number of people, though they have a common end goal.

Technology is Helping to Stop Fall Injuries

Technology is Helping to Stop Fall InjuriesEvery second within the U.S., an elderly adult experiences a fall, accounting for at least 27,000 deaths from falling among elderly people, according to the CDC. While falls prevention training helps reduce this statistic it is not a comprehensive solution, fortunately entrepreneurs and researchers alike are utlising technology to hopefully reduce the number significantly in the future. Here are three big breakthroughs in fall prevention technology

Sensor Shoes

A business based in Haifa, Israel, however, is working on a method to prevent those drops in the first location.

B-Shoe Technologies is working on a prototype to get a shoe which senses imbalance in each measure and uses a miniature treadmill-like method to recover equilibrium automatically.

The shoe combines a pressure sensor, a microprocessor, a movement Apparatus, and applications to detect when the consumer could be roll and slipping backward or forward to stop the fall.

B-Shoe Technologies States the prototype is at the very early phases, and that it intends to enter mass production in the following two years, after reducing the design.’

Wearable Devices

A brand new wearable device that forecasts that individuals are more in danger of falls can help prolong the amount of years older men and women are able to spend living independently in their homes. A third of all over-65s have a fall Annually, leading to a yearly health bill of roughly $850 million for equipment like a pressure relief cushion, walking frame and immediate therapy for fall-related health issues. Falls, which frequently lead to accidents like hip fractures, can kick off a more severe deterioration in health and frequently precede admission into a nursing home.

Assessing the risks of a drop helps an older individual and their family develop approaches to prevent injuries but currently, a restricted number of caregivers can be found to take on the risk evaluation.

To help expand the numbers of individuals being analyzed, Dr Stephen Redmond in UNSW’s Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering has developed a brand-new gadget which individuals can use in the home to quantify their risk of falling.

“The device is placed on the hip and it measures acceleration and movement as they perform some daily activities that we scripted for them, like walking three metres or standing up and sitting down five times,” said Dr Redmond.

Healthy Men and Women Can perform the tasks easily but people using a more jittery gait will enrol an irregular rate of acceleration.

By quantifying their motion and also the stability of this motion, a correlation between how secure they are and also the odds of falling is created.

The apparatus was tested on 68 individuals, with 99 percent of evaluations made by the gadget fitting the assessment produced by a human clinician.

Ensuring subjects use the unit correctly and report precise results is a must and therefore the design has had to be refined to ensure self-testers couldn’t beat the machine.

The gadget could also be utilized to Assess the speed of onset of Parkinson’s disease, which also causes a reduction of equilibrium.

V.R Technology

Researchers within America have developed an innovative system that utilizes virtual reality to help prevent falls from discovering and reversing equilibrium impairments in older individuals.

The sense of balance declines in older people, in addition to people that have neuro-degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. This also results in greater dependence on visual cues to keep balance and avoid falls.

Researchers in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina State University (NC State) developed a method to re-establish the visual illusion of losing equilibrium, analyzed on volunteers walking on a treadmill. The participants walked on machines set up before a huge screen depicting a moving hallway.

As every individual walked, lateral oscillations were inserted into the movie imagery, so that the visual surroundings made participants feel like they were swaying back and forth

The investigators utilized 14 cameras to document the rankings of 30 Reflective markers on each volunteer’s thighs, pelvis and back.

In reaction to visual disruptions and perceived loss of equilibrium, the volunteers took shorter or longer measures, as the scientists anticipated. Their trunk and head swayed further sideways with every measure. The variability of those measures — their inclination to change from 1 step to another — increased much more significantly.

Throughout the experiment, the investigators assessed muscles’ capacity to respond to perceived loss of equilibrium and recognized that muscle groups worked to fix it. The researchers discovered that human muscles were exceptionally coordinated in maintaining walking equilibrium.

The scientists’ data provide significant reference dimensions that may be utilized in future clinical processes to discover equilibrium impairments before they begin to cause people to fall. This sort of system may be utilized as a therapeutic tool to help instruct balance-impaired people how to enhance their balance and prevent falls.

Tech Keynote Tips from Apple’s WWDC Talk

It doesn’t matter if you prefer Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote to develop and deliver presentations, there is a lot you can learn from Apple’s talks at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), let’s take a look at their 2012 WWDC. Many executives took to the stage to unveil new MacBooks, the newest version of the OS X operating system (Mountain Lion), and iOS 6 for cellular devices. All the featured Apple speakers are skilled presenters, but the first half an hour of the keynote provides an MBA course in presentation skills that are suitable even for business coaches. Listed below are eight techniques you can adopt to enhance your very next demonstration.

Grab Attention

Your audience will provide you about 90 minutes to catch their attention. If you are boring right from the gate, then your audience will tune out and it is going to be very tricky to re-engage them as a trusted advisor. Apple always has something up its sleeve. At the WWDC 2012 the audience expected to see Apple CEO Tim Cook open the keynote. Rather they got Siri, the iPhone personal assistant. Siri warmed up the audience, literally, with jokes. A new and enhanced Siri was a part of the demonstration so it made sense that Apple would choose to shine the spotlight on it. Start powerful or you risk losing your audience.

 

Tech Keynote Tips from Apple’s WWDC TalkAvoid bullet points

There are no bullet points in an Apple presentation. There are photographs, images, and words, but no bullet points. A slide full of bullets and text is the least effective way to provide information. Here is a trick, however. If you would like to show a list of things, for instance, features, benefits, technical specs, etc, put a picture on the remaining side and the listing on the right. It may be beneficial to find a strategic copywriter to do this, although they usually deal in lots of text, they often know how to work their way around an engaging presentation as well. Apple spokespeople do this often in each demonstration. After Tim Cook provided an outline of the seminar, his slide displayed an image of a WWDC badge on the left and a list of five things on the right. If you will need to list things, place them into the right of an image and animate each product separately so they drop into the slide at a time.

 

Put numbers into context

Tim Cook and other Apple speakers show statistics by placing the numbers into a circumstance that’s related to the audience, which is particularly useful for when business coaches are performing small business coach training. Cook said there were 400 million reports on Apple’s App Store. More impressive, he said, that makes it the shop with the greatest number of credit cards anywhere online. This is a technique that Cook uses quite efficiently, in interviews and demonstrations, Cook will seldom deliver a statistic without including one sentence which puts it into perspective. Other Apple executive corporate speakers do something similar. When vice president Phil Schiller introduced the new MacBook Pro in 2012, he said it was only 0.71 inches.

 

Instead of allowing the viewers to figure out just how thin that is, Schiller put his finger together with the computer and said, it is thinner than my finger. Never has there been a laptop this thin, this mild, and this powerful for private use. Do not just deliver statistics; place them into context using clever sales copywriting.

 

Keep number slides simple

Cook delivered lots of impressive data: 400 million accounts on the program store, 650,000 programs, 225,000 programs for the iPad, 30 billion programs downloaded, etc. Whenever Cook said a statistic, the number was the only text on the slide. When Cook explained that 30 billion apps were downloaded from the program shop, his slide read: 30 Billion. Avoid the temptation to mess the slides with extraneous details. Also, think creatively when delivering statistics. Cook reported that Apple had composed $5 billion worth of tests to programmers. When he delivered the statistic, the slide showed the picture of a check made out to ‘programmers,’ in the sum of 5,000,000,000. Important numbers should stand by themselves.

 

Share the stage

Cook doesn’t dominate the presentation. Instead he presents several characters in the story. In the first half an hour of this presentation the audience heard from Cook, Phil Schiller, many program developers, and Apple designer Jony Ive (Ive and the programmers were shown in movie clips). Several other executives demonstrated new products later in the live demonstration. Can you watch a film with a single character? Why would you expect an audience to enjoy a demonstration with just a single person? If you cannot physically share the stage with someone else from your business, introduce them through video or promote some audience participation. A presentation should not be about you.

 

Create headlines

Apple does not wait for bloggers to determine what the headline is. Apple creates and provides the headline for all its products. It’s not tough to get the headline. Every new Apple product and key features is summarized in one sentence and the sentence is repeated in the live demonstration and on the homepage of this Apple website. As an instance, when Phil Schiller introduced a brand new MacBook Pro, he advised the audience that Apple engineers had re-envisioned the customer laptop. The Apple.com home page instantly reflected the new message with the words, “Introducing MacBook Pro. It’s a whole new vision for the notebook.”Don’t wait for somebody else to position your product. Do it for them.

 

Deliver wow moments

Molecular biologist John Medina in the University of Washington Medical School likes to state that the mind doesn’t listen to boring things. An Apple demonstration is never dull. Rather than simply displaying the new MacBook Pro, Phil Schiller built it up by showing a slide using a laptop computer draped beneath a black curtain, this is the most beautiful computer We have ever produced, Schiller said when he finally revealed the laptop. Don’t be dull. A little drama never hurts.

 

Inspire your audience

Like his Predecessor and mentor, Steve Jobs, Cook does not only sell products; he enjoys inspiring his audience too, after all, he is considered one of the top business advisors. After delivering several impressive statistics, Cook said, what we do together is much more important than any set of numbers could ever reflect. Our aim has always been to do good work and also to make a difference in people’s lives. Nothing makes us happier than to see countless thousands of programmers around the globe using our hardware and software to make and discuss their latest, best ideas. Cook then introduced a video showing examples of special programs making a difference in people’s lives. At the conclusion of the demonstration, Cook commented, we’re so proud of those products. Finally, it is why people come to work at Apple, to create products that empower individuals, to make a difference. The products we make, together with the programs you produce, essentially change the world. A Fantastic presentation delivers information efficiently. A fantastic presentation inspires, and this was just in 2012. Apple have continued to innovate and find new ways to impress and engage their audience at the annual Apple WWDC.

Advanced Tech for Life Insurance Online

Advanced Tech for Life Insurance OnlineThe CUNA Mutual Group, which offers life insurance policies online or over the telephone in minutes, has composed more than $500 million in policies in under a year by its TruStage Simplified-Issue Term Life Insurance, winning a Model Insurer Award from Celent, the financial technology research team. The Model Insurer Awards recognize how insurers are using technologies like business computer support and private cloud computing to change the face of the business. Donald Light, manager of Celent states that the Model Insurer Award winners combine best practice implementations with significant impacts on business results. The entrance from TruStage demonstrated both facets.

Founded over 80 years ago by credit union leaders looking to provide insurance to credit union members and others in the American mid-market, whom it always refers to as hard-working, CUNA Mutual Group established the TruStage online term life insurance policy in November 2016 as one of the first insurers into the market with a term life insurance product that customers can purchase entirely online. The typical TruStage buyer is in her mid-forties (60 percent are female), makes $58,000 and buys roughly $50,000 to $55,000 in insurance, said Susan Sachatello, senior vice president in TruStage. This is the customer they were planning for.

It’s also a customer that a builders and home indemnity insurance company with a traditional salesforce and older, expensive legacy technology may have difficulty reaching profitably. CUNA Mutual Group utilizes Ebix, a worldwide fintech firm which digitizes all of the information and issues the policy and RGA for underwriting and scoring. Many of CUNA’s prospective clients know little about insurance and anticipate It to be 250 percent more costly than it truly is, said Sachatello. The business has developed a sales process to give a modest digital hand-holding. So the first question CUNA Mutual asks for is the beneficiary’s name, which response remains prominently displayed throughout the procedure to remind applicants why they need life insurance.

The next question is if the applicant can’t work because of a chronic medical condition or injury, the next is if the applicant has been diagnosed with any of a list of health conditions and the fourth is a petition for permission to pull the applicant’s prescription history. While the average time to get a carrier to reach a decision on life insurance Is 11 days, CUNA aims for 11 minutes and is hitting goal, Sachatello explained, and that decision simplifies policy. The company is based on its technology partners for the decisions right, she added. Unlike many companies that begin by asking the quantity of coverage an applicant wants, it asks what a customer can afford over time.

They want to celebrate their getting started with security for their family, not make them feel that they are not doing enough. Their held belief is that helping families begins is stepping in to helping them build financial security, and they frequently come back to purchase additional coverage. It provides up to $100,000 but anticipates the upper limit to rise to $300,000 by the end of the year. Additionally, it provides whole life and more complicated policies for people whose preexisting conditions do not qualify them for the Simplified Term Life. “In life insurance, you price once and live with that decision for many years.”

CUNA Mutual Group’s used agile development to design the program for mobile first and is continually searching for ways to enhance it by taking a step further into business IT and cloud computing solutions. Does the company need a complete Social Security number or just the last four digits, for instance. About 75 percent of its policies are auto-decisioned and CUNA expects that to achieve 95 percent by end of year. Some are finished by call center reps that are paid a combination of salary and incentives.

According to Sachatello, their main competition is procrastination. By making the process easy, CUNA helps clients check off one more thing in their household financial planning to-do list. The very real market’s need for clear, affordable and readily accessible life insurance is clearly being met by a rapid adoption of TruStage’s term life product.

Protecting over 18 million members, TruStage insurance products and programs include automobile, home, life, accidental death and dismemberment and health insurance. It is yet to be seen whether constructions and owner builder insurance will be the next leader in utilizing technology to enhance their financial services.

Mobile Apps for Foodies

Phone apps for foodies

Mobile apps for foodiesWe all know how much technology has helped improve our lives, especially since the smart phone boom. There are apps for just about everything including ordering spare computer parts!  One of the areas I find most interesting is the surge in mobile apps specifically designed for food. It is, after all, something we must do in order to survive. Whether you are a home cook, lover of eating out in restaurants, cafes or pubs, or enjoy eating take away on the comfort of your own couch, there is apps out there to cater for your needs. Here is a brief run down on some of the apps available to download.

For the stay at home chef: Epicurious.

There are so many home-cooking apps available, but Epicurious is probably the best. Epicurious is easily one of the most trusted recipe apps on the market. With it’s well designed user interface, over 30,000 member rated recipes and extra functions such as shopping list manager and voice activated commands to use while you are cooking, it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular apps out there. It features everything from gourmet delights to easily prepared snacks for cooks of all experiences.

For the health conscious: Lifesum.

Lifesum goes well beyond just helping users track their nutrition as it also allows users to build an all-round healthy lifestyle. Users are able to choose a specifically designed fitness plan, track their food intake and select their health goal, whether it’s toning up, weight loss or general health and fitness. It also allows users to track progress and receive feedback and advice.

Take away foodies: Foodora.

Sometimes we all want the tasty variety of eating out without having to leave the comfort of our own homes. (Especially in the colder months.) There are so many food delivery apps available these days, but one of the best if Foodora. It is unique in that it only features restaurants that serve up high quality food. It also features a handy tracking function that allows the user to know exactly where the order is and how long until it arrives.

Restaurant lovers: Zomato.

Formally known as Urbanspoon, Zomato is extremely popular. Featuring a well-streamlined interface, it allows users to compare restaurants by ratings, cuisine popularity and distance. Users are able to check out menus, read reviews by both food fans and critics, and even browse galleries of food images. It even features a function that allows users to make reservations at particular restaurants. Basically everything you need, especially if dining in a city you are not familiar with.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, so if you are a tech savvy foodie, go online and have a look at all the other meal related apps that are available. All this talking about food is making me hungry. Bon appetite readers.

 

Digital Change Obstruction? Automate your Way Around It

Despite the rallying cry of digital improvement, genuine change has traditionally concerned federal government in fits and starts. Some brand-new procedures take advantage of contemporary information-management innovations and effectively drive restricted enhancement, while others tip over at the starting line due to bad combination or inefficient combination of information sources. These failures regularly show an inequality between the functional aspirations of change and the historic truths of the firm where it is being carried out in workforce mobility solutions and systems.

Year’s worth of paper records do not simply vanish over night – as well as when they are effectively digitised, they are frequently handled using manually-intensive procedures that have actually changed little bit for many years. This conceptual disconnection civil servant from taking advantage of more recent techniques of info organisation and access. It can also own a two-speed development where structured info and disorganized details are dealt with in various methods. This can produce insufficient results and develop brand-new issues when employees cannot access the info they require, in the way they want.

Program me some discipline

To be clear, disorganized info is generally created in the lack of a pre-defined information design or architecture that permits it to be classified and indexed as it is produced. Structured details, generally produced in a software system, might have guidelines and meanings used, but these often vary between items and setups, particularly when personalized without an asset tracking system.

As an information-centric pursuit, federal governments have obviously utilized various sorts of business file and records management systems (EDRMS) for years. A development for their time, such systems have withstood as a foundation of authorities records and interactions, even as brand-new applications throughout e-mail, file transfers as well as Twitter have all got in the general public sector office.

The discomfort point for senior supervisors at the coalface of federal government who are now handling digital change needs is that the myriad of applications, systems and formats do not constantly play well together – unless a mindful effort is made to wrangle them into a type that empowers users instead of including work. Fortunately that accomplishing easy, regulated and auditable access to info management systems does not imply needing to run a pricey rip-and-replace workout thanks to smart organisation procedure automation services that include sound governance abilities.

Automatic for individuals

Automation of organisation and detail procedures using a procedural governance structure does not provide much better access, effectiveness and expense control, it decreases crucial threats of mistake and maladministration. And it restores important money and time to firms that can be released in locations with the best result.

Governance is a vital factor to consider when it pertains to any federal government organisation that handles guidelines or that is bound by compliance requirements to preserve openness and responsibility. What actually counts when it pertains to getting agile automated testing and general automation is to get on top of how you organisation actually works. Automation will give access to and power over info back to its owners, but exactly what turbocharges it is a company and frank evaluation of exactly what business procedures are at play – and their concern.

For numerous federal government organisations this can be a reflective workout that distils down exactly what a wanted result or end point might be, instead of taking a look at how things have actually been done formerly – particularly when mobile gain access to and cloud-based systems have actually ended up being requirements. Numerous popular customer platforms and services, specifically for storage, interaction and sharing are fantastic for house and household but inadequate for usage cases that require safe and secure, validated and guaranteed access to provenance and versioning. Just believe courts, hospitals and personal records and case files that have not considered a software testing course with ict risk mitigation.

Detailed enhancement

Automation definitely allows great governance at scale and there is a lot of experienced business knowledge offered to make it work rapidly and efficiently. Professionals like Goal Corporation, an ASX-listed professional in federal government options, has been at the leading edge of helping firms weave together their diverse systems to develop available and cohesive workflows throughout jurisdictions and portfolios.

A crucial suggestion made when starting an automation and improvement journey is for stakeholders to release a staged enhancement strategy that uses an iterative ‘test-as-you-go’ technique that enables procedures to be evaluated, confirmed and enhanced. “Flexibility should be provided where necessary by leveraging workflow applications that are agile enough to support exception handling and dynamic case management,” Goal’s finest practice paper on company procedure automation and excellent governance observes. “This removes the traditional rigid confines of business process management, allowing process managers to add workflow options, or support ad hoc jumps from one step in the process to another to meet changing needs.”

 

From discomfort indicate reward

Any financial investment in change, whether for compliance or performance (and they’re not equally unique) still requires recognition and metrics to stand-up a company case. Here once again there is strong proof.

Carrying out a procedure governance structure can produce 43% faster consumer reaction times, 40% enhanced performance and 38% enhanced compliance according to a whitepaper assembled by AIIM, a worldwide not-for-profit market think tank that taps the knowledge of Business Material Management and Social Company Systems user neighborhoods and providers with access to a worldwide expert neighborhood of more than 190,000 people.

It’s that calibre of enhancement that’s specific to keep pressure on companies to hone their great details governance game, both from policymakers above and people listed below. Even in general communities, because of excellent self-governance, automated virtual tutoring services have become a strong source of education for young people to find a tutor online. In all areas, automation has helped enhance businesses processes, both private and public and from higher levels to lower levels of bureaucracy.