March 2020

As you all must be aware that with the confirmation of BPA chemicals presence in plastics, most of the people have quit the products made out of it. But that was not enough, we needed to hunt for a better and safer alternative. Many of us might even don’t know what BPA is an industrial chemical (Bisphenol A) used to make certain plastics since the 60s.

A recent study has revealed that the consumption of BPA in the human body is not as safe as this might transform the chemical into a compound that is responsible for other health issues such as obesity. To overcome this situation and prevent health hazards, silicone was considered as a safer non-reactive and thermal-resistant material. Silicone is made of oxygen and silicon, it is highly versatile and can be used to make kitchenware, beauty products, and electronic items.

Since the usage of silicone as a safer alternative to plastic which does not mix up with your food or water like plastic, people have moved onto using silicone travel bottles. Even the school going children also prefer a silicone water bottle along with them due to its non-harmful property.

Should we make a switch from plastic to silicone?

You can find a lot of plastic wastages around your vicinity aroused due to the ban on plastic made items. This ban though is a very beneficial step, but the way people are dumping the plastic waste without any planning and following recommended safety measures is causing damage to our environment and health.

We are dumping over 25 billion plastic products around the globe every year. The toxic chemicals released into the ocean is spoiling marine life and messing up the oceans with pollution.

Plastic may seem to be a convenient material but considering the danger, it is posing to our health and environment, silicone made products are good and safe. The immediate solution to protect our surroundings and health is to gradually switch to silicone water bottle, kitchenware, etc.

The sustainable solution though would be to use glass jars, cloth bags, stainless steel containers as these would not raise any disposable concerns as that of plastic and silicone. Silicones are good to be used as seals or liners in reusable containers. The bottom line is; one should have cautious use of silicone in their life even though the same has been declared or considered as the safest alternative of plastic.

Applicant tracking systems have been around for a number of years now. They are computerized systems that streamline the application and recruiting processes for both employers and employees. As with any piece of technology, some applicant tracking systems are better than others. It pays for a company to really know what it is getting itself into before investing in such a system.

In a recent blog post discussing the benefits of applicant tracking systems, Dallas-based BenefitMall explained why a company would want to invest in applicant tracking. The post discussed things like identifying suitable applicants, and streamlining the application and onboarding processes.

This post goes a step further by discussing what are considered the four pillars of applicant tracking. A system missing just one of these pillars is unlikely to return the kinds of results employers have come to expect.

Pillar #1: Sourcing Candidates

Most companies that know only a little about applicant tracking at least know that a good system facilitates more efficient sourcing of candidates. Applicant tracking software is generally linked to dozens of different outlets for posting job openings and collecting resumes. The more outlets available, the greater the pool of potential candidates.

The beauty of it all is that sourcing is largely automated. HR need only enter relevant information about a particular job opening and leave the software to do the rest. Job postings go out in multiple directions within minutes of submission.

Pillar #2: Managing Resumes

Automation is the key feature of applicant tracking. As such, the second pillar is automated resume management. The system collects resumes and applications, which are then run through a series of algorithms to determine the fate of each one. Much of the initial legwork of resume filtering is done automatically.

Systems can be set up to look for specific qualifications or work experience. Software can be programmed to search for a given set of keywords and phrases. Regardless of the parameters, a good applicant tracking system can identify and classify resumes so as to present recruiters with a finely tuned list of potential hires.

Pillar #3: Communicating Efficiently

How employers communicate with potential new hires has changed a lot over the last decade or so. The phone calls and typed letters of the past have given way to e-mails and online chat sessions. Even social media is now considered a valid communication tool for HR. Modern applicant tracking systems are designed with that in mind.

A good system allows interested parties to communicate with one another from within. Once logged on to the system, applicants have direct access to recruiters – and vice versa. Communications are kept secure as well. There are very few concerns of privacy or transmitting sensitive data.

Pillar #4: Managing Relationships

Last but not least is managing relationships with job candidates. In this regard, applicant tracking systems are a lot like customer relationship management (CRM) solutions used by sales teams and marketers. The software tracks every aspect of a company’s relationships with job applicants from start to finish.

Relationship management allows for more direct interaction between recruiters and candidates. It helps employers understand their strengths and weaknesses in terms of recruiting. It even allows for better marketing of future job opportunities through data analytics that help employers understand what candidates are thinking.

Applicant tracking is more than just a recruiting philosophy. It is also a technology that makes recruiting and hiring more productive than it has ever been. Companies looking to compete in a tight labor market would do well to invest in a reputable applicant tracking system.

The area of employment law has seen some major changes over the past few years. These changes have given more power to employees who are simply trying to provide for their families. It is important for both businesses and employees to be aware of some of the most important topics in employment law today. These could have major ramifications for the way businesses are run in the future.

Healthcare for Employees

One of the most important issues in employment law has to do with the Affordable Care Act. Even though it seems like this law was passed years ago, there are still businesses that are working to adjust to the new bill. It is important for employees and businesses to be familiar with the regulations in the law. These regulations govern what benefits employers need to provide to their employees. This can have a major impact on how employees receive their health insurance.

Social Media Issues

If it seems like social media has become an integral part of the workplace, that’s because it has. While social media has become a powerful marketing tool, there are also issues related to social media in the workplace. This has evolved into an important employment law issue. Social media in the workplace can lead to the sharing of company secrets, the sharing of inappropriate messages, and other issues that might give a company a reason to fire an employee. Both employees and businesses need to be familiar with how social media and employment law intersect.

Parental Leave Laws

When employees give birth, they need to be given time off to care for their newborn child. Furthermore, this leave should be paid. There have been a lot of changes in the area of paid leave, particularly when it comes to childbirth. Pak Smith employment lawyers make sure that everyone’s rights are protected, particularly when it comes to childbirth. All employees deserve to be given some time off to raise a newborn child without having to worry about losing their jobs in the process.

Big Topics in Employment Law

These are only a few of the major topics in employment law today. There are major changes coming in this area that both employees and businesses should note. The goal is to create a happy, welcoming, and productive workplace that benefits everyone. It will be interesting to see how this field evolves in the years to come.

Best Way to Communicate with Businesses – For Every Generation. 

Regardless of the era and generation ruling, business communication is something that needs constant attention. As the needs and expectations of customers change with the change of time, you must take up resources that stay relevant and functional with every generation and in every era.

Well, nothing can beat the internet phone system in this regard. Due to its impeccable flexibility, this business communication can adopt the demanding changes easily and please the existing generation by all means.

If a part of your existing customers belongs to millennials or Gen Z generation who love texting & IM over traditional calls, the virtual phone system is here to help you. On the other hand, the older or Baby boomer customer generation loves traditional ways to communicate. In this case, as well, cloud telephony will reduce the call incurring the cost and allow you to attend all the calls with full perfection.

Want to know how it happens? Then stay tuned.

Offering everything under one roof

Your customer base belongs to different demographics. Some customers belong to Gen Z while others are elders. Some customers belong to the places where internet usage is limited while some customers come from places where the whole world revolves around the internet.

As you dream of success and enjoy uninterrupted business communication, you must cater to the needs of all types of customer generation. Cloud telephony’s unified communication ability stands second to none here. With leading VoIP service providers, you will get all types of communication means like calls, SMS, live chat, IM, chatbot, voicemail, and so on in one product.

By using this type of business communication tool, you can entertain all types of customer generation in their preferred way. The best part is that all of it can be managed from a centralized place. The dashboard will have all the options integrated. So, you need not to juggle between different platforms to use different communication services. This further makes things easier than you can ever imagine.

No changes demanded

When it comes to assisting different generations whose demands and expectations are entirely different, the first that comes in our mind is to have a different ecosystem. We think that a single ecosystem can’t handle it. It can be true with the landline phone system.

However, this is not true with cloud telephony. A single virtual phone system can handle all of it as its configuration is highly flexible. You can easily drop or get a new feature without hampering the existing telephony infrastructure.

For example, you need to activate voicemail service for upcoming holiday seasons as your Gen Z doesn’t want to get disturbed. You can do it by calling your VoIP service provider. When your plan gets updated, you can enjoy hassle & interruption-free operations on an existing plan.

Also, any new added feature or communication facility doesn’t demand any added hardware/software installation. All the changes will be done by the service provider while you enjoy no down-time.

Offering face-to-face interaction in every situation

All generations consider face-to-face interaction as the most reliable and trustworthy interaction. By using cloud telephony, you can offer face-to-face interaction even if you are working remotely. Your virtual PBX phone system comes with a web-conferencing facility.

Using this facility, you can easily video call a person located at any part of the world and establish a face-to-face connection. Some of the leading VoIP service providers offer such high internet bandwidth that the video call quality is extremely superior. Due to high bandwidth, the video calls are free from any glitches.

Neither you face any call drop, nor will the poor connection break the video. The video is so crystal clear that you feel the other person is sitting just next to you. With this facility, you can please any generation if you have an internet business phone system by your side.

All generations prefer phone calls in case of emergency

In case of emergency, all the generations prefer using the phone as it conveys your message in the fastest and most reliable manner. Hence, you must ensure that your PBX phone system is always available for the customers. Cloud telephony offers you ample ways to be absolutely sure at this front.

While the low call incurring and set-up cost ensure that you never face financial crunch, features like call forwarding, call transferring, and auto call answering help you attend every call.

Satisfy every generation with equal ease

Your customers’ generation and expectations can’t come in your way when you want to deliver 100% satisfaction. However, catering to different needs and expectations with equal perfection can be a little daunting at times. Cloud telephony has come-up as a boon in this regard.

Without asking much of alteration in the existing telephony system, it can please every generation in an equal manner. So, don’t struggle anymore. Get it today from a trusted service provider and please all your customer generations.

Corporate events, including business meetings, provide an opportunity for networking, collaboration, and training. For any event to live up to its potential, you need to plan to accommodate the needs of your guests effectively. Usually, such accommodation includes some type of food. This post talks about the benefits of catered business meetings:

Dietary Restrictions Accommodations

Some of your business partners may make a good crab cake; however, others may be allergic to seafood. As you talk to a representative of a catering company, you can specify dietary restrictions that the business crowd may have. The best caterer can accommodate food allergies and intolerances, without making the planning process more stressful or more expensive. Also, the majority of catering companies create their menu options around classic favorites. This ensures all meeting participants find something to eat they love.

Large-Scale Planning

Established caterers know how to effectively execute a large-scale meal. They know exactly how much food to bring for every estimated guest to ensure every person leaves satisfied. They may even help you pin down your estimated number of guests.

When you plan your business meeting catering yourself, you will be limited to what you can prepare and purchase. After 2-3 events, your business associates or employees would love a little something new.

Professional Food Handling

Proper food handling requires specific knowledge that only professionals possess. When working with a caterer, you know you have hired a team of experts who help reduce the risk of cross-contamination, undercooked food, and other food concerns. In addition, if you want to serve meeting participants any alcohol, your caterer can help you know if you need any permits, space, or licensing at a certain venue.

Decreased Responsibility and Stress

If you have tried organizing a corporate event before, you know how hectic the process can be. Delegating the responsibility for food to a catering company allows you to reduce the number of tasks to complete. Some catering companies even offer wait staff and servers, eliminating your worry about messes or disproportionate portions.

Logistics

The toughest part of any business meeting is ensuring the food arrives on time. If food arrives too quickly, it will be cold when the business meeting starts or ends. If it arrives too late, everyone will be left hungry. The best catering is coordinated for you by a dedicated account manager who keeps in touch with the team every step of the process. This makes sure your food arrives just on time.

Reputation management is a term which refers to the act of influencing and, in turn, controlling, the reputation of a company. Companies use reputation management software as a tool to promote their brands, and to view negative customer experience which can be addressed and then alleviated. Furthermore, reputation management software can be used to inform email or advertisement campaigns, as it can provide pivotal information in regards to public outreach. It is important for a business owner to know:

–       How Reputation Management Software Works

–       The Features of Reputation Management Software

–      What Are the Benefits?

How Reputation Management Software Works

Reputation management software tools use the information to increase the sales of a company by providing it with insights on how consumers view that company. In terms of receiving negative reviews, the company can then reach out to that person and help that person to get a better experience with the company, which could, in turn, alter what that person thinks of the company.

The Features of Reputation Management Software

Reputation management software searches for emerging stories and conversations relating to one’s business. These stories consist of the good, the bad, and the ugly, meaning that a business owner will always get the full story on how the public perceives their business. Pinning down this perception is vital for a business’s survival, as getting ahead of negative reviews and negative perception to sway the public’s opinion back in one’s favor means more trust in one’s company, resulting in more customers. Perhaps equally important, reputation management software is cost-effective and a justifiable expenditure for any business that is looking to expand in the future. Conventional methods of monitoring seemingly endless conversations about just one business is a tiresome and expensive process. Reputation management software takes the hard part – gathering the good and the bad reviews – and makes them easier to find by granting real-time notifications to business owners.

What Are the Benefits?

The benefits in employing reputation management software are difficult to overstate. No matter how large or how small a business is, it is important to take care of your business’ online reputation. Failing to get ahead of such an important aspect of a business could negatively impact one’s brand, one’s bottom line, and one’s viability as a business owner. Not to mention that reputation management software helps resolve customer complaints and helps provide exceptional customer service. Earning customer trust in the face of negative reviews is very important for a business moving forward, and could even generate more positivity online, as it increases transparency and aids in helping one’s business expand their presence through their digital channels, whether that means Facebook, Twitter, or simply through search engines. Reputation management software generally comes in monthly or annual subscriptions, and is usually accessible via free trial so that companies know that the software works the way they want it to. Effective reputation management can bring a business back into good public perception, and is always recommended, even for companies that are not receiving extensive negative reviews.

Sole proprietorship, as defined by the Govt. of India, is a “one-man organization where a single individual owns, manages and controls the business.”

One of the primary benefits is the ease of formation since government registration is not required. There are no fees to be paid for starting a one-man business on your own, and there is no government regulatory paperwork and compliance to be fulfilled. There are no minimum capital investment requirements, and the proprietor has full control and ownership stake.

You get to keep whatever profit or income you generate. Furthermore, the tax benefits of sole proprietorship prevent double taxation of the firm. You will file returns and pay taxes only in your personal name. There are no separate income tax returns to be filed and no tax to be paid by the firm.

Here in this article, let us understand the things to know before proprietorship firm registration

Things to know while registering a Sole Proprietorship firm

• A Sole Proprietorship is a popular form of unregistered business. It does not require any registration as it is considered as an extension of the business of the owner.

• It is not governed under any specific la and there are no specific procedures for its registration. However, the sole proprietorship business can be established through opening a Bank account and obtaining registration under different acts like GST, MSME, etc.

• On the contrary, the Companies Act 2013 governs a One Person Company hence its registration is mandatory under the said act. The procedure laid down under the Companies Act 2013 and Rule 8 of Companies (Incorporation) Rules, 2014 has to be followed for registering a One Person Company. The One Person Company has to be first registered as a Private Limited Company. Further, it can proceed for registrations under different Acts.

Registration For Sole Proprietorship Business in India

You don’t need to register your sole proprietorship in India. But in order to receive payments in the name of the business, you need to open a current account in a bank. For this, you will need proof of the existence of the firm and the address proof. Documents needed include:

1. Pan card and ID for address proof of proprietor.
2. Business address proof (eg: electricity bill in your name, or electricity bill + registered rental agreement, etc.)
3. Two government registration documents confirming name and address of business (shop establishment license, service tax registration, VAT/CST, etc.)
4. CA Certificate – You can get this from any CA. They might charge you a nominal fee for giving you a certificate.

Here in this article, we have understood the important things to know before registering a sole proprietorship firm.

Not only this but we also need to focus on few more business-related things. As business accounting needs can be taken care of by EZO Software – By Downloading this Accounting app you would be able to manage invoice, accounting, credit, inventory, customers, etc and fulfill all your accounting needs.