What You Should Know About Preventing Retail Theft

Published January 3, 2017 / by Kate Lock

Retail is subjected to theft from both customers and employees. It can be hard to cover the losses of theft and that can affect the future of your company as well. Employee theft can amount to huge losses when compared to shoplifters. Therefore, it is important that you hire people you can trust. You need to check their references thoroughly before you hire your employees. Even if you go through a careful screening process, there is no guarantee that you have completely eliminated employee theft. There are a few additional steps you can take to improve the safety. CCTV installation Sydney is one way of deter theft easily. This can discourage shoplifters as well. People tend to behave well when they are in a store with high surveillance and there is little chance of stealing. If such an event does occur, you can simply go through the video feed to find the culprit. But the cameras have to cover the whole store. And if a full coverage is too costly, you can at least place the cameras to overlook the most high risk areas.

Retail store video analytics can improve security by helping you review surveillance videos. It is not enough that you record what is happening in the store, you need to monitor that feed for any inconsistencies as well. Normally, this will take a lot of manpower. But it is made easy with video analytics. You can set up the parameters for what you want to look for when you install the system. If something out of the ordinary takes place, you will be instantly alerted. It can increase the security provided by CCTV cameras. There are so many innovative technological solutions you can use to shore up the security of your store. You can use electronic article surveillance to increase the safety of your products and keep track of them.

Aside from technological means, you can make sure that you team different employees together from time to time. There have to be procedures in place to balance the cash register after the shift of each employee. Taking physical inventory is very important. Make sure that it is carried out regularly to weed out inconsistencies. When it comes to deterring shoplifters, you should keep items that are easiest to shoplift near the checkout counter. That way the employees can keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Visibility is important to prevent shoplifting. Your store has to be designed in such a way that the arrangement of the aisles and shelves encourage visibility. Packaging that is difficult to conceal will also serve as a constraint.

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Basics In Maintaining Electric Appliances Around The Household

Published December 21, 2016 / by Kate Lock

 

So many appliances in our homes run on electricity. These tools can be subjected to a lot of wear and tear that will affect their performance and their longevity if not properly maintained. Furthermore issues such as electric shortages can be a safety hazard to your family. Therefore it is prudent to think about how you maintain these tools in order to ensure that you can get the best use out of them, and that your family members will be safe from any mishaps or accidents. Here is a list of a few steps that you can take in order to do so;

Safety in the kitchen

The kitchen is where most of the electric appliances are used in the home. You will find appliances such as a microwave, blenders and refrigerators that run on electricity. These will be in the close vicinity of elements such as water and fire that, can lead to some terrible accidents if not properly handled. Therefore try and take steps to make sure that these tools are properly cleaned out and maintained to avoid any accidents. Furthermore after they are used, make sure that they are stored in dry places so as to avoid the possibility of any electric shortages happening later on.

Safety in your work space

Safety in your work space is an essential part of creating an environment in which you can be productive and create the best results in whatever you do. Your work space will contain equipment such as your computer, printers, fax machines and internet routers. If you use a desktop computer, make sure that it is protected by a proper computer tower. In addition to this, use a reliable computer power supply unit to ensure that the electric current it receives is properly regulated. This is essential to protect the internal parts of the computer.

Furthermore make sure that there is proper ventilation to enable the equipment to cool down and take steps to avoid wires that lead to various devices from getting entangled as it too can lead to some dangerous conditions.

Additional steps that you can take

If you have little children living around the house you must take steps to make sure that they are kept safe from any electric sockets around the house. Also make sure that any dangerous tools of this nature are kept out of their reach. Also take steps to make sure that large electric appliances such as TVs are fastened securely. If not they might topple off their shelves and the young ones in your household are susceptible to injury caused by heavy appliances falling on them as they play.

 

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What Are Computers?

Published December 15, 2016 / by Kate Lock

A computer is something that everyone these days knows and most use it for their day to do work, entertainment and other purposed. Charles Babbage is a well-known person as the father of computers and Ada Lovelace is known to be the first of the programmers in the history. Back then the computers weren’t electrical most of them started as mechanical machines but later on technology developed to produce electrical devices that didn’t occupy much space and which worked accurately and quicker than before. All the computers devices that we use in the present days are electrical and has been improved with accuracy, speed and portability.

The first of the computers can be considered as the abacus which was developed in way earlier civilization and when it comes to the devices developed and invented after the medieval period Blaise Pascal’s machine and Babbage’s machines played a major role in the history of computing.

At present, those old machines which took so much time, space and which has consisted with a feature or two has replaced and escalated into machines that perform millions of different operations simultaneously. The most famed types of business computers that are available these days are divided as portable and non-portable computers.

Non-portable computers

When it comes to domestic non-portable computers, what we would be addressing at would be the desktop computers out there. Even though there may exist so many types of portable computers, people still tend to purchase desktop computers. Why do people buy desktop computers even though it would be such a pain when moving around or having it with you all the time for your use? Well there are many reasons behind using desktop computers nevertheless how popular portable computers are.

Some the key reasons why people tend to use desktops are because they when it comes to up gradation it’s easier. You can simply replace any hardware; from the keyboard to the motherboard everything can be replaced as per your requirement. You can also easily get a desktop computer without much hassle from a store nearby or buy a desktop computer online. Normally you can equip larger screens as you’re pleasing and more gear than portable computers, and also when comparing desktop processors to portable processors, the desktop processors are known to be faster. Not just that they are relatively much cheaper than portable computers.

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Recover Your Data Successfully On Time

Published November 24, 2016 / by Kate Lock

It does not matter where and why you use a computer. Be it for work or every day purpose, however losing your data is something you will never be able to handle well. There are so many vital data which we simply cannot afford to lose.

At times losing certain data may cause you to lose a great deal of money or it may even have a negative impact on your company. You must have heard of IT disaster recovery services which have been a boon for many companies and people globally.

You need to ensure that you opt for data recovery services if you encounter a data loss program. However, when you look out for a hard disk recovery company, make sure that you go through the below mentioned points to gain the best from their end.

Experience

Generally, companies save data in the hard drives of computers and devices as these are quite delicate. If it gets mishandled in a little way, hard drives may fail. In a few cases, drives fail to work or crash at a point and recovering data would get impossible. The data which is stored on these drives can however get recovered through special services and apps to recover data. You must ensure that you only hire experienced companies to handle your problem so that your data is recovered safely. You should steer away from an unskilled and inexperienced company, if you want your data to stay safe and protected.

Expertise

The service that you are about to select should be capable of restoring data loss accidently. It is difficult to recover data easily. Several times, the hardware corrupts or fails to work, and recuperating data gets real tough. Also, in case you feel you would not be able to access the raid system, then most probably there would be a technical problem. This is why it is important for you to call for a specialist, since your data may be at a high risk.

Degree of Damage

With frequent usage and passage of time, computers and its peripherals start to wear and tear. More so, when they are handled carelessly they would even cause intense damage to components that are used frequently. If you notice that the hard drive has been damaged severely or that it is emitting a strange sound or the read/write heads gets stuck, do not lose hope. You can very much still get your data restored through the support and assistance of an experienced company. Hence the degree of damage would not matter much if the company is has well skilled professionals.

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The Importance Of Maintaining Your Computer

Published August 9, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Owning a computer is much like having a child because you will have the responsibility of taking care of it, having it serviced and treating it with gentle care in order to prevent problems from occurring. If you like many young people are a constant user of the internet, it is important that you vigilant at all times of what sites you go to and what links you click on because clicking on a wrong link can cause a virus attack on your computer that can cause a lot of problems for you.

Outsourcing your computer care

As a busy person, you may not always have the time to remember when your computer needs to be updated or serviced and forgetting these dates is what leads to many people contracting virus attacks on their computer which can lead to a lot of problems such as loss of very important documents that can lead to a great loss of money in business. If these documents are your own, then your problems will already be big enough however, if these documents are the property of your office or company, your company could end up losing millions simply because you forgot to update your virus guard. The best solution to this is to outsource the management of your computer in the form of managed services for the company to keep a track record of when your computer needs to be serviced, when it needs to be updates and when the expiry dates of your virus guards are.

In fact, if your computer is the property of your company, the company itself can hire a company to outsource the management of all of their computers in the form of managed services Gippsland. A bulk order will cost a lot less than a single order and your company will be able to save a lot of money in the process because a virus attack can cost the company millions in losses if they do not have it updated regularly.

If you ever suspect that your computer has become a victim of a virus attack, the first thing you will need to do is to follow the rule of isolate and quarantine. Similar to a real virus, a virtual virus can spread within seconds to all of your other devices as well as to your friends, your contacts and even your clients by sending them emails pretending to be you. A virus has the ability to scan all of your emails and send out relevant emails to the right people using the same words that you would usually use and referring to people by the same names that you would refer to them in your communication including pet names and shortened forms giving the receiver no inclination of the email or message being from a virus instead of from you.

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4 Things Small Businesses Fail To Do That Can Lead To Disaster

Published July 21, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Being a small business owner, you may be faced with different challenges on a daily basis. Whether it is getting through to customers or dealing with suppliers, most small business owners struggle to get the daily operations of the business done in an orderly and timely fashion. Without the help of fancy brand names and big budgets, small businesses mostly rely on the owners’ willpower and resilience to survive. If you are a small business owner who constantly finds him/herself hassled by daily business activities, there may be a few things you are overlooking. Here are a few mistakes you should avoid making if you want to be successful;

1. Not Dreaming Big Enough

Who said that a small business can dream big dreams and think big thoughts? You should never confine your business to the borders of your current state. Let your imagination run wild; if you can imagine it, you can make it a reality. Having just on small shop on the main street of a small town might not seem like much, but it is definitely a start. There are many people out there who have not achieved even that much. Have your mind open to the possibility of your business becoming more than what it is now. Dream big and work hard to make them a reality.

2. Choosing to Stay Offline

The best way to reach more people with the resources you have right now would be to take your business online. Choosing to stay offline will only make you feel smaller as a business and when you do become bigger later on, it might be too late to go online. If you feel like social media is not your area of expertise, then you can always get the help of a professional. There are several talented and experienced mobile app developers that you can seek the help and recommendation of before you decide what kind of software application will best fit in with your business.

Companies involved with app development will also be able to assist you with getting your business online by designing an app that works best for you.

3. Sticking to One Location

Small businesses tend to stay that way by choosing to remain right where they are. If there is a possibility of expanding your business out of its current locality, then you should definitely do so. Having both good online and offline presence will make you easily accessible to your customers and boost sales. This will allow you to expand your business further by opening up more outlets and offices in other locations as well. Do you know that the multi-million-dollar chains out there like McDonald’s, KFC and Starbucks started off as simple corner stores? If they could make it, why can’t you?

4. Keeping the Customer and Supplier Base Local Only

Being a small business, you may not feel the need to diversify your customer base and suppliers, but it is crucial that you don’t just focus on your current locality. If you are expecting to expand sometime soon, it makes sense for you to start making connections with suppliers from other areas as well. Also, it will be beneficial for you to have multiple suppliers in your current locality too, for the reason that should there be any shortage of supplies from your current supplier, you have alternate options without letting your production and sales processes come to a standstill.

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How To Get A Smooth Shot With Handheld Cameras

Published July 14, 2016 / by Kate Lock

There are more and more people who are shooting with cameras that can fit in the palm of their hands. This is either with their phone or action cameras such as the GoPro. As these miniature cameras offer better and better resolution, they arequickly becoming favoured among novices and professionals alike. They are lightweight and easy to carry around, perfect for getting that on-the-go shot. 
With all of these benefits, however, come a few disadvantages. For instance, these type of cameras tend to produce footage that is shakier than most. This is understandable as you are using your hand for support. You can use your body contorted into different position as well as devices such as handheld gopro stabilizer for gopro hero 4. Here are some ways that you can ensure that you get better footage with this type of equipment: 
Steady Your Body
What you have to remember about not using a tripod is that your body begins to take on the function on a tripod. This means that you have to position your body so that you will not cause the camera to make any unnecessary movements. If you are planning on getting medium or wide shots, this requires total stillness on your part. This is quite difficult to do it on your own. Thus, you are going to require support. For these type of shots, try leaning against a pole, tree, or other tall, stationary body. Allow your torso to relax, preventing muscle shakes. 
Different Positions for Different Shots
If you are planning on a pan shot, first face the direction where the shot is going to end. Once you have positioned yourself, then turn your upper body to where you where you want to begin the shot. This way, your body will end in a more comfortable position, averting any shaking or heavy breathing. For truck shots, stand with your feet a little bit apart. Then, place one foot where the shot will begin and the other where it will end. Thus, you will be providing some much needed foundation for your torso. 
Specialized Equipment
If you are using the right type of devices such as a GoPro, there will already be accessories created specifically for this purpose. For instance, the GoPro stabilizer mount will ensure that you will get the smoothest shot possible. This way, you will not have to worry about being in a specific position. Instead, you can simply clip the addition on and begin shooting immediately. 
These are the best ways to ensure that you will get the smoothest shot that you possibly can. Utilize all of these ideas to get that perfect shot.

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How To Look For A Job?

Published July 11, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Looking for a job can be a stressful process however, if you know how to approach the task then the process would not seem as stressful.

Know whom to ask

When you are looking a job, it is important that you ask the right people. For instance, if you are looking for a job at a BYOD solutions company, then it would be wise to talk to somebody who is involved in the field rather than talking to someone from a completely unrelated field. This is because if you talk to someone from an unrelated field, you will not be able to get accurate information which would cause you to be at a disadvantage.

The qualifications

It is important that you are aware of the qualifications there are needed it order for you to apply for a certain job. By knowing what the qualifications are, you will be able to judge for yourself whether you will be able to do the job or not. If you do not have the qualifications for a specific job, you should not let this discourage you from ever applying for the job as you can always take the time to gain the qualifications and then apply for the job.

Newspaper advertisements

Another effective way to look for jobs is by reading the newspapers. Even if a job does not seem that appealing then you should not waste your time looking into it further. However, if an advertisement for a particular job does sound appealing then you should immediately follow up on it before someone else beats you to it.

It is important that you take time off from your busy week to read the newspaper not just to look for jobs, but it is important that you keep yourself informed on the world news. Being informed about the events of the world will make you aware which would not only enable you to keep up with conversations but it will also allow you to prepare yourself for any changes that might occur. If you are someone who does not like to read then you should at least watch or even listen to the news in order to keep yourself informed.

A business card

When you meet people who give you a business card you should never throw them away because there may come a day where you may need to contact them. Therefore, even though you may think that you will never see the individual again in your life, it would still be wise to hold on to business cards as this would allow you to have contact with people in the working world who may be able to help you find a job.

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In An Age Where Our Phones Are Smarter Than Us

Published July 7, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Phones which were a couple decades ago considered luxury has now become something of a necessity that is so common we don’t even stop to think about it. We would leave without an umbrella on a day that is forecasted to be a rainy day but never leave the house without checking that we have taken our cell phones with us. And if by chance we remember on our way that we have left our cell phone at home a lot of people will not think twice before turning around and going home to get it. We would rather appear late to work rather than appear without our phones because it is such an integral part of our day to day activities. 

We depend on it to wake us up in the morning (many people use their phones as an alarm clock), to remind us of the daily schedule( buy the groceries, drop off laundry at the dry cleaners, business meeting at 12 and your kid’s birthday day party in the afternoon), to get us where we want to go (google maps and navigation systems), talk to our business partners over video conferencing, keep our love lives going, entertain is when we are bored, listen to music 24/7 and the lid goes on and on. We won’t remember family members’ birthdays without that little reminder from our phones! That’s how dependent we are on our smart phones. 

Technology has improved so much with regard to phones not only is our phones considered smart (when most of the human population is categorized as not smart) but it has become an essential (we think it is essential) in our lives that we would totally go in to panic mode if we don’t have it. There are different phone systems that has been introduced for office use such as the hybrex phone systems Melbourne which cater to the needs of the corporate / business circles in the community.

There are different types of phones for teenagers, adults and kids. There are different types of phones depending on your profession, personal preferences and needs.

Whoever it should be noted that however smart or phones get we as a civilized population is far behind in smartness. Even our phones seems to be smarter than us! We are connected more than ever but still we are far away from each other and our relationships are unstable. Our phones remember our memories and loved ones better than we do (all the pictures, reminders, birthdays and all the contacts saved in your phone that is).

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The Next Big Thing For Social Networking

Published June 8, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Even though work uses most of the time and energy we have available per day, we still find time to check our Facebook newsfeed and Snapchat snapstories. Facebook has being running for 12 years and shows every sign of just growing bigger and bigger. The CEO of Facebook, who set the record for the youngest billionaire of all time, made a quite controversial statement on virtual reality. Zuckerberg strongly believes that Virtual reality is the next social platform and he also stated that Virtual reality will be the most social platform available.
Socialising with VR
Mark Zuckerberg has an almost spot on ability to predict the future, by investing or purchasing companies with their services becoming essential and rather significant. The track record for some of the very profitable purchases that Zuckerberg has made would be the very popular messaging application WhatsApp which has become a default when it comes to Internet messaging. Then on the other hand there’s also the very popular social network Instagram.
Mark Zuckerberg acquired virtual reality focused company Ocular Rift for $2 billion dollars in 2014. Ocular Rift recently started shipping out the Virtual Reality headsets produced for PC gaming but Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for Ocular Rift is much broader than just simply focusing on gaming, as Zuckerberg realises that to achieve critical success, virtual reality cannot be limited to just gaming. He envisions to broaden his virtual reality vision to implement the technology into social networking.
Zuckerberg revealed the team he set up with the very purpose of implementing virtual reality into Facebook and other social networks. The team is tasked with building an Ocular Rift device called Social VR and also with the task to predict on new possible platforms as well. Other companies are producing applications such as a music app that transports you into a visual equaliser that’s surrounds you witch alternating line and vivid shapes according to the tempo, beat and the pitch of the music. Virtual reality devices produced by Samsung and LG allows new features and application production, which will surely make a virtual reality a necessary equipment in the very near future. Many companies are hosting virtual reality events to promote and test their products.
Many virtual reality events are hosted around the globe for developers.
The objective
Very soon, it won’t be an uncommon site to see people with huge goggles everywhere. These goggles would be the virtual reality devices. Virtual reality is very easily a brilliant innovation that can take over and change the whole principles of social networking with the ability to communicate with people as if they were right there next to you. With the necessary equipment, you can even go sightseeing around the world from your living room and even share a 360° globe photograph of your current location setting to your followers on your social networks, so even they can witness the setting as if they were right next to you.

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Some Of The Best Extreme Sports To Try Out

Published May 23, 2016 / by Kate Lock

Extreme sports are some of the most amazing things that you need to try out at least once in your lifetime. If you are bored of going camping and backpacking during every spring and summer holidays, then trying out extreme sports will be ideal for you. Bungee jumping and rafting are some of the more popular options of extreme sports, but for those who are looking for even more adventure, here are some to try out.Volcano boardingApart from sand dune boarding, skateboarding, snowboarding, and kite boarding, volcano boarding is one of the latest ventures. Apart from the great thrill of the sport, it is also a good place and background to try out your DJI drones Australia. You are given a plywood toboggan which you have to use to board down the side of the volcano. There are no props given for steering or braking so you have to use your physical body appendages. Some of the fastest speeds are currently clocked go up to around 90 km/hr. Due to the cone shape of volcanoes the slope is usually very steep and depending on your weight, the speed will increase or decrease.Freshwater cave divingIf you are tired of regular cave exploring and ocean scuba diving, then mix the two up and go for water cave diving. You can take a look at stalactites and stalagmites and other unusual geo-formations that will take your breath away. You can dive off of a helicopter into the cave or just swim into it. This is a dangerous and risky operation as sometimes these caves are inhabited by the unknown. Florida, Mexico, Australia, and a lot of other countries have the natural made caves as well as sinkholes. In most cases you will need proper diving license to enjoy this sport.Downhill mountain bikingThis is another great way to utilize the 3-axis gopro gimbal handheld. You can either record the overhead scenario or grab a GoPro and do the video recording and photo snapping yourself. Usually this sport has a high number of injuries. You get to go down staircases, steep hills, and mountain sides and go over rocks and unmade roads. In order to try out this sport, make sure that you have a proper bike and also great maneuverability and control over the bike.Zorbing is where you go down a hill inside a plastic ball. This is one of the most popular extreme sports enjoyed greatly by kids and those who have similar weights and heights. Ice climbing allows you to embrace the freezing cold atmosphere by climbing up frozen waterfalls and mountain sides.

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How To Know A Good Site Design From A Bad One

Published April 15, 2016 / by Kate Lock

 

Although it seems as though at every turning corner there is a business of some sort, not many entrepreneurs know what they need to know. Of course, it is a learning curve and the market is always changing, however there are some things you need to be well-versed on. One is being able to identify the distinction between proper website designers and amateurs. This is crucial, as today customers tend to judge a business based on their online presence. The first thing people do today when they hear of a new one, is to either hunt for them on social media or online. And if they do not like what they see, you can be sure they will not return. So have a look at these tips to make sure you are on the right path.

CONSULTATION

A good web design agency that is serious about bringing in clients and giving them a worthwhile service will always have a comprehensive consultation. Some of them offer this consultation for free, and this is your chance to assess them. Are they equipped with all the right questions they need to ask from you? Do they understand what you want? Are they less about listening and more about talking? Most of all, have they painted an image for you to begin with? Ensure you ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable and that they know what they are talking about.

MODIFICATIONS

Chances are, you will not be satisfied with the first design straightaway. There will be changes on both ends as you and the designer work together to come up with the final product. The designer should have a good attitude towards this and be willing to make as many changes as are needed to ensure you, the client are happy. At the end of the day, you are paying for this service so not receiving you money’s worth is a waste. Make sure they also listen to your needs and do their best to reach a middle ground.

A SOLID PORTFOLIO

When it comes to locating a good web design agency, a strong portfolio is key. Having work to display to their clients is only further testimony to the quality of their services. You yourself can visit ecommerce websites and have a look at their structure. Sure the aesthetics play a vital role too, but at the end of the day your customers need to use not just look at the site. So ensure the backend is as good as the front.

RESEARCH

Today, there are designers who either work for companies or work on a freelance basis. Whichever you go for, conduct plenty of research. Shortlist your options and schedule consultations with them before you lock in an agreement. You can save yourself plenty of trouble in the future and look forward to a long and healthy relationship for a long-term business partnership.

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