When you open a business store, security should be one of the most prioritized things on the plan. From the get-go, every aspect of your business from the doors and windows must be aimed at maximum security. When you build weak doors and windows, burglars may break through quickly and get to your assets. The floor plan must also be strategic on the blind spots that will help you know where to install cameras or sensors. That being one of the strategies, let us take a look at four more.

Consult with a security company

The same way you cannot build without a permit is the same way you cannot install specific security features on your premises, and that is where security companies come in. Some of these protection devices individuals are not allowed to own, but prominent security firms have licenses to own, install, and manage. For sure, they will be on your property, but you do not own them.

Have a separate security plan

Similar to a floor plan for where the windows are, the stands and other whatnots, have a similar floor plan but for all the security installments you wish to have. Have the cameras well labeled, the sensors, security doors, and everything else. These plans should, however, remain confidential to only a few involved. Never make them public.

Get professionals to handle all your security matters

Most security devices need around the clock running network that is separate from all the other systems you use to run your business. With that said, get professionals who are specialized in offering security to provide you these connectivity services. You do not want to be in a situation where the power went out, and all hardware security installments in your premises are rendered useless as they cannot function.

On the cyber front of things for sensitive business data, set up a VPN to encrypt your top-secret data. VPN ensures that all sensitive information such as business records and personal client information is safely transmitted. For this, also buy a VPN to set yours up.

Work With Security Solutions from the inside out

One big mistake many business owners make is only to protect their business from the outside world, forgetting that sometimes threats are also on the inside. Your members of staff may be the people to bring you down. So much so, make sure that the internal systems are segregated such that people have access to only what concerns them.

Use separate office compartments for the managers, and have passwords on shared resources such as office computers. With these tools in place, people stick to only where they are needed. Biometrics technology is yet another smart solution to internal security.

Conclusion

Any business owner knows the hurdles they had to jump to get to where they are. And if you ask around the most successful businesses, one will never miss mentioning security. The above four strategies will, for sure, steer you towards better business security- a secure business that you will run without the constant fear of being invaded.

Investing in and running a franchise business is a great way to make money for anybody who is interested in having their own business and a career as an entrepreneur. Unlike starting your own business from scratch, buying a franchise has many benefits to enjoy, including the fact that you will be working with a business that is already established, has a customer base who are familiar with the brand and products, and clear guidelines to follow that have been proven to work time and time again. If you want to make a living from running your own business, but don’t want all of the risks involved, a franchise could present you with the best alternative. But how do you choose the right option for you? There are thousands of different franchise opportunities available and something for everyone, so do your research, look into business ideas that you may not have heard of already, and find the best option for your career and lifestyle.

Think About What You Love:

First of all, consider the things that you already like and enjoy doing. There’s no point in investing money into a franchise business simply because it is a well-established brand that does well if you have no real interest in what they do. Since franchising means that you need to follow brand guidelines to a tee and be heavily invested in the brand that you are franchising with, it’s important to find an option that you are seriously passionate about and will really enjoy running a business with. Otherwise, you are simply not going to have the dedication and drive required to run a successful franchise business.

Consider the Cost:

Another major factor to consider when starting a franchise is how much is it all going to cost you. There are various costs involved depending on the franchise that you are starting, and you might want to either self-fund this or fund it with the help of a business loan. Generally speaking, the more well-known, successful, and well-established a business is, the more you are likely going to have to pay to get your franchise started. Along with the initial franchise fee that you will be required to pay to get your business set up, consider the ongoing fees and costs involved with running a franchise. Most franchisors will expect you to pay ongoing fees for things such as marketing costs, ordering products, staff uniforms, training, and more.

How You Want to Work:

Consider how you would like to spend your working days when choosing which franchise to go with. If you prefer to be on your feet, in a busy environment and interacting with the public, you might want to go for a restaurant or other hospitality-based franchise. On the other hand, if you prefer a quieter life and don’t want a job where you will need to interact with crowds of people every day, an office-based franchise might be a better choice. There are also several franchise options available that allow you to work from home or another location of your choosing, which can also be cheaper to set up initially since you will not need to cover the cost of opening a physical location. Take a look at this site to browse franchises for sale and find franchise UK opportunities to suit you. Franchise Local lists a wide range of different franchise business opportunities that you can browse by type of business, budget, and more.

Demand:

Once you have shortlisted some franchises that you might be interested in working with, consider the demand for them in your area. Think about how popular that particular franchise is in your area and if there are already several locations, will another one do well? Typically, big brands like McDonald’s and Starbucks can do well even if there are several of them in the same location, while smaller brands might not fare as well. Speak to the franchisors as there are often location restrictions for starting some franchises, depending on which areas have the most demand for the brand, product or service.

Competition:

Another factor to consider when deciding which franchise to open and where to open it is the competition in the area. Scope out the area where you want to open your franchise location and consider which businesses you are likely to be up against the most. Are you going to have what it takes to deal with this competition? What kind of support can you expect to get from the franchisor when it comes to dealing with local competitors and ensuring that your franchise remains competitive and a top choice in the market?

Support:

It’s also worth considering the amount and type of support that you can expect to receive from any given franchisor. Some franchisors are quite happy to provide you with basic details, leave you to it, and be on hand if you need any extra assistance, while others will provide you with more extensive guidance and expect to play a more active role when it comes to the running of your business. Which you prefer will be completely up to you; you might feel more comfortable being given more control while others might prefer to have the franchisor around more often, particularly in the early stages.

Are You a Right Fit?

You should also consider yourself and your personality to determine whether or not you will be a good fit for running a franchise. The difference between running a franchise and starting your own business is that there will be a lot of elements that you will have no control over. For example, if you start your own brand, you have complete freedom over elements like brand colours and logo, but when you run a franchise, you won’t have this kind of choice. You should carefully consider whether or not you are prepared to simply go along with what the franchisor wants and be happy not to put your own stamp on things. If you prefer to have full control over your business, starting your own might be more ideal.

Employment:

Finally, consider buying a franchise from a business that you are already familiar with because you have worked there before is a wise idea. In fact, many franchise businesses will only offer an individual a franchise if they have worked there for a certain amount of time in order to ensure that they are only offering franchises to people who are familiar with and already dedicated to the business. You might find it useful to work for a business for a certain amount of time, in order to ensure that you get to know the company culture, how things work, and whether or not you are a good fit for that particular brand. If you are not in a position to find employment with a franchisor, you should also consider speaking to and spending some time with other franchisees to find out how things are run from their perspective and ask questions that you might not want to ask the franchisor themselves.

Buying a franchise is an ideal opportunity for anybody who wants to start a business with a well-established brand, plenty of support, and a ready customer base.

The benefits of eating organic are numerous and well-evidenced. As no toxic chemicals are used, organic food is healthier for our bodies. Farmers aren’t exposed to harmful substances and don’t have to go into debt to finance petrochemicals and industrial machinery.

Also, it’s good for the soil, insects and for animals. Organic food is food as nature intended.

We at Goodery believe organic agriculture is the only viable way to sustain human life on earth long term. That’s why we want to make it easier for people across Norfolk to get their weekly organic shop. We’re working hard to lower our prices and improve our products every single day.

Good for you

Researchers at Newcastle University found that organic crops are up to 60% higher in a number of key antioxidants.

That’s roughly equivalent to eating an extra 1-2 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Antioxidants are believed to play a role in preventing the development of such chronic diseases ascancer,heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and more.

A Cambridge University study also found significant differences in the composition of organic and non-organic foods. Compounds found in increased amounts in the organic produce have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including certain cancers.

Eating organic reduces your exposure to pesticides, as well. The frequency of pesticide residue was found to be four times higher in non-organic crops, which also contained higher concentrations of a toxic metal called cadmium.

Organic vs. Traditional: Round I

So compared to organic, traditional agriculture produces food with less nutrients, more pesticides and toxic metals?

Yeah.

No thanks. I’m not putting that stuff in my body either.

Can organic feed the world?

An argument that often arises with organic food is that yields are unable to meet the demand of a growing planet.

Introduction of genetically modified crops came from the strain of a rapidly rising population. By chemically altering the crops, farmers could theoretically produce higher yields, more quickly. In turn, putting more food on our shelves, more quickly.

However, this type of farming is fundamentally unsustainable. Not only is it detrimental to human health, but it also destroys topsoil-the key resource that plants needs to grow.

Alongside the irrevocable damage it is doing to our soil, this type of agriculture contributes 11-13% of greenhouse gas emissions which leads to a cascading series of effects: rising temperatures, rising seas, forest fires, novel viruses, droughts, famines, and wars.

This ‘traditional’ paradigm of growing food using petrochemicals is threatening human life on earth. Yet governments plow massive subsidies to make petrochemical agriculture more affordable. How is this possible? Ask your elected officials. Ask your local supermarket. Seems like something needs to change…

It is absolutely essential we pivot to using organic methods of farming if we’re to preserve the long-term viability of human life on Earth.

For organic farms to succeed they need to cultivate diverse ecosystems that work together in harmony: plants, animals and insects somehow getting along with the end result of delicious, nutritious food.

Organic crops have been proven to have yields of 40% more than their genetically-modified counterparts in times of drought. As our climate becomes increasingly unpredictable, organic agriculture is clearly the only viable way essential to maintain a stable food supply of food. 

What makes food organic?

In Europe, all food that’s sold as organic has to meet strict standards. Farmers are subject to rigorous inspection every year in order to certify their produce so it can be sold with the ‘organic’ label. Everything we sell at Goodery is certified organic. That means no nasty chemicals. That’s good for you, good for farmers, and good for the planet.

Sourcing organic not only reaps delicious produce but comes with side benefits:

• responsible use of energy and natural resources
• maintenance of biodiversity
• preservation of regional ecological balances
• enhancement of soil fertility
• maintenance of water quality

Good for the planet

Enhancing soil fertility specifically is of huge importance. The current declining health of our soil, the body of our Earth, is a major issue we face. It’s estimated that we have just 60 years’ of topsoil left, and one of the biggest contributors to this is chemical-heavy farming techniques.

Read that again. We’ve got 60 years of topsoil left. Without topsoil we can’t grow food. Remember the Dust Bowl of The Great Depression? That’s what happens when there’s no topsoil…

Using organic farming methods protects and nurtures the soil. In the process of creating healthy soil, high levels of carbon is taken out of the atmosphere and stored in the earth.

Research has shown that if organic farming was common practice in the UK, we could offset at least 23% of agriculture’s current greenhouse emissions.

Organic vs. Traditional: Round I

Q: So you’re telling me that organic protects soil, sinks carbon into the earth and protects the crucial ecosystems that we all depend on?

A: Yup.

Q: And traditional agriculture destroys soil, emits up to 13% of greenhouse gases worldwide and destroys ecosystems?

A: Yes again…

Q: So why doesn’t everyone buy organic food?

A: Cost and convenience.

Join us in our mission

We’re on a mission to design a new way of living that cares for people and the planet. We see a path to this future made by creating a new generation of groceries that are 100% organic, zero waste and zero emissions.

We want to make it easier for people across Norfolk to buy organic food. If it’s more affordable and easier to do than going to the supermarket, surely more people will do it, right?

Two simple actions you can do right now:

1. Subscribe to our newsletter to get updates on our journey below.
2. Check out our local shop featuring fruit, veg, bread, coffee and more: Shop Norfolk & Norwich

Method Marketing founder Lucy Mowatt gives us the lowdown on a typical day in her life. From email management to tea breaks and TV choices, she explains it all.

6.50 AM: MEDITATE

Since starting my own business two years ago, I’ve meditated every day.

I try to make time first thing because it helps me wake up. It keeps sharp and focused throughout the morning. I normally have a glass of water and lemon on hand during this time, so I start to rehydrate.

7:00 AM: GET READY FOR WORK

Some mornings I work-out first thing, with a 5km jog or a yoga session, but most mornings, I get showered, have some breakfast and take a look at my to-do list.

I have emails switched off on my phone until 7.30, so I don’t start my day too early.

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: EMAILS & ADMIN

I try to keep my email use at a sensible level, otherwise it starts taking over my life. I plough through as many as I can first thing, weeding out the junk and flagging the most important.

I then disable my email notifications. If they’re switched on, I get distracted by the pinging sound. When they’re switched off, I regain control of my attention and my inbox.

I also check in on social media to make sure there’s nothing I’ve missed overnight. I’ll comment on posts that I think are relevant and check out the trending topics. It’s important to make sure there’s nothing relevant to Method Marketing or my clients.

9:00 AM: CONTENT & COPYWRITING

I schedule client work for the week on a Sunday evening, so I know who I’m working for when. I tend to put writing tasks at the start of my day because this is when my creative juices are flowing.

I love getting my head down and into a writing project. Even the most mundane topics can be interesting when you find a new, unexplored angle.

10:00 AM: TEA TIME

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a bit of a tea fiend. While I dabble with herbal and green teas, there’s nothing better than a good strong cup of Yorkshire Tea with a splash of milk.

While the kettle boils, I let my mind wander. I often find that this is my best thinking time – I often find solutions to problems or writer’s block while I wait.

10:15 AM – 12:00 PM: WRITING & EDITING

I use the late morning, when I have a caffeine buzz, to finish writing and check my work.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: LUNCH TIME

I’ve found that my lunches are far more healthy when I work from home (especially during lockdown!). I tend to have something balanced. As a pescatarian, I’ll try to have something with plenty of protein, accompanied by lots of veg.

If I’m working from home, I try to take a walk around the block and stretch my legs. The fresh air and time away from the screen give me a boost for the afternoon.

If I have any time left, I’ll take a flick through a magazine. I love the printed page and can’t resist a free magazine. That said, I’m currently reading the latest issue of National Geographic Traveller. It’s bittersweet though because I can’t actually go anywhere right now!

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM: EMAILS

If anything pressing has come in over the course of the morning, I take the time to reply immediately after lunch.

1:30 PM – 4:00 PM: MEETINGS

I try to keep meetings and calls to the afternoon in order to protect peak writing time.

I’ll meet with clients, discuss marketing plans and send out proposals to prospects during this time.

4:00 PM: WRAPPING-UP

Towards the end of the day (depending on how the day is going!) I take time to wrap-up.

For several clients, I put together a status update showing what’s been completed and what’s outstanding.

This also allows me to plan for the following day. What still needs to be done? What are the priorities? Do I need to adjust my schedule?

4:30 PM: EMAILS (AGAIN)

I take 30 minutes at the end of the day to read and respond to any messages in my inbox.

Social media gets another look too, just to make sure there’s nothing I’ve missed.

5:00 PM: UNWIND & EAT

My fiancé and I catch up on our days while we prepare dinner. We’re both foodies, so love trying new recipes and cuisines.

At the minute we’re on a bit of Mexican kick, making lots of burritos, guacamole and refried beans.

After we’ve eaten, we tend to go for a walk around our local area. During the coronavirus, we’ve both missed our commutes. We might have only walked for 10 minutes at the end of the day, but it helped us switch off from work.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: WATCH TV

Time to unwind and watch TV. We’ve got a reputation for being binge-watchers – we’ll stick with one show until we’ve finished the season.

We’re currently rewatching The West Wing. It’s possibly my favourite TV show of all time. I remember watching it back in the 90s with my Dad and it’s really stayed with me. Yes, it can be schmaltzy, but I love it. The scripting is brilliant, the characters are complex and the storylines and confusing. What’s not to like?

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM: READING

I’ve always been a big reader – even as a child. As a writer, editor and content marketer, it’s important for me to read as much as I can, as often as I can. It gives me ideas, improves my vocabulary and also helps me to unwind.

I’m currently reading Carlos Ruiz Rafón’s The Labyrinth of the Spirits. It’s the final book in the Cemetry of Forgotten Books series and it’s a real page-turner. I was saddened to hear of the author’s death last month. He had such a beautiful way with words – I can’t believe he won’t write any more novels.

10:00 PM: BEDTIME

I try to turn out the lights at 10 so I get a good night’s sleep. Yes, it’s early, but I really value my 40 winks!

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Figures by Betway have shown that pizza was the most-searched food in 55 of the 81 countries for which data was available. It has proven particularly popular in eastern Europe, with Belarus carrying out the most searches for ‘pizza delivery’ per capita according to Google Trends.Russia and Ukraine, meanwhile, were fourth and fifth respectively. Interestingly, vegan food was the most-searched term in Russia – the only time it appeared in the top two searches for any country in the world. That could have something to do with the fact that it’s common practice for followers of the Russian Orthodox church – who make up 71 per cent of the Russian population according to a 2017 survey – to eat a plant-based diet during Lent, which ran from 26 February – 9 April this year. Chinese was the next-most popular takeaway after pizza, topping the charts in 11 countries, including the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and, unsurprisingly, China. In fact, when looking at the cities that searched for the term the most, all of the top eight were in English-speaking countries.

Per capita, it was the that UK searched for ‘Chinese cuisine’ more than any other country. Sushi was the third-most popular of the three leading takeaways worldwide. The dish is synonymous with Japan, so it seems strange that, per capita, it was only third on the list of countries that searched for it the most. Instead, it was Denmark that scoffed the most sushi per person. Considering that raw, pickled and smoked fish have been staples of the Danish diet since the Viking era, perhaps its popularity is understandable. With nearby Norway being the largest salmon-producing nation in the world, there is also plenty to go around.

Which takeout brands are people searching for most?

Given its ubiquity across the world, it’s unsurprising that McDonald’s dominated searches for branded fast food companies. The burger-flipping giant is the world’s largest restaurant chain in terms of revenue and, as of 2018, had 37,855 outlets in 100 different countries. Forty-one of 81 countries for which data was available searched for McDonald’s more than any other restaurant or branded food takeout. The highest concentration of those searches came from Europe, with 26 of the 30 European nations hankering for a Big Mac. KFC was the second-most popular fast food joint, topping the charts in 23 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

But the country that most craved the Colonel’s secret blend of herbs and spices was Malaysia, amassing an average of 301,000 searches per month – more than any other country. It is estimated that KFC serves 25m customers every month in Malaysia – only 6.5m fewer than its entire population. The menu offers various localised items like rice congee – a type of porridge – and teh tarik – a milky tea that is popular in southeast Asia. The most popular company in one specific place was Pizza Hut in the USA, which averaged 1.83m searches per month between March and May.

Which countries around the world are ordering the most takeout food?

According to data from Google Keyword Planner, there were 26.6m searches for ‘delivery’, ‘food delivery’, ‘takeaway’ and ‘takeout’ between March and May, with the USA accounting for 10.5m (39%) of them alone. But per capita, the USA only ranked second among the countries with the highest volume of searches, with one for every 31 members of the population during the three-month period. Topping the charts was Belgium, with one search for every 10 people. Next on the list were Australia and the United Kingdom, with one in 40 and one in 44 respectively. Despite recording the fifth-most searches for takeout food among the top 10 countries, India had the fewest per capita with one for every 1,457 people.

Financial management can be tricky, but in 2020, people are facing more money issues than usual. With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc around the world, businesses are closing, and unemployment is rising. Whether you’re on a reduced income or you simply want to take control of your money, these handy tips will give you the confidence you need to improve your financial health.

1. Assess Your Current Financial Situation

When money troubles occur, it’s easy to bury your head in the sand and hope that things will improve. Conversely, when you’re doing well, it’s tempting to treat yourself to some luxuries and lose track of what your bank balance is.

Until you sit down and familiarise yourself with your finances, you won’t be able to take action to improve your financial health. Examine your payslips and/or bank statements to determine exactly what your income and expenditure is. Once you’ve done this, you’ll have all the information you need to take a proactive approach to money management.

2. Cut Your Expenditure

Most people have unnecessary outgoings, even if they don’t realise it. In fact, you could be spending hundreds of pounds a month on things you don’t really need or want. By looking over bank statements from the past twelve months, you’ll see payments that you’d forgotten about. Unused subscriptions or memberships that you no longer use can quickly be cancelled, providing you’re not still tied into a long-term contract.

In addition to this, get in touch with your utilities provider and see whether they can offer you a better deal. A simple comparison search will let you know whether you could be paying cheaper rates elsewhere and, if so, how to go about changing providers.

3. Identify Essential Bills

Your essential bills are the costs that you absolutely must pay every month. These typically include things like your rent or mortgage, utility bills, council tax and food. In reality, you might have other important bills that you consider to be essential.

If you need to pay for public transport in order to get to work, for example, this is going to be a high priority. Similarly, if you can only get your kids to school by car, then petrol, vehicle maintenance, insurance and car tax are going to be important costs for you to cover. List your outgoings in order of importance, so you can easily determine which bills should take precedence over others.

4. Create a Budget

Everyone who practices good money management has a budget. It’s the only way to keep track of your income and outgoings, so it’s well worth taking the time to devise an accurate budget you can stick to.

Start with your essential bills and work your way down the list of your outgoings. This will enable you to factor the most important costs into your budget first. If you realise that your outgoings exceed your income, there’s no need to panic. Taking control of your finances can be daunting at first, but you’ll be relieved once you’ve got a workable budget in place.

5. Check Your Borrowing Power

Even if you don’t want to take out a loan right now, it’s good to know what your options are. Check your borrowing power to determine how much you would be eligible to borrow and on what terms. Remember – don’t stick strictly to high street banks or traditional loan providers.

Many alternative options, such as direct payday loans, offer impressively low interest rates. If you need to access funding from a reputable payday loan company, for example, this provider can help. With low rates and super-fast turnaround times, Payday UK make it easy to access loans when you need to.

6. Boost Your Income

Everyone wants to earn more money, but 2020 might not be the right time to try and insist that your boss gives you a raise. All businesses are under increasing pressure due to the impact of coronavirus and many firms are reducing their workforce and making people redundant. However, this shouldn’t prevent you from boosting your income.

Taking on a second job or starting your own side hustle can be a great way to increase your monthly income. With the right side hustle, you can even choose your own hours and do something you enjoy to bring in some extra cash. Furthermore, having a second source of income gives you more protection if your primary job is in jeopardy. 

7. Have a Contingency Plan

Many people are worried about job security and a significant number of people are likely to experience a drop in income over the coming months. The anxiety this causes is understandable, but having a contingency plan in place can help to ease your mind and calm your nerves.

Take a look at what government support you would be entitled to if your main source of income was no longer available. You might be surprised at how much financial help is available. Alternatively, consider alternative ways to replace lost income. If you own your home, you may want to rent a room to a lodger, for example. Alternatively, if you’re currently renting, you may want to move in with family or friends until you can secure a new job role.

With any luck, your current job will remain secure and you won’t face a significant drop in income. However, having a contingency plan in place will ensure you’re able to cope with whatever financial circumstances you might face.

8. Find Free Hobbies

When you’re on a mission to improve your financial health, you’ll want to avoid spending money unnecessarily. By finding free hobbies and pastimes, you can dramatically reduce the amount you spend on entertainment and leisure.

Instead of going to the gym, for example, why not take up jogging or start working out at home? Many people have reached impressive fitness goals at home during lockdown, so this could be a great way to improve your physical and financial health.

Alternatively, walking, gardening, puzzling, reading, meditation and learning something new are all worthwhile pastimes that don’t require a big investment. In addition to this, volunteering in your local community can be a great way to spend your spare time. As well as increasing your social circle, you’ll be helping people and causes that are in need of support, while saving yourself some money in the process.

9. Seek Professional Advice

If you’re worried about your financial situation or your finances are getting out of hand, it’s important to seek advice from reputable resources. There are a number of charities that provide people with financial advice and assistance, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you need to. Banks, building societies and businesses are well aware of the financial pressure people are under this year and many have implemented schemes to help people reduce their monthly payments or reduce interest rates. Get in touch with your creditors to see whether you qualify for any help.

Take Control of Your Finances

No matter what your financial situation is, taking control of your finances will stand you in good stead for the future. With the knowledge and confidence to practice good money management, you can ensure that your financial health continues to improve in 2020 and beyond.