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August 15, 2020 by: Miles

How to Set Up Your Ideal Home Office

A computer sitting on top of a table

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Photo by Mia Baker on Unsplash

In the current world economic climate, more people are opting to work from home and create spaces that are effective. If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught the world anything, it has taught us that the “office” is mobile and can be at home. When deciding to set up your home office, there are a few aspects you should look at. We cover the most important, to help you create a space that will be beneficial to getting your workload done!

Create Some Permanence

When you’re thinking of setting up a home office, it is important to remember that you’re still at work and still need to have semblence of space that is not home. Creating a more permanent space at home as your office, means you can get away from it all after work hours.

Find a space that you don’t use often. A dining room table or space in the living area is not a wise option. You need an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ zone. However, this is not always possible. In this case, simply opt for a work area that is out of the way that can still create a feeling of permanence, by leaving your computer or notebook there each evening.

Setting the Scene

Once you have found a more permanent space that will work as an office away from the office – and ‘away’ from home—it’s important to use the right equipment. Firstly, you will need a desk to ensure that the space is effective. Secondly a comfortable work chair is imperative – you will be spending a lot of time sitting there, and you want to prevent back ache.

Finally, try and make the space yours. If you intend to work efficiently, then the space you’re creating needs to feel comfortable to you. Use plants, photographs or personal items; create a positive space you’re willing to spend time in and work hard in.

Computing Needs

Desktops have mostly been the ideal for home offices up to now. The desktop creates a permanence that is needed. However, in today’s world, with the fast-paced lifestyle and the need to meet ‘on the go’, laptops have become the better option.

The laptop also becomes the better option because the laptop has a clean-cut neatness and simplicity to it. It will make your home office less cluttered than other PCs.

Laptops also make it easier for you to meet with clients outside the office and still take your work with you. However, laptops can be expensive and to carry the once off expense isn’t possible for everyone. In this instance, laptop hire is the best solution because it’s the most economical way to ensure you have the best options for your home office computing needs.

[Conclusion]

Once you have set up your office away from the office, you can sit back and feel free to work in an environment that is yours. A safe and caring workspace that is both efficient and homely. Now you simply need some self discipline and you’ll get the job done!

 

August 14, 2020 by: Miles

Men Behaving Dadly – 7 Top Dad’s Night Out Activities

It’s not only the moms who deserve a night off every now and then. It’s tough work being a dad, and it’s time you had a break & some good old fun. Keen to get together with your mates and enjoy an epic dad’s night out? Here are seven top activities for you to try!

person holding kettle grill's cover near balustrade

Brew Some Beer

Sign up for a beer making class at a local brewery with some friends. The bonus? You’ll get to taste it afterward! Once you know how it’s done, you can try your own homebrew beer at your next barbecue night.

Become the BBQ Champion

Speaking of barbecues, why not plan a food competition? Get a few of your closest buds together and set up the ultimate BBQ cook out! What makes your mouth water? Classic burgers, chicken, fish, steak or a rack of ribs? Maybe Jamie Oliver’s BBQ recipes will inspire you.

Give Online Gambling a Go

For something a little different, try your hand at online gambling. Whether you’re looking for the best online casinos Canada has to offer or want to access virtual Vegas from Australia, it’s a safe and fun activity to do from home. With hundreds of different games to pick from, including spins and slots, place your bets and you may just win!

Organise an Overnight Camping Trip

Need to get out of the city? The perfect way to catch your breath and take in the fresh air & natural surroundings is to go camping for a night. Grab your camping gear and enjoy 24 hours of no mobile phones or distractions in the open air.

Light a fire, bring along your homebrewed beer, show off your winning BBQ skills, and savour a night in the company of good friends under the stars.

Revisit Your Vintage Video Games

Still holding onto some old TV games? Revisit your childhood by arranging a vintage video game-a-thon. Who knows? You may pull out some tricks and be the Donkey Kong, King’s Quest or Super Mario Bros titleholder!

Even if you don’t have the original discs, many of these childhood video games are available online.

Go to the Games Arcade

Have the vintage games whet your appetite for more? Head on out to your local games arcade to keep on playing! Embrace the freedom and joy of acting like a kid again & enjoy a go kart or bumper car ride, or even a round of darts or tenpin bowling.

Catch a Late Night Movie

Still awake? End off the night by catching the late night movie at your local cinema. It’s not often you get to stay out late, so make the most of it! Maybe you’ll get to see the latest action, horror or thriller you’ve been dying to watch. While you’re at it and your wife’s not watching, order the extra large popcorn and Cola!

[Conclusion]

What are you waiting for? If your wife is treating you to a night off with your mates, seize the opportunity with both hands! Which one of these dad’s night out activities are you going to do first?

August 13, 2020 by: Miles

5 Best Kitchen Appliances to Stretch Your Grocery Budget

Do you cook from scratch?

This might seem like a straightforward question, but it’s actually fairly complicated. Does using a meal kit like Hello Fresh constitute “from-scratch” cooking? What about using precut vegetables, frozen pouches of rice, and simmer sauces from the grocery store? Maybe you had more time to cook from scratch before Covid-19, or maybe the pandemic has freed up time for more elaborate kitchen projects.

No matter where you stand on the scale of from-scratch cooks, we have some recommendations for the best kitchen appliances to help you save money and time. So grab a glass of your home-brewed kombucha and read on!

1. A Vacuum Sealer

Buying in bulk can save you tremendous amounts of money. So can growing and preserving your own vegetables and fruits, or even hunting for your own meat. But how are you storing all of your bounty?

If you are not using a vacuum sealer to preserve and protect your foods, it’s time to look into one. These handy gadgets are great for guarding against freezer burn, but they are also good for sealing dry, shelf-stable foods, too. A food sealer will even save you money by keeping refrigerated foods fresher; reseal items like cheese and deli meat to prolong their freshness.

2. A Soda Maker

Drinking a lot of soda or flavored seltzer can get pricey. And it’s no fun having to lug those heavy bottles and cans home, either. Do yourself a solid and invest in a soda maker. This is essentially an item that carbonates water. After you’ve made your H20 fizzy, you can add whatever flavoring you like.

Making your own carbonated beverages not only saves money and hassle but eliminating all those artificial sweeteners and colors will do wonders for your health. Use fruit juice and natural sweeteners for healthy refreshment!

Already make your own soda? Why not supplement it with one of the ice makers that are available?

3. A Multi-Cooker

Chances are, everyone you know owns one of these things. They’ve been on the market since 2010, but are all the rage nowadays because they are incredibly versatile. That means you can dispense with a lot of other single-use appliances. And because you can make entire meals in a matter of minutes, you’ll be less tempted to rely on takeout and convenience foods to feed your family — saving beaucoup bucks.

4. Slow Cooker

Don’t need a device that does everything but clean the kitchen sink? Consider an old-school slow cooker. These come in a variety of sizes and can even be programmed to start when you’re not at home. There’s a little prep work required earlier in the day, but the delicious (and frugal) results will be worth it. And you might be surprised by how much a slow cooker can do!

5. A Stand Mixer

Lots of us have been making bread during lockdown, but a stand mixer is so much more than an extra pair of hands to knead dough or whip cream. It can make butter, shred chicken or pork, mash potatoes, mix meatball ingredients, or make loads of guac for burrito night. It’s an investment, but a good mixer will last for generations.

Which of the Best Kitchen Appliances Do You Use?

Do you own any of these? If so, how do you use it to save time and money? Have we forgotten any items you think should be included in a list of best kitchen appliances to have on hand? Got any good tips for slashing a grocery budget? Have your say in the comment section below!

August 13, 2020 by: Miles

Financial Basics 101: 7 Tricks To Deal With Unprecedented Times

When you are dealing with these unprecedented financial times, you can use the seven tips below to recover. You can keep your family safe, pay your bills, and avoid emergencies. These tips can all be used in the next few days as you get your affairs in order. You might also want to invest some time reorganizing your work schedule so that you can be prepared.

1. Balance The Budget

You should balance your budget. You know how much money is coming out, and you should try to increase the amount of money that is coming in. If you cannot make more money, you can trim your budget to make it more balanced. This is a simple thing to do because you can cut services you do not need, buy generic products, and adjust some of your services to make them cheaper.

2. Maintain An Emergency Fund

You should try to maintain an emergency fund. You will not touch that money unless there is a major financial emergency. You can save that money with your bank, or you might find a savings bank that offers higher rates. If your emergency fund can make money for you, it is a much better use of your spare cash.

In most cases, you should try to add several months of salary to this account. You can add a bit of money every month as a cushion if you do not have much to spend.

3. Obtain The Proper Insurance For Vehicles, Homes, And Buildings

You need the proper insurance for your home, cars, businesses, and structures. You might have insurance now, but you should look at lowering your insurance costs. A tailoured insurance quote can help you save money because the quote can help you trim your coverage. You may not need quite as much coverage as you have today, and you will save money while remaining protected.

Contact your agent for advice or call the customer service number for your carrier. Your insurance coverage keeps you safe, but you should not waste your money on coverage that is overblown or simply too expensive.

4. Invest Your Savings Conservatively

If you have a savings account, you might want to invest your savings account in a conservative mutual fund, stock, or bond. You can reach out to a financial advisor who will help you choose a safe option. You can pull out this money at any time, and you can put the money back if you start earning more money every month. When you are investing, you might choose something like a bond or COD that will mature quickly.

You can choose a money market account offered by your bank, or you might choose an online saving bank that offers higher-than-average savings rates.

5. Look For Extra Income

You can get a new job, add a side job, or take on a part-time job. You might have special skills that people need, or you can simply add to your current workload. As you add income to your budget, you can save money, invest, or increase your spending.

Some people might find more stable work when they are searching for extra income, and you can forget about clients or businesses that are no longer paying you. In extreme cases, you might change careers because you have found a more reliable source of income.

6. Buy Generic

When you are shopping, you should try to buy generic products as much as you possibly can. When you buy generic products, you will save money on every purchase. You can trim your budget easily, and you might find products that you will continue to purchase in the future.

You do not want to continue to lose money when you have worked so hard to save. Buying generic might signal a change in the way that you manage your money.

7. Withdraw From Retirement When Needed

You should withdraw your retirement account if you need to. You can save this money, use it as an emergency fund, or make changes to the way that you invest for your retirement. You can start saving for retirement again once you have recovered from these uncertain financial times. You need that money now because you want to pay your bills and stay on the right track.

You Can Respond To Uncertain Financial Times Responsibly

You can respond to uncertain financial times using the tips listed above. There are several things you can do to prepare for the new economy. You can earn extra money, withdraw from your retirement, adjust your budget, and adjust your insurance coverage. You should also set up an emergency fund and look at investing your savings to earn a bit of extra money. These steps will help you remain financially healthy, avoid problems with your budget, and continue to save money even when you are stable again.

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

How To Ship Your Car Overseas

Are you planning an international move? If you are and are also planning to be bring your car along, you may want to start researching how to transport a car overseas that makes the most sense for your move and also good on your pockets.  While shipping a car to another country is not cheap, it is definitely more cost effective than buying a new car when you arrive at your destination.

Cars are major items to move especially across the globe and you would be surprised to know that the process for transporting a car overseas is pretty complex that requires good planning and meticulous preparation.  Read on to find what you need to know to make it go as smoothly as possible.

Do Your Research

Once you have made the important decision that you are bringing your car with you to the new country, then the very next step is to find one of the best international car shipping companies near you.  There are many different companies that offer international car shipping, so you would want to do plenty of research when choosing the right one for your needs.

It is impossible to ship your car internationally by yourself, so you may want to hire the services of an experienced and top-rated international auto shipper for this task. Online platform like Shiply offers simple steps to finding a great company that offers international car shipping services.  Just fill in a simple form and receive quotes from reputable and experienced auto car shippers that have many years of experience in international vehicle transport.

Cost of Transporting Your Car Overseas

The exact amount that it will cost you to transport a car overseas depends on how far your car is going to be traveling and the company that you hire to do the job. Make sure to budget for additional line items when transporting a car to another country.  This include insurance, destination charges, custom duties, tax and fees.

Prepare Your Car For The Move

Once you have decided on an auto transport company to move your car and feel secure using them, then it is time to prepare your car for shipping.  Ensure that all relevant document are available at the pick up or drop off points.  Remove all personal items from your car prior to shipping to avoid them getting damaged or lost in transit.  Make sure that your vehicle is in running condition such as enough fluid, battery charge and tire pressure levels.  Take photograph of your car parts before shipping as evidence should anything happen during transit.

How Long Does It Take To Ship A Car Overseas?

The shipping process largely depends on its destination. For certain international destinations, you can expect to get your car about a week after it ships out. For further destinations you may have to wait as long as a month or two. Your shipping company will be able to offer you a good estimate of when your car will arrive.

One factor that impacts how quickly you get you car is the shipping method that you choose. Booking a shipping container is the quickest way to ship a car overseas.  You may go with consolidated vehicle shipping which means sharing your container space with other vehicles going the same direction if you want to spend a little less.  Do note that this could greatly extend your timeline since the shipping company will have to wait for the container to fill up before sending it overseas.

Another way is the roll-on/roll-off shipping, where your car is securely braced on to a vessel without the protection of a container.  This is cheaper than sole container shipping. Like consolidated vehicle shipping this method may increase the shipping duration as roll-on/roll-off car shipping tend to visit multiple ports, or may dock at a port that is not your final destination. There is also some additional risk since your car is exposed to the elements during travel.

Learn more on how to prepare your car for international shipping.

 

 

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

How to Choose a Waterfront Property

People love to live by the water. People love the water so much that they are willing to pay 116 percent more to live by it. This is because waterfront properties are unique.

Where else can you feel like you are on vacation and enjoy both land and water from your own home. Plus, since it is so unique, buying waterfront property can be a good investment.

Are you wanting a waterfront property? If so, keep reading to learn more!

Determine Your Needs

Not all waterfront properties are the same. Just like any other home, you need to find something that suits your needs.

What activities do you enjoy? Do you want more privacy?

Do you want a boat? If so, you need to determine the boating restrictions on the lake to make sure it fits your boat.

Do you plan to fish from your dock? Are you looking for smaller water to kayak or canoe? This could mean finding something like a river or pond versus a larger body of water.

You also have to think about how often you will be there. Do you plan to live there full-time? If not, do you want to rent the property?

Don’t forget about other important things like school districts, proximity to hospitals, and location to everyday amenities like grocery stores.

Set Your Budget

It’s important to set your budget before you start looking for your home. You need to think about how much you can really afford. If you plan to rent the house, you need to know the previous rental history or what houses in the area typically rent to see if it can cover your costs.

If this is a second home, make sure you can afford this mortgage if your house is not rented. Always have a solid backup plan for paying in case your house does not rent as planned.

Check for Additional Costs

You need to know all the hidden costs with a waterfront property before signing a contract. Insurance is typically higher because of the higher risk of flood damage. For beach areas, you also have to think about hurricane insurance.

Don’t forget about other expenses such as dock fees. Water and sewer rates may also be higher in some areas. Make sure you are aware of all of these to avoid surprises.

If you’re considering a condo, you’ll also have to factor in the cost of the homeowners’ association. To get more amenities, you will pay a higher price.

Look at the Entire Property

As you start scoping out properties, it’s important to determine what is most important to you. There are different attributes that are more important to some people than others.

For example, you may want to check out the grade of the lot. Finding a flat lot makes it easier to get to the water.

You also need to think about your privacy. If you want more privacy, you probably want to have as much frontage as possible to push you back from your neighbors.

You should also decide how important a sandy beach is to you. Sandy beaches are nice for the elderly and young children. It makes it easier to get into the water, and kids love to play in the sand.

Walk around the entire property, and make sure the view doesn’t blind you. Look for any landscape you would have to upkeep and any other outdoor repairs.

You are buying the land more so than the house when it comes to water property. You can always replace the house, but there isn’t much you can do to the location and condition of the land.

Research the Area

It’s a good idea to take a look at history and find out about the shore. Has the shore moved?  Anytime you mix water with dirt, this could be an issue.

If the waterline has changed over the years, be careful how close the property is to the water. Also, see if the water has moved in the opposite direction, which would put your home further away.

An inspector can also give you an idea of how sturdy the home and property are and if you need to worry about any shifts.

Check Out the Bulkhead

The bulkhead separates the property from the water; it is a barrier to protect the home. Make sure you inspect the bulkhead because these can be rather expensive to build or repair. A large bulkhead can cost tens of thousands or even more.

If the home is on the ocean, look for hurricane proofing. Adding this protection is expensive, but necessary to protect the home from damage.

Look for a Bargain

Now is the time to start looking for a deal. You may want to consider other areas if this is a second home. Check out sites like Right Casa to find your dream Spanish home or look in various parts of the U.S. or other countries. You may be surprised by what you can afford in different locations.

If you find a spot with a lot of properties for sale, it may be a weaker market and you may be able to get the price down.

Work With an Expert Agent

Waterfront property isn’t the same as buying a house. There can be structural issues. The market is also different.

Real estate agents can give you advice and help you work through these issues. They will guide you through the purchase process, so you can own the waterfront property of your dreams.

Look for Waterfront Properties Today

As you search for waterfront properties, remember to consider your budget, location, and type of water you want. Think about whether you want to live there full-time or use it as a vacation home.

With the right planning, you can easily buy a waterfront property. Check out our site for financial advice to help you save money to own this property. You can also find helpful information in our Home & Garden section to help make your new waterfront house a home.

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

4 Advantages Of Vaping You May Not Know About

Vaping has gained extensive popularity in the recent few years. But some people still think that vaping is as bad as smoking cigarettes. If you are one of them, you have landed in the right place. We have collected four advantages of vaping that will show you how it is way better than consuming cigarettes. In case you are already aware of the benefits, you can switch smoking to vaping and buy your first device from online vape shops.

#1 Instant Use

If you smoke heavily, you must carry a whole packet of cigarettes in your pocket throughout the day. Plus, you need to ensure that no one else shares your cigarette. Otherwise, you will fall short of them, and you will have to repurchase them. It can be quite inconvenient because not every place sells cigarettes, or they may not be open at odd hours. On the flip side, there is no such buying or sharing factor included with vaping. Good quality fully charged and refilled vaping devices will satisfy you for the entire day. You can also use them at any time without the worry of going to the market and buying a new one.

#2 Great For Naive Users

If you are new to the nicotine world, vaping will serve as a better option than smoking. There are two reasons behind this,

  • Less Harmful: Various studies have proven that vaping is much less harmful to health as compared to smoking. It is because the process of vaping doesn’t include combustion, ash, or tar. Another benefit is that you easily control the nicotine intake by selecting a less-nicotine variant of e-liquid.
  • Easy To Handle: Lighting a cigarette in your initial days can be a task in itself. However, if you want to avoid all the hassle, you can begin your journey with a simple vape device. It will require you to press and button and enjoy vaping. There are more complex devices, but you should only switch to them once you have some experience with vaping.

#3 Vapour Output Control

One of the prominent advantages of vaping is that you can control how much vapour you exhale. You can do this by picking a smaller pod vape over the high-powered mods. Another way of controlling vapour output is by adjusting the features of the device, such as airflow and power output. So you won’t have to feel awkward while vaping in front of a group of non-smokers.

#4 Variety Of E Liquids

Unlike smoking, vaping has a wide range of flavours in it. You simply have to choose the preferred e liquids, and you can enjoy your favourite flavour. Your e juice can help you decide other factors as well. As mentioned above, you can select the amount of nicotine in your e liquids. Thus, you won’t have to settle for a lower or higher amount due to lack of variants. You can pick the variant that suits you the best.

The list doesn’t end here, as there are various other benefits of vaping. For example, you can avoid the foul odour of smoke with vaping, or you can give a relaxation to your pocket because vaping is more cost-effective. Once you start vaping, you will be able to explore all these advantages. Thus, don’t waste your time and get your vaping device now.

 

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

A Simple Guide to Selling Medicare Supplements

Want to learn more about selling Medicare supplements? It’s a lucrative side job if you’re disabled or retired. If you’re willing to hustle, it can also be a well-paid, full-time career.

But that description can apply to most jobs. What does this one actually entail? When you’re ready to learn why Medicare supplemental sales are attractive jobs, read on.

What are Medicare Supplements?

Medicare Supplement Insurance, otherwise known as Medigap Insurance, helps fill the gaps left by Medicare. This supplemental insurance is sold by private companies rather than your local state or federal government. A Medigap policy will help you pay health care costs left over after your traditional Medicare payout.

  • Deductibles
  • Copayments
  • Coinsurance

Some Medigap policies may also cover services like medical aid when traveling abroad. These options in these policies can be broad and cover a wide variety of services that traditional Medicare doesn’t.

Each policy is different. The key to Medicare sales is to discover the gap in your client’s traditional Medicare coverage. Then you recommend a Medigap option that fills it.

Selling Medicare Supplements Outside of Open Enrollment

Each year, from October 15th to December 7th, Medicare holds an open enrollment period. That’s the time during which Medicare members can change their prescription drug coverage and health plans for the following year. It’s also the reason why people like you are making money selling Medicare supplements.

So, what happens to members when open enrollment ends, but they need adjustments to their policy? Or, when members need an insurance plan that covers the holes left by their Original Medicare policy? That’s when a Medicare supplement sales specialist like you steps in.

When you fill the role of a supplement sales representative, you find the highest quality leads for Medicare members who need additional insurance. You sell Medicare by marketing your services to these members.

  • Social media ads
  • Search engine ads
  • Print ads
  • Online forums
  • Websites
  • Email campaigns
  • Targeted phone calls
  • Etc.

The goal is to start a conversation. Remember, you’re not a sleazy used-car salesman. These people genuinely need your help.

Your job is simply to match them up with a plan that best suits their predicament.

The Largest Hurdle

The biggest challenge you face in this career is the learning curve. When you sell insurance supplements, you must memorize dozens of facts from dozens of different insurance plans. You also must speak with fluent insurance vernacular for your clients to believe you’re an expert.

If you learn quickly and apply yourself, you may become an expert in 6 months or less. Otherwise, expect the process to take a year or so. If you have previous experience in insurance sales, you can be up and running in less than a month.

What’s Next?

Now that you understand how easy selling Medicare supplements can be, it’s time to get moving. If you’d like to sell as a part-time job or full-time career, your first step is to get licensed. Check your state licensing board for more information.

Did you find the information you were looking for? Excellent, then skip over to our enormous digital library full of other informative articles on business and marketing. So long and good luck!

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

Estate Planning Guide: 7 Tips for Planning Your Estate

Did you know 50% of Americans over the age of 55 don’t have a will?

Despite the fact that so many people don’t have a will or estate plan, these are necessary documents. With the help of a trust, your family will feel protected in the event of your passing.

If you understand the importance of having an estate plan and want to know how to get started, you came to the right place.

Read on for this easy estate planning guide.

1. Inventory of All Your Things

The first step when creating an estate plan is to make an inventory of what you own. You will never know you have so many valuable things until you sit down and make a list of your assets.

When you make a list, it’s important to divide your assets between tangible and intangible.

Your tangible assets will include the following:

  • Houses, condos, land, and other real estate properties
  • Cars, boats, and motorcycles
  • Collectibles, such as antique objects, coins, and trading cards
  • Jewelry and other material possessions

Your intangible assets will include:

  • Checkin and savings accounts
  • Bonds, stocks, and mutual funds
  • Life insurance policies
  • Retirement accounts such as employee 401(k) and other IRAs
  • Health savings accounts
  • Business deeds

After you make an inventory of your tangible and intangible assets, it’s time you determine their value. While it’s easier to determine the value of your intangible assets, you will need to get your tangible assets valued.

2. Needs of Your Family

The purpose of an estate plan is to leave everything in order, and your family protected in the event of your passing. To determine if your family will have everything they need, assess multiple things.

Life Insurance: Do you have life insurance? If so, do you have enough life insurance to leave your family covered?

If your household depends on two incomes, it’s essential you have enough to cover expenses. The last thing you want is for your family not to be able to maintain their current lifestyle.

Also, if you have children, you need to think about college tuition or medical bills.

Name a Guardian: Although no one can raise your children as well as you, it’s still important you name a guardian. Designating a guardian will give your child the best chance of a steady home in the event of your untimely passing.

Before you choose a guardian, you should consider values. It’s essential the guardian of your child shares similar values, educational, and parenting styles.

You should also consider age, health, and financial factors when choosing the guardian of your children. Because becoming a guardian is a big responsibility, don’t forget to ask the guardian before you appoint them.

Wishes for Your Children: Even if you pick a guardian who shares your values, you must leave behind specific wishes for your children.  For example, do you wish they attend private school?

3. Sort Out Legal Directives

As part of any estate planning, you need to leave behind specific legal directives. Some of the most common directives include medical, power of attorney, trust, and limited power of attorney.

Financial Power of Attorney: In the event of your death or incapacitation, it’s essential you appoint someone you trust to deal with your finances.

Using a financial power of attorney will allow the designated agent to manage your financial affairs. The designated agent will have certain responsibilities, such as paying your bills, taxes, and managing assets.

Medical Directive: As the name suggests, a medical directive will assign an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf.

Trust: The purpose of a living trust is to designate portions of your estate while you’re alive. For example, if you become incapacitated, the designated agent has the authority to sell specific assets to pay for your medical care, for example.

Limited Power of Attorney: With the limited power of attorney, you can designate an agent to only have certain privileges. For example, you can give a person control to sell your house in the event of your incapacitation, but they won’t have access to any other asset.

4. Make a List of Beneficiaries

The next step when planning your estate is to designate your beneficiaries.

Start by reviewing your retirement and life insurance policies. Typically, when you sign up for a retirement or life insurance plan, you will be asked to pick beneficiaries.

Once you start the estate planning process, it’s important you review the beneficiaries of your policies. If you wish to make a change, this is the time to do so.

You should review your list of beneficiaries after important life changes. For example, if you get divorced, or a loved one passes away.

Although you have named beneficiaries in your life insurance and retirement policies, this doesn’t mean these designations will apply in other documents.

You might wish your spouse and children are the sole owners of the home you share, but you can still give your uncle the motorcycle.

It’s also a good idea to name backup beneficiaries in case one of them passes away before you get a chance to make changes.

5. Become Familiar With Estate Tax Laws

Many people create an estate plan as a way to minimize inheritance taxes. Before you begin the estate planning process, you should become familiar with your state’s laws.

While some states have estate taxes, others only have inheritance taxes. Talk to someone who specializes in estate planning services to ensure you’re not blindsided by taxes.

6. Gather All of Your Financial Documents

When you start planning your estate, you should start gathering all of your important financial documents.

In the event or passing, all of your important documents, such as will, trust, deeds, titles, and policies, should be in one place.

7. Consider Professional Help

The best way to include everything you need in your estate plan is by getting professional help. An estate planning attorney will ensure your estate plan includes all necessary provisions.

Follow This Estate Planning Guide

Now that you are familiar with this estate planning guide it’s time you get the process started.

Start by making a list of your assets, decide what the needs of your family are, designated legal directives, and more.

If you enjoyed these tips and would like to learn more, check out the rest of our blog.

August 11, 2020 by: Miles

Lean With It: What Is OEE in Lean Manufacturing?

Are you a manager or owner of a company delivering a product or service to your customer? Are you looking for ways to improve your productivity and decrease wasted time and money?

If so. Then you could benefit from learning about lean manufacturing. While this concept may have been born in an automobile assembly line, it now encompasses every industry around the world.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what it means to make your organization lean. We’ll go over every aspect of the process and show you how you can incorporate it into your organization. You will find improved workflows, decreased waste, and increased value to your customer.

Keep reading to learn more about lean manufacturing and how it can help your company today.

What is Lean Manufacturing

We’ve come a long way since Henry Ford first came up with the idea of creating an assembly line of production replacing the much slower and less efficient bespoke process.

Today, every industry across the globe turns to various experts to make their production line even more efficient. Many hours are spent analyzing the data to eliminate all waste in the manufacturing process. This obsession with eliminating wasting and increasing efficiency is called lean manufacturing.

Any company or organization that produces a product or service can benefit from incorporating lean processes into their workflow. However, lean doesn’t stop at improving efficiency and production. Instead, it is a mindset and cultural shift for everyone in your organization to eliminate waste.

Waste can have many faces and look different across various industries. Poor communication, poor organization, and unnecessary work are all considered waste in lean manufacturing.

The lean process requires total buy-in from every party involved in the process. From management and executives to the engineers and operators everyone involved must understand the lean process and agree to participate.

Understanding what lean entails also includes understanding what it is not. Lean is not working fast and keeping busy. Lean doesn’t mean creating mass amounts of products that nobody wants to buy. It doesn’t matter that you quickly and efficiently built 500 widgets when the market is demanding gadgets.

In a nutshell, when manufacturing a product or service, the lean framework encompasses your organization creating a system for your workflow. Then figuring out how you can improve upon it. And lastly, continuously improving upon your design and workflow until you can ensure zero waste.

Lean Manufacturing Principles

The lean manufacturing practice and concept is now being applied to numerous industries and product management spheres everywhere. This process of continual improvement and drive for complete lack of waste now spans work and management circles in every field and profession.

These five principles have been identified as the process of pursuing lean in other industries and professions. Follow these principles and you will see the improved workflow in your organization as well.

Principle 1: Identify Value

Value can be difficult to identify. It can vary by what the market demands and what the consumer is willing to pay. Market research is invaluable when it comes to discovering what the customer wants.

Then your challenge is to produce that product or service efficiently enough that you can offer it at a price your consumer can afford while also still turning a profit. You will then create your process and system for how to produce the product or service that your client wants and is willing to buy.

Principle 2: Map the Value Stream

Next, you will look for ways to improve your workflow. Look for waste, look for inefficiencies, look for how you can add value for your customer.

The value stream map shows in a visual format how you get your product from the production process to the final delivery to your customer. Not all of these steps will add value to the process. Your challenge is to find the steps that don’t add value and then eliminate them.

Additionally, waste can happen when you add features to your product that your customer doesn’t want or need. The ultimate value doesn’t mean your product has one hundred features. Value means that your product has the exact fifty features your customer wants.

Don’t add features your customer doesn’t want or need. Anything more is waste.

Principle 3: Create Flow

Once you know the exact steps to your workflow, you need to track that they’re getting done.

From Gantt charts to Kanban boards everyone has their way of creating a workflow process. In reality, it doesn’t matter as much how you plan or track your flow but rather creating and following your plan. It doesn’t matter if you work in two-week sprints or track milestones, to maximize efficiency you must create a workflow for producing your product or service.

Your end goal is for the value-added steps in your workflow to get done seamlessly and without delay or waste in the process.

Principle 4: Establish Pull

While creating large batches does get many products created quickly, it doesn’t do you any good to create products nobody wants and you can’t sell. Don’t allow product to sit on the shelf for months on end. This is a perfect example of waste.

As mentioned earlier, it doesn’t matter is you create a thousand products in the perfect system without waste if they aren’t selling. Only create the correct number of products that will sell in the current market demands. Limit inventory and you will limit one of the biggest forms of waste in the production cycle.

Instead, use the pull method to start production when the client or market demands it. This uses less capital and requires less overhead, thus improving production.

Principle 5: Seek Perfection

As mentioned earlier, one of the main tenants of lean manufacturing is to improve upon your process. Never be satisfied with your current production levels, always be on the lookout for ways you can improve and eliminate more waste.

From idle workers to unused stock or inventory there are plenty of examples of waste within any manufacturing process. To seek perfection you must seek a process with zero waste.

This fifth principle will be a continual process and will never be fully done. You will work to seek perfection every day. And you will find yourself continually searching for ways to improve your process, increase productivity, and eliminate inefficiencies and lost production.

Tracking and Reporting With OEE

As in everything in business, tracking and reporting are vital to continual improvement. Without these imperative numbers, you risk your business falling behind the competition and eventually going out of business. Don’t let this happen to you, track your reports every month.

One metric that is integral to the lean manufacturing framework is the OEE, or overall equipment effectiveness score.

Overall Equipment Effectiveness is a number that is represented as a percentage. It shows how often your production line is meeting your productivity goals. You should be aiming for 100% productivity in your manufacturing line, however, most companies find they are operating at or around 60% most of the time.

There are several methods for calculating this score. The simplest method is to multiply the number of pieces you need are manufactured and ready to ship by the ideal time it takes to manufacture one piece. And then divide that by the total time the production asset was scheduled for production.

Generally speaking, setting a goal of 85% is the most reasonable for long-term maintenance, so the average of 60% leaves room for improvement. A good software program can track your metrics and show you where you can work to improve your productivity numbers.

A quality OEE tracking software will help you track this score and look for ways to improve. Lean manufacturing leans into the idea of utilizing your tools to continue to pursue perfection in your process. A software program like this can be an invaluable tool in your toolbox to work towards lean success in your workflow.

You Can Get Lean With OEE

The lean framework is a process and mindset for your team and organization to embrace efficiency. Many managers tout efficiency when they actually mean is that they want everyone to work hard and look busy.

But lean manufacturing is more than this. It is a cultural shift in your workplace to eliminate waste and inefficient workflows. It is a mindset and collective agreement to continually improve upon the process and deliver value to the customer.

When you do this you will find your product competing and succeeding in the marketplace. Your bottom line will improve and correlate with your lean workflow as there will no longer be extra steps, extra inventory, or wasted downtime.

For more great information about this and other topics, check out the rest of our blog.

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About Us

I’m Miles, the editor and creator of this blog. I am a big nerd for anything tech related and I have also developed a big passion for photography and film. I discovered this passion after taking a course in school and ever since I have fallen in love with capturing everything from sports, to travel, to cars, and much more Read More…

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About Us

I’m Miles, the editor and creator of this blog. I am a big nerd for anything tech related and I have also developed a big passion for photography and film. I discovered this passion after taking a course in school and ever since I have fallen in love with capturing everything from sports, to travel, to cars, and much more Read More…

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