5 Ways To Make Loyal Customers

If there’s one thing better than happy customers, it’s loyal customers. Loyal customers are what keeps your company generating revenue and attracting new customers to your business. So what is it that makes customers loyal? 

Take a look at some of the best tips for increasing customer loyalty and ultimately driving your sales. 

Put Your Customer First 

A customer-driven business focuses on making customer service a top priority. Most consumers agree that’s they deserve good customer service anywhere that they’re a customer. If they feel that they are poorly treated, it won’t be very long until they find a competitor who treats them better. Some of the best ways to put your customer first are thanking them for their business, getting back to them when they have inquiries, and being friendly. 

Send Personalized Content 

If you’re still trying to lump all of your customers into one type of consumer, then you’re doing it all wrong. Mass marketing doesn’t work anymore. Your customers need a personalized and targeted approach that makes them feel like you’re talking directly to them. Sending out personalized content that includes their personal preferences and information is the best way to get their attention and make them feel like you’re listening. 

Personalized content can be anything from sending out a happy birthday message with a coupon code to congratulating them on a new business venture. The more you know about your customers, the better that you can personalize your approach. 

Loyalty Programs 

If there’s one thing that people love, it’s a good deal. Most customers claim that they are loyal to their favorite companies because they offer rewards for being loyal. Rewards programs aren’t just standard at this point— they’re expected! People are more inclined to keep buying from you if they know that they’re racking up enough points for a good deal later on. 

If a customer has the choice between two competing businesses, usually they opt for the one that has the loyalty program!

Automate When Possible 

Depending on the size of your company, manually trying to keep up with every customer is pretty much impossible. Automation is the best way to make sure that nothing falls between the cracks. Technology does the heavy lifting for you so that you don’t have to worry about setting reminders for yourself.   

From marketing to follow-up emails, automation is the best way to ensure that you optimize your workflow. 

Strive To Be The Best 

At the end of the day, the best way to create loyal customers is to give them a product or service that they can’t get anywhere else. Strive to be the best you can be at whatever you do, and you can’t really go wrong!

Providing Security For Your Brick And Mortar Business

Living in a digital age, it’s easy to turn your mind towards the cyber security steps your business needs to stay safe.  However, running a brick and mortar business creates a different sort of safety situation.  

Running a retail store presents a different set of security needs.  A more tangible approach to safety must be taken.  If you’re looking for ways to secure your brick and mortar establishment, take some time for research.  

Here is a brief compilation of a few ways you can take action to provide a safe and secure store location for yourself, your employees, and the customers.  

Nuts and bolts security

The physical security of your store is vital to the long term success of your operation, and there are plenty of ways to get the job done.  High tech deadbolt locks and high quality shutter doors are your first line of defense against after hour intruders.  

Window locking systems and high tech security glass can also be helpful when setting up security for your shop.  Making your building hard to get into is a great way to deter trouble.  

Signage can help 

You may doubt the power of a sign, but security signage is a simple and effective way to help deter a possible crime from being committed.  A big sign stating the property is under surveillance is not comforting for someone looking to do damage.  

Other sign statements that work well are “Protected By Video Camera Systems” and “You May Be Under surveillance.”  Letting unwanted visitors know that your establishment is serious about protecting the property can be very effective.  

Surveillance camera systems 

Not all businesses have the need or ability to stay open 24 hours a day, so you’ll need security in place for the times when there is no staff around.  Installing security cameras can really help you sleep more sound at night.  

When you have the ability to look in on your store at any time, you can appease any anxieties that plague you.  You can also attach your surveillance systems to 24 hour security services that will send authorities to your store if there’s ever an alarm triggered.  

Proper lighting as a deterrent

Providing proper lighting in the right places inside and outside of your business can work wonders for securing the store.  In your parking lot, you should have ample lighting, so there’s no room for crime under the cover of darkness.  

On the inside of your establishment, there should be lights on at all times.  Leaving a few lights on inside of your store when you leave for the day could help to avoid any trouble in the future.  

Hire live security guards

Not all places are best served by live security guards, but it is a viable and useful option for securing your brick and mortar business.  Hiring a trustworthy security company to protect your premises will assure that no trouble goes unnoticed.

5 Different Types Of Air Dryers And How Your Business May Benefit From Them

If you operate a clean room or another type of facility that has compressed air, you may likely benefit from an air dryer.  It all starts with knowing how they work. Compressed air is dangerous because it contains moisture which at the correct temperature can condense into an extremely harmful liquid that will easily contaminate your equipment and products or even lead to frozen pipes or other serious and costly issues. 

There are several different types of compressed air dryers out there that can help you and prevent you from ever having to deal with issues, but sometimes the variety can get overwhelming. Here are five types of air dryers that you may be able to benefit from.

Desiccant Dryers 

Desiccant dryers work best for extremely low temperatures. If your business is located in a place where it gets very cold, or you have to keep your facility cold to best produce your products, this may be a suitable type of air dryer for you.

Refrigerated Dryers 

Refrigerated dryers are probably the most common type, but this doesn’t mean they are the best option for all facilities. They are very reasonably priced, which is a big plus, but they don’t operate well at all under extreme conditions and, in fact, can sometimes make situations worse if the temperatures are too low. Just be aware of that before choosing this type of dryer. 

Membrane Dryers 

Membrane dryers are becoming increasingly popular because they require zero electricity and also operate much more quietly than most other dryers. They are more expensive, though, so if you are trying to keep costs down, you may want to be careful. 

Deliquescent Dryers 

Also, electricity-free, deliquescent dryers are extremely economical. Of course, this comes with a price, however. But just think about all of the money you’ll save on electric bills and the good karma that will come from reducing your footprint, and you may go with one of these.

Gas And Liquid Dryers 

For facilities that deal with dangerous or very exotic liquids and gases, drying is of utmost importance. Luckily they make specialty gas and liquid dryers for exactly these types of businesses. If you work with such gases as hydrogen, butane, landfill gas, or anything of the sort, it is a smart choice to invest in one of these types of dryers in order to safely remove the toxic moisture from the air. 

Once you decide which type of air dryer is best for your specific facility, you will not only be able to provide a safe and healthy working environment for yourself and your employees, but you will also have peace of mind that your products will be well protected.

3 Tips For Helping Consumers On Their Digital Journey

Before the Internet, people had to interact with their customers face-to-face and on their own terrain. But not, your customers don’t even have to speak to anyone within your organization before they decide to do business with you. However, if you don’t have any type of contact before consumers are ready to make a purchasing decision, there’s a good chance that their business might go to someone else.

To help you increase the chances of them working with you, here are three tips for helping consumers on their digital journey

Create Helpful Content

The first step on a consumer’s journey is to gather information about what their problem is and what possible solutions are out there for them. Knowing this, you should try your best to create helpful content that gives them the information they’re searching for.

According to Dummies.com, it’s wise to both create content that will be helpful for your audience as well as placing that content in an area where they are likely to see it. But to do this, you have to already have a great understanding of your customers. If you don’t have this, you can’t expect to be able to create content that will be helpful for them in the first place. So before you start creating videos or writing blogs that you mean to be informational, make sure you know exactly what content should be included and what will resonate best with your target demographic. 

Be Active On Social Media

For many businesses, one of the best places to reach potential customers is through social media. Depending on what your product or service is and what type of people you’re trying to sell to, the actual social media platforms that you’ll want to use will vary. However, your strategy for using each social media platform will basically be the same.

Ideally, Patricia Maranga, a contributor to Social Media Examiner, shares that you as a business will want to be as active as you can be on each chosen social platform by using the platform the same way your target audience does. This will increase your chances of being seen and remembered.  

Make It Easy To Make Decisions

Once your audience is ready to make a purchasing decision to be the solution to their problem, you want your product or service to be the most obvious choice for them. But to get to this point, you’ll want to make this decision to be as easy as possible. 

To do this, Patrick Spenner and Karen Freeman, contributors to the Harvard Business Review, recommend that you make it easy for consumers to get to your product pages and then navigate through the purchasing process in as few clicks or pages as you can manage. The more streamlined the process is with limited distractions, the more likely you are to get a conversion. 

If you’re wanting your business to be more helpful to consumers on their digital purchase journey, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do this.

4 Tips For Calming Your Allergies

Spring is the time of year that many people look forward to as a new beginning bringing promises of growth. Along with these sentiments of newness and gentle breezes in the air, however, also come itchy eyes, sneezing, and headaches. 

For many people, spring makes their allergies get so bad that it can totally overshadow the beauty of the season. Although you may not be able to eradicate allergies completely, there are some ways to lessen their effects. Take a look at some of the best tips for alleviating your allergy woes. 

Get Your HVAC Serviced Regularly  

If you suffer from allergies, then you’re more susceptible to the air you breathe than the average person. If you don’t clean your filters in your HVAC system, then you can struggle from allergies all year long—not just when the pollen starts floating around. Make sure that your furnace and air conditioning system are regularly taken care of to reduce the number of dust particles that you breathe in. 

Regular HVAC maintenance doesn’t just mean that you’ll breathe better quality air; it will also mean that your home’s heating and cooling system will work much more efficiently

Shower Regularly 

Allergy sufferers have a lot more to gain from showers than just being clean. As you go throughout the day, you attract allergens and dust that stick to your body. Taking a shower one to two times a day can wash away these particles to avoid them rubbing off on to your couch, bed, or other parts of your house you hang out on. 

Above all, make sure that you wash your face since allergens can often be the most irritating in and around your eyes and nose. 

Wash Your Clothes Regularly 

Any time that you wear clothing outside, it’s best to toss it into your dirty clothes basket afterward. Even though it might not be visibly dirty to the eye, the truth is that it could be carrying a lot of particles that may flare up your allergies. In addition to washing your clothes regularly, you should also wash your sheets or any other blankets that may be sitting on your couch. Ideally, you should wash everything as hot as possible to eliminate all of the allergens. 

Keep Your Pet Out of Your Room 

As much as you might love your pet, unfortunately, they may be a big reason for your suffering during allergy season. While you may not be up for getting rid of your pet altogether, you should minimally keep them outside of your bedroom. 

Since cats and dogs go outside, they bring in all sorts of allergens. In addition to keeping them out of your bedroom, make sure that you also bathe and brush them to minimize the amount of dust and dander they carry around.

Big Building Design Technology

Architectural design is an age old practice, but the tools builders have to work with have come an awful long way over the years.  Today’s big buildings are cooler than ever, with technology running through every piece of the build.  

New growth is exciting when you know how new technology can make it better than ever before.  A strong foundation is vital for a long lasting design, and technology has made it more interesting than you may have thought possible.  

Take a moment now to read through this brief compilation of a few pieces of building technology that will blow your mind, and be amazed at what tech has achieved over time.    

Solar absorbing windows 

Technology has helped the world gain big steps towards sustainability, and the development of solar power is one of the most beneficial tools we now have at our disposal.  Builders are now designing huge buildings powered entirely on the energy of the sun.  

Self-sustained buildings that don’t pull from the main energy grid are extremely efficient in a number of ways for business owners and the professionals who work for those businesses.  

Built-in wind turbines 

The concept and function of wind turbines is old technology, but the new age implementation of the concept is mind-blowing.  The Bahrain World Trade Center is a wonder of modern architecture and design. 

The building is two large structures with three enormous wind turbines built into the middle connecting the structures.  The wind turbines catch the power of the breeze throughout the day and night to power the whole building… and it’s a huge building.  

Base isolation technology 

Apple’s new building in Silicon Valley is one of the most spectacular examples of base isolation technology in action.  The large circular complex is full of exciting technology, and you would expect nothing less from a tech giant like Apple.  

The base isolation technology built into the foundation of the design allows the building to move up to four feet in any direction in the event of an earthquake.  

Transforming stadiums 

Imagine a sports stadium that can literally transform into the right type of setup for several different games.  Well, it exists.  

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium features just the right technology to host soccer and football games with no issue to the setup.  The stadium has the ability to uproot masses of seats, and move the seats to a more desirable setup for the game being hosted.  

The invisible skyscraper 

You would think a skyscraper would be built to be seen, but the Tower Infinity was built to blend into the skyline.  The technology used in the design of this building is nothing short of mind-blowing.  

The building is fitted with 500 rows of LED screens that work to project with precision the scene around the building, making the building seemingly disappear into the horizon.

5 Things You Can Do on a Camping Trip

Whether you’re camping in a tent, RV, or renting a cabin, camping is just plain fun. It’s great to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life and all of the distractions that are around us. 

Getting in tune with the outdoors is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and with your loved ones that you enjoy the trip with. If you’re in the middle of planning a camping trip, here are some of the best activities for you to consider doing while you’re there. 

Hunting  

If you’re planning on camping somewhere remote where there are no other campers around, then you may want to consider going somewhere where hunting is permitted. Hunting is a fun activity for people who love watching animals in the wild and enjoy the thrill of shooting. 

There’s nothing quite like looking through the scope of your rifle and aiming for game. Although hunting is not for everyone, it might want to be something you consider if you love a challenge. 

Birdwatching 

Birdwatching is a fantastic way to get to know some of the local birds around you. You might want to bring a book as a guide for some of the birds that you’ll see in the area. All you need is a pair of binoculars and an idea of what to look for, and you can have a lovely afternoon enjoying winged creatures. 

Swimming 

Assuming your camping trip is in the summer, you should seriously consider swimming. Find the nearest body of water and jump in! Depending on what kind of water it is, you might even want to bring your fishing pole. Otherwise, bring a snorkel or even a bucket and shovel for the kids if there’s sand. 

Make a Campfire 

What kind of a camping trip would it be without a traditional campfire? Campfires aren’t just great for roasting marshmallows, but it’s an opportunity to converse with the other campers and talk about life around the fire. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, then you might want to cook a meal over the open flame. Whether it’s vegetables or meat, there are all sorts of delicious recipes that taste even better when cooked over a fire. 

Read 

If you’re looking for an activity to wind down and relax In the tent, then you might want to consider reading. You’re on vacation after all, so why not enjoy one of the most relaxing activities there are, reading a great book. It’s a great way to pass the time if the weather is less than sunny or you’re just enjoying some downtime in your tent. Reading is a wonderful way to wind down and enjoy yourself.  

3 Tips For Holding An Event Amid Covid-19 Restrictions

The last year of Covid-19 restrictions has made life challenging for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons people have struggled is because it’s been unsafe for people to meet together in groups. 

Whether you’ve been missing meetings as groups within your community, going to conferences and conventions, or attending other gatherings, some of these things are slowly becoming more possible now. But to ensure that you and all others at your event will be safe during this time, there are still some precautions you may want to take.

To help you see how you can still hold an event even now, here are three tips for holding an event amid Covid-19 restrictions. 

Make Things Virtual

As has been the case over the past year, many events that were once held in person can now be held virtually just as easily. In fact, in some situations, virtual events are even more convenient.

According to Dana Wilkie, a contributor to SHRM.org, people tend to be much happier going to a virtual event as opposed to having an expected event being cancelled. And because virtual events can be much cheaper for someone to put on, you may want to consider spending more money on gifts for your participants or other extras that can make a virtual event a little more special than just listening to or speaking with others. 

Take Your Event Outdoors

If you’re still wanting to have people meet in person for your event, one option you might want to consider is holding your event outdoors.


The CDC says that having an event outdoors with proper ventilation can reduce the risk of that event for your attendees. To get this kind of ventilation while also not being completely outside, many people have opted for custom temporary structures that can be created for the exact specifications you need. These types of structures can have a roof to offer protection from the elements while also eliminating traditional walls so that ventilation is at a maximum. 

Keep Your Numbers Small

For those wanting to meet with people in a semblance of normalcy for your event, Claire Hoffman, a contributor to BizBash.com shares that the best thing you can do is to keep your numbers low when it comes to your attendees. Even if you were planning on having a lot of people attend your event, trimming down your guest list and offering a virtual option to those who won’t be attending in person will help to keep everyone a little safer and reduce the chance of possible transmissions. 

If you’re wanting to hold an event in the current pandemic, consider using the tips mentioned above to reduce risk and keep everyone safe.

5 Ways Doctors Protect Themselves From COVID-19

Living in a post pandemic world means that physicians have to be more careful than ever before as they care for sick patients.  Doctors are critical to the recovery of the world from the onset of this novel coronavirus, and it’s important that they take proper precautions.

If you’ve spent time sitting around wondering what the people in harm’s way do to keep themselves safe, take some time for a quick read.  Here is a brief look at a few ways doctors protect themselves from COVID-19 while working in the field.

Proper handwashing techniques

Washing your hands goes a long way towards guarding against infection.  Of course the coronavirus is also airborne, but keeping your hands clean will keep you from infecting yourself.  People unknowingly touch their face more than a handful of times throughout the day.

Though doctors and other medical professionals know to reduce contact, they’re still human.  Proper handwashing techniques are a vital part of the safety puzzle when guarding against COVID.

Wearing proper personal protective equipment

Doctors and nurses take an extra step to guard against sickness by wearing personal protective equipment anytime a patient is showing signs or symptoms of the virus.

It’s always been standard for medical professionals to wear a mask when dealing with sick patients, but they are now required to go a bit further.  Masks, face guards, gloves, and gowns protect the doctor’s whole body from being exposed to germs.

Enforcing limited exposure

Medical facilities take precautions to keep professionals and patients safe by enforcing limited exposure.   There has been a widespread problem getting individuals to adhere to the new safety precautions set in place since the onset of COVID.

Surprisingly, it’s very difficult to tell grown people that they can’t visit their loved ones while they’re being treated for their sickness.  Doctors have legal professionals to back them in their decisions and offer another level of protection.

Getting plenty of sleep

Sleep is essential for anyone to be at their best when in the presence of the novel coronavirus.  When your body is well rested, your immune system has a better chance of performing well.

Being sleep deprived places you at a higher risk for getting sick. Really, it stresses every part of your body.  It’s best to take the time every night to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep.

Implement environmental infection control

Finally, medical professionals are keeping themselves safe by being meticulous about sanitation.  Surfaces in medical facilities are regularly cleaned and sanitized.

The virus can live on door handles, light switches, faucet knobs and other touchable surfaces, making sanitization critical to controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus in medical facilities.