Surprising Facts For Traveling To Florida This Fall

Florida, best known as the Sunshine State, is located along America’s East Coast. It is arguably the most touristy state in the southeastern U.S. If you’re planning to travel to Florida, you may be surprised to learn that the state’s business-friendly environment and low taxes make it an attractive place to start a business, and it’s worth exploring how to start an LLC in Florida to take advantage of these opportunities.

Cities along the beaches are known for their amazing nightlife and entertainment culture. Orlando, a city in central Florida, is famed for dozens of theme parks, notably Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom.

All the facts mentioned above make Florida popular among tourists from across the world. But Florida is more than that. There are many facts about the state that many outsiders don’t know. This article focuses on 8 surprising facts for traveling to Florida this fall.

1.      Outdoor facts

·        There are over 9,200 miles of hiking and off-road biking trails in Florida.

·        Paddling trails in Florida are in excess of 4000 miles.

·        There are 175 state parks and a dozen national parks in Florida, one national scenic trail, and 37 state forests and 3 national forests.

·        The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, the Florida Everglades Park, is located at the southernmost tip of Florida. The park stretches for 1.5 million acres, consisting of mangrove forests, marshes, wetlands, and hardwood hammocks.

·        Florida is home to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. This is the only state park in the US that has been certified by the IDSA (International Dark-Sky Association).

·        Florida is your status to go if you are a golfer. The state has over 1,200 golf courses, which makes perfect sense that the state hosts the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

2.      The highest point in Florida

The whole state is basically on the beach. It is interesting that the highest point in Florida, Britton Hill is in the Florida Panhandle, which is only 345 feet above sea level.

3.      The furthest you can be from a beach is 60 miles

There is a gorgeous beach 60 miles or less from your location, no matter where you are in Florida. Basically what that means is that you are free to find the best place to stay for your getaway in Florida, for your budget, and still be less than 2 hours from the beach. All family vacation rentals in Florida, for example, are just a stone-throw away from the beach. They are affordable, comfortable, located in tranquil neighborhoods, and offer unbeatable privacy for family getaways.

4.      The bioluminescent kayaking night tours

Bioluminescent kayaking tours will take you to the Indian River Lagoon at night where you will see the river’s famous bright blue-green glow. You can book a regular kayak or a family raft any time of the year.

5.      Florida is home to America’s oldest city

St. Augustine is a small city in Northern Florida. It was founded by Spanish explorers over 450 years ago, making it the oldest city in the US. The city is unique for its European-established settlement.

6.      Shark tooth hunting is a thing in Florida

Tourists and locals go for fossilized shark tooth hunting along with the rock formations along Venice Beach. All kinds of sharks have lived in Florida’s beaches over the years, so you can find all kinds of shark teeth even from species that have been extinct for over ten million years.

7.      You can swim with manatees

You can book manatee snorkel tours into the spring-fed Crystal River or Blue Springs State Park at any time of the year. The weather in this region is most favorable for swimming with manatees from January through March, but you can bet on finding manatees in Florida any time of year.

8.      An underwater laboratory

About 5 miles from Key Largo, the Aquarius Reef Base sits 62 feet below sea level. This is the only lab in the world that sits atop the ocean floor. The underwater laboratory is covered in algae, but it has been crucial to the study of its surrounding marine ecosystem.

Conclusion

Florida’s weather is warm throughout the year, and that makes it your perfect travel destination any time of year. The chilly weather of winter doesn’t last 3 weeks, so any time is summer in Florida. You already are familiar with the many attractions that the Sunshine State has to offer, so the 8 facts above should only be 8 more reasons to visit Florida. Make it happen this year!

The Importance of the Nursing Profession

 Nurses play a very important role in the medical field and an integral part of the lives of their patients. Nurses are practically the frontlines in administering, caring for, and evaluating a patient’s progress. Doctors will come in once in a while to check on patients, but a nurse will stick with the patients spending more time with them. Their knowledge of different illnesses and excellent people skills help them offer both the medical and emotional support that patients need.

Nevertheless, it is a career that allows them to give back to society in the most caring way. It is demanding yet so fulfilling. If you want a career that will give you a sense of purpose and satisfaction, you can never go wrong with the nursing profession.

Here are 4 benefits that come with practicing the nursing profession.

1.      Flexibility

Most people struggle with finding a better work-life balance. This hardly comes by considering the hectic schedules that come with modern working. A career in nursing is flexible enough to allow you a chance to find a good balance between life and work.

The beauty of it is that medical services are required all around the clock and everywhere in the world. In this case, you can choose to work at night or during the day. You can also choose to work part-time, full-time, or just go the freelance route. If you want to work three days in a row and take four days off, it’s all up to you. In addition, you can work from anywhere in the world or even be a traveling nurse.

2.      Plenty of specialties available

In addition to flexibility, a nursing profession allows a variety of nursing specialties to choose from. Some of the most popular ones include General Nurse Practitioner, Informatics Nurse, Nursing Administrator, Pain Management Nurse, Critical Care Nurse, Nursing Educator, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and Healthy Policy Nurse, among others. The good thing is that all the specialists pay really well. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for registered nurses was $77,460 in 2019.

However, it is good to note that different nursing degrees will qualify you for different nursing specialties to work for travel nurse companies. One of the ways you can be certified as a nurse is by entering the NCLEX-RN examsIf you want to get started as a nurse, it is important that you apply for travel nursing application and sit for this exam. Taking it successfully will satisfy that you are a good fit to start practicing as a nurse.

3.      Non-clinical working setup

Most of the time, when we think of nurses, the first thing to come to mind is working in a hospital setup. However, that is just one place that you can choose to work from. A career in nursing gives you numerous opportunities to work in non-clinical setups.

Major organizations offer opportunities for nurses. If you love children, for instance, you can work in a school. You can also work for legal firms, insurance companies, sports clubs, and the like. Unlike other careers where people spend years looking for a job, nurses will always be in demand. You can be sure that you will always have job security as a practicing nurse, whether working in a clinical or a non-clinical setup.

4.      It is rewarding

Job satisfaction is very important for a successful career journey. The good thing with the nursing profession is that you don’t have to wait for your employer to give you job satisfaction. The career is in itself rewarding and enjoyable. Someone once said that when you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life, or a life will touch yours.

As you help patients heal both physically and emotionally, you receive a lot of satisfaction knowing that you have touched a life. Just knowing that you have helped someone who is in pain until he or she is well gives you a sense of purpose. In addition, interacting with patients can help you create strong and meaningful bonds that can help you later in life.

Conclusion

If you have been on the fence about deciding on taking a nursing career, there you have 4 reasons why you should. A nursing career offers endless opportunities in terms of specialties, working setups, and geographical locations. You can have a very fulfilling career as a practicing nurse. Most importantly, nothing beats the satisfaction you get seeing your patients get well every single day.

5 Reasons Why you Should Buy a Musical Instrument

A musical instrument is the most possessed asset for most people in the music career, as well those who look forward to starting. This is for the simple reason that it allows them to make music without borrowing or renting one.

Music, on the other hand, has several benefits. It is itself therapy for the brain and body’ it improves brain function, reduces stress and anxiety, and also provides relief for some illnesses such as cancer. In addition, it enhances social skills and instills a sense of accomplishment, achievement, and purpose.

If you have to procrastinate on buying a musical instrument for you or your child, here are 5 reasons why you should buy one.

 

1.      It allows you to improve your singing when recording music

If you want to improve on your singing, playing a musical instrument such as the guitar or piano can help you in a great way. Remember that playing an instrument complements your singing.

For instance, if you want to record music audio, you can add an audio system which to make it perfect needs an audio interface. In addition, accompany your singing with a musical instrument to help you create and arrange harmonies much better. You can then use free VST plugins to mix the sounds better and create new ones too. Additionally, exploring new musical horizons often involves finding the right tools, and for guitar enthusiasts, seeking out Suhr guitar dealers can open doors to exceptional instruments. It’s not just about playing; the choice of instrument can profoundly shape your musical journey.

2.      Playing a musical instrument improves your brain functionality

Playing a musical instrument while singing improves is equivalent to a brain workout that improves its functionality in the following ways:

·        You improve your coordination skills- This is because it combines a number of senses: vision when reading the notes, hearing, and touching as you play the musical instrument. You also need to add a rhythm to the music, which improves your motor skills.

·        You utilize both sides of the brain, which improves your memory.

·        As you read the notes, recognize them and turn them to music, you work out your cognitive, comprehension, and reading skills.

·        It improves your math skills, as you have to subconsciously count the notes and rhythms.

·        It triggers the production of the feel-good hormones that promote happiness in your life.

3.      It helps alleviate illnessesStudies have shown that music has a calming effect on the body and mind.

It has been widely used to relieve anxiety associated with illnesses such as cancer. It is also known to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Music therapy has proven to be a successful form of treating depression and other mental illnesses.

How is all this possible?

·        When you are playing music, it becomes your focus for the moment. That way you are able to forget the day’s troubles or any stressful situation you might be dealing with.

·        As you compose and sing, you get to express your emotions. It becomes a way of emptying your worries.

·        Music helps you connect with other people, which reduces the chances of isolation. Feeling isolated can be a stress trigger by itself.

4.      It creates a sense of achievement

Learning how to play a musical instrument is not an easy thing. You will fail at times and feel frustrated. When you overcome the challenges and finally nail it, there is an overwhelming sense of achievement. You feel proud of yourself and gain the confidence needed to tackle life’s challenges.

5.      It allows you to enhance your social skills

Learning to play a musical instrument is a journey that gives you an opportunity to learn several social skills.

·        At a point or the other, you might join a music group. Interacting with your bandmates improves your relational skills. You also learn about team building and leadership skills.

·        Playing for a crowd improves your confidence and you learn how to express yourself.

·        No one learns to play a musical instrument in a day. You will be required to put in time and effort as well as be patient as you perfect the art. This instills in you the importance of hard work and time management. You also learn how to persevere, be patient, and disciplined.

·        Composing a song, putting the rhythm and beats as well as adding your personality for that complete feel of owning a song improves your creativity.

·        Maintaining your musical instrument is also a part of your music journey. This instills into you a sense of responsibility.

Conclusion

Playing a musical instrument is a healthy hobby to pick up. It is an active activity that allows you to engage both your body and mind, bringing health benefits to you. Sure, you can borrow or rent a musical instrument, but nothing beats owning your own.

 

What To Do Before Moving In Together: Couples Checklist

Moving in together with your significant other is a huge milestone in your relationship that comes with a number of perks. If you have been living a far distance from each other, you get to save on commute expenses and time. You also get to have more quality time with each other, not forgetting splitting household expenses, rent, and chores.

With all these benefits, however, you are not guaranteed a smooth sail ahead. It sure is an exciting phase in your life, but without proper planning and thinking it through, it can easily lead to a disastrous heartbreak in the future.

Before moving in together, ensure that you sit down together and go through this checklist.

 

1. Discuss the why

Owing to the current financial situation, most couples move in together for financial benefits. The idea of combining your finances to move to a nicer place is often too appealing to turn down. However, just because moving in together makes money sense, it should not be the only reason that makes you decide to live together.

Ultimately, the major reason for moving in together should be based on bettering your relationship. You may be planning to get married soon and decide to move into your dream home before the wedding. Just be sure to discuss the why before making the decision so that you are sure you are both on the same page.

 

2. Decide the location and household items

When you decide to move in together, you can opt to move to where your partner lives, or your partner can move into your house, or you can decide to move into a new house. Ensure that you come to a conclusion of the best move for both of you.

However, before you get to that conclusion, take an audit of the household items each one of you has. You, obviously, will have some items in duplicate. You will need to decide what stays, what to donate, sell, or throw away. In addition, you get to realize the items that you currently don’t have and might need in your new home. Furthermore, household items can also include adding various features that will help you organize your items. For example, you can get some ready to assemble cabinets and implement them in your kitchen, for your jars, recipe books, and other things you personally need in your kitchen.

Pro tip: You can save a lot of money if you decide to repair some broken items instead of buying brand new ones. In the case of a refrigerator, thermostat, and HVAC system, for instance, you can find more sustainable alternatives that will upgrade your household in a more sustainable way. Through your household suit, deciding to upgrade your house with automation devices is definitely worth the investment for a more secure, comfortable, and sustainable living space with your partner.

The most important thing is to ensure that all your items fit in your house of choice and that you don’t go way beyond your budget. Make sure that the money invested is well spent on items with long-term value. If you are looking for transportation to move items from your old place to a new one, consider a van from Lewisham movers instead of a truck to assure your items are well protected during transport.

3. Decide on sharing obligations

A household has a lot that goes in on a daily basis. When living alone, you don’t need to be reminded of the things you are supposed to do since it is all on you. When you are the two of you, however, there is that expectation of the other person to chip in on the chores, house expenses, and other financial matters. As part of sharing a living space, there are additional responsibilities, such as managing utility bills. These include contacting local electric companies and using PA electric suppliers rates comparison tools are crucial to making well-informed decisions that align with your financial goals, energy needs, and environmental values.

Ensure that you lay everything on the table before you move in together. Discuss the financial status of each of you. This is the point you open up of any debt or other financial obligations like helping your family and the like. Discuss how you are going to split up the house expenses and chores. Chores can be a hassle for anybody, but it is important that you equally distribute chores, such as cleaning, between each-other. If you both lead very hectic lives, and your budget allows, you can hire a cleaning services provider, such as Optimal – a cleaning company in Zurich, or other providers local to where you are.

Don’t forget to discuss what each expects from the other in every sense of the word. That would include how you solve conflicts, how to combine your cultures, and how you want your home to feel like, décor, theme colors, and the like.

4. Plan the move

After planning out the details, decide on how you are going to do the move. If you’ve been having a long-distance relationship, and you will be needing to move for a long-distance as well, you might need to hire an interstate moving company. If just across town, you can save a lot if you decide to do the move yourselves. If you’re in California, you can contact Boxbee to rent reusable plastic moving boxes that are delivered right to your door. All you need to do is pack your belongings, unpack them at your new place, and then Boxbee will pick up your empty moving boxes. It’s that simple!

Conclusion

Even after agreeing on everything, there is still room that some things might not work out as you expect them to. Move-in with an open mind and ready to compromise. Accept that things might change and be prepared to accommodate any change that comes your way. You might disagree on a few things at the beginning, but you will learn what each other wants as time goes.

How COVID-19 Will Affect Holiday Shopping

Autumn is over and we are now getting into the holiday season where shopping is part of the festivities. Compared to other years, shopping for Christmas this year is going to be very difficult as the government and health agencies continue to encourage social distancing in public places. Both the retailers and the consumers will feel the impact of the pandemic as things continue to change hence the need for both parties to revolutionize their behaviors. Retailers should endeavor to make goods available to consumers who should in turn adjust to these changing times. Here are 4 ways how COVID-19 will affect holiday shopping:

1.     Loss of revenue from impulse buyers

Research shows that about 35% of consumers are impulse buyers. Impulse buying is quite common during the holiday season. It happens when buyers walk into the store with a list of items that they wish to buy for friends and family and then spot something interesting on the shelves. 

 

The language buyers use when buying an item they had not planned for is “to reward themselves.” Often, store owners know how to place these products strategically for buyers to see them. With numerous businesses going online, it would be difficult for retail businesses to attract buyers to purchase extra products hence loss in revenue. However, there are strategies that could be implemented to avert this. For instance, retailers could:

 

● Promote their products earlier enough so that customers are familiar with what is being sold.
● Lure customers with offers, incentives, and big sales.
● Update the online inventory so that a product cannot be marked as sold out while it is there.
● Make use of all social media platforms to advertise products.

2.     Reduce shopping expenses

COVID-19 has been stimulating unemployment in the last couple of months. Some people have already lost jobs and approximately half of the workforce globally is at risk of losing jobs. PEO services have reported a decline in the demand for workers as businesses continue to stagnate. These companies, such as Global PEO, specialize in the recruitment and management of employees for companies that are extending their business operations internationally. 

With a reduced workforce, there is also a decline in the finances which influences people’s purchasing power. A recent survey shows that about 39% of holiday shoppers in the United States have the intention of spending very little compared to other years on gifts. Such drastic changes will reshape the way people celebrate this season’s holidays.

3.     Reduced shopping morale

Shopping is part of the holiday festivities. It can be used to help a family bond as well as create memories from fun experiences at the store. Retailers often decorate their stores to enhance people’s shopping adventures. The themed decorations not only encourage people to make purchases but also remind people of the purpose of that particular holiday. 

Suppose you were planning to take your kids for Christmas shopping this year and have them experience the joy of seating on Santa’s lap, this year it will not be possible. It will also be difficult to go ice skating at the rink and enjoy drinking with friends while shopping. Such limitations are bound to lower the shopper’s morale this year significantly.

4.     Discovery of online shopping

While online shopping has been around for the last couple of years, a large percentage of shoppers still opt to buy products physically at the store. Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, there has been a surge in online shopping. A survey conducted among shoppers in the United States revealed that about 58% of the purchases were through online platforms in 2019. 

It is anticipated that approximately 75% of the holiday shoppers will buy online in 2020 even as stores reopen. Additionally, most of the people are expected to browse for possible gift ideas online than the stores. Such a shift will promote e-commerce immensely. It is likely that after this move, some businesses will opt to go digital the way the likes of Alibaba did as a result of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in the years 2002-2004.

 

Conclusion

The impact of COVID-19 is already being felt after many months of the closure of businesses worldwide. While some effects may be positive such as having more work for web developers, other people have lost their jobs entirely. The changes in people’s finances are the main drivers of this year’s holiday shopping behavior. The disease dynamics of the coronavirus will also determine how the holiday festivities will take place.

Ecommerce Strategies Your Business Should Start Using Today

Generating trillions of dollars in sales every year, e-commerce is one of the rapidly growing industries in the world. The industry is expected to register a 14.7 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2027. So whether you’re just starting out or you have already built a huge customer base, you should implement the right e-commerce strategies to help you make the most out of the many profitable opportunities that the industry has to offer. Let’s now look at 5 e-commerce strategies your business should start using today.

 

1.     Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform

The first step to launching an e-commerce store is selecting the right e-commerce platform. And when you perform a simple Google search, you will discover that WooCommerce and Shopify are the most popular and widely used e-commerce platforms in the world.The two platforms have some similarities, but there are many differences between them
While implementing the latest ecommerce strategies can propel your business to new heights, don’t overlook the importance of a sturdy legal foundation for your company. Incorporating as an LLC can be a stepping stone in the right direction. Services like LegalZoom can assist in this, but to make an informed decision, it’s wise to research their offerings, for instance, this legalzoom llc service verdict provides a comprehensive overview.

WooCommerce offers greater flexibility and control than Shopify, making it a perfect choice if you’re planning to sell complex products with a lot of variations, pricing structure, or checkout process. But if you want a straightforward, newbie-friendly platform for launching an e-commerce store, then Shopify won’t disappoint you. Another reason for choosing Shopify is that you’ll require less time to maintain your store.

 

2.     Build and Optimize an Ecommerce Website

Most businesses have a site built for marketing purposes only, but many still don’t have an e-commerce site for selling their products online. The e-commerce sector has plenty of growth opportunities and the best way to take advantage of them is by creating and optimizing your e-commerce website. But what if you don’t have the relevant skills for creating or maintaining a website? Don’t fret! There are many reliable website builders out there that can guide you through all the necessary steps of creating a website for your shop.

These website builders are super easy to use. They come with guides and helpful resources that enable even beginner Internet users to effortlessly build a well-designed and user-friendly website that can earn income for their businesses.

 

3.     Invest in Content Marketing

Effective content marketing can generate meaningful discussions, positive attention, and long-lasting engagement more than any other marketing strategy. Creating eye-catching and compelling content will make sure that your audience will regularly interact with information that inspires them to take action.

The types of content that you can create include multimedia, blog posts, newsletters, e-books, intensive guides, and white papers. You can either do it yourself if you have the skill or outsource the work to professionals. But ensure the content you create addresses your customer’s problems satisfactorily and offers them value. Also, make the process of commenting on the content as well as sharing it as frictionless as possible.

 

4.     Sell Trending Products

Finding trending products to sell to your niche audience is a fundamental part of running an e-commerce store. You need to do your due diligence to identify products that are likely to trend before they peak. That way, you’ll ride on the wave and earn profits before the demand for those products goes down. Trends vary from niche to niche. Some of the products that are trending in 2020 include smart devices, shapewear, athleisure, posture correctors, and more. Use tools like Google Trends and Trend Hunter to find products that are trending in your niche.

 

5.     Streamline Your Shopping Cart Functionality

Make your shopping cart functionality seamless and easily navigable to minimize shopping cart abandonment. Perform tests regularly to identify problems and weaknesses on your website. Examine the checkout page and eliminate distraction and/or potential exit points. This will remove confusion and make the checkout process smooth. Making the number of clicks during the checkout process as few as possible can be a fantastic way to increase your conversion rate. In addition to streamlining your shopping cart functionality, you should also send personalized cart abandonment emails to your customers to encourage them to purchase the product(s) they have added to their carts. These two strategies will go a long way to winning back your sales.

 

The Final Word

The future of e-commerce holds tons of opportunities and perhaps a few puzzles to solve. But with thoughtful planning, the right infrastructure, and effective e-commerce strategies, your business will be set to experience significant growth. Use the above strategies to help your business stay competitive in the e-commerce space and rake in more profits.

How Growing Plants Can Help You Lower Stress Levels

Stress and anxiety are some of the negative effects of the fast-paced modern world. As a result, people are constantly looking for new ways to relax and unwind. They have discovered that plants offer a unique way to alleviate everyday stress. Hosts of studies have revealed that houseplants improve the quality of indoor air by eliminating 87 percent of airborne impurities within a day. In fact, the process of growing and taking care of plants can be a great stress reliever in the current busy world. Let’s now look at how growing plants can help you reduce stress.

1.     Acts as a Mood Booster

Being around plants can make you feel happier and more positive. In fact, 79 percent of participants in a study carried out in the San Francisco Bay Area stated that they felt more comfortable and peaceful after being in surroundings with lots of plants. In the same study, 19 percent of the participants said they felt more optimistic, and 25 percent felt rejuvenated.

Create a more relaxing environment in your home by introducing indoor plants. You can use them to complete any space in your home. You can also add a taste of freshness to your meals by growing a herb garden in the kitchen. If you reside in a more northern climate, you’ll need to supplement the natural light coming from your windows with an LED grow light to help your plants grow well and look healthy. If you have an outdoor space for planting but your local weather isn’t appropriate, or even a spacious room inside of your house you only use for tacky storage, you can invest in a grow tent from Growace, or from other hydroponics equipment stores local to where you live.

 

2.     Reduces Anxiety

The very act of watching plants and flowers can give you inner peace. It engages all your senses and allows you to live in the present moment. It also lowers the level of cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. This hormone causes all the stress-related symptoms like sweaty palms, irritability, loss of focus, and high blood pressure.

A 2010 study found out that gardening and reading lowers the levels of cortisol significantly. But gardening is more effective than reading when it comes to relieving stress. What’s more, the study participants experienced a complete restoration of a positive mood after interacting with plants.

3.     Helps You Connect with Nature

Getting up close and personal with nature is a fantastic way to avoid the stressors of today’s busy world. Given that we spend most of our time indoors working, watching TV, or just relaxing, we always have an unmet desire to connect with nature. By growing plants, indoor or outdoor, you can connect with nature every day without the hassles that come with planning a camping trip or taking a nature hike.

4.     Boosts Creativity

Creativity can be a great stress-buster. If you want to prove that, just try to sketch, paint, write, or do something that requires some aspect of creativity. There is nothing more fulfilling than turning an idea into reality, and growing plants can be a good place to start. Identify a perfect spot for your plants – it could be indoors or outdoors. Choose plants that are likely to do well in your area. Then dedicate your creative energies toward taking care of your plants and using them to beautify your home.

5.     Promotes Exercise

By engaging in enough physical activities, you can lower your risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, anxieties, stress, and depression. You should aim to get not less than 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Taking care of plants offers you the right amount of physical activity you need to stay healthy or improve your current condition. That physical activity also stimulates your body to produce endorphins, chemicals that are responsible for relieving stress and pain.

6.     Offers Safe and Nutritious Food

By growing your vegetables and fruits, you’ll introduce nutritious foods to your diets and embrace healthy eating habits. And when your overall health is excellent, you’ll easily deal with everyday stresses. Knowing exactly where your vegetables and fruits are coming from will also give you peace of mind from knowing that no potentially dangerous preservatives or additives have been added.

Key Takeaways

Working with plants can be a great stress reliever. It reduces the production of hormones that increase our stress levels (cortisol) and increases the production of chemicals that act as stress relievers (endorphins). So, grow plants and spend more time around them to keep stress from taking a toll on you.

6 Benefits of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace 

Cultural diversity in the workplace grows when employers don’t discriminate against employees (and job candidates for that matter) on the basis of their cultural background. That lack of cultural bias is, in and by itself, a positive aspect of your employer brand.

 

This is the key point: Top talents in labor markets all over the world wish to work for organizations that don’t encourage any form of discrimination and/or intolerance. You run the risk of missing out on the best talents if your current workforce isn’t culturally diverse. Note that hiring and retaining top talents in your niche gives you the much-needed competitive edge over competitors and, consequently, boosts your ROI. That is why you must check your cultural bias, if you haven’t done that already, and adopt an open-minded approach towards workplace cultural diversity.

Engaging a DEI consultant can unlock numerous benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace. By leveraging the expertise of a DEI consultant, organizations can navigate the complexities of fostering a diverse workforce, promoting inclusion, and reaping the advantages that cultural diversity brings, such as enhanced creativity, innovation, and a broader perspective for effective decision-making.

 

To help you understand better why you need cultural diversity in your company, here are 6 benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace:

 

1. Increased workforce innovation

Workforce innovation stems from a better, a different fundamental approach to everything you do as an organization. When people from distinct cultures come together to discuss business prospects, they bring a wide variety of diverse viewpoints that, when harmonized, can give birth to unbelievably innovative and inventive ideas. Remember that these are people who see the world from totally different and unique perspectives. They convert your company’s thought machine from a monolith to a conglomeration of free-flowing, dynamic, and growth conscious ideas. Multicultural co-operation also helps you design more effective marketing strategies and improves your all-around service delivery.

2. A multicultural workforce is a multilingual workforce

If yours is a globally-minded organization, hiring multicultural employees will give you a better chance of expanding and succeeding outside your national and regional borders. That is because multiculturalism often means multilingual: Your workers possess fluent communication skills in multiple languages. Some of them probably speak English as their second or third language, so you can imagine how resourceful they can be in their primary language. These team members will interpret feedback from customers who cannot speak English, translate your ads especially when you cannot afford a professional translator, and proofread official documentation (web content included) to guarantee factual accuracy. They will check for grammatical errors in your social media posts and direct messages. If you have ASL speakers in your team, they will help you build a stronger sense of understanding with your deaf and hard of hearing customers. The quality of your sales, marketing, and customer support greatly improves as a result.

3. To foster workplace inclusion

Culture is a core part of anyone’s life. People feel more at home and not like they have to survive abuse when they are allowed to share their experiences and reflect their cultural backgrounds in the workplace without being discriminated against. However, if there is one dominant cultural group in your company, minority cultures are more often than not suppressed to extinction. People from these cultures feel like they need to mask core parts of themselves in order to fit in. If, on the other hand, diverse cultures are equally represented right from the top executive team down to the lowest ranks, everyone feels included. Everyone feels seen. Cap that off by eliminating cultural bias in the evaluation process and promotion opportunities and your rate of employee retention will automatically improve!

4. Increase knowledge sharing in the workplace

For starters, a culturally diverse workforce provides educational opportunities for everyone involved with the company. Workers learn new languages from one another, the company culture gets richer from tapping into multiple cultures within the workforce, and employees tap into each other’s career and life experience to grow their own professional profile.

Speaking of knowledge sharing, there is a chance that your culturally diverse team is in fact a remote team. Hiring a remote team enables you to comb every city and village and recruit the best talents in the world. It also eliminates the need to bring these talents to work in the head office. These employees work either from home or from co working spaces near them. And because they have to constantly share information via the internet, mostly by email, it is best that you advise them to download software, such as WinZip to unzip and zip files with ease. Such a tool helps remote teams to share files through email both quickly and safely. Furthermore, you can encourage the use of email automation software that reduces the repetitive labor of sending out the same email to the entire team. This greatly reduces the annoyance associated with sending emails to the team and other contacts for operational purposes, such as partnerships, sales, promotions, ultimately optimizing employee productivity.  

Tips for How to Travel with Kids That Will Save Your Next Family Vacation

We travel to get out of our comfort zone and interact with nature, immerse ourselves in new cultures, learn new languages, and enjoy local dishes. We also travel to create happy memories that our children will talk about for decades. A family vacation is a great way to strengthen bonds with your kids and partner. It also exposes your children to the world outside their front door and helps them learn new things. But traveling with kids can be costly. Here are 7 tips for how to travel with kids that will help you save money on your next family vacation.

1.     Create a Flexible Travel Schedule

A flexible travel schedule allows you to save significantly on both air tickets and lodging. Schedule a family retreat for a mid-week stay, instead of a weekend one. You can also pick your destination and then evaluate the cost of accommodation for the duration of your vacation over several different time frames to identify the cheapest rates. Alternatively, travel off-season to make the most out of bargain pricing. This means you’ll avoid popular travel seasons like spring break, holiday weekends, thanksgiving, and summer. Instead, you’ll travel mid- to late-September, October, or even January. Keep in mind, however, that if you choose to travel during the off-season you may need to pack things like rain suits for less than desirable weather conditions.

2.     Book Way Ahead of Time

Booking your trip as early as you’ve decided on the dates and destination is the best way to make use of early-bird savings. It also allows you to benefit from more availability options. Apart from better prices, booking in advance increases your chances of getting seats together on an airplane or train, quality car rental options, and spacious vacation rental.

3.     Subscribe to Special Deals

Globally known family getaways like Disneyland Resorts, Universal Orlando, The Rockettes, and Walt Disney World have a variety of promotions all year round. The best way to stay updated on these great deals is by subscribing to their newsletters and promotional emails. Some of the special deals you’re likely to score include discounted tickets or an extra night at no cost.

4.     Enlist Your Kids in Travel Rewards Programs

You and your partner are perhaps enrolled for airline points, but maybe your kids are not. Ensure you register them before you travel. The goal here is to get the travel attributed to their accounts. Keep in mind that many airline points, especially those you obtain via United Mileage Plus, remain viable for decades. So the earlier your little ones start collecting them, the earlier they can enjoy benefits such as favorite seat selection.

5.     Come up with a Comprehensive Travel Budget

Before starting your family trip, develop a detailed budget, and then adhere to it. Make your budget as detailed as possible by including everything, from airfare to rental car to lodging to souvenirs to entry fees to meals and snacks. A detailed budget will help keep surprises away and ensure you remain within the scope of what you had planned to spend.

6.     Stay Outside the Heart of the City

Staying outside the heart of a city is another fantastic way to save money during your upcoming family trip. You can then take public transit or drive to the attractions that are within the city center. These sleeping arrangements could also help you secure a calmer spot at night and provide you with an opportunity to explore part of a city that you wouldn’t have otherwise visited. What’s more, taking public transit to the city center adds fun to the whole family vacation experience. Just make sure you choose a family-friendly vacation rental that offers excellent views of the city and neighboring countryside.

7.     Opt for Local Attractions and Experiences

Avoiding extremely touristy sights and experiences can add more fun and memories to your vacation. It can also help you save a lot of cash. Highly touristy attractions tend to overcharge visitors due to the high demand they attract. But with a little understanding of local culture or language, you can explore foreign places effortlessly. Exploring local attractions provides your family with a more authentic experience.

Traveling with kids can be pricey, but you don’t have to spend all your savings just to take that much-needed family vacation. Instead, get creative and come up with ways to reduce the cost of your trip. You can start with the above 7 tips. 

Strategies to Make Your Life Better Starting Today

Making your life better doesn’t have to be about taking one huge step. Instead, it entails choosing a destination and taking small steps until you get there. If you attempt to take shortcuts, you may make your journey longer and more difficult in the long run. Once you decide to make improvements in your life, the next essential step should be taking action. Let’s now look at 6 strategies to make your life better starting today.

1.     Create a Life Plan and Time Management Routine

Creating a roadmap for your life helps you stay in charge of your life and offers a clear route toward what you want to accomplish. The process of creating a life plan begins with documenting your feelings and ideas either on your notebook or electronically. The importance of planning your life  is that it helps you focus on what matters to you, make informed decisions, and chart your way toward the things you want to accomplish. Your life plan should clearly state your vision, values, and goals you want to attain over a few months or years.

 

2.     Have a Positive Mindset

Setbacks and problems are unavoidable in life. But you can overcome them by always having a positive attitude toward life. Navigating hurdles that come your way can be instrumental in enhancing your self-confidence. And the best way to do that is by focusing on the positive things that are taking place in your life. For instance, you might have lost your source of income, but your partner is offering you the much-needed support and affection. Instead of feeling upset and miserable about your financial challenges, it’d be much healthier to focus on your great relationship.

 

3.     Always Plan Tasks for the Next Day and Handle them in Order of Priority

At the end of your workday, list down the things you want to do the next day and organize them in order of importance. Assuming you have three tasks to perform: check your emails, prepare a project update, and write a briefing for your boss. It’s advisable to put these tasks in order of priority. You can probably start by preparing a project update and creating a briefing for your boss before catching up with your emails. The importance of planning for the next day is that it lets your subconscious work on the tasks while you sleep.

4.     Switch Your Phone Off when You’re Working

According to a 2012 study on the use and misuse of cell phones, taking a glance at your phone or even feeling its vibration in your pocket can considerably disrupt focus and cut your ability to perform complex tasks. When you leave your phone on while working, you’ll continuously struggle with the thoughts of checking it. When you’re handling complex tasks that require your maximum focus, then turning off your phone or at least enabling the airplane mode will definitely clear your mind and increase your focus.

5.     Practice Self Care

Do you take care of yourself as much as you should? If not, make the necessary lifestyle tweaks to improve every aspect of your health, including psychological, emotional, and physical. Take a healthy diet, work out regularly, and fill your mind with positive words and thoughts.

6.     Embrace Ongoing Learning

For you to change your life, you must be willing to learn something new every day. The process of change pushes you to adapt. Unfortunately, many individuals stop learning as they age because they deem the learning process boring and difficult. But there’s always something you can do to make learning fun and rewarding. For instance, you can come up with a mini reward system to reward yourself when you learn a new skill or complete a specific course. It could be something small like treating yourself with your favorite meal or something big like visiting your dream city.

 

Conclusion

As you’ve probably noticed, these 6 strategies are straightforward enough for you to start implementing them in your life. But you’ll need to exercise some extra self-discipline for the next one month or more because that’s the standard duration it takes to develop a new habit. You don’t have to implement all these strategies at once. Instead, work on one idea at a time and slowly integrate all these strategies into your life.

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