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With the aftermath of Hurricane Ida present in the south and eastern parts of the United States, tractor-trailers full of supplies made the drive all around the country, especially Louisiana, to help out in relief efforts. This was yet another reminder and example of how when times get tough, truckers come through to aid heavily in efforts to stay strong together. It’s the pinnacle of the heart of the American backbone in major events that shaped the country we know today. Our semi-truck repair Michigan professionals discussed times where truckers have shined and why it is important to recognize them next week for National Truck Driver Appreciation Week. 

With COVID-19, truckers were ready at a moment’s notice to complete long trips that provided food, fuel, and medical supplies that kept businesses and citizens protected throughout the peak of the pandemic. As more rollouts of treatments came about, truckers adapted and formulated complex operational changes to allow for everyone to receive these rollouts in a timely manner. 

During war times, America’s truck fleet was completely shifted to carry supplies for our soldiers at home and overseas. Machinery parts, weapons, uniforms, and rations were all able to move freely throughout the country for whoever needed the supplies the most. These kinds of sacrifices and strength exhibited by truckers are seen throughout many parts of the country which makes it so special to the world. 

These examples are not the only examples, but unique ones in the scale and severity of the after-effects. These should remind everyone how grateful we should be for having a strong transportation industry.  There are a lot of industries to be upset with currently which takes away from the ones that should be celebrated. Let this upcoming week be used for that. 

This year’s National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is more important than previous due to the public outcry of our trucking companies regarding retention and resilience. The national driver shortage is putting greater pressure on our current workforce without the support of other entities like policymakers, fellow motorists, shippers, and so forth. Our truckers never backed down from hard times, so we have to be there while they are going through it. 

Rather than just saying thanks, there are things we can do to show thanks as well. As business owners or employees, there are a few ways to show our gratitude towards truckers. First, truckers face the stress of parking the rig if they want to stop somewhere. Many policymakers are trying to flat out outlaw this in certain areas, which adds much more stress to their job. Before receiving a delivery, try to make the process as smooth as possible whether you need to inform them where to park or help guide the trucker into your store. Trucker arrivals and departures should be treated with safety and speed to allow them to get home in a timely manner. Another point is to be mindful of when they come into your place of business. A lot of drivers face long hours which result in very few breaks. It is important to offer your services to them such as bathrooms or rooms without giving them a hard time. These kinds of services are basic needs in some cases or areas where they could really use some slack. 

Many small and enterprise-level organizations frequently have a tough time retaining vendors due to ever-changing operational changes, unprecedented growth, or internal associates justifying their positions. A common vendor that organizations bring on board is a digital marketing vendor. The decision to bring on a digital marketing vendor is easy. The idea of paying someone a fee to outsource part of your job, especially to support sales is an easy decision to make. The hard decision comes with what marketing agency to go with. 

The barriers of entry for marketing companies in South Jersey are very low. In fact, the barriers of entry for many service-based organizations are low. Anyone with an internet connection and time can startup a business and begin offering their expertise to other businesses. This characteristic of the world makes the service industry a tough one to navigate through, especially if you are trying to bring on a vendor that is crucial for your organization. Let’s take a look at some tips for choosing a digital marketing company for your organization.

Set Your Goals & Outcomes    

Your organization should have a specific set of goals and outcomes for the digital agency when they come on board. Most digital agencies are full-service agencies that provide all aspects of digital marketing such as pay-per-click advertisement, social media, and search engine optimization services. Your organization should determine what service they want and develop deliverables to send to a potential agency to see how they would try to meet those goals. This shows the potential agency what you’re looking for and allows them to state how they can best help your organization without wasting any time.

A Full Portfolio 

A smart and proud digital marketing agency will show off who they have worked with and who they are currently working with. Not only will they show it, but they will make it known by having it on a page that receives a lot of attention. You don’t have to know the organizations the agency has worked with, but should at least be able to easily find the list of current and former organizations. New or bad agencies will not show off their portfolios due to having poor reviews or having no digital marketing experience at all. Certain services are hard to include in a visual portfolio, but a good agency will happily encourage you to reach out to any of their clients. 

Core Values & Company Culture

It is important to take note of the company culture of the potential marketing agency you want to bring onboard. A digital marketing agency isn’t just a vendor. A digital marketing agency is a partner who will learn a lot about your industry and business while working alongside your own internal team. Your company culture and their company culture should match to allow for maximum productivity and no butting heads between both teams. An adjustment period should happen no matter what, but be mindful of an agency that takes months to adjust to your standards. 

Experienced Team 

The goals and outcomes your organization is looking for matter heavily here. No matter what they are, the agency should have an experienced team to handle your digital marketing needs. Many agencies might not display their entire team on their website due to constraints or the protection of their human capital. A great place to look can be LinkedIn. Take a peek at profiles that list the agency as their place of work and poke around to see what they have done within their careers. This is an excellent place to start. However, it isn’t the end all be all. A lot of digital agencies have 1099 contractors or have associates that are not present on LinkedIn. 

A misbehaving dog can be discouraging for your family in accepting and loving it as part of the family, especially when they first enter your home. No matter if it’s an older dog with a few bad habits or a younger one that is always getting in trouble. Obedience training can help out in many different ways to help your dog to learn how to act and stay safe in social situations. Our dog training Sicklerville experts provided some of the key benefits of obedience training.  

A Strong Bond Between You & Your Dog

A professional obedience dog training class can help steer you and your dog along the path of developing a strong friendship. Obedient dogs allow for owners to form stronger relationships due to less time having to punish them for being disobedient in usually unhealthy ways. A dog that is well-trained, responsive, and relaxed will allow you to enjoy being a pet owner rather than viewing it as an exhausting chore. 

Better Management

A big piece of obedience training isn’t only getting rid of bad habits, but how to manage your dog in certain situations like encountering a stranger and so on. Obedience training allows for the ability to properly manage your dog when he steps out of line. Very few dogs are capable of eliminating all habits. However, all dogs can understand when to stop. Obedience training will teach your dog to stop tugging on the leash during walks, barking at strangers, or jumping up on the wrong furniture. 

Social Skills

Obedience training will teach you and your dog social skills. Your dog encountering an unfamiliar dog shouldn’t be a gut-wrenching situation. It is important for dogs to socialize, so eliminating contact with other dogs isn’t the best solution. Your dog will encounter another dog one way or another during walks, vet visits, or boarding. Your dog should be able to control themselves and display proper play. As an owner, you will learn the warning signs of a potentially dangerous, untrained dog that approaches your pet as well. 

Owner Fun & Socialization

A dog going to obedience training is not only fun and beneficial for the dogs, but also for the owners. Owners will enjoy playing and learning with their pets while being surrounded by professionals and other pet owners. Obedience training will provide a chance to have fun with your pet and others around you. While your dog is socializing with other dogs, you can be socializing with other owners as well. A lot of the time, the dogs and owners at these classes are local to your area, which gives a great sense of the community around you. It is very important for you and your dog to network with the community. You never know where it might take you.

Wire mesh railings and fencing are one of the most common types of materials that are used for indoor and outdoor enclosures. Wire mesh railings and fencing can be seen frequently in residential and commercial areas. Chain link railings and fencing used to be the go-to material for enclosures, but now wire mesh railings are the new alternative due to their durability. 

Security Fencing 

One of the main uses for wire mesh railings is for securing private areas for manufacturing and government buildings. Wire mesh railings are used as a perimeter wall or the fence itself. It provides a practical solution to protecting your valuable assets while not sacrificing aesthetics. The wire mesh railings can be used with different-sized holes and prevent tools from destroying the fencing. 

Animal Fencing

Wire mesh railings can be used to create animal enclosures as well. Since wire mesh railings offer different sizes, the wire mesh railings could be adjusted depending on the animal being enclosed. You can see this type of fencing used for chicken coops, horse farms, and other animals of different sizes. Wire mesh railings also meet animal safety requirements. 

Garden Fencing

Wire mesh railings can be used as a solution to protecting your garden as well. Garden fencing is very important in terms of protecting your plants and vegetables against deer. Animals tend to scale or breakthrough basic fencing that will lead to your garden getting destroyed. Wire mesh railings can be a great durable solution that protects your plants and doesn’t impede their growth patterns. 

Highway Fencing

Wire mesh railings are frequently used in industrial applications as well. You can see these applications on highways. Wire mesh railings are used to add safety features to the roadways. Wire mesh railings prevent animals and humans from crossing roads, which can lead to a fatal disaster. Wire mesh railings are used to prevent accidents from spilling off the road as well and minimize the damage to a smaller area. 

Window Fencing

Wire mesh railings are seen used to add extra security to different structures. You can see these commonly installed on warehouses and production plants that have expensive material on site. These wire mesh railing windows prevent trespassers from entering the facility or anything from breaking out of the facility. 

Cancer is just as much of a mental drain as it is a physical drain. Many medical research professionals have done studies on mental health and its ties to cancer. Unfortunately, poor mental health has an association with the mortality rate of cancer. The change in a person’s appearance, loss of support from peers, and fear of cancer resurfacing all play into the damaging of a person’s mental health and cancer. Long-term mental health illnesses can develop way after cancer has gone into remission. Our medical oncologists in NJ provided some tips and things to know for loved ones facing this. 

Effects of Cancer on Mental Health

A cancer diagnosis has significant mental and social effects that can impact the patient and their loved ones. The National Cancer Institute reports that one in three people with cancer experience mental or emotional distress. The report goes deeper to state how it is seen more commonly in self-esteem-influenced areas like breast cancer and head cancer. In the same report, researchers state how 45% of cancer survivors experience some form of depression or anxiety. This can make the cancer fight post-remission never-ending. Lastly, the researchers at the National Cancer Institute stated how cancer survivors are twice as likely to take their own life than the general population. The battle with cancer doesn’t stop at remission. We need to emphasize this to everyone and anyone within the world of cancer. 

How to Manage Mental Health During Cancer Diagnosis 

The stress and feeling of loss with a cancer diagnosis can be drowning for everyone involved. The practice of good mental health habits can help ensure an easier and more effective treatment process. There are many support groups available that have trained professionals and other peers that are facing the same battle. These support groups offer an outlet to express your emotions without the added anxiety of possibly going to a loved one or family member. The peers going through similar battles will allow you to relate and know that you are not alone which is comforting for patients. Your loved ones can always help as well nonetheless. Loved ones and family should be mindful and aware of signs of mental health illnesses to help intervene or seek a professional if it’s serious enough.  

The Role of Medical Health Professionals

Medical professionals play huge roles in the fight against cancer. Alongside physical treatments, your medical oncologists should provide effective mechanisms to manage stress and avoid risky behaviors that can compromise your health further. There are many different mechanisms and lifestyle changes that your medical oncologist might recommend. The most common ones are various relation techniques, exercise, counseling, and further medications if needed. There are many foundations that help support cancer survivors and their families as well as organized community events and benefits that can ease the stress of having cancer a part of your life. 

Furnace repair and troubleshooting services by a professional HVAC company can be quite pricey. This may lead to you considering learning your furnace system yourself. This can save you quite some money but can be dangerous if not properly done. Before avoiding Cherry Hill furnace repair professionals and taking your furnace apart on your own, take a look at these tips. 

The Chamber Door

The first step to assessing your furnace is locating the combustion chamber door that reveals the different internal pieces of your furnace. As with anything, the first thing you should do is pop the combustion door off and power down your unit. The power switch should be located after opening the chamber door and removing the burner cover. 

The Burner Flames

Now after you looked at and identified each internal part with the power off, you can now turn on the power switch and turn up your thermostat to produce a burner flame. The flames should resemble one another and burn blue. If the burner is glowing yellow, then the burners are burning dirty, and it’s time to call a Cherry Hill Heater Repair professional. Be mindful that it is a live flame and should be treated with caution. Don’t blow on the flame at all or put your hands too close to it. If you suspect any problems with the burner, call a pro in.

Blowing Out Soot & Dust

If you already inspected the burner flames, it could be a good idea to clean out your furnace burners and housing. You can vacuum your furnace by shutting off your furnace and the gas by the shut-off valve. Once powered down, you can use a vacuum and drain line to vacuum out crevices in your furnace. Remove any dust or soot that is present. If soot is present, it can be a sign of poor combustion. The blower can be fully removed to be cleaned as well. A control panel is usually attached to the blower which requires two screws to remove in most. Next, you can use a socket wrench to completely lift out the blower. The blower has a set of blades that build up with material. You can utilize a vacuum and a small stiff brush to clean out the blades. Be sure to not mess with any wiring or counterweights which can damage the blower. 

Changing Furnace Filters

It is important to change the furnace filter routinely to protect the blower and the motor in your furnace. Simple filters cost only a couple of dollars to purchase and take minutes to install. Many firms out in the space offer high-efficiency filters that may seem to improve air quality, but actually just clog your system. If you are looking to get the most out of your unit, look up your furnace manufacturer and see what filters they have tested to work best with their units. Those are the filters you should be utilized rather than an unknown third party that can damage your unit.

A business’s ability to adapt and respond rapidly in the event of sudden operational changes is important for protecting assets, partnerships, and consumer trust. Operational changes can be tough to handle and quite stressful at times for everyone within the organization. However, this stressor can be quelled by developing a well-thought-out business continuity plan. For some organizations, this might be the first time you have ever heard of a business continuity plan. Let’s discuss how it works and the importance of having one on top of your current procedures and processes. 

What is a Business Continuity Plan? 

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a universal document that describes how a particular organization will continue to operate under unplanned service disruption. Now you might say, this sounds awfully similar to a disaster recovery plan and may include one within itself. Make no mistake, a business continuity plan is a lot more detailed than a disaster recovery plan and contains mounds of information on processes, assets, partnerships, and human capital. Usually, business continuity plans contain comprehensive checklists that show backup plans given “xyz” scenario happening. These checklists should include extra supplies and equipment as well as backup data storage in remote locations away from the main data center. Availability, operational resilience, and disaster recovery are all important aspects to keep in mind when designing a business continuity plan. 

The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan

According to DevOps.com, the average infrastructure failure can cost an organization up to $100,000 per hour while a critical application failure can range anywhere from $500,000 - $1,000,000 an hour. These failures don’t only cause financial hardship and damages, but reputational damages as well. A particular failure could have your partners, vendors, and clients questioning their business with you, which in turn can cause a loss of revenue or increased operational costs. Now that you are frightened and scrambling to pull up your business continuity plans, you understand the importance of them. Business continuity plans help your organization power through and maintain operations through these threats that have been increasing over the years during the digital age. With the cohesiveness of business units and departments being important, it is crucial to make sure the business continuity plan keeps all business processes in mind and takes into account vulnerabilities across all assets. 

Different Solutions for a Business Continuity Plan

For some organizations, the development of a business continuity plan might require more investment than time from internal administration. Luckily, there are many solutions and support options out there that can aid in the process. The first solution could be reaching out to a business continuity management firm for consulting services. These risk management consultants can help analyze your organization and identify what key points could cause the most trouble if they were to fail and where to prioritize your plans. Leading into the second solution or aid, these firms usually offer risk management software that helps assess risks, prioritize and protect assets, and aid in the recovery process. Risk management software is a great option because not only does it accomplish the goals of business continuity, but houses it within a single, visually pleasing interface. These are the two biggest solutions when it comes to tackling business continuity plans and increasing operational resilience.    

Many third-party software organizations exist in the beauty and wellness industry that aims to improve the overall strength of salons and spas. The largest headache by far for these salons and spas is the scheduling process that involves the creation, cancellation, and payments for services. A lot of salon management executives turn to automation through salon scheduling software packages. How do you know what salon scheduling software is best for you? 

What is Salon Scheduling Software? 

First, we need to discuss what salon scheduling software is and what is its primary purpose. Salon scheduling software is an online software tool that assists salon and spa owners with managing their past, current, and future bookings efficiently. Salon scheduling software allows administrative users to handle appointments by scheduling, rescheduling, canceling, or modifying entries that update across the system to maintain transparency. On the flip side, potential clients of the salon or spa have an easy interface to interact with when booking their appointments. Salon scheduling software is an investment that benefits both the organization and its target audience. 

How Much is Salon Scheduling Software?  

Small and enterprise-level salons and spas always have cost as their top priority when making an investment. This is no surprise. The cost has to directly provide a sensible value that makes the investment worthwhile. There are salon scheduling software options that range from tens of dollars to hundreds of dollars usually on a monthly basis. The main differences between the price of each option are the number of features included and the support that is offered. With this being said, it is extremely important to assess what your salon or spa needs from a salon scheduling software and inquire about software packages accordingly. There is no point to invest in a state of the art salon scheduling software to only use one or two features listed. 

What Features Should I Look For? 

As previously mentioned, salon scheduling software packages have a lot of features to offer. What are the most important ones and what is just specialized filler? All features have value, but some are immensely higher than others. The two most important features to look for are the degree of integration and scalability. Depending on whether or not you have other software packages in place, integration is immensely important. The right salon scheduling software for you will be able to integrate into your current organization the easiest. Scalability is the next important aspect of a salon scheduling software package. The ultimate goal of a business owner is to be able to increase its revenue and level of business. As business increases, growing pains are present. It is important that the salon scheduling software is able to scale with your business and handle an increased fluctuation of clients. 

These are the two biggest features to keep in mind when looking at salon scheduling software. If you have other needs for your salon or spa, there are other features that are common with software packages like marketing suites, point of sale systems, and much more. Salon scheduling software doesn’t always stop at scheduling. Software packages are available to integrate everything into a single platform, which can be extremely valuable for driving efficiency throughout your business.