The new year has just started and it is a perfect time to get organized and attack some new goals for the year. With all of these goals looming it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and lose productivity, this missing the mark on what you hope to achieve. Here are a few simple ways to boost your productivity in 2016:
1. Organize your space:
Clutter accumulates, seemingly out of nowhere. It is well researched that a clean space and a clean mind go hand in hand. It's always easiest to work in a well-organized space where all your materials are easy to find. And bonus-decluttering reduces stress, which will increase productivity.
2. Be a goal-minded business person:
If you don't know where you're going how will you ever know if you have reached your destination? Goal setting is an important part of maintaining productivity because it helps fuel the fire. Goals can be small or large yet still digestible, with clear milestones and rewards along the way. Rewards are a great way to boost productivity because they give you something to look forward to when paperwork is mounting.
3. Keep it fun:
Not every day can be a circus but it is important to infuse fun into your work life to help keep the stress at bay. Stress is known to be a drain on both motivation and productivity, so find little ways to make your work more enjoyable every day. And fun is the gift that keeps on giving-don't hesitate to bring your coworkers in on the fun so you will all be more productive.
4. Mix it up:
Whether you work in a traditional office space or work remotely, looking at the same view can get monotonous and cause a dip in your productivity. If your job allows it try to mix up your work scenario by going to a cafe, coworking space, or even a different room in your office building. This small change is enough to change your perspective and boost creativity.
5. Move it along:
Sitting down for 8 hours a day is the worst thing you can do for your body and brain, and as a result your productivity will suffer. Many offices are embracing standing desks and walking meetings, which is a great start. Even if you have to stay at a seated desk, get up every hour or so and refill a glass of water. Better yet, take the stairs to a different floor and use their water cooler. It may feel silly at first but you'll notice a big change in your productivity as a result of being more active (the added hydration is a nice bonus too). Get your blood flowing in whatever way you can and you'll not only be doing your body a favor, but your brain will feel more awake as well.
A Gamechanger in Headphone Technology
Innovo Concepts has developed an innovative product that will change the way you will listen to music. This patented technology is designed to overcome hearing imperfections and enhance the headphone listening experience.
Hearing deficiencies are not just a problem for older people. According to several researchers 1 in 5 teenagers suffer from hearing deficiencies, a number that has increased 30% in recent years. These deficiencies are caused by day-to-day activities, such as years of listening to loud music, attending movies and concerts, and even environmental pollution. This imperfect hearing is not of the level to be a health concern but diminishes the audio and visual experience, as well as the ability to enjoy music in its full capacity.
HeadphoneMagic is a patented technology that detects and compensates for hearing imperfections of a user. Settings are fine-tuned to each user, with multi-user and multi-device saved profiles available. Imagine hearing music the way it would sound to someone with perfect hearing. This is now possible with HeadphoneMagic!
Innovo Concepts is now licensing HeadphoneMagic technology to companies building headphone-related products. Contact us if you would like to learn more about this amazing technology or to schedule a demonstration.
Hear what you have been missing!
The Pros and Cons of YouTube Red
YouTube is a video sharing website created in 2005. Since its launch, users have flocked to the site to enjoy a variety of videos, from homemade cat shenanigans to curated content made by creators who earn a living through their videos. To understand the magnitude of YouTube look up creators like Zoella and PewDiePie, who have amassed over 9 million and 40 million followers respectively.
Today YouTube, who was bought by Google in 2006, launched YouTube Red. This service will combine the video experience of YouTube with Google's music on demand service, Google Play Music. For a monthly $9.99 subscription fee ($12.99 for iOS users), subscribers will be able to consume exclusive content on demand and without ads, as well as to download content for offline watching.
YouTube is the next in line to offer subscribers the opportunity to pay for ease of consumption and additional, exclusive, content. Companies like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime have already found a large market in those that are trying to avoid a large cable bill while still having the benefit of on demand entertainment.
Lets break it down into nuts and bolts:
Pros:
- no ads
- download content to watch offline
- signing up for YouTube Red also subscribes you to Google Play Music (and vice versa)
- access to exclusive content, like YouTube original series and movies as well as internally produced premium content from creators
- revenue will be shared with creators who have signed on (presumably depending on the rate their content is consumed)
Cons:
- costs $9.99, which is more than Netflix's streaming and Hulu's limited commercial plans
- iOS users pay $12.99 to cover Apple's in-app purchase tax
- Creators who publish videos and support them with advertising are forced to participate. If they don't their content will be marked Private and no one will be able to find them
Will you be using YouTube Red? Please share your thoughts and comments. We'd also love to hear from creators about how this will affect you.
Twitter Releases Polling Feature to All Users
Twitter announced Wednesday that it is launching its polling feature to all users. Up till now this feature has been open to a limited number of users but in the coming days will be a part of the full user experience.
Twitter polls will allow users to weigh in on things they have an opinion about. Todd Sherman, Product Manager at Twitter, says that polls are, "a new way to engage with Twitter's massive audience and understand exactly what people think. For those participating, its a very easy way to make your voice heard."
A large part of Twitter's value to consumers is in the ability to share thoughts about any subject with other people who they may not have otherwise been able to connect. Polling will simplify this process for those users who want an answer but whose goal isn't to necessarily make a more personal connection.
Image: Twitter
While the potential benefit of polling is only as big as your Twitterverse (meaning that only those you are already connected with can vote) it does offer companies a very unique opportunity to engage with their customers.
Will you be using Polls on Twitter? Share your thoughts in the comments.
CEDIA 2015
Innovo Concepts is hitting the road! This week our CEO, Yair Raz, will be attending the CEDIA Expo, being held in Dallas, TX.
The Cedia Expo is the leading exhibition of everything having to do with the home experience, including the latest up-and-coming audio visual products.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone there. We hope to chat with everyone in person and of course on Twitter @innovoconcepts and #cedia15.
Breaking Through Business Barriers
Running a successful business is akin to being a constant problem solver. Every step of the way includes new challenges, which can also be viewed as opportunities. Whether it has to do with designing a new product, pitching an investor, or successfully selling, every business leader will run into barriers that may threaten their success.
There are two types of barriers: marketplace roadblocks and mental roadblocks.
A market barrier exists when we identify a challenge in our field that may get in the way of succeeding in business. This can be a lack of education on the part of the consumer for why a product or service is essential, or a perception that the market is already flooded with too many other people offering the same thing.
A mental roadblock exists when we forget our core motivator-the “why” in our mission statement. This causes us to become lazy in our goal setting and execution. If we forget our purpose we run the risk of losing our value for our customers.
There are many market barriers that may be identified and everyone experiences a mental block from time to time. The important thing to remember is that these are challenges which we now have the opportunity to overcome.
The way to overcome both types of barriers is to tackle them head-on. It is important to identify them-to call them out and recognize that they are a significant threat to business success. Then comes the hard part-making a plan and taking action.
Here are a few tips to help you get through your barriers:
Remember your “why”. What sparked and inspired you to get into the business you are in? Who did you want to help? What did you want to create? Find ways to get re-inspired and reinvigorated. Is your old “why” not cutting it anymore? Create a new one and get passionate!
Relationships are key. It is okay to ask for help and sometimes an outsider can provide key insights into a problem you have been experiencing. Build strong relationships and networks by being willing to give more than you take. Your service will be your reward and will provide you with a strong network of people willing to help you in return.
Make a plan. For every market barrier there is an ideal outcome. Place a piece of paper horizontally and write down each barrier on the left hand side. On the right hand side goes the ideal outcome. All the space in between should be used to map out the steps needed to get from problem to solution.
Maximizing the Reach of Your Facebook Business Page
In the last few years Facebook has rolled out new features that allow people to easily connect with business. Through the Pages function, business owners can create a fan page of sorts for their business and use it to engage customers in new and interesting ways.
When we talk about how to get the most engagement out of your social media content, the majority of the conversation is centered around cultivating really good content. This content should be relevant to your business but also something that creates value for your customers. Many business owners are finding, to their dismay, that their Facebook page content is not generating as many likes or comments as the same content does on their personal status updates.
Why is this?
Facebook business pages are created to be easily discoverable and allow for followers to have 1-to-1 interactions with a business. But in order to do that, they have to know the page is there. Intuitively, most business owners will ask their friends and family to Like their business page-which they gladly do. However, this is usually not a business’s target audience. This means that they will rarely, if ever, go back to actually interact with your business page after initially following it. Your friends and family are interested in YOU, so they will Like and comment on what you post on your personal status feed.
Businesses need targeted followers to interact with on social media.
Facebook makes this easy by allowing business owners to create campaigns and ads in order to reach a specified target audience. Not only does this cost money, but it also requires business owners to have a well-thought out marketing and engagement strategy. By utilizing things like Post Boosting and Targeted ads, businesses can guarantee that their well-cultivated content will get into the hands-and Facebook feeds-of the right people.
Brands that have successfully utilized these strategies, like BarkBox, have seen 50% of its daily website conversions come from Facebook and an increase in monthly subscribers to their service that numbers in the thousands.
Innovo Concepts helps business owners maximize the reach of their Facebook presence and turn it into revenue. We want to know what questions you have and how you’ve achieved success on this platform.