Choose the right courier

Office delivery is a vital part of operation for many small and large scale businesses. Some businesses deliver goods and essential products to their customers to complete the business transaction. Other businesses simply need couriers so that some documents can be delivered to their business partners.
Businesses have two options for delivery. The first option is to have a dedicated group for delivery. This is often required for businesses with heavy delivery or those that need immediate delivery of goods, products or documents. The second option is to outsource delivery. This is the more affordable option since businesses only need to pay per delivery.
Obviously, most businesses choose to outsource their delivery to other businesses. But the challenge in choosing an outsourced service is always the timeliness of delivery. Some courier services might not provide the expected service that can definitely hurt the business process. For that reason, businesses have to choose a courier service based on the following criteria:
• Reputation - a little bit of research will not hurt in knowing the best courier service.
• Manpower - the number of delivery personnel is important since it will be the basis for their capacity in delivery.
• Equipment/vehicle - tracking gadgets as well as vehicles should never be ignored. There are small companies that rely on bike messengers which is a lot more affordable but slower.
• Scope - there are local couriers that that do not do national delivery but can be a bit less expensive.
Courier delivery is a small but essential part of business transaction. Careful selection of the outsourcing company should be made to ensure smooth delivery of documents and goods.

Invensys Rail wins Brazilian Metro contract

Invensys Rail, a leading railway control and communications systems provider, Montagens e Projetos Especiais (MPE), a Brazilian engineering company, and Infoglobal, a Spanish telecoms specialists signed a milestone £255 million contract to upgrade the automatic train and signalling controls on lines 8, 10 and 11 of São Paulo's Metro system.
Invensys Rail will install its Sirius CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) system on all three lines and associated rolling stock, along with LED signals, point machines, and WESTRACE interlockings, totalling a 60% share within the consortium. To greatly reduce disruption during the upgrade, the new system will be designed and installed to function beside the existing signalling system until the project is finished. This approach has been effectively used by Invensys Rail on metros around the globe and has proved very successful in delivering difficult projects on-time and on budget with the least possible problems for passengers.
James Drummond, Invensys Rail’s CEO and President has highlighted the importance of the contract to the business, by stating: "This is the first major project we have been awarded in Brazil and is another success story for our CBTC systems after we won the signalling contract for Singapore's new Downtown Line. We are delighted to be given the opportunity to work on such a high-profile project in one of the world's most exciting cities."
The contract marks Invensys Rail's biggest success to date in the Brazilian market, and with rapid development of commuter and metro networks, heavy-haul freight routes, and a planned high speed line in the country, Invensys Rail believes this award will provide a platform for expansion in this growing and important market.
The three lines are operated and owned by CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos). Line 11 is 37km long with 12 stations, Line 10 is 37km with 15 stations, and Line 8 is 35km long with 20 stations. In total, 136 maintenance vehicles and trains operate on the three lines to transport more than one million passengers each working day.

Sharing the Office for Funding Sources

Many start-up businesses want to give a good impression to their clients. Although they can operate in their garage or at home, it's a lot better to have an office as it can provide a professional image. Technical support is also better when the equipment is properly placed in an office.
But most start-up businesses are finding it hard to instantly set-up an office simply because the rent and new equipment is expensive. This is where small yet established businesses can make money. Because of the recession, many small businesses are freeing their space because of reduced manpower. The office space can be rented to other small businesses for a monthly or weekly fee. Some businesses even opted to rent their space with a daily fee.
Setting up this extra source of fund is relatively easy. Basically, those who wanted to rent an office space are expecting to have complete access to necessary technology. A computer with internet access, fax and a dedicated phone line can easily attract small businesses. A good space for a table and few chairs should also be in place.

Privacy is very important in this type of business. Always consider what can and cannot be accessed by those who opted to rent the space. As you respect their privacy, you should also provide boundaries as you are also operating a business. You could place your company in jeopardy if you extend access of information to those who rent an office space.
Using the gadgets already found in your office, you can easily start renting your space for other small business. It's a simple set-up but can help you earn money without spending too much in start-up capital.

GPS Tracking Device for Your Office

A GPS tracking device is a gadget that allows you to track a specific item at anytime. It's often used in shipping businesses in order for owners to track their employees on the road. The gadget is very easy to use and thanks to advances in technology, such a device is no longer expensive.

The most basic type of GPS tracking devices are those installed with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card slot. This is a small card that can be purchased from mobile suppliers. This small card is installed in mobile phones as this card provides the identity of the subscriber such as mobile phone number and even available credits (for prepaid use).

Activating the GPS tracking device is very simple. The person who wants to contact the GPS tracking device simple calls or sends a text message to the number of the device using the phone number on the SIM card. The GPS tracking device will immediately respond, in text messages, the coordinates of the device. Users can use the coordinates to pinpoint the exact location of the device.

Other features in GPS tracking device depends on the extra available features from the gadget. Some can be configured to continuously send the coordinates, others can be activated with a simple text message and other GPS tracking devices can even take photos. It's a small device that can do wonders for your business if you want to constantly monitor your employees’ activity during work hours. All you need is a pre-paid SIM card to contact the tracking device through your mobile phone.

Save on Office Supplies with the Right Provider

Small businesses are very fragile because cash flow is not as extensive compared to large scale businesses. Business owners have to carefully monitor how the money is spent in order to achieve maximum profits. For that reason, they have to look for smart providers for their supplies in order to save and get their required products on time.
Choosing a provider for office supplies is very essential for small businesses. Through a dedicated provider, small businesses can aggressively ask for a lower price since they will buy in bulk. A service provider will readily comply if they are assured they would be the sole provider.
There are two forms of provider for office supplies: online and local. Online providers can easily lower their prices because they don't need to spend on manpower. The disadvantage for online companies is additional shipping charges, support is only available on the phone and quality might not always be as promised. Local providers on the other hand could be a bit expensive but they can assure excellent customer service. The quality is also assured since owners can simply return the office supplies if they are unsatisfied.
Whether you choose online or a local provider for office supplies; be sure to work with companies that have gained good reputation. Ask other small business owners in the area as they can easily provide feedbacks on their provider's services. A simple bit of market research can also help as reviews of their products, services and quality of customer service can be found online.

Surveys and office improvement

An office manager can't single-handedly improve business flow or even the physical look of the office. It's essential that the office manager should look for assistance and for more improvement ideas.
Also the employees should at least have a say on how to improve the business. A good way to know how the employees feel is to conduct a simple but significant survey.
A survey can be conducted online or by simply asking the employees about the survey. The latter option could take time but its ideal for small businesses especially those who wanted to express their personal feeling about the questions and options.

When properly done, the survey will not only provide the favourite option but also the general feeling of the employees about the option.
Aside from using surveys to improve internal business operations, surveys can also be used to know more about customers' feelings and thoughts. The best way to solicit customers’ reactions about your services is an online survey. You can post weekly or monthly surveys for the customers to fill out. The challenging part is actually on attracting more users to answer your survey. You can increase customer reaction by providing coupon codes for discounts after the survey.
Last but not least: don't forget to consider the results of the survey. You are giving your employees and customers the options to express their opinions. That means you have to work around the recommendations.

Make your office employee friendly with these supplies

Working in an office is relatively easy. However, there are awkward situations an office worker have to go through that may affect productivity. The solutions to their problems are usually very simple but the supplies they need are not there.
To avoid further inconvenience in your office, stack your supply or band aid cabinet with these:
• Safety Pin - wardrobe malfunction is a very humiliating experience for anyone. This can even affect the company's image if the malfunction happens with the client. Avoid these problems by providing safety pins for everyone to use.
• Basic Medicines - a first aid kit is great since it has all the things you need in case of emergency. However, medicines for everyday inconveniences such as heartburn, muscle pain and cough are not available. Add these to the supply box and employees will feel great all the time.
• Breath mints - This suggestion is rather odd but can be very useful in many situations. Some employees might have eaten something that doesn't smell pleasant before a client meeting. A breath mint can actually help your employees have a good impression to clients or simply just to feel better.
• Tampons - instead of charging your female employees with generic tampons, supply them with a branded one. Generic tampons are uncomfortable to use and they will simply cost your employees. Providing tampons on the supply cabinet will assure your employees that they will have something to use in case the "big day" of the month comes to your female employees.