Planning for an office emergency is an essential task often overlooked or postponed in order to attend to the profit-generating aspect of the business. However, an up-to-date and comprehensive emergency plan can help save lives, reduce injuries and possibly mitigate the extent of the damage done to the office structure and supplies.

The Emergency Action Plan

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a template for businesses to prepare for almost every conceivable type of emergency. This document is prepared by the employee or employees assigned by the office manager or business owner to serve as “emergency coordinator(s)” for the office. This Emergency Action Plan collects the names and contact information for any appropriate agency relative to the specific emergency. Employee information such as emergency contacts, any disabilities or chronic illnesses that might require additional assistance either during an evacuation or secondary to a disaster is also kept on file. The Emergency Action Plan should be updated at least annually and reviewed by all employees to make sure the proper reaction to disaster is understood and familiar and so that employees don’t replicate actions.

The Ready Campaign

Following the terrorist attacks of 1999, FEMA developed what the agency termed The Ready Campaign. First targeted toward the general population via family units, the program has since expanded to include businesses and government agencies. The three main goals of any Ready campaign include:

• Collecting the necessary materials for an emergency supply kit;
• Establishing an appropriate plan in case of an emergency; and
• Learning about potential disasters and specific actions to take for protection.

The Ready campaign provides information in English and Spanish for both children and adults with special information available for families or businesses.

A Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

While some adjustments are required depending upon whether a home or business disaster supply kit is being assembled, the following items are usually suggested for either type:

• A source of drinking water, recommended as one gallon per person per day, for a minimum of three days. Businesses can often utilize the large 5-gallon jugs of potable water delivered for use in water dispensers. Water fountains cannot be relied upon after a disaster as the electrical power to pump the water may be interrupted or water pipes may have burst. In this case, cases of drinking water in plastic bottles held together with shrink-wrap can be stored in a closet or storage area.
• A first-aid kit for treatment of any minor injuries.
• Both rechargeable and battery-operated flashlights with extra batteries should be on hand in the event of a power outage. These may be necessary to assist in an office evacuation by helping to locate emergency exits, to find injured employees in an inner office or at night and to signal to first responders. Fully charged rechargeable units should be utilized first. If the power outage is sustained in length, a rechargeable flashlight can be exchanged for a battery-operated one as its power fails.

Anticipating the Worst to Experience the Best

Neither the CDC nor FEMA’s work is designed to scare employees or families. However, preparation can often make the difference between an inconvenience versus an emergency situation. Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full at all times. Sign up for emergency text messages available from FEMA, the National Weather Service and your local government. Carry your cellphone’s chargers with you and keep your device fully charged. Cellphones are of little help in an emergency if the regular phone system is disrupted and your phone is running low on power. Finally, remember that cellphone provider capacities are often overwhelmed during crises; however, tweets reach Twitter and are read and shared with the appropriate authorities.

Creating the email List

To market your wares via email, you must first create a subscriber list. This is something that you must work on constantly; you can’t just create a list then ignore it because up to 30 percent of your contacts may unsubscribe during the year. You can get people to sign up through a link on your website or your social marketing pages. You can also put links to your newsletter in the signature block on all emails you send out, including personal emails and receipts. 

If the content of your emails is relevant, people will sign up for your newsletter. Don’t just sell in your newsletters, but provide informational and interactive content, too. If you sell fuel pumps, include articles about fuel pumps, fuel system diagnosis and other relevant information.

Engaging the potential customer

You can’t send a bland email and expect someone to click on it unless that person is highly motivated to purchase the product or service mentioned. You must be careful that you don’t irritate potential customers with spam and irrelevant messages. Have potential customers sign up to your mailing list and track a customer’s behavior so that you send only emails pertaining to that customer’s interests.

Once you have the customer hooked, you have to reel him in. Do this by providing informational and interactive content. According to Inc., over 70 percent of marketers collect information about their customers via surveys. The surveys are forwarded to customers via email and ask them about their experience with the company, such as customer service and questions regarding the customer’s online purchasing experience.

Inc. also stated that click-through rates for emails with something related to Pinterest have a 25 percent higher click-through rate than any other marketing email. Furthermore, 44 percent of marketing emails are opened on a mobile device, so creating a mobile friendly email also garners higher click-through rates.

Marketing venue efficiency

A study by Direct Marketing Association showed that tailored marketing emails garner higher click-through rates than Twitter and Facebook. The study showed that email performs better than social media by a 3-1 ratio when measured by sales per dollar spent on digital advertising.

Put it all together

Once you have an email list started, you need to craft emails. If you promise weekly emails, send something every week without fail. Make sure your content is generated towards your subscribers’ interests. Provide information and interaction with the emails or they may get ditched into the virtual round filing cabinet. Not every email has to have information — some can be marketing your services or products — but be sure to have a higher percentage of interactive or informational content. Even a survey after a purchase gets people to click through your emails and shows that you care about the customer. Customers who feel special will keep coming back.

Your house is so clean that you never panic when the doorbell rings. When people are on your front stoop, you relish opening the door so the fresh, summer-breeze scent that permeates your spotless home can waft out and invite them in. In fact, you’ve been known to invite the postman and proselytizers inside simply to show off your pristine home.

If you’re this good at cleaning your own crib, just imagine what you could do with other people’s houses! Before you laugh, consider the many benefits owning your own house cleaning business would provide. You get to be your own boss and decide the hours you want to work, whether part-time or full-time. The start-up costs are extremely low; basically, all you need is a reliable car and the right cleaning supplies. Here’s how to get started. 

Plan Your Hours

First, decide what your goals are. What do you want to accomplish with your business? A full-time income or some extra cash each month? If you want to start slow and see what happens, make a goal to secure two clients per week. For a full-time gig, put in a little more legwork to secure a full schedule of clients.

Create a Menu

Make a comprehensive list of services you’ll provide. Most housecleaning businesses provide a range of basic services, including:

• Vacuuming
• Mopping
• Dusting
• Cleaning bathrooms
• Disinfecting surfaces
• Sweeping

Now consider the “extras,” or the specialty services that you’ll charge a bit more for. These may include:

• Cleaning furniture
• Polishing silver
• Removing mildew or mold
• Washing windows
• Cleaning curtains or blinds
• Washing walls

Calculate how much time each service will take you; this will make it easier to estimate how much to charge per hour.

Check out the Competition

Take an hour or two and figure out what your competitors are up to. How much do they charge? What services do they provide? How are they advertising? You might even want to call a couple and do some first-hand research to learn how they negotiate prices and fees.

The Right Tools

Most of the time, you’ll probably use the clients’ supplies when you’re cleaning their homes. However, when it comes to keeping furniture looking fresh and new, the key lies in the products you use. For the best in furniture care, you’ve got to have the right tools, and that means professional grade cleaning products. This is an area where you don’t want to skimp; after all, new furniture doesn’t come cheap, so if you can get your customers’ furniture looking amazing, they’re going to be very happy with your service.

Marketing Your Business

Now that you’ve got the tools you need, it’s time to get those clients! Start by creating a website that lists your contact information, the services you offer, your rates and the locations you’re able to service. If you create flyers or business cards, include your website on them. Build a client list by contacting local realtors; many need people to help them stage homes or prepare for open houses. Home builders are another resource, as are apartment management companies.

Starting your own housecleaning business may seem daunting, but it’s actually one of the simplest types of business to start, thanks to the low overhead costs. With the right tools and the right attitude, you’re sure to be a success. Plus, houses always get dirty, so your services will always be in demand.

No matter how great your products are, how wonderful your customer service is, how efficient your staff or how good you are at your job, if your office environment isn’t pleasant, you’re going to turn off your customers. From a messy, cluttered waiting room to a smelly, dirty bathroom, you’ve got to get your office’s physical condition under control in order to truly please your customers.

If your establishment needs a revamp, here are five simple tips to brighten and freshen your working space.

Snack Attack

What’s worse than being stuck in a waiting room? Being stuck on an empty stomach. It’s rude to keep your customers waiting in the first place, but if they’re hungry, they’re going to get even more irritated. Solve both problems by offering refreshments in the waiting room. This can be as simple as a bowl of candy or as “complicated” as a coffee maker and a tray of pastries. Either way, it shows you care enough about your customers to provide them with a slight sugar high while they’re waiting. Bonus: If it doesn’t all get eaten, your staff will likely be more than happy to prevent anything from being thrown away.

Stage It

Speaking of waiting rooms, take a look at yours. How’s the décor? If you’ve got the same tired old prints that have been hanging there since the ‘80s, it might be time for a change. Now, evaluate your reading material. Reader’s Digest from 2005? Boring. The local paper from three weeks ago? Even worse.

More businesses are treating their lobbies like staging grounds, installing televisions, better reading material and more attractive art. Keep your magazines updated and try to include a diverse selection. For a truly unique backdrop, invite local artists to hang your walls with an “exhibit” of their works. Many will do this for free if you allow them to post their contact information. Change it up every month or two to create a visually interesting space customers won’t hate sitting in.

Restroom Rescue

Let’s face it: Restrooms can be, well, less than fresh-smelling. It’s an unpleasant fact of life, but in this case, biology doesn’t have to rule the day. Instead, get a handle on your bathroom’s aromatic ambiance by clearing the air and creating a more enjoyable scent. Hard-core odor control products take care of bad smells and usher in a clean-smelling space that won’t offend your customers’ tender noses.

Receptionist Regulation

Encourage your receptionist to keep photos on her desk. This humanizes the company and also creates an ice breaker for customers who are stuck in the waiting room. Stock your receptionist’s desk with extra pens, pencils, paper clips and other office supplies, too, in case a customer forgot his own and needs to finish something up while in the waiting room.

Smile!

Above all else, train your front desk staff to flash a friendly, genuine smile to those who come through the door. It may sound cliché, but first impressions do matter. The first face a client or potential customer sees should be welcoming and set the tone for the entire transaction.

Whether your office is large or small, customer culture matters. When clients walk into a dark, stuffy, cluttered office, the impression they get isn’t likely, “This company cares about me and will make an effort to treat me well.” Creating a pleasant, welcoming space is simply good customer service—and a smart business move.

Even though both groups do travel, corporate travelers and leisure travelers do have very specific needs and it is usually very different from each other. The reason for this is that they also have very different goals or objectives for their trip. While one group is traveling to relax and as a form of entertainment, the other group sees traveling as just a means to an end because their goal is not focused on the travel aspect but on the meetings and other activities they are supposed to perform in their target city or country.

If you are a corporate traveler you will have very specific needs. These are some of the most common:

Specific information

The kind of information that corporate travelers need is vastly different from the information that a leisure traveler is looking for. Whereas, leisure travelers will want to know the popular tourist spots and the best attractions in an area, a corporate traveler’s priority is where he can perform various business functions like where he can have documents copied, where he can rent a temporary office, have computer equipment repaired or bought.

Efficient check-in services

Corporate travelers want expediency and this includes how they book their accommodations. They require a no-fuss way of booking a stay in either a hotel or serviced apartment. If it can be pre-arranged then all the better. They also want to check out in an equally swift manner – the faster, the better. Time is always a factor with corporate travelers. They want to save as much time as possible.

Comfort

Corporate travelers face a lot of stress when traveling because they not only have to contend with rigors of travel, they also have to work while in another country. At the end of the day, they need comfort and the chance to truly relax. This is why, comfort is very important to them. A cosy apartment or hotel room is what they always require, as well as peace and quiet. They are willing to pay a little extra to get this.

About The Author

Derek Gallimore operates a business providing serviced apartments in London to corporate travelers.

Despite many blue-collar jobs having high injury rates, a job’s collar has little connection to potential safety risks and the subsequent need for protective equipment. The US Department of Labor utilizes a term that can approximate a job’s collar in most situations. The agency uses the term job zone that applies to the length and difficulty of a career’s preparation time, training and education. According to O*NET OnLine, jobs can be classified along a range of one to five, with a job within Job Zone 1 requiring little or no preparation all the way to a job in Zone 5 which requires years of extensive preparation. Protective and safety equipment is necessary for a large number of careers, ranging from a leaf raker to an astronaut. Be aware of potential dangers whatever the tasks your job requires.

Protective Equipment Used by Example Careers in Different Job Zones

Job Zone 1

Jobs that are classified as Zone 1 positions are considered by the Department of Labor as those requiring little to no preparation in order to begin and perform the tasks adequately. This is decidedly not the opinion of some members who have worked in Job Zone 1-classified positions for many years. Especially in construction or similar jobs, workers cite the safety rules they must learn as well as subtle evaluation skills that help avoid some of the dangers of the positions. Other Zone 1 workers report a required learning curve whereby they learn to do their jobs efficiently.

• Continuous Mining Machine Operators ($45,570/per year)
  • Self-Rescue Respirator
  • Reflective Miner’s Belt to hold self-rescue respirator and filter, camp light battery pack and tools
  • Protective Helmet
  • Camp Light System to wear on helmet
  • Combination Radio & Camp Light System to wear on helmet
  • Fresh Air Bay Portable, Inflatable Refuge Chamber
  • Various Barricades for use while awaiting rescue
  • Wi-Fi Tracking System built into protective helmet.
• Maids & Housekeepers ($19,300/per year)
• Gloves
• Nose & Mouth Mask (optional) for use as needed when cleaning chemicals emit noxious fumes
• Knee Pads (optional) if cleaning floors or carpets by hand

Job Zone 2

Job Zone 2 positions usually require a high school diploma or GED. Training may be required for up to a year and may involve an apprenticeship or formal “career school” that provides a certificate upon completion.

• Pipe layers ($36,300/year)
  • Steel Toed Boots or Protective Footwear
  • Hardhat or Protective Helmet
  • Safety Glasses
  • Work Gloves
  • Hearing Protection
• Flight Attendants ($38,020/year)
• Evacuation Slides
• Side Raft Packs
• Window Exit Escape Ropes
• Chemical Oxygen Generators
• Portable Oxygen Systems
• Protective Breathing Equipment
• First Aid Kits
• Automated External Defibrillators
• Emergency Rafts
• Flotation Seat Cushions
• Life Preservers

Job Zone 3

Job Zone 3 careers are considered medium preparation positions and require one to two years of education or training for up to four years. Zone 3 careers also often require the satisfactory completion of an examination to confirm their skills and knowledge and a resulting licensure.

• Acute Care Nurses ($65,130/year)
  • Disposable Aprons
  • Disposable Gowns
  • Gloves
  • Safety Glasses
  • Face Masks
  • Lead Apron during radiological procedures
  • Sharps Containers
  • Needle-less Systems
  • Antimicrobial Soaps and Gels
• Commercial Divers ($55,940/year)
• Scuba Suit
• Diving helmet
• Diving mask
• Air Tanks
• Gauges
• Diver Harnesses
• Equipment Harnesses
• Signal Lines or Underwater Telephones

Job Zone 4

Considerable preparation is required the minimal starting point for Job Zone 4. Most positions under this category require a bachelor’s degree as minimal education and two or more years of work experience to be considered able to work independently.

• Real Estate Appraisers ($53,410/year)
  • Hard Hats (occasionally)
  • Boots (for use in construction or undeveloped)
  • Umbrella
  • Mace or Chemical Protection against dogs or other animals
• Chemists ($71,070/year)
• Safety Glasses
• Chemical Splash Goggles
• Laser Eye Protection
• Face & Neck Shields
• Flame Resistant Aprons
• Flame Resistant Lab Coats
• Closed Toe Shoes
• Negative Pressure Hood
• Appropriate Gloves for Type of Protection Necessary
• Respirators

Job Zone 5

Finally, Job Zone 5 careers consider extensive preparation, skill, training and practice. A master’s degree is normally the minimum degree level required to enter the career. Many Zone 5 positions require a PhD or a doctor of medicine or law degree. Five or more years of preparation are required with five to seven additional years of training plus an examination for licensure.

• Accountants ($65,840/year)
  • Office Chair with Lumbar Support
  • Proper Height of Computer Screen
  • Wrist Computer Supports
  • Personal Protective or Safety Equipment (PPE) for outdoor tasks
• Criminal Investigators & Special Agents ($63,840)
• Metal Handcuffs
• Plastic Handcuffs
• Service Revolver
• Mace
• Tasers
• Two way radios
• Bullet Proof Vests
• Gloves
• Night Stick
• Flashlight

Clocking Out

As demonstrated by this brief listing, protective and safety equipment may be a requirement despite whether your job is considered blue collar, pink collar or white collar. Be aware of job tasks, which might present an immediate or eventual injury and speak with your employer about injury prevention.

Some of your loyal customers might even become part of your marketing efforts by placing the stickers on their cars. If you want to improve your business without much effort, then these stickers are perfect.

Versatile
One of the best things about these stickers is that they are deliciously versatile.
Unlike business cards that can only be used in certain areas, a sticker can be placed on almost anything. It can be placed on a car, binder, CD cover, bottle, packaging and hundreds of other things. You can also get special die-cut stickers with unique shapes to match themes relating to your products and services.

Durable
Another benefit is that vinyl is a tough and durable material.

This won’t rip like a common paper stickers. The material will bend and stretch so that the sticker remains intact even if someone tries to rip it. Most marketing materials do not have such a robust benefit. They might be resistant to bending, but they can rarely withstand ripping and tearing since they are printed on paper. The overall lifespan of vinyl is exponentially greater than paper.

Vinyl is also not afraid of moisture! A little bit of water can destroy a business card. These stickers will resist moisture and heavy rains for years. This means that you can effectively market your business outdoors without worry.

Effective Introduction
Many people liken the business card to an introduction since it tells the recipient who you are, what your business does and how to contact you.

Vinyl stickers can play the same role if you properly design them. Just using a powerful design, adding a tagline and inserting your contact information is enough to get people interested in your business.

They will also help your branding. Most people won’t buy from a company until they have seen that company’s marketing several times. Stickers give you the opportunity to acquaint people with your business. Many companies owe a significant amount of their traffic to good stickers.

External Marketers
Getting the customer to work for you is like a dream come true. Not only is that person buying from you, but he or she is conditioning friends and family members to visit your store.

If customers like your business, then they might place these stickers on their cars. This means that the stickers will move around with them, which exposes many people to your business.

This might seem small, but gaining just a small handful of additional customers from this easily pays for the cost of printing.

Perfect for Small Spaces
If you just have a small area to work with, then stickers can be incredibly effective. They are just as colourful and effective as posters and flyers, but they can be used in places where posters would be obtrusive.

For example, some tradeshows might have small booths that aren’t big enough for posters and larger marketing materials.
Placing a few stickers on your booth will give you enough signage to impress customers.

Conclusion
Vinyl stickers are great for your business because they are versatile, colourful, durable and they introduce people to your business.

While some business owners don’t take stickers seriously, a shrewd entrepreneur would take always advantage of a powerful marketing tool which has been proven to increase sales.

Martin Print, a leading printer of vinyl stickers, is dedicated to helping your business grow. Consider adding these stickers to your stable of marketing materials.

Misusing a budget is an all too common oversight that leads to throwing away money. While these cost-cutting strategies are applicable to organizations of any size, they’ll have the greatest influence on a small business operating with limited funds.

Energy conservation and going paperless are two viable strategies, but if you want to cut costs on operational expenses, consider buying more products in bulk. Here are some great options to help you save money in the long run.

Trash bags

Trash bags are an inevitable expense. Keeping them stocked can add up quickly, especially if you have a janitorial service that dumps your trash every day. Most organizations are bound to go through large amounts of trash bags over time. By buying in bulk, you reduce the number of transactions and visits made to the store, which will provide time savings as well as financial gains.

Toilet paper and other paper products

Maybe you can go paperless when it comes to memos and expense reports, but some paper products aren’t as easy to eliminate. Toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels are all integral parts of a sanitary office, and they do have an impact on the company’s expenses. These paper products are not always cheap, but you can lower their cost considerably by purchasing them in bulk. And when you do run out of a roll of toilet paper, you don’t have to place an order before you reload — simply run to the storage closet and replenish your bathroom’s supply.

Pens, pencils and other desk supplies

Even for small businesses, it makes sense to purchase common office supplies in bulk. Having products readily available in a supply closet minimizes the downtime suffered by employees left searching for the tools they need. Make a list of all the common items your employees use on a daily basis. Make bulk purchases and wipe out potential supplies-related headaches.

Printer ink

When printer ink runs out, it can bring operations to a halt. When purchased as individual cartridges, ink is no small expense. You can drastically reduce your printer ink expenses and improve your company’s uptime by buying ink cartridges in bulk.

While buying in bulk offers great long-term savings, it does deliver an up-front cost that may discourage some buyers from making the transition. While the large price tag of a bulk purchase can be intimidating, don’t let it keep you from making a final decision. While you’re paying more up-front, the future savings more than make up for these costs and will reduce your operating expenses.

Image: any-employee-monitor.com

Performance appraisal of employees is part of any comprehensive career development program of companies.  It does not merely try to find inadequacies in performance but also the strengths that lie behind each employee performance. This appraisal or review puts into focus the capabilities that can be continuously harnessed by companies while placing attention on the areas that need to be improved as well.

Why is Employee Appraisal Needed

Regular employee appraisal or evaluation is needed to check whether employees are performing at par in relation to their given responsibilities and the expectations of the employers in relation to results.  The evaluation has to be in line with clear goals set by the company so that employees’ performance will be scrutinized fairly. Looking for results that have not been clearly established is quite unrealistic even among conscientious employees.

What Does an Employee Appraisal Include

An employee appraisal will include the evaluation of employees based on their organizational behavior, accomplishments, strengths, weaknesses, and potentials. It usually involves an interview with the concerned employee so as to provide feedback, discuss areas for work improvement and other job-related issues, and provide counseling when needed.  The appraisal is done in line with organizational objectives and set employee criteria.

Applications of Employee Appraisal

The results of employee appraisal can be used for determining critical employment decision such as promotion, termination, pay increase, additional work responsibilities, or transfers.  Most companies use the appraisal as part of motivational program to encourage better work performance.  The main purpose of employee appraisal is work improvement but it is also an opportunity to improve employer-employee communication.

Expected Benefits of Employee Appraisal

Employee appraisal is expected to provide benefits to the company and the employee.  The results aid in company goal setting, determination of training needs, and provision of employee focus.  The main expected benefits are the improvement of work performance and better communication between employer and employee.

Potential Problems with Employee Appraisal

There are some potential problems with doing employee appraisal and much has to do with the perception of fairness in how it is done.  Since an appraisal is more or less an issue of judging an employee, some aspects can be very subjective. Judgments based on actual tests and performances are much easier to make as compared to behavior and decision-making capabilities.

The Human Resource Division of companies usually handles employee appraisal.  It is done typically on an annual basis.  It is expected to be carried out under the guidance of fair employee practices.

Teresa is a researcher-writer who covers a wide range of topics in search of useful information.

Putting up a website is a great idea for businesses of any size, but a surprising number of companies have no idea how to do it. Even today, you can find sites that are nothing more than a page or two of boring pictures and no information. Needless to say, these Web duds are not going to bring their operators the hoped-for results. To make sure that you create a site worth its bytes, keep these things in mind:

Your website is a storefront

Give it the same bright, clean look a brick-and-mortar showroom should have. Avoid drab colors and pictures of your back room. Customers don’t see those things when they come into your physical shop, and they shouldn’t see them online. Instead, show crisp pictures of your products or of your staff performing your company’s services.

Your website is also a salesperson

Make sure it provides all of the necessary information about your products and services. Avoid the faux pas of directing customers to call you for information. They came to your site instead of using the phonebook for a reason! The content on your site is one of the most essential aspects of a modern website. Don’t disappoint your visitors by leaving it out.

Avoid the brochure look

Brochures are boring, and often don’t have the information a prospect is looking for.
Have a shopping cart. Don’t just use your site to get leads. Catch people right when they decide to buy by making it easy for them to order online. Most successful companies have a large amount of repeat business. Repeat customers don’t need to hear the sales pitch again. Make it easy for them to restock with just a few clicks.

Make it easy for customers to contact you

Have contact forms, your phone number and your address on every page. Still, always prioritize online ordering over contact. Sales pitches are only fun for the salesman. Most people just want to buy their item and get on with their day, whether that item is a printer ink cartridge or car insurance. These people only want to see contact information because it makes you look more real.

Decide who will do your web design

It can be tempting to save money by doing it yourself, but updates quickly get to be a pain when you have a business to run. Not only that, it’s hard to keep abreast of modern site design methods if that isn’t your primary interest. Therefore, it can be worth it to hire someone to do your web design to keep everything fresh.

Remember SEO!

SEO, or search engine optimization, is essential to getting new visitors to your site. Anyone who says “SEO is dead” is someone who has failed at it. If you don’t have the necessary skills, hire someone who does. It doesn’t matter how great your site is if no one can find it.

These are just some of the essentials of a great business website. Other aspects to pay attention to include aesthetics, modern navigation schemes, fast load times and similar basics. Finally, test a few designs before settling on the final look. You may find that your customers love a style that you otherwise wouldn’t have considered.