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How Businesses can use the PRINCE2 Project Management Methodology

February 28th, 2012

Project management has become a vital part in any business structure. Most small to medium enterprises (SMEs) have their own project management departments, and some smaller businesses offer project management as their primary source of business. Quality project management brings multiple advantages to any project, the most important being time and money saving. Project management can save time and money by carefully structuring each part of the project process and focusing on the parts that are really important, while at the same time avoiding non-relevant parts that would waste precious resources.

PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a process based method for effective project management. It is a method and standard used by the British government, but it has found its place in the private sector both in the UK and internationally.

In every project management there should be a few basic questions answered before starting including:
1. What is the goal of the project?
2. When will the project start?
3. What will the project require?
4. Can the project be accomplished alone or with outside assistance?
5. When will it end?
6. What will be the costs?

These questions will be the base of the project and the essential part for the structured project management. That means that the project can be managed in a logical, organized way by following defined steps.

PRINCE2 methodology states that each project should have an organized and controlled start, an organized and controlled middle and an organized and controlled end. That basically means that you should know what the project is about before starting unprepared, follow the plan of the project and follow through when the project is completed in order not to leave anything unfinished.

Business can use the PRINCE2 methodology to improve their project management because it offers a specialized and proven method for project management. It breaks up a project into sensible segments which can be monitored, and more importantly, it closely defines each role in the project management so that there is no confusion about who is doing what part of the project. It also offers a transparent project model so everyone involved in the project can see the current status. Communication is also brought to attention and this method establishes very stable and consistent communication lines within the project structures.

Another interesting feature of the PRINCE2 methodology is the presence of control mechanisms. These are usually board based, and they include all sides of the projects such as project managers, investors, users and suppliers.

Review of the project and learning from the mistakes made is easy with PRINCE2 due to its report and follow through methods with which each step is carefully and fully documented and recorded.

PRINCE 2 courses offer certification for project management in several stages. The Foundation certificate is a requirement for those who want to learn the basics and terminology of this method. Practitioner certificate is meant for those who want to manage project within a PRINCE2 environment.

Six Ways to Save Energy Around the House

February 16th, 2012

Saving energy is a big contemporary concern, and whether it’s the climate or the costs that cause it to be at the forefront of your mind, it’s generally something that it quite literally pays to be aware of. Regardless of your reasons, what can you do to save energy around your home?

Think about changing suppliers

Let’s get the biggest one out of the way first: changing energy suppliers can really save you quite a lot of money. Much like checking heating oil prices in various places, it’s usually a good idea to at least look around and see what other offers are available.

Have a shower instead of a bath

An old ‘un but a good ‘un, choosing to have a shower instead of a bath can save you around 40 litres of hot water. If you’re lucky enough to have a power shower, however, beware: they often use more water than a bath. Additionally, be careful of running your taps throughout the house for too long or you’ll end up quite literally pouring money down the drain.

Energy saving light bulbs

Energy saving light bulbs, while often costing slightly more than the normal variety, can save you a great deal of money in the long run. They also last around twelve times longer than their standard counterparts, meaning that you’ll definitely get your money’s worth.

Switch things off

This is a big one. Make sure you always turn the lights off when you leave the room (and use energy saving light bulbs if at all possible; see above), and remember that while leaving the television or your PC on standby might seem like a good idea it actually wastes a deceptive amount of energy.

Cook responsibly

Make sure you pick the right ring size when using the cooker; you’ll waste energy if you spend ages heating a huge pot of potato on the smallest ring, or try and simmer some sauce on the biggest. Additionally try not to leave the fridge door open for long when retrieving ingredients; it’ll take three times as long as you had it open for to cool down.

Turn down the temperature

You can turn down the temperature on your hot water tank, washing machine and central heating; all of these tend to be higher than they need to be, and will save a substantial amount of both energy and money (although that said home heating oil can actually be quite cheap).

Is Chocolate Good For You?

February 9th, 2012

Andy is a copy writer who has been working on behalf of The Sanctuary spa breaks and spa days that make perfect gifts for mum. Here is his article about the benefits of eating chocolate.

Valentines day is soon upon us, which will either see loved ones buying each other a box of chocolates and other gifts, or will see us singletons dive into the nearest supermarket to buy as much ice cream as you can carry and heading home in solitarily to watch a soppy romantic film.

But in this spirit of a lonesome Valentines days, the only solace the singletons have is that whilst the couples are having a romantic time enjoying each others company, they are shortening their life spans by enjoying the sweet chocolate poison.

But to the disappointment of myself and so many other people celebrating/commiserating Valentines day alone, recent studies have shown how chocolate (in moderation) can improve many aspects of your life;

Full of antioxidants

Antioxidants famous for their heart protecting reputation, polyphenols, are found in abundance in most types of chocolate, and are even more common in dark chocolate. A 20g piece of dark chocolate contains the same amount of heart attack preventing polyphenols as a cup of green tea. There are also protective oligomers found in dark chocolate, whilst this might not mean anything at the moment, you will no doubt have heard that having a high cholesterol is certain to increase chances of a heart attack, well these oligomers help prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into the body.

Other heart related problems to be helped by chocolate is the fact that 100g of dark chocolate a day can reduce blood pressure by 5.1/1.8mmHg, which is proven to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 21%.

So chocolate is good for the heart, and not only because of the warm feeling when you receive it as a romantic gesture.

Full of feel good

There’s a reason that many people say chocolate is better than sex, because quite often it is. Dependent on the chocolate, it can alter the chemical levels of the brain, resulting in an increase of mood-altering phenylethylamine, which can induce a mild light headed, confidence instilling buzz.

The other chemical chocolate contains is tryptophan, a chemical that is linked directly to the release of serotonin in the brain, and we all know how serotonin in the brain results in a lifted mood and an increased sense of euphoria.

And let’s not forget theobromine, a stimulant that has the same outcome as caffeine in that it perks you up a moderate amount, and then there is the caffeine itself, which taken in small quantities can improve fat metabolism, endurance and alertness. Coming in handy for those long Valentine nights.

It’s not all good news – Calories

There are of course some cons to watch out for when seriously considering planning chocolate into your diet. The main concern for many people is the calories, 100g of chocolate typically contains over 500kcals.

There are also other additives that are not found in every chocolate, but the sugar that is contained in most has obvious negative connotations such as links to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. But it is the same that everything in moderation is ok as long as you look after yourself in the standard ways such as eating generally healthily, exercising and brushing and flossing your teeth, chocolate can be enjoyed on a daily basis.

So try not to wallow in self pity, grab yourself one of the finest dark chocolate bars you can, sit back, relax and stick that same sad soppy film on knowing all the benefits you will be making to your health by enjoying a bar of chocolate.

5 Top Tips For The Perfect Business Card

February 7th, 2012

The business card is one of the most understated marketing tools, it sits there quietly in your pocket just waiting for the moment you need to hand your details over, no fuss, just nice and simple. It’s because it’s so simple it that it doesn’t always get the attention it needs especially when it comes to the design.

Here are 5 top tips to bear in mind next time your designing your business card.

Keep It simple

Your business cards’ primary function is to get your contact details across in a simple and easy to read format. It doesn’t need to sell you or your services, that’s what you can do in person. It doesn’t need to promote your services; that’s what your website is for. The next time someone needs what you’re selling they just need to remember who you are and grab your business card to find out how they can get in touch.

Make The Obvious Stand Out

Everyone wants their business card to be the one that stands out from the crowd but there are certain pieces of information that are more important than others, your name and your business name for example are going to be more important than your Twitter account. Have a primary form of contact and make that the stand out one, if you have an office number and a home number and a mobile number and extension numbers on top of that you’re throwing a lot of numbers at someone so make sure the important parts are easy to read.

Invest In An Original Logo

You can go to a machine in the train station to get your business cards printed, or you could invest in a cheap online printing service if you want to but if you’re going to cut corners it’s going to show. The problem with cheap business card printing is you’re only going to get a very select number of images to chose from and if you want to look professional you need an original and unique logo on your card. You don’t have to hire a state of the art design agency; just spent an hour or two playing about with Photoshop and it will make a lot of difference.

Prove You’re Up To Date

We’ve already established you don’t want to overload your business card with too much information but it needs to prove you’re up to the job no matter what services you’re offering. At the very least you need to have a website and an email address no matter what industry you’re in. If you do anything with video you might want to have a link to your work on YouTube, if you’re a photographer you might want a link to your work on Flicker.

Comply With Brand Guidelines

Your business card needs to be an extension of your other offline marketing and your website. You need consistency across things like logo, colours and even fonts. Theoretically this should make designing your business card a lot easier but remember you’re not going to be able to fit everything on this one small piece of card.

5 Ways To Find Online Mispricing Errors

February 6th, 2012

nokia lumia As an increasing number of niche marketers and business owners open up online stores, and retail giants increase their e-commerce activity as a long term solution to falling high street consumer buying, a transitional period has fallen upon us which has created a whirlwind of online pricing mistakes and deal anomalies. This, in conjunction with consumers increasingly socially sharing deals and no longer being reserved or shy in taking advantage in an economically struggling Britain has led to a change in the way in which we all shop and has given breed to a number of ‘lurkers’, shoppers who are ready to pounce and cash in on genuine human errors or database issues. This change to the way we all shop is seeing people bulk buy products in order to re-sell them at a profit or simply to save money annually. Saving money through mispricing is a tactic used from entrepreneurial individuals in their bedrooms, to schools in Marion USA, and SME’s looking to grow their business with minimal budget.

Pricing issues on websites occur when either a genuine human error has listed a product or deal incorrectly or an automatic database system is configured inaccurately and provides a window of opportunity for consumers to manipulate loopholes in their systems.

At the moment, some companies are honouring misprice deals and are accepting that it is their mistake which is earning them brand trust. Other companies however are refusing to honour deals and their brands are taking a battering on consumer action forums. The law is yet to catch up on this growing consumer behaviour.

If you’re interested in taking advantage before the law does eventually change, here are five ways in which you can find online mispricing errors:

1: Sort From Low To High

This is a relatively simple but time consuming process. You all know those filtering options in the sidebar of an ecommerce store which allow you to filter results from low to high? Use them. Regardless of the industry, take a look at all the categories on their website and filter from low to high. If a misprice occurs, you’ll quickly be able to spot an item which you know is worth a lot more, hovering on the first pages. It’ll just jump out at you. Snap it up on your credit card as soon as possible.

2: Visit A Website In The Early Hours

In the early hours of a morning is when most retailers update their databases and websites, ready for the early morning buying cycle. If ever a misprice is going to occur is likely to be then. Google shopping is also a great place to check out at this time as this is generally the time that most companies submit their shopping feed to Google.

3: Visit A Website At Its Re-Launch or Update

When a company update their catalogue, website or database, this is the time where the majority of mispricing errors are likely to occur. Teething problems occur in websites the same, if not more so than if they were high street stores opening for the first time. Things just have a way of messing up and when a company is dealing with thousands of new products or a new system, you can take advantage of the early mistakes.

4: Sign Up To Hot UK Deals

Hot UK deals is a platform where shoppers list both their best deals found locally and online. This includes a high number of misprices. If you regularly check Hot UK deals or hook up a feed to your phone you are able to be the first to find out about online and offline misprices. Usually if a company ever does honour a misprice, it’s to the early customers who made a purchase early, so get in there quick. Most users pay by credit cards to try and leverage some kind of buying protection.

5: Always Use Vouchers

Sometimes there are mistakes in a company database which leaves huge opportunity for customers to use voucher codes in combination with special offers, and sometimes even multiple voucher codes at once. This means that not only can you take advantage of a misprice, but you can then get additional cash off the misprice by using a voucher code. There are a multitude of voucher code websites hovering around on the net and for smart phones, make sure you’re hooked up to a couple.