Children’s Centers

In a small area of Melbourne, Australia, sit four shipping containers. Listen closely and you’ll hear the sound of children laughing and playing. These four containers have been repurposed into a children’s activity center. Made with recycled and eco-friendly materials, the center gives children a safe place to play and learn.

Builders in London, England had much the same idea when creating an incredible nursery. The Fawood Children’s Center is made up of a mesh exterior, housing three stories of shipping containers. The three groups of containers are connected with walkways and contain staircases and balconies, letting everyone wander through the nature experience with ease.

Containers as Art

If you take a good look at public parks around the world, you just may find steel shipping containers precariously stacked. These amazing pieces of artwork feature both renovated shipping containers and some have painted murals. Two innovative sculptures can be found in parks in Rotterdam and Yokohoma.

Traveling Museums

Shipping containers make fabulous venues for museums as they can be deconstructed, transported around the world and put back together again, allowing the masses to enjoy exhibits and displays. If you’re on a budget or only need a short term display, you can opt for a storage container rental instead of purchasing.
The Container Art project is one such museum that houses not only traditional forms of art, but also serves as a stage for interactive cultural performances as well. Another example is the Nomadic Museum. Covering 45,000 square feet when assembled, the museum travels around the world, showing off its fine art collection to millions of people every year.

Shopping Centers

The Seventh Kilometer Market, located in Ukraine, is 2 stories high and covers almost two times more square footage than the Mall of America. You won’t find escalators or elevators in this mall; shoppers climb ladders to get from one level to the next!
Famous shoemaker PUMA has taken the lead for manufacturers to produce green shops. PUMA has taken old cargo containers to create three-story retail shops next to the water. Their functional space is both useful and environmentally friendly.

Business Thinking Green

Businesses around the globe are taking a cue from the green movement and using shipping containers in innovative ways. Made of hearty steel, they are being used for extra storage, modular office space and even tradeshow exhibitors will utilize a portable storage container as a showcase and sales booth. Rather than expanding buildings, which can be both costly and environmentally detrimental, business owners are also using shipping containers to create the space that they need.

If you’ve found that your business is expanding but your space is not, consider purchasing a recycled shipping container or two. These containers can be outfitted with plumbing and electricity, if need be, making them just as comfortable and every bit as functional as a traditional office space.

In a world of immediate gratification and disposable everything, it’s great to know that something used every day in global shipping can be upcycled for so many useful purposes. The next time you’re sitting at a railroad crossing, just let your imagine roam as you watch those shipping containers roll by.

The idea here is that by adding some ‘markup’ code to your site, you can make it so that articles that show up in search have a link to your Google+ page, a list of your other articles, and your profile picture. This allows users to put a face and a name to the articles they are reading, helps them to find more of your work if they enjoy it, and generally increases your number of clicks and your authority and branding.

That’s all good and well, but how do you go about achieving all that? Fortunately it’s fairly simple and shouldn’t take too long. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1 – Google+ Account

First things first, you will of course need a Google+ account for this to work. Set one up, and then make sure that you have a picture of yourself on there where your face is clear and distinguishable, and that you use your full and correct name.

Step 2 – Link Your Account to Your Site

Next what you need to do is to tell Google that you own your site, or know the person that does. To do this you need to give Google an e-mail address that uses the same domain as your site. You should have an ‘editor@mysite.com’ address, but if you don’t you’ll need to set one up. If you’re just a writer then you can contact the webmaster and ask them to do this. Do that, and you can then click the confirmation link they send you. Now your Google+ page will tell the world you’re a contributor to the website.

Step 3 – Create an Author Page

Now on your site create an author page. This is where you will write about yourself, your writing career and why people should be listening to you.

Step 4 – Add Your Credits

Now go through the articles on your site and add ‘By Your Name’ beneath all the titles. If you’ve already done this then great, skip to step 5.

Step 5 – Add the Code

Now you need to use the markup code. You can find this online, but for the most part what you’ll need is ‘rel=author’. Include a link so that your name links to your author page on your by line – so it’s ‘By <a href=”yourpage.htm” rel=”author”>Your Name</a>”. You don’t need to do this manually, you can use a tool like DreamWeaver and use a simple ‘find and replace all’.

Step 6 – Add a Button

Finally add a Google+ button to your site – both the individual articles and your author page. You can get the code from Google and it’s simply a matter of copy pasting. And voila, you are ready to go and Google will start to find your name in the text and include it in the SERPs over time.

This guest post was written by Jeet, he is a blogger and internet marketer and runs a small link building company, GetLinksPro.

Negotiating with creditors

Businesses that are struggling to repay their lines of credit can start addressing their problem by talking to their creditors, making them aware of your situations and requesting them for interest waivers, extended payment periods or a settlement for less than the net owed amount. A number of creditors will be willing to work with their clients to not only get payment, but also to keep hold of your small business as a consumer. Gather current statements and legal documents regarding what you need to pay to each and every creditor. Now list them on a sheet of paper and keep a track of any calls made to the creditor or calls received from them. Maintain a record of individuals you talked to, their contact numbers and a couple of sentences about what you discussed. Conduct a thorough assessment of your investments. Find out if you have any surplus money, which you may employ to settle any of these debts. Continue paying at least the minimum payments as this will save the accounts from turning delinquent and being passed over to collection agencies.

Debt consolidation

All businesses, whether small or big, go through a phase of low cash flow where debts appear to surpass earnings. While small businesses collapse under the pressure of debt, others survive and succeed through small business debt consolidation. For businesses with an increasing customer base and prospective cash flow, consolidating the entire outstanding debts into a single one via a commercial consolidation company could be an excellent debt solution. Once you consolidate the outstanding business debts into a single loan, the business can considerably lessen its monthly payments, condensing them into a single and affordable one. With a consolidation loan, the repayment period gets extended, helping the business to improve its profits. It may also reduce the interest the business is presently paying on its debt.

Fresh investment

You may also find out ways for new investment in the business. In case the business is basically strong, a fresh investor may get rid of the debts that affect the business by paying them off. This provides the business with an opportunity to redirect its debt payments into fruitful reinvestment. The disadvantage of finding out new investment is that, difficult provisions are claimed for the investment, and that the current owner’s equity in the trade will be diluted. Joint management decision-making might also be anticipated.

Low Cost Marketing:
There are hundreds of marketing firms available for hire. They offer their services and teams of professionals to take your brand and expose it to as many people as possible. However, these marketing firms are not cheap. Their packages can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars for just the smallest amount of advertising. If you are a smaller company with a limited budget, this kind of cost can be next to impossible.

However, if you have chosen to increase your knowledge by learning marketing, you now have professional marketing know-how without outsourcing to another firm. Your degree in marketing can play a big part in how successful your business becomes. You will know the latest methods of both internet and local marketing that you can use to grow your business.

More Control:
With many of the marketing firms, they have pre-packaged strategies that they use for many of their clients. With a degree in marketing, you can take care of your own advertising and control who sees your brand. If your company targets a certain demographic, you can aim your brand specifically toward them without spending money reaching the people who won’t benefit from your products or services.

Easy Implementation of New Strategies:
If your current marketing just isn’t working, you have the control to tweak and change where your brand goes, without the hassle of contacting and meeting a third party marketing firm. You can follow your current strategy and see which areas can benefit from change, and which areas are currently working. Using your knowledge in marketing, you can then change what needs to be changed and eventually creating the perfect strategy from the comfort of your own home or office.

Up to Date Methods:
If you are considering adding a marketing degree to your business, you may find the benefits of learning current marketing strategies to be well worth the effort. Many firms have marketing professionals that have been in the business for years, even decades. Since then marketing has taken a turn toward a more digital and social standing. With new technology and consumer habits, new marketing strategies are developed and in turn, taught to new marketing students. Making the decision to gain your marketing knowledge today will assure you learn the most up to date strategies.

If you are a business owner, you know the importance of a successful marketing strategy. You also know the value of a dollar when your company spending is involved. If you can’t afford to employ a large marketing firm, or you enjoy the control that comes with owning your business, you may want to consider a marketing degree or at minimum some certificate classes in this specialized field. Today, the success of a business is only as good as its marketing sense.

Andy Anderson is a career counselor and writes for businessmba.org, a site featuring the best online mba schools. You can also find information on the best paying careers for those with a Business MBA.

Interactive Walls:
If you are trying to stand out from the other booths surrounding you, an interactive wall may just be large enough to help. These walls utilize WiFi cameras to notice when someone is passing by and changes when they do. This can be as simple as changing colors, loading a new video display, or as interactive as tracking their movements and displaying an image that follows them.

Display Tables:
Anyone can place a table in a booth and call it a convention. However, if you are trying to stand out and gain the attention of those attending the convention, an interactive display table can help. These tables are basically large touch screen monitors that allow attendees the opportunity to interact with your booth. You can display your products, promotional videos, or even small games that will attract passers-by. This creates an engaging feature that visitors will flock to, allowing you to build a relationship as they begin to interact with the table and notice your brand.

Interactive Floor Projections:
Using the technology of wireless broadband internet, motion sensitive cameras, and projections, you can create an interactive floor to grab the attention of passers-by. The hardest part of operating a booth is pulling in the visitors. These fun floor projections can grab their attention by following them around as they pass by, directing them to your booth, or just creating a dancing display that can’t be missed. You can tailor the projections to show your brand, or even cycle through different projections to keep the visitors waiting to see what’s next.

Interactive Digital Screens:
Much like an interactive wall, these interactive screens allow visitors to interact, dwell and become engulfed in the display. By utilizing the visitor shadow on the screen, visitors can control what is happening in front of them. During the display, your advertisements, brand, products, or information can pop up periodically and help visitors become aware of who and what you are. These types of screens have shown great success in conventions and people have stood in line waiting for their turn. This also allows the opportunity to talk with the visitors as they are waiting.

Visitor Centers:
Using interactive monitors and wireless internet, you can create a visitor center that will allow your booth visitors a chance to learn about your company and even offer their contact information. By creating an interactive display of information and allowing your visitors to move through the menus at their own pace, you can engage them while they learn about your brand. Once they have read through the information, watched the videos, or browsed your products, they can enter in their contact information or email addresses to receive promotions directly.

Creating visitor interaction during a convention is an important aspect for success. You want to assure that you are offering an experience that is engaging and fun, to not only stop them as they pass by, but warrant a return visit so they can get more information. Attending a convention should not just be about building new leads, it should also be about building relationships with those visiting. With broadband technology and innovative displays, you can create a memorable experience and increase your brand awareness.

Tony Alvarez is a computer tech and writes for broadbandcomparison.org, a site where you can find phone and broadband deals and compare various broadband providers to find the best solutions for your business.

Brand Message:
People tend to identify with a brand more than they do a business owner. The same goes for those following your social media advertising. In order to generate more leads, you need to be sure your brand speaks to your followers and sends the right message. You want to assure your posts and interaction with these followers are also sending your message and identifying your company in order to build confident leads.

Differentiations:
The Internet, especially social media, is full of competition. In order to generate more leads than the other guy, you have to differentiate yourself from the others. You must create a personality with your social networking that will appeal to those in whom you are interested. Users don’t login to be bored and bombarded with cookie cutter advertising messages. Give the impression that you are just hanging out on the page with them, that you are a good friend offering a good message about your company. This will spark conversation and loyal leads.

Etiquette:
There is proper and improper etiquette in everything we do. When you are on your page attempting to generate leads, be sure to exercise good etiquette. Don’t slam your competition in an effort to sway others opinions. Linking only to your products will appear spammy and lose the interest of your followers. Try linking to other products and services from other companies that your leads may find useful, entertaining, or interesting. This will show you have an interest in them as more than just a lead and create credibility.

Feedback:
The purpose of social media is to, of course, be social. If your followers post a question or comment, they are looking for feedback. Use this as an opportunity to engage your followers into conversation, debate, or an exchange of opinions – in order to create a confidence between your company and your leads. This doesn’t always have to be directly related to your company. You can offer friendly advice, information on other subjects or even kudos to humanize your company.

Use Media:
Almost all the popular social networking sites allow users to post media for sharing. If you are attempting to generate leads for your company, use other media types. Try finding YouTube videos that have a relation to your products or services, but are also entertaining. For instance, if you sell rafts, find a video of wild white water rafting daredevils – or a story of someone lost at sea and living on a raft for weeks before being rescued. This will show you’re engaging and fun, and in turn, give you more loyal leads as the readers may also tweet out the video.

Using social media for lead generation can prove to be successful. However, it takes time, creativity, and personal style to create a warm presence in a world of copper wires and computer keyboards. Try to engage your leads in conversation and offer a personal touch instead of cold advertising posts that will be overlooked. You want your brand known, but you want to give the right message in order to win over your leads.

Sheila Barnett writes on personal finance and budgeting for financial calculator, a site providing interesting planning features and investment advice for your business and financial decisions.

Cost:
The bottom line of any marketing plan is cost. You don’t want to invest more money than you have regardless of the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. If you are considering using t-shirt promotions, consider: how many t-shirts, the quality of the shirts themselves, and the cost of the design. In the past, t-shirt printing could add up to a large investment. Today the cost of printing is lower, offering you a good price for a great marketing method. With some shirts starting as low as $.30 per shirt, you can’t afford not to order them.

Effectiveness:
Everyday millions of people meet new people, whether it is through work, social interactions or by going out to the grocery store. This creates the opportunity to market your company and brand. By offering free promotional t-shirts, your company can be on the chests of many different people, reaching many different groups, and can be seen every day. This is why the low cost investment is well worth the price.

Variety:
In t-shirt printing, as with many other advertising methods, you are given a variety of options. No matter what your brand looks like, feels like, or is imagined, you can have it transferred to a t-shirt. You can have many different variations, sizes, and themes. You can celebrate your company’s anniversary, a promotional event, or special function that your company is hosting. The options are limitless.

Easy Distribution:
As with any marketing plan, distribution is important. You want your advertising to reach the right people at the right time. With promotional t-shirts this can be easy to accomplish. Conferences, promotional events, street teams, conventions and trade shows are new opportunities for distributing your t-shirts to those who are already interested in your market. Use each event, and hand out your brand to those who inquire about your products or services.

Residual Advertising:
The one factor of using t-shirts in marketing that has sparked interest with companies is the residual advertising you receive. By paying for the marketing plan one time, you see constant and long-term results. By paying once for the t-shirts and handing them out, your shirts will be seen over and over again. This allows for residual advertising with only one investment.

Companies have been using promotional t-shirts for decades. Everywhere you look you can find a business, brand, or industry screen printed on a shirt. These companies and organizations know the value of properly marketing and keeping their name public. If you are considering promotional t-shirts, take all the factors into consideration and see if it is right for you and your company.

Tina Alvarez is a marketing consultant and really enjoys branding ideas like personalised t shirts and work wear, to get your name out in front of the public.

Social Networking Apps:

Instead of listing them individually, I would just group it together. Any social network worth joining has its own app. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and even LinkedIn have mobile apps that let you stay connected. Use them to keep up with conversations, tweets, followers, and friends. Post the latest news, pictures, or specials.

Flipboard:

This fast and stylish app allows you to see all the news, picture, video and updates from your social networks in an easy to navigate magazine style layout. You can even get updates from your favorite publications, blogs, and sites, to easily share with your friends and followers.

HomeBase:

This is a must have app for those on several different social networks. You can blast your updates, pictures and links to all of your networks instantly through one app. With HomeBase there is no longer a need to sign into each social media app and recreate the update over and over. Create it once and send it through them all instantly.

HootSuite for Twitter:

Use this elegant app for Twitter, Facebook and FourSquare. HootSuite allows you to connect and converse from anyway. Use it to send and schedule posts, track click stats, and monitor keywords, #hashtags and lists. A small but powerful app for anyone socially connected to their SEO.

Flickr:

Thousands of people and millions of photos can be found on Flickr. This app allows you to browse and share photos on the go. If you need an image for one of your posts, find it on Flickr, download it, and use it on your social network.

PitchEngine:

This fast app allows companies and businesses to get the word out. It is a social networking app with only one mission, to get your message to as many people as possible. Use it to give updates on products or services, direct them to your other social networks, or just keep them informed about your company or site.

SocialMedia:

This app connects you to a Twitter event held every Tuesday by #SocialMedia. Each week a different user hosts the event and gears the conversation towards furthering the advancement of social media in business. The discussions can be joined by anyone, but it benefits those using social media in their business marketing plan the most.

Spout:

This small app allows you to connect and relax as a flood of information tailored directly towards you comes in. You will receive the latest news, updates, messages and tweets from your Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds. You will see this message swirling, twirling and eventually landing momentarily on your screen before being whisked away for the next message to arrive.

If your business takes you on the road, there is no longer a need to miss out on your social network marketing. By using your smartphone you can stay connected and on top of all the conversations, tweets and news that you have coming in. In social media marketing, response is important and your business benefits from constant connection to the people connecting with your business.

Author Stephanie Sanders is a communications consultant and writes for mobilephones.org.uk, a provider of all the latest cell phones and many unique plans.

As a business owner and exhibitor, shipping containers are part of your day-to-day operations. Have you ever considered reusing or repurposing those containers instead of sending them back? If you haven’t, you aren’t alone. Many business owners simply unpack their goods and then send the containers back to the shipping company.

There’s a new trend taking place in the business world – re-purposing shipping containers! With the myriad of business uses, it simply makes good sense to utilize these containers. Here are ways that other businesses are making these containers work for them:

1. Conventions

Shipping containers have a great number of uses for conventions:

- If you are planning on attending a convention this year, keep the next shipping container you receive on your property or rent storage space off-site. Begin packing the materials, tables and chairs that you will be using for the convention into the container. When it’s time to attend the convention, you’ll be ready to go. The entire container can be hauled with you to the site of the convention or trade show.

- Use the shipping container on-site as part of your trade show display. It’s very easy for a metal worker to weld permanent shelves and hanging rods to the inside of your container. Simply roll up or open the door and you’ve got a ready-made display stand. Not only will it eliminate the need for unpacking and repacking but it will also be a great conversation starter.

2. Mobile Office

Every good business grows in time. You may find yourself growing so rapidly that you expand right out of your current office space. Shipping containers can be repurposed as mobile offices or for storage space. If you choose to use a shipping container as an office, you can have it outfitted with electricity and heat.

Shipping containers make perfect outbuildings for storage. Use the container to store your landscaping supplies, surplus office equipment or surplus products; virtually anything that you’re having difficulty finding space for can be kept in a shipping container. Used containers can be purchased at a discount, then painted inside and out, flooring installed, etc.

3. Emergency Shelters

Every office, by law, must have an emergency plan. Make your shipping container a part of that plan! By keeping your container, or several containers, on site, you can utilize them as meeting places during an emergency. For instance, in the case of a fire, have everyone exit the building and meet in their assigned container. This will allow you to better account for your employees, and even keep the work going, should an emergency occur.

4. Donate Your Containers

Many communities are beginning to learn of the value of shipping containers. From building houses to remodeling currently standing homes, shipping containers serve to aid the community. Containers can be torn apart and recycled into goods that can be sold in the community, boosting the economy. Find a company or group that will take your used shipping containers for these purposes and contact your tax advisor to find out if you can use your donation as a tax deduction.

Shipping containers have a wide variety of uses for your business and the community. These containers are built to last and are fantastic for mobile offices, trade show booths and even storefronts. Get creative with your use of these containers! You’ll save money by using what you already have and you’ll be doing the environment a favor at the same time.

Consultant Frank Sanders works with businesses to create new uses for recycled or reclaimed storage containers. Whether you’re thinking about storage containers for rent, or purchasing a recycled one for a business project, you’ll find their many uses inspiring!

HootSuite Pro:
If you are like most businesses, you have your company spread over many different social networks. With so many out there it is sometimes hard to keep track of them all. This tool allows you to bring all your social networks into one place. You can monitor all of your networks at once. You can easily engage in conversations throughout all of your networks which are an important part of keeping your followers interested.

RockMelt Social Browser:
Sometimes there is no time to sit on your Facebook or Twitter pages and keep up with all of the conversations going on, especially if you have other things to do online. With the RockMelt browser you can surf the net and be productive while monitoring your social networks. It combines apps with your browser so you are always connected no matter what else you are doing online.

Sprout Social:
This is another social network monitoring tool that brings all of your networks to one place. There are 6 main areas that allow you to effortlessly connect with everyone.

• Dashboard: This offers a comprehensive overview of all the latest activity from your networks. It gives you a real-time look at ongoing conversations and influences.
• Inbox: With the inbox you can see who is following you on Twitter, view updates to your social feeds, respond to Twitter @mentions and see Facebook and LinkedIn updates. You can also create posts for one or all of your networks through the interface.
• Contacts: This offers a chance to organize contacts, fans and friends of your networks.
• Discovery: In Discovery you can get up to the minute keywords searches and find Twitter users based on their biographical information, including location.
• Schedule: The schedule function allows you to schedule posts of a later time or date. This is helpful if you know you will be away during your normal posting times.
• Statistics: This will give you an overview on the popularity of your Twitter posts based on the number of re-tweets for each post.

TweetDeck:
This is one of the most popular third party Twitter applications. It will take your multiple Twitter accounts and combine them, making it easy to view activity from them all. It can also be used for Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, and other social networks.

It allows you to receive all your tweets and updates but also schedule posts. It supports posting images and videos and will even let you record from your webcam directly through the application. There are even mobile apps available for monitoring while you are on the go.

With social networking and business becoming more integrated, the more tools you have the better you will do. Creating your social networks can offer additional success in your business; however, without properly monitoring and engaging those social networks, you will miss out on the rewards. Check into the mentioned tools and see which ones will help you keep your social networks in order.

Web designer Mark Williams is a content contributor for www.mintleafstudio.com.au in Melbourne, Australia and highly recommends their work.