Four in twenty-five employees working from home admit they doze off during meetings, according to a survey by Best Mattress. The survey brings to light changes in sleeping patterns brought about in the era of COVID-19.

It was observed that respondents were slightly more likely to report negative impacts on the quality of their sleep than the quantity. With more and more people out of work or telecommuting during the pandemic many are going to bed late (49%).

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Falling Asleep During Meetings Working from Home

As a result, 48% of those surveyed say they are starting their day late, and a third admit to taking naps.

Those experiencing poor sleep prior to the pandemic seem to be especially impacted the most. Other findings of the survey include:

• 21% say they have slept through their morning alarm
• 36% admit to resting more than working
• 60% of poor sleepers and 30% of good sleepers report experiencing pandemic related anxiety
• 66% of poor sleepers and 41% of good sleepers feel lonely
• 61% of poor sleepers and 29% of good sleepers experience depression

 

image: bestmattress-brand.org

Impact of Sleep on Mental Health

Sleep and mental state go hand in hand. Poor or inadequate sleep can lead to irritability and stress, while healthy sleep can enhance well-being. Chronic insomnia may increase the risk of developing depression or anxiety. Understandably the unpredictable economic outlook and possibility of another wave of COVID can be the cause for sleeplessness.

More than half of the respondents (60%) say life was less enjoyable and reported they were “just holding on” until things get better. A further 50% say they are less optimistic about the future. And another 39% say handling the pandemic was getting harder each day.

People experiencing poor sleep are far more likely to feel disconnected, anxious, lonely, restless, and depressed. To improve sleep four methods seemed effective for the vast majority of respondents who tried them. They are following a bedtime routine, practicing mindfulness, adhering to a set bedtime, and exercising.

Image: Depositphotos.com

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The commercial entrance mat you see in front of the doors of a building is multifunctional. It may not seem like it, but a quality mat delivers more than meets the eye. And with the right entrance mat, you will protect both your visitors and the wear and tear of your property. Not to mention addressing the set of walkway safety standards that are in place.

So, when you are choosing your next commercial entrance mat, keep in mind the multiple jobs it will do as well as the safety standard it must also abide by.

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Best Commercial Entrance Mat

 

M+A Matting Polypropylene Fiber Entrance Indoor Floor Mat

Top Pick: At a 1/4” thick, three feet wide and 12.2 feet long, this mat by M+A is a heavy-duty outdoor solution. The polypropylene fiber system dries quickly whether it is indoor or outdoor. Using an exclusive water dam, the border keeps dirt and water in the mat and away from the floor.

The ridged construction stores dirt and moisture beneath shoe level using the rubber reinforced face nubs. This design also prevents pile from crushing in high traffic areas. The company says it is made from green-friendly rubber backing and it has 20% recycled rubber content.

M+A Matting 221 Waterhog Fashion Diamond Polypropylene Fiber Entrance Indoor Floor Mat

Buy on Amazon

 

Durite Recycled Tire-Link Outdoor Entrance Mat

Runner Up: As tough and reliable entrance mats go; this design is tried and true in all kinds of weather. Made from recycled tires, you can get this mat in sizes up to 36” X 72” to cover the need of most entrances. The open weave design keeps dirt, grime, and moisture off the surface of the mat.

One of the greatest benefits of this mat is its durability. These mats last for years and they are made from 90% recycled content.

Durable Corporation-108H3672 Durite Recycled Tire-Link Outdoor Entrance Mat

Buy on Amazon

 

Guardian Clean Step Scraper Outdoor Floor Mat

Best Value: Made from 100% rubber, this mat is lab and field-tested as well as being NFSI high traction certified. You can get it in three different sizes with the longest one at 10’ in length.

The molded tread design of the Guardian scraper outdoor mat gets dirt and grime away from shoes and traps it into the base of the mat. This is a solid mat for outdoor entryways as it also holds more than a gallon of water.

Guardian Clean Step Scraper Outdoor Floor Mat, Natural Rubber, Scrapes Shoes Clean of Dirt and Grime

Buy on Amazon

 

Durable Heavy-Duty Rubber Fingertip Outdoor Entrance Mat

Constructed of heavy-duty rubber the tiny fingers on this mat removes dirt and debris from shoes and traps them securely. The bottom of the mat has a corrugated pattern to keep it in place and the four sides have beveled edging.

The edging ensures the dirt stays in the mat and prevents tripping by providing a level field with the floor.

Durable Heavy Duty Rubber Fingertip Outdoor Entrance Mat, Black

Buy on Amazon

 

Wearwell Natural Rubber UpFront Scraper Mat for Outdoor Entrances

Made from natural rubber this mat has a low-profile designed to keep it from snagging on doors or tripping people. The upfront scraper with a quick-dry, open-slot design promotes drainage in wet or snowy weather.

Wearwell is a U.S. family-owned and operated business that has been manufacturing matting and flooring since 1950. The company’s green initiative is responsible for ensuring it uses 33% recycled content.

Wearwell Natural Rubber UpFront Scraper Grease Resistant Mat, Slotted, for Outdoor Entrances

Buy on Amazon

 

American Floor Mats Waterhog Fall Day Designer Red

If your business happens to have small doors and you want to make a statement with the entrance mat, this will do it. The design is beautiful to look at, but it also holds up to 1.5 gallons/square yard of water.

Constructed from quick-drying, anti-static polypropylene it is stain, fade, and mildew resistant with a gripper backing to ensure it stays in place. The mats are made from 20% recycled content.

American Floor Mats Waterhog Fall Day Designer Red Entrance Floor Mat with Gripper Backing

Buy on Amazon

 

Rubber-Cal “Paw-Grip” 100% Nitrile Non-Slip Rubber Matting

If you have a long walkway to the entrance of your business, this roll will protect your customers as they walk into your front door. This mat is made from 100% Nitrile non-slip rubber with a raised bar design to offer extra grip.

The holes throughout the mat provide quick drainage for wet applications. This mat is reversible, and you can also use it for wet indoor environments such as kitchens. Because it is 100% Nitrile it is compatible with a range of products and chemicals.

Rubber-Cal “Paw-Grip” 100% Nitrile Non-Slip Rubber Matting, Black

Buy on Amazon

 

How Do You Choose an Entrance Mat?

• Consider your type of business: Healthcare and hospitality industries have some specific needs. While manufacturing, construction and fitness industries have other requirements. There are standards for the different industries, so make sure the mat you buy addresses them.
• Size: Choose the biggest mat your budget will allow. This is because the bigger it is the more chances there are for people to clean their shoes before they get into your place of business. If it is too small, it cannot take care of more than one person at a time. And if they are in a hurry, they might just get in without even stepping on the mat.
• Material: The material you choose is going to depend on whether it is an indoor or outdoor mat. You can get materials ranging from rubber to woven seagrass, nylon, aluminum, cork, polypropylene, coconut fiber, nitrile rubber, PVC and others.
• Durability: The material you choose will dictate how long your entrance mat will last. Look for materials with characteristics capable of withstanding constant scraping and absorbing. This is going to allow the mat to trap the dirt and moisture while lasting longer.
• Aesthetic and Personalization: An entrance mat gives the first impression before a customer enters your place of business. Choose a color, design, and logo to highlight your brand. A custom entrance mat is a great way to communicate to your customers you are putting extra effort in extending your hospitality.

Safety

Slip and fall injuries are a serious problem when you enter a commercial building. And the role of entrance mats is especially important in addressing this issue. The 2012 update of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) B101 committee on Slip, Trip and Fall Prevention on walkway safety standards regulates the types of mats you must install in your entrance.

The ANSI/NFSI B101.6-2012 “Standard Guide For Commercial Entrance Matting In Reducing Slips, Trips And Falls” makes a number of recommendations. It provides the criteria for selecting, installing, inspecting along with the care and maintenance of entrance mats. This includes loose soil, moisture, un-flush edges on the mat, and improper installations as some of the issues the update addresses.

The Job of an Entrance Mat

An entrance mat must perform three key tasks to be effective. And this is made possible with the material, construction, size, and placement of the mat.

1. The first thing it must do is prevent moisture, dirt, and other debris from coming into the building. It does this by scraping the shoes and removing the debris as well as absorbing the moisture if it is wet.
2. If it does the first job properly, it will prevent slip and falls once people leave the mat and enter the building.
3. To make this safety standard possible, the mat needs to trap the dirt and moisture in place. Once it traps the dirt and moister, a quality mat will also prevent them from escaping and being carried by other people inside the building until it gets cleaned.

Indoor and Outdoor Mats

The job of indoor and outdoor mats differs greatly. The weather in your region as well the covering over the entrance will also play a role.

The outdoor mat needs to drain moisture while removing the debris on shoes including dirt and mud. These mats are commonly made with rubber, they have drainage holes, and nubs to clean dirt and mud.

Indoor mats can also perform all the tasks of an outdoor mat, and if the building only has one mat this is going to be the case. If you plan to only have an indoor mat, invest in the highest quality mat with a raised section and fabric top for wiping and scraping one’s shoes and absorbing moisture.

The ideal scenario is to have an exterior and interior entrance mat. This will not only do a better job, but the mats will last much longer.

As you can see an entrance mat does more than meets the eye. Its function goes far beyond the utilitarian role it is designed for.

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Images: Amazon

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Your computers and devices are the lifeblood of your small business — your company uses them to communicate with vendors, clients, make critical business decisions, and hold your trade secrets. That’s why you can’t afford to make any of the following cybersecurity mistakes:

Mistake #1 Underestimating Cybersecurity Threats

As businesses grow more dependent on the Internet, trolls and hackers use increasingly sophisticated tools to target them. Cybersecurity experts like Malwarebytes advise companies to be wary of the most common malware attacks.

• Computer viruses can quickly do incalculable damage by rapidly replicating on your system while modifying or deleting files and folders essential to your operation.
• Computer worms spread through your network, almost instantly infecting every computer in your business as they modify and delete vital data.
• Spyware quietly spies on you and your employees, and transmits your company’s sensitive information to cybercriminals for blackmail or industrial espionage.
• Keyloggers are a sneaky type of spyware that log your keystrokes and send them to hackers to help them commit financial fraud.
• Ransomware is an especially dangerous type of malware that locks your critical files, folders, systems, or entire network until you pay a ransom in the form of a nearly untraceable cryptocurrency,  a small fortune.

Many of these types of malware are delivered to you or your employees through phishing expeditions or Trojan horses. A phishing attack usually comes in the shape of an authentic-looking email to your company and carries fraudulent links or malware. Meanwhile, Trojan horses are malware disguised as legitimate software.

To combat these threats, you need the right antivirus software. But with so many options out there, you need to make smart choices. Not all cybersecurity solutions are created equal.

Mistake #2 Relying Exclusively on Your Default Security System

Whether your company uses PCs, Macs, your default security system isn’t strong enough to protect your business. For example, Windows Security has been criticized for weaker malware detection rates than other leading antivirus solutions and it has shown poor performance in hands-on phishing protection tests.

The subpar performance of Windows Security should alarm business owners because of the regular discovery of security vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system. Such security holes can be exploited by hackers to breach your system with malware and steal your data.

Unfortunately, Microsoft usually takes precious time to patch security holes. Your best defense is antivirus software that offers real-time protection and shields your valuable data from threats at all hours of the day, and one that actually analyzes the behavior of malicious programs to detect whether they’re targeting your system.

While Macs are traditionally safer than PCs due to a more tightly controlled manufacturing process from Apple, cybersecurity threats against Macs are growing by the day. According to the 2020 State of Malware Report, Mac software threats climbed 400% in 2019, more than Windows. It’s a good thing that well-reviewed antivirus software for Macs can crush malware, adware, spyware, and other threats.

Mistake #3 Relying on Free Antivirus Software

You wouldn’t use low-cost padlocks to lock your company doors, so why would you use free antivirus software to secure your business’s computers?

• Free antivirus software offers low detection rates
• Leading free antivirus software breaches your privacy by collecting data about your usage
• The most downloaded free antivirus software issues false positives to appear useful
• Many free antivirus programs carry bloatware and intrusive ads that slow your computers down to a crawl, hindering your business’s productivity.
• The most popular free antivirus solutions suffer from data breaches, making them counterproductive to use

When something is free, you need to ask yourself, “but at what cost?” Free antivirus software will cost you in the long run, whether compromising your uptime or tying up your time as you scramble for solutions once your system’s security is already compromised.

Remember, creating, running, and maintaining a comprehensive business security system that runs at lightning quick speed and prevents zero-day exploits, ransomware, or malicious downloads requires resources. When you use a free security solution, you pay for it one way or the other down the road.

Mistake #4 Not Being Proactive

It’s critical to be proactive when managing your company’s cybersecurity. Think of it as insurance that protects your business from worst-case scenarios.

According to Forbes, 28% of small- to medium-sized businesses experienced data breaches in 2019. While some companies took months to repair the damage, others struggled to recover and closed permanently. Small businesses like yours should take these attacks seriously, especially during the pandemic, as more employees work remotely, away from the safety of company computers and networks.

The right cybersecurity software for your business should secure and empower every member of your team, be lightweight, offer dedicated support, and work on various platforms. Moreover, it should be cost-effective.

Remember, there are 350,000 instances of new malware detected every day. Only advanced antivirus software can remediate such emerging threats by using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to recognize malware behavior based on patterns, scrutinizing the program’s overall structure, programming logic, and data.

Mistake #5 Ignoring the Bigger Picture

Safeguarding the integrity of your data is essential for your business, employees, and your customers. A security breach can permanently erode consumer confidence in your company and adversely affect your profitability and revenue.

A breach in your cybersecurity doesn’t just mean that your information is compromised — it means your clients’ data might be exposed as well.

When you’re a small business, you have no margin for error when it comes to cybersecurity. When some of the largest, most influential companies in the world suffer from data breaches, they have the resources to reach an astronomical global settlement with their clients. Can your small business afford to ignore the bigger picture?

As your small business’s digital footprint grows more prominent, you must subscribe to cutting-edge cybersecurity software in order to secure your business and focus on improving your profitability stress-free.

Images: Malwarebytes

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You have a website, and it is getting some good traffic, so how do you convert those visitors to leads? This is not an easy question to answer. However, Zoho is holding a free webinar titled, “Business Website Basics: Converting Visitors to Leads” to give you a basic understanding of what it takes to make it happen.

This is part of a series of webinars to give small business owners the tools they need to establish an online presence. The other sessions cover Setting Up Your Website, Establishing Your Brand Story and Elements of Website Design.

With this particular webinar, the trainers will cover CTAs, web forms, and Zoho PageSense to optimize your website through iterative testing.

The event will take place on November 17, 2020, from 7 pm – 8 pm EST.

If you can not attend the live event, you can register for it and Zoho will send you the recorded session shortly after it is over.

 

Click the red button and register, it is free.

Register Now

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Featured Events, Contests and Awards

Zoho Webinar: Converting Visitors to Leads
November 17, 2020, Online

Want to learn how to turn website visitors into leads? Then look no further! We’ll go over CTAs, web forms, and Zoho PageSense so you can see how to optimize your website through iterative testing.

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Getting Started with Zoho One
November 24, 2020, Online

A walk through overview of Zoho One using real case studies from Zoho customers to demonstrate different ways Zoho One can support your business. Join us!

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Small Business Saturday: #ShopSmall
November 28, 2020

Small businesses are counting on all of us – let’s show them how much they mean to our communities. From getting takeout to shopping online, every time you
#shopsmall, you’re supporting small businesses at the heart of your community.

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More Events

• VIRTUAL – Gen Z: Leading a Retail Revolution
  November 18, 2020, Online
• Diving Deep into Passive Activities and Real Estate Professional Status
  November 19, 2020, Online
• Yield Bookkeeping Small Business Owners Roundtable
  November 19, 2020, Online
• Tech Outlook 2020
  November 20, 2020, Online
• The Investment Summit
  December 3, 2020, Online
• Social Media Strategies Summit for Small Businesses – Virtual Conference
  December 8, 2020, Online
• LinkUpConferenceShow
  December 8, 2020, Online
• VIRTUAL – Beyond 2D: The Rise of Immersive Commerce
  December 9, 2020, Online
• VIRTUAL – Mind The Gap: Womxn Designing for Womxn
  December 10, 2020, Online
• DataScience Contest
  January 1, 2021, Online
• Rail Cybersecurity Summit USA
  February 9, 2021, Online
• 5th Advancing Project Controls Summit 2021
  February 22, 2021, Online
• HR Benefits Conference, April 2021
  April 7, 2021, Las Vegas, United States
• TECHSPO New York 2021 Technology Expo (Internet ~ Mobile ~ AdTech ~ MarTech ~ SaaS)
  April 15, 2021, Online
• DigiMarCon Mid-Atlantic 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  April 26, 2021, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• DigiMarCon New England 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 6, 2021, Boston, Massachusetts
• DigiMarCon Canada West 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 13, 2021, Vancouver, British Columbia
• DigiMarCon Canada East 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 17, 2021, Montreal, Quebec
• DigiMarCon Canada 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, Ontario
• DigiMarCon Canada 2021 – Digital Marketing, Media and Advertising Conference & Exhibition
  May 20, 2021, Toronto, Ontario

More Contests

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.

Image: Depositphotos.com

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More small businesses are now online, which requires shipping items to their customers near and far. This means ensuring the safety of each item during shipping with the right packing material. Bubble mailers protect the item you ship so they arrive at their destination safely.

Another benefit of using bubble mailers is they are an easy and cost-effective way for your business to protect your merchandise. While boxes provide added protection, bubble mailers can offer similar protection for small items without added cost.

The key is to ship items with bubble mailers that do not require heavy-duty protection because they have their limitations. Take a look at our list of the best bubble mailers for the next time you need to ship an item to your customers.

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Best Bubble Mailers

 

UCGOU Black Poly Bubble Mailers

Top Pick: This is one of the most reviewed bubble mailers on Amazon with 10,261 ratings. The UCGOU mailer is opaquer, even though it is black, than other mailers. This feature hides the items you have in the envelope. The envelopes are self-sealing, and the line of the bubbles is at 80gsm or (grams per square meter).

UCGOU 6×10 Inch Black Poly Bubble Mailers Padded Envelopes Shipping Bags 50pcs

Buy on Amazon

 

Metronic Poly Mailers

Runner Up: The Metronic bubble mailers are made with multilayered polyethylene sheets to protect the content within it. The self-adhesive envelope has a tamperproof seal so you cannot open it without any visible signs. Best of all, Metronic offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Metronic 25pcs Poly Bubble Mailers 10.5×16 Inch Padded Envelopes #5 Bubble Lined Poly Mailer Self Seal Classic Blue

Buy on Amazon

 

Scotch Bubble Mailer

Best Value: This bubble mailer comes from Scotch, a brand known for its packing materials. This kraft-paper mailer has a durable barrier to protect your item along with the bubbles. The company says the bubbles have superior burst strength capable of resisting punctures or tears.

Scotch Bubble Mailer, 10.5 x 15.25-Inches, Size #5, 25-Pack

Buy on Amazon

 

GSSUSA White Poly Mailers

The end-to-end self-adhesive tapes on the GSSUSA bubble mailers ensure a tight waterproof seal. You can get these mailers in five different colors and three different sizes (4×8,6×10,8.5×12). This company also offers 100% satisfaction with each purchase.

GSSUSA White Poly Bubble Mailers 6×10 Padded Envelopes #0 Shipping Envelopes Self Sealing

Buy on Amazon

 

Sales4Less #5 Poly Mailers

Made from polypropylene the Sales4Less bubble mailers have 3/16” bubbles to cushion the items you put in the envelopes. It provides a puncture, tamper, and water-resistant container once you seal it with the peel-and-seal self-adhesive strip. The company also offers 100% satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.

Sales4Less #5 Poly Bubble Mailers 10.5X16 Inches Padded Envelope Mailer Waterproof Pack of 100

Buy on Amazon

 

Fuxury #5 Inch Mailer

Fuxury has mailers in eight different colors. They are made from heavy-duty 100% plastic using hot-pressing technology to ensure durability. The envelope is lined with air cellular layers and 360°strong air bubble technology. And it includes a white inner liner to protect the privacy of the content. Fuxury offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee with its products.

Fuxury #5 10.5×16 Inch Forest Green Bubble Mailer Self Seal Padded Envelopes Pack of 25

Buy on Amazon

 

LIMNUO Poly Mailers

This line of poly mailers come in three colors and three different sizes (4×8,6×10,8.5×12) at an affordable price. Made from polypropylene material, it will not add to your shipping cost while protecting your item inside from moisture.

LIMNUO 25pcs Pink Poly Bubble Mailers 8.5×12 Inch Padded Envelopes Self Seal Envelopes Bag

Buy on Amazon

 

Choose the Best Bubble Mailer

• Size: When you buy a bubble mailer, you must consider two dimensions; the interior and exterior dimensions. The interior dimension is the usable size. This is what the mailer will hold inside. And the exterior size is for shipping costs.
• Self-seal mailers: These envelopes are not small and if you are a business you are probably sending out many of them. You do not want to be licking large envelopes to seal them. Self-sealing mailers have a strong adhesive that provides a tight seal.
• Paper or plastic: Kraft paper is strong, but it has its limitations when it comes to moisture. Poly bubble mailers on the other hand are waterproof. Choose the mailer depending on what you are shipping and the protection it requires.
• Branding and color: If you need a large number of bubble mailers, you can get custom colors and even have your brand on the envelope. This is a great way to send your package in style while advertising who you are during the transit.

Bubble mailers have become an essential part of eCommerce when it comes to shipping. If you are doing a lot of shipping as part of your business, invest in custom envelopes with your brand, logo, and color on it. This will add yet another differentiating factor customers will appreciate.

ALSO READ:

Images: amazon.com

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In the past, consumers often had to choose between eco friendly products and practical ones. But now, there are better options for producing these materials. So people can now enjoy the best of both worlds.

This combination is exactly what Bamboozle brings to the market. Learn how the company brought these two factors together in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

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What the Business Does

Sells eco-friendly homewares.

Brand Manager Avishai Greenstein told Small Business Trends, “Utilizing a revolutionary process, our responsibly made unique bamboo fibers blend is molded into stylish homeware products that are made from reclaimed, renewable, and biodegradable materials. We have brought a sensible and convenient step toward green living into homes, through our practical, affordable, and beautifully designed collection.”

Business Niche

Mixing sustainability with practicality.

Greenstein says, “While many consumers desire to make more sustainable choices, their daily lives allow for little sacrifice. Design, usability, and price tend to dominate their priorities. By understanding what is possible in the realm of sustainability and simultaneously acknowledging their needs we have assembled a product line that empowers customers to make better choices easily.”

How the Business Got Started

By accident.

Greenstein explains, “We were requested by a factory to find a new use for defunct machines destined to be scrapped. We found that we could through trial and error reduce the amount of resin in favor of more natural filler. From our experience we also knew that furniture factories produce large amount of waste in the form of sawdust that is usually incinerated. By using that waste as the filler, we had created something that was sustainable, dishwasher safe, and biodegradable.

“We took the product to the Inspired Home Show (formerly The International Housewares Show) we had hoped to find a major retailer interested in a sustainable material. Instead of a traditional sourcing partnership we found that all our interest was coming from independent retail and media. To serve that interest we built our collection and the Bamboozle brand.”

Biggest Win

Developing a popular composter product.

Greenstein adds, “It was an independent store that suggested it would fit within our brand’s image. We put a lot of value in what our customers tell us and developed the composter with the understanding that design is just as important, if not more so, as sustainability in the eyes of the consumer.

“For the first year, with lukewarm sales we had thought it was yet another trial that yielded mixed results. However, after a major online retailer and tastemaker had presented it to their audience it took off. Funny enough the store that suggested the composter never did order it. The composter now accounts for a rather large percentage of our sales and taught reinforced two core concepts in out development process. First, listen to everyone’s input and weigh it carefully as a comment can make a future. Second, the right product takes its time to find its audience.”

Biggest Risk

Moving the business.

Greenstein explains, “We had limited warehouse space and no drop ship capability from our location in New York and were growing quickly. We knew that the future of our business would require those capabilities to survive and at the time it seemed like the best option.

“The move proved to be quite disruptive and costly. A few employees had chosen not to move, and some moved back after trying to live in both places at once. It also created a rather large distraction that took us away from our core business. However, as ecommerce grew our bet had started to bare fruit. Our investment into inventory, space, and drop shipping capabilities became the core of our business. Especially now when ecommerce is the only way to safely shop for many consumers.”

Lesson Learned

Take advantage of earned media for marketing.

Greenstein says, “We had spent significant resources on pay per click ad that yielded disappointing sales. It was only through public relations that our story could really be told properly and attract our true audience.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Product development.

Greenstein adds, “We are constantly looking for ways to make new materials and products that push the boundaries of sustainability. The process is time consuming and requires us to build partnerships that require us to make inventory commitments on untested products. Having the extra assets to assume that risk can go a long way to speeding up this ongoing process.”

Team Strategy

Take risks as a team.

Greenstein explains, “Many of us came here from the corporate world where decision making is a personal risk. Our goal from day one was to change that in two ways. First is to build a trust between every part of our company to suggest ideas and take risks without fear. Fear of failure is an incredibly difficult thing to unlearn but the results are profound. It had reduced politics, stress, and allowed creativity to become our core language.

“Second was to distribute the burden of a decision by including as many stakeholders in it as necessary. This had a very positive side effect allowing different departments and expertise to add input on projects that may not have to do with their direct work. Having a customer service agent in a development meeting, or a marketing manager in an operational meeting brings perspectives that have allowed us to operate as a cohesive unit.”

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Image: Bamboozle

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Industry 4.0 is the latest evolution of the Industrial Revolution, which began in 2011 with advances in data storage, networking, and artificial intelligence.

A new highly informative infographic and report by PARTsolutions titled “Industry 4.0” highlights the history of the Industrial Revolution as well as where 4.0 is heading.

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What is Industry 4.0?

Industry 1.0 started in the second half of the 18th century with mechanization from 1760 – 1830. Machines and tools replaced the agrarian society driven by animal and human labor. Iron and steel along with steam ann internal combustion engine made this possible.

Industry 2.0, mass production, was from 1870 – 1940. Assembly lines, stainless steel, and plastics along with railways and telegraph made mass production and logistics more efficient.

Industry 3.0 was from 1950 – 2002 and it was driven by digitization. Telecommunications, electronics, and IT introduced automation using robots and PLCs (programmable Logic Controllers). This also ushered in the era of machines doing jobs which in the past were performed by people.

Industry 4.0 Explained

Industry 4.0 brings different components of the three previous stages of the Industrial Revolution for a more efficient and smarter manufacturing process. This is primarily made possible with smart and autonomous systems fueled by data and machine learning.

Data storage, networking, and artificial intelligence now work together with sensors in manufacturing plants to provide a comprehensive view of the entire process. An interconnected and centralized system can keep track of everything from raw materials to the final output and customer delivery. And it does this while providing diagnostics and analysis for a highly optimized and streamlined process from beginning to end.

However, to make 4.0 function at its most optimal, it requires four key components.

Industry 4.0 Components

It all starts with digital transformation. Companies large and small must go through it to fully take advantage of all the benefits in Industry 4.0. Whether it is from analog to digital or digital processes to an automated systems strategy, the transformation is essential.

Smart communication is next because of the massive amount of data this system will be processing. Machines need to communicate with other machines and analyze this data in real-time. Because of the sheer volume of the data, it is impossible for humans to analyze the information in a timely manner. Advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence is speeding up processes across virtually all industries.

The next component is the data quality. Because the technology relies on data, the quality of the data needs to be of the highest quality. Collecting data just because you can do it does not mean you will have the best possible results.

Smart devices are next. They will connect with each other and collect the data to make it available in real-time in order to optimize processes. This includes everything from sensors that are part of the Internet of Things (IoT) to robots all using Machine to Machine (M2M) communication.

Small Business and Industry 4.0

More than 90% of manufactures in the U.S. are technically classified as ‘small’ or ‘medium.’ Accessing the agility, efficiency, productivity, reliability, speed, and quality Industry 4.0 can deliver will allow them to compete and thrive.

The challenge in the adoption of Industry 4.0 is education. And industries across all segments can use the technology Industry 4.0 demands. This includes manufacturing, construction, electronics, automotive, transportation, food & beverages and many others.

If you are a small manufacturer, Automation Alley sponsors a weekly Tech Takeover event that will get you up and running.

 

Take a look at PARTsolutions’ fantastic infographic for more on Industry 4.0.

Image:PartSolutions

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