Blog : Little Lilypad Co

 frog-facebook     frog-instagram   frog-pintrest  frog-twitter

 

The Little Lilypad is a lifestyle blog mostly written by a mum to two beautiful, cheeky and entertaining daughters. It is sometimes written by the Man on the Pad or by one of our baby bloggers. Occasionally we accept guest posts too. There is frequently talk of sustainable living, saving money, lifestyle and travel. It is hopefully helpful, sometimes funny and always honest.

search engine by freefind advanced

 RSS Feed

Category: News

  1. 7 insane work from home productivity hacks

    Posted on

    The year is coming to end and never in recent history, have we all collectively worked from home for this long. But now employees are finding a little delight in this new work approach.  

    PIN - 7 insane work from home productivity hacks

    Among its innumerable benefits – zero commuting time and working in your most comfortable clothes, it still poses some challenges. One of them being a lack of productivity.

    So if you fall asleep in the middle of your work, or take frequent breaks, here are 11 insane work from home productivity hacks for you.

    1. Desk over the bed

    While working from your bed might provide you with great comfort. But with it, comes the ordeal of battling the temptation of a deep slumber. And most often, we succumb and fall back to sleep.

    Therefore it is important to set up a desk or workstation for yourself. Maintaining a straight and firm posture as you sit would further help you concentrate more.

    Additionally, you can take a 2-5 minute walk to chase away the slumber if it knocks you on your desk.

    2. Make a plan/ schedule 

    If you used to plan your day when you worked in the office, what’s stopping you now? It’s important to keep in mind that only your work location and timings have changed but the professional obligations remain as it is.

    Therefore, set targets for the day, set proper mealtime, and rest time, and don’t take too many breaks, this is all you need to stay productive.

    3. Don’t assume too many changes. 

    Work from home essentially comes with the perk of flexibility. However, being so flexible that you wake up at 11 isn’t a go-to approach if you want to boost your productivity. The reason being, your mind would so much be at leisure that you’d feel lazy when you start working.

    But, it’s fine if you give yourself an hour more to sleep. For example, if you used to wake up at 7 am to reach the office by 9, (1 hr to get ready + 1 hour to travel). You can cut the commuting time and wake up at 8.

    4. Note and analyse

    One highly dependable method of boosting productivity is to work as if you are experimenting upon yourself.

    In simpler words, note the time you take to complete a task. When the next time you do it, try to complete it much quicker than you did before.

    5. Stay away from distractions

    If there is anything other than laziness and lethargy that can prevent you from being productive, it’s the little distractions you find yourself submitting to.

    What is chiefly meant by distraction in this context is your urge to check your social media every five minutes. Every five minutes you waste this way, eventually piles up to become an hour. I am sure you can do better than that.

    Therefore, if you cannot keep your phone away, turn off the internet while you work to minimize distractions.

    6. Maintain a semi-work attire (Disclaimer: Completely subjective)

    Working from home allows you to work in your most comfortable clothes. For some, it boosts their productivity but for others, it does otherwise. The reason being, it robs them of the work-related, formal, and professional vibe they need to be productive.

    Hence, consider wearing a combination of clothes that are both formal and comfortable.

    For example, Top – formal shirts, Bottom – Loose formal pants. Skip the heels.

    7. Make use of writing pads

    Whether it is school or work, noting things down has always had the upper hand. The reason being, it helps you to be structured and systematic.

    So if there’s something you feel you should note down, feel free to grab a paper and get down to writing.

    Lastly,

    If you think work from home is a challenge, it is not. In fact, this is what these hacks are for, to help you through this change. Just think that there is a change in the situation and you are working like before.

    How do you conquer a lack of productivity while working from home? Or do you love it?

    PIN - 7 insane work from home productivity hacks (1)

     

     

     

  2. The Rise of Social Media Communities

    Posted on

    Nowadays, most businesses regardless of size, depends in some way upon social media to promote their business online. As a result, the rise of social media communities are growing rapidly. From the year 2017, to the year 2019, a massive number of people are joining online communities that remain ultimately beneficial for your business.

    PIN - The rise of Social Media Communities (2)

    Here are some facts regarding the social media communities that is worth knowing if you plan to operate online.

    The rate of increment of social media

    In recent trends, the growth of social media is increasing day by day. Most of the business houses are creating their own groups or joining social media groups in order to promote their business online or reaching to their customers. As a result, the growth of the communities are being observed. In the year of 2017, the growth rate was 72%, in the year 2018, it increased by 74% and in the year 2019, it becomes 76% which is an identifiable growth of communities in social media.

    How social media communities can help your business?

    While joining a social media community, a brand can become beneficial in several ways. Here is the list of benefits that you can get from the social media communities.

    Helps to build Brand

    First of all, it helps to create the brand value of a product. While using social media communities, you can promote your product in the online communities. As a result, the product will be reached by most of the people at a time and people will discuss your product and brand there. As a result, the growth of your product will be increased. People who will buy these products from you, will give their feedback to the group, which will ultimately increase the brand value of the product organically. So, in one word, it can be said that building brands organically, is the most effective advantage that you can get from the business.

    Increases trustworthiness

    If you serve a genuine product or quality products to your customer, you can be able to get positive feedback from your customers. In the group, they will give you positive feedback regarding the product and the trustworthiness of the product can be increased. People will learn about the products and will become eager to use it. In one way, it will increase the sales, on the other hand, it will increase the trustworthiness of the product.

    Helps to connect more people

    In social media groups, there is a scope to connect more people online. Keep options in your group, so that the people of the group can add more participants. By doing this, you will be able to increase the participants of your group. So, whenever you are launching any product in that community, you will be able to reach the product to a large number of communities. These social media groups work as a connection builder among the people, so if you also want to increase the brand value of your business, or want to connect more people, you can join the online community also. 

    Finally and maybe most importantly the whole thing is being done organically, you don't have to pay much to get this advantage from the business. Social media thrives on being sociable, so don't "dump" content and run, engage, chat and create a conversation!

    PIN - The rise of Social Media Communities

  3. 7 habits of self-disciplined women

    Posted on

    We always wish to live the life of our dreams, happy and peaceful. However, as we grow up, we realise that life isn’t as easy as it always seemed to be. Whether you’re working full-time or having your own business, it’s difficult to always stay motivated and lively.

    What I have noticed most while reading the biographies of highly successful women is that they are always so self-disciplined. These women faced struggles and every difficulty like we do but what kept them moving was their self-discipline and strong determination.

    PIN - 7 habits of self-disciplined women

    Self-discipline is quoted as the ability to make yourself do something you know you should do even when you don’t feel like doing.

    I have also learned that self-discipline is a skill and not something that we are born with. Thus, it’s always possible to develop this skill with certain habits. The self-disciplined women tasted success because they had certain rituals that they daily followed.

    Here are the 7 habits of the women who practice self-discipline:

    1. They take baby steps

    The highly successful women aren’t scared of big goals because they know what to do next. We all set some or other goals in the beginning of the year but fail when we reach halfway. This is not because our goals are too big, it’s because we never churned them into smaller steps.

    Self-disciplined women know their daily, weekly, and monthly goals and aren’t scared of taking one step at a time.

    2. They prioritize their work

    With the long To-Do list, it’s normal to get overwhelmed and leave the work halfway. So instead of having any to-do list, prepare a priority list that will help you deal with the most important goals first.

    Write three most urgent tasks to do instead of filling up the whole page of the to-do list and overwhelm yourself.

    3. They know when to say ‘No’

    Doing everything by yourself and considering it as the traits of superwomen will just make things worse for you. Learn to say ‘no’ when things get too much for you to consume. It’s okay to take a step back and prioritize yourself.

    Disciplined women are always goal-oriented and they don’t take crap from anyone.

    4. They love deadlines

    These disciplined women already know when they need to accomplish certain goals and they’re always moving forward having a deadline in their mind.

    When you have the end date to do certain work, it becomes easier to plan out the roadmap around it and crush that task.

    5. They practice self-care

    I always had this idea that self-disciplined women make themselves do things against their wishes, even when they don’t feel like doing it.

    However, this is so not true. Self-disciplined women love practicing self-care and they indeed prioritize themselves above every task.

    6. They love routines

    This is again something that will help you to develop a proper plan and structure for the day. Disciplined women don’t wake up randomly wondering what to do next. Their routine is always planned and structured to avoid any fuss.

    7. They always finish

    We all take up new projects and work super excitingly but just as we reach half-way, our excitement is busted into the air.

    Self-disciplined women take their work seriously and they know how to finish the task they started.

    I really hope that these tips will also help you develop a disciplined mindset and achieve your goals.

    PIN - 7 habits of self-disciplined women (1)

  4. How can social media marketing help small businesses succeed?

    Posted on

    I was having a conversation with some friends recently about social and media and one friend genuinely asked, "what is it that you actually do?". It is amazing to think that around the world, the use of social media is rising with over 4 billion users already being on some kind of social media platform but if you don't operate in that world, you don't understand the benefits it can bring to a business.

    PIN - How can social media marketing help small businesses succeed_

    Social media is now considered the most influential tool that businesses can use to promote their brand to potential customers. You are missing out on a ton of opportunities if you are not using social media for your brand. There are multiple reasons why social media marketing is considered necessary for small businesses. We will list some reasons why social media is the most reliable way to market and grow your small business. 

    1. It is incredibly cost-effective

    When it comes to small businesses, the biggest hurdle in their way is the lack of finance. Since most social media platforms don’t charge to create an account and start using it, it helps you cut out a little money on marketing. 

    All social media marketing needs is investing a lot of time and working hard to build a brand image. Even if you get the paid version, you won’t have to pay as much as some other marketing strategies. So social media marketing is an excellent way to promote your business with a strict budget. 

    1. A better way to interact with customers and build trust

    Social media is all about meeting and talking to new people and engaging with them. That is what makes it an awesome marketing tool as it enables you to get closer to clients. 

    You can talk to potential customers and tell them about all the services your business is offering. Your page will explain everything that they need to know about your business and make it easier for them to trust you. This trust is what will build relationships with customers that will last a long time. 

    1. Showcases your brand’s authority and dedication

    Customers have to understand that you are committed to what you are selling to get them interested. Social media marketing makes it easier for you to answer customer queries and understand their requirements. 

    Their feedback can help you improve your product or your business and get better. Contented customers will also help you promote your brand to others and give you more sales. You can have complete control over your promotion campaign and gain loyal customers as a result of it. 

    1. Enables you to get better SEO rankings

    If you have a blog or a website to promote your business, your social media account will play a major role in driving traffic to it. SEO ranking matters a lot because it generates leads much faster and more efficiently. 

    Social media marketing is another outlet where you can promote your website and understand what people think of it. You can also share snippets of your content on social media to get people interested in visiting your blog.

    1. Build awareness about your brand in the market

    Social media is the most amazing way to introduce your small business to the market. You can promote it to the potential clients in your local area and gain their attention. At the same time, it is a good way to let your competitors know about your brand.

    With more than one billion active users each month, there is no better platform to find potential clients. And the best thing is that you don’t even have to spend a ton of time doing it. A few weeks of building your social account and a reliable social media marketing strategy is all you need to succeed.

    Conclusion:-

    We understand how difficult it can be to improve sales as a small business. Social media marketing has been effective for many businesses around the world and there is no doubt it works just as nicely for a small scale business. We hope that this article helped you to understand the importance of social media marketing for small businesses. Don’t waste any more time and start using it for your own brand today itself! 

    PIN - How can social media marketing help small businesses succeed_ (1)