Business

If you are looking forward to getting your business out there and competing favorably, you must start with sustainable product packaging.

You should consider many factors when choosing your product packaging option, such as the type of product you are offering, state regulation on the packaging, and how you expect customers to respond to your brand.

Choosing to go for custom plastic packaging for your products makes your business unique in the market. This article mentions some of the benefits of effective product packaging and why you should not hesitate to package your products appropriately if you want to establish a brand.

1. Displays the product 

The first reason you should adopt the right product packaging for your brand is to display and promote your products from within.

For instance, if you’re offering food products, you can specify all the ingredients used in manufacturing the products so that your customers have full information on the nutritional value of consuming your products.  This way, you promote customer satisfaction and manage consumer expectations.

When customers are more informed about the product, they are more likely to buy and remain loyal to a brand.

2. Protect the product from physical damage

During the shipment of a product from the manufacturer to the retailer, it comes into contact with many things that only the package can safeguard from physical damage. Even after reaching the retailers’ doorstep, the product still needs proper packaging to remain intact while on the shelves.

Additionally, to ensure the product’s safety and integrity, you need to package and sell your products. Sealing your products is one way of signaling to customers the original products from your company.

3. Product differentiation 

Proper product packaging is the first tip for differentiating your brand from those of your competitors. If you have a unique product package, customers can easily spot your products from the shelves and order for one.

In most cases, retailers group similar products on the same shelf, which means that customers may find it challenging to spot your brand if you don’t package your products differently. Choose a unique design for product packaging if you want your customers to find your product easily.

4. Attracts customers 

The main objective of product packaging is to make your product presentable and persuade customers to buy. When choosing the best product package, you should also look into your customers’ tastes, need, and preferences.

Pick a product package that creates an excellent first impression that will get customers holding your brand for the first time. When selecting product packaging, some qualities to consider include the quality of the material, color, and style.

Final Thoughts 

It is not easy establishing a brand in a flooded market and making customers associate with products. Product packaging is one of the many tools you can use to showcase your brand and make it more visible before the target customers.

Therefore, you should choose a product package that creates the best impression on your customers if you want to win their hearts and make them buy. With so many benefits of proper product packaging, you have a reason to choose the best product package for your brand.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category

You may be aware that managed IT support services can save you money and time, whether by improving the security and stability of your systems, reducing strain on internal staff, or shifting the burden of compliance.

It’s one thing to hear about these benefits, but it’s another to know how they apply to your company and what you stand to gain in the process. This is worth considering, as growing businesses that lack sufficient technical expertise and resources are increasingly at risk of falling behind. Here’s why managed IT support services are the solution.

Affordability

For many companies, the main draw of managed IT support is that it’s more affordable than hiring in-house staff. The latter approach demands significant ongoing investment, often proving impossible for SMBs to maintain. It makes far more sense financially to outsource your IT needs to an external team of professionals.

Aside from reducing operating costs, managed IT support services bring predictability to your expenses. This is due to a subscription-based pricing model where you pay a contracted monthly fee based on what was provided.

Scalability

By working with a managed IT support firm, you ensure that your business always has access to the latest technologies. Their advanced industry knowledge makes managed IT support teams capable of handling complex issues and requests, keeping you ahead of the curve. Plus, you’re free to scale and specify the services you require as necessary.

Reliability

Any established IT support provider will be available around the clock and offers 24/7 network monitoring. In doing so, they minimize downtime that could otherwise disrupt operations and cause major financial and reputational damage. This kind of assurance and stability is rarely achievable within the constraints of company resources.

Security

It’s estimated that around $2,900,000 is lost to cybercrime every minute. The victims include businesses of all sizes and sectors, with smaller organizations becoming increasingly popular targets.

For an SMB to successfully implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures and stay on top of new threats alone is an unrealistic premise in today’s digital landscape. You also need to adapt to ever-changing policies and regulations, not to mention proving to stakeholders that they can trust you to safeguard their data.

These are some of the cybersecurity challenges that a managed IT support team can help you overcome. By leveraging their expertise, you can rest peacefully knowing that your security systems are up to scratch.

Flexibility

So, what happens to your in-house team when their roles are replaced by outsourced technicians? You don’t necessarily have to remove them. In fact, both parties can work together, augmenting each other for short or long-term projects.

Also, external support can take on menial and repetitive tasks that hinder your own team. This gives your employees the freedom to focus on growth-oriented work that they enjoy, which can do wonders for your productivity.

The same applies to you as the owner or team leader. With a managed service provider taking care of your IT department, you have the ability to focus on more important areas in your business.

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Technology has become such an essential tool for a lot of people by supporting the gig economy. Surviving a pandemic requires people to protect themselves, which has led to lockdowns and other restrictions. Because of this, a lot of people’s jobs and careers have been put on hold, which has made the times even more challenging. The gig economy has become a savior for a lot of people.

It Saves Money

In a pandemic, every dollar counts. No one truly knows when an emergency might arise or when they might need extra money for something important. Fortunately, the gig economy can help a person save money big time. For starters, there is no commute, which can help save a lot of money on gas or transportation. People can also save up all the money they’d otherwise spend on everyday expenses at work. All the saved income can be a person’s security blanket during these trying times.

Availability of Opportunities

One of the tragic effects of the pandemic is the loss of work and employment opportunities for a large percentage of the workforce. This means that workers who need to earn money during the pandemic have to find alternatives, at least until they can return to their usual jobs.

Thanks to technology and platforms like Shiftsmart, people can find opportunities anywhere depending on their preferences. They can find companies that have open options and land work if they have the right skills.

It Offers Lots of Flexibility

People have so much to think about, and so much to do, such as caring for their kids or a loved one or even studying. This means that working full-time might not be a viable option. The gig economy affords you the flexibility to decide the types of jobs you want, the platforms you love to work on, and the schedule you prefer.

In the gig economy, if you can differentiate yourself and prove the value you provide to your customers and clients, you will be better positioned to choose job offers that are flexible. This can go a long way in helping you manage everything else that matters in your life.

Forming an LLC is not as easy as many would assume. To make sure you are on the right track of doing things, you need to know what the procedures and requirements are.

One vital requirement in forming an LLC is having a registered agent. This article will inform you on what is a registered agent and why is it an important requirement in forming an LLC.

What is a Registered Agent?

State-registered entities such as LLC and corporations are required to have a registered agent. A registered agent or formally referred to as a registered agent for service of process, serves as an agent of record, statutory agent, or resident agent.

The primary role of a registered agent is to act as a recipient of legal documents on behalf of the registered business. These legal documents often include direct communication between the state and the business in various forms, such as the following.

1. Documents related to tax, such as documents from the IRS, Franchise Tax Board, and other government tax agencies.

2. Corporate filing documents such as notices or reminders on information filing. This can also include other documents sent from the secretary of state office.

3. Legal documents such as notice-of-litigation.

Forming an LLC

In forming an LLC, there are requirements that would be acquired such as creating a unique name that should include “LLC”, hire a registered agent, file the Articles of Organization or Formation in other states, create an operating agreement, and file for EIN.

Like in other states, Indiana requires the details of the LLC’s registered agent such as its name and address in filing the Articles of Organization. Filing fee varies depending on the state, for example, the Indiana LLC Cost for Articles of Organization has a minimum fee of $95 if you submit it online or $100 if you submit by mail.

You must keep in mind that your registered agent must have a physical address in the state where your LLC will be formed.

Requirements for a Registered Agent

The requirements for the registered agent will significantly depend on the state in which you formed your LLC. In general, these may include the following.

1. Assigned Physical Location – One critical requirement a registered agent must have is a physical street address. P.O. Box addresses will not be accepted as an address you can use as a registered agent. Moreover, the address should be the same as the business location.

2. Normal Business Hours – Another critical requirement is an established business hour. A registered agent should be available during general business hours to accept the service of process. General business hours should be Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Who can be a Registered Agent?

If you are yet to decide on who to assign as a registered agent, here are three options that you can consider.

1. You as a Registered Agent – assigning yourself as the Registered Agent is one option that you can go for. However, before that, you should check with your state if this is allowed according to their guidelines. Several states will enable the company to serve as its own Registered Agent.

2. A family member or friend as a Registered Agent – Another alternative you can consider is assigning a family member or a friend as a Registered Agent. This option may be ideal in the sense that it will allow you to maintain a level of privacy.

However, assigning someone else as a Registered Agent will also have risks such as delayed delivery of essential documents, compliance risks, reliability of maintaining documents and business hours, and tracking annual report documents.

3. Hiring a Commercial Registered Agent – the third option is to hire a Commercial Registered Agent for your company. Using this option will give you the assurance that somebody is present during business hours at the registered address to receive notices and other documents. Commercial Registered Agents are also trained to monitor and promptly notify and forward notices and other documents to you in a timely manner.

Hiring a registered agent is one of the most important aspects in launching an LLC, this agent will serve as your business’ representative in receiving important legal documents. That’s why it’s important to have the best registered agent as it will help your business in terms of keeping legal records in place and avoiding legal problems.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category

Medium-sized and small businesses are always concerned about standard deductions such as supplies and rent. However, there are lesser-known costs one can leverage to get a more considerable refund debt.

The lesser your tax liability, the higher chances you have to excel in business. You can get to that by writing off some business operation expenses legally. In a moment, we will discuss prominent small business tax deductions for 2020 and 2021 to help in future planning.

What do you understand by a Tax Deduction?

A tax deduction is also termed as a tax write-off. It’s merely an expense that can be deducted from the income you are taxed on. You just have to subtract the expense amount from your taxable earnings. In short, tax deductions lessen the tax burden for small business owners. All the same, the deductible expense must meet IRS conditions for a tax deduction.

Below is an extensive list of tax deductions available to small business;

Salaries and wages

Payment to workers includes bonuses, commissions bonuses, salaries, wages, plus taxable fringe benefits. These are deductible expenses for businesses.

However, payments made to LLC members, partners, and sole proprietors aren’t wages. That’s saying that they don’t fall under the category of deductible business expenses as the owners are not workers. Nevertheless, in an S corporation or C corporation, the owner can be titled as a worker and even get a salary, but that is if the owner is carrying out primary roles.

Contract labor

Most small business owners rely on independent contractors and freelancers to provide labor. Such contract labor cost is deductible. But you must give Form 1099-MISC to the contractor who is getting $600 or even more from you. If the contractor is paid through PayPal or credit card, the processor will decide whether to give Form 1099-K to the Independent contractors. Furthermore, for personal protection, you may choose to send your 1099-MISC.

Supplies

The cost of small business items such as cleaning supplies is deductible expenses. Besides, if you opt for de minimis safe harbor, that will allow you to cut on the cost of such items as vacuum cleaners and tablets instead of depreciating. Such things are categorized as non-incidental materials/ supplies.

Depreciation

Sometimes, it’s possible to write off the entire cost for business items you bought in the tax year you purchased them. This also covers Section 179 deduction- it permits you to cut the full cost of items bought up to a set dollar limit which was $1,040,000 in 2020. There are other limits linked to section 179 deductions.

Also, there is a bonus depreciation allowance. This bonus allows you to write off 100% of the cost incurred on computers, furniture, appliances, equipment, and machinery.

Advertising and promotion

Marketing cost is 100% deductible. This covers things such as;

·         Hiring an expert to design your business logo

·         Printing business brochures and cards

·         Sending cards to your customers

·         Creating a new website

·         Sponsoring an event

·         Buying ad space in print/ online media, among others

Nevertheless, it’s not possible to subtract amounts that have been paid for legislation purposes or money paid to sponsor political events.

Business meals

You can subtract 50 percent of qualifying beverage and food costs. Furthermore, you can subtract 50 % of the cost incurred in feeding your workers, such as purchasing pizza for supper when your employees work late. Business meals provided at office picnics or parties can be written-off 100%.

Be sure to document such occasions and include the amount incurred on each expense, place of the meal, day, and the business relationship of the people who ate the dinner. At the back of the receipt, you can also highlight what you discussed.

Business insurance

Did you know the amount paid for business insurance is deductible? It includes the following;

·         Assets coverage (equipment, buildings, and furniture)

·         Liability coverage

·         Malpractice insurance or professional liability

·         Auto insurance for company’s vehicles

·         Group health, vision, and dental insurance for workers and so on.

Bank fees

It’s an excellent idea to have separate credit cards and bank accounts. In case your credit card company or bank charges monthly or annual service charges, overdraft fees, or transfer fees, all these can be deducted. Besides, you can write off third-party payment processor fees such as Stripe or Paypal.

Note that you cannot write your credit cards or personal bank accounts.

Education

Education costs are 100% deductible, provided they are essential for your business. However, the IRS must evaluate your education cost to decide whether it qualifies. Therefore, it will check whether education helps to sharpen the skills needed in your business. Some qualifying business education expenses include the following;

·         Webinars and seminars

·         Books related to your industry

·         Classes to sharpen business skills

·         Transport cost incurred when going to class

·         Workshops for increasing expertise

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category

If you have taken the plunge and have become self-employed, or you are thinking about it, then we have some tips for you. It may seem like a daunting prospect that you don’t have a manager to fall back on, but as long you have done your research and are confident in your business model, it doesn’t need to be stressful.

Below are our top tips about everything you need to know when it comes to self-employment.

Work-life balance

One of the biggest pros to becoming self-employed is the work-life balance. When you are your own boss you can decide the days you work and the times you start and finish. This is great if you have a family, or you are simply tired of working the regular 9-5 as you can decide when to switch off.

While this can reduce stress and make working more enjoyable, being self-employed can sometimes have a negative effect too as you may find yourself overworking as it’s your business which can lead to stress and reduced energy levels. Before you start your new career, you should have a plan to find the perfect balance to suit your lifestyle.

There are start-up costs

Another element you need to consider is the start-up cost. When you work for a business you will be provided with all of the equipment you need to do your job, but when you are self-employed, you are responsible for everything. Depending on the industry you’re in, you will need specific equipment, but generally, all businesses will need to think about buying a laptop or desktop computer. Don’t forget to budget for this and for any software you may need too.

Don’t forget about tax

While being self-employed can make life a little easier thanks to being your own boss and deciding your own hours, it does mean you are fully responsible for filing your tax forms. If you are unsure how to do this, you should invest in either a system that walks you through it or hire an accountant to help. Hiring an accountant will come with a higher cost, but there are kits available to make filing your taxes much easier so you can avoid that cost.

Your pay may be irregular

One of the biggest things you need to consider when becoming self-employed is that your pay me be irregular. This means you could struggle to get a mortgage or borrow money as your salary may vary. This will require more planning, but over time, you may see a regular income as your business grows and you become more experienced in handling your time, workload and finances.

While being self-employed brings with it many challenges, it also offers a chance to make the big decisions and decide what’s best for you and your career.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category

Dallas is a metropolis city of Texas, buzzing with the cultural and commercial life of the region. A lot of young professionals and their families have chosen Dallas as their home. For a beautifully structural residential property, It is always advisable to hire a professional. A residential structural engineer Dallas will be the right choice to construct a residential property. A recent survey revealed that 86% of people who contacted a house inspector found at least one problem in the house structure. An expert can help not only to identify but avoid that issue altogether.

Who is a residential structural engineer?

A residential structure engineer is a certified professional who performs evaluation and design services for structures. As an expert in foundation, roofing, and building structures, a structural engineer can provide their client with various services. The selection of the right residential structural engineer is significant for the successful completion of the project.

When to hire a residential structural engineer?

The need to hire a residential structural engineer is in the following circumstances.

• Sale of a house- To get the right amount from your property, it is vital to get it assessed by an expert first. Before placing the property in the market, it is critical to repair the property’s severe damages.
• Renovation- An expert best conducts the extent of damages in the property and assesses repairs’ cost.
• Buying a home: The best way to assess the actual value and the house’s condition is to get it inspected by an expert. The expert can guide you through negotiating the price of the repairs if required.
• Foundation issues- Small cracks in the foundation are not a matter of concern, whereas over a quarter of an inch is a matter of concern. Unchecked problems become more significant problems later on.
• Damage to your home- Incase of natural calamities like storms, get the claim from an insurance company. A residential structural engineer in Dallas will be of great help.

Tips to look for a residential structural engineer in Dallas

The first step is to vet a professional is vital. To develop trust and handling responsibility for your structural property, you need to build a confidence level to do so.

1. Well Qualified

A person who understands the building structure’s technicalities is the right fit for the job that is a Certified Structural or a civil engineer. This person owns an equivalent degree such as a postgraduate in construction or quantity surveying. For understanding any problems at the site, it is vital to have a sound knowledge of the details in building a solid structure.

2. Scope of work

Scope of work relates to the document or proposal given by the engineer framing the time estimation and the project’s cost. The paperwork should include the client’s budget and functional design as per your choice. The area of expertise of the engineer is a big point of consideration.

3. Technically Competent

Experience and a professionally qualified person is the right choice for building a structure. Still, it is always better to ask about their previous experience and how well they have handled it. Creating a new building faces many different challenges to know the professional’s competence level. The past experiences act as the parameter to check their credibility.

4. Project experience

Check the engineer’s suitability; it is essential to check out the similar projects completed and seasoned in other projects. It is necessary to know that the structural engineer understands site limitations and weather conditions. These two are vital factors to disturb the completion of the project in time.

5. Thorough construction knowledge

The residential structural engineer’s imperative duty should be to ensure that the structure is buildable with no area of error. The cost control, the functional design, and can effectively oversee the project are the points to be considered.

6. Building codes

A set of building codes given by the jurisdiction to which the residential structural engineer Dallas should comply. These codes set the standard for a minimum level of safety.

7. Innovative ideas

In modern times like these in a cultural metropolitan, a residential structural engineer Dallas needs to be very creative. Nobody likes repetition or copied designs. An expert needs to think out of the box. While checking the engineer’s credentials, he is the right for any complex projects under his wing.

To sum up

There are 300 to 500 civil engineers in the United States. Some of them specialize in structural engineering. When you choose, consider the tips mentioned above, and then it will be easy to select a residential structural engineer Dallas.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category

There is a lot of evolution in the technological realm, and businesses have to find a way to keep up. It is good to see brick-and-mortar businesses trying hard to invest in digital marketing plans and is willing to leverage 2021 tax breaks and benefits for small businesses. The online market grows daily. And every business should focus on how to reach the online community fast. 

The success or failure of any business will depend on whether the firm will draw online consumers or not. Most businesses face tough competition when they fail to employ digital marketing strategies. They only utilize traditional marketing streams which are almost becoming ineffective. Indeed, digital marketing can greatly help businesses. Here are the various ways your new business can benefit from digital marketing.

It widens your reach.

Truly, it is hard and time-consuming to expand your business to new geo-locations. Typically, you will require a lot of resources, and time to achieve that. But with the right digital marketing approaches, it is incredibly easy. Remember, digital marketing plans are easy to set up and can be improved anytime. You will then reap big from a plan that did not require much investment. Besides, you will reach a wider geographical area that could otherwise be impossible to penetrate.

Building a Brand name

One of the objectives of your business should be delivering exactly what you promise. If you do so, your clients will be happy. Many clients will trust your product or services. And the customers will pass positive reviews about your products to their peers, friends, and family. That way, your brand name will be strong.

The positive talk about your brand will make it strong in the market. And digital marketing is a great way to ensure that clients’ positive reviews reach other potential buyers easily. Thus, make use of digital marketing solutions s to improve brand awareness. Make sure you create a nice logo for your business and an impressive tagline to portray a reliable brand.

 Cost-Effective

Traditional marketing solutions require high capital. Running an advert on the TV is an expensive idea. Also, billboards and print ads are equally expensive. This factor makes it hard for new business and even established enterprises to lag behind, especially when relying on traditional marketing solutions. But with digital marketing, they can reach thousands of potential customers without breaking the bank. Digital marketing solutions do not demand huge sums of money. This connotes even new businesses can leverage such solutions and still reap big. Thus, you would better leverage digital marketing solutions because they are cost-effective.

Better revenues

Any business would earn higher revenues if their marketing strategy led to higher conversions. Most traditional marketing solutions result in very low conversions. Thus, they do not earn any significant revenue. However, digital marketing lead to high conversion rates which produce high revenues for the company. According to research, digital marketing plans boost the greater ratio of growth in terms of revenue- typically 2.8 times.

Improved ROI

The value of the company’s brand and revenue will improve if effective digital marketing plans are utilized. This connotes that the company’s ROI will be high. Remember, digital marketing plans can be monitored easily.  This makes it easy for you to measure the real results per strategy. And if you figure out the plan that gives faster results, you can employ it for the long term. Eventually, ROI will be very high compared to the use of traditional marketing plans. Thus, it is about time you called in the experts who are well-versed in this type of client hunt. Most likely, you may need the nerds who are highly experienced and ready to sit down with you, discuss the project, detail their procedures, and execute the agreed activities.

There is nothing that is more promising than a digital marketing plan. Your business needs to leverage the ever-growing online community. Thus, you should consider digital marketing plans which will improve ROI, help you reach a wider audience, are cost-effective, produce better revenues and improve your brand.

You need to make huge returns in your small or even big business. Perhaps, you will have to find a way to reach all potential customers before any other firm in your industry does so. That is why you need to integrate the most effective marketing approaches that will take your business where you want it to be. More prospects may not equal to higher sales but will contribute to better returns. most of the prospects may turn to be frequent buyers and some will even refer their friends and family to your business.

Manufacturing factoring is different from taking a loan. It’s a process where companies sell their active invoices for a cash advance to a factoring company. It helps a company with the receivable cash to use for operational costs. Often it takes for the payments to appear, and in such cases, the companies find it difficult to operate the business. Rather than waiting for cashflow and compromising the company’s operations and growth, factoring to secure the money required for operations is the best option.

The Benefits of Working with Companies That Provide Manufacturing Factoring

Companies often suffer from payment delays, which makes it difficult for companies to work. Usually, in such cases, companies are forced to take up loans to run the company. However, with the help of manufacturing factoring, you can immediately enjoy the benefits, unlike bank loans that take a lot of time to process. The companies that apply for factoring receive about ninety-five percent of the payment in less than twenty-four hours. The company doesn’t require you to create new debt on the balance sheet.

The procedure of factoring the manufacturing companies is easy, all it requires is to mail or fax the invoice sheets of open invoices, and the factor of the company will deposit the money in your bank account. This saves you any cost of delivery of invoice sheets and shipping these papers overnight.

The factoring capitals help maintain a smooth flow of work and cover all the operational expenses and extra costs to invest in the business. The best part about factoring companies is that companies can qualify for a fund. Moreover, it also increases the funding potential every day with a growing business without any new application.

Why Use Factoring Companies for Growing Business?

Associating with factors in companies means a lot more to business than any immediate way to cash. Although, accessing cash in time of need is a significant benefit. Here is a list of benefits of financing the manufacturing company via factoring.

• No Maximums or Minimums Every Month

The funding potential is limited to sales with factoring companies. There is no maximum upper limit number to cross and no minimum amount to access the factoring. A company can access the factoring benefit any time they want and as many times they want to maintain the manufacturing company’s workflow.

• Long Term Contracts Are Not Required

Often many companies or banks issue contracts with the loans. However, there is nothing like getting trapped with the money with the factoring companies as there are no contracts. The relationship between the manufacturing and the factoring company is limited from six to twelve months of the agreement. The company can review the cash that works best for the company.

• Manage and Eliminate Debts

The factoring company allows the manufacturing companies to have a regular cash flow and lower the debt holding the credit values down. As soon as the companies clear the old debts, they automatically qualify for financing in the future.

• Huge Discounts

Some companies ask for a better factoring amount and also authorize for a better rate in the market. Huge discounts are often seen in the agreements of the factoring companies.

• Flexible Business Options

Early discount options and the advantage of bulk orders will help take up incentives and payments for the suppliers. This is because factoring allows you with the capital you need to cover the project work.

• Save Time And Money

Factoring companies help manufacturing companies save a lot of time and money. The invoice factoring company will verify the documents for free, save additional charge costs, and instantly pay credit to your company. The verification procedure also doubles to ensure your company that the partner company is reliable and good to work with for years.

• 24 Hours Online Reporting

Companies usually suffer long hours of wait for customers to pay them. The factoring system has twenty-four hours of online reporting, which helps the companies to log in to their account and check every detail to suspend before any problem arises. The all-day access to account information helps to integrate the business records with the factoring accounts.

Final words

The beginning of factoring for manufacturing companies is simple and easy. The best part is that the companies with poor finances and credits are eligible for funds. However, this is dependable on the creditworthiness of the customer. When looking for a factoring company, always check for their rates and your company requirements. Usually, the factoring companies have no hidden charges; hence it is a perfect opportunity for small companies.

To read more on topics like this, check out the Business category