(BPT) – Working from home seems like a professional dream for many, but sometimes your home isn’t the optimum place to do business. Perhaps you’ve outgrown your home office or your startup requires a more professional atmosphere for client meetings. Maybe you crave the kind of personal interaction that’s hard to achieve when you work alone, or you just want a change of scenery during the day.

When working from home isn’t right for you, there’s now an alternative to renting an office of your own — and taking on all the overhead that comes with it. Office sharing (also known as “co-working”) gives small businesses and entrepreneurs a cost-effective way to have all the amenities of their own office space, including, conference rooms, workspace and access to printing and copying, without incurring the costs of having their own office.

The concept that started in the tech industry has expanded well beyond it, with professionals of diverse disciplines now sharing workspaces.

“There are people who want more stimulation than sitting at home and being very productive working in your pajamas all day,” University of Michigan business professor Gretchen Spreitzer told Realty Today.

Typically, shared workspaces provide professionals with their desks — where they can set up their own laptops — access to secure WiFi networks, printing and copying services, private meeting rooms, and support staff such as a receptionist or office assistant. Some workspaces also offer lunch or break room facilities and other amenities.

Staples and Workbar are the newest entrants into the growing shared workspace industry. Workbar at Staples is currently in three Staples locations in the Boston suburbs of Danvers, Norwood and Brighton. Workbar at Staples focuses on serving small businesses with 2,500-3,500 square feet of custom-designed facilities that feature a mix of high-end workspaces, conference rooms, private rooms, printers, natural light, WiFi that is fast and secure, and complimentary coffee and tea.

“Small business owners are discovering that collaborative, convenient environments can make their workdays more productive and enjoyable,” says Peter Scala, executive vice president of merchandising at Staples. “The new Workbar at Staples locations, within our stores, provide professionals with the creative space, office essentials and support they need to run their business or launch a new idea.”

In addition to cost advantages, shared workspaces can also foster creativity, enhance work satisfaction, and generate networking opportunities, especially for small businesses and startups. A survey by Deskmag.com found most people sharing workspaces (70 percent) are very happy with the setup. Survey respondents said they were more motivated (85 percent), had better interaction with others (88 percent), and worked in teams more often (57 percent). Joining a shared workspace also resulted in feeling more organized at work and more relaxed at home (60 percent), and higher earnings (42 percent).

Typically, participating in a shared workspace costs far less than renting a private office. To learn more, visit www.staples.com/workbar or www.workbar.com/staples.

(BPT) – Your Facebook profile is a representation of you on the Web. It’s where you connect with friends, learn the latest news and find the best reviews of the restaurants and products you enjoy every day. You use your Facebook profile all the time, s…

(BPT) – Your Facebook profile is a representation of you on the Web. It’s where you connect with friends, learn the latest news and find the best reviews of the restaurants and products you enjoy every day. You use your Facebook profile all the time, so you want to make sure the information you display on Facebook remains as safe and secure as possible.

Facebook works 24/7 to protect people’s accounts, but there are also simple things you can do to take more control of your security. Here are three easy options:

1. Take a security checkup.

Security Checkup is the quickest and easiest way to add extra layers of protection to your Facebook account. With three simple steps you can:

* Control where you’re logged in. This makes it easy to log out of devices you haven’t used in a while or may have forgotten about, meaning you’ll only be logged into Facebook on devices and browsers you approve.

* Turn on Login Alerts. When this feature is activated, you’ll receive a notification or email alert whenever someone tries to log into your account from a new device or browser.

* Review your password security. Only use strong and unique passwords. You should never use your Facebook password anywhere else online and never share it with anyone.

You can start your Security Checkup any time by searching for “security checkup” in the Facebook Help Center, or by typing facebook.com/securitycheckup into your browser.

2. Turn on login approvals.

If you’re only going to make one change to improve the security of your account, this is it. Otherwise known as two-factor authentication (2FA), login approvals provide an extra security step whenever you log in from a new device. You will get a special code on your phone that you use along with your password to complete the login process.

To turn on login approvals, all you have to do is go to “Settings” in the Facebook app on your phone or in your browser. Once you’ve done this, select “Security Settings” and check the box next to “Login Approvals.” If you don’t have login approvals turned on already, you should do it as soon as possible.

3. Use your Facebook login with third-party apps.

Your Facebook login allows you to quickly and safely log into many third-party apps using your Facebook account. Maintaining a login system is hard, and by using your Facebook account, you don’t need to trust your login to every app you sign into. They never get to see your Facebook password. As an added bonus, using Facebook Login means you don’t need to create and remember lots of new passwords.

You can also control what information you share with these apps by clicking “Edit the Info You Provide.” And best of all, you choose whether to let the app post on your behalf.

To sign into an app with Facebook, simply click on the Facebook button on the app’s sign-in page.

Improve your Facebook security today

In addition to the steps above, you can also visit the Facebook Safety Center, which provides additional tools to help control your experience on Facebook, as well as numerous tips and resources for safe and secure sharing. It also gives you access to the Bullying Prevention Hub, a resource for teens, parents and educators seeking guidance on how to prevent and address bullying on the Internet.

Your home comes with locks on the doors. Your car comes with an alarm. Your cell phone comes with a passcode. Yet every day you take additional steps to protect these possessions and the valuable information they hold. Why not do the same for your Facebook account? With just a few simple clicks, you can give your account a tune-up and more safely connect and share on Facebook with the people you care about.

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle is the founder and Publisher of Retail Minded, the co-founder of the Independent Retailer Conference, and a regular contributor to various publications. Additionally, Reyhle is the author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and … Read More

The post From Concept to Reality: 3 Ways To Gain More Customers appeared first on Official Fiverr Blog.

(BPT) – It seems more and more of us are ‘cutting the cord’ these days, moving away from hard-wired connections to cable TV, internet service and more. The freedom to go wireless offers options that we couldn’t have imagined just five or 10 years ago -…

(BPT) – It seems more and more of us are “cutting the cord” these days, moving away from hard-wired connections to cable TV, internet service and more. The freedom to go wireless offers options that we couldn’t have imagined just five or 10 years ago — you can stream movies on your phone while sitting in the backyard, or do a Google search as you wait in line at the grocery store.

The last bastion of hard-wired service, the good old home telephone, is undergoing this transformation as well. Cellular providers now offer devices that let you turn your traditional home phone into a line on your cellular account. You keep your home phone number, and even continue using your existing home telephone. But you’re no longer required to stay tethered to phone jacks — nor do you have to keep your home phone at home.

Small device, simple setup

Wireless home phone service is offered under various names — usually Wireless Home Phone or Home Phone Connect. It allows a regular wired telephone to connect to cellular networks as if it were a mobile phone.

Connections are made via a small device you can place almost anywhere in your home. It’s about the size of a wireless router, and contains the necessary electronics to provide voice-only telephone service to your phone from one or two jacks on the back of the unit. It also has a small radio antenna and a transceiver for the wireless side of the connection.

The only plug-ins required are your phone (or its charging base) into one of the rear jacks, and a power cord. Most wireless home phone devices also include LED indicator lights on the front to show signal strength and indicate waiting voicemail messages.

Savings on landline, long distance

If you already have cellphone service, you can add wireless home phone to your account for the cost of purchasing the device (expect to pay around $50), plus the cost of adding a secondary line for the service, which can be as little as $10 per month.

With most carriers, you’ll simply share the airtime minutes on your existing monthly cellular plan with your home phone line. Nationwide coverage is also a feature of most cellular calling plans, so in addition to your redundant landline service, you eliminate the need for a long distance carrier. There are even special rates just for seniors: for instance, Consumer Cellular, which specializes in service to users over 50 years of age, offers no-contract, post-paid plans at discounted rates to AARP members.

If you don’t currently have cellular service, you can still convert your landline to mobile simply by ordering a wireless home phone device, then signing up for a monthly service plan that covers the number of minutes you’re likely to use each month.

Never miss a call — anywhere you go

Wireless home phone service redefines the meaning of “home.” The device is completely portable, so your service is, too; you can make and receive calls anywhere you have access to a cellular signal and an electrical outlet. Set it up anywhere you want in your home — you’re no longer restricted to locations near a wall jack.

Perhaps more significantly, you can take it with you to a second home, a hotel or even a campsite and still receive calls made to your home telephone number, if cellular reception and a power source are available. It also works well with home phones that have additional handsets. By connecting the wireless home phone device to the base of your primary cordless phone, it becomes accessible to your other cordless extensions, giving you even more calling flexibility.

Making the cut

Like any cord cutting measure, wireless home phone service isn’t necessarily for everybody. Your telephone service becomes completely dependent on a cellular signal — if, for instance, the nearest cell tower experiences an outage, you’ll be unable to make anything except emergency calls. There’s also no data signal on the line, so wireless home phone devices can’t be used with medical monitoring devices or fax machines.

But if you’ve been seeking a way to cut the costs of your landline service while also keeping your longtime home telephone number, it offers a practical and affordable solution. You save on monthly service, eliminate long distance charges, and the portability offers true modern luxury, especially for “snowbirds” or retirees who travel frequently. It’s a nice way to make yourself feel at home — wherever you go!

These days, co-working spaces are getting a lot of press in the entrepreneurship world—and for good reason! These spaces offer an innovative solution for entrepreneurs, start-ups and freelancers of all sizes who need anything from simple desk space to conference … Read More

The post Co-working or Collaboration: Which is Right for You? appeared first on Official Fiverr Blog.

Taking an idea and turning it into a business is no easy task, but it’s the difference between having an entrepreneurial spirit and actually being an entrepreneur. The task is large, but your dreams should be, too. Going from an … Read More

The post Gig Economy News: Turning Dreams into Reality appeared first on Official Fiverr Blog.

As you may have seen a few months ago, we ran a contest for a Small Biz Digital Makeover. We had so many incredible businesses and entrepreneurs enter, we wanted to highlight a few who, while they didn’t win, are … Read More

The post Screen Actors Guild Artist Finds Success on Fiverr appeared first on Official Fiverr Blog.

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle is the Founder and Publisher of Retail Minded, the Co-Founder of the Independent Retailer Conference and a regular contributor to various publications. Additionally, Reyhle is the Author of the book “Retail 101: The Guide to Managing and … Read More

The post 10 Steps to Help You Gain More Repeat Clients appeared first on Official Fiverr Blog.