What Do Customers Expect From Your Business?

Learn what your customers really want and need from any business.

With a careful business plan, you will be able to determine your target audience and your customers' buying behavior. Although buying trends are constantly changing, there are a few things customers want and need that rarely change. Some businesses become too busy with the flow of operations that it is quite easy to forget about these things. Avoid letting your customers down, here are the top three of your customers’ expectations from any business.

The feeling of being welcomed

Once customers come into the store, they will expect to feel welcomed. Train your staff to greet all who come inside, even if they are busy with other things or entertaining other customers. Making them feel welcome should also start from the outside of your shop, and one way to do this is to set up a LED sign that welcomes your customers with a warm greeting. You can also put a unit or two inside, with a scrolling message to lift up their mood.

To be accommodated by the shop's helpful staff

Aside from greeting your customers, the staff should be able to accommodate them. Ignoring them will definitely get you negative reviews on Facebook, Yelp, and other websites. Avoid bad PR by trying to accommodate each and every request. If the requests are not doable, let them know nicely. As for rude customers, your staff needs to try to keep their cool.

To shop in a clean, organized store

Lastly, you have to make sure that your items for sale are organized. A cluttered shop is a big turn-off for anyone. The items should have the right product and price tags to avoid confusion. People should also be able to move around your shop easily, so allow ample space between your displays. Always check for dust and dirt as well as the smell, as cleanliness is one factor that makes people go back to any shop.

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3 Common Misconceptions on LED Streetlights

Debunk the myths about LED street lighting!

There have been debates on the adverse health effects of LEDs when used as street lighting. One side says that LEDs have potentially detrimental effects on health, while the other says that these LEDs are perfectly safe to use. Because of this issue, many misconceptions about light emitting diodes came up, and people are getting more confused. As a solution, we’ve listed down the three common misconceptions about LEDs, and why they are actually safe for the environment and the people.

1. LED streetlights are hazardous to people, animals, and nature because they emit short-wavelength light.

The truth is, LED streetlights are no more than hazardous than other kinds of streetlights like the HPS. The basis of thinking that they are harmful is because they emit short-wavelength-enriched light that can disrupt one’s natural process of melatonin production. In reality, LEDs can potentially control the amount of short-wavelength light that they emit, making them less harmful than other streetlights. They have greater control over where the light falls.

Although they emitted higher levels of short-wavelength content when they first came out, huge advances to fix this resulted in little short-wavelength light emitted today, without affecting its performance in the brightness department. LED streetlights can meet the same illumination requirements as conventional streetlights while emitting much less light, as with LED signs and other types of LED lighting.

2. All types of short-wavelength light are harmful.

Some people say that no streetlights should emit short-wavelength light. However, this is not possible. Short-wavelength light is the basic component of the natural world; it’s in the sunlight! It is also needed for many physiological processes that affect our circadian rhythms. These rhythms are also known as our biological clock which controls our wake and sleep cycles.

Short-wavelength light also allows us to see identify people and things, see colors more naturally, improve the contrast between objects and backgrounds, and enhance the peripheral vision at low levels of light. What’s harmful is having too much short-wavelength light at night as it may disrupt sleeping patterns.

3. Cities and communities do not need LED streetlights; traditional ones are just fine.

Most cities in the country use HPS streetlights for the last several decades. However, as discussed in the previous article, these lights emit orange light, making objects appear shadowy rather than the actual color you see during the day. This color isn't that safe for drivers and pedestrians alike.

Making the switch to LEDs will also save cities more money because LEDs are energy efficient, require less maintenance, and have longer lives. People need to realize that short-wavelength light is fine, as long as they emit a spectrum that allows proper visibility only where needed.

Source: Energy.gov

Why Street Lights are Better with LEDs

Cities will benefit from the switch to LED streetlights from HPS lights.

More and more people see the benefit of LED technology. From indoor gardeners who use LED lights to grow their crops to business owners who utilize LED signs, LED technology has proved its worth. Now even local city officials have embraced the new technology. In the past several years, cities and towns in the country have retrofitted their streetlights with LEDs. Wondering why they made the switch? We listed below the top three reasons why LEDs are the better option than HPS (sodium vapor) or any other lighting system.

Less energy, less cost

Because light emitting diodes use less power and are energy-efficient, they cost less than HPS or metal halide in the long run. For a brightness or lumens of 250+, LEDs only draw 4 watts, while HPS and other lighting draw 25 watts. So imagine the number of watts drawn in streets for hours. If retrofitted with LEDs, you’ll get to use less power, and hence the city gets to save money too.

Brightness beyond compare

One quality businesses love about LEDs is that they shine brighter than any kind of light. From afar, people can see their LED open sign no matter what time of day. That is why LEDs also make better streetlights than sodium vapor lights. The latter is said to have the worst color rendering because objects illuminated by HPS appear shadowy rather than the actual color you see during the day. And unlike LEDs that have instant brightness when turned on, HPS lights have a brief warm-up period before it reaches its normal yellow glow.

Longer lifespans

LEDs undoubtedly have the longest lifespans in the market. They have a general lifespan of 50,000 hours, way longer than that of HPS lights. Sodium vapor lights can only give you a maximum of 24,000 hours, and that’s less than half of what LEDs can deliver. And since less maintenance is needed, there is no need to spend on new sets of bulbs or even hire people to regularly check or fix them.

Because of these reasons, it is no wonder why more and more cities are making the switch. We just hope that more places around the globe will do the same, to help mitigate the effects of global warming.

Reasons Why Signs are Better with LEDs

We have listed down the reasons why switching to LED signs is the best decision you’ll ever make for your business.

Source: Wiki.disorient.info

Every store needs a sign at the front of their establishment, of course, to let people know that they are a business. Although traditional signage still work today, many are already switching to illuminated signs. Neon and fluorescent were the first types to come out, but because of LED lights’ energy efficiency, many choose LEDs over the two. Curious to know why? Here’s a list of reasons why LED is the best choice when it comes to illuminated signs.

LED signs are strikingly bright.

Unlike neon and fluorescent, light emitting diodes have intense, eye-catching brightness. A LED sign can do its work both during the night and even when the sun is up high. LEDs are able to produce strikingly brilliant clear light regardless of the time of day.

These signs are good for the environment.

Because LEDs require less energy to operate, they are doing good for the environment. They do not emit any toxic gases and do not give off that much heat compared to other lights. All these also equal to fewer energy costs. You are happy, Mother Nature is happy.

LEDs have longer lives.

Light emitting diodes can last up to 100,000 hours which is way longer than the loves of neon and fluorescent. And because they do not emit any gases, nothing will leak that will cause dimness of the light. That said, their striking brightness will not change for their entire lifespans.

These signs are space-saving.

Because they do not have big bulky bulbs or tubes, LED signs are thinner and therefore save a lot of space. These signs can be as thin as an inch so you also wouldn’t worry about hitting your head if they are placed at a lower level. This space-saving feature also allows for easier installation, so there is no need to hire people to install the sign for you.

LED signs require less maintenance.

And because they have longer lives and are very efficient, they also require less maintenance. You wouldn’t have to spend for electricians or repair guys every now and then for the lights. You wouldn’t worry about repairs as well. Cleaning isn’t a chore, as you wouldn’t have to worry about delicate tubes or hot bulbs. As long as you get the high quality LED signs, you’re in good hands.

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Need LED signs for your business? Check out AffordableLED.com to pick out that sign that is perfect for your shop’s needs.

Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Office

Going green will make your workspace more sustainable.

Whether there is a need to cut costs or not, saving energy is a great way to reduce expenses. Doing so will also make your business environmentally responsible, and will make your workspace sustainable. There are many ways to go green, and we won’t keep you waiting. Here are five easy ways to save energy in the workplace.

Train your staff.

Change starts with the people. That said, it is important to train your staff to conserve energy. Require them to switch off and unplug their computers before leaving the office, and do not throw away paper that can still be used as scratch or doodle paper. Make them use natural lighting where possible. Be strict with those rules so staff won’t forget to comply with them.

Replace bulbs with LEDs.

If the existing lights in your office are incandescent or fluorescent, it’s time to upgrade to LED. As we know, light emitting diodes use less energy and also emit virtually no heat at all. Don’t forget changing your signs too, like your open sign and exit signs. LEDs are very much brighter making them ideal lights for emergency exit signs.

Save paper.

Instead of sending notes to your co-workers, just sent them a PM or emails. If you have announcements to make, display them in a scrolling LED sign or a writable LED board. Not only do you save paper, but you’ll also have less trash too.

Replace old appliances with energy saving ones.

Invest in new appliances that are energy-saving. Examples are AC units and the fridge in your pantry. Go with the ones that use inverter technology. One more thing is switching to laptops. Not only do you save energy, but you can also save space too as well.

Control your thermostat.

During the summer, keep your workplace one temperature up and one degree down during the winter. Doing so can reduce the use of power by up to 10%. You can also invest in a programmable thermostat which will automatically adjust the temperature when there is no one in the area. Although you may need to cash out in the short term, you’ll get more savings in the long run.