Imagine the dismay when business team dynamics break down during pivotal crunch-time. Now add time zone and geographical differences further exacerbating problems with meeting deadlines. This is the headache of remote employees.

More than 3.9 million American workers are working half their time remotely. This has been a long time coming since the proliferation of the Internet. Yet, we seem to have lost camaraderie where we gained flexibility.

Coordinating projects with one or two remote workers isn’t difficult. It’s when you expand to a team of several or more where things start falling apart.

This article shares nine tips to get your remote workers feeling connected–and an actual part of the team.

Bridging the Gap: Creating Team Cohesion with Remote Workers and Freelancers

Project management tools keep tasks aligned and workers communicating. Video conferencing creates bonding moments. Social media groups give a voice to remote employees…

…but these tools need your input to make them welcoming and engaging.

Here’s how it’s done.

1. Make a Group on Social

Bridge the gap with your remote employees by creating a Facebook group. The group serves as a hub for social activity. But, is handy for quick Q&A sessions if these individuals have hang-ups.

The group could find its way on other platforms, too, like:

• Twitter — Using @handles
• Private Forums — Installed on a project site
• LinkedIn — Through its group features

The social platform sets a relaxed tone versus collab tools. This will spur casual discussions, helping others get to know another better. Plus, it’s a fantastic tool for onboarding new hires as participants can chime in and welcome them!

2. Use Collaboration Tools

Add Slack to your growing list of free business tools. This is the go-to platform for collaboration with its desktop and app environments. You can use the platform for dedicated chat groups for remote workers.

Don’t want Slack? Consider Discord instead, as it provides similar features. Or, use old-fashioned IRC chat for easy discussions and file sharing.

Housing discussion in one platform removes the back-and-forth from email. The collab tools use plug-ins, removing the need to log in to several platforms to complete tasks. Try dividing the platforms into separate projects to keep everything aligned on on-track.

3. Have Regular Calls

Projects, like refreshing your brand or launching a project, rely on communication. Team members need a platform to discuss projects and tasks. Voice over IP systems and services is how your team gets it done.

VoIP is available through PBX hardware and mobile apps. Giving employees access to these features removes trouble phoning in with their devices.

A VoIP investment handles regular conference calls without hang-ups. The service finds its way in customer support roles, too. Plus, this gives them an easy platform to call and chat about projects if they wish to beyond normal hours.

4. Give Everyone a “Play” Budget

You hired remote employees for their skills and flexibility. Individuals come from many backgrounds, with lots of unique skills you could tap. Encourage remote employees to discover and pitch new ideas by giving them a budget.

Turn remote workers into project managers (on a small-scale) — budget for:

• Project tools
• Learning materials
• Food and drink

Your business saves a great deal of money by employing remote workers. Use the savings for “play” budgets they can use to improve themselves. This reinvestment could prove beneficial to projects.

The budget spurs teamwork as they overcome novelty and learning curve. They’ll bond as they discover and discuss tool or service’s implementation!

5. Host a Meetup

Save the date and make it a point to do an annual meetup of remote employees.

There are a few ways to do these meetups:

• Fly them in for the weekend, doing an office tour and dinner
• Book them for the business conference and paying for travel
• Livecast meetups for those who cannot attend

Setting a face to fellow remote coworkers builds relationships. Remote workers head home feeling they’re part of a group — now knowing others better. This could start non-work communication, furthering friendships and helpfulness.

6. Align Goals Beyond the Work

We’re at the cusp of the gig economy, where individuals hop project to project on a weekly basis. Retaining long-term remote workers pose a challenge as businesses entertain the opportunity. One way to keep them onboard is through shared goals and prosperity in the workforce.

Prosperity could include:

• Income sharing or stock options
• 1099 to full-time, salaried positions
• Influence on future projects

The goals should incorporate the remote team so they feel part of the greater group — not outcasts. Look for gaps and fill them with remote employees if you want to create a greater sense of cohesion.

7. Create Fun Side Projects

Fun side projects can replace the “play” budget mentioned above. This lets remote employees band together on something they find interesting. The work could create a new revenue stream for the business, too!

These projects let employees try new ideas without repercussions. Think of it as a way to let employees unwind after spending most of their day on heavy tasks.

8. Award Achievement with Incentives

Lead remote workers with awesome incentives like:

• Pay boosts if they reach performance goals
• Extra vacation time and better flex hours
• Their choice on what project they’d like to join

The incentive creates a twinge of playful competition. Many thrive on the competition but use it to form bonds, too. Others may feel more compelled to put in extra effort to get things done.

9. Stick to a Cut-off Time

Remote work compels many individuals to continue projects well-beyond their allotted times. This bleeds into personal time, straining relationships and nurturing burnout. Workers in this situation perform sub-standard.

Respect your remote workers set schedule and time:

• Have on/off days
• Don’t request tasks during off-hours
• Know they may have other clients

Their “always on” connection is wonderful but everyone needs downtime. Don’t expect an instant response when you know they’re away. Some of your remote team may have other business or personal projects they need to do, too!

Feeling Connected in the Workspace of the Future

Industry embrace of remote employees continues year-over-year. Remote connections provide the workplace of the future. Though, even with its comforts, we’ll see growing pains with feeling connected.

Today’s owners and project managers should adopt and support this sweeping change. Use this post’s info as you tap remote work whether it’s logo creation to marketing and promotions. Bridge the gap!

A 2014 study showed that 85% of consumers selected a brand over their competition based on the colors of the logo. A business logo is the visual brand identity of any business. Airline logos set themselves apart from the competition by color, design, and brand statement.

Is your airline in need of a visual facelift? Check out our top 5 airline logos below to inspire your fleet!

1. Women in Aviation (Washington State Chapter)

The first thing that should stand out about this logo is the Seattle Space Needle. One of the most iconic structures in America, it is the focal point of the logo. You also see a beautiful backdrop of mountains, and a prop engine plane flying over a lake.

The bold white lettering will quickly grab your attention and it makes everything else stand out. This logo easily captures the essence of the state and should give you the inspiration to provide quality services to your clients.

2. Australian Airlines

This airline logo is inspiring for a number of reasons. The first is the picture of the kangaroo, which is generally the first animal you think of when Australia comes to mind. Second is the colors in the logo. Brown is unique and unconventional in airline business logos. This is another excellent idea when making changes to your logo.

Finally, the actual tagline is critical. Many international airline brands simply have the name of the brand listed but saying “catch the holiday spirit” will subtly make the customer think of vacationing in Australia on their next break. Smart moves all around!

3. Jerusalem Airlines

The winged lion is a mythical creature used throughout storytelling, with iconic tales showing its strength and beauty. The Jerusalem Airline logo is simple and has black and white lettering around a yellow circle trim, with the winged lion leaping in the air.

Direct and to the point, having the wing lion poised to attack should be all the inspiration needed when you look at it daily.

4. VIP Air

The three large letters, and the blue, white, and black combined lettering of “VIP”, are the first noticeable things about this airline logo. This is similar to the West Palm Jet Charter logo that has a blue wave in the background. Next is the uniqueness of the plane flying through the logo.

How can this be inspirational? It shows any airline business that you need to keep climbing in order to be successful. Many logos incorporate a plane, but cutting straight through the company name is a clever strategy.

5. BX Air

The final of our top 5 airline logos was created by BX Air. The red design is shaped like a runway, with red being a color commonly used in marketing. The airplane ascends after takeoff, and the logo as a whole can provide creativity that should be used to get the business ideas flowing.

Having a look at this logo shows the design was well thought out, and original when compared to other competitors.

Wrapping things up

Which of these airline logos are best suited for inspiration for your business?

Feel free to check out our free logo maker and the tutorial video to get your own logo started.

If you want to create some of your own package designs, investing in packaging design software can make things easier. Yet if you’ve never bought such software before, it can be difficult to know which option is best.

With that in mind, there are certain rules you can use to protect you from making rookie mistakes.

Keep reading to learn how you can pick the right package design software for your needs. Once you’re done, you’ll know how to find a design suite that’ll help you design professional package designs, even if you’re not a master designer.

Let’s begin!

How Much Are You Able to Spend?

It’s important you decide how much you can afford to pay for the package design software. This’ll help you narrow down your search so you don’t waste any time looking at software you’re not able to afford.

Some companies will provide a monthly payment option. This means you can just pay a small amount monthly, without having to fork out a lot up front. But if you go with this option, keep in mind that you’ll lose access if you stop paying.

Some companies will provide special rates if you’re a student. The amount you’ll be able to save will depend on the company in question. But it’s worth reaching out and asking them if they offer a discount for students and how you can enjoy this discount.

Work With Different Design Offerings

Each person has a different working style. The different package design software options on offer reflect this. You thus want to consider working with an option that best suits you. The initial software you download, might not be the best one for you.

Because of this, you should try to download a wide range of options and test them out over the period of one month. It’s worth noting that a lot of companies offer a free trial period that’ll help you develop a better understanding of the software. During this period, you can decide whether the software is right for you or not.

Read Software Reviews

Reviews can help make things easier as they’ll provide you with some expert perspective on what is best for you.

A good review should compare a wide range of offerings. It should also let you know what’s good and bad about a specific software suite. There should also be a mention of price.

Ideally, you should look for reviews that have some screenshots. Screenshots of the software allow you to see what the software looks like in action. This can help you appreciate the user experience provided by a specific software suite. If you’d like to see an example of such a review, you can read more here.

Should You Take Some Courses?

It’s worth noting that some package design suites can be quite complicated. If you have little to no experience with design, you’ll probably struggle to grasp how these software suites work. Following this, you might want to invest in some courses, to help you learn how such suites work.

There are many educational websites that’ll provide you with a selection of courses you can buy, to help you learn more about package design. These courses will teach you how to use specific software suites. But they’ll also teach you about certain graphic design rules you need to stick to, if you want to end up with good package designs.

There’s also the option of watching YouTube videos. But these videos might not have as good a production value. They might also not be as thorough as paid courses.

Try to Redesign Existing Examples

If you want to improve your skills, one thing you can do is work with existing package designs. There are two approaches you can use here. One thing you can do is try to recreate existing package designs in your chosen software suite. This can help you figure out how the software works.

Once you have this basic knowledge, you can then try to completely redesign the package in question. This can give you the chance to flex your design muscles and understand what separates a good package design from a bad.

Are You Going to Need a Printer?

If you’re getting into the package design game, you may want to produce some physical examples of your designs. To do this, you’ll need to invest in a printer.

You’ll probably want to invest in a high-end printer as that’ll ensure that your designs look good when they’re printed. High-end printers, typically allow you to print designs that closely resemble the designs you’ve developed on a computer.

If you’re going to have package design clients, you’ll likely need to print out some designs you can show your clients. If you have a high-end printer, you can ensure that the ‘examples’ look good enough to impress your clients.

The size of the printer is another thing you need to put some thought into. If you’re working with a wide range of product categories, you may need to invest in a printer that’s fairly large. This is so that your printing abilities aren’t overly restricted. For instance, you might need a printer that’s capable of dealing with A3 or even A2 sizes.

One of the biggest costs you’re going to face when using a printer is that of the ink. You might be able to get a discount if you buy your ink in bulk. Some of the newer printers are also more efficient in relation to their ink usage. Thus buying a new printer could help lower ink costs.

Packaging Design Software – Do You Know How to Pick the Right Option for You?

If you want to do any kind of package design, you’ll need the help of some packaging design software. But deciding on the right option isn’t easy.

In this post, we’ve explored how you can select the right package design software for your needs. It’s important you think about how much you can afford to pay. You also should spend some time reading the various reviews that are on offer.

Going through this process can seem like a slog. But once you find the right package design suite, you’ll be able to design awesome packages that’ll impress anyone you show them to.

Need some branding advice? Check out these 9 tips that’ll help you build your brand.

You know that designing the right logo is an essential part of your branding and print marketing process.

Your logo can help decorate your product labels, jazz up the cover of a product catalog, or even make your storefront stand out.

But have you stopped to consider the importance of logo design as it relates to your website? Are you taking the necessary steps to ensure that your logo is working as effectively in the digital world as it is in print?

This post is here to help you find out.

Keep on reading to learn more about why the use of company logos on websites — and other web presences — is so important.

We’ll also let you know where you can create stunning logo designs online.

A Logo on Your Website Builds Brand Recognition

You’ve worked hard to create products and services that you’re proud to stand behind.

However, no matter how unique what you have to offer to customers is, you’ll always have competitors. The right logo can help to set you apart from other brands within your industry. It ensures that people end up with the products they want from your brand and not the lesser version of what you have to offer from your competitors.

In other words, the right logo design can eliminate consumer confusion.

But there’s another reason for the importance of logo design within your website. A well-designed logo will increase your overall brand recognition.

This means that your customers will be able to create an instant connection between your products/services and your brand. That’s because you’ve included the main symbol of your brand, your logo, on your website.

After all, nearly 80% of Americans say that they prefer to do their shopping online.

In other words?

If you don’t brand your company online, you risk losing up to 80% of your business. Can you afford to lose 80% of your profits every quarter?

We didn’t think so.

Now, let’s talk about where else you should put your logo online.

A Logo Creates Consistency Across Your Web Presence

The importance of a logo isn’t only about helping you to increase your brand recognition on your website alone.

It also helps your target market and current customers recognize you wherever you are on the web. (Your company’s website isn’t the only place that your brand exists on the Internet — right?)

Take a look at your current social media pages.

If you have different profile pictures on your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages? Your market is going to have a tough time determining if those accounts belong to your brand, or if they belong to another company with the same name.

But if your profile picture is consistently a photo of your company’s logo? Customers will know right away that it’s you.

The same goes for your third-party listing sites, like Yelp and Google My Business. Even if you write guest posts under the company name, your “About the Author” photo should be a picture of your logo design.

In brief: while using a company’s logo on your website is important for brand recognition, your website isn’t the only place that you should use it.

After all, you didn’t work so hard on creating your logo design to limit it to one place, right? And speaking of logo design…

When Should You Consider Professional Website Logo Design?

We’ve covered the importance of logo design as it relates to both your website and your overall web presence.

Now, let’s talk about how you can bring your dream design to life.

If you’re struggling to create a design that’s clean and simple but still reflective of your company’s values, hire a professional design team.

Of course, you need to know what to look for in a quality website design company. Companies like L Form don’t only help with SEO and responsive website design. They also assist you with corporate branding and logo design. Visit the site to learn more about what to look for in the right web design company.

You should also ask your web design team to help you to find the best place for your logo on your website. Remember that your company’s NAP (that’s name, address, and phone number) should appear on every page of your website. The same goes for your company’s logo.

This is because not every visitor to your website will land on exclusively your home page. If you’ve developed a strong internal and external linking strategy, they’re more likely to end up on specific blog posts or product pages.

The Importance of Logo Design: Wrapping Up

We hope that this post has helped you to understand the importance of logo design as it relates to your website as a whole.

Ready to try out some of your ideas, and see if they look as good on the page as they do in your head? Use our free online logo maker tool to get started.

Plus, even if you do decide to go with a professional web design company or graphic designer, having a few mock-ups of potential logo designs will help to make sure they understand your vision.

So, what else goes into making a strong logo design? How do you choose the right colors, fonts, and images to make a lasting impression on your market?

We’ll continue to cover all these topics and more, so keep on checking back with us for the latest logo news.