7 Things to Consider When Deciding On your Product Packaging

So you’ve perfected your product and now it’s time to package it. Every successful product must be presented in an attractive, functional manner that stands out from the competition. But before you go ahead with packaging, there are some key considerations to bear in mind.

Don’t know where to start? We’re here to help.

Read on to learn more about the top seven things you should consider when deciding on your product packaging!

What Your Packaging Says About Your Product

Before we dive into the details, it’s important to consider how your packaging communicates with potential customers. This means you must be strategic about the design and materials used to send a clear message.

Here’s what the perfect packaging does for your product:

  • Establishes a strong brand identity that is easy to recognize – With so many products on the shelves, yours must stand out from the crowd. Using colors, fonts, and images that are in line with your identity will provide a consistent feel for customers, reducing the risk of brand confusion.
  • Encourages impulse purchases – Eye-catching graphics and appealing shapes can encourage shoppers to try new products even when they haven’t heard of you before.
  • Inspires confidence and trust in the quality of your product – High-end materials and a clean, professional look can make all the difference in customer perception. Let’s now get into the technical details which will help you make the right choice when it comes to packaging.
  • Makes sure your product is always at its best – A bad review can sink a product, so it’s important to ensure your packaging will protect your product from the elements or any mishandling before customers have the chance to use it. Not every company will have access to temperature monitoring data for their shipments, so packaging that can withstand cold and hot temperatures is key.

7 Things to Watch Out for When Choosing Product Packaging

Now that we’re clear on what your packaging should be doing, let’s look at some of the most important factors which will help you get the best product packaging for your business.

1. Durability

This is probably the most important factor. You don’t want your product arriving in a damaged state or worse still, not arriving at all! Your packaging should be strong enough to protect whatever you need to ship but also lightweight enough to keep costs down.

2. Weight and Size

How much space does your product take up? Bigger items will require heavier-duty packaging, while smaller items can afford to be lighter and more compact. Weight is also a factor as heavier packages will incur higher shipping costs.

3. Materials

What kind of materials will you use for your packaging? You must choose the right materials so that they are durable enough to protect your product in transit but cost-effective too.

Recycled materials can be used to save on costs and make your packaging more eco-friendly. Some industries may be more suited to biodegradable materials such as compostable cellulose, but if you’re marketing to a younger audience, environmental credentials are a must.

4. Design Details

It’s important to consider the design details of your packaging too. The shape, colors, logos, and fonts should be consistent with your brand identity so that customers know immediately who it is from. You can also use features like windows or handles to make a statement.

5. Cost-Efficiency

Packaging costs can quickly add up. Try to find the most cost-effective solution with the best materials and design, while still achieving what your product needs. If you’re not sure, it may be worth investing in a few prototypes to test out different designs and materials before committing to a big order.

Don’t forget to think about your company’s scaling needs too—you don’t want to be stuck with a design that isn’t suitable as your business grows.

6. Regulations

Are there any regulations or laws which you must adhere to when packaging your product? You must check for any restrictions on what materials can be used, or how the package should look.

Some industries have stricter regulations than others, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the relevant guidelines. You can also hire a professional to help you understand the regulations and make sure you stay compliant.

7. Unboxing Experience

Finally, think about how customers will experience your product when they open it up. A great unboxing experience can make all the difference in building a positive brand image. For example, if your product is pitched at an older market, a minimalistic design might make more sense than bright colors and flashy logos.

 

It’s easy to get caught up in the launch of a new product and forget about the importance of packaging. But with the right materials and design, you can ensure that your product reaches your customers safely and in style. Consider these factors when choosing your product packaging and you’ll give it the best chance of success!

Facing Your Debts: Where to Start This New Year

Debt continues to be a touchy subject for many people.

For many, debt isn’t just about money. Not being able to pay one’s debts often feels more like a personal embarrassment than a financial problem. While debts should, of course, be repaid, we’re here to tell you that failing to pay your debts is not the end of the world.

You’re not a bad person and debt doesn’t have to define your life—as long as you work on tackling it.

This New Year is the perfect opportunity to start taking action.

Here are some positive steps you can take to tackle your debt this new year and get the debt-free life you deserve!

1. Make a Debt Plan

We all know just how daunting facing debt can be. It’s important to take a step back, assess your debt situation, and create a debt plan. This debt plan should include the total amount of debt you owe (including details such as interest rates, and repayment terms), as well as identifying when and how you can make payments towards it.

When you’re in debt, it’s common for emotions to take over. Suddenly, small debts can seem like a huge debt mountain. Making a debt plan to tackle your debt can help you regain control and better understand the steps needed to become debt-free.

Debt plans help take away the panic and fear associated with debt, keeping you on track to meet your financial goals.

2. Consolidate Your Debts

Debt consolidation is a great way to make debt repayment easier and more manageable. Consolidating debt means combining all of your debt payments into one single payment that is typically lower than the total amount you were previously paying each month. This not only simplifies debt management but also saves you money later on.

That’s because debt consolidation usually comes with lower interest rates, which means you pay less in the long term. This debt relief option is also good for your credit score as it shows that you are making a committed effort to pay off debt.

3. Cut Down Expenses

Having a plan to tackle debt is great, but it won’t work if you don’t have enough money. That’s why it’s important to look at ways of reducing your expenses to free up more money for debt repayment.

Go through your monthly expenses and see which ones are necessary and which ones can be cut down or eliminated. This could include cutting out unnecessary luxuries, reducing your grocery budget, eating out less often, and taking steps to save energy.

Look for ways to cut down without impacting your quality of life too much. Opting for a sharespace instead of a private office, for example, can still provide a great working environment without costing you an arm and a leg.

Taking these steps not only gets you closer to debt freedom, but it also helps you to get used to living within your means—an excellent way to prepare for your future debt-free life!

4. Look for Ways to Increase Your Income

What if you’ve cut down all your expenses and debt repayment still doesn’t seem possible? If you find yourself in this situation, it may be a good idea to consider ways of increasing your income. This could mean getting a second job or taking on freelance work. Even something as small as selling items that you no longer use can bring in some extra cash.

5. Consider Debt Relief Options

If debt repayment is still too difficult for you even after consolidating debt and increasing income, debt relief options may be the way to go. Debt relief programs can help you get debt-free in a shorter time frame, and debt counseling can provide advice on how to manage debt better.

6. Pay More Than The Minimum

Paying more than the minimum on your debt each month is a great way to tackle debt and get debt-free faster. Doing this will reduce the total amount of debt you owe as well as reduce the amount of interest you are paying.

We understand how painful paying more than you need to can be. It’s a hump that trips many debtors. But debt repayment and debt-free life isn’t a quick fix, it’s an ongoing process that requires commitment and dedication.

7. Talk to Someone

Sometimes the debt situation can be overwhelming, so don’t suffer in silence. Talking to someone about your debt can help provide insight into your debt problem as well as give you the emotional and psychological support you need.

There are debt counselors who can provide debt advice and debt management assistance, as well as friends and family members who may be able to help out financially or emotionally. Being able to keep going when debt repayment is difficult is key to debt freedom.

 

If you commit to following the steps outlined above, you can tackle debt this new year and pursue a debt-free life. Don’t let debt overwhelm you – with the right plan and commitment, debt freedom is possible. Start today on your journey toward debt freedom!

2022 END OF THE YEAR REPORT

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For the past 8 years, we have diligently worked to provide free access to resources, opportunities, and grants to local entrepreneurs and small business owners.

As an equity space we dedicate our brilliance to finding new innovative ways to celebrate you. 2022 was a year to remember because we had so many new wins, from partnering with major organizations like LISC, Wells Fargo, Chase, and Verizon to hosting 2 of the major tech and small business conventions in the city – we have made an impact in bigger and better ways than ever before.

To shine a light on the hard work of our small but mighty team, we created the End Of Year Report, showing you how we are helping Newark thrive and putting love, resources, and power into the hands of small business owners all across this city.

 

MarketSPACE: Summerfade Is Here!!

=SPACE will collaborate with local organizations, businesses, and collectives once again to develop a 2-day holistic local market!

A night of Newark’s finest vocal talents alongside local makers, artisans, and creatives, to celebrate the brilliance of Newark — while keeping our dollars local.

MarketSPACE: Summerfade is not just a market, we will have various eastern wellness professionals who will engage in conscientious moments with our local community members. So, get ready to soak in the positivity with great your yoga, reiki, song-bowl moments. We are trying to align your style and your chi!

Overall, you will come to MarketSPACE to swag up your fit for the fall, realign your chakra, and get a little groovy. This is an event for all ages, so make sure to invite ev’rybody and enjoy the last of the summer with us.

 

Day 1

6pm          Opening

6:15pm     Meditative experience

6:30pm    Market SPACE doors open

7pm          Reiki healing

7:30pm    Yoga experience

8pm          Closing

 

Day 2

6pm         Opening

6:15pm    Music guest(s) #1: Neo-soul & Jazz

6:30pm   Market SPACE doors open

7pm          Music guest(s) #2: R&B & Pop

7:30pm   Music guest(s) #3: Samba & Salsa

8pm         Closing

 

 

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS EXPERIENCE!

 

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS RESILIENCY PROGRAM!

$74.2 million in grants were given out to over 20000 small businesses for COVID Relief. Grant readiness is the difference between a paycheck and having to make hard decisions about cutting staff and/or paying your commercial space, as a business owner.

And we are going to teach you how to be a star grant recipient. We have partnered with LISC to provide you with key information teaching you how to be prepared for the next COVID, Hurricane Irma, Sandy or major natural disaster — at 0 Cost to you!

The world is changing and your business needs to change with it to survive.

Climate disasters—combined with the lingering economic stress of the pandemic—present immediate challenges to the survival of small businesses and the outlook for long-term recovery and growth.

With the generous support of Wells Fargo Foundation, LISC has developed a Small Business Resiliency Network of disaster planning coaches to ensure that businesses are prepared for disasters and have adaptation strategies in place.

Our organization will provide one-on-one training in disaster preparedness, recovery and resiliency to those businesses interested in learning how their business can better prepare and respond more efficiently and quickly after a disaster to reopen operations. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!

5 Reasons A Sharespace Is Better Than A Coworking Space

It is common in this field for people to want to be “the next big thing” or “the outlier”. Our true aspirations are supporting women ventures, Black & Brown startups, the people that work the hardest and receive the least.We offer office and communal space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, thought leaders, and anyone who may simply need a change of pace. We have served the community of Newark for 7 years, and we look forward to continuously providing resources to our thriving community. As =SPACE grew and connected more with the people who used our space, we learned more about the pain points that our Space(r)s [=SPACE community members] deal with on a daily basis, both in their career, and within their own minds. With those things in sight, we curate events and experiences like Newark Tech Week, Small Business Week, and Woman In-Novation. These events allow us to collaborate with Mayor Ras J. Baraka, mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, powerhouses like Nathalie Molina Nino [Founder of Brava Investments], Senator Sandra Cunningham, Marley Dias [#1000BlackGirlBooks], and other prolific influencers from all over the U.S. Our partners list is exponentially growing and allows us to format an experience for Space(r)s that is noteworthy and fitting for their personal businesses.

There are 5 ways we provide better opportunities than any coworking space:

  1. Inclusive Culture: Our community is rich not only in cultural diversity, but also in industry diversity. We have freelance photographers, fitness trainers, lawyers, tech writers, content developers, real-estate specialists, social media influencers, coders, and more – these are the people who make =SPACE what it is.
  2. Community Support:Although, we are still amidst a pandemic, =SPACE managed to develop its second city-wide week-long conference, Small Business Week. We hosted everything from courses to luncheons, helping 80+ local small businesses build up hard and soft skills to grow their business. We curate events and experiences like Newark Tech Week, Woman In-Novation, and Civic Influencers. These events allow us to collaborate with Mayor Ras J. Baraka, mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, powerhouses like Nathalie Molina Nino [Founder of Brava Investments], Senator Sandra Cunningham, Marley Dias [#1000BlackGirlBooks], and other prolific influencers from all over the U.S.
  3. Social Network: Last year we hosted over 25 events, with over 1.8K attendees, during a tough time for so many small businesses we were able to create free programming that empowered, educated and provided access to much needed support. Our proof is in our actions. We collaborate with organizations and businesses like NJII, Panasonic, Verizon, NJEDA, LISC and more to build our social capital; and provide our members with access to high-level information on grants, startup funding, and more!
  4. 1:1 Mentorship: We actively practice cultural equity and diversity through our business policies and practices, including our Ambassadors Program. Our Ambassadors are Newark-based individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the entrepreneurial and/or creative landscape of our city. Ambassadors represent =SPACE through assisting us with marketing & promotion, hosting events and being a part of SPACE(r) culture. Ambassadors also receive free membership and business mentorship, as a result, choosing ambassadors is in line with our mission. We work with local talents including visual artists, graphic designers, photographers and entrepreneurs in tech, fashion, marketing and more.
  5. Endless Resources: =SPACE has expanded its facility, with over 19,000 sq.ft. of space. We have formatted our space to host more suites to encourage safe workplace distance while encouraging connection with our common space amenities. We have dedicated ourselves to provide more amenities to our Spacers like FitSPACE, a gym with a personal trainer to help address the increased mental/physical health concerns for the entrepreneurial community at large.

Click here to schedule a tour today! And Grab your free day pass!

 

3 Ways To Support Our Community Members

Our community members are lively, determined, and brilliant. It is a true honor to be the first choice of so many individuals and seeing them succeed pushes our entire team to work harder. The most valuable thing about our community members is their sportsmanship. When a new person joins our space, they are welcomed into a family. We have seen great collaborations between our Space(r)s and the projects that they develop are outstanding. Our community is rich not only in cultural diversity, but also in industry diversity. We have freelance photographers, fitness trainers, lawyers, tech writers, content developers, real-estate specialists, social media influencers, coders, and more – these are the people who make =SPACE what it is. They believe in our mission. We provide them with as many resources as we can and they give us back support tenfold. Seeing their greatness gives the =SACE team hope for the future – they [SPACE(r)s]  are building it, and it looks grand.  

We support our community in three major ways:

  1. Start-up Funding Opportunities: Our business has spent the past 7 years making connections with organizations and ventures [NJIT, NJEDA, and LISC, to name a few], so you don’t have to. We collaborate with incubators [like Digital Undivided] all around the U.S. who offer nation wide funding and pitching opportunities to small business owners and startup founders. Having priority status with many of these organizations allow us to gain primary access to this information.
  2. Educational Programming: We collaborate with various collegiate institutions and government agencies [NJII Venture Link, Verizon, to name a few] to offer various  accredited free and sponsored educational programs; teaching entrepreneurs key skills in business development, financial wellness, and investment pitching.
  3. Business Mentorship: =SPACE’s team are experienced in different areas of business from pitching and grant writing, to operations and customer acquisition. We also partner with professionals who have 5+ years of business leadership open to answering your burning questions. You can schedule 30-minute free sessions with our team and receive discounted rates for meeting with professionals credited business mentors.

Click here to take a tour and grab a free day pass!

 

 

3 Things You Must Know About Web Development

If you’re reading this article, then chances are you’re interested in web development. After all, web development is one of the most in-demand skills today. So if you’re just learning about web development or already have some experience with it, here are some things you should know before diving into your next project.

1. Kinds of Web Developers

Before learning more about web development, you should know that there are different kinds of web developers. Frontend developers build the look and feel of a website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. On the other hand, backend developers work on the code behind the scenes, including database management and server settings.

There are also full-stack developers who can handle both frontend and backend coding. In addition, mobile app developers specialize in creating apps for smartphones and tablets. Knowing the different kinds of web developers can help you decide what kind of position you’d be best suited for.

2. Technical Skills of Web Developers

Web developers need the necessary technical skills to succeed in their fields. Since web development is a very broad field, you’ll want to make sure you know the basics of different areas of technology. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:

  • HTML and CSS

The first thing you need to do when starting out with a new project is to learn how to write good code. This includes both HTML and CSS. HTML stands for hypertext markup language, which is just a way of structuring data on a webpage. On the other hand, CSS (cascading style sheets) is used to make sure that everything looks nice on a page.

  • Basic Programming Languages

Once you’ve mastered HTML and CSS, you’ll want to start learning a programming language as well. There are many different languages available for use on the web, but the most common ones include PHP, C++, C#, Ruby, Python, and Java. You should know that learning one language can lead to a basic understanding of other programming languages as well. or instance, some kids are learning Python at a young age so they can later move on to more advanced languages.

  • Software and Developer Tools

Aside from knowing how to write code, you’ll also need knowledge of software and developer tools. When it comes to web development, software and developer tools can help you build websites faster, easier, and with better results. They also enable allow you to check code during the process of building a site, which helps catch errors early on. 

  • User Interface and User Experience

Web development isn’t limited to just the actual website; it involves user interface design too. If you’re creating a website for someone else, you’ll want to consider their needs and preferences as much as possible. This is where the importance of user experience comes in. With basic knowledge of UX/UI and graphic design, you can create a website that fits its users’ needs while still looking aesthetically pleasing. 

3. Soft Skills of Web Developers

In addition to technical skills, you’ll also need soft skills to become a successful web developer. Remember that web development encompasses so many different facets of the industry. As such, it requires a wide range of expertise. To become a successful web developer, some of the soft skills you need include:

  • Problem-Solving

You’ll need to have an analytical mind to solve problems and come up with solutions. Web developers usually find themselves spending a lot of time thinking about the functionality needed for a particular website or application. While this may not seem like a challenging task at first, it will quickly turn into something difficult if you aren’t able to think through problems effectively.

  • Perseverance 

Web development isn’t always easy. You need to take time to work on your projects even though they don’t always go according to plan. A web developer who has been working in the field for a long period of time knows what it takes to stay motivated and focused while working on his or her projects.

  • Communication

Whether you work in person or online, you’ll need to communicate clearly with others. In web development, working with different clients and other team members is inevitable. You need to have strong communication skills to ensure everyone understands what they’re supposed to be doing and why.

  • Project Management

Having project management skills is essential for any kind of job. It’s especially important when you’re dealing with multiple people or tasks at a time. Without the knowledge of how to manage your time or resources efficiently, you won’t be able to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality products.

  • Creativity

Lastly, you need to have creative ideas and innovative solutions to problems as well. Creativity doesn’t only apply to art; it applies to everything, especially in web development. There are times when web developers need to come up with unique ways of tackling problems or finding new approaches. With some creative skills in your alley, you’ll be able to develop more effective applications and websites.

Final Words

As you can see, web development involves a variety of skills and disciplines. Learning how to write lines of code can only take you so far. It takes the right combination of both hard and soft skills to become a highly-skilled web developer to be successful in the industry.  

Open SPACE: An =SPACE Experience

We have expanded our sharespace and want to celebrate with our fellow entrepreneurs. We now have over 19,000 square feet of workspace, art, culture, and vibes!

So, come and see our facility. Take a breather, grab a drink, and make some great connections with fellow entrepreneurs.

If you are looking to meet more like-minded people, this is the place for you. If you are thinking about starting your own business, this is the space for you. If you just want to surround yourself with successful people, this community is for you.

RSVP BELOW: