YCSI Blog

Most of us spend a good portion of the day sitting at a desk. So, choosing desks that fit our bodies is an essential part of our everyday comfort. There is one factor, however, that many people don’t consider when looking for a desk, and that’s height.

Ergonomically correct furniture can prevent a great deal of strain on your body over time. Some people even find that it makes them more productive because they are more comfortable overall.

In order to determine whether or not the desk is the right height for you, you should:

• Sit down in the position you’d be in while using the desk
• Rest your arms at your sides
• Bend your elbow at a 90 degree angle keeping your upper arms in line with your torso

If the desk is at a good height for you, your hands will rest comfortably on the surface of the desk. If you can’t find a desk that fits, look into getting a chair with adjustable height or a desk with a pullout keyboard drawer.

Finding the right desk is an easy way to help eliminate discomfort and potentially serious back problems, which should make the effort you put into finding a desk well worth it.

For additional information relating to ideal desk height, check out this Lifehacker article.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular presentation resource in both the academic and business worlds. But when most of us are tasked with creating a presentation on our own, we realize we don’t know how to properly use PowerPoint to create a strong, memorable presentation.

When you watch polished professional speakers using PowerPoint to present nowadays, it’s fairly likely that you’ll notice one important similarity – they all use slides that effectively convey their message without overwhelming the audience with mountains of data.

With this in mind, consider implementing these simple tips in your next PowerPoint to help improve the strength of your presentation:

1. If your presentation centers on a narrative, stick to a small number of slides that contain powerful supporting images, text and statistics. Use the slides to make a point, not steal the show.
2. If you are presenting how-to’s or other instructional material, don’t be afraid to create dozens of slides that individually highlight only a single key idea or concept.
3. If you are presenting structured information, use bullet points, not sentences or paragraphs to help your viewers’ eyes scan through the slide and catch each point.
4. If you can avoid it, don’t use Clip Art, animations or fancy slide transitions. When it comes down to it, they distract from your presentation and reduce the effectiveness of your message. 
5. Make sure you are branding your business in your presentation, especially if you are presenting to an audience that does not know you.  This will increase the chance that they’ll connect you and your business to the great information you are sharing.
6. Rehearse with your slides to make sure your presentation flows well.  Getting lost in your presentation’s slide can detract from the information you are sharing.

By following these tips, you may be on your way to more effective presentations for your business.

For more PowerPoint tips check out this article from Inc. Magazine.

Only a few short decades ago computers were a rarity in the world of business, and only the largest and most profitable business could afford to pay the considerable expense to install and maintain a large mainframe.  In that bygone era desktop computers were unheard of, and many workers would have laughed if told that one day every employee would have a computer perched atop his or her desk. (more…)