Business

Solving The Labor Productivity Problem

Published

6 years ago

April 24, 2019

Labor productivity is a measure of a nation’s economic performance. It can be expressed by comparing output (the amount of goods and services produced by the nation), to input (the number of labor hours used to produce those goods and services). Growth occurs when output increases faster than input, and is measured as the difference between the two. For example, if output is measured as growing at 5 percent during a given business cycle, and input grew at 2 percent over that same time period, then overall labor productivity growth is said to be 3 percent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, labor productivity fell by .2 percent in 2016. This was the first negative growth since the Great Recession of 2007-2008. While more recent numbers have shown short-term increases in labor productivity since then, the overall trend for the current business cycle indicates that the U.S. is in historically low growth as compared to every cycle since the end of World War II.

Why is Labor Productivity Flatlining?

While everyone agrees that labor productivity is historically low, no one can agree as to the root causes. You know the old joke: If you ask 10 economists a question, you’ll get 12 different answers. One theory is that our methods of measuring productivity are outdated, but measurement errors can’t in and of themselves account for the drops. Another school of thought posits that the downward trend is indicative of a slowdown in innovation rather than one in productivity, where today’s inventions lack the far-reaching effects of the industrial revolution and early 20^th century electrification of the U.S. Opponents of this view point out that those effects are measured with the benefit of hindsight, and that modern innovations such as the internet are still evolving. A correlating factor, these opponents claim, is that businesses have been too slow to adopt these new technologies, which has hurt growth. This claim dovetails into a root cause that researchers at the Brookings Institution believe could account for almost half of the drop in productivity all on its own: businesses are not investing in their own productivity.

When companies invest earnings back into the business—developing or purchasing better equipment, providing training and higher compensation to their labor force, adopting more efficient technology—it has a direct positive influence on net productivity growth. In the past decade, the domestic investment in GDP by U.S. businesses fell to the lowest point in over 60 years. A report released at the end of 2016 documented that the Fortune 500 companies were collectively holding $2.6 trillion in offshore accounts. Additionally, even as output has risen, wage growth for the middle and lower classes has stagnated. Having less money to spend means smaller revenue streams all around, which means less output and less investment, which contributes to the downward spiral.

Infrastructure And Personnel

Investing in your business is the key to boosting productivity. It really comes down to two areas: infrastructure and personnel.

Infrastructure, in this context, means tangible items that benefit your company. Things such as more efficient machinery and technologies, better logistics plans, or a more robust IT network are all infrastructure. Keep your business software up to date, embrace new practices such as distributed ledger systems, which keep all parties on the same page in collaborative projects, even getting better chairs for everyone can give you a bump in productivity. The more streamlined you can make your front end, the fewer mistakes and delays you’ll experience as projects advance.

You must also invest in your people. Develop your existing staff with specialized training, and retain them with good benefits and remuneration. Over the long term, as your productivity (and profit) increases, you will attract more employees, allowing you to branch out into other areas of production or take on bigger projects. You can also jumpstart your productivity boost by utilizing outsourcing companies that specialize in your field. For example, Indovance, Inc., in Apex, NC, provides expert CAD services for Building Information Management, architecture, civil and mechanical engineering, sign design, and pre-press services. Their “Twin Engagement Model” gives their clients immediate access to a highly-trained talent pool that’s ready to work on large projects. Their work can be rapidly scaled to meet changing demands without sacrificing efficiency or quality, and they quickly take on any company’s business goals and culture to be a true partner and extension of the team. This is a great solution for business owners who want to boost their company’s productivity quickly, but don’t yet have an in-house team in place.

The synergy of investment

Positive labor productivity growth improves the standard of living for everyone. When a company (or industry, or nation) invests in itself to become more efficient, it can produce the same—or even more—goods and services with fewer labor hours, leading to larger capital gains and higher wages. More income combined with increased leisure time leads to more private sector spending and public sector revenue. This is not a zero-sum game, where a gain in one area automatically means a loss in another; this is a symbiosis, where thoughtful investment to increase productivity on a local level has a net growth effect that goes well beyond the boardroom walls.

Business

Top 10 Public Relations Tools Every Entrepreneur Should Check Out

Published

4 days ago

September 12, 2025

Margaret Zander

Any successful business requires public relations to establish and protect its image and reputation. Fortunately, in the digital world, there are many tools at an entrepreneur’s disposal. This article highlights the ten best public relations tools every entrepreneur should consider to communicate with their target audience and increase brand awareness.

1. HARO (Help a Reporter Out)

As its name suggests, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) is a platform connecting journalists with their stories’ sources. It also allows businesses, organizations, and individuals to share their expertise and insights. They can get in front of a wider audience by offering quotes, facts, and other information to journalists looking for sources for their articles.

By using HARO, entrepreneurs and PR professionals can get their brands in front of a large audience and improve their visibility, credibility, and reputation. It has a free plan aside from its paid ones, with subscriptions that start at $19 per month.

2. Ahrefs

Primarily known as an SEO tool, Ahrefs can also be used as a public relations tool. It provides a comprehensive analysis of a website’s backlink profile. It enables PR professionals and entrepreneurs to see who is linking to their websites. Plus, you’ll know what content is attracting the most links. Through Ahrefs, PR professionals can identify key influencers and potential media contacts in their industry and reach out to them for possible coverage.

Ahrefs can also be used to monitor competitors’ PR and marketing activities. This will provide valuable insights into successful PR strategies. The platform offers four premium plans with pricing that starts at $99 per month.

3. Google Alerts

A free, web-based tool, Google Alerts allows you to monitor mentions of specific keywords or phrases on the internet. This tool can be helpful for PR professionals and entrepreneurs as a way to keep track of their online reputation and brand mentions. By setting up Google Alerts for your brand, products, industry keywords, or even your competitors, you can receive email notifications whenever your specified keywords are mentioned online.

This helps PR professionals stay informed and promptly respond to negative mentions, track positive coverage, and share it with their audience.

4. BuzzSumo

If you need to get insights on what’s popular, viral, and being shared across the web, BuzzSumo is one of the public relations tools you need. It is a content analysis tool that helps PR professionals and entrepreneurs monitor their online presence. And they can reach their target audience effectively. It provides insights into viral content, competitor analysis, influencer identification, and performance metrics.

Its ability to track and measure the impact of PR and content efforts makes it a valuable tool for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition. It offers a free plan, but its paid ones have pricing that starts at $99 per month.

5. PRWeb

Another valuable tool for PR professionals and entrepreneurs looking to promote their brands, products, and services is PRWeb. It is a PR distribution service that helps businesses and organizations reach their target audience and improve their online visibility.

PRWeb offers a wide range of distribution options, including national and local media outlets, social media, and industry-specific websites, ensuring that press releases reach the intended audience. You can choose from PRWeb’s four plans with subscription fees that start at $105 per month.

6. Respona

One of the most underutilized public relations tools you need to check out is Respona. It effectively helps organizations manage their media and public relations efforts. It provides a centralized platform for monitoring media mentions, conducting outreach to journalists, and measuring the impact of PR campaigns.

The tool includes email automation, press release distribution, and real-time media monitoring to help PR professionals streamline their work and communicate more effectively with their audience. It offers a free trial, but if you want to continue using it, pricing starts at $99 per month.

7. Coverage Book

If tracking and showcasing your media coverage is a priority, Coverage Book is the public relations tool for you. It provides a platform for organizing and presenting media coverage from online and offline sources, including press releases, articles, and social media mentions. It also includes analytics to measure the impact of PR campaigns and provide insights into the performance of media outreach efforts.

Coverage Book is designed to help PR teams demonstrate the value of their work to internal stakeholders and clients. This is a good investment, with prices ranging from $99 to $599.

8. Business Wire

A news distribution service and PR tool, Business Wire is used by organizations to distribute press releases and other news content to media outlets and stakeholders. It provides a platform for organizations to reach a global audience through distribution to a vast network of media outlets and websites, including major search engines, news databases, and social media platforms.

Business Wire is a paid service with varying costs based on distribution and features needed. It offers different packages available to meet the needs of various organizations.

9. NinjaOutreach

A public relations tool that offers a platform for simplifying your outreach efforts and building relationships with journalists, bloggers, and other influencers. NinjaOutreach provides email outreach automation, influencer database search, and analytics to track PR campaigns. It saves time and effort by automating repetitive tasks and providing insights into effective audience outreach.

The tool is designed to help organizations improve their media coverage and build relationships with key influencers. Pricing ranges between $389 and $849 per month.

10. SourceBottle

A journalism tool that doubles as a public relations tool is SourceBottle. It connects journalists and bloggers with experts, sources, and content for their stories. It provides a platform for experts, organizations, and individuals to offer their expertise and resources to journalists looking for references and information.

SourceBottle also offers analytics to track the success of PR campaigns and provide insights into media outreach efforts. The service fee is based on the desired features and the number of journalists and bloggers to be reached. But for starters, you need to create an expert profile for a monthly cost of $25.

Final Thoughts

The world of public relations is constantly evolving. Entrepreneurs must stay up-to-date with the latest tools and technologies to get their messages and stories in front of their target audience. The public relations tools discussed in this list are some of the best in the industry and offer a range of features and capabilities to meet the needs of different types and sizes of organizations.

Business

Unlimited Graphic Design Companies Of 2025 + Promo Codes (Updated)

Published

4 days ago

September 11, 2025

Jeffrey Davidson

In 2025, unlimited graphic design has become a crucial part of the day-to-day operations of businesses that can’t afford to hire an in-house designer. And with more unlimited graphic design companies now backed by AI capabilities, scalability and efficiency have increased exponentially.

Let’s unpack all there is to know about unlimited graphic design providers, including features, money-back guarantees, and factors to consider when choosing.

Which Provider Should You Choose?

We’ve done the homework and curated a list of Unlimited Graphic Design providers for you and also negotiated special deals on your behalf. You can see them all below and decide which one fits your business based on your needs.

Unlimited Graphic Design Providers

1. Penji

$499

2. Kapa99

$499

3. UnicornGo!

$399

4. Graphic Zoo

$299

5. Design Shifu

$199

6. Limitless Design

$549

7. Kimp

$599

8. The Futures

Book a Call

9. Delesign

$599

10. Many Pixels

$549

11. Creato

Request a Quote

12. MeetAnders

S$738

13. Design Buffs

$850

14. Design Joy

$4,995

15. Designed

$2,500

16. Grow Modo

$1,795

17. Church Media Squad

$697

18. No Limit Creatives

$599

19. Undullify

$149

20. Cueball Creatives

$147

21. Darkroast

$1199

22. Digital Polo

$249

23. Online Design Club

$2,000

24. Draftss

$398

25. Graphiker

A$640

26. Design Desk

$499

27. Designs Unlimited

£299

28. Fairpixels

Flexible price

29. Design Seed

$129, $399, $699

30. Advertflair

Contact Sales

31. Kwala

$439

32. Unlimitly

$349

33. Graphic Signatures

$99

34. Squidpixels

$100

35. Flowz

$12.50

36. Sketchdeck

Contact Sales

37. ConceptDrop

$150

38. Automation Agency

$425

39. Vibrant Agency

$699

40. Graphic Rhythm

$499

What Does Unlimited Graphic Design Mean?

These unlimited graphic design services have a monthly subscription business model. That means you can sign up and cancel whenever you like. What sets them apart from your typical freelancer, agency, or in-house designer is you gain access to a workflow that is designed to be quick and to the point.

You’ll communicate with their team through Trello, email, or an online platform. The option given is dependent on the company you choose. For example, only a small selection of services provide a custom built online platform for their customers.

Once you’re connected to their workflow, you can begin submitting as many design requests as you want. Although they all claim “unlimited”, it generally means you can “create” unlimited design requests. It doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll work on them all at once. Usually, they just work on one design at a time. When one completes, they start the next design.

The usual turnaround time is between 1 – 2 days, and that’s just for the first draft. It doesn’t mean your entire request is complete. If you don’t like it, you can request as many revisions as you want, and that will take more time. So it can take up to a week to actually get the design complete if you have a lot of revisions.

Another thing to keep in mind is content. You need to be able to have everything ready and provide all the content needed in order for their designers to get started.

How Does On-Demand Graphic Design Work?

Most graphic design services listed above offer clients a bespoke design platform. For instance, Penji’s design tool is an all-in-one platform where designers, account managers, customers, and their team members can communicate and collaborate.

Although the steps in working with a graphic design company are similar, we’ll use Penji’s design software to share the step-by-step graphic design process.

1. Log in

Once you’ve selected the subscription plan, log in to your design tool and access your dashboard. Most of these tools are user-friendly with a minimal learning curve and prioritize user experience.

This example of Penji’s dashboard shows a list and thumbnails of ongoing design projects. The menu at the top shows the Active, Completed, Drafted, and On-hold projects.

Submitting a design brief is the first step in the on-demand graphic design process. To submit, click the +New Project button at the upper right side of the dashboard.

2. Fill in the title

Think of a relevant project title that will describe the design accurately. Writing an accurate title will make browsing through ongoing projects easier once you have a long list.

For instance, if you’re creating a company logo, you can write “Logo design” and specify the company or industry beside it if you’re handling multiple brands.

3. Choose from design categories

The next step is to choose from the many design categories. Most unlimited graphic design services have around 100+ design categories. Penji has 120+ design categories. Choose one that fits your project.

4. Write a design brief

This step is crucial when working with on-demand graphic designers, as this will make or break your project outcome. Writing a thorough, clear, and well-thought-out design brief makes it easier for designers to understand exactly what you want.

Penji’s design platform has a few reminders on the left side when writing design briefs. Ensure you follow the tips for a better design outcome.

5. Attach files and images for inspiration

Some customers can’t express themselves clearly through written instructions. You can attach files and images to support your written descriptions with visuals. Attaching sample logos also helps lead designers in the right direction. Attaching your competitors’ logos is also a way to make yours better.

You’ll also need to choose the source file type in this step or let designers pick for you.

6. Choose a brand style guide

Subscribing to unlimited graphic design services means you can request any visuals for multiple brands. Penji’s design tool lets you save and categorize your brand style guides in folders. This way, you only have to choose a branding guideline for designers to follow.

Once you’ve chosen the associated brand, click the Create project button to start the process.

7. Wait 24 to 48 hours

Although most on-demand graphic design services’ turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, some companies may take more than two days. This is due to complex projects like illustrations or web pages.

Wait for the first draft and ask for revisions until you’re 100 percent happy with the design. Download the source file, and you’re good to go!

Why Should You Sign Up for Unlimited Graphic Design Services

Subscribing to unlimited graphic design services is more convenient than hiring freelance designers.

Here are factors why many users choose to outsource their design needs to unlimited graphic design services:

Work with vetted designers and choose from various skill sets. There is no need to search for another designer fit for a particular project. The company will assign you the most suitable designer.
AI integration. The best unlimited graphic design providers make sure that their vetted designers have updated training and are able to take advantage of the latest tech, including AI.
No need to worry about additional fees as you only have to pay fixed monthly rates and get unlimited designs. Revisions also come at no extra cost.
You don’t have to worry about graphic designers going MIA and abandoning crucial projects. Each design project is managed by an account manager who will check if deadlines are met on time.
Signing up and canceling subscriptions with on-demand graphic design services is easy. You can sign up if you need a stream of designs while setting up shop and cancel anytime without incurring cancellation fees.
Fast 24 to 48-hour turnaround, which prevents any bottlenecks in your marketing campaigns.
Request to change assigned designers if you’re unhappy with their work at no additional cost.
Organize your projects and brand style guides if you request multiple brand designs. The custom design platforms make managing projects efficient and convenient.

Are they worth it?

If you have a lot of design needs, they’re definitely worth it. Being that it’s a monthly recurring investment, you’ll need to make sure that you have the need for an ongoing graphic design service. This graphic design service model is comparable to outsourcing a designer yourself, except much of all the management work is done by the company. The quality of designs and turnaround time also tends to be significantly better when outsourcing a designer yourself.

Business

What’s the Best Creative Design Company for you?

Published

5 days ago

September 11, 2025

Skylar Lee

Introduction

Many companies settle for unlimited graphic design services as the happy medium. With a flat monthly fee, brands can access as many requests as needed at an expedited rate without the hassle.It is efficient, cost-effective, and stress-free.

But which is the best creative service design firm for you? The following are four top agencies that offer creativity as a service.

#1 Penji: The Best Unlimited Graphic Design Service Overall

Penji: unlimited graphic design services

Penji is a well-known name in the vast graphic design industry. It has a great reputation thanks to quality service, turnaround and reasonable pricing. A flat monthly fee grants access to a professional design team that tackles logos, advertisements, social graphics, packaging and even websites.

Pros

Quick turnaround time—many designs within 24-48 hours.

Unlimited revisions until satisfaction.

An easy-to-use platform for submission and tracking.

A vast array of design opportunities from marketing to branding.

Designers are dedicated to your projects, getting to know your style.

Cons

The monthly subscription does not cover writing or video editing across all plans.

Complex requests may take longer than 48 hours.

#2 Kimp: Affordable Unlimited Creative Design

Kimp is well-known for being an economical alternative that still provides dependable design help. Kimp is unique in that it combines graphic design and video design in one strategy. Thus, it’s perfect for companies looking for social media support, advertisement content or YouTube graphics.

Pros

Transparent pricing on a per-month basis.

Unlimited requests and unlimited revisions.

Graphic and video design in one plan.

A dedicated group works on your projects.

Cons

Turnaround might slow as requests increase.

Communication is limited to Kimp’s internal platform.

#3 Flocksy – Creative as a Service Agency

Flocksy offers more than just design; it’s more of a creative as a service agency covering unlimited writing, video editing, even voiceovers. Thus, if you require several different types of creative coverage in one space, this could be the place for you.

Pros

Unlimited tasks completed for a diverse array of options.

A dedicated team learns your preferences over time.

Fast turnaround, often 24-hour delivery.

Perfect for businesses needing more than graphic design.

Cons

Monthly pricing is greater than that of graphic-only agencies.

Can feel overwhelming if only looking for graphics.

#4 Delesign – Scalable and Flexible Solution

Delesign is all about flexibility. It covers plans that accommodate small businesses and growing businesses. Additionally, you can select between day or night shifts so your projects get completed even faster.

Pros