Studies show that severe stress is associated with heart disease, depression, and suppression of the immune system, which can lead to other health problems. So it makes sense to try to eliminate stress as much as possible. It's…

Which Came First: The Chicken or The Egg? This simple question from American folklore has sparked generations of debates, jokes and mental quests for the answer – or at least the winning argument. Did the first chicken simply…

With the advent of hand-held computers in the form of tablets and phones, and the subsequent invasion of social media channels, the future of learning is evolving quickly. The rows of desks in a classroom with a teacher…

As part of our computer course offerings, Velsoft Training Materials has released Microsoft courseware beginning with versions for Microsoft Office 2002 and 2003, and then every three to four years after that with each new software revision by…

What would make you more likely to purchase something from a company? This approach? Here at ABC Company our product is the best… we’re so great… buy from us. Or this approach? You have a problem. ABC Company…

Marketability is not something just to think about when you’re looking for a job. Yes, it’s important to undertake training when you’re in job search mode, but it shouldn’t be overlooked when you’re employed. Sitting back and relaxing…

Outlook Online allows you to manage several different kinds of information, including your email, calendar, tasks, and contacts. Each of these item types has their own workspace and commands related to managing those objects. The Mail Workspace When…

When I was younger, much younger, I worked for a summer clearing land for an airport expansion project. It would be a major understatement to say I was inexperienced and untrained in the proper use of power saws.…

Adopting the Right Mindset Adopting the right mindset for learning can take time because we have to train our brains and focus on having a growth mindset. This means controlling the ability to learn, which can be honed…

One of my favorite entrepreneurs, Gary Vaynerchuk, often tells an anecdote about hard work versus smart work. The exact wording changes when he repeats the story but it goes something like this. Someone says ‘Hey Gary, I don’t…

On a daily basis I receive dozens of email messages from retail stores, online vendors or companies that I’ve purchased from or communicated with in the past — clothing stores, shoe stores, and printing companies —along with recipe…

When I started my career in journalism about 25 years ago (yikes!), the newspaper business was a lot different than it is today. While basic reporting skills such as conducting interviews and story writing haven’t changed very much,…

Google Docs resembles most common word processors. Document Template Your first screen offers choices for a New Document. There are template options for commonly used documents: resumes, letters, brochures, and proposals. You may start with a template, which…

Attending training is a wise career development move, often giving you skills to be more efficient and productive, which can help boost your career. In some cases, training can cause you to think in different ways and give…

When talking about creating an innovative environment we need to first define what innovation is. Innovation in its purest form means to create something new, but it can also mean better solutions, new methods of doing something, finding…

Blended learning refers to combining face-to-face instruction with eLearning, and is also known as hybrid, mixed, or integrative learning. Blended learning must successfully integrate synchronous (at the same time) and asynchronous (not happening at the same time) activities,…

Fostering innovation is good for businesses and yet many don’t do it. Innovative companies grow faster and are more profitable than those that aren’t innovators. Benefits include differentiating from the competition, increasing sales and profits, and better employee…

So what do vegetables have to do with a good learning experience? As it turns out, not much. Recently I was completing an update of one of our softskills courses and I came across an Energizer activity that…

Today, Jan. 28, is Data Privacy Day around the world. As the name suggests, it’s a day to promote good privacy practices and education at home and in the workplace, and to recognize the work being done to…

What is mobbing in the workplace? More and more people are becoming familiar with the harmful effects of bullying. Bullying is a problem that exists in many environments, including workplaces, and inflicts harm on the target through the…

Musicians, actors, magicians, politicians, and trainers all have one thing in common: performing in public. Stage fright is a workplace hazard for these people! While there are many causes of stage fright, one of the most common is…

What and Why? Bullying is a problem that exists in many environments, including workplaces, and inflicts harm on the target through the use of harassment, threats, intimidation, humiliation, or sabotage. It is damaging and often occurs over a…

In today’s economy, finding ways to make every dollar count is more important than ever. What investment will give you the longest-lasting impact? The answer, of course, is training. The old saying, “Give a man a fish and…

Businesses that don’t invest in training and teaching their employees new skills over the next few years are going to get left behind, according to a report released by the World Economic Forum. “New technology adoption drives business…

Strategy and Structure The organization of a code base can greatly affect speed of development as well as the speed at which a page is rendered. Performance As a website’s code base and traffic grows, a new skill…

For about six years beginning in 1997, four female firefighters in Richmond, British Columbia were subjected to harassment from their male colleagues. The women reported incidents including obscenities written inside their helmets and lockers, threatening notes, the display…

I love movies and TV series, especially science fiction. I own copies of all the Star Wars movies, along with all the Star Trek movies and episodes from all the different series. I also have Firefly, Babylon 5,…

OneNote Online is the cloud-based version of Microsoft’s note taking program. Using OneNote Online, you can gather many types of content into one location, and share your notes as needed. Best of all, OneNote Online’s interface is intuitive…

December 2018 marks almost seven months since the European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) was enacted, resulting in a shake-up of privacy practices  in Europe and around the world. Since then, what has been the effect of…

Webinars are an affordable and effective tool for connecting with your staff, customers and your online community. As someone who already has the skills to create webinars — from the structure and content to how to use webinar…