There are a lot of file extensions to keep track of, and many people find themselves getting confused about which is the best option to use. This is often the case with CSV and XLS files. They both handle data from spreadsheets, so what’s the difference?

CSV files

CSV is a plain text file, so all of the values contained within it are separated by a comma. In fact, that’s where the name comes from, as it’s short for Comma Separated Values.

According to a Big Commerce blog post, most social media websites sell potential customer data in CSV format as it downloads to a database very quickly. They’re very easy to export, import and convert across to other formats.

In fact, you can open a CSV file from any other spreadsheet program, including Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel and Open Office. You can also open a file in even the most basic text editor, so it’s extremely simple to use yet is compatible across multiple platforms.

Unfortunately, CSV will only store one single sheet within a file, and it will not include any formatting or even a single formula.

XLS files

XLS is a binary file format capable of holding huge amounts of information, encompassing the file contents as well as formatting and formulas. Since 2003, the files have adopted the XLSX extension, but they are compatible with one another.

Although they were created specifically for Microsoft Excel, XLS files can be opened by other spreadsheet programs, too.

Which is better, CSV or XLS?

Nowadays, converting one file type to another is easy. Rather than having to laboriously transcribe data by hand, there are loads of helpful tools available. If you want to convert PDF to Excel, for example, just head to https://pdftables.com/convert-pdf-to-excel, and it’s done in a moment.

The decision of which file extension to use, CSV or XLS, depends entirely on how you plan to use the data contained within the file. Where there’s a need for the data to be kept with formatting and formulas intact, XLS is the obvious choice.

CSV files, on the other hand, are supported by almost every available data upload interface. If you need to import and export it across multiple interfaces or keep moving it between platforms, CSV is the better option

Step up your Christmas game this year with beautiful environmentally friendly fabric tags. These tags make stunning Christmas decorations for around the house or can be used as a personal touch with your Christmas gifts.  Gifts have to be unique to the person you are buying for, for example things like candles, hobbies and Essential Oils which could be sourced from businesses like Quinessence.  Continue reading Make Easy Gift-Tags for your personalised presents →

Over the last decade, digital technology has changed entire industries. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have transformed the worlds of media. Online retail giants such as Amazon have disrupted retailers who operate from bricks and mortar. Driverless vehicles are increasingly being seen on our roads. And the new technology is not just for meeting consumer demands for better entertainment, shopping and transportation. In many industries, innovation has increased the productivity and sustainability of companies and reshaped the skills and competencies required to develop them. Continue reading How the construction industry can change the future →

We live in a day and age in which nearly everyone you meet holds an account on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Gone are the days in which these were just unheard of applications, and it has even become increasingly popular among several generations rather than just the younger ones – your granddad probably checks his Facebook feed more regularly than you do nowadays. So, with this being the case, how can small businesses survive when they don’t have a social media presence? Firstly they could contact a PR Cheltenham company found at sites like headonpr.co.uk/ and ask about social media, communicating with clients and how big the internet can be for business.  Continue reading Every business needs a social media presence! →

If your office hasn’t been decorated for at least a decade, then it could be affecting staff morale. These days, offices are increasingly being decorated in inventive and unique ways in order to boost employee morale and productivity levels. Whilst, it might not be practical for you to replicate the ideas some of the larger corporations, such as table tennis tables, play areas and slides – here are some useful ideas for updating your office interior: Continue reading Ways to update the office to boost morale →

To get the best out of your team, consider what motivates them so you can be sure they always perform at their best.

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More money and responsibility aren’t the only ways to motivate people. These six points can all be effective in encouraging your employees to achieve more and stay with your business for longer.

Recognise Efforts and Achievement

Recognising people’s efforts and achievements makes them feel more motivated to perform well. Notice when people are going the extra mile, and be sure to mention it. Hearing recognition of a colleague’s achievement motivates others and helps foster a positive atmosphere.

Give Feedback

Give feedback so that employees can assess and improve their performance. Keep it positive and constructive. Focus on what’s gone well and give clear guidance on areas for improvement. Let your employees learn from others’ success, and share knowledge and expertise with suggestions on areas for improvement.

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Involvement

Empower your employees by involving them in plans and decision-making. People tend to do the minimum of what they’re tasked with if they feel they’ve simply been told what to do and can’t suggest or explore other possibilities and better ways of doing the task.

Offer Rewards

Rewarding employees gives them something to aim for. Bonuses or incentives should always set achievable goals. If people know there’s an achievable reward if they drive themselves further, they’ll be more motivated to do so. As this BBC article shows, it’s important that goals are realistic.

Be Supportive

It may seem obvious that you need to support your team to motivate them, but knowing how to support them isn’t always straightforward. Offer opportunities for regular training or strategy meetings to identify areas for improvement. Using the services of a motivational speaker can help to fire up your team, fostering a positive can-do attitude.

Bringing in someone from outside shows you’re happy to invest time, money and energy in your efforts. Watch video clips of motivational speeches such as https://www.adventureman.org/motivational-speaker/ to see how they can inspire and motivate your team.

Be Open

Explain what’s happening in the business and why decisions are being made. Businesses need to be constantly evolving. When a team is told why changes are happening, it helps them understand management decisions and gives them a chance to be involved and feel empowered.a

Those concerned by climate change and the rising cost of energy will be heartened to know that a new batch of UK wind farms is generating power that costs less than that generated by coal burning. Wind farm energy now appears to be a reliable and sustainable energy source that does not need to be subsidised.

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Bountiful winds

These wind farms are driven by offshore breezes and the price of power that they are producing has decreased by around 30 per cent over the past two years. Twelve recent energy initiatives have generated energy that costs around £40 for a megawatt hour – a precedent-setting economical price.

More on how the costs of wind farm energy have dropped and driven down subsidy support can be found in this report from The Guardian.

Clean energy

The power produced by these recent energy endeavours will supply up to seven million households. This power is affordably priced and comes without the environmental baggage generally associated with nuclear energy. Just a few years ago, energy from wind power was more expensive than that generated from nuclear energy. The decrease in price of renewable energy is good news for everyone. The lack of subsidisation required means that more wind energy projects can be developed in the North Sea and these will be cost-effective and also make a valuable contribution to reducing emissions and tackling climate change.

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When it comes to installing turbines that use wind power, a davit crane is a highly versatile piece of equipment that is portable and has impressive lifting capacity. If you want to find out more about how a davit crane could support and enhance a construction project, it would be a good idea to contact experts in the field, such as https://www.gmh.co.uk/transition-piece-davit-cranes/ to get more advice and information.

Cheap renewable energy generated from offshore wind power is an excellent development as populations grow and consume more power. Cost, both in terms of what consumers pay and emissions that contribute to climate change, are both important, and renewable wind energy is a great alternative to fossil or nuclear fuels. Thanks to advances in technology, renewable energy is becoming more efficient, cheaper and easier to store. Eventually it is hoped that all sources of energy are sustainable and renewable.

It is not just in business that things move at a swifter pace these days. Modern life in general is faster than ever – a whirlwind of events to negotiate and conquer. When it comes to the work-life balance, the scales are most definitely weighed down on the work side of things. With life lived at such a rush, there seems to be little time for relaxation or enjoying leisure pursuits. Perhaps this is why stress-related illness is so widespread in modern society. Continue reading How a Rural Office Location Can Help Beat Stress →

Data security is defined as the protocols and measures that are used to prevent unauthorised access to confidential information. It is mostly concerned with digitally held data, e.g. data held on computers, websites, and databases.

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Data security is a crucial aspect of IT management for all organisations, irrespective of size.

According to research, Cybersecurity spending is expected to exceed $1 trillion for the period from 2017 to 2021.

The vast number of devices (particularly mobiles) that are now connected to central databases and servers means that data is now more vulnerable to cyber criminals, and organisations need to embed different/multiple layers of security.  If you want to update your systems then you may want to use an Equity Release Gloucestershire company found at sites including www.palmermortgages.co.uk/financial-services/equity-release-gloucestershire/ to afford the bill.  There are numerous endpoint security solutions available, so if you wish to know more about which may best suit your needs, then why not take a look at a specialist website.

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2027 v 2017?

It is likely that most cyber-security will be powered by AI (for predictive analysis/threat recognition), but this will be in tandem with validation by human operators.

AI is already used in certain business sectors such as finance to help with day-to-day processing such as credit applications, fraud prevention, and robo-advising. In the future, firm-wide security protection looks set to follow this path. Internally, AI could potentially be responsible for a business’ entire security network and also provide ICT infrastructure support. IPSoft’s ‘Amelia’ can already do much of this.

In terms of the employees in the sector, it is likely that there will be a significant number of ‘ethical’ hackers. These are highly skilled individuals who understand in detail how to find vulnerabilities in an organisation’s digital infrastructure, and how to rectify them. These people can also teach AI how to identify flaws and target certain types of malware.

Another aspect that is likely to become more prominent is cross-country and inter-company collaboration. This will help all parties to build safer and more robust networks.

GDPR

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force in May 2018 and represents the largest shift in data protection law for over two decades. By 2027, there are bound to have been numerous updates and additions to the initial legislation. Complying with this legislation will be at the forefront of many of the data security advances over the next decade.

You might think that there is not much to think about when choosing office chairs. Maybe the colour and whether or not it has armrests might be as far as you have pondered the issue. For a piece of furniture that workers will spend several hours every day sitting on, it’s important to get the right seating.  It’s funny if your uncomfortable because of heat, tiredness or hunger how a chair can really help your day.  If heat is an issue of course an Air conditioning Gloucester company at links like acecc.co.uk could help provide a solution to help keep your office cooler.  There are different types of chair and in case you’re not sure, let’s take a look at what the differences are.  Continue reading Taking a seat in your office →