Since then, we have collected and sorted out some of the main concerns and confusion that buyers have about purchasing agencies. Here we provide you with the most objective and detailed answers in this article.

1. What is a purchasing agent or purchasing company and how to differentiate between them?

A sourcing agent is a person or organization that purchases goods on behalf of a buyer and purchases products that are not available to the buyer. There is always a need for sourcing agents or purchasing companies in international trade.

Traditionally, sourcing agents sourced suppliers only for their clients. In fact, the services provided by a procurement agency can include selecting the right supplier, conducting price negotiations, following up on production, quality control, product compliance and testing, transportation, etc.

This is not to say that a purchasing agent or company should provide a full range of services. The scope of work depends on the agreement reached between the parties.

2. Purchasing agent or purchasing company?

In the global market, people often use these two words as if they mean the same thing. For example, if you want someone to do the purchasing for you, you might say – I need a “purchasing agent” or a “purchasing company”, but that doesn’t really matter. But in fact, these are two different concepts.

1) Purchasing agent

A purchasing agent can be an individual or hired to be your full-time agent. These personal sourcing agents rarely consist of one or two people, and they usually work out of a small office or home office.

In some cases, they may have worked in trading or sourcing companies for many years.  These personal agents can be found on many freelancing platforms (such as Toopus, Upwork, etc.), some of which may also have their own websites on Google.

2) Purchasing Company

Purchasing companies, also known as purchasing agencies. It is easy to understand that a purchasing company has a professional purchasing agent team and organized apartments such as purchasing, quality inspection, warehousing, and transportation systems. They can integrate supplier resources more efficiently while serving different buyers.

Purchasing companies are usually located in industrial areas. For example, most Chinese sourcing agents and companies are located in Yiwu, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, China.

Summary:  Either a purchasing agent or a company is the link between buyers and suppliers, the key is which one you prefer to serve you.

3. What services does a purchasing agency provide?

Procurement service fees vary depending on the scope of work you order from the agency. To avoid any potential disputes, please clarify the scope and charges of your service before we begin working together. That is why I have dedicated a chapter to the services of sourcing agents and purchasing companies.

The following are the main services provided by most sourcing agents:

• Choose the right supplier

• Negotiate prices with suppliers

• Production follow-up

• QC

• Product Compliance and Testing

• transportation and logistics

1) Purchase product suppliers

Verification and selection of suppliers that meet customer requirements is an essential service for every purchasing agent. They will negotiate with suppliers on behalf of buyers to obtain the best prices and confirm production details.

Some buyers may, however, wonder whether they should receive supplier information from their purchasing agent or company.  Some people even believe that agents are cheating them or making black money by not providing them with supplier information.

It depends on the buying agent’s service model whether supplier information is provided to buyers.

2) Personal purchasing agent

Some personal sourcing agents can be found on the Internet, and they are usually paid a fixed salary (hourly/day) or may be paid a fixed commission for projects. This kind of cooperation is like finding yourself a purchasing assistant abroad.

Literally, the buyer pays for the supplier’s information, so the agent is obliged to provide the supplier’s contact information to his boss, the buyer, who himself will communicate with the supplier to negotiate the price.

3) Purchasing company/agency

If it is a purchasing company/agency, they will not provide the supplier information directly to the buyer. Here are the two main reasons.

First of all, these high-quality suppliers are their accumulated resources (including those resources that cannot be found on B2B websites), which is why you can get competitive prices from purchasing companies.

Secondly, they charge service fees based on a certain proportion of the total value of the goods, that is to say, this is their profit model. (I will discuss further how sourcing agents/companies are charged later in question 5).

Although they do not disclose the contact information of the factory to buyers, they are willing to take buyers to visit the factory so that buyers have a certain understanding of the factory’s production output.

4) Subsequent production, QC, and shipment arrangements

Once a suitable supplier is found, production of the goods can be arranged. The purchasing agent/company will help coordinate with the factory and monitor the entire production process to ensure that the factory completes production on time and the goods are of good quality.

They will also provide quality inspection services and work with quality inspection companies to inspect finished products and minimize defective products before shipment.

The final step is transportation arrangements, which require a high level of expertise. In addition to bargaining for the most competitive freight, they also need to tell you what documents and product certificates are needed for customization, such as CE, RoHS, FDA, COC, etc.

Most sourcing agents or companies also provide these services. You can choose any part of their services based on your decision.

5) Other services

In addition to the above-mentioned mainstream services, some large professional procurement companies also provide private-label solutions, including but not limited to the following aspects:

• customized product
• Custom packaging/labeling
• Free product photography for e-commerce

4. Who needs a purchasing agent or purchasing company?

The following are situations where a purchasing agent is required.

1) People who have no important experience

Importing from overseas involves many complicated steps, such as finding the right supplier, following up on production, product testing, quality control, handling shipping, etc.

If you have no overseas purchasing experience, you can find a purchasing agent/company to help you start your first import journey. People who need to handle multiple product categories

Choosing two reliable suppliers for one product may require you to contact more than ten suppliers.  Suppose you are looking for 10 products, then you need to contact and verify at least 100 suppliers. In this case, the purchasing agent/company can not only complete the tedious work more efficiently but also consolidate all the goods you need.

2) Large retailers and supermarkets

Does this mean that large, well-funded, and experienced importers don’t need sourcing agents? Of course not! Large businesses also need them to better manage their supply chains.

Take a supermarket chain as an example, they need to buy thousands of products. It is almost impossible for them to go to every factory in person and buy every product.

Retail giants like Walmart and Target source products through sourcing agents or trading companies

3) Strength of sourcing agents and purchasing companies

Reliable sourcing agents/companies play a vital role in international trade procurement.

1. They can find suppliers with competitive prices and good quality.

A good purchasing agent can help you find a capable and reliable manufacturer. Because good agents/companies have accumulated a lot of qualified factory resources that you may not find online.

2. Can improve procurement efficiency.

A local sourcing agent/company can help you overcome cultural and language barriers. He clearly knows what you want, negotiates product details with suppliers, and delivers the information to you in fluent English, greatly reducing communication costs.

3. Importing from overseas can reduce your risk.

A good purchasing agent/company must have extensive experience in handling product production, quality control, compliance certification, import and export process rules, and international shipping.

5. How do sourcing agents or purchasing companies charge?

Since there are thousands of sourcing companies and agents around the world, there are no specific charges. Procurement agency fees vary greatly depending on service scope, cooperation method, product category, order amount, etc.

To give you an overview of procurement services fees, I’ve outlined three common procurement agent fees below.

1) Fixed salary for each project or a certain period of time

Many individual sourcing agents charge a fixed salary per product or for a specific period of time (weeks/months). They typically charge less than $50 per product. Quite a deal, right? You can discuss your products with suppliers and establish direct business relationships.

The disadvantage is that these agents are often unprofessional and the suppliers they find are often not the most cost-effective.

Some experienced buyers prefer to hire a personal full-time purchasing agent for a few weeks or months to complete simple purchasing tasks such as sourcing, translating, and communicating with suppliers. If you want to import from China, you can hire a full-time China purchasing agent to work for you for about $800 per month.

2) No surcharge but you can earn the price difference

Many individual sourcing agents or purchasing companies use this type of fee. Usually, in this case, the purchasing agent can provide more competitive prices or better quality products to good suppliers, which buyers are unlikely to find through normal channels (such as some online wholesale websites).

In turn, if buyers can find competitive prices on their own, they will not consider such a purchasing agent.

3) Based on the value of the product, there is a percentage service fee

Charging a percentage of the entire order value is the most common method among purchasing agencies or companies. Why? Because they usually provide other services such as tracking production, quality control, transportation arrangements, consolidation, etc., they will charge a certain percentage of the value of the goods as service fees.

In China, the general service fee is about 3-10% of the total order value. Another point is that product category and order size have a big impact on this percentage. For example, if the order is for a competitively priced product with high demand, or if the order value exceeds $600,000, the service fee may be approximately 3% of the order value or even less.

Lessons learned: Regardless of the charging method used, agents should be evaluated on their ability to reduce overall procurement costs, improve procurement efficiency, and ensure product quality.

6. Analyze purchasing agent problems

You may have heard a lot about the dark sides of sourcing agents, such as accepting kickbacks or bribes from suppliers who lack industry experience, which discourages buyers from choosing a purchasing agent. This section will analyze the purchasing agency issues that concern you.

1) Kickbacks and bribes from suppliers

First, kickbacks or bribes come from individual sourcing agents or purchasing companies. If the buyer and the purchasing agent agree on product prices and supplier information transparency at the beginning of their cooperation, but the agent still asks for kickbacks from the supplier, it is an illegal or unethical practice.

To put it in perspective, kickbacks typically occur on large orders of tens of thousands of dollars. For small orders of a few thousand dollars, most sourcing agents won’t bother with kickbacks or bribes.

Compared with 4-5 years ago, the phenomenon of kickbacks is much less now, especially in the daily necessities industry. This is because buyers can find suppliers directly through many channels, such as B2B websites including Alibaba, Made in China, and DHgate.com.

They can make a comprehensive comparison themselves and then measure whether the product prices and service commissions provided by the sourcing agents are reasonable.

2) The service fee seems low but is actually high

Many sourcing agents and companies attract customers with low service fees or even free trial orders, but buyers eventually find that the overall purchasing cost (product cost + shipping cost + time cost) is not low at all. Additionally, even if an agent claims they perform quality checks, buyers may receive unsatisfactory merchandise.

In fact, most sourcing agents can provide lower service fees, but this does not mean providing you with good product purchasing services. They’ll offer a higher price for the product to compensate for their profit, but you don’t even know it. Customers who know nothing about the product can easily be fooled.

No business is charitable. I can tell you with certainty that compared to the slightly higher fees charged by other sourcing agents, no purchasing agent can charge lower service fees, give the most reasonable product quotations, and provide high-quality and complete services.

This is because service fees must be charged in accordance with industry rules. Therefore, service fees should not be the only criterion when you choose a purchasing agent to work with.

3) Unprofessional or inexperienced buyers are common

In recent years, many sourcing agents have sprung up, but most of them are not professional and have no experience purchasing from China. They just knew little about the industry and started a business with just a few people and almost nothing.

They have no concept of purchasing services and do not expect long-term cooperation. They only do one-time business and the quality of service cannot be guaranteed. If you are importing from China for the first time and have no experience choosing reliable sourcing agents, it is not surprising that you find unprofessional or inexperienced sourcing agents.

As mentioned above, the range of services provided by procurement agents requires the accumulation of time, experience, and resources, including a lot of cooperation, trial, and error.

With such accumulation, they can find the best products and suppliers for customers from so many factories and suppliers. However young or unprofessional sourcing agents cannot provide or fulfill these resources.

7. Conclusion

There are good and bad sourcing agents in this industry, but you don’t have to be afraid to try sourcing services. Excellent sourcing agents play an important role in your supply chain management, helping you obtain competitive product prices while taking care of the follow-up process because good service is the core competitiveness of their business model.

The post Sourcing Agents FAQ Guide appeared first on CSG.

1. Research keywords

The benefits of keyword research are twofold. First, by discovering and organizing relevant search queries, you’ll learn the words and phrases consumers use to find your products and services. You can then use these keywords in product descriptions, titles, and blog posts—all of which can improve your organic search rankings.

But keyword research isn’t just for SEO. Understanding how consumers search for their needs can uncover competitors (ranking for those keywords) and generate ideas for new or improved products.

There are quite a few free and freemium keyword research tools out there. Organizing keywords by common intent can be challenging (and time-consuming), but it’s doable using a spreadsheet.

2. Determine keyword gaps

A keyword gap is a search query for which two or more of your competitors rank higher but your site does not rank. Advanced tools like Ahrefs and Semrush can identify those missing keywords that represent opportunities for your brand.

The entire analysis process takes no more than 30 minutes. You’ll end up with new content ideas, new pages to create, and popular information queries to solve.

3. Build internal links

Internal links are key to the organic visibility of important pages. Google uses links to crawl websites. Its algorithm assigns equity to each page based on the number of internal links pointing to it.

Google provides no guidance on internal links or where they should reside. But Googlers have been hinting at priorities for years:

1. Main navigation.
2. Within content, such as the body of a blog post.
3. footer.
4. Above the fold (top of page).
5. Sidebar.

An internal linking strategy should include all of these locations for variety. Use the “Related”, “Top” and “Top” content widgets and make sure your key pages are linked directly from the main navigation or with just a click or two.

4. Increase click-through rate

While keyword research can identify ranking opportunities, click optimization can generate more traffic from existing positions.

My favorite click strategy is rich and structured snippets. Both stand out on search engine results pages. They require minimal coding using Schema.org markup or similar markup. Third-party plug-ins make the job easier.

5. Optimize title tags

Title tags are slowly losing organic ranking power, but they are still important. Including keywords in the title lets Google know the purpose of the page. Additionally, a well-crafted title is probably the most obvious part of a standard search result snippet. Therefore, it also affects click-through rates.

6. Create useful content

Knowing your page’s main keywords and including them in the title (and body text, if that makes sense) is a key component of optimizing your content. But the most important strategy is to create truly useful information that consumers want to consume. Ultimately it’s impossible to optimize content that no one wants to read or view.

Google now understands searcher intent and the relevance and value of content. But it all starts with useful content that serves your target consumers and answers the questions they show up in their search queries.

7. Update old content

Most content slowly loses organic traffic. Older content generates fewer clicks from organic results, primarily due to the date in the search snippet. Additionally, Google is working hard to bring out newer content.

However, you can recoup much of this loss by updating it with new data, new references, contemporary descriptions, and so on.

8. Monitoring and analysis

Google Analytics and Search Console are critical to understanding organic search performance. They report on the pages with the most organic traffic, the keywords driving the traffic, the engagement and conversion rates of the traffic, and many other metrics.

Without access to detailed reports, at least regularly check your analytics for traffic drops or website performance glitches. Both require immediate attention.

9. Build link equity

Link building is the most challenging SEO task. The work is never done. Google uses backlinks to tell you whether your content is trustworthy. For example, links from reputable news sources can increase trust.

The good news is that link-building can be done in-house. The best link-building strategies again come from quality content that people want to share. Participate in niche communities, meet like-minded people, and reach out to journalists—all of this is legal and possible.

Never pay for links, hire people who pay for links, or manually insert self-service links on other websites. If it’s easily accessible, the link may be useless, or worse.

10. Educate yourself

Finally, there is no substitute for knowledge. Learn SEO. There are many great free resources out there. The Search Engine Roundtable is my favorite source for curated SEO news and advice. Moz’s blog is a great, neat resource.

11. Conclusion

Every online merchant should perform some level of DIY SEO. It saves money and gives you control over your organic rankings. However, some tasks may require professional help. Site speed, structured data, and coding changes are examples. If you need to find the right SEO services, contact Donsafe.

The post 10 DIY SEO tips for Money-saving appeared first on CSG.

1. Preparation before installation

Tool

• bucket
• putty knife
• Hacksaw
• Tongue and groove pliers
• cleaning cloth
• pipe wrench
• plumbers tape

Material

• pop up drain kit
• Plumber’s Putty

2. Pop-up drain pipe installation steps

Pop-up drains are one of the most popular drain styles. When you press the lift lever, usually located behind the faucet spout, the lift lever causes a pivot lever under the sink to raise the drain plug, opening the drain so water can flow through. Instead, when you pull the lift lever up, the pivot lever pulls the drain plug down, sealing the drain.

If the drain seal isn’t as tight as it once was, it may be time to replace the pop-up drain assembly. Another reason to replace your drain assembly is if you are remodeling your bathroom or replacing your sink. Once you’ve selected your new pop-up drain assembly, you’re ready to install it. We’ve listed the general steps for this process below, but always follow the specific instructions for your drain kit.

1) Remove the P-type trap

Before you get started, learn about the various parts of a pop-up drain. They include:

• Tailpiece: The long cylindrical base of a drainage assembly.
• Pivot Rod: The horizontal rod extending from above the tailpiece.
• Pivot seal and gasket: Where the pivot rod meets the drain assembly.
• Lift Rod: A vertical rod that rises from a pivot rod
• Trevis Band: Thin metal band with holes for pivot rods.
• Flange and Gasket: The part of the drain assembly that connects to the tailpipe. Once installed, the flange will cover the hole in the sink drain.
• Plug: The upper part of the drainage assembly, which can be lifted and lowered.
• When you pull the lift lever, it moves the pivot rod and the stopper lowers.

Cover the floor or inside of your dresser with newspapers or plastic bags. Place a cleaning bucket under the sink to catch water.

• Locate the water supply valve under the sink. Designs vary, but most have rotating knobs. Turn this knob to turn off the water supply.
• To access the existing drain pipe, you will need to first remove the P-trap. The P-trap is a U-shaped pipe that connects the sink tailpipe to the drain pipe.
• Use a pipe wrench to hold the nut at the top of the P-trap. Place one hand on the end of the handle and the other under your head, and twist to the left. Remove the nut from the bottom of the P-trap in the same manner.
• Slowly pull out the P-shaped trap. Set it aside until later.

Tip: Take this opportunity to deep clean the P-trap. Use a flexible pipe brush and a bucket filled with warm water and dish soap to scrub it down.

2) Remove the drain pipe and flange

• Remove the existing drain assembly. You will need to remove the clevis strap and the spring clip attached to it. Hold the pivot rod while unscrewing the washer. Once the gasket is off, slide the pivot rod off the tailpiece and lift the plug out of the sink.
• Use a pipe wrench to completely loosen the nut on the drain tailpipe. Push the tailpiece upward to release the drain flange. If the flange won’t budge, wiggle the tailpiece until the seal breaks. Finally, lift the entire tailpiece off the sink.
• Use bathroom cleaning products and a sponge to clean your sink. Dry the sink with a towel. Now you are ready to install the new flange.
• Take a small piece of piping putty and roll it between your fingers. Pipe putty is a flexible substance that seals sink drain pipes. Continue applying the putty until it warms and softens.

Tip: Apply the plumber’s putty to the narrow bottom of the new drain flange. If necessary, use silicone caulk in place of pipe putty.

3) Replace the drainage tailpipe

The next step is to replace the drain tailpipe.

• Insert the washer and washer into the top of the tailpiece. Apply pipe joint compound to the side of the gasket that fits the sink. A pipe joint compound is an adhesive used in pipe work. The compound forms a tight seal with the drain pipe.
• Slide the drain tailpipe under the sink through the drain hole. Slide the flange into the drain opening and screw it onto the tailpiece.
• Hold the tailpiece with one hand while hand-tightening the nut. Continue until it no longer moves easily, then tighten it with pliers. Turn the drain tailpipe so that it aligns with the pop-up assembly behind it.

4) Insert the drain plug

Check the sink to see if there is putty pushed past the flange. Use a putty knife to gently lift it up. Slide the pop-up drain stopper through the sink and into the flange. The hole in the end of the stopper should face the back of the sink.

5) Reinstall the popup component

The pop-up assembly drain parts need to be assembled now.

• Slide the pivot rod and ball into the opening in the tailpiece. It is important that the ball fits snugly into the opening. Slide the ball nut onto the pivot rod and thread it onto the threads of the drain tailpipe.
• Push the pivot rod through one end of the spring clip and through the nearest hole in the U-clip strap. Then, thread the other end of the spring clip through the rod to secure it in place.
• Before the last step, stop and check that the drain assembly is working properly. Keep an eye on the drain plug as you pull and push the lever.
• If everything is working properly, the stopper should open and close completely. It should move smoothly. If not, check to see if the pivot rod nut is too tight and needs to be loosened. If the stopper does not close completely, adjust the pivot lever by pinching and moving the spring clip.
• Test the plug again and continue adjusting the pivot lever until the plug lowers and raises correctly.

6) Reconnect the pipes

Just reconnect the pipes and you’re done. Apply plumber’s tape to tailpipe threads and drain branch pipes to ensure the pipes don’t leak. Make sure the P-trap is connected to the drain tailpipe and drain pipe. Turn the water supply back on.

To check the results of the work, close the sink stopper and fill the sink with water. If the water doesn’t drain out, the pop-up assembly will work. Drain the sink and check the bottom for leaks.

7) Clean up

Use a dry cloth and putty knife to clean away the remaining plumber’s putty and other debris. Wipe away dust, dirt, and water.

3. Conclusion

Installing a drain assembly is a DIY job that can be completed in just a few hours using a few tools and some basic plumbing supplies. Now that you know how pop-up drains work, you’re ready to fix the problem.

The post How to Install a Pop-Up Drain appeared first on CSG.

The post Cardboard VS. Corrugated Box: What is the Difference? appeared first on CSG.

The vast majority of packaging is plastic. Most products come in some type of plastic, from transparent plastic film, molded plastic trays, rigid plastic containers, and plastic-coated cardboard boxes to plastic shipping mailers and Styrofoam packing pellets.   

Some plastics are recyclable, but the reality is that only a tiny percentage of plastics are recycled. So, how can we do better? What are the best options? As more people become aware of the issues around plastic and seek alternatives, there has been tremendous growth in the sustainable packaging industry. 

There are now many innovative and effective alternatives to plastics! However, many are not easily accessible in terms of distribution and cost. That is where good old-fashioned cardboard comes in!

Cardboard packaging has been around for many years, and it has been refined and perfected into some of the most effective, inexpensive, and sustainable packaging options.  Keep on reading to learn more about what makes cardboard the most affordable and worthy packaging solution:

1. What is Cardboard Packaging?

Cardboard packaging refers to boxes made from cardboard, it is made by a special Boxmaker Machine. Examples include boxes, gift boxes, shipping boxes, molded cardboard to hold items in place within their packaging, egg cartons, shredded cardboard to protect delicate items in transit, and many, many more.

2. How Widespread is Cardboard Packaging?

Cardboard packaging is very popular. Almost every e-commerce business that deals with shipments and logistics uses cardboard boxes to protect their goods during transportation. Many retailers and crafting companies also prefer cardboard because of its lightweight, low price, and easy customization.

Some small and mid-size businesses also use cardboard packaging to demonstrate that they are eco-friendly brands. And even though cardboard boxes are indeed the most widely used packaging supply, there are also cardboard fillers in high demand.

As a consumer, choosing cardboard and plastic-free reduces the impact of your consumption considerably. This is especially true if the packaging is sustainably sourced or made from recycled material and is recyclable (most plastic-free paper products are!).  

3. What Makes Cardboard Better Than Plastic?

There are many reasons why cardboard is a better packaging choice than plastic. 

As a start, cardboard is the go-to environmental choice. Regular cardboard is recyclable, unlike some kinds of plastics. Cardboard is made of timber, while plastic is not a renewable resource. 

So when it comes to decomposition, cardboard is biodegradable and can fully break down in 2 or 3 months under current conditions. On the other hand, plastic is a hazardous contaminant and takes hundreds of years to decompose. 

Another advantage of cardboard packaging is it uses less space when stored since most cardboard boxes are collapsible and fillers can be flattened out.

The most deal-breaking difference between cardboard and plastic packaging is the price point. Cardboard is considerably cheaper and more affordable than plastic. You can get high-quality, fully customized cardboard for the same price as the lowest-quality plastic packaging.

When it comes to transportation and logistics, cardboard wins again. Shipping products in cardboard packaging costs considerably less compared to plastic packaging because cardboard is super lightweight. 

4. 5 Reasons to Choose Cardboard Packaging for Businesses and Consumers 

There 5 reasons to choose cardboard packaging for businesses and consumers.

1) Offers Protection and Durability

Preserving products to their best quality during storage and logistics is an important step every business must take. Investing in cardboard often is the best solution to protect goods and keep products intact without using plastic. 

Cardboard boxes are designed to ensure maximum safety for your goods. This type of packaging is very durable, hard to penetrate, protects products from vibrations and external aggressors, and can prevent serious damage to what is inside the box. 

As consumers, products packaged in cardboard are more likely to arrive undamaged and intact. Win-win! 

2) Eco-friendly

Cardboard packaging is exceptionally environmentally friendly. When compared to alternative packaging materials, cardboard manufacturing decreases oil and CO2 emissions by more than 50%—making it one of the materials with the least ecological impact.

Cardboard is a recyclable and biodegradable material. To minimize waste generation, the best way to dispose of cardboard would be to recycle it. In case cardboard packaging ends up in nature, decomposition time is only a few months until the complete breakdown (under the right conditions). It can even be composted at home!

Cardboard is easily recycled and takes little effort on the part of the consumer. Unlike plastic, there is no rinsing, no sorting, and no searching for facilities that accept different types of materials.   

And the best thing is, once recycled, cardboard does not lose its durability, or any of its other qualities. That means that, unlike plastics that lose quality with every recycling, they can be reused again and again. This also makes cardboard even more affordable and cost-effective. 

The energy required to recycle cardboard is 50% less in electricity and 90% less in water, compared to the manufacture of virgin packaging materials.

3) Highly Customizable

For businesses, another reason to choose cardboard packaging for your business is the easy customization. Cardboard boxes are unique package materials that are fully adaptable. With just a few adjustments, cardboard can fit the needs of your company and your customers.  

Printing over cardboard is a very fast and easy procedure. And so are sticking labels. Even if you have a very small budget, a custom cardboard box branded with just your logo is often enough to make your products recognizable. But if you can afford to spend a few extra bucks, fully tailored cardboard packaging to the best way to go about your brand. 

Also, cardboard is one of the easiest packaging materials to cut and amend. Shaping and resizing cardboard to fit products of different forms and proportions is almost effortless. Securing a package could be done with just paper tape, glue, or staples.

For consumers, the easy customization of cardboard packaging translates into receiving less packaging for every item delivered. This often cuts down on shipping costs and also means you have less excess packaging to deal with and recycle. Durable cardboard boxes can be reused or upcycled for storage too.  

4) Cost-Effective for Small Businesses and their Customers 

Packaging is an extra expense for businesses, but it is an inevitable one. You cannot sell items without that outer layer of protection and presentable cover. Otherwise, you risk exposing your products to damage and having them wear out faster, damaging your brand reputation and losing your customers. 

So now that we have established that packaging is a must, it is time to find the most long-term and cost-effective option, right? 

Packaging costs and customization costs often play a major role in decision-making for small companies. That’s why most small brands choose the most affordable option – cardboard packaging.

The price of cardboard is very reasonable. Especially when you compare it to the cost of alternative packaging options like plastic thus, in the long run, choosing cardboard would save you the most money and help you make a positive impact on the environment.

For consumers, cost-effective packaging translates to less expensive products. When the packaging costs less, the products usually cost less too. 

5) Cardboard is Highly Versatile 

There are no better packaging boxes than cardboard boxes! Super lightweight, and easy to carry and transport, cardboard is an excellent packaging solution. 

Since cardboard is easily customizable and comes in various sizes and shapes, you can store different types of products. You can package almost anything in a cardboard box – from souvenirs, cosmetics, and tiny accessories to books, clothes, electronics, and gifts. 

This is great for sellers but also great for consumers who can reuse or upcycle cardboard boxes for storage – in the shape and size they need for just about everything!

5. Frequently Asked Questions

There are answers to frequently asked questions.

1) Is cardboard packaging sustainable?

Yes. Cardboard is considered a sustainable type of packaging because it is made from renewable raw materials, is durable and reusable, is widely recycled, and does not lose quality with recycling so it can be recycled again and again, is biodegradable and, in the right conditions, it is compostable. Check out the full guide for more info on what makes cardboard a sustainable packaging choice.

2) Is cardboard packaging more expensive?

That depends on the type of cardboard packaging you need, as it varies depending on the weight, strength, shape, and design you require, as well as the type of material it is made out of. In general, cardboard is an affordable option, which often costs significantly less than other types of packaging for the same applications. Take a look at the full guide for more info.

6. Conclusion

Cardboard is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and effective alternative to plastic packaging. It is also easily accessible, cost-effective, convenient, and easy to recycle after use. Choosing cardboard is a win-win for both consumers and the businesses they buy from!  

The post 5 Reasons to Choose Cardboard Packaging in 2023 appeared first on CSG.

In today’s guide, we will focus on what types of carton packaging are available. Read on for more information.

1. Why Is Carton Packaging Important?

“The goal of a successful trader is to make the best trade. Money is secondary“- Alexander Elder.

These meaningful words from a teacher of traders help us understand that boosting up your business and establishing your brand is more important than the monetary benefits you would gain from it. Carton boxes help you a great deal in making your trade a success.

Carton boxes are the perfect innovative packaging solutions for several industries, like the food industry, cosmetic industry, pharmaceutical industry and many other industries.

But there is a wide range of carton boxes, and each type serves its purpose. So it would be best if you are careful about choosing the one that would cater to your needs. And also remember not to get swayed away by superficial aspects such as appearance and colour. Instead, consider its functional aspects such as its durability, build and capability.

Now let us examine each type of carton packaging in detail along with its uses.

2. What Are The Different Types Of Carton Packaging?

One can broadly classify carton packaging into two types.

1) Folding Cartons

These types of cartons are made from a single sheetboard. And are also known as paper board cartons or paperboard boxes, because they are mostly made of paperboard. At times, it is also made of corrugated board or fibreboard. The single sheet that is made is die-cut and then folded to make a box. It can be further styled with print and by finishing the surfaces with lamination, embossing, foiling, glueing and other features. The best examples of folding cartons are cereal boxes and pizza boxes, in which you see that a single sheet board is folded to make the top, sides and bottom.

2) Rigid Cartons

These types of cartons are entirely different from folding cartons and are also known as telescopic cartons. In rigid cartons, the top and the bottom parts are detached from each other and are, made from two different sheets of cardboard. Rigid cardboard is more sturdy and does not collapse or fold. They are mostly used for products, in which the perceived value is of greater importance and also for products which are heavy and need extra support. You can find rigid cardboard packaging in shoe boxes, clothing items and electronics items—e.g…., an iPhone box.

3. What Are The Various Carton Boxes in Use?

Folding and rigid cartons are manufactured in various forms, to cater to everyone’s needs. A few of them are:-

1) Boxboard/Paperboard cartons

Boxboard paper is something that is made from a thick paper-based material, and it has grammage above 250 GSM. The advantage of using paperboard is that it can be folded intricately and printed with rich colours; moreover, you can also line it with other materials. The finished products are eye-catching and therefore, they are perfect to be used for retail items which can be placed on supermarket shelves. For added strength and water-resistant properties, the boxboards are laminated.

These types of boards are commonly used in cosmetic packaging, electronic packaging, stationery packaging and so on. If metalised ink is not used, and when it is left unlaminated, a manufacturer can easily recycle paperboard boxes.

2) Corrugated boxes

These are the most widely used kind of carton boxes that are also known as shipping boxes, corrugated fibreboard and combined boxes. These boxes are made from a corrugated sheet, which has three layers. The middle layer is known as the flute, which is wavy, and it aids in providing a cushioning effect to the product that is packed in it.

This layer is covered on both sides by flat outer layers which are known as liners. This structure gives the box a higher bending rigidity. Though corrugated boxes are light in weight, they are strong and durable, so you can rely on them. These boxes are available in different densities and thicknesses. It is also manufactured as double or triple-walled boxes, depending on the requirement.

3) Braille Cartons

This type of carton is specially made for sightless customers and is used mainly in the pharmaceutical industry. These cartons are embossed with braille characters, for the customers to touch and read.

4) Slotted Cartons

This type of carton which is mostly made of corrugated paper is useful for storage and shipping purposes. They are secured with staples and tapes, and the production of slotted cartons costs less. Because it is slotted, it is strong and holds the product in it very safe.

5) Aseptic Cartons

These are multi-layered sustainable packaging ideas that are useful in storing liquid food items such as soups, juices, desserts and baby foods. By using heat or adhesives, the multi-layers of polyethene, paperboard, aluminium barrier and more plastic layers are attached. Because of these layers, it isn’t easy to recycle them. But when used for food items, apart from increasing the shelf life, it preserves the colour, texture and nutritional value of the product. These unique properties of aseptic packaging are that it withstands high temperatures and does not corrode even when it contains acidic items for a long time.

Aseptic cartons with a separate plastic cap are known as gable top cartons. These are useful in storing refrigerated food items like milk and juices. Concerning its caps, the liquid food can be poured out whenever needed, and you can reuse the cartons several times.

6) Five Panel Wraps

In this type of carton, a large sheet of cardboard is bent to create five sides or panels; because of this unique design, they are also known as smarty boxes. Five-panel cartons are primarily used to pack long items such as hockey and golf sticks, tennis rackets, bats and other such things.

4. Conclusion

These are the types of carton packing we introduce to you. You know what? These cartons are made by a special boxmaker. If you wish to get any type of high-quality carton boxes from a trusted manufacturer, you can visit the Aopackmachine.

The post A Quick Guide for Types of Carton Packaging appeared first on CSG.

We’ll help you answer these questions and so much more in this comprehensive guide.

1. What Is The Lifespan Of A Mattress?

While many factors contribute to how long your mattress will last, most quality mattresses will require an upgrade every 6 – 8 years. How long a mattress lasts can be influenced by the frequency of usage, the weight of the person using it, how well it’s cared for, as well as the material used to make it.

Traditional beds such as spring mattresses, latex mattresses, and water beds tend to have a shorter mattress lifespan than more recent innovations such as memory foam mattresses and hybrids. However, when cared for correctly, the best memory foam mattress can last up to 15 years.

One thing to keep in mind is that a deteriorating mattress isn’t the only reason you might want to upgrade. Your comfort and support needs are likely to shift as you age, experience pain, or face other sleeping difficulties.

Most people choose to buy a new mattress before it reaches the dire end of its life expectancy because sleeping on a lumpy and uncomfortable bed can do more harm than good for your sleep health.

2. Side-Effects Of Sleeping On An Old Bed

Sleep is a vital function that impacts all facets of human functioning. One of the critical roles of sleep is to recuperate the body and repair damaged cells. An old bed can make this recuperation process difficult because an unsupportive bed will place additional strain on pressure points, muscles, and joints. Not to mention, it can negatively impact sleep quality.

The result? You can actually wake up in more discomfort and extend the effects of body aches and pains. It may come as a surprise to you, but putting your mattress upgrade on hold can also trigger allergy symptoms and significantly worsen the air quality of your bedroom.

Mattresses are notorious for trapping dust, dust mites, dead skin, sweat, and other allergens. The danger of keeping a mattress for too long is that you can end up breathing these particles into your airways each night. So buying a new mattress before the end of its lifespan will help your body, as well as protect the air you breathe.

3. 6 Signs It’s Time To Replace Your Mattress

There isn’t a precise expiration date on your mattress, but there are ways to identify the right time to upgrade. Signs of wear and tear on your mattress will range from how your mattress looks to how quickly you fall asleep, and importantly, how your body feels when you wake up each morning. Here are six key signs that you need a new mattress:

1) Waking up tired

One of the most prominent telltale signs that you are ready for a new bed is that you wake up each morning feeling like you haven’t slept at all. If you are sleeping between 7 –  8 hours each night, you should wake up feeling rested enough to start your day full of energy.

An uncomfortable mattress may cause you to wake up multiple times throughout the night. This is because you break your sleep cycle and affect your circadian rhythm, which can lead to annoying morning grogginess. When you sleep, you transition through 5 stages of sleep. Each stage plays a crucial role in helping you repair and rejuvenate.

Any disturbance to your sleep cycle, such as waking up constantly due to discomfort, will contribute to morning fatigue.

2) The mattress is sagging

Nothing is more unsightly than a sagging mattress. Over time, most mattresses will sag due to the intensity of usage. While some people will act at the first sign of mattress sagging, others will delay a mattress upgrade, thinking that the wear and tear is normal.

Foams used in mattresses soften after years of use. This creates sagging, and as a result, you will feel like you are sinking into your mattress. In most cases, when you sleep on a sagging mattress, you will find it challenging to get up or change your sleeping position throughout the night.

A sagging mattress will not benefit your sleep health and should be disposed of and replaced with a comfortable and supportive mattress.

3) You feel more body pain

An aging mattress can place significant strain on the body and leave you waking up with aches and pains in new places. Waking up with a sore body is a clear sign that the life of your mattress is reaching an endpoint.

You will spend over a third of your life in bed, so it’s essential to invest in a bed that will guarantee comfort and support. Unfortunately, a mattress with too much wear and tear won’t deliver the sleep benefits you need to wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.

4) You experience night sweats

Sleeping hot can be frustrating, especially if you experience night sweats. One of the first features that start dwindling as your mattress ages is airflow and breathability.

When layers compress too much, it can be close to impossible for the mattress to regulate temperature. As a result, hot air can get trapped between the layers causing you to overheat and disrupt your sleep cycle. Those who naturally sleep hot can also experience extended periods of night sweats which leads to fatigue.

5) The mattress moves or shakes

Does your mattress sink or shuffle with even the slightest movement? It’s definitely time for a mattress upgrade. The reason older mattresses shake and slide is that they cannot isolate motion.

When sleeping with a partner, an old mattress will cause the opposite side of the bed to bounce when your partner moves or gets out of bed. This can be highly disturbing throughout the night. If you upgrade to the best mattress, you can expect it to isolate motion with ease and remain entirely still even if there is movement around you.

6) You have frequent allergies

Over 10 million dust particles and other allergens can get trapped between the layers over the lifespan of your mattress. In some cases, this build-up can even cause your mattress to triple in weight! This is bad news for allergy sufferers who are sensitive to air pollutants.

Laying on a mattress full of dust can aggravate allergies leading to breathing difficulty and skin irritation. If you feel your allergies are flaring up, it may be best to consider a mattress upgrade sooner rather than later.

4. How To Select The Best Mattress

By now, you are well equipped to identify the signs that indicate it’s the best time to buy a new mattress. But with so many options, how do you know which mattress is right for you and which one guarantees longevity? It’s pretty simple when you know the type of mattresses available and the benefits that they deliver.

• Memory foam mattress: Memory foam mattresses are one of the most durable in the market. The viscoelastic foam is highly adaptive and contours to the body, making it one of the best mattress types for contouring. Unlike other foam mattresses, memory foam isolates motion really well, so you can sleep undisturbed all night.
• Hybrid mattress: As one of the best new mattress types in the market, hybrid mattresses take all the fantastic features of a memory foam mattress and combine them with the benefits of coils. This combination creates better stability and a slight bounce for extra pressure point support.
• Innerspring mattresses: While some people prefer traditional spring mattresses, they do not have a long lifespan, so it may not be the best choice if you are seeking durability. Springs can’t withstand as much weight, and after a while, broken or damaged springs can make the mattress feel bumpy.
• Latex mattress: Latex mattresses are considered durable and are a good option for people who may enjoy a much firmer feel. Unlike memory foam which confirms, latex isn’t as adaptive.

To make your mattress last longer, ensure you buy one that has a washable mattress cover. Also, keep an eye out for a hypoallergenic stamp. Hypoallergenic mattresses repel dust and prevent the build-up of dust mites and other allergens.

5. FAQ’s

Here are some answers about mattresses.

1) How long does a mattress last?

Depending on how much you use it and how well you care for it, most mattresses will last between 6 – 8 years. Some can last longer, especially if you’re a solo sleeper or have a light body weight. To protect your investment, always upgrade to a mattress with a lifetime warranty so that you know it will last the test of time. In addition, you can prolong the life of your mattress by purchasing one that has a stain-resistant and washable cover. Also, ensure you read mattress reviews to ensure customers back the brand’s promise of quality.

2) What mattress types last the longest?

Two of the best mattress types for durability are memory foam mattresses and hybrid mattresses. Both of these mattress types are designed with longevity in mind. Premium memory foam is highly durable and innovative to support 350 lbs on each side of the bed. Furthermore, memory foam is a conforming material that NASA designed to adapt to the body. The innovative formulation of memory foam is why it is considered one of the most durable materials.

3) When to replace a mattress?

It’s a clear sign that you need to replace your mattress if your mattress is sagging, causing aches and pains, or if you are waking up tired and groggy, even after 8 hours of sleep. Another sign that you need to upgrade your mattress is if your sleep needs have changed and your old bed doesn’t provide adequate support.

4) Can a mattress last 20 years?

It depends on the usage, but it isn’t recommended to sleep on an uncomfortable or unsupportive mattress. Most mattresses won’t last 20 years if used every night as they will experience inevitable wear and tear.

5) How do I know if a mattress is worn out?

You will know your mattress is worn out if it shows obvious signs of physical deterioration. For example, you may notice lumps, your mattress may be very heavy, the foam might be sagging in places, it could have a bad smell, or it may even feel hot. In addition, your mattress needs to support your sleep, and if you think it’s not helping you sleep better, it’s a clear sign that it may be time for a mattress upgrade.

6. Conclusion

Achieving better sleep is only possible when you have a mattress that supports you in all the right ways. By now, you can answer the question ‘How long does a mattress last.’ Once your mattress reaches 6 – 8 years in its lifespan, and it’s not supporting your sleep health, you should start looking for a new mattress.

A new mattress is an essential investment in your health. The best mattress will help alleviate pain and allow you to feel restored each time you wake up in the morning. You have an endless choice of a new mattress to choose from no matter what your budget is.

The best thing? You can buy an award-winning mattress like Ueesleepy from the comfort of your own home.

The post Upgrade Mattress: All You Need to Know appeared first on CSG.

“Essay” is a loose term for writing that asserts the author’s opinion on a topic, whether academic, editorial, or even humorous. There are a thousand different approaches to essay writing and a million different topics to choose from, but what we’ve found is that good essay writing tends to follow the same framework.

Below we discuss that framework and how you can apply it to your essays, whatever types they may be. But first, let’s start with a basic overview of how to write an essay.

1. How to write an essay

The basic steps for how to write an essay are:

1. Generate ideas and pick a type of essay to write.
2. Outline your essay paragraph by paragraph.
3. Write a rough first draft without worrying about details like word choice or grammar.
4. Edit your rough draft, and revise and fix the details.
5. Review your essay for typos, mistakes, and any other problems.

Want to know more? We cover the specifics below, but for now let’s talk about the nucleus of any good essay: the topic.

2. Your essay needs a thesis statement 

There are three things to consider before writing your essay: thesis, type, and audience. Of these, the most important by far is your thesis or the crux of what your essay is about.

Your thesis, encapsulated in your thesis statement, is the central point you’re trying to make. The thesis of Bertrand Russell’s essay “In Praise of Idleness,” for example, is that people focus too much on work and don’t value time spent idly. Essays can occasionally stray and go into related tangents, but they always come back to that one core idea in the thesis.

You should always pinpoint your thesis before writing. If you’re having trouble nailing it down, ask yourself, “What’s the one thing I want my readers to remember when they’re done reading my essay?”

The best practice is to include your thesis as soon as possible, even in your topic sentence if it’s appropriate. You’ll want to reiterate it throughout the essay as well, especially when wrapping up everything in the conclusion.

The rest of your essay, then, supports your thesis. You can include empirical evidence, testimonials, logical deductions, or even persuasive rhetoric—whatever gets the job done. The point is that you’re building upon your initial thesis, not switching to completely different topics.

3. 6 types of essays

Like any form of writing, essays come in many different types. Sometimes the assignment dictates the type, as with admissions essays, and other times the thesis will determine it. Regardless, it helps to know what your options are, so here are some of the most common essay types:

1) Argumentative essay

Argumentative essays assert or defend a position. This is the most common type of school paper, so keep that in mind when writing your first college essay.

2) Admissions essay

Most colleges request an admissions essay in applications, which typically revolve around why you’re interested in their school.

3) Persuasive essay

A persuasive essay is just as it sounds: an essay to persuade or convince the reader of a certain point. It’s similar to an argumentative essay— they both strongly favor a particular point of view, but the difference is the end goal: Argumentative essays just have to present their case, while persuasive essays have to present their case and win over the reader.

4) Compare-and-contrast essay

When you want to devote equal attention to two opposing things, a compare-and-contrast essay works better than argumentative or persuasive essays, which lean to one side over the other.

5) Personal essay

Personal essays are often anecdotal or real-life stories of the authors, like the works of David Sedaris. Because they tend to follow narrative structures, the thesis can be flexible or interpretive.

6) Expository essay

An expository essay thoroughly explains a certain topic to expand the reader’s knowledge. It is similar to an argumentative and persuasive essay in format but with one key difference: expository essays don’t have a bias.

4. Know your essay’s audience

Your final consideration is who will read your essay—a teacher, an admissions counselor, your peers, the internet at large, etc.

No matter what you’re writing, your audience should influence your language. For one thing, your readers determine whether the essay is formal or casual, which has an enormous impact on language, word choice, and style. Take emojis for example: In a casual essay they might be welcome, but for formal writing, they’re not the most appropriate choice.

Your audience also affects the essay’s tone, or how you sound on an emotional level (enthusiastic, cautious, confident, etc.). If you’d like to know more, you can read about the 10 common types of tone here.

5. The essay-writing process

If you’re writing an essay, research paper, term paper, novel, short story, poem, screenplay, or blog article about essay writing—when writing just about anything, really—it’s crucial to follow an efficient writing process. Even if you prefer the stream-of-consciousness style for writing your rough draft, you still need to have an orderly system that allows you to revise and hone.

For essay writing, we recommend this six-step writing process:

1) Brainstorming

It always helps to collect your thoughts before you begin writing by brainstorming. Based on your prompt or thesis, try to generate as many ideas as possible to include in your essay. Think of as many as time allows, knowing that you’ll be able to set aside the ideas that don’t work later.

2) Preparing

The preparation phase consists of both outlining your essay and collecting resources for evidence. Take a look at the results of your brainstorming session. First, isolate the ideas that are essential to support your thesis and then organize them in a logical and progressive order. In this stage, you’ll incorporate your essay structure, which we explain below.

If you want empirical evidence or complementary citations, track them down now. The way you write citations depends on the style guide you’re using. The three most common style guides for academics are MLA, APA, and Chicago, and each has its own particular rules and requirements for citing just about any kind of source, including newspaper articles, websites, speeches, and YouTube videos.

3) Drafting

This is the main stage of essay writing where you roll up your sleeves and actually write your first draft. Remember that everything doesn’t have to be perfect; this is your first draft, not your final draft, so give yourself the freedom to make errors. If you’re focusing on getting every single word right, you’ll miss the big picture.

4) Revising

The revisions stage involves your second draft, your third draft, or even your twelfth draft if necessary. Address all the nuances and subtleties you glossed over in the first draft.

Pay attention to both word choice and clarity, as well as sophisticated writing techniques like avoiding the passive voice. If you’re not confident in your writing skills yet, the Grammarly Editor ensures your writing is readable, clear, and concise by offering sentence structure and word choice suggestions, plus clarity revisions as you write. Grammarly helps catch common mistakes with sentence structure—like run-on sentences, sentence fragments, passive voice, and more.

5) Proofreading

When all the heavy-duty revisions are finished, it’s time for the final polish. Go through your essay and correct misspellings, formatting issues, or grammatical errors. This is also where you can turn to Grammarly’s AI-powered writing assistant, which helps catch these common mistakes for you. Or copy and paste your writing to check your grammar and get instant feedback on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other mistakes you might have missed.

6. Essay structure

Essay structure almost always follows a simple beginning-middle-end format, or in this case, an introduction-body-conclusion format. However, it’s what’s contained within those sections that make all the difference.

1) Introduction

Essays follow the same guidelines for introductions as any other piece of writing, with an extra emphasis on presenting the thesis prominently, ideally in the topic sentence. By the end of your introduction paragraph, your reader should know without a doubt what your essay is about. From there, follow the conventional best practices on how to write an introduction.

2) Body paragraphs

The majority of your essay is body paragraphs, all of which support your thesis and present evidence.

Pay close attention to how you organize your body paragraphs. Some arguments benefit from a logical progression, where one point leads to a second, and that second point leads to a third. Remember that the reader doesn’t understand the topic like you do (that’s why you’re writing the essay), so structure your paragraphs in the way that’s best for their comprehension.

What if you’re writing an argumentative essay where you compare and contrast two or more points of view? Do you present your argument first and then share opposing points of view, or do you open with your opposition’s argument and then refute it?

Serious writers can get pretty technical about how to organize an argumentative essay. There are three approaches in particular used often: Aristotlian (classical), Rogerian, and Toulmin. However, these can get exceedingly complicated, so for a simple essay, a basic structure will do just fine:

1. Your point
2. Counterpoint
3. Evidence supporting your point and/or disproving counterpoint

3) Conclusion

Essay conclusions wrap up or summarize your thesis in a way that’s easy for the reader to digest. If you get the chance, you can add a new perspective or context for understanding your thesis, but in general, the conclusion should not present any new evidence or supporting data. Rather, it’s more of a recap. For more specific tips, read about how to write a conclusion for an essay here.

4) Five-paragraph essay

For quick and simple essays, you don’t need to get too technical with your essay structure. The five-paragraph essay structure works well in a pinch. This contains:

• One introduction paragraph
• Three body paragraphs
• One conclusion paragraph

While this essay structure might not be flexible enough for more advanced topics, it comes in handy when speed is a factor, like during timed tests.

7. Essay writing tips

Here are some tips for essay writing.

1) Master the five fundamentals

Especially for school essays, your reader will scrutinize how well you handle the fundamentals. Knowing about essay structure and the writing process is one thing, but can you demonstrate an understanding of language style? Can you develop your thesis logically and coherently? Are your references and citations trustworthy?

When you’re ready for the next step of essay writing, take a look at the five concepts you must master to write better essays. The tips there pick up where this guide leaves off.

2) Seek out another pair of eyes

This tip is not just for essays; it’s always advisable to have someone else read over your writing before finalizing it. All too often we miss the forest for the trees, and thinking long and hard on the same topic can give you tunnel vision. The solution is to get a fresh take from someone who’s seeing it for the first time.

Typically you can swap with a friend and edit each others’ works. If that’s not an option, however, you can also use a writing center or join a writing group online. At the very least, you should sleep on it and take another look when you’re refreshed.

3) Remember: Grammar and form are essential 

It’s not always about what you say, but how you say it. You could have the most obvious, objectively agreeable thesis in the world, but if your writing is incoherent, confusing, and full of mistakes, it’s tough to engage with your reader.

For when your writing needs to make the right impact, Grammarly Premium offers full-sentence rewrites for confusing sentences—from splitting long sentences, cutting extra words, or rearranging key phrases—in addition to catching common grammar mistakes. It also gives you readability-focused formatting suggestions, so you know your writing is clear. It also helps those who are looking to improve their writing skill level in English, with suggestions for commonly misused words and phrases.

Honing your writing with these elements in mind is key to relaying your point to your reader—and asserting your thesis as effectively as possible.

The post An Ultimate Guide for Writing Essay appeared first on CSG.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at the university level are argumentative—they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

In today’s guide, we will show you how to write a good academic essay, please read on to learn more.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

1. Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
2. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
3. Revision: Check the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

1. Essay writing process

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay.

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay, on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

2. Preparation for writing an essay

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

1. Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
2. Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic, try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
3. Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
4. Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
5. Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline. This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

3. Writing the introduction

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1) Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic: The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2) Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3) Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement—the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4) Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

4. Writing the main body

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

1) Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

2) Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure, it is important to organize it into paragraphs. Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence. The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

5. Writing the conclusion

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text. A strong essay conclusion:

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

1) What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

6. Conclusion

The above is how we introduce you to write a good academic essay, if you think that writing is too troublesome, I suggest you take a look at our essay writing service.

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With so many fantastic smartphone accessories, it might be tough to know where to start. We rounded up the best attachments and add-ons to help you get the most out of the mobile device. Scroll down to check out our picks, below:

1. Apple AirPods Pro (second generation)

It’s no surprise that the Apple AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds. They feature excellent and rich audio for music and podcasts, top-of-the-line noise-canceling to block out ambient and background noise, and they sync seamlessly to the iPhone via iOS and Apple Keychain. These earbuds also have spatial audio features that make listening to your favorite music an immersive experience. Meanwhile, the AirPods Pro is designed to complement the Apple smartphone, while perfectly matching its style and premium build quality. These are the very best AirPods you can buy right now.

With the launch of the iPhone 15, you can also get the AirPods Pro with USB-C charging if you want it to mesh with the rest of your devices.

2. Smartish Slim Case

The iPhone is an expensive and delicate piece of tech. Although it’s prone to shattering if dropped, we recommend wrapping your phone in a lightweight, yet durable case – like the Smartish Slim Case.

Made from tough hard plastic and rubber, this case features cushioned corners that absorb and disperse impact away from the phone itself to prevent cracking, if dropped. It’s also designed with raised bumpers, so the display won’t sit flush with a flat surface when faced down. Meanwhile, the Smartish Slim Case is made with MagSafe built-in for wireless charging and other accessories.

It comes in nine colors and styles, including black, blue, transparent, purple, and more. There are plenty of great iPhone cases to choose from, depending on what you’re looking for.

3. Anker USB-C 736 Charger

Equipped with two USB-C and one USB port, the Anker USB-C 736 Charger is a workhorse with 100 watts of power inside of it. Although the iPhone caps out at 30 watts for charging, this charger will still juice up your device a little bit faster than a standard wall charger – which caps out at 20 watts. Considering that it doesn’t even come with a wall charger anymore, it might be a good idea to pick up one that’s speedy and can support fast charging for up to three devices, including a MacBook and a pair of AirPods, at the same time.

4. iOttie Velox Magnetic Dash Mount

It’s illegal to hold and use your iPhone while driving. It’s a major distraction from the road. However, you can use your Apple device hands-free, if it’s mounted on your car’s dashboard or windshield. The iOttie Velox Magnetic Dash Mount attaches to your car with a strong suction cup, while its powerful magnets keep your device in place to use in either landscape or portrait modes. It’s even a wireless charger too, so your device will get some juice via your vehicle’s cigarette lighter.

5. Apple AirTag

If you want to keep track of your belongings, the Apple AirTag is fantastic for any iPhone user. Pair one of these small circular pieces via Bluetooth and then attach it to a few of your things, such as keys, handbags, wallets, and others. Now, if your items go missing, then you can find them with the Find My app and your Apple device. You can even enable your AirTag to emit a loud and sharp noise to lead you to its location.

It’s a great accessory to have, especially if you keep losing your things around the house.

6. Ferilinso Screen Protector

Made from tempered glass, the Ferilinso Screen Protector will keep your device’s display and rear cameras scratch-free and pristine, so it won’t experience much wear and tear. It’s also shatterproof and durable to help prevent your phone from cracking because nobody likes to scroll through TikTok with spiderweb cracks on the display.

The Ferilinso Screen Protector comes in a three-pack, while it also comes with a mounting frame and cleaning kit for installation.

7. Apple MagSafe Charger

Although there are cheaper options out there, the Apple MagSafe Charger is still one of the best because of its sleek hockey puck design and very strong magnet system to keep the device in place when charging. In fact, according to some five-star Amazon reviewers, it’s so strong that you can dangle your smartphone from its charging cable when attached.

Meanwhile, even if it doesn’t have MagSafe built-in, it’s still a great wireless charger for the iPhone 8 or newer.

8. Anker USB-C to Lightning Cable

While there’s no shortage of cheap iPhone cables, the Anker USB-C to Lightning Cable is one of the best charging cables – thanks to its 6-foot length for versatility, braided-nylon design for durability (it won’t fray after a few weeks of use), and its very affordable price at $12. The cable is also MFi-certified, so it gets Apple’s seal of approval for use and safety.

It also comes in four colors, including black, silver, blue, and red. If you’re planning on getting the new iPhone 15 or 15 Pro, however, you should be fine with just a regular USB-C cable.

9. Apple MagSafe Battery Pack

If you’re out and about and can’t get to a wall outlet to charge your phone, or you just don’t want to attach a charging cable to a power bank, the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack is a quick solution to get more juice out of your phone. It securely attaches to the back via MagSafe, so it can get charged up and you can use the device at the same time.

And when it’s not slapped to the back of an iPhone, you can also use the battery pack as a standalone wireless charger for a pair of AirPods or even an Android phone. If the device supports wireless charging, then it can be juiced up with the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack.

Pro tip: Add a fully-charged Apple MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone at the beginning of the day when both are at 100% capacity. This will greatly extend your overall battery because the smartphone will pull power from the battery pack first until it’s drained and then it will pull power from the mobile device itself. It’s almost as if you’ve doubled its battery life for the day.

10. Apple Watch Series 8

The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t so much an accessory, but rather a companion and one of the best smartwatches overall. With 41mm and 45mm options, Apple’s smartwatch is one of the best ways to perform brief and basic functions on your mobile device without actually pulling out the mobile device from your pants pocket or purse.

While it’s a GPS, a heart rate monitor, a fitness and sleep tracker, a timepiece, and more, Apple Watch models have the ability to receive phone calls, send text messages, navigate your music, and other tasks from the convenience of your wrist. Simply pair the Apple Watch with an iPhone for an enhanced mobile experience.

11. Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger

Making sure your iPhone is juiced is important, especially if you’re far away from a wall outlet. If your device is out of battery life, then you can’t use it. However, with a portable power bank, like the Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger, you’ll always have a backup supply of juice when you need it.

At over 8 ounces in weight, this portable power bank is small enough for a backpack, purse, or even a pants pocket, while its dual USB and single USB-C ports make it possible to charge up to three devices simultaneously. Overall, it can give you up to an additional 40 hours of juice.

12. Factors to consider when buying iPhone accessories

Since the iPhone is so popular there are thousands upon thousands of attachments and add-ons to go with Apple’s smartphone. While it’s good there are so many to pick from for your phone, it may seem daunting to go to Amazon, search for a “phone case,” and get a long list of cases of various shapes and sizes from a number of different companies and brands at a wide range of prices. It’s overwhelming to scroll through it all, to say the least.

However, we put this handy buyer’s guide together to give you a better idea of what to look for in accessories. Ahead, you’ll find our recommendations and things to consider to get the most out of your Apple mobile device.

1) Functionality

With so many accessories to select, you should consider what issues you’re experiencing with your iPhone.

If you want a better listening experience, then perhaps you’d like a pair of wireless earbuds like the Apple AirPods Pro. Maybe you’d like to share your music with family and friends, so an excellent portable Bluetooth speaker like the Bose Soundlink Flex is something to consider for your next group outing to the beach or cookout at the park.

Want to extend your device’s battery life? Maybe a battery pack like the Apple MagSafe Battery Pack or a portable power bank like the Belkin 10,000 Portable Charger might do the trick to give you that much-needed extra juice when you’re far away from a wall outlet.

Moreover, with the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple started to remove accessories, like a wall charger and earbuds, from packaging for environmental concerns. It’s likely that you already have these items, while you could just reuse them from older pieces of tech lying around in your home. However, you can certainly pick these up at Amazon too.

Since there are so many different types of accessories for the iPhone, there’s a solution waiting for you when an issue with your device arises.

2) iPhone Compatibility

There are nearly 40 iterations of the iPhone (so far) since its initial release in 2007. With so many different types of Apple smartphones out there, it’s important to make sure the accessory you’d like to pick up is compatible. After all, no iteration is the same. For example, a phone case for the iPhone 12 won’t fit or match with the iPhone 14 – and vice versa.

3) Apple or Third-Party Options

From wireless earbuds to phone cases and battery packs to charging cables, Apple makes their own accessories. While these are guaranteed to work, their price tag might be too high and their styles might be too few for some shoppers.

However, there are great third-party companies, such as Anker, Belkin, and others, that make phone attachments and add-ons that are inexpensive, varied in style, and sometimes, even better than the ones from Apple. In some cases, these third-party companies even work with Apple directly to make sure they are safe and work well.

Just be warned, there are also a number of terrible third-party manufacturers that make ultra-cheap peripherals that might damage or fry your iPhone altogether. The best way to avoid these brands is to closely read Amazon shopper ratings for bad reviews and low scores. If you want to go the extra mile, use web browser extensions like FakeSpot to identify all of the baddies.

4) Price

Prices range widely with accessories from as low as 10 cents for a cheap phone case (it actually costs a lot more to ship than this item itself) to a whopping $6.3 million for a diamond-encrusted phone case. It really depends on the accessory itself and your budget.

For most people, you’d want to find items in the $10-$200 range but go over more if the accessory has a lot of use and functionality like an Apple Watch Series 8.

At the end of the day, there are a lot of iPhone accessories, but that means you have a lot of options for a solution to enhance your experience.

13. Conclusion

That’s our roundup of the 11 best iPhone accessories and how to pick the right ones. By reading this article, I’m sure you already know how to pick.

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