Almost everybody owns a smart phone which connects to the internet these days. Whereas before, online data could only be accessed through a computer terminal, now emails and communications are available 24/7 at the touch of a button. These advancements in technology have had several effects on business and business continuation.

Workers now possess more flexibility as they are able to catch up with their business on the go with much more ease. Even when travelling to and from the office, or while you are away on business trips or even on holiday, as long as you have access to a 3G network you are able to continuously communicate with your clients without the need for a computer or laptop. Smartphones often come with smart software that allow you to update your schedules and calendars on all your devices at once, so even adjusting these isn't problematic from your cellar device, and having a cellular device on you at all times also has the added ability of reminding you of important dates and events in your schedule through push notifications, alarms and reminders that you are guaranteed to see, regardless of your location.

Employees have a greater ability to be able to take their work home with them. Even without a computer or laptop, people are able to write and send emails, adjust and send documents, amend schedules and access the internet which means that when you have approaching deadlines that put pressures on you that regular office hours simply don't suffice for, tasks can still be completed outside of the office and on the move. With the ability to access anything from anywhere, working on the move is becoming more and more popular.

With the ability to conduct teleconferences and Skype interviews from your mobile device, international hour differences are less of a problem as you can conduct these from anywhere where you have access to a network or wifi connection. This means that this is no longer restricted to office hours.

Smartphones are multitasking devices which allow you to complete several tasks at the same time through multiple applications which leave each other uninterrupted. Often these apps can communicate with each other so that you can transfer files and data between them. With such a simple interface, often it is easier to control several applications at once through your smartphone than on your computer device.

Smartphones give you immediate access to your bank accounts and you can manage, make and receive payments at your fingertips from anywhere. You also have instant access to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram which can be used to promote your business within seconds, as well as quick and easy access to stock reports and essential business data.

The biggest disadvantage to this development in technology is that where people used to just leave the office and switch off, now they are more likely to take their work with them all the time. This can lead to an increase in stress levels, a more agitated sleep pattern and more disruption to their private lives, however, overall, smartphones have had a very positive impact to businesses all over the world.

In an age where the internet dominates our lives and people spend the vast majority of their time scrolling through a news feed, advertising has had to adapt to capture attention even quicker than before. The use of visuals in advertising have become even more important as often a potential consumer's eyes will only glance over the advert for a fraction of a second as they scroll past it on their screen.

If you think about it, Instagram is a very strong media platform because it says so much with so few words. People simply don't have the time to sit and to read through pages of information and they want quick, easy access to mass content with quick and easy responses to show their support or appreciation for what is on display.

So how can we apply this to advertising? What visual features make you stand out from an endless stream of mediocrity?

Colour is a very important tool. Your reaction to certain colours is very personal and emotional and can completely change your mood. As an advertiser, you have to decide which mood you want to inflict upon your target audience that would be most effective to persuade them to buy your product. Bold and bright colours will make you stand out from other advertisements and media, but may not portray the message or the mood that you wish to deliver.

Creating a brand and a strong image for yourself is important. If you can reach the stage where a small logo or a simple typeface is immediately recognised as your brand, such as the Apple logo or the purple used in Cadbury's advertising, then you have really implanted your company and your product into people's subconscious. This can be achieved through repetition and ensuring that you have a strong brand and logo. Just be careful not to over stimulate with repetition that they decide to block out your advertising campaigns.

The people in your advertisements obviously play vital roles. Consider the body language of the people in the pictures. Do they look confident? Do they look happy? Viewers of your adverts will automatically assume that your product will have the effect on them that it has on the people in your images.

You have to be careful not to overcrowd your imagery. The use of negative space is very effective as it promotes simplicity and draws focus very quickly to a particular point on the advert. Also when composing your image, consider using the rule of thirds for maximum impact, or to be really direct with potential customers, central composition can also be really effective. Patterns are visually satisfying to consumers and can have a very positive effect.

People remember about 80% of what they see and only 20% of what they read. The way to truly speak to somebody on a personal level is through their eyes and not through words. Imagery is a language that transcends all language barriers, although it can be interpreted differently by different cultures. Especially in today's markets where people simply don't have the motivation to read large amounts of text, it is the quickest and most effective way to promote your product.

After water, coffee is the most consumed drink in the world. From your humble cup of nescafe gold instant all the way to a single origin dark roast barista crafted flat white in a modern independent cafe, with so many formats enjoyed by a bullion people worldwide there is something to satisfy every palette and it is easy to see how it has become such a big and important business in todays society.

On average, an American spends $14.40 a week on coffee from cafes. On average, Americans drink 3 cups each every day. The average net profit on a cup of coffee is between 400% and 500%, with roughly 80c spent on labour and materials and the average cup costing $3.50. There are 25 billion small producers relying on coffee for a living. Around 30 million coffee brewing machines have been sold in the US every year since 2010. 45 hours are spent every year on Americans waiting for coffee, compared to the 48 hours they spend in the shower. 46% of coffee drinkers visit a cafe more than three times a week, and 56% percent of these people will buy a pastry with their drink. Needless to say, the market is massive.

The majority of coffee is consumed at home, however the three companies boasting the largest sales in coffee are McDonalds, Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts. There is however a trend developing which is complicating the art of coffee. The daily consumption of espresso based beverages in the US has tripled since 2008, and a lot of this growth has been seen in the younger generations. The coffee industry remained largely unaffected by the 2008 recession as millennials proved that it had become a staple that they were willing to pay for, even in trying times, who also tend to spend money on products from companies that reflect their personal values more than previous generations. This is seeing an increase in fair-trade and organic products.

There is a rise in consumption out of home and in a social environment, with consumers expecting to have their coffee served precisely as they wish. This is boosting business in smaller, independent cafes and also creating more competition amongst these companies as they all try to bend and adapt to an ever changing market as well as provide something unique.

Apps are changing the way that people buy coffee. These days, you can order your coffee from your phone and so you don't have to wait in line to acquire it. This also opens a potential stream of information which, whilst before was largely unappreciated, today is expected, so that consumers can find out where their coffee beans are sourced, how they are roasted, and the best ways to have it prepared for their particular taste.

The rise in app usage comes alongside a rise in interest in technology. More consumers are looking to buy coffee related gadgets so that they are able to produce high quality beverages in their own home, and the market for this is sharply inclining.

There's that old saying “you gotta go when you gotta go”, but just how much is your bathroom break actually costing your company?

The average size of a bathroom is 40 square feet. The average rent of an office is $23.23 per a square meter every month. The average time spent on the toilet, as a mean between men and women, is 95 minutes a week, which comes to 13.57 minutes a day and roughly 4.5 minutes during your eight hour shift. There are 43800 minutes in a month, which means that one square foot costs $0.00053 every minute, and 40 square feet cost $0.02121 every minute. This figure multiplied by 4.5 minutes is $0.09546.

During those 4.5 minutes on the toilet, your wages are still being paid for you to be essentially idle. The average American is paid $24.57 every hour, which equates to $196.56 for an eight hour day, and $0.4095 every minute. Your time in wages, on average on the toilet during company time is $1.84275 every day.

The average price of water is $1.50 for every 1000 gallons. The average amount of water used to flush the toilet is 1.6 gallons, which means that each flush costs $0.0024. Then of course we still have to clean up, and let's just say a roll of paper costs a reasonable $0.25 which consists of 500 sheets, 8.6 of which are used on average every trip to the bathroom, the price of this will be $0.0172.

If we add all of those figures together, we come to $1.95781, or $1.96 when rounded to the nearest cent, and this doesn't include factors like the water and soap used to wash your hands, the time spent walking between your desk and the computer, the cost of lighting the bathroom, the cost of maintenance and cleaning, the cost of heating, the cost of wear and tear on the office carpet, the cost of running your computer while you're not using it and most importantly the share of the 6.5% annual profit margin which you will not be making whilst you are taking a bathroom break.

The amount of money that a company spends on its employees being idle racks up very quickly when you begin to consider every element that a company spends simply on existing. It is absolutely essential that a company does their best to eliminate time wasting in order to be successful. Going to the toilet is an essential part of our day, being mammals we simply cannot live without it, but what about time on social networks, or time socialising at the water cooler, or the time waiting on hold for a conference call, or the time waiting for your computer to power up in the morning? Are there any ways that you can cut out unnecessary elements in your time to save your company money? And if not, is there anything else you can do while your computer is loading up? Are there emails you can be answering while you are waiting for a conference call to start?

Time is money, and time is the most valuable resource that we have. Make sure to use it effectively.