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The World’s Best Buyer Persona System

The World’s Best Buyer Persona System written by Sara Nay read more at Duct Tape Marketing



About the show:

The Agency Spark Podcast, hosted by Sara Nay, is a collection of interviews from thought leaders in the marketing consultancy and agency space. Each episode is designed to spark ideas you can put into practice for your agency today. Check out the new Spark Lab Consulting website here.

About the episode:

In this episode of the Agency Spark Podcast, Sara asks Stormie Andrews how to outgrow and outsmart your competition through the world’s best buyer persona system.

Stormie Andrews is the Founder of Yokel Local. He is an award-winning author, having co-authored “Power of the Platform, Speakers on Success” with Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, and Les Brown. In July, 2020, he released, “The World’s Best Buyer Persona System” which is the foundational first step to outsmarting your competition. The system is so effective, he was recognized by Intercon as one of the Top 50 Tech Visionaries in the world.

More from Stormie Andrews:

• Outsmarttools.com
• Click here for free access to Stormie’s Marketing Wheel Audit. Why is this important? You will have the opportunity to self identify your strengths, weaknesses, challenges and opportunities in regards to your marketing efforts. Stormie provides step-by-step video instruction walking you through one of the most valuable processes to help you make better decisions with your time and investment dollars.

Like this show? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts here!

 

This episode of the Agency Spark Podcast is brought to you by DashThis, a very simple-to-use and beautiful automated reporting tool for marketers and agencies. Gather all your data in one automated report with DashThis. They have more than 34 integrations and tons of time-saving features like pre-set report templates, cloning options, and automated email dispatches. See for yourself, with their offer of 10 free dashboards for 15 days. Sign up at dashthis.com.

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Small Business Marketing Trends for 2022

Small Business Marketing Trends for 2022 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Yep, it’s that time of year once again. Time for lots of folks like me to wax on about what we see out there on the horizon so that folks like you can perhaps be a little more prepared to respond to the coming shifts in marketing. 

In a lot of ways, I think the real service posts like this perform is to put a name on things that people are already starting to feel. I don’t claim to have special knowledge about the future, I view things through a lens informed by the thousands of conversations I have with business owners and influencers alike. 

Of course, what I should do is look back at last year’s post and give myself a score, so let’s do that briefly. 

Here’s what I predicted for 2021

·      Paying attention becomes a survival mechanism – This is hard to quantify, but I think that companies that relooked at most of the stages of their customer journey are winning. 

·      Everything gets smaller – More personal, maybe, not sure smaller. 

·      AI gets practical – nailed this one – you can’t produce an app these days without AI baked in. 

·      Talent investment is back in style – I don’t know, the great resignation caused so much scrambling that I’m not sure investment is the right term

·      Video gets personal again – Sure video, including 1 to 1 video, is hot, but I don’t think I saw the audio explosion as a personal medium. 

·       UX and SEO get attached at the hip – yep, another one that Google made real. 

·      Coaching ranks swell – This is still coming in my view, but I’m still bullish as heck on the change in how people, including marketing agencies, position their work. 

With that bit of housekeeping done, let’s move on to what I view as the top small business trends of 2022. 

Brand Purpose takes the place of authenticity.

Authenticity is a decade-old buzzword that most people struggle to define, let alone deliver. One thing the great shake-up entering year 3 has done is force people to search for meaning in their work and certainly is what their brand stands for, promises, and delivers. 

I expect this idea to become a significant differentiator for brands. People will make choices based much more on connection with a brand. Who knows how long this will last but for right now, make sure you help people connect with what you stand for. 

Events are still virtual.

It seemed like this trend if you want to call it that was about to end in the fall of 2021, but alas, it will carry forward into 2022 and continue to influence the habits of business travel and education habits. 

I look for many significant events to get better at hybrid offerings. I also think that forming cohorts of 8-10 to go through an experience together will take the place of the typical course or membership program. 

Co-marketing is no longer a big biz play.

I’ve always loved co-marketing. When you think of this you might immediately think Red Bull and GoPro, but any business can do this. 

Since it’s become pretty much impossible to cold call or even network that well, why not look to other businesses to help you get in front of prospects. 

Co-marketing is essentially a twist on referral, but its passive nature can create great exposure and I think the idea will really catch on in 2022 for proactive small businesses. 

Small business learns to outsource content.

Let’s start with two facts – Content is air, and creating helpful content is hard work. Most large organizations create the storm of content they need for every customer journey stage by building content teams and outsourcing a great deal of content production to freelancers and agencies. 

With the advent of AI in the realm of content creation, many small businesses will be able to compete in the content game by employing inexpensive content partners armed with AI tools. 

NFTs already

In case you haven’t been online, of late, NFT stands for Non-Fungible Token, which of course, means little. Go read up on this idea if you need to understand all things crypto fully. 

NFTs made a giant splash in 2020 and 2021, mainly in the world of collectible digital art. See, that’s the non-fungible part – unlike bitcoin that you exchange for another token or bitcoin and essentially have the same thing you started with an NFT is usually an original of some sort, but because it’s built on blockchain (usually Ethereum), it’s a bit of a contract. 

There will be copies, but you can prove you have the original. And the artist can enhance or continue your connection, and that’s where this will get interesting. 

Think about buying a concert ticket that comes with special bonuses based on your ticket price or number. Then, think about how content creators will start creating their community tokens. 

Okay, all of this is already happening and way past mainstream, but now it is time for small businesses to start paying attention – not to Gary V, but to folks like Joe Pulizzi and Brian Clark. 

So, we’ll see how I did in a year or so. 

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The Top 10 Duct Tape Marketing Podcast Episodes for 2021

The Top 10 Duct Tape Marketing Podcast Episodes for 2021 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As we’ve tried to return to some sense of normalcy in 2021, the implications of the pandemic have bled into this year — impacting and shaping the future of business and small business marketing as we know it. We’ve faced new and old challenges, pushed hard for innovation, and trudged forward in the face of change and the many lessons learned.

I chatted with some incredible guests on the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast over this past year. I wanted to take a look back at the most popular episodes we aired in 2021.

If you enjoyed what you heard here, check out the full line-up of shows.

1. Oliver Burkeman – Making The Most Of Your Time

Oliver Burkeman is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking. For many years, he wrote a popular column on psychology for the Guardian newspaper. He’s the author of a new book called Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.

Biggest takeaway:

The average human lifespan is brief. Nobody needs telling there isn’t enough time. We’re obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we’re deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and “life hacks” to optimize our days. But often, such techniques often end up making things worse. In this episode, Oliver Burkeman talks about concepts from his book: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. We discuss the many unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time, and how to think and do things differently so that we can show up better in the present moment.

Click here to listen to the episode.

2. Clare Kumar – How To Optimize Your Work Performance

Clare Kumar helps busy professionals optimize their performance. She is a media contributor on productivity, organization, and work-life integration.

Biggest takeaway:

People are busy, and that’s applicable across every and all job roles — entrepreneurs, business professionals, employees, stay-at-home parents, consultants, you name it, we’re busy. Clare Kumar works directly with people and professionals helping them optimize their performance and work-life integration. In this episode, Clare shares how to shift your mindset in a way that will help you build habits that last, boost your productivity, and optimize your work performance.

Click here to listen to the episode.

3. Solo Show – Creating Content For Every Stage Of The Customer Journey

John Jantsch is a marketing consultant, speaker, and author of Duct Tape Marketing, The Referral Engine, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur, and The Ultimate Marketing Engine. He is also the founder of the Duct Tape Marketing Consultant Network, which trains and licenses independent consultants and agencies to use the Duct Tape Methodology.

Biggest takeaway:

Content can’t and shouldn’t be viewed as a bunch of one-off projects. The creation of it needs to come out of one comprehensive strategy. Because it is such an important piece of the marketing puzzle these days, it needs to be incorporated in every phase of the customer journey. As a person moves through the customer journey, you must hit them with content throughout the process to keep them engaged with your business, and the best way to do this is to match the content you’d like to develop with the various phases of the Marketing Hourglass. In this episode, I share how to create content for every stage of the customer journey.

Click here to listen to the episode.

4. Mike Michalowicz – How To Create Marketing That Can’t Be Ignored

Mike Michalowicz is a speaker and bestselling author, the creator of Profit First – which is used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe to drive profit. And he’s got a new book today called – Get Different: Marketing That Can’t Be Ignored!

Biggest takeaway: 

Many business owners are frustrated because they feel invisible in a crowded marketplace. They know they are better than their competitors, but when they focus on that fact, they get little in return. That’s because, to customers, better is not actually better. Different is better. And those who market differently, win. In this episode, Mike talks about his new marketing book, Get Different, where he offers a proven, method to position your business, service, or brand to get noticed, attract the best prospects, and convert those opportunities into sales.

Click here to listen to the episode.

5. Ryan Englin – How To Attract The Right Talent

Ryan is the CEO of Core Fit Hiring which helps blue-collar companies fill frontlines with quality technicians and craftworkers.

Biggest takeaway:

Finding the right talent is not an easy task to conquer. In fact, many people waste time hiring the wrong people or have a difficult time retaining the people they worked so hard to attract. In this episode, I talk with the founder of Core Fit Hiring, Ryan Englin, about why people have such a difficult time attracting the right talent today and what you need to do to attract quality frontline workers who align with your company values — and how to get them to stay.

Click here to listen to the episode.

6. Jeffrey Shaw – Making Your Self-Employed Business Sustainably Successful

Jeffrey is an experienced speaker and small-business consultant. He helps self-employed and small-business owners gain control of their business in what otherwise seems like uncontrollable circumstances. He’s also the author of a book called: The Self-Employed Life: Business and Personal Development Strategies That Create Sustainable Success.

Biggest takeaway: 

To be self-employed means more than employing oneself. It’s a choice to challenge yourself to grow personally while building a business. As we develop ourselves, we raise the bar—we’re capable of even more success. What self-employed folks need is both business strategies and personal development to reach and maintain that success. In this episode, Jeffrey Shaw shares his holistic approach for sustainable, self-employed success.

Click here to listen to the episode.

7. Jacqueline Lieberman – Making Brands More Human

Jacqueline Lieberman is the former Managing Partner and the Head of Strategy Story Worldwide and the current founder of BrandCrudo.

Biggest takeaway:

Brands are people’s introduction to businesses and their way to interact with companies. The more human a brand is, the better that interaction is going to be. All of the beloved brands that are out there are the ones that behave like human beings. They have a conscience, a point of view, a soul, and a personality. In this episode, Jacqueline Lieberman discusses the work that she does with her clients and the ways in which she has helped many brands become more human.

Click here to listen to the episode.

8. Sophia Godkin – The Simple Truths About Happiness

Sophia Godkin is a Health Psychologist, Happyologist, and Happiness, Relationship & Transformational Coach. She’s also the author of The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: Give Thanks, Practice Positivity, Find Joy.

Biggest takeaway:

During her Ph.D. journey, Dr. Sophia Godkin found herself under an incredible amount of stress that led her to an internal realization that life could be lived in a more harmonious internal state. There is so much truth in the statement: “All you have to do is decide to be happy.” But how many people actually have the tools, resources, and mental mindset to be able to decide to be happy? There are many things that actually prevent us from the decision to be happy. In this episode, Dr. Sophia Godkin dives into the simple truths about finding happiness.

Click here to listen to the episode.

9. Tripp Lanier – Reach Your Potential by Living Dangerously

Tripp Lanier is a professional coach, author of This Book Will Make You Dangerous, and host of The New Man Podcast: Beyond the Macho Jerk and the New Age Wimp which — for over a decade — has been downloaded millions of times. We’re discussing his book called This Book Will Make You Dangerous – a guide for the rare, few men who refuse to sleepwalk through life.

Biggest takeaway:

Tripp Lanier has spent thousands of hours coaching forward-thinking men all around the world on how to not sleep through life and how to see opportunities instead of walls. In this episode, Tripp Lanier focuses on mindset and shares how to challenge your fears, align your life with meaning, and find clarity and direction in your life.

Click here to listen to the episode.

10. Allan Dib – Is the 1-Page Marketing Plan Right for Your Business?

Allan Dib is a serial entrepreneur, rebellious marketer, and #1 bestselling author. Allan Dib wrote The 1-Page Marketing Plan: Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From the Crowd.

Biggest takeaway:

To build a successful business, you need to stop doing random acts of marketing and start following a reliable plan for rapid business growth. Traditionally, creating a marketing plan has been a difficult and time-consuming process, which is why it often doesn’t get done. In this episode, Allan Dib talks about his 1-Page Marketing Plan – which is a marketing implementation breakthrough that makes creating a marketing plan simple and fast.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

Is your favorite episode on the list? If not, we’d love to hear which one you enjoyed listening to the most!

For our podcast audience, we can’t thank you enough for your support over the years! If you like the show, click on over and subscribe and if you love the show give us a review on iTunes, please!

 

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How To Know If Starting A High-Ticket Mastermind Is The Right Move

How To Know If Starting A High-Ticket Mastermind Is The Right Move written by Sara Nay read more at Duct Tape Marketing

About the show:

The Agency Spark Podcast, hosted by Sara Nay, is a collection of interviews from thought leaders in the marketing consultancy and agency space. Each episode is designed to spark ideas you can put into practice for your agency today. Check out the new Spark Lab Consulting website here!

About the episode:

In this episode of the Agency Spark Podcast, Sara asks Chris Williams how to know if starting a high-ticket mastermind is the right move.

The 3 main factors:

• Are you an expert in your field?
• Do you love giving to others?
• Do you communicate well?

Chris spends most of his time raising his five kids, exploring world communities, and trying his hand at adventures like shark diving, ice climbing, running ultra marathons, and riding electric skateboards:)

In his spare time, he works with entrepreneurial and business experts, speakers, coaches, and leaders helping them market, monetize, and lead their own high-ticket mastermind (or group coaching) programs.

As the world continues to shift, many experts are trying to build high-ticket groups for additional income, lead generation, or impact. Chris teaches experts how to generate leads, close high-ticket deals, and build strong, transformational groups. He has his own digital agency, leads two masterminds of his own, and has learned many of these lessons the hard way, so sharing his journey and offering strategies is why he is here.

More from Chris Williams:

• Group Coach Nation is the #1 resource for step-by-step guides to creating and/or scaling your high-ticket mastermind. The best part about Group Coach Nation is that it’s broken down into 3 sections: Beginner, Advanced and Pro. Go to GroupCoachNation.com and find your resources, your community and your growth.

Like this show? Please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts here!

 

This episode of the Agency Spark Podcast is brought to you by DashThis, a very simple-to-use and beautiful automated reporting tool for marketers and agencies. Gather all your data in one automated report with DashThis. They have more than 34 integrations and tons of time-saving features like pre-set report templates, cloning options, and automated email dispatches. See for yourself, with their offer of 10 free dashboards for 15 days. Sign up at dashthis.com.

 

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Best Commercial Fire Alarm Systems

Personnel safety should be every organization’s number one priority. People and buildings need protection from hazards like fire, carbon monoxide, external threats, and more. Commercial fire alarm systems solve this problem by quickly detecting danger and notifying everyone that’s potentially involved. To help you find a fire alarm system that’s quick, reliable, and that can handle your safety needs, we created a list of the top five available.

The Top 5 Best Commercial Fire Alarm Systems

1. Siemens Desigo Mass Notification – Best for Emergency and Event Response
2. Honeywell HS-81 – Best for Industrial Fires and Gas Leaks
3. Kidde VM Series – Best for Customizing Your Alarm Systems
4. Bosch Fire Alarm Systems – Best for Advanced Detection Methods
5. Kidde FX Series – Best for Small Buildings

To help you determine how to keep your people safe, we thoroughly reviewed each of these five products below. 

#1 – Siemens Desigo Mass Notification — Best For Emergency and Event Response

Visit Siemens

• Alerts for fires, weather, active shooters, and more
• Several unique warning methods
• Targeted alerts for different individuals
• Connects multiple buildings

Request a quote

While this post is focused primarily on fire alarm systems, we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention the Siemens Desigo Mass Notification system. The system can connect multiple buildings, and it provides fire and life safety, building automation, enterprise communications, and security. 

It helps with routine and emergency situations, and it can send customized information depending on the individual, group, building, or target zone. This comprehensive system meets NFPA 3000 active shooter and event response standards. It can alert people of things like tornado warnings, fires, active shooters, bomb threats, seek shelter warnings, and evacuation orders. 

If a panic button is pressed, security guards are alerted immediately. The guards can then pull up the entire campus, individual building, and floor plan to see exactly where the alert was triggered and activate a nearby camera. Security guards can also manually log alerts like gas leaks and fires while patrolling the property. 

From the main system, security can enter details and send desktop alerts to everyone affected, update digital signs with a warning message, and initiate a pre-recorded message. Desigo has these features because studies show people are more likely to take alerts seriously when they come from multiple sources simultaneously. Separate alerts can also be sent to first responders and civilians. 

People can be alerted through desktops, tablets, cell phones, ADA compliant devices, internet messaging services, visual signage, landlines, and social media. Desigo security features include central monitoring, access control, video surveillance, and panic buttons. Its fire system can integrate with most existing panels, and its warnings include strobe lights, sirens, horns, and voice alerts. 

On a lighter note, the system can send text alerts regarding things like power outages, parking updates, routine communications, and even birthday parties. The system also helps with third-party weather services, predictive building maintenance, room control, elevator control, lighting control, and comfort control. 

To receive more information on pricing, fill out the form on the Siemens website, and a representative will contact you.

#2 – Honeywell HS-81 — Best For Industrial Fires and Gas Leaks

Visit Honeywell

• Specializes in industrial flame, gas, and smoke detection
• Panels created to fit in tight spaces
• Hardware designed to withstand harsh industrial conditions
• Works with peripheral devices

Request a quote

Honeywell’s HS-81 product specializes in industrial flame, gas, and smoke detection at personnel stations and process areas. The system accurately detects fires, immediately notifies personnel, and automatically starts extinguishing. It can use multiple protocols to connect with peripheral devices and process safety systems. 

The system comes with building management system controls and panels for smoke detection, extinguishing and suppression, human-machine interface (HMI), and flame and gas detection. Its software comes with systems management, remote control, and graphic maps. Its hardware is designed to withstand harsh marine and industrial conditions, and its panels can fit in small spaces. 

Its fire extinguishing system comes with diagnostics, monitoring, and dedicated commands for each solenoid. For flame and gas monitoring, Honeywell provides remote reporting, programmable thresholds, SIL2 sensors, and a front panel bar graph. Its smoke detection features include fault monitoring, alarm and pre-alarm verification, and addressable analog detection. 

For more information, you can fill out a questionnaire on Honeywell’s website addressing your security needs. 

#3 – Kidde VM Series — Best For Customizing Your Alarm Systems

Visit Kidde

• Voltage Boost technology saves costs
• One system includes up to 24 panels
• VM Series can integrate with existing wires
• Fiber optic communications

Get it now

The VM Series is a versatile solution perfect for midsize and large buildings. Kidde is a global leader in the fire safety industry. It not only builds fire alarm systems but also collaborates with engineers and educates customers and professionals. Its VM series is a helpful solution that comes with intuitive interfaces, mandatory features, and multi-message displays. 

The VM Series is known for its versatility. It comes with several communications and audio capabilities, and it can extend networking with its large selection of option cards. Users can fine-tune and customize their systems using VM’s detailed control panels. 

If a user needs to replace an existing control panel, it can be retrofitted by using the existing wiring to connect with a new Kidde VM device. A VM system can include up to 24 panels to cover zones with multiple buildings. It comes with fiber-optic communications and RS485 connectivity to deliver sophisticated diagnostics and quick response times. 

The system includes four on-board Notification Appliance Circuits which are up-to-date with UL 1971 standards, and it includes a 10-amp power supply. VM customers can use cost-efficient lighter-gauge cables. This is made possible by Kidde’s Voltage Boost technology, which can continually send 22.5 volts. 

Its control panel can integrate with up to three front panel switches that are fully programmable. Its Optica detectors sense carbon monoxide and smoke, and the system is compatible with new or existing Kidde Genesis notification devices. The system allows two minutes of programmable message storage and three digital audio channels. Its control panels support LED annunciators and R-Series LCD. 

For support questions and specific pricing information, you’ll need to contact Kidde directly. You can purchase the VM series from one of Kidde’s U.S. distributors, and you can search for the nearest one through its website. 

#4 – Bosch Fire Alarm Systems — Best For Advanced Detection Methods

Visit Bosch

• Video surveillance for precise detection
• ISP technology minimizes false alarms
• Easy and affordable installation
• Smart Safety Link connects fire and voice systems

Request a quote

If you want a fire alarm system that incorporates modern detection technology, Bosch’s Fire Alarm Systems are for you. Bosch has been creating fire alarm systems for more than 80 years, and it has continually refined its products with the most up-to-date technology. 

With features like Intelligence Signal Processing (ISP), Dual-Ray Technology, and video detection, users can pinpoint exactly where fires originate and quickly determine if there is a false alarm. 

Bosch’s AVIOTEC video-detection system uses intelligent algorithms and integrated software to scan areas for possible fires. It spots fires by automatically identifying things like illuminance rate, color, shape, and flickering, and it detects smoke by measuring the upward movement of transparent objects at a constant speed. In seconds, it determines if there is a real emergency or a false alarm. 

If an alarm is triggered, Bosch pinpoints exactly where a fire originates from. Its IP Starlight 8000 cameras are easy to install and set up costs are minimal. To minimize false alarms, users can customize fire verification time and fire size. The cameras work in airports, areas with high ceilings, humid and dusty buildings, and highly flammable locations. 

The video system can be used to support areas with traditional fire alarm systems or in areas where traditional systems can’t be installed. It’s perfect for areas like sawmills and factories, where fires need to be detected extra fast. 

Before installation, users receive training and create an individual resource plan for the building using Bosch’s planning tool. This is used to identify factors like ceiling height, volume of highly flammable materials, lighting conditions, and possible false alarm triggers. 

The system is then installed in strategic locations and connected to the network. Users simply need to focus the camera lens and point it in the right direction. Once the cameras are connected, users will customize verification time and fire size settings. After this step, the cameras are connected to the management system and users can view camera footage. 

False alarms can also be negated with Bosch’s AVENAR 4000 detector. False alarms are expensive, result in operational downtime, and can desensitize workers to real emergencies. A common trigger for false alarms is electromagnetic interference, which comes from things like energy-efficient lamps, fluorescent tubes, Wi-Fi signals, and electric motors. 

The AVENAR 4000 uses Intelligence Signal Processing to analyze signals sent from the CO sensor, heat sensor, and smoke sensor to prevent false alarms. It uses an infrared sensor and a blue LED sensor to measure smoke particle size and density, resulting in faster detection. These help determine the difference between actual fires and cigarette smoke, for example. 

The advanced system also collects and analyzes data from nearby electromagnetic sources. This allows technicians to create a comprehensive cause analysis before installation. To prevent false alarms, the technician can install the detector away from the electromagnetic source or move the source away from the installation spot. 

It can also detect new electromagnetic data after installation and send it to a control panel for further analysis. This system is perfect for areas like computer facilities, factories, airports, power plants, hotels, schools, offices, and hospitals. 

Bosch’s Smart Safety Link helps system integrators connect complex fire detection systems and voice evacuation systems. By connecting just one cord, both systems are instantly integrated into one. 

When an alarm is set off, voice evacuation ensures everyone leaves the burning floor first. Then, people from both adjacent floors are evacuated, followed by the upper then lower floors. This ensures escape routes aren’t jammed with people and evacuations run smoothly. The Smart Safety Link can also grow if a building needs added detectors and alarms. 

Bosch’s impressive fire alarm systems feature different devices depending on each user’s needs. To find more information, reach out to Bosch for a quote.

#5 – Kidde FX Series — Best For Small Buildings

Visit Kidde

• Supports LED strobes, horns, and speakers
• Low-profile designs
• Low current draw and requires fewer batteries
• Explosion-proof detectors for hazardous locations

Get it now

Kidde’s FX Series is the best fire alarm system for small buildings. The system can fit most existing wires during retrofits, integrates multiple detectors, and identifies where problems occur with accurate ground fault protection. The FX Series design and front panel operations are simple, maintenance and servicing are streamlined, and installation is fast. 

To warn those in danger, the system supports LED strobes, horns, and speakers. These can be mounted on walls or ceilings, and strobes are available in red, blue, green, and amber lenses. It can integrate with intelligent CO detectors, rotary detectors, duct smoke detectors, and manual one-stage or two-stage fire alarm triggers. It can also use explosion-proof smoke detectors for hazardous locations. 

The system is available in 7.5 amps to decrease equipment costs, and it has automatic drift compensation to lengthen detector life. FX customers have the option to use USB connectivity for local printing and programming, and can use ethernet ports for central monitoring and remote diagnostics. It also comes with cybersecurity to counter external threats. 

The system’s hardware requires fewer batteries, less backup power, has low current draw, and has low-profile designs. For pricing details or to locate a distributor near you, visit Kidde’s website for more information. 

How to Find The Best Commercial Fire Alarm System For You

During your search, consider the following critical factors that make up a great commercial fire alarm system. Aspects like detection speed, false alarm reduction, warning methods, hazard type, and coverage capacity all play an important role in choosing the right system.

Detection Speed

Small fires can become enormous in less than two minutes. Therefore, detection speed is a critical factor to consider when choosing a commercial fire alarm system. This is especially important in hazardous areas like factories and warehouses. 

Look for a system that can accurately detect fire, smoke, or gas leaks in a matter of seconds. It can also be helpful to find one that pinpoints exactly where hazards begin, allowing you to quickly take corrective action.

False Alarm Reduction

False alarms are expensive, waste time, and can cause people to take real emergencies less seriously. Therefore, you should look for a system that minimizes this issue by accurately identifying routine interferences versus real emergencies. Systems with more advanced technology do a better job of this, so go with a modern system if false alarms have been an issue in the past.

Warning Methods

Studies have shown that people take warnings more seriously if they receive them in multiple ways simultaneously. A good tip for this is to choose a system that alerts multiple human senses. These can include alarms for audio alerts and strobe lights for visual alerts. 

Some systems can even send text, email, and other visual notifications. While these aren’t necessary for every situation, they can certainly help persuade people to evacuate immediately. 

Hazard Types Covered

While every system on our list alerts people of fire danger, it may be worth looking into other hazard detection types depending on your situation. These can include smoke, carbon monoxide, and gas leak protection. For a more comprehensive solution, pick a mass notification system that also alerts people of active shooters, dangerous weather, and bomb threats. 

Coverage Capacity

Some commercial fire alarm systems are meant for small buildings only, while others have the capacity to protect multiple large buildings. Make sure to factor this in when choosing a system for your organization.

For example, if you intend to protect a large campus, choose a system that can cover multiple buildings. This allows you to save money and connect multiple locations instead of purchasing separate systems for each one. 

Summary

To review, multi-building locations needing mass emergency and event response should go with Siemens Desigo Mass Notification system. For the most advanced technology and detection methods, Bosch’s fire alarm systems are the best available. 

Those looking to protect against industrial fires and gas leaks should consider Honeywell HS-81. Kidde’s VM and FX Series are the best for versatility and protecting small buildings respectively. 

During your search, make sure to factor in the criteria mentioned in the section above. These include detection speed, false alarm reduction, warning methods, hazard type, and coverage capacity. 

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