How To Create a QR Code For Your Small Business.

Originally designed for the automotive industry in Japan, a QR code uses numeric, alphanumeric and byte/binary encoding modes to store data that can be easily accessed with your smartphone, tablet or PC. Unlike a traditional barcode which stores limited data, a QR code has a lot more information. This odd looking image has now evolved to provide a wide range of services, and many countries in Asia it is the go to technology for quickly connecting users to information and services. In China QR codes are used to make payments offline, sharing a password protected Wi-Fi network, transferring money, sharing contact information, logging in to a website and much more. One of the greatest selling points of QR codes is the ease in which it quickly engages users. How to generate your code; the process is so easy, you will be wondering why you didn’t use it sooner. After you create your first code, you will be looking for new and innovative ways to deploy the QR codes so you can connect with your customers in the physical and digital world. The first step is to find a QR code Generator. Here are five you can use right away. You can use the traditional links, as well as the QR codes. The common generators include 1)QR Code Generator 2)Goqr 3) Webqr 4)Visualead and 5) QRstuff . The next step is Create, design and link the code. It can be linked to any URL, including Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and other social media outlets for immediate access to the content you want your customers to see. There are two types of QR codes, static and dynamic. A static code is fixed, meaning the data that is stored in it cannot be changed, while a dynamic QR code can be edited any time. You can get really creative when you create a QR code and add color, your company logo and even animation. Test the QR code. You want to make sure the code is working, and it sends you to the right destination. This is especially important if you use a static code, because you cannot edit it. Track how your QR code is performing. You can now analyze the performance of the codes you create by monitoring how much traffic is coming from them, as well as what actions users are taking once they arrive at your website or other destination. Make your QR code accessible to everyone. If you require a special scanner or app, you will greatly limit the number of people that will follow through. Make it app-agnostic so anyone can scan your QR code with their mobile device. After all access is the ultimate goal, and you don’t want to drive people away by making it unnecessarily complicated. Once you create a QR code, you can get very creative with them. A South Korean grocery store placed a stand in a subway station with QR codes of the items it sells. All customers had to do is scan the code and purchase their groceries, which according to the company makes the deliveries the same day. This is just one example, here are some additional ways you can use it: 1)Direct customers to your digital presence 2) A discount code 3)Link to Google Maps 4) Link it to your app 5) Place in a takeout menu so customers can place an order right away. 6) Act like a URL on a direct response advertisement 7)Add it to business cards so the contact information can be downloaded instantly The ubiquity of mobile devices has made product information one of the most important factors for consumers looking to purchase an item. QR codes, can offer information on any product or service you provide and make it accessible right away. It is easy, cheap and worth trying if you are a small business. read more at small business trends.

AGRIBUSINESS: ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION AND QR CODES.

The vet has a major role to play in nation building in terms of animal health and production.Animal identification is a tool for tracing,tracking animals as well as collate data on population.

 Animal identification is also a planning tool that will provide into on different animals in the state,number and location. This will help policy makers to plan for vaccination project and other  preventive protocols in animals.

 It has been documented that 75% of diseases affecting humans are caused by animals, so if the health status of the animals are top priority ,then we can prevent a lot of diseases in man.


 The animal kingdom has a lot to offer the human race ,in terms of food, clothing, medicine, research opportunities, foreign exchange and new improved genetic strains and breeds that can eliminate unwanted traits in certain species.

 There is a fortune to be made from animal husbandry but management of such projects deny us the expected rewards.

  Animal identification benefits for animal health and food  safety.

 Animal/pet identification project: if farmer has his farm registered, the animals on the farm are tagged/ pooled in a data base. This  information is stored , the location of the farm is noted using google earth or the simple G.P.S . Activities on the farm are monitored by vets and of course the farm is insured.

All products from the farm can be traced up to the market,and all food safety procedures adhered to, and documented.  This process alone will give a data base of producers in the country.

 The proper management on farms will be ensured , tracing of products from farms  are possible. This will be of importance if there is a problem that mandates a recall of product for investigation.

 The way to achieve the purpose of wealth creation  from agribusiness venture is to have a data base that shows location, tracks supplies and distribution channels..

TRACING WITH QR CODES TO PREVENT FOOD FRAUD.

The recalls concerning a lot of food items and pet products have sensitized the public about food sources,handling and codes.

The recalls are usually done per batches or dates of manufacture depending on where the error occurred, this has led to various means of tracing and tracking products that are fast,cheap and easy to use.   A company recently came up with an innovation using QR CODE

 A traceability system developed in New Zealand uses Quick Response (QR) codes so consumers with smartphones can have an easily accessible history of the source and status of an item, whether it happens to be a dairy product, a car, or any other merchandise.

 ID locate is a relatively new product developed by a company based in Auckland, NZ. Companies implementing the system pay a one-time setup charge and then a monthly maintenance fee, while consumers interested in their brands can use it for free.

 Woman scanning food with phone at storeSimon Bell, who handles technical and operational issues for the company, explained that the generated information can alert consumers to a food fraud problem, a related recall, or other issues involving a particular product.

 “It’s all database-driven so when they scan the QR code, it generates a particular URL so whatever information we have around that particular product is unique. It could be anything.

When a consumer scans it, it instantly tells them whether there’s a recall on that product,” “We’ve got a really good understanding of unique coding and imaging and a really good understanding of the application process.

 It’s incredibly secure and incredibly mobile; we can roll and do it in 15 minutes. We haven’t found anybody else who can do what we can do,” he said.

 There is almost no limit to the information which can be tracked on a food item. Besides the origin and recall history, it could be data from an outbreak investigation, video footage, or other content specific to that individual product,

 Bell noted. Lots of research is being done these days involving genetically engineered foods and various product investigations, but nothing has systematically been done linking that research with the consumer, he said.

 Read more here;http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2015/11/food-traceability-tool-developed-in-new-zealand-uses-qr-codes/#.VlRqzHarSM8