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Performance Review

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Performance reviews: a comprehensive guide.

Performance Appraisals are for most employees a nerve-racking experience. However, these simple processes, if done well, could make your business vastly more streamlined and effective not to mention your employees happier in their work environment. For most people, the experience of performance reviews might not have been a good one, but it is the only way of gauging the abilities of your staff without compromising any business projects.

Your business is made up of employees, they might be many or few, but they are the reason why your business makes money. The only way to understand whether your employees are happy and if they are performing at their best is to do a regular review of their performance in the workplace. The process of these reviews could encourage and motivate your staff, or it could be the reason for your downfall.

A well thought out performance review process will not only encourage your staff but will give you vital insight into the business environment and culture that could make future recruitment and promotion a far more organic process. With the right motivation and understanding of your staff, you as a business owner can make more informed decisions about placements and department resources. The Human Resources in your business, or your staff, is how your business will survive any economic environment. Making sure they are operating at their best at all times is in your business's best interest and will make your employees more effective in their daily tasks.

What are Performance Reviews?

Performance Appraisals or Reviews are being used in business more every day to determine the strength of the workforce and to identify areas that should be worked on in the future. The process has evolved to be a more informal one due to the evolution of management styles in the business world. In the past, the process might have induced feelings of apprehension or dread with employees and managers alike, but currently, business owners have access to Performance Review templates that make the job far easier. Using a professionally designed employee appraisal form , you are able to motivate your staff to improve their performance without the past negative interpretations associated with Performance Reviews. The review is a vital Human Resource function and will not only get your staff working better but will certainly help develop a better employee profile for future applicants.

How to Make a Performance Review Work for Your Company

An ineffective performance review template process makes all participants dread the process; both must take time from their busy day to discuss past failures and successes. In many cases, it seems only the failures are highlighted in these sessions. Over time, the industry has learned that Performance Reviews that form part of the working process make for better information sharing because employees don’t feel like they are being confronted and managers don’t experience any animosity during the reviews. By using the correct review templates as well as creating a productive atmosphere, all parties concerned will be more interactive and your business will be better for it.

Why are Performance Reviews Important?

To get the best out of any process, especially Performance Appraisals, you need to know how to manage the process for the ultimate productivity and cohesion. To understand this, you need to know what a Great Performance Review system will achieve in your business so that you can design your future sessions for excellence.

• Cohesion and Employee-Business Connection - Often employees feel left out of the “business-loop” and they become less inclined to perform at their best because they do not understand how their performance impacts the business. A well-executed performance evaluation template process will connect your employees' work regardless of where they fit in the business organogram. It will also give them a clear picture of their strengths and weaknesses without inducing negative feelings and the team will be more productive overall.
• Morale and Employee Retention - Goal orientated individuals have always performed better than aimless people, and so your employees will be more motivated when they have clearly defined goals and performance thresholds. When your review assists your employees to identify and plan for upliftment areas, your business will benefit from the improved culture and individual performance increases. Your staff will be happier and more positive about their environment which will add to the improvement of your business.
• Company Standards and Values - A great review process will help align your employees’ standards and values with the standards and values of your business. The alignment of these critical aspects of your business and staff is obviously beneficial but with an effective performance review template system, you get the time to work on the alignment rather than just hoping that it happens.
• Aligned Workforce - The review process also allows for the alignment of goals between business and employee. Helping the employee connect their goals to company goals gives them extra motivation to achieve these goals and will help the manager to adjust their management style to better motivate employees by interacting at the goal level to keep the momentum going. In simple terms, it helps you devise the best way to motivate each and every employee based on their contribution and personal goals as seen from the business perspective.
• Honest and Clear Feedback - Performance Reviews allow your staff to get and give honest feedback to their management on their performance and interaction with management. So often senior executives don’t get to interact with all staff, but with an effective review system, you allow your employees to give clear and honest feedback about the structure and interaction with all management staff. The function of a review system is to give the space for honest interaction without the pressures of the work environment.
• Develop a Caring Business Environment - When applied correctly, your performance review system will show your employees that you truly care for them personally and for their career. They will be more committed to working harder and better within an environment of caring positive critique than in any other environment.

What Are the Aspects of an Effective Performance Review Process?

Irrespective of your industry or business focus, an effective performance appraisal template process must include certain aspects to deliver all the benefits possible to your business. These aspects fall into two major categories:

• General Interaction and Soft-Skills (Basic Areas)
• Job and Company Specific Competencies (Focus Areas)

The combination of these critical areas will allow your management staff to build a strong workforce and identify areas where more attention should be spent to improve.

By using a performance review template, you will be able to address all these critical areas without having to go through the development process. If you are in the process of hiring new staff, you can also complete an applicant appraisal form to evaluate the candidate’s suitability for the job.

Basic Areas

All the performance review templates that you will find in the Human Resources section of Business-in-a-Box are designed around the understanding that the following interpersonal skills should be part of the process:

• Communication - Self-communication and interpersonal communication;
• Teamwork - Becoming a functional part of the immediate team and the company team;
• Solution Based - Identifying problem areas and working together to find effective solutions to implement;
• Quality and Excellence - Building a culture of constant improvement and increased quality;
• Reliability and Presence - The development of punctual and reliable employees and management;
• Goal Orientation and Achievement - Foster a mindset focused on the achievement of goals both personal and business;

Company Focus Areas

As these areas are company-specific, you need to make sure that your Performance Review addresses these areas in the right way so that you get the maximum input and output from these areas of review. The most effective manner to do this is by using clear templates to guide your managers through the process so that they can always keep your staff on-the-boil.

The best way to do this is by:

• Constant Informal Feedback - Although you have the actual review process maybe once or twice a year, you should not limit the feedback to once or twice a year. By providing your staff with constant feedback on their performance, they can gain more from the review process. Your staff will benefit from the constant enforcement of their abilities and achievements which will breed an environment of growth and inspiration.
• Honest Interaction - The old saying of doing unto others as you would like to be done to you is very apt in this regard. When dealing with your staff during performance reviews you should be honest and clear about achievements and weaknesses, without communicating detrimentally. Honesty is key and gentle honesty is crucial.
• Face-to-Face Meetings - Effective performance reviews must be conducted face-to-face so that you and your employee can get to the heart of whatever issues and problems there might be. It is also always better to encourage staff personally with their personal and career growth so that they understand that you are committed to them as they are to you.
• Work-Related Situations - When using examples demonstrate growth opportunities it is best to use relevant work-related situations during the performance review. This will lend perspective and clear context to the issues at hand and will help build your team’s focus on being better at their respective positions.
• Positive Productive Tone - Performance reviews should not be unclear, meaning that throughout the process you should communicate in a tone of upliftment and positive feedback. This will especially be crucial where your employee has not performed as well as they should have. You should have them leave the review session being refocused on the development areas and have a clear understanding of what is required. This will make your employees more able to address focus areas rather than be left in the dark about what they need to do.
• Positive Language - Using the correct language during the review must be second nature. Often, we lose the effect of the message by using the incorrect language. That is why each template from Business-in-a-Box is designed to deliver its message in the best possible way. With the correct language, you can encourage and motivate even the most underperforming staff member to greatness.

By using these easy-to-use templates, you can manage and motivate your entire company with powerful Performance reviews that will encourage them to work better faster and stay for longer. Great companies have excellent systems and processes not only in their respective manufacturing and service delivery but in evaluating their staff and work performance. Business-in-a-Box has more than 2000 business templates that will help you improve your business regardless of sector or industry. The Performance Review templates have all been designed and formulated by business experts, so you can trust their quality and legitimacy. Sign up to obtain full access to all these templates and get your staff performing better today.

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AT&T Business in a Box

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AT&T Business in a Box® provides an integrated platform enabling voice and data services to be provided over a single network connection and device for office locations (small businesses and satellite offices of larger organizations). The service connects with AT&T Business Voice over IP (VoIP) service provided via an AT&T transport solution.

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Business-in-a-Box 4+

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The #1 Business Management Toolkit All the templates you need to Start, Plan, Organize, Manage, Finance & Grow your business, in one place. 1,900+ templates to quickly and easily create any business or legal document. Business‑in‑a‑Box, helps business people get more done in less time. This do-it-yourself document templates software has been created to increase your productivity and efficiency. Today, Business‑in‑a‑Box is used by more than 12M entrepreneurs, business owners, managers and executives in over 195 countries.

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Crashes a lot.

The app constantly tells me that Business In A Box is “offline”. I double check, and I am not offline. The documents are written very generically and have a lot of repetition in them. Basically, you will have to go through and do a lot of editing to make them suite your needs and remove all the duplicate wording. I guess they are better than nothing when you need a few basic documents. But honestly, I would look for an alternative. I am sure there are several out there. I, myself, will be looking for an alternative here shortly.

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Absolutely love the app! Have been using the services before the app came out and happy it can work like this now! Will definitely recommend it.

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I want my money back because this is not what they offer me I have 3 days trying to use it and is been impossible. No way to contact no one.

We are sorry that you are having trouble with your account. We tried to reach you via email and phone, but we did not hear back from you. You can reach us at 1-866-383-4100, or via email at [email protected]. We also have a chat applet and a web form at www.business-in-a-box.com.

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LightInTheBox   Reviews

In the Women's Clothing Store category

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Reviews 4.2.

278,125 total

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eeeasy reliable shopping on line with excellent customer service and great delivery system.making me a loyal cutomer .

it's a customer friendly,trusting and great tracking,delivery service.so far with all the many items i bought.i was usually satisfied with the products.the errors that were encountered were few and could have been corrected but I didn't persue.it were only minor and the items were not that expensive ex, wrong sandal size,Igot sent a size 41 instead of 40,too lge,some of the purses were out of shape due to packaging,i have o be careful with the pictures.items not exactly as shown at times..also with sizing of clothes.Still a great shopping experience with all the good quality items and great values.thank youLITB A satisfied customer,count me in.

Date of experience : August 17, 2023

Our 2022 Transparency Report has landed

I have wished for a 'pretty little….

I have wished for a 'pretty little white thing' to wear in my new life. I can see Yours will be dreamy; I love your featuring of it; THANKS! Ordering was most acceptable and I LOVE YOU for that. As you know-you always get paid. I always pay for everything-never shoplift. I don't like being made to feel suspect like some people are suspicious & untrusting. So anyway-have a sweet & happy weekend-wish you all the best.

Date of experience : September 02, 2023

Another time and situation, I was unable to order due to the fact that I had a new card replacing one that "someone" was illegally using to purchase THEIR items. I couldn't use my previous card, and they wouldn't accept my new card! Very frustrating.

So far I have been very happy with most of my purchases.

So far I have been very happy with most of all the clothes that I have ordered. However, my only disappointment was when I noticed some of the items that I ordered were marked down after I purchased them. In addition, one pair of slacks did not fit as well as the other same pairs that fit perfectly. I do wish you offered free shipping.

This company has well fitting styles…

This company has well fitting styles that are true to size and they use good quality fabrics in all their manufacturing. I have never had a bad experience with Light In The Box! thank you!

Good selection shipping costs too…

Good selection shipping costs too expensive when ordering more than one item. Should be a shipping cost for all not different costs for every item especially when coming to one address. Would have ordered 3 items but the total shipping amounted to over $30

Date of experience : September 01, 2023

Like your products

Like your products, easy navigation, and easy payment method, not pusy to buy more stuff. First-time shopper and waiting on my package!

EXCELLENT CUSTOMER CARE...

I had a problem with my order. After explaining it to Customer Service that matter was taken care of. Thanks I'll be ordering from this company again. Thanks Mr. Beale

I have a very special event to attend…

I have a very special event to attend and your garments and shoes are perfect for the occassion. Your selections are fantastic for plus sizes. I so happy that I found your site.

Best price and good quality

LITB is the best place to go for pillow covers. The quality is good and the prices are excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing this order as well.

Super colorful and creative designs

Super colorful and creative designs at a great price. I'd love the shipping to be more economical, but overall, the cost is still very reasonable.

moving from one screen to another was…

moving from one screen to another was very easy as instructions were great and easy to follow. instructions for users who need help.

Shipping costs are not clearly shown…

Shipping costs are not clearly shown until after transaction is complete through a third party. This is "not in the spirit of good business" to put it politely in English Lightinthebox is another one in a long line of companies relying on people being "time poor". Now I have spent 2 minutes more, to make others aware of this.

items seems to be inaccurate . Ordered according to my size and couldn't fit. It was a smooth process to return / exchange .

The Total Price

To be honest. Your company is a bit expensive compared with other companies I deal with. Also you don’t tell customers how much Shipping/Insurance/Tax ETC.

Dreadful experience. AVOID AVOID AVOID

I don't understand why this company has a rating of 4.2, I am very suspicious. This company is truly awful, the products are cheap garbage, lacking any real quality and nothing like described. A refund is a complex process but is possible if you persist, remember any refund policy from any company does not overrule UK DSR, if trading in the UK they MUST adhere to UK trading laws. Contact your card issuer, do not take no for an answer, the law is on your side. See the reply below, you will get a refund if you persist, they know they're products are junk.

Date of experience : August 19, 2023

Reply from LightInTheBox

Dear Customer, Thank you for your reply. We understand that you'd like to return the product and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. Considering the return procedure is quite time consuming and we don't want to bother you anymore, so I just applied a special offer for you once only, you don't need to return the product to us this time. You can either keep the product or give it away, it's up to you. We'll refund the payment GBP 21 to you now as a special offer. Because the refund will be issued by the system automatically, so the system will send it as CREDIT to your Credit Account on our website in the next 1-2 business days, not to the original Credit Card that you paid with. Please visit your ticket: #101491120 for more details. Customer service.

A well-functioning app but varying product prices

Prices vary from day to day and from device to device (phone, laptop, etc.). This makes it difficult to find the best prices. I think the prices should be the same no matter which device or app you use. - Otherwise, the Light in the box app is surprisingly useful despite the amount of merchandise on offer.

LOTS of extra costs at the end. Sucks.

I almost cancelled my order bcz by the time "fees" were added and shipping costs, the overall cost of the item went up over FIFTY PERCENT!!! Good think I really liked what I ordered. But I will think twice before ordering from this company again. I think it's border-line deceptive. Hin, hint: MANY places offer free shipping these days.... Welcome to the 21st century.

Date of experience : August 29, 2023

Polo shirt purchase

Polo shirt purchase. Bought 2 and delivery was good other than the extras they add on for delivery. Thats about it. The quality of the items is poor, badly stitched, material substandard, a button disintergrated etc etc. The cost of returning anything is prohibitive so the items are just about suitable to wear when I am doing dirty work in the garage or garden. Avoid at all costs.

Hello dear DENNIS SMITH A big apology for any inconvenience we may have caused. It was my duty to assure you we could solve your case to your full satisfaction. A customer service agent will contact you shortly to ensure you receive direct assistance. Please check your LightInTheBox account or your email to be aware of the information. All the best, Sincerely Customer Service Lightinthebox

Easy shopping experience

Easy shopping experience. Tons of variety. First time user but I'm sure I will be returning.

‘I’m not going to make $1’: The director of ‘Sound of Freedom’ breaks his silence

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“Sound of Freedom” is the surprise box-office hit of the summer — and the latest cause du jour in the far right’s culture war against the mainstream media. The thriller, from director and screenwriter Alejandro Monteverde, follows the journey of a rogue Homeland Security agent, Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel), who risks it all to save kidnapped children from a Colombian sex-trafficking ring.

Independently produced for a reported $14.5 million, it’s topped $160 million at the box office since its July 4 release, fueled by word-of-mouth endorsements, pay-it-forward ticket purchases and the efforts of conservative influencers and pundits who’ve positioned the film as an answer to “godless” Hollywood’s domination of American entertainment. It has even been embraced by former President Trump, who recently hosted a screening at his New Jersey golf course.

A narrative has emerged in right-wing political circles that the film has had a harder time than most features finding its way into theaters, and into the entertainment press, because its distributor, Angel Studios, appeals to conservative audiences with a roster of faith-based movies. Although there’s no firm evidence that the picture has had a more challenging road than any other independent project, it has made novel use of crowdfunding: In addition to allowing supporters to buy tickets for others to see the movie, the project also raised $5 million from more than 6,600 investors to fund marketing costs associated with its theatrical release.

Its use of crowdfunding has been an unparalleled success — and it’s sure to have caught the eye of executives at a moment of flux for the film business.

The lion’s share of the controversy around “Sound of Freedom,” however, centers on its chosen subject matter. Among the most absurd of QAnon conspiracy theorists’ unsubstantiated claims is the belief that wealthy, famous elites participate in child trafficking to harvest their young blood for a chemical called adrenochrome. And though the film’s plot has nothing to do with the conspiracy, it has become a galvanizing force for followers of QAnon, in no small part because both Caviezel and Ballard have spoken openly about their own beliefs in QAnon’s far-fetched ideas.

Advocates in the fight against child sex trafficking, by contrast, take issue with the film for canonizing the controversial operations of Ballard and his former organization, Operation Underground Railroad. Ballard has been accused of staging rescue missions as a means of self-promotion, and critics maintain that centering his story misrepresents how victims are actually lured into forced sex work.

Largely absent in all the noise, at least so far, has been Monteverde himself.

“When everything started happening, I just went into hiding,” said the 45-year-old director, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as a teen, in what he characterized as his “first official interview” about the film. “I didn’t want to be part of what was happening. I just like to make movies and tell stories. But then I said to myself, ‘There’s another side of the story. The full story. And I’m the only one that can tell that because I’m the author of the whole thing.’”

How summer blockbuster ‘Sound of Freedom’ became a battlefield in the culture war

With a controversial star, a subject conspiracy theorists love and a sensational box-office take, ‘Sound of Freedom’ couldn’t help but stir up a fight.

July 21, 2023

There’s so much attention and the heat around “Sound of Freedom” that we can address. Where would you like to start?

I call it a phenomenon. Nobody, no one, thought that this movie was going to make the box office it’s making. It’s a complete surprise, including to myself. I thought this movie was never going to see the light of day. So I ended up giving away my points. I’m not going to make $1.

Tell me about the origins of the film and your initial intentions as a filmmaker.

Nobody came to me to say, “Hey, do you want to make a movie about child trafficking?” Nobody. Everything started in 2015. I was writing another film when I saw a small news piece on child trafficking and child pornography. It shook my soul. And at that time, I only had one child. When I went to [bed], I couldn’t sleep. I woke up the next day and I told my wife, “I have to do something about this.” She didn’t want to hear about it because it’s too dark. It’s taboo.

I started doing research, then called my co-writer Rod Barr and said, “Let’s put our other story on the side because I want to dive into this.” He was hesitant, but finally he’s like, “Let’s do it.” So we started writing a movie called “The Mogul.” I was writing it with George Clooney in mind [laughs]. It was going to be the story of this very wealthy man who made all his money in organized crime, and one day he’s offered to buy a child for a new enterprise: child trafficking. It’s a little bit like the “Schindler’s List” approach. He started buying the children to free them. It was full-on fiction. Obviously, it’s not a film that people are going to jump in just because of the marketing. It’s not because they don’t care. That’s a misconception. Everybody cares. It’s just hard to market a movie like that. So I didn’t get support right away.

How did Tim Ballard come into the picture?

The producer of the film, Eduardo Verástegui, called and said he was at a conference and met one of the speakers, Tim Ballard. I’d never heard of him. Eduardo set up a meeting with him the next day. In my head, I was going to meet Tim Ballard just to learn more about the subject. Never to make a movie about him. But he starts telling me his story, and it’s one of the few times where a true story surpassed fiction. He told me about a character that resembled my character, Vampiro [played by Bill Camp]. It was crazy. He buys kids and frees them. I talked with my co-writer, and he agreed [to change course]. We negotiated Ballard’s life rights.

Ballard has been scrutinized by anti-child-trafficking advocates for embellishing his stories and using missions to promote himself, and that has cast doubt about the authenticity of the events depicted in the film.

I tell people you’re not going to see Tim Ballard. You’re going to see an actor playing Tim Ballard. The minute that is happening, you’re already dramatizing. It’s not a documentary. I always wanted to stretch. I would be like, “Hey, can we do this?” And he’s like, “No, you cannot do that. You cannot do that, either.” Sometimes he’ll be like, “Well, that didn’t happen there but it happened in Haiti. Maybe you can do that.” That’s why you put “inspired by.” You’re not claiming it’s everything he said. When you talk to Ben Affleck [about “Argo”], he will tell you the exact same thing. Or “Schindler’s List.” Spielberg will say the same thing. My favorite biopic of all time is “Amadeus,” but you cannot take it as a historic document because nobody was there. You have to fill in the blanks. Also, you have to take many years and put it in an hour and a half. Child sexual exploitation and abuse is a real and horrific crime, here and across the globe, that needs to be recognized and confronted. But the embrace of the film by QAnon subscribers has potentially hijacked the movie’s intent of raising awareness and made it a rallying cry for their baseless conspiracies.

It’s heartbreaking, and it hurts me. The minute they started labeling it with conspiracy theories, it discredits the purity of the work. A lot of times, I’m like, “Wow, all this headache would have gone away if it was just based on fiction. None of this would have happened.” … If you’re telling me that there is all these conspiracy theories in the film, terminologies, that I’ll see symbols of pizza and the names Q or Z, or whatever — no. There’s none of that.

How do you make a story about such a disturbing subject watchable?

It was very important that I remind the audience at all times that they’re watching a movie. That’s why the film is a little bit operatic. You know the fight, at the end? [The fictional Ballard and his rescue team confront the traffickers and a battle ensues to free a group of enslaved children]. When I arrived the first day, they have rehearsal for three days with the stunts and everything. And I saw it. I was like, “That looks very real. Guys, I actually want to [make it look] like an opera.” Like if you were watching it as a Broadway show. That was my approach — I want the symbolism of dark and light, that fight.

The most important thing for me is to pose questions, not to give answers. I’m looking for answers all day long, so I’ll be the last one to give you an answer. But I’ll give you a question. All I wanted in here is to create awareness on the subject matter, but in a way that was cinematic. That’s why all of this other stuff that happened is very weird for me.

Was it hard to get funding for the film? Eduardo thought it was an important theme and told me he’d raise the funds. A very eclectic group of investors came together. Their names are in the credits... This is heartbreaking for the investors too. They’re like, “What is happening now?” They’re on the other side of the spectrum, of this whole naming and labeling thing.

I hate labeling. I am the victim of labeling. I made my first movie, “Bella.” I won the [people’s choice award at the 2006] Toronto International Film Festival. We were in paradise. And then, all of the sudden, the movie gets labeled.

As a pro-life film, and you as a faith-based filmmaker?

The interesting thing is the movie was well received, then somebody said, “Uh, oh. This is pro-life.” If you looked at the movie, it is a woman dealing with an unwanted pregnancy trying to figure out what to do. She really balanced both options in the most objective way. It was my first film, but it really resonated with the audience. The lead actor, he barely talks in the movie, he just listens. And it’s all listening until there’s a resolution. It’s just two people with massive pain. That pain becomes each other’s redemption. Pain is a language that unites our world. Politics divide. I’m not a politician... I’m the opposite of that. I’m a storyteller.

Fighting against the exploitation of children seems like it’s the last thing that should divide people, so why has this film become a lightning rod?

I think it’s the culture we’re living in. We cannot not label things. We have to. If you don’t say where you stand, then it’s a problem. If you refuse to give your political view, they’re like, “No, you have to.” But why? And that’s a question. Imagine a hamburger stand. You could have a Buddhist baking the bread, a Muslim making the burger and a Catholic serving it. You’re not going to say that’s a religious burger. So why do we do that with cinema? Let the movie speak for itself.

If you have to label my work, please watch it first, without prejudice. But watch it. Federico Fellini said your job as a director is to break the prejudice that the audience already has about your product. So that was my goal on this film. “Let’s make a movie that explores this darkness but through a vehicle of hope.” So when the audience leaves the movie, they leave in a state of reflection and not all bummed out, like, “Oh, this is preachy. They’re making me feel bad that I’m not doing anything about it.” No, it’s the opposite just by creating awareness.

As with many indie projects, it was an uphill battle making this film. It sat in limbo for nearly five years after Disney acquired Fox, before Angel Studios picked it up. Defenders of the movie have used that hardship as proof of some sort of liberal Hollywood plot against it. But it also appears that Jim Caviezel’s public interviews with far-right hosts like Steve Bannon endeared the film to QAnon followers.

When I started seeing that develop in front of me, my first instinct was to [distance] myself from it. I don’t want to be part of anything that falls in the area of politics. So when I started seeing division, my first instinct was to run. I’m from Mexico, and I didn’t arrive to be part of a divided country. And I don’t like to judge people, because we all have our own way of thinking. Those interviews that you’re mentioning, that’s a different way of thinking than mine. I want to respect it, but I also don’t want to be part of it. So I’m going to distance myself, and that’s what I did. But then later, I realized by distancing myself, the whole story wasn’t coming to light.

Do you still feel Jim was the right person for the role?

When I hear the name Jim Caviezel, I think of one of the most professional actors, who dedicated himself to the role. What he does afterward, that’s his personal life. The lead actor needs to really believe that the atrocities are happening and have a conviction about it... When I was casting, I was looking for someone very passionate about the subject matter. It’s like if you do a movie about global warming, you don’t want the actor who shows up in a Hummer. You look for the actor that cleans up plastics on the beach.

When I first had dinner with Jim, I saw how close to his heart was this thing. He himself adopted three of his children from China. I don’t want to talk about his private life, but this theme was very close. His conviction to want to shine a light on this was so deep that he got emotional. The first time I met him, he was crying.

But his personal views off set did impact the messaging of the film.

In this case, it did have an impact that was not in line with who I am as a person, as a filmmaker, as a storyteller. And that is the pure reason I am here, because I need to say who I am. I don’t want to speak about other people’s views. I want to stay as objective as possible, to make films that create conversation and open dialogue about important subject matter. My hope was that this film creates dialogue at the social level about a subject matter: human trafficking. And that’s what’s happening.

How do you respond to complaints that the film mischaracterizes how victims are trafficked, and therefore muddles the efforts to raise awareness about this type of crime.

Our main drive was to make a movie about child trafficking, to shine a light in the darkness, to create awareness, but never to say this is the [only way] it happens. Of course, it happens differently. There are, unfortunately, mothers who sell their own children. [Kids] get abused by their uncles. I’m not saying that that’s not happening. The film is driven by the origin story of a guy that left the government and did his first mission. It’s just one story. I was terrified with the subject matter and made a movie about the tip of the iceberg. When I dove in a little deeper, I got really scared. It’s even darker.

There’s a direct message to theater audiences after the credits roll, delivered by Caviezel inside an emotional monologue about human trafficking. It asks viewers to scan a code on the screen to pay it forward by purchasing more tickets to the film. Why do that?

I’m glad you brought it up, because it gives me a chance to talk about this. When I direct the movie, one of the things that I ask of everybody is to just let me do my work. You can ask me all the questions you want, but at the end of the day, if we have two captains, the boat will sink. As a director, I want people to let me do my thing. When this movie was on the sidelines, parked, we didn’t know who was going to distribute it. All I knew is the producers had taken it back from the distributor that had it. Then Angel Studios came, saying, “We have a plan.” For me, as a storyteller, anything you put inside my movie that’s not mine is going to hurt me. It doesn’t matter what it is. So this was a matter of trust. They said, “Let us test it, and if the audience doesn’t like it, it’s out.”

Then I saw Jim’s conviction. His delivery was matching the spirit of the film. It really has an impact when you are right there, boom, and you send the ticket to a friend. That is action. Now, if you ask me, “Alejandro, if it was your [move], would you have that?” I will say no. But that’s why I’m not a distributor. If I was a distributor, I’d surely collapse the company because I’d be all about the art. So I respect and admire the work that Angel Studios does, because it’s not an easy movie to market. I’m so grateful to them.

Wouldn’t it have been more in line with the intent of the film to send donations to antitrafficking organizations rather than box-office sales?

What’s better? To raise mass awareness or send it to one organization? The problem is that internationally, there’s thousands of nonprofits doing this work. Do you send it to Guatemala? Somewhere here? But once people watch that film, they are so moved, we’re seeing their desire to want to do something about it. The more awareness you create, the better. To me, awareness creates change more than sending $20 to one [organization].

So you’re really not making money off the film? Can you talk more about that?

As a director, you always get your share of what’s called points. But early on, they needed to raise more money because the film was independent and they didn’t have funds. At that time, I thought the movie was not going to see the light of day so I gave my points away, as did many other people in the film. It took me a while to come to terms with it. But it’s exciting now when you see this massive box office. There’s also something romantic about it. You know, the beauty of the struggling artist is still there [laughs].

Do you think the film is truly appealing to any one group over another?

You cannot arrive too close to $200 million [at the box office] with just a conservative market. You know what movies make that are faith-based? Like $80 million. But you don’t get to $200 million if you don’t cross over and become a bipartisan film. Now, we’re going to see what happens when [it’s released] internationally, because the politics are here. If internationally, we come back with a big price tag, then you can’t deny that. These same conspiracy theories do not exist in Mexico, Argentina, France, Italy. I’m going to Colombia for the premiere, so I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen. I want to keep it humble. But I’m feeling excited.

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Lorraine Ali is television critic of the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she was a senior writer for the Calendar section where she covered culture at large, entertainment and American Muslim issues. Ali is an award-winning journalist and Los Angeles native who has written in publications ranging from the New York Times to Rolling Stone and GQ. She was formerly The Times’ music editor and before that, a senior writer and music critic with Newsweek magazine.

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• Best overall
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How we tested each home safe

What to look for in a home safe, home safe faqs, the 4 best home safes of 2023, tested and reviewed.

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When you're looking to protect your valuables and other irreplaceable items from the elements and theft, a high-quality home safe is a must. For this guide, I tested seven of the best home safes that cost under $200 to see how they stand up to fire, water, and blunt force attacks. I also talked to four industry experts. 

Just like the best home safes, other personal and home security devices are important to have. We have tested the best smart locks and the best video doorbells so you don't have to. We didn't test gun safes for this guide because they tend to be more expensive and aren't what many people look for when looking to secure documents or a few valuables. We are hoping to expand our coverage to include gun safes for a separate guide in the future.

We put each of the safes we tested through several objective tests to determine which models are best for different budgets and protection needs. Below, I outline how I tested the best home safes and answer safe FAQs .

Find out more about how Insider Reviews tests and reviews home products .

Our picks for the best home safes

Best overall: Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe - See at Walmart The Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe was the hardest for us to bash open and comes with fingerprint access. You can also bolt it down, making it more challenging for thieves to steal.

Best budget: Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model ‎25EI) - See at Amazon If you're on a budget and want to protect your valuables, the cost-effective Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model ‎25EI) is an easy-to-use option.

Best fireproof: SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe - See at Amazon The SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe is an excellent option if your primary concern is ensuring your valuables make it through a fire or flood.

Best portable: SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box - See at The Home Depot Though it isn't the most secure, the SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box is a cheap way to protect small items from fire while on the go.

Best overall: VS-20BLX Mini Biometric safe

Pros: Stores up to 32 fingerprints for biometric access, interior LED light, comes with bolts for securing the safe, beeps when the door is left unlocked, one of the best home safes due to its sturdy construction

Cons: Not fireproof or waterproof, light weight makes it easy to steal (if not bolted down)

Several features set the Viking Security Safe VS-20BLX Mini Biometric Safe apart from the other models we tested. There are three ways to open the two motorized 20-millimeter steel deadbolts. You can remove the plate on the door to access the keyhole, opened with a four-prong cross key.

You can set a four-to-eight-digit passcode. Or you can store up to 32 fingerprints for biometric access. We found entering the passcode provided faster access than the fingerprint scan. However, the biometric optical sensor is easier to see in the dark since it lights up.  

The Viking Security Safe was the hardest to bash open in our tests. We pounded on it for about five minutes with a sledgehammer before breaching it. 

The Mini Biometric Safe is relatively light, which could make it easy to steal. Fortunately, it comes with bolts for securing it to the floor or a wall, which we recommend doing. The safe is not fireproof or waterproof, so consider protecting your contents with fireproof bags .

Two unique features of the Viking Security Safe were an LED that illuminates the safe's interior and a beep that lets you know if you left the door unlocked. We found these features helpful and worth the extra cost.

Best budget: Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model ‎25EI)

Pros: Cheap, easy to use, comes with four bolts for securing the safe, locks using two thick deadbolts, one of the best home safes due to it being the second-most challenging safe for us to break into

Cons: Not fireproof or waterproof, light weight makes it easier to steal if it's not bolted down  

The Amazon Basics Steel Security Safe (Model ‎25EI) is 70% larger than our top pick and a third of the price. However, it's not as durably constructed and was easier to break into during our testing. Also, it doesn't offer fingerprint access, though, for $52 more, you can get a biometric version .

The Amazon Basics safe is easy to open using a three-to-eight-digit PIN or a key. Setup was simple, though it was hard to see the black battery cover and passcode reset button against the black interior.   

The thick dual deadbolts made bashing in the door a difficult task, but within three minutes, we got in using a 4-pound sledgehammer. Since the safe is so light and you can access the contents with blunt force, we recommend bolting the safe down in a covert spot with the four provided bolts. 

The safe isn't waterproof or fireproof, so you might want to keep your contents in fireproof document bags .

If you're considering another option from Amazon, you can also purchase Amazon Basics Steel Home Security Safe (Model ‎50SAM) .   This isn't a big safe, but at 1.64 cubic feet (by our measurement), it's more than twice as big as any other safes we tested. We like that it comes with bolts to mount it securely, and it's relatively affordable for its size. Plus, setting the keycode was straightforward. It isn't one of our top picks because it isn't fireproof, and we broke into it within two minutes using a small sledgehammer. 

Best fireproof: SentrySafe HD4100

Pros: Passed our water submersion and fire tests, heavy, spacious, easy to use, affordable, one of the best home safes due to it being both fire and water resistant

Cons: Not easy to bolt down, lock feels flimsy

The SentrySafe HD4100 Fireproof Safe was the only safe to pass our water and fire tests. The safe is ETL verified to stay waterproof when submerged in water for up to 72 hours. We submerged the safe for 45 hours, and the interior remained dry. It's UL classified as fireproof when exposed to temperatures up to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. We threw the safe in a fire for about 25 minutes, and the paper and digital media we put inside were unharmed.

Before destroying the safe in the fire test, I used it to protect my valuables for about a year. The spacious interior was enough for my important files. Since we put this safe through the fire test, we couldn't test how easy it was to break into, but from personal experience, the locking mechanism feels flimsy.   

The SentrySafe comes with two keys. You turn the key, lift the handle, and you're in. 

While it's somewhat cumbersome to carry, a motivated burglar could easily remove the safe from your home. There are no bolts for securing it. I kept the safe hidden in an air fryer box in a hard-to-access spot in my basement to keep it inconspicuous.

Best portable: SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box

Pros: Passed our fire test, inexpensive, portable, one of the best home safes due to it being user friendly

Cons: Easy to steal, light weight makes it easier to steal, small

In general, you don't want a safe that is easy to move because it's easy to steal. If theft of the safe isn't a concern, the SentrySafe 1200 Fireproof Box is an affordable way to transport small items under lock and key.

The SentrySafe Fireproof Box is UL classified to handle temperatures up to 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. After putting it in a fire for about 25 minutes, the papers, USB drive, and microSD card inside remained unharmed, though we destroyed the safe. It isn't waterproof, but the box's contents stayed dry when we doused it with water to put out the fire.  

The safe comes with two keys, the only way to open it. You can't remove the key while it's unlocked, ensuring you don't accidentally lock the keys inside. The safe also has a handle for easy transport.

We put each safe in this guide through several objective tests. Though the most important features will vary based on your situation, the experts we talked to recommend choosing a fireproof safe that is hard to move and break into.

Here are the main attributes in the best safes and how we tested them:

Portability: If a safe is light enough to steal, a burglar will get into it, says John Dean, owner of Dean Safe , who has 50 years of experience in the industry. All of the safes we tested were relatively light. The heaviest was only about 42 pounds. We gave preference to safes that came with bolts for secure mounting.

Security: UL, the leading safe certification company, rates residential safes ( UL Standard 1037 ) based on five to 10 minutes of attack time using common hand tools, such as a pry bar and hammers. We used a small pry bar and a 4-pound sledgehammer to try to breach the safes and access the contents. None of the safes we tested took more than five minutes to access. We rated them based on difficulty. Our top pick was the hardest. The Jssmst book safe was the easiest, taking my seven-year-old son one minute to open.

Fire: Some of the safes we tested were UL Class 350 half-hour rated. This rating means that when the safe is exposed to temperatures of 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit, the internal temp won't exceed 350 degrees for at least half an hour. This makes the safe suitable for paper products but not digital media. Still, we put paper documents and digital media in the UL-rated safes and put them in a fire for 25 minutes. We then removed the safes and inspected the contents. Since fire destroys a safe, we couldn't put the fire-tested safes through the security test above. We'll be getting additional samples to break open in the future. 

Water: Two of the fireproof safes were designated as waterproof. We tested these claims by putting paper towels and a magazine in each safe and submerging them in just enough water to cover them completely. After at least 22 hours, we checked the safes to see if the contents were dry. Only the SentrySafe HD4100 remained dry.

Ease of use : We assessed whether we needed instructions to set up the safe and whether any features made it hard or easy to use. We also timed how long it took to open the safes using each available method. None of the safes took more than 10 seconds to open.

@techinsider Would you rather have a #fireproof safe or a #waterproof one? #techinsider #safes #safe #athomesafe ♬ Up and Away (Vocalese) - GHOSTLAND

This depends on what you what to safeguard and what you are protecting it from. If you're trying to protect important documents from floods or fires, you can get by with a smaller safe that is ETL verified or UL rated to protect against these hazards. 

However, if you have larger valuables, including rifles, that you are looking to keep safe from burglars, you'll want a heavy-duty safe. John Dean recommended looking for a UL residential security container (RSC) burglary rating to ensure a safe will keep your valuables secure.

Louis Chavez, the global principal engineer in UL's Built Environment group, outlined how UL tests safes that receive RSC designation. "RSCs are generally used in residential homes and should comply with UL 1037, the Standard for Antitheft Alarms and Devices," he said. UL 1037 involves using hand tools you'd commonly find in the home to attack the safe for up to 10 minutes.

Dean also recommended choosing a heavy safe or at least securely bolting it down because if a burglar can remove a safe from your home, they will get into it.

Why own a safe?

Kevin Hall, a safe technician in New York City, said home safes are beneficial because they keep people honest. "If you keep things out of sight and out of the way, then people's hands are not on them," he said. "Secondly, your valuables, documents, birth certificates, and important papers are out of view." Hall and Dean both mentioned that keeping important items in a safe will help you remember where those items are. 

What gun safes do you recommend?

For this guide, we were not able to test gun safes. 

We're hopeful that we'll be able to test gun safes soon, but in the meantime Fort Knox , Liberty Safe , and American Security are well-known brands. 

How can you get the most out of your safe?

All of the experts we talked to stressed the importance of keeping safes hidden. "Common places to avoid, because they are obvious to burglars, include bedroom closets and bedroom dresser drawers," said Chavez. 

Hall recommended having a box over your safe or disguising it as a bookshelf. If you have a wall safe, he suggested hiding it behind a picture or artwork.

Hall also cautioned against using obvious passcodes. "Avoid codes like 123456," said Hall. "Don't use your birthday, your spouse's birthday, or your child's birthday. I've been changing combinations for 20 years, and you'd be surprised by how many people have their safes set to the same numbers."

If you choose a safe that isn't fireproof or waterproof but still want protection, consider picking up a fireproof document bag . These bags are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. 

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Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (2023) review: It’s all business

Kyle Funk | September 1, 2023 August 30, 2023 Hardware Reviews , Reviews

ThinkPad is one of those names that you will never forget. It’s a name that means business, no joke intended. This laptop line has evolved over time, staying loyal to its reputation but adding more features to keep up with peoples’ workflow.

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

The fourth-generation ThinkPad X13 is Lenovo’s most recent model, and it includes Intel’s 13th-generation CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, DDR5 RAM, and other features. That’s simply the tip of the iceberg when you consider how much this laptop can perform. Granted, the design is pretty similar to other ThinkPad models on the market, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s just as nostalgic as the rest. Continue reading to find out what I thought of the ThinkPad X13.

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Table of contents

The quick take, what’s in the box, performance, photo gallery, battery life.

The ThinkPad X13 is built to amplify business computing for the hybrid workforce. It offers strong performance with up to 13th Gen i7 Intel processors. The 13.3-inch display has slim bezels and up to 2.8K resolution. The 16:10 aspect ratio offers a visual experience more akin to a larger laptop and provides a taller display that’s more optimal for productivity apps. With an expanded scope of up to 5.0MP + IR discrete camera, dual-array microphone and Dolby Audio stereo speakers, users can experience unparalleled visual quality and enriched audio during virtual conferencing. More importantly, the X13 carries on the ThinkPad heritage with its near full-sized keyboard, Mil-Spec testing, and robust security features.

Specifications

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 we reviewed has the following features and specifications (as provided by the manufacturer and customizable at purchase):

• Lenovo ThinkPad X13 (2023 – Gen 4)
• 65W AC Adapter
• Quick Start Guide

I’ve said it before about Lenovo laptops, but their method of maintaining the same design with their gadgets is amazing. The fourth-generation ThinkPad X13 is uncannily similar to prior generations, which is not a bad thing. Sure, there are some refinements here and there, generally for the better.

The ThinkPad X13 is available in Deep Black and Storm Grey, and it meets MIL-STD-810H specifications. Depending on the model, it also contains 95% post-consumer content (PCC), such as recycled plastics, aluminum, and magnesium. On top of that, it has a relatively light starting weight of 2.41 lbs (1.09kg).

Getting down to business, the laptop’s cover is blank except for the ThinkPad logo, which has a dot in the “i” that lights up, Lenovo’s logo, and X13 across the top in a lip that hangs over the notebook for simple opening. Moving to the bottom, you’ll notice rubber nubs for elevation when used on a desk and air vents. The X13 contains two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (one is labelled for power in), a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 (always on), a headphone/mic combo, and an optional smart card reader on the left side. The right side has an additional USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 connector, an HDMI 2.0b port, and a Kensington Nano Security Slot.

When you open the X13, you’re greeted by a 13.3″ WUXGA IPS display with a webcam above it and a privacy shutter. Underneath that is a six-row backlit keyboard, the well-known ThinkPoint, a decent-sized TrackPad, speaker grills on both sides of the keyboard, and yet another ThinkPad logo.

A word of caution to anyone considering purchasing this laptop: it is extremely sensitive to fingerprints. I don’t have unclean hands, but even after wiping them and returning to the laptop, I could see some smudges or prints on the material. Aside from that, the ThinkPad X13 is identical in build quality to pretty much every other ThinkPad on the market.

When it comes to laptop displays, Lenovo has a pattern. Some may have higher-end screens that go up to 2K or even higher. Our ThinkPad X13 review unit features a WUXGA 1920×1200 IPS display. The 13.3-inch screen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, providing extra screen real estate for vertical work applications. I’m not used to smaller-screened laptops like this one and it did take some getting used to.

IPS is what I prefer on laptops, despite OLED giving deeper blacks (not to mention higher prices), but IPS works great with the X13. It is touchscreen-enabled and supports 100% sRGB. On the color spectrum, it’s typical of an IPS display. The colors remain true to the originals while also providing excellent viewing angles. Colors that are bright but not too bright, such as reds, blues, and greens, are easy on the eyes. Darker colors, such as greys and blacks, are acceptable. Black colors are deep but have a grayish tone to them.

Don’t get me wrong, the display is fantastic, but it is a little on the dim side, with just 300 nits of brightness. Aside from that, I had no complaints about Lenovo’s choice of an FHD+ display.

Windows 11 Pro is preinstalled on the ThinkPad X13. Because this is a business laptop, Windows 11 Pro is the ideal option because it has more security measures than Windows 11 Home. Although this is the primary distinction between the two editions of Windows 11, the Pro version retains all of the other capabilities found in Windows 11 Home.

On the Lenovo end, the company has installed some of its own programs. Lenovo Commercial Vantage is identical to the basic Lenovo Vantage. Lenovo View is an application that improves webcam quality. You’ll also get Intel’s Unison, the Connectivity Performance suite, and an Office 365 trial. Thankfully, there isn’t as much bloatware as you’d anticipate, but given that this is a professional notebook, it makes sense.

As reviewed, the fourth-generation ThinkPad X13 is powered by an Intel Core i7-1365U processor with vPro. It’s a 10-core, 12-thread processor with two Performance cores that peak out at 5.2GHz and the other eight E-cores that max out at 3.90GHz. All of this is paired with 16GB of 4800MHz LPDDR5 RAM, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a 512GB M.2 SSD. Based on the specifications listed, this business laptop is ready to take on any assignment.

When it comes to demonstrating its multitasking ability, the ThinkPad does not hold back. Depending on what I’m doing, I utilize Alt+Tab to swiftly switch between applications, and the X13 performed admirably. There was no discernible slowing. The laptop became hot at times, but that is to be expected with heavy use. So don’t be surprised if the fans turn on unexpectedly.

While I may not use this laptop in the same way as others would in the corporate sector, I did let my mother test it out and give her feedback on it. She also uses a ThinkPad laptop for work and found the weight and performance were roughly the same. However, she said the display was a little on the small side being that she is used to a 15-inch display.

Overall performance is comparable to that of other laptops that employ Intel’s 13th-generation CPUs, NVMe SSDs, and DDR5 RAM. It’s fast and performs well when multitasking, so don’t be hesitant to let the laptop show you what it’s capable of.

To improve sound quality, Lenovo has used a 2W speaker on both sides of the ThinkPad, with Dolby Audio tuning. It also implies that the audio signal is increased without generating distortion, that a virtual surround sound experience is provided, and that an audio optimizer optimizes the frequency response of the built-in speakers.

The sound quality isn’t horrible, but it does get a little tinny at times, even if the volume is on the low side between 25-35%. I did notice that the sweet spot was between 28% and 30%. Again, it sounded tinny, but it was better than other volume levels.

While this model comes standard with a 720p HD webcam with a privacy shutter, upgrades to a 1080p or 5MP webcam are available. The latter two have privacy shutters as well. This webcam, in particular the 720p model, is suitable for individuals who will be using Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or other video conferencing services.

The battery has a capacity of 41Whr and comes with a 65W AC adapter. Other models include an optional 54.7Whr battery, although the battery life is still quite good. Your battery life will vary based on how you use the ThinkPad X13, as it does with all batteries.

As previously stated, the battery life was generally satisfactory. My daily consumption changed depending on what I was doing. One day was spent light writing and the remainder was spent watching films. Before I plugged in the charger, the battery lasted roughly seven and a half hours, starting at 100% and finishing at 20%. On other days, it was the usual online browsing and email checking, which progressively depleted the battery. I then turned off the laptop till I needed it again. Because this laptop may be used for commercial purposes, it will likely be plugged in most of the time, eliminating the need to worry about the battery dying.

The X13, like all other recent Lenovo laptops, has Rapid Charge, allowing you to charge up to 80% of the battery in around 60 minutes. While I may not have paid close attention to how long it took for the laptop to fast charge, I did notice that by the time I returned to it, it was over 70% charged.

Lenovo includes “anti-fry” technology that monitors and prevents third-party USB-C chargers from transferring erroneous voltages. Although I haven’t previously seen that in other Lenovo laptops, some customers who might have forgotten their first-party charge will find this useful. Of course, this isn’t an excuse to use any old USB-C AC adaptor and you should use the one that came with the laptop at all times or an official Lenovo replacement.

At B&H Photo , the configured model we received for review costs $1618.68. Given that this is, at best, a mid-tier configured device, the price-to-performance ratio is about right. Now, if you want the most basic variant, Lenovo is selling it for a starting price of $1039.35 at the time of writing. In any case, the ThinkPad X13 is unbeatable. Lenovo does have some good offers on this laptop, so keep a watch out if you’re considering getting one.

As I previously stated, I am not the type of person who would use this laptop as intended, such as individuals who do data input in Excel regularly, host or be on video chats, or even use it for work. But it can handle anything that I tested it with. Business use aside, even college students and those in need of a powerful workhorse laptop will appreciate the ThinkPad X13.

Last Updated on September 1, 2023.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 4th gen

Sound Quality

• Light and thin design
• Windows 11 Pro
• Excellent performance
• Long-lasting battery life
• Dim display
• 720p webcam for base model

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Business-in-a-Box Reviews

Review Highlights

Overall rating, ratings breakdown, secondary ratings.

Ease-of-use

Customer Support

Value for money

Functionality

Pros and Cons

Have you used Business-in-a-Box and would like to share your experience with others?

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Company size.

• Self-Employed
• 1,001-5,000
• 5,001-10,000
• Less than 6 months
• Less than 12 months
• Less than 2 years
• More than 2 years

User Rating

All business-in-a-box reviews.

1-25 of 45 Reviews

Verified reviewer

Construction , 1 employee

Used weekly for less than 12 months

OVERALL RATING :

EASE OF USE

VALUE FOR MONEY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

FUNCTIONALITY

Reviewed October 2018

Wowza! This stuff is awesome.

I am run a virtual assisting and business advisory firm and I use Business in a Box multiple times a week for many different clients in a variety of industries> it has allowed me to better service my clients within their businesses.

When I purchased Business in a Box, I wasn't really sure what to expect but I needed a really well drafted agreement and Business in a Box had it. I felt that the purchase was worth the money and once I purchased it I was in heaven. I cannot believe all of the templates and forms and products that are available within this software. It's made my life so much easier in every way from writing business plans, to marketing, writing and establishing agreements, and so much more.

Once you create or use Business in a Box to create a file, you MUST always have a Business in a Box subscription to continue to use that file. You cannot simply save it and use it forever. You will always need to have that subscription current. But in the end it is worth it. It's a simple cost of doing business.

Vendor Response

Hello Tina, Thank you very much for this review. We are happy to know that you are enjoying the variety of forms and documents that the Business-in-a-Box library includes. As for the comment you included in the Cons section, please contact us either over the phone at the toll free number 1 866 383 4100 or via email at [email protected]. We will be happy to assist you to make the best use of your templates. Kindest regards, Your Biztree Team

Replied December 2018

Events Services , 2-10 employees

Used less than 6 months

Reviewed July 2019

Business in Box for small business

Overall, business in Box helped to reduce our fees for accountants and lawyers who got paid per hour. But they can do much better.

The mobile and PC version works with the same effectiveness. You can store your drafts in their system which is a great advantage. Sharing materials and documents is easy. Synchronization with your PC is another great feature.

Weirdly it gives access for editing to the non-users. Licensing fees are quite high. Large files like audio or video are downloaded slowly.

Reason for choosing Business-in-a-Box

Better customer support, overall quality, and pricing according to these 2 points led me to choose business in a box.

Cosmetics , 1 employee

Reviewed July 2023

Business-in-a-Box

I love how everything you need to run your business is right there in template form. It's simple to edit your templates and professional.

The cost is what got me to switch. It is pricey.

Executive Office , 1 employee

Used monthly for more than 2 years

Reviewed August 2022

unfair practice and subscription

Contracts in BIAB seem decent as references but the Company clearly lacks integrity and a customer care focus

was innovative at the beginning in 2011 and seemed promising. Now I just feel cheated. See my review for more

In the early days of Business in a Box ( 2011) I purchased a LIFE TIME membership for which I paid upfront for use of the platform. Hence as it was a life-time subscription , I naturally assumed that all future versions and evolutions of the product would be accessible to me. Sounds normal and obvious, right? Well surprise surprise...here is what I received as response from them after a couple of years of not having used it > " the "Lifetime" referred to the life of the software, The software reached end of life in 2020. You can still use the software that was purchased back in 2011 and you will have support for the software. But in regards to the cloud version that we have we cannot offer it to you for free but however I can offer you a discounted price if you wish to have access to the cloud version. We can offer you the cloud version at $119.88 per year, if that interests you please let us know". It seems that the company is now cheating us original Lifetime members , the same members who likely helped them on the road to success, out of our deal by making the TECHNOLOGY used to deliver the product they sold us, and NOT the product itself, a way for them to get out of their obligation. Totally unfair. I wonder if BIAB has a contract sample for how to cheat consumers out of a life time membership. I'd be curious to see their early stage investor decks and how they used growth in LT memberships to secure investor funding.

Facilities Services , 11-50 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Reviewed March 2022

Business-in-a-box review by Mosotech Engineering Ltd

At Mosotech Engineering Limited, it has been an excellent business tool for us that has helped us work effectively in managing administrative documentation requirements. It gave us more time to work on more technically complex work. The templates also gave us the baseline of being able to do documentation that we would have outsourced. Casing examples are the Legal Contracts documents. It is easier for our engineers to draft the contract agreements and sent drafts to the legal personnel for legal sanitation. Cuts down the process and time in half. We get our administrative documentation done effectively with the Business-in-a-box documents.

Business-in-a-box documents are relevant to current best business practices and have helped our employees work more effectively. In a technically oriented business like ours, documentations are administrative issues that kill time for more critical technical, engineering, and project management work. Business-in-a-box documents solved this problem for us.

Business-in-a-box capture almost all best-business-practice documents. However, for highly technical businesses like ours, I would like to see more technically oriented documents in project management.

Business-in-a-box has been the first online document templates we've purchased in 2018 and we have loved usefulness in our business for the last 4 years since we started business in 2008.

Financial Services , 1 employee

Used more than 2 years

Reviewed January 2019

Business in a Box

I used it primarily for business plans.

I have using various versions of Business in a Box for many years. It’s an excellent template for preparing business plans. It guides you nicely through the process with its use of tables, graphs and charts. It saves time and money.

It may seem a little cumbersome for some users who may lack accounting fundamentals.

Hello Danley, We are happy to know that that Business-in-a-Box assisted you to create Business Plans. As for your comment about accounting fundamentals, you may want to take a look at a unique tool that we are recommending to all our clients now. https://www.biztree.com/budgeto/ Budgeto is an online application that makes it quick and easy to build a complete financial plan, including: - Profit & Loss Statement Forecast - Balance Sheet Forecast - Cash Flow Forecast Budgeto allows you to make multiple scenarios, collaborate with your accountant, share to investors and export to PDF or Excel. Learn More & Start Your 30-Day Free Trial: https://www.biztree.com/budgeto/ To your business success! Your Biztree Team

Replied January 2019

2-10 employees

Reviewed August 2018

"Out of the Box" convenience

I use them regularly (and update regularly) for simple terms of transactions documents.

You can find a business document to use that is reliable and comprehensive. The included document categories are exhaustive , and most can be used 'out of the box.' Value for money spent is really excellent. For business people with limited writing skills, you can find almost anything you need in the everyday course of transactions. Interface large but intuitive.

Don't rely on legal documents without a legal review by someone qualified for your business category and state.

Hello, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy to know that the Business-in-a-Box software is serving its purpose for you. As for the comment that you included in the Cons section, you are absolutely right. We always recommend our users to have their important contracts reviewed by a lawyer or a legal service before signing them. Naturally, the lawyer does not charge the same price for reviewing a document than he would for writing it from scratch. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Reviewed February 2019

Just Amazing!

Using business in a box has allowed me to work more efficiently in my turn around time in creating contracts or documents. It saved me a lot on time management and of course making me look super professional to our clients. Although the price may scare away some I'd say it worth it. It's a one-time investment for those who write lots of documents. Thank you guys for the amazing product!

I love that I can find just about if not every type of document I can think of (in different versions as well). Everything is so easy to modify. Customer service is on point!! I did not even realize when my email was replied to (usually you wait so long to hear back I almost forgot about it) Although I may not need it right now they're different languages.

Don't have any at the moment. If there's an issue it's super minor

Hello Shanice, We are so happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you! :-) Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Replied February 2019

51-200 employees

Business-in-a-Box Review

I use it for my company departmets

Everything It has all documents I need to run my companies

Nothing. I like everything all document a are well written

Construction , 2-10 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months

Reviewed December 2021

Absolutely amazing app

Business in a box overall is the best business management tool I've ever had the pleasure to work with. I absolutely love Business in a box.

I can honestly say that Business in a box is one of the best applications I've ever had the pleasure to work with and it has been a great asset to our company and in being able to keep track of finances, employees, Clients and Documents.

I honestly don't have any complaints about the application or the software, It hasn't been giving me any reason to dislike the software at all.

Business in a box was the best business management application by far.

Information Technology and Services , 2-10 employees

Reviewed December 2018

Gem in a Box

Writing of proposals and contracts.

Everything about contained in the package with continuous development to make better. Ease of use and great value for money. Used it for a few years now.

Takes over word on installed PC which can sometimes be very annoying.

Dear Babatunde, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy to know that the Business-in-a-Box software is serving its purpose for you. As for the issue that you mention in the Cons section, I believe that you are referring to the Business-in-a-Box toolbar. We recently added this toolbar to allow our users to use our templates directly from Word or Excel. Please note that there are 2 ways you can disable the toolbar in Office: From Business-in-a-Box: Click on SETTINGS/Office Templates Toolbar. Select Disabled, then click on the yellow Save button. You will need to restart Office then the toolbars will be gone. If you do not see this option, you need to use the next method. From Word or Excel: In order to disable the add-in, go to FILE/Options/Add-Ins, select "COM-Add-ins" from "Manage" combo-box, click "Go", un-check "Business-in-a-Box Office Toolbar", click OK. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you need any further assistance. Biztree Team

Accounting , 2-10 employees

Used weekly for more than 2 years

Exceptional Product, Huge array of Documents, simple to use.

I have solved many Accountancy and Legal issues with this product. It does all the name suggests. It should be "ALL-Businesses-in-a-box" !

Almost any form of Contract and related documents readily available, and easily filled in and customisable. This is like having every professions library on your computer, just dip in and out as you require! Customer Service, WOW is all I can say. I have only good things to say here, Never had a problem, and they really do care. Simple and honest, one of the few products that just keeps giving.

I really cannot with good consience say that there are Cons. Sure you can never please all people at all times, but this product really goes for it!!

Hello Owen, Thank you so much for this nice review! We are very happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you. Happy Holidays! Your Biztree Team

Wholesale , 2-10 employees

Awesome Product

Just having the proper forms available and just having the ease of just filling in key information that is relevant to you. When compared to other similar products this ranks #1 in my opinion.

The software is a complete business tool with all the necessary forms needed for running a successful business. The customer service is also excellent, Anytime something was not working properly the customer service team was right on top of it and made sure I continued to have a pleasurable experience using the product.

So far none at this time, as I fine this to be a great product and would highly recommend.

Hello Cedric, Thank you so much for this review! We are so happy to hear that Business-in-a-Box is making your work life easier. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Management Consulting , 2-10 employees

Great Product & Support

Wide selection of documents that can be used in business, e.g. agreements, resolutions etc. When we first used their template for agreements, we still passed to our lawyer to review before adopting and they also said the quality of the agreement is good.

Unable to check and change status of installed license, so whenever we have changed the computer and have forgotten to uninstall the software, we have to seek help from customer service. Fortunately, their customer support is efficient and very helpful.

Hello Vivien, Thank you very much for your review! We are happy to know that you appreciate the variety of the documents and that you feel confident about using our legal templates. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Reviewed September 2022

Excellent Software easy to use

Very good experience. I love it!

Business plans and contracts are easy to adapt with my clients needs. Very good examples!

It needs more library in Spanish specifically for its business plans

Investment Management , 2-10 employees

Reviewed February 2020

Create Your Own Agreements

I purchased the software to see examples of Buy/Sell agreements. Not only did I find an assortment of agreements but I was also able to find supplementary agreements to deal with other matters I hadn't thought of with the case I was working on. I did the agreements myself and sent them to my lawyer to review. He made very little changes to the contracts and I ended up saving a lot in legal fees.

Easy to use. There are contracts and agreements to suit any need and the software makes it easy to navigate and find the exact contract you are looking for.

To date, the software has satisfied every need I have required so cannot state anything negative about it.

Christopher

Legal documents like a pro and customer support without paralell.

I am always using the documents from the software. i am a web designer and need a lot of legal documents. the software saves me thousands in legal fees.

The sheer coverage and number of all the documents. they cover just about everything you can think off. The support is very friendly and cannot do enough to help.

There are no cons that i have found with the software

Hello Christopher, Thank you very much for your kind review! We're always happy to hear that our software is useful to our clients! Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Reviewed May 2019

Product key missing and no response

I have just ordered and paid for the Business In A Box license and lifetime support but unable to run as the product key is missing. The payment was made through credit card and within seconds i had the receipt of payment made but after 2 hours of complain i have still not received any response. Hope i have not being cheated and wasted money

Once i get the product key and used then only i can provide any feedback.

Product key is missing and no response from customer support or sales team.

We are sorry that you are having trouble with your software. Your product key was sent to you via email. Please check your spam filter, and make sure to add biztree.com to your safe senders list. Also note that our offices are open from 8AM to 8PM Eastern time, Monday to Thursday, and 8AM to 6PM on Friday. We were closed when you posted this, but we have now resolved all the issues received overnight, and none fit your description. You can reach us by email at [email protected], or by phone at 1-866-383-4100 (America) or 1-514-768-4100.

Replied May 2019

Executive Office , 11-50 employees

Reviewed February 2017

Great product, a $200 extremely well invested!

Since I purchased this software, it has save me a lot of time and money. I can easily find some agreement or contract from your software that I can readily use in my various business situation all over the world, from China to Africa and the US. I no longer need to call my attorney every time I need an agreement or contract. It is a wonderful program. The most fantastic feature of this program is that you can save the file in Microsoft word format whereby I can easily make minor amendment.

Huge library of business forms, contracts, agreements, etc. Very professional interface, easy to use. Great customer service too.

Nothing, a great purchase

Financial Services , 51-200 employees

Used monthly for less than 2 years

Reviewed July 2020

What service

I renewed my license on June 30 and last week settled down to complete some outstanding work using the software. Downloaded software BUT after that unable to use or print any templates. have license Number, receipt of purchase, name correct etc. it Biztree still in Business??? multiple phone calls at 9.30 am and 10.30 am Quebec time go unanswered with the recording emphasising office hours. (BTW office hours different on comments by support ? to those published on the web-site) i checked the time in Quebec on my trusty iphone so its me thats staying up late BUT still no one answering the phone. (i understand tis COVID, but phones still need to be answered guys) Wrote multiple emails giving my full license details but still not a word. thats why i want to know if they are still in Business or have they gone bust in COVID???

i would like the software to function as contracted - now that they have my money. i have a license number, but cant get the software to operate on a Mac. will have to go elsewhere as i have urgent requirements

service is non existent as far as i am concerned and no one answers the phone, ever!

Documents for Small Business

Excellent - wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any small business owner/operator who needs to produce key documents quickly.

It makes life so much easier.....I don't have to search for stuff online or try and create something from scratch - it is already there and professionally done......You can't ask for more than that!

That it is all US based......not a real drama though!

Packaging and Containers , 51-200 employees

Amazing and helpful

I have been using it since 2015 and still, its an amazing business support especially in financial and planning, legal and other documents.

how easy to find templates and adjust them.

nothing, everything was perfect and full of samples

Hello Tamer, We are very happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is still serving its purpose for you. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question! Your Biztree Team

Maritime , 1 employee

Business-in-a-Box review

It works and provides a large variety of templates for just about any type document you would want.

None. I did not have anything occur or distract me while working on several important project documents.

Dear Richard, Thank you, we are very delighted to know that Business-in-a-Box is still serving its purpose for you. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question! Your Biztree Team

Syed Faisal

Awesome app.

Very use app for new startup and entrepreneurs. All documents are well written in a professional way and the software provides an user friendly retrieval and editor to use those documents.

Nothing is least in this software and just looking forward to have more documents which ofcaz the organization will do it. Very nice application.

Education Management , 11-50 employees

Used weekly for less than 2 years

Reviewed March 2019

Business-in-a-Boox

Great Experience . we are using daily one time.

Great Product for our business . Startup - day to day Business Activity, we are using this product. Document templates are very useful.

None. No complaint as of now. everything works well.

Hello Palanivel We are really delighted to hear that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you! :-) Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Replied March 2019

15 years helping Canadian businesses choose better software

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Business-in-a-Box Reviews

About business-in-a-box.

Business-in-a-Box includes over 2,000 fully customizable Business & Legal Documents to help you start, run & grow your business.

Learn more about Business-in-a-Box

There are contracts and agreements to suit any need and the software makes it easy to navigate and find the exact contract you are looking for.

I did not have anything occur or distract me while working on several important project documents.

Business-in-a-Box ratings

Average score, likelihood to recommend.

Business-in-a-Box has an overall rating of 4.6 out 5 stars based on 45 user reviews on Capterra.

Filter reviews (45)

Product rating.

• United States
• Events Services
• Financial Services Software
• Accounting Software
• Construction
• Civil Engineering
• Education Management
• Executive Office
• Information Technology & Services

Company Size

• Self Employed

Length of Use

• 6-12 months

Have you used Business-in-a-Box before?

Share your experiences with other software buyers.

Wowza! This stuff is awesome.

Comments: I am run a virtual assisting and business advisory firm and I use Business in a Box multiple times a week for many different clients in a variety of industries> it has allowed me to better service my clients within their businesses.

When I purchased Business in a Box, I wasn't really sure what to expect but I needed a really well drafted agreement and Business in a Box had it. I felt that the purchase was worth the money and once I purchased it I was in heaven. I cannot believe all of the templates and forms and products that are available within this software. It's made my life so much easier in every way from writing business plans, to marketing, writing and establishing agreements, and so much more.

Once you create or use Business in a Box to create a file, you MUST always have a Business in a Box subscription to continue to use that file. You cannot simply save it and use it forever. You will always need to have that subscription current. But in the end it is worth it. It's a simple cost of doing business.

Biztree Response

5 years ago

Hello Tina, Thank you very much for this review. We are happy to know that you are enjoying the variety of forms and documents that the Business-in-a-Box library includes. As for the comment you included in the Cons section, please contact us either over the phone at the toll free number 1 866 383 4100 or via email at [email protected] . We will be happy to assist you to make the best use of your templates. Kindest regards, Your Biztree Team

Alternatives Considered:

Business in Box for small business

Comments: Overall, business in Box helped to reduce our fees for accountants and lawyers who got paid per hour. But they can do much better.

The mobile and PC version works with the same effectiveness. You can store your drafts in their system which is a great advantage. Sharing materials and documents is easy. Synchronization with your PC is another great feature.

Weirdly it gives access for editing to the non-users. Licensing fees are quite high. Large files like audio or video are downloaded slowly.

Business-in-a-Box

I love how everything you need to run your business is right there in template form. It's simple to edit your templates and professional.

The cost is what got me to switch. It is pricey.

unfair practice and subscription

Comments: Contracts in BIAB seem decent as references but the Company clearly lacks integrity and a customer care focus

was innovative at the beginning in 2011 and seemed promising. Now I just feel cheated. See my review for more

In the early days of Business in a Box ( 2011) I purchased a LIFE TIME membership for which I paid upfront for use of the platform. Hence as it was a life-time subscription , I naturally assumed that all future versions and evolutions of the product would be accessible to me. Sounds normal and obvious, right? Well surprise surprise...here is what I received as response from them after a couple of years of not having used it > " the "Lifetime" referred to the life of the software, The software reached end of life in 2020. You can still use the software that was purchased back in 2011 and you will have support for the software. But in regards to the cloud version that we have we cannot offer it to you for free but however I can offer you a discounted price if you wish to have access to the cloud version. We can offer you the cloud version at $119.88 per year, if that interests you please let us know". It seems that the company is now cheating us original Lifetime members , the same members who likely helped them on the road to success, out of our deal by making the TECHNOLOGY used to deliver the product they sold us, and NOT the product itself, a way for them to get out of their obligation. Totally unfair. I wonder if BIAB has a contract sample for how to cheat consumers out of a life time membership. I'd be curious to see their early stage investor decks and how they used growth in LT memberships to secure investor funding.

Business-in-a-box review by Mosotech Engineering Ltd

Comments: At Mosotech Engineering Limited, it has been an excellent business tool for us that has helped us work effectively in managing administrative documentation requirements. It gave us more time to work on more technically complex work. The templates also gave us the baseline of being able to do documentation that we would have outsourced. Casing examples are the Legal Contracts documents. It is easier for our engineers to draft the contract agreements and sent drafts to the legal personnel for legal sanitation. Cuts down the process and time in half. We get our administrative documentation done effectively with the Business-in-a-box documents.

Business-in-a-box documents are relevant to current best business practices and have helped our employees work more effectively. In a technically oriented business like ours, documentations are administrative issues that kill time for more critical technical, engineering, and project management work. Business-in-a-box documents solved this problem for us.

Business-in-a-box capture almost all best-business-practice documents. However, for highly technical businesses like ours, I would like to see more technically oriented documents in project management.

Business in a Box

Comments: I used it primarily for business plans.

I have using various versions of Business in a Box for many years. It’s an excellent template for preparing business plans. It guides you nicely through the process with its use of tables, graphs and charts. It saves time and money.

It may seem a little cumbersome for some users who may lack accounting fundamentals.

Hello Danley, We are happy to know that that Business-in-a-Box assisted you to create Business Plans. As for your comment about accounting fundamentals, you may want to take a look at a unique tool that we are recommending to all our clients now. https://www.biztree.com/budgeto/ Budgeto is an online application that makes it quick and easy to build a complete financial plan, including: - Profit & Loss Statement Forecast - Balance Sheet Forecast - Cash Flow Forecast Budgeto allows you to make multiple scenarios, collaborate with your accountant, share to investors and export to PDF or Excel. Learn More & Start Your 30-Day Free Trial: https://www.biztree.com/budgeto/ To your business success! Your Biztree Team

"Out of the Box" convenience

Comments: I use them regularly (and update regularly) for simple terms of transactions documents.

You can find a business document to use that is reliable and comprehensive. The included document categories are exhaustive , and most can be used 'out of the box.' Value for money spent is really excellent. For business people with limited writing skills, you can find almost anything you need in the everyday course of transactions. Interface large but intuitive.

Don't rely on legal documents without a legal review by someone qualified for your business category and state.

Hello, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy to know that the Business-in-a-Box software is serving its purpose for you. As for the comment that you included in the Cons section, you are absolutely right. We always recommend our users to have their important contracts reviewed by a lawyer or a legal service before signing them. Naturally, the lawyer does not charge the same price for reviewing a document than he would for writing it from scratch. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Just Amazing!

Comments: Using business in a box has allowed me to work more efficiently in my turn around time in creating contracts or documents. It saved me a lot on time management and of course making me look super professional to our clients. Although the price may scare away some I'd say it worth it. It's a one-time investment for those who write lots of documents. Thank you guys for the amazing product!

I love that I can find just about if not every type of document I can think of (in different versions as well). Everything is so easy to modify. Customer service is on point!! I did not even realize when my email was replied to (usually you wait so long to hear back I almost forgot about it) Although I may not need it right now they're different languages.

Don't have any at the moment. If there's an issue it's super minor

Hello Shanice, We are so happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you! :-) Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Business-in-a-Box Review

Comments: I use it for my company departmets

Everything It has all documents I need to run my companies

Nothing. I like everything all document a are well written

Absolutely amazing app

Comments: Business in a box overall is the best business management tool I've ever had the pleasure to work with. I absolutely love Business in a box.

I can honestly say that Business in a box is one of the best applications I've ever had the pleasure to work with and it has been a great asset to our company and in being able to keep track of finances, employees, Clients and Documents.

I honestly don't have any complaints about the application or the software, It hasn't been giving me any reason to dislike the software at all.

Gem in a Box

Comments: Writing of proposals and contracts.

Everything about contained in the package with continuous development to make better. Ease of use and great value for money. Used it for a few years now.

Takes over word on installed PC which can sometimes be very annoying.

Dear Babatunde, Thank you very much for your review. We are happy to know that the Business-in-a-Box software is serving its purpose for you. As for the issue that you mention in the Cons section, I believe that you are referring to the Business-in-a-Box toolbar. We recently added this toolbar to allow our users to use our templates directly from Word or Excel. Please note that there are 2 ways you can disable the toolbar in Office: From Business-in-a-Box: Click on SETTINGS/Office Templates Toolbar. Select Disabled, then click on the yellow Save button. You will need to restart Office then the toolbars will be gone. If you do not see this option, you need to use the next method. From Word or Excel: In order to disable the add-in, go to FILE/Options/Add-Ins, select "COM-Add-ins" from "Manage" combo-box, click "Go", un-check "Business-in-a-Box Office Toolbar", click OK. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you need any further assistance. Biztree Team

Exceptional Product, Huge array of Documents, simple to use.

Comments: I have solved many Accountancy and Legal issues with this product. It does all the name suggests. It should be "ALL-Businesses-in-a-box" !

Almost any form of Contract and related documents readily available, and easily filled in and customisable. This is like having every professions library on your computer, just dip in and out as you require! Customer Service, WOW is all I can say. I have only good things to say here, Never had a problem, and they really do care. Simple and honest, one of the few products that just keeps giving.

I really cannot with good consience say that there are Cons. Sure you can never please all people at all times, but this product really goes for it!!

Hello Owen, Thank you so much for this nice review! We are very happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you. Happy Holidays! Your Biztree Team

Awesome Product

Comments: Just having the proper forms available and just having the ease of just filling in key information that is relevant to you. When compared to other similar products this ranks #1 in my opinion.

The software is a complete business tool with all the necessary forms needed for running a successful business. The customer service is also excellent, Anytime something was not working properly the customer service team was right on top of it and made sure I continued to have a pleasurable experience using the product.

So far none at this time, as I fine this to be a great product and would highly recommend.

Hello Cedric, Thank you so much for this review! We are so happy to hear that Business-in-a-Box is making your work life easier. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Great Product & Support

Wide selection of documents that can be used in business, e.g. agreements, resolutions etc. When we first used their template for agreements, we still passed to our lawyer to review before adopting and they also said the quality of the agreement is good.

Unable to check and change status of installed license, so whenever we have changed the computer and have forgotten to uninstall the software, we have to seek help from customer service. Fortunately, their customer support is efficient and very helpful.

Hello Vivien, Thank you very much for your review! We are happy to know that you appreciate the variety of the documents and that you feel confident about using our legal templates. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Excellent Software easy to use

Comments: Very good experience. I love it!

Business plans and contracts are easy to adapt with my clients needs. Very good examples!

It needs more library in Spanish specifically for its business plans

Create Your Own Agreements

Comments: I purchased the software to see examples of Buy/Sell agreements. Not only did I find an assortment of agreements but I was also able to find supplementary agreements to deal with other matters I hadn't thought of with the case I was working on. I did the agreements myself and sent them to my lawyer to review. He made very little changes to the contracts and I ended up saving a lot in legal fees.

Easy to use. There are contracts and agreements to suit any need and the software makes it easy to navigate and find the exact contract you are looking for.

To date, the software has satisfied every need I have required so cannot state anything negative about it.

Product key missing and no response

Comments: I have just ordered and paid for the Business In A Box license and lifetime support but unable to run as the product key is missing. The payment was made through credit card and within seconds i had the receipt of payment made but after 2 hours of complain i have still not received any response. Hope i have not being cheated and wasted money

Once i get the product key and used then only i can provide any feedback.

Product key is missing and no response from customer support or sales team.

4 years ago

We are sorry that you are having trouble with your software. Your product key was sent to you via email. Please check your spam filter, and make sure to add biztree.com to your safe senders list. Also note that our offices are open from 8AM to 8PM Eastern time, Monday to Thursday, and 8AM to 6PM on Friday. We were closed when you posted this, but we have now resolved all the issues received overnight, and none fit your description. You can reach us by email at [email protected] , or by phone at 1-866-383-4100 (America) or 1-514-768-4100.

Legal Documents like a pro and customer support without paralell

Comments: I am always using the documents from the software. i am a web designer and need a lot of legal documents. the software saves me thousands in legal fees.

The sheer coverage and number of all the documents. they cover just about everything you can think off. The support is very friendly and cannot do enough to help.

There are no cons that i have found with the software

Hello Christopher, Thank you very much for your kind review! We're always happy to hear that our software is useful to our clients! Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

Great product, a $200 extremely well invested!

Comments: Since I purchased this software, it has save me a lot of time and money. I can easily find some agreement or contract from your software that I can readily use in my various business situation all over the world, from China to Africa and the US. I no longer need to call my attorney every time I need an agreement or contract. It is a wonderful program. The most fantastic feature of this program is that you can save the file in Microsoft word format whereby I can easily make minor amendment.

Huge library of business forms, contracts, agreements, etc. Very professional interface, easy to use. Great customer service too.

Nothing, a great purchase

What service

Comments: I renewed my license on June 30 and last week settled down to complete some outstanding work using the software. Downloaded software BUT after that unable to use or print any templates. have license Number, receipt of purchase, name correct etc. it Biztree still in Business??? multiple phone calls at 9.30 am and 10.30 am Quebec time go unanswered with the recording emphasising office hours. (BTW office hours different on comments by support ? to those published on the web-site) i checked the time in Quebec on my trusty iphone so its me thats staying up late BUT still no one answering the phone. (i understand tis COVID, but phones still need to be answered guys) Wrote multiple emails giving my full license details but still not a word. thats why i want to know if they are still in Business or have they gone bust in COVID???

i would like the software to function as contracted - now that they have my money. i have a license number, but cant get the software to operate on a Mac. will have to go elsewhere as i have urgent requirements

service is non existent as far as i am concerned and no one answers the phone, ever!

Documents for Small Business

Comments: Excellent - wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any small business owner/operator who needs to produce key documents quickly.

It makes life so much easier.....I don't have to search for stuff online or try and create something from scratch - it is already there and professionally done......You can't ask for more than that!

That it is all US based......not a real drama though!

Amazing and helpful

Comments: I have been using it since 2015 and still, its an amazing business support especially in financial and planning, legal and other documents.

how easy to find templates and adjust them.

nothing, everything was perfect and full of samples

Hello Tamer, We are very happy to know that Business-in-a-Box is still serving its purpose for you. Certainly, do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question! Your Biztree Team

Business-in-a-Box review

It works and provides a large variety of templates for just about any type document you would want.

None. I did not have anything occur or distract me while working on several important project documents.

Dear Richard, Thank you, we are very delighted to know that Business-in-a-Box is still serving its purpose for you. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question! Your Biztree Team

Awesome app

Very use app for new startup and entrepreneurs. All documents are well written in a professional way and the software provides an user friendly retrieval and editor to use those documents.

Nothing is least in this software and just looking forward to have more documents which ofcaz the organization will do it. Very nice application.

Business-in-a-Boox

Comments: Great Experience . we are using daily one time.

Great Product for our business . Startup - day to day Business Activity, we are using this product. Document templates are very useful.

None. No complaint as of now. everything works well.

Hello Palanivel We are really delighted to hear that Business-in-a-Box is serving its purpose for you! :-) Do not hesitate to contact us should you have any question. Your Biztree Team

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