Category: Business Tips

The 4 Types Of Influencer And How Brands Successfully Work With Each

Posted on by Gary

Influencers can be broadly split into four categories: mega-influencers, macro-influencers, micro-influencers and nano-influencers; with the differences between the four categories being so much more than just their amount of followers and how much money they command for promoting a product, service or offering on their social platforms. 

The experts at performance marketing platform Affise have analysed the four different types of influencers, looking at the benefits of working with individuals that fall under each term, whilst providing expert tips on how brands can successfully utilise partnerships and make the most out of collaborations with each:

Mega-Influencers

Mega-influencers usually have a following of at least 1 million and most often fall into the category of ‘celebrity’, with many of them being actors and actresses, musicians, reality TV stars, comedians or sports icons. The other type of mega-influencer is the social media influencer like @zoella that have worked their way to the top of the social ladder after years of connecting with their audiences and in turn, gained their own celebrity status and normally other entrepreneurial business ventures along the way.

Benefits of working with a mega-influencer?

1. Instant brand awareness

One post from a mega-influencer – especially if it’s organic content – has the ability to elevate a brand to new realms of fame, and will make your offerings a hot topic amongst followers and fans looking to emulate their favourite influencers lifestyles.

2. Massive followingsYour product or brand has the opportunity to reach millions of people and potential new customers that you’re currently not able to tap into. You also have the opportunity to grow your own social followings significantly with a well-executed mega influencer collaboration, especially if you make the choice to work with individuals who share similar core beliefs and focuses to your brand. 

3. Diverse audiences 

Due to their large following, mega-influencers usually have very diverse audiences that have aligned with them for a multitude of different reasons. This allows you as a brand to connect with a totally new range of audiences and demographics through the partnership.

4. Less time consuming 

One post from a mega-influencer, although likely to cost you a significant amount of money, can achieve instant results for your brand, which makes it an appealing option for brands that want effective results but don’t have the time to put into an influencer marketing strategy. 

How to work with them?

  1. Understand the need for mega influencers – Outline the reasons behind why your brand and influencer marketing campaigns require the presence of a mega influencer. 

  2. Choose your mega-influencer wisely – If you have a particular influencer in mind, it’s important to gauge if and why they are right for your brand. You can do this by analysing their content, looking at the types of brands they are currently working with, the tone of the content they are promoting and the type of audience they are already successfully targeting with their paid promotions. 

  3. Be prepared to pay the price for a mega-influencer – Collaborating with a mega-influencer can be extremely costly, so it’s important to evaluate your budget and set a realistic cost likely to be accepted by your influencer and their wider management team who will be communicating on their behalf. 

  4. Set a clear brand objective and brief – If your mega-influencer is fully aware of your objective it will help them to post the right type of content that will create the desired message and (hopefully) results you are expecting from the partnership.

  5. Cover all areas – When using a mega-influencer the magnitude of the detrimental impact to your brand if the collaboration goes wrong is huge, so it’s important to give your influencer clear instructions on the promotion to avoid any social blunders. 

Macro-Influencers

Macro-influencers have a lower level of fame than mega-influencers but are still very popular and famous on social media with a following of 100,000 to 1 million followers. This type of influencer has usually built up their social media presence over a matter of years through continuously sharing content and building connections with their audience, a good example of this is the Mancunian style blogger @meganellaby (222k followers).

Benefits of working with a macro-influencer?

1. Large following 

A macro-influencers large following allows their message to have a wider reach and present your brand’s message to a number of potential new customers.

2. Highly professional 

Due to having built their career on the basis of brand collaborations, macro-influencers have a highly professional approach to brand partnerships, making them an ideal and straightforward choice for many brands.

3. Easy to work with 

Macro-influencers are extremely easy to work with and need little guidance as they already know what they’re doing and what’s expected of them from a brand, making the process smooth running with minimal effort required brand side.

4. Trusted 

After continuously connecting with their audience for years, their following often feel like they’ve been on this journey of growth with them and have a lot of trust in the macro-influencer and what they promote, especially when promoted content looks organic and fits in seamlessly amongst their platform’s current aesthetic.

How to work with them?

  1. Find the perfect match – A macro-influencers audience follows them solely because they love the content and community they have curated from scratch. So when collaborating with a macro-influencer, it’s a good idea to partner with one that shares similar interests and core values as your brand.

  2. Do your competitor research – Macro-influencers often promote a variety of brands and ads on their social platforms as it’s their primary source of income. It’s therefore important to do your research into the influencer you’re choosing to ensure they aren’t working with any competitor brands.

  3. Prepare your budget – Whilst macro-influencers aren’t as expensive as mega-influencers they can still come at quite a hefty cost depending on their level of fame, followers and engagement, so it’s important your budget can accommodate this before contacting any mega-influencers.

  4. Decide your goals – Are you looking for brand awareness, engagement, conversions to sales? It’s important to be clear about what you want to achieve from a partnership with a macro-influencer upfront. They are highly professional and will be very experienced in making the most out of what a brand needs, so be clear on your intentions.

Micro-Influencers

One of the most common types of influencer is the micro-influencer, an example being @BronteKingg with 53.1k followers who posts about fashion, beauty, and all things university-related as she’s the founder of @galswhograduate.

This type of influencer is a common choice amongst brands due to them being extremely cost-effective and having a more engaged and niche following. Their communities are usually smaller, at between 10,000 and 100,000 followers, but they have fiercely loyal, dedicated, and often regional followings which can benefit brands immensely.

Benefits of working with a micro-influencer

1. Affordable 

Collaborating with a micro-influencer is a more affordable way for a brand to work with an influencer, due to their smaller following meaning their collaboration costs are lower. Often, if a micro-influencer is passionate about your brand, product or offering, they will accept payment in the form of a gift.

2. High engagement rate

If you’re looking for a high engagement rate from the partnership, micro-influencers usually have a higher engagement rate than bigger influencers. That’s because they are much closer and more engaged with their audience, often responding to direct messages and comments and developing personal friendships with their ‘fans’.

3. Credible and trusted

Micro-influencers are deemed trustworthy and credible by their audience due to the majority of their content being organic and them not collaborating with too many brands, this makes them a great choice to begin a partnership with due to how authentic the content will look amongst their feeds.

4. Niche audiences

If you want to target a specific audience then micro-influencers are the gateway. They will usually have a topic or category their content falls into that their following is interested in, this can be anything from mental health, fashion, baking, gardening, home interiors, parenting or travel.

How to work with them?

  1. Establish a connection – You need to develop a connection with them before you begin working with them. Show your interest by following them on social media first and engaging in their posts as a brand before you promote your own product or partnership to them.

  1. Define the collaboration – It’s important to be clear on the type of content you want them to create, from an Instagram video to a TikTok, and that they have an understanding of who you are as a brand. 

  1. Create a campaign-specific hashtag – One way to run a successful micro-influencer campaign is to create a hashtag and work with a lot of influencers to promote your products using the hashtag. This is a great way to tap into a lot of different audiences and get your brand trending.

  2. Longer collaborations – When working with micro-influencers, longer partnerships are more successful than one-off promotional posts. Their audiences are more likely to engage with the promotion if they see the influencer consistently discussing your brand or product over a period of time.

Nano-Influencers

Newly recognised as an important influencer on the scene is the nano-influencer. This type of influencer is very close to the small community they have built and whilst their audience is significantly smaller than other influencers with only 10,000 followers or less, they have arguably the most engaged audience. @carlajian and @kandiewanderlust are great examples of nano-influencers that have their own niches and highly-engaged audiences. @carlajian (8,503 followers) is a mommy and wellness blogger that regularly discusses both topics on her posts, whilst @kandiewanderlust (8,129 followers) is a travel blogger that combines her love of travel with her signature pastel colour scheme that’s primarily lilac on her social platform. 

Benefits of working with a nano-influencer

1. Authentic 

Due to nano-influencers building a close relationship with their following, their posts are considered to be more authentic and trusted, making the promotions they deliver appear to be of genuine interest to the influencer.

2. Low cost 

As nano-influencers have smaller followings, they also have a lower price point for collaborations, making them a low-cost way for you as a brand to work with influencers.

3. High engagement rate

Nano-influencers have a first-hand relationship with their followers, which results in a much higher engagement rate, as their following views them almost like a friend and is supportive of their content.

4. More flexible

Nano-influencers are more flexible to the terms and conditions of the partnership you are presenting as a brand, making them easier to collaborate with.

5. Go the extra mile

As many nano-influencers are quite new to partnering with brands, they will often go above and beyond to create high-quality content that will really impress the brand they are working with.

How to work with them?

  1. Finding your nano-influencer – You can search for your nano-influencer on social platforms by using niche-specific hashtags, for example searching #nanoinfluencer followed by the word travel, to find influencers in that category. 

  2. Give more guidance – As nano-influencers are newer to partnering with brands, it’s important that you plan your collaboration in detail, defining the offer and your overall expectations from the partnership.

  3. Instagram takeovers – This allows the nano-influencer to take over the brand’s social media channel, posting stories and posts as themselves, alongside advertising the takeover on their own channel. This is a great way to generate new followers for your brand and help your brand connect with new audiences. 

  4. Convert them to brand ambassadors – As nano-influencers haven’t usually taken part in many partnerships previously, it’s a great opportunity for your brand to turn them into a brand ambassador, growing your brand and theirs together at the same time. 

Source: www.affise.com

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Sophie Clinton @ JBH

Photo by George Milton from Pexels

Forget Get-Rich-Quick. Here’s How to Get Rich Slowly But Surely.

Posted on by Gary

By Michelle Baltazar

Are you stingy or generous? 

I figured for any financial advice to be effective, it has to involve absolutely no sacrifice on my part. Zilch. Nada. I put my hand up for reading finance articles that tell me if I don’t buy that $3.50 cup of takeaway coffee in the morning, I’ll be able to save $875 in a year.

Excellent! But then I’ll be miserable for the entire year, too, so that advice ended in the bin, right next to a discarded coffee cup.

This article will tell you how to save money you don’t see. There are many ways to do that, but I’m keeping it to three based on your age bracket.

If you’re 20 and under

Tip no. 1: Honestly? Don’t even worry about it. Chances are you’re working at a fast-food chain earning about $15 or so an hour. By the time the weekend rolls in, your paycheque will be just enough to buy that t-shirt you’ve been eyeing for ages. What’s the point? Squander $40 on a t-shirt that’ll make you feel good while you’re wearing it? Or put it in the bank and feel miserable? Hey, that make-up kit is on sale… bargain!

So the tip is if you decide to live your teens with no financial compass whatsoever, you’re not alone. Besides, you’ll have your 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s to be financially responsible. So make the most of your youth while you still have it!

Tip no. 2: Alright, so you’re one of those who do want to save up. Brilliant! Use the power of compound interest. Put simply, the sooner you start saving, the better off you’re going to be.

For example, if you save about $10,000 by the time you’re 18, then you will have 100 times as much, or around $1 million, by the time you retire (as long as you make 10% per year). The calculations get complicated because you need to factor in many things, but the bottom line is that the sooner you start saving, whether it’s $1,000 or $10,000, all you have to do is let time work for you.

That’s the lazy girl’s guide to saving. Don’t scrimp. Just put money in the bank and promise yourself that you won’t cash it in until you’re in your 50s. Let the power of compound interest make you a millionaire.

Tip no. 3: Study hard. It’s going to be tough to ask you to develop a finance strategy when you’re trying to sort out your relationship strategy or ‘how to move out of home’ strategy. Studying hard means, you’ll be setting yourself up to get a high-paying job straight out of university. Or at least have more options ahead of you.

Studying hard also means you’ll be cooped up at night rifling through reams of notes instead of being out with your friends – and spending money.

If you’re in your 20s and 30s

Tip no. 1: Stop thinking of your tax return day as a shop-till-you-drop day. Put the money aside and consider it your savings for the year. Easy. When your savings hit $5,000, put it in a high-interest savings account and forget about it.

If you happen to be earning so much that you have to give the Australian Tax Office (ATO) more money, don’t worry. It just means you’ll have more money to make through tax-deductible investments or some form of salary package. But that’s the subject of another article.

Tip no. 2:

  1. Buy a property as soon as you can.
  2. Talk to your parents if they can help you.
  3. Shop around for a good home loan deal.
  4. Go on a ‘chicken noodle soup’ diet for six months for the deposit if you have to.

One of the best decisions I made was buying my first property at age 24. I wasn’t ready, but circumstances forced me to sign the dotted line. You don’t have to be 100% sure that you can afford one. Even if you’re only 70% there, the rest will work itself out. The key thing is that property prices, on average, double every seven years, so even when house prices are high, they can only get higher.

Of course, given the housing prices are down right now, you could wait a while until they hit rock bottom. You could save tens of thousands if you got the timing right, but all that waiting might make you change your mind. Mortgage boots today or tomorrow is no less painful. Just bite the bullet and see the fruits of your labour in seven years.

Tip no. 3: Have at least one business failure under your belt. If you look at BRW Rich200, a list of the country’s wealthiest families and individuals, you will notice one trend: most are not rich through inheritance but hard work. One thing most of them have in common? Bankruptcy at some point in their career or at least one business venture that failed before they struck gold.

Your 20s or 30s are the best time to dream big because even if you fail, you still have time to recover and pursue something else. If you leave it any later, you might not be foolish enough to brave the odds. Nine out of 10 businesses fail, but the one business that does might just put you on the Rich200.

If you’re in your 40s and 50s

Tip no. 1: Check your super. In the early 90s, the government introduced a new law that requires all businesses to set aside the equivalent of nine percent of their worker’s salary in a so-called superannuation fund. The rationale at the time was that millions of Australians weren’t saving enough for their retirement, and their future pension might not be enough for their needs. Not enough for a country that rates itself as first-world.

While you may regard super as ‘invisible’ money because you can’t get your hands on it until you retire, it is ‘real’ money. More importantly, the government has introduced new rules last year which give people better tax rates and more money (under a so-called government co-contribution scheme) if they divert their savings out of their savings bank account and into super.

The tip? Find out if you have one or more super funds and merge them into one account. Check the website of your current super fund to find out more. You’ll cut down your fees and have more savings come retirement.

Tip no. 2: Check your super. This is not an error. It’s worth saying twice because statistics have shown 90 percent of people don’t bother. Do two things: find out your superannuation account balance and find out if you have one or more super funds.

Your decision to ignore this advice can make the difference between watching polar bears aboard an Alaskan cruise or watching polar bears at Taronga Zoo.

Tip no. 3: Stay away from ‘get rich quick’ schemes. Statistics show that those in their 40s and 50s are the main targets of con artists simply because many baby boomers have ‘lazy’ assets lying around. This could mean the main home, investment properties, or shares inherited from working in a company. Many would also have tens of thousands in the bank just waiting for an ‘investment’ home by this time.

In the last two years, many Australian investors have been caught out by the collapse of property companies such as Westpoint, which promised much higher interest than its rivals. It turned out the company was using the money from ‘new’ investors to pay off the ‘old’ investors. It didn’t help that some financial planners were getting a lot of commission for recommending the company to their clients.

The lesson? Don’t squander your life savings on investments that sound too good to be true.

Money tips for all ages

Managing money is complicated. Studies show that the Australian tax system could be simplified. Superannuation is too complex to understand. Saving money is difficult when there are many products to choose from, and fraudsters are only too eager to con you.

Against that environment, there are three things you can do to get rich slowly but safely:

  • Let ‘time’ do all the hard work.
  • Buy an asset as early you can and, as unexciting as it sounds.
  • Find out more about your super.

Oh yeah, don’t max out your credit card. But who am I kidding?

Source: The Australian Filipina

The 4 Most Vital Elements To Know About Online Marketing In 2022

Posted on by Gary

Let’s face it, online marketing is always evolving. There will always be changes in the manner that people make transactions through the Internet, which means that online marketing can also change along with it.

In order to go along well with the possible changes in the virtual marketing procedures, you must know the essential elements that are guaranteed to lead you to a successful business endeavor online. The following are the most vital elements to know about online marketing for an efficient business venture online.

Market knowledge

Prior to endeavor online, you should first know your target audience. The moment you have effectively learned who your target market is, it will be easier to start for you at that point. Once you already identified the market that you will deal with, it will improve your chance of learning about the marketing strategy that you will use in your business. Market knowledge is the foundation of any marketing technique whether doing an online or physical transaction.

Responsive website

A responsive website is composed of images, videos, and other important elements of an operational website. Your site should have a series of capturing leads that can help you gain potential customers that you might not be expecting at first. A website can be compared to a virtual brochure wherein you will have a catalog of your products and services. Having your own website will surely help in establishing a good business identity for your business.

Content

Your content means a lot in online marketing. In most cases, a business can easily be identified through its content which is why it is necessary for you to come up with high-quality content. Internet marketing is a broad area in the virtual world wherein you are most likely to encounter a series of competitors in the same niche as yours. A business has a higher possibility of getting known in the market because the content is easier to contribute online.

Quality design

Aside from the fact that you need to have quality content for your site, it is as well essential for it to have a creative design to attract potential customers. A good design for your website is a great investment that will give you higher chances of increasing the number of your audience. You should make it to a point that you invested in quality design to make it more comfortable for your customers to deal effectively with you. Paying attention to great design is a way for you to arrive at the best results for your business.

Learning about these elements of online marketing is the first step towards a successful marketing plan over the Internet. Making money online goes on a careful procedure in order to increase your sales at the end of the day. When you work on each of these elements, you will be able to produce more sales and revenue by the end of the year. In this case, you can call your business truly a success.

Photo by Canva Studio from Pexels

Future-Proofing Australia’s Workplaces And Cities From COVID-19 Requires Fundamental Cultural Change

Posted on by Gary

Managing an ‘open Australia’ will require a re-evaluation of the way we design our cities and workplaces according to an expert panel convened by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and sponsored by GSK Australia.

The panel discussion, Proofing against future pandemics, focused on how health, smart cities, and resilient workplaces will inform Australia’s success as we learn to live with COVID-19.

David Fitz-Gerald, GSK Australia and New Zealand Head of Human Resources said building resilience into the workplace requires a change in culture.

“GSK is known as an innovator in medicines and vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted us to take further steps forward as an innovative workplace,’’ said Mr. Fitz-Gerald.

“It prompted us to find new ways to support our people to thrive. We have applied a new philosophy of ‘flex-pathy’, providing our workforce with ‘maximum flexibility’, coupled with clear and consistent communication. This philosophy was embedded while also ensuring a sustained focus on our company goals.”

Mr. Fitz-Gerald also said that companies that apply lessons from the pandemic will reap the benefits when it comes to attracting talent in competitive labour markets.

“Looking to the future, we created a framework, called ‘Performance with Choice,’ which is brought to life in our culture, not in policy.  We encourage our people to have open conversations to identify ways of working that support their performance and their team and to feel safe and secure knowing that this flexibility is available to them.”

Panellist Malcolm Smith, Australasian Cities Leaders, Arup, said that re-evaluating our approach to the way we design our cities for work, education, and leisure will be important in the management of pandemics in the future.

“Cities are not just about physical structures, they are representations of our social and economic aspirations. When we have our cities disrupted, it affects all of those aspects. We need to understand re-integration of those aspects as we come out of disruption and model new scenarios with the lessons we’ve learned,” said Mr. Smith.

“This includes seeing an increase in local trends, provision of services, and changes to the composition and concentration of city centres. This has consistently played out in the pandemic as we saw inequitable access to open space across the world.”

“We now have the digital capacity to monitor the impact of disruption and its social effect on our cities – and we need to use it. We need to model our cities for multiple-use scenarios and have a conversation about making this a requirement for city design, like some countries in Europe.”

Panellist Jeff Connolly, CEO at Siemens ANZ, emphasised smart technology as a critical lever to address the global challenges of pandemics.

“We used to be bricks and steel only, but now we’ve got fully intelligent buildings and infrastructure. Pandemics require the real-time response that technology can provide, helping us to address the challenges of future pandemics,” said Mr. Connolly.

“At the start of the COVID-19, we used a lot of preventative measures with some of them proving unnecessary later. This was all because our environments were not designed to contain a virus-like COVID-19. We now have an opportunity to use smart technology so we can design these environments with purpose.”

“Digitalisation is at the heart of the solution. Smart technology is already being used in purpose-built locations like the National Gallery of Victoria. Solutions like increased filtration, UV lighting, and ionization mean we’re able to address the challenges of the disrupted cities we now live in.”

Today’s discussion was facilitated by Dr. Mel Miller, partner of Deloitte Access Economics, and was the second in a series of three sessions that focus on Australia’s post-pandemic future.

The next “Pandemic to Endemic” panel discussion will be held in February 2022.

This article was sourced from a media release sent by Medianet

Photo by CoWomen from Pexels

4 Home-Based Business Ideas That’ll Let You Work From Home

Posted on by Gary

By: 

With the rise of home-based business opportunities as a result of the pandemic, more and more people are discovering ways to become entrepreneurs with their businesses based at home. Generally, if you’re resourceful enough, you can easily start working on your business ideas from home using your existing space and means. People create many types of businesses to operate from home and we’ll cover some of the most popular ideas here:

Virtual / In-Person Teacher

  • Music teacher: teach an instrument such as guitar, violin, or piano. Plan to offer your services on different teaching platforms and offer private lessons as well as group lessons.
  • Dance teacher: teach modern dance, ballet, or ballroom dancing. Offer different types of schedules for kids and adults. It is important you have all the proper equipment so your online lessons look highly professional.
  • Art teacher: teach drawing and illustration, painting, or sculpture. Define which are technique you are best at and create a schedule of all the different hours available you have.
  • Language instructor: teach Spanish, Chinese, Latin, or French. Be sure you completely dominate the language you are planning to teach.
  • Tutor: Tutor either elementary or high school students in subjects that you are degreed in, such as math, English, or chemistry.
  • Yoga instructor: teach virtual yoga and meditation techniques.
  • Blogging: Whether you decide to become a blogger and create new and rich content there are many ways to make money blogging. Creating your own blog can be a different and fun activity where you will be able to experiment with your creativity.
  • Freelancing photography: Consider the type of photography you want to do and what are the most popular requirements needed from your potential clients.

E-commerce Seller

You can operate an e-commerce company from your home. You can purchase products in bulk and sell them online. You’ll partner with a warehouse where your products will be shipped from. You can also perform all services related to e-commerce and expand as you need to. When choosing products, consider how much space you’ll need to accommodate this type of operation.

Homemade Products

Many home-based business owners sell products that they create, such as:

  • Candles: A candle company may be the best business for anyone passionate about wicks, soy blends, and achieving the perfect scent. You can offer soy candles, scented candles, beeswax candles, paraffin candles, and more.
  • Baked goods: Bakeries have been around for a long time, but recently they have grown in popularity. Entrepreneurs have taken their cakes, cupcakes, and cookies from home and open regular bakeries and restaurants, and even franchises that make. Creating cupcakes, artisan bread,  cookies, wedding cakes, and more could be a great way to start.
  • Jewelry: Making people’s personalities come alive through jewelry is a very fulfilling creative pursuit. Think about creating beaded bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings. etc.
  • Essential oils offer many opportunities for creativity and reward. Own a business or buy wholesale oils to resell on your own.
  • A lot of people know how to knit, but it’s generally considered a new fad or lost art. It’s not clear to them how to make money with it. You can start by creating hats, scarves, mittens, or sweaters.

Services

You may base your business on providing services to customers either in person or online depending on the services you offer, which might include:

  • Makeup tutorials: Teaching how to properly use makeup and providing some confidence tips might be a loving activity, not only for you but also for your potential clients. Even showing how to apply lashes properly would be a great way to get started.
  • Dog walking: Taking care of furry babies and just having a long walk outdoors could definitely bring you great benefits.
  • Personal trainer: While training for your own personal goals, you are also helping others to achieve theirs.
  • Virtual assistant: if organizing and scheduling your day is a passion of yours, you should definitely offer these services to people that don’t have that same passion or patience as you do.
  • Clients of personal shoppers usually buy clothing and accessories for themselves. A personal shopper may work directly for a client or their stylist; other personal shopper employment is available through boutiques and departments stores.
  • Housecleaner: This is a great opportunity if you are passionate about cleaning and decluttering. These services have a high demand.

A curious fact, Recently India has become the hotspot for foreigners for starting an Indian Subsidiary and Ebizfiling is a one-stop solution for a Company Registration in India by a foreigner. Know the benefits of starting a business in India.

Home Office Essentials

When developing your business, you’ll want to create a home office where you can ‘set up shop’ and manage all the important aspects of operating your business. Here are some home office essentials to consider:

Good Lighting

Be sure that you have good lighting so that you can work without straining your eyes. You may want to have better overhead lighting installed by an electrician. Or, you can add more lamps to the space to ensure that you have great lighting even on dark and dreary days.

Adjustable Desk

An adjustable desk is ideal for a home office. You can use your desk for various tasks that may be related to your business.  A standup desk is also a great feature if you’re concerned about fitness. You’ll burn more calories by standing up to work.

Comfortable Furniture

Try to invest in a quality ergonomic office chair. You’ll be spending a lot of time in your home office, so be sure to have comfortable and supportive furnishings for yourself and anyone else who may be working with you. You may also need filing cabinets, a workbench, or other furnishings related to the type of work you perform.

Decor

Office decor may not seem essential, but it can enhance your mood each day. Remember, your office is your place of work. Decorate it in a way that inspires and motivates you to be productive. Although you don’t want to add much in the way of clutter, some thoughtful decorative pieces will add personal warmth to your office.

Plants

House plants can make your home office feel cozy and welcoming. However, that’s not all. Many houseplants feature air-purifying properties. Add plants to your office space like aloe vera or spider plants to keep the air smelling clean and fresh. Consider plants of various sizes to add a dynamic look to the space.

Equipment

You’ll likely need basic office equipment and may require other equipment or gear related to your products or services. For instance, if you perform sewing services, you will need a high-quality sewing machine. Typically, you’ll need office equipment such as:

  • Computer or laptop
  • Internet (consider business internet service) pocket wifi could also be a great option.
  • Business Phone
  • Printer
  • Copy machine
  • Headphones
  • Adding machine/calculator
  • Postage scale

These are just a few ideas. You’ll need to brainstorm to ensure you have all the equipment you need for your operation.

Quiet Space

When laying out your office, be sure to choose a space with an adequate room as well as an area where you can work without interruption. If you live in a bustling household, you’ll need a place where you can work without distractions. A quiet space away from children or the television room would be ideal.

Office Bar

Although you can always visit your kitchen, you might want to create an office bar where you have a coffee maker, healthy snacks, and even a small refrigerator to keep water or other beverages cold. This way, you can keep your work items separate from the household’s supplies.

Use these tips to create your home business. Be sure to give yourself adequate time to address each aspect of your business’s development. Once your business is up and rolling, you’ll also want to consult with an accountant to ensure that you understand your tax obligations.

Source: Porch

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

5 Proven Ways to Recover From Stress and Being Overwhelmed

Posted on by Krissy

2021 has been a stressful year across the board. Even if you think you’re good at dealing with stress, there have undoubtedly been times this year during which you’ve had to use every trick in your book. And if you’re not good at managing stress, there have undoubtedly been times in which you’ve been desperately seeking an outlet for those overwhelmed feelings.

You’re in luck because this article will furnish you with some useful tips and tricks to help you relieve some of your mental strain.

Nourish Your Spirit

If you’re feeling stressed, a good way of easing your troubles away is to connect with yourself. Spiritual pursuits, like meditation or prayer. Both of these practices can help to increase your sense of self-awareness, diminish feelings of anxiousness, and shift your focus off of your worries and onto something higher than those worries, like yourself, or your deity.

Exercise

This one may seem tricky if outside stress-compounding factors such as anxiety, depression, or physical limitations make the idea of exercise or activity seem daunting. But keeping active doesn’t have to mean high-intensity fitness training at the gym or even organized sport. Take the dog for a walk. Mow the lawn. Watch an exercise video online and move or stretch along. Certain scientific studies suggest that regular physical activity may have similar effects on mental health as antidepressants due to the encouraging production of endorphins, the brain’s neurotransmitters that help to mitigate stress.

Do Something You Like Doing

If you’re a writer, write. If you’re an artist, create something new. If you’re a musician, play. If you’re a sportsman, head outside. If you’d rather binge watch TV, there are a plethora of streaming services to choose from. Any constructive hobby is a worthwhile pursuit and can go a long way to giving you a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Get a Pet

If your life circumstances allow, having a furry friend can help with stress relief, as certain studies have shown that taking care of a pet can help to lower the blood pressure that stress can raise, and decrease levels of cortisol, a hormone sometimes caused by stress, and even make a person feel less lonely.

Unplug from a Busy Life

Sometimes, you simply have to escape, and that’s okay. Work will be there when you come back, and so will the news. Spend time with friends or family – or time alone – uninterrupted by your day-to-day activities. Taking a break from an otherwise busy life may also include a social media hiatus. You might find that the more you disconnect from the pressures of everyday living, the more you connect with yourself.

A Final Word

Taking care of your mental health is important, and even more so in these unprecedented times in which we live. And now that you’ve seen some ways to help combat stress, hopefully, you’ll be able to fight against it even harder.

Home Loan Repayments 101: How To Make Home Loan Repayments As Easy As 1-2-3

Posted on by Gary

A home loan is one major type of loan you will probably ever have in your entire life.  Having said that, managing a home loan would be a tedious task to accomplish every month; especially that you still have to deal with other equally important expenses.  However, there are certain things you need to be conscious or aware of in order to manage your loan home payments in an easy way.

Before applying for a home loan, you first need to formulate a strategy on your financial plan in order to successfully manage your home loan repayments.  In other words, you have to make it fit right into your monthly budget.  This way, you can make necessary adjustments ahead of time just in case some problems occur. 

Needless to say, home loans are quite a big deal; thus, it may take a big chunk out of your financial plan.  And, it is some sort of a necessary evil to deal with every month.  However, it is equally important to take note not to miss a single payment to avoid future complications and penalties.

Make your first repayment as soon as your home loan has been approved.  This will take off a big chunk of the amount from the principal even before the interest accumulates.  With this in mind, the amount of your repayment will be much lower than you have anticipated.

Coordinate with your financial institution that you prefer paying fortnightly instead of monthly.  This way, you will speed up the process of your repayments because you end up paying the equivalent of roughly 13 instead of 12.

If you have an extra monthly income that you earn from a bonus, then, it would be wise to make additional repayments.  Do this on a regular basis and you will end up reducing the cost and duration of your home loan.

Once your loan repayments will lower down due to a decrease in the interest rate; then, make sure you will not lessen your repayments.  This way you will be making a monthly extra repayment which will make you pay off your loan sooner and eventually save you money.  And, the best thing about this strategy is that you are not affecting your monthly budget because you are still deducting the same amount of money from your financial plan.

Another tip is to make arrangements with the financial institution to have your monthly income directly deducted by the amount of the home loan repayment.  This way, you will be assured that your financial obligation on your home loan will not be jeopardized.  Also, crediting companies would prefer this kind of payment system and would even give incentives—in the form of reimbursements or diminished interest rates—to their clients for timely repayment.  You can have the rest of your monthly expenses charged from your credit card with an interest-free period. 

By and large, if you are always alert with the financial movements of your monthly budget and linking them to your home loan and daily expenses; then, you will be assured of a successful and easy way of dealing with your home loan repayments.

5 Ways New Entrepreneurs Can Future-Proof Their Businesses

Posted on by Krissy

It’s no secret that many businesses took a massive hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but while some were struggling, entrepreneurs were thriving. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 4.3 million new businesses were launched in 2020 alone — over 1 million more than the previous year — meaning that more people are launching new businesses than ever before.

While this is great news for the entrepreneurship community at large, that doesn’t mean these newly-launched businesses are in the clear. In fact, some estimate that as many as 50% of these businesses will fail within the first year without additional support. 

So what can new founders do to ensure their success? It’s easier than you might think.

  1. Establish yourself as a thought leader.

As business owners, there are few things more important than your credibility and reputation. As such, establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry is vital — not only will this ensure that potential customers want to work with you, it can also lead to other business-boosting benefits like media inquiries, partnership offers, and more. 

You might be tempted to brush off thought leadership as a secondary priority, especially when you’re focused on getting your business off the ground. However, demonstrating that you’re a leader in your field is a fantastic way to build a safety net that can help your business stay afloat and even thrive. Building your personal brand and platform can help you create a strong foundation from which your business can grow, and it will help bring people to you instead of the opposite. 

  1. Don’t be afraid to pivot. 

Change is scary, especially when you’ve already stepped out of your comfort zone by launching a new business. As we’ve learned during the pandemic, however, the ability to adapt is key to many businesses’ survival. While there is definitely strength in persistence despite the odds, it’s also critical for entrepreneurs to understand when and how to pivot.

Don’t view it as giving up on your business or your ideas but rather as exploring new avenues of possibility. Studies show that businesses that are willing to adapt or change during times of crisis are more likely to be successful, which means your ability to think quickly and respond accordingly might be the difference between a business that succeeds and one that fails.

  1. Focus on financial literacy.

Money is the #1 cause of stress in America, and the same is true for entrepreneurs. While this stress can wreak havoc on our overall health and wellness — including contributing to anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, and more — it’s often far worse for entrepreneurs, who are more prone to mental health issues due to immense stress.

While you can certainly introduce stress-relieving tactics into your regular routine to help you cope — whether that’s exercise, mindfulness, meditation, or something different — it’s important to address the sources of that stress as well. And one of the best ways to worry less about money? Learn more about it.

Look for ways to level up your financial literacy as both an individual and an entrepreneur, and make sure to find ways to give yourself the financial education that many business owners aren’t able to receive in traditional schooling. There are plenty of resources available online for entrepreneurs who want to learn more about money, and the more you know the more confident you’ll be in handling your money and taking financial risks. 

  1. Explore alternate methods of funding.

While there’s nothing wrong with bootstrapping your business, lack of funding is one of the biggest reasons why new businesses fail. And while a small business loan from a traditional bank is an option for some, it might not be the best path for you, especially if you’re a first-time entrepreneur. 

Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to funding your business. Crowdsourcing is a great option for anyone who is able to provide a physical product or service, and you might be able to raise money through crowdsourcing on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. Not sure if crowdsourcing is right for you? There are plenty of angel investors out there who are looking for new investment opportunities, and there’s no reason not to reach out to them. There are also new alternative forms of investors that are available on platforms like ClearCo that can help businesses scale without sacrificing a large ownership stake in their company. If your product is in the e-commerce or SaaS space, this might be the type of funding you need to get your business off the ground. 

  1. Get a mentor.

Mentorship might not be on your “top priorities” list as an entrepreneur, but it definitely should be. According to one survey, 70% of small businesses that received mentoring survived more than five years, which is double the survival rate of non-mentored businesses. Plus, business leaders who are mentored by a top performer are three times more likely to become top performers in their industry as well, meaning mentorship might very well be the thing that helps your business not only survive but thrive. 

—

Charlotte DeMocker is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Penny, an innovative digital media startup that successfully launched during the pandemic. Penny seeks to help ordinary people master their money. Follow Charlotte on Instagram @charlottedemocker and learn more about Penny @penny.app.

7 Self-Improvement Goals That Will Make You Happier And More Motivated

Posted on by Alex

Always remember that as long as you are alive, there’s always time to change your ways and succeed in life. You alone have the power and the opportunity to do what you want and be the person you want to become. If you want to improve yourself and achieve your goals, you should follow these self-improvement tips.

• First and foremost, you need to accept the fact that you need to be able to take full responsibility for your self-improvement. You need to know your true self, the things you’re interested in, and how you’re going to actively pursue them. If you don’t have any idea where you are heading, then you’ll probably just end up where other people want you to go.

• You need to set realistic goals and stick to these objectives as well as find ways to achieve them. Such a thing, however, is not enough.

• Learning continuously is also important. There are skills and techniques that you can adapt to improve your life. Never stop learning. Many people know how important this tip is. You need to continue learning in order to succeed.

• Look for effective ways to learn new things and improve your skills. Realizing the power of learning can encourage many people to become better in various ways and achieve what they really want. Keep in mind that if you learn new things enthusiastically, you’ll achieve self-growth and succeed in living a more content life. You will become happier and live the kind of life you have always wanted.

• You also need to change your bad habits. There are many times when a person’s life is dominated by bad practices. If you really want to become a better person, you need to change these habits and stick to the positive changes you’ve made.

• Being persistent is also important. Some people give up too easily. Always remember that your perseverance will serve as the driving force that will encourage you to do things you think you cannot do.

• When you focus on a goal, it is important to keep your mind on it. Don’t let yourself get distracted by other goals. Many people cannot focus on anything related to work for a long period of time. It is difficult to do especially since our culture is full of reasons and distractions that force us not to bother a lot with attaining real success.

There are plenty of excuses you can say that can stop us from doing anything productive. If you want to improve yourself and achieve your goals, you need to prioritize every action. Even when you’re not seeing any major progress yet, you should still keep going towards the completion of your goal.

As long as you keep at it – you’ll reap the rewards in the end. There are self-improvement books that provide life-changing ideas and advice that you can integrate into your life. Discover and learn things that can benefit your pursuit of self-improvement. Always remember that learning new things can do you a great favour. Continuous education will certainly help you succeed.

5 Things to Do When You’re Feeling Totally Stressed And Overwhelmed

Posted on by Jenny

2021 has been a stressful year across the board. Even if you think you’re good at dealing with stress, there have undoubtedly been times this year during which you’ve had to use every trick in your book. And if you’re not good at managing stress, there have undoubtedly been times in which you’ve been desperately seeking an outlet for those overwhelmed feelings.

You’re in luck, because this article will furnish you with some useful tips and tricks to help you relieve some of your mental strain.

Nourish Your Spirit

If you’re feeling stressed, a good way of easing your troubles away is to connect with yourself. Spiritual pursuits, like meditation or prayer. Both of these practices can help to increase your sense of self-awareness, diminish feelings of anxiousness, and shift your focus off of your worries and onto something higher than those worries, like yourself, or your deity.

Exercise

This one may seem tricky if outside stress-compounding factors such as anxiety, depression, or physical limitations make the idea of exercise or activity seem daunting. But keeping active doesn’t have to mean high-intensity fitness training at the gym, or even organized sport. Take the dog for a walk. Mow the lawn. Watch an exercise video online and move or stretch along. Certain scientific studies suggest that regular physical activity may have similar effects on mental health as antidepressants due to the encouraged production of endorphins, the brain’s neurotransmitters that help to mitigate stress.

Do Something You Like Doing

If you’re a writer, write. If you’re an artist, create something new. If you’re a musician, play. If you’re a sportsman, head outside. If you’d rather binge watch TV, there’s a plethora of streaming services to choose from. Any constructive hobby is a worthwhile pursuit and can go a long way to giving you a sense of enjoyment and satisfaction.

Get a Pet

If your life circumstances allow, having a furry friend can help with stress relief, as certain studies have shown that taking care of a pet can help to lower the blood pressure that stress can raise, and decrease levels of cortisol, a hormone sometimes caused by stress, and even make a person feel less lonely.

Unplug from a Busy Life

Sometimes, you simply have to escape, and that’s okay. Work will be there when you come back, and so will the news. Spend time with friends or family – or time alone – uninterrupted by your day-to-day activities. Taking a break from an otherwise busy life may also include a social media hiatus. You might find that the more you disconnect from the pressures of everyday living, the more you connect with yourself.

A Final Word

Taking care of your mental health is important, and even more so in these unprecedented times in which we live. And now that you’ve seen some ways to help combat stress, hopefully, you’ll be able to fight against it even harder.