Mohit Tater's Blog, page 519

Finding Time for Family when Starting a New Business

A battle that most of us face when starting a new business is the balance between work and personal. Often one of the main reasons we become motivated and invested in the success of our business in the first place is so we can provide for our families. Unfortunately, it can be all too easy to be consumed by the needs of a successful business. You end up sacrificing relationships with your family in order to spend time building their livelihood.

Finding time for family is important. Your kids need their parents. Your spouse needs their partner. Even your elderly relatives in nursing homes need your time, especially with the rise in nursing home fraud.

Here are some tips for getting the balance right:

Use your family as motivation

When you are procrastinating at work, think of the time you will be sacrificing with your kids and partner. Studies have shown that using cues like this can rewire your brain. By using time with your family as a reward, you can essentially create healthy habits away from work.

Nurture your foundations

For most of us, we can only do what we do thanks to the support of our spouses. It is especially important then to keep your relationships with your partner as healthy as possible. Take time to appreciate them, and make sure the time you spend together is more than just work talk and complaints. If your office is close to home and your partner is free, take the time to go home for lunch. Trust me on this one; a happy, healthy relationship with your partner is a cornerstone to any successful entrepreneur.

Work while your family are sleeping

It is unrealistic to say you won’t bring work home, and unfortunately for most of us, our workload won’t allow that kind of commitment. You can, however, aim to only work whilst your kids are asleep. Sacrificing a bit of sleep is much more appealing then sacrificing time with them.

Put trust in others

One of the hardest things to learn as a business owner is when to delegate. Learning to trust people to do the job you want them to is vital. If you are a good leader and employ good people, you should be able to spend a lot more time growing the company, and less time micromanaging.

When hiring people, make sure you choose candidates who represent your beliefs and show a strong affinity to independence. This means that when you are not around, you can trust they will act how you want them to.

Look after your health

To keep up with a demanding lifestyle, like running a business and looking after your kids, you will need to make sure your health is on point. A good diet and regular exercise will mean that when you come home from a hard day at work, you still have the energy to take your kids to the park or spend time with your partner.

Hopefully, by following these tips you should be able to find the right balance. Remember what is important in life and the reason you started the business.

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How Will AI Change The Way We Play Games?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being talked about a lot in the media, especially when it comes to business. However, AI is also very applicable to gaming. This is because the application of AI could have some profound effects on the way we play games in the years ahead.

While the concept of AI involves various kinds of applications, essentially it refers a computer programme that can automate processes and operate independently, after being “trained” with input from various data sources. This kind of application is known as “deep learning” and is being used to developing innovative ways of not only enhancing the experience of playing games, but also building them.

In this article we’ll give a brief overview of some of the current developments in AI in the world of gaming, which will shape the way we play games in the future.

4 Ways AI Will Change the Way We Play Games



1. AI can create more expansive worlds

The genre of science fiction has come up with many scary ideas around how AI can be used to create games and virtual reality spaces that change and adapt, and even start to become independently intelligent themselves. There are many dystopian novels written about this, but how does this affect gaming today ?

While complex AI isn’t actually used much in games, because it would create far too much unpredictability, the concept of AI is very useful when it comes to building games at scale, as AI can actually help to make game building easier, by automating certain processes and providing more computing power. 

This already happens in gaming, as no one person designs every single second of a game themselves. The idea is that games are designed to be like a story, so there needs to be a flexible construct that allows players the opportunity to feel like they’re exploring on their own. With the use of AI, this kind of construct could become a lot more expansive, as automated processes could add differing elements to already complex game narratives and structures. 

The key here is that increasingly sophisticated AI will allow for game elements to change and respond to each individual, and create an evolution of character development that hasn’t been seen before through what is termed self-learning software. 

2. Tech can help us design and build our own games

Another aspect of AI in gaming, as we touched on above, is that it will actually be easier to build games ourselves.

Therefore, using self-learning software, anyone can actually build their own game, without actually having to know how to code. From a gaming perspective, this means a lot of creative fun for players, but also a different way of learning and building software tools that could spill over into other arenas. In this way, AI is seen as a collaborator in helping to build and design a range of new and innovative applications. 

3. Data analytics and deep learning help us test out new concepts

Following on from the point above, AI will also not only give us the tools to build and scale game experiences more quickly, and with less coding knowledge, it also provides a convenient way to test out existing games and software.

For example, AI can be used to test out a game, and through this, learn more about how to teach machines how to perform complex tasks. In addition, AI can be used to pick up on any errors in a game, and learn more about where the game can be improved through the use of data analytics driven by automated processes, known as data mining. 

Therefore, this application, while useful in gaming, also has far reaching implications for the software industry in general. 

4. AI creates more opportunities for personalisation

One of the most talked about applications of AI is making recommendations and offering more personalisation, which as we mentioned above, will have incredible implications for the type of gaming experiences we will experience in the future.

Researchers give examples of being able to input information into a game to customise it to your own town, or include characters based on people that you know. overall, this kind of future AI would allow for games to evolve and grow according to your input and preferences, which is quite mind boggling to think about. 

When it comes to related kinds of gaming, like online casino gaming  for example, AI will also be able to offer more recommendations about who to bet for based on all the statistics and probabilities. In this way, data mining can be used to make more accurate predictions , and customise recommendations to your profile. In games like poker, AI would also be able to pick up on things like cheating, as well as fraud, which will hopefully add the the security of this industry in the future. 

Conclusion

Overall, as with many industries, AI is set to change the way we engage with all kinds of software, including games. As we have covered above, some of the key areas where AI will change the way we play games concerns scalability, improved testing, data mining, personalisation and better security. We’ll have to wait to see how all of these developments “play” themselves out, but regardless, we’re sure to see exciting developments in the gaming industry in the years ahead thanks to AI. 

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How to Improve Your Website Ranking in 2020

If 2020 is the year that you have decided to actively try and improve your website ranking, then you have come to the right place. 

If you are relatively new and inexperienced in the world of online marketing, then you have probably been putting off this vital, yet overwhelming task for some time. It can be a complicated and complex process, even for those who know their way around the most common elements of search engine optimization. 

With Google’s ranking factors constantly changing and being updated, it has never been more important that you consistently work hard to ensure that your website is ranked as high as it possibly can be. 

How can you achieve this? 

Keep reading to find out the most effective ways to ensure that you improve your website ranking in 2020. 

Focus on High Quality Content 

It has been said time and time again — but only because it is so crucial: ensuring your website has the very best possible content is the most important factor that you need to focus on if you want to improve your website ranking. 

Not only does your content need to be of a high quality, authentic and relevant to your target audience, but you also need to ensure that you do the following:

Identify and target a specific keyword phrase Be natural and user-friendly when placing keywords Use heading tags Add metadata Create relevant links Use alt tags 



Implement a Blogger Outreach Campaign

Although having quality content on your site is extremely important, promotion and linking strategies are also vital in content marketing and in improving your SEO. 

Blogger outreach involves working with popular bloggers or influencers within your industry to create high quality and engaging content that also promotes your brand. By linking your site to a credible and relevant source, you will automatically increase your site’s visibility to the most popular search engines. 

Using blogger outreach services to connect your business to just one high quality and influential blogger can do more for your website ranking than 1,000 irrelevant and insignificant sites. 

Utilise Video Content 

The popularity of video content is increasing daily with a whopping 78% of people watching online videos every week, and 55% watching them every day.

Why are they so popular? 

People nowadays want access to information fast, plus they want to be able to carry out other tasks whilst they are fulfilling their content needs. Videos are the simplest and most effective way of doing this. 

When you post video content on your website or your social media feed, the likelihood is that your users will spend longer on your site as they watch it. This is great news for your website ranking as search engines like Google will be able to see the value of your video and will rank your site accordingly. 

However, you need to ensure that you provide search engines with sufficient information about your video content, as well as having an eye-catching thumbnail. 

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5 Productivity Hacks to Stay Focused in 2020

Highest productivity is something that everyone wants to achieve. From individuals to businesses, everyone is looking to be as productive as they can. There are a lot of tools and strategies meant to help us with productivity.

While a lot of generic advice is available everywhere, some important but not obvious advice slips out. I thought, why not share the ones that have helped me tremendously. Here are a few of the things that I stand by.

1. Work in Short Bursts

Working for long hours tires our brains out. Sure, stopping seems like a waste of time. But, studies have shown that constant breaks can actually help you become more productive. This is why many productivity techniques include taking constant breaks and short bursts of extreme productivity. This helps you stay sharp and focus on the task on hand without tiring your brain out much.

One such example is the Pomodoro technique. Here’s how to apply it:

Decide on a task that you want to work on.Set a Pomodoro timer for 25 minutes. There are apps for this, or you can use your normal timer.Work on the task for 25 minutes.After you are done, and the timer goes off, put a checkmark on a paper.Take a break for 3-5 minutes to just relax if you have fewer than 4 checkmarks on your paper.After 4 cycles or 4 Pomodoros, you can take a longer break for about 15-30 minutes.Now reset the counter and start the 4 bursts cycle again.



2. Be Wary of Marketing Techniques

While I am a fan of new marketing techniques and enjoy partaking in some so that I can learn what I need to apply, I try to limit them when it comes to working. Conversational marketing is one such thing. This inbound marketing focuses on building relationships with consumers so that they can become leads.

Honestly, check out some conversational marketing examples. I would advise you to implement them in your business and avoid them when working. Pick and choose is important when it comes to showing dedication to your work.

3. Create a Dedicated Workspace

The right environment is really necessary when it comes to productivity. I especially advise having a separate space for doing your finances at home because you want to be at your sharpest, and your bed isn’t where that happens. 

If you are going to be doing a bank reconciliation or just making a simple weekly budget, don’t do it on your couch or bed. Sit at your work desk or somewhere you do not relax and lounge around. This helps you do the work with more alertness and precision, and also makes sure that you do it in less time and more efficiency. You can use Pomodoro for this as well.

4. Stay on Top of Your Finances

This is one of the most undervalued advice. Whenever we think of being productive, we think of active ways that affect our productivity. Not having the right environment and constantly having to worry about stuff is as damaging to your productivity as anything else. Money issues often plague your mind, and if you have many people tapping into your finances, then you might want to keep an eye out for transactions happening.

Learn how to do a bank reconciliation. Compare your internal financial records against the one that you get from your bank. If there are any unusual transactions or accounting errors, you will be able to sort it out as soon as you notice. This is why it is important to do a monthly reconciliation for your business so that you can always stay on track with what expenses are happening and what needs to be worked on. You don’t want to find out things when it is already too late.

5. Disconnect After Work

This is one of the hardest things to do, especially if you are a remote worker or a freelancer. Many people don’t know how to have a work-life balance. This can eventually take a toll on you and not allow you to recharge. When you do not get time to bounce back and freshen up your mind, your mind starts getting tired.

A tired mind isn’t what is going to help you stay productive. This is why you should learn to say “NO.” This is very important to take the much-needed break and give yourself a chance to replenish the energy you have spent. 

Final Thoughts

Being productive is not only an active decision but also a way of life. Make sure to keep all the things around you sorted so that other worries don’t plague your mind while you try to work. Make sure to take plenty of breaks and enough rest to be able to give your best without tiring out.

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5 Skills Every Entrepreneur Needs to Succeed

While the definition of entrepreneurship has stayed constant for decades, the possibilities for aspiring entrepreneurs has changed dramatically. Entrepreneurship is more alluring than ever and with today’s technology, life as an entrepreneur might be easier than you think. 

Options available today for entrepreneurs have exploded and the barriers to enter entrepreneurship have been removed. The traditional definition doesn’t really do the career move justice – entrepreneurship is just as much about transforming the world to solve big problems, initiating social change, creating an innovative product or presenting a new life-changing solution. 

Entrepreneurship lets people take their career and dreams into their hands and lead it in the direction of their choice. It’s about building life on your own terms with no bosses, no restricting schedules, and no holding you back.

Thinking about becoming an entrepreneur in 2020? Here are five skills every entrepreneur should have:

1. Self management skills

Self management means taking responsibility for your own actions and doing things as well as you can. It’s about staying organised, offering ideas to any project, and being the boss of YOU – not a team or company. 

The three main elements of self management are:

InitiativeOrganisationAccountability

Initiative allows you to work without being told what to do. Organisation means you can plan your time, prioritise goals and make a plan for getting things done. Accountability ensures you are self-driven and happy to learn more, improve your skills, take risks and commit the time it takes to achieve your entrepreneurship goals. 

2. Communication skills

Every entrepreneur needs to be a good communicator. Effective communication ensures that employees, investors, customers, creditors, peers, mentors and all stakeholders are on the same page (or at least a similar one) as you. A good aim is to master all forms of communication, from one-on-one and in-person conversations to group conversations, written communication, email and online messages – all the way to body language, listening and public speaking. Communication doesn’t just mean speaking, it means taking opportunity from every interaction.

3. Problem-solving skills

Critical thinking is the ultimate key to problem-solving. Critical thinking enables you to identify problems and turn those problems into opportunities. Decision-making is another element of problem-solving that should be mastered, allowing you to analyse possible solutions and then arrive at a decision quickly. You can then move on to the next step of growing your business without divagating in a constant loop of ifs and buts. The faster and more effective your problem-solving is, the quicker the execution process begins.

4. Basic financial skills

Your success as an entrepreneur comes down to a lot more than just outstanding products and services. You must also know how to keep your finances in order. Credit is one of the most important financial concepts to understand when starting a business as your credit rating will determine your eligibility for many financial opportunities. Strong credit is an abstract representation of your financial responsibility. 

Budgeting is another crucial element for successful entrepreneurship. Understanding the budget means having a complete picture of your finances. To stay on top of budget you should know how to keep accurate financial records ready for review at the end of each quarter. You should know how to spend money wisely, find investors and borrow responsibly. One of the first things you should do is acquire skills in basic finance so you can monitor the flow of money, assets, profit vs loss, EBITDA, liabilities and any aspect that gives your business a viable place in the economy. 

5. Efficiency skills

Efficiency skills reduce stress by managing work-related tasks in a timely way. It’s not just about being more productive – efficiency also leaves you with more free time to spend however you like. 

Increased efficiency takes time and dedication to implement. You’ll need to create new habits which will eventually become natural tendencies. To get started you can:

Let go of perfection. Perfection is an illusion that causes stress. Letting go of crippling expectations helps you to embrace setbacks, stop fearing failure and not waste time. Treat yourself with kindness and focus on progress rather than perfection. 



Tweak time-management practices. Familiarise yourself with processes like chunking to group tasks together based on outcome. You might like to use chunking to organise your day, placing tasks like answering emails and following up on phone calls toward the beginning when your fresher. Move errands that don’t require a lot of thought to the end of the day. 



Learn to say no. Don’t be set on multitasking to prove that you’re capable. Some tasks should be delegated or said “no” to. Freeing up your schedule allows you to focus on elements of your business that really matter. 



Managing the ups and downs

The ups and downs entrepreneurs go through are often unavoidable. To manage these ups and downs and not let them get the better of you, you must be willing to learn. Ideally you should have a desire to learn. 

A high ability to learn enables you to gain power in any situation. Love to learn and you can turn:

Failures into successesImpulsive behaviour into calculated decisionsDoubt into beliefIndependence into teamworkKnowledge into results

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5 Ways Your Sleeping Habits Affect Your Productivity

We live in an age where being productive is highly valued. Trying to squeeze in as many things in our day that we end up compromising the one thing helping us to be efficient in the first place: sleep.

Deep down, we know that sleep is very important. But most of us cannot muster enough hours in our day to dedicate time for adequate rest. That means at least 6 to 8 hours, my friend. Instead, we sleep less hours than that, relying on caffeine, energy drinks, soylent, or whatever to get us through the day.

It may feel like you’re getting a lot done during the day. But the truth is, your poor sleeping habits are slowly harming your productivity. Here are the five ways that it’s doing so.

1. Less Energy, Slower Reactions

Working longer hours does not necessarily translate to working smarter. Lack of sleep causes you to have less energy to do work. You’re not as motivated to perform because you feel weak and groggy. In addition, you react slower to everything around you. 

You’re prone to zoning out and your work associates may need to repeat themselves several times before you can respond. And even then, when you do come up with something, it may not be as great. It’s known that not getting enough sleep not only impacts your focus and creativity but also your decision making and problem solving skills as well.

2. Terrible Memory and Lack of Follow Through

While we sleep, our brain makes way for new memories by consolidating the previous’ days events via REM sleep. You are in deep sleep during this stage but your brain is working hard to free up more space allowing you to function optimally the next day.

When you don’t get enough sleep, you’re not able to absorb as much information. What you experience during the day, you don’t really take anything away from it. This leads you to not following through with important commitments. Rather than processing new information, you’re busy managing a crisis caused by your lack of focus.

3. Risk for More Diseases

Individuals who are chronically sleep deprived are more prone to serious health issues like cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, memory loss, and a weak immune system. There’s no point in losing sleep over work when the end result is an earlier grave. 

4. Great Sleep Means Great Performance

Good sleeping habits have been associated with better performance. When you get better sleep, you experience the following benefits:

Faster reaction to stimuliBetter creativityImproved memoryBetter problem solvingBetter accuracy and less errors



5. Sleep as Self-Care for Well-Being

It’s a well-known fact that the happier you are, the better you perform at work. Sleep can be a huge contributor to that enhanced well-being. In this busy age that we live in, we’ve forgotten that sleep is an essential part of self-care that we should partaking in. 

Getting quality sleep is more than just shutting your eyes for hours. It involves a set of rituals to make it happen. Depending on the person, it may involve having a warm bath, spraying lavender essential oil, shutting down all smart devices by 6PM, drinking peppermint tea, reading a book in bed, lighting a candle. 

Others require more sophisticated steps such as getting high quality bedding where you can control mattress firmness, turning on the humidifier, doing some yoga stretches –whatever it may be, all these actions are forms of self-care that you’ll need to do to get that good sleep.

By taking the time to care for yourself, you gain a better sense of well-being that translates into better performance at work.

In what ways does your work get affected when you don’t get enough sleep? Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

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Outsourcing Aspects of your Business: How to make it a Success

It is always tricky being a business owner. There are so many things you want to do, but only so many hours in a day where you want to work. It is vital to have a balance between work and life, of course. How is it possible to make your business a success when you cannot complete your to do list? Outsourcing aspects of your business is a great way forward and one which more and more owners seem to be pursuing. Continue reading for our top tips.

Virtual Assistant

The rise of the virtual assistant is a very clear one. A few years ago, they were virtually unheard of. Now, the market is almost saturated with people offering to do your work for you. If used correctly, a virtual assistant can both save you time and allow you to focus your energies on the areas of your business which need you more. From making phone calls to chase non-payments to using your key information to create presentations, there are unlimited things they can do for you. 

Accountancy

Finances are important to get right. One tiny mistake can signal the end of your business, so it is vital to make sure everything is done properly. Of course, if your business is sizeable, having someone on your payroll to do your books could work brilliantly for you. Others are not necessarily so lucky. Employing the services of a qualified accountant will really take the pressure off you. If you are not up to scratch with the goings on of finances, they will ensure that every single column adds up correctly with not a single penny unaccounted for. 

Payroll

If you have employees, ensuring that you do things right when it comes to their salaries is vital. You could use the services of an accountant who will keep both your finances and payroll under control. Alternatively, a separate payroll accountant’s services could be employed. The administration of PAYE (pay as you earn), NI (national insurance), statutory maternity leave or statutory sick pay, for example, can be incredibly time-consuming. Pension schemes also take time and effort to administer. Any issue with payroll can be tricky to deal with and so having an external person with whom your employees can liaise can be helpful. 

Digital Asset Management

You may be asking yourself, “What is digital asset management?” and that is a good question. A digital asset is simply anything that exists in binary format such as logos, photographs of your products, newsletters and so many more things. With digital media becoming increasingly popular and showing zero sign of waning, it is important to consider how you can keep a firm grasp on that side of your business. Investing in a digital asset management system means that the storage, creation, production, tracking, and much more, of your digital assets will be streamlined. 

Website Management

Creating a website can be a challenging thing, but one that many people are capable of doing to an extent. However, updating on a regular basis can be really time-consuming and prevent you from focusing on other aspects of your business that could help it to run more effectively and efficiently. Outsourcing the management of your website is a great idea. As long as the updated information is sent to the person you choose, it is much easier to keep everything up to date. Furthermore, if things do go wrong, and they invariably do, you do not have to worry about attempting to fix it yourself. An expert touch is usually needed; that is certainly the case if you would like anything done quickly. 

Marketing 

When you are first starting out in business, marketing is often something which you would like to keep a tight grip on. In fact, no matter how big your enterprise becomes, keeping a close eye on the marketing side of things is important. However, outsourcing your marketing does not mean you have zero say, just that someone else, with more expertise, will be responsible for meeting your needs. Hiring someone who will work to your specifications could certainly save you time. It won’t be low in cost to outsource this area of your business, but the benefits would outweigh this. From writing blog posts to managing accounts on social media, running an advertising campaign to sending emails, there are so many areas to cover when it comes to marketing. A business owner can only do so much single-handedly. 

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Timothy Sykes: Scam or Authentic? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Timothy Sykes is a rare creature. He’s one of a tiny handful of individuals that can call themselves penny stock celebrities. He’s appeared on the Steve Harvey and Larry King shows and has received coverage in a range of top-tier publications, including Forbes. He boasts millions of followers worldwide. 

Yet claims that Timothy Sykes is a scam abound. People take issue with everything from the four-figure price-tag of his premium “Tim’s Challenge” product to the extravagance of his Instagram posts. 

If you’re starting out in penny stocks, you’re guaranteed to come across Timothy Sykes at some point. So should you purchase one of his many training courses? In this post, we separate fact from fiction.

Are Timothy Sykes Scam Claims True or False? 

We get it. You haven’t got all the time in the world. 

Like any budding trader, you want to spend as much time sitting in front of your tracking software monitoring the movements of the market. That’s why we’ve organized the most pervasive criticisms of Timothy Sykes into an easy-to-digest list. Let’s dig in. 

Claim : Penny stocks are always destined to lose money. 

You’ll often hear people say that trading penny stocks (company shares valued under $5) is a guaranteed way to lose money. And it’s true that penny stocks have garnered something of a negative reputation over the years. Films like The Wolf of Wall Street certainly haven’t helped.

True or false? False.

Penny stocks are risky. They’re not usually traded on large exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange, which subjects companies to stringent rules, especially in regards to disclosure of certain types of information. Companies are also smaller and tend to be much less established. This means that penny stock trading is highly speculative. But there is without doubt money to be made.  

Claim: Timothy Sykes is just repackaging basic trading techniques. 

A common criticism is that Timothy Sykes is just repackaging traditional trading tips that are already in the public domain. Beginners are advised by these critics to find the same information for free elsewhere. 

True or false? Partly true but mostly false. 

Timothy Sykes does teach the basics. But beginners will struggle to find the kind of structured, in-depth materials that Sykes offers for free. Most of Sykes’ students are just getting started with penny stocks, so they need a solid grounding in the basics. 

What’s more, many of Timothy Sykes’ techniques are genuinely innovative. His focus is on encouraging students to build an adaptable style that focuses on short-term market changes while minimizing losses.

Claim: Timothy Sykes only makes money by selling courses. 

How does Timothy Sykes actually make his money? Many have posited that he generates most of his income by selling courses, rather than through trading. 

True or false? False. 

Sykes publishes his verified trades – both winners and losers – online. And even if he does make a big chunk of his earnings by selling training materials, who cares? Both his backstory and his current performance clearly indicate that he knows what he’s doing.  [Gr]

Claim: Timothy Sykes is operating what is in essence a pump-and-dump scheme. 

A “pump-and-dump” is a scheme where well-known gurus or celebrities encourage their followers to buy a stick, thus inflating its price, before selling their own shares for a profit. This is unethical for obvious reasons. 

Some have suggested that Sykes uses his large following to inflate the value of stocks he owns, only to get rid of them once the price peaks. 

True or false? False. 

Timothy Sykes talks a lot about pump-and-dump schemes and how his students can take advantage of them (as well as avoid them).

Claim: Timothy Sykes’ courses all cost thousands of dollars with no chance of a refund.

Sykes’ top-tier offering is called “Tim’s Challenge”. It costs $6000. He’s also called out a lot for not offering refunds. 

True or false? Mixed. 

On the first point, it’s simply not the case that all of his courses cost thousands of dollars. His mid-tier “Penny Stocking Silver” program comes in at $149.95/month. You can pick up his book on Amazon for $20. 

On the second point, Sykes doesn’t officially offer refunds. So that much is true. But there is a rationale behind this policy. With higher-paid courses in particular, the potential for abuse is high. Sykes puts a lot of work and expertise into his training materials, so it’s completely understandable that he wants to prevent students from taking advantage. 

Claim: Timothy Sykes is a d*/k

A lot of people have decided that they just don’t like Timothy Sykes. Probably because he’s not afraid to pick fights with celebrities and likes to flaunt his wealth on social media. 

True or false? Probably false. 

We don’t know the man personally. But judging from the amount he’s given to charity, I think we’re safe in saying this one is false. 

So Should You Buy a Timothy Sykes Course? 

In many ways, the whole, “Is Timothy Sykes a scam?” question is redundant. People that are serious about penny stocks are only bothered about the quality of material, not where it comes from. They’re driven by one overarching motivation: to make money. 

If you want to evaluate the quality of Timothy Sykes’ materials, just check out some of his more inexpensive (or even free) materials. He’s written several books and regularly releases content on Youtube. 

Even if you opt for his mid-level $149.95/month program, which provides access to over 6000 hours of video training, you can always cancel if you don’t like what you’re getting. 

Our conclusion? Timothy Sykes isn’t a scam. And we advise that you check out his training and make your own mind up, rather than go off what you hear on Reddit boards. 

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Tips to Start your own Dog Walking Business

Walking a dog gives him much more than only an opportunity to do his physiological needs. A lot of pets, when they’re left alone too often for too much time, start acting destructively – they will bite and scratch and break everything in their range. Of course, it doesn’t mean that people should quit their job to stay with their dogs (though it would certainly be nice) – that’s why dog walking businesses are growing in numbers and popularity. Experts from PetPlace recommend hiring a dog walker if you’re away more than 8-10 hours a day. Providing that only a small part of working people can work remotely, it will apply to most regular dog owners.

So, do you love dogs? Do you feel like you could be spending all days with them, whether they’re yours or not? Here are some tips on how to start your own dog walking business:

Make sure you’re properly educated

It’s not about graduating from a dog walking school, but the love for dogs is not enough. You need to understand all canine behaviours so that nothing surprises you on the job. Of course, just like people, animals have their characters, likes and preferences, so it’s important to listen to their owners, but you have to know, for example, their fears, irritating stimulants, or pet first aid. Try to understand which collars are best for specific dogs, or which leashes are harmless – sometimes even the owners may not be aware so you can always recommend something better and build your authority.

Start your business officially and legally

When you have decided on a catchy name and you’re absolutely sure that you want to go for it, you need to register your company. As a sole practitioner you will be responsible for all decisions, payments and taxes. If you choose a different name for your company than your own, you will need to register that name. You may need a special license or, just like many other dog walking businesses, choose an LCC (limited liability company) structure. An LCC structure will allow you to separate your business from your personal assets. It may be a good idea to consult with an accountant or another specialist who will be able to explain to you the advantages and disadvantages of each option. 

Get insurance

Yes, there’s even special insurance for people who work as pet sitters or walkers, as there are some specific cases that need to be covered. There’s always a risk that a pet you’re taking care of will cause some damage – not everything can be controlled. Animals may destroy something, injure themselves or attack each other. That’s when insurance may protect you from taking responsibility for their actions.

Get your name out

It’s good to start with a website like Rover.com where you can find dog walkers, groomers, pet stores, and more people working in animal business or looking for such services. You need to know both your potential customers and competitors. Search for places in your area where there’s maybe a bigger need for dog walkers than you initially thought. You may also try cooperating with shelters and rescues that probably won’t pay as much (or at all) but may help you build your brand, and provide you with experience that may be important to some dog owners.

Focus on marketing

There’s no thriving business without a good marketing strategy these days. You should probably start with a good-looking website where you can provide your potential clients with all necessary information about you and your services, and you can use it to experiment with local SEO to allow people to find you online. Make sure that all your personal details are consistent across the web, publish relevant and useful content from time to time and engage in the life of your community. Well-developed partnerships can get you far, both online and offline. 

It’s also beneficial to build your social media presence – publish your content, update your status, share photos of happy pets and yourself to allow people to get to know you a little better. Be transparent – that’s what customers truly appreciate in today’s obscure world where all marketers seem to lie. Engage in discussions, respond to comments and don’t ever ignore opinions, especially the bad ones.

Then, you may work on promoting yourself in real life – it will never hurt to make some cards and flyers, and figure out places where they can make a difference (e.g. at a veterinary clinic, a dog groomer or a pet store, but also a local library or coffee shops). You may also have your logo and information made into magnets that you can put on your car and become a living, driving advertisement.

Last, but not least, consider customizing your clothes. Wear a sweatshirt with your logo and phone number every time you walk a dog.

Be patient

What’s most important – don’t get discouraged. It’s always hard to start a business, and you can’t expect to make profit from the very beginning. If it’s something that you really like, it may be worth it to put some additional work in promoting your company and improving your services. Keep up to date with all changes in your industry and don’t take your eyes off of your competition. Enjoy the company of dogs and good luck!

The post Tips to Start your own Dog Walking Business appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Great Apps So You Never Let the Tide Surprise You Again

As someone who always values safety above all else, I have a hard time relaxing at the beach. You never know when there may be dangerous wildlife or shifting tides. The mystery of the unknown is one of the most alluring things about the ocean, but it never sat all that well with me. Fortunately, however, I recently utilized a great tool to help put my mind more at ease during my last beach vacation. 

Great Apps to Check Tide Charts

With these helpful mobile apps, I was able to read tide charts and get updates on when the tide was changing so that I could beware of any dangerous situations…and also keep my stuff dry on the sand. Safety, comfort, and fun should be the staple of every family vacation, especially the beach. 

Predicting high and low tides

The ocean is historically known as a powerful force, and an ever-changing one at that. Without being an expert, it can be difficult to tell when the tide is going to change quickly. As you look through the list of tide apps, you’ll notice that many of them offer up-to-the-minute updates on tide changes. Keeping yourself in the know can help you enjoy the vacation that you worked so hard to earn. 

These apps will also help you make plans throughout the day. When you’re setting up a picnic, you might end up putting a lot of time and effort into a great setup that keeps your food sand-free. However, if the tide change is during the middle of your lunch, you might end up with a soaked sandwich. Keep the party going even as the tides change with the help of mobile apps. 

Local tide charts provide insight for specific destinations

If you’re a regular beach-goer, you can probably get familiar with how the local tide works at beaches you frequent. However, beach vacations may lead you to other states, gulfs, coastlines, or oceans. Local tide apps can essentially be a cheat code for you to turn from tourist to local in your first day at a new beach. 

It’s not only important to understand high tide times to keep your stuff dry, but you’ll need to understand when the low tides will occur as well. If you’re into swimming or wave-surfing, you may want to avoid low tides because these are some of the more difficult conditions. Understanding the varying tides, along with identifying potentially dangerous currents, can help keep your family safe. 

Find the best fishing times

When people think about the beach, they might not even consider finding a great spot to fish, but fishing on the beach is a great way to spend an afternoon. Or it might be a boring way, depending on the tide. Mobile tide chart apps can help you figure out the best times when the fish will be closer. 

Even if you’re using a boat to fish offshore, understanding the tide is very important. As the tide shifts, so do underwater currents, which can push fish one way or another. Mobile tide apps, along with weather and wind apps, can all be used to your advantage in order to have a successful day on the water. There are even multiple fish-sonar apps that allow you to track their movement and find the largest schools. The technology exists to help you catch more fish, so why wouldn’t you use it?

Conclusion

Mobile tide apps can help everyone enjoy their beach days to the fullest by helping you read the tide, plan your beach activities, and find the best time to fish. 

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