Mohit Tater's Blog, page 582

Why Is It Important to Hire the Right App Developer?

App development is on the rise today as more and more users enjoy customized service via mobile apps. Thus, every business targeting better customer service and wishing to strengthen its competitive position in the market develops a branded app to create an additional point of contact with customers. Apps vary by quality and user-friendliness, and in many cases, it is the app’s usability that affects clients’ perception of the brand and its reputation. Stakes are too high, so all business owners planning the creation of their branded app should invest enough time and effort to hire an app developer of proper expertise and qualification.

Main Recruitment Models

Three primary hiring
models are popular in the IT sector today: in-house recruitment, freelance work
on a project basis, and hiring of offshore developers. Let’s dwell in each of
them in a bit more detail.

In-house recruitment

By hiring someone
in-house, you get that employee to your office to work in your team. That’s a
traditional hiring model that most employers prefer for full control over staff
and privacy protection. However, it is also the costliest model as the employer
needs to provide staff with working space and equipment, pay them full-time
salaries and social packages, pay taxes for them, and handle many additional
financial aspects of in-house staffing.

Freelancers

Finding a freelancer for
some short-term task is the cheapest recruitment option, but it’s also the
riskiest one. Freelancers work far away under no guidance from your side, so
failing deadlines, poor communication, simple disappearance from the project,
or data leakage are possible.

Offshore developers

Hiring offshore developers is the golden middle between in-house and freelance recruitment. The employer hires an individual or team working in the vendor’s office, under the guidance of the middleman and in its territory. The benefits of this hiring model include cost-efficiency compared to full-time employment, access to cheaper outsourced talent, and a greater level of control over the offshore staff as compared to that of freelance workforce use.

Issues to Consider at the Job Interview

As soon as you have
found several candidates for the position and want to find the app developer
suiting your project needs the best, it’s high time to conduct interviews. At
this stage, it’s crucial to pay attention to the following characteristics:

The candidate’s work experience

It’s illogical to hire a
beginner if you expect to get a premium product, or to seek a senior-level app
developer for a project on a tight, small budget.

Soft skills

Many employers pay
attention only to tech skills of the candidate but ignore his/her ability to
work in a team, communication skills, conflict resolution aptitude, and the
rest of basic skills required for teamwork. Even the greatest minds in the work
of programming can be absolutely incapable of handling team tasks and hiring a
software development genius does not guarantee your project success.

Salary expectations

It’s better to discuss payment at once as problems may arise from misunderstanding during the project’s progression, which is bad for the outcome. Sign a contract to stipulate how much the app developer will earn. These arrangements will make your collaboration much easier and more convenient.

What If You Hire the Wrong Person?

Unfortunately, hiring a
poorly skilled or simply non-suitable app developer may pose the entire project
at risk and undermine your business. Most often, the consequences of wrong
recruitment decisions include:

Reduced performance Hindered team effectiveness and conflict Poor product quality Staff turnover.

You surely don’t want all this to happen to your business, right? The best way to avoid this is to find the right people to your team – the ones who will complement each other, who will work together to achieve a common goal, and who will value your business objectives. App developers often function as strategic assets in the team, and the missing link of such importance makes the entire chain holding your business afloat too fragile.

The Value of Finding Your Ideal Fit

Needless to say, if you
hire an app developer who understands your business well and creates a perfect
app that serves as its logical extension, you will benefit enormously. Besides,
a good employee immersing into the team and becoming its integral part is
always a strategic asset. So, based on this review, we strongly recommend
taking the hiring decisions seriously, especially when it comes to crafting an
app for your loyal customers.

The post Why Is It Important to Hire the Right App Developer? appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Clever Ways To Find Business Loans

When you’re looking to start a business,
you’ll likely need some working capital to get that business off the ground.
You can find this from a variety of sources, but one of the most common is via
a business loan. Business loans come in all shapes and sizes and vary by
lender. Here are some ways you can find business loans in an over-saturated
lending market.

Look For Business-Focused Lenders

There are business specific lenders out there that lend money exclusively to small businesses and entrepreneurs, or that have higher approval ratings for small businesses. It’s incredibly difficult to get a small business loan through a traditional bank, simply because these smaller loans aren’t as profitable as say, mortgage loans.

They’re also riskier. If you think about it, a
business is more likely to go under than a person is to default on their
mortgage loan, especially considering that most US businesses don’t make it
past their first five years.

When you look for a small business loan, try looking for lenders who focus on small businesses. For instance, Wells Fargo has positioned itself as the nation’s top lender to small businesses. This bank has lent more to small businesses in the past decade than any other bank. This a great place to start for your business loan.

The Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration is a
government agency that will back specific loans for small business owners.
They’re usually administered through an approved bank, with loan terms ranging
from 5-25 years and interest rates as low as 7%.

These loans typically have longer approval
times than traditional banks loans, however, and require a lot of paperwork. If
you’re unable to acquire one of these loans, the SBA has access to other
resources to help you get the funding you need to get your business off the
ground.

Online Lenders

The world of online lending has evolved quite
a bit since its inception. There are many legitimate online lenders that can
offer decent interest rates, better loan terms, and even faster turnaround
times for when you need cash ASAP.

Online lenders don’t have to worry about the
overhead costs of running a bank, and therefore you’re likely to get a better
cost for your loan. Their online database means a faster turnaround time and
plenty of security for your information.

Among the top online lenders is a company
called Upstart, which is the first company of its kind to include AI and
machine learning in its approval process. The AI considers many factors other
than just your credit score, creating a more fair system that works.

Upstart boasts a 75% lower default rate than traditional banks and a 173% higher approval rating. The lender has made waves in the industry in recent years with its emerging technology, and by the end of last year, 60% of its loan process was automated. Check out these reviews of Upstart for the latest information on the company.

If you don’t feel comfortable with an
artificial intelligence system handling your lending, there are hundreds of
other options on the web. Just be sure you know who you’re borrowing from and
do all the necessary research into the company before you borrow.

Friends and Family

Friends and family can be a viable option for
securing a loan for your new business. You can even include whoever agrees to
loan you the money in the business itself so they can get a better idea of
where the money is going.

While asking friends and family for a loan
certainly isn’t for everyone, it’s not an option that should be ignored,
either. A bank is an entity and one that is for profit, meaning they’re trying
to make as much money as possible off of the loan.

A family member or friend may be able to offer
more flexible repayment terms or little to no interest. If you’re having
trouble securing a bank loan or simply don’t want to get stuck in a 5 or more
year repayment plan, asking friends and family might be a good idea.

Participate In Business
Competitions

There are dozens of startup competitions that pit your idea against other small business owners for a cash loan or grant at the end of the competition. This is a great way to show off your idea and secure funding for your business at the same time.

Most startup competitions have very specific
rules and the competition is fierce, as many business owners from all over are
ready to enter, and some may even have a similar business idea to your own.

You can’t win if you don’t enter, however, so don’t let the fierce competition hold you back. If you don’t win the money, you’ll at least have a chance to present your idea and shed some light on your up and coming brand.

Conclusion

Business funding is much easier to come by
than it has been in the past. With online lenders and things like smart lending
through AI, securing a business loan is no longer an intimidating process bound
to for disappointment.

The trick is to know where to look. Apply with
banks who are known for small business lending, and always check out any online
lenders before you borrow from them. If you follow these simple rules you’ll be
well on your way to funding the business you’ve always wanted.

The post Clever Ways To Find Business Loans appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

4 Great Tips for Entrepreneurs to Avoid Bankruptcy

Starting your own business can be seriously tough.

What people tend to forget, however, is
keeping you business afloat can prove even tougher.

With 70% of small businesses failing to reach the decade mark, the prospect of failure is a realistic threat entrepreneurs need to know how to face.

When things turn sour, many business owners
will be quick to reach for the bankruptcy button without a working knowledge of
the full range of options available to them.

So whether you’re an entrepreneur preparing
for darker days or a small business owner fighting to survive, so long as your
business is alive and kicking, you have options available.

Here are some of the best tips for entrepreneurs to avoid bankruptcy, provided by debt management specialists.

Negotiate
with your creditors – be up-front

Early communication is key. There’s no
point in shying away from the fact that you’re in financial trouble.

Talk to your creditors as early in the
process as possible to let them know there is an issue.

The likelihood is, most of them would
rather you remain in business in order to repay them in full rather than
declare bankruptcy – which may necessitate legal action from their side. This
means, often, they’ll be on your side.

Sit down with them and try to work out a
repayment plan.

If you have multiple debtors to address,
it’s helpful to be organised. Build out a spreadsheet of your debts so you can
clearly see which are the largest and most pressing.

Not only will this direct your negotiation
schedule, but it will help creditors feel assured that you are crystal clear on
your circumstances.

Run
a tight-ship – professionally and personally

There are numerous ways a new business can
save money on its operating costs. And almost all tips are easy,
environmentally friendly and immediately actionable:

If you’re feeling a little
chilly at in the office – why not put on an extra layer or two instead of
turning on the heating?Electricity is expensive, so
make sure gadgets are not left on standby for long periods.Printers, ink and paper costs can
become prohibitive if you’re printing regularly – become a paperless office so
far as is possible.

Likewise, be sure to shop around when
sourcing office supplies, or freelance services. Keep your bottom line as low
as possible.

Ultimately, a lot of money is wasted on
avoidable expenses. By simply being frugal you’ll find your pockets are a
little less empty. 

Though why stop at your professional life?

If you’re battling to keep your business
afloat… it might also be time to simplify your lifestyle – albeit temporarily.
Instead of eating out, why not practice your skills in the kitchen?

If you drive, try to combine journeys. Fuel
is ever more expensive – why not do your grocery shop on the way home from the
office?

Are you still using that expensive juicer?
Is the PlayStation collecting dust? Selling unnecessary tech can be a quick
cash hit to tide you over until the next bill lands.

When facing bankruptcy, it’s time to
account for your expenditures and reflect on where you can save some cash.

Look
for additional revenue streams

Are there other income opportunities for
your business?

It doesn’t have to be service led. Do you
have a spare desk in your office? Why not rent it out to a freelancer to help
cover your office costs?

What’s more, if you have the ability to set
up and run a business, your skillset is likely to be attractive to other
business owners elsewhere.

Engage with your industry and other
entrepreneurs through platforms such as LinkedIn and Medium. By showing off
your business credentials and spark, you may find yourself headhunted for some
consultancy work.

Or simply get your profile up online on
freelance websites and take on extra opportunities within your specialisations.

While you may only have eyes for your
business – and debt issues – fresh challenges (with remuneration) could be the
perfect tonic.

Formal
bankruptcy routes – talk to an expert

You’ve spoken to the creditors – and shown
them your revised payment plan.

You’ve taken on extra work and are running
a tight-ship in terms of both business and personal finances.

Yet you still can’t meet your payments.

If this is the case, it’s time to consult a
professional.

When cash flow is insufficient and
creditors are owed unpayable debts, a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation may be
the best option. Likewise, an Individual Voluntary Arrangement or Summary
Instalment Order (depending on your location) may be recommended.

When you’re getting into the nitty gritty
of debt management, we’d always advocate working alongside an expert. There’s
too much at stake for both you – and your business.

Google is your friend. Look for an insolvency practitioner in your area to talk through your circumstances.

Our
best tips for entrepreneurs to avoid bankruptcy

By simply acknowledging your situation,
you’re taking the first step in avoiding bankruptcy. But it’s not enough.

Look for support.Be self-critical.Seek additional sources of
incomeKeep those who need to be
informed, informed. 

It’s not an easy path… but by trying to
take on some of the strategies detailed above you can avoid bankruptcy and the
consequences that come with it.

That said, if bankruptcy is truly
unavoidable, speak to a professional. The impact it can have on you and your
business can be managed if dealt with early and properly.

Good luck with your business!

For more finance and money management advice check out the money section of our blog.

Author Bio: Hudson Weir are an insolvency practitioners firm from London helping entrepreneurs and small businesses with debts and financial complications. 

The post 4 Great Tips for Entrepreneurs to Avoid Bankruptcy appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

How to Invest to Grow a Startup

One of the toughest things about starting a new business is knowing where to put your money so that you can really grow the company. Perfecting your product? Marketing? Upgrading equipment or systems? Staffing? It can be overwhelming — and risky.

It doesn’t have to be scary though. A lot of it is really a question of what to prioritize first so that your money is being invested into the company as wisely as possible. Here’s a roadmap to help you think of what to prioritize, and when.

Perfect the product

Before you put money in anything else, make sure the product or service you’re selling is rock-solid. A high-quality, unique product will make you stand out from the pack more than anything else you could do. Satisfied customers, word of mouth and good online reviews are the most valuable marketing tools available to you. It will also help ensure that employees working at your company believe in the product and are excited about selling it to customers.

The place to start here is with the concept — and for that, originality is key. What is the niche you are filling, the market problem that others haven’t solved? For us at StickerYou, the unique solution we offered when we were starting out was the ability to order customized stickers online for all kinds of labeling needs. We created that at a time when no one else was offering that kind of customization, especially in the promo stickers and labeling space. That allowed us to stand out from the pack.

Once you define that niche, focus on investing in the market research needed to find your ideal balance between quality and price point. Then, work on making the product as high-quality as possible within your price range so that you’ll really give customers something to talk about.

For marketing, start small

So you’ve perfected your product. Now you need to get the word out. For this, start small so that you can experiment, and figure out what really works for your business and your clientele. When you’re starting out, you probably won’t have a ton of capital to invest in marketing, so you’re going to want to do the research to figure out what works for your company before diving into one specific marketing initiative. According to financial information company Sageworks, small businesses should generally be investing between 1 and 4% of annual sales in advertising and marketing.

Fortunately, a lot of digital marketing campaigns, if well thought-out, can be done on a microscale, allowing you to try out a variety of different methods and see what works for your business. Run a number of tests across different platforms and see what methods work for your business. Ads on social media or email newsletters are good places to start. Choose a small number of people you want to send the newsletter to, or impressions you want for your social media ad – say, 1000 – and then try a different newsletter elsewhere, or a different ad, and compare. How many clicks, how many conversions came from each version? This will help you hone in on what connects with your target audience and what works best for your business.

Keep your marketing nimble

One big mistake people can make as they’re trying to scale up their business is to just dump more money into the marketing methods that worked initially. Be careful here. As your company expands and grows, methods that worked in the beginning may be less effective. The business environment,  your customers’ expectations and needs could all change. So it’s important to keep going back to that initial slow-and-steady method and keep testing out what works for you at each stage of growth. That money will be much better spent.

Hitting that tipping point

It may be hard to imagine when you’re in the thick of those initial stages, but if all goes well there will come a time when your business starts to hit its stride and you’ll have more stability and a steadier income. This is when you can really start investing in other key elements of the business that will help grow your capacity grow: more staff, more office space, better equipment.

This is an exciting phase because there is less risk. It’s less a question of whether your business will succeed or fail, and more one about what you need to do to maximize your business’s potential and opportunities. This is where you get out of the red and start to see the fruits of all that hard work.

Author: StickerYou Founder & President, Andrew Witkin

As the founder of a global e-commerce leader in custom-printed,
die-cut products, Andrew Witkin is widely recognized as a leading
authority on e-commerce, customization, startups, marketing and the tech
economy. Witkin has also served as VP North American Licensing for
Nelvana/Corus Entertainment and Director of Marketing for
MegaBrands/Mattel.

The post How to Invest to Grow a Startup appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Should You Get Your MBA Online? 5 Reasons It’s a Great Idea

Today, the master’s of business administration (MBA) degree is one of the most sought-after, respected qualifications around the world. If you’re considering heading to college in order to study for your MBA, you can be assured that you’ve made one of the best choices for your education. The MBA leads to countless career opportunities in every aspect of the business world, with graduates earning more and enjoying higher levels of career security than those who graduate with alternative qualifications. And, with distance learning and online education on the rise, an increasing number of MBA students are choosing to study remotely. So, is getting your MBA online, rather than on campus, a wise choice? We’ve looked at some of the main reasons why it’s becoming more popular with students.

#1. Flexibility:

Many students who study for an MBA choose to do so later in life after gaining a relevant bachelor’s qualification and valuable industry experience. Because the average age of an MBA student is older, it’s not uncommon for them to be returning to college with bigger commitments in their life such as a mortgage on a house, working full-time, raising children, or even running their own business. Studying for an MBA online offers older students a much-needed level of flexibility to work their studies around their current commitments. When you have to juggle several different things during the week, studying for your MBA online allows you to take control of your studies and fit them in where it works best for you.

2. Cost:

Whilst the earning potential that you can enjoy as an MBA graduate certainly outweighs the amount that you’ll pay for tuition fees, having to fork out the initial cost or take out student loans can put a lot of prospective students off. This can be especially stressful if you’re dealing with other financial commitments such as paying off a mortgage or you are going to be taking a pay cut in order to free up time to study at university. On the other hand, tuition fees for an online MBA are often much lower, with most programs costing one third less on average compared to how much you’d expect to pay when studying on campus. Additionally, the flexible nature of an online MBA program means that you’ll have more time to work and continue earning an amount you’re comfortable with.

#3. Wider Range of Options:

When studying online, you’ll also have the option to choose from a wider range of programs, specializations, and schools for your MBA. For example, you can get an online MBA in accounting or focus on business management, entrepreneurship, finance or more, depending on the career that you’re hoping to pursue in the future. Additionally, when you’re studying online, you have a larger pick of colleges to attend, allowing you to take advantage of renowned programs, options that may not be available elsewhere, and better teaching staff. Compare this to studying on campus, where it may be more difficult to find the program that you want if you’re restricted to your local area.

#4. Graduate Earlier:

If you’ve reached a stage in your life
where you want to advance your career as quickly as possible, choosing to study
for your MBA degree online may be the perfect option for you. Since you’re studying
online, there’s no need to stick to a rigid timetable, thanks to the flexible,
self-led nature of online study. Because of this, many colleges that offer
online MBA programs will allow students to finish their degree earlier if
needed, with accelerated options allowing you to condense a few years of work
into even less, as long as you’re willing to put the extra working hours in. As
a result, you can graduate and begin reaping the benefits of your MBA
qualifications earlier. And, since most online MBA programs are billed by the
year, finishing faster will usually mean that it will cost you less.

#5. Global Opportunities:

As online MBA programs have shown great
success and gained prestige around the world, they are quickly becoming more
and more recognized globally. And, there are several companies around the world
who take on MBA students for work experience and internships, which can be
extremely useful for online students who don’t typically see their classmates
every day – the opportunity to connect with others in a business setting can
have a massive educational impact.

Why would you choose an online MBA? We’d
love to hear from you in the comments.  

The post Should You Get Your MBA Online? 5 Reasons It’s a Great Idea appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Business Tools you Need in 2019

Running a business isn’t always easy. In fact,
most would say that it is never easy.

That’s why many business owners look for
creative software solutions to deal with their day to day business functions.
Whether they be as simple as a way to organize their daily routines or a way to
manage bookkeeping operations, there’s a billion dollar market in software for
business people. When you’re running your own business, time is of the essence
and every minute spent organizing yourself or putting out fires is a minute not
spent towards furthering your goals and ambitions.

On that note, here are a few tools that can
benefit just about any business in the year 2019:

Proper
Support Software

Part of any business is ensuring continued customer satisfaction throughout all stages of the purchasing process. What many entrepreneurs fail to develop adequately is their infrastructure for how to support customers once they’ve already paid for & received the service. This means their support teams are often much too small or just entirely inadequate for handling support questions after a customer has made their purchase. A piece of software like Groove makes this process much simpler by making a centralized support platform that makes finding & fixing customer support tickets a breeze. Different support members can all collaborate and work on issues together as a team so there’s no risk that one support member is forgetting about something crucial they could do for the customer.

Testing
Software

Businesses deal with a lot of data these days, gigabytes and gigabytes of the stuff, to be exact, and it isn’t always easy to anticipate how that data will interact with each other. Each change made could end up breaking the entire system without any prior notice. That’s why proper testing software that allows you to make changes and try to “break” your system yourself long before customers have the chance to can make or break your reputation. If you’re developing apps, a service like pCloudy can give you expansive testing ability all from your desktop. This way, you can work on improving your systems and seeing how these changes affect it long before it becomes an issue.

Accounting
Software

Not every business has the resources or the
patience for a full-time accountant. Luckily, many minor bookkeeping services
can be outsourced to pre-made software ready to tackle the job. Part of
streamlining any business is making sure that all of your expenses are
worthwhile and that money is coming in at a steady enough pace to cover all of
these expenses. Many businesses now go with software like Wave that allows them
to manage all of their financial data both on and off the computer screen.

Conclusion

Being an entrepreneur and running your own
business is simpler than ever in the digital age. Instead of having to worry
about hiring tons of new IT people, customer service staff, or accounting
staff, many things can be effectively managed with one tiny piece of software.
This allows business people to save money and most importantly time. The skills
needed to succeed in 2019 include a willingness to adapt to change and find new
solutions, and they are definitely out there.

The post Business Tools you Need in 2019 appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

7 Secret Hacks to Make Your Goals More Attainable

All of
us have certain goals in our life, whether they are short-term or long-term. However,
many of us struggle to keep track of them. New year resolutions are a good
example – we just can’t seem to stick with our goals! What’s worse is that we make
the same mistakes in other situations as well. As a result, we don’t achieve
our ambitions and goals.

Goals are significant aspects of a person’s life. It’s what provides us direction. It induces us to focus, work, and push ourselves toward a better life. Do you have a goal that you want to achieve? Here are seven secret hacks that can make your goals more attainable.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-blue-suit-999267/

Hack #1: Maintain specific goals with clear
motivation

Dreaming lofty ambitions feel wonderful but you won’t get anywhere unless you’re properly motivated. Successful self-made millionaires like Stefan Aarnio started by maintaining a set of goals and they ended up achieving them.

So,
what’s their secret sauce? Well, they made it because they had strong
motivations that helped them stay on track. Outline your goal and your
motivation with clarity. Since it’s yours,
go ahead and mention the details about what you really aspire for.

An
example of a typical goal would be: “I want to pass this interview.”
Instead, you should mention “I have to prepare for potential personality
questions. I also have to revise fundamental principles for the technical
interview. So, I can do well and finally get my dream job.”

Hack #2: Establish reasonable goals that you
can actually achieve

One of
the biggest problems with dreams is that many of them aren’t achievable within a
reasonable deadline. It’s great that you want to own a mansion in France next
year. But it’s not possible if your annual salary is $20,000.

The
point is, you should get inspired and believe in yourself. Although, you should
frame your goals within the constraints of context and rationale. After all,
the targets you establish should be attainable so you can actually reach your
goals.

Hack #3: Keep your goals measurable

If your
goals can’t be measured, you’ll never know if you’re any closer to attaining
them. Keep a reasonable deadline for your goals. So, you will be able to attain
them within that timeframe. For example, if you want to lose weight, your goal
should be “I want to lose 10 pounds by the end of February because I’ll feel
better during my summer vacation.”

In this
example, the statement consists of a measurable goal (10 pounds), a practical
deadline (end of February), and the motivation behind the goal (summer
vacation). It also helps to write your objectives down. It doesn’t matter if
you maintain a physical or digital copy.

Detail them as much as possible to ensure that you have your goal, deadline, and motivation all in one place. So, if you ever find yourself wavering, you can always revisit your notes to focus back on your target once again.

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Hack #4: Break down your goals into smaller
challenges

Sometimes,
your goal may seem unconquerable. It can also de-motivate you if you don’t see
any results after a period of time. That’s why it’s much better to break down
your goals in the beginning. Keep them reasonable, practical, and most
importantly, achievable.

As you move
along, you will notice your progress and feel rewarded for crossing every
mini-goal. This will, in turn, keep you from abandoning your goals in the long
run. During the first few mini-goals, keep them easy to achieve.

As you
move towards your main goal, crank up the difficulty to make it more
challenging. Along with hard work and perseverance, you also need to discipline
your mind to attain your ambitions. So, pace it right to keep yourself engaged
and motivated throughout the journey.

Hack #5: Create a plan of action

You
need to create your roadmap to your success. Only when you create an actionable
plan can your goals and dreams turn into reality. It’s important to be driven
and engage with your goal to create momentum. So, get closer to your ambitions
by giving yourself something to do every day.

An ideal way to pace your plan is to give yourself 1 – 2 days to complete a mini-goal. While devising the plan, a lot of people make the mistake of not giving themselves a cheat day. While being strict may seem proactive, it doesn’t pay off in the long run. So, remember to cut yourself some slack and schedule a few intermittent cheat days.

https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-writing-on-white-book-1043514/

Hack #6: Be flexible with your goals

As time
advances and you complete a few mini-goals, check through your plan of action
once again. If your mini-goals are too easy to achieve, make it a little
harder. Although, if they are too difficult, make them easier for you to attain.

Basically, you need to work regularly to feel rewarded, but your chances of quitting increases if the milestones are too tough. Re-adjust and balance the difficulty to ensure progress throughout every mini-goal. If you still find your advancement slow, rework your mini-goals to suit your lifestyle.

Hack #7: Expect failure and prepare for it
beforehand

None of us are perfect; after all, to err is human. There will always be times when we lag behind our schedule or postpone our work. That’s why it’s essential to expect it and prepare yourself to push through it. When your commitment starts to waver, keep reminding yourself of your motivation and keep working on your ambitions. Never give up – stick with your routine especially when the going gets tough. So, once the excitement fizzles out, you will know what to do to keep yourself marching towards your dreams.

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All of
us have certain goals – they give our lives direction and purpose. Whether they
are big dreams or small ones, many of us struggle to attain them. With the
above hacks, you can turn your life goals and dreams into your life’s reality.
All you need to do is get started!

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How to Ship Your Things Quickly and Efficiently

If
you have ever had the need to ship things frequently, you know you have to make
the right choices. For smaller items, it may not seem like such a big deal. You
can ship them through the post office or FedEx or some similar service and you
will almost always have suitable results. The cost is usually only a few
dollars and whatever you mail arrives in about a week.

The
problem occurs when you have bigger items that you must transport. Things that
cannot fit into a mailbox or even come close to it. It can be difficult to ship
these larger things in an efficient manner as it can quickly become expensive.
Most places charge by the size and the pound of the item to be shipped. Here
are some cost-effective ways to ship larger items that you should consider next
time this issue occurs.

Deliver Them Yourself

If
you have many items that you have to ship to just a couple of areas, then it
might be feasible for you to deliver them yourself. If it can fit into a van or
some similar vehicle, a three-hour road trip is not out of the question. But if
you are shipping these items to places a thousand miles away, you probably will
not want to be the delivery driver too often. It will consume all of your time
and that is the last thing you want as time is your most precious commodity.

Hire an Individual that Deals with These Larger Items

There
are various shipping companies that specialize in delivering hard to ship
pieces. If you enjoy selling things online or if you are moving halfway across
the country, these companies can help. They travel in larger vehicles like
semis or tow trailers behind them that can hold things of all sizes. Plus, if
you use them frequently enough, you will become very familiar with their services
and the prices to expect.

Go with One of the Big Guys

There
are a few larger companies that go above and beyond with their shipping skills.
They will ensure everything is done right and can contact a freight
audit services company to verify their own findings. In any case, you can rest
easy when using these companies as they will guarantee your things get there
safely and quickly.

The post How to Ship Your Things Quickly and Efficiently appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

The Next Generation of Video Games

The
video game industry seemed to have erupted back in the late 1970s to the early
1980s. Everyone was purchasing an Atari and either hooking it up to their color
television or even their old black and white one. If you can remember Atari
from this time, you probably can recall Pac-Man fever. Heck, you might have
suffered from it yourself. You could get on the Atari and play Pac-Man alone
for hours. But the great thing was that there were many more addicting video games
besides Pac-Man on the Atari.

Nintendo

It
wasn’t too much longer after this that Nintendo took over the video game
market. Along with the new gaming system, there were hundreds of games to
choose from. Pac-Man was replaced by the Mario Brothers and Nintendo showed no
sign of slowing down.

Sega

Sega
presented an arch-rival to Nintendo and offered up just as many games. It was
tough for consumers to decide between the two gaming systems, so many people
just went ahead and bought both of them. Eventually, they would lean towards
one over the other, but having two systems was a pretty awesome thing back
then.

PlayStation

Playstation
emerged in the early 1990s and soon enough, people were forgetting about Sega
and Nintendo. The power had shifted and the PlayStation games that were coming
out on CD-Rom were considered the best of the best. They had better graphics
and more difficult games.

The Future Is Here

Nowadays,
there really is no one gaming system that is running the market. You could have
an XBox, a Nintendo Wii, or even a PlayStation 4. The amount of memory and
storage on these systems has come a long way in the last three decades. And it
shows no signs of slowing down. It won’t be long before gaming replaces
real-life interaction.

3D Gaming

3D
gaming is now as popular as all of the other systems. Being able to visually
see yourself in these games is something to behold. In fact, there are movies
being made about this experience. Everyone wants to try the latest and greatest
3D game. If you are interested in learning more about 3D design, you are in
luck. Go ahead and discover Solidworks, a 3D design software and soon enough, you may be
creating your own video game to be added to the shelf.

The post The Next Generation of Video Games appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

7 Expert Social Media Tips

Social media can feel overwhelming at the start, but it is
a great way to make sales skyrocket. It is one of the best ways to connect with
prospects and customers. Social media is one of the most profitable and
successful digital marketing platforms that can be used to increase your
business.

Social media changes continuously, so it’s important to
know what works for you and what doesn’t, and how to get the results you
expect. There are a lot of things you need to take into consideration to
succeed in social media. There are some expert social media tips for any
business to achieve high levels of success:

Identifying your audience

Business nowadays needs to thrive with a strong social
media presence. Spend some time looking for the target audience personas,
understanding their requirements can be beneficial at the start of your social
media journey. Concentrate on the growing audiences and engagement on social
media channels to boost your sales and conversion rates. Such a competitive
analysis can be of great help and can make you stand out from the crowd.

Seek relationships, not just followers

There are various social media channels and provide the
best way to connect to the target audiences. They allow you to interact with
potential clients directly. Once started correctly, you will see the difference
and exponential rise in customer retention and customer acquisition process.

Creating a Calendar

“A goal without a
plan is just a wish.”

Planning your social media activities will make you post
consistently and get a more consistent result. Schedule the posts to maximize
the engagement and get better results with better planning.

Consider the value for money

You have to be clear about the amount of money used for
social media marketing campaigns. For example, awareness, audience growth, web
traffic, app downloads, lead generation can be difficult and expensive on
Twitter than they are on Facebook.

Become master on at least one platform

There are various social media platforms out there, be an
expert in at least one which is the most popular, but don’t forget to use the
other channels too. Facebook works really well by spreading messages and
letting people view your content. Twitter is also the best for getting people
to spread your brand’s message. Instagram is on the top of the mountain with
its regular new features.

Content is King

You should be king in content. You and your team should be
very creative in content creation. There is a lot of competition out there, so
develop a good content strategy focusing on the target audience, thus make them
engaged and to make them reach the content in the best possible way.

Stay active

Maintain consistency by producing and posting content that is time-based and necessary for your target audience. Also, provide fresh content to keep your audience engaged. Engagement should not be about sharing and posting. It should be a two-way interaction with the audience to know better about them by asking open-ended questions, timely feedback or suggestions, sharing their experiences, etc.

[Note: Remember, it’s not about which social media
platform you use, it’s about how you use.]

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