Business

Everyone wants to live a healthy life when they retire. Being “broke” is one major fear most people have about retirement. Without finance, retirement won’t be a joyful period. Hence, it is important to take decisive steps as you prepare for retirement.

The thought of being financially bankrupt can affect the health of retirees. A healthy life will cost money, at least, you’ll have fewer things to worry about. So, it is wise you start investing for your retirement. We won’t make a detailed financial research (in case you need it you can contact 123Termpapers.com), but the following tips will surely help you to get started.

• Accumulate Interest

When you retire, you start getting fixed income. You might have made lots of savings or start earning retirement benefits. These are great, but considering the economic state of the world, you need something more.

Living a comfortable life after retirement would require more than your savings. Even your social security checks won’t do as much except you change your lifestyle. Therefore, it is better to learn to accumulation interest any time you save. This accumulation is done through compound interest, which is interest earned on another investment.

• Leverage On Tax Incentives

You can benefit from the 401k, which helps you save or invest without tax payments. You can also make upfront tax payment through your IRA. So you can make your choice on the plan you want. You choose when you want your tax break.

The 401k and the IRA both help support retirement finance even though they’re different. Employed people usually have a 401k since it comes from their workplace. Self-employed people or those whose work on their own don’t have 401k, but often go with an IRA.

• Health-Related Issues

Money can’t buy health, but it can provide the needed condition for good health. Money can provide healthy food and a healthy lifestyle that would help you live healthier. With the right kind of dieting, some ailments can be prevented.

You can also benefit from regular check-ups and early treatment of diseases. A good retirement investment can help take care of your medical bills, and this realization leaves you with fewer worries over your health.

Health-related issues usually accompany aging because the organs are now getting weaker. A healthy mind can result in a healthier body. The truth is that you worry less when you have funds.

• Don’t Depend On Just Saving

The truth is that your savings won’t be enough to see you through retirement. It would be best if you had something extra to enjoy a quality lifestyle when you retire. This additional backup would cost money, considering how long you would live after retirement. These things point to the fact that you cannot save enough.

You ought to take your investment more seriously. You must have seen the picture or know people who are still happy after retirement. They go on trips and start new hobbies. They don’t come cheap. You need to take decisive steps towards investment if you want that type of lifestyle too.

• Prepare For The Unexpected

Unplanned and unexpected occurrences happen in life. Most of the things that have occurred in our lives were not planned for. When approaching the retirement period, many start getting scared of the unknown.

No more stable income, no more youthful vigor, body organs becoming increasingly weaker, and more worries occupy the mind. These fears are not unusual. They are a part of life; that is why it is essential to prepare for unknown occurrences.

Conclusion

Your investment gives you the confidence to face the future. You’ll have fewer fears knowing something is in motion somewhere. The decisions you make now would also be significant determiners when you retire.

Take the bold step by initiating investment for your future. Your investment can also outlive you. Your children can also benefit from the decisions you make now. There is a high level of confidence in knowing that your financial future is secured.

The advanced technological tools and internet facility has created a new opportunity for businesses to get a quick online business loan. Loans are a mandatory entity for businesses to carry on smooth cash flow and hold the business in a crashed market time. The urgency of the loan for a business depends upon various factors that include unpredictable losses, competition in the market, poor business performance and many others. However, it is a common fact that a loan is an urgent time requirement; therefore; every business needs it as soon as possible. The online business facility is perfectly meeting the demands of business to get a quick loan.

The traditional loans that include bank loans and other investment loans take a long procedure. Nowadays, the opportunity slips away in a single second; therefore, only a fast loan is helpful. It takes a lot of time to complete every single document while applying for an offline business loan. Businesses do not have enough time to carry all these procedures. Moreover, once the documentation is completed and a business loan application is submitted, even after then it takes much time to get the loan. Briefly, fast-changing business dynamics make traditional loans an obsolete option.

All types of businesses, either small or large, are always in need of business loans. This is often thought that business loans are only taken or needed by small scale businesses, which is very wrong. The structure, nature, and dynamics of business are the same for all types of businesses, and size only modifies quantity. Therefore, online business loans are a beneficial thing for all types of businesses.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF GETTING AN ONLINE BUSINESS LOAN?

The efficient processing and timely availability of online business loans attract many competent businesses towards it. It means that there is a high competition for getting an online business loan. However, high competition does not lower the chances of getting an online business loan. The good news is that the number of Online Business Loan Lenders is well enough to offer online loans for all deserving businesses. There is much optimism for all the striving business companies, who have the potential to prove their worth to get an online business loan.

BENEFITS OF ONLINE BUSINESS LOAN

There has been an increase in the number of businesses applying for online loans and the main reason behind this trend is the benefits of these loans. Here are some of the main benefits that make the online business loan the first choice of modern era businesses.

Easy procedures

Time is the most precious entity in the world, and online business loan keeps this point under considerations. Every step from the initial step to the final application submission is online. The online procedures cut-off time wastages, and makes it possible for the businesses to work on online business forms alongside their daily businesses work. There are many conveniences in online business loans as compared to traditional loans. One needs a good amount of time to apply for a traditional business loan. It is almost not possible for a business to keep up the normal business work alongside applying for a traditional business loan.

Flexible plans

Unlike a bank loan, online business loan offers a variety of business loans with more flexible plans. Almost every business person is aware of bank loans; they come in specific plans. Moreover, the variety and amount of business are rigid. On the other hand, online business loans are versatile, holding a capacity to accommodate different requirements set with a business loan. An online business loan is a modern era solution for business to meet their needs. Hence, it offers more suitable and efficient loans than traditional loans. It is hard for small businesses to earn a bank loan. Whereas; all sizes of businesses can avail of online business loans. A business can choose a loan plan according to its needs and urgency. Briefly, online business loans are more update loan schemes for businesses to coup up with the urgent needs of a modern era business.

Merit-based loans allotment

One major benefit of online business loans is that merit is the only criterion on which loan applications are assessed. If a business company has the potential to make a good result of an online loan, then it gets the loan. Every single step of the loan application is online, which ensures transparency in the process. One may have trust issues with traditional business loan applications as there is no confirmation or clear knowledge about the loan application processing. Moreover, it is a common fact that the online system is more transparent than any traditional way of processing. All business must show their full strengths and abilities to score an online business loan.

THINGS TO DO BEFORE APPLYING FOR AN ONLINE BUSINESS LOAN

Any business company that wants to earn an online business loan must understand and apply these important points before applying for a loan. This will increase the chance of getting a business loan more conveniently.

Business period

Online business lenders look into the time a business has been in the market. Usually, there are more chances for a business to get a loan with more time spent in the market. A business working for a long time has more connections and has a greater market share in the market. However, this is just one factor that can affect the chances of getting an online loan. Therefore, it is important for businesses to properly show their time in the market to score a loan.

Online business loans are abundant.

There are lots of online loan lenders for businesses that offer amazing loan plans. The increasing demand for online loans has boosted the number of investors in the field. One should do thorough research about the terms and conditions and plans of different online loan lenders. This will offer a good idea about interest rates and the timely availability of a business loan. Few businesses lack research about these loans and often fail to get a suitable loan for their business. Moreover, it is not wise to apply for a loan from lenders, who already have a higher influx of loan applications. The best policy is to search for the right plan and select the lender that has a low number of loan applications.

It is not wise to just stick to one lender and waste your time.

Online business loans are a little expensive.

It is a fact that online business loans have higher interest rates than bank loans or another traditional business loan, but this is justifiable. The quick processing and low time investment to get an online loan is one main reason to justify its higher interest rates. Secondly, all online business loans are way riskier than a traditional loan. Therefore, lenders have covered up the risk factor with higher interest rates. Finally, the timely availability of this loan makes it more preferable over a traditional loan. Hence if one has to pay a little more interest, it is ok.

WRAPPING UP

Online business loans are a modern era facility for all types of businesses. This loan is easy to apply and quick to get that makes it best fits for the current fast-paced business world. A variety of loan plans and lots of online loan lenders make this loan the first choice of businesses. The benefits of the online business loan include easy application processing, flexible plans, and timely disbursement of the loan. Moreover, one can apply for this loan without disturbing routine business work. These loans have higher interest rates than traditional business loans, but it is justifiable due to the convenience they offer.

 

Ali Ata has spent his career in real estate investment, he began working as a real estate agent in his younger days and in the last decade he has switched his focus to the buying and selling of luxury real estate. He is then the perfect person to offer advice to beginners who are just about to embark on their real estate investment career. Real estate investment is a great way to put your money to work and it offers a stable and diverse market for investors. Before you get started, here are some tips which Ali believes you should pay attention to before you part with a single cent.

Homework

Because of the large amounts of money that are involved in real estate investment, you can’t afford to make any mistakes and that is why now is the optimum time for you to get researching. Expect to spend at least 3 months learning about this industry and how you will operate within it. You should be looking at the market in various locations, which impacts the price of houses and how the market moves. You should also focus on what trends there are at the moment and which real estate property types are the easiest to sell and rent out. The more information you gather now, the better your chances are of success once you get started.

Making Contacts

Once you get started in real estate investment you are going to need to call upon many different services with regularity and that is why it is important that you use this time to make some contacts. For example, you will need lawyers and a solicitor on your team, you may also need workmen and construction companies and these services are going to give you much more favorable deals and prices if you have a relationship with them.

Understanding What Type of Investor You Will Be

There are many ways to make money in real estate and knowing what type of investor you plan to be is also going to be helpful once you get started. For example, you may wish to flip properties that involve buying them cheap, investing money to get them up to scratch and then selling them on for a small profit. Alternatively, you may wish to look for a long term investment and rent out the property or properties over a number of years. The choice is, of course, yours but deciding now will help you to get an idea of how to get started.

Cash

Finally, you have to align your finances and know exactly what you can afford to spend on your first property. Plan well as that cash will be tied up in an asset and you don’t want to restrict your ability to invest capital elsewhere. Make sure that you always leave money in your account as in this game there are always additional things to pay for which you may not have foreseen.

 

The term ‘below the fold’ describes the portion of a web page that can only be seen once you’ve scrolled down. The digital marketing conventional wisdom is that above the fold content gets more attention and is therefore more valuable than below the fold content. Positioning of content on a web page affects the way users interact and engage with it. Content which is below the fold is hidden to the user at the time when the page first loads. So, if they leave the page before they scroll down, they will never see it.

Data generated from several studies indicates that the placing ads and content below the fold on a webpage radically reduces the likelihood of being viewed. Digital marketing advertisements which are above the fold have approximately a 73% viewability while ads that are located below the fold have a 44% viewability. In the advertising and digital marketing world, an ad is deemed to be a ‘viewable impression’ if no less than 50% of its pixels are seen on a user’s screen for at least one second. Owing to its reduced visibility, ads which are placed below the fold typically generate less ad revenue as opposed to those that appear at the top of the page.

Businesses which sell advertising on their websites typically charge a discounted price for placement below the fold because of its lower visibility.

The online advertising has been sluggish in adopting technology that ensures an impression is actually an impression – in other words that a real live human user has viewed the creative. The challenge with counting impressions, with no thought to taking viewability into account, is that the advertiser is regularly paying for inventory that isn’t being seen by people.

The notion of viewable impressions provides a superior metric that captures how many ads are being seen in a better format. Recognising that the ad is being seen gives advertisers the option of more precisely measuring ad performance. The move from impressions served to impressions viewed indicates that ad placement and ad performance are essential metrics for publishers to keep track of in order to maximise their advertising marketing revenue.

How Is Below the Fold Calculated?

It is not possible to define the exact placement for the fold on a webpage as its exact location can change according to screen resolution, browser and screen sizes for phones, tablets as well as computer monitors.

When gauging an average fold placement, most web designers are still in agreement that the fold line is at roughly 1 000 pixels wide and 600 pixels tall. This is the ideal scenario for the most common monitor/browser combination of 1024×786 pixels when the browser window maximised and there are no installed toolbars at the top which will push the content down.

Does the fold really matter these days?

If one takes a look at few of the largest e-commerce website’s mobile versions, it is possible to see how they handle the fold. For a good many years the most common dimension for websites was 1024×768, as we’ve mentioned previous in this article. With the increase in popularity of mobile devices (more than half of Google’s traffic comes from mobile devices) new dimensions are becoming ever more common, such as 320×568 in addition to 360×640.

Mobile devices offer a wide variety of screen sizes. The user’s needs for each of these devices and screen dimensions have its own unique set of requirements as well as limitations.

Another consideration is that mobile phone users generally browse in portrait mode as opposed to in landscape mode. Users on tablets and computers usually browsing in horizontal mode. With so many individuals accessing web pages using such a variety of devices, current website design practices entail making use of responsive design like making use of flexible layouts, images as well as cascading style sheets.

What is responsive web design?

With responsive design, page layout is not fixed. Content reflows to any-sized screen and responsive web pages respond to the environment where they are consumed or browsed. While the significant content still needs to be higher on the page, today the pages should be designed to entice users to scroll in order that they don’t miss out on valuable content.

Heatmap programs can be useful to determine scroll-depth (in other words how far down users scroll) in addition to where your users are clicking on a page. Once you understand how users are navigating your site, it is possible for you to then begin A/B testing as well as experiment with different layouts in order to improve your user experience and maximise your conversion goals.

 

Are you regretting your choice to hire that new receptionist? After the long training period, the holiday hours and cost of benefits, and the extra expenses in office equipment, this feeling is completely understandable. If you’re feeling this way, it might be time to hire a professional answering service.

Questions to Ask to Decide if an Answering Service is Right for You

Before you can decide on the right type of answering service for you, you must first decide if you need an answering service at all. The best way to determine that is to answer these 5 questions:

1. Are phone calls going missed outside of your normal business hours?
2. Do you have an enormous amount of voicemails each week?
3. Is the high call volume keeping you or your receptionist from performing other office tasks?
4. Is call volume high in general?
5. Do messages go unaccounted for, leading in loss of business?

If you answer yes to any or all of these questions, it’s time to hire a professional answering service.

The Benefits of Investing in an Answering Service

In addition to solving the problems mentioned in the questions above, there are so many perks to hiring a service to man your phones. The most significant one is that all of your customer calls will be answered no matter what. Answering services work 24/7, 365 days a year, meaning your phone calls will always be answered even during non-business hours. This has been proven to increase sales and improve customer retention rates.

Another benefit of an answering service is the reduced company cost you’ll experience. You won’t have to pay a receptionist salary and there’s no need for added expenses for employee holiday hours, benefits, and overtime. You also won’t have to pay for office expenses or training costs. You’ll save tens of thousands of dollars with an answering service.

Types of Answering Services

Now that you’ve decided that an answering service is right for you, you must decide on which type you’d like to invest in. Here are the 4 main types of answering services used in businesses around the world:

• Live answering service
• Automated answering service
• Internet answering service
• Call center service

Why Choose a Live Answering Service

HowStuffWorks says that “live answering services give callers the opportunity to talk to someone who may be able to meet their particular needs better than an automated service. The operator also can decide whether the call is urgent enough to send through immediately.” Also, having a “robot” answer your phones – as is the case with an automated service – can seem impersonal and be a turn off to current and potential customers.

With a live service, the representatives have been thoroughly trained on better serving your customers. They won’t just help with answering phones and redirecting calls, but they’ll also take appointments, handle scheduling issues, process orders, and handle urgent customer service matters. All in all, you can’t go wrong with hiring a live answering service for your company.

 

Search engine optimization is one of the top marketing strategies for small businesses. In fact, it is not just a good idea to invest in the services of an SEO agency, but rather it is an essential step if you wish to see your company thrive and prosper.

Maybe you already know the ins and outs of SEO and have been practicing DIY SEO for your company’s website. Performing SEO strategies on your own is a great way to save money, but it is also extremely time consuming. If you’re concerned about dishing out some cash and hiring a service, just think about the high rate of ROI you’re likely to see when you hire a professional SEO service.

Before you choose an agency or individual to start optimizing your website to its fullest potential, you should know a bit about common SEO practices so that you can partner with an agency that will show results.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

First thing’s first, before you can hire a top agency you need to have a basic understanding of what SEO actually is. SEO is short for search engine optimization, and that pretty much says it all. This marketing strategy is centered on one sole purpose: to optimize your website for search engines. But what does this even mean, you ask.

When internet users visit Google or another search engine, 90% of the time they don’t have a specific website or URL in mind. These users are on the hunt for something, and they have a general idea of what that is. This general idea comes in the form of keywords, which are then typed into the search bar and Google spits out the top results.

In order for your site to show up as one of those top results, you need search engine optimization. Google uses a series of algorithms to rank web pages based on their value and relevance. There are many strategies involved in SEO to be seen as valuable and relevant in Google’s eyes, including things like keyword optimization, link authority, and valuable content throughout your website.

Why is SEO Important?

We’ve basically covered this, but let’s get into the specifics. Google as well as other search engines (but mainly Google) is the #1 resource for consumers. Consumers trust Google, maybe a bit too much, but what Google says often goes.

Studies show that if an internet user is searching for a specific product or service, that user will choose a company that shows within the first page of results 95% of the time. If you aren’t on the first page, you have very little chance of landing a new customer from organic internet searches.

The Time Frame for Seeing SEO Results

If you do end up hiring a professional to perform SEO for your website, try to be patient. Optimizing your site can not be done as a quick fix. It takes time, typically taking at least 3 months but it is more likely that you’ll see results after 6+ months of strong SEO practices.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below, or contact us at This Homemade Life!

The importance of a company’s reputation is often underestimated, until of course something happens to tarnish a once sterling reputation. If this has happened to your company, you and your fellow team members have probably been working frantically to clear that bad rep up to make it whole again.

Maybe you’ve even considered hiring professional reputation management services. Deciding on whether to go at reputation management alone or hire someone to help is the first step, and it’s not an easy decision to make. There are several factors to consider if you’re on the fence about it.

There’s a lot more involved than you’d think

There are a lot of moving pieces to reputation management and many factors involved that you might be surprised to hear about. Reputation management is all about getting your brand name out there to the public in the most positive way possible. This is done through several means, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as well as search engines like Google.

If you want to go about reputation management as successfully as possible, you’ll have to focus on all – rather than just one – of these moving pieces. A common mistake is to only set your sights on managing your social media rep, but there is so much more involved that just Facebook comments and criticisms.

Brand reputation management is time consuming

You might think that you can squeeze in a few of your newfound reputation management strategies and practices here and there, but it is technically a full time job. If you stay on top of it from the very beginning of your company’s creation, you might be able to handle it on your own. Otherwise, you’ll need someone working on it full time.

Experts know the importance of all 3 aspects of a brand’s reputation

The main misconception about reputation management is that it is only necessary in the face of a reputation-related crisis. This is not the case, not at all. In fact, even when your reputation is seemingly flawless, you still need to put some effort into reputation management practices. If you’re company is large enough and experiences high sales volume, you might even consider hiring a full-time staff member to specialize in reputation management.

Professionals understand that it isn’t just about fixing what has been broken, it is also about maintaining what’s already there – and building what isn’t. That said, there are 3 main aspects of solid brand reputation practices: build, manage, repair.

The first step is to build it up with practices like social media marketing and search engine optimization. Then you must maintain it with review management and strong customer support. In the face of a reputation crisis, rebuilding must be done so that your company’s profits don’t take a huge hit.

As you can see, implementing a reputation management strategy for your business it will be extremely difficult to do on your own. If you are a small business or just starting up, go ahead and give it a try. Otherwise, your best bet is to hire professionals to work their magic.

 

It doesn’t matter if you’re simply making a few changes to your current resume or creating one entirely from scratch, the task of resume writing can be extremely daunting. Luckily, you don’t need to go at it alone – there are dozens of reputable resume writing services to choose from.

The decision on which one you hire should not be one to take lightly, though. There can be some major disadvantages to hiring a service, especially if you choose one on a whim. It is important to do your research, and here’s why.

Not all resume writers are as qualified as they say

Don’t trust every single claim made by a resume writing service. Do your research to see if the agency employs qualified writers with college degrees. The top agencies require all of their writers to have at least a bachelor’s degree and also require certain certifications relating to resume writing to be obtained.

The fine print of a resume writing agency can be very misleading

It is common for a resume writing service to make promises, like guaranteeing that you’ll land an interview within 30, 60, or 90 days of hiring the service. However, always read the fine print to see if there are any specific stipulations or circumstances. Many companies come off as honest and sincere, but the fine print of the Terms and Conditions is riddled with things that go against their previously-made promises.

You might not need to hire a service at all

There are tons of perks to hiring a qualified resume writer, but there’s a good chance you don’t need to. Although the task can be very daunting, going at it alone is entirely possible as long as you meet this criteria:

• You are qualified for the position you’re applying to
• You have solid knowledge of language and grammar skills
• You are searching for a promotion or pay raise

If you are underqualified for the job, then you probably shouldn’t be applying to it. Keep in mind that a resume writer is not a miracle worker. No matter how great your resume is, you have to meet the necessary skills and qualifications of the job in question.

A major reason to hire a resume writing service is if you are lacking in the Language Skills department. Let’s face it, not every human is great at spelling, punctuation, or verb tense. If you fall within this category, writing a strong resume can be difficult. This is an instance when outsourcing the job is a good idea.

Another reason to hire a professional resume writer is if you are changing career paths or job titles all together. This means you might have to scrap your old resume and start from scratch. However, if you are just looking to move up in the same field or are in search of a pay raise, hiring a pro might not be a necessity. In this case, you simply need to make a few adjustments to your current resume to show your value within the industry.

For more career and business tips from This Homemade Life, click here!

As you’re probably aware it is possible to create videos using screen recording and by capturing video footage from your screen. However what you may not realize is the full scope of its potential, and the different types of videos that you can create using it.

To give you a better idea of what screen recording is capable of, there are a few ideas that you can use to create different types of business videos:

• How-to guides and tutorials

Undoubtedly the most popular type of video that businesses create using screen recording are video tutorials. The fact that screen recording can capture video footage from a screen will allow you to ‘show’ each step in the tutorial being performed if it involves digital products.

More often than not the video tutorials that businesses create are software-related, but they could include other types of digital products as well such as eBooks, online services, websites, digital art, and more.

Other similar videos can be created in this way as well, including product demonstrations or reviews.

• Expert interviews

Although expert interviews are mostly recorded face-to-face, screen recording provides an alternative that is more convenient: Capture expert interviews via video calls.

Not only is it easier to arrange such interviews, but the logistics involved and budget that is required will be more manageable. The only caveat is that you may need to take steps to improve the quality of the video call – on both ends.

• VODs of live videos

Many businesses nowadays are starting to create live video content and stream on Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks. With screen recording you can capture the live videos that you produce and publish them as VODs on other platforms – or repurpose them into other types of content.

It should be noted that on some livestreaming platforms it isn’t necessary to record the videos separately as there will be an option to download the VODs. However not all platforms provide that option, and so screen recording can be used to fill the gaps.

As you can see there are lots of ways that screen recording can be used as a tool to create business videos. The ideas listed above are really just the start however, but they should help you to see how varied its use can be.

If you don’t already have a screen recorder you could use Movavi Screen Recorder for Mac as a place to start. It will let you record streaming video Mac or capture video footage of digital products to create business videos. More importantly you’ll have full control over the recording parameters, including the capture frame, audio sources, volume levels, frame rate, and more.

At the end of the day screen recording can help you to create a diverse range of business videos quickly and easily. It is certainly less involved than it is to record conventional videos, and you will be able to come up with content reliably using it.

To read more on topics like this, check out the business category.