Where to Look for Ideas for Your New Video

Posted on June 12, 2021 by James Nagel

The creative process cannot be constant or incessant. People whose activity involves the creation of something new or unique are normally incapable of generating worthwhile ideas non-stop. They need time to recharge emotionally and renew mental energy. They need inspiration, which is a key to remaining creatively productive.

If you create content for your blog, business website, or YouTube channel, the chances are you’re familiar with the feeling of despair that emerges in your time of creative stupor. You may already have a topic to discuss, you may know what points you want to highlight, you may even know where to find royalty free sound effects for your video, but still can fail to get around to your project. There may be times when generating nice ideas and translating them into reality can be a real ordeal. But such temporary creative halts shouldn’t prevent you from producing engaging thumb-stopping content for your audience.

Below are some simple recommendations that can help you out in your time of need.

Get Inspired

There is no point in reveling in your inertia and waiting for inspiration to come. You should draw it from familiar sources.

First things first, check out the content recently made by the bloggers you consider successful or visit your rival’s business blogs for inspiration. Keeping abreast of the trends that dominate your areas of interest also can help you a lot. Learn what’s new in your industry, scroll through the news feeds to catch up on what you might have missed and take note of the most discussed topics or trending news. You can use this all to your advantage and finally come up with a new great video for your vlog.

Consider Your Audience

There is no point in reminding you how important your audience is. Any content you produce would be dead and meaningless unless viewed and appreciated by your target audience. It’s not necessary to ask your subscribers for ideas and inspiration (unless you feel like doing it.) In fact, if you’re lucky enough to have active subscribers that actively engage with your content, you may expect them to offer the best ideas for your upcoming video even without being asked.

What also won’t hurt is viewing again those videos that your audience enjoyed the most. And the best place to search for a new portion of inspiration for your new video is the Comments section or, possibly, your private messages. You can look through the fresh comments to learn what in particular interested your viewers or, vice versa, didn’t satisfy them. Your previous videos might have raised some questions with your audience or sparked heated discussions. You may want to expand on the topics discussed earlier or make a new video where you’ll be answering the questions or covering the most trending topics.

Groups and Communities

If you’re a member of a certain community or have a group on a social media platform like Facebook, you may try and look for inspiration there. Lots of people that do or like the same things as you can lead you in the right direction by simply mentioning some facts or touching on some trending topics. Surrounding yourself with creative and like-minded people can really do you some good. Within such groups and communities, they tend to cultivate the beneficial atmosphere of creative pressure and competition, which may spur you to come up with new ideas and topics on your own.

Broaden Your Horizons

Constant self-development and honing in on your professional achievements can be an inexhaustible source of inspiration for any artist. Those vloggers who evaluate their work, identify weaknesses and strengths, and take care to improve on their content tend to be more productive than their lackadaisical counterparts. And to be able to keep track of your progress, you should be ready to polish up your skills and enhance your knowledge. You should be well-versed not only in the topics you’re covering, but also video production and the art of blogging. To that end, you may want to sign up for online courses to boost your communication, presenting, or oratory skills. You can also get more experienced in using video editing tools or familiarize yourself with the latest vlogging trends if you find the right educational course.

And you can always learn from the best! Check out the vlogs of other influencers. Chances are good that many influencers in your area of expertise have powerful content that will inspire you to create better and more useful videos.

4 Reasons You Should Go For Improving Your SEO Instead Of Using Paid Ads

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Charlene Brown

In this digital age, digital marketing is significantly gaining popularity over other marketing channels. One of the most effective strategies of digital marketing is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is primarily concerned with improving the ranking of your website on different search engines which positively impacts the operations of your business. When users search for specific phrases, the quality of your keywords will determine the rank of your site. As a result, there are many benefits that you can obtain by utilizing this marketing strategy. Here are four reasons why you should prefer improving your SEO instead of using Paid Ads.

1. Improve Online Presence

If you are concerned with the success of your business during the current period, then you should improve your online visibility. Nowadays, many business transactions happen online, so you need to stay ahead of the competition by ranking higher in search results. When consumers want to purchase something, they first look for information about whatever can help them solve their problems.

Therefore, if your content includes unique keywords, you are likely to get more clicks. This will increase your ranking which in turn improves your online presence. You can stay ahead of the competition if your website constantly ranks high on search engine results pages. Different users have no time to waste scrolling various sites looking for the information they want.

2. Long Term Benefits

Paid Ads can provide excellent results within a few days, but SEO offers long-term rewards. The problem with Paid ads is that once the campaign ends, everything suddenly stops. If you live in Brisbane and you are concerned with attracting more leads and ultimately customers, you should consider using SEO to increase your sales. Professionals at Brisbane SEO explain that you can start to rank organically within a few weeks. Your site can continue to generate business for you over an extended period without paying any money. All you need to focus on is authority, relevance, and improved user experience to drive organic traffic to your site. The results for SEO can last several months or even a year if you constantly update your content.

3. SEO is Cost-Effective

While paid media can provide great results over a short time, SEO is an equally strong marketing tool that can do wonders for your business in the long run at a low cost. You do not need to pay for your website to rank high on search engines when you use the option of SEO. Organic rankings mainly depend on what a search engine’s algorithm chooses to be the best result for a particular query.

However, you need to invest in high-quality content if you want to drive organic traffic to your site. If you want to hire an SEO specialist, make sure they can provide quality content that can draw traffic to your site. The good thing is that you only make a once-off investment, and you will not experience recurring costs. However, you need to constantly update your content so that it remains relevant to the users.

4. SEO Aims to Attract Quality Traffic

SEO is an inbound marketing strategy which means that it is customer-oriented; the consumers will ultimately get what they want. On the other hand, Paid Ads constitute outbound advertising where the marketer tries to reach the consumers even if they do not want anything. Many customers find this method annoying since it is centered on the brand. This is why many people prefer SEO over Paid ads since they can use organic links to find the right information when they want it.

The consumer can get the relevant information through content marketing instead of Paid ads. According to research, more than 70% of the links that are clicked by users are organic. This shows the significance of having a site that ranks organically since users are likely to visit it. More visits to your site will help you to increase leads and conversions that can boost your sales.

If you own a business or you are a marketer, SEO is one of the most effective marketing strategies that you should consider. SEO is an essential component of any successful marketing strategy. It is primarily concerned with improving the ranking of your website on different search engine results pages. Simply put, this strategy drives organic traffic to your site which helps boost your sales. There are many reasons to focus on your SEO strategy over Paid Ads since it offers long-term benefits and improves your online visibility. This strategy is free and it allows you to offer high-quality content that can help people solve their problems.

What is the Most Effective Type of Marketing

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Allen Brown

In 2021, there is an unbelievable amount of marketing that is occurring through web-based technology. With platforms being able to offer a direct customer reach to market your business’s products and services, accessing the online market is essential if you’d like to stay relevant and competitive.

Cross-Channel Marketing

Any full-service marketing agency should be able to provide the traditional forms of marketing, such as print advertising and direct mail. However, modern businesses – even if it is a small business – should expand their marketing to target customers operating in a mostly digital space.

An introduction to the evolving landscape of marketing makes one thing very clear: it is never as simple as it looks from the outset. The various channels of marketing often fool those who are none the wiser, but the industry is complex. The broadened opportunities to advertise across traditional and digital channels have reshaped marketing altogether.

As we now know, the best marketing strategy ideally comprises traditional and digital solutions. Ad campaigns can cost you, so it’s important to be aware that your ability to invest will always depend on the budget of the company. Furthermore, your marketing needs – whether traditional or digital marketing – will be tailored to your business goals. Hence, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to marketing. If you’re starting your research into some effective strategies you’d like to put money into, here are a few of the top strategies being utilized across the industry.

Email Marketing

Did you know that running email campaigns is still one of the most effective marketing tools to date? Out of all marketing channels, email provides the greatest return on investment – an essential marketing metric that should convince any business owner of its power to produce leads and sales.

Defining the parameters of its effectiveness is also quite simple with email marketing, allowing you to quickly judge whether your campaigns are successful or not. With click-to-open rates, on average, as high as 30%, it is no wonder marketing agencies are pushing for companies to recognize the business potential of emailing!

Social Media Channels

The advent of social media has brought along with it some really innovative networking in our digital world. Companies who are accessing their customers through social media are reporting primarily that this marketing strategy is extremely cost-effective. As signing up to many of these networks are free, there is little investment – other than time and a small cash injection. This means that the return on investment is worthwhile pursuing.

Additionally, social media pages allow customers to interact directly with your company. Communicating with your followers increases brand engagement through more personal brand messaging. This results in increased brand loyalty from customers – individuals who become invested in your product or service through understanding more deeply the ethos and motivations behind your business. Here are a couple of the most effective social media channels.

Instagram

Though Instagram was only launched in 2010, it has revolutionized personal and business communication, providing unthinkable opportunities for lead generation overall. Just consider for a moment the potential of social media marketing on a platform with over a billion users…

Instagram’s features translate well into business engagement and growth. For instance, eCommerce features are now allowing small businesses to sell to their users directly through the platform. On the other hand, businesses can gain a major following simply by taking advantage of Instagram stories and their power to build engagement, loyalty, and brand love.

Are you Using LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has been around since 2002 but has grown to become the social media forerunner in B2B (business-to-business) lead generation. Many aspects make this social media channel unique, but the greatest asset as it relates to marketing and the power of business networking is that the number of decision-makers on the platform has surpassed 40 million. The fact that professionals and decision-makers in top levels of management are within direct reach of your marketing campaigns is one of the main reasons business professionals the world over are turning to LinkedIn.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO has become popular due to the sad reality that more than 90% of pages found online will never be accessed through a search engine, such as Google. What this marketing strategy enables is the improvement of your ranking on the internet. There are over 200 factors that Google and other search engines use to rank your web page, including the authority, trustworthiness, and expertise of your channel.

For those out of the know, it can be almost impossible to know exactly which factors to improve – and how. But, with the help of marketing specialists, SEO can be a realistic solution for your company’s needs.

Invest in Marketing

One of the most important factors in business development is your marketing strategy. Consulting a professional agency will provide your company with data-informed research and statistics around which channels of marketing are best suited to your business needs. Hereafter, you will need to decide on your budget – keeping return on investment at the forefront of this decision.

Regardless of which industry you are in or the size of your business, marketing is critical! And likely the most important take-away from this article should be that marketing should be multichannel or blended. In this way, you will reach customers through a combination of platforms.

Implement Well, then Expand

However, it is critical that each channel you promote can be powerful enough on its own. It is not good marketing through several channels, but not being effective with any of them… Perhaps start with one or two strategies and implement them well before expanding across several. In this way, you can ensure successful campaigns can be run through your primary or preferred strategy, after which you can scale up your marketing efforts.

Lastly, your team must stay in touch with shifts in your industry market, as well as marketing trends that could suit the style of customer communication your company depends on! Consult with a marketing agency to find the channels and strategies which will give you an edge over your competitors. Instead of a once-off mindset to marketing support, consider utilizing a marketing expert every quarter, annually, or simply as needed. In this way, you will constantly be pushing and growing your company’s potential.

Simplifying Digital Transformation at your Small Business

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Alexey Kutsenko

Digital transformation is critical to any business, as it helps them remain competitive in the marketplace and keep up with growing customer demand. Digital transformation allows small businesses to apply the right technology within a limited budget, resulting in a better customer experience and a more efficient enterprise.

If you don’t know how to simplify the digital transformation process for your business, having this article on hand as a guide will help you figure it out.

Digital Transformation: What Does it Mean?

The events of 2020-2021 have clearly revealed how important digital transformation is to business success in our rapidly changing society. The outbreak of the pandemic made it clear what features businesses should have to stay on their feet. According to Johnson & Johnson CIO Jim Swanson, “Digital is a loaded word that means many things to many people”. That’s why it’s hard to define digital transformation in today’s world. And yet digital transformation can be described as the integration of digital technologies that can cause changes in the customers’ mindset and provide them with more value.

As consumer expectations increased, the market competition increased as well. For small businesses, staying competitive means embracing digital transformation. Deloitte’s study states that 45% of companies reported a positive impact of digital transformation on business, and they also reported higher net revenue growth. As you can see, financial performance depends on the level of digital transformation tools used by SMBs in their operations. Hence, to thrive in a rapidly changing environment, SMBs should apply digital tools and concepts.

Why Digital Transformation Matters for SMBs in the Post-Covid-19 Times

One of the reasons why SMBs need to go digital is that they need to survive. Today, because of the Covid-19 outbreak, a lot of small businesses are experiencing supply chain disruptions that lead to unforeseen outcomes.

PwC states that 52% of companies plan to cut investments because of COVID-19, while only 9% of companies will make such cuts in the area of digital transformation. That’s why SMBs need to adapt to the ever-changing environment and incorporate the concepts of digital transformation across their businesses. Improving the customer experience is one of the main reasons to digitize your business. The pandemic contributed to the shift in consumer behavior towards online consumption. Under the pandemic, adopting evolving technologies can positively influence customer interactions and help keep SMBs productive.

Digital Transformation in Action: 5 Key Steps to Make it Simple

Develop a money-saving strategy when going digital

When switching to digital technologies, it is important to simplify the process and make it cheaper and easier. As SMBs cannot invest in digital transformation the way large companies do, a simple analytics tool can help integrate existing technology and therefore save money.

Also, customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the stages of digital transformation resulting in a high-performance business. With CRM, small businesses have a better chance to grow their forces. CRM providers usually offer cloud-based solutions for SMBs, resulting in affordable prices.

Identify weaknesses in your business and areas needed to be digitized

To go digital, SMBs must first identify business weaknesses. Identifying the areas that need to be digitized will help facilitate seamless collaboration between different business units. Each internal business unit is a small machine that has potential for improvement, while knowing the areas that need improvement will make your digitization more precise.

As a result, the system will bring all vital business programs into a single engine, allowing small businesses to get one step closer to delivering more value to their customers. Minimizing errors, automation and gradual digitalization will improve company efficiency and be the key to a successful transformation.

Allocate roles and responsibilities among employees

Many employees are not ready to accept the changes related to the digital future of business and oppose the idea of digital transformation. For this reason, the leader of a small or mid-sized business must deal with employees’ fears and doubts. But it’s often the case that business leaders lack the energy to talk to their employees, drive change, and inspire people to innovate. In this case, they can hire a third-party digital transformation specialist or assign digital transformation responsibilities to existing employees.

And while large enterprises can go this way and find consulting firms to manage digital transformation, small businesses don’t have the budget for such innovation. Instead, they can use simple analytics solutions that allow them to make the transition to digital transformation incrementally.

Empower employees with data and advanced technology

Focusing on cutting-edge technology and tools is one of the most important challenges facing SMB executives:

Providing your employees with accurate information and data can help grow your business;
Careful research and proper processing of information can positively impact your interactions with customers, employees and partners because it can lead to the satisfaction of all stakeholders;
Accurate data combined with advanced technology can help create in-demand products.

At the same time, data is becoming increasingly complex, making it difficult for small businesses to use it effectively. Simple digital tools are the way to go. They can help you gather useful analytics that you can share with your stakeholders, making decision-making easier. Meanwhile, investing in machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies will allow you to leverage a wide range of data in the future, helping to increase the digitalization of your business.

Cooperate with tech partner to be one step ahead of competitors

Small businesses often lack the budget to hire a large digital transformation team. That’s why outsourcing some technical tasks will be an effective option. Executives should look for qualified consultants who have experience with SMB digitalization, as small businesses have their specific challenges and issues that need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Highly specialized experts can help identify areas that will show the best return on investment (ROI), they will present technologies that are right for your business and show how effective they can be for you. In addition, digital consultants can help employees by training them to use innovative technology solutions to digitize your business.

Final Thoughts

Today, in a pandemic environment, many world-class consultants recommend digital transformation as the most important step for every business to stay afloat and succeed in the future. In addition, advanced analytics and simple IT solutions can fit into every small business’ budget. Outsourcing some IT tasks will also help the digital transformation of your business be effective and profitable.

All of this, along with simplifying the digitization process for SMBs, will provide ample opportunity to meet new goals and overcome technological challenges.

Alexey Kutsenko is the Head of Digital Marketing of DDI Development company. He is experienced in the development of the marketing strategy for companies in different industries. He knows how to do the right marketing and watches all current marketing and industry trends.

Finding a Fulfilling Career Through STEM

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Carol Trehearn

Waking up every day to tackle the requirements of a job description that no longer interests nor fulfills you can put you in an upsetting position.

Despite how many people would have it said, the prospect of work does not have to be consistently stress-inducing, particularly if you find yourself doing a job you find truly meaningful.

Most employees do not actively despise their jobs, however, yet not hating work is a vastly different concept to feeling positively fulfilled by it.

If this is beginning to sound relatable, it might be worth thinking about the wealth of opportunities offered up through a STEM career.

What’s so Great About STEM?

The subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math can often provide the means by which real change is brought about in society, so it might be argued that there is no shortage in the way of fulfilling career prospects to be explored in the field.

From healthcare solutions and data analysis to chemical engineering and academia, positive change is usually driven by dedicated individuals who, at one point, might have no idea how fulfilling their career would turn out to eventually be!

If you happen to possess an unrelenting desire to get yourself to the forefront of technological innovation, or even just a little interest in why a cool electronic gadget works the way it does, you likely own a similar mindset to the one belonging to the modern inventor.

The number of industries that STEM graduates can thrive in is close to unbelievable, so whatever your particular skill set happens to be, there will probably be an opening with your name written all over it.

What do You Need to Succeed?

Suppose you can take an analytical approach to solve problems. In that case, you thrive on working in a team of like-minded colleagues, and you have a great understanding of math and science, then you will no doubt find an area of work in which you can fully apply your diverse range of skills.

An appetite for learning and a desire to develop your professional skills at every possible turn can also be incredibly helpful. Standing at the limits of human knowledge as a simple part of your day job will quite possibly require you to keep your brain thirsting for more information.

If you ever find yourself lost in the pages of a spellbinding new science article, this is great news, as possessing a natural affinity for seeking out modern technological developments and discoveries can mean you have a curious mind. Curiosity, communication, and the ability to always ask “how?” and “why?” can sometimes be the tools that build the best answers to familiar problems.

Changing Direction Through Online Learning

In recent years, moving online has been the flavor of the day in many aspects of modern life; and education is no different.

Online learning can offer hopeful students a top-class education, complete with all the flexibility and freedom they require to complete the course in their own time.

This can be an exciting prospect for anyone who wishes to take up a STEM education alongside their current career, which may not have been a possibility in the past.

Advanced degrees are also available for people who have a decent amount of experience in the relevant fields. Sometimes, a qualification is all that is needed to open up brand new avenues of career possibilities.

To get an idea of what to expect from a high-quality online degree, you may want to check out an engineering management blog, as this can give you some first-hand insight into the matter.

Which Career Path is Right for You?

Individuals skilled in STEM subjects will undoubtedly possess a host of transferrable skills that will apply to a range of fields, so it might be worth thinking about which of life’s many dimensions has you most interested, as this can help narrow down your search. A few ideas might include:

The Natural World -If the natural world captures your attention with its enigmatic allure, a job as a conservation biologist can be an immensely fulfilling pursuit. Biology is a diverse field that spills over into a host of essential industries, including healthcare and ecology.
Big Data – The ever-growing data mine that is the digital realm can be an interesting area to explore for anyone with a love for numbers and an analytical brain. If you can recognize a pattern in a thunderstorm of information, you may be able to start seeing solutions to problems that were hidden in plain sight all along.
Engineering – Have you ever taken apart a product to see if you could put it back together? If so, you may have the traits necessary to start a promising career in engineering. From building airplanes and bridges to cars and computers, engineers are often at the cutting-edge of technology.
Finance – Investment banking can provide a highly lucrative job for a math fanatic, as can consultancy, and since mathematics is also the language of the universe, a job as a physicist might also be ideal.

It might even be worth taking a look around your immediate vicinity and seeing which gadgets you have lying around because if they interest you or help you out in anyway, it is useful to note that a STEM graduate possibly had a hand or two in making them a reality.

There are many more fields worth exploring, and ultimately what makes your career a fulfilling one will be down to what you personally value the most out of work. For many, a job they love doing will add new meaning and purpose to the way in which they define the regular working day.

Nurturing Your STEM Skillset

Nurturing any skillset takes perseverance and time, and you can start doing so right now! Reading as much as possible is one of the many keys to success, from books to blogs and everything in between.

Another great way to nurture any given skillset is get involved with the community, forums and online community pages can be good in this area, and you might always make some lasting connections that can help you on your journey towards a new and more fulfilling career.

5 Reasons CB Radio is Still a Powerful Communication Tool when on the Road

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Kyle Bachmann

CB (citizen’s band) radios are not just for truck drivers. There are several situations where CB can be a great communication tool, and we are going to go over some of those uses. That being said, CB radio is so much more than a tool for emergencies. The possibilities when it comes to using a CB on a road trip are truly endless. Some of the best CB radio models can be found here.

Large Groups

Whether you are traveling with friends or family, you will stay in touch with each other using CBs. Instead of calling every one individually, you can say who is with you and announce that you are leaving. If someone needs to wait for that one person or stop at a specific place along the way, you can let everyone know as well. When the group is split into cars, you can tell them to jump in the car with you at certain locations because you want to get there as quickly as possible or have time to explore together.

It is Still Relevant

Although cellphones have become more popular as a means of communication on the road, many rural areas are not covered in cell service. So, if you are unfortunate enough to be driving in an area where cell phone service is non-existent, you can count on your CB radio to be there for you.

You Can Talk to Other Drivers

CBs are already in use on the road, so you don’t need to convince other drivers to use theirs.

You can talk with them while you’re both in motion or pull over and talk when you park for a rest stop or in case of emergency. It’sIt’s common practice to make friends with drivers whom you regularly see at the same time and place each day. This will only help you become more open and helpful to those drivers who may need help.

They are a Lot Better than 10-10 Codes

Much of the communication over CB is still done via 10-10 codes, but there are people in this world who still do not know what a 10-10 code is. Even if you have never used these codes in your life, a lot of the time you can guess what someone is trying to say based on the context of their question or statement.

A CB Radio can Help You Find Out About Traffic Jams!

7 AM traffic on the 405 and 101 freeways. Traffic jams are never fun, and they are often hard to predict. However, if you have your CB radio nearby, you can find out about traffic ahead. For example, ask other drivers if they can see a jam in front of them, or you can listen to a trucker nearby and see how much traffic they are encountering.

Self-Reliance

When you drive alone on the open road, you are self-reliant. Being self-reliant is a good thing – it means that you can fix things when they go wrong. A CB radio is a great communication tool, but it also allows you to communicate to self-reliant Americans who will help you out.

A CB Radio is Convenient.

You can carry a CB radio in your glovebox and talk with other people who are nearby. This is true even when cell phones don’t work or don’t have service CB radios transmit on their channel, so they work even in areas where your cell phone does not).

4 Good Reasons Why Starting A Business Might Be The Right Thing For You

Posted on June 11, 2021 by Charlene Brown

Deciding to start a business is going out on a limb and taking a leap of faith. It’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s a risk, and it’s also full of potential. If you’re ready to take that all on, then don’t hesitate. Being your own boss and the owner of your company is a tremendous responsibility, one that is fulfilling in ways that a lot of other things in life don’t compare to.

There are tricks and tips to help you make your business successful and the financial gain is something that you’ll be proud of, eventually. If you still aren’t confident in the idea, here are four good reasons you should start a business.

4 Good Reasons Why You Should Start A Business

Starting a business may be the purpose you’ve been searching for your whole life. You might not see it in the beginning and certainly not during the hard months of bringing it all together. But, there will come a day when you will see the fruit of your hard work.

Getting started is also not as hard as you may be led to believe. Filling your legal documents and getting the proper registration and business licenses are relatively simple. If you don’t have the time or want to have a professional help you, there are companies for that. Read the incfile review to weigh out whether their service will work for you. These types of companies are great for those new to the process and those that simply don’t have the time or knowledge.

Now that you know how simple the paperwork is, here are a few other reasons why you should start a business.

1. Motivating

When you’re working for someone else, finding motivation can be like trying to find a single grain of sand. You know within yourself that even when you do your best; the person benefiting from your efforts and talents isn’t you. That isn’t to say that employers are monsters (if all goes well you’ll be an employer soon enough). Rather, it is the reality of not being your own boss. Your talents aren’t being used to grow yourself and your own business when you work for someone else.

Owning your own business will motivate you and push you to do and be the best that you can. You’re doing it for yourself at that point. There is no security net like you would have with a salaried job.

2. Financial Independence

Another reason to start your business is the financial independence that it will afford you. Once you’ve established a reputation and built a clientele, you’ll start to see good returns on your investment. There is also the control of your paycheck. You can decide on how much you’re going to make. This is something you wouldn’t have in a traditional career path.

Something you should take note of is the potential to scale your yearly income. When you own your own business, there is no limit to what the company can bring each day, week, month, or year. Your business can go from a small home-based operation to large cooperation with branches around the world.

3. Enhance Creativity

One thing you will find is an increase in your creativity. When issues come up, you’ll find yourself problem-solving in some of the most creative ways. You’ll also see your business with a child’s eyes. A lot of the projects you’ll come up with are things you’d have never considered working at your current job.

You’ll want to create and find ways to make your business stand out. This is a wonderful benefit.

4. Control Your Life and Schedule

Probably the best reason to start your own business is freedom. You will have complete control of your life and schedule. You can work when you want, take breaks when you need, and overall schedule your daily life in a way that works best for you. You’ll have the freedom to do a lot more of the things that you are interested in. This is why many are choosing to be their own boss.

Knowing that each day brings with it new challenges, new victories, creative avenues, and the chance to be better than you were the day before, why wouldn’t you start your own business. Truthfully, it is for people that have a drive and want to be the captain of their own path. Starting your own business will help you mature and you’ll discover skills you’ve been blind to. Once you find your purpose in your life and career, it’s hard to return to working for someone else. Go out there and just start.

Loan Interest Rates Dynamic Overview For 2021

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Andrei Sobalevich

2021 is likely to experience relatively low and stable interest rates, especially after the pandemic dominated 2020. Experts predict that rates will stay low for the year, even though the economy faces significant risks and inflation.

Furthermore, the Federal Reserve has stated that to promote recovery, they will not raise rates until 2023. You can check the average interest rates for various financial products, including mortgages, credit cards, and personal loans on Myfin.us.

2020 was a roller coaster ride. The pandemic created havoc, forcing extensive lockdowns throughout the U.S., pushing the economy into recession. Fortunately, the Fed acted proactively, introduced emergency rate cuts, established various lending facilities, and increased its debt purchases to facilitate credit to individuals who needed it. As a result, markets stabilized, stocks surged, and debt prices firmed up.

Experts now predict that in 2021 rates will be range-bound. In particular, rates controlled by the Fed. The current economic environment also indicates that the interest rates for student and personal loans will likely stay low in 2021.

Mortgage Rate Outlook for 2021

For 2021, Mortgage rates are have started low and are expected to move up gradually. Since most interest rates slid in 2020, mortgage rates were not an exception. This has made houses more affordable and increased demand.

However, 2021 may become a volatile year for mortgage rates. With the widespread vaccination programs leading to robust economic activity, mortgage rates have quickly rebounded significantly. So, investors who want to take advantage of the low mortgage rates should act sooner rather than later in the year.

When it comes to existing home equity lines, there is good news for homeowners. They need not worry about rates increasing as Fed intends to keep them extremely low in the short term. New borrowers can get lower rates by year-end as lenders are expected to come up with new offers

Credit Card Interest Forecast for 2021:

Unlike other financial products, Credit card rates are expected to climb. Credit card rates are behaving surprisingly in these uncertain times. Though the underlying rates are rising, the unusual behavior of credit card rates illuminates a paradox where some individuals are doing well while others are suffering.

You do not have to worry about the changing interest rates for existing cardholders because the Fed plans to stick with current level benchmark interest rates throughout 2021.

And as far as interest rates for new cardholders are concerned, defaults and delinquencies will result in a divergent forecast. The exact rates will move both up and down by taking into account the perceived risk and or creditworthiness of the individual.

Card Issuers can increase the rates for consumers with bad credit and high debt to mitigate the risk factor. However, at the same time, issuers are offering lower rates and better rewards to attract individuals with strong credit.

Personal Loans Interest Rate Forecast for 2021

Personal loan rates slid their lowest in 2020 because of the COVID-19 economic crisis. To provide some relief, the Federal Reserve drastically reduced interest rates, and fortunately, the low rates are likely to stay in 2021 as well.

Interest rates are expected to be steady this year. This means the interest rates are likely to be stable for 2021. Some say the rates will remain low and stable for the next few years.

The competition among lenders is likely to increase shortly. So, there is a possibility that high credit, quality borrowers will get more attractive interest rates and more generous terms due to their lower risk of default.

That being said, credit availability for individuals with bad credit does not seem to change much in 2021. For such borrowers, lenders have reduced their offerings significantly. As a result, it may take well over a year for a complete recovery until the lenders feel comfortable giving more credit to risky borrowers.

To Sum Up:

To make sound financial decisions, you will need to have a clear-cut idea about where you are in the economic cycle and what the coming year will bring to you. For instance, if you’re looking to take advantage of low mortgage rates, you need to act with diligence to avoid missing out.

80% of Businesses in 2021 Want Chatbots – Here is Why

Posted on June 10, 2021 by Cecilia Zisengwe

As a business owner, it is prudent to operate in a way that is aligned with the prevailing business climate. One such way to do this is to consistently upgrade the technology you use in your product life cycle and the use of Chatbots is a worthy avenue to pursue. They are not a new technology but their popularity has increased because of the results they have yielded.

Let’s take the Publix weekly ad as our case study. Say you want to order a ready-made meal under $10. You have a number of options; the chicken tender whole sub for $6.99, or simply fresh salads at $7 for two, among others. You have to browse through all the pages to see if there’s anything else within your range and that may take a while. A chatbot becomes handy because it can be programmed to ask you all the relevant questions and offer you the best option in a few seconds.

There are a number of benefits to using chatbots and we will give you some of them below.

1. Instant Customer Service

Chatbots are available 24/7/365, therefore queries or questions raised by your customers are immediately attended to. They are not subject to human emotion as well, hence where an agent or the customer may lose their patience, the chatbot is consistent in how it works. The chatbot being always online also means that your customer will not experience any delays, leading to their increased satisfaction. Considering that the chatbot is limited in the detail it gives, it can pass on information to agents to further handle a query for the customer. How much communication it gives is dependent on how you have programmed it.

2. Data Collection for Marketing

A chatbot can be set up in such a way as to collect customer information while they are being assisted. This way, you can make up mailing lists for potential customers and have a higher chance of making a connection with them. The chatbot is able to pull up customer purchase or browsing history on your website or app. This allows it to make product suggestions that are suited to the customer’s interests. This process will also make it easier when sending the customer marketing information via email as it will be based on their interests only, removing the irritation of receiving irrelevant mail.

3. They Can Help Reduce Operational Costs

The use of chatbots can reduce the costs associated with hiring customer service agents that will be available 24/7/365 and training them. Chatbots can be the first place of contact for the customer. Research has shown that a lot of queries received from customers are general and can be handled by the chatbot. The more complex issues can then be directed to agents.

4. They Meet Customer Expectations

A properly designed chatbot with the right language and appropriate responses will deliver exceptional customer service. Customers want to be assisted immediately with as little fuss as possible, and the chatbot can deliver on this mandate. Purchases can also be finalized on the chatbot, reducing the need to leave the chat and go back to another page on the website. Streamlining this process means it works faster, leading to better customer satisfaction.

There are many other benefits to using chatbots; you will need to make it as relatable as possible. Tailor it to your market and ensure it uses the language your customers will understand.

Top 3 Methods to Migrate Emails from Thunderbird to Outlook

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Kelly Singh

Outlook and Thunderbird are popular email clients used by individuals, professionals, and businesses for email communication. Thunderbird is an open-source email client that stores the mailbox data in MBOX files at a default location. In comparison, Outlook uses the OST and PST file formats to store the mailbox items.

Outlook does not support the MBOX format. Thus, to migrate emails from Thunderbird email client to Outlook, you must convert the Thunderbird MBOX files to PST format using an MBOX to PST converter software.

On the other hand, there are a few manual ways to migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook. However, they aren’t recommended when you need to migrate the entire mailbox from Thunderbird to Outlook due to their limitations.

Methods to Migrate Emails from Thunderbird to Outlook

We’ve discussed below the top three methods to migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook.

1. Use MBOX to PST Converter Software

An MBOX to PST converter software, such as Stellar Converter for MBOX, is the most reliable way to migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook with 100% consistency and without any risk of data loss.

It not only helps you migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook but also other mail items, such as contacts, attachments, calendar, journals, notes, contacts, etc.

The steps are as follows:

• Download and install Stellar Converter for MBOX on your system where Thunderbird is installed. You may also install the software on ‘other’ system, but you will need to transfer the MBOX files from the default location to the system.

• After installation, launch the software and select Thunderbird from the options.

• Click on ‘Select Identity’ to choose the folder containing Thunderbird MBOX files. The default path is C:/Users/YourProfileName/%AppData%\Thunderbird\

Or you can select individual MBOX files using the ‘Select File’ button.

• After selecting the MBOX file or Identity folder, click ‘Convert.’

• After scan and conversion, the software displays a three-pane preview window. You can click on any email to see its preview and verify it before migrating it to Outlook. This also helps you filter out emails that aren’t required.

• Select the required emails you want to migrate from Thunderbird to Outlook and click the ‘Save Converted File’ button under the ‘Home’ menu.

• From the Save As options, choose New PST and click ‘Next.’

• Click ‘Browse’ to select a location where you want to save the converted Thunderbird MBOX emails in PST format and then click ‘Save.’

The software will save the Thunderbird emails in PST format. Now you can import the PST file into your Outlook profile via Outlook Import/Export Wizard in Windows or Mac and complete the email migration from Thunderbird to Outlook.

2. Drag and Drop Emails from Thunderbird to Outlook

Although this is one of the easiest methods to migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook, it requires more time and is only recommended when you need to transfer a few emails. The steps are as follows:

1.Open Thunderbird and create a ‘New Folder’ on the Desktop or any other location.

2.Select the emails you want to migrate from Thunderbird to MS Outlook. Use the Shift or CTRL key to select multiple emails at a time.

3.Then drag and drop the emails to the ‘New Folder.’

Save Thudnerbird mails as EML files and export them to Outlook

4.This saves the emails in EML format, which you can open in Outlook or drag and drop them to Outlook email folder.

Drag and drop Thunderbird email files to Outlook folder

Limitations:

• The migrated emails open in a new window in Outlook when you double-click.

• If you try to transfer multiple emails at once with this drag and drop method, it can cause Outlook to crash, leading to Outlook data file corruption.

• You need to manually create new folders in the Outlook profile to ensure folder hierarchy.

• Emails or attachments transferred or migrated may fail to open.

• Requires significant efforts and time when you need to transfer hundreds or thousands of emails from Thunderbird to Outlook.

3. Migrate Thunderbird Emails to Outlook via Gmail (IMAP) Account

This method is recommended when you need to migrate multiple emails from Thunderbird to MS Outlook. However, you need to enable the IMAP settings in your Gmail account. The steps are as follows:

• Add a new Gmail account in Thunderbird and add the same Gmail account in MS Outlook.

• In Thunderbird, select the emails or email folders you want to migrate to Outlook and then drop them to the Gmail Inbox folder or create a new one and then drop the emails.

• Copy all the emails you want to migrate to Outlook using the above step and then wait for Gmail to sync the emails. This can take a while, based on your internet speed.

• Now on your Outlook, refresh the Outlook window. You will see the Gmail folder containing the Thunderbird emails.

• You can now drag and drop those emails or the complete email folder from Gmail to your Outlook profile.

This will migrate emails from Thunderbird profile to Outlook profile.

Limitations:

• Not all attachments are migrated as Gmail limits attachments.

• It is time-consuming as the emails synchronize from Thunderbird to the Gmail server and then again to your Outlook profile.

• Migrated emails may not open and you may not find all emails.

• Folder hierarchy is lost.

• Gmail offers limited storage and, thus, not suitable when your mailbox is large.

To Wrap Up

Although manual methods can help you migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook, you should use them only when migrating a few emails. However, you can overcome the limitations of manual methods by using Stellar Converter for MBOX software. It keeps the original folder hierarchy and tree structure intact and helps migrate unlimited Thunderbird emails to Outlook, along with all attachments, with complete precision. So, if you are looking to migrate emails from Thunderbird to Outlook, use MBOX to PST converter tool as explained in the first method. The software’s Technician version also allows you to directly migrate emails from Thunderbird to Office 365 (Outlook 365).

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