Author: Scott Asai

Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career

Earning While You’re Learning

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If there is one thing that all students can relate to it is the financial struggle they experience while they go about getting the qualifications they require for their dream job. No matter whether you are going to university or you are doing a one-off course, you can still earn while you learn. Here are some of the options available to you…

Choose a course that involves some form of payment

There are lots of different options available for people who want to get an education or learn skills while they are earning at the same time. You can get paid while training for CDL, for instance. You can also take one of the many apprenticeships that are available. You don’t have to go to university to get the qualifications you need! Other options can mean qualifications and income in one.

Become a nanny

Another way to earn while you learn is to become a nanny. A lot of students decide to become a live-in nanny, which means they can take a training course and then during the rest of the time they can help a family and earn some money in the process. Of course, this is better designed for older students, as you will need to have some expertise regarding working with children.

When applying to join a nanny agency there are several things that you need to be aware of in order to give yourself the best possible chance of being accepted as part of the agency’s team. First and foremost, you need to recognize that whilst work experience and qualifications are usually the be all and end all when applying for jobs, being a nanny revolves around so much more. It is your personality that is likely to be judged more than anything because your employers will trust you with their children and allow you to live in their home. Make sure that you appear friendly and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through – this is encouraged.

It is also important to show all sides of you. If you have certification or qualifications which are unrelated to childcare then still include them. The more you have to offer, the better, because it shows that you have many depths to you. You may think the fact that you took a six-week art course is irrelevant, but the family may see that it means you are a creative person, that you are independent, that you have character and that you can help their child with their art homework or entertain them with drawing together. In addition to this, useful skills – such as having a clean driver’s license or being trained in first aid – make a wealth of difference and so it is recommended that you attain these if you have not already.

Earn money online

Another option for people that want to earn some money while they learn is to make money online. There are a number of different ways you can go about this. You could, for example, sign up to paid survey websites. This won’t make you rich but it can boost your monthly income.

You can also do freelance jobs. There are many different websites whereby you can apply for freelance jobs that are available, for example, People Per Hour is a popular choice. From writing and translation to software development and admin, there are many different types of freelancing jobs. If you have a skill that can be delivered over the web, this is definitely worth considering.

Work Safety – A Few Things to Consider

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When you are setting up your own business, health and safety might not be the most exciting part. However, making sure that your employees are safe and healthy is paramount to your overall successes.

The vast majority of accidents should be easy to avoid with careful attention to detail. Just as a workers’ compensation lawyer about the number of daft incidents they have dealt with and you will see how simple it is to prevent most accidents.

Provide Proper Training

Proper health and safety is best achieved through training. This might be on the job training or it could be that you send your employees on an away day. If you can, you should encourage your employees to apply for further qualifications to better their understanding of their job and the health and safety involved. The better the training you provide, the better your employees will perform and the safer they should be.

Some businesses may be legally required to provide some training to their employees. Manufacturing companies in particular should be careful to ensure that they are in line with legal guidelines as the consequence of an accident on the shop floor could be catastrophic. Looking at the legal requirements of the industry should be one of the first things you do when you are planning a new business.

Create a Health and Safety Policy

Though a standard health and safety policy might work fine for an average business, the best thing to do is tailor your policy to suit your particular needs. Every business will need to factor in different things. For example, if you are a manufacturer, you will have a different health and safety policy to your average office setting.

Writing a health and safety policy is usually about looking at the risks in the workplace and then creating a plan to either prevent an issue arising or to ensure that you have a process in place to deal with a problem when it does happen. For example, you might identify wet floors as a risk and choose to put out wet floor signs.

You should never write a health and safety policy just once. This is a document that should be reviewed and revised regularly to ensure that it keeps up with the fast pace of your workspace.

Encourage Staff to Report Issues

Sometimes, employees can feel awkward about reporting health and safety issues because they might be worried about the problem reflecting badly on themselves or colleagues. This should definitely not be the case and everyone will be safer if you encourage your employees to speak up about worries.

Once your staff have reported an issue, you must then show that you are going to act on their tip. While you may not be able to eliminate every risk, making people more aware of potential hazards is the minimum you can do.

However boring you might think health and safety is, it is crucial that you get it right. A safe working environment is the most productive environment.

Tech’ Your Career Earnings To The Next Level With These 10 Top Tips

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Modern technology has changed almost every imaginable aspect of our lives, not least when it comes to our careers. If you want to get ahead in this world, then, embracing the latest facilities is vital.

Here are 10 simple ways to ensure that you make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

#1. Discover The Best Paid Opportunities 

The internet is an incredible tool that can be used for research purposes in a whole range of situations. However, there’s no doubting that your career is one of the main beneficiaries. A little research goes a long way, not least when it comes to discovering the best job vacancies currently out there.

Job boards are available both as generic sites or as industry-specific domains. Meanwhile, using social platforms like LinkedIn can be hugely beneficial. It allows you to make winning connections with other professionals. After all, it’s often who you know that truly matters in business, which is why this may unlock the door to new opportunities.

It’s not all about the salary, though. If planning to relocate, it’s vital that you consider living costs and other features. When you give every aspect the attention it deserves, however, making a smarter decision for the good of your career should be easy.

#2. Save Money On Key Business Purchases

If you run a business, it’s easy to focus fully on the idea of making money and revenue. In reality, though, managing the overheads is an equally crucial ingredient in the recipe for success. With a little online research, it’s possible to significantly reduce the expenses in a host of different scenarios.   

Price comparison sites can be used to trim the fat from office rentals, energy rates, and insurance quotes in no time. Searching around for contractors and people that will provide a short-term service can work wonders too. If they can provide the same service at a cheaper price, it can only have a positive impact on the business.   

In turn, those savings can be used to pay yourself a better salary. Alternatively, it can be reinvested to help accelerate the progress of your business. This will naturally aid your long-term personal situation too.

#3. Invest In Your Academic Development

It’s one of the oldest phrases in the book, but there is no denying that ‘the more you learn, the more you’ll earn’. While many people would love to go back to college, it’s not always possible to fit this around other life commitments. Thankfully, this needn’t put an end to your aspirations of gaining the qualifications needed to progress your career.

Distance learning through online degrees is an increasingly common option. Aside from the opportunity to further your development at a pace to suit your lifestyle, it’s a great way to embrace autonomy. Furthermore, the ability to study in your own surroundings is a major blessing. The time saved through removing the need to travel can be invested in other areas too.

The financial benefits aren’t the only reward to consider, either. Knowledge is power, and the new skills will give you a serious boost of confidence. With the right mindset, your hopes of achieving those long-term goals is greater than ever.

#4. Learn To Use Modern Tech

Developing new skills in your chosen field can be a great starting point for furthering your career. However, there’s no escaping the fact that the modern business world relies heavily on the use of computer tech. Going the extra mile to strengthen your understanding of the facilities and software that may be needed can boost your prospects.

In today’s climate, learning to use cloud computing is almost essential. Meanwhile, learning to use modern POS terminals or 3D printing may work wonders too. It all depends on the industry and specific pathway that you wish to follow. Nonetheless, embracing those modern facilities can give you an advantage over other candidates. This will not go unnoticed.

Besides, when you do land the dream job, this knowledge will help you achieve more. In turn, this could enable quicker progress, resulting in faster promotions and ways of earning more money. Persisting with outdated traditional working methods simply won’t do.

#5. Seek External Opportunities 

Your job or business venture will always be the primary source of income. As such, it should take priority at all times. Nevertheless, you won’t want to limit your earning potential to the 40 hours where you’re in the office. With a little help from modern tech, it’s possible to earn money away from your main work. In some cases, your finances can grow even while you sleep.

Cryptocurrencies have made big headlines in recent times. However, the real estate market remains the one where steady profits are most likely. This is especially true when you invest in properties Malaysia and other growing markets have to offer. Even when you play a fairly inactive role in the investment, there’s every chance that it will produce a significant earnings boost.

It’s always good to have several plates spinning at once as at least some of them should bring positivity. Aside from giving you a heightened sense of stability in the short-term future, it can work wonders for the long-term situations. Modern tech allows you to manage them with ease.

#6. Understand Other Long-Term Savings

Whether you’re 20 or 60, it’s never too early or late to start thinking about retirement. After all, this time is approaching far sooner than you’d like to admit. Establishing a financial safety net for the future is one of the key attributes for long-term financial stability. Once again, the benefits of using modern tech to unlock the best solutions are truly incredible.

It’s very tempting to take the first savings account or pension plan that comes your way. However, simply reading this guide to pensions can help you make educated decisions. Even a 1% change will make a huge difference over the course of a few years. For the sake of doing your homework in advance of confirming your choices, the rewards are vast.

You can further enhance the situation by finding out more about various workers’ entitlements that may be on offer. When supported by ideas that make your money work harder in the short-term, there’s no doubt that your financial health will be better than ever.

#7. Upgrade Productivity With Your Smartphone

In previous generations, your working day started and ended when you arrived at the office. Nowadays, your pocket holds one of the most incredible and powerful tools imaginable. When used well, your smartphone can completely transform the way you handle business matters. And that’s irrespective of whether you’re an employee or employer.

Smartphones can do so much more than use emails or make calls. It’s possible to run social media marketing campaigns, complete admin tasks, and monitor productivity with ease. Alternatively, you can use team messaging Apps to manage the team and ensure that things are running smoothly.   

Many people use this as their time to run a side hustle. Even if these ideas only earn a small amount of revenue to start with, they could grow into something more lucrative. Even if it remains a relatively humble source of revenue, it’s still a great way to help maximize your overall earnings.   

#8. Sell Yourself

Whether you wish to seek employment elsewhere or try to gain a raise at your current employer, selling yourself is key. Convincing your boss to increase your salary (or another company to take you on) isn’t easy. With a little help from modern tech devices, however, it may be possible to give your hopes of success a serious boost.

There are many ways to embrace this. From paying for an expert resume writing service to creating a portfolio website, the possibilities are endless. When the supportive features promote your qualities in a way that helps you stand out from the crowd, employers will take note. Once you’ve gained that platform, it’s your job to grab that opportunity with both hands.

Aside from actively boosting your selling points, you can conduct valuable research. If similar roles at other companies in the local area pay a better salary, this info can be used as a tool to persuade bosses that you are deserving of more.

#9. Use Automation

Time is money, and modern tech can help you make the most of it. Let computers, machinery, and other features do the hard work for you. In turn, you’ll be able to spend your time in a far more efficient fashion. In addition to using your time more wisely, this step can remove some of the more mundane business tasks.

Automation can take many forms, some of which have been mentioned above. Contract management is particularly useful for business owners and contractors. When using those facilities, it’s important to choose solutions that notify you of issues that require a response. This is when automation is at its very best, because it means smoother operations.

A smoother operation is the key to maximizing your time efficiency. If that doesn’t allow you to earn more money throughout your career – as an employer or employee – nothing will.

#10. Get Organized

It’s a little obvious, but using schedules and other simple tools will transform your entire career. Not least with regards to earnings.  

Giving Your E-Commerce Startup The Best Chance

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E-commerce is expanding and evolving at a fast pace; customers are choosing to shop online, instead of visiting a physical store, at a higher rate every year. However, for many online retailers, maintaining a steady flow of consumer traffic is becoming more of a challenge due to new brands being launched, and tempting in customers, every day. For your business to stand out, and to effectively convert traffic into sales; you’ll need to implement as many practical and efficient processes as possible. Whether you’re turning your side-hustle into a dream full-time job, or you’ve taken the plunge, and invested in your new business wholeheartedly; it’s worth taking some time to polish up those crucial areas so that you can flourish as a company online. The following are some areas to consider if your business needs time and investment to give your sales a boost.

Straightforward Processes

You need to focus your attention on how smoothly and efficiently your business is running. Saving time and unnecessary effort on everyday tasks will save you cash in the long run and ensure that your processes run smoothly. Therefore, it’s vital that you implement technology and software to help your company wherever you’re able; it could save you the cost of hiring another member of staff to complete tasks, which will add up to thousands of dollars annually.  Looking into sales funnel templates is a great place to start; you’ll help to ensure that each area of your website is working hard for your visitors, which will turn them into customers.

Having a fast and reliable system to sort out your payment transactions and invoice processes will increase visibility and help your business get ahead of the rest. By improving on the time it would take a human to sort through data and paperwork, you’re online retail company will be able to focus on the customer and the quality of the service you’re providing. Substantial improvements to behind the scenes of your company will always have a direct and visible effect on how things come across at the front end of your brand and website, so choose your tech wisely.

Maintaining the level of social media quality and consistency that was discussed earlier, can also be a laborious task. Therefore it might be worth considering using a social media management platform to help you run your online empire and spread the word about your brand. Utilizing the technology that’s available on your tablet and smartphone is another business savvy way to boost your productivity and sales. There are a variety of apps available that can do everything from tracking your expenses and stock control, to planning your schedule and meetings; downloading them and seeing what works for you might be a smart choice for those who don’t want to spend money on a PA.

Make Sure That Your Audience Is Engaged

Knowing exactly who your products or services are going to sell to is vital to the success and longevity of your business. Therefore, you need to invest in some market research and find out exactly what your key audience want and expect from your brand. Ensuring that you supply everything a potential patron is after when they arrive on your site, is the only way to make and increase sales. Figure out how and where your customers are engaging online, and become a regular part of their conversations and what they see on social media. Your Facebook posts and Tweets don’t have to all “sell sell sell,” but they should be relevant to your brand identity and spark and interest with your future brand ambassadors.

So, if you’re a serious professional service, you’ll want to post content that will attract and engage your audience in the correct manner. However, if you are a young and vibrant brand; make sure that your content reflects your personality by using humor and pop-culture references to grab their attention. You can filter in information about your products and special offers to ensure they click through to your website and start shopping. Maybe you want to tempt a more mature generation of shoppers onto your site; you could use a printed marketing campaign and ensure that your brand is popping up in relevant newspapers and magazines so that consumers will visit you. Many consumers now prefer to shop online, so you have a massive market to reach and tap into; just make sure you head down the right avenues for people to see you.

Making The Right Impression With Your Business Property

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Business property is becoming less and less important to companies as time goes on. With more work being handled over the web than ever before, the need for a place to sell goods and even have employees work is dwindling, and this is leaving a lot of companies with space which they don’t need. Of course, though, for some ventures, there is little choice, and a building or two will be essential. With the amount this can cost, it will be worth making the most out of it, and this is exactly what this post is here to help you with. Exploring some of the best ways to squeeze property for all its worth, it will give you loads of new ideas.

What’s The Big Idea?

For a lot of companies out there, the building which they use on a daily basis will get a lot of different visitors. People will come to buy or sell things, and others will simply drive past, but they are all going to be influenced by the way your building looks. In this sense, business property can act almost like a big advert. You can show how professional your outfit is and what it can do for customers, all while making extra money off of the back of it. Achieving this goal isn’t always easy, though, making it well worth doing some research before you start to make sure that you’re taking the right approach.

The Inside

The inside of your business property isn’t quite as important as the outside in this process, but it will be worth thinking about, ensuring that you have covered all of the areas which people will expect from a professional company. There are loads of qualities which make for a good office or store, and you will have to work hard to achieve this goal. Below, you can find some examples of the most important areas to think about during this process.

Cleaning & Tidying: Even if you can’t afford to make changes to the inside of the place, there is never an excuse to have it messy or dirty. Keeping a workplace clean is very important, as it will show your clients and customers that you care about the experience they have, while also making your employees happier. If you’re too busy to handle this for yourself, you can pay another company to do it for you. This sort of service is usually offered on a subscription basis, making it nice and easy to have it covered everyday without having to make bookings or arrange times for them to come.

Decoration: Keeping a space like this up to date with the latest styles is always going to take a little bit of work. This area moves quickly, and it’s very easy to make your office look outdated if you don’t keep up, making it worth getting some help in this area. Through their lengthy experience, an interior designer will have the skills to create a look which will age very gracefully, instead of forcing you to make changes down the line. Your decoration should always be focused around your branding, with colors and shapes reflecting your logo, and items on display which show your success.

The Outside

When it comes to catching people’s eyes, the outside of your property will be much more important than what you have on the inside, and this makes it worth working hard to create something eye catching with it. Like the inside of the place, you have a lot of options to help you to make this area look great. Below, you can find some examples of them, along with some advice to help you to choose the right direction in this area.

Maintenance & Tidying: Over time, outdoor spaces will often get much messier than those found inside, and this is something worth keeping on top of. If you have gardens around your building, these will have to have more attention than anywhere else, becoming overgrown if they are ignored, and quickly developing mess if they aren’t kept tidy. To help with this, a gardening contractor will be able to help you to work on this part of your property. Of course, though, you will also need to monitor it to make sure that nothing is going unnoticed or ignored, as this could look highly unprofessional.

Around The Building: It is likely that you will have a lot of space around your building which doesn’t belong to you. Instead, pavements, roads, and even car parks are often owned by the local government, and this can mean that they fall into disrepair long before any work will be done on them. Paying a municipal engineer to help you with this is one of the best ways to get the problem solved. While you don’t own the land, customers might not be aware of this, and this means that it could reflect badly on you if you don’t do anything about it.

Signage/Branding: Finally, as the last part of this, it’s time to think about how you’ll be turning your property into a billboard for your business. At the very least, you will need to have a sign outside, with the most popular place for this being the main walls of the place, at the moment. This makes it possible to see your logo from far away, while also keeping it from looking to obnoxious. Along with this, it will also be worth thinking about smaller signs in places like doorways and at the start of paths leading to your building. There are loads of companies out there which can make signs for you.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the process of making the right impression with your business buildings. A lot of small companies struggle in this area, finding it hard to know what course of action to take when they’re going through it. Of course, though, this isn’t too hard, as long as you’re willing to put the time into researching it.

7 Ways Digital Can Save Your Restaurant

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The digital revolution has transformed the way businesses approach their operation and customer-facing tasks. There’s no way you would encounter a successful business that doesn’t have an online presence. Even though the saying claims that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, it’s fair to say that customers from everywhere judge the quality of a company’s products or services after taking one look at its website. It takes users as less as 50 milliseconds to form an opinion of a company based on its website. Needless to say, businesses that didn’t invest in their digital presence can suffer a terrible blow.

But digital presence encompasses much more than just a website. It’s a variety of triggers, tasks, and applications that support a company’s profile and activities. And when it comes to heavy customer-facing sectors, such as restaurants, you can’t make it work without digital support. Indeed, as a strongly offline-based service – ultimately, it’s an environment that forces customers to get out of their homes and come to the site –, restaurants have to rely on digital technologies to bring their business to the next level. Here’s the little manifesto of restaurants 2.0, an upgraded guide to typical restaurant management.

#1. Get the right admin and management tools

The romantic view of passionate chefs who understand their foods and make it in a harsh environment is outdated. A restaurant is a complex business that needs to balance multiple operations at the same time. From keeping tracks of your stocks to counting revenues at the end of a busy day, it’s fair to say that the idyllic representation of a bookkeeper using pen and paper is not accurate. There’s a reason why successful owners using dedicated restaurant accounting software solution: They’re tailored to the specific requirements of the hospitality sector, helping chefs to make better-informed decisions. Additionally, for large teams, a time management solution can ensure that days off and holidays are carefully monitored so that the restaurant never lack staff on busy days. Ultimately, digital technologies provide restaurant owners with the overview that pen and paper approaches can’t deliver.

#2. Get your website right

How do customers pick where they’re going to eat? Then it’s not word of mouth, they review and compare websites to find a restaurant they can trust. Consequently, a website that fails to inform about your main dishes or that doesn’t showcase your culinary mission fail to attract new customers. The first thing that customers are going to check is how often your content is updated. If the last update mentioning a new menu was posted several years ago, people might feel that your restaurant isn’t trying hard enough. While it can be difficult to produce fresh content for a restaurant site, you can use blog articles to mention seasonal ingredients and promote your specials. Additionally, a common issue for many small restaurants is to rely on a DIY website. A pre-made template is applied, and the site is parked onto an inexpensive server. A low-cost server that fails to provide security and storage and quick loading times can damage the reputation of your business.

#3. Make it easy to book a table

The Millennial generation – which is the most important population in the workforce – dislike using the phone. While it’s ironic when one considers how much time young adults spend on their smartphone, it’s easy to understand that people only make a phone call when they can’t sort out their issue otherwise online. Consequently, restaurants that have implemented a handy online booking system tend to experience a higher number of bookings than restaurants that rely on calling only. Ultimately, if you force customers to call to book, they might just look for the next best option online.

#4. Make your menu easy to use

Food allergies are becoming more and more frequent. It can be difficult for experts to explain the reason behind the prevalence of food allergies and intolerance issues, but the increase in cases has not gone unnoticed. As a result, restaurants are required to publish their ingredients in order to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. For someone who needs to pay attention to the food they order, an online menu that offers a filter option to exclude specific ingredients can be a helpful addition to the website. Ultimately, customers want to be presented with a list of choices that are suitable to their lifestyle and health requirements.

#5. Make your food sociable

#BestFoodEver. #DinnerWithBoo. #SuperbFood. Whichever hashtag your customers use, they live in a digital world of shared experience. Millennials turn to Instagram to decide where to go and go. Consequently, a restaurant that has a rich Instagram profile and lets people share their photos is more likely to attract a digitally-savvy generation. Indeed, your patrons don’t just go out for a meal. They go out for a snap, a meal, and a hashtag. While there might be concerns about the selfie generation and their love of sharing pictures, it’s important to notice that these customers actually increase the visibility of your restaurant online. So, why not leave a comment on the menu to mention your favorite hashtags?

#6. Let people enjoy the experience

A natural continuation of your social media presence is to make sure that you don’t ban customers from using their phones. Indeed, while more and more restaurants are considering banning photos to protect the experience. However, while photos can become overwhelming, your more likely to benefit from the leveraged promotion of your customers’ social media presence. Snapping a picture is now part of the dining out experience.

#7. Interact with reviewers

Despite your best efforts, the experience might not be positive for all. But when a reviewer leaves negative feedback, the best approach is to use the online platform to engage with them and deal with the issue in public. Indeed, a negative review is not the end of the world. But a negative review left unanswered is the end of your business!

In an era of digital technologies, restaurants need to adopt modern interactions to help their customers enjoy the experience. From opening your business to the use of social media to offering menu filters for food allergies, staying digital means staying in business.

You’re Ready To Take That Side-Hustle Full-Time

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If there’s one thing that bonds people in the modern-day it’s the side-hustle. Everyone seems to have a side-hustle these days. From Etsy shops to art stores, web design to freelance copywriting, sustainable swimming trunks to children’s books – side-hustles are now more common than colds. In fact, a recent study shows that just over half of all millennials are busy with some kind of side hustle, and two of the most standout reasons for this is a) to keep pushing a long-held passion or b) to boost their income.

Of course, that’s not the only reason people are running a sideshow. From our experience, another majorly massive motivator is all to do with people wanting out of their 9-5. One of the most desirable things for people these days is to leave the grind behind and start working for themselves doing something they are genuinely interested in. Most people know that it’s not easy and that there needs to be a serious investment made into their side-hustle, but knowing they might be able to eventually make it their full-time gig is enough to keep pushing on with it. The trick is knowing when you’re ready? Knowing when you’ve got far enough to turn your side hustle into your full-time money-maker, and with confidence.

That’s what we’re going to delve into.

Having recently sat down with a few entrepreneurs who made a success of their side-hustles, we learned what it took to finally take the plunge. So, without further ado, here’s how to know you’re ready to drop your mindless career and run with your passion-project:

  1. Your Financials Look Good

Like we said at the beginning, there are a million types of side-hustles in a thousand different industries. But one of the things that joins them all together on the hunt for success is, no matter what side-hustle you have taken up, your financials need to be ready before you can take the leap. The problem is: no one makes a bunch of cash right from the get-go and, for some, it’s an investment or a loan that really gets things going. That said, your aim should be to have at least a few months rent in your bank account, a good credit score and some savings you can fall back on. Once you have this, you can confidently take the plunge knowing that you have some cash behind you to keep pushing your side-hustle in the right direction.

  1. You’re Getting Attention

For almost every freelancer, grabbing the spotlight and shining it on your work is a battle like no other. You know you need to gain some attention for the work you have completed on different projects, putting your collaborations up on Instagram and putting up spec work online. The issue with this is, it’s you forcing people to look. It’s necessary, but it’s not enough to make you take the leap. What you want to know is that your side hustle work is starting to gain attention. You want to see your passion projects start to become a talking point where people contact you about this or that, or your work starts to get online likes. That’s where the Instagram and Facebook thing can really help. There are so many examples of people that have put stuff out on Instagram, kept up at it, learned how to market themselves through these channels and turned their passion into a full-time gig. That’s what you need to do. You need to sell your passion. Then, when you start noticing that these passion projects are turning into paydays of some kind – job offers, commissioned pieces, repeat clients etc – the feedback on your customer satisfaction tool is a great read and your online following is growing, you can rest easy in the knowledge your side-hustle is ready to become full-time.

  1. You Motivate Yourself

Going from an employed person that has to be somewhere at a certain time to a freelancer that relies on your own get-up and go is one of the toughest transitions anyone can make. All of a sudden, once you start working for yourself, you become the only person responsible for your success. There’s no team, no support, no backroom staff – nothing but you. That means you have to become a super-self-starter that’s proactive, you need to know how to best motivate yourself, when you work best, what sort of routines keep you grounded and moving forward and what sort of rewards keep you focused. And only once you have all this sussed out will you if you’re ready to go full-time with your side-hustle. Ask any entrepreneur that’s made it on their own and they’ll tell you the same thing: sure, talent and creative ideas are essential, but they’re nothing if you don’t have self-discipline or that motivation to succeed. As such, nailing this side of the game is so important before you try and take it full-time.

  1. You Have Business Acumen

Let’s get one thing straight: If you don’t know how to run a business, success is going to be a whole lot harder for you because, after all, you’re trying to start a business. That means getting clued up on all the mistakes and pitfalls out there, knowing what your overheads are, how to keep costs down, the art of pricing your products and services, who your target audience is, having a well-thought-out growth plan, knowing how to market yourself in the big bad world, and what trends are currently taking off. All of this stuff falls under the banner of “business know-how” and the better you can get clued up on it (and that means your market as a whole), the easier the whole full-time transition will become. It will be less knowing if you’re ready and more, “wow, I’ve done it!”

Taking a side-hustle and making it your full-time gig is no easy feat. But it is easier than ever before as proved by the number of people doing it. The trick is having the confidence to know when the time is ready. That’s all.

4 Things To Look For In A Building Contractor

Scott Asai2 Comments

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

Surging forward with a business commercial building contract is possibly one of the most stressful projects you could do as a company. Commercial construction can be a daunting project to start and see through to completion, but you can manage it effectively with the right commercial contractor hire. Surrounding yourself in the experts in the field is the only way that you are going to see a job through to completion. The thing is, thinking about the long-term isn’t going to help you to get to the end of the job in one piece, but hiring the right contractor and the right tools is.

Hiring a contractor who can be honest about the size of the job and the cost isn’t going to be the easiest search for you. There are plenty out there who can work with you on your project, detailing what equipment they need for you to supply to help to get the job completed on time, but it’s separating the good from those who could potentially take advantage. If you’re going to be laying down money on vehicles from Service Trucks International and putting money on an hourly rate for your contractor and their team, you want to know you’re getting it right. Below, you’ll find four things to look for in your building contractor.

Credibility. You wouldn’t go and see a doctor without checking out their reviews, so it’s not a good idea to hire a contractor without looking for their professional affiliations, past work and references. Getting references and reviews sought out before you bring someone onto your team is the only way that you can ensure that you can feel confident you got the right person.

Work Examples. A portfolio of previous jobs that you can view before hiring is a smart way to handle your business. Ask to see those work examples and photos and don’t be shy about asking. Piling the cash into the contractor is going to drain your business – you want to get this right.

Pen To Paper. A contractor that is reluctant to put things in writing for you, whether it be the quotes they give you or the payment terms, is a contractor that you want to stay away from. You need total transparency in your hire, and getting everything in writing is the way that you can ensure total clarity. You may not know much about contractor contracts, so get yourself online and looking at examples.

Licenses. This particular step is one of the best ways to judge the credibility of your contractor. It isn’t foolproof as a way to ensure that they’re any good, but it’s a good idea to check if your contractor is licensed and legal in the state that they are practicing in.

Finding a contractor to help you with your commercial project is imperative to getting the job done. And it’s important that you get your choice right, or your whole business can be dragged down. Choose wisely.

These 3 Tactics Will Help You Transform Your Conversion Rates

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Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

If you’re unaware of what a conversion rate is, then you already have some catching up to do. In a world that’s dominated by the obsession of gaining web traffic, conversion rates refer to the proportion of said traffic that goes on to complete an action on your website. For example, how many people visiting your site will actually buy something?

As you can imagine, the better the conversion rate, the more sales and customers your business will see. So, how do you improve a poor conversion rate? There are loads of ideas, but these three tactics are the best ones to use:

A/B testing

In the conversion rate world, testing is a fundamental part of improving your site to the point where your rate is through the roof. The idea here is straightforward; you have a web page, and you test the conversion rate. Then, you make a change to the page, and test again – and so on. The aim is to see which changes are leading to the best conversion rate. After which, you can redesign the web page with the changes included, which will elicit more success and more sales.

Heat mapping

Heat mapping is something you’re probably not aware of unless you’re a bit of a website nerd. In simple terms, it’s a way of showing you how customers interact with your site. As you can see on vistacomm.com, many companies offer this as an extra service in a digital marketing package. It literally gives you a heat map view of your website to show you where everyone is clicking. By seeing this, it lets you figure out the path most people take when they convert into customers or complete an action. Therefore, you will notice patterns that tell you which specific elements of your site are leading to the best conversion rates. So, you can focus on highlighting these areas even more, giving your rate a boost.

Customer surveys

Finally, the best way to help figure out what makes someone convert into a customer is by asking an actual customer. Send out emails to existing customers asking them about your website/business. The questions should be focused around what made them become a customer, how they found your site, what they liked about your website, and so on. By collecting the data, you’ll see patterns emerge. It could show that the majority of your customers found your site by an online ad which took them to a dedicated landing page. In which case, you know to invest heavily in more online ads. The point is; you see what made people convert from traffic to customers, and can use this information to create more conversions.

Some people may argue you need more than just three tactics is you want to improve your conversion rates. However, I think these three things are all you really need. They help you figure out what’s making people convert so you can use your findings to alter your site and digital marketing approach.

Managing Your Money Between Jobs

Scott Asai2 Comments

Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

From time to time, you are going to find yourself between jobs, and when that happens, you need to be able to ensure that you are going to manage the situation as best as you can. Usually it should not be too much of a problem, but it is also true that you will find it necessary to be careful with your money during this time and ensure that you are actually looking after it well enough, if you fail to do that, it could mean that you land yourself in financial trouble before you manage to land the next job, and that is certainly not a situation that any of us need to be in. in this article, we will look at just a few of the things you can do to manage your money more effectively when you are between jobs.

Hire An Advisor

One of the best things that anyone can benefit from with regards to their finances isto hire an advisor, even if it is only for a short while. At first you might feel that you don’t’ want to make such an expense during your time between jobs, but actually it is perfectly possible to find a financial advisor who is affordable and – what’s more – who could help you out during this difficult time in your life. Start looking into how to find a financial advisor and you will soon discover that you can easily get hold of one – so that is it that they can actually do for you? For one, they can help you to budget yourself more effectively so that you don’t become bankrupt during the time between jobs. They might even be able to offer some solutions for how to make ends meet in the meantime. It’s definitely worth mating with one

Earn Additional Income

There are many ways to earn a little extra money on the side, and as long as you are aware of that, surviving the time between jobs should seem considerably easier and less anxious. The truth is that the internet has opened up a whole wellspring of possibilities when it comes to earning money on the side, so it’s something that you should think about if it gets to the point where you want to secure yourself as much as possible. By doing this, you widen the chance of being able to survive in between jobs, and you make it easier to remain comfortable during that time as well. You will find this makes an enormous difference to how you are feeling about the whole situation as well.

Claiming Benefits

If you are out of work and looking for work, you can claim benefits, and it is definitely worth doing so if you want to be able to manage your money more effectively. There is no reason not to claim everything you might be entitled to – and if you are not sure whether you are entitled to it or not, there is only one way to find out. Go and seek it, and see what happens. It just might make things a lot easier in the meantime.