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How to Measure WiFi Signal Strength – Running Your Business

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Featured image by Alexander Supertramp

In my house, WiFi signal strength is a currency. With it (or rather through its availability), we ensure that homework is completed, bedrooms are cleaned, grandparents are spoken to, and dinner is consumed. It also underpins my peaceful consumption of Grey’s Anatomy in the evening, along with the ability to enjoy, without interruption, a nice glass of Malbec alongside it.

Conversely, unreliable WiFi is a biblical plague upon the peaceful living. Aside from my retro-Meredith Grey reverie, reliable WiFi signal strength is a critical component in my ability to earn a living. Packet loss, connection interruptions, and congestion do not a smooth and successful video conference make.

What Can Cause Poor WiFi Signal Strength?

WiFi problems come in many shapes and sizes. Aside from the distance between the router and the device and the thickness of the walls in a house, there are a number of factors that can influence the connection. Some of these are rooted in the user or the quality of their hardware, since not all WiFi devices are created equal. Other factors that can have a detrimental effect include:

  • Neighbors and their WiFi configurations. Avoid overlaps where possible.
  • Microwave ovens. Significantly older ones may be faulty or have poor seals. (Fun fact: Microwave ovens run at 2.4GHz, a common WiFi band.)
  • Televisions, baby monitors, walkie talkies and all manner of other devices can also operate in the same band.
  • Big lumps of metal, especially metal connected to earth, such as water tanks and water pipework, boilers, radiators, and so on. These can all have an effect if they are in the signal path between the access point and your device.
  • Metalized film on glass windows and partitions. This is often used in office environments as a sunblock, tint, or filter. Signal attenuation over a metalized glass unit can be huge. Often the only solution in these circumstances is to increase the density of access points.

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Measuring and Monitoring: What Is Important?

The modern world is a hostile place if you are a radio wave. This is particularly the case if you’re a low energy wave like a WiFi signal, since 2.4GHz WiFi is limited to only 100mW. It is even more true if you are a 5GHz WiFi signal. This is because 5GHz radio waves propagate over shorter distances than 2.4GHz signals do.

The good news is that all the above problems are addressable in some form. However, to address them properly, you’ll need some planning, some thinking, some testing, and some tools.

At the root of all these issues, whether you’re dealing with 2G or 5G WiFi, is the quality of the WiFi signal your device is receiving. The primary determinant of quality is the strength of the WiFi signal your device is receiving. What is signal strength? Simply put, it is a measure of the energy being exchanged between your device and the WiFi access point. This is often expressed in dBm (decibels relative to 1mW). Measuring WiFi signal strength in various positions can inform the planning and design of your wireless network and indicate where you may need to place extra repeaters and access points.

Don’t worry too much about the absolute values of these parameters. Often our devices don’t offer up much insight into these. That is, they simply indicate some arbitrary signal strength in terms of the number of bars they display in the network icon.

This is what it looks like on a Windows system.

In order to derive more useful detail regarding signal levels, we need to use a specialist software tool. I tend to use NetSpot. You can download this tool with a free-to-use option. It provides a stable but highly informative source of engineering data.

Let’s Take a Look at Some Practical Examples

Let’s have a look at some results from a live environment (mine) and some of the key parameters.

WiFi signal strength

This is a default NetSpot view showing that there are three access points visible from this location:

  • The signal received from two of the access points is very strong. Mine is about 4 meters away (through a brick wall), and one (my neighbor’s) is at the edge of the cover. NetSpot also offers a time-series view of signal strength. This shows that WiFi signal strengths are broadly consistent over time. This is what I would expect, as I am not moving. (We’ll get to that.)
  • There are two networks at 2.4G and one at 5G. The Vodafone access point is offering one network (SSID) in each band.
  • On the Vodafone SSID, the 2.4G signal strength is stronger than the 5G at the same measurement distance. This is to be expected because of 5G propagation characteristics.
  • The Vodafone access point is offering connectivity based on the newer AC standard (2013). The Shell access point is offering an older (2007) N standard signal.
  • There is adequate channel separation between the 2.4G access points. We can get a good view of this from the AP Channel view, also offered by NetSpot. Both the Shell and Vodafone access points occupy at 20MHz segment. There is no need to retune the access points to avoid interference.
WiFi signal strength
In the 5G space, there is only a single channel visible at this point, but the channel width is greater, at 80MHz.

Finally, let’s see the effect of moving farther (approximately 5 meters and another brick wall) from the access point. The time-series graph below clearly shows the effect of this. Signal strengths decline dramatically, and the neighbor’s access point increases markedly.

Signal strength is the key indicator of the quality of WiFi service a device is likely to receive from the network. Typically, devices give a very “raw” view of connection quality, and this is not suitable for problem diagnosis. Instead, you need a dedicated monitoring and survey tool to accurately identify and diagnose issues. There are a number of tools available, but NetSpot is an excellent option.

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NetSpot is available for MAC and Windows. It has a free tier license, which makes basic functionality available. A professional tier unlocks some funky survey and mapping functionality, which will more than adequately support even professional users. In professional mode (that is, the licensed option), full NetSpot is capable of providing full coverage mapping across a number of advanced engineering parameters.

Contributed to the Business Opportunities blog by Alexandra for NetSpot.



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Future Business Opportunities in Space – Business Ideas

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Featured image by NASA on Unsplash

Space exploration and investment are at a peak not seen since the Cold War. And thanks to the efforts of private companies, there have never been so many investment prospects on offer. We look at some of the best business opportunities in the space industry.

The Space Industry Is Booming, and There’s No Shortage of Business Opportunities

You may not be aware of it, but we are currently living in an era of business opportunities in space exploration and investment that hasn’t been seen since the Cold War.

Following the Moon landing in 1969, enthusiasm for investment in space technology gradually cooled. For decades, shuttles rusted in hangars in the deserts of Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, the US redirected NASA funds to other government projects.

Today, however, interest is once again growing in the potential of space exploration. A number of aerospace company UK projects have seen great success. Investors are once again throwing money at research and development related to space.

As a result, there’s no shortage of business opportunities in space for anyone with the vision to look to the future and see the potential of the space industry. We’re going to look at a few current developments and reliable predictions for how to identify business opportunities in space.

Image from ThisIsEngineering on Pexels

Space Mining Offers Huge Off-Planet Business Potential

Analysis of asteroids has revealed that a remarkable number of alloys and elements could be harvested from them. Given the limited resources on our own planet, business opportunities related to space mining are worth considering. The concept and the industry are still in their infancy. However, it seems certain that we will see notable developments in the near future, along with potential new business opportunities in space.

AI Analysis Is the Only Way to Process Space Data

Big data analytics have already made a big difference in the world of business and marketing. These same AI technologies promise to be incredibly useful when applied to the space industry. In fact, they could be the best business opportunities in space.

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Scientists are still working on analyzing data sent back from the Challenger probe in 1977. The sheer volume of information and its potential importance mean that experts need to closely examine every single detail.

AI programs can sift through huge amounts of data in seconds to give accurate predictions. And big data analytics can provide a valuable understanding of the massive amount of information from satellites, telescopes, and other space technology. The business opportunities of using AI analytical software are already evident. If you’re looking for reliable solutions in the world of tech investment, AI algorithms are valuable not just for the space industry but for any sphere.

More Information About Space Reveals Impressive Business Opportunities

Image from Pixabay on Pexels

As we’ve already mentioned, there are ample business opportunities for anyone looking to invest in data analysis. But beyond that, access to information itself offers plenty of beneficial options.

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Thanks to the internet, people all around the world—not just specialists—can collaborate to solve significant problems and make valuable discoveries. If you can put yourself in a position to monetize space-related data, there are serious business opportunities for you. Whether it means providing a regular publication, harvesting space data and images, or any other way of letting curious people access information, the world is your oyster!

Efficient Fuel Drives the Space Industry

It’s easy to forget that our ventures into space depend on one thing: energy. Every single satellite, shuttle, and rocket requires the most sophisticated possible form of fuel to launch it into space.

In the past, research and development in this area were limited to government agencies. Today, however, it’s anyone’s game. Therefore, opportunities in space industry technology are open to everyone. Elon Musk and SpaceX are the most familiar names, but there’s a whole host of other outfits competing to develop the most effective space technology.

There are many business opportunities with regard to developing effective, affordable, and efficient fuel and energy sources that can be used in the space industry. Most of these have similarly useful applications in civilian and Earth-based fields, meaning that any investment can see significant returns.

Business Opportunities in Space Are Opening Up Now

These are just a few of the possible future business opportunities in space opening up to us as the industry goes through its renaissance. The major difference today, in comparison to the initial Cold War boom in space exploration, is that private companies are now, in many ways, at the forefront. As a result, there are far more business opportunities and no end of different ways to invest in the future. The above should give you a good overview of what to expect in both the short and long term. However, it’s a constantly evolving industry, and only time will tell what future business opportunities may open up.

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Rustam Gilfanov’s 6 Key IT Startup Tips You Need to Know

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Featured image by jirehg from Pixabay

It is not so difficult to come up with an idea for a IT startup. However, it is challenging to come up with an original idea that would generate demand that people would be willing to pay for.

In this article, IT businessman and investor, Rustam Gilfanov, shares simple methods of testing the idea of almost any IT startup, from a small application to a large software product. No matter how much experience you have and how confident you are in your idea, you should never neglect these six key steps.

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1. Conduct Research

The easiest way to research IT startup ideas is to open a search engine and look for information about similar projects. You can even find similar topics on forums or YouTube. Find out whether someone has done this idea before and whether their efforts were successful. If not, check what they did wrong and how you can avoid these types of errors.

It is also worth exploring information about current trends in startups, business models, unit economics, metrics, and marketing.

2. Make Sure There Is Enough Demand In the Market

Most startups fail because of a lack of demand from the market. You need to be sure that your idea will help people solve their real problems. Plus, these problems should be relevant for more than a handful of individuals.

To quickly assess the demand in the market, you can turn to the analysis of search query statistics. Simply enter keywords and get their statistics, demand dynamics, and similar search phrases.

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3. Talk to Your Target Audience

Do not regard your friends and acquaintances as your target audience for your IT startup. First, they are subjective. Second, they are not numerous enough. You want to focus on your potential customers. Create a Google questionnaire or a survey on social networks, go to a thematic forum to gather input on your target audience and future customers.

4. Know Your Startup’s Rivals

If you have never created similar products before and have not worked in the target niche, find people who have already succeeded in this sphere. So, by studying the cases of your competitors, you can learn how other companies in the industry solve similar problems and what you can borrow from them. Do not be afraid of competition and do not try to avoid it. It’s also important not to copy existing startups. Always think about how to meet customer needs faster and cheaper.

5. Create a Landing Page

You can do this even without an MVP. All you need is to get a vision of your future product. At this stage, you have to spend money on advertising, but checking the idea will give you more confidence in the relevance of your product. It is enough to register a domain, create a landing page in any site constructor, add a feedback form, connect web analytics and analyze the information received. It is very likely that you will adjust your strategy based on user feedback.

6. Know How to Make Money from Your Startup Idea

Even the strongest idea can end in nothing if you do not know how to make money on your product. You need to understand how to monetize a startup, what potential market size your product has and how many customers you need to attract to reach the break-even point.

Who Is Rustam Gilfanov?

Rustam Gilfanov is a co-founder of an IT company, IT businessman and international investor.In 2006, Rustam Gilfanov, together with his partners, opened an international outsourcing IT company in Kyiv. Today, this company is the largest developer of software for the gaming, marketing and finance industries.

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The post Rustam Gilfanov’s 6 Key IT Startup Tips You Need to Know appeared first on Business Opportunities.



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How to Improve Efficiency in a Law Company – Technology

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Law firms’ archaic practices are rapidly giving way to innovation as the American Bar Association approves new technologies, including AI, for their work. In fact, the entire industry is set to experience continuous change. With so much disruption afoot, how can a modern law company become more efficient?

The basis of competition in legal work today resides in efficiency. Client expectations and impatience drive demand higher and higher as transparency and profitability come into view for law firms. Below are some practices the most successful law firms are putting into place.

1. Rely on Self-Analysis and Process Optimization in Your Law Company

Track the Time Your Legal Work Takes

The key to efficiency is knowing your firm. Having each member of the team track their time allows you to understand exactly where you experience inefficiency and bottlenecks. Next, investigate further the areas that cost your firm excessive non-billable hours. For example, you could be draining profits by waiting for someone to draft contracts or proofread documents. You can easily fix this problem with legal contract analysis software.

Let Team Members Learn from Each Other

In most law companies, lawyers, paralegals and support staff fall into silos when they need to be productive. They rarely get to view the finer details of each other’s working days. But individuals have a great deal to learn from each other. Therefore, encourage cross-departmental practice sharing. Additionally, allow your team the latitude to pick and choose improved solutions.

Follow the Buyer Journey

Do you know how clients find your law company and what they go through to attain your services? The user experience (UX) journey can be a powerful tool to uncover exactly where clients endure the most frustration. Smoothing this journey demonstrates client care and addresses lapses of efficiency within your client acquisition system.

2. Be Proactive with Your Law Company’s Onboarding Practices

Few things stifle profitability in a law company more than sacrificing billable hours to administrative and other non-billable work. Unfortunately for firms, the reluctance to take on new associates diminishes earning potential. This is because it caps the availability of income-generating hours.

Circumvent this problem by hiring administrative and legal staff before it becomes a critical need. Otherwise, delaying the hiring process creates a logjam and diminishes productivity. Rushing into last-minute hires typically makes for a sloppy onboarding process, but hiring proactively means you do it right the first time.

If there is insufficient work in your law company to employ a team member full time, consider the sub-contracting option. Hired experts specialize in marketing, accounting, taxation, and other services. Their specialties allow them to deliver quickly and cost-effectively.

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3. Automate Your Law Company’s Work

Utilize Cloud Applications

If you run a law company that still uses a fax machine or even Microsoft Word, you are in danger of becoming a dinosaur. Mutually accessible cloud technology has rid us of the need to send documents to and from each other for editing and reviews. Google Drive and other cloud-based settings allow all necessary contributors access at any given time without delay.

Benefit from Efficient Project Management

Firm management is a precarious business. Long, labored meetings, individual conversations, and chasing team members down for progress reports takes law company management away from what they should be doing—winning business and making money. In contrast, project management software allows managers to quickly check the status of all important cases with a swift click.

Digitize Billing and Accounts

If you add up the days it takes to post an invoice and eventually receive the check in the mail, what do you get? Inefficiency. Tracking earnings and reconciling invoices efficiently is a real problem for many law companies. But digitizing the entire payment system creates an expectation of fees, transparency, and accountability. This encourages your clients to trust you and pay on time.

Incorporate Document Preparation Software into Your Law Company’s Processes

Maintaining a healthy rate of response can be the rock inefficient firms perish on. Even before you switch to digital systems, clients expect their business to be attended to immediately. But some firms struggle just to keep up, with non-billable tasks causing massive damage to their profitability. To minimize the time consumption of essential but repetitive tasks, forward-thinking practices are switching en masse to using due diligence, research, and legal contract analysis software.

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4. Invest in Your Legal Team

While outsourcing is certainly an option, sometimes it can be costly. But investing in staff training eases cost inefficiency woes and develops talent currently at your disposal. An additional benefit of staff training is enhanced engagement.

Investing in personnel development shows team members they are valued and important to the firm. In turn, this gives everyone a stronger sense of purpose and collectivism which begets better productivity and results.

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In Conclusion

The entire legal sector can rightfully be accused of resisting change for many decades. The technological infusion has been remarkably slow and clients were all too happy to go along with things.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately for law companies, however, those days are over. Transparency and digitization have become more widely available in recent years and tolerance for inefficiency has plummeted. As clients lose patience with slow response rates and lawyers’ resistance to technology declines, those law companies that adopt more efficient models of business will win the competition against other, slower law firms.



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10 Must-Have Features Your Business App Should Offer – Technology

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Featured image from Pixabay

The use of business apps is the latest frontier for both small-scale and giant entities. The average consumer devotes three hours and 15 minutes of their daily time to smartphones. For the millennial generation, they can spend up to five hours. Consumption-wise, these people prefer online purchases compared to visiting physical stores.

Businesses with apps that offer convenient and intuitive shopping experiences tend to attract a larger amount of online consumers. How do you tweak your business app to reflect a prospective customer’s expectations?  How do you bridge the gap of reliable user convenience? Here are ten key features you should consider.

Simple and Intuitive Navigation

Besides an business app becoming obsolete, users will also delete it if the navigation is a bit complex. Intuitive navigation and a good user experience are among the main factors that users look for when choosing which app to keep. For a simple user experience, you should consider minimizing clicks and actions.

You should also note that mobile phone users prefer scrolling more than clicking on items. You might also want to make the field entries as minimum as possible, without limiting functionality. One way to achieve this is by working with a professional business app creator. These platforms are easy to use, even for those with limited coding knowledge. All you need to do is visualize what you’d like your app to look like along with all of its functionalities.

Tailored Experience

One of the main reasons why businesses develop apps is to customize a unique user experience for every consumer. For instance, users don’t have to browse through all the search results while you can help them filter specifics. Other features that can enhance a customized experience include demographics and the user’s current location.

Seamless Check-Out System

Check-out is the most arduous process for any online shopper. Remember, here is where you may need to gather even more information compared to the sign-up process. The catch is in keeping the information fields as few as possible. Consumers would appreciate it if you only ask for relevant information.

An excellent example of a seamless check-out system is the one that auto-fills basic information. That includes username, location, and even zip code. Make it easy and simple, and customers will be glad to complete their purchases.

Social Integration or Simple Sign-Up Process

Not every customer will find it comfortable giving out their personal email addresses on the first day of signing up in your business app. If they don’t give a generic email, they will just hit “uninstall” and call it a day. It helps if you give them multiple sign-ups and login options like social media.

Facebook is more prevalent in app sign-ups. Most importantly, ensure you keep them signed in after they log in for the first time. That way, you’ll win the hearts of consumers who find it hard to remember strong passwords. 

Leverage Analytics

When incorporating analytics, you don’t have to leverage features that may make a customer feel uncomfortable. For instance, most business app users shy away from sharing their location because of privacy and personal reasons. Even so, you can still track and monitor user experience and their actions.

Such information is vital for small businesses since they can leverage it to improve user experience. You can also use the data to give tailored services like discounts and special offers. If you want to collect any other information that may seem controversial, it will help if you have the customers’ content when they sign up.

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Feedback System

It is imperative that you hear from the customers’ perspective on how they find the app or the services your business offers. You should note that users from varying regions may experience the app differently. Having a viable feedback system ensures that unsatisfied users can report bugs or network outages.

They can also give suggestions or criticism that can help you improve the app’s features. A streamlined feedback system can be anything you deem user-friendly. For instance, you can try links to email, transactional emails, suggestion tabs, or in-app surveys.

Offline Capabilities

It can be quite frustrating for consumers when they can’t make purchases because of poor signal. In most cases, customers will even shift the blame of poor network coverage to your mobile app and end up uninstalling it.

You can mitigate this risk by developing an interactive mode that picks up even when the customer is offline. That way, customers can always engage with content or continue window shopping, whether online or off.

Offline capabilities sum up a positive user experience. Consumers will also likely spend more time on your app by keeping it running in the background.

Maintain Relevance

Although you may want to be as unique as possible, staying relevant is key. Otherwise, content and images that don’t resonate with consumers’ expectations will scare away even the potential long-term users.   

When advertising your product and services, publish content that is relevant and adds value to the customer. You should note that app users are looking forward to more than just a mere business representation.

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Over-the-Phone Interaction

How do you want your customers to connect with you when it’s urgent? Remember, your app is for phone use. So it will help if you include a tab that directly calls your business’ phone number because making calls is the core-function of any mobile device. Consumers often resort to laptops, mainly when writing emails.

Fast-Loading Content and Images

Lastly, you might also consider investing in a high-speed app for instant content and image loading. Millennial consumers are picky and impatient, thanks to overwhelming options of business apps in the industry. No one will stick around waiting for items to load.

Moreover, an app with poor loading speed will likely attract negative reviews from unsatisfied customers. The last thing you need when you just started out is scaring potential long-term buyers away.

Change Your Business Outlook

Having a business app that reflects all the above features gives you the power to connect with consumers in an unrivaled manner. You’ll enjoy a higher engagement level, especially with loyalty programs such as rewards and personalized discounts. It is also imperative to note that incorporating a business app puts your business ahead of the eCommerce revolution.

It is high time for your business to shift to in-app purchases and brand awareness. Besides spreading your reach better, you’ll likely attain a positive ROI. Don’t keep your consumers waiting.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW BUSINESSES MAKE USE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN 2021



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How To Ask For a Sponsorship – Business

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Asking for a sponsorship can sometimes be awkward and intimidating. Whether it is a major event or a sports team, the process of asking for a sponsorship is the same. 

Today we are looking at everything you need to know and a timeline for how to ask for a sponsorship. Not every pitch is going to be successful, and that’s okay. But as a professional, you must have a plan in place to have the best odds.

Why You Need a Sponsorship 

Getting a corporate sponsorship will put your organization on the map. People love when they see brands working together, especially when they recognize a corporation. Not only does this provide you with credibility and authority it is also getting your brand in front of a new audience. 

Some people think that throwing dollars at brand recognition is a waste of time. But guess what? When you look at Google, McDonald’s, Nike, and Under Armour, almost every person in American can recognize at least one of those. You would be surprised at the amount of money spent to have their brands on the forefront.

With that being said, when you land a corporate sponsor, people will remember your event, cause, organization, etc. because of their credibility, in turn, reflects on you. 

Hopefully networking and building connections with outreach like these will help in the future and the sponsorship will turn to a long term relationship. 

If you can get your foot in the door just once, the future will be very bright! 

When Should You Ask for a Sponsorship? 

As soon as you begin the planning stages of your event, fundraiser, season, etc. you need to have your proposal and pitch ready. Corporate businesses have processes to follow when it comes to this and if you wait until the last minute you will never get one. 

Also,  have a plan in place that allows you to reach out to several potential sponsors in case one cannot do it, or it falls through. 

When Should You Follow Up After a Pitch? 

Allow one to two weeks before checking on the sponsorship status. While this may be the only thing on your plate, for corporate companies they deal with this all of the time. If you cannot land them within two weeks of making your pitch, it’s time to seek out another. 

What You Should Know Before Proposing a Sponsorship 

Before you ask a company for a sponsorship, a little research needs to be completed first. You want to see what their mission statement is and that aligns with your business or organization. If your company doesn’t believe in their goals, then there shouldn’t be a partnership. An example of this would be, say you are hosting a festival based on going green and being eco friendly. But the sponsor you had in mind doesn’t follow any green practices and eco friendly is not in their plan. In that case, they would not be a good fit.  Not only because the missions aren’t aligned, but your target audience would not want to support that and would probably lead to a failed event.

Corporations want to know that their money is being put to good use. Know ahead of time of what you are going to do for them. Will you promote the event on social media? Have their names placed on shirts and banners? Even though they already receive more exposure when compared to small businesses, they still want to be recognized. 

You should have a proposal that is well put together. Corporations thrive on data on numbers so be sure to include that in your pitch or proposal. This means if you are planning an event, what are your projections on the number of people that will be there? Who are your target demographics? 

RELATED: The Importance of Target Market Research

Within your proposal list out the amount of money you are seeking and a menu of prices if you plan to offer different advertising based on tiers. They are corporate and they already know you are looking for money, so shoot them straight. 

We hope that you land your next corporate sponsorship with flying colors! These tips should help you build the perfect pitch so you can land them every time. 

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Learn everything you need to know when it comes to asking for a sponsorship.



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How to Monetize Your Blog in 2021 – Business for Beginners

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In 2021, it is entirely possible to monetize your blog using one or more of the methods we outline in this post.

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A few years ago, it was not uncommon for people to start blogging just for fun, as an adventure. Perhaps they had interesting content they wanted to share. Others just wanted to play with ideas and words. A rare few might have had a passing thought that their blog might one day bring them profit.

In 2021, however, it is entirely possible to monetize your blog, using one or more of the methods we outline in this post.

Building a blog requires time, a thorough development plan, lots of hard work, and sometimes a financial contribution. However, people are becoming aware that remote work is possible. Moreover, blogging is something many people can do. All it requires is knowledge in an area you’re passionate about and the ability to write coherently.

However, can you monetize a blog to the point where you can quit your current job? Perhaps. Or maybe you’ll just earn some side income. But these days, almost everyone would welcome a little extra income.

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Here’s a list of some ways to monetize your blog, so you can have fun writing while also earning an income.

Monetize Your Blog by Joining Affiliate Programs

Affiliate marketing is highly popular in 2021, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. The biggest advantage of affiliate programs is that bloggers who are just starting to build their name on the internet can join them. What’s more, you do not even have to already have the large audience you’re aiming for.

Being an active member of an affiliate network consists of recommending products or services of your choosing. You simply include affiliate links for those products and services and weave them discreetly into the content of your blog. As a blogger, you’ll receive a commission for each finalized transaction that happens through the affiliate links on your blog.

Affiliate marketing works great with blogging. However, it’s important to join an affiliate network that offers a wide array of campaigns. We recommend MyLead, a global affiliate network with more than 2,000 affiliate programs. MyLead has been in the industry for six years.

If you want to monetize your blog with affiliate marketing, join MyLead for free by clicking here.

Monetize Your Blog with Advertising

Ads are by far the most popular way of monetizing a blog. After all, blogs are a great advertising space.

monetize your blog

There are many websites and brands on the market that allow you to earn money this way. One of the most popular solutions is Google AdSense. When you decide to place Google ads on your blog, the company will share the profits with you, and you will receive a small commission for displaying the ad or getting clicks on it. 

How Do Bloggers Make Money on Google AdSense?

By signing up for Google AdSense, you earn by displaying personalized ads. The best part about this method is its simplicity. All you need to do is place a simple code on your blog, and Google AdSense will start showing ads that are tailored to the users and the topic of your blog. Google counts the impressions and you will earn a small amount for each impression. Then, after your account has accumulated a specific amount, you will be able to withdraw the money your blog has earned.

Sponsored Entries Can Monetize Your Blog

If you attract a significant number of users each month, sponsored entries can be a great way to monetize your blog. Let’s say you have been working hard and developing your blog for a year or even longer. It is not just a hobby for you anymore, but a way of life, really. At some point, the income you earn from Google AdSense may no longer be enough. In fact, it could actually start to make your blog’s stats fall.

When that happens, what should you do? You can start by negotiating with some companies that are interested in sponsoring your blog posts. Why might they be interested? If they are, it will be because you have amassed a large and valuable audience for your blog.

Sponsored blog entries could include:

  • Posts promoting products or services
  • Lists of recommended items, such as a list of the best WordPress plugins for beginner bloggers
  • Reviews and opinions

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Conclusion

According to BloggingX, 84% of bloggers use affiliate marketing to grow their audience and monetize their blog. However, if you’re thinking about joining an affiliate network, make sure it meets the requirements of other publishers. A big base of campaigns and industry awards is a must-have.

The above-mentioned MyLead is a perfect example. According to Affbank, it is the best SmartLink affiliate network. Also, it is the best affiliate network for e-commerce, according to Conversion Club. Additionally, it’s the 16th fastest growing company in Central Europe, according to The Deloitte Technology Fast 50.

However, remember that there is no such thing as “the best way” to monetize your blog. Every blog is different, and every blogger is unique. For some people, the maintenance-free AdSense method is a great way to monetize their blog entries. For others only sponsored articles will bring a reasonable income. However, other bloggers will find affiliate links to be the most useful for them.



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How to Grow Your New Business into a Successful Brand – Business

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Featured image by Jarmoluk from Pixabay

A branding studio can offer many different services. It can give you new and innovative ideas so your brand can be successful. It can help improve the physical and electronic sensations your recent consumers feel, socialize, and associate with your brand.

A branding studio can help strategize, manage, and design campaigns across multiple stations to convert people into your clients. Instructions for branding your company are limitless. You may start to feel overwhelmed from not knowing where to begin.

However, don’t worry. We have the best creative branding ideas and technical strategies to make them a reality! The best way to find out your own business goal is by asking the right questions. With the help of these sure-to-work tips of the trade, your brand can be successful.

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Behind every successful business, there’s a well-defined, coherent plan. On a well-designed site, the consumer experience, from beginning to end, will be easy and straightforward. However, what if that consumer’s experience with your site starts before they click on it?

For cellular and internet advertising to inspire customers to click-through to your website, you want to reevaluate your advertisements’ graphic layout. So, if you would like to be creative with your digital advertising and advertising endeavors, you cannot be reluctant to utilize dramatic visuals to grab the consumer’s interest. Your audience ought to be able to tell from one glance in digital advertising what your successful brand is about. Only creative images could tell a story in this manner.

Creates Complimentary Ideas and Posts

Clients adopt successful brands that make them feel appreciated for their very own unique personalities. If you constantly send identical messages, that lack a personal touch, to thousands of your clients, then they will not feel valued.

Since customization, when involving thousands of potential clients, is not simple, you have to be quite inventive about it. Your social website managers must at least attempt to react to your intended audience in a manner that does not reek of sameness. Every client should to be addressed individually.

Assists with Social Media Marketing

72% of customers will make a purchase from a successful brand they follow on Twitter. Social networking is your most ideal instrument at this time for constructing links. Not only between people, however between customers and brands, too.

By linking, we can create genuine meaningful connections with your clients. It allows you to engage and converse with them.

The worth of social networking existence cannot be overlooked now. By producing a social networking page, you might have a marketing channel practically for free to help your brand be successful. However, you’re able to ramp this up a notch by using Facebook advertising as well.

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Makes Great Videos

As for multimedia, there are two visually attractive techniques that easily catch people’s attention nowadays: infographics and videos!

Videos are consistently the favored direction to deliver information to the public. It requires less effort and is much quicker than, say, reading a long report. Nonetheless, in the era of smartphones, we see videos now more than ever before.

Consequently, this medium is a fantastic advantage when a company would like to flaunt its distinctive character. Using videos geared toward your particular audience may undoubtedly do a lot for your business or organization.

Improves Email Marketing

Many folks and companies fail to acknowledge the importance of a simply, fantastic email. That can be a big mistake for businesses. A well written email can do a lot for your successful brand and a branding studio can help you with this. Professional email layout, when combined with the suitable paragraph payout and graphics, can provide all of the relevant information directly to people’s inboxes with an eye-catching method.

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Why Unique Packaging Is Important for Your Business – Business

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How many times did you stop to have a look at a product just because the unique packaging captured your attention? When you needed to pick between two similar goods, did the design or look of them affect your choice? 

While we try our best not to judge things solely based on looks, the reality is we care a great deal about first impressions. Especially today, a product’s packaging is equally as important as the product itself. No matter how great your product is, a lousy packaging layout will drag down your earnings.

Unique item packaging plays an essential part in the evolution of almost any business and its advertising strategy. A plain cardboard box can be changed into a communication method if designed efficiently. It can serve as a quiet salesman for your brand to entertain and engage its clients.

There are many features to take into account when picking out the packaging of a product. It ought to protect what is inside, allow easy storage, display information concerning the merchandise and grab clients’ interest if displayed.

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Protection

Packing’s main goal is to shield its contents from damage that could happen during transportation, storage, and handling. It also protects the product from humidity, heat, light, and other outside variables. This is the most important purpose of packaging. 

Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to end up with an oversized package when compared to the size of the actual product. The amount of packaging waste can be shocking. It’s important to have a smart and well-designed package to be cost-effective. Although you want your unique packaging to look appealing it should still fit the fit-to-purpose layout.

Attractiveness

Unique packaging acts as a significant part of the product brand and promotion. Special packaging may boost the product’s beauty and encourage individuals to purchase your product. Packing is essential for the product itself. However, it could do more for your brand’s product. If done right, it can stick out on the shelf, improve sales, supply relevant info regarding the merchandise, and fortify attention. Two-thirds of individuals say packing has an impact on their own purchasing choices. 

Unique packaging may also tell an entire narrative concerning the company behind the product and the item’s ecological, social, and economic impacts. It’s a tool to convey the firm’s values and fantastic advantages that the product brings to the customer.

Sustainability

Sustainable packaging is necessary. The packaging’s unique design includes a vital role for specifying how simple it’s to divide the substances from one another and how simple the packaging would be to recycle and reuse. Earning more with less, saves funds but also leaves less sense for the user to deal with properly.

Consumers are conscious of the ecological impacts of their activities. They assess the carbon footprint of their packaging before purchasing a product. The labeling on the packaging that gives exact details regarding the product’s and packaging’s ecological influences and recyclability will surely catch the customer’s eye.

Security

Most importantly, unique packaging plays a significant part in maintaining its contents’ and customer’s safety. Packaging should include essential details of this solution and its security. For example, for meal products, the packaging date, best earlier date, and a list of components have to be visible on the packing. 

Also, never should a dangerous compound, odor, or taste move from the packaging materials to this food if it’s created by a virgin material or recycled substance. When it includes a hazardous substance, it needs to be apparent on the packaging so the customer knows. These pieces of advice add product security for the customer, which they will appreciate. So, BoxGenie is here to help you with your unique and custom packaging for your business’s products. 

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Tips to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing for Your Business – Marketing

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Affiliate marketing remains one of the most successful ways to make money online. Therefore, it’s not surprising if you are looking to get started with affiliate marketing for your business. How do you do that, though? In the following article, we discuss some key tips that will help you get the affiliate marketing ball rolling.

Choose Your Platform

The way the internet runs right now, there are a number of platforms you can use to make money through affiliate marketing. The most effective ways are either through a YouTube channel or with a blog. If you go the blog route, you will find that it is actually quite easy and cost-effective to get up and running.

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You will also find a multitude of tutorials and guides online that will help you find your footing. Moreover, it will only cost a small amount of money every month to maintain your blog. Once you are up and running, you can then optimize your blog and the site you are posting it on for SEO purposes. Then you can try to push it up in the rankings.

Making videos through YouTube is also inexpensive. For example, it costs absolutely nothing to upload content to YouTube. Therefore, it will only cost you if you need to buy a camera specifically for posting on YouTube. Optimizing your videos is also simple enough. You can even include your affiliate links in the description, with mention of them in the videos.

Get Started with the Right Affiliate Marketing Program

When it comes to getting started with an affiliate marketing program, you will find that there are plenty of programs to pick from. To help you out somewhat, there are three kinds of affiliate programs to choose from:

  • High-volume, low-paying affiliate programs
  • Low-volume, high-paying affiliate programs
  • High-volume, high-paying affiliate programs

How do you choose the right affiliate program for your business? This really depends on the niche you have chosen to focus on and your level of expertise. Are you looking to target customers? Then you are more likely to have greater success by aiming for the second type of affiliate program in the list above. This is because, although the individual commissions are lower than other options, there is a higher chance of sales.

On the other hand, if you are looking to serve in a B2B capacity, the better option would be to aim for the first category in the list above. This is a category where not as many units shift on average, but the commission is much higher. iAffiliate Management can help you out with things like deciding on the affiliate program that is best for your business and lots more.

Decide on a Niche

Although we said it is easy to get started in blogging, vlogging, and affiliate marketing, that doesn’t mean it is easy to be successful at it. After all, you are facing some huge competition. The best way to increase your chances of success is by carefully choosing the niche your business will be focusing on. Find a topic that focuses tightly on something specifically. Take food, for instance. That as a topic is too big and varied a category to focus on. It is better to pick something specific from food, like grilling or barbecuing food.

When you keep the topics you cover tight, you can build up a more targeted and focused audience. This will lead to greater success with boosting your rankings in Google and other search engines.

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Produce Great Content

Google and other search engines love original and high-quality content, so we want to highlight this point. It doesn’t matter how good your products are, if you don’t write compelling and informative content that reaches out and grabs your customers’ attention, you won’t make sales.

Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing Is Only the Beginning

After you have great content in place, what’s next? Well, it is just going to sit there with no one benefiting from it unless you direct people to it and encourage them to check it out. There are numerous ways you can get traffic, all with their own advantages. So get ready now to find ways to bring traffic to your site.

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