Archives for December 2020

Why Unique Packaging Is Important for Your Business – Business

December 31, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Featured image by AnnLarin from Pixabay

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.

RELATED ARTICLE: COMMON SHIPPING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

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.

RELATED ARTICLE: TOP WAYS TO INCREASE ONLINE SALES

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

December 31, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Featured image by Gemma Villalba from Pixabay

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.

RELATED ARTICLE: NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES

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.

RELATED ARTICLE: INNOVATIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR YOUR PET CARE BUSINESS

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.

RELATED ARTICLE: ARE YOU READY FOR MORE WEBSITE TRAFFIC? TRY THESE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TIPS

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Tesla could include Apple Music and Amazon to its cars

December 30, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Elon Musk’s company plans to introduce more and more fitness apps.

December
30, 2020

2 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

The rivalry of the company of Elon Musk , Tesla with Apple could reach a “deal” or something similar. According to reports on Twitter, the car company will include Apple Music to its entertainment service.

In Tesla vehicles, there is a central screen that is almost a computer, which can carry out multiple tasks.Spotify is already available in the system to entertain the crew.

Image: Depositphotos

However, thanks to an image posted on twitter by a user, Green (a hacker who analyzes the tesla system updates), it can be seen that Apple Music is among the options but still does not work.

Looks like more media sources are coming soon. Though it’s not quite there yet.
The icon in UI is wrong, but the correct on is already populated. pic.twitter.com/dmavYUvuh7

– green (@greentheonly) December 27, 2020

At the moment, there is still no official announcement regarding when the service will arrive to the vehicles. But Apple isn’t the only one about to be a part of Elon Musk’s board. Also in the crosshairs are Tidal, Amazon Music, and Audible , an audiobook service owned by Jeff Bezos’ company Amazon.

This is linked to the desire of tycoon Elon Musk to incorporate video games in Tesla cars in the future, and thus increase entertainment options. He has even said on his Twitter account “entertainment will be essential when cars drive themselves.”

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Guide to Success for Novice Traders – Ideas

December 30, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Image by MayoFi from Pixabay

Are you a novice day trader? This guide provides you with everything you need to know about day trading. Internalize these insights and apply them during your sessions.

Common Mistakes Novice Day Traders Make Over and Over Again

Source: Pixabay

The retail trading arena is a huge market in the US, estimated at $4.9 trillion in 2020 according to IBISWorld. This industry powers thousands of companies (SMBs), both public and private. These in turn fuel economic growth in a capitalist economy. While the growth rate slowed appreciably in 2020, owing to the novel coronavirus, many peripheral industries have sprouted.

Foremost among them are retail stocks trading and institutional stocks trading. Thanks largely to the widespread democratization of online trading activity, it is possible to power up your PC, Mac, or mobile and trade stocks online like a pro.

We begin with a look at some of the common mishaps that novice day traders experience.

RELATED ARTICLE: WHY OWNING STOCK IS IMPORTANT FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

Novice Traders and the Fallacy of Accessibility

The first problem is the fallacy of accessibility. Many novice traders wrongly assume that all that’s required to become a successful day trader is access to an online brokerage and a trading platform. Of course it is absolutely imperative to carefully select the right brokerage and trading platform. However, in and of itself, this decision will not necessarily yield profitable returns. The fallacy of accessibility wrongly assumes that by having access to a stocks trading platform, you automatically enjoy the attendant benefits such as profitability.

The Solution

Careful selection of a stocks trading platform is one of the most important decisions you can make as a trader. This is especially true if you’re a novice trader. However, the viability of the trading platform only becomes evident once you have conducted a critical assessment of its components. Among the many features, functions, and resources necessary in a top-tier day trading platform are:

Access to real-time prices to make accurate buy and sell decisions.

Rapid executions of trades, to prevent the obliteration of highly sensitive stock options like penny stocks.

Feature-filled trading resources. For example, look for features such as economic data releases, webinars, seminars, trading videos, trading guides, trading tutorials, stock trading blogs, stock trading forums, company financial reports, paper trading options, FAQ, glossary, support, and so on.

Wide range of financial instruments to trade, including everything from penny stocks to blue-chip stocks.

RELATED ARICLE: HOME OFFICE PRODUCTIVITY: 4 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Access to Penny Stocks: OTC, Pink Sheets, or Listed Exchanges?

Source: Pixabay

Novice Traders and the Price Appreciation Trap

If you consider day trading seriously, it is critical that you understand precisely how to pick your stocks, time your trades, and call them correctly. When it comes to traditional stocks trading, the rationale behind the trade relies on stock appreciation for profit-earning potential. Conversely, in day trading, it is possible to profit off stock movements regardless of rising or falling prices. However, you as the day trader must pick the right direction. Many novice traders fall into the price appreciation trap. That is, they falsely believe that price appreciation is the only way to make money as a day trader.

The Solution

You can learn to profit from stock price movements, irrespective of bullish or bearish trends. The trend is your friend in stocks trading. If prices are falling, it is possible to adopt a bearish perspective on that stock and collect on the way down.

By the same token, it is possible to profit off appreciating stocks since the future price may be greater than the present price. In this case, the difference is the profit. But traders can easily profit from downward markets and plunging prices, too. They do this by adopting winning strategies. In a bear market, which is a market that declines by 20% or more from previous highs, you can short-sell.

This advanced trading strategy requires borrowing the underlying equity from the broker and selling it at the prevailing market price. For example, if the share costs $5 right now and will be $4 in the future, short-selling the option is a good idea. This is because the $1 per share is your profit.

On the other hand, if perchance the share price appreciates the $6, and you short sold that option, you would be in the red to the tune of $1 per share. Obviously, then, short-selling is inherently risky. There are no safeguards in terms of price movements. Nonetheless, this form of derivatives trading is widely employed at a large number of trading brokerages. Short-selling is typically conducted with the CFDs (contracts for difference) market and spread betting activity. In short, what many novice traders don’t understand is that you don’t need to own the underlying asset to short-sell it.

Choosing a Brokerage

In terms of where to trade penny stocks, it’s best to pick a brokerage with a fully supported trading platform. The virtual trading realm is festooned with world-class trading platforms and brokers. For example, these include E*TRADE, StocksToTrade, Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, Fidelity, and scores of others. Pick one that best satisfies your trading requirements, budget, and portfolio preferences.

The Best Time to Day Trade Penny Stocks

There are two key ingredients necessary for trading penny stocks: volatility and liquidity. It comes as no surprise to seasoned professionals that these two core components are largely available during the morning trading sessions, Monday through Friday. As a rule, you can expect the highest levels of volatility and liquidity during the opening session of trading, and then again during the closing session of the day.

Penny stocks tend to get a massive boost from press releases, financial statements, company news, and market-related phenomena. When this news breaks, you can expect wide-ranging movements in pricing.

Besides timing your trades to coincide with the busiest periods of day-to-day trading activity, another important component of day trading penny stocks is the number of trades you manage per day. A novice trader is foolhardy to take on too many trades. Instead, start small and grow incrementally.

Much the same thinking goes into the profits generated from your trades. As your knowledge of the financial markets grows, and your understanding of penny stocks trading develops, you can incrementally increase the number of trades you conduct each day to coincide with your skills, abilities, and preferences.

How to Mitigate Risk When Trading Penny Stocks Online

All forms of trading activity are inherently risky, some more so than others. Penny stocks trading is extremely volatile. Therefore, traders, especially novice traders, are cautioned against allocating too much weight in their financial portfolio toward this category. It is sensible to limit your exposure to risk in penny stocks to less than 10% of your overall financial portfolio. This number may be adjusted based on your appetite for risk and your understanding of the financial markets. The old axiom, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” holds true for penny stocks trading. (As an aside, it is true for other forms of trading, too.)

Risk management is best conducted by way of strategic decision-making processes. Since it is impossible to manually monitor dozens of trades simultaneously, you will likely be using tools and resources to assist you. These include stocks screeners, pre-set take profit and stop loss orders, and more. Nonetheless, the markets have an uncanny ability to confound traders at the best of times. They rise and fall at their leisure, and many traders desperately try to play catch up and ride the wave before it breaks.

RELATED ARTICLE: WANT AN ONLINE BUSINESS? TRY ONE OF THESE

Conclusion

That’s why it is important to set trailing stop loss percentages and trailing stop loss orders to mitigate risk on the downside. On the upside, set yourself a target—say 10-20%—and allow the trade to close out once your profit mark has been hit. It’s entirely possible for a stock to keep on rising well beyond your set figure. However, if a sudden reversal takes place, it may miss your safety point on the way down, and you could be out of luck!

So keep the tips we offer here in mind as you trade. As you gain experience as a day trader you will also gain confidence. In time, you’ll begin to reap the rewards of carefully applying the techniques you are learning now.

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Best Baby Changing Station for the Wall

December 30, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Besides providing quality products and services businesses have to make sure they accommodate the needs of their customers. Equally important is how your business is viewed by the public. This goes hand in hand with how you invest in the comfort of your customers. One of the best ways to do this is to provide a clean environment and full bathroom amenities such as baby changing stations.

It means not only accommodating your clients but also their children and possibly your staff’s children. This is where baby changing stations come in to play. Especially for public restrooms in restaurants, businesses, and shops.

Whether you need to install a baby changing station in your customer’s restroom or for employees who bring children to work, find the best ones here.

Best Baby Changing Stations for the Wall

Koala Kare Horizontal Baby Changing Station

Top Pick: The body of this horizontal diaper changing station is made from injection-molded polypropylene. And the bed surface contains microban antimicrobial that helps in reducing odor-causing bacteria. It complies with ADA standards for accessible design and the 2009 ICC A117.1 standards.

It is 23.5 x 35.18 x 22 inches and weighs 27.5 pounds. The steel chassis and steel hinges offer greater resistance and wear, and it can support up to 200 pounds.

Koala Kare KB20000 Horizontal Baby Changing Station

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ECR4Kids Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station

Runner Up: The ECR4Kids is made from antibacterial high-density polyethylene providing both strength and durability. Built to accommodate infants and toddlers of up to 3.5 years it has a concave shape and concave adjustable child-safety strap to keep kids comfortable and safe.

It is 35.5 x 19 x 4 inches and weighs around 21 pounds, with a weight capacity of 250 lbs. The space-saving design comes with a concealed pneumatic cylinder that ensures slow, safe, controlled opening and closing. It comes with two diaper bag/purse hooks that hold up to 25 lbs. each, two built-in sanitary paper liner dispensers and 500-count disposable liners.

ECR4Kids Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station with 500 Disposable Liners

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Rubbermaid Commercial Horizontal Baby Changing Station

Best Value: The Rubbermaid baby changing table is made with polypropylene. It is designed to not absorb moisture and prevent the spread of germs with antimicrobial protection. And it meets the EN, ADA, and ASTM safety standards.

The changing station comes with easy-to-reach hooks, a built-in shelf and liner storage, and is available in horizontal and vertical orientations. It features a concealed pneumatic cylinder and oversized hinge and shock absorbers for one-handed opening. It is33.25 x 21.5 inches and weighs 19.75 lbs.

Rubbermaid Commercial Horizontal Baby Changing Station

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Alpine Industries Baby Changing Diaper Station

This is a fold-down diaper station made with antimicrobial coated polypropylene. It features dual liner holders to accommodate up to 100 film liners and it is outfitted with two side hooks, allowing users to hang a diaper bag and another item.

It is 19.68 x 34.25 x 20.31 inches, weighs 24 lbs., supports up to 220lbs, and meets ADA, FDA, and ASTM global safety standards.

Alpine Industries Wall Mounted Baby Changing Station – Horizontal Fold Down Diaper Changing Table

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Continental Baby Changing Station

Continental’s baby changing station features a contemporary, easy to clean, concave surface to comfortably accommodate infants with adjustable safety straps. Made with polyethylene that inhibits bacterial growth it comes with dual liner dispensers that can hold approximately 50 liners for protection. And pneumatic shocks enable one-hand opening and closing.

When open, the station measures x 34-1/4 x 18 inches (Height x Width x Depth) and it measures 4” (Depth) when closed. It weighs 16.2 lbs. and it can hold up to 250 lbs.

Continental 8252-H White Horizontal Baby Changing Station

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TCBunny Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station

TCBunny is made from polypropylene with a horizontal changing station designed for infants and toddlers up to 3.5 years old. For added convenience, the unit comes with a built-in shelf and two accessory holders to keep all necessary items safely out of a child’s reach.

Furthermore, the one-hand open and close design allows for easy access to the changing platform, while the concealed pneumatic cylinder and hinge structure provide controlled, smooth opening and closing of the table. It is 33.25 x 21.5 x 4 inches, weighs 24.6 lbs., and meets ASTM, ADA, FDA, and EN safety standards.

TCBunny Wall-Mounted Baby Changing Station Horizontal Diaper Changing Table with Safety Straps White

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Modundry Fold Down Baby Changing Station

Modundry’s wall-mounted baby changing station comes with a smooth and comfortable concave surface and an adjustable safety strap to keep children safely in place. The 90⁰design helps save space and coupled with a concealed pneumatic cylinder ensures slow, safe, controlled opening and closing.

It is 32.76 x 23.15 x 5.43 inches, weighs 24 lbs., has weight capacity of 250 lbs, and has two diaper bag hooks that can hold up to 25 pounds.

Modundry Fold-Down Baby Changing Diaper Station – Horizontal Wall Mounted, Sturdy & Durable with Safety Straps for Commercial Bathrooms

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Important Features to Look Out for in Your Next Baby Changing Stations

Easy to Clean Options: Diaper changes can get messy. Look for units that are easy to clean and maintain. Look for materials that are waterproof, either plastic or silicone allowing you to easily wipe away messes.

Storage: A good changing table not only affords comfort and privacy but also functionality. Look for those that allow you to hang your bag, storage for essential supplies and have safety straps or harnesses.

Ease of Installation: Walls made from tiles, concrete or metal all have different mounting requirements. Look for changing tables that come with a full set of installation instructions. Also, beware of suppliers that do not offer mounting accessories.

Mount type: You have the option of a mounted or countertop mounted stations. Wall-mounted changing tables are more common because these units are usually a little easier to fit into a space and come with additional features, such as storage compartments.

Dimensions: Depending on the available space you may opt for horizontal or vertical changing stations. Some units come in both positions, and which to choose very much depends on the dimensions and needs of the space you want it to go in.

Material: The material should be one that is strong and sturdy, so parents do not have to worry about their baby rolling off of the table and getting injured. It can be either made from plastic or metal but make sure that there is sufficient cushioning for the toddlers’ comfort. It should have antibacterial components and can be easily washable. Also look for stations that are vandal proof.

Price: Baby changing stations can cost as little as under $100 to as much as $2,000. Investing on quality for this product is advisable.

Safety and Space

There are quite a few types of baby changing units you can put in public locations, that come with a range of features. Before you start buying a changing station, consider these two very important factors, safety and space.

Safety

The safety of toddlers during diaper changes is of utmost importance. And the baby station you install must reflect that. Make sure that your changing station is as safe as possible. And it all starts by buying a strong baby station made with solid materials and has safety certifications on par with industry standards.

After you purchase it, the next safety measure you should take is proper installation. If you are not a handy person, have a professional install it for you. This will help you avoid many complications later.

Space

The first step is to see if your baby changing station you choose fits in your bathroom. Baby changing stations come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can range in complexity in terms of their design (vertical Vs. horizontal), do they fold down or not.

Your changing station will need to provide enough room in front for users to comfortably change their baby. Equally important is to locate your baby changing station in a place where it will not obstruct traffic, get in the way of or damage other washroom equipment.

Having a baby changing station is one more way to better serve the needs of your customers. If you are going to make the station available, buy the best one your budget allows so your customers feel secure with the most important thing in their life, their child.

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Images: Amazon

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Vitality Beyond 50 Targets a Specific Niche in the Wellness Industry

December 30, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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People’s health needs can change with age. But many wellness brands today focus mainly on young adults. Luckily, Vitality Beyond 50 is there to provide guidance specifically geared toward women in a different age group. Read more about the company below in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Provides nutritional guidance for women over 50.

Founder Kristine Bahr told Small Business Trends, “I am an Integrative Functional Medicine nutritionist. I help women over 50 regain their energy and vitality with a personalized treatment plan including nutritional services and supplements.”

Business Niche

Bringing scientific testing and experience to clients.

Bahr says, “I have 20 years of experience as an Integrative Functional Medicine Nutritionist. I do scientific testing to determine the root cause of any illness.”

How the Business Got Started

By niching down another venture.

Bahr explains, “Vitality Beyond 50 is an offshoot of my present business, Cutting Edge Wellness.”

Biggest Win

Seeing results with clients.

Bahr says, “In my business history, I have helped thousands of clients, all ages achieve optimal health.”

She adds, “The best gifts I have received are women having babies after being they were infertile. It is a joy to my heart.”

Biggest Risk

Setting up in a new area.

Bahr says, “The biggest risk is when I moved from the Berkshires to Boston. I had to develop my business in a new location.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Exploring new areas and continuing to serve clients, just in new ways.

Bahr explains, “I would travel more (excluding COVID restrictions) and write a book.”

Favorite Quote

“It is a time of Great Awakening. A time for waking up to who you are, not who others think you are.” Abraham Hicks

* * * * *

Image: Vitality Beyond 50, Kristine Bahr

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the story that can save your life

December 30, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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December
30, 2020

10 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The story of someone you trust can save your life or quarantine you for many months.

If your friend who has already been vaccinated tells you that the medicine works, you will go for the vaccination.

There are ideological currents that, out of ignorance, slander or look for conspiracy theories where there is none. Better listen to the doctor.

These days many countries have started their vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 . I am happy. First, because many lives will be saved. Second, because at last we have something that can return us to the longed for normality. And third, because humanity has shown that, when it wants, it can cooperate to overcome great challenges.

The saving vaccine paradox

We should be optimistic. But half of my friends and family are fearful or mistrustful. Some tell me they don’t want to be among the first to receive treatment. Others, who will not be vaccinated under any circumstances. We are faced with a paradox: having already the cure, there are those who fear it as much or more than the disease itself.

Maybe you know people like that in your environment. For what it’s worth, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. In September, the Pew Research Center found that 49% of the US population was unwilling to get the vaccine right away. And in Spain, the Sociological Research Center calculated that the proportion of these people grew from 40.3%, in September, to 47%, in November.

The truth is that in many democratic countries vaccination is not compulsory, so for the campaign to be effective, people must want to be vaccinated. And the less we take to convince ourselves, the faster we will achieve “herd immunity” . So what can we do to combat fear and rejection from these people?

Rogers theory

The answer to the question has to do with an already classic theory and with social storytelling. In the 1950s, the sociologist Everett M. Rogers studied the agricultural industry in the United States and discovered that there were innovations that local producers adopted more quickly than others. In 1962, he published a theory that went around the world: that of the “Diffusion of Innovations .”

It goes more or less like this: whenever an innovation appears in a society of well-communicated people, five attitudes can be expected that will manifest themselves successively and over time. These are:

That of innovative or pioneering people . They are the ones who, without hesitation, will embrace innovation the minute it becomes available.

That of the first followers . They are the group of those who could not be pioneers, but who will readily accept that they can.

That of the precocious majority . A massive group waiting to see how the previous two groups are doing with innovation.

That of the late majority . Another massive group, but reluctant (or without access) to innovation.

That of the laggards . People who will not accept innovation for fear of change or mistrust.

Rogers estimated the percentage of the population for each attitude (see graph below) and subsequent studies showed that the same pattern was common in settings, industries, and countries around the world.

^{Theory of Diffusion of Innovations by Rogers (1962) and critical leap by Moore (1991) / De Plc.gif: Original creator Vvdberg at nl.wikipedia. Derivative work: Osado – Plc.gif, CC BY-SA 3.0}

A theory with limitations and critics

Nowadays, academics from economics, sociology, or marketing accept the model and apply it to demographic and market studies. Popular culture has accepted it too, as a famous video by Simon Sinek shows .

As a theory, it has not been definitively proven or refuted. In fact, it has been proven that it cannot be applied to certain systems and that it is not enough to explain how some commercial products succeed (the iPhone, for example) and others fail ( the DeLorean , for example). But in 1991, Geoffrey Moore backed up the idea by developing an explanation of why it doesn’t always work and how to overcome the limitation.

I believe that Rogers theory is applicable to the case of vaccines. And that summarizes why almost half of the people in many countries say that they do not want to be the first: it is because they are part of the “late majority” and the “laggards” that, as the previous graph shows, account for 50% of people.

The theory in practice

In democratic countries, where (I insist) getting vaccinated is not mandatory, Rogers’ model predicts that 2.5% of the population will naturally feel “pioneer” and will volunteer within hours of starting the vaccination campaign. They are people who will ask their doctor where they can be treated, even before the first doses arrive in the country. They will do it because they are brave, or because they feel responsible for themselves and others. There will also be those who like to be up to date with everything.

But when the pioneers show that they are still healthy and that the vaccine did not harm them, the “first followers” will arrive. They will not have to be called: they will also volunteer themselves, or ask everywhere when it is their turn. They will line up quite long and offer money (or time) to be vaccinated. And when they do, another 13.5% more of the population will be added to the list of those vaccinated.

Now, what makes an innovation succeed or fail?

This is where the Rogers theory (and the vaccination campaign) comes into play. Earlier I mentioned Geoffrey Moore. He discovered that the success or failure of disruptive innovations (the vaccine is) is determined at a critical point: that of the leap from the “first followers” to the “early majority.”

If the latter accept the innovation, then the vaccine will reach 50% of the population and success will be practically certain. But if not, failure will inevitably follow. Well, what makes the early majority adopt innovation?

Very simple: storytelling! In other words, the story that the “first followers” will tell others about how the experience was for them. That will make the early majorities believe (or not) that the vaccine works.

So forget what the politician or the TV news says. If your brother and friend who have already been vaccinated tell you that the medicine works, you will go to get vaccinated. Because you will see that it works for them and you will not want to be different.

The other way around: if your vaccinated friend tells you that the treatment is not working for him, or that he was treated poorly, or that the substance caused him serious pain, you will not accept the medicine. As simple (and complex) as this: the story of someone you trust can save your life or keep you in quarantine for many months .

What’s the lesson in terms of storytelling?

When getting vaccinated is a voluntary option and it is necessary for people to quickly convince themselves to do so, it is essential to build stories that give confidence. Especially to motivate the “pioneers” and the “first followers” to try.

But then, in the interest of all, we must facilitate communication between these two groups and those who have misgivings. And, in this, I think that we all play a critical role: political authorities, scientists, media and producers of the vaccine. But also you and me, as citizens.

When the authorities, the scientific community and the media spread the success stories and normalize the image of the vaccine, they do a great job. Manufacturers who report favorable and certified results for their products do well too. In Spain, the percentage of people who say they would not take the vaccine decreased to 28% in December. And that is a success.

But you and I also have a role. You should know that every time you share a joke, a cartoon or a meme about the vaccine on your social networks, or that you send cynical comments without having the slightest idea of what you are saying, you contribute to making the “precocious majority” feel less confident and it takes longer to get vaccinated. You are helping the virus to last.

You should also know that there are political groups, lobbies and ideological currents that, from absolute ignorance, slander or seek conspiracy theories where there is none. Their interests are evil and they pursue power and influence, if not evil for evil’s sake.

Better ignore them. Better still if you don’t give them any space in your conversations. Rather listen to your doctor first.

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Instagram for Realtors – Real Estate

December 29, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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Instagram for realtors can be a powerful tool on both the national and local levels. Keep reading to learn how to get started and what’s working now!

One reason Instagram is such a great platform for realtors is because of the photos. People love beautiful photos and looking for their dream home. Also, there is less distraction when compared to Facebook and Pinterest.

Instagram Tips for Realtors

Be sure to have real estate agent or realtor in your title. If you are new in the real estate world, most people don’t know you. The title area is the ONLY searchable area in your Instagram profile.

For the bio portion, ditch the cutesy look and describe who you are and who you help. Maybe your speciality is million dollar homes, or maybe you dominate a certain area in your town or city.

List if you are strictly a residential focused agent or if you help people find commercial properties too.

What are Hashtags?

Hashtags are a string of words or a word behind the pound sign (#). Users often add these in without any research. Which is fine, but if you are using Instagram as a business tool, there is a strategy to it.

You want to target hashtags that are relevant to your niche and ones that you actually have a shot at ranking in. So if you have a smaller account you do not want to go after hashtags that are in the high hundred thousands + .

Be mindful of what your audience is searching. Chances are they are not searching for #homes. They may be looking for a certain style of home in a certain location. Both of these will be much less competitive than just using a generic term like homes.

How To Use Hashtags?

Instagram allows you to use up to 30 hashtags, and you should plan on using all of those. Choose a mix between local hashtags and others relevant to the industry.

You can put these under your caption or in the first comment. Either way, they are being used for the same purpose and there’s not a right or wrong way.

Do not use more than 30. That violates terms of service and could lead your account to getting shadowbanned. That means that you will not be able to use it and it could hurt your rankings in the future.

What is IGTV?

Photos in your newsfeed has to be one minute or less. If you plan on giving homeowner tips or maybe a virtual tour of an open house, you will want to do this on IGTV instead. You can still add this to your profile but it will redirect them.

What are Reels?

Instagram recently released a feature that is similar to Tik Tok called reels. These are 15 or 30-second clips (depending on what they allow on your account) that is relevant to your niche. You can still use hashtags, which we highly recommend. Add some music and even get a little silly for more views. The purpose of using reels is to reach more people and gain more followers. With this being a new feature, Instagram is focusing heavily on these right now.

Instagram Highlights for Realtors

In order to save your content to those small circles (aka highlights) under your profile, it first has to be published. As a real estate agent here are some ideas on what you should save. These are great to use as quick references for your followers. Any time you get the same questions asked multiple times you should save it as a highlight bubble.

Sold and pending homes

Client Testimonials

Current Listings

Virtual Tours

Meet the Team

Using Instagram as a realtor has tons of benefits and can be a great tool to have in your toolbox when used correctly. Wondering what type of content you should be posting? Check out 55 Social Media Posts for Real Estate Agents!

Looking to run some Facebook Ads? How To Run Facebook Ads for Real Estate Agents

Pin for later!

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26 Business Review Sites Where Customers Rate You

December 29, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

Business review sites are an essential part of the customer buying journey today. Purchasers make snap decisions about a firm simply by reading business reviews — without ever calling your company, setting foot in your store or visiting your website.

What is your presence like on review sites? Have you found all the sites where customers review your business? Are the reviews mostly positive?

Managing your presence is called online reputation management and it’s something you should be doing on business review sites. Reputation management involves identifying, monitoring, and influencing your business’s credibility and reputation online. And central to review sites are customer reviews.

What is a Customer Review?

A customer review is when a customer gives a review of a product, service or brand online based on first hand knowledge. Customer reviews are not professional reviews and are never paid for. About 72% of U.S. consumers have written a review for a local business.

Customer reviews are a form of customer feedback. They usually include some text, as well as a star rating of 1 to 5 stars, with 1 being poor and 5 being excellent. While there are many places you can find online business listings, the sites below go beyond listings and are popular places for customers to leave reviews.

Best Business Review Sites

The following 26 sites include the best B2C review sites, important for businesses that sell to consumers (examples: Yelp and HomeAdvisor). We also identify the best B2B review sites, for businesses that sell to other businesses (example: G2). Focus on the sites applicable to your industry so you can reap the benefits when buyers use them to make purchase decisions.

1. Google My Business

Google My Business (GMB) is the single most crucial review and listing tool for local businesses. It is is one of the top review sites, replacing what was previously called Google Local. An essential tool for garnering a credible online reputation, it can also help with ranking your business in various kinds of search results. Use this Google My Business Cheat Sheet to get started.

2. Bing Places for Business

Bing Places for Business is the Bing search engine’s version of Google My Business. Consumers can leave ratings and reviews about a company. Local businesses, including businesses with multiple locations, can claim their listing and complete a profile to add their listings to Bing Places, all for free. Once verified, information will appear in Bing Local search and map results.

3. Facebook Ratings and Reviews

Facebook is much more than a social media portal to share posts. The hugely popular social media site is also where followers can leave ratings, reviews, and recommendations on a business’s Page using its Facebook Ratings and Reviews platform. Businesses can turn off ratings and reviews in their Facebook Page settings.

4. Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) prides itself on being an ethical marketplace that allows individuals to recommend businesses. The BBB is one of the oldest and most trusted sites, and verifies all consumer reviews. Businesses can also become a BBB accredited business, and the Better Business Bureau assigns its own ratings from A to F but these ratings are independent from reviews by the public.

5. Amazon Customer Reviews

Amazon has been allowing consumers to post reviews about products since 1995. Garnering a string of 4- or 5-star reviews on this leading online retailer’s site can help businesses generate many new sales and build a solid reputation. Business reviews also apply to any listing in Amazon’s Handmade section and to service providers in the Amazon HomeServices section.

6. Yelp

Some small business owners and marketing managers have a love-hate relationship with Yelp, feeling that positive reviews at times get less visibility than negative ones at the site. However, you can’t deny Yelp’s importance. Its pages show up frequently in internet searches. It’s a consumer destination, too. The site also trains companies to respond to reviews. A Yelp listing can help businesses manage their online credibility and reputation. Yelp is one of the top review sites and an important place to encourage potential customers to do business with you.

7. Foursquare

Using its Swarm and CityGuides apps, Foursquare lets users check-in and rate venues they visit. Users can also leave “tips” for others visiting the establishments. Companies that sign up for Foursquare for Business can take advantage of user analytics. Businesses can also add their own tips to Foursquare and make customer reward offers. Foursquare data is often included in other sites and maps.

8. HomeAdvisor

If you operate a home improvement business or provide services to homeowners, listing your services on local business review websites like HomeAdvisor and collecting business reviews can positively impact your business and help you get new customers. All reviews placed on HomeAdvisor go through an extensive screening process and are verified by the site’s moderators.

9. Yellow Pages

You can get a free business listing on Yellow Pages which enables businesses to manage the reviews placed on the site about their company. Yellow Pages has transitioned from paper to digital, and is now supporting businesses online with local marketing and reviews. While the yellow pages are no longer the heavyweight driver of new customers the way they were decades ago when print books ruled, make sure to claim your business there.

10. TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is a review platform focused on the hotel, travel, restaurant, airline, or entertainment industries. Customers share reviews of hotels and other establishments connected to the travel industry. Given that TripAdvisor has collected more than 878 million reviews, it’s in every travel business’s interest to claim its listing and generate positive reviews on one of the largest travel sites in existence.

11. Angie’s List

Angie’s List is regarded as one of the most credible business review sites, being early to offer business listings. Reviews cannot be from anonymous sources on Angie s List, which again, adds to the credibility of the evaluations posted there. Companies can set up a page on Angie s List for free where customers can leave reviews.

12. TrustRadius

TrustRadius is an online review source designed for software businesses. Adding to the credibility of TrustRadius is the fact that all reviewers are authenticated via LinkedIn. This enables users to view what their connections on LinkedIn say about their business and software products.

13. OpenTable

If you own or run a restaurant, registering on OpenTable will enable customers to make reservations and write reviews. Restaurants receive a star rating on OpenTable based on the number of reviews and the percentage of people who recommend the restaurant. Naturally, the higher the review rating, the better a restaurant’s credibility and online reputation.

14. PlanetRate

PlanetRate enables customers to write reviews on businesses of all industries. Companies can register on PlanetRate and actively collect reviews. Users can write in-depth analyses of companies on PlanetRate. Any positive feedback on this review site can influence how consumers perceive your business.

15. Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange is an enterprise cloud marketplace designed to extend the Salesforce platform. It lets users rate businesses through a five-star rating system. Businesses with a Salesforce AppExchange app can keep track of their app’s rating and monitor their online business reviews.

16. Trustpilot

Trustpilot allows businesses to generate a profile page and encourage customers to provide reviews. Companies can send customizable review invitations for a higher-level paid membership fee and share their reviews and social ratings on social media.

17. Glassdoor

Glassdoor users can search reviews and ratings of more than 700,000 businesses around the world. Employees can also share what it is like to work for a company on Glassdoor. With candid and honest reviews about a business’s services, products, and what it is like to work for, Glassdoor can be an invaluable source for enhancing a company’s reputation with prospective employees.

18. G2

G2 (formerly known as G2 Crowd) is a business review site for companies that sell software. Business software apps are ranked on a five-star scale. With more than five million business users heading to G2 each month to read reviews and buy software, having quality ratings on G2 can directly influence business buying decisions.

19. VendOp

Customers can search for vendors of a particular industry and specification on VendOp. The site provides a portal for purchasers to share their experiences with other customers. Users can search reviews by ratings, service, and location on VendOp.

20. Manta

Manta is mainly a business review site, one dedicated to small business. Business owners can claim and customize their page to improve online visibility and marketability. Consumers can search from millions of businesses, and registered users can leave star ratings and write reviews.

21. Avvo

Avvo is a business review site for attorneys. Consumers can review their lawyer for the benefit of other consumers and assign up to 5 stars. Avvo claims to include 97% of all lawyers in the United States in its database, and also lists them by practice specialty. All reviews are subject to approval by Avvo, which separately provides its own rating of 1 to 10, based on specified criteria.

22. WebMD

WebMD is a vast site getting over 100 million visitors a month, containing medical information for consumers. It also has listings of doctors and dentists, and allows consumers to leave business reviews of them.

23. FinancesOnline

FinancesOnline is an independent review platform that addresses B2B, SaaS, and financial companies. It helps users find and compare software products and services best suited to their needs. They can also read customer product reviews and reports from experts. Currently, the site has more than 50,000 online reviews from users of software products.

24. Merchant Circle

Opening its virtual doors in 2005, Merchant Circle has more than 15 million local business listings across the U.S. in its database. Consumers refer to Merchant Circle to find businesses, read reviews by consumers, and get competitive quotes from companies they seek out. Make sure you claim your business listing. It can be a source for acquiring new customers.

25. Sitejabber

Sitejabber is a site with online reviews of businesses which also lets customers get answers to questions from other customers and the business itself. After making a purchase, customers can leave their own feedback and get help resolving any issues that may arise.

26. Which?

Which? is an independent not-for-profit UK-based consumer review site that reviews services and products and then writes and shares the reviews. Managing to have commendable reviews written about your products or services on Which? can go a long way in generating a sound and credible online reputation.

Other Review Sites

There are over 100 larger sites that allow user-generated reviews, and many smaller ones. Most are niche specific. CitiSearch, Local.com, Viewpoints, ConsumerAffairs, Etsy, Goodreads, Cars.com, Edmunds, CarGuru, Care.com, Thumbtack, Fiverr, Zomato, VRBO, Airbnb, Zillow, Houzz, Apartments.com, Bankrate, and the Apple Apps Store and Google Play for apps — these are just a few that feature reviews today. Find the business review sites relevant to your industry and your business. Then start listening to what the public is saying about your company, and engage.

5 Tips for Leveraging Business Review Sites

The following best practice tips will help you use online review sites to get highly sought-after, positive reviews.

Claim Your Business Profile

You can claim a listing on many review sites such as Yelp and Google My Business — and you should. Doing so enables you to verify or add your business information such as your phone number, hours of operation and email address. You can respond to user reviews, add photos and sometimes add links to a blog post or articles. Your profile becomes an extension of your business website, and a great way to draw in new customers. Google My Business is especially crucial because Google is the world’s largest search engine.

Encourage Business Reviews

Make it a habit to encourage customers to share a review or give feedback on your Facebook page, Yelp, the BBB, or other review sites. Reviews essentially are word of mouth. Instead of speaking one-on-one with a neighbor or friend, consumers take to review websites.

Some business owners dread looking at customer reviews because they expect them to be negative. Have confidence. Embrace each review as the equivalent of free advertising and an integral part of your digital marketing through happy customers.

Don’t Incentivize Reviews

While you can encourage reviews, do not incentivize users to give them. Also, it’s important to understand the rules for each review site. Some, like Yelp, have strict guidelines about asking for reviews.

Don’t Write Fake Reviews

Writing fake business reviews could get your business banned from the review site. Review sites work hard to preserve consumer trust and have algorithms to detect and remove fake reviews. No matter how tempting, it is not worth the risk and could damage your company’s reputation should you be discovered.

Respond to Negative Reviews

Never let negative reviews go unanswered. Keep an open mind, remain unemotional and apologize if necessary. Take negative comments back to your team and use them to improve. If you did nothing wrong, acknowledge the situation and empathize. Avoid arguing with a customer or flaming the reviewer.

It turns out that 30% of consumers reverse negative reviews on online review sites when the company responds, according to a survey by ZenBusiness. Yet, only 12% of consumers say their reviews are often or always responded to. Therefore, by responding, you gain a real advantage over all the other small businesses that never respond.

Do I Still Need My Own Website if I Have Review Site Listings?

You should always have your own company website. Some businesses use their Google My Business profile, Facebook page or other business review sites as a replacement for a website of their own. But this is not wise, for one simple reason: third-party sites are outside of your control.

If Facebook decides — however unjustly — to delete your Page, it could take weeks or months to appeal and get it back, if ever. An effective digital marketing strategy should include both your own website as well as business review sites.

Should I Display Reviews on My Website?

Yes. A number of software apps are available to help with aggregating reviews and displaying them on your site. The software reminds customers to review your business post-sale. The apps also automate collecting reviews that have already been published on third-party sites, and provide widgets so you can embed and display reviews on your own website. Examples: GatherUp, Reviews.io and BirdEye.

Do Customer Review Sites Help with Search Engine Rankings?

Information from business listing sites, including user reviews, can show up high in search results in numerous ways. In particular, GMB and Bing Places information is often displayed prominently in the respective Google search engine and Bing search engine pages and maps. A search engine optimization (SEO) professional who specializes in local SEO can help you with a local SEO strategy and explain more.

Rather than focusing just on rankings, however, think broadly about “visibility”. Review sites give you more places to be found online. Too many small businesses are effectively invisible online. The more review websites your company appears in, with positive ratings, the better.

Ready?

The internet has given consumers the power to make or break a business’s reputation by leaving reviews on social media sites like Facebook, search engines, or any number of business review sites like Yelp. It’s in your best interest to embrace review sites to make a positive brand impression.

Image via Shutterstock; various screenshots

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24-Karat Hamburger Created in Colombia, Whose Value Is Just as Extravagant as Its Appearance

December 28, 2020 by Asif Nazeer Leave a Comment

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An enterprise in the country has become a trend thanks to its new launch. What does it taste like?

December
28, 2020

2 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Who doesn’t like hamburgers? This cocombiano restaurant, you know, people love it. However, they wanted to give this dish a twist and they did not go unnoticed. A 24-karat hamburger, yes, as you read it, a gold-plated dish.

The restaurant with offices in Bogotá and Bucaramanga, Colombia, Toro McCoy, launched on November 27 a brioche burger, double meat, with caramelised bacon, crispy cabol, double cheese and … bathed in 24-karat gold, they describe on their Instagram account .

The most curious thing about the dish is that it has a cost of 200 thousand Colombian pesos, that is, almost 57 dollars (1,141 Mexican pesos). In addition, since it is a delicate process, whoever wants to order the expensive hamburger will have to wait 30 minutes.

In Colombia, the cost is what has caused a stir on social networks, because it is so high, even if it is edible gold.

What does the 24 karat hamburger taste like?

In an interview, Carlos Mario Flórez, revealed to NoticiasRCN , that the unusual hamburger does not really taste like gold and that it is more about the luxury experience that the dish provides.

Image: @toromcoy, Instagram

“It doesn’t taste like anything, nor does it smell. It’s a strange sensation because sometimes it sticks to the lip, the gold is very thin and can stay on the fingers, ”explained Flórez.

Would you like to try it?

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