Archives for July 2022

Not every loft conversion return is financial. For homeowners, the return is very much functional, too. Choosing the right use of the space is such an important way to make sure you are feeling like you invested in the right home improvement.

Maybe you use the space as a spare room, whereas before you couldn’t have anybody to stay because of lack of space. Or maybe the room is the perfect home office, helping you to build on your freelance career or work more comfortably with your employer’s new hybrid remote worker arrangements.

By using the space in the best possible way, you can feel assured that you are milking it for every inch of use you can get out of it.

But let’s say you’re converting your loft solely for financial reasons so as to get the best possible return on your house. Even then, it is still important to consider the use of the space during the design process.

For example, think about what kind of buyers you are likely to attract. Discussing the potential designs with your chosen loft conversion company will help you to understand what is possible. Then you can match your target house buyer to the loft conversions that best slot into their desired use of space.

Young professionals, for example, are more likely to use the space as a home office or living space. They may benefit more from features like en suite bathrooms. Alternatively, young families are more likely to utilize it as a nursery, playroom, or extra bedroom for children as they get older. They may prefer more square footage or standing space ahead of other features.

Image by micheile dot com on Unsplash

Recent news headlines have mentioned that the cost of loft conversions have reached a new high. This is because nearly everyone wants to improve their home post-pandemic. You may be eager to convert, but don’t pay more than you should to get it done sooner. You’ll lose any potential return on investment this way.

Besides, costs are likely to level out at some point. Then waiting lists will decrease, too. This is especially likely as the housing market is thought to be taking a dive soon in response to the cost-of-living crisis.

There are many different conversion types on offer. These include a dormer, a mansard, or an L-shaped loft conversion. You might also choose hip-to-gable, skylight, or combinations of any of these.

Choosing the right conversion is important. This is because it ensures that by having a loft conversion done, you’re getting the maximum aesthetic and functional appeal both internally and externally.

To help you make an informed decision, have your loft conversion company explain the differences between the different options that are suitable for your property. Ask them to include the price differences and any downsides to different options.

Ideally, you’ll want to see examples of different conversions on properties like yours. This can give you have a better idea of what the results will be. Foreknowledge will help you to make the right decision. You want to be able to choose a conversion that brings the best possible return both financially and functionally.

If you do not use a trusted loft conversion company you could find that the project takes a lot longer than it should. Or project creep could become an issue. Basically, in some way the results may not be as great as you were expecting. There could even be safety issues.

Obviously, these are all worst-case scenarios, but who wants to take that risk? With an investment like this, you’ll want to be sure you are getting the best possible results for your money. The only way to do that is by using a trusted loft conversion company. Choose a company that is transparent about their costs and timelines. Make sure they are communicative, have a proven track record, and are happy to answer all your questions.

Make Sure You Can List Your Loft Conversion as an Extra Bedroom

The value of a property goes up considerably for every bedroom. Potential buyers are willing to pay around £70,000 more on average for a three-bedroom property over a two-bedroom property. Moreover, they will pay nearly £200,000 more to go from a three-bedroom property to a four-bedroom property.

For this reason, it is important that you ensure that you can list your new conversion as an official extra bedroom when you have the work done.

There are certain regulations that relate to this. It is important to have your loft conversion company discuss these regulations with you, since you don’t want to just end up with the space. You also want to end up with your loft officially listed as an additional bedroom, too. Then you can realize the financial gain that comes from a loft conversion.

Add Extras to Your Loft Conversion If You Can

Extras like an en suite bathroom or kitchenette will be really useful in adding value to the space both financially and functionally. They aren’t always possible, but if the loft conversion company says they are, do consider those extras. They could be worth plenty in the addtional return they provide.

Some potential buyers may see a loft bedroom as a bit off-putting if you don’t have the temperature under control. Luckily, there are various options to help. These include certain roofing types, better insulation, window tinting, automated blinds, air conditioning, and added ventilation.

One of the areas you save when you have a loft conversion rather than a house extension, is the garden. This is actually worth a lot of money when it comes to selling a home.

One in eight households in the UK do not have a garden. One in five in London don’t either. What’s more, and we all hold our gardens a bit dearer post-pandemic.

By putting a little bit of time and effort into highlighting your garden when you sell it, you’ll be maximizing this asset as well as gaining from your new conversion, too.

Design It with a Unique Layout in Mind

One of the best ways to make a return on your investment when you have a loft conversion and then sell a home, is to ensure the interior design works with the uniqueness of the conversion itself. Sometimes buyers need help recognizing a loft conversion as the asset that it is, so you have to sell the dream.

To do this, don’t just jam any old furniture in there and give it a lick of neutral paint. Instead, you need to inspire, enhance, and present. You’re selling a lifestyle with a loft conversion, which means putting extra effort into staging the room.

Use colors that give a nod to the beautiful new views of nature in the surrounding areas. Play with natural light and sky views by placing features like roll top baths or hammocks underneath the skylights. Fill up a compact conversion with a huge, beautiful king-size bed and layer upon layer of texture and tactile soft furnishings.

RELATED ARTICLE: DESIGN A HOME OFFICE YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO BE IN

If you would like more information on loft conversions and how they could enhance your property, speak to a local loft conversion company today. They will be able to speak through all your options with you so that you can get a better idea of what you can have done and the potential return that could bring. You can then capitalize on your investment by following some of the tips above.

Hopefully, with the right planning, conviction, and post-build measures, you can ensure that this exceptional new asset is as valuable as possible moving forward.

Do you work from home? Be sure to spend a little time every day reaching out to friends and family. Also, browse our blog from time to time for fresh insights, tips, and ideas to help you improve your workspace and your work life.

An about page is incomplete without a bit of storytelling. You need to tell your customers about your business’s growth and problems over the years.

For example, a compelling narrative about the modest beginnings of your company or recent experiences you found amusing can win customers’ trust right away.

Spell out the difficulties and mistakes that prompted you to launch the business. You may also include what motivated you to start your product or services. Explain to website visitors why your product will make life easier for them.

However, it’s important to avoid gloating. In as much as your about page is about your business, if it is just a barrage of information about you it can become monotonous and uninteresting to readers. Stick with telling just the right stories about your business. This can make your website warm and realistic. It will draw people to your brand.

Post Pictures on Your About Page

Attaching pictures to your about page is an excellent way to attract customers to your brand. No matter how well-written your about page is, having only words there will not gain you the desired traffic.

To make your about page more attractive, you can create a collage of photos of your work activities, employees, yourself, and your company logo. These pictures should break up the text at intervals, creating a better user experience for your customers.

You can also include videos as they are an excellent addition to the mix. This will also make your page more engaging and give it a more natural and human appearance.

Social Proof

Customers are keen on finding out about your qualifications, experience, and work history before they contact you. In fact, this is often part of why they visit your about page in the first place. Therefore, your about page should be fact-driven and full of testimonies, press mentions, and any awards you have gotten.

You can also include content made by your customers or clients using your product. Additionally, honest reviews also add a nice touch. Customers are more likely to purchase your product if other customers have good things to say about it.

Additionally, the number of goods or services you offer and how long you’ve been in business can also affect customers’ purchase decisions.

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Once you have expressed yourself using the above-mentioned measures, you should conclude your page with a call to action (CTA). A call to action is a trade tactic that spells out an instruction for the reader to follow. For example, you might want to encourage them to click links that take them to a subscription form or a contact form.

So your call to action should appear on your page as a hyperlink that takes your customers directly to check out your products, visit your blog, sign up for your email list, start a free trial, or contact customer service.

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You can also attach your social media pages for customers to view more content from you. All CTA’s are essential in continuing a user’s journey after visiting your about page.

Learn more about how to optimize your website to attract more customers to you business. Bookmark our blog and visit us often.

As your company approaches the customer to offer them the product, it is crucial to have enough knowledge regarding the product’s features, advantages, disadvantages, rivals, and solutions. The reason is simple: The better you know it, the easier it is for you to communicate your offer, answer questions and facilitate the customer’s process.

In terms of prospecting for sales leads, the following crucial information contributes to having a whole picture and allows determining points that will help your future clients.

The best sales prospecting strategies would tell you to focus on the client, their needs, pain points, and recent events. It means that you should have a profile of your ideal prospect. What are your ideas on building such a profile? Well, you can take the existing ones, study them, and pick the common characteristics.

Also, a good idea is to determine what triggers a customer to buy from your company. For this reason, you will need to do some surveys. Additionally, such prospecting activities may require you to segment your audience then define several subgroups for further qualification.

Prospecting for clients is impossible without a proper qualifications system. But what does this mean? To understand whether a lead is a match and whether they are worth your time and efforts, you can ask specific questions to qualify leads. What are these questions?

First, define whether your solution is applicable to their needs. Then eliminate deal-breakers, such as a lack of a customer’s funds or interest. Next, attempt to affect their decision with an appeal to authority. Finally, determine their level of interest or awareness. Having answers to these questions will allow you to segment your leads and focus on your most important targets.

In any event, you should put the relationship with the prospect at the center of your prospecting process. That way, you can turn a prospect into a returning customer. The emphasis on providing value instead of relying only on instant selling will likely help you build community. Moreover, it will create a good impression that will benefit you in the long run.

Image by Mimi Thian via Unsplash

These tips above on basic prospecting activities and ideas will help you to set up a working system. However, to make your system more efficient, you should consider the tips that will help you contact prospects better. The following ideas include such concepts as engagement, image, and expertise.

Connect and Engage with the Customer

Prospecting for clients requires you to build relationships and contact them.

So what are your options? Well, you should use your social media pages (or your company’s pages) and engage with prospects via posts, comments, and responses. The next step is to connect with them. You can call them by phone or write to them on social media. LinkedIn seems to be an ideal platform for this kind of work.

However, an even better option is to use a more formal communication channel such as email. In this regard, you can find email addresses by name or use your leads list or database.

Make Referrals the Key to More Leads with Sales Prospecting

In the sales prospecting process, trust is essential. That’s why you build relationships and engage before contacting. However, the referral can help you skip these steps. When you ask clients for referrals, the chances are high that you will get a prospect from a similar niche that your client is in and that they will trust you. Let your customers speak for you and encourage them to do so.

Moreover, prospecting for clients is impossible without producing value. Prospects seek solutions and help. For instance, people getting new positions would need new teams and new tools. For B2B companies, this is a chance to help them cope with new tasks, develop strategies, and produce solutions. Therefore, try to help instead of selling. Then you will likely get customers who will learn something new and help you in the future.

Develop Expertise

One of the sustainable tactics that experts rely on is to continually develop expertise. It only follows that if you are an expert, people will likely want to connect with you. When they do, you get access to their networks. This strategy works incredibly well on LinkedIn, where many businesspeople communicate and seek advice.

Moreover, you can collaborate with opinion leaders and become an opinion leader yourself. To do this, search for opinion leaders. Then create a list and use the GetProspect email finder to get their addresses and contact them. If you are producing guides or other materials for educating your prospects, you will get more credit and improve your chances of success in prospecting for sales leads in this way.

Level up Your Personalization Game for More Success with Sales Prospecting

Notably, your strategy would only benefit from personalized emails or messages. Why? This is because people love to be appreciated and recognized.

Personalizing your messages and emails means that you mention prospects by name or compliment their works, posts, or ideas that fascinate you.

Simultaneously, try to identify common problems that you both care about or common events that you both experienced. The goal is to elicit emotion and show that you are on the same page with your prospect. It is important, however, to be genuine. Don’t be weird or intrusive.

Apply Social Media with Its Opportunities in Mind

Lastly, as you have different channels at your disposal, it is essential not to forget about social media opportunities. For instance, some platforms, like LinkedIn, allow you to send targeted messages or even InMail. These are notifications sent to the prospect’s registered email account. This means that if you have qualified leads and they are interested in a purchase, you can use such functions as an alternative to traditional email marketing to contact them.

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About the Author

Dmytro Kucherenko has more than seven years’ experience in business development. During the last two years, he set sales processes and built teams in international IT companies. Currently, he is head of sales in GetProspect. His colleagues describe him as a great communicator and negotiator, a result-oriented person, and a positive and inspiring guy to work with. Contact him on LinkedIn.

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The pandemic has been one of the all-time make-or-break scenarios for businesses. Industries that had never allowed their employees to work from home had to encourage them to do so. In order to maintain and sometimes even expand their business reach, restaurants had to start delivering food. They began doing takeout at a record rate. It showed that business expansion is sometimes about simply surviving. To do it, you have to adapt or die.

The internet is a key helper in all areas of business. If you’re an entrepreneur who is trying to expand right now, you have to use technology to grow your brand. Use video marketing on Twitter and Instagram. Start selling your products online at a faster clip. There are so many ways to get the word out that you are still open and still going to thrive.

Now that we’re fully engulfed in this “new normal,” businesses can start to go back to what they know how to do best. This means they have moved on from the survival stage and gotten to the expansion one. This is only if you paid attention to the technologies available to sell your products online. Once you are covered there, you can get back in front of people and begin building your business reach again.

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Location Counts for Something in How Far Your Business Can Reach

You may have even noticed that certain areas of the world loved your products more than you ever could have imagined. If you have the capital, you can start to choose new business locations with retail stores and small kiosks.

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Think about the small details of your business, though, before you expand your reach into new physical spaces. Are there too many competitors where you are attempting to move in? Is the target demographic you want to sell to concentrated in this area? Putting more summer apparel in California is obvious, but other states like Colorado and Utah get good amounts of sun in the summer, too.

Looking at the factors that may get overlooked will aid you in your quest to expand. Don’t try to stretch too far, but also remember that being too conservative will mean others in your industry will put their products in these potential locations.

There’s moving into new spaces physically to expand your business reach, and then there’s moving into new ideas and creative fields. Selling is all about the rage at the moment. You may think the chicken sandwich at Popeyes is a fad, but if you’re in fast food, you need that item on the menu right now.

It’s why Microsoft and Sony dabbled in motion-controlled video games in the mid-2000s after Nintendo dominated the market with the Wii. Competitors dictate where customers’ minds and desires are. You must react to the flavor of the month or create a new one altogether.

Decide what you already do well, and then mix it up just a little. If you sell bathroom products, switching to a hamburger line is going to be a little too far for your customer base. They need to trust that you already have good merchandise in your area of specialty. Then you can use that good faith to go a little further.

Stay in the same relative sphere or industry. If you’re in food, stay in food. If you’re in apparel, think of different types of clothes to sell. It can be a fine line to discover, but using your intuition and being confident in your ability to understand what your customers want at this specific time is the only way to expand properly.

Think About New Expenses as You Widen Your Business Reach

The last thing we haven’t touched on is that expanding the reach of your business in these ways is going to cost a lot of money. Decide whether the potential profits outweigh the losses, and go from there. For example, many companies got involved in delivery services throughout the last two years.

This requires the decision to go through a third-party driver, like Uber or Lyft, or take on this responsibility yourself. Driving for business purposes is going to require a business auto insurance policy so you don’t suffer major losses in the case of an accident. You may not get the best rates if the agents you talk to know that you are new to delivery.

A history of car insurance claims can also affect your rates, as car insurance claims can stay on your record for three to seven years.

There’s no way to guarantee that your estimates of potential risks versus profits will be completely accurate. Sometimes you need to look at the market you are in. Also see what other businesses in your industry are doing to change their strategy and see how it works out for them.

Advertising is an area that costs a lot of money. If you can find cheaper ways to market your products this is the best way to cut down on expansion costs. Television advertising is still effective, but very expensive. As we talked about, paying for a simple social media post might be the better way to go. Make it unique but simple, so that it has viral potential.

Expand Your Business Reach in Ways That Work for Your Company

As long as you evaluate all the risks and benefits of expansion equally, there is no reason to fear the change that must occur. Businesses and entrepreneurs have to figure out new ways to succeed. And they have to decide where to stop the buck and do what they know is right for their company. This is how you can expand your reach efficiently and effectively.

About the Author

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site TheTruthAboutInsurance.com. He wants to help entrepreneurs understand the details of business expansion and productivity.

To read other thought-provoking articles that can get you closer to your business goals, be sure to bookmark our site and visit our blog frequently.

Getting things like auto or life insurance has always been a little confusing when you first start shopping. In the past, you had to go to the insurance agent’s place of business and negotiate in a one-to-one setting. It could be a little intimidating. It also didn’t allow you to sit back and think about what you were going to buy for your insurance policy.

The internet has completely changed the way we shop and compare different insurance companies. You can quickly and easily compare rates online depending on what company you are thinking of. You can pay your bills online, and you can see how others compare their experiences to yours with online reviews.

Try to find a website that has a comparison tool so you can see the different rates through your own eyes. Talking to an agent online can still help build a good relationship in any home-based business, especially insurance. It can also be misleading.

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Raw numbers are available on comparison sites that simply weren’t there for the consumer even 20 years ago. You should always take advantage of this. It is one of the best internet innovations for customers.

We should touch on the entertainment sector now. Video games, movies, television, and similar entities have become multi-billion-dollar industries. The internet revolution has certainly been one of the biggest reasons for this expansion.

Taking video games outside of the living room and onto the internet has allowed people to make friends (and some enemies, unfortunately) with the fellow players they meet halfway across the world.

Watching television with the family was once a weekly occurrence. But services like Netflix and Hulu have expanded the intent of watching TV. Now people can access hundreds of programs any time of the day. If a TV producer doesn’t allow their show onto one of these platforms, it is difficult for it to survive in 2022.

These entertainment options have been heaven-sent during a time when people need social interaction through a remote setting, while they also they need convenience. They want to watch and play whenever they want. The internet allows that to happen.

The internet has allowed people to access their medical providers in ways they were never able to do in decades past. During the pandemic, this has been more important than ever. Scheduling appointments online, and even interacting with your doctor during a Zoom meeting, have been popular during the pandemic.

The internet has given broader access to medical resources to the majority of the population. It will be exciting to see how the medical field will continue to use the web to grow its ability to help patients.

The Internet and Your Target Audience

As with any of the businesses we’ve talked about here, the ability to use tech in your company is directly tied to income inequality. If you are targeting customers who do not have access to a regular internet connection, it’s going to be difficult for them to use your services or buy your products.

The internet has transformed the world, but not everyone has caught up yet. Hopefully, someday that will change. In the meantime, we are going to continue to see more industries turned upside down by the relevance of technology and internet connection.

About the Author

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org. He wants to help people understand how auto insurance ties into their everyday lives and business desires.

Are you looking for ways to give your business a boost and motivate yourself? Then bookmark our site and browse our blog regularly.

This benefit usually only applies to those who do remote work as contractors or are self-employed in other ways. When you work as a freelancer, you can get several tax breaks depending on your working environment.

If you have a specific room you work from, and you have a computer that is only used for your job, see whether the IRS will give you a break on some expenses. These are items that are normally paid for by your employer. If you have to buy extra supplies for your job as a remote worker, it’s only fair that your employer reimburse you for those expenses.

There might be some loopholes for those who are working from home temporarily, but only if you communicate with the IRS. You are going to have to prove you are working for an extended period of time. You are also going to have to show evidence that remote work has been a financial hardship for you before getting a tax break on those extra purchases for work.

As a Remote Worker You Can Limit Your Driving

When you have to go into the office, one of the most tiresome aspects of the experience is driving in congested traffic. This part of a worker’s day is very stressful and adds a lot of wasted time to your schedule that could be better off used on more productive activities.

This is not only emotionally depressing but also damaging to a person’s finances. We often don’t realize how much cash we put into all the aspects of driving. For example, putting gas in the car is an obvious hit to the wallet. If you have a 50-mile round trip every day, you’re going to be filling up frequently. Working from home will save you thousands of dollars over several years.

A not-so-clear benefit of being a remote worker is that you can also apply for cheaper auto insurance rates. If you aren’t on the road very often, there is less of a chance you will get into an accident and have to file a claim. Make sure you let your insurance agent know about this lifestyle change so you can negotiate a more realistic rate you deserve.

There are also all the extra expenses that hang out on the fringe of the driving experience. You can say goodbye to going to the car wash every other week after spilling coffee on the seats. You also don’t need to buy the cellphone holder you had been thinking about putting into your car for your morning commute.

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Let Daycare Become a Distant Memory

Getting to work from home allows you to spend more time with your family. If your kids want to eat lunch with you or roughhouse a little during a break, have at it. This will create lasting memories that both of you will cherish for years to come.

It also means you don’t have to worry about spending money on daycare or alternative methods of watching your children. So many households no longer have a stay-at-home parent. This presents financial hardships. Who is going to watch your kids when they get home from school? As a remote worker, that answer can now be you.

Society’s digital transformation keeps you right in front of your kids and away from the expenses of third-party care. This will save you an enormous amount of money over time. You should be warned that this may take your attention away from your job, though. Make sure your productivity is still good while multitasking as a parent and a worker.

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Nothing is perfect, but the pandemic’s push for remote work has been happening for almost two years now. Hopefully, you have seen some upsides to this experience, especially as they pertain to saving money. Continue to find these small (or large) savings whenever you can, and maybe even ask to keep working remotely after your job goes back to the office.

About the Author

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org. He wants to help families understand how they can save money in a variety of ways throughout the pandemic and the remote working experience.

One of the best ways to treat yourself to a nice set of wheels that also has efficient prices and realistic driving features is to buy a Hummer. Whether it’s new or vintage, the Hummer gets the job done.

If you want to go old school, you can think about buying the Hummer H2. This vehicle has great endurance and easy upkeep. It is also an easy vehicle to learn how to drive. Moreover, repairs don’t cost very much, and neither does Hummer H2 insurance.

If you have taken care of your Hummer, the price of insurance will be even better because there is less of a chance you will have to file a claim for repairs.

Vehicles get a bad rap for being unrealistic and unnecessary purchases. But as long as you do your research and find out which luxury and sports cars are durable and fit your lifestyle, there is no reason to skip out on the experience of owning one.

Luxury Kitchen Appliances and Hired Chefs

Many tech-savvy entrepreneurs make their businesses work from home. They have the luxury of not needing to go into the office to make their company successful.

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But when it’s time to decompress after a long day in front of a computer screen, they might want to enjoy some food and drinks from their own kitchen.

If this describes you, then this is the time to spend a little money on the appliances in your home, from ovens and counters to even an outdoor setting.

Kitchens in your backyard are a nice luxury for those who live in sunny states. They’re for people who love to barbecue and enjoy grilling season. Their expense makes it hard for some folks to afford. But if you are a successful businessperson who needs to think about fueling up for your day with good eats, think about installing an outdoor kitchen.

Moreover, maybe cooking isn’t your thing. Not everyone is adept in the kitchen. There might be someone you can hire to cook for you at a reasonable price. They have the expertise and the skills to bring you healthy and good-tasting meals. Just make sure you remember your personal chef is not your servant. Pay them well.

This idea serves a two-fold purpose. You can buy computers and technology that will entertain you, and they will serve you well in your business endeavors. So, for example, when you’re negotiating your next affiliate marketing venture, it would be nice to do so on a new MacBook instead of your old desktop from 2013. A MacBook is a simple luxury that will serve you well.

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The new technology of 2022 has so much versatility that you will have a sleek-looking machine that can operate under any circumstance you need it to.

But if you are a gaming person, maybe look into a PC instead. Many of these computers have gained ground in other professional settings and the entertainment industry.

Maybe your luxury in this area could be a smartwatch or a new phone with various apps for both business and pastime usage. We all know how much this space has evolved in the last several years, and people with money can reward themselves with one of these items. Technology entrepreneurs will know better than anyone how important these pieces of tech are now.

Yes, you can sign up for a membership at a local gym. But why can’t you spend your extra income on some home exercise equipment? During the pandemic’s peak, this would have been an especially helpful item. It encourages you to stay active, and you don’t need to worry about any of the gym’s rules and regulations. You make the guidelines at your home gym.

Basketball or tennis fans can install their own courts for these sports if they have the space. This encourages you to have a larger social circle to invite people over and play these sports with you.

You don’t have to do anything too fancy if you feel you are going a little too far with your purchases. Just a couple of bikes and muscle machines are better than nothing. Being healthy will have positive effects on your ability to run your business, as well. Remember: Maintaining good health is no luxury but a necessity.

We’ve talked a lot about buying items for yourself. What about buying something your family will enjoy, especially your young children? Having kids is a joyous experience that crosses all lines of income. If you have the money to make your kids’ lives better, you should jump at the chance to use it on such things.

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Building a playground for your kids is one of the best things you can do to make them happy. Young ones love having the world at their fingertips. They’ll want their friends to come over and play with them. Yes, they’ll brag about how they have something that others don’t. You can use this as a life lesson for them to see what financial success can bring them.

Purchase Luxury Items with Care

Whatever you decide to buy, make sure it has effective use in your daily life. If you buy something carelessly that you want just for status, it’s going to feel pretty shallow a couple of months down the road. Spend cautiously, but have fun.

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About the Author

Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site QuoteInspector.com. He wants to help people understand how they can manage their money for business and personal gain.

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Naturally, your business—especially if you own a brick-and-mortar location—has set hours. Or, if you work out of your home, you may have specific hours you prefer to work. While this on its own is a schedule, it never seems to be so simple for a small business owner.

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Most people who work for a company leave work and clock out at the end of the day. But a small-business owner’s day isn’t necessarily done just because their business is closed for the day. Some products may be running low, meaning you need to go to the store and buy more. You may need to do paperwork or finish orders you didn’t have time for earlier.

There are countless reasons a small-business owner’s day doesn’t end with simply clocking out. But when you are also a single parent, there are many moments when your child will also require more of your time than you might be able to give. Children get sick. They have needs. And sometimes they just deserve some quality time.

Finding a schedule that you can stick to is an essential aspect of ensuring that your are properly caring for your child while also successfully running your business. Though life can be unpredictable at times, it’s important to keep to some sort of schedule.

Perhaps you choose one day of the week to go shopping and stock up on products. On that day, you grab everything you know you need for the rest of the week. This can eliminate the need to make random store runs since you will be stocked with everything you need.

In short, creating a plan and following a schedule is your key to success. This will ensure that you are doing everything possible to keep your business running smoothly while also spending quality time with your children.

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Having support from people you trust is an essential part of successfully owning a small business while balancing being a single parent. Knowing there are people you can count on in case of emergency is a massive weight off your shoulders.

Life can be unpredictable, and you don’t ever truly know what will happen. You may suddenly need to pick a child up from school. This could force you to close down your business so you can retrieve your child.

But having reliable relationships can prevent you from constantly having to choose between your family and your business. This is especially the case if someone in your household has non-owner car insurance. Then, that person can use your vehicle to pick up your child. This allows you to keep your business open and running without sacrificing your child’s well-being.

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Having a support system makes all the difference for single parents. It can seem impossible to run a business while caring for a child on your own, and that’s because sometimes it truly is. But having stable and reliable support in your life can make a huge difference.

Creating a balance between the portions of your life is the only way to ensure your business continues running efficiently while your child is adequately cared for. At times, this might even mean combining the two. If there are errands you need to run for your business, bring your child along. Then take them somewhere fun when you are done or treat them to their favorite meal.

You might feel like your child will be bored, but truly the experience is all that you make it. Create a game your child can play in the car between stops, or have them help you pick certain things out at the store. If you make it a fun time, your child will follow suit. This allows you to keep up with your business needs without sacrificing time with your child.

You can also bring your child into your business life, including them in little things around your work or assigning them small tasks to complete. You may even be surprised at how much they enjoy their time with you. Even better, you might even receive a heartfelt thanks when they’re older. Perhaps they will recount to you the fond memories they have of helping you keep your business running.

As overwhelming as it may seem, it is possible to be a successful small business owner while also being a good single parent. Though both jobs require massive amounts of attention, time, and energy, they can be done together, and done well.

Some days may be more difficult than others, but it’s important to remember what you are working so hard for—a business you’re passionate about balanced with quality time with your children.

Though everyone’s lives and needs are different, taking a few tips from this list and finding a way to work them into your own life may help keep you keep up with your small business without sacrificing your family’s needs.

About the Author

Alexandra Arcand writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site AutoInsuranceEZ.com. She was raised by a single parent who owns a small business. She knows first-hand what it takes to keep a business running while balancing the rearing of a child.

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