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Are you stressing over a case of the holiday blues? You’re not alone.

Many people suffer from anxiety and even sadness around the holidays. It’s not unusual during this time of year, when stress levels and expectations are high and nostalgia is ever-present. To make matters worse, daylight hours are all too short. Under these conditions, the demands many of us place on ourselves during the holidays can take their toll.

Moreover, if you have a business to run, as well as meals to cook, house guests to take care of, shopping to do, and a house and tree to trim, overload and exhaustion can easily set in.

Ways to Cope with the Holiday Blues

You don’t have to settle for feeling blue around the holidays. In this post, we offer a few suggestions that can allow you to feel more relaxed—and possibly even more festive—instead.

Take a Quick Break from the Holiday Madness

Put your online store or your freelancing gig on autopilot for a brief while, and, weather permitting, step outside for a walk. Even if you have to wear snow boots or avoid mud puddles while you’re out, you will be surprised at how much better you’ll feel when you get back to your office.

If you absolutely cannot get out, a few indoor stretching exercises can get those endorphins flowing and your heart pumping again. Your business will be all the better for it, as you’ll be much more energized and creative afterward.

Let Yourself Have Some Holiday Fun

Have you ever tried your hand at online gaming? Many have.

In fact, an impressive 11% of all Internet traffic comes from players at online casinos. Since 2014, the online gambling sector in the UK alone, including online bingo sites, has grown by 300%.

A quick game, just for fun, could lighten your mood and help you enjoy the holidays again. Moreover, if you take a deeper look, you might see some greater possibility as well.

For example, if you look at the worldwide gambling industry overall, it’s clear to see that online gaming has experienced enormous growth. As 2017 came to an end, the total spent on gaming hit an impressive $107 billion—a record-breaking figure. In fact, it was more than people spent on music and film combined over the course of the same year.

It’s no wonder the online gaming sector is on the rise. Whether you love football, politics, reality TV shows, or eSports, you’ll find an outcome that you can wager on online. This is something which simply isn’t possible in real-world betting outlets.

It also stands to reason that this pattern of growth is set to continue in the near future. As technology advances still further, it’s likely that even more people will be drawn to the world of online gaming, and the industry will grow even more as a result.

RELATED ARTICLE: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! WAYS TO PLAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS

Spend Time with Loved Ones

Take time to love on a kitten or a puppy, even one that is not your own. Schedule a date for coffee with a treasured friend in the midst of the holiday frenzy. Cook a special meal for a special someone on an evening you both have free. Simple occasions such as these can help to make your holidays brighter and merrier.

Do Something Nice for Someone

There are so many opportunities to offer help and support to others at the holidays. For instance, an obvious idea is to give what you can to those charities that inspire you.

However, if your wallet is a little thin during December, schedule a monthly monetary gift to begin in January of the coming year. After all, most of those charities need support throughout the year as well, and not just during the holidays.

Of course you already know that kindness needn’t be limited to money alone, right? Lend an ear to a troubled friend, or help a stranger lift a heavy bag of groceries into her car. Small unselfish acts such as these will not only help the other person but will also lift your spirits as well.

Say No When You Need To

For many people, spending time with extended family is something others expect them to do around the holidays. This is all well and good if those family members are people you enjoy being around. But what if they’re not?

It’s okay to limit your time with people who leave you feeling drained and exhausted, even if you’re related to them. For example, instead of agreeing to spend an entire weekend with a houseful of keyed-up relatives, show up with a hostess gift and a covered dish to share, and stay only long enough for a meal and an amiable visit with the folks you do care about.

Then, if the afternoon or evening should take an unpleasant turn, simply don your coat and scarf and wave a cheery goodbye.

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Luxuriate in Some Quiet Time

Whenever you think about it, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Now, take another, then another. With each breath, sink a little deeper into yourself and disengage from whatever is going on around you. You can do this even in a crowd. No one need know but you. It can be your little secret.

Then return to the reality around you refreshed and renewed. This little exercise can take less than a minute, but it can save you hours of frustration and uneasiness. Repeat as often as necessary.

Practice Moderation in All Things

The holidays can be a time when many people feel the urge to overindulge in food or drink. However, doing so will only increase your holiday stress.

Own the Holidays—Don’t Let Them Own You

You want to keep your life and your business running as smoothly as possible through the holidays so you can hit the ground running with the new year. So take heed of these simple practices and enjoy more holiday cheer—and less holiday stress.

About the Author

Carrol Strain is a Top Rated copywriter on Upwork. She is also editor and on-call writer for the Business Opportunities blog.

When a lawsuit takes over your life, settlement loans can help you meet your obligations.

Are you trying to survive financially while seeking justice for a personal injury lawsuit? Just making ends meet when your life is on hold can be a daunting task. Perhaps you are living on Workers Compensation payments, or worse, are out of work altogether. Surviving the financial stress of this difficult time can be overwhelming. 

When a lawsuit takes over your life a select group of financiers is available to help you meet your obligations. They provide settlement loans, pre-settlement funding to keep the bills paid while your representation works on your case. Here is what you need to know.

What Is a Settlement Loan?

Injury lawsuits add incredible stress to an already difficult situation. In order to alleviate your stress, companies provide injury lawsuit funds prior to any settlement. This allows you to obtain money prior to the completion of the lawsuit. These loans are commonly called Pre-settlement Funding, or Settlement Loans.

• Consider the following questions when looking for a settlement loan.
• What is the rate you will be charged for your Pre-settlement funding by the Company?
• How fast can you really obtain your settlement loan advance?
• What additional fees will be charged on your personal injury advance?
• How long does it take to get your money from start to finish on your settlement loan?

RELATED CONTENT: ARE YOU CONSIDERING A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM?

Contrary to the information on company websites, many settlement loan companies don’t provide low rates on lawsuit advances. These lawsuit cash advance or settlement loan companies charge an interest fee to underwrite your personal injury lawsuit loan.

Top Settlement Loan Companies 

Here are the top settlement loan companies offering lawsuit funding.

Mayfield Settlement Funding

Mayfield Settlement Funding isn’t a huge company like some of the others. However, they have full-time agents in house and ready to fund immediately at good rates. Their customer service reviews are incredible. According to reviews, Mayfield Settlement Funding meets the expectations of customers a majority of the time. The settlement loans are non-recourse – the advance does not need to be repaid if the case does not settle. 

Mayfield does not shop around your loan like many of the other companies. They offer same day pre-settlement funding within 24 hours of application. Unlike many other providers, Mayfield Settlement Funding specializes in settlement loans primarily and not a large number of other products.

PeachTree Financial Solutions

PeachTree gets great reviews online and offers few delays in funding turnaround time. They are located in Pennsylvania and have been offering settlement funding since 1996. From our research, they have good rates and competitive, fast service. 

PeachTree also offers products for annuities, structured settlements, lottery, and other financial advance services.

Nova Legal Funding

Nova Legal Funding offers a clean and cutting edge website with an easy application process. The company resides in California and they have quality reviews on TrustPilot as well. They mention on their website that rates are on a case-by-case basis, so this will have to be researched by the consumer. 

Oasis Legal Funding

Oasis Legal Funding is another litigation funding and pre-settlement loan company with quality reviews. They were started in 1996 and have a large online presence. While we were not able to confirm their rates, they are a leading provider with a happy client base!

This provider also offers non-recourse settlement loans.

LawCash

Law Cash is based in New York. They provide a user-friendly online application to initiate your funding process.  In addition, they offer non-recourse settlement loans so you don’t need to worry that your advance might not be repaid in the unlikely event your case doesn’t settle.

Settlement Loans Wrapped Up

All these companies receive excellent customer reviews and provide fast lawsuit funding compared to other companies. They all offer non-recourse settlement funding services, so you can rest assured that you are getting a safe advance for your lawsuit.

The major benefit of utilizing settlement lawsuit funding is endurance. Proper funding can close the gap of financial distress that might cause you to settle too early. Your lawsuit funding advance can increase your settlement amount while your attorney negotiates or fights your case.

Cover your bases by researching each company. Your financial health depends on your being well-informed and well-supported.

This article was contributed by Dataflurry Law Firm Internet Marketing, a legal content marketing and SEO services company.

For many businesses, an IT team represents the oil on the machine. Without in-house IT support, there’s no one to take support calls and no one to help with new hardware. You also have no one to tell you what’s possible when your growth relies on having the right tech in place.

Feature Photo by Lukas from Pexels

The trouble is, IT teams cost a lot of money. Many small businesses just don’t have the capital needed to grow and have a team of IT experts keeping the technology gears moving.

So, is it possible to cut back on your IT costs? Or will doing away with the need for an in-house IT team hinder your business?

We’ll look at the options.

Pros and Cons of In-House IT Team

Whether you are considering the feasibility of a new business or you’re looking at ways of growing an existing business, you won’t be alone if you are suprised at IT costs. However, an in-house IT team is no longer your only option when it comes to IT support. If you can track down a well-managed IT service provider, you’re likely to save yourself money and still receive cutting edge tech support.

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This might sound as if an in-house IT team is an inherently bad idea. However, that really isn’t the case. If you have the option of an incredibly talented in-house team and you can afford it then it can make a lot of sense.

The trouble is, very few businesses can justify these kinds of costs. We’re not just talking about small businesses. There are government departments and major names in commerce that have decided to outsource their IT support.

So, why do they (and millions of other businesses) do it?

Recruitment

Make sure you’re comparing like-for-like. Compare the process of bringing onboard a new IT team with the cost of outsourcing. First, consider the investment of time on your part. If you’re lucky, your recruitment process will extend only to 12 weeks. This includes the notice that new-hires must give to their current employer. It is not uncommon for this timeline to stretch into more months out of your year, especially since IT managers are often contracted to give 3 months’ notice.

All in, you should expect recruitment to cost your business around $3,000 – $5,000 per hire. Since most small businesses are going to need at least 2 members of IT staff, that’s going to be between $6,000 – $10,000 before you’ve done any induction training. Even if you’ve got that money sitting in the bank at the moment, the real question is; does this represent the very best way to spend it?

What’s the Alternative?

Using a managed service provider (MSP) is unquestionably the most cost-effective way of doing things. But should you be focusing on cost alone? Realistically, probably not. After all, if you bought on cost alone, you could outsource your IT support to non-English speaking, non-US based freelancers and take on all the challenges associated with their services.

The great thing about using a managed service provider is that their costs are understandably lower. They work with a large number of clients and have low overhead costs. They may still offer excellent service, but their cost represents an economy of scale.

RELATED CONTENT: 10 TIPS TO BETTER OUTSOURCING

For example, a well-managed service provider might have a monthly wage bill of $250,000. That is completely out of the reach of small businesses. However, when freelancers or managed service providers work with 150 small businesses, the shared value meets the income expectations of IT professionals and provides excellent support to clients.

How Much Time Do You Need?

If you’re worried about an MSP not paying your business enough attention, don’t be. In reality, a small business actually has a very limited requirement for IT support and maintenance time.

With this in mind, you might be wondering why we initially suggested a minimum of 2 full-time members of staff if you were going to build your own team. The answer is fairly obvious; while your IT requirement will come in bursts, your employees’ contracts won’t. So, you’re going to need to keep your team employed, even if they’re not actively working on anything at any given moment.

This represents another big plus for using a managed provider. Sure, they might not be sitting next to you in your office, but you’re only paying for what you need. While they’re away working with other clients, they’re sharpening their skills, too. The result? You’ve got a part-time IT team that’s constantly up to speed with the very best practice in the industry.

This is enormously useful for small businesses because it means you’ve got access to cutting-edge knowledge whenever you pick up the phone. Are you keen to understand what SD WAN could bring to your growth plans? Maybe you’re interested in building a hybrid network that’ll allow you to put staff on the road? Whatever your requirement, your managed service provider will have done it already and they’ll be ready to help you put together a solution of your own.

Running Without an IT Team

Realistically, no company is going to be able to run without an IT team. If you do, your luck will run out pretty quickly, especially when you consider how many cyber-attacks occur around the world on a daily basis.

So, having a good, reliable, and knowledgeable team on board is a must. You just need to ask yourself whether you’d like that team to be in-house with all the costs and logistics that go alongside that or based in the office of a managed service provider. When there’s the kind of world-class knowledge that will put you ahead of your competition for less than you’d pay in-house, it’s clear to see why so many businesses are choosing to outsource.

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Since 2017, the number of people who have been buying cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin has increased significantly. If you’re considering joining their ranks, this article posits guidelines that can safeguard your investment and protect your sanity.

The Crypto Market Is Poised for a Huge Boom

According to current predictions, the cryptocurrency market is set to witness massive growth in the first few months of 2020. In fact, John Mcafee predicted that Bitcoin (BTC) will be valued at $1 million by the end of 2020. This would give it a total market capitalization of $15 trillion, which is bound to attract new investors.

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Are you ready to start buying cryptocurrencies, too? Then make sure to follow these golden rules to safeguard your investment.

Study Cryptocurrency Properly

Before taking the plunge, you need to have a clear understanding of how cryptocurrency works. Buying cryptpcurrencies is completely different from making investments based on the workings of a fiat currency.

For example, the number of cryptocurrencies is limited. Therefore, their price is wholly dependent on the market’s demand and supply. That is, if the demand for buying the currency increases, the price rises as well. On the other hand, if more people want to sell their shares, the price decreases.

Additionally, there are a number of different cryptocurrencies available on the market. Each one has its own perks and drawbacks. Therefore, before buying any cryptocurrency, conduct thorough research to select the one that best suits your needs.

To get you started, Wikipedia offers a list of cryptocurrencies with basic information. Click here to study that list before buying any cryptocurrency.

Next, study in detail the performance of your chosen cryptocurrency. Learn the reasons why the currency’s price soared previously or why it has the potential to increase in the future.

This will give you an idea of the most suitable time to buy your chosen cryptocurrency. Once you get a clear idea of the recent patterns the currency’s price has followed, it will be easier for you to understand if it is the right choice for you.

Further, sites like Is-Scam Website can help you stay aware of the latest goings-on in the market.

Avoid Impulsive Buying and Selling

After selecting a particular cryptocurrency, use data analysis to study the patterns of change in the price of your chosen cryptocurrency. This will help you determine the best time to buy it.

Next—and this is important—after you have bought your cryptocurrency, don’t make the mistake of following the charts obsessively.

Of course, you want to follow your cryptocurrency’s current price in the market. However, you must keep in mind that all cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile. In other words, there is a high possibility that, right after you buy it, the price of your cryptocurrency will either rise significantly or fall drastically.

Moreover, it is almost inevitable that your nerves will be on edge right after you buy a new cryptocurrency. In such a condition, if you see the price rise higher, you might be tempted to invest more in order to earn higher dividends.

On the other hand, if the prices fall, you might succumb to fear. Afraid of losing all your money, you will sell your share at a very low price.

In either case, if you impulsively decide your next course of action based on these prices, you will be falling into the trap of carelessly buying and selling cryptocurrencies on a whim. However, the best practice is to avoid checking the charts for at least for twenty-four hours after your transaction.

RELATED ARTICLE: THESE 4 EMOTIONS LEAD TO INVESTING MISTAKES

Avoid Selling and Buying Cryptocurrencies on Weekends

The cryptocurrency market, unlike the traditional stock markets, does not close on weekends. It is fully functional around the clock. However, it is advisable to avoid buying and selling cryptocurrencies on weekends.

Because many investors are eager to follow developments in the crypto markets even on weekends, the market is much more volatile on weekends. However, the volume of trading for Bitcoin and altcoins is much lower. Therefore, the market is difficult to predict on the weekends.

While you might gain good profit from buying and selling cryptocurrencies on the weekends, the possibility of suffering a large loss is equally high. Therefore, it is better to take a break from trading Bitcoin and altcoins on weekends. Conserve your energy so you can make better investments in the week ahead.

Devise a Decision-Making Process for Buying Cryptocurrencies

There is a plethora of channels where you can get information about the various cryptocurrencies. This gives you an opportunity to consult multiple sources before you make a decision on your investments.

However, excessive information about buying cryptocurrencies can do more harm than good. It will force you to weigh in on the contradictory sets of information you find, for example.

It is better to train yourself in the technical analysis of Bitcoin and altcoins. Doing so will make it easier for you to form your own opinions and determine the ideal time to buy cryptocurrencies. Also, before you make your investments, select some relevant and trustworthy sources of information and refer to them in the future.

Try this decision-making process for several trading cycles. If it proves to be successful, stick to it whenever you’re buying cryptocurrencies. But if, as you gain experience, you feel you can improve it for better returns, feel free to make changes.

Set Buying and Selling Prices—and Stick with Them

When trading Bitcoin or altcoin, many experts urge you to follow the maxim, “Buy low, sell high.” However, if you follow this strategy to the letter, you could be tempted to wait too long before buying new cryptocurrencies or selling off the ones you already possess. This can prove disastrous and put your investment at risk.

As we mentioned previously, the cryptocurrency market changes rapidly. Prices can change drastically within only an hour. If you wait too long, you might miss out on an excellent trading opportunity.

Therefore, it is better to set certain limits for yourself for buying and selling cryptocurrencies. Then try to stick to these limits in every trading cycle.

However, as you gain experience, don’t hesitate to change these limits as and when you feel necessary. After all, the limits you decide upon should be based upon recent developments and requirements.

Set up Blocks of Time for Conducting Trade

The cryptocurrency world never sleeps. Trading takes place around the clock every day of the year. As a result, some investors fall into the trap of following the prices of Bitcoin and altcoins all day every day. However, by continually checking market conditions, they set themselves up for a great deal of stress.

Don’t do this. If you are under stress, you won’t be able to concentrate, and you will therefore be less able to make wise investment decisions.

Instead, set up blocks of time during the weekdays when you will conduct your trades. Devote the rest of your time to everything else your life. Be sure to include relationships, self-care, and time for recreation in that mix.

In this way, you can stay on top of any new developments in the market and make wiser decisions about your investments.

RELATED ARTICLE: 6 THINGS SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS DO EVERY DAY

Enjoy Greater Profits by Following These Rules for Buying Cryptocurrencies

Just as in every other trading market, finding success in the cryptocurrency market is all about your research and your understanding. But if you follow these rules while buying cryptocurrencies, you will make more profitable investments more often.

For more ideas and inspiration written especially for entrepreneurs like you, be sure to visit our blog often.

Being an entrepreneur means you’re always juggling multiple responsibilities. Whether it’s chasing payments, generating leads, or administrative tasks your job is never done. Getting organized helps busy entrepreneurs like yourself manage the growing complexities that come with being in business.

Here are five tips to help you get organized and tackle all the tasks on your to-do lists:

FeaturePhoto by Humphrey Muleba from Pexels

Utilize Digital Tools Whenever Possible

Hopefully, you’re already using digital tools for managing your business’s goals, projects, and tasks. Try to find digital tools to manage the time-consuming administrative aspects of running your business. As the adage says, “work smarter, not harder!” Digital tools are a busy entrepreneur’s best friend.

RELATED CONTENT: ESSENTIAL PRODUCTIVITY TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURS

For example, a digital voicemail service can use voice recognition technology to transcribe messages and send them to you via email or text message. This saves you minutes in your day to listen to and write down voicemail content. You can even set your phone to read your voicemail text messages while you’re driving.

Another useful digital tool is electronic invoicing software. If you’re still using manual invoicing methods, it’s time to switch. Ariba points out several benefits of using e-invoicing software. These include fewer errors, improved cash management, stronger contract compliance, faster processing, and web-based access to status updates. Clients prefer an easy way to view and pay their invoices. This also means that your clients will more reliably pay invoices on time and will improve your cash flow.

Differentiate Between Tasks and Goals

If you’re not achieving your goals – or if you’re achieving them too quickly – your goals might be too vague or too specific or they might actually be tasks. Sometimes the difference between goals and tasks is confusing. For instance, acquiring 10 new leads by the end of the week is a goal, but making the phone calls to get those leads is a task. The calls are tasks, while the ultimate purpose of making the calls, such as building a new client base, is your goal. As a general rule, tasks are things that can be completed in several hours and goals are more long-term. Goals are usually the end result, not an action. 

Busy Entrepreneurs Delegate

You might be the only person who bothers to clean the glass plate in the microwave, but that doesn’t mean you should be cleaning the kitchen in your office. That is a job a busy entrepreneur must delegate. Peter Economy from Inc.com recommends taking the time to plan your delegation strategy. Make sure you delegate tasks to the right people. Engage employees who get things done according to your company standards. Make sure each person taking on a task is reliable. 

Don’t delegate everything. For instance, don’t delegate tasks like performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and sensitive matters. However, calling clients to make payment arrangements, getting a booth at an upcoming trade show, and organizing a fundraiser are all examples of tasks you should delegate.

Most importantly, give people enough authority to complete the tasks you delegate. Don’t leave people hanging without the ability to make decisions to spend a little money, consult with others, or represent your company when needed. Delegating tasks will result in more engaged and productive employees and more time for the important work that only you can complete.

Prioritize

It is impossible to get everything you want to accomplish done in one day. There will always be leftover tasks on your list when you go to bed. The key, according to multiple entrepreneurs, is making sure the leftover tasks aren’t priority tasks that did not meet deadlines.

Rather than making a long list of tasks and plowing through them one-by-one, look at your tasks for the day, week, and even the whole month and prioritize them. This helps you handle the tasks that are critically linked to time-sensitive goals quickly. The rest can wait.

Time is Limited, Even for Busy Entrepreneurs

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but that doesn’t mean you have 24 hours to get work done. Time is limited and it’s crucial to strictly manage your work hours for each day.

Start limiting other people’s access to you during your working hours. Don’t take unscheduled phone calls. These waste precious time and can distract you from your prioritized tasks. Schedule your tasks to be performed at a specific time. Then, keep track of your time. This will help you identify ways to increase your efficiency.

Once you organize your time and prioritize your tasks, you will experience a reduction in stress and an increase in productivity. In fact, you will ultimately have more free time to spend however you wish.

Getting your real estate license is a fun and exciting way to start a new career. But what can you do when you’re looking for a fresh start to cover up a jaded past? If you have a felony conviction on your record, you may be wondering about whether you’ll be able to qualify. A felon in real estate may seem like a long-shot for beginning anew.

Feature Photo by PhotoMIX Ltd. from Pexels

Have no fear. The presence of a felony on your record doesn’t necessarily prevent you from starting over. You have an opportunity, just like everyone else. Here’s how.

Getting Started

Taking courses for your real estate license can all happen online. This allows you to complete your necessary education anywhere and on your own schedule. If you want to start a new career, becoming a real estate agent is a fantastic option.

RELATED CONTENT: 5 SKILLS AND TRAITS YOU’LL NEED TO BUILD A REAL ESTATE BUSINESS

Disclose to the Real Estate Commission

Speaking with the real estate commission will give you a better idea of your ability to qualify for a career as a real estate agent. In most cases, if you disclose the felony conviction as required, you will still be eligible. A felon in real estate is not unheard of. However, it can’t hurt to do a little research before your official interview.

The commission can give you a better idea of whether it’s worth putting in the time and effort to become an agent. While it’s not likely that a felony will hurt your chances, it’s nice to know upfront before spending the money on licensing courses and exams.

Letting them know about your situation also shows integrity and demonstrates good moral character. These details are crucial steps in the process of qualifying for a career as a real estate agent.

Disclose Your Felony

Every state requires you to be of good moral character when starting a career in real estate. This may seem counter-intuitive to being a felon in real estate. Your first step to proving your potential is to disclose your felony conviction from the start. Explain your specific conviction to the commission and the circumstances surrounding it. 

You have to be forthright about any actions that were either illegal or unprofessional, even without a felony conviction. You’re not going to be the only person who divulges a checkered past.

What you say won’t automatically disqualify you from a career in real estate. However, refusing to disclose this information could lead to a forfeiture of your license later. Better to be forthright than to hide the information about your conviction.

The real estate industry requires professionals who are honest and trustworthy. If you pass your licensing exam and become certified, you’ll need to be able to meet the responsibilities and obligations of the profession for the benefit of your clients. These obligations include full disclosure of home sales. So, it’s essential to demonstrate your ability to disclose information about your past so that you are proven to be honest.

Determination of Character

Before you sit for the exam, you will be asked to disclose any relevant information. You may also be required to submit fingerprints or background checks so that the information you provide can be compared to state records. A determination of your character will be made based on how this information corroborates your previously shared history. 

RELATED CONTENT: BACKGROUND CHECKS – A HIRING ESSENTIAL

It doesn’t matter what the felony or misdemeanor conviction involved. You will be required to disclose it if you want to be considered for a real estate license. In other words, you will threaten your chances of qualifying if you do not disclose. Also, your license may even be revoked later if a determination of character is impossible.

While a felony conviction is a serious offense, it doesn’t prevent you from having a fresh start. In order to be a felon in real estate, you must demonstrate earned integrity. This will help the state determine your character. The qualities you exhibit when disclosing your personal information will prove you are honest and trustworthy. 

When you have already paid your debt to society and you’re honest about your past, you have a chance to start over in an exciting career full of opportunities.

Sole traders with in-demand skills, entrepreneurs with big ambitions or small business owners with a niche market or product can all find success in Manchester. Known as “the Original Modern City,” Manchester has a long-held reputation for commerce and industry. Business in Manchester is booming. You can take advantage of the many benefits of starting up in this exciting city.

Featured Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

Manchester boasts a successful business reputation that still holds true today. Approximately 26,000 businesses operate in the city. Together, they provide a thriving economy for its population of 530,000. Manchester is the sixth-largest city in the UK.

So, how do you break into the business community in Manchester? Let’s take a look at how to go about building and growing your business in one of the UK’s most exciting and vibrant cities.

Location for Your Business in Manchester

Manchester has plenty of commercial property in and outside the city center. The Northern Quarter is home to many of the region’s creative and digital businesses, as well as specialty retail stores, restaurants, and bars. It has a range of flexible office spaces to hire.

RELATED CONTENT: UK LANDLORDS REMAIN UPBEAT ABOUT PROPERTY MARKET

Spinningfields, the city center of Greater Manchester, also has flexible office space. Plenty of big brands, banks, and other corporate operations make their home in this vibrant area. In addition, you may take advantage of the many co-working office spaces available, such as the new co-working office container development at Pollard Yard.

Outside of the city center, business parks provide commercial real estate of all kinds. Of particular interest are spaces that rent by the desk for maximum flexibility. Consider factors such as accessibility, travel links, digital provision, and other available services to best serve your preferred customers.

Financing Your Business in Manchester

Most businesses will need some financial assistance to get the wheels in motion. Because of Manchester’s incredible business community, financing is available in a variety of ways. Much of the available funding is underwritten by a combination of public funds and angel investment. For example, the Business Growth Company in Manchester connects businesses to various loans and funding sources. Apply online to get the ball rolling.

RELATED CONTENT: FUNDING OPTIONS IN THE UK FOR STARTUPS

Take Advantage of Support

The Business Growth Hub is a government-supported non-profit which provides a wide range of business services to entrepreneurs in Manchester. These include business mentoring, property finder services, access to finance, networking and training. Many of these services are publicly-funded and free to businesses that use them. In general, this business development and support services are available to all entrepreneurs, sole traders, and SMEs in Greater Manchester. 

Networking Your Business in Manchester

Whether you are looking for partners, suppliers or customers, business networking is a worthwhile practice for success. Several Manchester organizations offer opportunities for entrepreneurs to connect. The most obvious is the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, which also offers a wide range of other business services, such as training, lobbying, recruitment services, and flexible working space. You can sign up for membership online and immediately engage with networking events, courses and other services of interest. 

Another organization, Pro-Manchester hosts similar member-to-member networking events and has a specific small to mid-size enterprise (SME) offer which is well worth investigating. 

Building the Right Team

Manchester is filled with recruitment agencies, including many who specialize in particular sectors or fields. This gives any business in Manchester an edge for developing an enthusiastic and successful team. A significant percentage of these are located directly in the city center and are national branches. There are also non-profit agencies that source people for temporary work (such as catering or event support) and do not charge a fee for these services. 

Consider the non-profit recruitment agency Aspire, an “award-winning . . . ethical recruitment agency” for your recruitment needs. Furthermore, you may consider the Manchester Convention Centre’s regular recruitment events and graduate talent from the local University.

Apprentice Advantage

Apprentices are a great route to bringing fresh young talent into your business in Manchester. The city has a long tradition of training up-and-coming professionals through apprenticeships in local businesses. Apprenticeships are available across dozens of sectors and employers can gain funding and support to train existing staff through apprenticeship frameworks. There are also apprentices looking for employer placements. Research organizations like Skills Solutions and Trafford College for your apprenticeship needs.

Selling Products in Manchester

If you have a direct retail model, you’ll find everything from high street premises to pop-up stores and stands in retail hubs such as the Triangle, Northern Quarter and Arndale. There are also regular markets and trade shows across the city and its surrounding boroughs. 

A large number of businesses operate e-commerce models, making use of the warehouse space and excellent transport and communication links that facilitate logistics models. Dropshipping warehouses are also located in the various boroughs of Manchester. For instance, Trafford Industrial Estate which is just next to Salford Quays is just a short drive out of the city center.

Running a business in Manchester offers unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs. As a thriving industrial city, it also has immediate access to customers and the marketplace that are essential in driving long-term success.

Image by Andrzej Rembowski from Pixabay 

Are you familiar with the Americans with Disabilities Act, usually referred to as the ADA?

If you answered that question with a “no,” then the chances are good your website doesn’t comply with its standards.

And that’s bad.
Really bad.

Enter accessiBe

Image Source: accessiBe

People are getting sued left and right—and are losing—because their sites aren’t ADA compliant. Considering the fact that settling these types of lawsuits can cost between $50,000 and $75,000, you probably don’t want to experience an ADA-related lawsuit.

That’s why we need to talk about accessiBe, an AI-powered web accessibility platform that will make your website easily accessible for persons with disabilities.

The platform can help you comply fully with the ADA and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

This is because accessiBe’s AI technology helps you maintain around-the-clock compliance even if your site goes through daily updates. What’s more, when you’re installing it, you won’t need to do manual coding.

1. Comply with ADA Requirements with accessiBe’s Background Application

accessiBe involves two components, the foreground and background applications. They work hand-in-hand to make your website compliant and accessible.

The platform’s background application is essential to making your website compliant because it handles around 70% of the requirements plus the more complex guidelines stated in the ADA and WCAG.

Here’s how some
of the background application features work.

Keyboard Navigation

Once keyboard users land on your website and hit the Tab button, a popup will show options for navigation. For example, you will see options such as Adjust Website to Keyboard Navigation and Screen Reader, Open the Accessibility Adjustment Interface, and the Quick Navigation pane.

With the quick navigation menu, keyboard users can skip through sections and pages to navigate without going through your entire website. For example, they can search for any page directly.

After users
select a navigation option, accessiBe then sets off an accessible mode and
immediately applies all the necessary code changes that make your website fully
accessible using the keyboard.

With these features, your website users who have disabilities can access your site fully and effectively using only the keyboard, while making your website compliant at the same time. 

Screen Reader

Once you have accessiBe installed, it will then use its AI technology to scan and analyze your website elements, forms, structure, and so on. This makes your site compatible with screen readers. 

First, accessiBe’s AI will give accurate image alt tags for the screen readers of your blind and visually impaired users using IRIS and Optical Character Recognition technologies.

If you’re already using alt tags for SEO (which you should), don’t worry; accessiBe won’t delete your existing tags.

RELATED ARTICLE: A GOOD SEO CAMPAIGN NEEDS GREAT ON-PAGE OPTIMIZATION

Second, when users enable the screen reader adjustment, they’ll be able to read the content properly due to accessiBe’s AI technology that gives ARIA attributes to the site’s content.

For example, the code will automatically modify the HTML link tag to, let’s say, your Facebook icon by adding an ARIA label to it.

This will then allow the screen reader to read out “Link Facebook,” instead of just “Link.” This provides meaningful context for your blind users.

With accessiBe’s AI-powered background apps, you won’t need to manually code in these features to make your website ADA compliant.

Users can simply enable these features. Then, accessiBe’s AI will analyze your website and make the necessary adjustments for your users who have disabilities. This makes their experience on your site more seamless and effective.

2. Answer the WCAG 2.1 Requirements with the Accessibility Adjustments

Aside from complying with the ADA, accessiBe will also make your website compliant with WCAG 2.1. It is important to note that this can help you avoid potential lawsuits.

Plus, you won’t need to change your website’s design to make it compliant. This is because accessiBe will do the work for you.  

Here are some of
the accessibility interface features that will make your website compliant and
accessible to people with different disabilities. 

Built-in Dictionary

People who have suffered brain strokes, those with cognitive impairments, and the elderly might have difficulty understanding slang or specific expressions and phrases. These impediments can hinder them from using your website effectively.  

However, accessiBe enhances their experience on your website with the built-in dictionary. This feature instantly gives full descriptions of slang or abbreviations. Thus, your users won’t need to go to external sites.

For instance, if users want to search for the meaning of the word “gobble” displayed on your website, they can just search for the definition using the built-in dictionary.

This makes it
easy for your users to understand your content and go through your website
effortlessly.

Color and Display Adjustments

Users who have visual impairments such as cataracts, glaucoma, and color blindness might not fully enjoy your website. For example, they might not be able to detect buttons because of the color, or they may experience headaches because of contrasting elements.

However, accessiBe provides a solution to these issues by allowing people with visual impairments to make adjustments to your website based on their needs.

With these accessibility adjustments, users can choose options like Monochrome, Invert Colors, High Contrast, and more. Additionally, they can even adjust text and title colors to shades that are visible to them.

Content Accessibility

Aside from adjusting colors, accessiBe also lets your users modify the content elements of your website. For example, they can remove or add spacing between letters, rows, and words. Plus, they can even change the font according to their preferences and disability.

Additionally, users who have epilepsy can personalize their accessibility on your website by enabling the Stop Animations button to disable elements. For example, they can disable flashing images, animations, or GIFs that might trigger seizures.

All of these accessibility adjustment features will improve the experience and functionality of your website for your users who have disabilities. Moreover, they also help make your site compliant with the requirements stated in the ADA and WCAG.

As a result, your website will be compliant. Therefore, there would be no reason for you to get sued for web accessibility-related lawsuits.

3. Install the Platform on Your Website

With all of the
features and benefits that accessiBe has to offer, you would think that the
installation process must be complex and time-consuming.

However, installing accessiBe is pretty straightforward. Just follow these simple steps.

• Create your account. Once you sign up, accessiBe will offer a seven-day free trial for each of your new websites. You can use that time to explore the platform to see if it fits your needs.
• Add your websites. After signing up, you can then add your sites to accessiBe.

• Choose an installation method. accessiBe
  offers two primary installation methods. The quick and basic installation works
  by copying the installation script and pasting it to your website system.

Alternatively, the advanced and customized installation lets you set functions and elements of your accessibility interface. This will allow you to get a custom script.

Also, you can refer to the installation guides for different platforms such as WordPress and other systems, even custom ones.

After
installation, it will take 48 hours for your website to be fully accessible and
ADA and WCAG compliant.

Thereafter, accessiBe will help you maintain website compliance and avoid lawsuits by scanning and analyzing your site every 24 hours.

This means that if you update your website, the platform’s AI technology will automatically adjust the accessibility of your site’s elements, forms, structure, and more. This will keep your site ADA and WCAG compliant.

Protect Your Website from ADA-Related Lawsuits

It can take thousands of dollars to settle ADA-related lawsuits.

However, subscribing to accessiBe, using the platform, and making your website fully compliant only costs $490 yearly.

As you become fully compliant, you will avoid lawsuits. Plus, you’ll enhance the experience of your web visitors who have disabilities, establishing your brand as a company that cares.

Featured image by velkol on Yay Images

Who said starting a business must come with the challenges of finding and renting commercial real estate, commuting from home to the office, and managing lots of employees? We live in the era of the rise of home-based businesses. Therefore, all these problems can be out of the question if you choose to have it be that way. Moreover, as data shows, 50% of US businesses are home-based businesses.

In today’s digitized world, people can stay connected no matter where in the world they are. So take advantage of all this flexibility and start your business right in the comfort of your own home. Still not convinced that starting a home-based business is more advantageous? Keep reading to see why starting a home-based business may be the best idea you ever had.

Image from phovoir on Yay Images

You’ll Have a Flexible Work/Life Balance with a Home-Based
Business

The most obvious advantage of starting a home-based business is that you will be in charge of your work/life balance. You will be the CEO of your business, after all. There will be no one else to tell you how much you should work and what tasks to complete. Simply put, you will be your own boss.

Keeping a balance between your work and the rest of your life can be really difficult when you have a nine-to-five job. You may be compelled to work after working hours, for example. Plus, you spend a lot of time commuting. Also, even when you are feeling sick, you can’t just simply decide that you are not going to work.

Well, this won’t be the case if you run your own home-based business. You will be in charge of your schedule and activity and you will work from the comfort of your home. So you will never have to worry that you might have to leave your kids alone when they are feeling sick or that you must spend hours in traffic to get to work.

RELATED ARTICLE: THE ESSENTIALS OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL HOME-BASED BUSINESS

There Will Be Opportunities for Professional Growth

Working in a team has been proven to be one of the most efficient ways to learn. However, when you are your own boss, you will get the chance to wear a lot of hats. This is because the success of your home-based business will depend solely on you. On the other hand, all of this diverse experience will contribute to your professional growth.

Who will be the sales director of your business? Who will promote it on social media and in the offline world? And who will take the role of the business development manager?

Most probably, that would be you completing all these tasks for your home-based business’s growth. It might sound overwhelming. But, in fact, it provides you with opportunities to gain insights into and experience with all the aspects of running a business.

You’ll Save Money with a Home-Based Business—and Lots of It

Starting a business at home requires by far the lowest initial investment of any business. Moreover, you will have fewer costs as your business grows and thrives. Additionally, a home-based business comes with many perks, including freedom, independence, convenience, and more. However, the most important advantage is your opportunity to save a lot of money.

First of all, you won’t have office expenses, since you won’t have to pay rent on a commercial space, nor will you need to include any improvements or repairs to your home or utility bills in your business expenses. Plus, you will also probably save on dry cleaning.

You will, however, need to purchase supplies and equipment for your home-based business, even though these will likely be minimal expenses. Also, until your business starts providing profit, you might need to dip into your savings for a while.

On the other hand, many home-based business expenses are tax-deductible, including tax preparation fees, software purchased to use for your business, or transportation costs used for business purposes.

Also, you can also save money on insurance. For example, if you have a home-based business and you only have a few business-related visitors, and your business is valued at less than $10,000, you don’t usually need separate business insurance. Instead, just do an online search for “where can I get insurance for my house in Florida?” for example. Then your home insurance provider can help you with your insurance needs.

It’s an Opportunity to Give Your Talents a Try

Does your home-based business idea spring from one of your passions or hobbies that you would love to turn it into a money-generating outlet? But have well-meaning friends and relatives told you that you’ll need a large amount of capital to start your business?

Well, they’re just plain wrong. Don’t let anyone talk you out of your dream, because you don’t need a lot of money to start your business, especially if you start your business at home.

So go ahead and give your home-based business idea a try. Tell those well-meaning relatives and friends that your home-based business will incur fewer risks, especially financial risks. For example, you won’t have to pay rent for commercial real estate, and you also don’t have to hire employees, at least at first.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO TURN YOUR HOBBY INTO A PROFITABLE BUSINESS

Scale Your Home-Based Business up or Down Whenever You Want

When you start your business in a rented commercial property instead of starting out as a home-based business, the size of your business is fixed to the size of the space you operate in. This probably won’t be a problem if your business runs at the same rhythm for a long time.

But what if things go wrong and you must downsize due to a lack of financial resources? If you are signed to a long-term lease, this can lead to a series of complications and challenges.

Moreover, what if your business goes so well that you must scale it up? How will you manage to adapt it to the space you have already rented? This will be another challenge to deal with.

On the other hand, running your business from home can make things a lot easier. If you ever decide to down-size your business because things aren’t going well, you can simply close your business’s website and that’s it. But if you decide to scale up, it will be easy to look for a commercial property that is suitable for the size of your business.

Enjoy Increased Productivity

Since you won’t have to stress about such challenges as having to pay rent, managing employees, or commuting, you will be able to focus more on your tasks. Working from home can actually increase your overall productivity because you will be working from the comfort of your home. Best of all, you’ll have an easier time balancing your work with the rest of your life.

A Final Word

Starting a home-based business will give you more freedom and flexibility. Plus, it can help you save money. Moreover, you will be in charge of your schedule and budget. This means your business growth will happen at your own pace.

Browse our blog for more inspirational ideas for entrepreneurs and owners of small businesses.

Business processes, or the way that you accomplish tasks and build relationships within your company, can be split into two categories: formal and informal.

Formal business processes, also known as procedures, are processes that have documented steps toward completion that are expected to be followed by employees. For instance, you might have a certain procedure for submitting invoices.

On the other hand, informal business processes are undocumented and created based on the way an individual prefers to work. For example, an informal business process could be steps you follow when communicating with leads, carrying out meetings or performing market research. 

All business processes serve the same purpose – to streamline the way you work. The more you’ve tested and optimized the process, the fewer errors and delays your business experiences. Staff and customers will be more satisfied and you can avoid having to repeat work. Poorly defined processes can lead to numerous problems, including employee frustration, increased costs, wasted time and unhappy customers.

So, what can you do to streamline your processes and ensure that you’re getting the most out of every hour that goes into growing your business? Here are 5 simple steps to streamlining your business processes.

Visualize the Process

After identifying a process that requires improvement, use visual aids to document each step involved in carrying out that process. You can do this with a flowchart or swim lane diagram. By visualizing and exploring each step, you can determine where to make improvements. Be sure to consider any potential sub-steps for every decision point along the process. This will help you avoid the omission of potentially important steps in your process

Analyze the Process

Take the time to look closely at each step. Are there any bottlenecks? Which steps result in customer or employee frustration? Which steps take the most time to complete? Where do expenses increase? Whatever the problem is, trace the problem to its origins. If it involves employees or customers, speak to the relevant people and ask for suggestions on making improvements. 

FEATURED CONTENT: HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS ANALYTICS EXPERT

Formulate Solutions

When your analysis reveals problems in your business process, the next step is to formulate solutions to such problems. One way to formulate a solution is to redesign the process to eliminate the problems you identified. Seek input from those involved in the process. Then, use impact and risk analysis to determine the viability of the solutions that were provided. The more tests you carry out, the better you’ll understand the full outcome of each proposed idea. 

Implement Change

Identifying changes to the process is just the beginning of streamlining your work. You must implement changes carefully, with everyone who utilizes the process involved.  For instance, you may have to download new software or train some team members. This is a project in itself, so it’s important to properly plan and manage the task.

Review

Solutions are seldom 100% successful from the get-go. So, don’t forget to review and analyze the outcome of the changes you implemented after the fact. This will help you identify and fix problems as they arise. 

These steps can be applied to just about any aspect of your business processes. The more areas you improve, the faster your business can reach its goals.