Online Considerations For Your Business In 2022

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It does not matter what sort of business you run or what industry you operate in, the importance of making sure that you have a great online presence cannot be underestimated. After all, there are billions of people around the world who access the Internet today, so if you do not have an online presence, you are only going to end up getting left behind. With that being said, below, we are going to talk you through some of the different online areas you should be considering when it comes to moving your business forward and achieving more online in 2022.

• Consider building an online community - There is only one place to begin when it comes to your online presence in 2022, and this is by building an online community. You can use the likes of Disciple's community engagement app to do this. This is a great way of interacting with your members and building a loyal community for your brand. After all, the importance of having a loyal following that will advocate for your business cannot be underestimated in the current day and age. This gives you a great way of growing your business and taking your profit levels to a new height. 

• Re-think your approach to social media - Aside from building an online community for your business, we also recommend that you re-think your approach to social media. There are many benefits associated with social media. This is a great way for you to engage with your customers and get closer to them than ever before. At the same time, you do need to make sure that you are concentrating on the right social media platforms for your brand and that you are engaging in a meaningful manner. You cannot expect people to follow your brand and take notice if all you ever post are promotional messages.

• Think about captailizing on influencer marketing - The third area that we recommend you consider in 2022 is influencer marketing. A lot of people mistakenly believe that influencer marketing costs a fortune because it involves getting celebrities to advertise your products. However, you do not need to work with celebrities for influencer marketing to be successful. You simply need to team up with someone that has influence in your industry. Their following should represent the sort of customers that you are looking to target. This is a great way of tapping into an engaged and readymade audience. 

As you can see, there are a number of different online areas that your business should be focusing on if you want to move forward in 2022. After all, it does not matter what industry you operate in today, it is critical to make sure you have some sort of online presence. With that being said, spend some time contemplating your approach to the three areas that we have mentioned above, and we are sure that you will notice some positive improvements for your business over the months that lie ahead. 

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Marketing

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There are three main options for marketing for any business. You can hire an in-house marketing team, you can make marketing a responsibility of one of your employees, or you can outsource and hire an external agency to help you with yours. Researching your options to figure out what could work for you is the best step to take before you finalize that decision. 

When you choose to outsource your marketing, it’s important to note that you don't have to outsource every single avenue. In fact, if you only wanted to get help with a white label SEO reseller, you can do that. Outsourcing your marketing and giving this part of your business over to someone else isn't always an easy step, especially if you prefer to have control! However, there are some pros and cons to outsourcing your marketing, and we’ve got them all listed for you below.

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1. No more issues with human resources. When you choose to outsource to an agency or a consultant, you don't have them become an employee. In fact, you save yourself a lot of money and grief by not hiring someone permanently at all! Instead, you avoid vacation disputes, sick pay, long term leave and any issues with staff. 

2. You don't have to hire for long. Let’s say you have a particular project due on a certain date for a client. When you choose to outsource your marketing strategy, you aren't obligated to hire that person full time. In fact, you can choose to hire someone just a day or two at a time as you need them. The cost up front is easier, too.

3. You get specialist expertise. You can have a specialist working with you for the particular marketing help you need. If your business needs a specialist, you can find one by simply looking to outsource. 

4. You can closely monitor the agency. Whoever you outsource to, you can monitor them and learn of their history and which clients they have used in the past. If they’re a new company, there may not be enough information, though.

5. A con: you may have less face time. When you have a job to be done, you might worry that you don't get enough face to face time with the agency you hire to get the job done for you. It’s vital that you consider this if you prefer to have some semblance of control over the process.

6. Another con: you don't have someone in the office, too. If you need a heavy job done, then not having someone in the office with you can make it harder to manage the entire process from start to finish.

7. Is it right for you? The last thing to think about is whether you will be in or out of the loop with your marketing agency. You want to be involved in the conversation, adn that can take some time to figure out! Should you outsource? That’s the last decision that you have to make when it comes to your marketing.

How to Make 2022 Your Best Year Yet

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There are many typical starts to a new year which can often end in disappointment. We set goals for ourselves which are often quite unrealistic. Usually, these new commitments and promises we make to ourselves are forgotten or abandoned by the time February rolls around. Setting new year aspirations also come with a lot of pressure, often taking away from our lives rather than adding them. This post will give you some food for thought on how to really make the most of the new year and the fresh energy it brings to make lasting changes that will continue for years to come. 

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1. Remove any Pressure. 

The first tip is to remove any pressure from yourself going into the new year. This means getting rid of any preconceived notions you may have of the year to come. Allow yourself to have some reasonable goals but get rid of any pressure you are putting on yourself to fulfil all of them in the first month of the year. So often, bringing in new goals and building the foundations for these to happen takes longer than a month. Putting pressure on ourselves to fulfil them within this limited timeframe can be more damaging as the disappointment leads you to abandon them.

2. Get Your Ducks in a Row. 

It will be impossible to start the new year off right without making sure you have everything you can have in place to start. This means properly thinking through your goals for the year. What do you need for these goals? What steps do you need to take? For example, if you want to start a successful blog, think through what tools you need to start. How many times a week will you need to post? What kind of audience do you want? It may be worth considering investing in SEO to get initial traffic. This is the kind of thought process you need to go through for your new goals to stick. Although it may appear daunting writing all the steps you need to go through, by splitting the larger goal into smaller steps, the plan will eventually seem easier to tackle. It can be worth trying to tackle some admin in the Twixmas period as it is often quieter, allowing you the time to finish things you have been putting off. 

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3. Avoid Choosing the Same Goals You Choose Every Year.

This is an essential step as it avoids feelings of failure already creeping into your goal-setting. A common goal individuals choose is to lose weight or get in shape. If this is something you have said to yourself before, try quantifying this goal. Do you want to lose ten pounds? Do you want to be able to run a marathon? This can give you an easier place to start as you come into the new year, narrowing the focus and making it easier to start. 

4. Be kind to yourself. 

Don't be too harsh on yourself if you go off track in the new year. If your goal was to make some home improvements, for example, and you have hit a couple of roadblocks, there is no reason to rush. Take a minute, and don't let the disappointment discourage you. Figure out what went wrong, and then attack again. But if you need to rest and recover, that's fine too. The most important thing is to keep trying and pushing yourself despite hitting roadblocks. 

5. Get Support

Another way to stay kind to yourself is to make sure you have got a great support system behind you. Cut ties with people that consistently make you feel bad about yourself. This can include feeling drained, jealous, or small. The people and environment you surround yourself with are paramount when feeling better. Don't be afraid to cut people off, even if you think they haven't done anything to upset you specifically. What you feel around them will tell you whether you need them. You should ensure that the people you are left with uplift you, and for anybody, you can't cut off, maybe because you live with them or work with them, try to distance yourself as much as possible. Above all, don't be afraid to put yourself first in the new year.

Try to follow these tips as much as possible. If you do, you should be well to feel your best in 2022, and making your goals actually happen.

Make These Changes To Your Home To Boost Value Before A Sale

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When you own a home, it’s always important to think about the future sale. The right sale can allow you to move to a larger property or just give you a lovely extra cushion of cash that you can use to boost your wellbeing. 

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Make It More Practical 

People often assume that buyers are looking for a home that is grand with tremendous levels of spectacle. This isn’t the case. Instead, most buyers are just looking for something practical that will provide the right space for their family to grow and thrive. There are lots of ways that you can make your home more practical. For instance, you could add more rooms. This doesn’t always need to mean an extension. You can do it using a professional drywall installation to split a large room in your property in two. 

Focus On The Kitchen And The Bathroom

If you are making larger changes to the home then we suggest that you think about focusing on areas of the property that matter most to buyers. There are key examples to keep in mind here but the main areas are the kitchen and the bathroom. The right kitchen changes could add as much as 25% onto the overall value of your home. You just need to make sure that your kitchen changes are completed to the right standard of quality. 

Conversions 

You could also think about completing conversions around your home. The right conversions will mean that your home has more space for you and the rest of your family. This is also going to be important to a future buyer. There are a few different areas of the home that you can think about converting. For instance, you could focus on the attic or you might want to consider thinking about changing the garage into a new room. The garage is a particularly smart choice because it does tend to just become a area where junk builds over time. 

Add To The Curb Appeal

Finally, you might want to think about changes that are going to boost the curb appeal of your property. Curb appeal is important because it determines whether your property is going to make the right first impression with buyers. If it doesn’t, then you can all but guarantee that they will opt to buy another property on the market instead. It doesn’t matter how great the interior of your home is if you can’t convince them to arrange a viewing. You should think about consulting with a landscaper to consider the best ways to change the garden so that it does help create the ideal impact with your home. 

We hope this helps you understand some of the key steps that you should take to add to the value of your home before it’s time to sell on the market. If you take the right steps here, then you can make sure that you don’t end up with a potential loss from one of the most significant investments that you have in your arsenal. 

4 Worthwhile Investment Opportunities for Keen Investors

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If you are a keen investor, this is the blog post! In it, we will be discussing four worthwhile investment opportunities that can generate significant returns. Moreover, these investments are all safe and have minimal risk associated with them. So if you want to make more money in your spare time, keep reading!

 

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The Stock Market

The stock market is an excellent opportunity for investors looking to make money. Although there are risks involved, if you play your cards right and invest in the right companies, these can be minimal. Another great reason investing in stocks can be so lucrative is compound interest. Compound interest means that as your investment starts to generate more returns over time, those returns will also begin to develop their income! In other words, this could mean a lot of money being made from minimal effort on your part.

Real Estate

Real estate is another great investment opportunity. The beauty of investing in property is that there are many different ways to do it. For example, you can invest in a property and let someone else rent it out, or you could become a landlord and take care of the renting yourself. Real estate can be a very lucrative investment, whichever route you decide to go down. In fact, over the past few years, the average return on investment for properties has been around 11%. Not too bad! So even when you don't have cash in hand, consider different Mortgage Quotes to make that investment leap you've always dreamt of.

Cryptocurrencies

If you are not careful about investing in cryptocurrencies, then your capital can be at risk. The price of this type of investment is incredibly volatile, and the market can be easily manipulated by those who know what they're doing! However, if you decide to invest in them, make sure that you only ever put money into something that you would feel comfortable losing. For example, don't sell your house or car to have more funds for cryptocurrency investments! Cryptocurrencies being an emerging asset class, also means a lot of research is required before fully diving into one. So try starting small with someone like Bitcoin before moving on to larger ones such as Ethereum or Ripple.

Commodities Trading

Commodities trading is another excellent opportunity for keen investors to make money. Many different commodities can be traded, but some of the most popular ones are oil, gas, and metals. This type of investment has been around since ancient times! For example, in China, trade routes were established as early as 2000 BC, where goods were exchanged using gold, silver, or silk coins, which would later become known as "hard currency." So if you have any spare time on your hands and want an extra income stream, then these opportunities could work well for you. Remember, though friends don't let friends buy cryptocurrencies without talking with a financial advisor beforehand!

The Stock Market: One of the most popular investment opportunities in the stock market. This involves investing in shares of companies, and over time your investment will grow as the company becomes more successful. The key to making money in stocks is to research before investing; make sure you understand what you are buying into!

Daily Routines of Successful People

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Daily Routines of Successful People

 

If you want to become more successful, daily routines can help. Just look at some of the most successful people in the world and you’ll see the one thing they have in common is they follow a strict routine.

The question is, what does a daily routine of a successful person look like? To give you inspiration, below you’ll discover some great examples of what successful people include in their routines.

Start With a Morning Routine

One of the main things that successful people have in common, is that they all have a morning routine, as well as afternoon routines, and evening routines. It might not be the exact same routine, but they do have one that they follow religiously.

Interestingly, you’ll also find that successful people tend to wake up earlier than most. It isn’t uncommon for them to start their day anywhere from 3.30am to 5am. This gives them time to carry out their routines and it is also the time they feel most productive.

Limit Social Media

 Another habit successful people have in common is that they take regular breaks from social media. In the mornings, they may avoid checking social media, watching television, and checking their emails for at least an hour. they may take time away from it in the evenings instead. Taking breaks from social media does wonders for our mental health. It can also help you to feel calmer and more relaxed.

Prioritize Important Tasks First

Successful people know how to work smarter. They take care of the important tasks first, ensuring they aren’t as stressed out throughout the day. When you get the important tasks done first, you will feel much more relaxed and more proud of your accomplishments.

Practice Gratitude

A lot of successful people regularly practice gratitude. I know what you’re thinking “it’s easy to practice gratitude when you are already successful.” However, these people were also practicing gratitude before they made it big. By focusing on the things that you are grateful for, it creates positivity. This in turn helps to boost productivity, helping you to achieve much more in your day.

Exercise Daily

Exercise is another key factor to success. When you exercise regularly, it keeps your brain more focused and alert. You’ll have much more energy helping you to deal with whatever your day throws at you. Many people choose to exercise early in the morning to get it out of the way, and to get a great energy boost.

These are just a few of the things you’ll find included in the daily routines of successful people. By looking at how you spend your time, you can figure out what your daily routine should include and you will begin the journey to success, just as the most successful people did.

Fixing Your Financial Health Isn't Easy But It Is Possible

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Are you worried about your financial health? If so, then you need to ensure that you are making the right decisions. It’s important to get on top of your finances because if you don’t do this it’s common for the situation to take a dire turn. Here are our recommendations in terms of what you should be doing. 

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Be Honest

If you want to fix your financial issues, the first thing that you need to do is start being honest with yourself. You’re never going to fix your finances unless you can admit that there is actually a problem. This is quite difficult for some people to do because avoiding the issue allows you to live beyond your means and access a better quality of life which is often great fun. However, it’s never long before you realize that things are getting a little too dicey and you need to act. 

Clear The Debt 

Once you have admitted that there is an issue that needs to be resolved you have to think about how to clear your debt once and for all. There are numerous ways to do this. If you’re wondering how to pay off debt, then you’re already going to be on the right track here. You just need to think about how much debt you’re dealing with because this is going to determine the right path to follow. For instance, you could have limited levels of personal debt. If that’s the case, setting a budget could clear it up completely. Alternatively, it’s possible that you have debt from multiple creditors. If that’s the case, you should think about a debt consolidation loan instead. 

Set A Budget

If you choose to, you can set a budget. Setting a budget will allow you to take control of your financial situation. It will ensure that you’re no longer being controlled by your money. To set a budget, you need to calculate all your incoming costs and then subtract any bills that you have. By doing so, you will be able to guarantee that you know exactly how much you are spending and how much you have leftover to play with each month. It can be tricky at first to live on a budget but once you get used to it, it can be very freeing. You’ll no longer have to worry that every decision you make is pushing you further towards higher levels of debt. 

Build More Income Opportunities

Finally, you need to think about how to expand your income. There are lots of ways to do this. However, ideally, you should be looking at both side hustles and passive incomes. These choices are going to help guarantee that you can boost your income without it eating into your spare time. In terms of passive income options, you might want to consider investment opportunities. There are lots of investments that could be right for you. Penny stocks are a great idea because they come with low levels of risk and a high chance of success. 

Surprising Mental Health Boosts

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At the moment, many of us are struggling with our mental health. You might have been spending most of your time in your home, especially if you are in a high-risk group. You might be worried about your future health and employment, and the Covid-19 pandemic may have hurt your finances. All of these worries, as well as spending less time with our friends and family members, means that many people are feeling anxious, stressed out, or depressed. 

Easy and Convenient Ways to Build Self-Confidence

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So many people put their success down to the fact that they are confident and believe in themselves. If you feel as though your confidence is holding you back, then you’ll be glad to know that there are a few things that you can do to try and turn things around for yourself.

8 Questions to Ask Yourself to Design The Life Of Your Dreams

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With the new year upon us, it is the perfect time to reevaluate where you are in life and where you want to go.

Future Planning: An Introduction To The FIRE Movement

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For most people, their career path is very simple. They go to college, find a job after graduating, and slowly but consistently work their way up the career ladder over the course of the next 30 or so years. Then, usually by the time they are in their 60s, they are able to retire. This is the conventional career route that has been a staple of society for decades; but it’s a route that a group of people are now challenging. 

Introducing FIRE 

FIRE stands for “financial independence, retire early”. The driving force behind the idea is that retirement is not something that people should have to wait until their 60s to achieve; instead, people focusing on FIRE look to retire as soon as possible, with some achieving this goal in their 30s (though between 40 and 50 is more standard). 

Frugality is a big part of the FIRE lifestyle; in many ways, the movement is strongly related to anti-consumerism, and people choosing to spend more time enjoying the simpler things in life rather than working in order to spend. 

How is FIRE possible?

There are a few additional considerations anyone contemplating FIRE will need to keep in mind - which we will discuss in more depth soon - but the core essentials are aggressive saving and investment. People looking to achieve FIRE will spend as little of their income as possible - saving 75% of income is far from uncommon - and will instead choose to invest. Over time, the combination of savings and compounded interest from investments results in people having a large enough sum of money to retire and be able to live on the income from investments alone, rather than relying on a salary. 

How much is considered sufficient to retire on?

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Most people aiming for FIRE aim to save 25 times their anticipated annual living expenses. So, if you were to estimate that you would need to spend $60,000 per year, then you would need to save $1,500,000. The x25 rule is thought to be sufficient to allow people to withdraw 4% from their savings to meet their living costs during their retirement.

Is it really possible to save that much money?

While the idea of setting so much money aside may initially seem outlandish, it is a goal that many people are able to reach. Admittedly it’s not a short-term goal - without a lottery win or two, no one is going to achieve FIRE in just a few years  - but if you’d like to retire earlier than expected, then it can be done. 

How can you get started on the path to FIRE?

The path to FIRE will always be slightly different for every person who chooses to walk it, as everyone starts from different financial positions and with slightly different goals in terms of how much they want to be able to save. However, the general steps needed to reach FIRE are as follows: 

#1 - Cost cutting 

Cost cutting is crucially important to those looking to pursue FIRE for two reasons. Firstly, FIRE requires a much higher savings rate than the 5-10% of income that most people aim for, so outgoings will have to reduce to allow this to be possible. Secondly, when actually retired, living a low-cost, frugal lifestyle is incredibly important to ensuring funds are sustainable, so it’s a good idea to get into the habit as soon as possible.

You will therefore need to go through all of your expenses and see where you can cut back. Be stringent here: anything but essentials should at least be considered for cutting if you’re dedicated to reaching FIRE. For areas of your budget that cannot be cut entirely - such as groceries, insurance payments, and so on - look for ways to reduce the amount you spend instead.

#2 - Debt repayment

FIRE requires people to save and invest as much of their income as they possibly can, while spending as little as possible - a situation that is difficult if you are carrying credit card or student loan debt. These debts will continue to accrue interest for as long as they are outstanding, which means that there’s more money being spent servicing debt than there is being saved into a potential retirement pot - which is obviously less than ideal. 

As a result, the extra funds found after cost cutting should be put towards clearing debt rather than saving for retirement; by doing this, potentially hundreds (or even thousands, depending on the size of the debt) of dollars in interest can be saved and diverted to an early retirement fund instead. 

#3 - Mortgage repayment 

Owning a property is outright is an important part of FIRE, as having to pay a mortgage (or, worse still, rent to a landlord) will inevitably deplete savings significantly and reduce the amount available to live on when retired. As a result, ensuring that your mortgage is paid off should be your next focus when you have cleared all debts; there are various methods available when it comes to paying off a mortgage, so explore these and decide which will work best for you.  

#4 - Investing 

With your mortgage paid off, you can now consider your investment options. Within the FIRE community, low-cost index funds are perhaps the most popular, but experiences and preferences do vary, so it’s advisable to seek the assistance of a financial advisor who can help decide which investments are the right choice for your specific goals. 

A quick note: Above, we have suggested that mortgage repayment and then investment is the best choice for those looking to achieve FIRE - but this is a hotly-debated topic within the FIRE community. 

Some people believe that investments and mortgage payments should be done at the same time (so interest can be earned on investments during the mortgage repayment), while others say, as we have, it’s best to focus all funds in paying off your mortgage first so that this important step can be achieved as soon as possible. 

The decision, however, is entirely yours: if you would like to split your focus, choosing to invest and pay off your mortgage at the same time, then you can do so - the route to FIRE is different for everyone, so go with what you believe to best the best course of action for you. No two routes to FIRE are the same!

Common questions people ask about FIRE 

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FIRE is such an unusual idea that it is natural people may have further questions about how it works, so below we’ve sought to answer the most commonly-asked questions...

#1 - Is it possible to retire early and still pay college tuition for my children? 

Yes, but it’s complicated; there’s a helpful guide here that parents should find useful when deciding how to factor college tuition into their FIRE plans. 

#2 - Is FIRE for me if I love my job and don’t want to stop working?

Absolutely! Many people who reach FIRE continue to work even when, mathematically speaking, they do not absolutely need to. The goal of FIRE is to simply have the financial independence to choose to work, rather than having to work out of financial necessity. 

#3 - Is property ownership an essential for FIRE? 

Realistically, yes - even if you would like to live a nomadic lifestyle (such as travelling the country in an RV) post-retirement. Property is an excellent investment, so even if you’re not intending to live in your current home when you’re retired, it will still be a valuable asset and can contribute to your income if you choose to, for example, rent the property out while you explore the world. 

#4 - Should I try to increase my income in order to reach my goal faster? 

Yes, doing so can be beneficial and is a common choice for many people focused on FIRE. It is usually preferable to try and increase your hours/wage in your day job rather than embarking on a potentially-unreliable side hustle, though you can give this a try if you would prefer to do so and have the time available. 

#5 - What happens to early retirees if the market crashes? 

As we have discussed, FIRE is highly dependent on investments - but, of course, the market can go up as well as down, which could spell trouble for those who are solely reliant on investments for income. This concern is one of the reasons why working with a financial advisor is so important; they will help to diversify risk and ensure that funds are stable even in the event of a market crash. In addition, keeping some savings in cash (as in a high-interest standard savings account; not storing literal cash) can be a good way of protecting against market downswings. 

In conclusion

The FIRE movement definitely goes against convention, but can be an incredibly positive step for those who choose to commit to it. We hope the above has provided food for thought and, if you decide FIRE is the right choice for you and your family, we hope the journey is as smooth as it can possibly be.