What Are the Benefits of Getting a Massage with CBD Cream?

Image Credit: Pixabay on Pexels

There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a massage, especially a massage with CBD cream.

This is true whether you’ve had a rough week or you’re just feeling high levels of stress. What’s more, incorporating CBD massage cream as a part of your pampering can offer a number of great benefits, both during and after each massage session.

Additionally, cannabidiol (CBD) offers a wealth of health and overall wellness benefits. Moreover, topical CBD’s are one of the easiest ways for you to take advantage of all of those benefits. So how does a massage with CBD cream help your body?

 

A Massage with CBD Cream Can Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation in the body has a direct link to acute pain, most notably in the muscles or joints. However, CBD has a well-deserved reputation for having strong inflammation reduction properties. This is the case even when it is applied topically.

When your massage therapist applies CBD massage cream directly to painful areas on your body, the natural anti-inflammatory properties of the cannabinoids begin to relieve and reduce the inflammation. This in turn will help to relieve any pain or discomfort you’re feeling.

Inflammation can become an issue as the result of an injury or after strenuous activities. However, sometimes inflammation has no direct explanation. This can often mean it’s harder to treat with traditional methods. Moreover, sometimes the side effects of prescribed medications can be worse than the ailment they are meant to be treating.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO START AN INDEPENDENT PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CLINIC

 

On the other hand, a massage can help to ease the tenderness in muscles that are tense or injured. While a good massage will help to relieve a lot of this inflammation, incorporating CBD cream can help to further reduce inflammation. Be sure to point out to your masseuse or masseur the areas where you feel the most discomfort. Then she or he can target these spots during your session.

 

Reducing Chronic Pain with CBD Massage Cream

Chronic pain can reduce your mobility as well as your ability to enjoy your life. Your chronic pain might be from overworking your muscles. Or perhaps it comes from an injury that never fully healed. Or maybe you live with chronic pain because of a medical disorder such as arthritis.

However, adding CBD cream to your massage therapy can help you to reduce a great amount of the pain that has been keeping you from fully appreciating your life.

 

Lowering Blood Pressure with CBD Cream Massages

CBD oils have been shown to help lower blood pressure in a number of ways. For example, CBD massage creams, as well as the massage itself, can help to boost blood flow around the areas that cause pain. This can help to ease the tension you feel in your muscles. What’s more, when your muscles are more relaxed, your blood pressure can diminish as well.

 

Speeding up Muscle Recovery with a CBD Cream Massage

By reducing inflammation in muscles that you have overused or injured, CBD massage cream will speed up healing. Whether you’ve been hitting the gym hard, or you’ve sprained an ankle, you’ll find that incorporating CBD massage cream can help you to get the relief you need.

Relying on over-the-counter or prescription medications to help speed up muscle healing can lead to a number of concerns. For example, some people have suffered harsh chemical burns from topical ointments. On the other hand, CBD creams are soothing and mild. They include organic ingredients that won’t hurt your skin when you use them.

 

Boosting Skin Health with CBD Cream

One of the best parts about using CBD massage cream is that it can actually help to promote healthy skin. That’s because CBD creams can reduce inflammation. Therefore, they can be beneficial when used on skin that may be prone to acne or other inflammation-related skin conditions.

 

Reducing Stress and Anxiety

You know that getting a massage can be a great way to reduce your overall stress levels. This in turn helps to reduce anxiety. Further, adding CBD massage cream into the mix can help to soothe your worries away.

 

Some Final Words

Are you getting a massage to relieve that painful twinge in your neck? Or are you looking to get a complete sports massage? Whatever your reason, you’ll find that adding CBD massage cream to your massage routine can help to boost the benefits that you are already getting from the massage itself.

Therefore, before you make your next appointment, find out if the massage spa that you are going to offers CBD massage creams. If they do not offer their own line, then you should be sure that you take your own with you.

You deserve to feel your best, so book that massage. And be sure to take your CBD massage cream with you. Then you can relax as the CBD oils do their part to alleviate chronic pain as well as soothe and relax your tired and aching muscles and joints.

The post What Are the Benefits of Getting a Massage with CBD Cream? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/benefits-massage-cbd-cream/

How to Pamper Clients When They’re Visiting Your Business Office

Photo by nappy from Pexels

First impressions can make or break a business. To that end, you should pamper clients when they visit your business office.

Keep in mind that what clients see first as they walk through the doors of your business could mean that they choose to trust your business and invest money with you. Or it could motivate them to look elsewhere. Managers and business owners must remember that how their employees communicate with and treat clients is critically important. Following are seven ways to pamper clients when they’re visiting your business office.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 REASONS CUSTOMER SERVICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE

 

1. Train Employees to Pamper Clients

Managers and supervisors must train all employees to provide personalized customer service, whatever the employee’s role. For example, if a customer looks lost, perhaps it is their first visit to the office. It doesn’t take much for any employee to stand up and approach that client with a smile, some eye contact, and a hello. This will immediately make the client feel more at ease.

Most of your employees won’t need to know every client by name. However, simply treating all clients with respect and a smile can go a long way. Most importantly, employees simply need to be approachable and offer to answer clients’ questions.

 

2. Personalize the Client Experience

Regardless of whether it’s their first time in your business office, all clients want to be shown respect and feel comfortable about your company. After all, they’re deciding whether to spend their money with you. Therefore, employees who have direct relationships with certain clients should dig a little deeper and pamper clients with personalized service.

For example, if you know what tea or biscuits your client prefers, have those on hand upon their arrival. You could also place a welcome board in the reception area with their name on it. In other words, treat every client individually. These little things can help to build trust and lead to a loyal client for your company.

 

3. Clean up the Place

Perhaps the first thing a client will see as they walk into your office is its current state of cleanliness and maintenance. Therefore, it is important to regularly check the areas which are open and visible to customer view.

Additionally, also inspect the places that only a few clients might see. What’s more, have someone other than you evaluate the area from top to bottom and wall to wall. Ask that person to conduct a full review of what needs to be cleaned or repaired. Then follow up accordingly.

When a client walks through those doors, everything is on show. Anything could ultimately make or break a business opportunity.

 

4. Give Some Attention to Reception

The second thing a client will notice as they walk through your office doors is the reception staff. It is vital that reception employees provide unparalleled service to clients. The interactions the client has with the reception staff could play a pivotal role in a client’s initial and ongoing experience with the business. Therefore, train all reception staff to provide eye contact, a smile, and a greeting as each customer walks through the door.

 

5. Offer Refreshments and Other Materials

No one likes waiting, so it is important to spruce up the area where your clients will be before their appointment begins. Add a sleek coffee machine, a water cooler, and some light nibbles in the waiting area. This will allow clients to become comfortable while they’re waiting. Ultimately, they will be more relaxed for their meeting.

Aside from refreshments, another great idea is to provide a selection of complimentary daily newspapers at reception. You could also place magazines next to the waiting room chairs. If clients are likely to bring children along, provide a few toys.

 

6. Consider the Post-Meeting Experience

You should continue to pamper clients after they have left the office. A nice follow-up gesture might be a simple card or small gift you send in the mail. Not only is this an example of exceptional customer service, but it is an added incentive for your client to choose your company over a competitor.

 

7. Don’t Be Stingy

Last but not least, don’t be stingy. Spend a bit of money to turn the air conditioning on when it’s hot. Turn up the heat when it’s cold. What’s more, keep both the heater and the air conditioner running smoothly by replacing the filters regularly. This is easier if you contract with a company that has a subscription business model.

Stock the waiting room with decent tea, coffee, and snacks. Additionally, send out small gifts that you know your customers will appreciate. Basically, spend a bit of money on the little things. This strategy will make you money in the long run.

 

Conclusion

In order to have the most successful business possible, train all employees to help out around the office, no matter what role they have. Especially, train all employees to pamper clients by being respectful and excelling at customer service.

The post How to Pamper Clients When They’re Visiting Your Business Office appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/pamper-clients/

Mastering All the Basic Ins and Outs of DIY Car Fixing

Whether your company owns a fleet of vehicles or only a single company car, you might need to do some DIY car fixing from time to time. After all, as the owner of a small business, you do, indeed, wear many hats, don’t you?

Then, too, you might just want to have DIY car fixing skills for your own personal ride. Car owners tend to feel proud of their vehicles, after all. Moreover, they often feel obligated to have some basic auto repair skills. On the other hand, perhaps you just want to know your vehicles better. You might want to be able to respond properly in urgent situations. But how does one learn DIY car fixing skills by oneself?

When it comes to the practice of actually learning some DIY car fixing basics, people usually do not know where to start. Therefore, try searching online for workshop manuals for cars and trucks. You just might run across some manuals for car-repair enthusiasts at epcatalogs.com. These manuals are especially developed to enlighten eager car owners to feel more empowered when it comes to vehicle safety.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO START AN AUTO REPAIR BUSINESS WITH ONLY A SMALL INVESTMENT

 

A Beginner’s Guide for Your First Big DIY Car Fixing Experience

Once you have decided on how to acquire information and DIY car fixing manuals, your next large step would be to put what you’ve learned into practice. However, there are a few things you’ll need to take care of first. For example, you’re going to need the right tools. You’ll also need a work space.

Additionally, you’ll need to set aside plenty of time for doing the work. This last item can be the trickiest for beginners, since it can be difficult to estimate the timing if you don’t have much experience.

Below are some tips that can lead you toward a good first DIY car fixing experience:

• Do Your Homework

Make sure to conduct thorough research on your car and the problem you are about to fix. Take into consideration that manuals are usually the most trustworthy resources. That’s because they are written by professionals or even car manufacturers.

However, you can also get advice from other people who are repairing cars by themselves. To that end, you’ll find a number of online forums where you can meet up with other car enthusiasts.

• Organize Your Work Space

If you want to take care of all your DIY car fixing outside then you’ll probably need to wait for a stretch of good weather and daylight. However, your best option would be to have a garage or another work space where you can keep your car for the duration of the repairs. Try to find a quiet space so that you can calmly concentrate on your car’s repairs. Additionally, clear plenty of space before you start the job and position your car for maximum elbow room.

 

• Give Yourself Plenty of Time

If you expect to finish your repairs within a few hours, be ready to modify your expectations. In fact, it might take you weeks or even months to complete a particular job.

Of course, an experienced mechanic might be able to finish the task within hours. However, as a beginner, you’re going to need to be more cautious and do things more slowly. Additionally, you might even make mistakes, which could slow you down even further. Therefore, try to begin your repairs on the weekend or on holidays so that you can minimize the time pressure.

• Keep Track of What You’re Doing

Once you taken everything apart, you’ll need to remember which bolt goes where so that the vehicle functions as it should. Therefore, take pictures throughout the disassembling process. Additionally, put some labels on the various pieces. Then, you’ll know exactly where each part is supposed to go. Use a white paint pen on metal parts to indicate where parts came from, along with their orientation.

 

 

Finally

The final step of all your DIY car fixing would be to create a final checklist. In this way, you’ll have some useful guidance should you ever need to repair the same part or fix a similar problem. Moreover, when you finish your first big DIY car fixing, make sure you check everything out before your take your car for a test spin. You’ll want to ensure that your vehicle is truly ready for the road.

The post Mastering All the Basic Ins and Outs of DIY Car Fixing appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/diy-car-fixing/

#SuccessfulInvestor: A Hashtag All Young Entrepreneurs Want to Use

Have you ever asked yourself what an entrepreneur is? Being an entrepreneur is not similar to building a career, it is a lifestyle, because you have to focus your efforts 24/7 on growing your idea. What your purpose is? To find solutions to problems. What problems? First, you have to find solutions to the problems that are getting in the way of your success. Then you have to find solutions for the problems people are facing, to help them, and to grow your business. Young entrepreneurs are eager to make their ideas famous, and they do not say no to some extra work.

Young entrepreneurs face numerous challenges, because the present market is extra-competitive. But the modern world can offer them the resources they need to be successful, they only have to search the right direction.

Challenges young investors face nowadays – and solutions to their challenges

#cashflowmanagenet

The majority of young investors have difficulties paying the bills of their companies. They wait for their clients to send them the checks, or they wait for someone to invest in their idea. One of the main causes of this challenge is the fact that they send invoices for their services and they wait a month for the payment to come. But during that period they have to find funds to pay their bills.

#solution

In order to make sure that your business will survive, and you will not have difficulties in paying your bills, you should require down payment. Check if the down payment covers all the expenses associated with your project and if you get some profit.

Another idea is to ask your clients to pay in a short period of time, the standard invoice period is 30 days, you can modify it, and establish it for 15 days.

#taskdelegation

You are the one who comes with the idea for the business, but it does not mean that you have to run all the positions in your business. Learn to delegate tasks to use your time effectively. In order for tasks to be completed in time and smoothly, you should delegate or outsource some of the tasks. 

#solution

The secret of a successful company is to hire competent employees. In the beginning, you can outsource some of the positions, because you can save some money this way. The savings in time will help you grow the business, and you will be able to hire your own employees, whom you will train according to your values.

#capital issues

You have an amazing idea that would take the market by storm, but you have no money to start a business.

#solution

When it comes to getting funds for your business, you have numerous options. You can associate with one of your family members or with a friend. You can get a traditional bank loan. You can choose to work with an investment company.

More and more entrepreneurs collaborate with investment firms nowadays, because it is a safe and simple way to get their idea on the market. XIO Group states that investment companies work with companies that have chances to become successful on the market. Their purpose is to associate their name with leaders on the market, and to offer them support on managing their operations.

Investment companies consider that it is important for young entrepreneurs to benefit from the opportunity of collaborating with investment firms, because they will help them with capital and will help them enter new markets. Investment firms make efforts to create client-focused alternative investment strategies, so you will greatly benefit from collaborating with them.

Do not try to launch a multi-national company overnight, focus on finding clients interested in buying your products, and strive to be relevant in the market.

Business ideas young investors can try in order to reach success

#graphicdesigner

A graphic designer can handle a wide range of tasks; they can create from a simple banner to a complex logo. Every company nowadays is collaborating with a graphic design firm to create the graphics for their business. You can use online tutorials to educate yourself on how to create basic graphic elements. When you know the basics, you can attend classes to improve your knowledge. Decide what your specialisation will be, you can create social media elements, or you can design banners for companies.

#translator

Young entrepreneurs should be fluent in more than one language to benefit from the market’s opportunities. You can start your own translation company. This business idea can get you great profit, without you having to learn new skills. Translation jobs are varied, you can work with companies from multiple industries. In order to get a big payout it is important to have high quality standards. When you will get a reputation on the market, you can expand your business, and you can hire your own employees. Setting up a translation agency is one of the most profitable businesses on the present market.

#cityguide

People love to travel nowadays, and if you are living in a city where a great number of tourists come every year, you can offer your services as a local guide. You have stayed in this city for your entire life, and you know it like the back of your hand. You can show its hidden streets to the tourists interested to be guided. In case you are living in a developed city, then you can organise tours. Be creative, organise tours on bike, or by boat.

#deliverguy

Numerous companies decided to expand their services, and to deliver their products to their clients’ houses. But for being able to respect the delivery time, and to have happy clients they have to collaborate with delivery companies. You can associate with some of your friends, and you can start your own delivery company. Make offers to restaurants and companies that are known in your city for delivering their products, and the collaborations will not be late to come. A great idea is to start a bike delivery company, you will maintain your athletic posture while you earn money.

Young entrepreneurs have all the tools they need to become their own bosses, all they need is courage and a great idea. 

The post #SuccessfulInvestor: A Hashtag All Young Entrepreneurs Want to Use appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/successfulinvestor-a-hashtag-all-young-entrepreneurs-want-to-use/

How Much Do Your Employees Actually Know About Cybersecurity?

Image Credit: TheDigitalArtist on Pixabay

In 2017, the globally known company Deloitte faced a cybersecurity crisis. That is, a cyber attack led to their blue-chip client data being compromised. The reason? The admin account that had access to their global email server did not have two-factor authentication.

Another catastrophic data breach took place at American Superconductor Corp (AMSC). That incident was caused by a former employee who brought the company’s intellectual property to his new employer, Sinovel. To make matters worse, Sinovel and AMSC are competitors. As a result of this former employee’s treachery, AMSC’s losses exceeded $1 billion. Plus, they almost went out of business.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WEBSITE VULNERABILITIES: DON’T LET THEM SLOW YOUR BUSINESS DOWN

 

Do You Think It Will Never Happen to You?

These stories may seem like it-will-never-happen-in-my-company narratives. But let’s agree on this: your partners, your suppliers, your third-party vendors, and your current employees all represent a significant threat to your cybersecurity. Nonetheless, studies reveal that companies often miss this fact. When they do, they end up suffering sometimes ruinous losses.

A report from Shred-it shows that employee negligence—for example, an accidental loss of a device—caused 47 percent of organizations’ data breaches. Moreover, these data breaches cost organizations an average of $3,6 million globally in 2017. The report also revealed that more than 25 percent of respondents leave their computers unlocked and unattended. These numbers prove that even small mistakes can backfire and cause significant harm.

So, what actions could you implement to minimize the risks of a data breach in your company?

 

• Communicate the Idea of Cybersecurity to Your Employees Clearly, Consistently, and Often

First of all, before you start, take the time to analyze the weakest points in your company’s cybersecurity. Then, define your company’s cybersecurity policy based on those weak points.

However, don’t forget to add basic information about how to read URL links. You want your employees to be able to recognize malicious emails or phishing attacks. What’s more, if your company has remote workers, ensure that those employees apply good cybersecurity practices outside of the office.

If you already have a good cybersecurity policy in hand, start a cybersecurity onboarding program for your employees based on that. However, remember that new vulnerabilities arise every day. Therefore, your IT department should continuously work to inform employees about possible types of attacks. Communication is key. Moreover, leaving your cybersecurity policy in a drawer is not an option.

 

• Ensure Passwords Are Strong Enough

Remember Deloitte’s case mentioned earlier? A weak password cost them a lot. Make sure your employees understand the difference between strong and weak passwords. Two-factor authentication (also known as multi-factor authentication) is a way to ensure additional protection. Implementing two-factor authentication in your employees’ daily practices can be a huge step forward.

 

• Communicate the Importance of Encryption

A study by Zug revealed that 70 percent of professionals work remotely at least once a week. Around 53 percent do so for at least half of the week. However, according to the study, more than half of small business owners admit they don’t have a cybersecurity policy for their remote workers.

If you are in a similar situation, you need to make sure your remote employees’ Internet connections are as secure as those for your in house employees. This can be tricky, as unsecured WiFi at various coffee shops can cause a serious threat to employees working remotely.

One of the solutions for upgrading security to the next level is a third-party VPN (virtual private network) service. A VPN can encrypt traffic and establish a secure and private user’s connection to the Internet. By rerouting all traffic that travels between the device and the web’s servers, a VPN creates a secure tunnel that is virtually impenetrable.

However, choose your VPN wisely. Look for the ones offering a no logs policy. That’s because if your VPN retains user activity logs, third parties could get access to your transferred data.

 

• Help Employees Understand the Importance of Backups

Your employees don’t necessarily know how important backups are. They also might not understand that sometimes backups don’t work.

In some cases, when a cyber-criminal takes over access to a computer, the victim panics and even thinks about paying a ransom to get their files unlocked. Various companies are the primary target for criminals working on this kind of attack. And this comes as no surprise, as firms are often ready to pay much more than individual users are for getting their important data back.

Therefore, take the time to teach the employees the 3-2-1 backup rule. This rule suggests keeping three copies of all data. They should be stored on two different media, and one backup copy should be stored offsite. If something terrible happens, you can quickly restore data and avoid the possible stress and losses.

 

Strong Cybersecurity Is an Ongoing Concern

Creating a strong cybersecurity culture in your company won’t be a one-day job. On the contrary, it’s a never-ending process with a single primary goal. This goal—changing your employees’ mindset —is not an easy goal to reach. However, work diligently toward helping employees understand that small habits are of enormous importance. What’s more, all of those small habits will pay off in the long run.

The post How Much Do Your Employees Actually Know About Cybersecurity? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/employees-cybersecurity/

Financial Web Apps: The 4 Main Challenges of Functional Testing

Image Credit: Christina Morillo on Pexels

The world of financial service provision is evolving rapidly. As a matter of fact, the number of digital banking users in the US alone is predicted to exceed 160 million in 2019. Today, 63% of Americans use financial web apps to check their balance or carry out a transaction. This prominence of financial web apps can be used to offer a superior customer service. Moreover, they boost engagement and loyalty.

Developing a financial web app, however, comes with specific challenges that must be adequately addressed. Therefore, functional testing of financial web apps is integral to the delivery of a quality product. What’s more, the testing of a financial app should be conducted with the needs of the institution in mind, as well as the specifics of the domain.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS: A REPEATABLE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

 

Domain Knowledge Is Paramount

When it comes to banking, financial services, and investment management, there’s no room for error in the performance of an app. A single mistake could be costly to the user. Moreover, it could ruin the reputation of the financial institution.

A lack of understanding of financial specifics by the testing organization could contribute to the omission of key details. Additionally, inexperienced testers might even introduce errors that could render the app useless.

That’s why both developers and testing engineers who are working on a financial app project must be familiar with financial processes. Additionally, they must understand financial procedures and calculations. That’s because both domain knowledge and testing expertise will play roles in the process.

 

Ensure Regulatory Compliance of Financial Web Apps

The financial services sector operates within a strict regulatory framework. These regulations affect every single interaction they have with their customers. Moreover, the development of financial web apps is not exempt. Additionally, the requirements often go beyond the boundaries of a country. They could affect the storage of data, the introduction of security measures, backups, and data integrity. Web app development will have to comply with this regulatory framework.

Banking portals and financial service apps are often the primary target of cyber attacks. This is yet another reason why compromise with regard to security measures is not an option.

 

Apps Must Comply with International Regulations as Well

Moreover, financial web apps, like the institutions they support, must comply with international security standards such as Basel III and BCBS 239.

And these aren’t the only regulations that developers and testers have to take into account. SEPA (a cross-border payment regulation) and AML (aimed at countering tax evasion) also play a role. Testing engineers must have extensive knowledge of these regulations. Only in this way will they be able to ensure complete compliance and problem-free functioning of the app in the long run.

In other words, depending on the target audience and its location, financial web apps have to meet the requirements of multiple regulatory agencies in different countries or territories. A failure to comply will result in both civil and financial (occasionally even criminal) penalties for the entire organization or the individuals responsible for the omission and its consequences.

 

Cover All Possible Scenarios

As already mentioned, financial apps have to be impeccable. This is due to the fact that they deal with sensitive data and customers’ money. In the event of an omission, the losses can be colossal both for the user as well as for the financial institution.

Therefore, functional testing will have to take into account all possible business scenarios. It will need to cover some of the basics. For example, testing will need to consider the quality of the user interface. It will need to look into input, storage, and output.

Testing engineers will also need to scrutinize basic software functionalities. At the same time, testers should focus on computational accuracy. Additionally, they will need to analyze scenarios that put great stress on the app. Moreover, they will need to take into account risky or time-sensitive transactions, and more.

 

Testers Must Envision All Possible Scenarios and Their Outcomes

What’s more, a single business scenario can lead to multiple positive and negative test cases. The QA professional who is testing the application should leave no possibility uncovered. This is the main reason why knowledge of the financial domain is so important. A professional who isn’t familiar with the specifics of the industry will be incapable of running a thorough functional test. They must be able to cover all possibilities and their outcomes.

Things can become even more complex when a financial web application is designed for integration with other types of software. Trading accounts, bill pay utility systems, and other solutions will often be compatible with financial web apps. In such instances, QA professionals will have to ensure large-scale integration and the ability of the app to support thousands of sessions occurring at the same time.

 

Beware the Ripple Effect

The testing process is not over once a bug is detected and a fix is proposed by the software development team. Upon the identification of a functional issue, the software team will have to come up with a fix for the respective bug. The solution, however, could have an unexpected effect on the system. A fix for one problem could contribute to another functional problem. This phenomenon is known as the ripple effect.

 

Then Comes Regression Testing

That’s why regression testing has to occur after the initial functional test and bug fix. The term refers to making sure that the software framework still functions normally after engineers have changed the code.

Regression testing could be the most time-consuming aspect of the development of financial web apps. Financial applications tend to be pretty complex. There are multiple components that exchange data and information. The tech team will face difficulties identifying a single affected area in the aftermath of a bug fix. This is especially the case if they don’t have sufficient knowledge of the background processes that are running simultaneously.

Functional testing is thus a multi-stage process. Moreover, it may necessitate numerous revisions. Good QA professionals should be aware of the modified parts of the application and the components these interact with. This way, they might be able to identify a potential bug in another element in the aftermath of an initial fix.

 

On a Final Note

Financial software testing necessitates the preliminary development of a comprehensive strategy. In addition, the testing organization must utilize the right testing tools and the proper infrastructure in order to yield the best possible outcome. Moreover, functional testing is a continuous process that involves multiple phases. Since financial web apps tend to be pretty complex, testing and revisions may have to occur over a longer period of time. Only in this way can testing engineers ensure flawless function and impeccable computation.

The post Financial Web Apps: The 4 Main Challenges of Functional Testing appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/financial-web-apps-functional-testing/

What Is Blockchain Technology and What Is It Good For?

Image credit: xresch on Pixabay

Distributed ledger technology, also known as blockchain technology, is a public digital ledger. It records new data and transactions as they occur. Another way to look at it is that it is a shared database in which people make updates and reconcile accounts. However, no one can change what has already been posted.

This restriction helps to maintain security and balance. For example, you can view and even update previous transactions, but you can’t change the original entry. What’s more, millions of devices host the same blockchain transactions at the same time. This decentralized nature of blockchain technology facilitates security.

 

Is It Limited to Finance?

Its design makes blockchain technology a natural in the financial sector. However, blockchain has several other applications as well. These include contracts, fraud, and arbitrage. As a matter of fact, blockchain is set to transform multiple areas of the business world.

Naturally, the banking industry is particularly interested in investing in blockchain technology as this new technology begins to make inroads in finance. Additionally, experts predict that it will soon play an important role in industries such as cyber security, healthcare, manufacturing, and others.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY AND BLOCKCHAIN: 3 INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

 

The Benefits of Blockchain Technology

The first mention of blockchain on the world stage took place in October 2008. At that time, the mysterious entity who calls himself, herself, or themselves “Satoshi Nakamoto” published a paper that described bitcoin digital currency. Bitcoin, which almost everyone has heard of by now but few understand, is based on blockchain technology. Since that time, the technology has been adopted by various sectors.

Let’s discuss a few:

Accounting

Blockchain records accounting transactions with minimal human effort. Moreover, it protects against data tampering. That’s because these records are verified every time they pass through a blockchain node. This process leaves a traceable audit trail.

Blockchain technology helps to make the accounting process efficient at its most fundamental level. For example, instead of maintaining separate records, users can keep a single joint register. What’s more, blockchain protects each and every entry.

Voting

According to Harvex, blockchain can help to prevent election fraud. Additionally, it can improve the electoral system by facilitating voting. By coordinating a blockchain technology partner with a local digital identification system, it can facilitate e-voting and ensure that there are no disruptions.

Sustainable Energy

Human beings Searched for sustainable energy in prehistoric times and thought they had found it when they discovered fire.

However, in our more modern times, we are learning that some of the energy sources we rely on are finite. Therefore, we need to track our energy usage. To this end, blockchain technology could establish a grid of millions, even billions, of transactions in order to accurately track power usage. Ultimately, the hope is that this technology can lead to a system of more sustainable energy usage.

Peer-to-Peer Global Transactions

Blockchain technology can help with a fast, secure, and inexpensive way for people to transfer funds to and from each other across various channels. There are already several examples of peer-to-peer payment systems. However, each of them has its limitations.

For this reason, many businesses are beginning to prefer blockchain transactions. That’s because not only are they secure, but also they give users more freedom.

 

Finally

Blockchain technology is disrupting multiple industries. As with all disruptions, many people don’t yet trust it. However, because of the high degree of security provided by its decentralized nature, it is sure to become routinely accepted in time.

The post What Is Blockchain Technology and What Is It Good For? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/30/blockchain-technology/

Forex Trading Gains Popularity Among Zimbabwe’s Nascent Middle Class

Image Credit: geralt on Pixabay

Recently, when the citizens of Zimbabwe elected a new president, the country’s future began to look up. Hand-in-hand with this resurgence, forex trading began rising in popularity. This was particularly the case among the nation’s young adults.

As a matter of fact, forex trading has gained worldwide popularity in recent years. For the uninitiated, “forex,” is short for foreign exchange. Traders on the forex market buy and sell various foreign currencies, hopefully for profit. For some, forex trading has turned out to be a bad thing. That’s because some forex trading programs are little more than Ponzi schemes.

However, not all forex trading plans are crooked. For example, a reporter in Zimbabwe recently interviewed a local man who had been trading on the forex market. Here is what Tendai (not his real name) had to say about his experiences.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 TIPS FOR MAKING MONEY BY INVESTING IN PENNY STOCKS

 

How Tendai Got into Trading

Tendai explained to the reporter that a friend of his first introduced him to forex trading. At the time, Tendai was looking for a way to have more financial stability. He thought that maybe some form of investing might be what he needed. At first, he considered investing in real estate. However, he needed faster returns than real estate could give him. Additionally, he looked into investing in the traditional stock market. But that wasn’t quite right for him, either.

Then his friend told him about forex trading.

Tendai’s friend told him that he had been earning money on the forex market for about a year. He explained that he had spent two years learning the market. During that time his earnings were low. However, once he learned what he needed to know, he began making investments on his own. Moreover, those investments had met with success. Tendai’s friend told him about tools such as the forex economic calendar. With the proper tools, the friend explained, he could monitor the latest economic information and make wise choices.

 

Learning to Avoid Problems with Forex Trading

When the reporter asked Tendai if he had ever had any problems with forex trading, Tendai explained that unfortunately he had experienced difficulties.

He went on to explain that he had started forex trading before Zimbabwe’s monetary policy stabilized after the country’s political shakeup. At the time, the country’s policies made retrieving his earnings difficult. Nowadays, however, Tendai conducts his forex trades through a broker. His broker gives him and other forex traders a platform from which he can sell and buy various currencies.

Because of ongoing difficulties with governmental policies, Tendai opened a South African bank account with which he conducts trades and withdraws his money. He then uses a South African MasterCard to make any transactions he needs to make.

 

Can Anyone Get into Forex Trading?

The reporter then asked, “Can anyone get into forex trading?”

“Yes,” Tendai replied. “Anyone can easily get into the market. All you need is some money for your initial investment and a well-regulated broker.”

Tendai went on to explain that traders need to watch out for unregulated brokers. These unregulated brokers have given forex trading a bad name. That’s because they make a practice of scamming traders. They have also been known to abruptly change their policies without notice.

However, Tendai also pointed out that anyone looking to trade on the forex market could easily find regulated brokers online. Moreover, most of the best ones are located in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa. Additionally, Tendai noted that it is important to make sure that the broker is linked to the New York Stock Exchange or the London Stock Exchange.

The post Forex Trading Gains Popularity Among Zimbabwe’s Nascent Middle Class appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/forex-trading-zimbabwe/

6 Tips That Can Help You to Get the Best Office Lease Possible

Whether your business focuses on products or ideas, having a great office space in a good location is critical to your success. Since you and your employees will be spending hours every week there, finding the right office lease for your company is important.

If you think you’ve found the perfect spot, remember to consider these six things before you sign the lease and commit yourself.

 

1. Do Your Homework

Depending on the needs of your business, you might need a specific type of location and facility. Therefore, it’s always important to research the local market around the new location before committing.

You should also get a professional assessment of all the facilities to ensure they meet your needs. Additionally, check the terms of the agreement. Some landlords will provide basic utilities while others won’t. All this knowledge will come in handy as you come to an agreement.

 

2. Seek Legal Advice

Many rental agreements come loaded with legal jargon. This is a necessity to protect the owners from liability for certain things. However, to a layperson these types of contracts can be confusing.

Therefore, make sure to run all your legal agreements by your attorney. Ask your lawyer to double-check so that you know exactly what you are signing up for in your new office space. There is a lot of protection in place for consumers in residential rentals. However, commercial leases are less accountable. An attorney can pick out aspects about your new office lease that might harm your business.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO RUN YOUR BUSINESS FROM A COWORKING SPACE

 

3.  Remember That It Isn’t a House

A key mistake many business owners make is to assume that commercial and residential leases are the same. While they have the same basic concept, in practice and in law they are two completely different processes. Therefore, they require different mindsets.

As mentioned above, consumers are legally protected from unfair contracts and other scams on rentals for residential property. The same safeguards don’t always apply to commercial properties.

Moreover, there are several other key differences. For example, there are differences pertaining to the length of the contract and the amount of flexibility the parties have. These factors will change how you should approach a commercial office lease.

 

4. Negotiate Your Office Lease

One of the benefits of a commercial lease over a residential lease is the amount of flexibility the parties have. For this reason, some owners might be willing to negotiate with you.

The commercial rent market is smaller and more expensive. Therefore, many landlords are eager to get someone into their building. As a result, almost everything about the terms of the rental agreement could be negotiable. If this isn’t the case, walk away. You will get more value for your money from an owner who is willing to negotiate.

 

5. Double-Check the Total Cost

Presumably, your business has a concrete budget. You should also have a financial plan to cover the rent and the cost of your move. All the same, before you commit to anything, make sure to double-check the total cost of the move and rent. You need to ensure that the total cost stays within your budget.

What’s more, there could be hidden costs in the agreement. For example, there could be maintenance fees or utilities costs that you thought were covered but aren’t. Therefore, going through the agreement with a sharp eye will help you feel more confident about your budget. It will also help to prevent any unpleasant surprises.

 

6. Be Familiar with the Terms

Even if you don’t bother with all the legal jargon, you still need to be highly familiar with the exact terms and conditions of your agreement. If there is anything you disagree with or something you want to add, you need to know so you can request it or pull out of the deal.

Look for things such as exclusivity in your building and first right of refusal if the building is ever sold. Paying attention to these details will benefit your company in the long run.

If you’ve checked all these things off your list, then you can feel confident you are getting the best deal on the perfect space for your company. Congratulations on your new office lease!

The post 6 Tips That Can Help You to Get the Best Office Lease Possible appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/best-office-lease/

These 5 SEO Myths Can Be Dangerous to Your Digital Marketing

Image Credit: wavebreakmedia on Yay Images

SEO is a dynamic field. What’s more, it’s constantly changing. Therefore, you need to stay up-to-date lest you get left behind by your competition. In the spirit of keeping current, there are several SEO myths that you should erase from your mind. That’s because your belief in them could hinder your digital marketing efforts.

 

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

 

SEO Is a One-off Process

You’ll never achieve perfection with your SEO efforts. No matter how much you do, it will never be enough. As a matter of fact, once you achieve even excellent SEO results, you have to put in even more effort. You need to be sure that you’re always doing all you can to maintain your position in the rankings.

Moreover, it’s always important to think ahead when it comes to SEO. You need to evaluate your SEO strategy on a regular basis. You’ll be better off, as a matter of fact, if you enlist the help of a Naples SEO professional. They can help you to make any necessary changes.

 

SEO Is All About Keywords and Links

Another of the SEO myths is that SEO is nothing but keywords and links. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it’s true that keywords and links are integral components of SEO, there is much more to SEO than just these elements. As a matter of fact, they may not be of much help if they are all you depend on to improve your rankings.

Search engine algorithms change by the day. Therefore, you need to invest in much more than just links and keywords. You should also work on other SEO ranking factors. For instance, give thought to your website structure, your social presence, and providing valuable content.

 

Blogs Will Help Your SEO

Many people think posting a blog on their site will instantly increase their authority and boost their ranking. This is another of those SEO myths.

If your website has a high domain authority, blogs can help you attract more traffic. Blog posts can also help boost your ranking if you are in a field where there’s no substantial competition.

However, if you have a low domain authority or your website is relatively new, simply posting a blog to your site won’t be of much help to your business in terms of SEO. To boost your domain authority and enhance your chance of succeeding with blogging, consider writing blog content for other sites and linking back to your website.

 

More Links Are Always Better

Inbound links can help to increase your search rankings. However, this is not always the case. It all boils down to the quality of the links as opposed to the quantity. Spamming links to other sites won’t help your SEO efforts at all. This could even ruin your brand image. Also, don’t make the mistake of buying links. You risk being penalized by Google. Worse, you could also be pushed down on the search engine results pages, or SERPs.

 

Google Is the Only Search Engine

This is another of the big SEO myths. As a matter of fact, there are several other great search engines out there besides Google. Yahoo, for example, receives more than 200 million unique monthly visitors. You can imagine the potential you’re leaving out when you rely on Google as your only search engine.

 

Discard These SEO Myths for More Robust SEO

There is no shortcut to boosting your SEO. As a matter of fact, you need to work consistently to optimize your website. Moreover, buying links and keyword stuffing can only hurt your SEO efforts. That’s because Google looks for authoritative sites that visitors find valuable. So shed your belief in the SEO myths discussed here and focus on employing SEO best practices in your Naples business.

The post These 5 SEO Myths Can Be Dangerous to Your Digital Marketing appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/seo-myths-dangerous/

Does Everyone in the United States Need a Social Security Card?

If you’re a business owner in the United States, you’re familiar with the Social Security card. As a matter of fact, if you so much as live in the United States, you know that a Social Security card is essential.

The initial purpose of the card was to track individual beneficiaries for the Social Security program. However, today the Social Security card is used for so much more.

As a matter of fact, your Social Security number has become your personal identifier. To avoid identity theft, you need to safeguard your Social Security number at all times. Never disclose it publicly. As a matter of fact, disclose your Social Security number only under the strictest of conditions. People who might need to see your card are banking officials, employers, and credit card companies.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: IDENTITY VERIFICATION: KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE WHO THEY CLAIM TO BE

 

The Importance of Your Social Security Card

Your Social Security card is an important legal document. If you don’t already have a Social Security card, you can complete a form known as an SS-5. You can also search online to get more information on the topic.

Submit the completed form along with two documents that will allow the Social Security Administration to verify your identity and citizenship.

 

Types of Social Security Cards

There are three types of Social Security cards. US citizens and permanent residents get one type of card. This card will have your name and a nine-digit Social Security number on it.

Another type of Social Security card is issued to people who are not eligible for employment within the United States. A third type of card is issued to people who are eligible for work in the US, but only with DHS authorization. This type of Social Security card is generally issued to people who have temporary work authorizations in the United States.

Benefits of a Social Security Card

The Social Security program in the US is a financial benefit program. US workers pay money into the Social Security system throughout their working life. It is a form of government-sponsored insurance that people have come to rely upon when they reach retirement age or when they become unable to work because of illness or injury.

There are three main programs in the Social Security program. These are Social Security retirement benefits, Social Security disability benefits, and Social Security survivor benefits.

 

Social Security Retirement Benefits

When a US worker reaches the age for retirement, he or she can apply for your Social Security retirement benefits. At that time, they can begin to draw from their contributions into the program. The government will send the person a monthly benefit payment based on the financial contributions they made during their working life.

 

Social Security Disability Benefits

If a worker should become seriously ill or meet with an accident during his or her working years and become disabled, that worker can apply for Social Security disability benefits and collect a monthly benefit payment.

 

Social Security Survivor Benefits

In the case of the death of a worker, the family can draw Social Security survivor benefits.

 

Other Important Uses for a Social Security Card

• When you start a new job, you need to provide your Social Security card to your employer.
• When you open an account with a financial organization in the United States, you will need to provide your Social Security card to a banking official.
• While you apply for any federal loan, you will need to provide your Social Security card.

 

Conclusion

The Social Security card has become a mainstay in everyday life in the United States. However, it is an important legal document that you must safeguard at all times.

The post Does Everyone in the United States Need a Social Security Card? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/social-security-card/

Some Simple Tips for Keeping Your Social Security Number Safe

Image Credit: Life of Pix on Pexels

If you’re a citizen of the United States, you probably know your Social Security number by heart. Even if you’re a temporary or permanent resident whose birth country is not the United States, you, too, surely must be acquainted with the concept of Social Security.

However, for those who do not know, the US Social Security Administration issues all citizens and permanent residents of the United States a unique, nine-digit number. This is an important number that you will keep and use throughout your life, and it’s important that you safeguard it well.

 

Introduction to the Social Security Number

If you’re older than 18 and you’re planning to start a business or go to work in the US, then you need a Social Security card. The number on this card will track certain details about you. Additionally, you will use it to obtain Social Security benefits as well as other government benefits.

But how does one go about obtaining a Social Security card?

You can apply for one through an online portal. Alternatively, you can seek the help of an agency. If you already have a Social Security number, but you have lost your card, then you must apply for card replacement. Replacing lost cards can be a tedious task. However, there are agencies that can help you to get it more easily.

To obtain or replace your Social Security card, follow these simple steps:

• Log into the portal
• Complete the SS-5 form
• Submit all the necessary documents along with your application

You will receive your card within a week or two.

 

How to Safeguard Your Social Security Number

Keeping your Social Security number safe is as important as obtaining and safeguarding your Social Security card. Since your card has your unique nine-digit number on it, keep your Social Security card in a safe place. Never carry it with you, unless you know you’re going to have to show it to a bank or government official or an employer.

Here are a couple of tips to help you safeguard your Social Security number:

• Never reveal your Social Security number to strangers.
• You’ll need to present your Social Security card or share your number when you’re applying for a bank loan, a federal loan, or a government benefit. You’ll also need to do this when you’re applying for a passport or obtaining a driving license. However, be sure to return your Social Security card to a safe place afterward.

 

Your Social Security Number and Your Identity

As you probably realize, it is essential for you to safeguard your Social Security number. That’s because this number tracks many sensitive details about you. Therefore, revealing your Social Security number to the wrong people could cause you a great deal of trouble. That’s because a person who knows your Social Security number can track details about all of your financial dealings. This includes your entire credit history.

Governmental agencies, on the other hand, use your Social Security number for legitimate reasons. For example, they use it to track your wages. If you are a sole proprietor, you might use your Social Security number as an identifier for your business for tax purposes.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: PAYING YOUR FAIR SHARE: A BRIEF GUIDE TO PAYING TAXES AS A FREELANCER

 

When you reach retirement age, the Social Security Administration will use your number to offer you Social Security benefits. Also, if you should become unable to work because of illness or injury, you could be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you safeguard your Social Security number as well as you possibly can.

The post Some Simple Tips for Keeping Your Social Security Number Safe appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/keeping-social-security-number-safe/

Is Now a Good Time to Refinance Your Home Loan?

If you’re like most small-business owners, your home is your single biggest asset. This probably means that your home loan is the biggest bill you have to pay every month. Perhaps your mortgage isn’t a problem. Nonetheless, it’s likely that you’re spending thousands of dollars a year on interest and other charges. However, you could refinance your home loan. If you do, you could save a lot of money. You could also reduce your monthly payment. Moreover, you could even shorten the amount of time it will take you to pay off your loan entirely.

However, before deciding whether or not to refinance your home loan, it’s important to consider your personal financial situation. Additionally, you’ll need to take into account the conditions of the economy.

Therefore, be sure to ask these questions before you decide to refinance your mortgage.

 

What Is the Interest Rate?

The past few years have brought record low interest rates to the mortgage market. In many cases, that means that if you have an older home loan, you could shave several points off your rate when you refinance. However, if your mortgage is fairly recent, it’s important to look carefully at the interest rate that is currently being offered. As interest rates are starting to creep back up, it’s possible that refinancing will give you a higher rate than what you have right now.

Of course, your interest rate is determined by a lot of factors beyond the current market conditions. If you have recently seen an improvement in your credit score, for example, you will likely qualify for a lower rate than you have on your original mortgage.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WANT TO START WORKING FROM HOME? NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO MOVE

 

Do You Want a Lower Payment, the Ability to Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster, or Cash to Spend?

If you have any home equity, it’s likely that you will need to decide whether or not to pull it out of your loan. If you simply refinance the remaining balance of your loan, you can choose to extend your payment term. This will give you smaller monthly payments. Or, you could use your lower interest rate to shrink the amount of time it will take to pay the mortgage off. That’s because more of your money will be going to pay down the principal each month.

With careful research, however, it’s possible that refinancing your home loan will allow you to do all three. If you find the right loan, you’ll be able to use a portion of your home equity for immediate expenses. Then you can refinance the remaining balance at a lower interest rate and a longer payment term. This will reduce your monthly payments. As your financial situation improves, make additional payments on the loan to pay it off earlier.

It’s critical to decide what you want out of a home loan refinance before you actually sign off. The total amount that needs to be underwritten is critical to determining the payment terms of the new loan. If you change your mind during the home loan process, it could wind up costing you a lot in fees. If you’re not sure how much money to pull out, ask about a home equity line of credit, which will allow you to adjust the amount of money you can borrow over time.

 

What Fees Will You Pay if You Refinance?

If you didn’t have a high enough down payment when you first purchased your home, there’s a good chance that you are paying for private mortgage insurance, or PMI, along with your mortgage. Depending on your exact circumstances, this means that you might be paying hundreds of dollars a year for insurance that doesn’t even protect you.

Fortunately, once you have about 20% of your home value paid off, you qualify to have this coverage removed from your mortgage. This can apply to the original value of your home (what you paid) or the home’s current value. That means that if homes in your neighborhood have increased in price, you could qualify to have this fee removed.

Besides canceling PMI, it’s also important to check to see if you are paying any other fees. Other types of mortgage insurance or finance fees can really add up. In some cases, simply canceling the fees on your current mortgage can lower your payment significantly, even if you don’t qualify for a lower interest rate.

So consider all these factors and determine how much you could save if you were to refinance your mortgage. Then it’s time to start looking seriously at a new mortgage. Keep in mind that interest rates are starting to creep up. Therefore, you need to make a decision on your new loan before the banks decide it’s time to raise the rates again.

The post Is Now a Good Time to Refinance Your Home Loan? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/refinance-home-loan/

Is It Possible to Make a Living from the Stock Market?

Image via Flickr by 1la

Can you make a living from the stock market? Yes, but only if you take valuable advice from those who have experience in the field. Here are a few tips to consider if you are thinking of investing in the stock market.

 

Go for Long-Term Investment

Benjamin Graham, known as “the father of value investing,” was famous for advocating buy-and-hold investing. He believed that you cannot get a solid return on your investment if you pull out of the market after every decline. He held the basic belief that financial markets generally provide a good rate of return in the long run. Further, you’ll find if you practice this method that passive investment also involves fewer transactions. As a result, you’ll save money on brokerage costs and taxes.

This general opinion has remained unchanged. And investors who are in the know today still maintain that the safest way to make money from stocks is to hold onto them for a minimum of five years.

How do stocks make money? Many people who opt for long-term investment might decide to earn their money through regular dividends. Still others might aim for long-term capital gains. Although day trading might seem more exciting and some investors make good money from it, it is much riskier. Sadly, most day traders incur losses.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WATCH OUT FOR THESE COMMON MISTAKES IF YOU’RE A NOVICE DAY TRADER

 

If you need more encouragement to stay the course, billionaire financial expert Warren Buffet is a major supporter of buy-and-hold investing.

 

Opt for Dividend Gains

Invest in a company that is either established or profitable or shows sustainable growth potential. Further, opt for dividend gains rather than capital gains. By doing so, you will be earning a regular, minimum annual income. This will be the case whether the stock rises or falls over the years. What’s more, your dividends could potentially add up to thousands or even millions of dollars.

Additionally, instead of taking your dividend payouts, you could decide to reinvest your dividends and increase your shares. As a result, you would receive higher dividend payments in the future. And you could turn a larger profit if you decide to sell your stocks.

 

Hire a Stock Market Coach

You can learn a lot from someone who has made mistakes and is willing to share what they have learned with you. Therefore, if you have zero experience in stock trading and you’re not sure how to proceed, it might be a good idea to hire an investment coach. In other words, find someone who will act as a mentor.

Although hiring a mentor will be an extra expense, it might be well worth it. This is especially true if you consider the costly mistakes you might make without his or her guidance.

It’s true that there is an element of luck involved in making money from stocks. However, it is comforting to know that it is possible to make a living from the stock market. Moreover, it is actually probable if you make sound choices. Just don’t be blinded by the “make a million in one day” rhetoric. Instead, opt for long-term investments in strong, profitable companies. By operating in this fashion, you just might earn extra cash.

Finally, do your research, educate yourself, and consider hiring a coach. If you do all of these things, you could one day be a successful investor.

The post Is It Possible to Make a Living from the Stock Market? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/make-living-stock-market/

5 Things to Consider Before Starting Life Coach Certification Online

Photo by Keegan Houser from Pexels

There are some pretty interesting benefits to having a business as a life coach. For one thing, you will be doing work that can assist others in living the lives they want to live. Before you consider making this career change, take a moment to review some things you should know.

 

1. Certification Is Crucial to Your Success as a Life Coach

Life coaching is a largely unregulated industry. As such, you don’t need a lot of education related to the overall concept. However, would you see a “professional” who did not at least have some form of accreditation in their field?

Online life coach certification provides a fast track to earning the credentials that will impress and attract clients. In fact, the training program that results in certification will teach you exactly how to assist someone in reaching their personal goals.

You can’t just pick up all of these skills on the job. However, once you have these special skills, you will become a valuable resource to any and all of your clients.

 

2. Specializing Will Give You an Edge

Life coaching is a growing industry. Estimates float at it being worth somewhere in the neighborhood of several million dollars annually. That’s proof that there really is something to this life coaching thing after all.

However, in order to stand out from the crowd of life coach gurus, you need to be a little different. You do that by finding a niche to build your business around. Once you find one, focus on that as the foundation of your life coaching service. Look at it as you providing a unique kind of service.

 

3. Be Patient About Your New Career Choice

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with quitting your job and launching your life coaching business as soon as you earn your certification. However, you have to be realistic about it. Keep in mind that success is going to take a little time.

This is not something that’s unique to your business, either. Just ask anyone who has started a business. They will tell you the same thing. As we’ve indicated above, clients are spending a lot of money in this industry. If you’re a good coach, you’ll earn your fair share.

However, in the meantime, you might need to have a part-time job on the side just to stay on top of things. Therefore, be prepared for success to take awhile. However, if you focus on building your life coaching business systematically, success will eventually find you.

 

4. You’ll Need to Get Good at Marketing, Too

As an independent business owner, a good deal of your work is going to be life coaching. Nonetheless, you’ll also have to spend a good portion of your average work week on some non-coaching activities.

For instance, you’ll need to market your services. You’ll have to take care of the accounting and bookkeeping side of your business, too. What’s more, you’ll often be writing, sending, and responding to emails.

As a matter of fact, the bulk of your non-coaching time in the early stages of your new business should be focused on promoting your services. You can do this in several ways. However, it’s best to use both digital and traditional marketing methods together. This will allow you to cover the most territory at the least possible cost.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: MARKETING FOR NON-MARKETERS: GET GOOD AT IT BY LEARNING TO LOVE IT

 

5. You Are Coaching, Not Counseling People

Remember, you are a life coach. You are not a counselor of any kind. The service you provide to your clients can help them to move forward in their lives. To that end, you will assist them with taking specific actions to achieve certain outcomes. This will help them to reach their stated goals within a specified period of time.

On the other hand, a counselor works to help clients deal with and get past traumas that have affected their lives. In other words, a counselor is a healer of sorts. A life coach is a director.

It’s a lot easier to understand the difference when you look at each in this manner. You also have to remember to be clear with clients. There will be some who seek your services who should instead be looking for counseling. However, if you are clear about the services that you can provide, you should be able to prevent any issues.

 

In Conclusion

There are many challenges but also many rewards when you work to help people improve their lives.

Here’s how to know that you could be a good candidate for life coaching:

• Are you a people person?
• Do you want to be able to give others the direction and inspiration they need to make changes in their lives?

Life coaching is a specialized service. It is still an unregulated field. However, it has exploded in popularity. This means there is a demand for life coaching in today’s world.

The best way to become a life coach is to take an online certification course. Then spend time promoting your services.

It will take some time to see financial rewards from making this decision, but they will come. If you happen to be good at being a life coach in your specific niche, you will achieve success.

While life coaching is not for everyone, it could be just the right career choice for you.

The post 5 Things to Consider Before Starting Life Coach Certification Online appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/life-coach-certification-online/

5 Reasons Customer Service Is More Important Than Anything Else

Image credit: phovoir on Yay Images

The modern business environment is highly competitive. What’s more, companies are continually trying to adapt to the ever-changing business landscape. Most of all, businesses are dependent upon customers for their survival. There are many things that a business can do to strengthen their brand. However, the most important is to provide excellent customer service.

Here we share with you five reasons why customer service is the most critical factor in growing your business.

 

RELATED ARTICLE: WHY QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE ALWAYS STARTS WITH A SMILE

 

1. Satisfied Customers Are More Likely to Return

If you can competently handle customers’ issues, they are much more likely to return.

However, many businesses fail to create a culture of customer service. These companies run the risk of losing customers who have issues with them. Therefore, be sure to have customer service protocols that focus on putting the client first. This is critical to the survival of your business.

 

2. Retaining Customers Is Less Expensive than Marketing for More

Obviously, if a customer has a negative experience with your company that person will be unhappy. What’s more, if your customer service does not rectify the situation, that customer will probably remain disgruntled. They may refuse to patronize your company anymore. Even worse, they are likely to describe their experience with your company to their friends and family. Furthermore, you definitely don’t need such negative word-of-mouth exposure.

Moreover, marketing to attract more customers costs significantly more than providing excellent customer service in the first place.

 

3. Great Customer Service Strengthens Brands

Nothing adds more to a brand’s reputation than superior customer service. When a company is known for putting the customer first, its reputation soars among their target demographic.

Branding is the way companies show the world what their business stands for. Excellent customer service is clearly a way to strengthen your brand.

 

4. Satisfied Customers Spread the Word About Products and Services

You might have heard that word-of-mouth advertising is the most powerful form of advertising. This is because people trust the opinions and reviews of others. This is the reason companies frequently use testimonials in their marketing materials.

The idea here is that if others like it, then it must be good. Creating an excellent customer experience is a sure way to generate some enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

 

5. Customers Prefer Being Able to Call Your Company

It is common to see online companies that don’t offer an actual customer service phone number. Even a couple of decades ago it would have been unacceptable not to have a helpline for customers.

All the same, customers have greater trust for companies that they can call on the phone with their questions and concerns. Email is simply not a replacement for live customer service calls.

If you’re looking for a solution in this area, Salesforce CTI integration will give your company what it needs. What’s more, you’ll have the ability to link your company’s phone system with your computer network.

 

Conclusion

Companies that wish to remain competitive in these changing times will need to create a culture of customer service within their businesses. Furthermore, companies that continuously find ways to improve their customers’ experience are able to aggressively beat their competition.

The post 5 Reasons Customer Service Is More Important Than Anything Else appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2018/10/28/customer-service-important/