Home Blog Page 563

How to Make a Career Choice When You Are Undecided

In the past, making a career choice was not so complicated because the options were not as large as today. People could only make a few choices and that was it. Today, things are much more different. There are so many different career paths a person can take, it is obvious why it is so difficult to make the right decision. Should a person choose a traditional craft? Should they aim for something more futuristic or modern? Should it be marketing? Should it be computer science? I know, choosing between all of these options can make you go crazy.

However, you shouldn’t overwhelm yourself with this much information. To make the right choice, you have to take things slow and do in-depth research about the things you’re really interested in. Of course, you can’t just think about your interest, you should also think about whether the career you pick is going to be profitable. Because, let’s be real, but a lot of professions today are being completely replaced by newer and better technologies.

It is important not to stay behind during this transition to these modern times.

To make this process of career choice at least a little bit easier for you, here is a quick little guide with a few tips to assist you.

Write down your goals

Source: Mind The Gap | Business Consulting

The first thing you have to do before you make any kind of serious decision, and this applies to almost everything in your life, not just about career choices, is to find out what your goals are. What is your grand plan in life? What do you expect to achieve? How much are you willing to sacrifice? These are some of the questions you need to go through your mind to find out what exactly you want. If you do not have an idea of what you want to achieve, you will never be able to make the decision that you are satisfied with.

However, if you’re unable to find out what your goals are, you shouldn’t be disappointed in yourself. This is something that happens to even the most successful businessmen in the world today. You shouldn’t give up on your dreams, just because you are currently unable to pick your career path right now.

My advice would be to just take your time and write down every single idea of what your goals are or might be in the future. Once you have a bigger list going, you can use this to start doing a process of elimination.

Try temporary employment

Source:Robert Half

At times, I am sure that you feel like you have no idea what you want to work and where you want to build your career. But, without any kind of previous experience, that is completely normal. Without work experience, you’re unable to come to the conclusion whether you want to build a career for that certain type of job.

Fortunately, there is a way you can get some of that experience without investing too much of your time and effort. There are many companies out there that are willing to provide you with temporary employment. While working as a temp, you can experience a lot and find out whether this position you have acquired is something that you will enjoy for the next couple of years.

However, if you’re having trouble getting employed or finding such a job, you will probably need to work on your resume to show off all of your skills and selling points as suggested by Just Brighton Jobs.

Don’t take advice too seriously

Source: Growth Business

During these troubling times for you, am sure that you have asked many of your friends and family members to assist you in making the right decision. Every single one of these people will give you a different opinion and advice on how you should face this problematic challenge.

And of course, support from your closest ones is always a good thing. They can be an inspiration to be better and to stay motivated through the most difficult problems.

However, you cannot allow their opinions to become your opinions. The choice you’re making right now should be entirely up to you. It is vital that you do not let other people influence you in making this decision. Keep in mind, those people are not doing this on purpose, but it is something that happens subconsciously.

If you do get influenced, there is a chance that you will make the wrong decision that will ultimately lead to disappointment in the future.

Follow your passion

Source: Medium

Being undecided even after so much thinking about possible career paths and researching about them can be a problem. I am not sure what exactly you can do when you find yourself in this kind of position. The best way you can get out of this hole that you keep digging more and more is to just follow your passion.

Ignore all of the advice you got in the past, forget about profits and just try to build a career of what you truly enjoy.

Explore your talents

Source: Daily Sun

Unfortunately, sometimes following your passion is not easy. Your passion may require a lot of effort that you are unable to provide. Everyone wanted to be an astronaut, but becoming one is very difficult. So, if you see that you’re unable to build a career path that is related to your passion, your next best step is to start exploring your skills and talents.

If there is something that you are very good at, why not use that something and make it into a profit? If you are good at it, it probably won’t be difficult. Try experimenting with all of your talents and find out what works best for you and whether you will be able to make it profitable.

In the end, no matter how many guides you read online, how many tips you see, and how much advice you get from friends or family, you will have to make this difficult decision by yourself. Do not stress too much, take your time and I’m sure that you will be able to make the right choice.

How to Protect Yourself From Scams After a Car Accident

Source: thebalance

Depending on the severity of it, being in a car accident can turn out to be a traumatic experience. Sometimes, people’s lives can be endangered, and if it is only a minor collision, there will probably be some damage to the vehicles involved.

Unfortunately, sometimes, a car owner can be the victim of insurance fraud. Yes, some people will go a long way to earn some quick cash, and this often happens at the expense of other innocent individuals. Due to this reason, in this article, we are going to introduce you to the most common types of insurance frauds and also give you some tips on what you should do to protect yourself.

How does auto insurance fraud occur?

Source: 2024training

Well, put in layman’s terms, these frauds occur when one participant makes false claims in order to receive compensation. These can only be somewhat exaggerated when a person falsifies injuries. However, there are also those where someone plans and causes an accident. For example, someone might plan the entire thing of causing the collision and filing a specific claim. On the other note, there are some people who would seize the opportunity to file a claim for some preexisting damage to the vehicle, and they might even include some false expenses for medical treatment that never occurred.

What can you do?

There are numerous things that you have to be careful about, everything from buying insurance to trying to prevent the accident and how you behave if one happens.

Be aware of insurance sellers

Source: grandforksherald

First things first, you have to be careful when you buy insurance. You have to do a thorough investigation before signing that contract. Be wary of people who come to your front door or call you via telephone to sell you insurance. Also, if the deal seems too good to be true, then probably it is, meaning that you shouldn’t accept it.

When you opt for one company, make sure to check their business and confirm that they are licensed. This is something that you can do by contacting your state’s insurance department. If you are presented with a list of “free services” our advice is to investigate whether they are really free of charge, or if there are some hidden expenses that you will have to pay for in the future.

Finally, once you get your insurance identification number, you should guard it just like you do your social security number. Why? Well, if you are not careful about it, the criminals might steal it and use it in any kind of fraud.

What if you get into an accident?

Source: logels

We have covered the question of purchasing the insurance and choosing the right plan, now let’s discuss what you should do if you are involved in a collision.

Stay at the scene

Regardless of the severity of the accident, the worst thing that you can do is to leave the scene, even if it’s just a fender bender. You might not be aware of this, but in some states, you might be faced with some criminal penalties. This means that you will have to pay a significant fine and your license will be probably be revoked.

Check if anyone is injured

Start with yourself and the passengers in your vehicle, if there are any and then get out and check on the people in the other vehicle. Make sure to be really careful because even if it was a minor accident, people could get seriously hurt if they weren’t wearing seat belts. Once you ensure that everything is alright, call the ambulance.

You should do this even if no one is injured. Why? Well, the paramedics will assess you at the scene, and fill out reports that you will need when filing a claim. At the same time, this report will protect you if someone tries to file compensation for injuries that did not occur.

Source: greateraustinpain

Call the police

Once again, even if it just a fender bender, you have to call the police and ask them to file a report. Wait for them at the scene of the accident and tell them everything that has happened. This is another report that you will need in the future.

You should also collect all the information regarding the police report, but also the officers who were at the scene. Ask them for any identification details, such as their badge number, and make sure that they have written down every last detail.

Take photos

This is something that police officers will probably do, but you should do it as well. Make sure to take photographs of your vehicle and note any damages that occurred. You should also ask the other party to do the same, because, as we have already mentioned, people might try to file claims for damage that didn’t occur in the collision. What’s more, don’t forget to photograph the location where the accident occurred.

Source: locatelegalhelp

Exchange information

Get the names of everyone who was involved in the accident, not just the driver of the other vehicle, but also all the passengers. Ask for their phone number, and all insurance details such as the name of the company and their agent, policy number, and so on.
At the same time, you have to be careful when giving out your information. Remember what we said about criminals who plan and organize the whole thing? Just to be on the safe side, do not tell them your social security number or any other detail that they can’t get on their own.

File a claim

Once you have made your statement and the police have made the report, you should notify your insurance company. Provide them with all the details about the accident and give them information about the other participant.

Think about whether you need a lawyer. This might not be necessary if no one was hurt, but if this is not the case, then you will definitely need a legal representative. Visit the puschnguyen website to learn who they can assist you, but basically, they will not only maximize your compensation, but they will also protect you in case of an auto insurance fraud. Remember, dealing with the insurance company can be quite tricky, which is why it is of crucial importance to have someone familiar with all the details and aspects of the process on your side.

10 Italian Foods You Must Try When You Are In Italy

Italian cuisine truly comes with limitless variety. You cannot easily say which Italian food is the best. With a lot of Italian recipes available online, you can buy all the required ingredients from an Italian Food Online Store and make your favorite Italian dish at home. However, why should you make Italian pasta in your kitchen when you are visiting Italy this weekend. Once there, you will want to feast your taste buds on all the popular and some local Italian dishes.

You have enjoyed Italian dishes in America. Are not you curious to know how the taste of local Italian pizza differs from what you eat in your home country?

Experts in Italian cuisine such as UltimaCucina, add a special touch to their recipes while embodying the true Italian experience.

Following are the Italian dishes you must try during your visit:

1. Pizza

Source: Terminal Gastro Bar

Born in Naples, pizza quickly became popular and even a symbol of national unity. The simplest and the most popular pizza Margherita was also born in Naples.

It would be in your best interest to visit that part of the country and taste the real Neapolitan pizza without many useless ingredients. In addition to Naples, other regions such as Italian Riviera and Palermo are also known for their pizzas.

2. Baked Lasagna

Source: Golden Grain Pasta

Bolognese sauce, also known as Bolognese, is often accompanied by fresh pasta. Bologna, the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region, is known for the richest and attractive regional kitchens. This city is also known for ‘ragu’. This sauce goes to season fresh pasta like tagliatelle or classic tortellini. Baked lasagna is made using the meat sauce as the base, which is layered with noodles and cheese.

3. Spaghetti Carbonara

Source: Cooking Light

This is one of the most famous dishes in the country. Rome is known for carbonara and spaghetti. The modern spaghetti carbonara recipes are a little different from traditional recipes using bacon, milk cream and cheese, powdered egg, and several other foods.

Modern recipes use guanciale at the place of cheese, egg yolk, bacon.

4. Pesto

Source: The Mom 100

The origin of this sauce is uncertain and confused. However, it is much older than its written evidence at the end of the 19th century. The modern recipe brings you the goodness of ingredients including Ligurian basil, vessalico garlic, extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt, grated Sardinian pecorino cheese, and parmesan cheese, and Italian pine nuts. This sauce is a condiment of pasta.

5. Ravioli, Tortellini and Agnolotti

Source: Fooby

Every region in the country has its own traditional cuisine. Each traditional cuisine has more than one stuffed pasta recipe with the most varied fillings.

Tortellini is disputed between Bologna and Modena. They are filled with pork, mortadella, and raw ham. You will love to consume them in meat broth.

Agnolotti del plin are stuffed with mixed vegetables and meats.

Ravioli filling is meat cooked in tomato sauce, borage, and chard.

6. The Focaccia

Source: Handle the Heat

It is a mixture of flour, water, salt, and yeast. Extra virgin olive oil is used to give the final touch. You should also try the following classic variants:

  • The Genovese focaccia
  • The focaccia di recco
  • Focaccia with onions
  • The Florentine Schiacciata
  • Bari focaccia
  • The Messina focaccia

7. Risotto

Source: Delish.com

Rice is favorite in the North. Rice first appeared in the deep south. When it comes to risotto, you can be flexible with ingredients. Risotto may make you think of the “Milanese risotto”. However, different variations of risotto are enjoyed in different regions.

Following are some other Italian foods you cannot miss:

  • Polenta
  • The Minestrone
  • Fiorentina
  • Fritto Misto
  • White Truffle
  • Anchovy (or Alice)
  • Stoccafisso e Baccalà
  • Tiramisu

You can also buy Italian food online. If you are going to spend a couple of weeks there, why don’t you learn a few of these recipes? Find an Italian food online store for Italian groceries online, shop the required ingredients, and make something Italian on your own.

Once you are back, you can buy ingredients from an Italian food online store and make your favorite Italian dishes at home.

8. Bottarga

Source: Fornelli di Sicilia

The description of bottarga should be – smoked eggs from the rat of the sea. However, we suggest you continue reading because this was just a rough description. A better description would probably be “Sicilian Cavier”.

The entire process of preparing Bottarga starts in August and September. In this period, southern Italians take the roe from grey mullets. After they do that, they salt it, press it, and leave it in air dry. Believe it or not, it stays in that way for the whole six months. After that period, they get a hunk of eggs colored in amber and blood oranges. They usually use as the slice over pasta.

9. Lasagna

Source: Galbani Cheese

Well, we are sure that you have heard about lasagna so far many times. If you are a bit older, then you remember that lasagna was the favorite food of Garfield (Cartoon character). Anyway, this is a wide and fiat past noodle. In most cases, Italians bake use layers and put them in the oven. This is the most popular method of preparation.

Indeed, lasagna is popular in all parts of Italy. However, it seems that citizens of the Emilia-Romagna region are its biggest fans. It doesn’t truly matter if people are rich or poor, young or old. They all have a common desire to eat this food as often as possible.

Still, we need to say a couple of words about its history. Today’s lasagna is made with tomatoes always. However, things were not the same before the 16th century. In that period, Italians have explored the New World and that move changed some of their habits. Anyway, before the 16th century, they used ragu when eating lasagna. For instance, the combination of bechamel sauce and mozzarella was the most popular mix.

There is one big difference that we need to highlight here. If you live in the USA, then you know that lasagna usually “swims” into the tomato sauce. Something like that you won’t find in Italy. They use only a small amount of tomato sauce when preparing this food.

10. Fiorentina Steak

Source: Ortensia Blu

Some people like to call it Fiorentine T-Bone Steak. If you hear this name, do not get confused. It refers to the same food. Anyway, we strongly recommend you try it because it covers all the characteristics of Italian tradition. Everything around it is specific. There is a specific cut of meat that comes from the specific cow. Despite that, the way how people create it is specific as well.

Okay, let’s now describe everything we just said. First of all, the mean comes from the Chianina cow that is only raised in Tuscany. When preparing it, you will need to cook it around 5 minutes on each side. In some cases, the cooking may last 7 minutes, but that depends a lot on the thickness. The steak will be cooked from the outside, however, it will remain rare from the inside.

Yet, there are certain variations of Fiorentina steak that you might want to try out. Logically, the first is associated with meat. In some cases, it might happen that Italians do not use Chianina cow meat. Many citizens here will be fine if they have to use some other meat. Yet, they still claim that Chianina cow meat has the best possible taste.

Basic Guide to Learn About GDPR

Source: csoonline

The GDPR is a short form for the General Data Protection Regulation. It is also referred to as the Data Protection Act. On 25 May 2018, this European Regulation replaced the Personal Data Act. The law is all about transparency, integrity, openness, order, and order. According to the law, the company has to be highly transparent with the type of personal data it stores and what business does with the information.

You should also notify the data subjects about the method of data processing, enable transparency in data processing, and routine to erase the information. The objective of the new European regulation is to reinforce the safety of personal information of companies throughout the EU. In this article, we will learn more about this regulation in detail.

Benefits of GDPR

Source: vpngeeks

GDPR offers several benefits to a business:

Greater accountability

The business has higher accountability for the personal data of the customer that it holds. It uses that inforamtion to understand, analyze, and get business insights.

Bluescreen.se is one of the leading providers of web development, IT solutions, and web agency services round the clock. The company offers various types of tools to help its clients grow. Some of them being case management quote tools, project management, time management tools, and more.

User consent

GDPR aims at obtaining user approval for which businesses have to come up with modifications in contracts and applications.

Breach Reporting

It is important to report data breaches to the European authorities in 72 hours of detection.

Privacy by design

GDPR focuses on the implementation of security controls that are an aspect of the compliance requirements.

Why is it important to implement GDPR?

Source: csoonline

GDPR is implemented to redesign the business mindset in relation to data safety and confidentiality. As per the rule enforced on May 25, 2018, businesses won’t be able to use the customer data in the way they were using it till now.

It becomes important to upgrade the data management and security practices while they use as well as process customer’s data.

This makes it very essential for businesses to implement GDPR solutions. Even businesses that are present outside the EU have to cover business that stores, processes and use the personal data of European citizens, irrespective of its location.

What can a GDPR consultant do for your business?

Source: itgovernance

GDPR consultants have the right skill set, experience, and expert to support the business of the client to make a smooth transition to GDPR.

They offer comprehensive solutions to make the businesses complain and protect the personal data of the customers in the future. They assist businesses in the management of compliance throughout a multi-cloud and complex infrastructure that is a part of the transition.

GDPR consultants offer several flexible packages to align with the requirements of the business. These packages consist of GDPR compliance solutions that include:

  • GDPR readiness reviews
  • Contract reviews
  • Notification reviews
  • Certified training
  • Awareness briefings
  • Policy reviews
  • Privacy impact evaluations
  • Privacy architect guidance and reviews
  • Personal data architect

Features of GDPR

Source: safesmart

GDPR offers various types of features. Some of them being:

Paging

The Paging function can be found in “Settings > GDPR>Searching for data”. With this function, you can search for different types of personal data and figure out where is this data located. This includes cases, projects, and work orders. Some of the examples where a task can occur are:

WorkCloud: Customer conversations, conversation partner, agreement, quotation management, case management, work order, events, versioning.

Time: schedule, timesheets, and outlay

GDPR: incident report, contact, and inventory

Settings: own groups, competence, and user   

Anonymization

This function in WorkCloud serves as an automatic thinning routine. There are certain sections of personal data that you can anonymize on the website.

Secure data

The Secure data function can be found in “Portal Menu> Secure Information “. Each form provides separate settings for which groups and users are to access the encrypted, and unencrypted data respectively. There is another setting that tells whether the data should be eliminated automatically after a specified time.

Only those users who are authorized or have access rights can read the data. To be able to read the data, the user has to first encrypt them and then decrypt them. This is done by entering the password. Two-factor authentication can be enabled for the decryption.

Two-factor authentication

Source: smartrecruiters

The two-factor authentication function can be found in “Settings> Two-factor authentication”. To use this feature, you have to enable the “SMS sending” feature that you will require for the authentication process.

You can enable two-factor authenticator for different parts of the website such as:

  • User – Login from a new device,
  • User -password reset,
  • customer portal- login from the new device,
  • customer portal- password reset
  • Extra costs, it applies only to SMS authentication
  • Payment plans apply only to SMS authentication
  • Quotation handling is only applicable to SMS authentication
  • GDPR inventory is only applicable to SMS authentication

Basic Requirements of a GDPR system

Source: cshub

Before you implement GDPR, you need to learn about the fundamental principles of confidentiality protection. These principles are:

  • not to gather more information than what is required
  • don’t hold the information for a long time than needed
  • not to use the information for any other work than what it is collected for

Treatment

Handling of personal data should happen in a legal, right, and transparent way with respect to the data subject.

Security

Security is another main aspect of the GDPR system, ensuring suitable security for personalized data. It should offer protection against unlawful or illegal treatment and against destruction loss, and damage by accident. Proper organizational and technical measures should be implemented.

Some of the measures that need to be implemented for personal data are Collection, organization, production, registration, storage, structuring, modification, processing, locking, use, deletion, destruction, disclosure by transfer, and more.

Conclusion

GDPR functions help you customize WorkCloud to automatically manage GDPR to the needs and requirements of the organization. You get a complete overview of the exact location of the storage of personal data in the entire system. To implement GDPR functions properly in the business, you need to hire expert GDPR consultants.

3 B2B Pricing Strategy Mistakes to Avoid During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Source: mgm

If you were to ask the world’s greatest scientists and experts about the possibility of a virus outbreak in 2024, most of them would probably just laugh at you. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic took us all by surprise. We had no idea that it will spread so easily around the globe, we did not expect that it would be so dangerous, and no one knew what kind of impact it would have on the world’s economy. There was an especially hard impact on business-to-business (B2B) transactions and services.

During the beginning of the outbreak, many companies were faced with all kinds of challenges. Many companies also had to endure a lot of changes that might potentially bring them to bankruptcy. But, this was needed to ensure the safety of the people. Even the most experienced business managers, CEOs, or other people with high-ranking in businesses made some of the worst B2B pricing strategy mistakes.

There was simply no way of avoiding these mistakes because we have not endured this kind of a virus outbreak in the last 100 years or more. It makes sense that even the biggest corporations were not able to deal with this kind of situation.
However, since we have some idea of what happened in these last five or six months, we now have the knowledge to help other businesses to avoid making the same pricing strategy mistakes that other businesses already made.

1. A slow transition to online presence

Source: techntechie

One of the biggest pricing strategies mistakes many B2B models made is the fact that they do not manage to transition to an online market quickly enough. In the first few months, when we still had no idea what coronavirus actually was, how it spread and what it could do, there weren’t any massive changes in both day-to-day life or in the business world either.

However, as scientists quickly learn that the coronavirus can easily be spread through even the simplest object such as food products, doors, vehicle seeds, and so on, the governments had to completely shut down everything. People were not allowed to leave their homes during a certain time throughout the day, which meant that obtaining essentials was impossible.

Fortunately for the people, many companies started to acclimate to this new way of life. Online shops, fast deliveries, delivery people equipped with masks, gloves, and disinfectants, and many other additions that made people feel safer. But, this is where most B2B pricing strategy mistakes were made. Because of the increased costs of extra personnel and for delivery, the pricing went up as well and ultimately lead to unsatisfied customers.

2. Dropped prices too low

Source: siriusdecisions

Another major mistake B2B businesses made these last couple of months is dropping the pricing for some products to low. And, it is understandable why so many companies did that. Like I already said, no one had any idea what would happen in the next couple of months. For all we knew, there would be a major economic global crisis that would take decades to come back from.

So, lowering prices to motivate customers to start purchasing the product again was the most obvious solution to this kind of a situation. However, this is what almost every company did in every industry. This decision did not lead to an increase in demand. The reason that this is such a bad decision is that it will create a problem with competitors. Lowering the prices by a lot will push competitors to do the same thing. Entering a price war in times like this is never a good idea.

My second point about why this is such a bad move is because sooner or later, the coronavirus outbreak will just be something of the past. Things will get back to normal, people will start working, will have money and they will go shopping. Unfortunately, the products that have been brought to such a low price will probably stay at that point. The pricing expectation for this product is now permanently lowered and companies will have to put in a lot of effort and money to bring that expectation up.

So, if there is another quarantine period in the next several months, to avoid this kind of mistake, I think it is safe to say that patience will be your best advantage against your competitors. Because when people start to run out on these products, they will come back to you in the future for even more sales where you will be able to bump up your pricing.
Keep in mind, you may have a lot of trouble finding the optimal pricing during the coronavirus outbreak. Thankfully, there are some price optimization softwares you could use, such as the one from intelligencenode.com that can give you a hint on what your next step should be.

3. Understand that people are scared

Source: seebiz

Most of the time, through efficient advertising, you can influence or alter people’s opinions about certain brands or products. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, things are a little bit more different. Now is not the time to force your opinions on your customers, it is time to understand how your customer’s values have changed.

If you truly want to retain your clients even after the outbreak, there are some things that you will have to change that you probably won’t like. It is essential to show your customers that you are willing to do everything to retain them and help them.

How you’re going to do this, I cannot tell you. Whether you are going to work with the pricing, alter the product, or change your ways of delivery, that is entirely up to you. You might not even do any kind of drastic change in your B2B pricing strategy, but it is important to show people that you understand their problems and that you are willing to make the necessary sacrifice. Although you still have to keep your business in mind and how you can profit with this kind of marketing.

The next couple of months will be unpredictable, but it is essential not to panic during these times. A good leader will stay calm in the most stressful situations and will lead the business to success.

7 Essential Amazon Selling Tips for New Sellers

Source: unsplash.com

People around the world realized that the “9-5” job takes their precious time. Because of that, they are desperate to find certain alternatives for making money. Fortunately for today’s generations, we live in the world of Internet technology. Earning money from the comfort of our room is the best possible opportunity we got.

Amazon is a great selling platform that can potentially bring you profit. However, this doesn’t mean it is magical. There are certain steps you need to go through to become a successful seller. Its popularity made Amazon selling a competitive industry field. Being a step ahead of your direct competitors is tough and this especially counts when we talk about beginners. The entire system may seem confusing to them.

Fortunately, you came to the right place to improve your knowledge. In this article, we will share essential Amazon selling tips for new sellers.

1. Use Online Tools for Help!

Source:BigCityBazaar

Amazon FBA is not the only option that can make things easier. You may have heard about Amazon sales eliminators. It is a freemium tool that helps sellers estimate the number of monthly sales in a specific category. The entire process is based on the product’s sales rank (BSR). In this way, you can easily track certain categories and niches and see which one can potentially bring you profit. We recommend you visit ioscout.io and get familiar more familiar with the program.

2. You Need to Optimize Product Details for Search

We are not going to talk about statistics in this part. When you go to Amazon’s website, you will see that there are millions of products. An average visitor needs to do detailed research to find the perfect one for his needs. Indeed, the website itself makes the entire process easier for people. There are certain product attributes that will allow them to continually drill down the search.

Let’s imagine that a person is looking for Men T-Shirts. This item is extremely popular among suppliers. Because of that, you need to ensure that your products show up at the top of the search. Achieving that without optimization of product details is not possible.

The product details include every single element of the product. Before everything, you will need to optimize product title and description. However, you also need to share features like size, color, etc. Do not hesitate to invest days to accomplish this part of the job. We understand that managing all information will be overwhelming in some moment. You can use certain programs that will make the entire process easier.

3. Be Objective with the Price

Source: wikiHow

People that visit Amazon actively try to find the lowest prices. Because of that, the price of your products needs to be competitive. This requires additional research of your direct competitors. Be sure that someone will offer the same products with identical features as you. If the price of your competitor is lower, be sure that a potential buyer will gladly collaborate with him.

Still, this doesn’t mean that you should underestimate the value of your products. By lowering the product price too much, you won’t get the chance to make a profit. Every new seller needs to remain objective in this case.

4. Use a Professional Camera

Source: WordStream

It doesn’t truly matter which type of product you plan to work with. The images you publish on Amazon need to feature quality. As you know, customers can’t see your products in-person. Because of that, they require the get the best possible image of the product they want to purchase. This especially counts if you are working with fashion products.

A mobile camera might finish the job if your mobile truly is good. Without any intention to advertise, advanced iPhone models might be a good option. However, the professional camera surely is the best possible option you have.

Your job does not stop when you take a phone. You should also use different photo editing programs to boost its quality. For instance, you will need to adjust colors and contrasts, fix the background, etc.

5. Improve Your Marketing Skills

Selling and marketing are two connected categories. Logically, the quality of your product is the most important for the customer. However, you need to find the best possible way to represent that quality. Despite the optimization of product details, you should also use social media networks. More precisely, there are two different ways of how you can advertise there.

Some people decide on running a paid ad campaign. In this way, you can reach your target audience more easily. Logically, you will have to analyze who your target audience is before deciding on this move. The second option is to start collaborating with influencers. You need to find individuals or groups of people that are operating in the same niche as you. For example, if you are selling clothes, you need to find influencers that work in the fashion industry. They already interact with your target audience which is an opportunity you have to use.

6. Analyze the Rules of Amazon

Amazon is a selling platform with a good reputation and credibility. Each year, millions of third-party sellers manage to make money there. The entire system is complex which means that certain rules exist. They help all sides to remain safe. Because of that, you should carefully analyze and follow all of Amazon’s rules.

Some people believe they can “take advantage of Amazon”. Because of that, it often happens that their account becomes penalized. In the worst case, you could be permanently suspended. Always keep up to date with policies and try to avoid mistakes as much as possible.

7. Make Customer Service Perfect

The influence of customer service on the client’s satisfaction is perfect. More precisely, the interaction with all your customers needs to be on a high level. This especially counts when we talk about first-time buyers. They will always have certain questions about the product they want to purchase.

Answering all their concerns needs to be in a professional manner. This means that you are willing to answer all their questions and provide solutions promptly. We don’t want to say this is an easy task. Many companies decide on using Amazon FBA services. In this way, they won’t be responsible for customer service and product returns at all. It is something that Amazon needs to deal with.

How to Build a Brand for Your Business?

Source: pinterest

A truly excellent brand is one of the most powerful ways a business can differentiate itself from the competition in terms of business, products or services. Not only will a strong brand grab the attention of consumers, but it will also allow your business to charge more than your competitors, build consumer loyalty, increase revenues and improve the competitiveness of products in the marketplace. Simply put, a brand is the promise of a particular experience created by the sum of several elements, including the logo, slogan, brand personality, promise, message and visual elements. For example, if you own a boutique you will need a good boutique name. Check out Technasite for some good examples of good boutique name ideas.

Here’s what you need to know when building a brand for your business.

A brand should reflect your core values

Source: Fabrik Brands

Everything you do or everyone who works with you reflects the brand. If you solve problems easily, save money, listen to your customers, and so on, it will all translate in their minds as what your business entails. First of all, you need to learn what competitors do differently to ensure consistency in all means of communication with the outside world. This includes speech, text, the look and feel of websites, fact sheets, logos, and how to make them look and feel different. It’s a problem and it can be complicated, but it doesn’t cost much and it’s basically how you create your brand.

If you want your business to mean/represent something, but instead, you receive conflicting feedback from the outside world, you get what is called “brand dissonance”. In short, listen and change what needs to be changed! Here it is specific, so make sure that everything you are working on is compatible and looks the way you want it to. Your brand, in essence, represents both who you are as individuals and who you are as a business. But whatever you think of branding, it is essentially a measure of your success; do it well, and with it your value will increase.

The desired feeling you wish to communicate

Source: techproviderzone

What kind of feeling does your product or service give the consumer? What does it satisfy in desire or need? It may be a desire for independence, protection, confidence or fulfillment or something completely different. It is important to understand the public – their age, gender, ethnicity, occupation, education and place of residence. Also, what encourages them to buy? And what do they think? Once the objective has been set, identify it as concisely as possible, as it will form the basis of your branding efforts. Then try to identify exactly what touches the hearts and minds of your customers and make sure it is something stimulating, specific and credible.

From there, you can define your own values oh how to bring your customers to the “place” you take in their minds. It is not your personal beliefs, it is your organization’s beliefs that underpin the mission you have described. You will represent the business’s vision, philosophy and priorities and explain what you stand for and why you do business the way you do. The more you work in this area, the less you will have to spend on your long-term branding and graphic design, because you can address the professionals you have chosen for your branding or graphic design by simply describing your intent and core values to them.

Create a brand message that is clear, compelling and consistent

Source: LinkedIn

Imagine if you didn’t know anything about your business. Now, ask yourself what is the main message you want to hear from customers. Can you get an idea of the value you represent to you as a customer? If not, why not? Take another look at your idea and narrow it down to what sets you apart. Was it about the price?  Was it innovation? Or something else. Use the “so what?” Test to determine if the USP (unique selling point) is convincing or not. If you decide what to say about the advantage you offer, then repeat the “so what?” test until you get a very convincing USP.

Once you understand this, be consistent in your communication and practice. You don’t have to be the best, just the most consistent. No one can say, for example, that Mr. Whippy’s is the best ice cream in the world. But we know what he is, what he looks like and what he tastes like, and we can see at a glance which ice cream vans store him – and as far as we can remember, he has always been the same. Therefore, it’s these factors that sometimes make us crave ice cream, even if it’s not necessarily our favorite ice cream in the world! Consistency builds trust and loyalty that are invaluable to your brand.

Choose a Brand name

Source: AvidTrak Blog

The name comes first – it can be descriptive, or you can choose a name that initially means nothing, but can become more meaningful as your business grows (good examples are Starbucks, McDonald’s and Domino’s). There is a lot of value that can be incorporated into a good brand, and this should not be underestimated. When choosing your name, it’s a good idea to think about what is a useful tool to communicate to customers the advantage of using your business over your competitors’. That’s why it’s so important to be memorable and make a good first impression. A good name combined with a good brand is the perfect recipe for success.

One strategy that can help inspire reliability is to link your business’s name to the region in which you work. Consumers associate these businesses with strong local roots and a friendly approach. Humor or playfulness will help the business stand out, although, the overall goal is to ensure that what you choose is punchy, original and immediately informs the consumer of what the business is doing. You should also keep in mind that, if necessary, your business name will decide which web domain you can register and your trademark.

Should you build a brand for your business?

Source: business

Definitely. Whether your business is large or small, formulating and implementing a marketing strategy to justify a strong brand identity will pay off in terms of customer confidence, improving the business’s image and increasing revenues. Create your own brand and have fun. It is a creative process, after all, and while every experience may not work, you can always learn to improve.

10 Rules When Designing a Sports Betting Website

Source: uxplanet

Sports betting has become popular and is one of the most profitable ways of gambling. The World Market assumes that sports betting will grow by 9% annually in the coming years. Undoubtedly, the digitization of betting with the onset of online casinos, gambling, and sports betting sites have contributed immensely to it.

If you are looking forward to designing a sports betting website, go for it now! This article will guide you through rules and processes and list all the necessary features to help you create your website correctly.

Features to be included

Source: rohannsmit

You must design your site in a way that it consists of the following features:

1. Login

The site should provide the players with the opportunity to register. This registration must be authorized in ways such as password and login, password and e-mail, and secure connections with the players’ social media platforms (linking it to Facebook, and so on).

2. Choice of Bet and Bet Type

Your site must facilitate the users with a choice of teams, events, and player(s) to bet on. These should vary from one sport to another. The choice of bet types should depend on the particular sport and the requests of the players.

3. Broadcasting matches and games

The players must be able to watch the match in real-time either on your site or via the website of the application. This will enhance the user experience and will secure more business models for your site to earn from.

Source: grondigital

4. Assisting Systems

Your site must feature a simple guide on how to bet and how to withdraw and deposit money. It must come with an illustrative example. Your website must have a tooltip system which will further assist the user if they are working with the interface for the first time.

5. Information about the player(s) and team

Users should be able to access information about individual players and teams. The information should be brief and concise and should be limited to the strengths, weaknesses, results, and achievements of each team and player.

Source: invisioncommunity

6. Events Calendar

A calendar that has the schedule of all the upcoming events and matches must be displayed. The schedule needs to be contextual, that is, if the player has chosen football bets, the schedule for football matches should appear next.

7. Communication Platform

The site must facilitate the players with the opportunity to communicate with each other to discuss events, bets, predictions and so on. This can be done through messaging platforms, groups and forums in social networking sites.

8. Bid Results and Match Summary

Users should be able to view their amount of wins and losses as well as the types of bets and the history of lotteries. Match statistics for the individual players as well as the teams should be displayed too.

Source: inquirer

9. Payment System

Users should be able to deposit and withdraw money at one or two clicks, making it convenient and easy to use. Payment gateways should be integrated with mobile applications and sites.

10. Multi-language Support

If your site supports a wide range of languages, there will be more traffic.

If you have a sports club or you have recently opened up one, you should focus on building up a sports website for your club. Else, how will the world get to know about your club? Your website will keep your fans informed and can attract a lot of followers. Besides this, many young and talented players will be able to approach your club. And for the reference, check out SBOBET as one of the leading websites in sports betting industry.

Designing a sports website requires experience and time. However, this article will help you with a lot of tricks that will make the process easier.

Important and Must-have Design Elements

Source: Table 31

1. Logos

You know how essential jerseys are. Why don’t you provide a jersey to your website too? Hence, always include your logo on your website. That way, more fans will be able to connect to it. Try to use colours that go hand-in-hand with your logo. This will make the audience feel at home, if not think at the playground.

2. Fonts and Whitespaces

Since sports websites are informative, they should be represented in a way which helps the audience to read and digest the information. Fonts and white spaces should be made use of carefully to achieve this.

Whitespaces are often referred to as ‘negative’ space that makes the paragraphs easy to read and distinguish. They act as breathing spaces that relax the eyes and mind.

Simple and large fonts work the best for a sports website. The users do not have to zoom in to read out the content if they have to, well, change your font!

Source: WITS ZEN

3. Photographs instead of animated images

Professional photographs and real-life images attract more traffic than animated pictures. Fans should be able to see real-life photos of the players they are supporting. If necessary, you must hire a professional photographer to photograph those players.

4. Events Calendar

All the information regarding upcoming matches should be displayed. If your followers and customers are not informed about the competitions and game days, they are doubtful to turn on. Once they realise that they have been missing several matches because you failed to inform them, they will never come back to your website.

5. Social Media Profiles of the team and each player along with contact information

Real fans always try to keep in touch with the team and the players. You must also provide adequate contact information so that both the fans and sponsorship partners can contact your team.

You can include a contact section, in the form of live chat texts that pop up on your homepage or you can invite the audience to fill up a contact form. Social media profiles like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and so on make it possible to reach a vast majority of people. It is also easier to communicate through social media networks.

Profiles of players should be displayed too so that fans get all the information about their favourite players and can also follow them on social media.

Source: zidapps

Conclusion

Besides these, the admin too should be able to log in, manage data of the users, must input data from bookmakers and manage winnings and payments. With all of these features, your sports betting site will garner a lot of users. Design the website such that it is mobile-friendly since most of the traffic comes from mobile devices. Keep your website informative and straightforward.

Special Tips to Consider Before Purchasing Ink or Toner Cartridges Online

Source: inspirationfeed

The holiday season is just around the corner! And nowadays, most people prefer creating and printing their Christmas cards so that they can get a more personal touch. However, imagine working on your beautiful cards, but realizing that the ink or toner cartridge is low and needs replacement. It can be disappointing and even risk wrecking your holiday.

If you are a last-minute shopper for a holiday, this could be more disappointing. Apart from hops from one shop to another in malls and shops, you are also likely to get stuck in traffic and incur additional expenses on gas. However, you do not have to go through this route because there is a way out – shopping online.

Online shopping makes it easy for you to shop whatever you want from the comfort of your house. All that you need to do online shopping is your computer and the internet. The lovely thing about it is that we have many online stores that stock all your printer supply requirements. In addition to the convenience of buying from the comfort of your couch, you will also enjoy a larger variety.

To be able to buy the best ink or toner cartridges online, it is important to know a few things. Notably, online shopping can be risky because of the danger of paying high prices but getting a poor quality. To address this challenge, we have assembled a number of tips in collaboration with allcopyproducts.com to help you purchase the best ink or toner cartridge online. These tips are also applicable when buying other products online.

Verify the Company Information

Source: pcworld

You can only be sure of getting high-quality ink or toner cartridges by purchasing from the right seller. Technically, it would help if you went for a company that has been in the business of selling ink and toner cartridges for a number of years. Furthermore, the company should have ample experience, about two years, in online selling to guarantee smooth transactions. Other information that you should verify about the seller include:

  • A good company should provide its website address alongside other contact details.
  • In addition to P.O Box address, check for street address. Indeed, the latter is better.
  • The company should also, preferably, have a customer service hotline that clients can use 24/7. A toll-free number would also be a great addition.
  • The seller or printer manufacturer should also give a genuine email address that clients can use for enquiries.

The Selected Seller Should Have a Site with Good Information

Source: inspirationfeed

Professionals suggest, when selecting an online store to buy ink and toner cartridge from, you should go for the one with a user-friendly website. The information presented on the website should be easy to understand for the clients, and they should also be able to navigate easily. Good online sellers will provide useful details about their companies, as well as a glossary about the ink or toner cartridge on sale.

Another useful section to check on their site is the frequently asked questions (FAQ), which provide answers to common questions that customers make. Move a step further and check the company’s refund policy, which explains when and how a customer can ask for a refund. For example, some companies might allow you to ask for a refund if unsatisfied with the product or if a broken item is delivered.

Easy-to-use Product Selection

Source: printerinks

When most people set off looking for printing ink or toner cartridges, the chances are that they are in a hurry. Therefore, the best store’s website should have an easy-to-use product selection interface that makes identifying the right product easy and fast. You should be able to navigate through the site easily, identify the right product, and complete the process in only a few minutes.

Updated Prices

Source: printerland

One of the main reasons why you preferred to use online shopping is to slash some costs that are associated with buying in a physical store. Therefore, a good online seller should clearly indicate the price of the ink or printer cartridges for you to make the right decision promptly. Furthermore, the seller should indicate if the price is up-to-date and tell you if it is inclusive of shipping and other related costs. In general, you should expect to pay less in an online site compared to using a conventional store downtown.

Money-back guarantee

Source: lifewire

A good online company selling ink or toner cartridges should offer its clients a binding, and unconditional money-back guarantee. This implies that if you are not satisfied with the product, getting a refund or product exchanged for a new one will be pretty straightforward.

Shipping information

Source: shipbob

As a customer, you should verify the shipping details provided by the store before placing your order. Once you have confirmed the ink or toner cartridge is the one you want, go ahead and check whether the store offers free shipping. If the seller does not offer free shipping, confirm the associated costs, courier, and lead time.

Secure server

Source: digitaltrends

Another crucial component that you need to verify is whether the seller has a secure server. This is crucial in ensuring that your personal information, such as name and contact details, which you might provide during the purchase process remains private. A secure server also makes the payment pretty easy and fast.

Privacy policy

Source: Business Or Pleasure

When you buy from an online store, it is important also to check the company’s privacy policy. The goal is to work with a company that has an elaborate privacy policy that fully protects your personal information. The company should commit only to use the details for the respective transaction and NOT to give the information to third parties, meaning that you will not receive junk mails or spams.

Order tracking

Source: over-blog

Order tracking is another crucial function that allows clients to follow the status of their purchase. In some cases, online stores go a step further by giving their clients tracking codes so that they can track orders via the respective shipping firm.

When you follow these tips, you are sure that the purchase transaction will be smooth. Furthermore, the tips will help you to enjoy the best warranty, and acquire high-quality ink and toner cartridge.

Who is Banksy?

Source: bostonglobe

The infamous street artist who goes under the moniker of Banksy is both well known and completely unknown to the world.  

Rumors regularly swirl on the street art forums about Banksy’s real identity and where he’s from.

I think it’s probably safe to assume that Banksy is from, or at least a resident of, Bristol.  Bristol is a medium-sized city in the southwest of England, where, much of Banksy’s early work has appeared on the city’s streets, nearby Cheddar Gorge and he also hosted his major outdoor exhibition Dismaland just down the road in Weston-Super-Mare.

Now a street artist with a global reputation, Banksy has somehow managed to keep his identity largely secret, although there are plenty of commentators in agreement over a couple of names of who he is likely to be.

Active since the early 1990s, he is said to have been inspired by the graffiti artist 3D (aka Robert del Naja), who also happens to be one of the founding members of the band Massive Attack.  There have been persistent rumors that Robert del Naja is actually Banksy, but there isn’t much evidence to support this theory apart from touring dates which occasionally match up with new works by Banksy.

Source: thesun

Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett is also rumored to be Banksy, but most find this theory even less likely.

Banksy has often been assumed to be a young man named Robin Gunningham who grew up close to Bristol and then in the mid-1990s moved to London.  

The timings of his life in Bristol and London would also correspond quite closely with new activities in both cities.

Drum and Bass star Goldie also referred to Banksy as ‘Rob’ in an interview once which gives further credence to the idea that Gunnigham is behind the mysterious artist.  

School friends of Gunningham have confirmed that he went under the moniker of Robin Banks during his early graffiti activities, and like most school time nicknames, it’s easy to see how Robin Banks could have ended up as Banksy over time.

The first known mural by Banksy was in 1997 and titled the Mild Mild West, featuring a teddy bear throwing a molotov cocktail at police officers.  It’s widely assumed to have been painted over long ago. 

Source: 15facts

Nowadays, Banksy’s works are often seen as instant millionaire status, with property owners quick to board up or install protective perspex coverings over the works in attempts to preserve them.  

Some of those who have been lucky enough to receive a nocturnal visit from the elusive Banksy has had the artwork professionally removed in order to sell it to collectors.  Unfortunately, taggers or ‘rival’ street artists sometimes get to the artwork first in order to destroy it or render it worthless by pouring paint over it or spraying their own tag over the top, which is pretty frustrating for everyone who is interested in it.  I’m pretty sure it doesn’t create any extra exposure for the competing artist, and I definitely wouldn’t be adding myself to their Instagram followers!

On the subject of money, Banky’s net worth is rumoured to around $50 million. Who says ‘crime’ doesn’t pay?!  Though, personally, I wouldn’t class graffiti as crime.

Banksy’s identity was thought to have been revealed during a trip to Melbourne when a young woman walking home via Hosier Lane caught a graffiti artist spray painting a new work. 

As she approached the piece she saw his traditional stencil signature and tried to catch up with. As you can hear in the video, he’s pretty vocal about not wanting to be being caught by her, but I’m not entirely sure that whoever she thinks is Banksy in the video has much of a Bristolian accent or looks around years old. The jury is out on that particular sighting.

Banksy has painted several famous pieces in Melbourne, including the popular Little Diver piece near the police station on Flinders Lane.  Unfortunately, Little Diver was destroyed with a tin of paint in 2008 but did have a good inning, having been painted in 2003.  That’s five years longer than most of Banksy’s pieces last in London!

To preserve his anonymity, he gives very few interviews, although in one with Simon Hattenstone feature in The Guardian in 2003, he is described as being “white, 28, scruffy casual—jeans, T-shirt, a silver tooth, silver chain, and silver earring. He looks like a cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner of the Streets.”

In the 2010 documentary film Exit Through The Gift Shop, Banksy is interviewed, although we glen very little as to his or her identity.  This could also have been some clever misdirection on the behalf of the director, as there has been alot of discussion over the fact that Banksy may actually be a collective of artists rather than an individual.  Perhaps interviewing a skinny white male in his 30s, with shadows over their face making them indistinguishable and a disguised voice gave the viewer what they expected to see rather than revealing anything new or giving any fresh clues as to their true idenity.  Maybe it was just another chance for Banksy to throw us off the scent and keep us guessing?

Source: twitter

Although Banksy’s works have shown up all around the world, including Bethlehem, LA, Utah and Paris and official exhibitions have been held in New York and LA,  it seems that London is probably his primary place of residence from the information we can gather with new pieces usually found in the southern part of the UK. 

With graffiti being largely illegal, it’s understandable why Banksy might want to conceal his real name and remain anonymous, but to those of us who are interested, we’re intrigued to know his or her true identity, yet we don’t really want the truth to be revealed and for the illusion to end.  

Melbourne photographer Simon Woodcock of Man With A Camera Photography is a keen follower of Banky’s work and has followed his activities in order to photograph his street art in London, LA and Melbourne. Check out his work!

5 Life-Saving Steps Smart People Take Before Drinking Alcohol at Celebrations

0
Celebrations and parties can be fun and exciting for many people. They usually include laughter, joy, and the clinking of glasses. Whether it's a...