Category: Contributed Posts

Your Most Valuable Resource: People & How To Take Care Of Them

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money. Whether you’re running a business or another class of organization, taking care of your employees is critical. Creating an environment where they feel as though their best interests are being considered will assure their loyalty to management. The following contribute post is therefore entitled, Your Most Valuable Resource: People & How To Take Care Of Them.

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The idea that you can have a successful company with happy customers and not treat your employees well is ridiculous. In fact, the whole systems works on a trickle-down effect, with happy employees supplying the best productivity and service, and so pleasing customers. Something that then leads to better profits. Happily, even if you haven’t thought of your business in these terms before you can significantly improve how you treat your employees with the advice elbow. Read on to find out more.

Leadership

Great leadership can make all the difference in how your employees feel about their work. Such leadership may not always be what you think it is either. In fact, it’s not about striding around the place barking orders or even having the ability to do all the tasks from top to bottom yourself. Instead, it’s about having a strong vision for your company both inside and out.

What this means so that you need to have an accurate idea of how you want your company to run internally and balance this with the successes and profit you make. You need to draw a line in the sand and decide that you will treat your employee with respect no matter what their role, and insist that they treat each other this way as well.

In fact, bullying, intimidation, and unpleasantness is often something that can degrade an employee’s work experience and job satisfaction. To that end, you need to have up to date policies that deal fairly with any instances of this as well. If you want our employees to feel happy and safe at work that is.

Safety

Of course, your employee’s safety is also crucial in terms of the task you are asking them to do. In fact, businesses have a responsibility to those that work for them. What that means is it’s crucial to be aware of any laws and guidelines concerning the type of tasks you need them to do.

In fact, even in an office environment, there is plenty to be aware of such as desk height and ergonomics as well as manual handling training. Where employees are shows how to move boxes correctly, so they don’t end up injuring themselves.

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However, in more specific environments there are even more safety issues to be aware of. For example, when working with machinery the risk of employee harm is much higher, but it can be reduced by using items like cable housing and protective carriers. Something that you can visit Dynatect Manufacturing for more information on. A place where you can also find help with others ways that you can improve your machine process to increase its safe use and productivity.

The same is true when your workers are using construction equipment and heavy machinery too because these things have a partially high risk of causing harm or damage if they are not operated properly.

To that end, proper induction training courses for each piece of specialized equipment are needed, as well as regular refreshers at appropriate intervals as well. Clear signage to remind those that are working around such machines of the danger they pose, as well as the safety gear they need to wear are also vital aspects of looking after your employee’s safety in such environments.

Physical Wellbeing

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Another way that you can show your employees that you care about their well being is by encouraging them to be as healthy and fit at work as possible. In fact, this is something of a new idea that is taking off, with many business offering exercise classes within work time. Some companies are even choosing to offer meditation or power nap breaks that allow people to rest and recuperate, as well, something that is also good for reducing stress levels.

Another way that many businesses can show concern for the physical well being of their employees is to install office furniture that encourages movement while working. This may include a standing desk, treadmills, and even balance ball chairs which are known to be excellent for posture and core strength.

Of course, all of these items do cost money, but what most smart employers realize is that if their workforce is physically more healthy, they are likely to be more productive as well. In fact, integrating such programs in a work environment can significantly reduce sick days and so boost company productivity, and save on cover over the long term as well.

Salary and Wages

People don’t tend to work for free, not unless they are lottery winners or secret millionaires that is, and that is why to show your care about your employees you need to offer them a decent salary and benefits package.

What that means is that the salary you pay needs to be comparable, if not better to your closest competitors in the market. Although, if you can’t match them in terms of cold hard cash, you may wish to consider introducing an excellent employee benefits scheme that includes discounted or free gym membership and other perks. Something that you will be able to purchase as a compare documented price and so will work economically for your business as well as for boosting morale.

Social

Lastly, if you want your employees to enjoy work and feel valued and so stay with you for as long as possible, creating a community atmosphere in the workplace is essential.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you ignore sensible guidelines about appropriate behavior at work, but instead it’s about introducing opportunities for workmates to spend quality time together outside of the office.

Some firms do this with regular social evenings, while others prefer team building activities like adventure weekends away. The idea being that not only does this strengthen bonds between individual employees and help them to communicate and get on better at work, but also allows people to feel more integrated and valued as well.

Something that can contribute to a feeling of belonging, and so help to boost your employees’ overall job satisfaction. It can even reduce your worker attrition rate, and so work out better for your budget as well.

After all, if people are your most essential resource, it’s crucial that you look after them in the best way that you can.

Your Money Mindset And How To Improve It

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. A prominent financial talk show host and writer once said that money is 20% head knowledge and then 80% behavior. This suggests that it’s actually pretty easy to win with money as long as you continue to repeat the right steps. How can you improve your money mindset? The following contributed post is entitled, Your Money Mindset And How To Improve It.

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Do you know what a money mindset is – better yet, do you know what shape yours is in? Being aware of your own money mindset is absolutely key if you want to get your finances in order. With a strong money mindset you’ll be able to earn more money, manage your money better, and feel more comfortable and free around money. It is honestly the best thing you can do to improve. Too many people look outside of themselves for solutions rather than looking inwards to fix what is going on. If you aren’t good with money, what makes you think you’ll be better when you’re earning a lot more? The troubles will remain!

Below, we’ll go into more detail on your money mindset and how you can improve it. Enjoy!

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Identify Your Limiting Beliefs
The first step to changing your money mindset is identifying your limiting beliefs. We all have limiting beliefs to some degree, some more than others. These beliefs are usually the beliefs that we picked up off our parents and the people around us when we were young. By identifying what your beliefs are, you can eradicate them and write a new story. It takes time. You must be mindful of your thoughts, and you can think about using techniques like tapping to help you overcome the beliefs that are holding you back.

Spend More Time With People Who Are Good With Money
If you’re always spending time with people who squander their money, don’t appreciate it, and talk about it in a negative way, you will do the same. We become like the people we spend the most time with. If you spend time with people you’d like to be like, you’ll be investing and learning all about accounting for cryptocurrency before you know it. You can try to spend more time with people who are good with money by finding mentors, asking for advice from people you admire, and even following them on their social channels. You don’t have to cut out people who are bad with money, but you must make sure you’re not soaking up their limiting beliefs and getting involved in their narrative.

Read More Books On Money
There are so many books on money that can help, including ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ and ‘Think and Grow Rich’. Look them up and gain a new perspective!

Know What Your Spending Triggers Are
Certain things may trigger you to spend, for example, feeling sad, or feeling bored. You’ll need to make sure you stay extra mindful during these times so that you don’t cave in and spend money on things you don’t need.

Practice Gratitude Every Day
Practice the feeling of abundance by being grateful for all you have every day. Be grateful for every dollar, every cent. Be grateful you are able to pay bills. Be grateful for everything!

Open Your Mind To The Myriad Of Possibilities
There are a ton of possibilities for you, but you must be open to them. Changing your story will allow you to imagine new possibilities for yourself. Amazing things can happen, you just have to believe it!

How To Decide Whether To Buy Or Rent

A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. Everyone needs a place to live and an important consideration if you’re worthy of a mortgage is whether or not to buy or to rent. There are considerations for both, and sometimes people buy before they’re ready. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How To Decide Whether To Buy Or Rent.

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Moving home can be an exciting, yet equally stressful time, and of course it always depends on your reasons for moving in the first place, but aside from looking for a new place, getting rid of the current place and then actually having to pack up your stuff and move, there’s also the question of whether to rent or buy.

Of course, there’s no right or wrong – only what works for you, but it’s important to take into consideration your own needs and circumstances when deciding on which option is right for you.

So, in this post we’re going to share with you some of the reasons to consider renting or buying with a list of points for each so that you can decide which one is better for your needs right now.

Renting:

Less paperwork:

One of the most appealing things for most people who rent is that there’s certainly a lot less paperwork to deal with compared to buying. When you rent a place, you typically sign a lease, but this is nothing more than a standard document containing a few pages – unlike with buying where you have multipe things to sign and forms to fill out before you can even pay your deposit.

It gives you more freedom:

Although even if you buy a house you can still move anytime you want to, it definitely takes a little more in the way of planning when you own your place compared to when renting where you can simply give the required notice and hand back a set of keys.

You’re not responsible for repairs:

When you rent your place, the landlord is responsible for making sure everything is in working order and any repairs needing done to the property have to be carried out at their expense as long as you didn’t cause the problems or need for repairs yourself.

Buying:

You own the property:

Of course, buying has plenty of upsides just like renting, and one of those is that once you’ve paid your mortgage off you own your property outright, which definitely appeals to those who want to use property as an investment or who don’t want to be paying someone else’s mortgage each month. If you’re considering buying a place, then you’ll obviously need a mortgage and can have a look online for things like an itin mortgage lender to see what type of mortgage you could get and what would be suitable for you.

You can decorate as you wish:

Another great thing about owning your place is that you don’t have to ask permission from a landlord if you want to carry out any renovations or decorations, so you can make the place your own style as much as you like. It also means that any work you do in the place is something that you’ll get the full benefit of and won’t be leaving for someone else to enjoy at your expense.

It can be cheaper than renting:

Although there are always exceptions, buying is typically cheaper than paying rent each month.

3 Important Changes You Need To Make To Your Online Delivery Process

Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. In today’s digital age, many individuals are moving their products using an online store. If you have an online store, it’s important to be able to deliver your products as efficiently as possible. The following contributed post is thus entitled, 3 Important Changes You Need To Make To Your Online Delivery Process.

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A good shipping process is vital for online retailers. Customers have high expectations and they want their products to arrive as quickly as possible. Even if they love your products and the prices are great, they’re not going to come back to you if you make them wait a week for delivery. You’re not going to be able to match the next day or even same day delivery that the big companies are offering because you simply don’t have the resources to do it, but you do need to make sure that you’re getting products out as quickly as possible. You also need to make sure that you’re doing it in a cost-effective way and products aren’t getting broken in transit. It sounds tough, but if you follow these basic tips you can handle your shipping efficiently.

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Consult Professionals

Supply chains are a difficult thing to manage and there are a lot of different steps to consider along the way. You need to get the products from the manufacturer delivered to your warehouse, then you need to pack them all and plan routes for your delivery vehicles. If this is your first business and you’ve never dealt with a supply chain before, you probably haven’t got a clue where to start. That’s why it’s a good idea to consult professional companies like the Moresby Group and get their advice. They’ll have a lot more experience than you and they’ll be able to help you set up and manage an efficient supply chain so you don’t make any costly mistakes.

Route Planning Software

Giving your driver a list of addresses and sending them on the way isn’t the most efficient way to handle your deliveries. Everything will still get there on time but it’ll take longer than it needs to and you’ll be using more fuel. But if you use route planning software, you can create the most efficient routes possible. That saves your drivers time, saves you money and makes your business more eco-friendly because you’re using less fuel.

Barcode Scanners

Picking items from the warehouse is quite a long part of the shipping process, especially if your employees are doing it all manually. You’re wasting so much time if people are searching the warehouse for products every time they need to load a shipment. That’s why you need to invest a bit of money in some inventory software and barcode scanners. Your employees will be so much quicker if they can scan their picking list and find out exactly where the products that they need are stored.

Consider Outsourcing

If you’re selling products on a large scale, it might be more cost-effective to run your own warehouse and shipping process. However, if you’re a relatively new business and you don’t make that many sales yet, you probably don’t have the capital for that. It’s also not necessary at this stage in your business career. Instead, you should consider outsourcing to a courier company. They’ll already have the infrastructure in place and the necessary experience to handle your deliveries in a timely fashion.

If you don’t have a good shipping service in place, you’re never going to get your online retail business off the ground.

More That a Cog: Show Your Employees That You Care

The first principle of my blog is Creating Ecosystems of Success, and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Whichever kind of organization you’re running, taking care of your employees is key. If you do that, they’ll continue to give maximum effort. The following contributed post is thus entitled, More That a Cog: Show Your Employees That You Care.

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These days, employees want more than a paycheck from their employers; they want to feel like they’re part of something more important, to believe that they’re not just slogging away at a job so that a salary ends up in their bank account each month. Of course, money is a factor – a big factor – but there are others, such as knowing that their boss sees them as more than a cog in their machine. Showing a more caring approach doesn’t just affect your employees, either – it’ll be good for you, too, and the culture of the company. Below, we take a look at a number of ways you can become a more caring boss.

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Beyond Business Chat

You’ve hired your employee to do a job for you, but that doesn’t mean that all of your interactions have to be solely about business. If they are, then you can’t have any complaints if they think you just see them as an expendable employee. Get to know your staff on a deeper level. No, that doesn’t mean you should spend every Friday night bar-hopping; it just means getting to know what makes them tick, what they want to achieve in life, what their dreams are, things like that. Their chief aim in life isn’t to work for you — but maybe you can help them along on their journey to wherever they want to go.

Give Trust

There are some bosses who really shouldn’t have hired any employees at all, since all they want their employees to do is whatever they’re told to do. They’re micromanaged to death, and when that happens, there’s no amount of personal chit-chat that can make up for what is painfully obvious — that the professional side of the employee’s life is of no importance. As such, one of the best ways to foster a deeper relationship is to give the employee the opportunity to do the job they were hired to do, without looking over their shoulder. It’ll be a big step along their professional journey, and you’ll have been responsible.

Sympathy

In the cold-hearted corporate world, you’re told to park your personal problems at the door when you arrive at work. This might work if the human switched to robot mode once they entered the workplace, but it’s not realistic if that’s not an option. If you’ve got a huge personal problem in your life, then there’s not much you can do about the influence it has on your life, nor should you need to. No-one likes a boss who puts the company’s profits above an employee’s personal problems. Show some sympathy, and do what you can to alleviate any problems that they may have, such as giving them extra time off from work.

Look After Their Health

Employees are working longer hours than ever before, and it’s beginning to take its toll. There’s been a sharp rise in work-related health conditions, especially those connected to mental illness and prolonged periods of sitting. This, of course, does nobody any good — not the employee nor the company. So put making sure your employees are fit and healthy at the heart of your employee wellness programs. If someone’s feeling the mental strain from work, give them a few paid days off. You can also initiate a telemedicine system at the office, so your employees can get their health virtually assessed by a professional. These types of workplace initiatives will, primarily, show that you care about your staff’s wellbeing, but also boost morale and reduce sick days, too.

Take Their Side

If you’re in business for long enough, eventually you’re going to have to deal with a rude or hostile client. Or, to put it another way, your staff may have to deal with such a client. Now, in business, it’s generally recommended to make believe that the customer is always right, but to do this, this may sometimes mean throwing your employee under the bus. Once you side with a client who was rude and in the wrong, you’ll have lost the trust, and most likely respect, of your employee. You do not have to take the side of a customer who is rude and insulting towards your staff — side with your employee, and tell the client that their business is no longer welcome.

Employee Perks

You are, of course, paying your employees a salary, which is hopefully relatively generous in the first place. But just think about how much money they’re making for you; it likely greatly exceeds their salary. While your staff will know that this is part of the deal of a job, a few employee perks that go beyond their pay are always appreciated. Even small things, like buying a few drinks at Friday happy hour, will be a good start. Treat them well, and they’ll treat you well — it’s the same in business as it is in life.

Tell The Truth

An employee will always be skeptical of a boss who says nothing but good things. And why wouldn’t they be? There are problems in every aspect of life, including business. If the boss isn’t mentioning anything contrary at all, then what’s the deal? Get into the habit of telling it to your employees straight. This could be about the health of the company, your expectations for their work, or any mistakes the employee has made. It’ll make the praise all the more believable. And talking of which….

Genuine Praise

Let’s never forget that employees are human, and, like all humans, like praise! So if one of your workers does something praise-worthy, then tell them. And don’t just say “good job” and punch them on the shoulder; tell them specifically what they’re being praised for, including what it was about their work that impressed you.

All In It Together

Finally, work hard to avoid any divisions between you and your employees. You do not exist on a higher plane to your “regular” workers, you’re just the leader of the team. Emphasize that you’re all in it together!

Even Beautiful Products Fail

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Some products looking picture perfect on the outside but don’t sell. If you’re selling a product, it’s important to know what things will give it the best chances of being successful. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Even Beautiful Products Fail.

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Products such as Apple devices or even luxury cars tend to be perceived as both elegant and performant.
Their secret lies in the careful balance between their stylish appearance and their practical functions. At the heart of the creation and life of a product, functionality is, of course, a priority. A product that fails to performs will undoubtedly struggle to maintain its presence on the market.
But when the competition becomes harsh on the market, differentiating factors can play a significant role in its success. As a result, countless manufacturers invest time and energy in developing aesthetically pleasing items that can stand out from the crowd.
Yet, the shops are full of beautiful products that nobody wants. So what went wrong during the differentiation strategy?

Is a real Vuitton bag? Is it counterfeit good?

They lack purpose
A product is born from an idea, which provides it its functionality. The entrepreneur has identified a niche in the market and intends to tackle it with a brand new creation. However, at this point, it’s important to consider not only the market competition but also the intended purpose for the item. Think of the ice cream industry, for instance. While there are cones and other containers available, there is no motorized cone that would turn the scoop for you to lick it regularly across the surface. But it doesn’t mean that the product has a profitable niche. Indeed, a motorized ice cream cone is not an innovative solution, but a purposeless gimmick that fulfills no existing need. Ask yourself first what you’re trying to achieve and who would benefit from your creation!

They are sold without your knowledge
Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery in social interactions, but when it comes to selling your products, it’s a crime. Counterfeits and gray goods – a product that is legal but not intended by the manufacturer – are, unfortunately, putting your revenues at risk as they provide potential customers with the same product at a lower cost. That’s precisely why it’s essential to protect your business against these harmful practices. Gray goods are especially dangerous as they carry your brand.

They don’t have enough support
Don’t you hate it when you can’t set up a new system to your needs? That’s the issue that 1 in 3 US adults experience with their smart home devices. Unable to get the system to operate, 22% of frustrated customers decide to return the product and ask for a refund. Why does it happen? Because they can’t receive the support, they need from the customer care service. What happens after you’ve sold the product matters just as much as before the purchase.

Is your product too confusing?

Terrible pricing mistakes
What’s the best pricing policy? Make it too low, and nobody will want to take a chance on your product. Make it too high, and you might miss your demographic target completely. Keep it uniform across the board, and your audience will reproach you the lack of offer diversity. There’s no way around it: if you want people to buy into your creation, you need to set a price that is right for them – and for you too.

Even the most beautiful products fail when they lack strategic planning, from protecting your revenues to ensuring the item is right for your audience. There is no successful product without someone questioning every stage of the creative and commercializing process.

5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Starting a business isn’t easy and it’s important to assess one’s self before starting down that road. The following contributed post is thus entitled, 5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Starting a Business.

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More people than ever before are starting up their own business. They start businesses out of their own house, catering, baking, designing and creating. They begin online businesses like ecommerce stores. They turn their blogs into a business. They work as writers, designers, social media managers and virtual assistants online. People are still opening brick and mortar stores and salons. Some work alone, others employ staff. The internet has made things much easier to start up on your own, without lots of money or training.

This has, unfortunately, lead many people to think that it’s easy. They rush in with nothing more than an idea. They start with nothing, throw themselves in and quit their jobs straight away, believing that they’ll make a success of things quickly. They don’t realise how much time, effort and hard work goes into starting their own business and unfortunately, this means that many small businesses fail within the first year or two.

If you want to start your own business, great. There’s no reason that you shouldn’t. But, there are some things that you should ask yourself before you get going. Here are five of them.

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What Do You Want To Do?

If you are considering starting your own business, chances are you’ve already got an idea of what you want to do. But, it’s always a good idea to give it a little more thought and ask yourself more in-depth questions. If you’re going to sell a product, how? Will you create it yourself and sell it on existing sites like Etsy? Or would you rather launch your own website and store? If you are selling a service, do you need further training? Or do you already have the skills that you need? If you want to launch a real-world store like a salon or a shop, where will it be based?

If you don’t yet know what you want to do, write a list of your skills and ask yourself if anyone else would be willing to pay for them.

Do You Have Time?

How are you going to run your business? Will you quit your job? Or will you be working around another job? Do you have a family that needs you? Starting a business takes time and commitment, especially in the beginning when you can’t afford staff and you are doing most of the work yourself. Ask yourself if you’ve got time to commit before rushing in.

How Will You Finance Your Business?

Some businesses can start with very little. You might already have what you need to get going. Others, don’t. You might need startup costs or even small business equipment loans. Ask yourself how much you need to get going, and where it’s going to come from. Loans, investors, your own savings and crowdfunding are all options. If you face a loss of income while you start out, can your family cope?

Is There a Market for Your Business?

A big question that you need to ask is, do people want your business? Is there a gap in the market that you can fill? Is there too much local competition? What is your target market and where will you find them?

Is It the Right Time?

Look at your current situation. If you’ve got a young family, personal debts or a large mortgage, is this the right time? Or, would you be better taking the time to improve your personal finances first?

Natural Ways To Fight Anxiety

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. Many people suffer from anxiety which is greatly impacted by any number stimuli in their environment. In some instances its something from one’s personal life, and in others its something career-related. In either case it’s important to understand how to manage anxiety. The following contributed post is thus entitled, Natural Ways To Fight Anxiety.

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Levels of anxiety and despression are now at an all time high within our society, and the problem is that so many doctors are, not only not taking these illnesses seriously enough, but they’re not looking at the root cause of the issues causing them and are only providing things to mask the symptoms.

Now, whilst there’s nothing wrong with taking medication to fight things like anxiety since they’re definitely proven to be very effective with some people, it’s essential to look at the root cause and be able to identify things like triggers to know what’s really causing the anxiety before it can fully be treated successfully, and the best way to be able to identify the root cause and fully treat anxiety either without conventional medication or in combination with it is to look at making lifestyle changes that are known to greatly reduce, not only the anxiety symptoms, but the recurring episodes that someone suffering from anxiety will have to endure.

That being said, if you feel like you do need some conventional medication for your anxiety or would at least like to find out more about the different types of medication availble, then you should definitely make an appointment with your doctor who will be able to look at your individual case and offer you the best solution for you.

If it’s decided to start you on a certain medication, then you can order repeat prescriptions from your local pharmacy to pick up your prepackaged medication when it suits you until you’re feeling like you could do with lowering your dosage or even coming off of the medication altogether.

In this post, we’re going to look at some of the ways you can benefit from some simple and natural lifestyle changes when looking to beat anxiety.

Speak to someone:

Even above medication, cognitive behavioral therapy has been proven to be one of the most effective treatments for anxiety and helps people all over the world every day. You should certainly ask your doctor about referring you for this treatment if you think it will help, and even if you don’t want to go down that route, simply joining a support group – either online or offline can help massively since it helps you know you’re not alone in dealing with this.

Daily exercise:

Daily exercise is something that should always be used as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but can be even more effective in helping you beat anxiety. Not only does exercise help keep your body fit, but it’s one of the most natural mood-boosters and relaxants there is.

Journal:

When you feel anxious, a good practice is to journal. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to write or if what you write makes sense, but it’s simply a way of clearing out the thoughts in your head and getting them onto paper. Journaling is something that’s been used by many dealing with all kinds of things, so even if you’re a complete beginner, you can find ways to get started with journaling that will truly help you.

Breaking Down The Constructs: What Are The Things We Need To Back To Be Happy?

A key focus of my blog is Health and Wellness. Several things going into being happy. Often in the pursuit of careers and mimicking the images of success we see in the media only make us more unhappy. What are the actual keys to being happy? The following contributed post is entitled, Breaking Down The Constructs: What Are The Things We Need To Back To Be Happy?

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Happiness is a very subjective term, people can go their entire lives feeling happy without needing to exert themselves, whereas others need a purpose to every minute of every day. But for so many people that are looking for that reason to exist, they may find themselves searching too hard, and in fact, the real route to being happy involves then cutting back on certain things. What are the things in the real world that we need to cut back on?

The “Perfect” Job
With the abundance of choice out there, so many people feel static in one place, so they’re always looking for the next challenge. But certain careers, even though they appear rewarding on the surface, can house an abundance of problems that don’t suit certain people. Perhaps it’s not about finding the perfect job but finding the job that gives you a reason to get up in the morning. When it comes to looking for the ideal working setup, we can struggle to see the wood for the trees.

Preconceived Notions Of Security
Money defines everything but it’s what we do with it that counts. We can spend so long worrying about the financial forecast over the next 12 months, that we’re not focusing on the present. The fact is, providing a nest egg isn’t about a cash injection right now, it’s about playing the long game. Even the big names like Warren Buffett know it’s about sticking with something over a long time, whether it’s an investment, real estate, or cryptocurrency. When it comes to real estate, we can be a landlord and rent out a property to others, and while there are residential property management services that can help us to acquire an extra income, we have to give consideration to so many other variables. From a personal perspective, an extra income is excellent, but it means we’ve got to dedicate that much more time into it to see the fruits of our labor. If you are dominated by money, will you be happy?

Falling Into Line
We worry so much about what other people think of us when we shouldn’t care a jot. We can learn so much from our children in this respect; they have an innate ability to question everything. And when they begin to conform, while it makes life easier, if they begin to lose the one aspect of their personality that makes them unique, is this something that we should be proud of? With independent thought comes creativity, inspiration, and a veritable zest for the world. We get bound by social constructs, and we feel that falling into line and playing “the game” is easier. But does this really make us happy? We know, deep down, it doesn’t.

Happiness is subjective, but we can spend years believing that we are after a certain thing that will make us happy. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and the sooner we learn this, the better. Sometimes, it’s not about getting more, but it’s about getting less that will make us happy.

The Things People Don’t Consider When Becoming An Entrepreneur

Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Many people say they want to become entrepreneurs, but they don’t understand all that goes into becoming one. There are a host of other considerations involved than when being an employee. The following contributed post is there entitled, The Things People Don’t Consider When Becoming An Entrepreneur.

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When trying to become an entrepreneur, you’ll often find that people are only thinking about a few things, and nearly all of them are positive. People think about the money, the opportunities it could bring, and the general happiness of being their own boss. Does this sound like everything that’s going through your mind at the minute, or perhaps did go through your mind when you were setting up your business. But there really are some things that we know people just don’t consider when starting up their own business, for one reason or another. Perhaps the positives really do cloud the vision, and it becomes hard to see what the reality is behind it. Which is why we want to create this article for you, because we really do want to highlight some of the things you might not think about when becoming an entrepreneur. It’s not even if you’re just considering to become an entrepreneur, because we know that some of you reading this might actually already be an entrepreneur, and trying to deal with the scary realities yourself now. We want to make this journey easier, and we think the tips we’ve got below for you will do just that, so keep on reading to find out more.

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The Personal Losses

There are some personal losses that you will feel alllll along the way of your business journey, and the first will start at the very beginning. The first loss you’re going to have will be financial, because we hope that you’re not just going to rely on the banks to give you a loan. Do this, and the money you could be racking up will drown you in the coming years. Unless of course you do become that successful entrepreneur that can control the money of their company without having to keep dipping back into bank money to move forward. So, if you’re investing so much money, you probably want to know how to make sure it doesn’t become a personal loss, and more a personal gain. Well, all you have to do is grow, grow, and grow some more. If you take it steady, seek out opportunities, and focus on getting your company name out there in every way that you possibly can, then you’re heading towards success already.

We think another big personal loss that people never seem to consider, is the loss of your time that you’re never really going to get back. You might think that your working life was restricting, but those of you who run your own business at the minute will know that your time just melts right away, and your main focus does become your business. All hours of the day are controlled by it, and if not because you physically have to do something, then because you’re thinking about it constantly. Don’t even get us started as to what it’s like when things start going wrong. You have all of these worries going on, and you just know how much is riding on it, yet you still have to try and balance normal life as well. Our top tip is to always communicate your fears with the people closest to you, and perhaps even have a business advisor on hand to help you through any of the tricky situations. Someones to talk to, and someone to guide you is actually going to be so beneficial.

The Problem Solving

Problem solving is something you’re going to have to become good at, but we don’t think people are actually prepared for how many problems they’re going to have to solve. It can become a serious issue for a business when there’s just so many problems present, but we think we have a few solutions for you. A big problem a company has is tracking what their employees are doing, and what they should be paid for. For example, some companies pay mileage if their employees are out on their road, but tracking actual business mileage can be hard. However, if you check out companies such as triplogmileage.com, you’ll find your solution to your problem. All you need is an app or software to track it for you, and you’ll find it’s so much more trustworthy than your employees. You also need to be able to track the hours they’re working, and we promise you there’s software for that to. We think that pretty much any problem you have can be solved with software, so check out what solutions you can find today!

Lingering Feelings

The biggest lingering feeling that every entrepreneur has to go through, is the one that they’re going to fail. It’s the feeling that your business is going to drop at the minute, and the financial weight is going to come crashing down on you. Because if you have a big investment from the banks and your business fails, you’re just going to have a whole world of problems to deal with. But these lingering feelings are something you’re most likely going to have to deal with everyday. The slightest change in your monthly profit, a slow day in the office, an employee leaving… it can all trigger these feelings. But, we think the best way to battle them, is to focus on turning them all into positives. If you know you’ve had a really slow month with your profits, figure out a plan that will ensure you more than make up for it the next month. If you feel like your business is becoming a little stale and that’s why you might not be able to attract as many customers, think of ways that you can jazz it up a little bit! We also find that business owners have the lingering feeling of success in their mind, which can only be a positive. If you always have that thought that you’re going to succeed in your mind, it’s going to be so much easier for you to have that drive to win. We think it pays for a business owner to be a little cocky in this respect.