Category: Contributed Posts

Three Businesses You Never Thought Of Starting But Could Be Incredibly Profitable

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. There are opportunities to start businesses all around us. The opportunities just have to be recognized and developed. The following contributed post is entitled, Three Businesses You Never Thought Of Starting But Could Be Incredibly Profitable.

* * *

Credit Location – CC0 License

Business ideas are a weird thing. One minute you think that you have the best idea in the world, and the next second you find out that it’s not that profitable. Or, you find out that there is so much to do for that type of business and you are not qualified for it. There are however some businesses that could be incredibly profitable that you might not have ever considered. Keep reading to find out what they are.

Website Flipping

You have no idea how profitable flipping websites can be until you start to do it. Do you know how many people need a website that is successful? A lot, and this is how you make your money. You purchase a website that is failing, you revamp it, make it fantastic and so that it has the potential to be profitable, and then you sell it to someone who wants it. You need to have a particular skill set when it comes to turning something that isn’t that great into something that is, or have a partner who is good at this.

Either way, this can be amazing for you. It has the potential to be a fantastic investment as a startup company, and as there aren’t that many like it on the market, competition wouldn’t be too bad either.

Auto Repair

Pic Location – CC0 License

Another option that is available is auto repair. This is one of the most profitable types of businesses in the world, even if you don’t realize it right now. Of course, you have to have an eye for cars and a passion for them if this is going to work for you though. Generally, the people who do best when they start a business are those who are passionate about the work that they are doing. It may be true that you work on cars on the side for a hobby, but you can turn this into something that you enjoy, while also making you some money.

Car Washing

The final thing that we are going to mention is car washing. This might sound like a side hustle or it might sound too high school, but it can be an extremely profitable business if you run it the right way. Offering high quality car washing is a desirable service, because people don’t want to spend their free time cleaning their own car. Think about this, and think about how you can find the right location to bring in lots of money. If you don’t believe us, just wait until you start seeing the money come in, and then you’ll be glad you gave it a go.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better idea of some of the businesses that you never thought of starting, but could end up being incredibly profitable. If you were stuck for ideas when you started reading, at least now you have a few! We wish you the very best of luck with whichever business venture you decide to start next.

Top Tips To Help You Reach Success In Property Development

Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Home/Property Discussions. If in the real estate business, then you’re going to be involved in property development and all it entails. The following contributed post is entitled, Top Tips To Help You Reach Success In Property Development.

* * *

Perhaps you are just getting started in the real estate industry. Maybe you are currently in the real estate business, but you want to take your company to the next level. Perhaps you have attempted to gain access to the property, but you have found yourself feeling a little trapped and unsure of where to go next.

Hopefully, this post will be of great use to you and provide you with clarity, allowing you to move forward or expand your real estate business.

Image via Unsplash

Collaborate with consultants as early on as possible

In comparison to a single designer, a feasibility discussion with relevant experts will undoubtedly bring substantially more value, cost certainty, and risk identification to a project and provide a competitive advantage if conducted during the pre-acquisition stage. This will also allow for the development of a more accurate project timetable and cash flow model early in the process, which will aid in the identification of any lending requirements and drawdown timelines that may arise.

Property developers are familiar with the cash flow model, and consultants who routinely work with them are likely to negotiate flexible fee arrangements to accommodate drawdown timetables or project milestones. Any expenditures spent would, in most cases, be balanced by the value that has been brought to the plan as a result of the change.

Keep your cost model up to date

It is highly improbable that your early estimates of project expenses will turn out to be correct. As the design for the concept progresses, the materials, construction methods, and areas of work that have been proposed will evolve. These expenses should be documented as part of the development cost modeling process. It is usual for construction costs to rise as the design grows more comprehensive, sometimes due to extra requirements from governmental agencies or the inclusion of specialized design components.

In cases where contingencies have been included in the scheme from the beginning, make a list of the areas of the project that are unknown or where the design has not been completed, as these will most likely be the places where cost assumptions have been made. Then, as the project advances, make an effort to take out these items and put a contingencies agenda item on the project team’s meeting schedule so that you can discuss these items regularly.

Be innovative with your procurement

Regardless of the size or complexity of your project is, the most important thing to do is to ensure that a construction contract is in place. You should put every project to tender to maintain cost competitiveness or even handed over to an investment construction company such as Costas Constructions. Bidding is an effective strategy since it will allow various construction companies to review and provide insight into the scheme, identifying areas that require more risk mitigation measures, design information, or value engineering choices.

If your construction project involves a renovation, conversion, or addition to an existing structure, it is typical for a separate strip-out or enabling works contract to be established. This will allow any concealed components of the property to be viewed and provide more certainty to the budget and schedule.

After consulting with your Project Manager, Architect, or Quantity Surveyor, they should be able to give you several distinct contract choices, each of which will outline the differences in design control, risk proportion, and contract handover methods.

5 Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Small Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you’re successfully running a business or are looking to do so, there a few actions that you need to be wary of taking. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Small Business.

* * *

No one is perfect. Even the best small business owners have made mistakes. Maybe you didn’t spend enough time at the beginning on your branding, experiencing negative PR, or maybe you weren’t able to understand your customers’ needs. Whatever the reason, it’s important to learn from your mistakes and keep on moving forward.

Picture by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels

Find Your Niche for Success

You might think that your product or service is something that everyone needs, but the truth is, you need to find a niche where your business will thrive. For example, you might be selling pet supplies and want to offer all kinds of animals’ items. If you try to sell everything from hamster cages to iguanas, it’s going to be difficult for you to be successful in all areas.

Even if you have a great idea and are passionate about starting a business, it’s important not to overreach. Consider what your customers are interested in and what they’re already buying. Then make sure those things are prominently featured in your store or online.

Misunderstanding How To Sell Your Products

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of holding your own products in your hands, but for most people, this isn’t an option. You’re going to want to sell your products online.

The first thing you’ll need is a website. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy–even a simple website with just a contact form and some pictures of your product will do.

The next step is getting traffic to your site. You can do this by content marketing, which means creating blog posts, social media posts, and more to get people interested in what you have to offer.

You can also hire someone on Fiverr or Upwork to create compelling graphics that really showcase your product in all its glory. This would cost around $5-$10 per graphic.

You’ll want to make sure to invest in ads, say something about what people will get if they click on it! The goal here is not only to generate clicks but also leads so that you don’t spend money on clicks that don’t convert into sales.

Neglecting Customer Problems

Customers are what a business is all about, so it’s crucial to make them feel like the most important people in the world.

Picture by MART PRODUCTIONS on Pexels

For example, if you’re running a fitness studio and many of your customers complain that you don’t offer enough classes on weekends, then you should immediately go back to the drawing board and figure out what classes your customers looking for.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and really try to understand exactly what they’re looking for! Only then will you be able to create a product or service that will satisfy your customer base.

Create a Plan for the Future

The first mistake that many small businesses make is not creating a plan for the future. These days, digital marketing is crucial to success. You need to start thinking about how you’ll take your business into the future and prepare for new opportunities. If you do not plan, how will you know how to respond when something happens?

Even slight disruptions in your daily routine could throw off your entire timeline if you’re unprepared. The best thing that you can do is be prepared by coming up with a plan before something bad happens.

How To Stay Positive When Everything Feels Difficult

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Health/Wellness. When things get difficult, it is often times hard to remain hopeful. Regardless, it’s important to figure out how to do so. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Stay Positive When Everything Feels Difficult.

* * *

The last couple of years has been a wild ride. Catastrophic bush fires in Australia, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the new administration in the White House and claims of election rigging, Brexit in Europe, climate change crises, and now, of course, the terrible situation in Ukraine. On top of that can be all the personal difficulties you are going through – health, finances, relationships, injuries which you are getting sorted with the help of this personal injury law firm and so on. So it is little wonder that people are on edge and feeling the uncertainty of the world around us, and mental health is a big issue.

Many of these events are pretty much out of our hands, but that doesn’t help when you feel scared and anxious. The main thing to remember is that you are not alone if you feel like this. It can be hard to feel optimistic with so much going on around you. However, while much easier said than done, staying positive can help you get through the more challenging times and keep your mental health on a more even keel. Here, we look at some tips to help bolster your positivity.

Image via Unsplash

Make a gratitude or happy list at the end of every day

Invite your family and friends to do the same. Maybe you could even start a private group on social media and encourage people to share theirs to brighten up everyone’s day. It just needs to be a shortlist of things that have made you feel grateful or put a smile on your face that day, from a film that you enjoyed watching to receiving a parcel in the post or enjoying a superb cup of coffee. It is essential to celebrate the joys of the smaller moments in life rather than always waiting for the big things to be happy and excited about.

Stay away from the news and social media for a short period

You should take a break if the world is becoming too much for you, and you can tell that social media and the news are having a detrimental impact on your mental health. When struggling, many people find it helpful to mute their news notifications and turn off particular keywords in their Twitter stream.

Take some time to listen to some highly upbeat music

You would be shocked at how powerful music can be. Try to remember how good music makes you feel and remind yourself of them. There are many ways to stream different playlists these days, so set up some happy ones for when you are having a terrible day. Have an impromptu dance party – they can lift the spirits and can not help but make you smile. The release of something positive into your body through music and dancing can divert you and bring you positive feelings, even if it is only a brief fix.

Communicate with your friends, even if it is only online or over the phone

When we are locked up inside and feeling the world’s weight, it is easy to lose sight of the people who care about us. However, it is possible to connect with other people in various ways, and there is nothing quite like hearing the reassuring and diverting voice of a friend to speak with to return to a more positive frame of mind. Regular voice or video talks with your pals can significantly impact your ability to remain cheerful and joyful.

Concentrate on your current hobbies or learn more

Having hobbies may altogether remove you from the real world and provide you with some much-needed momentary escape, which we all desperately need from time to time. Remind yourself of the things you appreciate and the reasons why you enjoy them; spend some quality time enjoying your hobbies; and rekindle your passions after a long period. We guarantee that having a strong passion for a particular hobby will make you feel more positive about yourself.

Declare to yourself that your being positive and happy and that today will be a fantastic day for you

Finally, think of a short slogan that you can repeat to yourself. Every morning, tell yourself that today will be a nice day and that you will look for the positives in everything. Try to put a grin on your face and be thrilled about one aspect of your day. Give yourself a compelling reason to get out of bed in the morning. Take a shower, put on a nice outfit, and make your bed. Start your day off on the right foot and strive to maintain a positive attitude.

How To Protect Your Business

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the aspects you have to learn when starting a business is protecting it. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Protect Your Business.

* * *

As a business owner, your business will be your pride and joy. It will be the entity that you have poured your metaphorical blood, sweat, and tears into and you will, of course, be fiercely protective over it. The world of business can present many challenges and hurdles during its lifespan and if you want to safeguard your business and protect its viability you need to be prepared to face the challenges and have appropriate measures in place to withstand them. To help you to shield your business and its future then here are some considerations to make.

Photo credit Anna Schvets from Pexels

Unambiguous terms and conditions

If your business provides a product or service to clients or customers then it will be entering into a contract with these clients and customers. It is vitally important therefore that your business makes the terms and conditions of this contract abundantly clear to protect both the customer and your business. To ensure that the T&Cs are up to scratch they should be written in simple and straightforward language and should also be easy to refer to. Concise and attainable terms and conditions will not only add protection but it will make your business more user-friendly and help to develop strong and trusted relationships.

Employment agreements

If your business takes on staff then it is always good practice to crystallize the terms of that employer-employee relationship by way of an employment contract. Again this contract should protect both parties but will be an essential tool in safeguarding your business and its assets. Employment agreements should contain provisions regarding working hours, pay, holiday entitlement, place of work, etc but they can be extended to cover nuisances of your business. For example, if your business operates with confidential or sensitive information you can protect this information within clauses of the employment contract; you could incorporate conditions that forbid employees from divulging sensitive information.

Security

Many businesses now operate online, using cloud systems and sophisticated networks. All of which involve the handling of financial information and sensitive or confidential data. The result of this is that cyber security has never been more important than it is today particularly as the world of cybercrime is constantly evolving. More and more businesses are becoming susceptible to cyber-attacks and as such protecting your online business presence is imperative. Take actionable steps to ensure not only the basics in cyber security are understood such as secure passwords and regular backups but also consider whether professional services are required to enhance your cyber security and protect your business.

Personal conduct

As a business owner, you are able to buy yourself certain personal protections however it is important to remember that your personal conduct could have an effect on your viability to run your business. As such it is important to ensure your personal conduct remains within the confines of the law at all times. To help limit any damage or adverse exposure to your business as a result of your personal affairs, where appropriate seek professional advice. It might be tax or accounting advice or you may even need to speak to a criminal defense attorney, Personal conduct can expand beyond adhering to the law to ensuring that you maintain a certain level of ‘appropriate behavior’. You may not be breaking the law but if you are acting in a way that clients or customers take offense to this could also have a negative impact on your business.

Protect your intellectual property

Your intellectual property (IP) is anything that can be considered as ‘intangible property’ or put another way, anything that has been created using your mind. Examples of intellectual property include your business logo, designs, or business name. If you do not take steps to protect your IP then it will allow others to use it without your permission and this could have devastating consequences for businesses. There are different methods in which you can protect your IP such as copyrights and trademarks and it can become a complex process. If you have valuable IP that is specific to your business then it is always recommended you seek professional advice and take steps to protect your intellectual property.

Be the best on the market

While there are lots of practical and legal steps you can take to protect your business one of the best pieces of business advice is to simply, be good at what you do. If you have a sound business idea that is executed with professionalism and high standards you will be putting your business in the best possible position to succeed.

4 Tips For Improving Your Political Campaign

Two focuses of my blog are Current Events and Political Discussions. If you’re thinking about getting into politics and you want to run an effective campaign, there are several factors you want account for. The following contributed post is entitled, 4 Tips For Improving Your Political Campaign.

* * *

Whether you’re running for house elections, local elections, or another type of election, your campaign strategy can make the difference between winning and losing.

The size of the electorate, the geography, the public’s mindset, the timing of the election, and the methods of voter communication used should all be considered when developing your campaign strategy.

Image credit

A specific election campaign strategy, influenced by the political climate in which it is conducted, is required for every election campaign, in short. And in a local election, gaining supporters is primarily a matter of winning over the voters in one’s community.

This post looks at some ways you can improve your campaign strategy.

Competitor Analysis

The evaluation of competitors is critical in any competition. A thorough understanding of your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses can provide you with a significant advantage in developing your campaign messaging, participating in head-to-head debates, and undermining their campaign message when it becomes necessary.

Make a spreadsheet with the strengths and weaknesses of all candidates, including yourself. Each candidate’s position on the critical issues in the election should be listed on a single spreadsheet. So you can identify your strengths and weaknesses and where you are vulnerable concerning your competitors, and you can communicate more clearly with your customers.

Phone Calls

Talking to your local community and the wider population will be essential to your victory. You need to be able to speak to and reach as many people as possible to persuade them to give you their vote. Working with Kaplan Strategies can streamline your phone calls and help you provide efficient outreach to your phone call plan.

Improve Your Campaign Message

The goal of a campaign is to establish the candidate’s personal identity. This includes the candidate’s educational and professional background and what makes them a good fit for the position for which they are running.

Your campaign will only be successful if it is tailored to the specific needs of its target audience. It informs voters about the critical issues and policies of the candidate. It is necessary to consider the viewpoint of the voter in this situation. Demonstrate that your victory will improve their quality of life to gain their attention and vote.

Creating Multiple Fundraising Channels

One of the most challenging tasks when running for a local office is raising funds. How are you planning on expanding the necessary funds to make yourself a viable candidate in the election?

Your campaign costs could range from a few thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars, depending on where you are running and the demographics of the area in which you are running. That’s why it’s so critical to provide as many opportunities as possible for people to contribute to your campaign as possible.

From selling merchandise to asking family and friends to setting up social media fundraisers and more, please find out how your demographic prefers to donate and make sure you have the suitable options available for them to do so.

Help Your Employees To Provide The Best Possible Service

Three focuses of my Business/Entrepreneurship, Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. No matter which sector you’re in, you want to empower your employees to provide the best possible service to your customers. The following contributed post is entitled, Help Your Employees To Provide The Best Possible Service.

* * *

Pic Link – CC0 License

How can you help your employees to help your customers? You want your employees to provide the absolute best to all of your customers, but this is not going to be possible if you do not provide them with the means to do so. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the ways that you can help employees provide the best possible service. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Aid Them How You Can

The first thing that we are going to say is that you should help them where you can. If you can see that one of your employees are struggling, or a group of them are, then you should ensure that you are helping them. You can’t just watch them struggle and walk away like they aren’t working for your company. If you help them, get them on the right track, then they can go and help someone else, passing on the fantastic support that you have given them. Don’t worry too much about actively seeking them out though. If they need help, they will let you know, and if they don’t, just wait until you notice it yourself.

Provide The Best Tech

Another thing that you are going to need to do is ensure that you are providing them with the best tech on the market. Or, at the very least, tech that you can afford that does the same thing as the best on the market. There is no point in buying tech from years ago, as this is not going to work as efficiently as you want it to. It will be a lot slower than the newer models that have been released. We understand the urge to save money, but you can’t do that here. You have just got to make the investment.

You also need to ensure that they can use it properly, which might mean some people need keycaps, so that is also a consideration.

Train Them

The final thing that you are going to need to do is train them. They should know the expectations of your business, and they should also be trained by your business or by someone that you employ to ensure that they are all up to the same standard. Having everyone go through the same training, you ensure that no one person can say that they don’t have the same experience as others, because it simply doesn’t matter. Training them is the best way to get them on board with your business!

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you can do to help your employees provide the best possible service to customers. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but if you provide them with the right tools to do so, they shouldn’t have too much of an issue. If you’re ever unsure about what they need, the simple solution is to just ask.

How To Make Extra Money On The Side: 4 Crafty Ideas

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A key financial intelligence is making more money. Doing so requires a level of creativity and flexibility. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Make Extra Money On The Side: 4 Crafty Ideas.

* * *

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

If you want to make some extra money on the side, there are a few easy ways to do it. From selling flowers to doing odd jobs, there are plenty of ways to make some extra cash. So how do you go about finding these opportunities? Here are four tips that will help you get started:

Find a hobby you enjoy and sell it

Many people start their businesses by selling their hobby. If you’re passionate about something, you can likely find a market for your product or service. This is especially true if your hobby has a lot of potential customers who are interested in what you do. For example, you can sell flowers, jewellery, clothes, and more on eBay.

Start a blog and sell advertising space

One of the best ways to make extra money on the side is to start a blog and sell advertising space. When you have a blog, you can reach a much wider audience than if you were just selling ads. You can also use your blog as an opportunity to share your latest project or giveaway. This way, you’ll be promoting your business in a way that’s most likely to bring in visits from potential customers.

You can also sell advertising space on your blog. This will allow you to target specific keywords and see how well you’re doing with those keywords. If you believe that your blog is worth taking on some additional advertising, consider doing so.

Sell handmade items online

One of the best ways to make extra money on the side is to sell handmade items online. Not only do you get to sell your work of art directly to customers, but you also get a commission on every sale. This is a great way to make extra money while still maintaining your creative control. Some ideas for handmade items to sell are paintings, which just require a blank canvas or A4 page plus paints, or you could make personalized buttons, which does require specific materials – but once you find a button template and have what you need, are surprisingly easy to make.

Offer services such as home cleaning or dog walking

This is a great way to make extra money on the side. You can offer your services to people who need help, such as cleaning or dog walking. This can be a great way to build relationships and get to know people. Additionally, it’s a great way to learn about different cultures and what they need or want.

Sell things you don’t need

If your house is cluttered with hoards of items that contribute to the mess and that you don’t need, you can solve this problem and make money by selling these items. They could be books that you’ve already read or aren’t interested in ever reading, or old furniture, or DVDs and videotapes. You can sell these online through eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or other popular online sales sites.

Invest in stocks

One of the best ways to make money on the side is to invest in stocks. When you buy stocks, you’re buying shares of a company that will be affected by the success or failure of that company. This means that you have a piece of the company and can benefit from any changes within it. Additionally, stocks are often more volatile than other investments, which means you can make more money per dollar invested.

5 Reasons To Take Social Media Marketing More Seriously

Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. In today’s digital age, social media is valuable tool in your business tool box. For the lay person, it may be simply a way to fill the time, but for business owners, it’s a tool for growth. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Reasons To Take Social Media Marketing More Seriously.

* * *

Image Source

There’s no denying that the online marketing landscape has changed in recent years thanks to the introduction of social media.

Advertisers got introduced to exciting new marketing methods that were both powerful and easy-to-use, plus they could now communicate content to people worldwide in seconds. Today, billions of people use social media networks like Facebook and Twitter each day.

If you’re not using social media to market to your target audience, you’re missing out on excellent and cost-effective ways to reach your intended consumers.

The following gives you five examples of why it makes sense for you to take social media marketing more seriously for your business:

1. You’ll Drive Traffic To Your Website

The first point to note about social media marketing is how it will drive more traffic to your website. As you know, your website won’t get any visitors unless people know about it.

Of course, you only want the right kinds of visitors – people that are most likely to engage with your brand and buy stuff. Social media marketing is a clever way of targeting the right demographic for your website and brand.

2. It’s Easy To Benchmark Your Campaigns

According to companies like BrandTotal, it’s easier than you think to benchmark your campaigns and determine how you can adjust them for optimal results.

For example, making changes like adjusting ad creatives and improving landing pages will help boost conversion rates for your website. You can also use metrics like Google Analytics to measure the success of each campaign.

3. Social Media Marketing Offers Better Engagement

The only way you can genuinely attract customers to your brand is by understanding who they are and what they want. If you’re a brand that makes it known you care about your customers, they will be more likely to buy from you than a competitor.

Social media marketing offers you better engagement with your customers as platforms like Facebook and Twitter enable you to quickly and easily respond to each customer’s concerns and questions.

4. It’s Perfect For Marketing To Mobile Users

Did you know that most people go online from mobile devices like smartphones and tablets? According to Statista, around 92% of all active Internet users go online from a mobile device!

You undoubtedly want to target people who go online, and given that people mostly use mobile devices to do that, one of the activities they will do is use social media. With that in mind, social media marketing can help you target mobile users.

5. You’ll Build Your Brand

One final point to consider is how social media marketing is a powerful way to help you build your brand. It makes no difference whether you’re a startup or an established business – you must embrace social media marketing to help your brand grow.

You’ll find that most people are likely to use social networks more times than visit your website or search for the products and services you sell.

Could Life Expectancy Actually Start Falling?

A key focus of my blog is Health/Wellness. A major consideration for all our lives is how long we expect to live. There are numerous factors affecting this today. The following contributed post is entitled, Could Life Expectancy Actually Start Falling?

* * *

Unsplash – CC0 License

Even before the pandemic, medical professionals around the world stood aghast as statistics revealed the first decline in life expectancy for nearly two centuries. Between 2018 and 2019, life expectancy fell by 1.5 years, pushing us back to where we were in 2003, when the internet was barely five years old and Facebook hadn’t been born yet.

Increases in life expectancy continued almost unbroken since the industrial revolution. In the middle of the 19th century, life was so tough that the average man was lucky to reach the age of forty, with women not doing much better at 43. Back then, a lot of people didn’t die of old age. Instead, infectious disease, accidents and poisonings topped the list of killers.

Unfortunately, the rise in life expectancy has come to a halt. And what’s more, many of the declines look like they are set in.

Why Is Life Expectancy Faltering?

All the way back in 2013, statisticians noted that increases in life expectancy had begun to slow down. The prevailing theory at the time was that it was just a blip, but that no longer seems to be the case. It’s not just a matter of stagnation either. Today, the life expectancy for people over the age of 65 is now six months shorter than it was a decade ago, despite all the advances we’ve seen in technology.

A common claim is that humanity has reached its peak longevity, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. There are countries, like Japan, outside of the West, that continue to see rising average life expectancies. What’s more, it seems strange that countries like the US and UK would peak in the mid 2010s and then go into decline if it was solely based on biological factors.

No doubt there is an upper limit to life expectancy, but that doesn’t carry much explanatory weight.

The other leading theory is that there is something wrong with the environment. People are now living in conditions, the theory goes, that are worse for their health than they were in the past.

Modern Killers

This is a sentiment that health executive, Michael Rashid, holds to firmly. He believes that we’re caught in the middle of a perfect storm of health issues, everything from obesity to the current opioid crisis. There are so many factors ravaging our health that, as a population, sustained increases in life expectancy just aren’t possible.

Because of the influence of environmental factors, health inequality is likely to continue to get worse over time. Those who know the science of longevity and apply it in their lives will live longer, while those who can’t follow it, or ignore it, will see their lives shortened.

Lack Of Care For The Elderly

Whether the problem is societal or something solely affecting the older generations is not well known. Problems with social care for seniors appeal to be compounding pressures on life expectancy, but the data are still coming in. Increasing suicides may be another issue but, again statisticians are still trying to work out how they will affect the overall picture.