The first principle of my life is Creating Ecosystems of Success and two key focuses are Financial Literacy/Money and Health/Wellness. Some people feel stuck in where they are, but there are changes that we can all make to improve our lives right now. The following contributed post is entitled, Make Changes to Improve Your Life Right Now.
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It is so important to make the most of things that can make changes in your life. You have to understand what it takes to make the right decisions in life and to try to make positive changes as much as you can. As much as you can do to take your life in a positive direction, you need to try to do now, and there are a lot of factors that play a part in helping with this.
Life can often not go the way you want it to, and this is why it is essential to make sure you plan and prepare for this. Try to do as much as possible to help you make the right improvements in your life, and there are a lot of things that can play a role in this. Here are some of the key changes that you can make to improve your life right now.
You have to make sure you do as much as possible to get as healthy as possible, and this is something you need to keep in mind as much as you can. Getting a healthier body and mind is one of the best approaches you can take in your life. This is something you need to make sure you focus on as much as possible, and there are a lot of ideas you can use to achieve this. Healthy eating and exercise are the order of the day, and they can go a long way toward helping you with this.
Protect Yourself
It is essential that you do as much as you can to protect yourself in your life right now. There are a lot of things you can do to achieve this, such as staying fit and healthy and buying health insurance. However, there might also be times when you need to make sure you take steps to look after yourself in other ways, such as hiring a misdemeanour lawyer to defend you if you need to be protected.
Take Charge of Your Money
Taking charge of your money is something that you need to make the most of right now, and this is something that plays a massive part in the process of making your life better. You’ve got a lot to think about here, and getting a handle on your cash is something that you need to work toward right now. Budgeting your money is something you are going to need to focus on as much as you possibly can, and this is so important moving forward as well. Keeping yourself financially comfortable is something that you need to work on right now.
Make sure you do as much as you can to improve your life and make the best changes you possibly can. Try to think about some of the best ways you can go about making the right changes to take your life forward as much as possible. Taking steps to try to look after yourself and take your life forward in a more positive way is so essential right now.
Before I start this story, I want to issue a warning to the ‘low attention span’ people. This post is roughly 2000 words. Thus, if you can’t focus for that long, feel free to leave now go and read something else. I can assure you though that this is a fun and educational story with some very important points at the end. With that, I’m going to jump in.
Another Dad Story
Well it’s that time of year again, Father’s Day. As such, just as I have prepared a 2020 post for Mother’s Day, I have also prepared a 2020 post for Father’s Day. Like my first ever Father’s Day post on my blogging platform, this story involves a subject that’s near and dear to my heart, money and wealth building. As with all my Dad stories, this one made a lasting impression on me as I hope that this does for any readers.
In his prime and slightly beyond, my Dad was a force to be reckoned with, one which struck fear into me, even in my early 30s. I lived with him in New York State’s Capital Region during my postdoctoral fellowship which turned out to be an educational experience on several different levels. It was a surreal two and a half years in hindsight that forever changed me. Some of the changes were due to external factors while some were due to internal factors.
Lessons from Rich Dad
Just before leaving Ann Arbor, MI for the Albany area, I picked up Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad book and discovered the worlds of financial literacy and wealth building, worlds I didn’t know anything about at that time. Most of my life I had my eyes set on being an employee. Reading about being and an investor and all the concepts associated with it was exciting though. According to Kiyosaki, there were people becoming wealthy not by slogging off to work everyday and punching a clock, but instead by acquiring financial asset investments.
In addition to Kiyosaki’s books, I purchased a copy of his game, Cashflow 101, the electronic version. Unlike the board game version which you have to play with other people, I could sit down at my PC and play every night. The goal of the game is to get out of the Rat Race and onto the Fast Track. For those who have never played the game, you must choose a profession. The chosen profession comes with a salary, and a certain number of assets and liabilities. The cost per child varies with profession as well.
A Lifelike Game
The game is realistic in that high income professionals like doctors, lawyers and airline pilots make more money than the janitors or the web designers. They also have greater expenses and usually more student loans in the case of the doctor and lawyer. They might even have loans under debt review as a result.
Take a look at my 2018 Father’s Day blog post which has a special significance for my brother, my father and me. That post coincidentally involved careers in medicine and law which Dad wanted my brother and me to pursue. Going back to the game, individuals playing the game must figure out how to generate enough passive income from their investments to pay all of their bills monthly and annually. This allows them to become financially free and moves them onto the Fast Track, and live the life of wealthy business owners and investors.
On the road to getting out of the Rat Race, in addition to getting the opportunities to participate in stock and real estate deals, participants sometimes also have children, have to purchase doodads (random expenses or luxuries which drain your money), and face unexpected crises like car accidents, all of which can act as financial setbacks. This forces players to think about their objectives creatively and still figure out ways to get out of the Rat Race. In terms of the game, I’ll stop there. It’s an intoxicating game, and it’s one that I highly recommend. Suffice it to say for now, that as I played and started learning, I started experiencing a paradigm shift and aspired to do the same things in real life, things that I would later find were easier said than done. By the way, Dad saw me regularly playing the game and probably thought I was nuts.
Real Estate Investing and Taking Action
One of the things Robert Kiyosaki discussed in Rich Dad Poor Dadwas real estate investing and I became interested in it. Some friends of mine in the area were also interested in it and turned me onto our local real estate investing club which I won’t name. There were monthly meetings where the President encouraged us to get into deals and to, “take action.” There were also big time real estate speakers like the land lording guru Don Beck, whose program involved putting your rental properties on ‘cruise control’ and also creating rental leases that were as protective as possible for the land lords against the problem tenants.
Most of the club members were seniors in terms of age and my two friends and I may have been the only minorities there. Coincidentally an older woman, named Mary, agreed to mentor me. Mary had been in the game for a while and had already started acquiring properties. I think she had her Multiple Listing Service (MLS) certification and had the ability to search its databases. I met another younger guy, whom I’ll call Tyler, who also had the wealth-building mindset and was living it. We talked one Saturday during a field trip we took around our area to look at properties. Tyler turned me on to T. Harv Ecker’s book, Secrets of The Millionaire Mind, which is a short but good read.
Like our President, Mary also encouraged me to do my first deal and we started looking at properties in the Albany area. I recall once going into an empty brownstone and looking around with her near the Albany state capital where my research lab was located. We eventually found a duplex in the downtown area, with a flat roof and one tenant living in it already. Mary suggested that I could live in one unit for a little and rent the other unit out (owner occupied status). Eventually I could move out and ‘cash flow’ the entire property. It all sounded cool and a little scary. I wanted to do it, but how would I do such a thing?
Early Lessons in Real Estate Investing
For those unfamiliar with purchasing real estate, there are usually three critical items lenders want to see: employment history of some sort (especially if you’re new), your credit score and savings of some kind (over a series of months, not random gifts). Depending how savvy you are, you may be able to structure your deal so that you don’t have to pay the closing costs up front. I just barely qualified in terms of my credit score. It wasn’t great at the time, but it was just good enough. I’d only finished my Ph.D. one to two years earlier. I paid my bills on time, but I was over-leveraged credit-wise for numerous reasons which I won’t discuss here. Finally, I had $2,000 to $3,000 in the bank, but I knew that I would need more. Where would I get it from though? Enter Dad!
Now before I go on, let me warn you that this part of the story gets a little painful, but exciting at the same time. I could save this detail until the end, but it’s worth pointing out here. One of the things this experience (and others) taught me going forward was that while we are all physically living on this world together, we can all exist in different worlds and have different world views. Science is a world of its own. Salsa dancing is a world of its own. Writing is a world of its own. Real estate investing is a world of its own. Being an employee is a world of its own. Each world has its own unique set of rules and mindsets.
Dad gets Involved
Dad was an employee and an excellent at budgeting and saving. He was also risk averse money-wise, and he had his own personal real estate experience that turned him against land lording forever. According to Dad, he once had a tenant in his lower unit, an older woman. According to Dad, he went downstairs to collect the rent one day, and the woman slid into a supernatural trance where her eyes rolled back and her ears pointed upwards. From that point on Dad never wanted anything else to do with real estate investing and land lording, no matter what the upside was.
I don’t know whether Mary suggested it, or by default I decided to ask him for a loan, but after much internal deliberation, I did and that’s when things got, how shall I say, exciting. I knew my father and lacked confidence when asking him for the financial help. I was pretty scared actually. He didn’t say no immediately, but instead looked at me with a blank stare and told me he’d think about it. I intuitively knew that instead of simple yes or no, it was going to turn into a long drawn out process, and Dad didn’t disappoint.
Dad Weighs In
Dad did, in fact, think about it. His thinking stretched from days to weeks which for me was like death by a thousand cuts as one of my favorite YouTube content creators often says. He asked me questions about my investment idea often from the other room when I least expected them. In some instances, we were in the same room and he’d ask me questions about it with his back to me with no eye contact. Yes, I know it’s odd, but it was just how he communicated with me at the time. At some point I told him to just forget about it, but it continued.
“How much money do you have in the bank?” I don’t remember when in this ordeal that he asked me this question, but I just remember that he asked it. The question suddenly made me feel defensive, naked, picked over and violated. “The bank will want to know how much money you have!” Dad was right about this as I found out in the future when applying for mortgages and refinancing on my own. I actually uttered these same words in a money-related dispute with an ex-girlfriend; that didn’t go over well, by the way, so be careful in those instances.
“I have $2,000 to $3,000 in my savings and my Self-Directed Roth IRA,” I pensively replied.
$2,000 to $3,000 is NOT Money!
“That’s NOT money!” Dad quickly and sharply declared with the precision of an assassin. His words were cutting, and I felt insulted and angry afterwards. I didn’t understand why this whole thing had to drag out like this, and I didn’t understand why we couldn’t just sit down and have a simple step by step discussion about why it wasn’t a good or bad idea. The thing I learned later though was that Dad was right.
What Dad meant by saying that, “$2,000 to $3,000 is NOT money,” was that it wasn’t enough money to safely do what I was thinking about. As in all cases, money is relative. There are people who don’t have $400 saved up and there are people who don’t have $1,000 saved up, so to those people, $2,000 to $3,000 is a lot of money. Speaking of $1,000, losing $1,000 can hurt if you’re not prepared to lose it, which I did when trying to do a real estate deal one to two years after moving to the Washington, DC area.
Some Real Estate Investing Tips
I want to tie up this blog post with my major learning points from this story. They are as follows:
• It’s best to invest safely: Whether you’re investing in real estate, stocks or something else, it’s important to do so from a place of safety. At the time of writing this, to me that means allocating funds strictly for that purpose separately from your essential expenses. This way, if the investment falls through, you’ll still have a place to live, food to eat, clothes on your back, etc. Investing is different from outright gambling, but think about how much more fun a trip to a place like Las Vegas is when you have enough money with which to gamble. Don’t invest your emergency money, the rent or the mortgage. This leads to my next point which involves friends and relatives.
• Be careful about involving the finances of friends and relatives in your business/investing ideas: From 30 plus years of being his son, I knew that Dad was risk-averse and didn’t play around with his money, but his not loaning me the money turned out to be the best thing for both of us because it would’ve poisoned our relationship, potentially beyond healing. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable around him, and it would’ve always been on his mind whenever he thought about me. If you have a money idea, I think the best things is to figure out how to launch it on your own, or until its far enough along for others to see the upside (and benefit for them). This way, if you take the loss, you take it on your own. If you are going to partner with friends or relatives, make sure you share the common vision and that they understand the risks. Finally, I’ve learned that when you’re launching an idea, whether it’s stocks or some other opportunity, savvy investors/partners are more likely to participate in your idea if they can see that you’ve already thought out and invested a significant amount of your own resources into it, unless of course you have an extensive track record of doing what you’re proposing.
• Real estate is a fun and potentially rewarding area, but a complex and dangerous one too: Robert Kiyosaki’s Cashflow 101 is a fun and educational game which to this day I highly recommend. It’s just that thought, a game played with fake money. The game is designed to expand and transform your mindset. Getting out in the field and taking action which most real estate teachers teach, is a different matter. Getting an investment property was a good idea, and Dad admitted that, if I recall correctly. However, not only did I not have enough of my own money in the bank yet, it also wasn’t clear if I was staying in the area.
Levels of Experience
Now let me be clear. Am I saying not to own property out of state? Absolutely not. There are investors who own property in other states or cities, and in some instances other countries. Most of them are experienced though. They have the systems in place to be able to do so, and in some instances, they’re partnering with other experienced and like-minded people.
Think about the martial arts. Dad was a Judo guy so let’s use Judo. The masters in martial arts dojos typically wear the brown and black belts, and one must practice and train hard to reach those levels after starting at the color white. Some trials and errors are involved in ascending to the brown or black belt levels which includes blood, sweat, tears, and being thrown to the mat innumerable times in this case. I would equate this to my lost $1,000 described above which I’ll revisit later on. In short, at the time of my asking Dad for that help, I was the equivalent of a white belt in the real estate dojo.
• Be careful who you share your dreams and aspirations with: Finally, I’ll just say that not everyone is going to understand your dreams and visions, so you can’t share them with everyone. This includes friends and relatives, and this is what Robert Kiyosaki meant towards the end of Rich Dad Poor Dadabout finding new friends. Let me be clear in that this doesn’t mean discarding your old friends. It just means that if people don’t understand the world you’re operating in, have had a negative experience in it, or are just not like-minded in general, they may kill your dream. This goes for significant others and love interests as well. So, for your own sanity, be mindful.
Conclusions
So that’s all I have to say on this matter, and I hope that this was educational for someone. It was a bitter situation to go through at the time, but I can look back and laugh at it now. I can also admit that Dad’s response towards me helped me see things from a new perspective in terms of the world around me regarding personal finances, dating and mating, and finally, when being approached by friends and/or relatives to help them start their own ideas like coffee businesses, for example.
The Big Words LLC Newsletter
For the next phase of my writing journey, I’m starting a monthly newsletter for my writing and video content creation company, the Big Words LLC. In it, I plan to share inspirational words, pieces from this blog and my first blog, and select videos from my four YouTube channels. Finally, I will share updates for my book project The Engineers: A Western New York Basketball Story. Your personal information and privacy will be protected. Click this link and register using the sign-up button at the bottom of the announcement. If there is some issue signing up using the link provided, you can also email me at bwllcnl@gmail.com . Best Regards.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Even businesses who become more digital and green, generate wastes. Efficiently doing so can be efficient for operations and profits. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Recycling Tips for Businesses.
In recent times, more and more businesses are going green, not just because it’s viewed as a social responsibility, but it’s ultimately the right thing to do. One of the major practices businesses take up once they go green is recycling. Altogether, recycling is a very important step to take to reduce overall waste production on a larger scale.
This is especially useful because offices are known for generating a huge amount of waste on a daily basis, and recycling is able to cut that amount by at least half. If you are looking for ways to ensure that your business is environmentally friendly and ecologically responsible, here are 5 helpful recycling tips for businesses.
1. Go over your paper consumption Paper contributes to one of the highest forms of waste produced in an office. This is why your business needs to be more conscious of the amount of paper it consumes. One practical action you can take is to incorporate measures that limit excessive paper consumption.
So, instead of printing out documents and files, encourage your workers to use emails and online document sharing platforms instead. You can also use pull printing technology so that all print jobs are user-activated. Why? Well, up to 30 percent of print jobs are never even collected, so this can drastically reduce printing volume.
2. Carry out a waste audit As much as businesses try to recycle, sometimes, they still end up producing a large amount of waste as a result of throwing out materials that can actually be recycled. Yes, paper, plastic, and metal are commonly recycled materials, but businesses could honestly recycle more. A waste audit educates everyone in the office about waste production as well as other kinds of materials that can be recycled.
3. Choose a good recycler Your business can partner with a recycling company that will, in turn, provide them with waste management advice. They can equally ensure that the company produces zero waste to landfill. Nevertheless, before choosing a recycling or waste management company, you need to carry out some research to make sure that they are the right fit for your business.
Some things to consider include whether your recycler is environmentally friendly and if they are an efficient, reliable, and professional business. You can read more here from this recycling and waste management company.
4. Collect organics Recycling is one thing, but having your business collect organic food waste is another platform for it to go green. Organic food waste includes things like coffee grounds, tea bags, food scraps, and even cup sleeves. Collecting these types of compost waste can potentially put your business on the road towards achieving zero waste.
5. Centralise recycling bins There’s nothing worse than wanting to recycle but not having a recycling bin close by. One very easy action that your business can take is to centralize the recycling bins. Ensure that they are placed in positions where everyone in the office can see and access. This will encourage employees to recycle more and can lead to less waste production.
Three key focuses of my blog are Current Events, Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Much of the healthcare sector has stayed open during the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Crisis/Pandemic. Dental practices in most instances closed down unless absolutely necessary. As the lockdown eases, dental practices will look to re-open and if you’re an owner of one, there are some aspects you want to consider. The following contributed post is entitled, Re-Opening Your Dental Practice After COVID-19.
As the coronavirus lockdown rules start to relax even further it opens up opportunities for businesses and services to start back up. One of the first things that will open up is the healthcare system. Obviously, doctors surgeries, hospitals, and pharmacies have remained open through the pandemic. However, the wider healthcare world had to shut down – including dental practices in some areas. If you’re a dentist that’s struggled for business over the last few months, you’re probably eager to get started once more. So, here are some tips to open your dental practice when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted:
Stock up on PPE
First and foremost, be sure you have a good supply of PPE. This includes both masks and gloves, seeing as all of your work involves playing around with people’s mouths. Masks are absolutely vital, but gloves are just as important when you consider what you’ll be touching. A dental supply store will stock everything you need, so don’t hesitate to buy as much as possible. As of right now, PPE supplies are a lot better than they were when the virus initially broke out. But, who knows how long that will last? It’s better to stock up now so you can keep providing treatment for as long as possible.
Enforce new appointment rules
It’s so tempting to jump right back into the swing of things when you open your doors after lockdown. However, you have to take things slow. Don’t open your practice up for a full day of appointments, restrict how many people you see each day. Yes, this means you miss out on lots of money, but safety must come first. You need to plan it so there’s a small number of people in the waiting room at all times. This will probably mean you have to extend the time between appointments to avoid lots of people coming in at the same time. Instead of having 10 minutes between appointments, extend it to 20 or 30. As time goes on you can gradually move things back to normal as per the government guidelines.
Reduce your staff
A lot of businesses are doing this as it reduces the number of people all within one area. Obviously, a dental practice can be pretty small, so you can’t afford to have lots of dentists, nurses, and admin staff all running around. Furthermore, it would be pretty pointless if you’re operating on a reduced schedule. Instead, reduce your staff and come in with a smaller crew. Again, this limits the risk of infections and keeps things safe for everyone. You may only need yourself and a secretary for the time being. Once more, you can increase your staff as the appointments get back to normal.
It has been an incredibly difficult time for all dentists during coronavirus. If you’ve not been allowed to work throughout this period, then you probably can’t wait to get started again. Keep an eye out for any news in your country that lets you get back to work. Then, follow these three tips when you re-open.
Three focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and Technology. When you’re first starting out, it can make sense to do everything yourself based upon something like costs for example. Once your business gets big enough though, it may be smart hire professional help. If for example you have a website, you might want to consider hiring a website designer. The following contributed post is entitled, Four Benefits From Hiring A Website Designer.
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With any business, the website is one of the most important things to have, especially when so many of us are now online. It’s good to hire a website designer to make your website really stand out from the crowd and to build the reputation and awareness of your business. Here are four benefits of hiring a website designer.
With a website design, it needs to look the best, and when you’re paying for web designs, it’s better to get one custom-made than buy a pre-made one. The reason why is because that pre-made one is likely going to be used by lots of different individuals and businesses. You also have the issue of it being restrictive in what you might want to achieve with your own website. As much as pre-made versions can be good and more affordable, paying for the services of a Squarespace web designer, for instance, is going to be a lot more effective. You’re going to be able to get a say in all aspects of it, and it’s a design that’s being made from scratch. It’s exclusively yours, and so no one is going to be copying you.
Helps Make It Reliable & Responsive
You want to impress your customers, but you also want to be enticing new customers or those that happen to come across your website. It’s good to have a website that’s reliable and responsive, and that’s something that can be achieved by hiring a website designer. There’s nothing more frustrating than browsing a website that has a lack of functionality to it or broken links, for example. You want every opportunity that a customer or new customer takes to be one that’s enjoyable and easy for them when they hop on to your site.
Saves Time
There’s a lot that as a business, you have to contend with, and design a website isn’t something your design team has time to do. Not only that, but not all businesses will have design teams or experience to take on such a challenge. By having a website designer who can do it for you, it’s taking off some of that pressure and is a good element of the business to outsource. Outsourcing can be a great way to get things done by having to compromise simply because you have got the resources in-house.
Gives You A Competitive Edge
Giving yourself that competitive edge is essential nowadays because there are so many businesses and individuals out there. When it comes to competition, it’s important to be the very best and to remain relevant. By having a website custom-made and tailored to your brand and company, it’s setting you up for success and to stay ahead of the competition too.
Hiring a website designer for your next website revamp is essential and should be something you really consider investing in. The future is definitely online, and so it’s important to make the face of your business that is your website, look the very best it can be.
A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. One of our biggest investments is our primary residence. There are subtle changes we can make to our homes that greatly increase their value and their livability. The following contributed post is entitled, Small Changes To Create A Dramatic Impact.
If you feel your home needs an upgrade without breaking the bank, it can be overwhelming to decide where to start. With this guide, we can show you five easy ways to make a significant impact by changing the smaller details in your home.
Upgrade your plumbing
Upgrade your plumping by switching your plain white pipes to an eye-catching style. Which is popular for many bathroom styles using parts such as sanitary tubing. Many trends include pipes that are visible as you walk into the room to create a feature to the sink and bath area. There are multiple ways to uplift your pipes, but opting for a stainless steel version can be easy to keep clean by leaving a shine. If your home is more of a vintage style, this can be a great option as you could use a different color or texture to adapt to your liking.
Switching your light switches
Small details in your home should not go amiss either, such as your light switches. They are items in your home that get used loads of times throughout the day, yet we forget to modernize them. Rather than a white plastic covering, you could change this to match the metal items in each room, such as door and drawer handles or kitchenware. You could have a different cord on your string lights as well.
Modernize your windows
Grey windows are very popular at the moment as they look cleaner for longer. They also create a modern style for your home from the inside and the outside. If you want to make your home stand out from the rest of the street, then changing the color of your windows can do just that. It is advisable to match the color of your windows to your door or plastic cladding because it brings the whole house together.
Radiator coverings
If you do not like the look of radiators or are living in a smaller house, then looking for a cover for them can transform your space. They often come in various patterns and colors to suit your style as well as hiding any pipes underneath. Many people choose this option to create an extra side to put items such as plants and keys on the top. It can be a quick and easy project and be very useful.
Change your flooring
You could change your flooring by opting for a different texture such as slate, wood, or tile for a dramatic effect. They are hard wearing choices that stay at a high quality for years. If you are not in a situation to change all your furniture, you can change the floor to provide you with the illusion that you have changed more than you have.
Hopefully, with this guide, you will be able to transform your home by changing five small things, such as switching your pipework to bring more of a feature out. Your guests will think you’ve had a full renovation with these small changes.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. If you have green space, it might make the ideal location for your business. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Utilise Your Green Space For Business Success.
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You’ve either chosen to invest in a vacant plot of land or you’ve inherited a plot of land, either way you are most probably feeling unsure about the potential options for utilising that land. Coming into a high-quality piece of land in a great area gives you the opportunity to launch a business from the ground up. It won’t be easy, however if you are serious about making a success of a new venture, then you might want to consider getting creative and coming up with a unique business concept.
The good news is that for a free plot of land, there are plenty of business ideas that you could leverage to build a highly successful brand. In need of a little inspiration? Below are a number of business ideas that should allow you to utilise your green space and craft a business from the ground up.
If your piece of land gets a vast number of passersby, then a good option to consider is to launch a farm shop on the plot of land. There’s a great call for high-quality, luxury farm shops selling local, organic and unique produce, from fruits and vegetables to meats and dairy, and everything in between. You could always opt to start out small with a produce stand or shack, and then as the business grows, move into a larger venue.
Build a golf course
Are you someone who is passionate about sport? If you are, then you might want to consider converting your green space in a beautifully designed golf course. Yes, this would require a lot of hard work, and a lot of investment, but the potential for success is incredible. You would need funds for building the course – you’d need to hire a specialist landscaper, you would need materials funds such as to buy high quality silica sand, for instance, and you would need a strong and well throughout business plan in place.
Create a campsite
Perhaps your plot of vacant land is located in an area that’s popular with tourists, if so then you could consider creating a camp ground. Of course, if you want to create a camping experience that is successful and beats out competitors, you would need to think carefully about the approach that you take. Right now, luxury campsites are extremely popular, as is glamping, so it could be worth investigating what going down this route would cost.
Run summer camps
If you are someone who has experience working with young people, then you might want to consider the idea of running summer camps from your plot of land. Whether it’s a sports-focused summer camp or something more diverse, it doesn’t matter – if you get the design aspect of your summer camp right, you could create a highly successful business. There you have it, a few simple ideas for how you could utilise your plot of green space to launch and run a highly successful business. Take the time to think your options through carefully, and map out your route to success, before you start investing in your business idea.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Business is as much about competition as it is about generating profit. It’s thus important to think out your niche to give yourself the best competitive advantage. The following contributed post is entitled, Finding Your Business Niche in an Increasingly Competitive World.
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When people start businesses, they tend to have a couple of good ideas that tend to fail after a bit of serious thinking. This is fairly normal; it shows that we’re optimistic as entrepreneurs, but it does highlight a fatal flaw in our approach to developing business ideas; they’re simply not realistic. If they are, they demand a lot of money, exposure and time to flourish. Unfortunately, “time” is difficult to gauge when it comes to business success. You could plant the seeds of a promising business idea, only to realize that it grows into a world that no longer needs it.
As such, finding a business niche can be incredibly difficult these days. Trying to apply your set of skills to something unique that draws in customers can be challenging, and there’s often no safety net for you to fall back on when it comes to investing your hard-earned cash into something unknown. So how do you find a niche these days? Or is it better to forever stay in the shadows of a larger business doing something that can guarantee enough success to live off?
This is perhaps the most important question to ask yourself; what do you want from your business? One of the most common answers is money. The other is because you’re passionate about something. Someone might want to start a clothing business because they’ve identified a niche, but in reality, they’re not exactly passionate about it; they’ve just found an opportunity that makes them more money. On the other hand, someone might start a business because they’re truly passionate about a subject, but they ignore the fact that it might be a niche with not enough exposure or active consumers.
So we have to ask the question; what do you really want from your business? Are you willing to do something you’re not passionate about for the money, or are you going to chase your passions and accept the fact you might be making less money than something more generic?
The solution is simple; do what you do passionately and you’ll find a niche
No matter what you want from a business, doing it passionately and reframing your approach is the key to success. If you’re in the business of senior care, then high-quality aged-care refurbishments, vetting and hiring the right employees and taking an active approach to caring for your clients is going to show that you’re passionate. If you’re a fashion company, focusing on things such as sustainable production, low prices and avoiding any morally-questionable activities (such as cheap overseas labor) will reel in the customers and show that you’re truly passionate about the subject.
On the other hand, if your passion is for success and money, then that’s perfectly fine too. Use every strategy that you can to build a large audience, identify opportunities as soon as they appear and optimize your approach to business to feed your hunger.
A key focus of my blog is Financial Literacy/Money. While usually only thought about in terms of moving from one personal residence to another, storage units can actually save you money in other contexts as well. The following contributed post is entitled, Shocking Ways A Storage Unit Can Save You Money.
Not enough storage is the bain of most people’s existence. Homes and offices may be stuffed to the brim with things accumulated overtime or things that are never used. When you realize this cannot go on any longer, you are then left with the heart-wrenching decision to let things go whether you sell them, give them away or throw those things away altogether. That can be tough and extremely time-consuming. Though it is good to go through your stuff on at least an annual bases, it may still be difficult to find space for the things you hold dear and the things you may need in the future. Renting a self-storage unit may be the best way to go.
You may think renting a self-storage unit will be just another added cost that you cannot afford but on the contrary. A storage unit can save you money in a lot of shocking ways.
When Downsizing, A Storage Unit May Be More Cost-Effective
Let’s say you are now an empty-nester or maybe you have had a career change that may require you to downsize. Maybe you are changing your lifestyle and you are downsizing by choice. Either way, it can be crushing to let go of your sentimental items. This is why getting a self-storage unit is a great way to downsize without having to let go of the things you do not necessarily need but want to keep for sentimental value.
Downsizing is a great way to save money because you can save a ton of money on rent, mortgage, maintenance, and heating and cooling by moving into a smaller space. Moving into a smaller space does not mean you will now live a cluttered life. Moving your stuff into a self-storage unit close to your new digs is a great way to let go of your things that simply will not fit into your new place.
Save Money For Your Business By Getting A Storage Unit
Maybe you are a small business owner who is starting to get things off the ground. Maybe your business is expanding and you do not want to uptick your overhead costs just yet. You want to keep the overhead costs down, but you do not want to compromise. This is where getting a storage unit can come in handy and save you money. Off-site storage units give you the flexibility to store your business’s surplus of inventory or supplies without having to physically expand to a bigger location.
Getting A Storage Unit Can Mitigate Moving Costs
Instead of doing the move all at once, making multiple trips and spending money on gas or hiring a professional moving company, you can get a storage unit. This option allows the move to be less encompassing and making it easier for you to complete on your own or with a few friends. It also provides you with the opportunity to do the move at your own pace.
Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. A business sector that will likely endure is the construction sector. A with any business though, you have to have a strategy for growth. The following contributed post is entitled, Smart Strategies to Grow Your Construction Business.
Do you want to expand your existing construction business or get through the first year of the new operation? If you’re not sure quite where to start, these strategies are ones to consider:
Create a Client Prospect List
Let’s say that someone calls your business asking for a quote. Ask for their contact details, including their name and their preferred method of contact, such as email or phone.
Add them to your list of prospects, along with setting up an email list on your website. At the same time, put a contact form on your list so that it’s easy for people to reach you. Also, when you are networking at events, ask those who you speak with if you add them to your email list.
Then, send weekly updates of value to the list, such as industry news or an award your company recently earned. Customize messages and offers, as appropriate, all with the strategy to build long-term relationships that can increase sales over time.
Finance Equipment
The right equipment is essential to the growth of your business, but you might not be at a point yet where you can afford to purchase new or upgrade the existing equipment. In this case, equipment financing can be a great way to stay competitive in your industry, whether you need bulldozers, forklifts, tractors, or other type of gear.
If you decide to buy used heavy equipment, ensure it has clear title, and test and inspect it before purchase, if possible, to ensure it’s in good condition. Get heavy equipment keys and key sets for OEM and aftermarket ignitions from a reputable seller too.
Strengthen Your Website
Take a serious look at your website. Is it responsive (mobile-friendly), and does it have an intuitive design? If not, then it’s time for an update.
Also, make sure that you have photos of completed construction projects you have completed on the website to showcase your team’s abilities. Photographs can often be more powerful than words. Make sure too that your site indicates clearly how to contact you and what is the best way to place an order so that the visitor can take that initial step.
Call Monitoring
By looking at the inbound and outbound calls your employees are making, you can boost customer levels dramatically. Call recordings can indicate where you need to invest in staff training to get more leads, as well as how to grow your repeat customer rates.
Of course, always be transparent with your team that calls are monitored and have them explain that at the start of any phone conversations. Call monitoring can help strengthen relationships with customers.
You might see more up-selling successes down the road, too, as you build brand loyalty. If sales training courses are needed, it is well worth the investment.
Growing Your Construction Company
From improving client communication to building a stronger online presence, your construction business now has insights into ways to grow and evolve. Now you have to create a business plan that details what steps you will take and when so that you stay on track. Wishing you all the best with your organization.
