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How to Make a More Environmentally Friendly Budget

If you are one of those people who are diligent about their monthly budget and enjoys finding ways to improve and perfect it, consider taking a more green approach to what and how you spend as well. There are ways to control your spending and its effects on the environment that won’t add significant costs to your life. With that in mind, below are some ways to make a more environmentally friendly budget. 

Choose a Greener Bank

One of the first things you can do to help improve the environmental friendliness of what you budget and spend is to be more selective with your banking. We are starting to witness a push from the corporate sector (banks included) to be more conscious of how they invest and spend their money. There are some banks that are choosing to channel their considerable funds away from and out of carbon-intensive industries like fossil fuels. Since your money is what the bank uses to make its money, by opting for a greener bank, you can amplify the impact of your spending by leveraging the institutional power of the bank. 

Incorporate Second-Hand Purchases

Buying second-hand is something you can choose to do for a variety of reasons. You might like the vintage aesthetic; you might be looking to save money, or you could be simply trying to cut down on the number of new products you are responsible for creating.

Every time you purchase a new phone instead of a refurbished one or new clothing instead of ones from a second-hand store or website, you are prompting more creation of those products. If you have a disposable income component of your budget that you spend on new consumer goods every month, consider shifting some or all of it over to second-hand purchases. 

Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies might not be that significant to your overall budget, but they add up, and there are some ways of cleaning that are more environmentally friendly than others. There are plenty of DIY cleaning supplies you can make on your own that will cut down on the amount of noxious and harmful chemicals you release back into the environment, from all-purpose cleaner to grease, brass and glass cleaner.

All of the bottles under your sinks could be easily and cheaply replaced by much gentler DIY products that will be better for you and your family, as well as the environment. 

Do More Food Supply Chain Research

The food you choose to eat will dictate a significant portion of your overall carbon footprint. Red meat, dairy products and processed foods, in particular, all come with hefty environmental costs. What it comes down to, in many cases, is the supply chain for each final product.

How were the ingredients sourced? What kind of forestry, fishing, or agricultural practices were involved? Different companies and food products take different approaches to harvesting raw materials, purchasing, managing land, controlling emissions, etcetera and almost all of this information is discoverable online. If you can audit the food you eat in this way, you can make more environmentally conscious food choices. 

Conclusion 

Many people are apathetic when greening their budget because they either don’t know where to start or feel that they are up against such tremendous industrial forces working against them that their actions are largely symbolic.

If everyone chose to do one or all of the above, however, the aggregate impact would not be insignificant, however. What’s more, by setting an example for your friends and family and by being more demanding of the kinds of goods and services you use, you use your purchasing power to pressure the market into changing. 

The post How to Make a More Environmentally Friendly Budget first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/at-work/how-to-make-a-more-environmentally-friendly-budget/

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Captain Jako Hall Shares 7 Tips to Help You Improve Your Language Skills on Vacation

It’s always a great idea to learn a new language when travelling to a new country. It helps you get acclimated with the local culture before you even go and makes it easier to get around and seek assistance from locals once you’re there.

Many people will try to learn a new language by taking a course or reading a book, but experienced captain Jako Hall says there are better ways. There are many fun ways you can learn a new language once you arrive in the country.

Here are seven valuable tips for improving your language skills while you are on vacation.

Tip #1. Be Social

Restaurant and bar staff are a very good place to start developing the transactional basics of any language.  You also get to practice your “please” and “thank you’s” and your basic greetings.

Tip #2. Take a Class at a Library

Local libraries will often hold classes or workshops. This is a great place to practice your language skills, as they will be held in the local language.

Not only will the people there be very willing to work with you on language skills, but they’ll also help you learn some local dialect and lingo, too.

Tip #3. See a Movie

Watching movies in a foreign language can be a great way to learn new lingo. If you watch them at home, though, they will likely have subtitles.

Captain Jako Hall says you can remove this safety net by going to a local movie theatre. There, you can see regional movies in the local language without the subtitles, forcing you to follow along.

Tip #4. Get Your Hair Cut

The best way to dive headfirst into the local language is to go somewhere that people will be talking — a lot. And a hair salon or local barbershop is an excellent place for that.

You can enter and tell them that you’re a foreigner learning the language and see if you can practice your skills while you get your haircut. The hairdresser might find it a fun topic to talk about that is much different than what they’re used to.

Tip #5. Take a Walking Tour

A great way to learn about a new place is to take a guided walking tour. There are many options available in most major cities across the world.

Instead of opting for a walking tour in your language, opt for one in the local language. This will help you work on your language skills as you walk around on vacation. Many of these tours are free, too, which is a nice side benefit.

Tip #6. Go to Local Places

Many of the major cities in the world speak English. This can make it hard to learn the local language, as people often want to talk to you in English.

You can avoid this by staying away from the main places and venturing off the beaten path. Do your research and figure out where the locals go. Then, go there yourself. It’s a great way to experience local culture, too.

Tip #7. Visit a Coffee Shop

Another place where you can meet a lot of local people is at a small coffee shop. Go there for the experience, and relax and listen. Then, if you’re feeling up to it, approach some people and try talking to them in the local language.

About Captain Jako Hall

Captain Jako Hall is an experienced mariner and a former naval officer known for his strong work ethic and ability to lead and motivate crews. He pursued Maritime Studies at the University of Technology in Cape Town and has received the highest level of training in Navigation and Seamanship during his years in the Navy. After 13 distinguished years in the Navy, Jako joined the superyacht industry, following his passion for creating unique and exclusive experiences for high-net-worth clients. He’s managed multi-million euro projects that required attention to detail and efficiency and has a proven track record of operating at sea in remote and unsupported areas.

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Thinking of Building a Website? The Top 3 Platforms for Beginners

It feels like just about everyone has a website nowadays, and rightly so. For businesses, they’re a complete no-brainer, especially the small and medium varieties. Gone are the days of sites being optional. A business without a website may as well not exist in the eyes of some prospective customers, and it’s a missed opportunity in terms of market penetration.

Websites aren’t just for businesses either. You might want an online presence to share things with friends and family or have a side hustle in mind. Websites aren’t the only options in these cases, but they’re the ideal complement to social accounts and other online activities.

There are plenty of people out there that are more than happy to help put a website together for you – for a price. However, while custom design and unique code can get expensive, such investments can be overkill for people and businesses alike. There are tools and services out there that can make putting together an excellent site a breeze.

Crucially, you don’t have to sacrifice visuals or functionality when you make your own site, even if you’ve never done so before. Sure, it won’t be completely unique, as you’ll be relying heavily on templates and plugins. However, emulating successful sites doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Most web designers reuse items all the time!

You could have a site for yourself, your business, or anything else that comes to mind up and running in just a few hours if you take the time to familiarize yourself with these great platforms.

1. WordPress

WordPress isn’t the most straightforward tool on this list, but we’ve chosen to start with the resource that can provide the best return on investment. Thanks to templates and page builders, you can get a great-looking WordPress website off the ground quickly for any purpose.

However, what makes WordPress stand out is its unlimited potential. You might just want to create one website and never even think about another. However, building sites can become addictive, and the sky’s the limit on this platform. Many agree – an estimated 40% of all websites rely on the power of WordPress.

You can genuinely use WordPress for just about anything, and it lends itself particularly well to information-driven sites. From simple sites that reach their goals with just a single page to massive publications like BBC America and The New Yorker, WordPress can make it happen.

2. Wix

While WordPress is packed with potential, it does involve a fairly steep learning curve. Of the hours spent getting a site online, the first couple will often be spent getting to grips with the basics of the platform.

For those that want to skip that curve and get straight to the design stage, Wix is the ideal choice. Even if you’ve never thought about building a site before, you’ve probably heard of the brand, as they’re never shy about marketing their admittedly outstanding site-building solution.

Sites are hosted by the company itself, cutting costs in the process, and there are hundreds of templates to choose from. The Wix ecosystem isn’t as open as the WordPress equivalent, so there aren’t as many different themes, widgets, and tools here. However, they’re all designed to work perfectly with each other, which beginner designers love to hear.

There are over 350,000 sites on the platform, and it’s so beginner-friendly that it’s virtually impossible to create anything but great-looking, functional sites.

3. HubSpot CMS

If you have even a passing interest in online marketing, there’s every chance you’re familiar with the HubSpot brand. Most people are aware of their various customer acquisition and management tools, but comparatively few know that they also boast their own content management system.

Now, the HubSpot CMS isn’t for everyone. It involves a similar learning curve to WordPress but in a relatively closed system. However, if the goal of your website is for it to be seen by as many people as possible, there’s a lot to explore.

What HubSpot does incredibly well is ensuring that every tool and service they offer operates seamlessly with everything else. So if you use their marketing tools, CRM system, or anything else, their website builder is fantastic. It integrates with your marketing data and other tools to give your site the best possible chance of being found.

Bonus Builder for Online Stores – Shopify

If you want to sell online with an online store, your site deserves a specialist setup, and they don’t get any better than Shopify. Of course, it’s possible to add stores onto sites on other platforms – there’s the famous WordPress and WooCommerce combo, for example. However, if online sales are the priority, Shopify can be the answer.

Like each of these platforms, you’ll need minimal technical expertise to get online, if any. They also take care of many hurdles amateur site builders face, such as hosting and domains.

While eCommerce is front and center, there’s no need to compromise on other areas of the site. For example, your Shopify site can display blog posts, capture email addresses and integrate with social media.

Summing Up  

Most designers won’t appreciate us saying it, but you don’t have to spend a fortune for a functional, visually impressive web presence. As long as you can find a couple of spare hours to get things going, you’ll have something to be proud of, no matter the purpose.

WordPress is the ideal choice if you want site-building without limits and you’re happy to put in the work. If you’re more concerned with getting a site online quickly and with minimal fuss, Wix is well worth a closer look.

For more sales and with business growth in mind, HubSpot CRM fits the bill, and if you’re all about selling products to a potentially global audience, our bonus pick Shopify won’t disappoint.

There are hundreds of ways to build a site. Some people still prefer to code their websites from scratch. There’s nothing at all wrong with that, especially in pursuit of unique results. However, if building a site is one of many tasks on the to-do list and time is of the essence, the options outlined above make life more straightforward than you might have ever considered.

The post Thinking of Building a Website? The Top 3 Platforms for Beginners first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/how-to-make-a-website/thinking-of-building-a-website-the-top-3-platforms-for-beginners/

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8 Tips for Your Ultimate Branson Vacation

Some people have never heard of Branson, or don’t know how popular it is. Branson is a tourist destination that’s often more affordable than some other well-known vacation spots. It’s a place for families to reconnect and have a good time seeing one of the shows or eating at some of the affordable restaurants.

There’s a lot to like about Branson, from the dozens of shows to the camping opportunities to the holiday-themed events if you’re there at the proper time of year. If you plan to take a trip to Branson soon, you’ll want to read our guide. We’ve compiled this handy list of eight of the best tips that should prepare you for an unforgettable adventure in America’s heartland.

Get Show Tickets in Advance

There are Branson attractions like Silver Dollar City that families seem to love. Silver Dollar City is a theme park attraction with some excellent roller coasters and classic food choices. Their Harvest Festival Pumpkin Nights during the fall are one of the best things you might choose to do in this entertainment mecca.

There are also some very popular shows, though, and you really haven’t experienced Branson until you’ve attended some of them. There are Dolly Parton-themed ones, there’s one with the comic Yakov Smirnoff, and there are ones with magic and live horses.

If you want to go to some of these shows, though, it’s probably best that you buy your tickets before you ever get to town. You can do that online, either on a venue’s website, or else you can find sites where you can buy tickets to multiple Branson shows at once.

It’s sensible to do this because if you get to town and want to see a particular show, it can sell out. Sellout shows are common at certain times of the year, like summer, autumn right around Halloween, and also Christmas when there are several holiday-themed extravaganzas.

Decide What Transportation Method Makes the Most Sense

Since the pandemic began, some people worry about certain travel options. You can fly to Branson if you like, but if you do, you will have to be on an airplane, probably with many other individuals.

Maybe you’ve vaccinated yourself, and the airline will require you to wear a mask. Still, you might feel nervous about being in such close proximity to people who you don’t know from all over the country.

If you have an immunocompromised condition, flying will probably not sound all that great to you.

If so, you may decide that driving makes more sense. If you don’t live all that far away from Branson, the whole family can pile into the car and perhaps get there in 1-2 days.

Driving means you don’t have to wear masks, which is nice. It will also probably be cheaper than flying, perhaps by thousands of dollars.

One drawback is that you might not like driving all that much, especially with multiple kids in the back seat singing songs or bickering the whole time. Thinking about that might be enough for you to decide flying is the superior option. You’ll have to take some time to think it over and talk to the other adults going on the trip.

Pack Everything You Think You’ll Need for This Adventure

You should also make sure you bring along everything you think you will need to enjoy Branson fully. That means taking along things like your pajamas, clothing for each day, sunscreen if it’s the hot time of the year, enough cash, your credit cards, etc.

You might want to look into the best travel toiletry bags or maybe bug spray if you know you’ll be there during the mosquito season. The more things you can think of that you can take with you, the better off you should be. If you forget to bring along some of the essentials, you will have to buy them while you are there, and just about everything costs a little more in Branson since it is a tourist area.

Decide Whether You Want Luxury or a More Rustic Experience

One thing that’s so nice about Branson is that you can have many different experiences while you’re there, depending on what you prioritize most and how much money you’re willing to spend. If you choose to rough it, there are cabins you can rent that approximate camping out. You can even bring some tents and sleeping bags and have the most rustic experience possible since there are all also campsites you can rent.

This might appeal if you like the idea of sitting around a campfire and roasting some hot dogs or marshmallows at night. You can point out the constellations, tell scary stories, and bond with your kids that way.

Maybe you’d prefer a luxurious hotel stay. That is possible in Branson as well. There are some five-star hotels where you can get a massage and facial in the spa. You can order room service and watch movies in bed all day long if that’s what appeals most to you.

Plan Out Your Days Before You Plunge Right into Them

It’s probably smart to look at some of the things you can do in Branson before you go. We’ve talked about buying tickets, but you can also look at what’s around you depending on where in town you are. There are certain attractions by the hotels, and others by the campsites.

You might loosely plan out each day in Branson before you get there. That way, you can be sure you won’t miss any of the things you most want to do.

You might talk to each family member who’s going on this trip and get an idea of what they’d like to do. Probably each child and adult will have some items on their wish list, and you might plan a day around what each person likes. That could mean a horse-themed show, a spa day, a fancy dinner, or any of the other enticing Branson attractions.

Tell Your Credit Card Companies You’re Going on Vacation

Before heading off to Branson for a few days, it’s a wise idea to contact your credit card companies to tell them about your plans. There are often service numbers you can call to talk to an Amex or Visa representative, or you can speak to them via online chatting as well.

You want to tell them you’re going out of town because if you don’t, they might find it suspicious if you start charging lots of items from a location that is not your hometown. The credit card companies won’t know for sure that someone has stolen your card, but they might worry that’s the case and flag some of your purchases. Telling them you’re going on vacation should stop that from happening.

Figure Out What to Do with Your House and Pets

Maybe you have pets like a dog, cat, or fish. If so, you will need to figure out what to do with them while you go out of town.

You might get a trusted neighbor or friend to watch a cat or fish. They are fairly self-reliant animals. All someone would likely have to do is go over and feed them and make sure they’re happy and healthy.

If you own a dog, you may need to board them if you go to Branson. Dogs need a lot more attention, and if you have a trusted kennel you’ve used before, you can put them there. The attendants can walk them, and they can play with the other dogs during the days. That should keep them content, well-fed, and safely occupied until you get back.

Figure Out What to Do About the Mail and Other Household Considerations

The one other thing you should do before you’re off to Branson is to at least think about shutting down your postal service for a few days. You might also ask if a neighbor can grab your mail and hold it for you until you get back. That all depends on whether you have a good relationship with your neighbors or not.

You might also set automatic timers on your lights, both inside and outside the house. They can come on at random times or at night when it gets dark. Doing that can deter burglars, and if you live in a high-crime area, you’ll want to think about that.

Branson can be a trip that brings the family together, and that’s important right now. Many individuals report feeling higher stress levels because of the pandemic, financial concerns, and so forth. If you can afford a trip, spending some time with the family and getting away from your usual environment might make all of you feel better.

Branson is an excellent pick because it’s where you can have some lighthearted family fun, and you also won’t spend nearly as much there as you might going by to a place like New York or Los Angeles.

The post 8 Tips for Your Ultimate Branson Vacation first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/vacations/8-tips-for-your-ultimate-branson-vacation/

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5 Tips for Running a Successful Blog That People Follow and Read

A lot of people are interested in learning how to blog. But blogging isn’t as simple as everyone thinks it is, whether you’re doing it for fun or for a living. If you want to make a significant impact on the world of blogging, you’ll need to follow a few guidelines and tips.

Raising your own blog from the ground up might be intimidating, but if you remember the following tips, you’ll be up and running in no time. 

On the other hand, you can always buy a blog that has an already established base of visitors. In that case, you will already have a fountain for success.

However, if you want to do it on your own, keep on reading.

Find the right audience for your blog

You must first determine who you are selling to before you can learn how to market your blog. Before you begin using these methods, you must first identify your target audience.

Look at your social media pages for a start. People spend at least 144 minutes per day on social media. And with COVID-19 and shutdowns, that number has only increased.

Furthermore, social media is a great way to learn about people’s hobbies, beliefs, demographics, and other information that will help you market your blog.

You should also look for your loyal followers on various discussion forums. You may find discussion forums in almost any niche you can think of. 

A great benefit of this is that when you’re on these types of highly targeted sites, you don’t have to trawl through millions of people to locate someone who is interested in your blog niche. Rather, these sites gather groups of people who are passionate about the same subjects as you.

Select the right platform for your blog

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Many people begin by using popular free blogging sites such as Blogger or Medium. However, these systems have limitations. If you’re serious about blogging, you don’t want to waste your time there.

To begin, you must adhere to these platforms’ terms and conditions, and they reserve the right to terminate your blog at any time. There’s also no guarantee that you’ll be able to export your content if your blog is shut down.

You can only use the few functionalities available on their platform. Furthermore, the majority of free sites also prevent you from earning money through blogging.

On the other hand, WordPress gives you complete control over your blog. If you decide to give it a go, you’ll see that you can add features, earn money, and do whatever you want with your blog.

Use social media to boost visibility

To boost your blog traffic, you need to consider using social media networks the right way.

First, you should start a Twitter page. Start following bloggers in your niche and slowly start posting and interacting with other users there.

You also need to have a Facebook page for your blog. This will provide an additional subscription option for Facebook users.

You should also invest your time and efforts into Instagram marketing, especially if your niche can benefit from visuals.

If handling all of these on your own sounds a bit intimidating, you can always look for a good agency to help you out. You should find a business that can provide you with organic growth, such as Path Social or other similar agencies. However, make sure to check Path Social reviews before you decide to work with them to learn more about how they can assist you.

Become a guest blogger

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

Guest blogging is one of the most effective web marketing tactics available. So why not start providing content to other blogs connected to your market or specialty if you want to spread your brand’s message and get the trust of your target audience?

Contributing to other blogs should excite your audience’s interest regardless of whether you receive a connection to your own website. If you create a high-quality piece of content, traffic will begin to flow to your site as soon as it is published.

Every blog relies on web traffic to survive. And if done correctly, even something as basic as a guest article has the potential to result in new loyal audience members.

Learn something from your rivals

Once you have a good understanding of your target market, the next step is to look into your competition, especially if they’re already well-known in your sector.

What does your competition in your market already offer, and how can you either provide more value or offer a unique twist that will appeal to a certain portion of the audience you want to reach?

Answer these questions:

How is your rival marketing their blog articles?

What can you learn from their social media pages, newsletters, and other communication channels?

What kind of content performs best for your rivals?

These tips are incredibly useful as you can never know when you will get a good idea for your own blog while going through a rival’s blog articles.

Final thoughts

Produce quality content, learn how to market it effectively, and keep an eye on your rivals. These and other tips you have just gone through need to be a part of your core blog marketing strategy if you want to succeed.

The post 5 Tips for Running a Successful Blog That People Follow and Read first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/content-marketing/5-tips-for-running-a-successful-blog-that-people-follow-and-read/

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5 Ways To Reduce The Juvenile Crime Problem

Evidence suggests that effective interventions in at-risk teens can get them back on track and help prevent a life of crime and incarceration. By following the tips outlined here, stakeholders can promote positive behavior changes in youth.

Encourage Positive Behavior

Many psychologists say that offering incentives for positive behavior is essential for changing juvenile behavior because they teach teenagers to try and stick with desirable behaviors.

On the other hand, punishing young people for bad behavior may reduce adverse conduct. However, the negative behavior may not be replaced with positive actions, which need to be modeled consistently for long-term results.

This theory is backed by government research that suggests that young people on probation are more responsive to rewards for good behavior than punishments. Thus, the focus on incentives for good behavior is the primary way youth can avoid activities that lead to criminal charges and the need for a criminal defense attorney and law enforcement involvement.

Promote Maturity

Juvenile activity programs that encourage maturation by encouraging intellectual development often lower recidivism rates substantially.

But interventions that focus on discipline and punishment may encourage young people to commit more crimes. Also, law enforcement actions that focus on surveillance have little effect and may promote recidivism.

Focus On Youth Development

Research also shows that focusing on positive youth development in at-risk communities can promote the needs of young people who may be more likely to commit crimes.

Positive youth development typically centers on these areas:

Employment

Personal relationships

Education

Health

Community

Creativity

When youth development programs help youth in these domains, it’s more likely there will be positive results.

Home Visitation With Single Mothers

Some interventions start long before teens get in trouble. There are programs where nurses and social workers visit single mothers with low income in their sixth month of pregnancy and beyond that center on the mother and child’s health.

These visits also support the mother’s relationships with family and ensure that she enrolls in relevant social service programs.

Follow-up studies show that mothers and children in this program had a 55% lower chance of being arrested. There also was an 80% lower rate of child abuse and a 56% lower risk of child runaways.

Bully Prevention

Bully prevention programs in junior high school are effective, too. Such programs focus on the children engaging in bullying and those that are victimized most often.

Teachers and administrative staff learn about when and how bullying happens at the school. Then, class rules are established, and discussions are held that prevent bullying from occurring again.

These programs create a more positive and safer school environment that prevents young people from turning to crime later.

When Do Juvenile Crimes Occur?

When parents, teachers, and other stakeholders employ the methods above, there is a better chance that teenagers will stay on the straight and narrow and avoid trouble.

Following these guidelines is essential because data show that juvenile crime most often happens between 2-6 pm after school. Reports also indicate that about 25% of teen crime happens during this time, and the most frequent offenses are theft, assault, and drug-related crimes.

Further, it’s estimated approximately 11 million children and teenagers are home after school without adult supervision. Inadequate adult guidance indeed leads to more youth crime, but another program is simple boredom.

Surveys done in the early 2000s suggest that bored teenagers are more likely to engage in negative behaviors.

But the good news is many of these problems can be avoided when there are enough interventions for at-risk young people.

Hopefully, more responsible adults, including families, parents, and teachers, will continue to provide these programs to reduce the juvenile crime problem.

The post 5 Ways To Reduce The Juvenile Crime Problem first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/law-and-order/5-ways-to-reduce-the-juvenile-crime-problem/

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Better Than All the Rest? Hand Sanitizing Agents Aren’t Created Equal

The demand for hand sanitizing products has gone through the roof since the pandemic and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. However, as people stockpile these agents, they are making a grave mistake. Not all of these products are created equal. 

While some brands do produce medical-grade options, there are just as many that don’t have enough potency to get rid of the threat of the virus. Here is a closer look at the situation: 

Consider the Main Ingredient 

Believe it or not, the base ingredient in sanitizers isn’t the same. As a result, not each of the brands are equally as effective at getting rid of bacteria. This is why you should stick to brands that use alcohol. In particular, the brands should add either ethyl or isopropyl alcohol to their formula as this is most effective at killing bacteria. 

Now, the one ingredient that you should steer clear of at all costs is methanol. To begin with, methanol is useless against bacteria. To make matters worse, it can also be rather harmful to people when absorbed through the skin. So, if you see this ingredient on the back of a bottle, it is best to give it a miss. 

Identify the Potency 

The other thing to pay attention to is the level of alcohol in the product. Lower concentrations have little to no impact on bacteria. Therefore, it doesn’t matter how much you use, it simply won’t have the intended effect. For a product to be effective, it needs to contain at least 62% of alcohol. 

Of course, this is the bare minimum. You will be far better off looking for products on Germs Be Gone Online, as these have 75% alcohol content. As such, they are more than capable of getting rid of most harmful microbes. 

Stick to Fragrance Free Options 

There is no denying that the regular sanitizing agents can be quite overpowering to the senses. Due to this, it can be tempting to pick up the scented options instead. However, it is a good idea to steer clear of these if possible. 

While the fragrance doesn’t have any negative impact, it can make you more prone to irritation. Bear in mind, that the alcohol in the product can dry your hands out. Adding fragrance to the formula can cause even more dryness or an allergic reaction. 

Be Mindful of Widespread Limitations 

At the end of the day, all brands have their limitations. This is simply because there isn’t any product out there that can protect you from bacteria 24 hours a day. The only way to remain safe is to reapply the sanitizing agent whenever you touch a surface or come into contact with another person. After the product has dried off your hands, it ceases to be as effective. 

These are the top things that you should know about how to find out which sanitizing products are superior. Now that you have your answers, you will find it far easier to select the product that will keep you safe.

The post Better Than All the Rest? Hand Sanitizing Agents Aren’t Created Equal first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/health-and-wellness/better-than-all-the-rest-hand-sanitizing-agents-arent-created-equal/

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Dealing with Angry Customers: How to Keep Them Calm and Happy

Building meaningful customer experiences is what every business strives for. Putting them first and keeping them happy is important, but it’s never easy. In the digital age, customer expectations are higher than ever. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to keep them happy, many things can happen when customers order online.

From delayed deliveries, complaints, and damaged products, these are just some things retailers face when running an online business. Whatever industry you’re in, chances are, you have encountered a handful of irate customers. Their high expectations make them simply hard to deal with. This happens if a customer wants to return a product after a perceived issue.

To make the return process easy, companies turn to reverse logistics systems, such as a FedEx return manager, to promote a convenient return shipping experience both for the company and customers. Customer complaints aren’t a bad thing. They offer the opportunity to learn and turn a bad situation into something positive, especially if you know how to provide a meaningful customer experience. With this in mind, we’ll talk about ways to deal with angry customers and the best practices to keep them satisfied.

Employ reflective listening

Nothing feels better when you hear someone say “I understand” when you feel upset. The same goes for when dealing with customers. Sometimes agents tend to be defensive once the customer begins to rant about their frustrations. While it’s understandable that your first reaction is to defend your business, taking the defensive side immediately is a sure way to spark an even bigger argument. In this case, it’s important to practice active listening to understand what the customer is saying by studying their words and body language.

From there, this will help you craft a more meaningful response, depending on the feelings and thoughts you heard from the customer. After you have completely understood their point of view, move forward. Otherwise, ask them to further explain what happened to understand their situation better and determine the right response to the issue. In other words, your goal is to make them feel valued and heard. According to the Harvard Business Review, customers prefer to feel understood and heard when dealing with front-line employees. What fuels their rage is when they spend so much time discussing their issue and getting no assistance in return. Thus, it’s important to train agents to allow customers to air their grievances before solving the problem.

Stay calm at all times

The saying “The customer is always right” might still ring true. The profitability and reputation of your business still lie to your customers. That’s why there are many things to lose if you choose to stoop down to their level. Treating them with disrespect and disdain will reflect not only on the agent but also the company. When talking to an angry customer, we may feel tempted to match the level of their tone. But high tensions and snappy comments make someone look defensive. To avoid this, reverse the situation by encouraging the customer to mirror your action by staying calm. This promotes a more meaningful conversation if you choose to maintain a calmer tone. In psychological terms, people tend to mirror someone’s emotional signals. If you’re talking to the customer over the phone, smiling will reflect on the tone of voice, even if they cannot see you. Keeping your tone at a moderate level will also encourage the person to lower their volume and pitch as well.

Appeal to them by building trust

An angry customer’s trust in the business has likely been severely damaged, so it’s important to restore that trust as you move forward. The good thing is, it’s never too late to repair that relationship. The secret lies in showing you care and truly understand their frustration. Be transparent and honest with the client. Take responsibility and completely own that fault. Another great tip is to add personality to show how you empathize with the customer. Use positive scripting, such as “definitely,” “certainly,” and “absolutely,” to let the customer know how you’re willing to help them solve the problem. Positive phrases will also prevent the customer and the agent from responding aggressively. For example, tell them how the company will respond to their problem and offer helpful suggestions. Offering feasible solutions will help the customer and agent arrive at a meaningful agreement. Dealing with angry clients isn’t always the worst thing. There are plenty of ways to turn the situation around and leave them feeling satisfied.

The key is to listen to them and treat them with empathy, patient, and respect. But if the situation is becoming abusive, always think of your employees’ well-being and help manage their emotions when talking to difficult customers. 

Meta title: Three Ways to Deal with Angry and Difficult Customers meta desc: Dealing with angry customers isn’t always a bad thing for a business. Learn ways of taking control of the situation without ruining the company’s reputation.

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6 Ways to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

Since the COVID-19 global pandemic, more individuals have lost their jobs and had to start thinking outside of the box. They’ve turned their passions and hobbies into full-time jobs or have looked into alternative investment strategies to finally become their own boss.

If you want to thrive as a successful entrepreneur, here are six ways to get started.

Invest In Real Estate

Real estate has become one of the most lucrative means of making passive income while working to become your own boss. You can very easily become an entrepreneur by investing in rental properties or commercial real estate.

Whether you are looking to put your money to work or are wanting to start your own Airbnb, there are a plethora of real estate options that could easily be lucrative. If you are ready to take the plunge, it would be worth speaking with a commercial property management company or a realtor for residential properties to provide you with the best path to achieving the highest profits.

Use Your Experience As a Content Writer

Regardless of what field you have worked in, there is a space for you as a content writer. Companies around the world are looking for people who have knowledge in various areas to be able to share their wisdom with their audience.

If you have previous experience working in the world of insurance, there are businesses that need someone to generate content for their website, social media, and email campaigns to tailor to their audience. Maybe you have worked in the field of marketing or public relations. Without a doubt, there are companies out there looking to have your advice and expertise shared with their audience.

Dial-In On a Craft

Do you have a craft or side hobby that you thoroughly enjoy doing? Chances are, there’s a market for it where you could start your own business. Especially during the pandemic where people had more time on their hands, people spent more time on their woodworking, soap making, or quilting.

You may not have considered your hobby to be a lucrative means of starting your own company or becoming a successful entrepreneur. But with the right business plan and strategy, you would be pleasantly surprised at how successful you could be. This is especially true if you are able to sell your products online.

Put Your Car To Work

Becoming your own boss doesn’t necessarily mean you have to start your own business entirely. If you have a car and smartphone, you could very well become a driver for one of the popular rideshare options like Lyft or Uber. You are able to set your own hours and can make as little or as much money as you want.

If you don’t want to be a driver, you can still put your car to work without ever having to get behind the wheel. Apps such as Turo allow you to rent your car to anyone who uses the app. It’s a great alternative for people who want to rent cars but aren’t wanting to pay the price of a major rental company. Plus, it puts extra money in your pocket.

Become a Consultant

Just like sharing your expertise through content writing, you can also take your knowledge towards the route of consulting. Starting your own consulting business could allow you to work with other businesses and individuals that are in need of the experience you already have.

For example, if you have several years of being a manager of a large team, you could offer leadership training to businesses around the country. Or perhaps you have previous social media knowledge. You could offer consulting services to small businesses or other entrepreneurs looking to reach a larger audience and generate more sales.

Try Stock Imagery and Videography

Did you know that you can be paid for your photography and videography skills? Maybe you aren’t wanting to start your own photography business, but you can still take the content you have created and have it start making cash flow.

Stock websites allow you to upload your content and get paid every time someone downloads one of your photos or videos. The more downloads, the more money you make. This type of work depends on how much content you are uploading along with how often you are adding to your stock imagery or video portfolio. But if you have a plethora of photos sitting on your desktop, it might be worth seeing how much passive income you could be making.

Summary

Becoming your own boss isn’t an easy task. It requires time, patience, and sometimes a monetary investment to get started. But once you have narrowed down your niche, you can start making a plan and taking action towards a life of financial freedom as an entrepreneur.

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How to Prepare for an Attic Renovation

There are many good reasons to consider renovating an attic. You might be interested in adding an extra bedroom to your home, creating a playroom for the kids, improving the resale value of your property, or just enjoying some extra space. There’s plenty of room for creativity in attic renovations, so the only limit is your own imagination.

However, if you want your attic renovation to go smoothly, and you want the upgrade to be cost efficient, you’ll need to appropriately prepare.

Evaluate Your Goals

Before you do anything else, take the time to evaluate your goals. Most people renovating an attic are looking for some combination of the following:

More living space. Nearly all attic renovations will be designed to give the property more living space. You can use that living space in a variety of ways, but the point is, people will be occupying the space frequently.

A segmented living area. Some people want to create a totally segmented living area, possibly complete with a bathroom and mini kitchen. This is especially valuable if you’re creating a separate apartment or unit to rent.

Niche utility. You may have specific plans for your attic, such as using it as a game room or a playroom. If this is the case, you’ll have specific goals in mind throughout the renovation process.

Higher resale value. Renovating the attic can have a decent return on investment (ROI). You won’t add more value to your home than you spend on the renovation (in most cases), but under the right conditions, you can make most of your money back.

A low barrier to entry. You might also be looking for a low barrier to entry. For example, you might want to renovate the attic while spending as little as possible, or investing the fewest hours possible.

Which of these goals is most important to you? Where do your priorities fall? Once you have a better idea, you’ll be equipped to make better decisions throughout the attic renovation process.

Understand Laws, Codes, and Safety

Next, it’s important to understand any laws or codes that apply to your living area. Your friend with a bit of handyman experience may have the skill necessary to install an electrical outlet – but they may not be familiar with local codes that dictate how those outlets must be installed.

Safety should be one of your top priorities, especially if you and your family are going to be using this space regularly. Accordingly, you shouldn’t cut corners or ignore regulations just because it’s cheap or convenient.

Make Plans for Insulation

One of the biggest problems with unfinished attics is that they tend to be poorly insulated, and therefore more vulnerable to extreme temperatures. Bright sunlight in summer can turn an attic into a veritable greenhouse, baking whoever has the misfortune of occupying it. You can combat this while finishing the attic by investing in the best insulation you can afford. Sealing gaps and spraying insulation can instantly make the environment more habitable.

Plan for Space Efficiency

Some attics have peculiar shapes that make them difficult to use as living spaces. For example, if you have a gable roof (shaped as an inverted V), you’re going to have a sloped interior ceiling. This can make it difficult to walk around and make full use of the space that’s available. Some attic renovators take advantage of this by closing off the corners and turning the areas with low ceilings into storage areas. Shelves, cupboards, and other additions can help you maximize the value of the space – without interfering with the high-ceiling, maneuverable areas.

Estimate Costs Conservatively

No matter how you choose to execute the renovation, it’s easy for costs to spiral out of control. Unexpected developments, mistakes, and new ideas can all increase the scope of your work and cause your costs to skyrocket. Accordingly, it’s in your best interest to estimate costs conservatively. Plan to spend more than you think you’ll need – and be prepared for some surprises as your attic renovation unfolds.

Hire the Best

Finally, hire the best people you can afford to do the work. If you’re qualified and experienced, you may be able to do the work yourself. But for most people, it’s a better idea to hire a professional contractor who has specific experience in attic renovations. Because they can do the work efficiently and make fewer mistakes, they can help you save money in the long run.

At this point, most of your preliminary work will be over. You can start cleaning and decluttering the attic in anticipation of your renovation and start making more detailed plans for how you want the space to look when you’re finished. It’s an exciting project – and one that can really pay off if you’re prepared.

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3 Questions to Ask Before Launching Your New Startup

It’s never been easier for ambitious individuals to pursue their dream of launching a new startup. The growth of the digital world means you need very little initial investment to begin building a company in some cases. You can even start putting a brand together while you’re still working in your 9-to-5 job, provided you’ve got the dedication and an internet connection.

Of course, just because the barrier to entry to entrepreneurship isn’t as high as it used to be, doesn’t mean everyone will automatically be cut out for running a startup.

Since failing to run a successful business can leave you out of money and confidence, it pays to do your research and ask the right questions before diving in head-first. Here are some of the questions you should always ask before you launch your startup business.

Do You Have a Valuable Idea?

When you’ve got a business idea you’re passionate about, it’s difficult to believe it could be anything other than a massive success. Unfortunately, too many would-be startup owners make the mistake of diving into business development, without really testing the value of their business concept. Examining viability will save you from a lot of heartache and loss in the future.

To determine whether you’ve got a good business idea in mind or not, start by doing your research. Look at your target market and ask yourself whether there’s a demand for the product you’re selling.

How well are your competitors doing, and what are you going to do differently so you can outperform them? Is the interest in your idea going up, or trailing off (common with short-term trends)?

Testing your idea for viability will show you whether you should really be focusing your attention in that area. It’s also a great way to make sure you’re prepared for when you need to present your business to potential investors.

Good research will give you some handy figures to share, like how much of a profit you can expect to make, and how much you need to earn to break even.

Are You Prepared to Do the Work?

Being an entrepreneur behind the next big startup isn’t all about amazing business meals with investors and incredible brainstorming sessions. There’s a lot of work involved in bringing a new idea to life, and you’re going to need to be prepared for the stress.

Many of the world’s leading startup owners started out working insane hours, every day of the week. You should get some tips for stress-free success from other entrepreneurs under your belt so you can reach for them when you are feeling stretched especially thin.

You may need to compromise on other areas of your life to make your dream a reality, including your personal life. There will also be moments when it’s much harder to stay motivated and focused on your goal. In these moments, you need to have the determination to keep pushing forward.

Ask yourself how invested you really are in this new business concept? What’s going to keep you from giving up when things get tough and you’re struggling to make any money? You can’t just be prepared to keep working to keep the lights on each day either.

You’ll need to be committed to constantly improving and working on your business. This could mean taking courses in your spare time to improve your skills or working endlessly on tasks you don’t enjoy.

Are You Financially Prepared?

Aside from being mentally, emotionally, and academically prepared to survive in your new business environment, you’ll also need to ensure you have the right financial resources. It’s easy for people who are new to building businesses to forget about all the expenses actually involved in running a startup.

You’ll need to pay for everything from real estate to technology, software, programs, marketing, and even staff members.

Although you can start your business on a relatively lean budget these days, you’ll have to spend something to bring your company to life. With that in mind, it’s worth planning exactly how much it’s going to cost to start your company and keep it running for the first few years.

You’ll also need to be prepared to barely take any cash out of your business to pay yourself for a while, this means ensuring you have the right amount of savings.

Sorting out your own personal finances can be a great way to prepare for the challenge. A personal loan from a private lender can lower your monthly payments if you use it to consolidate debt, which means you can free up money for the business. You can also look into better budgeting practices, and living frugally by searching for savings wherever you can.

Launching Your Own Startup

Launching a new startup can be a terrifying and exciting concept at the same time. On the one hand, you’ll have an opportunity to pursue a career building something you genuinely care about. Even Elon Musk had to start somewhere.

On the other hand, you’ll be exposing yourself to a number of challenges most average people don’t face. Make sure you’re prepared to handle the work involved with launching a startup before you jump in.

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Can You Work and Start a Business at the Same Time?

The idea of every entrepreneur working day and night to bring their vision to life is inspiring, but it’s also pretty unrealistic. Most people aren’t so financially independent that they can quit their jobs to dedicate their time to launch a business.

Although creating your own company from the ground up is as demanding as a full-time job, most of the entrepreneurial process doesn’t come with a paycheck. So, you may feel like you can never start your business because of your necessary job.

That’s not true. It may require some creativity and extra hours after your shift ends, but you can still achieve your goals without missing a paycheck. Here’s how to do it.

Start Your Business as a Part-Time Operation

Rather than trying to immediately take the leap from employee to self-employed, you might want to scale back. When you work part-time in your company, the startup costs and stress drop significantly. You also still get to have the peace of mind that stems from a stable job with a salary and all its benefits.

If you don’t have the savings to supplement your income for several months, then you shouldn’t be handing in your resignation letter just yet. A company is more likely to succeed when its founder has stability and security in their own life. Just imagine trying to juggle all the stress of launching a company with the added anxiety of unpaid bills and housing insecurity.

Don’t Work on Your Company at Work

Using a work computer to work on your business could violate your contract. In most cases, anything that is developed on-site and on company time falls under intellectual property.

This means you could lose ownership of your own creations if you spent your time building them instead of doing your job. When you’re at work, be present and perform your duties to the best of your ability. Leave your entrepreneurial genius for after-hours.

Time management will become your best friend. You may decide to wake up one or two hours earlier, which means going to sleep sooner if you don’t want to be a zombie all day.

You don’t have to sacrifice your health to become a business owner. However, you should be willing to put your hobbies and leisure on the backburner for a while. Between getting jobs done, running a household, and working on your company, there won’t be a lot of free time for Netflix.

Find Ways to Get Capital

Beyond your own savings, look for opportunities to get capital. The more money you have, the sooner you’ll be able to say goodbye to the 9-to-5 hustle. In addition to applying for a personal loan or home equity loan, you might want to sell your life insurance policy.

When you settle your life insurance policy through a life settlement, you can get four times more than when you surrender to the insurer. Read more about the process of choosing a private buyer and getting the most for your policy in this guide. Don’t qualify for any of the above? That’s okay. Consider opening a high-yield savings account or asking friends and family to contribute to your business fund.

Keep Working Until Your Business Is Sustainable

You don’t need to quit right away because you’re earning money from your company. Even if you manage to get sales or clients, most businesses go through stages. The lifecycle of a new business can pick up rapidly and collapse just as suddenly.

You don’t want to put all your hopes and means of survival into one source of income yet. Play it safe, save as much as you can, and wait it out until you’re certain you can keep your success going.

There are some lines of work that require you to go all-in, though, which can make the balancing act moot. For example, if you dream of opening a bakery, then you can’t put in 40 hours at a desk job and still get your food establishment to take off. There will have to be trade-offs, but you should only take calculated risks when it comes to your financial security.

In some cases, you may not need to quit your job, but you will have to be available at any time. Clients won’t want to wait four to six hours to get a response to an email, and customers won’t be happy if you don’t ship their order for days at a stretch. You have to build your business around your current life, not contrary to it.

Be an Employee at Work, Not an Entrepreneur

You do not have to forget the importance of entrepreneurship in your life, just find a way to compartmentalize it and be an employee while at work. Sharing your ideas and plans with colleagues could come back to haunt you. Someone may decide to let your employer know that you’re working on something, and this could give the impression that you plan to leave soon.

If the company suspects you aren’t fully committed to the position you’re in, it can create tension and possibly even threaten your career. Make sure you also avoid utilizing any company resources to build your own brand. This means no suppliers, vendors, or other professionals you have access to for your job should be made aware of your personal professional ambitions.

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What to Know About the Disruption in the D2C Food & Beverage Industry

The food and beverage industry has changed since the world went through a global pandemic that left people terrified they would one day head to the grocery store and find nothing but empty stretches of shelves in sparse-looking aisles.

This was a reality for many shoppers during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak and added with the desire to avoid high contact surfaces and close proximity to other shoppers, consumers were glad to turn their sights to others options for their groceries. 

E-commerce food and beverage companies capitalized on this preference and society collectively stepped into the new wave of food distribution known as the direct-to-consumer model. Rather than supporting third-party distributors or middlemen through in-store shopping, D2C businesses are selling their products straight to the customers. 

Perhaps you are most familiar with this new business model from meal subscription boxes that are delivered straight to a person’s doorstep on a weekly, monthly, or even semi-weekly basis. Meal kit boxes like Blue Apron, Green Chef, Nature Box, and Hello Fresh have risen in popularity in the last year.

Hello Fresh now owns the top spot for meal kit subscriptions, as it is currently the #1 meal kit company in the world. 

Hello Fresh Founder and CEO Dominik Richter have spoken out about the way the Covid-19 pandemic radically accelerated the success of D2C meal subscription boxes, and he doesn’t anticipate that high to disappear any time soon.

“As consumers considered new ways to get their food, social distancing needs led many to experiment with digital food retail channels for the first time. While grocery store shelf shortages were resolved in a couple of weeks, they set in motion lasting changes,” said Hello Fresh Founder and CEO Dominik Richter.

“Increased cooking at home is here to stay – it is not a pandemic-era fad that will simply drop off after six months…[the forward momentum of remote work] points to more occasions for consumers to cook at home – and more demand for products and services to fill that need.”

The success of the D2C food and beverage industry is that it is built around a need that will never disappear: the need to fuel your body. And with priorities shifting to time spent at home with loved ones, the act of spending time cooking with others has become a focal point for families. D2C products sent straight to one’s house in various states of preparation save time.

“D2C meal kits are in such high demand because of how convenient they are,” says Jacques-Edouard Sabatier, Co-Founder, and CEO of JOW. “People have realized they want to spend as much time with their loved ones as possible, so any unnecessary routines, such as physically going out to the store to complete the shopping, can be cut.

Meal delivery saves time in so many ways: planning meals, shopping, prepping, and cooking–the time of the whole process is significantly reduced when a meal delivery service is used.

At JOW, we recommend a personalized menu based on your individual details like household size and dietary restrictions and provide meal options that once selected lead you to the choice of simply adding the correct amount of each ingredient to your online cart. Then, your order is delivered directly to you. It’s the simplicity that sells these days.”

People love D2C meal delivery because of the way it removes the barrier of not knowing what to shop for and how much to buy. For anyone who has ever aimlessly wandered around a grocery store, searching for inspiration about what to make for dinner, the meal delivery method is an appealing change.

“The beauty of D2C food and beverage delivery is the way it teaches customers: teaching them how to eat right as far as portion sizes, healthy meals, eating enough nutrients from the various food groups, and showing the importance of high-quality ingredients.

People have made it known that they not only want to avoid in-store shopping without purpose, but they also want to be taught how to eat to fuel their bodies,” says Seb Evans, Co-Founder of Banquist.

Direct-to-consumer food delivery also caters to unique food sensitivities and needs. Consumers who follow diverse lifestyles such as veganism, the keto diet, an organic diet, or a paleolithic diet, can be overwhelmed with finding ingredients and meals they can eat.

Rather than spending hours examining the nutrition guide on various products in-store, D2C businesses tailoring to unique food needs remove the hassle entirely by creating meal plans suited for even the most restrictive diet.

“At Uprising Food we offer superfoods that are low carb/keto, paleo-approved, gluten-free, preservative-free, dairy-free, and added sugar-free because we understand that people want to feed their bodies only the best ingredients,” says William Schumacher, Founder, and CEO of Uprising Food.

“We understand that people desire to eat healthily but that this looks like more than just getting enough vitamins and nutrients. D2C food offerings such as ours are a lifesaver for anyone who’s looking for products that allow them to fall back in love with their favorite foods.”

Jeremy King, CEO, and Founder of consumer research website Attest have surveyed the research in order to understand the widespread impact of the direct-to-consumer food and beverage industry. 

“D2C makes [consumerism] something that you control yourself and gives you huge advantages, particularly when you add large datasets,” said Jeremy King, CEO, and Founder of Attest state…“

There are lots of people doing interesting things here but the main themes are: taking away awkwardly; adding sustainability; adding customization and choice where you never had a choice before; jobs to be done; the simplest form of marketing; crazy new stuff; just making it easy to try new things.

The traits are the interesting things to copy, not the business model. The traits make these brands distinctive and I think that’s the fun part of them.”

His mention of the sustainability aspect is a huge selling feature considering that the target audience for food and beverage subscriptions is millennials. This generation has outlined that a top concern of theirs is sustainability.

However, many millennials will admit that they don’t know how to meet the requirements of total sustainability in their eating on their own. They are pleased with the concept of allowing experts to take care of this for them.  

“D2C food distribution options are not the same as going to the supermarket and buying the same ingredients; D2C companies offer novelty products and this is a huge part of their appeal.

You’re shopping for meals and ingredients online and suddenly you’re supporting a more environmentally friendly alternative, and being sent the right portion sizes to allow for no food waste, plus you’re caring for yourself in addition to the planet because you’re receiving fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients,” says Charlie McKenna, Chef & Founder of Lillie’s Q.

Sustainability also looks like shopping in a way that is more environmentally friendly. Removing all the unnecessary non-eco-friendly inclusions of shopping such as packaging is a major appeal of subscription boxes in particular, along with any D2C company invested in the planet.

Subscription boxes that pack produce straight into cardboard, biodegradable boxes skip unnecessary packaging and plastics, which consumers notice and appreciate.

“At JOI we care deeply about our environmental footprint. Every action taken today will impact the future of the planet, but as a majority, we decide if it will be in a positive or negative way. At JOI we take pride in the measures we follow in order to be a sustainable food source, but we also feel it is the least we, and any company, can do.

We have created products with reduced packaging waste, less food waste due to the long shelf life of our powder-form plant milk, and a reduced carbon footprint from not shipping heavy water weight due to our add-water formula,” says Hector Gutierrez, CEO of JOI.

And of course, sustainability includes striving for less food waste. The United States Department of Agriculture has estimated that 30-40% of food is wasted per year. Millennials are a generation dedicated to doing their part to cut back on waste, and one easy way they know of that provides this change is D2C food companies that focus specifically on this mission.

Subscription boxes like Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods, Perfectly Imperfect Produce, and The Rotten Fruit Box make it their goal to cut back on food waste by salvaging and selling the produce that doesn’t look uniform enough for grocery stores and is therefore thrown out, perfectly fresh and usable. 

“The younger generations, in particular, starting with millennials, are concerned about statistics surrounding food waste. They are dedicated to making the differences needed in the world by purchasing products that should never be discarded in the first place,” says Nicholas Vasiliou, CEO of BioHealth.

Millennials and the generations following are also not enamored with sugary, processed foods, and are willing to put their funds into purchasing healthier options of their favorite sweet treats from childhood. 

“There is a lot of necessary research and information today regarding the damaging effects of too much sugar, sodium, and saturated fats in your body,” says Melanie Bedwell, E-commerce Manager of OLIPOP. “That doesn’t mean people are boycotting the foods they grew up eating, but rather that they’re seeking healthier alternatives.

OLIPOP is a new kind of soda that tastes the same as your childhood favorites but with only 2-5 grams of sugar, with the inclusion of 9 grams of fiber and microbiome and digestive health support. We know your body can’t always handle treats the same as when you were younger. Our solution is to offer better-for-you alternatives, and believe me when I say there is a high demand for this.”

Although there is a desire for healthier versions of the foods they love, consumers don’t always know how to shop for this healthier lifestyle, and often appreciate guidance from brands they trust.

“People are in a sense looking for someone to tell them how to eat to live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. They want to know what to eat but also what specific products to purchase that will fit into their goals. Subscriptions that offer a variety of different healthy products are the perfect way for small brands to spread the word of their products.

When people are purchasing subscriptions of their favorite products, they are expressing commitment to a lifestyle and to the brands they love and trust to care for their bodies,” says Ben Teicher, President, and CEO of Healthy Directions. 

There’s no way around it, direct-to-consumer companies are more convenient for the customers than putting their time towards shopping, meal prepping, and recipe researching. This is one aspect that D2C companies capitalize on.

“With the offering of products shipped or delivered straight to a person’s residence, businesses are selling ease as much as they are selling their actual products,” says Chris Vaughn, Founder, and CEO of Saucey. “Saucey offers alcohol delivery in 30 minutes or less, with an extensive collection of brands and products available.

Our customers love how their drinks are delivered directly to them, and they don’t have to worry if they’ve already had a few drinks when they order because they never have to leave their house.”

With delivery comes an added benefit of not needing to shop around for a particular brand or product.

“If the customer wants to find JuneShine Hard Kombucha, rather than searching all over at multiple stores they simply have to go to the “Find Us” link on our website and we locate a store that has our products in stock.

It’s the most convenient way to shop, and lets customers know where they can find us since our products might not be sold in the particular local grocery chain where they regularly shop,” says Justin Chan, Growth Manager of JuneShine.

There you have it, the wide expansion of offerings that the direct-to-consumer food and beverage industry offers. Based on the current climate and the success of D2C food companies, our projection for the industry’s future is rapid, steady growth for this business model and structure.

As long as companies keep listening to their audience’s desires for sustainability and healthy options, and continue to make the process of ordering and delivery simple and easy, the D2C model will be the growing future of food.

The post What to Know About the Disruption in the D2C Food & Beverage Industry first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/business/what-to-know-about-the-disruption-in-the-d2c-food-beverage-industry/

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Top Tips To Succeed In Launching Your Business Internationally

The idea of successfully launching a business internationally may seem daunting and overwhelming. While it certainly has its challenges, it also has enormous rewards and benefits. This is because it allows you to diversify your investments, explore new markets, and generate more revenue and profits. 

At the current rate of technological advancement, rapid innovation, and fast-paced globalization, starting a profitable business abroad has become increasingly achievable. With the right strategy and research, you can take advantage of countries that have a business-friendly environment and kickstart your entrepreneurial journey. 

To help you achieve this, we have highlighted some of the top tips that are essential to launching a successful business internationally. 

Get The Right Documents

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Regardless of where you wish to launch your business, it is important to get the right documentation by checking the requisite visa requirements. 

For instance, if you plan on starting a business in the US, you may have to apply for a temporary business visa, also known as the B-1, unless you qualify for the Visa Waiver Program which allows citizens from certain countries to visit the US on a business trip for 90 days.

Similarly, if you wish to start a business in the UK, you will have to choose between an innovator visa, investor visa, or start-up visa.

Generally speaking, expect to pay a visa processing fee and allow at least a month for your visa to be processed. Additionally, when applying to an English-speaking country, it is helpful to have your important documents translated.

Consider professional and certified services that provide authentic birth certificate translation or education transcript translation. This can help contribute to a successful visa application. 

Focus On Your Business Plan

Photo by Cytonn Photography from Pexels

Developing a business plan can help you narrow down your goals, business offerings, marketing plans, operational factors, and financial needs. It is essentially the make-or-break feature of starting a successful business. 

As the blueprint of any profitable business, your business plan should be properly structured, well-researched, and address both investor needs and customer requirements. This can help you secure finances and identify target audiences. You may also benefit from quantifying your evidence to clarify the rationale behind entering a particular market. 

As a rule of thumb, consider your business plan as a strategy document that lays the foundation of your business objectives, future milestones, and business operations. Once you have this figured out, you will automatically be able to think of innovative ways to disrupt the market. 

Get To Know The Market

Photo by NordWood Themes on Unsplash

Starting a business abroad means that you have to familiarise yourself with the market. This requires a deep dive into customer preferences, understanding demographics, and recognizing cultural differences. 

Conducting market research will enable you to better understand local trends, needs, demands, and perceptions, enabling you to tailor your market strategy to customer preferences. It will also allow you to better serve the customers so that you are able to get a larger market share and increase your overall revenue.

Consider hiring a market research firm to determine the viability of your product or service based on macro-segmentation and micro-segmentation. This can allow you to fully and accurately obtain the relevant data in order to make smart business decisions. 

Familiarise Yourself With Business Rules And Regulations

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

As you begin your business journey abroad, you have to be mindful of the fact that there may be specific laws, rules, and regulations that you will have to follow. 

As a first step, you will have to register your business by obtaining a physical address, choosing the most appropriate legal structure, and fulfilling all tax obligations on any earnings. For instance, in the US, you can register your company as a limited liability company or C-Corp, while in the UK, you can set up your business in seven different ways, depending on your business structure and needs. 

At times, you may need to review industry-specific regulations, get the appropriate licenses and permits, and ensure strict compliance to be successfully operational. You can consider hiring a lawyer to walk you through these requirements so that you don’t have to incur any liabilities. 

Final Thoughts

Starting your overseas business is an exciting experience that can contribute to your personal and professional growth. It can help you become more agile and resilient by enabling you to adapt to rapidly changing environments and building your business acumen. 

With the right kind of proactive planning, you can successfully develop these qualities and set yourself up for success. Just remember to carefully analyze all the important and relevant factors before entering into the international market.

Good luck launching your international business!

The post Top Tips To Succeed In Launching Your Business Internationally first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/business/top-tips-to-succeed-in-launching-your-business-internationally/

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How to Simplify and Streamline your Recruitment Process

Discover essential information on how to streamline and simplify your recruitment process. It can become more accessible and more efficient. Here’s what you need to know!

The use of modern applications to streamline and simplify the recruitment process has increased exponentially over the last few years.

This welcomed development has helped efficiently recruit candidates. But there are other factors involved when streamlining the recruitment process. One often overlooked but crucial in simplifying the recruiting process is the candidate’s experience.

Most organizations ignore this aspect, forgetting there are two parties involved in the recruiting process. And therefore, to maximize the recruiting experience, both parties must actively take part. This post will explore how putting the candidate’s experience a priority and using the right software will help streamline the recruitment process.

Map Out the Timeline For the Recruitment Process

The first step to take when recruiting is to map out how the recruiting process should go. Before recruiting for a position, you want to make sure you are aware of the following.

A breakdown of the job requirement from the department looking to employ.

How much time do you want to allocate to various stages of the interview?

The minimum and the maximum number of candidates you are looking to advance at each level of the interview process.

How often do you intend to communicate with the candidates?

What form of communication will be the primary form, and which will be the secondary? 

The dates and times the manager and other employees who will interview finalists should note down.

The time you believe the recruitment process should take.

Doing all of this gives you a clear picture of what you expect. Make provisions for unexpected changes during the recruitment process, and don’t feel discouraged if it doesn’t work well the first time. Experience will only make you better. It is best to document all of this down for future reference.

Creating the Ideal Candidate

After drawing up a mental image, the next thing is identifying and sourcing out the right person. If you do not understand the job details, ask the department manager or employee. When putting out a job description, you cannot write what you don’t understand.

Alternatively, you can ask the manager to write the job description for you, but they may also forget to mention a function or other vital details.

As the recruitment personnel, you can join that department and observe a meeting or a workday, talk to the staff and talk to the manager. Doing this puts you in a position where you can communicate what the department is looking for in their ideal candidate. 

You can create a checklist so you can tick it through as you fill in the Job description. Another piece of information to watch out for is how these jobs are evolving. A simple search on the job board site should show how various job descriptions for a particular job title have changed.

Getting software to help with this process is also a plus. Creating the ideal candidate will help in finding the right applicants.

In-House Recruitment

After creating your ideal profile, you can decide to look at in-house recruitment as an option first before sourcing out your candidate.

Tell the staff about the job opening and share the job description with them. If the employees are happy with the culture and pay, they will recommend the job opening to family and friends. You don’t have to go out to get the right person.

Sourcing out the Right Candidates

If you cannot get the right person in-house, then you can go out to carry out the search or do both simultaneously. This phase is where your company first contacts candidates and where your company leaves its first impression.

Sourcing means attracting candidates to the company, and your company can source candidates from different places. The popular areas are Job boards, social media like LinkedIn and Twitter, and the company career website. It is essential to go into the details with the Job description to attract a qualified and suitable candidate for the job.

Some items to be included are:

The job title

The department

Onsite (Location) or remote

Full-Time or Contract

Preferred qualification

Requirements

A summary of the position, responsibilities, and objectives

Salary

Benefits

These headings are what should be present on the job post on the various platforms. Aside from posting jobs on different sites and social media, you can also search for talents yourself via recruitment tools.

With any simple online tool as, for example, SignalHire, you can find the desirable applicants on platforms like LinkedIn and GitHub. Approaching your talent is also an excellent method because you can carefully pick prospects who meet your criteria.

Make The Registration Process Candidate Friendly

If the candidate is registering through a portal, make sure the process is straightforward and not complicated. You can test it yourself to see if it crashes, hangs, or delays when uploading your documents. And make sure the website is mobile-friendly because most job searches and applications today are done on a mobile device.

A frustrating process may see you lose some qualified candidates at this stage as most of them will apply for several jobs and not your company’s alone.

Timely Process With the Help of Recruitment Software

After attracting your candidate, processing them starts right away. This stage should be fast but efficient, and so you would need the help of recruitment tools. Some that can help include the following:

ATS (Applicants Tracking system): This tool is essential for two reasons. The first is it is efficient at screening through thousands of resumes to bring out the ones that qualify for the next stage based on keywords used. The second is it is fast and timely.

So you can share the results with the candidates faster. The second point is important because the quicker the candidate knows where they stand, the better the candidate views the company in terms of candidate experience, whether or not they made it past that stage.

Video Interviews: Video interviews have been catching stream for the last decade, but it’s the last two years that have seen them skyrocket in use. The aftereffect of the pandemic and the convenience of communicating from any location means you can easily interact with the candidate.

This tool saves time on transport if traveling from another region or trying to get a feel for the candidate without paying for their travel expenses.

Communicating with the Candidate on Every Process

Communication is an essential part of the recruitment process as it can make or break a candidate’s experience. The recruiter or HR should keep in touch with the candidates at every point of the candidate’s journey.

There’s nothing as nerve-wracking as waiting or feeling ignored. The means of communication should also be clear with the candidates, so they know where to look for their information.

Communicating after every stage and in-between stages helps to calm nerves and improve the candidate experience. Giving constructive feedback is welcomed if the candidate asks for one, and if not, especially if they did not get in, it’s better to wish them luck in their future endeavors.

If you see the candidate as a prospect despite not getting the job, adding them to a list of potential hires for future recruitment exercises will help.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, streamlining the recruitment process will involve the fusion of being available to the candidate and using the recruitment tools effectively to achieve the goal of employing a new prospect.

Keeping the candidate’s experience in mind is having new dormant salespeople in the labor market to promote the company. Candidates talk to each other, and so a fast system that communicates well and gives feedback is a system that works for both the company and the candidates alike.

The post How to Simplify and Streamline your Recruitment Process first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/human-resources/how-to-simplify-and-streamline-your-recruitment-process/

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4 Ways To Secure Microsoft Azure Containers Instances

Working and doing business in the cloud is pretty common these days. Microsoft Azure is a versatile public cloud platform that offers plenty of options when it comes to deployment. Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, and Software as a Service are all available within the service’s framework, making it incredibly useful for a variety of business applications. Whether you’re using it for analytics, software solutions, or everyday business applications, Azure has a lot to offer. One key aspect of using Azure involves container instances and keeping them secure. Here’s a quick guide to four ways to do exactly that.

Understanding Microsoft Azure Containers

Containers are essentially a bundle containing an application’s code, config files, and libraries. It’s a self-contained system that enables developers to deploy applications across multiple environments. When you move an application across different environments, configuration issues and other differences might prevent that program from running properly. Containers are similar to virtual machines but much more versatile. When using them in the Microsoft Azure environment, keeping them secure is extremely important. 

Safeguard Your Credentials

Protecting your credentials is probably one of the most important things you can do to secure your azure container instances. Think about it this way: your containers are going to proliferate and spread across several regions/clusters within Azure. Logins, passwords, and tokens need to be secure to set it up so that only authorized users can access them. So how do you go about maintaining credential security? There’s a lot of common sense involved, but the key is inventorying credential secrets and then using management tools especially for container platforms. You’ll also need to encrypt databases and create role-based access. Following a few basic precautions for your credentials can prevent compromise or other issues in the long run.

Use A Private Registry

In computing, the registry is essential to a computer’s function. It allocates the machine’s resources, provides a location for custom settings, and much more. In Microsoft Azure, the registry lets you build, store, and manage aspects of your container. This could be images of the container or artifacts inside of the private registry covering all deployment methods. Using a private registry allows you to retrieve container workloads quickly. You can also use role-based access and scale the registry to your needs, whether it’s a small project or a global application (a single registry can serve multiple hosts regardless of location). Since a private azure container registry handles Docker images and other related formats, it can be very versatile over time.

Use A Security Program

When it comes to securing azure container instances, you can always use a specialized security program. Some software solutions exist to help keep container instances more secure. By incorporating the software solution into your Azure activities, you can help secure your containers better. How? Using a security program with your containers requires injecting the security libraries into the image code. This effectively creates built-in protection for the container image itself. Once the container is deployed, it’ll communicate with the security software’s dashboard so you can see what’s happening as it’s happening. In this manner, you can block malicious code from entering your containers and understand the nature of any threats from the dashboard. It’s easy, convenient, and self-contained, ultimately bringing an additional layer of security to your Azure container instances as you deploy them.

Check Logs

Keeping tabs on your logs is always a good practice. Logs provide key insight into events and other pertinent information. Finding information via logs requires first obtaining/generating log analytics security credentials, followed by deploying a container group. After a few minutes, your log files will appear in your Azure portal. As you peruse the logs, you can query them for specific events using language similar to the following:

ContainerInstanceLog_CL

| where (ContainerGroup_s == “mycontainergroup001”)

| where (TimeGenerated > ago(1h))

Logs are a useful way to monitor your Azure container instances after they’re deployed and to help find any potential security or function issues as you work. 

The post 4 Ways To Secure Microsoft Azure Containers Instances first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/technology/4-ways-to-secure-microsoft-azure-containers-instances/

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What is an OTT Platform and How to Use it For Your Business Plan In 7 Steps

Marketers and entrepreneurs need newer and innovative ways to reach customers in the digital world. Indeed, social media marketing and content marketing still rule, but OTT solutions are increasingly used as customer acquisition tools. Did you know that OTT platforms are rapidly substituting traditional TV channels? 

Are you one of those considering launching an OTT service? Now is the perfect time to do so. Yes, it will be a challenge to create and popularize your brand in this already competitive and crowded market. Launching an OTT platform might take a lot of extensive planning, hard work, and capital. 

However, if you work heads down, making a sound business plan and developing fail-proof marketing strategies, then you’ll have your platform up and running quicker than you assume. 

What is an OTT platform? 

So what is OTT? An OTT is the opposite of cable systems, which distribute video or audio content using Multiple Service Operators. As an alternative, the system utilizes internet signals to send its end users’ video and audio services. 

A good example of an OTT service is Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, and so forth. Audio OTT providers involve Spotify, Deezer, and Tidal. Such services have become so famous, which has withered profit margins for cable systems since users have switched over to online-based systems. 

What makes it a good investment?

Recent statistics demonstrate that OTT video revenues worldwide are anticipated to reach twofold by 2025. That indicates how well the current players in the OTT market are doing with their entertaining and unique brands. 

What the future holds promises for those interested entrepreneurs. So, it is high time that you understand that video streaming services are no more a dangerous game. They’re part of an established market and have substantial potential for growth. 

Indeed, OTT has transformed the way people consume media content, and the credit certainly goes to the user-friendliness and scalability of the platform. It’s run by innovative technologies like AI that have only made using that service a hundredfold simpler for all users. 

We can safely tell that the media industry’s future is online streaming services as to how customized and still advanced. With OTT, you can’t simply control the OTT content but have the option to choose how to let the income stream flow. 

Also, you can enjoy opportunities that aren’t accessible to regular cable Pay-TV subscribers by establishing an OTT platform to cater to their requirements. OTT platforms also enable content creators to directly reach their audience. 

If you’re thrilled to take the plunge, then it would be appreciated to know the key considerations you need to keep in mind before launching your OTT service.  

How to create your OTT platform business plan 

Finding your niche

Keep in mind that how you market your OTT service will come down to your audience. You will need to pick strategies that concentrate on where their attention is and adding much value upfront. 

Here are practical tips to help you get started:

Create a mailing list – Email is still a great way to get in touch with potential customers. Provide people the option to join your newsletter on all the pages. Inform them when new products and videos go live. 

Leverage YouTube – It can also be an excellent source of the traffic to your website and videos. 

Use social media – Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are massively focused on video right now. You can use trailers and teasers or marketing styling content to reach thousands of individuals of people regularly. 

Check your budget

The cost to create an OTT platform differs, but the answer is that it can be reasonable and is worth tapping into. Check the average cost of outsourcing a design and development team for one device through a freelance or agency team. 

Making an app on numerous devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and more could cost more than a million dollars. 

The benefit of a custom app is having each capability and feature your heart desires. Moreover, a full-service agency includes initial user research, marketing strategies, and design and development, which is a good service for knowing your end-users and implementing smart marketing strategies. It will also help to understand that constant costs would incur for app updates and maintenance.  

Finding a reliable OTT solutions vendor

If you to offer the convenience of OTT service to your customers, you need to find a trustworthy and reliable OTT service provider. That solutions provider is a company that works with TV broadcasts and provides the management and technical platforms required for a dependable OTT-business platform. 

A skilled and experienced company of video encoding professionals can create products and software for OTT projects. Select a specialist that can offer both cost-efficient and professional consultancy, so you don’t have to look more if you need to determine and assess your OTT requirements. 

Deciding on streaming app’s functionality plus app development

After you have determined your target audience, set your budget, and found a reliable OTT solutions vendor, you can then move on to the development phase. You can pick from a wide array of options to create the app, user interface, and website.

For instance, you can either do it yourself, outsource it to an app developer or get third-party hosting from established platforms. The latter offers a series of options for you to choose from, and you can evaluate every service provider to pick the best one. 

Branding, marketing, and promotion

With OTT streaming platforms, you can deliver globally or pick to stream in certain geographic regions. Analytic reports which can be personalized for relevant metrics help in leveraging demographic trends. 

Pictorial and graphic representations of your analytics data offer quick and simple analysis that can be utilized to enhance user experience. 

Produce a unique content (or cope with content licensing)

You can refer to the data collected about your target demographic by learning the market and choose the right pieces of unique content that viewers will value. That’s an excellent source to determine what blend of regional and local content your OTT platform should provide, getting premium content and accommodating exclusive rights for content, which drive viewer engagement. 

Take note that content licenses keep your platform’s uniqueness and widen your customer base at the same time. 

Constantly check audience feedback

For a much direct user engagement experience, web users of your OTT service platform can influence built-in forums to initiate conversation between subscribers or audience. You can also pick to make some or all of your forum boards private to subscribers only. 

You see, establishing your own OTT platform may be challenging, especially if you’re just a beginner. To help you navigate this process, you must find a professional streaming solutions provider. 

Final thoughts

Building an OTT channel has become simplified substantially with third-party systems that can handle your content easily. You can still go for the entire process, offering you more control of the type of platform you are creating.

That option is creating the system from scratch, either on your own or through the help of a developer. Whatever the case, thinking thoroughly about how you plan to monetize it is essential.

The post What is an OTT Platform and How to Use it For Your Business Plan In 7 Steps first appeared on Feedster. from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/business-structure/what-is-an-ott-platform-and-how-to-use-it-for-your-business-plan-in-7-steps/