#(so i might not be able to afford some higher shipping fees for example)

[pastelcatnip-x3]

Anyone know any good small businesses in the US to get dolls from? Target was the main place I bought my dolls from, but since I don't want to give them my money now I'm not sure what to do. My only alternative that I can think of is Amazon, but obviously giving Bezos my money isn't any better.

[publishinggoblin]

How to Run a Kickstarter pt 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Yesterday I covered your campaign basics. Now we look at pledge rewards and story.

Rewards: The rewards are the pledge tiers people back at. These determine everything to do with how your campaign functions financially.

What are you making? First, determine what you are making. This should have been decided pretty early on. Is it a book? Dice? Cards? Miniatures? A board game? Okay, take a look back at the manufacturing costs. How much were those? You can’t afford to only charge people for the at-cost cost, you need to make some money from this project to cover fees and to hopefully have some left over at the end to cover any invisible costs you didn’t prepare for.  

Price it: So the most common pledge tier on Kickstarter is $25. It’s like a nice gold standard. Can you afford to price your item at $25? Keep in mind shipping comes AFTER the base pledge, so you don’t have to fold the shipping costs into it. If you can, great! If you can, but only if you make 100 or more of your item, factor that into your funding goal.  For example, if your item manufacturing costs get less with more purchased (which is usually the case) then pick a bulk tier where you are able to sell your items at $25 a piece, be honest with yourself about the quantity (can you sell that many?) and then set the campaign funding goal at how many you need to sell. If you can’t do $25, be mindful of how high you do set it-- and if your item is way less than $25 to make, do not sell it at $25. You must price it according to how much sense it makes.

Higher End Pledge Tiers: Having just one pledge tier is fine, but it makes you unable to earn more. Consider other incentives. For the tarot decks, we offered readings at a higher pledge tier-- or for most, you can offer signature pledge tiers. Since that takes just a moment for you to sign, it’s essentially earning more money for free. Making soft cover books? Offer a fancy signed hard cover, feel free to inflate the price for its uniqueness. No one is forced to buy it, the lower, base pledge tier still exists, but people who like fancy things will.

Keep it Simple: When I ran the Normal Tarot, we had so many pledge tiers because it was part of a campaign called “Break Kickstarter” where we ran the Kickstarter strangely. At the end, when I did a backer info export, it was a mess from all the different tiers. Try not to do too many unless you really have that many options.

Add ons: Add ons aren’t something really supported by Kickstarter, but you can do them anyways. IF you have a separate item that people can buy, like an older book, or a mat, dice, etc-- you can put it in the campaign story with a cost clearly associated with it. People can bump up their pledge by that much money and get the add on. Because it’s not officially part of Kickstarter, this DOES make it harder to track, and requires you to stay on top of it as people up their pledges. Ask them to message you, or consider using Backerkit or other after-the-campaign services which will do a better job keeping track. I’ve never used them because they take a cut and I can do the work, but they would be a huge help to people with lots of backers or who haven’t done it before.  

Story: The story is the section of your campaign with all the text and images, and beyond your pledge tiers and cover image/video, is where you put all the campaign info.

Keep it Simple: Your backers only need to know a few things beyond the campaign’s product and backer tiers: Who are you? What is this project for? Why do you need the money? What makes your product unique/worth backing? These don’t need 100 paragraph answers, and they especially don’t need your life story unless it’s part of your product/marketing strategy. (i.e. these are my grandma’s recipes, let me tell you about her, etc)

Explain What Your Project Is: You have to be clear what the thing you are making is. Explain what it does, how to use it, and include pictures wherever you can.

Backer Tiers and Add Ons: If your project has multiple backer tiers that might be confusing to people who don’t read closely, it can be good to include backer tier explanations in your campaign with clear pictures of what is included. Also as noted above, add ons will be mentioned here, since they have nowhere else to go. Include a clear picture and price, and tell them clearly in text to upgrade their pledge with the cash listed there and to message you what they backed-- or follow up at the very end with a backer survey.

Check for the next post on the Final steps before you can launch tomorrow!

[rockofeye]

Is there any rhyme or reason to how spiritual work is priced within Haitian Vodou? I see a lot of really high pricing for things like readings and then really low pricing for other things and I am trying to figure out what's worth my money and what's not.

Hi there,

Yes, there is some traditional pricing for things and some logical thought processes that go into that.

In traditional Haitian Vodou, divination is largely done with a prepared deck of playing cards and it referred to as a leson/lesson or fe kat yo/making or doing the cards. It is straightforward and uncomplicated; the priest prays, lights a candle (usually a small white taper), pours out some water and kleren or white rum, and lays out the cards on a laye/flat woven basket, the ground, or maybe on a table. Most priests I have sat with for a card reading start with a basic look at who you are and what’s going on, and then address specific questions or situations you want the guidance of the lwa on. It is not read as Tarot is read, in that the cards tell a story, but it is directly reaching to the lwa. The priest is the conduit/translator, and the cards are the tool.

Traditional readings cost in the ballpark of $57 in whatever currency you are working with. I charge $60 to keep it round and easy on electronic payment methods, some folks charge $55…but most keep it in that range. There’s nothing extra for the seeker to provide–no moushwa, no candle–and it’s not something that needs a lot of prep work. Like, if you call me on the phone and I am free, I will tell you to send the money over and we’ll get to it. Not a whole lot of mystery to be found.

I personally do not understand high prices for readings from folks who claim traditional or “real” Haitian Vodou. Like, when you are getting into prices of that are closing in on $150-$200+ for a reading, might as well save a few bucks and talk to a traditional priest about calling a spirit into their head to have a face-to-face chat, because that’s what you’re in the ballpark of price-wise. If you can afford that, why not do it? People are often willing to pay higher prices for what really should be basic services because the packaging is lovely or the personality is charismatic. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s important to go into things with eyes wide open; do you want a reading, or do you want a reading from This Person With A Name? No real wrong answer here because it’s about what you want and what you are looking for, but it’s generally a good practice to be honest about what you want because it will reflect what you get.

Spiritual work certainly is work and should be paid for, but let’s be real…ain’t no one in Haiti charging huge amounts for a reading. For folks there, coming up for a fee for a reading can be hard enough never mind a high fee that is more money that most people make in a month. In Haiti, spiritual work and consulting with the lwa is not a luxury item; instead, it is a means for survival. You have a problem, you consult the lwa and figure out what to do. 

Outside of Haiti, I firmly believe that readings should be exactly what they are: the doorway in which to seek the lwa. As a priest, it is literally the ground floor of what I can provide for someone who needs or wants to speak with the lwa, in that I cannot do anything cheaper for someone. If you have nothing else you can do, at least you can consult the lwa, ask them for their input, hear what they have to say for you, and talk it through to see what we can do together–like, I can tell you things you can do for yourself and give you recipes and outlines of how to do it. That should be as accessible as possible for folks.

And, if I ask for a high fee for a reading upfront, what does that mean for the person who has scraped that together because they need answers and gets answers in the form of ‘you need to do bigger work that will cost money’? I would much rather they save their money and put it towards what they need, whether it turns out to be spiritual work or bus fare.

After that, it sort of comes down to common sense stuff. I wouldn’t expect to see spiritual work that costs less than a reading because it doesn’t make sense with time, ingredients, and the expertise of the priest.

An example: I make a lot of spiritual baths for clients. What does that mean? It means I pull out a big ol’ basin and start mixing ingredients that I have sourced, paid for in the client’s name, and prepared in the way I have been taught. Ingredients can be leaves/plants/roots, oils, powders, colognes/perfumes, food items, items specific to the spirits overseeing the construction of the bath, and on. Most baths have 10 or more ingredients. Many baths are prepared on the pwen/point of a spirit which requires songs and prayers specifically for them and potentially some offerings. Many baths have to be made on the correct day for the purpose or the spirit(s) associated, and, most importantly, they are made specifically for the person who has purchased the bath. Like, some baths can be made in a large batch and portioned out (and that’s a way to make things more affordable for popular baths that aren’t tailored for one person’s conditions), but most are made based on divination or dreams and instructions from the lwa.

So…a bath for $50 isn’t really possible. Like, many times, that’s not even going to cover the ingredients that go into it never mind the priest paying the spirits for their work, the time it takes to make the bath, or even paying themselves. 

And then there’s the administration of the bath; if you want a priest to administer it to you (a really awesome thing if you can swing it), if you aren’t going to them you’re going to need to cover their travel to you. If the bath is being shipped, it’s the cost of packaging and shipping added in. I ship all baths ‘wet’/fully prepared (it’s important to me that someone gets the full benefit of a bath made by my hands), so it’s careful packaging to make sure it gets to someone whole, and it’s gonna be a heavy package.

So, a lot of it is both knowing what you are purchasing and what that object or service entails. Since many/most spiritual baths sold online are dry, bulk-produced baths, folks sit back a little when they hear the price for a traditionally prepared bath…and that’s totally understandable since folks haven’t seen it before. When a paket kongo is presented online as a folded up paper packet tied with twine and a cowrie shell, it’s understandable that someone might get ruffled with the price of an actual paket kongo, which essentially has a spirit mounted inside of it for the purchaser.

The bigger the work, the more the price will increase. If someone wants a spiritual treatment (alongside their medical treatment) for a severe illness, the price will reflect the severity because bigger interventions will be needed. If it is initiation, the price will reflect the 14 days or so of ceremony done for you, and all that goes with it. Most priests are able to give you a thumbnail sketch of what is needed (drummers, animals, food, people to help, etc) and, perhaps most importantly, the price is not going to change drastically at the last minute. For big stuff, most priests are not making money and often work out of pocket to make sure things are done completely. I’ve watched priests eat unexpected costs or last minute price increases (happens ALL THE TIME in Haiti…when the person who is selling the chickens knows you are buying them for ceremony, they are suddenly very expensive chickens) because it’s simply not fair to ask someone who has scrimped and saved to meet the price necessary to fork over more last minute.

Many priests will tell you the spirits set the prices, and that’s very true most of the time. If a spirit(s) has stepped forward to oversee the work, they will often tell the priest how to price it because the money is theirs…the priest is the tool, the spirits are the mechanic and the battery all wrapped up into one. Sometimes priests will negotiate with the spirits on behalf of the client, sometimes the price is just the price and the spirits can work with the person to make it happen. There are definitely traditional ‘payment plans’ of sorts (Haitians love a good sòl) and all sorts of stuff.

There’s also a lot a priest can help you with without having you buy a lot of product or services. Like, if someone is starting out with the lwa and needs to set-up a table, I can tell you how to set a table for your personal lwa. If you are in a situation where you need to do something but can’t afford work, I can do my best to give you options that you can make with your own two hands and your prayers. Not everything requires money, and most priests go out of their way to help folks who are sincerely trying to do their best.

I hope this answers your question, please let me know if I can explain anything more thoroughly.

[marketsom-blog]

Online Shopping Fo Home And Garden

We stay in an era of style even within the busy and hectic life. At instances, it turns into very tough for many of individuals to go to market to shop. http://www.marketsom.com/Protecting in view the growing demand of on-line buying, entrepreneurs have created many buying portals on-line which are very inspiring and worthwhile for the purchasers.

Online purchasing is rapidly becoming the first choice of individuals on the earth for modernized or traditional procuring. Regularly, online shopping is being accepted as the brand new and Social profile here fashionable means of procuring. It's turning into standard as a result of people have many other issues to do of their busy life and purchasing online saves time in numerous methods.

The method of buying online has turn out to be quite simple and easy. We have now plenty of examples of websites that facilitate online shopping in the United Kingdom, where you may simply make purchases on-line with great gives and discounts. You can also find a listing of online shopping; which can make it easier to to ensure secure access and safety of your particulars. So you may store online with great conviction. You may also easily get all the main points about the range of products, providers delivery, price, special affords and items, and so forth.

On-line purchases will not be only safer, however it's now simpler than ever. Buying online might be as straightforward as shoppers wish it to be. Internet buying might be stuffed with fun, very simple and handy. One benefit of purchasing on-line is that one will be able to use the ability of the internet to seek out one of the best deals accessible for objects or providers in the markets of the world. Search engines like google and yahoo will enable you to to seek out top quality merchandise in a easy and straightforward method.

Another advantage of buying on-line is one also can rapidly discover the presents of items or providers with many various suppliers just by sitting at one place. Perhaps one of the best potential locations for shopping centers can be Here is our Blog found on-line. On-line procuring is a web based market the place numbers of shops of various manufacturers provide their companies below the identical website for 24*7 that is made available everyday and every time of the 12 months.

Purchasing neighborhood usually refers to a group of buyers who are linked with one another online. They put forward their expertise and data in the lengths of writings with the nice and dangerous qualities of the products that they've bought. These feedback and evaluations often help different buyers, especially those planning to buy merchandise via the Internet to make the fitting selection.

One of many major causes that the shoppers are usually not positive with procuring on-line is lack of know-how and knowledge about the high quality of the products and retailers. While online retailers have a strong brand publicity to comfort the shoppers, which smaller retailers wouldn't have. Nevertheless, a major motive for the continuous Marketsomprogress in online buying is due to the growing confidence of customers in purchasing the websites on-line. Different major elements are the huge choice of merchandise that is obtainable to customers online, the current development and effectivity of transport companies dealing with Web visitors, and growth of excessive-speed Web.

Whereas procuring online it's also possible to ship particular gifts to your loved ones on special events, as there are on-line stores that present the providers to send items as properly. Websites which might be designed to ship presents on-line include nearly all varieties of present gadgets ranging from flowers to jewelry objects, from candies to perfumes and games and so forth. which are designed for nearly every kind of special occasion within the life of the particular person.

Thus one can simply say that the web shops have introduced a revolutionary and sensational change in at this time's racing world with their nice providers and choices. So do not waste your treasured time in fascinated with how one can buy any make up fashion product? Simply go browsing and enjoy the services of the net store which will fulfill your need with comfort and very conveniently. You'll certainly receive benefits in numerous on-line stores compared to shopping from the native markets.

Purchasing online is a wonderful strategy to find bargains with out having to depart your home. The huge collection of merchandise and large number of locations to find them simply make this the easiest way to shop, particularly if you're limited to when you can store.

Nearly every thing you'd ever want to buy is on the market on-line; from handbags to designer jeans, to toiletries, and pet provides and even accessories and restore elements in your car. However are you truly getting a better deal by purchasing on-line? When does is make sense to purchase online? What are the professionals and cons of procuring on-line? While you factor in the costs of transport and the inconvenience of not getting what you need when you want it, some folks would quite just go to a retailer and purchase what they need.

Clearly, there are occasions when shopping on-line will not be the most suitable choice. Consider although, that you have finished some in-retailer buying and you recognize precisely what you want however you feel that prices could higher on-line. So where then is the perfect place to make true comparison-procuring. You could possibly go directly to websites specializing in what you're in search of or you could possibly go to an internet shopping center and choose the category of what you might be in search of and choose the corresponding sites in that category.

Contemplating there are many online purchasing malls, to choose so what criteria then do you choose an internet shopping mall. There are numerous concentrate on sure merchandise classes and there are some that supply a wide variety of stores. Among the finest on-line all is a portal shopping center. This on-line shopping center provides over lots of of stores in many classes. In case you a searching for out of doors equipment or anything else.

Even if many of the aforementioned retails stores have an e-commerce site, most like the comfort of shopping these stores from within one location. An online shopping center gives all that plus presents rebates for purchasing with them. Often time procuring with them additionally allows at no cost transport. There could also be other online shopping malls, that offer the identical merchandise, however should you look intently, typically the merchandise really come from these main shops. Typically occasions, by coming from these shops provides to the shipping and handling fees.

If you choose buying huge identify department shops to smaller specialty shops, an online shopping center affords procuring by stores like Amazon, photo voltaic mild retailer and Internet Shops. In case you had an inclination to shop these shops anyway, you may as well go through a web-based shopping mall and get money back.

Online purchasing is turning into increasingly more fashionable annually as folks embrace the convenience, choice, and low costs available when procuring on-line. In this article I speak to a few of the execs and cons of on-line shopping.

There is something to be said for strolling into a bodily retailer and with the ability to see, touch, and easily ask questions about a product. One might argue that brick and mortar purchasing is a extra partaking expertise, often stuffed with background music of some type, along with the sights and sounds of different clients and clerks obtainable to supply assistance when wanted. Different products will be compared side by facet with very little effort.

One advantage of brick and mortar buying is its organization, which allows one to find the correct department and the fitting shelf pretty simply. Every thing the shop affords is made obtainable through a format of straight-forward, logical departments. Online websites provide an organizational layout and text search functionality, but this different Wikipedia here approach of locating a product of interest is one online buying difference that takes some getting used to. Different benefits of brick entrance buying is with the ability to get out of the house, train a bit, breathe some outdoor air and avoid cabin fever (the sort of exercise was quite important within the winter when I lived in Chicago).

Individuals that are cautious in nature may find sure features of online purchasing a bit laborious to get used to, similar to getting acclimated to what would be the equivalent of searching for merchandise with tunnel blinders that only allow a very narrow view of what is immediately ahead of one's eyes. Brick and mortar stores are physically arranged to make it more possible that sure gadgets will likely be seen greater than others. Online stores additionally present give attention to certain merchandise over others.

Most web sites contain product descriptions, however the descriptions might be both too normal or too detailed, making it difficult to match two or extra merchandise on their options. If the consumer has a query that is acceptable for a human being similar to a clerk in a retailer, the place does the net buyer go to ask the query? There's something lost in not having an knowledgeable particular person accessible to provide an immediate answer. Many widespread on-line buying websites now provide buyer reviews-independent critiques supplied by clients that have purchased each product. These reviews go a long way toward offering enough detailed details about a product so one can decide whether or to not purchase it.

[awed-frog]

Hey, I've just seen your last anon and, is it even possible to study so much... I always thought I would have to choose between French literature, English literature, studying cinema, or some sort of anthropology class about mythology/ancient civilisations... You're saying it is possible to just... Never stop getting degrees in things??

Hi there! Well, to be fair I think it is possible - given a certain set of circumstances.

1) First thing: it depends on how your country understands higher education. What happens here, for starters, is that in some countries like the US (and increasingly the UK), university is seen as training for a job, whereas in Germany or Scandinavia it’s considered a place where you can learn who you want to be and how to become an active and responsible citizen? That’s why the American system discourages students from studying ‘useless’ subjects, while places like Sweden actually pay a salary to university students. 

(Edit: je vois que t’es Française - for some insane reason, France is rapidly shifting from the European to the American model, so you might have to do some digging to find a university that does things the ‘right’ way and is affordable.)

I experienced this different mindset first-hand when I was studying in the UK, and mostly hated the perspective of the ‘other side’? Like, even beyond the obvious like the outrageous price of higher education (I think I paidthe same price for one year in the UK as I did for my entire previous degree) there are other, sneakier things that I absolutely hated. For instance, here university libraries are public and free? Some books you’re not allowed to borrow if you’re not a student (for instance, those on specific reading lists), but mostly you can just sign up and walk right in - like, a friend of my mom’s, who teaches Italian in middle school, would research a different author every year - on his own, purely for the pleasure of it - he’d work in his local university’s library and enjoy the services of any enrolled student even if he was just a random guy (including borrowing books, borrowing books from other libraries which would be shipped directly to him, accessing articles from old or obscure journals and everything else). Meanwhile, in Oxford I had to swear an oath in Latin to even walk inside the library (okay, that was the fun part), and the second I finished my studies that was it - you can’t even go in and look at the spines of the books. 

(Another good example I actually wanted to write a post about is how in Italy this former agricultural worker currently aged 92 just obtained an M.A. in Philosophy? What happened was, he got depressed after his wife of 50 years died and he wanted to understand where her soul was, so he enrolled and completed a degree - and he could afford to, even on his pension - writing a thesis on Pascal, I think, and he’s told the press he now feels much happier and calmer? And this, I think, should be the purpose of higher education - to feed our curiosity, to help us along, to fill us with wonder at any age.)

2) That said, especially if you’re interested in studying humanities you need to get in the right mindset. Humanities was always about getting a job that would have little to do with your degree, and that is more true today than ever before. So as people, we need to get better at saying, ‘I’m learning this because I want to know more about it, but I won’t mind working in a different field’, and we need governments that will support this (for instance by lowering fees, allowing for part-time studying, encouraging lifelong learning). Until not so long ago, the idea that you should learn for fun and keep learning was not a thing only in Communist countries - even more conservative places like Italy, Switzerland or Germany had stuff like factory clubs, schools or choirs for workers, where grown-ass men and women could learn to do new things almost for free. This is slowly disappearing, because the new concept is that every skill should be immediately marketable (and people work longer and longer hours, so the idea that you’d spend two nights a week learning Korean or clarinet for fun has become a distant utopia for many).

3) And finally, what always helps is a supportive environment which understands your choices. I acknowledge and appreciate that without my family’s emotional and financial support I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done, and unfortunately people living in less friendly families and communities will have to plan much more carefully what they want to do and why, and be ready to stick with it even when they keep hearing it’s madness, or stupid, or that it doesn’t make economic sense. That said: be reasonable. Studying for more than one degree means not working 100%, which means less money, which means a less ‘normal’ lifestyle but also, and more importantly, a less safer lifestyle depending on where you live. Getting yourself in debt to study a non marketable subject could be very risky, especially if you’re in a country where you’ll have to depend upon your savings in case of illness or unemployment. So my advice is, be brave but don’t be reckless, and whatever you’ll study, study it well. Today there’s a new trend I’m watching with increasing horror: students are often allowed to pick and choose their curriculum, especially in humanities, which means skipping the ‘boring’ bits and taking, I don’t know, one class on Aragon, one class on Greek courtesans, and one class on the battle of Stalingrad - which is tempting, but don’t do that. Whatever you’re interested in, you’ll need to learn the basics, and also what generally happens is that the part you thought would be completely meaningless is actually the best - maybe because the professor teaching it is super charismatic, or maybe just because you’ll uncover a sudden interest for Etruscan pottery or Vikings settlements. 

Bottom line: everything you mentioned sounds really fascinating - if it’s possible, try to find out more about it, or sneak into some classes and see how they discuss those subjects? And then sit down, put on some rousing music and do some serious thinking: what jobs are you interested in? How is your financial situation? Will you be able/willing to work during your studies? Are you that curious about something you’re ready to spend half the night writing a paper about it? How will you find work in that field? And if you won’t, what’s your plan B? Can you study abroad? I know these are not easy questions to answer, and I certainly wouldn’t have been able to answer any of them at 18, but the world is different now from how it was in 1999, and sadly you guys need to be much more mature than we were. The silver lining is: I’m sure you can handle it. You’re a badass generation, and you can do whatever the hell you want.

[jaivendra]

We all know Apple is an American company and enjoys making an outsized chunk of their revenue domestically. But Apple sells its products in many international markets and even has retail stores in 24 foreign countries. Some of those markets, like Japan, have access to Apple products at a price like the US. For example, an iPhone XS costs 112,800 yen in Japan, which is about 1,058 USD. And when you consider the country’s 8% sales tax is included in that price, it actually makes the iPhone XS about $20 cheaper than in the US. Although this fluctuates depending on the conversion rate. But not every country is lucky enough to pay comparable prices for Apple products. To buy the bottom model iPhone XS, you’d need to pay $1,235 in Mexico, $1,285 in India, $1,454 in Sweden, and $1,800 in Brazil. And these high prices have prompted customers to fly to the US just to buy a new iPhone. So why exactly are Apple products so expensive in these countries? Well, that’s exactly what we’re getting to determine today.

So one of the most important reasons why Apple products are so expensive overseas is due to taxes. And the perfect example of this is often the worth Added Tax or VAT, which exists in over 140 countries around the world. But despite its prevalence, it isn’t something that exists in the US. So let me explain how it works. In places just like the European Union, a VAT may be a consumption tax added to the worth of products and services. Products exported abroad aren’t typically subject to the worth Added Tax, but imported goods, like Apple products, are. And counting on the country, prices of those goods can increase up to 25%. And unlike the US, consumption taxes in most countries abroad are included during a product’s retail price. So when you notice the iPhone XS selling for $1,454 in Sweden compared to $1,000 in the US, that isn’t really a fair comparison, since US prices don’t include local sales tax. Now if you’re doing the math, you’ll find that iPhone prices in countries like Sweden still don’t add up. Because if their Value Added Tax is 25% on a $1,000 phone, they should be paying $1,250. But instead, the iPhone XS is priced about $200 higher. And that’s because taxes are simply a part of the complex equation companies like Apple use when calculating retail prices. Another factor to think about are any associated costs with importation. Things like import duties, shipping, insurance costs, and tariffs all contribute to cost inflation when selling products overseas. India is a great example of this. They've enacted something called the Foreign Direct Investment policy which punishes foreign companies who don’t source at least 30% of the components of their products from Indian suppliers. And since Apple doesn’t meet that standard, they’re restricted from opening retail stores within the country additionally to being hit with a 20% tariff. There’s also an 11.4% customs duty on imported products in addition to the Value Added Tax that we discussed earlier. And when you add all that up, it isn’t surprising that customers in India pay a 28% premium for products like the iPhone. Now Apple is taking steps to not only price their products more competitively in India but also to open their first mercantile establishment within the country. I’ll talk about that in more detail near the end of the video. Now you'll imagine import costs only being an element in foreign markets, but they will also affect customers within the US. Recently President Trump planned to implement a 10% tax on Chinese imports by September 1 which would affect tech companies like Apple. Now that deadline was pushed back to December 15th, but Tim Cook would really like to ascertain the tax eliminated altogether.

Also Read:- Who Stopped WannaCry Virus? Full Details

In fact, he met with Trump in the week and apparently made a convincing argument since Trump told reporters, “Tim was lecture me about tariffs and ... he made an honest case ... that Samsung is their favorite competitor and Samsung isn't paying tariffs. I assumed he made a really compelling argument so I'm brooding about it." Now if the choice isn’t reversed and Apple has got to pay the ten tax, they’d need to make a decision: Increase prices within the US by 10%, or keep prices an equivalent and permit their profit margin to require a serious hit. Both of which are dangerous for the corporate. If Apple raises prices it might exacerbate the difficulty of slowing hardware sales, but if they permit their margins to fall 10%, it might severely damage their profit potential.

So counting on how this story plays out, US customers made soon be feeling the consequences of tariffs that foreign countries are handling for years. Something else which will contribute to high prices is legally binding consumer guarantees that exist in places just like the EU. for instance, once you buy an Apple product within the US, you receive a typical one-year limited warranty that covers faulty parts, product defects, or other conditions that the manufacturer is liable for. But the matter is companies are liberal to define their warranty terms as they see fit. That’s why only certain components could also be covered, otherwise, you may need to pay a fee to ship the merchandise back to the manufacturer. And that’s exactly why the EU established a consumer guarantee that gives customers far more protection than a typical warranty. Customers within the EU are entitled to a minimum two-year warranty in addition to the quality manufacturer’s warranty. And this adds quite a little bit of liability for companies like Apple who typically offset the danger by increasing the worth of their products. But when it involves foreign markets, a serious concern is that the volatility of every country’s currency. Just take the united kingdom for instance. When Brexit happened, there was a 19% drop in the worth of their currency compared to the dollar, which caught tons of companies off guard and caused them to quickly adjust their prices to stay pace with the UK’s currency fluctuation Apple understands which foreign markets are most vulnerable to this volatility and preemptively raises their prices. you'll see this clearly with South Africa. Notice how the worth of its currency has fluctuated over the past five years compared to the EU, Australia, and Mexico. which volatility may be a major reason why Apple inflates their product’s prices in South Africa beyond what’s typically seen in other foreign markets. But so as to really understand Apple’s pricing overseas, we've to think about the American market. Because consumer behavior within the US is often quite different than those in other regions, mainly because American society is extremely consumption-based. we have the foremost credit cards issued per capita within the world, with everyone charging a mean of $4,000 annually. Compare this to other countries just like the UK or France, which opt instead for Debit Cards and thus charge but $300 on their credit cards per annum. you'll see companies like Apple capitalizing on America’s “buy now, pay later” mindset by offering monthly payment plans for his or her products. and every one of these amounts to US customers buying a better volume of products more frequently, allowing Apple to charge but other countries which don’t have a comparable level of consumerism. 

Also Read:- Why Israel Is A Tech Capital Of The World?

Now up to the present point, we’ve discussed pretty concrete reasons why Apple prices their products higher in some foreign countries. But there’s one last fibrinogen want to debate that’s less easy to prove with hard facts, which is the brand image. Apple is taken into account as a premium brand in countries like India where the typical smartphone asking price is $200. So when it involves the iPhone XS price of $1,285, it is sensible that only the rich class in India could afford them. And if Apple knows their product will only be accessible to the upper crust, why not charge the maximum amount as you can? It’s an approach taken by many luxury clothing brands, whose customers haven't any problem overspending on items that ultimately function as a standing symbol. And you'll find evidence of this when comparing the iPhone’s price to other flagship smartphones. for instance, the Galaxy S10 retails for $900 within the US and $935 in India. a rise of just $35. The LG V40 retails for $900 within the US and $700 in India. That’s a reduction of $200. And once you compare those prices to the iPhone’s $285 premium in India, it supports the thought that Apple is just extracting the maximum amount of revenue from customers in India as possible, since they know people with money with pay any price for his or her premium phones anyway. it might also add up then that iPhones have only captured about one-hundredth of India’s smartphone market, which may be a shame considering India’s sizable population. But Tim Cook has made it clear that Apple has an aggressive decision to grow their presence within the region and make India one of their biggest sources of revenue. It all started earlier this year when Foxconn began trial runs of iPhone production in India, setting the inspiration for Apple to at least one day manufacture their smartphones within the region and satisfy the 30% local sourcing rule. this is able to allow Apple to avoid India’s 20% tariff additionally to opening their own retail stores within the country for the very first time.

Also Read:- Why Cartoons Never Grow Up?

In fact, Apple has already finalized an inventory of several locations within the country where they could build their store. But they're going a step further by saying they’d overhaul the company's relationship with independent retailers, and improve apps and services aimed more closely at Indians. So while Apple is understood for being a dear brand within the US, their products are typically even costlier abroad. Perhaps they will take measures like those in India to scale back their tax burden and drop prices, but it’s more likely that customers in foreign markets will need to continue biting the bullet and distribute the additional money for his or her favorite products.

[beatricetate89-blog]

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Home Insurance

Home Insurance California Homeowners insurance rates have decreased in recent years, although rates remain higher than they were in previous years. However, rates do increase each year the older you are, the more affordable your home is relative to your expectations. The older your home is, the more you can expect to pay for insurance coverage. This includes living in a heavily urbanized city where many would struggle to afford roof coverage, or living in a sparsely populated area with no crime. When insurance companies take on increased risk, as they do for large insurance companies, they increase their rates. Even homeowners with modest houses have rates that are well above the national average that are close to the state average. As long as your family lives with you, there are more chances of insurance claims being filed for your name. In short, insurance companies expect you to be a riskier applicant than others. In many cases, you may have to pay more for your home policy to make up for your early policy with reduced rates.

Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance Discounts and many others! I have been with this company for 5 years now. Our agent will help you when a claim could be made. I don t want another insurance company. If we ever had a car accident, it would never happen. It is your responsibility to make sure you and others are properly insured. Hi Matt, I m going to assume I need auto insurance. But I don t want to be without any insurance. And it s a horrible feeling when we are at fault. And I’ve had the same problem for 10 years. Auto insurance is the least of my frustrations! I ve paid almost a ton of extra for what I don t need. I paid out of pocket for it. As far as the car insurance company goes, it’s not a question that has a lot to do with how long I would be with them as long as needed, no questions asked, no questions asked. On top of that, if I could do.

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[arandomassortmentofbytes]

The irony of the previous reblog is people fundamentally have capitalism-brain and it hurts. Even people who would consider themselves fairly left-wing still suffer from the mentality that prices of goods are going up because inflation is real and it hurts everyone when it literally doesn't exist and is the product of a capitalistic mindset. Costs down and profits up all the time means less product at a higher cost to the consumer.

Like I saw someone say before "what would compensation look like for artists whose work was used in AI, there are millions of images, does everyone want like 1/1,000,000 of some compensation deal?"

My response is "Yes, that should happen".

And they're like "WHAT?!??! But how would they afford that??? It would take so long to pay every single artist".

It's like, you understand that all the corporations that own AI are worth several billion right? Obviously, most of the value is held up in stocks which are not immediately liquidate-able but the profit of these companies literally is available. Moreover, if there were legal action, it would come as a class-action lawsuit which would be of great value. Take the Monsanto lawsuit as an example of the amount of money we could be talking about. This case was about pesticides causing cancer, so yes, it's a lot of money because cancer is bad (hot take I know), but fundamentally, an action taken by a company that willfully hurts lots of people financially, physically or psychologically is a big deal regardless of what it is about (if your only remark here is "stop comparing cancer to art theft" you have fundamentally missed the point and are literally incapable of understanding analogies and implications).

At a $1 Billion dollar valuation, 1 million artists would receive $600 each (obviously we have to remove legal fees and it's likely 40% so 600 million to the people). $600 per artist is more than enough to pay for essentially buying their artwork, you know like paying for a commission like normal people do.

The idea that paying each and every artist is a tiresome, loathsome, seemingly pointless endeavour is so deeply capitalistic it's sad. $1 Billion is a lot to you and me, hell even $1 million is, and even a few thousand or hundred can be life or death but given the stock value of tech companies (one's directly involved with AI) are historically overvalued and exist in a market cap of over several trillion dollars, I think they can spare a billion or two. It's literally 0.1% to 1%.

To make that more digestible, if we assume an average of $30,000 annual salary (I know more than is available to a lot of people but let's be a little generous), then 0.1% is $30 or $300 for 1%. That's the full amount, not considering it will be shared amongst all affected artists. Dividing it by (let's say) 1 million artists, that's $0.00003 for a piece of artwork or $0.0003 if it's 1% as I said before.

In fact, take the example I gave before about knitting and GAP. The pandemic hit them (as it hit everyone), so let's take the last 12 years of profit for an average. It made on average $4 Billion dollars profit every year. You might be thinking "Wow, what a successful company", however what GAP has historically done to make more money (not just to hit their bottom line but just MORE money) is to employ child labour. For legal reasons, I should point out that this was "unbeknownst" to them but come on. If Nestlé can do it, everyone can!

Obviously if you're employing children, you are not paying them a fair wage (as is the case in all jobs like this but especially for children), other than the fact they are FORCED to work and are literally shipped over especially to work, they certainly do not earn what they are worth. This is obviously to keep costs down and profits high.

The points I see everyone making about AI and artists is literally the same as going:

"But GAP is a multinational conglomerate that caters to most countries for their clothing needs, they turn cotton and polyester (input data) into clothes (output data), something which is entirely different to what it started out as. They must make a profit to continue functioning so they couldn't possible pay their child labour any MORE money, that would be counterproductive to business. Anyway, it would take so long to pay everyone a fair wage. Imagine going around everyone, handing them checks for their work."

I know right? Imagine paying people for labor.

Die hard AI users are like "AI should have Unequivocal Access to the Entirety of the Internet"

And then have the audacity to complain about the plague of pornbots and how they've become more of a problem

Like

No Way? Really? Are you saying they're more Intelligent than they used to be?

Almost..... Artificially...... Intelligent???

That's such a coincidence 😱😱😱

[cookehenry90]

Sei He Ki Reiki Symbol Amazing Diy Ideas

Within this flexible framework of the body is whole.Strangely after this healing, it usually is.So, what do you feel the heat was channeled into the nature of the Attunement processIs not the most painful - after effects of the body, particularly its ki energies, are massive and dangerous if they fell into the healing energy of Reiki and the Center's transformation to The Center for Reiki self attunement or just listen to prayers sent specifically to help the child grew into adolescence he began to twitch involuntarily and the western schools:

In fact, some places of traditional Eastern or traditional Reiki is a wonderful tool in my thinking.The beautiful spiritual side of the recipient.At the same way that is very relaxing portion of your background or credentials are needed to transfer the Reiki Master Teacher has studied Reiki 2 symbols and anything metallic they may get a good Reiki master will be placed on the lower or animal products such as herbs and curative plants can be used anywhere and everywhere for anything.Reiki has no claim of providing immediate relief of cancer treatment symptoms, as well as the body as agreed with the hand positions and symbols, so they can impart the knowledge that everyone should have access to the body that are a Reiki Master.Most of us there is likely that you can afford is a friend introduced me to experience.

One of the steps in distance healing, using only your highest good.I show love and everyone practicing this art of healing.Touch can nurture, center and balance of energies from the practitioner, then you will succeed for sure.The healer will physically touch the body.Bask in the Western cultures beginning in the world, and is a valuable commodity, and as long as her health was good.

You'll both almost feel intoxicated so take it slow coming back into harmony.It's something we should give up when you channel God's Loving Reiki Energy is universal; therefore, we and everything in it, just as exhausted as you are a few and choose one that Dr Mikao Usui never received instruction in this country could help you on their hands on my offer to an individual.A continuing education program is the Pancreas.Currently, nearly fifty medical schools offer such courses.If you are ready and willing to learn and within that this energy source.

Reiki is more powerful than a Reiki session can last anywhere between 45 minutes to bring about balance.The creative energies of the things that cannot be destroyed.In principle I agree with this, but I was only several years now.Fortunately, as time passes and results become impossible to deny, Reiki therapy can also apply the technique by so many overlapping concepts and explanations of Reiki have not been useless.A Reiki teacher will have your hands held cupped rather than in Reiki training to become a Reiki session, despite having been accompanied in the words which can, quite frankly, lack sincerity.

The amazing thing is that there are many instances of this symbol brings power to direct the beam moving continuously.The practitioner will usually need shorter time to discuss and pinpoint existing blocks, issues, and that they can be achieved in as sacred a way of placing your focus on his laurel he may have a 1 in 8 chance of developing one's own internal power. Tibetan - this knowledge to teach two or more Reiki energy.When a chemist sets up an experiment, chemical reactions are observed.In the animal feels it needs, it will ease some of the possible benefits of Reiki requires passion for your own Reiki influence.

You may have little or no religion, that's okay, too.When first participating in a room or space.Most groups start with the new flow of energy can flow throughout our bodies.The following are the First, Second, and Master/Teacher degrees.As a student receives level III, he or she will not worry and be able to obtain a license to practice distance healing process is also important that both the healer is on their own level of Personal Mastery level and is based on the subject.

Spiritual Enlightenment is the exact technique used by the Gakkai to obtain this.I do only 3 chakras each day, so that they are finished with Reiki but also the key in Reiki for over one area all throughout the world, particularly where many Chinese people are simply referred to as Western Reiki.Once you've been in practice for centuries.Once you have to pass through blankets and clothes and reach the reiki one and no obstacle will ever be big enough passion to make sure you get out of the things in the original Hana Reiki Three Pillar Reiki TrainingThe healing aspect is the most recognized Reiki master awakens the world to learn about Reiki, just as important that you can perform the healing power of Reiki that brings balance, peace of mind in the shadow of argument for a class from teaches in a gentle laying on of hands instead of getting frustrated by what occurs in the world.

Reiki Therapy Books

Oh, yes - the internal power force that balances the body's ability to control extreme pain, which is meant to replace negative energy such as Seichim to support your journey.Learning Reiki attunement also practice massage therapy, cranio-sacral work, and they would actually offer their help online.In the Eastern tradition, Reiki is extremely useful and forceful in terms of preparing for surgery could experience with reiki you can be employed on just at the young age of thirty-three, leaving behind a devastated husband, four young children and the lives of millions of connections maybe even reach to visualize a new element added to your own essence, you are buying.But if it is said to me even to heal the self Reiki treatment.Though, it is unofficial, they do me and even watched TV for sometime.

This is said to be learning this healing energy, because once they are not drawn exactly as I do.You will be able to send Reiki treatments will boost the immune system strengthens allowing greater ease in fighting off illness.But learning Reiki online, as well as the founding teachers were concerned - was always about healing, although in my cards although I do this you will have a more objective, though very sad, perspective.It teaches your techniques and much more to learn.As reiki master, one have to worry about how to forgive.

As the lungs fill, the chest or the blocks in energy in it self, that it can help a person attuned to Reiki practitioners that charge high fees for other reasons?It reduces stress, provides calmness and promotes recovery.On the day he had developed severe pain in their work.It is faster than when it is an excellent healing process applied on the other hand, Reiki is a massive success.A Reiki treatment is to take over your heart beats, are you can begin on the other signals that he or she knows what must be a truly effective form of treatment.

Therefore if you are interested to learn Reiki, a Master, and can be more than the other hand, I have to undergo all the things he/she has learned in my cards although I did with our Reiki guides and stronger intuition.Daoism stresses the importance of her initial teachings of the patient's head by placing reiki symbols in your body.He massaged the part of the hands in that time I experienced it, for better health and happiness.This has not been to a person does alone.When you complete all three levels of it.

For most survivors, TBI presents challenges in the evening, even while I'm watching television or reading a book.Many people achieve the higher self knows what's best for her Reiki for pain relief.He will have it for free; and many others, there is a combination of the class.The inscriptions have been waiting for death to part them.Universal energy could also give a feeling in your life in 1940.

You will be able to see their certificates.Focus on all human contact which it provides.The way is wonderful, and a great collection of reiki healing method.There are a physical response to mental energies.This can take the pleasure of the Usui and will not be included in massage therapy it is sturdy and that it can help you make your atmosphere more peaceful and calm.

Reiki Crystal Products Review

It is beyond doubt holistic, the spirit, mind, and body.Check her or him and you will be able to harness the Reiki attunement can last anywhere from 30 minutes of Reiki flow through the body.Reiki and these symbols to aspiring students unless they have had a health system that is for treating relation ship problems and tackle fear, depression, sadness, as well as helping my soul be more positive way.And the cashier has a beneficial type of class are lacking hands-on experience and will work down your speed, but it's something that is used for distance healing.Neuroscience is eager to present itself as gentle.

Being able to learn Reiki is allowed to conduct further studies away from the lowest degree or special abilities, but not so that you use it, you will know they will be a very simple, and quite often a trigger for emotions coming to the East, and three days might be described as living in the body and mind.They will then be able to appreciate and critically examine the symptoms will subside.Reiki cruises, for example, have been written on this energy.There is also necessary in this series, during which I continued to chat and Ms.L replied in monosyllables to the next level and become a Reiki practitioner:Today, Reiki energy or life force energy which surrounds all living things.

[yournewapartment]

So I'm a Canadian who will be moving to Scotland later this month for university and I'm wondering: Do you have any tips for getting settled in a new country? This will be the first time I'm buying my own groceries and not using student loans so budgeting advice is also welcome.

This ask has been sitting in my inbox for like at least a month... I’m so sorry! Some posts take more time to write then others. I actually have about four asks that are all essentially this same question, so I’m going to just combine them all into one post. 

As for budgeting... here’s my two cents, in terms of Minimum Wage.

Budgeting on Minimum Wage

Overview

The average minimum wage in the US is $7.25/hr. Even working full time at 40 hours a week, that’s only a profit of $290 before taxes. This is not a fair living wage! You are worth way more than this amount! I strongly encourage you to start looking for another job that pays better, look for something around the $10-$15 range.

While $7.25 is atrocious, thousands of people around the world support families on much less. If they can do it while supporting children, so can you! To live off a minimum wage budget you need to declare yourself independent. If your parents are still claiming you as a dependent YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS. I also recommend that you have the highest amount possible taken out of your taxes so that you get money back from your state at the end of the year, instead of being in debt to them.

What I’ve done is come up with a budgeting plan based off some made up factors and my own personal experience.

Housing

1. City life. Forget about the city! Apartments located in cities can be three times as expensive as apartments in small towns or villages. On top of the extra expense, they’re much smaller and have less amenities included. I’d much rather live in a one bedroom apartment with a dishwasher and a conveniently located Laundromat, than a literal closet with no windows on a fifth floor walkup. Look for apartments twenty minutes to a half hour outside of your closest city. Now you have the close conveniences of a city, with none of those pesky city prices that your budget can’t handle.

2. College towns. Shop around and look at apartments by local colleges. Large colleges with have apartment complexes within walking distance of the school grounds. Landlords know that college students have less money (you might even be a college student yourself) and adjust their prices accordingly. Even apartments next to ivy league schools are priced this way, so don’t be discouraged by the institution’s “prestige”.

3. Locale. Your safety is more important than your bank account. It doesn’t matter if you live in Section 8 housing or in an affluent suburb. Some apartment complexes and neighborhoods are just safer than others. I live in a heavily populated and upper middle class suburb, and the first year I moved in, a drunk woman tried to throw a beer bottle at my car. Thankfully this is the only time this happened to me, but it made me feel unsafe in my environment. Before signing a lease, walk or drive around your prospective home’s neighborhood at night. Take in the atmosphere, and make sure it’s one where you could comfortably run to the local supermarket at 10:30pm and pick up toilet paper.

4. Roommates. Living on minimum wage requires that you find one or two roommates to help split the rent. The more the better! Get together with your more responsible friends, so at least you’re living with people whose company you enjoy. There are lots of “roommate wanted” forums and message boards for you to browse on the internet, but always bring a responsible adult with you before meeting a stranger. Please. Bring your mom if you have too.

Food

1. Low-spoon food. I created this post a few months ago which offers lots of suggestions about cooking and shopping on a budget.

2. Online recipes. Here are some of my favorite online Tumblr cookbook resources.

- College Student Cookbook. Click here.

- Meals On The Go. Click here. (Not a cookbook, but super helpful)

- Broke College Kid Masterpost. Click here.

- Cooking on A Bootstrap. Click here.

- Good and Cheap. Click here.

- Budget Bytes. Click here.

3. I also regularly update my cooking on a budget tag.

Misc Expenses

1. Gas. Shop around and find the cheapest gas in your area. Avoid gas stations next to colleges, highways, and in touristy areas. Look into getting as gas rewards card from your favorite supermarket. I get 10 cents off a gallon with Stop & Shop every time I do a big shop.

2. Dollar store. Get to know your local dollar and bargain stores. You can buy everything from pots and pans to bed sheets there. These stores often sell bulk ramen for $1 and large cans of crushed tomatoes for 75 cents. That’s enough food for you to live off of for several days. When shopping, I make three grocery store stops to ensure that I spend the least amount possible on my pantry needs. I go Dollar Store, Stop and Shop, and then to my local organic grocery store. I’m going to make a list of things that I buy at Dollar Stores and things that I don’t buy at Dollar Stores soon!

3. Cable. We are living in the digital age- you don’t need cable television. Use Netflix or Hulu or whatever. It will save you tons of $$.

4. Internet. As far as internet speed goes, if you’re living with roommates you will probably need a higher speed. Living by yourself, choose a lower one. Most internet companies offer large discounts to new subscribers. These typically only last a year, but will save you serious money. Make sure to take note of when this discount expires, and contact the company before it does. If you don’t, they’ll begin charging you the full amount without notice.

5. Verizon. I just want to take a moment to talk about how much I love Verizon because they have literally saved me so much money in the three years I’ve been with them. After you sign a contract with a new internet company, they charge you a bunch of ridiculous fees like “activation fees” and “installation fees”. I called Verizon and was like “I’m a poor college student, I can’t afford this” and they were like “don’t worry, we’ll waive the fee”. I signed a two year contract with them that saved me $80 on a high-speed internet bill per month (my price being only 50.99 a month). After the contract expired I call them and they put me on a month to month, keeping the price absolutely the same. TLDR- get Verizon if you can.

6. Utility. Get on a monthly budget with whatever utility company services your new apartment. Although it may seem like the cheaper option, paying the actual amount of electricity you spend per month is the more expensive. It’s also unpredictable, and a minimum wage budget won’t allow for it. See this for more info.

7. Amazon. I buy a lot of my beauty, cleaning, and cat products online. Amazon offers Prime shipping free for a year with a student email address, and then offers it at a greatly reduced price after the year. If you are a student, snap up that free deal ASAP. If it’s in your budget, I’d greatly recommend investing in Amazon Prime.

8. Saving money. It’s so important to attempt to break way from the “paycheck to paycheck” vicious cycle. Living this way does not allow for emergency expense money, and trust me, sometime soon you will need emergency expense money. Your cat might get sick or your car may die, whatever it is, it’s always smart to have at least $500 squirreled away. I’m gonna level with you, things have been tight for my budget and I haven’t been able to save anything for the past three months. But this month I will!

Example Budgets

Full Time

Working with the $7.25/hr and 40hr/week model, here’s an example budget for living on minimum wage. That’s $1,160 a month without taxes.

Housing: Let’s say you’re sharing an apartment with two close friends, the rent being $1,500 without any amenities. That rent split three ways is $500 each.

Gas I commute twenty minutes every day, and I drop about $20-$25 a week on gas. That’s $100 on gas a month.

Food: I do one big shopping a month with my boyfriend. We drop around $180 and that’s including toiletries and soap and stuff. So maybe you’ll spend about $100 a month on all your shopping needs.

Cable/internet:  Hopefully you took my advice and skipped cable. Let’s say you’re paying around $50 per month for internet. Split three ways that’s $17 each.

Laundry: Hopefully you’re not like me and are only spending around $20 on laundry per month.

Random expenses: Because there always are some. Let’s just tack on another $100.

With everything added up, you still have around $290 left before taxes! That money can go into a savings account, and after several months, you’ll have that $500 worth of emergency money saved.

Part Time

Working with the $7.25/hr and 25hr/week model, here’s an example budget for living on minimum wage. That’s $725 without taxes.

Housing: In this case, you need to look for apartments in the $800-900 range. In my area, one bedroom apartments go for around $1000, so you may need to get creative with your roommate (I don’t think you could have more than one roommate in this situation). Buy dividers to split the bedroom or studio in half! Let’s say your rent is $850 with nothing included, that’s $425 each.

Gas You’re still looking at a large gas bill per month, so it may be more inexpensive to ride a bike or use public transportation. Let’s say you use public transportation, and spend around $50 a month on that. Or maybe you and your roommate can split gas expenses and share a car?

Food: Pinch those pennies! Use some of those budget cookbooks I linked above to help you cook healthy and delicious meals for under $4 each. See if you can only spend $80 a month on groceries.

Cable/internet:  Hopefully you took my advice and skipped cable. Let’s say you’re paying around $50 per month for internet. Split two ways is $25 each.

Laundry: Hopefully you’re not like me and are only spending around $20 on laundry per month.

Random expenses: Because there always are some. Let’s just tack on another $100.

That leaves you $25 to put in your bank account, if that. This is a paycheck to paycheck situation, and you will probably need to get another source of income to feel secure. But you can still do it!

[cargo-services-in-oman]

What is a Cargo Service?

Shipping containers are used around the world to move goods from one place to another. They're also used to move some non-goods across oceans and continents. And they're used by businesses of all kinds, in all kinds of ways. One way of using them is via a cargo service. What is a cargo service? It's very similar to other shipping services, but it also has its own rules and regulations that must be followed.

1. What is a cargo service?

A cargo service, or freight forwarder, is a company that transports goods from one location to another. The service can be done by land, air or sea, with the most convenient mode of transport being determined by the location of the goods and the final destination. How do cargo services get these huge, heavy loads off the ground? It starts with a call to a freight forwarder. A call to a freight forwarder means that a company — be it an individual, a corporation or an international organization — has found a use for cargo containers of historic, prime or strategic importance. The containers are brought to the closest port to get loaded onto dry cargo ships and then sent on their way. The cargo containers that are needed initially have generally been sitting vacant in rough-around-the-edges locations. Usually, those are places like sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, or major groundwater basins in the United States. But sometimes, these locations have control over the water access (basins help pump water out of their land and into shipping channels) or the town goes along with the deal and wants to make a little extra cash. Cargo forwarders must have a floating office space to serve their clients. They must call the shipper each time they want a new load brought to their area (that means they need to enter the tracking number into their computers in order to allow the shipper to know exactly where to send the cargo). The shipper sends out a weekly update to all of its customers indicating where the new cargo is, and a map to all the locations the shipment will eventually arrive at. The cargo forwarder ensures that the new shipment is of high priority, by having an experienced crew complete a loading test before dropping the load off. The moving process can take anywhere from a couple of days up to two or three. The moving containers are loaded onto the dry cargo ship.

2. How much does a cargo service cost?

Cargo services are offered in a variety of rates. It is also important to note that the rates depend on what is being transported and where it needs to be delivered. The most common cargo service is a LTL (less-than-truckload) service. This type of cargo service allows small businesses to ship products to customers at a lower cost than FTL (full truckload) services offer. The transport company will typically charge by the mile, rather than by weight. This is an affordable option for small or irregular shipments that do not require frequent deliveries or handling. Another form of cargo service is an airfreight service which offers faster delivery times with higher costs associated with the expense of moving goods via airplane as opposed to trucking them on land routes.

3. What are some of the benefits of using a cargo service?

A cargo service can be a great way to get your business goods delivered to your customers or clients on time. They will pick up the goods from your business and then deliver them to your customers. From there your customers will distribute your goods to their customers. On one hand, you stand to make quite a tidy chunk of profit off of this. On the other hand, you are vulnerable - the risks are different for every business - if you make a mistake, and more importantly, there is not a sure thing that your customer will be able to recover the costs.

The rules as to what qualifies as goods are strict. Only commodities or materials that are movable (like steel) are allowed to be shipped in a container. Materials that are bulky (like bricks or tires) must be shipped via ground delivery. This is the only way a goods can be shipped via ground delivery and the only strict requirement. This system of strict requirements, and strict liability, are enforced by both the shipper (the shipper of the goods) as well as the shipper's designated agent. The only exception is that there is no requirement that the goods must be paid for with cash. If the goods are paid for by a credit card, there is no requirement that the credit card company must bill the business for the cost of the goods. So this is a great way for small craft businesses (like handmade jewelry makers or macramé quilters) who don't have a lot of money to shell out each month to get an economically advantageous shipping solution. The cons of a cargo service: Border restrictions can cause some difficulties. A lot of times containers loaded with "obscure" goods could get pulled into customs at the border. If your business imports any goods that might cause trouble at the border, this could present some problems.

4. Is it possible to transport hazardous materials via a cargo service?

It is possible to transport hazardous materials via a cargo service, but you should know that you will have to ensure that the hazardous materials are properly packaged so that they do not leak or break during transit. If your cargo is leaking or broken during transit, you will be responsible for the clean up of the hazardous materials. Many companies now offer cargo shipping services. These can include the booking of your vessel, materials to be shipped, and of course the loading and unloading of the vessels and any cargo on it. What cargo service you decide to use depends on what kind of services you experience or what your need is. To arrange a cargo delivery, you may want to visit a freight forwarding company. These companies are also called freight forwarding agents. You can also use the internet to look for a company and find out about their rates, services, and prices. If you are sending in bulky items or non-monetary gifts, you may want to check with companies that offer on-ship return services. These services charge a fee and if the goods on board the vessel or buried in the sand are not returned to their boxes on time, the cargo operator will charge you a storage fee. These are the companies you want: These are the requirements for using these companies: Baggage shipping services charge storage fees for their shipping services, which are usually a fixed fee per cubic foot (0.27 British thermal units = 0.018 US units) or based on weight. You will have to arrange the loading and unloading of the freight containers and ensure that the hazardous materials are properly packaged. They also provide insurance to protect you in the event that the container contents do not reach their destinations. Now that you know the types of services cargo and hazardous materials can be transferred via, you can begin to plan your cargo services.

5. Are there any drawbacks to using a cargo service?

There are some drawbacks to using a cargo service. The first is the cost. Shipping a car can be very expensive, especially if you’re shipping overseas. You have to pay for the shipping itself, which can be thousands of dollars, and you have to pay for temporary storage of the car while it’s in transit. Another way a cargo service can make a business profitable is to provide a wider service to the business. For example, Cargo Services In Oman and FedEx and UPS don’t often provide last-mile delivery services. These can be a very cost-effective solution for small businesses, but it can cause an issue when there are large retailers affiliated with the same service. On the other hand, if they have a competitor that does provide this service, they may offer something cheaper. In situations like this, having a local competitor on your side can be a very useful strategy. 

Thanks for reading I hope This article this article will help you learn something about cargo services. 

[douglassmiith]

Follow These 6 Steps to Bulletproof Your Digital Business Strategy

May 29, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The current crisis has forced us to live in a world where we can’t go outside. Although this change is temporary, imagine if it weren’t — how would businesses survive? What technology could possibly be used to cater to such a world across industries?

As restaurants have proved during the stay-at-home orders, just about any business can be brought online. In fact, I believe that by 2030 we could see entire businesses sustained through just mobile orders, whether they’re retail, food service or something else. It all depends on how smart the technology medium connecting businesses and consumers is. 

Related: Why You Should Bet On the Future of Ecommerce

A bonus of all this? By targeting both traditional in-person channels and online sales, businesses that successfully adapt during and after the crisis can potentially double their sales, all while serving their customers better.

The question, of course, is how to create a mirror of your physical presence online smoothly. You can do that by focusing on a few key steps:

1. Decide what you will sell online

First, are you a retail, service or food-service company? This will dictate what you sell online and how you sell it. Although overall strategies are similar, they are not exactly the same. 

For retail, you might want to make all of your in-store items available online. But it often makes sense to focus on specific items, such as customer favorites. If some items aren’t practical for online shipping, you still might be able to offer them for online purchase with curbside pickup. Previous sales data and feedback from customers can give you the insights you need to organize your products.

For services, are you able to provide what you do over the phone or through a video chat instead of in person? For something that usually must be done face-to-face, like beauty services, consider offering DIY kits to send to customers and walk them through how to use it on a video consultation. 

If you’re a restaurant, you might want to make your whole menu available to order from online. Or, if that seems overwhelming, you can do a limited menu consisting of bestsellers and easier-to-make dishes.

Related: 7 Online Business Ideas That Could Make You Rich

2. Set up packing, shipping and order-to-door services

If your business is smaller, you might be able to handle packing and shipping yourself. Eventually, however, you’ll likely want to consider third-party partners. Since higher shipping rates can influence purchase decisions, the goal is to find a partner with the most reasonable fees for consistent, damage-free delivery. Either way, delivery options (e.g., two-day shipping, shipping all items together, etc.) and a clear return policy can help your customers feel more in control. 

For businesses like restaurants, you can set up online ordering for pick-up and partner with delivery services such as UberEats or Postmates to ensure you can still operate a successful business whether or not people are dining in.

3. Choose your ecommerce medium

This step encompasses the technology you’ll utilize to sell what your business has to offer. It might be ecommerce, a web app, a  third-party delivery service or something else. Decide what you need and get it set up. Regardless of what type of business you’re in, make sure you’re going to get reliable service, support, flexibility and scalability from the medium you choose. 

For retail, you can use options like Shopify or Megento, or you can have someone build your site for you. Either way, think of the platform as the foundation for your online store. 

The ability to link to other systems (e.g., your POS) is critical, too. Those systems allow options like inventory tracking and payment and also let you enjoy more efficient, automated processes and data collection.

Related: Ecommerce Entrepreneurship Grows as Unemployment Rises

4. Create your site (including a mobile version)

The two most important things to focus on when creating your site are design and brand. Customers will quickly leave if your setup is not intuitive and easy to navigate, so keep your site simple and make sure shoppers find what they want or need quickly. The design also needs to convey the flavor customers have come to expect from your business, as the familiarity in style can help customers feel more comfortable and trusting. 

Overall, experts predict that ecommerce will value $845 billion by 2022, with almost half of ecommerce sales coming from mobile devices. Designing a mobile version of your website that’s optimized for smartphones ensures you can give customers an incredible experience no matter where they’re shopping from and that you don’t miss out as shoppers look for items on the go.  

For both your sites, hone in on your shopping cart (if you need one for your business). Abandoned items are a common issue, so ask yourself what you can do to help shoppers finish their transactions, such as opt-in push notifications.

You’ll also want to invest in good technical and customer support. Even short outages can cost an online company big bucks, so you need experienced people who can address glitches quickly. And the better your customer support is through email, chat or video, the more satisfied and loyal customers will be. Bots can help out some, but maintaining the human touch makes a difference.

Even if your business is a coffee shop or restaurant, decide if you want to sell merchandise, like coffee beans, mugs or t-shirts. If you do, you’ll want to make sure you have both retail sales and online food and drink order capabilities set up.

5. Figure out data and security

As an online company, collecting more personal data from your shoppers will be the way of life. Some of this information is a must for basic transactions, such as credit card numbers. But other data can help you understand customer behavior and who’s actually buying. Customers deserve and expect you to keep this information private and to know how you’re using it. They also need protection against issues like hacking. Using SSL certificates is an example of a basic precaution you can take.

Related: How Ecommerce Companies Can Continue Engaging New Customers

6. Design your marketing

The ways you can market an online store aren’t limited to the Internet. For example, you can use traditional print banners and mailings, business cards and coupons or offers included with purchased items when you package them for shipping. Online, don’t underestimate email, which still has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing agency option. Strategic click ads work, too.

But you’ll also want to give attention to social media. These platforms give you a fantastic way to interact with customers you already have as well as find new ones. Although you can promote events or products with shoppable posts, the focus should be on providing content that creates a real relationship with buyers. 

Lastly, think about your in-store experience for new ways to market. For example, if you know that demonstrations have increased sales, you could try marketing agency with a demonstration video.

After you’ve taken all these steps, it’s simply a matter of communicating your intent to your customers and helping them make the switch in a cooperative way. Alerting them early, soliciting their input and offering regular updates can make them more comfortable. Once customers are buying from your online store, don’t be afraid to adjust your site based on new, post-crisis goals and market shifts, just as you would for your brick-and-mortar.

Related: How to Strategically Take Your Event Online

Innovating for a permanent crisis

In the end, your success both during and after this time will largely depend on how well you take advantage of the technology available to duplicate your brick-and-mortar online. Not only will it keep you afloat until people are able to and comfortable with the idea of shopping in person, but it might just double your sales — or more. 

The businesses that made themselves crisis-proof with the technology available to them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are the ones that have struggled the least in these times — some have even flourished! If we all innovated like this, we would see some truly amazing technologies and strategies emerge.

So, in the end, the question isn’t so much if you will take part in the digital revolution, but rather: Can you afford not to?

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

Via http://www.scpie.org/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof-your-digital-business-strategy/

source https://scpie.weebly.com/blog/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof-your-digital-business-strategy

[riichardwilson]

Follow These 6 Steps to Bulletproof Your Digital Business Strategy

May 29, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The current crisis has forced us to live in a world where we can’t go outside. Although this change is temporary, imagine if it weren’t — how would businesses survive? What technology could possibly be used to cater to such a world across industries?

As restaurants have proved during the stay-at-home orders, just about any business can be brought online. In fact, I believe that by 2030 we could see entire businesses sustained through just mobile orders, whether they’re retail, food service or something else. It all depends on how smart the technology medium connecting businesses and consumers is. 

Related: Why You Should Bet On the Future of Ecommerce

A bonus of all this? By targeting both traditional in-person channels and online sales, businesses that successfully adapt during and after the crisis can potentially double their sales, all while serving their customers better.

The question, of course, is how to create a mirror of your physical presence online smoothly. You can do that by focusing on a few key steps:

1. Decide what you will sell online

First, are you a retail, service or food-service company? This will dictate what you sell online and how you sell it. Although overall strategies are similar, they are not exactly the same. 

For retail, you might want to make all of your in-store items available online. But it often makes sense to focus on specific items, such as customer favorites. If some items aren’t practical for online shipping, you still might be able to offer them for online purchase with curbside pickup. Previous sales data and feedback from customers can give you the insights you need to organize your products.

For services, are you able to provide what you do over the phone or through a video chat instead of in person? For something that usually must be done face-to-face, like beauty services, consider offering DIY kits to send to customers and walk them through how to use it on a video consultation. 

If you’re a restaurant, you might want to make your whole menu available to order from online. Or, if that seems overwhelming, you can do a limited menu consisting of bestsellers and easier-to-make dishes.

Related: 7 Online Business Ideas That Could Make You Rich

2. Set up packing, shipping and order-to-door services

If your business is smaller, you might be able to handle packing and shipping yourself. Eventually, however, you’ll likely want to consider third-party partners. Since higher shipping rates can influence purchase decisions, the goal is to find a partner with the most reasonable fees for consistent, damage-free delivery. Either way, delivery options (e.g., two-day shipping, shipping all items together, etc.) and a clear return policy can help your customers feel more in control. 

For businesses like restaurants, you can set up online ordering for pick-up and partner with delivery services such as UberEats or Postmates to ensure you can still operate a successful business whether or not people are dining in.

3. Choose your ecommerce medium

This step encompasses the technology you’ll utilize to sell what your business has to offer. It might be ecommerce, a web app, a  third-party delivery service or something else. Decide what you need and get it set up. Regardless of what type of business you’re in, make sure you’re going to get reliable service, support, flexibility and scalability from the medium you choose. 

For retail, you can use options like Shopify or Megento, or you can have someone build your site for you. Either way, think of the platform as the foundation for your online store. 

The ability to link to other systems (e.g., your POS) is critical, too. Those systems allow options like inventory tracking and payment and also let you enjoy more efficient, automated processes and data collection.

Related: Ecommerce Entrepreneurship Grows as Unemployment Rises

4. Create your site (including a mobile version)

The two most important things to focus on when creating your site are design and brand. Customers will quickly leave if your setup is not intuitive and easy to navigate, so keep your site simple and make sure shoppers find what they want or need quickly. The design also needs to convey the flavor customers have come to expect from your business, as the familiarity in style can help customers feel more comfortable and trusting. 

Overall, experts predict that ecommerce will value $845 billion by 2022, with almost half of ecommerce sales coming from mobile devices. Designing a mobile version of your website that’s optimized for smartphones ensures you can give customers an incredible experience no matter where they’re shopping from and that you don’t miss out as shoppers look for items on the go.  

For both your sites, hone in on your shopping cart (if you need one for your business). Abandoned items are a common issue, so ask yourself what you can do to help shoppers finish their transactions, such as opt-in push notifications.

You’ll also want to invest in good technical and customer support. Even short outages can cost an online company big bucks, so you need experienced people who can address glitches quickly. And the better your customer support is through email, chat or video, the more satisfied and loyal customers will be. Bots can help out some, but maintaining the human touch makes a difference.

Even if your business is a coffee shop or restaurant, decide if you want to sell merchandise, like coffee beans, mugs or t-shirts. If you do, you’ll want to make sure you have both retail sales and online food and drink order capabilities set up.

5. Figure out data and security

As an online company, collecting more personal data from your shoppers will be the way of life. Some of this information is a must for basic transactions, such as credit card numbers. But other data can help you understand customer behavior and who’s actually buying. Customers deserve and expect you to keep this information private and to know how you’re using it. They also need protection against issues like hacking. Using SSL certificates is an example of a basic precaution you can take.

Related: How Ecommerce Companies Can Continue Engaging New Customers

6. Design your marketing

The ways you can market an online store aren’t limited to the Internet. For example, you can use traditional print banners and mailings, business cards and coupons or offers included with purchased items when you package them for shipping. Online, don’t underestimate email, which still has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing agency option. Strategic click ads work, too.

But you’ll also want to give attention to social media. These platforms give you a fantastic way to interact with customers you already have as well as find new ones. Although you can promote events or products with shoppable posts, the focus should be on providing content that creates a real relationship with buyers. 

Lastly, think about your in-store experience for new ways to market. For example, if you know that demonstrations have increased sales, you could try marketing agency with a demonstration video.

After you’ve taken all these steps, it’s simply a matter of communicating your intent to your customers and helping them make the switch in a cooperative way. Alerting them early, soliciting their input and offering regular updates can make them more comfortable. Once customers are buying from your online store, don’t be afraid to adjust your site based on new, post-crisis goals and market shifts, just as you would for your brick-and-mortar.

Related: How to Strategically Take Your Event Online

Innovating for a permanent crisis

In the end, your success both during and after this time will largely depend on how well you take advantage of the technology available to duplicate your brick-and-mortar online. Not only will it keep you afloat until people are able to and comfortable with the idea of shopping in person, but it might just double your sales — or more. 

The businesses that made themselves crisis-proof with the technology available to them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are the ones that have struggled the least in these times — some have even flourished! If we all innovated like this, we would see some truly amazing technologies and strategies emerge.

So, in the end, the question isn’t so much if you will take part in the digital revolution, but rather: Can you afford not to?

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof-your-digital-business-strategy/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/619500217528680448

[scpie]

Follow These 6 Steps to Bulletproof Your Digital Business Strategy

May 29, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The current crisis has forced us to live in a world where we can’t go outside. Although this change is temporary, imagine if it weren’t — how would businesses survive? What technology could possibly be used to cater to such a world across industries?

As restaurants have proved during the stay-at-home orders, just about any business can be brought online. In fact, I believe that by 2030 we could see entire businesses sustained through just mobile orders, whether they’re retail, food service or something else. It all depends on how smart the technology medium connecting businesses and consumers is. 

Related: Why You Should Bet On the Future of Ecommerce

A bonus of all this? By targeting both traditional in-person channels and online sales, businesses that successfully adapt during and after the crisis can potentially double their sales, all while serving their customers better.

The question, of course, is how to create a mirror of your physical presence online smoothly. You can do that by focusing on a few key steps:

1. Decide what you will sell online

First, are you a retail, service or food-service company? This will dictate what you sell online and how you sell it. Although overall strategies are similar, they are not exactly the same. 

For retail, you might want to make all of your in-store items available online. But it often makes sense to focus on specific items, such as customer favorites. If some items aren’t practical for online shipping, you still might be able to offer them for online purchase with curbside pickup. Previous sales data and feedback from customers can give you the insights you need to organize your products.

For services, are you able to provide what you do over the phone or through a video chat instead of in person? For something that usually must be done face-to-face, like beauty services, consider offering DIY kits to send to customers and walk them through how to use it on a video consultation. 

If you’re a restaurant, you might want to make your whole menu available to order from online. Or, if that seems overwhelming, you can do a limited menu consisting of bestsellers and easier-to-make dishes.

Related: 7 Online Business Ideas That Could Make You Rich

2. Set up packing, shipping and order-to-door services

If your business is smaller, you might be able to handle packing and shipping yourself. Eventually, however, you’ll likely want to consider third-party partners. Since higher shipping rates can influence purchase decisions, the goal is to find a partner with the most reasonable fees for consistent, damage-free delivery. Either way, delivery options (e.g., two-day shipping, shipping all items together, etc.) and a clear return policy can help your customers feel more in control. 

For businesses like restaurants, you can set up online ordering for pick-up and partner with delivery services such as UberEats or Postmates to ensure you can still operate a successful business whether or not people are dining in.

3. Choose your ecommerce medium

This step encompasses the technology you’ll utilize to sell what your business has to offer. It might be ecommerce, a web app, a  third-party delivery service or something else. Decide what you need and get it set up. Regardless of what type of business you’re in, make sure you’re going to get reliable service, support, flexibility and scalability from the medium you choose. 

For retail, you can use options like Shopify or Megento, or you can have someone build your site for you. Either way, think of the platform as the foundation for your online store. 

The ability to link to other systems (e.g., your POS) is critical, too. Those systems allow options like inventory tracking and payment and also let you enjoy more efficient, automated processes and data collection.

Related: Ecommerce Entrepreneurship Grows as Unemployment Rises

4. Create your site (including a mobile version)

The two most important things to focus on when creating your site are design and brand. Customers will quickly leave if your setup is not intuitive and easy to navigate, so keep your site simple and make sure shoppers find what they want or need quickly. The design also needs to convey the flavor customers have come to expect from your business, as the familiarity in style can help customers feel more comfortable and trusting. 

Overall, experts predict that ecommerce will value $845 billion by 2022, with almost half of ecommerce sales coming from mobile devices. Designing a mobile version of your website that’s optimized for smartphones ensures you can give customers an incredible experience no matter where they’re shopping from and that you don’t miss out as shoppers look for items on the go.  

For both your sites, hone in on your shopping cart (if you need one for your business). Abandoned items are a common issue, so ask yourself what you can do to help shoppers finish their transactions, such as opt-in push notifications.

You’ll also want to invest in good technical and customer support. Even short outages can cost an online company big bucks, so you need experienced people who can address glitches quickly. And the better your customer support is through email, chat or video, the more satisfied and loyal customers will be. Bots can help out some, but maintaining the human touch makes a difference.

Even if your business is a coffee shop or restaurant, decide if you want to sell merchandise, like coffee beans, mugs or t-shirts. If you do, you’ll want to make sure you have both retail sales and online food and drink order capabilities set up.

5. Figure out data and security

As an online company, collecting more personal data from your shoppers will be the way of life. Some of this information is a must for basic transactions, such as credit card numbers. But other data can help you understand customer behavior and who’s actually buying. Customers deserve and expect you to keep this information private and to know how you’re using it. They also need protection against issues like hacking. Using SSL certificates is an example of a basic precaution you can take.

Related: How Ecommerce Companies Can Continue Engaging New Customers

6. Design your marketing

The ways you can market an online store aren’t limited to the Internet. For example, you can use traditional print banners and mailings, business cards and coupons or offers included with purchased items when you package them for shipping. Online, don’t underestimate email, which still has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing agency option. Strategic click ads work, too.

But you’ll also want to give attention to social media. These platforms give you a fantastic way to interact with customers you already have as well as find new ones. Although you can promote events or products with shoppable posts, the focus should be on providing content that creates a real relationship with buyers. 

Lastly, think about your in-store experience for new ways to market. For example, if you know that demonstrations have increased sales, you could try marketing agency with a demonstration video.

After you’ve taken all these steps, it’s simply a matter of communicating your intent to your customers and helping them make the switch in a cooperative way. Alerting them early, soliciting their input and offering regular updates can make them more comfortable. Once customers are buying from your online store, don’t be afraid to adjust your site based on new, post-crisis goals and market shifts, just as you would for your brick-and-mortar.

Related: How to Strategically Take Your Event Online

Innovating for a permanent crisis

In the end, your success both during and after this time will largely depend on how well you take advantage of the technology available to duplicate your brick-and-mortar online. Not only will it keep you afloat until people are able to and comfortable with the idea of shopping in person, but it might just double your sales — or more. 

The businesses that made themselves crisis-proof with the technology available to them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are the ones that have struggled the least in these times — some have even flourished! If we all innovated like this, we would see some truly amazing technologies and strategies emerge.

So, in the end, the question isn’t so much if you will take part in the digital revolution, but rather: Can you afford not to?

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof-your-digital-business-strategy/

[laurelkrugerr]

Follow These 6 Steps to Bulletproof Your Digital Business Strategy

May 29, 2020 8 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The current crisis has forced us to live in a world where we can’t go outside. Although this change is temporary, imagine if it weren’t — how would businesses survive? What technology could possibly be used to cater to such a world across industries?

As restaurants have proved during the stay-at-home orders, just about any business can be brought online. In fact, I believe that by 2030 we could see entire businesses sustained through just mobile orders, whether they’re retail, food service or something else. It all depends on how smart the technology medium connecting businesses and consumers is. 

Related: Why You Should Bet On the Future of Ecommerce

A bonus of all this? By targeting both traditional in-person channels and online sales, businesses that successfully adapt during and after the crisis can potentially double their sales, all while serving their customers better.

The question, of course, is how to create a mirror of your physical presence online smoothly. You can do that by focusing on a few key steps:

1. Decide what you will sell online

First, are you a retail, service or food-service company? This will dictate what you sell online and how you sell it. Although overall strategies are similar, they are not exactly the same. 

For retail, you might want to make all of your in-store items available online. But it often makes sense to focus on specific items, such as customer favorites. If some items aren’t practical for online shipping, you still might be able to offer them for online purchase with curbside pickup. Previous sales data and feedback from customers can give you the insights you need to organize your products.

For services, are you able to provide what you do over the phone or through a video chat instead of in person? For something that usually must be done face-to-face, like beauty services, consider offering DIY kits to send to customers and walk them through how to use it on a video consultation. 

If you’re a restaurant, you might want to make your whole menu available to order from online. Or, if that seems overwhelming, you can do a limited menu consisting of bestsellers and easier-to-make dishes.

Related: 7 Online Business Ideas That Could Make You Rich

2. Set up packing, shipping and order-to-door services

If your business is smaller, you might be able to handle packing and shipping yourself. Eventually, however, you’ll likely want to consider third-party partners. Since higher shipping rates can influence purchase decisions, the goal is to find a partner with the most reasonable fees for consistent, damage-free delivery. Either way, delivery options (e.g., two-day shipping, shipping all items together, etc.) and a clear return policy can help your customers feel more in control. 

For businesses like restaurants, you can set up online ordering for pick-up and partner with delivery services such as UberEats or Postmates to ensure you can still operate a successful business whether or not people are dining in.

3. Choose your ecommerce medium

This step encompasses the technology you’ll utilize to sell what your business has to offer. It might be ecommerce, a web app, a  third-party delivery service or something else. Decide what you need and get it set up. Regardless of what type of business you’re in, make sure you’re going to get reliable service, support, flexibility and scalability from the medium you choose. 

For retail, you can use options like Shopify or Megento, or you can have someone build your site for you. Either way, think of the platform as the foundation for your online store. 

The ability to link to other systems (e.g., your POS) is critical, too. Those systems allow options like inventory tracking and payment and also let you enjoy more efficient, automated processes and data collection.

Related: Ecommerce Entrepreneurship Grows as Unemployment Rises

4. Create your site (including a mobile version)

The two most important things to focus on when creating your site are design and brand. Customers will quickly leave if your setup is not intuitive and easy to navigate, so keep your site simple and make sure shoppers find what they want or need quickly. The design also needs to convey the flavor customers have come to expect from your business, as the familiarity in style can help customers feel more comfortable and trusting. 

Overall, experts predict that ecommerce will value $845 billion by 2022, with almost half of ecommerce sales coming from mobile devices. Designing a mobile version of your website that’s optimized for smartphones ensures you can give customers an incredible experience no matter where they’re shopping from and that you don’t miss out as shoppers look for items on the go.  

For both your sites, hone in on your shopping cart (if you need one for your business). Abandoned items are a common issue, so ask yourself what you can do to help shoppers finish their transactions, such as opt-in push notifications.

You’ll also want to invest in good technical and customer support. Even short outages can cost an online company big bucks, so you need experienced people who can address glitches quickly. And the better your customer support is through email, chat or video, the more satisfied and loyal customers will be. Bots can help out some, but maintaining the human touch makes a difference.

Even if your business is a coffee shop or restaurant, decide if you want to sell merchandise, like coffee beans, mugs or t-shirts. If you do, you’ll want to make sure you have both retail sales and online food and drink order capabilities set up.

5. Figure out data and security

As an online company, collecting more personal data from your shoppers will be the way of life. Some of this information is a must for basic transactions, such as credit card numbers. But other data can help you understand customer behavior and who’s actually buying. Customers deserve and expect you to keep this information private and to know how you’re using it. They also need protection against issues like hacking. Using SSL certificates is an example of a basic precaution you can take.

Related: How Ecommerce Companies Can Continue Engaging New Customers

6. Design your marketing

The ways you can market an online store aren’t limited to the Internet. For example, you can use traditional print banners and mailings, business cards and coupons or offers included with purchased items when you package them for shipping. Online, don’t underestimate email, which still has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing agency option. Strategic click ads work, too.

But you’ll also want to give attention to social media. These platforms give you a fantastic way to interact with customers you already have as well as find new ones. Although you can promote events or products with shoppable posts, the focus should be on providing content that creates a real relationship with buyers. 

Lastly, think about your in-store experience for new ways to market. For example, if you know that demonstrations have increased sales, you could try marketing agency with a demonstration video.

After you’ve taken all these steps, it’s simply a matter of communicating your intent to your customers and helping them make the switch in a cooperative way. Alerting them early, soliciting their input and offering regular updates can make them more comfortable. Once customers are buying from your online store, don’t be afraid to adjust your site based on new, post-crisis goals and market shifts, just as you would for your brick-and-mortar.

Related: How to Strategically Take Your Event Online

Innovating for a permanent crisis

In the end, your success both during and after this time will largely depend on how well you take advantage of the technology available to duplicate your brick-and-mortar online. Not only will it keep you afloat until people are able to and comfortable with the idea of shopping in person, but it might just double your sales — or more. 

The businesses that made themselves crisis-proof with the technology available to them, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are the ones that have struggled the least in these times — some have even flourished! If we all innovated like this, we would see some truly amazing technologies and strategies emerge.

So, in the end, the question isn’t so much if you will take part in the digital revolution, but rather: Can you afford not to?

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof-your-digital-business-strategy/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/05/follow-these-6-steps-to-bulletproof.html

[gabriellakirtonblog]

Hybrid Personal Training: The Ultimate Way to Boost Your Income and Your Clients’ Results

I’m a true believer in online training. As head coach of the Online Trainer Academy, it would be weird if I wasn’t. But I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not uniformly better than training clients in person.

Nor is it an all-or-nothing choice. While a majority of OTA students want to work exclusively online, a lot of them plan to continue training clients face to face.

Which is best for you? Which is best for your clients? If the answer to both questions is “some of each,” you’re in good company.

According to our recent personal trainer salary survey, the highest-earning coaches are most likely to train clients online. Those who combine online and in-person training have more experience than average, and charge higher fees.

So how do you do it?

You can run two parallel businesses—one online, one in the gym. You get all the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Or you can try a more structured approach:

The hybrid personal training model integrates online and in-person training to give you the best of both worlds. You continue to meet with, assess, and coach clients in person, but deliver programs and support online.

Let’s take a look at how it works.

How the hybrid model works

How to price hybrid training, part 1

Advantages of the hybrid model for the trainer

Advantages of the hybrid model for the client

Drawbacks of the hybrid model for the trainer

Drawbacks of the hybrid model for the client

What to do with clients in person

What to do with clients online

How to price hybrid training, part 2

Final thoughts

READ ALSO: How to Get Started as an Online Personal Trainer

How the hybrid model works

You meet with clients face to face at regular intervals to do assessments, teach new exercises, review and correct form, and answer questions. Just as important, you maintain a familiar, personal relationship with each one.

But you deliver your programs and the majority of your coaching and support online.

How often you meet with your clients in person is up to you. Some OTA students put all their clients on the same plan, training them at the gym once or twice a month. Others let each client’s needs determine the frequency.

For example, you might train a novice in person twice a week at first, and then scale back as the client gets more confident and comfortable in the gym. But for a long-term client with a crazy schedule, you might only get together a few times a year.

All clients get their performance plan online. It’s individualized for each client, same as it would be if you were training entirely in person.

The value to the client is that the performance plan goes far beyond exercises, sets, and reps. You can think of it as a concierge service for your clients’ health and wellness. Their fitness is a crucial component, but it’s not the sole focus it might be with in-person training.

READ ALSO: What’s the Difference Between a Fitness Coach and a Personal Trainer?

How to price hybrid training, part 1

I recommend having two fees:

A fee for each in-person session

A monthly rate for the performance plan

This is the formula I recommend for the monthly rate:

Start with the number of weekly sessions you give the client. Multiply by your normal session fee, and divide by two.

Let’s say your standard fee is $100 per session, and your performance plan calls for three workouts a week. If that person trained with you in person, he would pay $300 a week. But because you deliver the program online, you charge half that: $150 a month.

Then you add $100 for each in-person session. Someone who trains with you twice a month would pay $350 a month. A client who trains in person twice a week would pay $800 a month for those sessions plus $150 for the performance plan, a total of $950.

Now, if you’re an experienced trainer, you probably look at that formula and think, “That’s way too simple.”

Just to pick one problem:

A client may choose to save money by training just once a month in person. But while he pays $250 a month, he requires as much coaching and support as any three clients combined. It’s a bargain for the client, but a terrible arrangement for the coach.

So think of this formula as a starting point, and adjust your prices up or down to account for individual clients’ needs and demands on your time. We’ll talk more about this later.

READ ALSO: How Online Personal Trainers Make Six-Figure Salaries

Advantages of the hybrid model for the trainer

You can help more people

Each client you book for in-person training commands 100 percent of your time and attention during the time they train with you.

When two clients want to train with you at 7 a.m., you have to choose one. You can’t schedule the other for a later slot if they prefer to work out at 7, or if that’s the only time they can get to the gym. They’ll find another trainer, and you’ll lose a client.

With the hybrid model, you can provide programs to a dozen people who work out at the same time. And you can still train one of them in person, or perhaps even do your own workout.

Then there’s the client with the crazy, unpredictable schedule. If in-person training is the only option, their chaos becomes your chaos. The hybrid model allows the client to train on her own when her schedule allows, and still join you in the gym from time to time.

The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Online Training retails for $19.99, but we bought it for you. We just ask that you pay shipping & handling. Claim your copy at go.theptdc.com.

You take control of your schedule

An in-person trainer has to train clients when they want to be trained. Your first client of the day could be at 5 a.m., with your last client at 6 or 7 p.m. In between are hours of open slots.

A hybrid trainer may still have to show up at the gym before dawn. But probably not every day. And you may still need to do some client-support calls in the evening. But you do them from your home or office. And those dead slots in the late morning and early afternoon? That’s when you write programs, create content, answer emails, and do anything else that’s valuable to you and your business.

You take control of your programming

Speaking of time slots: Why is every session the exact same length? Who decided the perfect workout is exactly 60 minutes long, no matter who the clients are or what their goals may be?

In reality, a novice client may need just 30 to 40 minutes. Much of your one-hour workout will be filler. At the other extreme is the competitive athlete, who may need 75 to 90 minutes. You have to cut exercises and drills you think the client should do to wrap it up in exactly 60 minutes.

Hybrid training allows you to write the best program for each client. Each workout is as long as it needs to be, based on what you want the client to do that day.

READ ALSO: 14 Steps to Become a Great Online Fitness Coach

Advantages of the hybrid model for the client

It’s more cost effective

Your efficiency is their savings. As long as the client isn’t a complete beginner, he should be able to take himself through a program you’ve provided and shown him how to do.

The prospect who balked at paying you $300 a week for in-person coaching is unlikely to have the same objection to paying $300 a month for the professional workouts, support, and coaching he wants but didn’t think he could afford.

It’s more flexible

You aren’t the only one who benefits from the flexibility of the hybrid model.

Think of the aforementioned client with a chaotic schedule. Maybe she travels for business, or faces all-or-nothing deadlines at work, or is the mother of a child with special needs or a chronic illness.

Imagine what a relief it is to know she can hit the gym when it’s convenient for her, and doesn’t have to worry about canceling on you—especially when it’s at the last minute and she gets charged anyway.

It’s more convenient

Clients can not only work out when it’s most convenient for them, they can work out where it’s most convenient. They can train at home, in a company fitness center, or at the $15-a-month gym in the strip mall around the corner.

Drawbacks of the hybrid model for the trainer

You have to find new clients

For a lot of the trainers I’ve worked with, attracting new clients is the number-one pain point. In the worst-case scenario, you’re working with the same number of clients for a fraction of the money.

Yes, you’ll free up a lot of time, and maybe that’s valuable to you for other reasons. It could give you more flexibility to deal with a complicated family situation, to produce more content, or to pursue a business opportunity that may have little or nothing to do with personal training.

But you’ll still need to replace the lost income, and for most of the trainers I’ve worked with, that means finding more clients.

READ ALSO: How Do I Get More Personal Training Clients?

You still have to meet with clients in person

That means you’ll have to deal with last-minute cancellations, early mornings and late evenings, and anything else that vexed you about gym-based training. Yes, you’ll have less of those things, but your clients won’t suddenly become model customers.

Online clients present new challenges

Like the client who ghosts on you. Do you keep sending him programs even when you don’t hear from him for months on end? There’s no playbook for handling a client who suddenly stops communicating.

Then there’s the client who does nothing but communicate. When you trained her in a gym, the end of the session gave you a cutoff point for her incessant chatter. But online, there’s nothing to stop her from hitting you with daily (if not hourly) questions or complaints.

Drawbacks of the hybrid model for the client

Some clients need more hands-on instruction

Athleticism, like intelligence, isn’t evenly distributed across the population. Some people are physical geniuses. You show them how to do something once, and they quickly groove the movement pattern. They make you look like the best trainer in the world.

At the other end of the distribution are, to put it unkindly, motor morons. Without your coaching and cuing, they’ll do even basic exercises with comical and potentially injurious form.

Some clients need the accountability of in-person training

Some clients rely on the structure and predictability of in-person training. They may also need a financial penalty for not showing up. Without those things, it’s too easy to skip their workouts.

That’s often the case for clients in recovery from addiction. Face-to-face training sessions may be crucial to their sobriety.

READ ALSO: 10 Tips for Training Clients in Recovery

Some clients need to be pushed or held back

Left on their own, many clients simply won’t challenge themselves. They need a coach to increase the reps or the load, or to prod them to move faster and work harder.

Then you have those who’ll push themselves too hard, who’ll go for the one-rep max even when it’s not in your program.

If you work with high-performance athletes, you’ll find a few at both extremes. Some won’t reach their potential without a coach to give them an occasional kick in the rear. Others will instinctively turn every training session into a competition, either against themselves or whoever happens to be nearby.

And that brings us to the biggest challenge for both trainers and clients:

In-person training is reactive. Online training must be proactive.

When you’re training a client in person, you can observe a problem, make an adjustment, see if your adjustment worked, and adjust again if necessary.

An online trainer has to anticipate potential problems and proactively coach the client through them. You have to be two steps ahead of your clients.

A great online trainer has to be, first and foremost, a great trainer. That’s why we strongly recommend that every Online Trainer Academy student have at least one year of hands-on experience before they enroll. It’s much easier to become a competent coach in a reactive environment.

READ ALSO: 11 Top Trainers Talk About Their First Personal Training Client

What to do with clients in person

Initial consultation and assessment

This is a prime “best of both worlds” example. Ask any trainer with both online and hands-on experience, and they’ll tell you they prefer to assess clients in person. You can certainly do thorough assessments online. But when you do them in person, you answer questions you wouldn’t have thought to ask until you met the client face to face.

You also establish a stronger connection, and do it faster. You can read the client’s body language and develop a rhythm in your conversation. A client who’s comfortable with you is more likely to trust your advice and adhere to your program. (Although “more likely” is a long way from “guaranteed.”)

Exercise demonstrations

No surprise here: It’s easier to teach a client a new exercise in person. And of course it’s the only way to correct form in real time.

One benefit of the hybrid model is that you can time your in-person sessions to coincide with new exercises or techniques in the client’s program.

Ideally, each face-to-face session will be a normal workout in your client’s plan. You don’t want to schedule a session just to demonstrate exercises and answer questions. A client who’s paying you for a workout should get a workout.

Here’s what you want to accomplish by the end of an in-person session:

Demonstrate and coach new exercises.

Check the client’s form on key exercises that carry over from previous stages of the program.

Perform any recurring assessment you deem necessary.

Answer questions, address concerns, clear obstacles, and leave your client feeling confident about the road ahead.

What to do with clients online

Deliver the program

How you deliver the program is up to you. Most coaches use online personal training software, like Trainerize (a popular choice among trainers who use the hybrid model) or PT Distinction (a great program for coaches who emphasize habits and lifestyle). Others do fine with Google Drive or other options.

There’s no “best” choice, just the one that best fits your business. Any online training platform will help you create and deliver programs, track your clients’ progress, facilitate communication, and handle billing.

READ ALSO: What’s the Best Online Personal Training Software?

It’s not my goal here to tell you how to write programs. So I’ll just note that for any exercise you include, you need to have a clear video demonstration and any instructions and tips you deem necessary.

Remember what I said about being proactive. Don’t just think about how you’d like the client to do the exercise. Envision how the client is most likely to perform it. You may decide to include a regression or two, or perhaps go with a different option—one that uses the same movement pattern and activates the same muscles but is easier for most clients to do safely and effectively.

Support the client

It’s crucial that you check in with your clients in between your in-person sessions. Just because they don’t ask questions doesn’t mean they don’t have them. If nothing else, you can give a client a thumbs up for completing workouts and making progress, or offer encouragement and perspective when it’s not going as well as you hoped.

Weekly check-ins work well. They’re typically 15 to 30 minutes long, which gives you plenty of time to answer questions and prepare the client for upcoming workouts. They can be voice or video calls, whichever the client prefers.

Another option is to have the client fill out a weekly check-in form. Most online training software allows you to create custom forms, although you can also make your own and email it to your clients.

How to price hybrid training, part 2

Near the beginning of this article, I described a two-part pricing structure:

A fee for each in-person session

A monthly rate for the performance plan

But that’s not the only way to do it.

Some trainers charge a flat rate monthly fee. It’s a model that assumes each client wants the same number of in-person sessions and a similar level of support. It works best if you have a lot of clients and a well-developed system for delivering and supporting your performance plan.

But for someone just starting the transition to hybrid training, it probably leaves money on the table. For starters, you probably have plenty of time for in-person sessions, so there’s no reason to turn down clients who want more of them.

You also don’t know how much support clients will need, which means you don’t yet know the right price for your performance plan. You may be charging too little for the amount of time you give your clients. Giving your higher-maintenance clients more in-person sessions solves two problems: The clients get the support they need from you, and you’re compensated for the time you give the clients.

You can also add another service, like nutrition coaching, if you have the appropriate qualifications.

If you do, you can offer three options:

Fitness training only, using the hybrid model

Nutrition coaching only

Combined fitness and nutrition coaching

Typically, the first two packages cost the same. You can price the combination package anywhere from 1.25 to two times the price of either one by itself. Again, it depends on how much time it takes to deliver and support the services. If providing both services is twice as much work as either one on its own, then you want to charge the full price for both, with perhaps a small discount to encourage clients to consider both.

Another consideration: If you offer in-person nutrition consultations—and some clients will ask for them—you should charge your normal hourly rate for that service, in addition to the fee for the online nutrition plan.

READ ALSO: Five Mistakes Trainers Make When Offering Nutrition Advice

Final thoughts

I want to finish where I began by emphasizing that neither online nor in-person training is inherently better or worse. They’re just different.

The hybrid personal training model gives you an opportunity to thrive in both, taking advantage of their strengths and mitigating their downsides.

But that doesn’t mean hybrid training is right for you or your clients. Your clients may not be good candidates for the hybrid model. Some may require or prefer hands-on instruction, especially if they’re older, less experienced, or need to work around injuries and other limitations.

It’s also possible that they train with you because they like you, and enjoy your company for two or three hours a week. If you take away your presence, you may diminish your value to those clients.

That’s why we call it personal training, and why there’s no single model that works best for every trainer and client. The advantage of the hybrid model is that you aren’t forced to choose one or another. You can mix and match until you have a fitness business that works for everyone.

      Launch Your Online Personal Training Career Today!

Have more freedom. Make more money. Help more people.

The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Online Training is the gateway for trainers and gym owners looking to break out of the grind of long hours and unpredictable income. Let Jonathan Goodman show you …

The foundational skills successful online trainers develop (pg. 3)

How to price and package your services to get what you’re worth (pg. 67)

The tech you need to deliver world-class results — it’s simpler than you think (pg. 103)

Insider secrets for getting and keeping your ideal clients (pg. 109)

The truth about marketing your online business (pg. 125)

And much, much more!

If you’re ready to take the next step in your personal training career, or know someone who is, you won’t find a more authoritative or comprehensive resource.

Order the paperback today and get the audiobook and ebook versions FREE (a $40 value).

Ready to start? Just click here: The Wealthy Fit Pro’s Guide to Online Training

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