#also for the record i do not think homeschool is a good solution to this. the answer is not to further isolate kids

[dragonomatopoeia]

not from the us but you viscerally reminded me of the time we had a discussion in english class on how to improve the learnig process and i, the best in class, who learned much better from games/music/etc, suggested to make the lessons a bit more fun. the teacher and all the other students scoffed and laughed at me like i said we should abolish education entirely. still vividly remember how i sat there for the rest of the class completely and utterly baffled. schools am i right.

the idea that education and pedagogy have to necessarily follow extremely rigid and stressful models without any room for play is routinely damaging. we have years of evidence that current academic models have negatively impacted students, with increased depression, anxiety, and instances of literal traumatic stress disorders developing among students.

not to mention lack of respect and opportunities for self-direction have well-documented effects on the human psyche, and when you have students subjected to constant scrutiny from both authority figures and their peers, in addition to the impact of disrupted sleep patterns, you have the perfect formula for fucking up a kid's emotional regulation and willingness to learn

like. humans have literal neurochemical mechanisms that inhibit our ability to learn effectively if we're in stressful situations. ask any adult who loudly hates math why they dislike it so much, and the answer will, nine times out of ten, be The Way It Was Taught. and yet, because This is The Way Things Are, any challenge or attempts to improve things somewhat are met with scorn

but yeah you'd expect it to be common sense that people like when things are enjoyable and do not like being made to feel disrespected and stupid. and therefore education would be more effective if it empowered students and wasn't, y'know, a nightmarish pedagogical panopticon designed for maximum efficiency at a sizable human cost. but for some reason that's a really hard sell

[ms-demeanor]

Also for the record: Children's Rights Advocacy is specifically why I do NOT think "just homeschool your kids" or "shut down public schools" is a reasonable solution to the issues with education.

Yeah, schools should not be punitive, they shouldn't be grade-based, they shouldn't be abusive. They shouldn't give homework and there should be a LOT of vetting of teachers and probably more adults per classroom than a single teacher (I think that this will minimize the potential for abuse).

But giving parents final say on what information their children should have access to and how they are educated is NOT A GOOD IDEA and is much more rife with possibilities for abuse.

Look, I *already* think that homeschooled students should have regular contact with multiple mandatory reporters. That's not because I want to indoctrinate kids, that's because I think that periodically a non-family adult should check and make sure that it doesn't look like children are *starving.*

I will admit that this is one of the places where I'm somewhat internally contradictory. Somebody - who is not you - needs to be looking out for your kids. "Ensuring that children get food/medicine/education/opportunities to escape abuse" is the single best justification I can think of for a state to exist. I don't think that states are the necessary approach to the problem, but when you say "close the baby jail and let the community educate children collectively" I have to ask: how abusive is that community? What happens to children who are autistic in that community? How tolerant of homosexuality is that community?

It would be nifty if people were all mutually responsible anarchists who had a big farm together and intuitively schooled children and produced free insulin at the local co-op, but if you look at the vast majority of people who have chosen to home school in the US it is people who have done so with the EXPLICIT purpose of preventing their children from learning about sexual health and science and the communities that have done so are disproportionately abusive to children in comparison to the general population.

So it's cool that you want to home school your kid with project-based learning, but somebody should make sure that they know how to read at some point, and also someone needs to be looking out for kids whose parents think that blood transfusions are sinful.

[jasmine-the-fox]

I did the work... You guys were lazy

For this salt fic, I want you all to see what happens to the class for believing Lila and her lies and leaving behind Marinette... Also Damienette ship!!

For years Marinette didn’t think about her old class... Caline Bustier’s class was gone like the wind to her when she left Paris to go to Gotham for college, there were times when Alya and some of them will text her old number about demands of baked goods, dresses or new date Adrien plans... She would ignore them and at one point got rid of her phone as she was done with them, the only people she spoke to was Chloe who never believed Lila and even worked hard to be forgiven by Mari, Sabrina did so much research on Lila with Max that they too were forgiven with time, then was Alix who was visited by a furious Bunnix who showed Alix her future if she follows Lila.

Nathaniel was also someone who believe Mari, from the start he thought Lila was strange and one day with Marc spoke to Mari and has been loyal to her... Lastly was Kitty section, Luka was furious with them for listening to Lila about music and warned them about him quitting if they keep this up, after a while they heard Mari crying to Luka about what Lila did to her and they ended up leaving Lila, outside the class was of course Luka and Marc, Kagami, Aurore, Mireille, Ondine and Felix who is Adrien’s cousin, he was furious when Chloe told him about Adrien’s take the higher road line he told Mari.

Each of her friends did sadly go to different places and she only had Chloe with her in Gotham but that was fine with her, she still texted and did video calls with them so that was fine to her... And then she met Damian Wayne, the boy was cold and rarely spoke to anyone unless for a project he had to do in a team, slowly she began talking to him outside of class and that made him at some point want to speak with her about anything at all that wasn’t even related to school, with time Chloe helped her with there friends to change Marinette’s style, she went from pigtails to her hair down or in a braid, from white pink and gray to black and other kinds of colors.

She also began to wear make-up and she opened up a website for her designs, a blog so people can see tips and tricks on how to do things with clothes or how to fix something, she also took down all her previous accounts she had with the class following her and opened new accounts for her real friends to be seen with her, Damian would glare when his brother’s would talk about a new post on her social media or on her blog while his father often commissions her for clothes, this caused for her to become famous in Gotham and Clark interview her... Making her also famous in Metropolis.

And while she was becoming famous while still in school... Her class was losing there dreams, Alya was the first one to go through this, Nadja Chamack got to interview Lois Lane who ripped into the Ladyblog by pointing out posts she made that were lies and the consequences that would have happened if certain people saw them... Leading to her blog being taken down, she with Lila got sued and Lila was exposed as the liar she was including the bonus of Lila being deported back to Italy to live with her grand-parents who were sending her to a private school.

Slowly everyone including Adrien were targeted, Adrien being found out as Lila revealed that he and Marinette were the only ones who knew she was lying from the start... He was homeschooled once again but was able to go to college, he picked one his friends were going to with the grades they had but they all glared at him... But none of them thought to apologize to Mari for bullying her and claiming her to be a liar... Not until there bank accounts were frozen because there parents received from Tom and Sabine bills for each of there kids for baked goods, clothes, babysitting that Alya and Nino put on her at the last minute for a date and anything else that they never paid back.

That’s when they remembered Marinette, they all began trying to call and text her... But her number wasn’t available anymore as it wasn’t use so they couldn’t talk to her, Alya thought she was being petty while Adrien thought Mari was being selfish, with time they got back to work on what they wanted... And then they saw Mari on the news in Metropolis as an up coming designer, Gabriel Agreste saw a solution to the problem Lila brought to his work and told Adrien to try and talk to her and see if she would date him... Except Adrien didn’t have her current number.

It took some time but Gabriel ended up being invited to a Wayne Gala, he took his son and instructed him to try and get Marinette’s new number to try and then date her, Adrien was certain it would all go well and he would get her new number... Then everyone will be able to contact her and things will go back to normal for them, when they got there, Adrien began looking for Mari but saw Chloe with Damian Wayne and some girl with short hair, he decided to ignore them for now and focus on searching for Mari but couldn’t find her at all.

“Adrien? I’m surprised that your here since your father always comes alone” he turned to find Chloe and the girl from earlier, Damian wasn’t with them now and was instead talking to some guests “Hey there Chlo, my dad heard about Mari on the news and wanted to meet her and so I was just trying to find her for him” he explained as the girl looked annoyed at him while Chloe looked disappointed “Mari has been next to me from the start... You should have come over the moment you got here” she said as Adrien looked shocked at Marinette, her hair was now chin length, her dress was a beautiful red dress with a beautiful dragon design.

Chloe had to then walk away to speak with a guest, leaving the two alone, Adrien began trying to start a conversation but Mari simply went with short and simple answers... No going into detail of things, this was not the Marinette Dupain-Cheng he knew so he had to do something, he then began asking her if she could show him around Gotham while he was here, if she would like to have lunch with him at some point and even if she would like to dance with him... She said straight up no and didn’t give him a reason as to why, still wanting her number to begin contacting her, he decided to wait until she was drinking wine before snatching her phone from her purse and adding her number to his phone and sending it to the class before putting it back into her purse.

He just had to tell her she gave it to him while she was a little drunk, it would be just fine in the end and nothing would go wrong... He was wrong, the next day, police came to arrest him for stealing her phone and sending her number to others who contacted her the whole night... He tried to defend himself but security camera’s caught him stealing her phone and slipping it back, he was being sued and a restraining order was on him to stay away from her while she once again changed her number and ended up telling her clients about it... Gabriel was disappointed in his son for he had to go meet with her to try and fix everything... While trying to get her to agree to going on a date with his son.

She was already dating Damian though.

He found out when he saw them together, Damian had called her Angel and they kissed before he left, she refused to go on a date with his son or to remove the restraining order on his son... But Gabriel won’t give up “Make one of them hate the other, anything will do but make one of them dump the other!” he ordered his son who nodded to the demand, since Adrien couldn’t get close to Mari... He had to aim for Damian, he decided to us a few pictures he took of her in the past to make Damian think she has been dragging around a bunch of guys and girls, he didn’t care that Nino and Kim knew from childhood, he also didn’t care that Chloe and Kagami were in a relationship with one another, he didn’t care about Luka and Felix’ pride.

He was going to win this no matter what... He will make his father proud of him.

He was sent back to Paris to be put in jail there three days later, he really didn’t know what went wrong, all he did was show Damian the pictures and told him a few lies about her... And next thing he knew police was at his hotel room door and took him away to get to the airport to get to Paris, what he didn’t know was that Damian had seen those very pictures on Mari’s old friends and current friends social medias, so he knew he was lying from the start and called the police about it, Gabriel tried to stop them but he too was sent back to Paris for Nathalie had given the police a recording of Gabriel telling Adrien to try and get Mari’s number and have her date him.

Because of this both of there miraculous were taken, since Ladybug was now part of Batman’s team and had warned the police about the Agreste father and son having one each, Nathalie of course gave up her’s with the info and then returned early to Paris to take care of things there... And get Lila into even more trouble as she did work with Hawkmoth all this time, even so it wasn’t over, after a while in prison Adrien was released but not his father, after that Adrien saw his friends and fixed everything with them since he did get Mari’s number for them... If only for a while, so they forgave him, Adrien ended up getting the whole Agreste fortune and he then sold the mansion and the fashion company to live in an apartment.

His friends all worked hard to save up money to have a class reunion, with time everything was planned out and they got the whole class notified about it so they know when it happens and where to go at what time, they were so happy to have it happen as they couldn’t wait to see everyone, when the day came they were shocked at the friends they thought were evil...

Max and Sabrina ended up getting married, it was big and hard to get into a news reporter was able to find out from Sabrina that her dress was made by Marinette herself, Kitty section ended up breaking up, Juleka was now a model for Mari while Rose became a writer, Mylène was now a famous actress and happily married to Ivan who was now a famous song writer, Chloe and Kagami also got married, Chloe was Marinette’s assistant while Kagami opened up a Tsurugi fencing school in Gotham, Luka was now following Jagged Stone and becoming a famous singer and guitar player, Nathaniel become her website artist, helping her redesign her site page depending on new themes and seasons while Felix was Marinette’s image manager.

They were all there, even Lila... But Marinette was nowhere in sight, they all tried getting answers but the gang had ignored them, Aurore, Ondine, Mireille and Marc found it funny that they would try to get answers on Mari after all this time they had bullied her, Marinette then walked in arm in arm with Damian Wayne, they looked amazing in there outfits, just like all of her friends as they too were wearing her designs, the two walked around to greet her friends and see how they were doing since the last time they had spoken together, Alya and the gang tried to talk to her but all she did was ignore them... Lila on the other hand glared at Mari.

Everything Marinette was doing and getting... Should have been her, Lila should have been the one to meet Damian Wayne, she should be the one dating him, SHE should be the one becoming famous! But no! She was found out as being dangerous, working with a villain like Hawkmoth destroyed everything she could hope for... Now she worked part-time at some little restaurant in Italy being barely paid much with the hopes of meeting some rich guy to sweep her off her feet, she looked at times towards Adrien, he may no longer be a model for his father’s designs but he was now modeling for an agency who knew of what he liked, disliked and wanted to work in.

Even so she was disappointed when she saw how Adrien was focused on Mari, he still wanted to be with her,  he began walking towards “Agreste! You know that the restraining order is still on you! Take one more step towards Mari and I will call the cops!” Chloe shouted making the other’s of the class look at her in shock, Restraining order? On Adrien? To not get close of sweet innocent Marinette? Chloe must be lying, so of course Alya snapped back with Nino on her side on how Adrien has a right to greet Mari, they claim he’s allowed to go see her and insist he does, Kim pushes him forward towards Mari while Sabrina calls her dad to inform him about Adrien breaking the restraining order.

He got there in just a few minutes...

“Mister Agreste due to the fact that you broke the restraining order miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng placed on you after you stole her phone during a Wayne gala and then sent her number to an unknown number of people you will be coming with me to the station” Roger said as he cuffed Adrien and forced him to follow to his police car, Alya, Nino, Kim and Lila were in a massive shock at this... So Chloe was right, Marinette did put a restraining order on Adrien... Because they wanted her number to talk to her again since she changed it after all this time, and now here she was, changed and not allowing them to talk to her and to apologize for what they did.

The whole event ended and by morning everyone was on a plane to get back to where they live or are to be staying for work, about a week later Alya found out in the paper that Marinette was going to become a Wayne soon, she so badly wanted to report about in order to help her make it big so she with Nino got to the airport and paid for plane tickets to Gotham to speak with her, they found where she worked and begged to see her “Alya? Nino? Can I ask why your here in Gotham?” they turned to find Mari with Damian, they were just about to leave for lunch when she saw them “Mari! Gurl you NEED to let me report about your wedding! This could give me a huge break and get to become a reporter again!” Alya claimed as Mari glared at her.

“What do you mean by again? Alya all this time, you were not a reporter... You were the owner of a tabloid that posted every single lie Lila spoke to you, and as for this big break of yours it was destroyed the second Lois spoke about the Ladyblog, try anywhere and they will reject you because Lois is the one who reveals who is a good reporter... And those who are like you... Trash under our feet” Mari hissed and began walking with her fiancé too the door until she turned to the front desk “Alissa, please get these two on the blacklist and kick them out, I don’t want to see this trash by the street when I get back” she said and walked out like this wasn’t anything new for her to say.

Marinette worked hard to get to where she was... With the help of her friends and Damian... But her three remaining classmates all believed that Lila would help them skip up to the lifestyle she has now... But everyone knows you need to put the effort into things to get there.

[ourplaceinthecosmosphff]

Chapter 23. Grief is just love with nowhere to go

‘These are the days that must happen to you.' Walt Whitman

One week later, Cadie was still confused about how I managed to pull it off. I was too.

But as grateful as she was to have her old job back, and as respectful as Auguste was of hierarchy, neither was happy to be working together. Auguste was still a little too liberal with his passive aggressiveness, and Cadie was not above having him do small tasks in revenge.

My father’s staff, on their end, now managed to look at me with even more judgement on their faces, and less of an effort to conceal it. Unfortunately for them, I was around more now. Unfortunately for all of us, it was due to bad news.

The first happened that first week, days after our big meeting. The Savoy Express online published an article detailing my breakup with Christopher in what they described as a 'dramatic shouting match the halls of Callois Palace hadn't seen since the days of World War II’. They seemed to know not only about the breakup, but also about the proposal that preceded it.

Because my relationship with Christopher ended before an engagement, however, there was no need to confirm or deny rumors. The Palace merely released a statement saying they ‘would not comment on the Crown Princess’ personal life’ and that was, at least on our side, the end. On the press’ side, there was no end.

They wrote and wrote about this alleged proposal, about why I would say not, about cheating rumors, about the possibility the palace hadn’t allowed me to marry him, that I thought he wasn’t good enough for me.

Cadie thought we should release a proper statement, Auguste disagreed. To appease my own selfish discomfort, I decided not to. What I did want to know was how they could possibly know so much about that night.

“They know there was a proposal, they know he used his family ring, they know I said no and that there was yelling. How do they know so much?”

“I hate to bring up this possibility,” Cadie started, “but the most logical conclusion is Christopher himself must have told someone.”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t he?” She asked. “Didn’t Stella know about it before it happened?”

“Because he wanted to ask about my ring size.” I shrugged. “His family and mine have been friends for generations. He would never.”

But other than someone who had been in that room leaking it, there was no other possibility. Therefore, there was nothing to be done.

I did, however, have to deal with texts from most of my friends demanding to know why I didn’t tell them about the breakup.

“A lot happened at the same time.” I said, time and time again, shrugging it off. “It just slipped my mind. “We thought you were getting engaged!” Stella whined. “And you broke up with him! How can it have slipped your mind?!” “We actually talked the next day after it happened!” Constance complained. “And all you wanted to talk about was work!” “Guys,” I sighed, “the truth is we never even got back together officially. Eventually the issues we had were bound to come back.”

They demanded a dinner, to talk in person, which we had to do in the palace as I wasn’t allowed to leave until my new security detail took over. In person, I assured them I was very comfortable with my decision, and it was final. They asked if there was someone else, and once again, I couldn’t answer.

The truth was too complicated. The truth was I still wasn’t able to stop thinking about Harry’s soft, gentle plea for me to not marry Christopher. The truth was I wasn’t able to go to sleep without hugging one of my pillows, remembering the way I had slept in his arms, in his bed, on the floor of his living room. But the truth was that, after a text assuring him I was home safe, we hadn’t spoken again. The truth was I felt incredibly guilty for having tried to kiss him for the first time hours after burying my brother. The truth was I also felt incredibly guilty for having actually kissed him while still having a boyfriend.

But the bigger truth, the more uncomfortable truth, was that he was the first thought on my mind when I woke up, and the last one that made me smile before falling asleep. The truth was I wanted to talk to him about everything that was happening in my life -- every detail of the meeting, every horrible threat I had read on my security file, every new discovery I made while researching the work I wanted to do. I wanted to text him about the delicious spinach ricotta cannelloni the royal chef had made last tuesday. And I couldn’t. 

Not only because of the guilt. Not only because I was so busy. But because I knew that after the meeting, having gotten most of what I wanted, I had to give it my best effort. And giving it my best effort included heading the words of everyone around me who had, in the past or present, hinted that Harry was simply too complicated to work. Not only was he foreign, he represented a different throne. The intricacies were too delicate. 

So, whenever I felt like texting him, instead I grabbed the book he had sneaked into my bag. And that’s how I started reading Harry Potter for the first time at 25 years-old to try and keep sane.

The first couple of weeks after the meeting saw a lot of other meetings with the Head of Outreach Relations, Caesar Bisset. We started by fully researching the Claire Bauton Foundation, which had been started in the nineties by Claire Bauton’s daughter Emilie Bauton, to be a shelter for women and children survivors of domestic violence. So, while Mr. Bisset did what was essentially market research – even if he didn’t call it that –, I spent a few days having meetings with experts of the field of domestic abuse: researchers, activists, and lawmakers, learning as much as I could beyond the initial research I had done on the subject myself.

With their perspectives on what the best way to help would be, we were able to make plans on how to cause the biggest positive impact. Right when we were planning my first visit to one of the foundation centers, we had another issue that took priority.

It started when news broke of Lourdes being suspended due to ‘possession of illicit substances prohibited on school grounds’. Somehow, the press had gotten hold of her record and that was how school administration had registered that she was caught with the group of kids smoking.

“Cigarettes!” She complained. “They make it sound like cocaine!”

Suddenly, day time shows were having whole panels debating the ‘issue’. Think pieces were written about teenagers smoking earlier and earlier. Op-eds were released about, and I quote, the ‘fragility of the Monarchy when one of the King’s daughters leans towards a life of consequences and the other must lead from a life of no consequence.’

“Poetic.” I said, sarcastic, in the meeting where my father and I were given the details on how the press was reacting to it even days after it broke.

“I’m afraid if there aren’t consequences, this might grow bigger, sir.” Said Edwald Dupont, Head of Palace Communications.

“What consequences?” I asked, “she’s a teenager. It was cigarettes.”

“Unfortunately, ma’am, if the Palace isn’t at least seen as strongly discouraging the Princess’ behavior, the negative impact of the story could affect His Majesty, as well.”

My father sighed, heavily.

“Send the plane for the Princess.”

“So, as punishment for being suspended for cutting class and hanging out with kids who were smoking last month, you’re… keeping Lourdes home from school again? How does that help anyone?”

My father looked at Mr. Dupont, who nodded, taking notes.

“We can strongly imply the message that our intention is separating the Princess from negative influences.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I said. “Lourdes can’t be influenced. She’s too strong headed.”

“They don’t know that.” My father said. “Besides, she’s always asking to be homeschooled.”

Although the plan was ridiculous, it opened an interesting door.

After Lourdes got home from school, we got caught up while walking my dogs through the Palace Gardens. She didn’t seem to be upset about our father dragging her from school because of bad publicity. She didn’t seem to be upset that mom wasn’t even consulted, as she was now too engulfed into planning a way to memorialize our brother. In fact, my sister didn’t seem bothered about anything at all. She seemed… perfectly absent from herself.

She wasn’t even upset that I had gotten her an extra protection officer – which made her safer but, sure enough, was very invasive.

It shouldn’t have been surprising when she told me she wasn’t going to go back to ice skating.

“It’s been months… I don’t really have the energy to make up for lost time.”

“Really?” I asked, trying to mask the utter despair her words and general demeanor awakened in me. “But, you’re home for a few days so you could spend a lot of time doing it.”

“I just don’t want to do it anymore. I’m tired of it.” She shrugged.

“But… but you love it.”

“It was a hobby. I outgrew it.”

“Lourdes, you love skating. You were going to the Olympics.”

She smiled, so utterly humorless it terrified me.

“That was a dream, Maggie. I’m over it.”

I had no idea what to do.

My father just seemed so tired, all the time, about Louis, me, all of it, that discussing it with him was fruitless. I knew what the solution was.

I hadn’t had a proper conversation with my mother since my return from London. If her disapproving words after the proposal fiasco could be described as a talk, then that was the last time we spoke. After that, we exchanged a few words during meals, and nothing else. It made no sense that she didn’t berate me for running away in London, or for not seeing her when she came over. But not a lot about my mother made sense currently.

For instance, though she was out of her self-imposed exile after Louis died, she still spent all her time working on ways to memorialize him. Her lead ideas were a garden, a statue, or a new charitable organization in his memory – at times, it was all of it at the same time. All of her patronages and work had since been relegated to her Secretary, Madaleign Qadir, and on occasion, my father and me.

That day, after Lourdes went to her room after our walk, I marched to my mother’s office.

Ms. Qadir herself opened the door; it appeared she was doing some work from a table, while my mother was going over old pictures of my brother brought over by the Royal Archive.

“Maman.” I greeted. “Can we speak privately?”

“If it’s fast.” She granted. “I must finish these boxes today, Marie-Margueritte. I still have a lot to go through.”

Madaleign gathered her things and excused herself with a curtsey.

“Lourdes-Abigail is home.” I told her.

“I know, Qadir was telling me.” She replied, not looking up from the pictures. “Two weeks according to your father. Should be good for her, she likes staying home from school.”

“Yes, remember how many times she asked to be homeschooled and you said no?”

“I do.” She nodded. “Which is why I know she’ll enjoy it.”

“You wanted her to have a normal, full education.” I reminded her. “This isn’t very normal.”

“Not a lot we do is normal.”

“Maman.” I pleaded. “I don’t think she’s doing well. She’s… apathetic. Tired all the time. She’s… avoiding talking about her feelings, giving up things she enjoyed doing… that’s not normal.”

“Her grades are fine. She’s healthy, normal… she’s doing good.” “She wants to give up ice skating for good.” I told her.

“Your sister is fine.” She said, turning a page on a leather-bound album. “She’s a big girl, we can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do.”

“Mom.” I said, forcefully. “Lourdes is hurting. She’s loved ice skating her whole life! This is – this is just her grief–”

“We’re all grieving, Maggie.” She sighed, removing her glasses to scratch her eyes. “We all have to do what we can right now, so if quitting will help your sister, then we have to support her.”

She closed the album after turning one last page, placing it inside a box, neatly. She got up, and moved to a shelf by the wall to find another photo album, which she brought back to the table, starting to flip it. She was finding the pictures of Louis; every time she found a new one, she admired it for a few seconds before making notes on a notebook.

‘She’s hurting too’, I reminded myself, trying to make conscientious choices to have compassion on her.

Instead, what I asked was, “Do you even want to help her?!”

She was quiet for long enough that I wondered if she had heard me. “…Of course I do. I am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re doing what you can, and what you can do is shut yourself off and let us figure out our own problems.”

She looked at me, harshly. “You’re an adult, Margueritte. The attitude was cute as a child, but you’re just sounding petulant now.”

“I’m sorry, attitude?!”

“Yes, attitude. You don’t need me to hold your hand every hour of every day, I think you can take care of yourself.”

“Yes, I can!” I said, louder than I was able to control. “But Lourdes is a child! She’s not even fourteen, Maman! She needs you!”

“Your sister-” She returned, interrupting just as loudly, “is fine. Believe it or not, you are not needed to save the day, Margueritte.”

“Right. Because we’re all fine?!” I laughed, humorless. “Dad is shut off in his office, you’re shut off here, Lourdes is giving up the only thing she’s ever loved to do, and–” I felt more than heard my own voice break in a cry, “and my life is up in the air-”

“My son died!” She yelled, hands shaking, staring at the photos in front of her. “I’m sorry we’re not responding to it to your liking.”

She got up again, and walked over to a tea tray someone had left for her on a chest of drawers near the windows.

“You’re a big girl, Margueritte, you need to understand that there are mature ways to handle things you disagree with. You cannot confront everything you don’t like. Some things you can just accept.”

I laughed, sarcastic, “Are you serious?”

I felt… lonely. So desperately lonely as I realized our hearts were aching for the same reason, and yet she had no idea what I was feeling.

She poured herself tea and started to stir it. I marched to the tea tray just as she held up her own teacup, grabbed the tray and threw the whole thing out the window, watching the liquid, sugar and cream splash to the ground amid the broken china.

She was silent when I looked back, staring at me, wide eyes, mouth agape, and confused. I felt tears starting to pool in my eyes, but forced myself to stand firm.

“You are not the only one who lost him.” I said, on a low, slow, angry, trembling tone. “We’re hurting, too. And Lourdes, your daughter, is a child who needs you. You can’t do anything more for Louis, but you can help her. And every day that you shut yourself in your room, with pictures of him, instead of just asking how she’s feeling and how you can help, is another day she convinces herself you care more about Louis dead than about her alive.”

She walked over, slowly. “That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” I shrugged. “How could we know? You’re not saying any different.”

A tear strolled down her cheek as she screamed now. “I am in pain!”

“So am I!” I yelled back, “You don’t think I wanted to stay in bed all day and open the door to no one?! You don’t think I wanted to cry for a whole week? You think I wanted to decide what fucking flowers to decorate the church with? Or what songs we sang to say goodbye to him? You think I cared which fucking priest did the readings?!”

“Language, Marg-” She sobbed.

“I was devastated! I was crushed! I was heartbroken!” I yelled over her, trying to dry the tears as they fell from my eyes, “I wanted to shut myself away in my room instead of having to force a smile and mediate Aunt Marilou and Aunt Katherine, and tell the staff how many rooms to prepare for the guests! But someone had to make the decisions, and you were not there!”

I stepped away, breathing heavily. I dried my face, sobbing slightly, and looked down the window, where the mess was still on the ground. I ran a hand over my hair, shutting my eyes forcefully.

“...Did it hit someone?”

I sighed. “I don’t think so.”

We were silent. 

“Is this you or your British boyfriend speaking, Margueritte?” I scoffed, humorless. “Really?” “Because it sounds an awful lot like him.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I agree with him. He was right, you know?”

“You think he was right to speak to me like that?” “I was there, Maman. I heard how hard he tried to be polite to you.”

“Where is this coming from, Maggie?” She asked, whispery. “You’re not like this.”

I walked over to where she stood near the sofa.

“Like this what, Maman? Honest?”

“You’re my lovely girl.” She said, shaking her head. “You don’t… pick fights, try to hurt people-”

I scoffed. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just didn’t realize you were still capable of feeling anything that was unrelated to Louis-”

“Maggie-” She sighed, drying her own tears. “This isn’t your brother’s fault.”

“I’m aware.” I replied, quickly. “It’s yours. And dad’s. You’re the parents! You were supposed to know you don’t have just one child to take care of!”

She sat down; not in her usual, stiff, shoulders back way. She looked… defeated. Tired. I felt the same way.

Before my brother died, my parents had always been so loving. My mother in particular had strived to give us a normal childhood, without the cold, traditional ways of the monarchy. In her house, we weren’t sent to eat in a separate room just because we hadn’t learnt table manners yet. We weren’t put to bed or bathed by nannies. She didn’t just take those tasks at hand, as she would had she married a normal man, she made my father do them, too. She might have married a future king, she said, but he married her, too. He married a normal woman and she couldn’t be the only one to adapt. 

My parents couldn’t do it every day, but they always tried to put us to bed, read us a story, kiss us goodnight. They kissed our wounds and hugged us in celebration when we won a game. A lot of my family thought badly of my mother for these commoner traits. But she stood her ground. The way she saw it, she had to teach us etiquette, but her most important job was to teach us love. 

Now I couldn’t remember the last time she hugged me. It was in the hospital, I thought. Before she started hiding away from everything and everyone -- including us.

She sighed, longingly. “I love you and your sister more than-”

“Then why aren’t you fighting for her?!” I screamed, crying again and angry at myself for it. “She is not okay! Did you even know that she was starving herself when Louis died?! Did you know she slept in his bed every night after he went to the hospital?!”

I looked at the coffee table now, just to avoid looking at her, and my eyes fell on a picture of myself sitting on an armchair, holding baby Louis in my arms.

“And me? Well.” I laughed again, sniffing. “Let’s see, did you hear I had to sit through a Council meeting just hours after he died? Dad’s new heir, so I had to just… sit there as if my heart wasn’t being ripped from my chest! Did dad tell you he sent me to my work so I could quit my job and everyone could know, just to distract the press from the Adrien-Faye fiasco?! Did my security tell you about the condescending looks and wishes of success I had to take from everyone?! Have you heard that the press has been writing a new article almost every day about how I am not good enough to be Queen?! Apparently I’m the talk of the country! Sources close to the Prime Minister say there is a high level of apprehension among elected officials about the new Crown Princess!”

She was looking at me, finally, but now I couldn’t look at her.

“Did you hear they rearranged my security team? They took Joyce, who had been working with me for years, and gave me two guys with the training necessary to protect a member of this family that actually matters now, apparently.”

“Maggie...” She sniffed.

“Did Papa show you the threats? Apparently we have always received them, but they have increased now. They have creepy pictures of me. The unlisted numbers from inside the palace. My routine down to the minutes and where I used to park my car! And now, apparently, I need security that is actually properly trained. Fuck Lourdes, though, I guess.” “Marie-Margueritte! I--”

“And as to me not picking fights, mom, I don’t know what to tell you.” I shrugged. “I spent my whole life doing exactly what you needed me to do. I spoke softly, I wore dresses, I smiled, I said no to almost every party I was invited to thinking it was too much of a risk. Can’t risk people finding out a member of the royal family is just a normal girl inside! I–” I stuttered, stifling a sob, “I kept every opinion to myself, I studied hard, I said no to jobs and trips, I never even took a selfie in my life, all because I kept telling myself that there would be time for that later! I could be young and fun later! Just be the good, well behaved girl now, so Louis can live his life, and as soon as he is back it’ll be my turn! I’ll be able to live my life, finally! And now he’s gone and the life I spent years planning, dreaming, has been taken from me, and I have never and will never do anything! Did you know that?!”

I couldn’t see her reaction; my vision was too fuzzy with the tears. There was a knot on my throat that made breathing too hard.

“So, yeah, I’m sorry for the terrible offense of… having an opinion, Mom, but I’ve been making sure I am not a problem all my life, because I figured you had enough on your plate, so I am sorry, but it is a little upsetting that you can’t pay attention to the one child you have left that still actually needs you– what, I–”

She walked over to me, and pulled me into a hug I fought. But even in my state, even as I yelled about doing what I was taught to do, I couldn’t push her away. Not just because if felt… indelicate, but because she hadn’t held me like this since we were standing around Louis’ bed in the hospital. I missed it.

“I’m sorry, my baby.” She whispered, holding me tightly as I let myself sob. “I’m so sorry.”

She pulled me in until we sat on the sofa, but her arms only tightened more around me. I laid in her lap as she caressed my hair, whispering calming words in french until my sobs slowed and my breathing started to even out.

“I’m so tired.” I confessed. “I know.” She replied. “Me too.”

I couldn’t tell how much time passed, but my cheeks had nearly dried when I took in a long breath.

“What are we going to do about Lourdes?” I asked.

“Sh, It’s okay, my love,” she whispered, caressing my hair, “we’ll figure it out. We’re taking care of you now.”

--- ---- ---

In March, Harry announced his Invictus Games. In March, my mother hugged me -- really hugged me -- for the first time in many months.

In April, I attended my first engagement as the Crown Princess of Savoy. It was a visit to the Claire Bauton Foundation Center in Neunant, where I publicly met with the staff and some former  survivors who had now become volunteers. I wore a purple dress and shoes, the color of the Foundation’s logo, and shook from head to toe from the moment we left the Palace to the moment we were back.

Somehow, after our dramatic moment, my mother had decided it was time to become overly invested in my life again. So, she gave me a lot of suggestions on what to wear, to which my only response was trying to go to the other end of the spectrum completely and end up looking bizarrely like a punk teen version of myself. 

“I want to try to work with a stylist.” I told my team -- at this point, just Auguste and Cadie. “I don’t know if starting to wear a lot of designer brands would be a positive change, ma’am.” Auguste said.

“Stylists work with the client’s taste, don’t just make them wear something they do not want.” Cadie interjected. “I think I need help figuring out what my taste is. I’m either too traditional, or too modern. I have no idea.” “I’ll make some calls.” Cadie promised.

The engagement went well, if their recollection of it was to be believed. I was so nervous throughout the whole thing I could barely remember most of it. I had once been good at it, but now it just felt like there was too much riding in the balance. Too many people were watching. Too many people were even there.

I remember arriving, almost twisting my foot getting out of the car, having to force myself to smile through the flashes of photographers standing by, and breathing a sigh of relief once inside. I remembered the itinerary more than the actual event, which is how I knew I must have received a tour of the center, before meeting former survivors who were current volunteers. I remembered vaguely sitting down with a woman who told me her story -- a story of physical violence slow but steady, with no one believing her and the eventual kidnapping of her children by her ex-husband. I remember having to dab my eyes more than once to keep the tears from falling, looking away from where I knew we were being watched by the accompanying press. I remember the visceral reaction from hearing from the on-call lawyers about the times they had to run to a hospital in the middle of the night to assist clients who were attacked after a judge denied them restraining orders.

I remember looking down, knowing the press couldn’t see me losing it so much in my first outing.

I spent at least half an hour before leaving shaking the hands of well-wishers who came by to watch me in and out of the center. It was both terrifying and heartwarming -- seeing the faces of people who, for reasons I couldn’t understand, seemed to believe in me.

“I’m so sorry about your brother.” A lot of them said. “You’re doing a really good job.”

It didn’t feel like it.

My father agreed that the numerous pictures of me tearing up were too dramatic. My mother still thought I should have dressed more elegantly. But the results spoke for themselves: in the press, there was a lot of positive commentary of my ‘connection with the public’, my ‘sensitivity towards the delicate issue’, and even my ‘bright, modern look’, a ‘departure from more modest, boring choices of the past’.

It only made my stomach turn more. It only made me want to text Harry more. But my father was so pleasantly surprised he started talking about announcing my confirmation ceremony.

“Do I need one?” I asked, struggling against a tug of anxiety in my stomach. “That’s for heirs at 21 years-old, isn’t it?” “You weren’t the heir at 21. But you still need a confirmation if you’re the heir now.” He replied. “We’ll do it when you come home from the Olympics.”

“That should give us enough time to plan it, sir.” Montennon agreed. “And do some research on public opinion.”

My father rose from his chair behind the desk and walked around it towards us. Wordlessly, Montennon got up from his chair and stood back. My father took his seat.

“What is it?” He asked me, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees.

I sighed, smoothing the fabric of my dress with my hands. “I don’t know.” “You looked wonderful, regardless of what your mother thinks, you connected with the people, you highlighted the work… you did a great job, Margueritte.” I smiled, sheepishly. “I… I guess.” “Do you miss the law?”

“No. Well, yes, but that’s not--” I sighed. “It just feels… wrong.” “Helping an organization that helps people?”

“No, just…” I whispered, fidgeting with my hands, trying to stop them from shaking. “Just all of it… Him not being here. Being praised for the work he should have done. It feels wrong.”

He looked down, at his hands. He fidgeted, too.

“It’s not your fault he isn’t here to do that work, Margueritte.”

“I know.” I nodded. “I think I know… I just… I hate the way they talk about it. The press, I mean… the critics sound like they just don’t think I’m cut out for this because I’m not Louis. The praise sounds as if they’re just glad I’m not Louis... It doesn’t feel like a win.”

My father rose from his chair, slightly, and dragged it forward, nearer to me. He held my hand. “Margueritte, you will make a lot of mistakes in the road ahead.” He started. “But this is not one of them. I know you were nervous, I know it was tough, but you went there, you stood tall, you listened… you did a good job. You did better than any of us thought you would, if I’m being honest.” “That doesn’t help.” He grinned. “You’ll be fine, chérie. I am so confident about it that I want to release the statement about the confirmation next week.” “Already?” “Yes.” He sighed, letting go of my hand to lean back in his chair. “And I think we can do better than that. The V. E. Day celebration in May. Montennon?” “Yes, sir?” “Let’s have the Crown Princess make a speech.” “Me?” He smiled. “Yes, Marie-Margueritte. You. You’re doing a good job. Just keep at it.”

Keep at it. I can do that, I thought. I can be a good Crown Princess. I can keep learning, researching, working hard to highlight the good work of the people of Savoy. I can continue to look good and connect with the people. I can make a speech on V. E. Day. about the importance of the world coming together, about how much stronger we are together. I can do that. It’s a military ceremony about World War II, reasonably one of the things most of the world agrees on is that winning World War II was a good thing. I can do it. What could go wrong?

For instance, what are the odds that of all his family members, the chosen representative the British Royal Family would send to the V. E. Day celebration on Savoy would be… the one my whole family wanted me to stay as far away from as possible?

--- ---- ---

Outfit!

[A/N: Hey, all! How have you been this week? I know what you’re thinking: Natalia, literally how dare you give us 2 chapters in a row without Harry?! I know, I know, I’m just as upset as you are! But here’s my excuse: this was all important stuff i had to get out of the way. NEXT WEEK: A HARRY FEST! I promise, there’ll be so much Harry! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! I really appreciate it, and also if you could let me know your thoughts (suggestions? critics? all welcome!) it’d make me so happy! THANKS AND SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!]

[cedarrrun]

The author, doula, and founder of Mama Glow offers a three-part restorative practice to reset your nervous system and reclaim your yoga glow.

Every September, National Yoga Month inspires us to get on our mats and reminds us of the magic inherent in the mind-body connection. But for many practitioners, COVID-era livestream classes have run their course.

We can all admit there are times when we feel like the last thing we want to do is look at a computer screen. If Zoom and pandemic fatigue have all but dulled your senses, Brooklyn-based Latham Thomas, founder of the maternity lifestyle brand Mama Glow, and author of Own Your Glow, suggests an alternate pathway to reinvigorate your practice. “This moment presents an opportunity to lean into the limbs of yoga and focus on philosophy more than physicality,” she says. Collectively, we’re restless, anxious, even sluggish; full of uncertainty about the future. Plus, she adds, “a lot of people are bored with their practice and say that it’s just not as fulfilling.” But there’s a silver lining to coronavirus lockdown, according to Thomas: By slowing down and leaning into unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings, we tune in to what it is we really need in order to thrive. This “reprogramming” can help us reignite our inner spark and reclaim our lost yoga glow. “Your emotional body wants to rest—so how can you practice active rest?” she asks. “How much space can you make for yourself? What would it feel like to center your needs—not your physical needs, but your psychic needs? Use that as a compass for wisdom. Reclaiming your yoga glow is about expanding your capacity to receive.”

see also I Tried Dopamine Fasting, and It Helped Me Appreciate the Present

Everything we would normally do to anchor ourselves in times of stress, anxiety, or tension—like gathering in our yoga classes, embracing our friends and families, and being in proximity to other living, breathing, bodies—has been missing from our lives for months. “There’s collective mourning—a weight, a heaviness connected to everyone, we are all feeling the effects of the same set of circumstances, but in different ways all at the same time,” she says. “We’ve been cooped up inside—but we’ve also had to deal with what’s happening in the world around us—and we’re not getting the community lift that we’re used to.”

Thomas says the invitation now, for all of us, is to listen to what’s happening inside of us. “What does our internal landscape look like at this moment?” she asks. “There is another pathway that is also yoga—it’s going beyond what is challenging us in a different way that’s not necessarily physical.”

For a yoga mat that helps you find your alignment, try Ewedoos Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat with Alignment Lines

What Is Active Rest?

For Thomas, the practice of active rest begins by giving ourselves permission to feel rather than think. “In this time of quarantine and unrest, it's important to anchor ourselves in possibility, revel in grace, and embrace the energy of ease,” she says. By channeling emotional intelligence, we defer to the parasympathetic nervous system to ascertain the style of embodied practice that will work best for us at the moment. “We can reclaim an intentional practice around rest that is more reflective and less robotic,” Thomas says, adding that active rest can include movement.

see also How Yoga Nidra Can Help You Get More Sleep

It’s possible that our yoga practices have mentally prepared us for this very moment in human history. Thomas says that in 2020, the practice serves as a reminder that it’s OK to lay in bed and sleep a little longer and that it’s OK if you’re exhausted—because there are plenty of reasons to be exhausted. “There is wisdom in listening to what your body needs,” she says. “Don’t just show up to your mat—but show up to your life and tune into the landscape that yoga philosophy teaches us all about.”

Thomas says her COVID-era practice is very different than it used to be—it’s quiet and solitary and continues to ebb and flow. “I would not be surprised if we start to see more active rest classes in 2021 when we can go back into the world,” she says.

For a journal to keep track of gratitude, try Good Days Start With Gratitude: A 52 Week Guide To Cultivate An Attitude Of Gratitude

The somatic work that Thomas has been exploring in recent months—especially during moments of anxiety and uncertainty—connects the body with higher consciousness. For National Yoga Month, and just in time for essential Fall grounding, Thomas shares her three-part practice for active rest and relaxation. The practice should take about 15–20 minutes from start to finish—or longer if you need it. “The body is so powerful because it’s the arbiter of safety, security, and belonging—and this practice invites us to attune to our bodies, feel your way through, and figure out the pathway that makes the most sense for you,” Thomas says.

It's not too late to join us for our National Yoga Month program for recommitting to your practice—whether that's five minutes of active rest a day, a quick pranayama or meditation, or a full asana class. 

Latham Thomas’ 3-Part Practice for Reclaiming Your Yoga Glow

1. Self-Inquiry

Set up a sacred space in your home—if you haven’t already—and lay down on your mat using as many props as you need so you’re cozy and comfortable. You might also try this practice outdoors, laying on the earth to recharge. As you deepen your breath and open yourself to the wisdom of your body, imagine sending breath to each part of your body starting from your feet, legs, knees, et cetera, all the way up to your head. As you breathe and listen, reflect on what you can learn about your body when you take the time to listen to it. Ask yourself the following questions for self-reflection:

Where do I feel joy in my body?

Where am I soothing myself?

Where do I feel constriction?

Where am I feeling open?

see also Try This Restorative, Hip-Opening Yoga Sequence for Ultimate Rejuvenation

2. Vocal Toning Once you’re calm and centered, continue elongating your breath, but with each exhale, release a gentle humming sound with your lips closed. Vocal toning is not harmonic, Thomas says, but a single solitary note that’s closest to your speaking voice. Each humming sound generates an internal massage for the body and stimulates the vagus nerve. Vocal toning slows down the body and brain waves and grounds the nervous system. The throat (vishuddha) chakra is also activated, increasing the capacity for truth-telling. By empowering your voice, you can actually listen to your inner voice, Thomas says—what’s been buried beneath the surface that you haven’t spoken aloud will start to reveal itself. For beginners, Thomas advises starting with 5 minutes of toning, and over time, as plasticity increases, increasing to up to 10–15 minutes. When you allow yourself to feel versus think and enter a state of total relaxation, you allow for moments of clarity as you move from an active brain wave state to an altered state of relaxation (theta and delta waves).

By developing this “spiritual stamina,” you’re bringing to the surface what’s uncomfortable like taking a sponge, soaking it up, and wringing it out, Thomas says. You can also hum alongside simple, repetitive drone sounds or ambient music—the Insight Timer app or YouTube are great resources. You might record the wisdom that arises as a voice memo on your iPhone or jot down in a notebook. “Just letting that stuff come up is the medicine,” Thomas says.

The next phase of this process incorporates a simple mantra such as “Ah.” The throat and pelvic floor are neurologically coordinated, Thomas says, and as the throat chakra signals the root chakra to open, a pathway to creative solutions around what’s really been bothering you and what you need to remedy will emerge. This “creative vortex” is a portal that opens upon entering your personal “medicine melody,” according to Thomas. Savor the resonance of sound and sensations in your body as you go. If there’s someone in your household you can partner up with, Thomas says the experience of doing this practice head-to-head on the floor or seated back-to-back is profound. “You can feel the heat and energy of their spine and they feel yours—and you hear their voice and you entrain your voices together,” she says. “Stuff comes up just by using your unhindered voice(s)—it starts by just allowing the sound to come through and be the medicine and clearing agent.”

For a thick blanket to use during your practice, try this Mexican Blanket, Falsa Blanket

3. Intention Setting To close the practice, ask yourself what steps you’ll take—not in a forceful, goal-centric way, but in a loving, gentle, and nurturing way, to remain spiritually anchored. Instead of a to-do list, which is helpful for goal setting, this moment calls for liberation from those expectations.

Ask yourself what conditions are necessary so that you may thrive. “We tend to set beautiful, powerful goals, but then life is layered—there are kids and homeschool, your job, etc., that get in the way,” Thomas says. “Don’t beat yourself up over what you didn’t get around to or achieve.” Thomas reminds us that the yoga of 2020 is not about pushing to your edge but reorienting your approach. Ask what it means to “practice” in every aspect of your life, not just on the mat, she advises. “It’s not about being in a set of postures, but creating a prostration for listening so you can receive what is meant for you with the tools you cultivated.”

Emerge from this practice with new promises you’ve made to yourself, speaking your truth about what you actually have the capacity to do. Thomas recommends starting your day with active rest in the morning, and if your body is craving movement, trying a gentle flow midday—though ultimately it’s up to you to decide what it is you need. Whatever your practices may be, use them as tools to be in direct relationship to yourself and to what’s happening around you—but do it in a way that’s sustainable.

see also Deepen Your Self-Awareness With This Gentle, Holistic Yoga Therapy and Meditation Practice

About Latham Thomas (@GlowMaven)

Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Latham is leading a revolution in radical self-care, guiding women everywhere to “mother themselves first”. A celebrity wellness maven, and birth doula, Latham is the founder of Mama Glow, a global maternal health and doula education company serving birthing people along the childbearing continuum. Mama Glow supports birthing people during the fertility period, pregnancy, birth as well as during postpartum offering hand-holding through their bespoke doula services. Mama Glow also offers a globally recognized doula immersion program, attended by people from all corners of the USA and 6 continents. They educate doula-trainees from around the world to become the next generation of birth workers that will transform the modern health care system for birthing people and babies. She is a fierce advocate for birth equity and works to bridge policy gaps in maternal health. 

Pick up a copy of Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living & Crowning The Queen Within, (Paperback release: June 2020; Hay House), to learn more.

We independently source all of the products that we feature on yogajournal.com. If you buy from the links on our site, we may receive an affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.

[un-enfant-immature]

Edtech is surging, and parents have some notes

Unlike most sectors, edtech has been booming over the last few months. Flashcards startup Quizlet is now a unicorn, digital textbook company Top Hat is finding unprecedented surges in usage and student success business Edsights raised nearly $2 million from high-profile investors, all from inbound interest. Investors are so confident that homeschooling might become a trend that they just invested $3.7 million in Primer, which creates a “full-stack infrastructure” to help parents get started.

But as tired parents juggle work, family and sanity all day, nearly every day, they say edtech is not a remedy for all education gaps right now.

Parents across all income groups are struggling with homeschooling.

“Our mental health is like whack-a-mole,” said Lisa Walker, the vice president of brand and corporate marketing at Fuze. Walker, who lives in Boston but has relocated to Vermont for the pandemic, has two kids, ages 10 and 13. “One person is having a good day. One person is having a bad day, and we’re just going throughout the family to see who needs help.”

Socioeconomically disadvantaged families have it even worse because resources are strapped and parents often have to work multiple jobs to afford food to put on the table.

One major issue for parents is balancing a decrease in live learning with an uptick in “do it at your own pace” learning.

Walker says she is frustrated by the limited amount of live interaction that her 10-year-old has with teachers and classmates each day. Once the one hour of live learning is done, the rest of the school day looks like him sitting in front of a computer. Think pre-recorded videos, followed up by an online quiz, capped with doing homework on a Google doc.

Asynchronous learning is complicated because, while it is not interactive, it is more inclusive of all socioeconomic backgrounds, Walker said. If all learning material is pre-recorded, households that have more kids than computers are less stressed to make the 8 a.m. science class, and can fit in lessons by taking turns.

“Even though I know there’s a lot of video fatigue out there, I would love there to be more live learning,” Walker said. “Tech is both part of the problem and part of the solution.”

TraLiza King, a single mother living in Atlanta who works full time as a senior tax manager for PWC, points out the downside of live video instruction when it comes to working with younger children.

One challenge is overseeing her four-year-old’s Zoom calls. King needs to be available to help her daughter, Zoe, use the platform, which isn’t intuitive for kids at that age. She helps Zoe log on and off and mute when appropriate so instruction can go on interrupted, ironically enough.

Her 18-year-old college freshman could supervise the four-year-old’s learning, but King doesn’t want her older daughter to feel responsible for teaching. It leaves King to play the role of Zoom tech support, and teacher, in addition to mom and full-time employee.

“This has been a double-edged sword; there’s beauty in it that I get to see what my girls are learning and be a part of their everyday,” she said. “But I am not a preschool teacher.”

Some parents are finding success in pretending it is business as normal. The moment that Roger Roman, the founder of Los Angeles-based Rythm Labs, and his wife saw that there was a shutdown, they scrambled to create a schedule for the children. Breakfast at 6 a.m., physical education right after, and then workbook time and homework time. If their five-year-old checks all the boxes, he can “earn” 30 minutes of screen time.

The Roman family’s schedule for their child.

Technology definitely helps. Roman says he relies on a few apps like Khan Academy Kids and Leapfrog to give him some time to take work calls or meetings. But he says those have been more like supplements instead of replacements. In fact, he says one big solution he found is a bit more low-tech.

“Printers have been a godsend,” he said

The kids being at home has also given the Roman family an opportunity to address the racial violence and police brutality in our country. The existing school curriculums around history have been scrutinized for lacking a comprehensive and accurate account of slavery and Black leaders. Now, with parents at home, those disparities are even more clear. Depending on the household, the gaps around education on slavery can either inspire a difficult conversation on inequality in the country, or leave the talk tabled for schools to reopen.

Roman says he doesn’t remember a time where he wasn’t aware of racism and injustice, and assumes the same will be true for his sons.

“The murders of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George have forced my wife and me to be brutally honest with my five-year-old about this country’s long, dark history of white supremacy and racial oppression,” he said. “We didn’t expect to have these discussions so soon with him, but he’s had a lot of questions about the images he’s been seeing, and we’ve confronted them head-on.”

Roman used books to help illustrate racism to his sons. Edtech platforms have largely been silent on how they’re addressing anti-racism in their platforms, but Quizlet says it is “pulling together programming that can make a real impact.”

What’s next for remote learning?

In light of the struggles parents and educators alike are seeing with the current set of online learning tools and their inability to inspire young learners, new edtech startups are thinking about how the future of remote learning might look.

Zak Ringelstein, the co-founder of Zigazoo, is launching a platform he describes as a “TikTok for kids.” The app is for children from preschool to middle school, and invites users to post short-form videos in response to project-based prompts. Exercises could look like science experiments — like building a baking soda volcano or recreating the solar system from household items — and the app is controlled by parents.

The first users are Ringlestein’s kids. He says they became disengaged with learning when it was just blind staring at screens, leading him to conclude that interaction is key. Down the road, Zigazoo plans to forge partnerships with entertainment companies to have characters act as “brand ambassadors” and feature in the short-form video content. Think “Sesame Street” characters starting a TikTok trend to help kids learn what photosynthesis is all about.

A preview of Zigazoo, a “TikTok for kids” and its video-based prompts“As an educator, I’ve been surprised at how little content exists for parents that is not just entertaining but is actually educational,” he said.

Lingumi is a platform that teaches toddlers critical skills, like learning English. The company began because preschool classes are packed with so many students that teachers can’t give one on one feedback during the “sponge-like years.” Lingumi uses another startup, SoapBox, and its voice tech to listen and understand children, assess how they are pronouncing words and judge fluency.

“Edtech products were designed to work in the classroom and a teacher was supposed to be in the mix somewhere,” said Dr. Patricia Scanlon, the CEO of SoapBox. “Now, the teacher can’t be with the kids individually and this is a technology that gives updates on children’s progress.”

Another app, Make Music Count, was started by Marcus Blackwell to help students use a digital keyboard to solve math equations. It serves 50,000 students in more than 200 schools, and recently landed a partnership with Cartoon Network and Motown records to use content as lessons for followers. If you log onto the app, you are presented with a math problem that, once solved, tells you which key to play. Once you solve all the math problems in the set, the keys you played line up to play popular songs from artists like Ariana Grande and Rihanna.

The app is using a well-known strategy called gamification to engage its younger users. Gamification of learning has long been effective in engaging and contextualizing studies for students, especially younger ones. Add a sense of accomplishment, like a song or a final product, and kids get the positive feedback they’re looking for. The strategy is found in the underpinnings of some of the most successful education companies we see today, from Quizlet to Duolingo.

But in Make Music Count’s case, it’s forgoing gamification’s usual trappings, like points, badges and other in-app rewards to instead deliver something far more fun than virtual items: music that kids enjoy and often seek out on their own.

Gamification, much like technology more broadly, is not all-encompassing of the deeply personal and hands-on aspects of school. Yet that is what parents need right now. We’re left with a reminder that technology can only help so much in a remote-only world, and that education has always been more than just comprehension and test-taking.

The missing piece to edtech: School isn’t just learning, it’s childcare

At the end of the day, if the future of work is remote, parents will need more support with childcare assistants. Some startups trying to help that include Cleo, a parenting benefits startup that recently partnered with on-demand childcare service UrbanSitter.

“As working moms desperate for a solution to the crisis facing parents today, we were focused on developing a solution that didn’t just work for our members and enterprise clients, but also one that we’d use ourselves. After experimenting and trying everything from virtual care to scheduling shifts to looking for new caregivers ourselves, we realized the only solution that would work for families would require a new model of childcare designed for the unique issues COVID-19 has created,” Cleo CEO Sarahjane Sacchetti told TechCrunch in May.

Sara Mauskopf, the co-founder of childcare marketplace Winnie, said that tech companies trying to help remote learning need to remember that “it’s not just the education aspect that has to be solved for.”

“School is a form of childcare,” she said.

“The thing that irks me is that I see these tweets all the time that ‘more people are going to homeschool than ever before,” Mauskopf said. “But no one is going to feed my toddler mac and cheese or change their diaper.”

[beqm]

What I want for American Education (Or why I’d be better than Betsy DeVos as head of the Dept of Education)

For the record I’m not a teacher but I do give seminars. What I am is a product of the public school system. I went to better than average public schools. I was part of desegregation and was bused to another school as part of it despite being white. Because of white flight I became a minority student in my neighborhood. And both my father and step father were teachers so I’m a teachers kid.

So I’ve been around teachers, schools and varying school districts a lot of my life.  Private schools to me are for rich kids or religious families. And from what I’ve seen from homeschooling the results can be excellent to execrable.

I feel that country is only as strong as its least well educated citizen and by that standard we are weak indeed. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

So here  are my thoughts and what we need to do and what the educational goals should be for this country. They are in no particular order:

- Use of traditional teaching methods or common core. Not all students learn the same way. Give teachers the autonomy to use whatever works for a given student.

-Every student no matter the school district should be taught household finances and investing. Some families know these things and teach their children. Others are bad at it or know nothing about it. Everyone should know it.

- A 15 week course for each of these subjects: Cooking and nutrition, household repairs including simple electrical and plumbing, laundry and sewing, including hand stitching.

- All students should be taught basic tool use - From screwdrivers to jig saws and everything in between.

- Teach US history: All of it. The good, the bad, the cruel and the ugly. Make it as honest as we can. Every semester should be a different period studied in depth. Ditch the propagandist BS where every year its the same crap dumped on students heads that they ignore after 3 years of the same shit.

- Teach logic in the 5th grade. Critical thinking is a must if people are serious about making the US a competitor on the world market.

- Teach cursive handwriting for the benefits of right and left brain coordination and creativity. Solutions come from creativity.

- Teach students how to diagram sentences. If you know how things go together you’ll also learn how to take them apart.

- Dual language lessons starting no later than the 3rd grade. School districts can pick the language but again competition is best done when you can speak another language.

- A comparative religion course taught within the last two years of high school. Cover the 6 major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism in overview form. Have speakers, preferably a member of the clergy, from each give a 3-5 day lecture set on the history & tenets of the faith. Use remaining time to discuss smaller religious groups.

- Starting at age 15 have the Trades come speak to students about the types of work they do, wages and the skills needed. Have the trades offer summer employment to interested students starting at age 16. College should not be the only option for our youth and the jobs the trades perform are ones needed to maintain the infrastructure of the country.

- Training for teachers to identify bullied students and implement better methods of watching for and controlling bulling behavior. And its something that needs to be started in elementary school. Kids will argue, fight, dislike each other and call names. Bullying goes beyond the simple spats kids will sometimes get into.  (I need to do more studying on this to figure out how to fix it.)

- Teach science. Not just the simple stuff but physics, chemistry, biology and basic astronomy.

- Get the textbooks out of the hands of the Texas publishers with their propagandist right wing agendas.

I’m certain there are other things we need to do that I’m not seeing but this is a start. I’m sure there are folks who will find things here to be offended about. If you want to raise your children in a faith, have at it, but not in the public schools.

Add things in the comments that you think might be useful. I probably can’t delete hate posts but as someone who wants to improve the public schools not destroy them and leave 100′s of thousands of children ill educated I think I’m pretty damn qualified.

Oh, and as to how to pay for this? Reduce the NSA’s budget and go back to Eisenhower’s taxes on the rich (modified for inflation because I’m not heartless). Do those two things and I think there will be more than enough money to fix the schools, train and hire new teachers and just make things better for our students.

[ladystylestores]

Edtech is surging, and parents have some notes – TechCrunch

Unlike most sectors, edtech has been booming over the last few months. Flashcards startup Quizlet is now a unicorn, digital textbook company Top Hat is finding unprecedented surges in usage and student success business Edsights raised nearly $2 million from high-profile investors, all from inbound interest. Investors are so confident that homeschooling might become a trend that they just invested $3.7 million in Primer, which creates a “full-stack infrastructure” to help parents get started.

But as tired parents juggle work, family and sanity all day, nearly every day, they say edtech is not a remedy for all education gaps right now.

Parents across all income groups are struggling with homeschooling.

“Our mental health is like whack-a-mole,” said Lisa Walker, the vice president of brand and corporate marketing at Fuze. Walker, who lives in Boston but has relocated to Vermont for the pandemic, has two kids, ages 10 and 13. “One person is having a good day. One person is having a bad day, and we’re just going throughout the family to see who needs help.”

Socioeconomically disadvantaged families have it even worse because resources are strapped and parents often have to work multiple jobs to afford food to put on the table.

One major issue for parents is balancing a decrease in live learning with an uptick in “do it at your own pace” learning.

Walker says she is frustrated by the limited amount of live interaction that her 10-year-old has with teachers and classmates each day. Once the one hour of live learning is done, the rest of the school day looks like him sitting in front of a computer. Think pre-recorded videos, followed up by an online quiz, capped with doing homework on a Google doc.

Asynchronous learning is complicated because, while it is not interactive, it is more inclusive of all socioeconomic backgrounds, Walker said. If all learning material is pre-recorded, households that have more kids than computers are less stressed to make the 8 a.m. science class, and can fit in lessons by taking turns.

“Even though I know there’s a lot of video fatigue out there, I would love there to be more live learning,” Walker said. “Tech is both part of the problem and part of the solution.”

TraLiza King, a single mother living in Atlanta who works full time as a senior tax manager for PWC, points out the downside of live video instruction when it comes to working with younger children.

One challenge is overseeing her four-year-old’s Zoom calls. King needs to be available to help her daughter, Zoe, use the platform, which isn’t intuitive for kids at that age. She helps Zoe log on and off and mute when appropriate so instruction can go on interrupted, ironically enough.

Her 18-year-old college freshman could supervise the four-year-old’s learning, but King doesn’t want her older daughter to feel responsible for teaching. It leaves King to play the role of Zoom tech support, and teacher, in addition to mom and full-time employee.

“This has been a double-edged sword; there’s beauty in it that I get to see what my girls are learning and be a part of their everyday,” she said. “But I am not a preschool teacher.”

Some parents are finding success in pretending it is business as normal. The moment that Roger Roman, the founder of Los Angeles-based Rythm Labs, and his wife saw that there was a shutdown, they scrambled to create a schedule for the children. Breakfast at 6 a.m., physical education right after, and then workbook time and homework time. If their five-year-old checks all the boxes, he can “earn” 30 minutes of screen time.

The Roman family’s schedule for their child.

Technology definitely helps. Roman says he relies on a few apps like Khan Academy Kids and Leapfrog to give him some time to take work calls or meetings. But he says those have been more like supplements instead of replacements. In fact, he says one big solution he found is a bit more low-tech.

“Printers have been a godsend,” he said

The kids being at home has also given the Roman family an opportunity to address the racial violence and police brutality in our country. The existing school curriculums around history have been scrutinized for lacking a comprehensive and accurate account of slavery and Black leaders. Now, with parents at home, those disparities are even more clear. Depending on the household, the gaps around education on slavery can either inspire a difficult conversation on inequality in the country, or leave the talk tabled for schools to reopen.

Roman says he doesn’t remember a time where he wasn’t aware of racism and injustice, and assumes the same will be true for his sons.

“The murders of Ahmaud, Breonna, and George have forced my wife and me to be brutally honest with my five-year-old about this country’s long, dark history of white supremacy and racial oppression,” he said. “We didn’t expect to have these discussions so soon with him, but he’s had a lot of questions about the images he’s been seeing, and we’ve confronted them head-on.”

Roman used books to help illustrate racism to his sons. Edtech platforms have largely been silent on how they’re addressing anti-racism in their platforms, but Quizlet says it is “pulling together programming that can make a real impact.”

What’s next for remote learning?

In light of the struggles parents and educators alike are seeing with the current set of online learning tools and their inability to inspire young learners, new edtech startups are thinking about how the future of remote learning might look.

Zak Ringelstein, the co-founder of Zigazoo, is launching a platform he describes as a “TikTok for kids.” The app is for children from preschool to middle school, and invites users to post short-form videos in response to project-based prompts. Exercises could look like science experiments — like building a baking soda volcano or recreating the solar system from household items — and the app is controlled by parents.

The first users are Ringlestein’s kids. He says they became disengaged with learning when it was just blind staring at screens, leading him to conclude that interaction is key. Down the road, Zigazoo plans to forge partnerships with entertainment companies to have characters act as “brand ambassadors” and feature in the short-form video content. Think “Sesame Street” characters starting a TikTok trend to help kids learn what photosynthesis is all about.

A preview of Zigazoo, a “TikTok for kids” and its video-based prompts“As an educator, I’ve been surprised at how little content exists for parents that is not just entertaining but is actually educational,” he said.

Lingumi is a platform that teaches toddlers critical skills, like learning English. The company began because preschool classes are packed with so many students that teachers can’t give one on one feedback during the “sponge-like years.” Lingumi uses another startup, SoapBox, and its voice tech to listen and understand children, assess how they are pronouncing words and judge fluency.

“Edtech products were designed to work in the classroom and a teacher was supposed to be in the mix somewhere,” said Dr. Patricia Scanlon, the CEO of SoapBox. “Now, the teacher can’t be with the kids individually and this is a technology that gives updates on children’s progress.”

Another app, Make Music Count, was started by Marcus Blackwell to help students use a digital keyboard to solve math equations. It serves 50,000 students in more than 200 schools, and recently landed a partnership with Cartoon Network and Motown records to use content as lessons for followers. If you log onto the app, you are presented with a math problem that, once solved, tells you which key to play. Once you solve all the math problems in the set, the keys you played line up to play popular songs from artists like Ariana Grande and Rihanna.

The app is using a well-known strategy called gamification to engage its younger users. Gamification of learning has long been effective in engaging and contextualizing studies for students, especially younger ones. Add a sense of accomplishment, like a song or a final product, and kids get the positive feedback they’re looking for. The strategy is found in the underpinnings of some of the most successful education companies we see today, from Quizlet to Duolingo.

But in Make Music Count’s case, it’s forgoing gamification’s usual trappings, like points, badges and other in-app rewards to instead deliver something far more fun than virtual items: music that kids enjoy and often seek out on their own.

Gamification, much like technology more broadly, is not all-encompassing of the deeply personal and hands-on aspects of school. Yet that is what parents need right now. We’re left with a reminder that technology can only help so much in a remote-only world, and that education has always been more than just comprehension and test-taking.

The missing piece to edtech: School isn’t just learning, it’s childcare

At the end of the day, if the future of work is remote, parents will need more support with childcare assistants. Some startups trying to help that include Cleo, a parenting benefits startup that recently partnered with on-demand childcare service UrbanSitter.

“As working moms desperate for a solution to the crisis facing parents today, we were focused on developing a solution that didn’t just work for our members and enterprise clients, but also one that we’d use ourselves. After experimenting and trying everything from virtual care to scheduling shifts to looking for new caregivers ourselves, we realized the only solution that would work for families would require a new model of childcare designed for the unique issues COVID-19 has created,” Cleo CEO Sarahjane Sacchetti told TechCrunch in May.

Sara Mauskopf, the co-founder of childcare marketplace Winnie, said that tech companies trying to help remote learning need to remember that “it’s not just the education aspect that has to be solved for.”

“School is a form of childcare,” she said.

“The thing that irks me is that I see these tweets all the time that ‘more people are going to homeschool than ever before,” Mauskopf said. “But no one is going to feed my toddler mac and cheese or change their diaper.”

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[laurelkrugerr]

4 Ways to Turn Uncertainty into Strength for Your Business

How to find the silver lining in this situation and put your business in the best possible position.

April 6, 2020 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s a tough time for all of us. Beyond making my kitchen table my new “office,” I found out last week that my kids will continue homeschooling until at least May 15. We’re navigating uncharted waters both personally and professionally. But as someone who started her first business in 2008 — sitting at the aforementioned kitchen table with the same kids at home — I’d be remiss not to share the silver lining. Yes, it’s challenging, particularly as the global economy plunges, but surviving and growing as a business can be done. I’m here to prove that again.

Some of you may not know that business ownership among female entrepreneurs grew dramatically during the Great Recession and afterwards. During this period (2007 to 2012), minority women-owned businesses saw the most dramatic growth. Hispanic women owned 26.5 percent more businesses in 2012 than they did in 2007, and African American women increased the number of businesses they owned by 20.2 percent during that same period. Looking at today’s economy, we’re situated in a much better place than we were in 2008. So can aspiring female business owners top these figures coming out of this crisis? I certainly think so.

Related: 11 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Overcome Uncertainty

Those who own businesses are tightening their belts and restructuring, but I still think there are a few silver linings to be had out of all of this. Just as I clung to these silver linings when I launched my business in 2008, I’ll do the same now.

See this as a time to be aggressively imperfect.

For the first time in a long time, I’ve noticed people turning to social media to spread positivity and kindness. We’re connecting with each other on a human-to-human level, and many of the procedural and business etiquette rules we normally follow have gone out the window. Use this to your advantage.

You know the saying “Done is better than perfect”? There’s no better time than now to take that to heart. Ask yourself: What need do I fulfill? Then, find ways to meet that need. Right now, that might be something that’s different than what you normally do. Engage with your social media communities to ask what kind of support they’re looking for. 

A woman business owner I mentor recently tweeted in response to an entrepreneur who was asking how he could get publicity for his business during this crisis period. They exchanged a few messages and are now in contract negotiations for her to handle his PR. Don’t be afraid to go after the people who need you most right now. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly designed business proposal. Generous, proactive support trumps perfection right now.

Use the constraints to bring you clarity.

I like to say that until your boat is sinking, it’s hard to know what to throw overboard. Right now, you have more clarity than ever about how you want to spend your time and money. Pay attention to what you realize you can toss aside in your business and use those constraints to your advantage.

Dr. Seuss famously wrote his best-selling children’s book Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 words after his publisher bet him he couldn’t do so. Constraints can direct us to make the best use out of what we already have. They hone our focus and make us concentrate on our business’ bottom lines. Despite the chaos going on in the world, I feel incredibly clear on my business and what needs to be achieved this month. My team knows exactly what we need to do to have a strong April. 

Related: 7 Ways to Manage Uncertainty and Growth Simultaneously

This is an ideal time to follow the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. Under this principle, 80 percent of your outcomes can be attributed to 20 percent of your input. For example, say that 20 percent of your clients bring in 80 percent of your sales. Using this theory, it’s better to spend time on those few vital tasks (the 20 percent) rather than the many trivial ones in order to maximize our output. Ask yourself: What are the vital components of my business? Which client can I not stand to lose? Which product or service brings in the most revenue? From there, your path should be clear.

Meet your customers where they are.

This is a time when you need to shift and adjust your offers. It’s not the time to dig in your heels on your current offer and refuse to budge. While the world is in the throes of this pandemic, now is the time to think of your legacy as a company and brand, not your short-term goals. Show up for people when they are struggling.

Many companies are generating positive word-of-mouth PR just by adjusting their offerings to support individuals and small businesses right now. A great example is Zencastr, a tool for remote podcasters. The company announced that now through July 1, it will be waiving the limits for those on its Hobbyist tier, which includes dropping limits on the number of recording hours and the number of participants each podcaster gets. Side note: If you’ve always wanted to start a podcast, it looks like the time is now.

Related: How to Embrace Uncertainty, and Create a Culture of Innovation

Do you offer an essential or much-needed service? Can you temporarily cut the costs or offer it for free? Can you take your offering and adjust it to help even more people? For example, my company offers productivity tools and trainings. In difficult times like now, when there’s so much to think about, I know how challenging it can be to maintain productivity. That’s why in addition to our comprehensive program launch in April, we came out with our Daily Momentum offering. For a low price, customers receive audio text messages from me each morning consisting of positive and motivational productivity tips for the day ahead. During a time of turmoil, you want your customers to remember you being there as a continual source of support. The worst thing you can do is turn the lights off completely and then come knocking when things have returned to normal.

Embrace the novelty as exercise for your brain.

For most of us, our days have an entirely new look and feel to them. Instead of being resistant to this novelty, try to lean into it. Research shows that changing up your routine encourages your brain to make new connections and neural pathways, a concept known as neuroplasticity. It sounds silly, but something as little as switching up the route you drive to work (or these days, the grocery store) can increase brain efficiency in problem-solving or discovering creative solutions.

Instead of stressing out over the change, embrace it and recognize it as something that’s good for you. Your brain needs to stay active, too. Like everything in life, it’s all about shifting your mindset to focus on the positive. Even though there’s a lot of negativity in the world right now, I hope you can implement these shifts to focus on the silver linings and strengthen your business. We will get past this. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/4-ways-to-turn-uncertainty-into-strength-for-your-business/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/04/4-ways-to-turn-uncertainty-into.html

[riichardwilson]

4 Ways to Turn Uncertainty into Strength for Your Business

How to find the silver lining in this situation and put your business in the best possible position.

April 6, 2020 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s a tough time for all of us. Beyond making my kitchen table my new “office,” I found out last week that my kids will continue homeschooling until at least May 15. We’re navigating uncharted waters both personally and professionally. But as someone who started her first business in 2008 — sitting at the aforementioned kitchen table with the same kids at home — I’d be remiss not to share the silver lining. Yes, it’s challenging, particularly as the global economy plunges, but surviving and growing as a business can be done. I’m here to prove that again.

Some of you may not know that business ownership among female entrepreneurs grew dramatically during the Great Recession and afterwards. During this period (2007 to 2012), minority women-owned businesses saw the most dramatic growth. Hispanic women owned 26.5 percent more businesses in 2012 than they did in 2007, and African American women increased the number of businesses they owned by 20.2 percent during that same period. Looking at today’s economy, we’re situated in a much better place than we were in 2008. So can aspiring female business owners top these figures coming out of this crisis? I certainly think so.

Related: 11 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Overcome Uncertainty

Those who own businesses are tightening their belts and restructuring, but I still think there are a few silver linings to be had out of all of this. Just as I clung to these silver linings when I launched my business in 2008, I’ll do the same now.

See this as a time to be aggressively imperfect.

For the first time in a long time, I’ve noticed people turning to social media to spread positivity and kindness. We’re connecting with each other on a human-to-human level, and many of the procedural and business etiquette rules we normally follow have gone out the window. Use this to your advantage.

You know the saying “Done is better than perfect”? There’s no better time than now to take that to heart. Ask yourself: What need do I fulfill? Then, find ways to meet that need. Right now, that might be something that’s different than what you normally do. Engage with your social media communities to ask what kind of support they’re looking for. 

A woman business owner I mentor recently tweeted in response to an entrepreneur who was asking how he could get publicity for his business during this crisis period. They exchanged a few messages and are now in contract negotiations for her to handle his PR. Don’t be afraid to go after the people who need you most right now. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly designed business proposal. Generous, proactive support trumps perfection right now.

Use the constraints to bring you clarity.

I like to say that until your boat is sinking, it’s hard to know what to throw overboard. Right now, you have more clarity than ever about how you want to spend your time and money. Pay attention to what you realize you can toss aside in your business and use those constraints to your advantage.

Dr. Seuss famously wrote his best-selling children’s book Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 words after his publisher bet him he couldn’t do so. Constraints can direct us to make the best use out of what we already have. They hone our focus and make us concentrate on our business’ bottom lines. Despite the chaos going on in the world, I feel incredibly clear on my business and what needs to be achieved this month. My team knows exactly what we need to do to have a strong April. 

Related: 7 Ways to Manage Uncertainty and Growth Simultaneously

This is an ideal time to follow the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. Under this principle, 80 percent of your outcomes can be attributed to 20 percent of your input. For example, say that 20 percent of your clients bring in 80 percent of your sales. Using this theory, it’s better to spend time on those few vital tasks (the 20 percent) rather than the many trivial ones in order to maximize our output. Ask yourself: What are the vital components of my business? Which client can I not stand to lose? Which product or service brings in the most revenue? From there, your path should be clear.

Meet your customers where they are.

This is a time when you need to shift and adjust your offers. It’s not the time to dig in your heels on your current offer and refuse to budge. While the world is in the throes of this pandemic, now is the time to think of your legacy as a company and brand, not your short-term goals. Show up for people when they are struggling.

Many companies are generating positive word-of-mouth PR just by adjusting their offerings to support individuals and small businesses right now. A great example is Zencastr, a tool for remote podcasters. The company announced that now through July 1, it will be waiving the limits for those on its Hobbyist tier, which includes dropping limits on the number of recording hours and the number of participants each podcaster gets. Side note: If you’ve always wanted to start a podcast, it looks like the time is now.

Related: How to Embrace Uncertainty, and Create a Culture of Innovation

Do you offer an essential or much-needed service? Can you temporarily cut the costs or offer it for free? Can you take your offering and adjust it to help even more people? For example, my company offers productivity tools and trainings. In difficult times like now, when there’s so much to think about, I know how challenging it can be to maintain productivity. That’s why in addition to our comprehensive program launch in April, we came out with our Daily Momentum offering. For a low price, customers receive audio text messages from me each morning consisting of positive and motivational productivity tips for the day ahead. During a time of turmoil, you want your customers to remember you being there as a continual source of support. The worst thing you can do is turn the lights off completely and then come knocking when things have returned to normal.

Embrace the novelty as exercise for your brain.

For most of us, our days have an entirely new look and feel to them. Instead of being resistant to this novelty, try to lean into it. Research shows that changing up your routine encourages your brain to make new connections and neural pathways, a concept known as neuroplasticity. It sounds silly, but something as little as switching up the route you drive to work (or these days, the grocery store) can increase brain efficiency in problem-solving or discovering creative solutions.

Instead of stressing out over the change, embrace it and recognize it as something that’s good for you. Your brain needs to stay active, too. Like everything in life, it’s all about shifting your mindset to focus on the positive. Even though there’s a lot of negativity in the world right now, I hope you can implement these shifts to focus on the silver linings and strengthen your business. We will get past this. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/4-ways-to-turn-uncertainty-into-strength-for-your-business/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/614677133556645888

[scpie]

4 Ways to Turn Uncertainty into Strength for Your Business

How to find the silver lining in this situation and put your business in the best possible position.

April 6, 2020 7 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s a tough time for all of us. Beyond making my kitchen table my new “office,” I found out last week that my kids will continue homeschooling until at least May 15. We’re navigating uncharted waters both personally and professionally. But as someone who started her first business in 2008 — sitting at the aforementioned kitchen table with the same kids at home — I’d be remiss not to share the silver lining. Yes, it’s challenging, particularly as the global economy plunges, but surviving and growing as a business can be done. I’m here to prove that again.

Some of you may not know that business ownership among female entrepreneurs grew dramatically during the Great Recession and afterwards. During this period (2007 to 2012), minority women-owned businesses saw the most dramatic growth. Hispanic women owned 26.5 percent more businesses in 2012 than they did in 2007, and African American women increased the number of businesses they owned by 20.2 percent during that same period. Looking at today’s economy, we’re situated in a much better place than we were in 2008. So can aspiring female business owners top these figures coming out of this crisis? I certainly think so.

Related: 11 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Overcome Uncertainty

Those who own businesses are tightening their belts and restructuring, but I still think there are a few silver linings to be had out of all of this. Just as I clung to these silver linings when I launched my business in 2008, I’ll do the same now.

See this as a time to be aggressively imperfect.

For the first time in a long time, I’ve noticed people turning to social media to spread positivity and kindness. We’re connecting with each other on a human-to-human level, and many of the procedural and business etiquette rules we normally follow have gone out the window. Use this to your advantage.

You know the saying “Done is better than perfect”? There’s no better time than now to take that to heart. Ask yourself: What need do I fulfill? Then, find ways to meet that need. Right now, that might be something that’s different than what you normally do. Engage with your social media communities to ask what kind of support they’re looking for. 

A woman business owner I mentor recently tweeted in response to an entrepreneur who was asking how he could get publicity for his business during this crisis period. They exchanged a few messages and are now in contract negotiations for her to handle his PR. Don’t be afraid to go after the people who need you most right now. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly designed business proposal. Generous, proactive support trumps perfection right now.

Use the constraints to bring you clarity.

I like to say that until your boat is sinking, it’s hard to know what to throw overboard. Right now, you have more clarity than ever about how you want to spend your time and money. Pay attention to what you realize you can toss aside in your business and use those constraints to your advantage.

Dr. Seuss famously wrote his best-selling children’s book Green Eggs and Ham using only 50 words after his publisher bet him he couldn’t do so. Constraints can direct us to make the best use out of what we already have. They hone our focus and make us concentrate on our business’ bottom lines. Despite the chaos going on in the world, I feel incredibly clear on my business and what needs to be achieved this month. My team knows exactly what we need to do to have a strong April. 

Related: 7 Ways to Manage Uncertainty and Growth Simultaneously

This is an ideal time to follow the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. Under this principle, 80 percent of your outcomes can be attributed to 20 percent of your input. For example, say that 20 percent of your clients bring in 80 percent of your sales. Using this theory, it’s better to spend time on those few vital tasks (the 20 percent) rather than the many trivial ones in order to maximize our output. Ask yourself: What are the vital components of my business? Which client can I not stand to lose? Which product or service brings in the most revenue? From there, your path should be clear.

Meet your customers where they are.

This is a time when you need to shift and adjust your offers. It’s not the time to dig in your heels on your current offer and refuse to budge. While the world is in the throes of this pandemic, now is the time to think of your legacy as a company and brand, not your short-term goals. Show up for people when they are struggling.

Many companies are generating positive word-of-mouth PR just by adjusting their offerings to support individuals and small businesses right now. A great example is Zencastr, a tool for remote podcasters. The company announced that now through July 1, it will be waiving the limits for those on its Hobbyist tier, which includes dropping limits on the number of recording hours and the number of participants each podcaster gets. Side note: If you’ve always wanted to start a podcast, it looks like the time is now.

Related: How to Embrace Uncertainty, and Create a Culture of Innovation

Do you offer an essential or much-needed service? Can you temporarily cut the costs or offer it for free? Can you take your offering and adjust it to help even more people? For example, my company offers productivity tools and trainings. In difficult times like now, when there’s so much to think about, I know how challenging it can be to maintain productivity. That’s why in addition to our comprehensive program launch in April, we came out with our Daily Momentum offering. For a low price, customers receive audio text messages from me each morning consisting of positive and motivational productivity tips for the day ahead. During a time of turmoil, you want your customers to remember you being there as a continual source of support. The worst thing you can do is turn the lights off completely and then come knocking when things have returned to normal.

Embrace the novelty as exercise for your brain.

For most of us, our days have an entirely new look and feel to them. Instead of being resistant to this novelty, try to lean into it. Research shows that changing up your routine encourages your brain to make new connections and neural pathways, a concept known as neuroplasticity. It sounds silly, but something as little as switching up the route you drive to work (or these days, the grocery store) can increase brain efficiency in problem-solving or discovering creative solutions.

Instead of stressing out over the change, embrace it and recognize it as something that’s good for you. Your brain needs to stay active, too. Like everything in life, it’s all about shifting your mindset to focus on the positive. Even though there’s a lot of negativity in the world right now, I hope you can implement these shifts to focus on the silver linings and strengthen your business. We will get past this. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/4-ways-to-turn-uncertainty-into-strength-for-your-business/

[josephkitchen0]

Country Conversation and Feedback — March/April 2019

Countryside is simply the best for me, with realistic and practical home solutions to a number of pertinent challenges we meet in our daily living. — Norbert R. Cgabata

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The Man Who Caught the Big Cat

I grew up in the hills of West Virginia. I was about 11 years old before I could go fishing much, and about 13 before I could go any distance from home. I never knew anyone to catch much in the way of eatin’ fish and I was told that fishermen had a way of “stretchin” things, so I naturally thought that anyone was lying when they said they caught fish. I never caught anything but a few small bluegills and “red” bream, much like a red belly except red all over. I also caught a few “chubs” — a fish sort of like a rainbow trout. I had caught a few nice fish but I had never caught a real BIG fish. I had been fishing for years and still had dreams of catching a big fish.

I bought a piece of land in Florida in 1969. It was small and near the Ocala National Forest. Now there is fishing for you! The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers built a dam on the Oklawaha River above Salt Springs, known as the Rodman Dam. I went fishing there in July, 1969. I hooked a big channel cat that I guessed at 30 pounds, but he got off. I probably over-guessed him but he was a nice one. All I could talk about afterward was going back. I finally made it back in October of that year and tried for a big one. I landed a catfish after maybe 15 minutes of hard fighting and he weighed 20-3/4 pounds. This didn’t get it out of my system — it aggravated the condition. I couldn’t wait to go back.

I went back at the first chance, I won’t say opportunity, it was the first chance. I had three days off for Thanksgiving in 1969 and I headed for Florida as soon as I got off work. I went to Rodman Dam about 10 o’clock the next morning but couldn’t get to my favorite spot because men were working on the grounds around the landing. I crossed over the dam and went downstream to where a small creek led down through the swamp.

I threw out toward the middle of the river. I had a piece of shiner for bait, about the size of my fist, and I had a saltwater outfit with a 46 lb. test line. I put the reel in free spool and set the “clicker” on and told the woman fishing next to me if she heard the reel singing to let me know. I was goofing off and watching other people catch fish. After about 10 minutes, I heard the reel go buz-z-z-z. The woman said, “You got a bite.” I said, “Yeah, I think I heard it. ” The line had gone slack then, I reached down and picked up the rod and took up all the slack and then the line sort of started off slow and steady. I yanked back as hard as I could and nothing happened. The woman asked, “Did you get him?” I said, “I don’t know. I think I’m hung up.” About that time I felt a powerful surge, as the fish moved off. I yelled, “I got him!”

What followed was hard to believe, it was like having a young calf on the line. The fish began moving to my right and I set the star drag a little loose to keep from breaking the line. The rod was arched into a rainbow shape and I was leaning back. A crowd began to gather but I was too busy fighting to look around. Someone wanted to grab the line, but I knew better as I stepped into the water and then someone wanted to grab me.

A man ran for his movie camera, all the while I was fighting the fish. I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder, I had sprained a muscle. More people came up. The line was singing but I began to gain. I finally got him up to where I could net him. A man stepped up and asked if he could help, I told him “Yes, hand me the net.” I got the net but the fish saw me, and with 8 feet of rod plus 8 feet of line he simply took off and he was out of reach, 16 feet away. It began all over again. I brought him back and the man said “Can I help?” I said, “Yes, try to net him when I get him back around.”  The water turned white and flew everywhere. I asked, “What happened?” and with disbelief in his almost whisper he said, “He won’t go in the net.”

I hadn’t seen much except the belly of the fish so far and I realized what I might have ahold of. My net was 16 inches across the rim! Back out he went again to deep water. I brought him back and the man said, “Now whatcha want me to do?” I said, “I’ll bring him back around and you try to net him.”

Someone said I had an eel, another said a turtle. By this time, I saw it was a big black lookin’ catfish. I told the man, “Try to slip the net over his tail. I am afraid we’re going to loose him.”

The man slipped the net over the fish’s tail and about half way up his body. I laid the rod down and grabbed the fish’s gills, and together we slid the huge cat up on the sand bar. People just kind of faded back and some of them screamed. I looked around and it looked like a baptizing service — there were people everywhere. I tried to rest and stop shaking. Some began to guess the weight of the big fish. One said 22 pounds, I said 30, and someone else said 35. A young man used my camera and took a picture as I held the fish up. The other man had gotten back with his movie camera by then, and he got the picture-taking scene on film, plus a picture of me and the fish. Another young man brought a piece of ski rope to use as a stringer as mine wasn’t big enough. I tied the big fish up, baited my hook again, threw out, and walked over to look at my catch. I, as well as others, couldn’t believe it. Different people came by to look at the fish and have their picture taken with it.

I have seen days at the Rodman that I couldn’t catch fish. Absolutely nothing. That gives you an idea of luck. I went on with my fishing and that evening when I picked up to leave, I went back to get my fish. The group of people fishing there now did not know of my earlier catch and the ones talking about me catching nothing could hardly believe what they saw. “Look what a fish that man’s got!”, they said. People began stopping me to take pictures. An official of the Corps of Engineers from Palatka, FL took a picture.

I took my fish to Johntry’s Store in Salt Springs to have it weighed. Carson Johntry found a pair of cotton scales and we finally weighed the fish. He weighed 50 pounds and measured 42 inches long. I didn’t give Carson my name — he knew my face, not my name. I wanted to freeze the fish as I had a few more people to show him to. I should have asked Carson to register the fish but instead went to Ocala and had the fish frozen. I got a write up in two newspapers and pictures were displayed in many stores.

I didn’t go back to Florida for another five months and when I walked into Johntry’s Store, the first thing Carson said was, “I guess you know you ate a $3,000.00 catfish!”

I didn’t know what to say! First prize for all tackle records in 1969 was $1,000.00 cash plus $1,900.00 worth of prizes. I had lost it all by not registering the fish. Some people remembered me from before and asked “Aren’t you the man that caught the big cat?” and I told them, “Yes.”

I never caught a bragging size fish before, but I was king for a day, the day I caught the big cat. I have been back since then but only succeeded in getting a few good bites. It takes a mighty big fish to excite me much now. There has been other big cat caught at Rodman, but mine was the biggest so far. In and around the Ocala National Forest, I am still referred to as “The Man Who Caught the Big Catfish.”

– Porky Parkins, West Virginia

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Missing the Country Life

I grew up in South West Missouri on a rural piece of property where I ran barefoot with my dog(s) for nearly every moment of my childhood. We kept mostly chickens but dabbled in goats, rabbits, pigs, and cows. I married a traveling bagpiper when I was 19, and we have seen most of the country, with our dogs and horses in tow! We have enjoyed a very unconventional and old-fashioned life for years and spent much time teaching and driving our horses, camping, working with our hands (I am a zealous seamstress, crafter, and artist; my husband does leatherwork, gunsmithing, and really everything else!), and seeing everywhere from Alaska to Maine.

About four years ago, we moved to Maryland to care for my husband’s aging parents. We are doing what we think is right, but are truly NOT well-suited to living in a “normal,” somewhat suburban setting. We had to part with our beloved horses, most of our goats, and are down to one collie dog. I have managed to smuggle in six or so chickens and a couple goats (though the number has ranged as high as six, which happens fast with triplets!) that I use for milking and fiber, and am liable to try a pony or rabbits! I also keep an awful jungle that I shamefully confess is referred to as a garden! We still own our 40 acres with an off-grid, truck box-cabin in Missouri, but we spend most of our time here, where there are too many people and rules!

We DO have three dear children (6, 5, and 7 months) to keep us busy, as we are homeschooling! They are enjoying all the benefits of living in a community (like neighbors you can see from your porch), while still collecting eggs barefooted and making forts out of hay bales, as well as learning how to canoe and crab (as we are fortunate enough to live on the water!). Our family definitely sticks out like a sore thumb here, but we have many lovely friends and enjoy throwing casual potlucks, and having people stare open-mouthed at us when we take a goat trick-or-treating!

I have drawn comics and cartoons for many years, but mostly just for friends and family. As a rural gal with a quirky sense of humor and plenty of manure on my own Sloggers, my cartoons are typically farmy, outdoorsy, and full of critters!

– Emma McDonald Taylor

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Old Blue

This old truck has been in our family since 1964. My Aunt Elsa immigrated from Germany as a young lady and was sponsored by a relative who owned a farm in Nebraska. She has resided in Cozad, Nebraska ever since. The F-100 was used weekly to check on the farm and meet friends at the local garage for BBQ (a special thank you to the garage guys for keeping Old Blue running like a champ).

“Tante” Elsa decided to give this special truck to our family under one condition; a photo in the pasture of its new home. So the F-100 made its way from Cozad, Nebraska to Myakka City, Florida. We raise Piedmontese beef cattle so I thought it would be nice to take a photo of Old Blue with our full blood Piedmontese bull “Arno.”

Pick up trucks are a great part of farming history in America. I am honored that Aunt Elsa has given us this truck for our farm! And no Old Blue is not for sale. We consider this piece of history our most precious family heirloom!

God Bless America, Farmers, and our heritage!

Thank you for your wonderful magazine.

Acorn Hollow Farms, Andrea and Jeff Parson, Myakka City, Florida

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Coloring Pages

By Milan Chupp, 10 years old, Michigan.

By Robert Fiscus, 55 years old, North Carolina.

By Jenna A. Nelson, 10 years old, West Virginia.

By Shirley Wall, Tennessee.

By John Paul Hill, 9 years old.

By Walter Miller, 6 years old, Arkansas.

Colored with markers by Adam, 14 years old.

  By Sadee Wilson, 12 years old.

By Tilly Ott, 13 years old, Ohio.

By Kaden Shapley.

By Sedona Orsi, 10 years old, Pennsylvania.

By Slade Lipka grandson of Ray and Norma McClellan.

By Eli Carroll, 10 years old, Georgia.

By John Michael Maple.

By Loren Kuhns.

By Daniel Kinsinger.

By Cheryl Veger, 59 years old, Indiana.

By Anna McDonough, 7 years old.

Country Conversation and Feedback — March/April 2019 was originally posted by All About Chickens

[antionetterparker]

Ranking the best online business ideas

Here’s the brutal truth about online business ideas…

There are WAY too many people promising boat-loads of money if you just dabble in an unproven “opportunity.”

The truth is, an online business is still a business.

You need a proven opportunity—meaning a real one, that’s already been used to make decent money for lots of people.

And you need to be prepared to work hard. There’s no easy button for building a business, online or otherwise. It takes work… and time… and sometimes a learning curve.

But the good news is there are plenty of good opportunities out there.

In fact, today, I’m going to show you 21 of the best online business ideas available today.

I’ve tried a few of these methods myself, and my friends have too. I can promise you they’re great ways to build a solid online business that brings in a good income.

You only need to find one that fits your personality, skills, and experience, and you’re gold. So let’s get started, shall we?

1. e-Commerce and dropshipping

Today, it’s easy to set up shop online and grab a piece of the $2.3 trillion pie that is e-commerce. With 1.66 billion people worldwide buying their goods online, there’s plenty to go around.

Most e-commerce stores are set up on Shopify, but other popular options are WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce.

And it’s easy to get started.

Step 1: Create an e-commerce website with a unique collection of products.

Step 2: Run Facebook or Google ads to it.

Step 3: Fulfill orders and make sure your customers are happy with their experience.

Example:

SuperHeroStuff

Darn Good Yarn

Best place to learn:

Shopify

eCom Success Academy

2. Information marketing

When you’re good at doing something that others want to learn how to do, you’ve got the makings for a strong information marketing business.

Essentially, instead of sharing your know-how one-to-one, you package your information and sell it—as books, reports, video tutorials, and training materials.

Step 1: Create authority content that teaches people how to solve a common problem no one else is solving (or solving well). Think PDFs, video training, or a membership site.

Step 2: Run traffic to landing pages or webinars where you sell your solutions.

Step 3: Profit from repeat customers who think you’re the bomb.

Example:

DogProblems

Money Mustache

Best place to learn:

Fred Gleek

Beginner’s Guide to Information Marketing

3. Coaching

Want more of a human touch? Coaching allows you, not only to share your expertise but also personalize the information and support clients as they learn from you.

You can set up shop as a personal coach, say, helping people lose weight or find happiness, or a professional coach, helping your clients achieve a business goal like setting up a small business or becoming more productive.

As a coach, you can offer group or one-on-one sessions by telephone or video conferencing. And you can offer a set number of sessions or ongoing support. It largely depends on what information you’re sharing and whether clients expect to achieve mastery or to receive ongoing mentoring.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Use blogging and social media to establish yourself as an expert in a niche like marketing, personal branding, or homeschooling.

Step 2: Sell a range of coaching packages, from 1-on-1 to group coaching, that help your clients succeed in a specific way.

Step 3: Promote your client success stories, and use them to attract more clients.

Example:

Tony Robbins

Steve Gutzler

Best place to learn:

Consulting Accelerator

National Coach Academy

4. Blogging

You may think blogging is just a hobby. And if all you’re doing is recording your thoughts about motherhood or your love for stamp collecting, that may be true. But blogging can also bring home anywhere from $1k to $40k a month or more—while still writing about the things you love.

The key is to find a micro-niche that has a strong (and loyal) following, then monetize it.

Step 1: Start pumping out in-depth, high-quality blog posts related to a narrow niche.

Step 2: Drive traffic to your blog with email, social media, guest posts, SEO, and paid promotion.

Step 3: Monetize your blog with sponsorships, product sales, ads, lead generation, premium content, and paid reviews.

Example:

Sew Can She

Family, Food & Garden

Best place to learn:

Problogger

SmartBlogger

5. YouTubing

YouTubing (or vlogging) is just like blogging, but instead of written content, you’ll produce videos and become YouTube famous.

Your content will be hosted on YouTube (though you can republish it on a blog if you want), but you’ll monetize it pretty much the same way you would a blog—with ads, sponsorships, selling your own merchandise, or promoting other brands’ merchandise.

As a bonus, if you do build a companion blog, you can monetize both your blog and your vlog. How’s that for creating multiple streams of income?

Step 1: Start creating entertaining videos related to a narrow niche.

Step 2: Drive traffic to your YouTube channel through SEO, social media, paid promotion, mentions, and endorsements.

Step 3: Monetize your channel by becoming a YouTube partner, using Google AdSense, or making product placements.

Example:

PewDiePie

MyLifeAsEva

Best place to learn:

Vlog Nation

Vloggerpro

6. Copywriting

If you want to make money from your writing, there’s no better option than copywriting. Copywriting can be every bit as creative as fiction writing, but the odds of making six figures as a copywriter is fairly high—whereas fiction authors typically average $5k a year.

Why the difference? Because if you aren’t Stephen King, the profits on fiction are depressingly low. But businesses live or die on the quality of their ads, landing pages, and web content—so they’re willing to pay for good writers.

Bottom line, if you can write highly persuasive copy and content, you’ll be in high demand. Guaranteed.

So how do you get started?

Step 1: Choose an industry that you’re comfortable writing for or a type of project you’d like to specialize in—like landing pages, website copy, or case studies.

Step 2: Build a website promoting your copywriting services, including portfolio pieces that show off what you can do.

Step 3: Build name recognition and credibility, so clients are eager to work with you.

Example:

Bob Bly

Kathryn Aragon

Best place to learn:

AWAI

CopyHackers

7. Graphic Design

Maybe words aren’t your thing… you’re more into drawing and design. In the same way businesses need writers, they need designers who can make their products shine and their communications stand out.

To succeed, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign (the industry standards for graphic design) and possibly others. But once you’ve mastered them and have a few portfolio pieces under your belt, you’re set. Simply knowing the software puts you miles ahead of other newbies.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Choose an industry you want to work for or a type of graphics project you want to specialize in (think logos or annual reports).

Step 2: Build a website promoting your design work, and be sure to include portfolio pieces for each type of project you work on.

Step 3: Create graphics that stand out online, so clients see what you can do and are eager to hire you.

Example:

David Carson

Lori Haller

Best place to learn:

HowDesign

HackDesign

8. Building websites

If you love tech and are comfortable with (or willing to learn) HTML, CSS, and Javascript, you can succeed as a website developer.

As a web developer, you’ll build and maintain websites, which includes a variety of tasks: writing web pages, creating wireframes (mockups of your designs), building WordPress sites from scratch, optimizing the user experience, and making a site look as good as it works.

The good news is that these skills will keep you in demand for years to come. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the job outlook at 15%, which is double the average. And even without formal training, you can earn $68k a year or more.

Step 1: Build a website that shows off your talents and promotes your website-building services.

Step 2: Get the word out through email, social media, advertising, and guest posts.

Step 3: Collect testimonials from your happy customers and feature them on your website to attract a steady stream of happy clients.

Example:

Kevin Leary

Emily Ridge

Best place to learn:

Website Setup

Coding Dojo

9. SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the secret to making a website and its most important pages rank at the top of search engines. And since 75% of people never scroll past the first page, page-one ranking is life or death for online businesses.

But SEO is both strategic and technical, which means many small to medium businesses aren’t comfortable doing it themselves—making this a great online business opportunity.

And fortunately, it’s not hard to break in. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Pull out all the stops on optimizing your own website. Make it rank on page one in Google for your target keywords.

Step 2: Promote your SEO services through email, social media, advertising, and guest posts.

Step 3: Work your magic on client websites and ask them to refer you to their friends.

Example:

Quicksprout

Matt Tutt

Best place to learn:

Backlinko

Moz

10. Conversion rate optimizer

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is about making sure the traffic from SEO and ads stays on a web page and takes the action they’re asked to take. Like SEO, it can be a bit technical, but in most cases, you can improve results simply by focusing on the basic.

As a CRO, you’ll work with clients on their entire website or specific pages. And you’ll use A/B testing, user testing, and other techniques to get better results over time.

It’s a long game, not a quick fix, which means you can land a few retainer clients and do very well for yourself.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Build a funnel selling a webinar or report that teaches people how to optimize for conversions.

Step 2: Optimize your funnel until it’s pulling in leads and giving you a steady stream of clients.

Step 3: Make your clients so happy they jump at the chance of keeping you on retainer.

Example:

Conversion Sciences

Elliott Davidson

Best place to learn:

Conversion XL

The Complete Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization

11. Software or app developer

Software developers design and build computer programs, apps, and games that people use every day, using programming languages such as Java, C, C++, Perl, and Python.

To be successful, you’ll need to know more than computer languages, though. You’ll need to know design, web development, and project management, user-interface design, and more—so your software is easy to use and intuitive.

If you like working on computers and are willing to learn programming languages, this is a terrific online business opportunity.

Step 1: Build an app or software that solves a problem for your target audience.

Step 2: Share it with influencers and thought leaders who could promote it to their audience.

Step 3: Do ongoing promotion to keep your sales high.

Example:

Mark Zuckerberg

David Powers

Best place to learn:

Woz U

Codecademy

12. Stock market trading

While it’s a bit risky, it is possible to make a living trading stocks. Of course, to succeed, you need to treat it like a business, not a game. But that’s true of any online business opportunity.

The key is to find your trading style and learn the rules for trading in that style, so you have a 75% success rate. Perfectly doable if you’re strategic and disciplines.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Develop a sound trading methodology that manages risk and volatility.

Step 2: Select a trading website like Scottrade or Schwab.

Step 3: Monitor the markets daily—and remember to buy low and sell high.

Example:

James Altrucher

Trader Mark

Best place to learn:

The Balance

TechniTrader

13. Affiliate marketing

If you want to sell products online but don’t have products of your own, affiliate marketing is for you. You can sell info-products, physical products, training, or services using the same digital marketing tactics you’d use for your own products—and take home a commission on every sale you make.

Your income will depend on the type of products you sell, since some products pay a bigger commission than others. But if you’re able to drive traffic and sales, you can make a good living without ever having to deal with product development or customer support.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Build an authority website in a popular niche.

Step 2: Sign up with affiliate networks and affiliate programs.

Step 3: Start promoting products and pulling in the affiliate checks.

Example:

Nick Usborne

Ian Fernando

Best place to learn:

Smart Passive Income

Affilorama

14. Online auction business

Online auction sites offer a different way to shop…

And a great way to build an online business. Think eBay, Yahoo! Auctions, Amazon.com Auctions, and uBid.

The key is to find a steady source for quality products you can sell on auction sites, and provide good customer support, so your ratings remain high.

Step 1: Choose a niche for the products you’ll sell, like cookware or party favors.

Step 2: Set up your office: computer space, storage space for your products, and a place to photograph your products.

Step 3: List your auction items on your favorite auction site and rake in the money.

Example:

Northwind Supply

Arosha Taglia

Best place to learn:

The Queen of Auctions

Andrew Minalto

15. Domain flipping

In a digital world, a great domain name is pure gold.

That’s no exaggeration!

GoDaddy reports that Cars.com is the most expensive domain name—setting its owners back $872 million. Even boring industries are willing to shell out for domains like insurance.com ($35.6 million) and hotels.com ($11 million).

Which is why you can run a successful online business flipping domains. And it’s easy to get started.

Step 1: Buy good domain names that are currently underpriced. In most cases, that means they’re short, memorable, have a strong extension (like .com), and are likely to be popular in the near future.

Step 2: Move it to your registrar, then make it clear your domain is for sale by listing it on a domain marketplace, building a landing page, parking it, or redirecting it to an auction site.

Step 3: Negotiate with potential buyers and pull in the profits.

Example:

com

Grabflip

Best place to learn:

Niche Pursuits

Sell My Site

16. Website flipping

Profitable websites are just as valuable (possibly more valuable) than domain names. Just as house flippers by an old house, fix it up, and sell it for profits, you can do the same thing with websites—without straining your back or budget.

Here’s how you do it.

Step 1: Buy a site for an in-demand product or service that’s not getting the traffic and conversions it should be getting.

Step 2: Renovate the site with a fresh design and search/conversion optimization—and boost the site’s income.

Step 3: List the site on a good website trading site, and collect your profits.

Example:

Trade My Site

com

Best place to learn:

Yaro

Website Builders

17. Author, Writing ebooks

If you love to write, this is the business for you. As a self-published author, you can make a good living from your writing if you can turn out lots of popular, niche books.

The key, of course, is to build a loyal reader base, so you need to learn how to market your books. You’ll also need to learn the basics of self-publishing. Fortunately, it’s not rocket science, so you can easily learn it when you’re ready to publish your first book.

Here’s what you need to know.

Step 1: Find your niche. Look for a publishing space with lots of avid readers, such as romance, science fiction, or self-help.

Step 2: Write your books, and upload them to a self-publishing site such as Amazon Kindle or Nook.

Step 3: Promote and sell your books through advertising, speaking engagements, and social media.

Example:

Susan Daffron

Joanna Penn

Best place to learn:

Self-Publishing School

Jane Friedman

18. Course creator

Writing books isn’t the only way to share your ideas and expertise. By creating courses, you can teach skills and share your knowledge without writing a single word.

You’ll need to know how to create high-def videos. But most smartphones have a high-enough quality camera to do the job…

Which means you just need to start teaching to build a profitable course.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Choose the topic you’d like to teach and the problems you’d like to solve in your courses.

Step 2: Create written and video lessons that teach one topic or solution and share a step-by-step process for mastering it.

Step 3: Upload your course to a course site like Udemy or put it in a membership area on your own website—then promote it through blog posts, ads, and social media.

Example:

Danny Iny

Cody Ray Miller

Best place to learn:

Social Triggers

Thinkific

19. User testing

You’re not going to make a lot of money doing user testing, but you can still set up shop and bring in some extra money.

You’ll need to be comfortable navigating the internet and have a computer with a microphone, an updated web browser, and a high-speed internet connection.

Here’s what you need to do to get started.

Step 1: Sign up to as many testing sites as you can. UserTesting.com is a good one to start with. Make sure you have the equipment you’ll need: a microphone and webcam are a must.

Step 2: Review the assignments and go through the screening for the ones you like.

Step 3: Invest 5 to 20 minutes completing the assignment, and get paid the next day.

Example:

User Testing

Userlytics

Best place to learn:

Scott Alan Turner

The Work at Home Woman

20. Data entry

A simple online business that doesn’t require any advanced training or experience is data entry. And there are lots of sites where you can find work, such as Cass Information Systems or freelance bidding sites like UpWork.

Step 1: Look through freelance project websites and job boards for remote data entry jobs.

Step 2: Make sure you have a good work station set up. You’ll probably need fast internet and two monitors.

Step 3: Wow your prospective employer in a phone screening and interview. Then get to work on the projects they give you.

Example:

Cass Information Systems

Flexjobs

Best place to learn:

Real Way to Earn Money Online

Dream Home Based Work

21. Language translation

Are you fluent in multiple languages? If so, you can build an online business as a language translator.

Translators may do simultaneous translation, meaning, they translate a speaker as they’re talking. They may also translate written works for publication in another language, marketing materials for expanded markets, and the like.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Get certified by the American Translators Association or take a proficiency test through the Defense Language Institute or ALTA.

Step 2: Build a website to promote your services, including samples of your translation projects. And market yourself to law firms, police stations, hospitals, government agencies, language agencies, and publishers.

Step 3: Get testimonials and referrals from your clients, and add them to your website as social proof.

Example:

Rebecca Hendry

Lisa C. Hayden

Best place to learn:

Marketing Tips for Translators

Linguagreca

There you have it!

The 21 best online business ideas I’ve seen today. All of them valid. Most of them able to give you a good, living income once you’ve got your business rolling.

Now I’d like to hear from you…

Which online business ideas from today’s post are you ready to try?

Have you tried something else that’s working great for you?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

via https://mlmcompanies.org/online-business-ideas/

[mlmcompanies]

Here’s the brutal truth about online business ideas…

There are WAY too many people promising boat-loads of money if you just dabble in an unproven “opportunity.”

The truth is, an online business is still a business.

You need a proven opportunity—meaning a real one, that’s already been used to make decent money for lots of people.

And you need to be prepared to work hard. There’s no easy button for building a business, online or otherwise. It takes work… and time… and sometimes a learning curve.

But the good news is there are plenty of good opportunities out there.

In fact, today, I’m going to show you 21 of the best online business ideas available today.

I’ve tried a few of these methods myself, and my friends have too. I can promise you they’re great ways to build a solid online business that brings in a good income.

You only need to find one that fits your personality, skills, and experience, and you’re gold. So let’s get started, shall we?

1. e-Commerce and dropshipping

Today, it’s easy to set up shop online and grab a piece of the $2.3 trillion pie that is e-commerce. With 1.66 billion people worldwide buying their goods online, there’s plenty to go around.

Most e-commerce stores are set up on Shopify, but other popular options are WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce.

And it’s easy to get started.

Step 1: Create an e-commerce website with a unique collection of products.

Step 2: Run Facebook or Google ads to it.

Step 3: Fulfill orders and make sure your customers are happy with their experience.

Example:

SuperHeroStuff

Darn Good Yarn

Best place to learn:

Shopify

eCom Success Academy

2. Information marketing

When you’re good at doing something that others want to learn how to do, you’ve got the makings for a strong information marketing business.

Essentially, instead of sharing your know-how one-to-one, you package your information and sell it—as books, reports, video tutorials, and training materials.

Step 1: Create authority content that teaches people how to solve a common problem no one else is solving (or solving well). Think PDFs, video training, or a membership site.

Step 2: Run traffic to landing pages or webinars where you sell your solutions.

Step 3: Profit from repeat customers who think you’re the bomb.

Example:

DogProblems

Money Mustache

Best place to learn:

Fred Gleek

Beginner’s Guide to Information Marketing

3. Coaching

Want more of a human touch? Coaching allows you, not only to share your expertise but also personalize the information and support clients as they learn from you.

You can set up shop as a personal coach, say, helping people lose weight or find happiness, or a professional coach, helping your clients achieve a business goal like setting up a small business or becoming more productive.

As a coach, you can offer group or one-on-one sessions by telephone or video conferencing. And you can offer a set number of sessions or ongoing support. It largely depends on what information you’re sharing and whether clients expect to achieve mastery or to receive ongoing mentoring.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Use blogging and social media to establish yourself as an expert in a niche like marketing, personal branding, or homeschooling.

Step 2: Sell a range of coaching packages, from 1-on-1 to group coaching, that help your clients succeed in a specific way.

Step 3: Promote your client success stories, and use them to attract more clients.

Example:

Tony Robbins

Steve Gutzler

Best place to learn:

Consulting Accelerator

National Coach Academy

4. Blogging

You may think blogging is just a hobby. And if all you’re doing is recording your thoughts about motherhood or your love for stamp collecting, that may be true. But blogging can also bring home anywhere from $1k to $40k a month or more—while still writing about the things you love.

The key is to find a micro-niche that has a strong (and loyal) following, then monetize it.

Step 1: Start pumping out in-depth, high-quality blog posts related to a narrow niche.

Step 2: Drive traffic to your blog with email, social media, guest posts, SEO, and paid promotion.

Step 3: Monetize your blog with sponsorships, product sales, ads, lead generation, premium content, and paid reviews.

Example:

Sew Can She

Family, Food & Garden

Best place to learn:

Problogger

SmartBlogger

5. YouTubing

YouTubing (or vlogging) is just like blogging, but instead of written content, you’ll produce videos and become YouTube famous.

Your content will be hosted on YouTube (though you can republish it on a blog if you want), but you’ll monetize it pretty much the same way you would a blog—with ads, sponsorships, selling your own merchandise, or promoting other brands’ merchandise.

As a bonus, if you do build a companion blog, you can monetize both your blog and your vlog. How’s that for creating multiple streams of income?

Step 1: Start creating entertaining videos related to a narrow niche.

Step 2: Drive traffic to your YouTube channel through SEO, social media, paid promotion, mentions, and endorsements.

Step 3: Monetize your channel by becoming a YouTube partner, using Google AdSense, or making product placements.

Example:

PewDiePie

MyLifeAsEva

Best place to learn:

Vlog Nation

Vloggerpro

6. Copywriting

If you want to make money from your writing, there’s no better option than copywriting. Copywriting can be every bit as creative as fiction writing, but the odds of making six figures as a copywriter is fairly high—whereas fiction authors typically average $5k a year.

Why the difference? Because if you aren’t Stephen King, the profits on fiction are depressingly low. But businesses live or die on the quality of their ads, landing pages, and web content—so they’re willing to pay for good writers.

Bottom line, if you can write highly persuasive copy and content, you’ll be in high demand. Guaranteed.

So how do you get started?

Step 1: Choose an industry that you’re comfortable writing for or a type of project you’d like to specialize in—like landing pages, website copy, or case studies.

Step 2: Build a website promoting your copywriting services, including portfolio pieces that show off what you can do.

Step 3: Build name recognition and credibility, so clients are eager to work with you.

Example:

Bob Bly

Kathryn Aragon

Best place to learn:

AWAI

CopyHackers

7. Graphic Design

Maybe words aren’t your thing… you’re more into drawing and design. In the same way businesses need writers, they need designers who can make their products shine and their communications stand out.

To succeed, you’ll need to know the ins and outs of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign (the industry standards for graphic design) and possibly others. But once you’ve mastered them and have a few portfolio pieces under your belt, you’re set. Simply knowing the software puts you miles ahead of other newbies.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Choose an industry you want to work for or a type of graphics project you want to specialize in (think logos or annual reports).

Step 2: Build a website promoting your design work, and be sure to include portfolio pieces for each type of project you work on.

Step 3: Create graphics that stand out online, so clients see what you can do and are eager to hire you.

Example:

David Carson

Lori Haller

Best place to learn:

HowDesign

HackDesign

8. Building websites

If you love tech and are comfortable with (or willing to learn) HTML, CSS, and Javascript, you can succeed as a website developer.

As a web developer, you’ll build and maintain websites, which includes a variety of tasks: writing web pages, creating wireframes (mockups of your designs), building WordPress sites from scratch, optimizing the user experience, and making a site look as good as it works.

The good news is that these skills will keep you in demand for years to come. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the job outlook at 15%, which is double the average. And even without formal training, you can earn $68k a year or more.

Step 1: Build a website that shows off your talents and promotes your website-building services.

Step 2: Get the word out through email, social media, advertising, and guest posts.

Step 3: Collect testimonials from your happy customers and feature them on your website to attract a steady stream of happy clients.

Example:

Kevin Leary

Emily Ridge

Best place to learn:

Website Setup

Coding Dojo

9. SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the secret to making a website and its most important pages rank at the top of search engines. And since 75% of people never scroll past the first page, page-one ranking is life or death for online businesses.

But SEO is both strategic and technical, which means many small to medium businesses aren’t comfortable doing it themselves—making this a great online business opportunity.

And fortunately, it’s not hard to break in. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Pull out all the stops on optimizing your own website. Make it rank on page one in Google for your target keywords.

Step 2: Promote your SEO services through email, social media, advertising, and guest posts.

Step 3: Work your magic on client websites and ask them to refer you to their friends.

Example:

Quicksprout

Matt Tutt

Best place to learn:

Backlinko

Moz

10. Conversion rate optimizer

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is about making sure the traffic from SEO and ads stays on a web page and takes the action they’re asked to take. Like SEO, it can be a bit technical, but in most cases, you can improve results simply by focusing on the basic.

As a CRO, you’ll work with clients on their entire website or specific pages. And you’ll use A/B testing, user testing, and other techniques to get better results over time.

It’s a long game, not a quick fix, which means you can land a few retainer clients and do very well for yourself.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Build a funnel selling a webinar or report that teaches people how to optimize for conversions.

Step 2: Optimize your funnel until it’s pulling in leads and giving you a steady stream of clients.

Step 3: Make your clients so happy they jump at the chance of keeping you on retainer.

Example:

Conversion Sciences

Elliott Davidson

Best place to learn:

Conversion XL

The Complete Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization

11. Software or app developer

Software developers design and build computer programs, apps, and games that people use every day, using programming languages such as Java, C, C++, Perl, and Python.

To be successful, you’ll need to know more than computer languages, though. You’ll need to know design, web development, and project management, user-interface design, and more—so your software is easy to use and intuitive.

If you like working on computers and are willing to learn programming languages, this is a terrific online business opportunity.

Step 1: Build an app or software that solves a problem for your target audience.

Step 2: Share it with influencers and thought leaders who could promote it to their audience.

Step 3: Do ongoing promotion to keep your sales high.

Example:

Mark Zuckerberg

David Powers

Best place to learn:

Woz U

Codecademy

12. Stock market trading

While it’s a bit risky, it is possible to make a living trading stocks. Of course, to succeed, you need to treat it like a business, not a game. But that’s true of any online business opportunity.

The key is to find your trading style and learn the rules for trading in that style, so you have a 75% success rate. Perfectly doable if you’re strategic and disciplines.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Develop a sound trading methodology that manages risk and volatility.

Step 2: Select a trading website like Scottrade or Schwab.

Step 3: Monitor the markets daily—and remember to buy low and sell high.

Example:

James Altrucher

Trader Mark

Best place to learn:

The Balance

TechniTrader

13. Affiliate marketing

If you want to sell products online but don’t have products of your own, affiliate marketing is for you. You can sell info-products, physical products, training, or services using the same digital marketing tactics you’d use for your own products—and take home a commission on every sale you make.

Your income will depend on the type of products you sell, since some products pay a bigger commission than others. But if you’re able to drive traffic and sales, you can make a good living without ever having to deal with product development or customer support.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Build an authority website in a popular niche.

Step 2: Sign up with affiliate networks and affiliate programs.

Step 3: Start promoting products and pulling in the affiliate checks.

Example:

Nick Usborne

Ian Fernando

Best place to learn:

Smart Passive Income

Affilorama

14. Online auction business

Online auction sites offer a different way to shop…

And a great way to build an online business. Think eBay, Yahoo! Auctions, Amazon.com Auctions, and uBid.

The key is to find a steady source for quality products you can sell on auction sites, and provide good customer support, so your ratings remain high.

Step 1: Choose a niche for the products you’ll sell, like cookware or party favors.

Step 2: Set up your office: computer space, storage space for your products, and a place to photograph your products.

Step 3: List your auction items on your favorite auction site and rake in the money.

Example:

Northwind Supply

Arosha Taglia

Best place to learn:

The Queen of Auctions

Andrew Minalto

15. Domain flipping

In a digital world, a great domain name is pure gold.

That’s no exaggeration!

GoDaddy reports that Cars.com is the most expensive domain name—setting its owners back $872 million. Even boring industries are willing to shell out for domains like insurance.com ($35.6 million) and hotels.com ($11 million).

Which is why you can run a successful online business flipping domains. And it’s easy to get started.

Step 1: Buy good domain names that are currently underpriced. In most cases, that means they’re short, memorable, have a strong extension (like .com), and are likely to be popular in the near future.

Step 2: Move it to your registrar, then make it clear your domain is for sale by listing it on a domain marketplace, building a landing page, parking it, or redirecting it to an auction site.

Step 3: Negotiate with potential buyers and pull in the profits.

Example:

com

Grabflip

Best place to learn:

Niche Pursuits

Sell My Site

16. Website flipping

Profitable websites are just as valuable (possibly more valuable) than domain names. Just as house flippers by an old house, fix it up, and sell it for profits, you can do the same thing with websites—without straining your back or budget.

Here’s how you do it.

Step 1: Buy a site for an in-demand product or service that’s not getting the traffic and conversions it should be getting.

Step 2: Renovate the site with a fresh design and search/conversion optimization—and boost the site’s income.

Step 3: List the site on a good website trading site, and collect your profits.

Example:

Trade My Site

com

Best place to learn:

Yaro

Website Builders

17. Author, Writing ebooks

If you love to write, this is the business for you. As a self-published author, you can make a good living from your writing if you can turn out lots of popular, niche books.

The key, of course, is to build a loyal reader base, so you need to learn how to market your books. You’ll also need to learn the basics of self-publishing. Fortunately, it’s not rocket science, so you can easily learn it when you’re ready to publish your first book.

Here’s what you need to know.

Step 1: Find your niche. Look for a publishing space with lots of avid readers, such as romance, science fiction, or self-help.

Step 2: Write your books, and upload them to a self-publishing site such as Amazon Kindle or Nook.

Step 3: Promote and sell your books through advertising, speaking engagements, and social media.

Example:

Susan Daffron

Joanna Penn

Best place to learn:

Self-Publishing School

Jane Friedman

18. Course creator

Writing books isn’t the only way to share your ideas and expertise. By creating courses, you can teach skills and share your knowledge without writing a single word.

You’ll need to know how to create high-def videos. But most smartphones have a high-enough quality camera to do the job…

Which means you just need to start teaching to build a profitable course.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Choose the topic you’d like to teach and the problems you’d like to solve in your courses.

Step 2: Create written and video lessons that teach one topic or solution and share a step-by-step process for mastering it.

Step 3: Upload your course to a course site like Udemy or put it in a membership area on your own website—then promote it through blog posts, ads, and social media.

Example:

Danny Iny

Cody Ray Miller

Best place to learn:

Social Triggers

Thinkific

19. User testing

You’re not going to make a lot of money doing user testing, but you can still set up shop and bring in some extra money.

You’ll need to be comfortable navigating the internet and have a computer with a microphone, an updated web browser, and a high-speed internet connection.

Here’s what you need to do to get started.

Step 1: Sign up to as many testing sites as you can. UserTesting.com is a good one to start with. Make sure you have the equipment you’ll need: a microphone and webcam are a must.

Step 2: Review the assignments and go through the screening for the ones you like.

Step 3: Invest 5 to 20 minutes completing the assignment, and get paid the next day.

Example:

User Testing

Userlytics

Best place to learn:

Scott Alan Turner

The Work at Home Woman

20. Data entry

A simple online business that doesn’t require any advanced training or experience is data entry. And there are lots of sites where you can find work, such as Cass Information Systems or freelance bidding sites like UpWork.

Step 1: Look through freelance project websites and job boards for remote data entry jobs.

Step 2: Make sure you have a good work station set up. You’ll probably need fast internet and two monitors.

Step 3: Wow your prospective employer in a phone screening and interview. Then get to work on the projects they give you.

Example:

Cass Information Systems

Flexjobs

Best place to learn:

Real Way to Earn Money Online

Dream Home Based Work

21. Language translation

Are you fluent in multiple languages? If so, you can build an online business as a language translator.

Translators may do simultaneous translation, meaning, they translate a speaker as they’re talking. They may also translate written works for publication in another language, marketing materials for expanded markets, and the like.

Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Get certified by the American Translators Association or take a proficiency test through the Defense Language Institute or ALTA.

Step 2: Build a website to promote your services, including samples of your translation projects. And market yourself to law firms, police stations, hospitals, government agencies, language agencies, and publishers.

Step 3: Get testimonials and referrals from your clients, and add them to your website as social proof.

Example:

Rebecca Hendry

Lisa C. Hayden

Best place to learn:

Marketing Tips for Translators

Linguagreca

There you have it!

The 21 best online business ideas I’ve seen today. All of them valid. Most of them able to give you a good, living income once you’ve got your business rolling.

Now I’d like to hear from you…

Which online business ideas from today’s post are you ready to try?

Have you tried something else that’s working great for you?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

[bessiewakehurst-blog]

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[alegendarystudentwonderland-blog]

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i want to add my wife and she's 24

Does the insurance company have to pay me because my car is less valuable after getting repaired?

I have a 2005 VW Jetta TDI with 112,000 miles. It was hit in the front (not my fault) and did $7,100 worth of damage. It is repaired but if I go to sell my car it will obviously be worth much less because of a bad carfax report. It's not fair to me, so the insurance company should give me about $1,000 for the lost value. I called the insurance company and they gave me the run around and said the value is the same and argued with me. What do I do to get the money?""

Parents' health insurance?

If you take a semester off from college, how long do you have until your parents' insurance doesn't cover you anymore?""

Car Insurance quesiton?

I live in Orange County, California. My question is if there is any cheap car insurance? I'm looking just for liability and would appreciate if anyone knows of the cheapest insurance. Thank You for all those that answer:)""

Car insurance for teens?

I am 17 years old and I live in Virginia. What is the estimate for my car insurance if I was added under my parents policy considering these factors: I am a female obviously... I want to either drive a used Kia optima hybrid, Camry, or a Toyota RAV4 and the years of the car will typically be above 2010 Thank you! Also if I drive my parents car and wreck it, would it be covered?""

What are the best/cheapest insurance companies in the uk for motorbikes?

and yes i will only of just passed my Direct Access and likely to be riding a 600cc.....thanks

Car insurance for a new driver?

I will be driveing soon how much on average is car insurance for a new driver?

I'm 20 with no diploma: How do I get health insurance?

I'm a 20 year old male in Austin, Texas, and I was homeschooled and have 2 courses to complete until I get my highschool diploma. I have very little work experience (worked for HEB for 3 months). How do I get health insurance? Any suggestions on who would hire me that has insurance, or any government help I could be eligible for health wise?""

Car insurance excess?

My car is now only worth between 200 - 300 so if it was involved in an accident I doubt the insurance would repair...& write it off. Insurance is due for renewal & I have a 250 voluntary excess, which means that I would end up with nothing in the event of a crash. If I increase my vol. excess to 500 the premium goes down by about 30 which looks like a good idea to me but. If my car was written off due to an accident with another vehicle would I still have to pay the 500 vol. excess towards repair of the other vehicle or does the excess relate only to my car in this situation?""

Can my mom have two cars under her name?(insurance)?

I am turning 16 soon and i would like to purchase or lease my own car.. Of course i will pay half of the insurance and as much of the lease price as i can... However, before i do anything... I would like to check a few things.. Is it possible for my mother to have two cars under her name/insurance while I am also registered in her insurance? Like me being registered under my mothers insurance because if i make my own insurance the cost is very expensive.... I tried calculating how much it would cost if my mom had a car under her and another car under my name (inside the same insurance) and it was around 800-900 dollars per month.... *This is ontario..* so is it possible to have two cars under my moms name and none under mine? and will it be expensive as me having a car under my name and the same for the other car under my moms name? thanks!""

Car & Insurance ??? Help me please?

Im 15 and im looking at cars so i know what im saving for. i know its abit early but im looking to star driving straight away. I am looking for a nice powerful car with nice boot space, and i know that the cost will be around 10k but im worried about the insurance ... what would be a good car to buy ?? thanks for all your answers""

""Car insurance, advice and help!?""

Im 16. Ive done a bit of research and it looks expensive, so im going to try to be put on my parents plan. I know it depends on their plan and everything, but im just looking for an approximation per month or per 6 months or per year. They have pretty good coverage if that helps, and my dads on geico and my moms on progressive i beleive. i live in miami if thats useful, and i will only use one car if that would make the insurance cheaper (its in their name). Any bit of advice to make it cheaper or any tips would be extremely appreciated. If i could get somewhere around 500 per 6 months that would be ideal. Thanks u guys""

What's your Scion TC's Insurance Rate?

Scion TC's are in the top 10 most expensive cars to insure. (Number 2) So I was wondering if you have a TC, how much do you pay monthly? What's your deductible? What insurance company are you with? And how old are you?""

How do I help families not see life insurance?

How do I help families not see life insurance as a bill but rather protection for their family? I am on a crusade to help families become properly protected (create an immediate estate) in case of a loved ones untimely death. Of lately, prospects see life insurance as another bill. Although it is; can any life insurance agent please share with me how they get around to making sales in the life insurance industry? Thank you.""

What solutions would make health care treatment instead of health care insurance more affordable?

considering out of pocket expenses? and would this be a conservative approach to the health care issue?

""When will my car insurance rates get cheaper, due to having a clean driving record?""

I know I didn't do the best job asking the question, but I'll try to be short and sweet. I'm going to turn 18 in one month and 5 days. I got my license exactly one year ago, November 14th,2009. In January 2010, I got into a small accident, it was during my midterms at school, was a little stressed, but I rear-ended somebody, sadly not in my crappy car that would've cost barely anything to fix, but in my fathers expensive car. Now there was no damage done to the other car, and barely any damage done to my fathers, but because the airbags deflated (which ended up being the most expensive thing to fix) it was a hefty amount to pay. Insurance covered it (geico) and they advertised that the first accident wouldn't effect our rates. Well they lied and it did, so our rates went up because of my one accident. Since the incident, my parents have not got into an accident in at least 7 years, and since my accident all i have received is a few parking tickets. All in all, what I'm asking is; when are my insurance rates going to go back down? I'm going to remain on my parents insurance for a while, just because its cheaper etc etc... and I know I'm still under 25, and a guy, but will they ever go back to the original price they were at when I got my license? (before they got raised)""

Should I buy car insurance or not?

I am a teenage driver of 16. Insurance is very high for a teenager. My parents have Allstate Car Insurance for four of their cars including a Toyota Corolla which im going to be driving. The Corolla is covered by AllState insurance. I have a California Driver's License and live in California. About 6 months ago, my mom asked the insurance company whether the insurance would cover the car if she lent the car to someone and the insurance company said that they would cover the car as soon as the person who borrowed the car has a VALID DRIVERS LICENSE. I have a valid drivers license but I am under 18 (I am 16). The insurance person did not say anything about age. My question is whether it is necessary or not to buy insurance for myself. It will be very expensive and I do not want to pay for it but I will If i have to. Do I have to get my own insurance for the car or not? If I dont buy insurance and I drive the corolla and get pulled over, am I okay or will I have problems?""

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

I need help finding affordable health insurance for my family?

My husband has a job currently that offers health insurance for us, BCBS of NC great insurance but his job doesn't pay enough for us to survive now that we have a new baby. He is switching to a driving job that pays a little more so we can survive and pay some more bills, so we have decided to try to buy our own health insurance with this new job. Things are very tight with money with me being a stay at home mom to a new baby boy and a toddler so I need very affordable health insurance for my husband and myself. My kids are covered by medicaid so I do not need to buy it for them. I do not qualify for medicaid so I have to buy insurance for myself and my husband. Any suggestions of where to look? Any help would be greatly appreciated.""

What's wrong with car insurance?

I am a safe driver. I've never had a car accident or ticket. As a consequence of my choices, I pay very low rates for car insurance. Other people I know have had accidents and many tickets, they pay a lot for car insurance. In this system, each person pays a different rate based on the consequences of their choices and actions. So what is wrong with this system? Why can't we use the exact same system for health insurance? If I eat right, exercise, and wash my hands then I will rarely get ill and should pay very low insurance rates. My neighbor eats junk food, smokes, and never exercises, has lots of medical issues and will for as long as he lives, shouldn't he pay a much higher rate for insurance? Why would anybody want a government system in which we will both pay the same rate? That is blatantly unfair to me since I make good choices and wont get sick as often. Furthermore, I have the choice of lots of different car insurance companies (Geico, Allstate, Nationwide, Progressive, etc.), this competition drives lower costs and better service. Why would I want to give up choice in favor of a monopoly? What is wrong with our car insurance system that somebody would not want the exact same system for our health care?""

Can anyone recommends a good and cheap car insurance in CA? Thanks

Can anyone recommends a good and cheap car insurance in CA? Thanks

What is the best health insurance for a newly married couple to get?

My husband and I just got married and are looking to get health insurance. we both can not get insurance through work. we live in arizona, my husband attends ASU. We are both involved in masters programs. We are looking to start a family poss. with in the year! what is the best coverage we can get, with our student incomes? thanks in advance for any advice / guidence you can provide!""

""If i become knighted, will my car insurance costs be lower?""

If i become knighted, will my car insurance costs be lower?""

Does getting a parking citation raise your insurance rates?

I just got a ticket for parking near a fire hydrant and I wanna know if my insurance will be higher, i can't find any answers on my insurance website. And, does anyone know exactly what constitutes a no-parking zone, cause i have to pay 40 more for that too and the spot wasn't marked. Gahh i don't want my parents to know unless they absolutely have to!!!""

Would insurance costs go down if more people had a license?

A lot of undocumented immigrants don't have a license but would them getting a license help the insurance costs go down? I need actual statistics/ proof. It's for a debate we are having at school. Your help is appreciated. If your opinion is otherwise then don't post it. I'm only looking for facts. Thank you.

Insurance or real estate test is harder?

I have my Property and Casualty License in Colorado and now I am looking into Real Estate license as well. Which test do you think is harder??

Insurance for my baby?

I am researching insurance options for my baby. The baby will be born in few months. I know that the baby will be insured 30 days after he is born. This is my question. Should I find an individual plan for the baby or should I add the baby to my insurance? I did not even know one can add the baby to an existing insurance. I am just trying to find the best deal. If I have to have an individual plan for the baby, I am looking only for Blue Cross or Blue Shield of California (PPO only). If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you""

Do you need a motorcycle license and insurance to buy a bike from a dealership?

I currently only have my permit and want to purchase a used Ninja 250 to practice on before my road test. I plan on keeping the bike for a while.

I have have 14 points on my license i need a cheap insurance?

some companys have a limit on points

Where can an 18 yr old get insurance?

I'm an 18 year old male (19 next month) I need major dental work: root canal, filling, crowns, possible extraction Question: Where can I get good dental insurance that covers the above procedures without a waiting period. I need these procedures fast. I need a high annual maximum which I assume comes with a high premium. P.S - I've looked at Aetna, Humana and Delta Dental; they only pay a miniscule fraction of the procedure.""

Reg Car Insurance and Road Tax?

Hi, My car insurance ran out. My road tax ran out last month. I applied for SORN and have one for my car. Now the problem is i want to tax my car. I dont want to take an insurance for a whole year. Is there a chance where i can get a pay as you go insurance for just a month and get it taxed for 6 months. Will they give me a tax disc from the post office if i have only a 30 day car insurance cover. Let me know""

Me and my wife wants to add our 16 year old to our insurance.?

If we tell them he does not have a license yet how much would it cost in Texas

What can I do about car insurance from another state? PLEASE HELP!?

Okay basically here's the story. I'm 19, I live with my parents in Wisconsin but I'm trying to move back to Pennsylvania with my aunt and uncle. However I'm not in school at the moment. Apparently if I moved to PA, I'd have to pay 278 dollars more a month through Geico because I'd be living in a different state. I already have a job set up there and all so they could obviously see my paycheck is not from Wisconsin so I can't just lie or something lol. I really know nothing about insurance and how I can work this out without paying that much more. Can anyone help me with other options I could have?""

Insurance for Mustang v6 2014 for 18 year old?

Hi , I'm planning to get a Mustang v6 premium 2014, I'm an international student with 3.7 GPA in High-school I have a clean record even in my country ( no accidents or tickets ) I know it's not possible to get a real accurate estimate but what I want to know if it would exceed 200$ a month ?""

Affordable Health Insurance in California?

We're TTC and having a bit of trouble so I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good health plan that covers maternity and possibly specialists.

How much to insure for drivers insurance?

Im 16, so I know it will be expensive. I will be getting a 4 Cyl car, either a Honda Prelude, Civic, Accord, Nissan 240sx, something along those lines. I took a drug and alcohol class which takes off 15% and then I got a B average which takes off another 10% can someone please tell me how much it would be a month? Thank you""

Medical insurance?

does medical insuance cover eye exams and eye doco visits for glasses too

""For USA: If i got hurt in a car accident, will my heath insurance cover the expenses? or the car insurance?

I am an international student studying in NJ. It is mandotory for all students to have heath insurance so i got one. I recenty bought a car from NJ. I m looking for insurance prices now. I m confused about that issue! In my country (cyprus) car insurance companies only pay for your damages to cars or environment. Your health insurance cover the medical expenses. I think it is different in here USA...

Is Obamacare insurance.?

at Healthcare.gov they will be doing quotes on October 1 so is the Government selling there own version of Insurance

Do most parents pay for their children's car insurance?

Ok, don't rant at me, I'm asking this question innocently. Basically, I want to know if it's common for parents to pay for their children's car insurance (I'm thinking of those 17, 18, 19, etc. who just passed their test and haven't moved out), or if the child is usually made to pay it themselves? I don't know if part time jobs will cover the cost or what (especially as I imagine they will usually pay for their own petrol), but 3000 a year does seem quite a bit for a teenager to be able to afford. And seems like more and more youngsters are getting cars... I don't think I would expect my parents to pay for mine when I pass my test, but then again I don't know how I'd be able to afford it myself either... So I'm looking for some insight on the topic.""

""Will my insurance go up, if I jumped lights?""

Will my insurance go up, if I jumped lights?""

""How much do you pay for your car insurance policy evey year, all said and done?""

My boyfriend and I are moving to Portland Oregon, and we're trying to get some sort of idea. This is some info that would help us get an idea. How old are you? How many people are on the policy? What type of car(s)? How much coverage? THANKS!""

How do we get life insurance?

im 45 & my wife is 42 we have 2 kids one is 18 and one is 20 we never had life insurance before 1.how does it work? 2.is it expensive? 3. how much money can you get? 4. what company is the best to choose? 5. can we still get life insurance? please answer all my questions dont put stupid answers :)

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Will my insurance go up?

I got a failure to obey a traffic control device ticket because I cut through a parking lot to go on a road. I paid the ticket today, wondering if this gets turned into insurance? I am hearing mixed reviews on this from looking online. I would hate to see my insurance go up at all for something so petty. I'm with state farm. Im 25 and just had my insurance go down a few months ago. Never had an accident and havnt had any other tickets since I was 18.""

""I live in So Ca am 55 years old and I don't have medical insurance, I have ongoing medical problems. Any help

Any subjections for low income doctors.

My grandpas doctor wont sign an insurance for him to drive?

Im 17 and i live with my grandpa but i drive with his insurance. I changed the companies because of a rate increase and now they gave me a medical form for my grandpas doctor to sign that says hes ok to drive. I told the doctor i need him to sign it for me because i drive the car not my grandpa but he wont sign it what do i do i really need it. The doctor said my grandpa cant drive because hes 80 and he gets dizzy spells but i need it to drive asap

Do i need car insurance?

i am turning 16 soon and i am wanting to buy a cheap truck that's about $1500. I wont be able to afford insurance since i will have to be on my own insurance plan and it would be about $200 a month. since i wont care about the truck if it gets damaged and since its so cheap i didn't know if their is a way i could just get like liability or something? also I live in missouri. Thanks

How much does it cost to get a license to sell insurance?

How much does it cost to get a license to sell insurance?

HELP WITH CAR INSURANCE?

if i was to work for pizza hut or dominos or any other delivery shop in the uk.and they would provide a car for me.would i have to have my own insurance on my name.or would they cover this

What kind of insurance do I need?

I provide training workshops for colleges and the school I am currently doing work for asked me to send them a certificate of insurance. They said, they need this in order to process a purchase order. What kind of insurance do I need? I've never had to do this before? Is it general liability insurance? And generally, how much does it cost?""

Insurance price for a 16 year old?

I'm 16 live in Minnesota and i want to get a car maybe around $5000 just wanted to know how much a month it would cost for insurance with and without my parents

I need Insurance help?

Hey, I just got a full-time job that pays very well. I make roughly $1500 a month, and I was looking to get a new vehicle as a means of celebrating my new step into adulthood. The vehicle I was looking at was a 2005 Pontiac GTO. I'm 19 years old, so I would have to get my parents to help me with cosigning. That wouldn't be a problem, since my parents have good credit. Now, my parents said that they'd cosign if I pay for both the car payment and insurance monthly. I also pay $200 a month for medical insurance, phone bills, etc. The car payment monthly would be about $400 a month, so that would be about one check. My question is, does anyone know roughly how much insurance would be for me? I currently pay $122 a month on a 2002 Taurus, with just one speeding ticket on my record. Any ideas? Thanks""

""Need cheap car insurance, already looked into geico and progressive?""

what's a good, AFFORDABLE company i can go to for auto insurance? i'm a 19 yr old female, living in dallas, tx marital status: separated""

Cheap insurance?

im 17 & i live in toronto (CANADA) and i gotta 1992 honda civic , and i m looking for the cheapest insurance possible does anyone know some kind of insurance agency who can get me a cheap insurance $300 or less?""

Only Teens please :) How much do you pay for auto insurance?

Teen payments 19 years old preference

What is the purpose of a car insurance company giving quotes for the other insurance companies??

Just wondering... could they maybe lie about it? Why would they give quotes of the other companies if theirs isn't as good as the other ones? To me it just sort of seems like they are screwing themselves... Does anybody know why they do this?

Is American Family Insurance a good insurance company?

Currently I have State Farm on my car and EMC on my house. I found out I would save money if I switched both insurances to American Family Insurance. I was wondering if this would be a good choice?

New Car Insurance?

I have a little 2001 Saturn SL2 and I'm on my oldest sisters policy and it runs around $350 a month for both of us (I'm only 18 and she has like a 5 or 6 speeding tickets). My saturn is nothing but a big dent in my walllet so I've found a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe that I want to get but my main concern is how much would my insurance go up? Would it be a drastic change since the my car is 2001 and the SUV I want is a 2004? SUV are more expensive when it comes to insurance and with it being a 2004 I'm a little worried. I haven't been in wreck and I don't have a speeding ticket to my name.

I am 16 and need tips on insurance and a car....

I am 16 years old and I have no job currently but I am getting one this week... it is half way through summer holidays and at first I was just going to drive my dads car cause insurance alone for me is 3800$ year because my dad is a single parent. But going into grade 11 I want to drive a car and I seen a beater for about 500$ volkswagen still running good, but Is it true that you need to put down a quarter or half of the insurance to start off? What do you think I should do about any of this ..... thanks""

""Anyone one use best for life dental insurance,are they any good?""

Anyone one use best for life dental insurance,are they any good?""

""Dui in personal vehicle 5 years ago, can i get comercial insurance for livery service?""

independant owner operator of sedan service in st petersburg, fl""

How Much Would My Car Insurance Be?

I'm 17 years old, I'm a guy, it's my first car and it's most likely going to be a 2004 Impala or a 2000 Lincoln Navigator. I'd most likely be on my mom's insurance. Could you guys give me like a general estimate of what I could expect to pay a month. Thanks in advance.""

Can I get an auto loan with a permit? and If a car is under my name can my moo give me insurance if I live?

Can I get an auto loan with a permit? and If a car is under my name can my moo give me insurance if I live with her with the same address?

How much would liability insurance cost?

I need to know how much it would cost to have general liability insurance and E&O. I live in California. thanks.

How much would Car insurance cost per month for a new teen driver driving a sport car?

I might get a Honda Prelude or a Honda Civic and a prelude is more sportish than a civic. But how much would it cost for car insurance per month for either cars ?

""If you have or had a ninja 250 at 16-18, how much did your insurance cost and who where you with ?

Does the bundle up insurance on some companies actually save you money ?

Insurance Rates on Cars?

If you happen to know off hand....what would the estimate insurance rate be for any of these cars 2000 Honda S2000 2001-2002 Audi TT 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse 2008 Ford Mustang 2004-2005 Mazda RX-8 2007 Altima 2.5 Even if you don't have the year....if you know the car thats good enough...The insurance websites are blocked here and i won't be able to check them so any help would be appreciated....

What is the cheapest car insurance?

Hi, I need car insurance but I really don't have a lot of money to spend on car insurance. I need the cheapest possible. I've tried Progressive & Harley's Ville and both were way too expensive. Progressive has given me so many issues it is ridiculous. What is the cheapest car insurance. Please?!""

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Cheap car insurance 22yr old just passed test but have been banned for drink driving?

hi all i've been banned from driving and now i've passed my test i need cheap car insurance but everywhere i go is way to high for me. any advice please?

Anyone know about car insurance?

I have always wondered about this.... say you were in a car accident with canceled insurance/ no insurance....but the next day you pay it. Then you reprt the accident, will they cover you?""

Cheap car insurance for 17 yr old in California?

i have a license and i'm getting a honda civic 2005 and i wanna know about how much is a cheap insurance thanks:)

Does having a manual transmission affect insurance rates?

Will it make a difference in insurance rates here in the U.S., home of the lazy, horrible driver who pays more attention to the radio then to the road? Sorry for being so critical. I'm just pissed that my dad thinks that. Perhaps 85 of the wotld drives stick for crying out loud! I shouldn't be penalized for the typical Americans sake! So, any ideas? Need info A.S.A.P! Any positive input appreciated.""

Can we have the car in one name and insurance in the other name?

My boyfriends car is in his dads name. Does anyone know if we could keep the car in his dads name but get the insurance in my boyfriends name???

""Car insurance,if im fully?""

If im fully comp on my own insurance, could i buy another car and not pay any more premiums.""

Do parking tickets make your insurance go up?

i just got one last night for $40. guess i didn't have a permit to park on that street during those hours. i have state farm auto insurance. i'll pay it right away, but will it raise my insurance rate?""

Asking all under 25 female drivers in uk- whats a cheap car insurer?

Asking all female drivers under 25!! Does anyone know of or have been with any cheap car insurance companies? Ive already checked quite a few but they seem really expensive...Please help!

Whats the different between Car Insurance and Breakdown Cover?

Thought It should be normally include in the Car Insurance.

Travelers -safeco insurance..need help?

Hi Everybody .. I am in CA and paying around $2K yearly for Auto Insurance only . I recently got a quote from Travelers and Safeco Insurance for about 1400 yearly (for Auto and Home) . That is a very good saving but I have not heard much about these insurance companies . Any Ideas on how good and reliable these companies are ? Is Travelers better than safeco or vice versa .. Any help is greatly appreciated

Does State Farm Insurance go up after ONE speeding ticket?

I'm almost 18 years old, and I'm on my dads insurance policy. They've been customers with state farm for almost 15 years. I got a speeding ticket a few months ago, but ...show more""

Buying a Toyota - price and insurance advice please?!?

I am going to pick up my new car today IF this is a good deal. Its a black 2008 Toyota Corolla S. I am buying it, its a 72 month pay schedule of $387 a month. Insurance for it and our 2002 Santa Fe (both full coverage) is $157 a month. Do these prices sound about right? I want to know if I'm getting a good deal. Also, do new cars need to be maintinenced every 5,000 miles? Someone said that on another question of mine and I was wondering if thats true. I want to know anything that is vital to purchasing a new car. We dont have great credit... both our scores are around 600. We are paying for the gap insurance and all that other good stuff. Oh and we're not trading a car - this is just straight up - no money down - our interest rate is 14%..... Thanks to answers""

Speeding ticket in a rental car raises my insurance?

Hey forum, I got a 34mph-over speeding ticket in some tiny texas town in my rental. I didn't give the cop my insurance b/c the car was insured through my credit card. How will this affect my Texas Farmers insurance rate? Thanks heaps""

Unemployment Insurance for Teenagers?

The business I have worked at for 3 years has just announced they are shutting their doors at the end of the month. I am only 17 but have been told that I am still able to apply for unemployment benefits...which I know next to nothing about. Basically, I've only worked 10-20 hours a week for a wage slightly above minimum. It's just been a part time job for me since I'm a student and involved in several sports and challenging classes. However, I'm still trying to save money for college, so...what do I actually get when I file for unemployment and am hunting for a job? Anything? Sorry if this question sounds ditzy...I don't know much about the workforce.""

Do you have to get insurance before you can get a license plate?

I just bought a used car off of someone and drove it home. Luckily it was at night because the car doesnt have a license plate. This is my first car and none of my family seems willing to answer the phone today to help me. What am I supposed to do first? When I looked up the cost of plates, it said that when purchasing the plates insurance must be presented at the time of purchase. So that means I have to get insurance before I can get the license plates right?""

Car insurance for a peugeot GTI?

Ok, so I'm 18 and a girl!! i have been driving for a year. i want a peugeot 106 GTI 1.6 16v. i have seen one for about 2000 in good condition, BUT because of my age, I'm struggling to get insurance. does any one no of a good site where i can get a reasonable quote. thank u!!!""

How much will car insurance cost?

i know you cant exactly guess the costs but can you give me an estimate? i live in va im 17 years old i have 3.81 GPA i am a female how much does it cost a teenager each month?

Question about SR22 insurance in NJ?

My live in fiance just got a DWI. I'm trying to plan ahead regarding the car insurance situation and I was wondering.....Currently he is a driver on my policy. If he gets his own policy and I keep the policy I currently have, are MY rates going to go sky high also? Am I just better off joining the assigned risk pool with him? Also, I know that a DWI is 9 insurance points for 3 years. Does that mean after 3 years they will be gone? Does the 3 years start when the SR22 is filed or does it start on the date of the DWI conviction?""

If i bought a cheap non running car on craigslist do i need to get insurance on it?

if i bought like a $600 car on craigslist that is not running, And would like to work on it to make it run. Do i have to get insurance on it, or any kind of monthly fee, while i work on it to restore it.""

17 year old looking to buy a car ( what cars are cheap to insure)?

hey as the title says what cars are cheap to insure and tax and so on please say the make as i dont have a clue about what makes of cars and stuff, prefer a 4 door as got a kid so it will be easier getting in and out with the car seat, thanks""

Insurance companies that offer insurance to permit drivers?

I just recently bought a car a few days ago and I'm in need of insurance until I get my license in October, is there any insurance company that will offer insurance until I get my license, I'm only 19 and I live in ny, I'm also aware that I will get crazy rates since I'm a teen and have a permit and will be considered a first time driver but I need insurance, don't have anyone to put me under so I have to put it under my name. Thanks in advance""

Should I get Term Life Insurance at a young age?

I am currently 30 years old and in excellent health but since I am getting ready to start a family, I want to be prepared for the future of my loved ones. After reading about different life insurance options, I am deciding to go with Term Life Insurance for 20 years. Is it true that Term Life Insurance premiums don't change throughout the life of the term? If so, shouldn't I sign-up now while my annual payment will be low and locked in at this rate? My employer offers a very small life insurance benefit that I am already a part of but I want more just in case. While I am asking, are there any circumstances where a payout won't be made if I were to die under a term life insurance plan? Is it guaranteed? What if I (God forbid) get Cancer or have a heart attack? Thanks in advance!""

Voluntary excess and insurance?

if getting insurance what is a voluntary excess ? should you select to pay a high amount, like 500 so you can get the cheapest insurance?""

Is auto insurance always required in California?

I remember hearing that if you had enough money set aside in an account, you wouldn't have to pay for car insurance. Perhaps the minimum coverages for all the various types of accidents, which would sum up to somewhere around $50,000. Is this actually a possibility?""

My own insurance?

In High school I was on my parents insurance and then I moved out with my boyfriend and got put on his parents insurance, but Im pretty sure his mom is lying to us about how much the insurance costs. We payed a varied amount (75-200) every 2 weeks for a couple months and then that same varied about after that per month. I feel bad about not trusting her but I want to have my own insurance. Mainly because I want to be self sufficient and pay my own everything! How do I go about getting insurance for me and my boyfriend?""

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

Glencoe Missouri Cheap car insurance quotes zip 63038

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