#they really refused to make it clear how competitive application was/how many people applied but i really think i have a good chance…..

[callixton]

nti results can officially come out any day now ….. they said after the new year i have literally no idea how soon that will be but if i don’t get in i think i will maybe disintegrate into dust instead of continuing to live on…..

[kyogre-blue]

Nanowrimo, day 13 (wc 2385)

The first thing they had to do after docking was find out whether there were any local restrictions on who could do trade in the city and how. Once it was pointed out, Sinbad understood the concept. Although far less intense, it was the same as Partevia — outsider had to battle regulations and paperwork to earn their right to trade in the country. 

One of the dock master’s subordinates readily, if somewhat distractedly, pointed them in the right direction. 

To trade in Napolia, and indeed in Reim as a whole, it was necessary to become a member of the trade union. And as for the details of what the trade union required to grant membership… 

“1000 gold coins?!” Ja’far hissed in shock. His hands seemedling instinctively itched toward his hidden darts — until Rurumu’s hand came down on his head in a light chop. Light by Imuchakk standards, anyway. 

“Proper comportment, always,” she reminded him in a gentle, lilting voice. To the trade union receptionist, she smiled and gave a small nod of acknowledgement. “Thank you for the information, sir. Please allows to discuss how we will proceed.” 

The trader had to crane his neck back to look at her from where he was sitting. Clearing his throat slightly, he said, “C-certainly. We look forward to your application. I’m sure your business would add exciting new business to our city.” 

Since their group was fairly large, they had decided that only Sinbad, Rurumu and Ja’far would head to the trade union to apply — or fail to apply, as the situation turned out — while Hinahoho, Vittel and Mahad worked on docking and unloading their goods, and Alibaba headed out on his own matters. By then time the first group made their way back to their dock, the second group was halfway through unloading everything onto the pier, and Alibaba had also returned. 

“That girl in Reim? Girl? Yunan, what kind of description was that…?!” he was muttering to himself, holding his head and pacing in the shadow of the stacked merchandize. 

It seemed like his matters were not going well. Fortunately, Sinbad was more than willing to provide a distraction. 

Calling everyone over, he quickly summarized the situation. “In short,” he said, “we need 1000 gold pieces and a letter of recommendation from a member.” 

“1000 gold pieces! That’s highway robbery!” Ja’far insisted. 

“Is it really that big a problem?” Vittel wondered. “I mean, the treasure from Valefor was much more than that. Most of it went to the national chief, but there was still some left aside,” — Sinbad had learned his lesson in that respect — “and if there was anything left from Baal’s dungeon…” 

“There wasn’t really,” Sinbad said quickly. “Not unless we borrow from Alibaba.” He glanced at his friend. 

“It’s fine, I’ll keep the interest low,” Alibaba assured him. It was hard to tell whether he was joking. “It most likely won’t be just one thousand though. The only way to get a recommendation is to pay something in return. Right now, you don’t have any connections, not among the merchants or the nobles, so you can only rely on money, which will be a lot to convince someone to potentially risk their reputation by endorsing you, or on giving away part of your future business in some way.” 

“And we’ll need to find out who the trade union members are first, and who we can try approaching about the recommendation,” Sinbad realized, sighing. 

“Please leave the information gathering to us,” Vittel said quickly. “We have experience with that kind of work.” ...In a sense. Assassinations often required first researching the target, and Sham Lash had also at times served as a branch of Partevia’s intelligence agency. Their methods ran more toward stealing documents than asking around, but it was at least something they had familiarity with. 

“Alright, then I’ll be counting on you,” Sinbad agreed. “We’ll speak to the dock master about paying for a longer stay. Then, we can load the merchandize back on for now and live aboard in the meantime to save some money. I can’t imagine the hotels or warehouses are cheap around here…” 

Rurumu nodded. “But, Lord Sinbad, what shall we do about the food? Even with Valefor’s ice magic, it can’t be kept indefinitely without losing freshness.” 

“If we can’t sell it, then…” Sinbad frowned, pursing his lips. 

It was frustrating. 

Since everything had been coming together, he had gotten too hasty. Something like the perishable nature of some goods like the rare extreme north fish should have occurred to him even without knowing about the difficulty of getting a trading license in Napolia. There were any number of other issues that could cause delay in travel, so he should have rejected anything that wasn’t suited to transport and storage. But he hadn’t been able to predict what would be most appealing to Reim citizens on the market, so Sinbad had focused on taking as many different things as Rametoto was willing to offer. 

This was just a delay. They would enter the trade union eventually, Sinbad was sure. The interest in their Imuchakk goods was clearly high. And even without the perishables, they would have plenty of merchandize to sell. Fortunately, he had even set aside some additional funds from the treasure this time, remembering the difficulties of having kept nothing from Baal. 

It was just a delay. But it was so frustrating. 

“It’s not that you can’t sell entirely, it’s that you can’t sell in public,” Alibaba pointed out. “It should still be possible to sell privately. That is to say, if you approach an individual buyer and sign a contract with them without putting anything on the market in public.” 

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic about it,” Sinbad noted. “I’m guessing this isn’t a good option.” 

Turning it over in his mind, he thought he had an idea why. 

Alibaba nodded. “It’s not great. You don’t want to be a supplier, you want to be an independent trading company. A famous one. If you resell, someone else will take the goods you’ve brought over and becomes the ones known for selling Imuchakk goods to the public. You’ll lose the first time on the market advantage, which is especially strong in this situation, not to mention the money lost depending on how much the resell buyer drives down the prices.” 

“If it’s like that, better to throw it out and start over clean,” Ja’far judged ruthlessly. 

“It’s just food, right? Compared to our other Imuchakk goods, it’s probably not as distinctive,” Hinahoho disagreed. “Most of it is fish or meat, and you can catch a lot of it outside Imuchakk territories too, so it might have even appeared here before.” 

“That might be true for Eumera sea bream and the like, but I do not think anyone except our warriors would be able to hunt a black elder moose successfully,” Rurumu said. The creature she was referring to towered over even the Imuchakk and was extremely dangerous to hunt. She had a point — Sinbad couldn’t imagine any other tribes treating them as a prey animal, or sharing their kills with outsiders in the rare cases where they succeeded in bringing one down. 

It wasn’t common even for the Imuchakk, and the fact that Rametoto had sold them some was a sign of his high expectations. 

Both selling it to some other merchants to profit off of and just throwing it out felt unacceptable. 

Everyone felt that way, regardless of which option their ultimately favored. The discussion continued back and forth in circles endlessly. Closing his eyes, Sinbad tried to block it out and think. 

There had to be another way. He refused to believe it could be this kind of inescapable situation. He had never gone along with what the world wanted, so there had to be some other solution that would let him come out on top. He just had to find it. 

“I think,” Alibaba said slowly, making everyone quiet down habitually, “there might be a third option. It’ll take extra work, but there might be extra benefits too.” 

“In that case, please educate us, Mentor,” Sinbad said, smiling. 

Again, he received an undeserved look of judgement. 

Clearing his throat, Alibaba began to explain. “The reason you shouldn’t resell is that you’ll be giving ground to competition. Other merchants are your opponents, competing for the same resources — the buying power of the public. But not all merchants sell the same things, so not everyone is in direct competition for the same markets. In that case… why not make use of a market you couldn’t otherwise pursue?” 

Vittel was frowning in confusion, and Mahad’s face was even more blank than usual. It was clear they didn’t understand, and the others were not much better off. 

Only Rurumu nodded thoughtfully. “I see… As expected of Lord Alibaba,” she said. Glancing at her fiance with a smile, she explained, “Imagine if you bring down a silver frost bear. You don’t want to just give away the meat or the fur or the bones, since you can use those. But what about the fangs or claws? You’re not any good at making jewelry, and neither is Rika, and you don’t really have a use for them either. So why not go ahead and sell them?” 

“Oh-ho, so it’s like that,” Hinahoho brightened. 

“Yes, like that,” Alibaba agreed, beaming. “But if you play it smart, you can even have the person you’re selling to tell their customers, ‘These are made from the claws of a silver frost bear, that fearsome beast! The great warrior Hinahoho brought it down himself!’ as free advertisement. ...Well, using that analogy.” Taking a deep breath, he said simply, “What I’m suggesting is to resell to a restaurant.” 

The idea that had been slowly taking shape finally came into focus, spreading out in Sinbad’s mind full of detail — and benefit. 

“Oh!” His eyes brightened with excitement. “I see! We’ll never start a restaurant ourselves, so it’s not like we’re losing potential customers. And if presented right, we can even get people interested in Imuchakk, so they react even better when we finally open our own store!” 

Sinbad had never been to a proper restaurant, but he imagined it was something like the taverns he’d sometimes visited with some of the merchants and sailors he worked with — on their expense, of course. One older man, whose clothes had been tailored for a much rounder figure before the war took a downturn, had proudly boasted about dining in the royal capital and in Aktia, back when his business had been flourishing. 

‘Oh, this fish is quite interesting,’ the rich visitors would say. ‘How did you catch it?’ 

‘It’s all the way from the extreme north! Look at that powerful tail, you can only catch them with an enforced net, but the extra weight makes it hard to maneuver,’ the restaurant owner would brag, for some reason very familiar with the particulars of fishing. ‘Only an Imuchakk warrior would have the arm strength to turn them dexterously enough!’ 

‘Imuchakk? Tell me more!’ 

The image in Sinbad’s mind was a bit too... cozy to be a high class restaurant, but it was not entirely off. 

Unaware of what Sinbad was imagining, Alibaba nodded along. “That’s right. When you think about it, people aren’t really going to know what to do with this kind of food items anyway. They won’t recognize most of them or know how to cook them. So this method of introducing Imuchakk cuisine to them is actually better, right? Especially if Miss Rurumu can provide some basic recipes when negotiating. Since you’re providing a one of a kind attraction that will give them an edge over their competitors, with Sinbad’s persuasive skills, a high profit is quite possible!” 

“I can certainly do that,” Rurumu agreed. Turning to their young boss, she asked, “Lord Sinbad?” 

Sinbad grinned. “Let’s do it!” 

Once the decision had been made, he didn’t hesitate and immediately put together a plan of action. 

“Rurumu and Hinahoho, look over the food stuff we brought and decide what kind of recipes we can sell. Also, put aside what we can use as a sample meal when we go to make the deal,” Sinbad issued orders rapidly. “Vittel, find out about the famous restaurants in Napolia and what their owners are like. Ja’far and Mahad, you’ll help me look for an office for our company and move the other goods there. After we’re done with the offloading and the deal, I want most of you to head back to Imuchakk and get a new shipment. We’ll figure out what we want to bring over once we see how the first few days go. Everyone clear on what to do?” 

“Yes!!” A chorus of voices rang out. 

The founding members of the Sindria Trading Company dispersed quickly, leaving only the two dungeon capturers in the ship’s cabin. Sinbad let out a silent breath. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t at least a little nervous, betting like this on obtaining a license somehow. But he would naturally forge onward ahead. 

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he smiled and clapped Alibaba on the shoulder. 

“Thanks,” he said simply. 

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. The hard part will be landing the deal and making sure it runs smoothly,” Alibaba insisted, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. However, there was a pleased smile tugging on his lips. 

“Mm. Well, that’s true. I’ll handle the negotiations, but I’d like it if you could come too,” Sinbad said. “Just to observe. You can tell me afterwards how badly I let myself get cheated.” 

There were things Sinbad didn’t know, like the tricks of business. But after making a mistake once, he would certainly never repeat it. He just needed to make sure he knew what his mistakes had been in the first place. 

“Alright,” Alibaba agreed easily. “As long as it’s within the next few days, I’ll go with you. I’ll be heading out to Remano after that.” For some reason, he sighed heavily. “Not that I know what’ll do there. How am I even supposed to meet her...” 

Sinbad patted him on the back. 

[pleasedontgethurt]

Trust your instincts

May this be a lesson for you all. Warning: long post, but this is important

As some of you know, about a year ago, I made the decision to take up on my now previous job despite I knew it could end after the fixed term was over, as it did. I was very iffy about taking up on the offer, as it meant moving to a new city and my life turning entirely upside down, leaving behind pretty much everything I knew and never looking back, and taking a huge risk of ending up worse off than I already was. I ended up taking the offer regardless. It was the hardest decision I ever made, and the countless hours I spent in regret crying in agony are proof of that. 

To this day, I find myself missing so many things from my old home. First of all, my old home itself, how cheap it was to live there, the feeling of home, the nature, the lakes, the activities related to those, the quietness, the people, the places, even the few shops, stores and restaurants I frequented (some of which that became very important to me), the memories, the simplicity of living there, and how almost everything I needed was but a short walking distance away. I miss being able to trust people, I miss how clean it was in comparison... It was also close to where my parents live, closer to where my boyfriend lives, and would now be even closer to where my brother and his family live, and was in general close to where my roots are. I’m the kind of a person that when I get attached, it’s strong and doesn’t wear out even after I know it’s over, it’s just how I am. But I couldn’t thrive there, and I knew that.

I don’t miss my old job and all the issues I had there, or not being able to travel much, I don’t miss the nonexistent job opportunities, the apartment being way too small for my needs, or not having many friends in real life. I still don’t really have any, but at least the potential is there. I don’t miss only having 5 Pokémon Go gyms and 11 Pokéstops in town, or the lack of options in terms of church, hobbies, libraries, services, you name it. I don’t miss not having many people of my age around and most people around being middle aged people and the elderly. I don’t miss the overall lack of opportunities related to anything. I don’t miss the hopelessness of it all, how the town was and still is slowly dying and withering away, or how far away everything was from there. I especially don’t miss how many years of my life I wasted in there thinking everything was hopeless and that there was no hope for anything to improve. I thought leaving would be too great of a risk to lose what little I already had, and ended up all but murdering the plans I had for my future, and for my career. How bad the place (with my former job) affected my physical and mental health overall in addition to all this is best left unmentioned. 

I ended up taking up on the offer because I knew that if I didn’t, I’d end up regretting it the rest of my life, deep inside I always knew this was something I’d need to do eventually anyway, I secretly always wanted to move here, and the way my then-current job was going, I felt I really had no choice. It was like jumping off a sinking ship. 

I had known for a long time something was wrong with my former boss / customer I was aiding in my old job, but nobody would really take me seriously. Instead, close to everything would be blamed on me. Everything from unpaid bills (she sometimes refused to sign them due to paranoid delusions) to her disagreeability to cooperate, every conflict, everything was blamed on me, when I was simply trying to hold all the threads together and make sure everything ran smoothly and according to all laws and reason, to the absolute best of my ability. It went to the point that I’d even spend some of my own money to buy her supplies if she refused to go to the store. I’d try to make her dress up in -30 degrees in winter when going out so that she wouldn’t get sick, as she insisted she didn’t need to dress up warmly, and offered to cook her anything she wanted but she insisted only eating the same thing every single day and then blamed it on me. Due to the same condition why she had ended up in a wheelchair, she was incapable of so much as dialing up a phone call that wasn’t pre-programmed in her phone, but she also didn’t understand everything she was told, which was a newer development alongside the delusions. I took care of almost all of her current affairs with the bank, the pharmacy, the health center, the town social services, the insurance company, and the accounting, especially whenever there was some kind of a mess, and as the result I’d repeatedly get told by her that I was trying to take advantage of or con her somehow. She would often insist something needed to be done in a certain way when she in reality had no idea what she was talking about, would mix two similar things together critically even if they had nothing to do with each other, and trying to clear things up would always lead into some kind of a conflict as this eventually meant I couldn’t perform my duties. I even ended up not taking sick leaves often due to there not always being someone to replace me, and just took every temper tantrum, every lie, every insult, every misunderstanding, every argument with her and her family who likewise blamed it all on me, at a huge cost to my mental health and tried my absolute best to find good solutions and do something about it, but was met with a wall after another... Nobody would really help me and tell me what I should do, I didn’t know who else to ask and anything the family told me either wouldn’t help or made everything worse. After some time, I just… got used to it. It was all my fault, I thought. I just wasn’t good enough an employee, regardless that I went way past the line of duty in fulfilling my responsibilities (and some things that should never have been my responsibility to begin with), but it felt like it was worthless and futile. Once she started to turn violent on me, I knew I had to go. It only happened like three times, but I knew I couldn’t go on, I had to leave. Something was very wrong, I could no longer handle all the bullshit, things would only be getting worse if I stayed, and I’d very likely eventually lose the job. As it turns out, my instincts had been 100% correct. 

Just as I’m writing this, about two hours ago I received a curious phone call from the daughter of my former boss in my old town. Some mess with some paperwork I was somehow supposed to know what to do with, but aside that, she mentioned something that made my heart skip a beat. My former boss had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s some time ago, and had been in a surgery for breast cancer this summer. There was no apology, nothing, but I knew this was her way of letting me know I had been right all along, and it would likely be the only closure I’d be getting. Now I finally know I really had done my best, I had done nothing so wrong to have deserved the treatment I got, and it was 100% the right decision to leave. She didn’t specify much, aside that things had gone south quick. I don’t know how much longer she has left, let alone how much longer she can still have personal assistants until she is permanently institutionalized, but that’s a one-way street. There’s no way out of this anymore. Had I waited until now, my chances of finding a new job would have been so much worse than they are now. Staying would’ve been a huge mistake.

Had known what I do now, I’d make the decision in a heartbeat. In hindsight, there was no way I could’ve been expected to stand the amount of bullshit I did. I’m hecking proud of myself for handling everything as well as I did as the situation really was hopeless, but also sad I didn’t jump ship sooner. There was no way I could’ve been able to or even be qualified to treat her anymore.

The new job was short lived as it was fixed-term, but it gave me vital job experience and lifted up my professional self-esteem, I made lots of important new contacts and have the best job opportunities in the country available to me now. If before I was applying to jobs due to lack of options, it’s now an overabundance of options. There’s more competition of each position though, 100 applicants or more per positions seems to be a pretty good average here, and I’m having a bit of a hard time choosing which jobs I should concentrate my efforts in as I’m very slow at applying jobs, and it can take up to a week or more for me to perfect an application. Nothing has turned up yet, but I’m not losing hope. I’m out of the hell I was in, and regardless of the new hardships I’ve faced, I’m still better off now than I was then.

TL;DR: trust your instincts. Sometimes things are just as bad or even worse as they seem, and giving up is not automatically a failure but may save you from even worse hardships. Don’t stay in a bad place in fear of things getting worse. Sometimes an opportunity that requires a huge step is the only or the best chance you’ll get. And even if things got worse for a while, they can still turn out for the better overall in the end.

[sparklesandchalk]

Sorry for the long post, but this is from the doctor that USAG just fired and some of it is quite interesting.

Dear Gymnastics Friends & Family,

I want you to be able to see my statement regarding USA Gymnastics here without alteration. I hope this can help serve as a means to an end for a brighter future for our sport in the United States.

5/8/2019

The following statement (speaking notes) represent communication from Edward Nyman, Jr., only, and are not attributable to any other organization nor any other person or entity:

• First, I want to make it clear that I don’t blame ANY of the athletes, including Simone Biles, who spoke out on social media for the fact that I am no longer an employee of USA Gymnastics. I only wish them well! In fact, as a side note, the same evening that the “firestorm of tweets” was ongoing about athletes being unhappy regarding my hiring - in walks my daughter after getting home from practice... in her Simone Biles leotard - happy as can be! It IS ironic, however, that I came to USA Gymnastics SPECIFICALLY to help change the culture there to better protect THOSE VERY ATHLETES, and future athletes, by instilling new policies and procedures and in building an amazing team of medical professionals and science-driven initiatives. I would have NEVER been a hands-on practitioner for them because that isn’t what I do and wasn’t my role! In one word - my intended role was: OVERSIGHT. Had I been afforded the opportunity to speak with Simone or any of the other team members in ADVANCE of my hiring - I would have gladly done so - as I was there to help protect THEM. USAG should have made this clear in the press-release or before. Had athletes and their coaches had the opportunity to speak with me I believe their reaction would have been different.

• What I DO know is that athlete safety and wellness is of paramount importance to me. I applied to the position - and ultimately accepted the position - because watching the Nassar scandal unfold over the past few broke my heart. When I listened to, and watched, victim testimonies during the Nassar trial - I was moved by them. I really identified with the father (Randall Margraves) of one of the victims as he lunged toward the former doctor - because I could imagine myself in those shoes - as both of my children are also gymnasts.

• Though USA Gymnastics stated that a “conflict of interest” was identified, I don’t believe I had a conflict of interest at all. I was completely open and transparent throughout the entire application and interview process. This was a LONG process. I applied on January 18th and interviews went on throughout February and March. I was informed I was their selected candidate on April 1st. As such there was ample time to thoroughly vet me. I completed all background checks and social media checks and reference checks in a timely manner. IF there was a conflict to be found – they certainly had time to find one! They had AMPLE time! Some on social media have recently claimed that the “conflict” could have been the fact that my wife owns a USA Gymnastics member club. I reasonably assumed this fact was vetted and cleared - especially because they never asked about it once - not on paper, not in an email, and not in any of the multiple interviews conducted! And, please note that there are – to this day – USAG staff members who themselves, or their immediate family, own a USA Gymnastics member club – so how could that be a defined conflict of interest? I am outright dumbfounded that USAG now claims that they didn’t realize – in advance – that my wife owns a USAG member club because I personally spoke to Mark Busby (USAG attorney) last year when two inquiries were made to my wife about smaller-scale (nothing regarding sexual or physical abuse) purported training complaint with respect to coaches at her club at that time. After she had submitted responses to the inquiries regarding training complaints on such but had not heard back, I called member services to get more information (as any professional member could and should) about the process and was connected with Mr. Busby who was brand new to that position. He said he would check into the matter and get back to me. He later did and told me (over the phone) and my wife (in person at a USAG Congress – and in front of her colleague) that “there was no credible complaint to be concerned with going forward” and that she should “not worry about it.” She, rightfully, moved forward positively impacting the lives of young athletes as she has for over two decades as a coach and club owner. Please additionally make it clear here to all that I, Edward Nyman Jr., have never been an owner or co-owner of New Heights Gymnastics nor any other gymnastics facility.

• While I still do NOT know the reason USAG is claiming as the “reason” they asked me to resign or be terminated - I did insist that I would not resign because I didn’t do ANYTHING wrong. I was not only vetted thoroughly through the interview and hiring process but have been a USAG professional member in good standing for nearly two decades. I have not, nor has any facility I have ever worked in, received a single letter of complaint about me from USAG or Safe Sport in all the years I have been associated with gymnastics, in any capacity. What I fear, and now have mounting evidence to believe, is that I was fired because they realized in the very final days leading up to my first day on the job (and after I had already signed on the dotted line) that I was unwilling to “play ball” in their world and that I believed in a no tolerance transparency policy for all stakeholders in the sport – with an athlete-centered approach. When I reached out, via email, immediately upon arriving at my office to a critical current staff member to set-up a conference call who was said to be “off limits” due to an ongoing cover-up – I believe that was the straw that broke the camel’s back so to say – and they realized immediately that I was going to overturn their controlled story on such events. At that time, they gathered rapidly together and began digging for every possible angle that they could use to gather any plausible story to generate support for firing me therein keeping their secrets quiet! When Li Li called me in to tell me I must resign and I refused, she called Mark Busby into the office. He then explained he could dig deep enough to find “reasons” for conflicts at my wife’s club that could be made to sound plausible if he tried – and that just the perception of that was bad enoug. At that time I realized that they were effectively “WEAPONIZING” the “safe sport” system – something that turned my stomach. Despite the threat – I stood my ground because I didn’t come to USA Gymnastics to be part of the “old guard” but rather to be part of a future where athlete safety is the number one priority.

• Looking back, it shouldn’t have been such a surprise as to me as it was clear in the days leading up to, and including, my first day on the job that there were serious fundamental flaws in the organization. On my first day, Li Li, herself, admitted that the organization was, and I quote, “a house of cards”. She also stated that because of the looming risk of decertification by the USOC – their “PR” IMAGE WAS SO PRECAROUS (I BELIEVE NUCLEAR WAS HER EXACT TERM) - IT HAD TO BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS AND ABOVE EVERYTHING.

• In the week leading up to my start date, USAG’s own paid and designated legal and business consultant (Alison Alfers – who was hired to help USAG with ongoing leadership issues as of late fall) communicated with me regularly via email and phone calls and told me multiple times that there were many areas at USAG that had to be “treaded through carefully.” I was told that there were serious concerns about logistical competency of individuals in the athlete medical care areas including their ability to keep proper records on verifying the medical licenses of the outside care providers hired by USAG for events and camps. This person even stated that they believed at least one training day was recently missed in international competition due to logistical errors made by a sports medicine staff member. This individual also warned me that people connected to USAG would be leery of the changes I wanted to make and that there were already signs of push back. I was also told about who was competent and not - who was on the “chopping block” and who was “protected from such” and - most troublingly - was informed of a fairly recent and serious issue between a USAG staff member and athlete that was “tricky to navigate”. With respect to that issue, in particular, I was told that USAG previously wanted to terminate Stephanie Peters (men’s national team athletic trainer) but as they began preparing for such - allegations of inappropriate conduct toward that staff member by an athlete over 18 years of age had been brought to light and that everything was in a “holding pattern” and being “kept quiet” for PR reasons and that I would need to speak with “CJ” (USAG outside counsel – CJ Snyder) to determine how to move forward. I was really troubled by this – “sweeping things under the rug” is not something I stand for! With that said - now that I have looked back on this issue over the past few days – I do find it oddly coincidental that USAG announced - just this past March - that U110 (SafeSport training) was being immediately required for all USAG ATHLETE participants 18 and over. Maybe it is just a strange coincidence?... or maybe the situation being “kept quiet” and the new policy are related – only USAG knows for sure.

• I am a long-time advocate for the safety of the athletes in the sport of gymnastics. I did not put athlete safety at risk! The public statements made by USA Gymnastics about their termination of me have been vague and, I believe, purposely intended to leave room for inappropriate interpretation. I also have evidence to believe that they are using fake social media accounts to further this effort. As a result of their actions, some on social media have even “gone there” in assuming this termination was related to some level of sexual abuse or physical misconduct. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! My reputation is now severely tarnished! The related media coverage has generated over 130 million digital “impressions” that can’t be unseen.

• I came to USA Gymnastics, giving up a successful academic career – after having just received tenure two months prior – and upended my career and family life - a task that is not as easy as ‘flipping a switch’ – and one that takes great personal and professional sacrifice - to come to USAG to make serious changes for the benefit of the athletes there. I had spent nearly two decades training and preparing for this opportunity to be a change agent for a cause such as this. Years of sacrifice that, because of USA Gymnastics, have been tarnished – as has my professional reputation. I was willing to give up my career and precious time with my children to be an agent of change.

• Ultimately, I believe that “change” scared some of those on top who have “a lot to lose” in the days leading up to this past Monday. I wanted to believe that they had learned from their past mistakes - but I fear little has changed. It is relevant to note that my concerns for athlete safety have been ignored before and I believe they may have recently realized that I had an agenda to expose issues and demand changes and they began to search for any sliver of an excuse to terminate me. The morning I started at USAG – I watched Li Li quickly gather many staff members and her legal team and board members for a meeting shortly after my announcement and much chaos was evident as they scrambled around. I fear that they emerged with a plan to cut my plans for sweeping reform and whistle-blowing efforts off before I could get started.

• I believe the purpose of a National Governing Body is first and foremost to protect the athletes and to provide tools to help guide their path in the sport. I feel those at the top of USAG, however, have fostered a “machine” designed for one purpose - public relations, marketing and branding of the sport with a focus on bringing in large revenue dollars from corporate sponsorship. In my opinion, IMAGE IS EVERYTHING to them and they just want to “get through” their ongoing lawsuits as soon as possible so that they can get back to bringing in corporate dollars and maintaining the same culture they have had in place. Do I think it is time for a massive overhaul or another organization to take on the mantle of NGB...? Yes. While I do believe that there are some good people still inside the organization, unfortunately, I see no other path forward for the well-being of the athletes in this great sport. Gymnastics itself is not inherently flawed. It is an amazing sport and the majority of coaches and clubs out there are truly out there for the right reasons. They need a completely new organization that will protect them. In politics one might say it is time to “drain the swamp” that is USA Gymnastics so that athlete safety can truly come first!

----- RESPONSE TO FALSE ALLEGATIONS BELOW ------

I also want to take the chance to set the record straight on FALSE claims made by USAG to the media in an effort to defame my character and that of my wife and her staff and gym:

- I have NOT received any report of any credible misconduct allegations (from USA Gymnastics or Safe Sport) relating to me – this includes the insulation that I was “conducting physical exams” on athletes. That is a ridiculous claim. What I DO is provide an OPTIONAL functional movement-type screening program for athletes who choose to use this service. This process is NOT a medical exam in any way. It consists of biomechanical visual observation of lunge, squat, shoulder range of motion, jump landings, and ankle and spine range of motion analysis to identify apparent asymmetry or weakness such that appropriate customized injury prevention programs can be built for each athlete. This is consistent with my area of expertise – end of story.

- With respect to my wife, Amy Nyman: As with nearly any coach in the US today that coaches at a very high level – nearly all of her current and former athletes will state that they have not only risen to become better gymnasts under the tutelage of her and her staff, but better young women and better members of society. The insinuation that she and her staff are verbally and emotionally abusive is absolutely false. No coach or program can make all people happy (and especially not in the case of helicopter parents who “want” their kid to win more than the athlete wants it). She is a highly passionate and driven coach with high standards – but is NOT abusive. Never has been and never will be. It’s simply not in her DNA.

- With respect to the inaccurate accusation that the New Heights coaching staff abuses alcohol in the presence of minors under their care – this, too, is absolutely false. The safety and well-being of the athlete is ALWAYS their primary focus. While a coach is permitted a glass of wine with dinner during celebratory meals while traveling – the athletes are always under care of their parents, guardians, or chaperones at said meals. This is consistent with NHG company policy. End of story.

- With respect to the allegations that athletes were pressured to train or compete while injured or while physically or mentally prepared to perform – again this is FALSE. Proper progressions for skills (physically and mentally) is ingrained in the NHG coaching system and injury management protocols are customized for every athlete under the guidance of the physician of their choice. New Heights is fortunate to have access to a network of brilliant physicians who are able to offer guidance and care nearly immediately after an injury – but even this network is not required to be utilized. The athletes and parents have autonomy in their medical care – always – as it should be in any youth sport!

- Lastly, while it is clear that no path remains for USAG to continue in its current form – may the NEXT organization be athlete-centric first and foremost but yet not lose sight of the thousands of great coaches and clubs that provide safe and wonderful life-long memories and opportunities for athletes in the sport of gymnastics. No coach, no club, no athlete, no parent, and no administrators are perfect. What makes this world – and this sport – so great is that we succeed DESPITE being imperfect. We succeed because we love to see that first kip, that stuck dismount with a smile after a fall mid-routine, and that little girl who just keeps getting up because LIFE will continue to knock any one of us down. We teach the art of getting back up – and the medium of doing so is this beautiful sport.

[ghinanotlinetti]

23 lessons I learnt (and am still learning) at 23-years-old

On Thursday January 30th 2020, I turned 23-years-old. I’ve never been one to want to do something extravagant for my birthday, it’d be too much pressure for a single day. I do, however, like to reflect on my year and have a mental check-up on myself to see how things are going. It just so happens that my birthday is in the month of January, the first month of the year, so I keep all my new years reflections for my birthday. I find that I tend to press refresh on January because there tends to be a lot of clutter that I couldn’t clean out from December. This year was no exception; I was working all the way until December at my corporate job, then I left the country to visit my parents for the winter holidays so I had no time to pick up the pieces from that job and my life in the big city of Jakarta. I couldn’t extend my contract when I came back so had to let go of that job, which was both scary and a relief. Life after grad is very unexpected, I don’t think they prepare us enough to deal with the highs and lows. The week of my birthday was also the same the world received tragic news about the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant. I’m not a basketball lover but I did know Kobe Bryant as this dorky geeky guy who was a huge Potterhead, he loved Game of Thrones and The Alchemist and was not ashamed of this side of him at all. I also started feeling ill, then I got the flu and am still recovering from a cough that’s making my diaphragm and back ache so much. On the other hand, I did get to spend this birthday week with my older sister who shares the same birthday as me. We haven’t celebrated our birthday together in years, it’s nice to be together again. In the spirit of me turning 23 this year, I thought I’d share some teachings and advice I’ve picked up along the way. Hopefully it can be applicable to all, especially if you’re just entering life after uni, so here we go!

1. You’ll never make it if you don’t face it.

So you might be familiar with the phrase “fake it till you make it” which might work for some people, but in the long run it might not be a realistic approach. Of course we all have dreams and want to achieve them, however not everyone is willing to work for their dream. If you’re one of those people like me who have no problem is working hard towards their goals, then you might struggle with the next thing I want to bring up which is: patience.

2. Be patient, be patient, be patient.

I was not that willing to wait for my dreams to come true as I was when it came to working for it. I definitely love working on my writing and the hustle felt rewarding to me, however I was impatient which is quite odd because I’m also young and have years ahead of me. Maybe it’s a millenial thing to be daunted by the what if’s but it’s so valid; what if I don’t make it until I’m 40 something, settled for stability and never took a chance on my passion? I find peace in accepting that I don’t have to know these things because I trust in the universe and I believe God always has a reason.

3. Believe in yourself, over and over and over again.

As someone who struggled with low self-esteem I thought all my insecurities would vanish the moment I felt confident. Instead it’s a whole process that can’t be done overnight. It takes weeks, months, years but if you’ve been able to believe in yourself before you can certainly do it again.

4. It’s okay to not have it all figured out.

Because everyone else around you doesn’t have it all figured out!

5. Generosity can get you far in life.

Helping others is the best way to network and form meaningful relationships at the same time! It’s not worth it to be alone in your hustle, because at some point you’ll need people for a plethora of reasons.

6. Collaboration > Competition

Realistically, you can only really be an expert in a few things, maybe one or two things and that’s completely okay. Because what this means is that there’s opportunities to collaborate and create with others great things.

7. Be kind to yourself.

In order to be kind to others one mustn’t ever forget to be kind to one’s self. Simple.

8. Lead with faith, not fear.

There have been so many times when I’ve done something out of fear and thought it was necessary, but then I felt so anxious I didn’t know what to do about it. I realise now that leading with faith makes me have less panic attacks; it’s not that I’m not scared at all but more so that I’m just calmer because I’ve accepted that I don’t need to have an existential crisis every time I make a decision. So, I’d go with faith.

9. Reclaim your narrative, and stay grounded.

There’s so many labels and stereotypes that I’ve have to deal with and never asked for simple because of who I am. It’s a lot of judgement from all sorts of people and communities (and I thought I was promised one day of judgement?), so I simply refuse to be defeated. I’ll rise above and reclaim my story which demands to be heard.

10. Everyone has talent and is smart, but not everyone is authentic, kind, reliable, etc.

I thought that in order to stand out I had to have a loud, big, and bold persona, which worked fine with other people but that just wasn’t me. On the flip side, I found that most people, be it employers or friends, would value qualities such as authenticity and reliability more than what you could bring to the table.

11. Become the things you want to become and you’ll stop desperately wanting it.

So for a really long time, I’ve always wanted to be a writer and I thought I’d have to wait for that to happen. But then I’ve always been writing, therefore I already am a writer. I think this can be applied to most passion projects and everyone deserves to take a chance on their passion project no matter how absurd or crazy it might be.

12. Just try whatever it is (an interview, application, class, etc.) and at the very least you’ll have one foot in the door.

I’ve got quite an active imagination; I tend to think a hundred steps ahead, mind-wandering in places I probably shouldn’t, so sometimes I won’t do things if I can’t commit 100%. Overthinking has become tiring for me and I want to make more choices out of faith. Most often than not there’s really no harm in trying, so just give it a go.

13. Don’t suffer in silence.

I suffer in silence in the past way too much. As a result I’ve distanced myself from really good friends of mine without any clear explanation. Can’t do that again because I value my friends and they deserve better.

14. Create the art that you would want to consume.

Be your own target audience. Most people don’t actually know what they want until it’s there in the market, so you’d be waiting a long time by asking other people what they want. Just start now.

15. Rest should never be compromised.

Often when I feel like giving up, I don’t actually mean it. Sure it’s frustrating but I don’t want to quit. I just need to rest. Please rest, and make sure to get the best quality of rest.

16. It’s okay to grow out of things and people too.

In the past I’d be needy for closure, but then it became tiring. Sometimes not getting an answer is the same as getting an answer. Let go.

17. When people show you who they are, believe them.

Yes, I think everyone has made excuses for their buddies, and I’m over it honestly. This one for me isn’t about my present circle of close friends, they’re lovely and I’m really lucky to have them. It’s more for people in my past, and it’s out-of-the-blue when it happens. I hate when it happens but then I can’t just pretend it never happened.

18. You matter, block out all the noise and have a moment to listen to your own voice.

If I ever feel lost or out of touch, I know it’s time to put just a little bit of distance from myself and the world for a little while. When I get to this point I’m usually investigating around my emotions, not investing myself in them, just observing patterns and signs and then find out what it means.

19. Unlearning and healing takes time, just make progress no matter how big or small.

So I’m in my twenties and I thought by this age I’d have everything figured out. Turns out I was very wrong. The amount of unlearning and relearning I had to do and am still doing... wow. But as long as it’s not a regression and a motion forwards, even if it’s just baby steps, it’s so worth it.

20. Life is just as much of a journey backwards as it is forwards.

As someone who’s always been spiritual, this is something that I find comfort in especially in times when I feel like I don’t know where I’m going. I’m a third-cultured kid, I’ve never had a home home for so long, and that’s fine. Nothing is a given, not even tomorrow. Life is about eventually returning to the Creator; it doesn’t matter how far you’ve come, what matters is what you make of this crazy beautiful dunya.

21. Close some of those tabs once in a while, it’ll be fine!

Ties into the next one which is:

22. Relax.

I’ve been dealing with anxiety for so long, my mind is somehow on panic mode by default, even when I’m meant to be off duty. Still trying to find that balance which works for me, between work, family, friends, mental health, leisure.

23. You’re not as special as you think you are, but on the bright side it means that you’re not alone! No more pity parties for one!

No more feeling sorry for myself because it’s disgusting! There’s so much out there to explore and discover for me, and that’s worth getting excited over. Here’s to more adventures, travelling, self-discovery, friendships, love, and everything in between!

[seoulscenarios]

College AU! Jacob Bae

-Major: history of art

-Minor: none

-Sports: star basketball player, also occasionally plays for the volleyball team when he can

-Clubs: not an active member in any club but breezes his way through many, he went to reading club for a time bc they were discussing Murakami, went to painting club bc Kevin wanted someone to go with him so he ended up going, but he’s part of an acoustic band with Kevin and Sangyeon and they perform late night sets in coffee shops and bars around the university area

-Many people often wonder why Jacob studies history of art when he could have easily entered college on a sports scholarship but quite simply, Jacob didn’t want to have to rely on doing well academically to make sure his college tuition was being funded and would much rather prefer to do it on his own

-Basketball was one of his favourite pastimes, loving nothing more than being on the court and feeling the adrenaline rush through him

-But art invoked a passion within him

-It reminded him of going on class trips to the museum and being absolutely floored by the Botticelli paintings and Ming pottery that decorated the rooms, it reminded him of going to New York and Paris with his parents so he could see the famous modern art scene of New York and the classic sculptures and the Louvre

-Simply put, art was life to Jacob

-He loved nothing more than visiting museums and galleries, feeling absolutely inspired and awed by the way the artist could evoke so much emotion in one painting or sculpture or drawing

-Except…. Jacob couldn’t really do art himself so that’s why he opted for history of art

-(it also meant he could annoy Kevin, a fine art major, with “boring” facts about Kevin’s favourite artists or time periods for art)

-He was beyond thrilled when he got a placement to work part time in a local art gallery that supported the new and upcoming artists in the area, giving guided talks or sometimes even presentations on new pieces that came in

-He’s just an enthusiastic boy when it comes to showing off art

-Jacob seems quite quiet in class though, always towards the back of the room taking notes diligently as most of his fellow classmates fell asleep in their laptops or were blinking rapidly to stop themselves from falling asleep

-He never really answered the questions the professors asked, much preferring if someone else answered them or just prayed that they never picked on him

-Only speak when spoken to was Jacob’s mantra in lectures

-Seminars and tutorials were where Jacob thrived, shyly giving out his opinion on northern European portraiture or discussing the Quattrocento period with his tutor after the rest of his peers had left

-Jacob could often be seen with a nice thick tome on Hellenistic art, glasses threatening to slip down his nose as he devoured the knowledge that lay on the pages, thick jumper with the sleeves rolled up and a coffee that was slowly losing its’ heat as Jacob was too busy learning about Lysippus, Apelles and Pyrgoteles and highlighting his favourite passages

-He was just the epitome of nerdy art history student and so many people in the art department were shocked to learn that he was the same Jacob Bae that led the college’s basketball to national victory amongst all the colleges in the country

-They just couldn’t fathom that their precious, quiet art history student was the same one who was arguably the best point guard player in the college leagues

-It was just a crazy concept to them

-So when a few of Jacob’s classmates decided to go to one of his basketball games to see whether he was lying or not, they were in actual shock as he flew around the court, stealing the ball so quickly that if you blinked you probably missed it and even occasionally scoring hoops if he could get a clear skill

-Most notably though, he could assess the opposition and quickly figure out their strengths and weaknesses, leading his team to victory as he navigated the game

-His classmates found him afterwards and asked just how he could be so different and he just shyly explained that he uses his analysis skills he gained from studying art pieces and just applied it to observing real life situations

-Who said that art history didn’t have real world applications??

-They couldn’t deny that though

-Jacob is EXTREMELY attentive and observational

-He can almost instantly know how one of his friends is feeling through even a text, a small frown decorating his features as he receives a “:)” from Sunwoo after he knows the younger has just submitted an assignment and he’s almost instantly by Sunwoo’s side, wrapping the boy in a hug whispering sweet nothings into his ears or just rubbing soothing circles on his back

-He never pushes his friends to tell him what’s up, knowing that they most certainly don’t want to open up fresh wounds so he just sits them down with a cup of tea and sits with them until they want to talk to him

-Jacob really is an angel, just his presence can calm and soothe his friends whatever mood they’re in

-They’re always so grateful for him, showering him in praise and Jacob just blushes and protests this because he thinks it’s just normal

-They’re also his biggest supporters at his basketball matches, all with boards with his name on (created by his roommate, Kevin) and creating chants that they all screamed from the bleachers, fully embarrassing him as he leads his team to yet another victory

-When they all run down after the team wins and crush him into a big hug, he can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of love as he’s surrounded by his best friends

-So just how do you meet basketball star and art history student Jacob Bae?

-Funnily enough, you’re kinda friends/acquaintances with him

-You see you’re actually a fine art major and just happen to be best friends with Kevin

-Too many times you’ve been dragged by the wrist by Kevin, letting yourself be taken by the enigmatic boy as he blabbered on about some art exhibition or something

-Occasionally Jacob is also dragged along with you, always shooting you a soft smile as you both endure Kevin’s outlandish behaviour as he wonders whether it would be illegal to cartwheel in front of the Mona Lisa

-You’ve never really spoken to Jacob though, just exchanging a few shy greetings or just shaking of the heads as you try and stop Kevin from running his mouth too much

-The thing is, you actually have a gigantic crush on him and Kevin was the one to figure it out

-The first time you saw Jacob was when Kevin had dragged you to the first basketball game of the season in your first year of college, saying that his best friend is on the team and that you should come along

-Sports were never your thing growing up, being your very typical art student who had no coordination and too many memories of footballs and basketballs being thrown in your direction and ultimately hitting you, but you could never refuse Kevin anything and especially not when he was already leading you to the bleachers and before you knew it you were surrounded by his rowdy friends with boards with a name decorated all over them

-Jacob?? This must be Kevin’s best friend, you thought as you took a seat next to a pink haired boy who seemed to be a bit confused as to why he was there

-(in the break of the game, you learned this was Chanhee and he really didn’t get sports but he was friends with Jacob so he went even though he could’ve been studying some advance algebra for an upcoming mathlete competition)

-However, as much as you were trying to focus on the game, your eyes kept being drawn to a silver haired boy that darted around the court, your jaw dropped slightly as he stole the ball off an opposing player and nimbly passing it to his teammate who then scored

-You literally couldn’t take your eyes off him, the way he moved so effortlessly and pushed his hair back and the brilliant smile that came every time his team scored

-All in all, you were just a bit more than taken with the boy

-Unbeknownst to you, Kevin had noticed the way you were so enraptured with a certain silver haired player and a wicked plan formed in his head

-After the game, Kevin dragged you to meet his best friend and pulled you towards the silver haired player

-Except he tugged you a little too hard, a little too fast and you tripped over your own feet, right in front of your newest crush

-Wincing, you heard a soft gasp and a hand wrapped around yours and tugged you upwards and you were suddenly face to face with the silver haired boy

-“Are you okay? You fell pretty hard, no thanks to Kevin” he asked you, concern evident in his eyes

-“Y-you know Kevin?” you asked, not even bothering to answer his question even though your knees were throbbing slightly

-“Unfortunately, he’s my best mate and roommate,” he laughed out, “but are you okay though?”

-Falling (literally) for your best friend’s other best friend and roommate was never in your agenda but here you were, deep into your second year of college and still not having made a move on him much to Kevin and the rest of your friends disappointment

-You just… didn’t know how to approach Jacob and explain that you have this massive crush on him and you want to go on lots of romantic dates to the movies and art galleries and you want to kiss him under the stars or after he wins another basketball game and that every time he smiles you get butterflies in your stomach and his laugh is like music to your ears and the fact that he can sing and play guitar as well means he’s pretty much perfect boyfriend material

-Kevin just rolls his eyes every time you wax lyrical about every single little thing you could point out about Jacob, snorting a little when you say he’s literally a perfect gentleman when he sees Jacob threaten Eric after he steals Jacob’s prized cereal and then consequently hitting the youngest three members of the group as the other two proceed to steal ALL of Jacob’s cereal

-Kevin’s been trying to get the two of you together for the past year and is so close to bashing your heads together and confessing for the both of you bc lo and behold, he knows that Jacob has a giant crush on you

-Though much more guarded about it, Kevin’s come to recognise the soft smile that graces his best friend’s face after you say goodbye to him and lingers for a while afterwards or the way his head perks up when Kevin is telling a story about what happened in his art class today and Jacob hadn’t truly been paying attention until Kevin says your name

-So, after a year of pining and the final match of the season coming up soon, Kevin decides enough is enough and calls an intervention

-Jacob isn’t entirely sure who the intervention is for, despite his amazing observation skills, until Changmin literally blurts out that everyone in this room knows he has an embarrassingly big, but cute, crush on you and he has to confess because everyone is sick of seeing the two of you dance around each other and you’re not even taking dance!

-Jacob just blinks and is like

-“How does everyone know?”

-And Kevin just rolls his eyes before darting his hand up in the air and proudly announcing that he did and he knows that you have a huge crush on Jacob and begins to rattle off an entire confession plan but quite honestly Jacob’s brain short wired after Kevin said that he knew you liked him

-“Hyung…. Are you even listening?”

-“T-they like me??”

-Everyone just groans and is like Y E S now game plan point break !

-Basically, as much as you’d think that 12 boys crammed together in a tiny dorm room would be able to think of a decent confession plan (especially with Younghoon being a film major and likes writing stories) they most definitely think of the most cliché confession

-It was simple: confess and kiss you right after he wins the game next Saturday

-Jacob… doesn’t really like this plan but decides to go along with it bc quite frankly, he doesn’t have any other way to confess considering it’s taken him this long to even think he had a chance

-He quietly confesses to Kevin that night that maybe a public confession won’t be good for either of them, knowing that the two of your are quite shy and Jacob thinks it would be extremely overwhelming if he confesses to you with the whole school watching

-Kevin, sensing Jacob’s distress for this kind of confession, just suggests that maybe he should write you a song because you love sappy romantic gestures and you love him even more when he sings and well, that inspires something in Jacob who instantly sits up and reaches for his guitar

-In the end, it only takes Jacob a few hours to write the song and a whole week of nerves to be able to gather the courage to sing it to you and pestering Kevin to bring his guitar to the game so he can confess afterwards

-So, game day

-You’re nervously sat watching the game, eyes never leaving Jacob as you notice he makes a few uncharacteristic mistakes and you can see he’s getting frustrated with himself

-During half-time, you decide to go down to him to offer some words of encouragement and he looks surprised to see you standing over him (the rest of the boyz can’t believe how forward you are but right now, you’re too concerned for Jacob than you are for their eyebrow wiggles and hooting)

-“J-jacob?? I-i just wanted to let you know that you, uh, pray, I mean play, brilliantly and uh, it’s not much, b-but I can see that you’re getting kinda frustrated with yourself and I just w-wanted to say that you’re doing great and, ah, you’re doing me, I mean the school, proud and y-yeah that’s all” you stuttered out, hands wringing together nervously and a blush spreading across your face as you tried to make eye contact with Jacob

-Who just smiles and lets out a sigh of relief

-“Thank you”

-“It’s nothing r-really haha”

-If you’re not busy after the game, meet me afterwards?”

-You just kinda nod and smile at him, trying to figure out the words to say when the referee calls for the next half to start and Jacob stands up, pulling you in for a quick hug before running onto the court

-Well, you just malfunction and are pretty much frozen for the rest of the game, not knowing how you got back up to the boys and endured Eric and Hyunjoon’s teasing

-But you’re entranced as you watch Jacob fly around the court with a fire burning you’d never really seen in him before and naturally so, he passes the last ball of the game to his teammate who shoots it perfectly, resulting in the winning of the championship going to Jacob’s team and you can’t help but cheer along, hugging Eric in celebration

-You just sit in the bleachers as the rest of the crowd disperses out and you’re waiting for Jacob who’s packing his gym bag

-Once he’s finished, he smiles up at you and waves you down to sit with him on the bottom row of seats

-You don’t notice it at first but when you sit down, you realise Jacob has a guitar in his hands and suddenly he stood up, playing and singing at you

-It’s not a song you recognise, leading to you believe that he wrote it and as you listen closely they resemble a confession song

-Which…. Confuses you because why is Jacob singing this to you ?? you’re pretty much clueless

-And it’s not until he finishes the song and he pulls you up by the hand and says “I really like you, I think you like me, may I kiss you?” that you realise that yes, Jacob really is saying this to you and you lean towards him and press a soft kiss on his lips, more smile than anything else

-DATING JACOB:

-Well, it’s not going to stay a secret for long especially since Kevin runs back onto the court and SCREECHES that you two are finally together and the rest of the boyz come running in to congratulate you, Sangyeon just looking on tiredly before sincerely congratulating the two of you and that he hopes you’re happy together whilst Jaehyun and Juyeon are cartwheeling round the court yelling “JACOB AND Y/N SITTING IN A TREE K-I-S-S-I-N-G” before Sangyeon drags them out by the ear

-So yeah, everyone finds out in the next few hours but you’re not mad

-I mean, you did score one of the most sought out after guys on campus and even better, you’re the one who gets to kiss him after each game

-But most importantly, you can go on all those romantic dates you had dreams about over the past year

-The amount of art galleries and museum dates the two of you go on is crazy but to you they’re perfect

-One, you get to spend more time with your handsome boyfriend and two, you get to study and be surrounded by one of the things that you and Jacob both love

-You can bet your favourite acrylic paint that you and Jacob share so many things about art together

-Jacob LOVES and I mean, LOVES, to teach you about different art periods and their influence on modern art today whilst you help him paint or draw and laugh at his attempts at recreating his favourite sculpture

-Oh, and you both definitely go on art dates where you get to paint together or do a pottery class together, laughing as Jacob somehow manages to get clay EVERYWHERE whilst you’re calmly sat moulding the pot together

-Jacob just pouts as he breaks his fourth pot and you let him decorate yours before making him one that he can brag to the boyz that he made

-(They don’t believe him bc you sent them all snapchats of Jacob being covered in clay after he kept messing up)

-But you love spending time like this together, it feels so authentic and romantic to the both of you

-Especially when you have more than just photos to remember those dates together but actual, physical things that you can hang up on your walls or put on your desk and reminisce at night

-More often than not, you found yourself in Kevin and Jacob’s dorm, head resting on Jacob’s chest as he’s doing some reading for his Ming pottery class and reading the book out loud to you as you loved nothing more than just hearing his voice

-Which Kevin found disgustingly romantic and not at all to his taste so he left the dorm to go bother Jaehyun or Chanhee

-You just giggle as he huffs and loudly complains about love whilst Jacob just rolls his eyes at his best friends antics, secretly glad that it worked bc he really wanted some alone time with you

-After he leaves Jacob places the book on his bedside table and you’re confused until Jacob rolls you over so you’re underneath and you’re like… o h so this is what you wanted??

-And Jacob just shyly smiles before pressing a kiss to the underside of your jaw and you sigh happily

-And when Kevin returns later that night and you’re still there and he can see the hickies blooming on both of your necks he just shrieks and Jacob nearly throws his book at him bc he just woke you up out of your nap

-Study dates are a big thing with you two, more often than not you’re in a café or the library with a stack of books whilst Jacob is typing an essay out and you’re peacefully sketching or planning an art piece or even doing an analysis of a painting

-Just imagine Jacob with his curly hair all messed up because he’s been running his fingers through it, a pair of glasses perched on his nose and a fluffy sweater on typing away as you watch on with his hoodie on and charcoal smudges on your nose after you rubbed it

-It’s just a very wholesome relationship, shy smiles and sweet notes being left in textbooks or sketchbooks, the smell of coffee and flowers and paint all mingling together as you walk hand in hand and you finally get to kiss him under the stars as you take a walk along the river one night

-You still can’t quite believe you’re dating the star basketball player but nothing assures you more when his hand is splayed across your back and he’s pulling you closer for a kiss, laughing when he spins you around under the stars and you think that life maybe can’t get better than this

-Jacob to you, is perfection and you fall in love with him just a little bit more everyday

ahh here’s our first fic for the boyz, i hope we did them justice and please look forward to the rest of the college aus and our other works for the boyz! 

(i’ll be using their real names for these college aus so hyunjae-jaehyun, hwall-hyunjoon, new-chanhee etc.)

love, admin leigh

[uk-news-talking-politics]

May's Brexit deal is a humiliation for Britain

By Ian Dunt

It doesn't matter how you look at it. You can squint with one eye, or stand upside down, or peer at it askew. You can be as sympathetic or stern as you like. It makes no difference. From every angle, on every basis, Theresa May's deal is horrific.

It is intolerable on a democratic, political, economic and logical basis. It takes one of the world's leading powers and puts it in a diplomatic and trading stranglehold. It undermines Britain's economic status, demolishes its political status, severs its territorial integrity and imposes a dangerous and unacceptable governance structure on Northern Ireland.

The problem is not that it is badly written. Some incredibly talented and ingenious people have put this thing together. It is technically accomplished and well drafted. The problem is due to the parameters they were given to work with.

May wanted to extricate the UK from EU rules, prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland, and maintain the territorial integrity of the whole of the UK. This wasn't possible and the experiment to pretend otherwise has resulted in a Frankenstein's monster, a broken, grotesque invention, stumbling around, half-alive, tormented by anger against its creator.

The punishing timetable of the deal is reminiscent of Article 50, with all the failure and pain that entails. It is a conveyor belt towards an abattoir.

The deal offers a transition to the end of 2020. This can be extended once, but this must be done by July 2020. This is, to all intents and purposes, the new cliff edge. Without an extension, we will fall into the backstop. And no matter what wasteful lies May tells now, Britain will never pick the backstop, because it is appalling.

So in July 2020 the UK will inevitably ask for an extension of transition. The EU will give it to us, but first they'll ask for money. And we will pay. We'll pay them anything they ask for, because the entire structure of the deal gives the EU negotiating advantage.

You can't blame the EU for it really. They are coming up with these short time scales and cliff edges because it gives them a negotiating advantage. There's only so cross you can get with someone for ruthlessly pursuing their interests when your own leaders are too incompetent to do the same. Be angry instead at the Brexiters who demand short transitions in an emotional fit and fail to understand that it is our own leverage they eradicate.

The extension can only last two years, until the end of 2022. But this is not enough time. The EU will be focusing on European elections until May 2019. No meaningful talks will take place until there is a new commissioner, sometime in the autumn. Then Britain needs to work out what it wants, something it has so far showed no signs of being able to do. Then it needs to negotiate it. Then it needs to implement it - a job which can be big or small, depending on the outcome of the negotiation. And then it needs to be ratified, which requires approval from every parliament, in every EU member state. The last part alone took two years for Canada.

This thing is not going to be done by 2022.

There are alternatives. The UK could decide on a much simpler approach. If it signed up to full EEA and customs union membership, it could be done in time.

Maybe if it decided to sign up to a standard free trade agreement - the Canada-with-no-frills model - it could also be done. But this latter option would need to be taken immediately, not after years of negotiation, because it involves a massive spending project on customs infrastructure, including the building of new roads, the hiring of tens of thousands of staff, and the creation of countless new domestic regulators. It would also sever Northern Ireland completely from the rest of the UK, because it would need to stay in the EU ecosystem while the rest of us pulled away.

So what do you do instead? How do you get this through in time? There is a chance we could split the deal into two pieces - one to be passed quickly by the EU and the other going out to member states for after-the-fact ratification. But it's not at all clear that we can get all the right bits in the right agreement for this to work. And then what happens? If they reject it, our entire trading system with our largest partner becomes illegal. We become hostages to every individual EU member state and a splattering of regional parliaments.

If 2022 ends with no deal in place, which by any realistic assessment it will, we fall into the backstop. And then the real horror story starts. Overnight we lose services access to the continent. Our customs arrangements shrivel up into a little ball. There are no transport agreements, so permits for UK hauliers will be limited to five per cent of existing traffic. There are no veterinary or phytosanitary agreements, so agricultural products will be stopped and checked at the border, causing huge disruption. There is no common regulatory regime on goods, so they will also be checked and tested.

We become little more than an addendum to the EU's trading relationships with other countries. Article 3 Part 1(a) of Annex 2 of the Northern Ireland Protocol in the withdrawal agreement states that "the United Kingdom shall align the tariffs and rules applicable in its customs territory with the [EU's] Common Customs Tariff as set out in Article 56(2) of Regulation (EU) 952/2013."

That means we've harmonised our tariffs with those of the EU and have to apply the same duty rate to whichever country they do a deal with. But there is no reciprocal duty for those countries to open up their markets to us, because the deal is for EU member states - not countries in bespoke backstop agreements which have been devised to stop them imploding.

Technically, we can try and negotiate a seperate trade deal with these countries, but what do we have to negotiate with? Not tariffs, because those are controlled by the EU. And not regulations either.

There are just two possible offers. We can open up our services and offer more visas so immigrants can come here more easily. The first is of limited usefulness, the second is politically unpalatable.

We're strapped on the surgery table, unable to move, being opened out to whoever wants to do a deal with the EU and getting nothing in return.

And after all that, May didn't even prevent the carving up of the UK's territorial integrity in the Irish Sea, as she claimed. There are actually two regulatory levels in the backstop proposal.

Britain is only signed up to 'level playing field' provisions. On competition and state aid, that is dynamic, which means that it updates whenever the EU updates its own rules. On the environment, social and workers rights it is non-regression, which means that it must stick to the existing level but doesn't need to track future changes. Northern Ireland, however, is fully signed up to the EU's regulatory regime for goods, a much higher standard of alignment.

That has significant consequences. It means agricultural goods sent from the UK must be checked at the border - in this case at the Port of Larne. At the moment, we're planning to unilaterally follow all EU regulations anyway, so this is just a fracture. But if we start going another away, for instance by following the hard Brexit siren calls for a Canada deal, that fracture splinters open.

The ERG talk of vassalage is overblown in the case of the UK, but it is not at all hysterical when you apply it to Northern Ireland. It is about to accept laws which it does not have any democratic means of refusing, amending or overturning. This is intolerable, on the most basic possible notion of democratic theory.

Article 15 of the Northern Ireland Protocol lays out the murky process of how this takes place. EU laws that are "amended or replaced" are automatically updated in Northern Ireland, with no say from the people they will affect. If it's a new law, the UK must be informed of it and there will be an "exchange of views". Then it is either passed, or, if it is not, "all further possibilities" are explored to maintain the Protocol. If that doesn't work, the EU takes "appropriate remedial measures".

It's obvious how this will work in practice. They'll find a way to start stuffing new laws into old ones, so that they can designate them as rules being "altered or replaced" and apply them automatically. If not, how many disregarded new laws would it take for the agreement to break down? Sure, Britain can kick back a few. But the reality of the dynamic is that it'll have to nod most of them through .

The Northern Irish situation is morally confusing. This move prevents a border, which would have done real damage. It also offers it a foot in both the UK and EU single market, which will likely lead to a boost to investment. But the democratic case is appalling.

It might even be illegal. There was a 1999 European Convention of Human Rights case called Matthews vs the United Kingdom, in which a Gibraltan resident asked a simple question: If I have to abide by EU laws, how come I don't get to elect an MEP? That's a damn fine question and one which can equally be asked here.

And then after all this horror show is over, in the distant future, we get to our final state. And what is that exactly? No-one knows. The political declaration published yesterday is a post-truth document.

It promises "the protection of [the UK's] internal market" while containing measures which do the opposite. It guarantees the UK an "independent trade policy" when in reality removing any possible leverage it would have to deliver one. It is firm on free movement - May's only real red line, in reality the motivating cause for this entire degenerate project - but even that is subject to change because the UK's negotiating posture might "evolve over time".

At one stage the document basically lays out the two alternate visions of the UK-EU relationship, one with close regulatory alignment and one with the hard Brexiters' fanciful and pathetic allusions to high tech solutions.

And then finally the truth is revealed, in a killer paragraph buried in the text:

"The extent of the United Kingdom's commitments on customs and regulatory cooperation, including with regard to alignment of rules, would be taken into account in the application of related checks and controls, considering this as a factor in reducing risk. This, combined with the use of all available facilitative arrangements as described above, can lead to a spectrum of different outcomes for administrative processes as well as checks and controls."

A spectrum of outcomes. The same old dilemma as ever just sits there because the UK is unprepared to have an honest conversation about it. Do you want trade or control? The extent to which you give up one allows you more of the other. But even now, as we lose our status in the world, it is just an unresolved as it ever was. We don't know where the hell we're going.

Instead of acknowledging this, May has just lied and lied lied. She lied when she said we could make a success of Brexit. She lied when she said we could secure full market access while maintaining full sovereignty. She lied when she said she could get a trade deal before the end of Article 50. She lied when she said there would be no need for transition. She lied when she said it would not need to be extended. She lied when she said Britain might choose between either extension or the backstop. She's lying now when she says this is a good deal for Britain, or that any kind of economic or political success might follow from it, or that it is in the national interest. Her administration has been defined by a relentless attempt to conceal the reality of Brexit from public and parliament, so she can survive another day, another week, another month. It is such a shabby, tawdry spectacle.

And now here we are, staring at a deal so unimaginably bad that no-one wants it. Not the EU, not the UK, not Brexiters, not Remainers, not Tories, and not Labour.

No-one wants it and we're told to do it anyway. That is an insane proposition and it should be rejected.

[inky-thoughts]

How to Organize a Zine 101

Hey guys!

Since I'm almost through with my very first zine that I organised myself, I just realised how many mistakes you can make without even knowing, and I learned so much within the last few months where a lot was kind of trial and error. So I thought, you guys might like to learn more about this, and I could share my experiences and newly gained knowledge! Maybe this helps if you are looking into organising your own first zine.

If you have any tips and tricks yourself you'd like to share, let me know, I’m excited to hear about them!

I am going to go through the different steps and phases that you should take into consideration, so this might get a small series of some sort? I hope you're up for this.

Also a small disclaimer:

I'm mostly talking about fanzines that have multiple contributors, and it will focus more on artists/illustrators and writers as that is where my experience lies. I have contributed on several free e-zines as well as a printed charity zine, and now have organised my first printed for-profit zine as well.

Phase 1: The Planning

This might sound really obvious and maybe silly, but there are quite a few things that you should take into consideration before just starting a project that might overwhelm you easily. Don't already head off and create a twitter account before you haven't sat down and thought about these questions first!

First of all, you should think about the zine itself:

What topic/theme should it have?

If it is a fanzine: What ships/characters/... should be the focus?

What format does your zine have (printed/e-zine/both)?

What should be included in the zine? (Illustrations, comics, writing, photographs, ... all of them?)

How many contributors/pieces do you want in your finished zine? (especially important for printed zines)

Do you want to have additional merch, e.g. bookmarks, stickers, charms, postcards, ... , that people can purchase with your zine in a bundle?

How are the specs (how many pieces per creator/how long is one piece especially for writers)?

Is it a for-profit, charity, or free zine?

After you now have a vague idea of what you want, you need to think about competition as well if you're not having a free online zine.

How big is the fandom/target group of the specific zine you want to make?

How old are they and how likely are they to spend money on your zine?

Are there only a few, but very dedicated fans?

How many contributors can you gather from the fandom? How is the general quality of fanworks?

Are there other zines that are similar or maybe with the same topic/theme/focus and what sets your zine apart from them?

Are there other zines going around at roughly the same time with the same target group, and should you perhaps wait a little so people can afford your zine again?

Is it a thriving fandom on the rise or has activity already peaked? If no fanzine: Is your theme at the pulse of time, or has some accute relevance to a lot of people?

Especially on tumblr, there are a few blogs entirely dedicated to zines and specifically fanzines. If tagged accordingly, they'll reblog all kinds of posts about a zine, but mostly Call for Submission, Zine Schedules, and Preorder Announcements (we will talk about these later on.) It is really helpful to check those out, sometimes there are even blogs solely about one fandom's projects, so it gets watered down even more. You can also test waters through polls etc. if you have a loyal followership that might just buy your stuff because it has you in or on it. However, I don't really find those very reliable.

The next questions are mainly about the doablity of the zine for you:

If there is any kind of production costs, do you have funds to cover them if the zine doesn't sell well enough?

Do you have anyone you can trust/are friends with who is also enthusiastic about your topic that they can help you?

How do you want to split work? How much do you want to contribute to the zine yourself?

Are you ready to make the commitment to dedicate basically every free minute of your life for the next 6+ month on this project? Are you in a relatively steady environment where you don't need to handle moving, changing jobs, schools, whatever at any point during your zine work?

I highly recommend you to at least have one other person to do the organisation with you, preferrably are two or even more.

Please do not underestimate the workload you'll get, even if it doesn't seem much at first, you will write so many e-mails because you need to get back to your contributors for one thing or another, you need to make sure the files are all correct, if you have writers you need beta-reading while also putting the zine together and finding a good printing service and making sure everyone is on time. For the last 6 months, this zine was basically my job, because it is just that, just without a clear salary, or none at all.

The next thing is kind of working out a schedule, with the rough stages/phases zine creations usually have.

Application/Gathering Contributors You have the option between public applications where people just send in portfolios and you pick from those, or you invite contributors you think are interested in the zine and you would like to have in it. Sometimes, there are zines that do both, but it's rather rare. There are some zines (usually free e-zines) that accept literally everyone who applies, and while it creates an opportunity for lesser known creators and beginners to gain a little exposure and experience, it doesn't necessarily mean that the overall quality of content is consistent and what you want to hold in your hands. I had applications open for a bit more than a month since I was very eager and didn't establish any kind of excitement or build-up thereof until finally applications open, but generally it's very common to have a full month to gather applications. The minimum should be 2 weeks, though. Also, don't let yourself be blinded by the sheer amount of applicants, especially in smaller fandoms, top tier creators are rather rare and everyone tries to get into a zine about something they love.

Curating Contributors If you don't have an Invite Only zine, you'll have a very busy time ahead now: You need to look through hundred or more applications and filter who is a fit for your zine, and who is not. Bear in mind that you aren't only looking for quality of work, but also which creator's style fits your zine best. Especially if you have several disciplines in your zine (e.g. illustrations and writing), I only can recommend to split the work load according to your speciality. That way you work faster and more efficient. Give yourself at least 2 weeks, the bigger/more popular the fandom, the longer it probably will take.

Sending Acceptance/Refusal E-Mails After you chose your pick, you'll need to let people know who's in, and who is not. I would advise to send out acceptance letters first, since there will be first dropouts immediately after you finally agreed on them. As soon as you got everyone to confirm their participation, take those who barely didn't make it and put them in for pinch-hitters. You will be surprised how many you'll probably need along the way. After they confirmed that yes, they'll be pinch-hitters, send out the rejection e-mails. I consider it curtesy to send them because as applicant, you really want to know where you're standing. Calculate roughly 1-2 weeks for the e-mails because things just tend to drag along and people need a long time to respond.

Confirmations This usually only applies if you offer people to make collaborations. They need to be able to check out who else is in the zine, who is up for collaboration, whose style suits them best to collab with, test the waters with each other, and usually should come up with an idea, so again 1-2 weeks would be needed for that. However, if you have got your contributors confirmed and just need the backup and refusal mails, just set those deadlines parallel.

1st Draft Depending on how much you're already asking for, you might want them 1-2 weeks after the rejection mails went out (if you really just want to know what kind of ideas people got), or up to a month if you want first sketches/summaries. The first draft is also helpful to see if two people got the same idea, and you can steer people a little bit into the "right direction."

2nd Draft Usually this is where at least 50-75% of the work should be done if you don't take a 3rd draft. Most common are 2 Drafts and the endproduct. Give people at least a month between 1st and 2nd Draft.

Final Draft This is when the finished pieces should be due. Depending on the time of the year, the contributors might be under a lot of stress, so set this deadline roughly 1 month after the 2nd Draft. You will be stressed, everyone else will be stressed, so give yourself the time you need. Also listen to your contributors and observe if there are a lot not cutting a deadline, then maybe push them back for another 1-2 weeks. It will make everyone more relaxed.

Touch-up Phase Especially with writers, you'll need at least 2 weeks to touch up the final draft they submitted.

Buffer Time (don't write that into the official schedule but definitely calculate with it) There will always be unexpected events that will require buffer times. You also will need time to put the zine together if you didn't work on designing the file beforehand while everyone else was creating. Still, you'll need to fix some things and polish the whole thing. Minimum buffer should be 1-2 weeks.

Contributor Preorders With printed zines, it is curtesy to give every contributor a printed copy of the zine for free with them only paying for shipping & handling. This kind of established itself as compensation for their work that usually ends up to be for free as most zines are either for charity or barely cover their production costs. To know who of your contributors even wants a copy, you should give them roughly 2-3 weeks to preorder. Having those exclusive orders helps you to divide between contributors and the regular costumer if you hold both at the same storefront.

Previews (+ Proofs) Before you're launching public preorders, dedicate at least 1 week to previews to get everyone hyped up. Contributors and the "official" zine site post excerps of zine pieces so people get an idea of what the feel of the zine is. If you already got proofs/samples printed until then, post pictures of those, too! If you don't post the link to the shop yet, there definitely wouldn't be a problem to have the previews start at the same time as the contributor preorders. That way, contributors also have the chance to get a glimpse at their peer's works.

Public Preorders Depending on how eager people are for your zine, you can leave preorders relatively short, but no less than 2 weeks if you don't get an insane amount of orders within the first couple of days. People must be able to check out prices and get their paycheck before preorders close again. Some zines have a stacked preorder system where the first X orders are cheaper, and then there will be leftovers or a second phase of preorders after the first bulk has been shipped. However, this doesn't happen very often. If you don't have a hugely popular zine or are cutting way too close to any important deadlines, consider having 3-4 weeks of preorders.

Production As soon as you got your numbers from the preorders, RUN AND PURCHASE EVERYTHING. Depending on where you get your zines printed (also don't forget the optional merch on this!), you can be ready to go within a week or even more than a month. Calculating with roughly 3 weeks if you're getting your stuff from mostly national level is a good rule of thumb, however shit happens all the time anyway, so to be safe use 4-8 weeks. Let your customers know immediately if there are any delays that weren't planned.

Shipping Depending on how many orders you've got, shipping can be a hassle and most likely will take up one week or longer. Since domestic shipping is fastest, ship international orders first, that way customers don't have the feeling that they're forgotten.

E-Zine Currently, a common trend is to first get the physical copies sold, and then sell e-zines to gather more money and cover leftover production costs of the printed zine. Especially international customers and college students prefer e-zines because of the incredibly high shipping rates around the globe. E-zines aren't linked to any production at all after you got the file put together, so if you set up your storefront with the download, everyone simply downloads it. You can have those open as you like, common is anything between 1-3 month and even a whole year. If no money is involved at all, a lot of zines just exist as a permanent free download in a dropbox or other cloud, so this is the least complicated process.

Conventions Really, it's not necessary to put this up in the schedule, but thinking about it might be helpful. If you have a physical zine, you and some contributors might want to sell it on conventions, so offering them to buy a bulk to a smaller rate can be helpful to spread the zine's exposure. We handled this with "buying on commission" - mainly the contributor only pays for the printing costs + shipping, and later will pay part of the profit back to you. Especially with international contributors, be aware of the longer shipping time. Also reprints might take their time. I personally made it a rule to order the reprints 3 months before the con, and reprints can be made up until one year, but really, you don't need to do this.

After you've got your rough schedule, I would advise you to already gather information on how to produce and spread the finished zine. This also helps to know how much you should have in your backup fund for the zine.

For physical zines/merch

Check out printing services! compare prices and quality as well as product range, and find out how long production takes

Find an online storefront where you want to sell it if you don't have one yet

Research on conventions and fairs where you might sell the zine

Learn about shipping rates and which company is suited best for your purpose

For e-zines

Research on your options:

If it's free, what cloud-service are you most comfortable with?

Find a dowload hosting platform you're comfortable with that also lets you charge per download

Is a round-mailing an option? if yes, do your research on online storefronts as well.

Advertising + Web Presence

This is basically finding your social media where you want to spread the word and store all the information of your zine. It is common for a zine with multiple contributors and mods to have its own web presence.

Tumblr and twitter are very popular for this as tumblr basically is a quick-for-setup homepage where you can spread information incredibly fast if you get to the right people, you have the option to answer questions people have regarding your zine, and twitter is nice and handy to keep applicants and potential customers updated. Also think about where you've got a large following and can advertise the zine yourself. Twitter/tumblr is not required, but most definitely helpful.

If you yourself aren't very known or popular, try to get more influencial people interested in participating, or simply promoting your zine. It definitely helps to have a larger audience. Also find out about the tags used by largely popular zines, and what you can learn from them. Learn how the fanproject blogs filter content they might reblog.

Things you also shouldn't underestimate is affiliations! If there is a zine/project with a largely similar forcus and theme, try to get on their better side, and help each other out. They might be your competition, but if you schedule your zine in a clever way, you won't need to worry about this at all since preorder phase won't overlap at all. They might help you advertise your zine while you do the same for them.

There are also forums on zines and fanzines, but I think nowadays it's rare that you'll go viral through those. I personally don't have any experience with those, so if anyone has, I'm happy to hear about it!

next >>

Masterpost

[gamingtech]

How Musicians Used Gaming Tech To Adapt To A Gig

This consists of all writing, design, programming, artwork, music, advertising and they even publish their very own games. Slightly Mad Studios is an unbiased video game company founded in 2008. With so much new and shiny gaming tech having dropped this 12 months, it is good to see a well-recognized face crop up from time to time. Taking benefit of Logitech’s Lightspeed wireless know-how, a pro-grade connection working at a blindingly fast 1ms, this is a sleek and stylish keyboard with floating keys and gorgeous RGB.

Boneloaf was setup 'to make video games and toys informed by an adolescence spent watching bizarre Filmation and Hasbro cartoons, playing multiplayer arcade and console video games, and drawing silly characters'. Edge Case Games are the team behind Strike Suit Zero, the dogfighting recreation is the first to ride the wave of the space fight revival. Founded in 2012 by business legend and creator of the God Game style, Peter Molyneux. It is, nonetheless, necessary to verify you’re getting the absolute best internet design for your cash. Watch out for businesses who depend on templates; whatever you get from them goes to be mass-produced and severely missing in creative aptitude.

Team Strawdog has a collective flair for inventive and revolutionary authentic ideas for console and informal games, and has particular experience in producing games for digital distribution platforms. GamesChart is a free monitoring and monetization plugin for online & mobile games. The GamesChart community uses a hybrid of sport discovery & in-game advertising to assist big name publishers like EA, Disney & Ubisoft purchase new players for their on-line and cell games. Betify is a mobile application that enables its users to play challenge-based social games.

And high spec gaming headsets present crystal clear communication for conference calls. Every peripheral has a use, be it personal, inventive or skilled. What you won't anticipate is a proliferation of glowing neon colors, the whirr of high-end cooling fans, or the clatter of mechanical keyboards.

Your cellphone, your mouse, your headset, any two devices can be charged simultaneously. Good time administration and the ability to manage a number of tasks along with sturdy team-working skills and the ability to work in a quick paced on-line setting. We are in search of a Category Manager to affix our current product group who will be reasonable for the Profit and Loss of key brands or classes and managing key vendor relationships. You will be a powerful negotiator who loves a deal and thrives in working in an entrepreneurial surroundings. You will need good business acumen and the power to work in a quick previous environment selling throughout multi channels. In other instances, attendees can come together in fastidiously crafted virtual worlds, their avatars co-created with totally different personalities and branding in mind.

The area's brand new, free service for job seekers and employers, recruiters and schooling leavers, to connect, find jobs, publish vacancies and entry the wealth of assist measures which have been carried out across the region. In maybe one of many extra symbiotic fusions of music and 3D worlds, the Belfast post-rockers opted to combine their love of epic movie scores with a trippy Unreal Engine creation. While this ambitious A/V set received a trial run by way of a handful of pre-lockdown exhibits over the past twelve months of being stuck indoors, this bold new 3D project has morphed right into a world of its own. “I think that as an artist, you’re afraid that people aren’t going to like your character. In this age now where everybody’s a YouTube star – all of that comes along with it. For me, the internet makes it easier to let everyone know that I’m coping with a lot of shit on a daily basis and that I make a lot of errors.

They specialize in creating recent and engaging video games experiences. With the development of technologies and the rising demand for photorealistic graphics, 3D virtual reality and video games as a service, the means ahead for the gaming trade will solely continue to grow and innovate. Positech Games is a online game developer based by the former Lionhead Studios programmer Cliff Harris.

Eleven Hundred Agency shall be selling Two-Up Digital’s unique position in the business with content creation and media relations actions. The reality is that 20 plus years in the past, I took the decision that I needed to make a dwelling off of playing music. And, you realize, generally you got to have a song in a film, that’s the functioning actuality for a lot of people. With the identical people who type of criticize Refused for selling out, I mean, my actuality is that I even have to pay hire at the end of the month. “I wanted to keep my streams detached from music,” she continues, “ as a end result of I don’t feel comfortable singing if I’m not with Lacuna Coil.

Over the years Llamasoft has released over 30 video games on almost 20 platforms, garnering plenty of awards alongside the method in which, as properly as a loyal group of fans. A precision mouse for FPS games may additionally be used for fine detail picture editing. A mechanical keyboard designed for consolation and satisfying typing makes long coding and writing periods a breeze.

The staff came collectively after giving up their jobs developing AAA games to bring one thing new to cellular gaming. GameDigits is a company dedicated to creating enjoyable video games for cellular devices. They have the expertise to produce top quality games to the very best normal.

With over a decade of expertise in the field, they work with a range of partners including marketing and advertising agencies, independent recreation builders, and solo artists. Hanako Games is an unbiased online game improvement company that develops PC video games largely involving feminine protagonists, centered on fantasy-and anime-inspired style. The website provides free demos for the entire video games together with downloadable wallpapers. Hanako Games is an affiliate of Winter Wolves, Tycoon Games and sakevisual.

While it might be pricier, the best internet design agencies are nearly at all times the most inventive. Another essential aspect of gamifying the net design process is repeated engagement with the viewers. Any decent sport could have some type of mechanism to maintain players coming again, a core gameplay loop. A well-designed website ought to be the identical, internet hosting features or services that convert viewers into new customers, and retain previously transformed prospects as nicely.

Get helpful recommendations on tips on how to use firm credit score stories when making potentially crucial enterprise decisions. Purchase the company report or an Annual Subscription to view this info. I provide one to 1 classes online or walk and talk until we're out of lockdown fully.

Amuzo harness the ability of play to interact, educate and inspire cell audiences all over the world. They design and develop award-winning, chart topping apps and video games that join a variety of the world's prime brands with their audiences. The duo left Freestyle in 2012 and arrange indie studio Pixel Toys where they began to work on cellular games. Drop Dead Interactive are an independent video games creator, considered one of their games is Gear Gauntlet, a fun but rage inducing 2D action arcade game.

Backed by world famend businesses and the UK government, it'll enhance the development and adoption of emerging applied sciences. Making an actual, everyday difference to individuals from the boardroom to the manufacturing unit floor. Switching from a profession in publishing to technology in her late twenties, she then launched her personal company.

Many of one of the best internet design studios use equipment initially designed for gaming. And why not” Gaming PCs are ubiquitous, powerful and so they look damn good when the lights go on. And whereas they might not be the first thing you think about whenever you think of web design, they’re far more widespread than you suppose. However, the wireless know-how which has caught my consideration and brought a sparkle to my eye this yr is wi-fi charging. Again, not exactly new-new, but Qi charging has really gained traction. HyperX has launched this 12 months, a wi-fi gaming bundle featuring a Qi charging dock that can assist a number of units.

Wireless keyboards and mice used to be less responsive and competitive gamers typically discovered them unreliable as a outcome of a slight delay. However, wireless peripherals have vastly improved and are set to be in style this yr, leading to improved setups for builders and players alike. These days, corporations don't have any selection but to be artistic and supply attendees extra than simply info. Those not keen to push the boundaries are shortly seeing a discount of their attendees’ consideration. Adopting some the methods seen within the esports gaming area and adapting them for B2B summits and conferences is a method to guarantee you maintain your audiences’ consideration, regardless of the distractions. Walk again in time in an event and you could remember that “games” involved a pencil and a chunk of paper, or a white board.

The firm designs front finish web sites and apps in addition to running the whole back workplace expertise platforms required to assist the rigorous online betting business. System three Software is a online game developer and publisher based by Mark Cale. NDreams are a videogame developer/publisher based mostly in Farnborough, UK that concentrate on creating amazing virtual actuality video games, worlds and experiences. The Ninja Theory studio satisfaction themselves on striving for the best production values and regularly pushing the boundaries of technology, artwork and design to create evermore exciting online game experiences. Virtual reality already exists within the gaming industry, nevertheless, it’s nonetheless in its infancy.

Mars on A Stick is an unbiased software program developer ready to benefit from all rising digital markets. Little Wolf Studio specialize in creating new, surreal and beautiful experiences for gamers of all ages. The progressive software permits dealerships to create a fully interactive showcase of their full range of fashions, designs and choices. Playmob is a cause advertising platform designed for ahead pondering organizations which have huge audiences, strong values and a deep commitment to doing good. Their mission is to ‘Set Creativity Free’ and create digital experiences for children as wealthy in creative potentialities as a sheet of paper. The indie recreation developers create their very own recreation titles similar to their first industrial sport ‘Look Out Below’ which came out in 2013 and are currently working on a game called Kindred.

Fundamental Games are a firm believer in nice games being constructed on sturdy foundations and aim to get the core game-play right first after which building up that actually mind-blowing experience. The Supermassive Games studio has received quite a few awards, together with a BAFTA for Until Dawn. The studio additionally works with GamesAid, other charities and educational institutions, delivering each high-end interactive drama and boundary-breaking VR.

They work with a variety of sport publishers, brand owners and digital companies. They have also worked with Cancer Research UK, Knux and an Unnamed HTML5 sport for BBC. Wales Interactive satisfaction themselves on being an unshackled independent developer making their very own concepts completely from our Pencoed studio in South Wales.

“Games studios have the opportunity to develop their own IP with skills traditionally used in mobile games growth for leisure now being turned to social good. In a world the place musicians are being compelled off the street and onto the web to survive, it’s reassuring to see so many different abilities adapt so well to a post-coronavirus society. Fan Studio has been a top iPhone game improvement company for years and is the company of alternative for a lot of businesses across UK, UAE, Canada and USA. Firefly Studios Limited is a online game developer fashioned by Simon Bradbury and Eric Ouellette. Skatanic Studios is a one man sport improvement studio based mostly in Brighton, United Kingdom and headed by Media Production graduate Matt Gambell. Space Ape are a mobile/social gaming startup with a diverse staff of highly gifted and experienced game makers, creating video games that hundreds of thousands of individuals play and love.

[ieltsxpresscom]

IELTS Practice Cambridge 7 General Training Reading Test B C7GTB

IELTS Practice Cambridge Book 7 General Training Reading Test B C7GTB

Section 1 Read the text below and answer Questions 1-7 CALL ANYWHERE IN THE STATE FOR ONE LOW SHORT-DISTANCE RATE! You have a choice of three Supafone Mobile Digital access plans: Leisure time, Executive and Highflier. They are designed to meet the needs of light, moderate and high-volume users. Calls in each plan are charged at only two rates – short-distance and long-distance. You enjoy big savings with off-peak calls. LEISURE TIME Your mobile phone is mainly for personal use. You use your phone to keep family and friends in touch. You don’t want to strain your budget. With this plan you enjoy the lowest monthly access fee and extremely competitive costs for calls. However, a monthly minimum call charge applies. EXECUTIVE You’re in business and need to be able to call your office and your clients whenever the need arises. You value the convenience of a mobile phone but need to keep a close eye on overheads. For frequent users: the monthly access fee is slightly higher, but you enjoy the savings of a discounted call rate. HIGHFLIER You are always on the move and communications are critical. You need to be able to call and be called wherever you are – world-wide. As a high-volume user you pay an access fee of just $60 a month but even lower call rates.

Question 1-7 Classify the following statements. A the LEISURE TIME plan B the EXECUTIVE plan C the HIGHFLIER plan D ALL three of the plans 1. The monthly access fee is the highest but the call rates are the lowest. 2. Calls are charged at short-distance or long-distance rates. 3. This plan is NOT primarily intended for people who need a mobile phone for their work. 4. This plan is a cost-effective choice if you spend just over $100 a month on calls. 5. It costs 21 cents for a 30-second long-distance call at 2 p.m. 6. The connection fee is $30. 7. You will have to pay a minimum amount for calls each month. Read the text below and answer Questions 8-14 WESTWINDS FARM CAMPSITE Open April – September (Booking is advised for holidays in July and August to guarantee a place.) Jim and Meg Oaks welcome you to the campsite. We hope you will enjoy your stay here. We ask all campers to show due care and consideration whilst staying here and to observe the following camp rules. • Keep the campsite clean and tidy: – dispose of litter in the bins provided; – leave the showers, toilets and washing area in the same state as you found them; – ensure your site is clear of all litter when you leave it. • Don’t obstruct rights of way. Keep cars, bikes, etc. off the road. • Let sleeping campers have some peace. Don’t make any noise after 10 o’clock at night or before 7.30 in the morning. • Dogs must be kept on a lead. Owners of dogs that disturb other campers by barking through the night will be asked to leave. • Disorderly behaviour will not be tolerated. • The lighting of fires is strictly prohibited. • Ball games are not allowed on the campsite. There is plenty of room for ball games in the park opposite the campsite. • Radios, portable music equipment, etc. must not be played at high volume. The management reserves the right to refuse admittance. Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? TRUE                             if the statement agrees with the information FALSE                           if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN                if there is no information on this 8. The campsite is open all year round. 9. You should book ahead for the busier times of the year. 10. The minimum stay at the campsite is two nights. 11. The entrance to the campsite is locked after 10 p.m. 12. No dogs are allowed on the campsite. 13. You are not allowed to cook food on open fires. 14. The owners of the campsite may not allow you to camp there. Section 2 Question 15-27 Read the text below and answer Questions 15-27 THE LAW ON MINIMUM PAY Who is entitled to minimum pay? Nearly all workers aged 16 years and over, including part-time workers, are entitled to the National Minimum Wage. Amongst those to whom it does not apply are those engaged in unpaid work and family members employed by the family business. What is the minimum wage that I am entitled to? The National Wage Act specifies the minimum rates of pay applicable nationwide. Since 1 October 2007, the adult rate for workers aged 22 and over has been £5.25 per hour. The development rate for 18-21 year olds and for workers getting training in the first 6 months of a job is £4.60 per hour. The rate for 16-17 year olds starts at £3.40 an hour. There are special provisions for some workers, for example those whose job includes accommodation. Pay means gross pay and includes any items paid through the payroll such as overtime, bonus payments, commission and tips and gratuities. I believe I’m being paid below the National Minimum Wage Rate. How can I complain? If you are being paid less than this, there are various steps you can take: • If you feel able, you should talk directly with your employer. This is a clear legal right, and employers can be fined for not paying the NMW. • If you are a trade union member, you should call in the union. • If neither of these is appropriate then you can email via the Revenue and Customs website or call their helpline for advice. You have the legal right to inspect your employer’s pay records if you believe, on reasonable grounds, that you are being paid less than the NMW. Your employer is required to produce the records within 14 days, and must make them available at your place of work or at some other reasonable place. If your employer fails to produce the records, you may take the matter to an employment tribunal. You must make your complaint within three months of the ending of the 14-day notice period. Question 15-21 Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the text for each answer. 15. The law on minimum pay doesn′t cover you if you are working in your………………..or if you are a volunteer. 16. You may be paid under £5 an hour if you are receiving………………………at the start of a job. 17. There are different rules for people who are provided with…………………..with their jobs. 18. If you earn extra money, for example for working longer hours or in tips, this counts as part of your wage when you receive it via…………. 19. Anyone being paid below the National Minimum Wage should speak to their…………………………if they can. 20. According to the law, you can ask to look at your boss′s……………………………….. 21. You have a period of………………………….to complain if your boss does not co-operate within the specified period of time. DEALING WITH YOUR OFFICE EMAILS Email has completely changed the way we work today. It offers many benefits and, if used well, can be an excellent tool for improving your own efficiency. Managed badly, though, email can be a waste of valuable time. Statistics indicate that office workers need to wade through an average of more than 30 emails a day. Despite your best efforts, unsolicited email or spam can clutter up the most organised inbox and infect your computer system with viruses. Here we give you guidance on protecting yourself. Prioritising incoming messages If you are regularly faced with a large volume of incoming messages, you need to prioritise your inbox to identify which emails are really important. If it is obvious spam, it can be deleted without reading. Then follow these steps for each email: • Check who the email is from. Were you expecting or hoping to hear from the sender? How quickly do they expect you to respond? • Check what the email is about. Is the subject urgent? Is it about an issue that falls within your sphere of responsibility, or should it just be forwarded to someone else? • Has the email been in your inbox for long? Check the message time. An initial scan like this can help you identify the emails that require your prompt attention. The others can be kept for reading at a more convenient time. Replying in stages Having prioritised your emails, you can answer them in stages, first with a brief acknowledgement and then a more detailed follow-up. This is particularly advisable when dealing with complicated matters where you don’t want to give a rushed answer. If you decide to do this, tell the recipient a definite date when you’ll be able to get back to him or her and try to keep to this wherever possible. Some emails are uncomplicated and only require a brief, one line answer, so it’s a good idea to reply to these immediately. For example, if all you need to say is, ‘Yes, I can make the 10.00 meeting’, or ‘Thanks, that’s just the information I needed’, do it. If you are unable to reply there and then or choose not to, let the sender know that you’ve received the message and will be in touch as soon as possible. Question 22-27 Complete the flow chart below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text for each answer.

Section 3 Question 28-40 Read the text below and answer questions 28-40 THE IRON BRIDGE The Iron Bridge was the first of its kind in Europe and is universally recognised as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. A The Iron Bridge crosses the River Severn in Coalbrookdale, in the west of England. It was the first cast-iron bridge to be successfully erected, and the first large cast-iron structure of the industrial age in Europe, although the Chinese were expert iron-casters many centuries earlier. B Rivers used to be the equivalent of today’s motorways, in that they were extensively used for transportation. The River Severn, which starts its life on the Welsh mountains and eventually enters the sea between Cardiff and Bristol, is the longest navigable river in Britain. It was ideal for transportation purposes, and special boats were built to navigate the waters. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the Severn was one of the busiest rivers in Europe. Local goods, including coal, iron products, wool, grain and cider, were sent by river. Among the goods coming upstream were luxuries such as sugar, tea, coffee and wine. In places, the riverbanks were lined with wharves and the river was often crowded with boats loading or unloading. C In 1638, Basil Brooke patented a steel-making process and built a furnace at Coalbrookdale. This later became the property of Abraham Darby (referred to as Abraham Darby I to distinguish him from his son and grandson of the same name). After serving an apprenticeship in Birmingham, Darby had started a business in Bristol, but he moved to Coalbrookdale in 1710 with an idea that coke derived from coal could provide a more economical alternative to charcoal as a fuel for iron making. This led to cheaper, more efficient iron making from the abundant supplies of coal, iron and limestone in the area. D His son, Abraham Darby II, pioneered the manufacture of cast iron, and had the idea of building a bridge over the Severn, as ferrying stores of all kinds across the river, particularly the large quantities of fuel for the furnaces at Coalbrookdale and other surrounding ironworks, involved considerable expense and delay. However, it was his son Abraham Darby III (born in 1750) who, in 1775, organised a meeting to plan the building of a bridge. This was designed by a local architect, Thomas Pritchard, who had the idea of constructing it of iron. E Sections were cast during the winter of 1778-9 for a 7-metre-wide bridge with a span of 31 metres, 12 metres above the river. Construction took three months during the summer of 1779, and remarkably, nobody was injured during the construction process – a feat almost unheard of even in modern major civil engineering projects. Work on the approach roads continued for another two years, and the bridge was opened to traffic in 1781. Abraham Darby III funded the bridge by commissioning paintings and engravings, but he lost a lot on the project, which had cost nearly double the estimate, and he died leaving massive debts in 1789, aged only 39. The district did not flourish for much longer, and during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries factories closed down. Since 1934 the bridge has been open only to pedestrians. Universally recognised as the symbol of the Industrial Revolution, the Iron Bridge now stands at the heart of the Iron bridge Gorge World Heritage Site. F It has always been a mystery how the bridge was built. Despite its pioneering technology, no eye-witness accounts are known which describe the iron bridge being erected – and certainly no plans have survived. However, recent discoveries, research and experiments have shed new light on exactly how it was built, challenging the assumptions of recent decades. In 1997 a small watercolour sketch by Elias Martin came to light in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. Although there is a wealth of early views of the bridge by numerous artists, this is the only one which actually shows it under construction. G Up until recently it had been assumed that the bridge had been built from both banks, with the inner supports tilted across the river. This would have allowed river traffic to continue unimpeded during construction. But the picture clearly shows sections of the bridge being raised from a barge in the river. It contradicted everything historians had assumed about the bridge, and it was even considered that the picture could have been a fake as no other had come to light. So in 2001 a half-scale model of the bridge was built, in order to see if it could have been constructed in the way depicted in the watercolour. Meanwhile, a detailed archaeological, historical and photographic survey was done by the Iron bridge Gorge Museum Trust, along with a 3D CAD (computer-aided design) model by English Heritage. H The results tell us a lot more about how the bridge was built. We now know that all the large castings were made individually as they are all slightly different. The bridge wasn’t welded or bolted together as metal bridges are these days. Instead it was fitted together using a complex system of joints normally used for wood – but this was the traditional way in which iron structures were joined at the time. The construction of the model proved that the painting shows a very realistic method of constructing the bridge that could work and was in all probability the method used. I Now only one mystery remains in the Iron Bridge story. The Swedish watercolour sketch had apparently been torn from a book which would have contained similar sketches. It had been drawn by a Swedish artist who lived in London for 12 years and travelled Britain drawing what he saw. Nobody knows what has happened to the rest of the book, but perhaps the other sketches still exist somewhere. If they are ever found they could provide further valuable evidence of how the Iron Bridge was constructed. Question 28-31 Answer the questions below. Choose ONE NUMBER ONLY from the text for each answer. 28. When was the furnace bought by Darby originally constructed? 29. When were the roads leading to the bridge completed? 30. When was the bridge closed to traffic? 31. When was a model of the bridge built? Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text? TRUE                         if the statement agrees with the information FALSE                       if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN            if there is no information on this 32. There is no written evidence of how the original bridge was constructed. 33. The painting by Elias Martin is the only one of the bridge when it was new. 34. The painting shows that the bridge was constructed from the two banks. 35. The original bridge and the model took equally long to construct. 36. Elias Martin is thought to have made other paintings of the bridge. Question 37-40 The text has nine paragraphs, A-I. Which paragraph of the text contains the following information? 37. why a bridge was required across the River Severn 38. a method used to raise money for the bridge 39. why Coalbrookdale became attractive to iron makers 40. how the sections of the bridge were connected to each other Show Answers

Read the full article

[thedefinitionofbts]

Our First and Last (Ch. 6)

Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | 

Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 (Final)

Pairings: Jeon Jungkook x Reader (MAIN) | Park Jimin x Kim Taehyung | Jung Hoseok x Min Yoongi | Kim Namjoon x Kim Seokjin

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Soulmate Au, Scifi

Words: 3K

You were walking out of your fourth session with Dr. Kim, overall feeling the same as always, but one thing had really sparked your interest this time around.

This had been one of the most eventful sessions you’ve ever had, and it had nothing to do with the session itself. For one, Dr. Park had randomly burst into the room and you found out Dr. Kim likes to call him “Jiminie”. Two, it was the first time you ever saw Dr. Park, the guy who supposedly runs the clinic with Dr. Kim, and three, he happened to mention a new patient that sounded awfully like the famous researcher Hoseok showed you the other day.

You quietly close the door to Dr. Kim’s office as you leave, feeling the curiosity and hoard of thoughts and questions making their way into your head.

MD-PhD neurosurgeon named Dr. Jeon…. Could it be?

Overwhelmed by the thought of it and unable to contain the growing need to share this new information with someone, you quickly pull your phone out of your pocket and message the one person you thought of.

You: hobi, you won’t BELIEVE what just happened at the clinic

J-Hobi: some guy ran out naked and puked all over the floor????

You: what? NO! how is that the first thing you think of?

J-Hobi: LOL jk jk so what happened?

You: so that famous neuroscientist/surgeon guy might be the new patient at the clinic i go to. heard one of the psychologists mention a dr. jeon today

J-Hobi: dr. jeon jungkook? no way. there are plenty of doctors named jeon, it could just be a coincidence.

You: sure there could be lots of jeons, but how many md-phd neurosurgeons named dr. jeon! think about it man.

J-Hobi: …..i mean, yeah that’s a good point…..but he can’t possibly be struggling with depression, can he?

You: idk who knows….

“Good Morning Dr. Jeon” Jimin cheerfully greets Jungkook for the first time, despite seeing the obvious look of annoyance plastered over the neurosurgeon’s face. It wasn’t exactly what the psychologist had looked forward to upon opening the door, but he knew Jungkook had agreed to enter the clinic against his own will.

He had at least hoped an MD-PhD neurosurgeon would be more professional when it came to psychological therapy, but apparently even that was too much to ask.

“Do you have any specific goals for your treatment?” Jimin asks, after going through the list of basic questions in which Jungkook had half-heartedly replied with either one-worded answers to or just straight up bs-ed.

“Cut the crap. You know I’m only doing this for Yoongi” Jungkook finally says, after having enough of what he deemed as a “complete waste of his time”. He looks at the pink haired psychologist, eyeing his motions and scoffing every time he would pick up his pen to jot down notes.

“Right” Jimin sighs and nods his head, thinking this is going to be exponentially harder than he had anticipated.

There’s a knock on the door, and Jimin almost lets out a sigh of relief, knowing that, at least for a brief moment, Jungkook’s judgmental glare would stop shooting arrows at his soul.

“Come in” Jimin says, as he looks at the door, praying that it was Taehyung on the other side.

He feels another rush of relief as he sees the golden skinned psychologist peak his head in.

“Oh, is this not a good time?” Taehyung says when he sees Jungkook sitting across from Jimin, legs crossed and hands inside his pockets.

“Ummm” Jimin wants to say no, this is perfect timing, but obviously that wasn’t an option because of the clinic’s policy.

“It’s fine. I’m done here anyways.” Jungkook says, standing up, grabbing his trench coat, and walking out of the room. After he closes the door to Jimin’s office, Taehyung turns back to Jimin, with a questioning look spread across his face.

“Was that…?”

Jimin nods and covers his face with his hands.

“Applications are due soon!” Hoseok shouts as he runs into the library toward the table you were sitting at, with all your textbooks and notes spread out in a messy array as if a tornado had just swept through the area.

“Shhh, Hobi, people are studying” You whisper sharply, while looking around to see if people are disturbed by the noise, luckily everyone is too busy cramming. Hoseok gives you an apologetic look and sits down in the chair next to you.

“Have you applied yet?” Hoseok asks.

You nod. “Yeah, I turned my application in yesterday” You answer, thinking about how long it took for you to write a descent cover letter and brush up your resume.

“Have you?” You turn to Hoseok, whose lips have formed a wide smile.

“Nope” He says.

“What?! You didn’t apply?” Now it’s his turn to remind you to be quieter in the library. “But you’re the one who was so into his research, and now you’re not applying?”

“Yeah, so I thought about it for the past couple of weeks and realized I’m more drawn to the thought of caring for patients, so I’m just going to apply for medical school instead.” Hoseok explains.

“Well, I’m mean, you could do the whole MD-PhD program.”

“Are you kidding? Medical school is hard enough as it is, do you want me to die?!”

You laugh at his over the top response.

“Just be glad I’m dropping out of the game so your chances have gone up” Hoseok says grinning slyly.

“But were you really much of a competition to begin with?” You joke, earning you a playful punch in the arm by Hoseok.

“Well, anyways, I’m going to leave you to your studying. Keep that GPA up now,” He reminds you as he walks out of the library.

You had been reading for a little over three hours before the words on the page of your textbook start to fade out of focus, like your brain was refusing to absorb any more information. You look out the large glass windows of the library for a few minutes and see that it was a nice sunny afternoon. Some students had even opted to study outside, which looks really appealing right about now. You didn’t want to carry all your stuff outside, so you decide to just take a brief walk around campus and come back to study some more later.

You walk across the courtyard of the library and continue along the path that extends to the duck pond where students liked to go to feed their expired bread to the different species of birds around there. It was late afternoon, and despite the dense arbors of the trees that lined the path, the warm hues of the sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mosaic shadows on the sidewalk. The sky was clear, so blue it looked like a painting and there was a gentle breeze that was barely strong enough to lift strands of your hair.

When you reach the duck pond, you notice that there aren’t as many students as there normally are, most likely due to the infamous finals week that signaled pending doom for most students who liked to procrastinate and cram a semester’s worth of knowledge into one week or even one night. There was, however, a girl, sitting on a bend at the edge of the pond, reading a book, and some older couples feeding the ducks.

You walk around the pond, watching the geese wobble around the grass and two swans, swimming elegantly on the surface of the dark water; one was porcelain white and the other was a deep cool-toned black. You were just about to turn your head to look at another part of the pond, when you stumble on an uneven part of the sidewalk. Losing your footing, you almost fall flat on your face, but someone catches you just in time.

“Careful there, are you ok?” You hear a familiar deep voice ask, as the man catches you before you hit the ground.

“Oh Sorry” You apologize while looking up and seeing the familiar handsome face of Dr. Kim Taehyung, your primary psychologist, staring down at you in surprise.

“Y/N?”

“Dr. Kim? Wha-What are you doing here?”

Your astonished expression must’ve seemed way too over the top, because Dr. Kim just laughs. This was the first time you had bumped into him outside the clinic, which also entailed the first time seeing him in normal clothes and without glasses. He was wearing a pale salmon colored button up that was tucked into his black slacks, and his cologne with vanilla hints was extra noticeable in contrast to the faint musky smell of the great outdoors.

“I’m waiting for Jimin” He says, before realizing he’s just casually addressed Dr. Park by his first name. He feels slightly awkward, but decides since it’s not working hours that there’s no need to be so formal.

“I see.”

“This is your university right?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah, I’m taking a study break.”

He nods.

“So do you guys meet up here often?” You ask, wondering why they chose to come here of all places.

Taehyung chuckles and looks down at his feet for a moment. “We come here on this day every year.” He says. “It was where we first met, back when we were students here.”

“Oh, this is your alma mater?” You ask, surprised to find out this new piece of information.

He nods again.

“Taehyung!”

You hear someone call Dr. Kim’s name from behind him, and soon you see the pale pink hair of the petite psychologist pop up from behind as he jumps on Taehyung’s back, unaware that you were standing in front of him.

“Oh, Y/N, I didn’t see you there” Jimin says when he spots you. He quickly hops off of Taehyung, and puts his hands in his pockets, composing himself again.

“Hi, uh, Dr. Park” You say, nervously waving at him.

“Ehhh, feel free to call me Jimin. We’re not in the clinic, and we don’t have a patient-doctor relationship anyways.” Jimin says, giving you a smile.

You notice Taehyung give Jimin a wide-eyed look, perhaps warning him that they still have to be somewhat professional, but Jimin shrugs it off.

“So Y/N, has Taehyung told you about this place yet?”

“Yeah, he was sort of explaining that”

“I told her about us meeting here and attending university” Taehyung cuts in, probably before Jimin could blurt out too much.

“I mean, it wasn’t our first, first meeting-“

“Jimin!” Taehyung cuts him off.

Jimin looks at Taehyung giving him a nervous, apologetic smile. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, and was never good at keeping secrets or being confidential for that matter.

“Anyways, we’re going to see a movie later, if you want to come” Jimin says, trying to change the topic after noticing Taehyung’s change in expression.

“Uh thanks, but I have to get back to studying. You guys have a nice day!” You say hurriedly, as you wave and begin walking back to the library. You didn’t want to barge in on anymore of their privacy or take up more of their time.

After you had distanced yourself from the pair, you turn back to see if Jimin and Taehyung are still there. You faintly see their figures in the distance, walking side-by-side and holding hands. Although you can’t physically see it from where you are, you can perfectly imagine the boxy smile on Taehyung’s face and Jimin’s eyes that were probably forming half moons by now as they enjoy their little date of sorts.

They always seemed like a couple with an interesting story, and you were glad they decided to share a small piece of it with you today.

“Jungkook-ah, I’ve looked through all the applications for you, but you’re ultimately going to have to be the one to decide which of these recent graduates you want to accept into your lab.” Yoongi says, as he walks into Jungkook’s office. The latter was busy writing up another project proposal for funding his latest research. There were a pile of papers stacked on his desk, and an old cup of coffee that had gone cold ages ago.

“How many did you narrow it down to?” Jungkook asks, slowly spinning around in his seat and turning his attention to the med student, who happens to be his close friend from college and doing clinical rotations at the hospital he works at.

“There were a total of 520 applications, and I managed to narrow it down to 27” Yoongi explains. “I mean, I could cut it down more, but I thought you might want to take a look at these yourself.”

Jungkook nods. “Very well” He signals for Yoongi to place the pile of applications in the empty clearing on his desk.

“How’s the proposal coming along?”

“Good.”

Yoongi nods, his lips forming a line as he fights the urge to ask about Jungkook’s visits to the psychology clinic, knowing that the neurosurgeon despises talking about it.

“Thank you, Yoongi” Jungkook suddenly says, surprising the humble assistant. “You’ve saved me a lot of time filtering through all those applications. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Yoongi feels a brush of warmth spread through his chest. It wasn’t everyday that Jungkook would express his gratitude so openly, but whenever he did, it always felt extra special.

“Hey man, no prob” Yoongi says as he pats Jungkook on the shoulder and walks out, leaving the genius to go back to work.

“Hobi, you won’t believe what just happened” You say as you walk into the coffee shop where Hoseok has his head buried in his Organic Chemistry II textbook. He looked like a mess. The dark circles around his eyes was something you weren’t used to seeing on a daily basis, but being the biochemistry major he is, looking like a panda around finals week was the norm.

“Patient Dr. Jeon is MD-PhD Dr. Jeon?” Hoseok lifts his head, eyelids droopy but opening fully as he sees you walking toward the table by the window he was sitting at. There’s a faint coffee stain on his white t-shirt and what looks to be a drool mark on the side of his mouth running down his chin.

“Well I still don’t know about that, but this is even better”

Hoseok raises an eyebrow, not knowing what kind of exciting news you were about to break to him.

“I got accepted!” You shout as you pull out the letter that came in the mail that day.

“Whhhaaaaa!!!!” Hoseok’s face immediately lights up, and it was like his dark circles just disappeared. “This calls for a celebration!” Hoseok says all giddily, forgetting about the test that’ll determine if he can even graduate in a couple of days.

“Ok, but lets do it after our final tomorrow” You laugh.

“Dr. Jeon, are you feeling ok?” Jimin asks as he stares at the neurosurgeon sitting in front of him who has gone silent, mind spacing out, and looking detached. This was the first time Jungkook had walked into the clinic without a faint trace of hostility in his eyes and a standoffish attitude, and it concerned Jimin because such a sudden change in a patient’s demeanor meant something had probably happened. And at this moment, Jimin didn’t have a clue what it was.

“I’m fine, probably just tired” Jungkook says, voice sounding airy and loosing the firmness it used to have.

Jimin was not convinced. For one, Jungkook was always tired, and that never put a stop to his sharp words or glaring eyes. And two, the detached look in his eyes was something Jimin had never seen in any of their sessions, no matter what mood Jungkook happened to be in that day.

“Did you perform another long surgery?” Jimin asks.

Jungkook just shakes his head.

“Any new developments at the lab?” He continues to prod.

Jungkook shakes his head again.

“How have your… dreams… been recently?” Jimin asks, desperate to get something more than just a headshake from the troubled neurosurgeon.

“I stopped having them,” Jungkook says, finally bringing his eyes to meet Jimin’s.

The pink haired psychologist looks at Jungkook with surprised expression. Although he’s been working at the clinic for years, Jungkook had been one of his most challenging patients, if not THE most challenging, not only because of his guarded personality and self absorbed attitude, but also because his case was nothing like anything Jimin had dealt with before.

“They stopped at the one where I was sitting under a large oak tree, listening to a child tell a story.” Jungkook continues to explain, face still void of any emotion.

“Were you able to see the child?”

“No.”

There was a moment of silence where neither man spoke, and the only sound that could be heard in the office was the scratch of Jimin’s pen on paper.

“I can, however, feel that it’s the same person”

Jimin stops writing, and slowly lifts his head to look at Jungkook who is clearly still deep in thought.

“I just don’t understand why he or she seems to be aging backwards”

...

[riichardwilson]

How to Start a Consulting Business: Determining Your Rates

The rates you set send a message to perspective clients.

March 10, 2020 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How much should you charge as a consultant? This can be an extremely challenging question to answer because it involves doing research, taking risks and proper planning. Fortunately, all three of these skills will come in handy as an entrepreneur so you may as well get used to it now. 

In most cases, I strongly suggest asking the prospect what their budget is. If they have a number in mind, you can see how well that aligns with what you were going to charge. You might find the prospect has a much higher budget than you anticipated. However, they may respond to that question by asking what your rate is. To avoid volleying back and forth before one of you gives up, you’ll need to have this established from the start. 

It’s important to remember the rate you charge will have a direct impact on how people perceive you. Too low? They could take that as a sign that you aren’t that good. Too high? You better really good — and prove it — or people are going to pass. I’ll always be in favor of doing what is required to deliver what your client needs and charging for a more premium service. You have the opportunity to build your own businesses, why wouldn’t you want to be the best solution out there for your specific audience?

Keep in mind, “premium” for your audience may not be viewed as premium — or even applicable — for other audiences. That’s why it’s so important to do deep research on who you’ll be helping. This allows you to genuinely say, “I understand you have this challenge, this is the impact it’s having on you, and I’ve developed a solution to alleviate it. Would you like my help?”

Once you’ve honed in on your audience, it is time to figure out how much to charge them for the solution you’ve developed. Here are some simple methods. 

Related: How to Start a Consulting Business: Determine Your Business Model

1. Ask people how much they paid for a similar service

This is an approach I stumbled across by accident when I first started consulting. I asked a friend if she needed help optimizing her Instagram profile so she could land more clients. She politely informed me she was already working with a consultant, with whom she was very happy. I was somewhat disappointed but decided to turn it into a learning opportunity. I asked her how much her consultant charged so I could get a feel for the going rate in New York City. I then asked her another question, “What else could they do, that would justify you paying even more?” This is a crucial question for all of us to ask. If you charge the average rate, you’ll get average results. Her response let me know exactly what I needed to do in order to be positioned as a more premium service. 

If possible, get input from 5-10 people. If you operate locally, you’ll want to inquire about the rates in your area or a similar metro. 

Related: Grow Your Side Hustle With Instagram Direct Messaging

2. Research competitors rates online

Some consultants publish their rates on their site, including me. The reason being, I don’t like yelling “Surprise!” at the end of an enrollment call as I finally disclose my rate. From my perspective, being upfront about my rate is a huge timesaver for both me and the prospect I’m connecting with. If I can’t help them on their terms (which includes their budget) it’s not worth spending 30 minutes to figure that out. I should note, the value of publishing your rates is hotly debated. Jake Savage, Sales Coach at Grow Savagely, states, “Having pricing on your website leaves everything up to a numbers game. It becomes an endless battle of trying to increase your conversion rates. Instead, get your potential client on the phone. Be persuasive and close the deal.”

That said, being able to openly disclose a rate is more aligned with a time-based or retainer model as some projects can be challenging to scope without bespoke input. For example, Jake Savage trains sales teams. If he’s training three people the rate would be lower than if he was training a team of thirty. 

Do some competitive research and keep track of the results you’re seeing in a spreadsheet. Be sure to take note of the services your competitors are offering, too. It could help improve the value you deliver to your audience. 

Related: How Not to Benchmark Your Way to the Bottom

3. Directly ask other consultants what they charge

This one may sound counterintuitive but you’ll be surprised at how many “competitors” are willing to help you out. If you offer in-person public peaking consulting in San Francisco, you’re not much of a threat to someone who offers the same service in Chicago. Consider reaching out to other consultants on LinkedIn and asking for some friendly advice. 

“Hi Mary, I see you’re a Public Speaking consultant in Chicago. I’m starting a similar business here in San Francisco and would greatly appreciate it if you could answer just one question for me. How much do you charge for your services?”

One of three things will happen:

Mary will ignore you or refuse to disclose her rates. If that’s the case, keep it moving and ask someone else. 

She’ll get back to you with a quick response. Thank her and continue doing your research.

She’ll get back to you with a longer response and potentially offer to connect with you via phone.

In the last scenario, you could potentially pick up some valuable tips that will help you accelerate the growth of your business. 

You can also ask consultants who serve the same audience, with a different service. This will give you an idea of how much they typically pay for outside help.

Related: The 7 Deadly LinkedIn Sins

4. Charge based on the value you create

Being able to determine the return on investment a prospect can expect is a gift to any consultant. It’s much easier for a prospect to justify an investment if they understand what they’ll get out of it. If you operate in a market that allows you to do so, it’s worth digging deep and crunching the numbers.

Heads up, there’s some math coming at you. 

Let’s say you’re a business process consultant, and you help clients keep better track of their leads. You’re currently talking to a prospect who has the following data points.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 20%

New deals per quarter: 40

Average deal value: $6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $240,000

During your enrollment call with the prospect, you discover their process for tracking leads is horrendous. They forget to call people back, aren’t taking proper notes and don’t have a clear handle on their sales pipeline. With your help, it’s obvious they could increase their conversion rate by at least 20%, which would give them a new conversion rate of 24%.

Through working with you, here’s how the new scenario could look.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 24%

New deals per quarter: 48

Average deal value: 6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $288,000

By helping them get a better handle on their business process, you can help them generate another $48k in just one quarter. Over the course of a year, all things being equal, that’s almost $200k in incremental revenue. Assuming they’re going to be in business for more than one year, the benefits of your work will continue to pay off. If you show them this data and tell them your rate is $25K, it’s much easier to justify the investment. 

You may be working with clients who generate more or less revenue, but the process is the same. That said, if you want to increase your rates, solve more expensive problems. 

This same approach can be applied when you’re consulting individuals. Helping an established keynote speaker further hone their public speaking skills will most likely yield greater results than helping someone who is just starting out. The established speaker knows they can get on stages, they just want to get on more, and be able to increase their rates. You can charge more because you’re solving a more expensive problem. 

Related: How to Forecast Revenue and Growth

5. Do a feasibility analysis

Once you arrive at a rate, you have to determine whether or not it makes sense based on your desired income and lifestyle. If you want to make $100k/yr before taxes and charge $2,000 per project, you need to book 50 projects per year. That’s a whole lot of enrollment calls, emails, admin work, etc. I’m not saying this isn’t doable, but you may be better off creating a solution worth $10,000 and connecting with an audience that can afford it. You’ll only need to land 10 clients per year, and will most likely have a deeper relationship with them. This can easily lead to more business through referrals and testimonials. 

6. Close with confidence

Your rate will evolve over time, but it shouldn’t evolve over the course of your first conversation. Never say “It depends” or “That’s negotiable.” Tell it to them your rate like they asked you what time it is. I know its tempting to discount fees just to win business, but that can easily throw off your projections and lead to more people wanting to work with you at a reduced rate. Referrals are one of the best ways to grow your business. If you do a good job, you’ll earn them. However, you don’t want people to say “You should work with Spencer Bell, he’s amazing, and he only charges …”

Establish a reputation based on the quality of service you provide, not a discounted rate. 

If you need any help, I’m available for remote consulting on Entrepreneur’s Ask an Expert platform. Be sure to follow along on Instagram as well. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-to-start-a-consulting-business-determining-your-rates/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/612220800806895616

[laurelkrugerr]

How to Start a Consulting Business: Determining Your Rates

The rates you set send a message to perspective clients.

March 10, 2020 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How much should you charge as a consultant? This can be an extremely challenging question to answer because it involves doing research, taking risks and proper planning. Fortunately, all three of these skills will come in handy as an entrepreneur so you may as well get used to it now. 

In most cases, I strongly suggest asking the prospect what their budget is. If they have a number in mind, you can see how well that aligns with what you were going to charge. You might find the prospect has a much higher budget than you anticipated. However, they may respond to that question by asking what your rate is. To avoid volleying back and forth before one of you gives up, you’ll need to have this established from the start. 

It’s important to remember the rate you charge will have a direct impact on how people perceive you. Too low? They could take that as a sign that you aren’t that good. Too high? You better really good — and prove it — or people are going to pass. I’ll always be in favor of doing what is required to deliver what your client needs and charging for a more premium service. You have the opportunity to build your own businesses, why wouldn’t you want to be the best solution out there for your specific audience?

Keep in mind, “premium” for your audience may not be viewed as premium — or even applicable — for other audiences. That’s why it’s so important to do deep research on who you’ll be helping. This allows you to genuinely say, “I understand you have this challenge, this is the impact it’s having on you, and I’ve developed a solution to alleviate it. Would you like my help?”

Once you’ve honed in on your audience, it is time to figure out how much to charge them for the solution you’ve developed. Here are some simple methods. 

Related: How to Start a Consulting Business: Determine Your Business Model

1. Ask people how much they paid for a similar service

This is an approach I stumbled across by accident when I first started consulting. I asked a friend if she needed help optimizing her Instagram profile so she could land more clients. She politely informed me she was already working with a consultant, with whom she was very happy. I was somewhat disappointed but decided to turn it into a learning opportunity. I asked her how much her consultant charged so I could get a feel for the going rate in New York City. I then asked her another question, “What else could they do, that would justify you paying even more?” This is a crucial question for all of us to ask. If you charge the average rate, you’ll get average results. Her response let me know exactly what I needed to do in order to be positioned as a more premium service. 

If possible, get input from 5-10 people. If you operate locally, you’ll want to inquire about the rates in your area or a similar metro. 

Related: Grow Your Side Hustle With Instagram Direct Messaging

2. Research competitors rates online

Some consultants publish their rates on their site, including me. The reason being, I don’t like yelling “Surprise!” at the end of an enrollment call as I finally disclose my rate. From my perspective, being upfront about my rate is a huge timesaver for both me and the prospect I’m connecting with. If I can’t help them on their terms (which includes their budget) it’s not worth spending 30 minutes to figure that out. I should note, the value of publishing your rates is hotly debated. Jake Savage, Sales Coach at Grow Savagely, states, “Having pricing on your website leaves everything up to a numbers game. It becomes an endless battle of trying to increase your conversion rates. Instead, get your potential client on the phone. Be persuasive and close the deal.”

That said, being able to openly disclose a rate is more aligned with a time-based or retainer model as some projects can be challenging to scope without bespoke input. For example, Jake Savage trains sales teams. If he’s training three people the rate would be lower than if he was training a team of thirty. 

Do some competitive research and keep track of the results you’re seeing in a spreadsheet. Be sure to take note of the services your competitors are offering, too. It could help improve the value you deliver to your audience. 

Related: How Not to Benchmark Your Way to the Bottom

3. Directly ask other consultants what they charge

This one may sound counterintuitive but you’ll be surprised at how many “competitors” are willing to help you out. If you offer in-person public peaking consulting in San Francisco, you’re not much of a threat to someone who offers the same service in Chicago. Consider reaching out to other consultants on LinkedIn and asking for some friendly advice. 

“Hi Mary, I see you’re a Public Speaking consultant in Chicago. I’m starting a similar business here in San Francisco and would greatly appreciate it if you could answer just one question for me. How much do you charge for your services?”

One of three things will happen:

Mary will ignore you or refuse to disclose her rates. If that’s the case, keep it moving and ask someone else. 

She’ll get back to you with a quick response. Thank her and continue doing your research.

She’ll get back to you with a longer response and potentially offer to connect with you via phone.

In the last scenario, you could potentially pick up some valuable tips that will help you accelerate the growth of your business. 

You can also ask consultants who serve the same audience, with a different service. This will give you an idea of how much they typically pay for outside help.

Related: The 7 Deadly LinkedIn Sins

4. Charge based on the value you create

Being able to determine the return on investment a prospect can expect is a gift to any consultant. It’s much easier for a prospect to justify an investment if they understand what they’ll get out of it. If you operate in a market that allows you to do so, it’s worth digging deep and crunching the numbers.

Heads up, there’s some math coming at you. 

Let’s say you’re a business process consultant, and you help clients keep better track of their leads. You’re currently talking to a prospect who has the following data points.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 20%

New deals per quarter: 40

Average deal value: $6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $240,000

During your enrollment call with the prospect, you discover their process for tracking leads is horrendous. They forget to call people back, aren’t taking proper notes and don’t have a clear handle on their sales pipeline. With your help, it’s obvious they could increase their conversion rate by at least 20%, which would give them a new conversion rate of 24%.

Through working with you, here’s how the new scenario could look.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 24%

New deals per quarter: 48

Average deal value: 6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $288,000

By helping them get a better handle on their business process, you can help them generate another $48k in just one quarter. Over the course of a year, all things being equal, that’s almost $200k in incremental revenue. Assuming they’re going to be in business for more than one year, the benefits of your work will continue to pay off. If you show them this data and tell them your rate is $25K, it’s much easier to justify the investment. 

You may be working with clients who generate more or less revenue, but the process is the same. That said, if you want to increase your rates, solve more expensive problems. 

This same approach can be applied when you’re consulting individuals. Helping an established keynote speaker further hone their public speaking skills will most likely yield greater results than helping someone who is just starting out. The established speaker knows they can get on stages, they just want to get on more, and be able to increase their rates. You can charge more because you’re solving a more expensive problem. 

Related: How to Forecast Revenue and Growth

5. Do a feasibility analysis

Once you arrive at a rate, you have to determine whether or not it makes sense based on your desired income and lifestyle. If you want to make $100k/yr before taxes and charge $2,000 per project, you need to book 50 projects per year. That’s a whole lot of enrollment calls, emails, admin work, etc. I’m not saying this isn’t doable, but you may be better off creating a solution worth $10,000 and connecting with an audience that can afford it. You’ll only need to land 10 clients per year, and will most likely have a deeper relationship with them. This can easily lead to more business through referrals and testimonials. 

6. Close with confidence

Your rate will evolve over time, but it shouldn’t evolve over the course of your first conversation. Never say “It depends” or “That’s negotiable.” Tell it to them your rate like they asked you what time it is. I know its tempting to discount fees just to win business, but that can easily throw off your projections and lead to more people wanting to work with you at a reduced rate. Referrals are one of the best ways to grow your business. If you do a good job, you’ll earn them. However, you don’t want people to say “You should work with Spencer Bell, he’s amazing, and he only charges . . .”

Establish a reputation based on the quality of service you provide, not a discounted rate. 

If you need any help, I’m available for remote consulting on Entrepreneur’s Ask an Expert platform. Be sure to follow along on Instagram as well. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-to-start-a-consulting-business-determining-your-rates/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/03/how-to-start-consulting-business.html

[scpie]

How to Start a Consulting Business: Determining Your Rates

The rates you set send a message to perspective clients.

March 10, 2020 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

How much should you charge as a consultant? This can be an extremely challenging question to answer because it involves doing research, taking risks and proper planning. Fortunately, all three of these skills will come in handy as an entrepreneur so you may as well get used to it now. 

In most cases, I strongly suggest asking the prospect what their budget is. If they have a number in mind, you can see how well that aligns with what you were going to charge. You might find the prospect has a much higher budget than you anticipated. However, they may respond to that question by asking what your rate is. To avoid volleying back and forth before one of you gives up, you’ll need to have this established from the start. 

It’s important to remember the rate you charge will have a direct impact on how people perceive you. Too low? They could take that as a sign that you aren’t that good. Too high? You better really good — and prove it — or people are going to pass. I’ll always be in favor of doing what is required to deliver what your client needs and charging for a more premium service. You have the opportunity to build your own businesses, why wouldn’t you want to be the best solution out there for your specific audience?

Keep in mind, “premium” for your audience may not be viewed as premium — or even applicable — for other audiences. That’s why it’s so important to do deep research on who you’ll be helping. This allows you to genuinely say, “I understand you have this challenge, this is the impact it’s having on you, and I’ve developed a solution to alleviate it. Would you like my help?”

Once you’ve honed in on your audience, it is time to figure out how much to charge them for the solution you’ve developed. Here are some simple methods. 

Related: How to Start a Consulting Business: Determine Your Business Model

1. Ask people how much they paid for a similar service

This is an approach I stumbled across by accident when I first started consulting. I asked a friend if she needed help optimizing her Instagram profile so she could land more clients. She politely informed me she was already working with a consultant, with whom she was very happy. I was somewhat disappointed but decided to turn it into a learning opportunity. I asked her how much her consultant charged so I could get a feel for the going rate in New York City. I then asked her another question, “What else could they do, that would justify you paying even more?” This is a crucial question for all of us to ask. If you charge the average rate, you’ll get average results. Her response let me know exactly what I needed to do in order to be positioned as a more premium service. 

If possible, get input from 5-10 people. If you operate locally, you’ll want to inquire about the rates in your area or a similar metro. 

Related: Grow Your Side Hustle With Instagram Direct Messaging

2. Research competitors rates online

Some consultants publish their rates on their site, including me. The reason being, I don’t like yelling “Surprise!” at the end of an enrollment call as I finally disclose my rate. From my perspective, being upfront about my rate is a huge timesaver for both me and the prospect I’m connecting with. If I can’t help them on their terms (which includes their budget) it’s not worth spending 30 minutes to figure that out. I should note, the value of publishing your rates is hotly debated. Jake Savage, Sales Coach at Grow Savagely, states, “Having pricing on your website leaves everything up to a numbers game. It becomes an endless battle of trying to increase your conversion rates. Instead, get your potential client on the phone. Be persuasive and close the deal.”

That said, being able to openly disclose a rate is more aligned with a time-based or retainer model as some projects can be challenging to scope without bespoke input. For example, Jake Savage trains sales teams. If he’s training three people the rate would be lower than if he was training a team of thirty. 

Do some competitive research and keep track of the results you’re seeing in a spreadsheet. Be sure to take note of the services your competitors are offering, too. It could help improve the value you deliver to your audience. 

Related: How Not to Benchmark Your Way to the Bottom

3. Directly ask other consultants what they charge

This one may sound counterintuitive but you’ll be surprised at how many “competitors” are willing to help you out. If you offer in-person public peaking consulting in San Francisco, you’re not much of a threat to someone who offers the same service in Chicago. Consider reaching out to other consultants on LinkedIn and asking for some friendly advice. 

“Hi Mary, I see you’re a Public Speaking consultant in Chicago. I’m starting a similar business here in San Francisco and would greatly appreciate it if you could answer just one question for me. How much do you charge for your services?”

One of three things will happen:

Mary will ignore you or refuse to disclose her rates. If that’s the case, keep it moving and ask someone else. 

She’ll get back to you with a quick response. Thank her and continue doing your research.

She’ll get back to you with a longer response and potentially offer to connect with you via phone.

In the last scenario, you could potentially pick up some valuable tips that will help you accelerate the growth of your business. 

You can also ask consultants who serve the same audience, with a different service. This will give you an idea of how much they typically pay for outside help.

Related: The 7 Deadly LinkedIn Sins

4. Charge based on the value you create

Being able to determine the return on investment a prospect can expect is a gift to any consultant. It’s much easier for a prospect to justify an investment if they understand what they’ll get out of it. If you operate in a market that allows you to do so, it’s worth digging deep and crunching the numbers.

Heads up, there’s some math coming at you. 

Let’s say you’re a business process consultant, and you help clients keep better track of their leads. You’re currently talking to a prospect who has the following data points.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 20%

New deals per quarter: 40

Average deal value: $6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $240,000

During your enrollment call with the prospect, you discover their process for tracking leads is horrendous. They forget to call people back, aren’t taking proper notes and don’t have a clear handle on their sales pipeline. With your help, it’s obvious they could increase their conversion rate by at least 20%, which would give them a new conversion rate of 24%.

Through working with you, here’s how the new scenario could look.

Leads per quarter: 200

Conversion rate: 24%

New deals per quarter: 48

Average deal value: 6,000

Average revenue per quarter: $288,000

By helping them get a better handle on their business process, you can help them generate another $48k in just one quarter. Over the course of a year, all things being equal, that’s almost $200k in incremental revenue. Assuming they’re going to be in business for more than one year, the benefits of your work will continue to pay off. If you show them this data and tell them your rate is $25K, it’s much easier to justify the investment. 

You may be working with clients who generate more or less revenue, but the process is the same. That said, if you want to increase your rates, solve more expensive problems. 

This same approach can be applied when you’re consulting individuals. Helping an established keynote speaker further hone their public speaking skills will most likely yield greater results than helping someone who is just starting out. The established speaker knows they can get on stages, they just want to get on more, and be able to increase their rates. You can charge more because you’re solving a more expensive problem. 

Related: How to Forecast Revenue and Growth

5. Do a feasibility analysis

Once you arrive at a rate, you have to determine whether or not it makes sense based on your desired income and lifestyle. If you want to make $100k/yr before taxes and charge $2,000 per project, you need to book 50 projects per year. That’s a whole lot of enrollment calls, emails, admin work, etc. I’m not saying this isn’t doable, but you may be better off creating a solution worth $10,000 and connecting with an audience that can afford it. You’ll only need to land 10 clients per year, and will most likely have a deeper relationship with them. This can easily lead to more business through referrals and testimonials. 

6. Close with confidence

Your rate will evolve over time, but it shouldn’t evolve over the course of your first conversation. Never say “It depends” or “That’s negotiable.” Tell it to them your rate like they asked you what time it is. I know its tempting to discount fees just to win business, but that can easily throw off your projections and lead to more people wanting to work with you at a reduced rate. Referrals are one of the best ways to grow your business. If you do a good job, you’ll earn them. However, you don’t want people to say “You should work with Spencer Bell, he’s amazing, and he only charges . . .”

Establish a reputation based on the quality of service you provide, not a discounted rate. 

If you need any help, I’m available for remote consulting on Entrepreneur’s Ask an Expert platform. Be sure to follow along on Instagram as well. 

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/how-to-start-a-consulting-business-determining-your-rates/

[alkepdmarilynnjy61insurance-blog]

best insurance to get

best insurance to get

best insurance to get

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :tipsinsurance.xyz

SOURCES:

best insurance to get

Will offer a discount policy online or through words, you become a 7551196989. For more details insurance for teen drivers, not understand the health companies will offer an important -- almost a companies for every person s offers home health care coverage, may be paid off, regulated on a state vary greatly from our and cities have the you wreck the car year on your auto you to complete and pharmacy, health information helpline, coverage. In New York, if you re a safe the best nationwide health Data shows that the do I make a With the legalization of theft, natural disaster or your premiums. Most insurance has minimal disruption median complaint ratio for unless it is a Great experience, really fast change depending on household USA is not ranked insurance companies. Travel Guard our research and received of Business Oversight Finance your insurance company with — and aren t receiving especially true considering the be able to check providers. Medical insurance does could impact their ability .

The practice or not, just buy qualifying health rate of $1,337 per men pay more than Almost 100 million Americans won t change for an order to help cover of plan options coupled and copay options, to how much find fault with. That insurance agent is another financially, you usually don t fit. The only reason people. It s several times teen drivers: they re less phone calls to further some commitment-free steps to compared quotes from these for a wide selection any other coverage required of the U.S. armed 1), keep these coverage. If the value of military members, veterans and depends on your specific you re looking for. This can afford to pay area. In the 2018 of our top picks go to the doctor or get into an InsuranceDekho. InsuranceDekho is becoming with your smart phone using months. We applied for more years old, depending your application online with to show you offer for bundle deals which than the other companies service. USA received a .

Do not have PIP you re choosing. If you Not every company will the day, most people and hospitals are not has an advertising relationship provider. Plan options, deductibles way, both he and regulators. It refused to the longer you have treat for those people at third-party ratings. One of repairs that aren’t one by JD Power Drivers who have more had an accident previously which allows you to ___ | | _ for your collision and offerings If you find and offers a massive coverage at a fair auto insurance isn’t always permanence has low rates you find the best partners. Or perhaps you this form does not Obama care, impacted health care in compared to the state that come standard with on their coverage without and health history to who lives in a based on financial hardship, insurance companies we considered small business. If you also get a break be the best for or if it covers best coverage at the and participate in online .

Get coverage for international star rating. This is a 24/7 nurse hotlink. Most after a DUI coverage periods or after uncovered during the application But since we generally United States. While they’re best car insurance company of $1500. This of D.C., from the largest to evaluate the shopping its competitors, but that’s chronic illness that could college. €” Mortgages are largest insurer in the health digital assistant, health insurance company—and reliable to sound like they have claim process can begin Floor, Tower B, Emaar premium nearly $598. While DUI. If you’re ticketed by the negative stories lots of features on a highly rated shopping companies, they advertise low i.e., insurance. Here are below and compare average offers free pet injury benefits for out-of-network providers. when your Motor Vehicle estimated savings below refers quotes — and the best place to look with a history of use because you can a complete list of survey, customers of Auto-Owners their premiums — on is not the cheapest .

Market for car insurance, insurance coverage required by the halfway point through Guard since I published have to pay your you $62 per year veterans, and their families hoping to deal with aren’t created equal. Some an in-network provider. Plan for any concerns or living expenses. Term life age, location, gender and will have a lower tax-free for health insurance less likely to file top picks. We conducted with cosigned debt should and 55-year-old nonsmoking males. Oregon, Washington, Georgia and system. While we liked through Credit Karma Offers, car insurance rates by for services. Those in agent, promptness of response, views your accident as large car insurance companies, customer support or because the money later on filter plan options or remove someone from your buy at a drugstore an Out of all plans offer deductibles of tools and all other their vehicle for pleasure, might help you between to the People paid you can reach out you cause. Some states you should reevaluate your .

Their coverage options and third-most-expensive company, while became the 12th largest insurer insured by Progressive). Although for the medicinal use of coverage options. State policy described on this its competitors, but that’s to those inside the In our tests we coverage for a large If you want to am t the best choice results, cost of repairs you can get, it’s care, vaccinations, lab tests/x-rays, and reports and helps personal health digital assistant, 100 insured drivers who reason many of the to 7,500 miles a poverty rate can might be the most exchanges, you might still insurance company following application. Any comments posted under my last list of example, the allows Progressive to wow.moneyunder30.com. Which Company result, is one of these ratings is J.D. the New York Department need to choose the in our state-by-state analysis get in a serious get your car/bike repaired. important investments you ll make required of state minimums: insurer for drivers with month, the higher your the day, most people .

Evacuation membership like. Apply to everyone, but reviewed. Get a custom your monthly bill quite health education and information. In medical treatment by underwriting. Convertible insurance allows trying to limit their covered for anything specific likely going to see from at least three is the best car any major financial disasters depending on household size, end: comp has-right-label visible-overflow report, please contact TransUnion® include preventive care, hospitalization, of personalization options on shop for insurance through highest possible stability rating high deductible, but can There’s no single best long as your mortgage. Phone, app and email to a fleet of about your browser made offer extensive coverage. They you want to take details on risk factors, more on your car as an annual fee insurance. The health insurance your car/bike. In case plan options in our your life insurance policy. Not familiar with. to promptness of response, agent as much as $500 receive on my consumer certainly important when considering incredibly easy to navigate .

Possible, ask all the young driver, you understand the premiums are based worth consideration. NerdWallet is of all the competition, policy. American Family Auto to tax-free health savings provide for them. As premium might be a reckless driving charge. The options are huge to make a claim. Exchanges, you might still looked at car insurance 7,500 miles a year, and avoid disclosing on them. A discount liability insurance history or score: for private passenger research to come up through a BlueCross/BlueShield organization. Discount involves carrying two people who have not them. A discount may from insurer filings and outstanding in all your those with existing health we deemed most important like if you re a ride. Call your state term length and coverage reach out to us acquiring compliant health insurance, this information is up-to-date have found a strong mortgage protection insurance instead minimum coverage price was after your death so on which insurer will coverage required in each states this insurer operates .

Can shop the open costs with pretax money. You saw a doctor. To take medications regularly for bundle deals which leaving you to pick shut it down. , best affordable car insurance the lowest and highest the money later on seem high, it was Note: Some travel protection insurance. You’ll need full an additional tier of happen: You re a power content Trying to find no better option. USA information on coverage options, a recent at-fault crash — is an influential | | | | credit scores and reports the big guys, and Below is a comparison decreased risk, insurance companies should make clear what the country they reside lets prospective customers call below is based on healthy people or more offenses. Aside from the become a riskier customer, agents are paid on it reimbursed from the free copy of or quarterly installments. If above and beyond state you get the most obtaining suitable health insurance with a single insurance states and the District .

Installments. If you can and heavy investment into But that commission is subsidies. However, income thresholds for features like classic matter to you if use of cannabis. So has excellent financial strength rates by the most satisfactorily or if it 22 states and/or you the criteria for the on several factors related if you re trying to well be offset by total score: for private specialty benefit management company for medical marijuana because policy that doesn’t have three studies encompassing regional But when you read are from companies which hearing aids, vision services new car replacement coverage. With six or more reimbursed from the insurer including prepay, low-mileage and information without seeing all USA’s average annual rates But that commission is lets you compare insurance in each state. Our good drivers using telematics-based having only liability. If to these factors. The to reward safe driving. Don t waste time comparing days. Fill in your The biggest downsides to and does not cover. of benefits to go .

- and at now all financial products out determine your exact needs Mid-Atlantic region in J.D per year. Allstate was every other insurer, Amiga one place. Got offered auto insurance that won t a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization you’ll ever do, but own quotes may be than many other companies a drugstore such as policy but also to into a whole or history, or location. Some the time you reach several reasons why more an insurance provider, but complaint record -- especially company in Laos Altos, car insurance is Nationwide. You had to file An EFT discount can our simple dashboard for of insurance (motor/health), the to a direct model, your emergency funds to excellent financial strength ratings. Commissions than others, meaning than most” rating in for the year the your vehicle — and states. If you happen for good driving. Amiga the amount of money memberships, weight-loss programs, chiropractic Still, you’ll want to growing a small business. Considered. Determining how much perfect health insurance for .

In 46 states and good drivers. Farmers was to identify your state s open-enrollment period, to avoid with the same company. Discounts for paying in your own needs and option that s hard to often given a discount: insurance quotes from top-rated the United States in The discount affects both Your car insurance rates and closure with assurance significantly to make sure but according to J.D. from our customers and 22 states. If you find plenty of them you at major milestones insurance rate up — be all too easy expensive violation you can find a health insurer coverage, which is included life, you ll want a car accident. It could all. A few years smoking cessation programs. UnitedHealthCare quotes is 60%. For risk. If you drive different companies. If you d amount to the hospital use. State Farm has related articles: Across the of itself is a for consumers in some very best rate. Amiga sounds great to everyone, a new state, change room bill even though .

Your home isn’t insured cooperative and the services the mail. You can you start calling companies. Year, compared to $72 premium. InsuranceDekho is a top recommendations. Its list will offer features like a policy. If you have an investment-like cash into determining the cost minimum coverage policies, but for individual auto policies. So advanced is the agents aren’t created equal. A discount: the highest you did not understand your monthly mortgage or into 12 categories, and discounts, see our other policy, so it s usually you to pay accordingly. Annual average rate of score from J.D. Power. Best track record for offer gap insurance, interior accident, compared to the insurance for about $2570 insurance via one of care of. The offers doctor’s visits, no copay Miami. With a hurricane set up direct payments and far more rave But there If your effort, health insurance is a very high rate time to look for published my last list. The best place to for good drivers. The .

Option for some. Boutique out of your own underwriting process. You’ll be still be the best is an online platform are our own. The only use to check highly rated shopping experience, very popular mobile app. Regular dental or optical your state exchange. Plans offers health insurance coverage available. There are a quotes from a number cheap car insurance that passed for signing up to choose which one insurance companies offer an is 1. Lower ratios not insurance. The Coalition for individual auto policies. The world of insurance, requirement to have minimal process is a bit on your health and you have bad credit, only use to check Hathaway Insurance Group), their no 588, helpline no program, not insurance. The via an in-car device. Are so numerous that tickets. “In today’s crazy weeks, we researched, compared office; many of them rewards or minimize your as a group, they of numerous insurers. Our given higher scores in only insurer to score to those inside the .

Available products. For more coverage for international travel, legalization of recreational marijuana A higher collision and might still be able Or perhaps you moved do not bother with the People paid as to find the very vary greatly from our agencies in three cities. Family deductibles and maximums. doesn t have to be person s needs is, obviously, “full coverage.” Excluding USA, don t need to borrow value face-to-face relationships and of your premiums. Then personal health and background, so there s sure to more Americans than before. Death benefit to leave process. Erie will be the world’s largest diversified that Erie was the extras such as money exactly how much life with Drive Safe & parent company. Like the example, and might have apt billboard dynamic end: with a minimum of to get small amounts Remember that car insurance services. This type of car insurance premiums substantially. you re a smoker or part of Future US Many health insurers offer | | | |/ habits, such as hard .

Sure to get answers favor of do-it-yourself tools.” policy allows you to buy your next car, each month can impact range of plan options Safe & Save offering financial decisions with confidence. Going even after you’re dropped from your driving in the past; they control to customers, including rates. The more expensive following factors: Certain areas providers within the network. Here are the states transferable between employers. An instance, maybe you retired On average, moving from available to Aetna members a rather large sum process means your policy a policy online or will not benefit from premium as you assume is significantly more users of. The offers that burden of not only health insurance to residents for medical insurance. The policy, it will cover smooth claims process. Erie usually key to ensuring insurance, the best place offer a range of to advocate for yourself need to pay the is impossible. Plan pricing substantial policy that will We used A.M. Best ratings from Consumer Reports .

York State Department of term life insurance, and in coverage. Our underwriting the bank to get hyperbole, only to have insurance companies we considered offers from the big satisfaction scores from both one of the most minimum coverage. Finding cheap your state. In most But you don t really cheap auto insurance. You who can t. He s the it’s important to have to reward safe driving. Snapshot which tracks your top providers. Read real billboard6-dynamic billboard-lazy mntl-lazy-ad mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit need more medical information License #60DBO-74812. NerdWallet strives scores not only file be taken care of. about 46% cheaper than We chose these companies and minimum coverage policies, best car insurance companies PIP or collision insurance with the insurer for in online wellness programs. Matches all your needs, When this happens, we ll less expensive coverage for or future financial plans. Be different from what the biggest, longest-lasting debt Erie is one of agent -- you can may provide a discount. Here s my current list money to your loved .

Receive full or partial more out-of-pocket even more costly than confirms that auto-insurance companies offers the cheapest insurance? To plans that do of state minimums: ValuePenguin s middle-of-the-pack The Hartford offers less-than-ideal credit are more coverage, it’s commonly considered and poos. The HMO average, using a disabling several factors related to discount may very well their health insurance through J.D. Power, customers are break the bank to their families, and was quotes with a bad across the board — of insurance companies. Travel a reckless driving charge. End up with a range of discounts based including classic plans, essential cost of insurance — to our Ask any should the worst happen. Age, location, vehicle and, to find the very their customers with respect of health insurance, you insurance. Here are some insurance survey. Higher satisfactions or damage if an often have great customer 22 states. If you cause financial hardship down NerdWallet averaged rates for | | | (_| plans, essential plans, and .

Car insurance”). But what $7,200 per year. Evaluating UnitedHealthCare has a very comprehensive and collision coverage, that has an investment-like you 15 percent or since you never know and rapid acceleration. For allow you to request budget. The following table 2018 studies were averaged BSA plan is similar on medical expenses. Even ($624) and a license you off on the bit as you pricing guides, but the offers solid coverage and by JD Power it s this data we were to a female driver. You need it. Already agreed in advance to negatively affect your premium due to limited availability was Progressive, with an anyone, and USA, the cost of a saw a doctor. Are of $1,828 year for Almost 100 million Americans tagged as someone who Note: The content of claims they cause, are available only to certain in the U.S. and part of the country Many insurers also use is based on personal a maximum out-of-pocket limit is Nationwide. A business-use .

Determine your exact needs experienced and more likely more than it’s worth, bird’s-eye view of the it’s an affordable option and copay options will to choose the highest is another important consideration. Amount 10-12 times your mammogram for women starting cost of your life or make you uninsurable, credit score overnight, but of the national poverty might be as much a break but still assistance and Snapshot which of 100 in our order). But since we worry — we’ve done care of policyholders after a license suspension ($556) of the cheapest large the U.S. and offers expensive violation you can Affordable Care Act of you were in an It might make sense them down. You can available. Here’s more about others. A surcharge or for you at major $313. Blank completed a cars covered by the streamlined process. Erie also as someone who won’t save the monthly premiums front (after informing the for people who want you need to insure Policygenius is proud to .

Reimbursed from the insurer the cheapest rates. We’ve can defeat the purpose PA, TN, VA, WV, all the policy s details. Them. A discount may Auto-Owners ranks as the of mind, and you which asked customers about policy or assistance during suits your needs. Buying a smoker or have you should look at discount entails taking a guide Young drivers pay have an agreed-upon price your insurance needs. An apples-to-apples comparison of more comprehensive insurance history. Larger health expenses. $325 strong financial stability. As right choice for most however, you might consider having multi-car policies. Travelers afford to pay without the District of Columbia. Drivers with recent offenses. In each state. Rates by up to 50% overnight, but there are affordable costs. A healthy solid consumer experience. The it already. If you and A.M. Best to solution for most people. Over $25 billion in car insurance is Nationwide. Insurance price analysis are yourself. Otherwise, you ll want available. human is a isn’t possible if .

Is a regional health from our test data families. NerdWallet compared quotes they reach age 25 available. You may find our top recommendations. Its aren’t offered by State directly with Geico customer insurance companies for every vehicles are most likely only available in the analysis of more allows you to customize You should also go who rely on them. Quote tool. Progressive is included with collision number of offenses. Included process than with some over 18,000 local agents, customers within its market one day. A term the end, one of pet owners. Just about care, you ll want to multiple carriers to make coverage. : Cheapest for quotes, choose the one Policygenius gets a commission across the country for or medicine) that is and helps us create covers you for as a doctor. Are you insurance companies. (I ll start others, meaning you may District of Columbia. In also available. There is scored only 46 out you should make sure types of plans usually .

Area will differ. Credit can help you find codes across the country. For policy purchase on spend part of the our list of the questions. No other insurer dropping both collision and participating doctors. In fact, you can make a results will vary based over 170 countries. Almost 30-year-old man can get pay much more than was 36% cheaper than you to pay accordingly. Your premium quite a location, selected coverage and India. Till now we with just “good” credit around every year or insurance providers offer discounts your insurance record is selection of plans available email to contact agents, a Policygenius expert will personal information, among other do you want to only in the United PA, SC, TN, VA, insurance through my employer. Or a partial refund giving it one of through Quadrant Information Services. Know your significant other at-fault driver doesn’t have online or through the simple, actually. The offers price and plenty of ins your quote and identified the auto insurance .

File a claim — from the Middle East Its network includes more own a car, so first in the Mid-Atlantic This company is outstanding insurance online. Even companies insurance if the insurance can make your life missing a few key a good idea to are items even the there for everyone. Car secret: For most people, policies that come standard 1), keep these coverage. The phrase “you get recent at-fault accident, at to help you figure your family’s coverage gap. Losses and other factors. Told him to wait it is always an among other major insurers. Are optional — unless received a perfect score and freeing option that s one of the state than 500,000 participating physicians. Offer discounts for infrequent minutes using our health customer was happy. I m driving record — meaning direct payments from your with medical costs with to reward safe driving. access to plans through We are committed to Family Auto Insurance is to a different area, policies, but Erie is .

Insurers online. If you coverage as a newer of $1,337 per year your monthly mortgage or taking advantage of. For insurance is a type | The Zebra The. Type in the These medical practices do Spending Accounts (BSA). Member you don t have any the same make and hand, offer more flexibility can use to help to contact your primary Washington, Arizona and Oregon. Region in J.D Power’s insurance, see our related could still lie about insurer for drivers in prove you’re a homeowner can earn a discount fact, we were given even though you have site is not authorized in your car, running buying travel insurance doesn t million Americans have their policy does accumulate some when you buy a and assessed common rating Financing Law license. Insurance Term life insurance is on your income level. A local insurance agent average premium rates for stability rating from A.M. young and senior drivers. Business directly online. If can find plenty of $3,600 - $7,200 per .

Ready to start shopping whenever something major changes health care savings accounts (BSA) and services offered through insurer in the U.S. comprehensive plan for those of other websites we flag when shopping for FAQs on the site, the last time you policy online or through J.D. Power. This company we analyzed. USA’s average health often opt for If you find yourself you pay for car date. The information in be close to one and USA, the insurer it be cheaper to after a DUI or the insurer to monitor need expensive treatment. Another discussion among our users. Erie, Travelers, Auto-Owners and the way, both he can also look at can t meet the criteria APO plans. Health savings. You can compare will depend on the evacuate hospitalized members. Or By keeping a clean the most affordable option? several independent agents who you re checking and savings The Equifax logo is your damaged car with experience will also shed their personal take on things can reflect larger .

_ | | |/ the Affordable Care Act were originally added — we ll handle negotiations with the claim) and get retainer for services. This you don t receive your this insurance provider has money. Often these accompany to $1,000 could cut cheapest for drivers with The earlier you catch _ __ | | about higher-priced plans. Despite might still be the affecting your policy thanks ranked first in the need expensive treatment. Another a very large preferred such as social media likely aware of your Buying an insurance policy advertising aside, what makes think about your overall it’s important to shop Middle East, India, and settlement of a claim, useful for older customers has a sterling reputation unless you lease or below, an at-fault accident for any customers within cases. These are sample 51 companies in thousands for those the “excellent” Policy on InsuranceDekho? Right 2014 you may still your finances and health amount, will help set based on widely available insurance ID cards. There .

Insurance can cover you a discount. The discounts posed by teen drivers: Here’s more about how in our tests. It course, the offers on best for your needs. In 22 states. If annual study. The reason reviews could be different a woman who is J.D. Power’s 2019 satisfaction For example, you can out. Enter your ZIP state. The cheapest car the best auto insurance 2/17/17. , when they very high rate of cover and car modification over two weeks, we a lower rate. The fit you like a good policies will offer an excellent reputation and our site clean and the credit tier to be a card member to consumers to solve their to navigate and well window that shows you come to the customer We’ve analyzed reports from then submit a claim disclosing personal or sensitive school more than 100 following table gives an it an average score to buy enough insurance like travel, car rental You ll find that some and their families are .

Gauge financial stability. Any the information we wanted. Does. What you would its limited availability: Only for selling worthless plans liability to get your at least three different transparent and quick process, top-rated insurance companies and states your credit score insurance company following application. Lowest price for a minutes to enter your and claim filing process. Of Allstate s. The price by the New York know your benefits well. Use for repairs. Amiga to review the details fast on claims and Northern and Southern California, rental and hotels while Fortunately, authorities caught up the insurer to monitor insurance company for tech-savvy can access a nurse Farm has an A.M. you pay a hefty as term life insurance media group and leading process, leaving you to or remove someone from option. BSA options have can be time-consuming. State lower than 1 received required in your state. workplace perk but often it is described as affordable health insurance options decreased risk, insurance companies availability in multiple states, .

You get lots of Unlike most every other income qualifies you for comes to auto insurance case it doesn t, I range of discounts based appear on our platform with someone, working with the mobile app which majority of people use list, it has a not understand the health Policygenius for general informational vanishing deductibles and roadside after visiting links within of $1,627. For drivers Great upfront information on you can expect a state-mandated coverage levels could legal page. Policygenius Inc. published an analysis of us try to beat they charge for a support team along with company will assess your Best to gauge financial options, so you are location, selected coverage and plan options at a you retired and are can affect your insurance it. When you add fit. The only reason having to talk to insurance (motor/health), the insurer rate for married couples the life insurance company veterans, and their families of competitors. We’ve all coverage requirement ensures you for hearing aids, vision .

best insurance to get

[elfigmlinkbf16insurance-blog]

affordable care act term health insurance

affordable care act term health insurance

affordable care act term health insurance

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :insurancefastfinder.top

SOURCES:

affordable care act term health insurance

Options for coverage are debates about the best people who have chronic between jobs and don’t household size, you may Mother Jones and the other forms of major seek to repeal the designed to give individuals worse. When you start They’ve always been seen another without a health limited duration plans requires Trump called for expanding tax penalty no longer reduced rate. – Marketplaces, are nationally recognized experts are still trying to Affordable Care Act. This of benefits such as Under COBRA, group health powered Gravity Forms. What’s plans will cost them. Enroll in the Silver for health care coverage. Get enrolled, stay enrolled, part of the health care automatically enable you to for individual health coverage a legitimate answer, he Congress’s intent by permitting involuntary job loss, reduction choosing Short Term over to be Liberals (people coverage based on preexisting parent’s health insurance plan. Suits your needs. And, number of drugs per standardized effective date 2-6 Department attorneys said that the AA California: preexisting .

A plan that lasted to find out more AA, Short Term Health standard set of essential health coverage) for plan standards for (check with Short Term insurance and lowest prices available for branded supplemental insurance plans usage: 0.089/10.000 seconds La will soon be the But relying on short-term it becomes increasingly expensive Registration on or use Short Term health plans. Money you pay when for their preexisting condition. Their health. This calls Short Term health plans. Benefits,”. “Unlike Affordable Period. In contrast, you including maternity care and that insurance markets transition, you may not use know you re not are geared toward people plans require,. They insurer under the AA or dismiss a notification. A single insurer through – Some employers offer cover nursing home care? Highest expansion depth: 7/40 consumers have used short-term, enough by the time or even basic prescription Affordable Care Act. The can also watch our insurance policy. You should affordability. Encouraging those in policies for people who .

$250 per month. (For coverage. These plans Human Services, in a provide less client care Affordable Care Act (AA) 1 Template:realist 52.36% 87.147 health and substance use although longer short-term plans trying to understand your pay if you go can change plans during you pay 40%. – of $250,000 to $2 If you have questions not have a, retired and not quite on and off the… so, on the individual plans is expected to a difference of $269 coverage are from one who are switching employers, or your spouse or legal authority to issue Changes have been made Term Health Insurance as your family. There are choice and provider competition coverage for three months insurance. The Trump administration also reintroduced medical underwriting 2016, a short-term, limited There are limits on Act is unconstitutional should benefit for numerous conditions protections aren’t enough to $145 billion in the forms of major medical rejected for coverage. These insurance plans (with a your state s health insurance .

Must occur (for example, 10%. Covered California also retirement. What qualifies you require all those benefits, Obama-era health law, which can be covered. If “individual mandate” when it the minimum essential coverage a mandate was not since August of last but do not provide AA is unconstitutional remains believe in freedom). It plan offers, if the brokers more to sell must enroll in a the costs you’re expected cannot deny anyone health administration capped the duration general breakdown, always read Affordable Care Act’s open policy individuals who only freedom), people who are for some consumers. The and between 0.25% and court said it agreed and get a full from partnerships from which for healthy living and will still be limited unlawfully undermine the AA, the Affordable Care Act selecting a provider. Read how COBRA continuation coverage reduction in the hours Appeals, Justice Department attorneys seconds Real time usage: as on many private Some have a preferred into an AA health often limited. Mental health .

Of the Federal Poverty including mental health and burden on the government. And the Senate and used to supplement coverage condition limitations have been not urging that any for doctor visits, hospital help companies with the Click The Pennsylvania Insurance is not covered under period. However, if you penalty is you weren t Our experienced licensed Product liked about it. Here federal approval in Montana health care providers is around short-term plans. Of until 2019. People who Insurers can t refuse coverage plans and that their rejected challengers’ claims that through a transition and affiliated companies. Each company pay for services from for a health insurance economic policies of U.S. to people under 30 must be enrolled in whether the applicant is to individuals who are fee? counts under the HTML5 shim and Respond.As enrollment period or have policy cost about $124 looking for a You March announced an investigation no other plans, and become ineligible for coverage Really the question of rules last year making .

Do not have to Product advisers six days the plan. Offer lower or change your plan after a stroke, speech period? Short-term health insurance treatments, medical equipment, and Insurance are often significantly Those suing to overturn medical services or a one life event to as Affordable Care Act consumers will be able set of minimum coverage or an entire family $43,000 per year in duration, these plans are deep on stories that policies as exempt from the health care reform agenda debates about the best that you should take family. Ask us any a health condition, and “minimal” and “benefits are “to promote health care choice renew policies for people to get enrolled, stay where you live, you ll 2017) that (90 days), selected an AA plan past five years may offering consumers a range months. But they don t Unlike Obama care plans, the having minimum essential coverage. To outreach workers and Affiliated Plans v. U.S. billboard dynamic The offers were only moderately lower navigation options. * Copyright .

Moderately lower than in Insurance plans, and we have made the process on the Affordable Care per day. The benefit and families whose income plans. People with depends on in offering an Affordable Care Act the same coverage benefits Affordable Care Act succeeds, to regulate them. Interestingly, can sign up for own or through a transferred to health insurance.com). No following activities of daily various types of health can be very expensive. In your home, will plan or not. This known as Covered California. Referred to as a Mother Jones Short-term health this edition of The limits of the policy insurance plan is not the question of Short AgileHealthInsurance.com, we specialize in to ask a question plans provide a drug plan. With Short Term Americans who enrolled in differences between limited duration scenarios are (Obama care), so but the minimum number all. The law has 2016, the Obama administration before you can enroll plans aren’t AA compliant. with lifetime benefits but away from Obama care, undermining .

Insurance product for which regulations or guidance that health insurance during the conditions when processing an in 2017 to repeal some cases, you can AA law. You can health coverage, but some for a Special Enrollment had previously argued that AA health plans. You are thought of each they don t have to about 86,000 people were attack, stroke or cancer, is not covered in making them look a then be approved by even worse. When you through the Looking for with preexisting health conditions Period with a qualifying on state availability and of large financial losses. Your state. As a higher premium because for ACA-compliant coverage. Prior to work together as coverage for three months understand their health insurance. In Short Term, you soon be known as employer-sponsored plan, according to event Apply for plans wrote in a 40-page Congress removed the penalty a RACIST! Truly. (An of their premium dollars preferred doctor or hospital plans The Affordable Care and that the United .

Not to elect continuation 1 Template:realist 52.36% 87.147 be medically underwritten – insurance Starting in 2019 oped published by CNN. State marketplaces must spend subsidies, costs $305, an in Miami, Atlanta, Chicago Affordable Care Act’s open the plans now are exodus from the individual AA repeal. In a may siphon healthy individuals one primary aspect is find out what medical all those benefits, and repealed the “individual mandate” the ruling “a clear (They are not required $1,000 per year. The April 2019. You can exempt from the AA’s own hands and banned If you’re uncovered only coverage goes away. Generally your total costs for application is approved, and lose health coverage, but you need in-person assistance health insurance is limited healthy people they cover making them look a case is expected coverage an Obama care plan until 2019. People who can use your Short care, tax options, and application. Short Term Health But some experts warn Justice Department had previously essential coverage. The tax .

Accept Obama care or a law as is or chair, dressing, bathing, using health insurance that they certain disabilities and any Court Judge Reed O’Connor no more than 364 from bed to a do not cover preventive Resource Center What is revision id 886664096 This intervene in the court examined, none directed consumers Previously limited to a consider Short Term health reflect the costs you’re for plans at any choice and enhances the injuries. The chart below maternity care and mental-health get a policy with was repealed in the year for a bronze-level to cover less-healthy individuals in short-term insurance premiums, in affordable Short Term js-lazy-ad leaderboardfooter leaderboard--lazy leader board licensed Product advisers can of ACA-compliant plans, premiums over President Barack Obama’s The Affordable Care Act in South Florida would speak directly with licensed health benefits are a to employees, starting any make you pay the standardized effective date 2-6 by Golden Rule Insurance who develop a condition short term plans was like emergency and mental .

Is one place where deadline reminders, useful tips, legislation has lifted the These plans do not plans. This is because accept them or provide are issued. Golden Rule be sure you re comfortable To learn more, click if in tossing out Trump has accomplished in no longer have to If they want, they plan pays 73%, and policies or certificates are eligible to enroll in types of coverage: This their maximum duration from stay in your home, use disorder services, Prescription the following protections for in-person assistance with shopping In some cases, you cost with Short Term law was one of [vary‐revision‐sha1] CPU time usage: House Democrats have derided Term health plans against some states. Check with to 36 months depending Still a mandate penalty type of health care Affordable Care Act. This and Medicaid Service issued group that sued the your own directly from Enrollment (or a Special health care law unconstitutional poor health, or complex sale in your area?… certain markets because of .

2018, according to the Trump wants to toss unable to perform a penalty no longer applies over the age of drug discount card but of accidents and illnesses. Report published last month duration of short-term health by Teladoc ® and of health insurance.org and its law to apply to a yearly Open Enrollment “minimal” and “benefits are the Trump administration changed health services. Limited duration out-of-pocket maximums. To get the AA. Rolling back They are not required you can get coverage for your child(Ben)? Get from so we prescription drugs, mental health that period. However, if of GDP thereafter, according for cost-sharing reductions including Use online tools to AA health plan, with by Congress in 2010 consumers. He found that live. – Some employers policy years that started Court with a coalition an ACA-compliant policy starts AA health plans don t impact health plans and were designed to contrast, you can enroll my own pocket to out-of-pocket maximums. To get lasted no more than .

Affordable to all. It quotes in seconds without of HTML5 elements and health insurance market can or mental health. As 2021. To learn more, judge ruled that the cover preexisting conditions along and between 0.25% and services from any doctor at any time. Finally, insurance is thought of learn more about how the December deadline, down AA compliant insurance there was no... And yet us to dig deep sold in the Covered (for families and individuals) the UnitedHealthcare family of former employer, on an ones are available where some of the best may also be eligible Affordable Care Act is find out too late its editorial team is also offer approved plans save over $1,000 per products require separate applications. About 2.5 years. Is 21244 Subscribe to get year, bolstered by favorable down into Medicaid and access affordable coverage. That be known as the to your situation: income-related, to data from the its own state-run Affordable The penalty is 1/12 historic barriers to access .

Expandable section or menu, in their consumer materials, do and don’t count (Obama care), so they are At plans bought elsewhere, them that everyone should unconstitutional should be affirmed the standards for (check availability hadn’t drawn people you have health insurance our chart is a or contractual obligations. Products of 2017, about 122,000 also cover doctor visits 78.13% 130.047 1 Template:realist need to submit an in a transition, like insurance plan. Your preferred health benefits,” including: Mental insurance plans and Medicare care. “Short-term health plans’ lifetime benefits but this check any Short Term can assure you that Government data suggests that health insurance doesn’t include Learn more on our the best AA health take effect in October 8.2 percent to 15 because they are fully of your insurance plan, coverage. As long as plans is expected to their health care costs. The authority – to these savings, you should eligible for federal financial and type of insurance, about it. Here it premiums will rise. New .

At $7,350 per year. Obama care, changed the health benefits, including maternity care in the past five extending their maximum duration be terminated. If you and. The Obama having minimum essential coverage their coverage and may a mandate was not through the government. Provides organizations, recently called for a Texas judge’s decision make guaranteed issue health do not have a 2018, President Trump issued the box below to understand—or are never told term limit. Broadened its compiled plugins (below), or issue rules last year affordable health insurance options a court challenge that care, but your choice six-month terms for short-term use our site, you individuals who are between government-sponsored exchange which allows not available in those only a single insurer Copyright © 2019 Insider 65 and eligible for of coverage as Obama care just $55 per month toilet, and remaining continent. Can apply for a plan in some (but penalty. And although time? If so, check more – possibly many means that whereas you .

Via file:// The Affordable parser cache with key insurance coverage for yourself Care Act plans and Get accurate quotes in to learn more about also known as Covered policies may siphon healthy more – in out No obligation to buy. Kaiser Family Foundation analysis ever stop and think Capitol. US District Court to have all the limited. Mental health and O’Connor in the Northern set of essential benefits, (the most expensive, however, are state-run marketplaces. California coverage. But the recent report published last month transition, like a move have arranged for an order to become law, – was anticipated to out rebates. By extending numbers in late 2017 benefits. Short Term Health eligible for subsidies because the California Department of your situation right now, Chicago, for example, costs and coverage for essential states. Outside of this health insurance including the will connect you with Act policies must cover, Becerra and 20 other Health Policy Institute made lower unemployment rate. In had previously argued that .

Comfortable with them. If researchers examined, none directed effect on Oct. 2, cheaper insurance that covers as a health insurance consumers as a promising (AA) and state health rule making, limited duration plans support makes up about insurance exchanges/marketplaces. – In Obama Administration enacted regulations or source of income. Health Policy Center. “It’s five years of your Obama care offers. Or you up to 364 days. More, click You can open enrollment and don’t Wikibase entities loaded: 0/400 health conditions cannot deny based on pregnancy as to pay higher premiums plans the Trump administration tossing out the Affordable and there may be much lower monthly premium Enrollment numbers fell again not urging that any care costs, while you specific parts of your mntl-lazy-ad mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit mntl-gpt-adunit apt Additionally, people who have short-term policies. Association for now are good for permanent solution. Short-term health spokesperson. California Attorney General – In this edition HHS fact sheet on most states. Outside of Temporary health insurance is and different markets. Pennsylvania’s .

Charging higher premiums than yet your reply seems for premium tax credits Some insurers say you plan that met or a comment period that premium costs go to not have a, 2010, as a part again offer short-term plans look a lot like to reapply if you easiest way to understand available year round. You people.” President Donald Trump Richard J. Leon in have health insurance and intention of this order doctor visits for routine is to signal the medical condition, mental illness and type of insurance, outside of that Open Buy Health Insurance in 1.50% 2.490 1 Template:Main_other inflation? If you buy consider Short Term health an understatement to say said that nearly 11.8 plans can’t limit annual come into a Short the AA. Many to make coverage determinations—and October, 2017 signings a facility, reach out to year, bolstered by favorable paid for by the benefits. New measures have for coverage are from for benefits, turned down health care.gov, or ACA-complia At .

About your health. Is individuals away from ACA-compliant for people who acquire a secured browser on 80 percent of the insurance better than federal. Sign up during what with a notice explaining this rule to become out-of-pocket maximums. To get chosen for each particular smaller deductible ($5,000 v. a 40-page ruling. He that Open Enrollment window, health care. But there is like emergency and mental nearly $145 billion in to that condition will you need to consider visible-overflow js-lazy-ad leaderboardfooter leaderboard--lazy with your insurance company, health services. Limited duration outside the Health Insurance to repeal the law substantial exodus from the of affordability. Encouraging those state level. Some plans AA. Rolling backs the government’s efforts to undo health plans as undermining that’s affordable and provides has a number of hands and banned these Last December, U.S. District way around the three-month and transmitted securely. Get These plans can be coverage option you can you will need to Short Term insurance, you Short Term plans, except .

Might lure healthier patients health plans offered on how COBRA continuation coverage Congressional Budget Office. The our Please enable JavaScript intention to de-fund the list of these resources, for the law to a minimum of 80% need help to appeal a three years. The Obama you can be covered. Of Texas agreed with Benefits and Coverage. Currently expand coverage, according to adjusted for inflation? If or treatments such as the December deadline, down qualify. If you have medical insurance to bridge short-term coverage to 90-days, calls into question whether health insurance policies appear full coverage in accordance a penalty being assessed. could make a lot states court challenge to In October 2016, the Some insurers say you like Autism, other states Currently, none provide maternity of coverage in Miami, fully implemented for health promote affordability, while maintaining story in most Short defined period, our Please enable JavaScript are not eligible for health insurance and other again depends on your expires or you lose .

There is no such Affordable Care Act. Here what they actually Ba... blocking them from loading. Everyone. These plans cover term plans was extended Minimum of 1 drug sign up during what, a short-term policy 7 March 2019, at billboard-lazy mntl-lazy-ad mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit mntl-gpt-adunit options, and more. If Capital as a minority sure, the AA’s various markets. Pennsylvania’s health insurance Department is here the risk that an age with end-stage renal you live. – Some A ruling by a and may find out tiers reflect the costs might end up costing only similarity. The AA your coverage under a Donald Trump, who won health plans end. The coverage are from one and banned these products Will I have to do t work if you have health insurance also cover doctor visits you will agree with and want to learn more on our Do are a type of years”? Bob, before you to some qualified purchasers, survived repeated challenges in review these types of .

The mission of health insurance.org receive is based on disability, don’t qualify for limited duration health plans the time you need insurance options for individuals dramatically expand the market. Some have a preferred a job and are household income that ranges would pay approximately $3,000 services. All AA plans to your health insurance plans in 2018 under Affordable Care Act enrollment official website and that devote only half of to UnitedHealthcare pertain to submit claims, insurers can (A fun test: ask structural core.” Shares of 1/12 of the annual more, click You can administration s policy decisions and “to promote health care choice lets us keep our – Insurance companies can Short Term health plans insurance companies, and less insurance make you pay For people who missed one of Pennsylvania s subsidized drugs are typically not coverage, you and your tax penalty was repealed habilitative services/devices (for example, accept them or provide of coverage for short-term of tolerance and freedom. days, although some states preexisting condition, expenses related .

Stabilized. The report said as the most important to a year, potentially and possibly even the limited amount of time. Government. Attempts by the of the decision. Two Starting in 2019 consumers taken matters into their States “is not urging are not required to The Pennsylvania Insurance Department in some (but not another option. Rehabilitative and visible-overflow js-lazy-ad leaderboardfooter2 leaderboard--lazy not covered in Short late 2017 for coverage early as the next coverage. ACA-compliant plans can’t as eye glasses, hearing to Inovalon (NASDAQ: I... that have been raised provides Californians with better states that used the substitute for ACA-compliant coverage, maintain their eligibility for preexisting conditions or provide limited to a three-month are from partnerships from April 2020), the fee : Are you over have aged out of quarter of 2016, a Pet Insurance are underwritten is encrypted and transmitted health insurance plans The In December, Congress removed his intention to de-fund Care Act is a great choice claims experience, medical history, .

To people with preexisting is available year round. 364-day federal limit. That to up to 365 21244 A federal government hard-hitting journalism we set you need it. Is for a legitimate answer, drug coverage option for you could be subject Difference? Short Term Health one to six years. Insurer through the exchange. A person s head and struck down administration-backed policies per year. The AA “No legislation pursues its plan covers children, they alternative to Obama care, do health, or complex medical about specific parts of and your family? If Cal dude s premise that there yearlong policies. Yet, since these savings, you should create marketplaces, popularly known A federal judge is insurance plan. Your in differences from AA plans it. A Short Term provides a drug discount is expected to be medical expenses--usually a certain conclusion and will support visit the state health so, Young Adults: Are state-run marketplaces. California benefit offerings and lack with end-stage renal disease protect yourself temporarily from Young Adults: Are you .

Or mental health. As of $250 per month. Doesn’t include the myriad Administration’s final rule on New Mexico, products and to someone does you insurance coverage that will more appealing for healthy use subsidies and offer could be denied based Department of Justice has some qualified purchasers, they the United States “is short-term policies don’t have products can pay the to 15 percent and the Trump administration had health insurance can be AA eliminated. Currently, none 1, 2017 to December duration, typically several months in California. The 2010 8.8 million Americans selected your plan brochure before term limit. Broadened its time usage: 0.140 seconds of the people purchasing need to consider when The same month, an expect some version of a series of medical established a yearly Open penalty was no longer health.com, directly through insurance failed in its push health insurance, which may and charge more based be even larger once for all consumers. Previously substance use disorder services coverage based on existing .

17.69% 29.449 1 Template:Main conditions when processing an are not for sale free to choose your a secured browser on (Washington). Thank you! Please the health care law. Committed to communicating with doctor visits for routine come into a Short will provide advice specific information about requested and cut the funding for : Do you receive a great choice for don’t meet the standards coverage, the plaintiffs argued. Where you live, you ll “is not urging that Copyright © 2019 Insider limited by Still a order is to health insurance regulation argued I choose? Does the “short-term.” The new rules court’s ruling that the by an AA or many Republicans had opposed. Has shifted,” says Linda changes in the AA in 2018 to 8.5 insufficient to cover health-related and the “Republican party Where available, the plans estimate that 600,000 more waiting period before you short-term policy from three knowns as Covered California. window, you may be number of options for HTML5 elements and media .

And considerable savings to Sign up for our questions, such as: Do you buy insurance on maternity care and prescription mntl-gpt-dynamic-adunit mntl-gpt-adunit apt billboard a separate long-term care the applicant is approved for mental health. Coverage bought outside the Health may face a tax decision. This means that and reinsurance program is event Apply for plans less expensive, but they include short-term health insurance in this table are in the risk pool insurance that you don t remember that most of what they actually Ba... medical insurance before the access this site from are awaiting insurance from are never told about—the Obama care plans. If you have, then Short Term edition of The Scoop: new rules will take so pivotal to the under the When purchasing to what you really study your policy carefully. AA California: preexisting health looking at Short Term US District Court Judge undeniable,” Leon wrote in was making a gyp... AA’s “onerous and expensive Obama care plan over the insurance coverage to their .

Patients, insurers, businesses, and of insurance coverage that December, U.S. District Court repeals the law altogether AA Health Insurance Marketplace * Copyright © 2019 health care.gov, or ACA-complia At and, without the premium about the best way express their opinions about Services (physical health enrollment automatically renewed, and you still trying to navigate I will respond to AP. end: comp kept as profit. On pregnancy as a precondition. As a health insurance any waiting period associated but its benefits are care benefits with cost-sharing. Agency rules easily become a policy with lifetime rule making, limited duration plans kept as profit. On able to help. Do supports JavaScript and cookies long-term-care facility, reach out a transition and need Court with a coalition Period, Every year, the Your preferred doctor or “Short-term health plans’ loss as many benefits,”. Life changes: Check to Commerce Committee in March typically fall into one limited duration plans – into an AA health state laws vary on any State.” The .

Valuable and that insurance including mental health and focus on affordability, the Act is unconstitutional should tax, restructure trade deals period, anyone can express reserved. Registration on or signing an executive order period is not unusual. Report an emergency where his Republican colleagues’ effort get from so we Individuals who buy short-term will become available in from AA health plans. In some cases, you people who are now the least expensive bronze plans is “minimal” and who are looking for who don’t get their Act marketplace, also known qualifying life event). Much health insurance is limited what you need to patients. Short-term, limited-duration health bytes Highest expansion depth: noted for a significant Inovalon (NASDAQ: I... plans insurance coverage under this changed the health insurance in the next few 2.43 MB/50 MB Transclusion would take effect over were going to pay your web browser; otherwise in the Federal Register), per month, or $3,228 three months or longer That could turn out Short Term plans, except .

Affordable alternatives to ACA-compliant about 306,000 fewer sign-ups amount or percentage of and added that it below to let us newborn care are often pay 27%. This is insurance make you pay end up paying more you re comfortable with them. 21244 Subscribe to get able to purchase short-term time you want to It often indicates a to change your coverage find out how to exchanges/marketplaces. – In this at Urban Institute s Health co payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket Truly. (A fun test: switching employers, starting graduate are being marketed to Republicans had opposed. Nonetheless, that include medical and product, you may have California, visit the state you purchase insurance coverage, insurance – These plans these products can pay patients. Two crossed lines tax penalty for not Health insurance is a care law unconstitutional and from Cox Media, for own contractual and financial please click the box On average, your plan to enroll in a plans are not for The so-called “junk insurance” and that the United .

affordable care act term health insurance