How Can College Students Make Money Online?

Money is a very important resource, no matter what your status in life may be. And to a college student who is working on meeting school requirements and deadlines, it is essential to always have money available. But money is not always easy to come by. Not everyone who goes to college finds it easy to fund their education, with some people even resorting to loaning money. 

But if loans and educational funds are not viable, you might want to look into making your own money. In fact, with today’s modern technology and the popularity of online jobs, there are various ways for a college student to try earning their own money. Freelancing for one has been a growing trend among students who are finding ways on how to get out of student loan debt. 

Here are some of the ideal choices for students to start making money online to help them pay off debts, learn valuable skills, boost their resume or CV, and provide them with more leverage for student loan refinancing.

Become A Notary Public And Loan Signing Agent 

Want to make $100 an hour as a part-timer? Then why not work as a notary public and loan signing agent? Learn how to walk people through when it comes to filling out forms and contracts whenever closing on a new home loan. If you have a background in real estate, you may already know the various documents and contracts needed for loans. If not, you might need to sign up for a Loan Signing System certification. 

Start A Blog Or Website 

Do you have a passion for writing? Then you can start your own blog and earn money by doing what you love. A blog can serve a writer a number of ways. It can be your very own content marketing tool. It is also one way for you to build your credibility as a writer for a specific niche. 

Depending on what you niche is, you can use your blog to sell digital products such as ebooks or online courses. You can also look into including affiliate links in your content, selling private ads, or by monetizing your blog with cost per click (CPC) or cost per one thousand impression view (CPM) ads. 

Offer Freelance Writing Services 

Another way for you to make use of your writing skills and passion is by offering freelance writing services. As a freelance writer, you have a large market to explore online. Your prospective clients can include small to medium enterprises, startup companies, professionals and other freelancers. Mostly, these customers may be looking for someone who can create articles that convert for them. These articles can include website content, blog posts, guide books, sales email, product descriptions, manuals, and more. 

Do Online Design Work 

If you have an eye for design and is well versed in some of the graphic design tools available online, then you might want to look into providing professional design services. Many graphic artists are diving into the freelance industry offering their skills to businesses and professionals to create websites, logos, branding design, packaging designs, promo images, social media posts and more. So if you have a knack for creating striking graphic designs, this could be a great career to dive into. 

Design And Sell T-Shirts 

Do you have an eye for T-shirt designs? Then you can search for custom made t shirts near me and for selling purpose, college is the perfect marketplace. You can offer personalized and custom-designed T-shirts to your schoolmates or even start selling them online. 

You just need a small investment to purchase a computer with good specs for graphic design, along with your selected printing tools, and of course an inventory of shirts. Start creating eye-catching custom shirt designs and share them online on your website or via social media and start getting customers and building your T-shirt printing business’ reputation. 

Become A Calligrapher 

Calligraphy may be an old skill but its market is still booming. With a lot of people nowadays wanting custom calligraphy included in their personal items or event invitations, you can definitely start a living just by learning how to write artistically. You can even grow your calligraphy business and offer custom invitation designs, personalized stationery, custom signage, event design services, and more. 

Become A Translator 

Multi-lingual? Why not share your skills and get paid doing professional translation services. Many companies nowadays are looking into offering reaching out to more customers all around the globe. This means that they will need to speak the language of their prospective markets, and that’s where you come in. If you are well versed in speaking a certain language, you can earn a lot of money just by translating content from one language to another. You can translate documents, create subtitles for videos, or be on call to translate during customer service calls. 

Sell Items On Marketplaces Online 

If you are skilled in spotting cheap and quality products online or from a market nearby, you can try becoming an online seller. Create your online store or make use of some of the popular online selling platforms such as Amazon, eBay, Shopify, and more to sell products of your choice. Start by choosing a product niche that students like you might find interesting, such as cheap textbooks, fashion pieces, or stationery items. From there, you can start establishing your online store and filling it up with products. 

Become A Voice-Over Artist 

If you have a suave sounding voice or are very good at creating different voices, you might want to take advantage of that skill and become a voice-over artist. With the growing demand for video content on different social media platforms, you can start earning money just by lending your voice to professionals or companies. You can do voice-overs for how-to videos, video blogs, animations, translated shows, and more. Just invest in a good voice recording equipment and you are off to a good start. 

Become A Video Blogger (YouTuber)

If you are good at creating and editing video content, then you can become a video creator. Explore a specific topic that you may be very fond of and start creating videos that will rack up some views and subscriptions. It can be about anything under the sun, as long as it captures the attention of YouTube viewers, it can help you grow your number of subscribers and earn the popularity that you need to earn bigger on the platform. A professional YouTuber can earn 5, 6, or even 7+ figures annually if they can grow their following and leverage it for advertising revenue, product sales, and sponsorships. YouTubers are big earners still.

College Kids Can Make More Money Online

No matter what your skills are, university students will be able to find a great earning opportunity on the internet. With so many marketplaces for different types of products and the growing demand for skilled professionals who can share their knowledge via the internet, you are sure to find the right method to earn money in college.

8 Steps To Set Up A New Small Business

Did you know that there are over 30 million small businesses in the USA? That is a lot of competition for new startups to take on.

The business world is more connected than ever before. More and more people are taking the opportunity to market their commercial skills to a broader national or even international market. 

If you are thinking of starting a small business, what do you need to know? What are your first steps in the business world? Why not take a few minutes to find out in our in-depth startup launch article. 

8 Steps To Setting Up Your New Small Business 

1. Define Your USP: Unique Selling Point 

Before you sit down and get to grips with your business plan, it is good to sit and think about what your product or service is offering. What will make it different from other products? 

Perhaps your unique selling point will be the materials that you will use. Perhaps you will use recycled materials and you can highlight this to customers. In other cases, you could be planning to use rare local ingredients. In any case, there is likely something specifically attractive about your product. 

Understanding your product's unique selling point will help you to have greater confidence in the product and market it more accurately later in the process. 

2. Create Your Business Plan 

Your business plan is the basis for your goals for the immediate future. It may only detail your activities for the next 2 years however, it will lay the basis for your applications for funding. What should you include in your business plan: 

• What does your company do and what model does it follow? 
• What are the current market conditions and how the company fare? 
• What is your product and how will you produce it? 
• What marketing strategy will you choose? 
• What funding will you need at each stage of the process? 
• How many people do you envisage working in your small business? 

Remember that your business plan is flexible and only outlines the initial years of your business life. You can update it during this time and use the lessons that you learn for your subsequent business plan. 

3. Analyze Your Market 

While your product may be sound, timing your introduction into the market is crucial. This will ultimately make or break the success of your business. When considering your market, consider how your competitors are doing and why they are succeeding or failing. 

When you conduct this research be as specific as you can. Find out how each demographic in your target audience will respond to your product and why. You can use survey groups or other methods to gain insight into public opinion and consumer confidence levels. 

4. Create Your Management Structure 

Next, consider who will help your business meet its initial goals. Who will you use in your management team what will each person do? 

Instead of simply quantifying how many people you feel you may need, you should create a profile for each role. Then, when interviewing for this role you will see whether this person meets your requirements, or is motivated to learn how to. 

5. Create A Marketing Strategy 

Since you have now performed a market analysis and have in place the people who will manage your business's main departments, you can plan to market your product. 

On the basis of the knowledge you have accrued about your market, you can begin to create your marketing strategy. 

What age group will you be advertising to? What social media channels do they tend to use? Will you also incorporate traditional forms of advertising such as television and radio? Should you set up a PPC advertising strategy online to attract attention to your product? 

The answers to these questions will form the basis for your marketing campaign. 

6. Plan Your Funding And Costs 

As you bring your business plan to life, you will be better able to predict your outgoings. This is important as you will need to relay these to investors and others who will provide funding. 

You will need start-up cash. This is immediate funding that allows you to start production. This cash will cover office space, computer, and telephone needs amongst other initial outgoings. 

Potential investors will want to know how many employees you have and how you will retain them. Will they be direct employees with wages and health plans? Perhaps you will rely on freelancers and other self-employed workers who will create a pay stub and care for their own taxes. 

Investors will want to see that your economic business plan is waterproof before they will be willing to invest. 

7. Register Your Business Name 

Next, you will need to register your business name. This may not be as easy as you may think. 

You should first conduct a search to ensure that your preferred name has not already been taken by another company. After this, you will be able to pay a small fee to claim it as your own. 

Your business name is important as it is the name that people will use to identify your company for many years to come. It should be relevant and memorable. Your name is also important as it lays the foundation for the next step. 

8. Develop A Brand Identity 

Branding is one of the most important steps that your company can take. Branding is the image that your customers will see for years to come. It will include your company name and perhaps some artwork. 

After you have confirmed your company brand, you can start to incorporate it on your website, on your business cards, your social media webpage, and more. Your first job is to spread that logo as far and wide as possible and build up interest in your SMB. 

How To Start A Successful Small Business And Much More 

In today's super connected world, there are more opportunities than ever to start a home or small business. You simply need to learn what skills you have and how to market them. 

If you are interested in learning more about the latest business and lifestyle developments, then we are here to help. 

We gather the latest information on top business topics and more and bring it to you via our feed. Why not take a look to see how we can help your business on a budget today.

6 Steps To Launch A Digital Startup In College

Many famous entrepreneurs started working on their businesses during college days. Facebook, Google, Dell, Dropbox, and other big companies were created by students. Graduates who succeed in startups after college or even students themselves confessed it was the best time to start. There are several hints on launching a digital startup during this particular time. 

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Top 6 Suggestions For Launching Startups


1. Explore A Workable Idea

According to Youngupstarts, the first thing a scholar should consider is exploring a workable idea. It does not matter if it a totally new one or already exists on the market. Creator has to improve it and predict possible difficulties. 

2. Prepare Business Idea Foundation

Secondly, students should prepare foundations for their ideas. Peers and classmates can be instrumental in this way. Making new friends helps to: 

1) be popular among other students and increase the market for future products (people who know each other well trust products they make); 

2) find co-founders or business partners. 

The last point is essential. Every student needs a reliable person who eager to create something new. Two heads are better than one, and together they have fewer chances to miss something important. 

Additionally, Aaron Price suggests to leverage school resources. There are tons of free information, and people who always ready to help. Teachers are interested in students' success, so they quickly get expert recommendations without additional payments. 

Also, every future entrepreneur should be smart about social media use. Everything he puts on social networks stays there forever. Every dumb action can have a horrible influence on the creator's reputation. 

3. Assessing Competitors

When the foundation is solid, creative students should move to the third step - assessing the competitors. Maybe someone has already brought to life a similar idea. If yes, the entrepreneur should detect its flaws and prevent them in his startup. Competitors like teachers, their works always show defects. The main task is to find and avoid them in personal business. 

4. Find A Mentor

The fourth important thing to do is to find a mentor. Sure thing, a young businessperson can get advice from every professor in the college. The point is to have a person who has already succeeded in a similar area. Business leaders are open to mentoring students, so everyone has a chance to be well-informed about the startups' nuances. 

5. Investment Attraction

The fifth step is the investment attraction. There are a lot of crowdfunding platforms where the youth get paid for their ideas. Kickstarter, I Found Women, Rocket Hub, Go Found Me, Circle Up, and many other programs were called to help the youth. Creators have to prove their ideas are worth to be funding, and investors get back more money than put. 

6. Build And Refine Your Digital Startup

When the money is found, real work starts. Making a step-by-step business plan, testing the results, providing marketing strategies - all of these lead to the final step in creating a digital startup. At this stage, a lot of students' time devoted to the business. Of course, mixing school and generating big ideas is hard. That is why busy students always can get help from https://essaypro.com/custom-essay-writers.html and lots of other services being like a helping hand in a difficult studying process. In general, if you are eager to begin your own deal and get the degree, nothing can prevent you from it, however, there are several difficulties disturbing you from the main goal. Let us look at them more in-depth. 

What The Main Difficulties Appear On The Way To Success? 

Lack of time is not the only problem for student-entrepreneurs. In the beginning, all people do not take serious students' ideas. Friends and family sometimes against such radical steps. Students are teens who do not know anything in life. Young creators have to be self-confident and persistent to go on bringing the ideas to life. 

Moreover, many scholars fail on the way to success. If it happens once - it is ok. But if 10 times in a row were broken, it makes every creator upset. Everyone who faces that problem should remember that big ideas require more effort. All the well-known startupers failed plenty of times and did not give up. They believed in ideas and worked hard to achieve their aims. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many young people with sparks in the eyes and desires to create something brand new. All they need is to believe in themselves and work hard to achieve aims. Most of the successful startup founders suggest starting businesses at college times. Pupils have more free time and possibilities to leverage school resources. 

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8 Reasons To Give Self-Employment A Try

Are you thinking about becoming a self-employed professional? The thought of leaving behind the security of a regular job can be daunting for many aspiring entrepreneurs. Being self-employed certainly has its challenges, but if you’re confident of your idea, resourceful, and persistent, then you might have what it takes to grow a successful business. 

You are not alone in wanting to be your own boss. According to Forbes, self employment is exploding in the United states. Many aspiring entrepreneurs want to take the reigns of their future careers and also avoid heading back to the office or manual labor job they have dreaded for years.

If you are still on the fence, here are eight reasons why you should consider self-employment. 

1. You Have The Freedom To Choose Your Work Hours 

Being self-employed gives you the freedom to choose your work hours. You can start as early or as late as you want instead of working fixed hours. While being self-employed allows for more flexibility, it’s important to be disciplined in order to run a successful business. 

Striking a balance between work and life can be challenging, but being self-employed gives you the freedom to take time off when you need to. However, be sure to remain realistic. Self-employment provides many lifestyle benefits that you don’t usually get when you are employed. 

2. You Can Pursue Your Passion 

Successful entrepreneurs are rarely motivated solely by money. More often than not, their business worked because they love what they do, as well as the products and services they sell. They have a genuine drive to make their target market’s lives easier, better, cheaper, or more fun. Being self- employed allows you to pursue your passion and make money at the same time. 

3. You Can Take Advantage Of Tax Benefits 

Self-employed professionals typically pay 13.3% of their income towards Social Security and Medicare instead of the usual 7.65% for employees. As a result, self-employed professionals get to enjoy several tax breaks to encourage continued business operations. 

The IRS allows you to subtract business-related expenses from your revenue, such as meals and entertainment, internet and phone bills, health insurance premiums, home office costs, payroll taxes, transportation expenses, and interest on loans and credit cards. 

Check-in with a tax attorney or consult an accountant when tax time comes to know more about specific deductions. 

4. You Can Enjoy A Higher Income Potential 

When you work for someone else, you receive a fixed salary every month. Running your own business allows you to enjoy a higher income potential. Depending on your productivity, time management, and self-discipline, you can make as much or as little you want. When you’re self-employed, increasing your income potential generally means finding new clients or expanding your market reach. 

5. You Can Maintain A Healthy Work-Life Balance 

Traditional employees don’t often have the luxury of selecting their work hours. When you apply for a job, employers establish set working hours and you’re expected to arrive at a specified time. Self- employment gives you the freedom to work at your own pace and set a schedule that best fits your needs. 

For instance, if you prefer to work afternoons, you can take the mornings off and begin working after lunch. If you’re taking classes during the day, you can adjust your schedule and work during your free time. 

6. You Get To Choose Who You Work With 

Self-employment means you get to be your own boss, and being your own boss means you get to choose the people you work with. You get to screen and hire the people you work with, choose applicants with different skill sets than you so you can grow your business, and work with suppliers and vendors that line up with your objectives. 

7. You Don’t Need To Quit Your Day Job 

Leaving your regular job to pursue self-employment is a risk not many people are willing to take. However, you don’t have to quit your day job to become a self-employed professional. You can set up your business as a side-venture until you’re ready to focus on it full-time. Many self-employed professionals prefer having multiple income streams, so they continue working full-time while managing their business on the side. 

8. You Can Network With Other People 

Working in a company often means you’re working with the same group of people every day. On the other hand, self-employed people need to connect and cultivate professional relationships that will help them grow their businesses. Establishing relationships with other like-minded business owners is a great way to gain knowledge, get fresh ideas, and get career advice and support. You can utilize similar business budget templates with other business owners. 

The Bottom Line On Self Employment

Self-employment provides you with many benefits that you don’t often get when working a 9 to 5. Yes, you need to make sure that you budget effectively to survive and thrive while being self-employed. You have the freedom to work any time, and anywhere you want, choose the people you work with, and increase your income potential while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Freelance Business Plan: How To Write One

One of the mistakes many freelancers commit is failing to realize that they are into a real business. 

And since freelancing is similar to business, freelancers need to have a business plan in place. 

Sadly, most freelancers don’t create a business plan, and they experience a lack of motive, focus, and profits. They think simply being good what they do is enough — BUT IT’S NOT! 

As you are already here, I believe you understand the importance of having a business plan. That’s a great thing for freelancers! 

You may wonder what a freelancing roadmap looks like. 

Stay tuned until the end of this article. I will walk you through every component of a freelance business plan. 

Here are the things you should include in your Freelance Business Plan; 

Marketing Plan 

Under this section, you will give insights into the 4Ps of your freelancer business plan. 

Product / Service: Here, you will reemphasize the freelance services you provide. 

Place: You should document the location where you will offer your freelancing services. 

Price: In this section, you will give your freelance pricing or package details. 

Promotions: This is where you will explain how you would attract prospective clients. Is it going to be cold-calling, Email marketing, Direct messaging, social media platforms, Upwork, LinkedIn, Craig's List, etc.? 

Did you know email marketing is an ideal way to acquire new freelancing leads and retain existing customers? All you need is a healthy email list. You could use an email search tool like GetEmail.io to find emails quickly and accurately. 

Profile Overview 

In the profile overview section, you must include answers to the below two questions: 

• What type of freelance business are you operating? 

• What are your accomplishments in this field so far? 

Here is the significance of these 2 important questions and answers for your new freelancing business.

What Type Of Freelance Business Are You Operating? 

This gives clarity to your target audience on what to expect from you. They will whether you offer the service they are looking for. 

What Accomplishments Have You Achieved To Date? 

Documenting your accomplishments helps you greatly. 

For example, it gives you the confidence that you can do things on your own as a freelancer and that business owners can look up to you for the solution. 

Besides, showcasing your accomplishments will build credibility and help cheer new clients to collaborate with you. 

Industry Analysis 

You will highlight the type of industries you will work with or offer services. 

And also, research the current industry trends to ensure that you have the right skills to fulfill the present industrial needs. 

Customer Analysis 

In this section, you will define the customers you want to serve. 

A good understanding of who your ideal clients are and what they need will help you draw these clients’ attention towards you much more straightforward. 

Team 

The team section is where you will mention the other team members you have or will need in the future to achieve your projects’ goals. 

Financial Plan 

Your freelance financial plan should reveal your profit and loss projections for the next couple of years. 

You can showcase these projections easily using a spreadsheet. 

Final Thoughts On Freelance Business Plans

Armed with the information shared in this article, I believe you would be able to create a business plan for your freelance business. 

As I said before, a freelancer business plan will help you identify your goals and the best strategies to grow your freelance career, showing the best method for you to follow and giving you a clear roadmap to make money freelancing.

25 Reasons To Work From Home Now - WFH ASAP!

25 Real Reasons Why It’s Brilliant To Work 

From Home - WFH FTW

More people are working from home and ditching the boss. Skip the office politics and get things done with fewer interruptions, worthless meetings, and office politics. Here are 25 real reasons to WFH and skip the office grind. 

1. Your Alarm Clock Becomes A Distant Memory 

People are jarred awake by an annoying sound of an alarm clock. This sound alone induces stress. Working from home means that the first sound you hear in the morning are the birds and not a stress-inducing gizmo. 

2. Your Work Shoes are Slippers 

How many pairs of shoes have you bought for just work? Think of the hundreds if not thousands of dollars you save by working from home. Slippers are also easy to put on and oh so soft. 

3. Your Coffee doesn’t spill all over the Dashboard 

The first common morning tragedy, after the alarm clock, is the mishandling of coffee and it’s horrible demise on your car’s dashboard. Sometimes, you consider licking the puddle off the dashboard. best cute puppy blog 

4. Your Dog doesn’t run after your Car 

I knew a three-legged dog once who ran super fast after its owner who had to head off to work. Don’t ever exercise your dog with your car! Working from home means your dog is as relaxed as you. 

5. Do I need to say anything about Bosses? 

Boo bosses!

6. The Mind opens beyond the Cubicle 

There’s a world out there that is colored with real color, not the color of the photos you hang on the corkboard in your cubicle of your dream destinations. Get out in the air. 

7. Your Online Checks are Direct Deposited. 

Working from home usually means online and therefore all the money you get paid is online and can be easily transferred to your bank account. 

8. Your Bills are all Paid Online 

Same as #7. You’re cool like that. 

9. You can Tan by the Pool with your Laptop 

Working from home also means working anywhere there’s Internet. Fortunately, every public spot has wifi, which means you can splash your feet and work, or not. 

10. You can sleep in. 

Sleep if you're tired, no judgement.

11. You can work from any Cafe in the World 

Again, Laptop and you is all that’s required to make money from anywhere in the world. “Cafe” is for the ladies who love Lattes. 

12. The View is better than at your old job 

Working from home or anywhere in the world gives you access to, well, the world and what job can beat that view? 

13. You Customize your Schedule to Work only 2 hours a Day 

You’re the boss, applesauce. 

14. You Earn Money by ranting on your Blog 

Attraction Marketing is your friend when you are yourself to your followers online. If you’re having a bad hair day, talk about it on your blog and get thousands of supporters! 

15. You Earn Money Promoting Products you use and Love 

There is nothing better than being a living, breathing endorsement. 

16. People Look up to You 

Working from home is a feat that many people aspire to. 

Just the fact that you really do work full-time from home is going to cause some attention. 

17. Your Friends are Clueless how you Make Money Online 

The tables turn when you prove to all your so-called know-it-all friends that you actually know more when it comes to working from home successfully. 

18. Your Income from the internet is Climbing Every Month 

You know that the more value you provide on the internet and the longer it stays on the Internet, the more it will be noticed. This means more traffic, more views and more purchases. 

19. Your Blog starts Ranking #1 on Google 

If you’re a blogger or Content Marketer, you know how important this is! 

20. Your Online Marketing is recruiting for you while you Sleep 

Having your Brand online is great because it will attract people from all over the world around the clock. Working from home actually is like working all over the World, because of everyone who uses the internet, you will build relationships globally and interact with them via your blog or website. 

21. Your Customers Love You. . . 

Their loves gives you more work flexibility.

22. Your following On Social Media

Now on Social Media retweets you, repins you, shares, favorites you, subscribes, and other amplifications of your content.

23. You Sleep without Stress. 

No Sunday scaries! 

24. You have a team or staff building your brand or organization. 

Effective business is better with people working together. Even though you work from home, you might have someone creating graphics for you in France and someone doing your Copywriting in Moscow. Having a core group of devoted staff makes home based Entrepreneurs unstoppable. 

25. You Get Residual Income Every Month, Even When You Don’t Work 

In some businesses from home you earn from your entire organization of associates, like in Real Estate, Insurance and Network Marketing. You can truly earn passive income whether you work or not, and while you're home or traveling the digital nomad life! 

WFH ASAP! WFH wins!

The jury is in, it's time to work from home now, or at least work remotely! WFH FTW!!

How To Look At The Big Picture In Business

It's 2021 now, so stop living your personal and professional life in snapshots. Almost everyone I know uses data in snapshots, and it’s almost completely the wrong way to use data for businesses. By snapshots, I mean looking at your data once in a while, peeking at it, opening up a dashboard, whatever. We look using snapshots of data rather than seeing our data as a living, breathing entity - and then we’re taken by surprise when our occasional glances at our data reveal something we didn’t expect. 

You know these snapshots well. They’re your monthly report, your quarterly board review, your occasional deep dive into Google Analytics. Is living in snapshots better than not looking at your data at all? Sure. But it’s substantially worse than having your data snippets be part of your routine, of your life. When you live in snapshots, you miss trends and changes in your data. For example, I watch COVID-19 data daily as part of my daily pandemic newsletter. Every day I see what’s happening with three KPIs: new cases, new hospitalizations, and new deaths - and because I have my finger on the pulse of the data, I can more accurately predict what’s going to happen. 

When the most recent Coronavirus case surge began, I knew we were headed for lockdowns because the surge was so much bigger and faster than the previous two surges. What did I do? You’ll remember  when I said how it hurt to tell my parents we weren’t coming for the holidays. They didn’t see what I saw in the data. Fast forward a month and every government official and scientist is telling us the same - stay home for the holidays. I restocked everything that needed restocking six weeks ago, and told my newsletter readers to do the same. 

Go ahead, ask me how much toilet paper I have in my basement. Fast forward to today? Headlines in the news about panic buying and shortages again as lockdowns commence (that same toilet paper I bought six weeks ago is out of stock on Amazon). When you live in the data, you are a part of its story and you can see where the story is going. How do you make data part of your life instead of living in snapshots? Make it someplace you go regularly to think of the big picture in business. 

If there are marketing metrics that are critical to you, put them on a Google Data Studio dashboard and make that the start page of your browser, so that every time you go to post a rant on Facebook or mindlessly watch cat videos on YouTube, your data is the first thing you see. Once you build the habit of seeing your data as often as you see other things important to you in your life, you’ll make better decisions and faster decisions with it. Think big picture!

At the end of a livestream I was doing last week, a viewer questioned the advice I was giving out about not using pre-pandemic data to forecast the next year, since the world is fundamentally different. They asked, “Can you make reliable strategic decisions based on a short window of data (daily), compared to year over year? Do seasonal differences not matter right now because the world is so different?” This is a really good question. 

The way I’m thinking about the world right now is like holiday driving, back when we used to travel for holidays. Holiday traffic was always a series of snarls that required a lot of agility and Google Maps. Traffic jam? Accident? Lane closure? Bad weather? You had to route around traffic jams, somethings pre-emptively if you know the area well, all while making progress towards your destination. You couldn’t rely on long-term forecasts for long drives. If you’re driving from Boston to New York, you can’t look at traffic in New York City now while you’re just leaving your house in Boston - by the time you get there, the situation will totally have changed. Some things remain relatively constant - you know that certain roads are ALWAYS a mess, even on good days. You know that people generally stop to eat at certain times. So even though the specific details are obscured, experience plus great data let you navigate the issues and get to your destination. 

That’s how I feel about forecasting right now. It’s fine to set goals, just as it’s fine to put a destination in Google Maps. You kind of have to if you want to get where you’re going. But you have to be able to adapt, adapt, adapt - and quickly - to deal with exceptionally uncertain circumstances. The way you’ve done things in the past doesn’t necessarily apply, so be ready to make significant changes while still driving towards your goals. And like driving in holiday traffic, to the best of your ability, try to enjoy what you can of the journey as you drive towards your goals in the year ahead. We know it’s not going to be a smooth ride. We know that we’re in for some rough spots. But that shouldn’t preclude us from enjoying ourselves when we’re not in those sticky spots, just like we can still make the most of bad traffic and sing along to our favorite playlists when no one’s listening.

If you happen to be a small business owner, business management should be a leading priority.  Business management could be defined as the process of planning, directing and controlling a company.  Business management is used to successfully address and fix the problems that a business might be having in establishing its role as an organization, which delivers and generates value.  Creating and offering value for the customers of a company will allow that business' profits to exceed the total costs of operating that business. 

Business management is going to include advertising, finance, accounting, production, human resources, product research and development as well as management information systems.  To manage your own company, you will need to have expert knowledge in all of these fields.  Larger businesses and companies generally have different managers throughout the company for each of the fore mentioned business management areas.  For example, large companies will have an advertising and marketing manager, finance manager, accounting manager and so on.  However, there are some small business owners who are going to want or need to take on all of these positions themselves. 

Some small business owners will simply be unable to afford all of these different employees.  Other small business owners may perhaps simply want to take care of the business management on their own.  Of course, there are quite a few small business owners who don't want to entirely take business management into their own hands and will hire employees to be leading managers.  Any small business owner who decides to take business management concerns into their own hands needs to remember that this is a substantial job and the work will generally be tedious. 

Business managers will need to be able to recognize the talents and weaknesses of their company in relation to other businesses in their industry.  They must also be able to set objectives and goals for the business and implement the business plan or strategy.  A manager must also be able to alter business plans and strategies if they must be revised. Business management also includes ensuring that all employees are properly trained and have a good attitude.  The employees will need to be educated on all of the goals of a company so that they can help to achieve these goals.  

Whether you hire qualified personnel to assist you with managing your company or decide to take on all of the managing yourself, business management is highly crucial to the vitality of your business. See the big picture in business and act on it! 

When it comes to delivering the best possible experience for your clients, it’s important to have access to the best loans, technology, and training. With us, not only do you get exactly that, but also a support team to help your business, Account Executives to guide you, and a Tech Team ready to help you with personalized training as soon as you partner with us. If that sounds like something you want to experience, here are three more reasons why you should become a Frugal Finance Partner. 

Reason #1: Project Your Presence - Have you been running your own marketing campaigns, developing the strategies, and posting to your own social media? Is that cutting into client time or lead follow-up? When you partner with us, you gain access to professional-quality marketing materials through Frugal Finance. Everything you need to further your marketing will be at your fingertips, with the ability to customize the materials to best represent your brand. 

Reason #2: Keep Your Clients - One of the biggest fears that brokers have when it comes to working with lenders is knowing what happens to their clients. But with Frugal Finances, you can rest easy. When you partner with us, you keep them. You fostered the relationships, you put in the legwork, and it’s our job to make sure they keep coming back to you for all their mortgage needs. We’re able to do this because we don’t sell off your loans to the highest bidder; we keep them with us. We stay connected with them on your behalf, and when they show interest in a new loan, refinancing, or referrals, we’re here to let you know and help you in that process! 

Reason #3: Education And Training - With the way the market fluctuates, it’s important that you stay on top of all the new trends that pop up. In addition to that, new technology has been consistently coming out to help brokers in the loan process. Frugal Finance provides top-quality training and education on all technologies we offer to help you grow your business to new heights. Our unique programs will teach you all the skills you’ll need to succeed in your industry. 

Big Picture Business Building

Make sure that in 2021 you look at the big picture in business and in your personal lives as well, not just small snapshots! Think big and build bigger.

Make Money Working For Yourself - How To Be Self Employed

Did you know that almost 30% of Americans are self employed in our current economy? There are plenty of reasons why people choose to be self employed even after years of working for someone else. If you have been looking into working for yourself, we put this post together to teach you how to be self employed. 

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about becoming self-employed. 

Make The Decision 

Before you can become self employed, you have to make the decision that you will be working for yourself. This might feel strange at first especially if you are used to being an employee and working for someone. 

When you make this decision you have to realize that you are the person that will have the final say on everything. You are the only one that can make the decision that you want to do it. 

What Is Your Niche? 

Next, you will have to choose what niche you want to work in. As a self employed person you can't afford to be in the business of everything like Google. You simply will not have the global reach that bigger companies have. 

Take the time to pick a specific niche that you are interested in. Ask questions such as "what will your product or service solve?" and "What kind of knowledge do you already have in this niche?" 

The goal is to get as specific as possible about what you plan to do. Being specific will give you more options because you will be able to focus on one piece of the market instead of spreading yourself thin. This will also help you identify your target market easily. 

Your Target Market 

Once you have your niche figured out, you want to get very specific on who you want to serve with your product or service. No one can truly serve everyone and trying to serve anyone that can benefit from what you have to offer will not give you any actionable insight into who your target market is. 

You want to have a specific solution for a specific set of people. Figure out who these people are, what they care about, and where they work. The more specific you are, the better you can serve the market. 

Finances 

Most businesses will require you to invest some type of money. You have to get your finances in order if you want to save yourself headaches in the future when it comes to managing your money. 

If you do not have experience when it comes to accounting then look for an accountant that is familiar with your niche and your line of business. We do not recommend you take the DIY approach unless you understand the ins and outs that come with accounting and bookkeeping. 

It is up to you to understand your business' finances and to monitor them. Even if you hire an accountant, you do not want to be in complete denial about the finances in your business. 

Take Care Of Legalities 

Next up is all of the legalities that come with being self employed. You will need to learn more about setting up business insurance to make sure that you are covered in case of any situation. This is also the time to decide how you will structure your business. 

Will you structure it as an LLC or as a sole proprietorship? Do you need any special permits or special licenses in order to run your business? 

Invest In Systems 

You want to figure out the systems that you will need in order to run your business effectively. If something looks like it would work, test it out to make sure that it is a good fit. When you are trying a new system, go into it with an open mind just because you are trying it does not mean that you are stuck with it long term. 

Look for systems that will help you stay on top of your day-to-day details. You also want system to bill your clients and to keep track of your losses and profits. Without the right systems in place, you will eventually become disorganized and overwhelmed. 

The correct systems will help you run everything like a well-oiled machine. Keep in mind that as you grow you might have to use new systems and change how you take care of things such as invoicing or emailing customers. The more organized you are in the beginning, the better it will be in the long run to not lose track of any important information. 

Market Your Business 

In order to stay in business, you will need to get the word out about it. You won't be able to attract customers if no one knows your business exists. This will be an ongoing process and there are endless ways to do it. 

In this digital age, you want to dive into content marketing, social media marketing, direct mail, SEO, etc. The more you market your business the easier it will be to stay in profits, which is the reason that most people get into business. 

Now You Know About How To Be Self Employed 

Although not everyone was born to work for themselves, many people are and they become very successful at it. If you too have the entrepreneur spirit now you know how to be self employed and can start taking action towards this journey. 

Did our blog post on how to become self-employed help you today? Visit the Business section of our Frugal Finance Blog to learn more about entrepreneurship. Please come back soon to never miss our latest, subscribe today!

7 Frugal Tips For Sole Proprietors

Most working people start thinking at a certain point in their careers about going their own way. As you may conclude from the ratio of business owners and employees, only a small portion of them actually make this pivotal decision. Will you be one of those trailblazers to become your own boss in business? 

If you’re at the crossroads where your career of a company employee and that of a business owner intersect, take some time to read this article. It will teach you how to work as a sole proprietor or solopreneur in a frugal and lucrative manner. Also, you’ll learn how to avoid debts and pay your taxes in line with regulations as a sole proprietor. 

7 Top Tips For Sole Proprietors And Solopreneurs

1) Know Your Rights 

When you are a sole proprietor, your business assets and your personal assets are separated. This can be both beneficial and dangerous for the business owner. 

On the one hand, if your solopreneur venture takes off successfully and you maintain a steady workflow, you’ll be more than happy with this type of registered business. You won’t have to specify how you spend your money as long as you pay your taxes on time and your business account has enough assets. 

On the other hand, sole traders who don’t manage to ensure enough assets for business operations will have to make up for losses with their private assets. In other words, you might have to sell your house in case you get in serious debt. 

That’s why this kind of enterprise is a double-edged sword. Our two cents: it might not be the best choice for inexperienced entrepreneurs. 

2) Invest In Technical Equipment 

Frugality doesn’t only refer to the ability to save money. Wise and far-sighted business owners will invest more at the beginning if they realize that such an investment will yield more benefits in the long term. 

Therefore, sole proprietors should spend a few dollars more when it comes to technical equipment. Some entrepreneurs will have to invest thousands of dollars, while others will make it with a restricted budget, as well. For instance, a software developer working on their own will need to get more expensive computer configuration to be competitive in their niche. The same goes for web designers, photographers, and other professionals relying on high-tech equipment. 

On the other hand, a content writer or accountant working alone won’t have to spend more than a few hundred dollars on their computer and other related devices. 

No matter what category you belong to as a solopreneur, get a proper computer, smartphone, and other devices that will ensure smooth and fast work, generating more assets per unit of time. 

3) Learn Your Deductions 

Paying taxes is a must, no matter what country in the world you live in. Some governments are stricter about taxation, like the USA, while others implement various strategies that enable business owners to pay taxes in a more relaxed way, such as the UK. 

If a rule of thumb is to pay your due taxes – and social security contributions – it goes without saying that you need to learn more about deductions you’re entitled to. As a sole proprietor, you have the right to deductions for work-related mileage/fuel, home office, and other useful deductions. Wherever you live, visit the local tax administration and check how to get those tax benefits. 

4) Go For Co-Working Space 

If you’re planning to rent an office space, please, think twice before you do that. Unless you need storage space or you have absolutely no conditions to work from home, renting an office is a waste of money. 

Even if you don’t have a separate room that could be your home office, go for a place in a co-working space. It’s much cheaper and you don’t have to bother with overhead expenses. The renter of that space will take care of those things. Your task is just to focus on your work tasks. 

In line with that, getting a powerful laptop is a more practical option than a desktop computer. 

On the other hand, some professionals might be able to use some of the existing computers at that coworking space. Think about that option if you don’t need a strong machine and save several hundred dollars. 

5) Avoid Hiring At The Beginning 

People often aren’t sure whether sole traders have the right to hire employees. The answer is: yes, they have. Of course, they need to cover their health care and social insurance contributions, in addition to their salaries. 

When you put all that on paper, you’ll see that you might be giving someone a large share of your income, especially when you don’t have too many projects. 

That’s why it’s recommended to work alone until you form a sufficient budget for hiring. To cut a long story short, accept only projects that you can complete on your own but make plans for recruitment. Along with that, form a fund for hiring so that you’re ready when you decide to make that move. 

6) Calculate The Necessary Income 

When you’re a company worker, there’s a huge mechanism of different project managers, HR specialists, and team leaders who decide on projects, tasks, and their distribution. 

As a sole trader, you might end up working ten or more hours a day just to make ends meet. 

That’s why it’s important to calculate your necessary payment and savings. Take into account all the business costs you need to cover and make a rough estimate of your living expenses, as well. Once you’ve calculated the desired sum, divide it with the number of working days of the month. Now you’ll get the gross amount of money you need to make per day. All this input data will serve as the basis for the rates at which you’re going to charge for your services. 

7) Advertise Yourself For Free 

If you want to keep new projects coming, you must spread the word about your business. If you used to be a company worker, you might have a plethora of connections. Contact business owners who you’re collaborated with and tell them that you work alone now. Also, register to social media and advertise your business there. Write blog posts related to your work experience and current services. If you don’t have time for that, hire content writers to do it on a part-time basis. 

Moreover, make your website speak for your business, as suggested by designers from top digital agencies. Keep the on-site content simple but share all the relevant information about your venture to generate leads and new consumers. 

Be Smart And Save As A Sole Proprietor Or Solopreneur

Sole proprietors are lone wolves in the exciting but brutal business race in today's market. However, solopreneurs can skyrocket their enterprises if they keep costs low and properly charge for their services. Our solopreneur tips will help you reach that goal and manage your assets in a frugal and responsible base. As a result, you’ll be able to run a growing and prosperous sole proprietorship.

How to Start a Courier Business

The great thing about starting a courier business is that people will always need to ship things.

That doesn't mean running a courier business is going to be easy, though. Because there are so many of them out there, the competition is fierce and the established brands are always going to be more reputable among the public.

In this post, we're going to tell you how to start a courier business that will make you money and have longevity. The first steps are always the most important, so if you get them right, you'll be booking clients and growing steadily right out of the gate. 

If you're still feeling overwhelmed, keep reading this courier startup guide and we'll show you how to do shipping the right way.


Why Starting a Courier Business Is the Right Move

You might wonder how there are so many existing courier businesses out there. In a day and age where everything is bought and sold online, the need for shipping companies to get products from point A to point B as quickly as possible is paramount.

Companies like Amazon employ local couriers as part of their unfathomably fast turnaround times, so with the e-commerce boom, we've got a courier boom. In other industries, this type of saturated market would scare off young entrepreneurs.

The difference here is that the internet is still developing at a rapid pace and now that we're used to the convenience of door-to-door, sometimes same-day shipping, there's almost no way we're going back to a pre-e-commerce world.

So, why not start a courier company? As you'll find out, it's a relatively simple business model and as long as you're willing to invest in yourself and put the work in, there's no reason that you won't succeed.


How to Start a Courier Business

Starting a courier business that will stand out among the haystack of other ones requires a little bit of startup capital and a lot of creativity. Here, we're going to give you a quick rundown of how to get started.

Find Your Niche

Your niche is basically the thing that makes your courier business different from the next one. 

Finding it requires you to do some very important research on your competitors, your desired customers, and the market you're operating in.

You'll want to look for a hole in the market. Doing something that no other courier company in your area is doing allows you to push your company as being different. It might be same day guarantees or it could be that you only use energy-efficient methods to make deliveries.

Get the Equipment You Need

To start a courier company, you need to have your fleet of vehicles and the necessary equipment for your employees to operate efficiently and safely. You may need to take out a business loan to purchase these things, as they're necessary to run your business. You should read more about business funding for a courier company before taking out loans.

A cargo van is the most suitable vehicle for a courier. Most courier startups would begin with one van, then build their fleet as the company grows. You'll also need dollies, cargo straps, and moving blankets to get your parcels to their destinations safely.

Name and Register Your Business

Once you've got a plan in place and begun buying the necessary equipment, you can officially launch your courier business. Coming up with a great name is important, so give it some serious thought. 

Finding the perfect name might not happen right away. Make sure to check with your secretary of state to find out if your name is taken, then register your website and social media accounts. You'll also want to legally register your company as an LLC before you start operating.

Get Insurance

Courier companies handle a wide range of items, from cheap to expensive. Don't take any chances while these parcels are under your care and get the right insurance plan in place to protect your vehicle and the things inside of it.

Not only do you need to be protected in the event of a collision, but you won't be able to find customers without parcel insurance. One of the first things prospective clients will ask about is your insurance policy, so get a good one and they won't have anything to worry about.


Building a Brand That Gets Ahead

Finding those first clients is always a big hurdle for a young company. A lot of it comes down to marketing and a lot of courier marketing comes down to branding. Unless you want to spend all of your time cold calling new clients, you have to create a recognizable brand for your company.

Logo and Voice

How you look and the way you speak to your customers should always be consistent so that they know what they're getting. Create a great logo and color scheme for your business. If you do this, eventually, your customers (new and old) will recognize it and associate it with you.

Similarly, your on and offline voice should be professional and courteous. New customers won't want to work with a courier that appears aloof and unconcerned, so you've got to make customer service the main priority.

Social Media

Brands are built on social media platforms. Even for a courier company, the way you portray yourself online should represent your core values. Engaging with your followers will also give you another channel to pursue and convert leads.

It's really important to stay active on social media, even if it feels like it's getting in the way of doing business. You never know who's paying attention to what you're doing and that next big contract could come from something you posted online.

Content

The other big online brand-building tool is content. When you post something to your blog or put out a promotional video, it should always be with a specific purpose in mind.

Blog posts, for instance, are great for driving traffic and boosting your SEO numbers. For young courier companies that operate in a specific region, local SEO and geo-targeting are crucial to getting off the ground. Putting a local spin on your blog posts, therefore, can have a positive effect on your search rankings.


Ship and Earn

As you find those first customers and start to build your company's online and offline profile, you'll learn what works and what doesn't. Finding out how to start a courier business can be taught to an extent, but the best way is to just get out there and start doing it.

Follow these tips we've given you today, however, it's also important to follow your gut. Find your niche, buy your equipment, register your business, and start building your courier brand today.

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