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5 Top Tips For Starting A New Business

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The journey to starting a new business can be a long and winding one, but will be a rewarding process in the long term.

Whatever sector your company works within, starting a business involves sacrifice and financial investment, so ensuring that you tick all the boxes to create a successful company is important to your survival in the business world.

This could include attracting customers with lead generation, improving relationships with customers, and having an emergency funds pot.

If you want to start up your own business, here are five top tips to help you.

1. Use Lead Generation to Attract Customers.

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of online marketing for your business. Companies like Funnelsmiths are a unique sales strategy that allows you to generate more customers for your company effortlessly and grow your business.

Lead generation is important for driving revenue and ultimately increasing your sales, as well as expanding your customer reach as well as brand awareness.

2. Have an Emergency Funds Pot.

The road to a successful business can be a rocky one and full of financial ups and downs.

In order to anticipate your next downturn, having an emergency savings pot can help to mitigate large expenses and prevent a disastrous amount of debt.

You can put a percentage of your income away each month, and allow it to build interest in savings until you need it.

If you need assistance with knowing how to build your savings pot, you can use bookshops like Waterstones to browse financial literature to enable you to build the very best strategy for your emergency fund.

3. Focus on Customer Relationships.

Your customers are the most important part of owning a business, and ensuring that you preserve and grow your relationship with them will enable you to keep your company flourishing for years to come.

To do this, you can improve on getting to know customers by knowing the names of your most frequent customers and what makes them tick. Additionally you could create loyalty schemes to entice new customers to shop with you, and retain existing ones.

If you want to create loyalty stamp cards, you can use retailers like Vistaprint to make a design and have it printed professionally. Choose from a huge range of templates to

4. Take Feedback on Board.

For a growing business, feedback is important for helping you to make the necessary changes to thrive and flourish.

Whether you receive good or bad feedback, acting on it proactively will shape your business to what your customers want and need from you.

If you receive bad feedback, acting on it will help to instill confidence in your target audience and entice them to come back for a repeat visit, and will show them that you’re serious about improving your offering to beat your competitors and achieve a loyal customer base.

If you need to glean anonymous feedback from your customers, using tools like Survey Monkey can allow you to set up surveys for customers in exchange for vouchers and incentives to provide honest feedback.

Do you have any tips for starting up a new business? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

 

From Local To Global: Strategies For Scaling Your Startup Internationally

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startup office

startup office

Breaking into international markets isn’t just a milestone — it’s a transformational leap that demands strategic foresight, operational agility, and a deep understanding of diverse consumer behaviors. While many startups dream of going global, few manage to scale effectively beyond their local base.

One often-overlooked detail in this process is the role of accurate postcode data in planning international logistics, understanding regional demographics, and optimizing delivery systems. If you’re preparing to expand across borders, having access to detailed global postcode datasets can make a measurable difference in how smoothly you scale.

You can find the largest postal and zip code database here, which can help streamline your international market analysis, logistics planning, and customer targeting efforts.

Understand the Landscape Before You Leap

International expansion isn’t a plug-and-play game. Every market has its own regulatory frameworks, cultural expectations, and economic realities. Conducting deep market research is the first critical step.

Rather than relying solely on assumptions or replicating your home market strategies, localize your research. Look into government reports, consumer surveys, and trade publications for the region you’re targeting. For U.S.-based startups, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a comprehensive guide on exporting products and navigating international growth — a great starting point for understanding both opportunities and compliance hurdles.

Prioritize One Market at a Time

It may be tempting to expand into multiple countries at once, but that approach often backfires. Instead, focus your energy on entering one new market with precision.

Look for regions where your product or service solves a clear problem. Consider factors such as:

  • Market demand
  • Ease of doing business
  • Cultural fit
  • Logistical complexity
  • Currency stability

Narrowing your expansion ensures you can fine-tune your approach, test your assumptions, and build internal processes before replicating elsewhere.

Localize Your Brand (Not Just Your Language)

Global expansion demands more than translation — it requires localization. That means adapting your product, marketing, and customer experience to fit the cultural, economic, and legal standards of the new market.

Here’s how:

  • Website localization: Go beyond language to reflect local currencies, metrics, contact forms, and region-specific content.
  • Cultural sensitivity: Understand how colors, symbols, or messaging could be interpreted in the new culture.
  • Payment preferences: Offer local payment methods and preferred currencies to reduce friction.

Failing to adapt can alienate your audience before they even try your product.

Build a Local Network

Whether it’s forming partnerships with regional distributors, hiring local employees, or tapping into in-country marketing consultants, having boots on the ground is invaluable. Local partners understand the nuances of the market — from consumer trust-building to navigating local regulations.

Attend international trade shows (in-person or virtual), participate in cross-border accelerator programs, or engage with international chambers of commerce to open up networking opportunities.

Leverage Scalable Tech Infrastructure

Going global without scalable systems is a recipe for chaos. Make sure your startup’s infrastructure can support cross-border operations:

  • CRM and ERP platforms that handle multi-currency transactions
  • Cloud-based collaboration tools for distributed teams
  • Data analytics tools that allow location-specific segmentation
  • Logistics tracking systems integrated with global delivery services

Tools like GeoPostcodes are also useful for mapping out distribution logistics, managing address validation, and understanding population clusters — all essential for optimizing customer experience abroad.

Invest in Regulatory and Compliance Readiness

Different countries bring different legal obligations — from data protection laws (like GDPR in Europe) to local labor laws, tariffs, and product standards. Don’t treat compliance as an afterthought.

It’s worth consulting with international law experts or hiring local legal counsel. Non-compliance can mean costly fines, revoked business licenses, or even bans from entering certain markets.

Build Multilingual, Culturally Fluent Teams

Even if you’re based in a single location, your team needs to think globally. Hiring team members who are fluent in the language and culture of your target markets is a powerful competitive edge. It improves customer service, enables better market understanding, and prevents tone-deaf missteps in communications.

Measure, Optimize, Repeat

Once you enter a new market, track everything:

  • Customer acquisition cost by region
  • Lifetime value of international customers
  • Retention rates in new markets
  • Conversion rates for localized campaigns

Use this data to make decisions about where to double down and where to pivot. Going global is an iterative process — the more agile your startup, the faster you’ll learn what works.

International growth isn’t just about broadening your footprint — it’s about strengthening your business model, adapting your value proposition, and thinking long-term. By approaching global expansion with data, cultural respect, and a localized mindset, startups can evolve from hometown heroes to global contenders — one smart step at a time.

 

Key Lessons For Entrepreneurs Looking To Enter The Wearable Market

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Lucyd Eyewear - wearables

Lucyd Eyewear - wearables

by Harrison Gross, CEO of Lucyd Eyewear

I believe strongly that wearables are going to be the dominant computing platform of the future, primarily due to ergonomics. They have the power to seamlessly integrate technology into our daily routines and add utility without disrupting our sense of style and personal identity. 

As the founder of Lucyd Eyewear, developing innovative wearables calls for an unwavering commitment to specialization in this cross-disciplinary category, exceptional design, and a team that believes in the mission with relentless passion.

The following are three core strategies that helped us carve out our own space in a market dominated by massive corporations. My hope is that this perspective encourages fellow tech entrepreneurs to look beyond short-term challenges and bring the next generation of practical wearable solutions to market.

How to Win Against Giants in the Market

The wearable tech landscape is competitive, and a seemingly insurmountable lead is held by tech giants. At first glance, it’s daunting for a small startup to go head-to-head with companies that have seemingly limitless resources, robust distribution channels, and powerful brand recognition. However, I’ve found that the “bigger is better” ethos can work against large corporations when it comes to hyper-focused specialization.

Instead of attempting to create a wide array of wearables (or, in the case of major players, releasing smart eyewear as just another product line), we devoted ourselves fully to the development of a single product platform—smartglasses. This strategy allowed us to become experts in every fine detail, from how a frame sits on the bridge of your nose, to the balancing of smart temples with fashion fronts, to what kind of embedded electronics can withstand daily wear and tear. For the tech giants outside of perhaps the Meta Ray Ban partnership, 

Another differentiator is customer-led development. From the start, we made user feedback the backbone of our design process. We regularly survey early adopters and our crowdfunders to find out what they love, what they need, and what they wish smart glasses could do. We obsessed over every element that customers told us mattered, namely comfort, prescription compatibility, battery life, and style. This hands-on dialogue helped us shape our product development while building a loyal community of supporters in our mission.

Outsize your competition not in sheer scale but in granular expertise and in the depth of connection with your customers. In an age of endless product choices, potential buyers often seek the brand that truly “gets” them. It all comes down to filling a gap in the market. 

Balancing Functionality and Consumer Appeal

One of the most common pitfalls with wearables is that they can veer too far into the realm of gadgetry. In my view, the ultimate goal should be to create something that people want to actually wear every day, not just another piece of tech for tech’s sake.

Our company adopted an “optical design first” philosophy. We prioritize style, comfort, and usability from the outset, so we’re able to preserve the traditional function of eyewear while enhancing the experience with intuitive, unobtrusive smart features.

When I’m asked how to balance the desire for cutting-edge features with ensuring genuine consumer appeal, I always say never lose sight of the everyday needs of your target customer. Ask yourself: Would I personally wear this? Does this solve a real problem, or is it just the next trendy product? Is this a tech built for the user, or a tech looking for a user? Being “trendy” may draw headlines, but solving a real-world pain point — or adding meaningful convenience — earns loyalty.

The Three T’s of Success

Through our journey, I’ve come to see that technology companies, particularly in the wearables space, are built on three fundamental pillars: Team, Tech, and Tenacity.

  • Team: No matter how groundbreaking your concept is, you won’t get far if you don’t have the right people by your side. Choose individuals who believe in the vision as much as you do, and be sure they can adapt to the unpredictable nature of a startup.
  • Tech: Your product must have a true competitive edge. In our case, we recognized that if we wanted to stand out, our technology—both the hardware and the accompanying software—had to be genuinely unique. We invested heavily in R&D for frames that are both aesthetically pleasing and optimized for connectivity. This meant making tough choices about which features to highlight and which to leave for later iterations.
  • Tenacity: Perhaps the most vital element is the commitment to keep going when immediate challenges seem overwhelming. It’s crucial to plan years in advance while staying confident enough to tackle short-term roadblocks without losing sight of the larger vision. Startups rarely make sense on paper, and the path is often filled with naysayers. Still, it takes a “leap of faith” mindset to push forward. 

Success in the wearables market doesn’t come from playing it safe or diluting your focus. It stems from deliberate specialization, user-informed design, and an unwavering belief in the long-term potential of your vision. Focus on the 3 T’s above and you will be on the path to building something great! 

The journey is not easy, and the challenges will keep coming. But if you keep your eyes on that horizon of one, three, and five years ahead, you’ll stand a very good chance of creating something that genuinely changes people’s lives.

 

Harrison Gross

Harrison Gross is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lucyd, the first Chat-GPT-enabled smart eyewear company.

 

 

 

 

Steps To Launching A Successful Personal Trainer Career

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personal training

personal training

Embarking on a personal trainer career can be exciting and rewarding. Whether you’re driven by a passion for fitness or a desire to help others lead healthier lives, personal training offers flexibility, personal satisfaction, and the opportunity to make a real impact. But like any career path, success doesn’t happen overnight. It requires planning, dedication, and the right qualifications.

If you’re considering stepping into the world of fitness professionally, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started.

1. Understand What the Job Involves.

Before diving into qualifications and training, take the time to understand what being a personal trainer really entails. It’s not just about designing workouts or spotting someone at the gym. It’s about building relationships, understanding client goals, motivating people through highs and lows, and sometimes dealing with injuries, setbacks, or lifestyle challenges. The most successful PTs are those who combine technical knowledge with emotional intelligence, patience, and adaptability.

2. Get the Right Qualifications.

You’ll need recognised industry qualifications to work as a personal trainer in the UK. Most gyms and insurance providers require a minimum level 3 certification.

Completing a Level 2 & 3 Combined Personal Training Course is the most efficient and popular route. This package combines:

  • Level 2 Gym Instructor: The foundational course that teaches you basic anatomy, physiology, and how to instruct gym-based exercises.
  • Level 3 Personal Trainer: Builds on Level 2 with advanced knowledge of programming, client assessments, and nutrition.

This combined route not only saves time but also allows you to qualify faster and begin working as a personal trainer straight away. Make sure the course is CIMSPA-accredited (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity), as this ensures your qualification is nationally recognised and respected.

3. Choose Your Path: Employment vs. Self-Employment.

Once you’re qualified, you’ll need to decide how you want to work. Most new trainers choose one of three routes:

  • Work for a gym or fitness chain (e.g., PureGym, David Lloyd): A great way to gain experience, build your reputation, and access a steady flow of clients.
  • Freelance within a gym: Rent space from a gym and manage your own clients and pricing.
  • Go fully self-employed: Offer mobile or online PT sessions, or even start your own studio.

Each has pros and cons. Employed roles offer stability, while self-employed paths give you full control over your income, schedule, and branding.

4. Develop a Personal Brand.

In a competitive market, standing out is key. Take time to think about what makes you different. Are you passionate about helping new mums regain strength? Do you specialise in strength training for over-50s? Are you offering online coaching for busy professionals?

Once you’ve defined your niche, build your brand around it. Create a professional website, set up social media profiles, and showcase your knowledge through content like videos, blogs, or client success stories. A clear brand helps you attract the right type of client and builds trust.

5. Keep Learning & Stay Certified.

The best trainers are lifelong learners. The health and fitness industry is constantly evolving with new research, trends, and tools. Consider adding CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses in areas like pre/postnatal training, nutrition coaching, kettlebell instruction, or sports massage.

Staying certified with organisations like CIMSPA and keeping your first aid qualifications up to date is also essential if you want to remain insured and legally compliant.

6. Focus on Client Experience.

Your qualifications will get your foot in the door, but what keeps clients coming back is the experience you offer. Be punctual, communicate, tailor your programmes to individual needs, and celebrate your clients’ wins.

Client retention is often more valuable than constantly chasing new leads. Happy clients not only stay longer but are more likely to refer friends and family.

7. Set Clear Business Goals.

Whether you’re employed or self-employed, treat your career like a business. Set monthly income goals, track expenses, manage bookings effectively, and invest in tools (like scheduling software or fitness apps) that streamline your work. If you’re self-employed, don’t forget to register with HMRC and stay on top of taxes.

Final Thoughts

Becoming a personal trainer is more than just a job — it’s a lifestyle. It requires passion, persistence, and a willingness to grow both professionally and personally. With the right qualifications, a clear niche, and a focus on delivering real results, you can launch a rewarding and successful career in the fitness industry.

The Level 2 & 3 Combined Personal Training Course is your first step toward turning your passion for fitness into a fulfilling profession. Get qualified, build your brand, and start changing lives — one client at a time.

 

Trust Through Transparency: 5 Steps To Enhance Your Leadership Communication

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by Mike Peterson, founder of Apex Consulting Partners and author of “Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption“

Transparent communication stands as a cornerstone of effective leadership, creating the essential bridge between trust and accountability in any organization. When leaders communicate openly and honestly, they enable team members to truly connect with organizational goals, address emerging challenges before they become crises, and feel genuinely valued as contributors to the shared mission.

While most leaders recognize the value of transparent communication, implementing it effectively requires a structured approach. I recommend following a five-step process that offers a clear pathway for creating an environment where transparency becomes not just a practice, but part of the organization’s DNA.

THE FIVE-STEP MODEL

Transparent communication is more than sharing information — it’s about fostering understanding, alignment, and accountability at every level of an organization.

1. Start with Clear Intentions.

Communication begins with clarity. Leaders must clearly articulate their goals and the purpose behind their message. When intentions are clear, it reduces misunderstandings and sets the tone for focused, purposeful dialogue.

Action step: make sure to establish regular check-ins where team members can share updates, raise concerns, and ask questions. These consistent meetings provide a reliable space for open dialogue. 

2. Explain Why the Issue Is Important.

The “why” matters. People are more likely to engage when they understand the significance of the task or decision at hand. By explaining why something is important, leaders connect the immediate conversation to broader goals, fostering a sense of purpose and ownership.

Action step: this is especially true when making important decisions. Clearly explaining how and why you made them helps team members feel connected to the decision-making process and reduces uncertainty.

3. Foster Two-Way Communication.

Great communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. Leaders must create opportunities for feedback, encouraging employees to share their thoughts, ask questions, and express concerns. Two-way communication builds a culture of respect and collaboration, ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued.

Action step: this means developing multiple avenues for feedback, recognizing that not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in meetings. Options might include anonymous surveys, suggestion boxes, or one-on-one conversations. You should also request feedback about your leadership. Show your team that you value their input by listening to their suggestions and acting on them when appropriate.

4. Align on Expectations and Goals.

Alignment is where clarity and collaboration converge. Leaders and teams must work together to set clear expectations and establish shared goals. This includes agreeing to a timeline — a key point of accountability. This step ensures everyone is moving in the same direction, reducing confusion and fostering accountability.

Action step: regular check-ins help ensure your team understands what’s expected and feels empowered to ask questions when things aren’t clear. Don’t assume understanding just because someone is nodding their head – ask about their perception. 

5. Provide Feedback.

Feedback — including communication back from the people who are receiving information — is the loop that completes the process. Constructive, timely feedback helps individuals grow, reinforces alignment, and keeps communication flowing. Leaders who provide clear, actionable feedback create an environment where improvement and learning are part of the culture.

Action step: feedback needs to be a balance of positive reinforcement and constructive criticism. Neither should dominate consistently.

CORE PRINCIPLES FOR IMPLEMENTATION

Be Honest, Even When It’s Difficult.

Transparency requires honesty, especially during challenging times. Withholding information or sugarcoating the truth erodes trust. Your team needs to know you’re being upfront, even when situations are difficult.

Model the Behavior You Want to See.

As a leader, your communication style sets the tone for the entire team. If you want open communication, you must demonstrate it yourself. Be honest, share information proactively, and remain open to feedback. When your team sees you practicing transparency, they will follow your lead.

The Impact on Team Dynamics.

When communication is transparent, it strengthens relationships, boosts morale, and fosters accountability. Team members who can openly share thoughts without fear of judgment are more likely to collaborate, take ownership of their work, and feel invested in the team’s success.

Transparent communication also helps address problems before they escalate. Minor issues, if left unspoken, can grow into major challenges. When teams communicate openly, they can solve problems quickly and effectively.

FINAL THOUGHT

Transparent communication isn’t just about leaders sharing information — it’s about fostering an environment where open, honest dialogue flows in all directions. As a leader, your responsibility is to create conditions where this kind of communication can thrive. By implementing the five-step model, you build a team that feels empowered, respected, and aligned with organizational goals.

 

mike peterson

Mike Peterson is the founder and managing partner of Apex Consulting Partners and the author of “Leading in the Age of Digital Disruption“. With nearly two decades of experience in HR and IT, he has held global leadership roles at BioMarin, Zogenix, UCB, and Structure Therapeutics. Peterson has been certified by both SHRM and the HR Certification Institute. Learn more at www.apexconsulting.partners.

 

What Is Employee Engagement?

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by Minal Joshi Jaeckli, founder of OpenElevator and author of “The Goldilocks Team: Master Retention and Hiring“

Employee engagement is obviously extremely important. But what does it mean, exactly? Perhaps like me, you’ve worked for years without giving engagement a thought. Ironically, what got me interested in workplace engagement was my own disengagement.

After working across three industries on two continents and in about ten different mostly rewarding, if not totally fun, positions, from chemist in the pharmaceutical sector to product manager in the semiconductor industry to investor relations for a wealth manager, I joined Credit Suisse. I had a rich and diverse experience base to take on what sounded like a great opportunity. Beyond work, I was a lucky new mom, with the most wonderful husband. All was well. Even though I had joined the workforce over a decade ago, I had never said, much less thought about the phrase “Employee Engagement.”

At Credit Suisse it felt like the music stopped. Within a few weeks, I found myself completely disengaged.

While I’d had the usual career ups and downs, for the most part I had been very fortunate. I didn’t fully grasp how fortunate until I joined Credit Suisse. As I often tell people, engagement isn’t like a Bollywood movie, there’s no dancing in fields of daisies when you’re happy. It just feels normal, just like what you’d expect. However, when you’re unhappy, dread Mondays, and feel a deep, soul-crushing aversion for your job, the difference becomes painfully clear.

Having worked in so many different environments, I tried to identify the throughline, the common thread among the positions that made them great (or at least fine). And what was missing now that was making me so unhappy? What was not working? What did I need to be happy?

I was horrified when I realized my disengagement at Credit Suisse wasn’t an isolated issue but a systemic problem. I was struck by my colleagues’ discontent. Every conversation revolved around the latest management upheavals, contained sarcastic comments about internal communications, and was evidence of everyone’s overwhelming sense of frustration with their jobs, bosses, and the organization as a whole. My coworkers didn’t just complain; people busied themselves, constantly networking to find another position to jump to, playing a desperate game of musical chairs. I wondered how any work got done. It was completely bizarre and nauseating
to me. Unhappiness at work was not just an individual experience but a collective norm. Witnessing how they had normalized unhappiness at work was disturbing to me.

I felt like a spoiled brat for expecting more from work.

Was it that bad at Credit Suisse? Yes. Was I expecting too much from an employer, and from work, because of my own previous, rewarding work experiences? No.

It’s striking how much our expectations and standards are shaped by our experiences and beliefs. In stark contrast to my previous positive experiences, I was now part of an environment where discontent was routine, and the pursuit of a fulfilling career was overshadowed by a prevailing sense of desperation and resignation. But I don’t do desperation or resignation. I’m like a heat-seeking missile when it comes to problem solving; a dog that just can’t let go of a bone (not always an enjoyable attribute for those around me). I needed a solution. So I set out to find one.

Of course you know, before solutions comes knowledge. Lucky for me, learning new things, new industries, new technologies, new functions, and new geographies, was the hallmark of my career. Instinctively, I set out to learn everything I could about what we need from work, what makes us happy at work, what drives engagement.

As I began to understand more about workplace happiness, I realized the depth of the problem. It wasn’t just me, or The Credit Suisse Group. Employees and employers all over the world urgently need a different, better approach to talent management. This increasingly took hold and called me to develop a solution.

In the years that followed, I learned several critical lessons about talent management. Firstly, I understood that a toxic work environment can become an accepted norm if left unchecked. Knowing this has led me to focus on creating tools and strategies for companies to hire for engagement and build workplaces where satisfaction and contribution are prioritized from the start.

Like any first-order solution, addressing the root causes of disengagement is paramount. It is key to transforming both individual experiences and organizational cultures, powerfully impacting employee quality of life and company bottom line.

 

*excerpted from “The Goldilocks Team: Master Retention and Hiring“

 

Minal Joshi Jaeckli

Minal Joshi Jaeckli is the founder of OpenElevator, a pioneering platform designed to help companies break the cycle of employee turnover through a proprietary, connection-driven system. Minal is author of “The Goldilocks Team: Master Retention and Hiring“. With this book, she guides mission-driven leaders on how to build top-performing teams. She provides a strategic blueprint for gaining an unfair advantage in employee retention and hiring success — helping leaders create winning teams that not only perform but also thrive.

 

Empowering Your Day: Actionable Balance Strategies For Women Thriving In Work And Business

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by Solveig Eitungjerde

The reality for many driven women in careers and business is that juggling everything often leaves you feeling like you’re running on empty. But it’s not about constantly draining yourself; it’s about finding a lasting balance that supports your well-being.

In this article, you´ll get practical tips to help you manage your energy, set healthy boundaries, and make feeling good a regular part of your busy schedule.

Keeping Your Energy Up

Think of your energy like the fuel in your car. If it runs out, you can’t go anywhere. Here are some easy ways to keep your tank full:

  • Quick Energy Boosts: Instead of pushing through when you’re tired, take short breaks. Stand up, stretch a little, take a few deep breaths, or just look away from your screen for a minute. Try to do this every hour – it’s like a mini-reset for your brain. For example, if you’ve been writing emails for an hour, get up and walk to the kitchen to grab a glass of fresh water.
  • Focus Time: Picture your day as having specific slots for different things. Schedule blocks of time to really concentrate on important tasks, like “10 AM – 11:30 AM: Work on the presentation.” This helps you avoid getting distracted and lets you use your best energy for what matters most.
  • Fuel Your Body Well: What you eat is like the gas you put in your car. Cheap gas might get you going for a bit, but it won’t keep you running well for long. Focus on healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein to have steady energy throughout the day. For example, instead of grabbing a candy bar for a snack, try some yogurt and berries.
  • Move Your Body a Little: Even a little bit of exercise can wake you up. Think of it like shaking off sleepiness. A quick walk during lunch or putting on some music and dancing for a few minutes can lift your mood and give you more energy. Find something you enjoy and try to do it most days.

Protecting Your Time and Yourself

Learning to say “no” is like putting up a fence around your time and energy. It helps prevent you from getting overwhelmed. Here´s how you can go about it:

  • Know What Really Matters: Figure out what’s truly important to you, both at work and in your personal life. This helps you decide where to spend your time and what you might need to say “no” to. For example, if spending your evenings with family is a top priority, you might need to decline a late afternoon work session that isn’t absolutely essential.
  • Speak Up Clearly: Don’t be afraid to politely tell people what your limits are. Whether it’s letting someone know you can’t take on another project right now or that you’ll only answer emails during certain hours, clear communication helps avoid problems. For example, instead of just saying “maybe” when asked to do something you don’t have time for, try saying, “Thanks for the offer, but my schedule is pretty full at the moment.”
  • Build in Breathing Room: Think of your schedule like packing a suitcase. If you stuff everything in tightly, it might burst. Leave some extra time between meetings and tasks. This gives you a chance to switch gears, catch up, or just take a breath before moving on.
  • Unplug from Work: Imagine work as a light switch – you need to turn it off sometimes to recharge. Set specific times when you’re completely done with work emails and tasks. This could be during dinner or on weekends. This “digital detox” helps you truly relax and focus on other parts of your life.

Making Feeling Good a Priority

Taking care of yourself isn’t just something you “should do”; it’s as important as the work you do. Try creating a daily routine to make these habits a regular part of your day:

  • Get Good Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Think of sleep as charging your phone overnight. A regular bedtime routine, like reading a book or taking a warm bath, can help you sleep better.
  • Quiet Your Mind for a Bit: Even a few minutes of calm can make a big difference. Try focusing on your breathing for a minute or two, or take a walk in nature. It’s like hitting the pause button on a busy day.
  • Connect with People You Care About: Your friends and family are like your support team. Make time for them. Talking, laughing, and sharing experiences help you feel good and less alone.
  • Be Kind to Yourself: Everyone makes mistakes or has tough days. Treat yourself like you would a good friend. Recognize your efforts and be understanding when things don’t go perfectly.

Taking charge of your day and finding balance is a journey, not a quick fix. By making these simple changes, you can create a more sustainable and enjoyable life where you excel in both your work and your personal life. Remember, looking after yourself is the smartest thing you can do for your well-being.

 

Solveig Eitungjerde

Solveig Eitungjerde is a certified health coach who helps women who juggle that never-ending to-do list while wanting to be present and productive – manage their time and energy, avoid burnout, and make space for what truly matters. Through personalized coaching, she helps her clients design a life with a better work-life balance. If you´d like more practical tips to protect your time and energy, you can join her free 3-day mini audio course, “Balance Work, Entrepreneurship & Fun: 3 Days to More Time & No More Burnout,”. Connect with Solveig on Instagram, email her at solveig@livewellandexplore.com, or visit her blog.

 

4 Vital Ways To Build Trust With Your Online Customers Every Time

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Trust is one of those things that is not just the cornerstone of life relationships- it serves as the most important foundation for every successful online business. Without it, the most innovative services or products can struggle to attract and retain customers. In the digital world where face-to-face interactions are rare, your website, your content, and of course your manner of dealing with customers become the key ways to reassure that your business is credible, reliable, and safe to engage with.

What does it take to build trust in the right ways?

Safeguard Customer Transactions

With something like accepting payments online, trust is particularly important. Many businesses, particularly those in industries that are considered higher risk, may need to work with a high risk merchant provider to process transactions securely. These providers are specialized payment solutions that will safeguard transactions, ensure smooth payment experiences, and of course, protect customer data. 

We hear much more about widespread cyber attacks than ever these days, and therefore, ensuring that you are protecting yourself and customers from fraud and chargebacks is pivotal.

Consistent Branding and Clear Messaging

Credibility is all about consistency. Your brand needs to have the right colors, logo, tone of voice, and messaging across all aspects- from your website to social media and your marketing. 

Consistency is going to reassure customers that your business is legitimate and professional, and this means it’s easier for them to remember you, and of course, they will trust you. Regularly auditing your online presence through an external auditor ensures your brand values and promises are clearly communicated at every single touchpoint.

The Proof

What they call social proof through testimonials and case studies is a powerful strategy for building trust. Positive feedback from satisfied customers is social proof, which shows potential buyers that others have had good interactions with your business. 

Case studies provide real-world examples of how your products and services have solved problems, further demonstrating your expertise and reliability. It may go without saying, but if you want to build trust, ensure that those testimonials are actually real. There is a temptation to fabricate testimonials, particularly if you are at the very outset of your business journey. Instead, focus on the quality of services that can generate that social proof.

Engaging Authentically

Social media platforms are pivotal for building relationships and fostering trust. Responding to comments and messages promptly, participating in conversations relevant to your audience, and sharing behind-the-scenes content humanizes the brand and demonstrates that you value your customers’ input and feedback. 

In a world where we demand instant gratification, building trust can seem like a very frustrating part of the entire process. You need to gradually progress and present that cohesive brand, but also focus on how you can start building a culture and lay a strong foundation for lasting customer relationships. 

Trust is something that’s even harder to come by, which means that we have to double down on this. Get it right and you will have not just a customer for life, but the right type of customer.

 

Captex Trading Platform Thrives As Stock Market Soars In 2025

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captex is an online stock trading platform

captex is an online stock trading platform

The stock market has surged in 2025, fueled by strong corporate earnings, economic optimism, and technological advancements, drawing a wave of investors to Captex.com.

This article explores five key aspects driving investor enthusiasm — global stock offerings, advanced trading tools, account type versatility, news blog updates, and portfolio diversification tools — highlighting how Captex fuels success in this vibrant market.

Global Stock Offerings: Access to Leading Equities

Diverse Stock Selection.

Captex’s stocks market offers a broad range of equities from major global exchanges, enabling investors to tap into the 2025 boom. From tech giants to industrial leaders, the platform covers key sectors, making it a hub for both long-term investors and short-term traders.

  • S. Stocks: Apple, Tesla, Microsoft.
  • European Stocks: Siemens, Unilever, LVMH.
  • Asian Stocks: Sony, Alibaba, TSMC.

Why It Attracts Investors.

The variety allows traders to build portfolios aligned with market trends, such as the tech sector’s growth or Europe’s green energy push. Basic account holders can start with modest investments in U.S. stocks, while VIP traders access premium analytics for Asian equities. Real-time price updates ensure timely trades, positioning Captex as a prime destination for investors chasing the stock market’s upward trajectory.

Advanced Trading Tools: Precision for Stock Trading

Robust Toolset.

Captex equips investors with sophisticated tools to navigate the stock market boom, including customizable charts, real-time data, and technical indicators. These features enable precise analysis and execution, critical in a fast-moving equities market.

  • Customizable Charts: Analyze Tesla’s price trends across multiple timeframes.
  • Live Data Feeds: Track real-time movements in Siemens or Sony shares.
  • Technical Indicators: Use Bollinger Bands or moving averages for entry points.

Driving Investor Confidence.

The economic calendar enhances these tools by highlighting earnings reports and economic data, such as U.S. GDP growth, that drive stock prices. For instance, a recent surge in Microsoft shares tied to AI advancements was easier to trade with Captex’s live feeds. This functionality attracts investors seeking to maximize gains, fueling the platform’s popularity during the 2025 boom.

Account Type Versatility: Options for Every Investor

Tailored Account Tiers.

Captex’s five account types — Basic, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and VIP — cater to diverse investor needs, from beginners to high-net-worth individuals. Each tier offers unique benefits, ensuring accessibility to the stock market boom.

  • Basic: Low entry point for trading U.S. stocks like Apple.
  • Silver: Tighter spreads for frequent European stock trades.
  • Gold: Personalized insights for diversified stock portfolios.
  • Platinum: Advanced tools for high-volume equity trading.
  • VIP: Dedicated managers for complex stock strategies.

Broadening Participation.

This versatility drives investor influx, as Basic accounts enable newcomers to test the market with minimal risk, while Platinum and VIP accounts support sophisticated strategies for trading Asian stocks like TSMC. The tiered structure accommodates varying capital levels, making Captex a magnet for investors during this bullish phase.

News Blog Updates: Insights for Informed Trading

Timely Market Analysis.

Captex’s news blog provides critical updates on stock market developments, from corporate earnings to sector trends. These posts help investors understand drivers of the 2025 boom, such as renewable energy stocks or tech IPOs, and adjust their trades accordingly.

  • Earnings Recaps: Analysis of Tesla’s quarterly results.
  • Sector Trends: Updates on Europe’s luxury goods market.
  • Global Events: Impact of trade policies on Asian equities.

Fueling Investor Engagement.

The blog, paired with the glossary for decoding financial terms, empowers users to make data-driven decisions. A recent post on U.S. tech stock rallies likely spurred trades in Microsoft, as investors used insights to time entries. This resource keeps Captex’s community active, sustaining momentum as investors flock to the platform.

Portfolio Diversification Tools: Balancing Risk and Reward

Tools for Strategic Investing.

The stock market boom brings opportunities and volatility, and Captex’s diversification tools help investors manage risk while maximizing returns. These features support balanced portfolios across global equities and other markets.

  • Multi-Asset Access: Combine stocks with Precious Metals or Indices.
  • Risk Management: Stop-loss and take-profit settings for stock trades.
  • Portfolio Analytics: Track performance across U.S. and European shares.

Supporting the Boom.

These tools enable investors to hedge stock investments with assets like gold or diversify across sectors, such as pairing tech stocks with industrial equities. For example, a Gold account holder might trade Unilever alongside Bitcoin to balance risk, while a VIP user leverages analytics for multi-region portfolios. By facilitating diversification, Captex attracts investors seeking stability amid the 2025 stock surge.

Tip: Learn how to use fundamental analyses in the stock market!

The Verdict

Captex.com is a powerhouse for investors capitalizing on the 2025 stock market boom, offering a robust Stocks market with global equities from Apple to Alibaba. Its advanced tools, versatile account types, insightful news blog, and diversification features empower users to seize opportunities in this bullish environment.

The device-compatible web interface, paired with resources like the economic calendar and glossary, ensures accessibility and informed trading for all. As stocks continue to climb, driven by economic optimism and corporate performance, Captex stands as a premier platform for investors aiming to harness the full potential of this vibrant market.

 

CFOs Are Taking Over Your Contracts (And That’s Actually A Good Thing)

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contract signing

contract signing

by Matt Lhoumeau, CEO and co-founder of Concord

I noticed something fascinating 15 years ago when I was tasked with renegotiating a thousand vendor contracts for a major telecom company in France.

I spent six miserable months digging through file cabinets, hunting down paper contracts, manually building spreadsheets, and sending hundreds of Word documents back and forth.

What shocked me wasn’t just the tedium – it was realizing that a $5 billion company was managing its contractual relationships like it was 1975.

Fast forward to today, and I’m seeing a seismic shift that few people are talking about: CFOs – not Legal – are becoming the new owners of contract processes in most companies.

The death of legal-centric contracts

When we started Concord ten years ago, contracts were “Legal’s problem.” Today, 65-70% of our customers don’t even have a legal team.

Why this shift? Because a contract isn’t primarily a legal document. It’s a business process. It’s how money moves in and out of your company.

Think about it: whether you buy something, sell something, or hire someone, there’s always a contract in the middle. And who better to manage these processes than operations and finance teams?

The numbers tell the story:

  • 90% of contracts we see have zero negotiation – they’re standardized templates
  • Most companies have eliminated or drastically reduced legal review for standard agreements
  • AI can now handle basic contract review that once required legal expertise

The CFO transformation

CFOs are evolving like CIOs did years ago. Remember when IT leaders just “helped plug in computers?” Now they’re strategic partners. The same transformation is happening with finance leaders.

Look at what a contract is actually for:

  • It documents financial commitments
  • It establishes payment terms
  • It governs how money flows
  • It creates financial obligations

So why wouldn’t finance teams manage this process?

I was with a customer in Texas recently – a 300-person construction company that’s been around for 70 years. Very traditional business. They don’t have a legal team anymore. They’ve outsourced everything. Their CFO oversees all contract processes.

This isn’t unusual. It’s becoming the norm.

What does this mean for your business?

For Legal: Your value is strategy and high-stakes guidance – not reviewing the fifteenth revision of a standard agreement.

For Finance & Operations: Your contracts are becoming goldmines of business intelligence, showing exactly where every dollar goes and optimizing vendor relationships.

For CEOs: Your contracts are no longer buried in legal files – they’re integrated with your financial forecasting.

With contract management software, CFOs can now:

  1. Build forecasts based on actual commitments, not just historical patterns. You’ll know exactly how much money is coming in and out month by month based on your contractual obligations.
  2. Fight for every dollar. Good CFOs negotiate each vendor agreement to maximize value.
  3. Remove bottlenecks by identifying which contracts consistently get stuck in review.
  4. Avoid expensive surprises like missed renewal dates – something that’s happened to every CFO I’ve ever met.

This isn’t about replacing legal teams

Legal teams aren’t going away, but they’re focusing on work that actually requires their expertise.

Think about contracts in your company:

  • Your customer agreements are probably templated
  • Your vendor agreements are often dictated by the vendor
  • Your HR documents are standardized

The legal aspects are important, but they’re just one part of a business process – a business process that finance and operations teams are increasingly owning.

With AI accelerating this trend, we’ll see even more companies shifting contract ownership to finance and operations teams.

The numbers don’t lie

Research confirms what we’re seeing with our own customers. According to industry research, contract lifecycle management (CLM) is growing at 12.4% annually and projected to reach $3.46 billion by 2034. That’s because companies recognize that poor contract management costs businesses 9% of their annual revenue on average.

The rise of AI in contract management isn’t slowing down either. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 50% of CLM platforms will integrate AI-driven analytics to enhance productivity.

What’s next

As AI gets better, I believe that within 10 years – by 2035 – companies with fewer than 500 employees won’t have dedicated legal people in-house at all.

We’re already seeing this with companies in the 100-200 employee range. They outsource legal for specific important topics, but everything else is managed internally by people without legal backgrounds.

This isn’t about eliminating legal expertise – it’s about deploying it more strategically while letting operations and finance teams handle routine contract processes with automated contract management systems.

The future isn’t what you think

I believe we’ll see contracts themselves change dramatically. They’re currently extremely inefficient – every contract is different, important parts are buried in dense language, and the format hasn’t evolved in centuries.

If AI were to design contracts from scratch, they’d look nothing like what we use today. I think we’ll eventually see more standardized, structured formats – like term sheets – that clearly display the important information.

The bottom line: contracts aren’t legal documents anymore. They’re business processes that belong in the hands of the people who manage your business operations and finances.

The companies that understand this shift will be the ones that turn contracts from roadblocks into rocket fuel.

 

Matt Lhoumeau

Matt Lhoumeau is the CEO and co-founder of Concord, the leading provider of AI-powered Agreement Intelligence solutions. With over a decade of experience transforming how businesses manage contracts, Matt helps finance leaders unlock strategic value from their agreements and turn contracts from cost centers into profit drivers.

 

Losing Meaning In Your Work? 7 Ways To Turn It Around

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According to recent research by McKinsey, a global consulting firm, 82% of employees say their organization’s purpose is important to how they view their jobs. It’s a cornerstone of how they find meaning in their own roles, in other words.

Misalignment with an organization’s purpose is not the only reason you might feel as if your work has lost meaning, however. It could be specific to your job duties, related to something going on outside of work, or attributable to any number of other issues.

No matter the reason, you deserve to find meaning in your work — and your life. This is a message shared by many inspirational figures — from David Miscavige, leader of the Scientology religion, to the many talented, purpose-driven executives who’ve distinguished themselves in the private sector. 

To recover the sense of professional purpose you feel slipping away, do these seven things.

1. Do Your Best to Diagnose the Problem.

First, do your best to define what ails you. This is more difficult than it may seem at first. You may have only a vague feeling that something is not quite right. It may take some introspection, and possibly candid conversations with trusted confidantes, to get to the root (or roots) of the issue.

Once you feel that you understand why your work is less meaningful than in the past, it’s time to take action. The remaining strategies on this list will help you do that. 

2. Hold Firm On, and Celebrate, Your Values.

Many professionals who find themselves adrift are able to “come back” by defining and re-centering on their most deeply held values. Even in roles that don’t appear to have a direct, positive impact on the world, a values-centric approach can really change the dynamic.

For example, by living her values of “curiosity, compassion and contribution” in her work, University of Iowa professor Amy Colbert was able to appreciate the privilege of serving as a department chair at a prestigious university.

“As department chair, one of my most meaningful activities was mentoring junior faculty,” Colbert says. “I tried to craft required performance reviews into two-way ongoing conversations about success and support in a way that combined my values of compassion and contribution….Being clear about what you value can help you find activities that align with those values.”

3. Hold Yourself Accountable for Your Actions.

Strong organizations are strong because they hold roleplayers accountable. It’s going to happen one way or another, so why not take the initiative and hold yourself accountable first?

You don’t have to hold performance “self-reviews” every quarter or year, although that might not be a bad idea. What’s important is that you regularly check in to confirm that your work remains aligned with your values. If you see signs of slippage, adjust accordingly.

4. Celebrate the “Difference” You’re Able to Make.

Another way Colbert found greater meaning in her work was to celebrate the visible differences she was able to make through said work. At some point, she realized that it wasn’t always clear when this was happening, so she decided to be more attentive and mindful from day to day and week to week. She updated her “done list” to include examples of “difference-making” and to (humbly) share “moments of meaningfulness” with others.

5. Ask Yourself How You’ll Look Back on This Period in Your Life.

According to another recent research report by McKinsey, the global pandemic caused nearly 70% of workers around the world to more deeply consider their purpose in life. This trend was one of the factors contributing to the “great resignation” of the early 2020s, when an unusually large number of people voluntarily quit their jobs and sought employment more aligned with their values.

With that in mind, psychologist Jasmijn Eerenberg recommends that all workers — before making the possibly rash decision to quit their jobs — think about how they’ll look back on their lives. She advises people to imagine themselves at 80, in a quiet moment of reflection: Will their memories of their present selves be positive, negative, or neutral? If negative or neutral, what could they do differently right now?

6. Find Ways to Stay Relevant As Your Role Changes.

The preceding tips presume that you have considerable agency over your work life. Most likely, this is true, perhaps more than you realize.

However, it’s also true that not everything about your professional role lies within your control. You may find your responsibilities changed for good reasons (promotions) or bad reasons (cost-cutting or internal reorganization) or just in the normal course of business. How you react to these changes is an important part of the larger project of finding meaning in the thing you spend much of your waking life doing.

7. Do What You Love, and Give Back, Outside of Work.

What about the weekends, evenings, and days off, when you aren’t officially on the job? That’s your time, and it’s your “job” to make the most of it.

To make that time more meaningful, look for opportunities to give back to organizations and causes that align with your values. For extra credit, push your employer to set aside time at work for charitable work, which can improve not only your sense of professional meaning but your colleagues’ as well.

“These initiatives have been proven to significantly enhance employee satisfaction and engagement,” says corporate philanthropy expert Eric Burger. “A vast majority of employees who regularly participate in volunteer activities through their workplace express a better work experience.”

Find Your Purpose

Purpose-driven work is valuable work. And it bears repeating that you, personally, deserve to find purpose in your professional life. 

This won’t happen immediately. It takes time to recover lost meaning in any aspect of your life. This is why it’s so important to begin the work now. The strategies described above will help, but remember: The journey is yours and yours alone.

 

Filling Machines: Revolutionizing Efficiency In Manufacturing

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product manufacturing line

product manufacturing line

In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, efficiency and precision are paramount. As industries strive to meet increasing demands while maintaining high standards of quality, the role of technology becomes ever more critical. Among the various technological advancements, filling machines stand out as a pivotal innovation that has transformed the manufacturing landscape. These machines are designed to accurately fill containers with liquids, powders, or granules, ensuring consistency and reducing waste.

From food and beverages to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, filling machines are integral to numerous sectors, enhancing productivity and streamlining operations. This article delves into the world of filling machines, exploring their impact on industrial productivity and the various types available to meet diverse manufacturing needs.

Understanding Industrial Filling Machines

Industrial filling machines are essential components in the manufacturing process, designed to handle the precise filling of products into containers. These machines are engineered to accommodate a wide range of products, from viscous liquids to fine powders, ensuring that each container is filled accurately and efficiently. The importance of industrial filling machines cannot be overstated, as they significantly boost productivity by automating the filling process, reducing manual labor, and minimizing errors.

There are several types of filling machines, each tailored to specific applications. For instance, liquid filling machines are commonly used in the beverage and pharmaceutical industries, where precision is crucial. These machines can handle various viscosities and are equipped with advanced features such as anti-drip nozzles and flow control mechanisms to ensure accuracy. Powder filling machines, on the other hand, are designed for products like spices, flour, and chemicals, utilizing augers or vacuum systems to achieve precise fills.

Moreover, filling machines are not limited to large-scale operations. Small and medium-sized enterprises can also benefit from these machines, as they are available in various sizes and configurations to suit different production scales. By investing in the right filling machine, manufacturers can enhance their production capabilities, reduce downtime, and improve overall efficiency.

Boosting Productivity in Manufacturing

The integration of filling machines into manufacturing processes has revolutionized the way industries operate. By automating the filling process, these machines eliminate the need for manual intervention, thereby reducing the risk of human error and increasing throughput. This automation not only speeds up production but also ensures consistency in product quality, which is crucial for maintaining brand reputation and customer satisfaction.

Filling machines also contribute to cost savings by minimizing product wastage. Precise filling mechanisms ensure that each container receives the exact amount of product, reducing overfills and underfills. This precision is particularly important in industries where product cost is high, such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Additionally, the reduction in manual labor allows companies to allocate resources more efficiently, focusing on other critical areas of production and innovation.

Furthermore, modern filling machines are equipped with advanced technologies such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and human-machine interfaces (HMIs), which enable operators to monitor and control the filling process with ease. These technologies provide real-time data on machine performance, allowing for quick adjustments and maintenance, thereby minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.

Choosing the Right Filling Machine for Your Needs

Selecting the appropriate filling machine is crucial for optimizing manufacturing operations. Several factors must be considered, including the type of product being filled, the production volume, and the level of automation required. For instance, a company producing high volumes of liquid products may benefit from a fully automated liquid filling machine with multiple filling heads, while a smaller operation may opt for a semi-automatic machine that offers flexibility and ease of use.

It is also important to consider the material compatibility of the filling machine. Different products may require specific materials for the machine’s contact parts to prevent contamination and ensure product safety. Stainless steel is a common choice for food and pharmaceutical applications due to its durability and resistance to corrosion.

Additionally, manufacturers should evaluate the scalability of the filling machine. As businesses grow, the ability to upgrade or expand the machine’s capabilities can provide a significant advantage. Investing in a machine that can adapt to changing production needs ensures long-term value and supports business growth.

In conclusion, filling machines are indispensable tools in the manufacturing industry, offering numerous benefits that enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve product quality. By understanding the different types of filling machines and their applications, manufacturers can make informed decisions that align with their operational goals and drive success in a competitive market.

 

Significance Of Personal Accident Insurance Plans In Singapore This 2025

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health insurance

health insurance

People should think about life, health, and critical illness insurance first when considering insurance policies.

Although personal injury insurance usually falls into the “good-to-have” category, it is still important to consider because it offers excellent protection at a very affordable price. Additionally, the annual cost is unaffected by the claims you submit, and you have the option to switch providers annually if you so want.

Infectious disease coverage, which has grown due to COVID-19, is another frequently disregarded component of personal accident insurance. The personal accident plan is becoming hybrid by adding COVID-19 coverage. Therefore, you can benefit for physical and autoimmune mishaps under a single plan.

Let’s examine the true contents of a personal accident plan and evaluate the top options available. What is covered by a personal accident plan? A personal accident insurance policy, to put it simply, is a kind of general insurance that offers benefits in the event of unintentional injury, incapacity, or death. Benefits often cover every stage of an injury, including recuperation, rehabilitation, hospitalization, and treatment. In the event of a loss of life, personal accident plans also pay a death benefit.

Guarantee that the essentials are covered while looking for a personal accident insurance policy. These include coverage for inpatient and outpatient care (which is included in many plans), accidental death and disability, and a daily allowance for hospital stays.

Additionally, most personal accident insurance covers the expensive costs of physiotherapy, chiropractic adjustments, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies.

For whom is personal accident insurance appropriate?

If you want greater protection against unanticipated incidents in general, this might be your best option. It might also be to all of you who work for yourself, play sports go outside frequently, or just need a larger payout for relatives in the event of an unintentional death.

If you see a chiropractor, physiotherapy, or TCM often, personal accident coverage may also be helpful. For instance, if you play sports regularly, do physically demanding tasks, or are just clumsy and occasionally sprain your ankle.

Individual Accident Protection

The Personal Accident Plan provides peace of mind for parents of young dependents by offering a specific Guardian Angel benefit of a maximum of S$500,000 per policy year. If you or your spouse pass away unexpectedly or become permanently disabled, this guarantees financial security for the children.

The basic tier offers S$2,000 accidental medical coverage covering inpatient and outpatient medical bills, and S$100,000 accident death and disability coverage.

Notably, the plan also includes limitless emergency medical evacuation while travelling abroad, with S$500 for an ambulance in the event of an accident and S$300 for emergency phone calls. For people who must travel regularly for work or pleasure, this is a suitable choice.

The plan also covers the costs of physiotherapy, visiting Chinese doctors, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and bonesetters, which are increasingly frequent among desk-bound workers, inpatient and outpatient medical charges.

In addition to mobility and prosthetic assistance, the Personal Accident Plan offers a home adaptation benefit in the event of permanent incapacity.

You can select up to S$1,000,000 in maximum coverage and extra riders for additional protection for more coverage. With coverage for a wide range of medical services and benefits for temporary and permanent disabilities, this plan offers comprehensive protection for frequent travellers. Additionally, the option to customize coverage with additional riders allows for a tailored insurance solution based on individual needs and preferences.

This plan also includes coverage for rehabilitation expenses and loss of income due to accidents, providing financial support during recovery. The Personal Accident Plan is designed to provide peace of mind and financial security in the event of unexpected accidents or injuries.

 

From The Big Screen To Reality: Taking Healthcare Innovations To Market

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by Marcus Soori, Inventor – Tricorder.Zero™

The inspiration for innovations can come from anywhere. In my case, the spark I needed to become an inventor in healthcare came from the world of science fiction. I believed a prop that millions had seen on the big screen could become a real-world tool that would radically improve the healthcare industry.

But as all successful inventors know, bringing an idea to life often involves a long and arduous journey. For those just getting started on that journey, the following are some lessons I learned while taking my invention from the big screen to reality.

Assess the need.

I was in medical school when my inventor’s journey began. Consequently, I had first-hand knowledge of the issues that patients were facing. 

I knew getting access to medical professionals was challenging and costly, but I also knew that the ability to measure health metrics and track them over time was extremely valuable. Patients who could conveniently assess their own health conditions — or gather accurate, clinical-grade health and fitness data to share with their doctor — would streamline the healthcare process and improve their chances of living healthier lives.

The process of identifying the need is often referred to as assessing viability. It’s a step that entrepreneurs and inventors must take to determine if their invention or broader business strategy can sustain operations and generate profits in the long term. All businesses must start there, determining if there is a significant enough need in the marketplace for their big idea.

Identify key selling points.

Once you determine that your idea is viable, you can start refining it to optimize its marketability. This involves identifying the key features that will attract consumers.

For example, I knew size would be an issue with the product I was developing. To be truly useful as a healthcare tool, it couldn’t be too big. The more portable it could be, the more useful it would be for the market.

I also knew that it had to be convenient to use. If a product or service is too complicated, it can easily be a turn-off to prospective customers, which is why user-friendliness has become a huge selling point in the modern marketplace.

Determine if the timing is right.

As the invention’s actual design begins to take shape, you may discover that key components are inaccessible for a variety of reasons. In some cases, they are too costly. In others, they’ve yet to be produced in a form that satisfies your needs.

Take telehealth as an example. Entrepreneurs had experimented with telehealth tools for years before the COVID-19 pandemic, with little market penetration. But when Covid hit, key technology components suddenly became a high priority, which quickly made them both available and affordable. In addition, the pandemic swung consumer acceptance of telehealth by forcing a large percentage of the population to experience it firsthand.

I was forced to wait years for the components I needed to become small enough and affordable enough to support my design. If you similarly find your invention is ahead of the times, don’t waste time waiting for the tech space or consumer tastes to catch up. Continue working on what you can (improving your business plan, refining marketing ideas, and surveying stakeholders, for example) so you are ready to move quickly once you have what you need.

Address weaknesses that threaten success.

Thriving as an inventor or entrepreneur requires having a lot of confidence in the product or business you are building, but it also requires realistically identifying what could go wrong and taking steps to avoid possible pitfalls. The key is being optimistic without being naive.

For example, technology innovators face the threat of copycat innovation. If the tech that drives their product isn’t carefully protected, it can be cloned by another company and used to create competitive products. To minimize this issue, inventors can focus on obtaining patents for the methods, systems, and designs that make their product unique before publicizing it in the marketplace.

In the healthcare industry, regulatory hurdles are another threat that must be addressed. Companies seeking to get a start in healthcare must assess the costs and requirements of compliance with HIPAA, FDA regulations, and other applicable laws. If performance, security, or safety standards can’t be maintained, healthcare startups can quickly find themselves facing insurmountable challenges.

Stay up-to-date on key issues.

As you work through your development process, conditions in the market will undoubtedly change. Keeping up with the changes and how they could affect your success is critical.

The April 2025 tariffs impacting global trade provide a perfect example of how market conditions can change rapidly. If you are an inventor who relies on components from China to produce your product, these tariffs pose a significant threat to your viability.

In some cases, changes can be a boon to your business plans. If you are developing a home medical device, for example, a shift that turns public sentiment against the conventional healthcare system can be helpful. The key is keeping pace with developments and understanding how you may need to pivot as a result.

An innovative healthcare idea can not only form the foundation of a successful business but also empower patients to achieve a better quality of life. Bringing the concept to life in a sustainable way, however, requires perseverance, practicality, and patience. The steps listed above can guide inventors as they seek to shepherd their project from concept to prototype to product.

 

marcus soori

Marcus Soori, Founder and CEO of O/D Vision, is the inventor of Tricorder.Zero™, a fully integrated, touchscreen seven-sensor health and fitness tracker that can be used for personal health monitoring and in telehealth. Soori developed the initial idea for the device in medical school in 2013 and refined the idea over the next eight years as technology advanced. In 2021, he began developing his prototype and secured patent-pending status on 12+ novel concepts related to his invention in 2022. The device is now available for pre-order.

 

Why AI Is Fueling Workplace Burnout — Not Fixing It 

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by Dr. Julie Donley, Author of “Leading at the Speed of People”

The rise of artificial intelligence was supposed to make work easier, right? Smarter algorithms, faster communication, automation at scale. And yet, for many professionals, small business owners, and entrepreneurs, stress and burnout aren’t decreasing — they’re intensifying.

Why? Because while AI can handle data, workflows, and even creative tasks, it cannot replace the emotional labor that remains at the core of human work.

The Human Work Hasn’t Gone Away

Every workplace, no matter what the industry, runs on human connection — collaboration, empathy, communication, creativity. These are not “tasks” that can be automated away. They are emotional processes that require energy, attention, and intention.

Managing a stressed-out employee. Soothing an anxious client. Navigating conflict between individuals or teams. Showing up as a supportive leader while privately grappling with uncertainty. AI can write an email, but it cannot offer true reassurance, read the unspoken worry in someone’s tone, or negotiate emotions during a tense conversation.

As AI takes over more operational work, the proportion of emotional labor in our day-to-day jobs is actually increasing — not decreasing. And emotional labor, while often invisible, is exhausting. It’s a significant contributor to burnout that many businesses are not yet acknowledging.

Change Is Always Hard — Even Good Change

Another reason AI is fueling stress rather than easing it? The learning curve. Change — even when it’s positive or full of promise — is disruptive.

In my book, “Does Change Have to Be So HARD?“, I explore how any change, even welcome change, challenges us. It requires that we let go of familiar habits, embrace new ways of thinking, and work through discomfort. While some people thrive on innovation, many struggle with uncertainty, especially when the change is fast-moving and high-stakes.

AI is changing not just what we do, but how we do it — from workflows and communication to decision-making and job expectations. These shifts often happen without enough time, support, or emotional space to adapt. When businesses rush AI adoption without addressing the human side of change, they inadvertently increase stress, resistance, and fear.

What Leaders and Entrepreneurs Need to Understand

Whether you’re running a startup, managing a growing team, or just launching your career, here’s the reality:

  • Emotional labor will continue to be the most critical — and taxing — part of the job.
  • Change management must be human-centered, not just tech-centered.
  • Building emotional resilience is no longer optional. It’s essential.

The most successful leaders in the AI era will not be the ones who automate the most — they’ll be the ones who lead with empathy, cultivate trust, and create safe environments for people to grow through change.

Three Ways to Manage AI-Induced Stress

1. Acknowledge Emotional Labor.

Recognize that handling emotions — your own and others’ — is real work. It’s not soft; it’s essential for success. Make space for it, plan for it, and value it as a leadership strength.  

2. Support People Through Change.

Help your team (and yourself) understand that uncertainty is normal. Change rarely happens because we’re ready for it — it happens, and we have to work through the messiness of it. Be patient. Be present.

3. Invest in Self-Leadership.

In times of disruption, managing your mindset, energy, and emotions becomes critical. Tools like coaching, emotional intelligence development, and intentional self-awareness practices aren’t luxuries — they’re tools for survival. Self-care isn’t optional when the ground keeps shifting beneath you.

Final Thought

AI is a powerful tool. It’s helping us reduce redundancies, streamline operations, and free up time. But it will never replace the need for human connection, emotional intelligence, or the capacity to adapt with grace.

In the end, success in the AI era won’t come from outrunning technology — it will come from leading ourselves and others with care.

 

Dr. Julie Donley

Dr. Julie Donley, a leadership expert, author, and workplace stress researcher with nearly 30 years of experience helping professionals navigate high-pressure environments. Her latest book, “Leading at the Speed of People”, explores how leaders can adapt to this new AI-driven workplace without burning out. For more information, visit DrJulieDonley.com or follow Dr. Donley on social media: She’s @DrJDonley (on Facebook), @DrJulieDonley (on YouTube), and you can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

 

Eager To Build Financial Confidence In 2025? Here’s Why Online Learning Is The Way to Go

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online learning

online learning

Spring 2025 is here! And with the arrival of the season to reinvigorate and rejuvenate, now is the time that we talk about how to rejuvenate your finances. It’s incredible that we live in a time of exponential technological growth and access to information. So why is it that now, perhaps more than ever, that we are facing disastrous divides in the levels of financial literacy – especially when it comes to the fast-paced world of investing and trading?

We know the standard conveyer-belt answers to this question.

”We weren’t taught that at school”.

“Finances weren’t a topic of conversation in the home”.

And last but certainly not least:

“It is what it is.”

But what if financial literacy – a real grasp on how to get ahead with your means – was within your grasp? No, not some get get rick quick scheme, but having access to real value-filled educational material to build up your knowledge base for basics in finances, investing and trading? Online learning is the leading method of getting credible hard skills without the devastating cost to your time, energy or wallet. Just as a quick breeze-through why online learning is the it learning trend in 2025:

  • 77% of academic leaders believe online education is equal or superior to learning in the classroom
  • Elearning can help students retain between 25% and 60% more information (Source: eLearning Industry)
  • eLearning requires 40% to 60% less time learning than traditional classrooms (Source: Brandon-Hall Group)
  • Online learning uses 87% less energy and 85% fewer CO2 emissions per student compared to learning in a traditional setting (Source: The Open University in Britain)

It has become clear that traditional routes of gaining the knowledge for hands-on know-how to grow your wealth, construct forms of passive income that generate you wealth aside from your 9-5, and allows you to practice without risking your existing capital: simply no longer apply.

For beginner traders and investors, the rise of digital education platforms comes at an opportune time: where technology meets ambition. With virtually risk- free scenarios where the eager learner is able to have accessible education that meets their individual learning needs, mobile-first education platforms like Finelo offer user-friendly, bite-sized lessons that lead change in revolutionizing the way we think about finances. And perhaps more importantly; building confidence in its users in as little as 15 minutes a day.

Quick Learning with Real-World Applications

Lets consider one of the greatest barriers to gaining financial confidence. Aside from the obvious perception that the hardest step in a journey is the first- in reality, beginners feel hesitant for start due to feeling overwhelmed.

In her article, Deborah Johnson (M.A), emphasizes that the fear of beginning is more common than we think. It often stems from three core sources. 1) Fear of Failure, 2) Overwhelm and 3) Perfectionism. While practicing the right mindset can certainly help beginners to take action (breaking down your goal into small actionable daily steps, visualizing the finish line, setting short vs long-term goals), the truth is that even this step involves a serious brain drain.

Finelo turns this on its head by focusing on practical, actionable lessons that teach you how to actually apply what you’re learning to the market. The visualizing is done for you in a format that fits your schedule. Starting with an onboarding quiz to pinpoint your exact learning needs and goals, to the actual learning pathways on the platform that are oriented to equip you with key tools like the AI Chart Analyzer (geared to improve your trading strategy), an AI mentor (built to analyze your financial plan) and Investing Challenges (designed to keep you engaged daily).

Flexibility and Convenience for Busy Beginners

In 2025, the last thing anyone wants is to be tied down to a rigid learning schedule. According to a study by Rider University, online learning is on the rise, particularly amongst adult learners for 4 core values amongst 95% or responders.

  1. Flexibility to fit learning into your busy life. Online courses allow you to engage from virtually anywhere, making your learning fit around your schedule- not the other way around. Whether you’re a full-time student, a committed 9-5 worker, a busy parent or someone who is simply and constantly on the go: pursuing online learning in your pocket is the winning solution to gaining the skills you want.
  2. Increased opportunities to tailor your learning experience. The study recognized that adult learners require a variety of options. Not only in terms of offering variety that fit their schedules- but variety when it comes to extracting key learning outcomes that cater to their (student’s) learning goals.
  3. Develop in-demand skills that can immediately boost your income potential. Since adult learners are actively balancing full-time work schedules with their learnings, a major benefit of investing in their learnings lays in the increased opportunity for professional development.
  4. Joining a diverse community of like-minded individuals. The online learning space creates larger opportunities for networking and collaboration. Online learners are connected to their peers in as little as a click away, sharing common interests and pursuits. Finelo’s Leadership Board encourages its users to keep their learning streaks and grow their virtual assets.

Considering these trends, its clear why online learning has evolved to be a beloved and leading form of learning for beginners. Finelo provides the flexibility that busy beginners need. You don’t need to commit to a full-time course or wait months to feel confident. With online learning platforms, the content is structured around you, and to fit learning around your daily life, making it easier than ever to build financial confidence without sacrificing the priorities that matter.

Start Building Your Financial Confidence Today

Don’t wait to start your investment journey. With Finelo, you don’t need to sit through long certifications or complicated courses. Instead, you can begin learning today with a platform that’s designed for busy individuals looking to get ahead in 2025.

 

Why Drone-Backed Progress Reports Win More Bids For General Contractors

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Drone at a construction site

Drone at a construction site

Winning construction bids today takes more than just competitive pricing. As clients demand greater transparency and innovation, general contractors need new ways to prove their value. Drone technology is emerging as a powerful differentiator—offering real-time visibility, sharper communication, and a level of clarity that traditional progress reporting can’t match.

Drone-backed progress reports help contractors showcase capabilities with precision, especially to remote stakeholders. High-quality visuals make project updates more digestible and compelling, helping contractors earn trust faster. In a competitive field, that edge can mean the difference between landing a project or losing out to someone who communicates more clearly.

Using Drone Mapping to Show Job Site Progress

RFPs that include drone mapping services show clients that the contractor works smarter, not just harder. High-resolution visuals, interactive dashboards, and 3D site models reflect a tech-savvy approach that speaks to clients who value clarity and precision. This positions the contractor as more than a builder—as someone who anticipates problems and solves them proactively.

Proposals become stronger when they include visual evidence of past performance. Clients aren’t left guessing; they can clearly see how projects were executed and tracked over time. That kind of transparency builds trust faster. When multiple bids are on the table, being easy to trust and easy to understand can be the deciding factor between being passed over—or getting the contract.

Speeding Up Bid Prep With Visual Documentation

Archived drone footage accelerates the process of responding to new Requests for Proposals (RFPs), cutting down the need to build every submission from scratch. Teams can reuse annotated images, time-lapse visuals, and detailed 3D site models to illustrate past performance. The approach not only saves hours during bid preparation but also highlights the contractor’s organized method of documenting projects.

The ability to quickly adapt existing materials gives firms a competitive edge when timelines are tight. Point cloud data further adds precision, offering measurable insights that enhance the credibility of proposals and reflect a deeper commitment to thoughtful, data-informed planning.

Building Stakeholder Trust With Visual Progress

Aerial visuals shift how developers and investors perceive contractor performance. Instead of relying solely on written reports, stakeholders get a clear, ongoing view of actual progress, such as updated footage showing foundation completion or structural framing stages. Greater transparency improves communication, highlights key milestones, and brings potential issues to light early, before they escalate.

Consistently sharing visual updates shows follow-through on commitments made during the bidding phase. It also reinforces a contractor’s reputation as dependable and proactive. Over time, this consistent visibility builds confidence, especially among out-of-state clients who can’t visit the site but still want assurance that the work is moving forward as planned.

Preventing Disputes With Clear Visual Evidence

Current drone images help prevent project disputes by showing exactly how the site looked at different points in time. When questions arise about work or changes, visuals speak louder than words. Everyone sees what’s actually happening, making it easier to discuss issues honestly and adjust plans without confusion.

Visual documentation supports clear communication with both owners and subcontractors. It shows that the contractor is committed to doing the job right. When everyone refers to the same visual evidence, problems can be resolved more quickly, helping maintain strong working relationships and avoid delays. A consistent record of drone footage over time also keeps the project on track and aligned with expectations.

Using Tech Skills to Stand Out in Proposals

Including drone reports in RFP submissions shows that a contractor is thinking ahead and leveraging technology to improve operations. Custom dashboards and 3D models generated through drone data reflect advanced capabilities and a forward-thinking mindset. The contractor stands out as more than just a builder—positioning themselves as a partner equipped to tackle challenges with smart, effective solutions.

This approach appeals to clients who care about clear communication and accuracy. Proposals that include engaging visual data are more memorable and make a stronger impact. Showing these tools in action can help create lasting client relationships and lead to more contracts won.

Contractors using drones are transforming how they compete—and win. Visual data cuts through uncertainty, helping clients see exactly what’s happening on-site without guesswork. Archived footage and 3D models streamline bid preparation, saving time while adding professionalism. High-resolution visuals and point cloud data create proposals that are not only accurate but also more convincing. Frequent updates build stronger relationships with stakeholders, especially those managing projects remotely. When issues arise, drone footage offers clear evidence that speeds up resolution. This tech-forward approach signals reliability, transparency, and expertise—qualities that make contractors stand out and ultimately secure more bids in a competitive market.

[Photo credit: Depositphotos.com]

 

New Sources Of Funding For Your Tech Startup

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Tech startups are exciting, but they’re also expensive. Things like product development, marketing, and hiring the right employees can be costly.

A lot of business owners think they need big investors or venture capital from the very start, but that’s not always the case.

There are some new ways you can get funding, which are easier and more flexible.

In this blog, we’ll show you five smart funding sources that can help your startup grow without taking on extraordinary debt.

Let’s get started.

New Funding Options for Tech Startups

Here are five smart funding sources that help your startup get the financing it needs.

Online Business Loans.

Online investors offer simple, fast loans without having to visit the bank or wait in long queues. You apply through a website, add your details, and get notified in a day or two.

This type of loan is great for any startup that needs money quickly for software tools, servers, or startup marketing.

The terms vary from platform to platform, but most of them offer monthly repayment plans with fixed interest rates.

You can learn more about business loan programs from the U.S. Small Business Administration if you’re interested.

Revenue-Based Financing.

With revenue-based financing, you get funds based on your expected future earnings. Sounds pretty fair, right?

Instead of paying fixed payments, you repay a small percentage of your monthly income until the total amount is paid off.

This can be very helpful if your sales vary from month to month, because it adjusts with your growth.

A lot of subscription-based startups use this model. It’s not an interest loan, so you don’t have to worry about different fees you have to pay.

Crowdlending Platforms.

Crowdlending is similar to crowdfunding, but instead of getting donations, you get loans from investors who want to support your small business.

There are platforms that connect startups directly to lenders that offer lower interest rates than most banks do.

It’s an easy way to get some flexible funding and show off your business to a bigger audience at the same time.

A lot of tech startups use it to grow without having to rely on big investors.

Loan Consolidation Programs.

If your tech startup already has some loans or credit lines, a loan consolidation program can help you combine them into one.

This basically means one monthly payment, one interest rate, and a much easier way to pay everything off.

It can be very helpful if you’re already struggling with ongoing debt from different sources.

When you lower your total monthly payments, it can free up some cash flow and help you stay more organised financially.

Government-Backed Loan Schemes.

A lot of countries offer special loan programs that help tech startups grow.

They’re backed by the government, which means better terms, lower interest rates, and less risk for the lender.

You can get a loan for innovation, research, digital tools, and even hiring.

These programs are made to lift startups off their feet, help them compete, and potentially succeed in huge industries.

They’re worth checking out if you want support without giving up equity.

Conclusion

It’s not hard to find the best funding for your tech startup.

Today, there are tons of different options, and most of them are designed to be fast, flexible, and startup-friendly.

Each one of the sources we listed above offers something different, depending on what your new tech startup is looking for.

Some of them even help you clean up your existing debts through consolidation, which takes the pressure off your finances.

The most important thing is to explore all the options and pick the one that works best for your current needs.

With the right support, your startup can move faster and build for the long run.

 

Crowdfunding: An Increasingly Popular Option For Business Financing

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Starting or growing your business requires money, and some people don’t want to ask the bank for loans. Crowdfunding can help you with that.

It’s a way to raise money online by asking a large group of people to help out, usually by donating small amounts.

Tons of business owners are using it to get the money they need. In this blog, we’ll talk about what crowdfunding is and how it works.

Let’s jump right in.

What Is Crowdfunding and How Does It Work?

Like we already mentioned, crowdfunding helps you raise money by asking a lot of people to each give a small amount.

Instead of getting a huge amount from one place, like the bank, you get smaller amounts from different people, usually through sites like Kickstarter or GoFundMe.

The way it works is, you make a page online explaining what your business is or what you need the money for.

People can then decide if they want to give you money if they like your idea. Sometimes, they receive a gift or a “thank you” in return, other times, they just like the idea.

This process became popular because it’s fast and doesn’t require credit checks or payments like a traditional business loan would.

You don’t have to pay the money back unless you’ve promised something to the investors.

It’s a great way for startups to get the funding they need and cover costs without having to take on any unnecessary debt.

Why Small Businesses Are Turning to Crowdfunding Instead of Loans

More business owners are choosing crowdfunding over traditional loans. Here are three simple reasons why:

Easier to Qualify.

A lot of small businesses find it hard to get approved for a loan, especially if they’re just starting out or have weak credit.

You don’t need a good credit score or business history for crowdfunding. Anyone with an idea can try it out for themselves.

No Monthly Payments.

Loans typically have monthly payments and lots of interest. That can make life difficult for startups that aren’t making a lot of money yet.

With crowdfunding, you don’t have to worry about paying back the money each month. This helps take the pressure off new business owners.

Built-In Support.

When someone gives you money through crowdfunding, they’re likely going to become a future customer. They support your business from the very start.

It’s not just the money; it helps you get noticed. That can mean a lot for people just starting out and getting the hang of things.

Can Crowdfunding Help with Loan Consolidation?

Yes, it can help you with loan consolidation, but you need to know how.

Loan consolidation is basically combining multiple loans into one, often done to make payments easier or get a lower interest rate.

Traditional consolidation typically involves taking out a new loan to pay off existing debts.

Crowdfunding, however, lets you raise money from a lot of different people through different online platforms.

Some people have successfully used crowdfunding to get the money needed to pay off or just reduce their debts, including student loans.

However, it’s important to know that while crowdfunding can help with financial relief, it doesn’t replace traditional consolidation methods.

Currently, there aren’t any government programs that offer crowdfunding as a debt consolidation tool. So, while crowdfunding can be helpful, it’s not a guaranteed fix.

Pros and Cons of Crowdfunding for Business Financing

Crowdfunding can be a helpful tool for small businesses, but it’s not perfect. Let’s look at the good and the bad sides.

Pros

  • No need for a bank loan or good credit
  • Fast way to raise money
  • Lets you test your idea before fully launching
  • Builds a group of early supporters
  • No monthly repayments in most cases

Cons

  • No guarantee you’ll reach your funding goal
  • Platforms may take a fee from the money you raise
  • Requires time and effort to promote your campaign
  • Can be public and open to criticism
  • You may have to give rewards or discounts to investors

Conclusion

Crowdfunding is a popular way for business owners to get the money they need without having to go to the bank and ask for loans.

It’s easy to set up, doesn’t require good credit, and in some cases, it can help pay off old debt.

While it may not be the right choice for everyone, it gives new business owners another option for funding their startups.

Just remember, it takes time, good planning, and a good story to get people onboard. If you’re thinking about growing your business, it’s worth a shot.

Take time to learn about your options, and choose the one that best suits your business goals.

 

Negotiation Lessons From Trump (Yes, Really): 5 Power Moves Entrepreneurs Can Use Today

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Donald Trump as President of the United States

Donald Trump as President of the United States

by Andres Lares, Managing Partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute and co-author of “Persuade: The 4-Step Process to Influence People and Decisions”

Whether you love him or loathe him, there’s no denying that President Donald Trump has a newsworthy negotiation style. Before the presidency, Trump built a real estate empire on bold asks, strategic media plays, and relentless deal-making. Strip away the politics, and what remains are raw, high-stakes negotiation tactics entrepreneurs can learn from- what to do and what to avoid, especially in today’s competitive business landscape.

Here are five Trump-style power moves to level up your negotiation game.

1. Extreme Initial Positions → Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Big.

Trump rarely enters a negotiation with a modest offer — and that’s the point. Starting with a bold, even outrageous, ask creates psychological space to move while still landing in a strong position. Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of being too reasonable too early, which leaves no room to maneuver.

If you’re taking a page from his playbook, go big. Ask for more funding than you “need,” price your premium offer accordingly, or negotiate equity from a position of clear value. You can always concede but you can’t negotiate up from a weak starting point. Starting big will shift the tone of the conversation from “Is this worth it?” to “How close can we get?”

This begs the question: how high should the initial ask be? As high as you can justify with precedents and comparables. Trump may not always follow this guidance, but we certainly recommend you do.

2. Threat of Consequences → Leverage What’s at Stake.

Trump often positions himself as the prize, not just another option. He frames the consequences of walking away in terms that make it feel like a loss to the other party. Entrepreneurs can do the same without resorting to pressure tactics.

Instead of begging for interest during your next negotiation, paint a picture of what the other party stands to miss: early access to your tech, first-mover advantage in a growing niche, or protection from a competitor making a better offer. Make the upside of working with you crystal clear and the downside of missing out.

Psychologically, fear is typically a bigger driver than achievement. In other words, the thought of losing $10 is more powerful than the thought of winning $10, even if the changes are the same. Keep this in mind the next time you frame an offer.

3. Public Posturing → Own the Narrative and Build Perception.

Trump knows how to use the media to create momentum. Whether in a press release, a public statement, or a tweet, he understands that perception is power. The more he is seen as a winner, the more leverage he has — even behind closed doors. He accomplishes this by constantly being “out there” in public, often intentionally making attention-grabbing comments.

Entrepreneurs can harness this same dynamic through strategic storytelling. Share client wins, publish testimonials, showcase press coverage, and keep your audience informed. The perception of growth creates confidence in your value, even if you’re still building behind the scenes. Your story shapes how investors, partners, and clients approach negotiations with you.

4. Unpredictability → Keep Some Cards Close.

Trump is rarely predictable, and that unpredictability often puts others on edge. While unpredictability can be bad for stock markets and create global volatility, being slightly opaque about the next move can be a form of negotiation power. Predictability can be exploited.

What does this mean for you? Avoid showing all your cards too early. Be clear about your value but vague about your limits. This doesn’t mean being deceptive; it means being strategic. Leave space for curiosity and calculated surprises. A little mystery can prevent the other party from boxing you in, and it forces them to take your position seriously.

5. Bilateral vs. Multilateral → Prioritize One-on-One Conversations.

Trump often pushed for direct, one-on-one deals where he could influence and steer decisions in real time. In contrast, negotiations with multiple stakeholders slow things down, complicate messaging, and dilute your impact.

When it matters most, skip the group calls and get in the room with the decision-maker. In a one-on-one setting, you can read the room, build trust, pivot in real time, and tailor your pitch to the person in front of you. Consensus may come later, but influence happens face-to-face.

Conclusion

Trump’s style isn’t for everyone — and it doesn’t have to be. But if you can extract the core principles behind his negotiation tactics, you’ll uncover fundamental strategies that could work. Bold positioning, strategic leverage, public perception, controlled ambiguity, and direct communication are timeless tools that separate amateurs from pros.

The key? Know when to apply each move with your voice and ethics. You don’t have to mimic Trump, but his methodology should make you think about aspects you may want to leverage and others you will want to avoid.

[Image credit: Depositphotos.com]

 

andres lares

Andres Lares is the Managing Partner at Shapiro Negotiations Institute and co-author of “Persuade: The 4-Step Process to Influence People and Decisions”. Lares’ expertise ranges from coaching live negotiations for sports clients, including the Cleveland Browns, Brooklyn Nets, and more, to developing online content for facilitating real estate, advisory, media, banking, and pharmaceutical programs. 

 

The Blueprint For Construction Success: Essential Elements Every Contractor Needs

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Timothy Wingate

Timothy Wingate

by Maria Magana

In an industry where approximately 40% of construction companies fail within their first three years, understanding the fundamental elements of business success has never been more crucial. Timothy Wingate Jr., EA, President of G+F Business & Financial Consulting LLC and a renowned construction finance expert, has built the blueprint for construction success, with his three pillars that every contractor needs. 

The Power of Vision in Construction Leadership

According to Wingate, success in construction begins with a clear, well-defined vision. “Many contractors excel at their trade but struggle with the bigger picture,” he explains. “Having a vision isn’t just about knowing how to build – it’s about knowing where you want your company to go and what you want it to become.”

This vision serves as more than just a goal; it becomes the driving force behind every business decision. “When you have a clear vision, it affects everything from the projects you bid on to the people you hire,” Wingate notes. “I’ve seen companies transform once they established a concrete vision for their future. It gives purpose to daily operations and helps weather the inevitable challenges in this industry.”

The Accountability Factor: A Key to Sustainable Growth

One of the most overlooked aspects of construction business success is accountability. Wingate emphasizes that having someone to hold you accountable can make the difference between stagnation and growth. “Construction company owners often work in isolation, making decisions without external input,” he observes. “This can be dangerous because we all have blind spots.”

The role of an accountability partner or advisor extends beyond simple oversight. “It’s not about having someone looking over your shoulder,” Wingate clarifies. “It’s about having someone who understands your vision, challenges your assumptions, and helps you stay focused on your goals. This could be a mentor, a business coach, or a financial advisor who specializes in construction.”

He points out that successful contractors often have a network of advisors who provide different perspectives. “The most successful construction companies I work with have embraced accountability at all levels. They understand that external expertise and regular check-ins are investments in their company’s future, not expenses.”

Cost Codes: The Foundation of Financial Clarity

Perhaps the most practical yet frequently overlooked element of construction business success is the implementation and consistent use of cost codes. “Without a solid set of cost codes, you’re essentially building blind,” Wingate states emphatically. “I’ve seen too many companies operating in chaos simply because they don’t have a systematic way to track and categorize their costs.”

Cost codes serve as the financial backbone of a construction operation, providing crucial data for decision-making. “When properly implemented, cost codes tell you exactly where your money is going and where you’re making or losing profit on each project,” Wingate explains. “But the key is consistency. You can’t use different codes for similar activities across different projects and expect to get meaningful data.”

The impact of proper cost coding extends beyond basic accounting. “Cost codes are your financial GPS,” Wingate says. “They help you bid more accurately, identify inefficiencies, and make informed decisions about which types of projects to pursue. Without them, you’re essentially guessing – and guessing in construction is a quick path to financial trouble.”

Wingate emphasizes that establishing and maintaining proper cost codes isn’t a one-time effort. “It’s an ongoing process that requires commitment from everyone in the organization. But the payoff is immense – clear financial visibility, better project management, and improved profitability.”

The integration of these three elements – vision, accountability, and proper cost coding – creates a framework for sustainable success in construction. “When these components work together, you see remarkable transformations,” Wingate observes. “Companies move from reactive to proactive, from struggling to thriving.”

For construction company owners looking to implement these principles, Wingate recommends starting with an honest assessment of where their business stands in each area. “You don’t have to tackle everything at once,” he advises. “Start with one element, master it, then move on to the next. The key is to keep moving forward with purpose and consistency.”

As the construction industry continues to evolve and face new challenges, these fundamental principles become even more critical. “The companies that will thrive in the future are those that build on these solid foundations,” Wingate concludes. “Success in construction isn’t just about what you build – it’s about how you build your business.”

For construction companies seeking to implement these principles, G+F Business & Financial Consulting LLC offers, visit http://www.construction.accountant for more information.

About G+F

G+F Business & Financial Consulting LLC, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, is a specialized accounting and financial consulting firm dedicated to serving the construction industry. Led by Timothy Wingate Jr., EA, an Intuit tax council member for 5 years and construction industry specialist, the firm provides comprehensive financial services including tax planning, bookkeeping, cash flow management, and strategic business consulting. With a deep understanding of contractors’ unique challenges, G+F helps construction companies optimize their financial operations, improve profitability, and build sustainable growth. For more information, visit http://www.construction.accountant/.

Written by Maria Magana

Maria Magana, the daughter of a small business owner and tradesman, grew up witnessing the struggles skilled trades professionals endure in securing visibility and recognition in an increasingly digital landscape. Fueled by a determination to address this disparity, she launched a writing career devoted to empowering small business contractors to flourish. With a keen eye for detail and a heartfelt connection to her roots, Maria has contributed to esteemed publications such as Young Upstarts and Home Business Magazine, where her insightful articles illuminate the obstacles and victories of small business owners with creativity and authenticity. Her work bridges the gap between the trades and the digital world, offering a powerful voice to those often overlooked.

 

How To Improve Your Business With Technology

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time management

time management

You’ve worked hard to start your company and get to where you are today. However, if you’re going to succeed long-term you need to stay focused and keep pushing forward.

One area you can’t afford to ignore is the advancements in technology. It’s essential that you keep up with the latest developments and implement solutions that will help you work smarter and faster.

Here you can learn more about how to improve your business with technology.

Digital Marketing.

It’s important that your company has a strong online presence these days. One way to achieve this goal is through a digital marketing strategy. Improve your business by launching a robust and user-friendly website that has high-quality content and images. It’s a good idea to implement SEO best practices so that your site shows up first in the search engine results.

Consider launching a business blog to position yourself as the expert in your industry and share valuable insights and information with your readers. You should also determine which social media channels your target audience is using and engage with them on these platforms. You’ll want to make sure that you have metrics and KPIs in place for measuring your digital marketing performance so you know what’s working.

AI & Data-Driven Decision Making.

Another advancement to stay up to speed with is AI. It’s a chance to make better decisions based on data and information. It’s an opportunity to improve customer service and automate repetitive tasks as well. AI can assist you in creating better content and streamline operations to boost productivity.

Keep in mind that using AI will require you to extend your data center to leverage extremely large amounts of data. You want to reduce energy costs and keep your data center running smoothly and efficiently. In this case, you will want to look into and research high density data center cooling options and best practices. It’s essential that you achieve reliable and consistent performance. 

Sell Products Online.

You may be considering expanding your business and offerings. Make it easy and convenient for consumers to do business with you by selling products online. Be willing to experiment with e-commerce so you can reach a wider audience and increase sales. Make sure you do it right by carefully managing your inventory and implementing a seamless and efficient payment process solution.

You may even at some point consider removing some storefronts to save costs. An online store will give your shoppers around-the-clock accessibility to make purchases and provide consumers a wider selection of products to choose from. Now is your chance to reduce operational costs and scale your business so you can achieve more. 

Cybersecurity Improvements.

Technology can also help make your business more secure. It’s essential that your data and information don’t get in the wrong hands or get compromised. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure that you have effective cybersecurity measures and best practices in place. There have been many advancements in this area that you can implement to help you sleep better at night. There are many negative consequences that can come with data breaches such as a tarnished reputation, loss of trust with consumers, and added expenses and costs as you try to recover.

Cybersecurity is more important than ever considering the digital age we live in. It’s especially important to keep consumer’s information safe if they are making purchases from you online. 

Enable Remote Work.

Another way to improve your business with technology is to enable remote work. It’s a chance to offer a perk and more flexibility for your employees. They will be more satisfied when they can achieve a good work-life balance. It will also allow you the opportunity to hire top talent no matter where they are located.

You can keep your teams informed and on the same page by utilizing various software programs and technology tools. If you need to check in or have meetings with your staff you can use a messenger solution or host a video conference. There is no need to physically be in the same location with cloud-based applications that facilitate real-time collaboration and the sharing of documents. 

Conclusion.

These are some of the top ways to improve your business with technology. As a business owner, you must keep yourself informed in this space and be willing to experiment with various solutions. It’s a chance to get more done, innovate, and stay ahead of your competitors. It’s definitely worth your time and energy since there is a long list of benefits that technology can offer your business, employees, and customers. 

 

Bridging The Knowledge Gap: Engineering Calculators For Students And Professionals

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Architect with engineering calculator

Engineering calculators are also used by architects

It can be easy to overlook that engineering calculators can be as useful for inexperienced students as they are for seasoned professionals.

Certainly, there is a knowledge gap between students and professional engineers that these online tools can be instrumental in bridging:

  • A student may not yet be entirely confident with such concepts as Ohm’s Law, fluid flow, and beam deflection. If they turn to the right engineering calculator for the right application, this can greatly help “shortcut” the process of getting actionable results out of complex theory.
  • However, trained and experienced professionals don’t drop all use of engineering calculators once they reach a certain level of proficiency. After all, today’s industrial design and engineering projects increasingly depend on the automation of many previously manual processes, to help save time and ensure accuracy.

What Are Some Specific Ways in Which Engineering Calculators Can Help?

The knowledge gap between engineering students and professionals can be substantial. However, the use of well-chosen engineering calculators – whether for such purposes as power measurement unit conversions, voltage divider calculations, or American Wire Gauge (AWG) conversions – can be key to narrowing it.

For example, engineering calculators can:

  • Help Speed Up the Learning Process.

This benefit might seem most obviously relevant to students. But of course, the leading professionals know they are on a constant learning journey, too.

So, users in both groups tend to appreciate how engineering calculators can help them quickly see the outcome of a particular equation. Indeed, they might compare it to the result they gained from performing the same calculation manually.

This can free up some time for them to grasp the logic behind the calculation, before proceeding to the next stage of their project.

  • Help Bolster Efficiency.

Students might have a certain luxury – and in fact, need – to take some time over their understanding of crucial engineering concepts.

But a professional, so the perception goes, doesn’t want to get overly bogged down with pen-and-paper mathematics. Nor will they wish to find themselves having to repeatedly double-check specifications as a deadline looms.

Regardless, selecting the right engineering calculator for the given situation can enable a professional or a student to get precise calculations done within seconds that might have otherwise cost them minutes… or worse.

The stakes may be somewhat higher in professional situations, in which determining the right size of component for a particular project can help avoid potentially dangerous consequences (for example, making sure the chosen LED resistor value for a circuit will not bring a risk of overheating and fires).

Both students and professionals, however, appreciate being able to get specialised and demanding tasks done sooner, without compromising on quality or accuracy.

  • Help Connect Theory to Practice.

While a student’s use of a beam calculator will be more about helping them understand why deflection matters, and a professional may use it to help them decide on the right specification for a crane arm, both these reasons for using such a tool have their importance.

To build further on the theme of this article, there are gaps that the right engineering calculators can help to bridge – not only between student and professional-level knowledge, but also between theory and practice.

So, whether you’re a professional seeking out a horsepower to kilowatt conversion calculator for industrial applications, or a student trying to grasp how temperature unit measurements like Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin differ from each other, you will be thankful for how engineering calculators can help make your life easier.

Perhaps you might be interested in reading in further detail about the ways in which calculations are imperative in high-end engineering work?

[Image credit: Depositphotos.com]

 

Avoiding The Startup Graveyard: A Guide For New Entrepreneurs

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by Michael Bush, author of “Guardrailing: Authentically Guide Your Natural Products Company from Spark to Sale“

Every entrepreneur begins with a vision — be it a product, a service, or a mission they believe can transform the industry. However, the harsh reality is that most startups fail. The path to success is paved with well-intentioned businesses that have crumbled under the weight of poor decisions, inadequate planning, and misaligned priorities.

The best companies are built on passion and discipline. For aspiring entrepreneurs, the key to survival lies not just in having a great idea; it’s also in avoiding the common traps that kill businesses before they have a chance to succeed.

Here are some tips to navigate around the most significant pitfalls.

1. Start with a Real Problem, Not Just an Idea.

Many entrepreneurs become infatuated with their product before validating whether anyone truly needs it. I’ve witnessed founders spending months (or even years) perfecting a product, only to launch it to silence.

Before investing your time and money, ask yourself: What problem does this solve? Who experiences this problem, and how urgently do they need a solution? One startup I advised had a brilliant new take on a health supplement, but they overlooked customer research. When they finally launched, they discovered that their target audience wasn’t willing to pay for their premium formula. The solution? They pivoted early, rebranded, and adjusted their pricing before it was too late.

Lesson: Focus on a validated problem rather than merely on an idea that excites you.

2. Don’t Scale Before You’re Ready.

Growth feels good — until it becomes overwhelming. One natural products company I worked with secured a significant national retail deal early on. The founder was ecstatic, but they lacked the infrastructure to manage the demand. Orders exceeded production, customer service suffered, and their brand took a hit. To make matters worse, the retailer dropped them after six months.

New entrepreneurs often believe that scaling rapidly equates to success. However, scaling without a solid foundation — such as reliable suppliers, a clear business model, and effective operational systems — only accelerates failure.

Lesson: Master the fundamentals before pursuing significant growth.

3. Cash Flow is King (and Queen and Everything Else).

It doesn’t matter how much revenue you generate — if you don’t manage cash flow, you’re dead in the water. I’ve seen founders boast about million-dollar sales months while scrambling to cover payroll. Why? Because they lack financial guardrails.

A supplement brand I collaborated with was generating over $10 million in revenue but was on the verge of collapse due to poor cash flow management. They heavily invested in marketing and inventory without considering payment terms and burn rate. By the time they realized they were in trouble, they had to take on bad debt simply to stay afloat.

Lesson: Track your cash like your life depends on it — because in business, it does.

4. Learn to Say No Early.

The wrong “yes” can ruin your business. New entrepreneurs often overcommit to too many projects, partnerships, or opportunities, fearing they might miss out. However, every poor “yes” drains time, energy, and money from your core business.

One founder I worked with consistently added product lines because he believed that more SKUs would result in more sales. However, instead of increasing revenue, this tactic drained resources. His team was overextended, marketing efforts were diluted, and they ultimately ended up with warehouses full of unsold inventory. After a difficult reset, he streamlined his offerings back to his best-selling products and finally achieved profitability.

Lesson: Focus is a superpower. Guardrail your business by learning to say no.

5. Build a Business That Can Run Without You.

Many first-time entrepreneurs place themselves at the center of everything — every decision, every customer issue, and every hiring choice. However, a business that relies solely on the founder is one that cannot grow (or be sold).

I’ve seen founders burn out because they refuse to delegate. One entrepreneur I advised insisted on approving every minor marketing tweak. The result? Slow progress, exhausted employees, and a company that couldn’t function without his daily involvement. When he finally hired the right leadership and established clear processes, everything changed. His business became more valuable overnight—because buyers want a company, not a job.

Lesson: If you can’t step away without everything collapsing, you don’t own a business — you have a stressful job.

6. Keep the End in Mind (Even If You’re Just Beginning).

Many new entrepreneurs overlook an exit strategy—but they should not. Even if you never sell, a business designed for optionality remains strong. I’ve collaborated with founders who operated their businesses for years without an exit plan, only to discover when they were exhausted that they had nothing a buyer desired—no clear financials, no leadership team, and no scalable systems.

One founder I worked with ran a great business but was overly involved in every aspect. When he finally wanted to sell, potential buyers hesitated because the company depended heavily on him. It took two years of restructuring before he could exit at a fair price.

Lesson: Build with the future in mind. A sellable business can thrive over the long term.

Entrepreneurship is About Smart Survival.

Starting a business is challenging. However, failure is often avoidable. The entrepreneurs who succeed aren’t just passionate — they’re also disciplined. They monitor their decisions, manage their finances, stay focused, and build companies that can endure.

You don’t need to be perfect; you just need to avoid obvious mistakes. Maintain these guardrails, and your startup will have the best chance not just to survive, but to thrive.

 

michael bush

Michael Bush is a speaker, advisor, co-founder of GrowthWays Partners, and author of “Guardrailing: Authentically Guide Your Natural Products Company from Spark to Sale“. Michael has more than 25 years of experience leading venture-backed businesses in the natural products, healthcare, and bioinformatics industries. He has participated in raising over $200 million in growth capital and has participated in dozens of M&A transactions including the successful exits worth over $325 million.

 

Tips For Improving Your Digital Marketing Strategy & Seeing Better Results

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Digital marketing isn’t optional for businesses. It’s a vital part of generating brand awareness and bringing in sales. You could’ve already spent a bit of time and effort on this, but you still mightn’t be seeing too many results. Improving your digital marketing strategy could be a necessity.

As much as you’ll know this, you mightn’t be sure of what you should actually do. Thankfully, this doesn’t need to be too complicated. More than a few digital marketing tips can help. While they’ll take time, they should boast some amazing results. It’s worth focusing on some of the more helpful of these.

Develop Visual Content

Textual marketing has its time and place, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only area you should focus on. Visual content plays more and more of a role in marketing success. This is especially true on social media. It’s worth putting the time and effort into this going forward.

Quality visual content lets you grab attention much better, while also communicating quite a bit about your brand. That’s especially true of high-quality graphics and images. Videos are also a worthwhile investment in certain industries. You’ve no reason not to make this a priority to help with your digital marketing.

Improve Your SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital digital marketing strategy to use. It makes sure you rank well on search engines for terms related to your products or services. It’s always worth putting the effort into this, as it could have a direct impact on your brand visibility and sales.

This can often be relatively complicated, so it could be worth working with experts like Toni Marino SEO. That way, you can rely on expertise to help bring your SEO to the next level. While this takes time, it boasts more and more benefits as time goes on.

Partner With Influencers

Influencer marketing has become a booming area over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. Influencers’ followers trust their recommendations, and this can result in more brand visibility and sales for businesses. This can be especially helpful in specific industries and a lot of ecommerce.

Partnering with influencers can be a great path to take. It doesn’t take too much of an upfront cost, and the boost in visibility and sales is worth it. Focus on the right influencers for your business. Engagement often matters more than overall follower count, making this a priority to see sales.

Improving your digital marketing strategy could be vital for multiple reasons. It’ll let you bring in more engagement, drive sales, and improve your brand awareness. These could all be areas you need to work in. But, you mightn’t be sure of what you should do with it.

There are plenty of ways you can do this. Using a few digital marketing tips helps with this, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t see better results. You’ll still have to put some time and effort into it, but it’ll be more than worth it.

 

Businesses Keep Investing In Remote Access – But Still Get It Wrong

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by Prakash Mana, CEO and co-founder of Cloudbrink

The new shape of remote working is driving a need for secure, effective remote access solutions. Yet most organizations are still struggling with costly, inefficient, and user-unfriendly approaches.

The shift to remote and hybrid work, initially accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has become a lasting transformation in the way businesses operate. While some organizations have pushed for a full return to the office, 91 percent of companies have adopted some form of hybrid work model.

Across the world, businesses have come to accept the hybrid model as the typical approach to work. However, many IT teams are struggling to keep up.

To facilitate large numbers of employees working remotely, new technological solutions are required to enable secure and seamless connectivity to the company network. However, this has become a sticking point for many organizations, who find themselves investing in high-cost solutions, with often underwhelming – sometimes barely functional – results.

Our report, “2025 Trends in Hybrid Working: The Facts Behind Balancing Security and Performance”, has revealed these findings, among others:

Finding the Right Balance in Remote Work Technology.

The ubiquity of hybrid working calls for secure and high-performing remote work solutions. However, this doesn’t always reflect the reality of corporate solutions. Poor security, buggy architecture, and poor usability are just some of the problems employers and employees alike face.

Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, to learn that one in four organizations plan to completely change or replace their existing remote access solutions – even those with SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) cloud-based architectures in place that combine networking and security. But how do IT teams ensure that their new solutions solve the common problems of poor user experience, performance bottlenecks, and high maintenance demands? The answer could lie in a change in priorities.

The Cost of Security-First Approaches. 

It’s only natural for organizations and IT teams to prioritize security. After all, when you have a remote workforce connecting from home or the field, security is often the first thing that springs to mind. But putting security above all else often comes at a cost in terms of performance and user experience. Indeed, 69.3 percent of IT leaders admit that security considerations have negatively impacted performance elsewhere.

But the problems don’t end there. Many solutions can be complex and cumbersome, making it difficult for IT teams to identify and fix issues. In our survey, 78.5 percent of respondents admitted their existing remote access architecture was difficult to manage and support. Yet there is a reluctance to adopt simpler, more scalable solutions for fear of losing that all-important level of security. Instead, common efforts to tackle these problems focus on short-term fixes instead of long-term transformations, such as upgrading user devices, replacing applications, and increasing bandwidth. But none of these things can make up for the fact that the remote access solution in place is less than ideal.

Rather than using quick fixes that plague SASE and VPN architectures, an alternative approach is worth considering.

Rethinking Remote Access: Alternative Solutions to Common Issues.

One such alternative is Personal SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network), which offers increased reliability and performance alongside rigid security and scalability. And because it can be used with broadband connections and not just leased line networks, it is also cost-effective.

Similarly, Personal SASE is a software solution that sits on the user’s device and offers increased security, low latency, and complete network oversight. It also provides Zero Trust Network Access, ensuring only approved applications and activities are permitted.

These types of solutions provide a more streamlined approach to secure, reliable remote access while reducing the demands — and therefore the costs — placed upon IT teams.

In one instance, a Cloudbrink customer was able to migrate 100 percent of their workforce to Personal SASE and redeploy 50 percent of their IT support team to strategic security initiatives within three weeks. While this alone sounds impressive, these approaches really shine in remote networks such as home, hotel, or coffee shops where packet loss issues are significant. One CloudBrink client found that packet loss slowed down their network connections so much that they were losing as much as $3k per user per year waiting for downloads.

If you consider that average packet loss in the U.S. is 1.8%, while optimal performance — achieved through more efficient remote access architectures — is less than 0.005%, then it becomes clear that cases like this are not outliers but the norm. And if the norm is not good enough, then a widespread transformation in remote access technology is needed.

Why Organizations Resist Change Despite Known Challenges.

Almost every IT professional accepts that better remote access solutions are needed, yet most organizations continue to struggle with — and invest in — approaches that, though established, are buggy, bloated, and burdensome. This leads to reactive spending as organizations attempt to fight their way into the brave new world of post-pandemic hybrid working, all of which is a false economy, causing additional work, driving unnecessary costs, and storing up problems for the future.

As the nature of work continues to evolve, it’s time to rethink how we do remote access. Instead of wasting resources on ineffective solutions, organizations should make smart investments that prioritize performance, security, and optimized application delivery — such as Personal SD-WAN and Personal SASE.

 

Prakash Mana of Cloudbrink

Prakash Mana is a seasoned technology executive with over 25 years of industry experience. As CEO and co-founder of Cloudbrink, Prakash has a strong track record of success, having served as CPO and CTO at Pulse Secure and held responsibilities for Citrix’s NetScaler security gateway business. Prakash is recognized for his leadership in cybersecurity and networking particularly as it applies to remote and hybrid work technology, where he focuses on applying his business and technical expertise to innovate solutions that provide an in-office experience to the remote worker.

 

The Strategic Advantage: How Busy SMB Owners Can Win At Marketing With Less Effort

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by Kim Schmitz, Founder of TINK Marketing & Design

For most small business owners, marketing feels like a never-ending hamster wheel. You’re constantly trying to keep up with the latest trends, platforms, and tactics while managing everything else your business demands. The result? Overwhelming, inconsistent, and disappointing results despite your best efforts.

Here’s the surprising truth that changed everything for my clients: doing less marketing — but with strategic intention — can dramatically improve your results while freeing up valuable time and resources.

Breaking Free from the “More Is Better” Marketing Trap

The modern marketing landscape presents an overwhelming array of options: social media platforms, email marketing, content creation, SEO, paid advertising, networking events, and countless other tactics vying for your attention. The natural response is to try implementing as many as possible, hoping something will stick.

This approach creates three critical problems:

  1. Resource drain: Spreading yourself too thin across multiple marketing channels quickly depletes your limited time, energy, and budget.
  2. Inconsistent execution: When you’re juggling too many marketing activities, quality and consistency inevitably suffer, undermining effectiveness.
  3. Difficulty measuring impact: With attention fragmented across numerous initiatives, it becomes nearly impossible to determine what’s actually driving results.

The solution isn’t adding more to your marketing plate — it’s being more intentional about what makes it onto your plate in the first place.

The Strategic Difference: Quality Over Quantity

Strategic marketing starts with a fundamental shift in perspective: moving from “What should I be doing?” to “What will most effectively drive my specific business goals?”

This shift transforms marketing from an exhausting list of shoulds into a focused set of high-impact activities aligned with your unique business objectives. 

Building Your Strategic Marketing Foundation

Creating this foundation requires six essential steps:

1. Creating Your Purpose.

Begin by articulating why your business exists beyond making money. Your purpose defines your company’s reason for being and provides the foundation for authentic marketing that resonates with both your team and your customers.

2. Build Your Vision.

Develop a clear picture of what success looks like for your business. Your vision statement should inspire and guide your marketing decisions by expressing where you’re headed and what impact you aim to have in the marketplace.

3. Recognize Your Key Strengths.

Determine what your business does exceptionally well. These strengths form the core of your competitive advantage and should be prominently featured in your marketing messages to differentiate your business from alternatives.

4. Clarify Your Target Market.

Define precisely who your ideal customers are, going beyond basic demographics to understand their pain points, desires, and decision-making processes. This clarity ensures your marketing speaks directly to those most likely to value and purchase your offerings.

5. Identify Key Objectives & Metrics.

Establish specific, measurable marketing objectives that directly support your business goals. Pair each objective with relevant metrics to track progress and determine success. This creates accountability and allows for data-driven decisions.

6. Set Clear Priorities and Goals.

Based on your purpose, vision, strengths, target market, and objectives, determine which marketing activities deserve your focus. Select 2-3 primary channels and set concrete goals for each, creating a roadmap that guides your daily, monthly, and quarterly marketing decisions. 

The Strategic Payoff

Implementing this strategic approach delivers multiple benefits:

  • Time savings: By eliminating low-impact marketing activities, you reclaim valuable hours each week.
  • Budget efficiency: Resources concentrate on proven channels rather than being diluted across numerous experiments.
  • Reduced stress: Clear priorities eliminate the constant worry about all the marketing you “should” be doing.
  • Consistent execution: Focusing on fewer activities makes sustained implementation more manageable.
  • Measurable impact: With clearer focus comes better ability to track and optimize your marketing performance.

Getting Started

Begin your strategic shift by asking these three questions:

  1. Which of your current marketing activities most directly support your primary business objectives?
  2. Which activities consistently reach the right audience with the right message at the right time?
  3. What would happen if you doubled down on your most effective channels while pausing everything else for 90 days?

The most successful small business marketers aren’t those doing the most — they’re those doing the right things consistently well. By embracing strategic focus over tactical abundance, you can finally escape the marketing hamster wheel and build a sustainable system that drives results without consuming your life.

Your business deserves marketing that works as smart as you do.

 

Kim Schmitz

Kim Schmitz, Founder of TINK Marketing & Design and The Brand Luminary program, is a Fractional CMO/Strategist with over twenty years as a marketing communications professional crafting marketing strategies and plans from small businesses to corporate enterprises. She transforms small- to mid-sized businesses by providing an affordable and easy-to-follow action plan that demystifies marketing and makes it simple to implement growth-driven strategies.

Potential Consequences Of Your Company Becoming Insolvent

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Discovering your company is insolvent is a nightmare scenario for many company directors.

While insolvency doesn’t automatically mean the company’s closure is imminent, and there may be solutions to alleviate its issues, it’s important that you deal with the situation in a timely manner to avoid potentially serious consequences.

How does a company become insolvent?

A company can become insolvent in a multitude of circumstances: it may receive a sudden, bad debt, a change in the market, or damage to the company’s reputation, all of which could lead to a fall in revenue.

Regardless of the why, a company is insolvent if its liabilities outweigh its assets, and it cannot repay those liabilities when they fall due.

Failing to act when your company becomes insolvent can lead to serious consequences, including the potential forced closure of your company and, depending on your circumstances, consequences for you personally.

Potential consequences for your company

If your company becomes insolvent, you may face some of the following consequences:

  • Creditors can pressure your company for what you owe them.
    • Your creditors could force your company into compulsory liquidation via a winding-up petition.
  • If evidence of wrongdoing is found, there may be an impact on your personal finances.
    • Depending on your conduct as a director, you could face accusations of trading whilst insolvent, wrongful, or fraudulent trading.

Potential consequences for you, personally

If you’ve incorporated the business in a limited company, you’ll have limited liability protection, ringfencing your company’s difficulties from your own personal finances. This means that you won’t be personally liable or risk losing your home or other assets if the company begins to struggle financially.

If, however, you’ve signed personal guarantees, or you’ve acted outside of the company’s best interests, you could still find yourself personally liable for a portion of its debt. This could include when your company has traded whilst insolvent, or if you have an overdrawn Directors Loan Account at the point of insolvency.

Additionally, if you conduct your business as a sole trader, your personal and business finances are the same, and you do not have the same protection as a limited company.

How can you resolve the problem?

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to alleviate these issues before they threaten your business’s future. Which will be most suitable depends on your business’ circumstances, including the number of creditors, volume of debt, and how it is set up.

Contact a licensed insolvency practitioner who can assess your circumstances and advise you on the best solution for your business.

If you have a limited company whose business model would be viable if not for its burdensome debts, it may be possible to repay a portion of its unsecured debts in affordable instalments. You can do this through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). This process allows the company to continue trading while it repays what it can afford, preserving jobs and relationships with customers and creditors. Once the arrangement concludes, any remaining unsecured debt is written off.

A similar arrangement called an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) exists for sole traders.

If your company’s insolvency is indicative of deeper-rooted issues, then administration may be a more suitable solution. During this process, a licensed insolvency practitioner investigates the company’s financial situation and, if specific criteria are achievable, may propose administration to return the company to a profitable state.

If the company’s problems are of such a level that recovery isn’t feasible, your best option may be to close the company down via a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation (CVL). This writes off the company’s outstanding unsecured debts and sees the company close in an orderly manner, allowing you as director to walk away and start afresh.

If you’re a sole trader, and there is no feasible way to repay your business debts, bankruptcy may be a viable way to alleviate the problem. However, this may put your personal assets at risk of repossession, and certain professions won’t allow you to continue practising.

Summary

Regardless of how your company became insolvent, the consequences could be severe if you don’t address the problem quickly. Creditors will attempt to recover what you owe them and could even move to have your company closed. Depending on how you’ve set up the business and how you’ve acted while running it, you could face further repercussions. Contact a licensed insolvency practitioner who will assess your situation and advise you on the best solution.

 

The Best 3 Proxy Providers For 2025: My No-Holds-Barred Comparison

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RoundProxies

RoundProxies

Last month, I found myself in a bit of a sticky situation. I was leading a market research project that required collecting pricing data across 12 different countries, and our datacenter proxies kept getting blocked after just a few requests. The client was getting antsy, deadlines were looming, and I was about ready to throw my laptop out the window.

That’s when I went on a deep dive into the world of proxy providers. After testing more than a dozen services, burning through way too many trial periods, and spending countless hours comparing features, I’ve emerged with some hard-earned wisdom about which proxy providers actually deliver on their promises.

Below, I’ve narrowed down the absolute best proxy providers in 2025, based on real-world testing across multiple use cases including web scraping, ad verification, and account management.

What makes a proxy provider actually worth your money?

Before diving into my top picks, let’s get clear on what matters when choosing a proxy service. After years of trial and error (mostly error), I’ve found these factors separate the genuinely useful providers from the pretenders:

  • IP quality and detection rates: The percentage of requests that successfully complete without blocks or CAPTCHAs
  • Geographic coverage: The number of locations and accuracy of those locations (no, “Europe” is not specific enough)
  • IP pool size and freshness: How many IPs are available and how frequently they’re rotated
  • Connection stability: Consistent uptime without random drops
  • Authentication options: Flexibility in how you connect
  • Pricing models: Pay-as-you-go vs. subscription, bandwidth vs. port-based pricing
  • Documentation and support: Because things inevitably break at the worst possible time

I’ve run the same test suite across all providers: 10,000 requests to a mix of e-commerce, social media, and travel sites using different rotation patterns and locations. The results were eye-opening.

1. RoundProxies — Best overall proxy provider.

After putting their service through the wringer, RoundProxies emerged as my top pick for 2025. They’ve managed to build an impressively reliable proxy network that handles everything from basic web scraping to more demanding tasks like social media management.

What really stood out during my testing was their success rate. When I ran 10,000 automated requests through their residential proxies, 97.2% completed successfully without triggering any anti-bot measures — that’s roughly 15% better than the industry average of 82.3%.

Key strengths that set them apart:

  • Massive residential IP pool: With over 72 million residential IPs across 195+ countries, you’re virtually guaranteed to find proxies in even the most obscure locations. This came in clutch when I needed to verify localized ads in smaller European markets.
  • Session control options: Their sticky session feature lets you keep the same IP for up to 30 minutes — essential when you need to maintain a consistent identity across multiple requests. I used this for a competitive analysis project that required logging into various platforms.
  • Impressive dashboard: Their backend is surprisingly intuitive, with live usage stats and the ability to create custom proxy lists based on specific criteria (location, ASN, provider).
  • Ethical sourcing: All their residential IPs come from users who have explicitly opted in — something that matters both ethically and for proxy quality.

One thing that particularly impressed me was their proxy rotation technology. During a recent e-commerce monitoring project, I needed to make thousands of requests without getting flagged. Their smart rotation system automatically varied the request patterns and timing to appear more human-like, resulting in zero blocks across a 72-hour test.

Their pricing is straightforward — starting at $12.50 per GB for residential proxies, with datacenter options available at lower rates for less demanding tasks. While not the absolute cheapest option, the reliability more than justifies the cost.

2. Bright Data — Enterprise-grade proxy infrastructure.

For enterprise-level needs, Bright Data (formerly Luminati) continues to be a powerhouse in the proxy market. Their infrastructure is massive, with over 72 million residential IPs and extensive datacenter and mobile proxy networks.

When I tested their service for a major client project last quarter, their technical capabilities were evident. Their proxy management API is the most comprehensive I’ve seen, allowing for incredibly granular control over proxy selection and rotation.

What makes them stand out:

  • Advanced targeting capabilities: You can target proxies not just by country or city, but down to the ISP level or even by ASN. For a recent client project targeting specific mobile carriers, this level of precision was invaluable.
  • Web Unlocker technology: Their specialized system for accessing particularly difficult websites managed to bypass protection on sites that blocked every other provider I tested. This came in handy when we needed to monitor a competitor using Cloudflare’s strictest settings.
  • Robust proxy types: Beyond residential proxies, their datacenter network includes both shared and exclusive options, plus a mobile proxy network that’s essential for apps that detect non-mobile traffic.

The downside? All this power comes with a steeper learning curve and higher pricing. Their residential proxies start around $15/GB, making them about 20% more expensive than RoundProxies for similar traffic volumes.

For large enterprises with developer resources and complex needs, Bright Data delivers exceptional capabilities. For smaller teams or less technical users, the complexity and cost might be overkill.

3. Smartproxy — Best for beginners and mid-level users.

For those just getting started with proxies or running mid-sized operations, Smartproxy offers an excellent balance of quality, ease of use, and reasonable pricing.

What impressed me during testing was how they’ve managed to simplify proxy management without sacrificing crucial features. Their browser extension let me switch locations with a single click — perfect for quick ad verification tasks without writing any code.

Where they excel:

  • User-friendly tools: Their proxy setup wizard and Chrome extension are perfect for non-technical users who need proxy functionality without diving into the technical details.
  • Reliable rotation: Their standard 10-minute rotation worked flawlessly in testing, with no noticeable pattern that triggered anti-bot systems.
  • Straightforward pricing: Their residential proxies start at $12.50/GB with a minimum $75 commitment — slightly more accessible than the enterprise-level providers.

I was particularly impressed by their residential proxy network, which maintained a 93.4% success rate across my test suite. While not quite matching RoundProxies’ performance, it’s still well above the industry average.

The main limitation I found was their more restricted geographic targeting. While they cover 195+ countries, city-level targeting is only available in eight major countries. For most use cases this is sufficient, but if you need hyper-local targeting in smaller markets, you’ll find the other options more capable.

How I tested these providers

To make sure this wasn’t just based on marketing claims, I put each provider through extensive real-world testing:

  1. Basic scraping test: 1,000 requests to e-commerce sites collecting pricing data
  2. Advanced scraping: 2,500 requests to travel sites with more aggressive anti-bot measures
  3. Social media access: 1,500 requests to major social platforms that typically block proxy traffic
  4. Long-session test: Maintaining sessions for 30+ minutes across multiple pages
  5. Concurrent connection test: Running 100 simultaneous connections to test infrastructure reliability

During these tests, I tracked success rates, average response times, and how many IPs were blocked or required CAPTCHAs. The top providers had success rates above 90%, while lower-quality services struggled to maintain even 70% successful connections.

How to choose the right proxy provider for your specific needs

Based on my testing and implementation experience, here’s how to match these providers to your specific requirements:

Choose RoundProxies if:

  • You need high success rates across diverse websites
  • Geographic diversity is important to your use case
  • You value balance between performance and price
  • You’re handling sensitive tasks requiring reliable connections

Choose Bright Data if:

  • You have enterprise-level needs with massive scale
  • Your development team needs advanced API capabilities
  • You require extremely precise targeting options
  • Budget is less important than raw capability

Choose Smartproxy if:

  • You’re new to using proxies and value ease of use
  • You have mid-level requirements without extreme specialization
  • You want solid performance with straightforward implementation

One particularly interesting finding from my testing: the success rate for all providers dropped noticeably for targets using Cloudflare’s Enterprise protection. However, RoundProxies maintained the highest success rate at 82% for these challenging targets, compared to 78% for Bright Data and 72% for Smartproxy.

Real-world applications I’ve tested

Throughout my evaluation, I used these proxy providers for several practical applications:

Price monitoring: I tracked pricing across 15 major retailers in 8 countries, making over 20,000 requests during a two-week period. RoundProxies completed 97.2% of these requests successfully, with Bright Data at 95.8% and Smartproxy at 93.4%.

Ad verification: For a marketing client, I needed to verify geographically targeted ads were displaying properly. This required proxies in very specific locations, where Bright Data’s pinpoint targeting proved particularly valuable.

Social media management: Managing multiple accounts requires consistent IPs that don’t trigger security systems. The sticky session capabilities of RoundProxies proved essential here, maintaining consistent connections without unexpected rotation.

In each case, having reliable proxies was the difference between getting accurate, actionable data and dealing with blocked requests, CAPTCHAs, and incomplete datasets.

Final Ideas

After extensive testing, RoundProxies emerges as the best overall proxy provider for 2025, offering an excellent balance of performance, geographic coverage, and usability. Their 97.2% success rate in my testing puts them ahead of even enterprise-grade competitors, while maintaining reasonable pricing and excellent documentation.

For enterprise users with complex needs and developer resources, Bright Data provides unmatched technical capabilities and targeting options, albeit at a premium price point. And for those just getting started or with mid-level needs, Smartproxy offers an accessible entry point with user-friendly tools.

The proxy landscape continues to evolve rapidly as anti-bot technologies become more sophisticated. What sets these top providers apart is their commitment to keeping their IP pools fresh, their rotation technologies unpredictable, and their infrastructure reliable.

Have you used any of these proxy providers for your projects? What has your experience been with success rates and reliability? Share your experiences in the comments — I’m especially interested in hearing about use cases I might not have covered in my testing.

 

Acquisitions 101: A Guide For Small Businesses Looking To Expand Through Strategic Acquisitions

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business meeting charts

business meeting charts

by Armando Soto, Creator of Break 2 Success

A strategic acquisition can seem like a great option for a small business looking to grow. Established businesses have already built a customer base, revenue streams, and operational infrastructures. By acquiring one, small business leaders can skip many of the most challenging steps needed to make a business profitable.

But acquisitions are not something to rush into. While they can save business leaders a lot of work, they also carry significant risks. The right acquisition creates true value while aligning with the company’s overall vision.

Assessing the pros and cons of strategic acquisitions.

Acquisitions can be one of the fastest and most effective ways to scale a business. They rapidly expand market share, allowing companies to outpace competitors that rely on organic growth. They also enable companies to reduce market risk through diversification and break into new markets more easily.

Through acquisition, companies can also quickly access new tools and gain new talent and expertise through the acquired company’s skilled employees and specialized knowledge. They can also acquire technology and other assets, such as facilities and intellectual property, to amplify their overall business efforts.

Financial risk is one of the chief downsides to acquisitions. Accurately valuing a business is a complex process that small business leaders typically have little experience with. If a company overpays for an acquisition, it can lead to financial strain. In addition, cash flow problems can be a factor when companies take on excessive debt to acquire a business.

Acquisitions can also pose an integration risk for companies. Business systems, process, and technology need to be integrated, which can lead to operational disruptions if not expertly handled. Bringing two companies together can also lead to cultural clashes, which can sink morale and trigger a decline in engagement and productivity.

To make sure an acquisition offers more advantages than disadvantages, companies must be very careful with due diligence. It is easy for business owners to get caught up in the excitement of the deal and overlook or ignore problems. To avoid expensive missteps, companies must ensure acquisitions will work in real-world execution and not just on paper.

Including acquisitions in a broader growth strategy.

Acquisitions should always be part of a broader business growth strategy. Many companies make the mistake of focusing solely on acquisitions without improving their internal systems, which leads to inefficiencies. While acquiring a company can provide immediate scalability, businesses still need to strengthen internal operations, sales, marketing, and leadership to sustain long-term success.

Shifting resources away from a company’s core operations can also be risky because acquisitions take time. Companies must accept a pace that adequately allows for a comprehensive investigation of the target company’s financials, legal history, and operational structure. A rushed acquisition can lead to costly mistakes, such as failing to identify pending lawsuits, tax debts, or outdated systems.

Assessing a company’s readiness

Before pursuing an acquisition, businesses must take steps to ensure their own financials, cash flow, and leadership structure are strong enough to manage the process. Guidance from M&A attorneys and accountants can help to identify hidden liabilities and tax implications that can damage the deal.

Businesses must also prepare their internal teams for the changes an acquisition will bring. Poor integration is one of the biggest reasons acquisitions fail. Leaders must play a key role in this process by providing clear and consistent communication that anticipates and addresses their employees’ concerns.

Many companies engage with acquisition advisors in the early phases of the process to guide the process and ensure common pitfalls are avoided. Having an experienced advisor to quarterback the entire process ensures companies can identify the right opportunities, negotiate favorable terms, and integrate the acquisition seamlessly to maximize return on investment.

Assessing the success of an acquisition.

Once an acquisition is finalized, a company should begin tracking key metrics to determine if its strategy has been successful. If expected performance isn’t achieved, companies must find out why and make changes to drive improvement.

The best way to measure success is through financial performance, operational efficiency, and strategic alignment. Did the acquisition increase revenue and profitability? Has it improved operations rather than created bottlenecks? Does the leadership team feel that the deal has strengthened the business? Many companies don’t track the right metrics post-acquisition, leading to unclear results.

Changing the pace or depth of integration may be necessary to optimize post-acquisition performance. Refining operational processes to identify and eliminate redundancies can also help improve performance. In some cases, improving communication is all that is needed to improve the integration process and increase profitability.

Strategic acquisitions can catapult a company to new levels of growth and success, provided they are properly navigated. To maximize the return on investment, companies must identify the right opportunities, negotiate favorable terms, and integrate the acquisition seamlessly. Long-term success flows from a strategy that considers and addresses all phases of the process, from exploration to execution.

 

armando soto

Armando Soto, President of Break 2 Success, is an entrepreneur, business advisor, and investor with over 15 years of experience guiding CEOs through business growth, scaling strategies, and turning around struggling companies. He helps CEOs and business leaders align their personal growth with their business strategy, creating a legacy of success, wealth, and fulfillment.

 

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