The 3 Downsides Of Having A Remote Workforce

Many people were not looking to work remotely, but were thrust into it because of the pandemic. In fact, there are certain people that were trying to avoid working remotely

Which means that it can be very difficult to have your work force working remotely. When there are people who aren’t used to working a certain way, or that they don’t have the right personality for it, there will be challenges. 

So, it pays for you to understand what these challenges will be so you can head them off before they become problems. In this article, we will go over several of the downsides of working remotely and how you can help overcome them.

1 – Loneliness

Some people love to simply sit in their cubicle all day and just get the work done with little interaction. But, even those people have a limit. Without interacting with their peers, many will start to become disengaged and lose interest due to the loneliness of the work. 

In a traditional office, there are people coming and going and when a question needs answering, you can go to your coworker and ask. Meetings happen frequently, and as boring as they are, they do provide interaction and help keep everybody on the same page and engaged.

To get around this loneliness, workers need to be reengaged so they can stay productive and happy. Try to schedule some video calls either one on one or as a group on occasion. 

Also, find virtual games that are fun and will help promote binding and team building so they can feel like part of a team.  

2 – Less accountability

Part of not feeling engaged with the work is the lack of accountability. When the work becomes a drag and seems pointless, it means that there is less of a sense of needing to get the work done to not let the team down. 

If there doesn’t even seem to be a team then this can be a real issue. And sometimes it isn’t even the remote worker to be blamed here. Managers can also have an out of sight and out of mind mentality. They may forget about a deadline or not be checking in enough with a worker to promote that accountability.

 A good way around this is to use a time tracking tool. There are many out here that will allow a worker not just to determine how long they have been working on a certain project, but will also provide screenshots so you can see if they are using their work hours on non work related things.

3 – Lack of communication

Sure, emails and SMS are frequently used to communicate, but it isn’t the same as an actual conversation. It’s hard to know if everybody is on the same page when they are not in the same office. Meetings are harder to schedule so getting everybody up to date is easier said than done.

Try to make sure that you are using video calls with employees when you feel that it can benefit their work. If you see productivity slipping, don’t try to crack down, but, rather, find some time to check in with an actual conversation.

Successfully Marketing on Social Media: Facebook Ad Tips and Tricks

In 2019 alone, Facebook reached 2.38 billion users in total. Learning about the important Facebook ad tips will take your ad campaign to the next level.

Around 1.56 billion of those aforementioned Facebook users log on every single day. Facebook advertisements help you reach more people while tapping into a powerful, precise audience.

You’ve worked hard on your business and brand. You deserve to reap the sweet rewards that advertising on Facebook has to offer.

Here are some crucial social media marketing tips you should know before you launch a campaign:

Video Content

Video marketing is all the rage in social media marketing. If you’re not including video content in your advertising, you’re missing out on conversions.

Your video should only be 30 long or less. It’s long enough to catch someone’s attention and deliver your marketing message. The shorter a video is, the more likely people are to watch the whole thing.

A GIF is a repetitive visual loop that usually lasts 10 seconds or less. Coupling strong visual content with movement makes your advertisement stand out more than others. That’s why GIFs are also good at grabbing Facebook users’ attention.

Budget

With Facebook Ads, you can make the most out of a small budget. Determine how much money you have to spend before launching your campaign.

Divide your budget up based on how much money you’ll be spending per day. For instance, if your budget is $50 for 5 days, you’ll spend $10 per day on advertising. Learn more about setting a budget for Facebook ads here.

Target Your Audience

Facebook marketing is all about targeting your audience right. Research your audience, then create buyer personas to get a better idea of who you’re targeting.

Use the Audience Insights feature to learn more about your audience. This information includes users’ demographics, interests, locations, and more. That way, you’re able to use this information to perfect your next ad campaign.

Mind the Metrics

Don’t limit your focus to vanity metrics such as likes and reach. Instead, focus more on conversion rates, sales, traffic, and more.

Also, pay attention to what your audience does after they click your ad. This gives you more insight into buyer behaviors, attention, and demands.

Facebook Pixel

Facebook Pixel is one of the best Facebook ad tricks in the book. It helps you measure the effectiveness of your Facebook advertising by giving you information about the actions people are taking on your website.

All you have to do is insert Facebook Pixel’s code into your website’s code and voila! You’ll have more insight into how Facebook users interact with your website than ever before.

Let These Brilliant Facebook Ad Tips Light Up Your Campaign

In the United States, Facebook users will be using the social media platform for an average of 37 minutes per day in 2020. Knowing these Facebook ad tips in advance will give you a better sense of direction for your marketing strategy.

Facebook is frequently used by older and younger users alike. If you’re targeting different demographics, publish different campaigns for each one, or use A/B testing to reach them.

Boost your business sense—read more of our articles about business and finances. It’ll make your brand stronger than ever.

7 Different Ideas for Running a Digital Marketing Campaign as a Small Business

Starting up a small business is a brilliant way to turn your passion into profit. However, the main problem with running an independent business is that you don’t have the same financial backing as you would do when working for someone else or a different company. As a result, you have less of a budget for things like digital marketing, even though this is essential for getting your business’s name out there.

To help our readers with this predicament, we’ve created this article which lists 7 different ideas for running a digital marketing campaign that even small businesses can afford. Keep reading to find out what they are.

1.) Hosting Competitions

One of the best ways to market your business nowadays is to host competitions online. This usually involves rewarding the winners with a gift voucher, products from your business, or something from a third party i.e. a new television. Though technically giving stuff away for free will incur a loss for your business, the rewards you’ll reap from this digital marketing campaign will more than make up for this deficit. For one, competitions help to generate a massive buzz around your business. Also, most online giveaways involve people having to share the competition’s post or tag several friends, thereby increasing the online visibility of your company. Pretty ingenious, right?

2.) Email Marketing

Email marketing is the virtual version of handing out flyers, except this is a much more cost-effective form of advertising. It’s the perfect way to deliver information and chase up sales with an already engaged audience, plus build brand loyalty. However, many small business owners don’t use email marketing because they’re worried about spamming their contacts or being unable to afford these campaigns. Fortunately, with email marketing software, you needn’t worry about either of these things. This software can segment your contact list, meaning customers and clients will only ever receive information when it is relevant to them. What’s more, email marketing software will send messages automatically, saving manual labour, and can often be downloaded completely for free.

3.) Social Media

Social media is an incredibly effective form of digital marketing – and it’s completely free of charge to register on these platforms. If you haven’t already, it’s time to make use of social media for your small business. For starters, you should create a Facebook page. This can usually substitute for a regular website if you can’t afford to buy your own domain. Invite friends and family to like your Facebook to increase its visibility. Meanwhile, Instagram is a good platform for holding competitions and posting visual content. If you have products to showcase, then this is the place to do it. Social media like LinkedIn and Twitter, on the other hand, are good for networking with other industry professionals. This is great for those who still need to get their foot in the door.

4.) Blogging

Blogging is a brilliant form of digital marketing that everyone should use to their advantage. For starters, blogging allows you to deliver information about your product or service to interested customers and clients. This will help you to close sales. If you’re unsure what to write about in your blog, we recommend discussing the subjects that are relevant to your business and industry. It’s also important to ensure the information is newsworthy. For example, an estate agent would write about how coronavirus has affected the property market. What’s also great about blogging is that it can improve your search engine optimisation. This increases your online visibility and attracts higher-quality traffic to your website. Once your blogs have been published, they will remain online forever, sending customers your way indefinitely. As such, it might be worth buying a domain for blogging, because (if done correctly and consistently) this is a cost-effective source of advertising.

5.) Livestreams

Most people dislike putting their face onto the internet, so the thought of hosting a livestream is horrifying to them. However, this is a surprisingly effective form of digital marketing that doesn’t cost much money at all to run. Social media apps – like Facebook and Instagram – allow people to run a livestream from their mobile phone. This alerts the people who have liked or followed your page that you have ‘gone live’, attracting a greater audience than regular video content. Livestreaming is also helpful because it puts a face to the name of your brand, which often results in consumers feeling more connected to you. This is especially true when it comes to running a small business. Livestreams are great if you want to interact with your audience, too. Web seminars and Q&As are examples of this.

6.) Reviews

Business owners can sometimes be wary of their reviewers. However, if you’re passionate about your work and providing people with good customer service, then they aren’t anything to worry about. In fact, you can use the excellent reviews that people have left to your advantage for your digital marketing campaign. If potential clients see proof from others that you deliver a high-quality service, their trust in you is bound to increase and you’re more likely to close a sale with them. Posting a satisfied customer’s review also doesn’t cost much money. All you need to do is create an eye-catching infographic of the review, then publish it on one or more of your social media platforms.

7.) Building Brand

Finally, small businesses can usually increase the effectiveness of their digital marketing campaigns by building their brand. Like we mentioned before, the more connected people feel to the face behind the name, the more likely they are to trust you. This is especially true for small businesses. You can build your brand by interacting with customers and adding a little personal flair when writing your marketing content. Professionalism is also key to building a brand. 

These are our main tips and tricks for running a marketing campaign as a small business. Not only are these ideas inexpensive and implementable but they’re also proven to be effective.

New Merchants For September

We have 11 new merchants added to our network so far this September. Read about them below, and stay tuned for more programs going live later this month!


At Luno, it’s our mission to make the pursuit of adventure more comfortable, convenient, and enjoyable by crafting quality car camping gear for outdoor enthusiasts. Our vehicle air mattress turns your car into a campsite in minutes, so the inside of your vehicle becomes your favorite place to stay. 3% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



High Camp Flasks is the bridge between the craft spirit market and the outdoors. We manufacture products that provide a clever solution to transporting and consuming spirits in any outdoor environment. We create a richer outdoor drinking experience that preserves your favorite spirits and keeps glass and plastic out of the outdoors. 7% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



After the first portable tree saw came to market in 2008, Hooyman continued to innovate with ground-breaking land management tools upholding the same values the brand was founded on; quality, innovation, and service valuing every customer relationship. 7% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



Since 1936 ust has been creating survival, camping and outdoor equipment. The ust crew is driven by our calling to explore outdoors. We feel incredibly lucky to have the rolling hills and hollers of the Ozark Mountains for our backyard…product testing, exploring, work, play…. the lines get blurry. Our ever-present drive to “be outdoors” translates into reliable, problem-solving gear for you to use in your own outdoor adventures. 7% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



URBAN ARMOR GEAR, LLC., (UAG) is a California based manufacturer of lightweight rugged protective cases for mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and Microsoft Surface devices. In business since 2012, we pride ourselves in making high-quality accessories that feature sleek thin profiles that won’t slow you down. 5% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



Arctic Cool offers unsurpassed advanced-technology that wicks moisture away and cools the body down as you begin to sweat. But, if that wasn’t enough, we offer UPF 50+ sun-protection, anti-microbial technology and 4-way stretch in every item. This allows for added protection from the sun’s harmful rays, odor to be controlled to reduce retained smells after washing and a fabric that is flat out comfortable to wear as it moves with your body during any activity. 8% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



STEP 22 manufacturers premium quality adventure travel gear and soft goods. Focusing on innovative and feature-rich designs, STEP 22 has created a line of best-in-class storage solutions for the overland, off-road, and adventure travels markets. We feature purpose-built and highly engineered raw materials in all our products to ensure that end-users are getting the absolute best performing piece of gear possible. 8% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



Kingdom Harvest believes in providing Naturally Better™ Hemp and CBD products that will optimize customers’ health, well-being and overall lifestyle. Kingdom Harvest is distinguished by our unique proprietary process of extraction for our Whole-Spectrum hemp extracts and oils, and other top-selling CBD merchandise. 15% commission • 45 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



etee is your one stop shop for plastic-free, reusable, biodegradable household items — from storing your food to brushing your teeth — at affordable prices. Are you passionate about living a more sustainable life and helping others to do the same? Let’s work together to save our world one step at a time. 20% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



Xcelwetsuits.com offers premium wetsuits for surfing, diving, and water recreation sports. Xcel’s reputation for exceptional product quality is a clear result of an unwavering dedication to research, development, and design innovation. With tropical to cold-water products for men, women, and youth, the brand stresses performance: maximum stretch and durability, sealed-seam construction, and a fit that feels custom-made every time. 6% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!



reVessel is a conscious family-owned brand focusing on designing innovative and sustainable products that span the full spectrum from prepping, baking, storing and packing food to help individuals get out of the kitchen and onto adventure. Crafted alongside a team of deep sea and underwater mechanical engineers, reVessel’s products reimagine how food is carried with sophisticated design and versatile functionality while solving the most perplexing food storage issues and addressing social, environmental and health problems affecting the globe. 10% commission • 30 days cookie duration • APPLY NOW!


10 Useful and Budget-Friendly Business Growth Ideas

For the success and stability of the company, constant enhancements must be made. Things like proper advertising through media platforms, unique business cards or otherwise, consistent monitoring of cash flows, recognizing a place for betterment, requesting the assistance of such thing, and most importantly, concentrating on those aspects that can be the most important gaining point of the business.

1. Pay Attention to the Business 

Create a checklist for the necessary things for business improvement (this is a great idea). Pay attention to the finances. It’s essential to keep the exact knowledge of the numbers and finances within the business. Keep track of it on a regular basis. If you are not well versed in monetary expertise, then hire a professional accountant. However, stay in its loop and updated it.

2. Set goals for the business

For the business to be successful, set the goals and objectives as it can be beneficial. The purposes can be used as the ongoing tool of planning used to move forward with your business. For example, try to improve traffic on the website or the blog of your business. This increased traffic can increase your sales or your customer’s devotion.

3. Marketing with high-influence: 

Wasting precious cash on useless advertisement strategies that may not work is very easy. But try and figure out a low cost, but a high-influence advertisement strategy for improving the business. Test run some new techniques to see which one performs better and then add it to your strategy list. Use social media to promote the company as it is easy to advertise on Facebook, Myspace, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Create a social presence in this way that will attract people’s attention to the business.

4. Unique and attractive business cards:

Create unique business cards and something that people will like to keep. Use illustrations. This will turn your business card a covetable piece of art in people’s wallets. Chose an unusual shape for your card to make it stand out. We all like something different from the mainstream, so your card doesn’t have to be rectangular. Make your card super bright, colorful, and fun. But also use white space for a minimalist and sleek look. Business card photography is a new trend. We often forget names but not the faces. Adding your goofy pictures on the business cards for photographers can be fruitful. Other images related to the business can also be more to the card to make itself explanatory. Unique business cards can go a long way.

5. Hone the skills of selling:

The element of sales is a high-return aspect of every business’s improvement. Whether it’s a one-man thing or handling the group for sales, your prime focus must be a boost in sales. To achieving this, clarify the mission of the business. It will give you a correct picture of areas you require to shine, and this way, you can have a better sense of a purpose and vision.

6. Polish business presentations:

Overloading the presentation of the business with irrelevant info is not wise. Make your presentation memorable by making it relevant and delivering a piece of unexpected wisdom. A powerful and relevant presentation can be helpful for the business’s performance. 

7. Monitor trends:

Every business is affected by any changes that happen globally. Stay up to date trending issues and latest trends in your relevant industry as well as your society. Even seemingly irrelevant stuff can sometimes affect your business. Therefore, consider all prospects.

8. Motivate your staff:

A motivated staff that is also talented can bring in considerable advances in the business. Find ways to motivate your workforce on higher-performing levels. Listen to every input from all staff members regardless of position and seniority. You can get better ideas from people who are closest to the problem.

9. Follow tested strategies:

Keep everything clear. For this, you have to effectively communicate, monitor, and test your strategies to ensure everything runs smoothly. Document every process to stay away from miscommunications.

10. Know the business’s limitations:

Always remember that every business has some limits, and those limits will push you to do better every day. This will help you identify the weak areas of business. Get help for those weak areas and then manage the business’s resources according to your limitations. 

3 Types of Trading and What They Mean to Investors

There are several types of stock trading strategies that a trader can participate in. Each type offers unique benefits, and understanding the different types of stocks is important to being a successful investor. Here we discuss a few of the most popular types of stock trading strategies, what they mean, and why stockholders use these forms of trading.

Scalping

Scalping is one of the popular types of trading done by day traders. This form of stock trading that involves holding a position open for only seconds or minutes before trading. This is the fastest type of stock trading and is targeted at small intraday price movements. The goal of scalping is to gain smaller profits through several quick trades in a day. Over the course of the day, the profits accumulate due to the number of trades being made.

Traders using the scalping method often rely on only major currency pairs when trading due to their high-trading volume and liquidity such as what is found in the USD/JPY, GBP/USD, and EUR/USD. Many scalpers make dozens or even hundreds of trades each day with the goal of exploiting the bid-ask spread.

Example: A trader buys and sells large amounts of shares of a company in order to profit off small price movements. The stock is selling for $5 and the trader purchases $10,000 worth of stock and sells them during upwards price movements in small amounts.

Momentum Trading

Image via Flickr by Simon Cunningham

Momentum trading work with stocks that are moving in a direction in high quantities. This strategy is based on a traders’ attempt to use this momentum in the stock market to gain the desired profit. Traders purchase stock or securities as they are rising and then sell them when the stock peaks. The goal of momentum trading is to use the volatility of the market to find opportunities to buy during short-term uptrends and then sell the stocks as they lose momentum.

Example: A trade purchases stock at $30 and that stock grows to $60 due to an overly positive analyst report. The trader then sells the stock for the $60 at a 100% profit before the price of the stock corrects itself.

Swing Trading

Swing trading involves making short- and medium-term gains on a stock over several days or weeks. This type of trading is based on anticipated price moves and requires technical analysis to find trading opportunities as well as fundamental analysis to look at patterns and trends in stock prices. Swing trading exposes traders to overnight and weekend risks that could result in price gaps and profit loss.

Most traders do not hold their position longer than a few months. Swing trades can also happen during a single trading session, though this is rare and typically only happens during significantly volatile conditions. Swing traders have the goal of making a profit on an anticipated price move.

Example: A trader purchases a stock after its price has dropped. Using technical and fundamental analysis, the trader deduces that the price will rise in 15 days. The trader holds onto the stock and then sells it when the anticipated price rise happens.

Choosing the trading strategy that works best for you can increase your chances of profiting from your stock trading efforts.

3 Types of Trading and What They Mean to Investors

How Education Needs to Address the Impact of Technology

Technology continues to be a driving force behind major economic, industrial, and consumer trends. The field of education hasn’t escaped its impact either. While many people head to college to enhance their job options, those who have made a career out of working in academics will find the landscape changing over the next several years. As it changes, so does the nature and knowledge of the graduate.

Degree Programs Need to be Revamped

Thanks to automation technologies and other software and robotic advancement, the standard education for those who were pursuing any field may become obsolete before an individual graduates. Industries of all kinds have seen automation play a significant role in production and operation, from the accountant to the factory worker. School programs can’t be an either/or approach to technology instruction and preparation. One can’t avoid dealing with automation. A student can’t choose a business degree instead of computer science to get away from artificial intelligence or machine learning. Data analysis, fiscal responsibility, human resources, and cloud services are just entwined in the business sector as they are in manufacturing. All programs need to figure out how to keep up with tech in order to better prepare students.

Educators May Leave for Tech Companies

Academia has established its own code for hiring educators and providing tenured positions, leaving many qualified individuals out of the running for a teaching post. Rather than let their skills and education go to waste, these would-be educators may find it is easier to secure employment in the tech sector. After all, these are companies with the resources, experience, and opportunities to give students first-hand instruction in the developments and innovations of technology. Many tech companies have already begun to offer their own certification programs with potential for internships and employment for those students who are the most qualified.

Distance Education May Become the Norm

Online learning has been given a boost by the coronavirus pandemic, but it had long shown signs of becoming the most accessible way to achieve higher education. There are several reasons why distance education continues to show increased enrollment year after year. For nurses and those in related career paths, advancement is a lot harder if they haven’t earned their bachelor’s degree. Others have realized the threat technology has on their career field and want to transition to a new field or update their skills before it is too late. There is also a larger number of individuals that can’t afford to go to school full time, choosing not to give up their income by attending online in their spare time. Distance learning is a flexible way to get an education for a full-time career opportunity at a part-time pace.

Forward-thinking Is the Way to Survive

There is no doubt about the continued impact technology will have on education. The inclusion of virtual reality technologies into the online environment or the need for specialized master’s programs in robotics and artificial intelligence studies are only of few the expectations for the field of education. Educators and students alike have many new opportunities brimming on the horizon, but they must be willing to accept and pursue them.

How to Send a Follow Up Email for Press Releases

Many businesses that are beginning to use PR campaigns often forget to follow up with journalists. Following up with journalists to ensure they see your press release should take up most of the time you allotted to pitching PR firms. It is important to remember that journalists often get more than a hundred emails every day. Emails often fall through the cracks. Don’t get discouraged if the journalists aren’t responding to your first inquiry. It doesn’t mean they are not interested in your press release. It only means they likely let your email slip through the cracks.

The follow-up email needs to become your favorite tool. There is a delicate dance between being persistent and advocating for your business or client and merely being a nuisance. It would help if you balanced writing follow up emails to journalists and knowing when they won’t respond. Here are a few of the top tips to ensure your follow up email gets read. 

Wait Several Days Before Following Up

Don’t wait a full week before following up! However, it is also equally important not to follow up on the same day. Editors will forget your pitch if you wait more than a few days, but they will also get incredibly annoyed if you try emailing them every hour. Wait 2-3 days to give the editor time to respond to your email. They will also be able to remember your pitch if you send it 2-3 days after your initial pitch. You can also ensure everyone is updated on whether the pitch is working or not. 

The Rule of One: One Email, One Phone Call

It is essential not to take the follow-up process to the extremes. No one will respond if you are always calling and emailing. Instead, stick to the rule of one. Only follow up with one email and one phone call. Most journalists will prefer email correspondence and often screen their calls, but you can always leave a voice message. Send a quick follow up email after you leave a message and then give the journalist time to respond. 

Delete the Re: Create an Entirely New Email

When sending a follow-up email, it is vital to remove the “Re:” from the subject line. Many PR agents will use the reply to follow up, but it is not as effective as sending an entirely new email. It is more effective because there is a reason why the first email didn’t get a response. The same subject line will not be enough to intrigue the journalist into opening your email and responding. 

Create a New Pitch

One of the best ways to follow-up on a pitch is to create an entirely new angle. Don’t waste time with the people who aren’t giving you any of their time! Make sure you are reaching out to new journalists with new pitches or new story ideas. Create more value and demonstrate your expertise to ensure they know what you bring to the table.

The Top 7 Jobs You Can Start from Home Today

The COVID crisis has seen a fast shift in the way that life happens, everything from simple daily tasks like shopping, and going out to meet friends for a drink, all the way through to how we work. Some people will be missing the bustle of the office and cannot wait to get back to their social hub; however, if you are part of the millions of Americans who have discovered a new zest for life working at home, and you don’t have any intention of ever going back to the office – this article is most definitely for you!

Why Work from Home?

Before the pandemic hit, there was a small underground movement of people who were declaring that working from home was the future for those that can and that working remotely has many health benefits over working in an office. 

The movement was always small, and most management at large companies didn’t particularly agree (despite usually having work from home benefits themselves), but as more and more pictures popped up on Instagram of millennials working from their hammocks in Bali, more and more of us began to wonder if it was really possible.

Then the pandemic hit.

Suddenly the ‘what ifs’ became the ‘happening now’. Almost overnight, any companies that could make a huge concerted effort to move their teams to work remotely. Services like Microsoft Teams and Zoom grew in popularity (and saw their profits skyrocket almost overnight), and before we knew what had happened, the world of the remote worker was suddenly the world of the average worker. Many of us have absolutely loved the change in pace.

The time not spent commuting has been spent making breakfast with the family, walking the dog, enjoying our own homes a bit more, and working on the garden. That idyllic lifestyle of working to live rather than living to work has been a huge eye-opener for most of us.

As the world begins to open up again after the coronavirus pandemic, many employers are beginning to demand their workforce back into the office, so what can you do about it, and how can you avoid it?

Work for Yourself

While there may be no way to avoid it today or even tomorrow, there is absolutely no reason why working for yourself could not be a possibility. 

In the world of the internet, working for yourself has actually never been so easy, and with that in mind, here are the top seven jobs to do from home to start your journey to financial, location, and life independence.

Virtual Assistant

As the world of work moves online, the need for virtual assistants will increase too. Virtual assistants are just like regular assistants, except they work remotely and do not work from an office at all.

Sometimes they may meet up with clients in person, and sometimes they may only have one client. Still, most virtual assistants have several clients, either big companies or small companies, and work from the luxury of their own sofa (or hammock) to organize and do the work of an ordinary assistant, just virtually.

The Virtual Assistant career path is one of the biggest career paths favored by the ‘digital nomads’ of today because it usually offers location independence (pandemic dependent) to those who make a career out of it, making it a very popular option for travelers across the world.

Amazon Seller

Becoming an Amazon seller is a really popular option these days! Amazon even makes it easy for you by giving you loads of helpful resources to get started.

If you’re interested in becoming an Amazon seller and having a really hands-off approach to work, then becoming a wholesale reseller and using the Fulfilled By Amazon option is probably the best option out there. This means you will hold no stock at your premises, and Amazon will handle the sale, any returns, and any customer service issues that may arise.

Be warned, selling on Amazon only works if you have the know-how of how to build a profitable business. It’s highly worth investing in some advice, marketing agencies such as Nuanced Media are your best bet, they understand how to take you from ideation right through to selling mastery and how to build your selling business so that it is profitable, giving you more time to be you as the money rolls in!

Graphic Designer

Are you good at art? Are you good at design? Can you turn that into digital art and digital design? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then why not consider becoming a graphic designer?

The need for graphic design is just going to increase and increase. As more and more products are crying out for that ‘something different’ for their packaging and a new social media platform seems to pop up every day, good graphic designers are in high demand.

It’s not quite as way as picking up a drawing tablet and scribbling a few designs though, it’s worth doing a few classes and doing some work for free or very low pay just to build your portfolio up, but don’t work for free forever, you’ll be doing the industry a bad turn if you do!

Copywriter

Are you a wonton wordsmith with a way with words? Can you ignite passion and inspiration just by the touch of pen to paper (or fingers to keys)? If so, copywriting could be a great option for you.

Copywriters, like graphic designers, are needed for everything from blog articles on all kinds of websites, social media posts, and other marketing needs, right up to the information paragraph on a shampoo bottle. 

Good copywriters can make a living form their sofa and their laptop if they are willing to work hard. It’s not always easy coming up with new ways to write about the same topic, but once you’ve got the hang of it copywriting could provide a nice little income source, or even a side hustle if you don’t want to do it full time.

Seamstress/Tailor

This option is a bit left field, but it is a really good option for those who are handy with a sewing machine!

Believe it or not, a love of a well-tailored suit or a nicely fitting dress is coming back, and as the world opens up again, more and more people will be looking to get out of their houses and show off their apparel at social functions. 

The skills of seamstresses or tailors seem like a dying breed, but if you can do clothing alterations and even custom pieces, it could be a very lucrative side hustle. If you could couple this with extra services, like wedding dress alterations, bridesmaids’ outfits, and more, you really could find yourself with more work than you ever realized was possible!

Animator

It seems like these days anyone can pick up a camera and call themselves a videographer. With video editing software becoming cheaper by the day and easier to use to boot, the income potential for videographers has really shrunk, but animators are a whole different story.

Animation is a huge skill in its own right, and it could take many months and years of learning to really get good at it. Still, simple animations can be learned in a few weeks of focused practice, and many companies are looking for animators to work with on a freelance basis.

Markets across the world know that video and animation content perform much better across social media than its static counterparts, and animators are in great demand. From eye-catching Instagram posts to animated YouTube videos on touch topics like science, and even creating end screens and intros for videographers and brands, being an animator is a really useful skill.

YouTube Star

Now we know what you are thinking looking at this, ‘how can anyone make money being a YouTube star?’ but the answer is: quite easily. While YouTube monetization strategies rely on 1000+ subscribers and over 4000+hrs of watch time, there are lots of ways to make money on YouTube.

If you build your channel right, follow the information and the strategy properly, making money from YouTube is simple. If you can get monetized, ad revenue is around $13 per 1000 views. Still, viewers to your channel are much more likely to buy info products, merchandise, and even membership to exclusive members-only groups if they can see and trust your face on YouTube.

All you need to get started is a thoroughly thought out plan for your niche, a smartphone, and preferably a microphone and some lights (or at least a nice big sunny window). Consistency is the key, so learn how to build your channel and start to make money off of this incredible platform.

Working for yourself is the dream for many people, but many remote working opportunities are not quite as risky, and many works for yourself jobs can be started as side hustlers.

So, what is stopping you?

6 Steps For Successfully Starting A Business From Home

Do you want to run a home-based business one day? Well, you’re not alone. 30.2 million small businesses operate in the US already and new ones are starting up all the time.

However, aspirations can only get you so far! Knowing how to start a home business is vital if you’re ever going to make your dream a reality. Want to learn more about what’s involved?

Let us help. Keep reading to discover 6 essential steps for starting a business from home.

1. Come up With the Idea

First thing’s first: you need a home business idea that’s going to make money!

Have a think about your personal skills and interests. Brainstorm a long list of potential business ideas using your attributes and passions as a starting point. From there, look for potential gaps in the market and ask yourself what problems you could solve for people.

2. Identify Your Audience

Now it’s time to figure out who your target customer will be. Of course, the macro answer to this will depend on the business idea you’ve settled upon. For instance, somebody running a hair salon from home will target people who need a hair cut!

It pays to niche down though. The narrower you go with your audience, the easier it is to distinguish your business from the competition. You’ll attract more customers as a result.

3. Assess the Competition

Research the businesses that are already serving your target audience. Consider how established they are, what they’re doing well, and what they could improve upon.

This should reveal a) how challenging it’ll be to succeed in this niche and b) how you can differentiate yourself from the crowd.

4. Identify Your USP

Having researched your competition, it’s time to figure out your unique selling proposition (USP). In other words, why should a customer buy from you instead of them?

It could be to do with pricing, quality, target audience, values, and so on.

5. Write Your Business Plan

Every fledgling business needs a business plan! This is where you write down your goals and work out how you’ll attain them.

Be as thorough as possible, including your marketing strategy and potential problems you could encounter (and how you’ll sidestep them). You should start thinking about the legal situation at this point as well. Speak with a lawyer to figure out your tax and legal obligations.

6. Setup Your Home Office

The final step is to find a place in your home from which to run the operation! Set up shop anywhere that makes the most sense in your property- be it a spare bedroom or a space in the living room.

Now’s also a good time to invest in the equipment and software you’ll need. Everything from better-quality internet and a new computer could come in handy. Choose a paystub maker, a CRM system, and anything else that’ll be essential for the business too.

Remember These Tips for Starting a Business From Home

Starting a business from home is an exciting prospect. But it isn’t easy! Knowing what you’re doing from the outset is crucial if you’re going to make a success of your idea.

We hope this post has helped in that regard. Keep these steps in mind as you embark on your home business journey and you’re sure to enjoy a simpler ride.

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