Business

Some people decide to do it as soon as an idea enters their head. Others will trial it for several months or years before finalising their decision. In truth, there’s never a “right time” to focus on your business full-time, but there are some key questions you should pose before taking the plunge.

As today’s title and introduction may have signalled, we’re now going to focus on these questions.

Do you have a well-prepared emergency fund?

In truth, emergency funds should be part of anyone’s life, but when it comes to taking bigger financial risks, the importance escalates.

As soon as you decide to go full-time, you’re giving up that guaranteed, salaried income. This is a huge step, and you need a financial safety net if things don’t go as planned.

This doesn’t mean that you’re planning to fail. Instead, you’re buying yourself time, which is crucial in that all-important first year.

Do you know your costs inside-out?

If you’re employed, your costs are probably pretty low. But, as soon as you go it alone, a lot of new ones pop up.

You need to factor in:

• The cost of your office space
• The cost of travel
• The cost of equipment
• The cost of marketing and advertising
• The cost of insuring your business
• The cost of accounting and legal fees
• The cost of staff, if you’re planning on hiring any

All of these need to be considered before you make the switch. It’s vital that you have a clear idea of your overheads so that you can budget accordingly.

It’s too easy to simplify the situation and consider the “headline costs”. Don’t go down this route. Instead, account for every eventuality.

Do you have scope to trial your idea?

We touched upon this at the start of today’s article. It’s perfectly normal to want to test the water before diving in headfirst.

This is especially important if you’re leaving a well-paid, secure job. It would be foolish to just up and quit without first trying out your business idea, although this won’t work in every industry.

For example, if you’re a freelance writer, you could start taking on small projects in your spare time before deciding to go full-time. This will give you an idea of what to expect without putting too much pressure on yourself.

However, starting a business that requires a significant amount of up-front investment (like a restaurant) might not be possible. In this case, you’ll have to take a leap of faith and rely on the other questions we’ve outlined to reach your decision.

Do you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve?

This is a crucial question and one that a lot of people fail to answer satisfactorily.

Before you go full-time, you need to have a very clear idea of your goals and objectives. This will dictate everything from your marketing strategy to how you run your day-to-day operations.

For example, are you looking to build a lifestyle business or aim for world domination? The answer to this question will have a big impact on how you approach things, from how much time you dedicate to the level of financial risk you will go towards.

 

Whether you’re starting a brand new business or looking to grow your current business from where it presently is, one thing that you need to make either of these dreams happen is money. But since most people aren’t independently wealthy to just invest their own money into their ideas, almost all businesses will have to seek out some kind of funding.

If this is the stage that your business is at, here are three ways to prepare your business for seeking funding.

Seek Out The Right Funding Options

Because so many businesses will need to get additional funding at one point or another, there are so many different options available for funding. The trick is finding the funding source that is going to work best for you and your company.

For some, getting funding based on the specific type of business you’re operating, like restaurant financing, makes the most sense. In other situations, crowdfunding might be a better option. You can also look into things like investors or finding new ways of bootstrapping. Just make sure that you check out all of the options that are available to you before you just go after the first person or institution that offers you some money. You’ll want to be sure that you get great terms and that you’ll be able to accomplish what you want with the money you’ll be getting.

Plan For Your Financial Present And Future

Once you’ve decided what kind of funding you’re wanting to go after, you’ve got to get yourself and your business financially ready for some scrutiny.

No one is going to want to give money to a business that they don’t think will prove to be successful. So to show your success, try to get your business on as firm of financial footing as you can at the present moment. In addition to this, you’ll also want to think through how you plan to use the money you’re getting and how you’ll put it to use to make your business more profitable in the future, as these will be things that all lenders or investors will want to know.

Be Ready To Answer All Kinds Of Business And Personal Questions

Along with being able to answer questions about the financial aspect of your business, you should also be prepared to answer any other questions that might get thrown your way as you seek out additional funding. In many cases, people choose to invest in you and your ideas rather than just in what your business is on paper. So the better you can sell yourself, the better off you’ll be.

If you’re needing to get some added funding in order for your business to survive and thrive, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare for this process.

 

If you’re on the hunt for a new job, knowing if a company is going to be a good fit for you before you start working there can be a real challenge. But because this aspect of employment is so important, it’s going to be worth it to put in some effort to research the company and learn as much as you can about it before you get hired and choose to start working there.

To help you in doing this, here are three ways you can see if a company will be a good fit for you before starting a new job.

Pay Attention To The Interview Process

The interview process can give you a lot of great information about how a company functions and what it would be like if you were to work for them.

If during the interview process you feel like the people interviewing you don’t really know what they’re doing, if they don’t appear to respect your time, or if the communication between yourself and the company isn’t to your liking, these could all be signs that the company wouldn’t be a good match for you. On the other hand, if you really enjoy each person you speak with during the interview process and feel like you get a good feeling about the company and its culture based off of this, there’s a good chance that you would like working at the organization now and into the future.

Check Online Company Reviews

Another way you can learn about a company before you work there yourself is to take a look at some company reviews that people have left online.

Pay particular attention to issues customers or clients have had with company culture, as this could be a signal that things aren’t going well within the company. Along with this, if you see reviews from any former employees, you may be able to get some insight into what working there would be like. Keep in mind, however, that people usually only leave reviews if they’ve had a very good or very bad experience, so take what you read with a grain of salt. But if there are complaints about it being an unsafe work environment or inadequate safety training, there are real concerns to look into.

Learn Who You’ll Be Working With

At many companies, their website or social media channels will include information about the people who work at the company. If this is available to you, take some time to learn about the people that you could potentially be working with. If you feel like you could connect with these people, that could be a good sign for you.

If you’re trying to uncover what your life would be like working for a specific company, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you gain some insights.

 

Dental search engine optimisation is the key to a successful dental practice in 2022. You need to have a strong dental SEO strategy in place to make sure that your digital marketing campaign is visible and easily accessible online so that you are attracting quality patients who are looking to take up the services that you have to offer. Good dental SEO helps google recognise that you are a credible and trustworthy website and directs prospective patients to you so that you can convince them to take up your services.

Google is the world’s busiest platform therefore it is important that your website is optimised for Google so that you can earn a high ranking on its search results pages and increase the website traffic which you can then convert into patients at your practice. Speak to a multi-award-winning digital dental marketing team who can help you put together a strong dental marketing campaign with dental SEO and convince patients to visit your dental practice rather than the other practices in your area.

The techniques and strategies necessary for SEO are changing on a continuous basis so it is a time-consuming and complicated process to make sure that your strategies are in keeping with current trends. By delegating your SEO campaign to a specialist and experienced digital dental marketing team, you can rest assured that your website is conforming to Google’s requirements and that it continues to be a success for you. You can relax and focus your time and efforts on looking after your patient’s dental needs instead.

A good dental marketing team will make sure that they begin by carrying out a website audit to find out which SEO techniques may already be implemented on your website. You can either ask your website design team to create a brand-new website that incorporates SEO techniques from the onset or you can ask them to update and enhance the existing website making sure that it is optimised for Google. There are on-page SEO techniques and off-page SEO techniques that need to be addressed for better overall SEO.

On-page SEO & off-page SEO

On-page SEO techniques are involved in the content of the website whilst off-page SEO techniques are concerned with networking and your interaction with other websites. Both are necessary for good SEO and your digital dental marketing team will be able to put specific techniques in place to make sure that your website has addressed both of these aspects.

On-page SEO is concerned with making sure that the content on your website is interesting, engaging and accessible for all. It ensures that you are providing information that patients want to learn about and that the content is fresh, updated and in keeping with current trends. Off-page SEO works by referring to other credible websites and other websites referring to you in return. There are many different techniques that can be used to ensure that you have addressed these issues and it is important that you do so on a continuous basis with the help of your digital dental marketing team so that your website remains successful and that you have a strong online presence for your dental practice.

There are many different techniques and strategies that need to be implemented to make sure that you have a successful dental website for your dental practice. Most dental practices have modern dental websites to market their treatments and procedures, so it is very important that you have a website that is fully functioning, dynamic and attractive to help you stand out from your competitors. In this era of digital technology, a dental website is key in helping to build public awareness about your dental practice and find new patients. Since most dental websites offer similar treatments and procedures, to help you maintain a website that is one step ahead of your competition, you need to speak to a digital dental marketing team that specialises in creating dental websites.

A successful homepage

There are a few key elements that are necessary for a successful dental website. Firstly, you will need a highly attractive, interesting and engaging homepage that is distinguishable from those of your competitors. This homepage needs to load instantly without any delays, and any graphics, images and videos need to be working correctly at all times. The homepage should be set out clearly with a contents section so that it is easy for patients to find what they are looking for. Your homepage will also need to include your contact information so that patients know where you are and how to get in touch. NAP data includes your name, address, telephone number and email address, and these should be clearly visible on the page. You also need to include your unique selling points to help find your target audience and attract and hold their attention, and you must aim to keep them on the homepage for as long as possible. Although this may sound like a lot of information, you should present this as clearly and concisely as possible to encourage visitors to explore the rest of your website further.

Good website design

The website itself needs to be created with the assistance of a specialist website design team. Unless you have a professional and quality dental website, it is unlikely that visitors will trust your services or be encouraged to approach you in person. A good user experience is dependent on good website design, and there are many different technical issues that need to be taken into consideration to make sure that your website is easy to use and explore.

Simple site navigation is key because if visitors are unable to find the information that they are looking for, it is likely that they will get frustrated and go back to their Google search to find out what other websites have to offer. Your website should also consist of interesting and educational content that can market your dental practice and the treatments and procedures that you have to offer. By teaching your visitors the importance of good oral hygiene and regular dental appointments, you can encourage them to book an appointment and visit you in person very soon.

In 2022, there are more reasons than ever as to why you may need to employ the services of a legal representative. But you just may not have experienced them yet!

And while most issues can be solved without legal advice or representation, there are some instances in which there is no other option and you or your family will need some specialised legal advice.

However, it is worth having a vague idea beforehand about the areas that a legal team can help you with and which areas many law firms specialise in.

So, with that in mind, why would you need to hire the services of solicitors Portsmouth?

Family and divorce

Family is the cornerstone of society and so many people will at one time or another experience an issue with legality surrounding this area.

And this may relate to divorce, legal separation, child access, division of assets in a house or company following divorce, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Many legal teams can also help with issues surrounding stepchildren and inheritance and of course, the writing of wills.

Unless you have expertise in the area of law, probate can be very tricky, so it is always advised to seek the experience of a probate solicitor.

Probate

Sadly, death is a part of life and for many, it comes with the management of a loved one’s estate.

Probate law is complicated, and at an emotional time, can be difficult to manage, which is one of the reasons why so many people hire the services of a legal firm to help them out. Many legal representatives can also help with the drawing up of wills, living wills and will also be able to assist you with issues surrounding inheritance tax and the division of assets among beneficiaries, or people named in a will.

Conveyancing

If you are buying your first home, adding to a property portfolio, or are looking to rent your first commercial property, then you will need to speak to a solicitor whose area is conveyancing.

Technically, this group of legal professionals are tasked with being able to help with the writing and signing of legal contracts surrounding properties, assist with exchanges and finishing days and will be able to conduct searches around the local area if you are buying a home.

And of course, as they can check if the price of the property you are buying is correct, these professionals can be worth their weight in gold!

Personal injury

Personal injury is a big area and if you have been injured in your workplace, in public or via the negligence of a medical professional, then you are likely to be advised to seek the advice of a solicitor who has expertise in this area.

You may even get more compensation than you think!

Power of attorney

People are living longer and, in the event that a loved one is in the early stages of a degenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, it will likely be important for their peace of mind and yours to approach a legal team to instruct a competent family member to be the power of attorney when they can no longer make decisions for themself.

Since the onset of COVID-19, more and more people are getting into the grocery industry. After all, as people are eating less and less out in restaurants, it can be a promising industry selling groceries to consumers. However, not everyone is thriving in this economic climate. In order to stand the test of the challenges, it’s important that you know some of the best tips. If you’re looking for some of the best pointers for opening a grocery store of your very own, then here are some of the best ones to know.

Do Some Research

Before you dive in and just assume that since you’ve shopped at a grocery store before you know how the industry works, think again. It’s helpful to do some research, and get to know what goes into the day-to-day operations of owning a store. From unloading large orders, to taking inventory, there are many things that have to happen on a daily or weekly basis that you might not even be aware of.

It helps if you know someone already in the industry so you can ask questions, and pick their brains for some of the challenges that might arise. You may find that once you know the realities of running a grocery store, you may be less interested in owning one.

Know Who Your Audience Is

Even though you might like to believe that you can appeal to a wide audience, the truth is that everyone has different tastes as consumers. Marketing 101 tells us that one of the first things we should do when opening any business, whether it’s a grocery store, or a gym is get to know who you’re trying to appeal to.

Know your target audience, and figure out what it takes to attract them as a customer. The more you know things like the age, sex, location and details of your ideal customer, the more you can finetune your marketing strategy to appeal to that audience.

Find The Right Location

As they say, location location location. The location of your store will have an enormous impact on the overall success of your business. Ideally, you should be in an area with a lot of foot traffic, and other retail stores. Above all, try to avoid anywhere that is close to a competing grocery store. The less competition around you, the more chances you have of winning more customers.

Focus on Quality

Your store should be full of items that are high quality and appealing to consumers. Above all, the prices should reflect the level of quality your offering to people. Overcharging for products that are cheap, and unappealing won’t keep customers coming back to your store. Stock your shelves full of fresh produce, high quality brands, and interesting prices and you’ll stay ahead of the competition.

 

If you have received a summons or a charge sheet this means that you have been accused of a crime and it is important that you speak to a criminal solicitor as soon as possible to make sure that you have professional advice and guidance from the onset to help minimise any complications and try to secure a positive outcome for yourself. If you have been placed under arrest then it is important that you stay calm and collected and ask to speak with a criminal solicitor as soon as possible to prevent implicating yourself further and also to try and achieve a positive end result for yourself as much as possible under the circumstances that you find yourself in.

How your criminal solicitor can help

To be accused of a criminal offence is a very serious situation. It can be traumatic and distressing and to help prevent yourself from falling into further difficulties you need to make sure that your criminal solicitor is with you from the very beginning, throughout the process to provide their knowledge and expertise and ease the process for you and your loved ones. It is easy to become flustered and panic and in that moment you may unknowingly implicate yourself further or act in such a way which will be later used against you.

A criminal solicitor is aware of the tactics which the authorities may use when questioning you or trying to get information from you and by making sure that you’re a criminal solicitor is present throughout the process, from when you are taken in to the police station or when you present yourself at court, you will know the right things to say, how to behave, which information to disclose and overall how to present yourself in a positive light.

A criminal offence can have a significant negative impact on all aspects of your life. It is more than likely that it will affect your education, your job or career, future career prospects, your financial situation and even your living situation. It can affect family relations and friendships as well as social reputation and all these can have a detrimental effect on your mental health and overall well-being. Your criminal solicitor will be a friendly face and the voice of reason in what cannot otherwise be a very lonely situation. You will feel like no one is able to understand what you are going through, however rest assured that your criminal solicitor has much experience in dealing with such cases. They will be able to provide their professional advice and guidance in a kind and friendly manner and will be highly respectful in sensitive situations as well as being present for every step of the process. By making sure you have a criminal solicitor from the onset you can be sure that your case will be dealt with fairly, correctly and in a timely manner to help minimise the complications that may bring to your life. Speak to a criminal solicitor immediately and help achieve a positive outcome for you and your loved ones.

If you’ve been CFD trading for some time now, you may want to consider what type of trading strategy to use to maximize your gains. One trading strategy we recommend is the Bollinger Bands Strategy.

In this article, we’ll take you through the Bollinger Bands Strategy in detail and help you understand how it can be used in CFD trading.

What are Bollinger Bands?

Bollinger Bands are a type of trading technical analysis tool. They were developed in the 1980s by American financial analyst John Bollinger to track the changes in prices in stocks during trading.

What is the purpose of using Bollinger Bands in CFD trading?

At its core, Bollinger Bands can help a trader track the volatility in prices within the financial market. When you are CFD trading, you can use Bollinger Bands to measure how much increase or decrease there may be in a specific instrument’s price compared to how it previously traded.

One of the best features of the Bollinger Bands strategy is that it is a fluid technical tool that can be used to measure price changes in a variety of market conditions. Plus, they aren’t just useful in CFD trading. In fact, the Bollinger Bands strategy can be used for any type of financial instrument.

Calculating Bollinger Bands

Bollinger Bands are calculated on the principle of standard deviation. A simple moving average constitutes the average price of a particular instrument. On either side of the average are the “bands”. On the upper limit/band is the positive standard deviation, while the lower limit/band is the negative standard deviation.

By using the Bollinger Bands technical indicator, investors are able to:

· Track sudden changes in instrument prices.

· Identify assets that have been overbought or oversold.

· Find an optimal point of entry and point of exit for the instrument of choice.

When calculating Bollinger Bands, you need to follow a three-step process, which includes:

· Calculating the central/middle simple moving average of the closing price of the instrument.

· Calculating the upper band by adding the standard deviation to the middle moving average you have calculated.

· Calculating the lower band by subtracting the standard deviation from the middle moving average you have calculated.

In terms of formulate:

Middle/central simple moving average – MA(TP,n)

Upper band – MA(TP,n)+m∗σ(TP,n)

Lower limit – MA(TP,n)−m∗σ(TP,n)

[MA=Moving average

TP (typical price) = (High price + Low price + Close price) ÷ 3

N = No. of days in smoothing period (usually 20 days)

M = No. of standard deviations (typically 2 days)

σ[TP,n] = Standard Deviation over last “n” periods of typical price ]

Advantages of the Bollinger Bands strategy in CFD trading

Bollinger Bands offer numerous benefits to traders. Some of these include:

· They allow you to monitor the volatility in prices.

· They can show the direction in which the CFD prices are heading and what the future prices may be. (However these indications are never guaranteed).

· They can help traders see which trading trends are ending and which trends are beginning. The bands also showcase signs which indicate possible investing fads that won’t last.

· They are extremely easy to use and are ideal for all levels of traders.

Disadvantages of the Bollinger Bands strategy in CFD trading

· These bands might be powerful, but they’re not set in stone and are vulnerable to uncertainties that other technical indicators are too.

· They don’t indicate changes weeks in advance and traders may not get much insight about the far future of the instrument in question.

· This technique – according to the creator John Bollinger – is not of real value as stand-alone measures. Instead, they must be used along with other technical indicators in order to provide real insights to traders.

Other indicators to use alongside Bollinger Bands

· %b Indicator

· BBTrend Indicator

· RSI Indicator

5 top Bollinger Bands strategies to use

Now that we know how Bollinger Bands are used for CFD trading, let’s take a look at a few of the strategies you can use when using Bollinger Bands:

· Bands squeezing

In this strategy, the Bollinger Bands stop moving upwards or downwards. Instead, they move towards each other in consolidation. This indicates that the price of the instrument is no longer as volatile as assumed before and it could be a good time to either buy or sell. After the consolidation, the price of the instrument can move in either direction.

· Bollinger candlestick/pinbar trading strategy

This strategy indicates that a reversal in the current prices is imminent. So, traders can plan against the current pricing. If it’s a bullish candlestick/pinbar, traders may reject the lower prices. On the flip side, if it’s a bearish candlestick/pinbar, traders may reject the higher prices.

· Double Bands Strategy

In the double bands strategy, traders don’t just rely on one Bollinger Band for information about instrument prices. Instead, they use two Bollinger Bands to track price volatility. Here, the first Bollinger Band uses two standard deviations, while the second band uses just one.

· Snap Back to the Middle of the Bands Strategy

This technique is one of the safest strategies when using Bollinger Bands. Instead of waiting for the price to swing either upwards or downwards, traders wait for the Bollinger Bands to indicate the price is closest to the Middle/Central band. This is the period of the highest stability in prices and can offer consistent returns when invested or pulled out.

· Trade Inside the Bands Strategy

This Bollinger Bands trading strategy can be used when you want to trade within a specific range. Traders can use the upper and lower bands to determine a specific range for trading and only buy or sell within that range.

All of the above strategies can help traders identify the point of resistance and support. When it comes to Bollinger Bands, resistance is seen when the trend upward is condensed and a downward reversal is in the offing. Traders may notice support when a downward price trend slows down and the demand concentrates on a point higher than the lower limit.

 

The crowdfunding industry has experienced drastic growth in the past couple of years. Businesses and startups have seen the benefits of crowdfunding and have hurriedly welcomed the idea.

In this article, we will be speaking to a crowdfunding expert who works with the biggest crowdfunding agency, Ideazon.

When did the first crowdfunding campaign happen?

A British rock band was able to fund an entire reunion tour in 1997 entirely through online contributions from their fans. The band used the same tactic to finance their subsequent studio albums after raising a total of US$60,000 via the initiative.

The band had no idea that they were pioneering a modern fundraising concept at the time. The first successful online crowdfunding effort inspired thousands of others, paving the way for millions of individuals to successfully finance their own campaigns, a process made possible by the Internet’s accessibility and eventual technical advances.

Presently, where does the crowdfunding industry stand?

The crowdfunding industry has reached its pinnacle and shows no signs of slowing down. It’s difficult to predict what fundraising will be like in a few years.

According to a report from Technavio, the crowdfunding industry would rise by USD 196.36 billion between 2021 and 2025, with a CAGR of over 15%. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry, as well as the new opportunities and threats that market players can foresee, are also discussed in the paper.

The influence will be major in the first quarter, but will eventually fade in subsequent periods, with only a minor effect on full-year economic development. The global crowdfunding industry was estimated at $13.9 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow tremendously by 2026.

As a crowdfunding expert in Ideazon, what will you say is the future of crowdfunding?

First of all, I predict that there will be a transfer of authority. Kickstarter, Indiegogo, AngelList, and LendingClub, among the most common sites, should be concerned about the latest wave of platforms.

They’re developing brand-new approaches and will quickly catch up to the industry’s leaders. Also, Crowdfunding is used to represent the interests of small businesses and individuals who wished to try their hand at entrepreneurship.

From now on we can expect more major businesses and startups to use “the crowd” to try innovative market concepts and solicit input on future new goods.

What do you think the biggest challenges will be facing crowdfunding moving forward?

As companies began collecting money from Initial Coin Offerings, crowdfunding took on a new look (ICOs). Since Mastercoin’s initial coin offering in 2013, a slew of other cryptocurrencies has followed suit. These cryptocurrencies include Ethereum, Telegram, Bancor, and a slew of others.

The potential of initial coin offerings (ICOs) has risen dramatically, especially in 2017, when projects raised massive amounts of money in a matter of seconds. I and the entire Ideazon team expect to see more of this in the future.

Do you see the number of people crowdfunding increasing?

If big organizations are looking into crowdfunding, then it is certain that the number of people, businesses, and startups that will start crowdfunding campaigns will be on the rise.