Month: June 2021

SaaS Branding

5 Subscription Services and Why They’re So Successful

These days you can get a subscription service for just about anything. But, not all of them stand the test of time or are worth the consumer’s money, and they’re quick to realize it. There are, however, many that are not only successful, but they’re also positively exploding. Let’s take a look at what they are and why they’re doing so well. 

Beauty and Grooming Subscriptions

If you’re into beauty products, you may not be into actually shopping in-store for these items. Whether you’ve been matched so off-color that you walked out looking like a clown, or you just can’t stomach the strong perfume smells of these types of stores, services like Ipsy or Birchbox are godsent. If you’re more particular about your products like you only use vegan cruelty-free – you guessed it, there’s a box for that. These types of services have even upped their game in some instances and branched out to include health & wellness, apparel, and home decor in their subscriptions like FabFitFun. With a reasonable sign-on price and often promotions for first-time subscribers, these brands’ sales are soaring. Bonus, they all make cancellation a breeze. 

Coffee and Drink Subscriptions 

Maybe you’re the type that wants the perfect pour over coffee every time. Or you need your coffee to be of a single origin. There are subscriptions for that. If you’re a wannabe wine aficionado, there are subscriptions that not only introduce you but educate you on what you’re drinking. Once you figure out your favorites, your subscriptions can be easily tailored to your interests. There are even subscriptions for single-serve bottles of wine, as the subscription Usual. You can customize your monthly shipments from as little as six bottles to as many as 24. One such subscription that’s a splurge but so worth it is the Fat Cork. At $199 a month, the party never stops with a quarterly shipment of Champagne.

Book Subscriptions

Even though a book to read the next day is just a click away nowadays, or the fact that you can read so much of what you want for free online anyway, book subscriptions not only exist, but they’re thriving. If you wish to go the route of The Book of the Month or you’re shopping for children who can’t even read yet, there are subscriptions for them. Books are an appealing subscription for so many people because it does the filtering for you. You tell these subscriptions what interests you and what doesn’t, then voila! You get arrivals that keep you well-read, have things to contribute conversationally, and it’s all worry-free—saving you even more time to curl up with a good book. 

Toy & Game Subscriptions

Maybe you picked up a puzzle addiction during a lockdown or perhaps you just want to make sure your children are getting more time away from their screens, especially since they’ve been schooling virtually all year. Either way, there are subscriptions for those too. The best part is, like most things nowadays, they’re so easy to customize. You can control if the child’s subscription will be more Montessori style or if you want them building things from kits. As far as your more adult toys, you can customize that too. And if you’re looking for a subscription to actual “adult” toys from an adult toy store, those exist too. These are successful for a myriad of reasons, the least of which isn’t the fact that even though we’re all constantly connected to technology, it feels rewarded to be offline and just enjoy games as we did in our youth.

Food Subscriptions

Everyone’s a foodie these days, am I right? Seriously, joking aside – what’s the one thing that brings us all together? The love of food! Not only do food subscriptions make a fabulous gift for nearly every adult in your life, but they’re an excellent present for yourself as well. You can literally get any type of food subscription too. Whether you’re shopping for someone who eats Whole Foods Plant-Based to a straight-up monthly cheese box for yourself (no judgment here), they exist. This market exploded and will continue to do so because, let’s face it, we all need it, and the more options, the better. Having it delivered straight to your door? The best.

Legal Branding

How to List Products on Amazon Without a GTIN or UPC?

A Global Trade Identification Number is required for any products sold on Amazon (GTIN). You must apply for a GTIN Exemption if your product does not have one. But don’t worry; it’s not as challenging as it appears. If your product does not have a UPC, EAN, ISBN, or UPC code, you must apply for a GTIN exemption under a specified product category. Let’s have a look at what a GTIN Exemption is. Also, visit olifantdigital.com to get more information or professional Amazon help.

What is GTIN?

A Global Trade Identification Number (GTIN), commonly known as Product ID, is a unique number assigned to each product sold on Amazon, as previously stated. This can be found as a barcode label on a product’s packaging. The GTIN, or Global Trade Item Number, is a unique string of numbers that identifies particular products beneath the barcode but is not the barcode itself.

 

Types of GTINs 

UPC: A Universal Product Code, also known as GTIN-12, is a unique 12-digit numerical product identifier under a barcode that is most commonly used in the United States and Canada. These can be found on almost all tangible things in retailers. As a result, it is the most widely used barcode type on the planet.

EAN: A European Article Number (EAN) is a unique identifier for products sold in the European marketplace. The EAN, commonly known as GTIN-13, is a barcodeThe EAN, also known as GTIN-13, is a 13-digit numerical product identifier that appears under a barcode.

JAN: A Japanese Article Number is similar to an EAN in that it is only used for products sold in Japan’s marketplace.

ISBN: ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and it is a unique identifier for books. There are 10 or 13 digits in an International Standard Book Number. The number was chosen by the date of publication.

GTIN-14: It relates to the container codes.

 

UPCs and Barcodes

While UPCs are the most prevalent sort of GTIN used for Amazon.com sales, they are not required for every product sold. However, it is contingent on elements such as the brand and category in which you wish to sell. If you sell a private-label or handmade product, you may be qualified for a GTIN exemption. This exception would mean that the product would not require a UPC for listing on amazon.

All listed products must have a GS1 (Global Standards 1) registered barcode if they do not have a GTIN exemption. GS1 is a non-profit organization that creates and maintains international business communication standards. The only legitimate way to purchase a UPC for use on Amazon is through GS1. When using FBA, your product packaging must have an associated UPC number, an Amazon barcode, or an FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit). This FNSKU is an Amazon-specific code that keeps track of your inventory. You can also check the amazon PPC guide to have complete insight into the significant information.

 

GTIN Exemption

There is already a list of brands that require a GTIN to be listed on Amazon.com. GTIN exemptions are not available for these brands since they utilize a GS1 authorized barcode on their products. If a product does not have a GTIN and fits within one of these brands, it will be “suppressed.” You can apply for a GTIN exemption if you meet the following criteria:

  • You want to sell products for which the brand, maker, or publisher does not issue a GTIN.
  • You are the maker, brand, or publisher of a product that you want to sell but don’t have barcodes for.
  • You wish to sell product parts that don’t have a GTIN, such as automobile parts or product accessories.
  • You want to sell a bundled pack that contains multiple products.

 

Requesting a GTIN Exemption

To be eligible for an exemption, you must meet certain criteria. It’s a lot easier to register a GS1 account and receive barcodes here than it is to claim you need a GTIN exemption. Obtaining GTINs is the simplest solution in the long run. Check to see if your product is listed in Amazon’s massive catalog to discover whether you qualify for a GTIN exemption. Even if the same product is sold by numerous sellers or companies, it’s common for everything to be linked to a single listing. The barcode is what makes this relationship possible. Your products don’t appear in Amazon’s catalog and/or you don’t have barcodes, thus you’re exempt.

If an existing product matches yours, your offer can be added on the detail page of that product without the need for a GTIN. The product should appear in the manage inventory area on the “Seller Dashboard” within a few minutes. If your product doesn’t match, you’ll need to apply for a GTIN exemption before it can be added. You’ll need the following if you’re a brand owner, manufacturer, or publisher: The product’s name and 2-9 photos of the product against a white backdrop, taken from two different angles, including the product’s box.

 

Guidelines

  1. The brand name supplied on the application must match the brand name on the goods and/or packaging exactly.
  2. Images of the item and packaging must be taken in the actual world. When photographing the product, they must show it being held in hand or placed on a table.
  3. The product branding must be affixed to the container or the product itself in a permanent manner.
  4. There should be no certified GS1 barcode anywhere on the goods and/or packaging, as this would eliminate the need for GTIN Exemption.
  5. You can always re-apply if you mistakenly used the wrong brand name or category when applying for the GTIN exemption.
  6. Listing under a new brand or in a new category necessitates the submission of a new application each time. . In a single application, you can request GTIN exemption for up to 10 different brand names/category combinations.

 

Resellers’ Requirements

If you’re reselling products, you’ll need a letter from the brand’s owner written in the local language of the market and contains the following information: Name and contact information of the addresser or writer of the letter

  • Your address, phone number, and email or website address
  • Reasonable reasons why the product requires a GTIN exemption After that, go to Seller Central and click the following link — Request a GTIN exemption.
  • Select “Select” and search for a category that applies to your goods.
  • Then, “verify your eligibility.” If it comes back as “ineligible,” a GTIN will be required.
  • “Check for eligibility” is the next step. If it comes back as “ineligible,” a GTIN will be required. If not, click “Continue.”
  • Amazon may take at least 48 hours to react. You may check the status of this in Amazon Seller Central’s ‘Case Log’ area.
Legal BrandingLocal BrandingPersonal Branding

Experts Discuss Small Productivity Tips for That Bring Big Benefits

In everyday work, there are a lot of challenges and sometimes even obstacles that prevent us to stay in focus all the time. It doesn’t matter if you are an entrepreneur, manager, assistant, junior or on any else position, it is important not to lose the thread. Here you will find many useful advice on how to save your time and energy, and at the same time to make the highest productivity.

Productivity in a Nut Shell.

Our partners from Managementguru suggests “Productivity in a Nut Shell”.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Productivity can’t be better explained. Productivity is the result of a commitment to excellence, smart planning and focused effort. Remember – Effective people are preferred to, rather than efficient people as the former does the right thing and the latter does things right. Procrastination is like a credit card. It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action. Managementguru is the number one source for all things business. They’re dedicated to giving you the very best of information, with a focus on social media marketing and strategy.

Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team.

Our partner Sherene Funk from Rain Retail suggests to “Be more realistic about what you can deliver as a team”.

We recently had a goal-setting session in which we determined that, in order to be more productive, we needed to be more realistic about what we can deliver as a team. It’s always best to under promise and over deliver. Realistic goals prevent overwhelm, increase motivation, and heighten the sense of achievement when projects are completed on time, or before.

Focus on time increments and small wins – Imed Bouchrika, project leader and chief data scientist at the academic research portal Research.com.

It’s easy to lose productivity when confronted with multiple tasks. Doing them all at the same will likely end up in you pouring in lots of initial work across a field of open-ended tasks at the day’s end. In short, you accomplish nothing.

Instead, focus on finishing one task at a time across increments of short periods. You can follow the Pomodoro Technique here, where you break work into 25-minute periods. Or devise your own increments. For example, divide an hour into two 30-minutes or four 15-minutes and allot a period for each task. 

The time increments allow you to tune out of the paralyzing thought of needing to finish a lot of work NOW and instead focus on a small win, something you can easily take a good shot at. Achieving small wins will add up to wrapping up the big task sooner than later.

There is a postscript benefit to increments and small wins: It helps you squeeze out more outputs past your highest productivity level in a day. After all, it’s not that difficult to add just… one… more… 15-minute task even in your last hour of work.

 

Productivity is doing more with the tools and making sure the outcome meets standard of quality.

Our partner Andrea Curry from Zenefits says that “Productivity is doing more with the tools”.

There’s a lot of buzz words that are thrown around when talking about productivity. How many Medium blog posts or LinkedIn articles have you seen about “super-charging” our workday, “hacking our way” through a project, or “tips and tricks” to increase output with minimal input? For me, productivity is doing more with the tools I have and making sure the outcome meets my standard of quality. Honing productive habits help get this done. Step one is to get organized (and that doesn’t mean having an inbox with zero unread messages, though that helps!). Projects can get messy, so be sure that you use a system that helps you keep control and look at the big picture. I love using the online tool Asana for this reason. It helps with capturing my thoughts, outlining workflow, and I can easily update deliverables and due dates. The next thing to understand is that distractions will constantly come up. It takes a lot of self-discipline not to be pulled in different directions. It’s helpful to have an understanding of what is your “north star” — aka your purpose or big picture goal. If people or other projects pop up, ask yourself if this helps you achieve your goal, or if it will derail you. Finally, remember not to burn yourself out. You won’t be productive if you’re running low on fuel. Incorporate the things that help feed your creativity and bring you joy — whether it’s exercising, spending time with family, or taking a walk outside.

Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round

Our partner Dr. Anthony Llewellyn from AdvanceMed suggest to “Take Charge Of Your Email Not The Other Way Round”

Dr. Anthony Llewellyn is a successful online doctor coach. He writes about the importance of getting in control of your email.
With so many points of contact into your business, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed at times. But whilst email is now considered by many as “low tech”, the “email list” still remains one of your greatest assets. So it’s important to be able to dedicate time to your email management. But that doesn’t mean it needs to always take away your focus.
One great tip I developed sometime ago came out from a bit of frustration. You see I was getting a bit sick and tired of being included as a “CC” into a whole lot of company wide and team email discussions. It often felt like I was being included either on a “just thought you should know” basis or even at times because the email sender didn’t trust the recipient and wanted some witnesses!!
So I went through my email inbox and saw how many emails I was getting on a CC basis. And I thought to myself. Would it be that different if I just chose to ignore these emails? So I set up a bit of an experiment. I set up an email rule to divert these CC emails into another folder before I could even notice them. Strangely enough, the sky didn’t fall in and the world kept rotating. I blissfully forgot about the presence of this folder for a few weeks and then I remembered it.
So I went back in and checked all these emails and to my great satisfaction, I realized that all the issues in these emails had either been inconsequential to me or dealt with in other ways, i.e. someone had come to speak to me about the issue or emailed me directly.
I’ve since used a variety of rules with emails to cut through and focus on what is important.

Recognize Your Strengths

Our partner Lori McKnight from CSI Stars suggests to “Recognize Your Strengths”.

Most people are much more productive when working on things that utilize their strengths. Identify what you excel in and focus the majority of your time on those activities. If you are in the right job, these things will be what most moves the needle and delivers results. The same goes for your team. Spend time getting to know each of your employee’s strengths. It is far more productive to leverage your peoples’ strengths than fix their weaknesses.

Identifying your employee’s strengths and recognizing their contributions will drive higher employee engagement. This, in turn, will boost your own productivity as you spend less time interviewing and re-training. Consider these stats:

Organizations that excel in employee recognition have 12x better business results
High-recognition organizations have 31% less voluntary turnover

Who knows…maybe a team members’ strengths will even complement a weakness of yours!

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

Our partner Scott from Structural says that “An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners”

An organization that doesn’t trust its employees to manage their workload while being able to connect with others as needed will quickly find itself with “doers” and not “learners” which is an organizational death sentence in a world where the half-life of skills is so short.

Avoid getting caught up in the work of others

Our partner Clayton Kaufman from My Employees suggests “Avoid getting caught up in the work of others”.

“When you truly believe your work improves the lives of others, the difference you make becomes the anchor of your passion. Make the connection between the work you do and how that work makes life better for others. The decision to become a positive difference-maker for others contributes to a deep sense of purpose, fulfillment, and productivity”.

Plan your days in advance

Our partner Kelvin Mokaya from Fuzu suggests “Plan your days in advance”.

Knowing what you need to accomplish during a particular week will enable you to plan for the week. List all the tasks you’ll need to do in order of the urgency they need to be done and the amount of time it would take to complete each. This will make it easier for you to plan your calendar for the week while prioritizing the work that matters most.

Prioritize actions that will make tomorrow easier

Our partner, Fiona Adler from HR Partner, explains that prioritization is one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of productivity. Taking the time to proactively decide which tasks are most important will put you streaks ahead. One key to this is acknowledging that you can’t actually do everything – you will always have more ideas and things coming at you than can possibly be done. Once you really understand this, the significance of prioritization is obvious – if you don’t do this, you’ll never get to those most important tasks. 

But prioritization is hard, so one thing to remember when putting your tasks in order of priority is to emphasize those tasks that will make your tomorrow a bit smoother and easier. So prioritize things like; choosing a new HR system, posting a job ad for a new accounts manager, setting up a new process, or deciding on a strategic direction.

Invent your personal workflows that work best for you

Our partner Baiju NT from RoboticsBiz says it is vital to create personal workflows to efficiently manage your time and increase productivity. Productivity isn’t just all about checking boxes off your to-do list. It is about making sure you’re getting the right things done in the right timeframe, successfully and effectively. Creating a workflow enables you to train your brain and systematically get into an efficient cycle of executing tasks from the morning till the end of your day. Start the day with easy, regular, and repeatable tasks first, and then you will have more uninterrupted time blocks to accomplish larger time-demanding tasks in a day. Millions of people use productivity tools like Trello to get into personal workflows and achieve more every second.

 


Infographic provided by Food For Thought

Create a branded blog
Digital Branding

Best Ways to Promote your Apps

Mobile app creation opens new ways for getting customers to recognize your brand. The app is the perfect way to show how dedicated you are towards the audience. Around 50 percent of customers use the app to make purchase decisions and scan for information.

That said, thousands of customers will be attracted to your business when you start taking care of them and give them a navigable way to get access to your goods and services. Mobile app marketing for getting more customers is very important.

Businesses approach mobile app development companies and after that they start finding the best ways for app marketing. So if you’re looking for a simple approach to promote the app, it’s worth considering certain strategies.

Explore the Ways to Promote Your Mobile App

· Choose the Right App Store

How to Market Your Mobile App – the Choice of the right App Store helps. Let us give you a broad notion. When you are considering the promotional strategy, always choose the store to list your app that will be a perfect one for the business and the market you want to target. Always make sure about adding the app to the different App Stores.

To get a sooner response on behalf of the users, start with the Google Play and Apple store. The distribution through the App Store is around $90 per month, while Google Play charges around $25 for the registration fee, and there is 30 percent associated with the list price. Besides, before you invest in picking up the App Store, consider the regions you want to cover.

· Rates and Reviews

High reviews and rates from the users ensure helping the app to draw the attention of the customers. Always ask the audience to rate the app. Also, request them to spend a few minutes writing a short review of the service they have got from your app. Add value like unlocking the new content or the virtual life.

More than 50 percent of organizations choose to redirect their investments to customer experience innovations that can give an unstoppable way to broaden your brand. Make sure about increasing the chances of getting the quality of feedback. You can also get the scope for the ranking in the App Store with the utilization of the right keywords.

· Use of Social Media Marketing

One of the most vital strategies that you need to consider is social media marketing. It can make sure about drawing the attention of the interested users. Conversion of the visitors to the customers also becomes easy by considering social media marketing. You can entertain the subscribers with useful content, thematic Infographics, and hot topics.

Make sure about never spoiling everything just by mindless copy-pasting. Rather make the social media marketing of your app great enough for catching the attention of the users. Besides, make sure about getting the feedback in time while bringing in the important updates.

· Designing the App Appropriately

Whenever it comes to promoting the app before releasing it, you will have to design the website appropriately. Highlight the main news regarding your app, the key features you’re of contents, as well as capabilities.

Pay attention to designing the app and upgrading it to match the present market standards while making it quite navigable. When you have built your mobile app, ensure attracting the people to the website while running the ad campaign with the assistance of the advertising company.

Pay attention to offering the users additional value like the personal discount. You can do so in return for the subscription to the app. The email base also becomes an additional channel that can develop the interaction with the customers. However, in the entire strategy, never consider spamming as a way to market your app.

· Connection with Professional Bloggers

The app marketing strategy starts before the app is launched. So you will have to build an international audience who will be there to serve as the face and the voice. Go ahead with marketing the app both locally and globally right after the app launch.

For that, you don’t have to consider building a bond with high-budget influencers. Rather, you can promote the mobile app by interacting with professional bloggers. You can also consider the app listing websites that can give you reviews and help generate subscribers with massive downloads.

The alternate method you can choose is reaching out to the top websites and social media personalities. Such a strategy can make sure about generating the app’s awareness with pace. One of the best ways to promote the app is to stick to engaging directly with the customers.

· Use of Email Marketing

Use of Communities, text messages, social media or interviews, video promotion, and similar other strategies can engage your consumers. However, one of the best and the classical ways to promote the app is email marketing.

Email marketing can still prove to be one of the best ways to promote the app internationally. It’s worth noting that mobile email opens have noticed an increase of 180 percent in the last three years.

All you have to do is openly broadcast the features, user ratings, reviews, benefits that your app will offer the users over similar competitive apps. Besides, you should also consider the selling point for relating every global scenario to the app: the best headlines, small and catchy titles, taglines, and subject lines. Then make sure to send out a clear picture of your app. Ensure sending out the bulk mails internationally to make sure about giving you more downloads in lesser time.

· Featuring App using your own Blog

A mobile user spends 2 hours and 51 minutes on the apps from his entire browsing time. This value suggests that the apps account for roughly 90 percent of smartphone usage. So, it’s clear how engaging the apps can increase your brand’s value. In addition to including the app on the website, you will have to regularly schedule the blog post in terms of another marketing strategy that can leverage your app’s presence.

You can also introduce the complete story regarding the app and let your target audience learn its purpose. The story-telling strategy works as one of the best ideas to promote your mobile app. Let them know how the app can be used while making things easier for them. You can include screenshots, videos to make it an engaging and better understanding of the content.

· Promotion with the Help of the Promo Video

There are around 2.87 million apps in the Google Play Store alongside 1.96 million apps in the App Store. You can create a promo video that will be good enough to promote the mobile app. It turns out to be the simplest and quickest way for someone who wants to understand the brand. Note that 21 percent of Millennials open an app 50+ times per day.

This value shows how important the promo video is for the promotion of your brand. The promo video turns out to be the best idea by which you can entice the visitors towards your brand. You can make the video quite attractive when compared to the other app promo videos.

This tip is something that can bring more views. With one of the most effective ways to promote your app, you can rest assured that you can take advantage of the video SEO. The proper title of the video will highlight your brand when the user’s query and the YouTube video title match.

Key Takeaways

So, with this blog, you have got the highlights regarding marketing your mobile app. It’s worth noting that user spending time on app stores will be increasing by 92 percent in 2022. Creating an exceptional app is important for increasing the sphere of the business while also reaching out to new customers.

There are dozens of app promotion channels, but not all of them work appropriately for promoting your app. Do follow the tailored ecosystem with a specific range of app promotion strategies as mentioned above. In the process, also consider the tools, services, and platforms. Give priority to building a strong app promotional and marketing strategy.

Legal Branding

Exactly How to Create Custom Badges Online

Are you planning to host a school event or business meeting?  You can create custom badges for your school with a school photo, for your business with your company logo and tagline, and personal photos for social events.  With https://www.makebadges.com.au/, you can create badges with just a click of a button. You can follow these steps to make custom badges online.

Step 1: Choose a Badge Design Template

The first thing is to go to “badge design defaults” and choose the shape you want to use. It is necessary to select a shape that resembles your logo. Additionally, find a design template that speaks about the theme and mood of the occasion.

Step 2: Add Text

Add text to describe the theme of the context behind the badge. Be it for membership, award-winning, academic achievement, or employee appreciation.

Step 3: Choose your Font

Badges are displayed in various sizes, so you should pick an easy-to-read, clear font to pass the message quickly. Select a font that properly represents the occasion. It may be for completing a training course, membership, or any other event.

Step 4: Match Logo and Color

To keep the logo attractive and straightforward, you need to add your logo and color themes that match your brand. Go to the “Elements” tab to color to reflect your brand image. Besides, you can use the color wheel tool to re-color an icon to bring the right hue. You can also use a specific hexode to get your brand colors that are right for the badge.

Step 5: Upload your Photos and Background

If you want the badge to have a photo, you can easily add it to your card design—no need to taking photos and resizing them to paste on the badge. You only need to upload an image from any JPG, SVG, or PNG file from your computer. You only need to drag and drop the image to where you want it to be on the badge.

With the help of the upload feature, you can add your background to your design. It will make your badge reflect your brand.

Step 6: Download and Print

Once you are done with customizing, download, and save your badge as a PDF, JPG, and PNG, you can also make high-quality prints with Canva Print. It allows you to open and edit the project in the future when you need to.

Tips for Choosing Custom Badges Online

Here are some tips that you should consider when selecting a custom badge online:

  • Size

One crucial factor to consider when choosing a custom badge is size. You should decide the badge to consider depending on the information it should contain. Ensure the badge size is not that tiny to be recognized and too big to look absurd.

  • Appropriate Font Size

Most people tend to create custom badges with small font sizes. This tends to prevent people from talking and hindering efficient networking. Ensure you get a custom badge with a font size that meets your needs. It should also hold lengthy names.

  • Great Background

Using the wrong background makes the badge ineffective as it makes the text unreadable. Avoid backgrounds with multiple colors or patterns because they cause distractions. Also, choose contrasting colors that bring out the intended purpose.

Conclusion

Badges make people stand out from a crowd and mark achievements. With makebadges.com.au/, you can create fantastic badges to share and download in minutes.

YouTube marketing
Digital Branding

Capital Gains Tax: How To Proceed With Home Sale

So you want to sell your property. But are you aware of all the tax liabilities related to real estate? There are numerous tax considerations for the people who own a house. One of them is capital gains.

What is Capital Gain?

The increase in the value of an asset is known as capital gain. Typically, the gains in the capital value are taxable. However, the tax rates may vary, depending upon the income and tax filing status of the taxpayer.

For real estate, taxes are calculated afresh for each fiscal year, and are usually paid throughout the life cycle of the property. Or, at least, till the time it is sold to a new owner.

 

Let us elaborate on how the tax works in case of a home sale.

 

The tax rate in capital gains – The tax rates for capital gains in real estate usually depend on two factors – first, the class of capital gain, and second the income and filing status.

The class of capital gains is defined by the type of asset and the term of the gains. In general, a property that is owned for less than a year would bring in short-term capital gains. Whereas, anything more than a year is usually known as long-term capital gain. That being said, the tax rates for short term capital gains are lower as compared to long term capital gains.

Many long-term gains are taxable at the rates of up to 20%, but there are instances where higher rates can also apply. These assets include collectibles like coins, antiques (28%), or unrecaptured gain under section 1250 for real property (25%).

Now, would you like to know ways to reduce the tax liability on these long-term profits? Keep reading.

Selling a primary residence – The primary residence is the property in which you live for at least 2 years. It need not be consecutive for two years. Additionally, it is not necessary that you own your home. For instance, if you live in your house for two years and own it for three years, it will be called a primary residence. In such cases, you might not need to pay the tax when you sell your property. Also, if you have recently claimed an exemption in the period of the last two years, you can’t claim another one. Meeting these criteria helps in excluding the tax when you sell your home. As per this blog https://bogartwealth.com/what-is-unearned-income/ you can always talk to the experts about managing this aspect of the unearned income. This may serve you as the source of income in addition to the earned income.

Selling an investment property – If you own an investment property that is not exempted from the capital tax, sell your house strategically. Keep a check on how much money you have earned. In this way, you can be sure of what is the best time to sell it. For instance – You and your partner earn 90,000 US dollars every year. One of you stops working, and this income reduces to 70,000 US dollars. Ideally, it is the best time to sell your property as it puts you in the 0% bracket. It puts an end to your liability, presuming that your home is eligible for long-term capital gains tax policy.

 

Takeaway

The amount of tax depends upon your income and suitable deductions. One such consideration is the capital gain tax that you can have in the homeownership. Do not forget that the financial condition of every individual is different. So never hesitate to speak with the licensed financial advisor before finalizing any financial decision.

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Branding

Business Intelligence: How does it help to optimize decisions and performance?

Business Intelligence is the set of techniques, methodologies, or processes of a company that uses data to facilitate a series of decisions.

The value that all the processes that comprise business intelligence bring can make the difference between good decision-making and not. Through a series of internal processes, BI analyzes the data and metrics of the company and forms a set of strategies, which allow for optimizing its operation.

We can use it to detect areas for improvement or increase the performance of specific departments. Relevant data is all related to production, for example, but also an external press release. Therefore, given the amount of information handled in a business, the directive can rely on data management tools.

Application Of Business Intelligence In Decision Making

Once we are clear about how Business Intelligence works, we need to know some of its benefits and how they influence decision-making. You will find BI tools supporting multiple databases like Postgres, MySQL, Planetscale, BigQuery, Redshift, etc. You also have to decide which tool can be helpful for your business. Metabase has gained popularity in recent years, but you should check for some metabase alternatives; maybe you can find something more efficient. Choosing the right BI tool is of utmost importance, so make sure to do your research before investing in any. Understand the needs of your business, what kind of data you will be collecting and analyzing, and choose your BI tool accordingly.

It Allows Us To Get To Know Our Client Better

A BI tool should analyze the consumption habits of our customers, their way of buying, sales channels, etc. Even age, demographics, etc. It also helps in managing the team better; it also helps in creating marketing strategies. This will allow us to make strategic decisions in this regard.

Sales Planning

Other relevant data to optimize business performance are those related to sales figures. By handling all the data associated with this field, we will find out which line of our business works best. And we can focus on enhancing it and taking advantage of it: Offer discounts, increase investment in marketing, see what new product starts to work better, etc.

Control Of Results

Just as it is easy to analyze sales, it is straightforward to compare with the objectives set in the previous strategic planning process. Observing the actual results against the markers, we will discover potential deviations. This will allow us to correct them for future projects. In the long term, we will achieve optimal financial and product returns.

Each Department Will Have Its Benefits

For example, in human resources, they will observe which workers are performing the most. In finance, which processes carry more costs. In marketing, which advertising campaigns get the best results. And they will all be connected.

Conclusion

Thus, thanks to Business Intelligence, we can observe what is happening in our company at all times. You will see exactly where your company is, and you will be able to compare it with the actions of the competition. It helps to analyze the data they offer us, interpret it correctly, and predict what will happen in the future. In the end, it helps in making sound decisions that improve business performance.

Digital Branding

Actionable Ideas For Omnichannel Branding On A Budget

Omnichannel branding has always been the cornerstone of business success, and it becomes all the more crucial amid the pandemic. It comes as no surprise that even startups and small businesses are willing to go the extra mile with an investment in omnichannel strategies. It makes your brand visible across the entire channels, so there is hardly a chance of missing out on customers.

Building a presence across physical and online channels like the web, mobile, and social media can take a lot of effort and investment for a business. But you need not worry about cash constraints as you can achieve omnichannel branding even on a shoestring budget. Here are some actionable ideas that work.

Know your customers

Whether you plan to start from scratch or only want to extend the existing branding strategy, a good understanding of your customers gives you the right start. Consumer preferences change often, so it makes sense to track them at all times. Knowing the buying channels they prioritize enables you to be selective about the initiative. For example, you may start with social media promotions if they are active on this online platform. Building a web and mobile presence can wait for later.

Leverage quality content

Creating quality content is the most effective way to push your business across all customer engagement platforms. The best thing is that you can do it yourself, as long as you are creative and passionate about your brand. Hiring a professional is worthwhile if you can stretch the budget a bit. Quality content entices your customers everywhere and gives them a reason to try your offering. It builds trust and credibility for your business and serves as a sustainable asset.

Outsource software development

Another area where you will expect to save money is software development. Outsourcing rather than developing in-house is a smart approach. Technology services are relatively affordable in countries like Argentina, where you can find talented professionals. You will expect to develop a mobile app on the cheap if you want to add mobile branding to your omnichannel strategy. Consider outsourcing services for Software Development Argentina because you can secure top talent without spending a fortune. Find developers with expertise in mobile apps and onboard a team to kick start your mobile branding initiative.

Ensure consistency

You may have the best-looking website and mobile apps, and the most incredible offline campaigns to popularize your brand. But don’t expect things to work when they lack consistency. Make sure that the look and feel, messaging, and everything else you showcase, are consistent across all channels. Customers should be able to recognize your brand everywhere and connect with it. Consistency breeds trust and ensures that buyers stay with your brand for the long haul. You can create a consistent presence across all channels without spending a lot. Just stick to your vision and replicate it in all the campaigns.

Creating an omnichannel reach for your brand sounds like a daunting and expensive task. But it is easier than you imagine, and you can do it without a massive expense. Just follow these branding rules, and you are good to go!

SaaS Branding

Content Writing: Are You Ready To Grow Your Business?

Is content writing something that can help your business grow? Are you considering writing blog posts, guides, and magazine articles? 

If you’re thinking about using content writing to grow your business, start with the end in mind. 

You’ll want to focus on the best places to publish, connect with your target audience, provide valuable insights, and be ready to adapt, adjust and pivot.  

Get Seen

Even with the best content, you’ll need to find the best places to publish. You can write for authority sites with guest posts – and link these back to your website.

You can publish articles for Medium, the popular publishing platform funded by The Chernin Group (TCG). Medium has transformed how small businesses get noticed because of one simple reason: they receive heavy traffic. Medium has between 85 and 100 million monthly active users. With this massive audience it’s easy to see that you’ll get a lot of visibility. 

If you want to publish great content – do it where you’ll get the most visibility.

Connect With Your Target Audience

Do you have the right publicity and media plan to connect with your target audience? Do you have your finger on the pulse of what they care most about? 

Are they senior women, searching for tips on healthy living? Are they gadget lovers, looking for the latest cool gadget they don’t want to live without? Are they avid travelers, in search of the next awesome spot on the globe that hasn’t been found out by their neighbors?

When you know who your target audience really is, you’ll also need to understand what they are passionate about. This may come from your own experience – for instance, if you are a senior woman, gadget lover, or digital nomad. Or, it may come from a deep dive into customer data. 

Perhaps you have a quiz or survey to help you deepen your understanding of what your target audience truly needs. 

Of course, the better you know your audience, the closer you can come to providing them with exactly the content they are seeking. When you do this, they’ll search out your posts, read your Medium articles, follow your tweets, and ultimately buy what you’re offering.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Give Valuable Insights

Content writing is all about value. It’s not just what you consider ‘valuable’ that counts. It’s what your audience is looking for, needing, and wanting.

There are always long discussions about value in boardrooms, think tanks, and business meetings. It’s the kind of conversation that usually gets heated, with strong opinions from every expert. However, the only true value is what the target audience wants.

It’s not, as the scientific expert is pushing: more data. It’s not, as the finance authority insists: more numbers. It’s not, as you might believe, more of what matters to you.

While these elements may be significant for your audience, there is only one true answer on value. It’s what your target audience is craving. 

This may fall into two buckets: hopes and fears. Some businesses market, write about and sell hope. They often are painting pictures of the dream life, the ideal solution, and the ultimate luxury you can’t live without. 

Other businesses market, write about, and sell fear. They often are highlighting potential problems, looming threats, and how to promote safety and security. They may be selling solutions for problems you’ve not even visualized – until you read their copy.

Either way, connect with your audience. Find out what they are seeking. Orient your writing to reflect their priorities. Consider content, digital advertising, print advertising, and the best ways to reach your tribe. 

Iterate, Iterate, Iterate

In product design as well as in content marketing, there is a single slogan to remember. It is: “iterate, iterate, iterate.”

While you might dream of waving a magic wand and getting everything perfect the first time, this is not realistic. You will try out one style, and wait for feedback. You’ll explore one type of content, and analyze results. 

When you get feedback, listen. This doesn’t mean that just because your next-door neighbor has an opinion, you’ll shift your entire strategy. Not at all. Listen to the feedback from your target audience. Your neighbor may just be having a quirky day. 

In summary, content marketing is a powerful way to share your insights, get your company known, connect with your target audience—and grow your business. It may take some experimenting in placement, topic, tone, and content – but you will see definite results. 

Uncategorized

Team Building Activities Your Employees Will Love

Having a strong and great relationship with coworkers is important if you wish to be more productive and achieve great results at work. Lots of employers out there like to organize team-building events to make sure their employees are actively working on creating a safe and healthy work environment and cultivating great interpersonal relationships. It’s not always easy to think about the perfect activity and trying to include everyone can sometimes turn out to be rather hard. That’s why some events are better than the others, and these truly are the perfect way to encourage your employees to have some fun while getting to know each other and working on creating the best bonds possible.

Pub trivia

This is something that can be organized in just a few minutes and carried out somewhere outside the office space – in a real pub, if possible! Also, this is an activity all your employees can enjoy, but also let the people from management have some fun at the same time as well. The main benefit of pub trivia games is not to show how smart an individual is, but to let the whole team work together in finding the right answers. Pubs are usually the places where people relax and have a good time, so it’s only natural to let your employees enjoy a fun night out in one of these. Let them organize the game and split up into several different groups on their own, and make sure you encourage them to be in a team with someone they don’t know that well – because that’s the point of pub trivia and team building activities in general.

Escape room

This idea has become really popular in the last couple of years and it allows people to work together and solve a problem that usually seems impossible to solve at first. It allows them to show their strength and knowledge, but also face their fears. Whether your team consists of people that have just started working together or coworkers that have known each other for years, being in this kind of situation will benefit their relationship whatsoever. They will learn how to communicate on a completely new level and figure out how to maximize everyone’s strength while solving the puzzle. They will also need to learn how to trust each other, and that’s something that will turn them into a better team in the future.

Camping in nature

Although this may not seem like an activity many employees would choose, more and more companies are starting to see the benefits of organizing a camping activity in the open This can be a good way to achieve a couple of things – from letting your employees build trust in their coworkers, to inspiring them to face their fears and realize their true strength. But, don’t forget to bring all the necessary equipment and gear with you, including stuff like tents, food and water, supplies, quality Tekto Gear knives, and a first aid kit. After an adventure like this one, everyone will be waiting for the next one and will already know what to expect!

Scavenger hunt

Being able to do something fun with your colleagues is always a great way to spend your time and work on building relationships that will last. Not only can this game be played in teams, which will help you learn how to communicate with other members of your squad, but you can also practice working on yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. Divide everyone into teams, but try to come up with teams consisting of people who don’t work or spend time together. This will allow everyone to learn something interesting about their colleagues and the result will be beneficial for the overall communication in the company.

Board games

Even though this may sound like a simple and old trick, this is the best way to create a relaxing atmosphere and include everyone in the dynamic process of playing different board games. The purpose of this activity isn’t making everyone feel competitive, but it’s all about spending time together and getting to know your coworkers on a deeper level. There are lots of games you can play, including Twister, Charades, and Jenga, so just pick everyone’s favorite games and have a great time!

Spending your free time with your coworkers might not seem like the best idea in the world, but it can actually become more enjoyable than you can imagine. In the end, you’ll all have so much fun and bond like never before – and that’s something all entrepreneurs want!

Infographic created by Team Bonding, an in person team building activities business