All posts by Steven

Digital Branding Personal Branding SaaS Branding

Do Press Releases Still Work for Startups and Online Businesses in 2021?

Steven on October 1, 2020

Press releases are among the most commonly used public relations tools that companies can apply to their effective PR campaigns. Anyone who has created a press release or has had one written up for them knows that they are many benefits to press releases, like contributing to improving the recognition, reliability, image, reputation, prestige, revenues, and visibility of brands companies.

They are just one of the first steps in an effective PR campaign; from there, they can provide backlinks and many other benefits to a company.

In this article, we will look at:

1) What are press releases?

2) How do Press Releases Help SEO?

3) Are Press Releases Still Worth it?

4) Advantages of a press release

5) How to make Press Releases effective

1) What are Press Releases?

Nowadays, press releases can be created in written, audio, or video format. It is a way of getting the word out there, distributing, and announcing events to media outlets about any important event that is happening or about to happen.

It can be hard to get the media’s attention, and it is even more challenging of media outlets. After all, they need to filter all the information they are getting sent because they want to publish only the best, more exciting news. That is why platforms like Pressfarm exist so that it makes it easier to find media outlets through their databases.

2) How Do Press Releases Help SEO?

Having any information posted about a company or event on heavy traffic news sites is beneficial for a company’s brand and SEO.

The way that companies can achieve SEO is through backlinks. When media outlets start spreading the word about a company, they will not only get backlinks from those new sites, but they can also receive a high number of backlinks from people who will read the news.

Backlinks are fundamental to SEO. On a basic level, the more sites that link a company’s information, the more authority Google awards the site. Backlinks are considered to be a proxy for authority since more popular and authoritative sites will have more sites linking into them. Building backlinks can be one of the most difficult tasks for SEO and building high-quality ones are even harder, but combining methods like obtaining them naturally, buying them, or possibly using tricks like PBNs can be considered the best link building method available because it helps companies build links rather quickly, they are all completely natural and won’t result in any penalties if done right.

There are many press release tactics that can be quite effective, but companies and individuals quickly realized that it was easier to get links from the press releases themselves instead of from news publishers. A reason for that is press release spam because instead of creating high-quality news stories to improve their business, companies distribute as many press releases as possible to as many platforms as possible “spamming” media outlets, which decrease the importance of the press release on certain sites.

So, in order to maintain high-quality backlinks and interest up, companies should not just post a press release for the sake of getting a backlink, but post it actually to attract the attention of media outlets.

3) Are Press Releases still worth it?

Publishers will always be in need of news topics, so no matter what, as long as companies have news, press releases will always be useful. Press Releases can be effective not only with backlinks, but also with social media likes, shares, and comments.

The question that does get asked though, is why press releases seem to be less popular than before. As mentioned before, it is because of press release SPAM. As the Internet and SEO became more popular, media outlets received many pieces of information, so they need to start filtering news stories that can make press releases a less effective SEO strategy and how accessible it is.

However, again as mentioned before, if companies focus on the right things, which can improve the business, services, or products and create an effective press release that is focused on getting the media’s attention instead of just trying to grab backlinks, press releases are more than worth it.

4) Advantages of press releases

Press releases can give any business amazing results regardless of its size, profit margin, profile, and industry. Here are some of the main benefits of press releases.

Instant Exposure

When it comes to press releases, the two things that are the most important are content and distribution. Each type of content plays a significant role in an effective strategy; landing pages help companies introduce their brand and goods to the world and convert leads into customers. Blog posts allow companies to establish a personal connection with readers by answering essential questions, offering advice, and sharing insight with audiences. While landing pages and blog posts will help, press releases allow companies to build trust and authority on different fronts; it will enable media outlets to cover the store and prospects a new reason to visit the brand through websites or landing pages.

Increased Sales Potential

Press releases not only bring credibility and allow companies to stay in the public eye, but it also increases a company’s profit margins. Writing and distributing press releases for different occasions and highlighting key benefits and features of products can position the company’s merchandise on top of any others currently available on the market.

Chance to boost the effectiveness of marketing plan

Press releases represent an affordable marketing addition that companies can add to their campaign. There is no way that companies can go wrong with these tools because they are designed to be controlled by their creators in terms of targeted audience and message.

Opportunity to brand yourself as an industry expert

As mentioned before, press releases are a great way to build trust and credibility in any industry. If a company has a great PR campaign, it will offer them a chance to brand themselves as a high-authority business owner and show off their products’ unique attributes.

Increased traffic to website

People are now flocking to the Internet, looking for unique insights and exclusive stories. Companies need to try and use any PR tactic to push their feature to the top of a potential client’s newsfeeds and boost exposure. Using press releases and including a few links to organic content can guide potential readers to other platforms to promote and sell their goods.

Companies can boost their website traffic through press releases by optimizing key elements, including keywords, headlines, videos, photos, hashtags, and descriptions.

Important SEO benefits

Press releases that are published on different media outlets can offer companies valuable backlinks to their website. By optimizing content, companies can also increase visibility online and make their content searchable on the Internet, which allows them to unlock instant SEO benefits.

Ultimately, the company needs that one media outlet on a renowned site, and things will fall into place. If they target individual reporters, there is a higher chance of getting featured. They do not need to use press release platforms to make a press release useful, they might need to email media outlets personally or message them on their social media profiles.

If companies and individuals opt to use platforms to create an effective press release, they can use press release agencies like Pressfarm to help them with any public relations needs. Some services they provide include templates for companies to create their press releases and press kits, a media outlet database for companies to find the appropriate media outlets for their business, and packages for companies that need assistance in creating an effective public relations strategy.

The packages that Pressfarm provides include; the Starter package, the Launch package, the Campaign package, and the Enterprise package. The Starter package is a great start for small teams looking for the fundamentals to take their communications to the next level, the Launch package is ideal for growing companies to increase press coverage, improve effectiveness and personal communication with the media, the Campaign package is for businesses to gain full control of their company and stay consistent across the globe, and finally, the Enterprise package also allows companies to gain full control of their brand and stay consistent and is ideal for companies preparing for a big product launch or multiple stories to pitch, but need a PR expert to help them reach leading press contacts.

Within the packages, some of the services provided include a professionally designed press/media kit, press release proofreading and review by PR Experts, a personalized PR action plan on strategies and PR industry trade secrets to maximize press coverage, a tailor-made PR media list of 500+ contacts by Account Executive for initial PR outreach, access to startup directories and review websites to improve SEO and gain exposure suitable for all companies, access to PR contact per month of media outlets and influencers for a full year, and finally priority email support. When it comes to press releases and SEO, Pressfarm also helps increase release visibility in relevant search results across major search engines.

A press release, especially when managed by a PR company, is way more than just writing a piece about company news and publishing it on a newswire service. It is just one element of an effective PR and media strategy. A professional PR agency should align its client’s PR strategy with its commercial, operational, and business strategies. It enables the agency to plan when and what they are going to release to the media. A good PR strategy will develop an interesting angle on the information given to them and turn it into something exciting and original.

They will then publish it onto any newswire service with no SEO benefit, but they will use their knowledge of media strategies to get the press release, and other information picked up by media outlets as a news story because this is where the real value is. A good PR company can turn a press release into an actual piece of news written up by journalists through practical outreach work. The press release is no longer what it started being; it has now become an article in a publication and media outlets will often include a backlink in the articles.

Something to remember is that backlinks are usually “follow” (they pass on link equity to the site) because there is no reason to make them “no-follow.” The reason behind it is because the article had to go through an editorial process to get published, it means that it is not low-quality link spam. When it has been published, the client’s site gets a direct SEO benefit, which is really great for SEO and is a great example of how PR and SEO work well together.

Some things that companies need to understand is that not every press release that gets picked up by media outlets and written into an article will include a backlink, and even if there is one, sometimes it will be “no follow” but PR professionals know that companies will get more backlinks in this instance because it reduces the most risks of penalty. Which means that when managed effectively through a PR service, press releases can still provide a lot of SEO benefit.

Conclusion

As long as press release distribution is not abused, it will always be useful for SEO. Just one press release to a high traffic site could bring in tremendous results. Companies need to create innovative, original, and exciting content, something that will set them apart from the rest of the competition. Employing PR agencies can take the stress out of it and also yield great results. PR agencies also know the right people and the format of presenting content to various media outlets within the company’s niche to focus on the right outlets and target audience.

SaaS Branding

Some Common Mistakes People Do that Wipe Out their Credit Score

Steven on September 25, 2020

Your credit score is very important and it can affect your financial future. You need to have a good credit score to be able to get loans or get a new credit card in the future. If your credit score becomes poor, then you will be considered a credit risk and this will hurt you in the future. Whether you want an auto loan or want a business loan, a poor credit score can be disastrous. Unfortunately, there are many common mistakes people do that end up wiping out their credit score. Most people do not even know that this can affect their credit score. It is important to know this to avoid making this mistake. The following are some of these mistakes:

important-tIPS-that-helps-to-improve-credit-score

1) Don’t Cosign a Loan

A big mistake people make is cosigning a loan taken by someone else. This makes you responsible for the loan and if the person for whom you cosigned the loan defaults, then your credit score will be severely affected. This is a huge mistake and you should never cosign someone else’s loan.

2) Protect your Credit Card

Credit card fraud is common. While earlier thieves would physically steal your credit card, today cyber thieves can steal your credit card details and use them online. You may end with a dispute on the transactions done by the thieves. This can affect your credit score.

3) Avoid Closing Old Accounts

A credit score is calculated using the history of all your credit accounts. Closing an account reduces your credit limit and leads to an increase in credit utilization. This can hurt your credit score and you won’t even know about it. Even if you don’t use a credit card don’t close the account to protect your credit score.

4) Ensure you Pay the Minimum or a Bit More

You need to pay the minimum amount due without fail. Not paying it leads to a levy of interest and penalty. It also negatively affects your credit history. It puts more pressure on you in the coming months and you may end up with big defaults that could wipe out your credit score. Try to pay off all your bills within the allowed credit period. If you can’t pay it all, pay the minimum or a little bit more. Also, note that defaulting on a utility bill payment can hurt your credit score, so make sure you don’t miss paying your bills.

5) Use your Credit Wisely

A thumb rule is to use only 30% of your available credit. If you overuse your credit, it affects your credit score since credit utilization is one of the factors that decides your credit score. So use your credit wisely.

6) Don’t Open too many Credit Accounts at the Same Time

Opening too many credit accounts at the same time will ensure multiple hard credit checks. This affects your credit score. When you apply for too many credit cards, it creates a perception that you are desperate for money and deep in debt. Avoid making this mistake, which could hurt your credit score.

Knowing about the above mistakes will help you avoid them so you can protect your credit score In case you do have poor credit and want a loan, then don’t worry you can opt for no credit check payday loans Las Vegas to meet your requirements. Online payday loans Nevada are a convenient way of getting a short-term loan quickly.

This type of loan is offered to people who have a job with a fixed income. The concept is that the loan would be repaid next month on payday. Since the loan is given on the basis of employment and salary, a credit check is usually not done. Applying through an online portal will be helpful as applicants can compare terms offered by different lenders and get a payday loan at the best possible terms.

Digital Branding

Creating A Web Design That Narrates Your Brand’s Story

Steven on September 22, 2020

Every brand has a unique story, which is something that the audience wants to know before becoming customers and loyalists.

Being able to narrate it well enough is the key to engaging them and winning their trust. The design of your business website serves as the best storytelling platform because this is where most of the potential buyers are bound to come.

However, storytelling through web design takes a lot of creativity, strategy, and clever thinking.

Right from choosing the colors, visual elements, content, and navigation, you need to nail everything to create an impactful storyline. Here are some measures you can implement to do it effectively.

Focus on their problems rather than your company

Although you will be tempted to talk about your offerings, it is far more important to focus on customers’ problems when you weave a story for your brand. Their pain points will have them hooked to your story, which subtly draws them to explore more and know you better.

Take them towards a solution and they will buy it. Moreover, the problem-solution approach shows your interest in customers’ well-being and wins their trust and loyalty without much work.

Accentuate your USP and core values

Before you start designing your website, you need to identify the USP and core values you want to highlight. They should reflect everywhere, specifically the home page where the user lands and gets the first impression. The “About Us” page is another part of the site that needs to accentuate these elements. Everything else has to detail around the USP and core values because you would want them to be the heroes throughout the user journey.

Be consistent with the brand narrative

Your web presence is just one element of your brand because it appears at a lot of other places- print ads, billboards, media ads, product packaging, and more. It is vital to be consistent with the narrative everywhere. Amazingly, you can create your own website for free and share your story just as it is everywhere. No one knows your brand better than you, so go ahead and say it all on your website. Make sure that you follow the same visuals as well, right from your logo to colors and font styles. Similarly, pay attention to the tone of voice and content.

Create navigation for the story

When it comes to storytelling through web design, creating navigation is extremely important. Give the visitor a route to the next piece of information as they would want the narrative to unfold naturally and subtly.

It doesn’t make sense to paste all the information on one page, rather let them explore the site to pick their interest and make them stay. The placement of call-to-action buttons can act as navigational cues. Consider creating a roadmap that makes the journey easy for them and drives them effortlessly towards engagement.

Finally, keep the design simple and human-centered so that the audience connect with it emotionally. The modern website users are savvy and only exemplary designs can impress them, so make genuine efforts to engage them with authentic storytelling.

Digital Branding

Make Your Company Mean Something: The Importance of Instilling Company Core Values

Steven on September 20, 2020

Here’s a quick question: what does your company stand for?

If you’re anything like most small business owners, you didn’t see that question coming. Not only that, but you probably also don’t have an answer. After all, you’re in business to make a profit, right?

Well, that’s true, but it’s important that your small business also stands for something. Company core values can make a big difference in the performance of your business. And these values shouldn’t just be on paper. Everyone in the organization should know, embrace, and practice them.

Continue reading to learn about the importance of instilling core values across your organization.

Image by Neypomuk-Studios on Pixabay

Creates a Company Identity in the Marketplace

In the modern marketplace, only companies with a clear identity have a good chance of standing out from the competition.

There are a number of factors that come together to help form a unique identity for your brand, and one of those is your company’s core values. If you think about some of your favorite brands, you’ll certainly realize that they stand out because of more than just the products they offer.

For example, think about Nike.

The company’s shoes and apparel come to mind first. But it’s also impossible not to think of the company’s dedication to helping athletes, and pretty much everyone else, do what they love without fear. Their “just do it” campaign no doubt ushers consumers into one of the company’s core values.

As a business owner, your company’s core values will help shape its identity. If you’re big on environmental conservation and your company has sustainable practices, your consumers will think of the planet every time they interact with your brand.

Photo Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Attract Customers

In one survey, 62 percent of customers said they consider a company’s ethical values and authenticity before making a purchase.

If your company stands for something that resonates with your target market, you’ll be in a better position to attract customers easily. If your target audience is highly environmentally conscious, for instance, they’ll be more likely to buy from you if one of your company’s core values is environmental conservation.

And like Nike’s campaign, you can also let your customers know about your core values through strategic brand messaging.

Attract the Best Talent

If you thought it’s just customers who care about your company’s core values, you couldn’t be more wrong. Turns out your current and prospective employees care about your organization’s core values as well.

Don’t buy that?

A 2019 survey established that a whopping 77 percent of professionals consider a company’s mission and workplace culture before applying for a job.

Your company’s mission spells out your core values. It’s these values that define your workplace culture.

If your company doesn’t have any recognizable values, it’s clear you’re missing out on the best talent. Even your current employers can jump ship when they realize that your company doesn’t stand for anything.

Company Core Values Will Drive You to Success

As a small business owner, it’s understandable that your primary goal is to turn a profit. However, consumer behavior is changing. The modern consumer cares more about company core values than your product. So do your employees.

You now know how instilling company values can boost your business.

Keep reading our blog for more branding tips and insights.

Digital Branding

Get Connected! How To Write a Business Email in 7 Simple Steps

Steven on September 20, 2020

How many times have you sent an email to your colleagues without the email attached?

Have you ever responded casually to an email only to realize later that the CEO was on the email

Business emails seem like they should be so simple to write. But, often they are not.

Professional emails are legal documents. You should not write them the same way you write emails to your family and friends.

If you want to know how to write a business email, here are 7 tips to help your emails look and sound more professional.

Photo by Germann Altmann at Pixabay

1. What Do You Expect From Your Email?

First, know what the purpose of your email is. Are you looking to make a sale, network with a new client, or solve a problem with a new product? Do you want to remind a colleague of an upcoming deadline or thank your team for their hard work?

Let the recipient know what you expect from them and include everything they need to accomplish it.

For example, if you need someone to analyze the cost projections for a quarter, make sure there is a link to the projections or they are attached. Explain what they need to review and how the analysis will be used. Clearly state the deadline for them to complete the task and get back to you.

Photo by Gerd Altmann at Pixabay

2. Know Your Audience

Make sure the tone and style of your email are appropriate for your recipient.

If you’re writing to an executive in your company or a prospective client, your email should be more formal and polished.

If you’re writing to a colleague or someone you have an established working relationship with, you can be friendlier and less formal.

When you’re following up on a meeting, you may want to include detailed notes to recap everything that was said and make sure everyone knows their action items.

On the other hand, if you’re asking your colleague for a report, you can usually just ask the question without going into all the reasons why you need it.

3.“Brevity is the Soul of Wit”

This popular quote from William Shakespeare is one of the best professional email writing tips you will ever receive.

Most people receive too many emails in a day. Knowing how to draft a professional email that gets right to the point will be greatly appreciated by your recipient.

Keep your emails brief, concise, and focused. Limit the topics within an email to one or two subjects at most. Use direct, simple sentences. Don’t include filler words or information that doesn’t relate to the topic.

Photo by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

4. Know How to Write A Business Email in the Proper Format

There are many different types of business email writing tips and templates you can use and follow. But almost all of them will include the following items: Subject, Greeting, Body, and Signature.

Subject Line

Keep your subject line brief so your recipient can read it all on any device. Even the best email app for mac or pc has a limited number of characters it shows in the subject line.

Write a subject that clearly describes what the message is about. Use regular capitalization – don’t write your subject all in capital letters.

Greeting

Use a brief friendly greeting that addresses the recipient by name when you know it.

If you’re addressing someone you know well, you can use an informal greeting like “Hi” or “Hello” followed by their first name.

More formal greetings will use last names and titles. For instance, “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Greetings Dr. Johnson”.

When you don’t know the name of the recipient, traditional greetings such as “To Whom It May Concern” are also acceptable.

All words in a greeting should start with a capital letter. Every greeting ends with a comma.

Body

State your reason and the main point of the email right away. Include any supporting information the recipient needs to know.

A block style with single-space paragraphs is usually the easiest and cleanest format. Include line breaks between the greeting, body, closing, and signature.

Try not to use bold, italics, or color fonts unless it’s necessary for emphasis. Use easy to read fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.

Closing and Signature

In a formal email or with a new contact, keep things more formal with closings such as “Kind regards”, “Thank you” or “Sincerely”.

Follow-up emails, internal communications, and people you are more familiar with can use more casual conclusions such as “Thanks” and “Best”.

Your email signature should include your name, title or position, and contact information. You may also include a company logo, name, address, and website link.

5. Proofread your email

The last step of how to write a professional email includes proofreading. It’s very easy to be in a rush, type an email quickly, and hit send, but you should avoid that as much as possible.

Always take an extra moment to review what you wrote. Check for spelling and grammar errors. Confirm that your facts are correct and that you have included all the necessary links or attachments.

Read the full email back to yourself, aloud if you can. Always consider your email from the other person’s point of view. How will they read it? You may realize that the tone isn’t as professional as you need it to be. Or, you may realize you’re being too formal in a situation that needs to be more casual and friendly.

6. Remember to Follow-up

It is appropriate and expected for you to follow-up on your email.

If you haven’t received a response in a couple of days, you should reach out again with a friendly follow-up to see if they need more information or had any questions.

7. Email Etiquette

You want to make sure everyone who needs the information receives it. Be cautious of overusing the CC field. If someone doesn’t need the information, don’t include him or her.

Consider the timing of your email. When possible, avoid sending an email after-hours or when you know someone is on vacation.

Know How to Draft a Business Email

Business emails have a specific style and structure to create effective and efficient communication. Knowing how to write a business email properly will greatly impact the impression your writing gives others.

Explore our website to learn more about business communication and branding.

Local Branding

How To Hunt for Wild Ginseng: 3 Steps

Steven on September 19, 2020

If you’ve already done your research on Ginseng, you know how popular it is becoming all around the globe. But for someone who doesn’t know, Ginseng is an herb that’s doing wonders at the moment. Yes, you read that right! The traditional Chinese used this herb in their medicines, but now is the time when all the world knows what this herb can do alone and how beneficial it is.

Ginseng is also referred to as “Panax” which means “a cure to all” and well, this is true about this herb because it is a cure to almost all the medical conditions. Whether you are suffering from diabetes, cancer, or from other issues such as obesity or something, this herb can be the best thing you will ever buy and use.

It’s not necessary for you to be a victim of some disease to use this herb; in fact, even if you want to improve your general health, you can do that using Ginseng.

Keeping in view the popularity of this herb, there are several businesses making a profit out of Ginseng. Especially if you want to buy quality Ginseng, then opt for Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises Inc. They’ve got the best one available, and it will bring you all the health benefits that you are expecting.

Other than this, if you want to hunt wild Ginseng then these are the 3 steps that you need to follow;

Step 1. The Right Season

There’s a season to hunt wild Ginseng, so it’s better to head to the forest during that specific season if you want quality Ginseng. From September till November, you can go hunting wild Ginseng anytime, but don’t go during the other months because if you do so, you won’t be able to get mature Ginseng that has all the benefits in it.

Step 2. State Permission

Getting permission to harvest Ginseng is the most important thing that you need to do first. You should know that hunting Ginseng is not allowed in all the states, and if you want to do that, you first need to take the permission of the state. Not getting permission and hunting without any legal notice can lead to some serious legal action. So, if you don’t want to end up in serious trouble, make sure to take a permit from the state that you are planning to hunt in.

Step 3. Identification

The first thing you need to work on is learning how to properly identify this plant. Ginseng can be very confusing, and if you don’t want to hunt the wrong herb, then make sure to study this plant on the internet as much as you can. For those who want some idea of what to look for, Ginseng comes with at least five leaflets on each of its leaves, and if you want to hunt down the mature plant, then know that the mature one will always have red berries grown on it.

Final Words About How To Hunt Wild Ginseng

These are some of the things you should know about hunting wild Ginseng. We hope the process is now all clear to you, and you know what to do next. In case you want to use Ginseng to consume it for better health, know that you can always buy it from your local market as it’s easily available. Just buy Ginseng from a reputable brand because you are supposed to get all the benefits that you should for the money you are paying. Using Ginseng regularly can bring marvelous health benefits, and within a short time, you will see the results on your own.

Legal Branding

The Guide To Property Investing In 2020

Steven on September 17, 2020

The Lost Contracts, a Relative Recovery in Denver, CO – My New Era

There is no denying the pandemic shutdown resulted in many lost home sales. Some sellers and buyers scrapped their plans altogether, while others put them on hold. Can these “lost” home sales be found again? The strength of the recovery will largely depend on price point.

Despite a quick rebound in traffic once showings resumed, the Denver metro sold count was down around 24% year-over-year between March and June. For this same period, there were 4,820 fewer closings than in 2019.

One encouraging detail is that more contracts have been written since showings resumed than had been written in the same timeframe last year. This suggests the market will recover at least some of the lost sales from the spring as these contracts finalize.

The recovered home sales have not affected each price point proportionately. Of the new contracts aforementioned, around 49% of them fall into the $0-300K and $300-500K price segments, despite these segments having together made up around 67% of the overall market share back in 2019.

Benefits Of Investing In Commercial Real Estate – Ideas Plus Business

There are lots of benefits of investing in commercial properties. They include:

1. High returns
As the popular saying goes, the higher the risk, the higher the reward.

Commercial property returns and far more attractive than those of residential properties.

A research study conducted by the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries found out that commercial real estate investments have an average return of 12.7 percent annually compared to residential properties which have an average of 8.8 percent.

More space attracts more tenants which results in more money in your bank account. This is one of the best choices for an investor who wants to diversify his or her portfolio.

2. Good tenants
It can be hard for investors with residential properties to find tenants who will look after the property like their own. On the other hand, commercial properties attract corporations and businesses.

Since the tenants are backed by their organizations, they are more likely to take good care of the property. Good tenants will make your life easy.

3. Long-term leases
Commercial leases are usually longer than that of residential properties. They normally start from six to twelve months.

If you ask around, you’ll find out that most properties have been leased anywhere from five to ten years. For the investor, this means lower vacancy rates and turnover costs.

Long term leases are linked to reliability and positive cash flow. Commercial investors can end up dealing with undesirable tenants for a long time.

However, they can avoid this by following the law and appropriate application processes.

4. Easy to increase value
One of the major differences between commercial and residential properties is how the property values are determined.

Residential real estate is greatly influenced by other similar properties while commercial properties are impacted by how much revenue they generate.

In short, the higher the revenue a commercial property generates, the higher the property will be valued. With qualified tenants, commercial investors will witness an increase in value faster than residential properties.

5. Triple net leases
Triple net leases vary depending on the situation. However, they are extremely important for investors with commercial properties.

A triple net lease ensures that the tenant handles all property expenses including taxes. All the investor has to pay is the mortgage.

Big organizations such as Walmart and Starbucks sign this lease to maintain the look and feel that goes hand in hand with their branding strategy. The tenants manage all other costs while the investor pays maintenance costs only.

There are different types of leases that you can adopt. However, a triple net lease will accelerate your progress.

Six Fresh Trends Shaping the Face of the Real Estate Industry – Digitized House

Trends are an ever-changing phenomena, whether it’s the fashion industry, music, business, technology, or real estate market. These shifts, however, may not always be positive for the respective genre. But in the case of real estate, things are looking up. As 2019 winds down and we head toward 2020, there’s a strong movement toward real estate technology, known as PropTech. Let’s take a look at PropTech and other fresh trends that are shaping the real estate industry.

Tech Companies Entering the Real Estate Sector
Increased Investment in PropTech
Green Is hot
Alternative Forms of Housing
New Technologies Are on the Rise
Increasing Social Impact on Investment

How to Sell A Multifamily Property Fast for Cash – Highest Cash Offer

Review All Leases & Tenant Rights

It’s absolutely critical to review all the leases and occupancy for each unit in your multifamily home before you put the property on the market. If you plan on selling the home with tenants remaining in the property, potential buyers will have several questions for you regarding leases and occupancy. These questions include what are the terms of any remaining leases, the rent amount and what it includes for each unit and are there any security deposits being held.

You also need to be cognizant of the rights of your tenants, which are different from state-to-state. Be sure to review your local tenant rights before putting the home up for sale.

Selling a multifamily home with tenants on extended leases can be an extremely difficult process. Your chances of a sale will improve dramatically if the home is empty.

Prepare the Property for Prospective Buyers

No matter the type of property you plan on selling, you must make sure it’s prepared for prospective buyers to view. In most cases, multifamily homes are viewed as investments, so a buyer isn’t going to want to invest in a home they believe needs a lot of work.

When preparing the home to be viewed, ensure all the doors and locks on the property are working properly. Few things look worse to a potential buyer than struggling with a troublesome door or fidgeting with a faulty lock.

If there are designated parking areas on the premises, ensure they are clearly defined and in presentable condition.

If there any common areas on site, be sure to tidy them up before any showing.

Finally, don’t forget about curb appeal. Simply dressing up the front door, sweeping sidewalks or walkways and trimming bushes or flower beds can help make a great first impression.

Key trends impacting the Tampa Bay market in 2020 – TBBWMAG

While there are many factors that could put the U.S. economy at risk, from trade issues to record-high stock values that simply can’t keep increasing forever, there are also many reasons to feel confident about the economy in 2020 and Tampa Bay’s outlook.

For example, the U.S. cranked out an average of 180,000 jobs a month in 2019, leading to an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent in December – the lowest in 50 years. Job openings were at an all-time high at the end of the year and wage growth finally began to accelerate. One of the most telling stats is the quit rate, or a number of people who leave a job willingly, which is currently at a record high nationally. This means the average worker is confident they can leave a job’ and find a new one, which wouldn’t be the case if there was widespread economic uncertainty on the horizon.

At the local level the Tampa Bay economy is still in great shape, Thorpe said. The market ranks no. 13 in the country for job growth and the 3.1 percent unemployment rate was well below the national average.

Home Selling 101 For 2020 – Tre Pryor

Real estate isn’t just a matter of training how to “talk” to people and convincing them to buy your property. A huge part of it is ensuring you’re providing them with the kind of product that they’ll surely buy – not just because they want it, but because it’s the best option for them. Home selling 101 is putting your home’s best foot forward. From the elements of the property itself to the updates to the presentation—making sure everything is in tip-top shape. Below are four keys to focus on that will make your house sell quickly for the highest possible price.

Aesthetics Seal the Deal
Repairs and Updates Can Improve Your Price
Sometimes, It’s Location, Location, Location
Documentation Matters

Home selling 101 means tackling all the important things. When it comes to a successful real estate transaction, it’s not just about a slick salesman. It more about what you are offering. Nothing makes a home sale better than actually showing off a good home.

With the above considerations in mind, you’ll have a good set of things you may want to ensure you have before you proceed with your home sale. And if you don’t have these elements in check, you might want to revisit the drawing board and plan your house sale accordingly.

ARE YOU AWARE OF US HOMEOWNER TAX CHANGES? – ACME Real Estate

Mortgage Interest Deduction

The current mortgage interest deduction covers debt up to $750,000 and was created as a way to make homeownership more affordable for buyers. This was scaled back from $1 million beginning in 2018. What it does is cuts the federal income tax that a qualifying homeowner pays by reducing their taxable income by how much mortgage interest they pay.

There is an exception to the law for buyers who were under contract by December 15, 2017, and closed by January 1, 2018. Another exception involved refinances, where the law treats the new loan as if it originated on the original loan date, meaning the $1 million would apply.

Property Tax Deduction

In the past, homeowners were able to reduce their taxable income by the total amount of property taxes paid. However, this has now been reduced to a total of $10,000 for the cost of property taxes along with state and local income taxes or sales taxes.

Home Equity Funds

Homeowners used to be able to borrow against their home “for reasons other than to buy, build or substantially improved (their) home,” meaning an owner could have borrowed from a home equity line of credit to help pay for a child’s college tuition and used this as a tax deduction. However, this too changed in 2018.

Now, interest paid on home equity debt can only be deducted if the money was used “to buy, build, or substantially improve the taxpayer’s home that secures the loan.”

Mortgage Interest Deduction Changed for Second Homes

Homeowners can continue deducting interest on mortgage debt for both their primary and second homes, but the $750,000 limit of eligible mortgage debt does apply as discussed above.

Expert home seller advice by a top Real Estate Broker

In this article: How to sell your house without paying for updates. Learn how to get your property ready for the market and protect your money. If you’re like me you’d want to get the absolute highest and best price selling your house. Obviously, if my house needs a bit of TLC it won’t be winning any awards or grab the same price as the house down the street featured in Curbed that just sold. That house is in better condition and has a view of DTLA.

If you live in reality and follow this advice you’ll earn more money in the sale of your home every single time.

Getting your home ready to be offered for sale on the MLS represented by a local Realtor.

Side note – You could offer your house for sale “off-market” or “pre-MLS” to test the waters for a higher price. When a house is offered as a “quiet sale” it appears to be more desirable or special to the general public. If it doesn’t fetch the price you want either adjust your selling price expectations or there are a few other strategies listed below to get top dollar.

WHY REAL ESTATE IS LIKE DATING? – Break Up With Your Rental

Imagine the hunt for Prince/Princess Charming sans crappy one-night stands, catfishing, lies, and the “not ready for commitment” factor. The Multiple Listing Service (or MLS—a large online database of homes for sale) is like Tinder or Bumble, but instead of swiping right for your next potential date or possibly the man of your dreams, you are hunting for a prime investment to build your personal wealth—and this fish wants to be caught! The outcome? You’re the one who owns the castle and all the equity that goes along with it.

Looks can be deceiving

I’m going to break down and demystify the whole property buying process for you, so whether you’re ready to take the leap to buy something now or two to five years from now, you will have a plan of action.

The past does not determine your present

I’m encouraging you to start thinking of real estate not as the conclusion to a love story, but as the building block to your financial future.

Why aren’t you married yet?

The most annoying question of all time. Learn how real estate can turn you from a bystander into the star of your own life.

HOW TO SELL AN EMPTY PROPERTY? – Beat Color

Exteriors renewing

Selling empty properties means that interiors photos will not be quite as appealing as they would be for a furnished property, so it is vital that the exterior photos are exceptional. So how to make the exteriors be stunning? Don’t think it is a big problem. Take it easy and write down basic things which need to be done. For example, repainting the wall and the fence, mowing lawn, sweeping out all the dead leaves, collecting litter or removing broken objects are necessary to be listed… After finishing these things, your exteriors will look like new again. If possible, you can make use of empty land to plant some flowers or tiny trees. Try to make the exteriors stand out, because customers prefer to see something in those photos that will make them want to arrange a viewing.

Interiors preparation

Even though interiors is empty, it still needs some touching up because empty rooms can reveal many little flaws, scuffs, nail holes and cracks which you may have never noticed. However, these problems can be fixed by putting a fresh coat of paint on the wall. Painting rooms not only gives you the opportunity to neutralize the colors if your chosen hues were on the bold side, but also helps to convey subtly a sense of newness. Floor is another part you should keep an eye on if removing your furniture reveals worn-off wood finishes, dingy carpets, or blackened grout in high-traffic areas. Damaged sections of flooring will make the house look like abandoned, so if your budget allows consider getting them repaired. If this is not feasible then hire a good floor cleaning machine and tidy them up as best you can.

Staging the empty house

Empty rooms can be difficult for buyers to get a clear sense of how big the rooms. Empty dining rooms or bedrooms may actually appear smaller than they are, making buyers nervous about whether their furniture will fit. However, this problem can be fixed by adding a few tasteful items that can anchor the eye and show the relative spaciousness that your home offers. A neatly-made bed in the master bedroom can work well, or a painting hung near an accent chair in the living room. If you haven’t got the furniture to spare, you can use virtual staging service which doesn’t cost much. Using this service, you can stage your house with computer-generated items and your house will look like fulfilled and stunning as a furnished house.

Easy ways to sell a property to a buyer even when you don’t speak their language – Kyero

One of the useful functions of Kyero we often talk about is the ability to translate your listings into 13 different languages. But some agents we speak to are reticent about using this to market themselves to international buyers because they’re worried they won’t be able to speak to them in their own language if they make an enquiry. To give you a little bit of extra encouragement we’ve come up with a few ways you could overcome the language barrier and make those international sales.

Establish if there’s a common language
Use Google translate
Use a translator
Let the property do the talking If you really can’t find a suitable way to communicate that works for both parties, there is another option – you can let the property speak for itself.If you provide the right information on your Kyero listings, provide attractive and honest photographs and use the Kyero translate function, your buyer will already have got a very good idea about the details of the property and whether they’re interested. The viewing should then become a formality.In which case you can guide the buyer to the property, point out the things that make it particularly special and let them make up their own mind.
Establish key features to find the right propertyIf you receive a request for help from a potential customer with whom you can’t find a common language, it may be a good idea to aim to narrow down their search criteria so that you can focus on finding a property that meets their needs. Try using one of the methods above with the intention of establishing exactly what the enquirer is looking for. You’ll then be able to scour your portfolio for the right thing and avoid wasted time and frustration on both sides.Whichever method you choose, there’s no need for language to be a barrier to a successful sale.

Hire Property Management Agency! – Morris Invest

If your goal is to maximize your profits and expand your portfolio, then managing your own investment properties wouldn’t be very practical, even if you feel you’re capable of pulling off the job. This is where a property management company comes in. They can successfully manage your real estate investments and ultimately funnel more money into your bank account! Here are reasons why:

Avoid Financially Draining Vacancies with Proper Marketing Strategies
Escape Financial Risks by Weeding Out Bad Tenants
Efficient Rent Collection Ensures a Consistent Cash Flow
Boost Your Revenue by Achieving Higher Tenant Retention Rates
Save Thousands by Letting a Management Company Handle Property Repairs
Build Great Wealth by Investing in the Best Rental Markets
Grow Your Portfolio by Seeking Out Other Profitable Real Estate Investments

Local Branding

Tips To Save Tons of Money on Printing

Steven on September 14, 2020

We may never really think about printing costs, but these can create economic strain for a company. If you actually start calculating how much you are spending on paper and ink, you may be taken aback and start looking for ways to save on the cost of printing that go beyond buying a cheaper printer. The best thing is to introduce some initiatives that can help to save money on printing form reduced supplies, labor, and environmental impact.

Some companies try to get around printing costs by having a goal to be “paper-free,” but this doesn’t always work as planned. People love their copies. Why?

A paper in hand has a feel and authenticity to it that information seen on screen sometimes does not.
Paper inspires a level of trust that doesn’t come with digital documents.
Sometimes, a paper document may be easier to manage when the content is detailed or needs to be studied repeatedly.
In some cases, having a hardcopy is very much a requirement.

How to Save Money on Printing

As a result, even companies that strive to create a paper-free environment still keep printers and copiers at the workplace and end up using them way too much.So, there are few tips that can help you a lot with saving money on printing. Reducing printing costs starts with changing attitudes about printing.

1. See if printing is really necessary

The first step to the paper-free environment is to encourage your employees (and yourself) is to ask themselves before printing if this document really needs to be printed or will the email or digital file suffice? By motivating your employees to use the electronic version of the document and only print what is absolutely necessary, you can reduce the unnecessary prints and it will save you a lot of money on your total printing cost.

2. Add a green message to your printing

Adding a line such as “Please consider the environment before printing this email” or “think first” to the end of your emails or other electronic documents shows how much your company cares about the environment by discouraging unnecessary printing. This gives out a positive impression of your company as environment-friendly and can also serve as a reminder to recipients and employees alike to avoid any unnecessary printing.

3. Rent your printing equipment for large printing requirements

This has also become a really cool way to save money on printing. If you ever need to do some excessive printing and you usually don’t print that much, the best bet is to rent the printing equipment for that while and just generally avoid keeping printing equipment at your office. You can find places to rent a printer and copier in Singapore.

4. Require an ID number

Sometimes employees regard free copying as an unofficial employee benefit. You can reduce unnecessary printing if any of your employees who needs to print something will provide his/her ID number before printing a document.

5. Consider the economics of big jobs

Occasionally, your company may need a big printing job to produce training materials, sales reports, employee handbooks, or the like. In these cases, the first thing to consider is whether doing printing in house is more economical having documents printed at a copy service.

Using your office printer supplies may sound like it would be cheaper than going to a printer, but that can cost you a lot more. You will have to buy new cartridges, which are often very expensive. You may not even know the paper you exactly need and end up experimenting with different kinds, only to buy the wrong paper. Printing can take up a lot of employee time for the basics; in addition, your employees may not be able to provide the finishing services such as binding that a printer offers. So, the best advice would be to not waste any money if you aren’t exactly sure about what you are doing.

Final Words

Printing costs can easily be controlled and cut down with the above tips, but isn’t even solely about the money. Printing takes its toll on the environment so keeping it to the minimum is good for the plant too.

Legal Branding

Annual Compliance For Hong Kong Private Companies

Steven on September 13, 2020

During the lifetime of incorporation in Hong Kong, your private limited company in Hong Kong must comply with some obligations regulated by the government. The main obligations comprise general and filing requirements.

1. General requirements

These obligations mainly relate to the maintenance of your company in Hong Kong:

1.1. Maintenance of company secretary and registered address

In order to be set up and put into operation, your company in Hong Kong is required to have at least one director, one local company secretary and a registered office address. These must be maintained throughout the lifetime of incorporation of your company.

Since all directors in Hong Kong can be foreigners, you can take on this position and need not hire any nominee director.

If you do not have any local company secretary to register for your company, you need to appoint one (using outsourcing service) and each year, you need to pay a fee to retain this position in your company. Similar to the address of the company, you need to pay a fee for renewal to remain the address each year.

1.2. Accounting and auditing

Under Companies Ordinance, your Hong-Kong-registered companies is required to prepare and maintain financial records and have the financial statements audited.
If your company is short of resources to perform such accounting and auditing tasks, you can look for a qualified accounting firm.

1.3. Renewal of Hong Kong business registration

You need to make a payment for the renewal for your business registration on an annual basis or once every three years basing on the business registration certificate of your company is valid for one or three years.

A notification for business registration renewal will be sent to your company by a related government agency a few weeks before the starting month of the renewal business registration certificate.

1.4. Maintenance of company’s internal records

It is advisable for your company to maintain the following documents:

o Certificate of Incorporation (CI)
o Certificate of Business Registration (BR)
o Articles of Association (AA)
o Records of resolutions, minutes of all meetings
o Updates of financial records (retained for seven years from the transaction date to avoid penalties)
o Company seal
o Share certificates
o Registers of members and directors
o Business licenses (if any).

Documents containing information about members, resolutions and meetings need to be kept for no less than 10 years.

Note: Your company must notify the Companies Registry, normally within 15 days, any changes of the following information:

o Registered office address
o The status of the company secretary and directors
o Information about the secretary and directors
o Company name
o The allotment or issuance of new share

1.5. Annual general meeting (AGM)

Your company must hold the first annual general meeting within 18 months from the date of incorporation. For each subsequent year, your company has to organize an annual general meeting. Remember: the time period between holding an AGM and the next one must not exceed 15 months.

At such meetings, the company must present the director’s report along with the company’s financial accounts to its shareholders. These documents must be prepared in compliance with the Financial Reporting Standards framework in Hong Kong.

2. Filing requirements

The filing requirements mainly include filing annual returns with the Companies Registry (CR) and filing annual tax returns with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).

2.1. Filing annual returns with CR

An annual return must be submitted, online or offline, to CR containing main information about your company, such as registered address, directors, shareholders and company secretary. The timeframe to file an annual return is 42 days from the anniversary date of incorporation. Your company may be subject to a severe fine if it fails to comply with such a filing requirement.

2.2. Filing annual tax returns with IRD

Your company must submit an annual tax return, online or offline, to IRD within one month after receiving the notification sent by this agency. Along with a tax return, the following supporting documents need also be sent:

o Company’s balance sheet;
o Auditor’s report;
o Profit and Loss account of the basis period;
o A tax computation illustrating how assessable profits or adjusted losses have been calculated.

The above are the overall requirements that your private limited company must comply with when incorporating in Hong Kong. In order to save time and your resources, you can opt for outsourcing services from a reliable provider to help your company stay compliant.

Local Branding

5 Tips For Choosing The Best Lawn Care Services In Orange County

Steven on September 12, 2020

If you are living in orange county, you must have a lawn in your home. Orange County is a beautiful place. It is the 3rd most famous country in the world. Having a healthy lawn can add more beauty to your home. Every homeowner wants his house to look beautiful. A beautiful lawn can enhance the beauty of your home. It’s very difficult for an owner to look after his lawn on a daily basis, or he is not that much experienced to take care of a lawn. For this purpose, he needs a good lawn care service. You must hire a lawn care service that is experienced and has knowledge about the roots, soil, and planting. The following are some of the essential tips you need to consider when choosing an Orange County Lawn care service provider.

Experienced

Only an experienced person can keep your lawn healthy and beautiful. Before you hire anyone, you need to make sure that the person knows about the planting and gardening. A person who is not familiar with the soil type, the roots, and land, he will not be able to take care of your lawn. In fact, he will destroy it. So you have to be very careful. Lawn service providers who have experience of years are able to make your lawn look fascinating and enchanting. They also have acquired the skills and resources that can treat most of the problems regarding the lawn.

Reputation

The reputation of a company or center matters a lot. It is an era of internet and social networking. Nowadays, people believe in online reviews before buying anything or hiring someone. So you need to see their reviews online. Suppose the company does not have any online page. You need to consult with their past customers and take reviews from them. Dig profoundly and hire anyone. The selection of wrong services will lead you to destruction.

Proper material and equipment

Your lawn needs to look beautiful. It is only possible when the material used is suitable. You need to tell the company about your land and soil type so that they can use the appropriate material. The next thing you need to see is the types of equipment used for the cutting of your lawn. You must opt for an organization that takes great consideration of everything. The cutting edges of a trimer opt to be changed out or honed for at regular intervals. Do not fear asking how regularly they change out their cutting edges.

Customer services

You must invest in a company that you can communicate with easily, and you can ask when a query or issue comes up. Garden organizations ought to endeavor to enable their clients to ask the problem that is damaging their yard. They should embrace a proactive way to deal with a yard and give proper guidance and backing to their customers. Customer service is very important. If the attitude of an organization is not right, it can also affect the way of their dealing with the yard.

Rates

Cost is typically a significant factor when contracting lawn organizations. Try not to confide in an organization that ensures a yearly rate without seeing your type of grass first. Keep in mind that the garden care organizations with lesser rates are frequently not suppliers who offer the highest caliber of lawn service. These kinds of organizations are costly, try not to be astonished if your lawn care company demands high rates.

Conclusion

Lawn care services in Orange country are easy to find. But you have to keep all these points in your mind before you opt for an organization. You must want your lawn to look more beautiful than your neighbors, so decide everything wisely!