Author: Jennifer Brazer

Since the start of E-Commerce prospects, there has been a never-ending debate between retail brick-and-mortar and online sales. You cannot answer the argument simply by observing the behavior of a retail customer. 

To start a business, you must decide whether to launch a physical store or consider E-commerce. In some cases, you can use both. But how do you determine which option is better for you, as both industries are massive? While in-person shopping is still preferred, online shopping has grown three times faster. 

But what makes both these options stand out from each other?

Let us look at some key differences and statistics with the pros and cons of running both.

Key Difference

The first key difference between these two business options is the location. E-commerce stores host their businesses online, so customers can shop from anywhere. However, customers cannot touch a product and must see it through videos or pictures. Online sales have a better reach, as they cover a larger geographical area. Another added benefit for shoppers in online sales is that they avoid the hassle of going all the way to a store and back. Online is the best option for shoppers who do not want to do in-person shopping.

Brick-and-mortar retailers have a physical location to sell their products, and customers can see them in person. For in-person shopping, the customer must travel to that location personally. The experience of physical store shopping is entirely different from that of E-commerce shopping. Physical stores have storage spaces and do not need a shipping fee for delivery. Customers can decide whether to buy a product after having a close look. Businesses located physically can cater only to a particular area or locality. 

Online Shopping vs. In-store Statistics

There is a lot to consider when comparing both these business options. Research has helped us provide valuable statistics for both parts of the retail industry. Some significant numbers include:

• The consumer spent $861.02 billion in 2020 on online shopping, an incredible jump of 44% since 2019. Retail stores increased to $4.04 trillion, a 6.9% increase from last year.
• 67% of Millennials report a preference for e-commerce or online shopping.
• More than 55% reported visiting a store before making an online purchase decision.  
• Online spending among men is 30% higher than women.
• 35% of adults shop using their smartphones
• 40% of consumers prefer online shopping to save their time. 
• More than 5,500 brick-and-mortar stores closed down, and are expected to rise in coming years
• Online sales have grown by 300% since 2001.

Preferences of Both These Options

The customers you hope to attract will be a significant factor in choosing your business model. Here are some primary reasons for customers to consider their preferences.

Preferences for E-commerce or Online Sales

• They can buy from an online store anywhere and anytime
• Price matching is more accessible in online stores
• Online sales are more convenient for customers
• They do not have to wait in lines, and the service is faster
• Items are easier to find and more readily available online
• The free shipping option makes online sales more attractive

Preference for Brick-and-Mortar Stores

• Customers can physically interact with the products to make purchase decisions easier
• They do not have to wait for the product shipment if they buy in person
• They can speak personally to a customer service representative rather than online
• There are no shipping costs associated with in-store shopping
• Easy returning policy
• The experience of in-person shopping is more interactive

Why do Brick-and-Mortar Still Matter?

61% of customers still shop in physical stores, whereas 31% prefer online shopping. One of the most fundamental drivers of online shopping is the interaction and personal experience that a customer receives. Brick-and-mortar stores will continue to make their mark until e-commerce can find a solution for same-day or 1-day delivery. 

Another massive point for brick-and-mortar stores is that shoppers have a 40% chance of spending more when shopping in-store. At the same time, the likelihood of extra spending in the online store is only 25%. 

Which is Better?

E-commerce is a rapidly growing market, but the physical store will still dominate until the Internet can provide the benefits of in-store shopping. 

On the other hand, in-store shopping needs to evolve its experience to compete with the convenience of online stores. The biggest test for brands is creating an experience that incorporates online and in-person shopping. 

Both these options are helpful in their own way. The choice lies in the customer’s decision and preferences. 

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Reviewed By: Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.

See Full Bio

Lately, it nearly looks like technology is claiming society apart while intensifying the distances between the poor and the rich. Tech tycoons apart, consider the current acts of temper through San fascia people against tech travelers. There is no such shortage of fear of automation and technology abolishing jobs, especially for blue-collar and low-skilled employees—artificial intelligence (AI) by the increase of white male programmers emerging the algorithms.

So far, all things measured, there are some reasons to be hopeful that tech might also be a powerful force of equality as it has been improving the work-remote trend for years. People will no longer have to leave their societies to gain good job chances – this will help areas of concern by closing businesses. Similarly, technology promotes education directly to the most remote corners of the world and those struggling to pay for value education. Hopefully, tech can lessen sexism and racism as development depends on outcomes delivered. With tech services everywhere and broadly available, there are vast chances for females to lead and minority-led startups to maintain.

Likewise, tech could play a vital role in accomplishing a wide variety, inclusion, and equality inside the organization where sexism and racism have stopped people’s progress for decades. The technology could help break these walls, as discovered in a current report introduced by Deloitte, which follow-ups that tech leaders must take the lead in introducing more chances for minorities and women. Tech leaders can play a vital role as strategic partners through designing, executing, and developing tech-enabled solutions to address progressively complicated difficulties. They could help recognize areas that lack equality and diversity by re-engineering the managed, collected, reported, and analyzed path.

This path begins with how talent is hired and identified by the management culture of companies. Tech leaders can also give the technical, strategic, and expertise vision needed to miss solutions that extend the workforce development, ultimately entrenching them into the company’s tech stack and process to determine equity, diversity, and inclusion overall in the office.

There are some areas where technology can make variations.

Advancement and Recruitment

Equipment can help to recognize, advance, and develop a more assorted talent pool. Recognize and address persuasive language to maintain awareness of potential bias by AI—access pools of capable, diverse applicants by applicant search platforms. Accurately recognize ideal job applicants or advertisements by AI, automation, and machine learning.

Leadership and Culture

Equipment can assist leaders in creating a comprehensive culture involving retention and engagement of various talent sustenance exertions to create belonging and inclusion in teams using community-building social platforms and organizational network analysis. Machine learning and natural language processing can boost more impartial productivity reviews. Increasing understanding of behavior variations requires maintaining a comprehensive leader using behavioral assessment equipment and learning platforms.

Insights and Measurements

You can utilize analytics and data equipment to start an organization from zero-measure development and deliver tortious insights. Screen equity, inclusion, and diversity KPIs involving advancement and compensation equity using progressive analytics data, interactive dashboards, and data visualization. Forecast which employee probably leaves using predictive forecasting models to mediate proactively and innovative analytics to estimate quantitative and qualitative equity, inclusion, and diversity results.

Of course, all the best knowledge on the globe cannot eliminate sexism and racism alone. People must fight these evils with education, empathy, and expressive actions. Notably, tech used correctly can support human consistency, fairness, and objectivity. Still, it will just work when backed by continuing leadership promise to create a diverse workforce, inclusive culture, and unbiased environment—time to maintain and give chances for all.

Bottom Line  

Information technology is now emerging day by day. It replaces all traditional and manual methods with automation and advancement like recruitment, had been done by analyzing every candidate manually, but this is a complicated and time-consuming process replaced by technology. AI has made this process easier by introducing new and innovative methods that help recruit a perfect candidate per the requirement.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Reviewed By: Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.

See Full Bio

Not every project manager can be an entrepreneur, but all entrepreneurs must be project managers to run their businesses successfully. Whether it is about a startup or securing an investment that involves a series of steps, it must be dealt with as a project. While many elements of project management remain the same for both startups and corporations alike, small businesses have a slightly different approach from large organizations.

In large organizations, disciplines, and principles are usually taken for granted, including teamwork on standard processes and within a defined system of steps with clear scope and timelines. However, in small-scale businesses, the project management teams are not as established, and there is often a controlling environment. The owner usually takes on the role of project manager, which is more expansive than larger organizations. They rarely have formal training as a project manager, which is a drawback. 

Principles of Project Management 

The basic principles of project management that help founders and owners of startups include goal establishment, setting strategy, planning, and implementing actions. Weekly prioritization and tracking of these actions until completion should occur, and separate management and strategic meetings might be needed to assign and track these actions. A development plan for the business should be created against these goals and used as a filter to evaluate progress according to that plan.

Communication, setting achievable goals, and organizing new plans are among the project management skills that are most useful in developing a platform. These skills are essential for every entrepreneur to become successful.

Starting a business is a project with various milestones to meet if you want to run it successfully. Project management teaches people the skills to develop the mindset necessary to overcome challenges.

Learning what true leadership means, balancing motivation, mediating, and inspiring people is one of the essential project management practices. However, you cannot be a great leader if you cannot communicate correctly. Project management also requires understanding people, listening to their concerns, and resolving their queries. As an entrepreneur, you must become a good project manager and an example for others.

Advantages of Project Management in Startups

Startups usually have a limited number of projects associated and cannot afford to lose any of them. To ensure that everything remains in proper order, completing the projects within the given timelines and according to requirements is essential. Project management ensures that every project remains within timelines and is completed accordingly.

The task window is essential for any project, and a single mistake can jeopardize the whole project. Project management divides all these tasks and creates an effective workflow to prevent disorganization. It helps to identify all stages that need completion before moving to the final phase.

Risks are also essential to a business and are associated with almost all projects. To minimize the chances of failure, you must identify the risks involved. It would help if you tried to identify what actions can cause the project to go off-track. Project management allows users to assess all the potential risks and take necessary actions to prevent their impact on the project. An integral part of project management is risk mitigation. Not every project can go according to plan, and there are hurdles along the way that project management helps identify.

The successful completion of projects requires their completion within budget and timelines. Every project has a cost that you need to control for successful completion. Project management helps identify the initial cost and the steps necessary to stay within budget. Project management gives an effective resource allocation that pinpoints activities for completion.

Final Word

Project management is essential to every small business, as entrepreneurs need to ensure everything operates smoothly. Therefore, it is a must-have tool for your startup. With effective project management, you never have to worry about missing any project details or completion date.

You can smooth every activity from the initial level to the final phase easily through project management. As the startup owner, you must embrace this importance and make it a part of your organization.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity. Reviewed By: Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen

Brittany McMillen is a seasoned Marketing Manager with a sharp eye for strategy and storytelling. With a background in digital marketing, brand development, and customer engagement, she brings a results-driven mindset to every project. Brittany specializes in crafting compelling content and optimizing user experiences that convert. When she’s not reviewing content, she’s exploring the latest marketing trends or championing small business success.

See Full Bio

What is the Internal Rate of Return (IRR)?

According to Expansion, “The IRR of a financial debt asset is that one rate of discount or discount that equals the price of a bond with the flow of payments generated by the bond. In the case of debt assets, it is an indicator that reports on the average annual return on the maturity of a bond or obligation. It is useful when comparing bonds with various characteristics, coupons, and maturities. “

What is the Coupon, and How Does it Differ from the IRR (Yield)?

The coupon is the interest the bondholder will receive periodically for lending money to the issuing company/state. It is a fixed percentage established contractually, expressed in the bond’s prospectus.

The bonds become issued with a nominal value of $100 (or any of its multiples). This is when the coupon matches the return. Once they start trading on the market, their prices fluctuate according to supply and demand. In these cases, it is where the IRR can get away from the coupon. Each investor will buy the flow of funds (coupons + capital amortizations) at a specific value given by the current bond price. This price will determine the performance of each investor.

What is the Relationship Between the IRR and the Price of the Bond?

The price of a bond is based on its performance and has an inverse relationship. If the bond price drops, we buy it cheaper, so we have more profitability, and the IRR will increase. In other words, the investor is willing to pay less for the same flow of funds. If, on the contrary, the bond price goes up, we will buy it more expensive so that we will obtain less profitability, and the IRR will go down. In other words, the investor is willing to pay more for the same cash flow and coupon.

Issues to consider

The IRR calculated at the time of investing in the return that we will obtain at the end of the term and includes three elements:

• Coupons receivable throughout the life of the voucher
• Collection of the principal (capital amortizations)
• Reinvestment of coupons

What conclusions can we obtain?

For each sheet with a nominal value of $100, we will receive $8,375 annually in interest to be paid semi-annually.

• The bond is quoted on par. The purchase price is $117 (greater than $100).
• Consequently, the 8.375% coupon is higher than the 6.71% yield.
• The company will only obtain a yield of 6.71% if we keep the bond until maturity and reinvest the coupons to this same IRR. If we do it at a lower rate, we will obtain a lower yield; if it is at a higher rate, the product will increase.

With a duration of 10.04, the investment is expected to recover in about ten years.

American Market

The actions ended the session on Friday with a massive rally that helped push them to end the week with solid gains. The barrel price presented a recovery, and the shares responded accordingly. The US consumer sector is currently the leading economy. The supply of properties is limited, which helps maintain and even increase prices, but this situation can be reversed if wages do not improve.  

The Bank of Japan also contributed to Friday’s rally after unexpectedly adopting a hostile interest rate policy for the first time. We should remain skeptical of the real benefits of this policy, given that Europe failed, although it is a sign that central banks are willing to act on the matter. 

The S&P 500 Index (SPX) rose 1.7% in the week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average ($ DJI) increased the indexes by 2.3%. The Nasdaq (QQQ) had a minimum rise of 0.03%, while the small caps (RUT, IWM) rose 1.5%. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) is outside correction territory, but markets are expected to remain volatile. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

A mortgage loan is a loan taken by an individual to purchase real estate or by property owners to raise money for any other transaction by mortgaging their property. A mortgage loan is one of the most common loans taken by individuals and businesses. Mortgage loans have an interest rate and amortize over some time, usually 30 years. This article discusses various types of mortgage loans and helps you decide the right one for you!

Fixed-Rate Loans

A fixed-rate loan is one of the most uncomplicated mortgage loans. The borrower must pay a single monthly interest rate, which usually ranges between 15-30%. The loan is for homeowners who avoid taking risks and want to pay a fixed amount until the life of the loan. The changes in the interest rate in the economy will not impact the mortgage loan; therefore, the borrower enjoys high predictability. However, a Fixed-Rate Loan is not for people who plan on moving to another house soon.

FHA Loan

An FHA loan is a type of mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration and is very popular amongst people buying their first home. The loan allows a down payment of 3.5% for people with a score above 580. The loan for people with credit scores between 500-579 gets a 10% down payment. The interest will be higher for people with low credit scores. To get an FHA loan, the borrower must be at least two years out of bankruptcy with a well-established credit score after the bankruptcy. 

Conventional Mortgages

A conventional mortgage is a mortgage that the federal government does not insure. There are two types of traditional loans: non-conforming and conforming loans. A conforming loan is a loan that is within limits set by Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. Non-conforming loans do not meet any such guidelines. The lenders pay private mortgage insurance on various conventional loans when 20% of the purchase price of the real estate is settled. The overall cost of borrowing a traditional mortgage is lower than other mortgages. However, sometimes the interest rate is higher. 

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage

An adjustable-rate mortgage has an interest that keeps changing throughout the loan, with the country’s interest rate changing. The loan initially has a fixed interest rate for five to ten years, after which the interest rate changes as per the prevailing interest rate. The variable interest rate is based on an index rate benchmark that varies with the market conditions. The borrower enjoys a lower interest rate in the fixed-rate period than a traditional fixed-rate loan. 

Non-Confirming Loans

Non-conforming loans are loans that exceed the limits of conforming loans. The conforming loan limit Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac set is $424,100 for the United States. The loan limit may go up to $635,050 for high-cost areas of the United States. 

There are various types of Conforming Loans. A Jumbo Loan is a loan given to borrowers when the limit of their respective area has been exceeded. However, since the amount is higher, the Jumbo Loan is difficult to get. Most lenders require a score above 680 to qualify for the Jumbo Loan and a 15% – 20% down payment. Jumbo Loans go over 1 million and are called Super Jumbo Loans. Lenders may give up to 3 million to borrowers with an excellent credit score. 

Cash-Out Refinance

A Cash-Out Refinance means that the mortgage is refinanced, and the cash is acquired using the house’s equity. The borrower will have to make one monthly mortgage payment, and the interest rates are lower than other equity loans. You can cash around 80% of the house’s value with the Cas-Out Refinance loan. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Among the many mistakes you can make in finance, one of the most damaging is extra expenses. We often lie to ourselves to make certain purchases and not feel guilty. But to tell you the truth, we could use our money better or even wait to buy it comfortably.

Unnecessary Expenses

You don’t necessarily have to be going through the wrong economic time to eliminate this type of expense. It never hurts to modify our habits that affect finances. We have a list of the most prominent and, without a doubt, those you can do without it.

1. Clothing for events

It is usually an enormous expense and an article you cannot use very often. There is always the option of renting a suit or dress, so you do not have to spend large amounts. Besides, most of the time, after using it, you should send it to the dry cleaner or to a special wash, which is also not economical. As another option, you can also borrow from your friends.

2. Prepared and cut foods

It is undoubtedly very comfortable, but such products have a higher cost to save a few minutes. What you can do is better organize your time to save this money.

3. Gym clothes

Apart from the sneakers, any other garment you use will not affect your physical activity performance. The primary use of sportswear will be to soak in sweat. That is why you should wear an old shirt or shorts, instead of expensive ones. When you go to the gym or go jogging, it is an activity to develop. You do not do it so that your clothes combine or try to get a partner. If this is the best case, you should visit restaurants or clubs.

4. Newspapers and magazines

More and more in past generations sitting down to read the newspaper and magazines while having coffee. Now, the information is usually consumed electronically. Even so, most newspapers and magazines are complimentary. While taking care of the environment, it saves money by buying magazines and printed newspapers. Although some have a cost in their electronic version, this is usually much lower for a monthly or annual subscription than the printed version.

5. USB storage memories

These types of products are offered because people are buying fewer and fewer memories. With so much technology available, sending the information through email, shared documents, or uploading it to the cloud is possible. All this is because its primary use is transporting or sending documents to print or delivering jobs and tasks.

6. Expensive appliances

It is not necessary to have a machine for hot sandwiches or to make waffles. You can certainly survive without these appliances. They are not cheap products, and you can also find alternatives such as bread in the pan, toaster, or hotcakes. These types of products are known as luxury and impractical products.

7. Lack of personal awareness

You must have self-awareness, as it can severely affect your finances if you don’t have it. It also makes all the difference in your mindset around your money. Your financial progress will be ruined and quickly out to creep. It will happen when you don’t know about yourself and your money tendencies.

You must know which thing you are attracting, and you should protect yourself. Make sure you want to be a spender or saver. You must know you are a nerd or an unpaid spirit. Is your safety valuable or status? Take classes of a free quiz to find the reason behind handling the income you wish. Learning how to break lousy money habits for good would be best.

8. Money management resources

With complete financial knowledge, people quickly transform their passion into a profession. If you want to manage your cash rightly and have some exciting stories, you can get the best financial advice from an expert. By learning inspiring stories, you can efficiently focus on the best version of yourself in finance and investment. Be careful while following the expert’s advice, as you should take the core pieces of advice that can help you solve your savings. If your financial jargon may be out of your league, apply more for those kernels of wisdom.

You should always keep yourself well-informed, and practice sound financial management. As a result, you can become the best personal financial expert, or you must hire thousands. If you are not a millionaire, you should share your content and strive to exercise your expertise on the right track to manage your money. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Asking for a salary increment from your boss is probably like paying taxes, and cleaning gutters is your favorite thing to do. But having a freezing salary lets you compel for this request.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, from 2012 to 2013, American compensation increased by around 1.9%. According to the research of executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group in the US, the settlement of senior executives who transferred last year increased up to 17%. Now, you dare to speak up for your salary increment as you should.

Asking for a salary increase is something deeply rooted in Anglo-Saxon culture. However, here we are still “afraid” of asking for something that undoubtedly corresponds to us if we have been doing our job well. Let’s see what you can do to ask your boss if it is time to raise your salary.

1. Choose the time to ask for the salary increase

The first thing you must do is find the right time. If you have been in the company for a while, you already know whether it works well. You will even know how to detect the signs that indicate if you are in a moment of prosperity or if problems are coming.

2. Follow the internal protocol

Your performance may be so good that you deserve a salary increase. But your request may fall into the broken sack if you ask for it inappropriately or to someone with no decision-making capacity on this issue.

Each company has an internal protocol for this type of thing. You should know the one that applies to yours. The best thing is to make the process as formal as possible. Please don’t talk about it. They are your boss while you drink coffee or comment on it while preparing for a meeting. Please make an appointment with him, indicating the topic you want to discuss.

3. Prepare your exhibition

Indeed, in your company, they already know how valuable you are. Still, if you ask for a salary increase, you must “sell” a bit, highlighting all the good you have contributed and can contribute. You better not leave anything to improvise. Prepare a small script that collects all your arguments a few days before the meeting.

4. Prepare the documentation

When talking to your boss, we have just pointed out that there is nothing about looking at the “chop” with the script to defend your arguments. But what you should have on hand and show your interlocutor are the documents that can help your opinion.

You should bring documents highlighting your value in the company: essential reports that you have prepared, over time that you have done, and tasks that are not your own and that you have appropriately done when replacing a partner, etc.

5. Don’t focus only on yourself

If you ask for a salary increase, the conversation will revolve around you. Still, it would be best not to forget to value the company. Let your boss know you are comfortable with your work and appreciate what the company brings you. You want this relationship to be long-term because of what you contribute to the company and what she brings to you. A salary increase would help strengthen that relationship.

6. Ask without demanding and without specifying

If you have decided to be brave and ask for a raise, do not back down when asking, but do it with discretion. Experts advise not to ask for a specific figure. Instead of asking for a certain amount, propose an upward revision of the salary range to your interlocutor. In this way, you are leaving the decision on how much you can increase your salary.

7. What should you do at the time of request rejection?

Undoubtedly, hearing or facing rejection is the most challenging feeling. But don’t give up or be discouraged. Ask in a simple tone when you will get a raise in salary in the future. It will be the green signal if your boss makes an excuse for the poorly structured company. If your boss explains how to step forward your game for the coming go-round, it won’t be the end of the story.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Investments come in many forms. You can invest in businesses, stocks, bonds, and many other options. However, real estate investing is unique in several ways. When many think of investing in real estate, they envision it as costly.

Purchasing property can be expensive. However, there are ways to invest in real estate, even if negative financial issues prevent you from investing. Also, real estate investment comes in many forms and may involve several properties. There are many reasons for using this option, and it may vary from one person to another.

How to make a profit? What are the risks? What about taxation? What are the different types of real estate investments that exist? Here are the answers to these questions and the reasons you should consider investing in real estate.

• Establishing a Legacy: Though many of us invest to earn income, you should also consider what you leave behind for your family. It would help to believe what you leave behind for your children and grandchildren. Everyone wants to leave behind a mark. Setting your family up for the future is a priority when making investments.

• Preparing for Retirement: Another reason to invest in real estate is to finance your retirement. Most people reaching retirement age will not make ends meet, relying strictly on social security. Real estate can help solve this issue and give you peace of mind during retirement.

• Save on Taxes: Real estate often has significant tax breaks. Those who understand tax exemptions have understood the principle and indulged them to their heart’s content. However, it is essential to remember to focus on the bottom line. While reducing taxes, you should also be able to grow your net income.

• The Enjoyment of Owning Real Estate: Owning real estate and using it as income can be completely satisfying. Many people look at the financial bottom line and don’t realize that investing in real estate can be fun and profitable. Owning and managing real estate can be a highly satisfying investment opportunity.
• Real Estate is Here to Stay: While many other investment opportunities may be a trend or short-term, real estate is an investment that will never become obsolete. Until the end of time, people will need a place to live. Though real estate and homes may change with innovation, the basic need for housing will not change.

Why Should You Invest in Real Estate?

As an active person, it is essential to build up savings. The rental is recommended if there are many opportunities for real estate investment. This makes it easier to build your wealth and grow it over time. As for the question of where to invest, you should choose a city with high dynamism. Only in this way can you ensure good profitability.

Some people opt to invest in beautiful neighborhoods. Only it is not always paying. You will benefit more from a small studio in a high-traffic area than a house in a nice neighborhood. In this case, the price per square meter is relatively high, directly affecting the rent. As a result, the room for maneuvering is reduced, and your customers are, too.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, real estate has become a solution to find many people securing their assets. This is why the market has continued to increase and has more enticing offers than others. Some people use intermediaries, but is this a good option? Everything depends, but some owners prefer to delegate the various administrative procedures. 

The advantage of this option is that you can go to other occupations while looking for tenants. As can be imagined, the intermediary will be paid for the services rendered. By using a real estate agency, you will pay a fee. This is why it is recommended to evaluate the situation before starting.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

It doesn’t matter if an entrepreneur is beginning with their venture or has already been operating in their market for quite some time; growing competition hurts every business. However, it simultaneously brings the best out of every business and helps them grow and expand rapidly. If you searched for some marketing tidbits online, you would have most likely come across the profiles of many marketing gurus who claim they have the secrets to achieve marketing success.

The marketing sector is, however, not that easy to get a hold of. Marketing strategies and techniques are changing almost daily, and we have new research related to this field nearly every other day. With constant evolution, it is difficult to tell which marketing technique is best suited for a business and whether conventional marketing methods would work for that business according to its nature or not.

Even with the latest digital marketing methods, there is no way a business can grow its brand overnight. There is no shortcut in this field. As a famous quote says, “Rome wasn’t built in a single day, but they had to work for it every single day.” This quote best explains the marketing world; it is a slow and steady process, but results are guaranteed if you work your way through the right approach.

Many scammers fool small business owners with marketing hacks and shortcuts, but the fact is, there aren’t any. These scammers often de-track entrepreneurs from the actual path of success by spamming them with rapid success ideas. Their sole purpose is to grab entrepreneurs’ attention via catchy phrases and bind them with a marketing campaign that will take time and produce the desired results.

If we talk about digital marketing of the present era, brands will eventually have the required audience on their websites if they stick to the right approach and not for scams. Although no digital marketing technique would fit all types of businesses, an entrepreneur must recognize their business’s needs and choose the digital marketing approach accordingly. Many infamous yet influential tricks in digital marketing can do the job for you if you are looking to up your business’ marketing game.

Marketing is indeed a marathon, not a sprint. Here are some hidden digital marketing secrets that will help you build better and long-term customer relations and help you provide your brand with a boost.

The 80:20 Rule

As an entrepreneur, you must have observed that your brand interaction with its target audience is significantly less through your online content. Most of your customer interaction occurs due to your involvement with other brands, content, and customers.

It is called the 80:20 rule. Your brand should approach its target audience via 20% of its content and 80% of other brands’ content and customer engagement.

Paid Social Media Promotions

Many entrepreneurs claim that their social media marketing campaigns didn’t work for the first. They commit a common mistake because they don’t promote their brands through ads on various social media platforms for the second or third time. Paid social media promotions are cheap and effective. They might not produce results for the first time, but there are endless marketing possibilities for brands via this channel, and luck finally does its job.

With algorithms of social media platforms changing daily, it might be challenging for brands to communicate their message across their target audience, let alone make new customers. Still, social media is an effective way to expand your customer reach, as most of a brand’s target audience is available online throughout the day.

Influencer Marketing

Influencers are people or organizations that have a solid online presence. Getting help from them to promote the content has been an effective way for brands to channel their offerings in the market. Through an influencer, a brand can quickly expand its customer reach as the influencer brings their traffic to the client brand’s website.

Video Marketing

Video marketing is another practical way for brands to get their message across the market. The perks of video marketing are that this type of content is creative and engaging. People tend to pay more attention to videos, which makes this technique highly effective in gaining quick organic traffic.

There are many other tips and tricks associated with the field of digital marketing that brands implement to boost their marketing reach.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

If you live in a connected society where homes are connected, they must be protected. Internet of Things (IoT) devices are the basic technology behind smart homes. While the updated devices have addressed areas that made their predecessors weak to safety breaches, the onus is ongoing to ensure their IoT security is updated.

Here are some steps that homeowners must take to save their IoT devices from hacks and keep their homes and data safe from nasty users.

Segment Your Network

Suppose the system is breached so part of your system can separate the network, thus justifying the zero-day exploit effect. Group the networks so that you can handle network access by producers and users.

Install the Latest Security Patches

Ensure that your IoT has updated security patches installed, and closely check what ports are open and visible to the outside world from your device. It will have your border under control, while security patches will assist you in fighting against the latest intimidations developing on the market.

Use Multifactor Authentication

If you have multiple options, use multifactor authentication with the help of your IoT devices. Multifactor or two-factor authentication requires you to log in with a second code, generally sent by email or tage. You can use this strategy to add a layer of security to your device, which will assist in keeping your data safe.

Keep Your Router Updated

Keep not only your passwords changed daily or IoT devices patched but the outer as well, as it is frequently the first line of protection.

Have a Firm Password Policy

IoT systems or devices are sometimes hackers because a default or weak password is never changed. Passwords to control your device or connect to your network must be complex, with a minimum of 15 characters, and to be extra safe, you must change them daily.

Take a Layered Approach

Those days are over when you are only required to save the front door; there is no additional front door, meaning a layered way to safety is significant. Use well-known tools for logging, monitoring, intrusion detection, and antimalware. Be on the lookout for any growth in irregular traffic, whether messaging network or system practice, which is a top sign you have been hacked.

Maintain a Global Access Map

As customers use more connected appliances and devices at home, handling a global access map is significant to have strong visibility of who can access what. One weakness is when voice assistants are near visible windows and doors while taking critical actions such as opening a service department or turning on an oven.

Don’t Use the Default Setting

Cross-check that you are not using the manufacturer’s default safety settings. A general mistake is that customers take for granted that the default setting on WIFI and other connected devices is enough. They do not entirely audit your default settings to ensure multifactor and firewall authentication is active—the ad above all strengths and changes your password.

Ask the Manufacturer about TLS/SSL

The question is whether the manufacturer handles transport layer security (TLS) or secure socket layer (SSL). We are all aware of sites utilizing security certificates. Every time you see the HTTP alter to HTTPS, there is a certificate to play. IoT devices call a website only as a browser does. The issue is that too many IoT devices call sites without much security, asking the manufacturer regarding TlS/SSL.

Create a Separate Registration Email

Please make a separate email codename for all the registrations (in place of your casual one) and utilize it. Think the least privileged and provide access to things needed for it to work. Ask yourself. “do I require that?” the best safety is “no.” as I once told a customer,” You want this system to be completely safe.” Then don’t take it out of the box.

Bottom Line

Internet of Things is the latest innovation in the technology sector and a significant step towards automation. Security is the initial factor of life except for basic needs, and home security is one of its parts. IoT plays a prominent role in smart home security.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.