NebulaBiz Cash Advance Melbourne Fl: August 2018

Friday, August 31, 2018

Understanding Indemnity Agreements and How They Can Protect Your Business

By Tina Gehres

Contract law allows business owners various mechanisms to mitigate the risk of a potentially crippling lawsuit in the case of an accident or loss. The indemnity agreement is one of the most common contracts used to provide this type of protection.

While many contractual terms are somewhat self-explanatory, “indemnity” is a word you might not be familiar with. With expertise pulled from experienced business attorneys in San Diego, this article will explain what indemnity means, how an indemnity agreement works, and why indemnity is so important to establish contractually.

Defining “indemnity”

Indemnity is generally defined as protection against a loss. While indemnity is somewhat synonymous with reimbursement, the Latin root indemnis, which means to eliminate damage or harm, explains the legal interpretation of indemnity as “to hold harmless.”

If you indemnify someone, you are absolving them from responsibility or liability—and perhaps also reimbursing them—for damage, loss, or financial burden.

Purpose of an indemnity agreement

Businesses use indemnity agreements to reduce their liability for unforeseen damages or losses that might take place during a transaction or engagement. Without an indemnity agreement, the business can be subject to legal claims, suits, actions, and judgments arising from a mishap or misfortune. Indemnity is often written as a clause, although it can also serve as a standalone contract.

Indemnity agreement terminology

In an indemnity agreement, the indemnitee is the party being protected, and the indemnifier is the party agreeing to minimize harm or “hold harmless.” An indemnity agreement might also be called a hold harmless agreement, waiver of liability, or release of liability. The language within the agreement can vary depending on the state, industry, and terms.

Note that the terms can get rather complex, because they describe the conditions under which the indemnitee will be held harmless, as well as the exclusions.

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Business-to-business use cases

Indemnity agreements are frequently used in construction, in which a contractor might ask subcontractors to sign an agreement in case they are injured on the job. A broad form indemnity, or “no-fault,” agreement places liability for any losses solely on the subcontractor. A limited indemnity agreement holds the subcontractor responsible for damages resulting from their own negligence or other conduct as defined in the agreement. As a rule of thumb, subcontracting any service should involve an indemnity agreement for the contractor.

Employee use cases

Workplace injuries are typically covered by workers’ comp, which is not waivable by employees. For this reason, indemnity provisions are rarely included in an employment agreement. However, a severance agreement in which an employee is receiving a sum of money in return for a release of all claims, known and unknown, might include an indemnity clause.

Business-to-consumer use case

If you have ever been skiing, skydiving, parasailing, or participated in any other activity involving a third party and a risk of injury—amusement park rides included—you have probably signed an indemnity agreement. Businesses offering potentially dangerous activities use indemnity agreements to mitigate the financial burden if an accident were to occur under their watch and/or on their property. Rental car companies rely on indemnity agreements, as well, to protect against lawsuits stemming from auto accidents involving their vehicles and customers.

Word of advice

Composing an indemnity agreement isn’t as simple as excusing yourself from liability. There are many factors to consider, and many terms that must be carefully worded. You also need to ensure sure your agreement is reasonable, ethical, and enforceable (for example, broad form indemnity has been outlawed in many states). Be sure to seek the advice of a business attorney who understands both the language of contract law and the importance of protecting your business.

About the Author

Post by: Tina Gehres

Tina K. Gehres is the President and founder of Gehres Law Group, P.C., which she formed to provide affordable legal services to small businesses and individuals in the state of California. With more than two and a half decades of legal and business experience, Tina has held a broad range of roles including Corporate Counsel, Director of Human Resources, Law Firm Partner, Legal Consultant, and Senior Accountant. Today, she has positioned herself as a valuable asset to clients as a small business attorney in San Diego and surrounding areas.

Company: Gehres Law Group, P.C.
Website: www.gehreslaw.com

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How to Squeeze the Most Money Out of Your Company With a DIY Sale

With the huge group of baby boomers hitting retirement age, we’re seeing a lot of businesses up for sale—and Gen-Xers won’t be far behind.

When the time to exit rolls around, it’s extremely important to get the most value out of your company, because there are no “do-overs” when exiting your business.

Consequently, a large and growing industry has developed around the business of selling businesses. Not to question the value of those in these ancillary businesses, but let’s face it: They all take a share of your money, and the goal of selling your business is to end up with the biggest chunk of change in your pocket. Right?

This is why if you decide to sell your company, you need to explore all your options before you commit to one path. There might be popular business brokers in your community that are recommended, but they are going to take at least 10% of your proceeds, so don’t sign on with anyone just because of convenience.

Take a long look at doing a DIY or hybrid DIY sale of your business. I recommend this approach because today—more than ever before—you have excellent free resources available to you, including:

Free advice from experienced retired owners and executives,
Excellent internet assets, and
A dedicated Small Business Administration (SBA).

Start early

The first major guidance for squeezing the most money out of the sale of your company is to start early. And, by early I’m talking years . . . like five years or so. Any sale that has to happen within a short time frame is almost doomed from the get-go. When you know you have to sell by a certain date, you’re forced to be more receptive to offers that you might otherwise never consider. Further, early succession planning will pay dividends from the day you begin to the day you sell.

Again, the good news is you have great DIY resources available to help you get your business in shape to command its greatest selling price on the day you are ready to put it on the market. There are good articles on the internet that will give you an overview of the steps you should take to groom your business in preparation for a sale, and this is where you should begin.

However, on a crucial issue like this, you don’t want to trust completely in “book learning.” This is a situation where the old saying about two heads being better than one applies. There’s a good chance you’re not too far away from an excellent SCORE mentor who has experience in your industry and with selling businesses. And even if you can’t find someone nearby, you can connect via email and video chat.

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Market your business

As I wrote earlier, brokers are going to take a minimum 10% cut. It’s true they provide good services for their share of the pot, but the internet has leveled the playing field in one of the most important services they provide: Marketing your business.

Almost every purchase today begins with a search on the internet, and I don’t think the shoppers looking to buy your business are any different. Any business broker is going to advertise on the internet, but you can do that without a broker.

If you’re unfamiliar with placing ads on search engines, check out the services offered by DIY business-selling sites like ExitAdviser, which include advertising credits and marketing guidance, as well as DIY tools that let you measure the readiness of your business for sale and estimate a value for your business, among other services.

Start the final countdown

When crunch time arrives for completing the sale, there are some legal and financial matters to take care of. The SBA offers an excellent 30-minute video exercise “Selling Your Business” that sheds light on some of these important issues.

Because you don’t want to make mistakes closing the sale or not be prepared for the tax implications, it’s a good idea to connect with an attorney and an accountant as you get closer to your actual sale. That’s why I mentioned the “hybrid DIY” option earlier. Despite the fact that their fees will slightly lessen your proceeds, the risks you take by trying to work without them outweigh the cost of the security you receive by working with them.

I know that a DIY business sale isn’t for everyone, but I strongly urge you to investigate this option before you sign on with a broker. Talk to others who have chosen this route and then honestly evaluate how much time you’ll have to work on your own sale.

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How Implementing a 4-Day Work Week Can Benefit Your Business

In 1908, a New England cotton mill instituted the first rule that Jewish workers would not have to work on Saturdays, their Sabbath. A few years later, in 1926, Henry Ford opted to close his factories on Sunday, too—and so began the five-day work week as we know it.

For nearly a century, businesses have operated under the standard that offices are open Monday through Friday during the day. However, as technology has made remote work options more prolific, and millennials demand flexibility in their jobs, our work week is being challenged. One New Zealand company, Perpetual Guardian, has put an end to the traditional five-day office schedule.

Work life at Perpetual Guardian

Perpetual Guardian manages trusts, wills, and estates, and employs 240 people. In March 2018, the company conducted a two-month experiment where it transitioned away from the traditional 40-hour work week and reduced its office hours to 32 hours a week, giving employees three days off per week, instead of the standard two-day weekend.

But here’s the critical part: Even with a reduction in work hours, employee compensation stayed the same; employees did not see any decrease in their paychecks and were paid for 40 hours of work. There are many businesses that have reduced the hours of their employees, but the employees are being paid accordingly. This was not the case with Perpetual Guardian’s operational adjustment.

The firm didn’t conduct this experiment without being close watched, however. It invited a team of researchers to observe the effect of the reduction in hours on both the firm’s productivity and its employees’ well-being. Here’s what the research found:

Better work-life balance. Perhaps least surprising was the improvement on employees’ work-life balance. By having more time away from the office to do things like exercise, cook, garden, and be with their families, employees reported a 24% improvement in their personal and professional lives. They were able to take deep breaths and be out of the office without guilt.

Better on-the-job performance. Supervisors said that their teams performed better at work. More specifically, management saw an increase in their teams’ creativity. When employees came to work, they were more energized and eager to dive in than before.

Less time off. As a result of having more time off, employees’ at-work attendance went up. Employees showed up on time to work and didn’t feel the need to take long lunch breaks. It was rare that people left early. This reduction in time off led to more in-office consistency, which ultimately served to boost productivity.

Increased productivity. The firm said that by reducing work hours, it actually saw an increase in productivity across the board. This is because employees managed their time better while they were in the office by cutting back on meeting times and giving signals to colleagues when they needed to focus. As a result, employees made an effort to maximize their in-office time, which caused them to be smarter about choosing which tasks to work on.

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Can this be replicated?

The positive results—better work-life balance, improved on-the-job performance, fewer requests for time off, and increased productivity—sound compelling enough to consider rolling out this work schedule across all industries. The question then becomes, can this approach be replicated regardless of company or size? The answer remains unclear.

Some businesses have hours that must be filled. With fewer staff hours to fill those slots, it can leave a company short-handed and require the business to hire more people to make up the difference. This extra need to hire could be more costly than beneficial in the long run.

It’s worth a try

Although it worked well for this New Zealand company, it’s not a surefire guarantee that it’ll do the same for yours. The key is to take Perpetual Guardian’s example and see if you can fit it into your business for a short period of time. Watch what happens to your team’s overall happiness. If you see the same benefits, it might be worth making it a permanent policy. But if it leaves you with more gaps in your schedule and higher hiring costs as a result, it might not be worth it.

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15 Ways to Help Your New Team Members Feel Welcome

As you add new members to your team, making them feel welcome can go a long way in helping the onboarding process go easier and more quickly. Your employees will appreciate the effort and will remember how you treated them as new hires.

That’s why we asked 15 successful entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

Q. When onboarding new team members, what is the best way to make them feel genuinely welcome?

1. Empower them to speak the truth

In our all-hands meetings, I make it a point that everyone witnesses an intern or new employee correcting a C-level person’s error. I make a clear and obvious error (like a spelling or mental math error) on purpose, and allow a new hire to speak up and correct me. All too often in the corporate world, speaking truth to power is a scary proposition, and doing this shows that our company isn’t like that. —Kevin Ryan Tao, NeuEve

2. Offer them independence

I’ve found the best way to make new team members feel welcome is to establish expectations from the beginning, while also trusting them to do their job and giving them the independence they need to be productive and meet deadlines. —Kristin Kimberly Marquet, Creative Development Agency, LLC

3. Get them some cake

Adding a personal touch can make a world of difference. For new hires, we’ve made a tradition out of bringing in a homemade cake (with a fondant company logo) to surprise them with when they walk in their first day. It not only shows that you care about them joining the team, but that you’re willing to spend your most valuable resource on them—your time. —Tim Chaves, ZipBooks Accounting Software

4. Eliminate first-day jitters

We implemented a full-day interview where candidates work alongside their prospective teams for a real “day in the life” experience. It’s an invaluable way to help us find people who are a best fit and a way for candidates to see if our company is a good fit for them. Most who’ve been through the process say that it eliminates first-day jitters—they already know the team! —David Greenberg, Updater

5. Offer flexibility

In my experience, if from the start you are able to genuinely communicate that you’re flexible and open to communication, while at the same time being firm in your expectations, you’ll be able to create respect in your new hires, as well as make them feel they are joining the right company. —Julian Montoya, JM11 Investments

6. Assign them a welcome buddy

Assign another employee to take a new hire out to lunch and be their unofficial “buddy” for the first few weeks of work. This is different from a manager who will do the more formal onboarding and training. A buddy can answer small but important questions about team culture, communication norms, where to find good coffee, etc., that will help the new hire feel comfortable and welcome. —Roger Lee, Human Interest

7. Spend some one-on-one time

I think it’s super important for new hires to have one-on-one chats with everyone in the company. Each person on my team is supposed to talk with new hires for a few minutes within the first week they arrive. Big groups can sometimes intimidate new people, but one-on-one time allows team members to find unusual hobbies or interests that they have in common. —Jessica Gonzalez, InCharged

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8. Show you care about their happiness

Showing we care about members’ happiness is a crucial way of making them feel welcome. One thing we do is ask them to share personal and professional dreams. We then create dream boards to display and help make those dreams come true. We periodically surprise them with “dreams-come-true” based on their dream boards—from trips to classes. This shows we care about them professionally and personally. —Adam Witty, Advantage Media Group

9. Ask them some funny questions

When onboarding new team members, have them get a little vulnerable in front of and with the team. It is a great way for people to learn about them and find commonalities. We ask a bunch of funny questions, some personal, but always respectful. It gets people connected beyond “where’d you work” and “where’d you grow up.” It’s easier to work together when you know each other’s most embarrassing moments! —Dan Golden, BFO (Be Found Online)

10. Offer in-depth training

Better training helps new team members get comfortable with their job quicker, and allows current team members to stay focused on their own work without having to worry about the new team member slowing their day down. This also helps new members feel more confident in their abilities to get over the learning curve and less like an annoyance to the current employees, asking for help only when needed. —Reuben Yonatan, GetVoIP

11. Create a personalized video and guide

Give them a personalized video and guide for their job that includes what you know about them already. Also offer ways to connect with others, and create a small event to host their welcome if they are local. —Angela Ruth, Calendar

12. Coordinate a meet-and-greet

Making the effort to coordinate a meet-and-greet in a new employee’s honor will definitely ease up any tension he or she might have about starting a new job. The quicker the employee is at feeling comfortable and settling in, the faster they can get to work! —Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.

13. Let them open up

A way I’ve found to effectively integrate a new hire into our team is to encourage them to open up about themselves through casual conversation. Allow them to take some time to meet the other team members, and may motivate them to share their passions. This will help them feel more comfortable in their work environment and can lead to fascinating insights that might inform future decisions. —Bryce Welker, Crush The PM Exam

14. Take them out to lunch or coffee

Taking a new employee out of the office and away from the work environment helps establish a trusting working relationship that can make all the difference in how dedicated that employee will be to your company’s vision. —Chris Quiocho, Offland Media

15. Build an animated GIF

As we’re rapidly expanding our team, we’ve become adept at welcoming new hires into the fold. As part of their initiation, we spotlight them in a welcome email, our monthly newsletter, and across our social media. And, to showcase their playful side, we capture their personality by turning them into an animated GIF! This helps break the ice, and hopefully, makes them feel genuinely welcome! —Stephen Ufford, Trulioo

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Hot Market Alert: Start a Senior Business

Are you ready to start your own business? Today’s hottest market, seniors, is ready to buy. Trendy millennial and Generation Z consumers, move aside. There’s a new consumer in town (well, actually, an old one): senior citizens.

Yes, the demographic incorporating the baby boomers is still a force to be reckoned with. Here’s what you need to know about starting a senior business.

Senior statistics

Not all seniors are baby boomers—but this generation does hold a special place. Currently between 54 and 72 years old, the boomers make up a large proportion of the senior population. However, many are also taking care of their parents, creating an additional market for products and services.

Many baby boomers are quite affluent, making them an ideal market for small businesses. Overall, the spending power of baby boomers is expected to reach $15 trillion worldwide by the end of 2019.

By 2030, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 National Population Projections, all of the baby boomers will be older than 65. At this time, one out of five U.S. residents will be of retirement age, and by 2060, people aged 65 and over will make up almost one-fourth of the population.

In fact, senior citizens are projected to outnumber children by 2035, when there will be 78 million people 65 years or up compared to 76.4 million age 17 or younger.

Clearly, seniors are a growth market. Here are eight ideas for businesses you can start to serve them.

Senior business ideas

1. Non-medical in-home care: Adult children often worry about aging parents living at home alone. Your service can ease their worries by helping senior clients with tasks of daily life, such as getting to and from appointments, shopping, cleaning, and cooking, so they’re able to stay in their homes longer. You’ll need to market the service to adult children, since few seniors will admit they need this type of care.

2. Senior care consultant: These professionals help find the best living arrangements for seniors, whether that is at home, daycare or a senior living facility. You’ll work with community services and local government agencies that help seniors to get client referrals.

3. Home services: More than eight in 10 (82%) of seniors own their own homes, but as they get older, they may prefer to have others handle the maintenance. Home-related services, such as housecleaning, lawn care, and handyman services aren’t just for seniors, but targeting this clientele can help you build a thriving business. Earn the trust of seniors and their adult children, and you’ll have more referrals than you can handle.

4. Home retrofitting/remodeling: Seniors who want to stay in their homes as long as possible are getting their homes retrofitted with things like wider doorways, shower grab bars, and other changes to make their homes safer and more accessible.

5. Travel company: Active seniors are eager to travel, and a travel business focused on senior or family travel can be a big hit. These days, many seniors are planning multi-generation vacations, “girlfriend getaways,” or vacations with grandchildren.

6. Medical claims assistance: If you’re familiar with health insurance, Medicare, and the healthcare industry, you can start a business to help seniors and their families manage medical bills. You’ll review bills and medical records to make sure seniors aren’t paying too much and are getting all of the benefits they’re entitled to. Market your services to senior centers, medical offices, and financial professionals that can refer you to potential clients.

7. Nutrition/fitness consultant: You can work with physical therapists, geriatric physicians, fitness centers, and other organizations targeting seniors to provide fitness and nutrition programs for their patients and/or customers. You can also market your services to individuals. Yoga, Pilates, dance, and swimming are popular exercise programs among seniors.

8. Senior transportation services: Seniors who can’t or don’t want to drive still need transportation to get to and from doctors’ appointments, to shop, or to get to social engagements. Their children aren’t always available to drive, taxis can get expensive, and even in areas with good public transportation, it can be hard for seniors to walk to bus or train stops. All of this spells opportunity for senior transportation services. Do your homework about your territory and market before starting this business. Find out what type of driver’s license and insurance is necessary.

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Senior business success secrets

To market your senior business, here are some things to remember:

Seniors don’t see themselves as “old.” (This is especially true if they’re boomers.) Your marketing should promote how your product or service helps seniors remain healthy, fit, and active.
Seniors need to trust you. Many senior businesses deal with sensitive data or work in seniors’ homes. To build trust with both seniors and their adult children, make sure your business is properly licensed, insured, and bonded (if that’s appropriate to your industry). Word-of-mouth is key because seniors are more likely to trust businesses that friends or relatives tell them about.
Market online and off. Yes, traditional marketing tactics such as print ads or direct mail work for many seniors—but the majority of seniors do use the internet. Target both seniors and the adult children buying for them with marketing that includes both digital and traditional marketing channels.

The market for senior-related products and services is only going to grow. How can you benefit from it?

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WordPress Basics for Small Businesses: Setting Up Your Blog and Website

In previous posts about why WordPress makes good sense as a website platform for small businesses, we explained the importance of choosing the right domain name, how to host your WordPress site, and picking the best WordPress plugins. In the final post of our four-part series, we want to share tips and strategies that didn’t fit in any of our previous posts:

WordPress themes

Themes can be thought of as templates that make it easy to create a website without needing a web designer or programmer. You can select a theme (free or with a fee) and use it out of the box, or you can customize the layout using coding skills—either yours or those of a trusted vendor.

There are literally thousands of themes available for WordPress and, when you consider that they can be customized, the possibilities are wide in scope, indeed. If we’re going to need a WordPress theme, we typically select one of the 30 or so available at StudioPress.com. After you’ve chosen your theme, you can install it and then activate it by going to the Appearance link in the backend of your WordPress dashboard, and then selecting Themes.

Adding pages

Fortunately, this process is pretty intuitive, and yet another reason why we recommend WordPress. When you go to the backend of your site, on your left-hand sidebar, you can select Pages and then click on the option to add a new page. This is how you add static pages, such as your “About Us” page, pages detailing your products and/or services, your “Contact” page, and so forth. Your static pages typically won’t need lots of updates (but do remember to update them when a change in your business causes that to be necessary).

Also, across the tops of websites are navigation menus that allow people to easily find and click on pages, such as a “Services” page. You’ll need to strategically pick five or six or so pages to include there; to create it, go to the Appearances section of your dashboard, and then to Menus.

WordPress home page

WordPress was initially intended to make it easy for people to set up blogs. As each new blog post appeared, the newest post showed up on the home page of the site and the rest got pushed further down. You could typically scroll down to see a few of the newest ones and then click a link to view previously published posts. And as long as you just used your WordPress platform for a blog, it worked just fine.

Over time, though, people have wanted to use WordPress as a business website. Here, it typically makes sense to have a static home page, rather than one that evolves as new blog posts go live, and your blog would be housed elsewhere on your site. To make this happen, you will need to create two new pages: one that will be your static home page, and the other the home for your blog posts.

We’ve created a couple of WordPress images in a blog post that will guide you through this process. (Note that, when we say “static,” that doesn’t mean you can never make changes to that page.) Also, review the images and instructions for installing Google Analytics and verifying it through Search Console. These are all important tasks, but beyond the scope of this post.

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Adding posts

Once you have your blog’s landing page set up, you can begin blogging with the posts chronologically displayed on your blog page (not your home page).

To add a blog, click on Posts in your WordPress dashboard, and then click on Add New. To organize topics of your posts, you can create categories and/or tags (setups for these are found under the Posts section of your dashboard). These help search engines and readers alike sort your content—(and can help you, as well!). Categories are broad topics, perhaps “trade show marketing,” whereas tags are more specific (“portable marketing signs,” “video use at shows”).

If you don’t set up categories, WordPress will default to “uncategorized.” Tags are optional.

Visibility settings

In today’s competitive world, it’s vital that search engines can find (“crawl”) your website and index its pages. Until pages and posts are indexed, they can’t be returned as search engine results. In other words, using the example from other parts of this series, if you sell blue widgets in Florida, you’d want to show up in Google search results if someone typed “blue widgets for sale in Florida,” right? To make that happen, your pages and posts need to be crawled and then indexed in Google. To that end, it’s crucial that you NOT click on the Search Engine Visibility setting in your WordPress dashboard. This setting tells Google to not index your pages and looks like this:

pasted image

If this is checked on a brand-new site, you’ve slowed down the process of getting indexed, which won’t start until you fix this error. If you’ve checked this on a site that already has Google rankings, then you’ve effectively de-indexed your site, which can cause you to lose all your hard-earned rankings (unless you catch this issue quickly enough).

Just don’t do this… please.

Closing thoughts

We hope you have enjoyed and benefited from our series on why WordPress is a good platform choice for small businesses. We invite you to consult the resources included in the posts if you have questions.

Don’t miss the other articles in this series:

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7 Time-Management Tips for Part-Time Entrepreneurs

By Toby Nwazor

When I first read Airbnb’s startup story about how the founders had to create a side hustle to keep their dream alive, it resonated with me. I remember how hard it was when I started my first business. For the first three months, I lived on the little savings I had, but after a while, I knew that something had to change.

My first line of action was to connect with an event planner. My weekdays were already pretty busy—I was a content developer on most weekdays—so I became part of an event management team during the weekends. I know what if feels like to need a side hustle, as I have had to juggle a lot of gigs and jobs many times in the past. The following tips are what I have learned over the years. They will help you manage your time more effectively as you run your side hustle.

1. Create an effective to-do list

An effective to-do list should be written the night before. It will help you prioritize your time and focus on the most important tasks, while eliminating the ones you can actually do without.

But there’s a catch: Make sure your to-do lists are realistic. Creating an impossible to-do list with 35 tasks to accomplish within 12 hours will drain you emotionally and get you frustrated. You don’t need that negative energy. Your list should only contain tasks and deadlines that you can actually accomplish.

2. Cut out distractions

Distractions include the television, social media notifications, and unnecessary chats with friends. When I decided to write this article, for instance, the first thing I did was put my phone on silent mode, then switch off my data. I didn’t need to see any social media or email notifications. This helped me to focus on what I was doing in a shorter amount of time, so I had the time to move on to the next task.

3. Are you a morning or a night person? It matters

Personally, I am a morning person. It means I feel more energetic in the morning and can wake up as early as 2 am to work. I have discovered over the years that I can accomplish more very early in the morning than I can accomplish at night, no matter how much I try.

Find out where you fall: morning or night? Then schedule your most important jobs to be done at the time when you can be the most productive.

4. Stop multitasking

When it comes to time management and increased productivity, “monotasking” is the way to go. This doesn’t mean you can’t be driving and listening to a podcast—that’s different. But don’t try to combine two jobs at the same time. For instance, you should not be designing a client’s graphics work while helping another client write a college essay in another tab. Stick to one job until you complete it. Tick it off your list before you start something else.

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5. Outsource what you can afford to

Can you do everything yourself? Probably. But do you need to do everything yourself? Absolutely not. There are things you do for yourself that take your time, like house cleaning, the laundry, or even more professional stuff like handling your own web design. If these things can be outsourced or delegated, and you can afford to do so, go ahead.

6. Maximize stolen moments

As a side hustler, you will never have time to do all the things you want to do. But you can create more time by making the best use of your stolen moments. For instance, you can listen to a course while driving, or the time spent waiting for a flight or a train could be used to make cold calls or book appointments with a prospect. Don’t let those ten minutes wait.

7. Say no

There are some tasks you shouldn’t accept, and there are some clients you have to say no to. I have done some side hustling jobs for clients who were just problematic, and they took so much time from me, I regretted accepting their work in the first place. These types of jobs and clients should be avoided. Saying no to some side gigs could mean that you will have the opportunity to say yes to better gigs.

About the Author

Post by: Toby Nwazor

Toby Nwazor is an author and business consultant. He is the founder of My Startup CEO where he gives kick-ass motivation and provides helpful tips for startup business success. Get in touch with him for your content marketing services.

Company: My Startup CEO
Website: www.mystartupceo.com
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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When Designing Your Company Logo, It’s Important to Understand the Psychology Behind the Process

By Nick Brown

Every design requires a careful approach that is based on psychological principles—understanding what makes your audience tick, what emotions a certain design choice can elicit, and how people are going to behave according to what they see. And this, of course, relates to logo design as well.

A lot of people think that designing a logo is a piece of cake. They’re mostly thinking about the colors or maybe the typeface they’re going to use. But there is so much more to the psychology of logo design. Your logo is tightly related to your brand’s image; it’s your company’s visual representation, which your audience is going to recognize and relate to. There is an important lesson here that you need to learn: Every element you put into your logo will have a psychological effect, whether it is your intention or not.

Let’s talk about the term “logo.” Logo comes from the Greek word logos which means “word.” Basically, this means when you design a logo, you are coming up with a visual word that is going to convey a message to your audience and make them relate to it. Just like they relate to words, they’ll do the same with your design, from their own experiences and perspectives.

Psychology of shapes

Different shapes have different effects on your audience. Throughout history, certain geometrical objects have gained particular meanings. This means that your choice of the shapes that you use in your logo design will convey a particular message to your customers. For example, circles are well-known for representing community or femininity; triangles are most commonly associated with law, power, and masculinity (if they are turned upward); rectangles tend to represent logic and rationality, and so on.

Before choosing a shape for your design, do your research on what it represents and what kind of message it will convey. If your products are focused on a female audience, incorporate a circle or a downward triangle; if your customers are generally men, go for an upward triangle.

Psychology of color

When it comes to the psychology of color, every hue can have a variety of meanings. The fact is the psychology that lies behind colors is complex, but what’s important for you to understand is they invoke certain emotions and ideas. Let’s go over some of the most general emotions and meanings that are attached to colors:

Yellow: The color of youth, happiness, and energy. It’s the best choice if you want to look friendly and approachable to your audience.
Red: The color of passion, excitement, and also anger. If you want your brand to be bold and “in your face,” then red is the color you should go for.
Green: It’s generally connected to nature, life, and preservation, and it can be applied in a variety of creative ways.
Blue: The most frequently chosen color, due to the fact that it has a calming effect and conveys a message of trust and professionalism.
Purple: An interesting and luxurious choice. Different shades of purple can be either enigmatic, feminine, or eclectic.
Pink: Definitely a very feminine color, but if you go for a shade such as a pastel rose or neon magenta, you can add a little maturity to it, while still appealing to girls.
Black: A smooth and modern color that speaks of luxury. If you are going for a minimalist approach, then a black and white logo is the perfect solution.
White: A neutral color that works well with others. As previously mentioned, it can be incorporated into a minimalist design, but also works well with other colors to convey a feeling of cleanliness and youthfulness.

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Typography

Just like color and shape, the choice of typography enhances and gives your logo a certain feeling. There are four basic kinds of fonts that you can choose from to come up with a logo that is one-of-a-kind and conveys the message that you want it to.

Serif fonts: These are the fonts that give your logo a sophisticated and classic feel. Basically, serifs are those little “feet” that you can see at the end of each letter, which make such typefaces look more vintage. If you are aiming for an old-fashioned, classic, or elegant design, serif fonts are for you.
Script fonts: A script font looks like it’s been handwritten. There are a wide variety of such fonts out there, from more common scripts to calligraphic fonts that speak of elegance. These fonts are a good option for coming up with a unique logo.
Sans serif fonts: As opposed to serif fonts and their “feet,” sans serif fonts look a lot simpler, and work well in clean and modern designs. If your goal is to come up with a minimalist design, then you should pick a sans serif font.
Display fonts: They are very stylized and have decorative features. If you want to create a logo that attracts a certain kind of attention, then a display font may be a good choice for you.

Furthermore, you can really boost the power of typography by combining different fonts. Just don’t go overboard and make your logo a mismatch of styles that comes off as a complete mess.

Readability

It’s essential that your font is readable. No matter whether you have chosen the right shape, color, and typography, if a person can’t properly discern your logo, or it simply comes off as a mess that doesn’t fit with your general aesthetic, design, and message, then it will be of no use to you.

So don’t get too carried away when designing your font. The majority of your audience will not spend time trying to tell what is written on your logo and what it represents. Your font needs to be coherent, simple enough, and discernible, in order for it to have the right effect. Also, if you need help with your design, don’t hesitate to take advantage of one of the tools available on the internet.

Your logo represents your brand, so it isn’t something that you can just design in a rush. Carefully choose each of the elements that go into a logo—shape, color, typography—so it conveys your company’s message and invokes the right feelings with your audience.

About the Author

Post by: Nick Brown

Nick Brown is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged on projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does audio/video editing as a hobby.

Company: Media Gurus
Website: www.mediagurus.org.au.com
Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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When you need to make improvements on a house, there’s more than one way to pay for it. Whether you own the house already or you’re buying a fixer-upper, and whether you’re building an addition or you’re merely renovating a bathroom, you have plenty of options for financing the work if you’re not paying for...

The article Best Mortgage Lenders for Home Improvement Loans of 2018 originally appeared on NerdWallet.

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The Best Ways to Connect With B2B Buyers

If you sell to other businesses, you know how challenging it can be to get the attention of today’s B2B buyers. It’s not going to get easier anytime soon. According to a Demand Gen Report survey of B2B buyers, more than half of B2B companies use buying committees or buying groups to review potential purchases. In addition, 52% say the number of people in their buying groups has increased significantly from last year.

In other words, making the B2B sale now requires connecting with not just one buyer, but with several of them. In such a competitive environment, how can your business make connections? Here are three ways:

1. Reach out to leads early. More than seven in 10 B2B buyers in a report by the RAIN Group say they want to hear from vendors early in the buying process, while they are still gathering information about potential solutions. You can use content such as spec sheets, white papers, downloadable checklists or guides, and more to capture leads in these early stages and then contact them to follow up.

2. Respond to inquiries quickly. By the time a B2B buyer actually contacts a salesperson at your business, he or she has probably done most of the research necessary to identify potential solutions and narrow down the field of competitors. That means you can gain a big advantage just by being responsive. (Almost three-fourths of B2B buyers in the Demand Gen Report survey say the vendors who win their business respond in a timely fashion.) Use customer relationship management or lead management software that helps you track leads and reply to inquiries from potential buyers ASAP.

3. Understand the customer’s needs. A lot has changed about sales in the past few decades, but one thing hasn’t: Knowing the buyer’s business and being able to present relevant solutions remains key to landing the B2B sale. Some 93% of B2B buyers in Demand Gen Report’s survey say they value vendors who demonstrate experience of and knowledge in the industry—but industry insight alone isn’t enough unless you can apply that expertise to the prospect’s business challenges.

Making contact

Once you have a B2B lead, what’s the most effective way to contact them? According to RAIN Group, email is far and away the preferred method. A whopping 80% of buyers want to be contacted by email.

However, fewer than half want to be contacted by phone and only 21% like to get voicemails. Sellers aren’t listening: 70% of sellers call buyers on the phone, and 38% use voicemail to connect with them.

Direct mail and in-person contact remain effective ways to connect with B2B buyers, according to the RAIN study. About one-third of buyers say presenting, exhibiting, or speaking at trade shows, conferences, and seminars is a good way to connect with them. Less effective: social media. Just 21% of buyers prefer to be contacted on LinkedIn and only 18% want sellers to reach out to them via social media comments.

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Ready to talk?

When you do contact a B2B buyer, what makes the difference in whether or not they respond and take the conversation further? According to the RAIN Group, the top factors are:

Whether they need the product or service now or in the future: 75%
Whether they have the budget to make a purchase: 64%

While you have no control over these factors, staying in contact with potential prospects via networking, social media, and regular check-ins can alert you when they may have a need for your product or service.

Social proof is also important—and that’s something you can control. B2B buyers consider trusted sources when deciding which vendors to engage with. Buyers are more likely to respond to sellers’ outreach if they:

Have a pre-existing relationship with a vendor: 61%
Have bought from the vendor previously: 60%
Have heard of the vendor’s company: 58%
Vendor referred to them by someone inside their company: 57%
They know people in common: 49%
Vendor referred to them by someone outside their company: 49%

This is where networking (both online and off) and maintaining your business’s online reputation via reviews, ratings, PR, and marketing can make a big difference.

Information, please

Okay, you’ve made the connection. Now what can you give the B2B buyer to move the conversation forward?

Buyers want relevant information that helps them make a decision, minimizes risk, and convinces the other buying group members to agree. The following type of content will help put them on your side:

69% of B2B buyers are influenced by primary research data relevant to the buyer’s business.
67% are influenced by content customized to their situation.
66% are influenced by insights on how the vendor’s products or services can solve business problems.
63% are influenced by financial justification, such as ROI or total cost of ownership.
61% are influenced by case studies and customer success stories.
55% are influenced by client testimonials.

The journey to making the sale starts with a single contact. Armed with these insights, you will be better prepared to turn that contact into a profitable relationship.

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How Marketing Buzzwords Can Help You Build Brand Authority

By Ben M Roberts

Marketing buzzwords are everywhere. You can barely get a paragraph or two into an article before you encounter them. In some cases, buzzwords are used brilliantly and accurately to help readers understand a topic; other times they appear to be used to make the author seem more highbrow than the reader.

I am on a mission to make sure that marketing buzzwords, and buzzwords in general, are used the right way. In this post, you will learn how to use buzzwords to build authority on a topic that people can relate to.

Use buzzwords to share knowledge

Marketing buzzwords provide you with the opportunity to share your knowledge, ideas, and passions. And since buzzwords are unique to an industry, this uniqueness allows you to build authority.

Let’s look at social media marketing consultant Mark Schaefer, as an example. He coined the term “content shock,” which essentially looks at how the present model of content marketing is unsustainable because there is too much of it and too little time to read it all. What started off as just a phrase has become a buzzword. That buzzword is now used to convey knowledge on the subject of content marketing. If you hear the term “content shock,” chances are you’ll also hear Schaefer’s name in the same breath.

This is the power buzzwords have to help you share knowledge and ideas. Schaefer was already regarded as an authority on the subject, but the term he coined opened new doors and new ways of thinking. It’s also helped him stand out from every other person who talks about creating content and content marketing.

Even if you are using another buzzword that’s already out in the wild, you can still share your knowledge on it. Let’s use the term “Conversational Commerce” as an example. This buzzword was coined by Uber’s Chris Messina and is free for anyone to use. This means that although there is increased competition, it also means that there will be more people and brands following the term, people who want to know more. If you are able to become an early mover and can share your ideas, knowledge, and experiences before the competition gets too fierce, you will be able to build your own following related to the buzzword.

Create content that aligns yourself with the term and become an authority on it. Don’t just use a term because you think it sounds fancy and modern.

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Use buzzwords to drill deeper, not fan wider

One of the biggest issues with content creation is that there is so much of it, and it all sounds the same. This is again a case of buzzwords being used poorly. So instead of trying to use as many buzzwords as you can, you should drill down to a specific buzzword.

Refer to your own experiences, insights, and ideas to create something unique and powerful—this is what people want to read about. If you want to become an authority on a subject, you need to offer something that people can’t find elsewhere.

What makes people who you consider to be authorities on subjects stand out from others? They own a space, help you understand a topic, or make you think of things from a new perspective. They haven’t done it by talking about every marketing topic under the sun; they’ve done it by being specific and insightful on a smaller range of subjects.

You are what you create

Always keep in mind that you are what you create. If you want to be seen as an authority, you have to create authoritative content.

When you see generic content that’s the same as everything else out there, you can probably deduce the writer isn’t an authority on a topic. If you want to be an authority, you can’t produce what the everyone else is doing—you need to create something new, something that only you can create, and something you are proud to put your name next to.

The more you immerse yourself in a buzzword, the easier it is to become an authority on it. By spending time researching and learning about a subject, you will come up with unique ideas on that subject. And those unique thoughts are what will set you apart and help you rise above the rest.

About the Author

Post by: Ben M Roberts

Ben M Roberts is the Head of Marketing for an SaaS startup called Talkative. He is also the host of “The Marketing Buzzword Podcast,” where he helps dissect some of the world’s most common marketing buzzwords. As an avid conference speaker, Ben looks to spread his mission to debunk and demystify marketing buzzwords to make sure they are used for the right reasons.

Company: Talkative
Website: www.talkative.uk
Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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7 Time-Management Tips for Part-Time Entrepreneurs

By Toby Nwazor

1. Create an effective to-do list

An effective to-do list should be written the night before. It will help you prioritize your time and focus on the most important tasks, while eliminating the ones you can actually do without.

2. Cut out distractions

3. Are you a morning or a night person? It matters

Find out where you fall: morning or night? Then schedule your most important jobs to be done at the time when you can be the most productive.

4. Stop multitasking

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5. Outsource what you can afford to

6. Maximize stolen moments

7. Say no

About the Author

Post by: Toby Nwazor

Company: My Startup CEO
Website: www.mystartupceo.com
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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When Designing Your Company Logo, It’s Important to Understand the Psychology Behind the Process

By Nick Brown

Psychology of shapes

Psychology of color

Yellow: The color of youth, happiness, and energy. It’s the best choice if you want to look friendly and approachable to your audience.
Red: The color of passion, excitement, and also anger. If you want your brand to be bold and “in your face,” then red is the color you should go for.
Green: It’s generally connected to nature, life, and preservation, and it can be applied in a variety of creative ways.
Blue: The most frequently chosen color, due to the fact that it has a calming effect and conveys a message of trust and professionalism.
Purple: An interesting and luxurious choice. Different shades of purple can be either enigmatic, feminine, or eclectic.
Pink: Definitely a very feminine color, but if you go for a shade such as a pastel rose or neon magenta, you can add a little maturity to it, while still appealing to girls.
Black: A smooth and modern color that speaks of luxury. If you are going for a minimalist approach, then a black and white logo is the perfect solution.
White: A neutral color that works well with others. As previously mentioned, it can be incorporated into a minimalist design, but also works well with other colors to convey a feeling of cleanliness and youthfulness.

Other Articles From AllBusiness.com:

Typography

Serif fonts: These are the fonts that give your logo a sophisticated and classic feel. Basically, serifs are those little “feet” that you can see at the end of each letter, which make such typefaces look more vintage. If you are aiming for an old-fashioned, classic, or elegant design, serif fonts are for you.
Script fonts: A script font looks like it’s been handwritten. There are a wide variety of such fonts out there, from more common scripts to calligraphic fonts that speak of elegance. These fonts are a good option for coming up with a unique logo.
Sans serif fonts: As opposed to serif fonts and their “feet,” sans serif fonts look a lot simpler, and work well in clean and modern designs. If your goal is to come up with a minimalist design, then you should pick a sans serif font.
Display fonts: They are very stylized and have decorative features. If you want to create a logo that attracts a certain kind of attention, then a display font may be a good choice for you.

Furthermore, you can really boost the power of typography by combining different fonts. Just don’t go overboard and make your logo a mismatch of styles that comes off as a complete mess.

Readability

About the Author

Post by: Nick Brown

Company: Media Gurus
Website: www.mediagurus.org.au.com
Connect with me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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