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7 Everyday Problems That Your Startup Could Solve

written by ferasantoonreports

The greatest entrepreneurs know there are two questions for yielding of profit: (1) What’s the problem? (2) How to solve it?

In this enormous world we’re living in, pursuing a business could be tough if you don’t have goals and a purpose. Opportunities are abundant, but a successful entrepreneur sees it and knows how to grab it. Even in our daily life, we can spot a few problems that can be turned into a business plan. Being aware, awake and with wide-eyes can help you detect the everyday issues that your startup can solve. If you’re thinking about what business to make, here are 7 problems that people face daily, which entrepreneurs can solve in return of a profit:

 #1 Quantifying the Value of Human Capital

Humans are one of the biggest investments in our lives. Choosing the right person for a job is the most critical step towards building a blooming business. Knowing who to build relationships with, and identifying the people who are worthy of our trust has been a baffling enigma. For now, we really can’t be 100 percent sure when it comes to choosing people. Hiring and trusting people, it’s always a gamble. To fix this problem, we must create a tool or a system that can measure a person’s trustworthiness, work ethic, or value system. This way, we can be sure when selecting the right person who will babysit our children, who will be our business partners, our roommates; even who to date and who to marry. This solution may be possible if we’ll find a way to track more of the person’s personal data. In return, we will make life’s most important decisions with better, more informed, and trackable data.

#2 Cell Phone Batteries

Are you one of the people whose phone always runs out with battery? We wouldn’t get surprised if yes, because most of us do. No matter how advanced the technology of your device is, it will not make of a good use if it doesn’t have a battery. Nowadays it’s a common problem that phones are quickly running out of energy. So people are carrying power banks, cables and chargers wherever they go. However, the time has come that we get rid of those. The probable solution? Wireless charging. Though there are now mobile phones that can do wireless charging, only a small portion of phones can do it. Imagine, if there’s a tool or a gadget where phones can charge wirelessly, just like when connecting to a WiFi, we won’t be needing to charge our phones using annoying cables and bulky power banks. This can be done with the use of magnets. A couple of small projects have tried wireless charging, however, there is still insufficient study to make it global, or make it powerful enough. If you are a technology junkie and an aspiring entrepreneur, it could be you who would provide a solution to this daily gadget dilemma.

#3 Healthy, Tasty and Cheap Food

Here’s the problem with food: if a food is tasty, it’s probably not healthy. If a food is healthy, it’s probably not tasty. If a food is tasty and healthy, it’s probably not cheap. So how can we choose? The growing number of food-related diseases like obesity and heart problems is because healthy, tasty, and cheap foods are as rare as stumbling on an endangered species. We are living in a world of high technology, but our sources of food get worse as time goes. Maybe it’s time to change our eating conventions. How about we find a way to produce healthy, tasty and cheap food and make it the norm.

#4 Zips that Won’t Zip

We are living in the year 2017, but there are zippers that still won’t zip — like it’s still the 18th century. What happened to the innovation of zippers? This is a daily and a small problem that we have to face, and it is time to make a change. Aside from it can be a total nuisance, malfunctioning zippers can cut your skin, waste your time, or both. Imagine if you can’t present yourself in a meeting because the zipper of your pants won’t zip. Or you’re attending a fancy, all-professional party and the zipper of your gown fails. We may think that investing time to innovate new type of zippers is a total waste, but no. It is a problem that has been going on for centuries and no one hasn’t bothered to solve. Your startup could be the one who will give the solution to this miniscule yet obnoxious issue.

#5 E-Waste

Living in a digital world means there is an inevitable growth of e-waste. As technology changes faster now more than ever, humanity has an irresistible urge to keep up with the flow. We want the newest technology available. We want the latest phones, gadgets, televisions, home appliances and whatnot. The result? E-trash swell. If you’re thinking where do all the outdated technologies go, if not in your drawers, they go under the soil. The problem is, these gadgets have harmful components that may harm the Earth and the living creatures. Chemicals like lead, mercury, cadmium, may pass through landfills, seep into the ground and pollute the water. Everyday we dispose gadgets, and the e-waste grow in number every year. If you care about the environment, and you’re thinking about a business that can also help save the world, find a solution to this everyday problem.

#6 Conventional Sitting Position

Humans are spending most of their life sitting on a chair on their bums. We thought it’s completely safe and natural, so what’s the issue? What not many of us know is that this conventional sitting position has been the culprit behind deaths from cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. However, until now we haven’t found the solution to this temptation of sitting on our bum. We sit in this position during our long hours in the office, while we commute, when we’re at home, when we’re outside — people sit everywhere all the time, and it’s taking a toll on our neck, tail bone, spine and core. Great minds must collaborate to give solution to this problem. If we can only find an alternative sitting position, humans may live a healthier life.

#7 Ironing Clothes

If your job requires you to present yourself nicely, ironing your clothes is necessary. The problem with ironing clothes is its time and energy consuming. Not everyone is patient enough to do the work, numerous people are not even skilled to get rid of the wrinkles of their clothes. Furthermore, how you’d iron your clothes depends on the type of its fabric, size and variegate design. We need an innovative invention of new ways of ironing clothes to make the task faster, easier, and less complicated.

 

July 24, 2017 0 comment
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Business

7 Weird Business Ideas That Actually Worked

written by Feras Antoon

How a business would flourish is still a tough riddle to solve for some aspiring entrepreneurs. Sometimes despite of careful planning, close monitoring and targeted goals, other businesses still miserably fail. On the other hand, there are businesses that thrive unexpectedly. Probably, other than the obvious factors for business success, such enterprises grow due to a handful of luck. True stories prove that even the most bizarre business can bear good fruits. To give you good examples, here are the 7 weirdest business ideas that actually worked!

 

#1 Bottled Water

Back in the XVth century, water was free for all the people in the UK. If it’s free and accessible to all, how would a person make a profit from it. Apparently, this group of crazy-genius individuals thought to bottle water and sell it. That’s when water bottle business started to bloom. At first, skeptics doubt how such business would flourish. One man who received a water bottle business proposal even called the inventors insane. Why would people buy water that they can get it at home for free? The answer is timing. Around the 17th and 18th centuries, spas and water therapy demanded for water bottles. This was the start of the proliferation of water business across the world. In fact, it has become one of the biggest merchandise in history.

 

#2 Rent-A-European

Rent-a-european

If you’re European, white and male, congratulations! You have a career in China. If you’re lucky, it could even be across Asia. One of the most bizarre businesses in some parts of Asia is commonly known as rent-a-European. Particularly in Shanghai, club owners pay foreigners $35/hour to hang out and entertain customers. A similar story was told by an exchange student in Shanghai who claimed, besides a regular pay every weekend, other perks of his job include an access to the VIP lounge, food and drinks. The business idea is actually brilliant. Foreigners-for-rent are paid to hang out in clubs as a social proof that the place is good. In return, Chinese customers will be enticed to check out the place. Local women typically end up flirting with male Europeans. Thus, men will spend more. It’s a win-win deal between business owners and foreigners-for-rent. It’s no surprise that no matter how weird this kind of business is, it continues to thrive.

 

#3 Make-Up for Korean Male Soldiers

army makeup

Selling cosmetic products to male soldiers? We were baffled too the first time we heard about it, but once you know the reasons, you’ll realize it makes total sense. First, we have to lay out those questions you have in mind: why would male soldiers need make-up, and more importantly, why would they even bother buying? It’s weird and confounding, but actually it’s a well-thought-out business idea. In Korea, men are required to serve the military for about two years. As part of the training, soldiers are required to put on some military grade camouflage cream. Camou creams are difficult to wash off because it serves a purpose. It must stay on the skin during battles despite of rain and sweat – but not during trainings. Thus, the cosmetic company, Innisfree created the perfect camou cream for young soldiers in training. Compared to the conventional creams, the camo crème products from Innisfree are easier to wash off. Plus, it also works as sun protection. But why would male soldiers buy them? We know men are not into cosmetic products because let’s just say, it falls off the  manliness grid. The answer is, they don’t. Their moms, sisters, girlfriends/wives buy these products for them. It has been a typical gift when sending off male soldiers prior to entering boot camps. That is the reason why the products had grown huge that even popular celebrities market them. No wonder why Innisfree’s camo creams ignited the launch of 1+ billion USD male cosmetics industry in South Korea.

 

#4 Rent-a-Chook

On top of rent-a-European, rent-a-chook is also a thriving weird business. Particularly in Australia, you can rent a chicken for a reason you’re free to choose. However, people are renting chickens mainly because they want to start a livestock biz. Rent-a-chook is for people who want to venture on a poultry business, but are not completely sure about it.  This Sydney-based company provides everything you need to raise chickens for a few months. For just a couple of hundred bucks, you can get a real feel of being surrounded by fowl friends.

 

#5 Canned Air

Consider yourself fortunate if you’re living in a country with free air. In some parts of the world, you just have to buy yourself some clean air. Sadly, we have reached that age of the Earth where we have to trade money for oxygen that we obviously need to continue living. However, not everyone is unhappy about it. Some people saw this phenomenon as a business opportunity. The Canadian company called Vitality Air is selling canned air to people in China. It was in December 2015 when they shipped 4,000 bottles worth of oxygen to the country in just a week. A single 10L can of oxygen costs about $23. Imagine how much profit they got from shipping air! Chinese businessman Chen Guangbiao also took advantage of this, and sold over 10,000,000 cans in 10 days. Bottles of air were selling like hotcakes, and it kind of gives us a mixture of emotions.

 

#6 Human Bed Warmer

Who knew, you can actually consider a career in bed warming — but Viktoria Ivachyova saw what everybody else didn’t. After reading a book with a character who was a human hot water bottle, she decided to do the same, and hell yeah it worked! This entrepreneurial Russian knew that no one likes to sleep on a cold bed. So she charged her male customers £65 per night or £1,350 per month to get in between the sheets, and make it all cozy-warm before they hit the bed. Viktoria says it’s also about leaving positive energy that gives her clients a good night’s sleep. In a few years, her customers piled up that she had to gather a team of lady bed warmers to keep up with the demand.

 

#7 Tumble Weeds

Have you ever been enthralled about the idea of tumbleweeds and its importance to human existence? Of course not, and us, too. Linda Katz of Kansas probably felt the same. So she made a mock website advertising tumble weeds as a joke. To her surprise, the site went viral. Linda’s initial aim is to learn HTML and make a website. She created the tumble weed page as her ‘dummy’ site, but eventually, people wanted to know more information about it. Linda never thought she would sell enough, but it ended up her selling an average of 15 orders per week. This resulted to her annual income reaching around $40,000! The tumble weed went enormous that she even sold some to NASA. They used tumbled weeds for building and testing obstacles for Mars Rover.

July 21, 2017 0 comment
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You're Ready to Launch your Business
Business

5 Signs You’re Finally Ready to Start Your Business

written by Feras Antoon

Every business comes with a risk. That’s why starting a business requires courage. Besides careful planning and critical thinking, many entrepreneurs lack a brave heart to push through with their business. It could result in missing the right opportunity to start up though they’re fully ready. Numerous business-minded people are actually more prepared than they think they are. If you’re planning to venture on an entrepreneurial journey, but you’re not sure when to start, here are 5 signs saying that time is now.

#1 You know you’ll never be truly ready

In business, being ready doesn’t necessarily mean you are completely prepared. Seasoned entrepreneurs know that it’s impossible to be ready for everything that can come ahead. While it’s true that there are principal factors that needs to be fixed before your grand opening, these are just the basic points that you probably already know. Many entrepreneurs fail to realize that what they have is enough for a good start. They keep revising their current plan and recede from making their dreams a reality. However, this doesn’t mean that you should not give your best shot when venturing on a business. Just keep in mind that continuous tweaking could result in added costs (both financial and time), wasted revenues, and eluded opportunities.

#2 You’re good at selling

Knowing how to sell is paramount to every business success. Everything else is just secondary. You have to be aware that engaging in an entrepreneurial journey requires the ability to sell. If you think you know how to sell, it means you almost have all the things you need for your business. However, selling doesn’t solely mean you know how to talk to customers. A good seller knows how to lay into words what he wants to communicate with others, so they will take ownership of what he offers. Besides your product, you must also know how to sell investors, partners, employees, as well as family and friends. It doesn’t mean you will manipulate people, but you can share with them your passion, and its importance to their life.

#3 You have a back-up financial plan

The biggest risk when starting a business is the financial stake. This is the same factor why many business-minded people never get to be real entrepreneurs. However, how you handle this risk predicts your future whether it’ll be a failure or a success.

In some cases, it’s possible to keep a full time job and a business. A regular paycheck and benefits from an employer can help you grow your business without worrying where to find a steady source of income. However, it may result in a slower business growth, if your full time job allows you to do your entrepreneurial tasks for only small windows of time.

If your business is highly demanding of your time and focus, you may want to build a financial reserve that can cover your expenses. Create a sturdy financial plan that you can follow for 6 months, one year, or whatever will give a peace of mind. This way you can focus on scaling your business instead of worrying about your expenses.

#4 You got rid of your ego

Your biggest enemy towards success is yourself. If you think it’s more important to be always right than to learn, you may want to think twice about starting up. One of the first steps to being a successful entrepreneur, is to let go of your ego. Establishing a business involves exploring unfamiliar territories, it entails mistakes. You should be willing to listen and seek help from others if you want to reach the highest point of triumph. You must accept the fact that being an entrepreneur is a lifelong learning. You must be prepared to become a student again and again, rather than proclaim yourself as an expert.

You must be willing to do everything for your business; including humbling tasks. Be ready to do things that you have little or no interest, and those you think that are below your abilities. Such as, if you’re opening a business because you love to cook, you must be aware that you will do other chores than cooking. You will also clean the bathroom or work with vendors. If you think you can accept all these, and you have fired your ego for good, then you’re ready to be an entrepreneur.

#5 You have created your business plan

Writing a business plan is necessary for every starting venture. However, not all entrepreneurs make one. Some people tend to get too overwhelmed when creating a plan. Thus, they end up quitting even before they start. Other aspiring entrepreneurs believe they don’t need a business plan because they are so sure about themselves. They claim that instead of writing a business plan, the time can be used to ‘actually work on the business.’

There are two reasons why creating a business plan is mandatory. First, writing a business plan will allow you to see the entirety of your venture — clear and precise. When building a business, it’s important to narrow down the generalities, so you can accurately target your goals. Typically, you cannot see the specifics until you write it down. Second, your business plan can also be your planning tool for the future. As your business strives and grows, your well-written plan can be your living business documentation, which evolves yearly. Your business plan will as well serve as your grounds for business monitoring. Thus, helping you see which tweaks must be added or removed.

 

July 17, 2017 0 comment
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Increase your productivity
Business

5 Powerful TED Talks You Must Watch to Be Highly Productive

written by Feras Antoon

TED Talks have been changing lives. In just a span of less than 20 minutes, we can obtain the most valuable musings and life principles only by watching these talks. Including, of course, the techniques of how to be highly productive. If you set aside work for just a couple minutes and pay full attention to what these lecturers have to say, you may find information that can improve your work. It may sound ironic; but sometimes you have to stop being productive to be more productive. However, you must use your time in wise ways. Such as, by watching these top TED talks that will help you become highly productive!

  1. Shawn Achor: The Happy Secret to Better Work

This fast and entertaining talk by Psychologist Shawn Achor intrigues the audience about the relationship between happiness and success. Most of us thought that happiness comes from success, but Achor, using scientific data and humor argues that productivity and success comes from happiness. According to Harvard University psychologist, Achor, the importance of happiness as an attitude and emotional state directly affects how we create and produce work.

  1. David Grady: How to Save the World (or at Least Yourself) From Bad Meetings

David Grady hilariously talks about this global pandemic he called, MAS (mindless accept syndrome). His self-made assumption is funny yet true, and thousands of people agree. MAS has been affecting a ton of workers and has been efficiently turning their lives miserable. His 6-minute lecture discusses about time-wasting meetings, and how we can save ourselves from a hideous MAS. If you, too, had enough of wasting hours in unproductive meetings, listen to Grady and you’ll know what to do.

  1. Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend

Stanford psychologist, Kelly McGonigal, enlightens the audience about a groundbreaking study tackling stress. For many years, health professionals have pointed out stress as an enemy, and a huge factor for illnesses and mortality. In opposed to this, McGonigal says that changing the way we think about stress will help us become healthier, stronger and more productive. She suggests that we inflict to the modern thinking that stress is our friend. Her eye-opening talk tells us how we can use stress to feel more centered, focused, and to get more work done.

  1. Paolo Cardini: Forget Multitasking, Try Monotasking

Designer Paolo Cardini is not a fan of multi-tasking himself – he questions its efficiency. In this fast-phase, multi-tasking world we are in, being able to focus on one task seem impossible. However, Cardini believes in the power of ‘Monotasking’. During his talk, he discusses about the importance of doing one task at a time. He believes, adhering to monotasking will keep us productive, with high quality results, and avoid mistakes. The best part is, we can all do it. Despite the innumerable possible distractions that we can face during our attempt to accomplish a single task, there’s a way to focus. Cardini added, his 3D-printed smartphone covers could help us monotask.

  1. Dan Pink: The Puzzle of Motivation

Do you want to feel fired up for work? We know the answer is motivation – the question is, how? Career analyst Dan Pink analyzes the puzzle of motivation using scientific studies and facts. His enlightening and passionate talk surprises the audience about the outdated strategies that businesses still use. Pink discusses about a new technique on how to motivate people to become more productive and efficient, and it doesn’t usually involve rewards and punishments. Yes. Apparently, that is an old way to motivate people, but not in the 21st century. If you want to feel real motivation or make your people feel a lot more driven at work, let Dan Pink encourage to use the new strategies for productivity he mentions in his talk.

Looking for more ways to be more productive? Check out these 10 apps that will help you boost your game!

 

July 14, 2017 0 comment
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Networking beer
Business

[Networking Hack] 8 Perfect Phrases To Break The Ice

written by Feras Antoon

Improving your conversational skills lands huge perks on your professional and personal image. Especially during networking events, you must know how to approach people and keep the chats smoothly flowing. However, not all individuals have this ability. Failing to be a good talker can lead to your doom. Well, maybe not literally, but its metaphoric meaning spells a social interaction disaster. Such as, catching yourself stuck in long and weird silences, or being a part of hideous awkward discussions. Thus, to prevent this nightmare, you need to be prepared. Learn how to use these phrases, and you will be ready to face any social gatherings. Here are 8 ice breakers that could lead to your network expansion:

#1 Hello, I am..

Learning how to introduce yourself properly is a mandatory knack. It’s a basic skill everyone has to know. All you need to do is to keep your confidence sturdy, flash out a genuine smile, put out a tight handshake, and make eye contact. Say your name clearly, and you’re off to a good start.

#2 What are you up to?

Be curious, be intrigued. Keep asking questions to sustain the stream of thoughts and talks. People love to speak about their selves. Know more about them, and try to discover what they do in life and their passion. This is one of the basics you need to acquire to turn yourself into a confident and interesting talker.

#3 What business venture are you on?

You can use this phrase when you’re in corporate or business events. Open-ended questions are perfect to prolong the conversation. Depending on the gathering you’re in, you may change the phrase based on the person. If you’re talking with an accountant, you can ask, “Are you with an accounting firm, or do you work for a business in a different industry?”

#4 What do you like about what you do?

Again, open-ended questions will do great in conversations. Because it can’t be answered with just a few words, it stretches out talks, thus avoiding awkward silences. Open-ended questions like this also boosts positivity, as they are able to share their interest in their work.

#5 How did you start in this field?

History has so much to tell. Instead of just focusing on the now, learn about their journey as well. Know as much as you can about the person you’re talking to, and things can definitely get more interesting.

#6 What are you hoping to get out of this event?

Clearly, this question can only be asked during professional gatherings. It will allow the person to talk about their selves indirectly. You would get to know them more and their reason for coming at the event. If you have the ability, you can even suggest ways to help the person achieve their goal. They may as well give back in return, which may open doors for the both sides.

#7 Your work is amazing, I love it

This phrase comes in handy when talking with a prominent person. For some people, it can be intimidating to approach a well-known individual, but learning how to break the ice will equip you with the confidence you need. You can start the conversation by admiring their work, which is always a good place to start. From there you can shift to open-ended questions like “I heard you speak about your new project at last year’s conference–how is that going?” or “One of the ideas in your book really helped me through a rough patch . . . “

#8 If a beginner would ask you for some advice, what would it be?

You can use this question when talking with an older person or someone veteran in the field. Besides keeping the talk flowing smoothly, you can even acquire valuable insights from such open-minded hypothetical questions. It may as well give the person you’re talking to a positive feeling, as such phrases mean you acknowledge their authority in the field.

The secret to being a good talker is curiosity. Be inquisitive, and interested with the person you’re talking to and you will never run out of things to ask. Make sure to give and take during conversations. Ask a lot, but never miss to share a piece of yourself as well. The moment you get the hang of keeping the conversations oozing, you’ll get to know how to brush off insecurities easily. Approaching people will be a piece of cake!

July 12, 2017 0 comment
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ideas
Business

5 Best Hobbies to Make You Smarter in 2017

written by Feras Antoon

Times have changed, and so are the people. For a long time, we thought intelligence can only be acquired genetically. Thus, those unfortunate few must live up to their potential – but not in the 21st century. Researchers have found that humans can hack their brains to work better. They added, intelligence doesn’t solely depend on genes, and can be amplified deliberately. Scientists said that by performing cognitive activities the brain produces new neural pathways that boost intelligence. Here are the 5 best hobbies you can do to improve your brain’s speed and performance:

  1. Learn and play a music instrument

    Violin player

Playing music can make you smarter in several ways; it refines your motor skills, it helps you become more creative, it improves your math adeptness, language, and analytical skills. More than that, learning music and playing a new instrument, strengthens the link of corpus callosum and the hemispheres of the brain. Your brain makes new connections when you play music, which doesn’t happen in other activities like sports.

The changes that happen on your corpus callosum can enhance your memory, upgrade your executive skills, as well as the brain’s overall function even when you get older.

  1. Read more, read any book

    Vacation with books

Do you feel good about yourself after reading? Perhaps, do you feel relaxed after a few chapters of your favorite book? Well, this is because these are just a few effects of reading to the brain. In addition to that, reading can also expand the three types of intelligence: emotional, crystallized, and emotional. These types of intelligence are vital to the overall performance of the brain. Such as, emotional intelligence can help you understand what other people feel. You can be much more compassionate and empathetic to others, which is directed to your level of emotional quotient. The 2 other types of intelligence can help you become a good problem solver, can help you detect patterns, and use newly acquired knowledge to your daily life.

  1. Study a new language

    New languages

Learning a new language isn’t only fun, but impactful to your brain too. Researchers learned that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles compared to those who know how to speak only one language. This is because learning a new language trains your brain to do better at mentally demanding tasks. It makes you improve your abilities at executive skills such as planning and solving problems.

Furthermore, researchers claim that bilingual individuals are better at monitoring processes. This could be the reason why many of the most successful individuals speak different languages.

  1. Do regular exercise

    Exercise

Sad to say, working hard doesn’t count; as well as intermittent exercise. If you dream to be smarter, work on improving your brain, not your muscles. Though having toned abs can be a bonus. Doing regular exercise can enhance your intelligence as it flushes the cells with BDNF. It results to a better memory, improved learning, sharper focus and concentration. This phenomenon is commonly called as mental acuity.

The researchers added that sitting for long hours does the opposite. It prevents our brain to perform its best. Thus, it is advised to avoid lounging on your seat for a long time. Make sure to exercise every day to keep your brain neurons firing.

  1. Learn to meditate

    Buddha meditation

A study conducted by scientist Richard Davidson proved how the performance of the brain improves when meditating. It was in 1992 when Dalai Lama invited Davidson to study how the brain works during meditation. The monks that were subjected to be studied were told to focus on compassion while meditating. Results showed that the brainwaves of the monks were in a deep state of compassion. Meaning, we can control our own brainwaves through meditation. This study gathered innumerable positive responses, and was even published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” in 2004 and in the Wall Street Journal.

 

July 10, 2017 0 comment
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Personal Brand
Business

7 Ways to Create Personal Brands and Why You Must Do It

written by Feras Antoon

Creating personal brands could be the most underrated way to boost the company’s growth. We’ve heard about personal brands, and it’s typically used for job-searchers. Now, more and more companies are utilizing personal brands to tick off goals.

Personal brands are built traits from a unique identity to acquire popularity. Those who have strong personal brands bear authority, influence and are more visible in the market. These are just a few of the benefits of establishing personal brands. When used in conjunction with corporate brands, the advantages can be spectacular, such the following:

Build Trust

Consumers believe more in the sincerity of the content made by a person, than by a corporation. This is why personal brands matter because they can gather trust easier. People believe in the importance of their campaigns, compared to content pushed by businesses attempting to generate income.

More Chances to Gain Followers

Through personal brands, your visibility in the market can be much clearer. You can create multiple personal brand accounts, which can get a thousand followers each. Meaning, if you create three accounts, your chance of getting noticed is three times better than a single corporate brand account.

Reaching out to Different Niches

Creating personal brands will help you target different niches. Whether it’s within your company’s market or a subordinate branch of it, a successfully targeted market is a good opportunity for growth.

Now that you know the importance of personal brands for your corporate brand’s success, here are the 7 easy ways to make your own:

  1. Pick Your Top Players

Creating personal brands will need you to evaluate the right people for the position. The best candidates are usually those who have experience, and a good number of followers in their social media accounts. Usually, people behind personal brands are CEOs, account managers and founders. However, you can always pick anyone who can be an interest of your demographics. These people must as well have an extra time for building their personal brands. 

  1. Know How to Use Your Profiles

The next step is to build and optimize your personal brand’s social media accounts. The social media platforms to use will depend on your niche and business. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are the typically the most necessary.

Social media accounts of your personal brands must be built wisely and creatively that it will entice followers. Include professional headshots, and your content must reflect the voice and expertise of your personal brand. You may also need to occasionally link back promotional content to your corporate brand.

  1. Content Promotion and Creation

If you want to take your personal brand’s content to the next level, you may create separate blog sites for each of your personal brand. If this is not an option for you, you may use the blogs of your corporate brand but using different author profiles.

It’s important to make high-quality and relevant content for each of your personal brand. Make sure the content feeds the need of the followers as well. Then, regularly promote your content across all your social media platforms, together with your ‘core’ corporate content. 

  1. Join Groups

Getting involved with individuals and groups can bring a substantial impact on your personal brand’s visibility. Besides promoting and creating content, to build a strong personal brand, you must join conversations too. This way, you can lure your potential followers to checking out your content. You can do this by joining groups on Linkedln, or by starting or engaging in public conversations on Twitter.

  1. Be a Follower

Follow new people; this way you can get their direct attention. However, it’s not advisable to follow a total stranger. You may want to follow people that you had an interaction with, whether directly or indirectly. These people could be those who you engaged with in the same Twitter conversation, or someone who you left a comment in a group discussion. They will likely follow you back; over time you can gather more followers in return.

  1. Interact With Your Followers

Engaging with your followers is important to keep them interested in you. Though, producing and promoting content can keep you visible, interacting with your followers will make them feel that your personal brand is genuine and sincere. You can also give them rewards for following you or sharing your content. You must as well make sure that you answer their questions and, respond well by commenting back.

  1. Strengthening the link to your corporate brand

Strengthening the ties of your personal brand and corporate brand will be one of your main objectives. Promote your corporate brand using your personal brand accounts, and let your audience know of this allegiance. You may also plug your personal brand accounts using your corporate brand, and direct your followers to get to know your personal brands. For both brands, make sure to highlight the accounts for their expertise, content, goods and products.

Successful personal brands require attention to detail, time, and hard work. You have to be critical and careful when creating and handling personal brands. In the end, all the work done will definitely pay off. It is a long-term engagement; you can’t expect to acquire thousands of followers overnight; but when done right, the results can be rewarding. Just follow these tips and you’re on your way to achieving your goals!

 

July 5, 2017 0 comment
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Linkedin Office Work
Business

5 Ways to Upgrade Your LinkedIn Company Page

written by Feras Antoon

Your LinkedIn Company Page plays a major role in the reputation and visibility of your brand. It is where your audience gets to know your identity; it’s also where audience interaction takes place. The good news is, you can even optimize the use of your LinkedIn Company Page. Instead of just utilizing it as a mere ‘About Us’ page, you can dig deeper to find its real importance. There are ways to use your LinkedIn Company Page as a powerful marketing tool to attract your audience, build a strong leadership prestige, and unfurl your brand awareness.

To begin with, here are the most basic steps you can do for your LinkedIn Company Page revamp:

  • Regularly share new content at least 3-4 times a week
  • Throw mind boggling questions that entices your audience to leave comments
  • Be consistent in interacting with your audience through comment responses
  • Make sure your updates target your audience to come up with a themed feed

If you still don’t have your own LinkedIn Company Page, now is the time to do so. Once you have built your own, here are the 5 most helpful ways to keep your page dynamic:

  1. Add Visually Appealing Media

“We’re moving from a text-based communication style to one that is almost completely visual,” HLN’s Lila King said at CES 2016. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that we must now completely forget the alphabet, it is true that images and videos are more attention-grabbing than the well crafted phrases.

High quality images and enthralling videos are called rich media; this, too are prime keys to honing your LinkedIn Company Page. One great example is what Microsoft uses: they have embedded videos on their Skype for Business page that readers can watch without needing to leave the site.

Using professional-looking images will as well enhance the appeal of your page. Add only non-stock, high quality photos for your updates and it will make your page more visually compelling. The most ideal image size you can use for Sponsored Content and organic updates is 1200×627. You can find numerous non-stock images in the web, which you can utilize for your page. You can also use your personal files from your photo shoot, or use online tools to create your own high quality graphics, such as Canva and Pixlr.

Customizing your LinkedIn banners is also an effective way to improve your site’s visual appeal. Change your banner at least every 6 months to keep your company page captivating. Your Linkedin banner doesn’t only give perks to your site’s aesthetics. It can also be an extension of your brand. You can feature your different teams through your banner, promote an event, advertise a new product or a new campaign.

  1. Create Short and Sweet Updates

Keep in mind that you only have a few seconds to convince your audience to click on your update. So keep your updates short, sweet, and spicy. Tell the audience about the juice, and why they would want it. Use as few characters as possible. 150 characters are the most ideal to lure them into knowing more.

The best trick to add spice is to ask thought-provoking questions. You can also make use of controversies. Making your updates a little personal may as well grab more attention. One great example for this is an update from HubSpot, “Only 3% of us trust salespeople and marketers. Here’s how to rise above.”

Clearly, this 140-character update compels the audience to know more, as it opens up a problem and provides a solution. Such updates have a target market, and readers know what they can expect in the content. Just make sure the content fulfills its promise, and its image fits, then it will likely get clicks and even shares.

  1. Lean on the 4:1:1 rule

Not everyone is familiar with the 4:1:1 rule, but if you’re a marketer, you have probably heard about it. The 4:1:1 has nothing fancy. It’s simple — it just means that for every personal (or organizational) update you share, you must share an update from another source, and four more content from other sites.

4:1:1 rule will keep your audience engaged to your Linkedin Company page. Applying this rule will attend to their needs, thus resulting to you a good flow of traffic to your page. To keep adhered to this rule, remember that every time you post an update from your own company blog, share multiple valuable posts that you acquired from other sources.

  1. Insert Tracking Codes to Your Updates

Your company page comes with tools that can measure the activities of each post. Such tools can provide the analytics of the post’s level of interaction and reach. Though these options are helpful for activity monitoring, you can get better and more detailed statistics with the use of tracking links.

By inserting tracking codes at the end of your links, you can improve the attribution of traffic to your site. The tracking links will give you an update of where the visitors originated. For example, the AmeriFirst Home Mortgage has detected that their increase of traffic of their site rooted from their Company Page.

  1. Do Not Use Links (every now and then)

It is a general rule for marketers to use links in their posts. Statistics showed that posts with links have higher engagement by 45% than those that do not have. However, it has also been proven that not including links to your posts occasionally can cause an increased response. Sparingly not including links to posts make them stand out. Higher engagements were seen on posts with no links that are mind-boggling and inspirational.

The best examples are from the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Showcase Page. Every Monday they post updates about quotes with thought-provoking questions and compelling images. These updates received hundreds of likes and responses; generally, a good amount of activities.

Use Your Company Page Wisely and Creatively

Your Linkedin company page can do wonders to your marketing results. Curate it, include a rich media, and highly valuable content, in no time you will see your followers grow. Just give it a dash of creativity, and explore its potentials, and you will have a dynamic and engaging page!

July 3, 2017 0 comment
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Business

10 Apps Every Entrepreneur Must Have to be Highly Productive

written by Feras Antoon

Effective entrepreneurs know how to handle time. We only have 24 hours a day, thus a busy person must be organized to make the most of his schedule. Therefore, entrepreneurs must be well-versed in time planning to accomplish as many tasks possible. If you’re an entrepreneur with a hectic schedule, you can make use of technology to manage your time efficiently. Be tech-savvy and utilize these tools; the following applications can help you become highly productive!

 

Evernote icon

  1. Evernote

Evernote doesn’t only work as your little notebook where you can keep your scribbles, this app can sync important data across all your devices as well. This way, you can be organized with your tasks and time. Evernote’s freeware version is available in iOs, android, and the web that you can also use to save web pages, create voice memos, write your to-do list, and capture photos. Evernote also allows you to attach Microsoft Office docs, and PDFs. You can manage your important files using this app, it can help you organize your receipts, bills and invoices.

Skype

  1. Skype

Skype probably is one the most popular tools used in offices as a means of communication. Whether in virtual or actual workplace, Skype has been a useful application to get in touch with employees. It’s a free software that anyone can download on their computers, gadgets or mobile phones, making on the go calls possible. You can as well schedule meetings on Skype, which helps prevent missing important business conferences. Skype allows you to call mobile phones and landlines at low rates. This application also includes fun features, such as emoticons and Mojis to keep communication engaging, and enjoyable.

 

GoToMeeting

  1. GotoMeeting

GotoMeeting, as the name implies, lets you attend meetings anytime, anywhere. You can schedule, host or join a group conference with just your phone or mobile device. You will never be late or forget any scheduled meetings with the help of this app, as it gives reminders minutes before the conference. GotoMeeting, is specially crafted for business calls to let you view presentations, mock-ups and reports. This tool will be your window to whatever is shown on screen. You can organize your schedule with just a single tap, and you will see all your upcoming meetings. If we haven’t yet mentioned the best part — this application is completely free for all!

 

PayPal

  1. PayPal

For most online businesses, Paypal lends enormous help when it comes to organizing financial matters. It can be a handy tool for other businesses too, and can serve as an easy-to-use payroll manager. Paypal’s downloadable app makes on-the-go business transactions smooth, which you can all do using your phone or mobile device. This app lets you send invoices, and get payments instantly. You can even send reminders for overdue receipts. Through Paypal, you can as well manage your sales and your account activities. Be organized with your payments and earnings, Paypal lets you send and receive payments whenever and wherever you need to. These are just a few of the many reasons why this app is highly utilized by entrepreneurs and employees from all the world.

 

Square app

  1. Square Point of Sale

Square Point of Sale is today’s cutting edge technology for entrepreneurs venturing on retail business. It is a free point-of-sale Android app that offers everything you will need to take payments using cards. Square comes with a card reader tool that you can attach to your phone. With this powerful app, you can accept instant payments, and issue digital receipts to your customers. Square’s Android POS app also lets you keep track of sales and inventory in real time, manage items and employees, and view analytics of your business. This app lets you save a huge chunk of time by automatically organizing your inventory, while also removing unnecessary steps involved in cash transactions.

 

Slack

  1. Slack

What makes Slack so different from other chat apps? There are a few notable reasons, but one highlight stands out: Slack can be integrated with other useful tools for business implementation. You can as well connect Slack to other sites and applications that fast-growing entrepreneurial affairs use such as Dropbox, Trello and HelpScout. Slack bears special features that improve the team’s communication. It’s a one stop app to collaborate and communicate with each member. Organize your conversations in Slack by topics, projects, or anything else that matters to your work.

 

dropbox

  1. Dropbox

Dropbox makes file sharing fast and organized. With the use of this app, back and forth emailing can be avoided. Using Dropbox, you can sync any kind of file with the whole team, even to those who don’t have their own Dropbox account. Large files can also be shared easily through shared folders. Dropbox has special features like the doc scanner, shared folders, offline access, and more, that makes collaboration smooth and effective. This tool lets you organize files, label, comment on, and sync with the other people involved in the project for improved cost-effectiveness.

LastPass

 

  1. Lastpass

If you have multiple online accounts that you use for business, remembering all the passwords can become cumbersome. With Lastpass, you never have to bother recalling complicated passwords minus the fear of being hacked. If you have an assistant who you can trust your accounts, you can as well share access with just a couple of clicks. You can download the freeware version of Lastpass on your computer, or download the mobile app version for only $12.

todoist

  1. Todoist

Todoist is created for people who are living a busy, modern life. Besides letting you create your to-do list, you can also integrate this app to other tools if you need to. Todoist also features powerful organization that has sub-tasks, sub-projects, color-coded projects, and priority levels. You will never miss deadlines again, as this app lets you track your tasks and label them with due dates, start/end dates, and recurring due dates. Todoist also features seamless collaboration, and gives notification whenever collaborators make changes. This app can be used in different languages, and can be synced across all your devices.

Forest App

  1. Forest

Are you having troubles focusing on your tasks? Forest is a paid app that can sharpen your focus in a fun and engaging way. To improve your productivity and efficiency, you must train yourself to concentrate on one goal at a time. Forest can silence your most common distraction, so you can resist temptations while you work. This app, as well, will help you track your history in a simple and pleasant way, so you can detect which diversions cause you to get sidetracked.

 

 

 

June 30, 2017 0 comment
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glasses and book
Business

5 Must-Read Business Books of 2017

written by Feras Antoon

The most successful personalities admit they are ever under the influence of books. Such as, billionaire Bill Gates shared he makes sure he’d finish reading a new book every week. He added, reading is his “favorite way to learn about a new topic.”

Thus, if you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, a striving businessman, or an entrepreneur, we scoured the five best business books you must read this 2017. The following titles possess valuable learnings and information that can take your business to the next level. These books can help you hone your knowledge about the twists and turns of entrepreneurship. If you aim for success and growth, these books will be your useful guide.

  1. Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss

    Tools of Titans

Tools of Titans was crafted by the well-known entrepreneur and strategist, Tim Ferriss. It reveals the secrets of more than 200 widely-recognized, premier performers and icons. The book is a compilation of Tim Ferriss’ details of interviews with these prominent names, where they shared their techniques about productivity, as well as their habits and routines.

  1. Disrupted by Dan Lyons

    Disrupted Dan Lyons

Disrupted is one of the most popular books that made noise during the recent years. With its captivating classic nonfiction scribbles, the book left a profound effect on its readers. This book is about the Silicon Valley, worded carefully yet hilariously to reveal its true face. Disrupted is based on Dan Lyon’s misadventures when his 25 years as a writer in magazine ended abruptly, and he had no choice but to join a startup bubble. He took an opportunity with a software marketing company called Hubspot. In this book, he described his chronicles when he encountered “devilish angel investors, fad-chasing venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and ‘wantrepreneurs.’”

  1. Hustle by Neil Patel, Patrick Vlaskovits, and Jonas Koffler

    Hustle Neil Patel

Hustle, written by world-class entrepreneurs, disruptors and business geniuses, uncovers the ways to break-free from the drudgery. If you feel like an underdog fighting against a system to acquire a better life, this book contains musings of the people who succeeded against the system. Hustle teaches about the existing opportunities and the tactics to become the person of triumph in this current competitive world. If you’re still in doubt about reading this book, another reason why you ust acquire it, is its reputation as a NY Times best-seller.

  1. Building the Internet of Things by Maciej Kranz

    Building IoT

This book bears a useful guide in Building the Internet of Things. For individuals who haven’t heard yet about the Internet of Things (IoT), it is the formula that will connect the elements of your business to drive its growth. Building the Internet of Things is specifically for aspiring and current entrepreneurs who are searching for effective and tangible business advantages.

  1. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

    Daniel Kahneman Book

Thinking, Fast and Slow was first published in 2011. Despite that, it continues to influence a growing number of readers after several years. The charm of this book is its fact-based scribbles, written by renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Daniel Kahneman. Throughout the years of this book’s existence, it has acquired multiple recognitions, such as being a major New York Times bestseller, the winner of the National Academy of Sciences Best Book Award in 2012, and a 2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient. It reveals about the two systems that affect the mind. Thinking, Fast and Slow unearths how these different systems affect our psychological drive. Kahneman revealed the tactics of decision-making, and how entrepreneurs can avoid mistakes in their every step. His insights in this book are not only useful for business, but as well as for our personal lives.

 

June 28, 2017 0 comment
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