Why you should start a lifestyle business in 2017

Lifestyle businesses sometimes get a bad rap because, on the surface, they may look simplistic or because they appear to have very limited earning potential.

Another reason why some entrepreneurs may not value lifestyle businesses as much as a startup is due to the low barrier of entry. One does not typically need to have cutting-edge tech skills, venture capital, or a team of advisers to launch a lifestyle business or to become what is known as a digital nomad. This lack of structure and formality often attracts people who underestimate the rigors of building a smart business online.

The dark side of lifestyle businesses

Even worse, a more troubling trend has emerged within the lifestyle business community, and it raises the question about whether there is any substance behind such business models.

Let me paint a scenario to illustrate the point:

• There is a basic blueprint within the lifestyle business community that involves building a website, filling it with affiliate links (disguised with somewhat disingenuous reviews of products and services), then trying to drive traffic to it.
• Another model is for the lifestyle business guru to offer private coaching, which is fine if they’ve actually done something beyond talking about the topic. However, I run into websites all the time where the person is offering their private consulting, but has no examples of their own success.
• A third model, which is slightly better, is to find a supplier overseas who will white label a product that they can sell on Amazon with their own branding.

Nothing is really wrong with these approaches to online entrepreneurship, IF they are providing genuine value instead of just being a money grab. However, too often it feels more like the money is the driving issue rather than a desire to help others.

People need solutions, they don’t need gimmicks.

There are several different models for how lifestyle entrepreneurs make their money, but they are largely part of a giant echo chamber where each self-styled guru puts his or her own stamp upon the same revenue generation model.

That isn’t good for anyone, especially in an already crowded market segment.

So why should you start a lifestyle business this year?

Given all that I said, it probably sounds like I am very much against the idea of lifestyle design, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Even with all the cheesy and rehashed examples, there are a number of lifestyle business leaders who do actually provide value.

But that’s the key…value has to be your driver, not money.

My feeling is that if people who aspire to start their own business would take a little more time to look deeply into who they are, what skills they have, and learned a bit about time management, there would be a whole lot more diversity within the lifestyle business community.

Getting started: first steps to building your own business online

The first thing you need to do is to sit down with a pen and paper and write at least 50 skills/abilities you have. That might seem like a tall order at first, but notice that I did not say you have to be an expert in all of these areas – you just have to know a little bit more than the average person.

Nearly anything can become the basis for building a business online.

Are you a parent who has taught their child how to ski? Is fantasy football a passion of yours? Did you study abroad in another country? Do you have experience making sales presentations? Perhaps you know a lot about home improvement, Interior design, or employment law?

The point is, nearly anything you list as a talent can, with a little creativity and a lot of hard work, become the foundation for a lifestyle business.

Next, and this may seem to be obvious, but you have to take action. I have a feeling that there are a great number of people out there with terrific ideas, decent social skills, and enough talent to put together a basic website, who never moved forward simply because they are too lazy or afraid.

The first step is easy because it is something you can do on your own without needing to subject it to the whims and opinions of the broader market. But once you aim to start an online business, and you actually put it out there, you will get one of three reactions: people love it, people will hate it, people will be indifferent.

However the great thing about launching a new business online is that it allows you to get real feedback on your idea, tweak it, and keep plugging away until you find something with a rabid fan base.

Building the traffic is the big task, so do not start selling right off the bat. You want to develop an audience, find out what it is that they are interested in, and provide that while getting valuable feedback from your community. Once you have this under your belt, then you can develop something of value.

While there are 1000 reasons why starting a lifestyle business is better than launching a startup, one thing that is often overlooked by people is that in some countries, like America, you can set up a home office and your and expenses become tax write offs. This helps to mitigate some of the risk, and allows many people who may not otherwise be able to work outside the home for whatever reason, to have sufficient motivation to give their lifestyle business a go.

The final point to consider on the topic is that you want to start a business that has the potential to scale, so building it only around yourself will be a huge limitation. You may want to consider that when you are contemplating your branding strategy and your product/service offering.

Lifestyle businesses can be a wonderful way to enter into the world of entrepreneurship online without needing to dedicate huge financial resources at the beginning. To learn more about how to build a lifestyle business, check out Lifestyle Business Guy for more ideas and guides.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/mike-rhesus/why-you-should-start-a-lifestyle-business-in-2017/

7 Romantic Things You Can Do for Your Girl on Valentine’s Day

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as cliché when it comes to Valentine’s Day. This is the one day when your attentiveness can border on compulsiveness and no one will direct any complaint your way.

However, the perfect day requires some serious planning – if you want for everything to go like you imagined it, you should start in time, go through all your options and create a magical day based on what you know about her.

Spa Treatment

Only a woman who has never been to a spa can say she isn’t really into that – there’s a lot to be into in these pieces of paradise. Hours filled with massages, relaxing baths, sensual scents and staff that’s paid to make you feel comfortable – sounds like a great gift to me.

You can either make a day out of this or start your day with this relaxing trip. Just make sure to book ahead, because spas are quite busy the week around Valentine’s Day. Even bigger surprise would be if you learn to give relaxing massages and make her feel like she’s in a spa in the comfiness of your home.

Road Trip

If you want it to be a surprise, you need to be sneaky about this and play detectives for a while – you should make sure she’s absolutely free for a couple of days, so she won’t be stressed about her job or other responsibilities.

If you feel especially romantic, my suggestion is to go the extra mile and go abroad so you can share new experiences by meeting an unfamiliar culture, enjoying exotic foods and climbing high mountains. This trip will get you closer than ever before.

Catch a Play

Alternatively, you can go to a stand up comedy show, or go to the opera. My point is that you can do something fancy you don’t have a chance to do so often. You can play dress up like two grown adults and look your finest while you watch a piece of art that’s performed in front of you. I’m sure this is a date she won’t be able to forget.

Be Creative with Your Gift

It’s easy to get her what she needs – I’m sure she mentioned what she wants during your conversations. However, Valentine’s day is an opportunity to get her something she wouldn’t purchase for herself, something she wants or a nice memento that will remind you of your special day.

The obvious thing to go for here is jewelry – something beautiful and precious, just like the way you see her. You can go for an ornament, and if she’s not that into jewelry you can surprise her with a golden rose perhaps – it will last forever and it’s a gorgeous ornament for any home.

Temporary Tattoo

This might sound a bit edgy, but if you’re an urban couple that’s into spontaneity, I’m sure she’ll be more than excited to get a temporary tattoo with you – perhaps you two decide to turn it into a permanent one in time. It’s a really fun way to express love for each other.

Private Dinner

Let’s move onto something more conventional. Being a modern-age couple implies that your days are filled with various tasks that need to be completed – this amount of responsibilities leaves a small gap for your quality time.

Preparing a homemade meal and enjoying a candlelit and romantic music, just the two of you, is a very romantic gesture. You can talk all night with no disturbances whatsoever and reconnect.

Don’t Let Anything get in the Way

I’m sure you two will be able to make up a ton of excuses not to mark this day together or reschedule it and I believe this is a mistake. Valentine’s day is there to remind you how much you love someone and help you appreciate someone’s affection. Every day should be about stuff like that, but considering the fact that we often get sidetracked, a day like this is an amazing opportunity to get back on track.

These are just a couple of suggestions that you can alternate according to the way you two like to spend time with each other. As a matter of fact, each of the seven suggestions I gave you can be one big Valentine’s day surprise if you plan it well. So, are you up for this challenge?

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/vladzivanovic/7-romantic-things-you-can-do-for-your-girl-on-valentines-day/

Don’t Give Up — Get the Child Support You’re Owed!

Figuring out how to get financial support from a non-custodial parent is an age-old problem for single parent families. There’s an entire court system put in place to assist these mothers and fathers so they can get the payments they deserve. Public enforcement agencies do a lot of good work for people across America, but they have their limits. Sometimes, due to lack of funding, they can provide the personalized attention stubborn cases require. As a result, many single parents have to turn to private child support enforcement agencies as an alternative method of tracking down their NCP once and for all.

These agencies are a welcome addition to any individual who’s struggling to make ends meet, especially if critical support has been missing for months or even years. Private organizations are limited in the same way as their public counterparts, letting devote more resources and time to your case. As a result, the various lawyers, investigators, and negotiators can give your case the personal attention it needs to obtain results. Because of the personalized care the enforcement specialists at a private agency like Support Collectors can provide, their offices are incredibly successful at locating NCPs and returning overdue child support to the rightful parent. As you can read at Supportcollectors.com, their team has successfully obtained delinquent payments for their clients, regardless of the amount or length of time spent overdue.

Private organizations have a higher success rate because they’re team has greater resources at their disposal. Some of this will come from contracts with the single parents who enlist their help. Due to the nature of their work, parents should be wary of those with unclear, ambiguous contracts with unnecessary costs like application or case development frees. As a single parent forgoing child support, these individuals shouldn’t be charged until delinquent support payments are obtained. The nominal fee of their services is worth it, especially when they manage to connect you with thousands of dollars’ worth of unpaid support.

A private child support enforcement’s team is at its most effective when the agency is licensed and bonded. Confirming its affiliation with the Child Rights Enforcement Council is another indication that the agency conducts their investigations according to a strict code of ethics designed to protect their clients. Last but not least, a well-established record of successful case files, with satisfied clients, is another way to ensure the agency has the power to make a difference.

Though government agencies are an important tool of the courts, they sometimes need a little help. Supplementing their work with a separate stream of investigation conducted by the private sector can increase single parents’ chances of getting the support they need. For those struggling from negligent NCPs, it’s often the only way to get the financial assistance they’re owed.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/michaelsanduso/dont-give-up-get-the-child-support-youre-owed/

Boost Your Productivity at Work: 3 Tips You Should Follow

You certainly know that productivity is essential for every business organization, since not only can it boost the morale of an entire workforce, but it can also significantly increase the levels of efficiency and effectiveness within a company. With such enhanced performance and greatly improved business operations, the profits can ultimately be increased, which undeniably leads to business success and growth.

When all of that is accomplished, employees are motivated to work even harder in order to achieve better results, which additionally improves the productivity within a company. Productivity and efficiency go hand in hand and you must always work towards improving both if you want to reach maximum potential at work and show your superiors that you truly are the right person for the job, no matter how long you have been working for them.

If you think that you have a lot more potential than you are currently showing at work, but you just cannot seem to handle your workload efficiently, take a look at some useful tips that you can follow in order to take your productivity to a whole other level.

Become More Organized

Being organized is crucial for becoming more productive, so you definitely shouldn’t take this challenge lightly. You may think that you are well-organized but, if you have trouble keeping up with every daily task you have on your plate, you need to take some actions to improve that as soon as possible.

Becoming more organized at work is actually quite easy and you can achieve that before you even know it. The first step is to declutter your workspace, so that you can no longer have any trouble finding necessary papers or files needed for completing your tasks. When your work environment is clean and organized, you will be more concentrated and focused on your work, which will directly impact your productivity.

If you work at a computer, make sure you organize your files and emails as well, as that will save you quite a lot of time and, hence, improve your efficiency and productivity. Luckily, there are a number of apps and tools you can use to do that. Those can also help you make to-do lists, for instance, so that you can easily prioritize your tasks and have a clear insight into everything you need to do.

Eliminate All Distractions

There are many distractions that can instantly kill productivity, such as your phone constantly buzzing from all the social media notifications, push notifications, email notifications, SMSs and what-not. You may think that checking your Facebook from time to time doesn’t distract you from completing your tasks on time, but the truth of the matter is that it can hook you in and, before you know it, you have lost half of your work day scrolling your news feed.

Don’t go there – you will go down a deep rabbit hole and your productivity will suffer, not to mention that you may lose your job if you start slacking off too much. Turn off all of the alerts on your phone, except for the emails from your boss, for instance, and put your phone on silent mode. Eliminate all distractions preventing you from getting your work done and you will see how easy it actually is to complete your every task without missing any deadlines.

Make Sure You Tend to Your Health

Every job can become stressful and overwhelming at times, but it’s vital to reduce your stress as much as you can, since you’ll both feel much better when you’re on the clock, and you will also be much healthier. If you’re feeling mentally fatigued, take a short break to recharge your batteries and eat something with protein, antioxidants and fiber; it will help improve your focus.

Sleeping well, exercising and keeping a healthy diet will help you improve your health and feel much happier and you know that happy employees are productive employees. If you happen to be a bit obese, you should know that not only can it negatively affect your overall health, but also your productivity at work. This is due to the fact that you can get tired easily, because your body generally needs more oxygen and, thus, your blood pressure increases and you need more energy.

If that happens to be something you have trouble with, make sure you do everything you can to tend to your health – not as much for your job as for your own well-being. Your health is your greatest asset, so you should make sure it is in top condition. You can perhaps consider Liposuction Gold Coast, a cosmetic solution offered by an excellent clinic in Queensland that can provide you with the best possible treatment.

There are many more actions you can take to boost your productivity at work, but these tips will certainly give you a great head start, so make sure you start following them right away.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/nmanojlovic/boost-your-productivity-at-work-3-tips-you-should-follow/

How Not To Make Blunders In A Medical Facility?

One in every seven patients faces the consequences of a medical blunder in a medical facility. The blunder may not necessarily be life-threatening, but still counts towards medical malpractice and may lead to even more trouble for the patient and his or her health

Making mistakes is just another part of human nature. In a typical healthcare system, these mistakes often result due to ineffective doctor-patient communication primarily from the patient’s end.Here are some ways to which patients can reduce their chances of facing additional medical trouble.

Your doctor needs to know your meds more than you.

Medicines can be tricky – especially with their side-effects. When you visit a doctor at a medical facility make sure that you mention all of the medication that you have been taking – including over-the-counter medication, prescriptions from prior checkups and any nutrient supplements that you’ve been taking. In fact what would be even better is for you to carry them along with yourself. This would help your doctor better understand your current medical condition and improvise on the prescription based on what may or may not be needed.

Medical questions are never enough.

Knowing your own medication is of course of equal importance. Here are a number of questions that you should be asking your doctor to understand your prescription.

What is the medicine to treat?

How many pills am I supposed to take in a day, and for how many days?

Are there any side-effects?

What do I do if the side-effects show up?

Will the medicine interfere with other dietary supplements that I am already taking?

What food, drink, or activities should I avoid while taking this medicine?

You might consider acquiring a lot of this information in writing so that you don’t forget – particularly side-effects, ways to counter them and dosage. In fact, this list of questions should also be asked for diagnostic tests that have been prescribed to you and also when undergoing surgery.

Communicate all of your medical information.

Just as not telling your doctor about the medication that you are currently taking can lead to some serious troubles, not telling them about existing medical conditions – such as allergies too can lead to some serious diagnostic errors. When you visit a doctor, it is important for you to share any and every information about your health with your doctor without assuming that he or she may already know everything. This information may include things like, food allergies, asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, or anything that the doctor may not be able to tell by looking at you.

Sometimes people often hide conditions such as obstructive Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, and Narcolepsy which they think aren’t any chronic disorders that the doctor needs to know. You never know what kind of ailment you are developing inside it’s the doctor’s playing field, let them know! You can also get help on the medications you are taking to cure your sleeping disorder. Maybe it’s time to change the mattress you are using and cling on the best organic bed. A nice piece of advice from a professional would be of great help. Sharing this information is vital as it will only make further diagnosis even more accurate.

Demand to be in safe hands.

While in a medical facility, never overlook the possibility that you could still contract a contagious infection even though the best efforts are being made to keep every patient safe. Always ask your healthcare attendants – doctors and nurses included – who will touch you whether they have sanitized their hands or not. It may sound offensive, but sometimes the simplest of things tend to the most commonly ignored. Hand-sanitizing alone can prevent the spread of a number of contagious infections within a medical facility that might contribute to worsening your health.

Don’t be too overcharged on getting discharged.

A number of patients pay very little importance to acquire a proper home treatment plan often in the sheer excitement of being discharged from the hospital. True, medical facilities aren’t amusement parks, and the food is definitely not even worthy of a single star by a typical food critic, but it is more than important for you to understand the treatment plan your doctor prescribes for you to follow at home. This includes everything from diet plans to medicines, scheduling you next doctor’s visit to finding out when you can return to your normal routine. When you’re at home, you won’t have a nurse or a doctor to check you up after regular intervals – you’ll be pretty much on your own.

Does your doctor write well?

It’s a well-known fact that most doctors have terrible handwriting – really terrible handwriting. Usually, the first few letters are decipherable, and what follows is a long line of ink. But if you can’t read the prescription, you probably wouldn’t know what you’re supposed to ask for at a pharmacy. Not to mention, the pharmacist too would have difficulty in comprehending a badly written prescription slip; and this could very well lead to you taking the wrong medication and suffering some potentially life-threatening consequences.

Get Well Soon!

 

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/zyanamorris/how-not-to-make-blunders-in-a-medical-facility/

5 Ways Students Should Develop Leadership Skills

High school and college students alike can benefit from gaining leadership skills while in school. Leadership experience is invaluable to your success in your future career. However, many students are unsure what steps they can take to develop their leadership abilities. Here are five ways you can grow as a leader.

Run for student government

The option to run for student government is available to both high school and college students. Within student government, there are generally several positions including president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, speaker, senator, and more. Each position gives you an opportunity to practice different skills sets, but all roles allow officers to collaborate with other students, faculty, and administration, as well as to plan events, create and follow a budget, and make important decisions which affect other students. If you have an interest in politics or making change at your school, student government is a great way to get involved, meet other people, and sharpen your leadership skills.

Start or join a club

Maybe student government isn’t for you, and that’s okay! All students can find a way to get involved on their campus through student clubs and organizations by finding something that’s the right fit for them. Review your school’s list of clubs, and pick one to join. If you are passionate about something and your school doesn’t have a corresponding club, start one! Within clubs, there are leadership opportunities just as there are within student government. Even if you join a club as just a member, get involved, go to meetings regularly, and run for office when you can.

Take the lead on a group project

Aside from getting involved with student-run organizations, you can gain leadership experience right in class. Instead of dreading your group projects, get excited about them. See them as an opportunity to lead your teammates to success. To take a leadership role, play an active part in identifying project goals, brainstorm ideas, volunteer to take on specific tasks and complete them on time, make sure your peers understand their parts, check in regularly with your group, schedule follow-up meetings, and help prevent negativity. These are all valuable skills to have in the workplace as most professionals rarely work alone.

Mentor a younger student

Another great way to gain leadership experience is to become a mentor. You may be wondering what makes you, or anyone, qualified to be a mentor. If you’ve ever experienced personal, professional, or academic achievement, if you have made and learned from past mistakes, and if you are interested in the success of others, you will likely be a great mentor. If you are a college student, consider mentoring a college freshman or sophomore on success at college or mentor a high school junior or senior as they transition to college. If you are a high school student, you could mentor a junior high or elementary student. Mentees thrive on the support and guidance of a quality mentor. Serving as a mentor might be a great fit for you if you want to make a difference in someone’s life while gaining coaching and leadership skills.

Volunteer with a non-profit organization

Volunteering with a non-profit organization opens up the door to many possibilities — one of which is taking on a leadership role. Find something you are passionate about such as feeding the homeless, caring for shelter animals, or working with children, and get involved. Your community can always use the help of its citizens. Although you may not feel like you are gaining leadership skills initially, after regularly committing your time to an organization, you may find that you are training other volunteers, planning events, and more.

There are several ways to gain leadership experience and these are just a few suggestions. If you are still unsure where to start, ask your school counselor or academic advisor for information related to leadership courses or seminars, and for specific opportunities on your campus to get involved. Now is the time to gain and practice these skills. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by!

Brenna Tonelli is a contributing writer for Varsity Tutors, a live learning platform that connects students with personalized instruction to accelerate academic achievement.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/varsitytutors/5-ways-students-should-develop-leadership-skills/

How to Make Your Home Office More Comfortable (and More Productive)

The way we work is starting to change. More than 37 percent of people work from home at least some of the time, with some companies offering remote work positions for full-timers, and other companies opting to operate without an office entirely. To many, working from home is appealing because of its increased comfort, flexibility, and the removal of time-wasting commutes. However, there are some advantages that offices have that are lost when you work remotely.

To make up for some of these lost advantages, you can work on creating and improving your own home office—giving yourself a hybrid of the traditional office environment and the more comfortable home environment so many aspire to work in.

How to Make a Home Office Better

Your goal should be to create an environment that makes you both more comfortable and more productive; achieving both is difficult, but possible with the right strategies. Use these tactics to improve your home work environment:

1. Control your temperature and humidity. It may not be obvious, but the temperature and humidity of your home play a significant role in your level of comfort, as measured by “Temperature Comfort Rating Metrics” (TCRM) in the HVAC industry. There’s no one combination that works perfectly for everybody, but most people prefer a cool, relatively dry environment for maximum productivity. Experiment until you find the right atmosphere for your work.

2. Have a designated desk. It helps to have a formal desk for your work—and one that isn’t used for anything else. Working at the dining room table, for example, could distract you with hunger, and not having a desk at all could interfere with your productivity. Make sure your computer and other materials have plenty of room; you don’t need anything fancy, but you do need ample space.

3. Keep all your files and supplies organized. It’s easy to become disorganized when you’re working from home but try to avoid the chaos by keeping all your files and supplies strictly organized. Get a filing cabinet or similar means of storage to keep all your materials in one place, and organize your drawers the same way. You’ll even want to keep your digital files organized in systems of folders and subfolders—even if you could also do that in a physical office.

4. Segment your office from the rest of the house. Working from home makes it difficult to separate your personal and professional lives. Overcome that challenge by creating an office that’s separated from the rest of your house—even if it’s just by a curtain. When you’re in your home office, you’re working, and when you’re out of it, you’re not. Drawing that line and adhering to that distinction will help you focus more attentively on work while working, and forget about work while you aren’t.

5. Minimize distractions. Distractions are everywhere in your home environment, with the television, the refrigerator, your pets, and your children all clamoring for your attention and entertainment. Try to minimize these distractions in your home office by keeping your door closed, or by playing soft music that masks the other noises in your household.

6. Dress up for work. Even though you’ll be in your own home, there’s a psychological benefit to dressing up like you’re going to a real, separate office. Rolling out of bed and working in your pajamas makes it feel like you should still be in bed, and makes it harder to concentrate. In a dress shirt and tie, however, you’ll feel more obligated to follow through on your tasks and get as much done for the day as possible.

7. Visit your office on a regular schedule. In a similar vein, it’s important to visit your home “office” on a regular schedule. For example, sitting down at your desk at 9 each day, taking a noon lunch break, and ultimately leaving at 5 or 6 will help you cultivate a focused routine for your remote work.

Finding the Balance

Everyone has different working preferences, and you may find that what you “think” makes you a better worker doesn’t actually hold up to reality. Accordingly, it will take you some time to hash out which strategies improve your productivity and which ones bog you down. Pay close attention to your work environment and how well you’re performing, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new tactics until you find a combination that works undeniably well.

from Feedster http://www.feedster.com/blog/larryalton/how-to-make-your-home-office-more-comfortable-and-more-productive/