How Much Does It Cost To Invest In The Stock Market?

The answer to "how much does it cost to invest in the stock market?" depends on a number of factors including but not limited to the kind of investor you are, the type of stock you buy and the company you choose to invest in. The stock market is risky business because the probability of you losing money is high. That is the reason why you need to understand the fundamentals of the business before you invest. Before you can determine the cost of investing in the stock market, you will have to understand how it works.

What Is the Stock Market?

Stock market is the buying and selling of stock (shares) of a company. The shares are securities that are listed on the stock exchange. Once you buy the stocks of a company you automatically become a shareholder in the company. You will earn from the stock you bought in two ways; first through the dividends that are paid by the company to the shareholders. The second way you earn money is through the appreciation of the company. Depending on the type of stocks you bought, the dividends are usually calculated on a fixed rate or variable rate.

The Different Types Of Stocks Can Affect How Much It Costs

When it comes to calculating how much it costs to invest in the stock market, you will have to determine the type of stocks you are buying. There are different types of stocks and they all have different market value.

Common Stocks; These are securities that represent ownership of a company. Once you buy these stocks you will have a right to vote at any shareholder meeting. The common stock shareholders however, are usually at the bottom of the priority ladder. This means if the corporation goes bankrupt, the common shareholders will only receive their money after the creditors and the preferred shareholders. In terms of cost these stocks have a less yield.
Preferred Stocks; These stocks give you a little ownership of the company but you do not get any voting rights. The preferred stock shareholders usually receive dividends that are calculated on a fixed rate. The preferred stocks have a higher yield per stock as compared to the common stocks.
Penny Stocks; These are usually referred to as common stocks of the small public companies. The penny stocks are usually priced at $ 5 and below.
Factors That Affect Stock Prices

The price of a stock effects how much it will cost to invest in the stock market. It is thus important to understand the factors that affect the stock prices.

Company Performance

This is the major factor that impacts the stock prices. The company performance, returns to the company earnings, both current and future earnings. The performance of the company may be affected by factors like employees' layoff, change in company management, a new service or product, scandals and many more. These internal factors directly influence the price of a stock.

Inflation And Deflation

Both of these factors directly affect the stock market. Inflation is where the prices of goods and services rapidly go up. This causes the cost of manufacturing and transporting of goods to go up. In an event of inflation, the stock market drops due to the decrease in revenue. Deflation on the other hand is usually the drop in the prices of goods and services. While deflation is supposed to be a good relief, most investors do not invest in the stock market. This is because they believe that the economy is weak. This causes the stock market to drop.

Interest Rates And Foreign Markets

The interest rates that are imposed on a company while borrowing money from the financial institutions usually affect the prices of the stocks. Higher interest rates typically affect the company borrowing which will in turn reduce their profits and dividends. Foreign markets on the other hand affect the stock prices indirectly. When the economic status of the countries goes down, it affects the stock market negatively. Once the economic status changes, it influences how the foreign countries will trade with the said countries. This will in turn affect the stock market of the foreign countries.

Tips Of Determining the Cost Of Investing In the Stock Market

Time to invest; when it comes to the cost of investing in stock market, it is not only money that matters. The time you invest in financial market is also important. You need to determine the amount of time that you are willing to invest in the stock market.

The number of shares you are willing to buy; the number of shares that you are going to buy will determine the total amount of money you will use. If you are new to the business is advised you buy a few stocks as you learn about the business. Also remember not to buy all your stocks from one company, diversification is very important.

Choosing a Web Designer

Many small business owners struggle with deciding on how to make the right choice for designing their website. They search the web for help with their website and find that the choice is harder than they thought. Currently there are (literally) millions of websites who claim to be professional web designers. However, one must be careful in choosing the right person or people in which to trust their company image. In this article, I will attempt to categorize web designers into manageable groups, and teach the reader the difference between the types.

Web designers fall into four general categories: freelance amateur, freelance professional, Web Design Company, Web Development Firm.

Freelance Amateur

The majority of web designers you will come across, especially searching the Internet, are freelancers. That is, individuals who do web design but are not employed by a web design company. Some are self-employed professionals but most of these freelancers are amateur-hobbyist types. They find a copy of FrontPage™ came with their MS Office™ Suite. They discovered how fun it could be to make web pages so they started telling their friends that they could "design" web pages.

The "pros" of using an amateur is that they are very cheap. The "cons" are too numerous to mention, but I'll point out a few. They have no training; they have little knowledge of what makes a good website work; they do not understand HTML code or CSS but only FrontPage point and click; they do not understand general design and layout concepts and they have little real experience. The biggest reason they should be avoided for the serious businessperson, is that their work looks amateurish, which makes your company look amateurish. Who wants that?

Freelance Professional

A professional is often defined by simply being paid. People think that if you are paid for something, then you are professional. Maybe that's true in the Olympics, but for the business services world, you are not a professional until you are established and respected as one by your clients and peers. Freelancer professional web designers are a giant leap from the amateur in that they have established a portfolio of respectable work. They have some sort of qualified training and experience and they have credentials that can be verified by contacting references. They have a good reputation with their clients and other professionals. In general, a good freelance professional web designer can be good person to have doing your site. But they are hard to distinguish from the amateur when you are just searching the web.

The upside is, if you find a good one they are significantly cheaper than a web design company. But that is usually the only upside. If the budget limits you, then a freelancer will do for a small project. But anything seriously important should be left to a professional company.

Some downsides to using a freelance pro are that they are usually part-time, meaning they are limited in how much time they can devote to your project. They are also limited in what they can do for you. Most freelancers are specialists in one area and generalists in everything else. Some have no skills in anything except their one specialty and often you will have to find others to fill roles. In addition, freelancers are not always cheap although many of them are aspiring to create their own company; some are highly sought after and charge $100 per hour or more for their work. My advice here is, if you have that much to spend, go with a company that has a team of professionals to get the job done in a timelier manner.

Web Design Company

This is the next step beyond a freelance professional. The web design company offers the "whole show". They provide real project management and have pulled together a team of web experts to get a wider range of jobs done. A company can provide a much higher level of expertise in web design, programming, content development and more.

Such a company is usually very small, yet large enough to handle larger scale projects. Compared to the most highly qualified freelancer, a company has a diversity of talent and collaboration working for them. The end-result is usually a much higher quality product.

The only real drawbacks are on the one hand, the web design company is more expensive than a freelancer because there are many more people on the job. However, you get what you pay for rings true. On the other hand, for very large projects or long term development, web design companies may be too small and usually do not have the human recourses to accommodate that $500,000 contract. In the end, for serious business people looking for quality and professionalism and who can't afford the big firm, this is the way to go.

Web Development Firm

As the title implies, a web development firm is like any traditional company. They have a staff of office workers, they have owners and officers, and they have a team of talented professionals who are paid a good salary for their work. They often have a sales force that do inside and outside sales. The quality of their work goes without saying, as you could not be so well-established by doing shoddy work. These firms offer teams of very talented professionals who work on your project and get the job done in a timely and extremely efficient manner. Additionally, they usually cover all aspects of website development including marketing and advertising. They may have teams of specialists that they can deploy to your location and work in-house under a temporary contract. The possibilities are endless.

If price is not an issue and the highest quality work is necessary, then this is who you want to do the job. For smaller budget businesses, a quote from an established web development firm might knock you off your chair, but know that companies who have project requirements that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars know the score. Thus, the only real drawback for a web development firm is that they are usually very expensive. Then again, cost is relative and bigger companies like to work with bigger companies.

In summary, the choice is yours. I would recommend for the serious businessperson, that you budget a decent amount of dollars to properly design and execute a professional website. I would avoid the amateur and outsource to an individual or company with good experience and reasonable rates to create my web presence. If money were no object, then I would only deal with established firms and pay the big bucks to get the job done right and done well.

Be All That You Can Be: The Company Persona and Language Alignment

It's not just CEOs and corporate spokespeople who need effective language to be the message. The most successful advertising taglines are not seen as slogans for a product. They are the product. From M & M's "melts in your mouth, not in your hand" to "Please do not squeeze the Charmin" bathroom tissue, from the "plop, plop, fizz, fizz" of Alka-Seltzer to "Fly the friendly skies of United, "There is no light space between the product and its marketing. Words that work reflect "not only the soul of the brand, but the company itself and its reason for being in business," according to Publicis worldwide executive director director David Droga.

In the same vein, advertising experts identify a common quality among the most popular and long-lasting corporate icons: Rather than selling for their companies, these characters personify them. Ronald McDonald, the Marlboro Man, Betty Crocker, the Energizer Bunny - they are not shills trying to talk us into buying a Big Mac, a pack of smokers, a box of cake mix, a package of batteries; they do not even personalize the product. Just like the most celebrated logos, they are the product.

Walk through any bookstore and you'll find dozens of books about the marketing and branding efforts of corporate America. The process of corporate communication has been thinly sliced ​​and diced over and over, but what you will not find is a book about the one really essential characteristic in our twenty-first-century world: the company persona and how words that work are used to create and sustain it.

The company persona is the sum of the corporate leadership, the corporate ethos, the products and services offered, interaction with the customer, and, most importantly, the language that ties it all together. A majority of large companies do not have a company persona, but those that do benefit significantly. Ben & Jerry's associates in part because of the funky names that theyave to the conventional (and unconventional) flavors they offer, but the positive relationship between corporate management and their employees also plays a role, even after Ben and Jerry sold the company. McDonald's in the 1970s and Starbucks over the past decade became an integral part of the American culture as much for the lifestyle that they reflected as the food and beverages they offered, but the in-store lexicon helped by setting them apart from their competition. (Did any customers ever call the person who served them a cup of coffee a "barista" before Starbucks made the term popular?) Language is never the sole determinant in creating a company persona, but you'll find words that work associated with all companies that have one.

And when the message, messenger, and recipient are all on the same page, I call this rare phenomenon "language alignment," and it happens far less frequently than you might expect. In fact, all of the companies that have hired my firm for communication guidance have found themselves linguistically unaligned.

This manifests itself in two ways. First, in service-oriented businesses, the sales force is too often selling with a different language than the marketing people are using. There's nothing wrong with individualizing the sales approach to each customer, but when you have your sales force promoting a message that has no similarity with the advertising campaign, it undermines both efforts. The language in the ads and promotions must match the language on the street, in the shop, and on the floor. For example, Boost Mobile, which caters to an inner city youth demographic, uses the slogan "Where you at?" Not grammatically (or politically) correct - but it's the language of their consumer.

And second, corporations with multiple products in the same space too often allow the language of those products to blur and bleed into each other. Procter & Gamble may sell a hundred different items, but even though each one fills a different need, a different space, and / or a different category, it is perfectly fine for them to share similar language. You can use some of the same verbiage to sell soap as you would to sell towels, because no consumer will confuse the products and what they do.

Not so for a company that is in a single line of work, say selling cars or selling beer, where companies use the exact same adjectives to describe very different products. In this instance, achieving linguistic alignment requires a much more disciplined linguistic segmentation. It is almost always a more effective sales strategy to divvy up the appropriate adjectives and create a unique lexicon for each individual brand.

An example of a major corporation that has betrayed both of these challenges and still managed to achieve linguistic alignment, even as they are laying off thousands of workers, is the Ford Motor Company - which manages a surprisingly diverse group of brands ranging from Mazda to Aston Martin. The Ford corporate leadership recognized that it was impossible to separate the Ford name, corporate history, heritage, and range of vehicles - so why bother. They came as a package. Sure, Ford serves an individual brand identity, through national and local ad campaigns and by creating and maintaining a separate image and language for each brand. For example, "exceptionally sensual styling" certainly applies when one is talking about a Jaguar S Type, but would probably not be pertinent for a Ford F 250 pickup truck. But the fact that the CEO carries the Ford name communicates continuity to the company's customers, and Bill Ford sitting in front of an assembly line talking about leadership and innovation in all of Ford's vehicles effectively puts all the individual brands into alignment.

The words he uses - "innovation," "driven," "re-committed," "dramatically," "dedicated" - represent the simplicity and brevity of effective communications, and they are wrapped around the CEO who is the fourth- generation Ford to lead the company - hence credibility. The cars are the message, Bill Ford is the messenger, the language is dead-on, and Ford is weathering the American automotive crisis far better than its larger rival General Motors. Again, the language of Ford is not the only driver of corporate image and sales - but it certainly is a factor.

In fact, the brand-building campaign was so successful that GM jumped on board. But Ford quickly took it a step further. In early 2006, they began to leverage their ownership of Volvo (I wonder how many readers did not know that Ford bought Volvo in 1999 and purchased Jaguar a decade earlier) to communicate a corporate-wide commitment to automated safety, across all of its individual brands and vehicles. Volvo is one of the most respected cars on the road today, and aligning all of Ford behind an industry leader is a very smart strategy indeed.

So what about the competition?

General Motors, once the automotive powerhouse of the world, has an equally diverse product line and arguably a richer history of technology and innovation, but their public message of cutbacks, buy-backs, and layoffs was designed to appeal to Wall Street, not Main Street, and it crushed new car sales. At the time of this writing, GM is suffering through record losses, record job layoffs, and a record number of bad stories about its failing marketing efforts.

It did not have to be this way.

The actual attributes of many of the GM product lines are more appealing than the competition, but the product image itself is not. To own a GM car is to tell the world that you're so 1970s, and since what you drive is considered an extension and expression of yourself to others, people end up buying cars they actually like less because they feel the cars will say something more about them.

Think about it. Here's a company that was the first to develop a catalytic converter, the first to develop an advanced anti-tipping stabilization technology, the first to develop engines that could use all sorts of blended gasolines, and most importantly in today's market, the creator of OnStar - an incredible new-age computerized safety and tracking device. Yet most American consumers have no idea that any of these valuable innovations came from General Motors, simply because GM decided not to tell them. So instead of using its latest and greatest emerging technology to align itself with its customers, GM finds itself in a deteriorating dialogue with shareholders. No alignment = no sales.

Another problem with GM: No one knew that the various brands under the GM moniker were in fact. . . GM. Even such well-known brands as Corvette and Cadillac had become disconnected from the parent company. Worse yet, all the different brands (with the exception of Hummer, which could not get lost in a crowd even if the brand manager wanted it to) were using similar language, similar visuals, and a similar message - blurring the distinction between brands and turning GM vehicles into nothing more than generic American cars. Repeated marketing failures were just part of GM's recurring problems, but as that issue was completely within their control, it should have been the easiest to address.

When products, services, and language are aligned, they gain another essential attribute: authenticity. In my own market research for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, I have found that the best way to communicate authenticity is to trigger personalization: Do audience members see themselves in the slogan. . . and therefore in the product? Unfortunately, achieving personalization is by no means easy.

To illustrate how companies and brands in a competitive space create compelling personas for them while addressing the needs of different consumer groups, let's take a look at cereals. Anyone can go out and buy a box of cereal. But different cereals offer different experiences. Watch and listen carefully to their marketing approach and the words they use.

Most cereals geared towards children sell energy, excitement, adventure, and the potential for fun - even more than the actual taste of the sugar-coated rice or wheat puffs in the cardboard box. On the other hand, cereal aimed at grown-ups is sold based on its utility to the maintenance and enhancement of health - with taste once again secondary.

Children's cereals are pitched by nonthreatening cartoon characters - tigers, parrots, chocolate-loving vampires, Cap'ns, and a tiny trio in stocking caps - never an adult or authority figure. Adult cereals come at you head-on with a not-so-subtle Food Police message, wrapped in saccharine-sweet smiles, exclaiming that this cereal is a favorite of healthy and cholesterol-conscious adults who do not want to get colon cancer! Ugghhh. Kids buy Frosted Flakes because "They're grrrreat!" Adults buy Special K because we want to be as attractive and generous as the actors who promote it. When it comes to cereal, about the only thing parents and kids have in common is that the taste matters only slightly more than the image, experience, and product association - and if the communication appears authentic, they'll buy.

And cereal certainly sells. From Cheerios to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, more than $ 6 billion worth of cold cereal was sold in the United States alone in 2005. If you were to look at the five top-selling brands, you would see a diverse list targeted to a variety set of customers. The language used for each of these five brands is noticeably different, but in all cases totally essential.

In looking at the first and third best-selling brands of cereal, one might initially think that only a slight variation in ingredients mark their distinctions. Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios are both based around the same whole-grain O shaped cereal, but are in fact two very different products, beyond the addition of honey and a nut-like crunch.

The language behind Cheerios is remarkably simple and all-encompassing - "The one and only Cheerios." Could be for kids. . . could be for young adults. . . could be for parents. Actually, Cheerios wants to sell to all of them. As its Web site states, Cheerios is the right cereal for "toddlers to adults and everyone in between." The mixture heart-shaped bowl on each box suggests to the older consumer that the "whole-grain" cereal is a healthy start to a healthy day. But the web site also has a section devotedly to younger adults, complete with testimonials and "tips from new parents" talking about how Cheerios has helped them to raise happy, healthy children. The language behind Cheerios works because it transcends the traditional societal boundaries of age and adds a sense of authenticity to the product.

While you could probably live a happy and healthy existence with Cheerios as your sole cereal choice, there is a fundamental segment of the cereal market that demands more. For the cereal-consuming public roughly between the ages of four and fourteen, a different taste and linguistic approach is required. Buzz the Bee, the kid-friendly mascot of Honey Nut Cheerios, pitches the "irresistible taste of golden honey," selling the sweetness of the product to a demographic that craves sweet foods. While the parent knows that his or her child desires the cereal because of its sweet taste (as conveyed through the packaging), Honey Nut Cheerios must still pass the parent test. By putting such statements as "whole-grain" and "13 essential vitamins and minerals" on the box, the product gains authenticity, credibility, and the approval of the parent.

Two different messages on one common box effectively markets the same product to both children and parents alike, helping to make Honey Nut Cheerios the number three top-selling Cereal in 2004. So with the addition of honey and nuts, General Mills, the producer of the Cheerios line, has filled the gap between toddlers and young adults, and completed the Cheerios cradle-to-grave lifetime hold on the consumer.

To take another example, if you want people to think you're hip and healthy, you make sure they see drinking bottled water - and the fancier the better. No one walking around with a diet Dr Pepper in hand is looking to impress anyone. These days, there's almost a feeling that soft drinks are exclusively for kids and the uneducated masses. There's a cache to the consumption of water, and expensive and exclusive brands are all the rage. Now, there may be a few people who have such extremely refined, educated taste buds that they can taste the difference between Dasani and Aquafina (I certainly can not), but the connoisseurs of modish waters are more likely than not posers (or, to continue the snobbery theme, poseurs). You will not see many people walking around Cincinnati or Syracuse clutching fancy bottled water. Hollywood, South Beach, and the Upper East Side of New York City are, as usual, another story.

There's one final aspect of being the message that affects what we hear and how we hear it. How our language is delivered can be as important as the words themselves, and no one understands this principle better than Hollywood.

At a small table tucked away in the corner of a boutique Italian restaurant on the outskirts of Beverly Hills, I had the opportunity to dine with legendary actors Charles Durning, Jack Klugman, and Dom DeLuise. The entire dinner was a litany of stories of actors, writers, and the most memorable movie lines ever delivered. (Says Klugman, an Emmy Award winner, "A great line is not spoken, it is delivered.") Best known for his roles in The Odd Couple and Quincy, Klugman told a story about how Spencer Tracy was practicing his lines for a movie late in his career in the presence of the film's screenwriter. Notably pleased with the reading, the writer said to Tracy, "Would you please pay more attention to how you are reading that line? It took me six months to write it," to which Tracy shot back, "It took me thirty years to learn how to say Correctly the line that took you only six months to write. "

Spencer Tracy knew how to be the message - and his shelf of Academy Awards proved it.

Excerpted from WORDS THAT WORK by Dr. Frank Luntz. Copyright 2007 Dr. Frank Luntz. All rights reserved. Published by Hyperion. Available where books are sold.

Drive Your Business With the Automotive CRM Tool

If you are always scrambling for active leads, future leads, dropped leads, or sold cars, then your CRM data management is up for a drastic overhaul. You can not give the lame excuse that you're not computer savvy that's why you can not make use of the automated CRM tool. This is suicide if you're in business.

Car Dealers, Sit Up!

A sale a day keeps the bankruptcy at bay. Car dealers have to reach a target sales quota monthly to reap their rewards from the wholesale purchase of cars. That's how they make a living. If you're in the car business, you know how important it is to keep your customer information updated and manageable. The automated CRM tool saves all the trouble of wading through messy files.

If you are not computer savvy, or if your CRM staff is not that clever with computers, you still can not give the reason that the technology is beyond your ken. Software architects had this in mind when designing the software. They have made the features easy to use, and they did not design a rubic-like puzzle just to confound users of the software.

The screen layout of the software has recognizable buttons and have different color codes for different files. You can even keep track of the weekly appointments you have scheduled, so there's no time wasted; you have the customers well within your speed and mileage meter. You can also send your customers emails or chat them up.

You can even do a quick inventory of supplies and spare parts in just one go. You do not have to get up and rifle through old files to update anything needing a quick touch up. This expediency is not limited to your customer databank, but also extends to your suppliers' info tank.

Easy collaboration with suppliers from all over the globe makes it effortless for you to be updated about their latest products and stocks. You can always have first hand and consistent information to share with customers and target leads. This improves your customer care and services, helping your business pick up speed.

Efficient Collaboration

The automated CRM tool enhances your accounting methods. It becomes easy for you to track customer accounts and company expenses. You do not need many workers to manage your CRM databank. A fully trained employee can do the job of three persons efficiently with the CRM tool for automotive dealership.

You still have the option to let a third party manage your system. This comes cheaper because you do not have to pay for add-ons that may be required later or measures for your data security. Instead of paying the wages for a worker to manage your CRM, the service provider does this competently and costs much less when expenses are summed up.

The technology gives you the edge in sharing information with different departments in the business and with the car makers, gives better communication links with customers and suppliers, and helps personalize customer interaction.

Improved Sales

When there is a ready and updated file on customer information, it is easy to track leads and consistently follow them up, especially when there are new car models or spare-parts that have become available.

The automated CRM tool contains modules for sales force computerization and customer communications administration. Collection of customer data becomes efficient and the information that is collected is organized for easy analysis, which determinates consequent action.

With prompt action on leads and better customer service, sales is improved. Automotive CRM tool gives the business the better drive.

What Business to Buy

There's a twofold answer to the question 'What Business to Buy' simply because in its' core it involves two aspects: You and The Business.

At first it is all about Your Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Interests. When looking for Opportunities in Business You are a fundamental part of the Process. Make list to narrow down personal interests, traits and characteristics and look for a Business that suits these exercises. Most of the time when entrepreneurs buy businesses that do not match their Temperament, they end up unsuccessful, unhappy and selling the Business.

Ask yourself the following questions to get Your Ideas for Businesses:

• What are my 5 Strongest Personality Traits? You can also opt to ask your friends and family to send you lists with their observations (can be very revealing).
• What are my 5 Strongest Skills when it comes to doing my current or previous jobs?
• What Role do I want to Play in the Business?
• What Destination and Location do I want my Business to have or can it be a Business without a fixed Location (such as internet based).
• Do I prefer a large-scale business with many contacts and customers or do I prefer to focus on a niche market, dealing with a smaller number of contacts and clients?
• Do I want a Product Supply Type of Business or a Service oriented business?
• What is my Business Investment Budget?

When going over all the answers to these questions, you will have a Clear Picture What Type of Business you want to Buy.

Find a Business to Buy

After having identified What Type of Business you want to Buy it is time to Find a Business to Buy. You will want to opt for a Business that offers Value for Money. Its Valuations have to be backed up by Reliable and Detailed Financial Data.

Some Investors are Buying Businesses because they are Cheap compared to their core Value. They believe that as long as the market undervalues ​​the business relative to the core value, they are making a Solid Investment. This way of Investing fully depends on the reasoning that the market will eventually realize it has undervalued the Business and will correct its Course.

Below some questions you can ask yourself when determining What Business to Buy:

• Does the Business Match my Personal Characteristics and Expectations?
• Is there a Solid Business Plan available?
• What are the Top-5 Competitors of the Business?
• Do I have access to all Detailed Financial Data?
• What is the Trend in Profits over the last 5 years?
• Does the business show healthy and consistent cost margins?
• What is the expected Return on Investment?

How much you will always profit from your Business depends on the level of Original Investment and Your Management and Marketing Skills.

Dangers Of Lacking Financial Education And Giving Value To Others

In this article, I am going to talk about the dangers of lacking financial and values education which are just as important as our school education which mainly and still focuses on theory and academic score having read and understood the books by Robert Kiyosaki like Rich Dad Poor Dad as well as watching all videos of Eben Pagan on what it takes to succeed in business, relationships, wealth and improving all areas of life as his subscriber and customer which are in contrary to what we have been taught and conditioned to think and do by our parents, grandparents and teachers.

Truth being said, most of us only think of making money for ourselves, families and loved ones if we are married and have kids without understanding that in order to make money, we need to give and deliver value to others which is just as important. That also ties in with what Zig Ziglar said that you can have everything you want in life if you give enough people what they want in life. The only knowledge we have is that we have to study hard to get good grades and qualification so that we can get great jobs with high pay in order to have our homes, marry, retire, and live happily ever after. While our parents - especially those from low and middle-income families - told us this out of concern, this sort of mentality is sadly outdated in the current 21st century. And even more so with digital technology looking to shape and change the way we live, study and work.

A rich parent - for instance the current US President Trump - will never tell his children that. Sure at first glance, they will tell their children to respect others in public and tell them off if they are disobedient and do not behave. But behind closed doors of their homes only known to family members and maid serving them, they will share with them other things that poor and average parents will never share with their kids.

Which is while making and saving money are important, delivering value and smart investing to maximize it are just as important.

According to Eben Pagan in his YouTube videos, he said after years of studying about business and wealth, he learnt two critical things. One is that people do not like to give away their hard-earned money without getting any value in return. When I say value, I am not talking about anything that sales and marketing people offered them. But what people really need and want for themselves and loved ones. Second is that money has a hole in its bucket and unless you know how to earn, you will lose every dollar you spent never mind on what things.

Here is another truth of life which I discovered after my very own study and research on other articles and blog posts besides reading and watching videos by those gurus. That is money is never given or distributed evenly all the time. It is only for those who delivered the most value as in helping and making a difference to others' lives as well as those that others feel closest to. Even if it is otherwise, most people will squander on things they like short-term but are not essential long-term. Especially luxury items such as cars, condos, gadgets and jewellery to name a few. And when they spend all their hard-earned money with little or no savings, they will usually resort to those things.

1. Taking on 1 to 2 part-time jobs on top of their main one just to be able to cope with the daily expenses and support their family.

2. Borrowing from families and friends,

3. Asking for loans from creditors, loan sharks and banks,

4. Applying for credit cards,

5. Gambling in casinos, lottery and sports betting

While there is nothing wrong with the first though it might put additional stress on individuals' health and well-being, there is everything wrong with the other four which I myself was guilty of in the second and fourth.

Because every time you borrowed, you needed to pay back as we Asians have a very strong ethnic and principle on it. If they are not carefully abided by, tragedies may occur. Not just on individuals who cannot pay back and lose everything but their families as in their parents, parents-in-laws, spouse and children as well.

And the saddest truth is when the family is poor, the spouse have to work or take extra job as well to bear the costs and the children will have to give up their passion, interest and even studies just to work early to copy with the family burden costs.

For the rich, it is another story. Suppose if one or both your parents are running the company as bosses or CEOs, you will be required to help them out upon completing your studies.

Otherwise they will be judged as "selfish and unfilial who only think of themselves, inconsiderate and uncaring about their families' well-being."

That is if they want to pursue their ambitions, interests and passions they once have as children but are dismissed by most parents as naive child words, play and who are just asking them what they like to be when they grow up simply to make fun of them.

It may sound weird to you but that is the situation in my country Singapore.

Which explains why most people are conditioned to study hard, work hard, save hard and retire comfortably with just one working job income they see as honest earnings.

Any income incurred outside are dismissed by baby boomers in particular - as fraud from cheating other people of their hard-earned money which is partially true with some entrepreneurs but it is wrong to dismiss every business owner because of a few rotten eggs.

Given the fact that government supports them because they are our pioneers, very little room is given for youth development not just in terms of creativity and innovation but in terms of money and wealth management be it creation, multiplication and preservation.

The only things they know are saving, working and borrowing money as well as buying insurance policies from financial advisors who may or may not be acting in the interest of their clients.

Hence their ignorance, overspending and not earning enough leads them to be over-dependence on government to the extent of asking more and blaming the government when things are not going the way they expected and wanted. That will cause serious implications on our economy and society well-being in general be it relationships and the daily essentials of life we, our families and future generations need.

I don't mean to sound arrogant but if I am in the shoes of Minister for Education, I will make financial education compulsory as one of the main subjects. Especially when it comes to generating, growing and saving money while still acting in the interest of others as in giving value.

Which most people need to know but in actual truth, they don't which is absolutely critical.

Except for a selected few.

Like Warren Buffet, Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Eben Pagan I earlier mentioned.

Global Business? Speak the Language and Content of Your Client

According to many sociologists, in the last decades we have been experiencing a "sea change" in several fields of humanity, from technology, science, economy to politics. This huge shift they talk about is called "Globalization" and it has seriously affected our lifestyle, our habits, the entire social structure and hence the way we deal with the contemporary world.

As a matter of fact, our world seems to have been experiencing a sort of time-space compression since 1972, as a famous anthropologist and geographer, namely David Harvey, affirmed in his famous book The condition of Postmodernity: An inquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change (HARVEY, David, The condition of Postmodernity: An inquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change, Blackwell, 1992). Think out to the rapid flow of information triggered by the ICT revolution that nowdays enables us to send a message to the other side of the world in real time through "a click on the palm of our hand". Think out to the increased flexibility of the means of transports thanks to the technological advances that enable us to move through the world in a matter of hours. All these improvements have made the world get smaller and smaller in a metaphorical sense so that today in the business field organizations are no longer bounded by their geographical location.

All of a sudden, their markets have no limits at all and they can start looking at new opportunities overseas where they could not even imagine going only some years ago. In other words, what happens is that they become global and, as they achieve this new status, their new customer targets are no longer exclusively composed of local clients. New global segments emerge that share more or less the same lifestyle thanks to globalization. For instance, the Chinese women of the emerging middle-class act like and identify themselves with the American women.

Companies willing to internationalize have a desperate need to start off from internationalizing their communication ... but, would not it be enough to use English for their foreign communication ?? Perhaps, the jury is still out on this issue but No ! We definitely think No and we are going to show you why below.

Multilingual communication: fundamental for going global in business

In today's global economy multilingual communication is an essential tool to succeed in business because:

• Buyers in every country are increasingly demanding products or services described in their own language
• companies that realize the point above too late inevitably lose market shares and 33% reduction in long-term profitability of the product life cycle on average, according to McKinsey & Co
• companies' global brands decline in value if they speak a non-local language

Unfortunately, it seems that many organizations are failing to address their efforts towards localization and translations along with creating relevant and valuable multilingual digital content. If they do it, most of the time is just an accidental process without yet a carefully considered plan nor relying on a well-conceivable strategy behind it.

Redefining the value of content management: towards multilingual global content management

The user, potentially interested in a product or service just just Googles it on the Internet and guess what? Among the Google's list of results, he picks out and clicks only on those delivered in his own language. This action will be repeated in any touch point of its online journey before ending up purchasing the searched product or service.

Therefore, what a business would better do is to start redefining the value of its content management and upgrade it to a multilingual global content management. The later drives the global customer experience, increases the customer satisfaction, promotes the brand awareness, its consistency and supports the time to market goals. Moreover, since the content is a significant corporate asset, it must be managed as any other corporate asset, since it is imperative to turn it into a multilingual one and working relentlessly on its translation to the client / user's idiom.

As the former German Chancellor Willy Brandt once said:

If I'm selling to you, I speak your language. If I'm buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen.

(Then we must speak German)

Although one might be induced to think that simply embedding a Google Translator plugin into his business website would do the trick, it would soon find out how short sighted this choice is. Not only would translations turn out to be of poor quality but this would also heavily affect the reputation of its business and brand.

Furthermore, a global economy is more and more requiring not only a multilingual content but also a content which is appropriate to the targeted population. In other words, a business must meet the expectations in terms of localization and translation processes of a targeted country, otherwise even a perfectly translated message may sound weird for a native speaker.

For instance, a Spanish firm could use in its website an expression such as

llevar el gato al agua - to take the cat to the water

to highlight that they have fulfilled a very complex task in a particular job, a feat.

Clearly, the English translation does not convey the same meaning of the original Spanish one and a web user would feel puzzled when reading this expression. As a consequence, that business would not be perceived as professional and its reputation would soon break down into pieces. It goes without saying that the user / potential customer would dash off to another business website and, sometimes, buy a product or service from the competitor.

Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Web Designer for Your Business Web Site

How to Choose a Web Design Firm

Simple. You do your homework on them. Then, you start asking questions and taking notes. There are plenty of web designers available. You want to go with the best because, in fact, your web designer is in essence your partner. You want to choose a designer that takes YOUR business seriously.

What questions do you ask?

There are several important questions to ask when choosing a web designer for your business web site.

Creating your web site can be a tricky process. Choosing the best web design firm for your business web site is a very important decision. And if your company is like most small businesses, you probably do not have a web design experience. Building your web site will take time and work. And working with a web designer is no easy task. So choose the right web design company from the start and avoid do-over's, which can be cost and time consuming.

1. What kind of web experience do you have?

For starters, find out what kind of design experience your potential design firm has. Do they have experience with content management systems such as Joomla or Drupal, do they have experience working with "raw" HTML? Has the web design company created web sites similar to yours? Do they have relevant industry experience? If you want to sell products through your web site and accept credit card payments, does the web design company you are considering have experience with ecommerce hosting?

2. Do you have a portfolio that I can review?

An experienced web design company will have a solid portfolio of web sites that they have created for other clients. Ask for links to other site the design company has created and reviewed each one. Do you like what you see? Do the sites have a style that appeals to you?

3. Do you have any references?

In addition to reviewing web sites, ask for customer references. Contact their clients and ask them about their experience with the web design company. Were they happy with the results? Did they get what they paid for? How much did they pay? Would they recommend them? How long did it take? What did not they like about the company? How responsive was the company when they had questions?

4. What are your prices?

The most important step in pricing is to make sure the potential design company outline all of the prices associated with the work and puts it all in writing. Never enter into a deal without all of the costs are well understood up front.

Ask them a bit about how they manage payments. If they respond in a very business-like and professional manner, this is a good sign. If they throw out answers like - "Do not worry, we'll manage" or "Whatever you are comfortable with", do not be fooled. This is trouble waiting to happen. Get the price in writing before you begin the project.

5. Do you have experience with search engine optimization?

Most small business owners do not have it in their budget to hire a separate marketing firm to work on search engine optimization (SEO), so it is imperative that your web designer have experience in SEO. A good designer will know that design and SEO go hand-in-hand. Designing a web site for search engines with "clean" code that utilizes cascading style sheets is essential to getting your content indexed in the leading search engines, such as Google and Bing.

6. Do you have experience with social media marketing?

Many marketing firms do know the first thing about social media marketing. These firms are stuck in the past and are not as effective as they pret to be. Be sure that you work with a designer that knows how to setup a Facebook fan page for your business and design a customized Twitter profile. This is important because you will want your social media properties to mesh with the design of your web site. The web site and social media pages should complement one-another.

7. What is your process for designing or building a web site?

Make sure you ask your potential web design company about the process that they use? Do they design a web site or do they build a web site? An experienced Internet professional should understand the difference between these two concepts. If they do not, they're probably not as experienced as they claim to be. Building a web site is a highly technical process, while designing a web site is a highly creative process. Many advertising firms specialize in web site design which does not necessarily require any web development skills whatever. At the same time, many firms design web sites, yet out-source the creative portion of the project. Find out from the beginning what the process if for the firm that you are considering.

8. How long will it take?

Perfectionism can be a huge stumbling block in the fast paced world of the Internet. Some designers are unable to compromise between quality and time to market needs. Test: See how long it takes until you receive a proposal.

9. What type of support is offered after web site launch?

If your design firm does not offer web site maintenance, you might want to continue looking. Most reputable design firms will offer "post-launch" maintenance for companies that do not have an in-house webmaster.

10. Which web hosting providers do you work with?

If your design firm does not know the first-names of the contact at their favorite web design firm, then this should raise a red flag. Most reputable web designers know not to choose a web host simply because they are the most popular or because they offer the cheapest web hosting. A reputable web design firm should know who to call and how to get results! Does your web designer work with a green hosting company? Environmentally-friendly web hosting is becoming more and more popular for business web sites looking to implement an eco-policy.

Getting a little recognition on the W3 is hard, even in a niche market (especially in a niche market). You have less than 10 seconds to convince a site visitor to stick around long enough to learn about the quality of your services, your products or your message. Web surfers are jagged out on information overload. If they do not see what they want to see on your home page or a landing page, they bounce. So, making a statement about your corporate culture and your business' core values ​​has to happen in the blink of an eye. Visitors will never even see the "About Us" page if you do not create a good impression - in 10 seconds. So, go green! An emblem or banner claiming that you employ green hosting makes an immediate statement about your on-line business. It says you care about the environment.

Do your homework when choosing a web design firm.

Good designers are creative people that need to think out of the box. Finding a good web designer is getting harder and harder. The good designers are being snatched by agencies and large projects. They are overloaded with work and often, you will not know about them because they do not have time (or need) to market themselves. Doing your homework and asking the right questions is important to decide if they are right for the job.

Top and Best-Selling Magento Extensions of 2018

In today's tech-savvy era, new technologies are emerging and Magento is undoubtedly one of the top entries in that list. This is an undeniable fact that since the time of its invention, Magento successfully paved new opportunities in the eCommerce development field with its time and cost-effectiveness, with its arrays of templates, themes, profit-driven functionalities, plugins and extensions. Here, in this article, you can get a detailed idea of the most popular Magento plugins of 2018.

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Keeping the aspect customer satisfaction in mind, if you are looking for options that will help you to make product delivery on the date mentioned by your buyer, Delivery Date Scheduler is just the perfect choice for you.

Once you get this extension on your e-store, you can offer your buyers with convenient product delivery dates among which they can choose their most preferred time. Adding the calendar view also becomes easier using it.

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  MageMob App Builder
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Want to build a customised mobile application for your Magento-built store? Here is the extension you would need!

Today, mobile apps are a vital part of eCommerce business. Making your business mobile would not only give you huge market but would increase your profit margin as well. Build native apps effortlessly and swiftly for both iOS and Android using MageMob App Builder and offer your online buyers an impressive and user-friendly buying experience.

Also, you can get your hands on the useful features such as Product Reviews, Product Scratch, admin and customer Notifications etc.

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  Language Translator
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Want to make your e-store multilingual? Without any second thought, opt for Language Translator. How can this extension help you to make your online store more effective and more user-engaging?

Well, suppose that your target audiences are not very comfortable with English. Now, with this plugin, you can easily translate as well as edit any part of the e-store making sure it can reach a broader customer base. You can effortlessly translate CMS page details, product details, store reviews etc. without any headache! Get Language Translator and say goodbye to language blues!

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  SEO Hub
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

An online store won't get the success it deserves until you apply some smart SEO strategies. The Magento extension SEO Hub can help you out in this case. With the effective help of it, you can manage data feeds, meta tags, canonical URLs along with many other things.

Moreover, this plugin offers a few remarkable value-added features such as giving notifications when anything goes wrong in execution, setting a limit for the metadata etc. Maintain a higher rank on most of the search engines with SEO Hub.

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As an online store owner, it is really troublesome and difficult to keep proper track of the detailed product stocks physically! MageMob Inventory is such a Magento extension that can rescue you from this burden by making the entire inventory management process smooth and transparent.

The different modules like supplier management, purchase order creation, inventory logs etc. offered by this inventory management plugin make the entire process easier and both time as well as cost-efficient. More interestingly, it is available in the mobile app format as well. You can get both the Android and the iOS version in the market.

Listing all the important plugins in this short span is really not possible. Hence, here is a list of some other business-driven plugins and extensions that you might like to check out.













→ Advance Product Designer













→ Fedex Smart Shipping













→ Quotation Manager













→ Shop By Brand













→ MageMob POS













→ MageMob Admin













→ Advance Search with Solr

Additionally, Australia Post Shipping and Australia Post eParcel are two smart Magento extensions available for Australia-based eCommerce businesses.

Nokia E90 Communicator - Companion For Globetrotting

Nokia E90 is a GSM 2100 MHZ Communicator phone which looks great and well built. The mobile has good voice quality, Bluetooth file exchange with excellent speed and fast WI-FI capabilities. The wide connectivity options are quad-band EGSM, 3G connectivity both WCDMA and HSDPA, WI-FI, Bluetooth with stereo and audio support, Infrared and USB. It has a 3.2 mega pixel camera with auto focus and flash, a FM radio, audio jack for headsets and DVD quality video recording plus an integrated GPS chipset. There is an external QVGA screen with a number keypad and a large 800 x 352 pixels internal screen with full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard quality is good giving good tactile feedback and enables the user to type fast. The VoIP functionality in this WI-FI enabled smartphone is top notch. With all its great software and a perfect hardware design, it brings significant value to the business user in everyday work this justifies the high price. E90 introduces a new platform to its Communicator line called Series 60v3.

The Communicator

The wide range of communication options of Nokia E90 makes it a true Communicator. Email has the support of SMTP and POP protocols and push mail options, instant messaging and a text-to-speech reader.
It includes a 3.2 mega pixel camera with auto focus and flash and a secondary camera for video calling. Its software capabilities are very impressive especially the document editor QuickOffice that handles MS Office documents, zip files and PGF files very well. The Personal Information Management tools with provision for adding more applications. Data and media clips up to 2 MB can be stored on MicroSD cards.

The Companion

It can be described as a tiny hand held computer rather than a mobile phone with a talk time of 5 hours and a 14 days standby though it can be shortened by the use of 3G, Bluetooth etc. The in-built GPS function performances things beyond basic location based services, as the addition of "Nokia Maps" application with the free Satellite navigation package as a value added feature. This most feature packed device has very few compromises and works as a phone as well as a multimedia computer and an efficient companion.

Elevate Your Business With Data Entry Services

The sole aim of many organizations is to progress well in their objectives and hire people who are good and efficient in their work. However, sometimes, there are some work profiles that are mundane in nature but equally important like data entry services. You will be amazed to know that these services also play a crucial role in building the future of an organization.

In fact, with the coming of information technology, the data entry services have actually become a kind of industry, as various businesses need accurate and detailed information for various reasons. So they are relying on such services that not only help them in growing but they cost effective too. These data entry services are an asset for any organization irrespective of its size in both the terms of work, financial status and area. With the help of such services you are able to get the information on the market trends, your clients and moreover, about the status of your own business. Here, there is a lot of demand for data entry services in order to do great business.

As you must be aware of the fact that data data services can be time consuming; it it requires efficient work to execute various tasks perfectly and diligently. Every transaction has to be recorded, processed and analyzed so that the management or the decision-makers can have a clear picture of the actual financial standing of the company. In fact, there are many organizations that are interested in the data of the company so that they can strike a business deal with the company in the future; the competitors are also the one's who are constantly following the events of the company. However, the most important part that constituents group are the shareholders, employees, creditors, consumers and the market in general. Therefore, this service plays a significant role in determining the future of the company. Thus, it is taken very seriously by many business enterprises for various reasons that can elevate their businesses by many fractions.

In fact, data entry services are now being outsourced from various leading vendors to further simplify the requirements of every business. Well, these services cover many business activities like document and image processing, data conversion, image enhancement, image editing, catalog processing, and photo manipulation. In fact, you can use data entry services for transferring hard or soft copy to any database format; insurance claims entry; PDF document indexing; online data capture; product catalogs to web based systems; online order entry and follow up; creation of new databases. Moreover, banks, airlines, government agencies, direct marketing services and service providers are using these services for better businesses.

The data services are also utilized for mailing lists; data mining and warehousing; data cleansing; audio transcriptions; legal documents; indexing of vouchers and documents; hand written ballot or card entry; online completion of surveys and responses of customers for various companies. Now its up to the company to whether go for a vendor or hire in-house staff to accomplish tasks in a better way; the main purpose of this service is to offer convenience that can help in curbing time as well as other resources.

The Importance of Quality Banking Software

Perhaps as never before, the necessity for excellent banking software has become evident. Retail banking requires a client-focused approach that will attract new customers and maintain them in a long term business relationship. One way to ensure customer satisfaction has been to guarantee rapid response to questions as well as information-gathering for business transactions.

New banking software technology can provide broad retail functionality while it supports various multi-channel models simultaneously. Scalability and resilience are also important features in quality software for banking needs. New core banking applications need to be able to address and support merger and acquisitions activities.

A new concern has been raised by the recent financial collapses within the banking industry. Astute attention to collateral management may have played a positive role in averting some of the humiliating losses that occurred and adversely affected so many smaller banks and loan institutions as well as the customers they represented. Quality banking software is being developed to include systems that monitor contractual descriptions and types. It will have the capacity of maintaining customer information, contractual data, and credit count relationships. This will be a significant part of any core banking application program.

Excellent financial software is also available for corporate and correspondent banking requirements. This banking software can introduce new business models as it responds speedily to ever-changing market conditions. It can reduce costs and identify and manage the risk factors at work, as well. In contractual management, this feature will assist in recognizing contractual shifts in value before they can cause significant damage. An excellent banking computer program will be flexible enough to include new products as they become available and should improve the overall efficiency of the banking business. All of these improvements should add value to the customer relationship which, of course, is paramount.

When one thinks in terms of universal banking, the amount of information that must be collected, processed, re-calculated regularly, and stored is mind-boggling. More and more banks have chosen to simply out source some of this mass of data collections, including information in contractual management, rather than handle it in-house. New technology will allow for broader functionality in the banking service. Various different kinds of banking products will be able to move across all kinds of channels, especially on the international level. This agility will enable banks to compete with the large international financial institutions that venture into their markets.

When considering the best in banking software, one must look at its "functional richness" as well as its scalability and flexibility. It must be adaptable to the latest in open technology, and it should include a system- connectivity with bilateral management. Customers today want as close to real-time views as possible. They want quick access to their counter-party's collateral and exposures. The ability to function with broad and sweeping informational strokes will strengthen the attractiveness and competitiveness of banking operations for the approaching years.

Advanced Mobile SEO TIPS For Mobile Marketing

In 2016, Google introduced the mobile-first index system to provide the best user experience for their mobile users by prioritizing mobile-friendly websites. This new indexing system will first look into the mobile version of your website to determine the ranking. Websites without a mobile version or poorly optimized mobile websites will drop out even further in search engine results pages (SERPs). But, the good news is this Mobile SEO is simple and easy to do yourself tasks.

Advanced Mobile SEO Tips for Mobile Marketers:

Mobile SEO is nothing than a conventional SEO, creating content and tagging to make it stand out online. These white-hat mobile SEO tips will help you to avoid search engine penalties and maintain better online visibility.

1. Google My Business: mobile online marketing.

One of the most important and effective mobile marketing move that business owners can do is signing up for Google My Business account. It is free and simple, by filling the information to the best of your ability and add more possible pictures of your business. When people searching for the keyword that is related to your business, there is more likely to visible your 2nd information first. So, think of using it for mobile marketing.

2. Using social media:

According to reports, average mobile users spending their 80% of the time on social media of the total times they are spending on the mobile. These social media sites bring a huge amount of traffic to your website. So, to improve visibility to mobile users, priorities your social media marketing strategy. The frequency of posting, Quality of content and optimized social media campaign will help your brand stands out. Also, read our Content Marketing Guide.

3. Take advantage of plug-ins for mobile SEO:

If your website uses WordPress or another content management system (CMS). you can use various plug-ins to improve your mobile site more user-friendly. One of the popular CMS, WordPress offers a large number of plug-ins to optimize images, improve speed and take care of other important mobile SEO factors.

WPtouch is the popular universal WordPress plug-in that will create a Google-approved mobile version of your website. If you can't afford a professional to update and optimize your website, try these plug-ins to build a mobile-friendly website and improve visibilities.

4. Use keywords for mobile users:

It is proven that mobile users search differently than other desktop users. Optimize your content for mobile keyword search phrases to show up your content to the right people. Find the right tools to find the right keywords for your content, you can find keyword comparisons by the device in Google's Search Console.

5. Improve page loading time:

When it comes to mobile SEO, page loading time is the most important issue. There are many factors that define the page loading time. Gzip compression, Image optimization and using Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), there are some tools and plug-ins to perform this tasks and improve the faster loading of mobile web pages.

Final Words:

Digital marketing trend changed the whole scenario of marketing. Mobile SEO is becoming a most essential task for all bloggers and webmasters for mobile marketing.

Computer Degrees Online Available for You

Computer degrees online allow students to acquire a solid education on any computer related course from a reputable college or university, offering online computer program, without actually attending school. It is a distant learning that harnesses the student's knowledge and skills in any computer field.

Online computer degrees provide students with the required talent to enter into a rapidly growing industry with a well-paid profession. As technology advances, the need for computer experts continues to increase. Employment opportunities will exponentially grow in this field as technology and computer use becomes more relevant to the modern life.

Anyone interested in acquiring an online computer degree can choose from any of these courses available in online computer programs of most colleges and universities.

Computer science degree

Computer science degree online will give the students the edge in terms of employment and career advancement in today's fast-paced marketplace. This profession offers a lucrative paying job with a starting salary of over $ 50,000.00, and still increasing as demand for the profession continues to grow.

Computer science is described as the study of theoretical foundations of information and computing. The students also learn practical techniques for their implementation and application in systems.

Software engineering degree

A software engineering degree online can land you a six-figure salary job once you graduate and get certified. Although, this degree is admittedly one of the most difficult Information Technology programs because its coursework consistors of intricate mathematical principles.

Software engineering is the application of engineering to software. It involves the design and development of faster, affordable and easy to maintain software.

Computer networking degree

Computer networking degree online is an off-campus opportunity for individuals to learn and maintain secure network infrastructures. Usual subjects for a computer networking program includes study of hardware devices, including routers, switches and bridges and their problem areas; wireless devices, networking security and security protocols; computer applications and software like sharing files and shared applications; working with various operating systems and programming tools and languages; and designing, modifying and upgrading to more complex systems.

Computer information systems degree

This field is among the fastest and highest paying professions in Information Technology. Individuals can get online computer information systems degree from many reputable universities offering distant learning opportunities.

The program involves designing and developing information-based systems critical for operations and management.

Web design degree

Many now rely on the internet to provide almost everything they need: from getting news to providing information, from doing business to paying bills. Virtually, almost everything is accessible and can be done with a click of button. Because of the convenient use of the internet, more and more people are turning towards worldwide web for business or even their day-to-day needs. This phenomenon has resulted in the surge of websites to cater the growing public demand, thus making web design a very profitable profession. Web designers can easily secure a good paying job whether in a company or working freelance. What's great about it is that an online web design decree is available for everyone with access to computer and internet and with some spare time to the study the course at their own space. Visit websites of colleges and universities to learn about their requirements.

Game design degree

Game design can be said to be in its early stage of rapid growth. The opportunities for development are vast and wide, and this can be observed in the increasing market needs for new and exciting gaming software. Too, the industry is constantly in need of expert game designers, and professionals in this field have very well-paid jobs. Get an online web design degree from well regarded universities to have that extra edge. At any rate, a web design degree can get a solid employment.

Computer programming degree

Programming is a critical phase of software development. It involves creating source codes that will determine how software works. In simple term, programming can be understood as the detailed instructions that tell computers what to do. As a vital part of computer engineering, computer programming is regarded as a highly intricate process that requires excellent skills and expertise in the field. That is why this profession is among the most in demand and well paid position. Major universities offer online computer programming degree, which can be completed at the student's convenience.

CAD degree

Most high-quality presentations now require Computer Aided Designs or CAD. It is the use of a variety of computer-based tools to assist engineers, architects and other design professionals produce well structured real or virtual objects. CAD software allows objects to be designed in two dimensional or three dimensional space. Online CAD degree programs or online CAD degree courses may be offered through schools like ITT Tech and Penn Foster.

If you are planning to enroll in any of the computer lessons online be sure to study its requirements, and determine whether the specific field suits your interest. Any of these courses can provide good employment opportunities.

5 Ways Blockchain Will Transform the Life of a Common Man

With all of the media set ablaze with news of prices of cryptocurrencies, you may wonder how it affects a common man. Right at the heart of cryptocurrency and other digital currencies is Blockchain technology.

There are various industrial and administrative problems that the technology can solve for the common man. Do you own a small business but often feel transparency is lacking because of traditional methods of communication? Have you ever ended up with higher than usual medical bills? As a business owner, is finding legitimate candidates a hassle for you? These problems affect entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, individuals and Blockchain technology seeks to provide solutions to make the life of a common man much simpler through simplified solutions.

Banking

Banking in almost all countries is still very focused on paper-intensive transactions for any money transfer, recordkeeping or other back-end functions. Blockchain technology can replicate this in a digital format and create a decentralized ledger that allows not only the bankers but also the customers to access a single source of information. This system allows banks to eliminate chances of fraud as documentation and proof of ownership of assets can be checked digitally by bankers in the Blockchain ledger which can be accessed at any time in an unalterable format.

Identity theft is also a major problem in the banking sector, with citizens' information being stolen and used to open fraudulent accounts for illegal activities. According to the Federal Trade Commission's online database of complaints, there have been over 13 million complaints filed for card fraud and identity theft with 3 million of these complaints being filed in 2016 alone. Through a blockchain system, customers can directly view all accounts owned under their name and immediately notify their respective banks in case they spot any suspicious activity in their banking details. Some of the known examples include IBM-backed Hyperledger Fabric project and the Utility Settlement Coin by UBS.

Healthcare

Blockchain technology can simplify healthcare in incredible ways and make medical data management much simpler. Making patient records widely accessible can allow research on drug development much more convenient, and it also reduces the implications of counterfeit drugs. Clinical trials and their outcomes can be made available in a decentralized network, allowing healthcare specialists and researchers to conduct research and find solutions to better healthcare. Accenture is one of the biggest companies that have started offering innovative healthcare solutions for the medical care sector for secure and fraud-free transactions.

Medicare frauds can also be brought down through blockchain billing management as the billing system can be fully automated without any scope of intermediaries committing fraudulent activities. With over 56 million people under Medicare as of 2017, over $1.3 billion has been ripped off the government through fraudulent activities by rehabilitation facilities and home health care services. Blockchain systems can effectively safeguard citizens who seek medical assistance from healthcare providers that overcharge for services offered through fraudulent billing practices. The centralized data not only help medical professionals in offering treatment based on the history of the patient and his/her family but it also eliminates the chances of a patient incorrectly recollecting past symptoms or disorders.

Public Records

One of the most important civic administration functions of a government is to record all information about its citizens. This includes information about individuals and businesses with regards to their assets and activities. Most of the recorded information is recorded in paper databases, making data management extremely difficult even in developed countries.

Blockchain-based systems like Ubitiquity can encode all public records in a digital ledger to keep the data on citizens from being altered for fraudulent activities. Identity theft is a problem that can be very difficult to deal with for the administration and digitizing all public information to make it tamper-proof can help prevent such instances of criminal activity.

Voting

One of the biggest limitations of the voting system in almost every country is that even today, voters need to be physically present at polling booths to cast their votes and can make things difficult for people who need to travel on poll days. More importantly, there are no means of verifying the poll results for the average citizen.

Blockchain development companies like Followmyvote are coming up with solutions that seek to make online voting a reality. It will allow citizens to view accurate information on poll standings and results and various other statistics publicly. It also leads to safer voting for citizens of countries in internal or external conflict and criminal activities to coerce citizens into voting for specific candidates can be completely avoided.

Business Hiring

Businesses of all sizes have a hard time finding the right staff. Through blockchain technology, it is possible for businesses to verify credentials of all applicants through a digital database. Blockchain technology can be applied to create a decentralized database of professionals with verified qualifications in a secure ledger that businesses can refer to for hiring candidates. Learning Machine is a New-York based company that seeks to address this problem that focuses on recording verifiable information on workers.

Tax or employment-related frauds make up 34% of all identity theft as of 2016, and a blockchain system makes the hiring process for any business much more secure as a company would have access to valid candidates only, reducing the risk of hiring fraudulent employees. It also helps applicants by speeding up the hiring process and helping them to find jobs they are eligible for and have a hassle-free application process.

Use of blockchain technologies helps individuals and businesses alike, and it also protects personal information while making important data publicly visible. While blockchain has the best application in cryptocurrency, its use can spread to other sectors as well to provide meaningful solutions to citizens around the world.

Make Money Online - Starting Your Internet Business

Making money online by starting your own internet business is a big draw with economic conditions the way they are, many are trying to make extra or replace their income. Although the need and want are there, knowing where to start and what to market, gets many beginners very confused. Having a plan will help the confusion.

Time management is where many go wrong, they may have a regular job, or family to deal with and feel they just don't have time to start a business online. However having a plan with an effective system in place will allow even the beginner to run their business with less time.

Evaluate business opportunities When deciding what business you should set up, be sure they fit your needs and desires. Choose wisely, because by planning ahead you will be able to find many things that can be marketed by using the same type of system.

Choose one thing to market and learn the marketing techniques that it will take to make money online, by doing this before jumping to market a lot of different things at the same time, you will understand what it will take to make your business a success. Then you can take what techniques you know are successful and apply them to other markets.

By learning and improving your marketing skills, testing what works and fine tune it, you will be successful at starting your internet business. As an example: Many begin with affiliate marketing because it is easier to do, it can even be done without a web site or advertising budget.

However, as they learn an apply what the learn they soon realize that they can make more money online by having the proper tools in place, such as a domain name, web site and auto responder. These tools are used to build a list of potential buyers instead of sending them to someone else who will put them on their list and profit from you.

Another example is many start out writing articles to promote the products that they are selling because of budget restraints, but once they make enough they want to move on to pay per click or other ways to bring even more traffic, so take the time to learn and improve your skills and profit from them.

If you want to making money online by starting your own internet business, take action, make a plan so time can be managed, and you will have a system to follow. Evaluate business opportunities, and of course learn an improve as this needs to be done.

BYOD - A Device Responsive Practice

The unpresented growth of smartphones and laptops in an individual's life has made the gap between personal and professional life negligible. This de has led to a new revolution in the market which we know as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). BYOD is a practice that enables employees of an organization to use their own devices (ie smartphones, laptops, tablets and computers) at work. Like BYOD, businesses also implement Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) and Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), which fall under a greater umbrella of consumerization of IT. This is blending of the personal and professional workspace with help of the internet and smart devices, majorly pushed by the millennial these days.

" BYOD is making significant marks in the business world across the globe with about 75% of employees in higher growth markets such as India, Brazil and UAE and 44% in the developed markets using their own devices at work." - CXOUnplugged.

How BYOD can transform your business

BYOD has created various opportunities in the market and is making workplaces flexible than ever. Here is how BYOD will help you take your business to the next level.

• Enhanced productivity

When you allow all employees to use their own devices at the workplace, the comfort of working on a similar device increases the employees work efficiency. By making use of familiar technology and user interface the employees will not have to engage their time in understanding a new device.

• Reduced infrastructure cost

Many times for a company, major amount of capital goes into building IT infrastructure and maintaining it which can come from the cost by implementing BYOD. When a company implements BYOD, it automatically reduces its cost of procuring devices for each employee and instead can provide better connectivity services in the organization.

• Improved employee loyalty

When a company allows its employees to bring their own devices at work, absolutely gives them a sense of trust by the company on them. By giving the freedom to use a foreign device at work and giving them the access to company's confidential data on their device, you generate loyalty among the employees, which makes them give the better result at their work.

• Ease of transit management of employees

The best part of having a Bring Your Own Device Policy is that you do not have to keep a check on the physical devices when any employee joins or leaves the company. Any sort of configuration to the company's network can be done via the cloud. In case the employee is leaving the company, his device / devices can be simply removed from the company's cloud network. No hassles with LAN wires required.

"A recent survey by the handset manufacturer Blackberry stated that 41% of Indian organizations have a BYOD policy." - GadgetsNow

With such a huge percentage of Indian organizations implementing BYOD, the next question that needs to be answered is how to implement BYOD in a business. When implementing BYOD a company should also have a stringent policy to make sure the functioning is smooth. There should be no loopholes which can put the company's confidentiality in danger.

BYOD - How to implement it in your business

To have a seamless implementation of BYOD , an organization needs to have a strong policy in place. Here are the 7 things you need to consider while implementing BYOD.

• Payments for the devices and data usage

• Device support and access levels for everyone in the workplace (permanent employee, contractual employee, and guests)

• Data storage (Cloud / local storage)

• Employee data privacy (employee's personal data should not be leaked or shared across the network)

• Data authentication (type of data that an employee can view or edit while not at work)

• In case of theft, damage or missing device what steps need to be taken

• Restoring the data in case of the device is sold, disposed or is no more in use.