You’ve probably noticed that the days when all white-collar jobs were effectively office-based, are long gone. It’s not that most white-collar workers don’t still work in offices. It’s just that the rise of the internet and the assorted technologies of the digital age have opened up a wealth of remote-working opportunities that never existed before.
These days, more and more people are turning their backs on the traditional working arrangement, and are striking out on their own terms, often as web-based solopreneurs.
Of course, whether you’re operating as a location-independent freelancer, a self-published author wielding KDP like a finely honed weapon, or an affiliate marketing cornering the niches that the big guys just can’t reach, there are trials and tribulations involved in making money via the internet.
Here are some suggestions on how to smooth your online-earning journey, and get the most from it.
Use the right tools and services
When all is said and done, you can’t completely rebuild reality from the ground up — you need to use the tools and paths that are available to you, so that you can shift things in your favour, and begin to open up more dynamic, personalised channels and avenues for yourself.
Put differently, you shouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel when striking out as a web-based professional. Instead, you should carefully survey the existing tools, and get a sense for what might work best for you.
If you’re interested in becoming a trader, you might find that plus500 webtrader is an excellent tool for you. But, then again, you might consider the fact that “80.6% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider”. Is that an acceptable professional risk? Only you can decide.
Success leaves clues, join communities of people who are doing what you’re doing and learn from them
One of the most well-worn business truisms is that “success leaves clues.” This statement is an injunction to pay attention to the examples of successful people in your chosen field, and to do what you can to incorporate the habits and procedures that worked for them.
For the new online entrepreneur, an excellent way to follow the trail of clues left by the successful, is to join communities of people who are doing what you’re doing, and to then learn from them and contribute to the ongoing discussion.
These communities can take the form of physical meetup groups. Or they can take the form of web-based, exclusive-access forums. In any event, it’s likely going to be well-worth your time getting involved.
Take any and all steps possible to become hyper-disciplined and structured
Any significant degree of success in business is going to require strong time-management skills and the ability to be disciplined and to get things done to schedule, especially when you’re not in the mood.
For the traditional office workers, however, there are inbuilt accountability mechanisms which the web-based entrepreneur lacks. When you’re working from your home office, for example, there are no colleagues or supervisors to notice when you waste three hours skimming your Instagram feed.
As an entrepreneur, you are 100% responsible for all elements of your business. That means you must be 100% accountable, too. Take any and all steps to become hyper-disciplined and structured. Time-block your days in advance, and use systems such as the Pomodoro technique to keep yourself on track.
The future of drug testing is one to keep an eye on as more reliable drug testing, an increase in sensitive tests, tamper-proofing and keeping up with new designer drugs are often the topics discussed when it comes to this issue. However, there have become far more reasons for a drug test today. While the choice of which drugs to test for usually hinges on issues of addiction, physical harm, and the danger of actions while people are using the drugs, there is also an area of exception in professional and amateur sports as drug testing in sports which is designed to eliminate unfair competitive edges. There are also similar questions being raised regarding unfair mental advantages as some drugs enhance mental acuity and alertness. While many of these drugs are classified as dietary supplements and others usually are medications prescribed for other purposes but can be used or abused for new concentration or mental ability.
For example, Nootropics are substances which are intended to boost specific mental functions, such as attention, memory, and motivation. One of the most common and legal substances used for these purposes is caffeine. Nicotine is also another legal substance used for similar reasons, although evidence shows that long-term use of nicotine products can also have devastating health consequences.
In recent years, more and more substances have been used in this way, many are perfectly legal and appear to do little harm. Omega-3 fish oils, ginseng, lemon balm, sage, rosemary, tyrosine, and certain amino acids which are all available from health food and vitamin shops, have varied effects on mental function and memory. Prescription drugs such as Modafinil, which is typically used to treat narcolepsy has also been employed by the military and law enforcement for extended periods of wakefulness and alertness. Some users are now using this to boost mental acuity which has meant that questions are being raised about the fairness of using Modafinil in competitive areas. Some students at Cambridge and Oxford universities are calling for drug testing before exams, as they believe that some students are using drugs to cheat and gain an unfair advantage over other students. Proponents of such usage argue that such medications and supplements are the future of humanity, that just like exercise, practice, and studying they are ways of extending our abilities in a world that demands more performance and in a career landscape that is increasingly cutthroat and competitive.
But the question now is, Is this a legitimate area for drug testing? If people are doing better in exams, getting promotions in work or beating people into places at universities with the help of cognitive boosters, is this ok? While existing reasons for drug testing are not disappearing in the foreseeable future, the new horizons of the industry are uncertain–but increased opportunities for the testing industry seem inevitable.
Not just the uses of these drugs have changed but with that is the testing of drugs too, in today’s modern world, there comes another way of detecting drugs in individuals; using the hair! As it turns out hair drug testing is actually the most accurate method of detecting drug abuse in individuals. It can identify drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and opiates to name a few. It is ten times more effective than urine drug tests which makes it easy for schools and employers to test students and employees to determine whether or not they have drugs in their system. Hair drug tests come in handy kits with instructions on how to get hair specimens, then send it to the laboratory for evaluation.
According to studies, when a person takes drugs, as with any other substances, such as food, medicines, or drinks, it mixes with their blood. The blood nourishes all parts of our bodies including our heads so if someone has taken drugs then hints of these chemicals then become trapped or filtered through the hair follicle, meaning that as the hair grows, these chemicals are stored in the hair and actually become a part of the hair itself. This means that testing the hair is extremely accurate and can trace if drugs have been taken over the past three months. A two-inch sample can give that person a drug history for four months. However, while hair drug testing is much more costly than urine testing, it is now widely used due to its effectiveness.
A hair drug test involves cutting a minimum of 50 strands of hair, and it must be cut approximately one and a half inches from the scalp, the hair is then sent to the drug testing laboratory and then screened and reviewed, then liquified for final testing.
One point of view to consider through – a positive test result does not automatically mean the person uses illegal drugs. Positive results are sometimes triggered by other legal substances for example if someone us on medication or taking maintenance medications, or over-the-counter medications. It is wise, therefore, that when the confirmation test comes back positive, it is essential for a doctor, nurse, or another specialist to review the results and determine if illegal drugs are indeed the guilty party.
People have attempted to beat hair drug testing with special shampoos, but this doesn’t actually work, others shave off their hair, but sad to say, toxins don’t leave the body anytime soon. If you are being kept in confinement, your hair will slowly grow back in, and your drug use history will come back for all to see with it.
While existing reasons for drug testing are not disappearing in the foreseeable future, the new horizons of the industry are uncertain–but increased opportunities for the testing industry seem inevitable.
Increasing numbers of small business owners are taking their companies to the web and operating through Ecommerce stores. But there is still space for success on the high street and if you do intend to operate in a public space, you’re going to have to take special measures to ensure that your physical business is protected from physical threats. Here are a few different areas to consider!
Vandalism
Vandalism tends to be rife and the types of property that are most frequently vandalised tend to be stores – store fronts in particular. But not to worry. You can look up local security camera installations and have CCTV fitted outside your store to ensure that any activity is monitored. The presence of these cameras alone should help to prevent would be criminals from acting in an illegal manner, as footage can be used to identify them and prosecute them. If people go ahead and damage your store, you can use the evidence to ensure they face justice. Other measures can also be taken. Consider fitting shutters in front of glass windows – they should come with some sort of lock to prevent anyone from pulling them up.
Theft
CCTV should help with theft when it comes from the outside – it will put off people who might intend to burgle your store and if you have CCTV inside your commercial property, you are likely to ward off shoplifters. But it is also important to remember that a lot of theft in small businesses is carried out by staff members. These individuals have access to areas of your store that others don’t – so make sure to fit CCTV in areas out back too, such as stock rooms or offices where cash and other assets may be stored. It’s extremely difficult to prove that an employee has stolen from you without tangible evidence. You can also minimise theft from employees by ensuring that any staff you take on have positive references from previous employers.
Fire Safety
Fire threats can be an accident or can be an act of arson – either way, fire can wreak absolute havoc in a commercial property, just as it can in any other property. It can damage the property itself, it can damage stock, and worst of all, it can pose a threat to the life of anyone in the building. So, make sure that you have sufficient fire safety equipment installed in your commercial property. This should include smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, fire exit signs, and relevant fire fighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers.
Physical threats to your company can cost you a whole lot of money in the long run. So, save your business a few bucks and reduce the inconvenience of having to replace storefront features by following the above advice. It should help to keep your commercial premises safe and sound at all times!
There’s no question that healthcare is one of the best industries to be in at the moment. It’s a market that is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, thanks to an aging population, and because the services are becoming decentralized, there’s more scope than ever before to bring services to a wide range of people. But it’s also true that running a healthcare business can be expensive, and as such it’s imperative that you’re always looking at ways to grow your venture. Below, we take a look at some smart ways you can do this.
Offer New Services
Is it possible that you can offer more services than you’re currently offering? Many companies have been held back by the logistical aspect of offering one type of care, but there have been great strides in recent years when it comes to technology. Machines that used to be large and expensive are not small and, well, not inexpensive, but not overly costly. By implementing these new services into your company, you’ll be able to grab a larger share of the market, and thus boost your profits.
Give Back
It’s always important to keep in mind why you’re in the healthcare business: it’s to improve the world, and make communities better. It’s a good idea to show these ideals to the communities that you serve. Healthcare is primarily about trust and rapport; without it, there’s only so far that you can go. You can make a gesture of goodwill to the local area by “giving back,” be it by hosting free screening days, hosting a mobile clinic, or offering discounts to the elderly and low-income people. This is also a good way to get your name out there, too.
Get Help From Others
It takes a look to run a healthcare business, and you can’t do it alone. You need to have the support of other people, who will be able to deliver the skills and tools you need to be your best. While you’ll want to focus on the healthcare aspect of your business, the fact of the matter is that you are a business, and need to function as on. So bring companies on board who can help you take care of this side of your operations. You can work with a company that offers managed IT services for healthcare industry, and outsource your accounting and marketing needs, too. It’ll enable you to focus on doing what you do best – delivering great healthcare – safe in the knowledge that the important details have been taken care of.
Bring in New Staff
Finally, remember that ultimately your business is only going to be as good as the people that you hire. So make sure you’re hiring the best. You’ll have to offer them a good salary and other bonuses in order to secure their services, but don’t think of it as a more expensive option compared to what else is available – consider it an investment that’ll be repaid again and again.
More and more, companies are creating cloud-based platforms that can be used to automate away what once were tedious tasks for contractors. Gone are the days of having to push software updates to individual users as cloud-based services are constantly updated real time for all users. As things rapidly change in a market space, the software can be changed immediately to reflect it.
Multiple platforms can be accommodated by cloud-based software
instead of having to sell different versions of a software package. The small
business owner can have a login to access what she needs while, at the same
time, a national services firm is utilizing the same software with a package
that fits their needs. For the contractor in the middle of the action,
communicating between parties becomes more streamlined.
An example of this flexibility is the company Retrolux. Its founder, Leif Elgethun, got fed up with
using pencil, paper and Excel when putting together LED lighting retrofits. He
founded the company in 2012 as a way to automate the process and save people
time and frustration. As a cloud-based platform, collaboration between lighting
suppliers, contractors and building owners is tremendously simplified and
communication becomes much more accurate.
The Retrolux system can be used in the office or in the
field through connected apps. This allows real time updates that everyone can
see. The system can also be updated for changes in the lighting market as they
happen and users immediately have access to the changes.
Most electric companies offer lighting retrofit rebates. The
Retrolux system gives the user a streamlined approach to calculating these rebates,
submitting them and sharing the information with the end customer. As rebate
programs, or even electricity pricing changes, the system is updated to
calculate savings or costs, based on the new information. No longer does the
contractor or the sales team have to worry about using outdated information.
Team formation is one of the biggest benefits to collaborative,
cloud-based software. Now teams can be formed as new users are invited to view
and edit information as needed. An established workflow shortens time frames to
completing the job. Gone are the days of having to hold time wasting project
update meetings.
Cloud based collaboration software is now taking off across
the contractor spectrum. From single disciplines like solar sales and
installation to complete homes building solutions, companies like Retrolux are
now creating massive efficiencies and much quicker times to project completion.
Now, more than ever, even small contractors need to look to such solutions to
streamline their operations, win more sales, complete projects faster and
accelerate their cash flow.
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