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The Medical Tourism Industry is Booming Worldwide

ABC Staff
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The Medical Tourism Industry is Booming Worldwide

The following article analyses the recent worldwide boom of the medical tourism industry in the last 10 years, focusing on the case studies of India, Turkey and Thailand. Based on data analysis, we go on to study the reasons for the boom, the motivations behind medical tourists and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.

Talk about a multi-billion dollar industry that has steadily risen in the past 15 years? That’s medical tourism. Countries that made the best out of it, such as India, Turkey or Thailand, experienced growth rates of up to 20% per year during the 2010-2013 period, rising from $340 million to $622 million in the latter’s case. The trend shows no signs of stopping. The industry’s market size was worth an estimated $54.4 billion in 2021 and is expected to break through the $200 billion threshold by 2027 (alternative estimates say it will surpass $280 billion by that time). 

History of Medical Tourism & Growth Over Recent Years

Interestingly enough, medical tourism is no new phenomenon. Recorded cases of medical travel go as far as 2,500 years back, when Greek pilgrims visited the sanctuary of the god Asklepios in Epidaurus. With the advent of low-cost airlines, in 2005, the industry has boomed in a way no Ancient Greek could have predicted, however. But lower traveling costs could not explain such an exponential increase on their own. According to Jerry Eades, from the University of London, some of the main reasons behind the industry boom include: 

  • The internet revolution: between the years 2000 and 2010, the easier access to information would have resulted in a greater awareness of medical alternatives worldwide. 
  • Economic shocks: The 1997 and 2008 financial crisis would have pushed Asian and Middle Eastern countries to bring in foreign exchange (medical patients are usually asked to pay in USD, Euros or GBP, explaining the huge profit margins for local Indian, Indonesian or Mexican companies). 
  • Quality standards: Low labor and operational costs, combined with high quality professionals and revenues in USD, Euros and GBP, resulted in an astounding win-win situation for patients and healthcare providers alike. 

Why Would Anyone Travel for a Medical Service?

Medical tourism used to work the other way around: rich people from developing countries would travel to the US or Europe to access better health care services. In recent years, however, this tendency has been reversed: it is mostly patients from the US, UK or Europe who travel abroad to access more affordable medical treatments. 

The ever growing benefits allowed for huge public and private investments to improve medical facilities in countries such as Turkey, Mexico or India, which, in turn, attracted more patients. There are solid reasons to believe this trend will not change in the near future, considering its major benefits:

Cheaper Costs

Most people cannot afford to pay medical insurance covering an expensive operation, let alone paying for the operation. Long waiting times for public healthcare services, stretching as much as a year or more in the US, UK or Canada, further push patients to look for alternatives. 

Traveling and Discovering Other Cultures

Medical tourism companies usually design specific travel packages which include hotel accommodation, private transportation and site-seeing, along with the evident medical treatment fees. These packages become incredibly attractive, allowing patients to kill two birds with one stone. As an example, MCAN Health’s Hair Transplant package offers an all-inclusive travel experience in Istanbul. 

Unapproved or Inaccessible Procedures

The last reason is to access medical procedures that would not be available in the country of origin. The most famous example would be to have an abortion, still forbidden in many areas of the world. This leaves no other alternative than traveling abroad.

Medical Traveling in Times of Covid-19

Medical tourists are patients who choose to travel abroad to access medical treatments. There is no surprise if travel restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic hit the industry hard, accounting for up to a 45% decrease in demand in 2020-2021. Forecasts make no mistake about it, however. The global medical tourism market comprised more than 24 million patients in 2019 alone, and is expected to reach 70 million by 2027, in what would be an annual increase of 15% per annum. 

The Accessories That Must Always Be On You With The Scooter: Must Need!

ABC Staff
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The Accessories That Must Always Be On You With The Scooter: Must Need!

 Electric Scooter is a great invention of modern technology. E-scooter will provide you with a comfortable & super exciting ride. Moreover, they are so eco-friendly & also foldable. There are many adult electric scooters available in the market.

Well, when you buy an electric scooter, you must want to ride it on the street. Before you go for the road, ensure that you have the accessories that must always be on you with the scooter. Because accessories give you a safe ride & reduce the chances of accidents.

There are many accessories you need, but here we have discussed the most essential four accessories. So, let’s start.

 Four Essential Accessories That You Need: Must Know!

Your safety is in your hand. So, you must be careful choosing the accessories.

 1. Helmet

The Helmet is an essential accessory. First, you should buy a helmet to save your life from dangerous accidents. It will protect your head & face from severe injury. So, if you buy a low-quality helmet, it will be a worse choice. So, before you buy a helmet, keep in mind some things.

If you want smooth riding & your e-scooter speed is less than 20 mph, a standard e-scooter helmet is indeed a good choice. These are so comfortable, small in size & lightweight. A downhill helmet will give you more protection, especially in hilly areas.

Well, when your e-scooter speed is more than 20 mph, you need an e-bike or motorcycle helmet. These are heavy, but you will get the best protection. Besides, your whole force will be protected from crashes because of the chin bar.

 Here are some criteria that you should keep in mind for selecting a helmet:

● Safety certifications

● Bike helmet certifications

● Downhill helmet certifications

● Motorcycle helmet certifications

● Ventilation

● Weight & size

2. Phone Holder

From my point of view, as a careful rider, you should never use your phone while riding Because it disrupts your attention on the road. Thus, you may face various dangerous situations.

If you need to use your phone in an emergency such as looking at a map or for any important calls, phone holders are needed. Phone holders will save valuable time and protect your phone from slipping away from your hand.

The phone holders are placed on the scooter handlebar & keep your phone in the right position. Consider the size of your phone holder because not every size is suitable for your phone. A great piece of advice for you is to have a waterproof phone holder.

3. Gloves

Gloves are also recommended as a necessary accessory. These can play a significant role in your protection. They will give protection of your hands & fingers in case of crashing or any accidents. Moreover, they will save you from fractures.

In the winter, gloves will keep your hands warm. Besides, you will not face any problem with sweaty hands in the summer season. As an electric scooter rider, you should choose flexible & lightweight gloves. The selection of gloves varies depending on your scooter speed.

A standard bike scooter is perfect if your scooter speed is less than ten mph. But in case of high speed, you should use motorcycle gloves. Gloves made with leather materials are a good choice. Though it works in all weather conditions, it is a little expensive. You can get gloves for $15 to $100.

 4. Lock

The lock is a must accessory. It prevents your scooter from stealing when you need to go to work, leaving it outside. Sadly, thieves can break it or hack it. So, you need a solid or secure lock. But excellent news for you is that a few thieves can break a higher-quality lock.

There are some recommendations for you to choose a lock:

 Chain Lock:

To cut or break chain locks is challenging as they are heavier & made from metal things. Thus, they provide more security. Moreover, there is a padlock at the end of the chain. But carrying a chain lock is a problem.

Cable Lock:

These are very easy to maintain as they are lightweight & flexible. But thieves can easily cut it. So, cable chains can not protect your scooter from a high-risk area.

U-Lock:

U-lock has a big padlock. They are the most secure & affordable lock. These are also known as D-lock. But you will not get a suitable space always to use a U-lock.

Final Thoughts

 Hopefully, you have understood the necessity of these essential accessories. So, why are you being late?. Buy these accessories for your own needs. These electric scooter accessories will make your journey more secure & enjoyable. One more thing, I must say that you should buy a good-quality electric scooter because only excellent accessories can not make your scooter extensive.

The lesson of vaccine passports: is a cashless economy the next step towards mass surveillance?

ABC Staff
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The lesson of vaccine passports: is a cashless economy the next step towards mass surveillance?

French prime minister Jean Castex announced in December new legislation that would change the country’s current Covid-19 health pass, which gives proof of a negative Covid-19 test, proof of vaccination, or proof of having recovered from the illness — into a vaccine-only pass.

Without a valid pass, entrance to cafés, cinemas, and crowded events is already barred. But the French government is exploring ways to make life more and more difficult for the unvaccinated, with the nation’s president, Emanuel Macron, raising eyebrows with particularly provocative language on the subject.

In the UK, both the public and the Conservative-run government are largely opposed to such constraints on personal freedoms. There, the preference is for ‘track-and-trace’ initiatives, whereby the public signs into locations, like bars and restaurants, via a QR-code-based government system. This allows contacts with confirmed cases of the virus to be notified and ordered to preventatively self-isolate.

Some people would argue that both options come with the risk of contributing to backsliding on democratic values, like the right to privacy.

“These systems need some degree of access to sensitive health information in order to function, and that creates an unavoidable vulnerability,” notes Reason magazine’s J.D. Tuccille.

In particular, passes necessarily contain digital information about the bearer, such as their name, date of birth, when or perhaps where they were vaccinated — and this personal data needs to be protected from illegitimate use.

The normalisation of privacy loss

Experts suggest that measures taken during the health crisis are a litmus test for what can be expected on many of the other frontiers where policy meets technology. Whether one is for or against them, vaccination certificates are a telling case. Lawmakers seek a balance between protecting public health and protecting citizens’ privacy — specifically, through individual data sovereignty.

As researchers have noted in the field of artificial intelligence, the effectiveness of digital solutions can be inherently opposed to the protection of personal data. While data is the fuel of much of our modern technology, a zero-sum relationship can exist at times between safeguards and effective solutions. With greater privacy, technology can suffer from reduced efficacy; with a more powerful solution, leveraging more data, privacy is put at greater risk.

Depending on where one stands in the privacy debate, with the pandemic running roughshod over conventional measures of mitigation, rightly or wrongly, exceptions have been made to protect the public: exceptions being the operative word.

Eric Abetz, an Australian senator, argues that we need to be particularly careful with such programmes to avoid scope creep as the pandemic drags on.

“How many vaccinations and booster shots or other medical procedures will be required on a person’s vaccine passport to allow them to participate as full citizens? This is a slippery slope,” he says.

The risk is that the public becomes accustomed to the loss of privacy and stops demanding, or loses the ability, to keep the government in check.

“One of the things that we don’t want is that we normalise surveillance in an emergency and we can’t get rid of it,” concludes Jon Callas, director of technology projects at the digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The risks of cashless economy

Callas’s point cuts to the centre of the issue over digital economics too. By definition, a cashless society aims to use technological mechanisms to be orderly, efficient, and dependable: the precise opposite of a crisis. Clearly, there would be nothing temporary about it.

What makes this potentially more hazardous for society is that data exploitation stemming from a cashless economy has far greater breadth and reach than that relating to Covid vaccines.

Unlike payments made in cash, digital payments carry a lot of meta data, along with being linked to accounts and troves of personal data. These qualities put an individual’s privacy at risk, and the privacy loss increases relative to dependency on digital payments and third-party facilitators.

When we pay with cash no one is recording the transaction, beside ourselves and the other party. There are no third parties that need to give us the green light. In this way, cash payments offer a form of financial freedom that cannot exist in the digital economy, and they protect us from unwanted breaches of privacy.

In a cashless society, every purchase a citizen makes is “authorised and recorded by a privately run commercial bank, giving it a transaction-by-transaction history of your entire commercial life,” warns The Guardian’s Brett Scott.

If the recent epidemic of data loss and high-profile hacking incidents is anything to go by, data is never particularly secure. More importantly, data is traded in opaque markets, making it difficult for consumers to know who, or rather what, has information on them.

While technology brings companies greater and greater power to scrutinise the daily lives of individuals, we are losing our capacity to hold such organisations accountable. The asymmetry this creates in information is a dangerous phenomenon in modern democracies. Perhaps it is no surprise that countries with poor human rights records and weak or non-existent democratic institutions have moved furthest along on this path: namely, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, and China.

“Countries which have had to endure dictatorships, and have recovered, are more likely to be cautious with the power they give their governments over their lives,” write the editors of Cashless Economy, a website dedicated to curating articles on the dangers of an all-digital economy.

Whether or not vaccine passports are justified in the fight against Covid-19, they do not reduce concerns over other technologies that diminish privacy. What society chooses in an emergency might not be the best model for our behaviour the rest of the time.

Wealth Management Tips for Business Owners

ABC Staff
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Wealth Management Tips for Business Owners

Financial management is an essential component of establishing and sustaining a business, no matter its size. Entrepreneurs must think about their money for a variety of reasons, from preparing for survival in difficult times to progressing to the next level of success in good times.

For successful wealth management, there are many important factors including institutional consulting, budget planning, and more. Keep reading to know more about wealth management tips for business owners.

1. Surround Yourself With Experts

Small business entrepreneurs sometimes fail because they make judgments without seeking expert advice. Create a small network of important contacts to have at your disposal. It is better to seek the advice of a lawyer or an accountant. Additionally, keep your personal and corporate finances separate and treat them both with the same care.

2. Pay Attention to Your Budget

Creating an annual budget for your business is a crucial step that will allow you to efficiently manage your money throughout the year. A budget serves as a compass, allowing you to plan ahead of time for key company decisions. You should also look at your income and expenses to see if there are any changes you can make to your spending habits.

3.  Closely Monitor Cash Flow

Cash flow is critical to the success of your firm, especially in the early stages. The appropriate quantity is determined by your business strategy, sales, and expenses; just make sure you have enough cash on hand to cover your operational demands. If you detect a potential shortfall coming up, contact your late-paying clients or provide a little discount to others who pay on time.

4. Pay Yourself Modestly

This is not the time for you to choose a high-paying job because you have too many other financial issues. Of course, you don’t want to underpay yourself, but you should aim for a salary that allows you to pay your monthly bills, put money into your retirement and emergency funds, and yet have some money left over for personal purchases. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to increase your pay once your company thrives.

5. Maintain Accurate Financial Records

Hire an experienced bookkeeper or accountant from the start, even if only on a consulting basis or for a few hours per month. This way, your finances will be precise from the start, you will be able to more accurately forecast your break-even or profit analysis, and you will have more confidence in making potentially dangerous financial decisions.

6. Make a Habit of Financial Forecasting

Make it a habit to keep an eye on market developments and adjust your financial forecast and business plan for the year accordingly. This stage will assist you in gaining a clearer vision of where the firm will be in the future, as well as allow you to alter and build a better strategy for the company’s growth.

Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?

ABC Staff
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Are You Having a Midlife Crisis?

Middle age is an interesting period in life. You’re not young anymore, and you’re not old yet. For many people, it’s a transitional period, so it’s no surprise that midlife is often associated with changes, whether it be changes in relationships, career, or lifestyle.

As we get older, our appearance and health also change. In middle age, many people start to think more about their mortality and the things they did or didn’t accomplish throughout their lives.

Middle age is also the midlife crisis age. Some people struggle with the changes they go through and deal with depression or other mental health issues. In this case, the best solution might be to talk to a therapist. For instance, you can try online talk therapy so you won’t even need to drive to a therapist’s office.

However, some people cope with their emotional problems differently. The common stereotypes about a person in a midlife crisis who abandons their responsibilities to have fun, try extreme sports, or engage in chaotic relationships exist for a reason.

So, how can you understand whether you’re facing a crisis or just feel young and full of energy? What is a midlife crisis, and what are its symptoms? Here’s what you should know.

  What Is a Midlife Crisis?

The term “midlife” has no strict definition. Generally, this is a period from the age of 40 to the age of 65. However, it’s important to keep in mind that all people’s lives are different, and a midlife crisis is more about significant changes than numbers. Therefore, the midlife crisis age may vary.

According to the National Survey of Midlife in the United States, most people report dealing with a midlife crisis before their 40s or after the age of 50. The vast majority of the survey participants note that their crisis was triggered by major life events, like a loss of a loved one, retirement, divorce, or relocation, rather than a certain age.

Moreover, many people go through a quarter-life crisis in their mid-20s, and in this case, a crisis is also usually caused by major changes, because at this age, many people leave their parents’ houses and enter adult life.

 What Makes Midlife So Challenging

When people enter their 40s, they often realize that their roles in relationships change. Their parents need additional care and support as they get older, while their kids become more and more independent.

In the 1910s, psychologists even came up with the term “empty nest syndrome,” which they used to describe depression that people experience when their children leave home. For many people, children are the most important part of their lives so it’s no surprise that some of them feel like their lives become less meaningful.

Even people who don’t have kids, however, may deal with a midlife crisis. Financial concerns, menopause, declining libido, health problems, and many other things that often come with middle age don’t contribute to emotional stability and may lead to an increased feeling of frustration and disappointment.

Does Everyone Experience a Midlife Crisis?

As you can see, it’s impossible to talk about a midlife crisis without mentioning major life events, many of which are negative. Besides, it can be difficult to ignore the fact that you age. However, does that mean that a midlife crisis is inevitable? Is it something everyone should expect?

The truth is that research data doesn’t support the idea that middle age is necessarily an age of crisis. There’s no doubt that many people go through crises in their 40s and 50s, and research data also suggests that the average level of life satisfaction decreases during the midlife period.

However, there’s a significant variation between individuals in terms of both age and emotional health. Some people reach the peak of their career development during these years, while others discover new interests, stay active, and live fulfilling lives.

At the same time, people who are not satisfied with their lives may feel frustrated and engage in self-deprecation, meaning that they may downplay the good things in their lives and only focus on the negative aspects instead.

Signs of a Midlife Crisis

First of all, the term “midlife crisis” is not an officially recognized diagnosis. It’s rather a buzzword so it should be treated accordingly. Even researchers who’ve studied this phenomenon have yet to agree on a clear definition of a midlife crisis, and the existing research data directly depends on the respondents’ understanding of what a crisis is.

The American Psychological Association, however, recognizes such a thing as an emotional crisis. According to the APA, an emotional crisis is characterized by quick noticeable changes in a person’s behavior. For example, people in an emotional crisis may:

  • Experience significant changes in mood (e.g. sadness, irritability, anger, etc.);
  • Ignore personal hygiene;
  • Lose interest in their relationships and regular activities;
  • Gain or lose weight;
  • Experience significant changes in their sleep habits.

Many people who experience depression in their 40s refer to it as a midlife crisis. Does depression cause the crisis or vice versa? Well, here’s where the term “midlife crisis” can be particularly misleading.

Depression, anxiety, and many other mental issues that arise during midlife are all different disorders so there’s no point in using the same term for all mental health problems that people may experience at a certain age.

Final Thoughts: Should You Get Help?

There are many stereotypes about the midlife crisis so it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not a real diagnosis. People experience crises at different ages, and not all of us go through a crisis in our 40s. Moreover, not everyone goes through a midlife crisis.

Midlife, however, is a difficult period for many people. If you experience symptoms of depression or need any kind of emotional support, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A licensed therapist can help you figure out the causes of your emotional problems and suggest effective coping strategies.

If you don’t have much time to commute to a therapist’s office, you can also use online therapy platforms like Calmerry and talk to therapists remotely, without even leaving your home. Learn more about therapy to get ready for your first session.

What does sustainability mean to you?

ABC Staff
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What does sustainability mean to you?

When most people think of sustainability, they likely think about the environment and how to protect it. But in reality, sustainability is about much more than that. It’s about creating a better future for ourselves and for generations to come by making responsible choices today.

Sustainability is about living within our means, using resources wisely, and being mindful of the impact our actions have on the planet. It’s about creating a society that is equitable and inclusive, where everyone has access to the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. And it’s about recognizing that we are all interconnected and that what we do affects not just our own lives but the lives of others as well. For information click here https://sustainability-dashboard.com/about-us

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what sustainability means. It’s a constantly evolving concept that means different things to different people. But if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that sustainability is essential for creating a better future.

So how can we make sustainability a part of our everyday lives? Here are a few tips:

• Reduce, reuse, recycle: This old adage is still as true today as it ever was. Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying only what you need and recycling what you can’t reduce or reuse. Reuse items whenever possible, and recycle everything else.

• Eat sustainably: Eating sustainably means choosing foods that are environmentally friendly and ethically produced. This might mean eating organic produce, choosing meat from sustainable sources, or avoiding processed foods.

• Travel sustainably: Traveling sustainably means being mindful of the impact your travels have on the environment. Choose modes of transportation that emit less pollution, like biking or walking, and avoid using plastic water bottles and straws.

• Use renewable energy: Switch to renewable energy sources like solar or wind power to reduce your carbon footprint. You can also retrofit your home with energy-efficient appliances and LED light bulbs to help reduce your energy consumption.

Sustainability is key to a better future. By being mindful of the way we use our resources and how we impact the environment, we can create a world that is more equitable and flourishing for all.

There are many ways to be sustainable. One important way is to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources. This can be done by installing solar panels or wind turbines or by using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

Another way to be sustainable is to recycle and compost. Recycling helps us reuse materials that would otherwise end up in landfills while composting turns food scraps and other biodegradable items into nutrient-rich soil amendments.

It’s also important to think about the way we produce and consume goods. We can buy products that are made with sustainable materials, or we can opt for products that come in recyclable packaging. And when we do have to throw something away, we should try to recycle or compost it instead of sending it to a landfill.

Sustainability is essential for creating a better future—one where we’re mindful of our impact on the planet and work together to protect our environment. Let’s all do our part to make sustainability a priority!

How To Run Successful LinkedIn Ads – 6 Effective Tips

ABC Staff
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How To Run Successful LinkedIn Ads – 6 Effective Tips

Is boosting leads or attracting more qualified leads your business goal? Then, you should adopt social media advertising. Social media advertising, especially with LinkedIn, is ideal for connecting with professionals in your industry, attracting more leads, and growing your business.

What are the different LinkedIn ad services? How can you run successful LinkedIn ads? This article discusses six tips for running successful LinkedIn ads. Kindly follow through.

#1 – Tailoring Your Ads

Knowing who you’re trying to reach is integral to running LinkedIn ads. You can tailor your ad format and content to suit their interest when you know your audience.

Some parameters for targeting your audience on LinkedIn include company name or industry, job specifications, skills, gender, degree, or field of study.

#2 – Picking the Best Ad Format for Your Campaign

After picking an ad type, the next step is to choose an ad format that will produce the best results for your campaign. The best ad format type depends on the ad content you’re running. The several ad formats you can choose from to create an appealing ad include;

  • Text Ads

As the name implies, text ads only include text and are displayed on your feed’s sidebar. In addition, you can only use this ad format with text ad types.

  • Single Image Ads

The most common ads on LinkedIn are single image ads. A high-quality, exciting photo and some texts are features of this ad format. Furthermore, single image ads are best for sponsored content

  • Carousel Ads

Carousel Ads consist of multiple images in one ad, and you can only use them with sponsored content. Additionally, they are great for showcasing numerous products or spanning one image over the entire carousel.

  • Video Ads

You can engage with your audience, increase interaction, and provide much information within a short period using video ads. Additionally, this ad format is suitable for sponsored content

  • Follower Ads

You can promote your LinkedIn page, help people see your content, and get more members to follow the page using follower ads. Furthermore, this ad format is suitable for sponsored content or InMail

  • Spotlight Ads

You can use spotlight ads to showcase your products and services as an advertiser. Furthermore, you can direct a user that clicks on your spotlight ad to a landing page or a web page. Spotlight ads are only used with sponsored content

  • Job Ads

LinkedIn job ads are ideal for finding new employees. You can use this ad format if your goal is to recruit new talent for your open positions. Furthermore, job ads are useful in sponsored content or InMail

#3 – Choosing the Right Objective

Before running an advertising campaign, it is best to have a goal in mind and know what you want to achieve. LinkedIn ads are ideal for attaining several objectives, including website visits, engagement, video views, and lead generation.

Website visits are a suitable objective for your campaign if the goal is to increase traffic to your website and landing pages. The engagement objective is excellent if your campaign’s goal is increasing activity on your LinkedIn page.

LinkedIn video views are great for seeing the engagement and exposure of your video ads. While the lead generation objective is ideal if your goal is to get people to attend an event or sign up for a mailing list

#4 – Creating Personalized Ads

With personalized ads, you can reach interested leads, increasing their involvement in your product or service. Personalization is a crucial component of your campaign because personalized ads help you deliver a tailored experience to your audience’s unique interests.

Everyone has different reasons for being interested in your business. Creating personalized ads that target people specifically increases their interests, increasing engagement and interaction with your LinkedIn ads.

#5 – Crosschecking Your Ads

Before publishing your ads, you have to ensure they look professional. Professional and error-free ads look good and reflect on your business positively.

Because LinkedIn is a professional networking site, before publishing your ad, ensure it is free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Another vital element of your ads is your visuals. Ensure they look authentic because stock photos do not generate the best results. Furthermore, ensure the information you’re providing your audience is clear and precise.

An error-free and professional ad increases your campaign’s effectiveness, engaging your audience and increasing interest in your business.

#6 – Testing Your Ads

You should always test your ads before making them public. Ad testing helps you produce the best ads for your campaign. After testing, you should only put out the best copy of the ad. Running A/B tests on your ads helps you determine the most effective version

Showing two different ad versions to the same audience is a way to run an A/B test on LinkedIn. You can then check which one has more clicks and leads. Additionally, you can test different LinkedIn ad types to know which one performs better. For instance, running a carousel ad and photo ad helps you know the best for your audience and engagement

Virtual Assistant career – vital skills and qualities for becoming a specialist 

ABC Staff
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Virtual Assistant career – vital skills and qualities for becoming a specialist 

People who own a business choose to hire a virtual assistant because they need an additional team member. Also, the work-from-home environment helps business owners to reduce their costs while receiving the necessary support from their virtual employees. 

Choosing to follow a virtual assistant career may be the perfect option for people who have a passion for organisation and want to start a home-based business. Whether you decide to be a contractor or a freelancer, collaboration happens remotely, so you can work from anywhere and have a flexible work schedule.  

As an assistant, you offer administrative, marketing, social media, travel, phone support to other businesses. Offering help with various tasks like data entry, email management, content writing or answering the phone, a virtual assistant is the helping hand every company needs. 

It may seem easy to choose this career path, but becoming a virtual assistant requires discipline and self-motivation. They are always challenged to prove their ability to manage multiple tasks, satisfy clients’ needs, and improve their knowledge about the job they perform.   

man in black sweater using macbook pro

Here are some skills to consider if you want to become a virtual assistant:

Detail-oriented

Paying attention to details is a must when working as a virtual assistant. Accuracy is essential because even the slightest mistake can unbalance the company’s objectives. You must be very careful and avoid unexpected circumstances that can affect the company’s image. 

Multiple tasks and deadlines can disturb your cognitive functions so train your mind to concentrate and avoid possible mistakes. Pay attention to every small detail such as dates, formats and numbers, and make sure you follow the client’s instructions. 

A detail-oriented assistant becomes familiar with the pressure of multitasking, knowing how to handle clients’ needs, manage booking tasks or emails and solve the problems faster. However, to err is human so if you are a business owner, avoid putting much pressure on your virtual employee. They will identify the mistake and redress it.  

Communication and writing skills 

Minimum communication skills are required regardless of the chosen career. Whether you choose to work from home or go to the office, communication is the key to successful collaborations. Being a good speaker means communicating your ideas and making yourself clear. It’s better to use simple words because it eases the information exchange and helps the clients to feel more comfortable during conversations. 

When you work as a virtual assistant, impeccable oral and writing skills are mandatory because all your work relies on emails or messaging platforms, phone and video calls. It’s essential to communicate efficiently with your employer, letting him know if there is a problem that requires urgent solving or you need more information about a business-related topic.

Having multilingual skills is a great advantage if you work with international clients. Besides communicating in your clients’ language, listening and understanding others are essential elements for successful professional collaborations, so make sure you understand what others try to express. 

Creativity

Good marketing and informed decisions can help a company grow, increasing its performance. For business owners it may be difficult to create original content for their business because they are often limited on time. Employers may choose to hire a virtual assistant for marketing support. 

Assistants can implement:

  • marketing plans, to elevate the company’s marketing;
  • market research, to identify trends or competitors
  • on-point content writing to boost blog views
  • email marketing for news and updates sent to customers’ inboxes
  • good social media management to increase the company’s popularity 
  • simple updates for the company’s site for keeping things up-to-date

Knowing how to manage these areas will make you stand out in the industry. 

Organisational skills 

If you love organisation, becoming a virtual assistant may be the best option for you. Business owners choose to hire an assistant because they need someone who can organise their daily tasks and manage appointments, phone calls, emails, social media posts or travel and events arrangements. You can use online tools and systems such as Microsoft Office to ease your work. They can help you add or remove information and keep track of changes that may occur. 

Good management of time stressful situations

Knowing how to manage your time is advantageous when you have a multitasking job. Think about time management systems that can help you operate all your clients’ requirements and pay attention to stress.

Stressful situations may be difficult to handle, so learning to work under pressure without affecting you is crucial when working as a virtual assistant. Try to perform your daily tasks using a positive mindset and a stress management system that helps you maintain healthy working patterns. For example, short breaks or a nutritious meal can offer you a productivity boost. 

Meeting deadlines can become an everyday stressor but think about the best part. Deadlines can motivate you to work on projects that require attention and good time management. If something unexpected occurs, you will know how to fix the problem and finish the task without delay. 

Remember to inform your client if you ever feel overwhelmed. The best action for successful results is finding solutions for difficult situations while working as a team.  

Positivity, reliability and self-motivation

Being positive can help you increase productivity and creativity. A virtual assistant needs a creative mind to help them manage their tasks rapidly and find ideas for any unexpected changes or problems. 

Being trustworthy is an essential requirement when working with different companies because you will access all their data. Always consider your clients’ requirements and concentrate on finishing particular studies or tasks before having your employer ask about their status. Your clients will trust your work and appreciate your efforts. Your mission is to ease the company’s tasks and facilitate business development. Having a reliable attitude helps you to always be on duty and complete tasks with responsibility. 

Self-motivation is essential because working from home can distract your attention from daily work tasks. Discipline and motivation help you stay focused, manage time-sensitive requests and complete on time other charges you may receive. Try to organise your time, following a practical work routine that will help you stay motivated and meet deadlines without delay. 

Choosing to follow a virtual assistant career can offer you multiple advantages and a wide range of opportunities, such as working remotely and unlimited earning potential. 

Utility Warehouse gets their hands dirty with Green Initiatives

ABC Staff
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Utility Warehouse gets their hands dirty with Green Initiatives

Image credit: ecolife.zone https://www.ecolife.zone/

If you happen to look at the hillside of Bryn Arw, you will see an interesting call to arms cut into the bracken. The phrase is the work of Utility Warehouse (UW), the multiservice home services provider, who has used this hillside to launch its ‘Get your hands dirty’ campaign.

And if you’re not planning on going to the Brecon Beacons anytime soon, fear not, you can see the slogan from the comfort of your sofa, thanks to Google Earth.

But ‘Get your hands dirty’ is more than a call to arms – it reflects the attitude of the business itself. Uniquely in the utilities industry, UW works with a nationwide network of local Partners who recommend home services to friends and family. In addition to rolling up their sleeves to help people they know save time and money, many UW Partners also get their hands dirty on a local level, setting up and running initiatives in their neighbourhoods, like local fairs, fundraising and litter picking.

Utility Warehouse has been increasingly active in the Brecon Beacons since they launched the UW Woodland on Bryn Arw in 2020, promising to fund the planting of a new tree for every customer that signs up to all its services.

Over the past year, they have planted more than 130,000 trees here, creating a brand new woodland. And with Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters calling for more trees to be planted in Wales, UW is certainly doing its bit to help achieve this.

Andrew Lindsay, CEO of Utility Warehouse, has said: ‘We are delighted with the growth of the UW Woodland at Bryn Arw which now has over 130,000 native broadleaf saplings and covers the size of over 70 football pitches. It’s a great start, but we’re not stopping there.

‘Alongside our amazing UW Partners, we’re excited to be getting our hands dirty and launching initiatives like this to help support and develop local communities all over the UK.’

Lindsay also mentions that ‘when looking for a charity partner, it was important that we partnered with someone who believed in the same things as we did’.The UW Woodland is a partnership between Utility Warehouse and Stump Up for Trees, a community-based charity planting one million trees in the Brecon Beacons area.But what makes them stand out is their belief in meaningful conservation. The UW Woodland is about much more than planting trees for the sake of it – it’s about preserving the ecosystem on Bryn Arw. The types of trees that are planted on the hillside are carefully picked to create new homes for creatures big and small and increase biodiversity, as well as tackle climate change by absorbing carbon.

Why green initiatives by companies like UW can help the economy

Projects like the woodland conservation don’t just have a positive environmental impact, they also contribute to economic growth. Forbes reported that over half of global GDP, or $44 trillion, is potentially threatened by nature loss, making restoration an economic priority in the decade ahead.

However, there is good news: the sustainable management of forests by companies conserving woodlands could create around $230 billion in business opportunities and 16 million jobs worldwide by 2030.

Green initiatives, especially for companies in the energy sector, are also important from a reputation perspective. As Forbes reports, “strong business positioning and values-based leadership are instrumental for businesses to build long-term value. Forest conservation and restoration support businesses to become leaders in sustainability, strengthening business reputation among customers, employees and ecosystem partners, including the communities in which they operate.”

Going beyond forests

And it’s not just forests that UW are helping to preserve. They’re also joining the effort to turn back the tide on plastic pollution by joining forces with Ocean Generation.

Ocean Generation aims to increase awareness of the dangers of plastic in our rivers, seas and oceans. They do this by supporting community-based education programmes and enabling underrepresented young people to participate and have a voice.

Over the last 12 months, money raised by UW Partners for Ocean Generations is matched by UW. This money will go to helping communities understand the impact of plastic on ocean health and the ways in which changes in behaviour can positively impact this.

Lastly, UW customers have access to a wealth of benefits, many geared towards environmental wellbeing. Customers have the opportunity to receive a free smart meter upgrade, free LED lightbulbs, and – if you book all UW home services – 100% renewable energy.

Bitcoin Futures Legitimise Cryptocurrencies

ABC Staff
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Bitcoin Futures Legitimise Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin futures trading on the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has legitimised Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the eyes of many investors. Bitcoin prices soared to a new all-time high on December 18th, 2017 as news of the launches spread. The CME Group announced that it would launch Bitcoin futures on December 17th, and the CBOE followed suit a day later.You can also take help from bitcoin evolution trading.

The addition of Bitcoin futures contracts will allow institutional investors to bet on the future value of Bitcoin. This could lead to increased liquidity and stability in the Bitcoin market. Many experts believe that the approval of Bitcoin futures will pave the way for Bitcoin ETFs, which would give retail investors easier access to Bitcoin.

The launch of Bitcoin futures has been met with some criticism. Some experts are concerned that the introduction of Bitcoin futures could lead to a bubble in the Bitcoin market. Others argue that Bitcoin is not ready for widespread adoption and that the futures contracts could be used to manipulate the price of Bitcoin.

Despite these concerns, the launch of Bitcoin futures marks a major milestone in the development of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin is now firmly on the radar of institutional investors, and its long-term prospects look brighter than ever.

Bitcoin prices soar to a new all-time high on news of Bitcoin futures launches

Bitcoin Futures Legitimise Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin ETFs may be coming soon!

Criticism over Bitcoin Futures launch, but it’s a good thing!

Bitcoin is ready for the big time! institutional investors beware!

Bitcoin has come a long way since its inception in 2009. It is now being accepted by an increasing number of businesses and merchants, and its popularity is growing rapidly. Bitcoin’s progress can be seen in the increasing number of people who are using it to pay for goods and services.

In addition to its growing popularity, Bitcoin is also becoming more and more valuable. The value of Bitcoin has increased significantly over the past few years, and it is expected to continue to grow in value in the future. This makes Bitcoin a great investment opportunity, and more and more people are starting to see it as such.

Due to Bitcoin’s growing popularity and increasing value, it is likely that Bitcoin will continue to make progress in the years ahead. Bitcoin is still in its early stages, and there is a lot of potential for growth. As Bitcoin becomes more accepted and valuable, its progress will only continue to increase.

Bitcoin has come a long way since its inception in 2009. Digital currency has seen significant progress in terms of both user adoption and merchant acceptance. Bitcoin has also been able to maintain its value, even during times of volatility in the global economy.

One of Bitcoin’s biggest achievements has been its ability to scale effectively. The Bitcoin network has been able to handle large amounts of transactions without any issues. This is due, in part, to the Bitcoin Lightning Network which allows for near-instantaneous transactions.

Bitcoin’s success can be attributed to the many advantages it offers over traditional currencies. These advantages include:

– Decentralisation: Bitcoin is not controlled by any government or financial institution. This makes it a more secure and independent currency.

– Fungibility: Bitcoin is not tied to any specific region or country. This makes it a global currency that can be used anywhere in the world.

– Low Transaction Fees: Bitcoin transactions are much cheaper than traditional payment methods. This makes Bitcoin ideal for small transactions and micro payments.

– Easy to Use: Bitcoin can be used by anyone, regardless of their level of technical expertise. This makes it a convenient option for people who want to move away from traditional currencies.

Conclusion

Bitcoin Trading Worth it Bitcoin is a digital asset and a payment system invented by Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin was introduced on 31 October 2008 to a cryptography mailing list and released as open-source software in 2009 Bitcoin is often called the first cryptocurrency although prior systems existed Bitcoin is unique in that there are a finite number of them: 21 million Bitcoins are created as a reward for a process known as mining They can be exchanged for other currencies, products, and services As of February 2015, over 100,000 merchants and vendors accepted bitcoin as payment Bitcoin can also be held as an investment. According to research produced by Cambridge University in 2017, there are 2.9 to 5.8 million unique users using a cryptocurrency wallet most of them use bitcoin.

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