Home Blog Page 695

John Ritenour Speaks on the Development and Growth of IOA’s Sports Partnerships

0

John Ritenour, who co-founded the Insurance Office of America (IOA) in 1988, describes insurance as anticipating, preparing for, and covering the risks his clients incur in their day-to-day life. He was one of the first insurance executives to focus on serving the needs of niche clients, such as professional and amateur sports organizations.

Early on, entrepreneur John Ritenour helped to develop the IOA Sports Practice to fill what he saw as a gap in business-to-business (B2B) insurance in the sports industry. Ritenour developed customized insurance plans for sports teams and leagues, entertainment venues, municipalities, and the general sports business community.

Business leaders in the sporting industry know they can depend on IOA to meet their unique needs. To continue this legacy of service, John Ritenour passed along everything he knew to his son, Heath Ritenour, who now serves as CEO and chairman of the company.

Major Sports Team Insurance Coverage from IOA

John Ritenour acknowledges that providing sports teams with a customized insurance plan can be complex and that every sport presents its own unique risks and complications. The ability to assess risks in professional and amateur sports requires insurance professionals to have a thorough understanding of the sport along with its business model.

Providing Relevant Sports Insurance Requires Consideration of the Worst-Case Scenario

Sports teams come to IOA to mitigate the huge risks they face with a variety of issues. Two common examples are serious injuries to players or fans and lost revenue from canceled games. The recent COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that teams could lose their entire season through no fault of their own. A situation this dire could even bankrupt a team unless it has the right insurance coverage.

Team executives are not necessarily thinking about the blind spots that put their entire organization at risk. That is the job of the insurance professionals at IOA. After John Ritenour launched the IOA Sports Practice, he considered educating his clients about potential risks to be one of his most important duties. Clients could then decide for themselves whether they wanted to purchase insurance coverage for that risk or not.

John Ritenour and his son understand that their job is not just to sell clients an insurance policy but rather to educate them on the risk. The job of everyone who works at IOA is to operate in the capacity of a risk manager, not a sales agent. Once a sports team or other professional organization decides to purchase insurance for a specific risk, insurance agents must find the best policy for them and customize it as much as possible.

IOA has operated successfully for decades now. After having supported teams throughout the pandemic, IOA leadership feels confident that the company can continue to offer risk-reduction services at an exceptional value.

Teams Involved with the IOA Sports Practice

John Ritenour had been a passionate sports fan for most of his life before the idea came to him to combine two of his major interests, sports and insurance. He launched the IOA Sports Practice program slowly, focusing on building professional relationships and offering top-notch risk management services. Ritenour did not envision that his small B2B solution would soon become a leading risk management solution for all levels of sports teams across the country. Here are just some of the teams that maintain an ongoing business relationship with IOA:

  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Orlando Magic
  • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • Washington Wizards

John Ritenour has enjoyed the opportunities he has had to connect with college, minor league, and professional teams. The IOA Sports Practice also works with locally organized teams. IOA helps with the insurance needs of teams, players, and organizations representing multiple sports, including baseball, football, golf, hockey, soccer, and swimming.

How IOA Plans to Expand its Sports Partnership Program

In addition to ongoing partnerships with the above teams, IOA has provided insurance risk management services to US Club Soccer, and several racing teams. John Ritenour still provides guidance to IOA and is excited to see the plans his son has in store for expanding the sports division. Some possibilities include:

  • Expansion into other national governing bodies, such as USA Swimming
  • Growing the IOA Sports Practice program beyond the big four of baseball, basketball, football, and racing
  • Increasing its presence in the world of amateur sports

The possibilities are truly endless for this innovative and customer-centric company.

Sports is a Multibillion-Dollar Industry

Three years ago, the sports industry held a global value of $471 billion. Just under one-third of that value comes from the United States. Each team in the National Basketball Association (NBA) alone is worth at least $1 billion, with many averaging over $2 billion. The value of the sporting industry continues to rise each year, even with the havoc and uncertainty of the pandemic.

Sports organizations that stand to lose at least several million dollars seek a partnership with IOA to protect their value. Most teams prefer to be fully insured against all types of risk, but management does not know how to find the best policies.

Forming a partnership with IOA makes sense because its agents make sure each client has the right insurance. Unfortunately, having the wrong insurance can be just as bad as having no insurance at all. Non Customized policies leave members of the sporting industry with large gaps in coverage that could result in millions of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses.

The Ritenour father-son team always looks for additional ways they can help the sports organizations that trust IOA to find the best possible insurance coverage. This has proven to be a valuable approach. IOA receives business from teams, and the teams receive solid risk management policies at competitive rates.

How the IOA Sports Practice Began

John and Heath Ritenour have always worked well together as a team. Developing and growing the IOA Sports Practice is just one example of many that shows their dedication to implementing products that fill an unmet need for customers.

The opportunity to develop the sports division presented itself to them when a spokesperson for the Orlando Magic reached out to ask about IOA sponsoring the team. John Ritenour thought it sounded like a great idea, but he questioned why the Magic did not reach out to their existing insurance company with the sponsorship opportunity. He was surprised to learn that the team had done this, but their insurance company turned them down.

As part of a partnership, Heath and John proposed IOA as the official insurance broker for the Orlando Magic. The partnership would involve more than just providing the team with insurance, though. The Ritenours proposed that they hold events in the Orlando community with the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation to raise funds for charities. They also floated the idea of giving away tickets to charity and helping to entertain the Magic’s best customers.

In the proposal to become the team’s new insurance broker, John Ritenour and his son offered to perform what they called a deep dive into the Magic’s existing insurance policies. The Ritenours promised to let the team know if their current policies were appropriate to manage its risks and to find any gaps in coverage and develop a plan to fill the gaps. Administrators of the Orlando Magic liked the idea, which inspired John Ritenour to approach additional sports teams and eventually launch the IOA Sports Practice.

About John Ritenour

Insurance expert John Ritenour did not always intend to go into the insurance business. However, he knew he was in the right industry after accepting his first position as a door-to-door insurance salesman. He quickly out-performed more experienced agents and realized that he had gained enough skills to start an insurance agency of his own. That is exactly what John Ritenour did, launching what would become Insurance Office of America in 1988, with wife, Valli Ritenour.

IOA has always been a family business. Valli worked alongside John to start and grow the company in Florida. She remained with the company for 30 years, retiring at the same time as John.

Like his father, Heath Ritenour did not think insurance was the right industry for him. He changed his mind after completing an internship at IOA during a summer break from college. Heath saw firsthand what a difference it made to focus on the customer as opposed to only focusing on making the sale. More than 33 years after John and Valli Ritenour started IOA, the company continues to flourish and is one of the largest privately owned insurance brokers in the United States.

Why do you need proofreading services in Singapore?

0

Every work needs perfection to at least hit the required desire at all levels. Likewise, in writing, excellent and high-quality content is necessary to deliver the facts and engage other readers; this means writers may focus more on providing correct words. But do you know that there are some errors or mistakes that can be made by writers while writing the content?

And of course, mistakes such as grammatical errors can make your content lose the professional test that you may ask, who can write my essay?

 Therefore, you need this work to be proofread and edited upon errors available. And you don’t have to hesitate to reach the best proofreader Singapore and get your job done perfectly.

Still, need to know why you need proofreading services? Here is the answer

Professional work

You need high-quality content at a professional level, then hire professional proofreaders to execute your work for better performance. More importantly, proofreaders will help or guide you to improve your writing skills and perfect you for professional content incorporation. This can be a good chance for you to hit every corner of the competition, especially in content marketing and academic papers, letter writing, and on your website. Therefore, impress yourself and other readers about your work by passing it through proofreading services.

Correct common grammatical errors

Do you know that written work full of grammatical errors can lose the content’s taste? Avoid such credits by using proofreading services. Proofreaders will filter every single mistake, including grammatical mistakes that can make your content sound awkward. Errors such as writing repetitive ideas are common in many writing fields, as you can fill the whole work with many words with the same meaning, which can be put to fewer words and make sense. Of course, writing work full of mistakes can embarrass your readers or drive them crazy, mainly if you write content to post a website or blog, making them see no professionalism in you.

Saving time

Hiring professional proofreaders to work on your content helps you save time. Proofreading services are done perfectly and efficiently, without wasting time. Of course, you may wish or choose to do proofreading yourself, of which you can take a long time to correct errors if they are there. But professional proofreaders will take the shortest time to go through your work, identify and correct the mistakes. Also, it can be a waste of time choosing non-qualified individuals to go through your work as they may not complete the task within the stipulated time.

Increase Readability Level

Much importantly in writing your scripts is ensuring readability is high for every reader to be engaged. You may not be able to improve the readability level to meet different audiences reading abilities, but all this you can get from proofreading services.

Save money

As they say, ‘time is money, meaning every minute you spend, it accrues how much money you are spending or making. In this case, you may spend a lot of time slaving away on a paper, trying not to make errors, and it can not be a good idea. You may also end up spending a lot on resources that you get from proofreading servicing cheaply.

Conclusion

Having written content or work free from errors is always a good idea that you can incorporate in preparing your documents. Therefore, if you need such neat work to meet the professional level, then consider using proofreading services.

What Does Financial Peace Mean?

0

Financial peace means that stress and anxiety do not weigh on your head from being in debt. Credit card debt is one of the challenges when managing personal finances year after year and learning how to balance, borrow and save, but debt is not as bad as it is often made in advance.

Financial freedom largely means limited use of debt, including credit card balances, auto loans, personal loans, and student loans. Loans, such as credit cards, school loans and mortgages, can make your financial planning more flexible and provide a lifeline in an emergency – loan misuse can cause serious financial problems though so beware.

Financial freedom means that you have saved and invested enough money to afford the life you want on your terms. You don’t have to live in debt, which means you can enjoy your holiday without having to pay credit card bills. Instead of borrowing to afford large purchases, financial freedom means that you can save money and make large purchases without having to borrow on debt. It can also mean things are kicked off with getting IRS debt relief so that you have less of a debt burden to start rebuilding your credit.

This can help you avoid credit card debt and settle unforeseen costs. Balance transfer credit cards such as the ‘US Bank Visa Platinum Card’ allow you to save money on interest payments and use what you pay as interest to pay off the debt. You should consolidate Debt into a Personal Loan. A personal loan is a good alternative to a balance transfer if you have a large debt that is not transferable to a credit card.

Good debts are investments that over the long term increase in value, such as financing a college education, taking out a mortgage, a new home, a car loan, or other investments that improve your future financial situation. The longer and more seriously you take real steps toward financial freedom, the better your results are, and when interest rates fall you will be in a place where there is an opportunity to save money by refinancing your existing mortgage or other debts over the life of your loan.

You can use a tool like ‘Mint’ to tell you how much money you spend, which categories you have overspent, how much of that money is in your accounts and how much debt you have. Considering how much debt you have, compared to how much savings you have, and whether that’s as much money as you need, this is a depressing reality.

At least you have credit card debt, if you have thousands of dollars in student loans or if you have never borrowed a dollar from anyone to pay your bills.

If you want to learn how to balance your finances and increase your financial security, financial experts encourage you to start tracking your personal finances and financial goals.

What is your financial goal?

What is your net worth?

How much do you owe?

What is your goal?

How much do you have saved?

Your financial goal is a financial goal, and how you are able to achieve it may depend on your personal financial situation. The amount of money you have saved, the monthly savings you have left, the debt you have paid off, and your financial goals can help you to improve your financial situation.

Focus on investing the money you have leftover after paying off debt. This will provide you with more money for retirement and free you to think of creative ways of making it grow faster than you can spend it.

How to Create a Memorable Customer Experience

0

What is a Memorable Customer Experience?

A recent study about customer experience programs compares the importance of providing customers with a memorable and meaningful experience, in comparison to a frictionless one.

A memorable customer experience is focused on customer experience design and aims to provide customers with experiences that are meaningful and unique to the brand. It involves leaving customers with profound memories so that they are more likely to remember you, recommend you, and return to you. 

The Difference between Memorable and Frictionless Customer Experience

Memorable customer experience is more focused on experience design whereas a frictionless customer experience is focused on improving the delivery of the experience. Companies often have to make the decision on which to focus on, and therefore want to understand which of the two has a larger influence on customer buying decisions: Memorable customer experience or Frictionless customer experience?

Although customers expect a frictionless experience and it is more impactful on customer decisions, it can no longer provide brands with a competitive advantage. It is the memorable experiences that set your brand apart, help you remain competitive, and help you establish a long-term competitive advantage. Therefore, brands should aim to provide customers with a good frictionless experience, and then shift their focus to providing a meaningful and memorable experience. 

How to Create a Frictionless Customer Experience

Frictionless customer experience is focused on providing customers with an experience that is focused on optimizing the delivery of the experience. 

Here are a few ways in which companies can provide frictionless customer experience

  • Map Out Customer Journey

One of the most effective ways to optimize customer experience and provide frictionless customer experience is through customer journey mapping. Use online survey tool to clearly map out your customers’ journey. When you have a clear idea of the different touchpoints, you will understand what customers want and what influences their purchasing decisions. Once you have this information, you can then identify the different ways in which you can meet their expectations. 

  • Involve the Whole Organization

To provide a truly seamless experience, it is integral that every team and department within the organization is dedicated to this goal. Outlining  a customer experience mission statement that informs everyone within the organization of the goal and the strategies that can be used to achieve it.

  • Provide an Omnichannel Experience

Customer service can play a huge role in influencing customer experience. To provide a seamless customer service experience, it is essential to provide omnichannel support as it allows customers to reach you on their preferred channels and prevents communication issues caused by siloed channels. While gathering insights too, use survey software that provides multiple channels to reach customers. 

Some prominent leaders in providing frictionless customer experience are Uber, Amazon, and Netflix. Netflix, for example, has optimized every customer touchpoint right from when they come in contact with the customer. Their algorithms are developed to serve personalized recommendations to every viewer and they have done their best to remove any friction for the customer, to provide a seamless customer experience that keeps customers wanting more.

How to Create a Memorable Customer Experience

Let’s look at a few ways in which you can create a meaningful and memorable customer experience and elevate different touch points within the customer journey: 

  • Improve your Messaging and Communications

Changing the way you communicate with your customers can contribute to making the customer experience more memorable. For instance, research shows that repeating what the customer asks for while communicating with them increases their satisfaction levels and their spending (e.g. Let me check how much more it will cost to upgrade your subscription” rather than “Let me look into your query”).  Find out what your target audience prefers by conducting surveys using a market research tool.

  • Focus on Relationships and Interactions

Build trust and a strong relationship with your customers as this will increase loyalty and will also likely lead to them spreading the word about your brand to others. Take the time to let customers know that you value them, whether it is regarding their feedback or a purchase, ensure that they know you appreciate them. Creating a trusted reputation within the community will also make your company seem more credible, which will make it easier for new potential customers to trust your brand. 

  • Create a Ritual for your Product  

Creating a ritual associated with your product is a great way to provide customers with a memorable experience. This is a strategy that a lot of big companies use. For example, Oreo is known for its popular ‘twist, lick, dunk’ ritual that encourages people to eat Oreo cookies in a specific way. This ritual differentiates Oreos from other cookies in the market, making their brand stand out. 

Some prominent leaders in providing memorable customer experience are IKEA and Ritz Carlton. IKEA, for instance, focuses on providing customers with a very immersive experience that makes customers feel at home. They even have a cafeteria and an interactive experience for kids and aim to provide something for everyone. Compared to the average furniture store, most people find their experience at IKEA unique and memorable.

Why Some Bitcoin Skeptics Are Changing Their Minds

0

The finance industry has been divided on the bitcoin question since its inception.

On the one hand, bitcoin enthusiasts believe that the digital currency is a good investment asset. On the other hand, bitcoin skeptics believe that bitcoin does not have any underlying value and is merely a speculative asset. 

However, recent data and events have been leading some bitcoin skeptics to change their minds, with some now attesting that there are good reasons why people should invest in bitcoin.

Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, was one of those early skeptics who trumpeted that bitcoin was heading for a certain doom. Mark Cuban, the famed US billionaire entrepreneur, also believed it was more of a religion rather than a true solution to a problem.

Now, both Ray and Mark have investments in bitcoin.

So what is changing the minds of these all-star investors?

Bitcoin as a store of value

An asset is a store of value if you can keep it for a long period without it losing value.

When an asset is a store of value, it becomes a good investment. Why is this? The whole purpose of investing is to earn compound interest such that after a period, the money is worth more than when you started the investment. 

The only way that can happen is if the asset acts as a store of value. 

Today, many financial analysts and investment experts consider bitcoin as a store of value. To understand why, let’s briefly consider one of the problems with fiat currency. 

Governments can increase or decrease the money supply in an economy to achieve various fiscal and monetary policies. When they do the former — increase the money supply — the value of money decreases.

The nominal value of money may remain the same, but its real value (what it can buy) will be reduced. What $1,000 could buy before the increase in money supply could now require $1,200, for example. This is because the currency has depreciated in value through government fiscal policy — that is, the printing of more money. 

Bitcoin escapes this problem because it has a fixed supply. The inventor(s) of bitcoin fixed its supply to 21 million BTC. No central government can decrease or increase that supply at will. 

Therefore, bitcoin can sustain its value, and even grow it (depending on demand), over a long period because there is no government interference to increase supply and reduce real value.

Bitcoin as a diversification tool  

Many finance experts now consider bitcoin to be the “digital gold.” Traditionally, investors have used gold to diversify their investments in the stock and bond market because of its near-zero correlation to both markets.

When an asset has zero correlation to another asset, it means when the latter falls in value, that fall does not extend to the former.

Bitcoin has so far shown the same near-zero correlation that makes gold such a desired diversification tool. From 2012-2020, bitcoin had a 0.01 correlation with the stock market and 0.02 with the bond market. Not even gold was able to match it (gold had 0.02 correlation with the stock market and 0.28 correlation with the bond market). 

This ability of bitcoin to approach zero correlation with the stock and bond market has thus made it viable for the diversification of investment portfolios.

Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation

Another feature of gold is that it provides a hedge to investors in inflationary periods. Gold is very difficult to mine so increasing its supply is difficult. Therefore, when fiat currency is losing its value due to excessive money supply, gold is stable. 

Bitcoin is also gold-like in this manner because its supply is fixed. 

In fact, while gold can be mined at any time (though difficult), bitcoin has a fixed supply. Therefore, if gold maintains its value in an inflationary period, providing a hedge, bitcoin is expected to do the same.

While we have not had a significant inflationary period since bitcoin became mainstream (making it difficult to prove bitcoin’s potential as an inflation-hedge), finance experts expect that this benefit will hold.

Conclusion 

Why invest in Bitcoin?

Because of its capacity as a store of value, diversification tool, and a hedge against inflation, many early bitcoin skeptics are changing their minds and embracing it as an investment asset with underlying value beyond market speculation. 

If you want a store of value that can help diversify your investments in bonds and stocks and protect you during inflation, you should consider bitcoin.

Sarwa, a digital financial advisor, now allows investors to include bitcoin as part of a personal investment portfolio. With Sarwa, you will be able to build a customised and diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, REITs, and bitcoin that best fits your unique profile, allowing you to minimise risk for your elected level of returns. 

Requirements for Building a Strong Website for SEO

0

SEO, meaning search engine optimization, is the most used digital marketing technique that shows significant and effective results. It helps websites gain traffic and an influential platform by attracting a larger audience. Many of the SEO Brisbane experts can brief you up on the process as well. 

Why is it important to build a website for SEO?

Since SEO is such a preferred way of marketing, any website needs to be built with keeping SEO in consideration. Editing an already programmed website for the same gets tedious, which is why it is recommended to build a strong website from scratch. 

Steps to build a strong website for SEO:

  1. Effective layout and format of your page.

The presentation and appearance of your website need to be extremely neat and clean so that your content is delivered accurately. Precise details like images, fonts, backgrounds, etc., also play a very important role. Ensure you do not add any content inside an image as the search engine will not recognise it.

Choose a kind of font and background that seems appealing to the audience. The average length you choose for your article should be about 2416 words as mostly the articles of that word count come in the top ranks. 

  1. Research well before choosing appropriate keywords.

Keywords are the primary factor used to determine the SEO for your website. However, even the SEO Brisbane experts recommend good research before finalising the keywords for your page. The keywords used play an important role in the search engine ranking list as these words decide how accurate your page is for a particular search. 

Although, one should not overdo the usage of these words just to gain significance because that isn’t how SEO works. Let’s say your content is 200 words. Make sure you use the keyword only 2 times in the entire blog. 

  1. Provide unique and fresh content.

There is a lot of competition for recognition on the internet. Therefore, you need to make sure that your content stands out to prioritise the search engine. Plagiarism is not at all acceptable. It will not gain your company any customers.

Neither will you gain any traffic as the article you plagiarised from is already well-known and holds significance due to its originality. Make sure the language you use is easy to comprehend and not too complex for many people. The aim is to reach a larger audience and not provide fancy content that is hard to understand. 

  1. Build a user-friendly website.

Making a user-friendly website simply means a website that is easy to navigate through. The audience does not appreciate the complex programming of a website. Instead, they expect an easy functioning of a website that helps them surf through your page conveniently.

Having rough surfing of your site can get you to lose a potential customer. That is considered to be a negative user experience that should definitely be avoided. 

  1. Use of SEO tools for efficiency.

SEO tools are very helpful and should be set up before launching your website as they can be a great help in the success rate of your page. These tools provide you with relevant information on working on your websites, like the content quality and the engagement with the audience. They help in the smooth running of your web page and help in rectifying the issues that come in the way of your growth. 

Conclusion

A strong website should be built for SEO from the start as recommended by the SEO Brisbane experts. Doing so prevents you from the tedious methods of installing SEO techniques later on in your website. 

How to launch a Local Subscription Box Service for Your Small Business

0

Starting a subscription box service is not as difficult as you think. In fact, as long you have the knowledge and idea, you will be able to launch your business in no time.

If you’re planning to start this kind of business but you don’t know where to start, then keep on reading.

Listed below are tips you need to consider when starting a local subscription box business.

  • Choose Your Niche

Surely, subscription box businesses are booming, but remember, it is only going to work if you offer something that people need regularly or let them try out something different and new. Determine your specialty and then figure out if it will make sense to offer them as part of a subscription box service.

  • Perform Competitor Research

Doing competitor research comes in handy when starting any kind of business. Along the way, you will need to choose product suppliers, but you will notice that not all manufacturers want to work with you willingly. In fact, even fewer will be willing to deal with discounted prices for a new box.

The good news is that your competitors are doing a lot of research for you allowing you to save a considerable amount of time. Contacting the brands of your competitors and even the ones related to your niche will let you enjoy the same advantages of your tough competition without having to negotiate.

But remember that your main goal is to offer improved and unique products. Thus, don’t solely depend on your competitor’s products, instead, use them as your foundation from where you can build your negotiations for exciting and new products and brands.

Honestly, it is not likely that you are coming to market with completely new products. In case you are one of the few that can deliver such products, definitely you deserve applause. What’s more, you might have an easier path ahead of you. Or else, you will be working to enhance the way existing concepts are being offered to the market. Nevertheless, the easiest thing you can do, especially if you want to stand out in the market, is to do better than your competitors.

  • Do Product Supplier Research

When it comes to starting a local subscription box business, some people become excited about the kinds of they will put inside their boxes. But it is not as easy as contacting suppliers and shipping their products.

When choosing the supplier for your products, you will need to devote time and effort to assess their reliability as well as identify whether the costs of products fit your budget or not. If you’re planning to ship thousands or even hundreds of subscription boxes monthly, you need to ensure that your supplier can deliver the needed products on time. For sure, you do not want to end up dealing with internal problems. Remember, they will not be the ones who will receive complaints from customers about missing products or late deliveries.

Additionally, while doing research, you should also negotiate for the best price for every product. At the end of the day, some brands may be willing to offer you their products for free since your subscription box will be used as a new channel of exposure.

But at the very beginning, you will likely be looking at paying between retail and wholesale prices for every item you deliver. This is where your negotiating skills come in handy. Remember, just because you are a new subscription business does not mean you do not need any leverage.

If possible, contact as many brands as you can that offer the same products. And then work harder in order to pick the best value from each.

  • Know Your Customers

Similar to any service or product, you need to figure out who you are marketing toward and then understand what they would want this service or product in the subscription package. Is your customer a fitness enthusiast who is obsessed with workout clothing without the pledge of an acquisition? How much is your target customer willing to spend every month for the subscription? You need to answer these questions if you want to know your customers.

  • Identify Methods Of Fulfillment

After knowing what to send and who you are going to send the boxes to, how do you deliver them to the receivers?

It is worth noting that making trips to the post office and other carriers on a regular basis will not sustain the business for long, particularly as you grow. Fulfillment centers can keep your products and ship them out at a regular interval to your clients. By letting the center handle this task, you can spend more time on other important things that can help you grow your business.

  • Price Your Local Subscription Box

Depending on the price, a local subscription box service can survive or die. Having that said you need to price your subscription box low enough to become competitive. But you have to price it high to gain profit. But aside from that, you will also need to take into account the price of the packing materials, the box itself, shipping, postage, inserts, and platform, and transaction fees. So, make sure to come up with a good pricing strategy if you want to become successful in this industry.

Conclusion

The tips mentioned above will offer you a jumpstart to planning as well as building a local subscription box for your small business. It is all up to you to take what you have learned in this post and expand it to a comprehensive business plan. Keep in mind that you are dignified for success. Make sure to take the drive that this article brought to you and keep on taking the necessary steps in building a successful business

One more thing, constant promotion on various social media platforms may lead to further exposure for your business. You should not also forget to create your own website because you can use it to inform people about your offerings.

HOW TO CREATE CONTENT FOR AN ENGAGING EMAIL CAMPAIGN?

0

Do you spend most of your time talking about yourself when you meet somebody for the first time? Do you throw on a casual bikini top and torn jeans for a crucial meeting? Our reputation is crucial to the majority of us. We put forth the effort to present ourselves in a way that fosters credibility and confidence. The content for your email campaigns operates in the same manner! Every email you send reveals something about your personality. People will unsubscribe if you constantly talk about yourself. If your material appears to have been thrown together at the last minute, with errors and broken links, your image and email marketing plan will suffer.

Because the average consumer receives more than 100 emails every day, email marketing can be difficult. Worse, over half of those emails are classified as spam. Effective emails that connect with the readers are the most incredible way to cut through the clutter. If you want to generate better email content in 2021. In that case, you’ll need a structured approach, a knowledge of human behaviour, and a sense of adventure until you find the combination that gets the results you want.

You do not, however, have to begin from scratch. You can of course hire content writer but mastering best practices for email marketing may put you ahead of the competitors even before you send your first email. Here are the top tips for composing the best emails to grab your audience’s attention and get the work done. 

  • Incorporate clear and actionable words:

Don’t play with your audience’s time. To make your message, use simple, practical language. You may also include some trigger words to pique their interest. For example, instead of writing, “you might want to attempt this simple online course if you’d like to improve your life now.” You can write, “You can alter your life with one simple online course.”

It is more than just exchanging news and thoughts when you send an email. Any email strategy’s primary objective should be to strike the reader hard and quickly. To attract your audience and drive conversions, always utilise short phrases and a pleasant tone. Also, A call to action, often known as a CTA, may make or break any email marketing strategy. This is because it persuades subscribers to either do something or turn away. You don’t want them to go, so make that CTA stick.

  • Make sure that your subject line and body content aligns:

Your email’s subject line is its promise. It informs the receiver of what to anticipate within the email. If your reader opens the email and feels misled by the subject line, there is a chance that they won’t open another email from you. That’s why your subject line and body text must be consistent. It’s enticing to use an overly dramatic subject line lifted from a Buzzfeed headline but avoid the temptation. Or, at the very least, employ that method cautiously. If you are honest and upfront with your viewers, you will gain their confidence and loyalty.

The most fantastic approach to improve open rates is to inform your readers what they will get from the email in clear English. Also, explain how they will profit from their time with you. Make sure that every word of your body text is relevant to the subject line. Avoid going off on unimportant tangents or confusing your reader.

  • Try to personalize your emails:

Email clients that support customization tokens might be your most valuable asset in email marketing. A customization token transforms a generic word or phrase into one that is tailored to the receiver. Name tokens represent the most common options. Which would you like to see at the top of a newly opened email? In every email, use their name instead of Dear Readers.

Other customization tokens might be used to increase closeness and trust between you and your users. You might, for instance, incorporate the recipient’s address or the name of their company. Just be careful not to overdo it. You should never go from being a skilled email marketer to a possible stalker.

  • Use second person language for your emails:

A conversational and pleasant tone is beneficial for any type of marketing, but particularly for email. Remember that you’re addressing an email to a specific individual, even if it reaches dozens and dozens of people. With each email, speak directly to the targeted recipient. Rather than “he or she,” say “you.” This creates the impression that you’re conducting a one-on-one chat with the receiver. This contributes to the email not sounding overly salesy or manufactured. You may also use first-person references to make the text feel more personal. Instead of just speaking “at” the reader, speak “to” the reader by offering your own experiences.

  • Try to create a connection with your readers immediately:

You are enthusiastic about your products. You may be tempted to ramble on and on about your topic and your expertise in your emails. Refrain from giving in to the temptation. Instead, create the email’s relevance as soon as possible. The subject line and the first line of the email body should make it clear what you’re attempting to say. This does not indicate that you should write emails with only a few phrases. Longer-form material can be written, but only if you can capture your reader’s interest from the first sentence.

Let’s assume you’re mailing a free copy of an e-book you’ve published. In the subject line and opening sentence, highlight the E-book download. Then write any additional content you believe may be of interest to the reader. Include the E-book download link early in the content and at the end of the document.

Final thoughts: 

So, this is it. The tips mentioned above are the significant points to remember when writing the most effective email marketing content. Also make sure that you know all email content trends before composing your emails. Testing your material is an excellent method to fine-tune the messaging before sending it to your entire list. You may employ several more tactics to increase interaction; however, avoid gimmicks that appear to be spam. An excellent and easy test is to ask yourself, “Would I forward this email to a friend?” You would never send a spammy email to someone you care about. Therefore, it’s a great approach to keep your marketing material honest.

5 Everyday Skills Video Games Can Improve

0

Video games have a series of ‘Mythical Consequences,’ attached by the society. Many only believe that geeks with no prospects in their future play video games, and no possible benefit can arise from sitting in front of the computer playing games any time of the day or night. Video games are no longer classified as bad for any child or adult, and they will not taint the quality of life expected for your young ones. For instance, playing free slots online can deliver huge wins to you as an individual, sharpen your gaming and enhance your strategical and critical thinking skills and, above all, improve your everyday life. The following are five everyday skills video games can improve.

  • Social life
  • Relaxation technique
  • Multitasking
  • Personal accountability
  • Cognitive growth

1. Social Life 

A person’s social life depends on the number of individuals one meets in a day, hour, or minute. Individuals working at home or staying in the house find it difficult to make friends due to the limited movement. However, engaging in a game with a massive following and online community platforms can solve the issue for you. For instance, Pokemon-Go has one of the largest communities following online. Individuals share the experiences, expectations, challenges and build relationships.

You can engage in activities such as conventions, multiplayer gaming sessions, online game competitions, and many more as a way to interact, meet new gamers and make friends. The experiences derived from these activities are similar to real-life situations. Individuals can learn to speak out, share their ideas or work in a team. The activities emphasize upfront communication. 

2. Relaxation Technique 

Life today is fast-paced, and individuals have little or no time to relax, relieve stress, or prevent chances of suffering from depression. In 2018 according to the Mental Health organization in the UK, 74% of the people in the country experienced stressful situations and had no hope of survival. The American Psychological Association reports that more than three-quarters of the adults’ making up the American population experience stress. The association indicates that 80% of the working population suffers from stress, and 49% indicate that stress does affect their personalities and behaviour.

Therefore, professionals are developing new ways to help individuals achieve a state of relaxation to help deal with stress from any area and aspect of their lives. One such study employed the use of SPARX and online video game. The patients participating in the study had successful treatment, with 44% making a full recovery. Many indicate that playing the game offered quality downtime, a good distraction from teenage problems, immersive, and a quality way to make good friends.

3. Multitasking (Better Concentration and Coordination)

Daphne Bavalier, a cognitive researcher by profession, made quality conclusions regarding individual ability to multitask when faced with distractions. Her study indicated that people who enjoy playing video games are more likely to multitask without experiencing coordination or concentration challenges due to visual movements or acoustic sounds and distractions. The reference video game was Call of Duty, which is noisy during gameplay and requires constant vigilance/focus when playing. 

The video game helps build on your multitasking skill to better your focus on the activities at hand. Therefore, employees tend to improve on their productivity levels. One has to concentrate on the main character, help him navigate complex routes, face potential dangers while adhering to set game rules. At the start, individuals find it hard to keep track of all tasks at a go. But, with time and practice, the ease of playing the game is seamless, and individuals can do several things. The skills do tend to overflow and spill into your regular activities and daily life. You can speak with your friends, keep your characters on the mission to save or retrieve a valued item and monitor your progress and provide improvement or strategical planning and ideas to your team. 

4. Personal Accountability 

Personal accountability when playing video games can help individuals learn and improve on various skills. First, one can learn to love oneself and let go of unwarranted hostilities or stress. Second, you become an expert at dealing with individuals in your life. Lastly, individuals can rewire their brain functions, ensuring that they are much happier and positive minded at all times. Besides, it delivers on productivity and enhances your personal view on various subjects while eliminating any hindrances you may face.

For instance, playing Tetris is a lesson on life, the lesson being “Everything Fits Perfectly.” Individuals should be accountable for having a positive attitude and perspective by reducing negative bias and incorporating a positive Tetris Effect. At the same time, tweaking your game levels and passing through all stages at the least time possible offers a challenge to improve one’s ability to deliver successful and quality work within the shortest period. Each milestone covered comes with benefits in a video game and your work life. It could be a promotion or quality vacation. 

Finally, facing your hurdles by letting go of your frustrations and finding a way out similar to World of Warcraft or American poker 2 online card game. Both games involve employing successful strategies to get a winning combination for the poker game and rescue your team and other survivors on the battlefield! In the game, an individual knows when to press on, provide alternatives, and quit. The same logic applies to real-life situations which can enhance your quality of life. 

5. Cognitive Growth 

Italian researchers indicate that video games can aid young children in developing their cognitive abilities, especially reading. The research conducted back in 2013 concluded that children between the age of 7 and 13 years have better reading skills after exposure to usual video games. The researchers exposed the study population to the Rayman Raving Rabbids, an online game regularly. A control sample where the kids didn’t have exposure to the game showed a slower learning and reading phase than those exposed. 

Summary 

Everyday skills enable an individual to live a stress-free life, get experience and have fun. However, life can be stressful, especially when juggling various responsibilities, including work, kids, personal time, and more. Playing video games not only provides relief from all the responsibilities, but it also improves your life skills, cognitive capabilities and relieves stress. 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PURCHASING STEEL BEAMS

0

Steel support beams are essential for the construction of buildings and infrastructure and provide structural support; nevertheless, their characteristics vary. Steel beams are available in several specifications and shapes due to their wide range of uses. The vast array of accessible items might be perplexing at times, making it difficult to sort through them. Fortunately, determining your requirements directs your focus to the most essential stainless steel beam suppliers. When acquiring steel beams for your project, the following are the most important aspects to consider:

  • SHAPE OF THE STEEL BEAMS:

Steel beams are available in a variety of shapes. A beam’s form influences its durability, weight, and final cost. Most applications require broad flange beams, which are also known as I-Beams, H-Beams, or W-Beams. Large flanges distinguish wide flange beams on both sides of the web. In rare cases, a conventional American beam, also referred to as an S-Shape I-Beam with a curving profile, is required for a project. Wide flange beams and standard American beams have been proved to sustain bending and shear stresses and are widely used in the construction sector.

  • GRADING OF THE STEEL BEAMS:

The following essential factor to consider is grade. Most mills manufacture broad flange beams to ASTM A992 and A572 GR 50 specifications. Based on the target usage, there are industry-specific criteria for beam strength. Mills classify these based on industry requirements and the strength of the material utilised. Newer beams have higher standards, while older versions are being driven out since the former are constructed of superior materials. The finished product might be classed as originating from low-alloy grades, carbon steel, high-yield steel, or mild steel, depending on the production method.

  • SIZE OF THE METAL BEAMS:

Size in beams relates to a variety of factors. It considers the shaft’s specified depth, height, and weight per linear unit. Understanding the size is essential in establishing how suitable a beam is for the job at hand. A beam labelled W12 X 50 X 40 broad is 12 inches high, bears 50 pounds per foot, and measures 40 feet long. Considering these specs, the weight of the beam may be calculated by multiplying the weight per linear unit by the length. In this example, the shaft weighs 2000 pounds. The size may be determined in the same way, based on the shape of the beam. Only the letter W is likely to be different. Understanding the weight of an object is essential if the price is based on its weight.

  • THE QUANTITY YOU REQUIRE:

After understanding the size, shape and form of a steel beam comes the quantity you require for your project. In certain situations, the provider will have a minimum order restriction to qualify for benefits like free shipping. Meeting these criteria will save you money on overhead and provide you with the comfort of getting your items on-site. Knowing how much you’ll need also keeps the materials from running out before the project is finished.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Beams are used for several purposes, including providing support in residential and commercial buildings and serving as support columns for crossings, trolley tracks, and decks. Choosing the right one for your building project is critical to its success. Searching and utilising readily available internet resources can assist you in identifying the appropriate specs. If the standard product line does not meet your requirements, request customised supplies. Consider obtaining the advice of professionals if you run into any difficulties.

  • bitcoinBitcoin (BTC) $ 106,447.00 4.45%
  • ethereumEthereum (ETH) $ 3,787.51 6.05%
  • tetherTether (USDT) $ 1.00 0.02%
  • bnbBNB (BNB) $ 1,083.07 8.56%
  • xrpXRP (XRP) $ 2.28 6%
  • solanaSolana (SOL) $ 179.33 7.89%
  • usd-coinUSDC (USDC) $ 0.999882 0.01%
  • staked-etherLido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 3,787.36 6.02%
  • tronTRON (TRX) $ 0.310877 3.48%
  • cardanoCardano (ADA) $ 0.617832 8.37%
  • avalanche-2Avalanche (AVAX) $ 19.73 10.3%
  • the-open-networkToncoin (TON) $ 2.08 7.17%
Enable Notifications OK No thanks