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I know it feels like the world is completely unpredictable right now. From one day to the next, none of us know what to expect when we turn on the news. It’s the first time in our recent history that anything like this has ever occurred, so many of us are feeling anxious, sad, frustrated, and a number of other things.
We are trying so hard to adjust to a new “normal†that is really anything but normal. Despite what the online world wants you to believe, not everyone is able to be creative and productive every single day while we trudge on through these weeks. This is not an easy time, and you absolutely can’t beat yourself up for not doing more than what you already are. It’s not in any way unreasonable to feel like you aren’t your true self right now, because none of us do.
There is a huge disconnection between each person stuck in their homes and the rest of the world. This is easily one of the loneliest and most stressful periods of time, so it’s no wonder so many people are feeling off. Can you think of any other period of your lifetime where life looked like it does now? Probably not.
If you are not feeling like yourself in the midst of this quarantine, you’re not alone. Please do not beat yourself up for handling this situation in whatever way you are. It doesn’t matter if you are learning a new hobby or spending every day under your covers with the blinds shut. The bottom line is that no matter how we are passing the time, no one feels like themselves right now.
We are anxious. We are sad. We are suspicious of being hopeful. We are irritable. We are stir crazy and dying to get out of our houses again. We are all over the place.
It’s not just you. We are all doing our best to handle this, even if it doesn’t feel like we are doing the greatest job at it. You are not alone, even though I know it sure feels lonely in isolation.
If there is one positive thing you can do for yourself, it is to be patient. If you are feeling out of touch, that’s okay. If you have been hot and cold or even snapped at someone you didn’t mean to, cut yourself some slack. If you are feeling sad and worried, well, it’s no wonder that you are.
Do not expect yourself to be exactly who you were before this all started. Everything is different, including ourselves.
If there was ever a time to show yourself some extra kindness, it’s right now.
You don’t have to be your usual, productive self. You don’t have to keep up your workout routine. You don’t have to keep your home perfect at all times. Handle this thing however you need to handle it so you can get through it. That’s the best thing any of us can do until we see the other side of this. Remind yourself that we will make it through, even if you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel quite yet.
Source: thoughtcatalog.com
All The Fish (A Short Story)
I Went To This Girl’s Party The Week After She Beat The Shit Out Of My Friend. While Everyone Was Getting Trashed, I Went A...
Rheatobi
4 yrs
1153
1. Exploit your product's benefits.
The first step of the copywriting outline is the foundation for your advertising campaigns. A benefit is the value of your product to a customer. In other words, a benefit is what the product can do for a customer or how the product can help a customer. You need to put into words the reasons your product is the best available and better than your competitors' products based on the added value it provides to your customers. The key to success is for you to fully understand all the benefits of your product. Only then can you ensure that the audience knows them and can relate to them.
2. Exploit your competition's weaknesses.
To write compelling copy, it is essential that you know what differentiates your product from the competition. Once you know your competitors' weaknesses, you must make sure your audience knows them and understands why buying your competitors' products would be a terrible mistake. Get started by thoroughly researching your competition and understanding what they offer in terms of products and services. Next, list the elements of their offerings that are inferior to your own. Feel free to tear the competition apart but be realistic in your comparisons. You want to be able to support your claims if you are challenged.
3. Know your audience.
Every person in the world is not going to see every ad in the world. Each ad has a specific audience that will see it, and it's the marketer's job to find the best placement to ensure the target audience will see it. For example, an ad for skateboards placed in a local senior citizen housing association newsletter is not likely to generate a lot of sales. In fact, it would be a waste of advertising dollars. The target audience for skateboards is teenagers or young adults. The vast majority of senior citizens do not use skateboards, and it is not a product category in which they typically purchase gifts. Before you buy ad space, make sure you're spending your money in the right place to get the biggest bang for your buck in terms of exposure and building awareness of your product or service.
First, take the time to research your customers thoroughly. In most businesses, 20 percent of customers are responsible for 80 percent of sales (this is called the 80/20 rule in case you're curious about the official marketing terminology for this phenomenon). That 20 percent represents your best customer, and your job is to determine who that 20 percent is. Evaluate your customers and put together a demographic profile of your most valuable customer, so you can advertise in the best places to find similar people who are likely prospects. If you're a small business owner, you probably don't have a budget set aside to conduct a thorough research study and analysis of your customer base, so you'll have to improvise by using your own communication skills and visual investigation. Remember, you're trying to develop a basic profile of your target customer, not a CIA profile of each individual who buys your product. Do your best with the information you have.
There are many attributes you can use to develop a demographic profile of your customers. Following is a list of examples of traits to help you start your own demographic profiling initiative:
4. Communicate W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me?)
There are a variety of reasons to create an advertisement or marketing piece. Before you write copy for your promotional piece, you need to understand your goals for that piece. What do you want to get in return? The copy you use in each ad or marketing piece will vary based on your goals for that promotion. While this book does not focus on the development of marketing plans and strategies, I will offer some examples of different objectives for ads or marketing pieces that, in turn, will affect the copy you use:
Your customers need to understand how your product or service is going to help them by making their lives easier, making them feel better, helping them save money, helping them save time, etc. In this step of the copywriting outline, you'll build on the work you've done so far by taking your product's features, benefits, and differentiators and specifically describing how they directly affect your target audience members' lives in positive ways. Remember the first tenet of copywriting--your product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfill your customers' needs.
Answer your target audience's question "What's in it for me?" Remember, you're paying for your ad space and possibly graphic design too. Don't waste your money by placing an ad with ineffective copy that does not clearly tell your customers what they'll get by buying your product or service. Large companies with big advertising and marketing budgets can test snappy, cliché headlines and copy in an attempt to find the best way to catch their target audience's attention, but small and medium-size business owners typically have limited budgets. For smaller businesses that only have one chance to communicate their message, copy must be written so the message, including benefits and differentiators, is heard and understood by the target audience. There is no room in a small business owner's advertising budget to risk not getting that specific message across to the right people every time.
Rheatobi
4 yrs
1538
only your imagination.
2. Push yourself, because no one else is going to do it for you.
3. Sometimes later becomes never. Do it now.
4. Great things never come from comfort zones.
5. Dream it. Wish it. Do it.
6. Success doesn’t just find you. You have to go out and get it.
7. The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you achieve it.
8. Dream bigger. Do bigger.
9. Don’t stop when you’re tired. Stop when you’re done.
10. Wake up with determination. Go to bed with satisfaction.
11. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.
12. Little things make big days.
13. It’s going to be hard, but hard does not mean impossible.
14. Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it.
15. Sometimes we’re tested not to show our weaknesses, but to discover our strengths.
16. The key to success is to focus on goals, not obstacles.
17. Dream it. Believe it. Build it.
21 Embarrassing Mistakes People Often Make
1. First-come, First-serveIt Should Actually Be "served." Without The d, The Phrase Above Suggests That The First In...
Rheatobi
4 yrs
579
1. First-come, first-serveIt should actually be "served."
Without the d, the phrase above suggests that the first individual who arrives will be the one who serves everyone, which is not the idiom's intent.
2. I could care less
Think about this one for a minute. The way it's written above suggests you possess care which still could be allocated to the situation in question. "I couldn't care less" is correct because it communicates that "I have no more care to give."
3. Irregardless
This is not a word. It's simply "regardless," as in "Regardless of what you think about grammar, you'll look silly if you use it incorrectly."
4. "I" as the last word in a sentence.
This mistake is remarkably common, yet a correct example would be "Karlee talked with Brandon and me." The trick to getting this one straight is to take the other person's name out of the sentence and see if your personal pronoun choice still sounds right. "Karlee talked with I" is awkward and incorrect.
5. "Me" as the first word in a sentence.
I hear people saying things such as "Me and Brandon met at Starbucks this morning" all the time, even though it's always wrong. "Brandon and I met at Starbucks this morning" is correct.
6. Shoe-in
"Shoo-in" is what you really want to write when you're trying to say that someone is a sure winner. It's because when you "shoo" something you're urging it in a certain direction.
7. Emigrated to
"Emigrate" and "from" always go together, as do "immigrate" and "to." To emigrate is to come from somewhere, and to immigrate is to go to somewhere. "Colin emigrated from Ireland to the United States" means the same as "Colin immigrated to the United States from Ireland."
8. Overuse of apostrophes
These little guys are ubiquitously misused. Apostrophes indicate one of two things: possession or letters missing, as in "Sara's iPad" and "it's" for "it is" (second i missing). They don't belong on plurals. "FAQs," for example, should not have an apostrophe. Also, people often make a mistake with their own last name. If you want to refer to your family but don't want to list everyone's first name write "The Johnsons" not "The Johnson's." Another big one: Decades should not have apostrophes. For example, "1980s" is correct but "1980's" is not.
9. Prostrate cancer
This one is a simple spelling mistake resulting from an extra r. "Prostrate" actually means to lie face down. The "prostate" gland is a part of the male reproductive anatomy.
10. Slight of hand
A "slight" is an insult, whereas "sleight" indicates dexterity or cunning. It's why "sleight of hand" is commonly used in the world of magic and illusion.
11. Honed in
Just know that to "home in" on something means to move toward a goal, such as "The missile homed in on its target." To "hone" is to sharpen.
12. Baited breath
When I think about bait, worms and lures come to mind. The first word should actually be "bated," which stems from the verb "abate," meaning to stop or lessen. So, if you're trying to say that someone is holding his breath, you can see that "bated breath" makes the most sense.
13. Piece of mind
If you want to share what you're thinking with someone, this could work if you add "my" before "mind." But if you're trying to indicate tranquility, then spell it "peace."
14. Wet your appetite
"Whet" means to sharpen or stimulate. As such, the latter spelling is more appropriate.
15. Make due
"Due" means "owed," and that's not the intent with this idiom. "Make do" is the proper way to say that you're going to get along with what you have.
16. Do diligence
"Due diligence" is the proper business and legal term. It means you will investigate an individual or company before signing a contract.
17. Peaked my interest
To pique means to arouse, so the correct phrase is "piqued my interest," meaning that my interest was stimulated. While the incorrect way it's written in the heading may suggest that someone's interest was taken to a high level, it's still wrong.
18. Must of, should of, would of, and could of
All those ofs should be "have." The proper versions were corrupted by contractions such as "must've."
19. Per say or persay
Both are incorrect because the Latin phrase which means "in itself" or "intrinsically" is spelled "per se." The best communicators speak and write clearly and concisely and probably avoid phrases like this one anyway.
20. All the sudden
Whether you say "all of a sudden" or "all of the sudden," the preposition "of" must be involved either way. But if you're really trying to say "suddenly," just do.
21. The first-year anniversary
The use of the word "year" is redundant. "The first anniversary" or "the 50th anniversary" suffice.
Source: www.inc.com
Rheatobi
4 yrs
818
It is not compulsory for a business owner to register his business with the CAC infact the law allows an individual to trade in his full names without more, however where an individual decides to trade in a name other than his real name, the law makes it compulsory for such name to be registered with the CAC.
Registration under part A is for entities who want to have a corporate personality, ability to sue and be sued in their corporate name and ability to raise money from equities by selling their shares. This type of business arrangement is good for individuals who have various stakes in a business entity and want to define their business relationship.
Registration under Part B is otherwise known as one man business or sole proprietorship. It's for small and medium sized enterprises. The major disadvantage is that it does with the owner.
All registered business entities are liable to pay various taxes and thus have a TIN. For companies under part A, they are liable to pay company income tax, education tax and value added tax while the directors and members are liable to pay personal income tax. In addition to these taxes, they are also liable to pay annual returns to the CAC.
For entities under part B, they are liable to pay VAT and the proprietor and staff are liable to pay personal income tax. They are also liable to pay annual returns to the CAC.
Part C is a not for profit entity and a whole lot has been changed about their operations.
An individual who is not registered with CAC is liable to pay personal income tax. The disadvantage of not registering is that companies and corporations would not want to have business dealings with you.
How To Balance Your Family's Savings Priorities
page
With A Little Planning, Yo...
Rheatobi
4 yrs
1059
With a little planning, you can plan for the savings goals that matter most as a family.
Saving for one is hard enough, but family savings multiply the challenge. You have short-term desires versus long-term goals, plus unexpected expenses that can pop up regularly.
This all may sound complicated, but with a little planning and setting financial goals, you can come up with a plan that covers your family’s needs, while allowing for saving and even vacations and other fun stuff.
Priority 1: Prepare for the unexpected
Start an emergency fund. You never know what will happen: an illness, an accident, an unexpected layoff. That’s why it’s important to set aside money for emergencies. Experts recommend that emergency funds for families cover six to nine months’ worth of expenses. If, however, you or your spouse are self-employed or income is unpredictable, consider saving even more.
Priority 2: Get long-term goals in order
Priority 3: Your family’s five-year goals
What would you and your family like to achieve in the short term? Your list might include things like a theme-park vacation, upgrading a car or remodeling your home. Now find the right savings strategy. You could open a savings account dedicated to each big-ticket item. Or see if your bank allows you to open sub-accounts under your primary savings account. Doing this helps you focus on meeting each goal. Make weekly or monthly contributions after you take care of your long-term savings.
You never know what might happen or what new family savings goals might arise. Planning for the long term and saving for the short term ensures you’re prepared for whatever comes your way.
Source: bankofamerica.com
When you’re young, checking in on your financial status might seem like something that can wait. But routinely assessing where you stand can benefit you today and down the road. Here are steps to consider.
Understand your assets and liabilities
The assets you own and the debts or liabilities you have determine your net worth. Assets might include cash, savings, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts, real estate and anything else of value such as cars or collectibles. Liabilities might include a mortgage, student loans, auto loans, bills due and credit card debt. Consider calculating your net worth annually by adding the value of all your assets and subtracting your liabilities. This can help you keep tabs on your overall financial picture.
Tip: If you’re just out of college and have a lot of student loan debt, you may have a negative net worth. That’s not necessarily bad. It just means you have some work to do.
Assess your goals
Once a year, think about your short-, medium- and long-term goals. Are each still relevant? How much do they cost? Are you on track to meet them? Some long-term goals, such as traveling in retirement, may not change substantially year to year. Short-term goals, such as paying off a credit card bill, and medium-term goals, including saving for a house, may change more frequently. You might decide to reevaluate those every three to six months.
Check your credit report
Your credit report contains information about the status of your credit accounts and your bill paying history. A good credit score is critical to qualifying for loans at the best possible rates.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends checking your report at least once a year to make sure it is up to date and correct. Plus, the CFPB suggests an extra check before applying for loans for big purchases like cars and houses. There are three major credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can ask for a free credit report from each of them every 12 months.
Name your beneficiaries
When you open a retirement account or buy an insurance policy, you’ll probably be asked to name a beneficiary—the person who would collect from the account in the event of your death. Marriage, the birth of children, divorce and death can affect your choice. Typically your spouse is your default beneficiary, but you also may wish to designate children or someone else. Though designations likely will not change often, it’s still a good idea to check your elections yearly to make sure they’re still appropriate.
Manage your taxes
It’s important to make sure you have enough set aside to pay your tax bill well before the annual deadline, generally April 15. The amount of federal income tax you owe each year depends in part on your tax bracket, but many factors affect it. Learn more about income tax brackets.
In most cases your employer withholds taxes from your paycheck, although the amount withheld will often differ from what you ultimately owe. If you are self-employed, however, you will likely need to pay an estimated amount of tax instead, usually on a quarterly basis.
Tip: Each fall, when you still have time to make adjustments before year-end, consider checking the amount you’ve set aside for taxes against last year’s tax forms.
Check if your investments and goals align
It is likely your investments, whether in retirement plans or taxable brokerage accounts, consist of mutual funds that hold various kinds of investments. Consider checking quarterly, in January, April, July and October, to make sure your selections are appropriate for your age and financial goals.
Determine if you have the right insurance
About once a year it’s important to assess the type and amount of insurance you need. If you rent your home, you may want to consider renters insurance to protect your belongings. When you buy a home, you need homeowners insurance. Your policy should cover what it would cost you to rebuild your home—which is often more than your home’s face value—as well as the current price of replacing your household items. You also may want special coverage for valuable items such as jewelry or artwork. Your insurance agent can help you assess whether you have the right type and amount of coverage.
Tip: If you have dependents, you may wish to consider life insurance, which, in the event of your death, would pay them cash to help make up for the loss of your income. You might also consider disability insurance to replace a portion of your income in case you become ill or are injured and unable to work.
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