Category: Career

The real estate industry is saturated, and growing your real estate business can be challenging. If you operate as a real estate agent, you act as a licensed professional playing a pivotal role in bringing the sellers and buyer together in real estate transactions. A real estate agent acts as an intermediary who negotiates the deal until closure. They work on a commission basis and are usually affiliated with real estate brokers. 

In other words, a real estate agent works as an independent contractor, meaning that you can grow your business if you take appropriate measures. There are different things you can do to grow your business and reach new customers while making more sales at the same time. Many new real estate agents make the mistake of overestimating the potential revenue they can generate while underestimating the expenses affecting their business.  However, with the right approach, you can take your business to another level. Read on to learn everything you need to know about improving your business if you are a real estate agent. 

Have a Business Plan

Most real agents act as independent contractors. If you are an independent contractor, you need to act like a small business instead of an employee. You can only succeed as a real estate agent if you control your growth strategy, invest in long-term goals, and relationships. You must create a business plan that is flexible and also helps your venture to grow with you. A business plan plays a critical role since it helps you create a framework to follow in your operations. 

Take time to understand your target customers and the market to create an effective plan. It is essential to develop new skills to promote the growth of your business and educate yourself on the different things you lack. Instead of only being concerned about getting clients, focus on creating a concrete plan that will promote the growth of your business. This plan will also help to set your business apart from the rest.     

Use Networking

Networking is critical in the real estate industry since you need to work with sellers, buyers, and other stakeholders. To grow your business, you must work on ways to find the right people at various networking events. Your goal is to connect with many people who can share financial advice or other help. Focus on meeting people from diverse backgrounds since real estate is for people from every walk of life, and equally, surround yourself with like-minded people. Some people can even act as mentors in your business network if you choose the right partners to associate with.    

Time Management

When you want to grow your business, it’s important to focus on how you can reach the next stage. Many real estate agents usually lack time management, which often leads to distractions and, ultimately, affects their business. Use different technologies to manage your business activities. With Close Concierge, you can organize your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks and set aside time for distractions. It is an easy-to-use technology that helps you track your activities, contracts to close a deal and to attract clients. Your Concierge helps ensure that your contract will close without errors, and you will get your payment.  

Ask for Referrals

It’s imperative to focus on building referrals and also use word of mouth to attract many clients. It can be achieved by offering referral gifts, creating loyalty customer programs, or requesting referrals on your official website. Test all these ideas to determine the best option to yield the most referrals. It becomes easier for you to enjoy constant business if many sellers and buyers are happy to work with you. These same people will refer their friends and colleagues to your business.    

Set a Budget

If you are new to real estate, you must not solely focus on closing your first deal or achieving immediate success. You may be tempted to quick-start your business, but you will soon realize that long-term success depends on a budget. When determining your budget ensure that you cover your mandatory daily life expenses and set sufficient money for the business aside. What is important in business is to monitor your cash flow and how you spend the money. If you do not have a budget, you may not realize your goals. 

Be creative

Knowledge of sales tactics is a must for sales agents, but you also need to understand other techniques. Be creative and utilize your writing and photography skills to provide compelling descriptions of your listings to motivate the consumers so that they share the same vision as you. If you have a compelling way of telling your story, you are likely to appeal to the interests of many clients. 

Use Social Media

Many people increasingly use social media to perform various activities. It is vital to be active on at least one social media platform where you can drive leads, share content, or even run ads. Social media helps you reach a wider audience of target customers, and it also allows you to engage meaningfully with your clients. Your customers might not necessarily be from your immediate area; therefore, social media goes a long way in attracting these customers.

Real estate agents are primarily concerned with acting as intermediaries between the sellers and buyers of property. These agents work for licensed brokers, and they play a pivotal role in negotiating and closing deals. While you may operate as an independent contractor, you must know that there are different strategies you can take to improve your business. It is crucial to have a business plan and to focus on the bigger picture instead of quick sales. Always be creative and use social media platforms to reach a wide range of target audiences. Additionally, you must have a realistic budget for your business and make sure that it is separate from personal expenses. A true real estate agent builds relationships with their clients that last for years. They are honest and knowledgeable about the ever-changing laws and regulations.

If you have a passion for driving and more than a few hours on hand to spare every day, becoming an Uber driver is a great career option. You would get to meet new people every day, drive around the town, and get paid for it. Globally, the ridesharing business has around 3.5 million drivers, and the company is sure that the driver network will continue to grow. If you are part of the Uber drivers team or wish to join them, make sure you know these useful tips. These will make your life as an Uber driver safe, easy, and rewarding.

Understand the Taxes

When you drive for Uber, you fall under the category of self-employed professionals. This means you will have to file your taxes for self-employment and pay for your Social Security and Medicare, which comes to 15.3 percent of your income. If you have received more than 600 dollars in the form of promotions, referrals, and other non-ride income in a year, you might get the Form 1099-NEC form on your Uber app. The tax summary and form are available in your Uber app as Uber 1099 taxes forms under the accounts tab. If you earn less than 600 dollars, you might claim an exemption under the self-employment clause. However, you might still have to pay taxes for your earnings from the previous year. 

The IRS website has all the information you will need, including the important dates for paying your taxes. Other information like the mileage deduction, breakdown of the expenses, actual taxable income of the driver, etc., can be found using the tax calculator on the Uber website. You can also find a useful tax calculator online as well. Use these tools to ensure you understand and pay your taxes on time. Else you might face an IRS action and lose your driving privileges.

Focus on The Service

While this might seem elementary, it could go a long way in helping you secure more rides. If you are considerate to your passengers, engage them in small talk, have a clean car, take the route that your passenger prefers, and engage in music, it creates a positive experience. All this will ensure you get a good tip from the passenger. Besides that, they are more likely to give you a five-star rating, which assures the app and Uber that you give your riders the best possible experience. 

Therefore, the algorithm is more likely to assign you rides when you have consistent five-star ratings. Getting those five-star ratings are easier than you think. Smile, treat the passengers nice and make sure you ask them to review the ride at the end of the trip. You are driving with Uber to make a living. Being nice to your passengers and earning five-star ratings will increase the probability of making good money every day.

Explore the City

If you are new to the city or driving to a new town, it would help explore the city. You could do this by driving around the city multiple times, talking to your rides, reading about the city, and exploring through Google Maps. This will give you a perspective on the traffic bottlenecks, alternative routes, interesting destinations for tourists, popular dining places, public restrooms, etc. If your ride is for a long-distance trip, prepare a list of restaurants and local restrooms beforehand. Inform your ride every 30 minutes to one hour about an oncoming break spot. 

The last thing that your ride wants is to be asked to relieve themselves in the bushes and abandoned lot. So, engage them in a conversation and inform them about the places where you could stop if they need a break. This will save them embarrassment and make their ride comfortable. If you are traveling to regions where you are not sure about the availability of public restrooms, always drive to a Starbucks. Your passengers can relieve themselves, use the Wi-Fi and get something to eat or drink at the same time and thus earn you brownie points.

Make the Most Of the App

Spend some time on the Uber App. Explore Uber app features like the driver destination, find rides in places with surge pricing, and get assistance on whether you need to keep driving or take a different route during traffic congestions. Besides that, you can track your earnings in real-time and use the app even when there is no network. Exploring these features and trying to understand them will make your life on the road easy and increase your earnings, as you will know how to find a ride every time you are working. You will find better routes, understand the city well, and stay safe on the move. While understanding the app might take some time, it would be worth it because this time would be an investment in your future earnings. 

Use Uber Accessories

Accessorize your car with a phone cradle, in-car chargers, and AUX cable to let your riders connect their phone, charge, and use it on the go. These will help you build a great rapport with the rider and earn you a five-star rating, which will increase your earnings in the future. Besides that, you could also have a few books, magazines, and movies available for them to watch if the rides are long-distance. As most of these accessories are a one-time investment, you will not have to spend money on them often for them to yield results. 

These are just a few handy tips that every Uber driver should know to increase their earnings, make a living, and have a safe life while riding. If you are going to a new city for a ride, make sure you know the local laws. Carry your documents and permits with you at all times as an additional safety precaution. Besides that, make sure you sanitize your vehicle often, keep a sanitizer and a box of tissues and masks handy for your passengers. Stay masked at all times, even if you are vaccinated. This will keep you and your riders healthy, which is paramount.

If codes are the tools, then a framework is the instruction manual that determines how the tools will be used to create your project. Through one platform, they allow the developer to build a whole software without as much effort. Consequently, this means that your choice of framework will influence your end-product’s speed, performance, compatibility, and more. That’s why project managers spend a long time deciding on a framework, and that’s also why developers spend an even longer amount of time deciding which framework to study/specialize in. See, there’s a lot that goes into choosing a framework for your project. To make the best decision for your project, here is everything you need to know about picking the right .NET framework.

Project Complexity

The first factor you need to consider when going about your selection process is determining what your project is and what you want out of it. Not only that, but also how far do you expect to go with your software. Remember, planning for scalability is crucial. When it comes to .NET frameworks, you’ll find that Microsoft is constantly releasing updated versions. Not just that, but you’ll also find that these frameworks make the job of building complex software that much easier. They are fitted with various tools to create and edit anything from websites to mobile and desktop applications.

Even better, developers have access to libraries that enable them to use codes previously created by others before them. This translates to less time spent on writing the basic code common in all software and more time spent on writing unique code. Keep in mind, less time means less money which is a great advantage for any client. Of course, within the DotNET family, there are differences between frameworks when it comes to the ability to handle complex apps. The ASP.NET MVC framework is designed to simplify the process of building web applications by separating elements, like design and code. The ASP.NET Core, however, does not have the same feature. Instead, it offers the ability to build and use microservices (self-contained pieces of code responsible for a specific function).

Developer Preferences

Respecting a developer’s preferences is essential to picking the right framework. The relationship between developers and frameworks is similar to the relationship between people and the android vs IOS debate in a way. You can know your way back and forth around an IOS device, but struggle to set the time on an android device. In the same way, a developer who is proficient in using Java won’t be as good at using .NET as it is a whole other language. That is why, as a client, if you want to choose .NET for your project, you need an expert in the framework. By giving them the home advantage, you’ll be taking advantage of the full range of their abilities, thus setting your project up for success. Take into consideration that this also applies to different frameworks within the .NET family. While a developer who is used to ASP.NET MVC will be able to make the switch to Core in a short time, you need to account for that short period until they get used to the newer version. 

Performance

While Java is good and has become faster over the years, it still is slower than .NET frameworks, especially the .NET Core, given that it is designed for the specific purpose of developing high-performance apps. The reason behind the difference mainly goes back to the coding languages used. Nowadays, some refer to Java as a framework, but at its core, Java was created to be a programming language, like C# and F# which are used in DotNET frameworks. What makes DotNET frameworks faster is the fact that they use compiled languages rather than interpreted languages. Here is where it gets a tad complicated. A compiled language is a set of instructions that, once complete, is compiled directly by the machine itself, translated into machine-friendly language before the program starts running. It’s similar to reading a whole book before writing up a summary.

On the other hand, an interpreted language is converted and executed by an interpreter while the program is running. It’s the equivalent of summarizing chapter by chapter. Needless to say, compiled languages (C# and F#) are a lot faster because they are instantly converted by the machine itself before running. Going in, the CPU already knows what to do. It doesn’t need to translate anything on the go. Meanwhile, an interpreted language (Java) is slower because it is executed by an interpreter (a program) which converts the source file to instructions during run-time and not ahead of it.

Target Platform

One of the main differences between frameworks is their platform compatibility. The first frameworks within the .NET family, Web Forms and MVC were only compatible with Windows. Meaning, applications designed using those frameworks couldn’t and still can’t be edited or run on any operating software other than Windows. In their 2016 framework release, however, Microsoft managed to permanently overcome this limitation by creating the .NET Core. It is capable of creating enterprise-level applications, gaming projects, as well as AI programs, fully compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. In response to the increasing demand for products that can function on more than one operating software, as of 2020, the majority of .NET developers have migrated to .NET Core. While this doesn’t mean that the MVC has been cast out, it seems to have become less popular compared to the more versatile alternative.

As you see, the selection process requires researching dense material, some of which may fall outside one’s field of expertise. It is, without a doubt, exhausting, but all the information you will learn will help you a great deal when communicating with your developer. Not only will you be able to keep up with their explanations, but once they see that you can speak their language, they’ll start sharing more details and suggestions, knowing that it won’t go over your head. Before you get too excited about a certain developer, though, make sure you pick out the best framework for the job

Whether you’re ready for retirement or you’re ready to move on to your next career adventure, selling your business can be a very stressful, even scary experience. You’ve worked hard to build your company, putting endless hours, energy, and passion into making it what it is today. So, it’s easy to become overwhelmed trying to decide on things like valuation, if you should use a broker, and how to manage the business during a sale. Your first priority should be protecting yourself, and here are some strategies to do so. 

Get Your Ducks in a Row 

What the customer sees is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to your business. There are so many moving parts to a business, and all of them need to be put down on paper for potential buyers to do their due diligence. From accounting to marketing, you need to prepare for all of your business documentation to be reviewed with a fine-tooth comb. Work with your accountant and/or bookkeeper to prepare your finances. Gather all important information including profits, expenses, losses, and projections spanning the last few years, documentation relating to suppliers and vendors, descriptions of operations and business practices, and expected/necessary replacements or repairs to be completed prior to the completion of the sale. Remain actively engaged in the business, even try finding new marketing strategies opportunities and sales-boosting initiatives. The more organized you are and the better you present your business, the more likely you are to have a more efficient sale and even increase the offers. 

Broker: to Hire or Not to Hire

Just like hiring a real estate agent, hiring a broker will cost you some money. If you are arranging a sale to a family member, employee, or someone else who you trust will respect the terms of the sale, then hiring a broker might not be worth the commission fees. However, if you are selling to someone outside of your close circle, a broker will mitigate the risks, get you higher offers, and allow you to continue focusing on the business while the business is on the market. The average length of the sale of a business is 7 months. Consider how much time it takes to advertise and promote your business to potential buyers, then to further communicate with them, and provide the required documentation for their due diligence and, finally, consider their offers. That’s a lot of time and resources that could be put into the business, which could increase your valuation. 

Over or Under

Deciding what your business is worth is a very personal experience. Entrepreneurs often aim too high or too low when evaluating what their business is worth, and either end up struggling to make an equitable sale or settling for a low offer. You put your blood, sweat, and tears into your business, and you know its ins and outs better than anyone. However, the value that it holds for you may not translate into market value, so be realistic. The folks at Global Career Book created this calculator for business valuation that will help you gain an understanding for what your business is worth at market value. Remember that there are many variables that will contribute to the final valuation; the age and type of business, recurring revenue, hours worked, and income diversification, to name a few. The size of your business will also play into the final price. Businesses priced below $3 million average about 2-3 times profit, mid-size businesses between $3 and $20 million tend to see 3-5 times the profit, and large businesses over $20 million can expect 5-10 times profit. Of course, the larger the business and the more money involved, the longer the sale will generally take. 

Friends Close, Enemies Closer?

Be careful of who you are handing your records over to. Selling your business means you’ll be sharing all of your most sensitive information, and potential buyers have the right to review it all. Of course, it’s not information you want just anyone to have access to, so considering buyers who are pre-qualified for loans from third parties such as banks and investors is one way to protect yourself throughout this process. It is unfortunate but true that your competitors may make an offer or have someone act on their behalf for the chance to review your financials and sensitive documents, only to use this information for their own benefit with no intention of completing the sale. This is another area where a broker’s expertise can serve to keep you safe and informed. 

Play the Field

It can be exciting and a huge relief to receive your first offer, especially an offer that far exceeds the asking price. However, it’s very important to take your time and consider multiple offers. Do your own research and contemplate what each offer could mean further down the road. While it’s unfortunate, it is all too common for a new owner to crash and burn in the first year of taking over even a very successful business, leaving the former owner with nothing. It is far safer to take a lower offer with a buyer who can offer an upfront payment than it is to take a higher offer with a longer financing period and no upfront payment. Consider not only the offer but the person/people behind it. Are they capable? What sort of experience do they have? Do they understand and value the company you’ve built – this will be especially important for the customer base. Look beyond charm and charisma to see if they have the time, energy, passion and resources that it will take to continue on what you have built. 

For the fortunate ones, selling a business can mean continued success. For the unlucky ones, it can lead to devastating losses. Taking time to prepare yourself for the sale the right way can help ensure that you’re protecting yourself and the future of the business. This is more than just the closing of a chapter; it’s an opportunity to set yourself up for the long-term future, giving yourself peace of mind for years to come.

Over the past few years, one of the greatest challenges for HR departments has been the talent acquisition and the employee specialization in the Financial industry. Fintech is evolving rapidly, and companies need to stay on top of changes by the use of up-to-date software and hiring top experts in the field. But things are changing so fast that sometimes it’s very hard to keep up, especially for economy majors who need to become technology experts within a few years. Lately, the bitcoin revolution showed us just how much we depend on technology when it comes to developing new financial markets. It also shows, the importance of keeping up to date within changes in your industry and having a broad understanding of new technologies and trends, with everyone from HR, customer service and your sales department, having access to resources and industry knowledge.

Today, the Financial Services (FS) industry is facing several challenges, including rapidly developing technologies, over-regulation, and shifts in consumer spending. This being said, it’s likely to be talent management that becomes fundamental to staying on top in 2021 and future years.

Talent acquisition and management are some of the fastest-growing concerns in the financial industry with a need to upskill employees as a result of industry shifts. According to the 19th Annual Global CEO Survey for PWC, 70% of financial services CEOs see the limited availability of skills as a threat to growth. This is likely a result of changing skill sets as well as a significant increase in competition, which suggests it’s time to rethink talent management strategies and prepare your teams to embrace the developing industry landscape.

Changing demands in the FS industry have highlighted skills gaps, opening up opportunities to train and upskill staff, allowing both individuals and organisations to benefit. It’s not a new idea that employees thrive in a culture wherethey are encouraged to learn, it’s one of the foundations of staff development. Supporting your employees to embrace trends within the industry allows you to stay one step ahead, allowing you to develop a workforce that is informed of developments and changes in consumer activity and can identify opportunities. This investment improves staff retention, productivity, and output, which can only further benefit the wider team and company objectives.

In some circumstances, promotion within a team or an organisation is the natural next step for employee progression but it shouldn’t be considered the only desirable option. Supporting the development of specialised skills, and rewarding this financially, creates new experts within your workforce, but also enables individuals to take responsibility for their next steps. It builds out their expertise with skills and insight relevant to 2021 and the years to come.

Supporting your workforce through specialisation in specific derivative products, for example, upskilling individuals on spread betting, CFD and trading, is a way to embrace industry changes, ensuring talent is fully-prepared for further evolution in the FS industry.

Successful employee relations rely on embracing the notion that each employee will have a different inclination and drive. Understanding an employee’s ambitions, interests, and skills within the FS industry, and providing training and support in this area is something that both improves your company culture and can be maximised for growth.

In light of changes to the sector, some traditional companies will likely struggle to sustain competitive relevance, however, if opportunities are seized, this presents a chance to re-engage with the workforce and customers.

Developing talent to be able to adapt to challenges is likely to be the cornerstone to success in people management in the coming years. Especially in the FS industry, where change is happening so rapidly, upskilling your workforce encourages them to be forward-thinking and entrepreneurial, providing momentum for your organisation to be ready to maximise on opportunities.

According to an Accenture study from 2017, only the financial companies that overcome the classical bureaucratic management models will be able to stay on top, with liquid workforce that can learn new technologies within its core company.

In this modern and growing world where everything is unpredictable, security is more important than ever. That is why the security industry is growing so quickly in recent years. More importantly, the term ‘hire a bodyguard‘ had been trending on Google for several months now.

Sense of security and protection is a great blessing whether it is for an individual, family, property, business, or workplace. In our society where the crime rate is increasing at a very fast rate, the security system is in high demand. Furthermore, this industry provides a lot of job opportunities as well. 

The whole industry has not developed to this point at once. It has grown and expanded with time. Given below is a summary of how the security industry has developed all its way till present:

The Evolution Of Private Security

Since the development of civilization, the risk to people’s life, property, and belongings started. Those security risks continue to increase and result in the formation of the private security system. Some major issues that support the evolution of the security system in society are as follows:

• World wars

World wars used the majority of soldiers, weapons, and guards for defense against the opposition. Then came the trend of many forms of security system like property guards, personal guards, and private investigators, etc. Nowadays, the security industry has grown so much that we have a proper network of investigation firms and security guards.

• The Formation of governments

With the formation and development of the government, the security sector and departments were established properly. With further modification in the official matters of government, distinct security departments are formed.

The police force, intelligence department, and FBI started working under the government. With the further rejuvenation of the system, it became difficult for the government to manage alone on its own. There started the private security system that further resulted in the growth of the security industry.

• Modernization

With the advancement in time and technology, the security industry is also upgraded. As the digital world is growing, many new forms of crime have started prevailing. These include cybercrime, hacking, crime communication, and pedophilia, etc. 

In this way, private security is further grown to different forms. Now there are many branches of security systems like cybersecurity, investigation firms, intelligence agencies, and many more.

The Reason Behind The Growth Of the Security Industry

There are multiple reasons behind the growth and success of the security industry. Its success is beneficial not only at the individual level as job opportunities are increased in this way. But also for the safety and protection of mankind. Given below are some of the major reasons behind this development:

High Employment Rate

There are numerous jobs for security guards and private investigators every year. This can reduce the rising rate of unemployment in our society. Job opportunities are open as security guards and personal bodyguards at different buildings, business firms, schools, colleges, and hospitals. 

Good Option As A Part-time Job

If you are a single earning person in your family and have to support a big family, you can work as a security officer as a part-time job. This flexibility of the job timing makes you able to provide your security services at any time when you are available. 

You can work as a caretaker of a building at night time while giving time to your job and family in day time hours. Or you can sell your services at a school building in just school hours. Thus security-related jobs are a good option as a way of part-time earning.

Offers Variety Of Jobs

As a security officer, you have various job options. This is because every company has a working environment that is distinct from others. Some offer a stationary post as a guard while others need a patrol service. Also, you can choose whether you want a day duty or peaceful night hours to serve.

Maintenance Of Safety

The safety of human lives is above all other matters. Being a part of the security industry, you get a chance to []. You can protect their lives, property, and other belongings by all your means. 

Crisis Management 

A security professional can help to save from crises like fire, flood, and other emergencies. He is the one who is well equipped with weapons and possesses special skills to cope with every kind of emergency efficiently. For this, he should be watchful and vigilant enough to detect any danger quickly to protect the folks from the risk of damage.

Prevention Of Crimes

Another most important and major reason behind the growth of the security industry is its role in preventing crimes. For example, Armorous Security and Protection provide the best possible security services at different levels. Their highly trained security guards and investigators save people from loss of lives and damages to their property due to shitty acts of criminals.

Satisfaction & Sense Of Purpose

There are many people in our society that are not satisfied with the job they have. At the end of the day, they don’t feel content with what they are doing. They only work for the salary they get in reward.

If you choose the security industry to sell your services, you have to protect humanity and their belongings by your best means. This gives you a sense of purpose to serve and you end up being satisfied with your duty.

Improve Customer Service

Being a security guard, you have to save people as they are your customer and you are here to serve them by your servings. Customer service and security go hand in hand. You work your very best to save your customer as part of your business. In this way, your abilities as a customer service provider improve and help you if you apply for other jobs in the future.

The first and foremost thing is security whether it’s of person, family, or businesses. That is one of the prime reasons for the growth of the security industry. It is evolving with time and expected to develop further in the future. This growth of the security system has not only reduced the crime rate but also increased employment opportunities in society.