Author: Complete Controller

As parents, you are supposed to teach your kids things about surviving. While this includes eating healthy and taking care of your body, it also means teaching your kids how to manage finances. Investing is a way to make your money work for you.
It would be best to teach your child about investing age-appropriate. They will no doubt thank you later.  

Depositing some money into a brokerage account to teach your child how to invest is not such a good idea. When the child loses money, he may develop an aversion to the stock market. When the child wins money, they may already think they are genius and will start taking more risks. That might be even worse. /p>

4 to 9 years

Children at a young age should not yet learn about the stock market. But you can learn the principle of the stock market. Investing is investing for the long term. So, you can teach your child lessons that spending time and energy on something can yield a valuable result in the long run.

For example, your child can garden. Planting and caring for seeds will eventually produce a beautiful plant or flower. A giant puzzle or craft project can be encouraged and rewarded with a compliment that hard work can bring great results.

10 to 14 years

Kids heading into puberty are generally more interested in finances than you think. They must also be able to understand simple investment principles. You can teach them about well-known brand companies. Say, for example, you can take some ownership of Disney when watching a new Disney movie. Or Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, refueling at Shell.

You can also teach them about spreading. Teach them not to put all their money in one company, and that anything can happen to any company. Multiple companies mean less risk. Also, teach them that “get rich quick” is an illusion. Let them enter the lotto with their own money. In this way, they will learn that the chance of winning is minimal to non-existent.

14 to 18 years

After some math knowledge, you can teach the kids about the power of compound interest. Teach them that money can make money. Teach them that the power of compound interest works faster and faster as more money makes more money.

With the rule of 72, you can learn how to double their money. Divide 72 by the return per year, and you know how many years it will take you to double your money. For example, a return of 7% per year doubles your money after ten years (72: 7 = 10).

Also, teach them that inflation works similarly but makes your money worth less instead of more. You can teach them that they lose purchasing power when their money yields less than inflation.

You can let them gain experience with the stock market through a virtual portfolio. It is best to start with well-known stocks from everyday life. Create one or more portfolios per theme. This way, you can show them which system works and which method works less or not at all.

+ 18 years

Here you can put real money to work. Start investing some of the money they earn during the holidays or weekends. Advise in good times but especially in bad times. Explain why stocks fall or rise. Teach them that investing regularly is more rewarding than investing a total amount at once. Make sure they don’t make the mistakes that you undoubtedly did.

Conclusion

The most important thing is to teach children about investing from the start and know what to teach as children grow because the teaching should change according to a child’s age.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Spring comes with spring cleaning. However? It applies to your home, but also your money matters. Do you want to get a clear picture of whether you can save money and have it completely clear how much money you can put aside? Then make a good overview of your income and expenses, especially using our eight tips.

Overview of income and expenses: this man has it all

1. First, list your income

Make a list of all your income. Do this digitally – for example, in Excel – to save it and save it for later. You naturally start by noting your wages, benefits, or pension. Allowances and regulations such as child benefits are also included in the list. Do you get holiday pay and a 13th month? You also put that in your overview. Note immediately whether it concerns one-off or, for example, monthly income.

2. Next, map out your fixed costs

You create a list with all your fixed costs in the same file. It includes all recurring expenses you must meet because you have entered a contract. Think of your rent or mortgage payments, the energy bill, insurance, subscriptions, and the municipal assessment. Please note that fixed costs do not necessarily all recur monthly. Therefore, note how often you must deal with these expenses.

3. Divide your other expenses into categories

In addition to the fixed costs, you also must deal with daily or ‘household’ expenses. Write precisely what you spent on this in the past month and the month before. Think of groceries, transport, and the drugstore. It might be a long list if you jot down each message separately. That’s why it’s helpful to divide the list into categories and note your spending on each type.

Nibbed also makes a distinction between household expenditure and reservation expenditure. Reservation expenses do not necessarily recur monthly but regularly. This includes clothing, shoes, furniture, electrical appliances, and holidays. You also write down all these kinds of expenses in categories.

4. Make your budget for the average month

We said it before: some income and expenses come back monthly, others every quarter or six months. That is why it is wise to make an average monthly budget. You then convert all income and expenses in a year into an average monthly amount. By the way, make sure that you do not count amounts twice.

5. See if you can save money

Is your budget ready? Then you can see if and where you have room to make changes to your expenses. You may be able to reduce your fixed costs by, for example, canceling subscriptions or taking out cheaper insurance. Good to check this at least once every six months!

Also, check what you spend money on every day. Do you feel good about that, or would you instead save on some expenses? Our 11 tips to save money are for you in the latter case.

6. Set your savings goals

Do you have money left if you deduct your expenses from your income? Determine how much you will save each month and – not unimportantly – what your savings goals are. Saving is more effortless if you know exactly what you are doing it for. Start with that if you don’t have a pot for irregular expenses. Such a buffer ensures that you will not be faced with surprises.

If you do not need money for a more extended period, consider alternatives to saving, such as investing. With this, you run the risk, but you also have the chance to achieve a higher return.

7. Automate with an online housekeeping book

If you are starting to make an overview, manually noting everything down can help your awareness. Programs such as Excel or Google Sheets are beneficial for this. However, plenty of online household books also take the work off your hands. This way, you can see exactly what you spend and on what, all year round, without writing everything down.

If you have a Knob checking account, you automatically have an overview of your income and expenses. The Digital Cash Book is linked to your account by default. You can easily add your credits and debits at other banks via an upload. You get a wholly categorized overview of all your banking matters.

8. Plan a little further ahead

In addition to an overview of your income and expenses, do you want to get a grip on your money for later? Read more about the different ways you can save for your retirement. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Suppose you want to save on restaurant costs. Going to a restaurant, you pay for the food and other conveniences. Such as preparing the dishes, the service, and washing the cookware and cutlery you use during the meal.

This is how you save a lot of Money on a restaurant!

According to experts, as a rule, an average restaurant should use a factor of three, or even four, when determining their prices. This means the prices are three or four times as high as the ingredients used. Even if you can purchase all the ingredients for a meal as cheaply as a restaurant, you will still be considerably cheaper by preparing the meal in question. A restaurant also charges many other costs, even if you only ordered one simple dish. 

Save money when you go to a Restaurant

From a purely practical point of view, the advice to extend a meal yourself, thus saving restaurant costs, seems perfectly logical. But never escaping the daily stress and hectic pace can be frustrating. Moreover, almost everyone doesn’t have the time to deal with pots and pans after a long day at work. In such situations, it is therefore friendly to know how you can save money when you go to a restaurant.

Eating out with family and friends is a fundamental way to socialize for many people. Therefore, it is not pleasant to reject every invitation to a nice restaurant because of a shortage in your budget. Moreover, by constantly refusing invitations, you risk losing contact with people in your immediate environment and, in the worst case, even ending up in social isolation. Fortunately, there are several ways to enjoy an occasional meal in a cozy restaurant without completely disrupting your finances.

The place where you Eat out

Before going out for dinner, you must know which restaurant you will visit. Not every restaurant is the same, so the choice of a particular eatery can also determine the costs associated with such a visit. Your wallet will certainly appreciate that.

The day you go Out to eat

If you visit a restaurant on a Friday evening or at the weekend, the price for, for example, a three-course menu can be a lot higher than if you would order the same menu on another day of the week. On those days, the restaurant is likely to have less customer traffic. Towards the end of the week, and on weekends and public holidays, more people will visit a restaurant so that prices may be a bit higher. Specific discounts are often given. By not eating out on one of the busy days, you can quickly save a few euros per person at these restaurants, while the food service will be the same quality.

Take on the role of Waiter or waitress yourself

When you go out for dinner in a vast luxury restaurant, you must consider that your bill will be considerably higher than when you settle for a much cheaper family restaurant. The difference can sometimes be tens of euros per person. Therefore, choosing a restaurant where you can save money, for example, by going to a self-service restaurant, is vital. After all, in these types of eateries, you don’t have to pay extra for service; therefore, you don’t have to wait until a waiter or waitress has time to take your order. The price of the dishes can often be significantly reduced for this reason, while the quality does not have to be compromised. You can usually eat delicious food at an attractive price in a self-service restaurant.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

If you’re a more seasoned adult, would you be able to bear returning to class? Increasingly more are. While the conventional way to qualify takes understudies from the secondary school study hall, more established adults are returning to school because they have a noteworthy nearness to the country’s grounds nowadays. In 2019, 7.4 million understudies enlisted at U.S. schools and colleges were 25 or older. If you’re considering going along with them, this is what you must know.

Returning to school is a financial challenge for many families just after the extra expense involved in the holidays. September is a month as steep as the January slope. To help you manage money during these complicated weeks, we share a practical guide that will make your life easier.

The shopping list is varied: tracksuit, slippers, backpack, textbooks, stationery, and an infinite number of products until you reach the tablets. We must equip our children to face the new course without going into school fees. The return to school leaves an invoice of around $500 per student, according to the OCU data.

The estimation of school training has become a fiery discussion as of late, as both school expenses and understudy advance obligations took off higher than ever. However, many investigations keep demonstrating that there are barely any better speculations.

Textbooks are half the budget, followed by clothing and uniforms with 32% and school supplies, which represents 14%. The rest is for other expenses.

Textbooks are, therefore, the primary headache. According to an Amazon study, more than half of the families believe this expense is high, and a third think it is disproportionate. 53% claim more discounts on textbooks.

Seven practical tips to reduce the costs of going back to school

1. The first step is straightforward: check your children’s school materials and list what they need. You don’t need a lot of new materials for a new course.
2. Once you have the list, compare, compare, and compare. The price differences between some stores and others are significant. Don’t start shopping at the usual site because it is more convenient; maybe you can save a considerable amount elsewhere. For example, stationery prices may vary up to 36% depending on one store or another.
3. Attention to the campaigns of offers of the return to the school – You can find exciting discounts, but other times you see that the price does not improve. It is just a way to attract customers.
4. Plan. Why buy everything in September? Prices change according to the seasons. For example, purchasing a tracksuit in August is 10.55% cheaper. The shoes cost 19% less in April, a good month for stationery, which is 26% cheaper.
5. Do not go shopping with children to avoid becoming infatuated with either too expensive or unnecessary items, for example, that backpack of your favorite cartoon character worth $10 more than current.
6. Bet on collaborative consumption in product exchange platforms or second-hand sales. It is an excellent way to bring previous years’ materials to life while you get them from the new course.
7. Do you know the OCU textbook price comparator? It is a valuable tool to find the best opportunities at the main expense of returning to school.

Private study loans are unique in that private loan specialists will consider your pay and financial record as a significant aspect of the endorsement procedure. The more grounded your economic assessment, the more likely you will be affirmed and fit the bill for well-being rates.

More established understudies have many indistinguishable choices from more youthful ones about paying for school. Suppose you can stand to pay for it out of your investment funds, fantastic. However, for some individuals, it will mean acquiring. While assuming obligation may not be perfect, particularly further down the road, government and private understudy credits can regularly give the financing you need.

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About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Why is self-care important?

We have inadvertently disengaged from ourselves in the bustle of life. Maintaining a high-performance level at work and family obligations may be demanding. When we ignore our existence, we may not even be aware of it, yet we gradually lose a part of ourselves that may become obvious in the future. There is a universal truth: no matter how charming the outside world is, you may never feel the essence if you are not contained within. It is troubling. Why do we give up our time for self-care is beyond me? Aren’t you deserving of your love? Only when you are emotionally and physically stable can you maintain positive relationships with others. You can only bear good relationships with those close to you when you are mentally tough; otherwise, you risk losing your sanity and those relationships.

Additionally, your professional performance and general wellbeing are interrelated. Let’s say that if you don’t maintain your mental and physical health, over time, it will undoubtedly deteriorate, significantly impacting your career. But the real question is, how can I allocate time for this activity? Before we start, I want to let you know that this activity requires a high degree of consistency. Yes, it’s a daily exercise. If you don’t work on yourself daily, you’ll remain stagnant throughout your entire life- which is quite depressing. Life is meant to be lived, and it’s only possible when you give yourself the well-deserved treat every day. Since we are unique individuals, we each need a daily dose of love only we can offer ourselves.

You could be compelled to this process, but things might resume their usual course after three days. However, if you want to continue pushing here for a while, I’ll let you in on a little secret that has helped me stay sane and gain more respect every day. To achieve this, make a list of priorities and include this activity. Then, deliberately teach yourself to do this; you’ll first need to push yourself. It needs to be done for 15 days before you become accustomed to it.

It’s a kindness by you to you

 

Self-care blogs abound on social media, offering practical advice and inspiring readers to put it into practice. However, if you’re swamped with work and family, you might not find time for yourself, turning into a significant regret later in life. For instance, you sacrificed your own identity to establish identities for those around you, and this is enough to shatter you from the inside. You don’t have to give up on yourself to fulfill life’s necessities; these two things may coexist. All that is needed is your participation; you alone can change your life for the better. Additionally, self-development and growth are essential components of existence that spur forward motion in our lives and enable us to realize our potential. Furthermore, you are only exercising your right to self-respect; this is not being selfish.

What are some things you can do for self-care?

Self-care is a term that is often used but not always well understood. As mentioned earlier, it refers to the activities and practices we engage in regularly to maintain our physical, mental, and emotional health. In addition, there are many different things you can do for self-care, and what works for you may be different from what works for someone else. However, some general things you can do for self-care include:

• Get enough sleep
• Eat healthy foods
• Exercise regularly
• Take breaks when you need to
• Spend time with loved ones
• Do something you enjoy every day

By taking care of yourself, you will be better able to take care of others and live a happy, fulfilling life.

Penciling in some “me” time

Making time for yourself can be difficult, especially if you have a lot of responsibilities. But it’s important to schedule time so that you can relax and recharge. In addition, pencil in some “me” time can help you feel more balanced and less stressed.

Here are some tips for how you can make time for yourself:

• Schedule time for yourself every week and stick to it
• Designate a space in your home as your “relaxation zone”
• Make sure to include activities you enjoy in your “me” time
• Set aside time each day for your hobbies or interests

You can return to your responsibilities feeling refreshed and recharged by taking some time for yourself.

Letting go of the guilt

It’s natural to feel guilty after making a mistake. However, dwelling on your guilt can prevent you from moving on and making things right. You can do a few things if you want to let go of your responsibility.

First, accept that you made a mistake. It cannot be easy, but it’s an important step. Second, forgive yourself. It doesn’t mean that you should forget what you did, but it does mean that you should give yourself some grace. Lastly, make amends. If you can, try to make things right. If you made a mistake at work, apologize to your boss. If you hurt someone, you love, try to repair the relationship.

Making a mistake is never easy, but it’s important to remember that everyone makes them. It is a crucial part of self-care. By forgiving yourself, you are just being humane.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

1. Make a vacation plan in time

Especially if you are with several people, think about what kind of vacation you want, a box where the trip is going, and the budget. Simple and effective! Those who wait until the last minute run the risk of being forced to go on holiday during the most expensive period.

2. Go out of the box

The Spanish Costa, a Greek island, or the French Côte d’Azur are lovely holiday destinations but often very touristy and expensive. Once you get off the beaten track, this can make a big difference to your wallet. Especially in Eastern Europe, prices are lower, and there are still many ‘undiscovered’ gems. Two first steps: the coast of Montenegro and the mysterious Transylvania. And for winter sports enthusiasts: have you ever thought of the Czech Republic or Turkey?

3. Have a holiday in your own country

A holiday in your own country saves a mountain of travel costs. Moreover, there are plenty of beautiful places in the Netherlands. There is plenty to see and do, from the rolling hills in the south to the mudflats in the north. On anwb.nl, you will find tips per province with often excellent packages or discounts on days out. Or look at the holidays in your own country of ANWB. The following applies: the longer you are a member, the more extras you get.

4. Options for a journey by train

Although a little bit more expensive than the bus, it is often cheaper than the plane. Moreover, you can reach many European cities at lightning speed. Significant places in Belgium, France, and Germany are easily accessible by rail.

5. Rent a car for a week

Do you want to go out in a rental car for a few days? Please inquire about the weekly price. Remarkably, this is sometimes even cheaper than a three-day car rental. As a budget tourist, go for the smallest and most simple model. The temporary four-wheeler only serves to get you from A to B quickly, not to boost your ego. An additional advantage: the replacement car is an upgrade if that model is unavailable.

6. Book your plane ticket smartly: on Sunday!

Still by plane? You can save a lot—for example, book on Sunday. Expedia and Airlines Reporting Corporation analyzed the prices of a billion flights. This research shows that flights booked on Sundays are the cheapest.

7. Departure outside the weekend

Yet you can arrive at more and more hotels and campsites on a weekday. Perhaps you are used to booking a holiday with Saturday or Sunday as the arrival day. Sometimes it saves a few tens, which is how to avoid Black Saturdays, especially in the high season.

8. Go All Inclusive

The perfect way to keep your holiday budget under control. You know in advance what the trip will cost and what you will lose on the spot.

9. Rent a house

Would you rather not have strangers in your own home? Then you can also choose to rent an apartment or holiday home. It is almost always cheaper than a hotel or guest house, especially if you are traveling with more than two people.

10. Go camping

Invest once in a tent or caravan, and you can enjoy your own ‘home’ on holiday for years to come. In addition, you can often rent sanitary facilities so that you do not walk to the toilet building with the toilet roll under your arm under the eye of the entire campsite.

11. Book your hotel last minute

Prefer a hotel? Then wait as long as possible. Research by REIZEN Magazine shows that last-minute booking is often cheaper than two months in advance. The offer just before departure is much more limited. So, if you want a choice, you pay more. Although your hotel site is not always the cheapest, it is wise to do a price check there. Also, good to know when general hotel booking sites are no longer available. The hotels themselves often still offer rooms.

12. Book a package

For trips in the Netherlands and the surrounding area, it is often interesting from a price point of view to book a package. Think, for example, of a weekend stay plus dinners and excursions, museum admission, rental bicycle, etc. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The shopping experience has been jazzed up by introducing convenience and speed collectively in the form of digitalization and online shopping. Over the past two years, online shopping has increased more than brick-and-mortar due to Covid-19, which resulted in massive digital transformation. In addition, the convenience involved in purchasing online has made consumers inclined to it even more than before, precisely due to the enhanced security that has swept out the skepticism and instilled confidence in the buyers, such as refund policy. 

Furthermore, the eCommerce industry is predicted to grow 14.6% and 11.4% between 2022 and 2025, as mentioned by the statists. But does this factor eliminate the occurrence of fraudulence such as credit card scams, phishing, hacking, identity theft, counterfeit products, and data breaches? The real question arises: How can you prevent these elements from happening? The answer is simple; equipping yourself with adequate knowledge and employing a proactive approach to avoid this. This article will cover essential information to guard against possible danger while excitingly purchasing your favorite item. 

Purchase from trusted and authentic sites

According to a recent survey in the U.S, studies revealed that 1 out of ten adults is trapped in the scam of fake websites annually. And this keeps on growing due to technological advances. Regardless, do not despair, as numerous strategies exist to combat this fraud. 

When you visit a site, look for its address bar thoughtfully; for instance, check for the URL and find S, such as HTTPS:// or any lock symbol. This precaution does not eliminate the possibility of a scam, but it enlightens the consumer regarding secured encryption. Other precautions include checking up on the social media presence, domain page, poor grammar, privacy policy, and most importantly, running the website on a virus scan. I can guarantee these steps can guard against the scam but conduct your research on the brand before pursuing the order and information. 

Watch out for any suspicious emails

The revolution in the digital world has certainly facilitated the process of online shopping but has also provided hackers and scammers to become more astute and cleverer. You may never imagine their trick and techniques, so many individuals fall prey to scams. In addition, the lack of information leads to darkness and fraud. 

Now, hackers have adopted a new and prevalent method to access your information, such as sending emails asking for your account or further purchase information. Mind that authentic businesses and brands do not request sensitive information through emails. Upon receiving, avoid clicking on the link and delete the email immediately.

Make use of credit cards

I want to share a piece of speedy and wise advice that allocate a credit card solely for online transitions and shopping. Why? Because just in case of a scam, you can immediately shut it down without facing any hazardous consequences. Furthermore, if you utilize a debit card for this purpose, you should know that it does not protect you as a credit card does.

Use a stable data connection

What is the one thing that allows a hacker to trench your data? Weak data connection! With time, the security policy has become more reliable and advanced, ensuring your sensitive information is not breached. 

Thanks to the cyber security survey, we learned the importance of installing a stable and secured data connection that protects us from potential danger online.

Search for feedback on the brand

A moderate search concerning the feedback and review of the brand can provide you with better knowledge as to whether purchase from here or not. In contact with a frequent online shopper, upon asking what influences her to buy from a particular brand, she responded, I check reviews and look at the pictures uploaded by the buyers to go further with my decision. 

Go over the terms and conditions

Every website has specific terms and conditions that provide customers with information and requirements on sales and purchases. As experts say, before buying the product, have a quick look over the terms and conditions and collect evidence for all the needs mentioned to have a record that can help in case of fraud. Also, by doing so, you can get hold of something unusual and drop the idea of buying from that brand. Multiple online consumers have rated this strategy as effective.

Conclusion

In conclusion, shopping online can be safe if you take some precautions:

1. Make sure you shop on a secure website by looking for HTTPS in the URL and a padlock icon.
2. Pay securely using a credit card or PayPal rather than a debit card.
3. If you have any concerns about a transaction, reach out to the website’s customer service department.

By following these tips, you can safely shop and enjoy your packages. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The tradition of giving Christmas gifts has been dramatically impacted in recent decades due to publicity from retailers. Previously, Christmas festivities consisted of giving away sweets or small trinkets, but now everything circles around expensive gifts.

Do not lose sight of the holiday season and time spent with good friends and family sharing holiday memories. The problem is that now we confuse having a good time or sharing with giving expensive gifts to everyone. However, the holidays can be financially stressful if there are insufficient funds to purchase everything on a wish list. 

If you do not have enough money to buy expensive gifts, here are some tips to save money and joyfully give during the holiday season.

1. Use Your Skills

If you have a special skill or hobby, use it to your advantage, especially during these times of giving. For example, if you know how to knit, then you can give scarves. If you are a natural artist, give a handmade drawing, or if you are a talented pianist, then play a Christmas melody and dedicate it to someone.

2. Cook

Cooking is effortless today, especially when you can search for recipes on the internet or YouTube. You can bake your cookies and decorate them for Christmas. Or, if candy making or cookie decoration is not your preference, make dinner for your friends before Christmas. This is also an option if you are a guest at a Christmas dinner where you can contribute a dish.

3. Quality Time

Even though the weather is unpredictable during Christmas, make every effort to spend time with loved ones. If you do not have much time to be with certain people, make it a priority to be mentally present when you are physically present. You can offer to help prepare dinner or make decorations when you are visiting. This is a great gift to parents when you no longer live at home.

4. Books

Books are a good option because it is only necessary to know the type of genre the person likes. Although books can be costly, you can search online for used books, visit flea markets, or shop at resale bookstores for their favorite author or genre.

5. Photo Memories

Before social networks, having photos of relatives was a treasure. You do not need to print all the photos you have with your loved ones, but a better idea is to gather those old photos from their boxes and create an original album as a gift.

6. Gift Exchange

Gift exchange is a great option when you do not have enough money to give a gift to each member. It is unnecessary to put a minimum or maximum limit on the exchange since you may not know the economic situation of others.

Exchanges do not require things to be acquired in stores because gifts can be creative. Use your skills and create your exchange gift. Take the necessary time to have options, acquire the material, and make your gift.

Other Ideas

Christmas gifts do not necessarily need to be packaged or wrapped. You can give surprises to your loved ones in many ways. You can vacation together at the beach later that year or provide them with gift certificates to amusement parks, nice restaurants, or a concert. Give a gift that provides a new experience or brings happiness. If so, you will feel at peace during the Christmas holiday.

Contributing to a gift with others also lessens your financial burden. You have two options for financial peace: either you save money from the start of the year for Christmas expenses or buy different gifts each month according to your budget. Always try to avoid overspending if you are spending money altogether. You can make a shopping list that suits your budget.

People have multiple memberships or paid accounts, like Netflix. If you wish to balance your Christmas expenses, you will need to avoid purchasing additional items, or you can share some expenses with a friend. This way will lighten your monthly financial burden so you can use the saved money during the holidays. It not only gives you financial relief but also gives you a chance to spend time together with your friends. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

How to get customers is one of the biggest concerns of every entrepreneur. The limit on how to get customers in companies that sell to other companies and those that sell to the final consumer are becoming more diffuse, and marketing experts know it. Let us look at the example of a company that sells beauty products. It can sell to barbershops, beauty salons, and aesthetic clinics and sell to people who want to use the products in their homes.

So, how do we develop strategies to get wholesale customers and final consumers?

The basis is to define and understand who those customers are who are (or could be) interested in what you offer and then adapt your message correctly so that you do not waste your efforts. You must separate people who come to you by mistake, interest, or need. Once you have a classification system of potential clients, you must adapt your strategy to each of them.

Let us go step by step:

How to get clients or how to attract humans?

We often forget that those who make purchasing decisions in the wholesale or distribution companies are also people. Like a final consumer, the decision to buy depends greatly if we make them feel something (in this case, confidence and security of a good investment).

So, my first recommendation is to get clients no matter what type of company you are selling to people, not forgetting that you are selling to human beings.

1. Define your business model:

It seems silly, but the first thing you should be noticeably clear about is your business model. If you do not have it clear, I will help you quickly with these pictures:

Mark an X in the place where your company is located:

For example:

Some companies sell shirts for large companies (B2B ) and have a store to sell shirts to those who will use them ( B2C ). In the case of products and services, the best example is that of Google, which offers search services on the web and products such as cell phones, etc.

For example:

Some companies sell physical products such as computers (physical products) and software for that computer (digital products). Do you have your business model ready? Well, then, let us get right into the matter.

2. How do you want to be seen?

Some books call it “brand positioning,” but in this case, you should only know how you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

And this has a reason: if you are a company that wants to be seen as synonymous with quality, prestige, and luxury, your clients and your strategies on how to get clients will be different if you are a company that wants to be seen as the cheapest and most accessible from the market.

Do you need more help?

I will show you an example of how a magazine can be positioned according to its type of audience:

You can take your own company and sector to create your positioning chart, like this one:

In this table of two (2) characteristics, you can define:

• Feature 1 (price)
• Feature 2 (quality)

Yes now. Let us go to the advice I promised you on how to get clients according to your type of company:

How to get customers to your business?

The best way to start is by answering this question:

Who do you sell to?

Before designing a strategy for getting clients, you need to know how they are.

In Miriam’s example, a girl who is looking for a boyfriend should know which boys are interested in her and who might be interested in her.

If you want to expand Miriam’s example, you can see the following video (Marketing, an easy explanation):

How do you do that?

I recommend choosing criteria to better classify the clients you think are more likely to buy.

These data should be helpful and general. For example, it is better to know what city/country they are in and how much money they are willing to spend.

In this case, the name does not tell you anything because your company does not sell only the people named Pedro and María. You will use this information later when you want to personalize your offer.

With these criteria, you can create a simple table to identify the possible combinations of clients that interest you. Now, to make things easier for you, I leave you with a graphic that summarizes in a general way how these customers are companies and individuals:

As you can see, end customers and intermediaries have different needs and priorities. So, to not waste your energies, you must give them what each of them needs, or they will run to the next business.

I will give you some examples of how to get clients with all this information at hand.

How to get clients for B2C businesses

Remember that most buying decisions are impulsive and depend on the emotions you make them feel.

You do not know if these customers will buy from you again, so you should make them feel they are part of something bigger. For example, Apple does not sell only phones; it sells the feeling that the users of its products are updated, and they are concerned about security and exclusivity (for example).

How to get clients for B2B businesses

If your business model is based on how to get client companies, you should remember that many people intervene in the purchase decision. So, any action to get them should show them concrete benefits that help them determine if your business is a good investment for them. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Starting a customer internet business that brings services and products into the industry is risky. The first step for the startup is to prove their businesses work nationally, then after the national expansion, move towards international growth. Yet this method limits the business size and potential, most probably in a region like Europe, which is made up of different markets.

The first approach focuses on the local market audience, moving towards the international market and expanding your business globally.

Design for Geographical Scope by having some Strategically Relevant Market

Expanding your business internationally is more than localizing your business site to your native language. Choose your market strategically and invest appropriately in each. In the initial stage, target one market and utilize your resources according to their norms. After the successful expansion of your business in one market, move towards other markets.

Research about the International market

No doubt! Before moving towards a new market and selling your product in different markets, do your homework. Try to learn about your new potential audience, what types of items they are interested in buying, and what buying behavior they contain. You can have your current customers’ data to know the history of local buyers or international—some of the tools available, like export.gov and U.S small business administration to help you research.

Develop a fulfillment strategy:

Come up with an order fulfillment plan. Fulfillment of international order is far way different than doing so locally. It would help if you had a good connection with the suppliers in those countries you sell to simplify the process. This will reduce shipping time, which is the most irritating thing for online buyers. Consider a big giant in that industry, Alibaba; it is one of the biggest online suppliers and has trade partners in more than 200 countries.

Moreover, as part of the fulfillment process, you also have good connections to those countries’ local shipment providers with a substantial interested audience. To search about both online ad shipping providers, you will find out more beneficial for you.

Market Competitive Price

The biggest challenge in the online business is pricing. You must set a competitive market price but also take profit from it. There is no significant difference between selling locally or internationally, but you must keep in mind the market pricing area you are targeting to sell your products.

The primary point is to know the people of that area you are targeting and how much they value their money. For instance, spending $50 to buy online in the U.S. may be expected, but in Pakistan, it might contain a significant portion of income, so they might not be able to afford the product.

The central part of a successful business in the international business market is to set different pricing strategies region-wise. This may mean some products are sold out in some areas because it is not profitable.

Market Products for the Local Audience

Marketing for international sales has also been localized. You might be selling the areas where you may have buyers who don’t speak English. Even if you have a detailed list of product photos, many non-English customers will not buy those products because they can’t read them. That means you must provide additional foreign language support to customers to upsell the products. Some companies offer this service and have outstanding outcomes.

Handle legal Needs

Once you establish your business in the international market, you must obtain the proper documentation in different countries. You might have to get a business license for the focused countries or other documentation to complain legally. Moreover, it needs some research. Different countries have various requirements. Some tools like export.gov provide excellent information regarding legal issues while selling internationally.

Bottom Line

However, marketing your business in international marketing and selling your product online might be challenging; it is a huge business decision that is worth making. There are many opportunities, and success is not as complicated as you think by following the above steps, which will help your business expand globally and increase revenue. About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.