3 Options to Help You Save for Retirement

Depending on how old you are, saving for retirement may sound like something very distant, but the reality is that you will be 60 years old and want to have a calm and comfortable retirement before you know it. According to the National Population Council, the average life expectancy is 85 years. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

If you consider that the average retirement age is 65 years old, this leaves you between 10 and 20 years in which you will have to live with your pension or what you have saved during your working life. Professor of the Specialization in the Disclosure of the Economy of the Interactive Museum of Economics (MIDE) says that saving for retirement is important. Whether you began saving early or started late, having some savings for retirement will be crucial.

Many people save for retirement through their workplace. There are generally options available outside of social security being collected. However, if you are in business for yourself or your workplace does not offer retirement plans, you may need to think about other savings options. Here are three options to help you save for retirement. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. Retirement Fund Administrators

They are financial institutions specializing in retirement savings, where you must consider three things:

  1. a) Net performance of the retirement fund administrator
  2. b) Commissions that they charge for services
  3. c) Services they offer towards retirement

Retirement fund administrators are available through firms and can be a great way to ensure you are set up well for retirement. This option will not be right for everyone.

  1. Investment plans

With an investment plan, the first thing is to define how much you want for your retirement, and depending on that, you will make monthly, annual, or quarterly contributions depending on your profile. These savings will be invested in a portfolio of different assets that may include public or private debt in national or foreign currency, shares of the country, or foreign companies.

For example, the national currency public debt is a debt with low risk but a lower yield. If we want to have more returns, other assets such as shares in companies in Mexico or abroad are increased. You can request investment fund advice or insurer investment funds specializing in retirement savings, regulated by the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV). Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

  1. Life Insurance

Life insurance, also known as survival insurance, is a great way to save for retirement. This option creates security for you and your economic dependents in case of death or disability. In case of illness and not being able to work, you receive that money. Still, if none of these scenarios happen, in the end, they give you the amount saved. For this service, you can approach the insurers.

You can also check More Funds, an investment company that provides you with more than 140 options of market offers and can guide you so you know what the best option is.

  1. The amount you should save

According to Sketch Guy Columnist Carl Richards, save the amount from your monthly income as much as you can. According to many reliable resources, you should save around 15% of your monthly salary as it is the best benchmark. The exact number for monthly savings depends on the level of your hope to work. It also relies on the type of inheritance you have and a bundle of unknown facts. You can start this campaign if the paycheck is $25 but, you should try to increase this rate every year.

The best time to do this is at the beginning of the year. The early you start saving some amount, the more you can polish this habit. Whatever the income you earn in a month, make sure saving some amount from it should be your second nature.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Helpful Information on Purchasing Insurance

Insurance agents are, above all else, salespeople who are there to make sales. They will approach you like any other salesperson selling you luxury items. Insurance, whether auto, life, or health, is in some cases mandatory and in other cases needed as determined by the insured.  

Because it is the insurance agent’s job to make sales, you should know as much as possible about the insurance you are purchasing, the legality requirements to carry insurance. You should also know everything there is to know about the insurance you need and the costs. The more prepared you are, the less likely you will purchase insurance you don’t need.

Here is some helpful insurance information, so you do not buy anything you don’t need when purchasing a policy. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

What is an insurance policy?

The insurance policy is the manifestation of the most important agreement between clients and insurers. In it, the rights and obligations of both parties are regulated. We tell you everything you need to know about this document.

The time has come. You and your insurer have reached an agreement in the application and the proposal, the two main documents of the insurance contract. Therefore, the printing and subscription of the policy are carried out so that the treatment can be maintained over time and adapts to current legislation.

You should know that an insurance policy is not any document. It is the essential agreement between the insured and insurer so that all information we know about it will be especially useful.

A document covered by the legality

If the insurance policy stands out for anything, it is because of the extensive number of rules surrounding it. All these articles integrated into the Insurance Contract Law ensure, mainly, the protection of the client. So that insurers do not take advantage of the ignorance and innocence of the policyholder, the law guarantees a series of rules that all companies must comply with. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

On the one hand, according to the law, this document must always be executed in writing, and the insurer must deliver an original copy of it to the new insured. The regulations leave very little room for the parties’ creativity to protect you as a customer when introducing clauses in the policies. Everything that is regulated in this law is what must be established in the document without exceptions.

To further defend the insured’s rights, the law also allows the Public Administration to control and supervise the contractual content of the policies. In this way, the policyholder will not be unprotected at any time.

What does it mean to establish an insurance policy with the insurer?  

Conveniently, we know the functions and consequences that the policy of any insurance that we are going to hire will imply. It helps in having a broader view of what this essential document entails.

Birth of the contract

Suppose something indicates an insurance policy that is the birth of the contract between both parties. When the policyholder and insurer sign the document, the insurance is perfected. But this does not end here. In the case of paying the corresponding premium, at that time, the effects thereof will arise. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Irrefutable proof

The policy is proof in writing that the insurance we have contracted exists. In this way, possible frauds that could affect the client are avoided. If we do not know if our contract is still valid or not, we have it very easy: we have to look at the paid receipt of the current annuity.

Normative function

The essential function that we have already commented on the policies is the regulations. Why? Because, in it, the rights and obligations of the insurance we have contracted are detailed. What is written in the policy is so important that they have the force of law for the parties involved in the contract?

Details the pre-existence of the insured objectives

Under the Insurance Contract Law, the policy must state the insurance objectives of the companies. The presumption of pre-existence will favor the insured when more reasonable evidence cannot be provided reasonably.

Policyholder

If the insurance company has the legal form of mutual, the policy grants the mutual policyholder status, as long as they are not reflected otherwise in the document.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The Domain of Financial Management and The Importance of Crypto Mining

Unlike theft and burglary, it is next to impossible to think that cryptocurrency can be snatched. If you are a crypto miner, you can have a sense of calmness and peace that the money in your account will ever be identified or stolen.

Crypto Mining is an integral part of the cryptocurrency industry, but it is equally essential to discover some alternate way to authenticate the transactions taking place. It can be done by diving into a series of complicated mathematical and statistical equations to complete the entire data structure of a blockchain. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Eventually, this made one gigantic setback. It initially started with the scarcity of human resources who had the expertise of solving such types of equations. If this problem were remedied instantly, the entire structure of blockchain would come tumbling down. Therefore, to offer benefits to such people in solving the equations, they are now reimbursed into the same cryptocurrency they are validating. Finally, making crypto mining a profitable venture.

Unlike theft and burglary, it is next to impossible to think that cryptocurrency can be snatched. If you are a crypto miner, you can have a sense of calmness and peace that the money in your account will ever be identified or stolen.

After the person gets a good grip on crypto mining, it is very probable that you start your crypto mining business and be your owner. You earn handsomely, do not need to declare anything to the tax authorities, and enjoy the freedom if it lasts. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The main quarrel regarding cryptocurrency is with the country’s financial regulatory framework. Largely, cryptocurrency is not regulated, while in a few countries, it adheres to the guidelines, with certain parameters because it is reflected as a commodity rather than some digital currency. However, the transactions conducted under the ambit of cryptocurrency continue to remain anonymous and untraceable, therefore providing privacy to the identity of a crypto miner on how much money they are minting and for what purpose they are using. Crypto mining can be a tremendous incentive feature with all the benefits above to sum it all up.

Cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoins, make their way into the market through the process call Crypto Mining. In this overall activity, a user’s engagement with a computer and internet must always be in place. They are primarily the participants responsible for having technological paraphernalia; secondly, their details can be verified by assigning unique keys or digital wallets and allowing the payments to be stored in a data warehouse for mining Bitcoins the rule of supply and demand and transaction fees.

Sighting Bitcoin as an example, some people voiced their concerns regarding the system’s vulnerability by stating that the application can be hacked. Consequential from a leading group of people, who want to abuse the primary purpose of cryptocurrency, insisted that such a risk could be mitigated through sharing crypto mining. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

As crypto miners reduce, the probability of avoiding a monopolistic economy or environment increases, which leaves cryptocurrencies vulnerable to a hostile takeover by fifty percent to a single user or entity. To put it simply one owns more than 50% stake in the cryptocurrency network, it will allow that user to double the volume of the transactions by utilizing more coins. Due to this, the concept of Altcoins came into play by combing the technological framework of Bitcoins and IOTA. By adding a tangle to the cryptocurrency network, ensures PoS, fresh-minted coins are produced based on the resources of the individuals or entities. To put it simply, anyone who holds one percent of the cryptocurrency will only produce one percent of PoS coins. With this small modification, the apprehension of running into the risk of a monopolistic environment will drastically reduce, as the drawback of creating a monopoly will be costly.

The above paragraph can be substantiated with the situation in July 2016, where the Bitcoin mining reward was reduced by 50%, resulting in having the miners switch to Peercoin for better returns and profitability.

While mining a block in the case of Bitcoin, the miner must adhere to certain guidelines, comprising an array of steps in sequential order to motivate the miner to be a part of a competitive environment, with unlimited and unimaginable CPU configuration to deduce a hash that is aligned to the requirements using any of the available algorithmic function.

In deriving a hash, one must follow a predetermined process that essentially is a one-way street. Once you enter the domain of deducing the hash, there is no going back. Almost all the miners are in the probe for a plausible solution the matches the criteria, no matter how many and how much equipment are required. Also, they need to make it difficult and impossible to decipher. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

How to Automate Your Savings

Savings money is something every financially responsible adult should do. However, according to recent research, around 40% of people in the US don’t have a backup to cover an emergency of $400, and nearly 39% have an emergency savings of $1,000.

These statistics allow you to learn how you can save your overall finances. However, having proper personal finances seems impossible for some people. People always wish to have money-savings inspiration or additional assistance. It is beyond your finance’s security level or the amount of money you save.

Automating your savings plan is one of the best savings strategies. You will need to make your savings process a consistent priority and track your savings growth level. The majority of people spend eight years starting their savings plan, and many have empty savings accounts. Here are the steps to help you automate your savings. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Savings is much more complicated than it seems

The world would be different if we all had money saved. But unfortunately, for most, savings is just an idealization of something in the future. With day-to-day expenses, economic crises, and lack of administration, savings are the last priority. And there is the main problem. Many of us know that we should not save what is left over after spending but spend what is left over after savings.

You should not save what is left over after spending but spend what is left over after savings.

But very few people carry it out because manually, we are challenging our discipline every month. The problem is that our willpower can be easily lost when we see an offer, when we pass the cups, when we fall into social pressure, or entirely when we want to satisfy a desire instead of waiting for it later immediately.

The problem is that our willpower can easily be lost. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The easiest way to save is, automatically

Fortunately, we know that an effective way to achieve your goals is to stop trusting you and designing systems to achieve what you want. In the world of personal finance, this is called “automating your savings” or “recurring savings,” and it is increasingly simple to do. The magic is that once you configure the system (be it your bank’s app, through a web portal, or directly in a branch), you will not have to try to save.

The savings will be automatic. The only effort that must be made will be to live with a little less, but the human being knows how to adapt, and in a short time, you will not even notice that you lack what you spend on savings. You will see that it is possible to be happy with less, you will get used to new life habits, and you can gradually increase your savings.

The savings will be automatic. The only effort that must be made will be to live with a little less, but the human being knows how to adapt, and in a short time, you will not even notice that you lack what you spend on savings.

Fortunately, in Dear Money, we have many articles on savings, and we publish ideas daily on our Facebook and Instagram. So, there are no excuses to learn to spend a little less. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Other ways to automate your savings

  • Use tools for automatic savings

The market offered modern ways to save money by introducing the latest versions of money-savings apps and tools in the past. For example, round-up apps automatically save spare variations by rounding up the daily purchase amount. Your savings account will automatically have a 75% amount on purchase of 5.25 dollars with this app.

Everyone has financial savings goals, and they need solutions, both short- and long-term. Several reliable automated savings apps can help you find savings solutions and types of accounts. You can save $5.60 by using fintech tools such as Stash and Acorns.

  • Check your savings progress

Don’t forget to track your paid-off debt, as it will keep your savings process organized. For this, you can use reliable tools to track your savings progress without checking your balances. It is better to use personalized savings tools such as a spreadsheet. Suppose you need to note dates, pending contributions, and savings, set up Google sheet or Excel file columns. You will add the saved amount to the savings column from the pending column.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

5 Things We Need to Know About Workplace Accidents in Texas

The idea that workers should be compensated for work-related injuries is not a new concept. Texas’ first Worker’s Compensation law is more than 100 years old. However, you should know that each state has its laws. There are five important things to know about workers’ compensation laws in Texas. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Differences in workers’ compensation laws in Texas:

  1. Employers do not have to sign up for workers’ compensation. Texas is one of two states in the country where employers are not required to have their company be part of the workers’ compensation law. This means that employers can choose to buy private insurance policies to cover incidents in the workplace or choose not to have any type of insurance coverage at all. If your employer does not join workers’ compensation and you are injured on the job, to receive any compensation for your injuries and lost wages, you must hire a work injury lawyer with experience in the laws of Texas to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer.
  2. You have a time limit to file a claim, and that deadline varies by state. In Texas, you have 30 days from the date of the injury or from the first day you knew your injury was related to the work you report to your employer.
  3. You do not have to be a citizen of the United States to receive coverage. If your employer is registered to be part of workers’ compensation, you cannot be denied payment to an injured worker due to a lack of legal documents to be in the United States.
  4. Texas workers’ compensation laws do not protect offshore workers and federal employees. However, they are protected under federal law. These laws have different requirements and procedures for obtaining benefits. Most injured employees are not familiar with the complexities of the state and federal workplace injury law. Therefore, if you are injured at work, you should speak with an experienced Texas personal injury lawyer about what type of coverage specifically applies to your claim and what procedures to follow when filing a claim.
  5. Not all Texas doctors are on the approved list to handle workers’ compensation cases. Starting in 2001, doctors who want to treat injured workers must register to do so. Doctors have certain protocols to follow if they know or suspect an injury that is related to work, so it is important to make sure that it is an authorized doctor who is treating you. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Benefits that workers in the United States have the right to

If a worker has suffered an accident, what are the benefits that this labor compensation law offers? 

If you have been injured in carrying out your work, the law covers all types of accidents, whether you are responsible or not. Any type of discomfort or illness caused by the work carried out is also included. 

The worker must inform the company or employer about it at the time of the accident since only then can the benefits of this compensation be accessed.

Every state has different variations on this law. However, all cover 3 important statutes: 

– The total coverage of expenses caused by the accident 

– Incapacity at work 

– Monetary compensation for long-term damage. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Medical expenses: If you have suffered or have problems related to your current job, the company must pay full medical and surgical services provided by a doctor or health sector center. Likewise, everything related to medicines, hospital treatments, rehabilitation, psychological consultations, orthopedic devices, etc., is covered in this expense. The medical diagnosis must be made in the same state where the accident occurred since each state has its labor compensation law.

Work incapacity: The company is obliged to compensate lost income if it is determined that due to the seriousness of the accident, the employee is partially or disabled and cannot perform his daily tasks receiving partial remuneration of his salary. The period that is assigned may vary and depends entirely on the medical review. After a certain time, the company may request a review of the current diagnosis of the disabled worker.

Long-term compensation: When the worker has suffered an accident involving an injury or permanent discomfort, the company is obliged to give him economic compensation at the end of the treatment he has received. The amount depends on the severity and damage suffered by the person in the accident.

There are several variations on workers’ compensation and how it applies to each person and their case, so it is impossible to guarantee specific results or amounts on these obligations.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Integration of Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation helps a company keep pace with emerging demands of customers, retaining them for future business interactions. In addition, it allows organizations to remain competitive in an economic environment that constantly changes as technology evolves. To this end, digital transformation becomes necessary for any company since it is essential to know the customer and their behaviors.

Key technologies of transformation

Technology is key if you want to transform your business, so here are the most common technologies:

  • Cloud Computing: Gives the organization faster access to software, new features, updates, and data storage allowing a company to be agile and transform.
  • Information technology: This allows a company to focus on investing talent and money for research and development in customized solutions that support its requirements and the processes that differentiate them in the market.
  • Mobile platforms: They allow work to be done wherever and whenever.
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies: Provide organizations with knowledge to make more precise sales, marketing, and product development decisions.

Other technologies that drive business transformation are blockchain, augmented reality and virtual reality, social networks, and the internet of things (IoT). Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Digital competencies for digital transformation

There is a series of competencies that are essential to achieve precise digital transformation.  We do not need to employ all of them, but we must take them into account. For example, when you access a website, it must be easy to manage. However, there are endless competencies that we must know; for example, in the field of Human Resources, it is a challenge to find this type of profile:

  • eCommerce
  • Digital Marketing
  • IOT
  • User Xperience
  • Data Science
  • People Analytics
  • Software Development
  • Cloud & DevOps
  • Near Client Teams
  • Virtual Reality

Generations of clients

The way of communicating and buying is different according to age, so it is necessary to know the differences between these four current generations:

  • Baby boomers: Those who were born between 1946 and 1964. This generation experienced the advent of the TV.  They are thoughtful, organized, structured, and do not typically buy the newest generation of technology when it hits the market.
  • Generation X: Those who were born between 1965 and 1979. They experienced and used the first computers. They are reflective but with a mentality that is more focused on achievements and goals.
  • Millennials or Generation Y: Those who were born between 1980 and 1999. This generation is adept to new technologies. They were the first Facebook users and make decisions immediately, unlike the previous two generations that are more reflective.
  • Generation Z: Born since 2000. This is the generation of immediacy to the point that new technologies often lose their attention since they are always trying new things. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The change in behavior between generations causes omnichannel since the relationship between companies and customers has changed radically because of the development of new technologies.

In this context arises the need to create new, personalized strategies to achieve user loyalty. In this sense, we must take into account the importance of the different communication channels. Therefore, we cannot forget about offline.

  • We must use the offline to be at the service of online.
  • It is a mistake to think that the physical store is obsolete.
  • It is more alive than ever and also powered with the online.

For example, let us consider a butcher shop:

The first challenge is to look for tools for digitization:

  • CRM
  • Media
  • Marketing of offers and promotions
  • Segmentation of your customers
  • ATT Online
  • Big data for customer purchase behavior
  • SEO and SEM tool
  • Advertising push
  • Opinions of its customers, valuing the product and service.
  • Customer forum

The second challenge is that the tool is economical:

If a butcher has a base of 200 clients and his goal is to serve 2000 clients, the scalability index is x 10. His budget is $1,000, so he needs to find a tool within this budget. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The third challenge is that the tool is easy to use

In this case, the answer to the practical exercise is WhatsApp, and the plan of action of the butcher would be the following:

  • Advertise and comment on your WhatsApp group to your clients.
  • Take note of their numbers and their first and last names.
  • Every morning, take a picture of the genre you brought.
  • Publish your prices with the photo in the WhatsApp.
  • Take note of orders.
  • Pick up in-store or at home.
  • Carry out offers campaigns on request.
  • TouchPoint, each ticket enters a raffle.
  • Generate quality content in the WhatsApp explaining the genre and types of cut.
  • Encourage purchases by disclosing the amounts that remain.
  • The loyalty of clients that all feel part of the group.
  • Campaigns are directed to the clients since it knows what each one buys.
  • Cross-Selling with customized products.
  • Impact your customers by making offers if your products have not been sold.

Goals achieved:

  • Sales have multiplied x10.
  • The loyalty of new customers.
  • Your customers can interact with the butcher shop from anywhere and place your order.
  • More communication channels with your customers.
  • It has the leads of the clients.
  • You can contact your customers in real-time even if you are not in the store.
  • Know the buying behavior of your customers individually.
  • Now you have a home CRM.
  • It has a module of recommendations.
  • It has quality content for its customers.
  • The customers themselves stimulate the purchases of others in the chats.

 

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The Top 6 Current Trends in Marketing

New trends are rolled out in marketing every year as technology and innovation growth and the audiences for products and services change. Those in the marketing industry need to know the trends for the current year and the next year. These marketing professionals also have to keep their fingers on the pulse of the here and now. Here are six marketing trends currently dominating the marketing industry. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Conversational marketing

Across the digital marketing spectrum, conversational marketing may become an industry standard in the current year and be here to stay for years to come. In real-time, such marketing is the best way to attract clients rather than wait for a reply from the targeted audience. You can also experience all this in the live chat support and phone as experts predict conventional marketing will be AI-powered this year.

Advertisement over-the-top (OTT)

According to the major brands, hyper-targeting and integrating associated TV into digital techniques can replace traditional ad purchases. You will have much more return on investment due to traditional TV versus OTT campaign attribution. That’s why experts consider this year the start of a dramatic shift in using this marketing strategy. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Marketing via voice search

Smart speakers or digital home assistance are becoming more and more commonplace. The market is flooded with voice search devices such as Apple’s Homepod, Alexa, Amazon, Echo, Google Dot, etc. These smart devices have made searching far easier and hands-free.

In 2016, around 40% of adults used voice search on a daily average. With time, this technology usage is increasing fast over time and is becoming more intuitive and reliable.  Various brands are increasing their sales by incorporating voice search.

On-go searching ability and voice search have made online search queries have become more specific to a great extent. That’s why people consider targeting long-tail queries as the tip of the iceberg. Natural-language searching for ages as Google has been making its algorithm for the latest search engine page result’s report. Keep an eye on the Hummingbird update and Rankbin announcement to get clues on Google’s work.

Customized marketing

In customized marketing, marketers provide an individualized user experience by targeting each web user or email list subscribers. According to the research of the Salesforce report, around 96% of customers prefer customized marketing relationships for branding. According to Broadridge, Around 80% of people shop more for a product due to customized service or experience. Digitalization transforms marketing trends to boost businesses.

All consumers don’t hesitate to receive a customized experience and submitting their personalized data in return as it increases their privacy and security concerns. Consumer data sharing helps them in gaining customized experience and benefits, including the younger generation.

Various online platforms use customized marketing campaigns such as Netflix, Amazon, Pinterest without mentioning Facebook and Google. In this way, they identify what their clients like or dislike and their search history. Also, customers get suggestions for similar products that you even think to purchase. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Influencer and video marketing

When people talk about video marketing, the first thinking comes in their mind is about YouTube. But multiple social media platforms use video marketing like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat. Keep your videos on such channels precise, concise, and short.

People love to share, like, and comment on such videos on other social media websites. If your platform’s influencer is famous and their hats in the ring, audience interest in your videos will be more substantial. Industry leaders help your brand name in making progress fast. If you want to know your targeted audience, find their location, and get to work.

Conclusion

This year, there is an excessive demand for information and items, including AI-powered customization, new content kinds, and advanced segmentation. There are other latest technologies that marketers are going to incorporate into their businesses.

In the marketing sector, new technological advances have remarkable potential. Only you must know the correct way to use them for your benefit. There is fierce competition across your industry, as many businesses are fighting. You will need to learn the latest techniques to win the competition and make your business more competitive.

Revise your current marketing strategy and change it as per the requirement of your audience if your branding relies on video and customized marketing. Keep an eye on the latest digital marketing trends to know how to keep your business ahead of the game.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Avoid Workplace Burnout and Stress

Workplace burnout and stress are modern ailments that many people face despite having support systems and positive work environments. With the fast pace of modern life and the increasing demand for task efficiency and a healthy work-life balance, it can be a real struggle for people to keep their heads above water at times.

Burnout is defined “as a long-term consequence of adverse working conditions characterized by the simultaneous experience of the symptoms of exhaustion and disengagement from one’s job.” It is especially important to deal with workplace burnout as early as possible if one works in caregiving or other intense medical professions, such as psychiatry. Here are four ways to avoid workplace burnout and stress. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Identify the Sources of Burnout or Stress

Burnout may result from unrelenting stress and cause individuals to be disengaged with their work and deplete motivation, leading to depression. On the other hand, stress can lead to hypertension, emotional distress, and, if left untreated for longer periods, detrimental to a person’s confidence, contentment, and even physical well-being.

Identifying stress can be challenging. It is an abnormal amount of pressure exerted on you that can trigger a response from your body. An example of something that can trigger this is perhaps an increased workload, inability to meet deadline expectations, or simply having a perfectionist attitude about your work.

Take a Break from the Workplace

It’s okay to be out of your comfort zone every once in a while and absolutely to feel some levels of stress sometimes, but when it becomes consistent and is affecting you physically, there might be signs of serious trouble.  Physical signs of stress include having chest pain, nausea, muscle tension, excessive breathing, loss of appetite, breathing problems, and fatigue. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

These physical issues can lead to psychological and emotional issues, affecting both your personal and professional life. You must detach yourself from work from time to time and have an honest conversation with yourself. If you feel any of these symptoms, regardless of their severity, you should seek professional help and reach out to friends and family to help heal.

Practice Self-Care

The rapid development of technology has helped create awareness about mental health and led to new approaches to fighting burnout and stress. These approaches put the responsibility squarely on the individual and encourage them to be more mindful of their own resources and environment and take care of themselves. One of the core strategies to fight and prevent stress is self-care.

Self-care varies from person to person and can be as simple as having a cup of your favorite herbal tea to something more structured such as joining a weekly yoga or Pilates class.

The purpose of self-care is to mitigate the effects of workplace negativity, exhaustion, and stress to carve out a niche of time where one prioritizes oneself, as put forward by a November 2020 VeryWellMind article, ‘Why self-care can help you manage Stress.’

One should treat themselves to spa-like experiences to jog their senses and give them relief from a high-stress environment. All of these strategies can come together to allow individuals some time to self-reflect in a comfortable situation. These minor activities can go a long way in mitigating the damaging effects of workplace burnout and stress in the long run. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Address Workplace Issues and the Environment

It’s also important to address the issues you face at work and confront your problems at the source. If it’s an individual causing the stress, whether it be your supervisor or a colleague, then try approaching them and having an open conversation where you voice your concerns or issues.

Admitting you have problems is not a sign of weakness. Having an open and healthy conversation with members of your company can go a long way toward helping you manage your stress and developing your communication and soft skills.

If a particular assignment or client affects your work experience, try raising your concerns with upper management and letting them know how you feel. See if there is any way to help resolve your issues without having a confrontation.

Your workplace directly impacts your mental and physical health. It would help if you were situated in an environment where you can have an open relationship with your colleagues and supervisors and are treated with dignity and respect.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

The Cost to Self-Publish Your Book

The publishing world has massively changed over the last decade since companies will allow any author to self-publish for free or for a nominal fee. This ability to self-publish offers authors a unique opportunity to be published and make a career of writing what they want to write.

Self-publishing isn’t putting traditional publishing companies out of business, but it gives them a run for their money. If you are a great writer and social media savvy, you can get yourself published in a short time.

Many authors looking to publish independently are concerned with the costs. If you publish, edit, format, and design the book cover yourself. You can do it for free on platforms like Amazon or other published on-demand sites.

The cost of self-publishing a book depends on a few things:

  • How much of the publishing process you are going to do yourself
  • The length of the book and content
  • The prerequisites of the publishing company you are using Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Most writers can count on spending between $2,000 – $4,000 on self-publishing their book, including marketing services, cover design, formatting, and editing.  This cost will be cut significantly if you do all of these services yourself. However, it is suggested that you should at least hire an outside editor for the best quality.

Therefore, if you only want to get your book out there, you can always format it for free and make it available within 72 hours on Amazon, Kindle self-publishing sites, or other publish-on-demand sites. However, if you want to compete with traditionally published books, you will need to pay for editing, marketing, and design.

Editing

It would be best if you got a few different kinds of technical editing done before publishing, including proofreading, developmental editing, and copy editing. You should have an editorial assessment and work out to make critical changes to publish the best product possible.

Book Cover Design

Unless you are an artist or have skills as a graphic designer, it is suggested that you hire a professional book cover designer. Though there is the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover,” most people will explore a book further for potential purchase because of the book cover design.

The cost of having a professional cover designed can range widely with the cost depending upon the designer’s skill level. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Formatting

Depending on where you are publishing, you will need to format the book for a book and an eBook. Each format is different depending on where you are publishing the book. You can format the book yourself if you know how to do it properly.

Hiring a professional to format your book is a great idea because it can be tedious and requires knowledge and skills, so it looks right when the book is published. While formatting can be tricky, there are many videos online that show how to do it.

Marketing

One of the major disadvantages to self-publishing instead of going through a traditional publisher is that the publisher will heavily market your book. They will also set up any book signings or other promotional events and handle all websites and social media associated with you or the book. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Other Costs

Depending on your chosen path, there can be costs associated with the delivery and converting your book to an audiobook. There can also be fees that you pay to use a website to publish for you, such as a flat fee or a percentage of your royalties.

In some cases, an author will hire a ghostwriter to help them develop, edit, and publish their book. Some ghostwriters will charge by the hour, while others will charge by the project. While it can be expensive to hire a ghostwriter, it can also help you get your ideas out quickly and professionally if you aren’t a strong writer.

Conclusion

The more you invest in the development and publishing of your book, the better it will do in the market. Do the research and plan what you will do yourself and what you will hire another person to do for you in the process.

The cost to self-publish can cost anywhere between $0 to $20,000, depending on the skill level of those involved in the publishing process. If you are contemplating self-publishing, you need first to assess your budget then analyze how much work you will do yourself in the publishing process.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

How to Manage the Expenses of Your Startup

One of the biggest obstacles a startup business has to overcome is managing its budget and keeping track of its expenses. Most startup businesses struggle to identify what their spending plans should look like and how to utilize their assets.

Many startup business owners hesitate to invest long-term in favor of short-term solutions and often try and experiment to find the perfect balance between the lines of budget-friendly and high-quality products and services.

There are several steps a startup business owner can take to help with their expense management and how to invest their money in ways that can ensure profitable returns. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers  

Marketing to Your Target Audience

Business owners must identify their target consumer base and make sure their message reaches them concisely and appealingly. Many marketing firms and companies provide services and create marketing campaigns that can help you reach your target audience. Still, more often than not, they use a generic business plan instead of implementing a systemic outreach program tailored to your target audience.

Instead of outsourcing it, try building a team within your company to try and identify consumer trends and interests. Ensure your messaging and branding are relatable to your customers and provide a clear and concise message about how your service and product can help them with what they’re looking for.

Maintaining a Presence and Interacting

Create an online presence and do your research on how best to grow your company online. Having official pages and channels on social media shows that your business is up to date with the times and builds a platform through which customers can interact and leave reviews and comments. Companies have realized that one of the best ways to maintain customer trust is by having positive reviews on Yelp, Amazon, and Google. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

They have a support staff dedicated to resolving customer issues and complaints and are tasked with maintaining their positive review scores online. Although a small business can’t compete on that scale of spending, you should at least take the first step by listing your business with Google so that customers can find your business online by searching with your keywords.

Every Penny Counts

It’s easy to overlook everyday expenses when creating a budget for the company. Many first-time business owners tend to ignore it as they focus on major expenses like equipment and personnel. Ignoring everyday expenses is a massive mistake, in my opinion, as the everyday expenses of office supplies such as stationery items and coffee and snacks can burn a hole through your wallet.

While it may seem insignificant the first few days, it can rapidly catch up and eat through your budget and leave you in a mess as you try and account for all the expenses made. Keep a stipend for much that should be spent on office supplies and record all transactions made in a ledger.

It is not suggested that you spend money frugally. Rather it is recommended that you take all expenses into account and decide where best to invest them. For example, do you need to have gourmet coffee for work every day or a cabinet full of organic snacks? Maybe stick to store-bought coffee beans and some regular chips and cookies if you must, and perhaps the money saved there could be spent somewhere else. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers

Managing Your Employees

Employees are indeed a company’s most valuable resource, and they are essential for any business to thrive and survive. A startup business cannot afford the same luxuries as other firms in the same industry that are already established and have to be careful when recruiting employees.

It’s a tough pill to swallow, but you must come to terms with the fact that you probably will not afford the same perks and benefits that other companies provide. Instead of gathering a massive workforce, it is suggested that you try and look extensively for the ideal candidate that shares your companies views and values. This candidate would be willing to help the company grow and provide the template for all future prospective employees to follow.

Conclusion

Growing your business will always be a challenge, and regardless of the budget, you must keep an account of the money that flows through the firm. As a startup, you’ll be playing against the odds and will need every advantage you can get. It’ll require struggle and plenty of research, but hopefully, this will help build a better business environment and work culture.

Check out America's Best Bookkeepers 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-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools in an efficient and secure 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. Check out America's Best Bookkeepers