Author: Complete Controller

New buying behaviors and marketing trends have developed during COVID-19 and the various events in 2023. The year changed a lot, and more brands focused on online strategies. At the same time, more consumers are using the Internet to shop for products. Brands, therefore, need to know the new marketing trends for the coming years, so what are these recent trends?

In 2023, the labor market changed radically, and many companies had to start rethinking and thinking new. In addition, it has become increasingly common to work from home. With that, everyone has been forced to become more digital, both in their marketing and communication, internally and externally. Some of the trends that became more prominent in 2021 were that companies live-streamed more, companies have more online customer meetings and conferences, social media has become hotter, and selling online via various platforms. This article addresses a few trends that have changed marketing in 2021 and beyond.

 

Live Streams

The most significant trend in social media was live streams. Many influencers started streaming live, while their views increased when most were at home. For example, thoughts on Facebook and Instagram doubled in one week in Italy during COVID-19.

Then, most of the events were live-streamed. For example, famous artists turned live concepts into live streams last year. These factors contributed to a massive increase in live videos, and users became more accustomed to these features on social media platforms.

 

User-Generated Content (UGC)

The content created by users is called user-generated content (UGC). Brands get this content, publish it on different platforms, and usually mention the creator. While user-generated content is not new, more brands will use it in 2021 to improve engagement and build trust with the target audience.

User-generated content includes reviews, video reviews, blog posts, and photos. In some cases, brands find content from users on social media to share or publish on their profiles.

 

Easy-to-Consume Content

Many brands have gone online in recent months due to COVID-19 and have concluded that their followers want easy-to-consume content. Unfortunately, easy-to-consume content is passive, short, and to the point.

For example, 55% of Americans listen to podcasts, and it mentioned newsletters 14% more during COVID-19. Podcasts and newsletters are two types of content that are easy to consume and help brands reach their target audience.

 

More Brands Use Stories

Stories are an engaging type of content that includes both images and videos. More than 500 million users a day watch stories on Instagram. Facebook has also developed a similar feature to motivate its users.

The trend is that stories will continue to dominate social media for several years. Regarding marketing, 96% of marketers will continue using accounts over the next six months, and 36% of brands already use stories to market their products.

 

Social Trade will Continue to Grow

Many brands have used social media to market their products for several years. However, many platforms have created new or improved previous features that help us sell products directly on social media.

Instagram allows us to tag and buy products directly in the app without leaving the platform. It makes the process much easier and improves the user experience. Facebook also has a feature that allows you to set up a store.

 

TikTok Continues to Attract Influencers

TikTok has over 800 million users, 600 million of whom are active. It means that almost 75% of all users are happening every day. So, it’s perfect for influencers who want committed followers who help them get bigger sponsorship deals.

TikTok also has a Creator Fund for users in the US and Europe. It rewards the best creators and motivates them to continue producing good content for their followers.

 

Video is the Key for Influencers

Many influencers focus on videos in 2021, and all trends indicate that video will be the key in the future. For example, TikTok uses short videos, while Instagram and YouTube have introduced features with both short and long videos.

A video is a great tool to market offers from their sponsors and explain their products. The live-streamed video also provides many views and shows the way for more engagement. We expect to see more creative videos with even more commitment.

 

Conversation Marketing

You can use chatbots to automate conversation marketing and make it more personal. Chatbots can, for example, answer more straightforward questions about products on social media and thank customers.

According to a study, 35% of consumers want to see more chatbots from brands. The main reason is that they need help finding what they need, and they have no problem getting help from a cure instead of an actual person.

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.

Understanding the Income Statement

An income statement shows you a company’s profit and loss over time. These were again commonly known as profit and loss statements.

An income statement usually shows:

• Income
• Cost of Goods Sold
• Total profit
• Expense
• Profit for tax
• Tax
• Net earnings

Income is the money a company takes out; subtract the cost of goods sold to find the total profit. Subtract the expenses from the total gain and arrive at the result before tax (EBT). Payments may include marketing, advertising, promotion, general and administrative costs, interest charges, depreciation, and amortization, spreading the cost of assets over time. The tax amount is subtracted from EBT to calculate a company’s net income or loss.

You can use these numbers differently to understand a company’s financial health.

What Can You Do With It?

Your profit and loss statement is an annual dipstick in the engine of your company. Is the net profit on par or below it? You want to maintain or even increase a positive result. You will have to adjust and act if there is a shortage. It is essential to talk to your financial advisor about, for example, cost aspects, price calculations, and purchasing benefits. You can also compare your data with that of entrepreneurs in your industry. Collect them from your trade association or bank.

Financing

Financiers like banks can extract valuable information from the profit and loss account and balance sheet. They do this with calculation formulas (key numbers). A financier needs these key figures to know whether your business is healthy. To assess this, a financier looks at your turnover and purchase data. He compares your figures with those of other companies in your industry.

Are you looking for financing? Then, make sure you have a realistic profit and loss account. Also, create a ‘B scenario’ with 15% less turnover. Purchasing and variable costs are adapting. The fixed expenses, such as rent and personnel, remain the same. Then, ask yourself whether you still have enough profit left below the line. Also, keep your budget in mind.

Financial insight

With your profit and loss account, you get financial insight. Use several calculation exercises from the Annual Accounts Manual, section ‘information about key figures.’ Or enlist the help of an expert such as a bookkeeper or accountant. With knowledge about your figures, you are a good discussion partner for them and, for example, financiers.

Evidence for the tax authorities

You pay tax on your company’s earnings. How much depends, among other things, on the profit and the type of tax, income or corporate tax, and the tax regulations. You also have an administrative obligation. After checking your administration by the tax authorities, they determine the assessment. Do you have a correct profit and loss account? Then, you pay the correctly owed tax rate via an appraisal. An incorrect presentation of your profits will lead to a profit estimate by the tax authorities. In practice, this turns out to be unfavorable for you.

Profit statement inquiry

Investors can use income statement inquiry to calculate financial ratios that can compare the same or one company to another each year.

To illustrate, you can compare a company’s profits to its competitors by looking at total, operating, and net profit margins. Alternatively, you can compare one company’s earnings per share to another to show whether shareholders could earn EPS if each company shared net income. As part of the top line of revenue, each line of the up and down analysis report is called a vertical analysis. For example, you can use it to represent the relative size of various fees. Horizontal analysis helps you compare the same numbers in more than two periods and identify trends. Use horizontal analysis to show a profit before tax over the past three years.

Income statement conditions

The income statement has some limitations. Capital structure and cash flow are factors that make a company thrive or disrupt the use of quotes, which is the income statement’s limitation.

To illustrate, a company needs to estimate the depreciation of an asset. You can’t know the lifespan of a computer, copier, or business jet in advance. Or, if they face lawsuits, they must assess how they should be prepared to carry out their duties. By their very nature, estimates are interpretable.

Secondly, the limitation of the income statement is the deliberate over-or underestimation of numbers. Estimates are essential and may occur by accident, but they can also be made deliberately to increase or decrease metrics such as revenue or profit fraudulently.

Accounting rules can also be restrictive. It affects the number used in the comparison. When comparing income statements, consider that many companies may use the first-in, first-out (FIFO) principle to value inventory, while others may use the last-in, first-out principle. 

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.

Fintech is an emerging industry that is challenging traditional financial services through innovation. Fintech is challenging big banks with innovations like mobile telephony and big data. With hundreds of millions of investments, year-round mega-tech events, and business accelerators designed to launch start-ups on the global stage, Dubai has established itself as the leading Fintech hub in the region. The UAE accounted for 46.8% of fintech investments in the area in 2020. During this period, the Emirates raised a whopping 67.9% of funding.

To attract start-ups, especially in technology, you must create an attractive ecosystem allowing them to access this sector. It has access to regulation and financing, and Dubai, an international financial center, has created a $250 million FinTech investment fund. It is where our business accelerator program begins, where we enable start-ups to pitch their solutions to more than 30 financial institutions.

The Main Goal of Financial Technologies:

1. To increase the availability, quality, and range of financial services.
2. Reduce risks and costs in the financial sector and the cost of services for consumers.
3. Support the development of competition in the financial market.
4. Ensure the security and stability of banking processes.

An Overview

1. The total number of investments in Fintech in the world lags far behind the number of investments in 2019, which was at 168.5 billion US dollars. As of mid-year, the total investment in Fintech worldwide was around $30 billion.
2. The largest share of total investments in Fintech as of the middle of the year is in the Americas, where assets amounted to $14 billion. Total fintech investment in the Asia Pacific was $9 billion in H1 2018, and fintech investment in the EMEA region was $4.2 billion.
3. The Americas and countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa are currently on track for a new record annual growth in fintech investment. At the end of the first half of 2019, North and South America attracted $9.3 billion in US investments in VC, Asia – $6.6 billion, and Europe – $5 billion.
4. Corporate investment in VC remained strong, accounting for $15.1 billion in fintech investment globally. In the first quarter of 2019, the United States recorded a record value of transactions involving venture capital companies, which exceeded $3.2 billion; the value of transactions in the subsequent quarter amounted to almost the same amount.
5. M&A activity has declined across all world regions, with a particularly sharp decline seen against the backdrop of the mega M&A activity in 2019 and 2020. In the first half of 2021, the volume of M&A transactions amounted to USD 5.2 billion; in the second half of 2022, it was $8.9 billion.
6. Global investment in cybersecurity surpassed the 2019 record of around $600 million to reach $900 million.

Big Data

During quarantine restrictions, the development of the regulatory framework and government fintech acceleration programs accelerated. It was reflected in the growing attention to digital platforms, neo-banking, contactless payments, and Wealthtech class solutions. In Europe, there was a good dynamic in the Regtech solutions market, and in Southeast Asia, there was a good dynamic in cryptocurrencies and blockchain. In all regions, there is a trend of increasing attention to solutions for digital identification, security, and fraud prevention in financial transactions; there has been another growing attention to cloud platforms.

The Central Asian market is similar in the increased attention of regulators and government agencies to the development of Fintech. It contributes to the growth of interest, attraction, and the emergence of new solutions. However, investments are relatively modest, venture approaches are still not used so often, and the market continues to complain about conflicts between the requirements of various legislators and regulators, hindering its development. However, we can expect the emergence of new players, at least in the banking market, as early as next year.

Robotization

It is the automation of financial processes using robots and computer programs. For example, using robotization in banks has reduced the time for receiving applications from customers, simplified and accelerated customer risk assessment procedures, reduced the number of bank branches, and so on. In the future, banks will strive to ensure that office people solve only non-standard client tasks beyond machine algorithms and receive the top products and services online.

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.

Your company indeed has huge office expenses but is not aware of it. How do you reduce paper consumption in your company? We believe that many costs are necessary when they are not, and proving to be an indicator that the processes in our company are not entirely efficient, in addition to not taking care of the environment.

To be responsible for paper consumption, reduce expenses, and have fast, efficient, and modern workflow and workflow management processes, you must start by reducing paper consumption.

Tips to Reduce Paper Consumption in Your Company

Printing paper is expensive. Toner, ink, paper, light, computer costs, and, above all, slow down your processes when working.

A small gesture like printing a document that does not need to be printed can become thousands of dollars, especially when you have many employees, printers, and several departments working with these completely obsolete systems.

In this regard, you should put some tips in place to reduce spending on paper and paper printing.

1. Make your invoices online with my management

First, you don’t need to print all the invoices you do with Excel. You can do them in your billing software, where they will be secure, and you will have automated backups to keep your data safe and protect its privacy.

Making invoices online will make the process easier. You will waste less time and be able to work more professionally.

2. Do not print your emails if it is not necessary

Printing emails is another one of those bad habits that end up affecting many companies. Printing a document or email to show it to an employee at another table, not even to our department head, is unnecessary.

We must get used to taking advantage of new technologies. Suppose all the information is in the cloud and is accessible to authorized people with a few clicks. In that case, everyone can check the data online, and there is no need to print reports or documents generated online, which can be read online.

3. Understand that information is constantly changing

Today, the changes are vertiginous. What may work today may not work tomorrow. For this reason, we must realize that the data must be accessible in real-time and reduce our dependence on the “photo finished” since what matters is today’s data, which could change utterly next month.

It is much more efficient and appropriate to the needs of the company to have a dashboard from which we can monitor our company’s performance indicators, which will help us have a greater awareness of the reality we face.

4. Manage your catalogs online

Large databases, inventories, and catalogs should be virtual. Our management program lets us update the information more quickly, and you will integrate the data with other data. At the same time, the data we save in Excel files will usually not be interconnected.

We must get used to working with software that facilitates integration since large companies’ databases involve managing much information and many details. Data can change, so what we have printed today and tomorrow may have no value because everything is outdated.

5. Virtualize your relationships with suppliers and customers

Through your internet, you can share information with suppliers and customers without printing documents to send them. The practical thing is not to work with each client differently but to have a standardized and automated system that helps you manage your work processes well. You can quickly control the creation of delivery notes, invoices, and other commercial or accounting documents using cloud management software that makes your job easier.

6. Virtualize your business; enter the digital transformation

Your company needs to prepare for the future. Companies that do not will be left behind. Technology is increasingly present in our lives. Therefore, if you have a traditional company and you have been making your invoices through Excel or other office software, it is time to rationalize all administrative work.

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.

Certain situations lead us to make appointments for candidates to buy a property that becomes unproductive if you have not considered the potential buyer’s profile or have not accessed (or have not been able to access) information that previously served to know Housing in depth.

These hours and hours lost teaching a home that does not convince the client (or escapes its possibilities) can be avoided and reused to find the right property if we previously applied a series of filters before visiting the home. How do you ensure the best buyers for each floor?

How to Set Filters to Find Candidates to Buy a Property

The first thing is to divide and establish the actions and tools that automate these processes to the fullest. The maximum “time is money” should be a priority in any real estate agent, and any system or tool that serves to make the client who obtains the information he needs will mean considerable savings not only in visits but also in meetings, queries, emails sent, calls, etc.

Therefore, we must classify the filtering system through automatisms (tools and information visible from the web or portals) and the information provided by the client (budget, family situation, priorities.

Automatic Filters to Find Candidates to Buy a Property

We understand by automatic filters those that fall into the first category: the information or software that allows any interested party to know the property to the fullest so that without having to mediate any agent, they can assess whether the visit to the house can be productive or does not fit your interests.

Every property must have basic information such as the number of rooms and how they distribute the square meters of each of them, the exterior and interior rooms, and the height of the house. But also information beyond the address, the price, and the items described that might be advantageous or restrictive, such as the type of land, if there is a community elevator, the community fee, insulation, air conditioning, an elevation plan, etc.

All this must accompany tools that clarify/detail all this information, such as high-quality images, videos, etc.

For a greater degree of satisfaction and filter, virtual tour software allows the client to be the one who visits at will and with a degree of detail that corresponds to reality.

Mortgage calculators and automated chats (robots that answer questions through predetermined FAQs) are other elements that add to this first filter, including automatisms.

Personalized Attention Filters to Find Candidates to Buy a Property

Although all the tools described help (and much) this filtering in search of the ideal candidate, the management, and ultimately, the approval of a profile as valid must come from the agent. The sooner you make sure of it, the less time you will spend in the gestation of the sale, and with more determination, it will ensure you close it satisfactorily.

For this, the agent should not work as one of those bots or as a clerk or administration employee without further ado: we must escape the desire to fill the appointment schedule and ensure that each of them is arranged with a high probability of being able to close the sale.

For this, a previous personalized questionnaire can be used to find out if they are suitable candidates or if, from our experience, we feel that they are not facing the desired property. In the latter case, we must avoid rejection “just because” and advise them or kindly recommend another property in our portfolio.

This is the case, for example, of mortgage expenses: many clients make their calculations by adjusting their budget to the one indicated on the property file without considering key factors such as mortgage expenses, commissions, entry amount, etc. This dance of numbers can cause that at the time of having decided on the property, they do not reach what is necessary, causing frustration to both parties: the client who sees his ideal property escape and the agent who sees a sale escape as much as he had everything to close it. 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.

By: Jennifer Brazer

Jennifer is the author of From Cubicle to Cloud and Founder/CEO of Complete Controller, a pioneering financial services firm that helps entrepreneurs break free of traditional constraints and scale their businesses to new heights.

Fact Checked By: Brittany McMillen

Building Community with Augmented Reality

Building stronger, more vibrant communities doesn’t just happen by chance—it’s a process of creating authentic connections and finding new ways to bring people together. Augmented reality (AR) has stepped up as a game-changer in this effort. By blending the digital and the physical, AR isn’t only about flashy visuals; it’s about fostering authentic engagement and interaction through immersive experiences. From local events to urban planning and beyond, AR is transforming how we engage with our surroundings and with one another.

As someone who’s built a company focused on organizing information and providing clarity for clients, I’ve seen firsthand how tools—when used thoughtfully—can transform experiences. AR is one of those tools revolutionizing how we connect in our communities. So, let’s take a closer look at how powerful this technology can be for building meaningful connections.

What is Augmented Reality and How Does it Work?

AR serves as a bridge between the real and the virtual, layering digital content over the physical world in highly interactive ways. Think of it as adding a layer of useful or entertaining information right where you’re looking. Using cameras, sensors, and your smartphone (or specialized AR glasses), this technology dynamically tracks your movements and overlays 3D visuals, animations, or interactive elements over the real world.

For example, imagine walking past a mural downtown. With AR, you scan it with your phone, and suddenly, the artwork starts “talking,” telling you its origin story through animation or voiceovers. But here’s where AR really shines—it’s not just for passive consumption. It’s built to create shared experiences. Engaging with an AR-powered space alongside others fosters connection and brings real meaning to the term “interactive community.”

How AR Strengthens Community Connections

Boosting social engagement with AR tools

Why do scavenger hunts work so well at bringing people together? Because they mix exploration with teamwork and some healthy competition. Now, take that idea and scale it up using AR. Imagine story-driven scavenger hunts with clues scattered around your own neighborhood, unlocked through your phone. Libraries, local landmarks, or even street art could turn into interactive touchpoints. AR doesn’t just entertain—it activates community spaces and brings neighbors together.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

1. Community-Specific Games: Organize AR-based treasure hunts that showcase local landmarks and history. Not only does this strengthen community bonds, but it also boosts pride in local heritage.
2. Collaborative AR Projects: How about a virtual mural, co-created by neighbors? Imagine walking past a blank wall that transforms through AR into a moving piece of community art that every resident can contribute to.

For community-driven activities like these, ensuring proper budgeting and system organization is crucial. Here are some effective bookkeeping for community projects tips to ensure smooth execution of these initiatives.

Making local events more memorable with AR

Whether it’s your neighborhood farmers’ market, an annual parade, or even a small-town music festival, AR can take these events to another level. By adding an interactive layer, you create reasons for attendees to linger, explore, and even come back year after year.

Imagine a food festival where holding your phone over a dish reveals not just what’s in it but a chef’s live demo of its recipe. Or think about a street fair enhanced with virtual larger-than-life animations leading kids (and adults!) on an interactive scavenger hunt. Events like these become talking points, drawing people from miles away while giving locals something to rally around.

Events aren’t just about excitement—they’re opportunities to strengthen civic pride and generate economic boosts. Pokémon GO Fest in 2022, for instance, contributed a whopping $309 million to the local economies of its host cities. This blend of technology and tradition can revitalize any community. When planning such moments, don’t forget practical safeguards like insurance considerations for community events.

Real Stories of AR in Action

Case study: Pokémon Go—A blueprint for AR connection

Back in 2016, Pokémon GO took the world by storm, doing something remarkable—it turned parks, sidewalks, and monuments into social hubs. Suddenly, places people passed by every day were brimming with energy, laughter, and collaboration. Groups of strangers bonded, local businesses saw spikes in foot traffic, and forgotten corners of neighborhoods came alive.

Why did it work so well? The game seamlessly tied its virtual objectives (catching Pokémon) to real-world spaces. It got people out of their homes, interacting with both their surroundings and each other. Pokémon GO wasn’t about technology; it was about using it to foster real-world connections.

Urban planning with AR

Urban planners know that engaging communities can be tough, especially when trying to explain the complexities of new developments. Enter AR. In cities like Charleston, SC, and Washington, D.C., local governments used AR to show 3D models of future projects, from housing developments to transportation hubs. It’s one thing to hear about how a new building will look—it’s another to pop on some AR glasses and experience it visually in the actual space.

A standout example is DignityMoves, a nonprofit using AR to involve community stakeholders in designing housing for people experiencing homelessness. The result? Faster, more collaborative decision-making processes and housing designs that better reflect the needs of all parties involved. Stories like these remind us how inclusive tools like AR can be.

Revamping Neighborhood Engagement with AR Experiences

Virtual neighborhood tours

New to a town? AR can make sure you’re not just introduced to your surroundings but immersed in them. A stroll through a park could reveal pop-ups narrating its history while scanning buildings downtown could “show” their past lives as movie theaters or family-owned shops. Educational? Yes! And deeply engaging.

Weekly AR challenges

Want to build camaraderie? Organize neighborhood-wide AR challenges. A virtual treasure map could lead to hidden AR objects scattered across town or encourage teams to solve puzzles together. Not only are these challenges fun, but they also encourage residents to learn, engage, and explore.

What’s Next in AR for Communities?

AR is just getting started. As the technology improves, so does its usefulness for fostering community connections. Here’s what I believe is coming next:

• Interactive Education: Schools could turn their city into a living classroom. Imagine AR storytelling sessions where kids learn local history by “meeting” animated historical figures at the actual landmarks they’re visiting.
• Healthcare Outreach: From fitness challenges that gamify exercise around town to tutorials on handling medical emergencies, AR could play a huge role in promoting community wellness.
• Smart Glasses for Real-Time Info: Picture walking through a farmer’s market and having your glasses tell you which stands are organic or highlight which businesses source ingredients locally.

In today’s whirlwind of innovation, these tools hold exciting possibilities for community engagement.

Taking the AR Leap in Your Community

Building community through augmented reality isn’t about joining the latest tech bandwagon—it’s about making your neighborhood more connected, engaged, and truly alive. Hosting virtual scavenger hunts, introducing interactive AR tours, and weaving AR into urban planning—these aren’t just cool ideas; they’re a glimpse into how technology can bring people closer.

As CEO of Complete Controller, I know the devil’s always in the details. Tools like AR can only thrive when paired with thoughtful planning and sound financial strategy. That’s why talking shop on financial accuracy and community engagement is just as important as dreaming big about new tech. Ready to see what AR can do for your corner of the world? Let us help you get there.
Let’s start creating moments that turn neighbors into a stronger community. Learn more from our experts today!

FAQ

What makes augmented reality useful in communities?

AR makes everyday spaces more interactive and meaningful, motivating people to explore, learn, and connect.

Can small communities afford to adopt AR?

Absolutely. Budget-friendly and even free AR platforms exist, with the benefits often outweighing the costs—like increased event turnout and stronger local engagement.

How does AR fit into local events?

AR can add an interactive flair, from live animations to real-time recipe demonstrations, giving attendees unique reasons to participate.

What industries benefit most from community AR use?

Education, tourism, healthcare, and urban planning lead the charge, but frankly, any industry looking to engage with the public can benefit.

Sources

1. Gensler. “How Augmented Reality Can Drive More Engaged Communities.”
2. Niantic Labs. “Pokémon GO Live Events Contribute Over $300M to Local City Economies.”
3. Social Pinpoint. “Is Augmented Reality the Future of Engaging with the Community?”
4. Cities Today. “How US Cities Are Unlocking Planning Conversations with Open Data and Augmented Reality.”

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.

Design an Overall Strategy

As with conventional, offline marketing, digital marketing necessitates the development of a plan (even if you later feel the need to revise it – we all know that in the world of communication, where everything changes so rapidly, adaptability is the watchword). Set KPIs, quarterly, semiannual, or annual targets, and gather your team for a brainstorming session to create personas and design an end-to-end digital strategy.

Make Benchmarking

Copy, never; gather inspiration and study best practices every time. Check how your competitors and partners are communicating across different digital channels.

Join Inbound Marketing

Put Content Marketing to work for you. Inbound Marketing, also known as attraction marketing, focuses on recognizing people’s current requirements and developing a communication channel to give a solution to their aspirations. Instead of one-way advertising, we can increase our internet visibility, conversions, and sales by establishing dialogue.

Invest in your Website

The website is the Internet’s calling card for every initiative or business. Whether your brand’s content is more professional or informal, utilize the website to demonstrate your distinct element. Concentrate on more than just the homepage: establish landing pages regarding specialized content to attract leads and provide a pleasant experience with a pleasing design and navigation.

Don’t Neglect the SEO

No Digital Marketing strategy does not include SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Discover some SEO concepts and how to stay at the top of Google search results in this article.

Maintain Consistency on Social Media

While social media provides a unique opportunity to communicate with potential consumers, limit your presence to those relevant to your company. Once there, attempt to produce material with a purpose and keep consistency. Make sure to pay attention to community management, build long-term connections, and constantly try to reply to inquiries, complaints, praises, and other interactions from followers.

Update your Databases

Collaborate with commercial and public relations colleagues and pay attention to customer, partner, or lead databases. In this field, contacts are gold. Comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) rules.

Bet on E-commerce

Online shopping was one of the variables in the digital revolution that surged the greatest during the pandemic, but it was already a trend before it. If your company sells items, try investing in the newest online store management software, continuously updating the website, or even recruiting e-commerce specialists (one of the professions with the highest growth prediction in the future).

Consider Organizing a Webinar or Creating a Podcast

In keeping with point 2, focus on Content Marketing and give unique, instructive, and fascinating materials that do not always reference purchases and sales. All options are joining trendy formats, hosting a webinar, inviting leads and partners, or launching a podcast on your brand’s worldwide topic. You’ll see that it attracts new consumers!

Monitor the Results

One of the significant advantages of the digital universe is the ease with which we can analyze behavior and measure results. Tools like Google Analytics or the statistics pages of website management systems and social networks can be extremely useful in calculating the success of one campaign and implementing improvements in the next.

Redesign your Company’s Website

According to research, an intriguing and well-structured website significantly influences client perception of the brand. Invest in the development of a high-quality website to instill greater trust in your business, which will lead to an increase in purchases.

Use Call to Action (CTA) buttons on your website, whether for an essential page, an offer, or a capture form in the ideal location on your website, where visitors will have the first contact and first impressions. This section should also include your fundamental value proposition and a message explaining what the site is about and who it is for so that the visitor gets a clear picture of what they will receive and what they can anticipate.

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.

Are you curious to get a broader perspective on your role and how it fits into the world of marketing and sales? In this article, we discuss the modern marketing plan and discuss many of the most critical company growth and success issues.

In this article, I have compressed frameworks, models, and working methods I encountered as a researcher’s sounding board and inspirer for companies. In recent years, I have researched and considered what every ambitious marketer must understand and present in the modern marketing plan.

To understand the whole in marketing and sales and who wants to take your marketing plan to new heights or your entire team or department looking for extra knowledge and inspiration.

This article contains a few crucial points of utmost importance in a marketing plan.

Do Not Overestimate Yourself, Your Product, or Your Market

It is easy to think: “Uh, this marketing thing, I can do it with one hand.” In addition, you are sitting on the best thing in the world; of course, people will flock to buy it. It cannot be that difficult, can it?! But yes! It is silly. So, start from the idea that no one knows who you are. Nobody knows what you are doing. And absolutely no one understands why they should support you and your company. It may sound not overly optimistic, but I promise: this approach will help you!

Focus Your Time and Create a Strategy

It requires and should require the absolute most of your working hours, especially if you have a start-up company that few or no one knows about. Set aside time in your calendar, plan, and strategy.

Decide on a few things, preferably 1-3 activities, that you should give yourself the phase of doing well—the best way to achieve a result. And remember, the best and only marketing result is whether others have seen and heard you! And the more diverse things you do, the less impact it will have. So, focus, do, and then evaluate.

I have evaluated most things, which you should do, too. You can never know if it is right for you or not. But also, be quick to think about whether it is worth it. These are three things that, for example, did not work for me when I had my jewelry brand: fairs, Google Adwords, and competitions. And I know that after testing (though I could have saved a lot of money if I had assessed a little less),

Do Not Wait

One thing that is so easy to do is to wait with the marketing until one thinks that everything is in place. But do not do it! Even if not everything is what you want, you should start spreading the word. 

You will never be ready. Running a business is an ongoing journey, constantly evolving and never genuinely reaching a final destination. You may be perpetually unsatisfied with the webshop that once brought you joy as your knowledge expands, perspectives change, and insights emerge through conversations with others.

Get Feedback from Customers

You also get a valuable response by ensuring more people open their eyes to your work. What do people like? What do you need to change? Is there something unclear that many do not understand? Good, fix it. What is your brand, and how do you convey it? Please evaluate this by asking a few people what they think you stand for and represent. Is it far from what you want to tell and be? Well, something needs to change in your communication.

The More You Transfer, The More You Learn

The more times you have had to talk about what you do, the better you will be able to present briefly and concisely. You become even better at what you do only by genuinely throwing yourself out. And it is, quite seriously, in the very meeting with those you think are your customers that you get to know whether they are.

Be Honest

Being as pleasant as possible is part of my marketing strategy. The world becomes a little more glorious because people are naughty and naughty and because it increases the probability that others will help you and recommend what you move on. And, of course, it is essential to be completely honest and genuine in this (falsehood is always seen through and will bite you in the butt!), While others must not run over you.

And Yes, You Can Learn Everything

Running your own business is about learning many things while not being an expert in anything. So, it is easy to think that others who claim to be professionals always are and thus can do something much better than you. It is a point I have struggled with quite a bit (and sometimes still do).

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.

A Financial Institution makes a mortgage loan to a person who aspires to acquire a house, allowing him to cover the purchase expenses. The guarantee of said loan is the ownership of the property. Many families do not have the sum of money that requires the purchase of a house, so the loan provides the necessary amount.

After the loan is approved, the monthly installment payments by the applicant can last several years or decades, depending on the conditions under which those Who requested the loan are due. Applying for a mortgage loan to purchase your home is considered the most changing and transcendental decision in every individual’s life.

If it is the first time buying a real estate property, some basic mortgage loan steps can be confusing. For example, What does obtaining a mortgage loan approval from a financial institution take? How is the loan paid? This article explains all the information you need to consider below.

Mainly, we will clarify the following basic terms: When you apply for a loan to buy real estate, you should know the main words.

• Initial Amount: 
  This is the sum of money you give in advance to show the financial entity that you are interested in the business. The most advisable thing is to collect 20% of the price of the house (for example, $40,000 for a home of $200,000). The initial amount will allow you to avoid an additional charge called PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance). However, suppose you do not have the opportunity to have the whole initial amount. In that case, lenders accept less than initial amounts, such as 10%, 5%, or up to 0%, to be advanced based on certain circumstances. Also, loans include the payment of the closing costs of the business and additional fees that the processing of the credit entails.
• Principal:
  It is the amount of money you are borrowing and must pay, which translates into the cost of the house, deducting the amount of the initial, for example, from a home that costs $200,000 or $40,000 of initial, the principal loan. It would be $160,000.
• Interest rate: 
  The financial entities do not lend the money without any interest in return. They do it to obtain money for this service since you must pay the funds provided for the purchase of the house plus interest, which is a percentage of the amount financed. The interest rate varies according to the loan entity and your circumstances.

Loans are paid gradually in the form of a monthly payment, which combines the expense of the principal amount plus interest.

Another amount that You must ensure in the mortgage payment is the amount to pay property taxes and insurance premiums. These funds are set separately in a rigorous account that the loan entity will use to pay these bills as they are present.

 

When to Apply for a Mortgage Loan?

It would be best to have the loan application ready before you start searching for the house since many sellers are interested in knowing that you are pre-approved for a loan and that a financial entity will secure their money for the home sale. We assure you that the pre-approval of the credit is not as fun as the search for the house, but it is more important.

In this pre-approval process, the financial entity will review your credit record, reports, income, expense summary, tax payments, and other aspects of your financial profile. This process has two purposes: first, it will let you know the maximum price you can pay for a house, and second, and more importantly, the pre-approval shows sellers that your intentions are profound regarding business, which is particularly crucial in a highly competitive market.

You must know the difference between pre-approval and prequalification. At first sight, the prequalification of a mortgage loan implies the ability of the lender to obtain a loan without the paperwork to back it up. For example, prequalification is an easy and fast way to get an approximate amount of up to how much you can aspire to pay without guaranteeing that you will effectively obtain the loan from a said financial entity. So do not let expectations excite you unless you are pre-approved.

Another easy first step is to enter your information into a system of calculating economic accessibility for home purchases, which will give you an idea of ​​how much your loan can be.

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.

Managing your finances is challenging, especially when saving money within a certain period. There are many ways to manage your finances; however, here we remind you of the critical points you should remember when managing your finances.

1. Learn to manage your finances

When you want to give a personal finance organization, one of the main recommended points is to research and educate yourself on handling money more efficiently, according to your income and lifestyle.

Whether you are a multimillionaire or just starting your professional career, personal finance management requires a basic knowledge of the best ways to handle money and an analysis of your current financial situation to make a better decision.

Determining to address your financial problems to respond and pay attention to the economic needs of your life is another crucial point to leading an excellent financial administration.

Organize a weekly time frame to review your finances. Being aware of your economic situation and making decisions that help you streamline your management is very beneficial.

2. Give actual value to things

We often organize and manage our finances based on what we want to buy. We look at the prices of the number of products or services that we want to acquire and make a total, believing that these are the total expenses we need to consume.

Although it is wise to list the recurring and extraordinary expenses we present during the month, it is essential to decipher the actual value of the products we wish to acquire.

Although it may seem like a savings opportunity, a new TV on offer, we must ask ourselves if we need to buy that product.

Doing that type of analysis will allow you to save much more money than you imagine. You can also focus on the money saved in the needs you have given more significant value to when managing your finances.

3. Review your finances and make decisions on time

Performing a personal balance of all your income, expenses, assets, and debts will allow you to know your actual economic situation and make decisions to free you from a future financial crisis.

Add all your income and real estate and subtract all monthly debts and expenses. It will allow you to validate your financial balance. You can measure your position monthly and compare the extent to which you had programmed the financial plans you set when you decided to manage your finances.

You can quickly develop this organization in an Excel spreadsheet. Noting monthly or even daily, all your income and expenses. It will allow you to visualize your finances better, make it much easier to include or cut costs, and validate how that affects your monthly economy.

4. Saving is better than spending

After applying your first economic strategies to improve your finances, save the money left over from your monthly expenses.

It is best to allocate them for savings to avoid generating unnecessary new expenses from your monthly finances. Having extra money available makes you prone to spend it on new products outside your administration. That could unbalance your accounts in the future or leave you without any source of savings from any unforeseen event.

It is preferable that you manage your expenses with the regular budgeted income and any extra income received or surplus from the expense plan created you dedicate to the savings.

5. Pay your debts

Paying all your debts will give you the economic freedom to manage your finances with a positive balance. You can schedule the installments of the credits or payment terms of your loans within your monthly expense organization, so remember to make payments on time, avoid paying higher interest, and eventually pay off all debts incurred. 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.