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Before we get started, here’s a bonus financial tip: Individual stocks should account for no more than 10% of your portfolio. Invest the majority of your money in a diverse portfolio of low-cost funds. Stocks are not a good place to put money if needed in the next five years.

Hold Your Emotion at The Door

“Quality in trading has little to do with IQ… What you’ll need is the temperament to suppress the desires that lead other investors astray.” Buffett mentions financiers who make investment decisions based on their brains rather than their guts. One of the most prevalent ways investors harm their portfolio performance is through excessive trading activity motivated by emotions.

All of the share market advice that follows can assist investors in developing.

Plan Ahead

All traders experience the temptation to modify their stock’s relationship status from time to time. However, making judgments at the right time leads to the classic investment blunder of buying higher and selling lower; keeping a journal is handy. (You read it correctly, investor: journaling.) Note the things that make each stock in your portfolio worthy of a commitment with a clear mind and the circumstances that would warrant changing positions.

Consider the following scenario:

Why am I purchasing? Describe what you like about the company and what you perceive as the firm’s future potential. What are your hopes and dreams? What KPIs are most important to you, and what benchmarks will assess the company’s progress

What would cause me to sell: Sometimes, splitting up is a good idea. For this notebook section, write an investment prenup explaining why you would use your stock. We are not talking about the short-term stock value fluctuations but relatively long-term business fundamental changes that influence the company’s potential to expand. Here are several. The firm loses a significant client, the boss’s replacement begins to steer the company in a new direction, a big feasible rival arises.

Increase Your Growth Gradually

A shareholder’s strength is time, not timing. Some successful stockholders acquire stocks because anticipating is rewarded over the years, if not decades, through share price gain, dividends, and other means. That means you may take your time when it comes to purchasing. Here are three purchasing tactics that could help you avoid price instability. Investors can set up an automatic investment plan with several online brokerage services. Purchase “the basket” if you cannot decide which companies in a particular industry will win in the long run. Get them all! Purchasing a stock basket relieves the stress of selecting “the one.” This technique could assist anyone in determining whether a firm “the one” is so that they may increase their stake if necessary.

Conclusion and Extra Investment Tips

All the best investment tips need to be within a simple enrichment logic: If there is a problem with any part of these three pillars, your investments will be at risk. After all, if there are no gains, you can hardly save or invest.

To avoid compromising this logic, understand one of the best investment tips: know your current financial cycle. Are you in the stage of accumulating, monetizing, or protecting capital?

This answer depends on how much equity you have and how old you are. If you’re young and still don’t have assets, it means you need to accumulate. At this stage, the best thing to do is to start investing in more affordable alternatives, such as Treasury Direct bonds and Investment Funds. If you are already a stabilized adult in the labor market with a good income and some saved capital, it is time to seek the best returns in the medium and long term. 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.

Due to the significant changes brought about by the pandemic, there has been an unexpected shift in the workplace that has everyone scratching their heads. Following a year marked by layoffs, economic instability, and record-high unemployment, a dramatic change has occurred that no one could have predicted: people are quitting their jobs.

According to the Labor Department, 4 million workers quit their jobs in April of this year, putting job openings at a 20-year high. The worst part is that no one wants to fill these positions! We’re uncharted ground, known as “The Great Resignation.” Here’s what’s going on and why:

It’s safe to say that the year 2020 was chaotic. Individuals worldwide were concerned about their financial security, health, and future. 2020 was a period where people genuinely started evaluating where they were and where they desired to go. The flexibility afforded by remote schedules and paid unemployment proved vital to this.

The problem is that once things began to reopen and we started retaining some “normalcy,” employers expected employees to hop back on the 9-5 bandwagon, resuming up where they left off before the world seemed to close its doors again. Employees felt empowered and planned out things they had no idea wouldn’t go their way.

Employees now had the opportunity to contemplate because they were no longer bothered by the daily office grind or commute. Some people loved working from home so much that they vowed never to return to the office. Others arrived at the realization that they despised their current job and should switch to one that excites them.

Can you blame them, though? A year of a very worrying, exhausting, and anxiety-inducing period calls for re-examining all life choices, especially when it comes to working. This new season marks a new beginning. People are unwilling to pick up from where they left off. They are now not afraid to quit their monotonous lifestyle for something that genuinely ignites them.

Employees’ new willingness to leave jobs they are unhappy with should make employers think of ways to retain their staff members successfully.

What can you do as an employer to encourage employees to return to work?

Be Flexible

Why not allow employees to work from home if they are capable of doing so? Most staff is open to working in a hybrid schedule, coming in one or two days per week. Some employees are even willing to do more if they receive adequate compensation. It’s important to remember that happy employees are more productive.

Review Your Compensation and Benefits

Employees aren’t constantly asking for an increment (though it’s always lovely to grant them one occasionally!). Other benefits include additional paid time off, a remote or hybrid work schedule, paid volunteer time off, and paid parental leave.

Examine Your Company’s Culture

Employees want to feel they’re part of a company that cares about them, the community, and the rest of the world. Analyze the culture you’ve established to develop a more equal, varied, and inclusive environment.

As an employee, if you are going to join the masses and quit your job, consider this:

Be sure about the steps you’re going to take. List your negotiables and non-negotiables to explore positions that correspond with your goals. Scratch any that don’t fit your requirements.

Market your hard and soft skills if you switch to a new industry. Hard skills reflect your technical abilities (such as electrical engineering, computer programming, or accounting). In contrast, soft skills include skills you can utilize regardless of the nature of the job (i.e., customer service, communication, project management, etc.).

Be on an aggressive lookout for a new job. Though many jobs exist, understand that the competition will be fierce. Millions of other people are putting all their efforts into getting the same appealing job roles as you. So, be thorough in your search.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile and resume are up to date. If you fail to do so, recruiters and hiring managers will overlook you, even if you are highly qualified for the position. Maintaining your resume entails writing a résumé compatible with the applicant tracking system and peppering it with industry-specific keywords.

Network online or in real-time. Whether in person, in the grocery store, over LinkedIn, or at a friend’s birthday party- advertise yourself everywhere! Make as many connections as possible with relevant people and tell them you’re looking for a new job.

Learn how to negotiate. It would be excellent if you learned how to properly deal with the terms of your employment by speaking out for what you want. Negotiation skills can make or break the next stage of your career, determining whether your next job is a nightmare or a dream.

Where Do We Go From Here?

People pursuing their passions and seeking improved working conditions benefit employees and employers. Individuals putting forth these demands are also justified, given that wages have been flat for an extended time.

Employees may be in a crisis if they can’t find suitable jobs and have exhausted their money. Forcing them to work at a place that is perhaps worse than the one they quit. Thus, it’s best to take a balanced approach and not make rash decisions.

If you’re an employer, remember that people want to work under different and better circumstances. Andy Warhol has aptly said, “They always say time changes things, but you have to change them yourself.” Now is the time.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 bookkeeper’s job is to manage all the financial transactions in a company. Many small businesses require their bookkeepers to oversee everything coming in and going out. Should the bookkeeper commit an error, even a minor one, it could lead to hours of wasted time. Reviewing data and being vigilant for misplaced decimal points is essential. Such errors might inadvertently benefit your competitors, so preventing them from taking advantage of such opportunities is crucial.

How Bookkeepers Can Stay Competitive in the AI Age 

The only thing that bookkeepers are worried about is artificial intelligence replacing them. However, they should know they can still maintain their value if they do not make common mistakes. You have already heard about artificial intelligence and what it can do to the accounting profession in place of a normal human being. Artificial intelligence can do many things that a professional certified public accountant can do. AI can check and emphasize thousands of data points about their clients and take out financial history in just a few seconds by accelerating loan underwriting. It also assists in making financial decisions and implementing business strategies. All these functions are performed by artificial intelligence, just like humans. We can say that it performs these functions more rapidly and without mistakes from human error, even if they are professionals.

Know Your Roles and Perform Responsibilities

When comparing human work with artificial intelligence, there are many things that AI cannot do more efficiently than human beings. For example, making strategies and managing different things for the business and giving the business new insights, so you can say there is a broader scale between humans and artificial intelligence. The team leaders need to think about how automation methods and artificial intelligence change human beings’ roles and responsibilities. Staying up-to-date on new technologies and practices is imperative due to constant changes, recent developments, modernization of techniques, and artificial intelligence taking the place of human beings; it is a must for team members, whether young or old. They should take new pieces of training and different workshops to cope with their competitors and artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence also brings the question of the firm’s future, but what would you do if your competitors got something new that you do not have? Suppose you want to stay in the game. In that case, your responsibility is to make your people better and give them training, but also, you are magnetically attracted to the newcomers who have new techniques. They know more than the old ones because time has changed and they have more knowledge than the previous ones.

Create an Attractive Environment

Suppose the next-generation accountants have more knowledge and use new and faster techniques than the old ones. Providing them with an attractive environment and a healthy culture is also necessary. And it is a question for the firm leaders. They should create a healthy environment for newcomers and the next generation because they are giving their best to you, and it’s your responsibility as a leader to provide them with the environment they want. If your employees don’t have all the required skills, suggest they review everything they could perform with artificial intelligence. A leader’s responsibility is to provide an environment where they can efficiently work. Also, many things, such as doing projects and collaboration, etc., are significant for promoting new talent. A good environment can help them grow and give you a more suitable product. In this case, Gen-Z has more experience with AI technologies than the older employees in the workforce. They are more diverse and more cause-driven than the generations that guided them in the past. Firm leaders need to know that the new generation is better educated than the previous ones, and it’s their responsibility.

Work in a More Intelligent Way

To answer the million-dollar (or $110 billion, to be more precise) question about whether AI will cut jobs for accountants: probably some. AI will most certainly replace many bookkeeping tasks, but whether this fundamentally means that people are out of a job comes down to leadership. 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.

Many businesses are now using artificial intelligence to automate simple processes to increase the efficiency and productivity of their business, boost revenue, and stay ahead of their competitors. We are at a point where the employees need to work side by side with AI systems for a company to grow. Artificial intelligence can benefit your business with technology ranging from high-end data science to automated customer service and provide countless benefits. But the question arises: how to successfully implement artificial intelligence in your business? Machine learning (ML) can handle accounting processes, allowing accountants to focus on more important tasks and save valuable time. On the other hand, virtual assistants and chatbots have entirely transformed the customer service game by answering customer questions without waiting for a customer service representative to come online.

But to unlock these countless benefits, you must adopt artificial intelligence in your business. It will increase the efficiency and productivity of your business and improve the speed of business, improve monitoring, and reduce human error. Here are some steps to how you can adopt AI in your Business.

Identify Your Business Problems

First, identify a problem in your business that needs to be solved and assess those problems to determine where artificial intelligence can positively impact your business. You need to look for processes that take up the most time, require more employees, or cost more than necessary. It will allow you to recognize the weak points of your business and understand where you can use automation to your benefit. For example, using automated customer service, like chatbots, for answering customer queries will serve more customers faster and reduce human error. At the same time, employees will have more time to indulge in creative and critical tasks that will eventually benefit the business and boost revenue.

Create a Road Map

To incorporate machine learning into your business, you need to get organized and create a road map. Business owners must know how they are doing and whether they are prepared to manage an artificial intelligence system. To determine if the company manages and supports an AI system, consider a few things.

The right tech capabilities determine the technology you will need to successfully support AI automation of processes and solve your business problems. It involves both the hardware and the software.

Determine the resources and development you need to implement your plan to solve the identified issues quickly. Also, determine the processes you must perform to design and develop your approach effectively.

Find the sustainability and determine your capital to implement artificial intelligence and machine learning in your company.

After the initial implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it requires continued governance, reinvestment, and resources.

Set a goal of the criteria you see as a measure of success and plan for your company. 

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence and machine learning systems are only as good as the data they are trained for. The data and feedback created through their processes will be available for analysis, which allows the employees or the business owner to determine if there is more room for automation or support. It also shows the company’s progress and growth using artificial intelligence and machine learning systems in terms of saved hours, better monitoring, increased productivity, and revenue.

The business owner should also start with a small project with a pilot vendor instead of a vast undertaking. It allows the employees to get a grip on the AI and ML systems by replacing one process at a time and gives them a clear view of how each process is affected by Artificial intelligence. They can then aim for big projects to complete their goals one step at a time. 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.

In the past 50 years, technological advancements have boomed to the extent that they have become an essential part of businesses’ operations. Just two decades back, spreadsheets were the go-to option for most firms and accountants. It offered ease, automation to some extent, and visualization. It was a miracle to have you by your side back in the day. Accountants who knew how to work on spreadsheets were considered a notch above those who didn’t. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that excelling in spreadsheets became a skill set many accountants acquired to advance in their careers. Unfortunately, like all good things, the time for spreadsheets also came to an end.

With more and more advancements in software solutions, companies started relying more on CRM customer relationship management software. CRMs offered what spreadsheets did not: the ability to connect to multiple software, be customized, and, most importantly, perform functions automatically. Be it accounting, lead generation, customer management, or inventory management, CRMs have become a one-point solution for most businesses. Yet, shockingly, many companies are still deciding whether to switch to CRM. While the obvious answer is yes, here are a few reasons if you can still not choose.

CRMs are an Ecosystem

An ecosystem can be defined as a bunch of software that would integrate to give you an all-in-one solution. That’s what CRM has to offer. Whether you are running marketing campaigns and want your leads to appear in software from which you can email, call, or text them or keep your inventory 24/7 updated on your website or for your sales agents, a CRM can be your go-to platform.

Automated Functionalities

Since CRM is software, it can handle most minor mathematics easily. From an accounting perspective, you don’t have to calculate your balance sheet now and then. When a customer purchases a product on your website, it automatically gets deducted from the inventory posted in your account. The rest of the calculations happen automatically.

Visualization is Up to Date

For most business owners, it is crucial to be aware of the progress or failure of their business. While in spreadsheets, this might require a lot of time since your team members would have to update every transaction manually. Since everything happens in seconds, you can access the CRM at any given point to see the performance of your business. With graphical displays, you can visualize instantly instead of going through numbers.

Security and Reliability

Most importantly, CRMs offer high security of your data, which isn’t there for spreadsheets. With CRMs, data is always secured on a server or the cloud. You don’t have to worry about your information being stolen by an employee or outsider since they will have to log in, work on the data, and leave it there.

Total Control of Your Business

Finally, unlike spreadsheets, you can continuously monitor every aspect of your business with a CRM—the number of leads generated, the inventory items, the balance sheet, etc. With a CRM, you can see which team is performing and which isn’t.

Why wait? Switch to a CRM now.

Anyone working with a CRM would testify that it has made their lives easier. Business management has become a breeze, and managing accounts become more accessible than ever. Whether you are a small business owner or run a medium-sized business, a CRM will automate your processes to the extent that you will spend more time planning and analyzing than counting the numbers. 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.

PMI is mortgage insurance that purchasers with a down payment of less than 20% of the property’s value are obliged to pay for a traditional loan. However, several lenders have low-down-payment programs that allow you to put as little as 3% down on a home. PMI, which protects the lender’s investment if you default on your mortgage, is the price of such flexibility. In other words, PMI protects the lender rather than you.

In default, PMI allows lenders to recoup more of their funds. Because you hold a lesser share in your house, lenders demand coverage for down payments of less than 20% of the purchase price. In addition, mortgage lenders loan you more money upfront, so you risk losing more if you default within the first few years of ownership. Property insurance is required for loans insured by the Federal Housing, or FHA loans, although the requirements differ from conventional loans (more on that later).

How Private Mortgage Insurance Works

It can provide mortgage insurance with a typical pay-as-you-go premium payment or capitalized in a lump sum payment when the mortgage is created. Homeowners who must have an SME due to the 80% loan-to-value rule can request that the insurance policy be canceled once 20% of the principal balance has been paid.

What Factors Should I Consider When Deciding on a Loan That Requires a PMI?

As with other types of home insurance, a PMI can help you meet the requirements for a loan that would otherwise not be possible. But you can increase the cost of your installment. In addition, you will not protect yourself if you are liable to have problems with your mortgage; it only protects the moneylender.

Sometimes, lenders offer conventional loans with smaller payments that do not require a PMI. You pay a higher interest rate with these loans. Paying a greater interest rate may be more or less expensive than a PMI; it depends on several factors, including how long you think to stay in the house. You may also want to consult with a tax advisor if you pay more interest; a PMI could affect your taxes differently. The borrowers who pay a low initial payment may also consider other types of loans, such as an FHA loan. Diverse types of loans can be more or less expensive than a conventional loan with a PMI, depending on your credit score, the amount of your initial payment, the lender, and the general conditions of the market.

You can also consider saving the money to make an initial payment of 20%. No PMI is required when an initial payment of 20% is required with a conventional installment. Furthermore, you could receive a lower interest rate with 20% of the initial payment. Ask lenders to teach detailed prices for the options and then see the best offer.

You can cancel the monthly press of the mortgage insurance once you have accumulated some capital in your home. Please obtain more information about their rights and ask lenders about their cancellation policies. Private home insurance protects the lender. If you are late in your payments, the PMI will not protect you, and you may lose your home by foreclosure.

Suppose you do not save the 20% deposit; several ways to avoid the PMI exist. One is to find a loan plan with a smaller down payment requiring a PMI. Unfortunately, these plans often have higher interest rates, which overall can be higher than what you pay for the PMI.

Another way is to explore FHA loans. It is a home loan backed by the government, and the Federal Housing Administration provides insurance to borrowers. However, the best way to avoid PMI is to save enough money to pay your mortgage a 20% down payment. 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.

Determine Your Average Income and Expenses

If you’ve had inconsistent revenue for a few years, one technique is to compute your average net income over the last three years, divide by 12, and use that number to create your current monthly budget. If this amount is insufficient to meet all your costs, consider how you may supplement and raise your income regularly or reduce your spending to bring your budget back into balance.

Choose a System for Budgeting

You’ll need to pick a budget strategy that you’re confident will work for you. It is entirely up to you. Keep in mind that the budget always works.

You may budget with an unpredictable income in various ways, but one of the easiest is zero-based budgeting.

As the name says, this strategy assigns a distinct category to each dollar, peso, or equivalent currency in your budget. This strategy presupposes that you will accidentally discover a way to spend the unallocated funds. You’ll give each dollar a purpose each month to prevent wasting money.

Prioritize Your Expenses Based on Your Variable Income

After you’ve created your budget, you’ll need to rank your spending in order of significance. It entails figuring out which bills should be paid first, second, and third. The four walls, shelter, food, transportation, and utilities are usually in good order.

Suppose you have this priority in place; it guarantees you correctly allocate your money to your most essential budget items when you are paid. Despite your fluctuating income, you have the critical items paid for even if your salary doesn’t cover everything in your budget.

It may also entail making difficult choices and letting go of items you can’t afford, such as eating out or your Netflix membership. It’s critical to keep focused on your objective while determining your budget and avoid spending on things that aren’t required.

Create Your Emergency Fund

The easiest method to deal with periods of low income is to have a sufficient emergency fund. An emergency fund is money to cover costs incurred in an unexpected event, such as a medical crisis or a damaged automobile.

When planning for an irregular income, having an emergency fund might make you feel more at rest, knowing that you’ll be able to pay your obligations if anything unexpected happens or if you’re trapped in a period of low income for longer than intended.

Always Set Your Salary

You calculated your average earnings after calculating your wages for 6 or 12 months. And, regardless of the amount computed, you must specify your wage. This method helps you manage your money and gives you a sense of financial stability.

For example, assume you previously earned $1,500 monthly for six months. However, their monthly income for the remaining six months was 500 dollars. In other words, your 12-month earnings would be 12,000 dollars (1,500*6+500*6= 9,000+3,000). Divide 12,000 dollars by 12 months for an average income of 1,000 dollars. However, we must not forget that these values must be withdrawn from their tax and contribution commitments. You determine your compensation amount only after you have calculated your taxes and contributions.

Remember that you are not entitled to a holiday or a Christmas bonus as a self-employed individual. So, if you wish to plan your finances to save money for your holidays or Christmas, split the amount you withdraw to fulfill your commitments by 14 months.

Conclusion

Try using these five tips as soon as possible to help you solve your irregular expenses and get you on the path to suitable savings! Incorporating these practices into your financial management approach can help you maintain control over your finances, even when your income is unpredictable. With careful planning and discipline, you can achieve excellent financial stability and peace of mind in the face of irregular earnings. 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.

COVID-19 has significantly impacted global activities, especially in the economies of different countries, due to the hindrance businesses face. There are a lot of restrictions put on business operations, which are decreasing their sales; unemployment has increased globally during the pandemic, causing people to spend less, resulting in fewer sales for most businesses in different sectors. According to various research, the most challenging goal for companies to achieve during the pandemic is finding new customers for the industry, especially for new and startup businesses. Finding new customers is not the only challenge for new companies, but having existing customers revisit their businesses is tricky. Finding funds and sources of finance is also quite a challenge for new and established businesses. Even some stable companies find it hard to get references for finance to expand during the pandemic. Keeping up with laws and other policies and regulations was also very hard for new business owners. Another big problem businesses are facing is finding the right people for their business during COVID-19.

Many startup businesses cannot find a good HR team due to the lack of funds in the company, and they end up with no professional help to recruit employees, especially during the pandemic, which forces the entrepreneurs to do this job themselves. For an inexperienced recruiter, understanding all the rules and laws for employees, shortlisting applications, interviewing candidates, and running a background check can be extremely hectic and challenging. Finding the right people to operate the business is significant as a business’s real success depends on its staff’s productivity and behavior. Staff recruitment issues that are happening in startup businesses during the COVID-19 are listed below.

No Human Resources (HR) Team

Due to the lack of funds in the business, startups usually cannot hire a whole recruitment team that comes under the HR department. That means the business owner will have to recruit the employees by themselves, which takes up a lot of time and creates high costs. During the pandemic, it is already hard for entrepreneurs to make decisions as they are always worried about making the wrong move, resulting in disasters and failures.

Strict Checks on Employees

 After the world has been affected by COVID-19, new rules and regulations are starting to happen. For example, the recruiter should ensure their employees are vaccinated, follow the COVID regulations, and wear masks. It would also be the recruiter’s job to provide leave to the affected employees and bear the cost of the time they will not be working.

Not Finding the Right Match 

Due to facing a lot of financial struggles and losses during COVID-19, startup businesses prefer employees who are not demanding pay that could cost you an arm and a leg. But due to the sudden price increase worldwide, the employees would want enough salary to meet their ends. Finding the right candidate for your business during COVID-19 is quite challenging.

Frequent Changes and New Regulations

As the new Delta variant has emerged globally, the governments of different countries are putting up new rules and restrictions to prevent the spread of it. The new changing rules result in a change in consumer demand, which means you cannot predict how much staff you need to operate your business and meet the requirements to generate sales. This pressure can significantly affect your and your employees’ mental health.

Conclusion

Entrepreneurs who have started new businesses during COVID-19 should consider staffing tips and find ways to overcome the issues they face to make their businesses successful during this crucial time. It is challenging for new companies to survive during the pandemic, but it will not be hard to make their business successful and stable if they follow the right tactics. 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

Benefits of Cloud Hosting: How It Boosts Your Website’s Performance, Security, and Scalability

Imagine operating a website that’s fast, secure, and capable of handling growth without breaking a sweat. That’s the promise of cloud hosting—and it’s not some far-fetched pipe dream. For small business owners, entrepreneurs, and even enterprise-level organizations, having a reliable and scalable hosting solution is critical. After two decades of running Complete Controller, I can confidently say that investing in cloud hosting isn’t just a smart move—it’s essential for businesses that aim to grow and thrive.

If you’ve struggled with slow speeds, security scares, or high costs from traditional hosting setups, you’re not alone. I’ve experienced those headaches firsthand. Switching to cloud hosting changed everything. In this article, I’ll show you why it’s worth considering cloud hosting solutions backed by real-world examples and industry data. Let’s get into it.

Key Benefits of Cloud Hosting

Here’s what you stand to gain:

• Faster website speeds and optimal performance through distributed resources
• Advanced security features to protect your data and users
• Seamless scalability to match growing traffic
• Reduced costs with flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing
• High-reliability thanks to redundant infrastructure
• Less stress with automated updates and simplified hosting management

Let’s take a closer look at how these benefits work in practice.

Performance: Speed and Reliability Without Limits

Distributed resources for speed

Traditional hosting can feel like a one-lane road—everything depends on a single server. When that server faces high traffic or technical issues, the result is slow load times or outages. With cloud hosting services, resources are spread across multiple servers. If one server has a hiccup, another one picks up the slack. This ensures lightning-fast speeds and continuous uptime, which both users and search engines love.

Faster websites mean lower bounce rates, happier customers, and better Google rankings. One of my team’s clients who switched to high-performance cloud hosting gained a 20% improvement in their site’s load time and saw measurable increases in conversion rates.

Learn more about how cloud web hosting enhances website performance.

High-performance infrastructure

The best cloud hosting providers invest heavily in their hardware and software: SSD storage for fast retrieval, optimized processors to handle intensive tasks, and high-speed connections to prevent bottlenecks. Take Netflix as an example. Their streaming platform, powered by AWS, handled over 125 million streams in one day during a massive series launch. No buffering. No crashes. Just smooth sailing.

Cloud hosting doesn’t just prepare for today’s needs. It anticipates tomorrow’s, too.

Security: Advanced Tools for Peace of Mind

Keeping a website secure is non-negotiable. Whether you’re running an eCommerce store or just managing a portfolio site, the consequences of a data breach are costly, both financially and reputationally. Still, traditional hosting often lacks the robust protections businesses need today.

Advanced tools protect your data

With managed cloud hosting, you get all-star protection against potential cyberattacks. Features like intrusion detection, firewalls, SSL certificates, and custom encryption are standard. These act as a digital fortress around your sensitive data, protecting you from malware, phishing attempts, and hacking.

This is something Microsoft Azure excels at. Its Security Center taps into machine learning to detect suspicious activity early. For me, that’s the kind of innovation that gives confidence to business owners who can’t afford a breach. Discover the benefits of cloud security.

Automatic updates and patches

Over the years, I’ve seen far too many businesses fall victim to outdated software vulnerabilities. Hackers depend on you to overlook updates, leaving “holes” ripe for exploitation. Managed cloud hosting services solve this problem for you. Updates and patches are done automatically, keeping your system secure in real-time.

Strict compliance standards

Cloud hosting providers meet global compliance standards like GDPR and PCI-DSS, ensuring your customers’ sensitive information (like payment details) stays private. This is especially important for eCommerce websites. Curious about more ways to boost your site’s compliance? Check out these accounting innovations and trends for additional insights.

Scalability: Adjusting Flexibly to Demand

If you’re growing your business—which many of our clients at Complete Controller are—fluctuating traffic is a challenge. Large seasonal spikes or unexpected viral hits can overwhelm a traditional hosting setup. And let’s be honest, downtime during peak periods can be the difference between achieving record sales or missing the mark entirely.

Dynamic resource allocation

Cloud infrastructure hosting works dynamically. Resources are allocated or retracted based on demand in real time. Think of it as having more hands on deck when the workload increases. For example, Airbnb uses cloud hosting to handle more than 500 million guest arrivals, ensuring smooth functionality even during busy seasons.

Shopify’s performance over Black Friday shows the same principle. Handling $5.1 billion in sales over a single weekend, Shopify thrives because its cloud-based architecture can scale at a moment’s notice. This kind of flexibility isn’t just useful—it’s transformative.

Dynamic scalability is also helpful for managing finances efficiently. Learn how to connect scalability to your broader financial goals through tips like mastering the cash conversion cycle.

Pay only for what you use

Unlike rigid hosting contracts, scalable cloud hosting operates on a pay-as-you-go model. Need more resources this month but less next month? No problem. You’re only charged for what you actually use.

Cost Efficiency: Save Your Budget for Growth

Save on maintenance

Hosting on localized servers or maintaining on-premise systems comes with IT labor costs, hardware investments, and constant upgrades. Managed cloud hosting eliminates those expenses entirely. That’s money you can reroute toward marketing, hiring, or product improvement.

For small businesses navigating tight budgets, these savings can go a long way. If you’d like more budgeting tips, explore some small business bookkeeping tips.

Monitor costs intelligently

It’s important to track your usage. A reported 78% of cloud users uncover unexpected cost variances late, sometimes weeks after billing. Being diligent about automated alerts ensures you stay financially efficient.

Ease of Management: Focus on Growth, Not Servers

Simplified dashboards

From my own experience, early hosting management felt like cracking open a foreign manual with zero translations. Modern cloud hosting solves this with intuitive dashboards that help you manage everything quickly—even for non-technical users.

Automation reduces stress

Things like backups, resource optimization, and application updates are fully automated in managed cloud hosting plans. This means you can focus on growing your sales and customer base, leaving the “heavy lifting” to the platform.

Conclusion

Cloud hosting isn’t just a tech upgrade—it’s a strategic advantage. Faster speeds, tighter security, seamless scalability, and minimized costs make it an obvious choice. Whether you’re a scrappy startup or an established business ready for a leap, cloud hosting adapts to fit your needs now and in the future.

Tired of limits? Ready for reliable and scalable hosting? Let the experts at Complete Controller help you explore the best cloud hosting solutions for your business. Learn more here.

FAQ

What is cloud hosting?

Cloud hosting spreads resources across multiple servers to deliver higher speed, reliability, and adaptability for websites.

How does cloud hosting improve website performance?

Distributed servers, high-speed infrastructure, and optimized load balancing ensure your website loads faster and can handle more traffic.

Is cloud hosting secure?

Yes! Features like encryption, firewalls, and compliance with global standards make it one of the safest hosting choices.

Can cloud hosting scale for future growth?

Absolutely. It scales dynamically for peak traffic while minimizing costs during slow periods.

Why is cloud hosting cost-effective?

With pay-as-you-go flexibility, you only pay for the resources you use, avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Sources

• DigitalOcean. “11 Essential Cloud Metrics to Monitor for Optimal Performance.” https://www.digitalocean.com/resources/articles/cloud-metrics
• Vorecol. “The Impact of Cloud Computing on Scalability for Small and Medium Enterprises.” https://vorecol.com/blogs/blog-the-impact-of-cloud-computing-on-scalability-for-small-and-medium-enterprises-166376
• CloudZero. “101 Shocking Cloud Computing Statistics (UPDATED 2024).” https://www.cloudzero.com/blog/cloud-computing-statistics

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.

Here are expert guidelines for launching your new business successfully.

Starting a new business requires much hard work and effort as you must deal with many legal, financial, sales, marketing, human resources, and other issues. But without this struggle, you cannot turn your idea into a successful business.

In this article, we will give you some expert tips for entrepreneurs who are starting a new business.

How to Start a New Business

In the beginning, you might be wondering where to start. What should be the name and logo of your business, and how to tackle your business structure? It might not seem easy to know the proper steps to take. But don’t worry, that’s fine and happens to everyone. Starting your new business is about trial and error, and you must work to find out how that works for you and your customers.

Following are the steps you can take to help you kick-start the development of your business.

Determine What You Want

Before starting and launching your business, taking stock of yourself and your situation is essential.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your reason for starting a new business?
• Which skills do you have?
• What do you know about different industries?
• Are you going to provide a service or a product?
• How much money do you have to invest?
• Will it be a part-time or full-time business?
• What do you like to do?

The answers to these questions will help you choose better options.

Conduct Self-Assessment

Before starting, you must plan, set goals, and know yourself. Try to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and how they will affect your day-to-day operations.

As your business grows, it will probably dominate your life, so make sure that what you do is challenging but not entirely outside your expertise. You will be in this phase for a long time, so choose wisely. It is better to ask the following questions from yourself on this step:

• What would you like to do if money was not an issue?
• Which is the one thing that matters the most to you?
• Is your family supporting you? Especially your immediate family? These people must make sacrifices at the beginning of your business, so they are there to help you.
• According to you, is money necessary? If it is crucial for you, you will cut out several options.

Conduct Market Research

Once you decide on the business that fits your goals and lifestyle, it’s time to evaluate your idea. Who is going to buy your products or services? Who will be your competitors? It will help you address your opportunity, competition sections, and your lean plan market size.

You can do this in several ways, including:

• Perform general Google searches.
• Talk to people already working in the relevant industry.
• Read a book by the people belonging to your industry.
• Research key people
• Read relevant industry magazines and news sites.
• If possible, take one or two classes.

Note Down Your Business Plan

A business plan is a necessity if you are seeking outside financing. A business plan will help you if you will finance the venture yourself. It will also help you figure out how much money you need to get started and how to make your business profitable. This business plan will be a road map to help you chart your progress and show you the right direction. It will also highlight what you need to do to reach your goals. Instead of using this plan only once, utilize it as a tool to help you manage your business and achieve your goals faster. 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.