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Bad At Sales Or Selling The Wrong Product?

It’s all too easy to get the feeling that you’re bad at something like sales. It can take a long time to develop the ability to sell things consistently, with some people finding this process much harder than others. Unfortunately, though, many people make the same mistake from the very beginning; they try to sell something they can’t make themselves feel passionate about. To help you out with this, this article will be exploring some of the steps you will need to take if you’re going to be successful selling something you love.

Bad At Sales Or Selling The Wrong Product? - retail sales image
Photo by Christiann Koepke on Unsplash

Finding Something You Love

There is a huge market for handmade products around the web, with sites like Etsy providing an excellent platform to sell items that you’ve created from scratch. A lot of people have creative hobbies or pursuits in their lives, providing the perfect opportunity to start making something that can be sold. It’s worth having a look around for some inspiration when you’re taking this approach, ensuring that you’re not choosing something that can be made much cheaper on a commercial scale.

Of course, not all hobbies and interests result in something that can be sold. In this case, you may need to think about the objects and products that can surround the interest in other ways. For example, if you love rock climbing, you could think about selling books and other resources that surround this topic. It can be a challenge to find exactly what you want to sell, but you should know when you feel excited enough to achieve big things with your efforts. Finding something you love can be an excellent way to improve your ability to sell things.

Doing Some Learning

There will always be a bit of a learning curve when it comes to selling, even for people who seem to be complete naturals. For example, you’re going to need to figure out how to talk to people when you want them to buy something from you. There are several different levels to this, with those who sell face to face usually having the waisest time. Selling online or over the phone can be trickier, as you can’t rely on facial expressions to make yourself feel friendly. Thankfully, there are loads of guides around the web that can help with this.

Alongside learning how to talk to potential customers, it will also be very helpful to learn about the methods and techniques used with your specific product area. There could be laws that prevent certain sales tactics, and this is something you need to learn about before you dive right in. Learning how to become an antiques dealer, for example, will involve building an understanding of how auctions work, while also developing a keen sense for a good deal.

Depending on the type of selling you’re going to be doing, you may also need to think about marketing as you go through this process. Marketing a physical business isn’t always necessary, but those operating online will have to put a lot of work into this side of their company. Social media, SEO, and adverts all work together to improve your chances of making sales. This can be a difficult job, and is an element of sales that most people aren’t used to, making it crucial that you do some learning before you start.

Use The Right Tools

Finally, as the last area to consider, it’s time to think about the tools you’re going to be using for this work. As mentioned above, Etsy is a great place to sell products that you have made yourself. There are loads of private sellers on websites like this, and the whole platform is geared towards this kind of creativity. This means that there are loads of options available that can help you to sell more. 

For those selling other products online, it makes a lot of sense to be diverse with the platforms you use. Having your own website will be great, but it could take years before you’re able to dominate searches with it. To start with, you’re far more likely to make money through a platform like eBay or Amazon. 

Selling something is rarely easy, and a lot of people have struggled with work like this throughout history. While this can make it all the more daunting, it also means that there are loads of resources available that can help you to improve your ability to sell. This is only getting easier to manage as time goes on.

Invest in Peace of Mind: The Best Purchases for a Secure Home

You know when you have found the right home because it just feels right. And when we move into our dream home, we may find that the house is perfect, but the neighbourhood is not so much. Sometimes when we are at home, we cannot feel relaxed because we may not feel safe and sound. Wherever you live, a little extra peace of mind is always helpful. So this means we need to have the right products around us that make us feel safe and sound. Home security is such a wide-ranging concept these days that you can find pretty much everything to suit your needs. Let’s show you what investments are worthwhile.

Invest in Peace of Mind: The Best Purchases for a Secure Home - your front door image
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Motion Monitors

Ideal if you are away from the property for a few days. While there are numerous ways for motion sensors to work, such as light-activated motion sensors for the garden, you may need to find something a little more subtle. You can click here for a monitor that will notify you if there’s any unexpected motion detected in your property. We can’t be too careful these days, especially as burglars can be very adept at breaking into a property without making any noise.

A Video Doorbell

If you don’t have a peephole in your front door, a smart video doorbell can help you see who is ringing the bell before you open up. The great thing about video doorbells is that you can actually talk to them through the device if you don’t want to open up the door. There’s a wide variety of smart video doorbells out there and some offer various features such as 2-way talk and even night vision.

Indoor Cameras

Home security all began with the humble camera. Old-fashioned security cameras are all well and good but these days when we are away from the property we need smart devices that can help us monitor our home straight from our mobile phone. Many indoor security cameras offer full HD and wide-angle video during the day and the night. A lot of indoor cameras will notify you if the camera detects any motion and will give you a snapshot of who is moving around.

Window Alarms

As burglars are pretty savvy when it comes to getting windows open without smashing them you can purchase a window alarm that is easy to install. Every window alarm has two pieces which have a magnetic strip and the alarm. Once the two pieces are separated, it beeps loudly and deters criminals but can also stop any wayward teenagers leaving their bedroom in the middle of the night!

A Small Safe

Something very simple but incredibly effective to keep your valuables secure. You can purchase digital safes these days that you can program with guest and master codes. The great thing about small safes is that they are incredibly cost-effective. It’s a small price to pay for huge peace of mind.

A secure home is only secure when you feel relaxed. These devices can go a long way to guaranteeing that you finally feel comfortable in your home environment.

Fun Ways To Make Money Online

Spending money is lots of fun, but earning it usually requires you to work, to do tasks and take up a lot of your time. But what if there were ways to have fun and make money at the same time? It is possible you know. So, what are the best ways to do it?

Fun Ways To Make Money Online - online cash machine image
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay

Play FIFA Online

There are many ways you can make money by playing online games, and FIFA is one of them. If you’re a really good player, then playing in tournaments and winning can get you some serious cash. The winner of the FIFA eWorld Cup at the O2 Arena in London bagged £191,000 from that tournament alone. However, he is nowhere near the richest of FIFA players out there. It’s the FIFA YouTubers and Twitch streamers who are killing it. There are other routes to go down too, such as earning real-world money by selling your Ultimate Team coins on the FIFA black market. These are websites out there where you can buy Fifa 21 Coins to add to your FIFA account as well as websites where you can sell coins. 

Start A Youtube Channel

The things people watch on Youtube these days are amazing – it really doesn’t matter what you do. People make money from videos of them opening boxes, playing games and even cleaning. Whatever it is you like to do, why not give it a try, you never know what will come of it. Have a look for some inspiration online and see who’s doing well from Youtube videos. You might then see a gap in the market or something you could be doing far better. 

Blogging

If you like writing then blogging can be a great way to earn a living. While it can take time to build up an audience and make some money, it is possible, and there’s loads of advice on how to do it out there. The great thing about blogging is that you can do it about anything too and it can be really therapeutic for you. 

Play Trivia

Are you good at trivia? Love to do a pub quiz? Well, you can win real money by playing trivia online. Head over to Swagbucks Live, which is free-to-play with the downloaded app, and you can win cash for simply playing a game. If you get all the questions right, you can win a grand prize.

Watch Videos From Your Phone

Are you someone who spends hours on your phone watching video after video and before you realize it, it’s the early hours of the morning? Well what if your time wasn’t wasted and you could make some money off it? Well, you can. Again, on Swagbucks you can earn cash for performing minor tasks and one of those is watching videos. There are loads of categories to choose from, so you’ll easily find one you like, then start watching videos from the comfort of your home, on your smartphone and make a load of cash at the same time! 

Smart Tips For Real Estate Investors

It’s no secret that real estate is one of the better investments you can make. If you read any blog or book about the best ways to invest your money and build a healthy financial future, then it won’t be long before you see someone who’s making the case for property. But of course, while real estate can be a profitable area to invest in, it’s not as if success is guaranteed. Far from, in fact. There have been many people who have gotten themselves burned through this type of investing. To improve your chances of success, then it’s important to keep some smart tips in mind. We’ll run through a bunch below that’ll increase the likelihood that your real estate investment venture will be profitable. 

Smart Tips For Real Estate Investors - toy house image
Pixabay – CC0 Licence

Know the Area

There are properties all over the world, but should you invest in them, no matter where they’re located? It’s a mix of yes and no. In general, it’s best to veer towards ‘no.’ By focusing on your home area, you’ll be able to draw on extensive knowledge of the streets, homes, neighbourhoods, and other key factors that’ll determine how much you can charge for rent. However, though you’ll want to spend most of your time and energy on areas that you understand, it is possible to look at opportunities elsewhere. Or at least, you shouldn’t automatically reject a property just because it’s not in your postal code. The key thing is to conduct as much research as possible. Remember that the valuation of a property is about much more than just the condition of the house — the location plays a massive role, too. 

Your Niche 

There are different paths towards real estate success. One of the key decisions you’ll have to make is to decide how you’re going to get there. This usually begins by deciding what your real estate “niche” will be. It could be you want to rent high-end properties, homes for families, or to students. Once you’ve figured this out, you’ll need to look at the specific details and rules for the process. For example, if you’re going to rent a property to students, then you’ll need to know about HMO, or House in Multiple Occupation; a HMO guide will run you through everything you need to know. While you may want to dabble in letting properties in different areas from time to time, you’ll find that having a particular calling to one type of property rental serves you well in the long run. 

Get Your Finances Under Control

You’ll find that everything runs much more smoothly if you have a solid grasp on your finances. While there’s a lot of potential to improve your finances on a long-term basis, there’s no avoiding the fact that there can be a lot of expenses that you need to pay too. Indeed, this is something that many people overlook. It’s not just the cost of the mortgage, but also taxes, maintenance, all that stuff. One of the best gifts you can give yourself is to get the basics of accounting under your belt. You can learn this pretty quickly, yet it’ll be something that you draw upon again and again. 

Learn Some DIY

One of the best ways to keep your costs down is to learn some DIY skills. As with accounting, actually as with all things, this is something that anybody with a little time and patience can learn. The advantage of doing so is that you’ll be able to handle some of the jobs related to your property yourself, rather than having to hire someone else to do everything. Of course, the big jobs like the electrics and things should always be left to others, unless you’re specifically trained in those fields. But the non-dangerous jobs? They should be done by you. As well as saving money, it’ll also just save time, since you won’t need to go through the process of finding someone to do the work for you. 

Work with the Best 
You can’t build anything truly special on your own. You’ll always need other people, to varying degrees. While it can feel as if investing in property is something that you do on your own, the truth is that you’ll likely have to call upon others from time to time. And not only have to, but actually want to — it’s in your best interests. There are two specific areas where you should focus on bringing in the best people possible. One is with the jobs you need to be done. This is maybe less about “the best” (unless you’re renting high-end properties), more about finding trustworthy people. For the professional roles, such as your financial advisors, you will want to find the best that you can afford, since their expertise can make a big difference.

Smart Tips For Real Estate Investors - money growing over time image
Pixabay – CC0 Licence

Rainy Day Funds 

One of the tougher aspects of becoming a landlord is maintaining cash-flow. There can be many surprise expenses that can cause complications if you’re not ready for them. The smartest way to prep yourself is to build a rainy day fund, a stockpile of cash that you can use as and when it’s required. 

Screening Tenants 

Not all tenants will be good ones. You can prevent many headaches and complications by coming up with a screening process that puts high-quality candidates into your properties

Treat It Like a Business

Finally, remember that if you’re going to find long-term success with your real estate journey, then it’s important that you take it seriously. If you treat it as a small side hobby, then there can’t be too many surprises if it doesn’t turn out well. Treat it like a business, on the other hand, and you’ll have the correct frame of mind for success.

Conclusion

As we said at the beginning of the blog, real estate investing can be profitable, but success is far from guaranteed. It’s really important to follow the best practices; they will be your best defence against the pitfalls and dangers of real estate investing.

5 Ways to Make Huge Progress on Your Student Debt in 2020

2020 hasn’t been the year most of us had in mind – especially when it comes to finances. The economy has struggled while many have lost jobs. 

There is one big silver lining for those with student debt: interest rates have been waived through the end of the year. That’s right, in an effort to provide relief to student loan borrowers during COVID-19, interest is being set at 0% through December 31, 2020

This interest slash means that your student loan payments go directly to paying off your principal, which is enormous if you have high-interest rates or a large amount remaining. You can make a dent in your remaining debt now through the rest of the year. Here are five ways to make serious progress.

5 Ways to Make Huge Progress on Your Student Debt in 2020 - calculator and cash image
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

1. Make a Plan or Follow a System

You’ve got to have a plan. It’s not rocket science – but it can be challenging to sit down and devise a strategy for paying off your student debt. You need a debt to success system.

Pull out the pen, paper, and budget and chart your path to success. Make a plan and get some accountability to stick with it. Without one, you’re likely to slide, become passive, and delay. If this has been you, let the slashed interest rate be your motivation to get started.

2. Budget Like Your Life Depends on It

Your budget is the linchpin of your success. Budget well, and you’ll be paying the maximum possible each month. Budget poorly, and you may not be paying off a cent.

There are plenty of tools out there to help. Mint, YNAB, and EveryDollar are just a few that could help you budget well.

3. Make Sacrifices

Once you’ve got your budget locked in, it’s time to make some cuts. It’s not fun to think about what expenses you can eliminate – but it’s well worth it. Take a look at your lifestyle and make a list of everything not vital to your life.

Consider cutting out TV/streaming subscriptions, eating out, unnecessary clothes, alcohol, etc.… Make some sacrifices. 

4. Find an Extra Source of Income

Making sacrifices can help you cut expenses. But perhaps the most practical way you can make progress on your student debt is to make more money. Now may not be the best time to pick up a part-time job at a restaurant or coffee shop, but thankfully you have other options.

You could deliver food or groceries while many continue to keep their distance. You could become an Uber or Lyft driver as people begin getting out more. You could even look for online freelance or gig work on sites like Fiverr or Upwork. 

5. Consider Refinancing 

Student loan rates have dropped big time for new borrowers in 2020, but unfortunately, this doesn’t apply to existing borrowers. However, existing borrowers could refinance their student loans into a private loan to take advantage of the current market’s low-interest rates.

This route can be complicated, as refinancing into a private loan means deferring any federal benefits. So it may be a better option in December than it is right now. Talk to an expert to see if this tactic might make sense for you. 

Take advantage of this interest rate situation if you can. Your future self will thank you.