Archives for March 2019

How to Become an Industry Disrupter – lessons from Transportation Startups

March 27, 2019 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

Did you have the idea for Lyft when you were out late looking for a cab one night, or maybe you wanted to go out with friends but none of you wanted to drive? Do you seem to have the knack for coming up with the next industry disruptive idea and then watching it grow to national prominence, only to regret not coming up with it yourself?

These days it seems like everyone gets around in a different way, whether it’s by traditional means, ridesharing, car sharing, or even scootering! These industry disruptors began as startups and quickly changed the way we get around major cities and sometimes even small towns. They’re called industry disruptors because of they tend to impact other industries, the way Lyft changed how taxis operate. Lately, these new modes of transportation have impacted three key industries: public transportation, taxi and limbo services, and of course, the automotive industry.

First, breaking down the immense projected profits of ridesharing companies should be solid motivation to glean as much as you can from this. One thing that might be good to keep in mind is that while there might seem like a natural evolution in an industry, let’s not forget the lessons that can be learned from laser disks, blue ray players, and betamax machines. Just because something seems a little better, doesn’t mean that consumers actually want it. Instead, it’s crucial to look at user experience for inspiration.There is a specific connection between customer pain points and how these innovations come about. Whether the issue is cost, in the case of car purchasing or convenience, or incorporating existing tech more effectively, there is precedent that will teach you how best to approach your next idea.
In the following visual, we break down startups and their impact as an industry disruptor and transportation startup. And while some industries may not survive these innovative periods that change how people view transportation, others turn to investing into it. For example, looking at Toyota, they adapted to the rideshare industry by investing in Uber and Grab, both of which received billions in funding overall and proved to be immediate successes. So, if you have one key takeaway here, it’s that if you can’t beat them, join them!

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Start A Business

March 25, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

Starting a business is a big move to make, and a lot of people simply aren’t ready to take the plunge. Even if you’ve got a great idea in your mind about how your company is going to work, you need to have the support and the planning there to make it a reality. Without this, you’ll find that you don’t live up to your potential, which could ruin your dreams of business forever! We’ve put together a list of 5 simple questions that you should ask yourself before you start your business, so that you can make a great success out of it, the first time.

1. Do you have the time?

What most people don’t realize about business is that it takes up a lot of your time. You have to be ready to sacrifice some parts of your life, possibly for a few years as your business takes off. Some business owners work upwards of 12 hours a day, and you need to be willing to put this time in if you’re going to make your endeavour a success. Sure, you don’t always need to take it to this level, but you still need to put the time aside, and you need to be aware of this before you take the plunge into business. Can you – and are you willing to – spend the hours that it will take to establish yourself?

2. Do you have the resources?

When it comes to setting up your business, you need to make sure that you’re as prepared as possible. This doesn’t just mean that you have the cash to get yourself off of the ground, but it also means that you have anything that you may need to provide your services. Perhaps you need to look into recovery trucks for sale, or you need to purchase farming or building vehicles? Whatever your company is going to be doing, make sure that you have enough resources to keep you going for at least a few months. Sure, you can build them up at a later date, but make sure that you start out well.

3. Do you have the team behind you?

Whilst your business success will largely be down to what you do in order to make it a reality, the truth is that every business person needs some great people behind them. Think about those people that you’ve encountered during your professional career, that would be great for your business, and ask them to come on board. You need honest, reliable, hard-working people, and you may have to pay out a little more than average in order to get them. If it will get you through those crucial first few years in business, however, it is certainly worthwhile, so pick out an experienced and committed team.

4. Are you ready to make mistakes?

There are a few rules of business, and one of them is that you’re going to make mistakes. In fact, everybody does, and if you didn’t, then… well, we’d be pretty shocked! Whilst a string of mistakes can feel like the end of the world for a business owner, it’s actually what builds you up as the person that you need to be. What matters the most is what you learn from these mistakes, and how you deal with them. If you throw the towel in at the first sign of something going wrong, then you’re not ready, but if you keep battling through, you’ll be glad that you did when you come out of the other side victorious.

5. Are you ready for the most exciting experiences?

OK, so we’ve drawn on some of the stressful things about business, but we’ll give it its due. As a business owner, you’re going to meet some amazing people. They’re going to inspire you, and you’re going to work together to create things that really make a difference. You’re going to learn a lot about yourself, about your skills, and about what you can do if you really push yourself that extra step further. And it’s going to be great, especially when all of your hard work pays off, and you can reap the benefits of all of your labors. Whatever you do, keep going, and you’ll be glad that you did!

So, before you start your own business, be sure to ask yourself these 5 simple questions. If you feel pretty confident in them, then go ahead! You’ll be glad that you finally took the plunge and went your own way into the world of business.

Effective Strategies to Build a Successful Career

March 21, 2019 by Keith Coppersmith Leave a Comment

Today, many people are looking for a way to develop a successful career for themselves. In addition, a lot of people simply don’t want to settle for every-day 9 to 5 office jobs. In fact, they want something more challenging and more exciting. Some people decide to start their own venture while others seek to improve their skills or learn new ones that will help them land a dream job.

In any event, building a successful career doesn’t happen overnight, unfortunately, and every individual must work hard to get there. However, getting to a point where you’ll actually have a successful career isn’t that hard, to begin with, but only if you have a clear goal in mind. Getting there will be difficult if you don’t plan the journey accordingly. With that in mind, here are a few strategies that will help you build a successful career.

Develop a plan

As mentioned before, developing a plan is crucial for building a successful career. The main reason is that by planning your career in advance, you’ll be able to determine the best course of action. Whether you’re planning a career change or you’re trying to determine what’s the best job for you, you’ll need to have a vision in mind of where you want to be in the next 10, 20 or 50 years from now. Having a plan makes the rest of the process more seamless and less challenging.

Furthermore, you have to define what a successful career means to you, in order to identify what to focus on. For example, to some people, a successful career means a good salary that’s more than sufficient to sustain themselves and their family. To other people, a successful career means making a name for themselves. On the other hand, there are people who consider a successful career to be an ideal cultural fit within some company that will make them happy to work there.

Learn new skills

Having an abundance of skills is always helpful when building a successful career. Whether you learn new ones or hone existing skills is a matter of personal choice. However, if you want to ensure you’re making the right decision, a bit of both methods will be quite beneficial. Therefore, take the time to research what skills are the most needed in your ideal career path and work on obtaining those skills.

For example, work on obtaining both soft and hard skills that will not only make you more proficient but also a better person in general. Nowadays, you won’t have to go back to school to gain additional education because you can find various courses and training programs online. The more you invest in yourself, the simpler it will become to finally reach your ideal career status. Of course, it will take some time for you to learn new stuff but it’s well worth the effort in the end.

Obtain new experiences

Today, work experience is almost as important as having the required skills when talking about ideal employment. The more work experience you have the more desirable candidate you become for companies looking to employ you. Truth be told, companies today prefer trained and experienced employees compared to having to invest in training employees themselves. If you wish to gain more experience, consider leaving your comfort zone and look for an experience abroad.

Working in other countries might give you a new perspective and even help you learn the new skills required for your ideal career choice. However, just make sure you plan for necessities, such as obtaining travel insurance or planning for a budget before you move to a different country for work. That way, you can focus on what’s important without having to deal with any inconveniences while abroad.

Engage in active networking

Networking is still very important not just for businesses or companies but for individuals looking for an opportunity to build a successful career. Even though we live in a primarily digital world nowadays, face-to-face networking events are still relevant. You should consider developing a personal and a professional network of contacts and acquaintances so you could progress in your field. What’s more, you should strongly consider attending any relevant networking events.

That way, you can explore various opportunities that may be quite beneficial to you in the future. For example, you might gain valuable advice from experts in the field or meet a mentor who will coach you and advise you how to advance in your career. Meeting new people on networking events, who may be of some value to you at some point, is always an advantage when building your ideal career. That being said, don’t be afraid to look for some help. After all, no one can manage on their own, especially in the business world.

Building a successful career isn’t easy but it also doesn’t have to be too difficult either. If you plan ahead and envision a path forward, you’ll be able to make the right choices and make the right decisions that will help you reach your dream career status.

Keith Coppersmith is a business and marketing expert who has experienced both the rise and fall of many businesses. He enjoys writing and providing insight based on both practice and theory.

Making the Break from Brick and Mortar to E Commerce

March 21, 2019 by Contributed Post Leave a Comment

In the past, when you decided to set up a “business”, commercial property was bound to be involved. You’d have to establish some sort of store or office space in order to provide customers with a space in which they could engage with your brand, purchase your products, or book your services. While this type of business model does still exist today (after all, the majority of us do still carry out a portion of our shopping on the high street), increasing numbers of small business owners are making the move from brick and mortar to E Commerce stores. Either that, or they are maintaining their brick and mortar business and operating online at the same time.

The reasons for switching to E Commerce are varied. It tends to be cheaper to run an online business. You can operate around the clock. You can also easily reach out to a national or even international audience. But if you are considering making the break from brick and mortar to online retail, you’re going to have to do your research. People tend to shop in a different manner when they shop online. You need to familiarise yourself with these trends in order to maximise your sales and profits!

The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to fork out a fortune on market research in order to achieve this. There’s existing, published research out there that will help you to better get to grips with consumer habits in various areas of the market. Just take a look at the infographic by Trade Vitality below!

Infographic Design By Trade Vitality

Electric or Acoustic Guitar? Which One Is Right For You?

March 19, 2019 by Jennifer Hughes Leave a Comment

So you want to play the guitar but can’t decide whether to go for an acoustic or electric. To help you out, here’s some points to consider. Whichever instrument you choose, it’s easy to get started because there are many inexpensive electric and budget acoustic guitars that work great for beginners.

Why learn on an acoustic guitar?

Acoustic guitars project sound without needing electronics or outside amplification, making them great for aspiring guitar players on a budget. Once you get your acoustic guitar, you can begin playing immediately. No need to buy cables or amplifiers to hear yourself. And if you’re on a limited budget, you can avoid the extra cost of buying electronics by getting an acoustic guitar.

Many musicians who start on an acoustic guitar find that learning to play a song on acoustic makes it easier to transition electric later – because they’ve already mastered the necessary technique.

Why learn on an electric guitar?

Electric guitars usually have a smaller body and a thinner neck than most full-sized acoustics, which make them easier to hold. They’re also easier on your fingers because the strings are typically lighter or thinner than those used on acoustic guitars.

And because the electronics (pickups and amplifiers) do all the hard work projecting your sound, you don’t have to exert as much effort to make it come through louder. Amplifiers for electric guitars also often come with a headphone input, so you can play without bothering anyone else in your home – something acoustic guitar players can’t claim.

Another exciting benefit of playing an electric guitar is you get to control the different effects. This will help motivate you to play different songs you like.

Consider your favorite music.

Still can’t decide? What kind of music do you want to play?

Acoustic guitar playing suits many different musical styles. Whether it’s country, pop, folk, bluegrass, rock or fingerstyle. Electric guitars are great for pop and rock of course, but also other genres such as metal, hip-hop, soul, grunge, dance-rock and rhythm and blues.

So ultimately you need to ponder your own interests. What music, artists or bands do you enjoy listening to? Which inspire you? When you think of the guitar, which guitar instantly pops into your mind: a shiny, striking electric guitar or a warm-sounding, homey-feeling acoustic? One that ‘speaks’ to you should be your choice at the beginning.

Pick up the guitar. Hold it. Feel the connection. Pick or strum the strings. How does it sound? Does it connect with you and the music you love? Make sure it’s consistent with the music you like. Do that and you’ll be more likely to keep practicing and become a better guitar player.

Okay. You’re still on the fence. Here’s our last piece of advice…

…go for the guitar that you’re really interested in.

Yes. The guitar you will use to create the music you’ve always loved.

Are you a fan of rock bands? Always wanted to play an electric guitar? Then start with an electric.

Or is folk music is more your thing? Do you see yourself softly strumming or fingerpicking? Then go for the acoustic.

Good luck with your guitar-shopping and play on!