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Tag: impact

  • The Cost of hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

    Hiring an attorney is the best thing to do after suffering from a personal injury. It gives you legal backing to fight your case and get compensation from the guilty party/ insurance company. However, many people hesitate to find a lawyer because of the heavy fees and costs they need to pay to fight a case in court.

    Lawyer fees and additional expenses can strain your budget. Furthermore, there’s a difference between attorney fees and attorney costs. You have to pay both amounts to the attorney.

    The attorney fee is what you pay the lawyer for their expertise, skills, and knowledge. It is for the time they spend on your case. Attorney costs are court fees your lawyer pays when fighting the case. Lawyers incur a few other costs when fighting a case on behalf of a client. These costs will be charged to the client’s account.

    However, the question remains. Is it costly to hire really good personal injury lawyers? Can you afford to pay them the amount when you are already burdened with medical bills?

    Let’s find out.

    What is Contingency Fee?

    Personal injury lawsuits are handled differently from other cases. Most lawyers take up such cases on a contingent basis. Basically, there will be no initial fee for going through the details or filing the case in court. Instead, the attorney will take a percentage of the settlement amount as their fee. The additional costs are also subtracted from the settlement amount.

    While this is beneficial for the client and the lawyer, it can also mean that the client will take home much less compensation than expected. Furthermore, contingency fees are high. Lawyers charge around 33% to 40% of the settlement amount because they are taking a risk by accepting the case without any initial fee.

    However, it also means that the lawyer will fight to get you the highest settlement amount possible for the case. You and your lawyer can discuss how much you want as compensation. Then add the approximate costs of fighting the case and the attorney fee. That will be the settlement amount you want from the other party. Of course, your attorney will advise you on the right amount to file, depending on the case.

    What happens if you lose the case? In most instances, the lawyer will not take any fee if they lose the case. This allows them to consider each personal injury case on a merit basis and accept only those with a high chance of winning. That said, some lawyers don’t mind gambling and take a risk with a complex case when they know you deserve justice.

    What are Additional Costs?

    As mentioned earlier, a lawsuit attracts many additional expenses. These costs are non-negotiable. You have to pay for these even if you lose the case. That’s because the following costs are incurred by anyone who files a lawsuit.

    • Court filing fees
    • Costs to access police reports
    • Costs to get medical records
    • Expert witness fees
    • Court reporters fees
    • Trial exhibits fees
    • Copying fees
    • Postal charges

    It can be difficult to exactly estimate how much the costs would be as they differ from one case to another. The longer the trial runs, the higher the additional expenses to keep it going. On average, the court and additional costs will come up to 10 or 15% of the settlement amount.

    Your attorney may send you monthly bills to pay the court’s costs or maintain a record of all expenses and deduct it from the settlement amount. You can negotiate it with the lawyer.

    For example, you get a settlement amount of $100,000 after winning the case (this will be provided to the lawyer by the insurance company). Your attorney will deduct their fee (40%) from this amount.

    $100,000-$40,000 = $60,000

    The court costs will be deducted from the remaining amount.

    $60,000-$15,000 (court costs) = $45,000

    $45,000 is the final compensation amount you will receive from the lawyer.

    Talk to your attorney about various costs and ask for ways to reduce additional expenses. The final amount you get depends on how well you negotiate with your attorney. Remember that the lawyer will have to provide you with a detailed record (in writing) of the expenses and their charges.

    Conclusion

    In most cases, it is advisable to have a written agreement with the lawyer about their fee and other expenses related to the case. This ensures that you know how much you will have to pay the attorney and the range of costs involved in fighting a lawsuit. Similarly, the attorney will be cautious about running up additional costs as they are bound by an agreement. This will prevent further complications between you and the lawyer.

  • 8 Things You Must Know About Home Loan EMI Calculator

    Before going for renovation or buying a new house, you must analyse your financial budget. It refers to managing financial inflow and outflow- you need to match the loan repayment schedule with the upcoming inflow to avoid default payments. This is where the home loan calculator comes into the scene. It is a self-help tool which automatically calculates EMI based on required inputs.

    Your EMI is impacted by various variables such as loan tenure, interest rate, and principal amount. Therefore, you can calculate the EMI which suits your budget by adjusting the variables. Read on to understand all the variables in detail.

    How Does the Home Loan EMI Calculator Work?

    As aspiring borrowers, the first and foremost duty is to accurately estimate the EMI amount they would be responsible for paying. A house loan EMI calculator may be used to get an accurate estimate.

    Therefore, you can use a home loan calculator to estimate how much you’ll have to pay monthly for your mortgage before applying for a loan.

    The formula used to calculate EMI is: E = P * r * [(1+r)^n / (1+r)^n -1], where,

    E = EMI

    P = Principal

    R = rate of interest calculated monthly

    N = loan tenure in months

    Note that the EMI is calculated based on fixed interest rates. And the EMI fluctuates based on the prevailing marketing rates.

    Things to know about Home Loan EMI Calculator

    The home Loan EMI calculator uses a simple formula to calculate the EMI. EMI means the equated monthly instalments. These instalments are inclusive of principal and interest.

    The EMI calculator also tells about the eligibility for a loan and the house loan amount sanctioned for a property as collateral.

    • The EMI calculator is an easy-to-use tool that does not ask for personal or professional information. You just need to input the principal, loan tenure and interest rate to calculate EMI. After that, you will be able to know everything about your Amortisation schedule. It will help you understand how your monthly EMI will be segregated between paying off the principal amount and the remaining amount at the end of the month.
    • Along with a graphical representation of the repayment schedule and a breakdown of the EMI into principal and interest payments, some EMI calculators also display the total amount of the EMI.
    • Some comprehensive EMI calculator also integrates running EMI, local state tax, and insurance cost in the calculation.
    • Apart from home loans, you can calculate EMI for car loans and Personal Loans. Also, you can adjust the EMI in arrears or EMI in advance while calculating for car loans.
    • EMI calculator is a ready reckoner tool which can be used to compare the loan offers of various institutions. It helps substantiate the variables into a comparable figure- EMI. It also calculates the gross cost of the loan, i.e., the total interest and other charges paid over the loan tenure.
    • You can also use the home loan EMI calculator for floating-rate loans. Floating Rate Loans are loans with fixed interest rates and vary based on benchmarks decided as per loan agreement. To calculate the EMI of floating-rate loans, you should consider two opposite scenarios.

    In the optimistic scenario, you can consider the interest rates to go down by 2-3%. It would result in lower EMI payments, or you may opt for short loan tenure. In the pessimistic scenario, you can consider the opposite. Such analysis would help you plan future possibilities and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

    The EMI calculator lets you try different combinations with different interest rates, loan amounts, and several tenures is what makes them so user-friendly. It helps you make an informed financial decision and forms a solid repayment strategy you can follow once the bank grants your home loan.

  • Forecasting Tips to Improve Your Sales Management

    Sales forecasting helps organizations estimate the volume of sales expected to be achieved and how to achieve it. Most organizations use quantitative and qualitative sales forecasting when making predictions. In modern times, technology has made it possible for organizations to use AI-enabled forecasting techniques to achieve more accurate predictions.

    Traditionally, companies look at their past year’s performance and use it as the base to predict future performance. This strategy experiences many shortcomings, and more companies are currently opting to use AI to make data-based predictions.

    Make data-driven decisions

    Accuracy is important in sales forecasting. It helps organizations make better projections which attract more profits in the organization. The company gets clearer insights on what is likely to work or not work. Accuracy helps managers to capture opportunities that can help boost revenue generation and company reputation.

    To make data-driven decisions, you need the right tools to support your efforts. Revenue Grid provides you with the right sales forecasting tools that make your prediction more accurate. The tools help you automate data capture, predict future performance, assess risks, create signals, and identify winning patterns. The following steps are important when making data-driven decisions.

    • Identify your goals: Understand the goals of the organization based on its vision for the future.
    • Identify your data sources: Know where your data is coming from. Modern businesses generate data from multiple sources, but it is necessary to know the exact sources.
    • Keep your data organized: There are several tools that can help keep your data organized. You can use CRM and other AI-driven data management tools.
    • Do your data analytics: Data analysis helps you understand where your organization is coming from in terms of sales and where it is headed to.
    • Draw insights and make decisions: The purpose of data analysis is to help draw insights and actionable conclusions.

    Implement a sales pipeline action plan

    Organizations increase sales by offering quality services and products other than quantity. A viable action plan ensures sales teams increase their number of leads while improving on quality. They need to focus on the entire process from the time the first inquiry is made to the time the deal is closed.

    They need to understand the total steps in the entire sales process and the total leads that convert at each phase of the process. If, for example, the organization needs to increase the number of closed deals by 20%, the team needs to know the total leads to push forward to achieve the percentage of successful deals.

    Put more focus on demand instead of supply

    Supply and demand are both important in a business’s revenue generation. However, when working on improving sales management, focus more on demand and less on supply. The sales team’s work is not to increase supply but to create more demand. When you know you will create demand for 500 items in the next month, your concern for supply will be based on the forecasted demand.

    Pay attention to important factors that affect sales forecasting

    Several factors affect sales forecasts in organizations. They are divided into two main categories – internal factors and external factors.

    Internal factors

    • Change in a business location: If a business moves to a new location, there will be several adjustments to make.
    • New staff joining and others leaving: When sales representatives leave a company, sales forecasts can be negatively affected.
    • Changes in policies and regulations: New policies affect revenue generation.

    External factors

    • Competition: In every business sector, new entrants increase competition.
    • Economic growth or decline: A stronger economy means people have greater buying power, unlike in a weak economy.
    • Changes in the market: Customer needs keep changing, and it is upon the organization to know the latest trends and flow in them.
    • Change in seasons: Customers may not buy during certain seasons of the year due to unique reasons.
    • Political changes: Political instabilities affect business growth.

    Conclusion

    Accurate sales forecasting is not easy to achieve since the expected results can differ. The use of AI-based forecasting provides a more accurate way to make data-driven sales predictions. Integrating CRM with the relevant tools helps accurately predict sales and track the effectiveness of the sales team.

  • Can cryptocurrency change your financial life?

    The article has been published in collaboration with the Binance Team

    Crypto is a hot topic nowadays, so wanting to know more about it is only natural. Why do so many people invest in these digital assets? Are they reliable? Can you really become rich by investing in them? When learning about the crypto craze, these questions have probably come to your mind. As you’ve probably figured out until now, crypto is more than a fad and isn’t going anywhere. Some even say digital currencies will be the future of your money, so it only makes sense to learn how they can impact your financial life.

    Crypto’s advantages are appealing to many people

    Cryptocurrencies are available only in a digital form. They are decentralized, meaning that no financial institutions control them. Bitcoin is the 1st cryptocurrency ever created, which has managed to keep its position as one of the most reliable digital assets. Investors trade cryptocurrencies on exchanges, such as Binance, and they can experience fluctuations in value. For some, they can be a risky investment due to their high volatility. But that doesn’t make cryptocurrencies less valuable. In fact, if you research thoroughly and understand the crypto space, these assets can even give you a passive income. Crypto isn’t tied to the government or financial institutions, which is one of its main advantages, as it gives people control over their money. They don’t have to rely on third parties to store and transfer funds.

    Moreover, cryptocurrencies are convenient and provide flexibility. You can use them to purchase services or goods without an intermediary. This makes them a viable option for fiat currencies and traditional banking. They are also more stable since inflation can’t affect them. However, despite these advantages, it’s essential to understand the risks before entering the market because that’s how you’ll increase your profits and avoid unpleasant consequences.

    Can you really make money by investing in cryptocurrencies?

    Even if cryptocurrencies are risky, they still bring an opportunity to make money. But you must understand how the market works and learn the best strategies to make a profit. For instance, one essential rule is to buy low and sell high, which means taking advantage of the fluctuations in price. Another common strategy investors use is holding crypto until they see an increase in the price. Technical analysis can also be effective, although it can be a bit more complicated.

    Whether you can make money with crypto can’t be answered with a yes or no, because your understanding of the market plays a huge role in the final result. And it also depends on your willingness to tolerate risks and accept that there will inevitably be losses. If you can overcome these challenges, cryptocurrency can be a lucrative investment opportunity that can help you grow your wealth. If you study the market carefully, you can make informed investment decisions and earn considerable returns. Plus, crypto can be an efficient way to handle your finances and build another revenue stream.

    There are multiple ways to earn with crypto besides buying and selling. For instance, you can mine it, which means verifying transactions and adding them to the immutable ledger, namely, the blockchain. But if this seems too complicated, you can consider staking instead. This is the process of holding coins until they stake and earning rewards for contributing to the network’s security. Lastly, you can also earn crypto through games, which can be fun. These are all efficient ways to enhance your financial life using digital assets. Cryptocurrency provides a unique opportunity, whether you want to save, invest, or earn. Ultimately, you can build up a considerable amount of crypto and increase your earnings along with the rise in the coins’ value.

    To build wealth long-term, you need to learn how to take advantage of Crypto

    No one would ever say no to wealth. However, you can only become financially comfortable if you put in the effort and take some risks. That also applies to the crypto space. Here’s how you can reap the benefits of investing in cryptocurrency.

    • Familiarize yourself with the market’s ins and outs. Instead of jumping into crypto investing right away, you should first learn the ins and outs of the market and how it has evolved throughout time. Thus, make sure to educate yourself on aspects such as crypto vocabulary, the different kinds of cryptocurrencies, regulations, market volatility, exchange rates, crypto trends, etc.
    • Ask for professional support. Don’t hesitate to seek professional support if you feel you can’t navigate the crypto space alone. A financial planner can help you make better investment decisions and develop an efficient plan. Look for financial experts in your area and make sure they specialize in crypto. Then meet up with a few of them and see which one you find most reliable.
    • Evaluate your financial situation regularly. Your financial outlook won’t always stay the same. Even if you start with a substantial investment, that can change in time due to unforeseen events like a job loss. In that case, your investment commitments will inevitably be altered. This is why it’s essential to evaluate your financial situation constantly and adjust your investments according to your budget. Instead of stopping the investments completely, it’s best to lower them.
    • Set financial goals. Establishing financial goals is also crucial. While your budget can change, goals can help you stay invested in crypto. Diversifying your portfolio should be among your top goals, as this is key to growing your wealth. Thus, add other investments to your portfolio, such as stocks and mutual funds.
    • Use crypto where accepted. Some companies accept payment in the form of crypto, so you should use it for purchases whenever possible. Reading about crypto evolution in the business world is different from experiencing it. Paying with crypto can offer a new perspective on digital currencies’ future, which can impact your investment decisions positively.

    Conclusion

    Your finances matter, so it’s vital to learn how to handle them efficiently and look for opportunities to make a profit. Cryptocurrencies can help with that, but you must understand the rules of investing first; otherwise, you could even end up losing your money. Opportunities are just around the corner in the crypto space, but you must commit to your investments and act strategically.

  • What will the hiring of people look like in the future?

    Hiring twenty years ago was not the same as it is today. In fact, the way we used to hire five years ago is not the same as the way we think about it now. Times have changed, and many factors are involved in this conjunction. Even the emergence of a pandemic has turned almost everything upside down. One of the most relevant changes is undoubtedly technological.

    It is simply impossible to carry out a selection process without relying on new technologies. Recruiters have more and more tools at our disposal to do our job more effectively. But, as if this were not enough, the information we want to obtain from our candidates is also much greater.

    Recruitment has undergone major changes recently, so do you want to know what the main trends and keys will be in the coming years?

    1. Integrate the future employee into the company right from the selection process

    That’s getting off to a good start. To integrate the future employee into the company from minute zero, you have to start the selection process itself. From the moment they register for the offer, they should feel considered. You can do this through the text you compose and by using the various means at your disposal (videos, social networks…), conveying what the experience of working here is like and proposing a careful and respectful selection process. Feeling respected and taken into account is essential to start feeling part of a project.

    In addition, it is advisable that as the process progresses, you let the candidate know what the phases are and guide him/her through the process. The objective must be, at all times, that the candidate is captivated by our company and continues to have a good consideration of it even if they are not finally selected. There will be new opportunities, for sure, so if recruiters like the candidate, we will always have the opportunity to contact them again.

    2. Observe (and update) people’s skills and aptitudes with a magnifying glass

    Skills that were important five years ago are not so important now. The changes in our society and the script twists and turns (the pandemic is one of them, of course) mean that companies must also change. Thus, if the management of digital tools could have been placed some time ago in a fifth position, today, it is probably in a first or second position. Not surprisingly, most companies have already embarked on a good part of the road to digitization.

    These skills, along with empathy, the ability to work in a team, to be creative in problem-solving or results-orientation, will continue to be key in 2022. However, as we don’t know what the future holds, the need for people who excel in one skill or another will change over time. Our job as recruiters? To be aware of these trends and always keep in mind the priorities and gaps within the organization. This may require skills maps that are updated in real-time.

    3. Automate a large part of the tasks involved in this process

    It is true that by now, we have already updated a good number of tasks and procedures. It is part of this digitization process. However, both for the daily management of Human Resources and for the selection processes themselves, automation will be taken to another level.

    In this way, recruiters can dedicate much more time to the other phases that require a more personal analysis, such as interviews (face-to-face or remote) and the subsequent stages, which require us to think more carefully about the profiles selected.

    4. Attract candidates through interesting job offers

    We have already talked many times about the importance of creating good job offers. This is a task that we tend to do on the spur of the moment, which means that we don’t spend as much time and effort on it as we really should. The job offer is our first meeting with the candidate, and you know how important first impressions are. Our recommendation, in this sense, is that you prepare a complete and detailed offer in which the characteristics of the position are well specified, as well as the skills and knowledge required. It is also important to give a good description of what the company is like and to offer, if possible, the vision of the people who work with us. Who better than them to tell you what it is like to work in your house? If you are doing it right, their role will be fundamental in attracting the best talent.

    However, don’t forget to apply perfect copywriting. I’d like to say that you don’t need to be an ideal essay writer, but… well, it’s better to be one. Take care of the text in detail to make a good impression on the candidates. It will be one of the first signals you will give them about your interest in a job well done and your respect for the people who are part of the team.

    5. Turn employees into ambassadors of the company

    To achieve this, you need a good employer branding strategy, so this can be one of the New Year’s resolutions you make with your HR team. If the people who work with us are enjoying a good experience in their job, they will speak well of the company. They will surely be able to bring to our selection processes people they already know, who have similar criteria and value scales, and, of course, who have the training, experience, and skills necessary to fit our vacancies.

  • Closing Prospects using CPQ software

    The acronym CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote. It sounds simple enough, so why would anyone need software for that?  If a prospective customer says to a plumber ‘How much to fit a shower into my bathroom?’ the plumber might reply ‘Well, you can have Model X at $300 or Model Y at $375 and the labor cost will be $400 so either $700 or $775 depending on which shower unit you prefer…’

    Simple. But imagine now that a company making plumbing accessories is asked by Home Depot to supply 10 000 copper compression 90-degree elbow pipe fittings. Getting the price of supplying one unit wrong is unimportant but quoting an un-advantageous price to the customer for 10 000 units is going to lose the sale. Quoting too low a price so that the manufacturer can’t make a profit on the units means that they may well lose money on the deal.

    The nuts and bolts of accurate quoting for business

    CPQ software prevents these problems from happening by using artificial intelligence and an empirical rules-based system to ensure that absolutely every variable is considered when costing out, in this case, the manufacture of a 90-degree elbow adapter.

    A dashboard is available to the CPQ user that might involve:

    • Adding in the cost of the hexagonal steel nut that fits the unit to the accepting copper pipe
    • Accounting for the cost of the copper ‘olive’ (a piece of copper that looks not unlike a wedding ring) that makes the watertight seal when it is compressed.
    • The cost of shipping 10 000 units, possibly to various different Home depot locations.
    • The labor cost of packing the units into boxes.
    • The cost of the cardboard boxes and even the parcel tape needed to seal them
    • The variable sales tax rates in differing states.

    And that’s just for a piece of copper bent at 90 degrees with a threaded nut over the end. Imagine the complexity of manufacturing a car engine and quoting for that, or even running an e-commerce business with hundreds of available product lines. The more complex the product, the more inter-related variables exist, which effects the cost of manufacturing and producing it. In computing circles, this inter-relationship of so many factors is known as ‘combinatorial explosion’. The only way to accurately consider them all and create a realistic price that offers sufficient profit to the manufacture is by using a Configure, Price, Quote platform.

    Pricing Safety Nets

    The even better thing about CPQ software and its rules-based automation system is rather like changing a formula in a spreadsheet. If the cost of 22mm hexagonal nuts increases by, say, 5%, clearly that doesn’t mean that the cost of the entire unit for sale goes up by that amount. Instead, it’s possible even to build in a safety net on the CPQ dashboard by assigning a ‘worst possible case’ scenario, whereby perhaps the cost of 22mm hexagonal nuts increases by 20%.  The AI prediction engine would then offer the company management a transparent ‘at a glance’ inflated cost of manufacture should that worst case occur. In which case, the company might mitigate that risk by adding on 2.5% to each unit cost on their quote to home depot, or perhaps offer them a discounted price for buying 20k units instead of 10 000. In short, CPQ software puts organizations squarely in control of their quoting. CPQ can even factor in the cost of competitors’ offerings. It only needs a salesperson to spend a couple of hours on Facebook or Instagram to find the prices offered by their competitors, feed them into the CPQ and the platform makes accurate like-for-like comparisons. In this way, the company quoting already knows if they are slightly cheaper or more expensive than their competitors.

    Quality is key

    Naturally, there is more to doing business than just providing a quote that is satisfactory to the prospect and advantageous to the seller. Quality of product, longevity, how many returns to store by end users is paramount. If Home Depot sell 10 000 plumbing elbow units but 1000 of those are returned to the store by unhappy customers due to product quality, very soon the manufacturer of those units is going to find themselves out of business. And that’s not just a hypothetical situation – since the United Kingdom left the EU, it has become far more difficult for UK businesses to source quality items made in Germany and France, instead turning to China for products that often have a considerably higher failure rate. CEO’s have found that running a business in the UK has become more difficult post Covid-19 and Brexit, as this BBC video article outlines; therefore the need for CPQ software has become even more necessary in the UK as profit margins tighten.

    Once a company can be absolutely confident that the price they are offering is realistic, it becomes so much simpler to close the prospect into a paying customer, because the salesperson involved is aware of the landscape of the sale before they attempt to navigate it, offering a considerable upper hand in negotiations.

    Knowledge is power, after all, and never more so than when closing a sale with an important client.

  • Bridging the gap: Managing workplace tech frustrations

    It’s no secret that generational gaps exist in the modern day world and it can cause friction – the movement of the “OK Boomer” trend in late 2019 is a testament to this. While the “Boomer” mentality is not applicable to everyone, it sheds light on older generations’ frustration with new technology in a face-paced digital era.

    This is especially prevalent in the workplace, with Gen Z reportedly spending up to 8 hours of the week helping older co-workers look for computer files. Not only does this prevent older employees from being able to complete their tasks but it also leads to annoyance among younger workers who have to spend more of their time assisting the person next to them. How can we bridge this gap and help older employees who may not be as familiar with technology thrive in the workplace?

    Is there such a thing as too much tech?

    In a recent survey conducted by Freshworks, nine in ten employees are frustrated by their workplace technology. This covers all generations, Gen Z and Baby boomers alike. Many people find tech simple enough to use in a personal capacity, such as our smartphones. Applications and software can be easily installed with the tap of our finger. However, when it comes to the office, employees are often met with systems that do not communicate with each other, confusing interfaces, and complicated sign-on processes. Workplace software can often be so complex that dedicated training courses are required for employees to become familiar with the software.

    Of course, training is necessary in order to gauge employee performance and make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn how to use any new software. The use of a digital adoption platform may help in streamlining this process, to boost efficiency with workplace tech. Although younger generations usually come into the office with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of how technology works before any training takes place, they can still still lack experience. This is why it is vital to take steps in assisting older generations to become more tech-savvy with the value they bring to the company in other areas.

    Finding solutions

    Workplace technology often forgets the end-user as it continues to become more complex. There is an extra burden on employees to quickly learn how to navigate new software and to continue using these systems long after the training period has ended. This can really depend on how proficient someone is with technology in the first place but in this era of digital transformation, there is no choice to opt-out of working with tech.

    How can businesses overcome this? Most businesses may already be aware that DAPs are playing a vital role in this digital transformation era. The use of a digital adoption platform (DAP) can provide a customized guide to allow the end-user to improve their tech-adoption and make for a more enjoyable user experience. With 91% of Gen X and Baby boomers feeling overwhelmed by technology, a DAP can make technology more user-friendly by improving interface and automating processes, while also providing businesses with data insights and the ability to show solutions to user problems or misunderstandings immediately on the screen.

    This extra layer can encourage older employees (and all employees, regardless of age and experience) to stay on top of their tasks, clear confusion around tech, and lead to better job satisfaction from the support received from the DAP and the company.

    A cultural shift

    There are many companies, including some big names, that now streamline working from home. The recent COVID-19 pandemic changed where businesses lay their emphasis when it comes to keeping employees happy – instead of fostering a more dynamic office environment, more companies are offering flexibility with remote and hybrid working.

    The rise of remote working can mean that many employees may be left without the support from IT to figure out how to solve their own tech issues. It is vital to ensure employees are still receiving the same level of support with company software and systems as they would if they were in the office. This is where a DAP can offer guidance and keep employees on track.

    Additionally, workplaces have often hired candidates on the basis of being a “cultural fit” for their business. This mindset can lead to new tech start-ups hiring only Millennials or Gen Z who already have a good understanding of the digital landscape, but this is not the best practice.

    Not only should diversity hiring be practiced, it is also beneficial when it comes to hiring older employees. They will likely have more experience and expertise in areas such as marketing and strategy as well as offering a different perspective. On the other hand, consider that the older candidate who has a great approach to problem solving may be the better choice over a younger candidate who “gets” tech. Overall, a mix of employees across the generations will broaden horizons for all everyone and encourage a more constructive workplace with diverse experiences that will allow your business to grow.

    Conclusion

    Bridging the gap in the digital generation divide can be solved with the adoption of software such as a DAP. Businesses who offer support and foster continuous learning with workplace tech will see results with less frustration over tech, better workplace relationships, and a boost in overall productivity.

  • Irina Proskurina: Helping People Create Success Everywhere She Goes

    From humble beginnings in a small town in Eastern Europe to big city living under the bright lights of New York City, Irina Proskurina has done it all. She’s a model that has traveled all over the world working for some of the most well-known brands on the planet: Armani, Hugo Boss, and Loreal to name a few.

    Fast forward to 2022 and Proskurina has elevated herself to new heights. “I think helping people is my purpose,” said Proskurina in a 2017 interview. The past few years of her career have brought that statement to life. She is the founder and CEO of the modeling agency Forma Models as well as the digital marketing agency E-PR online. Proskurina holds these titles today because she operates from a place of experience and knowledge. It isn’t only that she wants to help people, she also knows how to help people get what they need.

    Early On, Irina Proskurina Knew She Was Destined for Great Things

    Born in the quiet town of Stavropol, Irina Proskurina grew up with limited social mobility. She knew that in order to do great things, she had to move out of her hometown to achieve her goals. So, at the age of 19, Proskurina moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being a model. She hit her stride as a model and found great success by learning everything she could about the industry. As she continued along her career path, Proskurina shifted her focus to another one of her childhood dreams: starting a business. In 2016, she finished her MBA in marketing, and this opened the door for many new opportunities.

    Connecting Her Passions

    As Irina Proskurina progressed in her modeling career, she noticed just how cutthroat the industry can be. She had no agency to help her close deals or sign contracts. There was no one helping her with her travel accommodations and guiding her along her journey. Proskurina saw a void in her profession and wanted to make sure that no girls would have to go through the challenges she faced.

    So, with the knowledge she built up in the modeling industry, Proskurina decided to launch her own modeling agency known as Forma Models. When asked about her agency’s mission, Proskurina had this to say:

    “As a model from Eastern Europe, I know many beautiful European girls who don’t know where to start. They don’t know what they need to do first to start their journey in the fashion world. I’m their first step! I know how difficult and dangerous it is… and I just want to help. Whether it’s visas, model apartments, pictures, or castings… I help regular girls become models… models in New York City!”

    Here we see a clear example of Proskurina’s determination to help people with her expertise. Her agency has opened the door for many young European women that share the same dream that Proskurina had when she first came to New York. Forma Models wouldn’t be where it is today if it didn’t have the solid foundation that Proskurina built it on, which includes a highly knowledgeable team of industry experts.

    To further help aspiring models with their journey, Proskurina created UMMA bot. UMMA is a chatbot that was designed as a tool to help models with personalized advice and offer key information about the industry. She even has her own course, “How to Become a Model in America and Beyond,” where she offers more of her inside knowledge about modeling. With her expertise and knowledge of the ins and outs of modeling, Proskurina has helped young women not only navigate, but thrive in the modeling industry.

    Irina Proskurina Has a High Standard of Success in Multiple Industries

    While Irina Proskurina has had tremendous success both as a model and modeling agency CEO, her ambition has helped her thrive in other industries as well. After earning her MBA in Marketing, Proskurina became well-equipped with the tools necessary to take her ambitions and make them a reality.

    Another one of Proskurina’s ambitions was to create an agency that could help brands and individuals get media exposure and recognition. This desire inspired Proskurina to create E-PR online, a public relations agency that helps its clients promote themselves in a hyper-competitive business world.

    Ranking at the top of a Google search and Google news can be life-changing for a business/brand. With so many skilled entrepreneurs fighting for a slice of the market, finding ways to stand out is crucial. This is exactly what E-PR online is designed to provide for its clients.

    E-PR online offers a wide range of services to help its customers grow their brand and their business. You get much more from E-PR online than a simple advertisement. The agency provides professionals that help with their clients’ SMM, SEO, brand identity, Telegram bot-building, and so much more. E-PR online’s media partners are among the best in the world: Forbes, The New York Times, GQ, Bloomberg… the list goes on and on. Growing a business and building a brand is no easy task in today’s environment. But with Proskurina’s expertise and connections along with an extremely competent team at E-PR online, making the world aware of who you are and what your brand is all about won’t be an issue.

    Proskurina has a wealth of experience in the digital media world. She understands just how valuable it is to have a strong presence online and the wonders it can do for a business. That’s why E-PR online offers wide-ranging and comprehensive services. With E-PR online, you can get an article about you and your company published in the AP or have a Wikipedia page curated by a team of professional writers.

    Once being a young girl from a foreign country trying to make it big in New York, Proskurina learned all the challenges that come with exposure and selling yourself and your brand. She took those lessons and built a team to ensure that its customers don’t have to face the issues that she did years ago. With E-PR online, Proskurina has given people the opportunity to make a name for themselves and thrive the same way she has.

    The Sky’s The Limit

    Even with all that Irina Proskurina has accomplished in her career thus far, she is only scratching the surface of her potential. She is consistently pushing herself to learn new things and adapt with the times to ensure that her businesses offer solutions that are effective and of the highest quality. With her continuous dedication to her craft, her businesses will undoubtedly continue to flourish. Best of all, Proskurina will continue to help people, exactly the way she always envisioned she would be doing.

  • From Chaos to Success: The Mike Koshatko Story

    Sometimes “overnight success” takes many years of hard work and dedication. That’s what Mike Koshatko discovered when he moved from Ukraine to the United States with just $300 in his pocket. The only food he could afford to eat was ramen noodles. Today, he is a serial entrepreneur with successful businesses like Ofirio, an innovative real estate website.

    Mike Koshatko exemplifies a modern day “rags to riches” story beginning with the chaotic start to his life in America in 2014. He initially settled in Denver and moved cross-country multiple times in search of a better life.

    His journey included living in North Carolina, where he and some friends hitchhiked and walked for seven hours to reach a commune. A stranger helped them find a safe place to stay and allowed them to pay later. Then came North Dakota, where he lived and worked on a farm. Unfortunately for Mike, his isolation triggered a depressive episode. He then moved to Key West, where he started out as a salesman and soon moved up to a managerial position.

    But he never allowed himself to get stuck in a comfort zone. It turned out that this restlessness was his biggest advantage in business. Moving around and looking for new and better opportunities inspired Mike to seize every chance he could get, all the while learning lessons and skills along the way.

    He soon realized that if he couldn’t find the opportunities he longed for, he would have to create them for himself.

    Things finally started to turn around for Mike when he moved to Miami. He met a real estate agent who encouraged him to get into the business. He took an expedited real estate course and became a licensed realtor just two weeks later. Mike jumped at the chance to work with international real estate management clients in Europe. Always looking for the next opportunity, he launched a vacation rental management company.

    But the true start of Mike’s financial independence began when he launched his first e-commerce company. This allowed him to learn marketing, SEO, sales, conversions, and online business through courses and on the job. Most importantly, he applied everything he learned.

    After achieving success selling on Amazon, he met Jurgis Plikaitis, through a real estate listing. The two became friends and they decided to become business partners. In-depth research revealed that there was a gap in the arts and crafts market. That prompted them to start Arteza, a company that sells art supplies. At first, they started selling better quality pencils. Arteza later expanded to carry all sorts of arts and crafts products. The company grew by a whopping 7500% and landed in 32nd place out of 5000 arts and crafts stores – a massive win early in the company’s career.

    Mike and his co-founder Jurgis were working 12-hour days to keep Arteza up and running. Eventually, Mike found himself in the hospital for burnout. This event was a big lesson for him. He learned that he needed to achieve more balance in his life by incorporating breaks, taking family time – and also taking time out for himself to have some fun.

    Mike exited Arteza in 2020 and started dabbling in stocks and real estate. He quickly realized that there was a gap in the market for helping investors and individuals work out a property’s potential long-term value. This led to the startup that Mike is currently working on, Ofirio. Ofirio provides in-depth information that allows investors and individuals to look at the rental properties available and immediately see their value, the return on investment and other financial metrics. Ofirio allows people to make the best real estate investment decisions to achieve their goals.

    There are many lessons in business – and in life – that can be taken from Mike Koshatko’s story. First, it takes focus and applying what you’ve learned to achieve success. According to Mike, to succeed in your business career you need to become “comfortable with being uncomfortable,” and trust the process.

    Another takeaway is that removing yourself from your comfort zone and seeking better opportunities for yourself is what creates a better life. Mike could have chosen to stay in many positions, but instead he opted to venture out and reach for something better. He truly believes that comfort zones breed stagnancy, and stagnancy is what kills your dreams.

    Mike believes that there is no such thing as overnight success. True and sustainable success takes years of hard work. It has been eight years since Mike Koshatko began his journey. He believes in his future goals and that he still has many opportunities in front of him still to come.

  • Best Part-Time Jobs for College Students

    A college education gives you the tools you need to succeed professionally. You can practice this knowledge and tools even before you graduate by starting a part-time job. In addition to the economic benefits, you’ll get from it, it also allows you to put your skills into practice and learn new ones that will help you greatly in your professional and personal future.

    You will have glorious moments in this new experience and moments that will make you mature to learn from the mistakes you will inevitably make. The key is to learn from those mistakes and not repeat them.

    Babysitting

    Babysitting is the perfect opportunity to earn money as a college student. You can dedicate part of your time to babysitting, either at night, picking them up from school, or taking care of them while their parents are traveling. There will always be someone looking for this service; therefore, it is a profitable niche in good demand.

    Of course, this job represents a great responsibility, so you must have enough confidence in yourself and take classes to carry it out.

    What you can charge varies depending on your experience, the city you live in, the child’s age, and how many there would be. Be well informed before doing so, as services may include cooking or other more elaborate activities.

    Tutor

    If you’re good at a particular subject, whether math, chemistry, or something else, you can use your knowledge to teach those who are struggling and earn money in the process.

    It is a great option to earn money by teaching those who need reinforcement in their subjects. You can also provide tutoring for college students or work with a team of essay writers and write essays for sale. You will find students interested in your tutoring at the same university, and you can also help with social networks to attract more attention.

    Teaching languages virtually

    Now that teaching is almost entirely done virtually. This represents an opportunity for you to teach courses virtually. Pay attention because this is one of the good business ideas for university students in our time.

    Language courses are in high demand, as they are indispensable for today’s professionals. If you are studying for a university degree related to Languages, Education, or similar, this type of business is ideal.

    Social Media Management

    The rise of social networks has allowed new opportunities to start a business. The Community Manager and Social Media Manager figure becomes more critical in an increasingly digital world.

    You can venture into digital marketing if you are studying a career related to Social Communication, Marketing, Advertising, Public Relations, Administration, or Graphic Design.

    It is a dynamic activity that requires continuous learning to take advantage of online platforms and maintain effective communication between the public and the brand. As in any other economic activity, you are identifying a niche is essential for your efforts to be profitable.

    It is also essential to delimit your market because, in that way, you will gain more experience in a given sector, and your solutions will be accurate. For that reason, you should specialize in areas such as health, finance, commerce, recreation, tourism, arts, education, online learning tools, or any other required in the market.

    E-commerce

    If you desire to undertake this as a student, you should consider electronic platforms as one of the best options. It is a business idea already known and taken advantage of by many people. However, it is still profitable and, like the previous options, it does not require a significant investment.

    You could even start by providing some service, and when you have appropriate capital, you can invest it in purchasing and selling products that the market needs. Do some online market research to identify the market needs and look for suppliers that may be ideal for you.

    You can start selling from a Facebook page, a catalog on WhatsApp, or even an online store, when you can afford that investment. The idea is that you start investing very little and grow continuously.