5 Lessons CEOs Can Learn from Entrepreneurs Who Have Been Successful in the Emerging Markets

October 10, 2022

Entrepreneurs in emerging markets have the unique challenge of starting businesses in places lacking proper infrastructure, knowledgeable staff, and an already established sector. They are often forced to be trailblazers in their industries, creating the innovation their countries need.

There’s plenty to be learned by CEOs in developed countries through observing the success of entrepreneurs in these environments. Key business people such as Alibaba’s Jack Ma, Indiabulls and Clivedale’s Sameer Gehlaut, and Telmex’s Carlos Slim Helú have all found their strengths in the emerging markets. Here are the top 5 lessons CEOs can learn from entrepreneurs who have been successful in emerging markets.

Sense of purpose

According to the Harvard Business School, a strong sense of purpose is central to the success of many high-flying businesses in emerging markets. Typically, these entrepreneurs feel a real sense of pride for their work and understand their companies as part of the country’s development efforts. This allows them to both appreciate the impacts of their business on local communities and have a clear moral compass when making decisions.

Indian-based IT company Infosys continues to stay true to its roots despite its global success. In the face of a growing skill gap in the industry, it remains committed to upskilling students across India with its Infosys Springboard programme. The platform is even open to students in Europe, the US, and Australasia. The message is clear on the Infosys website. ‘Our Purpose: To amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses, and communities’.

Solving real problems

It may seem common sensical that filling gaps in the market is a way to ensure success. But entrepreneurs in emerging markets have a uniquely perceptive eye when it comes to identifying the problems that need solving and continually monitoring consumer behaviour to find ways to expand and improve their services.

One key example of this is Go-Jek in Indonesia. With traffic proving a huge issue in the capital of Jakarta, it was clear something needed to be done to make sure ordinary people could travel around the city quickly and conveniently. This is what inspired co-founders Nadiem Makarim and Michaelangelo Moran to create the ride-hailing app in 2009.

This is something that Indiabull’s Gehlaut was keen to do with his business. In the past, applying for mortgages in India was an unnecessarily difficult process, and the lack of online options meant that mortgages became inaccessible for those who lived rurally. This is how Gehlaut knew it was time for an online option in 2000. By listening to consumers and filling a gap in the market, Indiabulls has become the country’s biggest mortgage provider.

Deep understanding of the market

Thorough market knowledge is important for all good businesses and is essential for both founding and expanding a company. Makarim of Go-Jek even suggested not listening to experts, and rather to work from gut instinct and real-life experience of the issue your company is trying to address. When expanding to Vietnam and Thailand, he was confident enough to allow local teams to take control of the branding, resulting in the names ‘Go-Viet’ and and ‘Get’ in Vietnam and Thailand respectively.

Paul Srivorakul, founder of multiple successful start-ups in Thailand, used his extensive knowledge of the Thai advertising market to build a sorely needed media company in the country. Combined with his expertise in tech, he was able to expand into the Philippines despite a very small starting budget and a lack of resources – he even rented desks in larger companies to convince clients to sign with him.

Humility

Co-founder of Go-Jek, Nadiem Makarim, believes that understanding the role luck has to play in success and prioritising your people and the wider objective over yourself are the keys to avoiding complacency in business. This idea of humility might not be traditionally associated with successful CEOs, but Forbes agrees that a healthy level of humility keeps your staff engaged and on-side. It also helps keep leaders aware of the weaknesses that require attention, encouraging constant improvement and reflection.

Experimentation

Experimentation and bravery to try new things are at the heart of innovation, and entrepreneurs in emerging markets are particularly good at harnessing these attributes. Given that many startups in these countries are dealing with difficult working conditions caused by poor infrastructure and a lack of funding, leaders need to be creative and bold in their ambition.

GB Agboola, founder and CEO of the Nigerian fintech company Flutterwave, argues in his interview with McKinsey that businesses need to be prepared to take the leap of faith and put forward ideas that are out of the ordinary. This also involves admitting that failure is a possibility, and recognising that failure is sometimes a better lesson than success.

The emerging markets can be some of the most hostile environments to start a business, yet they also have huge potential waiting to be unlocked. Entrepreneurs in these regions are constantly innovating, challenging the status quo, and bringing the best out of their communities. The energy and passion they bring to the table offers a host of valuable lessons for CEOs across the globe.

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4 Companies That Were Started by Co-founders

October 9, 2022

Why are so many companies formed with more than one founder? Why share the success?

When a company is founded by co-founders, it has the added benefit of having two highly invested entrepreneurs that can bring together different outlooks, methodologies, interests, skills, and talents.

The company also gets double the input in terms of time and energy, and even more when there are several founders. Founders can share the workload, for example, one founder can focus on sourcing new investment and deal making, while the other can focus on hiring the right team and forming marketing strategy. The workload can also be divided with the founders’ skillsets in mind, meaning all founding partners are put to best use. It also allows the founders to combine their energy and come up with ideas and solutions that one founder alone may not have been able to.

Keep reading to learn about four highly successful companies with excellent co-founder stories.

P&G

William Procter and James Gamble co-founded the consumer goods giant P&G all the way back in 1837. Contrary to what you might think, this fruitful collaboration wasn’t their own idea.

Procter was a candle maker and Gamble produced soap. They were both content with their own entrepreneurial projects. Their only connection was through their wives, Olivia and Elizabeth Norris, who were sisters. One day Procter and Gamble’s shared father-in-law pointed out to them that they were competing for local resources in the making of their products – animal fat and oil. He suggested they combine forces and merge the business.

They took up his advice and combined their businesses, as well as their initials, giving us P&G. Today, with headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, the company operates in 180 countries and over 5 billion people use their products. That’s over 60% of the world’s population using the products of this one company that came about almost by accident.

The company specialises in consumer goods from health and beauty products to fabric and home care. In 2021 P&G saw global net earnings of roughly 14.31 billion U.S. dollars.

Indiabulls

Another example of how successful co-founded companies can be is Indiabulls. The company was founded in 2000 in India by IIT Delhi classmates Sameer Gehlaut, Saurabh Mittal and Rajiv Rattan. The trio worked together to help mortgages be more accessible to Indian people, as getting mortgages had long been a complex and time-consuming process.

To achieve this, they provided India’s first ever mortgages which were based around online applications. From their small beginnings in Delhi, working in a small tin roof office with only two computers, Indiabulls grew to be the biggest mortgage broker in India.

The diversity of skills which came with having three founders became particularly useful as the business began to scale. In 2014, they split their responsibilities across the several divisions that they had established, designating their power and energy-related branches to Mittal and Rattan whilst designating the home loans and financial services sectors to Gehlaut.

Microsoft

Everyone has heard of Microsoft and Bill Gates, but few people are aware that the company was co-founded by Bill Gates and his business partner Paul Allen in April 1975.

Today, Microsoft is valued at over $1 trillion. But the beginnings of this company are much humbler. Gates and Allen were childhood friends and one day decided to create a business using their shared computer programming skills. They founded Traf-O-Data, which sold a basic computer that could track and analyse automobile traffic data. They later produced a basic interpreter for Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry System’s (MITS) newest microcomputer and MITS loved what they had to offer. From here they founded Microsoft, quickly moving into the operating system business and before long they were a huge success.

But with success, can come controversy and conflict, especially in a co-founder relationship. Allen later developed Hodgkin’s disease, and he resigned from Microsoft shortly after. He claimed, through his book Idea Man: A Memoir by the Co-founder of Microsoft, that Gates had wanted to dilute his share in the company when he was diagnosed as claimed he wasn’t working hard enough.

Def Jam recordings

Lastly, let’s look at a co-founded company in the business of music – Def Jam Recordings. This company has an unlikely co-founder relationship at its heart. Def Jam was founded by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons. It is unusual because Rubin was in a punk rock band and Simmons was the manager of the well-famed hip-hop group Run-D.M.C.

While they created music in two very different genres, they made for a great team and Def Jam came to be one of the world’s most successful record labels. The two first met at a party and instantly became good friends, starting up a record label together out of Rubin’s dorm room.

They founded the label in 1984 and just two years later they released Beastie Boy’s debut album, Licensed to Ill, which went on to become the top-selling hip-hop album in that decade.

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How Proactive 24/7 Support Can Help Accelerate Your Business Potential?

October 9, 2022

Almost 68% of consumers have a better image of companies after obtaining proactive warnings. Any digital business recognizes the importance of a solid customer base.

Remember, they have a name to protect. One bad review on the Internet might completely turn off potential buyers. A firm should invest in proactive customer service to satisfy customers.

Many firms forget to provide customer support after hours. Customers demand ongoing service and prompt response. Small and large enterprises must provide 24/7 support. Those who can live up to that standard will be rewarded handsomely.

What Is 24/7 Support?

Offering round-the-clock help to consumers is essential. And here, “whenever” implies any given time of day, night, week, month, or year. Using digital platforms to interact with your customers is a crucial part of this.

Your customers deserve nothing less than stellar service from you. A rise in thought has come about due to the ease with which knowledge can now be shared. You will need outside help to meet these criteria.

Live chat, chatbots for self-help, and 24/7 chat are methods to give outstanding customer support. With 24/7 support, customers’ concerns about using any tools along with other issues, will be addressed immediately. Clear communication and a proactive attitude toward customer issues should always be prioritized. With “24/7 application support”, key, customer-facing applications are constantly monitored. They have a team of competent full-stack developers (.NET, PHP, and JAVA) located worldwide who are on call around the clock.

After their difficulties are fixed, consumers are less inclined to look elsewhere. Rapid customer satisfaction via 24/7 application support will increase loyalty and retention. Know that when clients are satisfied, they tend not to shop elsewhere.

A Quick Explanation of “Proactive” Customer Service

Proactive customer service involves contacting customers before they complain. It’s one method that companies may show they care for their consumers and make them happy. Asking “Who takes the first move” is the most excellent way to determine whether your company provides the finest customer service.

If the answer is “customers,” then you should develop plans to provide them with proactive 24/7 support.

What Advantages Does Proactive Service Provide to Your Business?

1. Instant Help and 24/7 Application Support Are Preferred

There may be several occasions in a customer’s journey when they need answers immediately. Suppose a consumer has a query about your company’s application that might influence their purchase choice. If they are unhappy with your service, they may resort to a competition that can give rapid remedies.

High-quality, 24/7 customer service may boost your brand’s reputation. Even though virtual assistants provide the service, solid customer support through real people is still required.

Listening to your consumers is crucial to running a successful company.

Chatbots can cut wait times and simplify worker expectations depending on your business and clientele. 24/7 support offers real-time customer service along with chatbots.

2. It’s Best to Deal With Issues Before They Become Major Ones

The adage “prevention is better than cure” rings properly in this case. 24/7 customer service is like taking preemptive actions to avert difficulties. The 24/7 application support is available to help your customers with any minor issues they may have.

This approach may keep your consumer base while containing a problem. A dissatisfied customer may emerge from an ignored, apparently minor query. So, include live chat since it might provide your company an advantage.

3. Enhancement of Loyalty

It’s not only about keeping existing customers that loyalty serves. If a customer advocates for your business, they may become one. The client endorses your brand (68% will do so based on pleasant encounters).

Your service may convince them to promote your business on social media, blogs, and websites. In the end, this will result in more people visiting your website.

Digitizing company communications may enhance consumer loyalty and brand advocacy. Consider a loyalty program along with 24/7 application support for these customers.

4. Develop Consumer Confidence in the Brand

Open communication must be a priority to improve customer service. If you engage consumers early about an issue, they will expect you to address it before they call.

5. Boosts Efficiency in the Workplace

Proactive services can save time and money on full-time support workers. In any event, this is because it helps to increase workplace productivity. Hire employees who can see issues before they affect customers. It increases corporate production while reducing multiple-channel customer service questions.

Along with these advantages, you also have access to:

Learn about the issues that are bothering your customers.
Allow yourself plenty of time to come up with a thorough answer.
Make your consumers feel special.

6. Distinguish Yourself From the Competition

Being available 24/7 may also help your company’s sales and profits. If customers call outside of business hours and get voice mail, they may go on. You just lost the opportunity to make a transaction, perhaps giving a consumer to a rival business.

Customers in need won’t wait around for you to open up shop in the morning if they can help it. They won’t be leaving a voicemail and waiting by the phone for a response. They will always choose the business that answers their inquiry the fastest.

7. Budget-Friendly Approach

Your spending and savings on 24/7 support will decrease without a doubt. If you outsource your IT assistance, you will pay just for the help you need. There won’t be any surprise fees. Additionally, constant, proactive service provider support and upkeep.

8. Interactions Through Various Channels of Transmission

Round-the-clock IT support helps customers and partners report and fix problems. Customers should have a phone, email, online chat, and a ticketing system.

9. 24/7 Support Improves Sales Conversions

Half of the consumers say they need access to a natural person when purchasing. Responding quickly is vital to improving conversion rate by reducing the sales cycle. More revenue and satisfied customers will result from a quicker response time.

How can offering live chat service around the clock help businesses?

Customers are more likely to choose swiftly if their sales inquiries are handled promptly. Availability increases transaction completion and shortens the sales cycle.

10. Increased Brand Recognition and Favorability

Brand recognition and goodwill may be cultivated in several ways. The nature of your firm will also determine the method you choose.

For instance, a business that caters to other companies would depend more heavily on cold email advertising than a consumer-facing one. The determining element will be the quality of your client service.

How customers rate your whole service affects your business’s popularity and respect. Retention, loyalty, and improved conversions result from excellent customer service. Always being available to customers shows professionalism and attention to their happiness.

11. Prioritize Satisfying Your Customers With First-Rate Service

Providing satisfied clients should be the primary goal of every company. Your customers’ satisfaction is tied to the degree of customer care you provide. And the availability of your support team and the speed with which problems are resolved are critical.

Identify client issues to employ the relevant resources and procedures. Broad and technical problems need visual understanding, which you can get from 24/7 application support.

12. To Satisfy Consumer Demand

To compete on the international stage, you must adopt a truly global set of standards. To maximize global sales, you must be accessible to consumers in all nations. Unless you have a unique service, clients will go elsewhere if you don’t offer 24/7 support.

Existing technology and automation may quickly meet market expectations. High-definition conference calls and other technology make it simple to keep teams together.

Conclusion

Without 24/7 customer service, your business might suffer. If you want to succeed rapidly, you need a strategy to be available to clients 24/7. Thus, don’t wait to start planning.

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More Global Forex Turmoil Ahead

October 9, 2022

By Dan Steinbock

As if the world economy would need another crisis trigger, global foreign exchange markets are in historical turmoil. Over time, it can’t be contained without a more diversified global reserve currency system.

According to Bloomberg, global foreign currency reserves have fallen some 7.8% to $12 trillion this year; a decline of $1 trillion, or more than in almost two decades, when Bloomberg began to compile its data.

The plunge reflects the frantic activity of central banks across the world as they struggle to intervene and support ailing currencies. In late September, the euro coped with its 20-year low against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the British pound suffered its all-time low vis-à-vis the greenback. Recently, the pound has recovered some of the lost ground, as has the euro. But new pressures will ensue as the Fed will continue its tightening.

In September, Japan spent some $20 billion to slow the yen’s slide in its first intervention to boost the currency since 1998. That’s 19% of the loss of reserves this year. Still, the yen has already lost a fifth of its value this year, which could prove its worst since 1970. Meanwhile, Japan’s gross debt as percentage of the GDP could soar close to 270% by the year-end; the highest among major advanced economies – and most vulnerable to a crisis that would have global repercussions.

Emerging Asia has not been immune to these pressures.

Korea’s plunge, India’s all-time low, China’s dual story

In September, Korean foreign reserves amounted to $417 billion, having taken a $20 billion hit from the previous month. That’s the fastest on-month decline since the West’s financial crisis in October 2008.

In India, forex reserves have tumbled $96 billion this year to $538 billion. The pressures are accelerating as inflation is rising and the Fed’s hikes continue.

While currency depreciation can benefit exporters, it tends to foster capital flight and imported inflation, both of which are spreading in emerging Asia. Hence, too, the plunge of India’s forex reserves by $110 billion in the last 13 months and the rupee’s all-time low against the greenback.

At the end of September, Reuters reported that Chinese state-owned banks are preparing to sell dollars and buy yuan to boost the local currency. The yuan has fallen 11% against the dollar and could finish the year with its biggest decline against the greenback since 1994.

Yet, the dollar pressures tell only a part of the story. China’s central bank is increasingly managing the yuan against the currencies of a broad group of major trading partners, not just against the greenback. Despite its decline vis-à-vis the dollar, the yuan has appreciated against the euro, the yen and other major currencies.

Today, forex volatility is not a mainly economic issue. It also reflects geopolitical objectives.

Huge forex interventions

As the world economy is teetering at the edge of still another global recession, the Fed’s belated and aggressive tightening is causing huge monetary shocks in the world economy.

While the magnitude of the decline of global forex reserves is massive, the efforts to exploit reserves to protect currencies are nothing new. Nevertheless, these huge forex interventions take place in the most challenging economic and geopolitical moment since World War II, due to a series of shocks:

the failure of global recovery since 2017, as a result of US protectionism and misguided trade wars
the subsequent Covid-19 pandemic and the accompanying global depression and the consequent lost years in many countries
over a decade of huge fiscal stimulus packages, ultra-low rates and rounds of quantitative easing in the West
the ensuing debt crises in many middle- and low-income countries
the US-led NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, which has led to global energy and food shocks and the worst nuclear crisis since 1962

If the Fed sticks to its “dot plot,” interest rates could reach 4.4% by December, above 3.4% projected in June, and rise to 4.6% next year. As a result, the peso could slide to an all-time low of about 62 against the US dollar later in the year. Just as the global forex turmoil could prevail until the first quarter of 2023.

Even if the buoyant dollar will make the US a more expensive place to produce, it will affect America less severely than its trading partners, mainly because US trade is almost entirely invoiced in dollars.

But what will happen when the dollar’s surge against other major currencies will eclipse? Some previous big run-ups in the dollar’s value, particularly in the mid-1980s and early 2000s, were eventually followed by sharp declines. And this time could prove worse.

A rising dollar is neither stabilizing nor strong

After two decades of postwar recovery in Western Europe and Japan, US began to suffer from huge trade deficits. In 1971, President Nixon ended unilaterally the convertibility of the dollar to gold, which resulted in a price shock that reverberated across the world.

As gold no longer offered a yardstick for value, the perception of value replaced value itself.

Since the 1970s, three periods of dollar surges have been followed by periods of decline that have caused much international collateral damage. Each of these surges reflects progressive relative erosion of the dollar. When the dollar surged with sky-high rates in the early 1980s, US sovereign debt was still less than 40% of America’s GDP. With the surge in the early 2000s, the ratio was hovering around 55%. That prevailed until the 2008 crisis, which was overcome with massive debt-taking that pushed the ratio beyond 100% in the early 2010s.

Then came the pandemic and the Biden administration’s irresponsible fiscal policies and now the ratio exceeds 137% of US GDP (more than twice as high than the Philippines’ 62%). As the trendline will accelerate in the coming years, the ratio could double by 2050 (Figure).

Figure U.S. dollar Index and debt-to-GDP ratio

Source: TradingEconomics; Difference Group

Toward the crisis

Today, US debt per GDP is where that of Italy was in the early 2010s, right before Rome’s debt crisis. Here’s the problem: The Italian lira is irrelevant in international transactions, but US dollar isn’t.

The presumed strength of the U.S. dollar no longer relies on America’s economic fundamentals, but on a perception that such fundamentals prevail, despite drastic shifts in the world economy.

U.S. dollar is no longer a sustained safe haven, but a temporary safe house. And that’s why the day of reckoning is no longer a matter of principle, just a matter of time.

Based on Dr Steinbock’s global briefing of Oct. 7, 2022

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About the Author

Dr. Dan Steinbock is an internationally recognized strategist of the multipolar world and the founder of Difference Group. He has served at India, China and America Institute (US), Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (China) and the EU Center (Singapore). For more, see https://www.differencegroup.net/

Top Proptech Security Trends Every Multifamily CRE Investor and Agent Should Know

October 9, 2022

Investment in proptech reached $20 billion in 2020. If you’re investing in multifamily real estate, you need access to the top proptech security technologies to improve the tenant experience, which will help you to retain and attract tenants.

So, what are the best proptech security trends?

Keep reading as we discuss the top proptech security trends that improve hygiene, security, and visitor check-in at your multifamily commercial real estate properties.

Many US and Canadian cities like the Vancouver housing market in BC, continue to have increased demand for security in the multifamily rental market as populations grow and urban density increases.

Top Proptech Security Trends For Multifamily CRE

You need to know about the latest proptech security trends to provide your tenants with the best user experience – encouraging improved retention rates and generating more leads. Here, we will discuss the top proptech security trends for multifamily CRE investors and agents.

Touchless And Hygiene-Based Technology

When the pandemic began, businesses were faced with an urgent need to implement tools and technologies that promoted hygienic practices. Property investors must also consider hygiene as a priority.

Your tenants must feel that their building managers have their best interests and prioritize their health and safety. This is why you should consider investing in touchless and hygiene-based technologies.

Touchless and hygiene-based security technologies reduce the number of touchpoints your tenants must come into contact with as they move throughout the building daily. These touchpoints include door handles, pin pads, elevator buttons, and banisters.

You can implement antimicrobial surfaces to reduce the spread of germs on banisters, door handles, and elevator buttons, or you can implement touchless technologies.

Touchless door access control is the top feature for multi-family residential security solutions. The system uses digital access credentials, which your tenants can download and store on their mobile devices.

When they need to enter the building, they don’t have to touch a swipe pad or pin pad; all they need to do is wave their hand over the reader. The motion of their hand will trigger remote communication, allowing them to enter with their mobile credentials. They can enter even if the device is stored in their pocket or bag.

Some of the other benefits of implementing touchless access technology include:

Your tenants can enter the building with their hands complete.
Building managers can use a mobile application for workers and tenants to operate door locks.
You reduce expenses caused by keycard and fob replacement.

Temperature Reading

Some touchless access control providers implement automated temperature reading at your building’s entrance. If the tenant, visitor, or contractor has a high fever, the system will restrict their access, and you can handle the incident at your discretion. It is essential to keep your building secure from symptomatic individuals and consider tenant health a number one priority.

You might also consider implementing wellness verification at your entrance to detect other symptoms as users enter the building.

Integrated Security Technologies

With a cloud-based and touchless access control comes the opportunity for open API integration. You can enhance the function of your existing security investments by establishing an integrated system. Some of the best integrations for multifamily residences include:

Visitor management software – your tenants will have visitors. You need to document these visitors accurately to aid in an investigation should a crime occur on the property. You can automate the visitor management process with visitor management software. When visitors need to enter the building, they must fill out a digital form on their mobile device. Once they have entered their details, they will gain temporary access credentials to enter the building. When they leave, these credentials are revoked, and the system logs them out automatically for more accurate visitor logs.
Integrated video and access control – if a third party steals access credentials, you can ensure they can’t enter the building by integrating access control and commercial video surveillance systems. A video intercom reader has built-in video surveillance and access control for easier identity verification at your building’s entrance, increasing tenant security.
Wellness verification – you can perform health checks at your building’s entrance by implementing health surveys. Wellness verification software requires users to fill out forms about their symptoms before entering the building, restricting access for symptomatic individuals.

Automated Building Management Triggers

You can automate building management triggers based on access control events in your building. If a tenant enters a room, this will trigger the lighting, heating, and appliances in the room to switch on automatically. Connecting your building’s devices to the internet of things allows you to integrate this technology with access control.

Cloud-Based Security Technology

Cloud-based security technology provides a more user-friendly security experience for CRE investors and property managers. This is because it solves many issues regarding scalability with on-premise security systems.

With an on-premise system, scalability is extremely challenging. It requires a security installation expert to collaborate with building management on implementing detailed wiring systems that connect all security devices to servers and security hardware. If the property has more than one building, scalability becomes increasingly difficult.

On-premise systems also require maintenance, and system updates must be installed by an engineer visiting your location in person. The servers for the system will likely occupy a lot of space in your building.

A cloud-based security system offers more scalability because it requires minimal wiring – the system connects via network access, ensuring that property managers can adapt and evolve the system as its security needs grow.

A cloud-based system also permits over-the-air updates and troubleshooting that eliminate the need to manage visits from engineers and wait for their arrival – which could increase your system downtime. Since most of the data for a cloud-based security system is hosted on the cloud, the system requires less hardware and is more streamlined to save space.

Integrating Cyber And Physical Security

When you opt for cloud-based security technologies, it is essential to consider cybersecurity. If the remote operation features of your security system were accessible to a third party, this could put your tenants’ safety at risk. You can no longer consider cyber and physical security as distinct and separate entities. So, consider integrating cybersecurity software with your cloud-based security system and merging IT and physical security teams to improve overall security.

Summary

If you’re looking to revolutionize security and building management for your commercial multifamily real estate investments, consider cloud-based security. Cloud-based security allows property managers to integrate hygiene-based solutions and smoother visitor check-in. You could also save significant energy by automating building management triggers based on security events.

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Insider Tips And Tricks On Purchasing Gold Online

October 8, 2022

Purchasing gold online can be a daunting task, but with a few insider tips and tricks, you can be sure to get the best quality gold for your money. Here are a few things to keep in mind when making your purchase.

Do Your Research

When getting gold, it is important to do your research on the different types of gold available as well as the different vendors. There are many different purity levels of gold, and each one will be priced differently. You will also want to make sure you are buying from a reputable vendor. A good way to start your research is by reading online reviews of different vendors. Goldcore is one of the most trusted and reputable vendors available.

Know The Difference Between Gold Coins And Bullion

One mistake that many people make when buying gold is not knowing the difference between gold coins and bullion. Gold coins are legal tender that has been minted by governments, and they usually have a higher purity level than bullion. Bullion, on the other hand, is gold that has not been minted into coins but is instead sold in bars or ingots. When buying gold, you will usually have the option to buy either coins or bullion. It is important to know the difference so that you can make an informed decision about what type of gold you want to purchase.

Get A Guarantee

When purchasing gold, it is important to make sure that you are getting a guarantee from the vendor. This guarantee should cover the purity and weight of the gold you are receiving. It is also important to make sure that the vendor has a return policy in case you are not satisfied with your purchase. A good vendor has no problem providing you with a guarantee and a return policy.

Make Sure The Product Has The Hallmark

When you are looking at different types of gold, you will notice that some of them have a hallmark and some do not. The hallmarks are usually a stamp that indicates that the gold has been through a specific process and meets certain standards. When purchasing online gold, you should always make sure that the product you are interested in has the hallmark. This will ensure that you are getting a quality product.

Talk To A Professional

If you are still feeling unsure about getting online gold, you can always talk to a professional. There are many companies that deal with gold, and they will be able to help you make an informed decision about your purchase. Talking to a professional will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have about the process.

Ask Around People Who Have Already Bought GoldOnline

If you know someone who has already purchased gold online, they may be a great resource for information. They can tell you about their experience with different vendors and give you advice on what to look for when making your purchase. Asking around is a great way to get unbiased information about getting gold.

Don’t Believe In Rumours

There are a lot of rumors surrounding gold, and it is important that you do not believe everything you hear. Some people will try to take advantage of the fact that you are interested in buying gold and will give you false information in order to get your money. Be wary of anyone who tells you that you can make a lot of money by buying gold online.

Conclusion

Purchasing gold online can be a great way to get high-quality gold at a lower price than what you would pay at a brick-and-mortar store. However, it is important to do your research and know what you are buying before making your purchase. With these insider tips, you can be sure to get the best quality gold for your money.

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5 Dental Marketing Ideas to Get Clients for Dental Practice

October 7, 2022

In this era of cut-throat competition, it is not really very easy to run a dental clinic. A dentist would require about 20 new patients each to be successful and grow organically. This really does not sound like too many numbers but there are actually challenges involved in it.

There are a lot of expenses involved in getting new patients to the clinic monthly. And, there is also a good number of patients who just put off going to the dentist. All this inhibits the facility’s growth and as a result, they need to invent newer ways to bring in new customers and retain the existing customers.

It is very common for the players in the healthcare sector to try and utilize methods like inbound marketing to grow effectively. This stands true for the dentistry field as well. So, adopting effective dental marketing strategies is the newest way to get clients to dental facilities these days.

About 77% of consumers today go online to seek options for dental facilities and treatment methods. People are getting aware of oral health and are concerned about the consequences of poor oral hygiene and what can be possible and affordable treatment options. All this is paving the way for a booming dentistry industry.

To make the most out of this opportunity, it is high time that dentists establish their digital presence firmly. This will help them attract larger footfalls and they can always be on top of the minds of their patients.

There are multiple dental marketing ideas that can be utilized to make this approach a success. A few of them are discussed below.

Optimize the Google “My Business Listing”

Your dentist facility will find an average business in 1009 searches a month, as a study from Bright Local reveals. About 84% of these are going to land from the discovery searches. And it is sure that over 90% of the people only look at the results published on the first page. So, if you have to adopt any local SEO strategy, then this is when it is going to be the best. You should be having a Google My Business page. With this, it will be easier for the owners to manage and establish their online presence across popular search engines. It will also be a source of verified information about your business, the website, operating hours, specified location and the reviews too.

Optimize the website

If you do not have a website in today’s time, you will never be able to reach the full potential of your business. Most individuals today are empowered with the search button and review all the options available around them before making a final choice. This makes it even more important to have your business stand out from the rest with the help of a website. Your website must offer an excellent user experience, featuring all the necessary information, the services and how they can be booking appointments with you.

Create amazing content strategies

Oral hygiene can definitely be a very interesting topic and people will equally be excited about it if you know how to market it well. You can start a blog, which is an amazing way to attract new customers. This will help you land more people on your website organically. It is one of the best ways to provide value to your customers, which will also boost your online presence and ranking. Blogs are a good source of information, which can establish you as an authority in the field of dentistry.

Establish a social media presence

It is next to impossible to skip social media these days. According to DataReportal Global Overview of 2021, about 4.2 billion users are present on social media right away. It is imperative for about 57% of the consumers to be following their favorite brand’s page online and learn about their new offerings. Wherever your dental facility is located, there will be a whole bunch of potential clients waiting to meet you over social media. If you are consistent with your presence online, you can effectively boost your brand’s presence and improve both your brand reputation and how your consumers perceive you.

Invest in Google Ads

Google Ads is a form of pay-per-click advertising, which is a very effective way to ensure that your business is appearing at the top of the SERPs. You can easily generate new leads just by putting your content forward. You can attract a large number of leads in a very short time by targeting specific demographics.

Last but not least, add in house dental plans in dentistry to grab more eyeballs. Since people are usually reluctant to avail of dental services due to their high costs, dental plans will help them with affordable dental solutions as and when required, without burning a hole in their pockets. In this way, more people will be interested in dental checkups.

So now you might know that it takes perseverance, the right attitude and a bit of creativity to devise and implement the right digital marketing strategies, which will pull in more crowds at your facilities. You need to improvise at all stages to match the shifts in consumer behaviors and digital trends to stay ahead.

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Should You Borrow From Private Mortgage Lenders?

October 7, 2022

Working with a certified mortgage expert might be a suitable choice if you’re having trouble being approved for a conventional home loan. These lenders can offer more flexible loan terms with less onerous regulations because they are not connected to a traditional financial institution like a bank or credit union.

Here are some things you should be aware of if you’re debating whether to engage with a certified mortgage expert.

What exactly is a Private Mortgage Lender?

A private mortgage lender is a company that finances a home loan and generates income from interest payments. Private lenders, as opposed to conventional mortgage lenders, set their lending standards and underwriting procedures. In contrast to conventional banks and credit unions, private lenders are not subject to the same federal regulations.

Private lenders may perform underwriting procedures, including investigating your financial position and property title. The house you buy will serve as security, just like a conventional home loan, and it may be foreclosed upon if you cannot make your payments.

Who Should Consider Private Mortgage Lenders?

Some borrowers may find it advantageous to work with a private mortgage lender.

Those Borrowers Who Do Not Comply with the Norm

It may be difficult for some borrowers to satisfy the requirements of conventional mortgage lenders. For example, being approved for a private mortgage could be challenging if you’re self-employed or have a poor credit history. These applicants might have difficulty meeting the requirements for a mortgage because private lenders set their eligibility standards.

Property Investors

You could find it challenging to satisfy the requirements of a typical lender if you’re an investor wanting to flip houses in bad shape. Instead, think about getting a mortgage from a private lender with looser requirements for evaluating your property’s state and prospective market value.

Deal Seekers

You might occasionally be able to benefit from a private party’s superior borrowing terms. A friend or relative, for instance, might provide a loan with a longer duration and a lower interest rate. However, remember that the private lender must abide by IRS regulations.

Discovering Private Mortgage Lenders

The greatest certified mortgage expert are those who provide the loan type you require, together with flexible eligibility requirements. For instance, a friend or member of your family could serve as a private mortgage lender, or you could look for regional or international companies that focus on offering these kinds of loans.

Friends, family, or relatives

Obtaining a friend’s or relative’s mortgage could assist you in purchasing a home. However, if you don’t make the payments, this may affect your marriage. Make sure to specify the loan’s conditions and conduct the transaction as a company.

A promissory note, also known as a mortgage note, certifies your commitment to repay the loan by the due date. This should include the loan’s total outstanding balance, monthly payment, length of repayment, interest rate, amortization schedule, and any possible costs, such as late payments or defaulting on the loan.

A deed of trust (or mortgage): This document specifies that the lender retains ownership of the home and its title until the loan is fully repaid. This agreement creates a lien against the property, allowing the lender to seize your home in the event of default.

Companies that provide private mortgages

Private mortgage lenders such as LendToday may specialize in certain borrowers, such as investors, businesses, or people purchasing or constructing a new home. These lenders often offer non-traditional mortgages, which may have expensive loan amounts and longer repayment terms, for home loans.

Ask your friends and relatives for recommendations if you want to work for one of these businesses. For advice, you can also speak with a real estate agent or other professionals in the field. Finally, check company websites, internet reviews, and any complaints a company may have accrued through organizations as you browse around and evaluate your possibilities from other lenders.

You want a lender with a track record of satisfied customers, offers reasonable interest rates, a simple application process, quick closing timeframes, and the loan terms you require. Before you apply, request a quote from the lender detailing the interest rate, loan length, fees, and closing charges, so you know all the specifics.

Are Private Loans Secure?

Yes. Contrary to popular opinion, private lending from certified mortgage brokers from Miami such as Pier Point Mortgage is safe since it is regulated by the same rules and regulations that apply to banks.

To sift out any dubious sellers and identify private lenders who are trustworthy and legitimate, you can also engage with a professional mortgage broker.

Costs Associated with Private Lending

The fees levied by traditional and private lenders are often the same. Application fees, appraisal fees, legal fees, and loan setup fees are thus included in the costs.

However, private mortgage loans are pricey due to their high-interest rates. Their interest rates start at 6%, and the amount you’ll pay depends on how much you borrow and the loan amount.

Sum Up:

Few people appreciate how large and intricate the lending sector is. Additionally, it is only getting more complex with time. While traditional lenders may have provided several advantages in the past, that is not the case anymore. Institutional lenders are becoming ineffective for an increasing proportion of private and commercial borrowers.

On the other hand, private certified mortgage experts provide cutting-edge new products, shortened payback periods, flexibility not available elsewhere, and many other benefits. Private lenders can assist you in obtaining loans for anything from real estate to businesses.

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Five Good Reasons to Start a Blog

October 7, 2022

Blogs (a shortened form of ‘weblogs’) are almost as old as the Internet. Yet they have not gone out of style and continue to be as popular as ever. Some blogs have been around for over a decade and have millions of visitors every month! There are many articles teaching readers how to start a blog for beginners, but what are the benefits of having a blog? Here are five reasons that may convince you to start your very own blog.

1. Share Your Thoughts and Ideas

A blog can be a great way to share what you think with the world. You can write about your hobbies, sports, or anything else that interests you. You can also use your blog to share your opinions about sensitive topics such as animal rights or politics. Many blogs start as personal journals of sorts where writers capture their passing ideas and thoughts, and become valuable repositories of information over time.

Sometimes, blog writers need a safe space to talk about experiences or thoughts that are not accepted by their immediate circle. For instance, they may want to share their feelings about being attracted to people of the same gender without letting their classmates know, or they may want to talk about unfair employment practices at their place of work. A blog provides writers with the anonymity needed to vent without feeling threatened.

2. Establish Yourself as an Expert

If you write regular blog posts that are relevant to your industry, you will begin to develop a reputation as an expert in your field. This can range from how-to tutorials to articles that discuss the current circumstances in your industry. Through these articles, you can demonstrate a thorough insight and understanding of your field. Your blog can become recognized as an educational resource and you, the writer, as an industry expert.

As a result, people from all around the world may come to you for advice and additional information about your niche. They may share your articles with others in their circle and increase your reach. News outlets may reach out to you for quotes, which can make you feel a little special! This can also lead to opportunities such as speaking engagements or collaborations with businesses. You may even find new career opportunities along the way.

3. Promote Your Products and Services

A blog can be a great promotional tool for your business, especially if you regularly post new and interesting content on your blog. Compared to blogs, company websites are limited in terms of content length and depth. Because of the way search engine optimization works, a blog can improve the ranking of your web pages in search results, thus enhancing brand awareness and increasing the number of visitors to your website.

Unlike company websites that are typically more professional in tone, blogs can be friendly and intimate. With a blog, you can dedicate each post to a single product or service and go into detail about how it can be beneficial to the reader. You can connect your products and services to common problems faced by your target audience and make compelling arguments for your offerings without it seeming like an advertisement.

4. Build An Online Community

A blog is a great way to build an online community with other bloggers and businesses. These great relationships with other members of the community can lead to many exciting opportunities in the future. For example, you might be able to collaborate on a project or refer each other to your clients. Furthermore, you will be able to gain new perspectives and learn from the experience of other bloggers and experts.

A blog is also great for keeping in contact with your current audience. If you have done business with someone in the past, you can invite them to subscribe to your blog so that they are notified of any new posts. This can help ensure that your customers do not forget about you. With every new post, they are reminded of your expertise. Get your audience to engage with your blog by encouraging them to leave comments or share their stories.

5. Enjoy Passive Income

Finally, a blog can help you create a passive income stream. As you create regular quality content for your blog, you will build an audience of loyal readers. When you reach a good number of readers a month, you can monetize your blog through advertisement placements. This will provide you with another source of income outside of selling products or services and give you an incentive to focus on creating great content.

The great thing is that you do not necessarily have to seek out advertising. Many successful blog owners are approached by brands who wish to collaborate or promote their products. These companies may even give you free products in exchange for a review or a feature on your blog. The monetary value of these freebies can add up to become quite significant, especially if you blog about gadgets, fashion, or lifestyle.

As you can see, there are many benefits to having a blog. Whether you want to promote your unique small business or share your trivial thoughts, anyone can start a blog. As long as you talk about a topic that you are passionate about, you can have fun and enjoy blogging.

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Top 5 Tips For Money Management

October 7, 2022

Though money cannot truly buy you happiness, it can evoke a feeling of security if you can manage things right! Without proper money management, there’s a chance you might feel very insecure about your finances.

But we understand that managing your money can be hard and extremely confusing. In fact, it’s something that many people struggle with all around the world.

If money is a huge source of stress and concern for you in your everyday life, you may feel reassured to know you aren’t the only one in this position!

And there are also a couple of things you can do to not only increase your financial confidence but also more effectively manage your money.

Whether you want to better your credit score to take out small loans online or simply want to feel more secure in your financial situation, these 5 tips will help you improve your money management.

Track Your Spending

If you aren’t sure about how much you are spending each month, there is a huge chance that your spending habits have plenty of room to improve! This is when tracking your income becomes essential.

Overspending is so easy to do but not so easy to recover from. Developing better money management begins with developing some sort of spending awareness.

You can try using a money management app on your phone or could go a bit old school by recording everything down in a dedicated notebook.

Whatever you choose, note down all of your spending in different categories so you can see exactly where your money is going. This will highlight your non-essential spending. This includes online gambling, entertainment including streaming services, daily coffee, or dining out.

Once you have worked out what these habits are, you can begin making a plan to make some serious improvements. In the long run, this will do wonders for improving your money management!

Create A Personal Budget

Those who feel the impact of financial stress usually struggle a lot more with budgeting. This is because they tend to feel less in control and are a lot more impulsive with how they choose to spend their money.

Creating a personal budget is an excellent way of learning money management. Not only does it help to make the most of the money that you have but it can even lead to healthier financial habits.

One way of creating this sort of budget is to map out your monthly finances on a spreadsheet or a single document. You can look at the document and make amendments when you need to.

With this sort of document, you can also do the following:

Add up all monthly expenses including essential bills (food, housing, and rent) to get an idea of how much you spend.
Your monthly income which includes the salary from your job and additional income sources such as side hustles, tax refunds, and bonuses.

Build Your Savings

Another great way of managing your money is to have emergency savings to dip into if any unforeseen circumstances arise. Regularly putting money away is a quick and easy way of learning and developing financial responsibility.

There are a couple of big tips you need to keep in mind to improve money management. We’ve outlined these below:

Add extra income directly to a savings account. If you ever receive a bonus at work or a tax refund, it’s in your best interest to deposit it into a savings account as quickly as you can.
Interest rates can vary quite drastically with different savings accounts. As a result, it might be best for you to shop around for the best possible match.
On the topic of savings, you might want to set up automatic savings. This automatically transfers money to your savings to build the amount up without any temptation of spending lots of extra cash.

Make A Realistic Monthly Budget

Now we’re on the topic of saving money, setting goals is one of the most crucial money management tips out there! Creating set financial goals will ensure that you stay motivated and focused on your end financial goals.

Make sure to use a mix of your take-home pay and your main spending habits to set a realistic budget for the month.

For example, if you order takeout multiple times a week, cutting yourself off completely at the first hurdle likely won’t do you any good. The key is to gradually reduce these charges, which you can do by creating a realistic budget that works with your spending habits and lifestyle.

You should look at a budget as a way of encouraging better lifestyle habits, such as cooking at home more frequently but still giving yourself a realistic chance of meeting this budget. That’s the only way this money management method will work.

Have Good Credit Habits

Your credit score can have a huge impact on your finances.

Many lenders are more willing to approve loan applications from those with high credit scores, and will also provide lower interest rates and better loan terms. When you start applying for larger loans like a mortgage, a small interest rate saving could wind up reducing the overall cost by thousands of dollars!

Our advice would be to take immediate action to improve your credit score. Pull your credit report to search for errors and look at them in detail to prevent future mistakes from occurring.

Other ways to improve your credit score include keeping your credit utilization rate low and paying all of your bills or required payments on time.

Making it a priority to pay off all of your debt is a critical part of money management. Consider various debt repayment strategies and select the best-fitting one for you.

Summary

Taking these 5 tips on board will help you to improve your money management mindset. Keep in mind that none of these tips will provide a miracle financial cure. Instead, they are more like stepping stones to get you to your desired financial destination.

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