Strategies for CEOs to Build Personal and Organizational Brands

January 5, 2022

By Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D, The Father of Soft Leadership

Organizations must build their brands with values, ethics, and principles to stay relevant and competent globally. CEOs have a crucial role in organizational branding. In this regard, we will discuss personal branding and organizational branding and offer tools to build CEO branding and organizational brand successfully.

As individuals care for their personal brands the CEOs must care for their organizational brands. Their objective must be to keep the image of their organizations intact—free from controversies and adding value through pro bono activities and charities to create an impression in the customers. David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance said, “Great brands need great leaders. They set and direct brand purpose and balance short and long-term financial returns. Their role is to gauge the mood of external stakeholders and ensure that all internal stakeholders behave in a way that is consistent with optimizing purpose and profit. They may be technical experts but the moment they become CEOs they must rise above technical specialism to lead and inspire the whole team.” Some of the global companies including Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, Alibaba, Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Ikea, and McDonald’s have successfully built their brands with their short-term and long-term strategies.

There are innumerable advantages of organizational branding. Top talent prefers working in branded organizations to add value for themselves. It ensures employee retention and enhances employee loyalty. It helps customers purchase products and services without any hesitation. It improves customer loyalty and enhances the brand further through the word of mouth. Trust is the key thing to increase sales for any organization. When the organizational brand is strong, the trust is high and the sales are high. In a nutshell, employees take pride in working for the organizations, customers take pride in associating with organizations, and shareholders take pride to be an integral part of organizations.

Amazon is an Amazing Brand Globally

“Our focus is on customer obsession rather than competitor obsession, eagerness to invent and pioneer, willingness to fail, the patience to think long-term, and the taking of professional pride in operational excellence.” —Jeff Bezos

Amazon has built its brand successfully. It is the world’s largest e-commerce store and is synonymous with online shopping. It revolutionized the way people purchase their items. It changed the perception of shopping globally by shifting people from physical shopping to online shopping. It made things easier for people to shop by sitting at their homes at relatively cheaper prices. It is differentiated from other companies by branding, marketing, and positioning. It adopted a customer-centric approach and customized its products as per the changing expectations and aspirations of the customers. Graham Staplehurst, BrandZ’s global strategy director said, “Amazon’s rise in brand value has been steady over the past few years as it has evolved from an online, price-led retailer to an ‘ecosystem brand’. It has successfully connected the values and positive brand associations from one business – ease of use, speed, reliability – to other areas.” David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, commented: “The value of the biggest tech industry brands does not come just from successful marketing campaigns, but rather, they are each based upon an authentic and obsessive focus on their customers. Amazon has built a brand that has no peer because they provide unmatched convenience, availability, and scale. Their brand is unconcerned with competitors. Instead, it is concerned with removing every possible impediment to customers using their services.”

Apple is an Inspiring Brand Globally

Apple is another company that built its brand unconventionally. Nobody imagined that Apple would be an iconic brand globally. It started with a two-man show in a garage and is one of the prestigious brands globally. It had several peaks and valleys with the exit and reentry of Steve Jobs. Currently, it is an eminent brand under the leadership of Tim Cook. Apple invested a huge amount of money initially to build its brand.

Alibaba Group is a global leader in e-commerce. Jack Ma founded it in his kitchen by pooling his money from his colleagues. He built his brand on six core values—customer first, teamwork, embracing change, integrity, passion, and commitment. Taking leaves from these top companies, the CEOs must carve a niche, define identity, communicate clearly and consistently, reinvent, build relationships with customers, inspire stakeholders to build an everlasting organizational brand.

How to Build Your Personal Brand?

When you want to build your personal brand, you must be clear about your principles, philosophies, and values. You must be clear what you would like to be remembered for. You must weigh your strengths and weaknesses and assess your available resources including money, time, energy, and age. You must identify the people who built their brands successfully in your area and ensure that you adopt innovative tools and techniques to stand out from others. That means you must identify your niche area and craft your vision accordingly. You must find out your audiences and work hard consistently by utilizing your resources to build your brand. You must be passionate about building your brand and patient to build your audiences. You may take minor diversions while accomplishing your goals but you should never dilute your basic brand. You can reinvent your brand with changing times and technologies, age, and priorities. It takes your time, money, energy, and resources to build your personal brand. Therefore, keep all these aspects in view in the initial stage itself to build your brand.

Choose Your Niche Area to Build Your Audience

“Identity is a cause; a brand is an effect, and the strength of the former influences the strength of the latter” —Larry Ackerman

Differentiate yourself, develop a niche area, and work on it relentlessly. Your audiences must know your niche area. Identify your USPs and that of others to create a niche for yourself. You can build your audience gradually when you add value to your area consistently. Like the birds of the same feather flock together, audiences in your interest will come together to receive your messages and share them with their networks. In this way, your messages get spread quickly and more flock will follow you.

Be Selfless to Build Your Brand

Be transparent to build trust in others. Ensure that your brand has an authentic image. You can acquire an authentic image by sharing accurate information and offering your opinions fearlessly and forthrightly. Don’t cut corners. Don’t create an impression that you are selfish to build your brand. Demonstrate your commitment to add value to others. Humanize your brand with emotional elements. Evoke with a mix of people’s hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Be a giver. Don’t expect anything from your audiences. Reward your audiences by sharing free articles and chapters from your book to build loyalty to your brand. When you look at leaders including Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela they were selfless and added immense value to their societies through service and excelled as legends. So, you can also become a legend when you are serious to serve others.

Strategy to Build Your CEO Brand

“Determine who you are and what your brand is, and what you’re not. The rest of it is just a lot of noise.” ―Geoffrey Zakarian

CEOs must build their brands the way they build their organizational brands to impact and influence various stakeholders. CEO branding is essential in the digital world. CEO branding should not be treated as an exercise of ego. It helps the organizations take pride in their CEOs and their contributions. It helps improve the image of organizations. Employees feel proud to associate with such CEOs and organizations. It enhances employee engagement and improves productivity and performance. When you look at Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Jack Ma, they are successful in building their brands and improving organizational bottom lines.

Customers and clients do business with companies if the products and services are good. The brand of the company and CEO influence customers and clients to do business. Therefore, CEO branding helps get new customers and increase the company’s profits. Steve Jobs is an ideal example of CEO branding. Steve Jobs was synonymous with Apple and Apple is synonymous with innovation. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple his brand went up and Apple’s brand increased. After successfully bringing Apple to the right track and converting it as an iconic organization globally, his CEO brand shot up. It became almost impossible for Tim Cook to fill the void created by Steve Jobs. We can learn many lessons from the CEO branding of Steve Jobs. Another CEO who built a great CEO brand is Elon Musk. He leveraged social media by highlighting his strategies and activities of SpaceX. People have become aware of his ambitions in space programs and space tourism.

The CEOs must adopt several strategies to build their brands such as content marketing. They must identify their unique selling positions and work on them to be noticed for the right reasons. They must ensure that their experience, expertise, and knowledge are known and seen widely across the world. They must share quality content to build credibility and visibility globally. They must publish articles in eminent magazines and trade publications based on their abilities and expertise. They must do podcasts to make their presence felt. If they don’t find adequate time, they must choose an appropriate social media platform and add value consistently. They can have a LinkedIn account preferably and share articles and updates regularly. They must identify their target audience and cater to them about the developments, ideas, and insights regularly.

The best CEOs emphasize ethics and etiquette. They are inspiring, and focus on customers. They are effective communicators and decisive. Here is a simple strategy to build your CEO brand. Be clear what you would like to be noted and remembered for. Identify the words that characterize your personality. Create a brand statement. Communicate clearly and consistently in your areas of expertise and experience on various social media platforms. Speak in public forums. Keynote conferences. Participate in discussions in global forums. Engage in speaking activities. Accept invitations to deliver graduation day and commencement speeches. Grab the opportunities to share your experience, expertise, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Volunteer nonprofits. Author books. Be gracious to write forewords and endorse books. Take feedback to improve your CEO brand.

It takes years to build an iconic brand. Therefore, be passionate, persistent, and patient. Avoid pitching your products and services. Share your ideas and insights and add value to others without charging to build your brand as a compassionate leader. Hence, build a strong, solid, and effective CEO branding to inspire your stakeholders.

Conclusion

“When people use your brand name as a verb, that is remarkable.” ―Meg Whitman

Personal branding helps CEOs build their credibility and visibility globally. Organizational branding helps ensure the longevity of organizations. To conclude, CEOs must play a crucial role in building brands for their organizations and maintaining it with ethical values to keep all stakeholders including customers, employees, and shareholders happy.

Note: Adapted excerpt from my upcoming book tentatively titled, “Strategy and Business: Tools and Tactics for CEOs to Build the Organizations of the Future.”

References

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About the Author

Professor M.S. Rao, Ph.D. is the Father of “Soft Leadership” and the Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants, India. He is an International Leadership Guru with forty years of experience and the author of fifty books including the award-winning ‘See the Light in You’ URL: https://www.amazon.com/See-Light-You-Spiritual-Mindfulness/dp/1949003132. He is a C-Suite advisor and global keynote speaker. He brings a strategic eye and long-range vision given his multifaceted professional experience including military, teaching, training, research, consultancy, and philosophy. He is passionate about serving and making a difference in the lives of others. He is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur Magazine. He trains a new generation of leaders through leadership education and publications. His vision is to build one million students as global leaders by 2030 URL: http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com/2014/12/professor-m-s-raos-vision-2030-one_31.html. He has the vision to share his knowledge freely with one billion people globally. He advocates gender equality globally (#HeForShe). He was ranked #1 Thought Leader and Influencer in Business Strategy globally by Thinkers360. https://www.thinkers360.com/top-50-global-thought-leaders-and-influencers-on-business-strategy-december-2020/. He invests his time in authoring books and blogging on executive education, learning, and leadership. Most of his work is available free of charge on his four blogs including http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.com. He is a prolific author and a dynamic, energetic, and inspirational leadership speaker. He can be reached at [email protected].

A Macropay Review on Financial Fluency

January 5, 2022

Do you feel your business is on the verge of a financial crisis? Do you constantly worry about covering operating expenses or paying for upcoming projects? If so, it’s time to get fluent in finance.

Macropay has been helping small businesses become successful by providing them with comprehensive solutions that keep their finances healthy and stress-free.

As a business owner, you know that finance is the lifeblood of your company. Therefore, you need to stay on top of your finances to make good decisions for your company’s future. However, it can be challenging to know which financial solutions best meet the needs of your small business.

Macropay makes it easy for business owners to access, navigate and understand fundamental financial instruments so they can make informed decisions that are right for their company, now and in the future.

Their dashboard is designed to give you all the tools you need to manage your cash flow effectively. In addition, they are an advocate for your business’s health in so many ways. They strive to keep your finances, and consequently your business, strong.

If you are tired of dealing with banks for monthly charges or concerned about the high cost of accepting international payments from your clients, Macropay has solutions for these, and many other challenges faced by business owners.

Macropay specializes in providing small firms with financial services that keep their operations going. They provide companies with a single, simple solution for all their payment processing needs. Utilizing one contract, one dashboard and one API, their payment gateway makes it easy for your business to grow without being confined by traditional payment methods.

Not only does the dashboard give insight into revenue and financial performance, but it also helps you make strategic business decisions.

With the information you need to make data-driven decisions, you can plan for growth and expansion without any financial uncertainties hanging over your head. An additional benefit of the Macropay payment gateway is that it allows businesses to use their preferred alternative payment method or APMs. They have a wide range of APMs like: Bancontact, EPS, Giropay, iDeal, Multibanco, Przelewy24 and Sofort. Open banking is also a feature, giving you even more opportunities to expand your business.

In review, Macropay’s services are accessible through their easy-to-use, all-in-one dashboard that utilizes one contract and one API. This gives business owners access to financial information that can help grow their business and make them fluent in finance.

For more information and other inquiries, please visit www.macropay.net.

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The Best Financial Plan for a Small Business

January 5, 2022

Do you know your company’s numbers? Failing to analyze your numbers results in lost opportunities and significant dangers.

Accounting for small businesses and financial planning helps you establish your company’s financial health. This information enables you to make smarter decisions.

You can make decisions that align with the company’s objectives. You can expand your company while decreasing costs.

Want some tips for financial planning? This article will detail how to set up a financial plan for a small business.

Review Your Cash Flow

A financial plan for a small business needs a cash flow statement. Reviewing your cash flow forecast establishes your company’s income streams.

Your cash flow statement reveals growth opportunities. You can focus your efforts on promising income streams.

Reviewing cash flow reveals what you can adequately manage. You can plan sustainable expansion for your company by establishing small business budgets.

Itemize Every Expense

Small business budgets limit your expenditures. A budget keeps you in line and prevents you from going overboard.

Small business owners can expand their budgets by removing expenses. As companies incur expenses, some become unnecessary. However, not every company monitors its costs.

Itemizing your expenses helps you spot opportunities to reduce costs. Rising profits don’t exclusively come from revenue growth.

Companies can expand profits by minimizing costs. Some companies need to pay more money to achieve higher growth. This structure works if a company grows its earnings.

The setup becomes toxic for a company’s survival when they spend more than they make. Unprofitable top-line growth comes from making $10,000 by spending $11,000.

Risk Management

Business owners take risks to achieve a higher reward. Some of these risks backfire while others pay off nicely. Risk management assesses your ability to manage various risks.

Identifying your cash flow and itemizing expenses reveals your company’s financial health. A robust company can take on more risks and invest more money. These companies can invest in marketing and more employees.

Few business owners anticipate the worst-case scenario. What happens if their new initiative falls flat?

Risk management anticipates setbacks. Falling on a backup plan can reduce your losses. Risk management also prevents you from overextending your company.

Some businesses take on significant debt to fund their operations. Businesses grow much faster with leverage.

However, any slowdown does not wipe out debts. Some companies collapse overnight because of poor risk management. They take on considerable risk in exchange for a high reward.

Sometimes that high reward does not come. You need to initiate protective measures to stay afloat. Building up a cash reserve and cost-cutting will help.

Proper risk management helps companies grow at a steady pace. They take out appropriate financing that matches their objectives.

Your business may qualify for SBIR & STTR Award Financing. This financing can help your company grow and assist your risk management strategy.

Keep Taxes in Mind

Every year, your company must pay taxes. Some business owners get blindsided by taxes due to a lack of preparation.

They continue investing in the business as if taxes will never come. When Uncle Sam asks for his payment, some businesses scramble to accumulate funds.

Failing to keep taxes in mind can lead to significant stress. The stress may affect your ability to operate your business smoothly.

Ignoring taxes can become costly. Late payments and penalties can add up. Ideally, you should pay your taxes on time every time.

Save up money for tax season long before the bill is due. Gradually building up your funds reduces stress. You won’t do an end-of-year scramble to raise funds or put yourself into debt.

You can put these funds into a short-term bond or other low-risk investment. You won’t get significant returns, but any return is better than nothing.

Business owners should assemble all of the paperwork each month. Gathering tax documents and paperwork early on helps you capitalize on all deductions.

Saving money on your taxes makes tax season less of a burden. Ask an accountant about your deductions. They may suggest write-offs you didn’t consider.

Plan for Retirement

Business owners pay their employees. Salaries make up a considerable portion of small business budgets.

Financial planning for your business shouldn’t exclusively focus on employees. Business owners should also allocate funds for themselves.

Someday, you will likely retire from your company. Some business owners plan to sell their business in a few years.

Others retire because they no longer have the capacity to handle the business. Even if you never want to retire, your body and lifestyle may have other plans.

Financial planning around your retirement lowers your risk. We have already discussed risk management for your business. However, you also need personal protection for your finances.

You deserve to get paid well for running a company and hiring employees. Pay yourself a portion of the company’s revenue. If you struggle to pay yourself, review your expenses carefully.

When you pay yourself, that money stays out of your business. You can’t plow that money into advertising or other business expenses.

This money should go into your savings account or personal investments. Don’t let the business outrank your retirement plans.

A Financial Plan for a Small Business Goes a Long Way

A financial plan for a small business brings forth clarity. You gain deeper insight into how to budget current and upcoming expenses.

Financial planning puts a focus on your company’s profits and sustainability. If you want more help with financing, continue reading this blog. It contains many resources to assist with your goals.

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Multi-carrier Shipping: The Bedrock of E-commerce Success

January 5, 2022

When it comes to e-commerce success, online ventures have embraced multi-carrier shipping to deepen their market presence. And shipping tracking software has made it possible for e-commerce ventures to align their supply chain operations by partnering with numerous carriers. As a result, companies have been empowered to find Ecommerce management solutions to problems that have plagued the e-commerce industry. And with multi-carrier shipping software, automated tools, and AI-Powered engines act as the foundational pillars holding together extensive and versatile supply chain operations. Some of the features of multi-carrier shipping that have made it the bedrock of e-commerce success are:

Partnering with multiple carriers

One crucial aspect of partnering with numerous carriers is managing them effectively with our disruptions in the process. That is where shipping tracking software or multi carrier shipping software takes center stage in operations. Shipping tracking software enables you to access all the carriers partnering with your business on a single dashboard. And with the software, you can monitor shipment data under various metrics across all pages to analyze and improve your supply chain operations.

Finding the best shipping rates

Shipping tracking software is integrated with AI-powered engines, which can suggest the best carriers with suitable prices for your shipping. The suggestions are derived through algorithms that analyze various shipping partners’ past performance and order fulfillment history. Thereby reducing the cost and time for delivering your shipments.

Reaching remote locations and providing international shipment

Not all carriers have the means to reach remote locations and provide international shipping. In that case, it is crucial to find the right carrier partner for each shipment. And that is where multi-carrier shipping provides the necessary solutions. They will help you reach a broader range of customers wherever they may be located. And for international shipments, certain carriers.

Leverage unique resources of each carrier

Each carrier your business partners with brings specific resources to the supply chain table. For instance, some carriers may be adept at providing safe shipments with specialized packaging, whereas some will give hassle-free returns management. And this will be backed by each carrier’s performance and order fulfillment history, which will be selected according to the requirement by shipment tracking software.

Keep your business running, no matter what

Many companies might be dependent on a single carrier for all their operations. No matter how reliable one carrier might be, partnering with multiple carriers will make your business operations more versatile and expansive. And they will provide enough ammunition for pushing your business further in the market.

Never letting RTOs Bring Down your Company’s Reputation

RTOs are a Return to Origin process initiated to send the products back to their origin warehouse in case of failed deliveries. Failed deliveries can happen due to wrong addresses, incorrect contact details, stuck shipments. If not appropriately managed, RTOs can brown down the Reputation of your business; hence it is paramount that you have multiple carriers at your disposal to assign the right one to execute shipping operations.

Shipping Tracking and Notifications

Tracking order status is one of the versatile features of the e-commerce purchase experience. And this feature puts your customers’ minds at ease, encouraging them to return to your company for further purchases and a satisfying customer experience. Shipping tracking software is integrated with API to track orders and notify customers of their order status.

Efficient Returns Management is Paramount in Purchase Experience

Customers return more than 20% of products purchased in today’s e-commerce market. And customers are also looking for a return policy to proceed with their purchases. Therefore, providing returns management becomes vital to expand your customer base and satisfy their demands. Some carriers are more suited for picking up and delivering products for the return and exchange process, making them a must-have in the carrier partners list.

Managing NPRs for Reverse Logistics

NPR or Non pick up reports help manage the pick-up of products for the return or exchange process. With the help of multi-carrier shipping software, designate the suitable carrier and handle pick-up exceptions for fulfilling reverse logistics. Shipping software automates the initiation of reverse logistics with customizable pick-up exceptions.

Automated Customer Support

Customer queries can sometimes become a huge hassle, especially with WISMO calls. So, automation tools like Autobots will help customers initiate their queries, including reverse logistics. This will free up your business to concentrate on other aspects of logistics operations.

Conclusion

The amalgamation of the above-mentioned aspects makes for a successful e-commerce business. A major part of that success would be because of the roles played by automation tools and AI-Powered engines in setting up concrete and precise operations. Moreover, successful end-to-end supply chain operations should be replicated day in and day out, which is made possible by utilizing multi-carrier shipping software. Furthermore, we can also understand that this software is crucial in managing multiple carriers simultaneously while providing essential services like order tracking, RTO management, conversion of delivery exceptions, automated customer support, order tracking, and low-cost shipping. Therefore, multi-carrier shipping is the bedrock of e-commerce success.

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How Do You Choose the Best Funds for Investing?

January 5, 2022

Mutual funds provide investment solutions for almost every type of investor with varying risk profiles and goals. With the wide variety of mutual funds available, choosing the best mutual funds could get challenging. There are various parameters to consider while choosing a mutual fund such as fund type, investing style, past performance, consistency, fund manager’s track record, expense ratio, and tax implication, etc. The suitability of the fund types relies on your individual goal and risk profile. Let’s see how to choose some of the best mutual funds to invest in, in India that can help you achieve your investment objectives.

Tips to choose the best mutual fund to invest in India:

1. Define your goals and assess your risk profile

The first thing in investing is knowing your goals. You need to define your goals first. Are you saving for retirement which is decades away or are you saving to pay your children’s school fees for the next year? Once you know what you are saving for, whether it is for short-term, long-term, or medium-term, this makes your selection process easy. If you are saving for the long term, you can choose to go with the equity asset class and debt for short-term needs. Similarly, you need to also assess your risk tolerance. Once you know your risk profile, you can choose the funds that go with your risk profile. For example, if you can take moderate to aggressive risk, you can choose to go with equity-oriented funds.

2. Choose the right fund type

Once you know your goals, risk, and asset allocation, you can go for fund selection. In each main category of funds (equity funds, hybrid funds, and debt funds), there are many subcategories. Investing style and the fund objective of each subcategory vary. Equity funds are available in many subcategories such as large-cap funds, mid-cap funds, small-cap funds, ELSS funds, sectoral funds, and thematic funds, etc. Risk profile and suitability of each fund type vary such as thematic funds follow particular investment theme and sectoral funds invest only invest in a particular sector which makes them aggressive funds. Large-cap funds invest in stocks of a well-known company and are thus considered to provide consistent returns along with offering stability. ELSS funds offer diversification and tax benefits to investors. Similarly, if you wish to invest in debt funds there are various types such as liquid funds, short-term funds, dynamic bond funds, and banking & PSU funds, etc. time frame and the suitability varies accordingly. You need to choose the right fund category that matches your investment objective, time limit, and risk profile.

3. Evaluate the performance track record

Once you are sure of which fund category to go with, you can start evaluating the various funds available in the category based on their past performance. Though past performance is not the pure indication of the future, you can evaluate the fund based on its consistency and the way of performance in different market situations. While choosing the best mutual funds to invest in, in India, you need to also consider the track record of the fund manager, whose expert decisions have a direct impact on your investment.

4. Know the cost

Along with the performance of the fund, you need to also consider the cost associated with the fund. This includes expense ratio and exit load etc. The cost of the fund will have a significant impact on the returns of the fund.

There are various things to consider while selecting the best mutual funds such as your preferred asset allocation, liquidity requirements, tax implication of each category of funds and underlying securities in the fund’s portfolio, etc. ETMoney is one of the best platforms that can help you select the best mutual funds based on various parameters conveniently. You can choose the best mutual fund that serves your purpose with the help of recommendations based on your need.

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One To Watch: REVU To Begin Trading On KuCoin & Gate.io

January 4, 2022

Revuto believes it is paving the way for Cardano-based blockchain apps with the launch of its REVU cryptocurrency token on two of the world’s best-known exchanges, KuCoin and Gate.io.

The company says this is a big deal because REVU is the first token built on Cardano to achieve the distinction of being traded on two of the most popular tier 1 crypto exchanges.

REVU’s debut on those platforms should lend a lot of legitimacy to Revuto’s app, which aims to revamp the subscription economy by helping people avoid paying for services they want to cancel. Using its app, people can choose to approve a subscription payment, block it forever, or snooze the payment until a later date, so they’re not short on funds.

The app works with all major subscription services, whether it’s Netflix, Spotify, Dropbox, Microsoft Office or something else. Simply download the app, sign up, then add each subscription to manage them all in one place.

The key thing about Revuto is it notifies users when a payment is due, and any payments that are sent require the user’s approval first. So it means no more automatic billing of your credit card or debit card, yet it retains the convenience with user’s able to approve those payments with a single tap on their phone.

What’s really great about Revuto though is it does a lot more than just manage subscriptions. The app provides a way for people to make money too. It’s essentially a mobile wallet that lets users stake/lend their REVU tokens to earn rewards/interest. Users can also provide liquidity for more rewards, and they are entitled to discounts when they pay their subscription fees with REVU. Additionally, the REVU token enables users to participate in Revuto’s governance, making proposals and voting on them.

With so much utility, Revuto believes there will be big demand for REVU from investors once the token starts trading on KuCoin and Gate.io. Revuto said it has worked hard to ensure it attracts interest, partnering with Skynet Trading to create “institutional-grade liquidity solutions”.

“It may take longer, and is often the more difficult way – but it’s the right way to build long term value,” said Revuto co-founder and Chief Executive Vedran Vukman.

REVU will surely be one to watch from the moment it makes its debut on KuCoin and Gate.io on January 7.

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Why Consumers Choose AMSEC Gun Safe Over Other Safes

January 3, 2022

We know how gun safes are important to our lives both in terms of investment protection and avoiding unauthorized persons to use the guns. However, today’s customers know that all safes are not created equally. The difference in size, color, finishing, and many other things. But the variation in structural designs, materials, and manufacturing make a considerable difference. These three considerations can impact the security promises. In this post, we will be paying emphasis to why customers are demanding AMSEC gun safe rather than other brands.

Reasons of Customers

Work of Safe Matters

A vendor who claims “6” thick safe doesn’t necessarily mean it will be solid steel. The doors of the safe are constructed with layered materials that have specific resistance. If the construction cost is less, there are higher chances of using inferior material and cannot be as secure as said in the description of the product. The steel must be of a thick material as it’s hard to damage and have high resistant power. That’s why AMSEC home security safe is a bit pricey than many brands and never turns into a disappointment because of the material the brand has used while manufacturing.

Not all Manufacturers Claim Tons of Years Durability

It’s true that today’s safe comes with a prominent tagline that it’s worth investing in due to durability. However, they cannot work as long as AMSEC safes work. AMSEC is known for its high-tech products, and its safes are packed with advanced technology and quality materials. This makes the safes run for over 15 years. Plus, the brand has certificates that prove the safes’ durability, and with customers’ experience, the rating in terms of durability is wonderful.

Authorized Agency Fire Testing

American security is the first brand that gets its fire rating tested. If the brand says that it offers fireproof safes, they, of course, mean it. They get the testing done and owe the certification, which makes a claim authentic, and this is what customers appreciate. Many brands say that they meet the laboratory standards without having fire verification from the authorized agency. Therefore, American Security Safe again stands true to customers’ expectations and makes their spending go in worth.

The Outer Part of the Steel

In the first pointer, the discussion was about the material of the steel. Now, it’s time to take a closer look at the construction of the outer part of the steel surface. It’s the thickness of the outer body of the steel that reduces the risk of fire & theft. AMSEC safes manufacturing are done with a robust steel plate and meet the customers’ goals by providing the appropriate level of security.

These are the reasons that make customers move towards the brand. Every person is looking for a powerful yet immense secured safe which American Security is fulfilling. The brand stands true to its quality and all other features which its products talk about. Therefore, one can make a better buying decision after reading the post.

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10+ Proven Hacks For Marketing A New Business Online In 2022

January 3, 2022

Building a brand presence and snatching quality traffic from your competitors is something that requires effort and strategy! Not to mention that as a novice in the online industry you may not have enough experience regarding marketing your new business.

Therefore, searching for different ways to promote your content in the market is obvious. But many newcomers often overlook the importance of the right marketing strategies.

Not putting much effort into marketing your new business can drag you down in the process of gaining a more stable amount of organic traffic. So learning something useful for your business, that can help you grow it more quickly. Should be interesting if you enjoy the process.

Don’t worry as we have discussed some quick tips about marketing your new business and driving enough visitors regularly.

How To Effectively Market A New Business Online In 2022?

Most of these tactics are easy to implement yet you may require additional assistance, or help for trying some of these. Because using the required SEO tools and following the process can be a completely new experience for newcomers.

There’s a high chance to fail during your first attempts. But don’t worry if you don’t see expected results, as you have just started publishing quality content regularly.

It will take some time to acquire attention from a huge targeted audience, and make any progress with your marketing activities. To ease up the process we have mentioned the best methods to start marketing your business right away!

1. Outreach Similar Business Sites

Don’t hesitate to outreach business owners in the same niche as yours, As creating strong industry relationships can help you at a later stage with growing your brand value. Outreaching is not a complicated process as you can simply find their contact information on their site or use a form builder to collect such contact information.

Let them know what you feel about their work, which content you like the most, and share your thoughts if you are receiving a proper reply. Such casual conversations will help you get familiar with them.

Furthermore, once you are comfortable enough starting a discussion for exchanging Dofollow backlinks will be much easier for you. Doing so can help both of you to get more exposure in front of a much broader audience. Both of you can even publish a dedicated post telling about each other and promoting the services simultaneously.

2. Social Media Marketing

Social media is full of curious people with a variety of interests. This creates an opportunity that people will eventually visit your website if you are offering something valuable. You can utilize these amazing platforms to stand out even better in front of your target audience.

You can either create a slow yet steady traffic source by building a following or opt for social media advertising with throttl.com to increase the number of followers more quickly.

Especially if you are into the fashion industry and start your own fashion blog for business, social media marketing is going to help you grow very quickly due to its nature.

Platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram are a great choice for both paid and free methods. As they allow their users to run paid marketing campaigns to reach their desired audience easily.

3. Email Marketing

Professional marketers have been optimizing Email marketing as a powerful weapon for a long time. Email marketing allows you to directly land in your reader’s inbox. Due to this fact, it becomes much easier to get more sales and conversions along with referring traffic to your content.

However, you will need a powerful email marketing tool. To handle so much data and requests at the same time, you can choose email marketing software like Aweber and SendinBlue.

These tools will help you with scheduling your emails, creating attractive email formats, and automating the whole process. Not to mention you will need to get a subscription for using such powerful features. So choose your email marketing software wisely as you are going to invest in it.

4. Using SEO Software

A lot of professionals have been using SEO tools for marketing their new business online And outranking tough competitors with accurate planning. By using the best SEO tools available in the market, you can focus on improving your content quality and fixing any drawbacks you face while your promotional activities.

Features like link builder, social media scheduler, and ad campaign manager can help you a lot in improving your overall presence. As it’s not easy to manage everything by yourself you can find these features in tools like semrush and raven tools.

However, if you think these tools are not worth it, you can choose from a lot of Raven tools alternative available in the market. Not to mention keeping an eye on your marketing campaigns and analyzing the overall growth of your marketing efforts is easier with these tools.

5. Optimizing Ad Campaigns

Using the paid methods for marketing your business and gaining enough potential traffic is another popular method. A large number of people prefer to choose paid promotional activities for faster results.

However, you need a solid budget for using these promotional services. which is not possible in some cases when the budget is limited. But if you have enough investment on hand then Ad networks such as Facebook and Google AdWords are best if you want to invest.

We recommend starting with the Facebook Ad network if you want to start small and see how things work for you. Because Facebook advertising campaigns allow you to customize the campaigns and bid amount easily. It will help you keep the overall costing to as low as possible with the same results.

6. Use Content Curation Sites

Content curation sites are a great way to promote your business with the help of supportive articles. If you have never used content curation sites before then we’ve got you covered.

When it comes to using content curation sites, usually they are operated by an individual or a group of people. The main purpose of content curation sites is to reproduce the content which is already available on the internet.

The content can be related to any trending topic in the market. Try to find such content curation sites that can promote your business by including your content in their posts easily. Some of the popular content curation sites are Feedly, Buzzfeed, and Supply.

7. Reach out to influencers

Reaching out to influencers is a great marketing strategy. Influencer marketing is a great method that is currently trending among professionals and companies at the moment. In case you are not aware of influencer marketing then don’t worry.

People with a decent following on different social media platforms are a great source for finding targeted traffic. And influencer marketing is getting your products/content promoted by such people with a targeted audience.

You can reach out to such influencers and fix a deal according to the charges they have fixed. However, make sure to get complete information regarding the promotional activity and its costing before hiring any influencer.

8. Link building

Popular businesses won’t stand a chance in the SERP rankings if they don’t have any backlinks. Hence Link building is a very popular SEO tactic.

Creating quality backlinks is a time-consuming process that requires both effort and patience. But building niche-related links is completely worth it when it comes to increasing your site’s growth.

The process may seem lengthy and confusing for beginners, but the more quality backlinks you have the more organic traffic and exposure your business site will receive. This will result in marketing your business automatically in front of a targeted audience.

9. Improve Performance

It may sound like a piece of basic advice but yes improving your new business’s overall performance can make a huge difference. But how and why? The answer is very simple, if your business takes longer to load completely on the different types of devices, the search engines won’t even bother to make your business appear in the search engine result pages.

After the recent mobile-first index update from Google, it’s extremely important to make your new business more mobile-friendly than ever. The main reason behind doing so is that after the recent update all websites will be ranked according to the performance of their mobile version.

So make sure to use responsive themes with proper media optimization to avoid any problems in the future. It will also increase your chances to attract mobile device users whenever they search for queries related to your niche.

10. Leverage contributions

Many online businesses think that contributions on other sites don’t work anymore. However, that is not completely true because a lot of people are building quality backlinks with guest posting even now. Hence, if you know how to leverage guest posting to your advantage it will benefit your new business.

Guest posting is a method in which you approach a different site for contributing a piece of content. The person who will use your content will publish it on their site so they don’t have to spend time researching for fresh content.

In return, they will mention your business along with a permanent do-follow backlink. You can also send some information about yourself as a contributor for indicating the authorship. Above all, if you are contributing regularly on some platforms, people will get to know you and your business more.

11. Utilizing the concept of web stories

Google itself is promoting the concept of web stories recently. You are more likely to understand it properly if you watch YouTube shorts or Instagram reels regularly. Unlike those short video-based content, web stories are not limited to a specific platform such as YouTube or Instagram.

Therefore, creating visually attractive web stories can help a new business to appear in Google discover. For those people who have not heard about Google discover before, it is a type of newsfeed where related content is shown to the users. Your web stories can be featured in this newsfeed if it relates to users’ interests.

Fortunately, you can use the concept of web stories with your CMS easily. You can use the official web story creation tool from Google to learn more about them. And create stunning web stories that drive more organic traffic.

12. Assist people with their problems

As we discussed previously, building connections is very important for making your business successful. You can promote your new business to a vast audience if you are willing to help them. But how can you encourage people to visit your new business site? The first step you should take is finding such people who are facing problems within your niche.

Use your expertise and knowledge to solve their problem. And if the solution is hard to explain through comments, create descriptive content about the solution. In this way, you can promote your business directly and build goodwill as well. Not to mention it will also benefit you in your SERP rankings because of a lower bounce rate.

Final Words

Performing marketing and promotional activities for a new business takes a lot of time and effort. But if you work accordingly and choose the right methods for promoting your quality content to others, marketing your business will be much easier.

In conclusion, market research and marketing your new content is a never-ending process. As you need to keep updating your audience with the latest trends and fresh content. Using the proven method discussed within this post can help you a lot. Feel free to ask any questions or share suggestions in the comments section below.

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Global Hospitality Cautious Optimism

January 3, 2022

By Peter Plaut

COVID-19 Dismantled the Global Hospitality Industry on Many Levels

In recent years, global tourism has fuelled exponential growth in the hospitality sector, but COVID-19 and the resulting precautionary and necessary lockdowns have dismantled the industry. The US accounts for most global tourism and the resultant spending and, for countries such as Italy and Spain, tourism represents upwards of 20 per cent of GDP and is thus key to their economies. This sector faces significant headwinds in both the near and the longer term. However, there is significant reason for optimism.

The Unprecedented Fiscal Policy Response Resulted in a Bounce in Economic Activity

The global pandemic prompted unprecedented policy responses from central banks globally and corresponding world leaders. Indeed, in less than three months after 31 March 2020, interest rates were cut to zero, enhancing the global economy with liquidity. In addition, fiscal measures including massive government spending initiatives and subsidies were initiated to assist businesses and the general public. These measures resulted in a sharp bounce in economic activity from unprecedented declines in Q2 2020.

COVID-19 forced the near or complete meltdown of almost every hotel business across the globe. At the height of the lockdown, occupancy rates were between 0 and 20 per cent industry-wide. To frame this properly, most operators require a minimum occupancy percentage of at least 40 per cent or more to simply break even. Once the shutters have been put up, it is not a simple task just to reopen, as there are many items that must be addressed, not the least of which is appropriate staffing, as well as implementing the necessary health and precautionary cleaning guidelines. Reopening has been flagged as the number-one near-term challenge facing the industry. In addition, determining appropriate room pricing remains a key issue as hotel room availability comes back online after the closures.

Vaccines and the Easing of Travel Restrictions Will Prompt a Rebound in Some Hospitality Sectors

In recent months, the roll-out of vaccines and the lifting of travel restrictions held out hope that the hospitality industry would benefit from an upsurge in travel spending. This was based on significant pent-up demand for international holiday travel following the prolonged lockdown since March 2020. For example, this past July and August, hot spots in Greece, Spain and Portugal witnessed sharp rises in travel and hotel demand. Moreover, as of 8 November 2021, European and UK citizens are now able to travel to the US after being banned for two years, just in time for the holiday season. In a surprising development, business travel has picked up quite significantly, despite concerns that it would be dead for years to come, as more people opt to work at home and use virtual apps to conduct meetings. For example, business conferences have shown increased activity, as people want to meet in person. Nevertheless, with the efficiency and productivity of virtual meeting platforms, business travel is unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

Over Time, COVID-19 Will Be Controlled, but not Eliminated

Despite renewed optimism, just as certain segments of the global hospitality community are recovering, a new COVID variant, Omicron, has initially resulted in renewed travel restrictions as we go into the holiday season and New Year. Over time, with the assistance of vaccines and booster shots, COVID-19 will be neutralised but not eliminated, and the global hospitality industry will rebound accordingly. However, key trends facing the industry prior to pre pandemic levels will likely become even more pronounced and will need to be addressed for the survival and growth of larger companies.

The Large Operators and Niche Hotels Are Best Positioned

Large operators with depleted but strong balance sheets and solid liquidity are the best positioned to benefit from the expected rebound in activity. There will likely be consolidation within the industry. Niche boutique hotels offering health-and-wellness-focused accommodation and experiences will be increasingly in demand, as well as those offering experiential activities. Smaller operators without a differentiated product offering will likely not survive, presenting opportunities for others to acquire the asset(s) or reposition them into other real estate asset classes, such as residential.

Traditional Hotels Are Dinosaurs and Will Need to Embrace New Ways to Attract and Retain Visitors

The traditional hotel business of renting a small room and bed is a dinosaur. Even the large, well-known brands need to adapt to changing customer preferences, especially as a new generation of global nomads and Generation Z become a more significant force. Hotels will need to explore ways to enhance the value of their brand, attract visitors, increase customer loyalty, and capture a greater share of their wallet. Competitive threats from new entrants, including AirBnB and start-ups, are disrupting the marketplace and placing stress on the traditional ways hotels market themselves and do business.

New Technologies and Personalised Experiences Are Key to the Future

Technology, especially smart technology, is becoming more critical to the success of the industry. COVID-19 has accelerated the introduction of mobile technologies, including the use of mobile phones for guest check-in, room access, food delivery, and other services. Mobile apps are increasingly being used for guest loyalty programmes and cross-selling. The guest data captured on these mobile platforms will be important in tracking customer feedback and spending patterns. The use of AI will allow for targeted marketing material and enhancing the overall personalised customer experience. Virtual reality in the hospitality industry will allow customers to experience the hotel and nearby attractions. Hotels will need to be focused on their digital and social media presence.

The hotel and hospitality industry will need to be more about personalised experiences. All-inclusive, theme-based experiences tailored to customer interests will be a growth business. In addition, COVID-19 has prompted a focus on niche boutique hotels delivering health and wellness and outdoor activities, including a different architectural model to achieve more distance between patrons. Global awareness regarding sustainability and environmental issues will lead to growth in “glamping” and other similar experiences, which has already begun in select markets.

In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the global hospitality industry, but there is reason for optimism, most notably the transformation of the traditional hotel model and the emergence of new and dynamic product offerings and consumer experiences helped by smart technologies and a focus on health and well-being.

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About the Author

Peter Plaut is consistently recognised as a leader in the industry. Since the COVID-19 pandemic locked down the global economy, Peter has been active in real estate development financing across various asset classes, including residential, mixed use, office, and hospitality. During the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, he was ranked as one of the Top Rising Stars of Hedge Funds. This track record is a recognition of his ability to manage through crisis and is cycle-tested. In early 2020, his team at Wimmer Financial was given the Real Estate Investment Bank of The Year award, ahead of BNP, Credit Suisse and UBS. In 2021, Wimmer Family Office won the leading Family Offices Specialist award.

Easy Steps to Get Your Finances in Order in 2022

January 3, 2022

Dealing with finances can be a stressful endeavour, no matter the scenario. Whether you’re working on individual finances or trying to keep a company afloat, it isn’t always easy to figure out what to do. That said, it’s always a good idea to make extra preparations for 2022.

Fortunately, when it comes to managing finances, you aren’t alone — which means there are many examples you can take that can help make the process easier to handle. There’s no need to worry about trial and error when managing your finances. Here are a few easy steps you can follow to ensure everything goes smoothly in 2022.

1. Organising your financial paperwork

The first step is often the most tedious, though it ensures that the rest goes smoothly. From your bank statements and mortgage payments to your utility bills, the first step is to ensure that you have an easy way of getting what you need. It might come as a surprise how much of a difference organising your financial paperwork can make, as you won’t have to constantly rummage around to find a single document. You should label your documents and organise them neatly to ensure you can find them at a moment’s notice.

2. Taking the time to build an emergency fund

The advantage of organising your paperwork is that it can help you figure out how to improve your overall finances. There’s always something you can set aside for a rainy day, and you must build an emergency fund as soon as you can. However, it’s understandable to have difficulty building up an emergency fund when you already have many things to worry about. The key thing is to take things slowly and find ways to build funds without making it too challenging for your budget. You can get started by hiring a financial adviser in Kent, especially for those residing in the area. Hiring a specialist will help you build your emergency fund and ensure you are ready to keep your finances organised.

3. Committing to paying off debts

Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of keeping your finances in order is to focus on paying off your debts. Once you’ve benefited from debt, it can often feel discouraging to make payments, as many people feel like they’re no longer getting their money’s worth. However, keep in mind that paying off your debts, even bit by bit, will help make it easier to get loans in the future.

4. Slow and steady wins the race

Last but certainly not least, your commitment to taking things slowly and making progress no matter how little, will determine your success. Keep yourself focused, and take the time to tackle the little milestones when managing your finances. The more you discipline yourself, the easier it becomes.

Eventually, managing your finances will feel less like a chore and more a part of your daily routine. Given enough time, you’ll set up an emergency fund and have a much easier time saving money and keeping your finances in order.

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