Thursday, February 7, 2019

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When you first start to work for yourself, you’ll often be grateful for the opportunity. Plus, there’s just so much to do, that you’ll want to get stuck into the work - and this leaves little time for anything else. But, when you’re running a business, or you’re building your career, there is more to do than just the work. And when you want to focus on making more money, you need to get a lot smarter about those ‘extra’ things. From sales to streamlining your processes, you need to be driving this forward. You cannot work on autopilot or just do things the way in which you’ve always done them. You have to proactively aim to take your earning potential to the next level. So let’s look at how.

Delegating

To start with, one of the best things you can do to grow your business, is to not do everything yourself. When you start to delegate, hire help, and outsource tasks to specialists - especially these extra tasks that take you away from the real money earning work, you free up your time. This then allows you to work on earning more and growing your career.

Expanding

From here, you then might want to expand. The idea is for you to be able to do what you’re doing now, but on a much larger scale. So do you want to aim to double your sales? If so, you need to look at your marketing plan to see HOW you’re going to do that.

Working On Your Skills

Another thing that might work in your favor here, is increasing your skill set. They say if you’re not growing, you’re stagnating. So it’s in your interest to always be learning. So look to your field and find the next level up. Whether it’s a masters in special education or a PhD in communications, take a look at your options. It may even be that you choose to grow your skills by moving into a new field that has more earning potential for you.

Working On Your Pitching

However, you may need to do more that just hone in on your skills. If there’s one thing that will push you to the next level here, it’s pitching. And having the confidence to pitch. And making sure that you consistently pitch and put your name out there. So make sure that you have an elevator pitch that you can turn to in an instant. Remember, practice makes perfect. Sure, pitching and selling yourself is daunting, but the more you do it, the successful you will become.

Networking

Finally, you should find that networking is going to help you to grow your earning potential too. So put yourself out there. Connect with other professionals. Attend events. The more people you meet and can connect with, the more people that you can help. So keep this in mind. And then, you should find that you’re able to drive more sales on a month on month basis, or get more commissions. And this will always allow you to grow your income.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

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Your bank account is something that can cause you the highest amount of stress in life, or it can ease any worry that arises in your mind. There are some good ways to transition from the stress-based way of living with your finances to the confidence of someone with healthy numbers in their account. Here we are going to take a look at some of the things you might want to consider when it comes to looking after your money

Savings

The first area of finances that we are going to look at is the way you can save money. Contrary to popular belief, this doesn’t mean that you have to cut out the things you enjoy in life or settle for subpar services. No, there are ways that you can save money while still getting what you want out of your expenditure.

To do this, you should address one of the elephants in the room of any household, utility bills and costs of subscriptions. If you haven’t been using comparison websites to help reduce expenses already, then the time has come for you to load up one of these sites and get comparing deals to bring down your outgoings. You might think that you can’t make that much of a saving, and you would be wrong. Utility companies and internet providers are clamoring for your business and will offer all sorts of discounts to new customers. And one of the great tricks is taking your new offer to your current provider to see if they will match or beat it - customer retention is a big target for most businesses in this day and age of mass competition so it is worth your time challenging their prices. 

You will quickly find that once your bills start to come down, you will have excess cash leftover at the end of the month. 

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Investments

Now if that is how you can save money, how about making more? Getting involved in the investing world is a good way to start increasing your savings from being sat in a bank account to being something you can build a future with. The problem for a lot of people when it comes to investing is they don’t know where to start and need help. Well for those of you who want to get involved in investing your hard earned and saved cash then consider automated trading to get you going. 

There are many types of investing that are open to you and finding the right one is all about doing your research and settling on where you feel comfortable. For example, someone who is in touch with current affairs around the world might find that investing in foreign currency markets is the best place for them. Whereas someone who isn’t confident on being able to track fluctuations in exchange rates might prefer to look into dividend investing where you buy stock in companies that historically pay out a good dividend each quarter. 

Don’t be deterred from investing just because your knowledge of the industry isn’t particularly high. You can learn with small investments and build your portfolio up over time. 

Friday, January 25, 2019

If you have a close friend or a family member who is recovering from an illness or injury, it’s natural to want to do everything possible to help and support them, but how do you make sure that you do and say the right things? It can be challenging to find the right balance between taking over and being too intrusive and ensuring that your friend knows you’re there whenever they need you. Here are some tips you may find helpful. 

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Offer an ear

Often, when you have to deal with the aftermath of an injury, or you’re struggling to cope with a long-term illness, it can affect both your mental and physical health. Sometimes, people find it easy to talk, but in other cases, opening up is a real challenge. If you have a friend who is recovering after an accident or a relative who has been diagnosed with a chronic mental or physical illness, you can help them out by informing them that you are there if they ever want to talk. This might be the invitation they’ve been looking for to discuss their feelings or emotions, or it may simply give them access to somebody to call upon if they need cheering up or they fancy talking about something that takes their mind off their injuries or symptoms. 

Do some research

If you’ve never been in the same boat as your loved one, it can be difficult to appreciate and understand what they’re going through. If you feel like you’re in the dark, it’s really useful to try and learn more about the condition or the injuries and complications your friend is faced with. If you’re trying to help a friend recovering from an eating disorder, for example, talk to their doctors, read up about the specific disorder on the Internet using reputable, reliable sources, and take an interest if they’re willing to talk to you about their illness and how it affects them on a daily basis. You might be interested to see an anorexia recovery meal plan or to talk to people who have been through the recovery process and emerged the other side. You don’t want to spout facts at somebody or tell them things they already know, but it helps to have an understanding. 

Be positive

When you’re feeling low, and you’re struggling with your health and wellbeing, you need people around you like never before. Try and be a positive influence, and ensure that being around helps your friend. Encourage them if they’re showing signs of progress, build their confidence, and urge them to keep going if they’re getting frustrated by the speed of their recovery. Be a cheerleader and play to your individual strengths. Perhaps you’re not the person who is necessarily the best at giving practical advice, but maybe you can bring a smile to that person’s face every time you see them because they think you’re funny and you take their mind off their recovery. 

Most of us go through periods when we need others to help us out. If you’re eager to support a loved one, hopefully, this guide will benefit both you and your friend. 

5 Ways To Defend Yourself From Online Fraudsters

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Online criminals are constantly finding new ways to steal the personal details of unsuspecting victims. Here’s how you can defend against the most common types of fraud.

Strengthen your passwords

You should firstly ensure that your passwords aren’t easy to hack. You should avoid obvious numbers such as dates of birth and addresses, as well as obvious words such as you child’s name or your pet’s name. Instead, try to keep passwords completely random. Feel free to use real words to keep things memorable – just make sure that these words are totally random and try to add in numbers and different case letters. Something like OrangeZebra23Saturn is completely random and very secure without being particularly complex. Make sure to use multiple passwords and avoid saving passwords so that they’re automatically filled in.

Be wary of suspicious emails

Online frauds may try to pose as your bank or your energy bill provider in order to trick you into giving away personal details. They may even use an email address and template that makes them appear genuine. Try to remember that no official body will ever ask for your details via email – a bank will usually ask you to come into the branch in such a situation.

Use screening software

You may be able to use software to help detect fraudsters in many cases. The likes of Netverify by Jumio can be useful if you’re a business wanting to screen clients – it allows you to use facial recognition technology as a secure option. You may also be able to use a secure email filter such as VadeSecure to check emails for authenticity. There are also tools that can check if sites are genuine to prevent you using a fake site to buy something and giving away your details.

Watch what you post on social media

Fraudsters are now using social media to gain information on people’s personal details. Be careful of broadcasting information such as your address, your date of birth or your mother’s maiden names (there are quizzes that are sometimes set up to obtain these details). Avoid accepting friend request from people you don’t know and make sure that your account is set to private – this will ensure that only people you trust see your information.

Use a credit card for online payments

When it comes to online payments, you’re sometimes better off using a credit card than a debit card. Credit cards tend to be more secure – it’s often easier to get refunds for money that was spent fraudulently. Most payment online platforms such as PayPal allow credit card payments.

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

What Should You Do When Your Child Is Sick?

Sick children are something that no parent wants to go through, and yet it is a fact of life that people get sick. There are things that we can do to prevent it, but this isn’t going to stop your child from ever getting poorly. As such, you need to know what to do when your child does eventually have some kind of illness and we are going to help you with this. We are going to talk about some of the things that you need to do when your child is sick.

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Get Some Professional Advice

The first thing that you should do is get some professional advice. If you don’t know what is going on with your child, and you have no idea how to treat it, then you should seek out professional advice as soon as possible. If your child has an issue like eczema but you have never seen it before on your child, there are some sites that you can go on to find the best treatments for eczema. While this is the case, if it is the first time that you are noticing this issue, you should still take your child to get checked out. As the saying goes, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

If the issue isn’t too bad, you can usually wait and get a doctors appointment the next day. However, if your child is having serious symptoms such as loss of consciousness or anything like this, you need to take them to the emergency room.

Keep Them Feeling Cozy

One of the things that everyone likes when they are sick is to feel safe, and cozy. This is the same for adults and children alike so you need to make sure that they feel this way. Wrap them up in blankets, sit them on the couch or in their bed and make sure that they have everything that they need to feel cozy. If they have a soft toy that they love, let them have this with them at all times. You need to be giving them everything that they need to feel better again.

Don’t Leave Them Alone For Too Long

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You shouldn’t be leaving them alone for long periods of time. Not because anything is going to happen, but because they are going to want to be comforted. Giving them your love and attention is going to be crucial at this time. You want to be there for them, so the only time they should be left alone for hours at a time is when they are sleeping at night time. Even if they fall asleep in the day, you should ensure that you are staying with them so they have that comforting feeling.

Even if you have things to do through the day, try to make it so that you can do them around your children. This way your child will know that even though they are ill, they have their parent there with them, and this alone will make them feel a little better.

Keep Them Hydrated

Your child needs to be getting all the fluids necessary to keep their body working. Having them take small sips of water or juice are great ways to do this. As well as this if your child is hot, you can have them sucking on an ice pop. This will not only get them the fluids that they need, but it will also bring their temperature down. It is common for kids not to want to eat or drink when they are poorly, but it is important that they do continue to do so. You need to be replacing all the fluids that they are losing through sweat, and even if they aren’t sweating, keeping their intake of fluids up is vital.

Encourage Them To Play

Finally, you should be encouraging them to play as normal. Sometimes this is not going to be possible, but if your child can, you should be getting them to play with their toys as they normally would. This could help them to feel better, or it could just serve as a distraction to the fact that they are ill.

Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now know some of the things that you should do when your child is sick. Keeping them comfortable is one of the most important things here, because while we as adults know that it will pass, kids sometimes don’t realize this and need the comfort of their parents.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

Prepare Your Home For Viewings

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Now that 2019 is here you may be looking to move on to the next stage of your life and this can often involve you looking to buy a new house for your family. If you fancy buying a new home this year and living somewhere else, you will want to start preparing your home for a sale. There are some super simple ways you can check your home is ready to sell, and today we are going to look at ways to prepare it for viewings. 

Clean Up

The first and most obvious thing you will want to do before people come and look at your home is to look around and clean up. Your house can end up scruffy in your everyday life and of course you don’t want this to be the impression other people have of you and your home. Be sure to clean the house completely and clear away any of your personal items. Make sure to also lock and hogs any valuables to keep you safe. 

Curb Appeal 

The way your home looks from the street outside is actually much more important than you might think. When you want to sell a home fast you will need to make sure that your house is looking good from the street and it is tidy and appealing. Before people go and view houses they will often drive by and take a look. This can be a make or break for your home so make sure that the front looks just as good as the inside. 

Make Repairs 

Cracks in the wall, mold, damp… all of these things will be annoyances to you in your home but they can be make or break for anyone who is looking to buy your house. Be sure that you take the time before viewings to make some simple repairs around the house and this can really make a huge difference to you when they come over to take a look. 

Cook Something Nice 

This is something which is about creating that cozy and homely atmosphere more than making the home look presentable. When people come to view your house they will be trying to imagine themselves living in this house, not you. This is why anything you can do to make the home feel more like a home is amazing. Baking some cookies or having a stew in the cooker when people come around can spread homely scents around the house and this will help people imagine this as their own home. 

Clear The Rooms 

As we said above, when people come to see your home they will want to imagine themselves living here and not you and because of this it is important for you to clear out things such as your photographs and personal items. This will allow people to see past your home and to a clear space which they will be able to fill up with their own furniture and Knick knacks, which will make things much easier and will make them more likely to buy your home. 

Friday, January 18, 2019

The Benefits of Animal Medical Insurance


Healthcare is something that is very necessary for every family in the United States. It protects you from unexpected health events. Just like you would invest in medical insurance for your children, you might want to think about investing in insurance for your animals. Whether you are looking for insurance for your dog, or horse medical insurance for a farm of animals, there are a number of different providers that you can choose from. The policy that you choose should fit your budget, but it should still be able to provide you with the amount of coverage that you need.

What is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is designed to provide coverage that will cover the cost of a medical procedure. Just one day of attention from a vet could cost you thousands if you aren’t prepared. Something as simple as a urinary tract infection can take time to diagnose and treat. Your insurance provider will help cover the costs that you incur during an appointment with a professional. Depending on the policy that you have chosen, you may also get assistance with routine medical examinations, prescription medication, etc.

Peace of Mind

You can’t predict when one of your animals will require medical attention aside from a routine appointment. The monthly cost is usually very low and typically a large percentage of your expenses will be covered after you reach a certain deductible. In the long run, you’re going to save a lot of money. You’ll also feel better knowing that you have this coverage available.

Pets Living Longer

Unfortunately, many animals are not able to receive the attention that they need because the owner cannot afford immediate medical attention. Insurance will remove this burden and get an animal the care that they need. When you invest in animal medical insurance, you are preparing for a medical emergency that could strike at any time. Seeking medical attention for an animal can be a very expensive situation. Take the time to learn about animal medical insurance and what it provides to you as the owner.

What Are You Trying To Teach Me, My God?

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This is going to be a short post. I just need to write my thoughts and feelings about something that happened to me.

Two days ago, I was worried about our financial state. There are so many medical expenses we need to take care of, then the bills for utilities, even the budget for food was a concern.

I whispered a prayer. "My God, please give me an opportunity to earn a steady income. You know my needs, Lord. Please lead me to the way where I can provide more for my family."

In the afternoon of the same day, I lost a thousand pesos. I was so upset, trying to budget everything and then BANG! I lost my money. Maybe it was because I paid it for my tricycle fare (and never got change back) or misplaced it (impossible for me because I always keep track of expenditures).

My hard earned money that was supposed to go into the food budget for the week is gone. I will have to offset some payments first because food is a priority.

I asked myself, "What is God trying to teach me?" I am confused. I asked Him for an earning opportunity, and yet I lost money instead.

My husband said, "Pray. Ask God to make you understand. Just pray."

I know it is just money and that I can still earn it back somehow. Sadly, I had to accept this unfortunate incident. I am still praying for guidance, for peace in my heart. 

I am putting all my trust in God. He has plans for me. I may not understand it now, but I know everything happens for a reason. 

Come into my heart, O God and dwell in it. Make me understand your Divine Plan for me. 

How To Pay For Emergencies

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Apply for a credit card

Credit cards are a convenient way of borrowing money for emergencies - rather than going through the whole loan application process, you can make purchases with borrowed money with the swipe of a card. It’s worth doing your research when choosing a credit card as there are many different cards out there. 

Many credit cards come with variable interest rates, which you should be wary of. Most also have a spending limit, which is also worth considering.

Having a good credit score will often help you to get better deals on credit cards although there are credit cards for bad credit. You should always aim to pay your credit card bills on time as many credit card providers will offer rewards for good spending.

Open a savings account

If you don’t want to get into debt, you could always set up a rainy day fund. This could include putting money regularly into a savings account. Ideally, you always want to have a couple thousand dollars saved up so that you’ve always got enough money in the event of an emergency.

It’s worth shopping around for savings accounts in order to find one with the best interest rate. This will allow you to naturally grow your savings. Some savings accounts with high interest rates may have restricted access of penalites for taking out money (for example, you may not get any interest for the month if you take money out). You should weigh up whether these restrictions are worthwhile. Online savers also have good interest rates, but withdrawing money from these accounts isn’t as fast as withdrawing from a brick and mortar savings account, making them potentially unsuitable for emergencies. 

Make sure that you only dip into these savings for expenses that are genuine emergencies. Having another savings account set aside for treats such as vacations or a new car is worthwhile.

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Get insured

Insurance is another way to pay for emergencies for those that don’t want to get into debt. There are insurance schemes out there for all kinds of disasters – by agreeing to pay a small amount each month, your insurer will then pay for any emergency costs when they arise.

Health insurance, pet insurance and property insurance are some of the most popular voluntary insurance schemes, although it’s possible to get insured against anything. Obviously, you don’t want to be paying extortionate insurance rates, so you should always shop around for cover.
There are lots of ways to lower your insurance. Investing preventative measures in order to lower the risk of emergencies can often lower your insurance rates (for example, if you live in a high flood risk zone and take out flood insurance, it could also be worth making some physical attempts to flood proof your home such as putting a wall up and damp-proofing the side of your home. Upping your deductible can also lower insurance rates, however this does mean that you have to pay more out of your own pocket in an emergency. 

Wednesday, January 16, 2019


Everyone needs health care. Whether you get health care coverage from your employer, or pay for it yourself, access to health care must be available to everyone.

It is sad that the rising cost of health care drives people to self-medicate, which would later cause a disease to progress and complications to set in. 

No one wants to fall ill, but if we do, we entrust doctors and health care workers to provide the care we need. On the part of the hospitals and medical professionals, they perform their sworn duties to alleviate suffering to the patients who come to them for treatment. However, they have to consider certain factors such as providing quality care while reducing patient costs and possible re-admissions as well as ensuring profitability.

The medical profession operates on ethical standards, so there should be no short-cuts in providing care, and reducing operational costs should not mean compromising quality of treatment offered.

What can be done to achieve both quality health care and business sustainability?

The solution to this is provided by Quartz Clinical.
Quartz Clinical is a program specifically designed to help hospitals deliver high quality care while reducing costs. It is cloud based therefore it provides ease of access to data. A feature of the program is artificial intelligence that can provide forecasts on possible complications and/or readmissions. 

The platform provides in depth analysis of the areas for improvement by handling billions of big data from all aspects of hospital operations - medical care, finance, logistics, etc, all coming together to provide the best strategy that would give patients the same high quality, customized care regardless of demographics, and with a lower cost for both patient and hospital.


This is modern technology meeting health care that was only dreamed of decades ago. Quartz Clinical is bound to change the delivery of health care. It will be more efficient, more customized, more economical and patient centered. This is business intelligence perfected. 

With all that has been said, we are looking forward to a healthier future with Quartz Clinical.