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Welcome to a new month! It is May, and spring on the North American continent is definitely here. With spring comes hope, flowers blooming, the start of baseball, the return of leaves on trees, and nature coming alive.

As I reflect on this month’s article, I feel we can all agree that these past 12 to 14 months have been a marathon! When you run or train for a marathon, you need to do a lot to get ready:

• You must work on your mental game.
• You need to work on diet and nutrition.
• You need to limber up and stretch, because there is nothing worse than pulling a “hammy” as you run the marathon (hamstring)!
• You need to practice the run and prepare for what it is like to go the distance.
• Then you need to run and prepare some more.
• Oh, and you will need to rest and rejuvenate, too!
• You may need medical care.
• You will need a coach!
• Oh, and you need a support team around you, too.

It sounds like running a marathon is like running a business in 2020 to 2021, doesn’t it? However, this training and getting yourself ready are the keys to having “faith” in your success. The following are five “faith” elements of running and training for a marathon that will match you running a business.

1. Fear:

Fear will replace the passion. You will still have passion in your business, but there are days where that might wane. Where fear, doubt and worry overtake your goals to make an impact with venture, and that excitement takes a leave of absence and the grind begins to be a bit much!

2. Appreciation:

The second element in both running a marathon and business is that not everyone is going to back you emotionally or support you or appreciate the fact that you have mortgaged the house or taken a 2nd mortgage this year to meet payroll.

Have you ever noticed when you make a major change, the naysayers come out and might make a comment or question your new version of you? It might be that you lost weight, or you have changed, and you don’t hang out with your friends or family as much as you do learning new technology to morph your business online. The bottom line is that some key people in your life will not be so sure about you doing what you are doing, especially if it changes you for the better. I say, stay with the positive change because no one matters more than you!

3. Intake:

When you train for something as grueling and mind challenging as a marathon or 40 K, you must seek a doctor to help you with your diet. If you are running a business, what are you eating? Similar to a runner, you need to eat well and pay attention to your diet. It is a must. It is about food. Your body will not be able to stay at peak levels if you are wolfing down burgers and fries.

But, what about your other diets? Are you watching the news too much? Are you comparing yourself to people on Facebook? Or are you wasting time with those that do not appreciate your journey or race? If so, you need to change your Intake and diet.

Cut out the fat — the negative voices and the ones who make you feel guilt or badly. Believe me, five minutes of the news can put you in a low vibe mood, and you will not win the day in business by being low vibe!

4. Tolerance:

If you have worked out at the gym or have lifted weights, you are going to feel pain. Imagine running that 26K or a full on 40K? You are going to hurt making cold calls; getting rejected; dealing with a lull in business or rising costs; or not closing deals in a few weeks. All of this is painful.

However, if you have been training for these in your venture, your tolerance level will go up. You can move past the pain and carry on. You need a good vision that drives you, or a mission statement that defines why on earth you are running a 40K or a new business!

Watch the tolerance level. Be able to roll with the punches and get back off the mat and go another round! Do take time to rest and get your breath, though. It is wise to be smart about managing your tolerance levels and rest: Take a walk in the park, goof off for a half day, or play with your kids. Getting you away from the pain of running your entrepreneurial marathon is a wise move!

5. Happiness:

Give your business your best. Be happy that: you survived this year; happy when a client loves your work; happy when the phone rings; happy that you made 5 extra cold calls; happy that you did up a new business plan; or happy, when you hit your sales goals and you did not over-spend! When you run, be happy that you competed in a marathon: You did your best, your shoes held up, and the blisters were manageable.

You see, whether you are an entrepreneur or running, you are in the minority. Did you know that there are roughly 509,000 marathon runners in the United States? That is about 0.15% of the total population. The fact that you even tried is amazing. There are over 30.9 million business owners in the United States — about 10% of the population (stats from Google).

Here is where I close: When you add the traits of a successful business owner or runner, you get F-A-I-T-H, and you are in the minority in both cases. So, walk proudly and be bold moving forward! Have a good month! Keep shining!

The post Being in Business Is a Marathon and a Sign of F-A-I-T-H appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Author: David Cohen

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Remote work is very common nowadays, especially since the ongoing pandemic forced many of us into lockdowns and under restrictions. Working from the comfort of your own house is known to have some serious benefits, such as improving business continuity and lowering operating costs.

As with other work setups, remote working can always be improved upon. Technology can be our greatest ally for such a purpose. Check out these tips for making remote work more efficient and even pleasant:

Create a morning routine

Our brains are naturally inclined towards procrastination when we don’t get enough pleasure in doing something, especially when we have the freedom of establishing our own schedule.

However, that doesn’t mean that procrastination is a good thing. Starting your work immediately after you wake up, grabbing a coffee, and eating lunch will lead to increased productivity and more tasks completed. Furthermore, you’ll feel like your day lasts longer if you finish your work at 1 or 2 P.M. Take care of your tasks first and then have fun for the rest of the remaining hours until you go back to bed.

Avoid procrastination as much as possible

As stated above, procrastination isn’t always good. However, it will likely occur if you don’t have a boss who wants you to start working at a certain time and finish at another. You’ll be tempted to put your stopwatch on hold to search for something online, check your emails or social network accounts, see how the weather will be tomorrow, grab a snack, and more. At that point, you’ll be tempted to respond to messages, and there goes half an hour from your duties. Taking breaks is important, but try to stick to your schedule.

After your work is done, you are free to use your spare time as you wish! Avoid getting frustrated, stressed, and feeling like all you’ve done that day is work.

Streamline tasks by using online tools

Make business projects easier by utilizing tools that can get the job done quicker. For example, the online Lua app that can be used for free is a great tool for dealing with PDF files. You can use its PDF compressor, PDF combiner, and even convert them to and from other formats. Perhaps the best part is that the app’s owners won’t be keeping the files on their servers for long. There’s no worrying that any of your ideas will be stolen.

The interface of the Lua app is very friendly and intuitive, so you won’t have to worry even for a moment that you won’t know what to do while using the software. It will manipulate your files in a manner of seconds, and you can even access the app from pretty much any device that’s capable of accessing the internet.

Do a workout

Working from home, along with avoiding interaction with people and the lack of working out, can inevitably cause sedentariness, weight gain, and can lead to anxiety and even depression. If you do physical exercise at least two times per week, you’ll improve overall mood and health.

These are our top tips for being more efficient while working from home, and we would be glad to read any comments from you on the subject!

The post Tips for Establishing Better Work-from-Home Habits appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Author: Editor

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Anxiety is killing our mental energy. It is, after all, the leading mental health issue in our society today.  In 2017 alone, more than 284 million people experienced anxiety across the globe, making it the most prevalent mental health disorder globally.^[1]

If you are asking the question, “how do I get over my anxiety?”, then this article is for you. I’ve put together a list of my top strategies to help you get over your anxiety. These are the same strategies that have worked for many of my clients over the years, and I think they can work for you too!

Anxiety is, in general terms, as uneasiness or nervousness about an undetermined outcome. Sometimes, this worry and uneasiness is quite excessive and goes from something that we can manage on our own to something for which we need professional help.  If your worry or apprehension includes panic attacks or compulsive behaviors, consider reaching out to a therapist or a doctor for more professional help.

I like to think of anxiety as information—a sign that something is off in your life. It could be a global pandemic, a challenge at work, instability in relationships, or the sign of a larger mental health issue.  Whatever it is, it’s good to think this through and be asking the questions that will help you uncover the parts of your life that could use some adjusting.

Again, consulting with a therapist or counselor, even just for a brief period of time, can help decipher some of these questions for you.  And if you want to give it a go on your own, well that takes us to the first of my five tips on how to get over anxiety.

Here are 5 tips on how to get over anxiety and live a more fulfilling life.

1. The Mighty Journal

You will be amazed by the power of journaling—the path of self-discovery it can lead you down. The best part of journaling is that there is no right or wrong here. It is a private place where you can work through the stuff in your head and figure some things out.

There are lots of formats for journaling, and I have personally changed my own approach several times depending on what was going on and what I was looking for.  It could be that narrative of your day or bullets with highlights or thoughts of the day.

To make the most out of your journaling I would encourage you to push yourself and go beyond a recount of the day’s events. What you really want here is to get into your thought process and understand the feelings behind the thoughts. Timelines can also be a great way to gain some understanding of relationships and the different events in your life. Again, it is a matter of what works for you.

The pen truly is mightier than. . . the meds?!? My own little psych-mashup.

2. Schedule Your Self-Care Time

What are the ways you treat yourself? Life is busy and when life demands increase, self-care is often one of the first things to fall by the wayside. But it is critical that you build in your “you time” because when stress levels increase, so will anxiety.

If self-care is not something that you are accustomed to thinking about, I listed some ideas for you to consider.  Keep in mind that if you schedule it with someone else, it might help with accountability.

Think about working smaller chunks of time into the workweek and then something a little more extensive on the weekend, like a hike, excursion, creative home project, or even the occasional weekend away.

Self-care ideas:^[2]

• Take your lunchtime away from your desk, and get outside for a walk or join a colleague for some casual chitchat.
• Schedule a massage or trip to the spa/salon.
• Watch a favorite movie or TV show, either on your own or with your favorite person/people.
• Work out, inside or out—anything that gets your heart rate up.
• Go on an evening or afternoon walk.
• Tap into your creative outlet, break out that knitting, woodwork, artwork, or instrument.
• Dance, at home with your kids, partner, or on your own.  Play your favorite tunes and do your thing!

You can also try these 40 Self Care Techniques To Rejuvenate And Restore Yourself.

3. Listen to Your Music

Music speaks to our soul. It is a go-to for many of us when in need of a pick-me-up or just blowing off some steam. But sometimes, life gets busy, and we don’t incorporate it into our life the way we once did—finding ourselves in a music deficient rut, listening to the same boring stuff on the radio.

Let this be a reminder to explore the new music out there. Streaming services have revolutionized our access to music and have made it easier than ever before. Explore it and find your jam.

Additionally, music therapy is a growing form of therapy built on the research that it helps decrease pain, blood pressure, and—you guessed it—anxiety while also increasing mood, healing, and overall positivity.^[3]

Medical Doctors are using it more and more in operating rooms and incorporating it into their practices. If you subscribe to Spotify or Apple Music, you can just type in “relaxing music” and you will be sure to find something that will do the trick, bringing calm and focus into your life.  In my research for this article, I came across some great ones., and they are now a part of my daily rotation.

4. The Five Senses Exercise

When we experience heightened anxiety, I think of it as the physical energy rising from our feet to our head like a thermometer. Sometimes, this energy can even bring us to a place where we feel disconnected from our bodies. The 5 senses exercise will help you reconnect yourself to your body and bring your anxiety levels down to a more manageable level.

The 5 senses exercise is a mindfulness exercise where you connect your 5 senses to your present environment. This is a great way to ground yourself and bring your attention and your energy to the here and now.  What I love about this exercise is that it can be done anywhere and at any time. If you start to feel your anxiety creep up, this could be a good strategy to center yourself and possibly ward off a panic attack or prolonged anxiety.

The process is simple:

1. Start by taking a few deep breathes, inhaling as you count to 3, and then exhaling as you count to 3.
2. Next, identify 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch and feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
3. Take it in, give yourself a few minutes.
4. Repeat if needed, and carry on.

5. Mindset Matters

This last one is a big one. A lot of times, anxiety waxes and wanes with how we think about something. Be mindful of your negative self-talk, keeping it in check and working to incorporate perspective. If you know that you are headed into something challenging, prepare yourself for it mentally and allow yourself to be ok with the challenge. After all, the challenge helps us grow and develop.

Also, remember that life is full of choices—granted the options in front of us may be less than ideal, but remember that they are there.  Incorporating some of these above strategies could be one of the first choices you make to create change in your life and get a hold of the anxiety

A quick easy way to get some perspective is to acknowledge the things that you are grateful for (this is also a mindfulness practice).  The gratitude journal is one way to do this where you write down three to five things that you are grateful for every day. Try it out for a week or so and see how you feel. Of course, the more time you practice this, the more you will feel the benefits.

Summing It Up

Anxiety is something that we all experience from time to time, working to identify the source of your anxiety will help you discover the best strategies for you. However, there are some definite best practices that you can incorporate into your life that are sure to minimize your anxiety and keep you living the active and fulfilling life you want.

More Tips on Coping With Anxiety

Featured photo credit: Fernando @cferdo via unsplash.com

The post How To Get Over Anxiety: 5 Professional Tips appeared first on Lifehack.

Author: Meredith Flanagan

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The average success rate of new businesses is not very high. Around half of small businesses only last for five years.

There are a number of reasons that entrepreneurs struggle to create viable, long-term business models. It is easy to think that it is almost always due to poor products and services. However, other factors can be just as important.

One of the biggest mistakes that many business owners make is failing to provide a hospitable environment for customers. You can’t afford to get this part of your business strategy wrong.

What can you do to create a more hospitable business? Some great steps that you can take are listed below.

Conduct Renovations in Your Front Office

Customers will see your lobby or front office before they see any other part of your business. You need to make sure that this room is as comfortable and aesthetically pleasing as possible.

If any of the floors are warped or walls are starting to deteriorate, then you will need to make some important renovations. You might find that replacing your existing floor beams with engineered wood flooring can make all the difference in the world. An interior designer can also help with other parts of the room.

If you are starting a new front office, then you might want to use a room visualizer. This can help you figure out what it will look like first.

Provide Some Simple Amenities for Visiting Customers

You should also consider offering some amenities to your customers. You can have a water cooler in the front office, so people can hydrate when they are thirsty. You might also want to have a few minutes at the front desk. These expensive niceties can actually make a very big positive impression.

Make Sure Your Customer Service Team Is Well Trained

You need to have the right employees acting as ambassadors to your business. This means that it is important to hire the right people from the beginning. However, even the right people are not necessarily going to know exactly how to deal with customers right away. You are also going to need to invest in training them.

Make Sure That the Building Is Cleaned Regularly

Nobody wants to visit a filthy business. People are going to feel uncomfortable if they have to worry about having an allergic reaction to excessive dust, coming into contact with potentially harmful bacteria or other health issues.

Some cleanliness issues won’t necessarily be health hazards. However, they still need to be taken care of. Most customers say that they think it is insulting when a business doesn’t do its best to make things clean.

You should have your employees clean things up every day at the end of their shift. You should also hire a professional cleaning company to visit once in a while to do a deep cleaning.

You Need to Make Your Business as Inviting as Possible

You can’t overlook the importance of making your business as inviting to your customers as possible. You will have an easier time retaining customers and attracting new ones if you have a reputation for having a clean and hospitable environment.

The post Tips to Make Your Business More Hospitable to Customers appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Author: Ryan Kh

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SaaS solutions are one of the more difficult digital products to launch. Although a SaaS solution is in essence a subscription-based product that people are signing up to pay you monthly to use, it can’t just be marketed as though it is an ecommerce store. In fact, the crux of SaaS content marketing is using content to identify pain points that a potential user may be experiencing. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t want to promote the solution to these problems as being your SaaS software. It just means that your content marketing strategy needs to be geared toward your audience’s needs and not that of your company.

However, before you can do this, you need to identify your audience. You can do this by whittling down your various buyer personas into distinct entities you can gear your marketing efforts toward. A good way to do this it to actually think about your audience’s pain points. You can do this by creating a customer journey map. What a customer journey map does is it allow you to get inside the head of your potential user and see what their experience is going through your SaaS sales funnel. This includes everything from when they first become aware of your SaaS product, to when they first visit your website, to when they actually become a user of your product. It should also include any issues that they may have with your SaaS product, particularly if it affects whether they renew their subscription or whether they let it expire if they are dissatisfied with how they are able to use your SaaS offering.

In that sense, your content marketing efforts need to not only be focused on user acquisition, but also user retention. Of course, the most crucial part of the customer journey is when a potential user actually finds your SaaS website. When they do so, you want to make sure that your marketing materials directly address the pain points which led them to seek out a solution to these in the first place. For example, if you are a CRM for construction companies, you will want to focus your content marketing efforts toward organizational issues within construction so that someone who may consider adopting your software can immediately see how it would benefit them.

You also need to make sure that your SaaS solution stands out from the crowd. What this means is that you should focus more specifically on particular pain points, including financial, emotional, technical, and even time management. This will help you gear your SaaS product as being a viable alternative to market leads in your SaaS niche, and can even be geared toward keyword-specific search queries for people actively looking for alternatives to a competing SaaS product.

Once you are able to do this, you can then develop these content marketing categories and create them around your specific SaaS niche and also your audience. You may even be able to identify pain points that are unique to your SaaS space and that may resonate with your various buyer personas. By building your audience’s pain points into your SaaS content marketing efforts, you will be able to better serve your users and convince them to adopt your software for the long term.

The post Identifying Pain Points with SaaS Content Marketing appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Author: Editor

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