Real Estate

Three ways to increase your IRA

I like solutions that give me maximum choice and control. I service my own motorcycles and guitars. I do my own basic electrical and plumbing repairs. I file my own taxes … unless they get really complicated, in which case I know where to draw the line and bring in an expert.

Along the way, I have learned to avoid large, remote institutions, as they don’t give me many options. Retirement planning is a good example. For a few years I had a 403 (b) plan from a previous employer. Once I took the fees and costs into account, it became clear that it would be better to pay taxes on the salary that would have been used for contributions and invest it myself.

Many people are realizing that individual retirement accounts (IRAs) suffer from the same problem … but it’s one that you can solve by moving away from the IRAs offered by large institutions and migrating to a self-directed IRA.

The IRA Released

Most retirement investment products are not designed with you in mind. Instead, they are designed to direct your retirement savings into the US equity markets A whole “food chain” has grown up around America’s retirement system, pumping money from Main Street to Wall Street … Like I need more

The problem is the lack of investment options. Most institutional IRAs offer only a limited range of US stocks and bonds.

The truth is, your IRA can legally pursue just about any investment option imaginable – real estate, business start-ups, intellectual property, precious metals, you name it. A “self-directed” IRA is perfectly legal and can be as simple or as complex as you are comfortable with.

Is that how it works. By law, all IRAs must have a US-based “custodian” who is responsible for custody of your IRA, record keeping, transaction processing, filing IRS forms, and other administrative tasks. . Most large custodians make things simple for themselves by offering a standard menu of US stocks and bonds. But there is nothing to stop an IRA custodian from offering foreign investments, real estate, private mortgages, precious metals … and much more. In essence, some custodians allow you to manage your own IRA.

A self-directed IRA is like a conventional IRA: tax deductible contributions; no income tax; distributions are taxed as ordinary income. The difference is that a specialized IRA investment custodian allows you to actively choose your investment.

For example, your self-directed IRA could buy a home that you plan to use in retirement, but rent in the meantime. Tax-deferred rental income is used to maintain the property and to finance other investments. You can select the property and negotiate the terms of the deal yourself. (However, the custodian must be the legal owner, so all documents are in your name, although you are referred to as the owner of the IRA, as “Custodian of company XXX for the benefit of (Your name) GO TO”.

When you title the home when you retire, you’ll pay regular income tax on the appreciation of the home’s value since the IRA bought it. For example, let’s say your self-directed IRA buys a home for $ 100,000. He rents it out and it appreciates at an average annual rate of 8%. After 20 years, your $ 100,000 investment would be worth $ 215,890, and when you move, you will pay income taxes on the $ 115,890.

The gold option

Thanks to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, a self-directed IRA can contain gold, silver, platinum, platinum, and palladium, either as bullion or coins. In both cases, the metal or coin must be of a specific quality to qualify for an IRA. For example, an IRA may own American Gold Eagle coins, Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins, American Silver Eagle coins, American Platinum Eagle coins, and gold and silver bars with a purity of 99.9% or higher. (Some known gold coins, including the South African Krugerrand, are prohibited, as are gold bars that are not pure enough.)

To meet IRS requirements, the custodian must keep the precious metals in an IRA … sorry, you can’t keep it yourself. IRS Publication 590 specifies that “The trustee or custodian must be a bank, federally insured credit union, savings and loan association, or entity approved by the IRS to act as trustee or custodian.” Many trustees / custodians use private warehouses to store IRA metals. Alternatively, your IRA can invest in COMEX metal futures or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

The best option on the high seas

There is another IRA “trick” that can really open up the world of investing for retirement. That’s so your IRA custodian creates and owns a limited liability company (LLC), either in the US or abroad, which in turn can make the necessary investments, including gold and other metals. In this case, you can basically manage the LLC yourself, bypassing the custodian for most matters.

However, the key to all of this is getting good advice from an experienced and knowledgeable tax attorney. IRS rules for IRAs are pretty strict and mistakes can lead to “early distributions” … with the tax implications that come with it.

So go ahead, supercharge your IRA … but get help. DIY doesn’t mean going it alone, after all.

Shopping Product Reviews

IPad rentals have steadily improved academic institutions

IPads have been a versatile tool for enhancing academic institutions and enabling them to transform into a technological superhighway that explores new technological possibilities.

In recent years, Apple’s iPad rental has literally become the hottest choice among certain top variants of later laptops and tablets that keep popping up on the market and it has, in fact, become an excellent device. specifically for certain outdoor technical seminars and symposia.

In fact, iPads have become the smart devices of today and have really found their way to the best improvements of computational requirements in an academic institution, but the most ardent motive that comes to everyone’s mind is that:

  • Has Apple’s iPad become a burning necessity for an academic institution student to capitalize on academic projects?
  • You also have to understand the true need for iPads in your own university curriculum.

IPad rental proves to be a smart tool to go completely mobile

As a proven fact, iPads have been designed to be a completely mobile device, weighing around 600 grams; it becomes an apparent tool for students to carry around campus. Since the iPad has been specifically designed to be completely mobile, the iPad as a device also accommodates seamless network connectivity, it can be easily connected to Wi-Fi via a local area network (LAN) that is already installed in The Campus. or it can be connected wirelessly.

In general, these two attributes on an iPad allow the student to do extensive research on academic projects and then excel at the academic projects in which they are enrolled.

IPads in academic institutions have shaped a student’s intellectual capacity

In today’s scenario, the world is constantly evolving with newer technology that keeps coming to market steadily. In fact, iPads have brought the immense scope for a student to really master the technology and allow him to think outside the box for any situation and also outsmart academic projects.

In fact, iPads generally provide the intellectual and technological capacity of a student in a university and it becomes very relevant for them to acquire these necessary skills on school days to combat advanced technological advances with reference to their subject lines. In other words, iPads have become the determining factor in shaping careers and your career path alongside technological advancement.

Digital catalogs and digital printed materials

As an academic institution, the management does not have to worry about manipulated study materials or books that have been lost in the long term. As through iPads, students can still access valuable information on the Internet in the form of digital catalogs and digital printed materials, which becomes a central component in the academic curriculum.

IPad rental has been the burning factor in exploring the internet at a young age.

IPad rental has been a burning factor for the student in a university or academic institution to expose and empower the student with the advanced technological innovations that keep happening and it has become the proven fact that more than 75% of the students are persistently capable of achieving academic excellence. Schools and other academic institutions are already encouraging their students to be self-sufficient in their academic project and some of the schools have already built their wireless networks and supported the latest technology as part of the curriculum.

Sports

Betting on Sports: A Quick Guide to Betting on MLB

Whenever someone asks another person what sport to bet on and who to bet on that sport, the average American will probably say baseball or basketball. As for who to bet on, the answer will probably be a bit more vague than the first. Most of the time people bet on a team because it’s their home team, a New Yorker betting on the Yankees, or simply because they grew up watching the team and idolizing it, like when someone loves the Red Sox because they remember their dad. taking them to the ball game on the weekends.

However, if you are one of those who are serious about sports, you want a better reason to invest your hard-earned money. If you are looking to bet on sports that are easier to understand and follow, you may want to give baseball a try. However, if you bet on sports or like the big leagues, you probably need to understand each team’s pitching lineups in order to get the best picks. This can be a bit confusing at first, but it is infinitely better than understanding more complicated numbers in other sports.

To bet on sports like baseball, it’s important to look at each team’s setup every time they face a left-handed or right-handed pitcher. The reason behind this is that some coaches will not allow their left-handed players to play if they know that the right-handers can handle the game. The Boston Red Sox have premium offensive ball players. They have Trot Nixon and Johnny Damon defending in the outfield and both are left-handed when hitting. Because of their prowess, they hit more home runs when facing right-handed than left-handed pitchers, so good managers will place left-handed pitchers when they know that Nixon or Damon will be up to the bat. It is very important that you understand the dynamics of your computer setup. If they are set up wrong, even if they have the strongest players, they still won’t be a good choice.

Some baseball teams really excel when it comes to maximizing the setup of their players and teams, some just fail in this department. The Rockies had a hot streak, 14-9 left-handers last season at home, but only managed a poor 6-17 on the road. This season they are 7-2 at home against left-handed pitchers, but only a measly 2-2 when on the road. The Orioles did a dismal 7-18 while on the road a few years ago when they faced left-handed pitchers and this season they are doing worse at 1-10. It is really essential to enter the statistics of the entire team, beyond going through the profile of each member. From there, you can find the pieces that you can fit together so that you can pick winner after winner and get some really good money from the bets too. The numbers translate to winning picks and more winnings.

Tours Travel

Tahiti and French Polynesia: Paradise Lost, Found and Reclaimed

I find that traveling is the best form of education a person can get from the world we live in, and have a wonderful time in the process. The art of travel requires a great deal of skills to develop personal character. Traveling is a passionate life. It takes a person of courage to carry that backpack, from one country to another, from one continent to another. Low-budget trips force you to blend in; to learn how to meet people and communicate effectively. Travel breaks preconceived cultural barriers, helping the individual to appreciate and understand different cultures.

Traveling broadens perspectives and teaches new ways of determining quality of life. A good traveler is flexible, capable of adapting to each new situation and adjusting the rhythm to his own style. Traveling can be the last bastion of maximum freedom.

The backpackers I met here on Moorea, a society island adjacent to Tahiti, are a mature and highly intelligent group of world travelers with a great understanding of their travel experiences. The topic of discussion and laughter includes customs, currency exchange scams, bartering, and the different treatment of innocent travelers by customs officials, depending on their nationality. Stimulating conversations covering similar and varied observations of people, cultures and their respective governments, places ranging from Nepal to New Caledonia, Fiji to Chile, to Syria and Easter Island.

As the days passed, so did different segments of travelers, European nationalities and languages ​​always changing around the campsite. Strong friendships quickly emerged, and it was always a warm and emotional scene at 1:45 PM when we said goodbye to the departing travelers on the bus that would eventually take them back to Papeete, Tahiti. Fortunately, for those left behind, a quick dip in the cool, clear lagoon would quickly help dissolve the tears.

Throughout our stay on the islands, each traveler, through our daily discussions and actions, conveyed an intimate sense of what their idea of ​​paradise would be and how they are discovering it at their fingertips here in French Polynesia.

For Diana, a Canadian woman from Toronto in her 30s is discovering her paradise on her daily walks around the island of Moorea. A person who goes to bed early, like many people on the island, gets up before dawn to begin their hike to Cooks Bay. Through these walks, Diana has found solitude, the delicate calm beauty of flowers and the warmth of people that gave her an inner peace like none she has ever known. She says she is the happiest here she has ever felt in her life.

For Miguel, our kind and cordial sixty-seven-year-old Italian gentleman, he was discovering his paradise by participating in youth company, chatting with other soul mates who also enjoyed traveling, and the vigor this brings to oneself. Miguel said he is the only person in his small northern Italian hometown of 4,000 who has traveled beyond Italy. His wife and neighbors were old in spirit and spoke of life in depressing terms. There was too much life breathing into Miguel’s bones to submit to that lifestyle for long.

For Luke, the artist, an Englishman living in Zurich, these islands helped him find inspiration for painting and photography.

For Walter and Carol, a middle-aged Canadian couple in Toronto, they are finding their own paradise by enjoying life’s pleasures through travel on a modest budget, spending more of their few dollars sharing a tent. Walter had always wanted to dance among Tahitian dancers and was delighted to get his chance.

In the holographic universe, there are no coincidences, only holographic signals. For Walter, this signal came at the “chance” meeting of an older gentleman who offered him and his wife Carol a trip back to camp. The man said he was originally from Croatia and had emigrated to French Polynesia thirty-nine years ago. The man then began to sing a Croatian song that Walter had not heard since he was a child, sung by his mother; sang along with the man. Walter said it was very difficult to hold back the tears.

For Beverley, a beautiful British blonde, her idea of ​​paradise was to complete the remaining days of her trip by finding a great beach and getting a perfect tan before heading back to London. Gradually, the gentle lure of the surroundings would make her stop and begin to recognize a deeper richness in the meaning of her serene surroundings.

For a young Norwegian, a successful salesperson for a Norwegian telecommunications company, it meant leaving the rat race and pursuing his own creative artistic endeavors. He wanted to find inspiration and confirmation from others that his dream was the right way to go.

For Dan, a young London accountant, paradise meant the freedom to roam, choose, sit back and marvel and enjoy the whole beautiful scene.

For two young French women, paradise was a place where they would find romance. For a young Frenchman from the south of France, paradise meant always being by the sea, while for others, paradise was simply a place not to be in a hurry.

And finally there was Hermes. A French Adonis, his broad shoulders, tan, muscular physique, wavy dark black hair, and a deep, resonant French voice could easily make any woman swoon and undoubtedly some women have, as I attest with envy and boredom. However, I did not see any desire on Hermes’ part to harness this power that he could easily wield over women. In the course of the few days I was able to meet Hermes; he really was a very sincere and noble gentleman, who also loved to sing. It could easily have been the French version of Elvis. It became obvious that being a gigolo to silly American women was not the level of behavior he wanted to choose. His idea of ​​paradise was sought elsewhere. Like Gauguin, Hermes decided to travel by freighter to the mystical Marquesas Islands. When we said goodbye at the camp lavatory, Hermes demonstrated with curved hands that the women of the Marquesas are the most curvy and beautiful. He has a very broad smile. Even our jovial Frenchman Adonis can find his own paradise.

For me, the Marquesas will have to remain a mystery. The paradise I was looking for I have already found.

You may wonder, is it possible that this place called French Polynesia could seem so ideal, a paradise that still exists in a world that often seems weighed down by human tragedy and suffering? Have I painted an accurate picture of this environment and its people or are there signs within this culture that describe a lost paradise?

In fact, there were hints of a paradise under a gray sky. The city of Papeete lacked any visible aesthetic charm, except along the waterfront. Rubble littered the downtown streets. Clouds of exhaust billowed out of the numerous passing trucks, cars, and motorcycles, practically suffocating me like an innocent bystander. Peugeot dealers must have deemed cleaner gas and catalytic converters unnecessary.

The ominous signs of Western influence weren’t limited to Papeete either. A wary eye could hardly ignore the plastic debris that lay strewn along Bora Bora’s beaches, or the discarded structural debris from the abandoned plans of a hotel conglomerate.

People were also not immune to unpleasant outside influences. To circumvent prudent Tahitian land ownership provisions, which restrict ownership to locals, not foreigners, French banks have insidiously encouraged rampant materialism and exorbitant debt among many of the Tahitians. Unaccustomed to this practice and financial responsibility, payments inevitably cannot be made and banks sixteen the land that was put up as collateral.

And while the storms were thankfully limited to weather unrest in French Polynesia, the storms of political unrest were seriously piling up across the Western Pacific theater. In a Tahitian hostel, we couldn’t help but laugh at the misfortune of a Swiss traveler who had stumbled across all of Oceania’s “hot spots” on his way here, including New Guinea, New Caledonia, and Fiji. “Man, don’t bring bad luck to our paradise here!” we exclaim.

However, this rising tide of negative influences can still be stopped. People can be educated and encouraged to have a greater awareness of the destructive effects that modern debris has on the environment. Efforts could easily be made for a community cleanup effort and the establishment of recycling facilities.

The people of French Polynesia are friendly, but they are far from oblivious, and easily fooled. In 1996, Tahitians voiced their strong disagreement against French nuclear tests and the practice was stopped. No, I believe that the human tools necessary to resist looters and profiteers are present among the fine people of Tahiti. Paradise lost can quickly turn into paradise regained. It just takes effort.

Arts Entertainments

The power of talking to yourself: the key to success

How dependent is your success on attitude, thought patterns, and your focus? It seems pretty obvious. However, most people don’t think about it. Long-term success cannot happen without a positive approach, proactivity, a good plan and action.

So ultimately, your success comes from being able to see where you want to go and being willing to step up and take the necessary steps to make it happen. Lasting success is a combination of positive attitude and proactivity. You have to have some skills, obviously. But in reality there is more what happens inside you than what happens around you.

The mental edge

While working out the other day, I was watching ESPN. They were doing an interview with Kobe Bryant. Whether you like the Lakers or not is irrelevant. He is considered the best basketball player today. There are some who would argue at the time, but let’s just say it’s pretty good.

When asked about his success, Kobe said, “Well, I practice a lot. I spend a lot of time practicing every day.” He said: “I take more shots than most people. I work and practice more passing with my teammates. I really work on this game from many angles, every day. I don’t just work on my physical game, I work on my attitude mentally. and I play mind games every day. I enjoy it though. It’s fun, but it’s work, and I take the time to do it. “

He went on to say: “The reason I work so hard is because I don’t want to be disappointed. I never want to say that I didn’t give it my all. I also know that my teammates depend on they’re waiting for Me to be able to make that crucial shot, or make that one. perfect pass that can prepare someone else. “

Kobe said: “I’ve missed a lot of shots. That’s not the point. I also do a lot of clutch shots. At times when it’s absolutely necessary to do them, I can do them. But I do it for myself.” I do that for them. We are a team. We work together. We count on each other and doing those things can really make a difference for our team in the way we play. “

Has this entrepreneurial mindset worked? Well, his multiple championships have a lot to say about it. But the willingness to step up, to be proactive, to take care of himself, to help the people who depend on him, also to step up his game to know the level is absolutely crucial. This attitude is a successful attitude. Use a successful self-talk pattern. And both the positive attitude and the internal dialogue continue non-stop, moment by moment, day by day.

Focus on the positive and separate from the negative

Continued success is no accident. It’s not the end of the world to lose a shot. What is the end of the world is giving up when you missed the shot. You keep shooting. You keep practicing, you try again.

That positive focus, that positive thought pattern, that positive self-talk gives your mind more power. Your neurology works better and helps you transform negative thought patterns and negative habits so that you can move towards an ever better life. You can have the life you want.

Like Kobe, keep practicing, keep going, don’t give up. Just because there are only a few seconds left and you’re down at some points, don’t give up. You don’t have to hit all the baskets, but if you keep shooting, you will make a percentage.

So keep shooting, keep going. In every moment, you can make your relationships, your finances, the type of life you have, your health, better and better. It is a choice of focus and you can do this. Day by day, keep moving, keep moving, don’t give up. Make today a great day!

Home Kitchen

Why granite countertops?

When choosing the right countertop material for your kitchen, bathroom, or bar area, you have a wide variety of options. And a wide variety of prices! Learn about the options and their costs, both the initial investment and the lifetime value; it will be a most worthwhile effort. In this article, we’ll outline the various options and show you how granite can be a high-value option, without the high price tag.

Laminate countertops

Let’s start with the laminate. Laminate countertops are your basic, inexpensive countertops. Typically made from a plastic laminate material glued to a hardboard surface, laminate countertops offer a seemingly limitless variety of color and pattern options. Today’s laminate can even mimic the look of natural stone with photographic renderings of granite and edging that are similar in style to those seen on natural stone countertops. But because laminate is the lowest priced countertop option, it has its limitations. Laminate is easily damaged and not easily repaired. Knives and other sharp objects can scratch or scratch the laminate, and heat from hot pots and plates can burn or bubble the surface. Since the laminate is like veneer, there is no room to polish the damage. Laminate countertops won’t last a lifetime either. You should expect to have the laminate replaced within 10-15 years.

Solid Surface Countertops

Next we have the synthetic solid surface countertops. The best known solid surface countertop product is Corian. Solid surface countertops are comprised primarily of plastics with stained glass, plastic, and other materials to provide color and design variations. While solid surface countertops don’t look like natural stone, they do provide a flawless look. Because solid surface countertops can be custom made to almost any size and specification, long or oddly shaped countertop areas can be covered with a single solid piece. Solid surface countertops are scratch and burn resistant and can be repaired if damaged. Many people believe that solid surface countertops are a ‘notch below’ granite from an aesthetic perspective and therefore their price may surprise you. Solid Surface Countertop Prices; from about $ 40 per linear foot; it is actually taller than many styles of granite.

Quartz countertops

Somewhere between natural and synthetic stone countertops are engineered stone or quartz countertops. DuPont Zodiaq countertops are a popular quartz countertop option and are available in impressive color and pattern variations. Quartz countertops are composed of ground quartz that is mixed with colorants, synthetics, and other materials to form a unique, natural look not found in solid surface countertops. However, quartz countertops are expensive. With a price starting at around $ 45 per linear foot, it’s actually higher than granite, too.

Recycled glass countertops

A new countertop option that is gaining popularity is recycled glass countertops. For homeowners choosing to “go green,” recycled glass countertops don’t just look good, they feel good, too! Recycled glass is exactly what its name suggests. Used glass of all types and colors is broken and ground, and combined with bonding and coloring agents to form unique colors and patterns. But because there are only a few manufacturers of recycled glass countertops; and the product is in great demand: the price is high.

Granite countertops

And finally, we have our personal favorite: granite countertops. The elegance of granite is second to none. Step into a kitchen with granite countertops and you’ll immediately notice. Because granite is natural stone, its random color variations and patterns are not matched by any man-made materials or processes. Shopping for granite is fun too. To choose the right granite for your home, you can visit quarries and showrooms that have large slabs to view. By viewing the granite slab in its entirety, you can see wide patterns and variations that are not visible in small samples. Granite is very durable and resistant to stains, scratches or burns. Granite can be repaired in some cases, unless the damage is deep or completely cracked. Granite is also a solid value. Because it is considered a luxury item by most, granite countertops will add resale value to your home. And what most people don’t realize is that this ‘luxury item’ may actually cost less than less expensive materials.

Save on granite

Save On Granite offers 10 of the most popular granite styles at just $ 35 per installed square foot. Of the countertops mentioned above, when it comes to price, granite countertops are second only to laminate. How valuable is that?

So after doing your homework, visiting a few showrooms or quarries, and talking to others about your experiences, consider granite countertops for your kitchen, bathroom, or bar remodel. You will be happy you did!

Auto

Slight increase in the price of the 2013 Honda Accord

Honda has recently increased the price of the 2013 version of the Accord sedan and the price increase also spread to the other car models that are included in the current lineup.

According to information provided by the company, the 2013 Honda Accord sedan will sell for a starting price of $ 22,470, including the $ 790 destination charge. The current starting price of the vehicle reflects a $ 200 increase over the model year. previous.

Due to the slight increase in the price of the vehicle, many auto experts strongly believe that the 2013 Honda Accord could have received a number of additional features that were not offered in its predecessor.

Like the sedan version, the 2013 Honda Accord Touring has also seen a slight price increase. This vehicle currently sells for a starting price of $ 34,220, including shipping. Fortunately, the Accord Touring’s price increase has allowed the vehicle to take advantage of some of the latest technology that Honda is trying to use in some of its upcoming vehicle models. This includes adaptive cruise control and the first LED headlights Honda has decided to use.

The 2013 Honda Accord Sport, which is also considered the newest member of the lineup, was priced at $ 24,180, including shipping. This model is powered by a 2.4-liter direct injection 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission or CVT, which is an acronym for continuously variable transmission.

In addition to its powerful engine, the 2013 Honda Accord Sport is also loaded with a long list of standard features such as 18-inch alloy wheels, platform lid spoiler, 10-way driver’s seat, fog lights, paddle shifters. shift for models with the CVT. Apart from those, the Sport model is also equipped with the dual exhaust trims, the stiffer reinforcement bar and the exclusively designed steering, as well as the steering adjustment.

Given its current starting price, the 2013 Honda Accord is cheaper compared to some of its competitors in the segment, such as the 2012 Toyota Camry, 2013 Ford Fusion, and 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The Camry, which is currently sold at a price Starting at $ 22,850, including the $ 795 destination charge, it’s $ 380 cheaper than the latest version of the Accord.

Although the 2013 Honda Accord is cheaper compared to some of its competitors that were produced by US-based automakers, this model is still priced expensively compared to its Korean rivals such as the Hyundai. 2013 Sonata GLS and 2013 Kia. Optima LX.

Digital Marketing

How To Improve Your Google Ranking: Invaluable Secrets From An SEO Expert

Ignorance is not a blessing in online marketing. Common mistakes made by inexperienced entrepreneurs can result in poor sales in large part because few people visit your website. Why? Because little to no effort has been invested in website search engine optimization, probably the most important aspect of having a website to date.

If you have a website, you probably know that where you appear in daily Google searches can be beneficial or detrimental to you. If I’ve already lost you, let me explain. Everyone who uses the internet today has particular interests and will at one point or another type a short phrase into the Google search field to find websites that represent their interests. For example, if they have been invited to attend a baby shower, they can search the Internet using the phrase “baby shower gifts.” What happens next is critical to your website if you sell baby gifts. On page one of Google’s search results will be the most popular websites offering baby gifts, mysteriously ranked by a Google algorithm that takes into account how much traffic a site can receive, how many external links connect to this site, how relevant is your domain name, page title, page description and actual content correspond to the phrase that was searched, how “rich” or comprehensive can that content be, with what how often that content is updated, how many internal links on the site are related to search, as well as meeting a range of other search engine optimization parameters.

While most people with a website have heard of search engine optimization or SEO, most of the business owners I have worked with consider it a non-essential service designed to rob them of their valuable marketing funds. without any apparent benefit. And it doesn’t help that your spam filters are filled with daily emails from SEO “experts” promising you the top spot in Google’s rankings. I admit it gets a bit tedious and difficult to swallow!

For that reason, I include SEO as part of my website design services, eliminating any reason for my clients to get angry about their spending. In fact, they applaud this decision with relief, as they would rather work with someone they trust. From my point of view, it gives me the opportunity to show you an improvement in their rankings, which in turn increases traffic and sales. Many of them say that I am a magician. But I know it’s just being aware of what Google is searching for.

One big reason your rankings may be suffering

If you’re in an extremely common category of websites, like baby gifts, for example, the likelihood that your website will appear as the number one search result, not even mentioning that one of the top twenty appears on the page search results, it is quite remote. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if your website appeared on page 1,056 of all search results when you find that a Google search for baby gifts returned 24,200,000 results in 0.22 seconds.

Woof! That is stiff competition! And which lucky website appears at the top of the list? I clicked on it and found that it was very well represented in the baby gifts category, with many options and many shopping options presented in a professional and attractive manner. I also found that it was hosted by Yahoo Stores, which probably facilitated sophisticated and cutting-edge functionality in terms of shopping cart performance, as well as advanced search engine optimization assistance.

This did not surprise me. Since I have clients who have stores on eBay and Amazon, as well as an eCommerce website of their own that uses a great shopping cart powered by ShopSite, I am aware that you can easily reap the benefits of relationships with these internet giants at boosting your Google ranking. If the additional registrations that I have made for all of my clients’ websites with Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics also contribute to excellent search rankings is not a confirmed fact, I would venture to say that if the associations with Google do not positively affect their rankings . Certainly the knowledge gained from them does!

My daily foray into visitor analytics for each and every one of my websites gives me a definite competitive advantage in understanding what affects visits, searches, rankings, and results. Additionally, each of the internet giants I have mentioned has a financial stake in the success of their stores by sharing a percentage of sales, charging listing fees, or charging a monthly shopping cart fee – all of which I consider to be! It is well worth the money! You definitely get what you pay for.

Of course, I can’t argue with the value of using PayPal as your store’s payment gateway, allowing you to use its wonderfully comprehensive functionality to accept credit cards for free. Years ago, some of my clients paid exorbitant monthly fees to banks for such services, many of which underperformed and had woefully weak administrative support. It is truly heartwarming to have discovered that some of today’s internet giants are easily accessible and wonderfully responsive to user needs!

And I must add that the ultimate leader of the group, Google, offers incredible options in terms of a knowledge base on virtually every possible topic, at no cost … yet it is one of the richest companies in the cosmos.

What to do to improve your Google ranking

But let’s get back to their baby gift website and their less than stellar Google search rankings. What can you do to improve your ranking if you are competing with everyone? First, as I would recommend in any marketing effort, your ecommerce website would perform better in Google rankings if it was attractive to a special segment of a market rather than an entire generic category across the world. Instead of targeting “gifts”, or even “baby gifts”, it is better to try narrowing down the category to describe a more unique aspect of baby gifts, thematically, geographically, or in some other way that makes your effort different. the rest. While it will continue to compete with a host of other websites, if someone happens to be more specific in their search terms to include your specialty, your Google ranking can be positively affected. Another useful strategy is to include a blog as part of your website because that content is updated more regularly and will attract Google’s attention. Overall, while I continue to advise you to be frugal with your marketing spending during this economic downturn, I urge you to make sure to promote your website everywhere to increase traffic on your own. As well as adding your website URL (www.yourwebsite.com) to every marketing mode you use, including your email signature, your business cards, letterheads, advertising, newsletters, brochures, networking opportunities, etc., it is also your responsibility to search the Internet for the endless variety of sites that will include free listings about your business, such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Yellow Pages, Yahoo, and Google Free Local Listings, etc., as well as forums and blogs about Appropriate topics where comments can be posted including links to your website.

When analyzing your Google rankings, don’t put too much emphasis on your fear that maybe it’s your web designer’s fault for not having a facility for beautiful graphics because Google doesn’t even see the artwork on your website. And if so, Google search rankings don’t care how innovative, eye-catching, appropriate, or tasteful your artwork may be, sadly. Rather, the search engine optimization techniques required for successful ranking are based more on strategies that, ironically, can serve to denigrate the aesthetics of a website if not controlled by a web designer who has a complete understanding of what. It is necessary to achieve the parameters of Google while maintaining an understanding of what professionalism and the charm of the viewer in website design.

Often times when I do a Google search on a particular topic just to see what competition there may be for a client I’m working for, I dislike the look of some of the websites that have made it to the top of the list. search results. lists because they have clearly achieved their enviable position in returns for nothing to do with the sophistication of graphic design! However, their SEO specialists (if not the web owners themselves) have cracked Google’s code to rank superiority by virtue of simply understanding what defines a properly optimized website, regardless of what it looks like. I often wonder if there is a certain bond between computer geeks that gives them a universal similarity, which makes SEO voodoo very easy to master, unlike some of us who focus more on the importance of appearance and excellence of the brand.

In any event, I am pleased to report that both aspects can peacefully coexist for the benefit of the website owner, who can enjoy a prominent presence at the top of search lists while winning the hearts of shoppers with glamor, cunning and ostentation. Google has been completely lost.

Gaming

Visiting the Periyar Hotel in Bermain Game Slot Poker Hotel

Slot Poker Hotel

The real story of the Seduction of Susie involves two men who were from very different backgrounds: the deceased’s best friend from his native Thailand, a Sufian, and an American from Texas who came to be known as the Situs Jokers. The friend’s name was Sid Assaraf and the American’s name was Julius Strong. These two men became the founding members of what came to be known as the “Setskran Club”, which in turns became the nucleus of what would become the most famous and powerful women’s club in the world, the Sukothai in Bangkok.

When the American, who had come to be known as Situs JK, introduced his friend to Tembak Iksin (the author of the now famous novel The Princess of Mars) they instantly hit it off. They spent a lot of time together visiting Thailand and having fun. But the more they stayed in touch the more they decided that they wanted to spend their lives in Thailand together. This is when they got to know each other better as they discovered the richness of the Sukothai and all the cultural aspects that the place held.

สล็อตjoker123

But the story of the two men and the setting of the story do not start in Bangkok. They actually begin somewhere in Northern Thailand where the two sat in a small rice field by a river (called the Penyedia). They noticed two young men playing a game of slots on a shore across the penyedia. The American put his foot down and told them that they were playing a game known as the Situs Joker. The older man was so excited that he asked them where they had heard such a wonderful name.

Visiting the Periyar Hotel in Bermain Game Slot Poker Hotel

The American and the Asian man explained that they had come to Situs Joker gaming Terrance for a private session. The American man invited the couple to join him one evening to play the penyedia. They both agreed and spent an enjoyable evening having fun. Later that night they went to a nearby restaurant where they were served some delicious chicken. When they got home, they told the American tourist that they had never played before and would be very interested in trying the penyedia slot machines.

On this same day, Sukhothai and Barbari visited the Periyar temple. Sukhothai noticed a young girl with long black hair sitting alone in the temple. He invited her and she gladly accepted. As they were leaving the temple, the girl suddenly jumped onto Sukhothai and started to bite him. Hearing this she ran off but not before she took a handful of dried lemons which she put in her mouth.

After several minutes the barmaid saw her chance and rushed outside to inform the police. Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested the barmaid. The American tourists and the couple from Singapore were delighted to learn that the woman was none other than the fictional character of the Situs Joker in the “Suicide Squad” movie and series. The couple and their friends had enjoyed a memorable stay at the Periyar safaris resort.

Business

Using Your ATS to Find Candidates During the Candidate Shortage

As the economy recovers and more Americans are vaccinated, there has been an increase in the job opportunities available. However, what employers are discovering is that few candidates are applying. Fewer candidates are responding to job offers, a total of 360 from a year ago, when unemployment rates were the highest in history and job opportunities were very rare. So what is the cause of the “candidate shortage”?

A recent USA Today Money¹ article reports that many Americans are concerned about changing jobs during the pandemic due to financial and health risks. It is a “safe” option to stay with the company you are currently with. Others are happy with the unemployment benefits they are receiving. In some cases, workers are making more money “unemployed” than if they were working. They do not have an incentive and are not motivated to go to work when they can earn more money by staying home. This has caused hiring and recruiting companies to focus their strategies on reaching candidates who are already working. Recruiters have even started to turn to competing companies to recruit skilled workers and lower-middle-level managers, which is often a tactic for hiring high-level executives.

As recruiting and recruiting companies come up with new strategies for finding candidates during the “candidate shortage,” their Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is an important resource that cannot be overlooked. Not only are there multiple tools you can use in an ATS, it also hosts hundreds and in some cases even thousands of candidates right in front of you! In this article, we’ll dive into a handful of helpful tools to leverage on your ATS.

Reference reports

The first important information you can get from your ATS is a report on your candidates’ references. In the last 3 months, through which source are the majority of candidates entering your database? Is it through a job board, social media, cold calling? Looking at this information can help determine which “currently” is the best source for recruiting candidates. You can then further focus your efforts on sources that are currently performing slightly better than others.

Using Lookups and Pipelines

Both the search capabilities and pipelines in your ATS are powerful resources for you when searching for candidates. As noted in the introduction, your ATS may have hundreds or even thousands of candidates at your fingertips. Using your searches and pipelines in your ATS is a great place to start your search for candidates.

Pipelines are a useful tool in creating a list of “top” candidates. If you already have a pipeline built, this would be a good place to start. If a pipeline hasn’t been built yet, you can start building a pipeline that includes the top candidates you want to reach. Pipes can be divided by industry and / or position. The breakdown of each channel by industry or position will help you recruit for current positions and will also be helpful in the future when you are hiring for similar positions. These will be channels of talent that you will continue to add and update, not just a one-time use. That way, the best candidates will always be easily accessible based on the industry and / or positions you are recruiting for. Once you add the initial candidates that you want to include in your pipeline, you can use the search capabilities in your ATS to add other qualified candidates.

Some popular searches you can perform include searching by skills, position, job history titles, location (if there is a specific location you need to hire for), and last contact (if you want to narrow your search based on the last time you contacted a candidate.) Another useful search option is to do a full-text search for keywords. A full-text search searches its database for certain keywords in a candidate’s profile, including their resume. This is useful if you want to search by position to see which candidates have held a similar position. As you search and find leads, add them to your pipeline.

Automated workflow surveys

You have your pipes built; You can then send an automated workflow survey to these candidates. Submitting a survey will help narrow your list to determine which candidates are interested in a job. The results of the survey will help you save time so that you do not reach out to candidates who are not looking. Some ATS solutions will have an integration that allows you to send an email or text message that includes survey questions. Based on the survey response, they will automatically receive a follow-up email that matches their response. If this option is not available to you, you can easily send a survey to your pipeline through a platform such as Survey Monkey® or Google Forms®. These responses will not be automated or logged into your ATS and will require a bit more manual work, but you can still get the same end result.

Examples of simple yes / no survey questions you could include to assess who is interested in speaking:

  • Are you willing to change jobs? (if they are working)

  • Are you open to work? (if they don’t work)

During the “candidate shortage,” it might also be imperative to offer an incentive to candidates, depending on the industry. You can offer incentives based on performance, attendance, referrals, and more. Incentives can not only attract someone to work with you, but they can also help increase employee engagement to work with you longer.

Incentives can include:

  • Subscription to the streaming service for one year

  • $ X in groceries delivered to your home with your choice of what they would like.

  • Monthly or yearly meal subscription service

  • Free tickets to a local sporting event or attraction.

  • During the holidays, you can offer a free Thanksgiving turkey dinner or a special holiday treat.

If you decide to create an incentive program or use an existing one, you can include a question in your survey that links to the incentive program:

  • Would you be willing to work if you could get a Netflix subscription for one year to attend?

Including a survey question that links to the incentive program allows you to see if they would be willing to work if there was an additional incentive rather than if no incentive was offered.

Follow-up communication

Once the survey results are available, you’ll want to send a follow-up communication to candidates who said they are interested in a job. If your ATS has a built-in integration, similar to the one above, the following email can be sent automatically at a scheduled time based on candidates who have answered “yes”. If you don’t have an automation tool, you can create an email or SMS template in your ATS to send a follow-up message to these candidates. In the message, you can include information about the job, the incentive program (if you’re offering one), and a way for them to respond, “I’m interested.”

In some cases, you may even be able to include a “job acceptance” link within the communication. Some ATS mobile apps also allow a similar “job acceptance” feature where you submit a job directly to a candidate through the ATS mobile app and they can accept a job that way.. Including a link to accept the job offer will conveniently position candidates without the need for additional effort on your part. It’s also convenient from the candidate’s perspective because all you have to do is click the link to accept the job offer.

* Your survey follow-up message can take many shapes and forms depending on the tools you have available.

Social media posting

Lastly, to complement the scope above, you can also use the social media tools on your ATS to post the job description within your network and encourage others to share. During the current “candidate shortage,” referrals can be especially helpful for those hesitating to change jobs during the pandemic. Seeing someone in your network share their job opportunity can give them a boost of encouragement and confidence to work with your recruiting and recruiting company.

Decrease the shortage of candidates

The “candidate shortage” can bring a variety of obstacles to hiring and staffing. Using your ATS pool of candidates, in addition to taking advantage of the robust tools available, will help decrease any candidate shortages you are facing. Finding the right candidates in your ATS who are open for work is key and following up on a convenient way to accept a job offer will place candidates more quickly and easily. Lastly, remember to use your Referral Report to tap into the sources where the most candidates are coming from to maintain a constant flow of new candidates. Soon your candidate shortage may turn into a candidate surplus!

Sources:

USA Today Money¹