الجمعة، 22 سبتمبر 2017
Major Expansion Plans Mean Thousands More Amazon Jobs in 2018
Amazon is on a path to total world domination, and it seems we’re all powerless to stop it.
OK, so it’s less like we’re powerless and more like we’re feeding into the all-consuming need for immediate gratification in the form of household items, clothing, video streaming, books, small appliances, electronics, accessories, foodstuffs and — oh yeah — literally anything else you could possibly dream up.
However you choose to look at it, the company is growing at an (alarmingly) impressive rate.
This means it’ll continue to build fulfillment centers and headquarters (and whatever else the future of Amazon may bring), which will, in turn, open up plenty of new jobs. That’s the part we care about.
Amazon Jobs for Everyone
This year, Amazon announced plans to build a second headquarters, equal in size to its existing Seattle-area HQ.
Fifty cities across the U.S. and Canada are currently fighting for the right to be home to Amazon’s next mega-headquarters. The company has said it will invest $5 billion in the construction of this new Amazon-opolis and promises the headquarters will eventually provide as many as 50,000 jobs.
But really, why stop there?
While all those major cities await Amazon’s decision on the new HQ, the company is moving forward with already planned initiatives — namely, opening an office (not a headquarters, mind you) on the west side of Manhattan in New York City.
The 360,000-square-foot space in the new Manhattan West mega-development will house advertising, Amazon Fashion and Amazon Web Services teams — and the company is already expecting to hire about 2,000 additional people over the next few years to staff it.
Earlier this month, Amazon also announced plans to build an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in New York, creating more than 2,250 full-time on Staten Island.
You Get a Job, and YOU Get a Job — Everybody GETS A JOB
And because Amazon is the Oprah of warehouse and fulfillment center jobs, the company has begun releasing plans for 2018, and — you guessed it — those plans involve thousands more jobs across the country.
In July, Amazon announced plans to open fulfillment centers in Orlando, Florida, and Romulus, Michigan, creating more than 1,500 new jobs in each city.
In August, Amazon announced plans to open fulfillment centers in North Randall, Ohio, and Salem, Oregon, creating another 2,000 and 1,000 full-time jobs in each city, respectively.
In September, Amazon announced plans to open fulfillment centers in Shelby, Michigan, Monroe, Ohio and Portland, Oregon. Each center will create more than 1,000 jobs for people in those areas.
You can go here to browse Amazon’s current job openings (fulfillment and otherwise), but keep in mind that many of the aforementioned centers don’t open until sometime in 2018. You may have to check back later to see all of the open positions near you.
And for those of you who are still adamantly anti-Amazon, someday soon you’ll all be forced to make a choice: Step outside and ask your grouchy, grudge-holding neighbor for a cup of sugar (like in the ancient times) so you can finish baking that pie, or wait a short 20 minutes for a friendly drone to deliver it to your window with a drone-smile.
Listen, I’m not saying Amazon is the way of the future, but Amazon just might be the way of the future.
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Toys “R” Us Is Hiring Thousands for the Holidays. Here’s How to Apply
How much fun would it be to work in a toy store? You’d get to play with stuff all the time — or at least when you’re on break.
Toys R Us is hiring more than 12,000 part-time seasonal employees to work in stores and fulfillment centers across the country.
The company’s customer service partner is also hiring over 900 people to fill work-from-home jobs in virtual call centers in 25 states.
Toys R Us recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but don’t let that stop you from applying. It simply means the company is working on new ways to pay down its debt — something a lot of us can relate to.
“As the holiday season ramps up, our physical and web stores are open for business, and our team members around the world look forward to continuing to put huge smiles on children’s faces,” said Dave Brandon, chairman and chief executive officer at Toys R Us in a statement on the company’s website.
If this isn’t the kind of job you’re looking for, don’t forget to check out our Jobs page on Facebook. We post new positions there all the time.
What Kind of Seasonal On-Site Jobs are Available?
Several different kinds of jobs are available at Toys R Us stores and fulfillment centers:
- Cashier
- Sales Associate
- Stock Associate
- Toy Demonstrator
- Order Fulfillment Associate (daytime and overnight)
- Distribution Center Warehouse Associate
- General Labor (DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center)
- Clerical (DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center)
- Forklift Operators (DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center)
Where Are the On-Site Jobs Located?
Toys R Us has hundreds of stores across the U.S. The largest seasonal hiring markets include:
- New York: more than 3,800
- Los Angeles: more than 2,400
- Groveport, Ohio (DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center): more than 2,400
- Philadelphia: more than 1,400
- Chicago: more than 1,100
- Boston: more than 950
Tell Me About the Work-From-Home Jobs
Toys R Us partners with Acticall Sitel Group to staff its 25 virtual call centers in 25 states.
As a work-from-home Toys R Us customer service agent, you’ll answer phone calls and assist customers with billing or account questions, product inquiries and more.
Do the Jobs Include benefits?
Yes! Benefits include competitive pay, flex hours, varied shifts, and a Team Member shopping discount.
Part-time seasonal workers may also be eligible for long-term jobs once the holiday season ends. “Over the past several years, Toys R Us hired thousands of its holiday workforce after Christmas to fill permanent roles,” the company states.
I’m Interested! How Do I Apply?
It’s easy, and you can even apply right from your mobile phone! Here’s how:
- To apply for positions at Toys R Us stores and distribution centers, visit http://ift.tt/2fECPd6.
- To apply for DHL Supply Chain Fulfillment Center jobs, visit dhlsupplychainjobs.com or text “TOYS2017” to 31996 for job information.
- To apply for work-from-home jobs at Acticall Sitel Group call centers, visit http://ift.tt/2fGUEbQ.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She loves telling readers about new job opportunities, so look her up on Twitter @lisah if you’ve got a tip to share.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Here’s How to Donate Supplies, Money or Time After a Natural Disaster
Our world is not lacking in natural disasters. In any given month, communities are experiencing or cleaning up from a hurricane, flood, earthquake or other unexpected event.
Whether watching events unfold from near or far, many people have a natural inclination to provide compassionate assistance in any way they can.
But it can be difficult to decide where to donate supplies, money or boots-on-the-ground labor where it will do the most good.
Here are some resources to help you decide.
How to Donate Supplies
People in disaster-stricken areas almost always need food, water and other basic supplies. But each disaster also brings its own set of unique needs based on the type and duration of the event, how much time residents had to prepare and how badly the disaster impacted the community’s infrastructure.
“Generally after a disaster, people with loving intentions donate things that cannot be used in a disaster response, and in fact may actually be harmful,” Juanita Rilling, former director of the Center for International Disaster Information told CBS News. “And they have no idea that they’re doing it.”
Here’s what to do instead:
- Check the affected area’s official website and Facebook page for information. Local officials often post lists of supplies victims and relief workers need most.
- Check with the area’s local food bank to see whether it’s accepting food deliveries.
- Look around your house for unused medical equipment like CPAP machines and wheelchairs. Type the item’s name and “donate to disaster victims” to find out where to send your donation.
How to Donate Money
Several national and international organizations accept financial donations to assist with specific disasters.
Be sure to do your homework before donating money to a relief fund. These independent watchdog groups provide insight into the reputations of charitable foundations and how contributions are spent.
Groups That Provide Local and International Disaster Assistance
These organizations provide disaster assistance to stricken areas:
Groups that Provide Specific Types of Disaster Assistance
These groups provide assistance for specific types of disasters:
- AARP Foundation: Older adult welfare.
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: Animal welfare.
- American Humane: Animal welfare.
- BlackAmericaWeb.com: Disaster assistance for individuals and families.
- Goonj: Assistance for disasters that occur in India.
- Heifer International: Post-disaster livestock replenishment.
- Islamic Relief USA: Post-disaster resources for the Muslim community.
- The Jewish Federation of North America: Post-disaster resources for the Jewish community.
- Partnership with Native Americans: Disaster assistance for tribes and Native American Elders.
- Portlight: Disaster assistance for people with disabilities.
- Save the Children: Child welfare.
- Support the Girls: Bras and feminine hygiene products for people in disaster-affected locations .
- Topos Tlaltelolco Rescue Brigade: Assistance for disasters that occur in Mexico.
- Transgender Foundation of America: Disaster assistance for people in the U.S. trans community.
- UNICEF: Child welfare.
- YouCaring: Crowdfunded campaigns for undocumented and LGBTQ people in disaster-affected locations.
How to Donate Time and Labor
If you plan to donate time and labor after a future event, consider taking the free disaster training course though the American Red Cross to understand how communities are affected by disasters and how they recover.
Here are some organizations to connect with if you want to help out in person in the wake of a disaster. Note: Some of these opportunities require volunteers to meet certain eligibility requirements.
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Follow her on Twitter @lisah.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Huge Gap Inc. Seasonal Hiring Event at All Stores Sept. 23
It’s one of the great kindnesses of life that during the holiday season — the time when everyone starts thinking, “Man, I could use a few extra bucks this month.” — a slew of seasonal, holiday jobs opens up.
And this year is no different.
Already, companies like Target and UPS are advertising tens of thousands of seasonal jobs for those who want to make a little extra money by helping stores get through their busiest season.
And now we can add Gap Inc. to the list.
(By the way, if you’re constantly on the hunt for a great job opportunity, be sure to like our Jobs page on Facebook. We post awesome opportunities there all the time — including some great work-from-home positions!)
Work for Gap Inc. This Holiday Season
Gap Inc. is the parent company of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy.
The company has just announced nationwide hiring events scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (local time zones) at all locations of the following stores in the U.S. and Canada: Gap, Gap Factory, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory and Old Navy.
Available positions include everything from stockroom to sales.
Pay isn’t listed, but it will most likely vary by position.
What won’t vary by position?
The awesome perks and benefits.
- Discounts on merchandise at Gap Inc. stores. (Think about the holiday gift possibilities.)
- Wellness offerings that include free flu shots and discounts on vision and dental programs, plus family care assistance that includes back-up child care options and access to day care services.
- The opportunity to grow with the company beyond the holiday season.
- Flexible scheduling that works with you during the busy holidays.
If you’re interested in joining the team over at Gap Inc., try to make it out to any of the Gap Inc. stores for their nationwide hiring events.
And just so you don’t have to scroll back up to the top of this post to re-read the details, here they are again:
What? Seasonal job openings at all Gap Inc. stores, including everything from stockroom to sales to transportation.
When? Saturday, Sept. 23, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (local time zones).
Where? All Gap Inc. stores throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Gap, Gap Factory, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory and Old Navy.
Why? Because of all the people who will head to the mall in droves to fight each other over the last sweater in a size small that their child just haaaaas to have — but don’t worry, you’re just there to collect that extra cash.
Go here to see some of the available seasonal openings on the Gap Inc. website.
And — just so you know — Gap Inc. has announced it will be closing about 200 Gap store locations over the next few years. It will, however, open about 270 Old Navy and Athleta store locations over the same period.
Here’s a (boring) explanation about growth and balance, but what you really need to know is these seasonal jobs are just that — seasonal. Regardless of what’s shutting down three years from now, it’ll still be nice to have a little extra money coming in this holiday season.
Grace Schweizer is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Visa Checkout is Hooking It Up With BOGO Movie Tickets This Weekend
Just in time for the weekend, Visa and Fandango have partnered up to save you money on date night.
When you buy one movie ticket through Fandango or the Fandango app, you’ll get one ticket free if you enter promo code DEALSTHATCLICK9 and then pay with the Visa Checkout option.
Unfortunately, if you’re flying solo this weekend, you can’t use this BOGO deal to get movie tickets for two different flicks. It only works for multiple tickets to the same showing.
Hurry, because this deal ends Sept. 24.
Get a Free $15 GAP Gift Card With Visa Checkout, Too
If you love Gap Inc., Visa Checkout has another deal for you.
If you make a purchase from Gap.com or one of its partner stores’ websites, like Old Navy, Banana Republic or Athleta, by Sept. 30 and pay with Visa Checkout, you’ll get a free $15 electronic gift card you can use at any of the four stores.
You will receive the gift card via email within three business days. No promo code is necessary to claim the deal.
How Visa Checkout Works
No, you don’t need a Visa card to use Visa Checkout. The system takes all major credit and debit cards.
If this is your first time using it, you’ll have to create a free Visa Checkout account. Once you do, you can log in and use it to make purchases without having to enter your card information and address again on every website offering this payment option.
You can start using that new account right away.
Stack These Deals With Cash Back
You know we’re all about stacking deals at The Penny Hoarder, and Ebates gives you the perfect opportunity to save a little more.
Just head over to Ebates, search for Fandango or the Gap store you prefer and click the “Shop Now” button to get up to 2% cash back.
Desiree Stennett (@desi_stennett) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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Make your child money savvy by age seven
While most of us expect our children to display good manners from an early age, we’re not so mindful about their financial habits. Here are a few fun ideas to get started.
By around the age of seven, children will already have formed their money habits, either good or bad, warns the Money Advice Service.
So developing habits that will help with saving money, such as delayed gratification and sharing, as early as possible can help foster your child’s natural thought process and ensure they have the appropriate decision-making skills as adults.
However, this can be hard as many parents and grandparents fear talking about money or may not be confident on money matters themselves.
A study by M&G Investments shows just 17% of parents or grandparents have discussed investing or borrowing with their children or grandchildren and just 50% have discussed the importance of spending money wisely.
“We know that lots of parents and grandparents regularly save and invest for their children or grandchildren,” says Ritu Vohora, investment director at M&G Investments.
“But alongside a nest egg, it’s just as important to build the financial knowledge they’ll need to prosper as adults.
“Getting started early to instil good money habits will pay dividends when they’re handling everything from pocket money to credit cards, loans, pensions and mortgages later on.”
To help, here are seven ways to set your child on the path to becoming money savvy by age seven.
Don’t be afraid to start young
Money lessons have to be relevant. A seven-year-old doesn’t need to understand what a mortgage is yet, but parents can encourage kids to pay for things in shops so that they get into the habit of handing over notes and coins and checking change.
“It’s more about fostering a child’s executive functions,” Jonquil Lowe, senior lecturer in economics and personal finance at The Open University, says. “You are creating the personal traits that will be useful later on rather than necessarily teaching personal finance by age seven.
“It is about teaching the idea that sometimes it is better to wait or to plan rather than do things on impulse.
“The earlier you start embedding these ideas, the better.”
Use pocket money to encourage a savings habit
Children who receive pocket money now get on average £7.04, according to the latest Halifax pocket money survey.
But rather than just handing over the cash there are clever tricks you can play to embed good habits, such as having one piggy bank for treats and one for saving. Ms Vohora also suggests pocket money matching.
“This is a great way to encourage children to save by doubling up on every pound they invest,” she explains.
“If a seven-year-old agreed to put aside £5 of his or her pocket money each week, and both parents and grandparents matched this amount, they would save around £780 a year.
“If this amount had been annually invested in the FTSE All Share Index over the past 11 years, at the age of 18 they could have a pot of more than £14,000.”
Make use of technology but don’t forget cash
The rising popularity of contactless payments means some children, and even adults, may rarely come across actual physical money.
Kids are growing up surrounding by technology, and you can use this to their benefit. There are apps you can use with your children, such as Rooster Money (see box above), which gives children a pocket money account that parents top up and track. Children can see how much they have in the palm of their hand and parents can monitor how much is being spent.
But even James Kassam, of Rooster Money, says that it’s important for children to understand the look and feel of money too.
“The earlier you can get children into handling money – which can just be counting out combinations of 1p, 2p and 5p pieces, the greater their understanding will be,” he says.
“As soon as they’re old enough to know not to put the coins in their mouth, they’re old enough to start learning what they are.”
Explain needs versus wants
Most parents will have heard their child tell them they need a certain toy, but teaching them the difference between ‘needs’ and ‘wants’ from an early age can help limit impulse purchases in later life and ultimately teach the art of budgeting and setting targets.
“Teaching your children how to budget will help them apply the same approach when they are older,” Rose St Louis, savings expert at Zurich UK Life, says.
“Helping them to set aside a certain amount every month will not only give them a lesson in budgeting, but also teaches them the value of the items they’re buying.” She says setting both short- and long-term goals can help a child focus on budgeting.
Use storybooks at bedtime If you are tired of reading The Tiger Who Came to Tea or Snow White, there are some great children’s books that help kids learn about money. These include Daisy and the Trouble with Piggy Banks by Kes Gray, Save Your Acorns by Robert Gardner, and Isabel’s Car Wash by Sheila Bair, where the main character sets up a car-wash business to save up for a doll.
Play shop
Traditionally, children have always learnt through play. Board games, such as ‘Pop to the Shops’ can help to teach children the value of money while having fun. Playing the customer at the grocers or bakers, they have to decide whether an item is worth its price or not.
You could also take your children to London attraction Kidzania – or see if there are any alternatives locally – where anyone aged four to 14 gets involved in running a local economy by taking jobs such as a doctor or fi refighter. They will earn ‘kidZos’ to spend on leisure activities or to save up and open a savings account at the Bank of Kidzania.
Play chess
Chess is also good for boosting kids’ mathematical ability.
“Children younger than seven playing chess early on with parents can benefit from that head start in developing the foresight, which will help them later on in investing wisely and thinking ahead to make prudent financial decisions,” says Malcolm Pein, director of the English Chess Federation.
‘I had to make my daughter understand that she couldn’t buy all the toys’
Oxfordshire-based animator Wes West, 36, found it hard to keep saying no each time his four-year-old daughter Martha asked for toys while at the shops, so he now uses the RoosterMoney app to pay pocket money.
“It can be hard to say no when the toys are just a couple of pounds but the more I bought, the more she would expect,” Wes explains.
“I wanted to show that I don’t have an infinite amount of money and the Rooster app does that.”
The app now automatically adds £2 to Martha’s Rooster account every Saturday. “It’s a simple way to tally up your child’s pocket money, without the need for cash – which they always lose around the house.” “Because it syncs across devices, I always know exactly how much my daughter has in her account when we’re out of the house,” he adds.
“My daughter is only four, so she’s not great at saving yet, but the app has definitely helped to introduce the concept and I’m looking forward to using more of the features as she gets older.
“Teaching kids about the value of money is one of the most important things you can do as a parent – without this, kids can end up being spoilt and ungrateful.”
“Playing Pop to the Shops helps Elsie to understand about money”
Margareta Jonsson (pictured above), 42, started introducing her seven-year-old daughter, Elsie, to board games such as Pop to the Shops and Monopoly after she used to get upset when her birthday money soon disappeared.
By playing Pop to the Shops at her home in Charlton, south London – where she has to make your money stretch to fi ll your basket at the greengrocer, bakery, corner shop and dairy – Elsie now has a better grasp of how money works.
“Over the year playing games and talking about money, Elsie has learnt you don’t have to spend it all at once,” says Margareta, a graphic designer.
“I have really seen a change in her attitude. She learns about different coins and now understands it isn’t good to get the most expensive item straight away. She also learns to count money at the same time and values getting to the bank on her turn to earn an extra 20p.”
These lessons have also transferred into real-life shops. “Elsie previously wanted lots of fidget-spinners, but has now learnt if she buys too many she won’t have any pocket money left,” Margareta adds. “It is very important to teach kids about money from a young age, or they will just spend it all.”
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How to Vet a New Marketing Channel in 3 Days or Less
I get this question a lot.
“What marketing channel should I focus on?”
There are many make or break decisions in business. This is one of them.
The thing is, I can’t give you a cut and dry answer.
The nature of your business matters. So does the audience you wish to target.
What I will do instead is give you a method for figuring this out for yourself.
If you’re starting a new business, this decision is critical. Focusing on the wrong marketing channel can set you back months and maybe even years.
If you’re expanding into a new market, selecting the wrong channel can also have massive ramifications.
You’d be putting your existing operations at risk for a new channel that may not pan out.
Just take a look at all the challenges marketers have to overcome:
You can imagine that each channel comes with a unique set of difficulties.
This speaks to the importance of vetting your marketing plan before you set it in motion.
There’s too much at stake.
In this article, I’ll show you how you can evaluate your options and narrow down the best choice quickly.
You don’t need more than three days to get this done.
But first, I have a bit of wisdom to share.
Resist the urge to diversify
You know that voice in your head that says you need to be everywhere at once? That fear of missing out if you don’t at least try everything?
It’s a diversion. Resist it.
It is imperative that you focus on one marketing channel.
At least in the beginning.
You’ll shortchange your success if you spread yourself thin.
Here’s why:
- You’ll have less impact. If you’re focusing on several channels, you’re not doing everything you can to excel in any one of them.
- It will cost you more. Testing and thriving with a multichannel approach costs way more than you may be willing to spend. If you want an organic and cost-effective approach, stick to one channel.
- You’ll never actually know where your strength lies. Jumping from channel to channel means you won’t truly know the impact of one particular strategy on your business.
- You’ll remain at the heels of your competitors. That’s not where you want to be, is it? You want to be ahead, and the way to do that is to establish dominance in your market.
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not saying you should go all in on one channel and forget the rest.
But multichannel marketing is complex. Only 30% of marketers are confident they can deliver on such a strategy:
That’s not a lot.
What I’m advocating for is starting from a position of dominance.
Put your energy into one strategy until it succeeds. Then, piggyback on that success to achieve wins in other areas.
Does that make sense?
The steps in this article will be geared towards helping you place a bullseye on the ONE channel that will serve you best.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s begin.
Step #1: Know your options
The first thing you want to do is brainstorm all your possible options.
This isn’t something you have to conjure up out of thin air.
You can connect with your target audience and spread your message in many different ways.
Better yet, each channel has several subsets that you can zone in on.
Here’s a good representation:
Many of these overlap. Some have even morphed into each other.
It can get confusing, quickly.
For example, some people consider SEO to be one marketing channel.
But I can’t imagine a world where SEO and content marketing aren’t intertwined. You can’t do one without the other.
The same goes for social media and paid advertising.
They’re different channels. But there’s a convergence.
Let’s imagine you decide to focus on Facebook as your primary social media platform. It would be unwise to not experiment with Facebook Ads.
Considering that Facebook has developed one of the greatest ad products out there, you’d be underutilizing the full power of the platform.
Marketers agree. Almost 57% plan to increase their social media ad spend.
I say all this to make a simple point.
While you may zone in on one channel, you’ll see lots of overlap you shouldn’t ignore.
Go where your audience takes you.
Let’s look at some of your options.
Content marketing
This is about creating and promoting material relevant to your target audience.
Content marketing is central to your success.
It’s been reported 90% of businesses market using this channel.
It means that no matter what strategy you use, content will be a part of it.
You can narrow your content down to blogging, guest blogging, podcasts, webinars, email, etc.
Social media marketing
You can use social media as your platform to get noticed, build authority, and grow a community.
You can also use it to drive traffic to your main site.
Or you can do both. It’s effective either way.
Paid advertising
Much of marketing is organic and will take time to generate results.
Paid advertising is one way to accelerate that.
The downside is, you have to pay to play.
Facebook ads, other social media ads, print ads, PPC, and direct response fall into this category.
Public relations
PR is about building relationships and capitalizing on the optics of your business.
It can be both online and offline. Press releases, conferences, events, interviews, and sponsorships are a few examples.
As you can see, you have no shortage of options when it comes to marketing.
I’ve given an overview of the main ones, but you are not limited to them.
Step #2: Choose the channels aligned with your business goals
You now have an idea of what’s available to you.
It’s time to make a list of all the channels that will serve your business.
Start with your business goals.
Some marketing channels are better suited to achieving a particular goal than others.
Goal setting is a flexible thing. You can make changes as your business evolves.
This means that the marketing channel you use right now may not be viable in the future, once your business progresses.
Consider what stage your business is in and what your goal for the next 90 days is.
According to Jay Abraham, there are only three ways to grow a business:
- Increase the number of customers
- Increase the frequency with which a customer buys from you
- Increase the amount that a customer spends on a purchase
Your business goals should serve one of these three phases of business.
If you’re still at the first stage, your goals might be brand awareness, lead generation, and customer acquisition.
If you already have a list of buyers, your goal might be to increase sales.
What if you already have a reliable stream of sales?
There’s no such thing as too many sales, but your goal at this point might be to maximize profits and retain customers.
Here’s what most businesses are prioritizing:
These may or may not apply to you. Just focus on what your business needs at the moment.
This way, you don’t set goals that aren’t yet attainable.
By extension, it ensures you don’t waste time and resources on a marketing channel that won’t serve your business well.
How do you select a channel that’s right for your business goals?
Before you even start testing, do some elimination.
I’ll give you a few examples, and you’ll have to apply this knowledge to your business.
Let’s say your goal is brand awareness.
PR, social media, content marketing, and even paid advertising can be used for this purpose.
The easy solution?
Eliminate the channels that would be less efficient.
For instance, paid advertising won’t be the most useful for brand awareness.
But for sales or lead generation? It can crush it! (If you know what you’re doing, that is).
Take a look at some of the business goals that apply to the content marketing channel. It will give you an idea of what to aim for:
It’s also important to take into consideration what feels the most organic for your business.
If you’re selling something like hoverboards or bicycles, would blog posts serve you the best?
Not likely.
These products are lifestyle-based. You’d be better off using a visual channel that will allow you to provide an experience to potential customers.
Immediately, social media comes to mind.
Then you begin to narrow it down to Instagram or YouTube.
This is a logical process that won’t take you more than an hour to figure out.
You don’t have to find that one channel yet. Just eliminate what won’t work, and rank your remaining options.
Step #3: Narrow down the list by going where your audience is
At this point, you’ve got a few options. It’s time to prioritize.
This one is easy. Find your potential customers.
A marketing channel can serve your goal, but there are many platforms you can focus on.
If your customers are not hanging out there, you’ll be wasting your time.
Note:
The point of this article is not to find you a slam dunk marketing channel right away.
That would take testing and experimentation.
The goal here is to help you validate your chosen channel. This way, you know it’s viable before you start testing it.
Here’s my best advice for finding out where the attention is:
- SEO is a great place to start
- competitive research is a must
- you can’t go wrong with social media
Let’s look at each of these.
SEO
A majority of online interactions begin with a search engine (mostly Google).
The first step is to evaluate the SEO landscape by searching for keywords in your industry.
You’ll find out what your audience is searching for and how often.
This is not just essential for finding out what’s happening online. Let’s say there aren’t that many monthly searches for your keywords.
You may want to focus on an offline channel.
Or you may decide this is a gap you can take advantage of.
You won’t know until you do some basic keyword research.
A simple tool like the Google Keyword Planner will work.
Type in your keyword to get search volume data.
Competition research
If you want to know where your customers hang out, find your competitors.
First, identify the competitors.
A simple Google search will do the trick. The biggest players are those who rank on the first page of SERP.
Once you’ve got a solid list, use a tool like SimilarWeb for your research.
Enter your competitor’s website and press enter:
You’ll find a range of data. Pay attention to “Traffic source:”
For Quick Sprout, the highest traffic source is search.
Naturally, my primary marketing channel would be SEO and blogging.
Direct is a close second, but it’s a bit trickier to figure out.
It represents people who type in your URL directly. It doesn’t tell you where these people first came into contact with your business.
The next step is to check out the individual breakdown of each traffic source.
You can see where referrals are coming from:
Since SEO is my dominant traffic source, I’ll pay particular attention to my top organic keywords:
You can also see which social media platform is the most popular. Mine is Facebook.
Social media
I like to take social media research a bit further.
The tool to use is BuzzSumo.
Type in your competitor’s domain. You can also search for a keyword:
You’ll see all the top performing content on the site and which social platform generated the most shares.
Using SimilarWeb, we saw that Facebook was Quick Sprout’s top platform.
BuzzSumo tells the same story:
If you want to take this a bit further, you can go to these individual platforms and do some sleuthing.
Check out the groups with the most members, listen in on the conversations, and get a feel for what your audience is focusing on.
When you go through this process, you may find you have two or three reliable options.
Which do you select?
I have three criteria.
Cheap. Fast. Easy.
You want to pick a channel that won’t cost you too much, if anything, to get started.
You also want a channel that doesn’t have a steep learning curve. Otherwise, you may spend too much time and money trying to figure it out.
Lastly, pick the channel that will allow you to make the most headway, quickly.
You must pick one, so use these criteria as the final litmus test.
Conclusion
Selecting a new marketing channel is a tall order.
It’s important you take some time to validate a potential channel before you focus on it.
Marketing requires time, which can easily be wasted on ineffective strategies.
It also requires cash.
It means you’d want to see a solid return on both your time and money investment.
The surest way to secure an attractive ROI is to vet potential marketing channels first.
You can then test and double down on what’s working.
Most people don’t go through this process of validation and testing.
As long as you keep experimenting and tweaking your strategy based on your results, you’ll have a significant advantage over your competitors.
What is your most effective marketing channel?
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Get a Free Lyft Ride Home If You’re in One of These 9 States
Want a free ride home after a night out one weekend? If you live in Texas, New York, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia or Washington, D.C., Lyft can help.
The ride-share company teams up with Budweiser to offer two $10 credits toward rides between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through the end of 2017. The expanded partnership is an effort to get customers safely to and from their destinations.
How to Get Free Lyft Rides Every Weekend
To get the Lyft URL for your two $10 credits, visit Budweiser’s Facebook or Instagram page every Thursday at 2 p.m.. Keep in mind the URL changes periodically, so make sure to check Budweiser’s social media pages for the latest link.
The credits are good for rides taken between 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights.
You may use the credit for Lyft rides in the following states:
- Texas
- New York
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Florida
- Massachusetts
- Pennsylvania
- Missouri
- Georgia
- Washington, D.C.
Why Take a Ride on Bud?
Lyft and Budweiser first joined forces in 2016 to curb drunk driving. Last year, Budweiser donated $1 to safe-ride programs every time someone used the hashtag #GiveaDamn.
“This partnership encourages passengers to make the right choice about how they get home and celebrates the drivers who make it possible.” Budweiser declared in a blog post announcing the expanded partnership.
This offer is limited to 10,000 round-trip rides each weekend, so we suggest visiting the site at exactly 2 p.m. on Thursdays to get your credits. With your credits in hand, you can make some awesome plans for the weekend.
Lisa Rowan is a writer and producer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites. We help millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. In 2016, Inc. 500 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the No. 1 fastest-growing private media company in the U.S.
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The Little Things
Here’s a list of wonderful things I noticed yesterday that cost nothing (or next to it):
Waking up naturally, without an alarm clock going off and forcing me awake.
Feeling the warmth of my youngest son in bed next to me, still sleeping peacefully after he climbed in during the night after a bad dream.
Running my tongue along the smooth surface of my freshly-brushed teeth.
Tasting my latest batch of cold brew coffee, made from freshly ground beans that went straight from the grinder into the filter and left to steep in the fridge for about 20 hours before serving it.
Seeing the look of delight on my youngest son’s face when I shook up the last little bit of milk in the milk jug and added some milk foam to the top of his glass of milk.
Reading my daughter’s earnest answers on her application for a student council position.
Watching my children dart across the yard to the school bus, backpacks firmly in place on their backs, waving ahead at friends that they see already waiting for the bus.
Feeling the gentle soreness in my hips and back after a lot of exercise yesterday.
Meditating for what was supposed to be ten minutes, but not hearing the “finish meditating” tone on my computer and realizing that I had just meditated for about twenty minutes, and then feeling really good for some reason.
Feeling the nice strain in my legs when I stretch them out in various ways.
Feeling the crunch of the first bite of an apple.
Diving into a one hour writing block, then looking up at the clock to find that two and a half hours have passed and I’ve managed to complete a ton of writing.
Listening to an episode of one of my favorite podcasts while walking around my neighborhood and then thinking about that episode after it stopped playing.
Seeing a smile of appreciation from a neighbor down the block when I helped her set her trash can back up and refill it after a dog apparently dug into it.
Feeling the warm feeling of sunshine on my arm when the sun came out from behind a cloud when I was on my walk.
Smelling the aroma from a crock pot full of soup as I came back home from my walk.
Taking that crock full of soup to a youth group’s evening event, so they’ll have something to eat, and swapping a few humorous stories with the event’s organizer.
Reading a paragraph that I had just written that absolutely nailed what it was that I wanted to say.
Hearing the joyful barking of our family dog when the dogs from next door came out in the yard to play with him.
Reading a thoughtful Facebook message from a reader.
Having a long conversation with my sister-in-law about her career path.
Completing an article that I’m really happy with and feeling that burden lifted from my shoulders.
Seeing my email inbox reach zero … for the moment.
Exchanging good-natured insults with a group of friends that get progressively more creative (and funnier) as the day goes on.
Being surprised when my oldest son walked in the door after school as I had completely lost track of time.
Watching my daughter talk to her pet toad like an old friend.
Reading the conclusion to a really good book I checked out from the library that left me thinking for the rest of the day and is still dancing around in my mind.
Taking a quiet picture of my three children piled together side by side on the couch, each of them reading a book.
Petting our family dog and then watching him gently roll over onto his back to have his belly rubbed.
Having a thoughtful conversation with my mother about the decline of American malls and whether anchor stores really have any purpose any more.
Playing a board game with my oldest son and seeing his eyes glow when he revels in his victory.
Working with my youngest son on his math homework and realizing that he actually knows all of it already but that he wants to do things this way because he loves math and he loves spending time with his dad in appreciation of something that he loves.
Dancing with my daughter in the kitchen to a song from my high school years, laughing when she calls it “an oldie,” and then suddenly not laughing when I realize she might be right.
Getting the kitchen really clean.
Seeing my wife come in the door after work, telling her she looks beautiful and giving her a little kiss, and seeing her still blush a little at those words, even after all those years.
Playing a game of chess with my youngest son and watching the look on his face as he puzzles through why I seem to be just letting him take my queen, and loving the fact that he’s aware enough to realize it’s a trap and insightful enough that he’s probably well down the road to figuring out why it’s a trap.
Reading a great article on the intellectual impact of smartphone use on young people.
Watching my daughter pull out a pencil and start free-sketching on a piece of paper and within ten seconds pull off a perspective trick that’s far beyond anything I could pull off and make that trick look utterly effortless.
Feeling surprised when I realize that the children actually did a really good job of cleaning up the living room, far above what I had expected from them.
Planning a dinner party with an old friend and realizing that they’re perhaps even happier to see us than I am to see them.
Taking potatoes from our garden and immediately washing and slicing and grilling them, wrapped in aluminum foil with a bit of butter and chives and salt.
Hearing my oldest son’s tale at the dinner table about losing one of his last “baby teeth.”
Having a long dinner table conversation about the unusual behavior of a child at school, trying to help my children make sense of it in a positive way, and realizing that they do feel some empathy for this child, even in his strangeness to their sensibilities.
Practicing some of the trickier moves from taekwondo with my children, who are far more practiced at them and can do them with ease.
Having a long conversation with a couple of friends that stopped by.
Learning a high-five sequence from my daughter, something that apparently she does with her friends at school.
Reading a bedtime story to my children, another chapter in a grand adventure book checked out at the library.
Plotting an after-school project with my two sons before I turn off their light in their room.
Planning out the rest of the week and realizing that things are quite doable and a lot of things are actually ahead of schedule.
Feeling warm water run across my sore back and hips and knees, and scrubbing them down with an almost hot washcloth in the shower.
Sitting with my wife at the kitchen table, debriefing the day and holding each other’s hand before we go to bed.
Running my hand along my wife’s side as we’re both beginning to drift off to sleep.
—–
Yesterday, I decided to write down everything that happened that brought genuine happiness or joy in my life. Virtually all of it was free. Virtually all of it is listed above.
Life is abundant with joy if you just look for it. It bursts out of all of the little things almost constantly. Life offers up this rich abundance of good things without even needing to spend a dime. It is truly limitless in its beauty.
The world provides more blessings than we’ll ever need, without ever opening our wallets for anything beyond the bare minimum. The only trick is opening our hearts to it.
Have a wonderful day.
The post The Little Things appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
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Your retirement plan B
In an ideal world, we would all retire with our mortgage paid off and enough money in pensions and other savings plans for us to live comfortably. But what if you haven’t cleared your loan or have enough savings to deliver the income you’ll need? In which case, you might need a plan B.
A recent report from crowdfunding platform The House Crowd found that 78% of the UK’s over 55s feel that they are unprepared for retirement, 41% say their hopes for a secure retirement are no longer possible and 37% say their lifestyle will deteriorate. Meanwhile, research conducted by the Tax Incentivised Savings Association (TISA) found people aged 50 or over were typically facing an income shortfall of £11,400 a year.
For many, the solution will be to work longer. Research from Old Mutual in 2016 found that 30% of 50- to 75-yearolds expected they’d need to work in retirement. This is certainly the most straightforward way of boosting your retirement finances, but what if work isn’t an option or you simply feel you’ve done your graft and want to make the most of your retirement?
For an increasing number of people, property – or more specifically their home – could form their plan B. Indeed, the TISA research revealed that 68% of people said property should play a part in retirement planning.
A quick look at the numbers suggests it’s a logical solution. New research from Retirement Advantage found 63% of people recognise that their home is worth more than their pension and that as house prices continue to go up, the total value of equity available to over 55s is £365 billion. This compares to just £75 billion held by over 55s in personal pensions.
Andrew Tully, pensions technical director at Retirement Advantage, says: “There is a huge gap between what we want in retirement and what our pensions alone will be able to fund. We need to break down the long-held view that we do one thing with our pensions and Isas and something different with our property, and instead consider how they can work together to generate an income.”
For most people, the preferable way to access the equity in their home is to sell up and move into a smaller property. Research by the Office for National Statistics suggests that 28% of people think that property is the safest way to save for retirement and that 23% would downsize to release cash. The TISA research, mentioned previously, suggests that 44% of people would downsize if they faced an income shortfall in retirement.
For some people, their home is quite literally their pension plan. Royal London claims there are some three million people who are relying solely on their property to generate their retirement income.
Experts, however, agree that downsizing is rarely the silver bullet retirees expect.
Jonathan Watts-Lay, a director at Wealth At Work, a provider of financial education in the workplace, says downsizing can work for some people, but many will simply have too great an attachment to the family home. “Say you live in London and retire elsewhere, then it could work really well – but a lot depends on your circumstances. People with grandchildren also very often say that they still want to stay in a family-sized home.”
Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London, agrees. “While people often think downsizing is the answer, after they’ve done lots of work on their home why would they want to move now that they have the time to spend in it?” Even if you are happy to trade space for cash or accept the fundamental change in lifestyle that may go alongside downsizing, it’s also important to consider how much cash you’ll realistically be able to release and how much income that lump sum will generate.
Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon, says: “To get £10,000 a year, you would need a lump sum of at least £200,000 and to achieve that after all the costs of buying and selling would be one hell of a downsize.” He adds: “So much money gets eaten up by stamp duty, estate agent’s fees, decorating, new furniture and so on.”
Moving house is undoubtedly expensive and this is often enough to put many people off, but earlier this year newspapers reported that the government was contemplating plans to incentivise potential downsizers to move and free up more larger properties for families. Possible incentives being touted were help with moving costs or a stamp duty exemption.
February’s Housing White Paper made no mention of the proposal, so it remains to be seen whether the idea will see the light of day.
It is possible to access the equity that has built up in your home without selling up, using an equity release plan. However, despite the fact that you get to raise capital and stay in the family home, it’s often not a palatable solution.
According to TISA’s research, only 6% of retirees would select equity release as an option to boost their retirement income – suggesting the product carries a certain stigma and is very much perceived as a solution of last resort.
However, while levels of awareness of equity release are high, with 66% knowing what it is and a further 23% saying that they had heard of it, when the survey respondents were asked a series of questions testing their knowledge, it became clear they did not fully understand it. Two-thirds answered more than 50% of questions incorrectly and, in most cases, more than 50% of those questioned selected ‘don’t know’ rather than true or false.
The report said that this “lack of understanding creates a real barrier for consumers. But it also states that for many who have failed to make adequate retirement provision, equity release might be a more attractive option than initially thought”.
So what does equity release actually look like in 2017? By far the most common type of equity release product is the lifetime mortgage. Rather than selling a portion of your house to an equity release provider (as you would with an old-fashioned reversion scheme), these products allow you to take out a loan that is secured against it. Unlike conventional mortgages, you don’t make monthly repayments – instead, interest rolls up and the loan plus interest is repaid when the property is eventually sold.
Today’s plans let you take the cash as a lump sum or give you a maximum loan facility and allow you to withdraw funds in tranches as and when you need the money, with interest starting to roll up at the point you take it.
Interest rates on lump sums are currently around 4.5% to 5%, but are marginally lower on flexible withdrawal plans. As interest rolls up for the duration of the loan, the longer you live, the more expensive the loan becomes. However, if you have the cash to spare, some providers allow you to make capital repayments. Legal & General Home Finance, for example, allows four optional partial repayments a year penalty free.
Steve Ellis, managing director of Legal & General Home Finance, says: “Lifetime mortgages are really nothing like the products of old. You aren’t selling or trading your house with an insurance company and you can still move house or downsize. You can never be forced to move either.”
No negative equity guarantees also mean that you will never need to pay back more than the value of your home. As the infographic, right, shows, the compounding effect of interest roll-up does mean your loan size can quickly grow and your beneficiaries may, in a worst-case scenario, not see any proceeds from the sale.
In order to prevent this happening, most providers offer some form of inheritance protection. “If you want to protect money for children, we can keep that money ringfenced for you,” adds Mr Ellis.
While enthusiasm for equity release might be limited, the market is growing. Figures from Keyretirement.com show that in 2016 the market grew for the fifth consecutive year with retirees unlocking £2.1 billion of property wealth from their homes.
With pressure on retirement finances not getting any better, Jon Greer, pensions expert at Old Mutual, says it’s a market that will only get bigger. “We all know that there is an issue of under-saving and people facing shortfalls. The main asset to fulfil that is likely to be the home. Very often people won’t have another fall back,” he says.
Even if more retirees do come around to the idea of equity release, there remains the problem of getting advice. Lifetime mortgages are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and advisers need to be qualified to sell them – but this is not the domain of the typical independent financial adviser.
“Just how many advisers can offer holistic financial advice including lifetime mortgages?”asks Mr Greer. “This advice isn’t generally available, but it needs to be.”
TISA is calling on regulators and the advice industry to look at ways of taking property into account alongside other assets in the wider retirement planning process to make it easier for consumers to get advice.
As Mr Cameron says, retirement planning is only becoming more challenging and that means retirees need to be aware of all the options that are open to them. “We are in a golden age of pensions where people are retiring with defined benefit pensions and a state pension that is protected by the triple lock,” he adds.
However, with the triple lock only guaranteed until 2020 and fewer people retiring with the luxury of guaranteed pension income, more retirees will have to consider alternative sources of income. He adds: “I certainly wouldn’t advocate equity release for future retirement planning – it is not an alternative to saving – but it could be a factor to consider to top up your retirement income.”
Rent a room to raise cash
You don’t have to sell up or buy an equity release to cash in on your property. Carolyn Moist, 62, and her partner John Hart, 72, from Kingsteignton in Devon have opened up their three-bedroom home to lodgers to boost their income.
Under the government’s Rent a Room Scheme, it is possible to earn as much as £7,500 each year from letting out a spare room without paying any tax on that income.
Carolyn, who used to work as the town clerk, says: “I retired early to spend more time with my partner, but money was a bit tight so we decided to rent out a room with Spareroom.com.”
That was six years ago and during that time they have had a total of six lodgers, including a trainee nurse, a consultant psychiatrist and a project manager. “It’s not much of an intrusion at all – our current lodger works late and really just needs somewhere to rest his head.”
Carolyn and John enjoy sharing their lives with their lodgers and don’t expect them to hide away in their bedroom. “We’re happy for them to sit with us in the evenings. It was fascinating when we had the psychiatrist with us. We’ve had some lovely experiences together.”
The couple also recently attended the wedding of their longest-standing lodger, Michelle, who rented the room for two years. “Our lodgers can end up feeling like family,” she adds.
Carolyn and John charge £90 a week for the room. “It makes a lot of difference to us as I won’t get my state pension until I’m 65,” says Carolyn. “You do have to be flexible, but we have been lucky and have no dreadful horror stories!”
Using your home to pay for care
While you may have enough money in pensions and savings to get you through the bulk of your retirement, your finances may face one last hurdle if you need a care home. Currently, you will be expected by your local authority to pay fees yourself if you have more than £23,250. Unless you have a partner, older or disabled relative, or child under the age of 18 living with you, this means test will include the value of your home, less any mortgage or outstanding loans you may have on it.
“Around 20,000 to 30,000 people a year have to sell their home for care,” says Steve Webb, director of policy at Royal London. Some people consider giving their house to family to avoid it being included in the means test, but it’s likely that this will be considered a deliberate ‘deprivation of assets’ and you may still have to pay the same level of fees as if you still owned it.
How much will equity release cost you?
As this infographic shows, the longer you live, the more equity release is likely to cost you. This means it may make sense holding off releasing equity until you are older.
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