4 Out Of The Box Investment Ideas

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Investment Ideas|4 Out Of The Box Investment IdeasOne of the truest statements in investing is that if there is no risk, there is no reward. There are a million ways that people make money around the globe daily from manufacturing to retailing to providing services, which goes to show that there are no wrong ideas when it comes to investing. Over the generations, ideas that were seen as too radical have proven to be some of the most genii, so with a balanced portfolio, there is always a little merit in investing in some out-of-the-box ideas that you believe in.

International property

Many people feel comfortable investing in property markets that they are familiar with but property is a big investment to make that involves long-term mortgages that take decades to pay off. For those willing to do the research and to travel to new destinations, international property investment has a lot to offer. Many international housing markets are considered to be much more affordable, from small villages in Italy to high rise apartments in the Philippines. With an affordable cash injection upfront, investors could be looking at a quality return on investment from a property that is affordable enough to be purchased outright, not to mention having the option of a beautiful holiday destination to jet off to.

Coins

It might sound like a hobby that your grandfather was passionate about but coin collecting can pay some serious dues. With currency increasingly becoming digitised around the world, the value of older coins is beginning to escalate. As physical money begins to fade away, coins will become rarer and rarer and we all know that anything rare equals value. Look into the value of coins in your country. It will be surprising how much you could be looking at for something that appears no more interesting than an old penny.

Overseas shares

There are numerous stock markets in countries all around the world. If you are into buying stocks, day trading or just looking to grow and diversify your investment portfolio, the digital age means that you are no longer only limited to one market. Global digitization has opened up access between markets in different countries in ways that have never been seen before so if you want to check out Wall Street, buying US shares from Australia is now entirely possible. With online brokers that have developed easy-to-use apps and unprecedented competition on previously unaffordable brokerage fees, there has never been a better time to consider investing in international markets.

Start-up capital

The investment bankers on Wall Street sure had it right when they began investing capital into start-up companies back in the day but this is not necessarily a million-dollar business only. There are a multitude of new business ideas out there in the world at any given time and if you think you have the ability to spot something good when you see it, then you can bet on yourself and invest in it. Small and medium enterprises often lack the capital they need to start up their businesses and take on silent investors in exchange for a share of the business returns. Whether you choose to do this privately with friends, family or associates, or you opt to work with a larger financial firm, this is an option for you to invest on the ground level of the next big idea.

How to Stay Motivated as You Build Your Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Stay Motivated|How to Stay Motivated as You Build Your BusinessWhen it comes to running a business, chances are that on the day you launched, you were full of motivation as the plan to get things going and really start hammering in on your work all finally came to fruition. Of course, after that initial period of adrenaline has worn off, you are likely going to find it a bit of a struggle to keep motivated as you work. You will find yourself feeling burnt out and it will feel like a lot of the work that you are doing is not actually resulting in any positive results. Does this sound like you? If so, then look no further, as this article is going to go into detail about some of the best ways that you can keep yourself motivated as you are trying to build your business.

Allow Yourself Some Time Off

One of the reasons that you might find yourself feeling a bit burnt out is because of the fact that you are not allowing yourself any time off. This could be on a short-term basis such as night by night but then also on a long-term basis. When was the last time you took a holiday? You need to ensure that you are giving yourself plenty of time when it comes to evenings and holidays to switch off. In doing so, you are going to feel a lot more motivated when it comes to doing work once again. There are a number of ways that you can switch off; one of the popular means is by gaming, which is a fantastic form of escapism. You can play something complex or subscribe to more classic rules, for instance, if you head over to the best high roller online casino, which comes ripe with classics such as slot machines and poker.

Expand Your Network

You are going to find it very hard for your business to operate or continue to grow if you are working within a bubble. You are going to need to ensure you are keeping and building on a connection with the likes of customers, vendors, employees and of course other entrepreneurs. This is absolutely vital when it comes to growing as a business; however, it is also vital when it comes to keeping yourself motivated. You find energy in people who are working in a similar way to you or in people who can help you grow, so expanding upon your network is one of the best ways to continue to feel motivated to keep growing. Be sure to attend different networking events and be active on social media to ensure that you keep meeting new people.

Focus on Your Goals

When you are working, you need to ensure that you know what your goals are and be aware how you will be able to achieve them. If you fail to set them for yourself then you will find it incredibly hard to actually achieve something. In business, the same as in life, you need to set yourself targets to stride towards.

Innovation In The Gardening And Lawn Care Industry

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Lawn Care Industry|Innovation In The Gardening And Lawn Care IndustryThe gardening and lawn care industry is huge in the United States of America. The lawn is a suburban American institution, and a whole cadre of businesses and technology innovators have sprung up to support the modest green plots that so many people cherish. In American middle-class culture, the lawn has historically been seen as an indicator of comfort, wealth, and stability. A well-tended lawn is an externalization of internal contentment. Lawn grass is the most grown crop in the United States of America: an inedible plant that is grown in higher quantities than corn, wheat, and sunflower.

It is therefore unsurprising that innovation is always taking place in the lawn care and gardening industries. Here are some of the most high-profile innovations that have taken place in recent years.

Software

Lawn care and gardening used to be in the hands of many small-scale operations that marketed themselves via word of mouth. Lawn care scheduling and payment were done in person and on the fly. Today, software has changed all of that. Modern lawn care software enables the management of multiple jobs using multiple teams – allowing for the swift expansion of companies. Software is quickly making a big impact on the gardening and lawn care industries, and companies that refuse to adopt it are set to be left in the dust.

Virtual And Augmented Reality

Virtual and augmented reality software allows lawn care and landscaping professionals to show concepts to clients in ways that could only have been dreamed up in science fiction until now. Large-scale, high-budget landscaping and lawn design projects have always included an element of risk: clients might not fully understand what they are buying and what their beloved garden might look like once work is complete. With virtual and augmented reality tours of prospective landscapes, clients can see exactly what they will receive at the end of the day.

Social Media Marketing And SEO

Gone are the days in which gardening and lawn care jobs were exclusively advertised using word of mouth and in local newspapers. Modern green industry professionals typically harness targeted social media marketing and Search Engine Optimization in order to draw in clients. Search Engine Optimization is especially important for lawn care professionals. A well-optimized online presence is essential if a company wants to draw in the clients that search for local lawn care solutions using a search engine like Google. Targeted social media advertising can draw in clients that live in the local area or who post about homeowning topics online. With so many lawn care and gardening companies operational in each given area, professionals need to be hyper-targeted with their marketing in order to stand out from the pack.

Automation

Automated sprinklers are nothing new, but today’s automated lawn watering systems use sensors to account for environmental conditions when distributing water. One of the features of the American lawn is that it is typically grown against nature. Water sprinkling systems are essential in hot states.

The Three Things Any Business Owner Must Have To Succeed In The Future

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Business Owner|The Three Things Any Business Owner Must Have To Succeed In The FutureIn order to be successful in the future, businesses will need to keep an open mind to change, embrace new technologies and prepare for a future where automation dominates many industries. By keeping these essential points in mind, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and continue to thrive well into the future!

1. Why Businesses Need To Keep An Open Mind To Change

The world is constantly evolving, and businesses that don’t keep up will quickly fall behind. In order to stay competitive, companies need to be willing to embrace change and adapt to new technologies. They’ll be well-prepared for the future when automation dominates many industries if they can do this.

One example of a business that didn’t adapt to change is Blockbuster. They refused to embrace new technologies, such as online streaming, and as a result, they went bankrupt. Another example is Kodak. They were a leader in the photography industry for many years, but when digital cameras became popular, they failed to embrace the new technology and went bankrupt.

2. Why Businesses Need To Embrace New Technologies

New technologies are constantly emerging, and companies that don’t embrace them will quickly lose ground to their competitors. By embracing new technologies, companies can gain a competitive advantage and stay ahead of the curve. They can also find new ways to improve their products and services.

Some examples of new technologies in the business world include open source web crawlers, which can index websites and track changes. Other examples include big data analytics, which can gain insights into customer behavior, and blockchain technology. This, again, can be used to secure online transactions. By embracing these new technologies, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in the future.

3. Why Businesses Need To Prepare For A Future Dominated By Automation

Automation is rapidly changing how businesses operate, and those who don’t prepare for it will be left behind. Automation can help companies to save money and become more efficient. It can also help them reach new markets and customers. By preparing for a future dominated by automation, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and thrive in the years to come!

Businesses can save money with automation by automating their payroll processes. Automated payroll systems can help companies save time and money, and they can also help ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time.

Another way businesses can save money with automation is by automating their marketing campaigns. Automated marketing systems can help enterprises save time and money, and they can also help ensure that campaigns are executed flawlessly.

An industry that successfully embraced automation is the manufacturing industry. Over the years, automation has slowly replaced human workers in many factories. This has helped factories become more efficient and produce more products at a lower cost.

One example of a factory that embraced automation is Foxconn. They are a Taiwanese company that manufactures electronic products for Apple, Dell, and HP. To keep up with the market’s ever-changing demands, they have slowly been replacing human workers with robots. As a result, they have reduced their production costs by up to 60%.

The Future In Now

So, if you want to be successful in the future, make sure you have all three of these things in place. And if you don’t currently have them, don’t worry – it’s not too late to start working on them. Just remember, the key is to keep moving forward and always be learning.

Signs You’re Ready To Open A Business

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Ready to open a business|Signs You're Ready To Open A BusinessIt’s not always easy to see when you have a talent for something. Right now, you could be holding off on showing the world what you’re made of but there really is no need to do that if you are sure that you know you can get what you want. If you are one of the many people out there looking at ways that you can start and maintain your own business, you wouldn’t be alone.

You might love your job. You might not be brave enough to dip a toe in the idea that you could be the boss one day. You might not even be ready to understand how to plan an IT strategy and learn how to accelerate your digital marketing, either. You might love your job right now but if you have the talent and the chance to be your boss and call the shots, why not go for it. With this in mind, here are some clear signs that you should start your own business.

  1. You have a ton of ideas. If your brain is constantly moving and shaking, then maybe it’s about time you paid attention to it. The chances are that at least one of those ideas is going to be good enough to earn money from. If you feel like you are bursting with all of these new ideas, then it’s time to look at them a little closer and decide if any of them are right for your business.
  2. You feel like your talents are wasted. Most people are in their careers because they feel challenged and want to learn even more about the industry that they’re in. Whether it’s a physical or a mental one, you need to feel like you are good at what you do. If you’re not challenged enough, you could create the opportunities that will make you feel better and give you an income.
  3. You’ve hit the ceiling. There is only so far that you can go for some jobs, and if you hit that glass ceiling with nowhere to go beyond it, you need more. A business could be that ‘more’ that you’re looking for and it’s a great place to go. You can step out on your own and show off a little of what you know and what you can do. It’s the most exhilarating fun!
  4. You’re spending time outside the office. If you aren’t doing the job you initially signed up for, then you need to create your own opportunities. You should think about how you can make the job you’re doing the one that you want and not the one that you have to do to get by. Opening your own business is one of the best things that you can do here as you’re the one to call the shots and really get it out there what you want to do.
  5. Others will see what you can do. One of the biggest reasons that people open their own businesses is to showcase what they can do to others. You want others to see what you are capable of, and being your own business leader can help you to do this.