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Crucial Investing Tips for 2018

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In the early days of 2018, it’s a good time to consider what’s the same and what’s new as the new year unfolds. With investing specifically, some basic principles remain unchanged, but there are some new kids on the block to pay attention to as well.

Let’s dive right in with a few investing tips for 2018.

Crypto Currencies

Everyone is curious about crypto currencies right now. With the sudden rise in Bitcoin during 2017 and other digital currencies being discussed like Ethereum and LiteCoin, there’s certainly good speculative money to be made. The old idea of “buying on the dips” is likely to prove useful to handle the ups and downs of these internet currencies.

Just be careful about the fees involved with each purchase as small batch sizes sometimes, especially in the case of Bitcoin, become quite expensive to complete. Be aware of how you’re buying the bitcoin and where it’s being stored too.

While it’s common to use an intermediary to make the purchase, it’s possible to hold a balance in a digital wallet like Electrum which is open-source and cross-platform (they have multiple desktop client and mobile apps too). This way, it’s not tied to a digital wallet provider and not at risk from the digital currency robberies that have taken place previously; this is the way Bitcoin was originally intended and set up where an intermediate was not required.

Fast-moving NASDAQ Technology Stocks

NASDAQ stocks are primarily technology based. They’re often quite expensive, but they go through periodic price adjustments where there’s often good opportunities to pick up bargains. At stateschronicle.com, they cover NASDAQ stocks that have recently fallen in price and are worth researching ahead of a possible purchase. Obviously, always perform your own due diligence before diving in.

Re-balancing a Portfolio

When setting up a portfolio, you create allocations for each planned asset class. These are based on your level of equity exposure that you’re comfortable with along with a sensible mix of non-correlated assets where some zig when others zag in the markets. Balancing a portfolio in this manner helps to mitigate steep moves upwards (or downwards) and smooths out the bumps.

For instance, in 2017 U.S. stocks had a banner year having risen over 21 percent. However, investors who put an equal amount into international stocks would have enjoyed over 27 percent return on their foreign investments. A 50/50 split would have achieved 24.5 percent return pre-costs.

 

Rebalancing a portfolio is a semi-regular action that sells down investments that have risen in price and buys more of what has been in the doldrums. While it may seem counterintuitive to sell your winners, the idea is to keep reasonably close to your planned asset allocation while avoiding any whipsaw with inflated investments coming crashing down. By rebalancing, the accepted risk levels of a portfolio are maintained too.

Investing in 2018 isn’t much different to other years except there are more opportunities for smaller investors to buy different types of alternative investments including dabbling in digital currencies. Keeping a sensible eye on maintaining a proper balance to your portfolio avoids overdoing things.

There Are More Ways To Reach The Top Than You Think

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You might be at a point in life where you are unsure how to progress in your career and how to reach success. This could be at the beginning of college, just before leaving school or even at a time later on in your life. At one point or another, we are all stuck with how to proceed. You may even feel pressure to make the right decision because you don’t want to be in the situation where a few years later you feel like you made the wrong choice.

We have a few options on how to proceed here.

Find A Basic Job

You can complete this part-time or full time depending on your situation. This is also a smart move if, for whatever reason, you find yourself out of work. People are often wary of taking a basic job because they think that it means a low level of pay. On occasion, it can, but a basic job can also be seen as the first stepping stone. Slowly but surely, you can rise through the ranks to the point where you will be able to grow your paycheck, your responsibilities and indeed, your position in a company or sector. This is a smart move if you are completely unsure of what direction to take. For the time being it does set you on a path that with hard work will lead to great success.

Choosing A Degree

You might be in a situation where you are choosing a degree. This could be a post grad or your first time in college. It is important to understand which degrees open what doors and the type of thing you can expect. For instance, a law degree doesn’t just open up the possibility of working as a lawyer. Most people with law degrees can find a job operating in human resources. Human resources can be another high paying position that could prove to be a useful backup. While an online social work degree is something that can indeed help you find a position in social services or even in the health industry. By knowing you have more than one route available to you, you’ll find the right path.

Get Yourself Out There

Of course, if you take the necessary steps, you can make sure that the right career finds you and avoid searching for it yourself. You can let a business owner or business headhunt you for a role that you would love. Doing this is all about making sure that you are active on social media. Make sure that you have a Linkedin Page and that you are staying active across social media. You don’t have to use this for personal use. Instead, use it purely as a way to build up your own personal brand. In other words, who you are and what type of business interests you have.

Do this and as well as the possibility of being headhunted, you could find yourself getting far more job offers when you send out your CV and attend interviews.

We hope you see now that there are more ways than it seems to reach the top with any career path.

How to Get a Work-Life Balance When Working at Home

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Although there are many advantages to working from home, there can also be problems associated with trying to work in the same place you live. Not only do you need to make sure you get all your work completed, but you also want to spend time with your family. Here are some of the ways you can try to achieve a better work/life balance.

Set Yourself a Schedule

When you are working from home, it can be easy to just pop into the office room and answer a few emails. However, if you do that, you will find yourself doing it more often, with opening a couple of emails to replying to them and then working a few extra hours – just because. It is important that you stick to a schedule, so create one that sets out your day carefully and includes an end to your work. Allow yourself time to work, but also make sure that you only spend set hours in the office. If you are working for someone else, then it is important that you are honest and clear about the hours you work from the beginning of your employment.

Give Yourself Space You Need

While you can set up your office area anywhere in your house, it can make a lot of difference if you need peace and quiet. Ideally, you need a room to yourself that you can use as an office, then you can close the door, and the others in the house will know you’re working. Alternatively, you can always look at mobile offices that you can set up in the garden. It will give you a dedicated space, and it won’t take up a room in your home.

Work Smarter Not Harder

There are some that believe you have to work all the hours you can to be successful. While you need to put in the hours to do a good job, you don’t have to spend the whole day and night in the office. By doing the things you need to do efficiently, you can get far more work completed in less time. If you have a lot of jobs to do, consider taking on a virtual assistant that can help you with the routine tasks.

Learn to Say No

It can be easy just to continue to do a thing for your clients or your boss without thinking about what it means to your family. You are not obliged to work 24 hours a day, so you should learn to say no when they are asking things that are unreasonable. If you have set hours of work, then it makes it easier to say you are not available. If you have a mobile phone for your work, then you need to make sure you turn it off when you are not available. People can leave you a message, and you can get back to them later.

There are many people who love working from home and still manage to fit both home and work life into their day. All you need is a little planning and to learn to say no when you aren’t available.

Highly Effective Habits That Make You More Productive at Work

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Whether you are a business owner or an executive, staying effective at work can be a challenge. There will be times when you are less productive and can’t seem to focus on the tasks in hand. Other times you cannot do things correctly and keep making unnecessary mistakes.

After speaking to a lot of successful entrepreneurs and professionals, we discovered that this issue can be solved by developing a few effective habits. We are going to take a look at those habits in this article.

Develop a Morning Routine

Having a solid morning routine is a must. It helps prepare the brain for a busy day ahead and it allows you to enjoy little, pleasant things as you start the day. Some entrepreneurs love to start the day by having a cup of coffee and reading the news. You can tailor your Google News feed based on your interests or catch up with the latest financial news from America Herald online.

Remember that you are free to develop a morning routine that works for you. You can add a short exercise – a 30-minute walk or jog can be very refreshing in the morning – and fine-tune every part of the morning routine to suit you personally. The only thing to keep in mind is staying consistent. You want the brain to know, unconsciously, that the morning routine means it is time to start the day.

Work in Short Bursts

Staying focused for a long period of time can be challenging, which is why it is often better to work in short bursts. Most entrepreneurs love to work for 30 minutes, and then take a break for 15 minutes before repeating the cycle. Others opt for shorter bursts with a longer break between them.

The time you allocate for working doesn’t matter. What matters is that you devote your entire attention and energy to getting some work done during those short bursts. You will be surprised by how much more productive you can be, even when the day is a difficult one to handle.

You can also use the breaks for productive yet relaxing activities. You can read books, check the latest news and updates, or deal with easier tasks that also help you refresh.

Get Enough Rest

Going the extra mile and working long hours are very tempting, especially when you’re trying to get your business or your career of the ground. That said, spending 5 out of 5 workdays a week working late is not necessarily something you want to do if you want to stay productive in the long run.

Keeping a balanced life is still important. In fact, multiple studies have shown that professionals who are able to maintain a more balanced life are also more productive at work. When it is time to leave the office, stop worrying about work and shut that part of your brain for a moment. Focus on leisure activities or getting enough rest instead so that you are ready for the challenges that come tomorrow.

These habits are easy to get into with a bit of practice, but they are known to be very effective in helping you become more productive at work. Give them a try and be sure to share your experience in the Comments section below!

How To Improve Your Leadership Skills

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Wanting to be a better leader is a good goal to have. You’ll be strengthening your chances at moving up in your company and helping your organization to succeed. It’s a great personal goal because you can take the skills you develop with you and use them in all areas of your life.

Think about when you’re managing employees in the office versus when you’re at home. It’s likely some of the skills carry over and help you succeed in both environments. You can’t simply want to be a better leader. You have to put in the hard work it takes to achieve results.

Find A Mentor

Your first plan of action should be to find a mentor who you admire and believe has strong leadership skills. Make it your goal to observe them in their element and take notes about why they’re admirable to you. Ask to have a meeting with them and discuss your goals and any tips they have for you. Try to connect on a regular basis and keep learning from them as you start implementing some of their suggestions into your daily life.

Be Innovative

Always be thinking ahead about how you and your business can take your industry by surprise. For example, the painting and decorating company athdecorating.co.uk decided to launch a website for marketing their business, which they hadn’t previously done. It’s a great way to get their services out there and in front of their target audience. Think about how you can do this at your company. Put yourself in charge of the project to make sure it goes smoothly. Show you’re a leader by being attentive, organized and assertive when discussing the details and assigning roles.

Ask for Feedback

Be open and honest with others about what you’re trying to achieve and ask for feedback. Approach people you work and interact with on a daily basis for their comments and suggestions for improvement. You may find some of what they say surprising and be able to use their advice to help you improve your leadership skills. You never know what other people are observing that’s difficult to see for yourself. Focus on what you’re doing right and be honest about where you’re struggling, so you can fix it.

Take Advantage of Professional Development Opportunities

You’re not going to progress by sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself that you’re not a top leader in your company. Be proactive and ask your company what they offer for leadership training. Take an online course or an in person training session that allows you to practice your skills in front of others. Use this as an opportunity to educate and challenge yourself to becoming a better leader, boss and partner at home. Always be learning and jumping on any training classes that will help build your skills.

Conclusion

Be glad that there are ways to improve your leadership skills, so you can keep moving forward in the right direction. Don’t worry about your weaknesses. Look at them as opportunities for growth.