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If you’ve been working in one industry for a long time, then you likely have accumulated a lot of highly specific knowledge. There are always new people starting in your industry. Why not find ways to share with them what you have learned over the years?

 

Write a Book

One of the most obvious routes is writing a book. Through a book, you can tell your story, outline the knowledge you have gained, and essentially instruct others how to do what you did. One thing to keep in mind is that writing a book is hard work. As you get started, you should identify what your main goal is. What is it you want to say? It can be helpful if you have a specific audience in mind. Next, you should plan out the content of your book. With a thorough outline, it will be much easier to write your book. When you reach the writing stage, you can do the work yourself, but you can also work with a ghostwriter to help the process. Finally, you’ll need a plan for marketing your book and then your knowledge can be introduced to the world.

 

Start a Podcast

If you are looking for a quicker means of imparting your knowledge, then perhaps you should consider creating a podcast. With a podcast, you simply need to say everything you have learned. Additionally, you can spread out your knowledge of several episodes. It can become an ongoing project where you regularly discuss aspects of the industry you have worked in. More than 70 percent of people say they listen to podcasts to learn new things. It’s an easy way to consume information and it will allow you to reach a very wide audience.

 

Create a YouTube Channel

Much like a podcast, having a YouTube channel allows you to continually produce content based on your industry knowledge. The main difference is you will have video in addition to your voice. This format can be very helpful if you need to demonstrate certain skills or tasks related to your business. It’s also a great way to show more of your personality and make connections with your audience. Starting a YouTube channel is fairly simple.

 Join the “in crowd” and consider creating a TikTok channel

PreCOVID Tiktok was thought to be the domain of the young -but that is no longer the truth. As a storytelling tool, it can be a great way to promote, share and collaborate. While individuals often center on themes and audio clips to lip sync too. Commercial enterprises and use the source a 30 sec – 3 min video clips. TikTok for Business is a fresh way to promote your Youtube, Podcast, or product reviews, and get some exposure to folks you otherwise might not have access too.

Sharing your industry knowledge is a great way to leave a legacy. You can help others on their journey and create a better experience for them. All you have to do is find the right format for sharing your knowledge.

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If you’re in the market for a new job, the search can be overwhelming. Figuring out how to stand out from the competition can seem impossible at times. But while it’s important to keep applying to jobs, make sure to think about these ways to make your application more attractive.

Customize Your Resume and Cover Letter

Having a clean, professional resume (also known as a CV or Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter is an important way for you to signal your personal brand, experience, and identity. As you think about customizing your resume/CV and cover letter, consider consulting with a resume expert. The process of working with a resume expert is a great way to package with is in your head and your past, bundled with your goals in a clean and meaningful process. Jerome Imhoff of The Resume Shop, INK is someone I have worked with in the past and to this day I still refer to his thoughtful questions and recommendations—if you are a student at a university or one who has recently graduated, there is usually someone at Career Services who will be able to help you out for free. 

 

Gain New Skills

If you’re hoping to break into a new industry or expand your career possibilities, gaining new skills can increase your attractiveness to different companies. Think strategically about which skills would be especially helpful for you to develop.

If you are a graphic designer, you might want to enhance your ability to design a website with more practical coding expertise to enable you to both design and build the site. Building new skills can be done in spare time with convenient online classes. You should research before enrolling in an online course, as many of them are poorly designed.

Another way to build up new skills is to collaborate and offer to volunteer with the understanding you are using this as a way to develop and practice new skill sets.  

Get Good Recommendations

Having good recommendations goes a long way in securing a position. If you can start to try and work in the same field as your dream job, try to network through your fellow employees and through your different bosses.

As you perform well in your position and work to produce quality work, they’ll get to know you better and be motivated to help you find a place where you will love your job. Finding your dream job usually happens through connections so this is definitely one of the best ways to go.

 

The job search can be excruciating. But as you work to make your applications more exciting to prospective employers, don’t let yourself get too down on yourself if you aren’t able to find the perfect job right away. Take some of the pressure off yourself by considering your next job as a stepping stone to your future goals. And as you apply some of these tips and work to round out your application more, you’ll start to see more success.

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Starting a business may be something you’ve wanted to do for a while. But taking this leap can seem incredibly daunting if you’re going it alone. Luckily, there are a variety of ways to limit some of the personal risk of starting a business by yourself.

 

Find a Partner

According to Moneycrashers, finding a partner is one of the best and most obvious ways of mitigating the risk of starting a business on your own. As you look for a business partner, make sure to go in with someone you really trust.

Starting a business not only entails a lot of risk, but it also entails a lot of reward. You want to go into this scenario with someone who has a lot of integrity. You want someone who you can trust to not duck and run if things go bad and not cheat you out of profits if things go great.

 

Start a Franchise

Starting a franchise is another great way to start a business without having to do everything from scratch. When you start a franchise, you are able to lean on their already-established brand credibility and built-in customer base. Do research on your area to decide on the best franchise to try and build. According to Franchise Gator, franchises do have some royalty fees involved you should be aware of.

 

Don’t Quit Your Day Job

Another great way to mitigate some of the risk and stress of starting a new business is to do it part-time. According to Menabytes, when you start a business from home and are able to manage it from home or after hours, you can still maintain your current job and not risk having no income.

If you decide to go this route, think carefully about your expectations—are you hoping that your business will expand to the point where it is sustainable and you can quit your job? Or are you hoping for it to stay something on the side that brings in some added income? Thinking about these questions will help you build a better business plan.

 

Building a business takes a lot of work, risk, and investment on your part regardless of the route you take. Be prepared to sacrifice your time and your own personal resources. Even though there are ways you can make the risk of starting a business more manageable, you can’t eliminate them entirely.

Read this next: What You Need to Make it as a Solo Entrepreneur

Whether you own a lot of extra property or just an empty lot, there’s plenty you can do with some excess land. The one thing you shouldn’t do is leave it to sit. If you have land, you should find ways for it to make you some extra money.  

Storage Units

There will always be people in need of self-storage units. This is because they have many uses. People can store extra belongings, furniture, decorations, and appliances. Some storage units also allow them to store boats and other vehicles they can’t accommodate on their property. By building storage units on your land, you can accommodate all of these needs. You should start out by determining the need for storage facilities in your area. Do plenty of market research to determine whether or not you will actually receive any business. As a part of this research, see what other storage units are in the area and if new ones are being built. It is also helpful to evaluate if you are in a good location. Being by a busy road can help you attract more business. You will also need to determine the size and scope of your storage units.

Building Housing

Many people, especially in the younger generations, are choosing to rent homes over buying. You can take advantage of this by building housing on your property that you can rent out. Renting out property is a great way to make a passive income and it can put your extra land to work. On your land, you can create many types of housing including apartments, town houses, and condos. Of course, you can also create a build to rent community. These communities consist of homes that are built specifically to be rented and they are all managed by one renting company. Owning such a community will allow you to regularly collect rent from a variety of properties. Current trends are leading to more people renting and the demand for rental properties will not go away any time soon.

Raise Animals

Raising animals on your property is a great way to make money. The animals you raise depend on the size of your property, but each have their own benefits. For smaller properties, you can consider raising chickens or ducks. Both of these birds can be used for both eggs and meat. Chickens will require a coop and ducks will need a fenced in area and a small structure for roosting. Larger properties can provide plenty of room for goats or sheep. Goats can be used for their milk. Sheep are more often used for their wool, but they also produce milk that is popularly used in soap. If you have a lot of land, you can raise cows which can produce meat as well as milk. Before raising any animals, you should do plenty of research. This research includes understanding maintenance for caring for these animals such as what they eat and how much land they need to live on. With animals, you also have the option to have a petting zoo on your property which can provide another form of income. (Note here needs to be said – before jumping in on this or any suggestion, check the local and state restrictions, laws and health and safety rules)

Start a Farm

With enough land, you have the potential to start a farm. A farm can produce food you can then sell for a profit. When starting a farm, you should first identify your niche as a farmer. You can focus on vegetables, wheat, corn, berries, etc. Having a niche will help you plan out your farm. For your farm, you will also need plenty of equipment such as a tractor. You also want to get quality equipment with features that will make things easier for you and protect you. When operating a tractor, shade canopies protect your skin from the sun. Next, you need to make a plan to market and sell your produce. Your farm can also provide you with income after the harvest. For example, if you grow corn then you can make a corn maze for the fall.

Open an Event Venue

People are often in need of venues for their events. These events can include weddings, graduation parties, anniversary celebrations, corporate parties, and more. You can build a venue on your property to provide for the needs of various celebrations. With your property, you can simply provide the venue, or you can also partner with a caterer and provide for other needs as well. The possibilities are endless.

Create an Athletic Field

Local sports teams and school sport teams may be in need of a place to practice or hold games and matches. Building an athletic field on your property can provide for a community need and give you a way to make some extra income. Additionally, you can build an athletic field and open it up to the community for recreation. You can charge fees for use and open your field to people with reservations. An athletic field also opens up the possibility of other businesses such as a concession stand. If you do create an athletic field, just make sure you understand field maintenance so you can provide a quality experience to customers.

Start an Orchard or Vineyard

Having an orchard or vineyard on your property provides many of the same benefits of a farm. However, instead of simply selling the food you produce, you can make an additional income by inviting people to your property. Many people love going to orchards to pick their own fruit and enjoy many other wonderful experiences. For example, people will go apple picking in the fall. With a vineyard, you can hold wine tastings. You can make money for selling the food and you can charge people for additional experiences.

Open a Paintball Range

There are many types of property where you can sell products, but you can also start a business that focuses on experiences. You can set up a paintball range on your property. All you need to do is purchase some equipment, including the paint ball guns, and then create some fun obstacles. In addition to paint ball, you can consider setting up a shooting range for archery or you can even create a general obstacle course.

Having open land provides you with many opportunities for a new business. You can focus on making a passive income, selling products, or opening up your land for regular use. All of these options are a great way to make money off your land.

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The early days of entrepreneurship can be incredibly challenging and overwhelming, but once you start to see the fruits of your success things get a little bit easier. It’s important that you don’t lose your momentum and stop moving forward once you get your first taste of success. Here are a few things you can do to take advantage of your new success to grow your business and improve yourself.

 

Work on Your Company Culture

 

Company culture is an important and sometimes underrated element of business. By establishing a strong company culture, you make it easier for your employees to feel satisfied at work which will allow you to decrease turnover and improve your company’s skill base. One great way to build up your company culture is to offer your employees new benefits that help them to feel more comfortable and cared for in their profession. This can include things like improved retirement plans, additional schedule flexibility, or the ability to work from home. Employees appreciate having the freedom to live their lives fully while also being productive at work and your company culture can make that happen.

 

Reinvest in Your Business

 

Once you have started to experience success with your business, you’re in a great position to reinvest and continue building towards the future. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about new goals for the future. Take some time to evaluate your business so far and think about how you would like it to change and grow. Then you can look at your budget and figure out how to allocate new investments towards meeting your future goals. You can reinvest by updating your location, adding to your online presence, or changing your operations to better fit the needs of your company. All of these investments will pay off over time.

 

Get More Attention for Your Business

 

Your newfound success is also a perfect opportunity to start getting more attention for your business. This may mean revamping your marketing so that you can reach new audiences and expand to a wider customer base. Think about how you can implement new digital and traditional marketing techniques to find new aspects of your audience and reach them as effectively as possible. Use customer feedback to help you make these decisions and figure out how to generate positive attention for your business. When you rely on your current knowledge to help you prepare for the future, you’re much more likely to succeed.

 

Buy a New Car

 

This is also a good time to reward yourself for your hard work. A new car is a great way to make that happen and can also help you to improve perceptions of your brand. Running day-to-day business operations in a beater car doesn’t make a good impression and can actually lose you clients. So by choosing a new vehicle that is professional and attractive you can improve the appearance of your brand and make a stronger first impression. Once you have your new vehicle it’s important to make sure you take care of it appropriately. Ceramic coating protects your car paint from scratches, dirt, and other contaminants. And regular maintenance will help you to keep your car in good condition. 

This also goes for a new Computer. Often times we get stuck in keeping the same old system – but this is when its more important to know we have what we need to be fully engaged in the online and emerging technologies arena

 

Invest in Education for Your Team

 

Your new success also provides you with an opportunity to improve the resources you have available for your team members. By investing in education for your team you can ensure that your employees are better trained and in the position to continue learning and growing throughout their careers. Providing educational opportunities for your workforce through educational courses on-premises and tuition reimbursement will help you to create a stronger workforce. Be sure to reward your employees for the further learning they pursue and show them that you value education and growth at your company. Don’t overlook those not in traditional “visible” roles. Your admins, cleaning staff, security and call center may be great sources of staffing within the structure.

 

Celebrate on Social Media

 

During the early days of your business, social media may have taken a backseat. But now that you’re experiencing the fruits of your success it may be time to bring social media to the forefront. Celebrate on social media to connect with your customers and grow your customer base. In this way, you can respond to customers’ questions, create engaging content, and even host a contest. Through a social media contest, you can incentivize your current followers to share your content and refer others to your business. Being consistent in your social media engagement will help your business overall.

 

Start New Partnerships

 

After experiencing new success as an entrepreneur, you’re in an ideal position to partner up with other businesses. Through collaboration, you and your partners can gain new followers and innovate together. Be careful when choosing your partners to make selections that will be mutually beneficial and where both partners will take on an equal workload. Think about brands that are already doing complementary work and seek them out as potential partners. It will be easier to build these partnerships if you have a solid pitch that gets them excited to work with you and your business.

 

Get Involved in Your Community

 

Now is also a great time to get more involved in the community around you. Doing things like sponsoring schools or sports teams, attending community events, and being an active member of your community will help you to build a positive reputation that will perfectly complement the success you have already achieved for your company. Talking to community leaders is a good place to start since they can help you to understand where your business can fit into the community. Make it a priority to participate in community events regularly and to help your company gain more local attention.

 

Your new success as an entrepreneur puts you in an ideal position to continue growing as a business. Take advantage of the momentum you have achieved to move you forward towards your goals in the future you imagine for your company. Don’t forget to take time to celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for your hard work.

 

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As a business owner, you want the best of the best to be helping you run your company’s various elements. Unfortunately, every other business owner is looking for the same thing. This can make finding those top notch employees a frustrating competition. Here are a few things that may help you in your hunt for workers that will lead your business to success!

Create More Compelling Job Descriptions

Pull in your potential employees right away with a compelling description of the job. Just like any story, pitch, or essay, use a strong opening sentence that introduces exactly what the job is. Using a casual tone will decrease any intimidation that purely professional language may bring. Be transparent with the necessary qualities the position requires—telling someone they don’t qualify after they’ve entered the job application process is a frustrating waste of time and energy for both them and you. Also mention the particular benefits of the job, and the exciting opportunities that come with it. Leave out things like the simple or mundane tasks of the job and keep the description as straightforward as possible.

Expand Your Search

Newspaper ads just won’t cut it in collecting a sufficient pool of potential employees. The two best means of recruiting are word of mouth recommendation and internet searches. Consider hiring a specialized recruiter to do some digging for you, looking through sites like LinkedIn or GoogleBusiness or contacting persons within similar positions in different companies to ask about their network. Take advantage of local or university job fairs to get your name out into the community so that the people who learn about needed positions within your company can spread the word! In addition, use as many platforms and means of applicant collection as possible: Indeed, UpWork, Teamtable and Workable are a few examples of websites that allow qualified employees to find your open positions. The more options you have of potential employees, the more likely you will be able to find the right fit for you!

Hire Remote Workers

One way to open your potential employee pool is to make the position a remote one. The ability to work from home is more accessible than ever before… technology allows for frequent and easy communication, even with video chat to improve the personality of any meeting and offer a means of easy presentation. You can also save money or resources on office space that would otherwise be used by in-workplace employees. You get the tasks done that you need, your employee gets the benefits of working from home!

Offer Perks

Offer reasons to enjoy the actual workplace! Spaces that foster creativity and relaxation like a well-stocked breakroom provide some relief from the stresses of work and encourage casual communication between coworkers that can turn into effective cooperation later. Design these areas to be both functionally comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. You may even consider creating a lounge area for outside so that your employees can get some fresh air and sunshine! Remember though that for lounges outdoors, you should avoid leaving wood furniture in the sun. Consistent exposure to the sun’s rays damages furniture, lowering the lifespan of the furniture and decreasing its visual quality. Furthermore, any “special” company event like a lunch or party is a great way to boost morale and offer positive, energetic experiences that employees will love.

Allow Flexibility

One of the biggest reasons that employees avoid or leave a job is the rigidity of schedules. The point of anyone’s job is to provide the funding to live and live well. You can stand out from other employers by allowing employees a position that provides that means of living while offering the flexibility to actually do the things they’re earning money for. What’s most important for the success of your business is that deadlines are met and the work done is of high quality—how and where and when that work takes place is secondary to the fact that it gets done. Allowing employees to choose their own hours can actually increase the productivity of your employees.

Market Your Business Well

Once you’ve introduced the open position to your pool of potential applicants, they will likely dig a little deeper into your business itself—what is the purpose, vision, reputation, etc. Marketing your business well therefore is a tool of attracting employees as much as customers! Demonstrate the vision that you have for your business and how it will benefit people, places or things. Make your vision as broadly applicable as possible; if an applicant can find relevance to your cause, they are more likely to want to work with you towards its realization.

Communicate

Don’t let something as important as good employees fall through the cracks. You expect applicants to present themselves well, professionally. You should be doing the same! Respond to applications, notify them of their status quickly, even let them know that they haven’t gotten the job quickly and thank them for their interest. Follow up with requests of writing samples or recommendations in a timely manner. Make communication personable, if at all possible. Show these people that you are a company that values the efforts made by the people that work for them. They will be more likely to respect and commit to such an organization than to an impersonal business.

Encourage Career Development

Part of any employee’s goals should be their own personal career development. Make that development an aspect of any position within your company! Encouraging professional goals will show employees that you are invested in their success as well as your own. You can use a mentorship program between higher level leadership and lower level employees to show those employees what options are available to them in regards to their professional interests, and then help them to set effective goals and plans to achieve them. Plus, any improvement in their skills and capabilities also means an improvement in the quality or quantity of work getting done in your business.

Get your business the best quality workers you can find by highlighting incentives of your business, making the application process accessible and personal, and pulling from the biggest pool of recruits possible. Doing so will give your business the human resources it needs to thrive!

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There are many important skills you will learn in your life, but one you need to embrace is advocating for yourself. This skill can help you get the most out of your life and help you avoid any unnecessary negativity.

You Deserve More

In many situations, you are given less than you deserve. However, you can act against this. It’s usually easier to just accept the treatment you are given. As a mild example, consider you are at a restaurant, and they slightly mess up your order. It’s easier to just accept the food you are given and not complain. However, you deserve to get the meal you asked for. This is a moment where you can advocate for yourself by politely explaining what the problem is. As you self-advocate, you begin to define the standards of what you want out of life and how you wish to be treated.

Not Everyone is On Your Side

As mentioned, there are cases where you aren’t getting what you deserve and you can make an effort to change that. There are also instances where people are actively withholding what you deserve and not working in your best interest. Not everyone is on your side and willing to give you the best possible outcome. There are many examples of this. Insurance companies mostly just want to protect their company, so they aren’t going to offer what you actually deserve. In these cases, you need to educate yourself on what you deserve and then fight to receive it. This will take more action on your part, but you shouldn’t be denied what you deserve just because it isn’t offered upfront. You need to learn to stand up for yourself.

You Can Be Empowered

The amazing thing about self-advocacy is it teaches you to understand what you deserve and become used to receiving that. It is a great way to empower yourself. You teach yourself that you shouldn’t be walked all over. You teach yourself that you can stand tall and fight for what is yours. Becoming empowered will help improve your confidence and you can work towards a happier life. Efficient self-advocacy starts with you deciding what you want out of life and then taking action to receive that.

Learning to advocate for yourself is an important skill that can be learned at any age. It is the first step in working towards a more fulfilling life where you get what you deserve. Now is the time to begin finding ways to advocate for yourself.

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As you get older, it can be easy to lose confidence in yourself. However, it is not impossible to restore the confidence you once had and even build it further. Restoring your confidence can open you up to many opportunities and lead you toward greater success.

Talk to a Life Coach

A life coach is someone who can help encourage you as you work towards any kind of goal. They might help you reach an exercise goal, or they could help encourage you as you work on mental health struggles. Their main purpose is to provide you with someone to talk through things with. They will help you to reflect on your experiences and behaviors and explore you as a person. Working with a life coach can help you find clarity and purpose in your life. In addition, they can help you identify areas of your life that contribute to or detract from your goals. They will even help you create goals, plans, or structures to help keep you on track. If you want to restore your confidence, a life coach can help you explore reasons your confidence may have diminished, and they can help you find ways to build it up again.

Improve Your Appearance

One reason many people don’t feel confident is that they experience body insecurities. These insecurities cause them to be self-conscious and then they aren’t as confident in themselves. If this is the case for you, then consider finding ways to improve your appearance. These don’t need to be drastic measures. Even small changes can make a difference. Dental cleaning can restore your confidence in your smile and appearance. It’s a little thing, but it can have a major impact. Other ways you can improve your appearance include buying different clothes, trying a different hairstyle, and generally practicing good hygiene.

Learn From Mistakes

Another reason people can lack confidence is they are afraid of making mistakes. Making a mistake or experiencing failure can make you want to stop trying altogether. However, failure can actually be a wonderful teacher. Shift your mindset to see failure as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than as an instance where you were defeated. Making this change can help you find new perspectives, have a more positive outlook and be more confident in your ability to try something different.

Restoring your confidence is not an impossible task. It will take some work and plenty of time, but all your effort will be rewarding in the end. Start now to find ways to boost your confidence and see what opportunities lie in wait.

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