Looking good every day doesn’t have to be hard. You just have to plan and think ahead so you wouldn’t have to rush or feel stressed out each morning.

If this is your daily struggle, these 7 hair and makeup looks should do the trick.

Monday: Bronzed and slicked back hair

This is an easy look to wear on lazy Mondays. It’s easy to do and can cut down your prep time so you can have extra minutes for sleep.

You only need to even out your skin tone and define your eyebrows. For your eyes, choose a nude palette.

Pick up a white color using your eyeshadow brush and spread the color all over your lids. Follow up with the lightest tint of brown you can find. Choose a dark brown color and apply it on the folds to create a shadow.

Blend the colors until you get a gradient smooth finish. Match your eyes with a nude, matte lipstick.

For your hair, use a strong hold gel. Run a medium fine-toothed comb through the strands of your slightly damp hair and you’re ready to roll.

See Also: 7 Easy Steps To Aging Skin Repair

Tuesday: Eyeliner and half-pulled back hair

Busy Tuesdays call for an easy-to-do hair and makeup. Simply line your lids with an earth-toned eyeliner and fill your lips with a slightly pinkish shade of color.

Pull back half or your full crown and you’re up and about.

Wednesday: Sultry eyes, red lips and soft curls

Mid-week calls for a little drama. It’s a great time to dress up a little.

Get a sultry eye look by using a cream-based palette with pinks, peaches and oranges in it. Keep your eyes very subtle.

For your lips, go for a burgundy shade and use the hot barrel hair tool to give your strands a little curl.

Thursday: Orange-tinted lips with a low messy bun

Thursdays call for daintiness. The key to this look is to get your complexion right so make sure you use your skin lightening cream religiously to knock out this look every time.

Do your eyebrows very lightly. You may choose not to put anything on your eyes or just stick to your peaches if you want to have some color on them.

Put on a light orange-tinted lipstick and tie your hair to a messy full bun near your nape.

Friday: Smoky eyes and blow dried hair

Get ready to move from work to the club on a Friday night with this look. Take out your smoky eye palette and pick out onyx and dark purple hues.

You can wear full colors or do a gradient. Just remember to keep it subtle for day wear. You can always strike it up a notch higher before you hit the club.

Pair with nude lipstick and you’re good to rock!

Saturday: Baby blue eyes and chain headbands

Play it up a little over the weekend. Use baby blue color for your eyelids and a hint of peach for your lips and cheeks.

Put on your chain headband. For a full goddess effect, use a silver one or pick up a headband with pearls. This combination is one of the best hair and makeup looks you can use for Saturdays.

Sunday: No makeup and wash-and-wear hair

Choose to go completely makeup free on a Sunday or just choose a BB cream to perfect your complexion. A pop of lip color or a neon green or blue eyeliner also wouldn’t hurt.

See Also: 6 Vitamin-Packed Smoothie Recipes for Glowing Skin 

Conclusion

There are tons of ways to do you hair and makeup looks. However, since most of us don’t have too much time to think about what to wear every single day, it’s a good idea if you can think ahead of time and plan your looks for the week.

 

The post 7 Hair and Makeup Looks to Try This Week appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dcF5nY

Superfood is a term used to describe foods with powerful health benefits. You’ll commonly find fruits and vegetables in its list of examples. While you may be familiar to some of them, such as kale, blueberries and broccoli, there are actually tons of this food you may not have heard of yet.

Here’s a list of superfoods you should know more about.

1. Buffalo berries

Shepherdia or buffaloberry is a shrub with edible berries native to North America. The berries have a bright red color and tart flavor which makes them popular among winemakers.

The Journal of Food Science published results of a study which showed how buffaloberries are abundant in phenolic antioxidants. They contain high levels of antioxidants in the form of lycopene. It’s the same thing you can find in tomatoes.

Aside from that, they are also rich in carotenoid, which gives fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. They also contain a good amount of Vitamin C and fiber.

Because of their rich nutritional content, the same study claimed that buffaloberries may offer powerful health benefits, particularly when it comes to cancer prevention.

2. Sacha Inchi

Sacha Inchi or Inca peanut is the seed of a plant native to Peru. Although it is a relatively recent discovery in the United States, Sacha Inchi has been cultivated and used in the Amazon rainforest for more than 3000 years already.

This peanut is more than just a tasty snack food; it’s quite nutritious and abundant in fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and many others.

It’s easy to digest and highly unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. This superfood also contains Omega 3, 6, and nine fatty acids which only add to the wide array of benefits this peanut can provide.

One good example is the study published in the Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. It showed that consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids can be linked with improved outcome for rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most common types of arthritis

3. Teff

Teff is the fine, gluten-free grain that is native to Ethiopia. Teff grains are high in calcium, iron, protein, and amino acids.

Due to its gluten-free characteristics, teff can replace wheat flour in anything- from bread to pasta. There are many reasons why you should add this superfood to your diet.

Here are some of them:

• High nutritional value – Besides the nutrients mentioned above, teff also contains manganese, copper, phosphorous, thiamin, Vitamin C (which isn’t usually found in grains), barium, and more.
• Improves digestion
• Low in fat
• Low in sodium
• Regulates blood sugar levels

4. Chlorella

Chlorella is freshwater algae plant frequently marketed in the form of a liquid extract, powder or supplement. 1-ounce serving of this superfood contains:

• 202% RDA – Iron
• 22% RDA – Magnesium
• 16g – Protein
• 287% RDA – Vitamin A
• 71% RDA – Vitamin B2
• 33% RDA – Vitamin B3
• 133% RDA – Zinc

Additionally, chlorella also contains vitamins B1, B6, and phosphorus. Health benefits associated with this algae include detoxification, immune system boost, weight loss, cancer prevention and stress reduction.

See Also: 10 Amazing Foods You Should Include in Your Detox Diet

5. Kefir

Kefir is a type of fermented milk drink that’s extremely rich in nutrients. It contains a good amount of Vitamin D and probiotics.

This makes it beneficial to people having issues with their digestion and gut health. Although it’s originally from the Caucasus Mountains, it’s a widely known health beverage for several centuries already.

One 6-oz serving of kefir contains the following:

• Calcium, phosphorous – 20% RDA each
• Magnesium – 5% RDA
• Protein – 6g
• Riboflavin (B2) – 19% RDA
• Vitamin B12 – 14% RDA

This drink has more powerful probiotic properties than yogurt. It can protect your bone health, has potent antibacterial properties and offers protection against cancer. It’s well-tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant, too.

6. Jicama

Jicama is a root vegetable native to Central America. It looks like a potato or turnip, but it’s slightly juicy and somewhat sweet.

What makes this root vegetable a superfood? Well, it’s abundant in iron, manganese and Vitamin C. It also contains loads of potassium, folate and magnesium.

Surprisingly, Jicama is low in starch even though it’s a root vegetable. It is high in fiber, which means it can help improve your digestion, aid in weight loss and regulate blood sugar. It can improve your immune system as well.

7. Acai berries

Acai berries come from an Amazonian palm tree. They’re widely used in the skincare industry for their skin health benefits.

The berries are abundant in antioxidants, fiber, Omega 3, 6, and nine fatty acids. They also have a rich amount of B vitamins, calcium, zinc, copper and iron.

Besides weight loss, better digestion, heart health, and diabetes management, acai berries are also beneficial for brain health. Their antioxidant content improves focus and memory mostly by addressing oxidative stress.

A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry discovered that acai berries can protect the brain cells to prevent cognitive and motor functioning impairment.

See Also: 7 Great Foods to Boost Your Brain Power 

Conclusion

If you’re getting bored of your typical fruits and vegetables, keeping a list of superfoods can give your taste buds the break they need. The more superfoods you include in your list, the more choices you can play around with.

Getting healthy doesn’t always mean having a bland diet. You just need to have a bit of creativity to come up with dishes that can excite your taste buds.

 

The post A List of Superfoods You Definitely Need in Your Diet appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dW6kpd

Coping with pet loss is not easy, particularly if you’ve spent a long time caring for your pet. Whether it’s due to aging, illness or an accident, it can take time before you get fully healed.

If you are struggling with this, here are some helpful tips to help you out.

1. Allow yourself to grieve

Your pet can be your beloved companion, a friend or a family member. No matter how you viewed your pet, it was still special to you.

There’s nothing wrong with expressing your grief because of your loss. There’s no right way to express it, too.

You can cry until you are done or reach out to someone if you need to. Talk to someone who understands your situation. You can call in sick if you really can’t push yourself to work.

You can ask your vet if he knows any pet loss support group in your area which he can refer you to. Joining one can help you go through the process of grieving better.

2. Do NOT allow people who don’t understand to belittle your feelings

If you have people in your life who are not “pet people”, it is possible that you’ll encounter negative comments from them. As much as possible, stay away from them.

If you still hear them give their unsolicited advice, try to respond without rudeness. Walk away from them and just let it go. You have the right to refuse socializing with this type of people.

Personally, I have found out that some people who don’t understand the importance of pets to others actually think they are being helpful by acting this way. Since you won’t be able to change their minds, it’s best to just avoid them instead of spending a lot of time explaining yourself.

3. Memorialize your pet

Coping with pet loss doesn’t mean that you have to forget all about them. In fact, remembering them can help make things easier for you.

You can go through your pet’s pictures and pick out your favorites. Write down captions and include the dates and locations where they were taken.

Pick out the best pictures and have them made into a portrait or painting. If you can’t choose the best ones, put them together in an album.

Aside from keeping an album, you can also try creating an online account for them. This way, you’ll be able to share your memories of your pet with your friends and family members. If you aren’t comfortable in letting other people see the pictures, you can edit your virtual album’s privacy and only share its access to your close friends.

4. Enjoy the memories of your pet

As you go through its pictures and memorabilia, you can share stories, reminisce and just take your time. If you have children or other grieving family members, it can be very therapeutic to do this as a group activity. It’s a good idea to have each of them share their own fond memories of your pet.

5. Evaluate carefully what you need for closure

If your town offers a pet cemetery, you may want a burial or an actual funeral service. Your vet can arrange cremation and discuss this option with you.

Take note of your financial capability as well as what’s acceptable to your heart. You do not want to soothe grief by overspending.

For some people, coping with pet loss can be as simple as having a box containing their pets’ collars and tags.

6. Recognize that you can still have moments of intense grief after

Coping with pet loss doesn’t end as soon you lay your pet down to rest. In fact, you can still feel the pain even after.

When you come home and there is no wagging tail to greet you at the door, you’ll remember your loss. The same thing can happen when you try to get its food bowl out only to realize that your beloved pet is no longer with you.

These can be hard moments so make sure you’re prepared to deal with them as they come. You can try reaching out to your friends during these tough times.

7. Understand where your guilt and anger are coming from

If you lost your pet due to an accident, you may feel shocked or even be in denial for several days. You can even feel guilty and angry at yourself.

In case you are torn in this situation, it’s a good idea if you can talk to your vet. Reach out to people who can understand your feelings. It can also help if you can reach out to support groups who can educate you on how to prevent such an accident from happening again.

8. Take your time before getting another pet

Be sure you have worked through your grief and emotions before you open your home to a new pet. Make sure that you have completely recovered and that you’re ready to care for another one.

Allowing yourself to grieve and learn can help you become a better person for your new pet.

See Also: How To Get Back a Normal Life After a Loss 

Although your pets can pass away, it doesn’t mean that they can’t uplift you anymore. Memories never die. Use your pet’s memories as a source of comfort and joy to make coping with pet loss a lot easier.

 

The post 8 Tips for Coping with Pet Loss appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dISW9C

Frequent travels can take a toll on the body. Regardless of whether you are traveling first class or economy class, your body gets exposed to a lot of factors that can greatly weaken your immune system.

One of these factors is food. In order to retain their tastes at high altitudes, airline foods are typically high in salt and sugar content. The same issue arises when you’re traveling by land.

If you like making trips to different places, here are the best vitamins for frequent travelers you need to have in your diet.

1. Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 aids the body in producing melatonin. It helps regulate your internal clock so you can get the proper rest you need while traveling. It can give you an energy boost, too.

This vitamin is also essential in keeping your blood vessels healthy. Regular intake of the vitamin can treat dry skin, eczema and even acne.

Best food sources include turkey breast, beef, tuna, pinto beans, avocado and sunflower seeds.

2. Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 can alleviate the stress and anxiety you can get from taking frequent trips. It’s a good vitamin to add to your diet if you want to reduce inflammation and itchiness.

It enhances hemoglobin levels and assists the liver in metabolizing toxic substances. Your best sources of the vitamin include mushrooms, brewer’s yeast, nuts, cheese, cabbage and the broccoli.

3 Vitamin A

Vitamin A prevents macular degeneration to help you maintain good eye health. It works well against flu and common colds as well.

In case you are struggling with frequent breakouts while traveling or you’re dealing with dark spots, you should consider eating more foods rich in this vitamin. Your best options include sweet potato, carrots, kale, butternut squash and apricots.

4. Vitamin B2

Vitamin B2 is one of the best vitamins for frequent travelers since it helps fight free radicals, boosts body mineral absorption and regulates thyroid activity. It’s also great in promoting red blood cell formation while supporting healthy liver, skin, hair and eyes.

Best food sources of the vitamin include organ meats, wild rice, yogurt, almonds and wheat germ.

See Also: Cuisines of the World: Best Choice for Gluten-Free Eaters 

5. Vitamin B7

If you are dealing with sluggish digestion, adding more foods rich in vitamin B7 can help. It stimulates metabolism and helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.

It also works well in improving heart function, increasing the production of fatty acid in your skin and hydrating your body. Foods rich in vitamin B7 include oats, soybeans, bananas, spinach and cauliflower.

6. Vitamin C

This is a very popular vitamin when it comes to fighting viruses and colds. It’s great in facilitating wound healing, too.

You can increase your intake of the vitamin to maintain skin elasticity and minimize your risk of getting dry skin while traveling. Top food choices for this vitamin include grapes, raspberries, orange, kiwi and parsley.

See Also: 6 Vitamin-Packed Smoothie Recipes for Glowing Skin 

7. Vitamin D

Vitamin D regulates calcium absorption and promotes bone health. It fights depression, improves muscle function, and assists in skin cell renewal. You can also rely on it to boost weight loss.

Best food sources include salmon, sardines, egg yolk, shrimp and cheese. Exposure to natural sunlight is also an excellent natural source.

8. Vitamin E

Vitamin E works great for the skin. It can decrease its roughness, reduce wrinkles and keep your skin firm and free from dark spots. This makes it one of the top vitamins for frequent travelers.

Overall, it can balance your cholesterol level while reducing your fatigue. It can improve your physical endurance, too.

To get more vitamin E, you can increase your intake of tofu, shrimp, avocado, sunflower seeds, almonds and wheat.

9. Vitamin F

Vitamin F aids in the function of your nervous system. It nourishes skin cells, creates healthy mucous membranes, and enhances joint functions. It controls acne effectively as well.

Best food sources for this vitamin include salmon, trout, walnuts, grapeseed oil, olive oil and soybean.

10. Vitamin K

If you are struggling with dark circles because of traveling, vitamin K can surely help you. Aside from that, the vitamin is also good in preventing cardiovascular issues, such as hardening of the arteries. It promotes healthy teeth and heart, too.

Natto, miso, lamb, duck and beef liver are the most common foods rich in vitamin K.

 

The post 10 Essential Vitamins for Frequent Travelers appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2e4jsY0

Managing a business is easier said than done. When you run your own business, you need to give it all your time and attention. It’s a job that is both demanding and fulfilling.

Eventually, you’ll want to turn it into a business that can run without you. This, unfortunately, is the harder part.

The first obstacle you need to anticipate is manpower. For small businesses and start-up companies, it is usually the owner that does most of the work. To help you out, here are the top business productivity apps you can rely on for help.

1. TMetric

This is a time tracking app that can help you manage projects and your team at the same time. It can track your team’s work activities which you can view in a simple timeline mode.

If you have remote employees or you’re not in the office most of the time, you can use this app to check on your team’s productivity. As the project leader, you’ll be able to view what sites your members visited or what apps they’ve used in a specific period of time.

Tmetric is completely free and can be integrated with other tools like Trello, Basecamp, Jira, Asana, and RedMine. Compared with other time tracking apps, this one is very user-friendly and does not require training to understand.

It’s a simple click-and-go app with powerful features at no cost.

See Also: Top 7 Ways to Improve Your Productivity 

2. MailChimp

For a business to grow, its mailing list should grow as well. It’s a great way to continuously generate leads and sales.

MailChimp is an easy and professional way to send emails to your subscribers. Its intuitive interface allows even the most non-techy users to make it work.

For small businesses, the free version is a good starting point. You can send up to 12,000 emails a month to a mailing list of up to 2,000 contacts.

MailChimp has a huge directory of integration. Popular platforms include WordPress, Shopify, and Magento.

3. Wave

This app is pretty straightforward. It’s a free accounting software that covers invoicing, payroll, bills, and other factors that involve money. It’s specifically tailored for small businesses.

Wave gives business owners an easy and efficient way to manage books. If you want to handle accounting work yourself but don’t want to spend money for more advanced apps, this is a great solution.

You can securely link your banking accounts, send unlimited invoices, and pay as many bills as you want. It is a Canadian-based company with over 2.5 million users.

You can securely link your banking accounts, send unlimited invoices, and pay as many bills as you want. It is a Canadian-based company with over 2.5 million users.

4. Tasytt

Welcoming a new team member can take a lot of work, particularly when it comes to orientation and training. This is a common experience and issue for most small businesses.

As a solution, you can try a tiny but powerful app called Tasytt. It streamlines your company’s training process so you know who’s reading what and for how long.

See Also: 8 Top Marketing Tips for Small Businesses 

In addition to onboarding new team members, it’s  a great tool for training existing team members without having to set up individual meetings, too. By creating ‘flows’, which are basically tasks made into a smaller set of activities, you can easily track your team’s progress and productivity.

This is clearly one of the best business productivity apps you’ve got to try.

 

The post 4 Free Business Productivity Apps To Help You Grow Your Small Business appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dNnlCN

It has been a while since I celebrated my 30th birthday.

Looking back, I had a lot of big and small dreams- from backpacking in Europe to making the most delicious cinnamon rolls. I believe I should or could have done all of them while I was still young so that I can be happier and richer.

Unfortunately, I can’t turn back time. No one can.

If you are in your 20’s, stop hesitating. Now is the perfect time to go beyond your 9-5 routine and take a shot at anything you want to be or need to do. Here are 10 things you should do before 30.

1. Write a book

I used to dream of publishing my own book before I turn 18. This got delayed and it is yet to be fulfilled.

I’m not expecting to become the new Veronica Roth. However, I’m still hoping I can leave a part of me behind, even if it’s in the form of science fiction. Being able to inspire someone as a writer would be amazing.

See Also: How To Find Great Ideas For Writing A Story 

2. Save regularly

One of my biggest regrets is not saving early or starting it as soon as I started working.

I realized that if I plan to live a happy and comfortable life by the time I reach 30 or even 100 years old, I should have enough money for my needs. I probably need to save at least $700,000 before I retire.

I may be about 10 years late to do that, but there’s still a chance to catch up. You should, too.

3. Quit eating chips

This is one terrible habit I really should have stopped in my 20’s. I can stay away from burgers and fries but my love for chips is one of those addictions that simply refuse to fade away.

If I had gotten used to eating healthy daily meals a decade ago, such as green smoothies, vegetables and protein, I probably would not be struggling with acne right now.

4. Stick to a hobby

I was 18 years old at that time. I saw how my Sunday fellowship teacher played the guitar and it gave me the urge to learn it and so I tried.

After one month. I gave it up after realizing that it was not that easy to pick up even for someone who already knows how to play the piano. It is one of the stupidest decisions I have ever made and I still feel regretful about it.

5. Be active on social media platforms

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are good places to express who you are and connect with other people. Reaching out to people you don’t really know should be one of the things you should do before 30 since it helps make your circle broader.

The more people you connect with, the more you get to enjoy the world even without leaving your place. Aside from that, talking to a stranger also allows you to tell your stories freely.

6. Find a best friend

I am an introvert and I truly believe I can be happy without having lots of friends or going to lots of parties. In fact, finding two to three people who I am comfortable being with can be enough.

Finding a best friend is not an overnight search and friendship can’t be built in a day. It’s more about creating memories and sharing moments that will stand the test of time.

7. Have a signature dish

For those of you who are passionate about cooking and follows cooking shows, you must know how important it is for chefs to have a signature dish. As a gourmet lover but not so much a cook, this should definitely be on top of the things you should do before 30

Personally, it would definitely be nice if I could make a garlic shrimp pasta or bake a chocolate chiffon cake whenever my family or friends come over.

8. Travel to a foreign country alone

Unfortunately, the farthest I went by myself was to Hong Kong and the only thing I did there was to shop at the IFC mall. The trip was short and I was back in Taipei the next day.

Despite this, I still felt like I was able to conquer the world on my own. From successfully booking plane tickets to chatting to Chinese staff with one or two Cantonese words, I really felt empowered.

9. Get a license

I am not talking about getting a driver’s license. It can be anything from a bartending license to that of a yoga teacher.

One good example is my sister’s friend.  She became an ESL teacher when things did not work out for her in the cosmetic industry. She is actually enjoying it right now, particularly due to her opportunities to travel abroad.

10. Learn a new language

Whatever your reason or purpose is, learning a new language should be one of the things you should do before 30. Japanese culture, especially manga and anime, has been a big part of my childhood and youth.

I once considered changing my name to Robin and dressing like Emily the Strange after becoming obsessed with an animated series. If only I took the opportunity to learn Japanese in high school, I would not need subtitles or use a dictionary whenever I want to understand something.

See Also: 5 Effective Techniques To Learn A Language Faster 

It is never too late to start anything. But, let’s be honest.

There are some things that are better accomplished early, preferably before you turn 30. Achieving them early means you’ll have more time and energy to do more things.

 

The post 10 Essential Things You Should Do Before 30 appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dG0mdt

Although many people think success can be measured by the amount of money you make or how big your house is, success is actually subjective. Millennials know this better than any other generation since their definition of a successful career is very different than others.

But how do you exactly measure the success of millennials at work? Here are some of the ways:

Balance

A lot of people consider millennials as lazy partly because of how they value work-life balance. For them, a person can only experience true success once he is able to excel at his job while maintaining a happy and healthy personal life.

Because of their preference for this balance, you’ll find most of them asking for the opportunity to work from home occasionally or to get a generous amount of paid time off. They also prefer sales, wholesale distributions or other positions that give them the ability to create a more flexible schedule.

See Also: 5 Lessons Every Millennial Needs to Learn About Success 

Personal Development

Although millennials are interested in advancing their careers, they are actually more concerned with personal growth than professional development. This means that millennials will feel successful if they have the opportunity to learn or develop new skills.

If millennials stay in the same position for years without something to challenge them, they’ll feel unsuccessful since they are no longer learning from their work. For millennials, their job is not just about getting promoted or achieving a higher rank, but rather the journey and the lessons they learn along the way.

Respect

Most people think millennials are very confident and sure of themselves. In fact, their co-workers take their opinions and ideas seriously.

If you are responsible for managing a team of millennials at work, make sure you promote collaborative work and recognize team members whenever they reach new goals or come up with fantastic ideas. This recognition allows millennials to feel like they are contributing something valuable to the company.

They feel motivated and successful whenever they are encouraged to chime in with ideas or volunteer to take on additional responsibilities.

Job Satisfaction

To millennials, it’s not just about the number on their paychecks; the name of the person signing them counts, too.

Millennials want to work for an employer that gives back to the community and has a strong corporate culture. They also want employers that offer surprising and unique perks. They want to be a part of a team who’ll treat them more like family members than just co-workers.

See Also: Success Tips For The Youth Entrepreneurs

They don’t necessarily define success by their income or by their positions. For millennials at work, there are actually a lot more important things than fame and fortune.

 

The post How Millennials Measure Success At Work appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dP0TZ2

If you are new to your niche and relatively unknown to your market, knowing how to get your first customers can be a tough task. A lot of beginning businesses actually struggle with lead generation and acquiring customers.

In this post, I’ll give you the exact 4 strategies that I used to build up a content marketing company. I still use all of them today. Here’s the video version:

1. Know who you’re targeting

There are plenty of resources online when it comes to business ideas. You can just do a quick search and you’ll get thousands of ideas.

The most common and the easiest ones to start with are the following:

• Web Design
• App Development
• Content Writing
• Social Media
• SEO or Pay Per Click Management
• Whatever skills you have that can be monetized

Once you have a specific industry in mind, your next step is to determine your target customers. Try to be specific as possible when figuring out your market. The more specific you are, the easier and faster your search will be.

Try to look through job titles, company sizes as well as types to know your target group. You can also use their age, gender and habits as criteria.

See Also: 7 Ways to Get Leads For Your Business 

2. Start with your friends or co-workers

My first customers were actually my friends and people I’ve previously worked for. Since they knew me personally, it was easy for them to give me a chance. They were also a convenient choice for me since I already knew their contact numbers and types of businesses.

If you’re still learning how to get your first customers, you can start with this approach. It’ll be easier for you to reach out to them with quick emails or by inviting them out for lunch.

3. Ask your friends for referrals

Ask any professional colleagues or co-workers if they know anyone that matches your criteria. To make it easy for them to recommend, try to be as specific as possible.

For each person you reach out to, you can ask for at least 15 recommendations. This should be enough to help you land your first few clients.

See Also: 4 Tricks To Turn Your Buyers Into Loyal Customers 

4. Reach out to strangers

Use this approach only when you’ve used the other three. You can start with LinkedIn and AngelList to create a list of companies that match your criteria.

Once you are able to find these companies, work on identifying who their founders are as well as their key people. If contact credentials do not show up, you can use a free tool called EmailHunter to generate the emails of all the people working there.

After acquiring their email, you can start reaching out to them using a cold email. Make sure to personalize your emails as much as possible.

Knowing how to get your first customer can be tricky, particularly if you’re not sure how to approach them. Since you are reaching out to strangers, it’ll be helpful if you can establish an immediate connection with them.

 

The post How To Get Your First Customers: 4 Strategies That Actually Work appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2e826ht

If you are new to your niche and relatively unknown to your market, knowing how to get your first customers can be a tough task. A lot of beginning businesses actually struggle with lead generation and acquiring customers.

In this post, I’ll give you the exact 4 strategies that I used to build up a content marketing company. I still use all of them today. Here’s the video version:

1. Know who you’re targeting

There are plenty of resources online when it comes to business ideas. You can just do a quick search and you’ll get thousands of ideas.

The most common and the easiest ones to start with are the following:

• Web Design
• App Development
• Content Writing
• Social Media
• SEO or Pay Per Click Management
• Whatever skills you have that can be monetized

Once you have a specific industry in mind, your next step is to determine your target customers. Try to be specific as possible when figuring out your market. The more specific you are, the easier and faster your search will be.

Try to look through job titles, company sizes as well as types to know your target group. You can also use their age, gender and habits as criteria.

See Also: 7 Ways to Get Leads For Your Business 

2. Start with your friends or co-workers

My first customers were actually my friends and people I’ve previously worked for. Since they knew me personally, it was easy for them to give me a chance. They were also a convenient choice for me since I already knew their contact numbers and types of businesses.

If you’re still learning how to get your first customers, you can start with this approach. It’ll be easier for you to reach out to them with quick emails or by inviting them out for lunch.

3. Ask your friends for referrals

Ask any professional colleagues or co-workers if they know anyone that matches your criteria. To make it easy for them to recommend, try to be as specific as possible.

For each person you reach out to, you can ask for at least 15 recommendations. This should be enough to help you land your first few clients.

See Also: 4 Tricks To Turn Your Buyers Into Loyal Customers 

4. Reach out to strangers

Use this approach only when you’ve used the other three. You can start with LinkedIn and AngelList to create a list of companies that match your criteria.

Once you are able to find these companies, work on identifying who their founders are as well as their key people. If contact credentials do not show up, you can use a free tool called EmailHunter to generate the emails of all the people working there.

After acquiring their email, you can start reaching out to them using a cold email. Make sure to personalize your emails as much as possible.

Knowing how to get your first customer can be tricky, particularly if you’re not sure how to approach them. Since you are reaching out to strangers, it’ll be helpful if you can establish an immediate connection with them.

 

The post How To Get Your First Customers: 4 Strategies That Actually Work appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2e826ht

Putting up your own business needs a lot of planning, particularly when it comes to strategies. Aside from having a reliable source of capital and an interesting product, you also need to know the basics of reducing business risk.

If you are a young entrepreneur who is yet to start a business, here are 6 things you can do to minimize the risk of business failure.

1. Identify the potential problem

Before you put up your business, make sure to do some research first of its possible pros and cons. Do not focus solely on your potential earnings, but also concentrate on the factors that can prevent you from achieving your goals.

You can reach out to people with successful business ventures or talk to veteran businessmen to get an idea of the possible problems you could encounter along the way.

See Also: From Startup Idea to Successful Business: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Pursue That Venture

2. Know the regulations

It is very important that you’re aware of the rules and regulations that govern your business. This way, you can easily abide them and avoid any actions that can violate them.

Knowledge of the basic law can also help you protect yourself in case you get accused of illegal acts.

3. Secure a trusted reputation

In a world where information can easily get passed through social media and the internet, it is highly important that you maintain your business’ good reputation.

Before the launch of your business, try to utilize social media for promotion. Encourage a lot of potential customers and patrons by offering services and deals that are hard to resist. With a lot of competitors in the market, you need to  make your business stand out.

Having an established reputation can help ensure that you have steady and loyal customers. Make sure to avoid any circumstances that would give your business a negative image to the public. With the advent of social media, one negative post about your business can immensely hurt your reputation.

4. Get a trusted insurance

You have a lot of options when it comes to insurance companies. This makes it critical that you conduct research first before signing up with anyone. Make sure that you choose a company that can give you the most coverage and reasonable payment plan.

Insuring your business can give you security and peace of mind in the event that something negative happens. Take, for example, General Liability Insurance.

It provides protection in the event that you, your employees or your products have caused injury or property damage to a third party. Property Insurance, on the other hand, offers protection from fire, vandalism, smoke damage and theft.

See Also: What Do Insurance Brokers Do for You? 

5. Make sure that your company grows and thrives

Although achieving success for a short period of time is great for the business, it’s more important to focus on how you can keep it running for a long time. No matter how big or small an achievement is, it can help if you can document it.

By documenting, you’ll be able to take note of both your business’ success stories and failures. Your notes will serve as lessons that can help you in reducing business risks and failures.

6. Keep outstanding loans and financing needs to a minimum

If your personal capital is not enough and applying for a loan is inevitable, make sure that you go with a company that has the least interest and the most manageable payment plan. You’ll have a hard time reaching your financial goals if most of your income will only go directly to your loan.

Before you borrow money from anyone, try to scout for the best loan company that you can get. It can also help if you can keep your business’ financing needs at its minimum.

If the expenses aren’t necessary, you may cut those from your budget. Learn to manage your resources very well so that your business’ income can be maximized and used to its full potential.

 

The post 6 Simple Steps To Reduce Business Risk appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

http://ift.tt/2dFBgud