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Work Focus Tips to Get More Done

Want to get more done at work? Here are some great tips to help your focus and increase productivity.

1. Avoid multitasking

Many people are usually under the impression that they can effectively multitask. But nothing could be further from the truth. While you might think that handling multiple tasks at once helps to increase your productivity, it actually only slows you down and there is a scientific reason behind this. Instead of being focused on the different tasks at hand at the same time, your brain has to switch between the tasks.

2. Eliminate distractions

Distractions are everywhere – both in our personal and professional lives. If you want to improve your focus at work, you need to first identify the main source of these distractions. If I am not wrong, your main source of distractions at work is most likely your phone. Did you know that your memory, intelligence, and attention all decrease every time you look at your phone – even if it is switched off or on silent mode? This is according to various studies. So, if possible, keep your phone away from sight while you are working. Alternatively, consider using an app like Focus to block your distractions.

3. Schedule breaks

You may have never noticed this, but your attention and retention tend to diminish after only 25 minutes of concentration. You can use this newfound knowledge to your advantage by implementing the Pomodoro Technique. This is a time management system created by Francesco Cirillo. This technique involves breaking your workday into 25-minute chunks separated by 5-minute breaks.

After four cycles, it is recommended that you take a 20-minute break. Why this technique is so effective is due to the fact that your brain understands that it only needs to keep focused for 25 minutes and then enjoy a short break.

7 brain hacks to refocus your attention

In addition to those useful tips from Jim Kwik, we have also provided some useful brain hacks for you to try out. After all, you can never know whether something works until you try it.

1. Keep a distraction notebook

One of the key reasons we get distracted is coming across something we deem important or fascinating, for example, a coupon for Panera, an article about fitness, etc). This is why it is helpful to always have a distraction notebook with you at all times while working.

A distraction notebook allows you to note down everything that you’d want to come back to later. Thus, after you are done with work, you can go back to your distraction notebook and check whether there is something you’d want to get into.

2. Automate some of your decisions

Among other things, Steve Jobs was famous for wearing the same outfit every day. However, what you may not have known is that Simon Cowell, Micheal Kors, and Grace Coddington do too. All these people wear the same things every day to avoid wasting time making a decision about what to wear that day.

So, take a step back and think about some of the decisions that can be automated, for example, what to eat for breakfast or lunch. When such things are already cared for, you don’t have to spend time worrying or thinking about them, thus, you are able to focus more on work.

3. Have a recovery ritual

While the concept of having a recovery ritual is typically recommended for adults suffering from ADHD, it can prove to be very helpful if you struggle to concentrate. Here are some common recovery rituals:

Walk up and down the stairs

Do one-minute stretches

Meditate for two minutes and unwind

Do a quick tidy

Anytime you get distracted while working, you can rely on your recovery ritual to help you refocus. A recovery ritual helps you to feel more energized and allows you to focus on the task at hand.

4. Occasionally shift your workspace

Did you know that a change in your working environment can help you re-energize? By disrupting your typical pattern, you help brain to reboot and stimulate its creativity. To prevent my productivity from stagnating, I choose to move around two or three times in my workday.

While this might be more difficult if you work in a traditional office setting, you can still move and spend a few hours at a vacant desk, or in an empty room or conference room.

5. Always finish what you start

Often, we tend to jump to a new task if it seems more exciting or more important. However, if we kept on doing this, we would never get anything done. While I don’t mean that you stick to a 5-hour project without taking a break, you should, at the very least, spend an hour or so on it before transitioning to the next. Use Track Time 24 to plan your time effectively.

6. Begin with what seems more difficult

Besides aiming to finish what you start, you also need to start with what you don’t think you can finish. In most cases, people procrastinate because they feel overwhelmed by a particular task or project. In case you are feeling overwhelmed by anything, it is always better if you can get started at it.

Remind yourself that you are only going to spend 10 minutes on a complicated task before you take a break. In most cases, you will be able to get into a flow and work on it for even longer than you initially expected. After starting something you have been avoiding to start, it becomes way easier to continue with it.

7. Try a shortcut to focus

This is perhaps the simplest tip on the list. For this, you just need a Hapbee Band and press play on focus. Hapbee is among the most popular wellness wearables. It uses a safe magnetic field technology to transmit signals to your brain and alter how you feel.

May 6, 2022
Useful Tips To Help You Improve Your Real Estate Business

You may have a business that involves the buying and selling of properties. Perhaps you want to make a profit from buying some overseas. Alternatively, you’re interested in property management and operation, or property investment.

Whatever it is that you do, you’re no doubt looking for ways to take things up a level. In this article, we’ll discuss some useful tips to help you improve your real estate business.

Consider Buying For Cash

If you have the cash available, buying a property outright is always an option. This can be a great way to get started in the business, without having to worry about taking out a loan or finding another source of funding like small business loans. Be sure that you have the financial resources available before making any offers on properties. You’ll also need sufficient funding left over so you can continue your business operations.

If you go online you can learn more about buying properties for cash. You’ll soon find companies running a “we buy houses” promotion where they make free cash offers within hours and close in as little as seven days. They buy homes that need cleaning or repairs, or have structural issues, unpermitted work or bad tenants.

Get To Know The Market Intimately And Invest In Growing Areas

It’s important that you know the ins and outs of the market. This includes being familiar with the types of properties that are popular in your area, as well as understanding the trends that are happening. This way, you’ll be able to better serve your clients and find properties that fit their needs perfectly. Not to mention, you’ll also be ahead of the competition who may not have taken the time to learn about their market.

It’s always a good idea to look for properties in areas that are growing and developing. This can be a great way to ensure that your investment will appreciate over time. These properties may cost a bit more upfront, but they can be well worth it in the long run.

Stay Organized And Use Technology

This means having a system in place for keeping track of your clients, properties, and leads. In today’s day and age, technology is a powerful tool that can help you in your real estate business. There are many different apps and software programs that can make your life easier as an agent.

From scheduling appointments to keeping track of properties, there’s an app for just about everything. It can also be helpful to use a CRM (customer relationship management) system to help you. By staying organized, you’ll be able to better serve your clients and close more deals.

Look For Properties That Need Work

These can often be had for a lower price if you fully utilize your negotiating skills. In some cases, these houses may just require some cosmetic upgrades or repairs. If you’re handy, you may even be able to do some of the work yourself and save even more money. Just be sure to factor in the cost of any necessary repair work (including materials and labor) before making an offer on a property.

Once the renovation work has been completed you’ll have increased the property’s value. This means you can either rent it out for a higher amount or make a profit on the resale.

Get To Know Your Clients And Be Honest

Take some time to sit down with your clients and learn about their needs and wants. Find out what their budget is and what kind of property they’re looking for. The more you know about them, the better equipped you’ll be to find them the perfect home.

Your clients are trusting you to help them make one of the biggest purchases of their lives. If you’re not honest with them, they’ll not trust you or use your services again. Additionally, your reputation could be damaged. Rather than your clients recommending you, they could be dissuading others from having any dealings with your company.

Learn To Negotiate Effectively

You need negotiation skills in order to get the best possible deals, and here’s how to improve: First, it’s important that you understand the other person’s motivation. What are they trying to achieve? What’s their bottom line? Once you know this, you can start to work towards a compromise that will benefit both parties.

It’s also important that you stay calm and collected during negotiations. Don’t let emotions get in the way of making a deal. If you can keep a level head, you’ll be more likely to come to an agreement that everyone is happy with. Finally, don’t be afraid to walk away from a deal if it’s not in your best interests. Sometimes the best way to win a negotiation is to walk away from it. If you’re not getting what you want, there’s no point in continuing. This will show the other party that you’re not desperate and that you’re willing to stand up for yourself.

Be Consistently Professional

Give yourself time to grow and learn from your mistakes; there’s no shame in making them – we all do it. Consistency is key when it comes to growing any kind of business. This means being active on social media, writing blog posts regularly, sending out email newsletters, etc.

If you want people to invest their time and money in your business, you need to offer them something of value in return. This could be helpful information, a quality product or service, or anything else that would be beneficial to them. Be polite and respectful to others, dress and speak professionally – and always maintain a positive attitude. Once you’ve closed a deal and the sale has completed, don’t forget to follow up with your clients to check everything is okay.

By putting all the tips we’ve discussed into practice, you’ll be able to improve your real estate business. Not only will your wise decisions make you profitable, but they’ll also benefit your clients. As a result, you’ll become an established company that has every reason to be optimistic about the future.

May 6, 2022
How to Take Microbreaks When Running a Business

When you are running a business, it inevitably means that you are going to be under all sorts of pressure. Therefore, you need to be doing even more to ensure that your mental health is protected and you are in the very best shape to continue steering the ship in the right direction. As well as unwinding properly at the end of the day, it can also be useful to take some microbreaks during the course of the day whenever you have some minutes that you can use them. The major advantage is that you then feel like you are properly refreshed and ready to tackle whatever challenges are in front of you. So, here is some useful advice that can help you to spend these precious minutes in the wisest way possible.

Try Some Meditation or Yoga

There is no doubt that mindfulness has exploded in a big way over the past years, so you could join the growing trend by trying out some meditation. There are all sorts of apps and videos that can certainly help you out when it comes to giving you the basics that you need to complete in order to do this successfully. The other major option that you have in front of you is yoga, which also has the natural advantage of allowing you to stretch your body at the same time.

Play a Game

Sometimes, you need a bit of escapism in its purest form, and the best way that you are going to be able to achieve this state is by playing a game. Of course, the internet has presented us with all sorts of different options, so you simply have to take the time to pick your favourite one. It could be that you enjoy a simply game of solitaire or you prefer the joka room that are out there. Ultimately, it is going to be worth taking the time to experiment and work out which one is right for you.

Take a Short Walk

There is no doubt that being cooped up in the same environment for days on end can be highly damaging to our mental wellbeing. Simply getting out into nature can prove to be a highly effective tonic to this feeling. Therefore, you should certainly take the opportunity to go out for a short walk if you are able to. You are likely to find that you are going to come back in feeling refreshed and able to assess problems in an entirely different way.

Write Down Your Thoughts

While we live in a highly technical world at the moment, there is no doubt that writing down your thoughts can prove to be a great way of blurting out your feelings. You do not necessarily have to put down any sort of structure to it whatsoever. All it takes is a piece of paper and a pencil for you to really get your thoughts out of you and start processing.

May 6, 2022
Is Shared Web Hosting Right For You? Here’s All You Need To Know

Shared web hosting is a popular choice for small businesses and bloggers who are just starting. It’s affordable, and it doesn’t require any technical expertise. But is shared web hosting the right choice for you? In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of shared web hosting, so that you can make an informed decision about what is best for your business.

1. Shared web hosting is affordable

If you are just starting with your online business or blog, you may be looking for an affordable web hosting solution. Shared web hosting is a popular choice for small businesses and bloggers because it is more affordable than other types of web hosting, such as dedicated server hosting. The main advantage of shared web hosting is that it is much cheaper than other types of web hosting. For example, a shared host may charge $50 per month, while a dedicated server could cost you $500 per month or more. Shared hosts also offer discounts if you pay multiple months in advance. This can make shared web hosting even more affordable for small businesses and bloggers who are on a tight budget. The best shared web hosting depends on your choice and requirement. It can be really helpful to research and compare different shared hosts before making your decision.

2. Shared web hosting is easy to set up and use

If you are not familiar with web hosting or website design, shared web hosting can be a good choice because it is easy to set up and use. Most shared hosts will provide you with a control panel that makes it easy to manage your website. You can usually create email accounts, install scripts, and add databases with just a few clicks. Some shared hosts also offer one-click installation of popular applications such as WordPress and others. This can make it very easy to get your website up and running quickly. It is a good idea to check out the control panel and other features offered by different shared hosts before you make your decision. Some companies offer more features than others, so you will want to choose a host that offers the features that you need.

3. Shared web hosting is a good choice for small businesses and bloggers

Shared web hosting can be a good choice for small businesses and bloggers who are just starting. It is affordable and easy to use. However, there are some disadvantages to shared web hosting that you should be aware of before you make your decision. First, because your website is sharing a server with other websites, your site may be affected by the traffic or activity of other sites on the same server. For example, if another website on your shared server gets a lot of traffic, your site may load more slowly or even crash. Second, because you are sharing resources with other websites, your site may be more vulnerable to security threats. If another website on your server is hacked, your site may also be at risk. Finally, some shared hosts oversell their servers, which can lead to downtime or slow speeds for your website.

4.No bandwidth limitations to worry about

Shared web hosting plans often come with unlimited bandwidth, which means you don’t have to worry about exceeding your monthly allotment and being charged overage fees. This can be a great benefit for small businesses and bloggers who expect their websites to grow over time. However, it’s important to note that some shared hosts do place limits on the amount of traffic your website can receive in a given time. If you exceed this limit, your site may be shut down or suspended until the next billing cycle. Be sure to check with your shared host to find out what their policy is on bandwidth overages. Still, this is usually not a problem for small businesses and bloggers who don’t get a lot of traffic to their sites. The bandwidth limitations are more likely to affect larger businesses with high traffic volumes.

5. It can host multiple domains

Shared web hosting plans often allow you to host multiple domains, which can be a great benefit for small businesses that want to have more than one website. For example, you could have the main website for your business and then create separate websites for each of your products or services. This can be a great way to market your business and reach a wider audience. However, it’s important to note that not all shared hosts offer this feature. Be sure to check with your shared host before you sign up to make sure they offer support for multiple domains. If they don’t, you may need to look for a different web hosting provider. Sometimes, you can find shared hosts that offer this feature for an additional fee. Even if you have to pay a bit more, it may be worth it to have the flexibility to host multiple domains.

6. They are professionally managed

Shared web hosting providers are usually large companies with entire teams dedicated to keeping their servers running smoothly. This is in contrast to VPS or Dedicated server plans, which typically require the customer to perform server management tasks themselves. Shared hosting customers can rest assured knowing that there are experts on hand 24/seven to take care of any issues that may arise. It’s one less thing for you to have to worry about! Additionally, most shared hosting providers include some form of customer support. This can be in the form of a knowledge base or FAQ section on their website, or more comprehensive live chat or telephone support. In either case, you’ll be able to get answers to your questions quickly and easily. The level of customer support offered by a shared host can be a significant factor in choosing a provider.

So, is shared web hosting right for you? If you’re looking for an affordable, hassle-free solution that doesn’t require any technical expertise, then the answer is probably yes! Shared hosting is a great option for those just starting online, or for small businesses with limited budgets. But remember, as your website grows, you may need to upgrade to a more powerful hosting solution. Good luck!

May 5, 2022
How Can Software Staff Augmentation Help Your Company?

The global market is evolving, and companies are moving towards next-gen technologies that would help create advanced digital solutions. But unfortunately, the increased competition has made it extremely difficult for companies to find the right talent for the right job.

Staff augmentation has become popular in the global IT industry since it delivers the right expertise and talent that companies would need to develop their projects and that automate the process.

Let’s find out below how staff augmentation can help your company.

●    Enhances Operational Efficiency

Sometimes businesses would enter a period where their return on investment would decrease. Therefore they would not be able to maintain the resources of a full-time and full-fledged team. When you hire temporary resources through augmentation devices, you would have to set up any new infrastructure.

This would enable you to enhance your company’s product quality and reduce operational costs.

●    Introduce Innovation in Your Projects

You might think that knowledge and experience come through time. In this new age, the new generation of IT experts has new things to offer that would enhance your brand value through efficient project development. But, sometimes, ideas could become stagnant when working with fixed employees.

Staff augmentation services would enable you to get a new team of IT experts with unique and diverse experience that would spark innovation in your project development process.

●    It’s Scalable

When you want to expand your business, you need highly skilled tech resources. With Software Development Staff Augmentation, you would be able to hire experienced and qualified resource teams to develop efficient and meaningful long-term and short-term projects.

Several models usually associated with augmentation services would allow you to scale your pretend development or business as you need. These resources can be increased or decreased as your project requires.

●    Access to A large Pool of Talent

You might find it difficult to undergo a full-time hiring process since it requires more investment and time. On the other hand, staff augmentation services can help reduce your load and even deliver qualified experts with the same expertise and skill set.

The resources available for hire usually have a hands-on and diverse background experience in new technologies that would help enhance your overall project development quality.

●    More Control Over the Process

When you need to hire full-time resources, your business might risk not finding the right talent for a specific time. With consulting and IT staffing, your business would be able to state its requirements and get the right prospects for the open job within the time.

This would enable you to stay in total control and save time. In addition, after the hiring process from the staff augmentation models, your business would be in full control of your project development.

●    No Training

You might not need to spend your financial resources and time training your employee based on software staff augmentation models. Instead, you would get fully trained developers with the right knowledge and skills.

As a rule, developers that usually work with IT outsourcing companies are multi-trained. They are generally well versed in several technology applications, unlike in-house teams. In addition, such developers would be aware of new frameworks and technologies.

●    Highly Cost-Effective

Hiring an in-house development team can increase your cost since you need to give your employee several benefits per your company’s terms. However, when you use a software development service that provides company staff augmentation, you would not need to bear any extra expenses.

You won’t need to spend extra money on training employees since you would be going for skilled resources.

●    Increases Flexibility

Hiring permanent and temporary employees are more conformable. However, there are times when you find that a staff augmentation might be the best option for your software development company. For example, there might be times that you need to complete a project speedily, and hiring temporary experienced personnel with minimal effort might be the best option.

This would ensure that you only have to pay your employee for the required time. It would improve your flexibility and help you maintain your resources until you need that particular skill set.

●    It gives you a Competitive Advantage

As stated above, staff augmentation helps you capitalize on specific skill sets. In addition, forms usually avoid incurring huge costs when they employ specialists on a project-by-project basis since they pay for expertise for the project’s duration.

Final Words

In case you need to hire a developer that would be able to accomplish his roles and responsibilities wholly and competently. Then, you need to train an onsite staffing agency. Agencies like software staff augmentation would offer you the best candidates to increase your team efficiency and administrative responsibilities.

Marry Homes is a professional content writer and has been working for outreachmonks.com for the past one year now. Mary believes in instilling the right knowledge into minds via her writing skills, specializing in the business and tech sector. Homes like to cover the latest developments in the tech world with the aim to educate readers on economic subjects.

May 5, 2022
A Useful Guide That Will Help You Understand How Banks Invest And Use Your Money
Banks are for-profit organizations that exist to make money for their shareholders. But how do they do this? In short, banks invest the money that customers deposit with them. They use this money to lend to other individuals and businesses or to buy securities, like bonds and stocks. The interest and dividends earned on these investments are how banks make money.

Buying securities

Banks are in the business of making money. They do this by taking in deposits and lending that money out to borrowers. But another way how banks invest your money is by investing their customers’ deposits in securities. So what are securities? Securities are investments in stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments. When you buy a security, you’re essentially loaning your money to a company or government. In return, you hope to receive interest payments and/or capital gains.

Why would a bank want to invest its customers’ deposits in securities? There are two main reasons: to earn a higher return on those funds than it could by simply lending them out; and to diversify its portfolio (i.e., spread its risk around).

Of course, investing in securities is not without risk. The value of a security can go up or down, and there’s always the chance that the issuer will default on its payments. That’s why it’s important to understand how banks invest and use your money before entrusting them with your hard-earned cash.

Now that you know a little bit about how banks invest their customers’ deposits, you may be wondering what kinds of securities they typically buy. Here are three examples:
- Stocks: When a bank buys stocks, it’s buying shares of ownership in a company. If the company does well, its stock price will rise and the bank can make a profit by selling those shares for more than it paid for them.
- Bonds: Bonds are essentially IOUs. When a bank buys a bond, it’s lending money to the bond issuer (usually a government or corporation). In return, the issuer agrees to pay the bank interest payments and/or repay the principal amount of the loan when the bond matures.
- Asset-backed securities: Asset-backed securities are financial instruments that are backed by underlying assets such as loans, leases, or receivables. For example, a mortgage-backed security is a type of asset-backed security that is backed by a pool of mortgages. If you’re curious about how banks invest and use your money, buying securities is one way they do it.
Charging interest on loans

Interest is what allows banks to make a profit from lending money. When you take out a loan, the bank charges you interest in order to make money from the transaction. The amount of interest charged depends on the amount of money being borrowed, the term of the loan, and the prevailing market rates.

In order to understand how banks use your money, it is important to first understand how they generate revenue. The primary way that banks generate revenue is through charging interest on loans. By lending money and charging interest, banks are able to make a profit which can be used to cover operational costs and expand their business.

While some people may view charging interest on loans as unfair, it is actually a necessary part of the banking system. Interest allows banks to make a profit which can be used to cover operational costs and expand their business. without it, banks would not be able to function properly or provide the services that we rely on them for.

Of course, banks don’t just sit on the cash deposited by their customers; they also pay interest on those deposits. The amount of interest paid depends on the type of account and the prevailing market conditions, but it’s typically a small fraction of a percent. For example, a customer with a savings account might earn 0.01% interest while a customer with a CD could earn 0.05% interest.

Fees charged for services

Banking is a service industry, and like any other service provider, banks charge fees for the services they render. The fees charged by banks vary depending on the type of service provided, but they are all meant to cover the costs incurred by the bank in providing that particular service.

The most common type of fee charged by banks is the account maintenance fee. This is a monthly or annual fee charged to customers for maintaining their accounts with the bank. The account maintenance fee covers the costs incurred by the bank in keeping track of customer accounts and transactions, as well as providing customer support.

Other common fees charged by banks include transaction fees, ATM fees, overdraft fees, and foreign transaction fees. There are also fees included in banks that sell annuities. Transaction fees are typically charged for each type of transaction made, such as withdrawals, deposits, transfers, and payments. ATM fees are charged when customers use an ATM that is not owned by their bank. Overdraft fees are charged when customers spend more money than they have in their account and the bank covers the shortfall. Foreign transaction fees are charged on transactions made in a foreign currency or to a foreign country.

While banks do charge fees for their services, there are ways to avoid or minimize these charges. For example, many banks offer free checking accounts with no monthly maintenance fee. Some banks also offer discounts on transaction fees for customers who maintain a certain balance in their account or make a certain number of transactions per month. By understanding the different types of fees charged by banks and how to avoid them, customers can save money and make the most of their banking relationship.

Investment earnings

What are investment earnings? Investment earnings are the profits that a bank or other financial institution makes from investing its customers’ deposits. In other words, when you deposit money into a savings account, the bank uses that money to make investments. The earnings from those investments are then returned to the bank, and a portion of those earnings is paid out to savers in the form of interest.

Why do banks invest customer deposits? There are two main reasons why banks invest customer deposits. First, banks are required by law to have a certain percentage of their assets invested in order to be considered “well-capitalized.” This helps ensure that banks have enough money on hand to cover any unforeseen losses. Second, investing customer deposits allows banks to generate additional revenue, which can be used to cover operating expenses or to fund new lending initiatives.

Finally, it’s important to remember that banks are regulated by governments and are subject to laws and regulations designed to protect consumers. So if you’re ever concerned about whether your money is safe with a particular bank, rest assured that there are plenty of safeguards in place.
May 1, 2022