6 Tips on How to Stay Focused (That Actually Work)

Most of us wish that we could be more productive. Lots of us are capable of bursts of productivity now and then but sustaining that in the long-term requires us to be able to effectively maintain focus.

Below are six tips for doing just that and keeping your mind firmly on the task at hand.

Avoid Multitasking

One of the most common reasons that people struggle to stay focused on important tasks is because they are trying to do multiple things simultaneously.

Some people are convinced that they can only work if they have some kind of background noise to prevent their minds from wandering. However, for most people, it’s much more effective to learn to be more disciplined and remain focused on a single task.

Practice Meditation and Mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness are both powerful techniques for learning to live in the moment and how to be present and aware at all times. Not only will practicing mindfulness improve your ability to focus more, but it is also a proven method for reducing stress and anxiety in general.

This in itself can help you to stay more focused – it’s hard to keep your mind on one specific thing when you have a million different worries on your mind.

Look for Productivity-Enhancing Web Browser Extensions

There are a number of extensions for web browsers that are designed to minimize the number of distractions that you have to contend with when you’re trying to work.

For example, anyone who wants to stay focused can use an add-on like  BlockSite, which provides users with a focus timer tool that makes it easy to block access to certain websites during certain periods of the day.

If you’re the kind of person who habitually opens a new tab and loads their favorite time-wasting website as soon as their mind begins to wander from the task in front of them, then a scheduling app might be a simple but very effective solution for helping you to stay focused on the task at hand.

Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly isn’t just good for your physical health, although it is worth it for those benefits alone. Exercise also promotes good mental health and has been shown to improve both memory capacity and concentration.

The exact mechanisms that underpin this are still debated, but there is growing research to show that over time exercise physically rewires memory circuits in the brain in a way that improves their functioning.

Set Yourself a To-Do List

Writing out a to-do list of all the tasks that you have to complete and then putting them in order of priority will enable you to focus your attention on those tasks that really demand it, and help you to avoid the stress of being busy but not actually getting anything done.

Once you can see a pathway through all the tasks that you have to complete, it is much easier to focus on them as you do them.

Give Yourself Regular Breaks

You might think that the less time you spend taking breaks, the more you will be able to get done. However, taking breaks at strategic intervals will, in fact, enable you to maximize your focus and productivity.

You can only work for so long before your attention begins to wane and you begin to find it difficult to keep your mind on the task at hand. When this happens, it’s inevitable that you will lose focus.

Try to give yourself regular breaks, such as five minutes every 25 minutes or 15 minutes every 45 minutes, whenever you are working for extended periods.

Staying focused can be surprisingly difficult, especially if you are used to distractions and futile attempts at multitasking. The trick is to develop a routine so that a more focused approach becomes second nature.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/at-work/6-tips-on-how-to-stay-focused-that-actually-work/

What Will 2030 Look Like?

If you sat a million people in a room and asked each one what superpower they would pick, you would find that the entrepreneurs, investors, and racetrack gamblers would all ask for the same thing: Knowing what is going to happen next.

Will it be flying cars or extensive underground tunnels? This article will not discuss either the wishful sci-fi version of 2030 nor the dystopian possibility of a Mad Max-esque world.

It will focus exclusively on surprising new consumer habits that show no signs of decelerating and what they will mean for businesses and society.

The Party:

Company to watch: Just Water

Today’s youngest generations have the highest IQs in history, according to James Flynn, the psychologist who popularized the “Flynn Effect,” which is the theory that states that competing forces influence our intellect throughout our life.

Basically, the explanation for this phenomenon is that people have never been better fed or had easier access to high-quality education. The source of this education is often YouTube for young Americans.

The outcomes of this home-education are already expressing themselves in interesting and unexpected ways.

The following are three odd things you might notice at a college party in 2030:

1. It’s a smaller event than it would have been in 1999.

The reason is that Gen Zs (born after millennials) have a lot of alternatives to what we consider a conventional party. These include gaming, obviously, but they also include hanging out at a legal weed or kava bar.

2. Most people are drinking water.

The explanation for this is simple. There has never been a good reason not to, aside from your friends calling you names.

Teens today are acutely aware that drinking a gallon of sweet sweet H2O a day will elevate your mood, sharpen your mind, fix bad breath, cure headaches, and keep your lips from chafing when you go in for the kiss.

3. Everybody has a YouTube channel.

Having a well-known personal brand has become so valuable that we have made up a job title for this kind of casual fame. The college party of 2030 will feature A LOT of wannabe influencers.

The Kitchen:

Company to watch: Impossible Food

The kitchen of 2030 will be stocked with options that weigh nutrition over taste.

Telltale signs of this phenomenon have can be observed by the proliferation of publicly-traded nutritional supplement companies that sell no actual food such as Herbalife, Cyanotech, and Natural Alternatives International.

The overarching shift will be in the tastiness and market reach of already healthy food “genres” like tea, kombucha, yogurt, and nut butter. It’s no coincidence that Impossible Food, a company that researches and manufactures meat substitutes, came out as one of the top brands of CES 2020.

In 2030, not only will the individual be well-informed about the kinds of inputs the human body needs, but of equal importance, their peers will also be well-informed.

This will lead to consumers dedicating their basket toward whatever is perceived as optimally healthy with a few exceptions for pleasure, rather than the other way around.

The Office:

Company to watch: Magic Leap

Many people will opt to work from home. In 2012, 39% of Americans worked from home. In 2019, that percentage was up to 43% with no indications of slowing.

Human resources in 2030 will be under pressure to create a business culture for their CEO in a world where more than half of the employees are names on the screen. There are many opportunities here for AR and VR companies to develop niches.

Once 5G arrives though, nothing will be the same. This amplified internet has the potential to sweep office culture out the front door. In 2030, your boss could easily be the hologram of a guy in China.

Although offices may change, they will not disappear. At least, definitely not by 2030. Co-working spaces with social agendas and open floor plans market themselves as an alternative to cubicles. WeWork itself may not be profitable, but the companies that create products for co-working spaces are to the third industrial revolution what shovel salesmen were to the 1848 California Gold Rush.

The following are products that have been positioned as staples of the co-working ecosystem:

Communal desks

These are also often called executive office furniture. The open floor plans in co-working spaces often involve new types of furnishings such as communal desks.

Kombucha on tap

The patrons of co-working spaces are often millennials with a concern for nutrition. In the office, this translates to the omnipresent barrel of kombucha.

Retro pinball machine

Just because the party of 2030 has fewer people than you might expect does not mean folks in the future don’t know how to have fun. Old school games will continue to live on, paying homage to simpler times.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/entertainment/what-will-2030-look-like/

Importance of Sales Funnel Marketing

What are the sales funnel? A sales funnel is a marketing concept that maps out the journey a client goes through once creating any kind of purchase. The model uses a funnel as an analogy because a wide range of potential customers could begin at the top-end of the sales process, however, only a fraction of those individuals actually end up making a purchase. Most businesses, whether on-line or standard, use this model to guide their promoting efforts in every stage of the sales funnel process.

Any business owner is aware of the pain of just missing a sale. After weeks of chatter and charm, pitches and demos, the prospect customer drops out of the sales funnel and cancel buying.

However, it happens less often once you have the proper sales funnel management support. Several small business sales funnels are more like sieves, with holes left by patched-together spreadsheets, missed appointments and forgotten follow-ups.

What are the basic sales funnel stages? There are four basic sales funnel stages: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action.

– Awareness is once prospect customers visit your web site for the first time, which they found from social media, a Google search, ads, or another source.

– Interest is the time once prospect customer expresses his interest in your product or service, and follows you on social media or subscribes to your list.

– Decision is once sales offers are created by using calls, sales pages, webinars, or another source.

– Action is once prospect customer is becoming a customer, by finalizing the deal with you, and clicking the purchase button and therefore the cash is transferred to your account.

Marketing is crucial in nearly all stages of the sales funnel, however, it’s particularly vital in the beginning stages, particularly the awareness stage. Promoting your product on-line using social media and paid advertising is important during the awareness stage because these are places where potential customers will notice you and your products.

Why sales funnel is so important? Having a set sales funnel provides you the chance to not always be chasing the future sale, that is what we all need. Mapping out a sales funnel can help you be consistent with your promoting and helps you measure the progress you create in every section. Measuring your progress is imperative because you’ll start to spot what section individuals fall off at and start creating adjustments. Quality sales funnels build trust and credibility over time by providing incredibly valuable content. Gaining their trust can offer your potential customers, even more, an incentive to buy from you. Your work isn’t done once you produce your sales funnel. Actually, this is where your work begins. It’s necessary to measure your results once everything is set up. You need to assemble information and analyze and improve your funnel if you wish to get higher results.

You need to figure out wherever your strengths and weaknesses lie. A decent flow of individuals right from the top, all the way to the action stage can ensure you have a healthy business.

How do I start? You need to grow your business and build successful sale funnels, but you don’t know where to start. Just visit Funnelopedia where you can find all you need to know about the sales funnel. And more!

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/business/importance-of-sales-funnel-marketing/

Why digital transactions will be an essential part of your startup in 2020

2019 was an amazing year for technological advancement. Most of the new products worked on last year were great additions to business models. Some of them helped us cut our costs and time spent on individual projects. However, not all of them were as popular as AI projects, thus leaving most new software in the backstage of fame.

Startupers are only now starting to realize how important it is for them to make transactions as simple as possible for their users. And this became clear very soon after multiple focus groups had to mention how they were more likely to buy products from different companies as long as they could do so as fast as possible.

Because of this information, it’s almost guaranteed for every established company or startup to begin focusing on its financial technology sector. Meaning that every department of every brand will now try to make their payment systems as easy as possible. Because of this, it’s essential that startups follow suit to have at least some competitive capabilities.

What do digital transactions even mean?

Although it may seem like a digital transaction is simply people filling in their credit card details to purchase items online, it’s not necessarily the case. Most customers don’t save their credit card details in their browsers, thus making the process of making a payment extremely hard every time they try to do it.

What I mean by digital transactions are digital wallets, third-party payment companies, and even the blockchain.

That’s right. People who are able to top-up their wallets online and simply use it only for shopping or paying for services expect companies to support these new platforms. The more wallets or payment methods your startup supports, the more likely are you to gain the trust of a customer.

For the customer themselves, making a payment is extremely fast by just putting in their email address and hopefully having a 2FA system on their smartphones. All of this they are able to do without taking out their credit cards from their wallets and slowly filling in all the required fields.

As for you as a company, the transaction time from digital wallets is 10 times faster than regular bank transfers, thus helping you earn your due amount much quicker and speed up your growth.

Privacy

Privacy was a serious issue in the past two years. Some of the largest companies found themselves in legal scrutiny for overstepping their boundaries. Nowadays, no matter what internet platform you are hosting, you will still get some kind of mistrust from your users. Almost everyone will think that you are somehow gathering information and benefiting from it without the user’s consent.

In order to avoid such accusations, it’s best to have an extremely powerful cybersecurity system set-up on your platform. Not only is this beneficial for your customers, but for you as well. But in terms of transparency, there is one technology that you could possibly use.

Blockchain. This technology has been on the rise ever since the 2017 boom for popularity. However, it is still facing some publicity issues due to the past. No worries though, as long as the system is installed, your customers will be able to see almost everything that’s going on in the background of your system. Thus you’d be able to prove that you’re trustworthy with their data.

But why are people so careful with their data?

Many would say that there’s nothing to hide if you’re not doing anything illegal, right? Well, it turns out that’s not necessarily the case.

According to one of the real money online casinos in Canada, privacy is extremely important when customers are using services that are legal but have bad publicity or moral issues with the community.

Sure, casinos are definitely one of them, but sometimes they can be perceived as harmless places to have fun in. Not everybody thinks like this though, and definitely not the banks.

In fact, banks dislike casino payments so much that they tend to decrease the credit score of customers that make them. In order to avoid this, most people go for digital payments where the bank has no access.

Your business may not be revolved around something that has bad publicity or issues with the community, but giving the users some privacy via digital wallet payments or even crypto payments is going to add that extra zing to your customer loyalty that could propel your business to the next level.

Digital transactions are cheaper

Another important thing to note about digital transactions is that they are extremely cheap for both the user and the company as well.

Usually, most bank transfers have some kind of fee attached to them, which can be extremely high depending on how much you are sending at a given moment. With several digital transaction platforms, the percentage scales in regard to how much you are transferring. The higher the amount, the lower the fee.

Therefore, if you have a company that focuses on things such as luxury goods or others that tend to have higher prices, digital transactions could be the perfect way to save quite a lot on your financial department alone.

The action becomes extremely cheap for the user as well as they don’t have to pay any fees if it’s a payment and not a transfer.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/online-business/why-digital-transactions-will-be-an-essential-part-of-your-startup-in-2020/

The Benefits of Using Online Coupons Codes

By this time, most people have seen that interesting little box that shows up on the checkout screen. This is the box that asks someone whether or not they have any discount codes or coupon codes they would like to apply to their purchase. Many people simply skip over this box. After all, they don’t know a code off the top of their head, so why waste the time guessing or looking? In reality, there are several benefits that come with using online coupon codes that everyone should know. In reality, this is a small window of opportunity that can help someone increase their potential savings. It is important to know how to navigate the world of online coupon codes to maximize potential benefits.

In order to know how to use coupons codes, the first step is to know where to find them. Stores issue coupon codes through various channels because they don’t want everyone to know about them. If someone saves money on a purchase, the store loses money. This is a zero-sum game. This means that people need to work hard to locate these savings. Some of the most common places where stores might issue coupon codes include on their own website, on TV commercials, through YouTube videos, on other websites, and even on flyers in certain stores or businesses. These coupon codes often show up in the form of an advertisement through other channels as a marketing tool. This is why people need to keep their eyes peeled at all times in order to find them. There are even websites that work hard day and night to locate these potential coupon codes and share them with the world.

Of course, the biggest benefit of using online coupon codes is that this will save someone money on their order; however, these savings can come in many forms. The most common type of discount is the fixed dollar amount. This is a coupon that will save someone the same amount of money no matter what. Therefore, it is important to make sure the entire discount gets applied. Whether this coupon is applied to a single item or the entire order, the dollar amount is the same.

The next benefit of an online coupon is saving a percentage of money on either the entire order or a single item. This “percent off” coupon is a little bit trickier. It is important for people to maximize its benefit. Sometimes, the coupon can only be applied to a single item. In this case, make sure the discount is applied to the most expensive item in the cart if the option is given. Sometimes, the coupon saves a fixed amount of money on the entire order. In this case, make sure to get all the shopping down in one fell swoop to maximize its benefit.

Another common benefit of using online coupons is getting free or discounted shipping. Free shipping is one of the most common marketing strategies used. Because customers are often surprised by the added cost of shipping at the end of the order, coupons for free shipping are common. In order to maximize this coupon, try to make sure to choose the fastest shipping option and make every effort to have the items shipped together.

Sometimes, coupon codes are used to reward people with bonus items. Finding a bonus item coupon code is rare but they are out there. Some of the most common coupon codes that give free items include free tote bags, coffee mugs, umbrellas, and t-shirts. Keep those eyes open for bonus item coupon codes as these can be a real treat.

Finally, one of the most often overlooked benefits of using online coupon codes is something called stacking. Stacking refers to the practice of taking multiple coupon codes and applying them to the same purchase to try to get as big a discount as possible. At brick and mortar stores, this often isn’t allowed; however, in the online shopping world, this is often permitted. By using multiple coupon codes at the same time, someone can end up saving a tremendous amount of money on a purchase. This has led to the growth of the online coupon world and has everyone excited for the future.

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/ecommerce/the-benefits-of-using-online-coupons-codes/

What is Rapid Prototyping and Types of Techniques It Uses

If you are looking to find your next manufacturing solution, you may be interested in rapid prototyping.

The name has not been around long, as it is a relatively new process, but it does help in assessing new engineering designs. Let’s take a look at what is rapid prototyping in the manufacturing process.

What is Rapid Prototyping?

When evaluating engineering and manufacturing design, its prototype is very important. This allows users to have an idea of what limitations or specifications need to be added to their overall design.

The process by which these prototypes are created is called “rapid prototyping”. The process helps to make a sample of design as quickly as possible. 

There is a big misconception when it comes to understanding the differences between prototyping and 3D-printing, and although they are related, they are not the same.

A type of rapid prototyping could be 3D printing or another series of operations. 3D printing is an example of additive manufacturing, while prototyping focuses on the end product of design. 

Why use Rapid Prototyping?

Rapid prototyping services allow engineers and designers the ability to produce products faster, as the industry demands speed and accuracy.

Creating prototypes helps the product development process move quicker. It allows product testing before its final design is complete and is essential in making sure a product meets company standards and expectations.

A popular choice is using an SLS rapid prototyping service. This process is done with a laser to fuse materials to make the prototype.

After providing functionality testing of the product, finalize the design, this is usually the last stage of verification that gives customers and clients a hands-on experience to receive feedback and make changes if needed. Let’s look at some types of rapid prototyping.

Rapid Prototyping Types

• Additive manufacturing
• Binder jetting
• Direct metal laser sintering(DMLS)
• Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) 
• Poly jetting
• Stereolithography (SLA)
• Selective laser sintering (SLS)

The above are the main types of rapid prototyping available but three other techniques can be used as well:

1. CNC Rapid Prototyping 
2. Investment Casting 
3. Vacuum Casting

If you are looking into rapid prototyping check out the advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages of Rapid Prototyping 

• Allows functionality testing
• Reduces Risk
• Reduced development time
• Reduced development cost.

Disadvantages of rapid prototyping

• Added initial costs
• Lack of accuracy
• Material properties cannot be matched
• Requires skilled labor

These advantages and disadvantages are just some associated with the entire prototyping process but researching what your design needs is very important.

Each prototyping method requires a different amount of time, comes with its limitations and can be completed with the use of different materials.

Finding which method is most effective to your budget, time, and development limitations can be a predictor for successful product development. 

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/business-process/what-is-rapid-prototyping-and-types-of-techniques-it-uses/

5 Consequences of Lying on Your Auto Insurance Application

So you’ve bought a new car and can’t wait to take the bad boy for a spin. Not so fast! Before you hit the road cruising in your new car, it is a mandate by law to insure it.

Buying auto insurance can be an expensive affair, and people are always looking for ways to minimize the insurance premiums.

Lying or misrepresentation of facts on the auto insurance application is a common practice to lower the premiums. More than 50% of drivers in the US lie while signing up for car insurance. 

Before we talk about the consequences of lying on the auto insurance application, one must understand that the reason behind this practice is to save a few hundred bucks every year on the auto insurance premium. 

Here are some of the common lies that people resort to in their application: 

• Lying about the number of miles driven every year – Showing that you use your car on rare occasions when you drive around the car for the most part of the day. 
  
• Hiding any traffic tickets or at-fault accidents – concealing traffic violations, speeding tickets, minor mishaps, etc.      
  
• Lying where you park the car – claiming you park the car in the garage when you actually park it on the street. 
  
• Misrepresenting driver information – Parents claim to be the primary driver of the car that’s mostly used by their children. 
  
• Concealing the use of the car – Failing to disclose that you offer cab service or deliver food in your car. 

While it might seem alright to hide information from your insurance provider to save some money on car insurance premiums, one mishap is all it takes to unearth all the lies.

When you submit a claim, there is a high probability for the insurance company to stumble upon undisclosed information, and that could lead to some serious consequences.

Here are 5 risks of the lying on your auto insurance application: 

Rejection of claims

Imagine this. You lied to your insurance provider about using winter tires. All seems hunky-dory till you meet with an accident on a snowy evening.

You submit a claim, and upon investigation, the insurance company finds out that you lied to them about using winter tires. In this case, you can say goodbye to your claims as the insurance provider will reject it for misrepresenting information.

The most common consequence of lying on an insurance application is the rejection of claims. And once the claim is denied, you would have to pay the entire expense for damages from your own pocket.  

Cancellation of insurance

Once the investigators prove that you were hiding information on your car insurance application, your insurance provider may go one step further than just denying your claims.

Depending upon the level of misrepresentation of information, the insurance company can even cancel your auto insurance policy. The insurance provider might even reject your application for all kinds of insurance such as home insurance, health insurance, etc. 

Highly expensive premium

If you concealed information such as the number of miles the car is driven every year or minor traffic violations, your insurance provider might not go to the extent of canceling the policy but might hike the car insurance premium.

Thus, lying is highly counter-productive as it will make your premiums highly expensive in an attempt to lower the premiums.  

Insurance fraud can land you in prison

Lying to your insurance provider can land you deep trouble that is much bigger than policy cancellation and paying higher premiums. If you conceal critical information while signing for an auto insurance policy, the insurance company can even sue you for indulging in insurance fraud.

Committing insurance fraud is a criminal offense that could lead to paying hefty fines, digging a hole through your finances. It can even land you in jail. 

Blackmark against your license

Another major risk of lying on your auto insurance application is being blackmarked as a risky/fraudulent purchaser. When you hide information with an intent to dupe the insurance provider, your license would be blackmarked.

This could lead to many reputed insurance companies rejecting your insurance application and thus making the process of finding a new insurance provider a painstaking affair. 

If these consequences don’t deter you from lying on your auto insurance application, feel free to read the multiple cautionary tales about insurance fraud on the internet.

The repercussions of misleading your insurance provider are far greater than the perks of saving a few hundred dollars every year on car insurance premiums. 

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/auto-loans/5-consequences-of-lying-on-your-auto-insurance-application/