Best Bank Promotions

I admit, I used to open up bank accounts for free t-shirts and coffee mugs. I didn’t know that banks want you to be their customer so badly that they’re willing to offer you crazy welcome bonuses to open an account with them. These sign-up bonuses aren’t small either. They range from a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars! So if you’re looking at opening a bank account soon, check out the bank promotions below!

Chase Bank

Chase is one of the biggest financial institutions in the United States and they have promotions that give you thousands of dollars.

This national bank is always running multiple bank promotions for opening new checking accounts, savings accounts, investing accounts, and credit cards.

Even if you’re young with little to no credit, there are products with welcome bonuses tailored for you. For example, Chase has a secure banking account for people with bad credit looking for a “second chance” at a relationship with a major bank. Collect students who open a college checking account can earn an easy $100 bonus.

Most of these bank bonuses are easy to qualify for too. Outside of opening an account, it usually requires just a small deposit or direct deposit.

Here’s a post from the personal finance site, The Money Ninja, that has a list of bank bonus offers at Chase for you to look over. They keep the offers up to date every month so it’s easy to find out what the latest bonuses are.


U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank is another reputable bank that’s known for always having many promotional offers and bonuses.

For example, take consumer personal checking accounts. You can earn bonuses by opening one of three eligible accounts: the silver, gold, or platinum account. The differences between the checking accounts are the benefits and the monthly fees it assesses (which can be waived each month if you meet certain requirements).

The bonus amount is the same regardless of which checking account you choose. Currently, U.S. Bank is offering $400 for doing the following:

  • Open a new U.S. Bank personal checking account using the promo code 2022JUL
  • Within 60 days, be enrolled in online banking or the U.S. Bank mobile app
  • Within the same 60 days, complete recurring direct deposits that total $4,000 or more
  • Bonus will be deposited into your new account within 60 days of meeting requirements

This is a very enticing offering, giving you a 10% return on your direct deposit amount. The bonus is also paid out in two months, which is super quick.

Huntington Bank

bank-promotions

Huntington Bank is a regional bank with multiple welcome bonuses available for new customers. Right now, they have cash bonuses for the following personal checking accounts and business checking accounts:

  • $200 for a Huntington Perks Checking
  • $300 for a Huntington Platinum Perks Checking
  • $100 to open a Huntington Business Checking 100 Account
  • $400 to open a Huntington Unlimited Business Checking Account
  • $750 to open a Huntington Unlimited Plus Business Checking Account

Keep in mind that since Huntington Bank only operational in a region, only residents in the states they do business in are eligible for the bonus offers.

You need to live in one of the following states: Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.

PNC Bank

PNC Bank is offering a bonus of up to $400 when you open a Virtual Wallet and personal checking account:

  • Get $200: Open a Virtual Wallet Checking Pro with Spend, Reserve & Growth with direct deposits totaling $2,000 within 60 days of account opening OR
  • Earn $400: Open a Virtual Wallet with Performance Select with direct deposits totaling $5,000 within 60 days of account opening

This welcome offer usually appears for three months at a time, but we’ve seen the bonus being renewed consistently so there’s plenty of chances to take part in these bank promotions.

Nearside: Business Banking

Nearside is a financial technology company for small businesses. While the bonus is relatively small, it’s on this list because of how simple it is.

Open a Nearside business checking account and you’ll earn a $40 bonus once you deposit at least $200. You need to sign up using a referral code though, so search for one before applying.

It seems that Nearside is trying to pull in business from online entrepreneurs and people with side hustles – like those who are selling goods on eBay, people offering custom items on Etsy shops, and small businesses with Shopify stores.

Brex Cash

This is another bank that appears on this list only because of its unique offers. Brex Cash often offers promotions for new business accounts, but instead of rewarding you for just making deposits (which it does), it also hands out big deposits for making purchases using your Brex card.

Spend using your Brex card to earn points and redeem the points for money. Each point is worth one cent. The amount of points you can earn is uncapped and your points never expire.

Many new businesses have quite a few purchases to make as they set things up, so why not earn points on the things you buy with a Brex Cash account.

One item to note is that Brex Cash is not a bank account; it’s actually a cash management account offered by Brex Treasury (a FINRA-registered broker-dealer) that functions very much like a business bank account but designed for the way small businesses actually work.

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5 Easy Ways Your Beauty and Cosmetic Brand Can Win

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Beauty and cosmetic products need to be seen. Video and photo sharing lets customers see exactly how products transform looks and give faces a new glow. It’s time to learn five ways your beauty and cosmetics brand can leverage social media to create effective marketing campaigns. 

Millions of people look for beauty inspiration on social media every day. They share their experiences and shop for new beauty products on their favorite platforms. Some of today’s newest and hottest cosmetics brands are born from YouTube influencers. 

As a result, today’s beauty brands can’t survive without a comprehensive social media strategy in place. After all, it’s where much of your audience is already hanging out and sharing their thoughts about the latest trends and products in the industry. 

Recent statistics predict the global skincare market will reach $189.3 billion by 2025. For smaller or newer brands, this means that you’re already competing with brands that have an established fanbase or a near-cult following. As such, you need a clear-cut social media strategy that outlines your brand’s target audience, goals, and purpose on each platform. A cosmetics digital marketing agency can help streamline your efforts and get you started with these strategies.

Understand Your Core Demographics and Audience

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Beauty and cosmetics brands that are doing exceptionally well on social media have one thing in common: they truly understand their audience. More specifically, they understand their audience’s demographics, interests, and common values. 

Beauty and skincare are emotional topics that speak to confidence, image, and even creative drives. What kind of audience are you cultivating and what kind of voice appeals to them? Are they concerned about harsh ingredients? Do they like to create “natural” looks or do they use a lot of color? Are they progressive or traditional? Are there niche gaps in the industry that you fill? You’ll want to research how audiences interact with you on each platform because different demographics are drawn to different social media formats. 

To add to this, having a proper grasp of your target audience also helps you decide the type of voice you should use on your social media channels. It enables you to determine what kind of humor your audience finds most engaging and appropriate, and it helps your brand gauge whether or not you should use your platforms to promote social issues.  

Tone and lifestyle appeal are particularly critical in the beauty industry. Partner with a dedicated skincare digital marketing agency to work with platform and industry experts who can help refine an effective voice. 

Keep Your Customer Interactions Authentic and Relatable

Beauty and skincare are deeply personal issues. While social media users crave interactions with their favorite brands, they want those conversations to feel authentic and relatable, and they don’t necessarily want to settle for products that have been pushed on them based on their fitting a certain profile. Instead, they want an experience that feels unique, one that makes them feel valued and heard.  

With so much emphasis on personalization, beauty brands are naturally blessed with a highly engaged target audience. Users spend countless hours online watching beauty-related videos and hunting for information on the latest trends. They’re hungry for more products, and they’re equally hungry to share their experiences with friends, family, and followers when those experiences feel genuine and impactful.  

As you engage with your target audience, this means that you’ll want to make sure you do your best to answer any questions both publicly and privately. Likewise, don’t be afraid to chime in if you see people talking about your brand or your products across different channels.  

Most consumers love to know there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. It’s vital to create a content schedule that includes authentic posts and interactions. Encourage social media managers to be creative. If you only ever post about your own products and promotions, it’s harder to get genuine engagement. 

Influencers are excellent marketing partners but don’t forget regular users. Recommendations from friends and family can be just as, if not more powerful than influencers.  

Invest in Simple and Shareable Video Content for Beauty and Cosmetic Products

Customers want to see products being used by real people. Not only that, but they want to see them used at home in front of bathroom mirrors. While the flawless faces of celebrities are nice to look at, today’s beauty consumers value authenticity and relatability. Transparency goes a long way, and it’s especially effective when it’s in shareable video form.  

To that end, the most successful beauty brands tend to leverage a mix of lo-fi and hi-fi video content, with lo-fi, the kind you can shoot right on your smartphone, being particularly effective. Quick, simple “How To” guides for popular makeup techniques are always a winner, and classic “Before and After” videos featuring best-selling beauty and skincare products continue to resonate with consumers. As beauty sales become increasingly more informed by peer-to-peer networks, platforms like TikTok remain easy methods for beauty brands to feed into the authenticity that beauty shoppers crave.

 Connect with the Right Beauty and Cosmetic Micro-Influencers

beauty-and-cosmetic

You might not have considered influencer marketing if you don’t have a budget for big names. But it’s not always necessary to partner with the biggest name you can find. In fact, partnerships with mega or macro-level influencers don’t always yield the best results, as their audiences are broad and can be less directly engaged.  

Instead, look for influencers with smaller but more engaged audiences. Micro-influencers tend to have 5,000-30,000 followers and this smaller audience is more focused and engaged. Their true reach is much wider, making them valuable for brands. 

Work with a Dedicated Beauty and Cosmetic Marketing Agency

At the end of the day, creating a winning social media strategy for your beauty brand requires a great deal of research and planning. You have to really get to know your audience, and you have to tailor your messaging to speak to them in a language that resonates. Not only that, but you have to supplement that strategy with content that keeps your audience engaged, meeting them on the apps where they hang out most. 
For brands that don’t have the time or resources to handle all those processes on their own, working with a dedicated cosmetic marketing agency is often the best solution. Not only will a qualified agency be familiar with all the challenges associated with advertising beauty and skincare products, but they’ll likely have access to proven tools to help you capture more qualified leads in the process. 

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Game Changing Tools For Sales Performance

Success in sales in the 21st century is not easy. To be relevant you need courage and determination, as well as a deep understanding of potential and existing customers. Salespeople who use sales technology outperform their peers. In this article, we’ll introduce you to categories of sales software that we think you should be familiar with. In this article, we go over some game changing tools that can make a tremendous difference with your sales performance!

What are sales tools that boost sales performance?

Salespeople utilize cybersecurity tools, which are digital, to make their jobs easier. The technologies referred to as “sales tools” include customer relationship management (CRM), sales performance and leads, sales acceleration, and data interfaces and integrations. Selling help sellers understand when to contact those customers, and what to discuss with them. Tools can help you focus on the essentials, the added value for people and the organization, because you have less time for tedious and time-consuming administrative tasks.

Another stimulation to invest in sales technology is that workers want more access to a broader range of current tools. This implies that organizations who use cautious or old-fashioned sales approaches risk not just losing sales, but also losing their finest sales people. According to LinkedIn’s State of Sales 2021, 94% professionals think tools help them complete more transactions, demonstrating the importance of sales tools.

#1. CRM

CRMs have evolved into complicated, multi-tiered support systems as a result of technological improvements and ultra-competitive marketplaces. Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps you to interact with your customers more efficiently.”

  • It assists you in keeping track of current customers, improving customer connections, increasing client retention, staying on top of sales and marketing initiatives, and automating communication. 
  • For most businesses, CRM is the first investment they make in sales technology: According to LinkedIn’s State of Sales 2021, 68 percent of respondents said their CRM system was “critical” to business. CRM software today includes a plethora of tools that assist salespeople in optimizing their sales processes, such as real-time updates, enhanced lead scoring, and automated repetitive chores.
  • Most CRM systems nowadays are SaaS platforms where you pay per user, per month. 
  • On-premise installations are rarely required because most CRMs can be accessed online using a web browser. 
  • Some suppliers charge a flat monthly rate for a certain number of users, but larger packages or additional payments are required for additional users.

#2.VPN

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You know what VPN is? VPN (Virtual Private Network) refers to the ability to establish a secure network connection when utilizing public networks. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and conceal your identity online. This makes it more difficult for third parties to follow your internet activities and steal information. The encryption happens in real time.

A VPN hides your IP address by routing it to a specially configured remote server managed by the VPN host. This means that when you use a VPN to access the Internet, the VPN server will be the source of your data. This means that your ISP and other third parties have no way of knowing which websites you visit or what data you transmit and receive online. A VPN acts as a filter, turning all your data into “gibberish”. Even if someone gets your data, it will be worthless. A VPN connection disguises your data traffic online and protects it from external access. Unencrypted data can be viewed by anyone who has network access and wants to see it. With a VPN, hackers and cyber criminals can’t decipher this data.

#3.Tools for data connectors and integration

Our increasingly digitized world offers a plethora of amazing technologies that may help make our lives simpler. One disadvantage of such a diverse set of tools is that they are frequently separate and not easily accessible from a single system. Data connections and integrations come in helpful here. A data connector is a tool that links several systems to allow data to be transferred between them. This implies that the data is now available through a single system, which is a huge gain in quality of life. Data integration tools are slightly different in that they work to combine data from different sources into a single system instead of simply allowing the movement of data between systems.

#4.CPQ

Configure, price, quote (CPQ) software assists businesses in automating the quoting and proposal process, beginning when a client supplies their demands in a company’s offering and finishing with the delivery of a full estimate to the customer or prospect. In sales departments, CPQ software is used to speed up the sales process while enhancing quotation accuracy and client interactions. These software packages enable businesses to identify a customer’s demands and present them with unique quotations that best meet those needs. Typically, products are developed on top of an existing CRM software package or are designed to interact with one (or more) CRM solutions.

As businesses and their product/service lists expand, it becomes more challenging to monitor product pricing, uncover outstanding upsell possibilities, and maintain track of promotions given by competitors. Furthermore, sales staff are not provided up-to-date price information on their items, resulting in missed opportunities and longer quote times. Configuring a quotation can be a time-consuming process, especially if key data is not readily available in real time.

Analytics for sales performance

Sales analytics software refers to tools and systems that help sales professionals and managers to successfully analyze, assess, and improve the effectiveness of their sales performance while anticipating trends and results and uncovering valuable insights. They give sales managers a detailed perspective of sales, breaking them down into manageable chunks for assessing where salespeople, items, and campaigns are working best and where they should improve.

Sales analytics has become an essential component of every sales report in the age of big data. Instead of gathering data manually through a tangle of spreadsheets, sales analytics software allows sales managers to access information methodically in one spot.

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Best eCommerce Platforms for Small Businesses in 2023

ecommerce

Today, the internet plays a crucial role in almost every aspect of our lives. The internet has information on everything, whether it’s choosing the most suitable road to your destination or doing the research before making a purchase. There is no disputing that we are edging closer and closer to a digital future and eCommerce. In fact, some would say that it’s already here.

Another proof of the same is the eCommerce space.  If you wish to sell a product or a range of products, you don’t need to pay for setting up a physical store anymore, However, when looking forward to starting your own company or boosting your digital sales reach,  the appropriate eCommerce software can make or break your online business. 

Choosing the best one might seem overwhelming, with so many options available for different sorts and sizes of businesses. Each eCommerce platform is unique, and you can absolutely choose one that is ideal for your company.

This article outlines the top 5 eCommerce platforms and the important features of each platform, rather than leaving you to wander around and struggle to get all the facts. 

Top 5 eCommerce Platforms for your Small Business in 2023:

Choosing the ideal eCommerce platform for your company can be challenging.

An exhaustive list of the top 5 eCommerce platforms for small enterprises like yours is provided below. The list includes inexpensive eCommerce options that address all the urgent requirements of a small business owner wishing to launch an online store and sell goods online.

  • Dukaan 

If you want to grow your small business, Dukaan is the perfect platform. It is a powerful player in the eCommerce sphere and provides enormous benefits to business owners and small eCommerce organizations. You can design a completely functional internet store even if you have no technical expertise. The user-interface is simple to use and incredibly intuitive.

With the wide range of options available on the Dukaan platform, you can quickly and easily build your online store, customise it, and optimise it to enhance your company’s revenue and growth.

Features: 

  • Dukaan platform with its distinct themes enables you to make your store exceptional by selecting eye-catching designs and layouts from a variety of attractive choices.
  • It also helps you get your own unique, simple-to-remember domain name to give your e-store a distinctive identity.
  • Additionally, it enables you to publish customised pages using easily available, simplified layouts, to expand your online store.  You can also create eye-catching marketing materials using simple themes within the Dukaan platform to boost the popularity of your store.
  • Finally, it also enables you to select from a variety of pre-built components, which gives your store special abilities and features.

Pricing:

You can choose a package for your company on the dukaan platform starting at just Rs11/day. The platform also offers  three price tiers based on the specifics of your organization.

The Silver package option is offered to new companies and influencers for Rs 333 per month and Rs 3,999 per year.

For agencies, D2C brands, and developing organisations, there are two package options: the Gold package, which costs Rs 700 per month and billed annually at Rs 8,999, and the Platinum package, which costs Rs 2,500 per month and is billed annually, at Rs 29,999. 

Before paying any of this, you may use the seven day free trial to decide if Dukaan is truly the right platform for you.

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  • Shopify

Shopify is an eCommerce platform that is exclusively intended to help you in establishing an online storefront. Shopify is a perfect option for companies with limited in-house technical assistance as it is a feature-rich online marketplace that is simple to set up and operate. Consequently, Shopify includes all of the features you’ll need if you’re serious about marketing and want to grow your small business. 

Features:

  • Shopify has some of the most sophisticated inventory management options. It enables you to simply construct extensive product pages with unique descriptions, graphics, billing guidelines, and more, as well as view inventory levels and bookings at a glance. However, these may be challenging and complex for those with little technical expertise.
  • The fact that Shopify has integrated dropship services is an outstanding bonus. Therefore, Shopify can be your ideal choice if you’re a small firm seeking to locate space for your inventory. Remember that this advantage is only applicable if you are focusing on a dropshipping business model.
  • Critical eCommerce metrics like store traffic, transaction records, responsive design, and more are enabled through Shopify’s insights.

Pricing:

Shopify subscription packages start at roughly $29 per month. There are three monthly plans available: Basic Plan ($29), Shopify Plan ($79), and Advanced Plan ($299). However, you can save money by opting for an annual plan as opposed to a monthly one. Still, Shopify is one of the most pricey options on our list.

  • Square Online 

The Square Online Store is ideal for launching an online business or upgrading your retail outlet digitally. Even if you have no little technological or web programming experience, you’ll have the tools to set up an internet store with its simple site builder layout and necessary eCommerce features.

Square Online creates a store for you that is customized to your needs using Ai Designs

Last but not least, it offers a free eCommerce plan that is ideal for a small firm that is just getting started.

Features:

  • Tracking client behavior and creating personalized invoices are two of the most important features of Square Online.
  • Like many other eCommerce platforms, Square Online also offers pre-built templates that you can customize to fit your branding, including adding your emblem and altering the styles, colours, and icons.
  • You can quickly and simply keep the track of the products in your online marketplace using Square Ecommerce Site. You just need to input the total amount of inventory stock for each website, even if you function from multiple sites. Your inventory automatically reduces as a result of your client’s transactions and upgrades to your Square Online Marketplace Product Repository. Your list gets updated, so you don’t oversell.

Pricing:

Square Online offers four different plans, with prices ranging from $14 per month for the Personal Plan to $49 per month for the Advanced Commerce Plan. The Business Plan is billed at $23 per month and the Basic Commerce plan at $27 per month. All Plans are billed annually and help you take your small business to the next level.

  • Big Commerce

BigCommerce is yet another integrated and comprehensive platform. It is a very effective and feature-rich eCommerce platform. Both small and large enterprises can build successful eCommerce websites using this platform.

To assist you in creating your website, BigCommerce offers a wide-ranging collection of eCommerce tools. It is the market’s most versatile eCommerce platform. For a small startup, it can be intimidating, but if you have growth targets and expansion plans, this is the perfect option for you.

Features:

  • To aid in the development of your website, BigCommerce provides a comprehensive selection of eCommerce features. Additionally, you have the option to include digital platforms like Facebook and Instagram on your site and advertise your products there.
  • Analytics and Search engine Optimization are two more significant aspects of Big Commerce. In addition to allowing users to alter page headers, descriptions, and product URLs to enhance the probability that their products will appear in search engine results, BigCommerce’s SEO accelerates download speeds for better customer engagements.
  • You can manage payments and delivery for your purchases with BigCommerce. Generally speaking, the platform’s flexibility makes it simple to design and administer your website.
  • BigCommerce offers 24/7 customer support for all of your needs. They also provide you with knowledgeable assistance as you create your website.

Pricing: 

There are three eCommerce options available for BigCommerce, the least expensive of which starts at $29.95 a month. To try it out before committing to a plan, it offers a 15-day free trial. The three subscription plans are, the Pro Plan is $299.95 per month, the Enterprise Plan, which is customizable based on your needs, and the Plus Plan costs $79.95 per month. 

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  • Squarespace

Due to its user-friendly layout, not only is Squarespace a great website builder overall, but it’s also one of the finest eCommerce website builders for small enterprises. You can create an online store utilising Squarespace’s templates, drag-and-drop capabilities, and dependable functioning even if you have little to no technical knowledge.

The well-known website builder makes it comparatively simple to establish your internet presence, manage your website, and even set up an eCommerce storefront thanks to its appealing responsive websites. Squarespace provides a fantastic solution for new business owners because of its affordable pricing and consumer friendly layout.

Taking an in-depth look at Squarespace’s chic design templates, as well as its blogging and eCommerce options is necessary if you’re thinking about launching a website for your business.

Features:

  • Squarespace makes it simple to create premiums and subscription programs, sell products and discount coupons, and allow your users to book reservations online.
  • By providing promotions and incentives, its integrated email marketing features allow users to increase brand loyalty.
  • Additionally, Squarespace makes it easy for customers to pay by processing money through Paytm, Paypal, Google Wallet, and other payment modes.  For rapid purchases, checkout is simplified and quick.
  • Top features include social network partnerships, digital marketing, strict programming, inbuilt graphics to assist customers find your current location, and email campaigns implementations.
  •  Additionally, Squarespace provides tools for payment gateways for businesses that depend on subscription services.

Pricing:

If you choose a yearlong subscription, the basic Squarespace eCommerce plan costs just $23 per month, or $33 per month if you choose for a month-to-month option.

Pricing options include Personal plan and business plan for  $16 per month, and $26 per month respectively and $12 and $18 when paid annually.

Bottom-Line

The ideal eCommerce platform varies depending on the type of business. There is no “one size fits all” solution. The size of the company and your particular objectives will influence many business decisions significantly. 

Having said that, there is an eCommerce platform out there for every business, regardless of whether budget or features are the primary consideration. Finding a platform that is simple to use and prepared to evolve with you is eventually what counts. 

it is a superb idea to try out a variety before picking on the greatest one. Customer Surveys, Free trials, such as the 14-day free samples offered by the Dukaan platform, can provide you an insight into which platform is best for your business.

Author bio

Piyush Shah is a 6 figure affiliate marketer and has helped grow multiple businesses from nothing to making insane business figures. He is currently working as Head of SEO at Dukaan.

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Key Principles Of Instructional Design

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Excellent digital training is the outcome of a structured, methodical development cycle; it does not simply occur by accident. Being a specialist in a given field is insufficient to build an eLearning program. Apart from being a specialist, you must be familiar with instructional design principles. The Principles of Instruction by Robert Gagné will be discussed in more detail in this article. 

Here we not just discuss the principles but also the terms related to the instructional design process. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Instructional Design

Instructional design is the scientific development of instructional resources that assure quality in educational training, by making use of learning theories. It encompasses the complete process of analyzing learning objectives and needs to build an educational system that will satisfy those demands. Moreover, it encompasses learning resources and activities, as well as testing and assessment of all training methods and learner activities.

The production of learning materials can be summed up as the goal and foundation of instructional design. However, this process goes beyond merely producing instructional materials. It also pays close attention to employee experience and what tools and strategies would enable them to attain their learning objectives. The concepts of instructional design primarily take into account how learning resources should be designed, developed, and distributed.

Terms Related To Instructional Design

Learning Experience (LX)

In the field of instructional design, the phrase “learning experience design” (LXD) is still relatively new. LXD is the method of developing learning opportunities in a person-centered and purpose-oriented manner that enables the employees to attain the targeted learning goals.

LXD primarily concentrates on the individual who will undergo the training. What needs do they have? What are they aiming for? What obstacles stand in their path? These questions are the focus of this process.

While User Experience (UX) and Instructional Design are equally important components of a holistic approach, Learning Experience (LX) is mainly concerned with satisfying the needs of a learner. 

Educational Technology (EdTech)

Education technology or EdTech makes use of IT tools to improve learning and enrich training. The broad category of EdTech includes learning management systems, instructional podcasts, video conferencing technology, and social networking learning tools.

Education technology was not what it is now over twenty years ago. The dynamic between learners and instructors has fundamentally shifted due to its quick development. It provides training and instruction to learners through the use of computers, software programs, and educational networks. 

EdTech streamlines complicated work and adds interest to routine chores. Instructors no longer need to personally grade a large number of test papers, register new users, or tediously organize assignments through several methods. Through the use of computerized grading systems, EdTech handles these and numerous other responsibilities.

Key Principles Of Instructional Design

Grab Attention (Reception)

Making a conscious effort to guarantee receptivity in learning is necessary to hold attention. The employee’s participation level can be predicted by this first-impression method. For example, getting someone’s attention piques their interest and creates expectations in their minds.

Your program should begin with an introduction or exercise that causes the learner to put aside other activities and concentrate on the information you want them to consume. The most typical strategies for drawing attention at the start of training are:

  • Discuss a surprising fact or information
  • Make interesting inquiries
  • Provide a training exercise that engages the participants

Tell Learners About The Objectives (Retrieval)

The course objectives are communicated to the learners as part of an instructional approach that essentially engages them in the process of learning. It would be easier for the employees to concentrate on their learning efforts and arrange their ideas if you let them know what they will be able to do after participating. Employees are better able to determine whether they are learning something successfully if they comprehend what you need them to learn.

You can use a PowerPoint to provide a listing of the aims for a program that is taken online. It is important to explain the necessary performance, provide the expected level of achievement, and define what a successful conclusion would be for each target.

instructional design

Recollection Of Previous Learning (Expectancy)

When designing a successful eLearning program, you simply cannot ignore this principle. When working on Instructional Design, one may ask themselves, “what would be the most effective method for conveying this information in a way that is engaging and easy?” before learning about this principle. 

This mentality creates room for original thought. Following the learning goals and desirable results, you can use narration, branching situations, role-plays, gamification, and dynamic films. To prevent cognitive overload, keep in mind to break up knowledge into manageable pieces. 

Connect your material to what your audience already knows or can do. They will be able to approach the new content with confidence. You can include a brief recap of facts or ideas that employees have already learned to reinforce their understanding or have them take a test to see how much they remember.

Give Out New Information (Selective Perception)

This is where you impart fresh information, expertise, and abilities to your learners. Incorporate pertinent photos, infographics, charts, and illustrations in your program to assist the learner in the picture and comprehend each subject rather than relying just on words to communicate ideas. 

Distribute and arrange your material in a manner that enables learners to take in new material without becoming overburdened.

Give Guidance Concerning Learning (Semantic Encoding)

Support your learners by offering advice on how to master the skill. Cite some examples or mentoring tips for learning material, and direct learners to the best resources available.

By including research papers, graphics, user guides, mind mapping, and other learning items in your educational program, you may improve the learning outcomes for your workforce.

instructional design

Assess Performance (Responsiveness)

Your learner should be able to exhibit or express the skills or information they have acquired from your training course at this stage of the process. Include interactive components that demand the learner to apply what they have learned. This idea helps learners reflect on the material they have consumed. 

Be aware that the focus of feedback regarding the correct or incorrect answer should be on enhancing learning. Use word puzzles, drag-and-drop exercises, story tasks, training games, and flashcards to make your evaluations interactive and interesting. Based on the educational goals, you might decide to give your learners another chance to take the test.

Offer Feedback (Reinforcement)

It is essential to provide learners with detailed and insightful feedback on how they’re doing. Effective feedback will present viewpoints that will affect training presumptions. Do not however limit the headers of the feedback to right and wrong. To enhance their learning process, try employing more descriptors that are pertinent to or specially tailored to the course or module’s content. 

After a learner exhibits new knowledge or abilities, give them feedback right away. What he is doing well will be reinforced by positive feedback. The learner will be assisted in identifying and correcting any faults in abilities or knowledge by kind and constructive criticism.

Conclusion

We hope that this article helped you learn about the major principles of instructional design. Engage your learners throughout the program to carry out an excellent eLearning assignment. Be adaptable, make things straightforward, and consider design from the perspective of your learners. Above everything, adopt an instructional approach that assumes that learning must happen. All this is possible with an effective instructional design. 

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Why is Sales Training important for any business to grow

sales training

Training is a learning and upskilling process. This process entails sales personnel becoming fully equipped with the knowledge they require to sustain a business and make constant attempts to grow profit margins.

Let’s look at what exactly are we going to learn in this article:

  1. What is Sales training
  2. Importance of Sales training for growth of business
  3. Taking the help of the LMS system for sales training

1. What is Sales Training?

Sales training is an activity that involves the up-gradation of the sales personnel’s skills. It is through effective sales training that they can polish their selling skills by gaining adequate knowledge and are also able to perform their tasks better. This helps them immensely in closing the deal and turning it into a sale for the organization.

2. Importance of Sales Training for the growth of business

For any business, sales are of utmost importance, and this is why they spend their valuable resources on training the sales personnel, as it is directly related to the goodwill of the company. A well-trained sales team can survive the competition in the market and generate revenues to keep the lifeblood of the business flowing. Let’s look at its importance one by one:

Returns on Investment see an upward trend

Businesses have to spend large amounts of money for training purposes, yet, they are willing to incur these expenses; the reason is the return on investment. Sales training is a one-time expense, but the lessons learned are for a lifetime. Employees can showcase the skills they learn while making a sale without having to lure the customer with a discount and making the customer understand how they can recover the cost in no time.

It helps teams become dynamic like today’s market

Markets today have become volatile and dynamic. They are continuously evolving and as a result, sales teams have to follow suit. Team members have to keep their skills up to date. Any change, be it a change in the technology or a product feature, the sales team has to know before the world. A good training tutorial offers all the updates and keeps the team informed.

sales training

It strengthens the credibility of the business

The sales team develops a personal relationship with the customers, not just professional. So, they exactly know their pain points and can provide the right itch for that scratch. This also strengthens the goodwill of the business and builds a solid brand image. If the salesperson can gain the trust of the customer, then it’s highly likely that they will return in the future for other prospects.

It helps improve customer experience 

If optimizing the customer experience and making them happy is your ultimate goal, then sales training is something you cannot skip. In today’s time, posting feedback about a brand is very easy, looking at the convenience of social media and its reach. Therefore, if the customer has had a bad experience with the brand, they may talk about it, and in the worst-case scenario, post about it on social media.

Sales training ensures that your employees know exactly what to do to make the customers happy and improve their experience. 

It helps improve the leadership skills of the employees

A good training session can empower the sales team with knowledge and the ability to distribute that knowledge among the customers. It teaches them effective communication skills, which improves their overall personality, making them good leaders and confident people.

It helps achieve business growth

If you want to see your business grow, you have to make the people in the business grow. That can only happen if they are trained enough to educate the team and also the customers. Quality training gives the team the knowledge they need to empower themselves and the people around them. All these attributes are important for any business to experience growth and stability.

3. Using LMS systems for imparting sales training

Learning management systems are platforms or software that help provide and upskill the qualities of employees with the help of training programs. These come with many features which help in learning, training, and updating knowledge.

Reasons why you should use LMS for sales training:

Cost-effective and affordable

Imparting training through an LMS is not just cost-effective but also yields numerous benefits. One such software for sales training is Docebo. There are no administrative costs involved in online training, such as travel and accommodation costs of the trainer, printing cost of the training material, and many more similar expenses. All the modules and study materials are updated and uploaded to the system for sales personnel’s reference and guidance.

Content is easily accessible without geographical limitations

Learning is made easy with an LMS as there is no geographical limitation. It can be accessed anytime and from anywhere. Once the content goes to the system, it can be studied without any hassles. This enforces fast-paced learning without any dependency on anyone. Learners from across different time zones can utilize this flexibility ensuring consistent training modules across locations.

sales training

Content security

In an LMS, content is mostly secured. All the learner data and data related to the training are stored in one place and can be accessed by authorized personnel only. With an LMS,  learners do not have to waste extra time finding the right and relevant content; everything is made available to them on the server.

Tracking the success of the training course

A robust LMS comes with an in-built feature for reporting and analytics, whereby it becomes easier for trainers to track the learning paths of the learner and identify the potential areas of improvement. By keeping a tab on individual learning, leaders make sure that the employees are benefitting adequately from the training program and can achieve their training goals on time.

Conclusion:

The above-mentioned points will tell you how sales training is an integral part of any business. Good sales mean good profits for the organization. So, keeping the sales personnel up to date becomes important for keeping the customers of the company happy. It is mandatory for businesses, in times like today, to draft a strategy for successful implementation of the training module and to leverage its benefits.

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7 Tips For Growing Your Company Online As New Business Owner

new business

Growing a company online can be challenging, especially when starting as a new business owner. There are so many things to consider, from building the company, website design and SEO to social media marketing and email marketing, that it can be hard to know where to start.

Over the past few years, the online business landscape has changed dramatically. What used to work a few years ago – no longer does, and new strategies are constantly emerging. New services and technologies are making starting and growing a business online easier and more affordable than ever.

If you’re new to the business and looking to take your company online, here are seven tips to help you get started:

1. Take your product shipping to the next level

Long gone are days when customers were happy to wait weeks for their product shipment. In the era of Amazon Prime and other two-day shipping options, customers expect to receive their orders quickly and are willing to pay for them.

If you want to stay competitive, consider offering expedited shipping options for your customers. You can use already existing services to automate your shipping process and get discounts on shipping rates. Companies like Rakuten Super Logistics offer e-commerce shipping software that can help you save time and money on shipping. Check out their website to learn more about all the options that can help expedite your shipping process.

2. Use data to your advantage

Data is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal when growing a company online. By tracking your website’s analytics, you can see which marketing strategies are working and which need to be tweaked. Google Analytics is a free tool that every online business should be using.

In addition to website analytics, tracking customer data is essential. This includes customer purchase history, email engagement, and social media interactions. Knowing exactly who your customers are and what they’re interested in will help you better target your marketing efforts.

Data is the new king when it comes to online business growth. In recent years, data-driven marketing has become one of the most effective tools for driving online growth.

3. Invest in SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is still one of the most important aspects of online business growth. It’s what helps you get found by potential customers when they’re searching for products or services like yours.

Many factors go into SEO, from on-page elements like keyword optimization to off-page aspects like link building. It can be quite a lot to take in and keep track of, but it’s worth investing time and resources into SEO. The better your content ranks in relevant search results, the more likely you are to get found by potential customers.

SEO is an ongoing process, so it’s crucial to invest in it regularly. As your business grows, you may need to hire an SEO specialist, agency, or SEO company in Melbourne to help you keep up with all of the upcoming changes and trends.

new business

4. Get active on social media

Social media is becoming a more and more powerful tool for growing a company online. It allows you to connect with potential and current customers, build relationships, and create brand awareness.

Regarding social media marketing, it’s important to have a strategy. You need to know which platforms your target audience uses and what kind of content they’re interested in. Once you have all that data, you can create content that will appeal to them and engage them with your brand.

In the era of influencers and social media marketing, it’s crucial to consider working with people who can help promote your brand on social media. They have a large following of engaged users interested in what they have to say.

5. Create compelling content

Content is still one of the essential tools for driving online growth. To get found by potential customers, you need to create content that is relevant and interesting to them. This could include blog posts, infographics, eBooks, or even videos.

Creating compelling content isn’t always easy, but it’s worth investing the time and resources into doing it right. Once you have a library of high-quality content, you can use it to drive traffic to your website and generate leads.

Good content marketing is an integral part of any online marketing strategy. If you’re not creating compelling content, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reach and engage potential customers.

new business

6. Invest in paid advertising

Paid advertising is still a great way to reach potential customers who are already interested in your offer. It allows you to precisely get your ads to specific audiences and even track how effectively they drive website traffic and generate leads.

There are a lot of different paid advertising platforms out there, from Google AdWords to Facebook Ads. It’s important to experiment with different types of ads and see which ones work best for your business.

Paid advertising can be expensive, so tracking your results and ensuring you’re getting a good return on investment is crucial. If done efficiently, paid advertising can be a great help to jumpstart your online growth.

7. Analyze and test your results

It’s important to often analyze your website traffic and conversion data to see what’s working and what’s not. This will help you fine-tune and tweak your marketing strategy and ensure you’re making the most of your efforts.

There are a lot of different online marketing tools out there that can help you track your website traffic and conversions. Google Analytics is an irreplaceable tool that provides detailed information about your website visitors. You can use this information to see where they’re coming from, what they’re interested in, and how they interact with your website.

Testing is also an essential part of online growth. You can use A/B testing to test different elements of your website, from the headline of your landing page to the color of your call-to-action button. By testing different variants, you can see which ones are more effective at driving conversions.

The world of online marketing is still growing and constantly changing. It’s essential to stay up-to-date on the latest trends to adapt your strategy and stay ahead of the competition. Following these tips can create a solid foundation for online growth. It may seem hard at the start, but with a little effort and dedication, you can get to your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.

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5 Things Only an Interview Coach Can Teach Job Candidates

interview

The average person has to fill out 10-20 applications to get one interview and 10-15 interviews to get one job offer. As most people hold 10 to 12 jobs in their lifetime, you’ll likely have 100-180 interviews in your lifetime. If you aren’t prepared, that number could double, triple, or quadruple. 

Creating a good first impression isn’t easy. You may say the wrong thing, not say enough, or say too little. Or, your body language, eye contact, or tone may reveal disinterest or arrogance.

For these reasons, candidates will ask their friends to set up a mock interview. While these can offer practice, your friend may not know enough to correct you or watch for subtle red flags.

Interviews are a nerve-wracking, intimidating process. Financial and emotional pressures may be riding on this interview. With that said, hiring an interview coach or taking an interviewing workshop will help you put your best foot forward, as they can teach you things others can’t.

Why Work with an Interview Coach?

It can take three to six months to find a new job, but if you need to earn an income right away, those months can be long, stressful, and resource draining. However, expert interview coaches can set you up for success by maximizing your chances of securing a fruitful offer.

Getting support in the job search process is essential, especially if you haven’t been in an interview for a while. You can probably talk about your skills and experience all day, but you may not know how to match these qualities to the right job or frame your answer in a pleasing way.

While your friends and family can provide helpful advice, interview coaches are trained to set you up for success. With their help, you can shorten the job search process significantly.

5 Things Expert Interview Coaches Teach You

Interview coaches aren’t just judging your interviewing etiquette; they help you find a career that’s suitable for you. 

Here are 5 things only expert interview coaches can teach candidates.

1. How to Know What Employers are Looking For

Recruiters match your resume and interview answers to their job description and company values. Candidates need to know the job description well enough that they can think of stories or examples that demonstrate their fit. They’re also checking for relevant or transferable skills.

Interview coaches will look at job postings in your field and teach you to understand what skills and experience employers are looking for. 

interview

Then, they’ll coach you on the following skills:

  • How to tell a story using your skills and experience: Most industries, companies, and managers will find the same skills and experience appealing for different reasons. You’ll be taught how to present your skills and experience appropriately to employers.
  • How to match personality with culture fit: Every business has a set of core values and beliefs, and these help determine culture fit. Employers will check if your personality is a good fit for their open position. Coaches will help you appeal to their culture.

While this type of research can help you answer complex interview questions, it can also improve your resume. A better resume will put you in front of more quality employers.

2. How to Conduct Effective Research 

Employers want to know you’ve done your homework, which is why they ask if you have any questions at the end of the interview. Effective research can demonstrate company knowledge, show you keep up to date with industry news, and help you understand your potential employer.

Your interview coach will teach you how to research the company, their industry, their company culture, and current and past employees. They’ll also walk you through the company’s interview process if it’s available. If it isn’t, they’ll show you what questions these companies typically ask.

3. How to Respond to Interview Questions

The average in-person interview lasts 45-95 minutes, and you’ll be asked 10-20 questions. There are a few questions you’ll almost always be asked, like “tell me about yourself” and “what do you know about the company,” so you’ll need to know the right answers to these questions.

Interview coaches typically see interviewers struggle with strength-related questions and behavioral questions. Your coach will show you how to sell yourself in as few words as possible.

They’ll also prepare you to ask questions after the interview or ace your technical interviews.

interview

4. How to Conduct Yourself in an Interview

Now that you’ve researched and prepared thoroughly, you can put your skills to the test. 

Your coach will walk you through several mock interviews and evaluate you on six key areas:

  • Authenticity: Are you believable? Are you likable? Are you personable?
  • Professionalism: Do you look professional? Are you put together?
  • Confidence: Do you sound excited about the role? How’s your body language?
  • Preparedness: Do you know the company? Do you know your role?
  • Culture: Do you fit the culture? Do you possess the needed soft skills?
  • Technical: Can you perform the jog? Do you possess the needed hard skills?

Mock interviews help you build confidence, manage nervous habits, and own your strengths. Think of your interview coach as half cheerleader and half mentor. They should be there to inspire you and put you in the right headspace, but they can’t be afraid to correct or direct you. 

For example, if they see you twirling your hair or biting your nails, your coach should point them out to you. If you undersell yourself, your coach should encourage you to do the latter.

5. How to Dress, Behave, and Follow Up

Although it isn’t always fair, small mistakes can disqualify your candidacy. If you’re late, dress inappropriately, or disrespect your interviewer, you’ll leave a bad impression. Interview coaches will make sure that doesn’t happen by teaching you how to dress, behave, and follow up.

First, they’ll ask you how you’ll get to the interview, where you’ll park, and how much time you’ll need to drive to the interview site. Next, they’ll show you what to wear and what you should and shouldn’t do on-site. Finally, they’ll explain how to correctly write and send a “thank you” note. 

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Website Building – DIY or Out source?

build a website

To DIY or to outsource? That is the question. If you want to build a website, there are advantages and disadvantages to both building the site yourself and hiring a professional.

So, take a look through the following helpful information that will assist you in determining which approach is right for you.

Determine What Your Goals Are

The first step to take when considering whether it’s best to build your own website or outsource the build to a professional is to determine the goals of your website.

For instance, you may want to gain leads by using calls-to-action on your landing page or using lead magnets. Alternatively, you may wish to create a design that can engage your target audience.

By setting out your goals, you can better determine whether a DIY or professional approach is best for your website creation.

Evaluate Your Skills

In this day and age, it’s really easy to create a website. Anyone with basic skills can use website builders that come with plenty of templates, tools, and features to make a captivating and attractive site.

However, if the aim of your website is to build your brand, sell more products or services, and generate more profits, unless you have the right skills, it’s usually best to put your website build in the hands of a professional; especially if this is your first time developing a website.

A professional knows all the right UI and UX design methods to ensure your website is engaging, easy to use, attractive, and appealing.

Furthermore, to create a well-designed site, you ideally need to know design basics like what colors go well together, how to utilize whitespace, and what fonts to use.If you lack such skills, outsourcing will be the best option.

On the other hand, if you have the necessary skills, or are willing to put in the time and effort to learn such skills, you could go with the DIY approach.

Consider the Costs

One major benefit of going it alone is that you can save substantial costs. You’ll have some costs to take care of, for setting up, maintaining, and updating the site, but those will be next to nothing compared to hiring a professional website developer.

However, if the goal of your website is to generate a profit, it can be more than worth investing in professional design to ensure more people find and engage with your website.

Consider the Time Factor

Time is money, so it’s just as important to consider the time factor as much as the costs of building your website. Creating a good website takes time. It will take even longer if you need to first learn new skills.

Therefore, your time could potentially be better spent on other areas of your business while you leave the creation of your site to the professionals.

Also, bear in mind the time it will take to make changes to your website and create updates in the future.

build a websiteYou Can Have Greater Control Over Your Website if You Build it Yourself

Speaking of making changes and adding updates to your website after it’s built, one of the greatest advantages of building your site yourself is that you have complete control over it.

That means you can make simple changes whenever required and don’t have to rely on or have to wait for someone else to complete the work.

When you go with the DIY approach, you have total control over your website in all respects. 

You Know Your Business Better Than Anyone Else

Having control over your website can be better than hiring an agency or freelancer to build your site for the simple reason that you understand your business inside out.

A website developer cannot have the same level of insights into your specific business as you have. Therefore, if you do hire a professional website developer, ensure you work closely with the person to make certain your site reflects your industry and your specific business.

Alternatively, you can simply build your website yourself. 

build a website

A Professional Is Called a Professional for a Reason

As mentioned earlier, a professional website designer will have all of the necessary skills to create an engaging, attractive, and SEO-optimized website.

So, regardless of other factors, it’s sometimes best to simply put your trust in the hands of a professional. The person you hire will be familiar with all the tools and technologies that go into making an excellent website. NYC WordPress development professionals will develop a website that attracts customers and regularly update it based on trends and your customer’s preferences.

He or she will also be adept in design skills. That includes major things like knowing the best overall color scheme to use for your site as well as small details, such as using a beauty photo editor on your headshot to make you look your best.

A professional website designer will also have the experience and skills required to make a site that stands out from your competitors.

On the other hand, if you decide to build your website yourself, you won’t have to do things like learning to code, developing design skills, finding resources, and getting software licenses.

With a Professional on Board, You Can Get to Market Quicker

If you’re setting up your website because you’re launching a new business or a new product, such as a medical product, it might be very important that you get your site set up quickly.

The speed at which you get to market can significantly affect the success of a launch, so if you don’t possess all of the skills required to create a professional website and your timeframe matters, you’ll be best off hiring a website developer.

Summing Up

At the end of the day, you need to carefully consider all of the above in order to determine whether you should outsource your website build or do it yourself. There’s no right or wrong way of going about it.

Whether you should go with the DIY approach or hire a professional simply depends on factors like the type of skills you possess and what your goals are.

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What is Burnout and How Can I Avoid it?

burnout

In recent years, there’s been a significant drive to increase public awareness of mental health. This has resulted in a huge number of institutions, including workplaces, taking action to improve the overall well-being of the people they are responsible for. First developed in the 1970s, the term ‘burnout’ has been used to describe work-related mental health difficulties for a number of years. However, the medical diagnosis has really gained traction over the course of the pandemic, when many people were suffering from a heightened level of stress.

But what exactly is burnout and what can we do to prevent it? It can be hard to separate burnout from the normal stresses that come with working life, making it all the more important to cultivate a deeper understanding of this problem.

What is Burnout?

burnout1

Once deemed to be simply a symptom of stress or other underlying conditions such as depression, burnout is now classed as a syndrome by the World Health Organization (WHO). It occurs as a result of sustained workplace stress that has not been dealt with effectively and can have a negative toll on a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health.

Burnout is different from ordinary workplace stress in that it occurs over a long period of time. Rather than being a proportionate response to tight deadlines, burnout causes lasting feelings of dread, hopelessness, irritability, and exhaustion. Other signs of burnout include:

  •       Isolating yourself from friends, family members, or colleagues and feeling unable to ask for help or accept support.
  •       Escapist behaviors that may include excessive daydreaming or binge-watching television. Over time, these behaviors may develop into drug or alcohol dependencies.
  •       Excessive tiredness that occurs even after having enough sleep.

While burnout is classed separately from depression and anxiety, it can lead to these more serious mental health problems if left untreated.

Burnout and Taxes

It’s been reported that 19% of small business owners find filing their tax return one of the most stressful times of year. So, if you’re self-employed or run a start-up, you need to keep on top of your finances to avoid stress building up around tax time. You can significantly reduce the amount of stress you experience when submitting your tax return by using accounting software each month. If you have employees to worry about as well, using a payroll end of year checklist well in advance of any deadlines can help you to feel more in control.

However, if you are suffering from burnout that’s related to a mental illness, HMRC may be able to provide support. In line with the Equality Act, HMRC can put individuals and business owners struggling with mental health in contact with a tax adviser in the Extra Support Team, or refer them to a group such as TaxAid.

To access this support, you will need evidence of your mental illness, which typically involves a note from a doctor or licensed psychologist. While HMRC won’t overlook any tax debt you might have completely, they will be more understanding and may provide you with more time to pay. It’s likely that they will suspend enforcement action for a period of time, especially if it’s proven to be harmful to your mental health, but tax will only be remitted if your mental illness will prevent you from ever returning to work.

How to Avoid Burnout

Now that we understand that burnout is more serious than temporary stress or lethargy, it’s important to put our energy into preventing it from occurring in the first place. Like many mental health conditions, avoiding burnout isn’t always possible, but there are many steps you can take to give yourself the best chance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Stay Organized and Set Boundaries

Stress can accumulate for many reasons, but one of the most common is poor time management and a lack of boundaries. There are times in everyone’s life when they have to work extra hours to meet a deadline, but to avoid this becoming a regular occurrence it’s important to plan your work in advance.

However, there are times when the tasks on your to-do list simply aren’t possible to squeeze into a seven-day week. In these instances, you need to set boundaries with your clients, co-workers or superiors. Agreeing to do everything that everyone is asking of you at the expense of your own mental wellbeing will eventually lead to burnout. Be firm and clear when explaining your availability and capacity for work.

Find Purpose

Burnout can occur in any job, but it’s much less likely to occur when you’re passionate about what you do. Finding a purpose in your current role, or transitioning to a job more aligned with your values, has the power to transform your response to stress for the better.

Think carefully about the reasons why you originally chose the profession you’re in and whether there is anything better suited to your needs out there. Finding a job with purpose could involve working for a charity or non-profit, a company that gives back to the community, or even starting your own business.

burnout

Unfortunately, the reality is that not everyone can afford to change jobs or switch to a sector that’s better aligned with their interests, especially if they have a family to support. However, the good news is that it’s possible to find purpose in a hobby, side hustle, or voluntary pursuit as well. Finding a purpose outside of work can do just as much for preventing burnout as changing your job itself. This is because you will still be using your time to contribute meaningfully to the world and feel more fulfilled overall.

Manage Stress in a Healthy Way

Burnout is essentially the result of sustained, poorly-managed stress, making stress management a key part of maintaining your mental health. Managing stress looks different for everyone, but some of the key strategies you could try include:

  •       Regular exercise whether that’s joining a yoga class, going to the gym, or having a walk at lunchtime.
  •       Being more mindful and present rather than spiraling into thoughts about the future. This could be through meditation or an activity like coloring or gardening.
  •       Spending time with loved ones and talking about any problems you need help with.
  •       Maintaining a sleep schedule and before-bed routine.

Take Breaks

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to manage your stress, you need to take a break. If you’ve had a particularly difficult month at work, you could benefit from having a week off to go on holiday or reset. 

However, it’s important to build breaks into your daily routine as well. Moving away from your computer, getting some fresh air, and stretching your legs should all be a part of your working day. And, if it’s possible, try to switch off from work completely in the evenings. There should always be a portion of your day where you feel like you can let go of responsibilities and unwind, so if your job requires you to be constantly on call, you may want to reconsider the amount and the type of work you’re taking on.

Burnout and the Future of Work

Cited as one of the reasons for the recent great resignation, burnout seems to be taking a toll on the world’s workforce more than ever before. But does this mean that it’s here to stay? 

Burnout always has and likely always will be an issue that thousands of workers have to contend with, but that doesn’t mean it has to become a widespread problem. With the right education and attitude, employers and employees alike can work together to promote a better sense of well-being in the office, whether in-person or virtual.

About the Author

Aislinn Carter is a freelance writer and small business owner living in Hallandale, Florida. She has extensive experience in writing across a number of different verticals, with a specialism for business management and professional development-related content.

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