7 Ways To Discuss Finances With Your Spouse

The honeymoon period is over, and it’s time to have some serious conversations about money with your spouse. But what’s the best way to go about it? The difficult reality is that finances can break relationships. In fact, studies show that finances are the second-most common reason marriages end, right after infidelity. However, the silver lining is that couples who take the time to discuss money and establish solid financial plans have a higher net worth than those who don’t.

Here are seven ways to discuss finances with your spouse.

Have a Positive Mindset.

Entering the conversation knowing it’s for the betterment of your relationship can help diffuse some of the tension that comes with talking about finances. Most couples dread money conversations because they view it as an attack on their ideals and spending habits. If you communicate that you both stand to gain, then your husband will be less likely to take a defensive stance. Keep your voice calm and try and smile as often as you can. If you can stay calm, especially during the initial stages of financial talks, this should help to relax your spouse.

Choose an Appropriate Time.

Timing can significantly affect the success of your discussion. When it comes to hard conversations, when you have them is as important as what you say. Choose a day when you are both relaxed and in high spirits. Don’t have money conversations when your spouse has had a long, stressful day. You don’t want the discussion to seem like an ambush.

When asking your partner to have that first financial conversation, perhaps start by saying something non-personal, such as “I’ve been reading this great book on the best way to save money.” And hopefully, this can get the conversation started on neutral ground.

Consider Your Spouse’s Financial Background.

Our upbringing, life experiences, and environment shape our ideologies about money. Consider your spouse’s background before you have the discussion. If he grew up in a humble family, he might be overly rigid about spending. If his parents were wealthy, then he’s more likely to spend money without tracking it. When you take time to understand what forms these habits, then you get a balanced view and better insight on how to tailor your approach.

Go Into the Discussion Prepared.

If you are initiating the conversation, then you need to prepare. Gather your personal and combined credit cards, car loans, mortgage statements, investments, business statements, and any other relevant financials. Have short-term and long-term goals that you can present to your spouse. Remember that these are suggestions; you need your partner’s input, as well. Once you’ve talked, make sure you come up with a concrete and comprehensive plan that will shape your financial future. If you own a business together, have separate plans for business and personal accounts.

Get a Game Plan Together.

Once you and your husband have broken the ice about financial discussions, it is time to become proactive and get that concrete and comprehensive plan together. This is the time to sit down and set up a spreadsheet of your financials and address each issue. Do this step well after the emotions have calmed down.

Discuss ways to achieve those goals that you have talked about. Look at all aspects of your spending and be firm on ways to cut out excessive spending. The main thing in committing to goals for your family’s financial health is for both of you to be on the same page. Make sure that you plan a financial talk once a month to ensure that you are staying on track. Set up a pre-planned time for this monthly meeting, so that way you both come in prepared, especially emotionally.

Consult With an Expert.

In some instances, couples become so emotionally invested in the discussion that they lose objectivity. Again, if you realize that you have very divergent views from your partner, then you might want to bring in an expert or financial counselor. A third party will be objective and can give you a fresh and informed perspective on your finances.

Have a Romantic Evening or Weekend After the Discussion.

Talking about finances can stir up some powerful emotions. There may initially be finger-pointing and accusations thrown around, and feelings may be hurt. It is vitally important to re-secure the bonds of love that you have together after such intense discussions. When all of the paperwork, bank statements, and spreadsheets have been put away, along with your list of goals and positive affirmations, plan an evening together where it is just the two of you. If you can, plan a simple weekend away.

Make sure that you can afford this romantic time together, budget accordingly. Keep the financial talk away during this time. Re-affirm your love and bond with each other, so that when the time comes again to go over financials, you will remember that there is more to your relationship than money, bills, and responsibilities.

These tips will come in handy when having money conversations with your spouse. Above all, remember that it will take time before you get on the same page. Stay committed to the process, and once you realize the results, it will become much easier to hold these discussions on a regular basis.

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What Is A Proof Of Value Model?

DasCoin uses a unique Proof of Value model for the distribution of its crypto token assets. What this means is that if the users want to obtain the token of the DasCoin network then they have to prove that they have submitted some value to the network. This is done by offering users to purchase licenses, which in turns provides them access to the networks in the form of “cycles.”

The “cycles” are a recognized and pre-defined token of value of the network, which the Das Ecosystem uses to get the proof of value from its users. The cycles can then be converted to the DasCoin tokens through the minting process.

The whole process is transparent and open to scrutiny. This is inline with the company’s goal of being “The Currency of Trust.” No one, not the executive nor the developers can pre-mint, mine or distribute the DasCoins to themselves.

Cycles are only received by the users in exchange for a specific value transferred to the system. Moreover, cycles must be submitted to the system, in order to participate in the direct distribution of the tokens through the minting process.

The proof of value model is different from the models used by other companies in the crypto community. It is different from the Proof of Stake and Proof of Work models, these two are the most widely used models in the crypto market but have significant limitations and problems, when the system grows large.

Faster Processing.

One of the main goals of the Das Ecosystem was to process transactions faster on the blockchain. The goal was achieved with the help of their new proof models, which allowed for faster transaction acceptance and rollback. Each node in the Das Ecosystem stores the shared state in memory, making it easier for the transactions to be validated across the network.

With the absence of Proof of Work, users can collect and verify their transactions quickly against the global state, form a block, sign with their block signing key and transmit the block to the rest of the network. This also makes it easier to rollback the transactions, in case of consensus failure, either because of being rejected or due to the expiration of transaction.

A Different Consensus Approach.

To incorporate the modified network, Das Ecosystem introduced the Proof of License consensus mechanism. The network utilizes a licensing system instead of a mining apparatus and the consensus in the whole system is reached by an algorithm which randomly defines the next license node that is going to be responsible for the generation of next block.

This system runs complementary to the minting process, ensuring that the users are provided with the required value at regular intervals. Similar to other crypto networks, Das Ecosystem also has a limited number of tokens, which are expected to be completely given out in the next 12 years. Once minted, the tokens can be transferred or traded on a variety of exchanges and can be converted into other digital and fiat currencies.

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How To Set Up A Successful Care Business

Caregiving is one of the most rewarding sectors in the job market, giving you the opportunity to help those who really need it. Whether you’ve been working in the industry as an employee or exploring a new path, setting up your own business can be daunting. Making the business a recognised success can seem equally as difficult in a saturated job market, but following these tips can help you set up a successful care business in no time.

Start off by making a solid business plan and decide what you want to offer. It may sound obvious, but there are standards and qualifications required for each type of care, meaning it’s a good idea to decide way before starting the hiring process. If you don’t check, you may end up having to pull out of jobs due to lack of knowledge from your staff, which can result in a bad reputation.

At the very least, most care businesses require you to register with the Quality Care Commission (QCC) and undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service clearance to check you are suitable to work with vulnerable people. Always check that both you and your employees have had the correct training or education before starting the business to ensure your staff can provide adequate care.

Keep your standards high by being unafraid of seeming picky when it comes to hiring. The people you employ represent the business and just a couple of bad reviews can be detrimental when it comes to any type of care business. Keeping your clients happy and comfortable should be your main company goal, as should employing compassionate people to achieve this.

As your employees will be based outside an office, keeping track of their schedules and results is key to ensuring that productivity levels are where it needs to be. Empower your employees while checking up on tasks with field service management solutions. This ensures that all required tasks are completed in a timely manner, resulting in positive recommendation and feedback from clients.

Make the most of online resources and read up about the industry regularly. Educating yourself on the current state and expectations of the care sector will help you solve problems before they crop up. Skills For Care have a multitude of tools to help make your care business a success, including a manager starter pack, information on qualifications and important guidelines on how to register the business correctly. This information is essential when looking after the needs of another, so always keep up-to-date with the latest training guides so you can have confidence in the quality of care your clients will receive.

Getting your name out there is vital when you want to take on new clients. Word of mouth can only go so far and marketing can help pick up business when this starts to falter. Avoid portraying a clinical image when advertising, instead using compassionate language and imagery that reflects the core values of the company. Social media advertising is a great way of targeting residents looking at care options for their families, as is advertising your services on local community boards. From posting leaflets through doors to asking an agency to help market the business, there are options to suit all budgets.

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Using Logistics Smartly To Fuel Brand Expansion

Getting big fast. It’s what many young startups want to achieve. To do so, they’ll need smart logistics to fulfill the sales pipeline with the goods that retailers have ordered. When the logistics get fouled up, the customer service desk lights up and cancelations fly in left and right. At that point, all hopes for building a great brand reputation and hitting the company’s optimistic growth targets for the year fall by the wayside.

Here are some ways that using logistics sensibly helps fuel business growth while avoiding problems.

Logistics Strategy to Handle Big-Box Stores.

When you’re getting into retail in a big way, your logistics strategy has to be forward thinking to help you pace ahead of the competition. Your sales team might be doing an impressive job getting meetings with the big-box stores and supermarkets like Costco, Safeway and Walmart, but if the logistics aren’t in place to deliver as the order volumes ramp up, everything will fall apart.

It’s quite possible that your company has only ever dealt with single retailers like Amazon where sending in a larger amount of stock in a single delivery handles most stock fulfillment requirements; at least for a few weeks, anyway. However, when dealing with retailers with hundreds or several thousand stores nationwide, when they make a serious commitment following an initial trial, you need to be ready to fil it. Delivery times must be fast, or they’ll cancel and chargeback their pre-payment too. Then you’re left holding the bag.

Expansion Growing Pains.

Once your company has grabbed as much of the local market share as possible, it moves state-wide and then to neighboring states, and finally, nationwide. That’s the typical, well-worn path that growing physical goods brands follow. The main factor that creates the growing pains is distance.

There’s a reason why Amazon has opened up numerous regional warehouses across the US. The closer their nearest warehouse is to both a major US Postal Service distribution depot and the national parcel couriers, the quicker their Amazon Prime deliveries will be. Speed is everything to them. And, so it is for new brands; realizing the need to cover distance for wholesale deliveries whilst still maintaining a service standard that matches the expectations of companies acquiring and stocking the product in their warehouses. It’s a lot to handle.

Use the Resource of Other Facilitators.

When your warehouse isn’t large enough to match capacity and you cannot find a suitable long-term lease for a larger warehouse, make other arrangements. Sometimes, a company needs to sub-lease half their warehouse because demand has fallen for their products and their rent is killing their bottom-line. Take advantage of that to expand your company’s storage and daily delivery capacity with faster inventory turns.

When packing goods in house and reaching a crunch point with space and capacity, look for partners that offer co-packing facilities nearby that can pick up the slack. Use the value of motivated partners in related industries that can provide complementary facilities and services to allow your business to scale faster. This applies not just locally, but also nationwide.

Finding a suitable new warehouse with all the right pre-existing zoning laws can take a year or longer even when working with specialized agents. Dealing with facilitators helps to bridge the gap in capabilities and facilities when nearing capacity to avoid a bottleneck between order volume and distribution. Find a way to make the logistics work for you, not against you.

Being Careful with New Product Creation.

When creating new products, it’s easy to get carried away after a handful of lucky product launches. There’s still a need to be careful about what products the company chooses to develop and put into full production and those it decides aren’t a good fit. Keeping a firm grasp on the details avoids a costly mistake.

Consider things like whether the product is a consumable; if it’ll be an oversized item for retailers to store and your company to pay to transport; if it’s likely to be breakable and what the failure rate will be. Shipping and careful handling of goods is a major concern as losses can mount up when a product isn’t as robust as necessary to withstand warehouse storage and transportation teething problems. A difficulty with one ill-conceived product could lead a major big-box store to cancel all orders with your company regardless of the fact the issues only relate to the latest product.

Ultimately, keeping on top of all the logistical details is crucially important if your physical goods business is to expand at a rapid pace. All companies eventually hit bumps in the road including unforeseen problems that they have to deal with. Having a good handle on both product development and logistical concerns, and how they are often surprisingly interrelated, ensures the company can weather any storms successfully. For ambitious companies, the logistics matter.

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Stop Wasting Cash Today With These Top Tips

As much as we all know we should be spending less and saving more, it’s easy to waste money without realizing it.

These days, spending cash is incredibly simple. We’re all connected to the internet constantly, which means that all you need to do to buy something is tap a button on your smartphone, or swipe something, and you’ll have an item delivered to your door in no time. This age of convenience might be great for some, but it’s a huge problem for those who struggle with money issues.

To help you overcome your spending problems and stop wasting cash once and for all, we’ve put together some top tips to guide you towards a healthier bank balance.

1. Start Buying Generic Items.

You’d be surprised how much people spend just so that they can have a certain name or logo on their products. The truth is that the brand-name products you buy from the grocery store each week generally include the same ingredients as the store brands. The only difference is that the packaging is more expensive.

Although it can be difficult to convince yourself to move away from companies that you’ve been loyal to for a number of years, when you’re trying to save cash, one of the easiest things you can do is start buying generic. After a while, you won’t even notice the difference.

2. Compare your Loans.

When you’re going to buy a big item like a television or a new computer, there’s a good chance you compare your options from multiple different stores before you commit to anything. Why is it, then, that so many of us forget to do this when it comes to getting a loan or credit card?

Comparing your options when it comes to borrowing capital can save you a serious amount of cash. After all, different loan products come with their own unique interest rates and benefits to consider. The more time you spend comparing your options, the easier it will be to choose something that’s good for your wallet, and your future.

3. Stop Overspending on Disposables.

The human race has a serious problem with over-spending on disposables these days. We all spend severe amounts of cash on things like paper towels for our kitchens, paper plates for children’s parties, and even disposable plastic water bottles that we can take with us to work.

You don’t have to give up on being regularly hydrated to save money. Instead, invest in a re-usable water bottle that you can take to the office instead. Not only will you save cash, but you’ll look more professional too!

4. Use More Vouchers and Coupons.

Why pay full price for something, when you can simply print out a coupon and get the item for so much cheaper? Before you buy anything, make sure that you conduct a quick search online for any discount codes, vouchers, or deals you might be able to take advantage of.

Remember to be wary of any deals that ask you to buy another item to get money off something else. The only reason you should be buying additional products is if you were going to purchase them anyway. If you’re spending money to save, then you’re not really saving at all.

5. Discover Second Hand Bargains.

Sometimes, you need to buy things new. You probably don’t want used sheets for your bed, and you definitely wouldn’t buy underwear from a charity shop unless you absolutely had to. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to buy everything new.

The next time you’re making a big purchase, consider whether you could save a little extra by looking at second-hand options instead. For instance, you can save serious cash on a car by buying it second-hand. The same is true for a new lawnmower or even a second-hand games console.

6. Stop Overspending on Food.

Finally, when you’re trying to save money and stop wasting your cash, one of the worst things you can do is go to the grocery store when you’re hungry. When your stomach is rumbling, it’s easy to add more to your cart than you really need. Stop over-spending on food that you end up having to throw into the trash at the end of the week.

Instead, make sure that you start every shopping trip by sitting down and writing a list of the items you need for your pre-planned meals over the next week or so. That way, you’ll only buy the items you genuinely need. Make sure you check through your fridge and store cupboards for any ingredients you already have too.

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5 Project Management Mistakes That Slow You Down

Project managers have a lot on their plate. They’re responsible for getting complex projects down in short periods of time, and they also have to manage the employees below them. This can easily get overwhelming, leading to ineffective mistakes and problems.

Whether you’re a long-time project manager or an entrepreneur in charge of your own tasks, these are some common mistakes that might be slowing you down.

1. You Do Everything Yourself.

This is a mistake that’s most often made by new entrepreneurs and business owners. You think you’re the best person to get the job done right, but that’s not always the case. If you have people you can call upon for help, that’s always a good idea. Project managers can utilize the support of those under them to get the job done, and this breaks up the tasks to make it more manageable.

A lot of new project managers and entrepreneurs don’t have all the skills needed to get the job done quickly. This results in a lot of frustration and wasted time. One way around this is by hiring a qualified employee or consultant, or to consider outsourcing this project to a team that’s more qualified.

2. You Communicate Poorly.

Communication skills seem easy enough, but they’re difficult when put into practice. You probably have the perfect vision for your project, but that means nothing if you can’t communicate it effectively. If your employees don’t know what you want them to do, they won’t live up to your expectations.

Misunderstandings are normal, but they can be avoided. Look for ways to improve communication on both ends. For example, create a safe space for team members to come to you if they experience any confusion or problems. Communication is a two-way street.

3. You Don’t Set Goals.

Goals serve a big purpose. They’re clear indicators of success, and they help the team stay motivated along the way. If you don’t set project goals at project launch, it’s hard to know if you’re actually getting anywhere. These goals need to be specific, and they should include things like milestones and deadlines. A product management tool can help you keep track of these deadlines in real time.

4.You Lose Sight of the Scope.

We’ve all been a part of projects that quickly get out of hand. After starting something new, you learn about another trend or idea and off you go onto something else. Before you know it, the project scope has completely changed and all the requests are different. Not only is this confusing for team members, but it’ll keep you running in circles.

The best way to fight the growth of project scope is to clearly agree on all aspects during the planning stage. This way, everyone will be on the same page about expectations and the range of the project. Avoid falling for new trends and fleeting ideas that don’t contribute to the objective.

5. You Don’t Outline the Process.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you probably won’t get anywhere. What roadmap will you or your team members use to get from Project None to Project Done? Having optimism and excitement is a great start, but it doesn’t tell you where to go next. You need more than just a clear idea. You’ll need to outline the entire process if you want to see real progress.

What should you include in your outline? Here are a few ideas:

• Objective
• Goals
• Milestones
• Employee assignments
• Work schedule
• Deadline

This outline process will help you know exactly where you’re going so you can actually cross that finish line at the end of the project. It also keeps your employees motivated and organized. Even if you’re the only entrepreneur working on this project, going over these same steps will keep your head clear and focused on the goal.

It’s easy to accidentally fall for one of the project management mistakes above. When things start moving quickly, your project can get out of control. That’s why it’s so essential that you have a clear plan and outline. Beyond these steps, maintain a positive attitude and be open with your team. You’ll knock your next project out of the park.

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Simple Marketing Strategies For Start-Ups

Start-ups face several challenges in their early days, and one of the biggest by far is marketing. Not only can marketing be very expensive, it can be a minefield to navigate and finding the right place to do it when you are a cash-strapped start-up is not easy.

Marketing, despite being a pain, is essential — it is by far the key way for you to gain exposure when you are just starting out. With all the competition that exists in most industries on the market, it is good marketing that separates serious new contenders from everything else.

Marketing doesn’t have to break the bank and there are lots of ways you can do it. Here are three simple and cheap marketing strategies you can try (and you can learn more by reading Tweak Your Biz – Business, Marketing, Entrepreneur Articles).

#1: Pay Per Click (PPC).

PPC marketing such as Google AdWords is one of the most cost-effective methods of digital marketing you can use. Lots of companies use it, from new start-ups to some of the world’s best-known brands, and, when done properly with targeting, you can dramatically increase your web traffic and conversions.

With PPC, your advertisements run at the top of Google search results when somebody searches for something relevant to you, and you only pay for each time somebody clicks your ad. You can set a budget too, so your ad will stop running when you have run out of clicks instead of it going over.

#2: Referrals.

Many start-up entrepreneurs don’t consider the importance of referrals, and they are one of the best ways to gain engaged traffic. When your customers do your marketing for you, they speak in a way about your business in a way which you never could — with authenticity.

People are four times more likely to purchase something when it has been referred to them by a friend, so not only is it more authentic, it is also more likely to convert and lead to a final sale. A referrals scheme which rewards both parties is the best way to benefit from this.

#3: Social Media Marketing.

All social networks have some form of marketing infrastructure, and the best known of these are Facebook and Instagram where your company’s pages can be advertised through a model that is both cheap and highly targetable.

Wait until your profiles on social media have become somewhat established before doing this for the maximum benefit, and make sure you do your research so that you are creating highly engaging posts which are targeted to reach the people who matter to you.

As a start-up business, one of your biggest obstacles is going to be marketing. There are lots of options when push comes to shove, and it’s difficult to decide which ones are going to deliver the maximum benefit for your new business. Above represent three ways you can market your new business on the cheap, and they are relatively easy to do, too!

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