Email Marketing Continues to Be One of the Best Forms of Digital Marketing

Business

If you want your company to shine today in terms of sales and profits then good marketing has to be at the forefront of any organization’s activities. Today, when the subject is marketing, the conversation is usually around digital marketing and its ability to attract and capture customers.

Digital marketing is the name for a variety of online marketing strategies that includes websites, social media marketing, SEO, and blogs. The first type of effective digital marketing however was email marketing.

Email marketing became prominent because many people began using email as a primary form of communication. Its ease of use and no-dost elements made it become the primary communication tool in the world and from this position marketers simply could not ignore it as a means to reach out to their current customers and to create new ones.

Today, email marketing has exploded. There are more than than 6 billion active email addresses and 3 billion people using email. With this representing nearly half of the planet, email marketing cannot be dismissed as a secondary marketing channel.

Email marketing grew into and remains a core part of any good digital marketing strategy because if offers a variety of benefits for brands and marketers.

Firstly, it is a way to both engage new customers as well as keep in touch with those customers you have in a meaningful and consistent way. The fact is that people read and react to emails at a high rate.

The top companies develop email campaigns that compel and engage potential customers. They utilize newsletters, informative mail pieces, simple notes, and push discounts and valuable data to a targeted audience in a timely manner. The best companies have learned how to create emails that are always rewarding. When done well, email marketing creates  great results that translate into positive name recognition and sales.

Emails also allow for companies to get great analytics and to track results in real time. Email campaigns also offer the benefit of being able to be adjusted midstream to produce better results.

Most importantly, email marketing is the cheapest form of digital marketing by far. If you manage your own email marketing campaigns or use an agency to run them, the costs will still be less than other forms of marketing.

To learn more about the benefits of email marketing check out the infographic from Campaign Monitor below.

 

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Hiring Small Business Attorneys

Business

contract

contract

Every business requires certain things to run. The obvious things being a manager, advertising, a building to operate from, supplies, and several others. There are also things that are always immediately thought of such as a lawyer. Every business should have an attorney on hand for many reasons. One reason is that you can have easy access to legal advice, something that is often needed in business. Another reason is that, the longer a business is in operation, the more likely it becomes that someone will file a lawsuit against the company, perhaps even against you directly. When this inevitably happens, you will have an attorney ready to defend you or handle the situation in whatever way it warrants legally. Also, having a lawyer at your disposal means ease of drafting contracts and other important documents. This will allow you to ensure that you are doing everything by the book so to speak and you will have someone to guide you if you get off track. Because having a business attorney is important, it is equally important to ensure that you find the very best one available. To do this, you will need to follow a few basic steps to help you with the process and ensure you are hiring the best business lawyer that you can. What you will find here is a list of the steps you must take and how to accomplish each one. Finding the best lawyer for your business is not an exact science, but thankfully there are ways to improve the process.

The first thing you need to do is determine whether you want to hire a law firm on retainer or hire an attorney to work exclusively for your business. There are several factors that will go into this decision, but the primary consideration is the size of the business. Small businesses generally do not need nor can they afford to hire someone to work exclusively with your business. Larger companies and corporations, on the other hand, should heavily consider hiring an in house attorney to handle the regular influx of legal tasks. Another issue is the budget. Even larger businesses do not always have the funds necessary to hire a permanent lawyer into the company. Whereas a small business could be incredibly profitable and the owner may decide to hire an exclusive attorney. Other considerations may include the current need. If the company is currently dealing with a lot of legal related problems, consider hiring someone in the house, at least for a while. As a general rule, most companies choose to hire a firm on retainer, but this does not mean that you must follow the masses. You know your business and your situation better than anyone else ever could. Because of this, only you can make this decision.

Once you have decided what type of business lawyer to hire, you need to find out what is available. Depending on your needs, you may even want to consider a telecommuting firm. Many things are now possible through the internet, including a lawyer’s ability to act via a video chat or conference call. Also, you can email regularly to keep all information accurate and up to date. Either way, you need to compile a list of possible firms of lawyers. Thanks to the advancements of technology, the best way to get this information are to perform a basic search through your favorite search engine. All you have to do is input a few keywords and you will find all of the information you need. First, it is important to note that not all lawyers will be an option. Only some practice specifically to act as counsel to businesses. Because of this, you will need to be specific about the type of lawyer you are looking for in your search. Be sure to include the term “business lawyer” or “business law firm”. If you are specifically looking within the area where your business is located, you will need to add some type of location descriptor to your search. An example of this is “Chicago business attorneys”. If your first search does not yield the results that you need, change your keywords a bit and search again. Continue alerting and searching until you find what you need. Although, you will likely find what you are looking for with no more than two searches.

Once you have a list of potential lawyers or firms, it is time to begin comparing each one to a set of requirements. Obviously, they need to be a business attorney, but there are other aspects to consider as well. For example, if you are hiring a firm on retainer, be sure to find the best rate available. Different firms will offer different retainer fees, some specialize in providing retainer services to small businesses and as such have lower rates than others. Some cater to large corporations and therefore have higher rates than others. Firm size is also important to some. Inevitably some firms will be smaller and some larger. As such, there will be slight differences including availability.  Also, consider that yours will not be the only business the firm is working with if you choose to go the retainer route. This means that there is no guarantee about availability at a moment’s notice. You can add any considerations that you feel are important, just be sure that it is actually important before you start comparing firms.

Finally, look at reviews. Yes, even the law office has been reviewed online. There are dedicated review websites where people leave reviews for any type of business you can imagine. Also, there are review blogs to consider as well as social media pages. All of these will hold important reviews that will give you insight into the different law offices and lets you assess each one in a whole new way. When looking at reviews, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, never jump to conclusions if you find a bad review. Before really reading the reviews themselves, compare how many reviews there are overall and then compare that number to the ratio of good reviews to bad.

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Plan A Group Tour of Boston’s Craft Beer Scene

Travel

Fewer things are as fun as unwinding after a long day with your friends and a good drink in a relaxing environment; at home, at a bar or a restaurant. Boston has an amazing selection of craft beers, especially Samuel Adams, some of which started as small independent breweries and have grown to corner international markets.

Boston has over forty of these microbreweries that are likely to charm you, and rather than use a company and a guided tour, it is a lot more fun to wing it and visit each randomly. When it comes to making sure that everyone gets from one stop to the next safely, look into booking a private Boston charter tour bus rental. That way, everyone can enjoy their brew without having to worry about getting behind the wheel. Here are a few microbreweries you can start with on your sampling tour through Boston:

Cambridge Brewing Company

This is one of the best beer bars in Boston, but it may not feel like it the moment you walk in: it is a bit small – makes you feel like you’re in a hotel lobby rather than a great bar, and the selection of beers is quite limited. However, limited the choices for beer here may be, the available selection of beers is of very high quality, a factor that largely trumps the quantity. Once you ignore the setting and indulge in the great beers and amazing pilsners, you will want to come back for more. You can find this bar at Kendall Square, and if it helps, the food is great too!

Boston Beer Works

This one, located along Brookline Avenue and on Canal Street, is a prime pre-game destination for sports fans in Boston; whether Celtics, Red Sox or Bruins and has two locations in town. The craft beers are fantastic, especially the Back Bay IPA, Bunker Hill Blueberry Ale with actual blueberries and the Buckeye Oatmeal Stout. With these three and a combination of great tasty chicken wings and nachos, you really cannot go wrong.

Trillium Brewing

It is unassuming, quaint and cozy, and though it is centrally located on Fort Point, it is very easy to walk right past this bar. Famous for its great tasting IPAs, this place will most definitely not disappoint you; whether you are a craft beer or a simpleton – they have a wide variety of beers for every kind of taste. The only drawback is that it can get a tad bit crowded, though this fact should tell you how well-liked this place surely is. Make sure to try the double seesaw and the double dry hopped congress street, they both come very highly recommended.

Backlash Beer

For the hardcore beer fans out there, this one is definitely in your wheelhouse: the beers sold here are not for the faint of heart. Some of the names for their brands should definitely clue you into this fact – Death and Hostile Takeover, Russian Imperial Stout (resurrection). That aside, they have great selections for craft beer, that is strong and yet very smooth, that you can enjoy while playing the games they have available – pinball, corn hall, shuffleboard, a few video games. It is also a great space where you can host parties, watch a football game and generally kick back.

Lower Depths

The selection of bars at this place is as varied as the people inside it: they have brews from craft beer breweries all across America, some of which you may not fund in many establishments. It’s a great place to pre-game before heading to Fenway Park or post-game on your way out.

The craft beer scene in Boston is great, and there are a lot of scenes to sample, so you and your buddies are bound to have a great time.

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Important Events in the Life of a Young Person

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There are important ages in young person’s life where they make transitions from one age group to the next. Many of these transitions are commemorated with a party or some type of an event to honor the young person. Following are few of the very important events that young people will have to mark their age transitions and go on to become adults.

Sweet 16 Party

The sweet 16 party is usually held for a girl and signifies her going from a girl to a young lady. The age was picked because at one point it was the legal age for many things that have since been moved to 18. Still 16 is an age when a young woman begins taking on some big responsibilities. She can drive and parents tend to pass more control on to kids this age. The party is usually a big one with friends attending either the afternoon or nighttime event. Music, food and non-alcoholic beverages are standard but no gifts are given.

Bar and Bat Mitzvah

These are two coming of age parties for Jewish youth. According to formal Jewish law, when Jewish boys become 13 years old, they then become accountable for their actions and become a bar mitzvah. For a girl, she becomes a bat mitzvah at the age of 12 or 13 and also becomes accountable for her actions.

Before reaching this transitional age, the parents of the child hold the responsibility for the child’s actions. One the child reaches this age, the boys and girls bear their own responsibility for Jewish ritual law, tradition, and most importantly ethic. They are also now able to participate in all areas of Jewish community life.

Both the Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are commemorated in a lavish ceremony that includes the relatives, close friends and peers of the children. The ceremony includes gift giving and music and often functions as a coming of age party for the young person. All in a   ll it is a happy and fun affair where kids can dance and sing and enjoy each other’s company

Prom

The prom is one of the biggest events in the life of a young person. It represents the opportunity for a young person to have their first date at a school sponsored party. High school juniors and seniors each have their own prom where they dress up and attend. The boys will each ask a girl to go to the prom and they will pick her up and escort her there and throughout the evening. Boys will typically wear suits and girls will dress in a long prom dress, and it is a very formal affair. The event will be chaperoned by teachers to make sure that everyone is safe and following rules.

When girls get a chance to get dressed in a prom dress and boys in a nice suit, the result is that they take a a level of seriousness that causes them to mature a bit. Not fully but it is certainly a good start and puts them on the right path.

18th Birthday

The 18th birthday is an important point in a young person’s life. It means that the person reaches many legal milestones the most prominent of which is the right to vote. The young person can also get a full driver’s license and can also drink alcohol legally. The age is usually commemorated with a party and when it does happen there is drinking and lots of fun.

These commemorative dates and parties are important to young people and helps them to be reminded that they are becoming adults with more responsibilities.

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The Best Way to Avoid Sports Injuries

Health & Fitness Sports

Since the beginning of civilization mankind has engaged in sporting activities where we pit ourselves against each other to see who was stronger, faster, or smarter. Sports has been an important part of society and continues to be because of our inner drive to win.

Sporting competition, by its nature means that participants will exert themselves physically. They will test their strength, and other attributes, and in many cases push themselves past the point of endurance. Because of this intrinsic quality found in sports, we can expect that there will be many injuries on the sports field. Whether it’s a professional game or a group of weekend warriors, injuries will most likely occur.

If you are someone who plays sports, you need to be concerned about injuries because some injuries can be physically devastating. Others might be not as bad but can still cause pain, make you lose time at work, and take away your quality of life for an extended period of time. Those who participate in sports need to have a strategy for staying injury free. Their first line of defense is to visit a reputable physical therapist. These medical professionals can minimize the potential for injury and even help you heal when you are injured.

Here are some more ways for those who are active in sports to avoid injury.

Make Sure That You Warm Up Well

Many professional athletes will argue that warming up exercises are so important that they should be considered part of the game. These exercises are specifically chosen to help athletes become more limber and strong on the field. Athletes utilize exercises from many fitness routines but many are often from Pilates routines.

Pilates is chosen so often because it strengthens the body’s core, provides a full body exercise, and provides great flexibility routines for any athlete. Pilates classes provide an athlete with warm up exercises that can be done before any game and without any additional equipment. Once an athlete has gone through the Pilates routine, they will be warmed up, and ready for the game.

Avoid any Unnecessary Contact

Some sports are full-contact while others, even non-contact, generally involve varying degrees of contact during play. In terms of injuries, contact is a typical & prevalent cause. When adrenaline is pumping and bodies are moving at top speed, contact can occur that results in someone being injured. Although contact cannot be avoided in all cases, if you play sports you should do all you can to avoid unnecessary contact. If there is an opportunity for you to move out of the way and it does not negatively impact the game, you should take that opportunity.

Quite often when people are injured because of contact it is unintentional. Although unintentional, these incidents contribute greatly to the large number of people who are injured while playing sports. The key is to always pay attention and be aware of where other players are. Staying alert might save you a trip to the hospital.

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How to Live Your Life to the fullest

Health & Fitness Love

Take Care of Your Health

One of the most important factors that will enable you to live your life to the fullest is your health. Being healthy allows you to do just about anything you want, whenever you want.

Taking care of your health means eating right, avoiding stress and exercising on a regular basis. It also means maintaining your body so that little aches and pains get taken care of immediately and do not turn into bigger problems down the track.

Get Regular Massages

People that want to live full & happy lives are proactive about their health. They look for good quality food, stay away from drugs and alcohol and stick to a fitness regimen that keeps them in great physical condition. Included in this regimen should be massage therapy. Getting massages on a regular basis can help keep you in good physical condition and help to keep your muscles loose, limber and injury free.

If you have any physical challenges like a bad back, massage therapy, like remedial massage, can do wonders to help eliminate pain and relieve any ongoing issues. Creating a good relationship with a skilled massage therapist can be a smart decision and will help you maintain your health throughout your life.

Have Fun Regularly

One of the keys to living your life to the fullest is making sure ‘fun’ is a part of your schedule. Too often we feel committed to work and our routines and don’t include time for us to simply have a fun. We think that having a good time is a privilege rather than a right.

The reality is, however, that having a good time is as important as work or taking care of your family. Studies have shown that those who include an element of fun in their lives, live longer and happier lives. So make sure that on a regular basis you do something fun.

These tips can be very good things to remember and to do throughout your life. If you choose to take them on, you will find yourself happier and living life to the fullest.

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The Outstanding Egg Replacement For All Your Baking Needs

Health & Fitness

Businesses in the food industry may be worried that they need to sacrifice the quality of their baked goods whenever they decide to leave eggs off the ingredients list. They can easily replicate and even enhance the perks of eggs when they put whey proteins into their recipes.

What is whey protein?

People are most familiar with whey in its powdered form, ready to be placed inside of smoothies before they do a strenuous workout. It’s one of the two main proteins originally found in milk — the dairy product is eighty percent casein and twenty percent whey. When milk is used to make cheese and related items, the whey eventually separates from the fat and rises to the surface.

Why is it a good substitute for eggs?

Eggs are often used in baking for improving the structure and the texture of a product. In the same vein, whey proteins can be used to emulsify fat and achieve the perfect texture in a recipe — this way ingredients will blend smoothly and the final results will be pleasantly moist instead of crumbly or dry. Other reasons why they make excellent alternatives is that they are low in cholesterol, packed with protein and highly nutritious.

Where can you get it?

If you are looking for whey protein suppliers for your business, you should go to the company CCC Ingredients for help. They are a dedicated supply chain that carries a long list of innovative products for their clients. They have been providing commercial baking supplies and other essentials to companies within the food industry for over twenty-five years. Any business that’s hoping to modify their recipe or to make up a brand-new one should explore their website — you can spot new options for bakery ingredients on their online portfolio and their tremendous blog.

You can go through them to get your desired order of Hilmar Whey Proteins to make your baking recipes even better. They are specially sourced from the supplier’s impressive partner and the industry’s leading manufacturer Hilmar Ingredients — they provide businesses with nutritious and practical products sourced from dairy, like whey protein and milk powders.

Why would you want to replace eggs?

Some people can have allergies where egg products cause them to break out into hives or get stomach cramps. Anyone living with this issue will be excited to find baked goods that don’t have the popular ingredient listed on their label.

The bigger reason to use a whey protein alternative is that there is always a possibility of dealing with foodborne illness from eggs — the bacteria Salmonella can send consumers calling their doctors because of sudden symptoms like fever, vomiting and diarrhea. The bacteria pose a higher risk for people with low-functioning immune systems, children, senior citizens and pregnant women.

While Salmonella and other foodborne illnesses can be avoided, whey proteins can keep consumers at ease. They will feel good picking up a package of cupcakes or cookies from their grocery store, knowing that there are egg substitutes inside.

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Wonga compensation claimants may lose money

Money

The behemoth payday loan company, Wonga, went into administration in August, marking the end of the road for the largest payday loan lender in the UK.

This was largely as a result of a deluge of compensation claims the business received regarding loans being sold irresponsibly, as well as payday loan caps that were implemented in 2014, introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority, that saw all interest and fees capped at 0.8% a day on all high-cost short-term credit loans.

However, there are now concerns that are being raised that claimants with compensation claims outstanding with the lender could end up losing money that they are entitled.

These fears have been voiced after a letter in October from the accounting firm, Grant Thornton, which is overseeing the administration process, told creditors that an automated ‘adjudication tool’ may be used.

This automated, computer based tool is being created to cut down on manual processing costs, and to deal with the huge influx of compensation claims Wonga has received. The accounting firm is legally obliged to assess every single one of the claims. With the letter revealing that since Wonga had collapsed, it had been receiving an estimated 200 to 500 compensation claims each and every day.

This is not including the 24,000 customers complaints that were outstanding prior to the payday lender going into administration, nor the 9,500 complaints which had been escalated to the financial body, the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Taking this all into account, why is the automated system attracting criticism? There are fears that the software may not end up fully processing individual factors and circumstances when deciding to give compensation or not. The head of policy at financial campaign group positive Money, David Clarke, spoke in further detail about this matter to The Guardian:

“After having been mis-sold loans by automated software, Wonga customers may now be forced to appeal to a similar automated system,”

“Just as Wonga’s algorithms failed to account for individual circumstances when making loans in the first place, there are risks that this technology will again fail to take all the relevant factors into account when processing claims, leaving many customers out of pocket.”

In addition to this, Grant Thornton revealed in the same letter that until Wonga’s assets have been sold, it still remains unclear how much compensation will be available for claimants, nor a timeframe in which this money would be provided to customers.

To find trustworthy payday loans companies, consumers are encouraged by the FCA to use price comparison websites, following a recent rule that states every lender should be placed on at least one comparison table. In addition, high cost lenders are moving away from a 30 day product to offer alternatives and longer-term products repaid over 3 to 24 months.

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One in Four Britons to Experience Debt After Holiday Season

Money

Many of us feel the pinch when it comes to Christmas. As wonderful as the festive season is, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on us to spend a considerable amount of money on creating the ‘perfect Christmas’, whether this be on buying presents for loved ones, food and alcohol for the Christmas festivities, or the amount spending travelling to see family and friends near and far, the costs soon start to add up. Millions of people in the UK are accumulating debt to be able to have Christmas, according to statistics.

A recent poll carried out by comparison site uSwitch which surveyed over 4,000 consumers showed that a staggering one in four of Britons will be starting the next year with a credit debt average just under £500 (£452). The same poll revealed that across the UK, British shoppers end up loading almost £8.5 billion of debt onto credit cards in order to pay for Christmas. Many are also using high cost loans in order to cover the costs of festive season too. (Source: Payday Bad Credit)

With Britons bombarded with adverts on social media, TV and radio, it is no surprise that many feel the pressure to spend more money during the month of December, but the consequences can be dangerous. It can lead people ending up getting into a cycle of debt, or spending the rest of the following year paying all their debts off.

Some suggestions have been made about Black Friday which offers the opportunity to save money on household brands, although also encouraging unnecessary spending.

In the study by uSwitch, over half surveyed believed that it was likely they would still be making repayments on Christmas spending for this year in the following December. Almost half (48%) stated that they were worried about the level of debt they could end up accumulating over Christmas and paying into the New Year.

The Disposable Income Index (DII) for 2017 by Scottish Friendly, an ISA provider revealed some stark findings about Christmas debt too. Over three-quarters of households that had children stated that they had made financial sacrifices in order to buy Christmas presents.

This was most commonly in the form of using their credit card to pay for purchases, or through taking out a high cost loan or unsecured loan. Similarly, millennials were found to really feel the pinch too. Three quarters of those surveyed also said they were making financial sacrifices to buy things for loved ones at Christmas time. It was estimated that around 14% of these millennials intended to take out a payday loan so they could achieve this.

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How to Stay Safe While Riding Your Bicycle

Entertainment Health & Fitness Legal

Bicycles are a lot of fun to ride. In addtiion to a sense of freedom, you can also get some needed physical fitness and burn off some unwanted pounds. Some say that riding a bike allows you to get directly in touch with the natural part of life and move at a pace that is closer to what humans need to be calm and in control.

When you are riding a bicycle in the streets however you need to be aware and constantly look out for dangers because it is also a potentially hazardous past time. After all, you are on the road with motor vehicles and pedestrians. Sometimes the roads have specific bike lanes and other times it is paved and lit well, but most times this is not the case. And cars, trucks and motorcycles are usually looking to occupy the same space and are a dangerous to the bike rider.

Because of the dangers, the bicyclist must be extremely alert and if the bike rider is injured by a motor vehicle, needs to hire a reputable attorney for representation in a personal injury case. The bicyclists must hire a local attorney. So if the accident occurs in Portland Oregon, the bicyclist must hire a bicycle accident attorney in Portland, OR. But to avoid accident the bike rider needs to take extra precautions. Here are a few of the most important things a bicyclist needs to look out for on the road.

Distracted Drivers

Distracted drivers are becoming the largest cause of motor vehicle accidents. Distracted driving includes texting, phone calls, watching videos, and any other activities that cause a driver to not pay attention to what’s going on in the road. If a driver’s attention is taken away from driving for even a few seconds, the driver can become disoriented and cause an accident. Bicycle Riders must be tuned to any drivers that are not looking at the road and I was driving erratically because of it.

Impaired Drivers

Driving while impaired includes drivers who are drunk, under the influence of illegal drugs, and under the influence of prescription drugs that should not be taken while driving. These drivers I have poor hand eye coordination, slow reflexes, and I generally unaware of their surroundings. Funny when riding a bicycle around and impaired driver, it can be a very dangerous situation. If a bike rider sees a drivers swerving in and out of lanes or speeding up and slowing down for no reason, this may be an indication that the person is impaired. The bicycle Rider should immediately move to the side of the road and the way from that automobile.

Bad Weather

When it is rained or snowed, or is doing so currently, it is a very dangerous time for bicycle rider. The limited visibility, reduced traction, and increased stopping distances mean that both the bicycle Rider and any automobile will have a difficult time operating on the road. Bicyclists should take into account inclement weather and consider not riding on the roads until the weather improves. If the bicyclist must go out in bad weather, the road conditions must be taken into account. The bicycle should ride slower and keep greater distances between Motor Vehicles.

No matter how careful a bicyclist is on the road, there is always the chance that they will be an accident with a motor vehicle. If this happens, the bicyclist should hire a reputable attorney for representation and to gain compensation for any injuries and other negative effects from the accident.

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