Month: June 2021

Anxiety, amongst other mental health disorders, is on the rise in today’s world, especially with the ongoing pandemic. Too often people suffer from stress, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. while trying to ignore or brush off the symptoms. For some reason or another it seems taboo to speak of mental health concerns. Mental health, like physical health, is just as important for one’s well-being; it’s never too late to acknowledge and address mental disorders. With the pandemic still on the rise today, anxiety can quite possibly increase due to a range of factors. Focusing on reducing anxiety during these trying times could be beneficial to many.

Dealing with anxiety can affect a person whether at home, in public, work, or especially crowds. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety can cause fatigue, unstable emotions, excess energy, and even difficulties developing a healthy bedtime routine. These symptoms can present themselves as physical ones leading to even larger health complications. Anxiety should not be ignored or put on the back burner, but rather discussed preferably with a medical professional. The symptoms manifested from anxiety could also be caused from stress or worsen over time. Anxiety is not something the public should fear; this should be faced and treated like any other illness.

Admitting to having anxiety is stressful enough, making an appointment with a medical provider shouldn’t have to be. Whether someone struggles with social stress or generalized, making a phone call, or speaking in person can seem very intimidating. Many medical providers have the option to call ahead and make an appointment; others have a walk-in clinic where anxiety can increase further while in the waiting room. Sitting in a room full of strangers that may or may not be sick is enough to make most people concerned about what they may catch from breathing in the air. What if there was an option to avoid both scenarios by scheduling appointments for mental health concerns online? This could eliminate an enormous amount of fear and anxiety prior to the actual doctor’s visit.

Thankfully with technology, there are ways to make booking online appointments available. With the ease of smartphones and computers, an online booking app can be used by providers for patients everywhere. This takes the fear and work out of calling, and in-office scheduling. Anxiety just came down a few notches when applying oneself to getting treatment. Any form of making life easier is great—why not make anxiety less of a worry? There are so many tools and tips for people to use in the world for health concerns that it’s great to hear of new ideas. Whether a person is struggling alone or in the workplace, being able to reach out to someone shouldn’t be difficult. Fear and stress seem to be a vicious cycle that keeps anxiety circling round and round. To have a starting point of where to begin or focus on relaxing can be comforting to many.

While waiting to see a doctor or trying to reduce anxiety with self-control, there can be ways to practice during the pandemic from home. Oftentimes writing in a notebook or a specialized diary can get feelings out onto paper. Once emotions are written down, it can be good to close the book and leave them there. For those tech savvy people, online journals are just as great! According to Mayo Clinic, activities such as physical exertion, adequate sleep, reducing alcoholic beverages, and a healthy diet can all improve symptoms of anxiety. From walking to running, it doesn’t matter; physical exercise can release chemical hormones that balance and boost the mood. Perhaps someone does most of this anyway, but there are other options as well. Anything from a favorite hobby to achieving more sleep can improve overall stress and anxiety. Bringing the mind to a happier place during this pandemic can be helpful to everyone with or without anxiety; let’s be honest, most people have some extent of stress and deserve to feel happy.

With the stress of COVID-19, mental health disorders have increased due to the fear, illness, and deaths this pandemic has induced. According to statistics, at least 40.9% of Americans have admitted to having increased mental health concerns since the pandemic began. That’s an alarming amount considering most people don’t know how to begin coping with such worries. With medical providers and counselors available, anyone suffering should seek help to overcome this painful battle. Mental health disorders can seem discouraging; there is no shame in seeking help. With the ease of online appointment scheduling, let some of that fear dissipate as the first step is made. Schedule that appointment, let technology help reduce social anxiety.

Regardless of the fear, there are options to help people, and taking the first step is the most fulfilling. The COVID-19 pandemic is real and terrifying, but so is not speaking up about anxiety. The pandemic has been ongoing, meaning people need help getting through this tough time; the same is true for anxiety—stay strong and keep going.

We are living in the digital age. Whether you like it or not, technology and the internet are slowly taking over the world, with the digital replacing the physical. Like banking, blogs, and even money (crypto), many shops have also built their online presence. However, it’s not just physical stores that can go digital—you can start an online store without a physical address as well.

According to a study done by Oberlo, there’s an estimated 2.14 billion digital buyers in 2021, which is more than a quarter of the people in the world. Since there is such a huge number of online shoppers, there is a huge potential to make it big with your very own online store. If you’re unsure of where to begin, here are 5 tips to get you started.

Figure out your niche

The first step is, more often than not, the most important one. Firstly, you’ll need to find out which market you’ll want to enter. This could be tech, fashion, or any industry that has buyers and sellers. The next step will be to find your niche, which is to go in-depth into a specific market. Before choosing a niche, you should consider your passion, budget, and opportunity. Most entrepreneurs strive to pick a market with high demand, but low supply.

Take, for example, health and wellness – one of the most popular markets. This would be too broad a category, so you can consider niching down into more specific markets, like vitamins or essential oils. You can then use Keyword Research tools to search for trending products. Through my keyword research, I found that CBD oils were in high demand, with many shoppers looking to buy CBD oil online. You can find your niche using this technique as well.

Choose your business model

The next step will be to choose your business model. There are 2 main business models – Making and selling your own products, or dropshipping. If you want to start a mini arts-and-craft business, the former would be your choice. However, if you’re more of a business person and don’t have a product to make, you can try dropshipping. Very briefly, dropshipping is being the middleman; buying a product, marking up the price, and selling it to customers.

Source for products

After selecting the right business model, you should start looking for products. Many newbie entrepreneurs try to build up and beautify their online store before finding products, and to be honest, I made the same mistake. Sometimes, you just can’t find the right product for you, so no matter how much you’d like to sell something, you won’t get any sales in the end.

Sourcing for products will differ with regard to your business model. Taking the example mentioned above, if you’re selling your artworks, you can source for wholesale suppliers to get cheaper materials in bulk, lowering your overall cost. If you’re dropshipping, finding a retail supplier on e-commerce platforms like AliExpress would be better. On such sites, they provide cheaper goods that can be bought individually, unlike wholesale suppliers.

Find an e-commerce platform

To start your online store, you’ll need to find an e-commerce platform or start your own website. For veterans with an existing clientele, starting your website should be the way to go. But for most of us, e-commerce platforms provide extensive exposure to millions of potential buyers around the globe. Some online stores have even started on online marketplaces, generated huge revenue, and subsequently shifted to their personal website!

Like any other service, there are free and paid online marketplaces. Some free options include eBay and Facebook Marketplace, but are all limited in some way or another. On the other hand, marketplace giants like Shopify can offer a range of benefits that will come in handy if you’re new to starting an online store.

Add the details

Last but not least, build your store. You’ve picked a niche, found a business model, sourced products, and chosen an e-commerce platform, now all you need to do is customize your store. This includes crafting your store name, designing the right logo, and even exporting the products to your online store. You’ll also have to add your payment details, contact information, and any necessary legal documents.

If you’re starting your own website, you’ll have to build it from scratch, hopefully with the help of a few templates. However, configuring your website into an online store may be more challenging, as you’ll need to integrate extra shopping plugins like Woocommerce into your site. Anyway, that’s a story for another day.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, starting an online store isn’t just for professionals, with the power of technology, anyone can do so. As long as you follow the 5 steps we’ve gone through, and persevere despite any setbacks, who knows? Maybe someday, your online store will be the next big thing.

Ready to raise money for your startup? You’re going to need a pitch coach and perhaps a good pitch deck template to go with it.

Whether you are an introvert creative type who has never been able to stand public speaking, or you just love talking on stage and may have even raised some money in the past, you will benefit from a pitch coach. In fact, in today’s startup and financial environment, you cannot afford to go without one.

Here are just some of the reasons you’ll benefit from it, or will be kicking yourself for years for not getting the help now.

Pitching For Startups

Pitching is vital for startup founders. It is an inseparable skill from successful entrepreneurs and companies. Fortunately, it can be learned, and it can always be improved on.

Even if you never ever raise any money for your startup company, you will need to become a master at pitching your venture.

It will make all of the difference in being able to recruit the talent you need, sell your product and secure customers, unlock its real value, manage your company over time, and eventually achieve some type of positive exit, other than just closing the doors.

There are two main parts to the pitch for startups.

1. The Pitch Deck

Even to be able to get the chance to possibly present verbally you will almost always need to lead in with a pitch deck. You might squeeze out your tagline or elevator pitch before being shut down, but before people consider giving you any more of their valuable time than that, for any purpose, you can expect them to ask to see your pitch deck first.

You’ll often be sending this via email, or a link to it via text message or through social channels like LinkedIn.

If you nail it with the slide presentation, you have a much better chance of being able to win the opportunity to deliver your actual presentation and verbal pitch.

Still, even then, unless the tech completely melts down, your pitch is going to be greatly judged and evaluated on your slides. Perhaps even more so.

So, make sure you have a winning pitch deck that follows the formula for success before anything else.

2. The Verbal Pitch

If your slide presentation is a hit, then you may get the privilege of giving your verbal pitch and full presentation.

Note that you cannot just wing this and hide behind your slides. You can’t count on your tech and slides working all of the time. In fact, you need to expect problems, and be able to cover that verbally and with your presence instead.

Often you’ll need several varying lengths of verbal pitch. This can range from your one sentence elevator pitch, to short two to five minute overview, as well as your full 20 minute investor presentation.

Why You Need A Pitch Coach

No matter how confident you are, you need a pitch coach. Here are just some of the reasons you shouldn’t even consider skimping by without one.

It’s Crazy Competitive Out There

The data really doesn’t do it justice. You may have heard that venture capital investors may only invest in 1% of the startups they evaluate. Yet, there are thousands more that don’t even make it into that pile. They are filtered out by assistants before that, or messages never get through or seen in the first place.

The most desirable investors can receive thousands of pitches and decks each week. They can’t possibly even make it through all of the ones they’d really like to.

You can also bet that those that do get funded are really nailing it on every factor, from the slides to verbal pitch, and the introductions they get to those investors. Not to mention all of the fundamentals and boxes to check on the investor’s list of criteria.

The bottom line is that it is crazy competitive out there. If you want to stand a chance of getting funded you need every tool and edge that you can get, including a pitch deck.

Limited Opportunities

There are only so many startup investors out there. When you funnel that down to the number of investors who fund startups at your stage and round it is even fewer. Then narrow that down to those who invest in your type of venture and industry. Then to those actively looking to fund and can provide the capital right now. As well as those you’d actually want on your board. You probably aren’t left with that many.

This isn’t like blasting out online ads to billions of potential customers, and knowing that most probably won’t remember that you blew it the next time they see your brand.

Odds are you will be hit with a lot of ‘no’s for a wide variety of reasons. Even from this tight target group. So, you really can’t afford to burn your chances. Don’t expect to get another shot with an investor. Unless you are 200% sure you are going to walk out with a check, then it just makes sense to see what extra benefit you can get from a pitch coach.

It’s Probably Not Your Area Of Mastery

Given what it takes to get through all of the hoops, then the presentation and to close a round, pitching for fundraising requires a certain degree of mastery.

You may be the person in the room with the highest IQ, the master of your industry, talented with designing slides in Google and Powerpoint, and comfortable with public speaking. Yet, do you have mastery of fundraising pitching? Not just in general, but with these types of investors, in this type of setting, at this round and amount of money? If this is your third time raising a Series C round, with two exits under your belt, and you’ve put in those 10,000 pitching in this format, then you can probably get away without a pitch coach. Otherwise, it just pays to get that elite level of expertise on your side.

Your Pitch Needs To Be Natural

A successful verbal pitch isn’t just about remembering your lines and not choking up in the process. It needs to come out naturally. Just like you are delivering a sales pitch or having a conversation about a subject you’ve talked about 10,000 times before. You want to get to the point where you can adlib depending on the response you are getting, and no longer need a script, index cards or a teleprompter. Practice, practice, practice.

Practice In A Real Environment

Practicing with yourself in the mirror, to your dog, or with your best friends or grandmother is not the same. They will take it easy on you. You need to be prepared to handle pitching to strangers, who will test you and ask hard questions.

For decades, the United States has been the hegemonic world power both politically and technologically. But how long can this last? Recent advances by other countries are increasingly beginning to threaten this position. On the geopolitical front, the Trump era and recent Covid pandemic has exposed fractures in the US political system that countries like China and Russia have seized upon, and the democratic West is no longer seen as the bastion of stability and prosperity it once was. Meanwhile, technologically, China is making huge strides in areas like AI, while Russia has become a leader in the cyber-warfare space. Can the US hold onto its position as the world’s leading power, or will the future belong to a new superpower?

The Rise of the United States

In many ways, the United States has become the world’s hegemonic power by accident. During the 1700s and 1800s, the US was mostly famous for its agricultural and industrial output. It was not until the second half of the twentieth century that the US became a true superpower. To understand how this happened, we need to look at the geopolitical situation in the world at the time.

As the industrial revolution took hold, Europe was in the midst of a number of political rivalries that took the form of two world wars. At the same time, the rest of the world was beginning to decolonize. This included the dissolution of the UK’s empire and the creation of new countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. In this new world order, the US saw an opportunity to rise to a position of power in the world. This was exemplified by the Marshall Plan, which provided economic and military support to Europe so that it could continue to be America’s economic and political partner. By doing so, the US ensured that the rest of the world would depend on it for trade and protection.

The US also saw an opportunity to expand its sphere of influence in the Pacific. As Japan, China, and the Soviet Union all struggled to rebuild after the Second World War, the US used its new military and economic might to take control of the region. This was done under the auspices of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, but it had the effect of driving the Soviets and Chinese into each other’s arms. The Sino-Soviet split soon followed, and the US was able to contain both countries by threatening to support each against the other.

The US also worked to ensure that it would have a source of cheap raw materials, which also came with political advantages. It did this by intervening in the Middle East in support of Israel and backing the Shah of Iran. It also established a strong alliance with Saudi Arabia and ensured that the country would remain a source of oil for American industries. These policies would later be known as the Nixon Doctrine and would eventually lead to the creation of the petrodollar, allowing the US to maintain economic control over the world.

With its economic and military might, the US was able to make sure that it would have the advantage over any country that opposed it. Its military was strong enough to intimidate countries into cooperating with the US and its economic influence was such that countries could not ignore it. For example, the US is still the world’s largest producer of corn, soybeans, wheat, and rice. Its manufacturing base is strong. It is also the world’s largest exporter of arms and accounts for 34% of all military spending globally. In terms of economic power, the US has the world’s largest economy, and its currency is used as the de facto world currency.

For all of these reasons, the US has been able to rise to the position of world’s hegemonic power. But how long can it maintain its position as the world’s leading power?

The Rise of Russia and China

In recent years, Russia has made huge strides in its technological and military capabilities. This is especially true in the cyber-warfare space, where the country has been developing weapons systems that are far more advanced than any in the West. Russia has also been making strides in AI, especially in areas such as deep learning. This has made it possible for Russia to retain its military might and maintain its status as a superpower. It has also made it more capable of controlling a large swath of territory in the Middle East. As a result, the US has had to deal with a resurgent Russia that is able to challenge its position as the world’s leading superpower.

Meanwhile, China has also been making strides in technology and military development. In the field of AI, China has made huge strides in areas like image recognition and autonomous vehicles. The country has also been working on a hypersonic aircraft and a new class of missile that can evade US defenses. This has enabled China to become a formidable military power. It has also made it a leader in other areas including digital payments, AI, and mobile devices. As a result, it is beginning to challenge the US for economic supremacy.

The Rise of the Rest

In addition to these two countries, there are a number of smaller powers rising in the world, and they are beginning to pose a challenge to the US. These include countries like India, South Africa, Iran, and Brazil. While these countries are not currently able to threaten the US, they could potentially grow in power to a point where they could rival the US. The US is also faced with the threat of terrorism, which has made it harder for the country to continue to exert its influence in the Middle East. In addition, the US has seen its image tarnished by the Trump administration, and this has enabled other countries to challenge it more effectively.

The US, for its part, does not lack talent nor technology. We are still world leaders in many high-tech scientific disciplines. What we lack, as the pandemic has made uncomfortably clear, is the ability to coordinate nation-wide action on a large scale. The Japanese response to Covid, for example, is worth closer inspection. Mask-wearing is still mandatory. In many places, shops remain closed and social gatherings are severely limited. Despite this, Japanese society still functions smoothly. There are no widespread protests. Food and drink can be safely purchased from vending machines all over the country. The US has some of the best custom vending machines in the world – so why don’t we see more of them? We should look to countries like Japan for the answer. Having the technology is only part of the equation – we also need well-coordinated social programmes and a culture of social cohesion.

What Does the Future Hold?

It is difficult to make predictions about the future of US power. But it is evident that the country’s global influence is on the decline, and it may well continue to decline. It is also likely that China will become the world’s preeminent power at some point. The issue is when this will occur. Some believe that it will happen in the next few years, but it is more likely that it will happen in the next two to five decades. The US could also experience a resurgence in power, but this will take hard work. For now, it is clear that the US is going to have to deal with a much more competitive geopolitical landscape.

Only thirty years ago, humans had to navigate life on their own without the help of the internet or any personal computing device. Today, almost every action we take is somehow linked to the internet. From simple everyday tasks like personal time management to more complex ones like online learning and working, the internet continues to play a massive role in our basic functioning. It can be said that life in the 20th century has simply become unimaginable without it, but as we grow increasingly dependent on technology, we also become lazier and less self-sufficient. It is therefore important to find balance in just how much we rely on the internet for the sake of our productivity and mental well-being.

Online Learning

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has circled the globe, schools and colleges around the world have begun operating online as a safety precaution. Classes are now being given on live video conferencing services rather than in physical classrooms, with some schools even using specialized software to run online examinations for their students. As a result, the need for students and professors to physically be on campus is eliminated, reducing the time and energy previously wasted on transportation. This has a positive impact not only on the classroom’s overall productivity but also on the environment. It is therefore unsurprising to see previously smog-ridden cities enjoying clear air after the 2020 lockdown.

In addition to that, the switch to online learning has also changed a lot in the way students are managing their academic responsibilities. The increased flexibility gives them more freedom to work at their own pace when compared to traditional learning, encouraging better self-reliance and time management. This can be especially helpful in cases of teamwork where students are required to collaborate, as working virtually with others can help in becoming a better leader. On top of that, the increased amount of time being spent on computers develops essential technical skills that are indispensable in the current era of digitization and personal computing.

Internet-Integrated Lifestyle

It is undeniable that our current social life has a lot to thank the internet for. Social media and other online communication services have revolutionized the way we interact and build relationships and have also played a great role in spreading a more accepting and laid-back mentality worldwide. Some of the impact of social media can even be seen in real-life situations, like with the increasingly prevalent use of internet abbreviations in face-to-face conversations. The general absence of a filter in online social communications has also led to the normalization of using profane language, most prominently between teenagers and young adults.

Technology and the internet also contribute to numerous aspects of our lives besides socialization. Today, most companies and individuals run their workflows entirely on computers as opposed to using traditional physical documents. It has become impossible to imagine doing some of the most basic activities without having to involve our personal devices. We can now order takeout, book flights, schedule appointments, and even transfer money in seconds right from our phone. Online shopping is also rapidly replacing conventional shopping due to its convenience and ease of use, so whether you’re a parts geek or an antique item collector, you will always be able to find a suitable online marketplace to fulfill your desires.

The Impact of Modern Technology on the Environment

Nowadays, the environment must be considered with every step taken. Although the development of technology has provided us with a wide range of life facilitations, it has also negatively impacted the environment in many ways. For example, the widespread use of cars has obviously tremendously transformed our lives for the better but has also resulted in an increased amount of air pollution due to vehicle emissions. Many rare Earth elements that require a lot of energy to obtain are also essential in the manufacturing of electronic devices including tungsten, cobalt, and lithium. The increased demand for these materials consequently results in greater energy expenditure and hence more pollution.

On the bright side, many international companies have begun developing new strategies to mitigate environmental damage without having to reduce their output. Companies like Apple and others have already gone carbon-neutral and are switching to the use of recycled materials in their factories. Some are even researching the use of alternative renewable materials as it is cheaper and less toxic. In addition to that, new innovative inventions like electric cars and self-sufficient buildings are showing promising potential for the future of the environment. In fact, it is expected that electric cars constitute a quarter of car sales by 2025. As they begin to replace gasoline-fueled cars, the fumes emitted into the atmosphere are reduced, and so is the demand for fossil fuels.

Conclusion

It is difficult finding someone who doesn’t own a phone these days. From teenagers to adults, our personal devices constitute a lot of our daily lives. It can sometimes be scary to think about what might happen if certain technologies were to be put to nefarious use. Therefore, it is our ultimate responsibility to practice healthy online habits and take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and the environment. As we advance forward and as technology becomes increasingly capable, maybe someday machine intelligence will be able to fully replace human intelligence.