Think about the amount of time each day you spend on social media sites, or the number of ways you use social media to connect with people and make decisions. Why would it be any different for your customers? Any business that chooses not to incorporate social media marketing as part of its strategy is […]
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Think about the amount of time each day you spend on social media sites, or the number of ways you use social media to connect with people and make decisions. Why would it be any different for your customers? Any business that chooses not to incorporate social media marketing as part of its strategy is […]
The post Boost Your Business with Social Media Marketing appeared first on .
Boost Your Business with Social Media Marketing Read More »
Growing your business is part ambition, part action—but neither will lead to much without a strategy. Marketing your business brings together both of these aspects: you need to envision who you want to reach and how, and you need to build a marketing plan and implement it. Whether you’re looking for inspiration because you’re ready […]
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(BPT) – Starting your own business can nurture your entrepreneurial spirit, earn you some money and give you the opportunity to spend more time with your family — including your pets. So what job can you do that doesn’t necessarily require a degree, affords you time flexibility, is in a growing industry and will be something you love?
Two words: pet products!
“The pet product and services industry can be a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs,” says Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “Often, all that’s needed are a good idea and a love of animals to start your own business. And with demand for pet products and services, especially higher-end offerings, continuing to grow, opportunities in the industry will increase accordingly.”
Pets by the numbers
Americans spent more than $66 billion on pet products and care in 2016, according to the American Pet Products Association. And according to APPA’s new 2017/2018 National Pet Owners Survey, nearly 142.8 million American households are home to approximately 390 million dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, horses and small animals.
With all those pets needing care, food, toys, healthy treats and other accouterments, is it any wonder the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment in the animal care and service industry will grow faster than average between now and 2024?
Career opportunities
Certain areas of the pet products and care industry are poised to grow even faster, Vetere predicts. “Food, over-the-counter health products and supplies constituted the largest portion of spending in 2016,” he says. “The pet humanization trend is driving growth at the premium end of the market.”
If you’re looking to start your own pet-related business, 2016 spending trends point to these jobs as ones that could pay off for entrepreneurs:
* Create your own botanical/organic grooming products. Just as interest has grown in human products that are better for people and the environment, demand is increasing for organic pet products, too.
* Launch a line of gourmet dog biscuits. All it takes is a great recipe, an oven and a bit of marketing savvy to start selling high-end doggie treats.
* Concoct a potty solution. Let’s face it: If you’ve got pets, you’ve got pet poop, and no one really relishes dealing with it. However, pet poop presents a number of business opportunities, from creating a portable dog potty or revolutionary pickup product to providing a yard cleanup service.
* Build custom play lands and sleeping platforms for cats. A little woodworking expertise, some creativity, knowledge of cats, and work space in the garage are all you need to begin creating luxurious, custom-made wonderlands for some lucky felines.
* Create a line of designer pet wear. From glamorous collars to snugly sweaters and sweet bandanas, today’s pets are well dressed. Put your knowledge of sewing and your passion for design together to develop high-fashion pet wear.
* Start up your own specialty pet-sitting service. Want to differentiate yourself from the competition? Try specializing in care for less common pets like fish, reptiles and birds. While it’s not difficult to find someone to feed a cat or walk a dog while a pet owner is away, it can be harder to find caregivers with the expertise (and willingness) to take care of a pet snake or iguana.
“Pets enrich the lives of their human companions on a daily basis,” Vetere says. “If you love pets, creating pet products and offering pet care services can be a rewarding career opportunity on many levels.”
6 pet-related businesses you can start today Read More »
(BPT) – Starting your own business can nurture your entrepreneurial spirit, earn you some money and give you the opportunity to spend more time with your family — including your pets. So what job can you do that doesn’t necessarily require a degree, affords you time flexibility, is in a growing industry and will be something you love?
Two words: pet products!
“The pet product and services industry can be a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs,” says Bob Vetere, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). “Often, all that’s needed are a good idea and a love of animals to start your own business. And with demand for pet products and services, especially higher-end offerings, continuing to grow, opportunities in the industry will increase accordingly.”
Pets by the numbers
Americans spent more than $66 billion on pet products and care in 2016, according to the American Pet Products Association. And according to APPA’s new 2017/2018 National Pet Owners Survey, nearly 142.8 million American households are home to approximately 390 million dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, horses and small animals.
With all those pets needing care, food, toys, healthy treats and other accouterments, is it any wonder the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts employment in the animal care and service industry will grow faster than average between now and 2024?
Career opportunities
Certain areas of the pet products and care industry are poised to grow even faster, Vetere predicts. “Food, over-the-counter health products and supplies constituted the largest portion of spending in 2016,” he says. “The pet humanization trend is driving growth at the premium end of the market.”
If you’re looking to start your own pet-related business, 2016 spending trends point to these jobs as ones that could pay off for entrepreneurs:
* Create your own botanical/organic grooming products. Just as interest has grown in human products that are better for people and the environment, demand is increasing for organic pet products, too.
* Launch a line of gourmet dog biscuits. All it takes is a great recipe, an oven and a bit of marketing savvy to start selling high-end doggie treats.
* Concoct a potty solution. Let’s face it: If you’ve got pets, you’ve got pet poop, and no one really relishes dealing with it. However, pet poop presents a number of business opportunities, from creating a portable dog potty or revolutionary pickup product to providing a yard cleanup service.
* Build custom play lands and sleeping platforms for cats. A little woodworking expertise, some creativity, knowledge of cats, and work space in the garage are all you need to begin creating luxurious, custom-made wonderlands for some lucky felines.
* Create a line of designer pet wear. From glamorous collars to snugly sweaters and sweet bandanas, today’s pets are well dressed. Put your knowledge of sewing and your passion for design together to develop high-fashion pet wear.
* Start up your own specialty pet-sitting service. Want to differentiate yourself from the competition? Try specializing in care for less common pets like fish, reptiles and birds. While it’s not difficult to find someone to feed a cat or walk a dog while a pet owner is away, it can be harder to find caregivers with the expertise (and willingness) to take care of a pet snake or iguana.
“Pets enrich the lives of their human companions on a daily basis,” Vetere says. “If you love pets, creating pet products and offering pet care services can be a rewarding career opportunity on many levels.”
6 pet-related businesses you can start today Read More »
So you’ve got a groundbreaking business idea. It’s new. It’s novel. And you can’t wait to unleash it to a hungry audience. But how do you do it? This guide will show you precisely how to build a foundation for your idea and walk you through the entire process, all the way up to raising […]
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(BPT) – Come tax time, many people work to locate tax breaks. While this is always a smart financial move, a little-known way to help build your net worth is to keep taxes top of mind throughout the entire year.
Reducing taxes means you keep more of what you earn, according to Nick Holeman, a financial planning expert at Betterment.com.
“You can’t control the stock market, but you can control some of your taxes,” Holeman said. “Knowing how your investments affect your tax bill can help you save money not just on April 15th, but for years to come.”
Check to see whether your long-term investment strategy is running efficiently with these tips from Holeman.
Invest your tax refund: One smart place to invest your tax refund is in an IRA. Normally, investors might divert a portion of the refund into this account as part of a well-rounded investment strategy and claim the deductions for next year’s tax time. Invest your refund, and you may get a portion of that back in tax savings. Stay in the habit of investing that refund if you can and watch those small returns add up over time.
Think several moves ahead: Investing is complex and from time to time you will have to sell some of your investments; everybody does. It might be to rebalance your portfolio or maybe your goals have changed and your investments no longer match their intended purpose.
Still, smart investors need to think ahead before blindly selling parts of their portfolio. This is because selling could potentially lead to taxes. By carefully choosing which investments to sell, you can help minimize that hefty tax consequence.
One way to do this is to partner with an investment company that has the tools to make this information easy to access and understand. Betterment.com, for example, offers Tax Impact Preview, which lets investors see estimated potential tax on a sale before making the trade. If you don’t think the pros outweigh the cons, don’t do it.
Reorganize your investments: Another way to potentially leverage even small tax advantages into long-term growth is to build your portfolio like an energy-efficient engine, built to run for more miles with less need to refuel. You can help accomplish this by reorganizing your portfolio. Move inefficient investments like international stocks and other assets that are taxed more often into a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or a Roth IRA. That way, you can enjoy the high growth for less tax. Then, move less-taxed assets, such as municipal bonds, into taxable accounts.
Benefit from losses: Help keep your portfolio in balance by selling off the laggards and replacing them with a similar investment. You can receive a tax deduction from your losses that can help cancel out the taxes you owe on assets that have gains. This is done automatically for investors at many automated services through a strategy called tax loss harvesting. Smart investors should always remember that investments involve risk and may result in loss.
Give to a worthy cause: While it’s important to secure your future, many investors see community support as an important goal. Consider donating a to a nonprofit organization in your community. Not only are you helping to improve the quality of life in your locale, you can potentially claim a deduction from your income tax. It can pay to do the right thing.
Secrets smart investors use year-round to save on their taxes Read More »
(BPT) – Come tax time, many people work to locate tax breaks. While this is always a smart financial move, a little-known way to help build your net worth is to keep taxes top of mind throughout the entire year.
Reducing taxes means you keep more of what you earn, according to Nick Holeman, a financial planning expert at Betterment.com.
“You can’t control the stock market, but you can control some of your taxes,” Holeman said. “Knowing how your investments affect your tax bill can help you save money not just on April 15th, but for years to come.”
Check to see whether your long-term investment strategy is running efficiently with these tips from Holeman.
Invest your tax refund: One smart place to invest your tax refund is in an IRA. Normally, investors might divert a portion of the refund into this account as part of a well-rounded investment strategy and claim the deductions for next year’s tax time. Invest your refund, and you may get a portion of that back in tax savings. Stay in the habit of investing that refund if you can and watch those small returns add up over time.
Think several moves ahead: Investing is complex and from time to time you will have to sell some of your investments; everybody does. It might be to rebalance your portfolio or maybe your goals have changed and your investments no longer match their intended purpose.
Still, smart investors need to think ahead before blindly selling parts of their portfolio. This is because selling could potentially lead to taxes. By carefully choosing which investments to sell, you can help minimize that hefty tax consequence.
One way to do this is to partner with an investment company that has the tools to make this information easy to access and understand. Betterment.com, for example, offers Tax Impact Preview, which lets investors see estimated potential tax on a sale before making the trade. If you don’t think the pros outweigh the cons, don’t do it.
Reorganize your investments: Another way to potentially leverage even small tax advantages into long-term growth is to build your portfolio like an energy-efficient engine, built to run for more miles with less need to refuel. You can help accomplish this by reorganizing your portfolio. Move inefficient investments like international stocks and other assets that are taxed more often into a tax-deferred account, such as an IRA or a Roth IRA. That way, you can enjoy the high growth for less tax. Then, move less-taxed assets, such as municipal bonds, into taxable accounts.
Benefit from losses: Help keep your portfolio in balance by selling off the laggards and replacing them with a similar investment. You can receive a tax deduction from your losses that can help cancel out the taxes you owe on assets that have gains. This is done automatically for investors at many automated services through a strategy called tax loss harvesting. Smart investors should always remember that investments involve risk and may result in loss.
Give to a worthy cause: While it’s important to secure your future, many investors see community support as an important goal. Consider donating a to a nonprofit organization in your community. Not only are you helping to improve the quality of life in your locale, you can potentially claim a deduction from your income tax. It can pay to do the right thing.
Secrets smart investors use year-round to save on their taxes Read More »
GiGi DuBois is a doer in the truest sense. The former competitive snowboarder and horseback rider grew up to become a popular allergen-friendly cook, and certified nutritionist, with a master’s degree in Nutrition Communications. Using Fiverr, she created a blog/vlog where people with diet concerns can get advice (such as traveling with food intolerances) along with allergen-friendly […]
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Fiverr is a dynamic marketplace that grows and adapts as the needs and skill sets of our buyers and sellers evolve. We constantly reevaluate our platform to better suit our users’ changing requirements. As part of this ongoing goal, and the rate at which digital marketing in particular is progressing, we’re making some big changes […]
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