Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days event is next week: Oct. 10-11. Call it “Prime Day 2.0” if you agree the name doesn’t roll off the tongue. The event promises another round of lowered prices on all sorts of products and an opportunity to cross-shop competing retailers.
October sales at a glance
Black Friday in October may be Amazon’s idea, but other retailers aren’t to be out-dollared. Here’s a rundown of the deal dates and some need-to-knows.
Target Circle Week is already on, running Oct. 1-7.
Deals are exclusive to Target Circle members, but Circle is free to join and use.
Get discounts online or in-store on items ranging from toys and kitchen supplies to everyday essentials like diapers and wipes.
Walmart’s Deals Holiday Kickoff begins at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 9 and runs through Oct. 12.
This sale isn’t exclusive to Walmart+ members, so all shoppers can access the deals.
Expect discounts on giftable items like electronics, apparel, home decor and more.
Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days begins at 3 a.m. ET on Oct. 10 and runs through Oct. 11.
Deals are exclusive to Amazon Prime members; Prime costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. (There’s a 30-day free trial option for newbies.)
Expect deal drops throughout the event, and Prime members can request special invites ahead of time to doorbusters that may sell out.
Oh, and Best Buy has a 48-Hour Flash Sale on Oct. 10-11.
It’s like “shopping Armageddon,” says Charles Lindsey, associate professor of marketing at the University at Buffalo School of Management. “Retailers are going earlier and earlier every year in the hopes of locking in a certain percentage of consumers’ ‘holiday wallets’ before other retailers can,” he says.
Similar sales at the same time last year gave people a good reason to jump into Black Friday shopping early. Prices on popular products monitored by NerdWallet hit or matched year lows.
But the extended season of sales creates more opportunities for shoppers to bust their gift-buying budgets, says Lindsey.
Try these methods to shop the onslaught of early sales in a way that preserves your holiday wallet.
1. Make a game plan
Approach internet sales with a plan, says Lars Perner, assistant professor of clinical marketing at the University of Southern California. “If you go online and look at all of these great deals, you’re going to be tempted, and you may end up buying things that you otherwise wouldn’t have bought,” he adds.
Amazon shoppers can likely relate. You go online for a specific item, say a wireless mouse for your laptop, and you check out with the mouse, plus a massage gun and a DIY home security system because of the in-your-face markdowns.
Make a list of what you need and know your gift-buying and fun money budget before you browse.
“We only have a limited amount of money to spend,” says Perner. So be ready to be enticed and understand the implications of overspending, he adds.
2. Shop intentionally and set a time limit
Maybe you’ve heard of timeboxing work tasks. It’s a strategy where you schedule time for a task, stay with it for a short burst, then move on. The concept promotes focus and clarity of objective, according to the Project Management Institute. You can use this method for a more focused and budget-conscious online shopping experience.
If you plan to peruse, resist the urge to check Amazon like a social media app, and pick a finite time of day to do it. Maybe you end your day with a half-hour online to browse the deals when your mind is clear and guard is up against overbuying.
3. Get a good price and know it
With deals happening all the time, it’s no longer enough to take the sale price at face value. Perner points out how markdowns can be misleading.
“The deal might say 45% off, but that’s not going to be 45% off the regular price,” he says. Instead, it’s more likely to be a percentage off the item’s list or suggested retail price, which might not reflect what the retailer typically charges.
“It may still be a nice deal, you know, 15% off, say, the regular price. But again, some of the discounts are going to seem bigger than they really are,” says Perner.
You can easily get a feel for the going rate before you buy. Lindsey encourages shoppers to use a site like Camelcamelcamel, which tracks the price history of products sold on Amazon, or other browser-based coupon finders to confirm the quality of deals. The Honey extension, a software add-on for browsers like Chrome, also displays the price of products over time.
4. Wait for Black Friday if you want
Of course, you can roll the dice and wait for the day after Thanksgiving. NerdWallet’s data shows Prime Day and early October sales like Prime Big Deal Days present prices competitive with Black Friday, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. Actual Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) sales events still rock, and there’s less threat of disruption this year.
“The last few years [of] Black Friday sales might have been more limited during the pandemic,” says Perner. He recalls the supply chain challenges and backlog of ships coming into ports.
“But we’re past that now, and the Chinese economy is slowing down,” he adds.
Perner says those factors could lower the cost to produce imported goods. That could lead retailers to offer even better deals.
5. Skip the deal days altogether
Perner says sometimes he’ll check out Amazon’s deal of the day when he needs a break, but he has become better able to resist buying things over time. One tactic he suggests: Let the delivery boxes accumulate in the hall or garage as “visual evidence of how much you might be buying.”
Maybe you don’t need all that stuff.
It certainly is hard to put down the phone or close the laptop when holiday sales kickoff days have a regular place on the calendar and in the culture. But if you can resist the temptation, you could save the most money by skipping the deal days altogether.
Timing the market, as it relates to trading and investing, requires a whole lot of luck. In effect, it means waiting for ideal market conditions, and then making a move to try and capitalize on the best market outcome. But nobody can predict the future, and it’s a high-risk strategy.
When seeing stock market charts and business news headlines, it can be tempting to imagine striking it rich by timing investments perfectly. In reality, figuring out when to buy or sell stocks is extremely difficult. Both professional and at-home investors make serious mistakes when trying to time their market entrance or exit.
Why Timing the Stock Market Doesn’t Work
Waiting to start investing could cost an individual thousands of dollars over their lifetime. It’s also important to know that by leaving money in a checking or savings account, a person is not protecting their money from inflation risk. That’s because the value of that cash in a checking or savings account erodes if the prices of goods and services increase.
Meanwhile, stock market timing is incredibly complex. Stock prices can be influenced by global macroeconomic events, political events in a country, developments in specific industries or companies, as well as the sentiment of investors as a collective.
Even professional investors struggle to “beat the market,” which often means simplifying trying to outperform a benchmark stock index. In fact, most investors can’t beat the market, and are likely better off sticking to index investing.
Fear and Greed in Investing
When investing, it’s also important not to let two key emotions – fear and greed – drive decisions. That means if the stock market is plummeting, investors may be fearful, but they can’t let those feelings push them toward a decision to sell. That could cause them to “lock in” losses. There’s even a Fear and Greed Index that investors sometimes use to make contrarian decisions.
Take for instance what happened during the 2008 financial crisis. After Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, the stock market entered a tumultuous stretch. The S&P 500 finally bottomed on March 9, 2009. However, the index eventually regained all its losses in the course of roughly the next four years. Investors who had hung on likely may have recovered their losses.
Meanwhile, greed can cause investors to make poor decisions as well. For instance, during the dotcom bubble, investors bought into many newly public Internet companies without always doing the research. Some of these stocks weren’t even turning a profit, making their businesses vulnerable to going belly up. Ultimately, many at-home investors suffered losses when the dot-com bubble burst.
Of course there are no guarantees when it comes to investing. There’s always risk and volatility involved. However, one of the most tried and true methods for building wealth has been a buy-and-hold strategy when it comes to stock investing.
💡 Quick Tip: When people talk about investment risk, they mean the risk of losing money. Some investments are higher risk, some are lower. Be sure to bear this in mind when investing online.
Why It May Be a Good Idea to Invest Immediately
One of the most important predictors of your returns is the length of time you’ve invested in the stock market. While it’s difficult to predict what the market will do in the near future, an investor can get a better sense over the long term.
When an investor lets their money grow, it has the chance to weather short-term ups and downs and grow over time. On average, the S&P 500, often used as a market benchmark, has grown 7% a year after adjusting for inflation. That doesn’t mean a person can predict what will happen this year, or even in the next 10 years, but looking at long term trends can give them a better sense of market dynamics.
An individual might put off investing because they want to pay off all debts first or achieve other goals, like buying a house. In some cases, that might be true, like paying off high-interest credit cards or saving for a short-term goal, such as a three to six-month emergency fund.
But once a person has an emergency fund and is out of credit card debt, they should consider investing, even if they have a mortgage or student loan debt. Even if they’re only investing for retirement, it’s a good idea to start as soon as possible.
💡 Quick Tip: How to manage potential risk factors in a self-directed investment account? Doing your research and employing strategies like dollar-cost averaging and diversification may help mitigate financial risk when trading stocks.
Consider Investing as Early as Possible
The younger you are when you invest, the better the chances are that you’ll reach your financial goals. For example, imagine Person A invests $200 a month in a retirement account starting at age 25.
Person B invests the same amount starting at age 35. They both continue to add $200 a month to their account. When they both retire at age 65, Person A will have almost twice as much as Person B: $306,689, compared to $167,550, assuming a 6% rate of return, 2% inflation rate, and 15% tax rate.
That’s true even though Person A only contributed 33% more to her account. This is how compound interest grows investments, or the power of how earnings from one’s investments can continue to build wealth.
Percentage of Retail Investors in Stock Market
As mentioned, after the 2008 financial crisis, many people were reluctant to invest in the stock market. But in recent years, that’s changed. Retail investor participation in the U.S. stock market increased considerably in 2020 and 2021, for a variety of reasons.
As of 2023, retail inventors comprise about a quarter of all total trading volume in the stock market. That may change in the future, too, as younger investors – with quicker, easier access to investing tools, in many cases – look at getting into the markets.
The Takeaway
Timing the market is difficult, if not impossible, and involves trying to “time” trading or investing moves to coincide with an increase or decrease in the stock market. Nobody can tell what the future holds, so it’s generally hard to accurately pick the right investments at the right time. That’s not to say that some investors don’t get it right from time to time, but as an overall strategy, it’s likely not advisable.
If an individual is skittish about investing, their anxiety makes sense in light of the dramatic market ups and downs many have witnessed in the past two decades. But trying to time the market doesn’t work. Instead, investing in a diversified portfolio can be a good step toward building individual wealth.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.
SoFi Invest® The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Also, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below. 1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).
2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or prequalification for any loan product offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
Claw Promotion: Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.
Investment Risk: Diversification can help reduce some investment risk. It cannot guarantee profit, or fully protect in a down market.
Feeling guilty shouldn’t stop you from taking care of yourself and your career. In today’s economy, switching jobs is often the surest way to get a significant pay raise, and it’s common to do so every few years.
“We all kind of grow out of things, and that’s a really normal process,” says Emily Frank, a Denver-based career counselor and coach who helps clients through her private practice called the Career Catalyst.
If you’re feeling guilty about leaving a job, experts recommend keeping the following points in mind.
Quitting may be better than staying
Think of it this way: Once you know you’re ready to move on, you probably notice a change in your attitude that makes work feel more like a drag. Is that a good thing for your coworkers and your employer?
When you’re feeling bored or unchallenged, it’s time to start looking for your next job move, Frank says. “Boredom isn’t good, and we don’t do our best work when we’re feeling unengaged.”
It’s normal to feel a sense of loss
The guilt you’re feeling about leaving your job may indicate that you care. You’ve invested time and energy into your work, as well as into your work relationships, says Jackie Cuevas, an Orange County, California-based human resources professional known on TikTok for giving career advice from “your friend in HR.”
“Obviously there’s a sense of guilt, because you’re like, ‘man, I’m leaving a lot behind,’ or ‘I have a lot of projects that I haven’t finished and they have to hire my replacement,’” Cuevas says.
“You have developed a bond with people that you work closely with. So it’s only natural and human to feel this feeling of guilt whenever you leave anyone behind.”
You can help with the transition
Channel your feelings of guilt into helping your coworkers and boss prepare for your departure. While it’s common to give two weeks’ notice that you’ll be leaving, standards vary depending on your industry and role. Give enough notice so that you have time to hand off projects, record any important notes or procedures and delegate responsibilities.
Bear in mind that you probably won’t answer every conceivable question before you leave. While it’s kind to offer to stay in touch if the team you’re leaving behind has questions after you’re gone, it’s not required. And you shouldn’t leave that door open just because you feel bad.
Focus on doing your best to help with the transition and then let the rest go, Cuevas says. “It’s up to management and the team to be able to really be solutions-focused and essentially figure it out.”
Your next chapter needs your attention, too
Wrapping up at an old job can be stressful. But your next phase needs your energy, too. Perhaps you’re moving to a new city or taking on a new level of responsibility.
If you can, take some time between ending one job and beginning another so you can decompress from the stress of your exit and shift your attention to what’s ahead of you.
It doesn’t have to be a lot of time — it could be a few days or a week. If, in order to get a bit of that transition time, you must give little notice at your old job, that’s a valid choice to make.
“You want to be able to close the door and get your mindset ready for this new, exciting position,” Cuevas says.
Should you feel guilty for quitting your job without notice?
Sometimes, circumstances require you to quit a job without notice, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about that.
It’s true that giving some notice before quitting your job would be the preferred route. It could help you maintain a professional relationship with your boss or coworkers. You never know when you might need help from people in your network.
But giving notice is not required and, in some instances, it may not be advisable, says Frank of the Career Catalyst.
You may decide to leave your job immediately because your new job starts right away or you are facing some kind of personal emergency. In those events, you may not be capable of doing your best work at your old job, and it’s probably better for everyone that you resign without notice.
If the fault is not on your end but lies with a harmful work culture, leaving immediately could be a way to protect yourself.
“If a workplace has gotten really bad, if there are bullying behaviors or sort of abusive treatment going on, then those are the times when you should throw professionalism out the window,” Frank says. “You just need to get out of there.”
Home is where we spend most of our time, the safe space that welcomes us at the end of a long day, the special place where we raise our families, bond with our loved ones, or retreat to for some well-deserved solitude.
And much like everything else in life, our home needs to be properly taken care of. I’m not talking about property improvements, upgrades or anything fancy.
Today, we just want to go over some general home maintenance aspects that you’re likely well aware of, but we’re hoping that a little reminder will help bring them to the forefront.
There are many things you can do, from doing regular maintenance with proper cleaning products like the ones from HG to taking extra safety measures. When you take care of your home properly, it will be the most comfortable place in the world. Keep reading to learn more about how you can achieve that.
Perform regular maintenance
The first tip to make your home is always in top condition is to perform regular maintenance.
This usually includes inspecting some points in your house, such as pipelines, roofs, ceilings, and HVAC systems. When you find something wrong at one or some of those points, you have to quickly address the issue.
Of course, you can always rely on professionals who are specialized in fixing such problems if you don’t feel like you have the expertise to do it yourself.
Make a regular cleaning schedule
The next tip is to keep your house clean at all times by making a regular cleaning schedule.
You can set the cleaning schedule once a month, twice a month, or even once a week depending on how often your home gets cluttered. Usually, the more people living in the house, the more easily it gets cluttered and accumulates dust.
You can adjust your regular cleaning schedule based on how many people live in your house. Besides, you have to stock up on several kinds of cleaning products to make your regular cleaning activities much easier.
Take security measures
Another thing you must not miss when taking care of your home is to take security measures.
This is very important because the safety of your house as well as its inhabitants must be a key priority. And this doesn’t only mean safety from burglars who can break into your house. It also means keeping your home safe from hazards such as fire and potential short circuits.
A few easy ways to achieve this is to ensure your home has all the basic security features like security locks, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers. It’s also a good idea to install an alarm system and several CCTVs around your home (if your budget can accommodate that) to make it more secure.
Perform landscaping and outdoor maintenance regularly
To make your home more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, you have to perform landscaping and outdoor maintenance regularly.
This is very important because the exterior of your house can change drastically if you don’t tend to it regularly. One of the most important outdoor maintenance activities that you have to do is to mow your lawn due to how fast weeds grow.
You also have to trim bushes and trees if you have any in your yard. You also have to check the drainage to make sure it’s not blocked by dirt.
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Do you want to learn how to find online typing jobs? There are many online typing jobs that may suit you well, and today’s article will help show you where to look. How to find online typing jobs What are online typing jobs? An online typing job is a job where you simply need an…
Do you want to learn how to find online typing jobs?
There are many online typing jobs that may suit you well, and today’s article will help show you where to look.
How to find online typing jobs
What are online typing jobs?
An online typing job is a job where you simply need an internet connection in order to work. You may be working for yourself as a small business owner or freelancer, or working for a company as an employee.
You can find online typing jobs in many different places, such as job boards, through recruiters, by networking, and more. Some job websites that you may be interested in include Upwork, FlexJobs, Indeed, Monster, and more.
Related content:
How much money can you make with an online typing job?
The amount of money that you can make with an online typing job varies.
This is because there are so many different types of jobs where you are typing online!
From starting your own blog to becoming a proofreader, live chat agent, transcriptionist and more, there are many, many different types of online typing jobs. And, they all pay a different amount of money. You can see below what some of them have for starting pay.
What are the pros and cons of an online typing job?
Pros of online typing jobs include:
If you are a fast typer, then this may be an easy gig for you
You can work from home
You may be able to have a flexible work schedule
You probably already have a laptop or computer, so you probably don’t need much in terms of equipment to get started
Cons of online typing jobs include:
Some online typing jobs may be a little repetitive. While this isn’t always a con, it could be for some
There are some scams out there, so you will need to do your research and make sure it’s a legitimate online typing job that you are looking at
What skills does an online typing job need?
The skills that you need will vary depending on the online typing job that you are interested in. But, some important ones for most will include accuracy in typing and a fast typing speed.
14 Best Online Typing Jobs
Below are the 14 best online typing jobs for beginners.
Blogger
My favorite online typing job is to start your own blog.
I spend most of my working time typing, and I really enjoy it!
Blogging allows me to travel whenever I would like, work from home, have a flexible schedule, earn an income, and more.
I created Making Sense of Cents in 2011, and since then I have earned over $5,000,000 with my blog.
My blog was created on a random day as a way to track my own personal finance progress. And when I first started my own blog, I honestly didn’t even know that people could make money blogging or how to start a successful blog!
I did not create Making Sense of Cents to earn money from home, but after only six months, I began to make money.
Blogging is quite affordable to start too, and you really just need a computer and an internet connection. I spend most of my time typing new blog posts, talking to readers and companies through email, and more.
You can sign up to learn how to start a blog with my free How To Start a Blog Course.
Proofreader
Proofreading is a flexible and detail-oriented job that only requires a laptop or tablet, an internet connection, and a good eye for finding mistakes.
Oh yeah, and accurate typing skills!
Proofreaders look for punctuation mistakes, misspelled words, lack of consistency, and formatting errors.
You might be proofreading books, articles, blog posts, student essays, lessons, scripts, emails, advertising content, medical documents, and more – anything that can be delivered electronically and be proofread on a computer or tablet.
You can learn more at How To Start A Proofreading Business And Make $4,000+ Monthly.
Sell printables on Etsy
Selling printables is an online job where you may be typing, creating graphics, and more.
Making printables on Etsy can be a great way to earn an income because you just need to create one digital file per product, which you can then sell an unlimited number of times.
So, what exactly is a printable?
Printables are digital products that customers can download and print at home. Some ideas for printables include grocery shopping checklists, gift tags, printable quotes for wall art, and more.
You can sign up for this free ebook that helps you figure out where to start when it comes to selling printables on Etsy.
You can also learn more at How I Make Money Selling Printables On Etsy.
Online bookkeeper
A bookkeeper is someone who tracks the finances of a business. As an online bookkeeper, you would be typing from home.
And, yes, you can start this even if you are brand new.
Online bookkeepers are in high demand. If you’ve been wanting to work from home and want to earn $40,000+ each year, bookkeeping could be perfect for you.
As a bookkeeper, you are responsible for helping businesses take care of their finances, such as by tracking receipts and spending.
A bookkeeper is someone who helps manage and track the financial side of a business. They will typically keep track of sales and expenses, and produce financial reports.
Those with virtual bookkeeping jobs work remotely from home, and they do not physically need to go into the office. Bookkeeping is an excellent option for remote work because all of a bookkeeper’s work can be done online or with computer software.
I recommend checking out the free How To Become An Online Bookkeeper Workshop to see if becoming a bookkeeper interests you.
Freelance writer
Freelance writing is a very popular career path, and I think it will only continue to grow!
And, you would be typing all the time. If you like to type, then this may be a great fit for you.
A freelance writer is someone who writes for a number of different clients, such as websites, blogs, magazines, news publications, and more. They don’t work for one specific company, rather they work for themselves and contract out their writing.
If you have a fast typing speed, then you can also write more blog posts and earn a higher income.
Learn more at How I Earn $200,000+ Writing Online Content.
Virtual assistant
As a virtual assistant, you would be typing from home and doing a variety of tasks.
The internet allows us to complete more daily tasks online, and more and more people also have stay-at-home jobs and businesses, such as running a website, social media, real estate, advertising, etc. That’s why virtual assistant jobs are in high demand.
Virtual assistant tasks may include:
Managing social media
Formatting and proofreading content
Scheduling travel and appointments
Managing email
Maintaining spreadsheets
Handling phone calls
And so much more. As a virtual assistant, you can get paid to do any task that needs to be done in someone’s business but doesn’t need to be done by them.
You can learn more at How This Virtual Assistant Earns $10,000 Month From Home as a Virtual Assistant.
Survey taker
Paid online surveys aren’t a full-time job, but if you’re looking for something that just takes up a little bit of your time each month, then this may be one to look into.
As a survey taker, you would mainly be completing surveys online from your laptop. You would be answering questions and simply just giving your feedback. Usually, you are paid via money sent to your PayPal account, gift cards, and free items.
Companies need people to take surveys so that they can see what the public thinks about their product and company, so that they know what to improve.
People typically sign up for as many survey companies as they can, as you usually won’t receive more than just a few surveys from a company each month.
Below are the companies I recommend signing up for:
American Consumer Opinion
Survey Junkie
Swagbucks
InboxDollars
Branded Surveys
Pinecone Research
PrizeRebel
User Interviews
Book reviewer
As a book reviewer, you can get paid to type from home, as you would be typing reviews for books that you have read!
There are websites that will pay you to review books, or you could even start your own book review blog. Each site varies, but you are typically paid cash via PayPal or bank transfer, or you may receive a free book in exchange for your review.
Here are some of the best websites for online typing jobs that will pay for you to review books:
Online Book Club – With this website, you are only paid with a free book for the first review. After the first review, you will be eligible to be paid for the book review opportunities, plus the books will always be free. With this website, you can get paid around $5 to $60 for each book that you review.
Kirkus – This platform is looking for book reviewers of English and Spanish language books. They need reviews that are about 350 words long, and they are due two weeks after you are assigned to read a book.
Upwork – With Upwork, you would need to create your own profile and make a listing as a book reviewer. This way, clients and authors can find you and hire you directly to read their book and review it. Plus, on Upwork, you can set your own pricing and decide which clients you want to work with.
The US Review of Books – This website uses freelance writers to review books and write reviews that are around 250 to 300 words long.
Reedsy – Here, you can review hundreds of different books before they are published and earn money at the same time. Authors submit their books to Reedsy, specifically to be reviewed by book reviewers. You then get paid by readers (those who buy a book) as a tip for the review. These tips can be $1, $3, or $5.
Booklist – This website pays for reviews that are around 150 to 175 words long that describe the plot, suggest an ideal audience, etc. Booklist pays $15 for each published book review.
Related content: 7 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books
Translator
Are you fluent in another language? If so, then you may be able to find an online typing work-from-home job where you translate content, books, articles, and more.
There are lots of places you can find translation jobs, including:
Upwork – On Upwork, you simply create a free profile and apply for translation jobs.
Babelcube – This is a website that sends freelance translation projects to you. You select which books you translate, translate them to one of more than 15 different languages, and partner with published authors.
Guru – Guru is a website that lists freelance writing and translation jobs.
Indeed – Indeed lists translation jobs that they find from job boards, staffing firms, company websites, and more.
FlexJobs – It will cost you to join FlexJobs, but they do list translation jobs, which can be worthwhile.
Today Translations – This is a website that is looking for translators to freelance for them.
Fiverr – Fiverr is an online marketplace where you can find freelance jobs all over the world. You can list your translation services and pricing here.
Ulatus – Ulatus is a website that provides translation services and they hire translators.
As you can see, there are lots of options if you want to put your translation skills to work.
Transcriptionist
Transcription work is when you turn audio or video content into a text document.
There are many businesses looking to fill positions for online transcription jobs since general transcriptionists convert audio files and video to text for virtually any industry. Some examples include marketers, authors, filmmakers, speakers, conferences, legal transcription, and more.
Online transcriptionist jobs can start around $15 an hour to begin with.
You can learn more about becoming a transcriptionist in the interview Make Money At Home By Becoming A Transcriptionist. The interview explains:
What a transcriptionist does
How much you can earn transcribing content
The type of training you need
How to find transcription jobs
And more!
Another online typing job similar to this is captioning, and I know we have all seen captions before. Captioning is when you transcribe a video and synchronize it with the video.
Live chat agent
Many large companies outsource their customer service departments to people who are working at home and they usually pay via an hourly wage.
This means you may be able to find a job as an online chat agent.
Customer service representatives may be responsible for a number of things, like:
Working as an online chat agent
Offering technical support
Providing customer support
A typing job as a customer service representative may be that you respond to help/support requests online, such as through an online live chat, or email support.
Affiliate marketer
I am an affiliate marketer through this blog, Making Sense of Cents, and I spend most of my working hours typing.
I think this can be a great way to earn income if you are interested in finding an online typing career path.
Affiliate marketing is when you earn an income by placing a referral link on your website, blog, Instagram, and so on and have people purchase a product or service through your referral link.
An example would be selling a book and you link to a specific book on your blog and try to get people to purchase the book through your affiliate link.
If you get someone to sign up through your affiliate link, the company (such as Amazon) pays you for sharing the product that they sell through the affiliate link.
If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing, I recommend signing up for Affiliate Marketing Tips For Bloggers – Free eBook.
Scopist
As a scopist, you would be typing from home.
Scoping is when you are editing legal documents for court reporters. This is different from proofreading for court reporters.
Scopists who are working with a court reporter tend to earn around $30,000 to $45,000 each year working around full-time hours.
I interviewed an expert on the topic – Linda from Internet Scoping School. She has been scoping for over 35 years and has taught scoping online for around 20 years.
She has a free course that will introduce you to scoping so that you can decide if it’s one of the online business ideas you want to pursue. You can find the free course by clicking here.
You can learn more at How To Become A Scopist.
Google rater
A search engine evaluator (also known as a Google rater) is a person who rates websites based on their quality and usefulness.
You are rating websites to help Google improve its search engine results.
This can be a great online typing job for beginners because you don’t need experience in this area to start, nor do you have to know what you are doing. This is because Google wants average people rating their sites.
Another great thing – since Google operates in nearly every country around the world, you can work on sites that are in your native language.
Learn more at How To Become a Search Engine Evaluator.
Are online typing jobs legitimate?
Yes, online typing jobs are real and legitimate.
I work online and I know many, many other people who also work online and spend most of their day typing.
Many companies hire online workers, and there are many different kinds of online typing businesses that you can start as well.
There are so many online typing jobs, especially in today’s day and age. I recommend seeing which ones you are most interested in and learning more about them.
Online Typing Jobs – Summary
As you can see, there are many different online typing jobs that may interest you.
Depending on your typing speed, accuracy, skills, whether you are looking for full-time or part-time jobs, if you need entry-level work, and more, there are many different online typing jobs that may interest you.
These may include typist jobs such as:
Blogger
Proofreader
Sell printables on Etsy
Bookkeeper
Freelance writer
Virtual assistant
Survey taker
Book reviewer
Translator
Transcriptionist
Live chat agent
Affiliate marketer
Scopist
Google rater
What do you think are the best online typing jobs?
Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, is an economic measure representing the total value of all goods and services that a country or region produces in a specific time period, usually a quarter or a year.
The GDP of the United States was $26.49 trillion at the end of Q1, 2023, an increase of 1.3% over the previous quarter, according to the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
GDP can serve as a quick, numeric shorthand for explaining a country’s economy’s trajectory, and investors can use it as a factor, along with market trends and other analysis, in making their investing decisions. It’s important for investors to know more than just the definition of GDP in order to have context about what the number truly means.
Calculating GDP
When calculating the GDP of a country, economists look at a wide range of factors, including: Public and private consumption, government spending, investments, growth in private inventories, construction spending, as well as the balance of foreign trade (exports minus imports).
The GDP formula can be complicated, so to enable comparisons, countries typically follow a set of internationally accepted guidelines, known as the 1993 System of National Accounts, created by the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations, and the World Bank.
In the United States, the BEA uses data collected by other federal agencies, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Treasury. It also gathers information directly from private industry, including trade groups and companies that specialize in sales data for a wide range of products, from prescription drugs to cars.
💡 Quick Tip: Did you know that opening a brokerage account typically doesn’t come with any setup costs? Often, the only requirement to open a brokerage account — aside from providing personal details — is making an initial deposit.
Multiple Measures of GDP
There are several ways to measure GDP.
Real GDP
Real GDP is an inflation-adjusted measure of the value of the amount of goods and services produced by a given economy. This is the number typically released by the United States.
Nominal GDP
Nominal GDP uses current market prices to compare countries’ GDP. It does not adjust values based on inflation. If a country’s output remains steady, but the value of what they produce changes, then its nominal GDP would change. That makes it much harder to compare GDP in two different time periods.
Purchasing Power Parity GDP
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) measures GDP as adjusted for the differences in both local prices and local living costs. This metric allows economists to make more meaningful correlations from country to country about the impact of GDP on the people who live there.
Per Capita GDP
This breaks down the GDP by the number of people in a country’s population. As such, it shows the average output or income of each person in that country, and is often used to paint a picture of the relative wealth or poverty in a given country.
Recommended: 101 Investing Guide
What GDP Means for Investors
When the GDP makes the financial news, the number in the headline is usually a percentage, namely how much the GDP rose or fell in the most recent quarter. The standard definition of a recession is two quarters of consecutive declines in the GDP.
During a period of rising GDP, employment tends to increase because companies staff up for expansion. This means that more people have more income to spend. That creates more business, which keeps the growth cycle spinning. But when GDP is in decline, the opposite tends to occur, with fewer people working, and wages depressed, leading to a downward cycle.
While there is not a direct cause-effect relationship between the GDP and stock or bond prices, some investors use a strategy known as business-cycle investing to determine how to allocate their portfolio.
Recommended: Asset Allocation by Age
Equity Investors
Many stock investors prefer an economy where the GDP is steadily rising, since it often means a healthy economy and higher company earnings, which can boost the stock market. In contrast, a falling or stagnant GDP can be bad news for stock prices.
Bond Investors
Fixed-income investors may have a different view of GDP. That’s because GDP growth often comes with more borrowing by both consumers and businesses, which can create inflation. Inflation often leads to higher interest rates, which have the effect of driving down bond prices. With sinking GDP, the opposite tends to happen, resulting in higher bond prices.
The Takeaway
GDP is essentially an economic scorecard for a country. By understanding how a country’s GDP is changing over time, and how it compares to other countries, you can get a sense of its overall economic health. Investors can consider GDP trends when planning their investing strategy.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.
Photo credit: iStock
SoFi Invest® The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Also, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below. 1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).
2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or prequalification for any loan product offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.
Claw Promotion: Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.
Quadruple witching refers to the simultaneous expiration of four popular investment contracts, creating wild market conditions. Given its name, it may just be the spookiest day of the year for investors – sorry, Halloween! Quadruple witching day occurs on the third Friday in March, June, September, and December.
The last hour of those trading days is known as the “quadruple witching hour”, when many derivatives contracts expire, often creating volatility in the markets. That’s because there may be higher market volume on those days as traders either close out or roll over their positions.
What is Quadruple Witching Day?
Quadruple witching, or quad witching, is trader’s terminology for the four dates on the calendar when four kinds of options contracts expire: stock options, stock index futures, index options, and stock futures.
Each of the contracts has expiration dates that will match up each quarter, which is why quadruple witching, or quad witching, happens in the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth month of the year respectively. The expiration for these contracts happen at the same time in the day — the afternoon.
While events like quadruple witching may not impact how and when you invest (especially if you’re investing for the long term), they are a good reminder of the investment risks that any investing strategy or approach brings.
How much attention individual investors pay to witching day may depend on their investing philosophy and their time horizon. Since quad witching can result in short-term volatility, many passive investors may ignore them entirely. On the other hand, active investors who try to time the market and get in and out of trades quickly in the most advantageous manner, may use them to inform their strategy and consider buying or selling witching hour stocks.
💡 Quick Tip: If you’re opening a brokerage account for the first time, consider starting with an amount of money you’re prepared to lose. Investing always includes the risk of loss, and until you’ve gained some experience, it’s probably wise to start small.
Contracts Involved in Quad Witching
To understand quadruple witching, you have to first understand the different options contracts involved. Stock index futures, stock index options, single stock futures and single stock options are all derivatives, meaning their value corresponds to the value or change in value of an underlying asset. The underlying assets are either stock market indexes, like the S&P 500, or individual company stocks.
Options contracts give holders the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a stock at a certain price at a future date. Futures contracts are contracts to purchase shares of a given stock at a certain price in the future.
For indices, futures and options are contracts on the value of an equity index. Investors often use these either to hedge or make outright speculations on the moves of an index. All four derivatives are complex investments that involve risks when playing the market, and they’re more often used by professional traders and institutional traders than retail investors.
Recommended: Is it Possible to Time the Stock Market?
How Does Quadruple Witching Affect the Market?
Quadruple witching days are those four days of the year when these types of contracts all expire, those who bought contracts and choose to exercise them will receive their stock or cash, or they make additional transactions to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities.
This can lead to more buying and selling of shares than is typical for a given day or, especially a given hour. Increased volume can mean more volatility in the markets and the possibility of large swings during the day.
One reason these days can cause hiccups in the markets is that while certain positions expire, investors may want to extend them. This means they have to “roll” the bet in order to keep it active, potentially forcing other players in the market to buy or sell, especially if the market is already volatile or choppy.
For trades that involve the transfer or automatic buying of stock, like options trades on individual shares, the quadruple witching date can mean automatic buying up of shares to fulfill the options contracts, leading to spikes even if there is no “fundamental” reason for them.
Overall, volumes in options trades can go up on quadruple witching days, which can sometimes have knock-on effects on the price of the underlying assets involved in options contracts.
The Takeaway
Quadruple witching day occurs on the third Friday in March, June, September, and December. The last hour of those trading days is known as the “quadruple witching hour”, when many derivatives contracts expire, often creating volatility in the markets. That’s because there may be higher market volume on those days as traders either close out or roll over their positions.
Quadruple witching offers an opportunity to understand how market mechanics can affect actual prices, but it may not impact the strategy for most long-term investors. More experienced investors and traders may find profitable opportunities, however, as the markets enter a period of volatility.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.
Photo credit: iStock/Radachynskyi
SoFi Invest® The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Also, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below. 1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).
2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or prequalification for any loan product offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
Claw Promotion: Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.
Leverage ratios are a collection of formulas commonly used to compare how much debt, or leverage, a company has relative to its assets and equity. It shows whether a company is using more equity or more debt to finance its operations. Understanding a company’s debt situation is a key part of fundamental analysis during stock research. Calculating its financial leverage ratio helps potential investors understand a company’s ability to pay off its debt.
A high leverage ratio could indicate that a company has taken on more debt than it can pay off with its current cash flows, potentially making the company a riskier investment.
How to Calculate Leverage
A company increases its leverage by taking on more debt, acquiring an asset through a lease, buying back its own stock using borrowed funds, or by acquiring another company using borrowed funds.
There are several types of leverage ratios, which compare a company’s or an individual’s debt levels to other financial indicators. Some commonly used ones are:
Debt-to-Assets Ratio
This ratio compares a company’s debt to its assets. It is calculated by dividing total debt by total assets. A higher ratio could indicate that the company has purchased the majority of its assets with debt. That could be a warning sign that the company doesn’t have enough cash or profits to pay off these debts.
Formula: Total debt / total assets
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (D/E)
The debt-to-equity ratio compares a company’s debt to its equity. It is calculated by dividing total debt by total equity. If this ratio is high, it could indicate that the company has been financing its growth using debt.
The appropriate D/E ratio will vary by company. Some industries require more capital and some companies may need to take on more debt. Comparing ratios of companies in the same industry can give you a sense of what the typical ranges are.
Formula: Total debt / total equity
Asset-to-Equity Ratio
This is similar to the D/E ratio, but uses assets instead of debt. Assets include debt, so debt is still included in the overall ratio. If this ratio is high, it means the company is funding its operations mostly with assets and debt rather than equity.
Formula: Total assets / total equity
Debt-to-Capital Ratio
Another popular ratio, this one looks at a company’s debt liabilities and its total capital. It includes both short- and long-term debt, as well as shareholder equity. If this ratio is high, this may be a sign that the company is a risky investment.
Formula: Debt-to-capital ratio: Total debt / (total debt + total shareholder equity)
Degree of Financial Leverage
This calculation shows how a company’s operating income or earnings before interest (EBIT) and taxes will impact its earnings per share (EPS). If a company takes on more debt, it may have less stable earnings. This can be a good thing if the debt helps the company earn more money, but if the company goes through a less profitable period it could have a harder time paying off the debt.
Formula: % change in earnings per share / % change in earnings before interest and taxes
Consumer Leverage Ratio
This ratio compares the average American consumer’s debt to their disposable income. If consumers go into more debt, their spending can help fuel the economy, but it can also lead to larger economic problems.
Formula: Total household debt / disposable personal income
💡 Quick Tip: Investment fees are assessed in different ways, including trading costs, account management fees, and possibly broker commissions. When you set up an investment account, be sure to get the exact breakdown of your “all-in costs” so you know what you’re paying.
Ways to Use Leverage Ratio Calculations
Understanding the definition of leverage ratio and the formulas for various types, is the first step toward using the measurement to make investing decisions. Investors use leverage ratios as a tool to measure the risk of investing in a company.
Simply put, they show how much borrowed money a company is using. Each industry is different, and the amount of debt a company has may differ depending on who its competitors are and other factors, such as its historical profits. In a very competitive industry or one that requires significant capital investment, it may be riskier to invest in or lend to a company with a high leverage ratio.
The interest rates companies are paying matters also, since debt at a lower rate has a smaller impact on the bottom line.
Regardless of industry, If a company can not pay back its debts, it may end up going bankrupt, and the investor could lose their money. On the other hand, if a company is using some leverage to fuel growth, this can be a good sign for investors. This means shareholders can see a greater return on equity when the company profits off of that growth. If a company can’t or chooses not to borrow any money, that could signal that they have tight margins, which may also be a warning sign for investors.
Investors can also use leverage ratios to understand how a potential change in expenses or income might affect the company.
Recommended: How Interest Rates Impact the Stock Market
How Lenders Use Leverage Ratios
In addition to investors, potential lenders calculate leverage ratios to figure out how much they are willing to lend to a company. These calculations are completed in addition to other calculations to provide a comprehensive picture of the company’s financial situation.
Overall, leverage ratio is one calculation amongst many that are used to evaluate a company for potential investment or lending.
Recommended: What EBIT and EBITDA Tell You About a Company
How Leverage is Created
There are several different ways companies or individuals create leverage These include:
• A company may borrow money to fund the acquisition of another business by issuing bonds
• Large companies can take out “cash flow loans” based on their credit status
• A company may purchase assets such as equipment or property using “asset-backed lending”
• A company or private equity firm may do a leveraged buyout
• Individuals take out a mortgage to purchase a house
• Individual investors who trade options, futures, and margins may use leverage to increase their position
• Investors may borrow money against their investment portfolio
The Takeaway
All leverage ratios are a measure of a company’s risk. Understanding basic formulas for fundamental analysis is an important strategy when starting to invest in stocks. Such formulas can help investors weigh the risks of a particular asset investment and compare assets to one another.
There are numerous ways to use leverage ratios, and lenders can use them as well. In all, knowing the basics about them can help broaden your knowledge and understanding of the financial industry.
Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).
For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.
Photo credit: iStock/MicroStockHub
SoFi Invest® The information provided is not meant to provide investment or financial advice. Also, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment decisions should be based on an individual’s specific financial needs, goals, and risk profile. SoFi can’t guarantee future financial performance. Advisory services offered through SoFi Wealth, LLC. SoFi Securities, LLC, member FINRA / SIPC . SoFi Invest refers to the three investment and trading platforms operated by Social Finance, Inc. and its affiliates (described below). Individual customer accounts may be subject to the terms applicable to one or more of the platforms below. 1) Automated Investing—The Automated Investing platform is owned by SoFi Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor (“Sofi Wealth“). Brokerage services are provided to SoFi Wealth LLC by SoFi Securities LLC, an affiliated SEC registered broker dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, (“Sofi Securities).
2) Active Investing—The Active Investing platform is owned by SoFi Securities LLC. Clearing and custody of all securities are provided by APEX Clearing Corporation.
3) Cryptocurrency is offered by SoFi Digital Assets, LLC, a FinCEN registered Money Service Business.
For additional disclosures related to the SoFi Invest platforms described above, including state licensure of Sofi Digital Assets, LLC, please visit www.sofi.com/legal.
Neither the Investment Advisor Representatives of SoFi Wealth, nor the Registered Representatives of SoFi Securities are compensated for the sale of any product or service sold through any SoFi Invest platform. Information related to lending products contained herein should not be construed as an offer or prequalification for any loan product offered by SoFi Bank, N.A.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
Claw Promotion: Customer must fund their Active Invest account with at least $10 within 30 days of opening the account. Probability of customer receiving $1,000 is 0.028%. See full terms and conditions.
When you are an experienced real estate agent looking for a new brokerage, you are thorough about interviewing companies that will be the right fit. You analyze change not only in terms of commission splits, culture, marketing, and support, but also in terms of what feels good for your business. You look for companies that fit your goals and will be good for growth. You have learned to interview brokers and not the other way around. You know the ins-and-outs of the business and feel confident that you will bring value to a company but the value needs to be reciprocal. Going through the trouble of changing companies without benefit for you and your business, would make absolutely no sense.
Oh the headache!! New business cards, property signs, branding! Going through all platforms changing brokerage names. Making announcements and making sure business is uninterrupted! Change and adjustment must come with a nice price tag and added value.
The easy way is not always the best way
No wonder so many agents remain in their good ‘ol boring companies for years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! How lame is that!! And how can you really scale your business with your current status quo. Well…maybe you are happy with status quo, and that’s really ok – but what if a broker knocked on your door and promised you more money? (I’m not mentioning any names or the known company offering nice bonuses!!) <<pure sweetness, may as well take a nice vacay and continue your good ol’ business once you return.
But I’m not talking about magic pills here. I’m talking about not scaling your business because of lack of motivation, fear of technology, fear of hiring help, or worse: fear of change. So if a broker can guarantee efficiency so you have time to focus on real estate, would that catch your attention?
I know what you are thinking … you are an independent contractor. Shouldn’t you be responsible for improving your own business? That is NOT your broker’s responsibility. << sorry to say but although much of that is true, it’s also a good way for you to BS yourself. A good broker will go out of their way to continuously improve their tech and systems to make you productive and efficient. A great broker will do that and also make sure your needs are taken care of instead of forgetting you in the background and focusing on their new hires.
Is the value promised real?
The truth is that brokerages need money to make money – so if they claim they will provide value, they better give proof, not just tease you with the latest shiny object.
Let’s break down what’s important to you as an agent:
tools (in one place, not having to jump around all over the web, and having the latest tech)
name recognition (is this really about the broker or your own brand and value?)
efficiency (cut down hours doing useless things that don’t make you money)
support (cut down hours doing useless things that don’t make you money)
leads (do you want a broker that gives you hand-me-downs or one that will provide A.I. and predictive analytics?)
Your current broker could be holding you back
The point of this article is to make you think of the unthinkable, change. Mediocrity is not an option, and although change is sometimes the answer for making great things happen, your decision should ultimately be about aligning yourself with powerful and smart people that will not just compliment your business but help it soar to new levels.
I challenge you to look back at your business and analyze how it has improved (or not) in the last year. Can you hear “change” calling your name? shhhhh…..if you listen, it will be clear as day.
Imagine making $1,000 for every $100 you spend on real estate leads. Today’s guest, Joe Herrera of the Joe Taylor Group, does exactly that with a smart, simple Facebook advertising strategy. Listen and learn how to create viral property ads and how to consistently convert the leads that they generate. Plus, you’ll hear how to hold a team of Realtors accountable, what works best for buyer leads in 2023, and why you should not advertise a property’s price.
Listen to today’s show and learn:
About Joe Herrera [0:41]
Why Joe focuses on Facebook for real estate leads [4:43]
How to stop playing Zillow’s game [7:50]
An argument for not listing a property’s price [9:24]
Determining lead spend based on agents’ needs [12:55]
What to expect when you start running ads on Facebook [15:13]
How soon you’ll know whether or not a real estate ad is working [19:29]
How leads come in when running Facebook ads [21:34]
Why Zillow isn’t the right fit for Joe’s real estate business [24:49]
Focusing on the why instead of the what when working buyer leads [27:59]
Building the right relationship with potential clients [29:23]
What the 9-6-6 follow-up schedule looks like [31:50]
Joe’s coaching and lead-gen program for busy real estate agents [33:16]
Common conversion mistakes [36:45]
The difference between customer service and sales [39:51]
How to hold real estate agents accountable [41:40]
Joe’s real estate goals for the next few years [45:41]
The most relevant voice in real estate [49:16]
Joe Herrera
Joe Herrera is a multifaceted individual who seamlessly blends passion and responsibility into his various roles. As a keynote speaker, coach, mentor, lead generator, podcast host, and associate broker of Real Broker, Herrera’s enthusiasm for his work is contagious.
With more than a decade of experience as a lead conversion coach, Herrera has an impressive track record of generating more than 10,000 leads annually. His exceptional team, the Joe Taylor Group, closes an outstanding 1,000 units each year, expanding its presence to seven locations across North America. Notably, Herrera has graced the stage as a featured keynote speaker at prestigious real estate events across the U.S. and Mexico, sharing his expertise and insights.
In addition to his accomplishments in real estate industry, Herrera’s entrepreneurial spirit shines as he owns and operates several businesses specializing in investment and lead generation. His commitment to helping others extends further through his dedicated Velocity coaching business, where he pays it forward by guiding and supporting aspiring professionals.
As a Las Vegas area REALTOR®, Herrera understands the significance of buying or selling a home as a major life event for his clients. Beyond being a salesperson, he embraces his role as a trusted guide, providing unparalleled support and expertise throughout the process.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Herrera remains deeply connected to his community and family. He devotes his time to various acts of service, always ready to give back to those in need. An avid golfer, Herrera enjoys spending quality time with his kids, hitting the links at his favorite golf courses across the country.
Joe Herrera’s story is one of dedication, ambition, and genuine care for others – a testament to his remarkable character and the positive impact he brings to both the real estate industry and his community.
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