By the end of this year, experts have estimated that global advertising spending will be evenly split between digital advertising and offline advertising.

It’s true that digital advertising is becoming more popular. However, that doesn’t mean that brands shouldn’t still work on promoting their products and services offline.

Read on to learn more about the benefits of offline advertising. You’ll also find eight steps you can take to incorporate it effectively into your marketing strategy.

Benefits of Offline Marketing

There are lots of reasons why offline marketing and advertising still need to be priorities in 2020. The following are some of the greatest benefits offline promotion has to offer:

• Reach a wider audience, including older generations who might not be spending a lot of time online
• Stand out from the crowd and catch people’s attention in new ways (especially in public spaces)
• Provide your audience with something tangible (such as a business card or piece of direct mail) that helps them to remember your brand
• Make a longer-lasting impression

Offline marketing can also be very cost-effective. There are tons of options out there to choose from, and it’s easy to find approaches that work well with your business’s specific budget.

How to Advertise Offline

Okay, you’re convinced that it’s a good idea to continue to market your business offline. How do you do this, though? What are the most effective strategies to utilize?

The following eight tips will help you to get the most out of your offline advertising efforts:

1. Hand Out Business Cards

Don’t underestimate the power of the humble business card. Business cards are a great tool to have on hand when you’re out and about. You never know when you’re going to have a chance to promote your brand, right?

Keeping some business cards handy will help you ensure people remember you and your business. This, in turn, increases the likelihood that they’ll reach out to you (especially since they’ll already have your contact information readily available).

2. Use Direct Mail

These days, most people aren’t getting as much mail as they used to. Because of this, some entrepreneurs might assume that it’s not a good idea to use direct mail as an advertising tool. In reality, though, the decrease in mail being sent and received actually makes direct mail more powerful.

When people get a well-designed piece of direct mail promoting your brand delivered to them, they’ll be more inclined to hang onto it and learn more about your company. Direct mail can help you stand out from your competitors and reach a wider audience.

3. Consider TV or Radio Ads

TV commercials and radio ads are still effective methods of advertising in 2020. Creating a commercial or recording an ad for the radio will help you to meet people where they are and get them interested in what you have to offer. This is especially true if you can find a way to make your commercial or ad unique and memorable.

4. Pass Out Coupons

Some things never change, including the fact that people are almost always happy to save money. By handing out coupons that give customers a small discount on their next purchase, you can increase the number of people who shop with your brand and increase revenues in a significant way.

There are lots of ways that you can distribute coupons, too. You could send them in the mail, for example, or go door to door and pass them out to people in your area. You can partner with a similar local business and ask to put a stack in their store or office, too.

5. Send Seasonal and Celebratory Gifts

People love to be seen and celebrated. By sending out fun seasonal gifts or promotional materials, or reaching out to customers on their birthdays, you can help them to feel special and increase the likelihood that they’ll want to buy something from you in the future. Even something simple like a personalized card can go a long way toward helping you build a strong, long-lasting relationship with a member of your audience.

6. Publish Press Releases

Getting your brand’s name out there in the press is a great way to boost name recognition and get people interested in your products or services. When you have something to announce, such as the introduction of a new product, work with local news outlets to publish a press release and spread the word.

Because most news outlets publish their stories online as well as in print, this approach can also boost your online search engine ranking in addition to helping you reach more people offline. When news outlets have information about your brand on their website, that’ll help more people to find your brand when they’re searching for products or services like yours online. It’s a win-win.

7. Host a Free Event or Workshop

If possible, consider hosting a free event or workshop at your place of business. You could teach people how to use your products, for example, and offer a discount on their next purchase as a way to say thank you for their attendance. Events and workshops help you to get to know the people in your community on a deeper level and find out what they’d like to see more of in the future.

8. Update Your Packaging

Finally, don’t forget to pay attention to your packaging. Your products’ packaging is a powerful advertising tool and can be the thing that convinces someone to buy what you’re selling instead of making a purchase from your competitors.

If you need help updating your packaging, you can read more now about some of the different methods brands are using to stand out and reach more people.

Put These Advertising Ideas to the Test Today

Clearly, it’s important to strike a balance between online and offline advertising. Be sure to keep the tips listed above in mind so you can advertise offline in the most effective way possible.

Do you want to learn more about promoting your business? If so, check out some of the other marketing and advertising resources in the Business section of our site today.

You know about climate change and the many ways the planet is suffering from human society. You also know you want to make a change and do your part to take care of the environment, but it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Here are four simple ideas that you can implement today to help make a difference. 

1. Shop Organic

Whenever possible, substitute your everyday food items for the organic option. You can buy meat, fruit, and vegetables organically. If you are a coffee drinker, consider buying from an organic coffee company. Shopping from local farmers markets is a great way to support organic produce, as well as your city.

2. Minimize Car Pollution

Whenever possible, drive with friends, or take public transportation. Driving less is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. When driving long distances, use the cruise control as frequently as possible, and when the weather is good, roll down the windows instead of blasting the AC.

3. Use The Dryer Less

Instead of throwing your clothes in the dryer, try hanging them outside to air dry. If you don’t have the ability to hang outside, drying racks and shower rods are useful for indoor drying. 

4. Recycle 

Getting rid of plastic entirely can be daunting, but recycling is a great way to put the plastic you use to good use. If you have a hard time remembering which items can be recycled, make a list of recyclable items and hang it on your fridge. Keeping a second trash can next to your first makes recycling easy and fast. 

There are so many ways to reduce your carbon footprint. It can be discouraging to think of all the areas that need improvement, but making one small change in your daily life can make a big difference. 

As a small business owner, you are not the only one who has broken glass or a cup over sales taxes. The incredibly confusing and complex nature of filing sales tax means that you are not the only business owner or entrepreneur who has screwed up this aspect of their business.

With ever-changing laws and differences among the states regarding sales taxes, calculating and depositing the same can be a daunting experience. However, failure to comply with the same can also result in heavy penalties and sometimes serious legal issues.

So what are you supposed to do as a business? Shut down shop or choose to work and find a solution to navigating the murky waters of sales taxes. In this article, we will look at how businesses can effectively pay sales taxes.

Where should your Sales Tax Journey start from?

The first thing that every business needs to do is register with the requisite authorities of the state government for getting a sales tax permit. In most cases, you can either physically go to the offices of the Revenue Department or the website of the taxing authority of the state.

You need to register your business entity and request for a Permit. It is this permit, which will allow you to collect and report the sales taxes from your business. It is essential that you get the permit first before starting any business in the concerned state.

The Sales Tax Permit form also has a section where you need to submit the details of FEIN (Federal Employer Identification Number). Make sure to have all these details available before you file for the permit.

Find out about the Rate of Sales Taxes in the Different States

As we have already mentioned before, sales tax rates and slabs differ from state to state. This means that if you have a business presence in ten states, you will need to collect ten different types of sales tax.

However, what is complex is the fact that the individual breakup of sales tax of different products and services also differs from one state to another. This coupled with the earlier differences between states makes the entire process much more confusing.

However, small businesses can calculate state taxes by visiting the state website for the revenue department or the taxation agency. They give you a complete idea regarding the rates, timelines, and individual product breakups and so on.

You also need to figure out whether all the products and services are taxable or not. In other states, while some states may levy sales taxes on some products, other states might not do so. This is why sales tax filing should be left to seasoned professionals and experts.

How to Start Collecting Sales Taxes

Once you are done with the above formalities, you need to start the collection process itself. At this stage, you need to ensure that your POS machine, cash registers and other invoice or billing software and tools are synchronized with the rates of the sales tax.

States have a rule where you need to show the amount of sales tax, which is being collected to the consumer. However, most of the latest POS machines are configured to give out this piece of information in the bill itself.

Many financial experts suggest that all the sales tax collections should be maintained in a separate bank account. This allows for proper collection and deposition of the same with the government authorities. It is also suggested that the business owner control all access to this bank account to prevent theft or fraud.

The Final Word

While sales taxes continue to be a rather confusing area of business, they are nevertheless essential for a business. Without the sales tax, you cannot function or run your business. If you want any more information on sales taxes, let us know in the comments section below.

Reports of unsupervised dogs attacking unsuspecting individuals on the roads is pretty common these days. The reason for the same has been attributed to poor dog parents who are unable to control, train and manage our canine friends.

The consistent attacks on children and the elderly on driveways and at parks have prompted local authorities to set up canine handling teams for proper redressals. Everyone wants to get a dog for companionship, security and playtime. However, not everyone realizes that having a properly trained dog with a sound temperament takes a lot of work.

Nobody wants to end up on the receiving end of those sharp teeth. In this article, we are going to look at five things you should do if you get bit or are attacked by a dog.

List of 5 Things you should do it you are attacked by a Dog

1.Be Calm and Use Something to Protect yourself-

The first thing you should do if you see a dog charging at you is to be calm and not engage in any fearful activity. Yelling and jumping around does not work and makes the dog much more aggressive. The best thing is to do is to be calm and avoid direct eye contact with the dog.

It is also important to try to use anything which you have on you to distract the dog. For example, if you have a sweater or a water bottle, you can always try to use the same to get the first bite attack. This will help you get the initial force to redirect to a different object.

2.Try to get Medical Help as soon as possible-

If you have been injured, the experience can be pretty traumatic. However, you need to calm yourself down and take some immediate action. The first thing to do is to get in touch with medical help, Use your phone to call an ambulance, or request people at the site to do so.

This is important as dog bites result in blood loss and open wounds have a tendency to get infected soon. See a doctor, get a bandage or stitches depending upon the intensity of the attack. The faster you get medical attention, the better will be the healing process.

3.Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer at the earliest-

Most dog attacks are usually because dog parents or owners are negligent. Irresponsible behavior leads to untrained dogs roaming the streets. The best personal injury attorney practice areas include dog attacks and you can get fair compensation for the crime.

The owner of the dog is liable to pay damages for your accident. He or she needs to compensate you for the medical expenses, and emotional and mental trauma, which has been caused because of their dogs. A good personal injury lawyer can help you claim compensation.

4.Be in touch with the Police and other Authorities-

You might have survived the dog attack with just a few stitches, but imagine if a child would have been in your place. An untrained dog, which goes about biting others is a threat to society. You need to inform the police and let the adequate steps be taken in this regard.

Many times dogs who are ill-treated by their owners end up becoming aggressive. Many owners hit and punish their dogs, which makes the animals turn aggressive. In such cases, the police might save the dog by relocating it to a shelter.

5.Contact your Insurance Providers-

When buying an insurance policy for yourself and your family members, you should ensure that the insurance covers dog attacks. According to data, dog attacks are showing double-digit growth in the USA every single year.

Once you have checked into a hospital or a medical facility, you need to ensure that your insurance kicks in and allows you some form of financial relief. Insurance companies might be troublesome, so you should let your personal injury lawyer handle them.

The Final Word

Dogs are by nature peaceful and loving beings. However, it is the owners, which can turn them into threats. Please do not try to request the authorities to put the dog down. On the other hand, you should request them to shift the dog to a proper shelter, where he or she can be rehabilitated.

• Are you looking for a personal injury lawyer to help you claim compensation in an accident because of someone’s fault?
• Do you know how you can narrow down on the best personal injury lawyers in the specific type of case?
• Have you tried doing online and offline research or spoken to friends and family for recommendations?

Many will tell you that selecting the right personal injury lawyer is the same as choosing a product or a service. However, that is definitely not the case. In legal matters, especially of a personal injury case, you are looking at compensations and support. These two things can have an impact on an individual’s life and the future of his family.

Therefore, choosing the right lawyer is not the same as a product on Amazon or a service on Yelp. However, that does not mean that the task is impossible and that you will not be able to find the right lawyer for your case.

In this article, we are going to help individuals and families find the right legal attorney for their personal injury cases. We are going to outline four ways to help you choose the best san jose personal injury lawyers.

4 Ways to Find the Best Personal Injury Lawyer for your case

1.Conduct Interviews-

Most personal injury lawyers will offer you free first-time consultation for usually less than an hour. During the consultation, you can ask them important questions regarding their experience, qualifications and expertise. You can also ask about your specific nature of the case.

These interviews can be crucial in determining whether the lawyer understands you and can be trusted or not. You should also ask the lawyer for his successful record in such cases and take your decision following the same. This is the first and probably most important way.

2.Doing a Background Check-

Your prospective lawyers might claim that they know it all and have done it all. However, it is for you to check whether they are saying the truth or not. This is where doing background checks and asking about the lawyers from other matters a lot.

You can do an online background check on the concerned lawyer to find out more. You can also visit Quora and other review platforms to see about their credentials and their qualifications. All this will help you get a better idea about the lawyer and his firm.

3.Asking Friends and Family Members-

If someone has already worked with a particular lawyer before in your friends and family circle, they can refer the person to you. This will allow you to get first-hand information about the lawyer’s expertise and performance in a personal injury case.

Most people begin and end their search for legal help by just following this step alone. However, if you really want to find the best lawyer, this step should be just one of the many steps you would need to follow. However, there is no doubt that this can be of crucial help.

4.Visiting the Lawyer’s Office-

Many legal experts state that having telephonic conversations will only allow you to gather limited understanding. They suggest visiting the lawyer’s office and seeing for yourself about how successful his or her practice is.

A good location and decked up office means that the practice is booming. This in turn reflects upon successful cases and performances of the lawyer. This will help you make your decision clearer. You should also look at the staff and see whether they are supportive or not.

The Final Word

A good lawyer will soak up all your pressures and ensure you are represented well. A bad lawyer can lead you to a path of damage. This is why the selection process should be elaborate and involve multiple steps. By following all the points in this article, you will be able to ensure that you get the best person on the job for your case.

The pandemic has thrown us all into a messy schedule and working from home has become the norm. However, the different environments can cause a shift in the body and even our psychological state. Overworking and even self-care can become lost in the passing hours. Here are a few tips on how to manage to stay well and maintain a balance as you work from home.

Schedule breaks

You might be working from home and it is all you dreamed of, so you put in all the effort you can. It seems like just an hour until you notice that it is almost sundown. Having kids around, depending on their age, can make it easy to send out someone for anything you need, reducing your movement. This is not healthy in any way for your body. You need to avoid work burnout. Have some breaks to stretch out, go for a walk, or make something delicious using Monin Flavours with those around you. Your family will enjoy your breaks too.

Maintain your office hours

This might be a cruel way of saying it, but you will still be paid the same as though you were in the office. Maintaining office hours makes it easy to have a schedule of workload to continue without overworking. Maintaining your regular working hours will also leave you time to do other personal and social things that are required of you.

Have a fun activity with the family members

Working from home can become a cause of friction because family members have some expectations that you might not be able to fulfill. Setting aside time to do something fun, like making dinner with the kids, can be something that they all look forward to and it can bring a lot of joy to everyone. Watermelon lemonades are a fun recipe that includes carving up a watermelon. It is goofy and kids will love it.

Dress up

It seems fun to attend those online meetings with pajama bottoms and official tops, but it only takes a short period before you throw caution out the window and work in pajamas. It feels casual and chill but it elicits a feeling of unseriousness that can cause slacking in your productivity. Dress up fully at least twice a week to elicit the feeling of the office and seriousness in the process. It is also one sure way to beat the procrastination bug.

Have an office space

There is nothing more embarrassing than your flash disk going missing when you need to make a presentation or milk spilling all over your desk because you carry your laptop to all places in the house. Become orderly by having a designated office space where anything related to your work is located. It does not have to be an entire room, which is okay if you have, but for those without, it could be something as simple as one corner of your dining table.

Set ground rules

The quarantine period has brought forth many hilarious videos, like children and spouses walking into online meetings and classes. Before you start working from home, sit with everyone in the household. Set some ground rules that will help keep some order. This will ensure that your kids can continue studying, you and your spouse can work without clashing, and the interference will be minimal.

Upgrade your security

If you do not have two-step verification for your devices, you need to put it up as soon as possible. Using a VPN is one of the most important steps you could put up. If you use shared Wi-Fi in your buildings or you need to go over to a cafe who’s Wi-Fi you connect to, it might be a bad idea to connect a laptop that has company content. Taking these steps and an antivirus will help you maintain online professionalism as you keep your company’s data safe from hackers.

Working from home has become the new normal and it will continue into the unforeseeable future, so it is better to have a guideline that will help you get through as we wait for the curve to flatten and life to go back to normal. Staying safe and following the guidelines even indoors is highly recommended to maintain safety.

Some homebuyers look for a little more control over their purchasing process, so they opt to build their home instead of purchasing something on the market. This can be a great way to make sure your house includes everything on your “must haves” list, but it creates some other obstacles as well. Unlike turnkey homes that come with a bit of property, building your home means you also have to find the land to put it on, which can be a tedious process. There are many different aspects to consider, so before you make a downpayment, pull out your trundle wheel and do a little reconnaissance yourself.

Shape and Size

Property lines can be drawn in all shapes and sizes, so be sure you know what your lot looks like before purchasing. Some lots may fit your size requirements, but be laid out in a way where you can’t use the land as you hoped. For example, if you were hoping to tuck your house behind some trees and have a meandering driveway, you might want a lot that’s longer than it is wide. Keeping these things in mind and taking measurements for yourself can help you to determine if a piece of land meets your requirements.

Where’s the sun?

The direction a plot faces can be an easy thing to forget about when looking at land. After all, you’re considering so many other factors, and at the time it may not seem to matter. But if you build a house that heats up as soon as the sun rises, you might regret your choice. The best way to look at this problem is to determine where the sun will be on your property during the hottest part of the day. Will it be beating down directly on your home, unencumbered? Or coming through those large, glass sliding doors you added to the side of the house? Knowing the position of your land can help you better plan where to place your home, and also keep you cool.

Location, location, location

It’s a real estate cliché for a reason. Not only should you consider the neighborhood or area where the plot is, but also the land around it. You want to stay away from anything that might flood or offer refuge for rodents that could wander into your new abode.

There are a multitude of considerations when looking to purchase land, but keeping these three aspects at the forefront of your mind can help the process be a breeze.

When running a business, there can be a lot of things to consider, in fact there will be many things that you will have to deal with that you may never have thought about when you first started running a business. One of these things is protecting your business from employee theft and fraud.

While many employers would not want to think that they have to worry about their employees doing things like committing theft or fraud, these are real concerns that you have to guard against. One way to do this is by getting an employee dishonesty bond for your business.

What Is an Employee Dishonesty Bond?

Employee dishonesty bonds are types of fidelity bonds that help protect your business from dishonest actions done by your employees. Many different acts can be covered by these bonds, including theft of money or property, fraud, forgery and embezzlement. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these bonds don’t usually protect your customers from your employees, only your company.

Why Do You Need One?

The reason you need these bonds are simple, it can save your business a lot of trouble in the long run. Even though most companies do a careful job vetting their employees and would not like to think of them participating in these kinds of behaviors, it does happen regularly. By having bonds, you can be prepared in the event that these things do happen, and rest assured knowing that you are covered.

How Does It Work?

In the event that you do experience fraud or theft by an employee at your business, you will then need to make a claim against the bond that you have purchased. Once you have made the claim, the surety company will then have to investigate your case to make sure that the fraud or theft happened as you have claimed.

Once they have looked into it, and decided that your claim is valid, you will then be compensated for the amount that was stolen. One thing to keep in mind though, is that in some cases the employee in question may have to be convicted before the surety company will look into your case.

Bottom Line

There are a lot of things to think about and keep track of when you are running a business. There may even be things to deal with that you would never have considered, like employee dishonesty bonds. That doesn’t mean, though, that you need to feel overwhelmed. By taking your time and doing your research, you can find the bonds and the surety company that is right for you.

Mold develops for a number of reasons. Most of them involve moisture that settles into part of the home and provides the perfect environment for the mold to proliferate. Whatever the cause, mold is not something you should attempt to deal with on your own. The smart move is to call one of the mold remediation services Asheville NC and place the treatment in their capable hands. Here are some of the reasons why hiring a pro is the best solution.

Knowing Where to Look for Mold

Mold doesn’t always grow in places that are easy to find. In fact, there could be mold spores that are beginning to spread in parts of the house where you never dreamed they would go. While that would be a surprise to you, it would likely not come as a shock to a professional.

When a professional inspects the home, it involves looking in places that others may never consider. It also means using equipment that makes it easier to find mold in those out of the way spots. The result is that there’s a more accurate assessment of where the mold is located and what it will take to remove it all.

Using the Most Effective Treatments

The methods that a professional uses for mold remediation are much more effective than anything you could do on your own. The intent of those treatments is not just to kill and remove the mold that’s on the surface. They can also deal with spores that are beneath the surface and would likely begin to spread in a matter of days.

When a professional gets rid of the mold, it’s really gone. That’s a good thing since it means there’s no mold left to cause damage to the home or to start causing other issues.

Suggestions for Preventing Mold From Developing Again

Part of the work accomplished by mold remediation services Asheville NC has to do with identifying what caused the mold to develop in the first place. At times, that’s simple. It could be due to a leaking pipe that’s now repaired. At other times, the origin of the mold may still be present and need resolving. Expect a professional to point out those causes and offers some suggestions on how to remedy them. Putting those suggestions to good use will help reduce the potential for more mold to develop.

Feeling Better

One of the key benefits of professional mold remediation is that you and others living in the home are likely to feel better. There will be fewer stuffy or runny noses, less frequent bouts of coughing for no apparent reason, and a lack of sneezing that seems to appear out of nowhere. If some members of the family had been feeling a little tightness in the chest, they may suddenly find it much easier to breathe without any sense of constriction.

There’s no doubt that leaving the task of mold remediation to a professional is worth the expense. Given how the effort will pay off in a number of ways, it would make sense to call today. By this time tomorrow, your home could be a much safer place to live.

It’s unsettling to find that your home has mold in the basement or other areas of the house. The good news is that one quick call to one of the mold remediation services Idaho Falls Idaho is all it takes to bring the situation under control. Choosing to hire professionals also helps you sidestep a number of unfortunate issues that tend to plague homeowner efforts to manage the remediation on their own. Here’s what you get to avoid by calling in the pros.

More Exposure to Mold Spores

If you try to tackle the problem yourself, there’s bound to be more direct contact with mold spores. Since you’ve already noticed the ill effects that come from spores that make it into the home’s duct system and ultimately into each room, do you really want to be the one who tries to clear out mold in the basement or some other tight spot?

Professionals trained in mold remediation know how to protect themselves from exposure. By calling them and staying out of the way, you also demonstrate the ability to protect yourself.

The Mess

Getting rid of mold can be a messy job. Between the scent, the need to use the right agents, and the necessity of wearing protective gear, things can get intense. Since you’ve never done anything like this before, controlling the task would be more difficult for you.

Choosing to call in the professionals means that the mold can be removed with a minimum of mess or fuss. Along with containing the mold during the cleaning, a professional can also get the job done in less time. Those reasons alone are enough to merit calling in a pro.

Accidentally Damaging the House

Professionals with mold remediation services Idaho Falls Idaho know what products to use and how to use them safely. They understand how to choose the products based on the materials involved. The result is that a pro can get rid of the mold without damaging the drywall or the wood used in the home. People who have never dealt with mold before are more likely to cause some sort of damage that leads to an expensive repair.

Unintentionally Nourishing the Mold

Another point in favor of hiring professionals is that they know how to get rid of all the mold. It’s not just what can be seen on the surface. They have treatments designed to kill mold spores that may be lurking below a surface.

Homeowners who try to remove mold may successfully remove what can be seen. At the same time, the moisture left by their methods may provide more nourishment for mold spores that are below surfaces. In a short time, the mold will be back. In fact, the problem may be worse than ever.

The bottom line is that professional mold remediation is the better choice. Don’t waste time and money trying to deal with the mold yourself. Call a local mold remediation service and arrange for someone to inspect the home. It won’t take long to locate every area where the mold is present, settle on how to get rid of it, and ensure that the mold is not likely to come back any time soon.