Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a collective term for a variety of techniques designed to help target webpages rank highly with search engines. Search Engine Optimization, while still a new field, has a tremendous impact on the way businesses operate online. A good understanding of current Search Engine Optimization practices and techniques is essential to functioning well in today’s online business climate. Of course, it goes without saying that some ways of learning about Search Engine Optimization are better than others. All things considered, Search Engine Optimization training courses are the best source of up-to-date information on SEO.SEO training courses are superior to other methods of learning about SEO for the following reasons:1. They promote a deep understanding of SEO versus the more superficial understanding other sources of SEO information tend to promote.2. They are always designed by top SEO experts.3. They are always structured in a way that makes learning fun and efficient.4. They provide only the latest information on SEO.Reading online about SEO may give you some idea of the basics, but if you want to fully comprehend SEO as a whole, you need to look into SEO professional training courses. Training courses always teach SEO in such a way that all the parts of SEO are related to each other, which means that even a novice can get a good general understanding of SEO after a few instruction periods. SEO professional training courses take you far beyond just learning details out of context; they show you everything in context in such a way that you can work towards complete mastery.Unlike a lot of SEO instructional videos and books, SEO training courses are only put together by established SEO professionals. You do not want an amateur making your training materials. The quality of training materials is a key factor in the effectiveness of any kind of training. If you use poor quality materials, you will end up with poor learning results. Go with the experts, and don’t trust anyone else to design your SEO learning curriculum.The way your SEO learning materials are structured is just as important as their quality. Well-structured materials enable you to remember what you learn better and have more fun while learning. Poorly structured learning materials sabotage the progress of even gifted learners. One of the biggest advantages of SEO training courses is that they always carefully structure the information you learn so that you only ever deal with the meat of SEO and your time is never wasted on fluff.SEO professional training courses also distinguish themselves from other sources of SEO information by containing only up-to-date content. It is true that there is a lot of SEO related material available on the web, but the vast majority of this material is outdated. SEO changes very rapidly, and yesterday’s insights can be less than worthless. In order to really benefit from SEO training, you need only the latest SEO insights.Learning about SEO isn’t easy, but with the help of professional teachers, you can be well on your way to obtaining a mastery of SEO in a relatively short period of time. Don’t skimp on your SEO training; everything you invest in it now will payoff later.
New Year, New Decade, New Staffing Software: Part 1
The start of a brand-new year is an exciting time for people to reflect on the year behind them and think about goals for the year ahead. Many people look at it as a fresh start! Perhaps there are new best practices you want to try, or pick up a new hobby, or end a bad habit. Whatever it is that you want to accomplish, now is a great time as we not only begin a new year, but begin a new decade! So, what’s in store for you as we begin the “roaring 20s”?As you think about the year ahead, what are your goals for your staffing company? Is a new staffing software on your to do list? Perhaps it’s an idea you have been toying with for a while, but haven’t had the chance to begin the research. The idea of implementing a whole new software can sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s actually quite exciting! It can mean new opportunities, more successes, growth in your business, and more! The possibilities are endless! If new software crossed your mind, there must be something you aren’t satisfied with in your current solution. So how do you even begin your search? What questions should you be asking? What should you be looking for in a solution? All of these questions will be answered to help you in your journey for new staffing software.Where do you even begin?The first step is deciding whether you are going to put together an internal team or hire an outside consultant. You might hire a consultant if you won’t be able to complete a thorough search and analysis on your own. If you go this route, it is very important that you do your research and check the consultant’s credibility. Ask about his industry experience and check references. You want to make sure the consultant is finding the right solution for YOU and isn’t loyal to one software.Whether you hire a consultant or put together an internal team, the next step is discussing what you like about your current solution, what you don’t like, what you are looking for in a new solution, and ultimately WHY you are searching for a new software. Record these questions and answers in a document, as you will need to be thinking about them as you are evaluating software options.You will also need to make a list of your “must have” and your “nice to have” items. Drill down to needs that will help you resolve critical business issues. Once you have your requirements, it will make it easier for you to assess which solutions align with your needs.How do you find a staffing software provider?Once you have your requirements set, the next step is actually finding software solutions. One of the best ways to find a trusted partner is through your local and national staffing associations. Go to the websites of these associations and look at the partners. For some associations, you need to be a member in order to see members and industry partners. I highly recommend becoming a member of your local and national associations, whether you are looking for software or not, as you will gain access to valuable staffing resources. Another valuable resource is through industry events and conferences. These conferences have exhibitor halls that allow you to walk around and talk with vendors face to face.There are of course other ways to find staffing software companies, but the staffing industry itself is the most credible way to find a partner. Staffing software companies that partner with staffing associations keep up with the latest trends, are provided with the same resources that staffing companies receive, and tend to be more involved in the industry.Once you find software companies you are interested in, what are the next steps?The next step would be to setup a time to speak with the software company. Typically, in the initial phone call, you will provide information about your company and learn a little bit about the software product to see if it could be a good fit. It’s also a good time to see if the product has all of your “must have” items and ask what companies they typically work with-what industries, size of companies, etc. This is important to see if the company has experience working with companies similar to yours. If all or most of the points check off, you can setup a demo.The demo should be designed specifically for your industry and needs so you can get a feel for what it would be like to work in the software. If the demo is not designed for you, it may be a red flag. When demoing you want to make sure all of your essential needs are addressed when using the software. Never settle for a software that will not service your essential needs.As you are going through demo’s with different software companies, you will see some solutions have special features that others don’t have. Some software’s you may automatically love, others you may not. It is highly recommended you make an evaluation check list after each demo. Does the software have all of your “must have” items? Does it have your “nice to have” items? What did you like about the software? What didn’t you like? Did it have any special features you haven’t seen in another solution? As you begin going through demos with different software companies, this evaluation will be really helpful, as all of the software’s may eventually blur together. Make it easy on yourself right away, before needing to do unnecessary demos because you forgot what you liked about a software.Stay tuned for Part 2 of “New Year, New Decade, New Staffing Software.” You have your team to find you a new software, you found software solutions you are interested in, and you’ve begun demoing. Part 2 will discuss questions to not overlook, what to avoid as you narrow down your search, and how to plan for a smooth implementation.
How to Grow a Small Trading Account Successfully
Before we jump into the details, we need to first look at your mindset, your expectations and what is achievable. We all know that you’re not going to make a million dollars in 6 weeks, so we need to align your goals and your expectations. You wouldn’t learn to be a doctor in 2 days, similarly you won’t learn to trade in 2 days.Let’s assume you’ve got a trading account of $3000 or less. The first step is to understand that the reason you are not making money trading is not down to the size of your account. If you can grow a small trading account, you can grow a large trading account, and vice versa. The simple truth is that when trading a smaller trading account you are typically more desperate to grow it faster. You need to control your emotions, control your desire to grow the account at an exponential rate and understand what is achievable. You cannot allow desperation, or a ‘need’ to make money to creep in or you will simply blow up your account, through trying harder and risking more until there is nothing left.Look at the percentage growth, not the monetary growth.Focus on trading the markets, on making % growth, not on the money you’re making to begin with. As an example, if you’ve got a $3000 trading account and you’re consistently producing $300 a month, that represents a 10% growth on account, and will triple your trading account every year. That is huge % growth, even though the money seems small to begin with. We all understand that trading is a marathon, not a sprint, so expect to be actively trading for at least 3-5 years. I always start off targeting people at 3-6% growth per month, and increasing that % as their ability improves.If we take 6% growth per month, this will double your account every year. Which granted, on a $3,000 account, is only $3,000 profit, but your account will grow from $3,000 to $6,000, to $12,000, to $24,000, to $48,000 to $96,000, to $192,000, to $384,000, to $768,000 to $1,536,000. You are putting in the same amount of work at the end, as you were at the beginning, but as the account grows, the financial return from the account grows and grows and grows.Treat a small account like its 100 times greater than it actually is.Improve your discipline by imagining your account is 100 times greater than it is, or by imagining you are risking all of your account per trade. DO NOT actually do it, but think how your discipline and quality of trades would improve if you had to put all of your account on each trade. The importance of this exercise is not in aggressive risk, but in improving discipline. Remember that growing a trading account successfully is based on taking as many winning profitable trades, with each winner making as much as possible, while losing few trades and losing as little as possible on each loser. In essence taking as many steps forwards, while taking as few steps back. The importance here is on taking as few losers as possible and making them as small as possible. Keep the drawdowns small, and the big winners will take care of the rest.A consistent track record, is worth far more than you could possibly imagineTraders that start with small accounts, should seek to achieve a consistent track record. A consistent track record can really take you places. If you’re doubling your money every year, isn’t it feasible that you could do that for others too? Think of everyone you know that has the finances to put a minimum of $2000 in a trading account and forget about it for a few years. Parents, grandparents, angel investors, even friends. Once you’ve got yourself a solid year track record, start showing people. You’re going to have a lot of interested parties, as I don’t know anywhere else you can get 100%+ returns each year, and I’m pretty sure they don’t know that many places either. If you are able to offer that service you’d be amazed at how many people suddenly find a few thousand to put into an account.Of course, you can never guarantee future performance, but one of the best ways to grow an account successfully is to accept funds from other investors and trade it for them in something called a PAMM account. You are then able to charge a % of profit, so as an example, you could charge 20% of the profits each month, or each quarter. Your money is in your trading account, their money is in their trading account, but you can trade them both at the same time. Once you’re a consistent trader, this is a great way to grow your trading account even faster as you can put the profits straight into your account. Please do not do this until you are consistently profitable for at least 1 year on your own money.Create a Trading Plan, with proven Trading Strategies, understand how they work, and stick to them.One of the biggest differences between those who make money trading, and those who try, is a trading plan. A trading plan will give you a solid foundation. Successful traders treat trading as a business, as a result they have a trading plan. A trading plan should include;- What strategies you use- Which currencies you trade- What timeframes you trade- When in the day you will trade and how long for- Stop loss management- Trade targeting and so onDon’t just do this in your head, write it down, it’s far more effective. You should have proven trading strategies that you can use to make money from the Forex markets again and again and again.Cut your losers short, let your winners run, and follow your trading strategy at all times. Chopping and changing strategies and digressing from your trading plan is a sure way to take more losers than necessary, which will massively impact your account growth. Following your plan gives you routine, and a structure to follow, and a far greater chance of growing a small trading account successfully.What to do now?I cannot force you to manage your money safely, master proven trading strategies, or remain disciplined long term, but if you are committed then you will need to dig deep to master these important factors and create a structured trading plan and routine to tackle the markets head on. Remember, learn to trade in a consistent manner, consistent actions generate consistent results. If you want it badly enough, you can succeed at anything. Ask yourself ‘how much do I want to be a successful Forex trader’? and make the necessary changes to take your trading to the next level.