secrets

How to monetize a blog: Tips from successful bloggers

There are a lot of ways to monetize your website, but these are the tactics that bloggers say work best.

The post How to monetize a blog: Tips from successful bloggers appeared first on Discover Bank – Banking Topics Blog.

10 Inherited Items Worth More Than You Think

Overwhelmed by a houseful of stuff? Go exploring. These 10 treasures may be hiding in plain sight.

7 Financial Aid Secrets You Should Know

As a student (or parent) it can be easy to focus solely on the college application process, and completely forget about financial aid. You spend so much time studying for the SATs (or ACTs) and tweaking your college essay so it perfectly represents you, that after you’ve been accepted and the reality of tuition payments […]

The post 7 Financial Aid Secrets You Should Know appeared first on SoFi.

Intellectual Property: A Big Asset You Didn’t Know Your Business Had

For decades, Harold has been building his business after starting it from scratch. He is now preparing to sell his company by identifying all of the company’s assets for a prospective buyer. Harold and his CFO identify the valuable tangible assets, such as equipment, rolling stock, cash, equivalents and accounts receivable. They chronicle the balance sheet and send it to their business broker, lawyer and CPA for review.

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Almost immediately, Harold’s lawyer calls and asks him where the intellectual property is located. Harold tells him that he has none, adding that he has no patents, no trademarks or copyrights.  He tells his lawyer that there simply aren’t any IP issues. 

Harold’s attorney replies that of course, the company has some IP. He reminds Harold that he doesn’t do the exact same thing as his competitors the exact same way. Harold agrees.

The attorney adds that this means there is intellectual property, adding that Harold just wasn’t aware of what it is, where it is, or how to best protect it.  He cautions Harold that he does not want him to sell his company and its intellectual property without getting paid for it.

It’s Common: Money Left on the Table

Harold is seeking maximum value for the business he created and grew with blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice. Yet he was about to leave a significant amount of money on the table because he failed to understand his ownership of valuable intellectual property. His lawyer drives the point home even further, warning that if he doesn’t identify his IP on a schedule of assets that two potentially disastrous things can happen:

  • First, Harold won’t receive any value for the IP, so money will be left on the table when he sells the business.
  • Second, if a competitor does try to compete against Harold by stealing any technology, or if a key employee walks away or goes to work for someone else taking company knowledge with them, the seller (or the buyer) will have no chance to stop it because there was no representation that there was any intellectual property to protect.

But all does not have to be lost.

  • SEE MORE Warning: Your Business Is Not a Retirement Fund!

On the eve of selling a company it is too late to first have a conversation about protecting IP, but better late than never. Companies have intellectual property, but they might not know where or what it is. And even though a business owner may not know quite how to protect it, or exactly how valuable it is (that’s what your intellectual property lawyer is for), it needs to be identified. If that can be accomplished, you can work with an IP attorney to secure it and make it exclusive to you for your benefit.

Where to Look for Your IP

Where is this intellectual property typically? It’s usually not in patents, and many companies, especially those in the B2B space without consumer-facing products or services, don’t have valuable trademarks. But almost every company has know-how. For example:

  • Do you have a unique sales or customer service technique that makes your customers want to work with you?
  • Do you have a business process that helps you deliver services faster, better, or less expensively?
  • Do you have a way of creating a business culture that keeps everyone pulling on the same end of the rope to maximize creativity, revenue and profitability?

Or how about this — you are a manufacturing company that has 50 machines to make widgets. One employee in one plant responsible for one of those machines has figured out how to turn the knobs and pull the levers on that one machine to make it run just a little better. That know-how is intellectual property. But wait, there’s more! Did that employee know what they created? Does your company have a process for identifying important innovations so that instead of having one of 50 machines run better, that know-how is communicated across the manufacturing base so that all 50 machines run better?

Protecting Your IP

It is likely you have intellectual property after all, and if you can identify it, you can protect it. Information you don’t wish others to know about can be protected by strict adherence to a trade secret policy, which can be combined with strong security protections to secure those trade secrets under lock and key within the company.

Key employees, contractors and business partners can, and should, be bound by non-disclosure agreements to keep your information secret. The top innovators and business managers should collaborate periodically, sharing valuable know-how and business improvements (like the machine improvement) so the entire company can benefit.

If an innovation is going to become public, such as a new product going to market where it can be copied, an intellectual property lawyer can advise on the correct protections to keep competitors from doing just that. These protections might include utility patents, design patents, trade dress protection or other techniques.

As it turns out, Harold does have intellectual property he can identify. He just wishes he had gotten an intellectual property lawyer involved sooner.

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24 of the Best Personal Finance Books

Personal finance books can be a source of inspiration and guidance. They can help you improve your financial literacy and your life. If you’re looking for a good read that can impact how you make, save and grow your money, pick up one of these popular personal finance books. 24 of the Best Personal Finance […]

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

How to Dial Up Your Confidence

Is there something, professionally speaking, that you’ve been afraid to chase? Maybe you keep putting off applying for that big job, or pitching the idea, or asking that leader to be your mentor.
 
What’s holding you back? It may be Imposter Syndrome, a false belief that you just aren’t worthy of that opportunity. Or it may be that you’re battling a confidence problem, which is a belief about what you can do or what you’re capable of.
 
So how do you know which is holding you back? My suggestion is to give your inner voice a listen. It may be saying “You should never apply for that job—you’re not worthy of it, or smart enough, or as good as other applicants.” Or its point of view may be “You can’t apply until you have X experience or certification or practice under your belt.”
 
Hear the difference?
 
That first voice is an assessment of you—you simply aren’t enough. That’s what Imposter Syndrome sounds like. And it’s pretty nasty. And also wrong.
 
The second voice is conditional—the obstacle isn’t who you are but what capability or experience you currently have. That’s a confidence issue. 
 
At times you may battle both. But today we’re focusing on what to do when Voice #2 chimes in. What actions can you take to dial up your sense of confidence?

1. Note the cost

When our confidence is low, it’s just easier to not do the thing. But the question is—what is that inaction costing you?
 
I’m not the world’s best driver. I drive, generally, but I don’t drive in New York City. I know I could… but my confidence is low. The good news is the cost of this choice is also low—meaning there are other alternatives like mass transit available.  
 
In other cases, the cost of inaction is unjustifiably high. The thing you’re not doing—posting for the job, asking for the mentor—what’s it costing you? What are you missing out on? More money, more prestige, more engagement, more learning, more feedback and connection? And what is that worth?
 
Getting real with yourself about the cost of inaction often provides the critical motivation you need to take action.

2. Assess your experience

I lack the confidence to fly a plane or perform surgery. This is just appropriate, and if you ever see me coming your way with a scalpel in hand, I’d advise you to run.
 
Practicing medicine, flying an airplane—these are, of course, professional feats that require years of training and certification. But much of what we do (and fear doing) professionally—like landing the stretch assignment or speaking at the event—doesn’t require specialized training or credentials. It requires competence and confidence.
 
So, when you find yourself hiding behind the belief that you’re just not ready to get on that stage, ask yourself—what do the speakers up there have that you don’t? Have you done the work? Have you led the team? Take an honest look at your portfolio of experiences. Everything counts. 
 
Is it possible that maybe you do have the chops, and it’s just time to own it? 

3. Design a practice 

Maybe you’ve done the assessment and… you just don’t believe your experience has left you ready to do the thing.
 
Then decide what it will take for you to feel ready—to have the confidence to ask that leader to be your mentor.
 
Then ask yourself—what are some “practice” scenarios you can use to help dial up your confidence bit by bit? How can you design a series of experiments to help you practice in lower-stakes situations?
 
What else can you ask for that’s scary but won’t make your blood curdle?
 
Jia Jing gave a great TED talk about how his low confidence kept him so afraid of being rejected that he was missing out on everything. So he committed to 100 days of trying to experience rejection. He asked store clerks for freebies, strangers to share secrets. And through this practice, he got so comfortable with rejection, he simply overcame his fear.
 
So how might you borrow this concept?
 
You’re not ready to ask for the mentor, but can you start by asking the barista for free whipped cream, just to see how it feels?
 
You’re not ready to interview for the job, but can you role play interviewing with a friend until you do feel ready? 
 
There is always something you can do to remind yourself you can do hard things!

4. Close the gap

Maybe for you it’s more than just fear or hesitation. Maybe you’ve done the assessment and determined you’re really lacking something—an experience, a credential, a portfolio.
 
Great. At least now the hurdle between you and the endgame has a name. 
 
Now it’s time to make a plan to close the gap. 
 
If you’re not ready for the stretch project—what would ready look like? Do you need experience leading a team? Do you need more exposure to senior leaders in your organization? Do you need more subject matter expertise? 
 
What is one step you can take to move you in that direction? Is there a project team you can volunteer to help lead? Can you ask your boss to start giving you opportunities to present to a more senior audience? Can you take a LinkedIn Learning course or attend a technical training?
 
When Sofia (one of my four favorite Golden Girls!) decided, in her 90’s, to apply to law school and her daughter Dorothy said “Oh ma, come on, you’ll be 96 when you get out,” Sofia replied “I’ll be 96 anyway.” 
 
Time is marching ahead whether you act or not. So why not take the action?

5. Celebrate every victory 

I once heard an interview with a man who had struggled for years to lose weight. His doctor had advised him to lose 100 pounds. But looking at a finish line so far away was discouraging, and the man kept giving up almost as soon as he’d start a new weight loss plan.
 
Then one day, he realized that all he had to do was lose one pound. And then do it again. 99 more times. 
 
He lost that first pound, and rather than looking at the 99 remaining, he decided to celebrate his first victory. This energized and motivated him. And within two years he had achieved his goal.
 
I love this approach. When given the choice between celebrating a small step taken or staring at all the steps that remain ahead of you, I say celebrate. Every time. It doesn’t have to be a party—it can be a five-minute break just watching a Golden Girls clip.
 
With celebration comes confidence. And you, my friend, will get there.
 
I really hope this has left you feeling inspired to take control of your own confidence.
 
And if you need someone to celebrate your first step with you, you know where to find me. Shoot me an email at [email protected] and let me know your journey is going..
 

Moving to San Jose: What All Renters Need to Know

Living in San Jose you’ll experience great neighborhoods, good food and a booming job market.

The post Moving to San Jose: What All Renters Need to Know appeared first on The Rent.com Blog : A Renter’s Guide for Tips & Advice.

Cardano (ADA) Overview – Will It Be the King of Cryptocurrency?

Cardano can give Ethereum a real run for its money — but it isn’t the king of the hill just yet. Before investing, find out if Cardano is right for you.

3 Steps to Buying a Vacation Home With Friends

Find out if teaming up to buy a second home is right for you and your pals.