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There are three essential skills you need to develop to progress your SEM career. These critical skills apply to almost any industry, but we will make a specific case for roles within SEM: 

• Clear communication
• Effective collaboration
• Focused productivity

Clear communication 

Do not underestimate clear, concise communication. Communication is at the core of any role within a company or agency. 

Every day you are sharing information across teams, clients, and vendors. Individuals who are thoughtful and purposeful with their communication style will benefit from a unique voice and confidence. 

As a result, these individuals will have a more significant impact on their organization. 

Communicate effectively in every medium

Conveying ideas comes in many forms – email, virtual and in-person meetings, presentations, instant messaging, and countless others. Conversations in instant messaging apps move quickly, which can cause errors and misunderstandings.

Often, instant messaging via Slack or Teams is informal and conversational. Still, it’s important to be professional when collaborating with team members, managing projects and delegating tasks on such platforms. Take the time to be thoughtful even during micro-discussions like chats. 

Specific channels, like email or deck presentations, allow more time to be purposeful with your communication. In many instances, email is a method of transferring ownership of a given topic.

For example, someone could be asking a question (you own the answer), requesting data or reporting (you own the data), or sending a task (you own the task completion).

Always confirm receipt and establish a timeline for a response and follow these quick tips:

• Make sure your message is clear and concise.
• Adapt your message for different media.
• Use proper language for the medium.
• Use active listening techniques.
• Proofread your messages.

Run and attend successful meetings

Meetings are the bane of many professional existences. Poorly run meetings waste time, drain energy and provide little value.

Moreover, meetings occupy more time for many unfortunate souls than completing actual work. Break this cycle of meeting fatigue as much as possible.

Meeting agendas are your secret weapon. A great agenda will set the stage for a highly successful meeting. They set the tone and expectations. Meeting agendas allow attendees time to prepare for specific topics. Also, you should request an agenda that you are attending. 

Agendas set the stage for a successful meeting, and clear meeting notes ensure the meeting has the desired impact. Meetings that do not result in delegated tasks or new collaboration could have been an email.

You need to be the person who sets excellent agendas and provides thorough notes and task ownership afterward. For successful meetings, be sure to follow these steps: 

• Set a great agenda.
• Invite the right people.
• Start on time.
• Be organized.
• Encourage participation.
• Take thorough notes.
• End on time.
• Follow up.

Set agendas for 1:1 manager meetings 

Be aware of one of your most important regularly scheduled meetings. You should have weekly meetings with your manager.

These weekly sessions are your chance to discuss challenges, opportunities, and long-term goals. Remember, you should not rely on your manager to set the meeting agenda. 

Individuals in more junior positions may feel they can not dictate topics to their manager. That is not true. Be proactive about your development. 

Be sure to follow these tips for great 1:1 manager meetings: 

• Set clear expectations.
• Ask the right questions.
• Listen carefully.
• Follow up on any takeaways.
• Encourage open communication.

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Effective collaboration 

Success is not achieved alone. No matter where you work, you are a member of a team. You need to make sure that you are a supportive, collaborative team member. 

Build a support network with your company. This support network should be an outlet to brainstorm ideas, provide feedback, and help with tasks. 

Master the art of delegation and task management

One of the core tenants of collaboration is delegation. Delegation goes both ways. It would be best if you mastered the art of assigning tasks to people on your team. Also, it would be best if you mastered the ability to have tasks assigned to you.  

Identify the skills and tasks you are best at and those that are a struggle. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you decide which SEM tasks to delegate and which to handle yourself.

Create a list of all the tasks that need to be completed and assign them to the appropriate people. Make sure to include deadlines and any other necessary details.

Next, prioritize tasks based on their importance and urgency. This prioritization will help you identify which tasks should be delegated and which you should handle.

Make sure to provide clear instructions and provide the necessary support to ensure that tasks are completed on time. Monitor progress on tasks to ensure that they are being conducted on time. Use regular check-ins or progress reports to stay up-to-date on the status of tasks.

Here is a quick checklist for task delegation:  

• Understand your strengths and weaknesses.
• Create a prioritized task list.
• Set clear deadlines.
• Provide clear instructions.
• Monitor progress closely.

Build a support network within your company

You can build a support network in companies large and small. But first, take the time to personally get to know your team members.

Ask them about their interests and hobbies. Create an open environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their perspectives.

This strategy is powerful when you get to know team members in other departments. 

Show every team member that you appreciate their work. Send thank-you notes when folks go above and beyond to help solve a problem. Also, be open to solving problems for other team members. From an SEM perspective, you should build strong bonds with your analytics, creative, and operational teams. 

Here is a quick checklist to build a support network: 

• Get to know your team.
• Show appreciation.
• Provide resources and tools.
• Celebrate achievements.

Always look for new ways to help your team

Make yourself available to team members when they have questions or need guidance. You can do this by:

• Being active in team meetings.
• Responding to emails promptly.
• Being willing to provide advice or assistance.

Even if you are a junior or senior on your team, you can make yourself available to help solve problems within your skillset. There are always dozens of small tasks that need to be completed within SEM teams so dive into those small tasks.

Being a helpful resource for your team is a winning strategy, but you must protect your bandwidth to avoid burnout. Here is a quick checklist to be a resource for your team: 

• Encourage team collaboration.
• Offer help and support to folks inside and outside your team.
• Share your knowledge and experience when possible.

Focused productivity 

Managing SEM campaigns is complex, and there is never a shortage of tasks.

Focused productivity means being purposeful with your time and energy. You will learn early in your career that no one will manage your time. 

To progress your SEM career, manage your daily workload while building toward your long-term goals. 

Be relentless about prioritization and project management 

There are tasks when managing SEM accounts that will take priority over others. Determine the objectives and scope of each project and task. Set realistic expectations for success. Establishing clear goals will help you determine priorities and allocate resources. 

Monitor the progress of your projects and adjust resources as needed. Regular updates and feedback will help ensure the project is progressing.

In addition, regularly communicate with stakeholders, team members, and other stakeholders to ensure everyone is on the same page.

A theme throughout this article is ownership. Take ownership to advance your SEM career. Own your project and task management. Stay on top of your task list, so your manager doesn’t have to follow up. 

Here is a short list of how to prioritize tasks and projects: 

• Establish clear goals.
• Create a project plan.
• Assign responsibilities.
• Track progress.
• Communicate regularly.

Build a system to achieve your quarterly goals 

More than likely, your manager will set quarterly goals for you. However, you can contribute to this process and provide your unique insights.

Take ownership of your development and career trajectory. Your manager will appreciate your proactive approach to setting goals and thinking about long-term growth.  

There is no shortage of content to help build actionable long-term goals. If you do a few quick searches, you will discover a litany of resources to help with this process.

One high-level to take away right now is setting “SMARTER” goals. 

• S: Specific 
• M: Measurable 
• A: Actionable 
• R: Risky 
• T: Time-keyed 
• E: Exciting 
• R: Relevant 

Approach your manager with structured SMARTER goals, and you’ll be ahead of the game. Your manager will likely have other ideas for your goals and milestones, but this process shows that you are thinking about long-term development. 

Here is a quick list of ways to set great long-term goals: 

• Set up a goal-tracking system.
• Establish specific timelines for your goals.
• Create progress milestones for each goal.
• Celebrate success as you make progress.
• Stay focused and review your goals at least monthly. 

Focus on energy flow and take breaks

This strategy should be discussed more when discussing career progression. To progress in your SEM career, you must be mindful of your working patterns.

There are times of the day when you are more focused on detailed work like analyzing reports or building SEM campaigns. Take time to review your daily schedule and make sure it aligns with your best working patterns. 

Meetings are a reality of working life. You can not get around. There will be meetings with clients, internal stakeholders, team syncs, and countless others who can control your schedule.

Do your best to create meeting blocks. For example, if you have three meetings in a day, schedule them back-to-back. 

Meeting blocks allows you to create a workflow. You need a certain amount of time each day for focus time. Focus time is crucial for SEM campaign managers.

Take ownership of your daily calendar to allow for focus time, workflow management, and meeting blocks, and you will be astonished at how much this improves your day. 

How to facilitate positive workflow habits: 

• Allot daily focus time on your calendar 
• Schedule meetings in blocks as much as possible 
• Add breaks onto your calendar to protect your restorative time 
• Create a daily plan every morning to lay out your day 

This closes out our SEM career playbook series, which aims to advance your career in search engine marketing. Here are links to our previous installments:

• SEM career playbook: Overview of a growing industry
• How to excel in your current and future SEM roles
• How to advance your SEM career: 9 attributes to master

The post 3 core skills that will help advance your SEM career appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/core-skills-advance-sem-career-391198

When Google announced the helpful content update, many in the SEO industry expected AI-generated content to get hit hard. 

I was expecting AI-generated content to get wiped out by this supposedly sweeping update, comparable to 2011’s Panda algorithm update. Yet, no major impact was recorded. 

Soon after, Google released the October 2022 spam update and that’s when we saw websites using AI content affected, although not as dramatically.

What happened? Let me take a few steps back.

Another vicious Panda attack?

Back in 2011, content farms were a serious problem. Many companies like Demand Media made a fortune by mass-producing low-quality articles.

They created thin content stuffed with all kinds of keyword variations taken from keyword research tools and generated similar articles for each slightly differing version of a popular search query. 

Underpaid and often outsourced workers from overseas wrote about topics they had no idea about, often creating gibberish.

Panda was a significant algorithm update that even legitimate blogs were affected. How do I know? My own popular SEO blog also got penalized. I lost most of my major top 10 rankings for phrases like [url seo], [image seo] or [advanced seo] overnight, and haven’t been able to recover them ever since.

Google was under increasing pressure to deal with content farms, especially as the search engine’s then-contender, the now-defunct Blekko, promoted itself as a content farm-free alternative to Google.

Welcome to the future (of search)

We’re living in 2023 and there are still no proper flying cars and jetpacks. What we do have are breakthroughs in automation, particularly for the manufacturing and services sectors.

On the web, it’s even more obvious. Automation helps us every day with a plethora of repetitive tasks and beyond.

The work we do has changed a lot in recent years. Boring and tedious tasks are being replaced by the creative industries. Many even play for a living by being professional skateboarders or gamers, making money as content creators and influencers.

When it comes to SEO, a lot of tasks can get automated, but the results vary. The overall focus of modern SEO is on human-to-human engagement – think of audience building and outreach.

My content creator bias

As a writer, I’ve become increasingly anxious in recent years due to the rise of AI. My fear stemmed not from an imagined Terminator-like apocalypse (even though that might still happen), but more from AI’s potential impact on my own line of work.

Would AI content soon replace actual writers like myself? We don’t know yet. It hasn’t happened as of now. What we do know, though, is that some bloggers use AI content tools to create content themselves. 

Saying that AI might replace writers is like saying that typewriters or computers will replace writers. Can a tool replace the person who uses the tool? Maybe for menial tasks. But is writing a menial task? 

In a way, I am already using AI just by writing this article. Google Docs offers suggestions to fix my grammar – although not as many as Grammarly (which was too invasive for me) but more than what Microsoft Word provided in the past.

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A look at automation in SEO

In SEO, there are many ways to automate repetitive tasks and streamline workflows using various tools.

Keyword research

No single person can compile and assess the data for proper keyword research. Even if you do not use AI or conventional keyword research tools, you at least use Google to check those keywords “manually,” while Google uses advanced algorithms, AI and all types of automation to access keyword databases. 

There is indeed unethical or questionable keyword research automation, which involves crawling large numbers of Google results without authorization and causing heavy load on their servers. 

That said, this is only relevant for large-scale technical SEOs, as most mere mortals will resort to common keyword research tools that might already include AI input.

Auditing websites

You can get a fully automated website audit from many SEO tools. Even though they can’t match the expertise of an SEO consultant, some are very helpful and often free. 

Tools like Semrush, WooRank or HubSpot offer website auditing to inform your SEO strategy. Do not shy away from using them whenever they are helpful. 

The only drawback is that some tools may cause a heavy load on a website as they crawl it in its entirety by requesting and parsing hundreds or thousands of pages, at once or in quick succession. I’m not aware of AI tools used to audit website issues but they would make sense for this use case.

Checking links (both internal and external)

Checking internal links or external links from sites that link to you and sites you link to is a classic way of using SEO tools long before AI was sophisticated enough to help with SEO tasks. Internal links can break or simply divert website authority to orphan pages or less important resources. 

A well-optimized website has a structure that allows the overall authority to flow freely. AI tools could easily find and track links in ways that go beyond “push button” or “cron job” types of checks. As always, it’s important not to cause too much load on other websites. 

Checking rankings

Checking rankings is similar to checking links, but with a twist. Google search results must be crawled using automated tools, which is against their terms of use. If you use ranking checkers from your local computer, your IP might get blocked by Google.

Thus, this is quite risky and should only be an option when you have nothing to lose or you’re advanced technology that either balances the usage of Google resources or obfuscates your tracks to cover up where the load comes from. 

I know that some SEO tool providers have access to large server farms to fool Google into believing that legit human users are accessing their services. AI could help to alleviate the issue by causing less load or by hiding the activity better. 

What about automated content?

Automating content creation is not an ideal use case. AI tools do not have the firsthand experience Google requires and is expected by readers. They merely rewrite existing knowledge using their “own” words.

In the past, lots of spammers have tried to trick Google into believing that they have content-rich sites by spinning articles and rewriting them with synonyms. Google has long since filtered this from the SERPs.

The new generation of content automation tools run by AI

Many AI content tools proliferate in the market. They have well-designed websites, and some even quote SEO experts who recommend them.

I just searched the web for AI content and found lots of services offering it. Some of these tools are.

Proof Content

Proof Content promotes itself with the slogan, “Data-driven content for brands with something to say,” and claims their AI content is “automated,” “tailored,” and “speedy.”

They use “human editors” so content is not 100% automated. One of their results examples highlights success by an “increase of 127% SEO traffic growth YOY.”

Frase

Frase emphasizes speed even more while still promising improved quality, “Better content, faster.” 

They also clearly talk to SEO-driven marketers by declaring they can “create SEO content fast with AI,” adding that “going from keyword to SEO-optimized article has never been easier.”

GrowthBar

The GrowthBar AI content generator is even called growthbarseo.com in the domain name so there is no doubt that it is made to create SEO content. It also says so in its value proposition: “Make SEO … content that Google loves with AI”. It also incorporates a keyword research tool and a Chrome extension.

There is no ambiguity when it comes to the most important use case of these tools – content creation for SEO purposes.

What do the quoted experts say?

Brandan Hufford is quoted on the Frase page as saying: 

• “I’ve spent a great deal of time comparing tools to get the most out of what I write, and Frase feels like you’re using content marketing cheat codes.”

Kevin Indig is cited on the same page:

• “Frase feels like a next-gen content tool that’s not just exciting for SEOs, but for writers as well. In my mind, that’s more important to create successful content.”

Thomas Melching encourages the use of GrowthBar with the following: 

• “Make SEO-perfect content in one click, generate meta descriptions with AI, and keyword research. GrowthBar is game-changing and it has a free trial.”

Mark Sandusky praises GrowthBar, saying: 

• “GrowthBar has helped us break into new SEO categories and write content faster. I use the Content Generator almost daily.”

Can they all be wrong? As they also do not hide their usage of AI content tools they are apparently not afraid of their projects being penalized as spam or thin content.

So, is AI content helpful or spam? 

Can we clearly say whether AI content is helpful or spam? Well, we can’t. It depends.

In my opinion, AI content can be both helpful and spam. 

The motivation and the effort invested in it are some factors to consider. If you invest zero effort and let the AI do 100% of the work, the risk of getting low-level content farm drivel is high.

It really depends on quality over quantity. 

One thing is for sure, churning mass-produced, low-quality content makes all your content less than stellar. It doesn’t matter whether you use AI or inexperienced writers to inflate your website disproportionately, the outcome is the same. 

Less is more when it comes to content production. Regular publishing is fine as long as it’s not flooding.

WordLift has an in-depth overview of how “generative AI” can work for SEO content purposes and beyond.

As of now, it mostly works well for easy content-related tasks (green) like:

• FAQ generation.
• Product descriptions.
• Summarization.
• Introductory text.

Human intervention

The key to making AI work in content creation is to double down on quality.

Implement quality control and ensure editorial content involves actual human editors. Do not let AI write and decide by itself. People must stay in charge. 

This is also the feedback I got from SEOs using AI for content creation. Their content is never completely automated and there are quality checks to ensure compliance with Google’s standards.

Google Search Advocate John Mueller has been pretty clear about AI content being “still” against Google’s webmaster guidelines in April 2022.

Using AI ethically in SEO

The question of whether AI content is helpful or becomes spam essentially boils down to the ethics behind it. What is the purpose of the automation process? 

Do you want to flood Google with potentially useless content just to make money from ad or affiliate revenue? Well, guess what, you are likely to spam.

Do you want to get your hands free from the menial work of rephrasing the basics that AI can gobble up from the web automatically to make sure your contribution is akin to poetry and one of a kind that nonsentient AI can’t replicate? Bingo!

Can creativity get fully automated?

Only truly intelligent AI could actually create as a human being does. Otherwise, it’s merely combining “facts” from elsewhere.

Many science fiction works have dealt with the possibility of artificial intelligence becoming fully alive. Most of those are scary dystopian visions. Some aren’t. 

There is a movie that is somewhere in the middle of those two extremes called “I, Robot” starring Will Smith. Based on a novel by Isaac Asimov, a respected science fiction writer, the film captures both the essence of humanity and true artificial intelligence pretty well. Asimov comes close to answering this question. (You can read the novel on Archive.org for free.)

The post AI content: Is it helpful or spam? appeared first on Search Engine Land.

Original source: https://searchengineland.com/ai-content-helpful-or-spam-391745

Reading Time: 3 mins

This post is sponsored by YourParkingSpace

Having an off-street parking space is something that you might take for granted: being able to park your car off the road for no extra charge, safe and sound by your house. Yet it’s a highly-prized luxury that thousands upon thousands of people in the UK don’t have, being forced to pay daily or monthly charges for parking permits from their local council, or struggling to find somewhere to park their car when they’re out and about.  

Plus, if you have an off-street parking space, whether it’s a driveway, an underground parking space under a block of flats, or an off-street space in a residential car park, you could be sitting on money you didn’t know was there: have you thought about renting out your parking space? 

Last year in the UK, the Total Gross Revenue from driveway rentals came to £27,279,631, with London-based renters making an average of £1,691 a year and those outside London making £874 a year. 

And the stats for selected cities are equally profitable: 

Car park operators in the UK have long been a formidable force, with a small handful of companies controlling the majority of the sector. As customer needs and expectations evolve, the market has moved towards a necessary digital experience that has paved the way for emerging technology companies like YourParkingSpace to bring innovation to the sector.

Whether you’re heading to an event, off on holiday, or simply need a space for work, finding parking should be simple, convenient and affordable, and YourParkingSpace allows you to list your space and earn anything from £40 to £400 per month. Motorists can then find and book your parking space.

WHAT KIND OF PARKING SPACE CAN I RENT OUT?

You can rent out any type of parking space you own or are authorised to lease, including

• Driveways 
• Garages 
• Off-street parking spaces 
• Residential parking  

• Commercial parking 
• Underground Parking 
• Suitable Empty Land 

Whether you want to lease your space 24/7 or set specific availability, the YourParkingSpace calendar allows you to dive further into your settings to cater for seasonal and event-based demand. The platform also features parking at churches, hotels, supermarkets, retail parks, storage facilities, houses, blocks of flats, and even farms. 

HOW MUCH CAN I MAKE? 

As the selected statistics show, you can make varying quantities of money from renting out spaces in different areas. 

Listing fees or ongoing maintenance fees on your listing aren’t charged. It’s completely FREE to list your space on the YourParkingSpace platform.  

YourParkingSpace adds their commission on top of the price you set, taking 20% commission of the total price paid by the driver. It’s a hassle-free service with all driver enquiries and payments managed by YourParkingSpace. 

Space providers are paid on the first business day of each month, arriving in bank accounts on the same day. Providers can opt for earnings to be paid via Bank Transfer or via PayPal.  

All earnings above £10 are automatically paid, any earnings under £10 are rolled over to the following month until the balance exceeds £10 and qualifies for automatic payment. You can request a balance of under £10 to be released at any time, your account will then be qualified to receive payment on the next payment date. 

You can sign up here to get started. 

I WANT TO BOOK A SPACE 

It’s easy to find a space to book on YourParkingSpace.co.uk: just search your destination to find available parking by app or by web, then easily compare nearby spaces based on price and distance. 

You can book in advance or on demand, and the Best Price Guarantee promises that you will always pay the best rate for your parking, plus you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that you can manage your parking session from anywhere via your account.   

Download the YourParkingSpace app to manage your booking on the go. 

Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.

The post Make Money Renting Space with YourParkingSpace appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Original source: https://www.moneymagpie.com/make-money/make-money-renting-space-with-yourparkingspace

Reading Time: 12 mins

No matter how small your garden may be, you can earn a sweet mint this summer with some of our clever outdoor money-making ideas. From using the soil for growing saleable produce to renting your garden for private functions, there are loads of ways to earn pretty pounds from those lovely petals. Here are a few tops tips on how to make money from your garden.

• Grow edible flowers
• Sell medicinal plants
• Propagate seedlings
• Start an organic market garden
• Hire out your garden as allotments
• Host garden parties
• Hire out your garden as a campsite
• Hire out your garden to painting groups
• Host an open garden event
• Start a beekeeping business
• Open your garden to the public
• Get free gardening equipment
• Get free gardening seeds

Organic is big business these days. Celebrity chefs, supermarkets and health food stores tell us the benefits of organic produce for us and the environment all the time, and with a return to thrifty ways thanks to the recession there’s never been a better time to go out there and grow your own. You could even cut out the middleman and sell directly to individual customers.

Grow edible flowers

Yes, really. Gourmet and health food stores do stock edible flowers, and at restaurants plenty of chefs include flowers in recipes as well as to garnish dishes. They might not be tasty on their own but with a few other key ingredients you could have a winning combination. The key is to work out what’s edible and what’s saleable.

The dandelion, for example, is actually a great salad ingredient, and makes a great wine! Remember that certain flowers can only be used for decoration, such as daffodils, azaleas and rhododendrons. They’re not safe to eat – so if in doubt, always check. Roses, violets, pansies and daylilies are all popular and saleable edible plants you could grow. The good news is you don’t need a huge garden to grow them.

all you’ll need is:

• Some varieties of popular edible flowers
• Organic pesticides and fungicides
• A designated plot in your garden

Before you start planting, consult your local plant nursery to find the best way of using insect deterrents to protect your plants organically. A compost pile is ideal for providing naturally enriched soil to use. If you’re going to eat your produce, be aware that you can’t use normal chemical plant agents.

When it comes to harvesting your edible flowers make sure to do it whilst the temperature is cool: early in the day after the morning dew has evaporated is ideal. Remove all the pollen parts of the plant, and keep the long-stemmed flowers in water inside the fridge. Place short-stemmed flowers between moist paper towels or keep them loose inside a plastic bag – and that’s all it takes.

Your flowers will be good to eat fresh for about a week. Approaching local restaurants or food stores is a good way to sell your flowers, and you’ll need to put together some photos, pricing and growing information. In order to trade directly to households, consider creating a blog page, or place adverts on eBay, Gumtree or Craigslist.

Sell medicinal plants

A lot of the same edible plants can also be used and sold for medicinal purposes – you just need to add an extra step and dry your plants to increase their shelf life. Stick to perennials that don’t require annual planting or germination.

Medicinal herbs and plants are great because they can flourish in the shade or harsh sun, and require little water or attention. You’d be surprised at what already grows in your garden that’s medicinal. The roots and flower-tops of the dandelion can be dried and sold as a tea or a body tincture. They’re meant to aid liver and gastrointestinal detoxification, work as a digestive and as a diuretic, and they also contain plenty of antioxidants.

A common weed with a stock of medicinal qualities is the plantain – it’s great for killing bacteria and reducing swelling on wounds and insect bites. Another perennial, lemon balm, belongs to the mint family and treats viral infections, shingles and cold sores. Use it as a tea to bolster the immune system in overcoming cold and flu symptoms – it’s also good for helping you get a good night’s rest.

The market for selling medicinal herbs is more likely to be a domestic one. Your knowledge of their use is just as important in selling the plants as the plants themselves, so it’s vital to do your research beforehand into all the plants and herbs you’re interested in growing for sale and distribution. People are more likely to buy from you – and continue to buy from you – if you’re confident and secure in the information you can provide.

Remember: Even though these plants are generally considered safe to use as a natural homeopathic medicine, you should always evaluate their risks and benefits to certain people and their illnesses, especially when used in conjunction with other prescribed medicines. If in doubt, go without until you’ve got more information and advice.

Propagate seedlings

Many don’t have the skills to nurture seeds into life and choose to skip this stage and buy already-established seedlings. You can profit from this by doing the hard work for them. You’ll need:

• Good-quality seed compost – normal soil won’t cut it as the physical structure won’t be up to scratch, and potting compost has too many nutrients, putting your seedlings at risk of fertiliser damage.
• Somewhere for the seeds to grow – think somewhere warm and humid with seed trays. This could be a greenhouse, a conservatory or even just a propagator, which is a seed tray with a lid like a fish tank.

Make sure you do your research to get the best results Fresh seeds are key and will ensure that you grow the best-quality seedlings possible. A watering can is a must, but take a look at your seedling packet’s instructions to see if they have any specific needs.

Start an organic market garden

This’ll require a lot more time, knowledge and money so it’s probably not for you if you’re not especially green fingered. Be aware that larger garden farms will cost more money to establish and maintain. For small-scale growers, we’ve got an article on growing your own fruit and veg here. Staple and seasonal vegetables are a good entry point.

Remember to stick to the basics first before you start attempting to grow more exotic foods. Selecting produce that’s in season and can easily be grown in your local conditions will be easier and require far fewer resources to grow. Don’t worry about growing ‘perfect’ looking produce – buyers will know it’s the taste that matters.

Advertise locally, with flyers and business cards that you may put up in other local shops and eateries. It’s a good idea to hold weekly or monthly markets. You could even join forces with the neighbours and see if they’re willing to grow some produce in their gardens. If they are you could have a regular street market, cashing in on all your varying produce.

Running a market can require a lot of time investment (as will gardening all the produce), so be mindful of how large a market you can actually handle and how much time and money you have to invest. It’s probably worth buying small tools that you’ll be using regularly that you don’t already have, while larger machinery you’ll only be using occasionally should be borrowed or hired.

Local tool hire companies can be found in the Yellow Pages or on Gumtree. Because the ‘fruits of your labour’ will take several months to become available, you’ll need working capital to finance supplies, living expenses, wages and organic certification fees. For an idea about evaluating assets and setting targets for the market, see Scott Kelland’s advice on starting a market garden.

Hire out your garden as allotments

It’s not just seasoned gardeners and the hard-up who are growing their own fruit and veg – since the recession plenty of people have discovered a green tinge to their fingers. City dwellers are in on the act too, and if they haven’t got the space to get growing at home they’re looking for land elsewhere. Enter you and your garden. Waiting lists for council lots can be huge, and if you’ve got spare garden space you could make a bit of extra cash by renting it out to others.

If you live in London, waiting lists are exceptionally long which means you could charge more and still find keen tenants. You do need to have spare space, enough to feel comfortable giving a proportion of it away. Access is also an issue – if you don’t have a side gate to your garden (or can’t put one in), you might have tenants coming through your house to get to their plot.

You could also use Spareground; a website where you can advertise your unused land and  find a tenant to take care of it.

host garden parties

If your garden’s big enough and you don’t mind the intrusion then why not hire it out for parties? Save yourself hassle from the start and stick to hiring your garden out exclusively for children’s parties. There’s no alcohol, no late-night noise pollution and less mess. You could even provide catering and children’s entertainers (or do it yourself if you’re feeling brave).

The whole party can come as a packaged deal in your own garden for a nice profit. You’ll need to provide a marquee or gazebo in case it rains. Tables and chairs, games, and a music and PA system are initial financial outlays. You should expect to be asking about £800–850 to cover your expenses, time and effort. This will make it worthwhile.

If this idea is for you, make sure you get adequate insurance and liability cover. Child-proof the garden and be mindful of health and safety considerations – make sure your first aid kit is well stocked.

Hire out your garden as a campsite

This is again likely to be better for bigger gardens, but letting campers into your garden is a fun way to make a bit of extra cash. If you’re near places of interest or areas of outstanding natural beauty you could be onto a winner.

The Garden Caravan Site in Norfolk has done just this and they charge £15–20 per pair per night. If you’re doing this occasionally for acquaintances it shouldn’t be a problem, but if you’re looking at developing it into a more permanent project or have general questions, we suggest you get in touch with your local authority. Planning Portal has good guidance on whether you need special permission.

Hire out your garden to painting groups

If you have a truly lovely garden, with lots of space for sitting, you could offer it to local art schools or holiday painting groups to paint in. Offer an all-in package including refreshments, lunch and even a cool lounge to relax in and you could charge in the £100s. Of course, this is only useful for people with a special garden with lots of nooks and crannies, great views and fascinating plants, as well as an attractive home to visit.

However, if you have these and the leisure to look after people, then contact local colleges, adult education establishments and even the local tourist office to let them know you exist. Send photos and a list of charges for different packages (a price for using the garden only, a price for garden and refreshments etc). If you’re more entrepreneurial you could set up classes yourself. Bring in an art teacher and advertise one-day or hour-long classes for locals and visitors.

Host an open garden event

If you have a sizeable garden that you take good care of, then a way to make money is to show it off to the public by staging an open garden event. This is where you open your garden to the public, like artists do when they hold open studio days, and you can charge an entrance fee or offer drinks or cream teas to visitors to make some money.

Most open gardens are staged to raise money for charities or worthy causes, such as repairing the church roof. If this is why you’d like to open your garden then you can advertise online at The National Garden Society or Open Gardens so your chances of a good turnout are increased. You can also serve refreshments to raise more money, and if you wanted to you could take a cut of the money raised as payment for your hard work. A lot of open garden events are only staged annually, so you have a whole year to prepare your garden for the event and that way you don’t have to obtain a license from the council.

Start a beekeeping business

Did you know that it’s better for your immune system if you eat honey that’s made locally? It’s especially good if you suffer from seasonal allergies, like hay fever. Local bees will obviously collect nectar and pollen from local plants. Then, the honey they make contains a bit of pollen. Urban beekeeping is becoming more and more popular. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space to keep bees.

In New York, it’s become all the rage to keep bees on your roof! There are around 44,000 beekeepers in the UK, 95% of whom keep bees as a hobby. Looking after bees is surprisingly simple, you just need a couple of hours a week as they’re otherwise pretty self-sufficient. If you’re planning on keeping bees it’s probably a good idea to tell your immediate neighbours. Just in case there are any allergy sufferers around!

Bees aren’t as vicious as wasps, as they don’t sting for the sake of it. They are mainly interest in nectar and pollen, so there shouldn’t really be a problem. With one hive you can expect to harvest about 40lbs of honey, and what you don’t keep for yourself you can sell at local farmers’ markets and shops!

If you’re not interested in keeping bees, but don’t mind someone else using your garden for it, then why not host a beehive? You’ll no doubt get a lot of free honey from it! For more on urban beekeeping, try Urban Bees. You might need to be careful though. Many amateur beekeepers end up killing their bees by not giving them the right care and attention. Poor hive hygiene, overdosing and under-dosing with drug treatments and using illegal chemicals could kill off your bees.

Open your garden to the public

If you have a particularly nice garden, why not open it to the public? Some 4,000 gardens in England and Wales take part in the National Gardens Scheme. The money raised is donated to charity. Although you can’t really make money, it’s a great way to showcase the fruits of your labour. Plus, you’ll meet new people who share your passion. The size of your garden isn’t critical, and many NGS plots are typical back gardens.

You don’t have to have a huge grand garden to join. Most people are interested in a good range of plants and flowers. It is not necessarily about the size. It’s a great way to meet new people, have a cup of tea and chat about gardening. But remember, you can’t charge people for tea unless you go through hygiene and health and safety hoops. The NGS say that most people exhibit their gardens once or twice a year. This means you don’t have to worry about finding strangers in your garden all the time!

Get free gardening equipment

Gardening doesn’t come cheap. This is certainly the case if you’re just starting out. One of the best ways to try and cut your costs is by trying to get free gardening equipment. Community freebie sites such as Freegle, SnaffleUp, Gumtree or Freecycle are useful.

For whatever reason, people will always need to shift some of their stuff. People are giving unwanted goods away for free! You never know what you might find that could be useful in the garden and home. So, before you head down to buy your gardening must-haves, take a quick look. It’s also worth having a root around your local recycling centre – one person’s junk is another’s treasure. You might be surprised to discover what people throw away in order to make some space. Good-quality and rarely-used gardening tools often end up on the ‘junk’ pile.

Get free gardening seeds

Ask family and friends for cuttings or any spare seeds they might have to help your garden grow. You could arrange a swap so that you have a range of different plants and seeds. Many people buy seeds but end up storing them away never to be used. So, you may be surprised that plenty of people would be willing to donate them to a good home.

Lots of gardeners will also be happy to furnish you with free cuttings from plants they already grow. You might want to check out gardening swap sites like Garden Swap Shop. Most are free to use, and allow you to swap seeds and plants with other community members.

Ask your money-making questions

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The new MoneyMagpie Messageboard brings together the Magpie community, MoneyMagpie team, and vetted experts to make sure your essential money-making questions get answered.

Take a look here and register to post a new thread or reply.

The post 13 ways to make and save money from your garden appeared first on MoneyMagpie.

Original source: https://www.moneymagpie.com/make-money/13-ways-to-make-money-from-your-garden-2

Home Business Magazine Online

The way that business is conducted has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. There’s been a substantial shift to the online realm as businesses have realised they can reach a much bigger audience via the internet. This shift has happened to almost every industry, including fashion brands like Gucci and supermarkets like Waitrose. Even the casino industry has moved online. While some offer both online and physical games, sites like Platincasino only provide online games which allow people to play from anywhere. If you want to move your business online, follow these five simple steps!

Choosing and setting up a server

When shifting your business online, you must first decide where your site will be hosted. There are two main options for business websites. You can use tools specifically designed for web stores, such as Shopify, or create a site and add plug-ins that turn it into an online web store. Which one you choose will depend on your level of competency. Additionally, consider the platform’s features, reliability, support, and pricing. Specially designed platforms will have more features and support but will be more expensive than doing it yourself.

Purchase a domain

Another thing you’ll have to do in the early days of your online store is purchase a domain. This domain will be your website address that people use to find your store, so it needs to be short, snappy, and related to your content! When purchasing a domain, consider whether you want it local (e.g. .uk) or worldwide (.com). Local domains are better for businesses limited by geography, such as building firms. Also, consider the cost of your domain, as some worldwide domains are more expensive than local ones. There are several domain-buying platforms where you can purchase your domain, such as Shopify, GoDaddy, and many more.

Set up the website

Once you have your platform and domain name, you must create your website. Some platforms have website builders allowing you to create a professional-looking website easily. However, these tools don’t offer much flexibility, so if you want to control your site’s design fully, you either have to do it yourself or hire a web developer. Make your site appealing by using high-quality images, having a clear brand identity, and limiting the amount of clutter on the screen. The better your site looks, the more likely people will stay and use it!

Compose payment and shipping methods

If your online business involves selling products, you’ll need to find a way to process payments and ship the orders to your clients. The dedicated e-commerce sites have tools that allow you to integrate payment systems into your website easily. However, if you’re doing it yourself, you must be mindful of your site’s security while handling sensitive information. Also, consider how you’re shipping your products to your customers, how long your average delivery will take, and how much you will charge for postage. There are lots of online companies that assist with the shipping of packages, so find the one that works best for your business.

Market your website

Once your website is complete and ready for business, you need to get the word out! Marketing your site is just as important as creating it because it doesn’t matter how good your site is; if no one knows about it, they won’t come! Creating useful content for users online, although it may not create direct conversions, is a great way to get potential customers on your site. Therefore, it is imperative that you learn as much as you can on how to write better blogs, as the better the content, the more value to the reader and the more they will want to navigate the rest of your website. You should optimise your content with keywords related to your business to ensure it ranks highly in search engine results. Consider advertising your business through social media or paid advertising via Google Ads or Microsoft Ads, as the more people that see your site, the more people will click on it.

Conclusion

It’s no secret that the world is moving online, with many aspects of our lives completely taking place over the internet. Consider following these helpful tips to shift your business online and ensure it gets noticed.

The post 5 Steps for a Successful Business Shift to Online appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

Original source: https://homebusinessmag.com/businesses/website-development/5-steps-successful-business-shift-online/