Business

Did you know that your Mac has a built-in robot that can do many tasks for you, saving you tons of time? If not, that’s okay.

More than 22 million MacBooks were sold in 2020, and almost none of those users are aware of the Mac Automator. That means that these millions of people are wasting time completing repetitive tasks manually because they are simply ignorant of the robot they already own.

Are you on the lookout for Mac shortcuts that can save you time, which also helps you to save money? Then you need to know how to use Mac Automator, the free automation tool that can help you manipulate images and files at scale.

So what exactly can Mac Automator do to make your life easier? Keep reading to discover five of the main ways to start using this application.

1. Scale Down Image

If you are a photographer, designer, or someone else who works with lots of images, you know the pain of having to scale down large image files. After all, large images would slow down web pages if they were uploaded at full size.

Luckily, images don’t need to be full size to look good on a web page. Most people use small screens, such as smartphones or laptops, anyways. So an image that is only 1,200 pixels wide is more than sufficient. But images coming out of modern cameras can be up to 6,000 pixels wide.

Of course, you can edit photo sizes one by one using Preview on Mac. You can also do it one at a time when using photo editing software.

But the easier way to scale your images down to a consistent size is to use Automator.

You’ll start by opening Automator and creating new automation. Add the collection of photos to be edited in the left column. Then add the “scale images” function to the right column. Then save the app to your desktop.

You’ve essentially created a brand new app on your MacBook. To use, all you need to do is drop individual photos or a folder containing a collection of images onto the application’s icon.

You can edit the app at any time change the desired resolution. Or create multiple apps, each for a different resolution.

2. Rotate Images

Depending on how you take images, you might end up with many photos that are all sideways or upside down. This happens when using smartphones, as the orientation can get messed up when phones are held horizontally.

The slow way of fixing these photos is to open each one separately and click the rotate button multiple times until they are correct. But the easy way of resolving these on an ongoing basis is by creating an app with Automator.

Again, you’ll start by adding “Photos” to the left column. In the right column, you’ll add the “Rotate Images” function. You can select the orientation for each app and name the app on your desktop accordingly.

You can make multiple apps, each rotating images in a different direction.

3. Use Mac Automator to Convert Files

Take a lot of photos with your iPhone? Then you’ve probably experienced the frustration that comes along with HEIC files. These are the native format of photos taken on iPhones these days.

But not all websites accept uploads of HEIC files. So if you need to take a picture of a document, license, or something else and upload it to an app or website, you may have your photo rejected.

You’ll need to convert these image files to a widely accepted format, such as JPEG.

To do this, you’ll create a new application and again add “Photos” to the left column. On the right, you’ll add the “Change Type of Images” function. Choose the “To Type” according to your preferences, such as the universally accepted JPEG.

You can create other apps to convert to different files types as well.

4. Turn a Website Into a Native App

Most people don’t realize that websites can be standalone apps on their Mac. But they are used to having website-based apps on their iPhones.

For example, they might visit the Facebook website, Instagram website, or their bank’s website on their computer. But on their iPhone, they would just open the corresponding app, which functions much smoother and is easier to open and find.

And using Mac’s Automator, you can actually turn any website into an app that lives on the dock of your Macbook. This works by using site-specific browser (SSB) technology.

With the Safari save website as app function in Automator, you just need the URL of the site you’d like to convert to an app. And in a minute or two, you’ll have an app that can be customized to your liking.

5. Create a Custom Function

Want to get a little creative with your MacBook? If you know a thing or two about programming, you can script your own automation with this helpful robot.

Of course, Automator has tons of native functions already built-in. In fact, you can find hundreds in the library, each containing variables that can be adjusted for maximum use cases.

Or you can use Apple Scripts or Java Script to create unique commands that empower your desired workflows. First, you can add the run script action to your workflow. Then, enter the script code and any commands you’d like it to perform as a result.

Want increased customization without having to write commands yourself? Many third-party applications have custom-coded Automator functions that automatically add to your library when you install the software.

For example, many Microsoft tools like Outlook, Word, or Excel will come with Automator functions ready to go.

Learn How Your Computer Works

Mac Automator is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in the hands of all MacBook owners. If people took the time to learn how to use the expensive computers they hold in their hands, they could get a lot more done with far less effort.

Are you looking for more tips like this? Visit our blog today to keep reading.

Navin was once reading an interview of the young entrepreneur, Mr. Kaushal Dugar. Mr. Dugar used innovation in technology and supply chain to start ‘Teabox,’ with a vision to build India’s first global tea brand. This kicked Navin, a young adult with entrepreneurial dreams, towards driving faster on this path of starting a new business. He got to know about various government schemes through the Udyami helpline, low business loan interest rates, and collateral-free loans for new businesses offered by banks and financial institutions. He then ended his search by taking a business loan at an affordable rate.

Today, the ‘Make in India’  initiative by the Indian government is integral to the growth of entrepreneurship across the country. Therefore, small and medium-sized entities, popularly known as the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), are very significant for strengthening the Indian economy. Their success encourages young people, like Navin, from small towns to pursue self-employment through business innovations.

Main Challenges faced by MSMEs in India

Despite the crucial role played by the MSMEs in Indian economic growth, the sector is facing several challenges that prevent it from reaching its true potential.

Financial Challenge

A critical challenge in this sector is the lack of financial literacy. As MSME owners are from remote regions, they are typically unaware of the special financial privileges given to them by the government. Unlike big companies, they do not enjoy creditworthiness as their owners do not have sufficient assets to offer as collateral to the lenders. Lenders often lack the faith of regular receipt of loan EMIs and repayment of loans. Consequently, they are compelled to borrow from the unorganized sector.

Solution

MSME owners should be updated about the latest schemes and benefits offered by the government and lenders offering low business loan interest rates, easy processing, and flexible loan repayment structure. Such information can be procured by reading news updates, regularly approaching government officials, and being part of local groups. The government also educates and informs people through advertisements in newspapers, TV, and social media.

Ineffective Marketing

MSMEs are struggling to cope up with the current competitive market due to a lack of managerial and marketing skills, inadequate knowledge of market trends, absence of market analysis to boost sales and acquire new consumers, etc. MSMEs face challenges to stand firm against big business houses due to the lack of professional exposure towards levels such as branding, marketing, distribution.

Solution

There are various groups formed by the government or the MSMEs themselves to help other MSMEs learn the nuances of the business and thus, procure more customers and orders. They may charge nominal fees for their services. MSMEs may consider being part of such groups. It helps them connect with peers and professionals for better marketing and pricing strategies to withstand competition.

Technology and Infrastructural challenges

Indian MSMEs face these challenges due to a lack of up-to-date knowledge of the latest technological developments in the market. In certain cases, the inability to use computers and basic invoicing and accounting software results in limited expansion of business.

Besides, the main infrastructural issues in semi-urban and rural regions are frequent power cuts, restricted water supply, poor internet connectivity, poor roads, etc. This adversely affects the productivity and profitability of the MSMEs.

Solution

MSME owners should enroll themselves in government IT development programs to get better access to modern technology. For instance, knowledge of basic technologies like the business loan EMI calculator can help them ascertain the EMIs payable over a period of time.

Installing power generators or solar panels can help to overcome the power cut issue.

Unskilled Labor

India has a large pool of human resources, yet industries are facing challenges in procuring skilled manpower. Also, poor employee management and lack of training facilities lead to wastage of time and money.

Solution

MSME owners should organize in this area and combine their efforts to provide on-the-job training to new employees, higher wages or recognition to deserving persons, better training infrastructure, etc.

Conclusion

In short, MSMEs need to utilize the limited resources in an optimum and collective manner. They should be educated and informed about business loan, schemes, and skills to help the sector grow.

The government also rolls out different schemes to empower the MSMEs to overcome the obstacles. Being aware of such schemes and taking their benefits, and helping the MSMEs in business expansion.

Agriculture business includes production, farming, management, and marketing of commodities like livestock, vegetables, grains, and fruits. It also comprises resource management, sales of agricultural produce, conservation, and ranching. Agriculture business can be classified as follows:

• Production resources, which include machinery, seeds, equipment, energy, and fertilizers.
• Agriculture commodities, such as processed or raw food and fiber items.
• Facilitative services like transportation, insurance, packaging, marketing, storage, processing, and credit.

Importance and benefits of agriculture business

Almost 60% to 70% of the Indian population is involved in agriculture and allied activities. Moreover, the agriculture sector employs over 52% of the total labor and contributes around 15% to the Indian Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Agribusiness supplies food, as well as fodder, which is fed to livestock that in turn provides food to people. Several products like tea, spices, sugar, coffee, rice, and much more are exported from India, which provides an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs.

The agriculture business is also important for healthcare as several plants are used to manufacture different medicines. Moreover, it provides food security to the nation and helps prevent malnourishment.

How to finance an agriculture business

Before looking for financing options, you must prepare an agriculture business plan. You need to identify and conduct research on potential markets, as well as calculate the short-term and long-term viability of the business.

Agribusiness loans are offered by banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and cooperative societies. Often these are small and medium enterprise (SME) loans with a low rate of interest. The repayment tenure varies from one institution to another, and the amount can be repaid in monthly, bi-annual, or annual installments.

Generally, the loan can be used for buying livestock or cattle, managing daily operations, purchasing equipment, meeting warehousing and storage expenses, or other agribusiness-related purposes.

When you choose SME loan solutions from a reliable lender like Mahindra Finance, you can enjoy the following benefits.

• Flexible and convenient finance options
• Quick and hassle-free processing
• Minimal documentation
• Customized loan repayment schedule based on your financial situation
• Competitive SME loan interest rates

Although the exact documents may vary between lenders, some of the basic requirements include land ownership proof, identity proof, and address proof. You may also check your eligibility by visiting the lender’s website. The basic SME loan eligibility norms are as follows:

• You must be between 18 and 70 years old.
• The land should be used for agriculture purposes only.

To apply for a business loan and start your agribusiness quickly, visit the Mahindra Finance website today.

A Solo 401k plan is one of the best retirement options for entrepreneurs, freelancers, independent workers, and anyone who is self-employed. The plans address many of the concerns self-employed workers have and can provide an excellent option to these individuals for retirement planning.

If you are self-employed, read on to learn more about Solo 401k retirement plans and how to start one.

Why Should I Start a Solo 401k Retirement Plan?

There are tons of reasons why you should start a Solo 401k plan as a self-employed worker. But for our purposes, let’s detail the three most compelling reasons:

1. Loan Options. Without the backing of a large company, when things get difficult for you as a self-employed worker, there are very few options to which you can turn for help. Therefore, you have the option of taking out loans of as much as $50,000 or 50% of your plan’s value, if needed. Letting your money grow in your retirement fund is obviously the best option, but if you need to take out a loan, you can do so with a Solo 401k.
2. Roth Or Traditional Contributions. Whether you should structure your plan for Roth or Traditional contributions has long been debated. However, with a Solo 401k, the choice is up to you. If you would rather make pre-taxed traditional contributions and then pay taxes when you withdraw your money in retirement, you are able to do so. On the other hand, if you’d prefer to pay your taxes now and make Roth contributions, thereby making tax-free withdrawals in retirement, this option is also available to you with a Solo 401k.
3. Huge Contribution Limits. Saving the best benefit for last, a Solo 401k enables you to make the highest allowable contributions for self-employed individuals. In fact, you can contribute $19,500 as an employee and $37,500 as an employer. Because you are both your only employee and your only employer, you can make a total contribution of $57,000 a year to your Solo 401k plan.

How Do I Choose a Plan Provider?

It’s important to factor in a number of considerations when choosing your plan provider including:

• Fees Associated with Plan. If you can find a plan that does not impose any extra costs, you should strongly consider them for your Solo 401k provider.
• Intuitive Plan Set-Up. Setting up your plan shouldn’t be a laborious process where you need to do days’ worth of research. You should be able to call your provider, hear the available options, and be set up in short order.
• Customer Service Availability. Inevitably, you’re going to have questions pertaining to your plan. You’ll want to partner with a provider that is available to answer your questions, not one who will get back to you three weeks later.
• You’ll want to ensure that your plan offers everything that you’re looking for in terms of Roth and Traditional contributions, different investment options, etc.

Ready to start? Call a Solo 401k plan provider today to get started!

Despite the enormous advantages it can offer, 70% of small businesses lack an SEO strategy. Why is that? After all, search engine optimization is an absolute necessity in today’s world, and quality SEO for businesses can be the difference between thriving and withering.

The reason? Not enough businesses really understand what SEO is and what the types of SEO are. It’s fair enough: running a business eats up so much time that not many leaders can find the space in their day to read up on SEO.

Well, let’s see if we can offer a quick crash course for time-strapped business leaders! Here’s a quick overview of the main types of SEO.

On-Page SEO

The clue is in the name with this one: on-page SEO refers to search engine optimization that happens (wait for it) on the webpage! This is about cleverly using techniques to ‘teach’ search engine crawlers what your website is about so that they surface it when users search for related topics.

For example, let’s say you’re a gardener in Washington. You have a website where people can see the services you offer and hire you to come tend to their gardens. Naturally, you want people Googling ‘gardeners in Washington’ to see your website near the top of the search results list.

To achieve this, you include lots of relevant keywords throughout your website, produce high-quality content pertaining to gardening, and include lots of links to other brilliant resources. This way, Google learns you’re not only a site about gardening in Washington, but you’re a high-quality site about gardening in Washington.

Check out this page for more on industry-specific SEO.

Off-Page SEO

And here’s the other side of the coin. This is the SEO that doesn’t happen on your website.

Think of the gardener example again. Another great way to educate search engines about your site is to produce great content for external websites that refer and link back to your own site.

This creates a virtuous circle where both your site and the site you are writing for benefit from your content. Not bad, right?

Black Hat SEO

And here’s what not to do. Black Hat SEO refers to kinds of SEO that explicitly violate Google guidelines (and the guidelines of other search engines). They’re cheap, but they rely on all sorts of underhand tactics like keyword stuffing to bump up websites in search results.

The worst thing? They usually don’t work. Search engines are vigilant about this kind of thing and constantly develop ways to fight it. So don’t waste your time and money!

The Many Types of SEO

So there you have it, a few of the main types of SEO. Whether you’re a small business or a megacorp, SEO has something to offer you. So don’t let this be the end of your SEO journey!

After all, who doesn’t want to be top of the Google results?

Liked this article? Check out the rest of our site for more!

In recent years, we have witnessed an increase in the number of entrepreneurs in India. These entrepreneurs are driven by the idea of becoming technically and financially self-reliant. These ventures are not restricted to the urban areas; there are a host of opportunities to explore in rural areas as well.

The fact that you belong to a rural area or a village ideally should not affect how far you can rise. Starting a small business these days is not as difficult as it used to be. If you are confident about your business idea, the sky is the limit.

If you are concerned about finances for your business, you can apply for a business loan online at your convenience.

So put on your thinking cap, and read through the top small business ideas for rural areas:

1.     Fertilizers and Seeds Store

Farmers in villages rely on agriculture for a living. They must irrigate their crops and sell them for reasonable prices to earn a decent income. Opening a store for fertilizers and seeds may be of interest to the villagers. This business doesn’t require a huge investment, as just buying fertilizers and seeds is enough to get anyone started.

2. Bakery

As the demand for baked goods grows in rural areas, a bakery is a very profitable business idea. It is possible to start this business by owning or renting a space. To succeed in the bakery business, you need the right product and a viable marketing strategy. You will need to select specific products depending on the demand and financial aspect of your bakery business.

3. Diagnostic Center

Like in urban areas, in rural areas and villages, people are not immune to falling ill or catching diseases. While the government provides primary healthcare facilities with the help of dispensaries, there is always a need for a specialized diagnostic center. The center can provide treatment at a local level at a lower price. The initial investment includes the rent for the center, medicine costs, and wages for the staff.

4. Fashion Jewelry

The jewelry industry now generates millions of dollars. It caters to women of all ages. This device’s popularity has a lot to do with its low price and attractive design. If you’re interested in selling costume jewelry online, you can start from home.

It is possible to sell online from your store. Since technology has advanced, it has become more accessible.

5.     Doorstep delivery of clean drinking water

Despite our progress as a country, the drinking water crisis remains unsolved. The lack of infrastructure or water treatment plants leaves villages without this. A large can of water pumped from a tube well or pump can be stored and then transported in vehicles to the rural areas at their doorstep. An innovative business idea would be to charge per jar for this convenience.

Though this could be a costly affair, one can easily avail of a business loan. Before applying for a loan, one should check the business loan eligibility criteria stated by the lender.

6.     Electronics and Accessories Store

As most of India’s population lives in villages, technology must reach every corner for development to happen. With the ease of access to the internet, the rural population is becoming more aware of the technology available at their fingertips. They are therefore looking forward to investing in new appliances and gadgets. It might be daunting even to contemplate opening an electronics store in a small town, but you can definitely consider it.

The list of ideas can run on and on. It is up to you to select the business that suits your requirements. You can opt for loans to meet your funding as lenders offer affordable business loan interest rates. Moreover, you can calculate the approximate EMI for your loan using the EMI calculator on your lender’s website.

As Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: what counts is the courage to go on.”

Many people tend to invest in FDs for a long period of time. If you are planning to hold your FD for a long tenor, it may not be the best idea. This is mainly because the interest rates could go higher in the next few years. So, if you have your capital locked in an FD for a long period of time, there is a high chance that you might miss out on the increasing FD interest rates. If you invest in a 5-year FD, then, you may miss out on the increased interest rates for that particular period of 5 years. Many people might consider breaking their FD and reinvesting in order to increase their returns with higher interest rates. However, in this case, banks typically tend to cut 1% for breaking the Bajaj Finance FD.

Why Can Interest Rates Grow Higher?

The interest rates offered by banks depend on how the RBI holds the rate. In some cases, if the RBI cuts the interest rates, the lending rates offered by banks tend to decrease. The RBI has been on a mission to tame inflation in the country. If the inflation is increasing, the central bank typically tends to increase the rate of interest at which it lends money to banks.

Bajaj Finance FD Rates

The interest rates provided for senior citizens are higher than that of the rate provided for non-senior citizens. Here is a list of the Bajaj Finance FD rates 2021 for both senior citizens and non-senior citizens.

Final Thoughts

It is recommended to keep your Bajaj Finance FD investments to a comparably shorter tenor as it allows you to reinvest and experience the benefits of higher interest rates. You can also use the Bajaj FD calculator to calculate your returns based on the capital invested.

1. Centrally manage desktop deployment for all users in the building, across the country, or on the other side of the world.

From their Amazon Web Services (AWS) interface, organizations may oversee the worldwide deployment of tens of thousands of Workspaces. The amazon workspaces are available in plenty of AWS regions and may be used to offer teams with high-performance cloud workstations wherever they need to work.

Additionally, if a business needs additional Workspaces at any point in time, it is simple to add as many as necessary (or de-provision a few) to meet current computing requirements

2. Easily deploy different operating systems without the bother of licensing

Users may build Workspaces from AWS using the licensed versions of Windows 10, Windows 7, or Amazon Linux 2. Additionally, they may migrate current licenses and save 16 percent per PC. Additionally, customers may choose from a variety of application packages for their WorkSpaces and never have to worry about licensing compliance.

3. Desktop resource management has never been this simple.

Consider designing a desktop computer in real time with the optimal combination of CPU, memory, and storage, on demand and for as many workstations as required — down the hall or across an ocean.

Additionally, the IT department may dynamically augment them with extra power or capacity as required by the use case. No more guessing how many PCs will be required or how they should be setup. That, my friends, is the truth of WorkSpaces.

4. Cost savings

Anyone with a technical knowledge might have predicted this. All of the foregoing results in a reduced IT line item, or the company may do much more with the same resources. Users of WorkSpaces will purchase less hardware and software and will pay less on their deployment, maintenance, and upgrading.

Yes, it may appear anticlimactic in light of all that has come before, but this is the advantage that will increase the CTO’s popularity among the CFO, COO, and CEO. All of these may possibly result in further positive outcomes.

5. Simplifying the delivery of PCs

From AWS, the amazon workspaces simplify the complexities of administering a fleet of PCs in ways that few imagined feasible. Provisioning, installing, maintaining, and recycling—there is less hardware inventory to manage and no need for a complex virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) that cannot grow.

Day-trading or intra-day trading is a short-term trading style. Although being short-term, it’s different from scalping. Usually, a day trade is made during the day, which is again closed before the end of the day. And at the very beginning, a day trader generally picks one position from bull or beer, work in their favor, and close his trade with a loss or profit. They do not hold their trade until the next day.

If you have plenty of time to analyze, manage, and execute trades, you can be a day trader. Some traders think that swing trading is a slow trading style and scalping is a bit faster. They can choose day trading because it is neither slow nor fast. Now let us dive into detail.

Day trading is for you if you-

• Like to start and end trades in one day.
• Have enough time to monitor your trade the whole day.
• You have to go to sleep knowing that you did not make a profit.

Day trading is not for you if you-

• Like to tradein long term or short-term.
• Have no time to sit before your PC and monitor your trade the whole day long.
• Have to go to the office during the day.

Before jumping into day trade, remember-

You need to be aware of recent fundamental events to ensure a direction. Keep the updateson economic news.It will help you to make a decision early in the day. But make sure one thing; asyou have to monitor your trade the whole day, you have enough time.And if you havea job in the day, you need tofix the plan for combining your work with Forex. Be careful that you may be fired for always looking at the chart. In fact, it is better to trade the market with Saxo Bank as a fulltime trader rather than executing the trades randomly.

Now let us discuss the types of day trading. It has three types. They are – trend trading, countertrend trading, and breakout trading. But among them, trend trading is the most popular.

• Trend trading

When trading is done by considering a timeframe and determining the overall trend, it is called trend trading. Traders usually look for whether the price movement is up or down, and they trade accordingly.  You can find your entry opportunities by using indicators in short timeframes.

• Countertrend trading

This style is just like trend trading. The difference is that after determining the overall trend, we should look for trade opportunities against it. Here is a chance to end the trend where you will enter before the trend reverse. It’s a little risky, but the returns can be a lot.

Since we are thinking of “countertrends,” we will look for opportunities to trade on the opposite side of the trend in a shorter timeframe.Remember, to trade against the trend is risky, but the profit is much higher if you enter the market on time.

• Breakout trading

When a pair makes a range at a particular time in a day and breaks in any direction, it is called breakout trading. When a pair moves within the tight range, this trading style works effectively. Because moving within a tight range indicates that the pair will move drastically within a short time. Your goal is to prepare yourself to trade in that move. In this trading style, you will determine the range where the price support/resistance is stuck. Once you have decided that, you will set your entry point up and down.

Day trading is a bit risky, and you need to have a lot of patience to be successful. So many traders do not like it at all. However, through day trading, you can make a massive profit by trading in a short-term trend. Moreover, in day trading, there is no risk of change in the market. And you always have a chance to alter your strategy. Just try to get yourself updated with the market environment and develop your plan accordingly. Within a short time, you can touch the pick of success.

Are you looking for Team building Done Virtually? Your search is over. Virtual team building Singapore has been the rage across the Asia-Pacific region. Virtual team building consists of using a virtual environment to facilitate teambuilding activities and exercises. It provides a cost-effective, safe, and innovative way for companies to improve their employees’ productivity by breaking down barriers between them.

Virtual team building helps foster communication and collaboration amongst the members of a team. Virtual teams can tackle tasks in dynamic ways that traditional groups cannot, due to geographical constraints or cultural differences.

Virtual Team Building Singapore will help you create an environment where individuals collaborate by providing them with diverse perspectives from around the world on any topic imaginable.

Virtual team building is a cost-effective way for companies to engage with their employees, break down barriers and improve productivity. Virtual teams can tackle tasks in dynamic ways that traditional groups cannot due to geographical constraints or cultural differences.

Virtual team building allows companies to tap into a global talent pool, and find new sources of knowledge in different markets. Virtual projects can be planned at a more convenient time for employees as well. Virtual teams are not geographical-bound so they do not have to worry about long work hours or irregular schedules which may result in increased productivity levels and less stress for all involved. Virtual team members also usually feel that their opinions are valued because there is no physical presence – making it easier to communicate freely without fear of judgment or intimidation.

Virtual Team Building Singapore will help you create an environment where everyone is valued and feels as though they can contribute to the project.

Virtual teams are not geographical-bound so they do not have to worry about long work hours or irregular schedules which may result in increased productivity levels and less stress for all involved.