Fortunes Crown

Author: info@fortunescrown

  • FOUR REASONS MICRO-INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF INFLUENCER MARKETING

    FOUR REASONS MICRO-INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF INFLUENCER MARKETING

    Influencer Marketing today is an upgraded approach to the most effective form of marketing since the Industrial Revolution – Word of Mouth. It allows your business to increase reach, stay relevant, and influence buyer behavior authentically.

    With 82 percent of consumers saying that they would be very likely to follow a recommendation from a micro-influencer and 65 percent of consumers discovering a new brand or product through an influencer at least once a week – your potential customers are motivated by consumers.   

    Our boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency spotlights our partner agency, The Stylista Group, and shares insights about micro-influencer campaigns as the most effective form of Influencer Marketing.  
     
    What is Micro-Influencer Marketing 
    Unlike macro-influencers and mega influencers (celebrities) who boast millions of followers, micro-influencers can range between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Micro-Influencer Marketing is a social media influencer marketing strategy that enables a more focused approach to find your target audience in a niche market whilst maintaining a considerable reach.

    This approach often results in higher ROI.

    Finding Your Niche
    Micro-influencers have a competitive advantage due to their hyper-engaged and loyal following. Consider mega influencers such as celebrities, who have so many followers that interests can vary.

    On the other hand, micro-influencers tend to be highly engaged with their audience because they work harder to maintain their following and often focus on specific content within a niche. Being niche enables them to sustain their influence over common interests with their followers.   

    #fashionblogger to #foodblogger 

    ‘’Micro-influencers have 22.2 times more conversations weekly about buying recommendations compared to the average consumer.’’
    Influencer Marketing Hub 2021

    Authentic Marketing
    With the internet accelerating the growth of information accessibility combined with conscious consumerism, it is more important than ever for brands to ensure that their advertising efforts are genuine and brand values align with the customer.

    Although mega-influencers may appear more impactful, they are not relatable. For example, if a celebrity promoted a Target handbag with a good recommendation, followers may think that the promotion is only for monetary gain. 

    Customers are also inundated with information from brands every day. How do you as a business cut through the noise whilst positioning your brand as credible? Saying you are trustworthy is not enough today – this is why peer-to-peer marketing builds authenticity amongst your potential buyers.

    In a 2019 global survey, 87 percent of consumers were inspired by an influencer to purchase from a brand. Micro-influencer campaigns have become a credible and genuine marketing channel to influence buyer behavior. 

    Affordability 
    The micros are more affordable than macro and mega influencers. Let us use Instagram as an example as 67 percent of brands use Instagram for Influencer Marketing. Micro-influencers tend to charge between $100 – $2500 per post depending on follower count. Whereas influencer profiles reaching millions can start from $10,000 per post, that is only affordable for businesses with bigger marketing budgets. 

    Additionally, your marketing investment in influencers goes further than solely generating leads for your business, it can generate content. According to a 2020 Influencer report, ‘’80 percent of brands say they have increased the amount of content they produce’’ – meaning that their investments in influencer marketing are also enabling them to promote more content on the business’s digital platforms. And as a bonus, your business has more positive customer testimonials guaranteed. 

    Better ROI, More Value
    The ability to relate to your customers evokes emotional buyer behaviors – so it’s no surprise that ‘’89 percent of marketers say influencer marketing ROI is as good or better than other marketing channels’’. 

    Nano-influencers (generally under 10,000 followers) are similar to micro-influencers in terms of accessibility to a niche market. And, nano-influencers may achieve higher engagement rates depending on the product or service on offer due to their close community of followers. However, micro-influencers offer

    • further reach;
    • higher impressions and conversion rates; and 
    • greater brand awareness 

     
    At the same time, they continuously maintain a high level of trust amongst their followers. Micro-influencer campaigns can generate more focused leads as they tend to be more experienced too. 

    To conclude, Influencer Marketing is expected to reach a market size of $10 billion â€“ it is clear that peer-to-peer marketing and word-of-mouth is still the most valuable method to generate customers and revenue for your business.

  • Joseph Rothstein: Passionate About Assisting His Clients In Growing And Scaling Their Businesses

    Joseph Rothstein: Passionate About Assisting His Clients In Growing And Scaling Their Businesses

    The media industry has been rapidly changing since the dawn of the internet. Over the past couple of years, media platforms are dynamically influencing the business world such as advertising on Instagram. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven many businesses towards getting online to step their game up. The preys to this unwelcomed circumstance are the older generation businesses that have been holding off from providing their clients functional and enjoyable user experience.

    The pandemic has forced businesses to go digital; in-person meetings and traditional ways of being seen have been waved earlier for good. Joseph Rothstein, the Founder & CEO of Social Media 55, had sensed it all more than a decade ago. In the age of information, Joseph was a bit skeptical about the old implication methods of marketing. With a vision to be the best provider in the media industry, he began his entrepreneurial journey. In 2014, he founded Social Media 55 with the passion to impart brand exposure and visibility to businesses in need.

    The Day With Positivity

    Joseph radiates positivity and true enjoyment of his work. He spends most of the day working alongside VP of Operations Benjamin Ohayon, who has been a driving force for their customer success. Where Joseph as CEO is responsible for strategy and direction functioning closely with the team for successful campaigns, Benjamin is a true leader every CEO requires. Joseph oversees his graphic designers, SEO team, content developers, and works alongside the web development team.

    From Wireless to Digital

    Joseph, after a decade of working in telecommunications and servicing corporate accounts, was fascinated by marketing. He realized that he wasn’t being challenged working in the wireless cellular phone industry, and plunged into digital marketing about 10 years back. He began developing an e-commerce website for a luxury fragrance company “JIVAGO Brands.” Soon the brand started getting great traffic from the new website and mandated him to manage the social media platforms. He enjoyed working in the field so much that he decided to offer the same services to many businesses.

    Joseph gained enough experience for a startup, Social Media 55, to deliver services like social media management paid and organic, website design & development, SEO, PPC, and everything in between. “I’ve also been known for answering our 1-800 number after hours,” he says.

    Recognition as Leader

    Social Media 55 has been recognized as an exemplary leader multiple times. The agency has been awarded over 20+ awards in Social Media Management, SEO, PPC, Digital Marketing,  B2B Services, Top Web Design Agency 2019, 2020, 2021 by GoodFirm, Clutch, Agency Spotter, Upcity, and more. They offer businesses innovative solutions that deliver the right type of audience to clients in the most effective strategies possible.

    Joseph and the team believe in transparency and hence, everyone plays a key role to make Social Media 55 successful. Such commitment allows them to pay close attention to the client feedback and in making sure the client is fully satisfied.

    The Close Connection

    Social Media 55 provides solutions that are customized to address the specific needs of the clients. From executives to associates and team members take a personalized approach and spend time working one-on-one with the clients to ensure they are meeting all of their marks. Everyone wants to help each other be successful, thus they ensure close communications with their clients throughout their mandate. They listen to their clients’ feedback closely so as to fine-tune their formula and deliver a superior service.

    Team members continue to evolve, to best meet the needs of clients. Their focus on integrity is at the forefront of what they stand for as a company and an agency. They carry a concrete reputation for providing honest and excellent quality work. They delve their heart and soul into each and every project they take on.

    The Challenges and the Opportunities

    No matter how many challenges you overcome, the new ones will find their way. The COVID-19 affected the company in many ways but the easiest decision company made was to keep everyone safe. The quickest agreement was to go remote immediately, which was not difficult for them as they were used to a hybrid work/home balance already. At the initial pandemic, they were busy working on their legacy accounts and noticed website traffic and leads had drastically dropped almost to a halt. After one month of crickets, the phones and the website exploded. The pandemic waves have eaten enough industries and collapsed the GDPs of major economic countries. However, months after businesses got their feet stronger, as they were scrambling to get online, Social Media 55 was working long hours to meet the high demand.

    There is a difference in surviving and thriving when it comes to adopting new technologies such as 5G. It is no more hidden that the advent of 5G will revolutionize almost every business in the world. From the Internet of Things (IoT) to science, communications to design, the 5th generation technology projects the next human evolution. For instance, Metaverse from Mark Zuckerberg with the help of 5G will allow users to interact with anything, anyone in the 3D world. The technology will bring exponential growth to the social media platforms and marketing more skin-friendly.

    Our files and needs are getting bigger and used by more and more each day, it’s no question that 5G will help manage all that data.

    Joseph has plans to elevate its marketing hierarchy through acquiring/developing a digital social media calendar management software that will support all the major platforms.

    Seek Out What You Desire

    Joseph’s message to aspiring business leaders is to get a job at almost any position in an agency and learn how the business operates.  Pick apart what makes the business tick and find a way to bring added value to that company by taking initiative and improving something. Take that experience and attempt in moving up the ranks and locking down a position you feel is more in line with your goals. If you don’t see room for growth at that company, switch to another agency.  Once you’ve gained enough experience you can leverage that to get a great promotion, or perhaps bring your skills over to another organization.  Be great at what you do and take pride in your work and everything should work out great.

  • Ishveen Jolly: Bridging Athletes and Companies Through AI

    Ishveen Jolly: Bridging Athletes and Companies Through AI

    Ishveen Jolly (Anand), Founder and CEO, OpenSponsorship, is using her wide-ranging experience and interactions in India and Europe to redefine the importance of connections between agents and athletes and companies. What sponsorships will look like— a reimagined investment playground accessed through untapped AI and data.

    By tapping into the potential of AI, Ishveen delivers a platform that has room for every player. She considers the way sports decorum achieves optimal success and the way that technology advancement is moving in today’s rapidly-evolving world.

    A Qualified Endeavour

    Ishveen started her career as a management consultant and then as a sports agent. For five years, she worked in the sports industry primarily focused on securing sponsorships for athletes, teams, leagues, and events in India and Europe. Along the way, however, she realized that it wasn’t always easy for agents and athletes to connect with companies and vice versa. And when they did, the results weren’t always what either party had envisioned.

    A hard-hitting test occurred during the pandemic when they had to set up the entire office remotely. This huge adjustment is being thoroughly embraced now with their team across the US and even in the UK. This has meant being more reliant on processes, KPIs and ensuring check-ins regularly to ensure team members are thriving and achieving.

    Defining Moments of OpenSponsorship

    As a startup, unique challenges are a part of the business. Currently, some of the company’s challenges come from growing as a start-up to becoming a bigger business. OpenSponsorship constantly has to make sure that they have all the correct processes in place for them to continue to scale up and continuously make sure everyone on the team is in sync with a clear definition of ‘where we want to excel as one’ with OpenSponsorship. They are also facing an influx of competition, especially within the college space since the new NIL rule is in play. However, they are committed to constantly upgrading their technology to make sure it is sufficient, while still being simple for both athletes and brands to use. 

    Women Determined to Rising

    Women can often change the atmosphere of any challenge. Any time you can bring diversity into the boardroom and into decision-making, it is better for all. Women are the primary purchaser of goods, which is a huge part of GDP. Understanding the patterns of how and why women purchase, is a major key. People have seen a huge part of big companies, delivering on women’s needs, ranging from personal care, health care, and furthermore. Ishveen Jolly feels like understanding women is most important. Women bringing their different perspectives is really important as well, especially when speaking about tech and AI.

    Ishveen thinks business and politics go hand and hand. You can not have one without the other, it is just how the world operates. There are so many business decisions that ride on policies. For example, in the world of sports, politically speaking sports betting is legal in the U.S and that brings tons of business and money into the company. Plus tons of businesses are opening up in terms of legality like CBD, which leads to business directly. All of these new categories often come with questions that are not clear yet the policies come into play. Policies often change, one of which people are currently dealing with is maternity leave, they present the leave that gives women the opportunity to go back into the workforce and that obviously transforms business. A huge cross-section between both fields.

    Women Hold More Potential to Excel Economically

    Obviously, sports and technology both have independently been male-dominated industries. But from DNA to genetics, both are different. Both are wired differently and those differences are what makes women tick. They see the world through different eyes. In terms of women, speaking of minorities, people with unique voices, are the ones who will make the world a better place for living because they are going to be more inclusive. Building diversity is what will be the recipe for success. It will help us build products, businesses, and policies that are inclusive for any and everyone.

    OpenSponsorship does have male team members on the team who are able to be more sympathetic and empathetic. But having a woman in the room can make people more sensitive and also create awareness in terms of being inclusive themselves. As a woman, you may use different language or be more considerate of others’ points of view. Female leadership can be more humane, as they often are more considerate. It often holds true a lot of time, but not always.

    Roles and Responsibilities

    Ishveen’s primary role as Founder & CEO is to constantly break new barriers, and think about new solutions to grow OpenSponsorship. Growing the team, revenue, and reaching new milestones really gets her excited for the future. She is constantly engaged in all aspects of the business. For her, it is important that she understands how the company flows from the inside to the outside.

    OpenSponsorship platform is the core of what it does. About a year back they released their mobile app and they are seeing an uptick in that from users – Mobile is becoming core to their product. They love the use of AI and data for their platform, from matching to suggesting the right campaigns for brands. They are always figuring out ways to plug in other technological solutions to theirs, like transitioning all their payments to athletes through Tipalti, using Stripe to collect payments from brands just to make it easier and quicker. They also use Intercom so that people can message us in real-time through the app. They are constantly leveraging technology to make their process quicker and more seamless. They differ from their competitors because they don’t want sponsorship to be a chance, based on who they know, or whether or not they got lucky. So they are determined to make sure that there is access for everyone and that it’s meritocratic, just like how finding a job or dating is meritocratic.

    New Line of Services

    With OpenSponsorship’s most recent growth round, they are putting an immediate emphasis on growing our internal team, as well as their recently launched UK market. They are also aggressively expanding into the college space given the recent rulings of over 460,000 college athletes being allowed to monetize off their name, likeness, and image – allowing smaller brands with lower budgets to enter the sports sponsorship space. On the supply side, they have added partnership opportunities for teams and events, in addition to athletes.

    In the long-term, they have big plans to diversify outside sports into music and other verticals. They are also focused on increased expansion internationally – potentially into Asia and other regions while aiming to provide new services and functionalities on their platform. They are also committed to putting a stronger emphasis on our CSR efforts – worked with the Florida government and NHS (UK) to help promote vaccinations and ‘Stay Safe’ programs for COVID-19.

    You have to be ready to know your stuff to prove that you belong at the table. The entrepreneurship journey can be long, hard, and lonely, so definitely be ready for that and have a strong support system throughout the journey- both professionally and personally.

  • Benjamin Talin: Embracing Digitalization More Than Just Digital

    Benjamin Talin: Embracing Digitalization More Than Just Digital

    Like all successful businesses, MoreThanDigital.info was also founded in response to a market deficiency. Benjamin Talin was inspired to start his journey in this industry as he observed gaps and issues in it. He realized the importance of digitalization in his 20’s, started advising governments and ministries about SME challenges and other educational needs.

    With years of experience as a businessman, publisher, and international guest lecturer Benjamin established himself as a digital expert. He had already begun his journey when he started his first business at the age of 13. Not a boy but more a man he lived in the United States for a short period and settled back to Europe to study Business and Economics in Zurich.

    Building Knowledge

    Benjamin sought out challenges and even did not wait for challenges to confront them. This behavior distracted his attention from study and he became famous for never being at the university. Rather he chose to build more businesses without caring about failures. He even failed his first two start-ups in Switzerland and landed doing over a dozen of internships.

    Now, here is the catch, nothing goes in vain — he created his agency that turned into a company group including a consultancy company and other start-up projects. He did not stop there and opted to do a bachelor’s degree at Zurich University. With gained knowledge, he started teaching at different universities about entrepreneurship, new business models, and digitalization. The days got shiny when all these led to having lots of publications, keynotes, and guest lectures internationally.

    Inception And Challenges

    The first brick for MoreThanDigital was founded in 2017 when it started as a blog out of frustration. Now it has grown to the leading digital initiative in Europe and is spreading arms across the world. Before formalizing strategies, the company provides yearly 2 Mio executives access to knowledge that is easy to understand and which is free for everyone. Being customer-obsessed fanatics they are winning the world with business knowledge services.

    While interviewing Benjamin he explained the current scenario of the businesses. According to him, within the last few years especially the last decade, there was an overwhelming flood of new technologies, new business models, and new challenges occurring in the market. Many entrepreneurs could not hold up with the speed and the dependence on good consultants, external freelancers, and partners. However, these uncertainties opened doors for lots of marketing and BS within the business world which were exploited because of ignorance. These opportunities changed customer preferences too for good.

    Benjamin believes that the Covid-19 pandemic was not too bad for them. He and his team kept their focus on things with optimism and hope attached. At a time when many businesses were trying to survive, the need for neutral information accelerated MoreThanDigital’s business and its platform. Although it was hard and many of the partners and supporters were struggling as well, personal objectives were able to change the inner circle. They needed to develop big projects like the MoreThanDigital Insights platform in these difficult times.

    Engage, Just Not Sell

    MoreThanDigital refrains from believing that everyone is a target. This behavior of attempting to appeal to everyone results in failing to connect with true potential customers. The company has a different approach, they engage their customer base and communicate the company’s central “why.” Working against the mainstream with limited resources is always hard for them because the circumstances put a lot of pressure on the team, partners, and everyone involved.

    The company’s common vision and mission statement #bethechange prove to be a cornerstone that dictates the important part of who they are and why people love to work with them. This helps to deal with challenges on daily basis but it hits hard to go where nobody has gone before. Constantly evaluating the path – where it needs to go to and what new decisions have to be made – is very important. Criticism plays a valuable factor and part in this evaluation. It is prevalent every single day and there are a lot of disagreements as they do not follow the rituals. Staying true to the ideology is crucial, indeed, but the result makes it worth investing time and energy.

    Identifying Customer Needs

    Taking a broad view of customer satisfaction benefits a business. Being at the center, the company always tries to communicate as much as possible with the members of their community. The most effective way is having 1on1 meetings including getting feedback from partners, members, and of course “haters”. They constantly align with the needs but always try to differentiate between the “greater good” they want to achieve and single biased views who only want to take advantage.

    The marketing model behind MoreThanDigital is quite unique and a totally different approach and focuses only on the customer needs. Adapting this principle as the backbone, MoreThanDigital helps its members and readers to deal better or easier with the future. So they keep trying to expand the platform for better information sharing. The company intends to soon launch the so-called MoreThanDigital Insights platform. It’s a new powerful toolset for companies to detect and identify their weaknesses. Furthermore, TechValley and Academy are planned for the future. They will be a promising cornerstone for the company and will help it to grow to a digital ecosystem and this will, in turn, give more people access to a better future.

    Benjamin’s Message

    No strategy would ever work without good marketing. Platforms and especially digital ecosystems are tough and indeed demanding. When someone wants to build multi-sided platforms and especially an ecosystem then they should brace themselves for a long ramp-up phase. They are one of the most difficult business models out there to manage and build. Solving the “chicken-egg problem” and aligning several stakeholders’ needs play a big role in building platforms and ecosystems.

    Benjamin has a message for entrepreneurs seeking careers in the industry. “Starting with your own funds, bracing for years of hard work and little income, and also try to build the platform from point to point without sacrificing your values. Many outsell their vision and values for some investors and are then surprised that it didn’t work out. Sometimes staying true to your vision is tougher than many think, fast money can then lead to wrong turns and finally could kill your idea.”

  • Lexis Serot: An Innovative Entrepreneur Pioneering an Extraordinary Health Solution

    Lexis Serot: An Innovative Entrepreneur Pioneering an Extraordinary Health Solution

    Is there any industry where women have not been able to make an astounding impact out of their presence? Absolutely, not! Flourishing all over the world, we are witnessing women with indomitable spirits emerging as exemplary leaders, trend-setters, innovators, revolutionaries, and whatnot. In the world of disruptors, female leaders are excelling with their intuitive and inspiring approach that has caused a stir across the business fraternity.

    In the profound pool of women entrepreneurs who are transitioning into outstanding groundbreakers, we have brought to you a model turned e-com entrepreneur who helps connect and support people with disabilities and others who are improving their lives. This exclusive cover story depicts the success story of Lexis Noel Serot, Founder and CEO of LittleWins.

    Insights into personal and entrepreneurial space

    Lexis Serot is a high school graduate from Columbine High School who studied photography at Flagler College. Unable to afford fees, Ms. Serot has to quit college in between and her endeavors landed her to become a model at Ford Models. With 14 years of a successful career as a model, she became a mother in 2013. Sadly her daughter Ava suffered a skull fracture during a c-section delivery. As a result, Ava has triplegia Cerebral Palsy. At the time, as a mother of a child with cerebral palsy, Ms. Serot was shocked at how unprepared she was. She tried to familiarize herself with the many forms of care, equipment, and therapy. She realized quickly, how broken the system was, and became obsessed with trying to find a solution.

    The incident shook and triggered her to start a company that can help people with similar uncertainties. Someone asked Ms. Serot in an interview, “why she started LittleWins?” She answered, “because I recognized that life was giving me an ‘at-bat’ to create a better world for my daughter.” It is truly her daughter that inspired her to become the leader she is today. Ms. Serot did not just want to create a better world only for her daughter but for others that also have a disability and to create a community in which they could come together and help each other.

    Road to in-depth solution

    In the beginning, Lexis Serot interviewed over 175 families and caregivers to see what the common denominators were in their journey to acquiring care, equipment, and therapies. It didn’t matter. Of those 175 people, they had three things in common. Number one, they had medical equipment or supplies they no longer needed but didn’t know what to do with. Two, They needed something but couldn’t get it. What hit the hardest was, number three, they all felt alone.

    This is when Ms. Serot started building the LittleWins community so families and individuals could connect. She designed LittleWins.com as an easy-to-use marketplace for people to post used durable medical equipment, browse equipment by category and location, and connect directly with buyers and sellers through the site’s messaging app. LittleWins also provides a community in which people across the nation now have each other for support, help, resources, and experiences.

    What makes LittleWins stand apart?

    LittleWins was established in 2018, and Ms. Serot began laying the groundwork for LittleWins that year. Since then, she has continually adapted the LittleWins.com website with web and e-commerce developers while directing a marketing assistant and marketing communications agency. She works closely with her legal and financial advisors. She collaborates with regional and national organizations that support people with disabilities. She partners with other women entrepreneurs who offer products and services to her community.

    Headquartered at Denver, the discovery process of LittleWins had begun in 2019 and in November of 2019, the website was launched. After launching LittleWins.com in 2019, Ms. Serot began to explore how the site could serve her community’s needs beyond durable medical equipment. She created and posts daily on LittleWins’ online support forum, receiving and providing feedback to help people with disabilities and the families that support them live their best lives. To build the LittleWins brand, she launched a line of LittleWins apparel – beanies, trucker hats, and t-shirts. Serot also has launched a podcast in which she talks about leading a life with a disability.

    Lexis Serot believes that access to equipment and supplies should be simple. The mom of four, including a daughter who has cerebral palsy, founded LittleWins.com to connect and support people with disabilities and others who are improving their lives. LittleWins.com harnesses the power of the community to help its members buy, sell or donate medical equipment, get information and connect with others. Members list and browse equipment by category and location on the company’s website. They connect directly with buyers and sellers through the site’s app. They share tips, experiences, and advice on LittleWins’ social pages.

    Covid, adjustments, and roadmap

    Especially over the past few years with COVID 19, users have been confined to their homes in which they are constantly online. Most users, especially those with medical conditions may make them more vulnerable to COVID. LittleWins has been working hard getting users to join and listings to be posted. Since LittleWins is an online-based community as well, it relies on users to help the online marketplace and provide support for one another. Ms. Serot had started her own blog and podcast to help address questions and concerns by other members of the LittleWins community. She talks about topics that are not typically addressed such as “Sex and Disability”, “Self-Identity”, “CBD”, “Hospice and Palliative Care”, “Adaptive Footwear” and many other topics. Serot has never turned down a requested topic, she goes above and beyond during the research process. She sits down for hours studying each field to bring the most informative, vulnerable, open conversations for those who need it. She finds experts to sit down and have a discussion with and hopes that listeners will connect to these resources.

    Lexis Serot also blogs about navigating her daily life. Such as must-have products or services that she has personally tried with her children that help make life easier. Just recently she blogged about summer must-haves that her four children helped decide on. She also talks about the people that she has connected with that have helped her in her journey such as her daughter’s therapists. She has started offering a support system through her community which is not something you find every day online.

    Overcoming the challenges

    LittleWins is privately funded by Lexis Serot and she wears every hat in the company. Funds for an advertisement to get the word out are limited. Ms. Serot typically chooses to spend funds in ways to serve and protect LittleWins users. LittleWins is constantly looking for more users to upload more listings. Users can also ship items to each other, and premium members on the site can also access a fixed shipping rate with FedEx. Ms. Serot had worked very hard to form a relationship with FedEx. She had spent endless hours on phone calls and emails with many advisors and representatives at FedEx. In hopes to make shipping a possibility for users, She secured a deal in which premium members could access this rate. Though shipping is an available service most users have a hard time finding specific items that they’re desperately in need of. A lot of the time multiple users are interested in the same listings.

    If every person had a piece of equipment or supplies that they no longer needed and uploaded it on the LittleWins website, the team would help more users on the site. Another problem the company faces is expanding globally, there are often many inquiries from people located in other countries outside of the U.S. Though LittleWins is available in the U.S. and some parts of Canada it is not available all around the world. LittleWins is a start-up company financed by our CEO. Ms. Serot currently faces many challenges as she communicates with other countries to allow LittleWins to be available globally. She is continuously consulting legal and financial advisors to work through the terms and conditions along with the privacy policies in other countries.

    Ensuring optimum customer satisfaction

    LittleWins is constantly referring to user feedback and insights. Since it’s a self-started start-up and a community-based platform, LittleWins heavily relies on user feedback and experience. Recently, while launching version 3 of the website itself, Lexis Serot had asked the LittleWins community what they wanted on the LittleWins website. The entire update was spearheaded by the user community. These weren’t just updates to the site which included a premium membership amongst other things but also what people were looking for and in need of. Lexis is always on the lookout for requested equipment to ensure that users can find what they need. With the new premium membership users now have access to our resource list, a discounted rate on shipping through FedEx, and many more things.

    A glance over the collaborative services

    No company existed that resembled what Lexis Serot wanted to create. No online service was available on a national basis to connect families – regardless of their location in the U.S., their income, or their level of insurance coverage – to help them obtain the durable medical equipment and supplies their kids required. Ms. Serot designed LittleWins.com to go beyond the services provided by local and regional organizations, eliminate the ‘middleman’ and facilitate person-to-person equipment transactions directly between families. LittleWins provides a community in which people across the nation now have each other for support, help, resources, and experiences. Along with the online marketplace, she hosts a podcast in which she starts conversations on living with disabilities and navigating life. She also joined forces with another woman entrepreneur, Hotsy Totsy Haus CEO Christi Leonardi, a deaf single mother, to create LittleWins-branded, natural ingredient bath bombs that are now sold on the LittleWins website.

    These bath bombs are made to fully relax your muscles and provide a healing rejuvenating bath. LittleWins also launched a line of compression socks for kids designed by Ms. Serot and her children. These socks offer fun colors and patterns along with a chance to color your socks while providing compression relief to your feet. At the beginning of the year, LittleWins also launched version 3 of the online website, offering a premium membership that allows users access to a list of resources and sponsors it partnered up with and a discounted shipping rate through FedEx. She also helped plan the first music festival for people with disabilities this past summer called SHINE. This festival offered a chance for the community to come together and celebrate each other during these hard times.

    Vision to help see the bright future

    Lexis Serot is always looking for new ways to help the community and offer products that will provide support and care. Currently, she is working on launching a LittleWins medical supply subscription box. Users can sign up for a monthly subscription of needed medical supplies specifically catered to them. Supplies such as bandages, gauze, antiseptic, hydrogen peroxide, feeding tubes, and other daily supplies are often reordered.

    Ms. Serot wants to help make it simpler to gain access to these needed materials at an affordable cost. She has also been working on creating braille labels. She sees the importance of these labels for not only those who are visually impaired but for everyone.

    8.1 million people have vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration, as we grow older our eyes grow weaker. Ms. Serot believes that these labels can make everyday life easier for everyone and can help improve navigating your home as you get older. That these new advancements are not only helpful to those with a disability but to the general population as well.

    Milestones & Awards

    • Top 100 Healthcare Visionary by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare, previously known as the Smart Health Conference.

    • Award at IFAH Global Healthcare Conference in June 2021.

    • Best Companies by the Health 2.0 Conference in Dubai.

    • Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in both 2021 and 2022

    • Top 10 Most Influential Women in Business 2022 by INC magazine.

    Tips for aspirants

    “It doesn’t have to be this way. The great doctor, maybe you’ve heard of him… Dr. Seuss once said; you have brains in your head, feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

    I betcha if we put all our heads together we could kick out some solutions for the things we know to help this system.

    Socrates said, ‘The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new’.

    For all of my kids.

    For the ones who came before us, all those who come after us.

    Because, if it’s one of us, it’s all of us.

    I’m gonna take that ‘at-bat’

    and

    I’m gonna swing like hell. I hope you do too.” – Lexis Serot, Health 2.0 Dubai, 2022.

  • Manju Mastakar: An Extensive Investment Solution Provider For Wealth-Creation

    Manju Mastakar: An Extensive Investment Solution Provider For Wealth-Creation

    After working as a stock advisor in a brokerage firm in the economic hub city of Mumbai, Manju moved to Bangalore to dive in as a wealth manager. Investing and gaining experience for more than 20 years in the investment industry, the sub-prime crisis of 2008 left her no choice but to quit the corporate job. The event triggered her to start a venture, Armstrong.

    Taking her passion as her business, Manju started working from home, meeting clients and advising them on investments. She has worked and developed solutions for clients of all sizes and played an instrumental role in choosing the right mutual fund.

    We at Fortunes Crown got into conversation with Manju Mastakar, Managing Director of Armstrong Capital & Financial Services Pvt. Ltd., to know more about the company and how it is helping the businesses and individuals as a whole.

    Below are the highlights of the interview:

    Describe your professional journey as an inspiring business professional.

    Any time that someone takes a risk and launches their own business there is always some foundational reason behind it. Though it was challenging at the beginning to switch from busy office life to working in a home environment, slowly but effectively working from home became the business norm.

    Initially, I thought of it as a stop-gap arrangement and that when the financial markets stabilize, I would get back into corporate life once again, but that never happened.

    First I established myself as a freelancer, and I was not shy about it at all. It wasn’t hard for me to say that I don’t have an office and I currently work out of the home. After I was almost 8-9 months into the entrepreneurial journey and had generated some cash flow, I took up a workstation in a business center. After a few more months, I hired my first employee, who in the past worked as a secretary.

    When you are on your own as a one-person army, it’s very important to delegate non-productive things. Slowly as business GREW, I started hiring people 1 by 1. In a year I would only add 1-2 resources. I worked on a very lean structure so that I could survive through the first 2 years of the entrepreneurial journey.

    What products and/or services do you offer?

    Armstrong offers services in the form of Financial Planning & Investment Advisory. We analyze the client’s past investments, understand his liabilities, and discuss their preferences with them. Further, we take a judgmental call on their risk appetite and then offer solutions. We call it the execution plan. We discuss the plan with the client, involving them in the decision-making process of choosing the right mutual fund. 

    The primary motive behind starting Armstrong and continuing it was the unencouraging way wealth management is dealt with conventionally. More of upselling the product.  I felt it was necessary to build up the relationship, understand the needs and then offer a solution. We have one plan and one perspective throughout the wealth creation journey.

    Till today Armstrong does not sell products. We identify requirements and sell solutions. Our core competency is that we work with integrity, keeping in mind that we need to build a long-term relationships. 

    How do you set yourself apart from those already in the industry?

    We have always had a customer-centric approach – well, all companies say the same but how they put it to practice differs. So for us, when we say customer-centric, it means that there is no over-the-counter solution provided. All relationships begin by keeping in mind the long-term objective, and a financial plan tailored to their needs. 

    We focus a lot on research we do bottom-up research on the funds and the stocks that they pick. We have various filterers based on analytical and various other parameters and the funds that pass through form a part of our white list. We then construct model portfolios for different categories of investors. Our wealth-building process is an iterative one, supported by many plans that evaluate the performance over a period of time. 

    Every client is different, and we have an individualistic approach when offering them solutions. We conceive customized financial plans for each client, considering their life goals, their commitments, their dreams and their savings. 

    We do not create returns, the appreciation is created by the markets we only create the discipline in the investor to save and invest at regular intervals. The first thing I do is protect wealth, the second thing we do is manage risk and then that last preference is past performance. My focus is my Vision, my focus is on my customer’s satisfaction, his long-term wealth creation and protection. This differentiates us from the rest of the industry.

    Talent Retaining and Hiring have been a challenge for all industries? How are you managing this aspect?

    In Armstrong Capital we generally hire freshers, I find freshers to be like a jigsaw puzzle and after every conversation with them add on to a piece and for more than 2 years is when the puzzle transforms into a full picture. I feel every individual has a unique characteristic that has to be utilized as a skill for the organization. A team is a unique collage of many individualistic characteristics someone can be like a lion who begins the project with full trust and power and doesn’t relax till the task is completed, someone may be like a crane with high levels of concentration who can strike at the right place with the right force. Someone maybe like a donkey who never refuses any work, some may be like cocks who can give a wake-up call. It’s the leaders’ ability to assemble them as a team and then orchestrate them. They then realize that they are dependent on one another and stick on as a team for a long time, making magic make history.

    What motivates you to keep going?

    What attracts me to this profession is intellectual stimulation, the people I work with, deep friendships built through the many roller coaster rides, and the thrill of building wealth. The learning curve is continual. Every day I come across something new, and every time I meet an investor there is something new, some new problem that we have to solve.

    I’ve seen a few cycles over the last 10 years, and I’ve been privileged to see clients grow from retail investors to an HNI with a sizable portfolio. It’s incredibly exciting to be part of the wealth-building journey and witness all the highs, lows, mistakes and wins. I feel fortunate to be privy to this experience of making them financially independent.

    Since its inception, what up-gradation or changes has your company seen?

    I believe that every 3 years there has to be a slight change in the product offering, and every 5 years, an enterprise must make some changes in the business model. Every 10 years, the way of doing business changes completely – before getting redundant, an enterprise should innovate to evolve to the next level.

    We have seen similar changes in our industry. Earlier, we use to collect cheques and application forms. Later, for every few transactions, we would email the link to the client. Now, after 10 years, there is a revolution called Fintech that changed the way of offering financial services completely. Thanks to the integration of Fintech in our enterprise, we are now completely digital and paperless.

    What is the biggest challenge that your team faces and how do you help them overcome it?

    The biggest challenge we face is when a client overreacts to market volatility, our convincing skills and influence skills are put to task. I tell my team that advice should sound like a humble piece of advice, and not like a command. We put ourselves in the client’s shoes and understand how they feel, encourage them to express themself freely, listen to them patiently and try to address their reservations. The debate is not about being right or wrong – it’s all about time, let some more time pass by and things will fall in place.

    The other, even bigger, the challenge is to earn trust – we can’t ask for it, it needs to be earned. One of the initial indicators of trust is when we get the first phone call about bad news from the clients. If they share their fears and unexpected incidences with us that means they trust us.

    What does leadership mean to you? How do you motivate your team?

    A common leadership perception is a Man who graduated from a high-end business school and is a CEO of a Billion-Dollar Company. But In reality, Leadership has nothing to do with gender, your position, your occupation, and where you went to school – It’s about one life influencing the other.

    We build a culture of continual learning and nurture curiosity. Our clients are demanding and highly influential and for advising them we need to have a learner’s mind. The biggest transformation can come only if we let go of our postulations and start with a clean slate.

    How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?

    Armstrong is a progressive organization. For all our employees, learning and career growth have been excellent. I feel there are two kinds of organizations in our business. The first type is where you can learn the intermediation (running the business), and the other type is where you can learn Investments as an asset class well. We are one of the very few privileged organizations in the industry which has a work environment that gives you enough opportunity to learn both.

    The greatest part of my job is to be aggressive inside and calm outside. A strong business is driven by a motivated team. If your employees don’t want to work for you, your customers won’t like your offering – it’s as simple as that. If your team is not satisfied or motivated, their output is naturally unproductive, resulting in a drop in the quality of services offered. On the other hand, if your team is motivated to work they will deliver the highest quality offering to your customer. It’s up to me to be a considerate leader, keeping my employees together and motivated, as part of a strong family. From competitive salaries, incentives, and work flexibilities to a learning-oriented work environment, I make sure that the team is always ready to deliver their 100%.

  • MOBILE APPLICATIONS AS THE CURRENT CATALYST OF BUSINESSES

    MOBILE APPLICATIONS AS THE CURRENT CATALYST OF BUSINESSES

    The impact of mobile applications on people’s daily lives has grown exponentially within this decade. There’s not a lot of things to say about it because its emergence and improvement is evident.

    While the majority of users worldwide are taking advantage of mobile applications because of social media platforms and online shopping, there’s still a fair chunk of that massive user base that other sectors can grab. And sole proprietor businesses, in particular, took a shot and leveraged mobile applications.

    In this article, we will focus most on the clear benefits that mobile applications bring to any size of businesses and enterprises.

    Bigger boost in reach

    Both the Android OS and iOS have their application marketplace, where users can download any types of applications they want with or without a fee. Most businesses offer free access to users to increase their reach and accessibility.

    UberEats, for example, is a food delivery service that requires a specific amount of reach to become functional. McDonald’s, on the other hand, is a restaurant that mostly uses its application to advertise their menu, while still offering customers the option to deliver food at the doorsteps of their customers.

    Both of these make more profit, the more customers they serve, the more mobile applications are the perfect platform for them to achieve that goal.

    Accessibility and management

    One thing that most people adore from mobile applications is their accessibility. Indeed, it is an invention that has allowed people to become more organized than ever before.

    The mClinic application is an excellent example of the management side. It helps doctors and other medical professionals to organize their clinics and hospitals within just a couple of taps. This impact can be felt on the client’s end as well.

    Increased brand recognition

    Another beauty of having an application for a business despite it being costly to develop is slight to a high increase in brand recognition.

    Most businesses push this endeavor to stand out from the crowd and be ahead of their competitors. Tropical Roofing Products, for instance, saw this opportunity to grow because of the lack of roofing contractors and repairers on the app market.

    Many sole proprietor businesses can take advantage of this, including computer repair services, landscaping providers, accountants for hire, etc.

    Along with technology, businesses have also evolved and are now using a different approach to advertising, and generally reaching more people. Mobile applications have done such a great job combining all of these and benefiting both the businesses and their clients, as well. Contact us today to create your own mobile application.

    About Webster Solutions

    Vishal Dudhal, founder, Webster Solution, specializes in building unique, personalized, and easy to manage websites and applications. Having been in the web industry for over nine years, we have over 200 satisfied and recurring clients, across the world!

    We focus on quality, innovation, & speed. We utilize technology to bring results to grow our clients businesses. Throughout the years Webster Solutions has been able to create stunning Website designs and Mobile/Web applications in multiple verticals while allowing our clients to obtain an overall better web presence.

    Based in India, Webster Solution provides services such as

    • Domain Registration And Web Hosting
    • E-Commerce Development
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • WordPress Development
    • Web Design And Development
    • Mobile Application Development
  • Yasaf Burshan: Inspiring and Empowering Creators to Make an Impact

    Yasaf Burshan: Inspiring and Empowering Creators to Make an Impact

    Israel is a very small country – two hours from Tel Aviv you are on the edge of the country. But due to its position as a global innovation powerhouse, investors from major countries are attracted to it. Identified as a hotspot for collaboration, Yasaf, an innovative Israeli entrepreneur helps businesses thrive through effectively integrating technologies in their education businesses.

    Yasaf Burshan, Founder and CEO of Team Genius, shares his journey of outgrowing and expanding abroad, connecting people with technology. We at Fortunes Crown got into an interview questionnaire to know more about the company and its impact on ed-tech businesses.

    Please tell us about your educational/professional background. Who inspired you to become a business leader? Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey?

    When it comes to formal education, I’m happy to say that I’ve obtained education in two major fields that I’m very passionate about, Technology and People. I have a BA in business management with a major in Information Technology and I’m a certified project management professional (PMP).

    Also, I am a certified Clinical NLP master and a graduate of the Tony Robbins platinum partnership program. This combination allowed me to have a very successful career in the traditional IT industry for over 20 years, in which I held multiple senior roles including the head of IT for IKEA in Israel.

    Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years?

    Team Genius’s mission is to inspire and empower creators to make an impact. We work with content and course creators all over the world (majorly in the US, Canada, and Australia) and we help them to unleash their creativity by effectively integrating technology into all areas of their business. Simply put, we keep them in their Zone of Genius, doing what they do best, as we help them create profitable online businesses. As a content creator myself, for my program “Anywhere Boss”, I know first-hand the challenges they are facing, and I’m also inspired by them to become better and better.

    While I’m still very much in the “tech zone” my ideal customer has changed from the finance/retail/consumer subject matters to the knowledge commerce business.

    What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company?

    I think that like most other companies these days working remotely and efficiently is a challenge. At the same time, one advantage we have on our side is that Team Genius was founded as a global organization with team members across multiple locations, so this is built right into our DNA. It drives us to be more open in our communications, efficient in the way we do business, and of course, rely on technology, we do for ourselves what we do for our customers.

    When was Team Genius established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company?

    Team Genius was established in 2019. We are a certified Thinkific agency partner, certified Zapier experts and a certified Evernote partner. In addition, we have partnerships with other major brands like Microsoft and Monday that gives us a unique ability to look at our customers’ tech needs from a holistic point of view.

    We help our customers create profitable online courses, products and membership sites and convert sales funnels, but we don’t stop there. We apply automation and make them more efficient and productive in their business. And on a personal level, I also mentor and coach my customers on how to take things to the next level and build a lifestyle that excites them by becoming “Anywhere Bosses”.

    What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements?

    I encourage open and honest communication. It is my responsibility as the leader to make sure that everybody gets heard and to recognize what they have to say. Values and culture are the keys here and it starts with me leading by example, and by choosing Team Members that share the same values. Not the same opinions, the same values. Disagreements are inventible, nor they should be ignored. Every member of the team has the freedom to speak freely. Criticism is fine, as long as it is served as feedback that we can build on and improve. My response is always “bring it on, let’s talk about it so we can get better.

    What measures do you undertake to ensure optimum customer satisfaction? How much impact does the customer feedback have on the company’s strategies?

    Communication is the key. Customer satisfaction is very important for us and it plays a major role in our growth and success strategies. Customer dissatisfaction is most likely to come when there is a gap between the customer expectation and the result or deliverable. So we communicate clearly from the first step what is to be expected, what is included in the scope of work, the timeline and the expected cost. Then we monitor expectations and communication throughout the lifecycle of the project and adjust as needed. We are not afraid to say that we don’t have the answer to something, and if such cases arise we see them as an opportunity to learn something new with a promise to come back with an answer in X amount of time.

    Please tell us about the services/products your company is offering? How are they different from your competitors’ offerings?

    We are certified Thinkific agency partners, and as such, we offer course creation, site-building and automation services. We also support all Thinkific superpowerups, from general consultation to setup and configuration. As Zapier experts, we effectively integrate technology in all areas of our customer’s business. Keeping them in their “Zone of Genius”, doing what they do best; teaching, empowering, creating, leading, and making sure they have efficient processes that are working for them so they can quickly and effortlessly scale.

    The successful partnerships we maintain with industry-leading vendors allows us to be unique by providing holistic solutions that cover all areas and processes of one’s business, and not just knowledge-commerce or automation.

    Are you planning to launch any new products/services or advancements to your existing offerings? If so, we would like to know about it.

    YES! In the next three months, I’m launching my own program called “Anywhere Boss”, sharing all the lessons I learned and the experience I gained from being an “Anywhere Boss” myself, that is to say – Owning a business that allows me to work from anywhere in the world. It will be a program with weekly added content dedicated to all areas of businesses setting up such businesses and creating a life that excites you. In addition, there will be plenty of online courses covering specific topics like automation, converting skills to digital products, hiring VAs effectively and much more. You are more than welcome to join Anywhere Boss, I’ll be there for you with everything you need to back you up and support you as you make this transition. 

    The program will be available here https://anywhereboss.me 

  • Maxim Behar: An Incredible Man Who Overcame Adversity With Creativity, Ethics, and Responsibilities

    Maxim Behar: An Incredible Man Who Overcame Adversity With Creativity, Ethics, and Responsibilities

    The whole business world including the communication business is currently witnessing the total change of everything – from sales to communications to industrial production. For a couple of years, we have been observing a very dynamic and fast merging of the three main elements of the public communications business – advertising, public relations, and digital. It is so obvious that they will unify and work as a new business soon but for now, there is a constant dispute for leadership. 

    The advertising industry claims to be the winner as they own media shops and creators, and so the digital experts as their leadership abilities allow them to create applications, tabs, and software. However, the CEO & Founder of M3 Communications Group, Inc., Maxim Behar strongly feels that Public Relations experts and managers will be the leader of the future big, merged business. The thought that supports this concrete belief is quite simple, they are the “Kings of Content.” They are the masters of words and visions and in the modern world, wisdom comes from social media content.

    The Visionary CEO

    Maxim Behar has done graduation in the Executive Program on Leadership Decision Making from Harvard Kennedy School and now, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Global Public Relations Changes at Sofia University. His first graduation was from Prague University on International Economic Relations. As learning was/is his passion, he collected many degrees from Universities across the world including The Pacific Institute in Seattle, USA. At his initial stage, he started working as a machinery worker in a plant that was based in Sofia. After graduation, he worked as a journalist for 15 years and then launched one of the first private daily newspapers in Bulgaria – Standard News. Even with so much success, he decided to resign from the post of Managing Editor remembering what Sir Winston Churchill said, “you can achieve a lot with the journalism, but you should know exactly when to quit.”

    When Maxim was in high school, he ever since wanted to be a brilliant journalist. Even when he decided to quit this job the next logical step that came into his conscious was to upgrade his journalistic knowledge. Although jumped into Public Relations, he did not realize that it’s nothing but pure unique business surrounded by creativity, ethics, and responsibilities.

    About 27 years ago, Maxim from proudly launching a one-man-show company in a one-room rented apartment of a friend to owning a leading Public Relations and Social Media company, is streaming like water; partnered with one of the largest international US-based PR corporations, Hill+Knowlton Strategies with hundreds of clients from all over the world. With great projects come great challenges every single day, and that’s what Maxim loves to invest his life for.

    A Trusted Service Provider

    M3 Communications Group, Inc. was established in 1994. After 6 years Maxim Behar met the Executive Vice President of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, late Terence Billing, who turned out to be his teacher, mentor, partner, and of course, best friend. Through the journey, they witnessed failures and successes, and last but not least they emerged as a modern and successful corporation – a leading PR company in Central and Eastern Europe.

    Today, we provide the full range of public communications services – public, governmental and media relations, social media management, event and conventions, graphic design, web creations, and project management. We create a unique package for each of our clients ensuring the top-notch quality of our services. We also provide services such as social media development, content management, creating visuals, and more which keeps updating every week. With 35 clients on a retainer fee and at least double the number per project, we are available 24/7 for our clients that makes us ideal for crisis management, employers branding, and corporate communications.

    We serve what customers deserve i.e; increasing sales, better branding, and media presence. We believe in transparency that gives us the confidence to deliver exact reports back to the clients. Also, social media in addition to providing information targets messages properly. The most important aspect that affects us is ‘outcomes’ and to match those we focus on being creative, innovative, proactive, and knowledgeable. In the process, we pull out preparation for every post. We ensure every word, every picture should be catchy and effective on social media.

    Achievements To Appreciate

    Maxim Behar was twice awarded the Best PR Consultant in the world by Stevie Awards. Recently, PR Week announced him the Best Global PR Consultant. With more than 100 international business and leadership awards and books that top on Amazon, Maxim is proudly elected as an Advisory Board Member of one of the largest European Universities – Engage.eu, Germany. It is a privilege for him to be on the Board of the World PR Museum in New York City. In 2017, he was inducted into the Global PR Hall of Fame in London as the first-ever East European expert. The greatest achievement in life is his children, family, and the excellent M3 Communications Group family.

    PR’s Absolute Best

    Customer preferences are like seasons, they keep changing. Of course, this affects how clients emphasize themselves on social media and the reason is quite clear – these interactive technologies are fully measurable ever since the very beginning of the Guttenberg Press Machine. Social media is exponentially succeeding against traditional media only because clients can optimize their messages to certain target groups, and in minutes can analyze too. Clients have become sensitive and quick towards creative involvement and decision-making. This practice brings a big boost to our business – one who can take fast decisions and can communicate successfully will win, the others will be out of the business.

    We cannot deny the fact that customer feedback is crucial, however, we try to prove our point of view that our experts are devoted only to making their experience rich. “Zoom lockdown times” made our life a bit convenient which we appreciate through meeting clients and discussing tons of ideas. But also, we do not celebrate our self-esteem instead we delve into convincing clients that sooner or later their success with us will speak.

    Opinion About Media Bribery

    In my opinion, the concept of media bribery almost disappeared a decade ago. Nowadays, the world worries less and less. Social media is glorifying modern business and fading out the traditional media day by day. Since the very beginning of M3 Communications Group, Inc. we adopted the values of professionalism and integrity. Our experts are sensitive towards clients and their needs, which kept us reliable and relevant for a long period. However, the way social media is expanding may bring risks of fake news and unwanted disturbing elements that can create skepticism among readers. We are confident that these worries are repulsive to our business as we are completely transparent to our clients. Everything transparent is ethical!

    Looking Beyond

    The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all businesses over the world. Home-based offices brought a somewhat alienated business environment, leadership rules, and management styles. We did not have any expectations that everything we had before 2020 will be changed and should not expect to be back in the same position. The crisis has tested our endurance and we molded according to the required environment. This sudden change for sure made us stronger and much better PR experts. We have learned lessons for good that made us help many clients to accommodate better and faster in the new business environment. We had arranged successful conversations among their teams and stakeholders which resulted in them taking their decisions properly and on time. As we had already mastered crisis management for decades, we had the advantage to tackle the challenges with ease. It just took us a week or two to organize ourselves and analyze the scenario. Soon we were able to take the right management decisions and start consulting clients.

    The more the market is developed, the more corporations develop their marketing and PR needs, hence responsibilities will be much bigger. For instance, in my latest book ‘The Morning After,’ written during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have described the dramatic changes that happened in the management style and obligations of the CEOs. In my opinion, a CEO should be more of a leader than a manager. Nowadays, people involve themselves as a leader in their working environment, hoping for a horizontal structure where employees, experts, and consultants can understand their responsibilities.

    Decades ago, Late Konrad Hilton was asked, what is important for a hotel to be successful?, to which he answered, “Just three important things: location, location, location…” If I am asked, what is important for a business project or corporation to be successful? I will answer in the same style: communications, communications, communications. For instance, 5G for sure will bring a sea of opportunities from developing not only faster communications but also witnessing changes that have never been seen before. From the Internet of Things (IoT) to mobile services, humanity will evolve and so will the business world.

    The Success Mantra For Entrepreneurs

    The business of Public Relations is so vast that the services themselves will develop into another name. We will try to remain trustworthy by providing services in real-time, live, immediate, transparent, and exact. What we are currently involved in is the preparation for our evolution in business – the Era or Real-time Video Communications on all possible levels. It will require us to increase skilled and updated teams who will be prepared with better knowledge.

    The success mantra that works for every industry is 3S: Speed, Simplicity, Self-Confidence. By following just these three words can create magic for the people doing business. Speed is significant – taking decisions quickly but effectively. Either it is answering emails, learning new things, keeping deadlines, talking sense to the right people, raising salaries or firing people who do not fit the team, or motivating people. Simplicity is delightful – making priorities for business or personal life, what are the important things, what to read, what rules to follow, or what are the to-do lists. Self Confidence – a person cannot be successful unless he/she has self-confidence. Not being brave and not ready to take risks invites unpleasant circumstances that can push your life into misery.

    And be sure that crisis periods are the best time to cook your success as you can easily overcome obstacles which you will never have during other times. These obstacles are making us stronger and more successful.

  • Nick Zamucen: Helping People Restore Properties to Pre-Loss Condition

    Nick Zamucen: Helping People Restore Properties to Pre-Loss Condition

    Digital Version

    There is nothing closer than your own home, it is a gift you earn and give yourself. It becomes a box of memories of precious moments. Unfortunately, sometimes due to some inevitable disasters people lose their houses beyond restoration. But there are state-of-the-art ways to restore the house environment to its prime historical period.

    Nick Zamucen, CEO of Best Option Restoration, is committed to helping those in need after a disaster and returning their homes to their original condition. Recently, Mr. Zamucen is being interviewed to share his experience of restoring happiness in society. Let’s have a look!

    Please tell us about your professional background. Would you like to mention some of the highlights from your journey?

    I have created four nationally recognized franchised brands. Three of which have been previously sold to private equity companies and now my focus is to build and sell the last one, Best Option Restoration, over the course of the next decade.

    I live my life with the want and need to help others. Adding massive value to those around me is my passion. I live to be a good leader, a great friend, and an outstanding business mentor for my franchisees.

    Please brief us in detail about the current scenario of the business. How have the customer preferences changed over the years?

    The franchised restoration industry has never been in a hotter market. With Billions of dollars in claims being paid monthly from insurance companies, prospective franchise owners want in. Who could blame them? Best Option Restoration is in a fantastic position with its low cost of entry, state-of-the-art thermal drying systems and a management team second to none. We win and will continue to win in this crowded field. This is the industry to be in to build a life-changing business and a substantial income for years to come.

    What are the unique challenges your company is currently facing? How have they affected your company?

    The challenges we’ve had are actually rather opportunities. We continue to have a ton of new franchisee interest in our company. The hardest thing for us at a corporate level is keeping up with demand. We can only take on many units a month and having to put people on a waiting list isn’t fun for anyone. Most stay on the list and wait their turn, a few we lose to competition because they make a side deal and get in for a lesser price somewhere else. I find in business and life, you get what you pay for. Be very careful making deals with companies and devaluing your position.

    When was Best Option Restoration established? What are the prominent services/solutions offered by the company?

    Best Option Restoration was established in 2016. We offer Water mitigation, Fire rebuilds, Mold termination, Storm Damage, and Content Cleaning solutions for home and business owners. We’re escalating at our best, hence our name, Best Option Restoration.

    What measures do you incorporate to ensure motivation and productivity within the workspace? How do you respond to criticism and disagreements?

    We treat everyone like family. Sometimes you’re all on the same page and everyone is happy, sometimes you’re not. The important thing is, not that everyone always gets what they want, but they feel heard, understood, and respected. There will always be criticisms around and negative feedback. All you can do is try to mitigate that as much as possible but always do the best things for the clients. In our case, the clients are our franchisees. Put them first and always do what is right, you can’t go wrong.

    Everything takes more time than you think it will and problems are going to happen. People tend to think working for yourself is the ultimate freedom, and it can be after it’s earned. Working for yourself is not normally harder and longer hours than you’ve ever had before. You have to stay disciplined, driven, and self-started… every day, not just when you feel like it.

    What measures do you undertake to ensure optimum customer satisfaction? How much impact does the customer feedback have on the company’s strategies?

    With our clients being our franchisees, it’s pretty simple to ensure satisfaction because we are in communication with them weekly if not daily. Again, we are a family, we’re a close group. There are many times a franchise will reach out to me just to say hi, ask how I’m doing, and how is my family. This means the world to me because I know they care and in turn, they feel comfortable enough with me to be personal. I know I’m doing my job when my franchises are friends, like family, not just unit numbers.

    Please tell us about the services/products your company is offering? How are they different from your competitors’ offerings? 

    With our propriety thermal technology drying systems, we are state of the art. We aren’t just another, “man with a fan in a van” like our competition. Best Option Restoration franchises dry structures in literally half the time of anyone else out there. There is truly no comparison to what we do. There are some copycats in the field we noticed lately. I look at that as once again I’m doing my job, I’m changing an old tired industry and bringing it into the new century. A century of technology and focused strategy. We are better because we practice being so. We’re just the “Best Option” in a mitigation and restoration situation.

    Tips for aspirants

    Problems are going to arise, just out of nowhere, so you must learn to deal with them effectively and quickly. You can’t just ignore problems and think someone else will handle them, not when you’re a business owner, it’s on you…success and failure. The choice is yours.