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Slippery Customers: How to Handle Late Payments Productively

September 29, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Courtney Rosenfeld

In any sales-based business, you will inevitably encounter a customer who has not or will not. The way you handle this tricky situation can have an effect on your customer relations and even the long-term ethos of your business. You’ll need to show patience and smart thinking to ensure your late payments are managed productively. Local Marketing Center presents some tips for handling those late payments in a professional manner.

Preventing

The best way to handle late payments, of course, is to avoid them altogether. If a client is clear on how much and when they have to pay, they’re more likely to pay on time. To convey this information clearly, you’ll need to properly format your invoices or even use a customizable template. A good invoice should look professional, include your company name/information, and mention the payment terms.

To avoid a situation where there are disagreements over the amount due (which will ultimately result in later payments), it’s important to track employee time efficiently. A time tracking calculator can make all the difference in this regard, especially when it integrates with payroll software. A calculator will allow you to quickly and accurately quantify employee work hours so that you won’t mismanage breaks or omit overtime pay. It will also mean that any time billed to the customer/client is digitally documented and clear to see.

Incentivizing

To encourage your customers to pay on time, it sometimes helps to offer incentives. This is not just about offering rewards but also structuring your payments easily. You can do this by providing a number of methods to pay, making sure invoice line items are clear, and communicating regularly to ensure any questions are answered. Convenience can play a big part in the compliance and contentment of your customers.

It’s also possible to use incentives to improve customer loyalty. With the right rewards, your customers will not only want to pay on time but will actually want to pay you. Consider attaching early-bird discounts, providing events/connections (which in turn encourages good business etiquette), or even using coupons/vouchers. All of these ideas can help increase the chance of repeat interactions and, in the long term, improve sales.

Chasing Up

In the occurrence that someone has outright failed to pay, you may need to take action and chase up. Deciding how long to wait before doing so can be a matter of legality — if there wasn’t an agreed due date, then the payment is late only 30 days after the customer receives the invoice or the goods/services are delivered. The first consideration is to be polite and friendly in your email — some customers may even appreciate the reminder.

If your customer still isn’t responding, it’s time to switch up the method of communication. If you want to start with a more light-hearted reminder, use an online flyer maker to put together a notice that’s nice but firm, as well as eye-catching. Phone calls, meanwhile, are harder to ignore than emails or flyers and can be useful for clarifying the situation. You may want to accompany your phone call with a warning email about late fees — it is fair to charge late fees but you should aim to notify the customer before they are incurred.

If all else fails, you may need to escalate the issue to a higher authority. It’s true — sometimes late payments can result in a visit to a small claims court. But by planning ahead and taking the steps above, you can make this outcome unlikely.

Need Freelancers for Your Business? Use These Tips in Your Search

July 8, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Courtney Rosenfeld

The term “gig economy” has become an increasingly popular buzzword, as more workers make a living by relying on freelance, contract, and short-term jobs rather than traditional employment models. While experts are divided over whether this shift is beneficial or detrimental to gig workers, most agree on at least two things: First, that the gig economy is not likely to disappear anytime soon; and second, that it benefits business owners.

If you want to take advantage of what the gig economy has to offer your business but aren’t sure where to start, read on for some top-notch tips.

Assess Your Needs

First, figure out what sorts of projects your business needs help completing. This could mean broad areas such as tax preparation or cybersecurity, or specific tasks, such as drafting social media posts or designing a new logo. Create a list of what you expect a freelancer to do for your business, as well as any skills or traits that the ideal candidate should possess.

Find the Experts

Once you have a solid idea of what you’re looking for in a freelance worker and what you’re willing to pay, it’s time to jump into the candidate pool and start finding the right person for the job. Some of the best places to find expert freelance workers include:

Your network and contacts: A great way to start your search is by checking with other people in similar industries to see if they have any recommendations. Professional contacts on social media are also a good source for suggestions or referrals.
Freelance websites: Online sites specifically focused on freelance work are another excellent resource for finding quality freelance candidates.
Industry-specific job boards: In addition to wide-ranging freelance websites, you can also try sites specific to the freelance position you want to fill. From freelance writers to graphic designers and other creatives, there are freelance job boards that target most niches.

Select the Best Applicant

Given the competitive state of the freelance market, you’ll likely receive more applications than you expect. Fortunately, if you’ve already made a list of qualities you’re seeking, narrowing the field should be simple. Depending on the nature of the position, you may want to interview the top three or so applicants via phone or video call. A trial assignment is another great way to determine whether a candidate is a good fit.

Set Up Your Payment Arrangement

Once you’ve chosen a freelancer to hire, you’ll need to figure out how to pay him or her in terms of payroll taxes and withholding. While most freelance workers qualify as independent contractors, this is not true in every case. This distinction is extremely important in terms of proper tax treatment, so be sure to review the rules carefully.

Managing your payroll is easier if you plug into online services like QuickBooks. They have features like built-in time tracking, free direct deposit, and auto check generation, making it far easier to ensure accuracy. They’ll even file your payroll taxes for you. By finding a service that takes on the bulk of the grunt work for you, you’re in a better position to focus on building your business.

Hiring outside help is an excellent way to boost your business. Examine your situation for gaps in your knowledge or duties that bog you down, and find expertise to fill in the gaps. With a good plan of action, you can find and hire the right people and services to help your company flourish.

Are Billboards and Traditional Forms of Advertising Still Effective?

June 29, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

In today’s digital landscape, most modern businesses use tools like social media, PPC advertising, blogging, and SEO to help them reach their target audience and grow their operations.

However, we used practically none of these advertising technologies if we looked back only about twenty or thirty years ago.

Or, more precisely, we were using them, but with nowhere near the same prevalence we see today.

Back then, advertisers and marketers had no choice but to rely on more conventional advertising mediums, such as billboards, newspaper ads, TV commercials, and business cards, to get their names out there.

That said, many of you are probably wondering if these traditional forms of advertising are still influential today.

Below, we’re examining how the advertising industry has changed over the past couple of decades.

What Exactly Is Traditional Advertising?

Traditional advertising is most often used to refer to any form of mass media where a commercial message is distributed to a broad audience.

Generally, traditional advertising forms are used by businesses to push their products or services in front of an audience, regardless of their interests or any other demographics, such as age, gender, interests, etc.

The most common forms of traditional advertising include billboards, posters, flyers, brochures, TV commercials, business cards, and direct mail advertising.

While these methods for advertising products or services have never been entirely ineffective, they do lack many qualities that are today found in digital forms of advertising, which has led to the prevalence of PPC advertising on platforms like Google or Facebook.

The Rise of Digital Advertising

Without a doubt, digital advertising has become the clear leader in the world of business advertising and marketing.

Nowadays, more businesses than ever before are investing billions of dollars every year into digital advertising, proving that digital advertising is more effective than traditional advertising.

One recent study by Medium on ad spending in the US from 2000 to 2020 showed that all traditional forms of advertising had seen a significant decline in the past 20 years.

For instance, newspaper advertising is down from 30% in 2000 to about 6% in 2020, whereas digital advertising was up from 3% in 2000 to a staggering 44% in 2020.

Why Is Digital Advertising So Popular?

Unlike traditional advertising, digital advertising tends to be more targeted, which means that marketers can fine-tune their process to show ads only to the people who are most likely to interact with their brands.

On the other hand, when you think of a billboard, sure, it might get thousands of views per day.

But there’s no guarantee that the people viewing the ad will be interested in the product or service on display.

With digital ads, marketers can create highly targeted campaigns. Their ads are only shown to people within exact demographics, including targeting ads based on age, gender, geographic location, hobbies, interests, and more!

Are Billboards And Traditional Forms Of Advertising Still Effective?

In short, yes, billboards, business cards, TV commercials, and radio ads are still effective at promoting products or services.

However, they’re not nearly as popular or as effective as they once were.

And as an increasing number of businesses and brands continue to flood the internet to reach their target audience, we should only expect to see an increase in digital ad spends in the coming years.

It will also be interesting to see how new, developing technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), will be leveraged in the coming years to increase the effectiveness of digital advertising.

Regardless, while traditional forms of advertising are still being used today, digital ads offer far better results and better ROIs for investors!

Written by Jason Foley

How To Optimize Your Marketing Budget

June 22, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

There are plenty of guides about spending your marketing budget on and how to choose the different strategies you may want to use.

That is only half the battle, however.

It would be best if you also considered how exactly you’re going to manage your budget and be completely clear and concise with your employees and teammates about what you want to invest and how you want it done so that you can see the most return on your investment.

Below, we’re looking at how to do that and set budget parameters so that your marketing strategies are more likely to succeed.

Improve Project Management Strategies

This might not seem relevant, but rest assured that just like a fine-tuned clock, everything is connected.

It would help if you had efficiency and proper communication whenever you take on new projects, from the leaders to the planners and the person who makes the presentation visually appealing.

Improving the way you handle and work on projects with your team will transfer to your marketing strategies.

Successful businesses use digital platforms like Monday.com and Asana to ensure that everyone is clear on their tasks and setting reasonable timeframes for completion.

You can even use these to plan out your marketing budget once you get the hang of how the platforms work.

Choose Which Social Channels You Need

Businesses make one common mistake when planning out how to use their marketing budget, and it’s often marketing on a platform that their customers don’t even use.

It’s essential to do your due diligence and do the proper research into which platform your customers spend their downtime posting and sharing.

You shouldn’t just automatically gravitate to Facebook because you think posting an ad will reach the most people.

Depending on the type of business you run, Linked In might be more critical to your marketing efforts, or if you sell to a younger audience, TikTok or Instagram might be the best choices.

Once you figure out where your customers are, you can target them more effectively and find out what they like to see when an ad pops up on their timeline.

Learn What The Experts Are Doing

Observing similar tactics used by other small businesses or even bigger companies does not necessarily mean that you are admitting defeat.

Looking at how other leaders in your industry reach the right people and persuade them to act on their calls to action demonstrates that you want to grow as a business and care about doing well for your company and your employees.

Don’t feel like you’re being judged if you’re attending a business seminar or outright asking another owner (provided they’re not your competitor) for advice.

Pictures Speak A Thousand Words

If Martin Luther had access to a modern graphic design, his 95 theses might have reached even more people and evoked a more positive reaction.

My point is that in this day and age, you can have flyers that are covered in compelling arguments about why people should buy your products or services.

However, people don’t like reading walls of text or being told what to think. And there’s even a well-known acronym for the reason why we often refuse to read through advertising copy: TLDR or Too Long, Didn’t Read.

Therefore, try adding relevant pictures or images to show potential customers the range of your skills and to hopefully, entice them to inquire more for themselves.

Also, make sure to include your business logos with your marketing materials to ensure people will remember you.

Check your FREE business logo with Logo Creator. Check it out here: www.logocreator.io

Getting More Bang For Your Buck

It doesn’t matter if you have a thousand or a hundred thousand dollars for your marketing budget.

If you don’t make wise decisions in planning and implementing it, you will suffer more losses than gains.

These are tips so that you can get the most out of your budget and so you can have a clearer image of the people you’re trying to sell to and how to present your company to the public better.

Once you succeed in this venture, it will become easier to deal with other aspects of your business and make the most of your bottom line!

Credit for this goes to Karl Lee

3 Ways to Expand Your Knowledge for Better Community Leadership

June 2, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

As a leader in your community, lifelong learning is crucial. And by furthering your education, volunteering with a local nonprofit organization, and taking steps to strengthen your leadership skills, you can become the effective leader your community members need and rely on. These resources from Paul & Sarah Edwards will help you to do it!

Further Your Education

Effective leadership and lifelong learning go hand-in-hand.

Discover the benefits of lifelong learning, especially as a leader in the community.
Earn a degree in public management and leadership to become a better leader in the public or private sector.
Become a leader in business by enrolling in an online business degree program.
If you lack time for a dedicated pursuit, consider podcasts that will further your knowledge.

Volunteer in the Community

Volunteering teaches you important skills in empathy, self-awareness, and self-regulation — helping you to become a more well-rounded leader in the community.

Explore the many benefits of volunteering in the community.
Find a volunteer opportunity that fits your skill set, hobbies, and passions.
Try one of these three career-boosting volunteer opportunities recommended by Forbes.

Improve Your Leadership Skills

Most leadership skills can be taught, learned, and improved on if you’re motivated to succeed.

Find out what makes an exceptional leader in the community.
Take some time to understand your leadership style.
Identify your weaknesses and start improving your leadership skills in just four steps.
Read the 10 best leadership books of 2020.

To be a great leader in the community, it’s important to challenge yourself as much as possible — and never stop taking in new information. Whether you’re learning from other leaders and followers, furthering your college education, or volunteering in the community, you’ll be expanding your knowledge for better community leadership!

This blog was written by Courtney Rosenfeld

Immigrants: Consider Opening a Business

April 16, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Vivek Mukherjee

Image via Pixabay

Immigrants to the United States come with many questions, not least of which is: “How will I earn a living?” While jump-starting a career in a new country can take a lot of extra effort, many immigrants are clearly meeting the challenge, given that they make up a significant percentage of the workforce. In fact, according to recent research, the number of immigrants filling high-skilled jobs is rising.

Immigrants also are well represented in the entrepreneur demographic, so if you are an immigrant arriving here and thinking about a career path, don’t rule out business ownership. Of course, getting a business off the ground while also working to integrate into a new community isn’t easy, but the statistics show that it is eminently possible.

If you’re planning to take the leap into entrepreneurship, we hope the following guidelines can help you start your own business as an immigrant to the United States.

Choose a business that suits your aptitude.

Immigrant-run businesses are exceedingly diverse — restaurants, IT companies, franchises, and construction are just a few of the business ventures that work well for immigrants. Whatever you opt to do, make sure you have the skills for it or the aptitude to train for them easily. Pick a field you will enjoy and one in which you know you have much to offer.

Research available visas and choose the right one.

Not every visa that will allow you to reside and work in the U.S. will also allow you to launch a business, so take your time, do your research, and make sure you are applying for the visa that will give you the freedom you need to pursue your venture. Several visas have been created specifically for immigrants who demonstrate exceptional talent or are highly educated. You may also look into one of the investment visas if you have considerable capital to start your business.

Secure funding.

Even if you are unable to finance a business project, there are many loans and grants that will help you do so. Grants are available from the government on a federal, state, and local level. Some of these grants exist to help businesses enrich the community, while others are created for specific types of businesses or to serve immigrants from particular regions.

Put together a business plan.

A business plan is important if you intend to woo investors or enter collaborations. But it is also useful for you to make sure you have planned for every aspect of your business so you can stay organized and on target. A good business plan, at its most fundamental level, will include an executive summary, a financial overview, and a marketing plan.

Register your business.

Business formation is the process of making your business a legal entity and registering it for tax and other official purposes. Depending on the size and scope of your business, you will want to form it according to one of several structures common in the U.S. economy. Owners of smaller businesses may want to choose a limited liability company format, while those with larger stakes might look into forming a corporation. To register your business, consider using a SAAS formation service so you can make sure you’ve checked all the boxes.

Though starting a business is a lot of work, especially for an immigrant, it is also incredibly rewarding. If you think running your own business is right for you, start planning and attending to all the steps toward entrepreneurship as soon as possible because you have it in you to be a success story.

For more insight into marketing and navigating life as an entrepreneur, be sure to subscribe to Local Marketing Center today.

How to Hire Top-Notch Freelancers for Your Small Business

April 8, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Courtney Rosenfeld

When the time comes to hire help for your business, freelancers may be the perfect solution. According to Business Wire, there are over 50 million people in the U.S. who freelance, and other countries are quickly catching up. Tap into this extensive talent pool to find the expertise you need at a price you can afford.

When you’re ready to start looking for quality freelance candidates, consider the following tips and tricks from Local Marketing Center to flesh out the best talent and help your company thrive.

Develop a Solid Communication System

Communication is vital in any team environment. When your team includes people who work remotely, it’s critical to develop a great communication system so that everyone is always on the same page. Miscommunication can cause all kinds of business problems, from missed deadlines to low morale. Avoid these issues by taking advantage of team collaboration apps like Slack and Trello. You can also keep your freelancers in the loop by having call notes transcribed and sent out to everyone on your team.

Know Where to Find Freelancers

There are several ways to find freelancers online, from classified ad sites like Craigslist to freelancer platforms like Upwork. Message people on LinkedIn, create posts on remote job boards, and peruse industry-specific sites. Online job boards help you connect with expert freelancers, whether you’re looking for help in sales, SEO and marketing, web development, or customer service. You can even look for freelancers on social media or ask for recommendations from other business owners in your industry. You don’t have to limit yourself to the U.S. either. There are plenty of freelancers around the world in countries like India, the Philippines or Serbia who can provide the expertise you need.

Make Your Expectations Clear

In your job ad, make your expectations extremely clear. Ensure that your freelancers know exactly what you aim to accomplish with their help. Give potential candidates context by explaining the big picture—not just the specific scope of work and time frame. Also, make sure you detail the skills you’re looking for and how you intend to apply these to your business.

You may also want to let your freelancers know what kind of availability you expect from them. Should they be able to hop on calls at any time? Do you require tight turnarounds, or can they complete work at their leisure? When your applicants know what you expect, they will be better prepared to meet your needs.

Lastly, clearly state how you will pay your freelancers, whether it’s through your payroll system, online payment platforms or remittance services. If you opt to hire foreign workers, you’ll need to have a plan for how to send their payments, which may not work with your payroll setup. For example, if you have a freelancer from the Philippines, using a transfer service can be more affordable and easier than Paypal.

Screen Your Applicants Thoroughly

Screen your initial applicants based on their education, skills, work experience, or portfolio samples. As you go through your candidates, select your top picks and schedule an interview. The interview is important for avoiding incompetent freelancers who sound good on paper.

Ask your candidates tough questions about how they approach deadlines, how they respond to criticism, and what they think quality work looks like. Be sure to also ask about their availability. Many freelancers have more than one client and may not be able to dedicate all of their time to your company. Finally, request a paid test project so you can get a feel for the freelancer’s work quality, communication skills, and ability to meet deadlines.

It may take time to build the perfect team of freelancers for your business. It’s a good idea to start looking for candidates well before you need them to do any work. Be picky and don’t stop searching until you find freelancers with the expertise necessary to help your business prosper.

Seven Jobs Thriving During The Coronavirus Pandemic

March 29, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

By Artur Meyster

The year 2020 was a tough one but the hardship doesn’t need to continue into 2021. Many people who lost their jobs last year have decided to reinvigorate their careers in the new year. Despite the coronavirus-induced economic recession, some industries have thrived providing millions of people job opportunities. So, if you’re interested in changing careers because you need something more sustainable, this might just be the right time to explore your options. Below is a list of seven thriving career opportunities in the Covid-19 era.

Speech-language Pathology

Contrary to popular opinion, speech-language pathologists don’t just help children. They help people of all ages who struggle with speech-related challenges like swallowing, cognitive-communication, social communication, and language, among other things. The demand for speech-language pathologists has been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic. In the United States, you’ll earn at least $79,120 yearly as a speech-language pathologist. You’ll have to be certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Construction Management

There is currently a high demand for construction workers in the United States. Construction companies don’t have enough hands-on workers to complete their contracts. While the wages of an average construction worker is around $28,520 to $47,910 in the United States, managers make up to $95,260 annually. To be a manager at a construction company, you will need a bachelor’s degree and years of experience in the field.

Software Development

You most likely already know that software development and all related fields are currently in high demand. This explains why millions of people are enrolling in online software engineering programs on Bootcamprankings.com and Computersciencehero.com. These websites offer remote job training courses in a range of tech fields. You will earn $108,080 yearly as a software developer.

Nursing Practitioners and Registered Nurses

Diving into nursing might require more time than learning how to code but it is worth the time. Nursing practitioners and registered nurses are always in demand but the demand increased significantly in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. The demand for these healthcare experts will only increase. Nursing practitioners earn more than registered nurses ($115,800 against $73,300) in the United States.

Computer Customer Support Experts

As people rely more on computers and other digital devices for their daily needs, the demand for computer user support specialists is on the rise. You don’t need a college degree to become a computer customer support specialist in some companies. An associate’s degree in computer science will be just fine. You can earn over $52,270 yearly as a computer support specialist. Your primary responsibility as a computer user support specialist is to provide users with assistance when they have challenges using digital devices.

Electricians

Electric lights and deceives are among the greatest advancements in technology. Since the first electric bulb was created on the 14th of October 1878, there has been a high demand for professional electricians. This demand remained high last year and will continue to rise in the years to come. With a diploma or an equivalent certificate, you can become an electrician. The average salary of electricians in the United States is $56,180 annually.

Industrial Machinery Mechanics

While the industrial machinery mechanics industry suffered in the early part of the 21st century, modern companies created new jobs. The demand for people who will produce and maintain modern machinery will continue to rise after the Covid-19 era. The pay and requirements for industrial mechanics are similar to that of electricians in the United States. The more experienced you are in the field, the more money you’ll make. If you don’t feel like working with one company, you can become an independent mechanic who consults with companies on your terms.

Conclusion

The jobs listed above have been among the most resilient since the Covid-19 pandemic began. While many other companies shut down and laid-off workers, these industries were in search of fresh talent. In the years to come, these jobs and industries will continue to thrive. So, if you’re in search of a resilient job that would survive the tough economic crisis, picking one on this list might be a good idea.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Shaping the Future

March 27, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

When we talk about artificial intelligence, we usually speak as if it was a futuristic technology or as if it was sci-fi. However, AI has been in our world for quite a while. In fact, the term AI was coined in 1955. John McCarthy was the first one to talk about artificial intelligence. We’ve been dealing with artificial intelligence for a long time; yet, we would have never imagined the impact of AI in incumbent industries.

AI is taking over, and most industries are using this technology for their benefit. Artificial intelligence is the main ingredient of automation. Companies can automate their processes and make them more efficient. Today we’ll explore how artificial intelligence is making a significant impact in most industries.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing leverages artificial intelligence to automate the customer service system. Instead of spending hours picking up calls and replying to emails, digital marketers can work on something more relevant such as creating strategies. Chatbots reply to users’ queries in a matter of seconds without human intervention. Therefore, users have an immediate response and digital marketers optimize their time.

Financial Industry

AI also disrupts the financial industry. Today, the most accurate form of artificial intelligence in the financial sector is biometric payments. In the past, it was something that we could only dream of, but it is happening today. Biometric payments help the financial industry be safer and simpler.

Therefore, many banking companies are now implementing this trend; from eyeballs recognition to fingertips and even face recognition. Some companies have even used this AI application in their mobile apps. Companies like PayPal or Payoneer use fingertips recognition for mobile payments.

Automobile Industry

The automobile industry is also using AI. Autonomous cars are the future of our roads. These cars are expected to make roads safer and more efficient. Although they’re still in the early stages, experts predict they will be part of our lives very soon. Autonomous cars might also work with IoT along with traffic lights so they can detect any changes in the traffic lights. With the rapid development of autonomous vehicles, the role of human drivers is less relevant every day. Therefore, autonomous vehicles have the power to disrupt the logistics industry, as well.

Education

If you look at today’s education system, you’ll notice that we use technology more than we think. Kids today depend on tablets and computers, and they even get an education through interactive boards. But how do teachers leverage artificial intelligence? Administrative tasks require a lot of time and effort. Therefore by using AI software, they can automate these tasks.

Things like assigning tasks or evaluating exams take a lot of time. By using machine learning-powered programs, teachers can assess and assign tasks more efficiently.

But we can expect more from artificial intelligence and education. In Elon Musk’s city of the future, he believes that studying will be as easy as downloading files to your brain. By that time, artificial superintelligence (when computers are smarter than us) will already be a thing.

Gaming

The gaming industry uses artificial intelligence to create a more personalized experience. AI is used to create adaptive and responsive behaviors in non-player characters (NPCs). This way, players have a more human-like experience.

However, this isn’t the only implementation of AI in the gaming industry. Machine learning is now disrupting the animation industry, and the role of humans animators has been reduced. With machine learning animation software, animators only have to give instructions on how they’d like their characters to look. You may be thinking that these designs are not as realistic as the ones human animators generate, but you’d be wrong.

Conclusion

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool that helps any industry automate its tasks. Therefore, it is no surprise to see that most companies use it for their benefit. However, it won’t stop there. Due to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence, we can expect to see more advanced tools powered by artificial intelligence.

Online Learning Today

March 25, 2021 by Paul Edwards Leave a Comment

Your house can be a schoolroom. Learning at home covers two populations – parents either forced or choosing to homeschool their children – and distance learning for adults. In the last year, About 5.4 million students, or 25.8 percent of the college student population, took at least one online class.

Over two and one-half million students – 12.5% of all college students – took online courses exclusively, and the other 13.3 percent of students combined online studies with traditional courses. Students learn 5 times more than they do from a formal course in college.

The advantage of studying online is being able to take coursework from virtually anywhere in the world and to attend schools that far away from their homes.

Studying on their own schedules without having to work around a class schedule makes online learning ideal for working students as well as those balancing family obligations along with pursuing an education.

Distance learning’s other advantages are saving money by able to live at home without a commute. Often they can graduate earlier. More than 500 colleges and universities show warning signs of financial stress that may result in closures and mergers. Distance learning offers a substitute for the campus experience. A higher education trade group has predicted a 15 percent drop in enrollment nationwide, amounting to a $23 billion revenue loss.

Online courses — some even required such courses — can be made available to all students. Computer-assisted and personalized learning can be particularly effective in closing achievement gaps, especially in math.

Distanced learning would better enable students to learn. They would be better prepared for the learning platforms of college and the workforce. Teachers would be able to deploy more innovative and personalized instructional strategies. Distance learning has the capacity to help students go deeper where their interests take them and get more focused attention in areas where they are struggling.

Schools already have access to $4 billion a year, funded from Americans’ telecommunications and home cable bills, to close the digital divide. Congress should make this program more flexible so districts can deploy WiFi or mobile hotspots in student homes where there is a need.

Your house can be a schoolroom. Learning at home covers two populations – parents either forced or choosing to homeschool their children – and distance learning for adults. In the last year,

About 5.4 million students, or 25.8 percent of the college student population, took at least one online class. Over two and one-half million students – 12.5% of all college students – took online courses exclusively, and the other 13.3 percent of students combined online studies with traditional courses. Students learn 5 times more than they do from a formal course in college.

The advantage of studying online is being able to take coursework from virtually anywhere in the world and to attend schools that far away from their homes.

If you have a degree in education or are interested in teaching kids online, you can make $50 or more per hour. Online teaching has advantages. You can choose your own working hours. There is an increased demand for online ESL (English as Second Language) teachers. This can mean no shortage of work.

Here are examples of online learning platforms

Coursera (accredited courses)

Kajabi

iSpring Market

LearnDash

Learnworlds

LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda)

Podia

Great for Digital Downloads and Webinars

Ruzuku

Shaw Academy

Skillshare.com

Teachable

Teachery

Thinkific

Treehouse

Udemy