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Showing posts from September, 2021

5 ETFs to Cash In On Record High U.S. Household Net Worth

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  The net worth of American households touched a fresh all-time high in the second quarter of 2021 powered by a faster-than-expected recovery of the U.S. economy from the coronavirus-led crisis. On Sep 23, Fed reported that household net worth jumped $5.85 trillion or 4.3% in second-quarter 2021 from the first quarter to reach $141.7 trillion. - Zacks Year over year, the net worth of Americans jumped 19.6% on easy comparison. The value of equities (which is mainly responsible for the rise in household net worth) increased nearly $3.5 trillion while the value of real estate held by households rose around $1.2 trillion. On a flip side, debt also swelled. Household debt grew 7.9%. Consumer credit grew at an annual pace of 8.6%, while mortgage debt was up 8%. Will the Trend Continue Successfully? Easy money and fiscal policies that propelled the stock prices and consumer savings drove the net worth. The U.S. stock market hovered around the record high level. The three major stock indexes —

5 benefits of stocking your business online

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  Despite the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic , micro and small companies (MSMEs) have resumed their activities , and little by little they have been recovering from the economic impact left by the health emergency. These companies are an important part of the economic reactivation not only in Mexico, but worldwide, even the Development Bank of Latin America pointed out that MSMEs "play a fundamental role in the protection of formal employment and economic and social recovery by representing 99% of the formal business network and employ more than 60% of the workforce in the region ”. For this reason, the organization called to promote the productivity and competitiveness of this sector. In this context, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) revealed that in Mexico the scarcity of supplies and products for supply has been one of the main factors for the closure and limited growth of businesses in the country. . To know more: 10 startups and technology companie

3 Steps Leaders Can Take to Avoid Team Burnout as the Pandemic Continues

  As the pandemic continues to rage, workers around the world are still struggling with feelings of stress and burnout. A   recent Microsoft survey   of 30,000 people found that 54% of employees are overworked and 39% are exhausted. These concerning stats show little sign of improvement as people’s mental health and work/life balance continue to suffer as we face new guidance and updated restrictions due to the evolving nature of this pandemic. As a leader, I am keenly aware of the effects of burnout on teams and strive to support the people I work with and create an environment where they can flourish, despite even the hardest of circumstances. I’m privileged to be a part of an organization that has worked hard throughout the pandemic to prioritize the mental health and well-being of its workers. Cisco has taken on new initiatives and created new programs in the last 18 months to support its people in their work and personal lives, and while there is always room for improvement, I hav

How This Entrepreneur Is Changing What We Put on Our Kitchen Tables

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  During the pandemic, my 8-year-old son has been struggling with wanting more independence. He wants to have sleepovers with friends, take walks on his own and start to make his own meals. Although the pandemic has restricted much of his independence, I'm happy to welcome more help in the kitchen and to reinforce healthy eating habits and introduce him to cooking. A Dozen Cousins During our recent culinary adventure of putting together a taco bar, we needed a number of key items. He helped make a list of cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers and chicken. And we had to include one of the most important ingredients to make a best-in-class taco bar: black beans. For that, we turned to none other than A Dozen Cousins. Image credit: A Dozen Cousins The Cuban Black Beans (slow simmered with onions, bell peppers, and spices) were easy for my son to warm in the microwave, and they were ready to be enjoyed in just a few minutes. With easy-to-recognize ingredients and labels like gluten f

Musk Pledges $50 Million to Children's Charity

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  Elon Musk pledged on Saturday to donate $50 million to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, helping exceed the $200 million fundraising goal of last week’s Inspiration4 space mission.  picture alliance | Getty Images “Count me in for $50M,” the SpaceX founder tweeted after the account for Inspiration4 tweeted that the all-civilian crew was back on Earth and still soliciting donations to hit the $200 million mark.  Inspiration4, the first-ever tourism mission into space, launched Wednesday morning. Four people were onboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which departed from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew came back down off the coast of Florida. 

3 Pandemic-Fueled Commerce Trends Poised to Yield Long-Term Growth for Businesses

 The pandemic thrust industries from retail and restaurants to fitness and food into hyper-innovation mode, unwittingly yielding new and improved ways to sell their goods and services — from text-based commerce to online marketplace platforms — that are poised to drive business long after the crisis has (hopefully) passed. Text-based commerce becomes revenue stream for brands Consumers increasingly shopped from their smartphones amid the pandemic, and marketers took note, leaning into text-based commerce to earn their business. As shoppers’ email inboxes overflowed with promotional offers, brands turned to text-based messaging to break through the digital clutter and reach consumers wherever they were. Beverage startup Iris Nova, for one, tapped its text-based ordering platform amid the pandemic to sell its Dirty Lemon line of wellness drinks— and heightened convenience — to consumers, while creating a brand-to-shopper intimacy that texting tends to foster, Zak Normandin, founder and C

This is the story of how La Michoacana was born out of an economic crisis

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  If, like us, you are an insatiable lover of cold desserts, you have surely tried La Michoacana, a Mexican paletería so old and famous that it is already part of our culture. However, do you know its history? If not, here we tell you! VDO.AI La Michoacana vía Facebook Paletería La Michoacana, history of tradition and flavor To know the history of La Michoacana we must go back several decades in time. Let's set ourselves between the late 1930s and early 1940s in western Michoacán, in Tocumbo (or Tucumbo), to be precise. At that time, Mexico was just recovering from the Great Depression, Lázaro Cárdenas had become president, and World War II would soon break out. The big picture was one of uncertainty, chaos, and change. However, despite all negative prognoses, something happened in Tocumbo that would change the future of the town forever. And it is that, Don Rafael Malfavón , a paletero known among the people as El Arrapato , dedicated himself to the sale of popsicles. Don Rafael&#

Aligner war begins? This Chilean startup Wizz seeks to consolidate in the Mexican market with low cost invisible orthodontics

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  According to the Mexican Institute of Social Security, 90% of Mexicans have oral health problems. While having crooked teeth or as it is medically known, having a malocclusion is only part of these problems, its lack of treatment can cause worse damage in the long term. Not taking care of this condition can cause diseases such as cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, as well as emotional conflicts due to low self-esteem. Cortesía Wizz However, dental health in Mexico is not accessible for all portfolios. According to the figures provided by Dentalia in 2020, 45% of people who do not go to the dentist is because they consider it very expensive. Indeed, the prices of alignment treatments, whether traditional or intelligent, fluctuate between 15,000 and 30,000 prisoners, a fairly high figure if one takes into account that the national minimum wage is approximately 4,000 pesos. Empathizing with this problem that has physical and emotional consequences, is that Wizz , a Chilean 3D dental a

SS&C ALPS Advisors Launches Travel ETF (JRNY)

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  The popularity of ETFs is growing in the investment world. Investors have already added $607.7 billion to U.S.-listed ETFs so far in 2021 (per an ETF.com article). In what seems like a favorable period for the launch of new ETFs, SS&C ALPS Advisors has launched the ALPS Global Travel Beneficiaries ETF JRNY on the NYSE Arca. - Zacks In this regard, Laton Spahr, President of SS&C ALPS Advisors, has reportedly commented that "SS&C ALPS Advisors continues to build a compelling suite of thematic strategies for ETF investors. We believe global travel spending may improve as the global middle class expands and the desire to spend on experiences grows. Our new ETF may provide differentiated exposure to a potentially durable theme." JRNY in a Nutshell The fund's strategy provides a diversified exposure to the global travel industry. It tracks the S-Network Global Travel Index, which discovers exchange-traded stocks of companies that are materially engaged in the glob

9 tips to get your first customers

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  Getting your first client is quite a challenging task (and, truth be told, it could turn into a real headache). These are some ideas that can help you build a portfolio of clients to start your business . Depositphotos.com Hand out flyers It may sound archaic, but it is a very effective strategy for new businesses looking to get noticed. Get closer to the places where your target audience is and distribute flyers to people who meet the profile of your audience. These should be professionally designed and written (watch out: check your spelling very well!) And include your contact details: phone, email, website and social media. Offer free samples How can a person know if they like a product or service if they don't try it? Give free samples or tastings of your product, or offer vouchers for a free service. You can, for example, offer trial classes. Promote these promotions by opening through your social networks. Delivery discounts Create special promotions for your first custome

Why You Should Stop Meditating and Focus on Your Intentions

Let’s preface this article by saying: It is not about bashing the practice of meditation. This article's about why you should also remember to stop meditating and get clear about your intentions. The benefits of mindfulness and practicing meditation are well documented. Bringing our awareness back to our bodies and the present is arguably a vital tool for survival, especially as an entrepreneur. If you run your own business, you are pretty much never encouraged to think in terms of the present moment. You’re always looking to future targets while casting your mind back to past successes and failures. We are constantly projecting ourselves into an assumed future, or a long-gone past — the upshot of which is that we are not living energetically in the present! Of course, we must have an eye on our future as business owners while learning from the past. But we also have to remember that executive action can only happen in the present. As physical beings, we can only exist and take act