3 Simple Steps to Secure Your Home Business Online

No matter the size of your home business, you are always at risk of a cyber-attack. By taking some simple steps to secure your business online, you can protect yourself and your customers from the devastating effects of a cyber breach. As a home business owner, you are likely always looking for ways to cut costs and increase efficiency. When it comes to cybersecurity, though, skimping on protection can cost you a lot more in the long run. A cyber attack can disrupt your business operations and lead to the loss of sensitive customer data. To protect your home business from the growing threat of cybercrime, follow these three simple steps:

Step 1: Use Strong Passwords

As more and more people work from home, home businesses are becoming increasingly common. While there are many advantages to running a home business, there are some security risks to consider as well. One of the most important things you can do to protect your home business is to use strong passwords.

While a weak password might be easy to remember, hackers can also easily guess. If a hacker gains access to your account, they could change your password, lock you out of your account, or even use your account to send spam. To avoid becoming the victim of a hacking attack, use a strong password.

A strong password should be at least eight characters long and include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. If you're not sure how to create a strong password, many online tools can help. A great tool I have used for years is Keeper Security. It will create passwords for new accounts, then store them for recall when you log back onto that account. You can permit it to automatically insert your username and password when you log in again.

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

Another safety measure is to change your passwords regularly and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.

An added layer of security with online accounts is using two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) requires you to confirm your identity to gain access to an account or system. With 2FA enabled, you will need to enter both your password and a one-time code generated by an authentication app on your mobile device.

Step 2: Avoid Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are a common threat to home businesses. These attacks occur when a malicious individual sends an email that appears to be from a legitimate source, such as a bank or online service. The email may contain a link that leads to a fake website. On the website, the intent is for the user to enter sensitive information. This could be, for example, login credentials or a credit card number.

There are many different ways to mount a phishing attack. But home business owners can take a few simple steps to protect themselves and their businesses. First, be vigilant about checking any email or message sender before opening it. What should you do if the legitimacy of an email? Contact the supposed sender using a verification method other than email. Additionally, never click on links or attachments from unknown or untrusted sources.

Some red flags that an email or website may be part of a phishing scam include:

- The email or website has poor grammar or spelling errors- The URL is slightly different from the legitimate company's URL (e.g., "https://www.paypal.com" vs. " paypall")- You are asked to enter sensitive information on a website that does not have an "https://" in the URL- If you receive an email or see a website that seems suspicious, do not click on any links or enter any information. Instead, contact the company directly to confirm that the communication is legitimate.

Did you know that about 90% of successful data breaches start with a phishing attack? Training yourself to avoid these attacks can be the most effective step to ensure your cybersecurity.

Step 3: Keep your software up to date

Home businesses often rely on technology to help them run smoothly and efficiently. But if this technology is not kept up to date, it can quickly become outdated and ineffective. One of the essential pieces of technology for a home business is software. Software programs constantly make updates with new features and security patches. So, keeping your software up to date is necessary to get the most out of it. This will ensure that you have the latest features, but it will also help protect your business from security threats. You can configure most software programs to install updates automatically. 

Another simple step you can take to protect your home business from a cyber attack is the use of security software. There are many options available, and it is essential to choose the one that best fits your needs. You can install some security software on your computer, while others are available as Cloud-based services. There are also different levels of protection. So choose the level that best suits your home business. By using security software, you can help to protect your home business from viruses, malware, and hackers.  This protection comes in two forms:

- Preventing malware from being installed on your computer- Removing any existing malware that may have already made its way onto your system.

This can help to keep your business safe and secure and ensure that your customers can trust your home business.

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A suite of software I have used for years comes from IObit. IObit is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that helps to protect home businesses from a variety of threats. These threats include malware, phishing attacks, and more. Besides protecting you against malware attacks, IObit's software suite can:

- Keep your computer clean and- Keep software and drivers up to date.

The following apps from IObit will give you comprehensive protection:

- Advanced Systemcare - the ultimate PC tuneup- Uninstaller - Gives a cleaner PC with safer browsing- Smart Defrag - Faster file accessing- Driver Booster - Keeps your PC running smooth- Malware Fighter - Detects & removes threats and prevents unknown access to online privacy while also blocking ransomware attacks.- Software Updater - Automatically updates software.

Each of these comes with licenses for three computers.

Conclusion:

If you take these three simple steps to protect your home business, you'll be well on your way to fending off any potential cyber-attacks. Using strong passwords, avoiding phishing scams, and keeping your software updated is vital in protecting yourself online. So make sure to implement these tips today!

(We independently select these products — if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.)

https://digitalchowder.com/3-simple-steps-to-secure-your-home-business-online/

LED Display - What It is, And How It Can Benefit The Home Business

Introduction

LED display is one of the newest and most innovative advertising methods. People quickly turn to outdoor LEDs for their advertisement needs because they use significantly less energy than traditional billboards. Also, the screens are large and bright, making them more difficult for people to miss.

In this blog, we will be looking at what LED display is, how you can use them for advertising, and how they could benefit the home business.

What is LED display Outdoor advertising?

LED advertising is a type of outdoor marketing that uses electronic displays to show static images, videos, and animation. These advertisements are displayed on high-definition screens, making them visible from far away. This digital advertising method is very versatile and suitable for placement almost anywhere.

Advantages of outdoor LED display advertisement

The outdoor LED display screen offers a lot of advantages for advertising. Of course, any business wants people to pay attention to their advertisements, so they notice and understand the material. As a result, advertisements seem more appealing to potential consumers. But that isn't all; several more benefits come from using outdoor LED displays for ads.

1. Eye-Catching Advertising 

As I already alluded to, using bright LED lights with color and motion, outdoor LED displays are attention-grabbing. When you add video or animation, they command even greater attention. In short, the possibilities of LED display advertising are limited only by the advertiser's creativity.

2. OOH Advertising Solution

According to the article, "LED Screen Advertising Benefits – 10 Reasons Why LED Technology Helps You Expand Your Business," by Daniel Reynolds (https://dynamo-led-displays.co.uk/led-advertising-screen-advantages/), "Using LED screen advertising as your Out Of Home (OOH) advertising solution means that your digital content can be published with high-quality outdoor LED screens and relayed to a far broader public audience. Depending on the footfall, traffic speed, and the frequency and duration of your message, you can get your ads in front of a broad cross-section of a local community, potentially generating new interest, widening your audience, and increasing inquiries."

3. Lower Cost Advertising

You might be shocked to learn that outdoor LED advertising displays are cost-effective. As a result, many clients want to invest in an outdoor LED display. When compared to traditional advertising boards, they are far more cost-efficient.

Unlike typical print ads, LED ads can easily be edited or updated without the additional costs of reprinting. The upfront costs can add up to considerable financial savings by eliminating the time and cost of editing and reprinting print ads.

4. Real-time updates and edits 

The cost savings of editing and updating LED advertisements over printed ones was just mentioned. Now I'd like to highlight the ability to real-time adjust and improve your targeting using LED advertising, which allows you to hone your targeting precision on a continuing basis. You may push your marketing efforts from anywhere in the world thanks to wireless technology and cloud-based computing, allowing you to manage them from anywhere. Various sophisticated software platforms enable you to make any desired changes immediately by working remotely.

5. Effective advertising

With outdoor LED displays, you control which ads to play and when. Furthermore, there's no limit to how many ads you can display or run at one time--you could even alternate between multiple ads.

6. Synchronous Digital Campaigns 

In real-time, DOOH provides for the opportunity to establish completely synchronous digital campaigns published and streamed across websites, mobile devices, applications, television, radio, and Digital Out of Home (DOOH) media. The cutting-edge technology and servers may be programed to deliver coordinated and highly targeted advertising with a level of control and accuracy previously unimagined.

How can LED display advertising benefit the home business?

Mockup image of billboard screen posters and led light box in the street for advertising

 

This article is titled "LED display advertising - what is it, and how can it benefit the home business." As I write, that is always my concern - to benefit the home business. So can LED display ads help the home business? The short answer is, "It all depends."

But before getting into what it might depend on, I want to highlight the vast array of new possibilities it offers. Having read this far, you know about some of its advantages and opportunities. It has all the capabilities and options of ads on the internet or television.

You can now move your advertising outdoors using the same design tools you have already been using. And your ads are displayed wherever you choose. They don't have to be in front of a computer or mobile device or at home watching their television. They might be driving across town or to another city. They might be at the mall or an athletic event.

Each setting catches the person in a different frame of mind and receptivity to your message. And, whatever the location, it segments your audience based on interest.

So with these thoughts in mind, allow your mind to run free as you consider the possibilities.

It all depends

Now to mention a couple of factors that can determine whether or not the home business might benefit from LED display ads.

- Advertising Budget - Your business's advertising budget will be a significant factor. I am not suggesting that LED display advertising is more expensive than other forms. But it could require more outlay to get the coverage you might get with other forms of advertising. Since LED display ads are stationary, multiple locations will be necessary to broaden your scope. On the other hand, in specific settings, it may grab attention better than the internet or social media ads which compete with many other diversions. - Geographical reach - Another significant factor that could impact the benefit of LED display advertising for your home business is the geographical reach of your product or service. In some cases, that reach will be local, whereas, in others, it will be state-wide, nationwide, or even global. If your business has a broad reach, you should not automatically eliminate the use of LED displays. Should you want to infuse a heightened awareness about your product or service in a specific market, LED displays might fit the bill.

Adcritter

As you think about using this form of advertisement in your home business, consider the operation of a company such as Adcritter. Adcritter (adcritter.com) bills itself as "The Small Business Ad Platform," targeting TV, Internet, and Billboards.

Adcritter offers subscriptions on its platform with a monthly fee of $149. You design and schedule your advertising yourself using templates they provide. Templates vary depending on the media you plan to use, whether TV, internet, or billboards.

When you have designed your ad campaign, you are ready to arrange with Adcritter the media, coverage, and desired schedule. You decide the ad budget right for your business, and Adcritter uses its buying power to get you the best possible prices.

Through this or similar ad agencies, the home business can coordinate its advertisements across social media, internet search ads, TV, and LED display billboards. And you have eliminated using an expensive ad agency in the process.

Conclusion

In conclusion, LED display advertising can be a great way to get your home business noticed. However, it is crucial to consider your advertising budget and geographical reach when deciding if this form of advertising is suitable for you. Additionally, an agency like Adcritter can help you coordinate your ad campaign across multiple platforms and save money.

Please share your thoughts or experiences concerning LED display advertising in the comments below. If you would be interested in receiving bi-weekly email notices of our blogs for home and small businesses, please sign up using the form below.

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14 Essential Productivity Apps and Services For Freelancers

Many online apps and services can help make you more productive if you're a freelancer. This article will discuss 14 of these tools, including three writing tools, four website-building tools, three creative tools, and four productivity tools.

Writing Tools 

Grammarly

Grammarly is a grammar-checking tool that helps improve writing skills. Before I learned about the app, I struggled to write clearly and concisely, but Grammarly has helped me greatly. My sentences used to be too long and complicated, but now I feel better about my writing skills. I use Grammarly for everything from blog posts and emails to website copy. It's the best tool around for polishing up your writing!

Grammarly is constantly active, no matter what application I am using. As I write, it will suggest changes to improve spelling, style, and tone. Sometimes, it will rewrite sentences to make them neater and simpler.

I am confident in the quality of my work, free of typos, misspellings, and bad grammar.

Grammarly has indeed been a lifesaver for me and my writing.

Try Grammarly

Jasper

Before I publish anything, I use Grammarly to check my writing for errors. However, when actually creating content, Jasper AI is where I turn to spark my creativity.

Jasper AI is the perfect tool to help me quickly and easily develop original, engaging content. With Jasper's help, I can come up with dozens of ideas for blogs, product descriptions, and web copy.

This can all be done in a fraction of the time it would normally take, and because Jasper integrates directly with social media platforms, I can publish content on these platforms without any hassle.

Try Jasper 

Sqribble eBook Creator

Artificial intelligence is increasingly automating tasks that have here-to-fore been time-consuming. Sqribble eBook Creator is a leader in using AI to automate the process of eBook creation. With just a few clicks, you can create amazing eBooks that will educate, inform and entertain your readers. And best of all, you don't need any design, technical or writing skills to start!

Sqribble provides over 50 alluring eBook templates belonging to 15 distinct niche categories. So, no matter what book you want to write - whether it's a cookbook, a self-help guide, or an eBook on your pastime - we have your back.

With customizable templates, you can make your eBook unique by adding photos, videos, and text. And if you need help along the way, a support team is always available.

Try Sqribble Website Tools 

Nicepage

Nicepage is a website design app capable of turning out sites in WordPress, Joomla, and HTML.

Nicepage is my choice for web design. It is the tool I use for my website and to build sites for other businesses.

With Nicepage, you can create stunning websites without writing a single line of code! Just use its easy drag-and-drop website builder software to implement your ideas. Install its desktop app and get started designing your website. There are over 10,000 designer-made templates to choose from, so you can find the perfect one for your business. And if you want to customize anything, it's easy to do with no coding required. Websites created in Nicepage are mobile-friendly, so they'll look great on any device.

If you want a website that runs on WordPress or Joomla, design the general layout in the Nicepage desktop application. Afterward, export it as a template file and install it onto either WordPress or Joomla. A Nicepage Plugin will be included with the installation to enable you to continue the design and do editing from within the CMS.

Although I recommend Elementor, I prefer Nicepage because it is more flexible and gives me more freedom. With Nicepage, my creative ideas aren't restricted by its capabilities. This saves me a lot of time not having to find a way to make my ideas work -- they do.

Try Nicepage 

Elementor

With Elementor, you can create a stunning website without any coding! With its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, you can create beautiful pages in no time. And with 100+ full website Kits and endless possibilities, you can let your creativity shine. Plus, Elementor's world-class hosting and robust security features will give you the peace of mind you need to focus on creating the website of your dreams. 

Elementor attempts to do it all with its own built-in features that eliminate the need for other plugins and thus do away with plugin clutter. And with 90+ widgets and countless built-in capabilities, you can create any website you can imagine. 

You won't go wrong with Elementor as your choice for website creation.

Try Elementor 

Pretty Links

Pretty Links isn't just for those looking to make money from their content with affiliate links. It has plenty of other benefits, too. Pretty Link's main purpose is link shortening, but it also tracks clicks for each link created within the program.

While this obvious perk is especially enticing to affiliate marketers, anyone wanting to see how many people are clicking on certain parts of their website can benefit from Pretty Links' click-tracking feature. Use Pretty Links as a link shortener for every link on your website, and you will easily track what parts of your website people are viewing or interacting with.

Plus, Pretty Links makes it a breeze to put links on your site. Just add a keyword or phrase when you create the link using Pretty Links. Then, Pretty Links will automatically insert that link any time the keyword appears. And if you ever need to change a link, you will not have to go through your site to change every link usage. Simply update it in one spot - Pretty Link - and it'll be good to go sitewide!

Try Pretty Links 

Pond5

Pond5 is a great resource for finding professional content at an affordable price. It has everything you need for your project, with millions of royalty-free photos, videos, audio clips, and more. And their license allows you to use their content without worry.

The main reason I use Pond5 is that a subscription isn't required to access the media library- you can pay for each item separately. Most of the photos I purchased cost less than $5.00. If you would rather have a subscription, though, they are available at different price points depending on the content you want to access. You can also buy Credit Packs, which offer a 20% discount off the total purchase price.

Try Pond5 Creative Tools 

Snagit

Techsmith's Snagit is a screen capture software that lets you quickly and easily share what's on your screen with others, so you don't have to waste time with back-and-forth emails or messy file attachments. Just share a link to your Snagit capture, and they can view it in their browser.

With Snagit, you can not only take screenshots and mark them up, but you can also record a video of your screen. This is especially useful if you want to show someone how to do something or navigate a process step-by-step. Plus, once you're done recording, Snagit will automatically turn it into a shareable video that's easy for anyone to understand.

Snagit is my favorite tool to use when I need help with website design or illustrations for blog posts. The video screen capture feature also comes in handy whenever I need to show someone how a particular software works.

Try Snagit 

Camtasia

Camtasia is another app created by Techsmith. With Camtasia, you can quickly and easily create professional-looking videos without prior video editing experience. Camtasia is quick to learn and easy to use, so you'll be up and running in no time. It is the ideal tool for creating high-quality videos that engage your audience and help them learn more than text alone. Camtasia is perfect for creating video tutorials, how-to videos, software demo videos, meeting recordings, training videos, and lessons.

Try Camtasia 

Canva

Canva Pro is an excellent choice to up your design game. This design software makes design simple, convenient, and reliable. With time-saving tools that make anyone look like a professional designer, you can create anything you need in no time.

Need to add some curved text, photo effects, or image enhancer? How about adding frames to photos or even text to videos? It's all covered. And if you want to take your content to the next level, the online video recorder and converter let you record, edit, trim, and splice videos — all in one place. Plus, you can easily convert them to MP4 format for easy sharing.

When it comes to design, I'm a novice. But with Canva's array of templates and tools help my ideas take shape by imitating the professionals. Not only does Canva have great samples that spark creativity, but their design tools are user-friendly. Whenever I need graphics for product promotion or to design a logo, business card, or flyer, I go to Canva.

Try Canva Productivity Tools 

Keeper

Keeper Security offers a top-notch solution to protect your passwords and personal information from cybercriminals. With Keeper you will be Joining millions of people who use Keeper to protect their online identities. You'll never again have to remember or worry about a password.

Powered by cutting-edge technology, Keeper offers unparalleled protection against ransomware attacks by generating high-strength, random passwords for each website, application, and service you use. In addition, BreachWatch® monitors the dark web 24/7 and alerts you if your credentials are detected in a public data breach so that you can take action immediately.

I have depended on Keeper for several years. Not only does it enable me to retrieve a saved password quickly, but it will also manage the process of registering a new user account and storing the necessary username and password for later use. It is not only for passwords, though. You can also use it to store credit card accounts, driver's license numbers, and health insurance credentials.

I use Keeper's Chrome extension to quickly locate the URL of any website I frequent from Keeper's database. Once the desired website launches, Keeper is on standby to automatically enter my username and password so I can easily log in.

Try Keeper 

Todoist

As my task manager and to-do list app, Todist is my choice to keep me more focused, organized, and calm. With Todoist, you can add tasks like "read work emails every day at 10 am" in seconds using natural language recognition and recurring dates. Plus, your to-do lists are automatically sorted into Today, Upcoming, and custom Filter views to help you focus on your most important things.

Todoist allows you to break big tasks into smaller ones, share projects with your team, and add reminders. You can also use Todoist's apps, extensions, and widgets on any device or platform, so you're never far from your to-do list.

Todoist seamlessly integrates with your voice assistant, calendar, and over 30 other tools to make productivity effortless, whether at home or on the go. Todoist also has the added bonus of promoting a sense of calm by letting users know that they won't forget any new tasks that come to mind--enter them into Todoist!

Try Todoist 

Hubspot CRM

CRM stands for “customer relations management,” but at Hubspot, it means much more than managing your contacts. With the easy-to-use

https://digitalchowder.com/14-essential-productivity-apps-and-services-for-freelancers/

Digital Resources for the Budget-Conscious Home Business

If you are a home business owner, you are always looking for digital resources to make your task more efficient with more professional outcomes. To help, I have done some of the work for you. In this article, I have listed our service picks to amplify productivity and reach more clients or customers.

Most of these picks are products I use, and I can attest to their benefits and reliability. I know by reputation and referral to be reliable for those I do not use. The sixteen products listed are in four categories: Writing Tools, Website Tools, Creative Tools, and Productivity Tools. Do you have recommendations you think should be included in the list? Please leave your recommendations in the comment section below.

Writing Tools

Grammarly

Before using Grammarly, I struggled with creating clear and concise content. My writing often sounded overly verbose with long, complex sentences. However, since starting to utilize Grammarly, I feel much more confident in my writing ability across all platforms - whether it be a blog post, email correspondence, or even website copy. Nowadays, you'll find me constantly turning to Grammarly for help polishing up any written piece!Grammarly is constantly working in the background of whatever application I am using, whether it's a browser, my email program, or a word processor. Grammarly periodically offers suggestions for improving spelling, style, and tone as I write. It will even rewrite entire sentences to make them cleaner and more straightforward.I am confident in the quality of my work, free of typos, misspellings, and bad grammar.

Try Grammarly

Jasper

Before I publish anything, I use Grammarly to check my writing for errors. However, when actually creating content, Jasper AI is where I turn to spark my creativity.Jasper AI is the perfect tool to help me develop original, engaging content quickly and easily. With Jasper's help, I can develop dozens of ideas for blogs, product descriptions, and web copy.This can all be done in a fraction of the time it would normally take, and because Jasper integrates directly with social media platforms, I can publish content on these platforms without any hassle.

Try Jasper

Sqribble eBook Creator

Artificial intelligence is increasingly automating tasks that have here-to-fore been time-consuming. Sqribble eBook Creator is a leader in using AI to automate the process of eBook creation. With just a few clicks, you can create amazing eBooks that educate, inform and entertain your readers. And best of all, you don't need any design, technical, or writing skills to start!Sqribble provides over 50 alluring eBook templates belonging to 15 distinct niche categories. So, we have your back no matter what book you want to write - whether it's a cookbook, a self-help guide, or an eBook on your pastime.With customizable templates, you can make your eBook unique by adding photos, videos, and text. And if you need any help along the way, a support team is always available.

Try Sqribble

Website Tools

Nicepage

Nicepage is my choice for web design. It is the tool I use for my website and to build sites for other businesses. With Nicepage, you can create stunning websites without writing a single line of code! Just use our easy drag-and-drop website builder software to implement any ideas you have. There are over 10,000 designer-made templates so that you can find the perfect one for your business. And if you want to customize anything, it's easy to do with no coding required. Plus, all our websites are mobile-friendly and will look great on any device. Get started building your dream website today with Nicepage!Although I recommend Elementor, I prefer Nicepage because it is more flexible and gives me more freedom. With Nicepage, my creative ideas aren't restricted by its capabilities. This saves me a lot of time not having to find a way to make my ideas work -- they do.

Try Nicepage

Elementor

With Elementor, you can create a stunning website without any coding! With its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, you can create beautiful pages quickly. And with 100+ full website Kits and endless possibilities, you can let your creativity shine. Plus, Elementor's world-class hosting and robust security features will give you the peace of mind to focus on creating the website of your dreams. Elementor attempts to do it all with its own built-in features that eliminate the need for other plugins and thus do away with plugin clutter. And with 90+ widgets and countless built-in capabilities, you can create any website you can imagine. 

Try Elementor

Pretty Links

Pretty Links isn't just for those looking to make money from their content with affiliate links. It has plenty of other benefits, too. Pretty Link's main purpose is link shortening, but it also tracks clicks for each link created within the program. While this obvious perk is especially enticing to affiliate marketers, anyone wanting to see how many people click on certain parts of their website can benefit from Pretty Links' click-tracking feature.Plus, Pretty Links makes it a breeze to put links on your site. Add a keyword or phrase when creating the link using Pretty Links. Then, Pretty Links will automatically insert that link whenever the keyword appears. And if you ever need to change where the pretty link goes, update it in one spot - Pretty Link - and it'll be good to go sitewide!

Try Pretty Links

Pond5

If you need professional content but don't want to spend a lot, Pond5 is a great solution. It has everything you need for your project with millions of royalty-free photos, videos, audio clips, and more. And their easy-to-understand license means you can use their content without worry.The main reason I use Pond5 is that you don't need a subscription to access the media library- you can pay for each item separately. Most of the photos I purchase cost only $2.50. If you would rather have a subscription, though, they are available at different price points depending on what type of content you want to be able to access. You also have the option of buying Credit Packs which offer a 20% discount off the total purchase price.

Try Pond5

Creative Tools

Snagit

Snagit is a screen capture software that lets you quickly and easily show someone what's on your screen so you don't waste time with back-and-forth emails or messy file attachments. Just share a link to your Snagit capture so they can view it in their browser.If you want to go further, you can record yourself talking and clicking through a doc, mockup, or series of steps. Snagit will automatically turn it into a shareable video that's easy for anyone to understand.Snagit is my go-to tool whenever I need to design a website or illustrations for a blog. Its video screen capture feature is also helpful for demonstrating software features.

Try Snagit

Camtasia

With Camtasia, you can quickly and easily create professional-looking videos without prior video editing experience. Camtasia is quick to learn and easy to use, so you'll be up and running quickly. With Camtasia, you can engage your audience with high-quality videos that will help them learn more than text alone. Camtasia is the perfect tool for creating video tutorials, how-to videos, software demo videos, meeting recordings, training videos, and lessons.

Try Camtasia

Canva

Canva Pro is an excellent choice to up your design game. This design software makes design simple, convenient, and reliable. With time-saving tools that make anyone look like a professional designer, you can create anything you need quickly.Need to add some curved text or photo effects? Image enhancer? How about adding frames to photos or even text to videos? It's all covered.And if you want to take your content to the next level, the online video recorder and converter let you record, edit, trim, and splice videos — all in one place. Plus, you can easily convert them to MP4 format for easy sharing.When it comes to design, I'm still a novice. But with Canva's templates and tools, I can help my ideas take shape by imitating the professionals. Not only does Canva have great samples that spark creativity, but their design tools are user-friendly too. Whenever I need graphics for product promotion or to design a logo, business card, or flyer, I go to Canva.

Try Canva

Productivity Tools

Keeper

Keeper Security offers a top-notch solution to protect your passwords and personal information from cybercriminals. With Keeper you will be Joining millions of people who use Keeper to protect their online identities. You'll never again have to remember or worry about a password.Powered by cutting-edge technology, Keeper offers unparalleled protection against ransomware attacks by generating high-strength, random passwords for each website, application, and service you use. In addition, BreachWatch® monitors the dark web 24/7 and alerts you if your credentials are detected in a public data breach so that you can take action immediately. I have been depending on Keeper for several years. It enables me to retrieve a saved password quickly, and it will also manage to register a new user account and store the necessary username and password for later use. I don't only utilize it for passwords, though - credit card accounts, driver's license numbers, and health insurance credentials are also included.

Try Keeper

46 of the best productivity tools for work and life

Fingerprint for Success has put together a collection of 46 of the best productivity tools. These tools will help you organize your personal life, manage your work, and collaborate with others.Fingerprint for Success is a professional & personal development platform for individuals & teams to make amazing things happen at work and in life!

Try Fingerprint for Success

Clockify

Utilized by millions, Clockify is a highly-regarded time-tracking software and timesheet application that enables you to log work hours across multiple projects. With Clockify, logging work hours across multiple projects has never been easier. With Clockify, you can keep track of your time spent on different projects, assign billable rates, and track your overall productivity. This feature makes it easy to keep track of time spent on individual projects, ensuring accurate billing and enabling project managers to make informed decisions about resources and allocations.

Try Clockify

Todoist

As my task manager and to-do list app, Todist is my choice to keep me more focused, organized, and calm. Make it yours too. With Todoist, you can add tasks like "read work emails every day at 10 am" in seconds using natural language recognition and recurring dates. Plus, your to-do lists are automatically sorted into Today, Upcoming, and custom Filter views to help you focus on your most important things.Other features include breaking tasks into subtasks, sharing projects with others, giving tasks a priority level, setting up reminders, and more. Plus, with Todoist's apps, extensions, and widgets, you can access your to-do list from any device or platform. And with integrations with your calendar, voice assistant, and over 30 other tools, Todoist makes it easy to stay productive no matter where you are or what you're doing. 

Try Todoist

Hubspot CRM

CRM stands for “customer relations management,” but at Hubspot, it means much more than managing your contacts. With the easy-to-use HubSpot CRM, you’ll never have to manually update reports or wonder how your team tracks toward quotas. Get a real-time view of your entire sales pipeline on a visual dashboard.Access detailed reports on sales activity, productivity, and individual performance. Then use those insights to track team performance and spot opportunities for growth. Enjoy unlimited users, data, and up to 1,000,000 contacts with no time limit or expiration date — whether you're a team of 1 or 1,000.Using Hubspot's WordPress plugin, people who sign up to join our email list are automatically added to our Hubspot list. Their activity on our website is tracked so we can track preferences and habits.

Try Hubspot

ezyCollect

ezyCollect has cutting-edge technology to help you get paid faster and protect your business from unpaid invoices. What's even better, their system is fully automated so that you can save time and effort. You'll feel like you have an extra person on your team! And with their humanized automation, you can connect with customers more personally.Within the first 12 months of using ezyCollect, businesses typically see a 43% reduction in outstanding overdue bills. That's huge! And with their easy-to-use payment portal, customers can view and download invoices, pay one or more invoices on the spot, part-pay, or pay later while they get paid upfront. This makes it super easy for them to pay their invoices and means you don't have to chase them up for payment.

Try ezyCollect
https://digitalchowder.com/digital-resources-for-the-budget-conscious-home-business/

7 Reasons Why You Need Grammarly for Error-Free Writing

If you're tired of making grammar mistakes, look to Grammarly for your solution! This tool can help you catch errors and improve your writing.

Writing is essential to our daily communication, whether in emails, social media posts, or professional documents. However, writing error-free content can be challenging, especially if English is not your first language. That's where Grammarly comes in.

Grammarly is an online grammar-checking tool that helps you write better by detecting common grammatical, spelling, and punctuation issues. Here are seven reasons why you need Grammarly for error-free writing.

1. Catch spelling and grammar errors.

The most obvious reason to use Grammarly is to catch spelling and grammar errors. Whether you're writing an email, a blog post, or a research paper, Grammarly can help you catch mistakes you might have missed otherwise. Grammar and spelling errors can be the difference between a well-crafted piece of writing and one that appears amateurish.

Writing free from errors is essential to effectively and accurately convey your message. It's like having a personal editor review your work and suggest improvements. Plus, Grammarly can catch errors other spell-checkers might miss, like contextual spelling mistakes and misused words.

2. Improve sentence structure and clarity.

In addition to catching spelling and grammar errors, Grammarly can also help improve the overall structure and clarity of your writing. The tool can suggest sentence structure, word choice, and even tone changes to make your writing more concise and effective. This can be especially helpful for professional writing, where clear communication is key. With Grammarly, you can ensure that your message is getting across in the most effective way possible.

Personally, sentence structure and clarity is my most vulnerable aspect when writing. While I am susceptible to spelling and grammar errors, they are not my main writing problem. My problem is complex and wordy sentences that lack clarity. With Grammarly, I have no worries about sentence structure or other errors. Seldom do I disagree with the suggestions offered.

3. Enhance vocabulary and word choice.

One of the key features of Grammarly is its ability to suggest alternative words and phrases to improve your writing. This can help you avoid repetitive language and make your writing more engaging and varied. Additionally, Grammarly can suggest more precise words to convey your intended meaning, helping you to communicate your ideas more effectively.

Grammarly helps enhance vocabulary and word choice in several ways:

• Provides synonyms: Grammarly suggests synonyms and alternative words or phrases when you use repetitive or overused language. With its extensive database of synonyms and related words, Grammarly can help you expand your vocabulary and improve your writing skills.

This introduces variety to your writing and helps you avoid boring or dull content. With a broad range of synonyms, you can find the perfect word to convey your meaning.

• Offers related words: Besides synonyms, Grammarly provides related words and phrases to help you be more precise. If there's a more specific or appropriate word for your meaning, Grammarly will suggest it. This helps ensure you are communicating accurately and strengthening your writing.
• Expands vocabulary: Over time, using Grammarly's suggestions helps you learn new words and expand your vocabulary. You adopt suggested synonyms and related words into your writing vocabulary as you accept them. The more you use the tool, the more your vocabulary grows.
• Checks word usage: Grammarly checks for proper word usage, including commonly confused words like "their" vs. "there" or "your" vs. "you're." This helps avoid embarrassing mistakes and ensures you use the right words, even if they are spelled similarly.

Overall, Grammarly's vocabulary and word choice features are invaluable tools for taking your writing to the next level. With a broader range of words and more precise language, your writing will be stronger, more engaging, and error-free.

4. Eliminate plagiarism.

Another reason you need Grammarly is its ability to detect plagiarism. Whether you're a student writing a research paper or a professional creating content for your website, plagiarism can have serious consequences.

Grammarly's plagiarism checker compares your writing to billions of web pages and academic papers to ensure your work is original and properly cited. This can save you time and help you avoid the embarrassment and legal issues of plagiarism.

With the increasing use of artificial intelligence to assist our writing, having a checker to cover our backs for plagiarism has become an even greater benefit.

5. Improve writing style and tone.

In addition to catching grammar and spelling errors, Grammarly can help improve your writing style and tone. The tool provides suggestions for sentence structure, word choice, and even the overall tone of your writing. This can be especially helpful for those who are not native English speakers or those who want to improve their writing skills. With Grammarly, you can ensure your writing is clear and concise. The result is higher quality content with greater professionalism.

6. Saves Time:

Manually proofreading your work is a time-consuming process that can take hours, depending on the length of your document. With Grammarly, you can save time by quickly correcting errors and focusing on other important aspects of your work, such as content development or research. As a result, you can finish tasks quickly and efficiently with Grammarly's help.

7. Provides Accessibility:

Grammarly provides a level of convenience and accessibility that is hard to beat. With Grammarly, users can access their tools anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection.

Whether on your desktop computer, mobile device, or web browser, Grammarly can help you catch errors and improve your writing. Whether on my computer or phone, I find Grammarly offering suggestions when writing Emails or texts.

Using a grammar checker when writing a text seems laughable when so much of our texting experiences involve shortcuts. But sometimes, I don't want to risk being misunderstood, even in a text.

All of this makes Grammarly an indispensable tool for writers who need help on the go. You can write confidently, knowing that Grammarly is always there to help you catch errors and improve your writing.

Grammarly Prices and Plans

Grammarly offers three plans: Free, Premium, and Business. I'm showing below some of the Free and Premium plan features. The Business Plan needs to be listed since it is mainly aimed at teams.

Go Here to review prices and plans.

In conclusion, Grammarly is essential for anyone who wants to write error-free content. It saves time, increases productivity, ensures accuracy, improves writing skills, and provides accessibility. So, if you're serious about your writing, consider using Grammarly to help you produce high-quality, error-free content.

https://digitalchowder.com/7-reasons-why-you-need-grammarly-for-error-free-writing/

Digital Resources for the Budget-Conscious Home Business

If you are a home business owner, you are always looking for digital resources to make your task more efficient with more professional outcomes. To help, I have done some of the work for you. In this article, I have listed our service picks to amplify productivity and reach more clients or customers.

Most of these picks are products I use, and I can attest to their benefits and reliability. I know by reputation and referral to be reliable for those I do not use. The sixteen products listed are in four categories: Writing Tools, Website Tools, Creative Tools, and Productivity Tools. Do you have recommendations you think should be included in the list? Please leave your recommendations in the comment section below.

Writing Tools

Grammarly

Before using Grammarly, I struggled with creating clear and concise content. My writing often sounded overly verbose with long, complex sentences. However, since starting to utilize Grammarly, I feel much more confident in my writing ability across all platforms - whether it be a blog post, email correspondence, or even website copy. Nowadays, you'll find me constantly turning to Grammarly for help polishing up any written piece!Grammarly is constantly working in the background of whatever application I am using, whether it's a browser, my email program, or a word processor. Grammarly periodically offers suggestions for improving spelling, style, and tone as I write. It will even rewrite entire sentences to make them cleaner and more straightforward.I am confident in the quality of my work, free of typos, misspellings, and bad grammar.

Try Grammarly

Jasper

Before I publish anything, I use Grammarly to check my writing for errors. However, when actually creating content, Jasper AI is where I turn to spark my creativity.Jasper AI is the perfect tool to help me develop original, engaging content quickly and easily. With Jasper's help, I can develop dozens of ideas for blogs, product descriptions, and web copy.This can all be done in a fraction of the time it would normally take, and because Jasper integrates directly with social media platforms, I can publish content on these platforms without any hassle.

Try Jasper

Sqribble eBook Creator

Artificial intelligence is increasingly automating tasks that have here-to-fore been time-consuming. Sqribble eBook Creator is a leader in using AI to automate the process of eBook creation. With just a few clicks, you can create amazing eBooks that educate, inform and entertain your readers. And best of all, you don't need any design, technical, or writing skills to start!Sqribble provides over 50 alluring eBook templates belonging to 15 distinct niche categories. So, we have your back no matter what book you want to write - whether it's a cookbook, a self-help guide, or an eBook on your pastime.With customizable templates, you can make your eBook unique by adding photos, videos, and text. And if you need any help along the way, a support team is always available.

Try Sqribble

Website Tools

Nicepage

Nicepage is my choice for web design. It is the tool I use for my website and to build sites for other businesses. With Nicepage, you can create stunning websites without writing a single line of code! Just use our easy drag-and-drop website builder software to implement any ideas you have. There are over 10,000 designer-made templates so that you can find the perfect one for your business. And if you want to customize anything, it's easy to do with no coding required. Plus, all our websites are mobile-friendly and will look great on any device. Get started building your dream website today with Nicepage!Although I recommend Elementor, I prefer Nicepage because it is more flexible and gives me more freedom. With Nicepage, my creative ideas aren't restricted by its capabilities. This saves me a lot of time not having to find a way to make my ideas work -- they do.

Try Nicepage

Elementor

With Elementor, you can create a stunning website without any coding! With its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor, you can create beautiful pages quickly. And with 100+ full website Kits and endless possibilities, you can let your creativity shine. Plus, Elementor's world-class hosting and robust security features will give you the peace of mind to focus on creating the website of your dreams. Elementor attempts to do it all with its own built-in features that eliminate the need for other plugins and thus do away with plugin clutter. And with 90+ widgets and countless built-in capabilities, you can create any website you can imagine. 

Try Elementor

Pretty Links

Pretty Links isn't just for those looking to make money from their content with affiliate links. It has plenty of other benefits, too. Pretty Link's main purpose is link shortening, but it also tracks clicks for each link created within the program. While this obvious perk is especially enticing to affiliate marketers, anyone wanting to see how many people click on certain parts of their website can benefit from Pretty Links' click-tracking feature.Plus, Pretty Links makes it a breeze to put links on your site. Add a keyword or phrase when creating the link using Pretty Links. Then, Pretty Links will automatically insert that link whenever the keyword appears. And if you ever need to change where the pretty link goes, update it in one spot - Pretty Link - and it'll be good to go sitewide!

Try Pretty Links

Pond5

If you need professional content but don't want to spend a lot, Pond5 is a great solution. It has everything you need for your project with millions of royalty-free photos, videos, audio clips, and more. And their easy-to-understand license means you can use their content without worry.The main reason I use Pond5 is that you don't need a subscription to access the media library- you can pay for each item separately. Most of the photos I purchase cost only $2.50. If you would rather have a subscription, though, they are available at different price points depending on what type of content you want to be able to access. You also have the option of buying Credit Packs which offer a 20% discount off the total purchase price.

Try Pond5

Creative Tools

Snagit

Snagit is a screen capture software that lets you quickly and easily show someone what's on your screen so you don't waste time with back-and-forth emails or messy file attachments. Just share a link to your Snagit capture so they can view it in their browser.If you want to go further, you can record yourself talking and clicking through a doc, mockup, or series of steps. Snagit will automatically turn it into a shareable video that's easy for anyone to understand.Snagit is my go-to tool whenever I need to design a website or illustrations for a blog. Its video screen capture feature is also helpful for demonstrating software features.

Try Snagit

Camtasia

With Camtasia, you can quickly and easily create professional-looking videos without prior video editing experience. Camtasia is quick to learn and easy to use, so you'll be up and running quickly. With Camtasia, you can engage your audience with high-quality videos that will help them learn more than text alone. Camtasia is the perfect tool for creating video tutorials, how-to videos, software demo videos, meeting recordings, training videos, and lessons.

Try Camtasia

Canva

Canva Pro is an excellent choice to up your design game. This design software makes design simple, convenient, and reliable. With time-saving tools that make anyone look like a professional designer, you can create anything you need quickly.Need to add some curved text or photo effects? Image enhancer? How about adding frames to photos or even text to videos? It's all covered.And if you want to take your content to the next level, the online video recorder and converter let you record, edit, trim, and splice videos — all in one place. Plus, you can easily convert them to MP4 format for easy sharing.When it comes to design, I'm still a novice. But with Canva's templates and tools, I can help my ideas take shape by imitating the professionals. Not only does Canva have great samples that spark creativity, but their design tools are user-friendly too. Whenever I need graphics for product promotion or to design a logo, business card, or flyer, I go to Canva.

Try Canva

Productivity Tools

Keeper

Keeper Security offers a top-notch solution to protect your passwords and personal information from cybercriminals. With Keeper you will be Joining millions of people who use Keeper to protect their online identities. You'll never again have to remember or worry about a password.Powered by cutting-edge technology, Keeper offers unparalleled protection against ransomware attacks by generating high-strength, random passwords for each website, application, and service you use. In addition, BreachWatch® monitors the dark web 24/7 and alerts you if your credentials are detected in a public data breach so that you can take action immediately.I have been depending on Keeper for several years. It enables me to retrieve a saved password quickly, and it will also manage to register a new user account and store the necessary username and password for later use. I don't only utilize it for passwords, though - credit card accounts, driver's license numbers, and health insurance credentials are also included.

Try Keeper

46 of the best productivity tools for work and life

Fingerprint for Success has put together a collection of 46 of the best productivity tools. These tools will help you organize your personal life, manage your work, and collaborate with others.Fingerprint for Success is a professional & personal development platform for individuals & teams to make amazing things happen at work and in life!

Try Fingerprint for Success

Clockify

Utilized by millions, Clockify is a highly-regarded time-tracking software and timesheet application that enables you to log work hours across multiple projects. With Clockify, logging work hours across multiple projects has never been easier. With Clockify, you can keep track of your time spent on different projects, assign billable rates, and track your overall productivity. This feature makes it easy to keep track of time spent on individual projects, ensuring accurate billing and enabling project managers to make informed decisions about resources and allocations.

Try Clockify

Todoist

As my task manager and to-do list app, Todist is my choice to keep me more focused, organized, and calm. Make it yours too. With Todoist, you can add tasks like "read work emails every day at 10 am" in seconds using natural language recognition and recurring dates. Plus, your to-do lists are automatically sorted into Today, Upcoming, and custom Filter views to help you focus on your most important things.Other features include breaking tasks into subtasks, sharing projects with others, giving tasks a priority level, setting up reminders, and more. Plus, with Todoist's apps, extensions, and widgets, you can access your to-do list from any device or platform. And with integrations with your calendar, voice assistant, and over 30 other tools, Todoist makes it easy to stay productive no matter where you are or what you're doing. 

Try Todoist

Hubspot CRM

CRM stands for “customer relations management,” but at Hubspot, it means much more than managing your contacts. With the easy-to-use HubSpot CRM, you’ll never have to manually update reports or wonder how your team tracks toward quotas. Get a real-time view of your entire sales pipeline on a visual dashboard.Access detailed reports on sales activity, productivity, and individual performance. Then use those insights to track team performance and spot opportunities for growth. Enjoy unlimited users, data, and up to 1,000,000 contacts with no time limit or expiration date — whether you're a team of 1 or 1,000.Using Hubspot's WordPress plugin, people who sign up to join our email list are automatically added to our Hubspot list. Their activity on our website is tracked so we can track preferences and habits.

Try Hubspot

ezyCollect

ezyCollect has cutting-edge technology to help you get paid faster and protect your business from unpaid invoices. What's even better, their system is fully automated so that you can save time and effort. You'll feel like you have an extra person on your team! And with their humanized automation, you can connect with customers more personally.Within the first 12 months of using ezyCollect, businesses typically see a 43% reduction in outstanding overdue bills. That's huge! And with their easy-to-use payment portal, customers can view and download invoices, pay one or more invoices on the spot, part-pay, or pay later while they get paid upfront. This makes it super easy for them to pay their invoices and means you don't have to chase them up for payment.

Try ezyCollect
https://digitalchowder.com/digital-resources-for-the-budget-conscious-home-business/

How to Use Online Teaching to Create a Home Business

Are you aware you can leverage online teaching strategies to generate significant income and build a fruitful home-based business? If you are looking for an approach to establishing an online business, teaching online is a possibility you may still need to consider. Read on to learn more.

Online teaching for a home business is becoming an increasingly popular option for entrepreneurs. The trend is towards providing high-quality, personalized learning opportunities that can be scaled and customized to each individual's needs. Many platforms allow instructors to build ready-made curriculums or create custom ones, generating income without investing in their physical space or equipment. And you can do it from home while reaching a global market of students.

Here are some considerations you will need to think about as you determine whether online teaching is a viable option for you:

Consider Your Interests and Credentials

The starting point is to ask yourself, "What do I have to offer?" Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying, "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." Take this principle to heart as you consider what you have to offer.

You want to avoid attempting to bluff your way through a topic about which you have only a passing acquaintance. At least some of your more astute students will catch on. There are better ways to build an ongoing, successful business. Neither is it the way to establish a business you will love and have the drive to pursue. Your love for the subjects you teach will also become transparent to your students.

So passion is a crucial ingredient for the subjects you choose to teach. Another critical component is to have the appropriate credentials. This does not necessarily translate to formal education or certification, although these could be helpful. Your experience and grasp of the subject qualify you as well. A good question to ask yourself if your qualification is experience and/or understanding of the subject is whether or not your approach to the subject is acceptable among the experts in that subject.

If your answer to that question is either "No," or "I don't know," don't automatically eliminate that option. For example, I have had years of experience coding in PHP and MYSQL and have built many applications that work as they should. But I am self-taught, and I knew I didn't always use "best practices" in my coding. I also knew there were shortcuts to some of my approaches, which I needed to be made aware of.

So I chose a relatively simple solution for these shortcomings. I took some online courses through Udemy from teachers who are coding experts. All I needed was a couple of courses to help fill the gaps. I learned best practices through an introductory course in which I already knew the coding techniques. And through a more advanced class, I learned coding shortcuts making my processes more efficient. Plus, the cost for these two courses was less than $50 combined.

Determine Your Target Market

Once you know what you might teach, your next step is determining if a market exists. As you consider your market, here are some additional questions you will want to answer:

• Subject - You determined your topic in the first step, but now you need to know the interest in your subject.
• Demographic - With this question, you are interested to know who will want to take your classes. The subject question asks IF there is an interest, and this question asks WHO has the interest. The demographic question includes:
• Age - Knowing the age of your potential students will be important in designing your courses and the methods you use.
• Application - How do you anticipate your students will use what they learn in your course? Knowing this will also play an essential role in the design of your courses. For instance, will they use it as a hobby or a pre-requisite for a job?

How to determine your market - You may wonder how to assess your market. Here are some ideas; you will discover others as you begin the process.

• YouTube, Rumble, etc. - These venues host many mini-courses. Search your subject to learn what is offered on these venues and the traffic they generate. You will also get ideas for methodology.
• Test videos - Making your own 5-10 minute video addressing an aspect of your subject will give you experience making videos. It will also allow you to measure the response to your topic, your approach, and how you present yourself. Unless, by chance, your video goes viral overnight, your feedback will be slow in coming. A consideration is establishing your channel, creating regular videos, and establishing yourself through this venue. Then use it to promote your online classes once you have made them. Admittedly, this is a slow approach that could take months.
• Social Media - I don't see this as influential as the video option, but I'm also not proficient in social media. When looking for how-to help, I go to YouTube or Rumble. Nevertheless, browsing and searching social media is a potential source for market research.
• Online teaching websites - I give a list below of several online teaching sites. These sites should be invaluable to you in knowing the subject trends and popularity. They will also show what your competition might be.

Develop a Unique Teaching Style

To be successful as an online teacher, you’ll need to stand out from the competition. As such, creating a unique teaching style and model that fits your target market and builds on your strengths is essential. As you seek direction to discover your unique style, remember you are unique. So, start by being yourself and not someone else.

While remaining true to your personality and strengths, seek ways to utilize those characteristics while fitting your target market. Fitting your target market might include terms or illustrations you use, as well as ways you find to engage them. The amount of engagement will also be a consideration.

Additionally, you will have to consider not only your audience but also your venue. Unless you use live webinars, you cannot engage your students directly. A pre-recorded video is used in most settings, and engagement is built into the recording. That said, there are many visual possibilities, from using physical objects in the room with you to capturing activities on your computer screen. Problem-solving activities are another possibility. But you are certainly not limited to your imagination. Plenty of examples are available through online videos.

Design an Engaging Course Syllabus

A practical course syllabus is critical for your success as an online teacher. When designing your syllabus, consider adding components that provide added value to students, such as clear learning objectives, engaging activities, and meaningful projects. Additionally, ensure that your course schedule allows adequate time for assignments and practice quizzes to help keep students on track and motivated throughout the course.

A well-designed syllabus should provide structure and flexibility to ensure students get the most out of their learning experience. This could include clear learning objectives, meaningful activities, and engaging projects or assignments.

As you design a course, the syllabus is the starting point instead of starting with a lesson. This may seem obvious, but it is still worth stating. With a syllabus, you will declare the course’s objectives, an overall outline, and the specific lessons to complete the outline and meet the goals.

A temptation I fight with the design of almost every course I design is to jump right into the first lesson before I have done anything else. I have created a general idea for the course and gotten excited about some of the big ideas I have in mind. So when it comes time to get something in writing, I am anxious to start writing out some of those ideas. Then I fall into the trap of getting carried away with an idea and losing sight of the course’s overall objective. I haven’t even figured out what that objective should be.

Craft High-Quality, Relevant Content and Assignments

So, you identified your market and determined the nature and methodology for the content. Then you create a syllabus that will address the needs of your market in a way that will give them value. Now it is time to complete the lessons.

Each lesson will seek to meet the overall objectives while balancing content, application, and relevance to your students. It should be clear how each lesson builds on the previous one and how students can apply their learning in practical situations. Assignments should also be designed to provide a challenge but not become overwhelming. Finally, students should receive regular and timely feedback on their assignments to help them understand and retain the material for future use. Two examples of feedback might be using a quiz or a problem to solve.

Online Teaching Platforms

• Coursera - Coursera offers over 4,000 courses from top universities and industry leaders. The courses shown on Coursera are divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.-
• Udemy - Udemy offers over 100,000 courses in a wide variety of subject areas. From coding to photography to marketing, Udemy has something for everyone.
• edX - edX was founded by leading research universities, including Harvard and MIT. It offers a wide range of courses from top universities and industry leaders and professional certification courses.- Udacity - Udacity offers courses designed to develop and hone practical skills in data science, programming, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and more. Learners can access a wide range of courses from top universities, industry leaders, and technology companies such as Google, AWS, IBM, and Microsoft.
• Khan Academy - Khan Academy is an online learning platform that offers free courses and resources to help learners of all ages learn, practice, and succeed. The platform provides comprehensive curriculum-based lessons in a wide range of subjects, including math, science, history, economics, and more.
• Codecademy - Codecademy is an online learning platform that provides free tutorials and resources to help learners develop coding skills. The platform offers a comprehensive curriculum-based curriculum for a variety of programming languages, including Python, Java, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, and more.
• Skillshare - Skillshare is an online learning platform that offers courses and workshops on creative, professional, and educational topics. It provides users access to lessons created by industry professionals, experts, and educators worldwide. With Skillshare, users can explore a variety of topics ranging from marketing and design to art and business.
• FutureLearn - FutureLearn is an online learning platform that allows students to access high-quality, interactive courses from top universities and institutions worldwide.
• Academic Earth - Academic Earth is an online learning platform that provides free access to courses from leading universities and institutions, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT.
• Open Education by Blackboard - Open Education by Blackboard is an online learning platform that offers users access to free, high-quality education materials worldwide. It is a comprehensive resource for students of all ages, with content tailored to different levels and interests. The platform offers tutorials and courses on a range of topics, including humanities, social sciences, technology, math, and more.

View Video

You can view a video of the article for a more hands-on presentation.

Conclusion

Online teaching for a home business is an excellent way to generate income. With the range of online platforms available, entrepreneurs can create personalized and high-quality learning experiences tailored to their customers’ needs. By understanding how different courses build on each other, providing assignments with appropriate challenge levels, and offering feedback in various forms, instructors can ensure they provide value while earning money. With these tips in mind, you, too, can use online teaching as a source of revenue for your own home business!

Have questions or comments. Please use our comments feature below or use our contact form.

https://digitalchowder.com/how-to-use-online-teaching-to-create-a-home-business/