Creative ways to finance a new company

 

According to Yas Aloosy, startups face a lot of struggles during their inception. In addition to technical difficulties, they have to deal with the lack of capital for starting a new business. When dealing with limited funds, it can be difficult for startup founders to get through the early stages of development.

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Fortunately for young dreamers, there are several ways to fund your dream even if you don't have a big bank account. Here are three of them.

1. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding has become one of the more well-known sources for startup funding since it's by far the most democratic option available. Instead of finding investors to fund your project, you simply ask the public; this way, if you don't reach your goal, no money goes out of anyone's pocket.

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2. Contributions for goods and services

This funding method is mainly used by hardware startups looking to get the required funds to manufacture their product. It's an excellent alternative because it allows companies to fund their product while also providing them with something in return. Offering contributors the finished product is a great way to gain supporters, but it's important to make sure the idea is actually sustainable.

3. Loans from family and friends

Lastly, Yas Aloosy mentions that this one may seem a bit surprising, but it's a very popular option for startups. Borrowing money from your loved ones is a great way to get by when you're in need of that extra push, they'll most likely be more lenient, understanding and forgiving when it comes to paying them back.

Some investments you can make during this pandemic

 

This pandemic has largely seen most people becoming very conservative with their moves concerning making investments. However, Yas Aloosy suggests that if you have the money and the patience to wait for a fair return on your investments, these three investment options might be good for you to consider.

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1. Cryptocurrencies

With the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, cryptocurrencies have been growing in popularity. What is most important to know about them is that they are decentralized, meaning they are not regulated by any government authority, hence making them more of a 'peer-to-peer system. However, the experts agree that cryptocurrency investments are promising even for up to the medium term.

2. Lending

In this type of investment, you can get a loan from an individual or a group who wants to borrow money, shares Yas Aloosy. This is a good option for those with much cash but fears losing it in risky ventures. However, you should note that the interest rates are usually high, which means that you also need to profile the debtor well. It is also important to be aware of all the terms and conditions before you proceed with lending your money.

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3. Real Estate

This is an obvious choice for any investor looking to grow their money. It can be quite rewarding if done right, and it usually comes with no surprise fees or penalties. There are also tax breaks that come with buying property in certain countries, notes Yas Aloosy. The only drawback of investing in this property is that getting a loan can be difficult due to the high collateral requirements. However, if you can fulfill this requirement, you can be assured that your property's value will appreciate.

The startup battle plan that you need to follow

 

Because of his proven track record as an entrepreneur, Yas Aloosy has also become a trusted resource for key insights and business advice. He is happy to help businesses grow, and he also has a soft spot for young entrepreneurs and startups who dare to compete in business. This blog offers a battle plan that startups need to follow to ensure success.

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1. Establish your brand

Any startup is a virtual unknown, and no matter what kind of product or service a startup intends to sell, they will have a hard time getting people to trust them if they do not make themselves known. The purpose of establishing a brand is for the market to have something to attach your company's identity with. You should make a serious effort to create one for your business, shares Yas Aloosy.

2. Don't get too impatient to grow

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One of the biggest mistakes that startups make is rushed growth, which has proven to do more harm than good in more than a few examples that have happened in the past. Infusion of money is easy, especially if you have the funds right with you. However, this removes any measure that allows you to assess whether your business can sustain itself or not. Work toward building your business from the ground by taking small steps. Let things come naturally because growth is inevitable if you're doing things right, shares Yas Aloosy.

3. Make use of social media

Never underestimate the power of social media. However, you must also know that social media can work both for or against your company. This is why you should create a social media plan with a strategic content matrix, which further allows you to interact more with followers and unlock opportunities to your benefit.

Effective ways of eliminating accumulated debt

 

For many people, debt is one of the biggest problems. Millions of Americans are struggling in debt and need help in any way, shape, or form. Working with financial experts helps since they have the experience and knowledge to reduce and even eliminate debt. Yas Aloosy.

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Today’s blog details three ways people can reduce their debt.

1. Go after high-interest debts first.

Debts have different interest rates. Looking at contracts can show which ones should be prioritized. Getting done with high-interest debts first cuts the chances of paying more over time. Then you can go after low-interest debts. Yas Aloosy.

2. Evaluate your lifestyle and make the appropriate changes.

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People in debt should reevaluate the choices they make in their lives. This will help everyone see more clearly the things they spend. Purchasing fewer regular luxury items and other unnecessary objects or subscriptions can help people save money for debt payments. Yas Aloosy.

3. Look for supplementary ways to make money.

Part-time jobs and side-projects are always a good idea for people with debt as they offer opportunities to discover other ways to earn money. Nowadays, freelance jobs are all over the internet. Learning new skills is also a brilliant alternative to getting a side-job and earning much-needed funds. Yas Aloosy.

Office spaces: Possibilities after COVID-19

 

COVID-19 lockdowns have put businesses on hold and, in effect, urged the necessity of remote work. This left people thinking about the future of employment and the offices where it is known to be confined. Yas Aloosy today looks at the possible scenarios, or rather, arrangements of offices in the future, now that vaccines against the virus are bringing us closer to some sense of normalcy.

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Signs from major tech giants

Signs are already creeping since the COVID-19 lockdowns pushed office work at home, says Yas Aloosy. Major tech giants in the United States are facing compromises with their use of a physical space for their operations. One example is Pinterest pulling out of a deal to move into a San Francisco office space that is nearly 500,000 square feet. The reported termination fee is about $89.5 million. Twitter, for its part, is now subleasing a portion of its San Francisco office that is about 100,000 square feet.

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Design challenges

Design firms will have their hands full to solve adjustments faced by companies with their use of offices. Yas Aloosy points to possible configurations in this regard: workstations that observe physical distancing, the use of antimicrobial surfaces among furniture and appliances, smaller conference rooms, and many others. The open plan type will remain, however, despite previous doubts on its effect to productivity. A variety of the open plan that considers physical distancing and with optimal use of lighting and ventilation is being carefully considered.

What the future holds

Companies are seriously considering more work from home arrangements in the future. Yas Aloosy explains that savings is the overarching principle by which companies decide. Two factors are involved. First, employers need to determine the frequency with which staff must report to the office. This will shape the decision of company leadership to determine the amount of space that they will need. Second, companies now look to hire talents in places where they don’t have physical space. This gives an idea that hiring more talent overseas, working remotely in their countries, is not far-fetched.

Understanding what meditation is all about

 

When he is not busy with his responsibilities as an entrepreneur, Yas Aloosy takes time for some meditation. In this blog post, he shares more about this wonderful activity.

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Thanks to portrayals in Hollywood movies, fiction, and pop culture, meditation has often been viewed as an unorthodox way of being in the moment. Though this is true to a certain extent, meditation truly has a lot more to offer. It's certainly not just for old men in robes who keep their eyes closed for prolonged periods.

Meditation is the practice of training oneself to be more aware to get a healthier sense of perspective. However, people often make the mistake of thinking that meditation is about shutting off one's thoughts or feelings, notes Yas Aloosy. On the contrary, meditation is about learning to observe them without judgment.

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The hope is that you can understand them better in the process, which clears the way just enough for you to move forward with your life.

To this day, people are still surprised to know that much importance is placed on mindfulness in meditation. This is understood as the ability to be in the moment fully engaged with whatever you are doing at present.

This is key to understanding the meditative state, and it also paves the way for people to learn how not to be too affected by the past and not too worried about the future. According to Yas Aloosy, many of the stress and anxiety that people experience have to do with these two ends along the timeline.

Mastery of meditation techniques does not happen overnight. The experts always say that like a muscle, you need to exercise this gradually and progressively for meditation to work for you more successfully.

Safety precautions during a season of financial turmoil

 

Veteran business owners know all too well that they have to prepare for anything, including financial hardships that may or may not come during the lifespan of their venture. Whether an entrepreneur likes it or not, moments will happen when their business will be tested financially.

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According to Yas Aloosy, the best entrepreneurs not only have emergency measures for the unthinkable but are also quite flexible when it comes to preparing for any crisis.

Here are some of the biggest financial emergencies entrepreneurs should look out for.

Calamities

Natural disasters is something everyone everywhere has to deal with. When a storm hits a town and floods an entire floor of operations, it would be impossible to continue work. Calamities have the power to easily halt a company's production. And the worst part about it is, it oftentimes comes when people least expect it.

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Investment failure

There are a number of ways a business may invest in other opportunities to turn a bigger profit. They could expand their business, merge with a competitor, or even increase production. Unfortunately, investments can also fail. If they fail spectacularly, Yas Aloosy says that the failure could even bring down the originally successful business. Taking time to decide on investments is important.

Loss of clients

There is always a possibility in the free market that the biggest client packs their bags and goes elsewhere. What compounds this problem even further is when the time of their departure is unannounced, as it often is. And replacements don’t just drop from the sky. Yas Aloosy says that companies shouldn't rely heavily on just a handful of clients to keep their cash flow healthy. They should attract and add more clients to their list, even if they have big clients on their portfolios.

How machine learning is affecting the 21st century financial industry

 

According to Yas Aloosy, before mobile banking apps or chat bots made their way into the financial scene, machine learning had already made its mark on the global industry. Artificial intelligence (AI) is obviously a great tool for the sector given the high volume of data and transactions, the need for accurate logging of historical records, and the quantitative nature of the industry. And with machine learning using statistical models to draw insights and make predictions, many aspects of finance has flourished in the past 20 years.

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The first example Yas Aloosy gives on the effectiveness of machine learning is with fighting fraud. The fact of the matter is that financial fraud alone costs Americans $59 billion every year, and traditional ways of keeping clients’ accounts safe and secure are no longer enough. It’s a good thing machine learning algorithms compare every transaction against account history, thus becoming able to assess the likelihood of a fraudulent transaction. Machine learning has the power to identify problems and raise flags in the system, helping delay the transaction until a human verifies and decides.

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Machine learning also helps in loan and insurance underwriting, especially among big companies that can hire data scientists and have the budget. In these companies, machine learning algorithms have millions of samples of consumer data and financial lending or insurance results, through which they assess the underlying trends and analyze factors influencing lending and insuring into the future.

Yas Aloosy mentions that these are just a few of the ways machine learning has made an impact on the global financial system. It has helped everyone out in terms of customer service, portfolio management, and a lot more other aspects.

In-house and outsourced accountants: A comparison

 

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When it comes to running a business, Yas Aloosy believes that there are a number of things that are required, such as updated legal contracts, a solid business plan, and a business bank account. He also mentions the importance of hiring accountants.

On that note, Yas Aloosy takes the time to compare the two main types of accountants business owners can hire – in-house accountants and outsourced accountants.

In-house accountants

Businesses generally have more control over their finances when they hire in-house accountants as opposed to outsourcing them. Companies with very specific accounting objectives or goals would almost always benefit from hiring in-house accountants. Also, in-house accountants are great for companies that require their employees to be immersed in their culture.

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Having in-house accountants also allows more collaboration with the finance department staff, since they are always physically present.

Outsourced accountants

According to Yas Aloosy, smaller companies and startups, or companies that are not as financially flexible may look to outsourcing accountants since they are a lot more affordable compared to having an in-house accountant. Accountants who are outsourced aren’t part of the payroll and thus save the company a lot of money.
It is also important to note that if a good, reputable, and trustworthy accountant or accounting firm is hired, then there is minimal risk of fraud, Yas Aloosy adds.

The crucial early part of the business

According to Yas Aloosy, a majority of businesses close down in their first year. In fact, for many entrepreneurs, that first year will always be the most difficult year. And the scary thing is that those which survive are also likely to close within the first five years of running. The early part of the life of a business is extremely crucial and business owners have to be careful about their decisions.

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To help with that, Yas Aloosy offers a few insights.

Have targets based on successes and milestones.

There are a number of ways to measure success in business. One of them is through milestones and successes. It only makes sense to makes these milestones and successes part of the metrics when coming up with targets, Yas Aloosy mentions.

Hire a good accountant.

No business owner should ever overlook the importance of having someone in the company who is skilled at finances and accountancy. Hiring someone who is trained to look at the numbers and see where there are problems can be considered a milestone for a company. This hire is indeed significant, especially during those first few months.

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Making the most out of the internet.

Most young companies have very limited funding to start with. Fortunately, Yas Aloosy mentions that there are dozens of platforms on the internet in which they can market their products and services for free. Billions of people today live on the internet, and having a strong presence there is essential to a young business’ success.

Better than saving: Some investment opportunities to free you from financial issues

Because of his experience in both business and life in general, Yas Aloosy has committed to helping others who can learn from him. Today, he shares some investment options that can put you in a better position to attain financial freedom.

Most people make the mistake of thinking that the best way to prepare for the future is to save their money after all the expenses are covered. The plan is for this to go on month after month for the rest of your life. However, savings can only give you minimal growth.

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Try looking at these investment alternatives:

1. Stocks

Stocks are opportunities for you to own a small portion (or share of stock) of any of the big established businesses out there, a stake that allows you to benefit from the growth anchored on its performance in the market, Yas Aloosy points out. This means that if you own certain shares of a particular company, your money can grow as the company grows. The good news is that you have the freedom to invest in as many companies as you want.

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2. Foreign exchange

Foreign exchange trading behaves just like stocks, except that the movement is more erratic here. Just like in stocks, you can either earn through buying low or selling high and with foreign exchange, you trade in currencies all over the world. Seek the advice of an expert before you enter here because the natural volatility that characterizes the foreign exchange market can either make or break you, Yas Aloosy explains.

3. Cryptocurrency

You might have heard of this type of investment in the recent past; it is a relatively new form of trading. Cryptocurrency behaves like stocks and foreign exchange, but unlike the two, this has to do with artificial scarcity. Experts in the community are divided about how they feel with regard to this type of investment. However, you are almost guaranteed to gain from it, at least in the short term. In any case, you still get to grow your money, which is a whole lot better than saving.

How managers have been changed by the pandemic

 

Ever since the pandemic happened, a lot of managers quickly gained more responsibility and many who are new have been exposed to even more jobs than before. However, as negative as that may sound, business experts think this could be the perfect scenario for managers to change into more responsible and reliable people than what they were before. Here Yas Aloosy shares how this could be.

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One of the things seen from the managing department is how they confuse the words “manage” and “control”. For most managers, whether it be a new or experienced one, they think that there's only one correct way to do things and that is their way. From managers dictating how an employee should work or apprehending people that stray away from their methods, managers have been notorious to be controlling and very bossy instead of being caring and showing proper leadership. A manager’s job, according to Yas Aloosy, should be to make an environment in which employees can do their job best like giving them leave when needed, improving facilities, and dealing with troublesome customers properly instead of scolding those under them. 

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This current trend, however, is now changing. Being forced into working from home, managers can now better see the different situations that employees have been pushed into since they’ve also been backed into a corner. This allows the managers to keep in touch with their employees much more and give them the benefit they should be receiving in the first place. They now boost morale, ask for their employees’ situations, and show more care rather than being strict and bossy all the time. Yas Aloosy even predicts that in the future, this mindset could continue even when the pandemic is gone.