0% Small Business Loan

0% Small Business Loan Like many entrepreneurs, Christina Battle had an idea for a business, along with the passion and drive to make it happen. What she didn’t have was money, or even a strong enough credit rating to borrow the money she needed. But thanks to a loan with a 0% interest rate, together with loans from friends and family, she was able to get her dream business off the ground. “It does sound too good to be true,” Battle says with a laugh, describing her initial reaction when hearing about Kiva Zip’s interest-free loan program for small businesses. “I thought, ‘What’s the catch?’” Battle’s big idea was a fashion truck, conceived during a brainstorming session over a bottle of wine with her father-in-law, who knew she wanted to start a fashion business but didn’t have the capital to open a retail store. “What about an ice cream truck for fashion?” he proposed. She did her research and learned that there were fashion trucks in the Los Angeles area. With some guidance from an owner of one of them, she put together a business plan, but funding it would be a challenge. Battle had been bartending for the previous eight years, and operated in a “100% cash world,” she says. She had no consumer debt, but she also hadn’t established business or personal credit either. That meant that using a credit card to fund her businessâ€"no matter how riskyâ€"wasn’t even an option. The first credit card she applied for came with a tiny limit, “maybe $100,” she says. Instead, she cobbled together the $15,000 she needed to get started with a loan from her father-in-law, her manager at the bar where she worked, and a $5000 loan through Kiva Zip. She launched TopShelf Style in 2012 and hasn’t looked back. Small Loans, Big Impact Kiva Zip offers microloans in amounts of $2500 to $10,000 with repayment terms ranging from 12 to 36 months. “The important thing is that there is no interest and no fees,” says Premal Shah, president and co-founder of Kiva Zip. “It’s like when friends lend to friends. They don’t ask for interest but they want to get paid back.” It is part of a larger ecosystem of microlenders, who offer loans when traditional lenders can’t or won’t, and often to underserved individuals or communities. “There are some 8000 requests from small business for credit declined every day,” says Tammy Halevy, senior vice president for new initiatives at the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO). Businesses that need credit but aren’t served by banks may have other options, she says. Some microlenders are for-profit organizations, but more than 400 are non-profit like Kiva Zip. Many are designated as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). These lenders may be able to make loans to those with credit challenges, or those with no credit (such as immigrants). A number of them offer “credit builder” loans, which can help the borrower establish a positive credit rating. Indeed, Kiva Zip recently began reporting borrower’s payment histories to Experian’s commercial credit division, allowing them to build business credit. “The other segment that these lenders are terrific with are start ups,” says Halevy. “They are often too high risk for banks. CDFIs often provide a combination of help with affirmation of a business plan as well as the capital to get going.” In addition to a loan, these organizations may provide additional assistance such as business plan development, training and coaching. A Different Kind of Credit Score Kiva Zip does not check the owner’s personal or business credit scores. Borrowers are vetted to help prevent fraud, and must meet basic requirements (they cannot be in foreclosure or bankruptcy, for example). Loans must been seen as having a positive social impact, and the owners must have a business plan. Borrowers are also required to invite friends and contacts for initial funding. They can become investors for as little as $25 each, but this “social proof” is critical to the process. “If you invite 15 â€" 25 of your friends to fund you that proves to the rest of the community that you are worthy of a loan,” says Shah. “It’s like a community credit score.” Indeed, it seems to hark back to lending a century ago, when loans were often made largely on the basis of the borrower’s character. Still, Kiva says 80 â€" 90% of the funds a borrower raises through the platform will likely come from strangers. The company reports that borrowers in the U.S. crowdfunded by Kiva have an 89% repayment rate. How does an organization like Kiva Zip afford to make loans with no interest and no fees? They raise money in two ways. One is through foundations and large donors, and the other is through individual donors who may invest as little as $25 in a business. When I recently made my first loan on the platform, I was asked if I wanted to make a small donation (about $3.50) to Kiva Zip. PayPal provides free processing for all transactions. Not all microloans are interest-free. “Rates all over the map, from 0% to low double digits,” says Halevy, who notes rates are often “slightly higher than a bank and lower than for-profit alternative lenders.” Some programs are able to offer lower rates thanks to government subsidies. Battle repaid her first Kiva Zip loan on time, and was able to secure a second loan, which in turn helped her open a TopShelf Style retail store. “This year I really want to make a leap upward and invest in better brands and improve the experience for my customers,” she says, adding that she is also determined to grow e-commerce sales. She has also begun to build credit with a line of credit from her bank. She hopes her experience will encourage other entrepreneurs who are running into financial roadblocks to seek out alternative sources of funding. “I want people to know it’s not too good to be true,” she says. Gerri Detweiler is Head of Market Education for Nav, which helps small business owners monitor and build strong personal and business credit, and create financially healthy companies. She is the coauthor of Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track with attorney Garrett Sutton.

Fire Your CEO Reorganize The Business Of BrandYOUâ„¢ - Work It Daily

Fire Your CEO Reorganize The Business Of BrandYOUâ„¢ - Work It Daily This post is part of the Professional Independence Project series. Is it time to fire your CEO and reorganize the business of BrandYOUâ„¢? Find out! Have you read any of the articles citing the repeated reinventions Joan Rivers achieved in her long career? Joan did an exemplary job of proactively managing her own brand and evolving her professional life in fresh directions without sacrificing her values, integrity, or passions. Are you managing your own career as effectively as she did? Purpose Joan recognized that just as companies of all sizes need a mission statement, individuals need to clarify what they do what they do and what drives their focus. This career or life purpose underlies all effective career planning. Once you know what drives you, you’re ready to begin designing your Strategic Career Plan â€" a roadmap outlining your career progression over the next five to 20+ years. Your career plan serves as your AAA TripTikâ„¢, guiding your professional journey through a shifting landscape. Keep your plan flexible, though. If you’re career path is to be continuous, it must enable you to adapt to the rapid-paced change we all face, from labor market ups and downs, disasters, economic shifts to corporate reorganizations, personal growth, and unexpected family events that demand rewrite your priorities. An effective career plan encompasses six key elements: Your career values: What matters most to you in your career? Do you value challenge, responsibility, fairness, creativity or something else altogether? Make a list of your Top 10 career values and flush out your Top 3-5 so you can use them as a decision-making compass throughout your working life. Your Personality: What kind personality do you have? What kind of work environments, teams, and bosses best mesh with your character? Note 3-5 of your strongest traits and add them to your decision-making compass. Your Transferable Skills: What are your strongest and most universal skills â€" those that relevant in multiple industries or myriad sectors of the same industry? You’ll need a Top 10 list here, too, but note that you can develop new skills anytime you need them. As a consequence, you’ll see a lot of skills moving into and out of that list as the years unfold. Your Passions: What are you passionate about? Which causes get you riled up or drive you to influence and reshape the world around you? These may be harder to identify than the other elements listed here, but passions assume greater importance later in life so they deserve equal decision-making attention as you move into your 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and beyond. Your Gifts: What are you gifted at doing? Are there things you excel at that no one ever had to teach you? These gifts are yet another important facet of your decision-making compass that should be unearthed and leveraged fully throughout your working life. Your Credentials: What are your educational credentials and certifications? What credentials do want to attain next, and what role will they play in your career? Research suggests we return to school for another degree, additional training, or another certification every three to five years on average. It’s never too early to begin planning your next significant learning investment. Performance Most employers, especially mid-size to large ones, employ some sort of performance evaluation process to maximize the contributions of their employees. Why not create a Personal Performance Management Plan of your own? By regularly evaluating your own performance you’ll be better prepared to reflect key insights when your manager asks you to analyze your year in review. I suggest conducting such a review quarterly with a longer, more extensive introspective process on an annual basis. This depth of self-reflection can be simplified by maintaining a Success Journal. Whether you write in an actual journal or simply keep a digital or physical folder filled with critical achievements matters not â€" the important thing is to constantly capture your successes in an organic way that keeps you constantly ready to update your resume or prepare for a surprise interview. By forming a habit of self-reflection about your accomplishments, your contributions, and your performance, you will enable yourself to capture more insights and brand attributes. Discover the Top 10 ways a career journal will benefit you. Just as your career unfolds organically, so does your brand. Proactive brand management requires constant awareness of what makes you different than your peers at work and those with similar skills in your industry so you can seek out fresh challenges and enable yourself to master new capabilities as the need arises. In a recent article on Yahoo Finance, Morgan Korn offered quotes from Reid Hoffman, the Co-Founder and Chairman of LinkedIn. First Hoffman noted that “individuals need to proactively invest in their career and take ‘intelligent risks’ to move up the corporate ladder.” He goes on to state that, “in a world that's moving at a very fast rate, everyone must be adaptable and constantly reinvest and reexamine one's professional progress. It's essential to put yourself out there to expand your professional network and to learn new skills.” Paraphrasing Hoffman, Korn comments that, “you are a start-up entrepreneur and must approach your career with an entrepreneurial mindset, constantly finding and creating new opportunities for yourself.” People Lastly, consider the role that people play in your career success. How strong are your relationships with colleagues, direct reports, and managers? Are your interpersonal and communications skills helping to cultivate career success or derailing it? Don’t overlook non-work relationships â€" your family, social, and personal life can easily have a negative impact on your career longevity if not carefully tended. Hence a savvy career CEO invests in the people around him or her at home and at work. Corporations have a board of directors to help run the company and provide critical oversight, so consider forming such a board to help guide your career. Select a handful or more of industry influencers, mentors, trusted advisors, and former managers to serve as a sounding board for major career decisions. This team of professionals can provide advice, of course, but they can also help you see facets of your personality, experience, and career brand that you may take for granted or overlook. Whether you convene your board in a formal face-to-face meeting or consult with them one-on-one, you’ll gain tremendous insight and confidence by availing yourself of their insights, perspectives, and recommendations. To maximize the relationships in your life and your quality of life overall, you may also want to consider creating a Life Balance Plan. CNN’s iReport recently ranked the Top 10 healthiest cities globally. The number one city, Copenhagen, was no surprise since Denmark is the number one happiest nation in the world according to the U.N.’s annual World Happiness Report. According to an OECD report, a mere 2% of Copenhagen employees work 40 hours a week or more. By working so much less than the rest of us, these Danes have learned how to maximize their free time and create space for non-work passions and interests. Examine your own balance by listing eight to 10 areas of your life that are important to you. Examples might include work/business/career, health, finances, marriage/significant other, family, social life, professional development, spirituality, and personal growth. Once you’ve listed the areas you want to measure, assign each a number based on the level of satisfaction each gives you at present (on a scale of one to 10 with one being zero satisfaction and 10 being extreme satisfaction). Let’s say even though your health might not be perfect, you may be satisfied with your progress and therefore rate this area an eight. Review your ratings to see what changes may be needed. Is high satisfaction in one area (work?) causing low dissatisfaction in another (marriage?). Are there areas where you want to make significant changes for long-term balance? By considering life balance as a part and parcel of your overall career planning, you’ll dramatically improve the likelihood that you can sustain the quality of life you want and deserve. Career planning is a lifelong process that demands constant attention. To paraphrase Cathy Benko, Harvard Business Review blogger and author of The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work, your “value in the talent marketplace isn’t static. Rather, it is dynamic and will fluctuate just like most goods and services. The only hedge is continual reinvention.” The time to plan your next reinvention is now. Want to take control of your career? If you want to take control of your career, check out our fall series, the Professional Independence Project. Throughout the month of October, we will be sharing expert advice and insight on how you can build a successful career you love. Sign up now to get five FREE video tutorials that show you how to market yourself to anyone, anywhere. Start your path the professional independence. Sign up today!       Photo Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our career growth club?Join Us Today!

A Lifelong Introvert Shares How to Make Networking Events Enjoyable

A Lifelong Introvert Shares How to Make Networking Events Enjoyable I attend networking events for my job alone. All the introverts reading this just gasped in horror, because thinking about walking into a room full of strangers makes our faces flush, our hearts beat faster and our hands shake.Youd think we were being chased by Pennywise.Can you attend networking events solo? Here are five things I do to make myself feel (a little) more comfortable as an introvert at networking events.? ?1. I look for loners. ?If I dont landsee a familiar face when I walk into the event, I target someone who is standing alone. If tzu siche are no loners, I go to the refreshment table and eavesdrop while picking up a beverage. I listen for a conversation I can contribute to, then ask the group a question about their topic. I maintain the conversation while gravitating to a table with them. Once there, I ask if they mind if I sit with them. No one has said no yet. ? ?2. I practice my elevator pitch.? Im always refining my elevator pitch to feel less nervous about giving it. After delivering it to a new audience of fellow attendees, I pause for questions. What they ask reveals where my speech is weak and allows me to revise it for the next networking event. This also gives me an opportunity to ask them for theirs and see if I can incorporate any of their style into mine.?3. I find common ground quickly.?One networking event I attended was held on a brutally cold day. An impending polar vortex was headlining, so talking about the weather was a no-brainer. During the event, one of my table mates made transportation arrangements to dance class for her daughter, so asking her about her children was obvious. Abedrngnisher one had a Louis Vuitton tote, so complimenting her was easy. When they talked about the suspicious chicken salad at lunch, I asked another attendee for her chicken salad recipe. During the event, my husband texted me a funny meme featuring a dog. I showed it to them and asked about their fur babies.? ?Finding easy conversation like this makes any event fly back and makes it easier to make meaningful connections.4. I connect with vendors.?If the event features vendor-occupied booths stocked with swag to lure attendees into conversation, I take the bait and ask them about their companies. I give them both my business card and elevator pitch, ending with Im not sure right off the top of my head how our companies can help each other, but Id like to do some research and get back with you. May I have your business card? This ends the interaction, and this introvert can move on feeling good about gaining a contact to follow up with. ??5. I put myself in the host mindset.?If this event has a lunch break, I invite other attendees to eat with me. This is scary stuff, but if I approach it with a host mindset I find it easier to do. For example, Ill say Did you want a drink with your boxed lunch? Im on my way to get one. What can I pick up for you? Would you mind finding us a place to sit while I grab those? Thanks If this event has exhibition booths, I strike up conversations with other participants around me waiting in line for our turn at the popular ones. Maybe Ill say These guys must be really great. What company do you work for?? ?Networking events often feel like Kindergarten recess. I wait for someone to make eye contact, then say, Hi Im Mardi, whats your name? and the game begins. Its less scary when I remind myself that all I want to do is make an initial connection and thats why everyone else is there, too.- -Mardi has been compared to the C.U.L.A. Advisor in Legally Blonde, which she takes as a high compliment. She is adept at preparing people for job interviews and performance evaluations. She loves talking about all things communication, marketing, and relationships. Visit her at www.mardihumphreys.com

Key Pieces of Help Writing Cover Letter Resume

Key Pieces of Help Writing Cover Letter Resume Help Writing Cover Letter Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone Its important to understand how to compose a deckblatt letter, and it is not tough to do. Its important to understand how to compose a deckblatt letter, and its equally as important that you know the reason you should write one in the very first location. A strong deckblatt letter is able to make your application stick out from the crowd. A thriving cover letter receives a prospective employer interested in you and what youve got to offer you. While it may seem tedious, you need to always customize each letter to fit the particular job for which youre applying. Leave the hiring manager free of doubt which you could do the job duties at the maximum level. Choosing which to use depends upon the kind of job which you are applying for and your degree of experience. Whether youre looking for your very first job or attempting to earn a career change, the practice starts with y our resume. What Help Writing Cover Letter Resume Is - and What it Is Not If your letter is spilling off onto another page, first reread it and see whether theres anything youll be able to cut. There are a lot of ways to really start the letter. Make sure it is clean and simple to scan. When you wish to find the best resume help, youre able to simply follow our lead. The good thing is that theres tons of assistance out there in the type of absolutely free cover letter samples. For instance, a cover letter is an excellent place to speak about a career shift or maybe to explain a protracted gap in employment. Your cover letter can supply a deeper insight in your job history. A terrific executive cover letter is your own after all, its your career story youre attempting to tell and your private brand youre trying to convey. A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. The work description will have fruchtwein of the search phrases you should include do your very best to sprinkle them where it is possi. The cover letter offers you the opportunity to highlight the positive attributes that make you a perfect employee. A common cover letter should include your name, email and telephone number at the peak of the webpage. The Basic Principles of Help Writing Cover Letter Resume You Can Benefit From Beginning Immediately With our customized essay offer, you can be guaranteed to get any essay help you are searching for. Just be certain that the exceptional format you use is suitable for the company that youre applying to and their industry. Cover letters are a really good method to demonstrate that you fully grasp the surroundings and culture of the business and industry and show that youve got what they are seeking. A cover letter is potentially the most significant part the job application procedure. however, its frequently the most overlooked.

LinkedIn 101

LinkedIn 101 LinkedIn 101 How To Make A Great LinkedIn ProfilePosted July 16, 2014, by Julia Watters LinkedIn has changed the professional networking landscape forever. Not only has it turned the world of recruiting on its head, but it is also one huge-scale and never-ending networking event, albeit without the free drinks and awkward small talk. We are now able to make connections with like-minded professionals while also putting our best selves in front of potential employers, all through a website or app. With workplaces opting to engage more freelancers and the increased prevalence of digital start-ups, LinkedIns limitless structure means that it has become an invaluable professional tool for todays autonomous, personal-branded professional. Researchers at global economy think-tank the McKinsey Global Institute have even estimated that 11 per cent of the worlds current service jobs could be carried out remotely, and this number is likely to surge as technology opens up more fle xible versions of the gammeln workplace. Essentially, the need for broadening your own network and establishing yourself as an authority in your field has never been greater. With all this self-promotion, you would be forgiven for thinking that human resources departments and recruitment agencies were starting to feel superseded by LinkedIn. On the contrary, the site has become another avenue for head hunting, sourcing new talent and gaining a better overview of candidates than the traditional CV. Michael Connell, Director of Human Resources Asia Pacific at Survey Sampling International, is no stranger to the site LinkedIn is great as you get exposure to global HR trends and you can reach out to others in your field for support and ideas. You have to keep up with trends, technology and methodology to remain competitive in the market. Myself and my team use LinkedIn a lot especially as were looking after five countries and we like to keep up to date with IR laws of those countrie s. Connell also talks about the benefits of creating talent pipelines. These are online LinkedIn communities of prospective employees with specific skillsets that may benefit the business. HR managers build relationships with these professionals so that when a job becomes available within the organisation, its not a matter of advertising and hiring, but choosing from within an already established talent group. And with LinkedIn hitting 3.5 million Australian members in April 2014, it seems clear that employers, employees, and recruiters alike are taking part. Theres just one problem. People arent making the most of it. Many people realise the need, or have felt obligated, to create a profile but havent even got as far as putting a face to their name. An unprofessional LinkedIn profile can make you look just that unprofessional. My own LinkedIn page left a lot to be desired when I first joined the site, but over time I learned how to optimise my profile and keep it relevant. Here are some tried-and-tested tips on how to increase your LinkedIn presence and get the most out of this serious social site. In a world where evenBarbiehas a LinkedIn profile,positioning herself as an entrepreneur inspiring generations of young women, the time really has come to think about your own LinkedIn brand. So dont be afraid to jump on the LinkedIn bandwagon and create a profile to be proud of. What do you do to stand out on LinkedIn? Share in the comments below.Human Resources ResourcesIT recruitment consultant sample resumeIT recruitment consultant sample cover letterCareer Insider StoriesTea Lehman - Group Recruitment ManagerLynette Corcoran-Sugars - Engagement Officer, The Australian Red CrossElise McFarlane - Group People SafetyEnquire erreichbar Enquire OnlineCertificate IV in Human ResourcesEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Business (Human Resource Management)Enquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate IV in Human ResourcesEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJulia W attersRelated ArticlesBrowse moreHuman ResourcesWHS5 Reasons To Consider A Career In HRIf a business is a machine, then human resources (HR) is the grease that keeps it well oiled. Read on for five excellent reasons to consider making HR your vocation.CoworkersEMPLOYER RESOURCESTop 8 team bonding exercisesWorkplace getting you down? Why not try Julias top 10 team building activities that could make every day feel like Friday.Human resources career fact sheetA career in HR is a career worth having Find out more about this rewarding industry in our career fact sheet

3 things to do when your boss constantly sends late-night and weekend emails

3 things to do when your anfhrer constantly sends late-night and weekend emails3 things to do when your boss constantly sends late-night and weekend emailsYoure settling into bed following happy hour with your new coworkers when you get an email from your boss.Your anxiety levels immediately spike before you finish reading the subject line.Its only three weeks into your brand new job and youre already getting late-night communication from your supervisor, adding to the frequent waves of stress youve been feeling about the position.Heres what to do when your boss constantly sends emails well after hours.Figure out the best method of communicationLearn what the expectations are for this job - are you always expected to respond that night?Alison Green, author of the Ask a Manager blog,answers a readers question in Inc. on if they are supposed to reply to work emails from the new boss on weekends and how to avoid a potentially sticky situation.She writes that in some cases, you dont hav e to respond, but next illustrates that you should start a dialogue.Now, obviously, if your boss is saying things like let me know today or following up on Sunday to ask why you havent yet responded to the email he sent on Saturday, then its pretty clear that he does expect responses over the weekend, Green writes. But if this isnt the case, then I would either a) ignore the emails until youre back at work on Monday, or b) ask him- as in, Hey, Im assuming that its fine for me to wait to reply to emails sent over the weekend until Im back at work on Monday, unless its an emergency. Let me know if thats bedrngnis the case.Think about how this affects your productivityMaura Thomas, a speaker, trainer, author, and founder of RegainYourTime.com, writes to managers about how this type of communication hurts productivityin the Harvard Business Review.A frantic environment that includes answering emails at all hours doesnt make your staff more productive. It just makes them busy and distrac ted, she writes. You base your staff hiring decisions on their knowledge, experience, and unique talents, not how many tasks they can seemingly do at once, or how many emails they can answer in a day.Get your emails in checkThorin Klosowskianswers a readers question in Lifehacker about how to get more leisure time when the boss emails them nearly every weekend. The reader says the emails either make them anxious about Monday or take up a lot of time on weekends.One of Klosowskis tips is to forcefully cut yourself off.You can never guarantee your boss will respect your wishes and stop emailing you over the weekend, he writes. In that case, you should set up your inbox so you dont check them on evenings and weekends. Talk to your boss and come up with a system to differentiate between priority emails over the weekend and the emails that are just meant to help you prepare for your return on Monday morning. If your email account is properly prioritized youll be able to shut off those pe stering messages without worrying that youre missing a critical task.

25 blogging tips for newbies and veterans

25 blogging tips for newbies and veterans25 blogging tips for newbies and veteransWeve all seen them. The same old, tired lists of regurgitated tips on how to blog better. Theyre so common, you could probably name most of them in your sleep. I dont know about you, but Im tired of them. I want to know whatreallyworks.Since 2006, Ive been a blogger and have helped thousands of people learn this craft of ansprechbar publishing. Still, there are days when I feel very much like a newbie.When Iquit my old blogand started a new one, I realized how much Ididntknow about blogging. So I decided to put together my own list of tips - stuff I started doing recently that I shouldve been doing since the beginning.So whether youre just getting started or have been blogging for awhile, here are 25 tips to help guide and direct youGeneralNo copy-catting.Stop trying to be like someone you admire and instead find out what unique offeringyouhave.Tell thetruth.Never lie, mislead, or cajole. Trust is slow ly earned and easily lost.Be awesome.Theres enough mediocrity out there. Stop adding to the noise, and do somethingoutstanding.Give yourself grace.Be patient it takes time tofind your voice.Pick a theme.But realize readers will stick around for your voice, not your subject.Growth and communityDont measure stats too early.If youre obsessing over daily numbers and youre only a few months into your blogging journey, youre wasting your time. Its still too early to pay close attention to trends. After that, make sure you haveGoogle Analyticsinstalled.Make your content easy to share.The majority of content thats shared online is done through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, and others. You should make this easy for your readers to tell their friends about you. (A WordPress plugin I recommend isDIGG DIGG.)Encourage community.Writeunfinished posts, and ask your community to complete the conversation.Never underestimate the importance ofnetworking.If youre not connec ting regularly with readers and other bloggers, youre missing out.Guest post, guest post, guest post.(Enough said.)WritingWrite timeless content.On the web, old content is perceived as irrelevant. Dont write a newspaper create a resource. (This is, incidentally, why I intentionally dont put dates on my posts.)Dont write too little or too much.Generally, I try to write at least 300 words and no more than 1000 words. More than that, though, only write as many words as it takes and cut the rest.Have a point.Dont just word-vomit on your audience.Write withconviction.Pick a side and be bold. And if youre wrong, admit it.Short sentences win.Motivation and inspirationDont give up.Bloggers who stick with it ultimately win.Write as often as possible.Constantly capture ideas and turn them into posts. A tool that may help isEvernote.Expect critics.A few peoplehatingyou is a sign youre doing something right. Be prepared.Find ways to regularly get inspired.This is the only way you can inspire ot hers. When youre empty, fill yourself up. Dont neglect this.Realize you can only create or react.At any give time, make sure you know which one youre doing.MiscellaneousWrite forscanners.We live in a busy, distracted world. Dontdemand attentionearnit.Build anemail list.If you ever want to sell or promote something, having peoples email addresses (and their permission to use them) is essential.Invest in agood web design.Bad design can get in the way of good content.Be generous.Give away more information, content, and ideas than youre comfortable with. People will reward you. Link to others, but never let someone pay you to do so.Watch what experts do.Not just what they say.These are my 25 tips. You probably have 25 of your own. And thats okay, because Ive realized that everyone needs to approach blogging in their own way. Thats part of the fun.Want to be a better blogger?Check out my free courseIntentional BloggingSpecial thanks to my friend Frank Violas list of Advice for Bloggers, which inspired this one.This article first appeared on Goins, Writer.