Every Boomer got spanked today by the stock market. Part of me cries when I see years of good investment ideas wiped out in a day. My sadness turns to worry about what this means for my business market. I need a crystal ball to help my planning.

Little known fact; my college degree is in Fine Art. My specialty in College was 14^th Century Italian Art which can be subtitled – frescos from Black Death. The Bubonic Plague hit Italy in 1348. Prior to that time was almost the Renaissance, with frescos showing a worldly and secular culture. Shortly after the plague the frescoes take a dark and mystical turn. This early specialty has turned into a lifelong interest in how regular people lived in medieval times. The plague set the stage for the Renaissance and Enlightenment. Darkness is followed by light.

CompanionLink is 33 years old. We made it through the Dot-Com crash, the 2008 crash, and 7 Presidents. Hare are a few things that I have found help when times get tough.

Keep a High-Level Perspective

For all that happens today, it is still a wonderful day. Dogs and children will play in the sunshine today, so take time to join them. We have been through worse and came out stronger, and this will happen again. There is a difference between worry and strategic planning. Take time to plan. When planning is done give a moment of gratitude for what has gone before, and patience for what will be ahead.

Plan without Panic

The news media thrives on hype and it is difficult not to get caught up in it. Avoid the headline and seek the facts buried in the lede. Business success comes from anticipating how markets change. If meetings and travel raise fear, then re-arrange your business to teleconference. If schools and public events are canceled, work to connect with your customers as their schedules adjust. Flexibility is an enduring trait.

Anticipate Supply Chain Disruptions

We live in a consumer driven culture with goods supplied over great distances by people who are paid very little. If public events are canceled, what danger is felt by the clerk at the cash register? Work on your corporate supply chain and purchase ahead any supplies that are critical for your business. Then work on your customer’s supply chain to see what you can fill in.

Know the difference between Fixed Expense and Variable Expense

Manage your budget items to avoid fixed expenses based on scale; things like Rent, Utilities and Monthly Services. Shift as many costs as you can to an as-needed basis. If business is slow and you furlough staff, are you still paying full price for Cloud Services? Are your service fees budgeted according to your best sales month, or your worst sales month? If you can pull expenses in line with income, as income fluctuates, you will be better able to weather any storm.

Focus on your Friends – Core Business, Core Customers, Core Staff

Years in small business have taught me that our core customers will work hard for us when we work together. I have to give and be generous. I get rewarded by people who work with my team. Delivering solid value to people who know us well is the best way to survive.

Calamity creates Opportunity

Your competitors are facing the same obstacles that you encounter. Not all of them will survive. Keep an eye out for ways to pick up the pieces left when other companies are disrupted. You know your products better than anyone else. If another vendor drops the ball, step right in to pick it up.

Stay Optimistic

Like a parent, we want to wrap our arms around our world, and tell it everything will be OK. Like a director, we want to tell the obstacles that they are wrong. Like a 100 year storm, our society can meet the challenges before us. The 1918 flu was followed by the Roaring 20s. With careful planning and persistence there will be new opportunities for business success.

Today, a wide range of photo editing tools are available online that have made background removal easier for everyone. Background removal is a common concern for most people handling photo projects. Background removal is a type of photo editing. There can be various reasons why you need to remove the background of a photo. Maybe you need a blur or plain background for a logo or a product photo, or you may want to cut out the subject of an image, or the image background might not be appropriate for a social media post.

Whatever the reason may be, you should have an efficient background remover that enables you to remove the photo background on the go.

This post elaborates on inPixio’s Remove Background Tool, which allows you to erase the background for free. It is available online and has gained popularity since its release last year because it is time-saving and easy to use. It enables you to remove image backgrounds in just a few clicks.

How to Use inPixio

The best thing about this background tool is that it is totally a web-based application, and you don’t need to install it on your device. The interface is simple, self-explanatory, and easy to navigate. No need to sign up for using this online application. Follow this three-step guide to achieve a perfect background edit.

1. Select an Image:

This online photo editing tool provides a few options for importing a photo for background removal. You can browse files from your computer or phone to upload the image, enter an image URL, or drag and drop an image. You can also import additional images at the editing stage in this Remove Background tool. This way, you can edit multiple photos at the same time.

2. Remove the Background:

The process to erase the background is very simple in inPixio. You can use the markers to mark the areas you want to keep and erase. Use the red brush to mark the area that you wish to erase. Use the green brush to highlight the area that you want to keep. Finally, click the “apply” button to get your desired result. If you have highlighted the wrong area while editing, use the erase tool to correct your markings. A useful tip here is to zoom the image to mark the areas precisely. The slider enables you to amend the feathering around the image.

This post elaborates on inPixio’s Remove Background Tool, which allows you to erase the background for free. It is available online and has gained popularity since its release last year because it is time-saving and easy to use. It enables you to remove image backgrounds in just a few clicks. Another good option is the Freepik Background Remover tool, an easy-to-use, free tool that removes any background in 1 click.

3. Download the Image:

Keep marking the image until you achieve a perfect cutout. Once you are done and satisfied with the result, click the “Save my photo” button to download your edited photo in .jpg format.

Photos that Work Best with Background Erasers:

There is a huge variety of photos that can be edited with this background removing tool. Try to select the images having contrasting colors of the background and the image subject. This makes it easier for this application to do the background erasing job, and you won’t have to put much effort into the editing process. Many eBay and Amazon merchants use this app to create product images. This application is also useful for web developers and product marketers for editing various images for marketing.

Bottom Line

Many photo editing tools are expensive to buy and difficult to use. Background removal is a basic editing task that can be best done using a free background removal tool. Therefore, inPixio Background Remove is a simple tool, yet it delivers quality results. This application gives you control over what you want to remove and keep, enabling you to cut out the background with the help of markers precisely.

From ‘tech neck’ to ‘texter’s thumb,’ to carpal tunnel and eye strain, injuries incurred while on our devices are on the rise. With the pervasiveness of devices dominating our daily lives and careers, today’s work-related injuries often look a lot different than they did in the past.

However, tech-related injuries are no less serious than any other type of repetitive stress injury. The good news is that there are a host of products to protect your vulnerable joints and digits as you spend your day interfacing across multiple devices. From wrist braces to finger covers, there is no shortage of healthcare supplies designed to help us stay in the game.

The best method of avoiding a tech injury is, of course, prevention. While that can be difficult in the digital age, keep in mind that easy exercises such as standing, stretching, and taking regular breaks are powerful protectors against strain.

Joint pain and repetitive stress injuries may need some topical solutions like MSM products. Using the right natural healthy MSM cream can make a big difference in your attitude and relaxation level.

Another quick fix is to adjust the brightness of your screens to a level that’s easy on the eyes. If your body is still feeling taxed despite your best efforts, it’s a good idea to seek professional advice with your healthcare provider.

In addition to tech injuries, you should also be mindful of any injuries that are exposed to tech. Minor injuries as simple as paper cuts or splinters should be treated immediately and protected from contact with keyboards and smart screens, which have the unfortunate reputation of being among the least sanitary daily items that we come into contact with.

A fast bit of first aid on any open wound likely to touch a keyboard or touch screen will save you from exposure to a world of nasty bacteria. It is also advisable to sanitize all devices that you come into contact with

Translation is the transfer of knowledge from one language to another. Human translation is the correspondence of a message from a source language to an end language, performed by a medium proficient in the two tongues, giving it that human touch.

How Does it Work?

Things being what they are, what does an interpreter do? An expert interpreter peruses and comprehends both the source and target dialects of a translation. Yet, more significantly, a capable interpreter conveys social ideas, not simply composed words. An interpreter changes over both the words and the significance of a message, utilizing exact punctuation and linguistic structure, into whatever target language (s) you require.

Phone Apps for Small Business

To expand their business potential, some need to conquer the boundaries of language. In case you’re going for business, interpretation applications are turning into a well-known approach to impart. Consider these applications and pick the best ones to assist you with conveying the desired information:

• Waygo Translator
• The iVoice Translator Pro
• Quest Visual’s Word Lens App
• Google Translate
• iStone Travel

Small Business Productivity

Translation services give you a chance to express what is on your mind to a global crowd. Also, with human translation services, you can step up your worldwide reach in manners your business has never experienced. Human interpreters read something other than the words on the page. Human interpreters get to aim, manner of speaking, and need. We accept that each correspondence originates from the heart: the core of a human, the core of a business. We additionally accept that human-controlled translations are the best way to keep up that heart in every translation.

Running in correspondence with the expanding interest in translation services and the accessibility of particular ICT for interpreters, different authoritative advancements have had, and are proceeding to have, a significant effect on the translation services division. For instance, numerous in-house translation divisions have shut as enormous business associations have thought that it was essential to scale back and center around center capabilities so as to decrease costs (Fraser and Gold, 2000, p. 3; Locke, 2005, p. 19). Because of this divestment, associations presently will, in general, re-appropriate more translation assignments to independent interpreters. Open-part associations have received a comparative approach and now will in general, depend on the services of specialists related to a central collection of in-house interpreters. Because of these improvements, a considerable extent of interpreters in the UK and somewhere else presently take a shot at an independent premise (Holland et al., 2004, p. 254; Locke, 2005, p. 19).

Translation Company

Inside the language services industry, the expressions “company” and “organization” are regularly utilized reciprocally. Along these lines, a company that gives translation services to other companies may be alluded to by its customers and contractual workers as either a “translation company” or a “translation office.” In certain unique circumstances, in any case, the expression “organization” has certain derisive meanings. At the point when independent interpreters get together and talk about the general benefits of working for direct customers rather than “offices,” the view is here and there communicated that organizations find a good pace huge lump of the cash paid out by the customer, regardless of increasing the value of the completed item.

The suggestion is that the office has no in-house capacities that are legitimately applicable to keeping up or improving the quality and precision of the translation (for example, no in-house translation, checking or altering ability) and is along these lines, simply exchanging on its entrance to gifted specialists.

A further ramification is that such offices do not have a top to bottom comprehension of the complexities of the translation procedure and are probably going to compromise (for instance, by holding back on the checking or altering forms) so as to amplify income.

This likely could be a legitimate analysis of certain organizations. In any case, there are various other language service suppliers (Honyaku Plus included) whose staff remembers full-time house interpreters who complete a critical extent of the translation extends that the company embraces for its customers. This sort of company will probably still redistribute some division of the work that it does to consultants—either in light of the fact that its in-house interpreters are completely involved or on the grounds that the current task requires an interpreter with a specific specialization. Given this certain differentiation between the two words, we at Honyaku Plus consistently like to be portrayed as a “translation company” as opposed to a “translation organization,” as we do utilize in-house interpreters and take huge consideration in guaranteeing that the work which we convey has been altogether checked and altered.

Site Translation

Site translation is otherwise called “Site Globalization”. To really “make an interpretation of” a site into different dialects, you may require both Internationalization (I18n) and Localization (L10n) services.

There is actually quite a bit of understandable confusion regarding what defines the broad term “small business.” Technically, it could essentially mean anything from a two-man company that handles the local need for handyman work, to small scale production facilities with complicated processes at every step.

What we are going to discuss here will mostly be targeted towards small businesses with a decent workforce and at least some scale. However, some of the lean management tips will be applicable to any small business owner, even if they are the sole proprietor and employee of their company right now.

Decide on a Lean Management Strategy and Commit to It

There is no shortage of lean methods these days, as a combination of modern software tools and ancient wisdom has apparently come together in the best way possible. However, the important part is to find a lean strategy that would be the best suited for your business, and stick to it, instead of trying out too many principles at once.

Let’s for example, take hoshin planning, or what is actually known as hoshin kanri. Hoshin planning is a lean management technique based on two primary ideas:

1. Finding and confirming the right direction
2. Managing that direction with maximum efficiency

As one might guess, hoshin planning is introduced and implemented on an administrative level, meant for people with executive decision-making power. The many steps of hoshin kanri can be divided into the following broad categories:

• Determining and finalizing an organization’s vision & direction
• Setting small goals for breaking down the process effectively
• Setting down, deploying and implementing yearly objectives
• Monthly reviews and annual reviews.

If you want to know more, take a look at this guide for hoshin planning by Kanbanize, which provides a comprehensive introduction and step-by-step guidance for implementing the seven steps of hoshin kanri successfully. In fact, Kanbanize takes it one step further by mapping the metrics of hoshin kanri on a Kanban board, simplifying and visualizing the entire lean strategy.

Task Automation

Automation is actually not a new concept, because it has been around for decades now, but thanks to the recent improvements in machine learning, the usefulness of automation in lean management has now become more valid than ever before.

Although the exact details of automation tools applicable and useful in streamlining the processes in your business will vary in accordance with the concerned industry, take a look at the list below to take note of the most useful utilizations of automation for lean production and management:

• Automatic lead generation and client assignment
• Sales pipeline updates and management
• Sales & client management, follow-ups and service
• Payroll management, automatic vendor payments and payment reminders
• Help your accountant with automation tools developed for accountancy
• Introduction of advanced robotics in manufacturing, automated by AI
• Automated delivery route optimization via AI-assisted GPS with real time updates
• Minimizing the need for data entry via the use of portable barcode scanners
• Minimizing general data entry work such as form filling as much as possible with automated processes

The principle idea behind any lean management principle is to shed unnecessary steps, processes and measures from the business to boost productivity and profits.

The principle of automation is also quite similar, as it aims to minimize human effort and error, replacing it with mechanized efficiency, accuracy and productive capacity, wherever possible. This is the reason why automation and lean are so closely linked with each other, and in this modern age of business, they are often indistinguishable and mutually inclusive for streamlining production and administration.

Simplify Everything

Businesses often make the mistake of thinking that streamlining is a complicated affair, but in truth, it’s actually quite the opposite. It may seem overly complicated in the beginning, but the end goal of every step involved in streamlining a business is simplification. To implement the same in your own business with efficiency, consider the following few tips:

• Outsource, instead of increasing the number of people under your direct payroll
• Hire temps to handle seasonal rushes or particularly big orders/projects
• Keep the list of services & tools you use concise by only keeping the ones necessary
• Use project management tools to automate your workflow.
• Pay bills on time and according to your financial settings
• Pay the smaller bills as soon as possible
• Set aside tax money after every payment
• Only have meetings in person when necessary, and keep them short
• Trim down the chain of command by removing unnecessary authentication requirements

With fewer processes to handle, the business automatically becomes more productive, streamlined and profitable, which is exactly what lean manufacturing and management is all about. The steps need not all be implemented at once of course, but initiation is still important. Take your time, but get started as soon as possible. The leaner your company becomes, the easier it will be for the establishment to grow sustainably

I’ve been managing offshore teams since 2002, that’s when I founded Optics for Hire in the US and partnered with a team of optical engineers in Lviv, Ukraine. 

Our Team in 2003.

The work we do involves helping companies design and manufacture lenses and optical systems.  We’ve worked with some great engineers at leading companies like Amazon, GE, Mattel, Netgear, and many others.

Having engineers in Ukraine and customers in the United States leads to a number of potential failure points for project management. Issues we have to manage include time zone differences, language differences, different cultural expectations, jargon differences and more. Managing these risks has been critical to our success.

As our business grew and platforms like Elance launched, we expanded our use of remote teams, including hiring from India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Belarus for marketing, web development and many other skill sets.

In the years since 2002, thanks to new communication tools and software platforms, it has become easier to succeed in managing offshore teams.

When we started we used only email (this was pre-Skype, and phoning was expensive). This made talking about complicated technical subjects difficult.

Be sure to check out: 7 Great Project Management Apps for Teams

Here are five key lessons learned in the last 18 years:

1. Use Pictures, Screen Shares, and Voice Talk as Much as Possible  

Don’t expect to be successful with email alone.

Chat is better than emails, voice is better than chat, voice with a screen share plus video is best of all. It can be too easy to send a quick email to communicate, but if you haven’t been clear your partner could waste a full workday halfway across the world working on the wrong thing.

Don’t let that happen. 

2. Always Explain Your Assumptions 

A word like ‘expensive’ can mean different things in different cultures and in different contexts. Maybe when making a prototype expensive doesn’t matter to you but in production, it matters a great deal. Maybe expensive to us means more than $1,000 and to your partner, it means more than $100.

One way to make sure you understand everyone’s assumptions is to use ‘open-ended’  questions like “what do you mean by that?”

3. Make Sure You Communicate Not Just What You ‘Want’ But Also What You Really Need 

Clearly explain your end goal and be open to listening to feedback to see if your partner has a different approach. The reason you hire someone is usually that they have a skill set you don’t. Make sure you respect that skill.

It can be easy to pressure an offshore employee into doing a job a certain way, but they probably know a lot better than you do about how to do their job. Listen and learn from them and you will get better results.

You might be interested in Top Productivity Tools for Small Business

4. Use Software Tools and Keep Trying New Ones   

We use Basecamp, Appointlet, Uberconference, Skype, nimbus screenshot and Tickspot on a daily basis. Developers are always launching new tools that make our jobs easier.

In fact, as we’ve grown we’ve even started building our own tools, including a tool to search machine vision and CCTV lenses, as well as this free automatic graph digitizer Using these tools saves us engineering time and benefits our community.

Don’t get stagnate. If you aren’t trying new and better ways to communicate and manage projects you and your customers will be worse off.

5. Understand Vacations and Holiday Schedules

It’s no fun to find out just before a deadline that your team isn’t going to be working because of a three day Holiday you never heard of. So ask ( often ) about time-lines, working days and make sure you each understand when you and they will and will not be available

Working with offshore teams has been fun and profitable for our organization and our customers, we’ve made our share of missteps but I’ve never regretted the path we took. I wish you luck on your engineering projects and please connect with me if I can be of help you can find me here.

SEO practices have a real impact for websites and their importance should not be neglected. Individuals who are new to SEO and who would like to take this huge burden off their shoulders should resort to professional services. What is the point of trying to improve your website’s ranking if you lack the expertise and the tools to do so? There are professionals that can help you with this and that will make a huge difference as far as the success of your website is concerned.

What to Expect from Professional SEO Services?

It is definitely worth it to pay for professional SEO because this delivers a measurable impact and it is successful even in today’s crowded search landscape. You need digital marketing in order to stay ahead of your competition and there are numerous advantages to hiring a SEO reseller:

• Expertise; you will have access to a team of specialists that are aware of the latest advancements in the SEO field and that know exactly what needs to be done to create a successful digital marketing campaign for your business
• Boost quality traffic; the purpose of SEO is not to attract just any visitors to your website; it is to attract the right visitors to your website;
• Save time
• Save money for you can resell the services you receive under your brand.
• Offer more services to your customers, including search engine optimization

It is possible to provide a wide range of services to your customers in order to keep them happy and to maintain their loyalty. You can outsource the actual work to a specialized firm that has the skills and the tools to perform professional SEO services. People prefer working with an agency that provides various services such as website design, development, management and SEO. Furthermore, thanks to professional SEO you can be one step ahead of your competitors and thanks to SEO services you add value to your clients.

Becoming a SEO reseller is the smartest thing you can do for your business but the most difficult aspect is to find an agency that is trustworthy, one that delivers its services in a timely manner and that is up to date with the latest changes in SEO. Although there are companies that prefer to manage SEO in house, this requires a significant financial investment not to mention that the persons they hire for the task might not be familiar with the latest SEO trends.

How to Keep up with SEO Trends

SEO changes all the time. According to searchenginejournal.com “Optimization techniques that worked years ago fall by the wayside, and SEO as a whole evolves into a more intelligent discipline that evolves beyond spamming Google with links and keywords”. It is difficult to master the most efficient strategies in this field and this is why it makes sense to resort to professional services. The most efficient techniques focus on the following aspects: on-page optimization, link building, content and technical SEO. These should be at the core of any search engine optimization campaign. Using the right keywords for your business has proved to be quite efficient as far as SEO is concerned but the problem with keywords is that they can become redundant and repetitive. Although keywords remain the foundation of a SEO strategy, nowadays specialists focus their attention on topics and entities such as people, places, thinks.

Ranking is influenced by content, links and rankbrain, and when you optimize your website you should make sure you do it for keywords, entities and topics. As far as content is concerned, we all know how vital it is for how your site performs and for its ranking. What most people do not know is how to create valuable and original content, content that will attract visitors and that will make a difference in the online environment. This is why you need professional SEO services USA that will deliver the content you need for your website after having performed industry research. It is important to know your competition, to see what it has to offer and you do not so that you can make the necessary modifications.

According to link-building-strategies.com “Every site owner should have an idea about what they want to get out of the web presence, but this is not always the right one. The needs of your business always come first and this is what you should focus on. If you want to boost your sales on a certain segment of the activity, you should focus your SEO process on how you can achieve this goal”. It is impossible to know what changes need to be made to your website if you do not audit it first and this is one of the professional services offered by specialized agencies.

Moving on, if you are determined to pay for SEO services like SEO for Lawyers you should know what to expect from them. You should be aware of the fact that changes will not occur over night and this process takes time. Nonetheless, SEO results are measurable and they will be visible provided you hire the right agency for the job. It is not enough to build a website and expect it to be successful. You have to invest in it, to optimize it constantly, to resort to professional SEO that will handle keyword optimization, topic optimization, link building and other services that are essential to the success of your website.

According to semrush.com: ”If you want search engines to offer your content in results, you need to do three things:

1. Ensure these search engines understand who you are and what you offer.
2. Convince them that you are the most credible option for their users.
3. Make your content deliverable.”

This is more complicated than most people imagine and this is why there is an increased demand for professional services among website owners who understand that they need the best SEO in order to build and maintain a powerful presence in the online environment.

Without a doubt, video production is getting cheaper these days, which makes it an affordable marketing tool even in the hands of small businesses. According to The State of Video Marketing in 2020 report by HubSpot, 92% of marketers who use video say that it’s an important part of their marketing strategy.

If you’re not going to broadcast your video ads across national channels, but use social media, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, etc., to promote your products, it may be quite enough to have an Android smartphone with a decent camera, plus a few video editing apps to produce an engaging and appealing product review, or even a creative ad.    

There are hundreds of amazing apps available for Android that you can download and use to create videos. In this article we’re going to give you an idea of what type of applications you may need when dealing with video files on your smartphone.

In particular, we’ll cover apps needed to edit your video, convert between different video file types (e.g. MP4, MOV, 3GP, etc.), store your recorded footage and repair video files if anything goes wrong.

So, if you’re ready to create some video clips that will help you promote your business, this list of Android applications is a great point to get started.

Video Editing Apps for Android

Most of the modern Android smartphones have in-built cameras which are capable of producing high-quality videos. However, your source footage needs to be edited before going live.

With the video editing software, you can cut out unwanted frames, merge different recordings into a continuous clip, add beautiful transition effects, fine-tune color tones, add texts and a logo over the video, and ultimately give your video enough polish to make it look professional.

Although most of the video editing apps for Android devices lack advanced features that you can find in desktop software, mobile apps have a low learning curve, meaning you can create killer, hassle-free videos on the fly.

Here are a couple of video editing apps we’d recommend you to start with:

1. Adobe Premiere Rush

Adobe Premiere Rush is a mobile version of the professional video editing software – Adobe Premiere Pro. It has enough features to fine-tune your video clips while you’re on the go, and then instantly share the clips from the app to social channels like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Adobe Premiere Rush allows you to trim your clips and add transitions, automatically color-correct, and then add music from the built-in library. There are also hundreds of video, image and animation templates available right in the app, or from the Adobe Stock. You can use the templates to enrich your footage and make it look professional.

Adobe Premiere Rush is easy to use across all your devices and can be linked with other Adobe software products, such as Premiere Pro, for example.

Overall, with the price tag starting at $9,99/month, we highly recommend Adobe Premiere Rush for editing videos on you Android device when you’re on the go.

2. FilmoreGo

FilmoraGo is a free video editing app designed for mobile devices. This app has a bare minimum of video editing features, yet allows you to produce great-looking and creative clips. 

With FilmoraGo, you can trim, split, rotate, zoom, speed up, or slow down your video. It also allows you to seamlessly add sound effects and audio tracks sourced either from the app’s library, or from your own files. Of course, there are controls for adjusting brightness, contrast, saturation, temperature and applying pre-built filters. And with the library of stickers, overlays, preset intros, themes, transitions and animation effects, it’s easy to go creative with this app.

Video Repair Tools

One thing that is often overlooked by beginner videographers is safety and security of their footage. No matter how advanced technologies these days are, there are always chances to lose your precious video due to some glitch, or an accident.

Mistakenly deleted clips, formatted memory cards and corrupted video files are just a few examples of how your recorded video may be lost.

Simple file backups will save your work most of the time. However, there are cases when the video file gets corrupted during the recording process. You may realize this when trying to open or edit the video – the file just won’t play.

If you’re recording video on your Android smartphone, it’s likely that the files are saved in either the MP4, or 3GP format. Now, there are video repair tools that can fix both 3GP and MP4 video files:

Restore.Media

Restore.Media is a video recovery app that works online, meaning you can use it on your Android smartphone via a web-browser. Restore.Media allows you to repair corrupted 3GP, MP4, MOV and MXF files. It also has a video recovery algorithm optimized of Android devices.

We highly recommend that you add this tool to your bookmarks, so that when you get a damaged, unplayable video file, you know how to fix it. Also, there are lots of useful articles on the Restore.Media’s blog on how to prevent your video from being lost. For example, here is a detailed guide on repairing damaged 3GP files.

Video Converter Apps for Android

Generally, Android phones record video in the MP4 or 3GP format. 3GP is a video format that was specifically developed for fast streaming of the video content via 3G networks. MP4 is the most widely spread video format, thanks to its great compression/video quality ratio. If you’re recording video with some 3^rd-pary apps, the output files can also be in the MOV or even MXF format.

Now, some of the social networks (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) have certain restrictions when it comes to file formats. In particular, the MP4 format is the one that is supported by all of the mentioned platforms, while 3GP and MXF are likely to be rejected. 

This is where you may need a video converter for your Android device.

VidSoftLab – Video Converter

Video Converter by VidSoftLab can convert for free virtually any video file to the MP4 format. It supports AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, FLV, 3GP, and other video file types. What’s more, this tiny app allows you to merge, trim, cut, reverse, stabilize, crop and rotate the converted file and then upload it to a social network – all with just a few simple clicks.

No matter what your source video file format is, with this tiny app, you will be able to quickly re-encode it and upload to any social platform you want.

Cloud Storage for Your Video Files

If you shoot video files on a regular basis, your smartphone will quickly run low on storage. Hence, you will need a place to store tons of your recorded footage. A great solution to this could be uploading your files to a cloud storage account.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a simple answer here. With the personal account you get 15 GB of storage for free. If you need more, there are the following options: 100GB of storage for $1.99, 200GB for $2.99, and 2TB for $9.99 per month.

So, these were the 5 applications we recommend when you record and edit videos for your business on Android. Armed with these apps, you will be able to make your clips stand out of the crowd and get it noticed by your potential customers.

A portable charging station with added features of an alarm clock, a radio or a media player is helpful to charge a mobile phone anywhere. It has a comprehensive list of features including no dependency on plugs, compact size, its easy to carry and you can control functionalities without using the device. Its also compatible with all of the latest versions of iPhone devices. Wireless charging devices will free the users from cables, and iPhone docks are one of the cool accessories.

The best iPhone docking station is shared below with features available for easy use:

1. Elevation Dock 4 iPhone Dock:

 It has a compact size and one of the stable and secure iPhone Dock which any user can buy for best use. It is made up of medical-grade silicone with stainless steel borders and available in back and silver color. It is 5-foot-long with a cable and compatible with all the iPhones and iPads and there is only one negative point about it that if the wire is broken then the entire piece needs to be purchased. It is available for S49.95 on major E-commerce platforms.

2. Rerii Bamboo Charge Stand with Aluminum Base:

It has a strong base for iPad and adjustable style to accommodate the device with a thick base. It has a wooden look made up of bamboo and a robust aluminum base. To protect the iOS devices from scratches, it supports with rubber padding. It is available for $25.99.

3. Apple Lightning iPhone Dock: 

It is developed by Apple and it is of the docks on which you can play music while the phone is kept on charging. It is made up of aluminum and comes in various colors including black, gold, silver, rose gold and space grey. It can be connected to the system for synchronization and cable is not given with the unit, which is a shortcoming for this dock. It is available at $40.04.

4. Elevation Lab CordDock V2: 

It has a unique feature that lets your phone charging even if it is docked or undocked. It has a removable lightning port and provides the freedom to keep it horizontally or hold it upright. It is a very fast charger and it is available at $29.95.

5. YoFeW Apple Charging Stand: 

It can be used to put multiple devices on the stand, which can be used for Facetime calls on a 60-degree angle. Charging cables wires or USB chargers are not a part of the package and it is priced at $29.99.

6. Lamicall: 

It comes in modern design and in black color, convenient cable wire and hole at the back help to handle the wire. Its design is suitable for video calls and robust stand with rubber pads to prevent scratches and it is available at the lowest cost of $9.99.

Some of them are easy to use from far and handy operations can be done from the iPhone deck without touching the mobile. The provided control panel helps the user to do the required operations. iPhone docks are available in different sizes, finish and price, users can choose from multiple options.

The Google Chrome Webstore houses tons of useful Chrome extensions for various activities like gaming, sports, web design, freelancing and more. These extensions are very useful as they help freelancers, solopreneurs and other small business owners work more efficiently, have fun and stay productive. They help to keep all your productivity tools handy, so you can easily access them when needed.

Unlike other on-premise software, extensions do not require elaborate installation rituals and processes, neither do they take-up sufficient ROM space. They’re like lite versions of your popular software.

So, What are Google Chrome  Extensions?

Google Chrome extensions help to customize user browsing experience. They can be installed on to Chrome to modify browser appearance, functionality, and behavior. They enable users to personalize their browsing experience by tweaking Chrome a little here and a little there.

Google Chrome extensions can perform functions like:

• ad blocking
• optimizing memory usage for more efficiency,
• password management,
• voice and screen recording, e.t.c.

They are built on frameworks such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS which gives them versatility. They are functional across devices, hence can be run from mobile as well as PC to provide seamless operation.

How to Install Google Chrome Extensions

Whether you’re geeky or not, installing Google Chrome extensions is easy, simple and straightforward.

Following are simple steps to install chrome extensions:

1.   Open Chrome Web Store on your device (either your phone or your PC). You can also search for the Google Chrome Webstore on Google
2.    Search for and select the extension you want.
You can also search by Features like
            -Runs offline
            -By Google
            – Free
            -Available for Android
            -Works with Google Drive

3.    Click on “Add to Chrome.”

Some extensions require certain data or permissions to install or run smoothly. You also have the choice to allow or disallow an extension from making changes to your browser.

To (de)activate the extension, click the menu icon to the right of the address bar as shown below.

Hover over “More tools”, a drop-down menu will appear to your left. Click on “Extensions”. Here you can (de)activate or remove an extension.

7 Top Google Chrome Extensions for Freelancers

1. Noisli Extension

With Noisli, you can block out annoying noises. It works as a kind of active noise reduction/cancellation, which allows you reduce or minimize unwanted sound by the introduction or addition of a second sound, thus allowing you to create the right working environment as a freelancer.

Some monotonous white noises help us stay focused. Noisli has a host of noises to choose from and an option to customize your own. With Noisli you can choose your own noise, time it, and adjust the volume, all from within your web browser.

2. ColorZilla Extension

If you’re a freelance graphic designer, this Chrome extension might just become your bestie. ColorZilla is a well-designed eyedropper tool that reads colors in hexadecimal and RGB formats. With it, you can easily and legally extract color data from any website, and that without having to open another application.

Now available for Chrome, ColorZilla is one of the most popular Firefox developer extensions. You can join over 5 million other people who have downloaded it and are using it to improve their work.

3. Boomerang for Gmail Extension

Being a digital nomad comes with its benefits, but constantly being on the move makes it occasionally difficult to keep pace with emails. The Boomerang extension solves this challenge by allowing users to schedule emails for a future date.

This is very handy for when you are on the move, e-mailing someone in another time zone, or catching up on emails late at night. Boomerang also allows users to schedule emails to self. This can be used as alarms or reminders for important tasks, meetings, deadlines, follow-ups, etc. It also sends prompts that nudge you to respond to emails.

4.  Web Developer Extension

Developers will love the Web Developer Chrome extension. It adds a toolbar button to your Chrome browser which contains or displays various web developer tools you can use, all in one place.

With this Web Developer extension, you can quickly and easily view responsive layouts, disable styles, and outline elements.

5.  Taco Extension

Do not let the name fool you, this beautiful Chrome extension is a powerful hub for productivity. On any given day most of us use up to 20 different apps and tools from Trello to Salesforce, you just name it.

Taco collects and assembles all your incoming tasks and notifications from various apps into a single place, giving you a bird’s eye view of all you need to do at any point in time, so you don’t miss important tasks or notifications.

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6. Save to Pocket Extension

When you create a Pocket account, you can save stuff for later, say an article you love but can’t read immediately. Whatever you save here can be synced and made available across all your devices. This cross-platform extension allows freelancers, nomads or busy persons to keep up with essential information by saving it for later.

This extension is great for freelancers, writers, designers, entrepreneurs and business owners, it reduces multitasking so they can focus on the task at hand.

7. StayFocusd

Being a freelancer requires discipline, and there are gazillion digital distractions when working on the web. We’ve all been there, intend to take a break and spend five minutes on Facebook to catch up, another five minutes to say hi on WhatsApp, but two hours later you’re on Twitter or ranting about politics in some faraway forum.

Fortunately, StayFocusd helps us stay focused by blocking out websites that distract us. Its customized settings allow you to block access to entire sites, specific pages or certain content types such as images and videos.

Bonus Tool: Markup Hero

Markup Hero revolutionizes the way you capture, annotate, and share screenshots and images. 

With Markup Hero, you can customize your images with arrows, shapes, text, and even emojis. Capture entire webpages with scrolling screenshots and easily sign .pdf files.

Are you a designer wrestling with intricate design concepts? Or an educator struggling to explain complex theories? Perhaps a developer needing to visualize code structures? No matter your profession, Markup Hero is your virtual whiteboard, enhancing the way you communicate visually, collaborate, and receive feedback. 

Conclusion

These extensions are easy to install, easy to use and will help you get more done in your freelance business.

Which (of these) extensions do you use as a freelancer? Let us know in the comments section.

Nowadays, it is not an easy task to keep pace with the times. Everything is rapidly changing: new technologies are being invented, businesses are being opened, medicines are being discovered.   Today you are a student, who writes his modern technology essay with excitement, tomorrow — you are an enthusiastic start-up entrepreneur who is full of AI business ideas.

However, both students and entrepreneurs are in need of fast reaction and modern technologies understanding to be competitive and productive. To do so, Information scientists and programmers in the whole world are developing AI technologies to implement AI in business as well as in daily people`s lives.

Adopting AI for small businesses, start-ups, and simple routine tasks already today allows us to live efficiently, sustainably and simply better. 

Today, if you take all these information science essays, various researches, scientific articles, you will come to the realization that yes – AI development is working on improvement. There are dozens of examples and case studies that show how the implementation of AI programs, even in big corporations, helped to optimize the work and multiply the profits. I recommend you to read the free Walmart and HANA case to better understand the power of AI technologies. (I would make a suggestion that after analyzing this article you will consider AI as one of the most fascinating topics).

All in all, this article is for those who are passionate about their business projects and ready to redirect their forces and finances into development, and also for those who read hundreds of essays on Information Science and are on the business plan stage now.

This article will tell you about 4 best AI Tools to Transform Your Business in 2020:

DataRobot

It is one of the most popular business intelligence tools today. More and more students include DataRobot examples when they do their artificial intelligence essay. DR works with global brands, like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Airbnb, United Airlines, Panasonic, Nippon steels, and others.

Talking about the tool itself — it is an automated machine learning platform that helps analysts and data scientists of different levels build and deploy better predictive models and improve discoverability of valuable business insights. 

What is more, DR supports data science and even provides workshop courses in around 50 global universities.

Pros: internationally used;

Cons: quite high prices.

Datalogue

It is a brilliant tool that helps your team to prepare data for use. Datalogue automatically receives raw data, cleans it ups, and transforms it into the product for data consumers and analytics. 

Datalogue works with such well-known brands as the New York Times, Forbes, Ameritrade network, and others. 

Spending less time for data preparation business allows getting well-analyzed, classified and transparent data.

Pros: user-friendly interface;

Cons: quite high prices.

Rainbird 

It is an AI software that helps to make your business operations smarter and easier. Rainbird enables your business to build systems based on human-like decisions to increase quality and efficiency.

Basically, Rainbird combines human-like knowledge with the company`s data, which leads to new ways of staff interactions with clients and new approaches to problem-solving.

So, Rainbird is in some way a completely independent working ecosystem that transforms the way your business works.

Pros: controlled learning algorithms;

Cons: takes time to implement it in the business.

Chatfuel

We can hardly imagine our lives without social media. The same story happens with business lives. Social media can become a powerful tool to promote and develop your business, but it’s important to use the right methods and algorithms.

 Chatfuel can be a great help for this. Chatfiuel is the world-leading chatbot platform for Facebook messenger. Chatfuel’s clients range from small and medium businesses to the world’s most recognizable brands. The most known clients are: Adidas, Lego, T-mobile, and others. What`s more — there is no need for coding! 

Pros: free trial;

Cons: are there any?

To sum up, I hope this article will help you to make a step forward into the AI era. But, please, keep in mind that successful business is not only about technology, it’s also about everyday work and strong will to make an impact.

Good luck!