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When Should You Start to Invest in Assisted Living?
Are you trying to build wealth? Do you want to invest your money into appreciating assets that will secure your financial future?
If so, then you need to consider turning to unconventional investment opportunities. It’s important to diversify your investment portfolio beyond the mutual funds and stocks that you may already be in.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at whether or not you should make the decision to invest in assisted living. We’ll give you all the info you need, including the pros and cons of this type of investment, plus a timeline as to when you should start investing.
Why You Should Invest in Assisted Living
Before we start talking about when you should redirect your assets into this particular venture, let’s first talk about the justification as to why assisted living communities are a good investment.
The first thing to consider is the average age of the population. Due to the baby boomer demographic, the world’s population is steadily getting older. Another causation of this is improved medicine that allows for a longer life expectancy.
Consequently, the demand for assisted living enterprises is rising at a surprising rate. The supply of these homes is not keeping up at quite the same rate due to increasing real estate shortages around urban areas. So the final consequence is an increase in the prices of assisted living communities.
This in turn causes those communities to be valued higher as assets.
The primary con of investing in assisted living facilities is that your investment will not be very liquid. You will have to pick a particular venture and invest money into it, and because the money is not very easily tradable the capital will be tied up for several years at the very minimum.
When You Should Invest in Assisted Living
If we’ve convinced you and you’re now really thinking about investing in this kind of facility, then let’s start to talk about timelines. As with all investments, the earlier that you can put your money in, the more your money will be able to grow in the long-term.
Consequently, you should definitely focus on investment as much as possible as early as possible. But be sure that you find the right enterprise to invest in.
Even though assisted living facilities’ values are on the rise, not all retirement homes are good investments. You want to pick one that is run by an excellent management team and has positive reviews across the board. This will help to ensure its long-term success that will net you a positive rate of return.
Use a service like findcontinuingcare.com to identify the right investment.
Keep Planning for the Future
Whether you decide to invest in assisted living communities or other asses, be sure to keep planning for old age by putting your money to work for you in various investment assets.
For more financial articles, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website before you leave!
7 Tricks to Simplify Strategic Planning For Small Business
Did you know there are over 30.2 million small businesses in the United States?
Although many small businesses face tough challenges, they can revamp their strategic planning with the right strategy. If you’re ready to create a new small business or take your current one to the next level, you came to the right place.
Read on to learn about these strategic planning for small business tips.
1. Collect the Data
Before you start implementing strategic planning for your small business, you need to collect data. The collection of internal and external data is one of the most important parts of strategic planning.
Start by gathering information regarding your business channels, customers, product categories, target audience, etc.
Even if you have a small business, you should still look for and collect important internal data.
2. Expand the Team
Many business managers and owners leave the main decisions to the people on the top. However, when it comes to selling products, sometimes employees who interact with customers have the best insight.
If you want to think outside the box during strategic planning, you should allow more team members to participate in meetings.
3. Productive Work Environment
For your team to thrive, they need to have the right environment. This applies to more than just the physical environment; it applies to the creative.
Everyone in the team needs to feel like they can share their ideas and cultivate their creativity.
4. Over Preparation
During strategic planning for small businesses, all team members must follow through with the preparation. Expect all involved team members to participate in the conversation so that everyone can bounce ideas off each other.
After all, they will be responsible for the implementation and follow-through of those ideas. Preparation and research will ensure the success of the strategic plan.
5. Build a Business Plan
After you have laid out the basic groundwork and built the team, you’re ready to create a business plan.
On the business plan, you will write an executive summary, target audience, market analysis, short and long term financial projections, and an action plan.
6. Strategic Planning Is a Process
Unlike the launch of a promotion or an event, strategic planning is a process. The work doesn’t end once you put the plan in motion.
Don’t worry if you don’t see results right away as long as you continue to see a steady process.
7. Measure Growth
The best way to know the effectiveness of your strategic plan is by measuring growth. Pay attention to the numbers and see how things progress monthly, quarterly, or bi-yearly depending on your goals.
Also, measure the value the strategic planning brought to your business. If you don’t see as much growth as you should, there’s always time to modify the course.
Try These Strategic Planning for Small Business Tips
Now that you know about these strategic planning for small business tips, it’s time you put them to the test.
Remember to start by collecting data, choose the team, create a productive work environment, write a business plan, and measure growth.
If you enjoy these business tips and would like to learn more, check out the rest of our blog.
Storing Water: How Long Does Water Keep in a Bottle?
Just about everything that you buy in a grocery store has an expiration date on it. From milk to meat to bread, you’re going to find expiration dates stamped on all of the items that you place into your cart.
Believe it or not, that will also go for bottled water in most instances. A lot of the companies that manufacture bottled water so that people can go about storing water include expiration dates on their products. And they do it for a bunch of good reasons.
If you’re someone who drinks bottled water on a regular basis or if you’ve gotten into the habit of storing tap water in water bottles in your home, you should be aware of what can happen to water over the course of a few months. It might make you think twice about drinking water that’s been in your home for a long period of time.
Continue reading to learn more.
Storing Water Can Make It Taste Stale
The first thing that you might notice when you take a swig of water that’s been stored for a long time is that it’ll often taste stale. While this water might not be bad for your health, it isn’t going to quench your thirst like fresh water will.
Water sometimes goes stale when carbon dioxide from the air finds its way into the water. This can make it a little bit more acidic than it would be otherwise, which leads to it developing a stale taste.
Storing water for too long could ruin it for you if this ever happens. It’s why you might want to steer clear of doing it.
It Can Also Become Contaminated by Plastic
As we just mentioned, stale water isn’t going to be too harmful to your health. It just won’t taste great.
Water that has been contaminated by plastic, on the other hand, can cause health complications. It’s why you should stay away from storing water for more than six months or so.
When you store water in plastic bottles, the plastic from these bottles can get into the water. You can then move this plastic into your body by drinking it and it can build up over time. It could potentially harm your gut health and cause respiratory issues at the same time.
This is another reason why you should try not to keep water bottles around for long stretches of time.
It Could Even Lead to Bacterial Growth
If you’re going to store water, it’s important to do it in the right way. You need to keep it sealed up tight in a cool, dark area where it won’t be exposed to any air or sunlight.
If you don’t seal water bottles up properly, bacteria might be able to get into them and wreak havoc on the water. This could obviously be very bad for your health if you then drink water with bacteria in it.
It’s one more reason you might want to think about refilling a water bottle every day and drinking from that rather than drinking from water bottles that have been sitting around for months on end. Click here to pick up a great water bottle for yourself.
Keeping Water in a Bottle for Too Long Could Be Very Bad for Your Health
You might be able to get away with storing water for more than six months without doing any harm to it. Water doesn’t technically expire like most other things.
But why risk it? You could be forced to deal with any or even all of the issues listed here when storing tap water or keeping old bottled water around. You’re better off drinking fresh water as often as you can.
Find more great health and wellness tips in the other articles on our blog.
Taking a Look at the Future of Shopping Malls
Did you know that in-person holiday shopping is projected to lower by twenty-five percent this holiday season? The coronavirus pandemic has altered our lives in many ways, including the way that we shop.
How will shopping malls continue to cater to the needs of shoppers and attract in-person sales in retail stores? Here are three things that could change in the future of shopping malls.
More Storage for Customers
One of the biggest drawbacks for mall customers is the need to carry around bags of goods after purchasing them. However, this problem can easily be fixed with shopping malls providing on-site storage that is safe and reliable.
Customers would be able to rent out a storage space in a designated area of the mall, where they can go back and forth to deposit items that they have bought. For a nominal fee, they can make shopping much easier.
Some locker companies even offer solutions like keyless entry. For those who are afraid of losing a key to a locker or storage unit, companies such as National Lockers and Shelving have units that can be activated with a PIN or key code, rather than a physical lock and key.
Luxury Dining and Services
For shopping malls, another tactic to draw in more physical shoppers is changing the space to be more luxurious and inviting. Including movie theaters and other amenities in shopping malls may be the ticket to keep customers in the space for longer periods of time.
A trend that has taken off with shopping malls recently is integrating grocery stores into the mall itself. This way, consumers can buy some of the household goods and other items they need at a more convenient price, rather than from specialty stores.
Although the food court has long been a staple of the classic shopping mall experience, the restaurant space in malls is changing to fit a growing need for customers. Many opt for more upscale restaurants within the shopping center.
Targeted Centers for Different Demographics
One of the biggest reasons why shopping malls have been losing customers is because of a changing demographic. Younger generations seem to be more attracted to online shopping due to its perceived convenience.
Mall developers can look at nearby residential areas and gauge what the target demographic is. For example, if the mall happens to be near a retirement community, the shopping center can cater to an older aged population.
The shopping mall plan would include restaurants, retail stores, and experiences that would help to attract the target market. Creating a customized shopping experience is a great way to keep bringing consumers into shopping malls of the future.
The Future of Shopping Malls is Always Changing
When it comes to the future of shopping malls, it will ultimately be dictated by how technology and consumer habits evolve.
Would you like to know more about how our world is changing with advances in technology and consumer habits? Check out our blog for all of the information you will need.
8 Uncommon Items for Your Next Backyard Summer Party
Wherever you are in the world, you need to make sure that when the time comes, you are ready to throw the best backyard summer party ever. Make it memorable by injecting some personality into it with some unique, quirky party pieces!
Here’s a list of 8 uncommon items for throwing great summer parties!
1. Dog-Friendly Hamburger Patties
Let’s not forget that our pets need to eat too! Now you can buy pet-safe barbecue food, so your favorite fluffy friend doesn’t need to feel left out anymore!
2. Pirate Den Making Kit
Check out this arrr’some pirate den kit! Kids have always loved tearing up the sofa to create their own mini houses, and kids love new things, so why not satisfy both with a pirate den kit!
This is a great way to keep kids entertained while you set up some of the other gadgets and quirky party pieces we’ve suggested below.
3. Retro Slush Puppie Machine
A retro Slush Puppie machine will go down a treat with adults and kids alike!
When it’s too hot, and you want to cool down, there’s nothing quite like a sweet, refreshing throwback to those times you got brain freeze for the first time.
4. Rent a Waterslide and Get Wet
Yes, you can really do this!
There’s no better way to keep cool while having fun than a waterslide. Unleash your inner child and see how far you can slide. Waterslide rentals for next summer are expected to book up quickly, so it’s worth looking into to make sure you don’t miss out on the fun!
5. Novelty Aprons
Show your guests who’s cooking! Novelty aprons are a great way to make your nominated chefs stand out with pride as they toss meat over the barbecue to their heart’s content.
6. Flamingo Toss Ring Game
Ever felt like tossing a ring over a flamingo?
We don’t think a real flamingo would enjoy it, but now you can satisfy those desires with this ultimate party game. Quick set up, and great fun for everyone to enjoy!
7. Food That Doesn’t Look Like Food
Here’s one you can try and make yourself, but it might end up looking inedible either way.
If you’re a great chef, baker, or sculptor, see if you can make some delicious treats that look like something completely different. Maybe you want to create a cake that looks like a sombrero or a remote-control shaped burger?
This may be the golden ticket to Rememberville you’ve been looking for!
8. Giant Inflatable Iceberg
If you happen to own a small ocean (don’t we all), the giant inflatable iceberg will make your party stand out way more than the 10% a real iceberg stands out.
Don’t forget to purchase some lifejackets too! Otherwise, your party will end up sinking like the Titanic.
A Backyard Summer Party to Remember
Whatever it is that life throws at you, whether that’s viruses or a poor work-life balance, it’s more important to share quality time with friends and family than ever. Bring on the backyard Summer party!
Keep clicking for more top tips!
