It isn’t the latest news that when you sign up for a Google account, Google gives you 15GB of storage space for all of your Google data, from Google Photos to Google Drive and so on. Now, 15GB is an enormous amount of space, but when you have a lot of Google applications, your space can quickly get filled up. Once this happens, you can’t back up any item on your drive or receive more emails on your Gmail. In that case, you can either free up space by removing unnecessary emails or backup the important ones on your system.

Ways to Free Up Space on Gmail

Subscribe for Extra Storage

If you don’t feel up to the task of constantly trimming your storage space by deleting some of Google apps’ collections, you can pay Google to give you more storage space to accommodate them. You can buy extra storage space via Google One. Simply visit the site to browse through the available storage options. 200GB of storage costs $30 annually.

This saves you the stress of constantly trimming your emails, which are at least in the thousands. Worse still, each mail occupies very little space. So you will have to delete a large number before there is a noticeable difference in your storage space.

This case occurs more in the mail accounts of corporations or businesses such as that of an eCommerce development agency.

Ignore and Delete All Mails in your Inbox

This is usually the simplest way to tackle storage space on your Gmail. Just mass-delete everything in your inbox. To do this:

• Click all messages by ticking the box in the top left
• Click the “delete” icon

This tip has a downside, though. In the process of mass deleting, you will most likely delete a mail that’s relevant or important. For example, they can be receipts from your online transactions that you may need for future reference.

Empty the Trash

A lot of Gmail users think the storage-saving mission ends when they click the delete button. If that’s the case, why is the storage space not registering any change after deleting your entire inbox practically? Because those items have been moved to the trash section they will remain there for 30 days before the system automatically gets rid of them permanently.

Thirty days is a long time to wait. So head to the trash section and clean it to free up the space you’re looking for. This tip is beneficial because, in the process of wiping out your inbox, you can still recover the crucial emails in your trash.

The option to empty the trash is at the top of the list. So, once you’ve confirmed that you have no relevant emails in the trash, you can proceed to get rid of them from your system permanently. This gives you some much-needed space.

Delete Emails of Large Sizes

Late mails are usually mails that come with at least one attachment. You can utilize this tip when you use the advanced search option in your mail. To get there:

• Locate the far right corner of the search box.
• Click the tiny arrow facing downward.
• You will see a variety of fields or filters to sort from.
• Select the option of size. It should be in the middle of the list.
• You can select sizes from 15MB. When accumulated, this can suck up a lot of space.
• Click the blue search icon to view a list of all the emails sized 15MB or more.
• Check the boxes next to the emails you want to delete.
• Then click the “trash can” icon at the top row of the messages list.
• Proceed immediately to the “trash” to finish the job.
• You can locate the trash section on the left side menu. Click “empty trash now”.

The user interface on Gmail for this particular task is friendlier than one of Google One’s auto-clean views.

Delete Old Mails

Some emails are so old that they are so far down your inbox and are accumulating valuable space. Even worse, these emails are ones you mostly don’t need anymore. So why do you keep them? To easily get rid of these old emails:

• Go to the “date within” option by using the dropdown menu from the search box.
• Please set it to around the second year from the date of your Gmail account creation.
• This will take you to the emails you received that year.
• If you want to widen your search range, configure the “before” and “after” years.

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The post How to Free Up Space in Gmail? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Recruiting agencies utilize resume extraction API to fish out the most suitable applicants. This article will show you how to get on their radar. After reading through, you should be able to draft an SEO resume that can draw the attention of recruiters and get them to contact you for a job interview.

Before we delve into the SEO resume guide and samples, you must first get familiar with the concept.

SEO Resume

An SEO resume or CV is a professionally written document in which your work background and skills are highlighted for the benefit of recruiters and prospective employers.

SEO Resume Guide

The Ideal Resume Format for the Job Description of an SEO Executive

Many don’t know that it doesn’t take a recruiter long to understand what they’re looking at. On average, they need less than 10 seconds to review your resume. They are trained to go straight to the main highlights of your resume. So if your resume lacks appeal in terms of design and format, they’ll lose interest.

So giving your resume an appealing format is crucial to retain the recruiters’ interest and grab the best job opportunities. There are three resume formats to choose from:

1. Functional resume format
2. Reverse chronological resume format
3. Hybrid resume format

The option you choose should be based on your experience. The recommended format to sustain recruiters’ interest is the reverse chronological resume format. The reason is it begins with your most recent work experience, skills, and achievements.

If you want to hop from one career or industry to another or experience a career gap, the ideal format is the functional resume format. That’s because it draws attention to your skills and makes it easy for recruiters to miss the career gaps.

The hybrid resume format is for seasoned experts with at least a decade of work experience in a particular niche.

Resume Formatting Tips

• Divide the entire resume into various sections.
• There should be a margin width (½ inch – 1 inch) on both sides of your resume
• Ideally, your resume should be a page long. If you have work experience of over six years, it can be two pages.
• Use professional-looking type fonts such as Calibri and Times New Roman.
• You should submit your resume in PDF format to the recruiter.

Things your SEO Resume should contain

An SEO resume is made up of various sections. Each of these sections is important and key to increasing your chances of landing an interview. These are the sections your SEO resume should contain:

1. Resume Header

This is typically the first section of your SEO resume. Since it’s the first place a recruiter will look at, you must personalize it (by using your full name). This can give your header instant recognition.

If you have two names, use them as your header. If you have three names, use the initial of your middle name while the first name and surname are spelt out.

Also, the recommended font size should range between 16-20 points.

Resume header samples/examples

• Wrong example: CV or Resume.
• Correct example: Henry G. Williams or Henry Williams.

2. Contact Information

This section is usually done in haste. This area is more important than you give it credit for. You can have a fiery resume that will floor your recruiters, yet they can’t contact you because of inaccurate contact information. Ensure the contact information on your resume is up-to-date and accurate.

Also, ensure your number is prefixed with the accurate ISD code for your country and a (+) sign. Your email should also look professional. Use a “city, country” format if you’re applying internationally and a “city, state” format if you’re applying locally.

Sample (email)

Wrong example: slayer2478@gmail.com

Correct example: henrywilliams@gmail.com

Sample 2 (residential location)

For an international resume: Manhattan, U.S.A

For a local resume: Manhattan, NY.

3. Profile Title

This section entails details such as:

• Current job designation
• Work experience
• Operational Industry
• Seniority

4. Resume Summary

This is a key area on your resume because it is where you will attract the attention of prospective employers or recruiters.

Sample:

• A GitHub-certified SEO manager with over five years of experience, skilled in overseeing SEO audits and pinpointing.
• Avenues to enhance organic search from the third result page to the top 5 for high-ranking keywords.
• Skilled in organizing PPC budgets and bidding to get ideal ad spots for massive user sign-ups.
• Experienced with overseeing several SEM campaigns for enhancing site traffic by 15% annually.

5. Professional Background

This is where you’ll write about your work experience. Use bullet points, statistics, and power verbs, and include keywords.

Correct sample: Market Research & Site Creation

• Ran SEM marketing campaigns for over 15 small businesses and enhanced their page ranking on every search engine
• Conducted market research and pinpointed trends for publishing relevant content on various social platforms for more engagement.
• Something like that!

6. Educational Background

This section should include details such as degree acquired, name of the school, date of graduation, and location of the school.

Sample

• B.A (Bachelor of Arts) History
• New York University
• 2017
• New York

7. Skills

This is where you’ll add the relevant skills. Don’t be generic. In this case, it would help if you emphasized your SEO skills. There are core skills and technical skills.

Sample (for core skill)

Content Strategist – keyword research, audience research, and so on.

8. Certification

If you did a professional course and got certified, this is where you’ll add them to your resume.

Sample

• Certified Fundamental Digital Marketer| Google Digital Garage| Google LLC.| Jun. 15

Sample 2

• Certified Project Manager| Agile Framework and Technology| Project Management Institute| Jan. 20

9. Workshops

If you have any workshops or training, this is where it comes on your resume.

Sample

• Risk Management Workshop| Ramm Soft| Sept. 20

Conclusion

If you have additional information, you can add them. However, the goal should be to make your resume rich, not stuffed. This way, only relevant information should be on your resume. Avoid adding information that will be of no interest to the recruiter or potential employer.

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The post SEO Resume: 2025 Guide with 10+ Examples and Samples appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Without a well-thought-out keyword strategy, businesses can spend a ton of money on content, paid advertisement, and SEO, yet without seeing any return on their investment.

On the other hand, a solid keyword strategy can be a major boost to any online marketing strategy. That’s how you get measurable results and a great ROI.

Here are the important keyword strategies that can take your online marketing to new heights.

Know Your Audience

For starters, you need to learn more about your targeted audience. Building customer personas should revolve around demographics, interests, education level, how they spend their time online and offline, goals, education level, interests, and so on. Most small businesses need to focus on anywhere from five to ten distinct personas. Content should be built with those personas in mind. The keyword strategy needs to be aligned with those customer personas as well. 

By focusing on a specific persona you can use keywords relevant to them. For example, if you are a coding job placement service, then using a phrase like “find coding jobs” will be quite relevant to a “coding” persona. You can even further segment your audience into specific personas such as “coding jobs in Java.” That keyword is very relevant to particular persons who can code Java and are in pursuit of employment opportunities. 

It is all about speaking directly to your target and earning a click that can profit your business. 

Use Different Types of Keywords

SEO agencies such as this Denver marketing firm heavily rely upon the different types of keywords. Nowadays, all keywords are split into one of these three main categories:

• Short tail keywords 
• Middle-tail keywords
• Long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are the trickiest because they consist of four or more words. That makes it rather challenging to integrate them into the content. Typically, the search volume is quite modest, but they are greatly targeted and offer a much greater chance for conversion. 

On the other hand, the spectre is short-tail and middle-tail keywords that are way less targeted, but they appeal to a greater group of people as the search volume is quite extensive. Plus, these keywords are easier to work with, and creating content around them is not that challenging. 

Find the Right Keywords

The idea here is to get into the mind of your customer persona and figure out which words they use to find businesses such as yours. Keyword research tools such as Yoast Suggest Expander and the Google Keyword Planner are great and are a must-use. However, you need to go beyond and try to think of search intent. 

For example, you are running a campaign for a plumbing company. The obvious selection of keywords would include:

• Nearest plumbing company
• Plumbing contractor
• Plumbing Company
• Plumber near me

These are good keywords that are often used by your customer persona. However, you need to think of related phrases as well. Phrases such as:

• Water disposal systems
• Gutter cleaning
• Leaky pipes

If you run out of ideas, you can make a Google query using one of your keywords, then scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find related searches. That can also offer a pretty good insight into how your targeted audience searches for services or products like the ones you offer.

Consistent use of Keywords Across All Digital Channels

Finding the best possible keywords is important, but it’s also super important how you use them. That means you need quality content. You need keyword-rich content that is easy to read and very compelling to the consumer. The keywords need to be used naturally throughout the content.

Nowadays, every respectable business with an online presence interested in making the most of their internet marketing efforts has a blog on their website. The blog is perfect for putting to work all your great keyword-rich content. Regular blogging is something that plays nicely with search engines. That will keep search engines coming back to your blog and consequently, your website will increase its ranking. 

Keyword Placement

Blog posts are the obvious place where you need to place your keywords, but you don’t need to stop there. Plus, you shouldn’t just slap the keywords in the blog post’s body and stop there. Here is an example of where and how SEO professionals place keywords:

• The title
• Section headers
• Image names and photo captions
• Meta description
• In the first sentence and the last paragraph

Follow Trends and Current Interests

Google Trends is an excellent online tool that can help you learn what your consumer persona is searching for at the given moment, what draws their attention, and what they are discussing.

Based on that, you can easily draw some keywords and implement them in your content strategy. The idea is to join the conversation and ride the big wave as there is a lot to gain from it, mostly incredible amounts of web traffic. The biggest burden here isn’t about finding a trending topic or the keywords that surround it. But it’s for your copywriter to hit that sweet spot, and create quality content that will implement suitable keywords while also making sure that readers will be engaged. 

Track Keyword Performance

You can’t expect great results unless you don’t track your keyword performance regularly. Every good marketer knows that tracking performance is the core of success. One needs to know what to measure and how to measure it. 

Google Search Console and Google Analytics are great online tools that can help you figure out the right audience, the keywords on your landing page performing well, the time visitors spend on your visitors, the keywords that perform poorly, and so on. 

Then there is ProRankTracker and SerpBook which offer great insight into how your keywords perform and how visible your website is for specific keywords. Both of these tools feature a free version that everyone can use to fetch many helpful metrics. The best part of all about these tools is that you can track daily progress. That way, you can see clear directions and whether your efforts are getting traction or not. 

Final Thoughts

A well-thought keyword campaign is the one thing in every online marketing strategy that can make the difference between amazing results and failure. Great online marketers always monitor which keywords work best and which ones don’t give results. This thing makes them so successful, while others do not so much. 

By staying flexible and adapting as they go, they can make sure that they are always in line with customer intent. That’s the not-so-big secret to success and making the most of any keyword campaign. Stick to that and follow the steps that we’ve mentioned above. Success will soon follow. 

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The post How To Use Keywords On Your Marketing Strategy Effectively? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Importance of trademarks for your business

• Helps customers find and recognize your brand: Staying in a crowded market without a name or identity is simply dangerous for the longevity of a new company’s brand. Trademarks distinguish you from other brands, making it easier for customers to find you;  Because many brands offer the same services and products a powerful trademark helps your customers feel comfortable that they are dealing with you and not your competitor.

• Trademarks act as a communication tool: Trademarks are a testament to the quality of your company’s brand, even in your absence. A trademark precedes you and the mere presence of a powerful name like ROLEX, for example, shows people from all over the world what the brand stands for.  

• Trademarks are assets: Trademarks are not just abstract conceptualizations but are truly financial assets. The value of trademarks increases with time, and as your business grows, the name grows as well. Eventually, bigger corporations will want to identify their own products with your powerful brand and may very well be willing to either license or buy your trademark/s outright.

• Trademarks make using social media platforms more effective: For a brand that has an online presence on different social media platforms, your trademark is what helps customers find and connect with you. The more your brand is searched for, the higher your rankings become, and ultimately, the more traffic your page will get. 

1. Trademarks do not expire: So long as you are still using the trademark in commerce, you will maintain your rights to the trademark. However, if you stop using your trademark, you will cause it to be abandoned.

• Attracts and improves human resources: Who wouldn’t want to work with a popular brand? With a well-known trademark, hiring workers is easier because everyone wants to be a part of something big. Employees will have a greater sense of pride and awareness when working for a prodigious company.

Protecting your trademark

To protect your trademark, there are certain strategic and legal considerations that must be taken into account both before the trademark is applied for and again after it has obtained a registration from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Below is an overview of different steps one must take to acquire a trademark and protect it:

• Please do your research: The first step to protecting your trademark is conducting preliminary research in the USPTO register to determine the availability of the trademark. If proper research is done before submitting a trademark application, the risk of having the trademark rejected is greatly reduced. 

• Apply for a trademark: After your research, once you are sure that the chosen name, logo, or phrase is unique to only your brand, you may proceed with filing the trademark application. During this process, you will be required to provide information about your brand, the type of service and product offered, an image of your desired trademark (if you are applying for a Logo), and proof that you are using the trademark in commerce. All of this information must be accurate for the application to proceed.

• Respond to office actions: after submitting your application, be ready at all times to respond to any preliminary rejections of your trademark, or what are legally referred to as, Office Actions. Ensure that you do not miss the deadline because your application will be abandoned if you fail to respond to the Office Action in time (within 6 months of receiving it). 

• Monitor your trademark: Before trademarks are registered, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office publishes them to the “Official Gazette) for the public to see and potentially oppose the trademark’s registration if it is an infringement on an existing trademark. So, it is critical for a trademark holder (you!) to protect your own trademark by monitoring the Official Gazette and opposing other trademarks that are too similar to yours. 

Apart from doing preliminary research prior to filing your trademark application and monitoring pending trademarks for infringement of your trademark, there are other actions and milestones that must be met for you to maintain your proprietary rights to your trademark, including:

• Renewing your trademark: make sure you renew your trademark registration according to the appropriate dates (typically within 5 and 10 years of the trademark’s registration). If you miss these deadlines, you run the risk of Abandoning your trademark.

• Continue to Use Your Trademark: Trademarks only maintain their protectability for as long as they are actually used in commerce. If you stop selling your products or services under the banner of your trademark/s, you will lose the rights to your trademark/s.

• Hire a Trademark Monitoring service: It can be both challenging and at times overwhelming to continuously keep track of who may or may not be illicitly using a trademark that is too similar to yours.  A watch service will alert you on any unauthorized use of your mark and notify you of new trademark filings and applications

• Have a policy for how cases of misuse or copying will be handled: Knowing what to do before a problem arises will make everything easier. If your trademark is subject to infringement, you must confront the infringer head-on and enforce your trademark rights. Therefore, set a standard rule for how such cases will be handled before they arise. 

Building a brand is not easy, and developing a popular trademark will not happen overnight. Hence, the a tendency for popular trademarks to be copied by other smaller brands. However, your brand doesn’t have to be the biggest before you start creating a trademark protection strategy. Of course, everyone hopes to grow a large and well-known brand; the important thing is that you just get started.

With a solid and concrete trademark protection strategy, you will not just protect your trademark, but you will also have the necessary tools and plans in place for future infringements.  Setting the stage now and putting everything in place before the emergence of an issue will save you a great deal of future financial pain and frustration.

Conclusion

In sum, protecting your trademark starts with the planning and registration process. If your trademark protection strategy is solid, which is to say, your trademark is unique to your business and the products/services you sell, the registration process will go smoothly and you will hopefully avoid any office actions against the mark.

Have experience with protecting or enforcing your company’s trademark? Please feel free to share your experiences and opinions in the comment box.

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The post Why do you need to Create a Strategy For Protecting Your Trademarks? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

If you aspire to take your business to the next level, you have to meet regulatory requirements to stay out of trouble. So as you contemplate the small business opportunity, you can consider keeping everything about your business legal. If you truly believe that it is your time to reclaim your dream, then here is a complete Hans Jakobi guide to keeping things legal.

Register your Business name

This process is designed to allow your state and local government to know your operating business name. You will likely register your business as a ‘Doing Business As’, which does not require you to seek trademark protection. This allows you to use the name you want for branding without having to incorporate it. Using Doing Business as the name makes the name of the business the default name of the legal owner of the business. However, if you decide to add something to the name of the company, you will be forced to register the name as a DBA name. 

If you are running a sole proprietor business, then you do not need to register your DBA name. The same applies to an LLC or corporation, where your chosen name is automatically registered with the state. The only valid reason for getting your business name trademarked is if you intend to operate nationally. A DBA name will not offer you the same kind of protection as a trademark would. But first, you need to conduct an extensive search to ensure your chosen name is available.

The Business Structure

The business structure you settle for when starting your own business will determine the tax obligations and forms you have to comply with when filing your tax returns. Most home-based businesses start the journey as sole proprietors. As a sole proprietor, you can operate using your personal social security number. However, you can still apply for a Tax ID if you feel the need to. The LLC structure was initially designed to protect the owner of a business from any liabilities that arise from doing business. It is the most popular structure to start an online business because of the simplicity of creating one.

The S corporations are considered unique entities. The owners of the business are protected from the liabilities of the business. This structure has only one level of tax. For savvy home-based business owners, the best business structure is C Corporation. In this case, you are the majority shareholder as the only owner of the business. However, the C Corporation structure is one of the most complex arrangements. 

Obtain a Tax ID

As mentioned, sole proprietors can use their social security numbers, but it is best to obtain a tax ID number for your business. This Tax ID number will allow the IRS to identify your business. The best way to get a Tax ID is by applying online through the IRS website. Once you complete the short application process, you will get your Tax ID number immediately. This is a good reason why you should consider getting a Tax ID just as you are thinking about home-based business opportunities. Besides, you would not want your social security number floating around out there. 

You can also download the SS-4 form from the IRS website to fill it out and send it via fax for review. If everything is in order, the IRS will send you a fax containing a Tax ID for your business. Regardless of the business structure, you will need to provide the same kind of information. You have to provide the business name, type of business, and the address where you will be conducting your online business opportunities. 

Get a registered agent

When you are running a home-based business, you might not want to provide your address as part of the public record. As such, you will need to get a registered agent who will be in charge of accepting the delivery of legal documents and ensuring you receive them on time. If you conduct business in a state where you do not live, you will need to have a registered agent to serve your legal notices and correspondence. The state where you offer your services needs to know who to contact with regard to your business. For example, if you are based in California, but your business offers services in Texas, you must have a registered agent in Texas for legal correspondence.

Licenses and permits

Anyone thinking about how to start a home-based business also needs to consider the licenses and permits they need to obtain. The licenses, permits, and zoning requirements vary from state to state. The first thing you need to do before launching your business is to find out what kind of permits you will need from your local and state government. You may need a business permit for the kind of operation you will be conducting. Some services, like child care, financial advisors, or legal services, require you to obtain an occupational license from your state. 

Conclusion

Will you be starting a home-based business this year? If yes, then hopefully you have benefitted from the guide above. Taking the time to start a small business is both exciting and challenging. Before you can get started on your business plan, you need to know all the legal requirements for running a home-based business. You can find out more information and requirements on your state, city, and county website to remain compliant.

The post Best Tips to Keep Your Home-Based Business Legal appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Unfortunately, copyright law has a reputation for appearing opaque and incomprehensible to outsiders.

Fortunately, this guide will help you understand the basics of copyright and trademark law.

Trademark 101

Let’s start at the very beginning – what is a trademark?

As defined by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, a trademark is a symbol, word, phrase, or design that serves to identify and distinguish the goods and services of one party from another. A “service mark” is something that is the actual mark that serves as a stand-in for the company – think the Golden “M” for McDonald’s or the “swoosh checkmark shape” for Nike. That said, “trademark” is often used to collectively refer to the company, goods, services, and marks.

What about copyright?

Where a trademark typically refers to a company, copyright typically refers to media and art. Books, films, plays, video games, songs – when produced by professional commercial artists, can all be covered by copyright.

The Requirements for Registering a Trademark in the United States

If you have read all of that and think you’re ready to file a trademark, you may want to hold that thought – there’s a lot more to it than that.

For one thing, if you are “a foreign-domiciled applicant,” you need to make sure you go through the application process in the United States. While the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and other countries and political blocs are signatories to The Paris Convention, copyrights and trademarks that exist in one country do not immediately transfer over to the US system. Moreover, a UK or EU solicitor may not be able to file on your behalf, as you will need to have a US-licensed attorney represent your trademark filing when sending in your application to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

That requirement does not extend to US citizens, though it is highly advisable to hire someone who is a specialist in US trademark law.

For both the United States and foreign-domiciled applicants, neither foreign attorneys nor non-attorneys are allowed to provide legal advice pertaining to the application process. In addition, they may not help you fill out the form, sign the documents for you, or otherwise act on your behalf. Doing any of this could result in your application being delayed, jeopardized, or ruled invalid.

There are many additional legal guidelines and requirements you’ll have to meet before you can apply for a trademark, including:

•  Is the trademark federally registerable? You’ll need to check the rules for what can and cannot be trademarked. While this is somewhat subjective, as a general rule, the more unique and distinctive a mark, design, or slogan is, the better your chances of it being ruled as federally registerable as a trademark. For example, “We provide great service” is obviously far too generalized to be trademarked – that’s a common phrase many businesses and people use. On the other hand, the McDonalds symbol is distinctly and unmistakably for McDonald’s and only McDonalds and is thus federally registered and protected as a trademark.
•  Identifiable Goods or Services? What exactly does your service or company “offer”? What does your product “do”? Questions such as these are necessary for making sure that commercial trademarks are only given to active companies offering real, legal goods and services. The more distinctly you can answer these questions, the better your chances.
• Proper Filing? You must make sure that you have gone through the application process step by step, and have filed the right type of paperwork for the right type of trademark, patent, or copyright. There are differences between those last three, as explained below, so make sure you are applying for the specific type of Intellectual Property protection you need.

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Making Your Mark

If you look at antique books or pieces of porcelain, you’ll often find they have identifying markings that show where they were manufactured and by which company. That practice obviously continues today with trademarking. With the advent of different forms of media, the concept of a defining “mark” has been expanded to include other forms of product and service identification.

To be trademarked, your product will need to make use of at least one of these three types of identifying marks:

● Standard Character Format: This pertains to the use of standard letters, numbers, words, or combinations. For example, eBay, AT&T, and 21^st Century Fox are all examples of trademarked company names protected by trademark law.

● Special Character Format: This pertains to special unique designs or stylized elements. The spherical logo for AT&T, for example, as well as the stylized font in the spelling of “eBay”, fits into this category.

● Sound Mark: This pertains to copyrighted musical or tonal pieces. The iconic drum and fanfare at the beginning of a 21^st Century Fox film is a perfect example.

Difference Between Trademarks, Copyrights, and Patents?

One major difference between trademarks and copyrights (and patents) is that the latter can expire while the former does not. Something that is trademarked can remain that way forever, as long as the mark remains in use in a commercial way that serves to distinguish your goods and services from another. Trademark registration can also last forever, as long as you continue to file the required documents and pay fees at the required intervals.

Copyright, on the other hand, can expire, though it now applies for longer than ever before. For works created by individual creators, copyright protection in the United States extends for the life of the creator plus 70 years. For works created under a pseudonym, anonymously, or for hire (such as part of a corporation like Disney) copyright extends until 95 years after the date of publication or 120 years after the date of creation, whichever is shorter.

Finally, patents pertain to inventions. These can include new or improved machines, manufactured items, chemical compositions, and manufacturing processes. The protections for patents are far more limited, with a design patent only lasting 15 years from issuance (14 if filed before May 13, 2015) or 20 years in the case of utility and plant patents.

Copyright Infringement Suits

Finally, what about copyright infringement?

This is the unauthorized use of any of the trademarked elements listed above. To constitute copyright infringement, the similarity has to be such that a consumer would be confused, deceived, or given to mistake one product for the other.

Suits for trademark and copyright infringement often wind up in federal court. The burden of proof is on the copyright holder making the claim that the offending product or service has infringed upon their copyright. If they are successful in making this claim, penalties for the guilty party can range from injunctions and cease and desist orders to the destruction of products bearing the infringed upon mark to monetary compensation.

Just like trademarks themselves, every copyright and trademark infringement case is different, you’ll want to consult with a lawyer about the particulars of your case.

With this introductory guide, you should be better equipped to navigate the world of trademark and copyright law.

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A virtual data room, more commonly known as a VDR, refers to a database located online which avails companies the opportunity to store and share sensitive and top-secret information, especially during financial transactions. It is a type of document filing system or electronic repository. One very common occurrence that calls for the use of a virtual data room is during mergers and acquisitions due diligence. Since mergers usually require copious amounts of research, most of which is confidential information, a VDR is used. In case the merger or acquisition does not fall through, access can easily be withdrawn.

The virtual data room market has experienced a very high rate of growth mainly due to the fact that a number of enterprises have adopted it as an essential tool. Thanks to the growing need to improve risk management, as well as intellectual property, essential business data, and information needs, there has been a progressive demand for VDRs. This, in turn, has boosted the growth of the virtual data room market beyond the expectations of a number of experts who expected less rapid growth.

Statistical forecasts show that the virtual data room market is heading in the right direction by establishing a CAGR of 15.12% during the forecast period between 2019 – 2024. Cloud storage technology is being adopted as well and this is adding substantially to the global virtual data room market growth. Switching to this method of data storage has lots of perks that many people are constantly exploiting. Data room storage saves users from the costly expenses associated with physical data rooms, such as the cost and frequency of travel. Plus there is no need for massive amounts of physical paperwork. Everything is much more organized and easily accessible.

Most virtual data rooms adhere to strict security protocols such as SOC 1/SSAE 16/ISAE 3402, SOC 2 Type II, FISMA, DIACAP, and FedRAMP, ISO 9001 / ISO 27001, and more. They also include data encryption, accident redemption, file backups, strict ID protocol, customizable allowances, and inclusive security reporting. Access to files, data, and information has to be given and can be revoked at any time.

Apart from these, here are some other trends in the Virtual Data Room Market:

Significant Market Share Holders Expected to be the Telecom and IT Sector

Virtual data rooms are essentially meeting rooms where parties can meet and discuss an upcoming transaction online. This has made transactions between various parties a lot more reliable, simple, and smooth since VDR tools are available 24/7. Similarly, for the parties involved in “checks and balances” such as the auditors and participants, it is easier to determine if various security protocols surrounding opening, printing, and sharing, documents, have been met.

Within the IT world, virtual data room security is being beefed up and made even tighter thanks to certain newly emerging blockchain technologies. In addition, the application of virtual data rooms is becoming broader and a lot more common since many business operations are being conducted online. This is one of the reasons that the application of the VDR has extended beyond just M&A activities. Since information is the basis of almost everything thinkable, a number of well-known telecom and IT companies possess various integrated technologies that guarantee a rapid, efficient, and effective flow of communication. 

Data Rooms Markets are Becoming More Competitive

Virtual data rooms comprise a number of major stakeholders and players and are becoming highly competitive as well. Due to new innovations such as cloud technology, some of these players are carrying out a rapid expansion of their existing businesses to span across a number of viable and promising emerging economies. Similarly, the untapped marketplace is becoming occupied quickly due to the increase in its market presence across this space. For instance, in April 2019, Citrix Systems publicly announced the Citrix SD-WAN, a virtual instance of the SD-WAN appliance. 

They also announced the Citrix ADC which is an application delivery controller and would be available from 2019 within the GCP marketplace. In order to make use of Virtualized SD-WAN offerings, Citrix makes use of the Google Cloud Platform. Similarly, Capco, which is a foremost management and technology consultancy with its services aimed at improving the financial services industry entered into an agreement with Interlinks. The goal of this deal was that Capco users all over the world could conduct business easily and collaborate in a secure manner with a centralized administration that is easy to manage.

The Largest Holding Share is Expected to Go to North America

North America has been discovered to be the continent with the largest share in the virtual data room market. This is mainly due to the rapid increase in the adoption and use of virtual data room services by various businesses and organizations. In a number of developed economies such as the United States and Canada, the adoption of data room services is fast becoming a normal trend.

Similarly, there is a rapidly rising need for safe and secure data transport. This increasing demand for safe and easy methods to ensure secure storage of important data is one of the reasons for virtual data rooms. Similarly, the rising need for efficient and transparent data-sharing ways or options is serving as a point of reference for secure sharing solutions and data security. Due to this need, there is an estimated increase in demand across North America especially spanning the time frame of the forecast period. Similarly, a rising amount of mergers and acquisitions alongside fundraising and collaboration with major stakeholders has served as a reason for market growth.

Virtual data rooms also continue to develop and adopt new technologies. For example, one newer provider, named DealRoom, has recently emerged as a virtual data room and project management software. The software not only includes traditional virtual data room features, such as secure, online data storage but also includes project management features. The project management features are specifically designed to help teams manage due diligence more efficiently. By combining traditional virtual data room features with project management, teams no longer have to switch between Excel trackers, a virtual data room, and email during diligence. Everything can be completed on one platform.

A one-stop-shop method is becoming more and more popular among those managing M&A transactions, such as investment banks and corporate development teams. They can use advanced technology to speed up due diligence and also have a way to manage other aspects of the deal such as post-close integration.

It is expected to see the virtual data room market take on more technology such as artificial intelligence and smart file search. These time-saving tech features greatly benefit users by helping them streamline their processes and operate as efficiently as possible.

Conclusion

There are many different types of virtual data room providers available, some designed for specific industries, others for more broad use. Whatever your need, there is an appropriate virtual data room provider out there.

In conclusion, the virtual data room market is forecasted to become one of the largest markets thanks to its rapid growth. M&A activity hit a record high in 2018, and 2019 has proven to be a strong year as well. Due to this fact alone, the use of virtual data rooms is bound to continue to rise.

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Top-Rated Virtual Data Room Services of 2021-2022.

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Time Management for Bloggers

You only have a few hours left before your next deadline. But you know what, you’re still on Pinterest. You, my friend, need to evaluate your time management strategy. Here’s the thing: time management might seem like an odd concept, but it’s fundamentally important to any business. That’s why you’ll find widely successful firms using time tracking technologies such as WebWork Time Tracker and Trello time tracking addon on employees. What’s that old expression again; time is money. 

Your blog has to start somewhere. In most cases, that somewhere is brainstorming. For starters, you have to do keyword research, blog writing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and more. On top of all that, if you have to deal with a full-time job, the pressure is on. As such, mastering time management skills for anonymous bloggers is essential. Moreover, you can benefit from content marketing and blogging in general. 

Keep on reading to learn why time management is essential to making your blogging successful, despite working full-time on a different career.

Why is Time Management Important?

You’ll have to look at the big picture here. Like it or not; we can’t make more time out of thin air. Everyone has the same limited twenty-four hours in a day to use as they see fit. But, some people can do more within a limited time. The reason is they have a grip on how important time management is, and what they stand to gain from it. Here are eight reasons why time management is essential for bloggers. 

Accomplish more with less time

Let’s be honest; you can produce content consistently for your blog if you spend less time on social media. Take control of your time to improve your ability to focus on your blogging goals. That’s right. With an increased focus on time management comes enhanced efficiency. You wouldn’t want to lose momentum and take longer to go through tasks. 

Build a successful career through time management

Can effective time management lead to a successful career? You bet! Time management allows you to take control. One of the reasons why most blogs find themselves in the proverbial scrap heap is inconsistency. If you feel in control, people will notice. Why do I say this? Leaders in your line of work will come to you whenever they need to get things done. And boom! The increased exposure guarantees career advancements for you.

Free time to relax and unwind

You don’t need to spend a large chunk of your time on a task to get something done. However, there’s an element of allocating many hours to a task. It’s essential to learn how to get something done, within less time. When you get things done in a few hours, you can allocate extra time to relax, unwind, and sleep. 

Improved decision-making

As you have an effective system in place, you’ll discover that a positive side benefit of proper time management is the ability to make well-informed decisions. How? Think about this for a moment; have you made any right decisions whenever you were pressed for time? Yes? That’s right. You’re more likely to jump to conclusions without considering proper decision-making procedures. 

There’s no pressure with effective time management. You can quickly eliminate the pressure and feel calmer and in control. Put this way; you can allocate the time to examine options and when to make the final decision. Sometimes you need to apply time management techniques to diminish your chances of making poor decisions. 

Learning opportunities

Do you need to shift the balance of your workplace? Do you spend too much time doing unproductive tasks? Here’s the thing; learning opportunities are around you. You only need to stop and take full advantage of them. 

By having a time management system in place, you’ll have time to take part in the launch of a new product at work. Or perhaps enjoy lunch with your workmates in other departments, which can become an eye-opening experience. Besides, the more you learn, the more you earn. 

Reduce stress

The very first step to ensure that you are using your time in the best possible manner is to have a management system in place. This system will evaluate each action you spend time on, and ensure you produce the best results possible. As a result, you will feel less rushed and overwhelmed. 

Once you have a time management system in the process, you’ll no longer subject yourself to stress. It will improve your health. We’ve all at one point come across a social media post praising how business leaders spend a lot to stay healthy. Well, they also practice effective time management to get a clear picture of the demand for their time. 

Self-discipline is valuable

Think about your priorities. Do they leave room for procrastination? The better you get at time management, the more self-disciplined you become. As such, the impact can be seen in the areas of your daily life, where the lack of self-discipline has kept you from achieving specific goals. 

Time is limited

This fact applies to everyone. Be it your co-worker who seems to accomplish half the amount of work you do. Also, it applies to your other co-worker who consistently performs more tasks than you. No matter how you want to slice it, the only way you’re going to become an accomplished blogger is if you acknowledge the importance of time.

Conclusion

The positive cycle of effective time management allows you to accomplish more in less time. This system leads to the accumulation of free time, which you can leverage to reduce stress, take advantage of career opportunities, and focus more on self-improvement. All you have to do is get started. What more can time management do for you?

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The main aim of every startup business or investor is to make returns on their investments. For most startup owners, the focus is on growing their businesses and becoming top players in their industries. But the same cannot always be said for their investors. See, investors – even those in total support of your business – are majorly concerned about how to get returns on whatever they have put into your startup. This is where exit strategies for startups come into the picture. 

What is an exit strategy?

Contrary to how it may sound to a layman, an exit strategy is not a way to get rid of or “exit” your business. Instead, exit strategies are ways investors make returns on investments in businesses. Many startup business owners tend to forget the importance of planning an exit for their businesses. Planning an exit strategy for your startup doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the startup; instead, it is a form of insurance for your investor. Your planned exit strategy can even help you decide on how to structure your business and make it attractive to potential investors. A lot of investors request to know the exit strategy before investing in any startup business. So startups need to know the several exit strategies out there, how to plan on using any one of the strategies, and when to exit at the right time.

However, in this article, we will be focusing on the best exit strategies for startups and their investors. We have done some extensive research and put together a list of the best exit strategies. Take a look:

Mergers and Acquisitions

This is one of the most popular exit strategies used by businesses and startups all over the world. M&As – as it is more referred to – are ways startup owners can unite their companies with other companies to become stronger or sell out to bigger companies. In the case of a merger, the startup chooses to unite with another already existing but larger company in the same industry. Mergers are usually done to expand the reach of the companies and gain new, fresh ground in the market. There are several types of mergers, each with a different process. 

Acquisitions, on the other hand, involve the partial or complete taking over of a business by acquiring the business. Acquisitions have the same motives as mergers but entail more of a bigger company buying out the smaller ones. Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram in 2012 has helped both social media giants to grow even bigger together. The acquired business may be allowed to keep its staff, depending on the nature of the buyout. With M&As, both companies involved get a boost and may even attract more venture capitalists than before.

Initial Public Offers (IPO)

Startup owners can choose an exit strategy that offers their investors security on their monies while staying in full control of their business. They can do this by going public and doing an IPO. IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, and it merely means offering some part of your startup business to the general public by selling shares. By going public, your startup will be able to give early returns on investments to your VCs. IPOs also offer you a chance to buy the shares and own part of other companies. Huge global companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Alibaba have all successfully gone public in the past. When done at the right time, IPOs could even raise enough money to grow and expand your business.

Private Offers

This is a way of selling out your startup’s shares or part of the stock to companies or venture capitalists privately. With private offers, less time is needed to plan and execute the private offer. This method doesn’t involve money as it is free and requires no real formal registration to do. The business is privately offered usually to individuals or companies with the same goals and interests. A lot of online-based startups – and even other normal ones – have found ways to raise money online using several methods, including private offers and crowdfunding.

Holding On to Your Cash Cow

Sometimes, not all startups need to sell out or merge with one another to ensure returns for their investors. Sometimes, just continuing the business can be enough. How then do these businesses exit? Well, startups and companies with an excellent business model can decide to continue to operate independently and grow their profits. These types of companies can convince their high-spending VCs (cash cows) to guarantee returns by using part of their profits to pay dividends to investors. The investor is then assured of the startup’s liquidity, and the business can continue without needing to go public or try any other form of exit.

Venture Capital Companies

Investors want returns on their investments, and one way to assure them of that is by keeping a steady cash flow in the business. This can be achieved by refinancing through venture capital companies. These companies usually invest in promising startups by pumping cash into the startup. They provide an unshakeable source of funds for increased growth and development of the startup. Also, with the increased investments, they help draw the attention of other high-spending investors to the startup.

Other exit strategies include removing yourself from the business and letting others carry it forward or entirely dissolving the startup. Even if nobody wants to do that, there may be useful ways to exit.

Every startup has an exit strategy that is most suitable for its goals. The best exit strategy will help you satisfy your investors by giving them returns on investments, making a profit even when your stake is reduced in the business, or reducing your losses if the startup fails. As such, it is best to carefully consider and decide on which exit strategy will be best for your firm. We recommend that you also consider these few things before choosing your exit:

• Consider the possible reason/motive for your exit.
• The pros and cons of the exit.
• Other options to take.
• Relationship with potential acquirers/buyers.

Conclusion

When pitching your startup to investors, one of the major things they want to know is your exit strategy. It is always best to consider and plan an exit strategy right from the beginning of the startup. It should be part of your business plan. Every investor would like to know that their investment is secure and going to yield returns at the end of the day. And most times, the startup’s exit strategy assures them of this. However, it should also be emphasized that the use of data room for startups and investors may be a crucial point.

However, there is no simple way of choosing the right exit strategy for your startup. You are bound to ask questions like “when is the right time to exit?”, “Should you go public or private?”; “Is selling the right option for this startup?” All these questions can be answered through careful planning and structuring. 

Finally, before you go start looking for investors, take a good look at your startup business plan and ask yourself; “if you were an investor, would you put your money into a startup with this exit strategy?”

The post What Are The Best Exit Strategies For Startups And Investors? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

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Know the reason: Why your current social media strategy is not working?

In fact, there are two basic ways to improve the quality of your writing. First, you may hire a professional editor or proofreader. If you have no possibility to do that, you may use online proofreading tools and applications that have been developed for basic proofreading and even for advanced editing. In this article, we are going to cover all the best tools that include both live and machine editing.

Here is the List of Proofreading tools that you can use:

1. Grammarly

Among all the applications that may be installed on the browser or used separately, Grammarly is the best. In fact, this is the number one choice of English-speaking writers from different countries. The app has many options, including grammar and spelling fixes, stylistic improvements, and plagiarism checks. You may use a free version or buy an annual subscription that has some advanced options. However, Grammarly is also considered one of the best online grammar-checking tools. 

2. HemingwayApp

Grammar and spelling mistakes may actually ruin the success of your post, but stylistic mistakes may be even more dangerous. Most of the bloggers tend to write in long sentences, which is actually not good for readers. They prefer short sentences and paragraphs, as well as short texts. Besides, if you have problems with messy writing and mixing ideas and words, HemingwayApp will come in handy.

3. Fiverr

Machine editing is great until you try to work with live editors. Fiverr has a huge selection of editors and proofreaders ready to work with writers from different industries. The changes are really affordable, and if you take care of the quality of your content, paying $5 per hour of editor’s work won’t be too much for you. The benefits of ordering services on Fiverr are obvious:

• You get more time on writing not editing
• You can expect high-quality services and independent opinions on your posts
• You can use the mobile version of the website to find the editors whenever you want
• You can find editors who work with different types of texts
• You can find editors who work with different languages

4. Ulysses

If you still prefer to edit texts on your own, you’d better have direct access to them all the time. Many writers notice that great ideas always come when you have no possibility to fix your writing, but when you get it, you forget everything that you’ve been planning to do. With Ulysses, you’ll get all your texts on your device and will be able to edit them whenever you want. And I will vote it be one of the best proofreading tools.

5. Unplag

Did you know that people hate stolen content? You may not even notice that you write in the same words as other writers, but your readers will definitely see that. Thus, you need to proofread your text on plagiarism as well. This will additionally prevent problems with copyright.

There are many plagiarism checkers like Copyscape, but we would recommend you to choose those with paid accounts. The matter is that they have access to the most recent files and some closed directories; thus, you will be sure that your post was checked in the best way. Unplag is one of the most popular anti-plagiarism checkers that has already proved its efficiency and is currently used by universities and colleges.

6. WriteRack

If you regularly post on Twitter, you’ve already met the problem of telling everything in a couple of sentences. However, this is a challenge even for the best writers and marketers. To save you time, we recommend you use WriteRack, the tool that helps to make your post-Twitter-perfect within a few minutes.

7. Language Tool

Language Tool is perhaps the best application for those who’ve met the problem of poor grammar. If you never notice your mistakes and if you are always wondering why people blame you for them, it’s better to use this app to check every post. It will not take too much time, as the response of the app is immediate and you see all your mistakes highlighted in different colours. You can see the below screenshot for the same.

8. Quill

Quill is more than just any of the proofreading tools. It is an educational app that will teach you how to become a good editor for your own writing. Here, you need to accomplish tasks to master your proofreading skills. You will also get a breakdown of your performance to understand what mistakes are typical for you and what you need to do to fix them.

9. Ginger

You can type your posts directly in Ginger Software, and it will immediately correct you. It works both with spelling and grammar mistakes. However, there is one untypical option that all bloggers love. This software can read the text aloud and notify you if you have used phrases that have been used too frequently and the clichés that you may have used in your writing.

10. Fix Gerald

If you need to check a paper for any plagiarism and need a fast and accurate tool, Fitzgerald is the one to use. This online tool is used by students all over the world and provides fast results. With those results, students can alter papers to improve their success scores and ensure they are submitting an assignment that is unique and written with perfect grammar. By using the latest software, Fitzgerald can cross-reference papers against thousands of sources, both offline and online.

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Proofreading is definitely not fun; it’s hard work that you should never ignore. However, the benefits of this work are so compelling that you will hardly resist using one more app to make your writing better. You will notice that your posts become better, and your visitors start to share them on social media thus attracting, even more, people to your website or blog.

Do you use some of the tools to make your text better? Share them with your colleagues! We will gladly read your insights and discuss the best of the tools!

The post 9 Proofreading Tools To Make Your Blog Posts Shareable appeared first on Tricky Enough.