One may have a small consultancy or a busy e-commerce site, but how quickly and how frequently an internet connection can be accessed can make a huge impact on operations, productivity, and profit. Speed isn’t merely a luxury. It’s a requirement.

That’s why speed and reliability have never been more important in business connectivity — and why investing in business fiber internet makes sense.

Speed and reliability matter for business connectivity for these six reasons.

1. Productivity Ties to Performance

When you have business fiber internet, that means a faster connection for employees.

With an unstable or slow internet connection, mundane tasks like sending emails, opening cloud applications, uploading files, or using video calling will take longer. These small pauses can accumulate into dozens of hours of lost time every week.

2. Dependable Communication is Not a Choice

Performance and speed are important company-wide. A connection that is jittery will result in lag, dropped calls, or frozen videos — disturbances that not only irk employees but also undermine customer confidence in client communication.

In law, medicine, finance, and other fields, faulty communication can have disastrous results. Having access to a fast, stable internet connection ensures that crucial conversations happen without interruption so your business operates effectively.

3. SaaS and Cloud Computing Depend on High-Quality Connectivity

Many companies have moved from on-premises infrastructure to cloud computing and software-as-a-service applications like Salesforce, QuickBooks Online, or Google Workspace. These applications require solid, reliable internet to function well.

If your business is constantly plagued with lag and downtime, your cloud-based platforms are liabilities rather than assets. Speed provides quick data transfers and real-time updates, and reliability provides access to critical resources when they are needed the most.

4. Customer Experience Depends on Internet Performance

Regardless of whether you have an e-commerce website, a help desk ticketing system, or a reservation system, your clients do business with your company through the web. If your web access cannot handle high-speed data transport and real-time service, your customers will encounter delays, timeouts, or no response at all.

These types of technical problems can damage your reputation, lead to negative online reviews, and prompt customers to switch to your competitors. Conversely, quick and trustworthy connections ensure seamless transactions, faster service, and overall better experiences — the ultimate customer satisfaction and loyalty drivers.

5. Downtime Means Lost Revenue

An hour of lost internet can cost a small business hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars. For more established businesses or online-oriented businesses, losses will likely be much greater. Beyond the immediate revenue loss, downtime also affects customer trust, employee morale, and corporate reputation.

Responsive internet eliminates these dangers. Most dedicated internet solutions, including fiber-optic connections, come with service level agreements guaranteeing high uptime — typically 99.99% — and offer remuneration if the levels are not achieved.

6. Gives You an Edge Over the Competition

In the age of the internet, your online connection is just as important as your physical network. Firms with better connectivity can outmaneuver their rivals by reacting faster to shifts and opportunities in the markets, engaging more successfully with customers, and capitalizing on new technologies.

Innovation is about speed and reliability. It enables quicker rollout of new services, more responsive customer service, and better agility in responding to changes in market conditions. Organizations that invest in their connectivity infrastructure position themselves to be leaders and not followers.

As every second counts and more business is done online, a rapid, dependable connection becomes mission-critical to staying productive, competitive, and connected.

Whether you’re working to boost day-to-day operations, support a remote workforce that’s expanding, or deliver round-the-clock service to your clients, an internet connection upgrade is an investment in your company’s long-term success.

Don’t let connectivity issues hold you back. Business fiber internet is a game-changer you can’t afford to ignore.

Photo Credit

Image by AMIRUN BEGUM from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

While there are various ways gamers can enjoy their favorite titles, many enjoy playing on laptops specifically built to accommodate the needs of gamers. A regular machine might be okay for word processing, surfing the internet, streaming movies, and doing other things. But a gaming laptop offers better specs to ensure gameplay isn’t a major letdown.

Many popular franchises require machines offering specific specs. It’s not just about enjoying better gameplay either. Without the right spec, you might not be able to play certain titles. So, if you’re a serious gamer or enjoy specific types of games, a gaming laptop might be a requirement.

But what specs should you look for in a suitable machine? Keep reading to see four things to consider before spending money on a gaming machine.

1. Consider What Games You Enjoy Playing

Before looking at specific gaming laptops, you must consider the types of games you enjoy playing. Real-time strategy games typically require relatively low computing power versus other game genres. If real-time strategy is your thing, you can save on a gaming computer since you won’t need one with the highest-level specs. But for games like Grand Theft Auto, Fortnite, and Apex Legends, you’ll need a gaming laptop with top-notch CPU, RAM, and graphics card specs.

2. Consider the GPU

When looking for a good gaming laptop, you must find something with the right graphics processing unit (GPU). A machine with an inferior GPU won’t produce the required frames per second to enjoy the games you want to play. You’ll want a gaming laptop with the latest GPU for gamers.

If you’re going to cut corners on one spec, the GPU isn’t it. The wrong one will make gaming a task rather than a pleasure.

3. Consider the Screen

The screen is another thing to consider. And while the screen size is important, that’s far from the only screen-related issue to factor into your buying decision. When it comes to the size of the gaming laptop screen, bigger is usually better since it can improve the gaming experience. You’ll pay for that enhanced gaming experience, however.

Another screen-related matter is the resolution. Arguably, the minimum resolution should be 1080p with a 60Hz display, but more of each is better. And, yes, upgrading on those fronts will increase the purchase price. But that’s what it’ll take to get a formidable gaming laptop. Next is the refresh rate. A good gaming machine should have a refresh rate of no less than 144Hz. But aim for higher if you want superior gameplay.

4. Consider Hardware

After looking at the three considerations above, you’re ready to focus on the hardware required for a good gaming machine. Three essential components include the RAM, CPU, and storage.

For RAM, you need at least 16GB. More is better, but don’t even look at a gaming laptop with less than that. While 16 GB is the minimum, getting double that amount is better.

For the central processing unit (CPU), you should go all out. An inferior CPU will make gaming cumbersome and unenjoyable. Most experts recommend Intel i7. But anything above i5 will give you a solid gaming machine.

Another vital consideration is storage. While there are various storage options, you should only look for a gaming laptop with a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs boot up faster, offer better performance, are quieter, and are more durable than other types of storage. It’s a no-brainer.

A gaming laptop is a must if you want to experience games how they were meant to be experienced.

Keep these tips in mind if you need a new machine.

Photo Credits

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

Whether you create a children’s park, outdoor den, or outdoor kitchen is up to you, but taking the time, making the effort, and expending the funds to improve your property is a good idea.

Consider these three questions as you weigh whether to create an outdoor living space.

1. What Sort of Space Are You Looking For?

You must consider what outdoor living spaces interest you most. The sky’s the limit as far as what options are available. Here are a few examples to consider:

Outdoor Kitchen: An outdoor kitchen is similar to an indoor kitchen. You can choose options like a cooking appliance, sink with plumbing, counter space, cabinets, a fridge, and more.

When thinking about an outdoor kitchen, you can set it up to complement your interior kitchen. It can be a perfect space when you have company. You can prepare, cook, and eat a meal outdoors. Depending on your needs and budget, you can get something custom-made to your tastes or find a modular option to save money.

Outdoor Living Room: Does the idea of an outdoor living room tickle your fancy? You can set up an outdoor living room on your porch, deck, patio, or elsewhere on your property. Considering the wide range of outdoor furniture available — sofas, coffee tables, and more — you can create a comfortable and functional space for family and friends to lounge.

Swimming Pool: Setting up an outdoor living space that incorporates an inground swimming pool is another option. You can create a fun area for swimming, sunbathing, and poolside dining.

Bunkie: A bunkie is another great idea for an outdoor living space. It’s a small cabin that you can place somewhere on your property. If you want a quiet space to go just to unwind, host a few friends, or pursue hobbies, a bunkie makes sense.

2. What Space Constraints Are There?

Focus on space constraints after figuring out the type of outdoor living space you want. You might have all the space you need to create whatever outdoor living space you want if you have a large lot. Otherwise, you’ll need to determine whether you have sufficient space.

The last thing you want is an outdoor living space that’s too big for the area. So, consider what you want and how you can execute your plan to improve your property overall.

Working with a professional will help. For instance, if you want an outdoor kitchen, hiring a provider of outdoor kitchens will help you during the decision-making process. If you have any questions, an expert will give you answers so you can make informed decisions.

3. How Much Do You Want to Spend?

Creating an outdoor living space will cost you. But it will add value. Your best bet is to research the type of space you want to see a price range. The next step is to determine if your budget can fund the project you desire most. Budgeting is a must if you want to avoid buyer’s remorse.

Think about how often you’re going to use your outdoor living space. If it’ll only be used occasionally, you might struggle to justify a budget near the high end of the price-point range. But, again, working with a professional will help you proceed without making unnecessary mistakes.

If you’re open to adding an outdoor living space to your property, ask yourself the three questions above. The answers you come up with will help you make the right choice.

Photo Credit

Outdoor  kitchen by Media Director on Flickr

Table photo is from PxHere

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

What follows are some useful ideas and frameworks to leverage as you improve your decision-making skills.

Understand the Context and Consequences

Before making any decision, fully grasp the context. This means understanding the situation’s nuances, the stakeholders involved, and the potential outcomes of various choices. Take the time to gather all necessary information and data to make an informed decision.

Speaking of data – you can’t have too much. In today’s world, data can actually make decisions for you. If you have access to prescriptive analytics, for example, you’re not only able to study the numbers, but you can actually see the best “recommended” course of action based on factors like desired outcome, risk-level, etc. This removes a lot of the pressure from you.

Embrace a Balanced Approach to Risk

Decision-making often involves weighing risks against potential rewards. Develop the ability to assess risks intelligently and consider both optimistic and pessimistic scenarios. While being risk-averse can lead to missed opportunities, taking too many risks can jeopardize your team’s stability and success. That’s why you should typically strive for a balanced approach where calculated risks are taken to achieve growth and innovation without exposing your team to unnecessary hazards. (That’s the mark of a good manager.)

Foster Open Communication

Encourage open dialogue within your team. Listening to different perspectives and ideas can provide valuable insights and highlight aspects of the situation you might not have considered. Create an environment where team members feel comfortable voicing their opinions and concerns. This collaborative approach can lead to more well-rounded and effective decision-making.

Early in a manager’s career, opening up decision-making to a collaborative environment can feel intimidating – possibly even making you feel weak and vulnerable. But over time, you’ll realize that having some trusted voices involved in the collaborative process might be the best thing for you.

In light of this, remember to balance confidence and humility. As a manager, having confidence in your decision-making ability is important, but it’s equally important to remain humble and open to feedback. Be willing to admit mistakes and learn from them.

Prioritize Objectivity and Fairness

Personal biases can cloud judgment and lead to poor decisions. Strive to remain objective, basing your decisions on facts and data rather than emotions or personal preferences. Treat all team members fairly and consistently, ensuring that your choices are aligned with the organization’s values and goals. This fairness fosters respect and trust within your team, which are crucial elements for effective leadership.

Utilize Decision-Making Frameworks and Tools

Various frameworks and tools can help structure your decision-making process. Techniques like SWOT analysis (assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats), cost-benefit analysis, or decision trees can provide a systematic approach to evaluating options and outcomes.

The more frameworks you have in your back pocket, the better. You won’t use all of them on every decision, but each framework and tool has its own utility and purpose. Leveraging these tools at the right times can help clarify the implications of your decisions and lead to more consistent and rational outcomes.

Consider the Timing

The timing of a decision can be as crucial as the decision itself. While some situations require swift action, others may benefit from a more deliberative approach. Assess the urgency of the decision to determine how much time you can afford to spend on the evaluation process. Avoid rushing into decisions without due consideration, but also be wary of procrastination, which can lead to missed opportunities and heightened anxiety among your team members.

Putting it all Together

At the end of the day, it’s healthy to recognize that you don’t have to make every decision alone. In most cases, you have people and resources available to help you make the right choice. Delegating decision-making to team members can empower them and help build their skills and confidence – so do this as much as possible (when appropriate). Your mark as a leader will only be partially decided by outcomes. A big chunk of your reputation will be built on how you treat others. Remember this – and always manage people with the mindset of making them better!

Photo Credit

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

But before you dive in, make sure you understand what you’re getting into. Several common mistakes can swiftly put you behind the proverbial eight ball and leave you in a compromising situation (legally, financially, or otherwise).

In this article, we’ll discuss some of the top errors landlords sometimes make . . . and how you can avoid them.

Are You Making These Landlording Mistakes?

Landlords often get a bad rap for being greedy, opportunistic, and mean. In reality, a few bad apples give the rest of the industry that bad name.

The reason landlords suffer a bad reputation has more to do with the mistakes they make, often unintentionally. If you can manage to avoid these pitfalls, you’ll be much more successful (as well as appreciated).

Here are the top six mistakes you should avoid.

1- Assuming the Property Will Always Be Filled

When you purchase a property, it’s easy to be idealistic and assume the space will be rented 12 months of the year. However, this often turns out not to be the case.

Between turnover and vacancies, you ought to plan for at least four to six weeks of no rental income each year. Take the trouble to factor this into your cash flow projections. If it turns out not to happen, you haven’t lost anything.

2 – Asking Illegal Screening Questions

You can and cannot do certain things when you screen prospective tenants. Make sure you study the Fair Housing Act of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 before you ask potential renters the qualifying questions. For example, you’re not allowed to ask questions or deny applicants based on such factors as race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disabled status, or family status.

3 – Trying to Do Everything Yourself

Don’t stress yourself unnecessarily by tackling everything on your own! As surprising as it might be, 99 percent of the tasks you handle as a landlord can be outsourced to someone else, and there will be little to no loss of quality.

In fact, your business will probably run more smoothly. Just hire a property manager to manage your properties for you. That will make it easy for you to focus on big-picture functions like identifying new investment opportunities.

4 – Not Having an Emergency Fund

If the COVID-19 pandemic showed us anything, it’s that emergencies can strike suddenly and close to home. And, as pretty much every landlord discovered during the pandemic, income is never guaranteed.

This is just one big reason you should have ongoing financial backup. An emergency fund is a dedicated checking account that contains enough cash to cover three to six months of expenses for each property you own. (This includes the mortgage, taxes, insurance, etc.)

By keeping this money on hand, you can be confident you’ll stay afloat for several months, even when there’s little or no money coming in. It also gives you an account from which to draw for unexpected repairs.

5 – Failing to Hold Tenants Accountable

It’s human nature to want to be liked. When a tenant turns in a rent check 24 hours late, you might choose not to implement a late fee.

Or say you catch a tenant smoking on the property and decide to give a warning, instead of issuing a fine if that’s a term in the lease agreement. These might seem like small, innocent decisions – but they could create serious problems for you over the longer haul.

Holding tenants accountable is one of the only ways you can garner respect and get people to follow the rules in the future. Letting things slide may seem kind, but it undercuts your authority. Follow through with the consequences and you’ll have a stronger business.

6 – Being Disorganized With Finances

In most areas of life, disorganization is frustrating. When you’re a landlord, though, being disorganized could actually place you in danger of breaking a law or giving up potential income.

Every landlord has his or her own preferred methods, but it’s a smart idea to maintain one central location to store all your financial documents, receipts, income statements, etc. One option is to create a cloud drive for your rental property business.

Inside the drive, develop a folder for each individual property. Inside each folder, you could save all income and expense documents. If you choose to do this, you’ll need software to track your accounting.

Put it All Together

If you want to be a successful landlord, it’s essential to plan ahead and develop a concrete strategy. It’s just as much about what you do as what you don’t do. Let this article serve as a starting point for doing bigger and better things. Good luck!

Photo Credit

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

Take Notes On Your Smartphone

When you have a meeting, the days of taking written notes are long over. Instead, we can use technology to take notes quickly and accurately on our smartphones. In addition, these devices can be used positively in your meeting and not as a distraction, which is often the case.

Whether you’re holding a brainstorming session with colleagues or doing a presentation, taking notes with your smartphone is a big help. This feature also is helpful for writing business reviews, composing a newsletter, and much more.

Web Conferencing

During the COVID-19 era, millions of people started working from home, and web conferencing has become more critical than ever.

If your team has people working remotely, web conferencing and video calls can make collaboration a breeze. Free tools such as Skype, for example, let you see everyone on the call and allow you to share anything needed, no matter where the team is located.

Interactive Projectors

Have you ever been frustrated with a team member who has the master file of a vital document that no one else can easily access?

Modern projector technology allows people to show a file that everyone can see. Also, everyone in a meeting can even interact with the document, sort of like a whiteboard.

This means that all team members can edit the presentation or document in real-time in a meeting, which encourages participation and interaction.

Also, one of the most frequent complaints about meetings is that a handful of extroverted people dominate the session, and there is little point in others being present.

Interactive projectors also allow people to attend meetings remotely but add comments and thoughts to a virtual ‘wall of ideas’ in the cloud. Others in the meeting can see these thoughts and are more likely to add their thoughts.

Do Meetings On The Company Website

The company website is an ideal place to do business meetings. You can have a video link on your site that allows people to connect in a meeting, no matter where they are.

Also, consider that doing a business meeting on your public website attracts more visitors. Clients and prospects may be interested in sessions that involve products and services your company offers.

In some situations, meetings can be done on your website featuring executives that clients want to hear from regularly.

But keep one thing in mind: Your company website must have a fast load speed for this idea to work. The good news is there are many technologies available that ensure your site is stable and loads quickly on phones and PCs.

Remember Your Technology Limits

All of these ideas can improve the quality and efficiency of your meetings, but it’s for naught if the technology doesn’t work.

How many times have you been at a meeting where the first 10 minutes are dedicated to fixing a video conferencing problem or finding a Powerpoint presentation?

Problems can happen to anyone, but you can head off most of them if you practice the meeting in advance. Ensure that the tech tools you’re relying on for your in-person or virtual meeting are running smoothly and ready to go.

If you leverage some of the technology mentioned above, your meetings will become more professional and productive. And you may impress your bosses, which is always a good thing!

Photo Credit

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

Sure, they might thrive seasonally – for example, in residential neighborhoods near a college, where hotels tend to book up quickly near graduation – but the rest of the time, it seems like they would mostly sit empty, right? It turns out that recent shifts indicate this might not be the case.

Anytime Travel

Even before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people were working remotely than ever. That meant that people had more freedom to change locations and travel on their own schedules, a change that AirBnB took notice of.

As the company’s CEO put it in a recent announcement, “People aren’t just traveling on Airbnb; they are now living on Airbnb.” As a result, the company is planning for a lot more domestic travel, specifically travel oriented toward family gatherings and smaller attractions and locales.

Profit and Process

If property owners and managers are interested in developing a profitable AirBnB operation in a suburban location, they’ll have to do more work than homeowners in larger, more central areas. No one needs to tell travelers why they want to come to New York City or Houston; there’s plenty of information out there.

More to the point, millions of travelers have already visited these urban metro areas and will continue to do so. Suburbs, on the other hand, can leverage their proximity to cities, but they need to offer more than just that.

Suburban AirBnBs: Close-Up on Strategy

What does it take for suburban AirBnBs to succeed beyond mere niche scenarios? There might be multiple routes to success, but one approach that can be particularly fruitful is employing a property management service for your short-term rentals.

A property management service is better equipped to handle year-round traffic, rather than brief, seasonal openings, and to do the promotional work of “selling” the property to potential visitors. In addition, now that so many people travel while also working, property managers can ensure that their clients provide the right services and tools for remote workers, such as access to high-speed Internet services and printers.

Outperforming the Hotel Sector

One of the major advantages suburban AirBnBs have over hotels is that they let families spread out, prepare their own meals, and even enjoy open space, like a backyard or even a pool. This is ideal for people who want to visit relatives who live in the area but who don’t have room to host them.

We’re likely to see a spike in such travel over the coming months as people reunite with relatives they haven’t seen in more than a year. This is also ideal for families that prefer a more low-key holiday: one focused on spending time with each other, instead of rushing from one tourist attraction to another.

The Conversion Option

Despite the growth and diversification we’ve seen in the AirBnB industry in recent years, one final salient factor makes testing the waters in the suburbs worth a try: the ability to convert to long-term housing. As it stands, many already worry about how AirBnB afffects local rental markets and because of this, they’re regulated differently in various regions.

When you offer a property as an AirBnB in a suburban area, you’re taking a risk because you can’t guarantee there will be sufficient traffic to make the property profitable … but there’s nearly always a demand for housing in these zones. That means that, if you try to run a property as an AirBnB and it doesn’t succeed, you always have the option to convert it into a long-term rental.

You could also choose to diversify your holdings, with both AirBnB and long-term rentals under the same management in the same general region, so you can adjust your offerings based on the demand over time.

Not every suburb can support short-term rental properties, but many areas can, so it may be quite reasonable to test the waters. Be prepared either to take a financial hit or be overwhelmed by demand.

It could go either way or some outcome in between, but you won’t know what’s possible unless you give it a try.

Photo Credit

Photo by Jamie McCaffrey on Flickr – Some Rights Reserved

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

While the CPA exam isn’t impossible to pass, there are a couple of sections known to be more difficult than others: FAR and REG. As a general rule, focusing extra attention on those sections will give you an advantage that may help you pass on the first try.

Before discussing the hardest exam sections in detail, here’s a quick summary of each section.

A brief overview of the CPA exam sections

The CPA exam consists of four test sections you’ll need to complete within an 18-month window. The four sections are:

• Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
• Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
• Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
• Regulation (REG)

Each of these four sections contains five sets of questions: multiple-choice questions, task-based simulations that mimic real situations, and written communication tasks.

AUD

The AUD section includes 72 multiple choice questions and eight task-based simulations.

AUD questions and tasks center on ethics professionals responsibilities & general principles; assessing risk and developing a planned response; performing further procedures & obtaining evidence; and forming conclusions & reporting.

BEC

The BEC section includes 62 multiple choice questions; 4 task-based simulations; and three written tasks.

BEC questions and tasks center on corporate governance, economic concepts & analysis, financial management, information technology, and operations management.

FAR

The FAR section includes 66 multiple choice questions and eight task-based simulations.

BEC questions and tasks center on conceptual framework, standard-setting & financial reporting; select financial statement accounts; select transactions; and state & local governments.

REG

The REG section includes 76 multiple choice questions and eight task-based simulations.

REG questions and tasks center on ethics, professional responsibilities, & tax procedures; business law; federal taxation of property transactions; federal taxation of individuals; and federal taxation of entities.

Why is the FAR exam section difficult?

The majority of test-takers consider the FAR section of the CPA exam most difficult because it deals mostly with financial accounting and reporting of for-profit entities. Test-takers report this section is especially difficult when they haven’t been in college for a while and need to study hard to get back to the basics.

The FAR section of the CPA exam is tricky and comprehensive, making it more difficult for people without accounting experience. However, people with accounting experience report the FAR section was easier than they expected, while they struggled with other sections.

Why is the REG exam section difficult?

For most people, the REG section is the second hardest section to pass. For some people, the REG section is the hardest. However, for test-takers with no tax experience, the REG exam section is usually the hardest. The U.S. tax code is complex; having experience will help you get through the REG section of the CPA exam.

Tips for passing these difficult exam sections

If you want to pass these difficult sections on the first try, you’ll need to do more than memorize content in your study materials. Here’s what you can do to increase your chances of passing the first time you sit for the exam.

1. Take a prep course

Taking a CPA prep course is non-negotiable if you want to pass all four sections and get your license. Memorizing information is crucial, but you need to be ready to translate your knowledge into correct answers in a testing environment.

A CPA prep course will give you access to practice tests along with an instructor so you can ask questions and get answers.

2. Get an internship

Getting an internship isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got the time and drive, you’ll reap great rewards. Many test-takers have reported passing the REG because of their experience with tax preparation and other tax-related tasks. If you can get an internship or even a regular job where you’ll need to work with tax-related regulations, you’ll have an advantage when taking the REG exam.

3. Reschedule your test if necessary

You’ll be ready to take your exam when you’re ready. If you feel like you need a little more time to study and prepare, take that time. Don’t hesitate to reschedule a test if you think having more time will help you pass. Just make sure you reschedule the test, so it falls within your 18-month required window.

Don’t give up

If you don’t pass a section the first time, study harder and keep trying until you pass. The CPA exam isn’t easy, but with patience and dedication, you’ll get your license.

Photo Credit

Image by Firmbee from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

Living Organ Donation

There are only a few organs that can be provided by living donors, with kidneys top among them because, although the human body has two of them, it’s possible to live with just one. That doesn’t mean there’s a lot of enthusiasm for the practice, though. People are hesitant to give an organ because, what happens if their remaining kidney fails? And what about the surgery? Even when the recipient is a close relative, it takes a great deal of bravery to donate a kidney.

The good news is that that living kidney donors needn’t worry much about offering an organ. Not only is kidney donation a relatively low-risk surgery and often performed laparoscopically, but in the event that a donor’s remaining organ eventually fails, they are moved to the top of the waiting list. Their sacrifice is recognized. But not just anyone can step up to donate a kidney.

Screening Donors

To become a living kidney donor, individuals have to undergo extensive screenings. Kidney donors need to be in good physical health, must have a compatible blood and tissue type, and must undergo a psychiatric evaluation. That last criteria is important because the evaluator is looking not just for uncontrolled mental illness, but also for any signs that the donor is acting under duress or being inappropriately coerced to donate an organ. Organ donors can’t be shown to be under pressure or be financially compensated for their donation.

Stranger Donation

The majority of kidney donations occur between relatives or friends. In fact, when someone needs an organ donation, families often arrange for community donor screenings to find a match if no immediate relative qualifies. However, because living donation is possible and because it is a comparatively low-risk surgery, sometimes doctors will make an exciting arrangement to give more patients a chance at donation: a transplant chain or domino transplant.

In such chains, living donors who wish to donate a kidney to a friend or relative, instead volunteer to give their organ to a stranger in return for their chosen recipient receiving a kidney from this shared pool. This can be just two or three people, or be an elaborate chain of surgeries involving five or more donors. It’s an amazing way to reduce wait times and help patients resume their normal lives.

Many patients wait for almost two years for a kidney, often undergoing dialysis three times a week in order to eliminate toxins from the body. They may have to leave their jobs, live on their savings and Social Security benefits, and incur significant medical debt. It’s a stressful and devastating time that always has the possibility of ending in death. For those in kidney failure, though, living organ donors can make a world of difference. They save lives – and that is a rare and amazing thing.

Photo Credit

Photo is Wikimedia Creative Commons

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.

If you’re interested in seeking new thrills, but you want something a little more down-to-earth, we’ve got just the hobbies for you.

Accessible Activities for Thrill Seekers

These hobbies and activities should be available to you even if you don’t have the means to travel or make big purchases.

1 – Try power boating (and related activities). Power boats can be incredibly fast, with the speed record well in excess of 300 mph. Of course, you don’t need to go that fast to experience a thrill. If you rent a power boat, or ride with someone who owns one, you’ll feel a thrill just being in the passenger seat of an average model. If you’re looking for something even more intense, there are a variety of sports you can try that are associated with power boats; for example, you can try wakeboarding.

2 – Get on a roller coaster. Roller coasters are designed to evoke a natural high that comes with facing (and conquering) fear. The high climb may give you a tinge of anxiety, and the plummet that comes after will make you feel like you’re racing toward death. You’re perfectly safe, of course, so when you get used to the sensations and pull in for a final stop, you’ll feel exhilarated. You can likely find a roller coaster somewhere within an hour or two drive of your current location, and most amusement parks are affordable to attend.

3 – Go rock-climbing. Rock climbing demands significant physical exertion, as well as patience and concentration. If you have rock formations nearby, this is an ideal hobby for you. Otherwise, you can hit up a local rock-climbing gym and test your skills in a slightly safer environment.

4 – Learn to skateboard. Skateboarding is a somewhat risky activity, but as your skills increase, you’ll gradually become more competent. Get used to your footing and momentum, then head to a local skate-park and get started on a half-pipe. Just make sure you wear a helmet and other protective gear.

5 – Try ice swimming. If you live in an area that gets cold during winter, see if there are any local clubs or communities that practice ice swimming—the practice of swimming in nearly-freezing water. This is a risky activity, so make sure you have other people available to support and/or assist you, but it can be absolutely exhilarating when you emerge and dry off.

6 – Partake in an endurance race. You can also tap into the thrill-seeking part of your brain by partaking in an endurance race, like a running marathon or a biking century. If you’re not in shape, it may take some time to work up to this level. However, the training can also be a thrill-seeking activity of its own; when pushed to the brink of exhaustion, you’ll experience a natural high.

7 – Go ziplining. Ziplining courses are becoming more popular, so there’s likely an option in your area. Climb to the top of a tree and hang on tight as you zoom all the way down to the bottom; you’ll hit amazing speeds and experience amazing sights along the way.

8 – Hang glide. Arguably one of the less accessible items on this list, hang gliding is available anywhere with a decent height differential. Learn from an experienced coach, then try it on your own.

9 – Race cars. If you have a fast car (or if you can drive a friend’s), head to a local race track or join a motor sports club so you can test it out. Just don’t race on the street!

10 – Experiment with VR. Virtual reality (VR) was once expensive, but is gradually becoming more affordable. If you get a realistic headset and a good PC, you can simulate almost any thrill-seeking experience in the comfort of your own living room. Choose a simulator to get the experience of a steep fall or intense speeds, or test your bravery by playing through a horror game in a fully immersive experience.

Trying New Things

One of the best ways to experience a thrill is to simply try something new for the first time. Experiment with new hobbies as often as possible, and hit up friends and family members for ideas about new things you can try. Chances are, there are a lot of inexpensive, accessible ways to tap into your inner thrill-seeker.

Photo Credit

Hang Gliding Image by JacLou DL from Pixabay

Rock Climbing Image by 7163893 from Pixabay

Guest Author Bio
Jamie Lansley

Jamie is a freelance writer who covers trends in business, technology, and health. She loves to go skiing, camping, and rock climbing with her family.