Archives for March 2021

How to Increase Your Daily Water Intake

Since your body is around 70% water, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that you need to drink water to be in your best health. Water is essential for many different roles in your body including your blood pressure, joint health, cell health, body temperature regulation, electrolyte balance and more. While most of us know just how important it is to stay hydrated, it’s not always as easy as that. Here are some simple things to try if you want to drink more water throughout the day.

How Much Water Do You Need?

Before taking steps to drink more water, it’s important to understand your body’s fluid needs. Around two liters or eight cups per day of water is the general recommendation; however, everybody is different, so it’s worth working out your personal daily water intake using a calculator that takes various individual factors about your lifestyle into account to determine how much water you need for best health.

Set a Daily Water Goal

Having a goal that you work to reach throughout the day is a simple yet effective way to encourage yourself to drink more water. Having a goal to work towards can be motivating in itself and the sense of achievement that you will experience once you hit your daily goal can help to keep you going and make a lasting, positive change. Make sure that your goal is easy for you to achieve; for example, you might decide to refill and drink all the water from your water bottle four or five times throughout the day. You can also find water tracking apps that you can use to record how much you drink.

Invest in a Reusable Water Bottle

By now, most of us are trying to cut down on single-use plastic, so it’s a good idea to keep a reusable water bottle with you throughout the day. Investing in a water bottle that will keep your water cool all day long will encourage you to drink more and make it easy for you to sip water in any setting. Having your water bottle with you will also serve as a visual reminder to drink more water and refill it wherever you can.

Switch Other Drinks for Water

Replacing other drinks that you might normally have in a typical day with water is a good way to ensure that you are fully hydrated. For example, if you drink a lot of juice, diet soda, or tea and coffee, having water instead of these drinks for at least a couple of cups per day will help you increase your water intake and reduce sugar intake from sodas and juices.

Get a Water Filter

Most areas have tap water that is safe to drink, but if you don’t like the taste or have some concerns about the quality of your tap water, it’s a wise idea to invest in a water filter. In-line water filters can be installed to ensure that you have access to clean and fresh-tasting water at all times without the need to go out and purchase spring water, which makes it a more eco-friendly option too.

Infuse Your Water

If you are getting bored with the taste of plain water, or tend to drink more when your drinks have a bit of flavor, there are some options to consider that might encourage you to hydrate more. You can get fruit infuser water bottles that have a compartment in the middle of the bottle where you can place your favorite fruits before leaving it in the fridge overnight to infuse. Or, you can purchase products designed to enhance the flavor of your water. Sugar-free squash is another option you might want to consider if you really don’t like water but want to increase your fluid intake.

Eat Water-Rich Foods

Another simple way to get more water throughout the day is to eat foods that have a high water content. Many fruits and vegetables are made up of a huge amount of water, so you don’t need to drink all of the water that you get in a typical day. Lettuce, for example, has 96% water so a salad for lunch could be a good way to get hydrated, while honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelons all have at least 90% water if you are looking for a healthy, sweet and hydrating treat. Fruits and vegetables that have a high water content are also packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that will boost your health, so it’s a win-win.

If you want to drink more water but are struggling to increase your fluid intake, try these tricks to stay hydrated.

 

A Guide to Post-Graduation Life

College is an amazing time. You’re surrounded by friends and like-minded people on a daily basis. It’s an opportunity to strike out on your own after years of living at home with your family, and it’s a great time to develop your own sense of self. You spend your days studying with friends, drinking coffee, reading, and listening to music, and your nights are spent dancing, drinking, and having fun.

Life after college can feel like a big adjustment, and it’s another big step. If you’re worried about life after you graduate, here is a guide to help you get settled into the world of work.

Finding a Job

Finding a job straight out of college is hard. Nearly everybody graduates at the same time, and the job market gets saturated with college grads every year, with everyone vying for similar positions.

A lot of people end up having to do unpaid or low-paying internships to get their foot in the door of a career or a company they like the look of. It’s not for everyone—many people simply aren’t in a financial position to work for free.

If you’re struggling to find work and get paid, consider taking a part-time volunteer role or internship and working in a bar or coffee shop to support yourself. It’s hard work, but hopefully will be a temporary solution to get you the experience you need to get hired elsewhere.

Keep in Touch

Post-graduation life can be a shock to the system in terms of your social life. If you moved away for college, the majority of your friends might be dotted around the country. It’s hard to go from seeing your friends every day to being hundreds of miles away, but make the effort to keep in touch.

Schedule regular phone calls and video chats with friends, and plan road trips—you can always meet halfway.

Be an Active Alumnus

If you’re missing campus life, consider getting involved with your former college’s alumni scheme. Universities love hearing from former students.

Why not organize a fundraising drive to help your alma mater raise money? There are many types of effective college fundraiser, and schools always need the extra cash.

Once you’ve found a job, you could also consider becoming a mentor for current students. Get in touch with your favorite professor to see if anyone has questions you could answer about your new line of work.

Don’t Get Burned Out

The world of work can be hard, and post-college burnout is real. If you’re trying to maintain an active social life, find a job, go on dates, see family members, and pay your rent on time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Make an effort to take care of yourself as often as you can. Eat healthy foods, get enough exercise, and aim for eight hours of sleep every night. Stress can easily overwhelm even the most level-headed people, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

The important thing to remember after you graduate is that everyone’s going at their own pace. Some of your friends will find well-paying jobs straight out of college, move into a gorgeous apartment, and get married. Others will take years before they get to that stage, if they ever do. Set yourself achievable goals and work hard, but don’t beat yourself up if things aren’t panning out well as quickly as you’d hoped; life isn’t a race.

 

How to Welcome a Cat into Your Family

It might be really exciting for you when you bring a new pet home, but for them, the process can be really scary.

From the car journey to the cat basket to exploring their new surroundings, your new pet has a lot of stress in its first few days. It’s important as responsible pet owners that we do everything we can to minimize the amount of stress put on them during the adjustment period.

If you’re new to owning a pet and have decided to welcome a cat into your family, this guide should help you to navigate the first few days.

Take time off work

Taking time off work is often something people do when adopting dogs, but it can be just as helpful for cats. Being at home while they explore will help put them at ease as they familiarize themselves with their new family and home.

It’s often assumed that as cats are more independent, they don’t need supervision. But providing this support and comfort during their transition phase will help them recognize who you are and reassure them that they’re safe. Leaving them in a new surrounding alone for long periods – especially if they are a rescue animal – may leave them feeling neglected once again.

Create a safe space

During the first 24 hours, don’t be too concerned if your new family member hides away for most of the day. They’ll quickly find a safe space and stay put until they are more comfortable and ready to explore.

To make the move less intimidating, it is important to provide your kitty with a smaller, quiet, safe space before introducing them to the full house. For example, you might want to close the doors to one room, so they are safe to explore. It’s also worth mentioning that if you have other pets or small children, you should allow the cat to settle in more comfortably before introducing them.

Help them navigate

This is particularly important if you are bringing a kitten home. Whether they are newly litter trained or need a few more lessons, you should be available to navigate them to the right places.

If you leave your new pet unsupervised, they can often cause mischief while distressed. This could be anything from tearing something apart to scratching the sofa or going to the toilet in the corner of the room.

By taking time off work, you can redirect your cat to where the litter tray is, their food bowl, and where they can use a scratching post.

Keep supplies close

Once they’re ready to explore, wait for them to create contact with you rather than the other way round. It can be easy to assume that once they’ve come out of their hiding space, they’re ready to snuggle or play. But bombarding them with toys could be three steps back in progress.

That said, a bag of tasty treats could help them feel more relaxed around you and even lead to a little cuddling.

Make sure you’re equipped with all the supplies you might need over the first few days. You can get everything from litter trays to treats, food, and supplements at exceptionalpets.com.

Taking things slowly and working at a pace that suits the cat will ease the transition period. Within a few days, your new pet will be snuggling, playing, and exploring.

 

7 Must-Read Breastfeeding Tips

Many new moms often experience much guilt when struggling with breastfeeding. However, it is common to encounter difficulties or discomfort when you first get started.

Thankfully, many solutions, tricks, and products can make the experience feel like a breeze. If you are having difficulty with nursing, check out these seven must-read breastfeeding tips.

  1. Switch Positions
    If your baby is struggling to latch onto your breast, consider switching positions. You might have more success laying on your side with your baby. As your baby’s nose will not feel pressed against your chest, they might latch on quickly. Plus, it is a comfortable position for new moms who have pain from childbirth.
  2. Touch Your Baby’s Feet
    It might surprise you to discover that your newborn will nurse better when you touch their feet. When nursing, you should place their feet in your hand, against your leg, or on a pillow or arm of a chair. It will make them feel more secure and comfortable.
  3. Use a Husband Pillow
    The wrong position can make breastfeeding a difficult task. Ensure you adopt the correct upright position by buying a husband pillow. It will ensure you are comfortable and can help you support your baby when nursing. It is a must-have product you won’t regret buying, and, as it is portable, you can even take it to the hospital to enjoy breastfeeding success.
    The oversized back pillow is made from premium shredded memory foam, which will provide fantastic comfort and support during those late-night feedings. Learn more at husbandpillow.com.
  4. Eat Milk-Producing Foods
    The food you eat can determine your milk supply, as certain vitamins and minerals can boost lactation. Add the following foods into your diet to improve milk production:
    Protein-rich foods, such as chicken, tofu, eggs, and seafood
    Pumpkin
    Fennel
    Fenugreek
    Also, you must keep your body hydrated throughout the day to support your milk supply and flow.
  5. Skip the Pacifier for the First Month
    Breastfeeding moms should avoid giving their baby a pacifier during their first month. It is believed it can suppress their hunger cues and reduce their time nursing. If you want to provide your baby with a pacifier to soothe them, avoid doing so until they are a month old.
  6. Skin-to-Skin Nursing
    If your baby is struggling to feed, it might help to strip both of your clothing and go skin-to-skin. If you want to cover your modesty should someone walk into the room, you can always drape a blanket across you. The close contact will help calm your newborn and may trigger the feeding instinct. Give it a try the next time your baby appears fussy during a feed.
  7. Talk to Other Breastfeeding Mom
    Many of your friends or relatives may have chosen to breastfeed their children. If so, ask them for advice to help you nurse with ease. They will likely have adopted an effective position or bought a product that made the experience much easier. Ask for their help, and they might even be happy to sit with you during a feed to improve your technique or comfort.

3 Emergency Repair Services You Should Think About

It can be extremely frustrating when something you rely on every day suddenly stops working and even more so when you don’t immediately know how to remedy the situation. This is one of the reasons why you should always know the number of a good repair service. However, with so many different devices, machines and tools being vital to your day-to-day life, it can be difficult to know what kind of emergency repair services you should be memorizing. To help with this problem, this guide explains exactly why these three repair services should be in your contacts.

1. Car Repair

There are very few people in the modern world who can afford to get by without any kind of transport, and if you have your own car, then the chances are you are going to be pretty dependent on it in your everyday life. That dependence is exactly why it is so disruptive when you do run into car troubles. Suddenly, you are going to be dependent on either public transport, private hire vehicles or a rental car to get around, none of which are going to be cheap.

This is one of the reasons why a good car repair service is so beneficial, especially if your car was put out of commission by some kind of accident. Services such as San Diego Auto Body and Paint should definitely be saved into your phone’s contacts, for just such occasions. Having a service on hand that can bring your car back from the brink of destruction is incredibly useful and could save you quite a bit if you don’t have to buy a new car.

2. Computer Repair

With the exception of your phone, there are likely very few things you use more than your laptop or desktop. Being such incredibly versatile devices, there are any number of things you rely on your computer for, from entertainment to work. This makes it especially devastating when your device suddenly stops working. In these situations, time is often of the essence to ensure that, at the very least, the data on your computer can be salvaged, which is why having the number of a service like Geeks on Site to hand is incredibly beneficial. Having easy and quick access to this service means you won’t have to try and find one on your phone, while your spilled drink is seeping deeper into your precious electronics.

3. Boiler Repair

The last, but certainly not least, annoying issue on this list is your boiler. Having a functional boiler is incredibly important, especially if you are a fan of nice hot showers. Having an unexpected issue with your boiler can be especially irksome as it will inevitably only be noticed when you are trying to use the hot water that you no longer have. In these situations, it is supremely useful to have a number saved on your phone that you can simply call and arrange to have a professional from a company such as Service Experts come to deal with your boiler problem.

You may still have to boil your bath water with a kettle or on the stove until the technician arrives, but the process will be quicker and less painful than if you hadn’t of saved the contact.

When is it the right time for a retirement home?

Deciding when it is the right time to go into a retirement home/facility can be such an incredibly hard decision. You want to make sure you are making the right choice and are well prepared for the next step in your life. There is a lot to consider along the decision-making path.

To start off with, a great way of having a proper think about whether it’s the right time for you or your loved one to move into a retirement home is by visiting some websites; one option could be Cedar Village, you can also go and physically visit different places. It’s a great idea to go on tours and have a look at a whole range of places to make sure you choose the one most suited to you.

Speak to a doctor

Probably the person who will know the absolute best whether it is time for you to move into a retirement home is your doctor. Book an appointment to talk through with a trusted doctor what they think would be best. Ask them if they think you are ready for that step and whether that would be the best decision for you.

Check how your health is with a health check-up and check to see how they think your health will be going forward. Do they think you should move in straight away or soon? Or are you fine for the foreseeable future, and the move to a retirement home is something that is still far off.

Speak to family and friends

The other people who will have a good idea on whether it is time for you to start the next chapter of your life are your close family and friends. You need to have some big honest conversation with the people you love and who care about you and see how they think you are doing. Be honest about how you feel and find out if other people have noticed that you need extra help that would be best suited to the lifestyle of a retirement home.

It might be hard to work out on your own whether this step is the right one right now, but it’s never too soon to check in with those around you and find out if this could be something coming up that you need to start thinking about and preparing for.

Find the right place

When deciding where to go, you want to make sure you are looking at all your options, see where you would like to be. Make sure you are comfortable with the rooms, look at pricing, look at whether the places you are looking at are fully capable of providing you with any of the care that you might need, not just now but also in the future if your health changes while staying in the retirement home.

Activities and entertainment are also another great reason to move into a residential home as you can meet lots of people in a similar situation to you and try new things do some of the things that you love.

What to ask potential retirement homes

When heading to retirement homes to take a tour, there are some things you can do to prepare. It can be a good idea to make a list of questions to ask the staff you meet while you are on tours of retirement homes prior to your visit.

Here is a list of the questions that are great to ask to really give you full knowledge and look at the facility:

• What are the room options available for me? Do I have a choice?

• What activities are provided? Will any cost more?

• What activities or entertainment is provided?

• What are their reviews?

• Are residents happy here?

• What sort of security is in place?

• What sort of routine do you have in place?

• How flexible are you with your resident’s routine?

• Are there specific times for guests to come?

• How many staff are there at any time?

Actually deciding to make the change

Making the change from living in your current home to a retirement home can be such a huge step. This daunting change comes about when the time is right, and it’s not something to be afraid of. Here are some great ways to make sure you are prepared.

What to bring with you

Although it might seem like quite a basic thing to do, what you bring with you will really help to broach this change. You want to be surrounded by all the things that you love and that you are familiar with. Bringing photos of loved ones and friends is a great idea, as well as any decorations that remind you of home and will let you feel more comfortable in your new environment.

Alternative options

Of course, retirement homes can be the best option, whether you are looking for independence and meeting more new people or looking for assisted living that gives people more help and comfort, but there are other options out there. One thing that you could consider is moving to a home that is more accommodating and staying there. The best idea would be a bungalow or low-level flat as stairs can become challenging as we get to later life.

The other thing that can make a lot of difference in your quality of care and help you stay living in your own home is to hire help. There are some great options out there for hired help that can come in and take care of you and help with any medical or basic tasks that you find challenging to do alone.

You could have someone move in for 24/7 care or just have people come in regularly and at regular intervals in the week.

This can be a great choice for people who aren’t comfortable relocating and what to stay wherever it is that they are currently living and stick to their more normal schedule and daily rituals.

How to Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer

Choosing a lawyer isn’t an easy task when you don’t have a background in law yourself!

It can be easy to become blindsided by legal terminology when you are speaking with potential legal representation, so it can be difficult to know if the services they are offering are what you need or if you are just being sold something that you could probably do without.

Not knowing the law, it can be difficult to know how to compare prospective law firms at the best of times, let alone when you are going through the stress of dealing with a personal injury claim.

Read on to find out what constitutes a personal injury claim, why it’s so important to find the right lawyer, what you should expect to pay, and crucially, what skills you should be looking for in a personal injury lawyer.

What is a personal injury claim?

A personal injury is defined as “an injury not to property, but to the body, mind, or emotions.” So in any situation where you have become ill or injured, you have sustained a personal injury.

A good example to illustrate personal injury as given by Cornell University is slipping and falling on a banana peel at the grocery store. Personal injury would cover any actual harm you sustained in the fall, such as bruising and broken bones, and it also covers emotional harm that you may suffer as a result of falling in public. It would not, however, cover damage to your watch if that broke in the fall.

Suppose you have experienced a personal injury that was the fault of another party. In that case, you may be able to make a personal injury claim to help you to cover the cost of your legal expenses and also to fund things like time missed from work as a result of the injury.

How many personal injury cases are there?

According to the US Department of Justice, there are over 400,000 personal injury cases in the US every year!

Of these 400,000 cases, only around 4% ever go to trial, which is roughly 16,397 cases.

This is because the majority of personal injury cases are settled out of court. In most cases, insurance companies will make an offer to settle the case before it ever goes to trial, and because going to trial can be a stressful experience for people without a background in law, they will take the settlement.

Why is choosing the right lawyer so important?

It’s important that you choose the right lawyer to represent you because in personal injury cases, it will be you up against a large insurance company

a lot of the time.

The insurance company’s job is to try to convince you to settle for less money than you deserve. They are so frequently successful at this because the legal world is overwhelming for people who don’t understand it, and so it’s important that you have an experienced lawyer with you who you can trust to help you to navigate it.

A lot of the time, even with a personal injury lawyer, your case won’t end up going to court, but having a lawyer usually means that a more reasonable settlement amount will be negotiated. An experienced lawyer will have a good knowledge of what a fair settlement amount is for each case type and can use this knowledge to negotiate in a way that would be difficult for someone who didn’t share their experience level.

How much should I expect to pay?

Lawyers are renowned for being expensive, and it’s true that their expertise does come with a price tag.

If you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer, it’s a good idea to find a firm that will take your case on a contingency fee basis, which means that they don’t take payment from you unless you win your case. They should take their fee into consideration when negotiating your settlement, so you won’t end up out of pocket.

Brown and Crouppen Law Firm offer this service because they believe that everyone deserves access to the best possible legal representation, and they are fighting to level the playing field against big insurance companies.

It’s also a good idea to take advantage of this service to assess whether your case has a chance of winning, as experienced lawyers in the personal injury field will have a good idea of which cases are likely to win and which ones are not. Assessment of your case should be free, regardless of whether you decide to continue with it.

What should I look for?

Lawyers are highly qualified professionals; it takes seven years of full-time study after high school just to qualify.

Your lawyer should be registered with the state bar association at a minimum, which will have performed stringent checks to ensure that they are qualified. Not only this, but to remain registered with the bar, lawyers must continue their education so that they keep up to date with changes to the law. They are required to periodically prove their level of education.

When you are looking for a personal injury lawyer specifically, it’s important that you choose one who has experience in that particular area of the law.

‘The law’ is such a huge subject that it would be very difficult for a lawyer to be proficient at practicing in all areas, so usually, lawyers will choose a specialist area in which to work and continuously educate themselves.

Choose a lawyer who is a personal injury specialist, and not only this has proven experience in the field. Any personal injury lawyer who has been practicing for a long time should be able to give you information regarding their case history, specifically how many cases they have taken on and won, and what kind of settlements can be expected for each type of case.

Lawyers who have done an excellent job for their clients should also be able to show you client testimonials, which will enable you to see what kind of experience their past clients had and give you a feel for whether they are the sort of firm that you would want to work with.

 

Keep Your Home Cool Without Opening the Windows: A Guide

As much as people enjoy the summer months when the heat reaches its highest point, the reality is that it can be incredibly uncomfortable and leave you wanting to do nothing but lay in a cool room. For some people, opening the windows to let in a cool breeze is an option, but for those living in hotter parts of the world, sometimes this can make the discomfort worse. Opening windows also means being disturbed by the noises coming from outside, which isn’t ideal if you’re trying to sleep. So, how do you keep your home cool without doing this? Below are some tips you might want to use this summer.

Air Conditioning

The most obvious option for keeping your home cool without opening the windows is investing in a great air conditioning system. A lot of homes around the world already have these in place, especially for ones that are located in hotter areas. If you’re interested in having air-con installed at your property, look at thefurnaceoutlet.com for more information and to find the right type of air-con for you.

Close Your Blinds/Drapes

As nice as it is to have your home filled with sunlight in the hottest months, this can turn your home into a greenhouse and make it unbearably hot. If you don’t want to open your windows, instead close your blinds or drapes to stop the sunlight from heating your rooms. While it might still feel a bit stuffy inside, this will make your home feel much cooler than if you had them wide open.

Breathable Bedding

Another way to make sure you feel comfortable at home during the heat is by having light, breathable bedding. Summer nights can leave you tossing and turning because it’s too hot to sleep, and no one wants to be left feeling cranky when the sun comes up! If you can’t sleep with the bedroom window open, make sure you have the air-con on and only place a light blanket or sheet over you so you can drift off at a reasonable hour.

Purchase Quality Fans

If, for whatever reason, you can’t get air conditioning in your property, or you don’t want to, the other option is investing in some quality fans to place around the house. They will be particularly useful if you need to sit and work at your computer during the day, as the heat from these kinds of electronics will make you feel even warmer. The cool air will help you concentrate throughout the day. They’re also great for keeping you cool when you’re sleeping or in front of the TV when you’re trying to relax.

Turn Off Electrics When Not in Use

As mentioned above, your computer will radiate heat when it’s in use, and so will other electrics in your home. Not only will switching them off when they’re not is use save you money on your energy bills, but it will also help to keep your home’s temperature at a comfortable level. You’ll also be doing your bit for the environment, so it’s a win/win!

If you want to keep your home cool this summer but don’t want to leave your windows wide open, use these tips and see how they can make a big difference.

Essential Products for Any Cannabusiness

As both medicinal and recreational use of cannabis has become more accepted throughout the United States, a rapidly-growing industry has introduced numerous new products onto the market. In effect, the “cannabusiness” is a thriving market for new entrepreneurs who wish to bring the hemp plant and its extracts to an entire demographic that’s unaware of its health and wellness benefits. As popular as dispensaries have become, many small businesses have also popped up in order to create unique items that fit into the overall “cannabis lifestyle,” such as new accessories and add-on products for diverse forms of hemp enjoyment.

With that in mind, if you’re opening your own cannabis shop, either online or as an in-person dispensary, here are just a few essential products that any cannabusiness should carry for its long-term customer satisfaction and success.

Recreational Accessories for Everyday

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For those cannabis enthusiasts who lean toward the recreational-use side of hemp, there are many variations for ingestion: edibles, oils, or the traditional bud smoking. However, many accessories have also been introduced into the cannabis industry, which many shops and dispensaries should offer their customers for a great competitive edge. For example, for those cannabis lovers who still enjoy smoking the plant’s buds in the traditional way, there comes the age-old annoyance of marijuana smoke odor, which can be both inconvenient for those living in the same residence as the hemp user, and present the challenge of getting that smoke smell out of draperies and garments in the washing machine.

The smell of smoke, no matter how fragrant the natural bud, and unavoidable smoky clothes, can be a point of contention. For those wondering how to get smoke smell out of clothes, new companies, such as Veil, act as marijuana odor eliminators, and are uniquely formulated to replace the pungent aroma of cannabis with pleasant fragrances throughout the home. In addition, an odor eliminator not only comes in an easy-to-use spray bottle fit for travel, but can help prevent that smoke smell from permeating into the fabric of your clothing items and household draperies and linens. Where once burning incense was the long-used solution to eliminating marijuana smoke smell, this new concept comes in different scents and varieties according to the cannabis smokers’ own preferences.

Health and Wellness Items

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Aside from the relaxing and mentally-soothing benefits that come with cannabis use (such as it use for insomnia), cannabis is now widely-recognized as a holistic remedy for all sorts of common chronic aches, as well as for more serious pain relief. For example, cannabis’ active ingredient, THC, has been recommended as one of the best ways to deal with arthritis, act as a post-workout muscle relaxant due to its anti-inflammatory properties, for muscle recovery, and even for depression. On the more serious side of chronic pain, cannabis has long been prescribed for cancer patients wanting to avoid dependency on non-natural medications for their own insomnia, dizziness, and nausea as side-effects associated with more traditional solutions.

Aside from the THC extract (which does have certain psychoactive effects), cannabis’ other major ingredient, CBD, has seen a huge rise in popularity through a number of essential products that all successful cannabusinesses should carry. Like the THC products, CBD muscle relaxant items can come as edibles, CBD extract tinctures, or CBD creams and lotions made without the scent of hemp. In addition, both THC and CBD products are now available for their therapeutic benefits from startup companies as dietary supplement capsules, topical creams, and organic ointment varieties.

If your cannabusiness goals include selling various solutions for a customer base largely interested in the medicinal side of hemp and cannabis use, than offering a wide-range of CBD products is a great start!

 

Pro Tips for Stock Research

Stocks are a form of investment that allows an investor to own part of a company. There are many reasons why companies sell shares to investors. It is pertinent as an investor to do your due diligence before buying in a company.

Stock Research

Stock research is a lot like buying a car or a house, and you need to look at all features from technical to personal preferences. You discover things like insider stock ownership changes that might affect the stock’s value by doing research. Also, you get to put a company under a microscope to determine if it is worth adding to your portfolio. Here are a few tips for researching a stock.

Get Your Stock Research Materials

A company’s financials is the right place to begin your research. The financials are among the crucial determinants of whether you get to buy a company’s stock or not. Going over the annual report helps you gain more knowledge about a company. Annual reports also help give you the future growth outlook of the company.

You can get more financial information from a company’s documents such as Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Companies are required to file them by the U.S Securities and Exchange Commission. Your brokerage’s firm website may provide you with the information needed. Through research, you compare the company’s performance against the competition to get the best candidate for your investment.

Focus on Important Investing Metrics

There are other sectors of a company that you must research before committing your money. Narrowing your focus helps you not get lost in all the numbers in financial reports, research in smaller portions of the industry such as.

  • Revenue. This is the money brought in by a select company during a specific period. Such information is put in income statements referred to as ‘top line.’ Revenue is broken down into operating revenue, which is gotten from its core income and running business. The other one is nonoperating revenue which comes from one-time business deals. Operating revenue is the one you must look into with keen interest.
  • Net Income. This is similar to the gross salary for an employee. After all the necessary deductions like taxes and operating expenses, the total amount made is the company’s net income. Such information helps you point out the best investment opportunities.
  • Earnings and Earnings Per Share (EPS). The earnings of a company roughly translate to its capital, and there are many ways in which companies use their profits. Some reinvest, while others use it to pay their shareholders in the form of dividends. Earnings Per Share is dividing earnings by the number of shares to be traded. This process shows the company’s profitability in terms of individual claims. It helps you compare with other companies on the best to put your dollars in for great profitable returns.

Look Beyond the Numbers

Researching stock is more than considering the valuation metrics. Many factors determine how a company is run or its profitability. As a self-reliant investor, it would be best to look into all those factors. It is better to invest in a profitable business than a cheap stock; apart from a business’s financials, you should also watch.

  • Durable Competitive Changes. As a long-term investor, it is good to know if the company you are putting your investment dollars in will sustain its value over time. An economic moat is a name given to analyzing a business’s model before buying stocks.
  • Management. A company is only as good as its leadership team. Proper management is required for ensuring a company’s success. You should scrutinize the management of a company before deciding to invest.
  • Industry Trends. It is wise to look into a company’s long-term growth prospects to get good returns on your investment. Put your money in industries with great potential to grow significantly in the coming years.

Look Into Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is meant to answer the big-shot questions a self-reliant entrepreneur must ask. You must look at the sources of income of the business and the industry’s competitive nature advantage concerning the select company.

Considering all that could go wrong in the business, it is an excellent strategy to apply when researching the company. Study the business’s history for a while to determine a pattern of consistency or inconsistency. Always remember, you buy a stock to own part of the company not only because the stock could go up.