How to Form a Corporation

Choosing the business structure for your new venture is an important undertaking.

Many entrepreneurs form a corporation because of the liability protections and advantages for shareholders.

But compared to other business entities, corporations have the most regulated and complex structure—adding complexities to the incorporation process. 

There’s a lot of paperwork to file, administrative tasks, and fees involved with getting started and maintaining a corporation.

This guide will teach you how to form a corporation, including a trick that will speed up the formation steps, making your life much easier. 

The Easy Parts of Forming a Corporation

One of the biggest perceived hurdles of forming a corporation is the initial startup. Filling out forms and filing the correct paperwork with the appropriate state agencies—it’s an intimidating process for anyone, especially beginners. 

Rather than paying a business attorney outrageous fees to walk you through this process, you can use an online incorporation service to get set up. 

These services take the hassle out of forming a corporation, making the more difficult steps easier. They essentially walk you through a series of questions about you and your business. As you answer the questions, the service automatically fills out the appropriate paperwork and then files it with your state.

From choosing your tax structure to issuing shares and electing a board of directors, online incorporation services take you through each step of the formation process.

You can answer these questions from your computer, then just sit back and let the service handle the heavy lifting on your behalf. 

There are lots of excellent business formation services on the market. But in terms of starting a corporation, LegalZoom is our top recommendation. 

LegalZoom has been used to form over two million businesses, making…

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Situational Awareness: How to Stop Hitting People with Bats

Situational Awareness: How to Stop Hitting People with Bats

I woke up remembering that I hit a girl with a baseball bat. I was taking practice swings during recess, and I struck her on the left side of her head. I think I was in fourth grade, but I’m not sure. I am sure of the look on her face.

She looked horrified. I remember her left hand going to the side of her head and her shocked eyes. My memory stops there.

The bat must have glanced off. There was no blood. I have no recollection of the aftermath or any consequences for my neglect. I see her face in my memory, but don’t remember her name. I cringe every time her eyes come to mind.

Only a psychopath enjoys unintentionally harming anyone.

Situational awareness:

Situational awareness protects you from unintentionally harming others.

Tune in:

Distracted leaders don’t know what’s going on around them and can’t see what’s in front of them.

You’re having a conversation and thinking about the next thing on your agenda, for example. You don’t intend to, but distracted attention devalues people.

When you can’t give someone undivided attention, try saying, “I want to give you my full attention. I have a meeting in five minutes. Could we connect after the meeting?”

Situational awareness is:

Situational awareness is noticing.

  1. Notice the environment.
  2. Watch faces.
  3. Hear tone.
  4. Mention it. “I could be wrong, but something feels off. What’s happening?”
  5. Ask, “What should I be noticing?”

Situational awareness is pulling back from the next thing. Release thoughts of the next thing so you can focus on this thing.

Situational awareness is knowing the backstory of team members.

Situational awareness is respecting the agenda of others. Your busyness isn’t permission to disrupt workflow and cause unintended harm.

How might leaders practice situational awareness today?

What makes being present difficult for you?



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The Juice That Improves Brain Health And Blood Pressure

The juice reduced blood pressure by an average of five points.

Drinking beetroot juice can help improve brain health and reduce blood pressure, new research finds.

Beetroot juice is rich in inorganic nitrate, like other foods including celery, spinach and lettuce.

Nitrate is turned into nitric oxide in the mouth, which helps regulate blood vessels and neurotransmitters.

With age, though, people tend to have a lower production of nitric oxide and this is linked to worse brain health and higher blood pressure.

For the study, researchers gave 26 people aged 70- to 80-years-old nitrate-rich beetroot juice to drink twice a day.

Compared with another period when they had a placebo drink, the beetroot juice reduced blood pressure by an average of five points.

Professor Anni Vanhatalo, the study’s first author, said:

“We are really excited about these findings, which have important implications for healthy aging.

Previous studies have compared the oral bacteria of young and older people, and healthy people compared to those with diseases, but ours is the first to test nitrate-rich diet in this way.

Our findings suggest that adding nitrate-rich foods to the diet—in this case via beetroot juice—for just ten days can substantially alter the oral microbiome (mix of bacteria) for the better.

Maintaining this healthy oral microbiome in the long term might slow down the negative vascular and cognitive changes associated with aging.”

The researchers looked at how the bacteria in the mouth changed after supplementation with beetroot juice.

The results showed that bacteria linked to lower inflammation increased after supplementation.

Now the researchers want to look at other age-groups, Professor Vanhatalo said:

“Our participants were healthy, active older people with generally good blood pressure.

Dietary nitrate reduced their blood pressure on average, and we are keen to find out whether the same would happen in other age groups and among people in poorer health.

We are working with colleagues in the University of Exeter Medical School to investigate interactions between the oral bacteria and cognition to better understand the how diet could be used to delay cognitive decline in older age.”

Foods high in nitrate

Apart from beetroot, celery, spinach and lettuce, other foods with very high levels of nitrate include rocket, chervil and cress.

Foods with high levels of nitrate include fennel, leek, parsley and celeriac.

Cabbages and turnips also have moderate levels of nitrate.

The study was published in the journal Redox Biology (Vanhatalo et al., 2021).

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How to Create Successful IGTV Ads: 6 Tips

Video content has been taking the internet by storm. In Q3 of 2020, almost 30% of online viewers were spending over ten hours a week consuming video content.

Videos can captivate audiences and deliver a message in a way that static content just can’t. When Instagram launched IGTV as their answer to YouTube, allowing users to craft longer-form content for the first time, the platform gained new momentum. And the format’s success opened the door to IGTV ads.

cover image

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If you’re new to the format, getting started with Instagram IGTV ads can seem a bit daunting, but once you know the basics, it becomes a lot easier. Stick around to learn about the different kinds of IGTV ads at your disposal, how much you can expect to spend on them, and how to optimize IGTV ads for success.

Types of IGTV ads

IGTV ads are short video ads (15 seconds long) that are served to audiences browsing IGTV or opening IGTV videos in their feed. They can be shown pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll.

There aren’t many different kinds of IGTV ads per se. They all must be created in full-screen vertical video format, with a mobile-first experience in mind.

Here’s what IGTV ads look like in your feed:

igtv ads

igtv ads

Source: Instagram

How much do IGTV ads cost?

In 2021, the average CPC for Instagram is between $0.50 and $1.00. With that said, there is no set cost for IGTV ads, and there are several factors that affect the final spend.

On top of ad placement, the audience you want to target and how competitive your industry is will influence how much you’ll have to pay to run your ads.

Specific shopping events (e.g., winter holidays, back to school, etc.) can also drive up the cost of running ads.

As with all advertising, testing is the best way to go. You can get started with Instagram IGTV ads for just a few dollars a day and spend more as your ad campaign starts to pay off.

How to advertise on IGTV

First off, you’ll need to have an Instagram Business account with access to IGTV (the feature is not available in some regions). This is important if you want to create ads that link to specific content on your account. You won’t be able to link to an IGTV video that doesn’t exist yet.

Now, head to your Ads Manager and select Create. You’ll be able to choose an objective for your IGTV ad.

The options for IGTV ads are:

  • Traffic
  • Brand Awareness
  • Engagement
  • Reach
  • Video Views

After you’ve selected your ad objective, you can go ahead and create the ad as usual. You’ll have to fill in details about your campaign, schedule, delivery, budget, optimization, and audience.

Next, you’ll get to Placements. You can choose automatic placements…

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How to Start a Trucking Business

If you’re an experienced truck driver, you may wish to go it alone and become an owner-operator or even operate your own fleet. 

The good news is, the outlook is promising for the American trucking industry: Trucks move 72.5% of US freight, and trucking’s revenue accounts for 80.4% of the nation’s freight.

The not-so-good news is that trucking isn’t the easiest industry to start a business in. There are a lot of steps you need to take and many legal requirements. 

But don’t worry, this guide will walk you through every step of starting a trucking business.

The Easy Parts of Starting a Trucking Business

With insider industry knowledge and the right tools at your disposal, you’ll be off to an amazing start. These are the aspects that make starting your own trucking company easy:

Drawing on Your Experience

You may already have a lot of the groundwork covered if you’ve been working in the industry as an employee for a while. You’ve got the tricks of the trade down, which in turn you can pass on to future employees. 

If you’re astute you may have also watched and learned from the way management runs the business. You may already have made some industry connections that you can utilize, too.

And even some of the simpler things will help you on your way to starting your own trucking business. For example, the fact that you already have a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Forming an LLC

Given the hazardous nature of the trucking industry, you’ll need to form an LLC. This kind of business structure means that the business is responsible for any losses or legal claims and not you personally.

There are several steps, and lots of paperwork, involved in forming an LLC. But if you find the…

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The True Path to Greatness that Anyone Can Begin Today

The True Path to Greatness that Anyone Can Begin Today

Great musicians serve music. Great spouses serve each other. Great leaders serve a noble purpose.

Your greatness reveals itself as you serve.

Sparkler Your greatness reveals itself as you serve.

The path to greatness:

#1. Experience greatness:

“To be great – you must experience great – then you can be great.” Stan Endicott

If you want to be a great dancer, experience great dancing. If you to be a great musician, experience great music. If you want to be a great leader, experience servant-leadership.

Choose your models carefully. Models ignite ambition. Don’t admire successful jerk-holes lest you become one.

#2. Reach outside yourself:

Selfish people succeed all the time. But you must serve something bigger than yourself to be great.

A leader who serves an evil cause might be skillful, but they’re not great.

Serving something noble contributes to greatness.

#2. Provide value:

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.” Bob Burg

In youth we serve ourselves. In adolescence we serve to receive. In maturity we serve to bring value to others.

The essences of greatness is bringing value to others.

#3. Know yourself:

The more you serve, the more you understand yourself. You learn what brings joy to you and contributes to others at the same time.

Service is the path to self-knowledge.

You discover yourself when you engage and connect, not in stagnation.

Committing to serve drives out the self-deceptions of isolation.

#4. Have confidence:

Confidence springs from self-knowledge. Great leadership begins when you appreciate your unique ability to serve the interest of others.

You’re less than you could be unless you confidently serve something bigger than yourself.

Your confident self emerges as you serve.

How do you define greatness?

What aspects of the path to greatness seem most relevant to you today?



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Episode 1480 Scott Adams: Talking About All the Huge D*cks in the News Today. With Coffee.

Quantcast {{options.learnMore}} {{options.dismiss}}’, ”, ”, ” ], cookieName: ‘dilbert_cookieconsent_dismissed’, readystate: ‘interactive’ }; ]]> Episode 1480 Scott Adams: Talking About All the Huge D*cks in the News Today. With Coffee. – Scott Adams’ Blog ]]>

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7 of the Best Free Stock Video Websites for 2021

In the world of marketing, video is no longer the future. It is the here and now. Especially in social media marketing and advertising, where professional video content is the name of the game.

Recent stats back this up: 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

And according to a 2020 report:

  • 96% of marketers have placed ad spend on video.
  • 91% of marketers are satisfied with the ROI of video marketing on social media.
  • 93% of brands got a new customer because of a video on social media.

But consistently creating high-quality videos is a tall order. For that, you need a meaty marketing budget or years of experience in shooting and editing videos yourself. Even if there are plenty of great video editing apps you can use without much prior experience, there is a solution that’s even easier — stock videos.

However, finding free premium clips isn’t easy, as many stock video websites charge a hefty subscription fee. Luckily, there are some platforms where you can download free stock video footage for commercial use.

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cover image

Be it for Facebook video ads, marketing presentations, campaign landing pages, or silent social videos — in this post, we handpick the best royalty-free stock video resources for marketers on a budget.

The best free stock video websites in 2021

There are quite a few websites offering free stock videos. But in terms of quality and variety of selection, the following seven stand out.

Free stock video website #1: Pexels

Stock video platform Pexels

Stock video platform Pexels

First on the list is Pexels, a website originally dedicated to stock photos. Today it boasts a rather decent collection of free stock video footage under CC0 (the Creative Commons license), meaning you can use them for personal or commercial projects without attribution.

Most clips are around or under 30 seconds and you can find a clip for just about any niche. The time-lapse and GoPro-shot action videos are especially eye-catching.

Pexels also offers “mockup” clips from mobile devices that feature a green screen which you can replace with your own footage. 

Most of the videos on this site are available in MP4 HD or Full HD, though there are some 4K clips too.

Free stock video website #2: Pixabay

Stock video platform Pixabay

Stock video platform Pixabay

The next one on the list is Pixabay, another website well-known for its free stock photo collection. But the platform is also a good repository of royalty-free stock videos (CC0) that are free to download, use, and modify.

Similar to Pexels, most footage is under 1 minute long and the variety of clips is outstanding — you’ll find free clips for nearly every project under the…

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How to Start a Real Estate Business

A real estate business can be your pathway to economic success and personal fulfillment.

But this dream hinges on setting up your business correctly from the start.

It is a long and often challenging journey to owning a successful real estate business.

Still, it is doable with dedication, strategy, and patience.

I put together this guide to help you learn everything you need to know about starting a real estate business.

The Easy Parts of Starting a Real Estate Business

Getting into the real estate business is relatively straightforward. The particulars vary from state to state, but the process involves taking a pre-licensing course, passing your licensing exam, and filing a real estate licensing application. 

You’ll also likely have to join a brokerage firm before going into business on your own. While this will delay setting up your own company, it will help you gain valuable experience and expertise. In addition, you’ll be able to transfer your newly acquired skills and knowledge to your business. This makes it far more likely that you will succeed in your venture.

Setting up your real estate business is equally straightforward. You’ll need a business name, business address, employer identification number, and file Articles of Organization. The entire process can take as little as a few hours, provided you have all your documents and requirements in order.

Finally, creating a professional website is equally easy. With content management systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Wix, the process is easier than ever. You don’t even need any design or coding experience to set up a professional website. These platforms will even handle the technical aspects, such as acquiring a domain on your behalf.

The Difficult Parts of Starting a Real Estate Business

Some parts of starting a real estate business are more challenging to accomplish….

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The Five Faces of Curiosity

The Five Faces of Curiosity

Curiosity applies to everything leaders do.

Apart from curiosity, leaders…

  1. Feel defensive.
  2. Need obedient minions.
  3. Seldom connect.
  4. Tend to manipulate.

Smart people practice curiosity. Everyone else gets dumb and dumber.

Lightbulb The real cause of problems is solutions.

The five faces of curiosity

#1. Inward-facing curiosity:

  1. Who am I?
  2. What do I love doing?
  3. When am I at my best?
  4. What contributions have I made?
  5. What contributions most energize me?
  6. What happens to people when I show up?
  7. What’s the energy level of people after they interact with me?

#2. People-facing curiosity:

Ask all the inward-facing questions with a people-facing perspective. For example, “What’s the energy level of people after you interact with them?”

  1. I notice you’re good at…. How did you get good at that? (Add the following question.)
  2. How might I get better at that?

#3. Problem-facing curiosity:

  1. What issues keep returning?
  2. What conversations are you repeatedly having?
  3. What’s frustrating?
  4. What do repeated frustrations say about you? Others?
  5. Five whys.
  6. If you explained this challenge to a novice, what would you say?
  7. What’s making things hard?

#4. Solution-facing curiosity:

  1. What have you tried?
  2. What would you try if you were new here?
  3. What do you know?
  4. What’s the question?
  5. If you did know, what would you do?
  6. Who might know?
  7. What advice would you give me if our roles were reversed?

#5. Progress-facing curiosity:

  1. What do you need to stop doing?
  2. What’s distracting you from doing what’s important?
  3. What’s next?
  4. Where would you like to be at the end of the week? What’s the first step to getting there?
  5. What do your really want?

Curiosity tips:

  1. Create a gap between what people know and what they need to do.
  2. Honor question askers.
  3. Create more than one solution to the same problem.
  4. Ask, “What if?”
  5. Ask, “What else?”

“The real cause of problems is solutions.” Eric Sevareid

What are some of your favorite questions?



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