Dinesh Alavala April / May 2020 Blogs

April 2020

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Virtual Vacations in India In between social distancing and trying to figure out how to keep some semblance of normalcy, taking a break is a must. However, now that everyone has been quarantined at home, most people have had to cancel their vacation plans.

Thankfully, even when stuck inside, it’s still possible to take a virtual vacation. And if India happened to be the choice destination, there’s good news. It is possible to see the wonders of India from the comfort of a couch.

Here’s how to take a virtual vacation to India.

Find a Spot to Visit India is a place that’s full of wondrous things to see. However, with COVID-19 shutting down international travel, going to India isn’t possible at the moment. But that doesn’t mean people can’t take in the sights. Thanks to advances in the digital world, it’s now possible to take a virtual tour.

How to Take a Virtual Tour Taking a virtual is simple. There are plenty of websites dedicated to online virtual tours.

Websites such as indiavrtours.com​ or an app such as Ascape are some of the best ways to visit India virtually.

To take a virtual tour via PC, all someone needs to do is click and drag their mouse over the screenshot. The screenshot will rotate and reveal every corner of the area. Using an app allows people to view India with just a few mere swipes of their fingers. Ascape is an app that offers 3-D, high-quality tours of India.

Places to See in India The Taj Mahal is situated on the bank of the Yamuna River and is home to Agra’s mausoleum.

Another place to virtually visit in India is Varanasi. Varanasi is best known for being the “spiritual capital” of India. It is home to Assi Ghat and Dashwamdeha Ghat, where many international students live while studying abroad.

COVID-19 may have put a halt to real-life travel, but it can’t infect the internet. Take advantage of the time in quarantine and take a virtual tour to India today.

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Leadership Qualities Needed in 2020 Each day brings a new opportunity to be a better leader. There are always things to learn and improve upon, whether it be soft skills or skills directly pertaining to a particular industry. As each year passes, there are new problems that present themselves and demand sufficient resolution. While there's always room for improvement, there are a few qualities that must be prioritized and continue building upon. The following are a few fundamental leadership qualities needed in 2020 and many years to come:

Anticipate Wisley One must remember to expect the best and prepare for the worst when it comes to being prepared for any problems. Anticipation doesn't necessarily mean a person needs to stress and worry, especially when there is no legitimate or rational reason to be concerned. By anticipating different outcomes, a leader can devise different plans of action. When it comes to conflict resolution, fixing any problem, or preventing liabilities, one must consider such things before they occur. Not only should leaders have a plan B, but they should also have a plan C, plan D, and so on. Through anticipation, a leader can adapt to changes fast and still retain order while continuing to progress.

Live Your Life's Purpose 2020 is a year for innovation and living in one's​ purpose​. Leaders should always know what their goal is so they know best how they can contribute their efforts. Once a leader knows their goal, they can approach their leadership with more passion and dedication. A leader needs to know their mission so that they can inspire others to share their vision.

Inclusivity Inclusivity is another excellent quality for leaders to have. It's important for all colleagues and team members to feel valued and included in a business. Leaders should involve their colleagues or employees in the decision making process and delegate responsibilities, respectively. This displays trust and builds confidence in others.

Certainty While leaders may not always be able to predict the future, it is still essential for them to display a level of uncompromisable confidence. Leaders are supposed to lead by example and set the standard for everyone else. This includes being decisive and showing certainty, even if all the

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answers aren't entirely clear. Showing fear or uncertainty will give others the impression that their leader isn't sure. This can create anxiety and worry for the other team members and colleagues.

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The Difference Between a Leader and a Manager Every business and organization has a manager or some kind of management team.

Management is necessary to instill structure and provide timelines to complete different business milestones. Leadership, on the other hand, is not always found within a business.

Leaders are tasked with a couple of different responsibilities and duties. While leaders and managers share some things in common, their approaches tend to vary as both leaders and managers maintain some important differences. The difference between a leader and a manager is as follows:

Leaders Guide, Managers Oversee Managers micromanage the work that employees perform to ensure they are working efficiently and reaching deadlines. As overseers, managers have the task of watching over others closely and reporting on their performance. Leaders, however, guide their team or employees through hands-on assistance. If a leader isn't teaching others hands-on, they are providing their team with the proper resources to improve their skills. While managers direct, telling people what to do, leaders lead by the example of success.

Leaders are Visionaries; Managers are Tactical Leaders are more fluid in their approach to their business as opposed to managers. Due to the nature of managing, managers have to operate tactically by utilizing a set of guidelines. Leaders can modify and change their plan of action as they go and rely more on intuition. However, managers often take a linear process when performing their duties and fulfilling their obligations.

Leadership means being a visionary, or a person with the ability to visualize and manifest their preferred reality. Managers play by the book where their business or organization has already set their development.

Leaders are Unique; Managers Follow Guidelines Leaders set their own pace and their own path, whereas managers follow a specific business model and management strategy. This is what makes leaders more unique. They aren't ones to follow any particular ​status quo​. Instead, they understand they create their own strategy. On the contrary, managers follow guidelines and set rules.

Leaders Take Risks; Managers Avoid Risks

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Managers try their best to control or altogether avoid any risks. This also limits a business to fixed growth as taking risks are moreso seen as potential liabilities. Leaders are more optimistic and open-minded to taking risks as they see it as the potential to reach new tiers as well as gain more knowledge from these experiences.

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Tips for Maintaining a Business from Home Working from home was already gaining popularity before the COVID-19 crisis, but it's practically become the norm now that people are all but forced to stay home. That doesn't make it any easier, however. It turns out that ​owning and managing your own business​ is still a lot of work, even when you can do it in your pajamas. Whether you're only working from home until the current crisis is over or you've been planning to do it for a while, here are some tips to keep in mind if you want your home-based business to succeed.

Stick to a Schedule One of the most significant benefits of working from home is the freedom to set your own schedule, but that is different from working whenever you want. If you don't set a schedule and follow it as carefully as possible, you fall behind in your work. Having to follow a schedule while you're home is arguably harder than doing so in an office, but it will keep you on task.

Set Aside a Dedicated Work Area You should have a space in your home that is dedicated to your work. You don't need to use this space all the time - going to a cafe or working outside is a nice change of pace once in a while - but having a space that is used strictly for your business is good for your productivity.

Be Professional As much as you might relish the idea of rolling out of bed and working in your pajamas, that's not very professional. If you plan to make or take a video call during the day, take some time to look like the professional that you are. You don't need to have perfect hair and makeup or wear your best suit, but you should at least get rid of the bed head and wear a nice shirt.

Develop a Business Plan You will need a plan if you want your business to succeed; that is true whether you're operating out of your own home or from an office downtown. Ask yourself where you want your business to be in six months and what it's going to take to get there. Set up a way to manage your finances and expenses, do some market research to learn more about your industry and target market, and don't neglect marketing and advertising. Advertising is arguably easier now than ever before, thanks to social media and the ability to create inexpensive websites. However, you still need to put in the work to spread the word about your business.

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Don't Get Discouraged Starting a business of any kind is tough, and many businesses fail simply because their owners get discouraged and give up. There will be bumps in the road for your business, but that won't mean that it will fail. Keep things going for as long as you can, and you will find success.

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May 2020

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Virtual Museums You Can Visit from Home Being stuck at home can start to feel stifling after a while. With quarantine having kept people in various states of lockdown over the past several months, being antsy and wanting to go out and do something is to be expected. With the lockdowns, however, most places are closed, leaving very little for the public to do in terms of entertainment.

Thankfully, many museums and other cultural institutions have taken a step up over the years and offer ​access to their collections virtually​, letting people from around the world experience art and culture from the comfort of their own home. Through a partnership with Google, tours are available in a 360 degree view, using similar technology to what’s used for Google Street View.

This added detail truly makes it feel like you’re there.

Which virtual museums should you take a look at? Here are a few.

The British Museum The British Museum is home to thousands of cultural artifacts spanning the past two million years, all of which you can view right from home. This 360 degree tour lets you not only view the objects as they appear in the museum itself, but also has prints of them available that you can pull up and enlarge to see more details. A link is also available so viewers can read an object’s curator notes and how it was acquired.

The Louvre One of the most famous museums on the planet, the Louvre offers its art collection online for anyone to peruse. Its selection of showcased pieces of art is more limited than other museums, but taking a visit to the Louvre’s site will still provide the option of a few free virtual tours. Just be aware that, while art may be on display on the museum’s website, many descriptions are written solely in French.

The Van Gogh Museum This museum, located in Amsterdam, is home to the largest collection of art by Vincent van Gogh. Though the descriptions of the works are minimal, the panoramic views excel. The tour is

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meant for those who are already familiar with van Gogh’s work, rather than first-timers who want to learn more about his art technique and personal history.

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13 Inspiring Leadership Quotes It’s easy to become overwhelmed, especially when you’re the leader of a team, a group, or a company. When stress gets you down, turning to inspiration can be just what you need to get you back on your feet. If this sounds like you, take a look at ​these​ ​inspiring​ leadership quotes to give a kickstart to your day.

1. “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” — Eleanor Roosevelt 2. “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson 3. “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson 4. “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” — George S. Patton 5. “The way management treats associates is exactly how the associates will treat the customers.” — Sam Walton 6. “Power isn’t control at all—power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.” — Beth Revis 7. “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” — George Patton 8. “True leadership stems from individuality that is honest and sometimes imperfectly expressed… Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.” — Sheryl Sandberg 9. “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” — Walt Disney 10. “You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you’re not passionate enough from the start, you’ll never stick out.” — Steve Jobs 11. “The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” — Colin Powell 12. “There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust.” — Klaus Balkenhol 13. “When you put together deep knowledge about a subject that intensely matters to you, charisma happens. You gain courage to share your passion, and when you do that, folks follow.” — Jerry Porras

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3 Signs That You’re a Leader “Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This famous line, from William Shakespeare’s ​Twelfth Night,​ defines what it means to be in a leadership position, especially since not everyone has the same qualities needed to lead successfully. Were you born to be a leader? Do you have what it takes to be one? And most importantly, do you have the courage to enact on these traits?

Keep an eye out for ​these three traits​ that indicate whether or not you’ll be a great leader.

You’re approachable A great leader is someone who people want to go to for advice. They want to know your opinion on any given situation, and they value what you have to say. As a leader, it’s important to have that trust of judgment and confidence among your team members, as ultimately what you say has the ability to make or break an operation.

You don’t sugarcoat what you’re saying Though it’s important to be approachable, you can’t sacrifice what needs to be said in favor of holding out for likeability. There’s some things, such as a piece of news or feedback, that you know your teammate won’t want to hear, and that you possibly don’t want to say either. A good leader, though, pushes past that discomfort and gets straight to the point of what needs to be said, no matter how the other may react.

You take on responsibility Whether you want to take on responsibility or not is irrelevant once you become a leader, and a good leader doesn’t let reluctance or pessimistic moods interfere with the task that needs to be completed. People will be counting on you to make important decisions and oversee the project you’re working on, and you cannot expect your team to get their jobs done if you can’t get your own done as well. When some may push off the responsibility for another day, a leader instead pushes off what’s holding them back and goes about their day.

That’s what makes them truly successful: facing the day in spite of their personal hardships.

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Why Small Businesses Fail Starting up your own business is difficult and certainly not for the weak-willed. Becoming an entrepreneur means knowingly taking on a risky investment that could, potentially, fail. Though there’s always the chance that a new business could be successful from the get-go, about 20% of small businesses fail within their first year and 50% after five years. In fact, only 33% of small businesses manage to last longer than ten years, according to the ​Small Business Administration​ (SBA).

To ensure that your business succeeds, it’s important to know ​where most businesses fail​ so you can avoid the same pitfalls.

Finances Finances are, of course, the biggest reasons as to why a business would fail. A lack of funding or a disconnect to how much revenue is made by sales quickly leads to shortfalls in the overall operation, which in turn can lead to a business failure. Likewise, pricing your products or services far lower than what it would go for on the market can lead to a potential downfall. While having a lower price than what the market offers may work for a bit, keeping that low price for too long will eventually backfire as production, marketing, and delivery costs outweigh the revenue gained.

Another financial difficulty is the challenge of obtaining the necessary financing needed to bring new product, expansions or marketing to their business. Though angel investors, venture capitalists, and bank loans exist, not every company has the revenue growth trajectories needed to secure these financial means, leaving them forced to shut down.

Planning Having a poorly thought-out business plan will lead to it being ultimately ineffective and close your doors before you can truly get off the ground. At minimum, a clear and effective business plan should include a clear description of your business, your current and future needs for employees and management, a list of pros and cons that your business may face in the broader market, capital needs, marketing initiatives, and competitor analysis.

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Failure to thoroughly and correctly set a path for your business will produce serious challenges that would have otherwise been avoidable. Not reviewing your initial plan regularly risks the creation of future obstacles that your business may not be able to recover from in the future.

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