Today at Techie Youth, I learned the PROS and CONS of using an existing marketplace versus creating a personal website. The PROS of using an existing marketplace to start a business is that it has a little to no start up cost and you can potentially get instant customers without any promotion. Paying for ads and recognition is not really necessary either and so, you save lots of money by using these already existing marketplaces. The CONS for using these marketplaces is that there is a lot of competition on these platforms and the marketplaces will take a chunk of your profit as fee for using the platform. You also cannot customize your page however you like so the creative freedom is very limited. Creating your own website however does allow you to have creative freedom. That is one of the PROS. Other PROS include creating a page that is professional and pleasing to a customer's eye and there is also less competition. The downside however, creating a personal website is a lot of work and there is anything going wrong (such as a bug or glitch), it is your responsibility to fix it and that may take hours to re-fix. On top of that, you would also have to spend lots of money on advertising and allowing people to find your website. Finding a domain name that you would like could also be costly but not all the time. In conclusion, creating a personal website gives you more creative freedom but it can be quite costly. While for marketplaces, it is the opposite. You don't need to spend as much to get your business recognized and running but it gives you very limited creative freedom and as an added hardship, there is also going to be competition so you would need to make something more unique than what is already existing on those platforms.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to make 3D printing stuff without actually owning a 3D printer. As owning a 3D printer is expensive, there are other ways to make 3D objects without it. First is the material. The most common material that 3D printing uses is colored plastic. I learned that you can get 3D printing objects in wax, sandstone, porcelain, and even precious metals like gold and silver. In many places such as the library or local printing stores, they may have a 3D printer that you can use. When first owning a 3D printer, it gets complex and it would be easier to just use a 3D printing service which is more consumer friendly. I also learned that there is something called injection molding and it is ubiquitous as a manufacturing process.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to use Inkscape and how to utilize tools such as interface and basic drawing and shaping tools to create specific things. Inkscape is a free software that you can download from Windows and Mac. There are many tools on Inkscape that I watched a playlist full of tips and tricks and how to utilize them. In one of the videos I watched, the guy that demonstrates these kinds of skills goes into explaining how to make shapes transparent and more bold. He shows us how to change sizes, how to manipulate the shape to get a certain amount of corners, etc. The reason why I find these videos helpful is because all these different programs have so many features that can get overwhelming and confusing if it’s all clumped up together. These videos really help to go in depth into what we are doing and how to utilize that program when we decide to use it. With these types of programs we have a lot of freedom to do whatever we want. We can even defy rules of shape and just play whatever we feel like.
Today at Techie Youth, I explored the many different programs and softwares to use if I ever choose to engage in artist software. Today, I watched a video on how to use Adobe Illustrator for Beginners and I learned the type of tools and things I can do using that software. There are many different types of softwares, some require you to pay a certain amount, some are free, some have a free trial and then to continue using it you need to pay, and so many more plans depending on the program you’re using. Adobe Illustrator is one of those software's that have a free trial and I learned that the software is available to be downloaded on almost all devices. Adobe Illustrator costs $20.99 per month with an annual commitment or $31.49 on a month-to-month basis after the free trial. This was important for me to know because you want to know which program you want to use and which would benefit your work the most depending on what you want to do. In the video, I learned and went through guides on how to use certain tools, such as using the pencil tool and shaping tool.
Today at Techie Youth, I about robots and how to create or build certain electronics. Today, I learned what a microcontroller is. A microcontroller is like a tiny computer which has a function to allow you to connect things such as a small display, some buttons, a motor and some sensors. With microcontrollers, you can build and create essentially anything that ranges from robots, phones, mp3 player and so much more. Microcontrollers however, cannot do anything by themselves and you often need to tell it what to do which goes into programming the microcontroller. To create a program that will run the microcontroller, first you need to write code, compile your code to machine code, and then upload the machine code to your microcontroller. I also learned that microcontrollers come in rarities. There are many different kinds of microcontrollers and it usually can depend on the number of bits it has, memory, IO and peripherals, and AVR vs PIC.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to utilize Adobe Illustrator to create drawings and artwork in 2D. The program can be used when creating art from commissions and there are many things you can do on that program. When using the program, you can try it out for free with the free trial and after that, there will be a monthly subscription fee consisting of many different Adobe programs you can purchase and use. Some examples include Adobe Express, After Effects, Photoshop, Animate, Adobe Stock, etc. Although I don’t see myself using Adobe Illustrator, I still think it is interesting to understand how to utilize that tool for art.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned the many different options and websites to use when you want to engage in 3D crafts and printing. Starting off, I learned about Autodesk Meshmaker and it is a program that you can use that is free, fun and easy to use. I also learned about Autocad by Autodesk. This one is costly but it does have a free trial you can try out, it is one of the most used by people and you can just create anything you envision on it. From doing the assignments that I got feedback from, I also learned more about stocks since I had to complete the follow-up assignment for [after 3 days] in stock predictions. Much of what I did today was watching the videos that demonstrate how to use each program step by step.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about pricing and inventory planning when it comes to digital crafts. The first thing I should do is to calculate the minimum price that I can afford to sell the product for, and then calculate how much it costs me from A-Z. Never price your item so that it only covers your item expenses but price it so that you can make profit as well. Keeping in mind of taxes, material costs and fees, it is also important to keep an eye on competition from other companies. At Techie Youth, I also learned some pricing tips to take. Some include selling your item for a lower price point when you’re just starting out and being sure to log your sales if the website is your own website. When you’re also selling as a beginner, it is important to not have an overstock of items, but rather have products that you can ship out or sell “just-in-time.” Techie youth made it clear to me that it is better to run out-of-stock than to have too much stock.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about project planning when it comes to creating products. First, there is something called consumables and tooling items. Consumable are the items that will be continuously purchased, such as ink, fabric, glue or paper. Tooling items could consist of a printer, sewing machine or a computer. I was also able to learn what the economies of scale is. In summary, it is the cost saving that occurs when business production increases. I also learned that to calculate net-profit per unit sold, it is your gross-profit minus the tooling costs. Going back to the art unit, I remember learning about how you have to price your products where you are able to cover material costs and earn profit as well. Calculating processing fees from the website you’re using if it is not a personal website, calculating postage fees and packing fees are all important to keep in mind when selling your products. I also started to learn about 3D printing and so far it is interesting to know that you can design something on a device such as a computer and see it come to life after a couple hours when you click print. I also learned that there are ways to make money by using 3D printing. Some of them consist of printing cosplay items and selling them, creating items that can help with daily life (desk organizers), toys, and much more.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned the steps to setting up a new niche content website and how to choose your niche theme. I learned that when choosing a niche theme, it is important to choose a niche where it is not too narrow as a theme because it will lower the amount of search traffic upon that theme. Suitable topics for niche websites include; flowers, automobiles, action movies, houses in Europe, vegan dog food, tiramisu cake, and a lot more. I also learned that when setting up a niche website, there is something called SSL and it is important to have SSL enabled on your website because it can secure your website from hackers and it improves Google search ranking. I also learned that the main purpose of a CMS such as WordPress is to easily manage content on your website. I thought it was interesting that this unit also talks about the different techniques to sell, which is the freemium method. Essentially, I learned from previous units that the freemium method is when you provide basic elements for free but charge for additional tools and elements.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the steps to take before renting an office, store or commercial space. I learned that the first step to do before anything is to find out who the landlord is. Being open with your landlord and having a good relationship with them is key because having a landlord that nitpicks everything and is incredibly strict with rules is not ideal. Thinking about renovating walls, floors, installing air conditioning and having enough room is also important to think about. It’s also important to be aware of the things you are allowed to do with the space such as drilling into concrete, installing devices that may or may not be approved by the public and more. It’s interesting that you have to keep a tab on everything in the office and regulations must be kept no matter how weird or strict they are. Keeping your business and doors secured is also really important.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the process it takes to become an official business. I learned that all companies in the United States have virtual-entities that should be registered with the IRS and when you do register, you get something called an EIN number. It’s similar to a social security number but it’s for the purpose of business and it is a requirement to have in order to be able to have income. Filing for an EIN number is free and it has absolutely no charge. I also learned that there is something called sole proprietor. Sole-proprietors have to file an application with the “county-clerk” to become a formal sole-proprietor. I also learned that when choosing a business name, you have to check out and do extensive research to make sure that the name you want your business to have is not taken. The risks involved with having a similar business name to another company could result in them filing a lawsuit and you’ll have to deal with many legal issues that can result in lots of money lost and damages to pay.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the traits of being an Entrepreneur in order to succeed. I learned the value of not being too nice to people because in a work environment, being strict and responsible is key and making any holes for someone to poke at you is a scenario where you would not like to be in. I was given the advice that you should give respect when time is due but don’t micromanage your employees. Doing so will only cause you to lose them. I also learned that when it comes to entrepreneurship, there are soft skills and hard skills. Soft skills are about the personal qualities that help employees thrive in the workplace and hard skills are more in depth, such as job-related knowledge. Starting a business is also quite risky, you face the difficulties of not being recognized and competition from other companies most likely working within the same category as you are. It takes time and work to get what you want. To be a good leader, you have to understand people and understand yourself to gain a perspective where you understand the value of things.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the different options and strategies to know when trading options. I learned that there is something called a “covered call” or “buy write.” But essentially, it is a very popular strategy because it generates income and reduces some risks of being long on the stock alone. In order to put this strategy into place, you would purchase the underlying stock as you normally would and then write or sell a call option on those same shares. I also learned that there are procedures you can take to make sure that you don’t lose big amounts of money. Starting off, there is the concept of leverage and it applies to options because leverage is pretty much the use of the same amount of money to capture a large position. It is what is considered a big risk because a dollar invested in a stock, and the same dollar invested in an option does not equate to the same risk. I learned quite a bit about trading options today as well.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the risks of investing into options. The first thing to do before spending a single penny would be to do tons and tons of research. Researching individual issues of stocks and bonds, commodities, mutual funds, futures, options, and more is important. Today, I also learned what an option is. Options are contracts that give you the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a security. There are also 4 positions when trading options. There is buying a call, selling a call, buying a put and selling a put. Buying a call is when you decide to buy at a specific price in the future and selling a call is when you sell the option for someone else to buy in the future. Buying a put is giving you the option to sell the underlying at a specific price in the future. And selling a put is essentially the same thing but for someone else in the future.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about trading options and I also learned that there is something called buying and selling options. When I first started this unit, I had no idea what historical and implied volatility even was but now, I understand that it is practically the concept of Implied volatility meaning forward-looking while historical means in the past. I also learned something called “long strangle” and it is an option strategy consisting of buying a call and selling a put. I really had no idea whatsoever about stocks and these name terms but now I’m able to know the differences between ITM and OTM. ITM means below the price of the underlying asset while OTM means above the price of the underlying asset. It was even interesting to know that the terms “Delta” and “Gamma” are also in the vocabulary of stocks and business. Throughout this unit and what I have covered so far, I also learned what REITs are and what the pros vs cons are with investing into it. Essentially, REITs are traded on stock exchanges similar to stocks of Amazon and Apple and REITs investors do not really have to pay corporate taxes. However, in return for not paying corporate taxes, REITs have to pay out dividends to their investors. I think this unit is very education and without Techie Youth to teach me, I doubt I would have even stumbled into this type of topic.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned what a Blockchain is and how to trade cryptocurrencies. A blockchain can best be defined as a chain of blocks that contain information and its technology that is used to make backdating or tempering information not possible. It’s used to transfer items like money, property, contracts and more. Bitcoin and Blockchain are not the same thing, but it does have some of the technology behind Bitcoin. I also learned that the names and contact owner information are not stored in Bitcoin wallets. In regards to how to trade cryptocurrencies, I learned that there is something called trading stocks. A tool or website used to trade stock would be “Robinhood.” It is totally free and each cryptocurrency sale incurs only a miner transaction fee. There is also something called foreign exchange (FOREX) and it is essentially trading money between foreign currencies. I found this unit extremely educational and really fun.
Today, I learned what grant writing is. Grant writing is essentially the process of writing a letter or a professional email that requests for money to invest into a project. In a grant proposal, you want to include a description about what you're planning to use the money for, the needs the community, a description of your goals and everyone who is apart of the project. While there is the grant proposal, there is also someone called the grant maker. Essentially, the grant maker is someone or an organizer who funds the projects. I thought grant writing was interesting.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about how to grow a platform on different social media apps. Diving into the aspects on how to make money using Twitter, sell on Facebook, sell on Pinterest and blow up on Tiktok, one thing they all had in common was to post frequently and use hashtags or follow trends on what is popular. An example would be to use specific hashtags such as #Beauty or #HealthWellness to specify what the post is about. You can also get paid on these platforms by promoting advertisements and by creating a community within a topic you’re passionate about and grow from there. Besides learning about how to grow on those social media apps, I also learned some interesting facts about apps that I never knew about. I learned that WeChat can be used for multipurpose and it’s considered a “Super App” because there are just so many things you can do on it. You can pay bills, organize business meetings or emails, receive/send money or gifts, donate to charity, scan QR codes and so much more all within a single app. I found it interesting that the lessons also talk about the security issues within using the app because using apps like this would almost be unlikely to not have a single breach. Everything I learned today was interesting and I’m really liking this unit of social organizing.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about how to sell artwork online and how to really start the process of growing your career with art. I learned that selling art is a very long and hard process because there is no guarantee people will be buying your work and you will be making money within the first couple weeks or months you do start off selling your art. It takes lots of time and patience, which requires you to really be passionate about art and drawing because if you don’t have the enthusiasm to put in your time and energy into what you are doing, you are more prone to give up. When selling art online, you need to be aware of 3 things. Before you post your listing online, you should make sure to calculate the costs of shipping, printing and the value of your own artwork. An art advisor is there to help you grow your career by making your life easier when it comes to selling artwork but there will always be a fee that is paid to the advisors whenever you hire their services. I also learned that when it comes to selling things, there is always the 4-Ps. It stands for Promise, Picture, Proof & Pitch. You cannot force someone to buy your work but you can try to make ur more available to be recognized, such as posting and engaging your work with potential customers on social media. You never want to charge for your exact expenses. You want to charge for profit and the expense payoffs. I learned a lot about art today and I even got to learn about the different art sites where you can use to share, interact and even sell your work with others or simply just build a community where you can learn off one another.
Today, I went through the Fundraising unit and I was able to learn about how to start a non-profit fundraiser, how to maintain connections with your donors and how to give or create an elevator pitch. To create an elevator pitch, it should be short. Around 5 sentences or 20 seconds, it should be quick yet convincing. When writing a pitch email, you should never include "I" in the letter or include any mentions of the industry that you're working in. When starting a non-profit organization, on LinkedIn, there will be something called cold and warm leads. I learned that a cold lead is just a quick and short message that is sent to a potential client to grab their attention. A warm lead is what comes after a cold lead after there is a connection made between two individuals. A warm lead happens when the other person finds interest in your services or products. At first, I was not sure what these terms meant but after today's lesson, I was able to gain knowledge upon what the different leads are. I also learned a little bit about how to sell art online. Whether it is creating your own art or buying someone else's art and selling it, they are all forms of income that you can make by selling art. It is important to note that in order for your goal of reaching a target audience to initiate, you need to have a clear idea of what you're trying to sell or present. Although I am not a very artistic person myself when it comes to visual or digital art, I find it very interesting.
Today, I learned about the different marketplaces available to start a business. Although creating an account on marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy, it is very hard to make profit if you are new because the market is very competitive. I learned that to grow a business, there are several tricks you could use to help improve. The list includes, using eBay to ship your items, leaving in a note that asks for a review, shipping the parcel as soon as possible and taking good stock photos. I also learned that besides using eBay and Etsy as marketplaces, you can also utilize social media to promote and gain recognition. Besides all that, I also learned today that there are many different free tools to use to set up virtual meetings that are completely easy to utilize and helpful. An interesting thing that I learned today is the difference between American English language and British English language.
Today, I learned about the different free Google tools and applications I can use to stay organized and consistent with work. I learned how to utilize Google Docs, Slides, Gmail, Drive and Sheets to help incorporate them into business and scheduling. Those productivity apps can help me stay on task and plan on what to do next if there is a lot of work to cram. In today's lesson, I also learned about writing a business email. When trying to email someone to promote a product or a deal, we should never start with I. Always started with "You" because "I" is not important when trying to buy a person into a certain product or deal. I also learned about the different types of Virtual Assistants there are in business. There is a blogger-virtual assistant, social media assistant and e-commerce assistant. I find it interesting that these assistants play such a big role in their jobs and especially for them, they have such a big responsibility because they are in charge of planning and making sure everything is in place and running as planned. Today I learned a lot.
Today, I learned the steps to take when I am overly stressed over something. Taking care of myself, either physically, setting goals or just being happy, there are steps to take to become a better version of myself. I learned that the more I try to get into the habit of maintaining my well-being, the more it will benefit and stick with me in the future. Eating healthy, exercising, socializing, and helping others is often the steps to improving a lifestyle when you are unhappy. I also found it interesting that the reason why people stop pursuing their goals is often the feeling of not wanting to fail. I thought it would have been because there is no lack of support but I could see why it would make more sense. I also learned the difference between a role model and a mentor. A mentor is meant to help you and be there for you but, a role model is usually someone famous who you most likely may have never met before. I learned a lot today and I will keep these tips of well-ness in mind in the future.
Today, I learned the methods on how to save money in the future and budget money more smartly. Instead of buying new luxury goods, buy used and second-hand items. Buying a brand new car is not a smart move because the car depreciates as the years progress. Instead, buy a used car and roll with it because it does not depreciate as fast as a brand new car. Budgeting expenses into necessity categories and want categories is also smart. Food, health and utilities such as electricity is a necessity. Big name-brand clothing and luxuries are not needed, so they fall into the want category. I also learned the difference between a net income and a gross income. A gross income is the amount you make and a net income is the final amount after taxes and other work expenses are due. I also learned from watching videos today that it is very important to grow a network and connect with people who you can see having strong relationships with. Building connections with other companies for both benefits is ideal and it is not ideal to connect with every single person. Linkedin is a good resource to use to build strong networks and connect with people and companies who could be a potential business partner. Today, I learned a lot about the importance of thinking about money and how to grow a business even more.
Today, I learned what an interview process for a job should look and sound like. Professionalism really matters, whether it is an in-person interview or a remote interview. Dressing nicely, looking your best and having excellent body language is key to making yourself look presentable. In the videos I have watched, I also learned that when you're in an interview, you should always do company research before the interview and applying for the job. Having your resume handy is also a must. Asking questions is always a must. Being there early and not the scheduled time is also a better look for you as a person because it makes you look eager and passionate to get the job. Everything I learned today really makes me prepare for any future interviews I may have to take part in and I will definitely be holding this information for when I am no longer a participant in Techie Youth.
The first unit I clicked on today had videos that explained the PROS and CONS of working at home and remotely while managing my own time and schedule. I thought it was quite interesting but I do not think it would be for me. Working remotely, seems to make me less productive and more distracted. I seem to just be a person that enjoys a workspace where I can see people being productive and it gives me the opportunity to interact with those around me. Besides the benefits and disadvantages of remote working, I also learned about how to utilize Instagram as a business tool to help grow a business. By creating an Instagram theme to target specific audiences and setting goals on Instagram, I learned that businesses should use and take advantage of hashtags and take/post pictures that best demonstrate your product and include interesting captions to bring more attention towards the post. It is also more about setting a goal on specifics and run advertisements but not to overdo the advertisement category. Instagram is also a really good way to connect with other businesses and grow. I learned a lot today and I enjoyed the lessons.