Action Life Media

action life media

Which Immigration Law Prioritizes Family Reunification?

The United States has a family reunification program that can help you reunite with your family if they reside in another country. The Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965. An immigration lawyer can further explain the process, discuss whether you are eligible, and help you file for an immigrant visa petition.

There are two types of family-based immigrant visas. The immediate relative visa is for your spouse, child, or parent, and for specific family relationships, you have the family preference visa.

Keep in mind that under US law, a person is considered a “child” if they are single and under 21 years of age.

What is the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965?

It is a legislated system of immigration control that replaced the discriminatory national origins system. It applied a new system of preferences for family reunification, employment, and refugees. This has also been the first time that immigration has also been capped within the US.

What are the qualifications for family reunification in the US?

You are eligible for the family reunification program if you are an immediate relative of a US citizen. Under US law, an “immediate family member” is the child (single and under 21 years of age), spouse, or parent of the US citizen requesting family reunification.

What is the process for family reunification?

Firstly, you will need to submit your application for family reunification. If you are indeed eligible for family reunification, here is what you can do to apply:

If you are in the US, you may file form I-485, an application to register permanent residence, or adjust your status to apply for a green card without leaving the country.

Also, you can file form I-485 with the form I-130, petition on behalf of an alien relative to the USCIS. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are unlimited.

Second, you should submit the following documents and evidence:

  1. Form I-485
  2. Copy of the form I-797
  3. 2 Passport style photographs
  4. Copy of government-issued ID with photograph
  5. Copy of birth certificate
  6. Copy of form I-94

Also, if you are a refugee, you can apply for the I-730 process that is a refugee relative petition. With this, you may petition for your spouse and children.

You can contact an immigration lawyer for more details, and help you fulfill your requirements, and help you submit your documents for you to get your green card in the US.

How can immigration lawyers help you get your US Visa approved

Applying for a green card can be complicated. But with experienced immigration lawyers, the whole process can be smooth and hassle-free.

You will have someone to legally represent you in US court and help you fulfill your requirements, file your application, and explain to you in detail the legal actions that you can take to get a green card.

Reunite with your family as soon as possible. Contact an immigration lawyer today.

 

3 Fun Activities Kids And Grandparents Can Enjoy Together

Helping your children to have a great relationship with your parents or grandparents can prove to be a huge benefit in the lives of your children. Not only will they have a stronger connection to your family as a whole, but the experiences your children can have sharing moments and memories with their grandparents and great-grandparents can help them to become more caring, compassionate, and patient people.

If your kids don’t already have a stellar relationship with your parents or grandparents, there are some activities that you can facilitate to help them better get to know each other and connect. To help you see what these things are, here are three fun activities kids and grandparents can enjoy together.

Arts and Crafts

For most kids, getting to be creative with arts and crafts projects is an opportunity to have fun and get messy. This can also be a great way for your kids and your parents or grandparents to work together to create something beautiful or just have fun together.

In addition to giving your children and your parents a common piece to work toward creating, Alexandra Sifferlin, a contributor to Time.com, shares that elderly people who get creative with arts and crafts are 73 percent less likely to experience the mild cognitive impairment that often comes with age. So along with helping your kids learn to be more creative and building a lasting relationship between these two generations, you’ll also be helping your elderly loved one to stay mentally fit.

Sharing Their Favorite Music

Another fun activity that your kids can do with your parents or grandparents is to share some of their favorite music with one another.

Music is something that can cross generations. It’s also a great way to show that you care about and what touches you. So by having your kids and your elderly loved one share with each other what music they like, they can begin to gain more insight into one another and learn about music that they may not have been exposed to before. And if your elderly loved one lives in something like an independent living community, you may be able to have other parents or grandparents join in, too.

Play Games Together

Choosing games that your kids and parents or grandparents can play together can be a great way for them to either work together or experience some good-hearted competition between one another. Games like card games, table games, and even computer games can be a great way for your kids to connect to their elderly loved ones.

In fact, Kalhan Rosenblatt, a contributor to NBC News, shares that more and more people aged 50 and over are playing online video games as a way to stay connected with their families when they can’t be physically together. Also, having your child teach their grandparents online video games can also help that grandparent get social interaction with others around the world, too.

If you’re wanting to find some activities that your kids and your parents or grandparents can enjoy doing together, consider using the tips mentioned above as a good starting point.

 

3 Things To Check Out When Switching Your Internet Provider

Having reliable access to the internet is a must for many people in the world. Whether you’re working from home, streaming videos for entertainment, connecting your smart home apps to your phone, or any other purpose, you’ve got to have fast internet in order to make this happen. So if your current internet service provider isn’t cutting it for you, or if you’re moving and are needing to set up new service, there are a few things you should look into before deciding which provider to go with.

To help you in figuring all of this out, here are three things to check out when switching your internet provider.

What You Can Get Versus What You Need

The first thing you’ll want to figure out is exactly what you need from an internet service provider. Depending on what you use your internet for, like gaming or streaming, the speed of the internet you’ll want to get will vary.

Along with this, Tyler Abbot, a contributor to Reviews.org, shares that you’ll also want to look into what services each provider available to you actually offers to its customers. Things like up-front costs, monthly costs, caps on your data, average speed you can expect, and your options for bundling other tech services will all be things that you’ll need to weigh when choosing which options best match with your needs.

Options For Renting Versus Owning Your Router

To access the internet from your home, you’ll need to have a router.

According to Devin Coldewey, a contributor to TechCrunch.com, many internet service providers will first offer you to rent a router from them. However, if you do this, you’ll be paying a monthly fee for that router. But if you choose to purchase a router, you’ll own that hardware as well as forgo having to pay a monthly fee that will quickly be over the actual cost of the router itself. So before you finalize your new service, make sure you know exactly what you should provide yourself and what you’ll just get from the ISP.

Service Ratings From Current Or Previous Customers

While the offerings that you see online might seem great to you, before you pick a final internet service provider to work with, Sarah Shelton, a contributor to the U.S. News and World Report, advises that you spend some time checking out service ratings from current and previous customers of that company. By doing this, you’ll be able to see what other customers like or dislike about using this service, which can help you prepare for what it will be like working with them yourself.

If you’re going to be switching internet providers soon, consider using the tips mentioned above to better do your research as you make this decision.

How to start trading markets?

Do you want to venture into trading markets? Or do you want to learn about online trading but don’t know where to start? Check out our mini-guide to better understand trading and learn how to trade and earn money today.

The definition of trading

Trading consists of buying or selling assets in different financial markets. Unlike investing, the objective of trading is to speculate on market trends and act on changes in the prices of financial assets.

Selecting your trading intermediary

The most convenient way to start trading markets is via the online brokerage service. There are several important factors to pay attention to in order to select the broker. As already mentioned, the broker should comply with strict trading regulations. That’s the guarantee you start your trading on a highly secured platform and that you deal with an honest and trustworthy company.

Moreover, the broker that is ready to enable you free education through tutorials, ebooks, or even mini-courses should be at the top of your list.

Furthermore, make sure that the company enables opening various types of trading accounts and diverse trading assets. That will get you more wiggle room for diversification of investments and risk management.

Finally, choose the trading intermediary in line with your trading plan, meaning the initial capital you are ready to invest, the strategies you aim to implement, and so on.

Financial assets are grouped into several categories:

  • Commodities (gold, oil, etc.)
  • Stocks (the Stock Exchange)
  • Bonds: a value representing a share of a company’s debts
  • CFD (Contract for Difference): Trading derivatives to speculate on rapidly changing financial markets (forex, commodities, etc.)
  • Stock market indices (CAC 40, Nasdaq, etc.)
  • Forex (currency pairs)
  • Cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.)

Fees applied to online trading.

To better understand trading, you should also be aware of the various fees you may encounter when opening an online trading account.

Although online brokers offer much more attractive prices than bank brokers, this does not necessarily mean that the cheapest online brokers are necessarily the most attractive to you.

The different fees applied to online trading are:

  • Account opening and closing costs
  • Transfer fees
  • Spread fees
  • Rollover fees

These brokerage fees are either fixed or as a percentage.

Regulation in trading

Before you start trading, it is important to know that the regulations in the world of speculation are very strict. All brokers are regulated and must obtain licenses to be able to operate on the national market. It makes it possible to certify the authenticity of the broker and his quality of services.

All official regulatory authorities will:

  • ensure the protection of the traders,
  • regulate brokers and provide exemptions in the event of non-compliance,
  • supervise and exercise regular control over them.

Payment methods for online trading

In addition to the regulations, it is also important to consider the different payment methods offered by the broker. Each broker chooses the payment methods used as well as the fees applied.

Although you usually have the choice to make your deposits or withdrawals, the bank card is still widely used. Bank transfers, although secure and practical, remain very slow in terms of processing times.

 

5 Common Credit Card Debt Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

One of the most stressful life situations you can encounter is credit card debt. Not only can it impact your mental and physical wellbeing, but it also can negatively affect your relationship and put a strain on your daily life.

So getting out of debt, and staying debt-free is a goal for many of us. But many of us may be motivated to start, but end up self-sabotaging a few weeks or months in. If you’re wondering why you’re not making more progress in paying off your credit card debt, check out our 5 tips for avoiding credit card debt mistakes!

1. Skipping a Budget

If you’re serious about paying off debt, one of the first and most important steps to create a budget. You’ll need to take a hard look at your income, as well as your expenditures to see where you can cut back.

Identify your sources of debt. Do you eat out too much? Spend too much on necessary items shopping online? Knowing your weaknesses will help you to create a plan to avoid giving in to temptation.

2. Staying Ignorant

It’s vital that you understand the implications of using a credit card. Most cards come with high interest rates that snowball when you’re not paying down the balance each month.

You need to know your interest rate and how it’s impacting your ability to pay down debt. Call your credit card company or bank and ask some hard questions. After all, the more you know the better you’re able to make a plan to help with paying off debt.

3. Late and Minimum Payments

One of the worst mistakes you can make when attempting to pay off a credit card is to only pay the minimum each month. The compound interest of your credit card debt will snowball and a $15, $35, or even $50 payment a month won’t even make a dent in the overall amount.

Late or skipped payments will have a serious impact on your credit score as well. This will follow you into the future and can wreak havoc on future opportunities, like buying a house or getting a loan for a car.

4. Ignoring Debt Consolidation Options

If you find yourself drowning in credit card payments from multiple cards, you should definitely look into debt relief programs.

By consolidating your debt, you can combine multiple payments into one, larger payment. These usually have a smaller interest rate, which makes it easier for you to pay down debt and avoid late or over-limit fees.

5. Falling Back into Bad Habits

Once you’ve put in the hard work to pay off your credit card debt and achieve a high credit score, don’t let that effort go to waste! Continue to stick to a budget, pay off your balance each month, and put money into an emergency savings fund to help cover unexpected expenses.

No More Credit Card Debt Mistakes!

It’s no secret that you need to address credit card debt. The good news is that you can take control of the situation today by looking at the big picture of your finances and learning what steps you can take.

No matter your debt situation or amount, there is help to be found! Any credit card debt mistakes can be addressed one step at a time. Check out a debt relief service today to see what options you have to help you enjoy a debt-free future.

Shopping for the Best Color Scheme for Your Retail Store: How To Choose

Did you know that the colors you choose for your retail store can determine whether customers make a purchase? Color psychology isn’t a new concept. Businesses from a variety of industries are using color in order to influence purchasing decisions, create memorable brand experiences, and set expectations for customers.

However, it can be hard to choose the best color scheme when there are hundreds of options available. In this guide, we’ll go over how to choose the best color schemes so that you don’t have to agonize over the decision any longer!

Know Your Brand

Before you start coloring the best paint color schemes, it’s important that you know your brand, customers, and product line inside and out. Here are a few questions to get you started:

  • Would you describe your brand as a youthful one, or luxurious?
  • What is the average age of your target audience?
  • Do they want a relaxing or invigorating shopping experience?
  • Do you already have well-defined visual branding?

By answering these questions, you’ll be able to make informed, educated decisions when it comes to choosing color schemes for your store. You can also click here for more tips on painting your retail store.

Use Your Logo

If you already have well-defined visual branding, we recommend starting simple–use the colors in your logo! These colors were chosen by your graphic designer because they set you apart from competitors as well as give customers a good idea of what you stand for in one glance.

Using the colors that are also used on your website, business cards, and other marketing materials can help strengthen the association between those colors and your brand. If you already have an established base of customers, they may also feel more comfortable shopping in a store with the colors and branding they’re familiar with.

You’ll also find that by using the colors of your logo, you may already be using colors that are associated with your industry. This is a great help to businesses that are just starting out and need more authority with customers.

Create an Inviting Space

It’s important that your retail space welcomes people inside and invites them to browse for longer amounts of time. Consider the mood that you want your customers to be in as they browse your store. If you have a brand that’s known for loud, youthful designs and trendy products, you may want a vibrant environment that boosts customers’ moods and beckons them to pay attention.

If you want a more vibrant setting, here are some of the best three color schemes:

  • Orange and red
  • Red and yellow
  • Pink and red

On the other hand, lifestyle brands or yoga brands will probably want more peaceful, tranquil environments that are similar to the products they sell. Neutral colors excel when it comes to creating peaceful spaces.

Consider using off-whites, creams, taupe, with some accent colors that match your visual branding.

Consider Your Products

Keep the purpose of your retail store in the back of your mind–to sell your products! With this in mind, make sure you’re creating a space that highlights your products. Consider your product colors as well as their packaging.

You don’t want to choose paint color schemes that are too similar to those colors, as you’ll products will blend into the background of the store. Instead, you may want to paint your store with neutral or complementary colors where your products will be displayed. This will ensure that no one will miss the products you’re selling.

Utilizing Color Psychology

Last but not least, utilizing color psychology is a great way to begin considering color scheme ideas for your retail store. Before you start looking at colors, it’s important to know as many details of your target audience as possible, such as their:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Income bracket
  • Hobbies
  • Marital status
  • And more

For instance, blacks, deep blues, and browns are typically used as masculine colors, while blush reds and light purples are usually preferred by women. Regardless of your gender, red typically grabs a person’s attention and can even increase your heart rate in large amounts.

Orange, on the other hand, usually has an association with enthusiasm, positivity, and happiness. This is a large reason why you may see many fitness brands utilizing the color orange.

Blue is a color used often for a variety of brands because it’s preferred by both men and women. It also has an association of trustworthiness as well as calm because it reminds people of the sky and ocean. The use of blue as a gradient can create the effect of a sky within your retail store.

You can also play with texture, tone, and shade when it comes to the colors you choose.

The Best Color Scheme: Know Your Brand

When it comes to choosing the best color scheme for your retail store, we recommend first deciding whether you already have well-established visual branding. This is because professional graphic designers often take time studying your competitors, the market, your mission statement, and more in order to find colors that perfectly exemplify your brand.

The best setup color schemes will showcase your brand and products without clashing. Even better, they’ll invite your target audience to shop and evoke emotions that are in line with your brand, industry, and the products you’re selling. For instance, people often expect to feel invigorated in a store selling workout gear!

Ready for more tips on how to create a vibrant brand experience? Keep reading the blog for more strategies!

How Can I Choose the Best Timeshare Resort?

Some vacations leave an impact that feels magical. Maybe you felt that way about a world-class skiing adventure in the mountains. Or, perhaps you can’t forget the way a coral reef looked during a snorkeling trip on the coast.

Whatever the vacation was, you feel the urge to return and do it again. Everything was perfect, from the food to the people around you. The only question is, how do you get that experience again?

Many people find this experience through a timeshare. A timeshare getaway can be the perfect way to enjoy your vacations for years to come. However, choosing the best timeshares requires several considerations.

In this article, we’ll explore how to choose the best timeshare for your vacation getaway. So, without further ado, let’s get started!

How Do Timeshares Work?

Before we get into all the considerations that go into choosing a timeshare, let’s first explore how timeshares work. A timeshare is a real estate deal that allows several people to buy partial property ownership in a vacation or resort area.

Various resorts allow people to purchase different lengths of time. The standard length, however, is one week out of the year. The size of the property can likewise vary. Some timeshare properties are condos, a suite of rooms, or a single room.

There are two types of timeshares on the market. The first is a deeded timeshare, and the second is a non-deeded timeshare. Deeded contracts function similarly to buying a house.

As such, you get a share of the property’s ownership. This ownership means you can rent out your share, resell it, or leave it as an inheritance. Most of the timeshare transactions out there occur through deeded contracts.

Non-deeded contracts are more akin to renting and signing a lease. Your purchase isn’t so much one of ownership as it is right-to-use. This right may last several years, but the property isn’t yours. When your term runs out, ownership will revert to the original property owner.

Choosing Your Dates

A smart traveler often knows his travel dates well ahead of time. Usually, there’s a particular week or time frame when he goes on his vacation getaway.

If that’s the way you travel, then a fixed-week system is probably your ideal timeshare system. A fixed-week arrangement allows you to use the property for the same dates each year. Most of these systems come through deeded contracts.

If you enjoy predictability, this will likely be your best arrangement. Fixed-week timeshares won’t let you change your dates. If these dates don’t work for you one year, you can rent the property to others during that date. Alternatively, you can trade it with other deeded owners.

This system may seem restrictive to you. If so, you’re not alone. Fixed-week systems are no longer as popular as they were because people want flexibility.

The more flexible alternative to this system is a floating-week system. This timeshare schedule allows you one week per year, but you can choose that week each year.

This system grants you much more freedom, as it allows you to pick your dates at any time or within a particular time frame. However, this freedom comes at a price. You’ll face competition for all the popular times of year in your destination.

Costs Of Timeshares

A timeshare comes with certain fixed costs. The primary expense is the fee you pay upfront, which amounts to your timeshare closing costs.  The second fee is your annual maintenance fee, which is usually the worst part of financing a timeshare.

Maintenance fees come annually, whether you use the property or not. Most of the time, there is no expiration date. You also may end up with additional fees, such as upgrade and repair fees resulting from a storm.

Getting The Most From Your Time Share

Knowing all of these factors, you can now make an informed decision about your timeshare purchase. Now, all you have to consider is where you want your timeshare and what quality of share you want. We’ll explore these choices down below.

Where To Buy Your Timeshare

Only buy your timeshare in a place where you’re sure to travel. This advice may seem obvious, but many people make this mistake. People often like the idea of owning a timeshare in a place they enjoyed and think they’ll come back later. Then, they end up hardly ever visiting the property.

Before you buy your timeshare, you need to assess your travel habits. Are you somebody who likes repetition and routine, or do you prefer variety?

Do you love going somewhere often enough to feel like a local, or do you love to see new places? Once you’ve made these decisions, you can purchase your best timeshare in a place you love.

Amenities and Accommodations

Several timeshares offer accommodations and amenities that hotels won’t match. However, these amenities aren’t necessarily universal. Timeshares divide themselves into classes based on the level of amenities they provide.

If you want a property that feels more like a home, look for a timeshare that doesn’t include an RCI or Interval International award. These places lack many of the resort-level amenities.

However, if you like to travel in luxury, find a resort with an RCI Gold Crown or Interval International award. These places offer a variety of amenities. At the highest levels, they may include rental cars and airfare coverage.

Visit Your Timeshare Prospect Soon

Once you’ve picked out a timeshare location and a property that seems amenable, the next step is to visit the property. Look around and see if it meets your expectations. Will it fit your family comfortably? Does it look to be in good condition?

If you’re satisfied with the type of contract, costs, and its condition, all that’s left to do is make an offer. With any luck, you’ll have your ideal timeshare getaway in no time.

We hope you enjoyed this article! For more like it, check out our other content today!

The Best Foundation Plants for Creating Mega Curb Appeal

Do you remember the first time you saw your home? What about the house drew you to it? Was it the shape of the porch, the size of the building? Did its beautiful yard immediately catch your eye?

Never underestimate the importance of an attractive front yard in a house’s curb value. A stunning yard immediately catches people’s attention, especially if you have the right foundation plants growing in it.

Finding the best plants for landscaping your home may be tricky. You have to consider your climate and the amount of sun exposure your home receives. This can make it difficult to plant the right foundation plants for your home.

Don’t let those considerations deter you, though! In this article, we’ll give you some tips and recommendations that will help you find the perfect foundation plants for your house.

Foundation Plants For Full Sun

To give you a few landscaping ideas, we’ll start off with a few plants that thrive in full sun. In case you’re new to gardening, “full sun” specifies a plant that requires unfiltered direct sunlight for six hours a day.

Take care to notice the different levels of intensity the sun has throughout the day. Full sun in the morning has a different impact on a plant than full sun in the afternoon. As such, plant these in the places around your house you feel will do them justice.

Stonecrop

This plant, also known as sedum, is a perennial plant that comes back each year. When it comes into full bloom, it creates a dome that embraces the ground. At its peak height, the plant ranges from ten to twelve inches.

Due to its relative shortness, stonecrop is an excellent choice for growing along the border of your foundation plant bed. Its pink color contrasts beautifully with taller evergreens. It can also complement the shades of a taller rosebush.

In addition to thriving in full sun, this plant also prefers drier soil, making it a pretty addition to several regions’ landscapes. It doesn’t require much water, either.

Catmint

Catmint flowers are a favorite choice for planting in large numbers. Like sedum, this plant thrives in dry soil. It enjoys drier weather so much that it even absorbs the heat reflected from your house’s siding.

Because of this, many people like to plant catmint closest to their walls. Its height varies from species to species, ranging from 12-20 inches. Because of this, it makes a beautiful complement to stonecrop.

Unlike the stonecrop plant, which features pink flowers, this plant turns a vivid blue or violet shade in its full bloom. To get the most out of its looks, plant it with several other catmints of the same type. By spring, you’ll love what you see.

Foundation Plants For Partial Sun

Let’s move on to discuss some plants for partial sun settings. Full sun defines an area that receives direct, unfiltered sunlight for a significant period in the day.

Partial sun, however, describes an area whose sunlight is at least partially filtered. Think of the ground between a few trees, where leaves partially block the sun.

Since not all homes receive much direct sunlight, this next section will explore plant choices for those with partial sun.

Juniper

The juniper family produces extremely tough and resilient evergreen flowers. Additionally, these flowers are among the most low maintenance kind out there.

Juniper flowers often help to fill gaps in the middle sections of your foundation plant bed. Alternatively, you can also plant these in any part of your garden that doesn’t need much maintenance.

These flowers often reach up to two feet in height, spanning three to four feet in width. They can withstand all manner of weather, from extreme cold to drought. Furthermore, although we’ve included it in the partial sun section, juniper plants can also survive all-day sun exposure.

Holly

‘Carissa’ Holly is a variant of Chinese holly. At its full maturity, the shrub reaches between three to four feet in height and likewise in width. ‘Carissa’ mounds naturally, requiring very little pruning.

Like juniper, this breed of holly can withstand full sun exposure. However, it can also thrive in partial sun, giving you versatility.

If you want to install these shrubs in the best way possible, check out the installment methods of Franz Witte. This company produces beautiful landscaping work with a variety of plant types.

‘Otto Luyken’ Laurels

Laurels are a delightful evergreen plant with an ancient history. In Ancient Greece and Rome, competitors in various games received laurel wreaths and crowns when they won.

The ‘Otto Luyken’ cultivar has just as grand an appearance as those ancient victors. Its serpentine green hue and white bottle brush contrast beautifully in the spring, bringing the first signs of life to your home and garden.

Likewise, the plant reaches about four to six feet in height at its full maturity. Its width can span between five and six feet. This makes it the tallest of the plants we’ve covered in this article.

As with ‘Carissa’ holly and juniper variants, this plant can grow in many sunlight conditions. As a cautionary note, though, you may notice that your laurel has some holes in its foliage when you purchase it.

‘Otto Lukyen’ plants often host a fungus that causes holes to develop. These fungi thrive in garden center spaces but will not survive most gardens. So, once you plant the laurel, you should see those holes fill up.

Find Your Best Foundation Plants Today

As you can see, several types of foundation plants exist. Each comes with an appeal and a distinctive look of its own. So, to start your garden, find the foundation plant you like best and learn what conditions it thrives in. From there, you can plant it yourself or hire landscapers to do it professionally.

We hope you enjoyed this article! For more like it, check out our other content today!

7 Trade Show Ideas That Will Make Your Booth Stand Out

There are approximately 13,000 trade shows hosted across the United States every single year. That’s not counting the many thousands more trade shows held in other countries across the world.

Trade shows are big business, and they can mean big business for your company. But if you’re planning on heading to a trade show any time soon, you need to know how to stand out with the finest trade show ideas.

With so many companies vying for attention at these shows, you don’t want to get lost in the shuffle. Luckily for you, we’ve highlighted these 7 things you can do to succeed at the next trade show you attend.

1. Brand Marketing is Everything

When it comes to good trade show booth ideas, you first need to understand that branding is everything. Branding can include your logo design, your slogans, the way you interact with customers; everything.

Because it’s so all-encompassing, this is something you have to get right from the get-go. Otherwise, customers may not be able to properly interact with your business.

The best way to ensure your brand is trade show ready is to work with an experienced booth brand services provider.

There are many of these in different areas across the US, with one notable example being Nimlok Orlando.

Make sure you contact a professional provider if you’re heading to a show and are concerned about how you’ll perform.

2. Make Your Booth Interactive

When it comes to trade shows, you want people to stop at your booth for an extended period of time. With so much ground for guests to cover, this can be easier said than done.

But one way to entice guests can be to add interactive elements to your booth. You need to ensure these elements revolve around the product or service you’re actually selling.

Product trials can be a good way of bringing guests to you, particularly if it’s food or technology-based. Whatever you decide to do, make sure it’s something guests can get involved with themselves.

3. Focus on Exploring a Particular Theme

Next to your brand, your booth needs to convey a particular theme to your potential customers.

If you’re selling beds, you don’t want your booth to feel like a raucous nightclub. If you’re selling new technology, you don’t want guests to feel overly relaxed when visiting your booth.

Narrow down what your product or service is, and what kind of mood you want it to provide customers. Then, figure out ways that you can convey this mood when designing your booth.

This is a great way of connecting your trade show presence with an overarching company or brand message. This synergy can make your business more memorable to trade show guests when they think back later.

4. Big Trade Show Ideas Involve Refine Your Eye-Catching Visuals

Some of the best trade show marketing ideas are visually involved.

This is because the main way you can entice customers on a trade show floor is through visual means. If your booth looks like nothing else at the show, chances are it’s going to be popular.

Make sure to design your booth so that it stands out. Focus on your brand, but do something really creative or exciting with it.

The more eye-catching you can design your booth, the more customers you’ll attract to it throughout the trade show.

5. Leverage VR and Advanced Technology

Almost 60 million people are predicted to use VR across America in 2021. Though this sounds like a large figure, that means there are millions more who may have never experienced the technology before.

A trade show can be a great way to use technology people have yet to experience en masse. This is because it ensures your booth appears cutting-edge to all of your potential customers.

It can also be another good way for trade booth guests to interact with your booth. Finally, it’s a way that you can stand out from the crowd.

If possible, see if you can adapt your product or service to a VR platform. This could be with a virtual showroom or a mini-performance.

This is another form of advertising you can utilize that works brilliantly on the tradeshow floor.

6. Hold Contests With Prizes

This is another one of our trade show booth ideas that involve interacting with customers. Holding a contest can be a good way to create some drama around your booth.

If you’re in the videogame industry, a videogame contest writes itself. Or, if you’re selling other competitive products, try and encourage people to get high scores.

This means they’re trialing your product, and you could even get spectators for the event. All of this ensures more eyes and hands on your product during the trade show.

7. Focus on Your Trade Show Hosts

Finally, when it comes to trade show display ideas, they won’t work without the right kind of hosts.

You want your most enthusiastic employees to work your trade show floor. These are the people who will be bringing customers in.

They need to know the product or service inside and out. They also need to be personable, warm, and inviting.

Make sure to have a couple of trade show hosts at least, so that you can juggle several customers at once. These are the people who will eventually clinch a sale or opportunities, so you need to put your trust in them.

The success of your trade show can depend on those who are working the floor that night.

Where Can I Find Out More About Trade Shows?

You should now know some of the most useful trade show ideas for booths, designs, branding, and more. But succeeding at trade shows with trade show marketing requires a lot of trial and error to finally get it right.

If you’re interested in finding out more about trade shows, business, tech, or other matters, make sure to take a read through some of the previous posts on our website.

Affordable Housing Guide: What is ADU Housing?

With the cost of housing climbing further and further out of reach for low and middle-income individuals and families, many cities across the US are relaxing their regulations to encourage the growth of ADU housing.

If you haven’t heard this term before, you might be wondering what is ADU housing exactly?

ADUs, or accessory dwelling units, are a great alternative to traditional rentals in cities where affordable rent is a challenge to find. ADUs also increase property values and can be a lucrative investment for homeowners.

This article will discuss what constitutes an ADU and the different types of ADU affordable housing.

What Is ADU Housing?

An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is the legal term for a small house or apartment that shares the same lot as a primary dwelling. ADUs are typically much smaller than what we think of as an average-sized house.

Usually, ADUs are one of two units on a single-family residential lot. They are owned by the same person who owns the lot and primary dwelling.

An ADU can be attached or detached from the primary unit. Attached ADUs most often use the water and energy connections of the main house, while independently-standing ADUs have their own sources.

Informal ADUs have been around for a while but permitted ADUs are growing in popularity. Many of us might have grown up with informal ADUs inside or attached to our homes without realizing it.

Other terms used to describe ADUs include granny flat, mother-in-law suite, secondary dwelling unit, or carriage house, among others. You’ve likely heard of these terms more often than the term ADU.

ADUs are in a unique category of housing. This is because they are secondary housing units on single-family residentially zoned properties.

There are a large range of municipal zoning and land use regulations that govern which types of ADUs you can build and how you can use them. You can follow this link to find out the exact regulations for building an ADU in your city.

Because of the varying regulations, there are much larger numbers of informal ADUs compared to permitted ones. An informal ADU refers to one that is unpermitted and discretely contained within the primary dwelling.

An example of an informal ADU is a converted attic or basement space, or a converted room over a garage.

What Counts As ADU Housing?

While there are many different types of ADUs, the differences can be both obvious and slight. To make it easier to comprehend the vast variety of ADU styles, we’ve broken it down for you.

The most common types of ADU structures fall into the following categories.

Detached New Construction ADUs

These are the type of ADUs commonly referred to as granny flats. They are new-builds that have been added to the property. They are entirely separate structures from the main home.

Tiny houses sometimes fall into the category of a detached ADU. However, they do not always fit the bill. This is because detached ADUs are often required to have their own source of water and power.

Addition Or Bump Out ADUs

Sometimes, homeowners prefer to create an ADU addition that is attached to the primary dwelling. This can be more convenient because the ADU can share the main home’s water and electric connections.

Garage Conversion ADUs

This is when a detached garage gets converted into a separate living space. If you live in a mild-weather climate and can park your car outdoors year-round, this is a good option.

ADUs Above a Garage or Workshop

These are a converted space above the garage. It allows the garage to remain functional while creating a living space overhead.

Basement Conversion ADUs

Just like an attic, a basement can be converted into a comfortable living space. However, it can take a little more effort to bring in natural light and control humidity. You may contact Watertight Homes in Sheffield for basement conversions to get a quotation.

Internal ADUs

These are ADUs built inside a part of the primary dwelling that is not the basement. Internal ADUs share utilities with the primary dwelling. Unfortunately, they can be difficult and expensive to build to code.

Why Build An ADU?

Some will tell you building an ADU on your property is the best investment they ever made. Others will tell you it comes with its share of complications and consequences.

Although it can be expensive, building an ADU is nowhere near as costly as constructing a primary home in a major US city. It is one way to provide affordable housing in places where most can’t afford to own and rent is high.

Here are a few other reasons you might find building an ADU to be a good investment:

To Earn Supplemental Income

Many people choose to use an ADU as a vacation or full-time rental. This can be very helpful in paying off your mortgage or saving for retirement.

Keep in mind, if you rent your ADU as a vacation rental, you will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining it.

To Add Property Value

In most cases, ADUs can increase the value of a property. Many buyers are interested in homes with ADUs because of the prospect of earning extra income without much effort.

To House Older Family Members

At some point, most of us have to figure out what to do with our aging parents or grandparents. Nursing homes can be costly and impersonal.

ADUs are a great way to give our older loved ones the gift of aging at home surrounded by family. Acton ADU points out that ADUs are a great way to add privacy and comfort for multi-generational households.

To Provide Affordable Housing For Adult Children & Young Families

An ADU can make an excellent living space for a child in college or a recent graduate. It can also be a great place for a young family to live while saving up for the future.

For Safety

Some homeowners feel better having another person close by. An ADU is a great idea for empty-nesters and widows/widowers.

Renting out the extra space to someone else, or having a friend or family member move in can be comforting in these situations.

Is Building An ADU the Right Choice For You?

Now that you have a solid understanding of what is ADU housing, what type of ADU will you choose?

Before you get started, make sure to research the zoning laws in your city. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with the regulations for renting before you commit to building an ADU.

If you found this article useful, make sure to check out our other articles about home improvement!

Newsletter

Facebook

Action Life Blog