Tag: A Readers Corner

Motivational

Practical Strategies to Manage Anxiety in Today’s Fast-Paced World

Featured Madhumita Chakraborty1 Comment

Have you ever found yourself suddenly wanting to cry or struggling to catch your breath without any apparent reason? Have you experienced sleepless nights or palpitations even when you’re at rest? If you have, you’re not alone.

Anxiety, depression, and fear are common challenges many of us face in today’s fast-paced world. At some point in our lives, we all encounter these feelings when we’re dealing with anxiety, or depression. Sometimes, these emotions can be triggered by specific events, like workplace difficulties or worries about a loved one’s health. For others, anxiety can become a constant presence, disrupting daily life and becoming what is popularly called an anxiety disorder.

Overcoming Anxiety: A Personal Journey

I’ve personally faced anxiety multiple times in my life, and it’s lasted for days or even months, causing significant discomfort. It’s not just an abstract term to me. I’ve sought help from psychiatrists, taken medications. While these medicines provided temporary relief, they often left me feeling weakened due to their side effects. Overthinking has always been a part of my life, and my mind rarely finds peace. On the positive side, this propensity to think and analyze has helped me express myself through writing, but the negative impact on my personal well-being and social life has been undeniable. Medications offered only short-term relief, leading me to seek ways to tackle overthinking and regain control of my mind.

Before I delve into how I managed my anxiety and stress, let me share some valuable insights I gained from a psychotherapist I was fortunate to meet in my journey.

Understanding anxiety

Anxiety isn’t entirely a bad thing; it serves a purpose. For instance, think of a deer encountering a tiger. The deer’s anxiety kicks in, prompting it to run for its life. This anxiety is what triggers the deer to take action. If anxiety didn’t exist, the deer might not react and could easily become the tiger’s prey.

Anxiety has its merits, up to a point. Let’s say, on a scale of 1 to 10, a level of 5 provides the right amount of awareness. However, if your anxiety level goes beyond 5 on this scale, you’ll find yourself overly aware, overthinking, and becoming fearful of things that don’t warrant excessive attention.

Effective Strategies to Find Inner Peace and Manage Anxiety: Practical Steps for a Balanced Life

Over the years, I have discovered various techniques that have helped me manage my anxiety effectively. Here are some practical strategies to help you find inner peace and combat anxiety in your daily life:

Over the years, I have discovered various techniques that have helped me manage my anxiety effectively. Here are some practical strategies to help you find inner peace and combat anxiety in your daily life:

  1. Take Time to Relax: When anxiety strikes, give yourself some time to relax and regain composure. Sometimes, stepping back and breathing can make a significant difference.
  2. Practice Deep Breathing: Deep breaths can work wonders, especially when you’re feeling extremely nervous. Take slow, deep breaths to calm your mind and body.
  3. Mindful Acceptance: Instead of arguing with your thoughts, acknowledge them without judgment. Let them come and go naturally, without resistance.
  4. Self-Awareness and Positive Mindset: Cultivate self-awareness, which can help rewire your brain and foster a more positive mindset.
  5. Spiritual Guidance: If you’re inclined towards spirituality, consider reading a holy book daily. In my case, I find solace and moral support in texts like the Bhagavad Gita.
  6. Forgiveness: Learn to forgive others and, most importantly, forgive yourself. Forgiveness acts as a detox for your soul, freeing you from unnecessary burdens.
  7. Meditation and Physical Exercise: Embrace meditation to calm your mind and stay focused. Combine it with physical exercises and breathing exercises like Pranayama for a holistic approach.
  8. Stay Engaged: Keep yourself occupied with activities that bring you joy. Engage in hobbies, read books, or help others – distractions can often break the cycle of anxious thoughts.
  9. Acknowledge Your Success: Celebrate your achievements, no matter how small they may seem. Acknowledging your successes boosts your self-esteem and confidence.
  10. Disconnect and Connect: After working hours, disconnect from your work and spend quality time with your family and friends. Meaningful connections can provide emotional support and comfort.
  11. Practice Mindfulness: Stay present in every activity, whether it’s a walk outdoors or a daily task. Mindfulness can ground you in the moment and reduce anxiety.
  12. Challenge Fearful Assumptions: Don’t fear upcoming events based on assumptions. Remember that these fears are often unfounded, and challenging them can break their hold over you.
  13. Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself. Give yourself a metaphorical hug regularly. Self-compassion can provide the comfort and reassurance you need.
  14. Take Action: Don’t hesitate to step out of your comfort zone and take action. Taking initiative can empower you to overcome challenges.
  15. Prioritize Happiness: Engage in activities that bring you happiness and fulfilment. A positive mental state contributes to your overall well-being and radiates positivity to those around you.
  16. Seek Professional Help: Above all, don’t hesitate to seek support from qualified therapists. Therapy can provide valuable tools and insights to help you manage anxiety effectively.

Remember, managing anxiety is a journey, and it’s different for everyone. By incorporating these strategies into your daily life, you can take significant steps toward finding inner peace and living a more balanced, fulfilling life.

Leaving some thoughts at the end.

Look at the endless sky, and try to imagine, our miniscule presence in this vast universe. We are but tiny dots, so why burden ourselves with worries that are mere fractions of a dot in the grand scheme of things?

The current concerns weighing on your mind today, might lose significance after few months or some years, say 5-6 years down the road. Time has its way to heal and resolve everything. Isn’t it?

Let us know your thoughts at contactareaderscorner@gmail.com

Boosting Website Visibility: Latest SEO Techniques & Best Practices
Digital Marketing · Management · Marketing

Boosting Website Visibility: Latest SEO Techniques & Best Practices

Featured Madhumita Chakraborty1 Comment
Latest SEO Techniques & Best Practices

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses of all sizes. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a pivotal role in improving website visibility and organic rankings, driving organic traffic, and ultimately boosting conversions.

What happens if your business fails to manage Search engine optimization (SEO)?

Umm… Take the case of Nikhila. Say, she runs a handcrafted jewellery business and owns a beautiful website that showcases those unique pieces of jewellery. She has poured her heart and soul into creating exquisite pieces, but she soon realizes that her website is getting enough views.
Nikhila speaks to digital marketing experts and understands that her website is lost in the depths of the search engine abyss.

What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and why is it important?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to the process of improving a website’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). It involves optimizing various elements of a website to make it more search engine-friendly, thereby increasing its chances of appearing higher in organic (non-paid) search results.

  • Increased visibility: Most online experiences begin with a search engine. When your website ranks higher in search results, it becomes more visible to potential visitors. Improved visibility can lead to increased website traffic and brand exposure.
  • Targeted traffic: SEO helps attract relevant and targeted traffic to your website. By optimizing your website for specific keywords and phrases related to your products, services, or industry, you can reach users actively searching for information or solutions that you offer.
  • Credibility and trust: Users tend to trust search engines and often perceive websites appearing at the top of search results as more credible and trustworthy. A higher ranking in search results can enhance your brand’s reputation and credibility, leading to increased user trust and engagement.
  • Cost-effective marketing: SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy compared to other online advertising methods. While it requires time and effort, the results of well-executed SEO can have long-term benefits, with the potential for consistent organic traffic and a higher return on investment (ROI).
  • User experience improvement: SEO involves optimizing various aspects of a website, including its structure, content, and loading speed. These optimizations not only improve search engine visibility but also enhance the overall user experience. A user-friendly website with easy navigation, fast loading times, and relevant content tends to attract and retain more visitors.
  • Competitive advantage: In today’s digital landscape, businesses of all sizes and industries compete for online visibility. Implementing effective SEO strategies can give you a competitive edge by helping your website stand out from the competition and gain higher visibility in search engine rankings.

What happens if you neglect SEO?

Neglecting SEO can have detrimental effects on a business’s online visibility, organic traffic, brand awareness, link building and competitive advantage.
By understanding and implementing effective SEO techniques, businesses can overcome these challenges, improve their website’s performance, and achieve long-term success in the digital realm.

What are the top SEO techniques in 2023?

While the fundamentals of SEO remain constant, the techniques and strategies to achieve success are continually evolving. In this blog post, we will explore the latest SEO techniques, best practices, and strategies that can help you stay ahead of the competition and enhance your website’s visibility in search engine results.

  1. User Experience (UX) and Core Web Vitals: Search engines, particularly Google, have placed increasing emphasis on user experience as a ranking factor. Core Web Vitals, a set of specific metrics that measure page loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability, are now critical for SEO success. Optimizing your website’s speed, reducing page load times, and ensuring smooth navigation contribute to better user experience and improved rankings.
  2. Mobile Optimization: Mobile devices have overtaken desktops as the primary means of accessing the internet. As a result, search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their rankings. Implementing a responsive web design, optimizing page speed for mobile, and providing a seamless mobile browsing experience are crucial for SEO success.
  3. High-Quality and Engaging Content: Content continues to reign supreme in the SEO world. However, it’s no longer just about keyword density and quantity. Search engines have become smarter at understanding context and user intent. Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that resonates with your target audience is vital. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally and focus on providing value to readers. Additionally, diversify your content strategy by incorporating videos, infographics, podcasts, and interactive elements.
  4. Voice Search Optimization: The rise of voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa has transformed the way people search for information online. Optimizing your website for voice search queries is becoming increasingly important. Understand the conversational tone of voice queries and optimize your content to provide concise, direct answers. Structured data markup, featured snippets, and FAQ sections can help enhance your website’s visibility in voice search results.
  5. Local SEO: For businesses targeting a local audience, local SEO is crucial. Optimizing your website and online presence for local searches can significantly improve your visibility in local search results. Claim and optimize your Google My Business profile, include location-specific keywords, and ensure consistency in your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across all online platforms.
  6. E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness): Search engines are increasingly focused on ensuring that the content they recommend is reliable and trustworthy. Establishing expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) is essential. Showcase your credentials, expertise, and industry knowledge through author bios, testimonials, case studies, and backlinks from reputable sources. Invest in building a strong online reputation and actively engage with your audience.
  7. Technical SEO: Technical SEO forms the foundation of a well-optimized website. Ensure proper website structure, optimize meta tags, use descriptive URLs, and create an XML sitemap. Additionally, focus on mobile-friendliness, secure HTTPS protocol, and eliminate duplicate content and broken links. Regularly monitor and optimize your website’s performance and security.
  8. Backlinks and Link Building: Backlinks remain a critical ranking factor. However, the focus has shifted from quantity to quality. Earn high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites in your industry. Focus on building relationships, creating valuable content that others naturally want to link to, and leverage social media to amplify your content’s reach.

Top SEO tools

  • SEMrush for keyword research, competitor analysis, backlink analysis, site auditing
  • Ahrefs for backlink analysis, keyword research, and competitor analysis
  • Moz Pro for keyword research, rank tracking, site auditing, and link analysis
  • Google Search Console from Google for maintaining maintain your website’s presence in Google search results.

SEO continues to play a pivotal role in improving website visibility and organic rankings. By staying updated with the latest techniques, best practices, and strategies, you can position your website for success in search engine results. By adopting a comprehensive and holistic approach to SEO, you can enhance your website’s visibility, attract organic traffic, and achieve long-term online success.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I improve my website’s SEO?

  • Conduct thorough keyword research to identify relevant and high-performing keywords.
  • Optimize on-page elements like titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content with keywords.
  • Create high-quality, engaging, and valuable content for your audience.
  • Build authoritative backlinks from reputable websites in your industry.
  • Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and optimized for fast loading speeds.
  • Monitor your website’s performance and make necessary adjustments based on analytics data.
  • Stay up to date with SEO trends and best practices.

How long does it take to see results from SEO efforts?

SEO is a long-term strategy that requires consistent effort and patience. It can take several weeks or even months to see noticeable improvements in search engine rankings and organic traffic. The timeline can be influenced by multiple factors like the competitiveness of the keywords you are targeting, the quality of your website’s content and optimization, the strength of your backlink profile, and the overall authority of your domain. It’s essential to regularly monitor and analyze your website’s performance, make necessary adjustments, and stay committed to implementing SEO best practices. This ensures your long-term success.

What are the best practices for optimizing content for search engines?

  • Keyword stuffing: Avoid excessively using keywords in your content
  • Cloaking: Do not show different content to search engines and users. Keep your content consistent and transparent.
  • Duplicate content: Avoid duplicating content across multiple pages or websites
  • Link schemes: Stay away from participating in link schemes or buying links. Focus on building organic and high-quality backlinks.
  • Hidden text or links: Avoid hiding text or links within your website using techniques like white text on a white background.
  • Poor user experience: Ensure your website is user-friendly with clear navigation, fast loading times, and mobile optimization.
  • Ignoring analytics: Don’t overlook the importance of tracking and analyzing your website’s performance and adjust your SEO strategy accordingly.
  • Ignoring search engine guidelines: Stay updated with search engine guidelines (e.g., Google Webmaster Guidelines) to ensure your practices align with their requirements.

Email at contactareaderscorner@gmail.com

Kids Stories · Motivational · Mythological · Short Stories · Stories

Chetak, the Blue horse

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment

By Kritadhi Chakraborty

“Ho! Rider of the blue horse!” a familiar voice made Maharana Pratap look back. He could see only one horseman amidst the yellow dust… his brother Shakti Singh. But the sound of hoofs against the flinty rocks superseded his emotions as his savior today, none other than his beloved stallion Chetak, blazed through the mountains of Haldighati. Chetak, like his master Rana, was heavily wounded. “Hey Devi Ma!” uttered Maharana when for a few seconds (as though) time came to a standstill… Chetak was about to take a breathtaking leap over a mountain stream. As if the strength of a 100 horses has been bestowed upon him. Nobility unimaginable, will power to rescue his master whom he had borne through the day. Chetak fell along with Rana. Within a few moments Rana was back on his feet to fight back – but was relieved to find that none of his pursuers dared cross the stream.

Pratap rushed to Chetak… quickly unbuckled the harness. “Chetak! Chetak!” Rana’s voice choked in admiration of his valiant stallion as he realized that it was time to part with his guardian angel. Chetak’s expressive eyes, despite the blood dripping over it, was beaming with success and joy.

Rana took Chetak’s long face on his lap and cuddled the peacock shaped neck… far from Rakt Talai (the battlefield), Rana could only hear the breeze over his shoulders… as he recollected the happenings of the day.

The Mughal Sultan Jalal Uddin Muhammad Akbar was on his way to take Udaipur, located at the heart of Mewar. The Mewari army consisting of 20,000 soldiers were up against 80,000 Mughal troops. Maharana Pratap was holding the flower (flag) of Mewar. The Mewari army fought gallantly beside their prince who led the banner into the hottest part of the field. Rana had disguised Chetak as an elephant by putting an armor in the shape of an elephant’s trunk. Chetak charged an elephant by raising one leg upon the elephant’s trunk, giving a chance to Pratap to throw his lance at the enemy. The mahout got killed instead. In the process, the elephant’s tusk tore through Chetak’s leg and crippled him. Rana was wounded too. The battle was slowing turning into the favor of the Mughals as they rallied near Rakt Talai. The Mewari forces, that were left, had to make a tactical fall back. A camouflage had to be created to give Maharana Pratap enough time retreat.

It is said that Chetak, with a mind of his own, only submitted to the Maharana; and that he was the one to choose the king, not the other way around. Critically injured Chetak refused to succumb to the pain and only on three legs helped his master flee from the battlefield, to live to fight back again.

Chetak passed away in the arms of his master Maharana Pratap.

We don’t know how much of this is real. History does not name the horse ridden by Maharana Pratap at the Battle of Haldighati on 18th June 1576, nor do they attribute any unusual feat or achievement to it. The story is recounted in court poems of Mewar from 17th century onwards. Whatever the reality may be, what is important here is that the story inspires millions of Indians over hundreds of years. This story about the nobility and valiance of an animal inspires me.

Kids Stories · Motivational · Short Stories · Stories

Reward

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment

By Kritadhi Chakraborty

When Tisha’s dad came back home after his post dinner walk, he was a bit unusual that day.

He sat on the sofa with his eyes clothes and head resting on the cushion.

Tisha, an eight-year-old, lived with her parents on the fourteenth floor of a luxury apartment.

Every night, since they had shifted about a year ago, Tisha’s mom packs rice, curry and some extras from the day for the stray dogs.

In their society, stray dogs are not allowed to enter. Feeding stray dogs anywhere near the main gate is a big “No!” from the association as that seem to cause a lot of trouble to the residents.

Tisha’s dad carries the package to a nearby low lit street. There are at least some three to four regulars for the nightly meal.

“Today I was attacked by two bike-men you know?”. Tisha’s dad started saying after having two glasses of water. Tisha’s mom was shocked, “What?? Are you okay?”

“Yes! You won’t believe how I got saved today! I reached for my wallet and was about to give all the money I had to those men. All of a sudden those dogs started barking at the bike-men and many more dogs joined in no time. Couple of them climbed on the bike. Probably thinking that they may get into trouble due to the noise made by the dogs, the bike-men fled” Tisha’s dad took a pause.

“I can’t thank God enough for sending His messengers today to save me”. Tisha could see gratefulness and joy of being rewarded in the eyes of her dad that day.

She felt for the first time what they meant by saying, “Showing kindness to animals is an act of service to God”.

Motivational · Short Stories · Stories

Don’t ask why, deal with it

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment

Yet another announcement. Now for the 3rd position. Amy looked up with hope. Awful, this time again the 10-year-old, had to clap for one more fellow competitor. Her face went pale. Her mother looked at her, gently touched her head. The 4th position was announced for a girl of some other school. Amy looked down once again. A soft voice stirred her up. “Clap Amy”. It was her father smiling at her. Amy clapped with disappointed at heart.

“The award for the 5th position goes to Amy.”

Amy’s parents were overjoyed at the announcement. A faint smile on Amy’s face.

The family returned home. It was late evening, they were tired.

Amy could not speak at dinner table. “What happened Amy?”

Gush of warm tears rolled down her cheeks. She could not reply to her mother, wept bitterly.

Her parents were silent, they could probably understand.

Amy spoke almost after 30 minutes.

“I will never participate in any competition again. I worked hard, prepared well, and delivered my best but I stood fifth. You both were wrong. I don’t think hard work is the pillar of success.” Amy burst out in tears and cried out loud in despair.

Absolute silence in the room for almost 5 minutes.

Her father, Rohan, an engineer by profession broke the silence. “Amy my dear, your performance was excellent today. You stood fifth among 200 interschool participants in the story telling competition. You are one of the top 5 participants. We are proud of you. Your hard work and perseverance were rewarded.”

Amy looked at her father, her face looked eager to hear more.

Rohan, continued, “Have you not seen your mother and me working till late hours? You need not top a competition to prove your efforts. Even after hours of hard work, all your efforts might turn futile. We must work hard to give our best to stay in the race.”

Amy’s mother, Sree was listening silently. She has seen uncertainties in her career despite all the hard work and diligence she has put through. Sree has always been strong to handle her emotions and learn through her experiences.

Sree was trying to join the dots.

“Amy dear”, Sree spoke tenderly. “Don’t be upset. There are situations in our life which are beyond our control. The kids who ranked the top four might or might not have done as much as hard work you did. Even the ones who were among the bottom few ranks might have tried harder than you did and might be more capable than the toppers. There are multiple factors that determine success.”

Amy looked at her mother with curiosity.

“Amy, provided you did not work so hard, you would not have presented so well. Even the position you secured would have been far from reach. The performance of other competitors, the experience and understanding of the judges, your delivery on the moment, your content and many more such aspects play deterministic role in a competition. You have successfully performed well.”

Sree paused for a while and looked at her daughter’ glowing face.

“Success is not determined by a rank or by immediate gains. You have successfully gained experiences and have learnt several new concepts. Hard work makes you active at mind and helps you learn better. You must look forward and prepare for upcoming challenges. Life is full of twists and turns, and you must gracefully adapt to every situation in life.”

Sree smiled.

“You should know how to tackle each moment life unfolds to you. Remember Amy don’t just ask why but try to deal with every situation.”

Amy smiled. She was listening carefully until this time. That day indeed changed her life.

Amy is now in her late thirties and works for an MNC. Life has shown her how to stay confident and how to accept the uncertain turns.

Today, when Amy received her promotion letter on email, she was overjoyed. I could see her eyes glittered. She is my roommate; you may also call her my soulmate.

I found her speaking to her parents on a phone call.

In the afternoon we were sitting in the balcony of our hostel room. When I congratulated her, Amy narrated the story of the 10-year-old Amy. She smiled and said, “I have faced wins and failures in multiple competitions, have experienced multiple instabilities in my education and profession, have confronted moments of separations, but have always tried not to just ask why, not to just give up, but deal with the unfavourable situations and to embrace the favourable ones.”

I was thrilled. “Your promotion is just one more experience and life wants you to deal with it.” Amy smiled.

Poems · Spiritual

Growing wise

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment

Dreams shattered,
Sweet memories poisoned.
Achy heart
Stopped to hurt.
As days advance
My visions dance,
My dewy eyes
Growing wise
The new self
Feels complacent.
A better me
I get to see,
Can recollect those days,
The wonderful, sweet moments
Now diving into spiritual rays
A nascent untasted phase…

Janmashtami and the birth story of Lord Sri Krishna
Mythological · Short Stories · Spiritual · Stories

Janmashtami and the birth story of Lord Sri Krishna

Chanchal Chandra BhattacharyyaLeave a comment
Gopal Sri Krishna Janmashtami
Gopal Sri Krishna – Sketched by Chanchal Chandra Bhattacharyya

Janmashtami is a major festival of the Hindus. It is celebrated all over the world to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna, who was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the principle God of the Hindus. Janmashtami is also known as ‘Gokulastami’ and is celebrated on the eighth day of Bhadrapada.
Krishna was the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. Vasudeva was the king of Yadav clan. Kansa, a tyrant, and the maternal uncle of Krishna was very cruel and along with other such cruel Demon kings, was terrorizing on the earth. Kansa was the brother of Devaki, who removed his father Ugrasen from the throne of Mathura, imprisoned him and occupied the throne.

Devaki, was married to Vasudeva as Kansa wanted to take over the control on Yadav destiny. After marriage when Kansa was escorting the newly married couple, Devaki, and Vasudeva to the kingdom of the Yadav, he heard an announcement made from the Heavens, that the eighth child of Devaki will end his life. Kansa on hearing the forecast became furious and plunged to de head Devaki with his sword. Vasudeva begged his wife’s life and assured that he will hand over every child soon after their birth. Hearing this promise, Kansa did not kill his sister but imprisoned the couple, so that he could smash each of their new-born child to death in the prison.

However, all the seven children of Devaki were killed by Kansa one by one. On birth of the eighth child the prison surprisingly started glowing with bright heavenly light and at the same time Vasudeva was woken with a divine voice and was advised to shift the child to the house of Nandaraja, the king of Gopa tribe (cowherds) and a bosom friend of Vasudeva.

All the guards of the prison were made fast asleep, the doors started opening one by one, as Vasudeva proceeded with the Divine child. The night was stormy, complimented with thunder and heavy rain. Vasudeva crossed the Yamuna river with the help of Sheshnag, the giant multi headed snake of Lord Vishnu.

Vasudeva reached the house of Nandaraja who was waiting for him. They entered the room where Yashoda the wife of Nandaraja was lying with her newly born girl child. Vasudeva kept his child beside Yashoda, in exchange of her girl child and returned back to the prison .Vasudeva narrated everything to Devaki .As soon as he handed over Nandaraja’s daughter to Devaki, the little one began to cry loudly . The cry woke the guards up and they immediately informed Kansa about the birth of the eighth one.

Kansa reached the prison sharply and snatched the child. Devaki prayed Kansa not to end the life of the child as the child was a female one and in no way, she could make any harm to Kansa. Kansa did not pay heed to her request and threw the baby to smash against the wall of the prison room. The child with a smile said, “I am Goddess Durga. I can destroy you instantly but will not do the same as your time of death has not yet come.” saying this she disappeared.
Child Krishna became the center of love in Gokul as he was loved and cared by all. His foster parents Nandaraja and Yashoda, and every villager and his friends loved him for his intelligence and courage. Krishna became the hero of all residents of Gokul as he was a sweet one.

In course of time he killed his maternal uncle and saved Mathura from the terrible rule of Kansa. The festival, Janmashtami is so named as lord Krishna was born on Ashtami (the eighth day of Bhadrapada) and he was the eighth child of his mother. Lord Krishna was the icon of love and bravery. Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated all over India mainly in north India especially In Mathura and Vrindavan. Krishna followers today are spread all over the world and they spread his message of love, courage, and purity of soul. On the great Janmashtami festival, the Krishna Temples across the world are decorated with colorful balloons, garlands, and festoons. The puja on Janmashtami starts at midnight as it is popularly known that Sri Krishna was born in mid night.

Devotees remain on fasting for the entire day. They offer laddu and other sweet items along with flowers, dresses, and ornaments as a part of their worship. On this day, Lord is generally worshipped in his baby form and his idol is placed on a cradle.

A special ‘Dahi Handi’ program is held as the lord was a lover of milk products, especially ‘makhana’ (butter). On the day of the festival, colorful pictures are displayed on the bravery and love of Lord Krishna.
To the Hindus and Vaishnavas, Lord Krishna is the icon of bravery. He is the closest friend and the savior God.
Hope you loved to know about Janmashtami and the story of the Lord and would like to know more about him.

To share your thoughts, please email us at contactareaderscorner@gmail.com

Advertising… How to develop and manage Advertising?
Advertising · Management

Advertising… How to develop and manage Advertising?

Madhumita Chakraborty2 Comments
How to develop and manage advertisement, advertising

With the rise in media today, making people aware of products and services is easy and persuasive to initiate a purchase.

If you are trying to know how important is advertisement to a business or what are the easy ways to develop and manage an advertisement, then this blog would surely give you a good idea about the basics of advertisement.

What is Advertising?

“Advertising” or “Ad” or “Advert” is the form of marketing communication which is used to grab attention of target audience and promote products, services, or ideas through paid non personal presentation.

Objectives of Advertising

Once the target market is decided by carefully researching and analyzing the demographics based on age, gender, geographic location, income and so on, you may like to create demand for your product/ service to increase awareness and make selling easy. This is when you should choose to advertise. The target market, positioning and marketing mix helps to decide the objectives.

The primary goals of advertising are:

  • To introduce products, services, or ideas to customers and to build demand
  • To make selling easy by informing price changes
  • To build interest and engagement
  • To inform about products, the new variants, and establish brand image
  • To persuade to like and purchase the product
  • To remind and reinforce a purchase

Today, data driven decision making process helps to correctly decide the 5 Ms (Mission, Money, Message, Media, Measurement) highly influential in the development and management of Advertisement.

Where can you advertise?

You may preferably like to advertise in any of the following media-

  • Websites
  • Social media
  • Email
  • Cold calling
  • You tube
  • Television
  • Yellow pages
  • Newsletters
  • Billboards
  • Cars, Buses, Trucks
  • Restaurants
  • Buildings
  • Printed media like Newspaper

Please bear in mind that today online advertising is the most effective form of advertising. A good knowledge of SEO and Analytics increases the chance of more visibility, followed by awareness, acceptance, and sale.

How to develop and efficiently manage an advertising?

While advertising, you need to remember the following steps to design and maintain the advertisement effectively-

  • Put the advertisement objective in place
  • Decide the Advertisement budget based on the stage of Product Life Cycle and sustainability of the product, competition, frequency of advertisement and market share
  • Choose the advertisement message by generating it, evaluate and select, execute and being socially responsible. An Advertisement message to be effective should have well defined heading with subheading, an interesting main body which includes the key features, images in support of the advertisement and very importantly a Call to Action like a phone number or an email id or website url, etc.
  • Decide where to advertise
  • Analyze or measure the data available

 Looking for more details? To know more or to send your feedback, don’t forget to email at contactareaderscorner@gmail.com

A Boss or a leader? Key skills that every manager needs to be a successful leader
Fundamentals of Management · Management

A Boss or a leader? Key skills that every manager needs to be a successful leader

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment
Managerial skills

Hey … have you ever tried to look into your self and find out how strong are you in managing people and projects at your workplace or how well do you manage to support your near and dear ones? Be it your professional activities or be it your family affairs, every decision you take depends on how you think and what you think. When you communicate, your inner self speaks, and your personality reflects your experience and ideas.

Have you ever felt the importance of being a leader rather than being a Boss?

To be an effective manager at your workplace you need to manage to take right decisions at right time, need to motivate others, manage crisis situations, control emotions, show empathy to your coworkers and finally strive to lead a group of individuals efficiently so that the resources are intelligently utilized in a stress free environment to accomplish organizational skills.

Most of our workplace experiences in life makes us conclude that we prefer to work under managers with whom we can connect ourselves. When a manager guides us and motivates us, we feel that our life is enriched and work more happily to give our best to the organization. It is the manager and not the organization who is responsible to make an employee happy and ensure higher employee retention in the organization. 

When we get a chance to lead a group of people if we try to empathize other’s situations, try  to motivate others, have a pleasant body language and  regularly work towards improvement of soft skills, then we become a successful manager and a good leader and not just a stringent Boss.

Our technical skills will help perform jobs better so that others look up to us and can believe in our abilities.

What an efficient manager effectively manages to do?

If you are an efficient manager and a perfect leader, you should be able to-

  • Work effectively towards the accomplishment of organizational goals by proper planning and by assisting in building right strategies
  • Help the employees work contentedly by delegating the right assignments suitable for an employee with certain skill sets
  • Manage to handle clients efficiently and directing and coordinating at various organizational levels
  • Handle personal stress and change your behavior based on situational requirements and manage to handle chaotic situations in the organization
  • Respect self-beliefs and values, respect the beliefs of others and value and motivate them to help them connect with you

What are the key skills that can help you become a good manager and a great leader?

Prof Robert Katz has primarily highlighted the following 3 most important managerial skills every manager should have –

  • Conceptual skills help managers to understand the cause of a problem analyses and find the solutions.
  • Human Relation skills or Interpersonal skills help managers to effectively communicate with people at all organizational levels.
  • Technical skills allow managers to work efficiently with use of tools

However, experts also feel that the important soft skills that managers should possess should be as under –

  • Listening skills allow managers to understand and implement a concept effectively
  • Communication skills help managers to pass on messages through lucid language and perfect body language
  • Decision making skills help managers to take right decision at right moment. Their experience and analytical skills play a good role in decision making
  • Your problem-solving skills can help you solve problems easily
  • Time management skills allow managers to set goals, prioritize and delegate work efficiently so that higher level of productivity can be achieved
  • Administrative skills include participating in policy formation, successfully strategizing, controlling, coordinating, and organizing

If you possess the above skills you must be able to motivate people, manage conflicts, strategize, and get work done with optimal use of resources through your leadership abilities.

How do you improve your managerial skills?

Try to analyze your skills, practice positivity in life and work towards being a successful manager… be confident and you will realize that your organization and people around you really need you.

If you possess some of these following positive traits and try to nurture the others, then you can be sure that you lay hold of at least some if not all the above listed key managerial skills.

  • Be highly energetic
  • Be passionate about work,
  • Be self-motivated,
  • Be inspired by life experiences,
  • Be flexible,
  • Be honest,
  • Be creative
  • Be punctual
  • Be passionate about reading and writing

Looking for more ideas or planning to share your thoughts? Your feedback will be appreciated.

Please email at contactareaderscorner@gmail.com

Best wishes…

Women Entrepreneurship – All you need to know to be a successful woman in business
Entrepreneurship · Management · Women Entrepreneurship

Women Entrepreneurship – All you need to know to be a successful woman in business

Madhumita ChakrabortyLeave a comment
Women entrepreneurship, Why women need to be self employed, Female entrepreneurship

Women take huge responsibilities in their life and are blessed with a wonderful heart to care for all. However, responsibilities and obvious changes in their personal lives sometimes create hindrances to their career growth. This ‘great at heart and strong in mind’ gender with versatile qualities often turn this challenge into an opportunity and establish themselves as a business entrepreneur to materialize their dreams of becoming financially independent, and parallelly opening scope for others.

Women though capable of multitasking and intelligently driving a business, find it hard to get the chance of upskilling themselves, hence lack confidence to boldly make decisions and try out any new venture mostly in developing countries like India.

Women in general are bestowed with the highest human qualities like patience, hard work, tenacity, conceptualization, and innovativeness.  The most important elements of intelligence be it being practical, analytical or being creative are all the natural possessions of a woman which she learns through her life experiences.

The socio cultural, economic, and political situations play useful role in deciding whether a lady would choose to take up a business and if chosen what type of business would she prefer to do.

In recent times, due to great shift in the social concepts, hierarchy, orientation and general acceptance and awareness, women have emerged more strongly as entrepreneur and their choice of business transformed from mere minimal earning through kitchen extension to successfully taking up and driving technically advanced businesses that contribute greatly to the economy of the nation.

The Government of India and many corporates are supporting women through training programs and economic assistance to empower them and to promote an inclusive growth.

Women entrepreneurs currently contribute a huge portion into the Indian and world economy. Businesses run by women are growing at fast pace with more efficient women willing to take greater operational risks.

What is exactly meant by Women Entrepreneurship?

Women who come up with innovative ideas, plan, make preparations and step to initiate a business or adopt an existing business to earn for self and provide employment to others while running the business independently are the women entrepreneurs and the process involved is known as women entrepreneurship.

According to the Government of India, women enterprise is the enterprise which is managed by one or group of women entrepreneurs in proprietary interests where they should have a minimum of 51% share capital.

The common problems faced by women entrepreneurs

  • Short of fund to run a business.
  • General financial trouble.
  • Hitch due to family complications and responsibilities.
  • Dependence on middlemen for marketing and raw material supplies. The cost for hiring a middleman is sometimes too high and the overall earning diminishes.
  • Lack of technological knowhow and inaccessibility to technical trainings.
  • Dearth of family support and self-confidence. 
  • Gender bias in the society.
  • High competition.
  • Safety issues.

How the Government of India is empowering women?

The Government of India understands the importance of women entrepreneurship and strongly believes that a family or a nation may see an improvement in social and financial status when women participate actively in every sphere and moves forward with determination.

The Government runs training program to upskill women, raise their awareness and make them self-confident and independent through such initiatives.

Mahila Vikas and Mahila Udyam Nidhi are some of the programs to provide financial support to women.

Government schemes supporting women

If you are a woman who is self-motivated , high in ideas to start a business and looking for some ways that can help you make your dream come true, then follow the list below that will guide you with the existing helpful Government schemes.

  • Stree Shakti Package is a scheme started by SBI to support women entrepreneurs who participated in the Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).
  • Mudra Yojana Scheme provides loan to women entrepreneurs for small business and are available under Shishu, Kishore and Tarun plans based on the vastness and stage of the business.

The other schemes in tandem with the list above that might be helpful in supporting your venture are Assistance to Rural Women in Non-farm Development (ARWIND), Tread Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD), Women Development Corporation (WDC), etc.

SIDBI supports the EDP initiatives by the state agencies.

The industries in general dominated by women

  • Beauty parlour and beauty products
  • Kitchen
  • Pickles and papads
  • Handicrafts
  • Garments

Presently, women are found grabbing higher education, technically capable to take more risks and more aware and confident to run businesses that require high skills and strongly create a niche for themselves in all types of industries.

The successful women entrepreneurs

Women being flexible, energetic, goal oriented and tolerant are finding more space for themselves and contributing more in the present socio-economic scenario. The successful women entrepreneurs in different industries are the role models whose achievements inspire many in their life (irrespective of originating either of push or of pull factors) and have already concretized dreams of many others.

The untapped potentials of women are unleashing with a boom and the economy of India like many other countries is highly dependant on the women entrepreneurial businesses.

Some of the outstandingly great women who are highly successful and have highly impacted Indian economy and who should be considered as exemplar are Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (the founder of Biocon Ltd), Vandana Luthra (the founder of VLCC), Indra Nooyi (former CEO of Pepsi Co, currently board member of Amazon), Aditi Gupta (Author, Co-founder of Menstrupaedia) to name a few. Their success originated from outstandingly acquired skills, confidence and hard work shows that “nothing is impossible to achieve and can be accomplished if the heart is keen to reach”.

Some great business ideas to try at low investment

Do you like to dream high?

Our dream comes true when we put all our efforts to realize it.

If you ever thought of being an entrepreneur and work flexibly, try out your creativity and be independent then here are some small business ideas for you to endeavour-

  • Be a wedding planner or an event planner and you can be sure to earn huge revenue and open opportunities for others
  • Handmade goods sell, dress designing are some other areas where your creativity can help you earn and employ other women
  • You may try photography
  • Digital marketing service is an increasingly growing business area and can help you earn high and provide opportunity for others.
  • Practice your hands out and be a writer. Authorpreneurs have the scope to earn utilizing their passion. Blogging or publishing ebooks are the additional scopes open for modern writers

Most importantly, if you give your full potential, if you remain motivated and upskill yourself in congruence with nurturing confidence and patience within self then you are sure to be a successful entrepreneur of tomorrow.

For more details and feedback please contact us at email: contactareaderscorner@gmail.com