The Ultimate Guide to Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs

The Ultimate Guide to Succession Planning for Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs need plenty of self-belief in order to make it in their chosen industry. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs are often guilty of focusing on building their business around themselves and forgetting to consider what happens to the business after they are gone. If you spent a lot of time creating a successful business, you should definitely spent enough time also on planning for its future once you leave, whether due to retirement or something more unthinkable such as illness or death.This guide will help you understand what succession planning is all about, why it is important and what options are available for entrepreneurs. It’ll also help you focus on the key aspects of creating a good plan. © Shutterstock.com | Gustavo FrazaoIn this article, you will learn 1) what succession planning is, 2) assessing your options, 3) key consideration in succession planning, and 4) conclusion.WHAT IS SUCCESSION PLANNING?Succession planning is all about the things that happen to your business once the owner steps down from running the business. A good succession plan is essentially the roadmap for continuance of the business after the owner is no longer part of the business.The plan deals with different aspects of changing ownerships, both in the instance of retirement, but also in case of death. It makes sure the business operations can continue as normally as possible, while the ownership of the business changes hand.Most often succession plans deal either with leaving the business to family members or selling the company to someone else.Why should entrepreneurs have a succession plan?When entrepreneurs start planning for their business, the questions of what happens to your business after you stop working are naturally not the first thing on one’s mind. But succession planning is as essential for ensuring business success as it is to have a proper plan for running the business. Life can be unpredictable and planning for different outcomes is essential for business success.The numbers of businesses that don’t have a succession plan in place is quite high. A recent US Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth Survey found that nearly 66% of business owners don’t have a succession plan. Most often, businesses think a written plan is not needed and the consequences of having a succession plan in place are not properly understood.But the benefits of having a proper succession plan are enormous. A proper succession plan will:Provide financial benefits â€" the main benefit of a proper succession plan is all about the finances. It helps you avoid unnecessary costs of handing over your business and ensures you take advantage of available tax benefits.Make the process smo other â€" overall, a succession plan will make the actual process a lot smoother and quicker. Changing the ownership can be quite disruptive to your business and you want to limit this as much as possible.It also helps the emotional burden on your family in case something bad happens to you. A succession plan guarantees they don’t need to worry about the business during the unimaginable difficult time in their lives.Ensures you avoid panic decisions â€" because you have a solid plan in place, you won’t suddenly find yourself in a situation where you need to make decisions quickly. Rash decisions are hardly ever good or cost effective.Secures your retirement â€" a succession plan will secure your retirement, both financially and emotionally! As mentioned above, you don’t need to worry about losing financially from handing over the business. But you’ll also be able to enjoy a smoother transition from a busy business owner to a retired person.Help you carry on your vision â€" s uccession plan doesn’t only mean financial benefits to your business. You’ve spent a lot of time and money in getting your business to where it is and you shouldn’t see your vision disappear in flames just because you retire or are incapable of running the business. A succession plan helps to carry on your vision forward under new leadership.Here is a great short video by Entrepreneur on the importance of succession planning: When to start planning?Ideally, entrepreneurs should start planning for the handing over process as soon as they set up the business. As mentioned above, succession planning isn’t just about retirement â€" you need to have a plan in place even for the unthinkable events such as illness, injury or death.Don’t despair if you’ve been running a business for a long time â€" you can start even at a later point. If retirement is already looming in the horizon, you should start looking into your options. The most important thing is to ensure you have a plan in place.ASSESS YOUR OPTIONSThere are a number of options available for entrepreneurs when it comes to exit strategies. It is important to assess all the available options and consider which are the best routes for your business.Below is assessment of the most common options business owners can make: handing over the business, selling the business, or liquidating the business voluntarily.Option #1: Handing over the business to a successorWhen it comes to handing over the business to a successor, you have two main options: either keeping the business in the family or finding a non-family successor either within the company or outside of it.Keeping it in the familyFamily businesses used to pass on from one generation to another, but succession to the next generations is now much less common. In the US, for instance, the Family Business Institute reported in 2013 that only 30% of family-run businesses succeed into the next generation, and less than 13% are handed over to the third gen eration. Part of this is down to lack of proper succession planning.If you are running a business, you need to carefully think whether you’d like a family member to continue your work, as well as whether they are even willing to do so. You don’t want to force anyone to run the business, but you should also not assume your family members wouldn’t be interested.The key is to ensure the decision is made for the benefit of the business. Your succession planning shouldn’t be influenced by emotions or expectations â€" do what is best for the business. Even if you are passionate about leaving the business to a family member, you need to guarantee the person has the right skills to run the business.Keeping the business in the family is naturally beneficial in ensuring your vision remains at the centre of running the business. Creating a family business is a great way to keep your legacy going strong from one generation to the other. It’s often easier than finding an outsider and m entoring opportunities are not just tied to the work hours. On the other hand, the conflict between family and work can become too evident, so be clear it is the best option for your business and for your family.Handing over to a family member can be financially cost efficient, as long as you prepare for it well. Different countries often have tax benefits for generational shifts in business, so be sure to research your options.Non-family options for a successorYou could also consider handing over to a non-family member. This is another good way of ensuring your business continues to pursue your passion and you can find a great candidate to help take your business to the next level.When you are looking for a non-family candidate, you have the option of:Transferring the business to someone working in the businessIt’s a great way of rewarding hardworking individuals within the organisation.The person is already aware of many of the day-to-day operations of the business.The person ca n start working alongside you, which means you have good mentoring opportunities.On the other hand, you might have a limited amount of good candidates to choose from.Transferring the business to an outsiderHave a bigger pool of professionals to choose from and therefore, finding a professionally suitable candidate might not be hard.You’ll not be guaranteed the business succeeds or the person continues your vision.Mentoring the person won’t be as easy, since they’ll be tied to their current job position.Finding a non-family suitor can sometimes be a costlier option to family succession. You also need to start the vetting process early to ensure you find the right candidate.Option #2: Selling the businessYou could also choose to sell your business. This will provide you plenty of cash, but it also takes quite a bit of planning and won’t guarantee your business continues on the path you’ve taken it. But if you are looking for a hefty retirement bonus, you might find selling t he business the most lucrative opportunity.If you want to make the most of the sale, then your business finances need to be in order. This maximises the profit you make â€" the more successful your business, the more you are likely to make from it. Investors are not looking for business potential in many instances, so you’d want to make sure your business is worth the cost.When it comes to selling, you have a number of routes available. You could opt for:Management buy-out (MBO) â€" in an MBO a management team within the business gets together to buy the business. It has similar advantages to transferring the business to a person within the business. But in-house management teams might struggle finding the financing for a buyout.Management buy-in (MBI) â€" in an MBI an external management teams steps in and takes the stake in its equity.Initial Public Offering (IPO) â€" you could also float the business in the stock exchange, with a new management team stepping in after share purc hase.Sale to private equity â€" private equity sales are a form of MBI, in which a financial investor purchases the business.Sale to another business â€" you could also consider merger with another business. If you are a shareholder in your business, this option is often the one that provides the most profit.Whichever of the above sales options seems the best for your business, you want to consult a business advisor before the final decision. Selling the business is a much more complex process, in terms of sorting out the finances, and you want a professional financial advisor to help you make the most of your sale.Finally, don’t underestimate the emotional impact of selling your business forward. As mentioned earlier, you won’t be able to influence the future of the business in any way after a sale, so be sure this is the right option for you.Option #3: Voluntary liquidationFinally, you can always choose to liquidate your business voluntarily. While stopping your business opera tions might not sound like something you need to plan for, it is important to create a succession plan even for this instance.If you are certain you want to liquidate the business before your retirement, having a plan in place beforehand can save you from a lot of hassle, as well as be financially more effective. You also want to make sure your employees are aware of your plans well before you stop business operations. You need to be aware of certain contractual requirements and responsibilities for both your clients and your employees.Voluntary liquidation is often the final option for business owners and you should make sure you explore the other two options above before going with voluntary liquidation. This final route can also cost a lot more than the other options and it’s therefore wise to look into the other two options first. The cost in voluntary liquidation are higher because you might need to pay extra compensation for employees, and the complete dissolving of the asse ts and operations costs more than transferring them to another person.THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS IN SUCCESSION PLANNINGThe above gives you an idea of the options available for succession planning. In this part, you’ll find out more about the key considerations. Depending on your chosen route, some of the following points will be more important than others, but it is crucial you keep all of the points in mind when forming a succession plan.Sorting out financesFinancial considerations are among the most important aspects of creating a succession plan. A succession is never cost-free and you need to be able to have enough money at hand to ensure a smooth transition. Your business finances should also be in order to make the transition straightforward.You’ll need to get a business valuation done and base your calculations on this. Make sure you regularly revise the financial plan, especially if you aren’t looking to exit from your business any time soon. It is a good idea to get an in dependent advisor to look into your evaluation to ensure it’s as accurate as possible.Tax considerations are often the most crucial. It is a good idea to talk with your business accountant or another financial advisor to outline your chosen route and get on top of the tax considerations of your plan.If you are looking to sell your business, then you need to do a few additional things. If you want to sell the business to an in-house management team, start talking to them early enough to ensure they are able to find the equity to buy the firm. MBOs often aren’t as easy to finance, since you won’t have an outsider investor putting money on the deal and traditional bank loans aren’t easy to come by in today’s economic environment.You’ll also need to start paying attention to the business’ finances. As mentioned above, potential buyers aren’t looking for potential, they are looking for businesses that can make them money. Therefore, you need to make sure your business is turning a good profit to guarantee the right kind of investors are attracted to your business. It will also ensure you make a good profit from the sale.The right skills the successor must haveIf you are handing over the business to a successor, whether or not it’s a family member, you need to first outline the skills needed for the job. It is important to think what makes a good manager for your business and what type of qualities you want from the new business leader. You also need to look into the future â€" where do you want to see the business go in a few years? Use this to create a set of skills and qualities you want the successor to have.A good set of skills and requirements will ensure you limit your choice for the right candidates and it guarantees the business has a better chance of success after you are gone. Keep in mind that you aren’t necessarily looking someone exactly like you â€" you just need someone with the right qualities to continue moving the business in t he right direction.Remember, if you are looking for someone within the company to replace you, you’ll also need to fill their old role. Therefore, you also need to prepare enough time for finding a suitable replacement and so on. Consider all these elements when creating a shortlist of candidates.The list of skills will help you identify potential candidates and can help determine whether it is possible to find a successor within the family or the business or if you need to look elsewhere. Talk to potential candidates even before you start mentoring them for the position.Prepare to share your visionUnless you choose to sell your business, you’ll want to ensure the vision you have for the business is passed on to the new management. You need to start mentoring your future successor as soon as you’ve chosen one to ensure they are ready to take on the role well before you make an exit.If you are handing over to someone who is not a family member or indeed part of the business, bu ilding trust will be vital. You want to ensure the person knows your vision for the future.Develop a timelineOne of the best ways to ensure the transition is smooth is by developing a timeline. You’ll want to have an idea in place for a possible stepping down. This helps you leave enough time for vetting the right candidates, selecting the person, mentoring them and finally, transferring the business over to the person.Furthermore, even a sale won’t happen overnight and you don’t want to find yourself rushing a deal in the last minutes. If you are certain you’ll sell the business, you’ll also have more time to lay the foundations for a successful sale. You don’t want to make rushed decision over the future of the company. Not only is this harmful for you in financial terms, but it can also damage the future prospects of your business.As mentioned at the start, you would ideally want to start thinking about the timeline as you set up your business. You should leave at lea st two to five years for planning the succession, but have a plan in place for the unfortunate occasion of something going wrong. You can always change your plans, as you get closer to the retirement age, if your situation has changed.CONCLUSIONThinking about your retirement as you approach your 30s or even 40s might not sound important and it’s not easy to consider the worst might happen to you in life. But as an entrepreneur, you need to be aware of these things and plan for the future.Hopefully, the above has shown you how important a succession plan is for entrepreneurs. The good thing is that there’s plenty of help available and the different routes of handing over, selling the business or liquidating it mean every entrepreneur will find the right solution. You just need to start planning early.

The Effect Of Symbolic Play On Children s Cognitive...

The social element of symbolic play is a vital aspect to be taken into account in the cognitive development of children. Vygotsky (1978) theorised that children learn and practice social skills with their parents, and they develop this learning through social interactions. Piaget also emphasised the significance of social interaction so the child can progress outside of their egocentrism that is linked to the pre operational stage. (London, 2001) Similansky 1968 also supported Piaget theory, and studied the impact that symbolic play has on children’s cognitive and social development. The Smilansky scale developed by Smilansky and Shefatya in 1990 assesses the child’s maturity through socio-dramatic play, identifying five elements. Children experiment with symbolic play so they can understand their social and physical environments and to develop their ideas. Theoretical opinions of the significance and importance of symbolic play differ. 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They believed, despite the increasing understanding with age of the physical aspects of death, a child may simultaneously ho ld more than one idea about the characteristics of death. However, factors that complete the determining nature of childhood grieving across different age groups may be a difficult taskRead MoreThe Problem Of Children Intelligence Test Scores1653 Words   |  7 Pagessystem start to teach children academic skills at progressively younger age; because of the concerns about falling behind peers in their later the school aged. However, these early-accelerated preschool programs do not necessarily guarantee future academic success. Even worse, that may cause children’s social and emotional problems in the future (Marcon, 2002). More and more researchers suggest that through engagement in The Vygotskian theory of make-believe play, young children will be on the right

Nicks Evolving Perceptions of Gatsby in Fitzgeralds The...

The line of attack we use in order to identify individuals around us is an intriguing thing. Our perception is forever shifting, forever building, and affected not only by the person’s actions, but by the actions of those around them. In Scott F. Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby Nick Caraway’s perception of Jay Gatsby is always changing. All the way through the novel, Nick’s perception of Gatsby changes from him perceived as a rich chap, to a man that lives in the past, to a man trying to achieve his aspirations but has failed. At the beginning of the book Nick sees Gatsby as a mysterious shady man. In the beginning of the chapter Nick somewhat resents Gatsby. In Nick’s opinion Gatsby was the representation of â€Å"†¦everything for†¦show more content†¦What he finds out, however, is the final thing he anticipated- Gatsby is in love with his cousin, Daisy. When Gatsby reveals to about his relationship with Daisy, Nick’s re lationship with Gatsby takes a full u-turn as it rapidly advances their association from simple acquaintances to close friends. Nick’s outlook of Gatsby undergoes a similar transformation. When Nick learns of the previous relationship between Gatsby and Daisy, Gatsby’s actions make sense to Nick. The mansion, the extravagant parties, and the green light were all in the efforts for making Daisy notice him. Gatsby lives his life for the past life that he lived. He spends his life seeking the attention of his love, Daisy, and as Nick explains, â€Å"He wanted to recover something, some idea of himself perhaps, that had gone into loving Daisy. His life had been confused and disordered since then, but if he could once return to a certain starting place and go over it all slowly, he could find out what that thing was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fitzgerald 110). Gatsby sought out the American dream in order to win over the love of Daisy which creates a different perception of himself to Nick. Nick, now knowing Gatsby’s intentions worries about Gatsby’s possible rejection, and then warns him that, â€Å"[he] wouldn’t ask too much of her, you can’t repeat the past.† (Fitzgerald 110) But Gatsby, blinded by love, strives to win Nick’s married cousin’s heart. Nick perceives Gatsby as a man dwelling on the pastShow MoreRelatedViews of Entitlement in the Great Gatsby1596 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby as Fitzgerald’s explanation of an American Reality which contradicts the American Dream That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boys school; a poor boy in a rich mans club at Princeton.... However, I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works.   —F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Life in Letters, ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli. New York: Scribners, 1994. pg. 352. The Great Gatsby, by F. ScottRead MoreA Critique Of The American Dream2151 Words   |  9 PagesEnglish III 21 April 2015 A Critique of the American Dream In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Great Gatsby, the story takes place during a historical time in America as veterans had just arrived from World War I and societal culture was beginning to change. Through Nick Carraway’s storytelling, we learn more about the Roaring 20’s and its extravagance. During this era, profound economic and social change occurred, characterized by the great wealth that circulated among the citizens of the United States. VariousRead MoreWindows In The Great Gatsby Analysis1879 Words   |  8 PagesIn The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is the story of the eccentric millionaire Jay Gatsby as told by Nick Carraway that depicts the lifestyle of the rich contrasted with the poor. The depiction of life throughout the 1920s grasps the atmosphere of the era unmasking the characters underlying emotions and beliefs regarding their roles and needs throughout the novel. The perception of characters changes due to the differing lenses that appear in situations, that shape the outlook from the characters

Needs Assessment Free Essays

The Merchants of Cool is a documentary about researchers and marketers exploring out into the society to see what is popular or cool in the latest trends within teenagers. These people would spend days going around the streets, malls, and even schools to find out what is the next big thing that will give them the attention from people. They would have the teenagers participate in surveys and studies while analyzing them thoroughly to portray the founded characteristics into the media. We will write a custom essay sample on Needs Assessment or any similar topic only for you Order Now These marketers realized that teenagers are actually portraying themselves to the media so the media would then reveal it back to the teenagers, which teenagers then sees it and portrays them that way. The only disadvantage of that was once the marketer reveals what is cool to the world, they would have to go on the radar and find out what is the next thing that is cool. We live in a culture, a consumer culture to be specific where we are driven to buy things, especially teenagers, which is fueled by corporate motivation to annual grow profits. There was a teenager in the video and she stated that no matter where she goes, she must always get ready to look nice before she leaves the house. As mentioned earlier, sometimes the media depicts things that will cause teenagers to feel like they are not good enough, thin enough, or pretty enough and the negative thoughts build up. Although this video was made about twelve years ago, teenagers are still the same as today. Teenagers should not have look into the media or advertisement to find out what they want or how are they supposed to be. Each individual is different with a unique mind so every teenager should act and be like however they want. Teenagers just needs to understand that the cool hunters are just being paid to find people who they think are cool to ask questions and find answers, which advertisers and producers will then use this cool information to sell more products. How to cite Needs Assessment, Papers Needs Assessment Free Essays In the needs assessment process, the broadest possible set of people who are affected should be included. The list will include students, professors, and school personnel from academic institutions from those who are implementing semesters and trimesters. The views of these people will then be used to assess the debate between these two schedules of academic year and also assess the feasibility of this study. We will write a custom essay sample on Needs Assessment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just like the story of the six blind men and the elephant, different people recognize different pieces of the puzzle but when taken together, these views will contribute to a holistic understanding of this debate. The breadth of experiences and viewpoints will enrich the understanding of the problems that exist in the organization. Likewise, the ideas that will be generated will shed light about other dimensions of this debate that might not have been highlighted before. A combination of research tools and strategies will be utilized in order to get the views of these people as effectively as possible. A preliminary understanding of the problems facing the organization is called for. As such, content analysis of what have been written before may be undertaken to arrive at a summary of discussions and arguments. This will aid in the creation of a questionnaire and writing of interview questions. Using questionnaire is more time efficient since more people will be reached and if closed questions are utilized, then the analysis will be easier. However, open-ended questions yield more varied insights and responses although they are more difficult to quantify and analyze (Gall, Borg Gall, 2002). Interviews, on the other hand, yield what Stringer (2003) called epiphanies and illuminative experiences. Interviews are also very personal and will dig the personal views and attitudes of the respondents regarding their preference in the debate and the various reasons behind these preferences. Reference Gall, M., Borg, W., and Gall, J. (2002). Educational Research: An Introduction (7th ed.). Pearson, Allyn, Bacon. Stringer, E. (2003). Action Research in Education (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. How to cite Needs Assessment, Essay examples Needs Assessment Free Essays In the needs assessment process, the broadest possible set of people who are affected should be included. The list will include students, professors, and school personnel from academic institutions from those who are implementing semesters and trimesters. The views of these people will then be used to assess the debate between these two schedules of academic year and also assess the feasibility of this study. We will write a custom essay sample on Needs Assessment or any similar topic only for you Order Now Just like the story of the six blind men and the elephant, different people recognize different pieces of the puzzle but when taken together, these views will contribute to a holistic understanding of this debate. The breadth of experiences and viewpoints will enrich the understanding of the problems that exist in the organization. Likewise, the ideas that will be generated will shed light about other dimensions of this debate that might not have been highlighted before. A combination of research tools and strategies will be utilized in order to get the views of these people as effectively as possible. A preliminary understanding of the problems facing the organization is called for. As such, content analysis of what have been written before may be undertaken to arrive at a summary of discussions and arguments. This will aid in the creation of a questionnaire and writing of interview questions. Using questionnaire is more time efficient since more people will be reached and if closed questions are utilized, then the analysis will be easier. However, open-ended questions yield more varied insights and responses although they are more difficult to quantify and analyze (Gall, Borg Gall, 2002). Interviews, on the other hand, yield what Stringer (2003) called epiphanies and illuminative experiences. Interviews are also very personal and will dig the personal views and attitudes of the respondents regarding their preference in the debate and the various reasons behind these preferences. Reference Gall, M., Borg, W., and Gall, J. (2002). Educational Research: An Introduction (7th ed.). Pearson, Allyn, Bacon. Stringer, E. (2003). Action Research in Education (1st ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. How to cite Needs Assessment, Essay examples

St. Anselms God Necessarily Exists Essays - Philosophy Of Religion

St. Anselm's God Necessarily Exists Throughout history It has been man kinds quest to find a proof of the existence of God. Even today, religious archeologist, plunder the Earth, looking for Noah's Ark, The Ark of the Covenant, or the site Jesus Christ was thought to have been buried. These men and women are searching for artifacts to prove the existence of God to people who believe there is no God. Many people, however, do not need artifacts to prove God's existence, they have faith, and like St. Anselm of Canterbury, believe that God is the greatest of all conceivable things, nothing else can be thought to exist greater than God. St. Anselm states that he wants to find a proof of God, not because he does not believe in God, but because he believes in God, he wants proof of his belief. This means he is not searching for proof for his own sake, for he already believes God exists, he is searching for proof for his belief's sake. He believes he was put on Earth to find God, and he has not yet accomplished what he is searching for. Knowing this, St. Anselm sets up an ontological argument to prove the existence of God. First of all, to fully understand this perplexing argument, you must strongly believe the definition of God St. Anselm gives, which is as followed: God is something that which nothing greater can be conceived. This means that no one can think of anything that is greater than God. Even if a person does not believe that God exists, as long as the person believes this definition of God, St. Anselm can prove the existence of God. The second idea you must believe, in order to fully understand the argument, is, it is greater to exist than not to exist. Next, St. Anselm describes two kinds of existence: existence in the mind, and existence in reality. Existence in reality is very easy to believe. If you can touch, see, smell, hear, or taste something, in reality it exists. Existence in the mind is harder to understand for some, because many people only believe what they see. St. Anselm gives a beautiful illustration of how he can prove that something can exist in the mind, and also in reality. He gives us the example of a painter, before the painter paints a picture, in his mind he has an understanding of what the painting will look like. After the painter has made the painting, the painter will believe it exists in his mind, for he had the vision of the painting before he performed it, and in reality, because now he can see the painting with his own eyes. Now, St .Anselm has proven two things: God is that which nothing greater can be conceived, and it is greater to exist than not exist. Given you already know that something can exist in the mind as well as in reality, you are now fully ready to understand St. Anselm's ontological argument. Which is as follows: God is by definition the greatest being possible. A being who fails to exist is less perfect than a being who exists. Therefore, God must exist, necessarily. If a being failed to exist, the being would be, that than which nothing greater cannot be conceived. Since God is a being that than which nothing greater can be conceived, God must exist not only in your mind, or understanding, but also in reality. Therefore God exists. Now then, anyone who truly believes the definition of God can still say God does not exist in their mind. However, in reality, the person who truly understands this ontological Argument cannot deny the existence of God. For God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived. After St. Anselm first interpreted this ontological argument, it was no surprise to that some one would say that his argument was flawed. Gaunilo was a monk in the church along with St. Anselm. Gaunilo believed that you could set up this argument with anything, as long as it was by definition perfect, and make it seem to exist. The example Gaunilo gives is an argument of the perfect island. Gaunilo says that there is a lost

Understanding Jim Crow Laws

Understanding Jim Crow Laws Jim Crow laws maintained racial segregation in the South beginning in the late 1800s. After slavery ended, many whites feared the  freedom  blacks had. They loathed the idea that it would be possible for African Americans to achieve the same social status as whites if given the same access to employment, healthcare,  housing ,  and education. Already uncomfortable with the gains some blacks made during  Reconstruction, whites took issue with such a prospect. As a result, states began to pass laws that placed a number of restrictions on blacks. Collectively, these laws limited black advancement and ultimately gave blacks the status of second-class citizens. The Origins of Jim Crow Florida became the first state to pass such laws, according to Americas History, Volume 2: Since 1865.  In 1887, the Sunshine State issued a series of regulations that required racial segregation in public transportation and other public facilities. By 1890, the South became fully segregated, meaning that blacks had to drink from different water fountains from whites, use different bathrooms from whites and sit apart from whites in movie theaters, restaurants, and buses. They also attended separate schools and lived in separate neighborhoods. Racial apartheid in the United States soon earned the nickname, Jim Crow. The moniker comes from a 19th-century minstrel song called â€Å"Jump Jim Crow,† popularized by a minstrel performer named Thomas â€Å"Daddy† Rice, who appeared in blackface. The Black Codes, a set of laws Southern states began passing in 1865, after slaverys end, were a precursor to Jim Crow. The codes imposed curfews on blacks, required unemployed blacks to be jailed and mandated that they get white sponsors to live in town or passes from their employers, if they worked in agriculture. The Black Codes even made it difficult for African Americans to hold meetings of any kind, including church services. Blacks who violated these laws could be fined, jailed, if they could not pay the fines, or required to perform forced labor, just as they had while enslaved. Essentially, the codes recreated slavery-like conditions. Legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments sought to grant more liberties to African Americans. These laws, however, focused on citizenship and suffrage and did not prevent the enactment of Jim Crow laws years later. Segregation did not only function to keep society racially stratified but also resulted in homegrown terrorism against blacks. African Americans who did not obey Jim Crow laws could be beaten, jailed, maimed or lynched. But a black person neednt flout Jim Crow laws to become a target of violent white racism. Black people who carried themselves with dignity, thrived economically, pursued education, dared to exercise their right to vote or rejected the sexual advances of whites could all be targets of white racism. In fact, a black person neednt do anything at all to be victimized in this manner. If a white person simply didnt like the look of a black person, that African American could lose everything, including his life. Legal Challenges to Jim Crow The Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) constituted the first major legal challenge to Jim Crow. The plaintiff in the case, Homer Plessy, a Louisiana Creole, was a shoemaker and activist who sat in a whites-only train car, for which he was arrested (as he and fellow activists planned). He fought his removal from the car all the way to the high court, which ultimately decided that separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites werent discriminatory. Plessy, who died in 1925, would not live to see this ruling overturned by the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which found that segregation was indeed discriminatory. Although this case focused on segregated schools, it led to the reversal of laws that enforced segregation in city parks, public beaches, public housing,  interstate and intrastate travel and elsewhere. Rosa Parks famously challenged racial segregation on city buses in Montgomery, Ala., when she refused to relinquish her seat to a white man on Dec. 1, 1955. Her arrest sparked the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott. While Parks challenged segregation on city buses, the activists known as the Freedom Riders challenged Jim Crow in interstate travel in 1961. Jim Crow Today Although racial segregation is illegal today, the United States continues to be a racially stratified society. Black and brown children are much more likely to attend schools with other black and brown children than they are with whites. Schools today are, in fact, more segregated than they were in the 1970s. Residential areas in the U.S. mostly remain segregated as well, and the high numbers of black men in prison mean that a large swathe of the African American population does not have its freedom and is disenfranchised, to boot. Scholar Michelle Alexander coined the term the New Jim Crow to describe this phenomenon.   Similarly, laws that target undocumented immigrants have led to the introduction of the term Juan Crow. Anti-immigrant bills passed in states such as California, Arizona,  and Alabama in recent decades have resulted in unauthorized immigrants living in the shadows, subject to shoddy working conditions, predatory landlords, a lack of healthcare, sexual assault, domestic violence and more. Although some of these laws have been struck down or largely gutted, their passage in various states have created a hostile climate that makes undocumented immigrants feel dehumanized. Jim Crow is a ghost of what it once was but racial divisions continue to characterize American life.

Create Effective Multi-Image Posts on Facebook and Twitter - CoSchedule

Create Effective Multi-Image Posts on Facebook and Twitter Organic social media reach  is on the decline. To make matters worse, competition is only getting more fierce. From Fortune 500 companies to small mom and pop shops, all types of businesses are getting in on the social media marketing game. Plus, youre not just competing against other brands for attention. Youre competing against updates from friends and family, funny animal GIFs, and everything else people might come across on social media. Users feeds are so saturated, getting seen by your intended audience can be incredibly difficult. If youre going to succeed, you need to get creative. One way to start experimenting is with multi-image social media posts. In fact, posts with multiple images have been shown to get more reach  (and the data doesnt lie). More reach means more opportunities to connect with your audience (and turn them into leads and customers). Intrigued? Read on to learn how to create effective multi-image posts and start pushing your reach in the right direction. Did You Know Now Supports Multi-Image Posts on Facebook and Twitter? ^^^ You better believe it! Your favorite marketing and social media scheduling tool now supports multi-image social media posts for your Facebook and Twitter accounts. With the ability to schedule multi-image posts using , your team no longer has to worry about sending one image at a time. Not only that but grouping your images together to creates a visually impactful social media post which can help draw more eyes to your content. More eyes = more leads = more sales! More eyes = more leads = more sales!Ready to try it yourself? Start your free 14-day trial. Then, read this post to learn how to get the most of your new tool. Recommended Reading: How to Convince Your Team to Use (And Love) Create Multi-Image Posts With This Giant Social Media Image Bundle (Psst Its Free) Were so excited about launching multi-image post support that were giving away this enormous bundle of free stock photos! Download em all now and use them in your own marketing, totally free of charge.How to Create the Most Effective Multi-Image Posts on Facebook and TwitterWhat Are Multi-Image Social Media Posts? It might seem like an obvious question, but first, let's explain what multi-image posts are (and are not). Multi-Image posts are the same as your standard social media post. But, instead of one image, they include multiple images. Here's a great example from Ford Motor Company: Posted by Ford Motor Company on  Thursday, April 27, 2017 We should note this post will only cover organic multi-image posts on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook carousel posts are a little more complex (and worthy of a post unto themselves), so we won’t be discussing them here. Recommended Reading: How to Make the Best Social Media Images the Easy Way Why Should Marketers Create Multi-Image Posts? You may have just read that and thought, â€Å"Yeah, but what's the real benefit to adding more images to my posts?† There are three main benefits that can come from utilizing multi-image social media posts: Increased engagement. Multi-image posts add more visual appeal. That means your posts will have a better chance of standing out in a cluttered newsfeed. Thus, they create more opportunities to drive engagement. Tell more complete visual stories. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then what's the value of adding even more pictures? By including several related photos (or even sequential images showing steps in a process), you can add more context to your content. Showcase more details about your products. Now you can show off multiple angles, features, and more in greater detail, enticing your customers to buy (or at least start doing more research). Organic reach declining? Try using multi-image posts to pick it up back up.How Do I Create Multi-Image Posts On Facebook? Now comes the fun part, creating your multi-image posts on Facebook. We’ll break this down and show you how to create them in and on the network. How To Create Multi-Image Posts On Facebook Via Desktop To create multi-image posts on your desktop, first open your company Facebook page: Click on  Share a photo or video: Click on Upload photos/videos a pop up window will appear that will let you select the photos that you want to upload to your status: Select your photos: Your photos will appear in preview and you can drag and drop them in the order you want them to appear in your post: You can then either publish or schedule your post. How To Create Multi-Image Posts On Facebook Via Mobile To schedule your multi-image posts on mobile, open your Facebook app and go to your company page: Click on Publish and then Photo/Video: Select your photos. The order that you select your photos in is the order that they will appear in your post: Unlike the desktop version, you cannot drag and rearrange your photos once they are in place. So, be conscious of the order you select them in. Once you have the right order, you can publish or schedule the post right from the app: How To Schedule Multi-Image Facebook Posts Via Desktop With Now let’s say that your team decides to use to create and send your multi-image Facebook messages. To set up those messages on your desktop, go to your calendar: Click the + button in the upper right-hand corner and select Social Media Message: Select your Facebook profile: Once your profile is selected, you can upload photos for the post: A pop up window will appear allowing you to choose your photos: Once your photos are uploaded you can rearrange the photos in the order that you want them to appear. will preview the post before it’s published: Once you fill in the text on your post, you can scroll down and schedule your post: How To Schedule Multi-Image Facebook Posts Via The Mobile App Download the app via the App Store  (iOS) or Play Store  (Android) and log into your calendar: Tap the content tab and create a post for your Facebook profile: Select your profile: Click Add Images: You can also pre-schedule your posting time at this point as well: Choose where you want to upload your photos from (you can either take a photo, or select images from your photo library): Choose which photos from your camera roll are going to be in your post: Rearrange your photos and check the post preview to make sure they are displaying correctly: Preview your post: Schedule your post: That's it! Facebook Multi-Image Best Practices When creating multi-image posts on Facebook, consider image size and consistency. Different size images create different effects for your post. Similar-sized images will create more of a square image gallery. Here is what different combinations of image sizes look like. Two photos: Three photos: Four photos: Five photos (notice this creates a +2 square): Three photos (with one image of unequal size to the other two): Four photos (with one of unequal size) Overall, ensure that your images are related and be mindful of how they'll look once published. How Do I Create Multi-Image Posts On Twitter? The other network we'll be discussing is Twitter. It's a little more limited than Facebook in terms of handling multiple images, but it's still pretty easy to get them published. How To Schedule Multi-Image Posts On Twitter Via Desktop First, head to your Twitter page and click tweet in the upper right-hand corner like you usually do: Click the image button: Once you select Add photos or video a second screen will appear allowing you to select your photos: Unlike Facebook, Twitter only allows you to upload four pictures at a time. Photos can’t be dragged and dropped around like Facebook either, so they’ll need to be upload in the order you want them to appear in your post: Look at my new puppy pic.twitter.com/Ymrjaygnyv - Breonna Bergstrom (@brebergstrom) August 29, 2017 How To Schedule Multi-Image Twitter Posts Via Mobile Open your Twitter app and select the profile you want to tweet from: Click the create new Tweet icon: Then add in up to four photos from your phone: And then select from your available images: Next, include your post text: How To Schedule Multi-Image Twitter Posts On Your Desktop Via Open your calendar: Click the + in the upper right-hand corner and select Social Message:   Select your Twitter channel: Then click to add in a maximum of four photos to your post. A second screen will appear allowing you to upload them straight into : Once your photos are uploaded you can preview what your post will look like. If you don’t like the way that your photos look you can drag them around until you find the combination you’re looking for: Once you have your photos set you can schedule or publish your post: How To Schedule Multi-Image Twitter Posts With The Mobile App Open your App: Select social message and then the Twitter profile you want to send your post from: Select add image: You can either upload photos via your camera roll or snap ones using your phone: Select your photos: Preview your post: Schedule it to publish: Twitter Multi-Image Best Practices Multi-image posts work similarly on Twitter, as they do on Facebook. For example, the way they display depends on the size and combination of images you include. Here are what different combinations of images look like on Twitter. Two Images: Three Images: Four Images: Unlike Facebook, you cannot add more than four images to a Twitter post. Your team should also think about what order they want photos to be in when they are uploaded to Twitter. If you want one image to stand out in a set of three it would be best to place that image first and the others second, third, and fourth respectively. Recommended Reading: The Social Media Posting Schedule That Will Boost Your Traffic By 192% Now You Can Schedule All Your Multi-Image Posts In One Place Instead of having to keep track of every photo, schedule every post and then panic if the wrong image was paired with the wrong post, make it easy and use . First, open your calendar and select the brand you want to work with: Then select the channels you want to send your post on: From there, add in the images that you want to post to your channels, but remember if you choose Twitter, you can only choose a maximum of four photos: Draft your text: Drag and drop your photos in the order that you want them to appear and check the preview: Publish or schedule your message: It’s really that easy. Plus, with Best Time Scheduling, can make sure all your posts are optimally scheduled. With built-in Social Analytics, you can also know exactly how those posts are performing, too. Recommended Reading: How to Build a Social Media Editorial Calendar The Easy Way (Free Template) Now You Can Be A Multi-Image Posting Pro The benefits to multi-images post are clear. Standing out means you get more eyeballs on your content, which turn into leads which turn into sales. Plus, you now know exactly how to create those posts, using the apps themselves or with . Ready to try it yourself? Schedule a demo now.