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Tristan

Writing Great Characters – Tips By Roger Wolfson

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Whenever talking about the best books or even movies out there, there is one characteristic that always stands out. The best stories have the very best characters. Roger Wolfson was quoted as saying that it is impossible for someone to relate to a story if they do not relate to a character. This is why he mentions the following as the most important character writing tips that every single writer needs to know.

Characters Have To Be Humans

In order for someone to relate to a character, he/she needs to instantly stand out as a relatable individual. Chances are, the writing is about humans and the truth is that humans are not perfect. There are always flaws and quirks that exist. With this in mind, it is very easy to understand why people do not relate to a character that is perfect.

As a character is created, it needs to have some negative aspects to appear human. This is one point that few writers understand and then they wonder why people do not relate.

Characters Need Backstories

So many written stories start in the middle of an action. This is not a problem but in the event that there is no backstory that appears in the writing, relating is close to impossible. Does the character have a family? Are there troubles that appeared during upbringing? Why is the character invested in saving the environment? This is the type of questions that have to be asked in order to create a good backstory that will be appreciated by the reader.

Characters Have To Believe In Something

The character of Gemma Monroe in “Inherit The Bones” is memorable in part because she is driven to find justice for victims of a crime that is decades-old. There is a set of morals or principals that help the reader to quickly understand the character’s motivation. Such morals or principals do not need to be accepted at a universal rate in order to become appealing. A great example of this is Hannibal Lector. People are drawn to this terrible individual when he believes in the activities of Clarice Starling.

Minor Characters Challenge Main Characters

It is impossible to write a compelling and attractive story without the addition of minor characters. It is the secondary characters that help to move stories forward and highlight important things about the story’s main characters. Writers need to utilize minor characters in order to create compelling situations and dialogues. These small roles may seem like nothing, but they create life.

Cliches

Cliches should be avoided unless they present an important part of the story. For writers, it is very easy to fall into the trap of using clichés like the timid character that is a librarian or the shy individual that cannot talk to a girl because he is an introvert. Why not challenge the cliché and create a librarian that is very bold and outspoken? Few people expect this and can easily create a very interesting situation that the reader would be drawn into.

3 Things You Can Do To Improve Your Business Operations

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In order to run a successful business, you’ve got to know how to successfully run your business. While this might seem like common sense, there are a lot of businesses out there that don’t give their operations the time or attention that they need, especially if things are running as smoothly as they could be or should be.

If this is a problem that you’ve been needing to fix but just haven’t gotten around to it yet, here are three things you can do to improve your business operations.

Hire The Right Staff

With the right people as part of your team, many of the issues that you may have run into will work themselves out. According to Darrell Zahorsky, a contributor to The Balance Small Business, this is because employees who are talented and motivated to see your business succeed will automatically look for ways that they can improve upon what’s already been put in place.

Knowing this, if you have people as part of your organization that don’t really want to be there or are adding to your problems rather than trying to find ways to work through them, you may need to make some changes. While you could look to hire new people that will bring your business up to a new level, you could also consider retraining your current staff or finding new ways to motivate them toward a more successful future.

Streamline Your Processes

Another reason why you might be having issues with how your business is operating could be due to having bad processes that aren’t as effective or efficient as they could be.

In a situation like this, Steve Ronan, a contributor to BizJournals.com, recommends that you try putting new systems and processes in place that make things as predictable as possible and can easily be measured for productivity. Luckily, there’s a lot of technology and automation software that can make this whole area much easier for your business. So if you’re feeling like things are running as smoothly as you’d like them to be, this could be something to look into.

Don’t Let Small Issues Fester

Sometimes, it’s not huge problems in a business that cause operations to fail. Rather, it’s a lot of small things that all add up to larger issues and create building problems.

To keep this from happening, Mike Kappel, a contributor to Business2Community.com, advises that you seek to take care of small issues in your business as soon as they arise. By not allowing small issues to fester, you can have the bandwidth to deal with any bigger issues if and when they happen rather than having to give so much of your time and attention to all the smaller problems that you didn’t fix when you had the chance.

If you’re having issues with how your business is running and the operational side of your organization, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you with these problems.

 

What kind of cigar accessories one should have

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Cigars are not just a way of smoking; it defines smoking in original terms. It is one of the best ways of smoking tobacco and experiencing the pure taste of tobacco for a long time. Although you do not need anything else to feel the essence of a cigar, there have been a few accessories and things that have been developed and manufactured for cigars with time. These extra accessories make sure that smoking a cigar becomes a much more enjoyable and pleasant experience. Thes help you not only smoke them properly but also make sure that you always have them with you when needed. Let’s look at some of the most basic cigar accessories that you can buy online for cigars like Black and Mild Cigars, which are popular among the tobacco product users for their refined taste and smell.

Travel case

The cigar travel case is one of the most important and basic things that you should have with you at all times. Cigars are very big and cannot be carried just like a cigarette that is small and can also fit in a pocket or a small box. Many different types of travel cases are available for cigars both in the online and offline markets. You can buy one and carry your cigars in it anywhere. These cases can also be used while traveling overseas or just through the local area. They keep the cigars safe from overexposure of air and keep the quality of cigar much better.

Cigar cutter

It is one of the most important things without which you cannot smoke a cigar properly. Most of the cigars that come in authentic form have a pointed edge. To smoke a cigar, you need to use a cigar cutter to cut that edge into a flat surface. Not only that but since the cigar is large, people can’t smoke it at one time. Therefore, they smoke it a bit and then cut it using the cutter to smoke it later. Using the cutter makes sure that the cigars are cut plain and flat in a proper way, and it does not damage the shape of the cigar.

Ashtray

Since you are smoking a big cigar, it is obvious that it will produce a large amount of smoke when burnt. It is why you need to have a good ashtray to collect all the ash that comes from the cigar. You would not want to spill the ash over the floor of your home, car, or office. It is why to make sure to get a good quality ashtray with a shape that does not let the ash fly out of it due to blowing air.

Filter tips

Filter tips are a great addition to a cigar if you want to experience a different dimension while smoking it. Cigar filter tips act as a filter that may or may not be flavored. Yes, they also come in various flavors and are mainly made out of food. It does provide the user with some filtration, but most of them are not used for that. The major use of the filter is to add a particular kind of flavor to it while smoking. This way, the user has the option to buy an unflavoured cigar and use the tip on it whenever required.

Why smoking pipe is a great pleasure

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Pipe smokers are very little and rare to see, but most of them treat pipe smoking as a luxury and tradition that they have been carrying with them for a long time now. Pipe smoking is an art in itself and those who do it will agree that nothing can give the same type of feeling and experience as a pipe can. Pipe smoking is not something that you can just start immediately without any information or prior experience of having a pipe. Since pipe smoking is generally much stronger in essence and tastes that a normal commercial tobacco product, not everyone can easily do it. It is why pipe smoking has a big statue of being classic in the field of smoking. There are many things that set pipe smoking apart from the normal smoking techniques and all of them make pipe smoking a true experience in itself.

When it comes to pipe smoking, there are a few things that you would need to get started. First should be a good quality pipe, which you can easily get from the market. Most of the exotic and premium looking pipes are carved from wood with beautiful polish and design work on it, which makes it look more beautiful and remarkable. Apart from a good quality pipe, you would need good quality tobacco like American Club Pipe Tobacco. There are a lot more options in the market when it comes to selecting tobacco for your pipe and you can find many options for the same. Depending upon the type of blend and selection of tobacco leaf, you can select the tobacco from a specific brand. With it, you would also need a long matchstick or a lighter that is specifically made to light the tobacco in the pipe. You would also require a tool that is used to press the tobacco in the pipe to compress it and make room for more tobacco.

Once you have all the things ready you will be able to use the pipe tobacco with the pipe. Simply enter the tobacco in the pipe while compressing it. Do not compress too hard or the air will not be able to pass through it, leading it not to light up properly. When compressed, use the match stick or the lighter to light up the tobacco, which you try to pull in and out the air from the other end. This will allow the air to pass through the pipe and burn the tobacco immediately leading to a thick smoke of tobacco. Just make sure that you do not pull the tobacco smoke with force or it could lead to cough and burnt tongue. Pipe smoking is meant to be done slowly to make sure that you can enjoy the taste and experience of tobacco for a long time.

While you are slowly inhaling the smoke from the tobacco you will feel the sense of serenity flowing through your blood, making you relaxed and stress-free. However, once you are done with smoking the tobacco through the pipe, please make sure to clean the tobacco pipe using the long cleaners which will remove any stuck nicotine, which can stop the proper airflow in the pipe. Once done, you can use a pipe stand to keep it at your table and or place it like a showpiece.

 

6 Tactical Approaches to Safeguard Business From Risks

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The business market is full of risks that can affect any business. From a new venture going wrong to physical damage of property to competitors getting ahead with breakthrough innovations, there are many risks that a business can face at any time. If you are not prepared, risks can lead to losses in business. On the other hand, with proper implementation, risk management can be a successful tool to plan for the future and ensure success.

Risk management should be viewed as a useful means of planning for the future. Nobody knows what the future holds, but it is better to be prepared than sitting back and wait. With proper risk assessment and a good approach, a business can be successfully safeguarded from risks. If you want the business to succeed, then you need to consider risk management. Here are some strategic ways to achieve this in your business.

1. Identify and categorize your risks

The risks you may face are diverse, and the likelihood of happening differs. Identify the various risks you are likely to face and do something to stop or mitigate them. The risks, most likely to occur, are the ones you should prioritize. Also, look at the financial effect of the risk to your business and handle those likely to cause the most financial impact urgently. Identifying risks is the very first step in risk management.

2. Restructure the company’s ownership structure

In companies registered as sole proprietorships, the liability of everything lies on the owner. To avoid the risk of one person being held liable for issues arising from the company’s ownership, change it. This reduces the liability of each owner hence reducing the impact of any issues that may arise.

3. Get insured

Insurance takes the worry out of risks. It might not be possible to avoid all risks entirely but being ready is good. Get insured by companies such as Arthur J Gallagher brokers, and you can rest easy knowing that your business is not liable for anything. The risk is transferred to the insurer, so if anything happens, you will not be at a loss.

4. Create measures to reduce risk

If you are not able to stop a risk, the best thing you can do is to reduce it. Come up with measures to reduce risks and their impact. This is the best approach for risks that cannot be stopped, or their stoppage would lead to financial losses. For instance, if a client keeps paying late, you could introduce an incentive for early payments from this client.

5. Be careful with innovations

Innovation is very vital to any business, and it may be the solution that gets your business ahead of your competitors. However, innovative ideas that are implemented wrongly can have disastrous impacts. Reduce the risk associated with innovations by having measures in place throughout the process of planning for and implementing the new venture.

6. Get a risk management team together

You are good at your business, but how much do you know about risk management? Probably not much! What you must do is seek the services of a professional risk manager. This person will work with the leaders of the various departments in the company to assess your risks. After this, they will advise on the right mitigation steps to take.

There you have it. These strategic approaches to safeguard your business from risks will help your business stay safe from future risks. Whether it is physical risks or business risks, you need to be prepared and make the right decision on how to handle each risk. Use these methods, and you will soon be making gains where you would have made losses due to unmeasured risks. Take a note on how CRM data and SFMC email studio can help you to build better email marketing campaigns.

How a Houston Offshore Injury Lawyer Could Help You

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An Offshore Injury Poses a Unique Set of Legal Challenges. Here’s How a Houston Based Injury Lawyer Could Help You with Such an Injury.

On the national scale, working as a seaman, a dockworker or even an oil and gas industry employee is a job rife with dangers and risks in rough working conditions. When it comes to the maritime laws governing maritime workers, every case is unique in its situation, the role of the victim, and where the accident took place.

An experienced offshore injury attorney will be able to determine which laws fit your case, so they can pursue the biggest compensation for your injury.

What Is an Offshore Injury?

Before jumping straight to the different types of offshore injury cases, let’s start with covering what actually qualifies as an offshore injury.

In the simplest of terms, an offshore injury is one that happens in a variety of water bodies. Think of the multitude of places on the U.S. coast, waterways, or even on the high sea.

Generally, victims of offshore injuries will get injured (or die) on oil rigs, harbors, ships, docks, or any other sort of maritime vessels.

In addition, these injuries can be sustained due to a plethora of neglectful acts. For instance, things like poorly maintained equipment, reckless behavior, supervisor error, dangerous weather conditions, and malicious actions can all lead to an offshore injury.

These injuries can range from broken bones and burns, to head injuries, served limbs and death.

Under the maritime common law, you may receive compensation to cover your medical bills and a small part of your living expenses. Yet, it’s barely a drop in the bucket due to the life style change, disability and how it affects your daily function, this directly affects how much you can recover by filing a personal injury lawsuit for better results.

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act

The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) was established to fill in the gaps left by the Jones Act and the LHWCA.

The act covers “all submerged lands lying seaward of State coastal waters (3 miles offshore) which are under U.S. jurisdiction.” Therefore, the act covers all workers on an outer continental shelf, like:

• Harbor workers

• Ship repairers

• Longshoremen on floating docks

• Oil rig workers

• Workers servicing offshore wind energy turbines

Moreover, if your case is considered under the OCSLA, then you might receive compensation to cover medical treatment for your injury, rehabilitation expenses, and even disability payments.

Call us to seek guidance of our experts:

Fill out our Contact Form or Call 1-888-984-1252 for a Free Consult at Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers. We have team of expert offshore injury attorneys. They can help you to file claim against the responsible party and to get better compensation for your injuries and damages.

 

How Greg Sheffield And The Team of Experts at Ideazon Can Help You Smash Your Crowdfunding Target

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There have been a lot of changes across the globe in recent months. The Covid-19 pandemic has forced the world to adapt to a new way of life.

While it might sound easy to retreat indoors and hunker down for a few months, that isn’t feasible for many businesses. In fact, the pandemic has caused many ventures to work harder than ever before to ensure they can stabilize themselves in a world of uncertainty.

As one of the leaders in the crowdfunding industry, Ideazon has thrived on their ability to stay on top of shifts in the world. While just a few years ago, crowdfunding was a rarely used trend, Ideazon was one of the companies at the forefront of utilizing the platform for their clients’ business needs.

It’s with this strength that Gregg Sheffield of Ideazon shares how the team of experts at Ideazon can help you smash your crowdfunding target.

What is the first step to beginning a crowdfunding campaign?

It’s important to have an idea of what you want out of your crowdfunding campaign first and foremost. What is your goal? Where are these funds going? Who are you looking to attract?

Having a clear definition of your goals will help to create a clear, targeted strategy for success.

Why should businesses consider starting a crowdfunding campaign?

While crowdfunding might have once been attributed to individual bases looking to raise money for school, medical expenses, or the like, it has taken a sharp turn into the professional industry for a very good reason. We have more small businesses now than ever before.

Crowdfunding allows these small businesses to work more similarly to a larger business. Where a larger business looks for big ticket investors that give funding due to the promise of a company, crowdfunding allows smaller businesses to do the same thing with “every day” investors that can give smaller amounts to business ventures they would like to support.

What kind of businesses should invest in crowdfunding?

Small businesses with a lot to offer are prime for crowdfunding. While crowdfunding is a time investment, it can reap major financial benefits. It’s important that you are genuine with your investors.

If you feel like you’re “selling” to your investors, this might not be the right venue for you. Crowdfunding is the platform for your venture to get the recognition it deserves and all it takes to do that is a genuine interest in what your business provides and where it’s going.

What kind of work goes into crowdfunding?

It’s important that you grow your individual donor base in whatever way you can. While it’s important to utilize every aspect of the platform, it’s also important that you network.

In today’s world where we’re working largely remote without conferences or other in-person opportunities, social media is one of your best resources. Make sure that you’re keeping investors (and potential investors) interested in your product through these platforms.

What is the future of crowdfunding?

I think that more companies will retreat to crowdfunding. It’s important to be able to break through the noise of the internet by having strong strategy and creativity on top of the incredible product your brand has to offer.

By jumping on the crowdfunding trend sooner rather than later, you are setting your company up for this success.

How to Choose the Right Tile Design for Your New Home

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Your home is not only a safe place where you can switch off and relax from all the stresses of the outside world. It is also an extension of yourself. Given this, it is important that your home, along with the motifs and other design elements, should be well thought and well planned. If you are planning on renovating your home to be closer to what you envision it to be, the quickest way of achieving such a goal is to change your flooring.

Floor made from natural stone is a good idea when implementing these changes. Natural stones will not only add aesthetics to your home, but they can also upgrade the value of your property. Should you decide to resell it, you wouldn’t have a hard time putting a hefty price tag on it. If you are still not sold out to the idea of using natural stone, here are some points to help lead you in the right direction.

Cleaner, Sleeker Space

One advantage of using stone as your floor or wall option is you instantly get a cleaner and posher space. Because they are inherently tidy-looking, it is easy to mirror such an effect to your home space. There are plenty of stone designs to choose from, but what keeps all these designs together is how they can keep your home more well-put-together.

Plus, these stones are easy to maintain. You do not have to apply special care when cleaning it. It is also hard-wearing, so you do not have to worry about replacing them all the time. Even if used for many years or experiences a heavy footfall, such material will remain in good condition.

Add More Value To Your Property

These stones are timeless and will usually withstand the changes in fashion and trends. No matter what trends and new technologies will arrive, this material will remain priceless. So, if you will be selling your property, later on, you can still put a reasonable price tag to it.

The good thing with sturdy natural stones is that they will remain in excellent condition after decades of regular tough and rough use. Even if they are installed in home areas of high foot traffic, they will remain sturdy and pleasant looking. Some stones also grow more beautiful with time. Their edges and design become more pronounced, giving the surface a more polished, timeless look. If you choose to sell or hand your property to a new generation, you will also be handing a vintage-looking property that literally withstood the test of time.

Naturally Beautiful

Another advantage of natural stone is its pleasant look. Its simplicity made it seamlessly elegant, radiating a classy and stylish look. You will never think twice about showing your home to your family and friends because your house will always look effortlessly beautiful.

Choosing the material for your property should be done with careful attention to details and durability in mind. But it would not hurt to add aesthetics to the equation. While it is challenging to achieve all these requisites, with natural stone, they are entirely doable.

 

Why Acoustic Partitions Are Important

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It’s hard to focus when noise is all over the place. In the office, staff become agitated and annoyed when there is noise around them while they work. Not everyone can tune out even the smallest sound of crunching a biscuit from the office worker nearby next to you or simply the continuous tapping on the keyboard. Hence, the majority of offices with huge spaces invest in reliable acoustic partitions.

Aside from the office, noise can also be around a restaurant. Although it is nearly impossible to maintain silence in this place, using acoustic movable walls will help lessen the sound. People slurping their soup, chatting with each other, or the next table enjoying their meal can be settled with putting up acoustic partitions. These walls won’t affect the ambience of the place, but it creates a feeling of exclusivity. Besides, hearing noises once in a while can act as a diversion. Individuals are capable of making one.

Using acoustic partitions is the most viable and practical solution to all these noise issues. Regardless if they are for the office or restaurant, these acoustic movable walls keep the area quiet, providing flexibility to modify the layout of the place anytime you need modification.

Benefits

Multipurpose partitions

Adding acoustic partitions offer versatility to the workspace. Installing them doesn’t require too much workforce, and even one person can put them up. It won’t take that long to pull or move them around to design spaces in the office. With a vast office space comes with a series of meetings in a day, so using these multipurpose partitions makes a seamless transition. Stack them away by the end of the day, and nobody needs to sweat it out for the after-care tasks.

Even in massive school halls, acoustic partitions can quickly change them into smaller lecture rooms for multiple classes. Even if they are movable, the walls are safe since they use advanced materials and adhere to safety requirements as part of quality control.

Add privacy to the place

In every office, there are playful staffs that like to goof around at some point in the day. Putting up acoustic partitions creates a more private and self-controlled area to work without any disturbance from their colleagues conveniently. Through these partitions, it encourages independence while working on something.

Moreover, adding these acoustic movable walls in a restaurant allows them to enjoy their intimate time together. Not everyone is keen to be in a crowded and noisy dining place. Thus, when customers request a smaller and more enclosed area, acoustic movable walls can make everything work instantly.

More design options

There comes a time when a place, whether an office or restaurant, needs modification. However, not everyone can afford to make such modifications instantly and not spend a considerable sum of money. The acoustic barriers come in several colours and designs that will suit every person’s preferences. Besides, anyone can play around where they want to put the barriers. It doesn’t need any interior design degree to create or modify a corner of the office or a small area in the restaurant.

Safe and practical

Installing or putting up these partitions will not require anybody from the construction industry. It only takes reading through the manual and taking note of the safety reminders. There are dividers made of lightweight materials, and so anyone can quickly move them around without asking for additional help.

Author: Tristan Reed

What is mid cap and small cap funds?

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You must have heard from experienced investors advising you to invest in small cap and mid cap funds, but you should have adequate knowledge of both before you venture to invest in them. The definitions of both types should be carefully absorbed by you before you delve deeper into their finer nuances as well. Mutual funds which diversify their capital investments between small and mid cap companies are known as small cap and mid cap funds respectively. The investment proportion between small cap and mid cap funds may vary from one fund to another. These are basically funds which invest in a mixture of small cap and mid cap company stocks. Owing to their high beta stock exposure, they are usually positioned at a higher trade-off fulcrum between returns and risks, in comparison to a large cap fund. Now that you have an idea of what is small cap and mid cap funds, let’s delve deeper into it.

What is mid cap fund?

From a DSP midcap fund to other types, you should carefully know what they basically stand for. Mid cap funds are those funds which are slotted between small cap funds and large cap funds with regard to the size of the company. Whenever there is any bull run in the market, these mid cap stocks are expected to substantially surpass the performance of their counterparts in the large cap space since these organizations always look at expansion opportunities.

They keep trying to tap relevant growth opportunities in the bargain. Investors should always note however that underlying stocks have higher volatility levels in comparison to large cap peers. Mutual funds that majorly deploy their investments in mid cap companies are classified as mid cap funds and this is the accepted definition that you need to know. Through careful selection of stocks, sector-wise diversification and timing the market properly, managers of funds can certainly earn superlative returns. Equity funds in the midcap category are suitable for those investors who have a higher appetite for risks in comparison to their large cap investment peers. Always invest in such schemes only if you are looking for a higher appreciation of invested capital with sufficiently higher market risks.

What is small cap fund?

From the popular SBI small cap mutual fund to many other similar products in the market, these funds invest majorly in stocks of companies with smaller market capitalizations. Interestingly, they come with the highest potential for growth according to industry experts. This is because most of these underlying entities are younger and have more aggressive plans for expansion. They are however more vulnerable when it comes to economic or business fluctuations, volatility and downturns as compared to large and mid cap companies. Those willing to invest in small cap funds should have a higher ability to take risks in comparison to other investments in the mutual fund space.

Mid cap and small cap funds usually surpass the performance of large cap funds whenever the market is sufficiently bullish as per experts although they may decline at higher levels whenever markets exhibit bearish symptoms. Choosing the right fund is of paramount importance in this regard and the choice should only be made on the basis of your future investment goals, investment duration/time-frame that is suitable for you and your expectations with regard to the returns. Most importantly, your tolerance/appetite for risks is the determining factor here. Small cap funds are hence those funds investing in companies with market cap lower than Rs. 500 crore as an average rule of thumb. These funds may usually have exposure to smaller company stocks between 65-90% on average. Of course, small cap stocks will give you an advantage over institutional investors who purchase large cap company stocks instead of their relative stability.

If you are looking to earn aggressive returns, nothing beats investments in small cap funds although the risk levels are considerably higher in the bargain. The composition of the fund should play a big role in your decision and taking decisions impulsively can cost you in the long run. Always spread out and diversify your investments throughout multiple funds so that you have a wide range of mid and small cap funds in your investment basket. Always set a benchmark against which you can have your returns compared. Comparing against any such benchmark will help you understand actual fund or portfolio performance in an accurate manner. The best way to lower risks may be investing via SIPs or systematic investment plans. This helps you reduce the risk of market volatility arising from investing a big sum of money at one go while also helping you benefit from cost averaging and compounding.

Some other vital aspects to keep in mind

As experts say, patience is the key towards successfully garnering returns from your investments in small and mid cap funds. Compounding will get you sizable wealth creation over the years but you should not be fishing for spectacular short term gains since these may not always be feasible and carry more risks than necessary. Steer clear of investing a lump sum amount and stick to your SIPs in a more disciplined manner. Risks are spread out and diversified through SIPs and you should keep in mind the NAV (net asset value) of the fund that you are investing in.

Remember that this will change on the basis of market movements and underlying benchmark fluctuations. Small cap or mid cap funds may be impacted more than their large cap peers during market downturns since many companies are still to establish themselves in the manner of large corporations and may exit markets altogether. Yet, this is a great avenue for investments if you have a higher appetite for risks and are seeking growth in an aggressive manner. Have your financial goals laid out clearly, check the investment costs, performance of the fund over a sustained duration and the reputation of the fund house/manager before investing.