Find the right marketing automation provider for your business and make sure you’re following these 5 best practices. 

When done right, marketing automation can be your secret weapon. It can help you do more with the limited time you have and take your brand’s customer experience to the next level through improved insights and campaign management. 

But getting started can be a daunting process. Knowing what content to automate, how to connect and manage all of your campaigns, and finding the right provider are just a few of things you’ll need to consider. 

One of the most challenging parts is finding the right platform for your business needs. 

Choosing the right marketing automation provider can make a big difference when it comes to the success of your automation journey, When looking for a partner, you need to understand what capabilities each contestant has and how they can help you grow as a business.

In this article, we’ll take a look at 12 marketing automation providers that can help you reach your goals and 5 best practices to get you started. 

Looking to skip ahead? Here are the best practices we’ll cover in the section section of this article: 

• Identify your buyer personas to better understand your customers
• Use lead scoring to know what leads are more likely to convert 
• Move customers through the buyer’s journey with the help of workflows
• Send triggered messages based on real-time customer behaviors
• Improve your marketing efforts through monitoring and analytics 

12 Marketing Automation Providers 

When it comes time to choose the marketing automation platform that is right for your business, you need to find a partner that will help you meet your business goals. 

Before getting too far into the process, you’ll want to outline your wants and needs. Then as you start to talk with providers and participate in demos, you’ll know exactly what you need. Whether that’s simply a provider to help automate your emails and SMS messages or one that provides more advanced technology — you’ll want to have a clear vision. 

Let’s take a look at a few different marketing automation providers and what they can offer you. 

1. EngageBay

EngageBay is an award-winning product for nurturing and engaging clients for their utmost customer satisfaction. The software provides a seamless experience for customers of small and mid-sized real estate agencies. This diverse package of solutions includes marketing automation, sales bay, live chat and helpdesk.

EngageBay makes it possible to automate manual tasks, track deals and sales pipeline, provide real-time assistance that easily converts visitors into customers and prioritize and solve customer support inquiries. Image courtesy of EngageBay.

Automation Capabilities: 

• Powerful social media and email marketing automation to save time and build consistency
• Integrate your marketing and CRM data together to improve campaign targeting, and customer segmentation, and lead nurturing
• Use analytics and reports to improve future marketing efforts and learn more about what your customers are engaging with
• 360° Customer Profile and advanced insights to help you better understand your customers on a personal level
• Move users through their customer journey based on their real-time actions and engagements
• Integrate forms on your website to increase lead generation and insights gathering

Quick Facts: 

• One of the most affordable marketing automation platforms for growing businesses
• Complete CRM integration with marketing, sales, and support features
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services

 

2. Listrak

Listrak is a full-service retail marketing automation provider. Whether you’re looking to automate your email, social, or provide your customers with a more personalized experience — Listrak is the perfect partner. 

Listrak is a marketing automation platform that allows you to save time and money by putting automation to work for you — while also better understanding your customers. From improving content served to know what they need next, you can have it all. Image courtesy of Listrak. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Email, social, and SMS automation to help save you time and improve customer interactions across channels
• 360° Customer Profile and advanced insights to help you better understand your customers on a personal level
• Predictive technology backed by artificial intelligence and machine learning to keep you ahead of your customer needs
• Growth Xcelerator Platform that allows you to increase conversion rates by better understand who is visiting your site and engaging with your content

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation provider for companies of all sizes
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

3. Act-On

Act-On is a marketing automation provider that aims to help you improve your brand experience and grow your business by better understanding and communicating with your customers. 

Act-On can help you manage several different automation capabilities. From your website and landing pages to lead scoring and customer segmentation — you can have it all. Image courtesy of Act-On.

Automation Capabilities: 

• Grow your business by adding lead generation tactics to your marketing strategy
• Improve the customer experience through automated customer journeys and improver personalization
• Create customer profiles by tracking customer behaviors to understand what your customers need in real-time 
• Segment and score leads based on their interactions to identify visitors who are ready to make a purchase

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for both B2B and B2C companies
• Pricing is based on the number of active contacts,, and there at two plan options: Professional starting at $900 per month and Enterprise $2,00 per month
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

4. Hubspot

Hubspot is a well-known marketing automation provider that can provide companies with a wide range of automation capabilities, including blogging, social media, digital ads, email, and more.

With Hubspot’s help, you can manage all of your customer interactions in one easy to use platform. From email, social, to custom landing pages and forms — it’s all there for you. Image courtesy of Hubspot.  

Automation Capabilities: 

• Integrate your website to create engaging blog posts, boost SEO, and generate leads through custom landing pages
• Manage and automation social media and email marketing efforts to save time and build consistency
• Track and manage your leads then create custom segments and campaigns to engage and nurture them into becoming purchasing customers
• Use analytics and reports to improve future marketing efforts and learn more about what your customers are engaging with

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• There are multiple plans available: a Free plan, the Starter plan starts at $40 per month, the Professional plan starts at $800 per month, and the Enterprise plan starts at $3,200 per month

5. dotdigital

dotdigital is a marketing automation provider that will allow you to manage all of your channels and create fully integrated campaigns that use real customer insights. 

Create automated campaigns that move customers through the buyer’s journey based on real-time actions and behaviors. Image courtesy of dotdigital. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Improve lifecycle marketing and lead nurturing by automating various stages of the customer journey
• Create omnichannel campaigns with email, SMS, chat, retargeting, and more
• Easily create, send, and manage all of your email marketing efforts to save time and focus on new tactics
• Use customer behaviors to initiate automated real-time messages through trigger campaigns

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

6. Insightly

Insightly is a marketing automation provider designed to help you improve your customer experience by better understanding the wants and needs of your customers. 

Manage everything you need from one central marketing dashboard. From monitoring your campaigns performance to understanding who your prospects are and how your audience is growing — Insightly covers it all. Image courtesy of Insightly. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Integrate your marketing and CRM data together to improve campaign targeting, and customer segmentation
• Use reporting and testing to better understand the effectiveness of your campaigns while improving future plans
• Move users through their customer journey based on their real-time actions and engagements
• Integrate forms on your website to increase lead generation and insights gathering

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• There are multiple plans available: the Plus plan starting at $299 per month, the Professional plan starting at $599 per month, the Enterprise plan starting at $1,299 per month
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

7. Upland Adestra 

Upland Adestra is an enterprise-level marketing automation provider that will help you better understand your customers and simplify all of your marketing efforts. 

Know exactly how your campaigns are performing with easy to use report dashboards. From this insight, you can learn and adjust to improve future campaigns. Image courtesy of Upland Adestra.

Automation Capabilities: 

• Email marketing capabilities to get your messages out easier with an email editor
• Better understand your customers and create automated journeys to ensure the right content is sent at the right time
• Use dynamic content to pull in additional personalization features such as product recommendations and relevant articles
• Create cross channel campaigns to reach your customers whenever, wherever they are and build a consistent image

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for enterprise companies
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

8. Marketo

Marketo is another enterprise-level marketing automation provider that allows you to manage all of your marketing needs while integrating with your sales teams.

Marketo is a full service marketing automation platform that will provide you with everything you need to grow your business. From automating your outreach channels to improving lead scoring to better qualify leads — it’s all there for you. Image courtesy of Marketo. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Create cross channel marketing campaigns to improve targeting, nurture leads, and increase conversion rates
• See a holistic view of your customer stat to identify new opportunities and improve their experience
• Use lead scoring capabilities to help provide your sales team with more reliable prospects 
• Analytic and reporting data to help you know what is working, what isn’t, and how each campaign is impacting your business 

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for enterprise companies
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

9. Drip

Drip is an ecommerce marketing automation provider that can help take your customer experience to the next level through better data and personalization efforts. 

With Drip, you can test campaigns to see what path is most successful with your audiences. Having this insight will result in higher performing campaigns and can help you improve future messaging. Image courtesy of Drip.  

Automation Capabilities: 

• Gather customer data from campaign engagement to purchasing behaviors to help improve your marketing efforts 
• Create personalized experiences through segmentation, behavioral automation, and personalized content
• Bring your channels together to create a multichannel campaign using email, social, SMS, and more
• Use reporting and analytics to see how well your campaigns are performing 

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• Pricing is based on the number of contacts you have and pricing starts at $19 per month with custom plans available for larger accounts
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

10. Iterable

Iterable is a growth marketing provider that automated your tedious tasks while improving the customer experience to build stronger relationships. 

Easily create and automate lifecycle journeys that move users from one stage to another. You’ll see higher engagement rates and improve campaign metrics by targeting customers based on their personal journey. Image courtesy of Iterable. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Gather and understand customer data on a deeper level to improve segmentation and provide more relevant content
• Create triggered campaigns to target customers based on their real-time interactions with your brand
• Build cross channel marketing experiences that move customers through their journey from email to social to SMS and more
• Learn how your users engage with your mobile apps to help increase engagement and send the right messages at the right time

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

11. Sendinblue

Sendinblue is a marketing automation provider that provides you with everything you need to integrate your sales and marketing efforts. 

Sendinblue allows you to create automated workflows to automatically move customers through their journey. From identifying exactly what emails to send and the next steps to follow, you can move customers towards making a purchase. Image courtesy of Sendinblue.

Automation Capabilities: 

• Automate marketing tactics including email, SMS, and chat to make reaching your customer easier than ever before
• Create and send transactional messages based on real-time customer interactions and behaviors
• Improve targeting and get the right message to the right people through better segmentation 
• Grow your network with campaign landing pages, social media ad, and retargeting messaging

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• There are multiple pricing plans available: the Free plan, the Lite plan starts at $25 per month, the Premium plan starts at $65 per month, the Enterprise plan that is based on business needs
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

12. Acoustic

Acoustic is an enterprise marketing automation provider that will help you manage all of your digital needs and improve your brand experience. 

Create automated workflows to help move customers through their journey based on real-time interactions. With the backing of AI technology, you’ll know the messages sent to your customers are relevant to their needs. Image courtesy of Acoustic. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Manage all of your digital marketing efforts from you website, email, social, SMS, and more from one centralized platform
• Gather customer data and use this insight to improve personalization in every interaction
• Identity and convert leads across multiple channels with an AI-powered platform
• Create cross channel campaigns to ensure the right content hits the right person at the right place and time

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for enterprise companies
• Business needs determine platform pricing 
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

13. Omnisend

Omnisend is a marketing automation provider that focuses on ecommerce businesses grow their business through relevant content. 

The better you know your customers, the better you can provide them with content that’s relevant to their needs. Segmentation is a great way to group like minded customers to more effectively target them. Image courtesy of Omnisend. 

Automation Capabilities: 

• Capture new leads and continue to grow your subscriber lists through customized forms
• Convert new subscribers into purchasing customer by automating sales funnel workflows and providing incentives to complete a purchase
• Nurture leads and identify what customers you can cross-sell and up-sell to directly increase sales
• Quickly create emails with an easy-to-use drag and drop editor to catch the attention of your subscribers 

Quick Facts: 

• A good marketing automation platform for businesses of all sizes
• Pricing is based on the number of contacts you have and there are multiple plans available: the Free plan, the Standard plan starting at $16 per month, the Pro plan starting at $99 per month, and the Enterprise plan that is based on business needs
• A full-service automation platform that can provide you with a range of services 

5 Marketing Automation Best Practices to Follow

Once you’ve made the decision on what provider you’re going to invest in, you need to determine how to best utilize your new platform.

Jumping in and getting started can take some time and if you dive in without a plan in place, you may find yourself overwhelmed and disappointed. Trying to do too much right away can leave you with lackluster campaign performance, but taking it too slow won’t provide you with the results you want to see either. 

So, to set yourself up for success, you’ll want to get to know some best practices. By integrating these best practices into your process, you’ll be on track to make the most out of your marketing automation platform and see the results you want. 

Let’s take a look at the best practices that you’ll want to keep in mind when getting started with your new marketing automation platform.

1. Build Buyer Personas

Before you can start marketing to your customers, you need to understand who they are — and that’s where buyer personas come in. 

A buyer persona is simply a detailed description of who your target audience is. Personas provide you with a quick snapshot of details such as demographics and career details. 

Here are a few different types of data that are valuable to include in your buyer personas: 

• Age
• Geographical location
• Gender
• Education
• Hobbies
• Job title
• Income 
• Relationship status 
• Challenges
• Behaviors 

The point of taking the time to research and learn about your target audience is to gain a better understanding of their wants, needs, and interests. Having a better understanding of who you are talking to will help you create content and campaigns that are more appealing and fulfil their specific needs. 

Depending on who your target audience is, you may find that you need to create multiple personas to capture the full picture. Having more than one persona will allow you to create different campaigns for each of your target audiences. 

Multiple personas will result in more personalized experience for your customers and more effective campaigns for you. 

There are a number of ways that defining your buyer personas can help improve your current marketing efforts. Higher click through rates, increased website interactions, and more effective ads are just the starting point. Image courtesy of CustomLogoCases. 

Buyer personas are an effective way to improve your marketing campaigns across the board. From improving website interactions to creating more targeted ads — defining your buyer personas will set your marketing efforts up for success. 

2. Score Your Leads and Know Your Lead Stages

Lead scoring is used by companies to identify what subscribers are more likely to make a purchase and which are not. 

For most companies, lead scoring is designed to help identify hot leads to send forward to the sales team. But it can be used for B2C focused companies as well — and could provide you with a competitive advantage. 

Lead scoring is a very valuable tool that many companies aren’t taking advantage of yet. When you consider that only 44% of organizations are using it, you could be ahead of the curve by making the investment now. Image courtesy of Business2Community. 

While you may not be scoring leads in an effort to prep them for sales, you can use it to identify what customers are more likely to engage with your content and make a purchase. This is valuable information because you can then target those customers more frequently and effectively based on their previous behaviors. 

Not sure how to score your leads? Here are a few examples of data points that can help you start scoring your leads: 

• Email opens
• Email subscriptions
• Web page visits
• Free trial requests
• Form submissions
• Content downloads
• Social media engagements
• Webinar registrations 

Once you’ve identified what actions or engagements are relevant to your lead scoring strategy, you then need to set values for each. To do this you can simply identify what actions are weighted higher. If someone registers for a webinar, they may receive a higher score than someone who simply visited a page on your website. 

As your customers continue to engage with your content, they will then start to build up a score. This score will let you know how likely they are to make a purchase in the near future. With this information, you can create emails, digital ads, or full campaigns around the higher ranking leads with the goal to increase sales. 

3. Move Customer Through the Buyer’s Journey With Workflows

Most marketing automation platforms will provide you with the ability to create customized workflows. These can be used for a number of different things, but one of the most effective uses is to automate the buyer’s journey. 

The buyer’s journey starts when a customer identifies a problem and leads them through the entire purchasing process. Knowing where you customers are in the journey provides you with a unique marketing opportunity. Image courtesy of Ink House.

If you’re not familiar with what the buyer’s journey is, here is the condensed version: 

• • Awareness: when someone has identified a problem and needs to find a solution to this problem
  • Consideration: at this point, they are now looking at multiple different solutions to their problems and considering what is the best option for them
  • Decision: the decision has been made and they are ready to make a purchase to resolve their problem
• Post-Purchase: the purchase has been made, but they may be looking for complementary or add-on products

Creating workflows allows you to move customers through these stages of the buyer’s journey without manual intervention. By understanding the journey your customers will take, you can send relevant content based on the stages they are in and move them along based on specific actions. 

Here’s an example of how you can move a new subscriber from awareness to decision and beyond. 

• • Awareness: A user visits your website and fills out a form to learn more about a specific product. You now have their email and know what content they are interested in, so you send them an article discussing the benefits of the product they’re interested in. 
  • Consideration: The new subscriber reads the article about the product, but is still shopping around and comparing prices. 

• Decision: Knowing that the subscriber has read the product and maybe even visited your site again, you send another email with a coupon for free shipping. At this point, the customer has made their decision and the free shipping encouraged them to complete their purchase. 
• Post-Purchase: Shortly after the subscriber converted to a customer, you send accessory recommendations based on the product the customer just purchased. 

And the cycle continues to play out over and over again. Having the ability to market to your customers based on where they stand in the buyer’s journey will ensure a relevant experience that will result in more sales.  

4. Send Triggered Messages Based on Customer Behaviors

Automation platforms are a great tool when it comes to creating and managing triggered message campaigns. 

Trigger messages are sent to customers based on a specific action or behavior. In most cases, trigger emails are welcomed by customers because they are relevant to an action the customer recently took.

Marketing automation platforms make creating and sending these types of messages simple. You can identify the actions that qualify for a triggered message and the platform takes it from there. No need to pull data and manually enroll customers into a program — it’s all done for you.

Trigger messages can encourage customers to come back or welcome new subscribers to your email list. Whatever the case, they are sent to customers based on their personal interactions with your brand. Image courtesy of Wishpond.

You’ve likely received or even sent triggered campaigns in the past. These are a few of the most common types of trigger messages: 

• Welcome messages
• Onboarding
• Early activation
• Reactivation
• Transactional
• Account notifications
• Milestones
• Real-time triggers
• Time sensitive triggers

Trigger messages are an extremely effective way to reach your customers and provide them with timely and relevant content. You’ll find that these messages can make a big impact on your overall marketing strategy. 

5. Improve Through Monitoring Analytics 

Last but not least, you should be continuously reviewing and monitoring your campaign analytics. This will provide you with insights into what is working and what might need some adjusting. 

An automation platform will allow you to track metrics across platforms and campaigns. This means you can quickly see how well your most recent email performed and how an SMS messaging campaign performed all from one central location.

Marketing automation platforms allow you to easily see all of your campaign and customer data in one central location. With easy to use and customizable dashboards, you can put your most important information front and center. Image courtesy of Technology Advice.

When tracking campaign analytics, you’ll want to consider things such as: 

• Time saved
• Email open and click-through rates
• Frequent interactions and trigger messages sent
• Site traffic
• Conversion rates 
• Revenue generated 
• Customer changes

While the metrics you track may vary based on the channels and campaigns you are using — your marketing automation platform will still provide you with the data you need. With an easy to use dashboard, you can quickly monitor performance and identify any potential issues.

Monitoring your analytics will help you continue to grow your business by learning and adjusting your efforts as your customer changes. 

Find the Perfect Marketing Automation Mix for You

Marketing automation is a great option for companies looking to invest in a new marketing tool. You’ll have the ability to improve your messaging and better understand your customers through advanced insights. From there, you can create custom campaigns designed with your customers in mind. 

While it can be daunting to get started, by following these best practices and finding the right provider will set your company up for success. 

For as long as time itself, London has always been intrinsically linked with the world of business. A vast amount of enterprises and corporations have set up shop in the UK capital over the years, but are they continuing to do so today? Is London still worthy of being deemed a business hotspot?

If you want to find the definitive answer to that question, be sure to read on.

It is a global city

One thing that cannot be argued is the fact that London is a global city. Thousands of people flock here from all over the world each and every year, making the UK capital a true international powerhouse.

What does this mean for the state of business affairs in London? For one, it means that more multicultural corporations are appearing in the city, which ultimately means that stronger ties are being forged with companies from across the globe. What’s more, it means that a wider pool of skilled workers are finding their way to London, ultimately resulting in a far stronger and more optimized workforce.

Investment opportunities

Another thing that cannot be argued is the fact that investment opportunities are rife in London. Should a small business owner decide that they want to have a crack at the London market, they can be sure that there will be someone, somewhere willing to inject them with the financial capital that they need. Of course, this means that the UK capital continues to harbour a thriving startup business scene.

Flexible workspaces

A massive variety of flexible workspaces can be found in London. As stated by Fora, a company that offers London office space to rent, any business that moves here will be surrounded by excellent amenities, first-class transport links, and cultural hotspots. It’s no wonder, then, that more and more startup businesses are relocating to the city year in, year out.

Unrivalled transportation system

Want to rely on quick and robust public transport to get you to and from your workspace each day? If so, London could be the perfect place for you to relocate your business to. Here, you’ll find a transportation system that is unrivalled the world over. The London Underground connects the whole city, the mainline goes even further afield, and traditional London buses can be found at every turn. If nothing else, this all means that your workforce will never be able to use public transport as an excuse for being late!

So, is London still a business hotspot? The answer to that all-important question is most definitely a yes! It is a global city that plays host to a plethora of international businesses, startup investment opportunities are rife and can easily be tapped into here, flexible workspaces can be found here at every turn, and it boasts a robust transportation system that no other city in the world can rival.

If you want to give your business the authoritative reputation it needs to scale its market and grow to the next level, you should consider relocating to the UK capital right away.

New trends have appeared in the San Francisco Bay Area. With rising employment across Silicon Valley and surrounds, demand for housing is strong and supply remains a concern. The business, government, and local developers are working hard to provide feasible solutions for the Bay Area. We sat down with one such developer, Danny Haber – the co-founder and CEO of oWOW. We quizzed him about the latest developments in the Bay Area and how his company is working to turn things around.

Question: For those who don’t know can you please give us an update of the latest market trends taking place in the Bay Area?

Answer: ‘Absolutely! As you and your readers are likely aware, the Bay Area has been characterized by a unique set of challenges, notably strong demand and minimal supply. The issue is further compounded by several other challenges such as rising rental prices and high real estate prices. What most people probably don’t know is why this situation currently exists. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis in 2008/2009, the Silicon Valley rebound was phenomenal. This was especially true in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Strong growth in the high-tech sector has facilitated robust demand in the housing market. Regulations and zoning requirements make it difficult for developers to set up multilevel apartment complexes in busy urban enclaves near transportation hubs, and commercial activity. 

Entrenched systems such as Proposition 13 (a state law that strictly limits property tax increases every year) and lack of political will to expedite new home construction and development are but a few of the issues that we have to contend with. Now, there have been some changes between 2018 and 2019, notably falling prices in and around San Jose and San Francisco. This comes as quite a surprise. In November 2019, the number of new listings year-on-year declined. In fact, San Jose’s metro area was characterized by 22.2% fewer listings year-on-year. Notable in the real estate market is the San Francisco/Oakland/Hayward area which now has 17% fewer listings year-on-year. All of this tells us that big changes are afoot and developers need to focus on real-time market realities.’

Question: How does your company fit into the mix?

Answer: ‘oWOW is a small, dynamic, and vertically-integrated real estate development company. We like to think of ourselves as game changers in terms of how we approach the housing crisis in the Bay Area. We’ve identified many opportunities in the market, notably in communities where abandoned buildings, dilapidated buildings, or buildings that simply don’t live up to code exist. We get permission from the authorities to go in and renovate, remodel, and redesign these buildings to make them safe, affordable and enticing to tenants. We focus our energy on a niche section of the market – the middle-income earners. These are the forgotten folks in the greater Bay Area, and it’s surprising as they form the bulk of the economy. By coming in well below market price, we can confidently cater to this section of the market with luxurious apartments. 

The techniques that we employ are different to the norm. We look at the living space in an apartment and say to ourselves how can we make this better for the tenants. When there is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, we get our design teams to come up with exciting solutions to make all of this work. We can transform single bedroom apartments into multi-bedroom apartments for our tenants. Thanks to these MacroUnits, we are able to fulfil expectations with high-class living at cut rate prices. There are several examples of our big projects on the market, including 960 Howard Street, 674 23rd Street, 316 12th Street, and 1919 Market Street. These are affordable spaces where people can live and work in these apartments as they see fit. The price point that we generate is super. Since entrepreneurs can start their businesses from home, this is a dynamic way to live, and the business aspect allows people to pay their rent. The mix of tenants is pretty remarkable, with business owners, educators, and employees of SMBs at all levels.’

Question: Why do you think prices are still so high in the Bay Area and how can developers like yourself change this?

Answer: ‘I think that it really boils down to a standard economic issue: supply and demand. There isn’t enough supply and there is way too much demand. Even though the trends indicate that prices are falling, they are still significantly higher than the national average. San Francisco’s Bay Area is a hot property market, and it has been for many years. Consider that the median listing price for a home in San Jose is $1.1 million, and in the San Francisco area the median price is $1,352,300. You would have to earn over $300,000 minimum to qualify for property ownership in these enclaves. Our big projects are certainly affordable, and we cater to that section of the market that isn’t necessarily a top gun at a Silicon Valley company. 

We combine development, design, and construction so that we can get our modular units to market to power the housing revolution. You may have read about a 640 ft.² shack in San Francisco on the market for around $2 million. These are the types of things that we are certainly working to avoid. All of our work is starting to pay dividends, and thanks to the big investments by major tech companies like Apple, Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Facebook and the like, much more attention is being given to solving the housing crisis to make the Bay Area a more affordable place to live. It’s going to take time and lots of political will to get this done, but we are making progress on building a time.’ 

You can connect with Danny Haber through About.me, and Twitter

Do you have a desire to help others? Have you ever wanted to work in a position that supports a valuable cause or improves the lives of others? Though most jobs in some way or another helps people, some have a larger impact.  In many industries like healthcare, education, and law, assisting others is the main priority and purpose.

There’s such pride to be taken in going to work every day and making a difference for someone else. Not only do those employed in such positions benefit psychologically, but monetarily, they’re some of the highest paid jobs in the country. Many who work in these fields find it to be enjoyable and worthwhile. If you’d like to put your talents to use for the good of others, the list below may suit your interests.

ER Doctor

When it comes to helping people the healthcare industry is at the top of the list. Emergency room doctors save lives on a daily basis. From injuries and dangerous illnesses to strokes and respiratory issues, there’s a lot that can be done to save and/or improve someone’s life. To enter this field you’d essentially need to get a medical degree.

Registered Nurse

If medical school seems too daunting to manage there are other careers in the medical field that improve the lives of others. Registered nurses are a huge part of patient care in medical facilities. From taking vitals and recording medical information to drawing blood and providing support and companionship, the required duties of a registered nurse are plentiful. After going to school, you can look for companies like Fusion Medical Staffing to find temporary and permanent positions in medical practices in your area.

Police Officer

A police officer is another example of a profession that enhances the safety and well-being of others. Hired to protect and serve the community, police officers help to keep the peace and keep criminals off the street. Though you don’t need a degree to become a police officer, you will have to go through police academy training and go through several physical and psychological tests to be considered for a position. Once you are out in the field, you may find yourself becoming interested in being part of the team that digs deeper into the forensic evidence in order to solve crimes, and this career guide for a crime scene investigator can show you how.

Dentist

Maintaining proper oral health is just as essential as keeping up with your physical health. Dentists help patients to maintain proper oral hygiene and often diagnose and treat oral problems. This can include filling cavities, performing root canals, teeth whitening, fitting dentures, and oral health education. To become a dentist you’ll need to attend dental school and obtain the proper licensing.

Personal Trainers

Getting fit and staying that way aren’t always the easiest things to accomplish. Be that as it may, maintaining the proper weight is imperative to an improved quality of life. If you have a love of fitness, you could help others to love it just as much as you do. You can work with clients to create customized workout regimens that help them to reach their fitness goals faster. In most cases, there’s no education required, but if you really want to get your foot in the door and make a decent living, it would be advised to have a certificate.

Nutritionist

Another part of sustaining good health is getting the proper nutrition through the things you consume. A nutritionist is a health professional that assists schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and individuals with making more effective eating choices. You could educate school-aged children on the importance of eating vegetables or work with diabetics to reduce their glucose levels. To become a nutritionist, you’ll need to have former training and education in either food science, nutrition, or dietetics.

Attorney

Lawyers are called on to help protect their client’s legal rights as a US citizen. As there are many laws, there are various specialties you can get into. You could work as a divorce attorney and help families split as amicably as possible, you could fight as a personal injury attorney helping injured parties get rightfully compensated, or you could practice immigration law. To become a lawyer, you’ll have to complete law school and pass the bar exam.

Social Worker

Social workers are passionate professionals who assist individuals in dealing with personal and social issues. This might mean helping low-income families get affordable healthcare, housing, and food or some other cause. Though no formal education is required, you will need to check within your locality to find out if you need to be registered to become a social worker.

Elementary School Teacher

Educators help improve the lives of children on a daily basis. Through the use of tested curriculum and other educational experiences, they are able to shape the minds of kids everywhere. As children absorb the most information when they’re young, elementary school teachers are thought to be some of the most influential people in their lives. You too can become a part of this by earning a degree and receiving the necessary certifications.

Spiritual Leader

If you’re looking for a meaningful career that touches the hearts and souls of people within your community becoming a spiritual leader or clergyperson is an ideal pick. You can provide guidance, educate them on religion and spirituality,  and organize events to serve the community. To become a clergyperson of any denomination you’ll have to obtain a college degree.

Therapist

Mental illness is running rampant in society today. People need trained professionals they can talk to about their problems and seek proper treatment. Therapists are a valuable resource when it comes to improving one’s mental health. Through talk therapy and other measures, therapists work with patients to help identify issues and develop new methods of coping. You’ll again need to obtain a college degree as well as proper licenses and certifications.

Helping people is part of what makes life so meaningful. Though you could work to improve the lives of others in your spare time, choosing a career that allows you to fulfill a purpose on a daily basis is to be rewarded. As you can see, there are a plethora of career paths you could take in a number of industries to do your part in shaping and healing the world. Take a look at these jobs and others and start creating a career plan to get the necessary education, training, and certifications you need to make a difference.