Financial independence is a powerful desire for creators, as it offers the freedom to choose creativity over ongoing pressure to find the next brand collaboration or sponsorship. Financial independence can often translate to creating several passive income streams – sources of income that keep cash flowing with minimal effort. Three solid options to create passive income streams that can become part of a larger financial plan include the following:

Investing in Geared ASX Funds

If you’ve got some savings locked away, an investment in the share market (particularly with geared funds such as Gear ASX) is a good way to begin earning some passive income. Gear ASX is all about investment opportunities that use leverage to double or even triple the amount you’re investing in the Australian listed share market. These funds combine what you’ve invested with borrowed money, and then they invest in a larger portfolio of the best ASK-listed companies.

Using geared funds is a smart option because they can boost your returns when the market’s going up. Let’s say the ASX 200 index goes up. A geared fund can pay you more than an ordinary index fund. It can speed up your portfolio growth, especially if you’re in the game for the long-term.

Investors who want to invest in Gear ASX need to hold them in a diversified portfolio. Experienced professionals manage the funds and choose the best-quality companies with strong balance sheets and growth prospects, focusing on  long-term results. For instance, investing with the right firm will enable you to invest in ASX 100 companies that have liquidity and have proven themselves already, making sure you can ride out market fluctuations with more confidence.

Building Revenue through Subscriptions

While investments create the foundation for passive, long-term income, creators can also try more short-term, recurring income with subscriptions and memberships. Subscriptions are available on many platforms to allow creators to monetize special perks and exclusive content. The model is best suited for creators with an existing fan base since it turns casual followers into paying fans.

Building a subscription service does require some upfront effort, such as creating quality content, establishing membership levels, and marketing, but once it’s established, it can generate consistent revenues. The key is to continue offering value that compels people to continue paying, be it early access to new content, VIP behind-the-scenes content, or deep community engagement features.

Monetizing Digital Products for Income

One trendy way to make some passive income and take control of your finances is to create and sell digital products or license your intellectual property. Ebooks, online courses, templates, stock photos, or music require some initial work, but you can resell them over and over again with minimal extra effort. After you create something and sell it on websites such as Gumroad, Shopify, or Etsy, it can keep making you money for months or years.

Licensing your intellectual property is also an interesting way to continue making money. You can allow other people to use your videos, photos, music, or writing, and receive royalties each time someone uses your work. It’s a great business model for businesses related to photography, music libraries, and book publishing, but really, you can use it with pretty much any type of creative work.

Endnote

Achieving financial freedom as a creator is all about diversifying your methods. Each stream of income has its own highs and lows, but when you diversify them, they provide you with the stability and freedom you require to thrive in the wild online world.

Some dogs get very anxious, especially when it’s time for dog grooming. They might tremble, hide, or try to escape. This anxiety can make grooming stressful for both the dog and the owner. Fortunately, there are simple ways to make the process more relaxing. With patience and love, even the most nervous dogs can learn to feel safe. Here are five easy tips to help your anxious dog stay calm during grooming.

1. Keep the Grooming Area Calm and Quiet

Dogs are more comfortable in peaceful settings. Choose a quiet room for dog grooming avoid loud noises and distractions. Turn off the TV, keep other pets away, and limit the number of people present. Soft music can also create a soothing atmosphere.

Shut the door so your dog doesn’t see people passing by. If you visit a Reston dog groomer, select one with a calm, gentle environment. A tranquil space helps your nervous dog feel more secure, making grooming easier for everyone.

2. Introduce Grooming Tools Slowly

Many dogs are frightened by unfamiliar grooming tools like clippers, brushes, or blow dryers. To reduce fear, introduce these items gradually.

Let your dog sniff the brush before using it. Offer a treat and speak gently. Start by brushing a small area, and reward calm behavior. Begin with quiet tools, such as a soft brush, before moving on to louder items like clippers. This gradual approach helps your dog get used to grooming. Many Reston dog groomers use this technique to help dogs feel more comfortable.

3. Use Treats and Praise During Grooming

Always reward your dog with treats and gentle praise during grooming. This positive reinforcement helps your dog associate grooming with good experiences.

If your dog allows brushing or lets you handle their paws, give them a treat and say “Good job” in a soft voice. This method encourages your dog to cooperate and feel more relaxed. Don’t rush—let your dog set the pace. Many Reston dog groomers rely on treats and kind words because dogs respond so well to them.

4. Take Small Breaks During Grooming

Long grooming sessions can overwhelm nervous dogs. If your dog seems stressed—shaking, whining, or pulling away—pause and give them a break. Let your dog walk around, play, or rest before continuing.

Break up grooming into short sessions over a couple of days if needed. Whether you’re doing dog grooming at home or visiting a dog groomer, taking breaks helps your dog stay calm and happy.

5. Build Confidence with Social Time

Dogs become braver when exposed to new places and friendly faces. Regularly take your dog to parks or introduce them to other dogs. These experiences help your dog feel less anxious in unfamiliar situations, including grooming.

Consider visits to a calm dog daycare or gentle playdates. Over time, your dog will become more relaxed and confident. Socialized dogs often handle grooming—even with a Reston dog groomer—much better.

Final Thoughts

Dog grooming doesn’t have to be a scary experience for nervous dogs. With a quiet environment, slow introduction to grooming tools, positive reinforcement, regular breaks, and increased socialization, your anxious dog can learn to enjoy grooming. Whether you’re grooming at home or with a Reston dog groomer, these easy tips can make every session calmer and more enjoyable. Always be patient, gentle, and encouraging—when your dog feels secure, grooming becomes a positive experience for both of you.

Small businesses have long been the scrappy innovators of the American economy—quick to adapt, lean by design, and eager to make the most out of limited resources. But when it comes to adopting one of today’s most transformative tools—artificial intelligence—a surprising number of entrepreneurs are tapping the brakes.

That’s the takeaway from Verizon Business’s latest State of Small Business Survey, which found that while 55% of small business owners upgraded some form of their IT infrastructure in the last year, only 38% have actually adopted AI in their operations. The contrast is striking: small businesses are investing in better Wi-Fi and point-of-sale systems, but hesitating to embrace a tool with the potential to revolutionize how they manage everything from customer service to staffing.

So what gives?

For many entrepreneurs, the hesitancy isn’t about resisting change—it’s about prioritizing what feels tangible. Faster internet, better cybersecurity platforms, or upgraded inventory systems make immediate sense. They improve known pain points and are easy to visualize. AI, on the other hand, is often seen as a black box, hard to implement and even harder to trust.

According to the Verizon survey, over half of non-adopters cited security risks and uncertainty around the accuracy of AI tools as reasons for staying away. Others said they simply don’t know what AI could do for them—or worry that their employees would resist it out of fear of being replaced.

Still, there’s growing evidence that for those who do take the leap, AI is delivering real value. Businesses that adopted the tech reported lower error rates, improved staff management, and increased workflow efficiency, especially in areas like inventory and online transactions. One of the more unexpected benefits? Helping ease return-to-office friction by streamlining employees’ workloads.

AI isn’t just about automation—it’s about intelligent automation, where the tech doesn’t just do things faster but makes decisions based on data that humans don’t always have the time (or capacity) to parse.

Still, that nuance is often lost in the marketing messages bombarding small business owners. There’s a growing push that frames AI as a one-size-fits-all solution, and that’s part of the problem, according to George Kailas, CEO of Prospero.AI.

“The narrative right now is that small businesses need to automate everything to stay competitive. But for many, that’s just not true.” Kailas says. “You can’t expect a local contractor or bakery to replace what makes them special—personal service and community connection—with chatbots and generic automation.”

Instead, he argues, AI should enhance, not replace, what small businesses do well. The back office is where AI shines: scheduling, inventory tracking, fraud detection, and even social media content generation, areas where many entrepreneurs are stretched thin.

“Use AI to get your time back—so you can reinvest it in the parts of your business that customers actually notice,” Kailas says.

What’s Really Holding Business Owners Back?

Much of the hesitation boils down to mindset and messaging. Despite 76% of small business owners acknowledging that AI has improved their outreach on social media, only 28% use it to manage those efforts regularly. And while more than half of non-users say they’re aware of what AI could do for them, only a fraction feel confident enough to take the next step.

There’s also a knowledge gap. Many business owners aren’t tech-phobic—they just don’t have a clear starting point. They’re looking for tools that integrate smoothly into their existing workflows without needing a crash course in data science or a complete operations overhaul.

That’s where AI providers need to step up—not just with tools, but with education, real-world examples, and customer support that meets small businesses where they are.

The Bottom Line

The AI opportunity for small businesses isn’t just about keeping up with Silicon Valley—it’s about getting smarter with limited time and resources. Whether it's helping teams do more with less or reducing friction in an increasingly digital economy, AI has a place in small business. But only if it's deployed wisely and with clarity.

As Kailas puts it: “AI isn’t a magic bullet—but used right, it’s a force multiplier. The sooner small businesses can shift from fearing it to shaping it around their goals, the more competitive—and human—they’ll stay.”