Business Archives - Foreign policy

7 Advantages of Stocks over Alternative Investments

Published on January 27, 2021

Investing in stocks can be pretty scary, especially if you don’t know what you are doing. But it needs to be said that even experts in this field will not be absolutely sure about their moves, especially in uncertain times. The world’s economy experienced one of these times in 2020, with the global pandemic of coronavirus, which devastated a plethora of industries.

The number of those who didn’t take a massive blow is pretty low. Since stocks are directly tied to the companies, who are again tied to their own respective industry, we can see what caused the massive decline last year. Even though the effects of the global crisis will be felt for a long time, the first wave has now passed, and we can look to a brighter future.

Humanity will just need to learn how to cope with these problems. Anyway, we can see that the decline of stock’s price has made a lot of people interested in investing in some of them. However, undergoing this journey cannot be done without understanding the basic concept.

Therefore, we would like to recommend a book that can provide you with an insight into the whole story. In case you are interested in checking it out, be sure to visit amakella.com. Now, we would like to talk about the advantages stocks have over alternative investments. Without wasting your time further, we will start with these now.

1. They Follow the Economy’s Growth

With every step economy makes towards growth, corporate earnings follow. Why is this happening? In the simplest way, we can describe this process is that the economic growth creates new job positions, which directly generates income and sales.

The bigger the salary, the greater boost to customer demand. All of these directly lead to generating more revenue in companies. To monitor this process in a more effective way, you will need to have a full understanding of the business cycle, which consists of expansion, contradiction, peak, and trough. It could be said that this is the greatest advantage of buying stocks.

2. Aggressive Growth Potential

As you know, there’s a wide array of different types of investments. However, almost none of them have the potential similar to stocks. Why’s that? Well, since their worth is increasing along with the economy, their potential is almost limitless. Naturally, these limitations are imposed by the strength of the country’s economy.

But, if we are talking about the world’s economy, you can understand why we’ve labeled their potential as limitless. You don’t need to take our word on this, you can monitor a couple of companies and how the worth of their stocks progresses over time. Thankfully, you will not have a hard time finding this information in this day and age.

3. Avoiding Inflation

When we take a look from a historical perspective, we can see that stocks averaged an annualized return of 10%. You will certainly agree that its average is way better than the annualized inflation rate. What does this mean exactly? It means that you will have more time to act when facing inflation.

Furthermore, you can retain control over stocks even when their value drops. Not only that, you will be able to hold the existing ones and buy new ones even when facing a crisis. Why’s it better than other investments? Simply said, you will have way more time to act and preserve as much as it is possible than with others. Think about that.

4. They are Easy to Buy

Surely, you know that the stock market makes it pretty easy for people to buy shares in every company they wish. There are three main ways you can buy these, through a financial planner, online, and broker. It’s needless to say that you need to create your own account before you can make any purchases. Furthermore, you can make these in a couple of minutes.

Thankfully, there are countless high-quality apps you can use to take participate in the market. Also, you can use trainer apps, which can provide you with a simulation of the whole process, like Stock Trainer. These will provide you with a high-detailed walkthrough.

5. They are Easy to Sell

Now that we’ve established that you can have some control even when the economy faces a crisis, it needs to be said that selling the stocks is also a pretty easy process. Surely, you’ve heard the term “liquid” being related to stocks. It means that the market provides you with a possibility to cash them out quickly and you will not be faced with high transaction costs.

Do research on your own, and you will see that they are pretty low. Of course, this is a really big advantage in the case when you need money urgently. In some cases, prices can be pretty volatile, which means that there’s a risk of experiencing a loss in this process.

6. Diversification

Now we would like to talk about diversification. The value of the stock market changes values independently from any other type of investments, like real estate and bonds. Holding these can provide you with a chance to have a better reaction than any other way of investment.

Furthermore, it can be said that they add risk to a portfolio, rapid gains, the potential for large, etc. At the same time, it helps investors to avoid all the dangers of overly conservative investment strategies. You can see that we are talking about a more flexible approach to the whole situation.

7. Low Transaction Fees

We’ve mentioned that transaction fees related to stocks are pretty low. However, we would like to discuss this factor in greater detail. In the highest number of cases, you will see that the price war among discount brokers has reduced stock transaction costs to zero, which is a pretty helpful thing, right?

At the same time, the highest number of brokers will provide you with a chance of selecting no-transaction-fee mutual funds. Certainly, we are talking about a process that will not take too much out of your hands, which is more than we can say for alternative investments.

6 Business Predictions for 2021

Published on January 27, 2021

Business

The coronavirus pandemic dominated 2020 and affected everyone’s lives – and pocketbooks – in some way. 2020 posed unparalleled obstacles for many company owners as the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses to adjust to a “new normal.” Some are asking whether the new year will bring back “business as usual” or whether we will move in a different direction as corporations begin to look forward to 2021. Here are 6 predictions from business experts about what could happen in 2021.

More remote work

Remote work will persist through 2021 and beyond one of the most significant changes for many workers in 2020 was the rapid adoption of remote work. While some companies expected new remote workers to return to the office, this is no longer a reality. Many companies will not expect workers to come to the office five days a week, if at all, and companies will reduce or reconfigure office spaces accordingly.

Companies will reduce virtual activities and meetings

While companies fervently embraced virtual meetings in 2020 as a way to help keep teams connected, they may not be so tied to them in 2021. As remote work becomes the norm, employers may cut back on these instances to give employees more time back to work. Back in 2021, employers will give staff time, such as canceling recurring meetings or blocking a day for ‘no meetings’ and promoting their team to recover.

Convenience is no longer optional

It used to be a differentiation that helped distance companies from their competition. Now, it’s expected. For example, before the pandemic, home delivery was a nice option offered by some companies. Now it is an expectation that companies have struggled to incorporate into their daily experience.

Virtual and remote labor has become commonplace

Many companies that would never have thought it possible are now embracing the remote workforce to the point of saying, “Let’s close our offices.” Not all companies will go 100% remote, but the option is there if they want to get to that level.

Chatbots can do more than just interact with clients

As a way to handle customer service, most businesses use chatbots. Chatbots will continue to do so, but they will also help decide what happens next, and do it better and better. The initial contact is the starting point for a human being to automate processes or escalate the problem.

Changes in the real estate market

The commercial real estate crisis averted Early on, most predictions said that commercial real estate was headed for a bloodbath. It wasn’t just that tenants would stop paying rent for a few months, but that the effects were going to be much greater. Suddenly, everyone realized that, with the rise of telecommuting, demand for office space could drop by as much as a third. The explosion of Internet shopping and the demise of several department stores seemed like the death knell for the suburban mall.

Apartment and condo development ground to a halt as residents fled to single-family homes in the suburbs or weekend retreats in the countryside. And in the Zoom era, how many hotels aimed at business travelers could survive? In short, the post-pandemic future looked very grim for anyone who purchased, created, invested in, or financed commercial real estate. AD But, as has been the case in the past, commercial real estate is proving remarkably resilient. Delinquencies, defaults, and bankruptcies have increased, but not catastrophically.

Instead, contracts are renegotiated, loans are extended and unpaid debt is converted into shares of ownership. And while real estate values are down, they are not in free fall, thanks in part to the large number of well-financed investors looking to snap up prime real estate at bargain prices. Some think it’s only a matter of time before the “extend and pretend” gives way to the inevitable wave of forced sales that will cause the real estate market to crash. But others see in the tectonic shifts caused by the pandemic a golden opportunity to repurpose old buildings, reconfigure economic geography, and bring new residents and new businesses to urban markets that had become too expensive.

Digital education will continue long after students return to the classroom, to the benefit of workers I believe a variant of “Amara’s Law” will apply as we emerge from the pandemic: short-term changes will be overestimated, and long-term impacts will be underestimated. By moving most or all classroom participation to the Internet, we have learned what works well. Previous resistance to technology has diminished for both faculty and students.

Perhaps the greatest impact is in the increasingly different ways we use to engage full-time students versus part-time students and executives who are working professionals. Since time is especially scarce for the latter, we will increasingly leverage technology to encourage and sustain engagement and create even greater flexibility for them. We will also embrace technology in new ways to catalyze student engagement and lifelong learning for our global student communities.

Companies will address diversity, equity, and inclusion with rigorous plans and measurable targets By 2021, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will maintain the momentum they gained in 2020 and become a top-level management issue. We will witness the acceleration of a movement-on a scale we have not seen before-in which companies will go beyond statements and move to a higher level of action and accountability as they seek to make their organizations more equitable.

Corporate leaders will begin to combine DEI commitments with a comprehensive approach that takes responsibility for progress as they do in all other aspects of their business, and we will begin to redefine what is “good” for racial equity in the workplace. I anticipate that we will see more organizations begin to lay the groundwork to become anti-racist workplaces and begin to implement racially just business practices. By adopting this approach, employers will be closer to giving all Americans an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

There are many other predictions to be made by many other experts. All of them can serve to start conversations about what’s ahead, what needs to change, etc. When making decisions based on these and other predictions, always look to the future and anticipate the impact on your customers and employees, and do not forget that you can check loans with same day deposit from Directloantransfer.com if you find yourself in a difficult financial situation due to the pandemic.

A Guide to Collecting Payments from Clients

Published on January 26, 2021

Business

Many people have fallen upon hard times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Widespread layoffs, along with the impact this crisis has on economic activity have made it difficult for many to write off debts and make timely payments. Sure enough, government policies have instructed businesses and property owners to forego their payment collections in a bid to ease up the financial burden of the most vulnerable sectors. However, this was met with widespread criticism from small business owners who are also reeling from the effects of this pandemic.

In these uncertain times, business owners will need to show compassion and wait until their clients get back on their feet. Sadly, there are those who take advantage of this need for compassion. There are cases of people who hide the fact that they can pay their dues on time and insist they are going through a difficult time like anyone else. As a business owner, you also need to make a living, and the way to do that is to collect money from clients who have it. It gets tricky from there, but there are a few methods that can help you go about it:

1. Explain before asking

In most cases, we tend to ask clients to tender their payments immediately before legal action is taken. Considering the current situation, it is best to keep your cool and let your clients know why you are asking them to pay. If your business took a big blow to the bottom line during the pandemic, let your clients know that you also have bills and salaries to pay.

Whether it’s through phone or email, requesting payment from clients is a minefield. At the very least, you wouldn’t want to get on your clients’ bad side by sending them a forceful email or subtle threats of legal action. There is always a better way. You can start by providing them the details about their unpaid invoices and providing them with options on how they can write off their balances.

If they still could not settle the amount they owe, it’s still best to keep your head cool and avoid any action that could escalate the situation. For this reason, it’s essential to have a team of experienced customer care specialists who are skilled in debt collection and conflict resolution.

2. Don’t surprise your clients

Asking your clients to pay immediately comes off as unprofessional. For this reason, you might as well send a notification weeks in advance. By giving your clients a heads up, you also open yourself up to negotiation and give your clients enough time to consider their options. It is also important to be clear and considerate so your clients won’t respond in a negative manner.

It’s not always a good idea to demand payment when your clients aren’t expecting it. As much as possible, you need to keep them informed about their due dates and make yourself available in case they want to defer making any payment for the recent billing cycle. With that being said, you might want to use a customer relationship management system that sends out automated reminders. Make sure to pace your notifications properly. You wouldn’t want to spam your clients’ inboxes with reminders, as this can cast your brand under bad light. It’s always best to allow your clients to set their expectations early on so they couldn’t be caught off guard when their bills are due.

3. Provide a billing schedule

If your clients are way behind schedule and have accumulated a large bill over time, you can always reach out to them and come up with a manageable payment schedule. With this method, you provide your clients with a flexible timeframe to settle their accounts. Seeing as many people are currently not able to make payments on time, modifying your payment terms helps you maintain close relationships with your clients and make sure that everyone is satisfied.

While you might not get the full amount they owe, they may be able to pay back the amount owed in smaller increments without too much financial hardship on their part. For this reason, try to reach out to your clients through your customer service reps and see how you can help them with lessening the burden.

Then again, not everyone is going to be honest about their situation, and some could take advantage of the safety nets you provide for them and dance around new deadlines. In this case, you might need to dig a little deeper to find out if certain clients are having a hard time as they say they are.

4. Learn how hard up they really are

Still, there will be cases when clients refuse to disclose their current financial health in a bid to forego any payments. There are ways for you to detect such acts as this. For instance, you can conduct an asset investigation on an individual to know their actual financial standing. For this, you should opt for a company that lets you build an asset search database.

Check here for more info: like digroup-us.com/asset-search

However, you may run into legal issues or complications when you are conducting an asset search and other methods of investigation. Privacy laws can get in the way of the process and unless you work with an experienced due diligence company, it will be difficult for you to determine the actual financial situation of your clients. Make sure you review any relevant laws and contact certified investigators. In addition, avoid working with companies that operate under the radar. You wouldn’t want to get tangled in a more complicated legal mess, so be sure to scrutinize the company that will be helping you scrutinize your clients.

Collecting payments from clients can be challenging, but using the right approaches can help small businesses stay afloat. After all, everyone has been affected by the pandemic, and we all need to do what we can to get by.

When you Should Take a Break from Trading

Published on January 23, 2021

Business

In the trading field, the dealers can’t work all the time. Sometimes, people need a break to take a rest and generate energy for successful trading. Without taking frequent breaks, the trader will surely experience tiredness. You will agree with us that a tired person will not have the best possible performance. When people are unable to take the stress, they should take a break. It will help investors to clean their minds and think a couple of steps ahead in their trading.

Clearing your mind from time to time will do you much good. For example, you will be able to think about some new ideas that can result in even more positive movements in the future. To increase their psychological and bodily energy, people should try to reduce the pressure. Thankfully, there are a lot of different things you can do to boost your physical and psychological energy levels. Now, let’s learn about when investors should take a break.

Having a feeling of exhaustion

If someone is comfortable with trading in the morning, he should not work at night. When the person will try to work more, it will create pressure. Every person has his boundaries, and almost no person in the world can go beyond his limitations. So, the Singaporean traders should not work when they are tired as it does not provide them with better outcomes. Sometimes, the investors feel that they will miss the opportunity, so they try to keep focusing on the market constantly, which is not good for being victorious.

Surely, this only adds to the overall stress levels. If you sleep properly, you will be able to work effectively. People should not think that they will miss the exciting trade session if they do not spend time in the market. There are lots of thrilling sessions, so investors should not be bothered about this. Not performing in the best possible way for one or two of them will not mean that you’ve experienced some significant loss.

Having tough time deal with the market

Without adapting to the situation, it is not possible to gain success in the Forex field. When the market is in a bullish trend, the investors can gain good returns by applying the trend trading strategy. On the other hand, in the range market, there is hardly any possibility of making profits. So, the person should not enter the market during this time. Naturally, before entering the market, you will need to think about a tool you should use.

In case you are interested in finding the best possible platform, you can use, be sure to take a look at home.saxo. If anyone observes that his plan is not working properly and he is failing to earn the money, he should stop at that time and take a leave for that day. When you trade fx options online, make sure you are comfortable with the market. If you find things hard, take a short break from trading. After you are well-rested, you will have a much easier time when you return to the market.

News Events

News has a great impact on the direction of the market. After releasing the important news, the investors should not take immediate action. Someone who cannot take the uncertainty should try to avoid trading on Thursdays. On the other hand, some people who deal with the news should take a break on Mondays. What all this means, you ask? It means that every trader needs to have some kind of calendar, which will mean that they have both the time for relaxation and the time for work.

If you keep an academic calendar, it will be easy for you to find the time when you should stop your work. Traders are also required to collect authentic, legitimate news to take the right action. Surely, having a proper schedule will make it easier for you to avoid things like time-wasting, and other elements you don’t really need. Thankfully, there are many different ways you can do that. You can write it on a piece of paper or you can install an app that can help you with organizing your time.

Physical Sickness

When people are physically sick, they should take proper rest and try to stop thinking about trading. As a result of sickness, a dealer is unable to keep his or her focus on their goal and fails to carry out the trading activities properly which leads to bad sequels. During this time, investors should try to eat properly and gain strength. Just think about that, when you have some kind of physical sickness, you will not be able to focus on anything other than your current state. Therefore, you will need to avoid it at all costs.

The best way for you to do that is to organize your time a little bit better and you will have enough time to have a proper rest from all the daily activities. People can also do exercise to become fit. If people try to continue the trading process, they will lose their hope and make the wrong decisions. Traders should not take physical sickness lightly as, without good health, he will not be able to deal with the big challenges. So, you should take care of your physical condition by having proper rest.

When You Have Faced Three Repeated Losing or Winning Streaks

After facing continuous losing or winning streaks, traders should not try to open any new positions. Just think about it, you will need to monitor many new things after you’ve had a bad streak. Instead of overwhelming yourself with a lot of new things, you should focus on what you already have and make the most of it. However, before you do this, taking a break is something you need to do, without a doubt.

If you try to do this, there is a higher possibility of facing more losses. In the Forex field, you should try to grow the account by making a practical decision. By taking a break, people will get the chance to find out the reasons behind failures and improve their strategy if needed. What’s more, you will be able to have more thorough thinking about what are the next moves you can do to improve your situation.

The Summary

Sometimes, if an investor goes to a tourist place with his family, it helps to bring them happiness, and reduce stress and anxiety. Then the investor is able to increase their confidence level in trading. Without a doubt, this translates to more positive results in the future. Therefore, you need to be realistic about what you can achieve.

So, instead of taking too much burden on yourself, you will need to relieve stress levels, which are surely one of the commonest reasons why people underachieve sometimes. So, having proper rest is a key to success, not just for trading, but for all kinds of work.

Concrete Contractors: How to Be Ahead of Your Game

Published on January 22, 2021

Business

The post-pandemic world is uncertain, but the one thing we know is that times will be tough for a while still. If you’re worried about what the future holds for your business, you’re not alone.

However, the good news is that with every market shake-up, there’s an opportunity. In this article, we cover things concrete contractors like yourself can do to get ahead of the game.

These are some good ways to take advantage of every opportunity.

We take a look at how you can show yourself to your best advantage with customers. There’s advice on how to keep everyone safe. And how to make smart business choices that will have you operating efficiently and reduce risk.

Read on to find out how to pandemic-proof your concreting business.

Tip 1. Be a Peacock

If you think of how a peacock attracts his peahen, he showcases his best assets. He goes big: Look at how great I am!

Clients shouldn’t have to chase you for your credentials. Make it easy for prospective clients to close with you by taking the following steps;

Provide your team’s qualifications upfront. Clients want to know who they’re entrusting with their property. They want a contractor who is properly trained and certified.
Display your affiliations to any professional bodies. Likewise, for any community organizations. It offers people comfort if they know they have recourse to a “higher power.” And memberships can indicate you play by the rules. Being part of an organization says you can get along with people.
Ask for testimonials from happy past clients. Request that people review you on sites like Yelp, Facebook, Google, and Angie’s List. People are going to the internet more and more for reviews of services they are considering. So, it is also critical that you respond immediately to negative reviews.
Ensure you and your employees look neat and tidy. Your branded vehicles and equipment should also always appear cared for and clean. Think peacock!
Provide value in each encounter. Educating your clients will leave a very good impression as well as building their confidence on your craft. Assure them of the accountability you put in each project, just as how you take insuring your business and their property seriously in case something happens during and after the project.

Tip 2. Be Safe

Your safety protocols are also something you should make available to prospective clients. Always ensure your team is observant and respectful of their own and the client’s safety.

COVID has placed an additional burden of safety on contractors. But it’s in everyone’s interest to get through this period with as few fatalities as possible. It’s too easy to get caught in a spiral of despair. Change your mindset and try to think of the new protocols as an opportunity. See it as a chance to demonstrate your professional diligence. And the care you have for your staff and clients.

Tip 3. Stick to Your Knitting

The concrete industry covers a vast number of focus areas. It can be tempting in tough times to try to be all things to all people. This never works.

Don’t fall into the trap of spreading yourself too thin. Or taking on working you’re not adequately skilled for. It can damage your reputation irredeemably and isn’t a cost-efficient way of working.

Instead, use downtime to skill yourself up on the latest developments. Make contact with suppliers to see what’s new. When was the last time you had time to read a trade magazine or contribute to an online forum conversation?

Establish yourself as an expert in your niche by strengthening and sharing your knowledge. You can find a listing of reputable contractor forums.

Develop a referral network of other contractors with complementary skills. Give people comfort that you don’t compete with them. They will be happy to recommend you for work they don’t do themselves. That way, everybody gets a piece of the pie.

Tip 4. Mitigate Risk

Use pandemic downtime to get your admin in order. Specifically, make an appointment with your insurance broker. Review your policies and ensure you’re adequately and appropriately covered. Are there COVID-related risks that leave you exposed, perhaps?

Standard insurance requirements that are normally secured by concrete contractors include:

liability insurance
commercial property insurance,
business auto, and
workers compensation.

It’s essential for new and small contractors to provide prospective clients with proof of adequate liability cover. Liability insurance pays damages if you’re sued for damage to property or people. It protects your business and you personally. But it also provides peace of mind to your clients.

Insurance allows you to hold your own: clients feel safe giving you a chance. This is one of the best ways insurance policies help you to get ahead.

Tip: There’s a specific team that specializes in Contractors Insurance providing services all over the U.S. It is best to read well-written contents at ContractorsLiability.com and here is a more detailed article specifically about Concrete Contractors Insurance

Tip 5. Embrace Technology

Smart devices and cloud-based technology are revolutionizing the construction industry. Contractor management apps allow you to track project progress and remotely manage your workforce. They will help you prepare professional quotations, communicate with clients, and handle billing and payments.

Good contractor software can take just a small investment of time and money. (Some excellent contractor apps are even available for free). In return, you could reap significant efficiencies and drastically improve your management practice.

The pandemic has fast-tracked many industries into digital work mode. Those businesses that are thriving are the ones that were already set up. If you haven’t already gone cloud-based, use pandemic downtime to make the switch.

Top Tip: Take Action. Now.

To be ahead of the game requires action. Embrace the downtime forced on you by COVID to look critically at your business. Apply these 5 tips to strengthen your concrete contracting business.

These are just some of the ways to be ahead of your game, and it’s never too late to advance and learn… These tips can jumpstart your business in no time!

5 Factors that threaten the Success of Small Businesses

Published on January 22, 2021January 22, 2021

Business

Opening and managing a small business is rewarding but often difficult work. For many small business owners, it can sometimes feel impossible to beat the odds and maintain a profitable company for the years to come. And the data doesn’t offer much comfort; according to the U.S. Labor of Statistics, about 20 percent of small businesses close within a year of opening.

However, it isn’t all grim—with hard work and awareness of the elements that threaten your business’ success, you can take preventative measures to protect your investment and maintain a loyal customer base. If you can recognize these five significant threats to your business, you can run your company with caution, take concrete action to lower liabilities and risks, and leverage your resources for greater impact.

Competition with Big-name Brands

Source:newbreedmarketing.com

Perhaps the most talked-about reason small businesses fail is being unable to compete with big-box brands. A small business will never have a big company’s resources, but there are still cost-effective ways you can compete with these well-known brands.

For example, you can focus on customer service and how you can personalize the shopping experience. Tap into marketing efforts that stress “shop local” campaigns and present what sets your business apart from the big-name brands. You can also join local business associations that spread awareness of local brands and sponsor large-scale events, like a small business week.

Lawsuits

It’s an unnerving matter of fact that businesses of all sizes get sued every day. That’s why major companies often have entire departments full of lawyers and PR employees who specialize in minimizing the damage of a claim against the company. Especially if you run a small business without these resources, a single lawsuit could incur expenses high enough to end your business. A few of the most common lawsuits raised against businesses include:

Bodily injury

Property damage

Wrongful termination

Breach of contract

While you won’t have a full team of lawyers to fight for you in the courts, you can protect yourself by having a single representative on retainer and proper insurance coverage in all liability areas. The cost of having numerous policy types can add up quickly, but it will likely still cost far less than a successful (or even an unsuccessful) lawsuit against your business. Liability insurance policies that many small businesses have to include:

Workers’ Compensation Insurance– Workers’ compensation covers medical expenses and missed wages when an employee experiences a workplace injury or develops an occupational disease. This insurance not only protects you against employee injury lawsuits, but it’s legally required for most U.S. businesses.

CGL Insurance– CGL insurance, meaning commercial general liability insurance, covers claims of third-party bodily injury, third-party property damage, and advertising injury. Read more.

Errors and Omissions Insurance– Also called professional liability insurance, this policy covers legal defenses if you or an employee is accused of negligence, inadequate work, inaccurate advice, and malpractice.

Product Liability Insurance– This form of liability insurance deals with injury claims resulting from the use of a product your company designed, produced, distributed, or sold.

Business Interruption

If a fire or natural disaster destroys or severely damages your property and you have to repair or replace the damaged structures or equipment, you’ll likely have to shut down operations for the time being. Other occurrences, like severe weather or civil unrest, can also force your business to close temporarily.

Business interruption insurance compensates for your lost income in these situations. It can also help cover the costs of moving to a temporary location, payroll, and taxes, depending on your policy.

Cyberattacks

It’s impossible not to use computers and technology in a modern-day business. In today’s cyber threat landscape, over two-thirds of companies with fewer than 1,000 employees have experienced a cyberattack, and about 60 percent of small businesses go out of business after such an attack. Luckily, there are several ways to protect your business from criminal cyber activity:

Investing in Advanced Cybersecurity Software– Your anti-virus or endpoint security system is your first line of defense against an online attack. Though advanced packages can be costly, the risks of not having protection far outweigh the costs.

Best Practices and Employee Training– Ensure your employees know not to click on suspicious links, can identify phishing emails, and regularly updates their passwords.

Insurance Coverage– Cyber liability insurance covers expenses that result from cyberattacks and data breaches, such as legal costs incurred when defending your business against a negligence claim after a breach leaks private customer information.

Reputation Damage

Small businesses especially need to have a favorable reputation in the community. Otherwise, locals won’t have any motivation to support your business. To help protect your brand, you can:

Have clear social media policies in place so employees’ potentially controversial social media posts don’t reflect poorly on your business

If a product is recalled, have a PR plan before that emergency happens to minimize damages.

Address complaints from employees and customers quickly and effectively.

Proactive Small Business Protection

Running a small business is challenging but far from impossible. You can avoid becoming another statistic by understanding the risks you face and how to respond to them. By being proactive, you can save your business from the common setbacks that new and small businesses face.

Cyber Insurance for Solicitors in the UK

Published on January 21, 2021

Business

Cyber Insurance Development

The development of cyber insurance in Europe began in 1995 with the adoption of the EU Data Protection Directive when data protection was established as a right of EU citizens. In the mid-2000, increased dependence on information technology and major hacker scandals led to increased demand for cyber insurance. In 2013, the EU announced the EU Cyber Security Directive, which sets out minimum business security measures. 2013/2014 insurance companies make offers in a wider market, and in London, there are 25-30 markets for this insurance. In 2015, the implementation of the data protection legislation reform was expected, but this was postponed for later. The cyber insurance market is estimated to generate more than € 700 million in premiums. Bypassing stricter laws on personal data protection, the cost of resolving cyber intrusions is increased, through the cost of notifying the authorities within 72 hours, clients, relationship costs with the public and legal costs. In Europe, the European Global Data Protection Regulation is expected to enter into force in May 2018, a provision adopted in 2016. If a company fails to comply with the provisions of this regulation, it can be penalized with 2% to 4% of their global revenue, depending on the type of activities and with the application of monetary restrictions (maximum of EUR 20 million). The enactment of this regulation could bring further accelerated growth of cyber insurance.

Law Firms Under Attack

The UK legal sector faced a serious cybersecurity concern in 2020. True enough because a recent government report estimated around sixty percent (60%) of law firms in the UK have suffered from a form of cyberattack or data breach in the past twelve (12) months of their operation. With the challenges brought about by the pandemic and law firms’ digital platforms, cybercriminals are easily attracted to steal a huge amount of money and confidential information that they can use to their advantage from this industry.

Sad to say, quite a lot of solicitors deny the fact that they are favorite targets of hackers. Moreover, around two thirds (2 out of 3) of law firms in the UK do not have a cyber incident response plan to neutralize cyberattacks.

Due to the effects of the pandemic, seventy percent (70%) of lawyers are working online to protect themselves and adhere most to most of the health protocols in the U.K. These factors and situations make them easy prey for the cybercriminal beasts. Furthermore, a problem may also arise from an unintentional opening of documents resulting in business email compromise.

Know your Enemy and Own Weaknesses

The “Art of Warfare”, as most strategists call it, requires a vivid knowledge of the following information, namely: (1) Who or what is attacking you? (2) What are the methods being used in the attacks? (3) Are my weak points repairable or curable? Lastly, know how you can defend, protect and reinforce your army or in this case your cyber defenses and data security.

With the revolution of the internet, technology comes the advancement of cyber criminality, and it is a fact in every aspect. Every hacker is innovating and just waiting for the perfect timing for every attack. Various methods are being used from simple emails to drastic ransomware or what we call, “professional criminals”. However, there are instances that data breaches are being committed due to carelessness and negligence. These, too, are weak points that need to be addressed.

Winning the Battle

Cyber insurance is not just a form of protection against potential IT and Cyber risks. It is part of the business strategy and business culture of any serious organization. Not having adequate protection against more and more frequent and certain incidents like data leaks or Cyber extortion means that you do not take your business seriously. Or maybe you think you are one of those lucky people who will be bypassed by such incidents? Cyber insurance, in short, is financial coverage in cases of Cyber incidents. In cases where your company suffers damage, Cyber Insurance serves to cover all material costs incurred the moment you are exposed to an incident. An incident usually affects not only your company but also your business connections. Your company’s client has the right to hold you accountable in the event of a Cyber incident, and if you are not insured, you will pay the accompanying court, administrative and other costs. For most small or medium-sized businesses, even the smallest cost of a Cyber incident can bring future business into question. Not to mention the secondary damage: reputational damage, dissatisfied and damaged clients, laid-off employees, vulnerable families, etc.

Fortunately, we have cyber insurance for solicitors here in the UK on sites like cyberinsurance.co.uk. These cyber liability insurances can create a data security platform to address the weak points of a law firm. Such cyber insurance coverage generally protects you starting from the business aspects of it to the more confidential nature or even family nature of your precious data and information.

Cyber liability insurance will give us the peace of mind we need as we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, human errors, and cybercriminal attacks. It will assure us that everything will be in control and order before, during, and even after a cyber attack or data breach. It feels so secure knowing you are backed up by experts and professionals in times of crisis.

Further Security and Peace of Mind

Cyber-attacks and human errors are inevitable. But there are solutions for every situation in this industry especially in the protection of data confidentiality on law firms and lawyers. Cyber insurance coverage can reimburse any loss in profits should your firm need to stop operating temporarily due to a data breach. Immediately, experts and cyber professionals are within reach to assist you in managing the crisis hands-on.

Not only that one may suffer business interruption but also legal costs or fines may be imposed by a government agency or regulatory commission. But having cyber insurance will protect your firm from further loss. Furthermore, experts will be deployed to recover any data loss and reinforce your data security so it will no longer be vulnerable to cyber-attacks or mistakes.

These are only some of the general coverage of cyber insurance and every company offering such may vary by adding some more services and data protection. In conclusion, all law firms must secure a policy of this type since all of us rely on data management and security.

Cyberattacks may evolve and come anytime if we are unprepared. So, it is better to be sure or I should say secure than be sorry later on. Interestingly, having cyber insurance is not costly and surely a very practical move nowadays.

How to use a Telemarketing Campaign For Business Marketing

Published on January 21, 2021

Business/Marketing

Telemarketing still plays a significant role in growing and improving different businesses. It may seem to you that making numerous cold calls every day is outdated. Especially when social media offers some new strategies for business improvement. Although business marketing approaches are changing, telemarketing is still an essential part of it. The research has shown that building a good telemarketing campaign can help business in various ways, so it shouldn’t be foreseen since you can use it to achieve desired results. The best way to check out if telemarketing works for you is to test it out on your business and see if there are any improvements. We believe you’ll be surprised by the outcome. Here is how you can use a telemarketing campaign for business marketing.

1. Lead generation

If you want to grow your business using telemarketing, you’ll need to make a good plan and prepare for making the calls. Telemarketing can be a great way to get to many potential customers. In the beginning, it requires endless cold calls and you try to gather as many interested people as possible. But if you do it right, it can lead to getting many new satisfied customers, which is your main goal. If you want to make the telemarketing campaign work, you need the right database. You don’t want to call just anyone because that will increase the number of calls you’ll have to make, and also lower down the chance to collect leads. Instead, you want to hit your target group, which is most likely to be interested in your offer. Write down the main message of your company that you want to forward, and keep it in mind during the call. Also, arm yourself with patience. After a while, it will become easier, and the business will grow thanks to the application of a good telemarketing strategy.

2. Collecting the right database

If you’re using telemarketing as a way to grow your business, it is essential for you to understand whether you have the right database. If you’re not talking to the right people, your telemarketing campaign will likely fail. Make sure you do a cross-check every year to check if you’re sending emails to the right person and if everything is running smoothly. After some time, job positions change, and not the same person is in charge of the same job as a while ago. Especially if you’re spending money on direct mail, you want to make sure that it is getting to the right person. Every year, take some time to call your contacts and check if everything is still running the same way. You can use the help of Linkedin to check your data and keep up with changes.

3. Launching a new product

If you’ve launched a new product and want to notify your existing and potential customers, it is best to that via phone call. Yes, you can send an email, but if you want to increase the number of sales, that is not the most practical way. People are busy these days and the fact is that a small number of your customers are so loyal and interested in your product to the point that they will chat via email and make an appointment with you. That is why you should focus on telemarketing. Building momentum during a phone call can help you convince more people to meet you in person and discuss buying the product you launched. If you want to increase the number of sales, a good telemarketing campaign can help a lot. If you need a professional to help you increase your conversion rate, you should check out copenhagentelemarketing.dk. They can contact your potential or existing customers directly, and help you sell more products and achieve your sales goals.

4. Unobtrusive customer conquest

People often find cold calls too intrusive and tend to withdraw when they feel like that. Forcing the conversation just to achieve your goal of scheduling a face to face meeting to present your product or service can lead to a contra effect. You want these conversations to be very spontaneous and warm. So instead of trying to arrange a meeting, you can try out something new. For example, you can ask the person you’re talking to whether they are interested in watching a short demo or presentation on your web page. This idea can sound much more appealing to them in comparison to taking their time to see you without knowing if they are even interested in your offer. Everyone has a few minutes to take a look at something they can benefit from. Especially if you find the right approach and ask them to look at an offer they won’t be able to say no to.

5. Taking care of your customers

If you want to build a positive company image, you should care about your customers. A friendly call once in a while can go a long way. You should try to call your existing clients at least twice a year, ask them if they are satisfied with your product and service, and let them know you’re there for them. It is a nice gesture that you can also benefit from. You can also use it to let them know about your new offers, so there is a big chance they’ll get interested, and you’ll make some additional sales. Taking good care of your customers will ensure they stay loyal to you, and keep using your service for a long time. And you’ll build your credibility, which is essential in every business.

Conclusion:

The internet era has come and changed the way businesses work. But that doesn’t mean telemarketing doesn’t have its purpose anymore. A good telemarketing strategy can be very useful for business marketing. It can collect more clients, help you build a good database, raise your credibility, help you sell new products and services, and much more. If you’re skeptical about whether telemarketing strategies work for your business, we recommend testing it out. You’ll be surprised how much talking to your clients over the phone can help to collect new customers, and improving your business.

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