What to Consider Before Taking up a Motorcycle Courier Job

March 31, 2020

So, you have just been offered a motorcycle courier job. It’s a nice offer with a good compensation package that has you looking forward to accepting the deal. Not so fast, though. You need to look into the job offer and company before jumping on board. You ought to keep an eye on several factors, particularly the terms of the contract before signing the deal. Let us take a look at some of the key aspects you should look up before taking up a motorcycle courier job.

Is the new job better than your current one?

Any good job should be satisfying in many ways. It should be financially rewarding, emotionally fulfilling, and should not give room for psychological pressure. When you opt-out of your current job, it is essential that you consider the reasons why the new delivery job will be a nice switch. Try to compare where you are now with the new offer. For example, if you decide that your happiness at work will be better after switching to a new job, then it is time to take up the new job.

The risks of the job

Every good job setting should have the right safety measures and an environment that protects its employees from any accidents. Safety is even more important in a motorcycle courier job given you will be on the road doing deliveries and other errands as pretty much the core of the job description.

Not to scare you, but you might be involved in an accident on duty. That’s why, according to a Nashville motorcycle accident attorney, you should be very cautious of the terms in your job contract. For example, ensure that you know if your employer covers you in case of any work-related accidents. Your employer has a duty of care to you, so they should be able to give you the right protective gear and training to help protect you.

Company culture

Before taking up the job, you must consider the growth policy of the company. Try to find out more about the company. Find out about what it’s like to work in the company. Moreover, find out if the company has long term plans and the strategies to meet them. The last thing you want is to join a company that will be out of the market in less than two years, leaving you jobless.

Room for career growth

You also don’t want to be on the same rung of your career ladder till you hit the retirement age. You need a room for wholesome growth. So, the new job should reward you financially by offering the right amount of salary and compensation as well as growth in your career. It should also allow you the space for personal growth. This means that you can get to focus on other aspects of life, such as family and education.

Final Remarks

Any new job offer is a great avenue to grow as a person and family. However, it is essential to consider the key factors we have covered before switching to a new job. Don’t overlook factors like your safety on the job. You should take a job that protects, rewards, and grows you in the long term.

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Reasons Why Debt Settlement May Be a Good Idea for You

March 31, 2020

Having debt can have a huge and negative impact on your life. Aside from the financial consequences, it can also affect your physical and mental wellbeing. As if that is not enough, your credit rating score could also be struck, and that can ruin your plans of buying that dream house or renting an apartment.

According to statistics, a typical American household owes approximately 134, 643 dollars of money. Nevertheless, if you are among these people and you are having trouble paying off your debts, you do not have to sweat about it. A legitimate debt settlement plan, also known as a debt relief or debt adjustment plan, can help you in settling some of your financial problems, in which a third-party company handles debt settlement negotiations to help you become debt-free. Here is how you can benefit from it.

Avoid Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy is a process in which people or entities who cannot settle their debts seek relief for some or all of their liability. It is one of the main reasons why most people opt for a debt settlement plan.

Once you have a bankruptcy entry, it will remain in your records for up to 10 years. The worst part about all these is that banks ask whether you have ever filed for bankruptcy before they give you a loan. If you deny, and they later find out, you could land in jail for fraud. You also risk losing your job in case of employment.

Fortunately, with a legit debt settlement plan, you can avoid this. It can keep you away from filing for bankruptcy and its negative consequences. Above all, it will only remain in your records for seven years.

If bankruptcy is unavoidable, you must seek legal help. A Florida bankruptcy attorney or one in the local area can help clients with bankruptcy declaration, fight wage garnishment lawsuits, foreclosure defense, debt consolidation, and more.

Bankruptcy lawyers are knowledgeable, trained, and experienced to help clients develop a plan to deal with debt and rebuild their finances, businesses, and lives. They handle time-sensitive legal tasks and paperwork. So, hire a bankruptcy attorney to handle your case and protect your rights under bankruptcy law.

Peace of Mind

Peace of mind is very crucial to your health and wellbeing. A good debt settlement plan should relieve you from anxiety and stress that comes with harassment or the risk of being sued. With this, you will no longer have to panic when checking your mail since you do not know what to expect credit-wise.

Also, the debt settlement helps you to focus on the positive side as you wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. When you have peace of mind, it is easy to continue with life.

A debt settlement company can help you settle what you owe to your creditors. This company acts as a middleman to decrease or eliminate your debt. An experienced debt settlement professional can guide you through this unfamiliar process. But make sure to know the terms and fees of the debt settlement company before working with one.

Saves you money

Another significant benefit of debt settlement is that it can save you money. If you hire a legitimate company, it will consolidate all your debts into one monthly payment. They will negotiate with your debtors until your debt goes down to more than half of what you owe.

If the offer is accepted successfully, then you will only pay the negotiated amount. Well, that can undoubtedly reduce your stress that you could be having about losing your financial freedom.

Repayment of Debt in Less Time

With an excellent settlement plan, you can pay your debt in less time. For instance, if you were supposed to settle your debt in 9 years, you can do so in 2-4 years.

Well, this is much less time than you would have spent paying your debt normally. With this, you can even start saving in case of an emergency if all goes well. However, being stuck on the original payment plan can take you decades to repay. Furthermore, before entering a debt settlement, you have to understand that this option also comes with some risks, such as a hit on your credit score. Moreover, some creditors or lenders may not agree with a debt settlement.

Following the above information, it is evident that debt settlement can come with lots of essential benefits. Even so, you should be careful when contracting any company as not all of them are legit.

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Methods to Fund Your Ecommerce Venture

March 31, 2020

Starting an ecommerce project seems like an exciting proposition, but not everyone is capable of pursuing this dream due to lack of budget. Some ideas require a lot of money, and if there are no savings, the goal can collapse before it has any chance, to begin with.

Nevertheless, the situation does not have to be negative. In fact, there are still ways to get your ecommerce project up and running, even if you are struggling with finances. Want to find out what those are? Continue reading.

1. Looking for Cheaper Ideas

If you have grand dreams, they can wait. You can start with an ecommerce project that does not require as much investment, gain experience, and use the money made to finance what you really want to create. That would keep you out of debt.

Print on demand could be a good idea to consider. The only real requirements are hosting and a domain name for a website. Any extra resources that you have to spare will go in the marketing, but even that is manageable with limited funds.

Printify is a great platform with over 250 different products, website integration, more than 90 printing facilities across the world, and a great customer support department. You can find Printify print on demand tips and everything else about getting started on their website.

2. Funding Short-Term Project Using Credit Cards

The credit card route might be a bit risky, but it is still an option. Having a good credit history will allow you to apply for a card that you can use for short-term goals. Some entrepreneurs choose this option because they would rather deal with credit card companies than individuals. And using credit card money still allows you to retain 100 percent of the company.

3. Taking Advantage of Angel Investors

Angel investors provide loans with the intent to get a better ROI. Prepare to craft a solid business plan if you want to persuade them. The loans vary between 25 thousand and 100 thousand dollars. Not everyone is capable of convincing an angel investor, but who knows, you and your idea might be enough to get recognition and receive the funding.

4. Finding a Partner

An ecommerce venture does not have to be a one-person operation. In fact, some would argue that it would be better to have a partner from the very start.

Now the main point of having a business partner is not to take his or her money. If they can spare personal finances, that is great. But consider the fact that having another person will help to come up with potential ideas, writing a business plan, and expanding the circle of acquaintances. All these things lead to higher odds of finding someone willing to invest in your business.

5. Starting a Crowdfunding Page

Crowdfunding pages like Patreon have helped entrepreneurs with their startups. Everyone can start a crowdfunding page, but the problem is attracting people to give you money.

A crowdfunding page can reach a lot of people simultaneously, making it a more efficient option than by going from door to door, speaking with private investors. But in order to make a crowdfunding campaign successful, you will need to come up with a way to go viral. A few supporters will not do.

On the other hand, a few hundred or thousand backers, even if it is just a few dollars from each, will help you immensely.

6. Borrowing Money from Friends and Family

One of the final resorts is trying to borrow money from friends or family. Your chances of getting a positive answer are higher because these people know and trust you more than strangers.

On the other hand, not everyone is willing to borrow money from someone that they are in a good relationship with. Imagine a scenario where you borrow a lot of money, and your business idea fails. With nothing left, you are in debt and could potentially ruin these relations.

But then again, chances are they will forgive you. The bottom line is that everyone has different circumstances when it comes to family and friends. So act according to what you expect and know.

7. Applying for a Business Loan

A bank or another established that offers a business loan might seem like the most obvious choice. However, not everyone has a good credit history, so applying for a loan may end in failure. But if there is nothing to lose and you are unsure what the chances of success are, go for it. There is nothing to lose.

In conclusion, the dream of owning an ecommerce project can still become a reality even if you lack funds to start. Everyone ought to find a method that will work to get financing and be on their way to a successful ecommerce venture.

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Questions To Ask Yourself Before Considering A Personal Loan

March 31, 2020

Life can be more expensive than we would like sometimes. Whether your expenses are planned or unplanned, personal loans are a great way to secure extra funds when you need them most. However, not all personal loans are created equally and it is important to be fully aware of your financial situation, and also the details of the loan you are considering, before moving forward.

Finding a reputable loan provider, such as Latitude Financial, is absolutely essential for making the right decision about a personal loan. However, this is only part of the equation. There are many more things to consider before you sign any loan agreement and agree to take on new debt.

Let’s look at some of the specific questions that you need to ask yourself before considering a personal loan.

What Are My Financial Needs?

Personal loans are one of the most straightforward ways of securing financing. However, there are better and worse ways of using the funds you can access through a personal loan. Some of the effective ways that you can use such financing include home renovations, debt consolidation, emergency medical expenses, or purchasing a new or used car. In some circumstances, discretionary spending such as travel expenses can also be justified with personal loan financing.

However, try to avoid relying on personal loans for purely discretionary spending too often. When you are rapidly acquiring debt just to fund your lifestyle, then this is generally an unsustainable practice.

Is A Personal Loan Right For My Needs?

There are many different types of financing out there, including credit cards, for example, and personal loans represent only one of these types. On top of that, there are also different options when it comes to personal loans, including both secured and unsecured loans. Make sure to explore the various options for financing and how your needs are best served by making the right choice.

Will I Be Able To Budget For This Loan?

Taking an honest look at your financial situation is imperative before taking out a personal loan. You will want to be confident that you can pay back the loan within the allotted repayment period so that you do not run into any financial trouble. To this end, make sure to carefully read any loan agreement that you are considering. Look at any fees that might be included, look at the interest rate, and take note of the repayment period.

What Is My Credit Score?

Any borrower needs to be aware of their current credit score. Contact your national credit bureau to find out what yours is before hitting the market for personal loans. This will let you have a sense of what rates you can expect before you contact loan providers.

Who Is The Right Personal Loan Provider?

There are many lenders out there that are highly trustworthy and ready to provide you with credit with reasonable terms and conditions. However, some lenders are predatory and will hide fees and charges in the fine print which will end up costing you more. Be sure to do some research on at least a few different personal loan providers to find the lender who is right for you.

Prepare For A Personal Loan

Taking the time to answer these questions for yourself will help you make an informed decision when considering a personal loan. Although going through these steps may take some time, it will provide you with confidence and context that you need to be sure that you are getting a good deal on your financing.

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How can UK Business Owners Benefit from the Time to Pay Arrangement During CoronaVirus?

March 30, 2020

As the UK is bracing for the worst impact of Coronavirus, a financial crisis seems to be all but inevitable.

According to the Centre for Economics and Business Research, the UK economy is set to face the deepest recession since the financial crisis of 2008. The economy is predicted to shrink to a stumbling 15% in the second quarter as the pandemic, and the consequent lockdown restrictions scourge the businesses.

The continuing spread of Covid-19 is presenting an unprecedented dilemma to many of the business markets concerning their short and long-term futures.

On the upside, Boris Johnson’s government is preparing for the worst and has announced emergency measures to help businesses overcome the financial downturn and provide some relief during these uncertain times.

Among the policies revealed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak, HMRC’s Time to Pay arrangement would be immensely helpful for all businesses facing distress.

What is HMRC Time To Pay agreement?

If your company is experiencing cash flow problems, then paying taxes such as VAT is indisputably a primary concern. In a usual scenario, a late payment would flag the HM Revenue & Customs and would have further consequences.

However, amidst the Corona crisis, one of the most effective measures in the 2020 Budget is to implement the Time to Pay arrangement with HMRC. A TTP arrangement allows businesses to pay back the taxes to HMRC in monthly installments. Depending on the business circumstances, the period of payments would differ.

Support for Businesses during Coronavirus

To ease the burden on affected businesses, the government is offering support for companies and self-employed individuals who might not be able to pay their tax. It is important to note that each agreement is negotiated on an individual basis, and the benefits you receive would be tailored to your liabilities and circumstances.

The HMRC’s Time to Pay arrangement applies to three possible scenarios.

If you cannot pay VAT because of Coronavirus, you can postpone any VAT payments due between 20 March and 30 June 2020. You will have an extended time until 31 March 2021 to pay the VAT. There will be no interest or penalties for late payment during the deferral period.
If you cannot meet your Self Assessment tax bill, then you might be able to pay in installments if you have filed your return and owe less than £10,000.
If you cannot pay other taxes, such as a tax bill, contact the Payment Support Service. If you have already received a letter with legal action, contact the HMRC office that sent you the letter.

What to Do?

In case you are facing difficulties to pay the tax bill or foresee yourself struggling to be able to accommodate your future tax obligations, then you should contact HMRC at the earliest opportunity.

HMRC has set up a new dedicated COVID-19 helpline from 11 March 2020 to address your concerns. To guarantee ongoing support, HMRC has 2000 experienced call handles available to advise businesses and individuals when needed.

What to Expect?

The possibility of a Time to Pay arrangement will depend on the ongoing viability of your business. As time has proven, even well-oiled companies can experience cash flow problems amidst a financial turmoil, and currently, one that extends beyond the constraints of finances alone.

The chances of payment outside the period of 12 months are rare, but achievable under exceptional circumstances. It is essential to affirm your arguments with proper documentation and be honest about how much you can afford to pay monthly.

The advisors are more than willing to listen if you are in genuine financial difficulty, and businesses can and should take merit from the assistance offered. Simultaneously, consider other supporting facilities and business rescue packages provided by the government. These include access to emergency loans and lower interest rates for businesses facing fiscal strains.

The historically strengthened levels of government support, as both observed in Budget 2020 and anticipated in the upcoming Spending Review and Autumn Budget, are expected to redeem the country’s economy for the better in the future. Meanwhile, companies should be prepared to make difficult choices to mitigate the impact of Coronavirus on your business.

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How POS Systems Help With Inventory Management

March 30, 2020

One of the best features of modern POS systems is the inventory management feature. Instead of paying for third-party software to manage your inventory, you’ll be paying for just one software that can manage inventory and perform a myriad of other tasks for your business.

So, how exactly does POS software help manage inventory? We’ll cover that and more in the following sections. Keep reading to learn more!

Integration With Your Catalog Software For Easy Orders

A big part of managing inventory is accurately ordering more stock for your shelves. It can be exhausting to use a separate catalog program to create orders, and then try to manually input info into your POS software or count by hand. Some POS software can actually integrate with your catalog software, so your orders will automatically be put into your current stock to ensure accuracy.

No more jumping back and forth between different software; everything will be organized and synced to the POS terminal, and you can manage everything from there. If you’re having trouble with inaccurate counts and messed up orders, you need to start using POS software.

Sync On and Offline Inventory

POS inventory management software has the ability to keep both on and offline inventory accurate and synchronized with one another. This is especially important if you’re having trouble with online orders or buy online/pick up in-store. The last thing you want is for a customer to order something online, only to find out it’s not in stock because someone just pulled it off the shelf and bought it.

Ecommerce stores are making the switch to POS not only for their simplicity and versatility, but also for their security measures. With cybercrimes climbing as our society becomes more and more digitalized, it’s paramount that customer information, especially bank/credit card information, is protected during checkout.

Real-Time Updates

If you’re tired of your inventory software taking anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to update, a POS system can help. If you’ve never had real-time inventory updates, you’re going to love it. Everything from sales to returns to orders updates the inventory immediately, so you’re never in the dark about how much product you have on hand.

Some POS systems even still function offline, syncing to the cloud once a connection is reestablished. No matter where you are, you can access your store terminal from a laptop or mobile device. Many POS systems have apps that you can install on your devices so you’ll always be in connection with your store.

Real-time updates help minimize errors, as well. The more accurate your inventory is, the less chance you’ll have of upsetting a customer or having to spend hours finding and fixing said error.

Customizable Products/Services

POS systems offer plenty of customization for your products and services. You can easily add a description, price, picture, and any other details you’d like to include in the catalog. This makes pulling up the right product for a customer quicker and more accurate and also saves the hassle of trying to match barcodes and product numbers. Everything is as detailed as you want it to be, so customize away!

You can also add a custom tax value to your products, so you can be certain you’re staying in compliance with local and state sales tax requirements. You can also add custom discounts, promotions, and your own store gift cards via your POS software.

Handling Returns

Returns can sometimes wreak havoc on inventory management software, but not so with POS systems. They’ll update your inventory in real-time even when there’s a return, and you’ll get to decide if the product is in good enough shape to put back on the shelf. Since returns are a given in retail and even restaurant industries, you’ll want a system that doesn’t break down whenever a customer returns something.

Accuracy

Above all else, an inventory management system should be accurate. Without accuracy, you wind up ordering too much or too little stock, both of which cost you money and time. Fixing errors also costs both time and money, so your inventory software needs to be able to track your inventory as accurately as possible. With your inventory connected to your payment processor, you won’t have to worry about manual entries; the POS software will handle your inventory.

Conclusion

POS software is both affordable and versatile, making it the perfect tool to manage inventory and improve various other business operations. You’re getting a lot of bang for your buck with this kind of tool, so don’t hesitate. Try a demo today and see just how POS software can help you get back on track with more accurate inventory counts and real-time updates. Don’t let your inventory needs fall by the wayside!

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4 Business Insurance Tips Every Business Needs To Know

March 30, 2020

Every business needs insurance. It doesn’t matter what you do or what industry you work in; you need to have the right insurance to operate legally. Here are four tips that every business owner needs to know when they begin looking at available insurance options.

Make Sure You Meet Your Legal Obligations

When you are buying business insurance, your first priority should always be your legal obligations. Protecting your business financially is one of the primary purposes of buying insurance, but there are some types of insurance that are more important than others.

Before you start purchasing expensive insurance policies, make sure that they are suitable and required for your business. Any insurance policies that are not a legal requirement should be put on the back burner and only purchased if you are in a financial position to do so. It is important for entrepreneurs to understand the value of insurance for their LLC. Click here to learn more about LLC insurance policies and options

Understand The Risks

When you are deciding which types of insurance are a priority for your business and which types you can afford to hold off on, you should always be cognizant of the risks to your business. Every business faces a unique set of risks and challenges, and every industry has its own obstacles to overcome. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to deciding on which type of business insurance to buy; you need to evaluate the individual needs of your business.

The good news is that if you take time to properly identify the risks facing your business, as well as the legal obligations that you have regarding insurance, it should not be at all difficult to identify the right insurance for your needs.

Be Specific

The more you are able to identify the type of insurance that you need, the more time and money you can save. Many businesses who do not take the time beforehand to work out precisely what it is that they need ultimately end up paying far more than they need to.

Don’t rely on an insurance broker or any other third-party to tell you what is best for your business. Instead, be prepared to invest the necessary time and effort beforehand to work out precisely what business insurance you need.

Find The Best Price Possible

No matter how big or small your business is or what it does, you will need to have insurance of some kind. Regardless of the type of insurance that your company needs to buy, you should be making an effort to ensure that you are getting the best price possible.

Before you pull the trigger on purchasing any business insurance, shop around to ensure that you are getting the right insurance for your business at the best rate possible. By opting for a provider like The Hartford, you can be certain of a good deal. The Hartford offers a variety of insurance options that will be useful for businesses and you can get a quote in minutes. You can read The Hartford Business Insurance Reviews online to be sure about your needs and policy reliability.

With the above tips in mind, you can quickly and reliably find the insurance that you need for your business. Don’t rush out and buy the first package you come across. Instead, take the time necessary to work out precisely what it is that you need and who can provide it at the best price.

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How to Backtest an Expert Advisor in Metatrader

March 30, 2020

Forex traders need to improve and adjust their trading strategies every day to earn more profit through buying or selling, and it is a good idea to learn from past experiences. This is the basic idea of backtesting, which is a way of estimating the performance of a strategy or an Expert Advisor as if it had been incorporated in the past. To do this, you need high-quality historical data in detail. Then, you can run the strategy on the financial instrument of your choice. Traders can backtest an Expert Advisor on Metatrader to see if it is one of the best forex expert advisors. As a trader, you must know how to backtest if you want to avoid losses, so, here are the hints of backtesting with Metatrader 4, which is an independent web-based backtesting platform.

Information You Can Obtain From Backtesting

When a trader backtests a Forex Expert Advisor, he can get to see the historical data in the chart, which includes:

Entries for the traders
Exits for the traders
The exact time of the execution of the orders
Trades that were dealt with the strategy

The Importance of Using A Demo Account in The Beginning

It is best to backtest the expert advisors on demo account because there is no guarantee that you will continue the performance. After backtesting, if you like the performance, only then you should try it on the live account. Keep in mind that in forex trading, you need to take risks and own responsibility, so, it is always better to be cautious.

Backtesting on Metatrader 4

Choose an Expert Advisor: To backtest, the first thing you need to do is getting yourself an Expert Advisor. You may learn to code them, or you can also buy one from a trusted provider.

Open Strategy Tester Panel: When the Expert Advisor is ready, click on View, and select Strategy Tester. By doing this, the Strategy Tester panel is opened. The panel appears at the bottom of the Metatrader platform.

Now, you need to follow these seven steps to backtest Forex Expert Advisors on Metatrader 4:

Select the Expert Advisor chosen by you from the list called “Expert Advisor” in the field.
Next, go to the “Symbol” field and choose the financial symbol from there. From the field called “Period”, you can choose the timeframe that you want to backtest your strategy with. Keep in mind to load historical data for your chosen symbol before proceeding.
Now, you need to choose the Model Value. Based on your needs, there are three possibilities:

Every tick: It allows you to have a more accurate backtest. However, it is slow because Metatrader starts from the opening price to the closing one and reads open, high, and low close prices from the historical dataset. Thus, random prices are generated inside each candlestick.
Open close only: If the strategy you follow is a middle term one where you are not concerned about movements within the single candlestick, and you do not need the reading of high and low prices, then it is a good parameter for running backtests. This is a fast method and it is ideal if running multiple tests for optimisation is required.
Control points: It is not a very good method because the nearest less timeframe is the base of it. It would be better not to use it.

According to your broker fees, select the “Spread”. It is wise to backtest with two times bigger spreads than the ones need to be paid to the broker. Always backtest in the worst-case scenario. You can select “Current” from the Spread field to know this information.
Refrain from flagging the field “Use date” as it reduces the backtesting date range. Running “Walk forward analysis” and avoiding “Overfitting” is more useful for optimisations.
The “Optimisation” button must not be flagged either because the backtest is running for the first time. Instead, it is better to optimise the strategy later.
Now that everything is in the right order, click on the “Start” button to run the backtest.

In a few moments, a graph will appear, and you can view the results there to know the past performances of the strategy.

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An Open Letter to Researchers Studying the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

March 27, 2020

I am not a medical doctor, nor specialist in epidemiology, but I consider myself very experienced and conversant with methodologies of scientific research. While we all wait desperately for the research and scientific community to develop a vaccine or treatment for the coronavirus (and other viruses that may arise and in need of a solution), I am putting forward a call for researchers to develop a new stream of inquiry to help our global society. I do realize that making such a call will have polarized reactions so it is important that I articulate my intention to focus on the strengths of our internal human systems during times of epidemics or pandemics. This is critical in that we focus on generating hope rather than unintentionally creating fear and desperation. I believe that through such a steam of work, we can shift from looking at what makes us weak to what makes us resilient during such times where our own need for human interaction is affected negatively. We can then move ever forward to discovering what enduringly connects us.

For many years, the paradigm of conducting research in medicine has been to focus on concentrating and understanding the pathology of diseases. This lens has helped us as a society to eliminate causes of illness and provide a sharp focus on fast recovery. Nonetheless, in the past few years, civilization is experiencing cycles of new types of disease that traditional medical research has not been fast enough to contain. My proposal is to open a stream of medical research that focuses on why, during times of health pandemics, there are always those who are resilient to such causes.

My proposal is to focus on the people who are resilient to health issues related to being in contact with unseen viruses. What protects some humans from the COVID-19 even when they have come into contact with those who are infected? We hear of many who have been infected, those who have recovered and those who did not. Although it is critical to understand the virus and how it affects people who have been tested as positive, it is equally critical to understand why some people are not affected even when they have come into contact with those who were tested positive. The focus on what makes some human beings resilient and healthy will offer another perspective and perhaps another important and interesting stream of research.

I can offer some ideas, but with humility, I admit that I don’t have the knowledge and tools to spearhead such a stream of research thoroughly. Nonetheless, it has taken me 40 years of ongoing research and successful practice that focus on the importance and centrality of values that raise self-awareness when interacting with others. The hierarchy of values is now a concept, a methodology with developed tools to help people become conscious and therefore understand what is really important in their lives. This stream might offer insight to what extent core values are aligned with a definition of life meaning and success. From the perspective of being successful, those who are resilient and not affected by the virus, may be considered successful in our current pandemic. I am not writing this piece to defend my theory and practice of managing and living by values. I am putting out a call to propose a line of research that will be able, perhaps in relative terms, to assist in discovering the ingredients (genetically, or socially) that protect people from contracting COVID-19. Is it possible, that our defense system has some sort of hierarchy (which we do not understand yet) where antibodies that were developed to protect one family of viruses, also protects other types of viruses? Other questions could be: to what extent human beings that overcame one type of virus remain effective for fighting other types of viruses?; or what are some common denominators of people in “risk” areas that enable them not to contract this virus or other diseases?

I am sure that my call for this research will be appealing to those who believe in approaching medicine from a systemic perspective and those who believe in natural remedies diets designed to boost our immune system. But I am not talking about these generic ideas that we all agree might be good and positive. I am calling for a specific and rigorous research that intends to discover why and how people in “risk” areas do not get infected or are also not contagious. This is especially true to the case of the current pandemic of COVID-19.

My apologies for those of you who read this call and have made previously similar proposals, and perhaps with even more rigor and content. I include in this call my belief of the power of collective intelligence and it is my hope that someone who reads it, and who is by far more qualified to comment or have the ability to undertake a rigorous research in this direction.

This is my very humble hope to be able to contribute to the stream of ideas opening new lines of research and perhaps new discoveries to help humanity – something we have dire need of in today’s chaotic environment.

My sincere gratitude to Dr. Tony Lingham and Dr. Bonnie Richley, my dear colleagues and friends from Cleveland (Ohio), who were the first to read this short essay, propose important changes to further the coherence and articulation of this call, and strongly encouraged me to make this document public.

With honesty and humility,

Dr. Simon L. Dolan (www.simondolan.com)
President, The Global Future of Work Foundation (www.globalfutureofwork.com)
Email: [email protected]

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A Guide for Creating a Quality Customer Service Department

March 27, 2020

If you want to run a successful business, you need to possess the ability to keep your customers happy. If they enjoy the products and services you provide, they are much more likely to return and splash additional cash on your company.

This is imperative for any business as returning customers are more important than gaining new ones. Yet there’s one big issue with this: customers are not always satisfied. Sometimes the plan doesn’t go as expected, and a consumer begins to lose trust in your brand.

When this happens, a customer service department is vital for salvaging the situation. This department can help fix whatever issues a buyer may have, and this will ultimately result in you regaining their trust.

At least, that is the case if you have an effective customer service department. For help in that regard, take into account the following quick guide.

What’s the purpose of the customer service department?

It might seem like a redundant question on the surface, but it’s essential you identify how your customer service department will function. This will be different for each business.

For instance, a certain customer service will handle any issues or inquiries with sales. A different business, such as a web hosting one, might use the department to deal with technical problems.

In addition, other departments may already be handling certain jobs relating to customer service. A salesperson could receive product feedback, for example. With this in mind, you need to ensure your entire business is in-sync, and different departments know how to direct troubled consumers to the customer service department.

Streamline with software

Software helps with many different business functions, and customer service is no different. It not only helps with streamlining communication between your company and consumers, but it also keeps your entire customer service department organized, automates tasks, and so much more.

Due to the aforementioned advantages, it’s advised your business utilizes specialist help desk software. If you need assistance picking the right system, software specialists Better Buys spotlight the best help desk software available.

Bring in the right employees

It’s an obvious point, but your customer service department is dependent on the quality of your employees. If they fail to possess the skills required to deal with customers in a helpful manner, the department might as well not exist.

Here are qualities your customer service employees should have:

Adaptability
Patience
Empathy
The ability to communicate clearly
A strong work ethic

Majority of businesses today choose to outsource their customer service. Call centre to the Philippines, for example, provides a team of experts to businesses to deal with customer concerns. These teams consist of agents who possess the right skills in dealing with any type of customers.

Have a plan in place

Ultimately, your customer service department needs to follow a plan. Having structure means the department will benefit from added coherence and confidence.

However, what should this plan feature? Well, you should have a basic outline of how your employees communicate with customers. This could be a simple welcome message or a script to loosely follow. Additionally, a plan needs to place a particular focus on resolving inquiries as soon as possible. Instant responses are expected in this day and age, and your department should be organized to deliver that to customers.

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