Ilhan Omar’s Astounding Drama and Sordid Affairs!

September 14, 2019

Drama with politicians is nothing new. At this point, it’s basically expected. A few notable presidents have been especially famous for this.

Bill Clinton famously had an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Donald Trump has been married three times, and probably had at least one affair with prostitute Stormy Daniels at some point in the past. Nixon was involved in numerous scandals and conspiracies ranging from McCarthyism to assassinations. Andrew Jackson tried his best to become a dictator, and John F. Kennedy was probably the most promiscuous president to ever step into office.

And that’s just the presidents!

We’d be here all week if I dove into every scandal every class of politician has gotten into, like reading all the no deposit codes fair go at the carnival. Most of it would probably bore you to death, but this week a new scandal arose that’ll make a hilarious, if not bizarre, footnote in history. Let me tell you a bit about Ilhan Omar.

Who is Ms. Omar?

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a first-term representative from the state of Minnesota, making her the first Somali-American-Muslim legislator elected to office. Ain’t that a mouthful? She is one of the four congresswomen that are part of “The Squad”, a media title for a group of new, far-left, Democrat congresswomen that also includes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York, Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts, and Rashida Talib from Michigan.

“The Squad” have a sort of notoriety, not because of what they stand for, but because they just seem to keep pissing people off on both sides of the aisle. They’ve all been very vocal against figures like Trump but also their own party leader, Nancy Pelosi, and I’m not even going to get into their thoughts on topics like the Green New Deal, Islam, and Israel.

Sordid Affairs, Fraud, and Hypocracy

Now, what’s this scandal I’m talking about involving Ilhan Omar? Let’s start from the beginning.

Ilhan Omar was born in Somalia and immigrated to the United States in 1995. She claimed that she was married at one point to a man named Ahmed Hsiri, although her marriage records only ever show her being married to a man named Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, and here is where things get weird because Elmi might actually be her brother.

It’s been difficult to prove, because Omar has refused to release any documents or even tell reporters how many siblings she has, and she claims that certain records like her birth certificate have been lost due to the civil war in Somalia.

Now, what this actually is not implying is any kind of Game of Thrones kind-of situation, but something closer to immigration fraud, if true.

To add to the weirdness of the story, a site called Alpha News posted pictures of Elmi, and reported receiving emails from someone claiming to be Elmi, requesting the site to take the photos down. In addition, the man also said that he had no recollection of ever being married, to Omar or anyone else.

And this isn’t even the end of the scandal! After Omar and Elmi divorced back in 2017, Omar went back to Hirsi in 2018 and they got legally married. Now, Omar and Hirsi are filing for divorce, and it appears that Omar has been having an affair with another married man, Tim Mynett, who has been a part of Omar’s campaign staff for a while now.

Now, this whole affair has been revealed in the divorce papers filed by Mr. Mynett’s ex-wife, Beth Mynett, who explicitly made sure that the whole story was put into the papers. According to the New York Times, Ms. Mynett cited Extramarital Affair as the reason for the divorce and said that Tim Mynett “made a shocking declaration of love” for Omar.

In addition to just being a terrible thing to do, the New York Post reports that Ilhan Omar has been paying Mr. Mynett out of her campaign finances, for a number of dubious reasons, a sum total of $230,000 dollars! Not only is that a lot of money to pimp out a partner with, but it’s also incredibly illegal.

Bottom Line

What we’ve got here is a fascinating story of love, fraud, and hypocrisy. She claims to be a refugee but has allegedly lied every step of the way. She claims to be a Muslim and has even declared support for Sharia law – a law system that would have her stoned to death for the crime of adultery.

Ladies and gentlemen of Minnesota – your representative.

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3 Smart Ways to Manage the Financials at a Smaller Business

September 13, 2019

A smaller business that wants to eventually be listed on the AIM market or sell out to a larger competitor can increase the chances of this happening by deftly managing their financials. In this article, we cover three smart ways to manage a small company better from a financial perspective to come out on top.

Consolidate Suppliers

Small companies often order goods by letting anyone do so as needed. This is fine when there are only 2-3 people in a tiny office, but it quickly becomes unmanageable when more staff join the business. At this point, everyone is thinking they did right by the company when they got a good deal, but this is rarely the case.

By using a single supplier for most business-related consumables, discounts can be negotiated for larger order values. There’s also the possibility to settle the invoice quickly which sometimes drops another few percentage points off the invoice value too. The total savings add up when a company is organised with few suppliers.

Reduce Electricity Costs

The electricity bill is surprisingly high with most companies. The lights are usually on in every room for safety reasons, PCs, printers and other electronic equipment is left running most of the time too. There’s a fair amount of waste with electricity use in the business environment.

To save money, companies must take a sensible approach to electricity use. All electronics must be approached from the perspective of how to save money during its use and when it’s not in use too. This could be when the printer or PC is not needed right now, overnight, or at the weekend when they should be turned off completely. Look for energy saving modes and other energy reduction features to cut the bill down.

Also, use a service that can find the cheapest business electricity provider in the area. One of the best currently is Utility Bidder which can provide an online quote to compare to your current cost per kilowatt and compute out the likely savings in the future.

Get More Affordable Insurance

Look for ways to renegotiate business insurance package to make them more affordable too. Consider whether the amount of current coverage is reasonable, not enough, or excessive. If the insurance hasn’t been updated in years, then it could be not enough. In which case, raising the insurance coverage is required, making finding lower priced insurance even more paramount. Look for an insurance broker that can take your company’s coverage requirements and find you a policy that will be acceptable at a lower price than you’ll be paying otherwise. Avoid underinsuring to save money, but don’t overpay either. Also, consider the solvency of the insurer because they need to be able to pay out any claim, so going with a bigger name is sometimes advisable.

Ultimately, by reducing expenditure, it boosts the bottom-line results. This frugality can help the company fund future expansion plans or make it a more attractive acquisition target due to its higher profitability and better return on equity

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5 clever ways to improve your financial situation

September 11, 2019

Perhaps like most people, you don’t see your financial situation to be perfect. You may be struggling every month to pay off all your financial responsibilities, you are unable to save up, and you can barely afford to pay for the “guilty pleasures” we all have such as a vacation every now and then.

Understanding how money and finances work is the key to having a worry-free financial situation. It doesn’t mean that you need to be a math or personal finances expert or to make dramatic changes in your life to improve your financial situation. It takes a little bit of planning and more financial responsibility from your side to learn how to manage your money better. Here are 5 clever ways that will help you make some improvements in your personal finances:

1. Make a budget and stick to it

The very first step into improving your financial situation is to become more aware of your incomes and spending behaviors and habits. If you often find yourself struggling to save money or to make it until the next paycheck day with no cash in your wallet, you certainly lack financial responsibility.

A well-detailed budget is the best way to become more considerate about the way you manage your money. Have a monthly budget that will include all your incomes, financial responsibilities, such as utility costs or living expenses, and your financial priorities. For example, if you have a debt that must be paid every month, that is the first thing you should pay for when you get your paycheck. Also, your budget can include the financial goals that you are planning to achieve to improve your financial situation.

Use your budget to understand exactly what you are spending your money for and how you can do it more efficiently so that you won’t face any financial issues in the future.

2. Set financial goals

Setting goals is a great method to achieve almost everything that you want. Small goals can help you stay focused on achieving what you want to because it allows you to take things step by step until you reach your final goal.

Whether your final goal is to improve your incomes or to save a certain amount of money for the future, setting small goals along the way can help you remain focused on achieving them. For example, if you are planning to save up a bigger amount of money, you can set the goal of putting aside a certain smaller amount from your paycheck each month.

3. Tighten your belt

Tightening the belt to improve our financial situation is something that no one wants to hear. However, it is a necessary step, especially if you are an irresponsible spender. In fact, do you really need all the things you buy or you could easily go well without them too? Take a look at your spending habits and try to eliminate the costs that are unnecessary. The money you save from not buying unnecessary items can be more important than you think for improving your bank account situation. From avoiding unnecessary spending, you can save more for things that are really important and you will have a worry-free financial situation.

4. Cut down on utility costs

Most likely, most of your money goes on paying bills every month. Whether it is your debt or your utility bills, most of your money goes for paying your financial responsibilities. While some costs cannot be avoided or cut down, some of them can be reduced if you are willing to make a little effort.

Your utility costs can certainly be reduced if you will be more considerate about turning off your electricity when you are not at home, using a thermostat to save on the gas expenses, or by doing chores during night time. The money you save by cutting down on your utility costs can go to your savings account and help you improve your financial situation.

5. Take advantage of technology

In today’s digital era, technology can help you with everything that you dream to achieve, including improving your financial situation. There are various ways that in which you can take advantage of the technological innovations available today to make sure that you understand your finances better, save more, and improve your incomes. Here are a few examples of how technology can help you improve your personal finances:

Invest to improve your income- The best way to improve your financial situation is to improve your monthly income. Thanks to technological advancements, nowadays, everybody with a computer and a good internet connection can invest in alternative methods such as forex trading or the stock market and gain huge profits. The real-time access to an unlimited amount of information makes it easy to copy the trading activity of an experienced trader and find an FX broker operating in Belize that offers the most favorable conditions. Trading forex is a great way to earn an extra income while you are having a full-time job. Also, you can use forex trading apps to stay updated with the latest financial news worldwide that can influence your trading decisions.

Use a budget tracker app- Nowadays, when you always have your smartphone in your pocket, you can easily track your budget using an app designed for it. All you have to do is to enter a few details about your monthly income and financial responsibilities and the app will help you keep track of your spending and stick to your budget.

Save automatically – If you find it difficult to save money because you either forget or you tend to spend them as soon as they reach your bank account, you can now start saving automatically. Using the app designed for your back account, you can set aside a certain amount from your incomes to automatically go to your saving account every month.

Improving your personal finances doesn’t have to mean making drastic changes in your life. It all comes down to learning how to manage your finances more efficiently, improving your income with innovative solutions, and prioritizing your expenses by becoming a responsible spender.

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Turning Vicious Cycle to Virtues of Islamic Banking

September 11, 2019

By Vita Arumsari and Yunice Karina Tumewang

For a country like Indonesia that has the largest Muslim population in the world, Islamic banking is moving in slow progress – with only less than 6% contribution on the country’s total national banking asset and only 8% of the total population knowledgeable on the Sharia-compliant financing. Yet, Indonesia still poses a great potential on boosting the Islamic banking sector, the authors argue.

Indonesia, the largest target market for Islamic finance with more than 200 million Muslim citizens, is struggling so hard to be placed at the 10^th rank, left behind by the neighbouring country Malaysia which leads the Global Islamic Economy Indicator for the fifth year in a row (Reuters, 2017). As witnessed today, the development of Islamic banking as the core sector of Islamic finance is still far from satisfying the expectation. According to Financial Service Authority (OJK, 2017), the total asset of Islamic banking is only around IDR 400 trillion or equal to 5.18% of national banking asset. In line with that, the market share of Islamic banking is merely 5.78% of the national banking. Whereas on the total fund collected from society, Islamic banking is only able to acquire IDR 341 trillion compared to the total society fund in national banking which is not less than IDR 5,289 trillion. On the side of distributing fund to society, the number is quite the same, IDR 291.18 trillion from Islamic banking compared to IDR 4,782 trillion from total national banking.

The under-performance of Islamic banking might be due to the limited product diversification offered, the low level of differentiation of Islamic banking from its counterpart, and the low literacy level of Islamic banking among society.

According to Head of Commissioner Board of Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) Halim Alamsyah, one of the factors hindering the acceleration of Islamic banking is that they merely focus on the role as an ordinary intermediary function, rather than maximising their potential role as an investment or social agent. Hence, it made no difference with the conventional one. They, supposedly, can do better if they are more willing to manage the social funds for investment on real-sector activities, which is highly Sharia-compliant and socially-impactful.

Taking a closer look at the contracts of Islamic banking, more than 50% of total transactions are using murabahah agreement, which vulnerably becomes ribawi if continuously run in a long-term. Obviously, fatwa shopping becomes an issue in this case, as it is hard to find an appropriate rule of conduct for this dominant transaction. Most Sharia Advisory Board sitting in multiple banks and other professionalism issues is largely considered as the root cause of this problem. Moreover, until now, Islamic banking is still not allowed by our regulation to have inventory in their business for keeping the commodity to be sold. Hence, it is very hard for Islamic banking to fully manage the risk according to Sharia as well as to comprehensively agree with PSAK 102 as the accounting standard for murabahah transaction.

Based on the survey conducted by OJK (2017), it reveals that literacy of Islamic finance in Indonesia only reached 8.11%, which means that among 100 people, there are only 8 people who have knowledge about the Sharia-compliant finance. While the inclusion level of society taking financing benefit from the Islamic finance sector is only 11.06%, which means that there are only 11 out of 100 people who make financial transaction in a Sharia-compliant sector.

Overcoming the problems mentioned above, tackling fatwa shopping should be done as the priority and systematically. Firstly, by standard legalisation – once the decision is made, there is no bargaining process even to the other Ulama. Secondly, there should be transparency from the SSB to the society. This covers the reason behind the issued permit. In other words, we let society keep an eye on the Islamic financial institutions. Thirdly, audit compliance should be stated similar to the financial audit where they should be featured in the financial report for the sake of transparency. Banks should have minimum procedure or characteristics that should be implemented. Lastly, beyond the minimum procedures, they can innovate much as they like to attract customers as long as they do not cross the borders.

Expanding the products variety not limited to murabahah is urgently needed. Product application other than murabahah might be costly in terms of human resources and operational cost. But, we should emphasise that profit and loss sharing are the unique characteristics of Islamic products that cannot be left behind. Based on this fact, banks apply this principle only for the ‘giant’ customers. On the other hand, for retail financing customers, it is more practical, theoretically and practically to decide the margin without supervising the amount of income they generated. If banks find it too hard, why don’t we create an Islamic financial institution (IFI) to cater to the need of profit and loss sharing principles? If in the end, Islamic financial institutions and banks feel overwhelmed, why don’t we implement IFIs using social funds to see first if it is worth the risk?

Finally, socialising in the grassroots level is vastly needed. The question is, how to make it feasible for educating hundred millions of Indonesians? Educating regional leaders who will then educate its people is inevitably crucial. This kind of system is similar to multilevel marketing where each leader needs to look for a group of people to be educated. Involving the society to the Islamic Financial Institutions is also important. By doing so, they can understand better what is going on inside the IFIs. But one thing should be understood, the government should be aware that once the society has comprehensive knowledge about IFIs, they would require pure products. If the government cannot provide this, it can trigger a movement towards Islamic finance institutions. To cater to this, the government should ensure, particularly OJK, to educate DPS to be more selective and strict about the feasibility of the products based on the Islamic financial principle.

With two-way collaboration between the government in voicing Islamic finance as the new alternative of banking and the society as the main player, we could turn around the vicious cycle into virtues of Islamic banking.

All in all, Islamic finance is more than willing to create a fully Sharia-compliant system. However, no matter how great the system and intention are, it is impossible without gaining trust, support, and cooperation from the society. Furthermore, Indonesia as the largest country with Muslim population ideally should be able to cater to the need of the citizens to practise Islam as a whole (kaffah). By doing this, it will not be impossible for Indonesia to be the hub of Islamic finance in 2030. With two-way collaboration between the government in voicing Islamic finance as the new alternative of banking and the society as the main player, we could turn around the vicious cycle into virtues of Islamic banking.

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About the Authors

Vita Arumsari, S.ST., M.Sc. is a lecturer at Politeknik Negeri Semarang. She is a graduate of Islamic Finance in Durham University, UK.

Yunice Karina Tumewang, S.E., M.Sc. is a lecturer at the Accounting Department, Universitas Islam Indonesia

Top payment mediums that form the backbone of online gaming industry

September 10, 2019

The way technology has been constantly disrupting all industries world over, online gambling too has been impacted by it over the years. Gambling on the Internet is expected to cross $ 94.4 billion revenue by the year 2024 and one of the factors that will decide if it actually accomplishes that target or not, is the variety and reliability of the payment methods offered to the customers.

Payment processing is one thing that can even make the most sane-minded player blow a fuse. Unwanted delays and withdrawals in deposits/withdrawals can frustrate any player, no matter how long he/she might have been playing with the platform. Often, reputed casino platforms provide multiple payment methods that cater to the needs of different customer requirements. To give you an example, for some players a high withdrawal/deposit limit is a priority while for others processing speed is the key, yet for many players anonymity of the transactions is of utmost importance. Casino.com, a leading Playtech casino is one of the many reputed online casino platforms that actively uses many such payment methods to make online gambling a hassle-free experience for its customers. Let’s go over the top 5 of these deposit/withdrawal methods below:

Paypal

Considered the most popular electronic wallet in the world today, PayPal offers for easy and quick money transfers, and has muscled its way to the top of the digital money stack today. It is ideal for online casinos, provided they are allowed to use it as a valid funding method in their country of operation. If you stay in the UK, you might find a handful of online casinos that offer PayPal as one of the payment methods, else you can always opt for e-wallets such as Neteller or Skrill.

Bank Transfer

Transferring funds through this medium is also extremely popular, although it involves a small fees. The money is directly received into your bank account without passing through different providers, which seems preferable to many customers. Deposits can take 3 to 5 working days, while withdrawals get processed in up to 10 working days, depending upon where you stay and the bank you do business with. This is the most commonly used option by high rollers who need to transact in thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Neteller

A quick payment medium, Neteller enables you to move funds in and out of your account in a very smooth way. Majority of the transactions done through it involve no charges and are processed right away (maximum within 24 hours).

Mastercard

One of the two most commonly used debit/credit cards in the world, MasterCard is a legacy brand which has led the finance industry to success over a period of time. It is widely used as the most preferred funding and withdrawal method at online casinos throughout the world. Usually, no fees is charged on both deposits and withdrawals.

Visa

The other popular debit/credit card, Visa has the largest financial network in the world, with 30 million+ transactions processed every single day. It’s a multipurpose card that enables you to move your money around in the swiftest manner possible. The deposits/withdrawals are processed without any charges and the company uses multiple firewall systems and failsafe practices to ensure the safety and security of its customers’ data.

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Playing Online Casinos Worldwide: What you should know

September 10, 2019

Playing at online casinos can open a world of questions for the beginning player. Whether you’re concerned about the legality of playing at offshore casinos in your jurisdiction, if online casinos scale the favor in their odds beyond the traditional house edge, and what type of online casino games are the most popular, we attempt to answer those questions in this topic.

Offshore vs Locally Regulated

There can be some confusion about the term “offshore casino”, and for whatever reasons, it can draw up negative connotations in the mind, as the term “offshore” can also be applied to shady business practices. However, let’s dispel that myth, as offshore casinos can usually provide numerous safety and convenience features for their customers.

An offshore casino does not mean it is entirely unregulated, and running a scam, free to create their own rules. Many offshore casinos are properly licensed by reputable gaming jurisdictions, and must follow strict laws and regulations as you would expect of any proper gambling operation, whether online or land-based.

“Offshore casino” simply means the casino operates outside of your local gambling jurisdiction. For example, Casumo online casino has its headquarters in Malta, and has licenses to operate from both the Malta Gaming Authority, and the UK Gambling Commission.

Offshore casinos provide a viable method of online betting as an alternative to situations where casinos in your jurisdiction are either heavily regulated and difficult for casino operators to obtain a local license, or casinos are banned altogether. In the latter case, it may not be “illegal” for you to engage in online casinos, but you should check your local laws. Some U.S. states, for example, do in fact have laws that make it illegal to gamble online.

In order to determine whether you should trust an offshore casino, do some research and make sure the casino operator meets the following criteria:

• It is licensed by a reputable gambling jurisdiction.
• It is protected by a minimum of 128 Bit SSL (secure socket layer) digital encryption security.
• It offers games from trusted software providers.
• It is audited by a third-party testing agency, like eCOGRA.
• It offers recognisable and trustworthy payment methods.
• It supports responsible gambling practices.

Understanding the Random Number Generator Used by Online Casinos

The random number generator (RNG) is a critical and perhaps the most important bit of code employed by the online casino industry. It serves several purposes which we’ll explain, but first let’s examine exactly what the RNG does.

The random number generator is software code that simply generates random numbers, true to its name. The range of numbers are of course specified by fields (i.e. number # to number #), depending on the game type. But make no mistake, the RNG is used in nearly all online casino games, from card games like blackjack and poker, to table games like roulette, craps, and even slot machines.

This can be also used by land-based casinos, particularly in their games that are software-driven such as slots and video poker.

RNGs essentially cycle through their numbers thousands of times per second. So when you press the “deal” button in a game of blackjack, the program simply stops on whatever number at the exact millisecond. The random number generator is hardly ever “rigged” in the casino’s favour, and the RNG developers give special attention to tweaking the RNG parameters to give the player the same odds they would receive in a land-based casino. An online casino that manipulated their random number generator would quickly lose all of their customers. In a roulette table, RNG software is used to ensure the random and unbiased outcome of each spin, making it impossible for players or the casino to predict the results with certainty. This technology guarantees the fairness and unpredictability of the game, providing a level playing field for all participants.

The purpose of the RNG is not only to simulate the odds you’d expect in a land-based casino, but it can also deter things like card counting in blackjack, along with other practices like every-hand shuffling, or infinite decks.

Slot Machines are the Top Earners for Online Casinos

The global gambling industry is expected to reach around $74 billion USD by 2024, and currently, slot machines are leading the way. Over 70% of the industry profits are generated by online slot machines, on a global scale.

Slots are the most popular in the United States and Australia, though European countries seem to prefer table games. In any case, online slot machines are far more advanced than the “match-3 fruit” machines of the past. Many modern slots are incorporating 3D graphics, storylines, and an overall “videogame-like” experience.

The introduction of video game-type elements to online slot machines can be compared to the old arcade games of the past, actually. When the arcade game involves a storyline, players may simply feed the arcade game with quarters to continue the game and finish the story. 3D slot machines may be operating on this principle, where players feel rewarded with game progress, instead of win/lose ratio (though that certainly players an important factor).

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How To Get Ahead In Business

September 9, 2019

Starting a business may feel like a unique idea for you, but it will also feel that way for the thousands of other people who have also decided start a business at the same time you have. That doesn’t mean your idea – or theirs – is a bad one, and it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t start your business, but it does mean that you are going to need to ensure you are completely different to everyone else.

You should also be aware of your competition. Knowing what they are doing, how they are doing it, and how successful (or otherwise) their ideas are will help you to determine what you do and which direction to take your business in. Then you’ll want to get ahead and be seen as the very best. Here are some ways you can do it.

Your Uniqueness

The uniqueness that was so exciting when you came up with your business idea should still be something that you use to positive effect. It is vital that you can show you are different to your competition, even if you are selling a similar product or offering a similar service.

This may seem like a hard task at first, but it is entirely possible. You are the key. What can you do that is different to everyone else? What are your skills and your passions? Use them to sell your products and to show that you are someone to trust.

Your difference could lie in:

• Customer service
• Special offers
• Expertise
• Products
• Advertising and marketing
• Social media

Keep Learning

Once you feel you know everything you need to know about business, and your business in particular, you will start to fall behind your competition. That’s because there is always more to learn, and if your competition are continuing to take in more information and you’re not, then they will soon know a lot more than you, and they will be able to prove that to their customers, and yours.

If you are continually learning, you will always be finding new ways of boosting your business. Whether you take a marketing course or you engage in something much more specific like a masters in applied statistics online, the fact that you are learning and can apply this learning to your business means you will always be ahead.

Have A Mentor

Having a mentor in business may not be something you had ever considered before; perhaps you didn’t realize that such a thing existed. However, having a mentor can really help you to get ahead in business, ensuring that you are able to avoid the usual pitfalls of business and move forward successfully. You can ask them any questions you might have, talk through your problems and challenges, and find out what running a business is really all about.

Your mentor will be able to guide you in the right direction, teaching you about the mistakes they made so that you don’t do the same. This will save a lot of time, will teach you plenty of useful lessons, and will keep you on the right path.

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How to Develop your Career in Business

September 9, 2019

‘Business’ is a broad term that encompasses many aspects of money earned through enterprise. Before you decide what specific career path to take, it is a good idea to get thorough knowledge of the basics. Here is a guide to some of the essential skills you will need to take your business career forward.

• Financial Management – One of the most important parts of the success of a business is sound financial management. This is the control and implementation of a business’s expenditure and income in order to maximize profits and growth.

• Negotiation – Negotiating the best deals and terms for a contract takes skill, and it’s when done well, it can make a massive difference to the success of a business. Good negotiation provides both parties with an advantage; for example, if a company does not want to pay for a service, one option to negotiate could be the swapping of services.

• Marketing – The products and services a business supplies need to be promoted in order to increase sales, and marketing is the art of communicating and interacting with customers, and raising brand awareness through a variety of channels. Examples include using social media, running advertising campaigns and writing a company blog.

• Operations Management – Ensuring the smooth and efficient running of business practices is one of the most essential components of a successful business. It includes the management of staff, budgets, and operations of tasks within specific projects. A qualification, such as an MS in Operations Management, is something that will impress any employer as well as giving you confidence in your abilities.

• Networking – While it is essential to have solid business skills, the success of a business also depends upon having good contacts in the industry. This can help a business get the best deals, put them in touch with new clients and influencers in the field. Networking can be on a one to one basis, such as arranging a meeting with a person who can help in some way, or it could be at industry events.

• Leadership – Every successful business owner shows good leadership skills, as good management of people equals a willing workforce that is all working towards the same goals. Qualities of a good leader include having clear goals and being able to coordinate people and strategies in order to achieve them. Character is a large part of what makes a good leader. In order to get the best out of people, leaders should be role models, have integrity and be able to listen and relate to others well.

If you intend to pursue a career in business, having the skills and qualities discussed will give you a head start. As well as gaining qualifications, experience is also essential. If you are employed, see what aspects of your job involve some of these essential business skills, and see if you can increase the responsibilities of your role. All experience counts, and will look favorable on your resume should you have an interview for a new job.

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The Trump-Slump and What’s Next

September 9, 2019

By Graham Vanbergen

The global slowdown is on; the who-blinks-first trade war is taking its toll leading to investment anxiety and a slowly crumbling global economic architecture – what’s next?

It is said that when America sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold. But America is now suffering from an array of ailments – and the world is rapidly being infected by them.

However, the knock-on effects are causing not just recessions but global feuds to spiral, which in turn exacerbates a general deterioration of economic confidence.

America’s who-blinks-first trade-war with China and its withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal set the global pace. It upset leaders representing a quarter of the worldwide population. It set an example to president’s around the world with less than honourable intent that they could behave without consequence – the Amazon fires just the latest example of out-of-control leadership. The rising dangers of India-Pakistan tensions between nuclear-armed neighbours is another. Louder diplomatic and economic disputes between Japan and South Korea have resurfaced, and political crisis in Hong Kong has dramatically flared. Tensions in the Middle East are on the rise with Russia’s more confident geopolitical posturing – assisted by the tit-for-tat skirmishes of multiple states in the Strait of Hormuz. To the mix, we can now add rapidly increasing anguish that something must be done about the climate crisis by the broader public.

Into this broth of despair, some more additives can be added for a touch more bitterness. Throw in a few populist leaders along with some highly dubious policy decisions, a pinch of inflammatory language assisted by some acidic social media and we have a recipe that is souring the global economy.

The predictions made by the best economists in the world said these ingredients would cause a global slowdown in 2020. In my article last October for TEFR¹, I argued (correctly) that by late summer this year, this concoction would see global growth slow down, leading the major economies into an inevitable recession. And it is.

These same economists and expert commentators have now moved forward their estimates.

The reasons continue to be outside of traditional recessionary cycles. In the last four decades overheating and oversupply have been organically corrected. This time, there is investment anxiety, global stability and the now evident underlying convulsions of declining working-class incomes and middle-class standards of living. Belts are being tightened.

It does not help that the recession heading for America is about to be ratcheted up by non-stop negative supply shocks from the precision bombing of the economy by way of the Sino-American trade and technology war – with the grenade of a currency devaluation chucked in for added interest. In reality, the heart of this conflict is a fight for technical supremacy over artificial intelligence, intellectual property, robotics and the 4th industrial revolution. Who wins, will dominate the other. The stakes are high.

Slump Soup

The recipe for recession is now perfect in many ways, not just because of the significant geopolitical issues above but because domestic tension strings like taxes are adding some artificial ingredients. In the US, taxes are being increased cross-border in trade wars and decreased domestically for corporations as a counter-balance. Infrastructure projects are grinding to a halt. The reality on the ground means less money for the majority of ordinary people.

Laura Tyson is a former chair of the US President’s Council of Economic Advisers: “Having undergone its longest expansion on record, the US economy appears to be thriving. But behind the headline numbers is a more complicated story: wages are growing, but not as fast as they should be; and inequalities remain unacceptably high.”

Robert J Barro is a Professor of Economics at Harvard University and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute: “Although the 2017 tax legislation has done its job in promoting faster growth, rising trade tensions, persistent regulatory burdens, and a lack of investment in infrastructure all threaten to limit the US economy’s potential.”

Both Tyson and Barrow are right, of course. The point is that more money needs to be in the pockets of workers so that M1 or physical cash (plus released deposits) will help to bathe the economy. The tax-driven trade-war is inherently the wrong way round for workers.

Rising inequality from an economic standpoint can be politically fatal when it reaches a tipping point. In America, the wealth gap between the top 10% and the middle class is now over 1,000%; that increases another 1,000% for the top 1%. An Oxfam study found that just eight people, six of them Americans, own as much combined wealth as half the human race. According to a June 2017 report by the Boston Consulting Group, at this rate, around 70% of America’s entire wealth will be in the hands of millionaires and billionaires by 2021. Inequality leaves a nasty aftertaste by the many who will take out their grievances on the few – eventually. ²

It’s statistics like these where the extraction of free-flowing money is concentrated and then off-shored that causes underlying problems in so many ways. Economically, less money buying things means less taxes. Simply put, billionaires don’t spend all their billions, but billions distributed is constantly redistributed. It also means balancing of the public purse cannot be restored easily.

Joseph Stiglitz – Nobel prize-winning economist and world-renowned public policy analyst agrees: “Economists have repeatedly tried to explain to Donald Trump that trade agreements may affect which countries the US buys from and sells to, but not the magnitude of the overall deficit. But, as usual, Trump believes what he wants to believe, leaving those who can least afford it to pay the price.”

The problem with having Donald Trump as leader of the world’s largest economy is that no-one can predict what he will do next. As I write this, Trump is arriving at the G7 in France. None of the attendees knows what is likely to happen. Will Trump ignore Macron who will ask the G7 to protect democracy (while in his own backyard the Yellow Vests continue to burn Paris), will Boris Johnson back the USA or the EU and end up with no-deal on the former and a bad deal on the latter or the other way around?

Trump’s anarchic strategy is quite deliberate. The Washington Post has now fact-checked 10,000 false or misleading claims made by Trump. At over 12 a day for 828 days that demonstrates his willingness to tear down the norms of leadership behaviour.³

Jim O’Neill, former UK Treasury Minister, says: “To be sure, when it comes to foreign policy, his populist posturing may be intended to goad other leaders around the world into similar behaviour.”

Joseph Stiglitz,“Economists have repeatedly tried to explain to Donald Trump that trade agreements may affect which countries the US buys from and sells to, but not the magnitude of the overall deficit. But, as usual, Trump believes what he wants to believe, leaving those who can least afford it to pay the price.”.

Moreover, Britain is a perfect example of what erratic behaviour can bring. Just look at the effects of Brexit, for instance. In Britain, inward investment has completely collapsed. So have government infrastructure projects (even HS2 at $90bn is now being considered for scrapping), just as the economy shrinks as it heads towards a chaotic walkout from the largest trading bloc in the world.⁴

With all this uncertainty another problem rears its head, the rising value of the dollar. In Britain, this means short term gain for exporters but guaranteed inflation for consumers.

In the USA, domestic consumers already account for 70% of US GDP. The trade war will rev up consumer prices, which will dampen consumer spending. Worse, the stage has already been set for declining consumer confidence as recession fever sets in, inevitably leading to rising unemployment. Commentators are already calling this the ‘Trump Slump.’

The editorial board of Bloomberg have been quite clear why the recession has landed – “Far more dangerous is the blow to confidence and investment. Firms and investors are starting to ask where the president’s willingness to wreck the global economic architecture might actually lead. The new risk is not that the evolving structures of economic integration will be cautiously modified or put on pause, but that they’ll simply be smashed by people who appear to have no clue what they’re doing. If this happens, the costs would be staggering.”⁵

America already has a runny nose, it’s going to get a cold, Europe a bout of flu but Britain looks set to be bedridden for some time with a virus of economic anaemia of its own making.

Just as everyone is getting used to Trump’s strategies, now watch him change tactics and attempt to avert the American recession from hurting his White House 2020 prospects. The trade war with China will probably cool off. For now, anyway.

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Graham Vanbergen is the contributing editor of TruePublica and author of Brexit – A Corporate Coup D’Eta.

References
1. https://www.europeanfinancialreview.com/the-predicted-2020-global-recession/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States
3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/fact-checker/president-trump-has-made-more-than-10000-false-or-misleading-claims–the-fact-checker/2019/07/26/080f8376-225a-49cc-9c66-9b685abc3d5e_video.html
4. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/aug/21/hs2-review-launched-over-whether-rail-project-should-proceed
5. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-08-19/trump-recession-steel-yourself-for-a-trade-war-slump

Law Firm SEO Expert Produces Higher ROI For Attorneys Than Pay-Per-Click

September 5, 2019

In the world of law, online-based solutions and Internet resources always come second to a face-to-face consultation. A client may know what it is they’re looking for, but it really is up to an attorney to assess whether or not the person in front of them is a good fit for the services offered. With that said, clients more than ever are ditching the phonebook and turning to their computers for immediate answers. It only makes sense for your firm to stay competitive and up-to-date in this technological world by having a responsive and robust web presence. This keeps potential clients lining up at the door. But, how does one generate traffic? How does one get their name out there? Well, analytics aside, there are two ways to generate a high volume of traffic: There is pay per click, and there is search engine optimization. Determining which option is best for you relies heavily on what your immediate goals are and your projected timelines. But all in all, search engine optimization, or SEO, is a tremendous way to build a lasting presence on the Internet. But before we get into that, let’s dive a little bit into what SEO and pay per click entail.

What is Pay-per-click?

Pay-per-click is a business advertising model in which search engines such as Google advertise your page. You pay a nominal fee every time somebody clicks on it, hence the name. This model has its upsides, mainly you automatically get to the front page. But because of these fees, you’re paying for people to just browse. Now, the nature of Internet users is rooted in the environment and volume. More often than not, they probably have 25 tabs open at the same time and they are bouncing back-and-forth, exiting and reopening. If an individual click on your link, exits, and returns, you’ve basically paid double for the same user’s singular experience.

Search Engine Optimization For Attorneys

SEO is a technique employed that strives to make sure your website is seen on a given search engine. It utilizes words and phrases that are most commonly searched and adds value, in the eyes of the search engine, to your website. The better your content, the more people link to your page. The more people link your page, the higher it is ranked by the search engine. The higher the ranking, the more likely it is to show up on the first page. Search engine optimization is a lot like a digital form of a verbal recommendation. Your firm has a stellar performance for a client, and they tell their peers how good of a job you did. Those peers become leads and those leads become clients. On the front end, it’s as simple as that.

Finding The Right SEO Expert

When it comes to your law firm, you have three options for who to hire: You can either hire an independent SEO consultant, employ the services of an existing business, or build your own in-house SEO team. Like any industry, a good optimizer will not be cheap. According to Doug Mills, the founder of https://www.lawfirmseo.com, your website is the number one determinant of a lawyer’s lead conversion. And if you are looking for a bargain, you’re more likely to run into problems in performance and contractors cutting corners. That can potentially cripple your chances of getting reasonable visibility as a lawyer. Be sure to ask the right questions before hiring anybody. Ask about their methodology is. Ask if they know anything about the world of law and lead conversion. Ask how they would stack up against in-office consultation numbers. When it comes to increasing the ROI for attorneys, having effective law firm software is important. PracticePanther’s comprehensive guide to law firm software can be a great resource for lawyers wanting to streamline their operations and increase their online presence. This is done within a given monthly budget, unlike the potential money sink that is pay per click. It really is the wisest choice for your bottom line as a lawyer. Do a little bit of research, and with due diligence, you’ll be on your way to moving with the rest of the world on digital platforms.

What This Means For You

As a law firm, you are dealing with a potential client base that is doing a lot of shopping. They may go back-and-forth between you and your competitor, taking notes and figuring out who is best for them. If you stick with the pay per click model, you risk the burden of massive additional costs for people unsure about what they want. It makes more sense to allocate a monthly budget to a service that boosts the ranking of your firm’s website and from that, organically generate more clicks and links from leads.

To Wrap Up

Navigating the world of digital marketing for your law firm may seem like a necessary evil or even a hassle for those who are not accustomed to it. But rest assured that this is the number one way to evolve and grow your business firm. Not only does it hold the potential for exposure to potential clients, but it also makes sure that your business practice is up to date and thriving in the twenty-first century.

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