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Emerging Trends in Global Progress of Electric Vehicle Sector

Electric Vehicle

By Dr. Parveen Kumar and Anshika Singh

A worldwide revolution is unleashing to drive the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs). Countries are embarking on the decarbonization journey with ambitious EV sales targets and are enabling the transition with fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for both supply and demand-side, innovative business models and supportive regulations.

Globally, momentum is building to increase the adoption of Electric vehicles (EVs). Fueled by a host of issues ranging from climate change to air pollution and crude oil prices, several countries have announced ambitious targets to phase out fossil fuel-powered vehicles. While EVs appear as the poster child for promoting sustainable transportation, embarking on the decarbonization journey requires addressing the key barriers including higher upfront purchase costs, range anxiety, and supply chain vulnerability.

Over the last decade, diverse support policies were instituted in key markets to address these barriers and upscale EV adoption with fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for both supply and demand-side. EV penetration, currently confined to China, North American, and European countries provides an opportunity to find enabling mechanisms for EV uptake that could help developing countries like India bridge the gap between the demand and supply dynamics and help cultivate a cohesive EV environment.

China

Across the globe, China remains the largest EV market, accounting for 41% of EV sales in 2020. Setting the ambitious goal of achieving 40% EVs on its road by 2030, China has made wide strides with an array of policies to induce the demand for EVs in the nation. It pumped huge investments through its central subsidy program in 2009, covering 30-50% of the vehicle cost for EV buyers. Through its ‘Ten Cities, Thousand Vehicles program’ launched in 2009, China aimed to deploy at least 1000 new energy vehicles in 10 pilot cities with the help of a one-time purchase subsidy. The subsidy structure is further supported by a variety of policy initiatives including an exemption from travel tax, parking privileges, and road access. The substantial role the purchase subsidy played in China’s success was highlighted when EV sales declined in 2019 growing by a mere 4% y-o-y compared to 62% in 2018 as it announced a phase-out of subsidies from 2020. China’s policymakers then boosted EV production by mandating automakers for selling certain percentages of their total vehicle produced to be EVs while simultaneously backing them through vehicle production subsidies.

Figure 1. Electric vehicle targets and achieved EV penetration of different countries

Figure 1. Electric vehicle targets and achieved EV penetration of different countries

Another vital role was played by the local governments through city-level implementation policies, which include innovative incentive policies and business models, that spurred EV uptake several times at the city level. Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city, started with the development of a comprehensive institutional framework and additional purchase and operational subsidy policies to promote the development of the local EV market. Through the above policy actions and collaborative efforts between local governments, third-party financial institutions, EV manufacturers, and charging facility operators, using leasing and vehicle sharing mechanisms, Shenzen was able to increase the total number of EVs ~58 times compared to 2012. During 2015-2018 (scale development phase), the number of e-buses increased 4-fold (from 4,000 to 16,000) whereas electric taxis and private cars grew 10-fold. It also invested heavily in charging infrastructure, and the city has an average of one fast charger per 0.16 km2. Today, Shenzhen emerges as a source of inspiration with the world`s largest e-bus fleet and almost 100% electrification of taxis and urban logistics vehicles.     

Europe

Europe, giving close competition to China in the growing global EV market, has richly varied electric mobility support policies across its markets. It hosts the countries with the largest penetration of e-car sales including Norway (54%) and the Netherlands (21%). While in Europe, the financial incentives are based on CO2 emissions; different countries have different mechanisms for putting EV adoption in place and each of them is unique in its place.

Norway, with 54% e-car sales penetration in 2020 remains the global leader in EV market share and is also the closest to achieving its national zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) target of 100% e-car sales by 2030. Norway’s success in EV diffusion can be traced back to the outstanding amounts of subsidies the government deployed. Starting back in 1991, Norway exempted EVs from registration taxes and then value-added tax while later it waived tolls and parking fees to EV owners and gave preferential access to bus lanes. In addition to this, the government strongly subsidized charging infrastructure development across the country through direct grants to the service provider. Similar local initiatives were established by city administrations which considerably decreased barriers to development during the early years of diffusion and increased EV adoption by more than 200% after five years in Norway.

Similar local initiatives were established by city administrations which considerably decreased barriers to development during the early years of diffusion and increased EV adoption by more than 200% after five years in Norway.

The Netherlands standing second to Norway in terms of EV adoption has a target to sell all-electric cars by 2030. The introduction of purchase subsidies for even second-hand EVs in chorus with fee waivers for vehicle registration, road tax has led to soaring consumer demand from just 1% EV sales penetration in 2015 to 21% in 2020. Its dense charging network of  1 public charge point for every 5 EVs, has been one of the factors behind a successful EV adoption. Over 80% of charging points deployed into the country’s regime were done through a partnership with municipalities. Moreover, the cooperation among the national, regional, and local level governments to implement the subsidy model, as well as incentives for EVs, has been a worthy tool for mass EV uptake in the Netherlands.

United States

The US was the earliest adopter of EVs, however, the pace of growth has been relatively slow when compared to Europe and China. It had a national target of adopting 18 million EVs on its road by 2030 but was able to achieve only 10% of it by 2020. While EV penetration in the nation remains low, efforts at the state and local levels have gained impetus over the years. The major responsibility for the deployment of publicly available charging stations was undertaken by the states by directing national funds.

Today, the state of California stands as a flagbearer with its set of progressive policy measures aiming for 100%  electrification of all new car and passenger light truck sales by 2035. Complementing the federal subsidy, California introduced state-level tax credit on EV purchases followed by high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane access and utility incentives for EV owners. The state tax credit stands unique as it incentivizes EVs for a family according to the EV purchase price and its household income to ensure that the credit goes to the real buyers in need. California further introduced the world’s first ZEV mandate for automakers similar to that of China.

At the local level, cities have increasingly adopted more detailed EV strategies and goals to guide future actions. The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles have aimed for all registered vehicles to be ZEVs by 2030 & 2050 respectively and have adopted stronger EV-ready building codes for facilitating charging infrastructure deployment to this end. As a result of these far-fetching policies, California today accounts for close to half of the EV sales(101,628) made in the US with a 3-fold increase in the EV market share from 2016. Although EV adoption has so far lain on the shoulders of a few state governments, the new US Government is advancing federal support to transition its fleet to ZEVs and establish a nationwide charging network.

India

To meet the global commitment of lowering emission intensity, India has been upping its electrification game with a bunch of progressive policies aiming to achieve 30% EV penetration by 2030. In 2015, the central government announced demand incentives under its flagship Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME) schemes, to prioritize the electrification of public transportation and commercially used vehicles across various segments. Unlike other western nations, where e-cars dominate the market, the EV landscape in India is built on e-2Ws and e-3Ws with an EV market share of 61% and 37%, respectively. Further, multiple initiatives were put forth to accelerate EV adoption including reduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on EVs, regulation for allowing the sale of EVs without batteries to encourage battery leasing/swapping, scrappage policy for old fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, etc. While national-level efforts for EV promotion have been in place since 2012, it was only in 2017 that the state governments started devising their state-level EV policies. 20 out of 28 states have announced their EV uptake targets and incentives under EV policies during 2017-2020, whereas 6 out of the 20 states have approved or revised their EV policy in 2021.  Some states (e.g. Gujarat) are even developing EV policy roadmap at the city level. Financial incentives ranging from purchase subsidies, battery buy-back schemes, exemption from vehicle registration, and road tax to boosting charging infrastructure through capital subsidy are some of the enablers deployed at the state level to boost consumer confidence in EVs. The introduction of these policies in conjunction with national schemes has been a gamechanger in growing India’s EV sales share by 17 times from 0.1% in 2015 to 1.7% in 2021.

Figure 2. Registered EV sales trend in India (January-2020- November-2021

Figure 2. Registered EV sales trend in India (January-2020- November-2021.

Government support is further prospering competition in the industry and keeping the stakeholders on their toes with innovative business models like vehicle leasing and battery swapping. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a public sector undertaking drove the initial adoption of e-cars by partnering with demand aggregators like ride-hailing services and state governments for leasing vehicles procured in bulk from automakers and achieving economies of scale. Further demand in light-duty vehicle segments is currently boosted by the adoption of EV fleets in the last mile connectivity and last-mile delivery sector. Under public transportation, the adoption of e-buses is largely driven by Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Government-run State Road Transport Undertakings (SRTUs) are operating ~1061 e-buses under the Gross Cost Contract model, where the private operator receives payment from SRTUs on a fixed cost per km basis.

For the widespread deployment of charging infrastructure in India, the initial action was taken by EESL by partnering with municipal bodies and electricity distribution companies. With the broader target for setting up one public charging station at every 3 km in metropolitan cities, states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Telangana have fixed state-level targets to be achieved with investor-friendly policies, supply chain connectivity, and land availability.

Moreover, to boost an EV manufacturing base and reduce import dependence in India, the central government recently launched the Production-Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for strengthening different EV component sectors including a planned outlay of INR 18,000 crore for 5 years for manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries for EVs. Ultimately, it is this continual investment that will support the EV industry with the requisite infrastructure and significantly cause a reduction in the cost of EVs. Although challenges to mainstream EVs on Indian roads still exist including lack of EV models and end-user financing, if these pertinent actions continue to build, the 2030 electrification targets could well be within reach.

Summary

EV adoption has picked up steam in recent years, fueled by a confluence of circumstances and enabling parameters. While many EV promotion activities are used at national and local levels, fiscal support measures and charging infrastructure deployment is among the most prominent ones. Federal and state governments have an important role to play in initiating EV adoption but it is going to take more than government support to realise the electrification targets. Since every component is likely to have a varying degree of stakeholder involvement, innovative and strategic alliances through public-private partnerships remain key to facilitating and optimizing the interplay amongst various actors in the EV ecosystem as seen in Shenzen.

The world’s largest EV markets demonstrate that while a top-down planning approach is of paramount importance to shape and direct the investments at the supply end, a bottom-up planning perspective is equally important to take advantage of local conditions and overcome barriers to adoption. Despite the fact that India is a long way off from reaping the gains of sustainable mobility, it can take heed from these learnings and steer the transition to an electric mobility future.

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About the Authors

Dr. Parveen Kumar

Dr. Parveen Kumar is a senior program manager at WRI India under the Cities program. Currently, he is associated with projects related to the electric vehicle ecosystem. He has previously worked at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and has received a Ph. D. from JMI, New Delhi. He has more than 14 years of post-PhD experience in science, technology, and policy research. He has published several peer-reviewed papers in reputed journals and articles in the leading magazines.

Anshika Singh

Anshika Singh is currently working as a Program Associate with the Electric Mobility team at World Resources Institute India. She currently holds a Master’s degree in Transport Planning and a Bachelor’s degree in Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi. Her areas of interest include climate change, sustainable transportation, green mobility, low-cost transportation.

References

The Importance of Tourism Readiness

tourism readiness

By Dan Fenton

Travel and tourism accounts for 10.4 percent of the global GDP and is a cornerstone of the worldwide economy. It includes a wide range of industries from hospitality to visitor attractions. Money generated by tourists helps cities not only pay for infrastructure projects and essential workers, but also for services to improve the local quality of life and preserve cultures.

Thanks to increasing disposable incomes across the globe, improved physical and digital connectivity, reduced fears over the pandemic, and an increasing desire to see the world, future growth expectations of the travel and tourism industry are strong.

For a city to truly thrive and for travel and leisure to develop in a sustainable manner, city planning authorities, developers, investors, legislators, and community groups need to understand how ready the city is for future tourism growth and what challenges and opportunities it may face. It is imperative to create long-term plans that focus on environmental sustainability, regenerative tourism, public safety, small business impact, and local resident quality of life.

Governments need to provide and promote a supportive, physical, regulatory and social environment. This requires official policy that prioritizes the livability of cities; ensures there are proper city services (waste management, etc.); and provides exceptional education, good transportation, and abundant green space.

Another key component in the success of a travel destination is public safety. If the location or country is perceived as unsafe, it will have a negative effect on tourism. The industry must be collaborative with public safety leaders in terms of supporting proactive safety measures, which is a major bellwether of how successful a destination is from a tourism perspective.

Local businesses are another key component in determining the success of the overall visitor experience. In some cases, local restaurants and businesses are what really make up the destination experience – it’s those small businesses as a collective that create the attraction. There is currently a huge recognition of how important it is to think about protecting small businesses going forward. The notion of readiness entails how these vital businesses are supported to encourage long term success.

It’s no longer solely about the number of tourists, but the social and economic impact of the sector on the community. The travel and tourism industry has not traditionally been perceived as environmentally friendly by nature. There are parts of the world that have been permanently impacted by tourism in terms of pollution, waste issues, public safety, and more.

Cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, and San Francisco have in recent years seen high tourism growth momentum, but at the same time have either experienced tourism pressure or are at risk of facing potential issues. In fact, Barcelona has focused significant resources on managing the amount of tourists descending upon Plaza Catalunya and other highly trafficked tourist destinations resulted in a negative visitor experience and had a very negative impact on the community and environment.

For group travel, especially in busy destinations like Amsterdam, arranging ground transport early can significantly enhance the overall experience and reduce logistical stress, coach hire Amsterdam from 8rental allows groups to stay together, manage luggage easily, and coordinate schedules without relying on fragmented public transport or multiple taxis. Planning these transfers in advance is a small but impactful part of tourism readiness that helps ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip.

Wherein before the mindset was more is better. Today, it’s not about more visitors, it’s about the right mix and level of travelers and planning for that in order to make a successful tourism economy.

City government, tourism organizations and policy makers are increasingly realizing the need to shift from solely focusing on destination marketing to take a more proactive and holistic destination management approach. They also need to plan their growth; define where they want to grow and assign priority to tourism planning at the highest levels.

levels of city readiness

Achieving tourism readiness involves more than just focusing on the travel and tourism sector. Success requires a range of other considerations to support the visitor economy including city infrastructure and the availability of labor and safety measures.

There are four main steps in achieving sustainable tourism growth.

Understanding a City’s DNA

As a first step, it is essential to understand the clear essence of the city’s DNA. What are the assets and unique features that make people want to live, invest, and visit the city? How does the city’s history and culture affect the community’s values, beliefs, and ways of living? How is it viewed? And most importantly, how does it interface with the residents?

Assess the Current State of the City’s Tourism Ecosystem

Stakeholders should have a thorough understanding of the level of tourist concentration, the overall scale of the travel and tourism sector, and the driving factors behind it. These elements go hand-in-hand in helping to identify gaps and growth opportunities.

It is also central in determining which tourist segment the city should pursue to achieve maximum benefit. For cities with a high concentration of tourist activities and a disproportionate focus on leisure travel such as Prague, Barcelona, and Rome, the development of a larger corporate traveler base could be beneficial as this segment generally generates more revenue and travels out of high season and on the weekdays. Further, business travelers spend less time in key tourist attractions, thus relieving some of the pressure from a crowded city center.

Set Sustainable End Goals and Develop a Plan with Policies to Achieve Those Goals

Once a thorough assessment of the city is completed, key stakeholders should collectively decide the end goal and develop a detailed roadmap to achieve it. All elements involving citizen satisfaction should be considered, particularly the views of communities living within the city center.

Cities are on the frontline of major global and societal changes. In embracing the value from tourism, the authorities and destination management organizations must be proactive in incorporating tourism policies which consider the needs of both visitors and the local population.

City councils and tourism authorities should include neighborhood representatives on committees to discuss problems and help devise solutions as well as offer on-line forums for citizens to provide suggestions and feedback.

To ensure that residents are comfortable with the approach, it is important to invite them to take part and contribute. City councils and tourism authorities should include neighborhood representatives on committees to discuss problems and help devise solutions as well as offer on-line forums for citizens to provide suggestions and feedback. By communicating the value and contribution travel and tourism have on the city, citizens are more likely to be supportive.

Sydney, for example, has online and in person citizen and community engagement programs which helps shape the strategic direction of the city. In Paris, the government has a website inviting residents to participate in many communal areas of city life and join discussions on how to develop public space.

It is also important to have an economic development plan – one that addresses the potential impacts of growth and how investing in infrastructure will support that growth. Forward-thinking city authorities must also consider not only the needs of the city’s economy but of its ecology as well by examining the effects of increased carbon emissions, waste, and water supply.

As the world reopens to leisure and business travel, destinations and cities alike could be increasingly threatened by their own popularity in environmental, social, or aesthetic terms. While there is no easy fix to overcrowding, it is important to identify hotspots and consider implementing strategies to mitigate bottlenecks, such as offering incentives and transportation solutions to visit on off-peak days, weeks, or months and promote outer district bookings.

travel

Further straining the overcrowding of destination cities is the increasing popularity of home sharing opportunities such as Airbnb. Many of the listings are in residential areas, which can have a negative effect on noise levels within these communities. While the industry needs to be embraced, it should also be managed just like any other hospitality industry.

Implement, Monitor, Evaluate, and Communicate

Once the strategic direction of the city and its policies for sustainable growth have been determined and implemented, it is essential for the tourism bodies to monitor and evaluate the impact on the sector. This can be done from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.

The Need for Readiness

The notion of readiness considers all the different parts of a community including the effects it will have on the residents and businesses, environment, and the overall economy. Tourism must be good for visitors and residents alike and its growth must be organized, well planned, and have a positive social impact. In addition to thinking about marketing, the market, and building high profile attractions, there needs to be a greater connection between conservation, sustainability, and tourism among destinations, citizens, and leaders. It’s not always connecting, and it needs to.

Today, there’s an opportunity to ask key questions. Is there a smarter way to reopen? Could visitors actually leave the destination in better condition than when they arrived? These are particularly important questions for drive-to destinations as many are already at capacity and in a reactionary mode.

Determining a city’s future readiness for tourism growth requires a view that accounts not only for its current physical and natural assets, but also from its social capital and the impact of its policies. Whether a city is looking to grow its travel and tourism sector or manage rising visitor numbers, businesses and city leaders must balance all the dynamics that make up a city’s fabric.

Successful destinations will manage their tourism process and be more focused on who they are targeting from a visitor perspective. More for more’s sake is not always better. It’s not about more visitors, it’s about the right mix and level of visitors. The travel and the tourism industry needs to manage demand effectively.

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About the Author

Dan Fenton

Based in San Francisco, Dan Fenton is an Executive Vice President with JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group specializing in tourism and destination strategic planning. With more than 25 years of experience, he provides operations, sales and marketing support for destinations, public assembly venues and hotels. Fenton is a graduate of Cornell University where he received a Bachelor’s degree, with distinction, in hospitality administration and management.

St. Kitts & Nevis CBI Programme: Conclusive Insights & What The Future Holds

St. Kitts & Nevis CBI Programme: Conclusive Insights & What The Future Holds

As the need for expanding businesses and living without travel restrictions is rising, the demand for citizenship by investment is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury, specifically in the MENA region. To tackle the topic of becoming a Global Citizen in more details, Bluemina will be hosting a webinar on March 28th, 2022, at 16:00 GST.

A powerful second passport offers you an unlimited array of benefits including the freedom of movement across more than 160 countries including all Schengen countries, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong and much more. Owning a passport from an economically and politically stable country means being a secured citizen for life, living with peace of mind and much less to worry about when it comes to the future and what it holds.

Mr. Bashar Daoud, managing partner of “Bluemina Citizenship & Residency” said: “Since our operations started in 1997 our main focus was to introduce innovative programs that will cater to all needs, and guarantee successful investments to all our customers. That being said, the Saint Kitts & Nevis program that Bluemina offers you is the oldest and most established citizenship by investment program worldwide.”

A major contributor to the high satisfaction rate that Bluemina has with clients who opt for the Saint Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment program can be attributed to the strong relationship between the Bluemina management and the Island’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Honorable Timothy Harris and the CEO of the Citizenship by Investment Unit, Mr. Les Khan.

St. Kitts & Nevis CBI Programme

Les Khan, PMP, MSOC, BBA, who currently holds the position of CEO of the Citizenship by Investment Unit for Saint Kitts & Nevis, is originally from Trinidad. Khan has completed his education in Australia and the United States of America and has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of finance and risk management.

To capitalize on this relationship and in order to further enlighten you with the benefits of these programs and the world of citizenship by investment, Bluemina represented by its Managing Partner Mr. Bashar Daoud and in collaboration with Gulf News will be hosting a live webinar on 28 March 2022 at 16:00 GST, via airmeet featuring an exclusive discussion with Mr. Les Khan, to discuss the Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program and how it can open a global and unlimited world of opportunities and priceless benefits to all investors.

Moderating this webinar will be Ms. Sally Moussa, an international presenter and speaker who has interviewed many of the world’s most influential change-makers across every field.

The webinar will mainly tackle the importance of becoming a Global Citizen in this day of age, the importance of conducting strong due diligence, the various benefits of obtaining a powerful second passport through the Saint Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment program of and the eligibility requirements that applicants must meet to acquire this citizenship.

Moreover, the webinar will also be reviewing the Saint Kitts & Nevis program in light of the current political events taking place across the globe and any future implications they may have on second nationality holders or applicants.

If you would like to attend the online event, simply register here.

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Wrongful Death: How Does A Lawsuit Work?

At the meeting, a team of lawyers discussed the lawsuit. Concept of law and justice.

One of the most common lawsuits followed in the civil court of law pertains to wrongful death cases. These unfortunate events can be defined as the death of an individual due to the negligence of ill-actions of another party, be it an organization or person. Every year, there are over 90,000 deaths in the US alone due to medical malpractice, not including other forms of wrongful deaths. So what can be done to help the aggrieved parties receive justice? The legal system has several statutes in place to help with the loss and damages caused due to such an occurrence. Let’s explore the workings and scope of wrongful death lawsuits.

What defines Wrongful Death?

If a person passes away or is killed because of the misconduct or negligence of a second party, the next of kin or surviving members of the family are within their rights to sue for “wrongful death.”

These kinds of cases demand compensation for the loss due to the death of this individual, be it lost wages, companionship, medical, or funeral expenses.

A wrongful death claim can be filed when an individual dies due to the legal fault of another organization, professional, or individual. These parties may include a drunk cab driver that killed a passenger to the bartender or a club that served drinks to the drunk driver.

Wrongful death legislation may differ from state to state, but they dictate who gets to sue and what damages can be filed for by a wrongful death attorney. Originally the lawsuit was created for the children and widows of such deceased parties to receive financial compensation but has been extended to the rest of the family as well.

Who Can Sue For the Wrongful Death of an Individual?

State laws have made provisions for the recovery of compensation by the individual’s surviving spouse, immediate kin, children, or the parents of a deceased fetus. The recipient of these depends on a state’s statute for wrongful death and can vary from the definition of legal heirs under the state law for inheritance cases. A claim for wrongful death is presented by the decedent’s estate’s personal representative.

How is Wrongful Death Proven in the Court of Law?

To  win a lawsuit filed for the wrongful death of a party, the plaintiff has to prove the following in the court of law:

  • The death of a human individual
  • The death was caused by a second party’s negligence, or the objective to cause harm
  • The surviving family members have suffered financially and emotionally due to such a death.
  • A personal representative has been appointed for the decedent’s estate.

Once all the four have been proved to the court, a legal proceeding begins.

Damages in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

The first category of damage claims in the case of a wrongful death provides for the recovery of damages undergone by the deceased person from the point of such a negligent act that caused their death, until the time of death. These damages can include:

  • Medical costs
  • Compensation for the deceased individual’s mental/physical pain and suffering
  • The deceased’s lost income or wages
  • Funeral and burial costs.

The second category of damage claims covers the losses incurred by the immediate family after the death of the individual. It compensates the next of kin for the financial damages suffered due to the loss of income up till the age of the said deceased person’s retirement.

A few states also provide “loss of consortium,” referring to the loss of companionship that a spouse or immediate family members have been deprived of. This is an important provision especially when a young parent leaves behind underaged children or dependent family members.

What to Consider Before Hiring a Lawyer?

As with every other lawsuit, not all wrongful death cases make it to a full hearing before the jury. Due to litigation expenses and the time consumed, attorneys often make settlement deals to avoid such costly affairs. These legal representatives can negotiate better damage settlements than the defendants can on their own, which is why it is necessary to seek a reputed attorney or firm for help.

Wrapping Up:

If you have lost a loved one due to an accident or injury caused by the misconduct or negligence of another company, individual, or entity, you could be entitled to sue for wrongful death against the responsible parties. While selecting an attorney, make sure to check their track records regarding wrongful death cases and compensations to make the best choice.

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Why Effective Cybersecurity Starts at the Top

cybersecurity

`Wherever we may be, it is undeniable that technology has revolutionized our lives on a global scale. Apart from providing faster means of communication, devices like smartphones, tablets, and powerful computers have made our lives easier.

Thanks to tech firms, tedious chores from grocery shopping to banking can now be conveniently effected by a touch of a button or a swipe on a screen. As a result, the pace at which people and companies conduct business online can only be expected to soar.

However, increased digital activity is not without its drawbacks. Where companies exchange data with consumers for a satisfactory transaction, cybercriminals prowl for victims.  

Consumers can be sensitized to be vigilant, but they can only do so much, and it is mostly the companies that are equipped to mitigate cyber threats by enforcing security measures.

As witnessed across the globe, the recent wave of Covid-19 saw many organizations resort to working from home. Unfortunately, this trend may stay for the long run for its effectiveness, which brings about the need to secure the new working environment.

The ever-looming threat of cyberattacks cannot be underestimated, with both established and start-up organizations having fallen victims to cybercrimes. These attacks range from unwarranted access to financial and personal data to the impersonation of CEOs.

Even though cybercriminals are getting savvier on their strategies, many businesses remain nonchalant to the threats and fail to acquire the latest and quality cybersecurity tool. Unfortunately, this often ends with detrimental effects.

Cybercrimes can halt operational and financial aspects of an establishment resulting from theft of resources or intellectual property. It can also lead to payments of fines for exposed data. Worse still, the credibility and reputation of an establishment are affected, which can put off potential investors.

Undeniably, the risks are too big to warrant the board’s attention.

In addition to sanctioning funds for the acquisition of quality cybersecurity tools, the management should be at the forefront in instilling the following security measures.

Raising Awareness

It is hard to combat that which you don’t acknowledge.

Many users are aloof to cyber threats, and as such, they remain susceptible to criminals. Security Information Officers should lead the technology team in raising awareness of the dangers posed by cybercriminals. Brainstorming on the ever-proliferating cyber attacks and how to best counter them should be relayed to management for presentation to the board.

Creating awareness can emanate from simple drills aimed at helping employees in learning on how to protect themselves and the institution. In addition, making this an ongoing project can help employees to remain vigilant when sharing information on sites, using apps, and on how to safeguard their gadgets.

On top of raising awareness, it is important to constantly remind them of the consequences that may arise from laxity to cyberthreats. For example, exposure to corporate information can ruin a company’s reputation, causing loss of trust and revenue.

Employees can also endanger their own sensitive information by failing to secure their devices and their applications. Therefore, it is wise to use real-world cybercrime cases to stress the need for vigilance and the importance of updating cybersecurity tools.

Accountability

It is often assumed that cybersecurity is solely the responsibility of the IT department. Contrary, it is a shared responsibility where the IT department accords the required expertise. The management should encourage behavioral attributes that help to implement cybersecurity measures.

Encouraging the use of strong and complex passwords or even password generators are simple steps that lead to big cybersecurity gains.

IT Heads, and their team should keep the rest of the management team up to date on the latest security protocols and potential threats for immediate communication to the rest of the staff.

Allocation of Resources

Chief Financial Officers play a huge role in allocating resources. Catering for Cybersecurity finances will help in funding training for staff throughout the departments. This should not be underestimated, seeing that hackers mostly target the most sensitive of data with financial information at the core.

Rather than advocating for a low expenditure, CFOs should lead in liaising with the Chief Information Officers on how best to invest in staff training and quality cybersecurity tools.

Application

Lastly, CIOs and the rest of IT management bear the mandate to investigate whether their proposed measures are being implemented. For instance, they can keep tabs on personnel who have or needs to attend cybersecurity training programs.

They can also check how many staff members are keen on updating their devices to the latest software. Though simple, these metrics are key to measuring adherence.

Low engagement numbers might indicate vulnerability, hence the need to reassert proposed measures. Changing settings on vital applications to prompt password change can also encourage implementation. However, if the numbers are satisfactory, the management should commend the job done and highlight the benefits.

Conclusion

Customers feel safe when assured of the safety of the data they provide. The management’s collective responsibility is to communicate to their customers about the measures they are undertaking.

They can also add to their expertise by engaging their customers on how best to bolster their security, making the customer feel valued. This serves not just to boost cybersecurity but their partnership as well.

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3 Ways to Pay for College without Taking Out a Loan

pay for college

Not too long ago, paying for college used to be something students could manage on their own with a part-time job. 

These days, however, attending a college or university often means taking out loans just to get through one or two semesters. Don’t forget room and board, textbooks and school supplies, school and activity fees, and personal expenses. 

Despite all these rising costs, many students take out loans without fully understanding the gravity of being tied down by student debt. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are three ways students and families can pay for college without taking out a loan:

1. Invest in a Savings Plan

By contributing to an investment account, not only are you making your dollars work for you but you’re also saving money on taxes. For example, the 529 plan is a popular tax-advantaged investment account specifically designed to fund students’ post-secondary education. Best of all, earnings in these plans are not treated as taxable income. 

As with any low-risk investing strategy, the earlier you start contributing, the better. Even just a few extra years can make a big difference in the end result. Thus, opening a 529 plan account when the future college-bound recipient is young is a great way to make paying for their two- or four-year degree more manageable.

2. Apply for Grants and Scholarships

If students aren’t applying for grants and scholarships, they’re leaving free money on the table. The first step to applying for this type of aid is by completing a FAFSA application, although some organizations don’t require it. Scholarships are a particularly great way to fund education, as many are given out on the basis of interests, community and club membership, volunteer work and civic involvement, or other special circumstances. 

Whether you’re a water skier, golf caddy, or merely a student willing to write an essay on safe driving, there are thousands of niche and need-based scholarships out there. Often, students must write essays to earn a scholarship. However, the return on investment for the time and energy it takes to apply is well worth it. 

Furthermore, applying for more than one scholarship and using tools like the U.S. Department of Labor’s Scholarships Search Tool can help make the process simple and improve your chances of receiving free money for school.

3. Earn a Work-Study Job

Work-study programs are federally-funded jobs made available to students who fill out a FAFSA and qualify for work-study aid. Students often have to find their own jobs, but most schools offer work-study positions. While students are only guaranteed minimum wage, work-study is a great opportunity to help pay for college.

Gaining professional experience related to your studies is what sets soon-to-be graduates apart from the masses and gives them an edge in the job market. Work-study programs are a two-for-one deal for students. They not only help pay for their degree but also prepare them to enter the workforce quickly and in their chosen field upon graduation.

Paying for College is More Than Possible

Graduating debt-free is realistic for a majority of college students. Between long-term saving strategies and taking advantage of different forms of financial aid, there are ways to graduate free and clear of loan payments. Of course, choosing an affordable, in-state college will make things easier for students and their families. But no matter how or where a student chooses to obtain their degree, there are ways to significantly decrease, if not erase altogether, the need to rely on debt to get there.

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Top-6 Reputable Russian Dating Websites To Meet Women Online

About a thousand Russian citizens come to the US as foreign fiances yearly. But after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian women lost an opportunity to travel and migrate, and we decided to find out if sanctions will change the online Russian dating market. So, are there any sites with Russian women that still work?

List of biggest legitimate Russian dating sites

BravoDate

If you are looking for the biggest Russian dating site, consider joining BravoDate. The platform was designed exclusively for Slavic ladies and men who want to meet them, and now it has over 450 thousand monthly visitors worldwide. What else makes it worth using? In short, it has everything a good Russian dating site is supposed to have.

Bravodate

➤ Register at BravoDate now and get 20 Free Credits

Profiles of Russian women registered on the site are validated and pretty detailed (most ladies have at least 10 photos and often a video)—the moderation system works pretty well and female members pass the verification procedure. Men can contact them in live chat (and also send media right in the messenger), send gifts, wink them, add profiles to favorites, etc. The good news is that the prices are not high—new members get free credits and then can buy more for only $2,99 for 20 credits (with a discount for new users).

Pros Cons
Validate profiles of Russian singles No mobile app
Reasonable prices for credits Watching videos is a premium feature
Bonuses and free credits for newly registered members

READ ALSO: Full BravoDate Site Review

JollyRomance

Jolly Romance is one of the real Russian dating sites designed to help people find love. Though you can choose different relationship goals when signing up, most Russian singles registered on the platform are looking for serious relationships. There are some standard features like messaging, emails, search, but if a member, for example, a man meets his ideal Russian beauty and wants to get closer to her and take their relationship to a new level, he can request her contact details or even send a real meeting request through the website.

jolly romance - through website

➤ Register at JollyRomance now and get 20 Free Credits

Note that requesting contact details is free, but they won’t be disclosed to a stranger—a man must have a verified profile and be able to prove that they’ve been interacting a lot before. As for the prices, the cost of credits can be different- if you want to buy 20 credits, you’ll pay $9,99 and if you buy 750 credits, you’ll spend $149,99.

Pros Cons
Great mobile optimization (no app though) No support live chat
Profile verification (is optional for men) No translation service
Meeting and contact requests

AmourFactory

What can be better than a good and safe Russian dating site? Maybe a half-dating site and half-social-networking site? Of course, AmourFactory doesn’t work like Facebook, but it’s one of the rare dating sites that not only have live chat or provide gift delivery services but also have newsfeeds with posts from real Eastern European women. This improves the dating experience, makes it more entertaining, and allows finding more random attractive Russian women.

amour factory - russian women

➤ Register at AmourFactory now and get 20 Free Credits

Of course, good old features like basic and advanced search with a lot of different filters, support, emails, favorites, etc., are available, too. Some of them (registration, search, support, favorites) are free, and some (live chat, watching videos, etc.) are paid. Members can buy credits to use special services, and the cost of one credit starts from $0,20.

Pros Cons
Modern, easy to use online dating site Only premium members can really interact with others
Effective anti-scam policy No mobile app
Some interesting special features like newsfeed

READ ALSO: Legitimate Russian Brides: How To Find a Women For Marriage

UkraineBride4you

What’s the most important thing to consider when choosing a Russian dating site? There are a few of them, and the number and quality of features are definitely in the top-3. UkraineBride4You is one of the best Russian dating sites not only because it has a lot of gorgeous female members from Eastern Europe but also because it offers more tools than most other online dating sites can offer.

ukriane bride - sites can offer

➤ Register at UkraineBride4You now and get 2 FREE chat vouchers

Want to have a live chat? No problem, choose text chat or video chat. Prefer to write, send and read longer letters? You can send different types of so-called Mails. Want to call one of the Russian singles? You can do it right on the site. UkraineBride4You is not cheap, though. Instant messaging as well as other types of interaction (except for greeting emails) are premium features bought for credits, and the cost of 1 credit starts from $2 (1 credit for 20 minutes in live chat).

Pros Cons
One of the best Russian dating sites with a lot of female members No unlimited communication
You can use the popular Russian dating app (Qpid) to access the site Lengthy personal test
A lot of great features

SingleSlavic

What distinguishes unreputable dating sites from an international dating site that is worth joining, using, and paying for? A lot of things, but mostly these are paid registration, fake profiles, and a small number of low-quality tools. SingleSlavic is one of the reputable Russian dating sites everyone can join without paying, just by providing some details (there is a lengthy personality test you can and should take though).

single slavic

➤ Register at SingleSlavic now and get 2 FREE chat vouchers

You also don’t have to pay to make your profile attractive for Russian girls, and the good news is that they also do everything to make their own profiles look appealing. There are a lot of great tools to use, from CamShare to call services and good old live chat. On SingleSlavic, credits are the virtual currency you can buy and spend on any services, from chat to gift delivery (from $3,99 for 2 credits).

Pros Cons
Free registration for everyone No VIP membership with unlimited messaging
Good site to meet thousands of Russian women online Need to have credits to contact women directly
Ad-free browsing

KissRussianBeauty

KissRussianBeauty is one of the legitimate Russian dating sites designed for people looking for love internationally. So, most members on this site are looking for a serious relationship and can use the Smart Matches feature, as well as search to find them. You don’t need to pay in both cases—there is no need to unlock additional search criteria or anything like that—on this dating site, you can use any search and matching tools to meet an ideal Russian woman or ladies from other countries of Eastern Europe, in particular, Ukrainian women.

kissrussian beauty

➤ Register at KissRussianBeauty now and get 2 FREE chat vouchers

Members can use plenty of features from messaging to video chat, international calls, and global gift delivery. Such services are paid ones, though. There is no premium membership—free users can buy credits and spend them the way they want. The cost of services starts from less than 2 dollars per credit, and the company offers extra discounts for special services like live chat.

Pros Cons
Site’s matching algorithm works great Need to buy credits to unlock premium features (the most useful ones)
Advanced search options Here, you’ll hardly find anyone for casual relationships
Browsing profiles, using search and the Smart Matches feature is free

READ ALSO: Top 12 International Dating Sites and Apps to Meet Singles Online

Facts about Russian dating sites & Russian online dating at large

Before we start discussing ways to find the best Russian dating site and avoid Russian dating scams, let’s talk about the online dating market in a bit more detail. Here are some interesting facts and figures that will help understand the trends and the situation in the segment overall.

  • 5% of all Russian single women sign up for a dating site/marriage agency.
  • The biggest dating website/marriage agency will have up to 25,000 Russian women applying for their services annually.
  • In the online dating market, the number of Russian users is expected to amount to 0m by 2025.
  • 90% of Russian women seeing a mail order marriage are employed.
  • 65% of the women who look for a husband through a mail order bride business are between the ages of 21-30.

21-30

The number of Russian women looking for foreign husbands has always been large, and now it’s expected to grow dramatically. Sanctions and the invasion of Ukraine will turn the Russian Federation into a pariah state, and life there definitely won’t be easy.

So, women who were looking for husbands for plenty of different, social, personal and cultural reasons (disappointment in local guys, bad relationship experience, desire to escape problems like domestic violence and alcohol abuse, desire to find a more respectful and caring man, etc.) now also have political reasons to migrate. There motivation will be stronger than ever, after all, it’s not about just McDonalds’ shutting out down its restaurants—the consequences will be hundreds of times more severe. Of course, a lot of ladies, especially those who don’t support the Russian government will look for opportunities to escape.

Russian dating sites scam: signs and online dating safety tips

Some may argue that looking for Russian singles online is not that safe. Well, that’s partially true. Russian women dating scams exist, but it doesn’t mean that real Russian singles don’t. The thing is everyone who’s going to look for a girlfriend in Eastern Europe should know how to avoid scams. Here are some red flags you should always notice:

  • Low-effort profiles. Yes, there are bad and good profiles on all dating apps and all dating sites. But good international platforms don’t just accept new female members without making them provide detailed information/photos/videos and most importantly, verify their identity. A real person who’s motivated to find love will hardly have an empty profile.
  • Fake photos. Google search by image is really helpful for those who want to make sure the person they’ve met online is real. Take a close look at the photos a girl has. Is this one person in all the photos? Save one of them and Google it—if this picture is found on other sites, it’s a scammer.
  • Auto Generated messages. On scam sites, you can receive three similar messages from 3 different girls, and that’s definitely a red flag.
  • Tons of messages per minute. Though ladies from Eastern Europe want to find a boyfriend, they will hardly contact 10 men an hour, especially men who have empty profiles. If you’ve just signed up and created a profile and you already have 15 inbox messages, this is not the site you should use.
  • Paid registration, hidden costs. Yes, it’s hard to find a free site with Russian singles. Owners of international dating sites and dating apps spend a lot on promoting their sites, moderation, developers, etc., but they never have registration fees. If you need to provide your credit card number when signing up, just don’t do it. On top of that, we recommend taking a close look at the price list—on the best dating sites, you see how much you’ll pay for credits and how much all the features cost. Otherwise, the site exists not to help you find your Eastern European love but to make you pay as much as possible.

pay as much as possible

The truth is everyone can find a good online Russian dating site with real women, good features, and reasonable prices. However, there’s no denying that scam websites and dating apps exist, too. Just spend some time checking the platform to protect yourself—it’s absolutely worth it.

Final thoughts—Does looking for Russian women online still make sense?

Yes, online dating in Russia still exists—we’ve already listed the best platforms that still operate and seem to have even more members than ever before. Still,  it gets harder for women to leave the country, and, of course, visiting a Russian girlfriend somewhere in Moscow seems like a really bad idea. Still, Russians can go to some countries like Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Turkey, so meeting them somewhere on neutral ground is still possible. It’s hard to make predictions, but now the market is working, and the chances are that won’t change, at least in the near future.

FAQ

Are Russian dating sites real?

Yes, but there are dating sites that work and there are sites that don’t. Every user should choose the platform carefully—you can meet an ideal match in Russia or any other country only if you join a safe and reputable platform.

What is the best Russian dating site for the US?

If you are looking for the best Russian dating site in USA, you can choose one of the top platforms (we listed them all in this guide). The thing is every website has its pros and cons, and you need to choose the safe and reputable platform that will work the best for you.

How much does it cost to use a Russian dating site?

It depends. Some sites sell premium membership plans, other Russian dating sites sell credits (and in most cases, the sites with credits offer better services). In the second case, a lot will depend on your dating style (number of women you contact, features that you use most frequently), but most men spend $100 per month on average.

READ ALSO: Price Of Dating Russian Women—How Much Do Russian Brides Cost?

Why are there so many women on Russian dating sites?

A lot of Eastern European women want to date and marry foreign men for plenty of reasons like 1) competition between ladies (women outnumber men) 2) desire to find a decent, loving, and caring husband (it’s considered that western guys are better mannered, more romantic, etc.) 3) bad previous relationship experience (a lot of divorces/breakups on the grounds of domestic violence, alcohol abuse, etc.) Now a lot of Russian women also want to escape Russia after their country invaded Ukraine.

Are Russian women on dating sites scammers?

It depends on the site that you choose. If you don’t check the website, if there are a lot of fake, low-effort profiles, and if you receive tons of automatically generated messages a minute, you’ll find only an international romance scam. However, if you choose one of the best Russian dating platforms, you can meet real Russian singles and start an authentic relationship with one of them.

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Virtual Events in the Post-Pandemic Future

Virtual Events

Informa Connect is a global provider and organizer of live events that specialize in providing people access to expert content in niche topics, but the onset of the pandemic forced it to cancel many events. However, it quickly adapted, creating a winning virtual events platform. Now, through its “digital events only” brand, AQMEN 365, Informa Connect continues to do what it has always done best: deliver superior niche content from experts to those who need it.

Informa Connect is just one of the many who decided to shift to virtual events because of the pandemic. The COVID-19 global health emergency was so relentlessly unforgiving, organizations had to go virtual. They had no choice. It was either that or not hold events altogether.

Fast forward to two years later, virtual events have come into their own. They’re no longer just a substitute until something better comes along. Right now, they are the norm and have become a valid alternative to in-person events.

The Future Is Bright for Virtual Events

In 2020, the global virtual events market was valued at USD 94.04 billion. It has grown to USD 114.12 billion in 2021 and is forecast to become worth USD 504.76 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate of 23.7% from 2021 and 2028.

Yes, the virtual events industry is immense, and it has enormous growth potential. This is an indication in itself that virtual events — as a method for holding events — are here to stay.

The pandemic was the catalyst that propelled organizations and solutions providers to accelerate their virtual events platforms and communication tools. The pandemic drove the widespread adoption of these platforms and tools.

However, the virtual events market gained momentum of its own until, today, it no longer matters if COVID-19 finally ceases to be a concern. Virtual events are here to stay.

Hybrid Is the Future

Naturally, once the physical distancing and travel restrictions due to the pandemic are lifted, organizations will start holding in-person events once again.

People are excited about being with others, talking to other people face-to-face, dining with them, and socializing. More and more in-person events will be scheduled, and more people will attend them.

However, since virtual events have successfully proved their mettle during the pandemic, organizations will actively incorporate them into their events. Thus, the post-pandemic future of events is likely to be a mish-mash of in-person and virtual events, the so-called hybrid events.

Hybrid events combine elements of in-person events with elements of virtual events. However, there’s no set rule as to what constitutes a hybrid event, as its iteration is likely to vary on a case-to-case basis.

A hybrid event could translate to a main, in-person event with virtual satellite events. Or, it could be one big event where participants may choose to attend either in person or virtually.

It could also be an in-person conference where some speakers are not physically present. Another possible scenario is an in-person event where participants can download materials and handouts and engage with the speaker from a virtual events dashboard.

The possibilities are virtually endless.

However, what is clear is that events will become so much better when they are enhanced by virtual elements.

The Virtues of Virtual Events

According to AQMEN365, their research indicates that people want “short yet insightful events” that engage the participants and deliver value.

Finally, the need to travel a long distance, schedule conflicts, or the perception that an event will take too much time can be reason enough to reject an event.

Virtual events — and hybrid events — shine in this regard.

Short and Sweet

Virtual events are typically designed to be short, or at least shorter than in-person events. Organizations know people are likely not to stay glued to their screens for the entire day. Even four hours of screen time for a virtual event can be challenging.

Thus, virtual events are often preferable to long-drawn out in-person events in this regard as they are often short and sweet.

When in-person events come back post-pandemic, it would be wise to design events so they can be as short and sweet as virtual events. While the entire convention could stretch out for days, the individual events or sessions that comprise the convention could be staggered to take place in short stretches.

This will ensure lengthy breaks in between. Thus, people will have time to socialize and network with other participants, a must in in-person events. The short sessions will also be more attractive for both in-person and virtual attendees.

On-Demand

Virtual events take place on virtual platforms. They can often be recorded and made available later for on-demand consumption.

If an event participant did not hear the speaker clearly during the live session, he can log on to his virtual events dashboard and replay the speaker’s discussion. He can replay the event as many times as he wants and needs.

Now, this almost immediately available on-demand playback is something that in-person events could not provide, at least not as quickly or seamlessly. As such, expect in-person events to adapt this functionality of virtual events in the future.

Efficient

Attending in-person, out-of-town conferences can be exciting for some, but they are inconvenient or too tiring for others. They are rather expensive, too.

Meanwhile, you can attend virtual events wherever you are. With good internet connectivity, you can be in Fiji while attending a conference in Las Vegas. You won’t need to spend all that money on hotel accommodation, airplane travel and other related expenses.

Want to attend a modern accounting standards keynote? Oh, but wait. You already have a prior engagement. Fortunately, since the event is taking place virtually, it will be available to watch on-demand later. Thus, you sign up for the event anyway.

Virtual Makes Better

The virtual events industry is currently worth more than a hundred billion dollars, and it is expected to grow to approximately five times its current size by 2028. Indeed, virtual events are here to stay even when the pandemic ends.

Event organizers will be wise to incorporate everything that virtual events offer to make in-person events shorter, more efficient and, overall, better.

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Do You Need an ERP System? 3 Signs to Watch Out For

ERP System

By Ratheesh C. Ravindranathan

For a long time, enterprise resource planning (ERP) was mainly associated with medium-to-large companies, primarily because of the costs associated with adopting an ERP system.

Moreover, the need to integrate key business processes, such as finance, procurement, inventory management, supply chain, and sales, was traditionally associated with aggressive business growth.

However, this way of thinking is considered flawed and detrimental to any business. After all, small businesses encounter similar challenges that big companies face, such as the following:

  • The pressure of competition
  • Economic volatility
  • Difficulty attracting and retaining new customers
  • Effectively reducing expenses and maximizing profit

Other constraints small organizations face include limited access to financial resources and difficulties in finding or attracting top talent or highly qualified personnel. Besides, insisting on staying reliant on discrete systems and processes can also be detrimental to growth.

But how do you determine your need for an ERP system?

A top independent ERP advisory advises businesses to watch out for the following signs:

1. Your business is heavily dependent on spreadsheets.

It’s common for budding enterprises to use financial software, like QuickBooks and spreadsheets, to keep track of certain key business processes such as payroll, inventory, sales, expenses, etc.

With spreadsheets, you can monitor, tabulate and automate data. You could even create custom templates designed to help you manage inventory, estimate costs and update customer information for marketing purposes. However, there’s only so much you can get done with this kind of system.

Besides, relying on such systems and processes could mean duplicate data entry that’s not only vulnerable to human error but also wastes time and resources. Making key business decisions also takes longer in this scenario as you’ll probably need to collate the data you need as well as the insights and recommendations of different teams.

One other major concern with the ‘old way’ (pre-ERP) of doing things is the limited access to certain aspects of the systems you are using. You and perhaps one other key member of your small team is authorized to make changes to data and update systems.

But if you or this key member happen to be unavailable at the same time, or lack the expertise to deal with a specific aspect of your business or an unexpected problem, you could find yourself unable to make the right decisions.

As your business grows, you’ll quickly realize the limitations of these old systems and practices. By insisting on sticking to the old way of doing things, you could also be exposing your business to more risk. More importantly, you could end up hindering your ability to make critical decisions for business growth. This is why many businesses use inventory management software free that can help manage your inventory in a way spreadsheets can’t.

However, when you invest in an ERP system, you’ll find your business benefiting from streamlined operations that improve business efficiency. Making data-driven business decisions also becomes easier as you’ll have quick access to up-to-date, centralized information.

2. You want to be ISO certified.

For manufacturers, getting certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) on Quality Management Systems (QMS) makes it easier to achieve their goals of reducing expenses and improving profitability while also ensuring the quality of their products.

To get ISO certified, you need to painstakingly document all your manufacturing processes – which, in itself, is a tedious, time-consuming endeavor. But with an ERP system already in place, you’ll have the infrastructure and data management you need to help you meet QMS procedures efficiently.

Once you get ISO certified, you’ll find a wealth of opportunities opening up to you. More importantly, you can continue operating your business knowing you have standardized processes that satisfy stringent quality standards.

3. Your business is growing.

Growth is a fundamental goal in business. As you scale up your operations, you’ll realize that your original three-person team can no longer cope with the volume of business.

You will need to hire more employees and get an integrated system that covers the functions of different departments. This means having a centralized database that can be updated and accessed in real time, and eliminates the need to make duplicate entries to facilitate processes and generate certain documents (e.g., sales orders, packing slips, invoices).

An ERP system can help you accomplish all this and more.

How businesses benefit from an ERP system

With an ERP system, all the core processes of running a company are integrated in a single software application. Aside from this primary advantage, ERP systems offer the following benefits:

  • The visibility and accessibility of core data in an ERP system not only makes it easier to analyze information for specific purposes but also enables the discovery of process improvements. These, in turn, could lead to efficiency gains, which then translate into money and time savings.
  • The transparency, accuracy and clarity of data in an ERP system provides users the information they need to make important business decisions. Examples of these include purchasing more raw materials ahead of time based on current inventory level data or more efficient month-end closing.
  • An ERP system eliminates ‘technology clutter’ – which means you don’t need to depend on using disparate systems and software to support business processes. With an ERP system, you can get rid of software applications that perform duplicate functions, and invest your resources in other initiatives or projects. You’ll also get centralized IT support for your system rather than depending on various helpdesks.
  • Having an ERP system makes it easier for businesses to scale by offering add-on modules that can be activated whenever the need arises. This eliminates the need for employees to adjust to an entirely new interface and reduces the time needed for training, change management and adoption.

Using ERP to support business growth

As a new or growing business, you might be initially reluctant to entertain the idea of getting an ERP system. However, you can always enlist the help of business consultants in UAE (or wherever you are located) to get the data you need to make the right decision.

With their input, you can weigh the pros and cons of adopting an ERP system for a business of your size. They can provide recommendations on how the right ERP system for your business can help improve business efficiency, increase profit and achieve your goals.

You could also refer to the information shared here to self-assess and see if getting an ERP system aligns with what you envision for your business.

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About the Author

Ratheesh C. Ravindranathan

Ratheesh C. Ravindranathan is the Managing Partner at Affility, a comprehensive advisory services firm assisting clients in the UAE and worldwide with IT, risk and management consulting solutions. Being a specialist FinTech professional with over 20 years of experience, an MBA in Information Systems Management, Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) and a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Ratheesh is an expert at guiding you through your business’s digital transformation journey, Independent ERP Advisory, and Transaction Advisory for various M&As in this region.

Polish Mail Order Brides: All Details About Polish Mail Order Wife

polish mail order bride

Polish brides are gaining incredible popularity with western men looking for serious relationships. Lots of men admire the beauty of Slavic women, but want their spouses to stick to modern relationship culture and values. This is exactly why Polish brides for marriage seem so outstanding! These girls combine all those traits and features that are usually noticed in women of different nationalities, so men manage to find ideal partners for life among Polish mail order brides more frequently. Would you like to check whether your soulmate is also among Polish girls? Currently, meeting single Polish women is a simple and fast procedure, thanks to trusted sites with Polish brides, so take a chance to visit them too!

Top sites to meet Polish women in 2022

Website Special offer
JollyRomance.com Get 10 free credits after email confirmation
BravoDate.com Spend welcome 20 credits given upon registration
TheLuckyDate.com Try this dating site for free with 2,000 credits
UkraineBrides4you Visit site and get a 60% discount on the first credit purchase
MeetSlavicGirls.com Purchase credits and get the first month of premium membership for free
EuropeanDate.com Say hi to the most adorable girls with 2 free vouchers


Now when you know what platforms can help foreign men meet good wives from Poland, it makes sense to expand your representation of local women. Learn details about Polish girlfriends and the mail order bride industry and visit site when you get absolutely prepared for the hunt for love.

Why do Polish women become mail order brides?

Not every Polish girl agrees to join a mail order bride platform since some of them feel absolutely happy in relationships with local men. However, there are Polish ladies who can’t find a perfect match among their citizens, so they prefer to try their luck on the online love battlefield. The main reasons to encourage Polish brides to make this step are as follows:

  • Inability to fall in love and date local men;
  • Disappointment in relationships with Polish men;
  • Idealized image of western men who seem caring, open-minded, and reliable to every woman;
  • Interest in another culture and way of life with the desire to become its part too;
  • Higher chances to meet family-oriented men than on traditional dating sites;
  • Shortage of men is confirmed by a male to female ratio.

Are Polish mail order brides legal?

When a man realizes his admiration for European brides and starts looking for a Polish wife online, finally, he gets puzzled with the question of mail order bride legality. In most cases, this is the possibility to buy a Polish bride that may be understood directly, but in fact, it has nothing common with human trafficking. It’s crucial for every person to find out if he can marry a Polish girl and bring her legally to the country of his citizenship.

Sigh with relief and try European dating! There are no legal issues that may become an obstacle for marrying a woman from Poland even if you’re one of western guys with no European or Slavic roots. Poland approves international marriages with foreigners if they’re created voluntarily. The same good news is for US men who can easily bring a Polish wife to their native country when she gets a K1 visa.

Buying mail order brides from Poland is also a lawful experience since men pay for agency services, not for a Polish woman. Any online dating platform of this type operates like an international matchmaking company, so it helps to connect singles despite any distance between them. Therefore, mail order brides service is approved in the majority of countries in the world.

Bravodate.com offered 20 free credits after registration

Why Polish girls are perfect wives

It’s a widely spread tendency for foreign men to choose Polish women for marriage nowadays because the range of their benefits can hardly be compared with anyone else’s. Polish wives have been recognized as ideal spouses quite often, and these are the main reasons why this happened:

  1. Stunning Polish beauty: being ancestors of Slavic people and a part of European culture, Polish citizens have mixed blood of various nationalities, so now their women can boast an unmatched attractive appearance, femininity underlined with light makeup, and adorable slender figures. Their natural charm and lovely body curves make them sexy and hot, so men can’t resist the temptation to woo them.
  2. Polish brides’ adventurous and easy-going character: it’s important for every man to feel support and care from their partners, but Polish ladies can guarantee not only these benefits but also fill their married life with optimism, versatility, and comfort. A Polish woman won’t refuse unexpected trips and will do everything to make everyday life more entertaining and pleasant.
  3. Loyalty and focus on family: a desire to have a happy family appears in the minds of Polish girls from their childhood, so they pave their way to this dream for years. It’s important for every Polish woman to be a faithful and reliable wife for a husband and create a perfect couple similar to her own parents.
  4. Self-sufficiency and intelligence: though an average Polish woman agrees that it’s a man’s responsibility to maintain a family, it doesn’t prevent a Polish bride from building careers similarly to Czech brides. Despite being quite ambitious and self-sufficient, Polish mail order brides can sacrifice their desires for the sake of their family comfort and continue developing mentally while dealing with household chores and caring about kids.

polish girls perfect wivesHow to find a Polish mail order bride?

It goes without saying that only trips to Poland could help single men find their soulmates previously, but today it’s possible to meet a Polish bride for marriage with fewer obstacles on the way. There’s even no need to leave the comfort of your home to visit site and start communication with Polish brides. These ladies are great conversationalists, so there are high chances to get acquainted with a future wife from Poland either online or during a trip to this beautiful country.

Mail order bride websites

Website Benefits
JollyRomance ● Works on any device;
● Has an abundance of Polish brides‘ profiles;
● Variety of features, including chatting, sending gifts, adding to favorites, etc;
● Lots of useful articles on dating;
● All accounts are subjected to verification;
● Free sign-up;
● Extended search with lots of filters.
BravoDate ● User-friendly interface;
● Over 400k monthly visitors to date;
● Responsive website design;
● Multiple communication features;
● Prepaid basis that allows controlling expenditures;
● Special features like newsfeed, requesting woman’s personal details, setting up a date, etc.
TheLuckyDate ● Lots of free features, including registration;
● Possibility to send photos, videos, and audio to your date;
● Popular banking options supported;
● Reasonable pricing policy;
● 24/7 customer support to assist in relationship building;
● Good safety measures;
● Advanced search option.

Not all people approve of online dating, but they may simply haven’t heard of the best mail order bride sites, including TheLuckyDate. It’s an innovative approach to matchmaking that connects people who are not afraid of love failures and are looking for a durable relationship with a happy ending. Why do more men expect to find Polish mail order wives like that? There are several key moments to memorize:

  • These sites attract people interested in a long-term and family-oriented relationship;
  • They provide access to thousands of accounts simultaneously;
  • There are quite informative Polish mail order brides’ profiles that prevent users from the necessity to imagine a woman or man described and see uploaded photos and videos instead;
  • The matchmaking process is quick and accurate on such a dating site like Ukrainebrides4you since you can filter users by adjusting search preferences and never waste time on ladies with an absolutely different perception of the world;
  • They contain profiles of validated users that allow minimizing dating scams and prevent girls from being afraid of registered men;
  • Most girls registered there come from different countries, so men can meet not only Polish mail order brides there but also girls of many other nationalities.

Mail order bride tour

Another exciting way to find a Polish mail order wife is joining romance tours organized by international dating agencies like BravoDate. There are single and group tours where men can date women they’ve already interacted with online or attend special events arranged for date purposes with lots of gorgeous Polish beauties.

Such mail order bride tours are a perfect chance to visit Poland and learn more about local belles not from a content writer on dating sites but do that personally. Such tours may seem more costly than an ordinary visit to Poland, but the main reason for that is their all-inclusive nature. You’ll pay not only for travel expenses but also accommodation and leisure time in the company of Polish women for marriage. The parties for single men planning to visit Poland can also be cross-cultural, so they can ask to invite Ukrainian women for marriage there and girls from other neighboring countries.

How much does it cost to find a mail order bride from Poland?

It makes almost no difference whether you choose MeetSlavicGirls or any other site with mail order brides, the price you should pay for meeting a Polish girl without the help of a dating coach depends on how active you’re online. The majority of dating sites with girls of a quite young age and more mature ladies operate on a prepaid basis, so the more any male user takes advantage of paid services, the more money he should spend, be it Polish or Ukrainian dating.

The average amount you can expect to give on communication with a Polish bride on a monthly basis is $200, though it may differ depending on your popularity and can grow up to $500 if you visit site several times a day.

polish woman and american men

Do Polish women like American men?

US gentlemen tend to take primary positions among men who attract Polish mail order brides. Local women visit site with foregn men mainly in search of American partners who seem especially handsome and caring for them. Any dating site with a large audience, like EuropeanDate, may require more loading time, but an idealized image of US males serves as an incentive to continue a partner search and do everything to build long-lasting relationships with them. One more point that attracts Polish women for marriage is the interest in the American culture and style of life, so each of them doesn’t mind becoming a Polish wife of an American husband.

Conclusion

An average Polish mail order bride has everything men can wish to see in their wives. Whether this is irresistible beauty or a witty mind, excellent household skills or maternal instinct, these women seem to leave all other brides from Central Europe behind when it comes to being an ideal spouse. If you compare Polish mail order wives with ladies from different countries, you’ll see they’ve combined all the best features, so it’s not surprising why overseas grooms are amazed by them so much! Willing to feel the charm of a pretty Polish woman too? Start with profile creation on a popular site like JollyRomance, and you’ll see how easy it can be to meet a single Polish woman!

FAQ

Are there mail order brides from Poland?

Undoubtedly, there are many beauties in Poland who dare to look for happiness and marriage abroad. The population of the country is over 40 million, so there are thousands of girls who become Polish brides for sale.

Is it possible to buy a bride from Poland?

Yes, it is. You should become a member of the trusted mail order bride service with Polish brides and start the search for the wife to buy.

How much does it cost to get married in Poland?

A couple that consists of a Polish mail order bride and a foreigner and applies for marriage registration should pay a treasury fee of 84 PLN ($20) for marriage certificate preparation.

How can I impress my Polish girl?

The easiest ways to surprise Polish people are making love confessions in their own language and bathing them in attention, care, and lovely gifts.

How do you win a Polish girl’s heart?

It’s important to be sincere and persistent in your effort to get a Polish girlfriend like you. Make spontaneous surprises and look chivalrous in her eyes. Remember about romantic eves and try to appeal to family members of your Polish bride too.

How many Polish brides are on dating websites?

There are thousands of lonely Polish women for marriage on dating services, so the chances of finding a soulmate are really high.

When do Polish women typically want to get married?

The legal age of marriage in Poland is 18 years, but the median age of an average Polish mail order bride who tends to create a family is 27.

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