How Pro Golfers Manage Their Finances

April 13, 2021

It’s no surprise that pro golfers bag millions of dollars after winning major golf tournaments such as The PGA Championship, the Masters, and the U.S. Open. However, while pro golfers enjoy the euphoric rush of victory, could they avoid the temptation of spending their earnings on luxury?

Let’s hear it from the pro golfers themselves. In this article, the world’s greatest golfers discuss how they handle their finances.

Jim Furyk

Pro golfer Jim Furyk bagged a total amount of $270,000 when he won his first tournament. But learning to handle a huge amount of money is already natural to Furyk, who sticks to a conservative financial management style.

During his first tournament, Furyk shared that he had only saved a little money for himself and even had his grandmother pay for his expenses. He said, “I grew up in Lancaster, Pa., which is a pretty conservative area, so when I first started earning money, I put it away for the future. My father is careful with his finances and he helped me plan what to do with my money.”

Now, Furyk is well-aware of the benefits of hiring a financial team, noting that there are far more people who can better handle his money for him. He said, “It’s important to seek good help from several people, so you diversify the advice you get. Diversifying helps you avoid getting duped by scam artists, too.”

Above all of these efforts and despite earning hundreds of dollars, Furyk learned to manage temptation and to prioritize saving for the uncertainties of life. He gives credit to his father, who he deems as his coach and mentor.

Rickie Fowler

Bagging a total of $36.4 million throughout his career until 2019, Rickie Fowler is a fan favorite, thanks to his flashy golf uniforms and his uncanny ability to continuously advance to the final rounds.

Fowler is competitive on the course just as he is on money: “I have a couple [of] financial guys that help me with some stuff. My portfolio is pretty strong.” He also noted that he is channeling a more progressive approach with his investments.

Justin Rose

Until 2019, Justin Rose has received a total of career earnings amounting to $51 million. As one of golf’s classiest players, he knows how to hit the right swing in the financial realm, too.

Rose is aware of where to put his focus: in his golfing career. Therefore, he opted to hire a team of financial professionals to make money matters more manageable for him. He said, “I really put a lot of trust in the team at Morgan Stanley. I am at a stage in my career where it’s about focusing on the golf — I feel like I am in the prime of my career.”

His goal and motivation for proper financial planning? His two dear children.

Jordan Spieth

The 28-year-old three-time major winner and 2015 FedEx Cup champion knows how to ace his game on the course and in the financial world.

His financial literacy is molded throughout the years with his father, a business manager, by his side. “My dad has been my business manager to an extent for four, five, six years now — he has a lot of experience. Certainly, I try to pick the brains of any CEOs I am in the room with.”

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About the Author

Jordan Fuller is passionate about golf and business. As a golf enthusiast and a writer, he had his works published in Golf Tips Magazine, FORE Magazine, GolfMagic, and USGolfTV.

Resources

https://www.rbcwealthmanagement.com/je/en/research-insights/what-golfer-jim-furyk-can-teach-athletes-and-you-about-managing-money-ca/detail/
https://sports.yahoo.com/how-golfs-biggest-stars-manage-their-money-125833251.html

Work from Home: Expectations vs. Reality

April 13, 2021

The concept of remote work has been met with its own set of expectations and misconceptions, but the reality of working from home might come as a shock for some people altogether!

To be able to work full-time at home is the ultimate millennial dream. For those who used to spend 2-3 hours alone commuting to and from their office, it is especially a dream come true. But as with anything in life, there are two sides to the same coin; and working from home brings with it its own set of pros and cons that everyone needs to take into consideration.

Those who have started working from home as a change from working in an office environment are finding their expectations might not be the reality, the same way those accustomed to the flexibility of remote work will find it hard to adjust to the structured dynamic of regular office hours.

However, if you’re expecting work from home to be a lax and rewarding experience as compared to the run-of-the-mill 9 to 5 jobs most people are accustomed to, you might want to reign in on your expectations a little.

Let’s debunk some theories about remote work, and set you up with a realistic expectation on what you can get out of such an unorthodox setup.

Scheduling conflicts

If you’re remotely employed, you might think there’s no need for an alarm clock because you can start your day, and by extension your work, any time you want. However, you could not be farther from the truth.

Working from home will still have its set office hours. You will still be given project deadlines to meet and working hours to respect, out of obligation of being a stand-up employee who wishes to do good by their company. This model is efficient for remote workers who can routinely collaborate and check in on each other’s progress, holding one another accountable for their respective tasks. You can set up conference calls and zoom meetings as you normally would in your corporate office.

Yes, there is absolutely no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch that 6:30 train to the metropolis, but it does your self-discipline and overall work ethic well if you still imposed some semblance of routine in your workflow. Even if your contract is project-based that doesn’t demand you to put in x number of hours, creating a schedule for yourself and sticking to it might go a long way in terms of your overall outlook towards remote work.

Work-life balance

Most people think that because the only commute you’d need as a remote worker is the bed to your desk, therefore you won’t get burnt out as much as regular corporate employees do. But this is largely false.

Being burnt out is not exclusive to remote workers, it can happen to anyone. It has nothing to do with the circumstances of your working model, but more on the general disposition with which you regard working altogether. If you view it cynically from the start, the isolated work set-up will only serve to aggravate your feelings further.

But if you embrace your situation and make the most out of it, you’ll find yourself looking forward to the many privileges you get to enjoy being able to work in the sun and get paid for it.

Working hours

Another common misconception people often think of remote work is that they can stop working anytime they want and just Netflix and chill if they choose to do so.

This is not the case for a majority of people working from home. In fact, because of the removal of the structure of a set workload and working hours, most of them find themselves working from the early hours of dawn late into the night. Tasks that aren’t completed from the day before can end up becoming work to tend to over the weekend. It can be hard to not bring the work home, when you are working at home.

Getting a solid grasp of how you can maximize productivity while working from home, without sacrificing your sanity, can prove to be an optimal setup.

Productivity output

Working in a standard office can often lead to us underestimating the power of the internet because much of our workflow demands us to rely on the stable connection speed. When it goes off, it’s no fault other than external factors such as the internet provider, but never the employee. Bosses cannot fault their staff then for a delay in productivity.

Home WiFi and work WiFi are way more often than not different from each other, the latter being especially calibrated to be able to take on multiple servers and personnel without sacrificing quality. Working from home, relying on home WiFi, is an entirely different matter. Sometimes it cannot be trusted and sometimes it can, but on the times it conveniently goes out during an important meeting or brief, it’s quite hard to justify it without your boss doubting the true intentions of your explanation.

Communication is the key to handling remote work teams, and giving your boss the heads up of possible interruptions beforehand creates a relationship of trust shared among everyone else who may be going through faulty connections.

Overall work environment

The overall lack of human interaction can have many compounding effects on a worker’s productivity, psyche, and ability to socialise. Without a proper communication tool, it makes quick questions that you would normally ask with ease in the office cubicles more of an extended process via email. It makes the entire process more tedious than it should be. There is also a lack of authenticity in your work when you spend most of it staring back at the glare of a computer screen.

Having a focused work environment can be the thing that makes or break your entire remote work set-up. One’s surroundings can have a compounding effect on their ability to focus and stay productive, and even affect your mood.

Investing in some sensible, affordable ergonomic office furniture to set up a minimalistic and discreet but comfortable home office will do wonders to boost your morale. Ergonomic office chairs, or even just dedicated tables for working, can completely transform your outlook in remote work for the better. Lay the finishing touches with decorative elements that bring a sense of calm to your day to day – Candle Kiosk’s pillar candles are perfect for upping your home office set up.

Some people say that with working from home you can start sooner and end sooner, start later and end later. Everyone approaches it differently according to their work ethic, preferences, and overall living circumstances that play into what their whole remote work set-up looks like.

The important thing to always remember at the end of the day is that working from home doesn’t have to put a dent in your plans if you only set your expectations right from the beginning and prioritize accordingly. Remember to communicate effectively not just with your colleagues, but the people around you, and maybe you’ll find it a little less lonely staring at your screen for extended periods knowing you are not alone in doing so.

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Reinvigorating Local Brick & Mortar Stores Through E-commerce

April 12, 2021

The popularity of online shopping is on the rise; e-commerce and mail orders now account for 14.3% of total retail sales, demonstrating a shift in consumer behavior, particularly during the Covid-19 crisis. While online shopping was once considered to be a major challenger to brick-and-mortar establishments, more retail brands nowadays are seeing benefits from incorporating online elements to their fixed-location businesses.

If you’re a local business owner, e-commerce can help to reinvigorate your business and expand your customer base. Set up an online store to start experiencing these benefits:

1. Age verification integration

While many brick-and-mortar establishments may offer an e-commerce option without issue, retailers who sell age-restricted products may be discouraged due to the strict regulations by which they’re required to abide. As an example, selling cigars online can put a shop owner at a disadvantage, as some financial institutions automatically consider the e-commerce transactions to be ‘high risk’. This is due to the FDA requiring sellers to verify that anybody purchasing tobacco products is over 21—fairly easy to do in person, but a much more difficult regulation to confidently enforce online.

Fortunately, if a business owner would like to sell age-restricted products online, there are now age verification options available that can integrate with your payment gateway merchant. For an additional layer of security, some shipping partners allow you to require the signature of an adult on delivery. By utilizing these services, store owners can expand their customer access options without compromising on compliance.

2. More purchasing options for consumers

By offering shipping options on your e-commerce site, as well as physical pickup locations, you can provide your customers with more convenient ways to shop for and receive their products. According to studies, during the most recent holiday season almost one-third of consumers purchased goods online, and opted to pick their purchases up from a physical store. The recent pandemic has been instrumental in changing consumer behavior, with 79% of consumers indicating that a contactless pickup option is important to them, and 85% of consumers indicating that they’re choosing curbside pickup more frequently.

Aside from providing fast gratification for online shoppers, pickup options have the additional benefit of allowing a business owner to improve their bottom line. 69% of consumers who used click-and-collect options over the last holiday season reported buying extra items in the store as they picked up their order, indicating that retailers can take advantage of impulse purchases to boost their sales. There is also evidence that high shipping costs can cause a reduction of up to 63% in online sales; with a local pickup option, businesses could avoid losing these sales among consumers within their local community.

3. Wider range of product availability

94% of all US retail sales still occur in a physical location; however, one limitation of brick-and-mortar stores is the lack of product availability. If a product isn’t available in-store, consumers may decide to search for it online instead of placing an order. By setting up an e-commerce option for your store, you could take orders and have the items shipped directly from the supplier, providing your customers with a wider range of options than they’d typically find in-store. If you own a small chain of local stores, online sales can be shipped from whichever location has the item in stock, meaning that you won’t miss out on a sale if the item is out of stock in your flagship location. By allowing potential customers to see which stores have which items in stock, your e-commerce site could also be used to direct foot traffic to your physical location.

4. Expanded customer base opportunities

One of the clearest advantages to including an e-commerce element in your physical retail store is the opportunity to attract more patrons. Customers are increasingly turning to the internet to research and purchase products, with 22% of global sales expected to take place via e-commerce by 2023. By ensuring that your store has an online presence, you could attract customers from any location you’re willing to ship to.

Conclusion

While brick-and-mortar storefronts allow you to build personal relationships with customers and take advantage of foot traffic, the addition of an e-commerce store could allow you the best of both worlds. A well-functioning online shop can complement your existing operations by attracting new clients, making sales for you, and ensuring that your age-restricted products are sold according to local laws and regulations.

Consider using a hybrid online/physical location strategy for your business, and start reaping the benefits today.

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How to get registered for a Bitcoin Exchange?

April 12, 2021

Bitcoin Exchange is essential for the smooth trading of each bitcoin transaction and for the exchange of digital currency into a physical currency.

If you want to use bitcoin for trading purposes like buying or selling goods and services and it may be just investing money for bitcoin, you must have an exchange account for the flexible exchange of your digital or physical currency.

The main purpose of every bitcoin exchange is to help the people for the smooth functioning of every transaction, and there are many exchange providers on the internet.

Why Getting Registered on the Bitcoin exchange is mandatory?

Bitcoin is working on blockchain, and the blockchain store the data of bitcoin users such as their current or recent transactions, previous transactions, wallet address of sender and receiver on the public ledger, which is visible to every person who wants to check. For more information you can visit CFD Trader.

Only the person can move the fund of bitcoin from one location to another location, and it is not possible without an identity, and identity will be confirmed on the exchange. You have to register on the bitcoin exchange, and by filling in your detail, you can move funds digitally.

Another reason for getting registered on the bitcoin exchange is that you will face problems when you need money in your own currency. You cannot convert bitcoin currency into your local currency yourself; here, you need an exchange.

Steps for registration on an Exchange

There are different types of bitcoin exchanges, and in each exchange, there may be minor difference in registration steps, but the common steps are the following:

Choose an exchange you want to get registered with, and there will be an option to sign up and log in. As we know, we are new users and want to register, so we will go with the SignUp step.
After clicking on the SignUp button, they will ask for you some basic details, cater these details and continue with the next step.
The next step is that they will send you an email for confirmation that it really belongs to you or not? Check your email and confirm the link for the verification.
Now you are successfully registered, but it doesn’t mean the registration process is ended; after the activation of your account on the exchange, the process of registration begins.

You can register your new account if you have not any bitcoin, or at the time of registration, you do not want to purchase bitcoin.

Verify Your Identity

After activating your account on the exchange, the actual registration process begins. To take full advantage of bitcoin exchange, you must have to go with your identity verification process as named KYC (Know-Your-Customer). For the proper utilization of bitcoin service, KYC is mandatory for you or every person who wants to use bitcoin. There are the following steps to complete the KYC (Know-Your-Customer) given below:-

Phone Number Confirmation – We all know that phone number is the best method of easy verification, everyone can do this easily if he doesn’t know how to use the phone number as a registration, it is understandable because when you will fill your number on the website then you will get an OTP (One-Time-Password) for the verification of your number and by filling the OTP or (code that has been sending to your mobile number) on the website, your number will be verified. It will also help you for recovering your bitcoin exchange website password if you forget it, and two-step authentication will secure your exchange account from hacking.

ID Proof – This is the main part of registration to provide your personal identification proofs. It may vary in different countries and different exchange websites, but in most cases, all the required documents are the same in each bitcoin exchange website. In different countries, there may be different primary identity proofs like in India, the primary proof of every citizen is Adhaar Card, but it is not compulsory to provide a primary identity card is must, you can submit other proofs like driving license, date of Birth in some websites or passport.

You can read the instruction on the website while submitting your personal proofs because they mentioned before the upload option- which proof is required to submit.

When your KYC (Know-Your-Customer) will be done, you will get the service for the exchange of bitcoin from one location to another location, changing your bitcoin value into your local currency, and you can also use it for paying bills and debts and buying goods and services.

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What are Bitcoin Exchanges?

April 12, 2021

There are many people who want to purchase bitcoin, but they don’t know where to purchase bitcoin? Before purchasing the bitcoin, we should know that what is the meaning of the bitcoin exchange and how it is working in bitcoin?

What are Bitcoin Exchanges?

Bitcoin exchanges are exchanges that are used to convert the local currency into bitcoin and to convert the value of bitcoin into your local currency.

Bitcoin exchanges are working as exchanges like banks who convert the foreign currency into our local currency or if we want to send money to foreign, then converting our local currency into foreign currency with minimum charges or fees.

Why are Exchanges Important?

There are many people who are using bitcoin as a payment method; they use bitcoin to pay digitally for goods or services, for paying their bills, for paying debt, or any other use of bitcoin, but if you have bitcoin in your wallet and you want to pay in your own currency to the person who cannot accept money via bitcoin, it will create a problem for you, and the question will arise- how I can pay him in local currency?

The answer is simple; there is a need for an exchange that will convert your bitcoin value into your local currency so as you can pay easily in your own local currency.

Are there any Physical Exchanges?

Yes, there may be physical exchanges in your local area where you can create your account on that Exchange. You can physically visit that Exchange, and you can convert your bitcoin value into your currency. But in some areas, there are no bitcoin exchanges exists.

Where to get bitcoin exchanges if they do not exist in your local area?

The question will arise that where to get bitcoin exchanges for converting the currency into your local currency. The answer is websites.

Yes, there are many websites of bitcoin exchanges that are providing facilities for bitcoin exchanges. You can simply search on the internet “Bitcoin exchanges” it will show many ads and organic search results of exchanges that provide these facilities.

All the bitcoin exchanges are same?

No, there are a lot of bitcoin exchanges on the internet which are different in some parts like exchange rate may vary in each Exchange but the service will be the same in each bitcoin exchange is that converting bitcoin value into local currency or local currency into bitcoin value for the smooth trading.

Will bitcoin exchanges charge?

Yes, bitcoin exchange will charge some amount of fees for the exchange service. There may be different charges in different exchanges, which depend upon the popularity of the Exchange. If an exchange is very popular, they will increase their fees of Exchange seldom.

For example, when you go to the bank to send money abroad, the bank charges some money as a fee for converting your currency into the currency of another country where you want to send money.

Tips for choosing the Exchange

In this internet era, there is a lot of competition, and in every field, competition is increasing day by day. Many businesses are establishing rapidly, and it is difficult to choose the right product or services.

It is the same in the case of bitcoin exchanges; when you will search on Google, there will be an enormous number of bitcoins exchanging websites and which will create a difficult situation for the bitcoin users to choose the right platform for smooth trading of their bitcoin. So, there are the following tips you can use while choosing a bitcoin exchange: –

Before going to exchange your bitcoin into physical currency, always look at the nearby exchanges for the exchange rate that will help you to find the exact rate of bitcoin exchange.
Before going to exchange your bitcoin into physical currency, first of all, check the price of bitcoin in your own currency.
Keep a close look at the exchange rate of different exchanges before creating an account for your bitcoin wallet. There are some websites that will provide you data about the exchange rates like Bitcoin Storm
Check different exchanges and check their fees for exchanges because there are some bitcoin exchanges that are charging a small amount for their service, and on the other hand, there are some other exchanges that charge a huge amount for the same service.

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Are ‘Free’ Online Stock Brokers Really Free And Are They Fueling Volatility?

April 12, 2021

There is no such thing as a free lunch so when a company claims to offer something at zero cost there is always a catch. In the case of discount “free trading” brokerages, the user is often paying for the service through higher fees elsewhere.

Robinhood: The Customer Isn’t Really The Customer

Robinhood gained notoriety as one of the first discount brokers to challenge the status quo that investing in stocks is reserved for the wealthier segment of the population. The company offers stock trading and other services to its users at zero cost. Now, the obvious question observers need to ask themselves is how can a company operate by giving away their service for free.

We know the answer. Robinhood has a unique business model that is quite complex and differs from its rival online stock brokers.

Simply put, Robinhood acts as a sort of middleman by accepting customer orders and sending the orders to high-frequency traders and hedge funds. This practice is legal and has a name within the online stock broker universe: payment for order flow.

Supporters of the practice argue that Robinhood’s close connections to high-frequency traders mean it can get a better price compared to sending the order to the New York Stock Exchange. According to a 2018 report from The Wall Street Journal, it wasn’t clear if Robinhood was passing along the benefit to the customer.

WSJ notes that a theoretical order to buy 100 shares of Apple at $200 a share would net Robinhood a cut of $5.20 for routing the order to a firm, like Citadel Securities. By contrast, legacy online stock brokers like Schwab would collect nine cents for completing the same order.

This is like receiving a free Big Mac at McDonald’s but paying $6 for the fries and drink when a traditional combo costs $5.75. Sure, the Big Mac was technically free but the consumer is getting a worse deal.

In 2019 Robinhood paid the US Securities and Exchange Commission $1.25 million to settle regulatory claims it didn’t ensure clients received the best possible price for orders. While the company claimed at the time it took steps to improve its execution and processes, the fact remains clear: Robinhood’s user base is not the firm’s client, rather it is the product, and firms like Citadel are its real clients.

This Canadian ‘Free’ Discount Broker Has A Catch

Wealthsimple is one of the Canadian online stock brokers looking to challenge discount brokers that banks operate through unique offerings. Wealthsimple is known for its robo-advisory service in which customers take advantage of curated investment options based on their unique and individual circumstances.

In this case, Wealthsimple offers zero-commission transactions in exchange for a fee equal to 0.5% of assets under management. The fee drops to 0.4% for clients with more than $100,000 in their accounts.

A customer with a $25,000 portfolio will pay $125 a year in fees. This might be an ideal scenario for young people who are new to investing and don’t know (or want to know) how to properly manage their savings. But savvy investors that are comfortable in setting up their portfolio and willing to monitor it are paying much more for “free” trades with Wealthsimple.

Wealthsimple also offers a do-it-yourself option for investors that want to manage their own portfolio. Unlike every other Canadian discount broker, The online broker does not allow customers to hold US dollars in their account. So each time they sell a US dollar-denominated stock it is automatically converted to Canadian dollars. If they want to reinvest the proceeds from a stock sale in another US stock they need to unnecessarily pay another exchange rate markup.

Do ‘Free’ Discount Brokers Fuel Volatility?

Free and very cheap online brokers introduced tens of millions of new investors to the market. Robinhood alone added 13 million new users in 2020, many of which followed the lead of Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy who live-streamed his trading during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Portnoy started trading with zero experience and minimal knowledge of stocks. But his vast business acumen eventually translated to profitable trades after some initial losses. His charismatic personality fueled his popularity and made it clear to millions of new people they can also profit from stocks whether they are investing $100 or $1 million.

The GameStop and other “meme stocks” fiasco of early 2021 made it abundantly clear that investors and traders on free online stock brokers can move stocks in ways that have never been seen before.

The Wall Street Journal notes that the surge in average investors using discount online brokers is collectively large enough to create a “power shift” on Wall Street. The power shift was evident when a hedge fund powerhouse Melvin Capital Management was on the losing side of the GameStop trade by the tune of billions of dollars.

Bottom Line: Free Isn’t Free, But It Can Still Be Worth It

Before Robinhood and other “free” discount brokers came along, the average person felt left out of the stock market surge. There is some validity to this thesis as Robinhood was among the first to offer fractional share ownership at no upfront cost to an investor.

Canadian online stock broker Wealthsimple offered a similar proposition of giving smaller investors access to professionally managed investment products. Granted, its zero-fee platform could end up being more expensive than standard discount brokers that offer a fixed fee per transition.

But for many investors “free” is a fantastic option.

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A Matter of Intelligence: Interview with Laura Hamilton, Falanx Assynt

April 12, 2021

It is sometimes said that there is no gain without risk. But just how great is the risk involved in any given business context, in a world where there are so many factors in operation? Laura Hamilton, former Head of Intelligence Consulting at Falanx Assynt, gives us some background.

Could you give us some general background on Falanx Assynt, and on your specific role in the company?

Falanx Assynt is a geopolitical risk and strategic intelligence consultancy, headquartered in London with employees located globally, many of whom are embedded analysts within client companies.

My role as Head of Intelligence Consulting is to look after any of our bespoke projects that do not have a solely geopolitical focus. These projects involve carrying out and instructing human source enquiries, public records and open-source research, before analysing the findings and reporting them in a format that meets the client’s requirements. We work with clients across a range of sectors, helping them with everything from enhanced due diligence to asset tracing, new market entry to understanding a subject’s source of wealth, litigation support and numerous other in-depth research requests.

Your work relies on examining historical data, and your assessments of reputational risks are only as reliable as the data you have access to. Are there any geographical areas or fields of activity where it is particularly challenging to get reliable data?

The information available varies greatly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, both in terms of availability and reliability. I think the key is an understanding of what is available and how to find it, which is what consultancies like Falanx Assynt can offer. While I do not think there are any specific jurisdictions to single out where it is particularly challenging to get reliable data, there are areas where understanding the political context is key to understanding data reliability – for example, understanding if media are censored by the state or funded by the government and therefore potentially unlikely to publish anything positive about opponents. This is crucial when it comes to understanding whether, for example, any corruption allegations you uncover are valid or are instead part of a potential effort to discredit the subject.

Has the pandemic situation caused any specific difficulties for your company in conducting its business?

Thankfully, we have been able to make a smooth transition to operating remotely, having always had team members located across a number of jurisdictions. When it comes to our project work specifically, it has just meant we have had to add in some additional time for accessing public records which are only available in person. However, varying timeframes is something we have always been conscious of and we have ensured that our clients know this remains the case, especially now that we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. This enables us to set the right client expectations from the outset, so we are able to not just deliver but, where possible, exceed the requirements in a reasonable timeframe.

In the light of experience to date in coping with the pandemic, do you think there are lessons to be learned for business in the future, particularly with regard to prediction and planning?

I think that, while it would have been very difficult to predict the situation we find ourselves in regarding the pandemic, predictions about the areas you operate in are nonetheless key to helping you mitigate potential risks. I also think businesses need to be more aware about the potential reputational risks they face, both from carrying out due diligence on partners, clients and potential investments, as well as through ongoing assessment of where their exposure might lie. It seems many businesses have adapted well to the pandemic; however, being proactive rather than reactive is key, where possible. It is also important to ensure that plans are in place to mitigate a variety of scenarios which might arise and that are within their control, whilst also ensuring business continuity.

Do you see a danger that business might be so preoccupied with reacting to COVID that leaders may be taking their eye off the ball in other areas?

I think if anything it has made business leaders more aware of how quickly something can impact their business and therefore made them more conscious about mitigating the risks that are controllable, such as trying to avoid reputational damage and understanding their exposure to potential impacts in the jurisdictions that they operate. Furthermore, since COVID-19 has had such an impact on all sectors globally, leaders must now deal with both the impact of the pandemic and the ongoing business challenges simultaneously, with strong leaders being able to tackle them well.

The pandemic is naturally seen as being very much in the category of threat’ for businesses. However, do you see any aspect of opportunity that business leaders could take advantage of?

Trust, innovation and resilience are key to business success, all of which can be found in abundance at the moment.

I am a natural optimist and so while I think it is important to acknowledge how tough this scenario is in so many ways and give credit to everyone who is just trying to manage in these difficult times, there is always some good and positivity to be found as well. While the pandemic has been a threat to many sectors and businesses, I am in awe of those individuals and companies who have demonstrated such adaptability in the face of adversity, pivoting and changing to different industries, or ways of delivering their services or goods. The shift to more environmentally friendly methods of operating, more trust in companies where all staff have been forced to work remotely, and the innovation that has come out of some really tough spaces is something that business leaders could take advantage of. Trust, innovation, and resilience are key to business success, all of which can be found in abundance at the moment.

Some studies suggest that women in intelligence are under-represented, as well as being lower-paid than their male counterparts. How would you say your industry compares with others in this regard, and are you optimistic for the future?

I think the industry is changing and I am really fortunate to work in a company with mainly women here at Falanx Assynt. I do think there is a shift in this traditional pattern and that the industry is becoming more diverse in terms of gender, but there is long way to go. I am on the leadership team of Women in International Security (WIIS) UK, which is a great place to see how many excellent women there are across numerous related fields. I am also really optimistic for the future – I work with some excellent more-junior members of staff, and I have also had a few opportunities to speak to new graduates and current students recently. I am in awe of how intelligent, articulate, and driven they all are, so I have a lot of hope for the next generation of women in my field. I cannot wait to see what progress they make!

What would your advice be to women starting out on a career in general, and in your industry in particular?

The worst anyone can say is no (or ignore you); neither of those reflects on your capabilities, but you do not know unless you try, so go for it.

I stumbled across my industry, so I would recommend that any woman interested in finding out more about the strategic or geopolitical intelligence field – or whatever sector she is interested in joining – reach out to people she knows, as well as those she does not, who are in the industry she is interested in joining and ask them how they got there. The key is to also weave your story together well in applications. I have taken a less than linear path to get to where I am, as I didn’t start out in the intelligence sector, so if you find yourself in that position, make sure to explain why you are the perfect fit for the role. I would treat everything as a building block to help you get there, find areas in your career to date which align with the job role and emphasise those qualities, which will make it easy for the hiring manager to see the value you will bring to the role and the company at large. Finally, the worst anyone can say is no (or ignore you); neither of those reflects on your capabilities, but you do not know unless you try, so go for it. That would be my main advice!

For more tips on how financial businesses can become more resilient, particularly those operating in complex jurisdictions, access my top five tips for gathering intelligence when litigating in unfamiliar markets. “Guide to accessing credible Intelligence”

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Executive Profile

Laura Hamilton – former Head of Intelligence Consulting – joined Falanx Assynt in May 2019 and is responsible for managing both strategic intelligence and political and security risk projects. She has four years’ previous experience in the corporate investigations sector, having begun her career as a legal markets analyst before working in the international communications team for a FTSE 100 retailer. Laura holds an MA in War Studies (Conflict, Security & Development) and a BA in Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies, both from King’s College London. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, with elementary knowledge of French and Arabic, and has regional experience in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Laura also recently joined the leadership team of the UK branch of Women in International Security (WIIS), a network for women working on international security issues.

Why every celebrity is suddenly obsessed with bitcoin

April 12, 2021

From A-list celebrities to social media personalities, the highly engaging nature of the bitcoin community is ever growing.

It wasn’t until recent years that the popularity of cryptocurrency wholly captured the public interest at large, when most of its founding years were reserved almost exclusively to engineers, developers, and entrepreneurs around the globe.

In early January of 2021, Bitcoin hit one of its newest highs, reaching approximately $42,000 per mined coin. Needless to say, it’s one of the most liquid investments to date. And with its surge in prices, comes the re-emergence of the Bitcoin fever we knew all too well dominated the 2007 market.

More than just a niche investment, bitcoin has become one of the most sensationalized financial trends – and even an obsession – shared not only by common traders but influential figures alike.

Here are some of the reasons why.

Fan culture

Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur and television personality, told Forbes in December that bitcoin “is more (of a) religion than a solution to any problem”. This phrase alone is telling of the sort of cult-like devotion to which applies the followers of this cryptocurrency, who have taken on idealistic views of its success and domination in the financial market and spend countless encounters convincing everyone else it is so.

There is a fan culture dedicated around bitcoin, as their enthusiasts have their lingo and jargon-filled with acronyms and phrases only those in the trade would understand. For example, “HODL” basically means “Stay strong, HODL even when the price drops”. Or “whale” which symbolizes “someone who owns a lot of cryptocurrency”. If you would like to HODL bitcoin, use one of these celsius referral codes to store your bitcoin.

These tidbits of bitcoin-exclusive references and inner colloquial terms attract a sense of community between its traders, building a rapport amongst all no matter where in the world they are trading from.

“The culture around bitcoin is part of the appeal,” says Finn Breton, professor of science and technology at the University of California Davis. “When you buy bitcoin, you’re actually buying into a whole scene,” Breton continues. “And it’s a scene that can be a part of your identity.”

Though bitcoin is getting more attention from some serious investors and mainstream financial institutions, it’s still a somewhat subversive concept, so people who invest in it can view themselves as radical or participating in the counterculture.

A sense of gratification

The process of checking stocks regularly is an activity that can quickly grow tiresome and boring, but this is not the case with bitcoin. When it comes to cryptocurrencies in general, it can be exciting because no one hour is the same and something is constantly changing and shifting within the charts. You can check the graphs ten times a day, and the prices can still vary wildly.

Young people especially those who have grown up with video games and social media are conditioned to want instant gratification and fast-paced cycles. Being drawn to high-risk high-reward investments like bitcoin makes perfect sense for those seeking instant thrills.

Branding

Over the years, celebrities have undoubtedly attracted some attention to the crypto sector. With a considerable number of public figures already investing their fortunes in cryptocurrency, more seem to be jumping on board with cryptocurrency for business ventures and more.

Madonna, along with Bill Clinton, is also one of many public figures involved in spreading the word about how easy and secure cryptocurrency is as a payment method. The Queen of Pop teamed up with Facebook and Ripple for an online fundraiser to benefit her Raising Malawi foundation where she raised thousands for the cause.

Because of the niche nature of this financial subsector that has not been as recognized as traditional payment schemes, it’s also a way for these influencers to set themselves apart from the mold. Being associated with bitcoin gives them an air of eclecticism and sophistication.

The overall bitcoin excitement, particularly among young people, illustrates that people feel locked out of the ability to have the kind of assets that would let them generate any form of wealth.

Looking at the fever surrounding bitcoin begs people to see it in part as a demonstration of the financial innovations surrounding our fast-changing modern world, but also at the magnitude to which things are changing. These celebrities are in the know, and they are sowing their oats while bitcoin is still accessible only to the select few who can indulge in it before it completely takes over.

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SEO, Importance of Search Engine Optimization

April 11, 2021

Figure 1Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization which is commonly known as SEO is fixed and will always be one of the effective online marketing strategies today even though digital marketing the landscape has changed dramatically from year to year. It has become an important factor to consider for a company, expanding into digital marketing. It can help with gaining feedback from customers about a business. Not only are the options to build a relationship with them, but also improve their experience and loyalty. As an online technique, it impacts the search volume and customer experience for websites and content material, among other factors. SEO company in Auckland will assist you in acquiring the proper business practices for expansion in today’s market.

There are many advantages that we can get from search engine optimization. In the following, SPOTLIGHTSEO team summarizes 5 basic benefits of SEO.

Increase visitor traffic to the website.
Increase ROI (Return on Investment) – Return on Investment
The cost is more affordable.
Increase the usability of the website.
Increase brand awareness (brand awareness)

To find out more explicitly and more comprehensively, our team will describe in detail the five benefits of search engine optimization.

1. Increase visitor traffic

Having a website that occupies the top position on the search engine results page will bring you multiple benefits, especially in terms of the number of visitor traffic. If your website is in a good position, your site will automatically receive most impressions and clicks. Being in this top position can result in a significant increase in traffic for your website.

SEO also focuses on making title tags and meta descriptions relevant to keywords that will be displayed on the search results page. Having optimized tags and descriptions will help increase the click-through rate which in turn influences increasing quality visitor traffic.

2. Increase ROI (Return on Investment)

Search engine optimization has a positive effect and impact on the ratio of growth in return on investment. According to SPOTLIGHTSEO team, one of the best Indian SEO agencies, SEO delivers results that can be tracked and measured, regardless of whether your website is an e-commerce or non-e-commerce site so there is no doubt when it comes to ROI. Professional SEO agencies can track almost every aspect of their strategy, such as increased rankings, visitor traffic, and conversion rates. Comprehensive analytics also provides the ability to search at a granular level and view demographic information as well as other engagement metrics for individuals or visitors who have interacted with your website. It’s important that whomever is managing your SEO to be clear about SEO KPIs and how you will improve those results.

Figure 3ROI (return on investment) – Return on investment

In the case of an e-commerce site, an SEO agency can look at the path users took to complete a sale, down to which keywords they used to search for you before buying. For non-E-commerce sites, you can attribute value to your lead’s conversions, such as filling out a ‘contact us’ form, and that way you can calculate the value of your SEO strategy.

3. The cost is more affordable

Search engine optimization is one of today’s digital marketing strategies. This is due to the SEO work system that targets users who are actively looking for your products and services online. The inbound nature of SEO helps businesses save money compared to outbound strategies like cold calling. While cold calling can still be an effective strategy, leads generate 61% more cost than leads generated by inbound strategies like SEO.

Hand writing on blackboard - Cost effective — Figure 4Cost-effective (more affordable costs)

SEO also targets users who are actively looking for products and services that are similar or like yours so that the traffic generated from SEO is of higher quality than many other marketing strategies. This then has an impact on cost savings for the company.

4. Improve the quality of website usability

Search engine optimization has a huge influence on the usability quality of a website. To increase the usability of your site by implementing an SEO strategy, your website will be easier to navigate on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. Internet users or visitors to your website will feel impressed with the quality of your website and thus they will also feel comfortable and will spend more on the pages of your website.

usability word cloud — Figure 5usability of the website

In short, search engine optimization makes it easier for search engines to crawl your site and find pages but also makes it easier for users to find the information they are looking for on your website as well.

5. Increase brand awareness (brand awareness)

As it should be, a website that has a good ranking (the top position on the first page of search results based on keywords) will generate significant impressions. Therefore, placing your website in the top position will have an impact on increasing the number of exposures for your website.

Figure 6Brand awareness

Being on the first page for your targeted keywords not only helps users associate your brand with those keywords, but also instills trust because companies on the first page are generally considered to have a good reputation and can be relied on.

A good and natural SEO strategy can maintain a good website ranking based on keywords for several months, a year and even more. Many people involved in digital marketing prefer to apply SEO tactics because the results are more promising.

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7 Reasons To Invest In Birmingham City Centre Apartments

April 11, 2021

One of the best places to invest in real properties today is Birmingham, a so-called “second city” of London. Birmingham has seen a fair share of improvements and foot traffic throughout the years, making it a hotspot for budding businesses and investors.

If you want to take advantage of that growth, investing in Birmingham City Centre Apartments is something you should be considering. And if you want to reap the benefits of investing in apartments but not sure if it’s something you can handle, it’s best to ask for help from property consultants.

Property consultants always keep an eye on what’s available in the real estate market and are knowledgeable about the demographics, market trends, and other things that affect the selling and buying process. So, if you want to include apartments to improve your Birmingham property investment portfolio, look for a property consultant.

However, if you’re still not convinced if you should start investing in Birmingham or not, below are some of the many reasons why it’s always a good idea:

1. Dependable Income Stream

One of the main reasons to invest in Birmingham apartments is that the assets are secured to several months of leases. With this in mind, it provides a dependable and regular income stream that can generate positive cash flow higher than the usual dividend yields.

2. You Can Control The Value

With apartments, you have more control over their value. Once you maximize the rent and minimize your expenses, you can boost the net operating income and this will improve the apartment’s overall value. It makes apartment investing more stable, predictable, and consistent.

3. Easy To Finance

Whether or not you’re just getting started with real estate investment, another reason to invest in apartments is that they’re much easier to finance since they’re less risky compared to single-family rental properties. This is because owners can also rely on their rental income from various tenants to pay off the mortgage.

4. A Valuable Physical Asset

Apartments are an income-producing type of real estate property that’s considered in the hard asset category. Aside from the building itself, the lot also comes with its own valuation—especially if the location is a prime spot. Also, the income it generates has value to future investors. Other than that, real estate investors who maintain apartments don’t have green and red days, unlike stock market investors.

5. Great For Portfolio Diversification

Apartments are perfect for investors who want to diversify their portfolio with rental properties. Investing in stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies are relatively easier than investing in real property. However, these investments are also volatile. Since commercial real estate tends to be more complicated, it can be challenging at first. However, it’s a rewarding investment once you’ve nailed it successfully.

For instance, when you’re managing or acquiring single-family homes, you have to deal with various sellers and conduct separate inspections on the properties that are located in different places. Aside from that, you may need to refurbish or renovate the property to make it attractive to tenants. But once you have the apartment rented out, the income would be huge.

6. Tap A Growing Young Population

The location of Birmingham makes it an attractive alternative for young people to settle down in the area. Aside from students, the city attracts many fresh graduates from different places who are looking for work, either in Birmingham or nearby London. Since this demographic is most likely to rent, it only makes sense to invest in apartments because there’s a huge demand for them.

7. Easy To Manage

If you’re only investing in a single-family home, you might end up looking after multiple properties in various parts of the city. With apartments, you can own a unit and rent the rest in just one convenient location. Keeping all your units in a building enables you to manage your property easily.

If you do end up with multiple properties in various locations, you can hire a property manager to help you handle your units instead. Having professional assistance can be the key to a smooth building operation. Running apartments will be a hassle-free process if you have a reliable property manager on your side.

Conclusion

There are other reasons why it’s always a good idea to invest in Birmingham’s real estate properties. However, before you invest in one, make sure to do your research and seek professional consultants who can refer you to good prospects and give good insights about a potential investment. This is how you can make the most out of your hard-earned money.

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