The Interplay Between Insolvency Proceedings and Parallel International Arbitration Proceedings in the Post-Pandemic World

July 16, 2020

By Kiran Nasir Gore and Charles H. Camp

As businesses emerge into the post-pandemic world, insolvency proceedings offer practical solutions to businesses aiming to recover from the recent global economic fallout. These businesses hope to repay their debts, restructure and reorganize their assets, and generally manage their operations. While effective, insolvency-based solutions are often designed only to further domestic legal and policy goals and they do not perfectly interact with cross-border business relationships. This article draws upon the authors’ expertise in international dispute resolution to discuss the legal and practical challenges found at the intersection of insolvency proceedings and parallel international arbitration proceedings. These insights provide businesses and their insolvency advisers with a blueprint for managing competing concerns at a sensitive and unpredictable time in a business’s lifecycle.

The “New Normal”

COVID-19’s impact on public health and the global economy cannot be minimized. These days, many are returning to life governed by the “new normal,” a changed framework that dictates how each of us lives, learns, and conducts daily business. On the financial and business side, the “new normal” involves reassessing business viability. In steadily increasing numbers businesses are considering insolvency-based solutions. Recognizing this trend, in early May, Forbes released a “Coronavirus Bankruptcy Tracker,” which chronicles precisely such major filings by global corporations with at least 500 employees.[i] As of the date of this writing (on August 16, 2020), more than 125 corporations (many of them household names) appear on this list.

Insolvency Proceedings in Today’s Cross-Border World

“Insolvency” is a catch all term for the state of simply being unable to pay money owed on time. This definition is adopted by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which provides guidance for the commercial law of most U.S. states.[ii] In general, it includes two very distinct concepts: any proceedings that allow for orderly and collective liquidation for the benefit of creditors, and reorganization proceedings that allow a debtor to continue its existence following restructuring. Despite this broad range of covered activities, there are a few common themes. Insolvency-based solutions impact nearly all aspects of a business’s legal status and operations. Moreover, insolvency proceedings tend to be focused on and designed to address a business’s domestic activities (i.e., those with counterparties and creditors located in the same country as the insolvent business). But very little business unfolds strictly within national borders. Cross-border activity is key to the design and profitability of most successful businesses. Accordingly, insolvency proceedings must account for such cross-border activity when holistically considering a business’s future.

This article focuses on the interaction between a business’s insolvency administration and its pre-existing obligations under various cross-border business contracts. It particularly considers the interplay between bankruptcy proceedings and international arbitration proceedings that unfold in parallel. These insights provide businesses and their insolvency advisers with a blueprint for managing competing concerns at a sensitive and unpredictable time in a business’s lifecycle.

Dispute Resolution in an Internationalized World

While all parties hope that they will maintain long and fruitful relationships with their business partners, there is always a need to account for inevitable disputes. Sophisticated businesses often rely on carefully drafted choice of law clauses, which identify the law that would apply to any future dispute, and dispute resolution clauses, which designate how and where any future dispute would be resolved.

An overwhelming 99% of respondents said would recommend international arbitration to resolve cross-border disputes in the future.

For many, arbitration is the preferred method of dispute resolution for a variety of beneficial reasons. At the top of this list is party autonomy. Through an arbitration clause, parties can tailor their dispute resolution mechanism for mutual benefit by agreeing to the forum, tribunal, language, and procedure governing the dispute resolution proceeding. Their ability to choose the composition of their tribunal ensures that the dispute will be heard by individuals who the parties trust and consider competent. This greater level of confidence in the dispute resolution process supports its success, especially when the parties come from different parts of the world and are guided by different local legal systems.

The success of arbitration to resolve such disputes is confirmed by the results of the 2018 Queen Mary/White & Case International Arbitration Survey.[iii] 97% of respondents indicated that international arbitration is their preferred method of dispute resolution, either on a stand-alone basis (48%) or in conjunction with other forms of alternative dispute resolution (49%). An overwhelming 99% of respondents said would recommend international arbitration to resolve cross-border disputes in the future.

The Interplay: Insolvency Proceedings and International Arbitration

Insolvency proceedings interact with pre-existing obligations to arbitrate commercial disputes in a variety of scenarios: before the arbitration is commenced, during the time the arbitration is pending, or after the arbitration has concluded, but before the resulting award has been satisfied (i.e., paid). Moreover, either side to a dispute could be the subject of a parallel insolvency proceeding.

If an insolvency proceeding unfolds before or during an arbitration proceeding, the considerations are similar. It is possible that the local law guiding the insolvency proceeding may require other dispute resolution proceedings to be stayed so that the bankruptcy administrator may consolidate the insolvent business’s debts and assets. In parallel, the tribunal overseeing the arbitration proceeding would need to decide not only what country’s law governs whether the insolvency proceeding is recognized in the arbitration, but also its legal effect. The interplay and conflict thus becomes clear: The existence of insolvency proceedings may undermine the agreement to arbitrate itself (for example, by invalidating it or narrowing its scope) and different tribunals, guided by different substantive law, may resolve this question differently.

A prime example of this tension is reflected in the saga between Elektrim SA, a Polish company, and Vivendi Universal SA, a French company. The companies had entered into two investment agreements with each other and a dispute emerged over ownership of shares in the largest telcom network in Poland. The disputes under the two agreements were brought to arbitration under their respective clauses. One agreement provided for arbitration in London under the rules of the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). The other provided for arbitration in Switzerland under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Before either dispute could be fully resolved by arbitration, in 2007, Elektrim filed for insolvency in Poland. Under Polish bankruptcy law, the arbitration agreements were considered invalid and the arbitrations were required to be discontinued. Further, the Warsaw court overseeing the insolvency proceedings revoked Elektrim’s powers of self-administration. Elektrim accordingly argued to both arbitral tribunals that they lacked jurisdiction and the arbitration proceedings should end. Yet, the arbitral tribunals maintained the discretion to determine their own jurisdiction under the principle of comptenz-competenz.

The LCIA arbitral tribunal determined that English law governed whether the arbitration should continue and decided that it would resolve the dispute, despite the guidance of Polish bankruptcy law. Meanwhile, the ICC tribunal determined that Polish law governed, it lacked jurisdiction, and the arbitration would be suspended. These contrasting arbitral decisions were reviewed by the U.K. and Swiss courts, respectively, and were upheld as valid.[iv] These dramatically different results, endorsed by sophisticated local courts, demonstrate the complex competing legal and policy implications of parallel insolvency and arbitration proceedings.

A further example of competing goals is provided by U.S. bankruptcy law. Chapter 15 of the U.S. bankruptcy law facilitates cross-border administration of insolvency proceedings and allows foreign representatives of a corporate bankruptcy proceeding to gain the cooperation of U.S. courts to access an insolvent business’s U.S. assets. Meanwhile, U.S. Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings are designed with broader domestic goals in mind and require a stay of other pending litigation and arbitrations to allow the bankruptcy court to fully administer and oversee all of a Chapter 11 debtor’s debts and assets.[v]

In a recent case, a New York bankruptcy court was faced with an argument that attempted to intermingle these mechanisms and their policy goals. The debtor argued that the existence of Chapter 15 proceedings triggered Chapter 11’s automatic stay requirement and parallel international arbitration proceedings in a different jurisdiction should be stayed.[vi] The court emphatically disagreed and explained that Chapter 11’s automatic stay feature did not have extraterritorial effect to “stay miscellaneous foreign litigation or arbitration proceedings having no meaningful nexus to property of the foreign debtor located in the [U.S.]”[vii]

These examples highlight the complex ways competing legal and policy considerations may lead to different results, depending on the applicable law and the objectives of the decisionmaker (whether it is a bankruptcy administrator seeking to redress all claims against the debtor, or the arbitral tribunal seeking to resolve a specific dispute under an agreed arbitration clause).

In a scenario where a party enters insolvency proceedings after an arbitration has concluded (but before the tribunal’s final decision, reflected in its award, is enforced or paid) different considerations emerge. Although, in general, statistics show that debtors of arbitral awards will often voluntarily comply with arbitral awards and pay their debts, the incentive for voluntary compliance is lower for an insolvent party. Where an insolvent party is in the process of being liquidated, ongoing business relationships or market reputation are no longer primary concerns.

If an arbitral award is filed with the insolvency trustee as a claim against the insolvent party, the award is only one debt among a long line of creditors, and creditors often compete to obtain a greater share of the insolvent party’s assets. The cross-border nature of an arbitration may also come into play as the trustee decides who to prioritize. This can involve the trustee considering whether the local law would view the foreign award as valid.

International arbitration seeks to provide parties with, among other things, a territorially neutral forum for resolution of a commercial dispute and an opportunity to exercise their autonomy (including the ability to choose the applicable procedure and law).

Concluding Thoughts

National insolvency laws are often designed to carry out uniquely domestic and often mandatory public policies for the benefit of debtors and creditors within that jurisdiction. In contrast, international arbitration seeks to provide parties with, among other things, a territorially neutral forum for resolution of a commercial dispute and an opportunity to exercise their autonomy (including the ability to choose the applicable procedure and law). In the post-pandemic world businesses are grappling with managing their business relationships, changed circumstances, and their personal long-term viability. These circumstances render the interplay between, and challenges of, these two divergent areas of law more sensitive. Businesses encountering these circumstances require thorough and sophisticated legal advice from both insolvency advisers and international dispute resolution specialists to successfully navigate the opportunities and landmines found among these competing priorities.

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About the Authors

Charles H. Camp is an international lawyer with over thirty years of experience representing foreign and domestic clients in international litigation, arbitration, negotiation, and international debt recovery. In 2001, Mr. Camp opened the Law Offices of Charles H. Camp, P.C. in Washington, D.C. to focus on effective, personalized representation in complex, international matters. Mr. Camp teaches international negotiations at the George Washington University Law School.

Kiran Nasir Gore is Counsel at the Law Offices of Charles H. Camp, P.C. Her expertise is in international dispute resolution, including advocacy before U.S. courts, commercial and investment arbitration tribunals, and investigative authorities. She also draws on her professional experiences as an educator at the George Washington University Law School and New York University’s Global Study Center in Washington, D.C.

References:
[i] Hank Tucker, Coronavirus Bankruptcy Tracker: These Major Companies Are Failing Amid The Shutdown, Forbes (May 3, 2020), https://www.forbes.com/sites/hanktucker/2020/05/03/coronavirus-bankruptcy-tracker-these-major-companies-are-failing-amid-the-shutdown/#33c68fb23425 (last visited August 16, 2020).
[ii] UCC, 1-201(b)(22).
[iii] Queen Mary University of London and White & Case LLP 2018 International Arbitration Survey: The Evolution of International Arbitration, https://www.whitecase.com/sites/whitecase/files/files/download/publications/qmul-international-arbitration-survey-2018-19.pdf.
[iv] Elektrim SA v Vivendi Universal SA & Ors, England and Wales High Court (Commercial Court) (Mar. 20, 2007); Vivendi SA et al v. Deutsche Telekom AG, 4A_428/2008, Swiss First Civil Law Court (Mar. 31, 2009).
[v] 11 U.S.C. § 362(a).
[vi] In re JSC BTA Bank, 434 B.R. 334, 336 (S.D.N.Y. Bankr. 2010).
[vii] Id., at 337.

How Workplaces Are Responding To Remote Working

July 15, 2020

By Keith Tully

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic in early March 2019, kick-starting an era which would change working life as we know it. Over a limited notice period, the operational structure of businesses across the globe were forced to adapt to remote working, as emergency legislation required workers to refrain from entering the workplace, in an attempt to limit the infection rate of coronavirus.

Workplaces were required to initiate continuity plans, fast-tracking their vision to digitise the business, allowing for operations to continue during this unprecedented period and to fulfil the interrupted delivery of services. Traditional businesses were forced to adapt to flexible working as strict lockdown and social distancing measures restricted the movement of workers and paved the way to remote and flexible working, removing office centricity. We take you through some of the ways businesses have adapted, and continue to adjust to remote working, writes Keith Tully of Real Business Rescue, restructuring, turnaround and company liquidation specialists.

Establishing Virtual Communication Strategies

As a result of remote working, many employers turned to software already available on the market to integrate seamless communication portals into virtual workspaces. Software such as Microsoft Teams is readily available, making it easy to provide access to entire workforces securely and instantly. Tools as such are vital in the maintenance of workforces as in addition to collaborative working, it allows businesses to maintain brand identity and establish a virtual presence in the working lives of employees.

Many western businesses have turned to the likes of Microsoft Teams as a temporary replacement for video conferencing and instant messaging. The platform which is universally available has replaced traditional conference calling facilities for many companies. Begbies Traynor Group, UK’s leading corporate recovery specialists are permanently switching to Microsoft Teams to benefit from the integrated conference calling facility. Zoom is a similar alternative and Slack, professional communication software with a modern flair and multi-faceted chat facility.

In addition to communication software, many customer-facing businesses have been forced to quickly integrate e-signature facilities into their offering to allow for full-service delivery and satisfy legal requirements.

Fort Knox Approach to Security

It’s clear that working from home and remote working poses a higher risk to data security as the environment is not under the control of the employer. Businesses with regularly dealings with sensitive data are bolstering security to cover remote working and enforcing security procedures before granting access to company networks. If you’re a workplace with no business continuity plan in place, patching a strategy to match this calibre can be timely due to the security layers involved and higher than anticipated costs.

Businesses are also revisiting insurance policies to extend cover for work equipment at sites other than the designated office, including for theft and loss.

Redirecting Investment to Fund Remote Working Technology

Some businesses may be at different technological stages as many may be geared to allow for regular remote working and some may just be experimenting with this form of working. The first key area of investment during this period looks to be IT infrastructure to allow for information, internal networks and company servers to be accessed from home and to offer different levels of access. In the wake of Covid-19, many traditionally operating businesses have recognised the importance of the versatility posed by a modern IT infrastructure, enabling different uses, from the likes of hosting virtual training tools to the integration of online HR.

While businesses are pumping money into IT infrastructure, they are also making costs savings as the temporary shutdown of offices has reduced overheads and minimised the maintenance of work facilities.

Maintaining Employee Health and Wellbeing

Maintaining employee wellbeing remotely is challenging and time-consuming as face to face contact can be done simultaneously with different teams in an office setting. The virtual equivalent to this can be done through the likes of collaborative software, stimulating a sense of belonging. A report conducted by Slack found the following concerning employee health and wellbeing paired with the use of the platform:

“Slack users are nearly twice as likely as non-Slack users to report that their sense of belonging improved while working from home.

“What’s more, we see a decrease in feelings of loneliness and isolation: 27% of non-Slack users say loneliness is a workplace challenge, compared with 18% of those who use Slack.”

Businesses are finding unique and creative ways to keep staff motivated, such as monthly postal treats, fitness challenges and daily motivation emails. At Real Business Rescue, we recently held a virtual racing event, Friday virtual tavern meet-ups and an online cocktail masterclass to cater to a variety of team interests. On the brighter side, many staff members are savouring the time otherwise spent commuting to work with family and picking up new hobbies.

Static Workplaces during Work from Home Covid-19 phase

The challenges of working from home or remote working vary for each industry as some jobs cannot be adapted due to the nature of fixed objects, resources and subjects. This includes the likes of gardeners, teachers, interior decorators and labour workers, to name a few. The teaching industry has adapted rapidly by offering virtual learning, online education resources and one-to-one video support.

Workplaces around the world are making long term arrangements to allow for remote working in the event of a second lockdown or as a result of a change in workplace policies. Selected employees may never return to an office environment having worked remotely, illustrating higher productivity and a better work-life balance. Tech giants recently announced permanent work from home policies, such as Fujitsu, Slack, Square and Twitter after noticing limited interruption and better productivity. Many traditional workplaces are looking to extend existing work from home policies, with future scope to make this permanent.

As lockdown measures ease across the world and the working world phases back into operation, workplaces are adjusting to enforcing social distancing in the workplace, refining hygiene standards and competing with employee expectations for greater flexibility. The ripples of change continue to be felt across workplaces on a global scale as we continue the fight against coronavirus and its destructive effects.

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About the Author

Keith Tully is a partner at Real Business Rescue, part of Begbies Traynor Group, and specialises in advising businesses in distress on restructuring and turnaround solutions. He has over 35 years’ experience in the insolvency sector.

Essential Tips For Using Bitcoin In Online Gambling

July 15, 2020

A few years ago, only a few people knew about the potential of bitcoin. Now, many have discovered it and it’s now one of the most valued digital assets existing right now. It’s been used for many purposes and transactions, now different platforms have adapted to it as a mode of payment and investment in online gambling.

Bitcoin is now being used in online gambling transactions because of the growing numbers of people investing in it for betting and gaming. The online gambling industry embraced Bitcoin because it seemed to be a natural fit for most gambling platforms. The level of impact that it made has increased its demand from many avid bettors and online gamblers.

If you want to try using Bitcoin in your gambling, you need to try the first online casino with minimum deposit 2 dollar. This article will give you essential tips for using bitcoin in online gambling.

Understand Bitcoin and how it works

Even if you only intend to use it for online gambling, it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into. You have to remember that Bitcoin is different from traditional currencies. You have to learn how it works and how and where you can use it.

Understand that there are also risks involved when using Bitcoin. It is an extremely volatile currency because its value changes multiple times a day. Because of its nature, every transaction you make cannot be changed. Hence, you have to be very careful when using Bitcoin in online gambling.

Only use reputable gambling sites

Now that you’re aware of the volatile and irreversible nature of Bitcoin as a digital currency, this decision should not be taken lightly. Not all gambling sites are created equally and there is a legit concern about the number of potential sites that can scam Bitcoin owners.

Bitcoin is an easy target for scammers because it’s unregulated. To make sure that you won’t be victimized by scammers, review the policies of the online gambling platforms that you’re betting on. Top online casinos like PNXBET prioritizes keeping all of their Bitcoin accounts safe and protected so that players that use them will enjoy the experience of gambling and betting on their website.

Try provably fair gaming

Provably fair gaming is unique to those online gamblers that use Bitcoin. This kind of gaming method utilizes the blockchain, which is the Bitcoin’s security measure, to prove that both the user and the site is fair. You should try playing provably fair games to further ensure your digital asset’s security.

Provably fair gaming works by publishing all the actions that a website has made in the game that you’re playing using open source algorithms. This algorithm will show you that the outcome is fair and the odds were randomized.

Always gamble responsibly

Last but not least, gamble within reason. Regardless of the site that you’re playing on and the games that you’re playing, exercise caution and be responsible. Gambling is a pastime and should never be treated as a sustainable source of income. Even professional poker players and avid bettors will tell you that.

Final thoughts

Gambling online with Bitcoin definitely works differently than with traditional currencies. What needs to be the same is the precautions you take before playing casino games or making bets with it. Know what you’re getting yourself into and always protect your digital asset.

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About the Author

Luther Abrams is an online game and sports enthusiast who spent his younger years playing and watching basketball, baseball, soccer, tennis, and badminton games, among the many others. Today, as an early retiree, he continues to write about his love and passion for sports. On most days, he also loves to play ball with his two kids.

Cedar Rose Appoints Chief Operating Officer

July 14, 2020

Cedar Rose Int. Services Ltd have announced the appointment of Hubert Mugliett, in the role of Chief Operating Officer. Hubert is a key member of the senior management team reporting directly to the CEO and will oversee the internal operations of the business and help to ensure the business strategy is effectively implemented.

Cedar Rose’s CEO, Antoun Massaad said, “We are very happy to have Hubert back on the management team of Cedar Rose. As our former Group HR Manager, Hubert was instrumental in helping us grow and develop our human talent as well as putting robust performance management procedures and rewards in place. I look forward to having him help us achieve our strategic objectives in the coming years.”

Hubert brings with him years of corporate experience in Strategic Human Resource Management, Organisational Development, Performance Enhancement and Talent Management in various business contexts in diverse areas of the world ranging from Europe, the Near and Middle East, Africa, Asia, China, Russia and New Zealand. He has worked in diverse challenging situations and has successfully formed, mentored and led multicultural and multi-ethnic teams. Hubert strives to make a positive difference through ethical and professional methods that proactively engage all parties, bringing talent to its full potential. Hubert holds an MSc in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Member of CIPD (MCIPD).

Hubert: ‘The What we do can be copied, but the How we do it, our dedication to excellence and mindset are what makes us unique and inimitable, both as individuals and organisations’

You can find out more about Cedar Rose – a business intelligence agency – on their website at www.cedar-rose.com.

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Here’s Why DevOps is Important, If You’re Still Unsure

July 14, 2020

DevOps has been an established software development practice for over a decade now, but it still causes some organizations to scratch their heads.

“What is DevOps? Why does it matter? And why does our company need to explore it?”

These questions crop up on a regular basis when brands approach us with nearshore software development outsourcing projects, and our answer is always the same.

Put simply, when correctly implemented, DevOps leads directly to excellence—excellence in process, excellence in collaboration, and excellence in quality.

There’s a common misconception that DevOps is either a developer role or a set of tools, when in fact it’s a far deeper concept based on culture, technology, and agility. Furthermore, it is essential to be aware of the DevOps toolchain since it’s used worldwide, and DevOps Certification Training helps improve the software’s quality and security knowledge. In this article, we’ll explore the key benefits of DevOps and how they result in software development excellence.

DevOps Builds a Collaborative Culture

Teams that operate in silos are one of the main hindrances to agility in software development. When development, operations, and testing teams are working on the same project independently of one another, it causes endless obstacles that slow down the entire process.

For example, if each team works with separate tools and processes they can easily clash when “handing off” products between silos, so there’s a much higher risk of operational issues and, in many cases, inter-team animosity.

DevOps breaks down those walls and empowers teams to collaborate continuously, placing communication, productivity, and overall performance at the top of the priority list. By implementing robust communications platforms and feedback loops, all teams work on the same page, making it an organizational effort, rather than a siloed one.

Over time, this liquidation of silos leads to a company-wide culture of collaboration, resulting in many benefits for the organization, such as process improvement, faster time-to-market, and a unified team working towards a common goal.

DevOps Enables Efficiency through Technology

Establishing the right culture is always priority number one, but without the right tools, there is a limit to the potential efficiency benefits of DevOps.

Most legacy tools and systems are not conducive to productivity, which is why DevOps success depends on automation. By automating processes like testing, deployment, and monitoring, you eliminate repetitive tasks, maximize consistency, improve product quality, and reduce the risk of human error.

The 2019 State of DevOps report found that the highest performing IT teams deployed several times per day, while the lowest performers deployed just twice a year. This staggering efficiency is only possible through automation, which is the key to developing high-performance DevOps teams.

When companies can deploy software more frequently, they can gather more feedback from users, test out new features and innovations, and fix bugs at breakneck speed, leading to enhanced user experience and happier customers.

DevOps Lowers Operational Costs

Collaboration and efficiency usher in another clear benefit for businesses: lower costs.

For instance, the automated testing aspect of DevOps not only enables teams to release faster, but it also reduces the dependence on human testers, lowering the cost of manual testing. Also, with all teams on the same page, there is greater visibility into project-wide issues, allowing fixes to happen faster and reducing the cost of downtime.

Then there are the potential cost savings of cloud services, which many DevOps tools are built on. For example, our DevOps approach to refactoring cloud architecture, along with resource optimization and process automation, resulted in a 30% reduction in infrastructure costs for one of our partners.

In addition to the potential cost savings, there is also huge potential to increase revenue, as DevOps can drastically reduce time-to-market for new products or features.

DevOps Fosters Agility and Innovation

With the right culture and tools in place, IT teams will drastically shorten their development cycles, giving them much more opportunity to experiment and innovate.

On top of that, with everyone collaborating much more closely, teams will naturally bounce new ideas around for process improvements, possible features, and even new products.

By establishing the methods for continuous software delivery and stable operating environments, DevOps will always lead to some sort of innovation, which is vital for any organization that hopes to compete in today’s business world.

DevOps Outsourcing

By now, the benefits of DevOps should be pretty clear, but there’s still a question of exactly “how” to apply DevOps practices and tools within an organization.

Luckily, companies can partner with software development experts to guide them through the process of DevOps implementation or leverage their DevOps operations by outsourcing software development projects, making it easier to overcome the challenges of DevOps adoption.

If your company would like to learn more about DevOps or explore the possibility of DevOps outsourcing, we’re here to share our knowledge and help you through the process. Send us an email to [email protected].

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Is It Worth It To Spend Money On Garbage Disposal?

July 11, 2020

Garbage disposal is the ultimate answer for the modern kitchen today; many homeowners opt for these kitchen appliances to reduce their kitchen waste. The appliance is a fantastic aid that helps dispose of food crumbs keeping the kitchen clean and free from bad odour. It comes in handy by shredding all the food waste in tiny pieces draining them through to the waste pipes easily. A garbage disposal unit is a small electric machine holding a robust grinding motor. The appliance fits perfectly on the underside of the drainage hole on the kitchen sink. This means all the food will drain directly in the best garbage disposal unit; it is equipped with sharp blades that shred the foods crumbs into small pieces. After which they are pushed down the drain by the impeller arm along with the water.

Besides fixing the garbage disposal to the sink, homeowners can also link the appliance to the dishwasher machine. The strong disposal unit will collect the food particles that drain inside and macerate them into tiny pieces directing them to the drainage system. A garbage disposal unit is an effective appliance that holds significance in today’s kitchen. There are different popular models of garbage disposal in the tech industry, each with different qualities and features. However, is it worth to spend money on garbage disposal? According to services and simplicity, many homeowners would highly invest in the garbage disposal. It has proven to be the best and cheapest way to expose your garbage without many expenses.

Nonetheless, investing in garbage disposal means getting the best for future use. The tech market has a variety of both cheap and expensive garbage disposal units. It always a better choice to check on features, quality and reviews before getting one for your sink. The appliance also needs the care to serve longer and efficiently for your kitchen. Compare to the past way of disposing of waste food and material; the garbage disposal kitchen appliance plays an important role.

Why invest in a garbage disposal?

Though there are different models of garbage disposal units, the appliances aren’t equal in size, power and working nature. Some of the garbage disposals are created for high performance producing high power, which is enough for your need. Nonetheless, this doesn’t qualify them for all homes, especially small family setup.

Garbage disposal is best bought regarding the particular situation of your home. Note investing in a powerful and functional garbage disposal unit requires more funds. Homeowners can buy according to the number of members and the waste amount. Large families will tend to have more food waste and can consider garbage disposal with high power output. However, each garbage disposal has a catch to it; taking a high power output garbage disposal will grind faster, better and shred all the tough food waste, sending them down drain in the smallest pieces. However, they use more power and cost more while the smaller less power output will work the same grinding a bit longer but finer and use less power and cost less. Always consider all features and family needs to help you invest in your kitchen’s best garbage disposal. The appliance has many benefits attached, giving you a reason to spend more on the garbage disposal.

Benefits of a garbage disposal

Cost-saving

Garbage disposal units have, over the years, reducing the cost for many families. There is no more trash bags and hiring companies to take care of your trash. It also helps maintain and improve drainage and protects the pipes. The food is threshed to small pieces that cannot clog in the pipes, and no plumbing is required. Once bought, the disposal unit will serve for long, and you don’t have to keep buying the appliance.

Long-lasting

Garbage disposals vary according to the type and features, some last for a few years while others take a decade. It’s a worthwhile investment for families since it will last longer and save money that would otherwise go to trash bags and other waste management.

No pipe leakage

The appliance works by grinding the food particles to tiny pieces, which will easily flow in the drainage pipes. The whole process requires less plumbing or no plumbing to reduce the cost of hiring plumbing services frequently.

Reducing kitchen odour

The garbage disposal is exclusively designed to dispose of all food waste down the drainage pipe. No food particles are left in the can to rot; it flashes all dirt to keep the appliance clean. These eliminate bad odors in the kitchen. It’s a better solution compare to the trash can where the food will rot and smell the unit disposed of manually.

Saves time

Kitchen waste is now disposed of fast with no hassles, wash down the food at the sink and the garbage disposal unit is ready to shred and drain. Homeowners don’t have to think about food waste anymore or how to dispose of it. It’s always a daily routine with the help of garbage disposal kitchen appliances.

Less trash or no trash

The appliance consumers almost all food waste leaving less trash or no food waste to throw out. It’s an easy way to clear food waste after meals making washing fun. No trash bag or plastic bags required for the waste materials a better and convenient way for many families today. Garbage disposal is a unique way to invest in and better ways to reduce trash and food waste.

Good practices for the garbage disposal

Having all the benefits and better reasons for investing and spending on a garbage disposal unit. Homeowners also play a significant role in maintaining the garbage disposal unit. Various practices will keep the appliance longer and making worth the amount you spent on it. Few mistakes and good practices will keep it working faultlessly.

Keep the garbage disposal clean all the time.

The appliance is designed to work for many years. However, it requires some cleaning to keep it working. The food waste might clog on the blades, making it work slower or stop working. The types of food thrown in also determine the garbage disposal unit; taking food waste such as fats and greasy foods will eventually solidify on the blades. To solve these, run the garbage disposal for a while to dislodge the remaining foodstuffs. Also, use liquid washing soap to help remove the stuck and stubborn stains.

Use ice cubes

Ice is best for cleaning a hardening the blades, pour ice cubes in with the water. It will help clean the chambers and the wall of the disposal, reaching every corner of the appliance.

Grind small bones

Small bone-like chicken and fishbone help the garbage disposal work better; they scrape off the food waste clogged on the walls taking them down the drain. They provide a scouring action on the wall and chambers, removing all remains after the drainage run more water into the disposal to clean the whole system without the waste.

Run the garbage disposal regularly

Don’t let the disposal stay idle from long periods as it will clog with old foods. They might solidify and harden clogging the blades, or causing rust. Regular usage of the appliance keeps the movable parts flexible and gives them a longer functional life.

Conclusion

Garbage disposal proves to be the best solution for food waste; it saves on cost, time and maintenance. The appliance is worth investing in as it serves for longer and reduces the need for your home’s waste management program. The disposal is designed to take various food waste, but also it has limitations of certain foods. Ensure to throw the right types of foods or reduce them in small pieces for the appliance to handle.

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6 Ways to Market Luxury Listings

July 11, 2020

Luxury real estate is a hot commodity in many areas of the United States. Still, discerning buyers are often looking through unique and complex lists of listings. If you’re a broker or listing agent, you know the basics. Here are five essential tips to take the demand for your listings to the next level.

1: Hire a Professional Photographer

Photographs are essential for any real estate listing, luxury or not. The difference here, as with all aspects of this tight market, is in the quality. It may seem enticing to save a bit of money by just taking the listing photos with your cell phone, but saving those few dollars now will cost you in the long run. Hiring a professional photographer will elevate your listing and draw the eye of serious buyers. Professional photographers will know how to stage the furniture, lighting, and decor to bring your listing to the next level.

2: Know Your Market

Knowing your market sounds basic, but there’s a lot that goes into marketing the right property to the right people at the right time and place. Before launching your marketing campaign, assess the current housing market needs. Think about the types of residential or corporate buyers in the area, seek them out, and ask them what they’re looking for. Doing an in-depth analysis and combining it with face-to-face marketing is a surefire way to embed yourself and your listings in the communities of people who are buying.

3: Traditional Advertising Isn’t Dead

Luxury buyers aren’t always trendy tech workers. Depending on where your market is located, it’s still worth looking into more traditional advertising methods. Whether you’re taking out a quarter page in a local daily newspaper, placing bandit signs around high trafficked areas, or buying a full page in a larger publication, traditional advertising still works. Catching the eye of older empty-nesters or more nostalgic readers is a key way of reaching buyers with more income and an eye for luxury.

4: Social Media Advertising

Everyone knows that social media advertising is an exceptionally efficient and effective way to get marketing information to your target audience. The trouble is standing out from the crowd. In addition to more traditional boosted posts or tweets, consider branching out. Create a sale listing on Facebook and monitor it regularly for interested buyers. Innovate with other platforms like Instagram or Twitter by creating accounts for your properties or company. Make sure, however, that the accounts are active and posting frequently. This is an excellent opportunity to combine tip number one and put those professional photos to work. Make sure to monitor your social media accounts and posts you make so you don’t miss any interested parties.

5: Set up a Dedicated Website

In addition to social media, a dedicated web presence is critical for any business, and luxury real estate is no different. Ensuring that your property shows up in a web search is a simple and effective way to make sure that buyers come to you. Make sure to put plenty of content on the site, from photographs to testimonials from other satisfied buyers. Most importantly, make sure that buyers can contact you easily and that you or your team respond promptly to any inquiries. Luxury buyers are looking to buy the best from the best, and accommodating a late night or early morning inquiry with speed is a great way to show you’re committed to buyer satisfaction.

6: Work Your Network

Even with all of the marketing tools available in the digital age, it’s important to make sure you don’t ignore the classics. The Rolodex may be a thing of the past, but combing your phone contacts is a sure-fire way to find interested buyers. Even if none of your contacts are looking to buy, it’s almost guaranteed that at least one of them knows somebody who’s buying. If your existing network isn’t bearing fruit, branch out. Upwardly mobile professionals are savvy about networking. Finding them at networking or social events is a great way to meet your next luxury buyer.

Luxury real estate is a tight and fast-moving market. It’s no longer enough to simply have a property available. The luxury real estate buyers of today are looking closely at their options. Following these six tips is a great way to elevate your listings. Even in uncertain times, great marketing can lead to great sales numbers.

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How Profitable is Forex Trading?

July 10, 2020

Forex trading is a subject that has been discussed over and over again for the past few years. And because so many people tried it and failed, an important question popped up in their heads: Is Forex trading actually profitable? Well, given that it’s a market that trades around $5 trillion daily in volume, it’s pretty much self-explanatory that lots of people are actually profiting from it. That being said, if you’ve tried forex trading and it didn’t work out, consider that you might have done something wrong or you didn’t have the necessary patience or practice for the endeavor.

Therefore, in this article, we’ll discuss some of the common mistakes that forex traders make and how to use these in order to make the market profitable for you.

Understanding Forex

One of the most common mistakes that forex beginners usually make is diving headfirst into trading, without having a good understanding of how it actually works. Forex can be profitable for anyone, but you need to take the necessary time to study it in-depth. The base concept that everyone is pretty much familiar with is that whenever you do a transaction, you basically agree to trade or exchange a currency for another one at a certain exchange rate. But then you need to understand what a currency pair is, how the exchange rate can fluctuate, and concepts like demand and markets’ expectations.

The Right Strategy

Just because you’ve studied the concepts and you know what should be done in theory, it doesn’t mean that you can start trading and hope for maximum profitability. Therefore, the next step after getting a good grasp of forex trading is to come up with a good investment strategy. You currently have access to a bunch of strategies that people have made available online, but it would be a mistake to assume that just because these strategies have worked for some people, they will also work for you. Every time you trade, you’re in a different situation with certain particularities. Here we can include your time, your risk tolerance, and even your personality type. That being said, you need to find the strategy that best suits your particular situation, considering that not every strategy is good for every trader.

The Forex Broker

It’s now time for you to choose a broker that will help you conduct your trading activity. It goes without saying that researching the top online Forex brokers is one of the most important steps of your trading journey, as this choice will heavily influence your future as a trader. Nowadays, the number of available brokers is overwhelming, to say the least. But again, depending on your needs and trading practices, only a handful of these brokers can help you maximize your profits. And that’s because all of them can help you with different tools, discounts and account offers. So sometimes a broker can offer you a great commission that will look very attractive to you, but at the same time, they’ll ask for a huge amount of money for your initial deposit. Other times, the initial deposit can be as low as $50, but they’ll condition you on how often you can withdraw money from your account.

Using Safeguards

Another very common mistake that forex traders do is not using safeguards. One of these safeguards is the stop-loss. This stop-loss concept is basically an order that you send to your broker, asking them to limit the losses on a certain trade. You can do that by setting a stop-loss level, which basically will ensure you don’t lose more money than you expect when a certain trade behaves differently from what you thought initially.

A different safeguard that you can consider is limiting your leverage. In forex, leverage is used by investors who want to profit from the fluctuations in exchange rates between two different currencies. This leverage is activated through a loan that is provided to a trader by the broker. That being said, going for excessive leverage is a mistake that can cost you a lot of money.

While most people who get into forex trading will lose money, it’s possible for you to be one of those people who are on the opposite side of the spectrum. But before you can dream about large profits, you need to take the time to study, to understand concepts, to come up with a strategy, and to ensure prudence by using a few safeguards like limiting your leverage, keeping a stop-loss and choosing a reputable forex broker.

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5 Tips to Find the Best Online Casino to Play

July 8, 2020

The popularity of online betting, gambling, and casino sites has meant that more and more people are able to have fun in this way and discover games and hobbies they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to enjoy. However, the internet is a dangerous place to be sometimes, and just as there are dozens of perfectly valid online casinos, there are also some scam sites, set up entirely to defraud people of their money or even to steal their identities. So how can you know which casino sites are good ones to play at and which should be avoided? The following five tips should help you – visit cozino.com/fi.

Third Party Verification

The most important thing to look for when you are considering an online casino to play at is any verifications it might have. So in other words, you need to see if any external sites have reviewed and rated the casino in question. This will give you a good idea as to whether or not the site is real or fake. More than this, it will also tell you exactly what the site is like to play; even if it is real, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be one that you are going to enjoy. It’s wise to check out more than one review as well, to get an overall picture of what the site is like.

Reputation

Third party verification is important, but it’s not the only thing to consider when choosing what online casino to use. The site’s reputation is also a good thing to know about. This information can be found in the form of reviews as mentioned above, but also in online forums, chats, message boards, and groups, for example. If a site is lacking in some way, it is here that you will find out about it, and here that you can make your final decision about playing there or not.

How Many Games?

Once you have decided that a site is a safe one and you aren’t at risk of losing your money or your ID – or both – then you need to determine whether it is a site that you are going to like playing at. One of the best ways to do this is to look at how many games are on offer. This will be a matter of opinion, so you will need to make up your own mind on the matter. For example, do you feel that a good casino site should have lots of different games? Or would you rather go to a site that has only a small number but those games are the best ones available?

Bonuses

Most online casinos are going to offer some kind of welcome bonus for their new players. This could be free spins or a matched deposit, for example, and each site is going to have its own rules and regulations in place for using these bonuses. Take some time to check out the ones you are most interested in; you will find that some of the best looking bonuses are actually not so great due to all the restrictions placed on them, and some of the less interesting bonuses are actually going to be the most useful. Research before signing up to something that might not work out for you.

Interface

Although it might not make a difference to how good – or otherwise – a site is in general terms, the interface of a site, how it looks, and how easy it is to navigate and find what you want can be what makes or breaks your decision when it comes to picking the right one or ones to play on.

Choose a site that you are comfortable with and that you understand how to use, otherwise the time you have to play your casino games won’t be as fun as it should be.

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Is Drop Shipping Dead? All You Need To Know

July 7, 2020

For a while, people have had the assumption that dropshipping is dead. The many blog posts posing the same has made many people believe that there is no hope for dropshipping anymore. This is true for the businesses that hadn’t invested well and done proper market research. However, the future looks bright for the industry.

Thus, believe independently and if you want to indulge in it, do it! There is still a big potential for it. Various myths are there posing a threat to drop shipping. If you genuinely want to start a dropshipping business you need to follow the right path and not fall victim to the various myths. If you take the right strategies, the chances of failing will be minimal.

Tips on how to succeed in dropshipping.

1. Have many suppliers

Dropshipping entails sourcing products from a third party and providing to your customer. Thus, do proper research to know what products are normally bought and the categories you should dwell on. Also, ensure you have a large base of suppliers. This will help you when one supplier is out of stock and your customer has already ordered. This will help prevent any delays in the supply chain.

2. Diversify your market

In your online store, you should have a large base area. Diversify the areas in which people can order from. However, you need to do proper research to know whether your suppliers normally send products to a specific area. Don’t limit your customers, however, ensure it is manageable. Do proper research to ensure you won’t reach the dead-end at any one time.

3. Try a different business model

If you have been doing dropshipping for a couple of years. You must have mastered the art of buying and selling. You can expand your services by buying large bulks of stock and storing them. This will make it easy to supply ordered goods in your area. You will manage to supply to the customers timely and send the right product. However, for this, you will need a large investment to ensure it lasts longer. This will also cut on costs of shipping individual items to individuals in the same area if you already have an existing stock

4. Have a secure, powerful ecommerce store

Many unethical things occur on the internet. That’s why it is important to invest in a powerful platform that will allow you to easily make transactions and secure the amount you get paid. You should also ensure that your customer’s billing account details are also secure. Ensure your website has an SSL file that shows a user it is a secure site. If it doesn’t it will also illustrate being insecure and no one will be willing to buy from you.

5. Grow your social media channels

If you want to succeed in drop shipping, you need to ensure you have a good online presence. As many businesses are evolving, you need to invest in Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and all other media platforms. You need to invest in them properly to gain followers and convert them into potential customers. This will help increase your customer base and you can advertise your products widely. Nurture and establish your social media channels for your business.

6. Provide content for the categories of your content

Investing in a blog is equally important. Invest in writing about the various products you offer in your ecommerce site. This will help convert your reader into a customer. There is power in product reviews and showing the importance of certain products. You can also engage in email marketing, once you get a good amount of readers or customers.

This will aid in increasing the customer flow and show people that you are credible. Also, ensure the content serves as a call to action and will help make the readers subscribe to the blog and you can send regular promotions to them. Through your social media channels, you can also promote your products and offers that will easily entice people.

Conclusion

Dropshipping is not dead and will not be anytime soon. The current trends are proper assurance that it is here to stay. However, you need to follow the right steps and invest in the right strategies to ensure you succeed and make a profit rather than loss. Also, ensure you have a secure ecommerce website and a good payment channel that will help make your customers trust you. Your business will slowly boom.

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