How did Chinese Enterprises Handle the Impact of COVID-19?

April 14, 2020

chinacoronavirus — Across China, people are taking precautions in an attempt to avoid infection with a new coronavirus.(Wu Hong / EPA/Shutterstock)

While China is now in the suppression stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, many other countries are currently bearing the worst of it. Enterprises around the world can get a leg-up by learning from those who have already been through the unforgiving impact of the outbreak. These are the lessons that can be deduced from analyzing the COVID-19 crisis management tactics of large companies operating in China, as well as anecdotes and recommendation’s from founders of SMEs and startups.

To summarize the economic impact of COVID-19 on China, most predictions of 2020 GDP annual growth are in the range of 1-2.6%. Though keeping its head just above the water of recession, which may submerge many other countries this year, it will still be the first time China’s GDP growth dropped below 6% since 1990.

Corporate social responsibility, there is a return on generosity

Among Coronavirus crisis response strategies of large companies in China, the most reoccurring strategy involved social responsibility. Whether donating money, lending company resources, or even giving free important information, the companies that took on responsibility to serve the community were rewarded. Though the reward does not come in the form of immediate increased product demand, they are rewarded with the long term benefits of increased brand image, staying on top of mind for when demand does return back to normal.

One outstanding example of CSR as a crisis response during the outbreak is from DiDi Chuxing, China’s ride hailing APP. DiDi was hit hard by the outbreak, it was suspended in 50 cities and a had sharp decline in demand in the rest of the country. Many drivers would only have one customer in two hours. With a lack of demand among regular customers, the ride hailing company thought of how they could put their resources to better use. DiDi deployed two fleets of drivers, dressed in protective gear, driving regularly disinfected cars to offer free transportation to medical workers in Wuhan and Shanghai. The fleet transported more than 9,500 medical workers. As a result of this generous crisis response, DiDi’s actions were recognized and praised by millions of netizens on Weibo, and even the Hothot government.

Treatment of employees – communication and care

According to a survey of over 200 business executives by the Economist Intelligence Network, when it comes to working remote, employee morale is more of a concern than technology challenges. Daxue consulting’s research on successful COVID-19 crisis responses in China also shows that managers prioritized employee morale.

In their daily lives, employees are faced with an overabundance of news and advice, which may cause anxiety, stress and confusion. Back in 2019, an AmCham survey shows 39.7% of companies have considered or were actively moving their supply chains out of China With a surge of anxiety also comes an increased likeliness of conflict in the workplace, according to the head of psychology at ChingHo clinic, David Ammerschlaeger. Hence managers should be invested in the mental wellbeing of employees as the outbreak hits their countries.

The founder of Siveco China, Bruno Lhopiteau, shared his experience running his business during COVID-19 in China, and recommends proactively communicating to provide guidance and security to employees. “Over-communication can certainly help to provide clarity, consistent information and overall direction,” Lhophiteau told daxue consulting.

As for essential workers, who did not have the privilege to work from home, it was common for Chinese companies to supply facemasks, instant sanitizers, disinfectant sprays and routinely take temperature of staff. This was the case for the company Xiaomi, a large Chinese tech enterprise. Xiaomi even went to the extent of providing paper towels in factory elevators to employees did not need to make direct contact with elevator buttons.

Finding the right marketing channel

Live-streaming was blossoming in China, and only naturally does it become even more popular when everyone is locked inside. Many Chinese companies took this chance to explore live-streaming. One Chinese night club even raised nearly 300 thousand USD on live-stream. Thanks to apps like Douyin (known as TikTok outside of China), any company of any industry can hold live stream marketing campaigns.

Xiaomi had originally planned to launch a new smart phone at an offline event that was cancelled due to the outbreak. So the company decided to hold a 72-hour live-stream event, where they announced the new product on the second day. In the 55 seconds following the launch of Xiaomi 10 pro, it had reached 200 million RMB sales through online platforms.

Live-stream is indeed closing the gap between online and offline customer experiences. Many Chinese were not able to attend luxury fashion shows in Europe due to travel bans in January and February. The organizers of 30 shows in Milan, and 13 shows in Paris collaborated with Tencent to digitally bring the shows to the living rooms of China. The Milan fashion show live-stream reached 16 million views, and had 130 million reads on Weibo. The message here is not necessarily just about live-stream technology, but about adapting to the local tech and entertainment trends.

Convey a message of solidarity and support

In addition to finding the right marketing channel, brands must have the right message. During tough times, expressing solidarity with those suffering is an important message. One example is Dongfeng Motors, which during the outbreak, marketed on live-stream for the first time ever. It opened official accounts on Douyin and Kuaishou, two of China’s top live-streaming apps. Alongside marketing light vehicles on live-stream, the company also shared a video of their deputy general manager, Yan Hongbin, cooking Wuhan’s traditional noodle dish. Despite the economic impact of the outbreak, in January, Dongfeng Passenger Vehicles had a sales volume increase of 4.5% compared to the year before.

Be flexible, adapt to what is in demand.

Consumer demand has drastically changed both during and after the Coronavirus outbreak in China. While demand for some products has plummeted, demand for others has skyrocketed. For example, the demand for lipstick is in trouble when everyone is wearing face masks, but eye makeup; on the other hand, some stores have seen double the sales volume according to Chinanews.

Companies operating in China adapted to the new demands of Chinese consumers, some of which are virtual entertainment, health related products, delivery and real-time information about the virus.

Travel companies started live-streamed tours of popular tourist destinations. DiDi expanded their business to include delivery instead of just ride-hailing. Baidu satisfied the demand for real-time information about the Coronavirus spread by creating a Coronavirus map and a page on their APP which has a part dedicated to dispelling rumors about the virus, updating real-time data on number of cases, and even a health inquiry platform.

While some businesses, like restaurants and hotels, could not keep staff employed, other businesses, like grocers and delivery, experienced a surge in demand. Rather than laying off or giving furloughs to employees, many Chinese restaurants lent their employees to a new retail grocer called Hema Xiansheng.

What does this mean for the rest of the world?

Crisis response comes in many ways, shapes and forms. These are the tactics that large companies, SME’s, and startups in China used to survive, or, for some, thrive, during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the overarching lessons of generosity to society and employees, appropriate marketing, and adaptability are transferrable across national borders.

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About the Author

Allison Malmsten is the marketing manager and market analyst at daxue consulting, a market research and consulting firm in Shanghai, China. She has been quoted sharing China market insights in Reuters, Taipei Times, and Crain’s New York.

Critical Steps You Should Take After a Truck Accident

April 13, 2020

Truck accidents are, unfortunately, one of the major causes of deaths around the world. Many times, they are caused by mechanical problems associated with the truck or by careless driving on the road. Either way, when accidents occur, they demand that you take steps to ensure your safety and that of people involved in the incident. Besides, accidents can get you into legal situations where you will need to follow the guidelines of the law. Let’s look at what you should do in the event of a truck accident.

What to do after a Truck Accident

Help the injured

The first thing you should endeavor to do is to assess the situation and seek safety. If you have not sustained a life-threatening injury and you can walk, dust yourself and check on the safety of any other passengers or motorists. It is necessary to carry out first aid if the injuries are not severe, like by bandaging wounds, for example. If the injuries are grave, you should make a point of calling for help to save lives.

Put the accident scene under control

You will need to take time to gather and exchange relevant information with the other parties involved in the accident. Before doing so, it is important to move the truck to the emergency lane if it is still drivable. This will help avoid causing traffic snarl-up or inconveniencing other motorists. Proceed to turn on your hazard lights and set out the reflective triangle to notify other motorists to drive past the scene of the accident with caution. More importantly, ensure not to leave the scene of the accident until the emergency services arrive.

Seek medical help & call the police

Again, it is important to call for an ambulance to assist you and other affected people get medical help. Don’t underestimate the injuries sustained in the accident. Make sure you see a doctor immediately after, even if you are feeling Okay. The traffic law also requires that you notify the police upon the accident. It is essential to do so regardless of what the other parties may suggest, as the police will assess the scene of the accident objectively and compile a report in a file. The police report might be needed for reference in the future, in case a compensation claim is filed.

Document the scene

If you are not injured, then take the time to gather and exchange essential information with the parties involved in the accident. If there are witnesses who may be willing to testify in case a legal process ensues, it is advisable to collect their information as well. The essential information that you should make a point to collect include:

Names of the other parties
Email or postal addresses
Vehicle information, e.g., model and year of manufacture
License plate numbers
The photos of the location, the people involved, and the damaged vehicles.

You will need some of this information if there is a legal process as a ripple effect of the truck accident.

Hire a truck accident lawyer

Talking of legal matters, you also need legal assistance. You need only the best truck accident lawyers to help protect your rights. Yes, after an accident, it is common for either party to make a claim. This may be the beginning of a legal process. It may also be the first step into launching a compensation claim with your insurer or your employer who is required to protect you. That is why it is critical to enlist legal assistance from the lawyers who can help you get what you deserve.

There are many benefits of hiring a skilled auto accident attorney, top being that they know the auto accident law well, and they have a track record in similar cases. Just make sure you find the right lawyer who can prove their experience and show that they care about your case. You may also contact experts like Shuman Legal in Chicago that has earned a reputation as the top car accident lawyer in Chicago Illinois since 1996, with a staff dedicated to this type of injury.

Final Thoughts:

In a nutshell, truck accidents may occur when least expected. That is why it is necessary to know the steps you should take in case you are involved in a truck accident. Ensure you keep an eye on safety and health first, then protect your rights in the aftermath of the incident.

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Catering to the Needs to Curb Cybercrime Prevalence

April 12, 2020

Cybercrime has become a global phenomenon and the worst hit is the entertainment industry and we often have no clue about how to deal with it. Cybercrime industry generated $1.5 Trillion Economy in 2018 and this only empowers these individuals and companies to increase their influence.

We actively see the leaking of private data online and individuals are at the helm of destroying themselves when they become a victim. The dilemma is the unreported cases that keep feeding the individuals who are carrying out these cybercrime attacks.

When we think of online leakage of data, we tend to consider some trustworthy individual deceiving his acquaintances and resorting to cyber violence. It mostly includes leaking of private photos and videos to the masses. But, the scope of cybercrime is much broader than this.

Businesses and even Governments are often the victims of Cybercrime. The hackers are always trying to penetrate in the cyberspace of any institution to get access to their databases. Individuals without realizing open unwanted links that contain malicious code give away their sensitive data and passwords.

During these times where businesses are really falling apart, they look to go online and make new ways for earning customers. Business owners are in dire need of cash and many online payday loans companies have stopped lending during COVID-19, there are some serious concerns. But, taking your business or operations online needs to be safe and secure.

You need to have antivirus programs installed to detect these harmful and malicious websites. They will prevent your device from getting hacked. A password manager will prevent your password from getting forgotten or stolen and you can always rely on professional services to deliver the best safety measures.

The governments around the world are also deeply concerned about the Cybercrime Acts. European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a prime example to demonstrate the seriousness and concerns regarding this. Companies are made accountable to make their data even more secure and prevent its theft.

The data of users is not public property and it should not be treated like that. Governments have effective measures in place to criminalize the acts of Violence on the Internet. Social Media Platforms are also held accountable for the content circulation and fake news websites are effectively targeted.

The problem arises due to unreported cases. The societal concerns prevent individuals to speak against the violence incurred to them. But recently, there have been some great initiatives taken by individuals and activists around the world. Metoo movement has been quite effective in raising awareness levels of the masses.

The women from around the world have raised voices against their former oppressors and try to communicate to the world that radical measures are still required to be taken. The obstruction still remains to this is the societal concerns and how effectively the blackmailer is able to maneuver the Emotional Quotient of the victim.

The laws are intact, the responsibility lies upon us to continue to support the victims and raise awareness among the masses. The types of violence are to be identified regularly and make people beware of them to prevent further damage. Have proper safety measures in place and get the element of fear removed, the results would soon be very much motivating.

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5 Great Tips to Help you Manage your Money

April 10, 2020

Managing your finances doesn’t have to be complex, and there are a number of reasons on why you would want to do this to begin with. Reasons include: saving for a mortgage, buying your dream car, going on that holiday you’ve always planned, planning for retirement or even just having assurance that the funds are there should you run into an emergency.

The earlier you start the better, and it’s never too late. Or as the saying goes ‘there’s no time like the present’. This guide will help you build healthy money habits and get you one step closer to reaching your financial goals. One easy way to increase your income is by finding clever ways to reduce your expenditure, for example you could compare energy and a whole range of other products using a price comparison website such as Utility Saving Expert. They could help you save hundreds of pounds year in year out.

Know where to prioritise

Before you even begin, you need to clearly understand what your priorities are. If you’re unable to prioritise, this could become excruciatingly difficult for some.

Align your goals with matters to you most in life. Are you saving for something in the future, or do you want to finally rid yourself of personal loans and credit card debt? Everyone will have their own priorities based on their current circumstances.

By aligning your priorities with the most important aspects of your life, you can start to see what you really value. This could be from taking care of your personal health, international travel, or simply just entertainment. Once you have this knowledge, you can reduce or even remove completely those categories which are not essential to your lifestyle.

Understand your monthly income

To manage your money, you will need to know exactly how much your monthly household income is. If you’re a salaried employee, this is easier to calculate. If you’re self-employed or are a business owner, you will have to estimate this based on figures from previous financial years.

If you receive any income from other sources such as investments, pensions or benefits, add this to the above figures. A spreadsheet is simple to create and can easily help you keep track of things.

Understand what your money is being spent on

To build a complete and true financial picture, you’ll have to carefully think about your spending habits. To help you with this, you’ll need to gather all of your credit card and bank statements. These will help account for most of your expenses. However, if you receive any income through cash, or digital platforms such as PayPal or Venmo, you’ll need to include these too.

You can use the spreadsheet that you created earlier for your income, or go back to basics with pen and paper. We recommend the former method as you can easily update it and it will help you do the calculations automatically with little room for error.

It may be useful to categorise your expenses into things that are essential and non-essential. Examples include household bills, travel costs and money towards repaying debt. This will then enable you to quickly get a snapshot of where your money is really going. You may be surprised by how much you’re spending each month on eating out.

Factor in emergencies

OK, so you now fully understand what your monthly income and expenditure looks like. You’ll now need to set aside an amount for life’s unexpected. Having an emergency fund can help you in times when you need it most. Many publications advise that you should have at least six months’ worth of savings to help you through the ‘rainy days’.

You or your partner may lose your job, your car may experience a serious breakdown, or you may have to pay for private medical treatment which isn’t covered by the NHS. There’s a number of things that could financially affect you at different times of your life. An emergency fund will give you some reassurance that you’re able to get through this challenge. To build up this pot, you’ll have to slowly add to it and make sure you only access this if it is an absolute emergency. Avoid being tempted to make large purchases that aren’t absolutely essential as these can wait.

Save as early as possible

Regardless of what your current financial goals look like. The sooner you start to save, the less time it will take to get there. Many people look for banks that offer specific savings accounts, or private pensions that they can start investing money into. Even if you’re more than 20 years away from retirement, you still need to think about long term saving goals. The great thing about saving is there is no set rule on how much you should be putting away. More is better, but even as little as £50 per month can go a long way if you stay committed over a number of years.

To summarise, the best way to manage your money is to understand what you earn and where your spending habits lie. You then need to prioritise what’s important to you after paying for all the unavoidable essentials. Creating a plan and adhering to it strictly will be the difference between success and failure. You may come across life’s unexpected road bumps, but having an emergency fund ready will help you deal with this. We hope you have found these tips useful and wish you every success in realising your financial goals.

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When Should I Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident?

April 9, 2020

Things are bad enough after a car accident.

You’re injured through no fault of your own, you need hospital care and time off work, and your stress levels are through the roof. Car accidents are caused by another motorist’s failure to adhere to traffic laws. When an accident happens and someone is involved, certain procedures must be followed for insurance payments to be made. Filing a claim with a professional services law firm specializing in this kind of relief can streamline the process, as well as increase their chances of receiving funds from insurance companies. You can navigate to https://www.moseleycollins.com/ to get a free consultation and legal guide for your claim.

To make matters worse, you’re confused by the information that’s coming your way from friends and relatives.

Some are telling you to hire a personal injury lawyer immediately and others are saying that you don’t need a lawyer – the insurance company will sort everything out.

What’s the truth?

When should you contact a personal injury lawyer after an event of an accident – if at all?

If there are no injuries

Say you’re lucky. There’s been an accident but the only damage was to the vehicle. You escaped without injury – or think you did.

In the aftermath of an accident (even a simple “fender-bender”), just because you think you’re fine and have not suffered an injury doesn’t mean that this is the case.

It is quite common for pain or injuries to have a delayed onset after an accident.

Wait until you have been thoroughly checked and cleared by a doctor before you declare yourself injury-free.

If you have been fortunate enough to escape without pain, injury, or any other health complications, there may be no reason to contact a personal injury lawyer.

When there are slight injuries

If you are slightly injured in the accident – say you have minor whiplash or painful cuts and bruises that require hospital treatment – you may not require a lawyer.

If you hire a lawyer for a small claim (a few thousand dollars), a large chunk of any award will go to the lawyer.

Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis for larger claims. That is, they take a percentage of whatever compensation is awarded to you.

However, for smaller claims, they may request a fee that will eat up a good portion of any compensation amount.

If your insurance company is not playing hardball and is complying with what you expect, there may be no need for a lawyer.

In the case of more serious injury

If there are broken bones, lengthy hospital stays, and/or chronic health consequences of your car accident (such as persistent headaches or vision impairment months afterwards), the case for contacting a lawyer becomes more compelling.

In such cases, where medical bills have mounted up, you are forced to miss work, and there are longer-term implications of the accident, your insurance claim is likely to be substantial.

Motorcycle accidents can lead to some of the most severe injuries seen on the road. In the event that you get in a wreck on your bike, contact experienced attorneys as soon as possible. The team at Spaulding Injury Law, Alpharetta personal injury lawyer can help you get the support you need.

The insurance company is more likely to dig its heels in and play hard in such cases. Most have powerful lawyers who will be investigating the accident thoroughly and looking for opportunities to pay you less.

How do you know if the amount you are offered by the insurance company is fair and commensurate with your losses?

By hiring professional legal assistance to represent your corner, you can check everything and communicate on an even footing with the insurance company.

Contacting a lawyer also demonstrates to the insurance company that you are prepared for negotiation and, if necessary, litigation.

This can substantially improve the returns you receive.

The contingency fee you will pay your lawyer is usually around 30 percent. That is, they take 30 percent of any settlement.

So, let’s say that the insurance company is offering you $50,000. You hire a personal injury lawyer who is able to negotiate with the insurance company and increase the settlement to $100,000.

The lawyer takes a third – or $33,333. You still come out well ahead in the deal, with $67,667.

In addition to the financial benefits, the lawyer will relieve your stress by handling all contact with the insurance company, allowing you to focus on your healing and recovery.

You no longer need to worry about whether you are saying or doing the right thing: your lawyer’s experience will guide you.

What to consider before hiring a personal injury lawyer

The most important factors to consider before contacting a personal injury lawyer,l such as the legal team from Vogel LLP, after an accident are:

Are you injured – have you been confirmed injury-free by a medical professional?
If you’re injured, how badly?
Did you require a stay in hospital?
Were there any fatalities in the accident?
Have you experienced any chronic health effects?
How much are your medical bills?
Have you missed work, school, or other important activities?
Has your emotional state or relationship suffered?
Is there a dispute over whose fault the accident was?
Were other people injured in the accident?
Was there a problem with the police report or technical complications with your accident?
Did the accident occur in a protected area (like a school zone)?
Is your insurance company starting to “play hard” with their questioning?

Consider these factors and, if you are not sure, ask a personal injury lawyer for their opinion during a free consultation.

Most lawyers realize that you have been through a traumatic experience and want to help you. You can expect an honest and professional opinion about whether it is worthwhile you hiring them to help you.

As a general rule, in less serious cases, it may be better to settle out of court with the insurance company and move on with your life.

Where injuries are more serious, it often pays to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you in negotiations or in litigation.

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The Consequences of an Enterprise Cyber Attack

April 9, 2020

Regaining customer trust after losing their financial data can be a costly and laborious undertaking. What’s more, the legal ramifications can cripple plans for expansion as fines and court costs could divert capital away from investments geared toward advancing your company’s position in the marketplace.

Ultimately, the consequences of an enterprise cyber attack can be injurious to your reputation, your finances, your legal standing and your competitiveness.

Financial Consequences

Theft of key information can severely inhibit your ability to generate income. What’s more, your assets could also be at risk if the breach grants the attacker access to your banking and investment information. Furthermore, you’ll find your ability to conduct transactions online hampered significantly if customer payment data is compromised. Additionally, your customers might well take their business elsewhere — canceling any contracts upon which your revenue stream may have relied.

Reputational Consequences

Trust is a must. The last thing you want is for the word to get around that your network security is lax. That’s a surefire way to get your customers excited about doing business with your competitors. The resulting loss of customers, as we noted above, can put a significant damper on sales, which in turn could decimate your profit potential. A company is only as good as a customer’s last interaction with it. Lax cybersecurity could make your last interaction one in which your customer is left vulnerable to cybercriminals — and you can bet they will tell everyone they meet.

Legal Consequences

Clients are within their rights to expect a good faith effort on your part to protect their personally identifiable data. Further, you have a legal responsibility to see to it that their financial data is safeguarded in every way possible. In fact, data protection and privacy laws require you manage the security of all personal data you hold —whether it’s that of your staff or your customers.Fines and regulatory sanctions are routinely imposed upon organizations when found to be negligent in this area. Your company can also be sued for damages if your system is breached and thieves make off with customer data they then use to cause some sort of injury to those customers.

Competiveness Consequences

What happens when your big plan for expansion is stolen and sold to one of your competitors? What if a DDoS attack is launched against your site and shuts it down? Before you scoff, keep in mind it’s happened to big players — like Target, PayPal and Twitter — as well as a number of other significant enterprises.

Bankruptcy can easily result from having your ability to conduct your operations compromised. In fact, some 60 percent of companies that experience cyberattacks go under within six months of the incident. Remember that thing above about all the lawsuits? They could trigger a death spiral from which your business may not recover.

What Can You Do?

Vulnerability management is key to safeguarding your company against the consequences of an enterprise cyber attack. This includes implementing strong encryption, backing up your data and deploying robust antivirus and antimalware applications.

It’s also important to ensure your users observe and adhere to your security protocols — without cutting corners — each and every time they log into your system. Require the usage of strong passwords as well as multi-factor authentication. Training your users to spot phishing scams is also critical to protecting your system. Limiting access to those who absolutely need it is crucial as well. Yes, much of that information is common sense. However, successful cyber attacks have proven over and over again that common sense isn’t always common.

The good news is most people who engage in this type of criminal activity are looking for easy marks. With robust security protocols in place and functioning, you won’t appear to be low hanging fruit. They’ll likely try you and move on to look for a more vulnerable target when they can’t get in easily.

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Can You Sue a Nursing Home for Neglect?

April 9, 2020

It might be an accident. It might not be obvious. It might not be “standard practice” in the establishment.

However, neglect can cause serious consequences for people who have entrusted their health and wellbeing to the care of a nursing home.

It can lead to falls, injuries, infections, diseases, and worse.

However, many cases go unreported and, therefore, unresolved.

If you suspect that you or a loved one is the victim of neglect in a nursing home, what can you do? Can you sue for losses? Our lawyers at Sinel & Olesen, PLLC may be able to help you.

What is nursing home neglect?

The federal government regulates nursing homes and other care facilities that receive Medicare or Medicaid. This ensures an adequate level of safety for residents.

The individual state governments lay out more precise guidelines that must be followed.

Nursing home neglect occurs can be defined as follows:

“a failure, intentional or not, to provide a person with the care and services necessary to ensure freedom from harm or pain; a failure to react to a potentially dangerous situation resulting in resident harm or anxiety.”

(Source: http://www.nursinghomealert.com/signs-of-nursing-home-abuse )

Many victims of nursing home neglect are not even aware of it. They may sense that something is wrong but a concerned loved one is often the first to raise the alarm.

Patients in nursing homes are usually at their most vulnerable. They may have suffered mental decline and not be in a position to recognize the signs of neglect, let alone do anything about it.

Neglect can take many forms and it helps to be aware of the various situations that may arise in a nursing home environment.

Common examples of nursing home neglect

The signs of neglect may involve actions not taken. This may make them more difficult to identify than signs of abuse.

The following are all common examples of neglect in nursing homes:

The presence of bedsores

Bedsores or “pressure ulcers” are a typical sign of neglect as they result from a lack of movement when a patient is confined to a bed or wheelchair.

Unexpected weight loss or dehydration

Residents in nursing homes have a basic right to receive adequate nutrition and hydration. If your loved one starts losing weight, this could be a sign of neglect in this respect.

Inadequate supervision of residents

Residents often require help performing basic daily duties like going to the bathroom, bathing, and so on. Without adequate supervision, they may fall and injure themselves.

Unsanitary conditions

If a resident’s clothing, bedsheets, bedroom, or common areas are left in unsanitary conditions, this type of neglect raises the risk of disease and infection.

Illness or injury

If your loved one falls sick in a nursing home with conditions unrelated to the primary condition, ask whether this could be due to neglect? Signs of injury may also point to an avoidable fall and should be investigated.

Mistakes with medication

If nursing home carers are tasked with administering medication for your loved one, mistakes can be serious. Failure to follow the required schedule may constitute neglect.

Unsafe living conditions

This encompasses a wide range of conditions, such as poorly heated or ventilated rooms, wet floors, lack of hot and cold running water, fire hazards, and so on.

The effects of such neglect are often worse for people who are already in a frail and vulnerable condition, leading to:

Serious physical injury from slips and falls
Hospitalization for medical conditions such as infections
Mental health issues
Stress and emotional trauma

Can you sue for nursing home neglect?

Yes. If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to neglect in a nursing home, you can file a lawsuit against the nursing home.

However, each state has different definitions of neglect and processes for dealing with neglect claims.

In most cases, your complaint will not go too far without the help of a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice.

When should you contact a lawyer?

Instances of neglect in nursing homes are often first observed initially by friends or relatives visiting loved ones.

Going to court is rarely the first option.

Most people will raise the issue with relevant authorities in the nursing home and try to improve the situation. The nursing home will have a grievance procedure to follow if it is Medicare-certified.

However, sometimes it is too late. At other times the nursing home fails to correct the situation and the situation deteriorates for the patient.

You may need to speak to a local long-term care ombudsman or the adult protective services agency.

If you are still unable to rectify the situation, contact a lawyer about your situation and discuss your options. You may decide to file a case against the nursing home.

This can bring compensation for the physical harm, distress, and expense caused by nursing home neglect.

However, be warned: this is no simple process.

Nursing homes often have powerful legal representation. The burden of proof can be high and you may require the assistance of professional witnesses to demonstrate the losses suffered.

Hiring an experienced lawyer who understands the local state court system and has represented victims of nursing home neglect will help.

It doesn’t matter if the neglect was intentional or not…

When a loved one enters a nursing home in the U.S. you are entitled to believe that they are safe and will receive a reasonable level of care. With Epping Gardens palliative care, you can expect a caring and supportive environment that promotes supported independence and aims to keep guests physically and mentally active, eating well, staying connected and having access to a high standard of clinical care.

When these standards are not met, you can claim for losses through the legal system – whether or not the neglect was intentional.

Being understaffed or having inadequately qualified, trained or supervised carers is not an excuse.

If you identify the warning signs of neglect and a loved one’s health or wellbeing has suffered, you can hold the nursing home liable.

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3 Tips for Prequalifying for Financing when Facing a Financial Crises

April 9, 2020

Whether you need money to pay off some bad debt that you owe, or you’re looking for a way to fund some home improvements right now, you might be considering what your options are out there.

Don’t worry – you’re not the only one. There are lots of people, especially in a financially difficult time like this, who look to personal and auto loans to help them get by. If you’re wondering how you can prequalify for an auto loan, let’s talk about it. Here are three tips for prequalifying for a short-term loan.

Why It’s Worth Getting Prequalified

So, what is being prequalified, then, and why is it something you might be interested in? When you are interested in applying for a loan, the lender will take a look at your general financial status and decide whether you’re a good candidate for a sure repayment. This is why being prequalified for a loan doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically be approved, but it does mean that you’re a strong candidate for the process and that you show promise. Being prequalified is definitely going to improve your chances of being approved.

1. Select More Than One Lender

When thinking about being prequalified for a short-term auto loan or personal loan, we suggest checking out more than one lender. This is because the more lenders you pre-apply with, the greater a chance you have of one of them approving you.

Just look up all the possible short-term lenders in your area. The best part is that with most of them, you can apply online, which is going to save you a lot of time going from place to place.

2. Provide Your Basic Information

Most of the time, when it comes to a short-term auto lender, they won’t require too much of your personal information to send you through to the next stage. In fact, the majority of lenders won’t even ask to see your credit score.

They’ll just want to know a bit of basic information about you so that they can get on with the prequalifying process. There might be more information that they need at a later date, but right now, they just need some basic stuff, so be prepared to give them what they need.

3. Be Patient

Depending on how many other people the lender has to process in the prequalifying stage, it could be a bit of a wait to find out if you have prequalified or not. This is another reason why it’s worth applying to more than one lender – if another lender gets back to you quicker, you can just go with them.

Don’t think that just because they haven’t gotten back in touch, means that they have forgotten about you. These things take time, and if it’s taking a long time, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you haven’t been pre-approved.

There’s no telling what it takes to prequalify for a title loan – but if you play your cards right, be patient and put your eggs in more than one basket, you have a much better chance of success.

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Clearing the Paper Jam: SigniFlow Liberates the Business through Digitalisation

April 8, 2020

An Interview with Mr Leon van der Merwe, Founder and Executive Director of SigniFlow

The Shangri-La of the paperless office has remained obstinately distant in spite of all the optimistic predictions that have been around since the PC explosion of the 1980s. In this interview, Leon van der Merwe, founder and executive director of SigniFlow, lifts our spirits with news that the end of the long journey is finally in sight.

Hello, Mr van der Merwe. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. It’s a pleasure to have this opportunity to chat with you about your company, its achievements in the area of digital transformation, and its plans for the future.

I understand you have been in various leadership positions since 1994. Being in high-profile posts must induce some stressful moments. Would you mind telling us how you start your day in preparation?

My team and I run a very tight schedule, often consisting of a meeting on the hour, every hour throughout the day. We all get to work early, around 6 a.m. to catch up and prepare for the day ahead, which starts at 8 a.m. and often runs into the evenings.

Having a dedicated team that is willing to go the extra mile to get the job done is what makes the magic happen. The team at SigniFlow is as devoted to our tech as they are to our customers and one another.

People have been talking about the paperless office for decades, but it seems to have been a long time coming. Why do you think it has taken so long? And why does it finally seem to be happening now?

A typical business consists of people; remove the human element and you have no business. Going paperless or digitising the office is often perceived as getting rid of jobs, which could not be further from the truth. Our solutions are designed to make humans more efficient, not get rid of them. A business that serves a thousand customers in a region and has twenty employees can serve ten thousand customers in ten regions after properly automating and / or digitising processes.

The impact of digitisation on a business is often underestimated and thought of as an IT project, whereas in fact it is much more than that. Digitisation requires buy-in and commitment from all stakeholders, as it impacts the entire business and its operations.

A business that serves a thousand customers in a region and has twenty employees can serve ten thousand customers in ten regions after properly automating and / or digitising processes.

We found that most businesses that started digitisation years ago did so by digitising processes in seclusion, or only within certain departments, mostly without consulting other departments or thinking of the overall business strategy. This brought about a disconnect between the departments, or departments in the same business running different, sometimes incompatible systems. The result was that digitisation projects often failed and people reverted to paper, or that it naturally faded away, as employees were forced to revert to legacy systems due to pressures from business units further down the value chain.

Some might say that paper is the ultimate legacy system, and we all know how much effort can be involved in replacing those. How can you convince companies and organisations that it’s worth the effort of moving away from paper-based systems that have served them for so very long? And how can you persuade them to make the leap of faith of leaving solid, dependable paper behind?

There are several, obvious “green office” reasons to save paper and digitise, but none are as convincing as the true benefits that businesses reap from increasing their efficiency and geographical reach once digitised.

Paper-based processes are slow, inefficient and restrictive by nature. As an example, we have a customer in the banking sector, which almost tripled its revenue on a foreign exchange product after the end-to-end digitisation of the entire customer journey. How is this possible? Simple: there are only so many hours in the day in which a broker can process deals. If two-thirds of their time is spent on obtaining documents, printing, scanning, sending emails and getting deals signed off, then only one-third is spent on developing new business. By removing the manual labour components through automated systems, the brokers quickly realised that they were able to serve more customers per day and make more money, so, within a few short months, they tripled their revenue.

Another example is a letting agent that was bound to a certain geographical area, purely because they had to drive out to the customer to get their identities verified and contracts signed. After digitising their contracts and identity verification system, the realtors soon realised that they had more time on their hands but, more importantly, it no longer mattered where their customers were situated. They could comfortably expand their reach into larger geographical areas and had more time to deal with more customers, which meant more revenue.

These are only two examples. There are hundreds like these, spread across every sector of business. Leaving paper behind may feel like a daunting exercise, but it is in fact a freeing experience when it is done with the right partner.

There is huge interest worldwide in effecting the digital transformation away from paper-based systems. But, at the same time, there is intense competition among the solutions providers. What is it that distinguishes SigniFlow from the other players in this competitive market?

SigniFlow’s value propositions are as follows:

Flexible software architecture

SigniFlow is a true enterprise solution, offering Microservices Architecture (MSA) that enables autonomous integration. This allows our customers the flexibility to integrate any third-party application with any micro-component of SigniFlow.

Flexible infrastructure architecture

SigniFlow software is not bound by any infrastructure technology and can be deployed in almost any location (cloud, on-premise, public or private data centres, etc.) and in almost any application environment (virtual machines, containerised environments, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.).

Compliance with law

SigniFlow adheres to the most demanding legal and regulatory compliance across the globe. SigniFlow runs segregated instances across different regions in the world, each configured independently to ensure compliance with local legislation, such as privacy laws and e-signature laws that differ in each operating region.

People

The SigniFlow team is dedicated to delivering and upholding only the highest levels of customer service.

What are the challenges for SigniFlow in keeping the edge over the competition in the future?

SigniFlow naturally adopted a development culture that is not influenced by competitor products, but rather by customer demand. We are not aiming to be the largest of our kind in the world; we are aiming to be the most relevant.

It would be understandable if organisations approached moving away from their familiar paper-based systems with trepidation. Does hand-holding form a major part of what you do?

Yes, SigniFlow’s top three projects in 2019 were replacing competitor software previously deployed by major companies claiming to be the best in the world. Based on feedback from these customers, it is evident that SigniFlow offered better flexibility and better service delivery throughout the project life cycle.

These days, we take for granted the ability to access a seemingly infinite range of systems from our mobile phones and other devices, as well as our desktops. How much of a challenge are mobile platforms for SigniFlow as a solutions provider, and for organisations, too, as they transform to digital workflow?

In today’s world of technology, mobility plays a major role in the success of software deployments. Consumers and corporates alike demand the ability to use their mobile smartphones to access software and perform important functions. SigniFlow understands this as well as it understands the importance of balancing security and compliance with user experience. Our R&D department works around the clock to reduce the number of steps (each step classified as friction) that a user needs to perform in order to complete a process.

The successful transformation to paper-free systems might seem to be an end in itself. What do you see as the next big milestones in the digital transformation process?

Getting rid of paper is only part of the many milestones that exist in digital transformation projects. Once a business has decided to embark on a digitisation project, the success of the project will largely depend on how committed the organisations’ people are to the project. Instilling a digital culture among employees and stakeholders is the next big task at hand.

Most failed digitisation projects are as a result of employees and executive members not buying in. It is critical that everyone in the business should see the advantages of digitisation and the vision of company.

What are the issues in terms of disaster recovery, in comparison with traditional systems? How can an organisation be sure that an outage, natural disaster or other unforeseen catastrophe won’t bring their operations to a standstill?

SigniFlow operates in highly sophisticated environments like Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which offer the latest tech to ensure maximum uptime and data redundancy. Local redundancy (replication within a single location) has its limits in offering redundancy, so, to mitigate these risks, SigniFlow offers and recommends zone redundancy (synchronous replication across multiple zones in a region) and even geo-zone redundancy (replication across multiple regions).

SigniFlow has its roots in the South African environment but has expanded rapidly on to the international stage. What are the issues in adapting the company’s solutions to organisations that may operate in and across different regulatory and fiscal environments?

Before entering a new territory, the SigniFlow R&D department spends as much as a year investigating local legislation and regulatory requirements within a new region or country. Only once we have a clear understanding of these requirements do we proceed to launch a segregated instance of SigniFlow in the new region that is configured to comply fully with local laws. Our core system has been adapted to work with a multitude of technologies designed to satisfy local regulatory demands for digital and electronic signature methods in each region.

The “arms race” between legitimate business organisations and less-admirable elements involved in cybercrime is ongoing. Systems that involve large financial transactions and digital signatures seem bound to attract the attention of criminals. Should businesses be worried? What can SigniFlow do to allay their fears?

SigniFlow has a massive drive to ensure compliance with international regulations for anti-money laundering (AML). We have researched and developed digital processes that work independently or with the SigniFlow platform to perform state-of-the-art “know your customer” (KYC) checks at a transactional, or customer onboarding level (https://signiflow.com/kyc/). We have partnered with global leaders in digital identity and human authentication to bring world-class solutions to our customers to assist them in combating cybercrime and financial fraud.

As the executive director of a dynamically developing company, how do you look after the well-being of your employees? How do you encourage a working culture of continuous innovation and learning?

All our employees are guided and financially supported in growing long-term annuity for retirement. The sharing of knowledge from senior to junior employees and coaching among peers is instilled in the company culture. We have an open-door policy and every employee has the freedom to share new ideas with peers and senior management. We are proud to say that not a single employee left our employ during 2019, a statistic that speaks for itself.

What do you think are the most valuable lessons you have learned? What would be your advice to those who want to venture into this industry?

Writing software is easy. Turning that software into a commercial business is something that requires a bit more thought, planning and funding. Commercial customers pay a licence fee not only to have well maintained, functional software; they also rely heavily on a solid support infrastructure. Having dependencies on other software is risky and must be avoided as far as possible. Having state-of-the-art infrastructure that supports maximum uptime is a must, but it is not cheap and needs to be carefully planned and micro-managed throughout the growth cycle. People are your most valuable, yet most expensive, assets. Ensure that all your employees share in a common goal and are fully invested in the company’s vision.

Finally, you have many years’ experience in ICT. Moreover, your career to date has been closely connected with digital workflow technologies. Do you see the increasing uptake of digital transformation solutions internationally as being somehow what your career has all been leading up to? What further challenges are you, personally, looking forward to taking on?

There is no doubt that there is a massive uptake of digital transformation worldwide in both private and public sectors. The adoption of web services is largely responsible for removing incompatibility between core systems by promoting integrated, yet federated systems. Companies can now deploy multiple core systems in a single IT landscape faster and more effectively than ever before, each performing unique and specialised functions, thus eliminating the need to rely on legacy vendors in order to catch up with the latest technologies.

Apart from ensuring that SigniFlow and all its stakeholders have a bright future, I constantly strive to find more innovative approaches to automating the workplace in ways that responsibly promote machines, helping humans achieve their goals.

Thank you very much Mr van der Merwe. It was a pleasure speaking with you.

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Executive Profile

Leon van der Merwe, founder and executive director of SigniFlow, has been with the company since 2012. With over two decades of experience in the ICT sector, he is a keen marketer with a passion for all things digital. His innovative spirit has been the driving force behind several new and progressive cloud solutions, such as SigniFlow and pbVerify.

Breaking Tradition: How Finance Brands can Connect with Customers on Social Media

April 8, 2020

By Tamara Littleton

If you think social media is only about sharing memes and selfies with mouse filters, think again. All life is there, which means all companies should be there too – even financial providers. In fact, especially financial providers. Social media is the perfect platform for building trust, something the financial services sector is slowly regaining. As the sector still sits at the bottom of Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer, it needs to do all it can to build connections with its customers.

Given that social media can often be regarded as the Wild West of the online world, in an industry as tightly regulated and with a product as potentially life changing as finance, providers are right to be wary. There are many examples of the wrong brand in the wrong place at the wrong time. But used correctly, social media is an essential platform for attracting, engaging and educating users of financial services.

Interacting with financial providers and discussions around financial services over social media is not a fad, it’s a trend.

Consider how consumers behave today. A 2019 Experian survey of 18-19 year-old Americans found that they were keen to learn about finance, but a lot of that learning came from YouTube (27%) and other social media platforms (24%). But most of their learning came from friends (28%). Interacting and asking questions of peers in informal settings is quite normal for younger generations and increasingly so for other segments and social media is the perfect setting for this. That is the picture today. As younger consumers engage further with financial products throughout their lives, those social discussions will only grow. Interacting with financial providers and discussions around financial services over social media is not a fad, it’s a trend.

Socially acceptable

Naturally, there are strict regulations around what financial services companies can say and when, particularly via social media platforms. In the UK, social media activity must be ‘fair, clear and not misleading’ according to Financial Service Authority guidelines. Records of all communications must be kept, even tweets, and customer complaints still must be directed through the appropriate channels.

In the US, once again fair and balanced are watchwords, while the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority also prohibits “interactive electronic communications that recommend specific products” unless certain conditions are met. Guidelines are also continuously updated as the platforms themselves evolve, so it is incumbent on any financial brand using social media to stay abreast of changes.

That said, there are many compliant activities financial brands could and should make use of to help get closer to their clients. Customer care is an important example of this as social media is often the first port of call for customers to vent – or occasionally praise – their suppliers. Monitoring for these messages is critical so companies can get ahead of reputational challenges, as well as address their customers’ needs in a timely, efficient manner.

Social media is also an excellent window to the world. While brands shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that a social media audience is representative of every slice of society – it can sometimes become a tiresome echo chamber for just a few – for certain customer segments it can be a focus group of thousands, if not millions. It allows brands to watch behavioural trends, gain insight into customer needs and research new ideas, all from the comfort of a keyboard.

While social media has become a customer service channel almost by default, not enough financial brands are using it for one of its most obvious benefits – to broadcast their brand messages. Whether it’s video on YouTube, short alerts on Twitter, business announcements on LinkedIn or potentially even creative skits on TikTok, social media is a diverse platform that financial services brands should use to build their narratives and add much-needed human face to the brand.

While social media has become a customer service channel almost by default, not enough financial brands are using it for one of its most obvious benefits – to broadcast their brand messages.

This plays into the idea of social platforms as recruitment channels, where brands can reveal whole new sides to themselves that people in traditional channels may not see. Research has shown that Millennials in particular, want to work somewhere that shares their values and agile way of working as much as for a certain level of pay. Social media is an excellent platform to highlight those values to new audiences by either posting examples of value-driven activity, or posts from existing employees talking about their experience and those shared values.

Making a plan

It’s clear that anyone can leap on social media and start engaging without any thought as to the why, the who, the where or the when. This does not usually end well. It may seem like a more free-wheeling, relaxed environment than paid or owned media and there is the opportunity to be less formal and more ‘human’ in interactions but that doesn’t mean any approach can be half-hearted. There are key steps to follow if brands are to turn social media into a platform for effective stakeholder engagement.

These steps involve having guidelines around tone of voice and communication style to help stay true to your brand personality as well as understanding who and where your customers are. Giving guidance on how to communicate effectively will allow brands to tailor the right message to the right segment via the right platform in a way that is authentic. The danger of misunderstanding the audience and language needed can be detrimental – looking for younger customers on Facebook or Twitter when their natural home is TikTok or Snap creates a disconnect.

This doesn’t mean being ‘down with the kids’ if the brand is naturally traditional, however the tone of voice will need to be social specific and for example, massively different to one developed by corporate comms. Social is about connecting therefore the tone needs to be primarily human and genuine, you only need to look at how much younger people cringe at their parents trying to use the ‘lingo’ to know that anything that smacks of inauthenticity will be instantly disregarded. Be true to the brand’s personality and you can shape your content and tone of voice to reduce the risk of alienating whole demographics.

Engaging on social media also requires an ongoing conversation. Whether that’s one-to-one or one-to-many, there is nothing ‘one and done’ about the platform. Most initial contact via social media is to ask a question, either of peers or the brand itself. To get people coming back again and again, there has to be a reason. This might be exclusive content or VIP services but it’s important to keep up the momentum. Many brands are using a service called TokUpgrade to grow their TikTok accounts. Click here to read their customer reviews.

Brand safety also comes to the forefront here when we explore how to best approach social media. However much the general public knows that certain corners of social media can turn into the wild west, they still hold a dim view of brands allowing it to happen on their turf. Moderation is crucial to create a safe and comfortable place for people to visit, to curb the spread of so-called ‘fake news’ and make sure non-compliant content such as spam or malicious comments is removed.

Of course, among the spam and fake news it can be tempting to remove criticism too but not only is that highly unethical, it in itself damages the brand. Running from an issue is the fastest way to upset people and generate feelings of mistrust. On the other hand, dealing with problems in an open and honest way, on a platform where everyone can see what is going on builds trust. Even when most conflict resolution takes place offline for regulatory reasons, it is possible to provide generic updates in a public forum to demonstrate that the brand is fully engaging with the process.

Investment is key

One of the biggest social media failures of organisations in any sector, not just financial services, is the lack of investment. Talking and posting on most of the platforms may be free, but the time, effort and financial investment behind the scenes can be significant. Creating the right content, in differing tones according to audience and platform, planning and scheduling it, resourcing staff to monitor and respond across a range of channels, and training them to do it responsibly all costs money. Under-resourcing social media sets customer expectations then promptly fails to deliver on them. Not only is that damaging to the brand but, in the context of competitors fully supporting social media, reduces a brands competitiveness in what is an increasingly crowded market.

Social media as a channel has grown organically, its importance as a customer engagement platform increasing tentatively at first, then exponentially and at speed. Therefore, although it has been used by the more disruptive, agile financial services brands as an engagement and customer service tool for some time, it still seems to have taken more traditional brands somewhat by surprise.

The other dimension is that, despite being a channel on which brands can promote, communicate and advertise, it is not a marketing channel in the way that perhaps radio, print or TV might be. Social media has given rise to a whole new set of customer and brand behaviours that simply didn’t exist a decade ago. It is a problem-solving, relationship-building, trust machine that you can also market through but, it requires investment, strategy, training and planning to really drive success.

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About the Author

Tamara Littleton, founded The Social Element in 2002, before the explosion of social media, initially designed to protect brands online. Her pioneering approach has led to the agency operating a highly inclusive remote working model with a strong global team that now stands at around 300+. They work shoulder- to-shoulder with some of the world’s biggest brands to deliver consultancy-led social media services, helping to create genuine human connections with consumers.

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