Home Blog Page 659

Tips on Finding Jobs for Finance Professionals

0

Getting a job in the finance industry
is a dream for many people and that’s for good reason: Aside from the pay, many
jobs in this segment are prestigious and rewarding.

From traveling the globe to developing complex
financial instruments to working in retail lending, the industry spans many
fields and has many different components to it.

Yet one thing remains consistent despite the
position and that is a drive and need for excellence.

In other words, jobs in finance can often be
tough to obtain and particularly when the economy isn’t doing that well.

That’s why we’ve outlined ten pieces of
helpful advice that will help you find your dream job in finance.

From demonstrating that you know how to
balance customer and institutional needs to area competencies, this advice
should help you burnish your CV and
prepare you to find and interview for a dream in finance.

1. Demonstrate Values and Core Strengths

When you search for a job and begin
interviewing, you need to know salient ways to demonstrate your values and core
strengths almost immediately. This should not only be evident in your CV, but also in your ability to convey
this during the interview. Focus on real-world examples of how you have
achieved certain goals as well as demonstrate how you have balanced client and
company needs if you are applying for a customer-facing position.

2. Interview for a Job Now with a Future
Position in Mind

Always look down the road when taking a job
now. Where will this lead in the future? If you can see a clear path ahead of
you, think of ways to strategically position yourself for hiring management
such that they notice this potential career pathway for you. While you don’t
want to come off like you are trying to replace someone currently in a
position, you do want to demonstrate your potential future worth to the firm in
one way or another.

3. Show Continuous Improvement in Skills 

From obtaining new certifications to attending
professional networking events and seminars, you want the hiring managers to
see that you take your job seriously and that you want to stay on top of your
game. Another thing about improving your skills is that it helps convince
hiring managers that you are truly wedded to your job. What that means is that
you are in this for life and they won’t have to worry about you pursuing
another field. When it comes to professional positions, hiring managers tend to
prefer people who live and breathe their position than those who are simply
looking for a job to do. 

4. Stay Determined to Achieve Your Goals

One of the hardest things about the job search
in any field is that it can often take much longer than many of us anticipate
and this can lead to frustration. Stay determined to realize your goals and
keep motivated with continuing education classes in your field.

5. Highlight Your Ability to Collaborate and
Work with Others

Managers love a star, but they also like
someone that works well with others. Demonstrate a consistent ability to work
well with others and highlight relevant examples of that during your career. Also,
choose references that will reflect positively on your ability to work with a
team.

6. Be Adaptable in Skillsets

Knowing how to work outside of your comfort
zone will become increasingly important as you advance in your career. From
continuing education to showing a willingness to think “outside of the box,”
you need to make sure that the hiring managers reading
your CV
know they have someone who will roll with the punches should
they decide to hire you.

7. Have an Open Mind When It Comes to Jobs

The job you want now might not be available
but there could be an adjacent position that lead you to where you want to go
ultimately. Be flexible when it comes to the position you are willing to take
and even show your willingness you join up with a firm by having an open mind
as far as other positions are concerned.

8. Make Sure Any Credentials Are Up to Date

It is critical that you make sure any
professional credentials you hold are still relevant as well as being up to
date. That doesn’t mean you can’t apply for jobs, but it does mean you need to
somehow note that you are in the process of renewing or updating your
credentials.

9. Burnish Your Reputation in the Industry

An awesome way to get your name out there and
make yourself a shiny new object for hiring managers is to become an area
expert. From writing a blog to hosting a podcast, if you have area expertise
and you want to get your name out there then you need to take advantage of all
of the platforms made available by the Internet to do just that. You will not
only broaden your industry expertise but you could also end up getting hiring
managers to come to you with jobs instead of the other way around.

10. Prepare an Amazing CV

We
cannot stress enough how important it is to have a professional CV. You can use
premium websites like https://www.cvmaker.uk
to help you get there since you most likely don’t know all of the ins and outs of a resume yourself. Why is this
so important? Your CV provides critical information, at a glance, that
can help get you interviewed quickly if done well. Your CV not only highlights
your credentials and skills as well as history, but also should be tailored to
the position to which you are applying. This strategy will help you get the
attention of the right people as well as demonstrate your qualifications for
the position.

Ways To Earn During The Pandemic

0

2020
has been a challenging year and impacted people in many different ways. For
many people, it has had a negative impact on their financial situation, or it
may have made you reconsider your current situation and want to make positive
changes to your life. It is unclear what the future looks like right now, but
there are a few smart ways that you can earn some extra money during the
pandemic, which could be useful if you have lost income or you are simply
looking to boost your earnings and develop savings. Here are some of the best
ways for you to currently do this.

Find
A Part-Time Job

While
your options are limited right now, and it might be more competitive than
normal, there are still good options for part-time work, which will be a great
way to earn some extra cash as well as get you out of the house if you are
struggling with feelings of isolation. A few options include:

  • Working in supermarkets and other essential stores
  • Bar/restaurant work
  • Food delivery
  • Retail

Freelance
Work

There
was a rise in
freelance workers
before the pandemic, and it is easy to see why
because it puts you in control of your earnings, plus many can work remotely,
which also means that it is an excellent way to earn during the pandemic. There
are all kinds of different options for starting a freelance business, such as:

  • Web design
  • Content writing
  • Digital marketing
  • Social media management
  • Tutoring

Ecommerce
Store

Another
business that you could start and run from the comfort of your own home is an eCommerce
store
. This is an industry which has continued to rise during
the pandemic, particularly for those that are selling trending products which
right now includes items such as:

  • Sports and fitness equipment
  • Health and beauty
  • Home improvements
  • Arts and crafts

Cryptocurrency
Trading

Although
there will always be an aspect of risk as with any type of investing,
cryptocurrency trading could be an excellent way to make extra cash. Still, it
is an area that many shy away from because they do not fully understand it.
Familiarising yourself with the basics and then using advanced loophole
software can significantly reduce the risk and could help you to earn a good
amount of money through trading – open an account here today and get
started now.

Various
Online Tasks

Another
way to earn extra cash if you are sat at home is simply by completing various
online tasks which can be found at several different online job websites. The
work and amount that you can earn varies greatly but could include completing
surveys, testing websites, making internet searches, inputting data, or
watching videos.

Hopefully,
this will provide you with a few ideas for ways in which you can earn some
money during the pandemic, whether you are without a job or simply looking to
build your savings and use the time that you have productively.

A Short History of Cryptocurrencies: Everything You Need to Know

0

Cryptocurrencies are poised to change the very way we deal
with financial transactions. However, like the format wars of the past, there
is still no winning victor that has emerged from the many various
cryptocurrency options. Bitcoin is undoubtedly the most famous, but it is not
the only option, and until a victor emerges in terms of popularity, the world
will have trouble keeping up. It’s hard to trade multiple cryptocurrencies all
at once on the ground to pay your groceries or bills, but that doesn’t mean
that there is not already huge potential with all cryptocurrencies involved
when it comes to trading.

Today you can make money by buying and selling cryptocurrencies on the highly
accurate Bitcoin Trader website
and make a small fortune by taking advantage of its volatile nature. Or you can
work and build up your portfolio of multiple cryptocurrencies. How, however,
did they all come about? What is the history of cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency Begins – 1998

Bitcoin will always hold the place as the first true
cryptocurrency, but before that, there was B-Money and Bit Gold, though they
never saw the light of day as fully formed currencies of their own.

Bitcoin is Born in – 2009

Bitcoin
begins in 2009
and is made available to the public. Transactions, most
importantly, are verified using the instrumental blockchain technology.

Bitcoin has Value – 2010

It wasn’t until 2010 that Bitcoin was then first valued. The
first notable transaction at the time was when someone decided to sell 10,000
bitcoins for two pizzas. If they forwent those pizzas and kept those bitcoins,
they would be worth almost £90 million today.

The Rivals Enter the Stage – 2011

It was only a matter of time before rivals entered the
stage, and they are growing increasingly in popularity. It is important to
remember that these other cryptocurrencies are not just alternatives, they run
on different versions of the technology.

Bitcoin Hits Its First Crash – 2013

Bitcoin experienced its first major crash in 2013, very soon
after it first reached a value of $1000 per bitcoin. In that crash, the price
plummeted down to $300. It would take two years before it reaches back up to
that $1000 mark again.

Criminals Enter the Stage in the Biggest Heist – 2014

Criminals are at every corner of profit, and with an
unregulated currency system, it was only a matter of time. In 2014 the biggest
heist to date occurred, and over 850,000 Bitcoins were
scammed from their owners
. To put into perspective the value of those
Bitcoins, know that today they would be worth more than £4 billion.

Bitcoin Entered the Public Eye in 2017

You wouldn’t be the only one if you didn’t know about Bitcoin until the massive
market boom it experienced back in 2017, wherein one fateful November the price
of a single Bitcoin reached up to just shy of     $20,000
USD. Since then, it has been hovering between $7000 and $11,000 in price.

Blockchain Becomes Universal – Present

Who wins the format war of the cryptocurrencies is still up
for debate, which is why many are finding huge success in trading. For the rest
of us that are not trading, the most important thing to know is that
blockchain, the technology that powers Bitcoin, is becoming more universal
throughout all areas of society.

Six Side Hustle Ideas to Start in 2020

0

With many either working from home or looking for something
new, now is the perfect time to start a side hustle. These side hustles could,
later on, become full-time, profitable jobs all on their own, but by starting
them when you have the financial security of a job, you can forget the stress
of starting your own business or a new career and learn as you go. Start now so
that by 2021 you may just have a fully-fledged business on your hands to call
your own.

1.   
Sell Items Second-Hand Online

One of the most significant opportunities that you can
manage and turn a profit
right from your own home
is to sell second-hand items online. The
second-hand market is booming, and so too is the upcycle market. If you love to
get crafty and want to see some money from your passion, this is the best way
to go. You will need to build up a customer base and remember to try to make
your marketing materials and product photos as professional as possible to
fetch the highest amount.

2.   
Start Day Trading

There are so many different types of stock or even currency
that you can trade. From working the stock market to trading the value of
currencies, to even taking your efforts to the cryptocurrency world. You have
so many options, and with automated trading software, you only need to keep an
eye on your connection and spend a few extra minutes a day to adjust your parameters.
You can even get started today and open
an account
in just a few moments, and then get started with trading even if
you don’t have any experience.

3.   
Become a Consultant

If you have the experience, you can offer your advice and
expertise to those around the world as a consultant. You can be a consultant
for anything, even cleaning up as Marie Kondo has proved to the world. People
want help and guidance in areas that they are lacking, so if you find you
always seem to be helping others see what you think is obvious, it’s time to
start working on your own as a consultant. Start first with your own network,
and work to create a fair price point so that you can sell your services to
them.

4.   
Take Your Passion Freelance

If your talent doesn’t lend itself properly to consulting,
then just offer your services for a price. Many careers are already based on
this model, and it isn’t difficult to get started. It is the same as starting a
business with the only difference being that your overhead is significantly
smaller and all your profits go to you, not another employees’ bank account.

5.   
Become a Tutor

The third option is to teach your skills. This doesn’t have
to be a one-on-one tutoring session with a teenager either. You can teach
people how to cook in a series of webinars that are paid access. You can teach
them how to start a successful social media account. The online learning market
is enormous, and you can find your own very successful slice of that pie.

6.   
Start a Thriving Blog 

There is no reason why you cannot start a thriving blog that
you can monetize
while doing any of the above options. In some cases, like
teaching online, it will actually help you bring in more money and clients.

Here’s How You Can Get a Loan Even Without Credit

0

If you don’t have
credit yet, you should see to it to start building one as soon as possible. You
should get a credit card or apply for a loan and make on-time payments on what
you owe to receive an excellent credit score. Yes, that’s the best way to establish
your credit profile.

When you’re just
kicking off your journey to this goal, it’s normal to worry about not getting
approved for a loan because you have no credit history. But you have to keep in
mind that you can still qualify for a loan even without credit.

Just make sure to use
the loan for a good purpose and avoid having too many debts (here’s what to know about investing, budgeting, and debt reduction).
For you to obtain a loan despite your credit situation, take some time to read
this article to learn how to get one.

Take Out an Online Personal Loan

An online personal
loan is one of the most preferred money borrowing options for people with no
established credit history. Since you’re working with an online lender, there’s
a possibility that you won’t go through a tight credit check during your loan
application.

Typically, your
online lender will only ask you for a proof of income and employment certificate
as requirements to get the loan.

Work with a Co-Signer

Working with a
co-signer is another tactic to secure a loan even if you don’t have yet an
existing credit profile. The person who will co-sign the loan with you can be
your friend or relative (in fact, anyone whom you trust). But you should keep
in mind that your co-signer should have a stellar credit history to boost your
chances of obtaining the loan.

The person who
co-signs with you for the loan should also understand the responsibility of
being a co-signer. In such a time when you miss payments or you default on the
loan, your co-signer will have to pay the unpaid amount. If ever he/she won’t
continue repaying, his/her credit profile will receive bad marks.

If you’re going to
borrow money with the help of a co-signer, have some good sense of paying the
loan on time to avoid putting your co-signer’s credit profile at risk.

Go to a Lender Who Conducts Non-Traditional Credit Checks

Mainstream lenders
and major lending institutions follow strict rules when checking a borrower’s
credit profile. That’s why not all loan applicants get approved for a loan due
to such stringent credit checks.

That’s why if you
need to borrow money without having an established credit history, go to a
non-traditional lender. Your credit score is not a big deal to non-traditional
lenders, but you still need to show that you have the means to repay the loan
by providing your recent payslips, bank statements, and certificate of
employment.

You can browse the
internet and compare the loan offers of non-traditional lenders. There are
direct lenders and lending networks that can give you an advantageous soft
credit check loan.

Apply for an Alternative Payday Loan

Another
credit-building loan that you can get is an alternative payday loan. Members of
credit unions can apply for this loan and receive a small loan amount with a
repayment period of 1 to 6 months. It’s an excellent loan to build your credit
because it’s much easier to repay than a regular payday loan.

Aside from the loan
term and loan amount, alternative payday loans have affordable fees and rates
than regular payday loans. Perhaps the only catch with this loan type is that
you need to be a registered credit union member to avail
of it. Usually, a borrower needs to be a member of the credit union for a few
months to get qualified for this credit-building loan.

Get a Secured Loan

Lenders who offer
unsecured loans require you to have a good credit history if you want to borrow
cash from them. Your good credit score serves as proof that you’re a good
payer, so you won’t find it a challenge to get such loans.

But what if you’re
just starting to establish your credit profile?

Well, if you’re in
this situation, don’t worry much because there are secured loans that allow you
to borrow cash even with no credit. As its name suggests, this loan type
requires you to have an asset that you can put as security against the money
you owe. If you default on the loan, your lender has the right to seize that
asset in exchange for your non-payment.

You can offer either
your car, home, land, bond, mutual fund, stock, or a collector’s item as
collateral against the loan. Since the loan is secured with collateral, there’s
a chance that you can enjoy an affordable interest rate.

Takeaway

If you want to build your credit profile,
you should take note of the ways mentioned in this post to achieve your goal.
Even with no credit, you can obtain a secured loan, alternative payday loan,
soft credit check loan, or online personal loan to start your credit-building
journey.

Everything You Need to Start Trading Cryptocurrencies

0

Cryptocurrencies are a hard concept to wrap your mind
around. They are an unregulated currency that is mined from computers with
specialist hardware. They only have value because we assign them value, but at
the end of the day, that is the same as with any paper currency around the
world.

What really makes cryptocurrencies stand apart is the technology backing them. Blockchain
has huge implications for the future, from all but eliminating voter fraud to
making it easy and secure to transfer sensitive medical data. It is this
backing technology that means it’s really not a matter of if cryptocurrencies
will gain traction, but when, and even further than that which cryptocurrency
will come out on top of the format wars.

Right now, however, there is huge potential. For the
everyday person, this potential comes in trading. The market is very volatile,
which is perfect for buying high and selling low again and again and making a
pretty profit while you are at it.

To get started, you will need:

The Perfect Bitcoin Wallet

To buy or sell Bitcoin
(or any other cryptocurrency), then you will need a digital wallet. These
wallets are easy to set up, and when you choose a good one is very secure. They
are perfect whether your intention is to buy and hold or to sell and buy regularly
through daily trades. Choose the right one and remember to compare before
making your final decision.

The Right Trading Software

Before you can start
trading
, you are going to want to choose the
right trading software for you. You don’t want to manually make trades. This
opens you up to the potential of emotional trading that can be exhausting and
full of costly mistakes. Instead, you will want to use a trading program that
will help you take advantage of continuous market scans and make smarter trades
on your behalf. You will put in the parameters, of course, but with trading
software, you can take the emotion out of the trade.

You also often only need internet access, so you can continue to trade on the
go through your mobile device.

A Profile on the Right Trading Market

There are actually a wide variety of ways that you can trade
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that go well beyond buying these cryptocurrencies
when they are low, selling when they are high, and waiting for the next drop.
Learn all you can about the variety of ways you can trade in Bitcoin and choose
the right market for you. You will then need to decide on how exactly you
intend to trade.

There is day trading, trend trading, Bitcoin hedging, buying, and holding, and
so much more. You can even make money trading without even holding any Bitcoin
yourself with Bitcoin CFDs.

In every instance, you will need to have an account on the
relevant market, so choose how you intend to trade and set up an account.

The Right Hardware

You need only a few things to trade with cryptocurrencies.
One is a device that can connect to the Internet. A good computer or mobile
phone will suffice, but it needs to be reliable. The second is a robust and uninterrupted
internet connection
. Ensure you have these two components, and you should
be able to source everything else digitally from wherever you are.

Odds In Gambling

0

The realm of gambling is extremely fascinating and luring
due to the fun and entertainment and the massive amounts of rewards that it
brings along.

This article talks about the odds of a royal
flush vs. the odds of winning the lottery
and tries to simplify the concept of gambling odds for you.

Image source: (Pixabay)

If the chances of an
event happening are higher, its odds will be lower. If an event is less likely
to happen, its odds will be higher.

Although gambling odds can involve some complicated
calculations, the concept is easier to understand if you get familiar with the
different types of odds.

Odds of a royal flush vs. the odds of winning the
lottery

A royal flush is a best-ranked hand in a card game of poker.
Winning a royal flush in poker is a true blessing considering the odds of
winning and the number of rewards it brings along.

Let’s dive into the different aspects of gambling odds and a
royal flush in the card game of poker.

What is gambling odd?

In gambling, an odd represents the ratio between the amount
staked by the bookmaker and that staked by the bettor. Thus, an odd of 4 to 1
means that the bookmaker is staking four times the money than the bettor.

If you are new to
betting, it is critical for you to understand how betting odds work and how you
can implement them for your benefit.

Whether you are planning to try your luck in sports betting,
casino betting, or any other gambling, it is crucial to understand the odds
because:

  • Betting odds are used to calculate the probability of
    an event.
  • They help to know how likely are your chances of
    winning.
  • They represent the amount that a player should risk
    while betting.
  • They also help to calculate the amount of money you can
    win.

What is a royal flush?

A royal flush is the best possible straight flush with the
following characteristics:

  • It consists of five cards.
  • The five cards are specified – they should be ten,
    jack, queen, king, and an ace.
  • All of these cards should be of the same suit.

What is the probability of a royal flush?

To be true, your odds
of winning a royal flush are very, very low, less than 0.0000015%.

When the different combinations of hands in a set of 52
cards were calculated by mathematicians, it turned out that there are more than
2.5 million hands possible in poker. Out of these 2.5 million hands, there are
only four royal flushes. Therefore, your chances of dealing a royal flush are
just 1 in 649,740.

However, if talking about the odds of a royal flush vs. the
odds of winning the lottery, the probability of you hitting a royal flush is
still better than winning a lottery jackpot.

The different types of gambling odds

Majorly, there are four types of gambling odds- fractional,
decimal, moneyline, wholesale. All these
odds are interconvertible. That means you can convert one odd into the other
according to your convenience and understanding.

Here we talk about each of them in detail and tell you how
they work to help you put a smarter bet.

Fractional odds

Fractional odds are one of the most preferred odds by the
people, majorly due to the fact that they are used by some of the globe’s
largest bookmakers.

This is how fractional odds work:

  • They are majorly popular among the British and Irish
    bookies. Hence, they are also known as British odds.
  • Typically, they are written with a slash (/) or a
    hyphen (-).
  • A fractional odd of 3/1 means that you win 3$ for every
    1$ that you put.
  • Post winning, you receive your initial stake (say 1$)
    plus the profit (3$ in case of a fractional odd of 3/1).

Decimal odds

Decimal odds are much easier to understand and work with.
There are no positive signs, negative signs, or fractions that you need to
convert to understand the odd.

This is how decimal odds work:

  • They are popular in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and
    especially Europe. Hence, they are called European odds.
  • They represent the amount you win for every 1$ wagered.
  • Unlike fractional odds, they represent the total payout
    and not the profit. So, you don’t need to add your stake back because it’s
    already included in the decimal number.

Moneyline odds

This is the third type of odds in gambling. They are also
straightforward to understand and interpret.

This is how Moneyline odds work:

  • They are majorly popular in the United States and
    Canada. Hence, they are also called American odds.
  • These odds have a negative (-) and a positive (+) sign
    against them.
  • A positive American odd represents the amount that you
    can win by putting a 100$ bet.
  • A negative American odd represents the amount you need
    to wager to win  $100.

So, here was all that
you needed to know about odds in gambling.
Winning a
lottery
is not easy. But
if you talk about odds of a royal flush vs. the odds of winning the lottery,
the chances of you winning a royal flush are still higher. If you are planning
to enter the realm of gambling, you must understand and learn to interpret
betting odds. Once you get familiar with the popular forms of gambling odds,
you can practice them to polish your gambling skills and win big jackpots.

https://www.thoughtco.com/probability-of-being-dealt-a-royal-flush-3126173

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/042115/betting-basics-fractional-decimal-american-moneyline-odds.asp

Buying A Home In London With A Bridging Loan

0

So you have found your dream home in London and need to move fast before
it is bought by someone else. But the problem is your current home has still
not sold, and you don’t have the deposit to buy it.

What is the solution? Enter bridging loans; a bridging loan
is a short term finance facility that features a quick application process.

There are many bridging loan lenders in the UK, especially in London.
One only needs to go to a search engine and enter the keywords bridging loans
London
, and you will find dozens of brokers and lenders ready to win your
business.

How does a bridging loan work?

As mentioned above, bridging loans are a short term finance option,
typically between 3 to 12 months in length. In order to obtain a bridging loan,
you must have an asset to put up as security against the loan, in most cases,
this will be a property. The equity available in your property will determine
how much you can borrow with bridging finance. Lenders will go up to 75% in
most cases. 

What are the costs you can expect?

A bridging loan facility is not cheap, although they are competitive in
the UK due to many lenders currently in the market. There are several charges
that you must take into consideration when you take this finance option. First
and foremost, you will have a monthly interest charge on loan, which can range
from 0.40% to 1.5%, and then there are other charges most lenders will levy.
See below for more detail.

  • Interest rate 0.4% – 1.5%
    (pm)
  • Valuation fees
  • Arrangement fee
  • Solicitor charges
  • Exit fees (in some cases)
  • Application fees (in some
    cases)
  • Broker fees (in some cases)

A valuation fee is required by lenders to determine the value of the
property. Legal fees are also needed, and the borrower is expected to pay the
legal charges on both sides. An arrangement fee is typically 1% to 2% of the
overall loan amount. Some lenders may charge exit fees and application fees,
although in the current competitive market it is not common. Finally, if you
are using a bridging loan broker, then, you can expect to pay a broker fee of
1%.

It is useful to use a bridging loan calculator to get to know how much the
loan will cost you beforehand.

Two types of Bridging Finance

There are two main types of bridging loans.

  1. Open bridging loan
    an open bridging loan has no clear exit strategy. Let’s say you are
    buying a property to sell at a profit, this can take time, and there is no
    determined date it will sell, so the bridging loan is open and can be extended.
  • Closed bridging
    loan
    – A closed bridging loan has a clear cut exit strategy, in this option
    you know when you will pay back the loan. For example, if you buy a property
    and you know you will get a home mortgage on the property by a specific time,
    you can then repay the loan.

Regulated or Unregulated 

Bridging loans are regulated if you are buying a residential property as
a home. An unregulated bridging loan is any use for commercial purposes.

Regulated bridging loans are regulated by the FCA, which offers protection
to consumers. For more information, please visit the FCA website. https://www.fca.org.uk/.

Home in London

Now that we understand how bridging loans work, let’s see how we can use
this loan facility to buy a home in London before the current home gets sold.

It would be best if you approached a broker for the application, as the
broker will have access to many lenders and find the best deal in the market.
The broker will also know precisely how to put together the application process
to assure success. 

You get enough loan amount to be able to put up as a deposit on the home
you want to buy and subsequently get a mortgage on it. Once your old property
gets sold, you pay off the bridging loan, that is your exit strategy.

Risks

Please be aware that a bridging lender will have the first charge on
your existing property, and if you don’t repay the lender in time, it can get
messy. Further charges will be added to the loan and worst-case scenario they can
repossess the property. 

It is always advisable to get sound financial advice from an expert
before taking out a bridging loan.

Conclusion

Bridging loans are a unique, fast and flexible form of finance and can
work well when you know how to use them properly. They are useful for many
other properties related deals such as buying at an auction, property
developments, refurbishments, buying derelict properties and property
investments. For more information, please speak to a property finance expert
like Global Property Finance Partners
Ltd
.

WARNING: BAD PRESS KILLS By Neil Debenham

0

We all know
that positive press coverage is good for business. But just how damaging is
negative publicity?

Nobody is
immune to negative press. Elon Musk – arguably one of the most powerful and
innovative men in business saw $1 billion wiped off the value of Tesla after he
was caught on camera smoking a joint, and he lost another $20m when the
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined him for breaching the rules by
announcing his intention to take Tesla private on Twitter.

He is not
alone in paying the price of bad press. Fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg had
to cough up a record $5 billion for Facebook’s dodgy dealings with Cambridge
Analytica.

And to bring
my point up to date, it has recently been announced that the owner of fitness
training company CrossFit has sold his business following outcry over his
remarks about George Floyd. After his comments (which I won’t repeat here),
gyms across the world dropped the CrossFit branding and there was a rapid
ending to his partnership with Reebok.

Neil Debenham

But it’s not
just the high-profile businesses that fall foul of bad PR.

I found out the hard way a few years back when I, Neil Debenham, purchased the fitness training company Fitlearn. Not on the scale of CrossFit, but nevertheless in the same field.

This
business reflected all that an acquirer would want to see. It had a great
balance sheet, excellent financial track record and a well-run, professional
company and a good pipeline of potential new students. But what I had failed to
do- and I kick myself for this – carry out a reputation audit.

Two
employees of the business were under investigation for fraud at a previous
company they’d run. With the media reporting the activities of the previous
employees, bad publicity that followed linked Fitlearn to the previous
activities of the employees and ultimately drove a sword into the heart of the
business.

The misleading,
negative PR had a direct impact on the company resulting in existing customers
demanding their money back and with the new customers seeking alternative
routes to study, the company very quickly became insolvent.

As a
director of a company, it remains your fiduciary duty to not allow a company to
trade in an insolvent manner – Insolvency means that the company revenue or
assets do not meet the demands of the company’s liabilities. In this instance,
Fitlearn relied on new students joining the study programme to meet its
overheads and with the press leading the general public to believe that
Fitlearn was somehow involved in the ex-employees previous venture creating
nervousness for potential new students, I was left with no option but to enter
the company into voluntary liquidation.

As with any
business, you must remain focussed on making the correct decisions however;
knowing that students may not complete their studies made the decision ever
more difficult.

Neil Debenham

Working with
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) awarding body
and the insolvency practitioners to find a solution for the existing students
and to fulfil existing contacts, many attempts were made to create an ongoing
study path for students but no-one wanted to pick up what they saw as a poison
chalice.

The downfall of what was once a great business was simply an effect of negative and misleading press coverage and had this not been the case, I’m confident that FitLearn would continue to strive today and Neil Debenham would be renowned as a great business leader..

Putting a
business into administration or liquidation is not an experience I can
recommend. It is an extremely difficult decision to make, knowing you will have
a direct impact on the creditors.

One of the
main lessons to learn from this is to look beyond financials and operate a 360
view of all that the business entails.

Make sure
that a reputation audit features high on the due diligence list. This includes
a thorough Google search and trawl for comments on social media. Also, take a
look a Trust Pilot to see how the business is rated. Assess the public view on
the business and if there are concerns, investigate.

Talk to
staff and customers – they will all have a view.

Don’t just
carry out your due diligence on the business but also the individuals owning
running or working within the business. They are the representation of the
brand. If it is, has or could be mis-represented in any way, could this be
contained and what steps would need to be put in place?

The other
lesson is to find out whether the business is actually solvent at the time of
purchase. Of course, you can buy an insolvent business at a knock-down price,
but you need to know what you are letting yourself in for. A specialist will
buy an insolvent business and implement strategies, processes and finance to
trade out of insolvency, If you are considering doing this, match your
skillsets carefully against what may be needed. Some businesses will
technically drift in and out of insolvency, but it can indicate a serious underlying
problem.

There are
three simple tests to establish whether a business is insolvent:

  1. Do the company’s liabilities exceed
    its assets? In other words, is the cash in the bank and value of property and
    equipment enough to pay off all debts? If not, you could be insolvent.
  2. Can the company pay its debts when
    they fall due? This includes TAX and NI payments to HMRC
  3. Does the company have any legal
    actions against it for debts over £750?

If your
business- or the one you are looking to purchase- fails these tests, then you
need to get help. It’s not a viable business and you could well be trading
illegally.

If you have any questions on the issue of reputation or insolvency, I would be happy to advise. Drop me, Neil Debenham, an email neil@neildebenham.com  and follow me on Instagram and Twitter.

How to Make Money Online in 2020

0

Working, furloughed, or just simply made redundant. Many of
us saw a new reality in 2020 that completely changed how we work. If you found
you liked working from home, and generally just want to do more for yourself
using the power of the online world, know that there are many ways to make
money online.

Some will require more hands-on effort. Others only take a
few minutes of monitoring a day. Finding the right option for you is essential
when it comes to starting a side hustle, so consider these great options and
know you can even do more than one and find great success in them:

Trading Cryptocurrencies

Though certainly riskier than other options in this risk, like any day trading
activity is, you can absolutely make a good profit by trading cryptocurrencies.
It is very similar to Forex trading, only rather than with bank-regulated
currencies it is with unregulated cryptocurrencies. You can get started very quickly as well, and
make smart trading decisions even as a beginner with a trading robot that will
help you set smart, automated rules for trading and manually trade when and if
necessary.

Sell Items Online

One thing many of us have likely done is go through what we
have just to sort through it once and for all and chuck out the clutter. If you
have found some great gems that you don’t want, but are valuable, then selling
them online is a great way to make additional money at home. If you find great
success, sourcing more products from online marketplaces and even directly from
other online sellers is a simple but effective business model you can use to
start your own online brand.

Create Online Courses and Webinars

Teaching
online
is huge in 2020. You can do this live on a zoom call, or you can do
it passively by creating a series of videos and webinars that people can pay to
have access to. You will need to work to market these classes, but once you
start getting good reviews and recommendations, you can quickly find your own
successful niche teaching what you love.

Find Freelance Work Online

If you have skills that are easy to use on your home laptop,
then you
can work freelance
. Designers, writers, editors, videographers – pretty
much everyone who works creatively can find work online as a freelancer. The
trick is to find the right place online. Some websites exploit freelancers and
force them to bid too low for projects. You either get screwed payment wise or
always lose out on work in favour of someone else willing to go too low for
their work.

There are many ways to earn money at home. Start doing any
of these on the side, but once you find your stride, you’ll be surprised at how
easy it can be to transform these side gigs into full-time, flourishing
careers. Just give yourself the time to figure out the ins and outs of the industry
and be prepared to change as you learn more about what works and what doesn’t.

  • bitcoinBitcoin (BTC) $ 101,798.00 0.56%
  • ethereumEthereum (ETH) $ 3,172.06 0.7%
  • xrpXRP (XRP) $ 3.03 1.54%
  • tetherTether (USDT) $ 0.999824 0.04%
  • solanaSolana (SOL) $ 235.02 0.35%
  • bnbBNB (BNB) $ 678.62 2.56%
  • usd-coinUSDC (USDC) $ 0.999996 0%
  • cardanoCardano (ADA) $ 0.930694 0.26%
  • staked-etherLido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 3,168.56 0.39%
  • tronTRON (TRX) $ 0.245131 0.99%
  • avalanche-2Avalanche (AVAX) $ 33.91 3.64%
  • the-open-networkToncoin (TON) $ 4.99 2.38%