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Decorating Your Home on a Budget

Sam Allcock
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Decorating Your Home on a Budget

Ever since the rise of COVID and remote working, a lot of people have turned their attention to their home and taken lockdown life as an opportunity to redecorate. Whether it’s a case of adapting the space to suit a home working situation, freshening up the spare room or simply getting around to those odd jobs that need attention in the house, there’s a huge amount of resources online to help you plan and get the job done. These include ideas and inspiration along with online shops where you can order everything from paint to carpet, furniture and home accessories. There is a huge amount of choice available to suit all budgets and there’s really never been a time like the present to get into interior design and spruce up your house. Large home renovations can be costly, but smaller decorating jobs generally don’t cost much and are very effective.

Easy Ways to Decorate

The possibilities are endless when it
comes to interior design. Some easy and budget-friendly places to start when
revamping include the following:

  • Paint or wallpaper the walls
  • Freshen
    up the bedrooms with new bedding
  • Re-organise kitchen storage
  • Add
    accessories like lamps, throws, pictures and cushions

1. A fresh coat of paint is one of the
best and cheapest ways to liven up any room. It can take quite some time to get
the job done, but it is an inexpensive way to brighten any space in your home.
A signature wall in a contrasting colour can add character and depth to a room,
while wallpaper is a great way to implement a print when decorating
your house or apartment.

2. One of the most budget-friendly ways to
change up a bedroom is with a new duvet cover and bed sheets. Crisp white
always looks great but you can opt for any colour or pattern that will suit the
space. Millennial pink is a particularly popular option for bedrooms at the
moment.

3. Giving the kitchen cupboards a clear
out can help refresh this room and give it a little facelift. Painting kitchen
cupboards is a great way to keep them looking spick and span. Add in a splash
of colour to the kitchen with new window blinds and textiles such as napkins
and tea towels. Top
tips for organising the kitchen include using drawer dividers,
storage containers and jars, spice racks on the walls and shelving.

4. Home accessories such as lamps,
cushions and throws are a cheap and easy way to add some colour, depth and
texture to your space. Using a mixture of textures in a room, for instance,
combining a wicker lampshade, wool blankets and a woven rug can create a very
comfortable and inviting style. Adding framed pictures onto the walls also goes
a long way in making a house feel like a home. Picture frames can be picked up
very cheaply in lots of different sizes.

Invest in Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is an excellent way
to save
money when it comes to electricity costs. Although the initial
outlay is a little more than purchasing standard bulbs, the money saved on
energy bills over the course of a year is worth the investment. Smart bulbs are
also a more eco-friendly option thanks to their low energy usage and longevity.
Financial benefits aside, smart lighting is very adaptable and gives you a lot
of flexibility when it comes to lighting your home. Turn the brightness up
while you’re working or studying and lower it down in the evenings or for
dinner parties to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Light redecorating can be cheap and
cheerful and is a great way to refresh your home. Note that if you are planning
extensive redecorating or renovation on your house and need to undertake work
on a party wall, be sure to run it by the neighbours and follow these party
wall tips from the experts.

Creating the Perfect Outbuilding for Your Garden: A Beginner’s Guide

Claire James
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Creating the Perfect Outbuilding for Your Garden: A Beginner’s Guide

The garden of a home is often one of its most prized
features and is also highly sought-after by prospective buyers, yet often we
allow our gardens and yards to go underused and underdeveloped. However, a
garden is an area that can provide some very cost-effective investments. With
the right landscaping and some smart additions, you can increase the value of
your home and make it more desirable at the same time. This gives you a lot for
your money, and you can save more by doing a lot of the work yourself.

Even adding an outbuilding to your property can be
done quickly and cheaply, without the need for expensive handymen or gardeners.
Here we are going to take a look at how anyone can create the perfect
outbuilding for their garden, no matter what their level of experience.

Location,
Location, Location

If you are considering adding an outbuilding to your
property, then one of your first concerns will be where to put it. The amount of
space you have to work with will have a huge impact on both the size and
usability of your outbuilding.

Having a ‘nook’ or a bland corner in your garden to
use is ideal. Your outbuilding should be away from your property, to provide
your garden with a ‘destination’, and bring some life to an otherwise dull
space. A building in the middle of a garden would look out of place unless you
have a huge amount of space to use. Remember, you don’t have to fill a space
with an outbuilding, so don’t feel intimidated by a larger space. You can work
with the nature that is there, and add some landscaping to make your
outbuilding seem settled in its spot from day one.

What
Type of Outbuilding Suits You and Your Space?

An outbuilding gives your garden a destination, but it
is important to have something to do when you get there. Even if you are just
looking for a sheltered spot to look back on your home from, you are still
going to need some amenities and features.

The right outbuilding can be far more than just a shed
you use for storage space. It can be pleasing to the eye both inside and out
and give you space to use for leisure. Cooking outdoors has become as popular
as dining outdoors, so bear this in mind when you plan your outbuilding. Having
space to store food and dishes could come in handy, as well as space to store a barbeque and use it when the
weather permits.

Choosing
the Right Materials is Important

When you get an idea of the scale of outbuilding you
want, and some of the ways you might use it, the next thing to consider is the
building materials you will use.

If you don’t build your outbuilding using materials
that are sympathetic to your garden and your home, then your outbuilding may
look out of place and will never suit your space. Many other factors will
influence your choice of building materials too. Not only does your outbuilding
need to be aesthetically pleasing, it also needs to stand the test of time and
not be damaged by extreme weather conditions like heavy rainfall and frost.

Whatever style you choose for your outbuilding, the
roof will be one of the most important structural elements and will need the
same quality of weatherproofing you would expect for your home. EPDM, or
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, is a type of rubber roofing that is extremely
durable and long-lasting, as well as being environmentally sustainable and
responsible.

Rubber roofing can protect your roof from all kinds of
water damage and is also resistant to harmful UV rays. It also provides a layer
of insulation, which makes it really cost-effective when used for outbuildings.
At Rubber Roofing Direct you can
find a huge amount of information about EPDM roofs, and find qualified rubber
roofing installers in your area. Rubber Roofing Direct also has everything you
need to do it yourself, including instructions and supplies.

Adding
Features is Adding Value

Adding the right features to your outbuilding can be a
great way to maximise value and desirability. Not only do you get a new feature
for you to enjoy and make use of, you also increase the return on your
investment in your outbuilding.

As mentioned, a cooking space is a popular addition,
but this can be more than a spot to barbecue. With the money you save, you can
install an electrical supply to your outbuilding and add a kitchenette. Here
you could store food in a fridge and freezer, and even use an electric cooker
so you can make meals there come rain or shine.

Hot tubs are also a highly desired feature, and having
an outbuilding with space to store towels, robes, and maybe some beverages is
ideal. You can also use the outbuilding to give your hot tub some shelter from
the elements on windy nights. Features like these add noticeable value to your
property, and they give you something special to enjoy while you live there.

A
Little Landscaping Goes a Long Way

When you have finished constructing your outbuilding,
don’t stop there. With some extra landscaping in your garden around your new
outbuilding, you can make it look like it has stood there for years.

Use crawling plants that grow quickly, like Russian Vine, to give
your outbuilding a more natural appearance. Plants and flowers on raised beds
around an outbuilding can give it the appearance it is coming out from nature,
rather than being placed on top of it. Consider adding a path, or some stonework such as crushed stone for walkways, at the entrance to your new outbuilding for added effect.

Building an outbuilding in your garden or yard is a
fantastic way to add value and desirability to your property while also
developing some new skills, and adding new features to your property for you to
enjoy.

Tips From London Accountants For Managing Your Business Finances

Sam Allcock
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Tips From London Accountants For Managing Your Business Finances

Money is a tricky yet crucial factor to monitor, especially when it comes to business. While anyone can be an entrepreneur, it takes years of studying and practice to master the art of financial management.

Fortunately, these days, you can invest in specialized software to make the process more convenient. You can also enlist the help of professionals to help you with the day-to-day operations of your company. For instance, if you’re in the UK, you can hire London accountants to stay on top of your growing business.

Nonetheless, you must equip yourself with the fundamentals of accounting so that you can manage your finances well and make better decisions about your company’s future. Here are a few tips that can help you:

1. Separate Your Personal And Business Finances

Right at the start of your venture, you must clarify the distinction between your personal and business finances. As a small business owner, it seems more convenient to use one account for all your money. However, this can lead to organizational and tax problems, especially as your company grows.

This is why the first thing you should do is to have a separate account for your personal and business expenses. You can also apply for two credit lines to ensure that your corporate debt won’t affect your personal credit rating.

2. Understand The Basics

Business accounting and payment processing are essential skills that small business owners should have. While you don’t need to become an expert on these areas, you must be able to navigate your way around the fundamentals of the field.

For instance, you should know the basic terms, such as gross revenue, expenses, net profit, cash flow, and breakeven point. You’ll be using these words in your conversations and reports, so it pays to understand what they mean.

Moreover, speaking of reports, accounting entails lots of paperwork. You should also be familiar with the important business accounting documents, such as:

  • Balance Sheet – This file presents an overview of your company’s financial standing at a given moment. It includes the assets, liabilities, and equity that your enterprise holds. It’s valuable for calculating your business’s net worth.
  • Income Statement – Also known as a profit-and-loss statement, this document provides a summary of your revenues and expenses for the year. It’s useful for measuring the profitability of your venture using an Excel or a Google Sheets Profit and Loss template you can get online.
  • Cash Flow Statement – This one helps you monitor the amount of money that went in and out of your company for a given period, which is usually within a month or financial quarter. 
  • Revenue Forecast – Revenue forecast is a crucial report that contains your predictions for the upcoming year about the potential income that your company can earn. If you have shareholders, you’ll need to be familiar with creating this document.

3. Keep Track Of Cash Flow

As mentioned above, cash flow pertains to the money that enters and exits your business. Inflow is sourced from selling your merchandise and receiving payments from your customers. On the other hand, outflow comes from purchasing stocks for your inventory, payroll, marketing expenses, as well as overhead costs.

The ideal scenario would be that your inflow would be greater than your outflow. However, as you well know, business isn’t that straightforward, unless you’re in retail, where you sell the product and get the cash immediately.

For business-to-business (B2B) companies, most clients don’t pay right away. Payments have to be processed by several departments on their end first due to the substantial amount that needs to be disbursed.

This would mean that you may be running on a negative since you’ve already provided the customer with your product or service, but you haven’t been compensated for it. That’s why you have to keep track of your cash flow to ensure that you aren’t spending money that you haven’t earned yet.

4. Consider Spreading Out Tax Payments

Sometimes, lump tax payments aren’t practical because they entail a large amount of money at once, which can negatively affect your cash flow. Instead, you can opt to view tax as a monthly expense so that you can budget for it better.

Talk to your accounting team about how you can ensure compliance for tax and other government requirements. Check this video to learn more about the things that your accountant can help you with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbeJ036CWXg&t=1s.

5. Prioritize Having A Cash Reserve

Similar to personal finances, making your savings liquid is useful for times of emergencies. Create a bank account for your business and treat it as a cash reserve that you can easily withdraw when needed.

Conclusion

Managing your finances doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Follow these tips to ensure that you can monitor and regulate the cash flow of your business.

Three game-changing companies providing clean water

Claire James
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Three game-changing companies providing clean water

Considering it makes up around 70% of our bodies, it’s no
surprise that humans need plenty of clean water in order to function. In fact,
the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that we need to use at least 20 litres per day — for drinking, as
well as washing and cooking — in order to take care of our basic hygiene and
food needs. And while the planet’s freshwater sources are the same as
they have always been — around 2.5% of Earth’s water is considered fresh — the
planet’s population has exploded in recent times, leading to a clean water
crisis around the world.

While you may think that first-world countries would be safe
from having to worry about access to freshwater, this couldn’t be further from
the truth. An increasing number of developed countries lack access to clean
water, the most notable example perhaps being the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. This came
about after the government failed to add corrosion inhibitors to the water,
having switched sources from the treated Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
water (which was sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint
River. As a result, it was found that lead was leaching into the water supply,
poisoning thousands of citizens. While thousands of families in Flint continue
to rely on water donations in order to survive, officials maintain that the
water is safe to drink.

Here, we’ll look at some of the most innovative technologies
being developed in order to solve the water crisis, prevent incidents like
these, and provide clean, fresh water to billions around the world.

Grundfos: providing solar-powered water pumps

As previously mentioned, not even 3% of the planet’s water
sources are directly usable for humans and, considering that around 71% of the
Earth’s surface is made up of water, this is a tiny percentage of
freshwater that can be used by a constantly growing population. But in many
places around the world, the problem isn’t a lack of water — it’s that the
available sources are contaminated. It’s estimated that around 2 billion people
use drinking water that has been contaminated with faeces, which can lead to a
range of diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and polio,
and cause around 485,000 deaths each year. However, groundwater is being
increasingly used as it’s considered safer and easier to treat, if it needs to
be treated at all, provided pollutants haven’t leached underground.

Many businesses are looking at extracting groundwater, which
can be particularly useful in developing and rural areas. Grundfos,
for example, has developed solar-powered water pump products with the aim of
providing clean and sustainable water for customers around the world, whether
that’s for a small village or an entire building. These are perfect for rural
areas which perhaps cannot afford electricity or diesel to run traditional
water metering pumps, but still need a clean water supply for agriculture.

The rapid growth of Grundfos on a global scale meant it had
to quickly streamline its business processes in order to improve customer service by gathering accurate
data and reviews. The company looked to SAP software to address this, which
resulted in a threefold growth in purchases from the top 25% of customers.
Headquartered in Denmark, a leader in agriculture, manufacturing, and energy
sectors for SAP specialists, it meant that Grundfos could
quickly hire the required experts to get the project moving as quickly as
possible, and maximise sales.

LifeStraw: manufacturing portable water filters

Designed for people living in developing nations and for use
in humanitarian crises, LifeStraws have since been adopted by hikers,
survivalists, and general outdoor adventurists. The straw itself features a
hollow fibre membrane, as well as activated carbon in some models. Water is
drawn up via suction — like a traditional straw — then passes through hollow
fibres that filter water particles in order to make it drinkable. The device
claims to filter out any dirt, bacteria, and parasites, making it ideal for
cleaning water from lakes and rivers — an especially helpful process for a
water crisis.

While most entrepreneurs look at their businesses as having
a corporate social responsibility, LifeStraw instead looks itself as being a
“global public health company with a retail program”. Speaking to Forbes, managing director Alison Hill
explained how the company leverages products targeted specifically at
schoolchildren from the world’s developing areas. On the other hand, the retail
products developed by LifeStraw include water bottles, pitchers, and universal
filter attachments. And with every retail sale made, the business’ Give Back
scheme allows them to continually provide fresh water to communities around the
world.

Dar Si Hmad: capturing water from the atmosphere

Some regions, such as Peru, Bolivia, and Morocco, are chronically
dry, making water collection more difficult. However, while it isn’t possible
to use conventional methods to gather water from natural sources, experts have
managed to harness water from the atmosphere. Foggy regions, like Sidi Ifni in
Morocco, are ideal areas for utilising this technology, as made evident by the
nonprofit organisation, Dar Si Hmad.

On the slopes of nearby Mount Boutmezguida, they installed
fog collectors — large, vertically-installed nets — creating the world’s
largest fog harvesting, or cloud fishing, project.

The nets harvest around 6,3000 litres of water every day —
as the fog passes through the fine mesh, the mist gets caught, trickling down
into the collection system, where it is filtered through. The water is then
mixed with groundwater, and piped into five nearby villages, providing clean
water for around 400 people.

Health News: Is Botox the Solution For Younger-Looking Skin?

Sam Allcock
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Health News: Is Botox the Solution For Younger-Looking Skin?

Have you
heard of Botox? Where did you? Many people have created an opinion about Botox
with whatever they have seen or read from the newspapers, magazines, several
blogs, and heard from of their family members or friends. But are those things
the only authentic information about Botox? You would have got to hear
something positive or negative about Botox, but do you think Botox is a good
remedy for people who are suffering from their aged looks?

Botox is
one of the cosmetic treatments known for its effectiveness in treating wrinkles
or the fine lines that appear on your face due to the natural process of aging
or your skin’s exposure to several external factors such as severe sunlight, UV
rays, pollution, and your bad habit such as improper food diets, exercise,
smoking and so many more. Are you one among those who wish to erase your aged
look as it affects your mental health? If so, then Botox is your fabulous
solution for a youthful appearance and a younger-looking skin. Medical
professionals and research have identified Botox to be one of the most
successful treatments chosen by millions because of its good effects and very
little side effects.

Botox is
a recognized cosmetic improvement treatment that uses Botox toxin, a
combination of botulinum toxin type A, which is a
vigorous ingredient, human albumin, which is a protein present in human blood
plasma and sodium chloride. This toxin can smoothen the frown lines on
your face that have always made you look angry, sad, tired, and old and give
you back your desired youthful look. If you are wondering whether this
treatment is a permanent solution to your aged look, the answer is no, it
isn’t. But you can take a shot whenever you feel the toxin’s effect is fading
off your face. Usually, the effect of the toxin will last for about two weeks
and more, so you can relax till then. Do you think you need this treatment to
look and stay young?

All you
have to do is browse Botox
near me to see the best clinics offering Botox and to understand more
about the awesome wrinkle eraser. It is not true that people of every age group
can undergo Botox treatment. Only adults in the UK are approved as the right
candidates for Botox. You must be wondering how exactly this treatment is done
and what it does to your skin. The whole treatment is even simpler than it
sounds to be. A small amount of Botox toxin is injected into the muscles
causing wrinkles or lines using tiny needles so that the nerve signals are
blocked from reaching the tissues. This will stop the muscles from contracting,
making it remain relaxed hence, stopping the formation of wrinkles.  

Within 10 minutes, Botox can be injected into your muscles. Choosing experienced and professionals in Botox can make the whole process even more effective. Within a few days, you will see wrinkles disappearing from your face and making you look younger, better, and beautiful. So, after all these procedures, you need to take good care of your skin and use the products of the Nature Republic, which is a great natural skincare brand.

The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World

Sam Allcock
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The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World

The Seven
Wonders has always been the subject of much debate throughout the ages. They
were symbols of man’s creativity, skill, and vision. Their greatness and wonder
have echoed down through the ages and the mind still boggles at how ancient man
was able to design and build these great structures. The list of wonders was
originally complied by Philo of Byzantium in 225 B.C. It is clear to see that
each one of these wonders merit their place on the list!

The Great
Pyramid of Giza

The only one of
the Wonder’s to survive the ages. It is the largest of the three pyramids
located outside Cairo. It was built sometime between 2700 B.C and 2500 B.C. The
Great Pyramid is known as Khufu and it took 2 million blocks to build. The Pyramids has not only
influenced history and the modern world. it has also brought its splendour online, through many online games like Lara Croft: Temples and
Tombs the game is playable at Aspers
Casino Online. It is just one example of how the Egyptians still influence culture
today.

The Hanging
Gardens of Babylon

Build by Nebuchadnezzar
II for his wife – because she missed her homeland. It was believed to have
stood at 75ft tall and contained a collection of exotic plants and trees. There
remains a lot of debate as to whether it existed or not. Many records of the
time do not mention it being part of ancient Babylon.

Lighthouse at
Alexandria

Ptolemy I order
the great lighthouse at Alexandria to be built to aid ships that entered the
busy port. It became known as one of the largest structures in the ancient
world. It could be seen far out to sea. There was a fire at the top, which was
used during the night, and during the day there was a mirrors that reflected
the sun it could be seen for great distances. 

Colossus of
Rhodes

This was a huge
statue of the god Helios – he was the patron god of
the island. It stood the harbor of Rhodes. The height of the statue was 110 feet
and was bigger than most statues. It was wrecked by an earthquake in 226 BCE
and lay in ruins for many years. The Bronze statue was then taken away and
melted down in the East.

Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus

The Mausoleum
was built after the death of Satrap Mausolus around 351 BCE. Halicarnassus was
in what is now Bodrum, Turkey. It became one of the busiest ports in the
Eastern Mediterranean and the capital of the small kingdom. King and his wife
were both buried there, and the pair were both remembered for over seeing the
growth of the small nation.

Zeus at Olympia

Set within
Olympia’s Temple of Zeus, the statue was believed to be 40 feet tall. It is the
most famous depiction of the god known. It was built by Phidias using ivory and
gold. Zeus’ head almost touched the ceiling of the temple as he remained
seated. The temple eventually fell into disrepair and the Christians took the
statue to Constantinople where it was destroyed.

Temple of
Artemis

Finally, we
have this temple that was built in Ephesus. It measured 425 feet long, and 225
feet wide and contained 60-foot columns. By all accounts, the temple was
magnificent and was believed to be one of mankind’s greatest achievements. It
was burned down by a man called Herodotus and was rebuilt a few times before
being destroyed in 401 CE.

How To Save Money On A Holiday Park This Year

Claire James
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How To Save Money On A Holiday Park This Year

It’s
peak season for the UK’s holiday parks. Pick a good one and you’ll have high
quality accommodation in a prime location. Pick a bad one and you’ll be booking
into a hotel next time.

Here
are four money saving tips for choosing a holiday park in 2020.

1.
Travel north for lower prices

The
biggest choice of caravan holiday parks in the UK can be found in popular
holiday counties like Cornwall, Devon and Norfolk. However, many of the best
deals we’ve found have been in the north of England, Wales and Scotland. It’s
not an absolute rule, but prices tend to be a little lower as you travel north.

2.
Book early…or very late

There
are two schools of thought when it comes to getting the best deal on a holiday
park in the UK. The first theory is that booking early guarantees you the best
value accommodation. Early bookers figure out which accommodation is nearest to
the beach and furthest away from the noisy entertainment complex, or nearest to
the restaurant and swimming pool if they plan to use it regularly.

On
the other hand, most of the big holiday park chains (e.g. Haven, Parkdean Resorts)
offer last minute deals to fill up their resorts.

If
you know where you want to stay I would recommend booking as early as possible.
If you don’t mind where you’re staying – as long as it’s a bargain – then
booking a last minute deal is an appealing option.

3.
Don’t assume the most expensive accommodation is the best

Caravan
sites tend to replace their stock gradually rather than all at once, so you get
some strange pricing anomalies. For example, the ‘gold’ accommodation might be
older than the ‘bronze’ accommodation but it would still be more expensive.

Also
be aware that some holiday parks get a little creative with the language they
use on their websites. Bog-standard caravans become ‘platinum holiday homes’ or
even ‘luxury lodges’. Generally, a lodge will be significantly wider than a
caravan but there’s some inconsistency about how the different words are used.

The
best thing to do is to look for reviews of the different grades of
accommodation – or just call the reception and ask which caravans are most
popular. Visitor photos on TripAdvisor are also useful if people include
details of which type of caravan or lodge they stayed in.

4.
Look at European holiday parks

If
you’re not having any luck with finding a UK holiday park which is right for
you, take a look abroad.

Lots
of Brits head for Center Parcs resorts in Europe as they can be considerably
cheaper than the UK parks. They’re run by a different company and there’s a big
variation in customer reviews, so read up on reviews for Center Parcs in France, the
Netherlands and Germany
to find out which offers what you’re after.

If you want the experience of travelling overseas without the hassle of a
foreign holiday then the Isle of Wight can be good value and has a good choice
of seaside caravan parks. You don’t need
a passport to visit and some holiday parks will give you a big discount on the
ferry fare.

Do Ex-Footballers Ever Transition Well to Management or the Boardroom?

ABC Staff
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Do Ex-Footballers Ever Transition Well to Management or the Boardroom?

The new millennia has seen rapid change in all aspects of professional sport, whether it is retractable roofs, cameras mounted on drones, VR review technology, Moneyball-style big data strategies or Liverpool winning the Premier League, things they are a-changin.

However, there are some ancient sporting trends that run through athletic competition like a weed that refuses to die.

One of these is undoubtedly the idea that a great football player will automatically become a successful manager, with club owners and international team head honchos all believing that a player’s former glory can be sprinkled over a contemporary crop of players.

SPL

One of the leagues and indeed countries with a propensity for putting ex-pro players at the helm of a club is the SPL and Scotland, inspired by old school legends like Kenny Dalglish and Jock Stein.

Whether it is the little ginger wizard that is Gordon Strachan leading the national team or Neil Lennon getting excited about fulfilling the SPL odds of Celtic winning ten league titles in a row, Scottish football has always bought into the idea that playing experience trumps all other managerial qualities.

That theory will be severely put to the test during the new, already up and running, SPL season, as the aforementioned Lennon and Steven Gerrard go head to head.

Whoever finishes second in Scotland is always deemed an abject failure. It remains to be seen if Gerrard’s blood and thunder approach will garner results or if SPL betting aficionados will have him nailed on for the sack come the end of a dismal league campaign.

However, the SPL title aside, it could be argued that years of managers who are short on ideas of how rejuvenate a club has been one of the many factors that have led to Scottish sides having a diminished impact in European competitions. With perhaps only Brendan Rodgers being a rare exception.

Will Neil Lennon keep proving that players can succeed when leading from the dugout?

Premier League

England’s most famous managers tend to be non-English former players who no one had heard of before they went on to take over the world. The likes of José Mourinho, Arsène Wenger, Alex Ferguson and Jürgen Klopp are all excellent examples of this.

When it comes to former Premier League stars who came good as managers there are pretty slim pickings.

However, when it comes to failures, there are quite a few. The funniest of these tend to be the Premier League superstars who head abroad to take control of a team, with culture clashes and languages barriers hindering them at every juncture.

Gary Neville’s dismal attempt at running Valencia culminated in him being sacked after just four months and a crazy 7-0 thrashing against Barcelona, which still ranks as one of the embarrassing defeats in football history. 

Thierry Henry was a legend at Arsenal, but suffered a similar fate to Neville, as he tore all the va va voom out of Monaco. 

David Beckham’s new Miami-based MLS franchise, during its maiden season, made the worst start to a campaign in the league’s history.

Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, David Beckham and Roy Keane all failed to learn anything about managing a team from Alex Ferguson

Serie A

While recent seasons in Scottish and English leagues have been cautionary tales against having a former player as a manager, the same cannot be said of European domestic leagues.

Some of Serie A’s most successful managers of all time were also once at the top of the game as players.

Didier Deschamps was a Juventus playing legend long before he led France to World Cup glory, as were the likes of Fabio Capello (he was actually really good before he wrecked England) and Giovanni Trapattoni.

In more recent times there are a new breed of Italian manager who also used to ply their trade as players, with Andrea Pirlo, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio Conte and Gennaro Gattuso all leading highly successful teams.

In Conclusion

Ultimately it appears to be the rather insular nature of the English footballer that has meant they have failed to become successful managers either at home or abroad.

This has become even more pronounced as the game has developed to be more globally popular and tactics have moved on from the days of “if in doubt put it out” and “we’re playing four four two whatever happens.”

For now, though, if you are a team owner, the only former players you should be looking to make your team manager are those sourced from Italy, Spain, France or Germany.

Dylan Sigley on the Five Best Steps to Develop an Online Business

ABC Staff
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0
Dylan Sigley on the Five Best Steps to Develop an Online Business

Hello! How are you Dylan Sigley, currently I am stuck with a 9 to 5 job, which I do not like and desiring to commence my own online business? Please can you give me some useful tips about how I can commence my own business?

It is a good question!

According to Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zoppos.com:

“For me, the most interesting is improvement or
growth. Of both, there are factors for sure that I like. Launching your own
business is a sort of like a motorboat: You can go very faster and turn
quickly.”

The most significant number of people discover it
tough to urge started because they believe it’s not very comfortable and can
cost plenty of cash. But, it comes down to the following five simple starts to
put together a web business in my experience.

Commencing a web business isn’t complicated if you
recognize the way to sell. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve got a flowery
website, or a well-designed logo, or what appearances you employ. The primary
and essential thing that matters is sales.

I am getting to use the instance of a services-based
business that uses the drop servicing methodology. It is often my speciality
and what I do know back to front. It’s what we teach through Dylan Sigley’s
‘Drop Servicing Blueprint’ course.

Observe these five Tips, and you’ll be to build a
profitable and scalable online enterprise.

  1. Get the precise Business Plan

The primary and significant step is to seek out the
proper business idea. There are two ways you’ll set about finding the precise
idea. The main thing is to explore and find ideas that are already being
executed successfully by people. Therefore the second is to go up with an
inspiration of your own and analysis if executed.

Additionally, you can go down with the primary path,
commence with joining entrepreneurial organizations and business societies on
platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook, and look at the varieties of
businesses and other people running.

You should have to ready to get any sort of information
from people about what’s operating for them online and how they went about
fixing a successful business.

On top of staring at Facebook and LinkedIn clubs to
seek out business ideas, you’ll also continue to freelancer sites such as
Fiverr and Freelancer.com and appearance at what sorts of services are being
awarded their services and have tons of demand from firms.

You require to seek out a service, which will be sold
and delivered entirely online. Plus, you will also get to confirm that there
are freelancers out there, who will perform project delivery at a lower cost
than your rivals, the difference in what competitors cost, and what freelancers
charge is your margin of earnings.

It is conceivable to come up with your idea for a
service to sell, but I always prescribe that people inaugurate, which is the
best to supply a service that previously breathes.

You can swiftly confirm that there’s a requirement for
it, which is possible to deliver because you’ll notice people now performing
it. You would not have to reinvent the engine to create a business that
provides you ‘freedom money,’ which is enough to cover and quit your daily
work.

Moreover, the Chances are you not getting to have some fantastic ideas similar hold by the Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, so concentrate initially on finding something that you understand,  there’s a requirement you’ll give. You don’t require to be subsequent Elon Musk, train in becoming subsequent Dylan Sigley, and live a life of leisure!

  • Reverse Engineer the Run

Now that you have selected a business idea, the
subsequent step is to reverse engineer the run. You want to work out whether
your business idea is being implemented by tons of companies already by doing a
fast Google search.

When you look for your service type or a business
idea, you’ll notice what percentage of other businesses are endeavouring. Then
you’ll certify whether it’s a practical idea by visiting their websites to
investigate how they market their service, what proportion they credit, and how
they give the service.

According to Walter Wriston, a banker and former
chairman and CEO of Citicorp:

“The person who finds out how to harness the group of
the genius of their business is going to play the competition away.”

As you discover competitors offering your service will
start to ‘reversed engineer’ and develop your business systems maintained
theirs.

For instance, if I practised being fixing a brand new
company called ‘Dylan Sigley Video Services’ i might see how my opponents have
found out their websites, how they impersonate their service or offers, and how
the costs for it. To discover what to try for my business, recognize not to
copy them completely!

  • Create an Enchanting Proposal

Now that you know what service you’ll be selling and
how to create your business systems, the subsequent step is to style an
Enchanting Proposal. Because you’re commencing a web business, you’ve arranged
a competitive gain over the standard markets.

Because you’re entirely virtual, you’ll cash in
information technologies and a worldwide working-class to stay your costs much
less than traditional brick and mortar opponents. For example, my new company
‘Dylan Sigley Video Services’ is struggling with many opponents that should pay
higher salaries to their workers and rent costly offices. I can struggle with
them by performing an equivalent level of quality work at a very lower price.

It is your competitive edge and provides you with an
excellent entry point into the market. And your prices somewhere between what
proportion your opponents impose and how much it’ll cost you to hire
freelancers to deliver the project—the most significant difference, is your
upper margin of profit.

  • Generate Marketing ideas and Sales

Presently that you’ve got an excellent business idea,
reversed engineered your opponent, and made a compelling offer, it’s time to
travel to plug. There are some ways to promote yourself – both free and paid.
The simplest free methods incorporate social outreach social media and cold
email, and therefore the most beneficial paid methods incorporate LinkedIn ads,
Facebook, and Google, and much more.

Furthermore, when you get some money to take a stand,
you’ll choose the paid designs, and if you’ve got time but not tons of money,
you’ll train in the free designs.

Similarly, you should not strive to do all of the
marketing channels immediately, because if you are doing, you’re getting to
weaken your attention across all of them, and you’re not growing to be ready to
master all of them. Whereas whether you train in one, you’re getting to get
outcomes much quicker because you’re becoming to determine what works and what
are not sufficient.

The best method I advise clients who undergo the Dylan Sigley’ Drop Servicing Blueprint’ course is to practice cold emails as your primary sales method.

You can get contact information for target customers
in free directories such as LinkedIn and CrunchBase and then contacts them with
your offer. Plenty of our clients have had fabulous achievement with this
method.

  • Scaling-Up and Test

As you’ve got crafted your message and determined
which audience you’re getting to mark, it’s time to leave there and honestly
inquire about it. You would like to examine different variations of your offer
to recognize which one performs the best.

You can experiment with different variations of your
sales mail, landing page, and sales texts if you invite clients.

When you discover what’s working and begin to form
sales, double down and check out to proportion your drop-servicing business. It
suggests that doing things like build up the back-end of your business by
implementing systems to undertake and automate as many tasks as possible.

You’ll also rent other freelancers to hold out tasks
for you like lead formation. It may release some time to train in more
essential tasks, such as making sales and project delivery.

The beauty of this model is that when you’ve
understood it for presenting one service, you’ll look to provide more services.
The top result’s a continuously expanding business that doesn’t even need more
of your time!

Final
Words:

To conclude from the above discussion, assume you
would like to create a successful online business, specializing in the things
that matter. Place your energy into winning the proper business plans, reverse
engineer your competition, design an overwhelming offer, develop a marketing
plan, and finally scale and test.

Whether you catch these five actions, you’ll be to
build the right online business and will be able to obtain clients immediately
because getting sales is all that matters at the top of the day.

So, inspect the ‘Dylan Sigley Drop Servicing Blueprint,’ step by step pattern to create, scale, and automate your online business.

At last, I would like to finish the discussion with a
quote, “self-development results in business development”, said by John G Agno.
So, to develop a real business, first develop yourself.

The Best Way to Reduce Your Premiums Isn’t What You Think

Sam Allcock
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0
The Best Way to Reduce Your Premiums Isn’t What You Think

A cursory search about
the best ways to save money on insurance premiums will produce some predictable
results.

And there’s no denying
that those methods will lead to reductions in your premiums. But it’s really a
matter of what you expect to achieve.

If you want to make a
significant impact on premiums, you have to change your expectations. You can’t
keep doing the same old things if you want real results.

Keep reading to find out
why those methods don’t work and to discover a better, proven approach that
will actually help.

The Wrong Ways to Reduce Premiums

Here are just a few
common ways that you may already be using to
reduce your premiums.

Comparing Prices

More choices are
certainly a good thing. But what are you really comparing?

You’re not getting one
insurer’s premium for you versus another one’s. What you’re really getting is
one insurer’s premium for your class of
buyer versus another one’s premiums for the same class of buyer. So,
this doesn’t take your specific case into account. The only premium reductions
you might achieve are from a different insurer’s internal risk profile and
shareholder expectations.

Highlighting Your Past Claims

You’ve had no claims for
the last 10 years, surely that’s a good thing. Maybe, but maybe it doesn’t
matter.

An insurer doesn’t care
what happened in the past unless it can help predict the future. If you haven’t
made any claims on your automobile insurance, does that matter when different
employees will drive the cars for the upcoming period?

Packaging Your Insurance Coverage to Get
Better Premiums

Many insurers resort to
buying more insurance to entice insurers with a bigger total package for a
better price. There’s nothing wrong with this, on the surface.

You might get a better
deal on those premiums. But ask yourself this:

Wouldn’t it be an even
better deal if you didn’t insure some of those assets at all? Yes, it probably
would. Claims are much more predictable than you think and by applying
statistical analysis accurately, you can focus on insuring only those assets
that you can’t afford to lose.

A Better Way to Do It

So, what’s the solution?

For starters, shift your
focus from the past to the future. Only future claims are important and the
past only matters insofar as it can help predict the future.

It’s not enough to
strongly emphasize that you’re a good risk. You have to make insurers believe
that you truly understand your risks.

In practice, this means
outlining those risks in a Solvency II-friendly format. It also means making a
realistic plan for mitigating those risks.

Institutional insurance
buyers understand how important it is to present risks favourably. It’s not
uncommon for a large buyer to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds on
an insurance presentation.

But it’s worth it.
Because it can easily mean millions saved on premiums.

If you save the
insurer’s money by reducing their overhead costs, they’ll pass those savings on
to you in the form of reduced premiums. So, don’t be afraid to spend a little
if it means reducing administrative tasks.

And perhaps most
importantly, don’t ask to wipe out their shareholders.

Who’s foolish enough to
do that? As it turns out, far too many insurance buyers.

Suppose you are buying
EL insurance for 1,000 employees with £100m cover per occurrence. What you’re
asking for is to cover the potential of every one of your employees raising a
claim every day that can cost up to £100m each.

In other words, enough
to bankrupt the insurer!

Be extremely careful
about how you word your policy terms and keep in mind that any mistake could
signal to the insurer that you really don’t trust your own risk analysis.

Reduce Premiums Significantly, Safely, and
Strategically

Don’t settle for a
fractional reduction of your premiums. You can achieve much more than you think
with the right approach.

If you can convince
insurers that you’re aware of your own risk, and you’re willing to take on some
of those risks yourself, you can expect major savings.

Our InsuranceInspect Services consultancy product can help you make sure
you’re putting your best foot forward and negotiate your premiums successfully.

Author’s Bio:

John is an actuary and owner and Director of HJC Actuarial, which
he founded in 2003 and which has advised over 100 clients since it’s’
inception. He has worked in the insurance industry for 30 years, qualifying as
an actuary in 1995 and becoming a Partner in a major global consulting firm in
2000. Since 2003 he has provided independent advice to his clients on optimal
insurance program design, presentation of risks, and premium negotiation with
insurers, insurer solvency assessments, policy wordings, insurer selection, and
insurance broker selection.

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