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Buying or Selling a House with Dry Rot Issues

Sam Allcock
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Buying or Selling a House with Dry Rot Issues

Dry rot is a dangerous fungus that can cause severe and potentially dangerous damage to the structure of your home. It is difficult (although far from impossible) to treat, and dry rot treatments can be disruptive and expensive if it has spread throughout the building.

For homeowners looking to sell their house or for buyers looking to make a new purchase, the presence of dry rot can be a huge inconvenience. It can lower the value of your home and prove costly, so buyers need to have a thorough timber survey carried out before they sign any contracts.

Dealing with dry rot effectively is essential, so this article offers advice on buying or selling a house with dry rot.

What is dry rot and why is it so dangerous?

Dry rot is a form of wood decay caused by fungal spores that are present in the atmosphere. These fungal spores need the right conditions to survive, and they require the presence of moisture and suitable timbers. Given the right environmental conditions, dry rot can quickly spread through the timber in your home.

Dry rot is dangerous because as it infects timbers, causing them to weaken, and potentially collapse. If left unchecked, it can cause severe structural damage to a home, particularly if it infects important timbers in the foundations or walls of a building. In severe cases, dry rot can cause total collapse, and that can cause life-threatening injuries to anyone who happens to be in the building!

Although similar to wet rot, dry rot it considered to be much more dangerous. It requires less moisture than wet rot to thrive, which is why it can prove to be more contagious.

Dry rot warning signs to look out for in your home

There are lots of warning signs that homeowners or prospective buyers can look out for if they are worried about dry rot. Catching it early is essential, as it allows you to implement a fix before it gets out of control or becomes too costly.

If you notice any of the following signs, it’s important to call in a professional surveyor who can identify the type of fungal infection in the timber and the extent of the spread throughout your home:

  • Pungent, musty smells
  • Soft, spongy timbers
  • White-grey fungal growths
  • Discolouration of wood
  • Bumpy or cracked wood
  • Cracked or peeling paintwork

You can find dry rot in walls, doorframes, window frames, floorboards and anywhere else in the house where timbers are present. It’s often hidden out of sight however and can be difficult to find, which is yet another reason to bring in a professional.

How can dry rot affect the value of my house?

Dry rot is a serious problem if you’re trying to sell your home. While the buyer might not notice that it’s present, prospective homeowners should carry out a pre-purchase damp and timber survey, which identifies if the building has dry rot.

If this happens, the owner of the home is expected to provide a fix or lower the price of the house to account for the extra work the buyer will need to carry out after the sale. Dry rot can therefore lower the value of your home, as can being located in an area that’s known to have outbreaks of dry rot.

For homeowners looking to sell their property, it’s often best to identify if dry rot is in the timbers before putting the house on the market. This gives them the chance to have an accurate valuation and to fix the dry rot problem, which will lead to a higher value sale.

What should you do if the home you wish to purchase has dry rot?

If you’re on the other side of the sale and are looking to purchase a property, it’s imperative that you have a damp and timber report organised by a professional damp survey specialist. When you inspect the home, you might notice tell-tale signs of dry rot, but often it can be hidden away and requires an extensive investigation to find.

If the survey highlights the potential for dry rot or identifies an existing dry rot infection in the timbers of the home, you are well within your rights to cancel the sale until a solution has been implemented by the current owner.

You can negotiate a better price for the house, as you’ll need to carry out work after you purchase it. If the extent of the dry rot damage is unclear, it is better to ask the home seller to fix the problem before you finalise the sale. This is a good move for the home buyer, as dry rot costs can add up and there may be unexpected charges if new outbreaks are found or larger restructuring is needed to make the property safe.

Ultimately, dry rot can be very dangerous in a home, so it is in the best interests of a home buyer to ensure that they are satisfied with the situation before they make their purchase.

Getting Your Pricing Right: 4 Techniques for Success by Neil Debenham

ABC Staff
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Getting Your Pricing Right: 4 Techniques for Success by Neil Debenham

Pricing can make or break your business. Price your products and services strategically and you can position your business ahead of the competition, with enough operating income to grow and prosper.

Price your products and services poorly and it’s easy to fall behind, both financially and in terms of your share of the market explains Neil Debenham.

Despite the incredible importance of pricing, many business owners don’t give pricing the time it deserves. Instead, they think up a price out of thin air, or decide on a price based on their costs without first looking at their market as a whole.

Luckily, fixing your product or service’s pricing isn’t as difficult as it might seem. Below, Business Adviser and Corporate Consultant Neil Debenham shares four techniques that you can use to price your products or services for maximum income, customer satisfaction and results.

Choose a price based on your costs

The simplest method of pricing your products is to calculate a price based on their cost to your business. For example, you may decide to add a certain margin to your cost of goods sold as a simple way of calculating each item or service’s retail price.

Pricing based on your variable costs has several advantages. The first that it’s very easy to put into practice. You can choose exactly how much money to add as a profit margin on top of your costs, letting you quickly and easily work out a price for your major products and services.

However, it’s far from ideal for several reasons. The first is that it often fails to take into account the unique factors of your market. For example, there might be market dynamics that require a lower-than-average profit margin, or an extra fee on top of your variable costs.

It’s also far from optimal from a conversion perspective. While a basic pricing method like this is great for getting started, you’ll likely want to move on to a more market-based price (something we’ve covered below) once your business is up and running.

Calculate a price based on your market

Another method of calculating pricing, Neil Debenham goes on to say, is to compare your offering — be it a product or a service — to competing offerings within the same market. This is commonly known as a competition-based method of pricing.

Competition-based pricing can be a great approach in industries with lots of different options for your audience. It also gives you more control over how your product or service is positioned.

For example, if your goal is to attract customers looking for value, you may choose to price your product slightly below competing products. If your goal is to position your product as a premium option, you may choose to price it at a slight or significant premium.

Often, the pricing of your offering becomes as much of a feature as the product or service itself, changing the way people perceive your business and respond to your messaging.

Try bundling items to sell at a discount

One way to increase your revenue per transaction is to bundle multiple items, then offer them at a discounted price.

This strategy is common in retail industries, such as apparel. Instead of buying one t-shirt for a price of £15, a retailer might offer a pack of three for a total price of £40.

Bundle pricing has several advantages. The first is that it tends to create the perception of better value for consumers. This can cause customers to spend more, increasing the total amount you receive from each transaction.

On the other hand, bundling can reduce your profit per unit sold. As such, it’s best considered if you typically sell small quantities of certain units and want to increase the amount you generate from each customer.

As your business grows, adjust your pricing

As a business owner, it’s easy to obsess over pricing and question whether or not you’ve priced your products or services optimally.

The reality is that pricing is a dynamic process. As such, a pricing strategy that feels optimal at one point in your business’s lifespan may later not reflect the full value that your business offers for its customers.

Over time, it pays to experiment with different pricing strategies for your products or services. A small adjustment in pricing may help your business to generate more turnover per item sold and improve its position within its industry.

Likewise, as your business grows, efficiencies of scale may develop on the supply side, allowing you to adjust pricing to deliver more value to your customers.

Closing thoughts

There’s no optimal method of pricing for every business. As a business owner, try to experiment with different pricing strategies to find out more about your audience and optimise the amount of income your business generates from each sale.

Neil Debenham www.neildebenham.com

The FinTech Sector Optimistic As Traditional Banks Feel The Impact of Covid-19

Claire James
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The FinTech Sector Optimistic As Traditional Banks Feel The Impact of Covid-19

The financial crash caused by Covid19 has had a significant impact on the banking industry. Most businesses had to close down or reduce their operating hours to reduce the spread of the virus. Traditional banks also had to adjust their operations to respond to both their customer’s safety and the set guidelines by bank regulators. During the pandemic, all the set banking protocols strive to strategically reposition the banking sector in a post-COVID economy.

The harsh economic impact on small businesses, low-income borrowers, and consumers forced the banks to develop more flexible policies to accommodate the struggling borrowers and manage customer expectations and revenues. Many financial institutions have also been forced to stomach losses as a result of bad debts.

The banking sector has adapted notably well to the current adversity, and technology has been instrumental in stabilising the tide of recession. Banking transactions have moved online, eliminating the need for card or fiat money transactions.

E-banking gained tremendous momentum in 2020, unlike any other period in the decade, and the trend will sustain itself in the next decade. As CEOs summarise the developments of the FinTech sector of last year it’s clear they continue to be enthusiastic about the promising future of the FinTech industry and banking. Let us review the radical changes the pandemic has had on traditional banks what we can expect in the near future.

Temporal closure of some branches

In an attempt to flatten the curve, banks had to cancel some in-person branch services. Customers have to make an appointment for some banks before visiting due to social distancing guidelines and local banks early felt the impact of coin shortage circulation due to the pandemic. Several branches had to close down totally. Most clients have also shifted to online and mobile banking, reducing the activity level in traditional banks. There is also uncertainty on whether things will go back to the old norm after the pandemic since most people have already adapted to the cashless mode of transacting.

Downsizing

The pandemic made most customers switch to digital banking, and as a result, banks had to lay off some workers since it does not require any physical contact. They also had to cut off some of their workers to minimize operating costs.

Costs have gone up

Amidst the covid19 pandemic, banks had to ensure that business was running on certain parameters. Managing and running offices alongside mitigating the disaster brought about by the pandemic have duplicated some of the banking service costs. Some of their employees had to work from home, and as a result, they had to buy the required computer hardware. Traditional banks are used to handling their customers in their offices, and therefore, this being new for them, they had to incur the extra cost of adapting to the new changes.

Back Office Operations

Covid19 has motivated traditional banks to rebalance their work in operational sites since some areas are more affected than others. They also had to move some of their employees to essential operations from non-critical operations.

Increased Loan lending

The coronavirus pandemic disrupted people’s major sources of income, and as such, they had to look for an alternative to survive. As a result, banks experienced a spike in both short-term and long-term loans. Central banks have also been making emergency rate cuts and discouraged high-interest rates, which in turn has encouraged many to take loans.

With many people taking loans and not being able to pay them off due to the disruption of their primary source of income, banks have made huge losses as they continue to sign more and more bad loans.

As 2020 came to an end we saw several financial articles on the impact of covid19 on banks and how this is likely to be felt much longer than we all expected. Most financial institutions are struggling to rebuild their loan books in the middle of a struggling economy. There is, however, some little hope after the rollout of the Covid19 vaccine, which has already begun. It is expected that the majority of households will hang onto what’s left of the savings they’ve been holding due to uncertainty.

However, traditional banks will have to replot their Covid19 strategy since they are likely to permanently adopt some of the new norms. Coronavirus has been an eye-opener, and traditional banks will have to develop policies that will ensure there is operation resiliency in times of unprecedented disruptions.

The traditional banking business model is likely to change as a response to being challenged by successful startups within financial technology. Traditional banks will have to reevaluate where there is value and profit as economies struggle to spring back. They will also have to adapt to a new customer norm since the pandemic has brought about a behavioural change that might not align with the current branch concept. They will also have to reconsider their product relevance since most customers have now shifted their attention to individualised likings and not the usual demographic sectionalisation.

The Benefits of Playing Bingo Online Instead of Regular Bingo

Sam Allcock
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The Benefits of Playing Bingo Online Instead of Regular Bingo

Bingo remains one of the most popular entertainment activities around, with millions of people around the world playing this iconic game on a regular basis.

Advancements in technology have undoubtedly helped to change the perception of bingo, opening it up to a completely different demographic over the past few years.

Where once bingo was viewed as the sole preserve of the working classes, it is now a pastime that is enjoyed by adults across the age spectrum.

The internet has played a massive role in this, allowing bingo to become an activity that can be enjoyed around the clock, 365 days per year.

Convenience

Arguably the biggest benefit of playing bingo online instead of regular bingo is you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home.

If you fancy lounging around in your underwear while playing a few games, you can do that to your heart’s content.

However, head down to your local bingo hall in your underwear, and it is highly likely that you will be arrested before you get there.

With the option to pre-buy tickets and automatic ticket marketing, convenience is the name of the game where online bingo is concerned.

Mobile

An extension of the convenience argument where online bingo is concerned is the ability to play your favourite game on mobile devices.

Sitting in the pub and fancy a game of bingo? No problem. Want to break up a dull train journey with bingo? Fill your boots.

All the leading operators have fully optimised their sites to work on mobile devices, so you can play at a time and place that suits your individual circumstances.

Some sites even have standalone apps, making it even easier to access bingo games while you are on the move.

Eyes Down 24/7

Choice

Most land-based bingo venues are only open for a limited time each day, meaning you are restricted to playing during certain hours.

That is not the case where online bingo is concerned, with games starting every few minutes throughout the day.

Whether you’re a night owl or an early riser, simply click on your favourite bingo site and there will be a game you can play. There are many different bingo type of games and many players choose Australian bingo online as their favourite one.

With hundreds of different sites to choose from, online bingo blows regular bingo out of the water when it comes to choice.

Offers & Promotions

Land-based venues have been left trailing by online bingo operators when it comes to offers and promotions.

Many sites provide players with free bingo, giving you the opportunity to boost your bankroll without spending a penny of your hard-earned cash.

No deposit bingo is also hugely popular, offering people the chance to test out a site before depositing real money.

With ongoing promotions also thrown into the mix, online bingo sites make sure that players feel like their business is valued.

Variety

The majority of land-based venues offer 90-ball bingo and very little else, but that is not the case where online sites are concerned.

In addition to the 90-ball variant, many operators provide exciting options such as 75-ball games which have different winning requirements attached to them.

Some sites also offer game combinations such as Slingo, Flash Fives and Bingo Roulette, none of which can be found in regular bingo halls.

The saying ‘variety is the spice of life’ can easily be applied to the plethora of different games available on online bingo sites.

Let’s Get Chatty

Community

One of the main attractions of regular bingo is that it offers people the chance to meet up with friends and family to socialise.

However, this element also applies online, with the best bingo sites providing chat room services alongside the different games.

Whereas regular bingo limits your social interactions to the people who are sat nearby, online play allows you to chat with everyone in the game.

This increased sense of community is another reason why playing bingo online has more benefits than regular bingo.

Social

In addition to being a game that can be played for real money, bingo is also something that can be enjoyed purely for fun.

Social networking sites such as Facebook offer a wide range of social games, where people can play to win virtual coins or prizes.

Much like online bingo sites, these are also a great way to socialise with other people while playing your favourite game.

Similarly, social bingo games are available on a 24/7/365 basis, meaning that you can play whenever you want.

Cheaper

A night out at a traditional bingo hall can be an expensive affair, with the cost of the travel, tickets and drinks quickly mounting up.

Land-based venues have much greater overheads to cover than their online counterparts, which explains why their prices are so high.

Online bingo is much cheaper, with many operators offering players the opportunity to buy tickets for just a penny.

This means that you could potentially enjoy a couple of hours of bingo for less than the cost of your favourite daily newspaper.

Safe Payouts

Online sites offer a wide range of deposit options, making it really easy for players to fund their bingo account.

While withdrawals can take a couple of days to process, you can do this safe in the knowledge that the money will be sent directly to your bank account.

By comparison, winning at regular bingo will result in you being paid out in cash and having the worry of trying to avoid being mugged on the way home.

The enhanced safety and security offered by playing online makes it a hugely appealing alternative to regular bingo.

Four Ways Technology Helps the Hesitant Beginner Investor

Claire James
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Four Ways Technology Helps the Hesitant Beginner Investor

Many of us take the convenience of electronic banking and online shopping for granted.  It’s easy to forget that little more than a decade ago, such activities required our physical presence at inconvenient times and locations. But some mindsets are harder to change – like the idea that investing is the prerogative of the rich and super intelligent. 

The advantage of big data that can be analyzed for patterns is that solutions become predictable.  What’s predictable can be automated, and what can be automated can be made cost-effective.  The tools available through today’s technology put ordinary individuals in possession of knowledge that was previously reserved for a privileged few.  So what are you going to do with it?

Trading Stocks

Holding a stock portfolio used to be reserved for those with sufficient resources to be of interest to a brokerage firm. These firms couldn’t afford to spend time with clients if the fees they generated from them didn’t justify it.  In the past, the infrastructure required for trading meant employing a large staff and paying for premises to house them.  All that, in addition to the cost of complying with demanding regulatory requirements. 

But now, brokers have online trading platforms to automate many of the transactions associated with share trading.  They can support infinitely more clients without increasing their overheads.  Over time, these platforms have matured to the point where some of them even include training material and simulation environments for inexperienced investors.

Of course, not everyone has the time or interest to watch stock prices and read company reviews.  Robo-advisors take online brokering one step further by automating the advisor component.  With a robo-advisor, you plug in the answers to set questions about your financial position and investment goals.  After that, the system will automatically administer your investment using algorithms based on your risk profile.  There are even robo-advisors, like M1, that allow their clients to customize their stock holdings by proposing several different portfolios.  Others offer additional features like automatic tax harvesting (deliberately selling stocks at a loss to reduce capital gains tax).

Experimenting with Penny Stocks

Perhaps you do want to run your own brokerage account but don’t have the cash?  Blue-chip stocks may be secure investments, but they can often be out of beginner investors’ price range.  Penny stocks could be the solution!  Penny stocks are stocks that trade at under $5, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  They trade on conventional exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq.  But, more commonly, they are found on over the counter (OTC) exchanges. 

Penny stocks are considered risky because the companies are less well-known and sometimes new.  There isn’t generally as much information about them as there is for established, well-traded entities.  They also tend to be traded less frequently, meaning that there might not be a buyer waiting when you decide to sell.  All that being said, some very successful companies started as penny stocks.  With their low entry point, your losses are limited, but percentage-wise, gains can be significant.

For new investors wanting to experiment with penny stocks, beware of the costs of trading.  The fixed transaction costs of many online brokers make penny stocks an unfeasible option.  However, there are some apps designed explicitly for penny stock trading.  Their fee structure and systems are designed to make investing in penny stocks a viable option.  And remember that penny stocks are risky.  Take care to understand your risk parameters – what you can safely afford to lose if you had to.

Maximizing your 401(k)

If you’re lucky enough to have an employer retirement fund, it is a perfect entry into investing.  Many employers will match their employees’ contributions – most commonly up to 6% of annual salary.  And most 401(k)contributions are pre-tax, which means you realize growth on two sources of income you wouldn’t ordinarily have – your employer contribution and the tax you would usually have paid.  That’s money for nothing!  So, if you’re not already invested in a 401(k), speak to your HR department without delay.  You can start with as small a contribution as you want and increase it gradually as you can afford.

Some 401(k) plans make investment decisions on behalf of their members – typically in target-date funds.  These are pre-set funds in terms of their mix of shares and bonds over time, depending on your age.  But it is also possible that your 401(k) requires you to make your own investment choices out of a selection picked by the provider and your employer.  Providers supply online portals that allow you to allocate and switch funds as you choose.

Dipping into Real Estate

For some beginner investors, real estate appeals as more tangible than monetary instruments like stocks and bonds.  Property flipping can be a rewarding and lucrative hobby for those with a creative flair and a willingness to roll up their sleeves.

The internet makes sourcing, pricing, and selling properties more painless than ever – theoretically.  But sometimes, the sheer quantity of information can be overwhelming.  And, if you want to hold onto the property, finding suitable tenants and maintaining the property long term can be time-consuming and distracting.

Once again, there are a range of technology-based offerings to assist for any part, or all, of the process.  Roofstock, for example, specializes in marketing properties with tenants in site.  They offer fractional ownership of pre-approved properties and provide professional management and maintenance services if required.  For prospective investors living in high priced real estate areas, technology like this opens up opportunities nation-wide. 

One small step now can make an immeasurable difference to your future financial well-being.  And the options are literally at your fingertips.

3 steps to set up a business in China

Claire James
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3 steps to set up a business in China

China is the world’s first major economy to recover from COVID-19 disruption, making the country one of your best bets if you want to launch an international business. It’s the world’s second-largest economy behind the US after a truly remarkable few decades of growth, and it also came third in US News’ 2020 Best Countries to Start a Business list. This high ranking was down to factors like China’s innovation, technological expertise, skilled labour force, and well-developed legal structure.

So, if you’re looking at the East Asian powerhouse as your next business destination, here are the main steps you need to take to launch a company there.

1.    Conduct market research

China is a mammoth country with lots of geographical, political and cultural factors to consider, so extensive market research is essential. This will help you ascertain where to do business, how competitors operate, and whether there are any good business opportunities you can exploit. Once you have all of this information, you can decide whether your business is viable in China, where to set up shop, and how exactly to approach customers.

Some of the best market research methods include surveys and interviews, as well as secondary research approaches such as analysing market statistics and trend reports. However, do prepare for some barriers. Market research is difficult in China due to unreliable secondary data, potential hesitancy to engage with research inquiries and cultural factors that might influence findings, and the fragmented nature of Chinese industries.

2.    Sort out the legalities

Visas

In order to enter China, you must obtain a visa prior to flying out. For initial visits to do things like conduct market research and set up an office space, you will probably only need a short-term business visa valid for up to 60 days. As noted by visa agents Gulf Visa: “You are eligible for this documentation if you are visiting the nation for commercial or trade-related activities.” However, you will likely require a permanent residence visa if you move there full-time.

Business structure

Your business structure legally impacts aspects like your personal liability and tax responsibilities. Your options in China include:

Wholly foreign-owned enterprises

This is a business established by non-nationals without direct involvement from a Chinese investor. Wholly foreign-owned enterprises (WFOEs) can operate across China and hire both local and overseas staff. This is the most popular legal structure for foreign businesses as third-party operators aren’t needed.

Joint venture

In a joint venture (JV) structure, local and foreign businesses merge. This is most commonly used in industries where foreign ownership is restricted such as the automotive, tobacco and legal sectors. Entrepreneurs can harness a local company’s expertise and network, though have to share the profits.

Branch office

A branch office allows companies to expand their reach by opening branches elsewhere in China. However, most foreign businesses need to set up a WFOE or JV first in order to do this.

Intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) theft in China has made headlines around the world in recent years, but the country is improving its record on protecting IP and there are a number of preventative measures available to businesses there, such as:

Registering your IP

You’ll need to first register your trademarks in China as it doesn’t recognise trademarks filed in other countries. As a first-to-file nation, the first individual to apply for a trademark gets the rights to it. The Chinese government recognises logos, symbols, unique words, designs, letters, numbers, and colour combinations as signs of a trademark. You should also file a patent if necessary. Applications must be translated into Mandarin and completed before any public disclosure of your invention.

Requesting takedowns on Chinese websites

Once you’ve registered your IP, you can ask popular Chinese websites like Baidu, Alibaba and Taobao to remove infringing products and content. This typically involves submitting identification and proof of IP rights, and it can take around a week to resolve a complaint. That said, sites will generally allow the defendant to either challenge the takedown or appeal it.

Contacting customs

Chinese customs will not only block infringing products from entering the country, but those leaving China too. As such, registering with them can prevent your IP from being infringed outside the country, and protect it within every nation that imports your products.

3.    Use a Chinese recruitment agency to hire employees

It’s highly advisable to hire Chinese staff when launching a business in China, even if you do want employees from your own country too. Natives will better understand the local markets and can offer crucial insights to push your company forward. They’ll also help you navigate cultural and linguistic challenges, and it’s often much more convenient to employ Chinese workers than recruit from overseas. However, the talent is in high demand and can be hard to find, plus you may find it difficult to vet candidates properly and ascertain whether they’re truly right for the job.

This is why you should work with a Chinese recruitment agency. With their extensive range of contacts and expertise in assessing and recruiting, they’ll be able to find the right people and save you plenty of time in the process. When looking for a Chinese recruitment agency, it’s important to consider their experience, how in-depth their searches are, and whether they offer a guarantee. This will help ensure that you do indeed find the right candidates and get value for money from the service.

Five Crucial Tips to Crack any Insurance Exam in First Attempt

Sam Allcock
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Five Crucial Tips to Crack any Insurance Exam in First Attempt

Many insurance exams are conducted each year by various insurance companies in India such as LIC, NICL, NIACL, IRDA, OICL and more for recruitment of eligible candidates for various posts such as Administrative Officer, Assistant Manager, Apprentice Development Officer and so on.

Millions of aspirants across India see a golden opportunity of bagging a secure job through these exams. However, cracking any insurance exam such as LIC AAO, LIC ADO, NICL Administrative Officer, IRDA Assistant Manager and more requires sheer discipline and excellent preparation.

Though these exams have minute differences in the exam structure details, various insurance exams share a lot of similarities in exam pattern and syllabus. Furthermore, candidates must make the best use of their limited time and resources to ensure a top-notch preparation to crack the respective insurance exam.

They must buy the best books & study material and could also enroll themselves in online crash courses offered by various exam preparation app and online portals to get top quality guidance and mentorship and educational resources for better preparation.

On that note, let’s talk about some crucial tips that could help aspirants to boost their preparation to crack any insurance exam in their first attempt.

●    Have Thorough Knowledge of the Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Without having sound knowledge of the exam pattern and prescribed syllabus, a candidate would not be able to design a proper preparation strategy for the exam. They might come up with doubts regarding the exam structure and details pertaining to the number of questions and sections to expect, time duration, marking scheme and more.

Furthermore, incomplete knowledge of the syllabus could lead to candidates wasting their valuable time on topics that might not be even mentioned in the syllabus or are irrelevant to the exam.

Therefore, candidates preparing for any insurance exam should have thorough cognizance of the exam pattern and syllabus and must stick to them while preparing for the exam.

●    Attempt Mock Tests Regularly

Once you have covered the majority of topics, you must start attempting online mock tests regularly. There are many online exam preparation platforms offering free and paid test series such as Testbook.

Apart from this, even if you haven’t covered enough topics to start with mock tests, you can attempt regular sectional or chapter-specific quizzes and practice tests to check your knowledge.

Giving regular online mock tests will help you to apply what you have learned to solve questions, check your progress and get an insight into your strengths and weaknesses.

Through this, you can enhance your preparation to ensure better performance in the exam. You can improve your accuracy and speed along with work on your weaknesses to convert them into your strengths.

●    Make Short and Crisp Notes and Revise Regularly

Making short notes and underlining important points can be of great help during revision. Make sure to prepare short notes in a crisp manner in different subjects and separate notes of formulas and short tricks in quantitative aptitude for revision later. This will assist candidates to quickly do an overall revision in each subject a few days before the exam.

Preparing notes is not enough, candidates must go through them regularly throughout their preparation and not just a few days before the exam. Candidates often tend to forget the importance of revision and after completing a topic, they move on to the next one as they have to cover a vast syllabus in minimal time. It is advised that a candidate must revise and revisit previous topics before moving on further to retain them in mind.

●    Solve Previous Years Question Papers

Solving previous years’ question papers can give you an idea of the pattern and type of questions to expect and trends in the weightage of different topics in a section.

Apart from this, you will also get an understanding of how you must attempt individual sections to maximize your score. Therefore, practicing questions from previous years’ papers will give you the knowledge of the significant topics you must focus on during exam preparation. Furthermore, it will help you in designing a strategy of how to attempt the exam.

●    Manage Your Time Properly

It is very crucial to manage your time well between different subjects. More time should be allotted for important topics in each subject that carry a higher weightage.

Furthermore, enough time should be given in getting a proper grip on the basic concepts in each topic, after which you must solve and practice enough questions to develop the ability to attempt the questions with accuracy and pace.

A Candidate must take proper short breaks in between study sessions to refresh and rejuvenate their mind. This will improve their concentration capacity and productivity as well. Also, they must allot time for revision and giving regular mock to retain and test what they have studied.

Lastly, designing a study plan will help you immensely in managing your time well.  A candidate must prepare a study plan or preparation strategy by carefully going through the exam pattern and syllabus. He/she must properly examine the various topics and sub-topics in the syllabus and divide them and allot time as per priority and convenience.

It’s Always Good To Have Options

Sam Allcock
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It’s Always Good To Have Options

When it comes to online sports betting sites, there are more choices available today to the prospective sports bettor than ever before in the history of gambling. Mobile apps are increasing the ability to place wagers, and live betting has amplified the opportunities to wager, win and pocket some serious money.

When it comes to choosing a sportsbook, there are so many choices out there that it can be overwhelming for newcomers to online sports betting. One of the more interesting and relatively new online betting sites is the appropriately-named MyBookie sportsbook, which was founded in 2014.

Licensed in Costa Rica with its servers situated in Canada on the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec, MyBookie’s mission statement is that they exist to cater to the recreational bettor. They operate in 20 countries and offer a vast array of promotions and contests, including a 50 percent matching first deposit bonus worth up to $1,000. The menu of North American and international sports wagering is extensive, and perhaps one of the quirks that MyBookie is best known for is that they offer some of the most unusual prop wagers of any betting site.

Don’t believe us? Well, then just take a gander at a few of these options on offer for wagering purposes.

Pro Wrestling

MyBookie is a rarity among sportsbooks in that they accept wagers and offer odds on professional wrestling, an entirely scripted pseudo sporting event. Part athletics, part Broadway show, part drama, wrestling is all about the theatrics and often the buildup to a match is vastly more important than the action that ultimately unfolds inside the ropes. And yet no one can scoff at the cult-like following that pro wrestling has always generated.

Currently, MyBookie provides betting lines on the WWE Royal Rumble, both men’s and women’s division. Keith Lee (+250) and Bianca Belair (+350) are the current favorites in their respective divisions. But you can also go old-school and bet Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair at +10,000. Or maybe you can put some Flair into a parlay and take the Nature Boy to win the men’s title and go with his daughter Charlotte Flair at +750 to snare the women’s crown.

Eye On The Beast

YouTube sensation MrBeast (real name: Jimmy Donaldson) has gained a following of 51 million subscribers by performing what he calls “attention-grabbing stunts,” which in reality seem more like the sort of things that would cause those with short attention spans to quickly lose interest.

He’s filmed himself sitting and watching paint dry and counting to 100,000. He unsuccessfully tried to keep a fidget spinner twirling for 24 hours straight. And yet for one of those unexplainable realities that defy all logic, his audience keeps growing.

MyBookie is offering a prop wager on whether MrBeast can reach 100 million subscribers by Jan. 1, 2022. No is the overwhelming odds-on -600 favorite, suggesting that MyBookie’s oddsmakers believe that common sense will ultimately prevail over this phenomenon.

Who’s Your Pope?

Under the category of religion, MyBookie is putting forth an offering on the Papal name that will be selected by the next Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Sure, it might seem sacrilegious to be betting on Vatican outcomes, but what the heck, let’s go there.

Leo is the +330 favorite. Personally, we’re rooting for Adrian at +4000, just to see what Sylvester Stallone would say to him if he ever met Pope Adrian.

Damian is listed at +6600, but it seems like it would be a bad omen to bet that name.

“Pope Francis” by Jade Wilson is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Courting Divorce

If betting on Popes gives you the creeps, then maybe skip this prop entirely. It goes into the dark arts, offering people the chance to make money off the misfortune of others.

MyBookie provides betting odds on celebrity divorces. Currently they are offering a betting market on whether Kanye West and Kim Kardashian will file for divorce during 2021. They even add a disclaimer that legal separation doesn’t constitute divorce, just in case you were wondering about that.

There’s even a betting line on which one among this apparently crumbling couple will be announced by TMZ as the first to start dating.

A third prop covers who Kim might date next. Van Jones +150 is the chalk, with odds offered on about half of the active players in the NBA. You can get +2000 on Tyler Perry, and deep down, who doesn’t want to see Madea Keeping Up With The Kardashians?

Padrós Asks To Allocate Non Essential Budget Items

ABC Staff
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Padrós Asks To Allocate Non Essential Budget Items

The president of the Official College of Physicians of Barcelona (COMB), Jaume Padrós , has urged both the Government and the Spanish Government to postpone non-essential budget items and dedicate them to directly compensate the economic sectors most affected by the new restrictions in Catalonia, that will come into effect on January 7 .

“We entered the black night before dawn,” says Padrós on his Twitter account. “Whether it is catastrophic or not will depend on some variables: individual behavior, capable contagion of the virus but very especially on the actions that administrations take.

We have a lot at stake.” “Arrived here, in a personal capacity I cannot help but say that I do NOT believe that in the face of the emergency never experienced” Moncloa and Congress “cannot make a budget modification to postpone non-priority items and compensate directly and with dignity the affected sectors” , points out Jaume Padròs.

The proposal of the president of the doctors of Barcelona comes at a time when shops, bars, restaurants, gyms, nightlife suffer the impact of the pandemic restrictions, with minimal aid from the administrations. Many epidemiologists and health personnel consider that the restrictions are late and in any case should be stricter.

They believe, and this has been made public by the same Secretary of Public Health, Dr. Josep Maria Argimon , that if Spain / Catalonia were a rich country, a strict confinement would be decreed, as in the United Kingdom or Germany, and would compensate the affected companies.

But since this is not the case, the administrations choose to make balances between health and the economy that do not convince either one or the other.

More critical is the epidemiologist at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Can Ruti) in Badalona Oriol Mitjà , who has once again criticized the Government’s management. “Government, we are tired, frustrated and embarrassed by the management of the covid-19.

Not only by today’s measures (in reference to the new restrictions decreed by the Catalan Executive), but also by vaccines, raves, Christmas, residences, antigens, railroad and a very long etcetera, “he wrote on his Twitter profile.

The Catalan employers’ association Foment del Treball has warned that the situation for many companies is dramatic.

How Staying Connected to Electrical Installations Enables Greater Business Efficiency?

Sam Allcock
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How Staying Connected to Electrical Installations Enables Greater Business Efficiency?

Image courtesy of ABElectricians.

What is a baker meant to do? He or she operates a small company that depends on reliable electrical services. So, the baker would want to know promptly about any electrical problem in his or her facility. He can then respond, mitigating any disturbance, and optimizing productivity. For the butcher and candlestick maker, to complete the trio found in the nursery rhyme, the situation is the same. Small supermarkets and schools are in the same boat, making up the majority of commercial buildings and other similarly sized institutions.

Similarly, medium and large-sized enterprises depend on electrical installations as well. What these buildings’ owners and managers want and need are capabilities such as:

  • Electrical installation monitoring
  • Alarm notifications if the equipment is abnormally turned off
  • Tracking energy usage to increase energy efficiency
  • Scheduling to turn on or off-cycle lights or to operate heating/air conditioning as needed

To run a company more effectively and achieve complete peace of mind, facility managers and personnel need to remain linked/connected to their electrical installation. With a full-blown commercial Building Management System, this can be achieved effortlessly.

A solution should be thorough, as well. By that, I mean that any piece of electrical gear, compressors, fans, heaters, lighting, and so on, should be controlled and monitored by an integrated solution. Then you can track, set alarms, and build schedules as needed. Say, in the middle of the night, a circuit breaker trips into a freezer. Who wouldn’t immediately want to know that?

An innovative electrical installation solution can save money by enabling energy efficiency and minimize unnecessary downtime by collecting and presenting the type of information needed to rectify issues. Thus, it would also make operations more successful.

Smart Electrical Installations: Performance Management and IIoT

For organizations, effective performance management is important. It allows them to coordinate their personnel, resources, and structures to achieve their strategic goals through formal and informal processes. It also acts as a dashboard, offering an early warning of possible issues and allowing executives to know what changes must be made to keep the organization on track.

Nowadays, the term ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ has become increasingly common in the industry as digitization has become a business goal for many organizations.

What is the Industrial Internet of Things?

Brilliant computers, advanced analytics, and people at work are brought together by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), also known as the Industrial Internet. It is a network of a multitude of industrial devices linked by communication technologies that result in systems that, like never before, can track, capture, share, analyze, and deliver useful new insights. These insights will then help to make smarter, quicker business decisions for industrial companies.

By integrating machine-to-machine communication with industrial big-data analytics and industrial electrical installations, IIoT drives unparalleled levels of production, productivity, and performance. As a result, manufacturing companies in the machinery, chemicals, food and beverage, automobile, steel, and many other sectors are experiencing transformational operational and financial benefits of smart electrical installations.

The Bottom Line

Expert electrical installation experts help businesses achieve large gains in efficiency, availability, and longevity—making digital transformation possible for industrial organizations. It is advised that you first consult with an electrical installations expert or reach out to leading electrical providers to find solutions matching your facilities’ unique requirements. Besides offering expert recommendations, qualified electrical consultants can help you find solutions that are scalable and cost-effective, while also help with the electrical installation procedure!

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