ABC Money

Understanding the Basics of Ethereum

Technology

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22 June 2018

It is perhaps the world’s second-most well-known form of digital currency. When you hear people talking about cryptocurrency, they usually mention Bitcoin first, followed by Ethereum hot on its heels. Yet far more people have a grasp of what Bitcoin is and how it operates than they do about Ethereum. It’s time for those people to begin to be more in the know. After all, Ethereum is more than just an investment opportunity, although there is that. It is also an extremely useful technological tool which takes the same basic technology that drives Bitcoin and applies it too far more activities than simply making monetary transactions with it, although it can do that as well.

Knowing the basics of Ethereum will help you to understand perhaps how it can be useful to you in your daily or business life. In addition, it can also assist you in realizing whether it will be a good investment property for you to undertake. Once you’ve decided that it is, you should have a trading robot such as Ethereum Code on your radar to help you make split-second, well-informed decisions on trading Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies. Here is a quick look at what makes Ethereum stand out from its competitors in the realm of cryptocurrency.

The Technology

Those people uncertain about Ethereum should be comforted by the fact that it operates on the same technological principal as Bitcoin. Instead of Ethereum needing the help of some centralized body to do what it does, it is a decentralized network operating through blockchain technology. Anyone who has ever dealt with a bank or credit-card company knows that with oversight comes extra costs and nuisances. Ethereum takes those negatives out of the process.

The Contract

One of the amazing innovations of Ethereum is its ability to create so-called smart contracts. These contracts can be entered by any two users of the network. The contract’s terms are set into place at the beginning, and then the network itself verifies when the terms of the contract are met and when the conditions, such as payment for goods and services are proffered. The possibilities for this technology are endless, which brings us to our third point.

The Dapps

Unlike apps on your phone, which are run by a company and are beholden to an internet provider, Dapps, which are a huge part of Ethereum, also run over this decentralized network. That brings you all the convenience of these far-flung applications, which run the gamut from things that are useful in the day-to-day activities of normal people to things which are extremely applicable to businesses both big and small. And, again, because there is no overseeing body imposing fees and inviting fraud or technological issues, the user experience for these Dapps is much more pleasant and convenient.

You should look further into Ethereum and all it can do, especially if you’re going to invest. The more you explore, the more good stuff about it you’re likely to find.

The Financial Implications of Buying a Home in a Flood Risk Area

Elliot

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22 June 2018

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The Financial Implications of Buying a Home in a Flood Risk Area

There is little doubt that flooding in the UK is on the increase and will continue to be in the future. The Environment agency recently announced a warning saying that after 10 years of increased flooding that intense bouts of flooding are set to become more frequent. There is no more speculation, this is real and it will be an ongoing issue from now on and has been for many people for years. Regardless of your position about why it is increasing the fact remains; flooding is here, it is real and it has huge implications for the property and insurance market and for the population as a whole.

Finance and Flooding

Despite there being many issues for people when it comes to flooding the bottom line is often a financial one. The facts are simple; more flooding means more claims and that means higher premiums. The potential value of homes in flood areas is likely to be affected and the cost of government flood protection projects must be funded from tax money too.

At Risk Areas and Property

Some claims state that 1 in 6 UK homes are at risk of flooding. But this risk is often less serious than it sounds. Many properties are in an at-risk area but have never actually flooded. When it comes to buying a property in a new area it is very wise to consider a flood risk assessment. This will give a clear idea of the risks for any given property or development and that puts the buyer in a strong position. While these reports do cost money they provide invaluable information and that can empower buyers, sellers and owners and allow them to plan financially.

Survey

Another key process to employ during any kind of house sale but especially in a flood risk area is a full building survey. In every town across the UK there are companies like Chiltern Associates who provide detailed property reports. It may seem obvious to have a survey but in a flood risk area it is worth pursuing a more detailed approach in terms of any previous flooding. By looking at past flood data and flood risk assessment information along with detailed structural information a picture can be created of the issues as the associated costs!

Insurance

This is a big part of buying any property and especially in a flood risk area. Be prepared…the cost of insurance in an “at risk” area is going to be more. But that may not be an issue if the rest of the numbers stack up. Don’t forget, insurance is there if something happens and if you can be comfortable that the odds are very low then the premium is worth paying. The cheapest quote may not be the best so look at the cover as well as price. The implications of increased flooding will affect premiums across the board but the impact within risk areas is sadly only going to go up. There is a new government backed insurance scheme called Flood Re which is designed to help people get cover in high risk areas, this type of non-profit scheme may become more common in the coming years.

The Cost of Preparation

As with insurance, buying in a flood prone area can work. By considering some prevention and mitigation options a property can be well protected. Financially this kind of thing needs to be looked at with a potentially lower purchase price and higher insurance costs.

Flood Proofing

Simple measures like proofing windows and doors are an easy first step. Beyond that consider changing the garden and driveway to allow for better run off and water absorption. If the property has a big driveway it might be beneficial to look at alternative materials that drain better than tarmac. Rain gardens can capture water and swales and banks in the garden can also help. While these things all cost money, they can have a huge impact.

Drainage

A very simple and low cost flood preparation is to make sure all the drains are clear and working well. It could prove very costly if a slow flowing drain can’t cope. Companies like The Drain Guys are able to clear, maintain and survey drains both inside and out. As flooding becomes more common it is likely that an annual drain survey will grow to be as normal as it was to have a chimney swept. This is a small outgoing to save considerable outlay on flood damage repair.

Selling a Property After Flooding Becomes an Issue…is it too late?

It is certainly a big worry for a lot of property owners; the idea that they may be stuck in a home no one will buy, they can’t afford to insure and that will flood again and again. Well thankfully this is quite rare. It is important to remember that some people will still be happy to buy because they either don’t feel the risk is high enough or they can afford to put in measures to prevent it being a problem. Living near water is and will always be popular and for many the natural pull towards a waterside lifestyle is greater than the fear of flooding. That being said it is important to consider the risk of being caught in negative equity of the house price drops because of flooding. It is also important to think about the potentially long selling period that may occur if people just do not want the property. There is always a final option and that is to use a home buying service. These companies offer a sub market value price but will buy a home regardless of many issue a normal buyer will worry about. You may loose a little overall but the sale will go through!

The financial implications of buying in a flood zone are likely to get more severe rather than decrease overtime but as government legislation comes into play and civil engineering flood projects get underway it may not spiral as fast as some may think and in the mean time there could be some bargain homes to be had for some people!

Using Trailing Stops to Protect Your Bitcoin Profits

Claire James

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22 June 2018

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Using Trailing Stops to Protect Your Bitcoin Profits

Many people don’t realize that the same investment strategies that they use when investing in more traditional assets like stocks can also easily be applied to trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. People often tend to look at Bitcoin as a currency only, which limits its scope. In terms of how its value rises and falls, it is much more in line with an asset such as a stock. As such, many of the same rules apply, as do the tactics by which traders earn their living. One of the most popular of these tactics is the trailing stop. When applied to Bitcoin, which is an excessively volatile instrument, it can help you protect your gains while limiting your losses, and that’s the kind of action you want out of your investment properties.

The characteristics of a trailing stop make it ideal for usage with Bitcoin. You can use it to prevent you from taking a major hit when the coin drops in value in a significant manner. But it also won’t stop you from accumulating massive profits. Many people would like to get involved in Bitcoin investment but aren’t sure about how to pull it off; if that’s you, a trading program such as Bitcoin Trader or thebitcoinsystem.io app will do the work for you. For those who like to get hands-on, here is how a trailing stop can really work for your Bitcoin investments.

The Basics

A trailing stop is an order to sell an asset after it falls below a certain percentage level. But that percentage level is adjusted to wherever the price of the asset is. For example, if an asset’s price was at 50 units when bought and you put in a 20 percent stop level, that means that you would sell if the price immediately dropped to 40 units, which would be a 20 percent drop.

Making the Adjustment

Now, what if that price rose first to 100 units? The percentage would be adjusted. Now the sell order would be placed if it dropped to 80 units. As you can see, this means that the investor will still have made a significant profit from the initial investment of 50 units. But they also will have prevented a precipitous drop in value that could have taken all those profits away.

Applying It to Bitcoin

The trailing stop really works well with Bitcoin because of it such a volatile asset. Whereas a typical stop order might protect you from catastrophic losses in the value of your coins, it also neglects to keep a sudden reversal from eating away at your profits. And sudden reversals are part and parcel of volatile assets. The trailing stop provides just the right combination of aggression and caution to make the most out of Bitcoin investing.

A trailing stop might be the ultimate tool for the investor who wants to make their decisions based on the mathematics of the situation. With Bitcoin, where the math of rises and falls can get crazy fast, it’s especially crucial.

What Might Happen If Bitcoin Becomes Regulated

Claire James

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22 June 2018

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What Might Happen If Bitcoin Becomes Regulated

It is the possibility that Bitcoin users alternately seek and dread: when the digital coins become embraced by regulatory bodies and in some way incorporated into the mainstream of finance. In some ways, that has already happened, with many major businesses allowing payment by Bitcoin for their goods and services. But Bitcoin is still very much on the outside when it comes to legal legitimization from things like governments and regulatory bodies. It kind of operates in the same nether region these days as marijuana in the United States, where no one is too sure if there is going to be an issue with possessing it and even using it.

Of course, that kind of uncertainty is the thing that makes investors hesitate when it comes to plunging their hard-earned money into this new technology. What they should try to do is imagine a future where Bitcoin operates in harmony with cash, credit cards, checks and other forms of payment within a financial system. Investors trying to visualize that may realize that there is a solid future for the digital coins and their value, in which case investing in them with the help of a trading robot such as Bitcoin Loophole can be very profitable. Here are some of the ways Bitcoin may continue to exist while being regulated and what that might do for its overall value.

A Short-Term Drop

The concern many investors have when dealing with Bitcoin is what might happen if it ends up on a trading exchange along with other assets. Right now, pretty much all the average investor can do with Bitcoin is buy and sell it. But at some point, investors may have the ability to take a so-called short position on it, which means that they are predicting that it will fail. If that occurs, that very possibility can have a downward effect on the price of the coins.

Opening It Up

On the other hand, the fact that Bitcoin will be available for all the normal trades that are applicable to assets like stocks may give investors more reason to check it out and discover its worth. Suddenly the idea that Bitcoin options and futures can be part of an investing scenario could open the doors to institutional investors. That would bring in a lot more money, with the possibility of Bitcoin funds also entering into the picture and offering more value.

Relaxing the Worried Investors

There are most likely a great many investors lurking about right now who are intrigued by Bitcoin’s capabilities but scared to death by the chance that it will all add up to nothing if regulatory bodies crack down on it. But if the opposite result takes place, one where the coins are embraced by governments and lawmakers, all those tentative investors could well come pouring into the fold.

Bitcoin’s future is very much up in the air. But the idea that regulation would spell doom doesn’t quite hold water when held up to closer inspection.

Three Things You Can Do with Bitcoin

Finance

Claire James

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22 June 2018

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Bitcoin is one of the most revolutionary technologies to come into existence in the 21^st century. It has the possibility to completely transform the way we pay and receive payment for goods and services, making it easier, safer, and more convenient in practically every way. Yet there is a large segment of the population that isn’t sure what to make of these digital coins. In many cases, it’s just a case of not having taken the time to learn about it, perhaps because they think that there is no way that these coins will have any use for them in their daily lives. Yet even a quick tutorial can show them just how useful Bitcoin can be and all the ways it can benefit them.

Once you find out everything that Bitcoin has to offer you in your daily life and your financial dealings, you might want to start dealing with it immediately. Or, you might prefer to keep making transactions the way you always have, yet you still see the value that Bitcoin holds as a potential investment property. If that’s the case and you’d like to invest, make sure that you check out a crypto robot such as Bitcoin Code, which will do wonders for your investing by making the use of artificial intelligence. If you’re not sure about Bitcoin, here are three things that you can do that keep things very basic and can really benefit you in the short and long run.

Use It

If you have Bitcoin and a digital wallet, you are ready to start making it a part of your financial life. There are a wide variety of businesses that offer the capability for you to pay for goods and services via Bitcoin. All it takes is a simple swipe on a phone or click of a mouse and your payment will reach its desired destination in a hurry, much faster than if you were paying by check or credit card.

Hold It

The cool thing about Bitcoin that really separates it from cash is the fact that you can use it as an investment property. Cash rises and falls in value as well, but only in infinitesimal increments when compared to Bitcoin. Bitcoin acts much more in the line of something like stocks. It can be something that makes you a lot of money in the short term, or it can be something that you hand on to for your future wealth.

Earn It

Just as you might pay someone using Bitcoin, you can also receive payment if you have the digital wallet capable of doing so. That means, if you’re the owner and operator of a small business, you can get the payment into your account in a flash and open your business doors up to people from all over the world.

These are just the basics of Bitcoin usage, but they should demonstrate its utility. If you’re considering to buy bitcoins, check out xcoins.com for a secure and fast transaction: and the more you learn about it yourself, the more you’re likely to start incorporating it all the time.

Deciding Whether to Use Bitcoin as A Tool or An Investment

Claire James

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21 June 2018

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Deciding Whether to Use Bitcoin as A Tool or An Investment

One of the factors that have driven the value of Bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, through the roof is its versatility. On the one hand, it is a simple way to make and receive payments from people from all over the globe with great speed, privacy, and convenience. On the other hand, there is the fact that the value of Bitcoin fluctuates, often dramatically, within a relatively short period of time. That makes for something of an uptown problem for Bitcoin adopters. Although no one says that they must choose between one or the other, it seems like a good idea to decide whether their stash of Bitcoin is going to be used as a payment method or investment property.

Ultimately, this decision will come down to your own personal needs, and those needs can easily change over time, which means that you should be flexible about it. Investing in Bitcoin comes with the risks inherent in all investments, but it also carries the opportunity for mammoth rewards especially if you use a trading platform such as Bitcoin Up. Should you decide to go this route, having a crypto robot along the lines of Bitcoin Trader at your side can be an extremely useful resource. On the other hand, simply using Bitcoin to make and receive payments might be all that you need out of the coins. Here are some of the factors that should enter your decision.

Your Financial Situation

If you are at a point where you are stable in terms of your finances, meaning that you have not only enough to pay your bills in a comfortable manner but also enough that you have some that you can save, you can probably afford to simply play fast and loose with Bitcoin as an investment property. It is a luxury for you, something that can really be a windfall down the road. By the same token, it also wouldn’t hurt you too much if the value took a great dip, which is always a possibility due to how volatile the coins are.

Your Daily Needs

If you run your own business, having Bitcoin capability can be an extreme boon for you. First, it allows you to accept payments from anywhere in the world without having to worry about fees or restrictions put in by banks or financial institutions. In addition, you can be assured that payments to your business will arrive in a timely manner, leaving you some leeway in terms of monthly cash flow.

Your Personality

Some people have the stomach for risks while others like to play it safe. Neither one of these sides is wrong; it’s just a difference in temperament. If you fall distinctly into one of these two categories, you will likely view Bitcoin through that perspective and it will guide your use of it.

Perhaps the best way to think of Bitcoin is as something that can fill a lot of different needs for you in your life. Those needs may change from time to time, but Bitcoin can likely come in handy in any scenario.

How to Avoid Unpleasant Moments on Your Moving Day

Property

ABC Staff

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21 June 2018

0

How to Avoid Unpleasant Moments on Your Moving Day

Life has become a journey. No! literally. With so many opportunities around, people are always moving; from one city to another and also between the countries. And we are not talking about holidays or business trips. It is short-term or long-term residency moving that we are featuring here.

With every move, you need to setup a home with basic amenities and facilities, unless you are staying in a hotel. Staying with a family needs a lot more arrangements than you would have to do if you are staying alone. This adds up a heavy task of packing when you have to relocate yourself with family. And since it has become a frequent lifestyle nowadays, it is better to pre-plan every move and avoid doing common & repetitive mistakes to save yourself from unpleasant moments.

Here are some unpleasant situations that might occur on your moving-out day and how to handle them:

New occupiers at the doorstep but no moving van

Sometimes there is a clash of your moving-out day with new occupier’s moving-in day. It will be very inconvenient for both of you to stand in dismal about what should be done since you are still waiting for your moving van to arrive. To avoid this condition, know the occupier’s schedule in advance and take a relevant time margin for moving out and loading your stuff.

A wrong estimate for a size of a moving van

There can be a mistake, from either end, in estimating the appropriate size of the moving van. This may end up stuffing up your precious belongings in a small van with everything squished together.

Some movers give an estimate based on the number of bedrooms in your home. Based on this, the different van sizes are recommended. Share as much details as possible with your movers about number of boxes, their sizes, other big stuff, etc. so that they know the exact status of your stuff.

A van which can’t fit down the street or a driveway

This situation may result in more back and forth trips for your moving van helpers, which in turn may shoot up the cost of moving services. To prepare yourself for this, try to assemble small boxes to someplace more accessible for thevan, with the help of your friends or family. You can hire a trolley or ask the service provider to carry one along with them at your site.

Didn’t monitor the careless loading

It is disheartening to open your boxes at new home and see your favourite vase shattered in pieces. It may have happened due to the inattentive carrying of load to the van. Though the man with van services employ responsible professionals, it is still better to be attentive at your end. Make sure boxes with fragile items are marked with the label.

Forget to buy an insurance

Though insurance is not something you can just miss since a man with van company provides them online on their website.A proper checklist won’tlet you forget about buying an insurance. But what if you did miss? Look for the same day insurance policy provided by your mover’s company.

No door-to-door service

This is something you must ask in advance to prevent any last-minute surprises. Some man and van providers implicitly provide pick and drop service right inside your home while others ask for extra bucks to provide this luxury. Do not trust your intuition, rather ask them. This is why it is important to ensure that you get complete moving quotes from several companies before you sign a contract. These quotes ensure that there are no surprises and that everyone is on the same page about all the services that will be delivered.

Decided to pack on your own but it made moving all difficult

Moving out packing might be new for you; even the experienced ones can sometimes go wrong with packaging. The chances are that a box may open up due to loosing up of adhesive tape, causing a delay in the moving process. In case you are not confident about packing, take help of the professionals from your man and van company who can lend help in affordable prices.

Did not consult item list at the relocated location

The moving out process is tiring. By the time you reach your new place, you feel exhausted. Your mind and body just want to believe that finally it is done. At this time most of us forget to recheck if every single box has reached. Usually, the small items get misplaced while loading or transit.

The best way is to number each box while packing and at the end, just check for each number in the series and the total count.

Damage to your current home

This is the most frustrating situation. A mishandled box pulling out a big portion of paintwork from your professionally cleaned old place is a complete nightmare. Apart from being careful with every box being carried out of the house, you should check with your movers whether they provide insurance for such damage to the property.

The mistakes are unavoidable but at least you can try to minimize them as much as possible. If you have got an ample amount of time before moving out, spend each day with planning. There is no time like “it is too early to plan”.

Blockchain as the Future of Land Registry in Latin America

Elliot

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20 June 2018

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Blockchain as the Future of Land Registry in Latin America

Leonardo Gonzalez Dellan argues that the future of Land Registry in Latin America is blockchain technology. “Efficient land registry is a key to increasing security of tenure and improving the productivity of the food production sector of Latin America,” he says. Evidence from Honduras and Brazil supports this conclusion, but any reform will not be easy.

Blockchain enables a distributed ledger system in which records are held by all computers in the network at the same time and every computer has to verify a transaction. It thus works as a notary system which would make Land Registers impossible to tamper with or alter. In Honduras there has been a concerted effort to introduce the Epigram system based on blockchain since 2016 and in Brazil, the Ubiquity platform recently completed a registry integration pilot in the Pelotas and Morro Redondo municipalities of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In both cases the pilots were successful, but the systems have not been adopted, instead they have been delayed or halted because opposition from the officials who would be displaced, and the costs associated with implementation.

In India, the United Nations Development Programme are piloting a similar project. The researchers on that project are hopeful: “The word blockchain often conjures up thoughts of cryptocurrencies, of people dabbling in a seemingly dark art, making tens of millions of dollars. Blockchain was first linked to the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, but it is a technology that can enrich the lives of billions of people, in countless ways.

We believe it will have a huge impact in the developing world, helping uplift the poor and marginalised, aid in fighting corruption…and so much more.” As an international trade expert, Dellan argues that Latin American states “need to persevere with the technology, follow the lead of the UNDP and become early adopters of this ground breaking new way of protecting citizens and enhancing economic opportunity in the food production sector which we need to drive exports.”

Ashes into diamonds: A Highly Innovative Post Burial Option Changing the Face of Death in the UK

Fashion

Elliot

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12 June 2018

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Ashes into diamonds: A Highly Innovative Post Burial Option Changing the Face of Death in the UK

With a total of over 600,000 funerals annually, the funeral industry in the UK is valuedat approximately £2billion with an estimate of 4,000 funeral directors at present offering cemetery, crematorium, embalming and mortician services.Due to popular demand for unique and customized ways to commemorate the deceased today, the face of industry is evolving to accommodate innovative post burial options such as ashes into diamonds.

Ashes into Diamonds: Immortalizing the deceased with a beautiful gem

Ashes into diamonds refer to synthetic diamonds born in the laboratory from the carbon extracted from the cremated ashes of the deceased. This process emulates the formation of natural diamonds in the earth’s mantleunder conditions of extreme temperature and pressure.

Here’s how expert ashes into diamond vendors like LONITE with an existing branch office in London, UK can turn the deceased into a stunning memorial diamond;

Step 1: The hair or cremated ashes are analyzed to determine whether they contain enough carbon to be turned into a diamond; about 200g of ashes or 10g of hair are required. The carbon content of ashes differs from case to case and the total contained carbon may or may not be enough for the ashes intodiamond creation process.

Step 2: The ashes are then placed in a specialized crucible and the crucible is heated to over 5000F to make sure every element except carbon oxidizes and then temperature is raised further so that carbon can become graphite.

Step 3: The graphite with a metal catalyst and a diamond seed crystal are placed into the core. The core goes into a specialized ashes into diamond press capable of creating extreme tension which then starts working thus bringing the pressure to about 800,000 pounds/square inches.

Step 4: During the last stretch when the press is working, the temperature in the room stays about 2500F so that the ashes turned diamonds become solid. Purification takes approximately 5,000 minutes for each ashes into diamond ordered.Impurities are removed and reduced to 1/500 of the original impurity content providing 4N purity (99.99%).

The craftsmanship of ashes into diamonds requires a combination of skills to create a memorial diamond from start to finish, namely; gemology which is the science dealing with identifying and evaluating natural and artificial gems, science and technology which requires the practical application of scientific knowledge, and art & design which requires conceiving and producing a plan for theashes into diamond before it is even made.

Why should people consider ashes into diamonds for the afterlife?

A diamond is a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance. Commemorating the deceased into such a stunning gem not only immortalizes them into an everlasting legacy but also pays tribute to the kind of person they used to be.

Ashes into diamonds are safer for the environment compared to cemetery burials which release 10% more carbon dioxide in the long run. Excessive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results into suffocation of living organisms, narcosis and global warming altogether. Cemetery overcrowding, especially in the London boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets also poses a huge threat to the environment as gardening and the use of maintenance cleaning products pollute the underground waters.

Ashes into diamonds can be passed down from generation to generation on special life events within the family such as weddings and engagements, as an everlasting legacy to celebrate the life of the deceased and the kind of person they used to be.

Affordability compared to existing traditional practices. The average cost of a traditional burial in London is 4,257GBP with a 13% annual increase, a rate that is higher than that of inflation in the country whereas ashes into diamonds cost between 1,400GBP to 15,600GBP depending on the cut, size and color of your choice.

Ashes into diamonds are also possible for petswith the color, the cut and the size of your choice as well; Most people have at heart to pay tribute to their deceased petsfor their companionship while they lived and for being a big part of the family.The process of ashes into diamonds for pets, the technology used, and order process is the same as in humans and is possible for any type of animals: horses, birds, dogs, lizards and cats as long as you can provideat least 200gr of the pets’ ashes or 10gr of the pet’s fur.

Popular post-burial trends in the UK funeral industry besides Ashes into Diamonds

Besides the ashes into diamonds option, some of the unique and innovative post burial trends that are changing the face of the UK funeral industry include:

Ashes into a reef: The process involves putting the remains of the deceased into a cement mix before it is poured into the form which the coral grows on; this ecologically safe option helps to preserve and protect the marine environment.

Ashes into space:Here the ashes of the deceased are launched into space in a trip into orbit and back to earth or a one-way ticket on a more adventurous journey into deep space.

Memorial tree:The cremated ashes of the deceased are placed into an urn which is then planted in the ground; the urn naturally decomposes in the long run as the roots expand through the biodegradable urn resulting into the birth of a very beautiful tree.

Green Cremation: Here, a chemical process that uses water and potassium hydroxide alkali solution chemically heats the remains and what is left is a fragment of bones. When purified and dried, these tiny particles are the same as traditionally cremated ashes.

Ashes into ink tattoo:Here, a portion of the remains of the deceased are mixed with tattoo ink before it is applied to your body; reportedly there aren’t any health concerns involved.

How one chooses to send off a departed loved one is very personal and sometimes uniquely customized to suit their preferences. Each of the above post burial options are safe for the environment especially with the growing concern over toxins entering our groundwater from burial grounds. Ashes into diamonds and the many other available options also provide a convenient way to preserve the environment and honor your departed loved one with a unique legacy.

28 million small businesses in America account for 54% of all U.S. sales

Elliot

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7 June 2018

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28 million small businesses in America account for 54% of all U.S. sales

Research demonstrates that smaller businesses, by and large, are not maximizing the benefit of their Internet presence.

29% of small businesses do not have a website, according to a study conducted in 2017 by Clutch (link). As Max Elman, the founder of Razorfrog Web Design, said in a statement released with the report:“No matter what type of business you run, if you have customers, it’s necessary to have some sort of information online, at least a page describing who you are and offering contact information. It’s essential to have this information indexed and shown to those looking for you.”

Image Credit: Clutch

New research by Approved Index, a B2B comparison site for business services has revealed the number of UK SMEs operating without a website and calculated the predicted uplift in revenue if they were to launch a new site, by industry sector and business size.

Key findings of the report include:

1.98 million SMEs do not have websites, costing them over £343 billion each year
Introducing a website could equate to an average uplift in revenue of £173,769 per business
Small-sized businesses stand to make the largest growth in revenue – £106 billion per year if they introduce a website

Some entrepreneurs feel discouraged after working on several business listings without getting the results they had in mind at the start. The problem is that not all business directories live up to Google’s standards, causing them to get ignored by the search engine.

Let’s analyze another economical circle: the online battleground. What is the role of web directories today and are they worth your time and money?

Getting a website listed on a directory used to be a sure path to web traffic and success. However, all this changed as search engines developed, and since 2012 when Google released the “Penguin” update, the value of directories dropped significantly, however, “directories can still play an important role in helping drive referral traffic to your site as well as bolstering your SEO campaign” according to an article published by Search Engine People, an industry specific publication.

Matt Cutts, the former head of the web spam team at Google, said in 2012 (video), that submitting to directories are recommended, if the directory accepts quality sites and is not simply a free-for-all link site: “Does the directory reject URLs? If every URL passes a review, the directory gets closer to just a list of links or a free-for-all link site.” – Matt Cutts

Some of the foremost known web directories are the Yahoo! Directory and the DMOZ. The Yahoo Directory has been shut down since 2014 and DMOZ was shut down a few years later, on the 14th of March 2017. The AOL-owned directory, DMOZ, was no longer supported by AOL.

Quality web directories hire trained reviewers whose job is to evaluate submitted links and put them in the right categories.

Matt Hodgson, owner of Addme, a SEO company founded in 1996, concluded that when done the right way, directories such as Jasmine Directory are far more reliable than a typical search engine result because they are edited by real people who go through every link to determine whether it provides any relevant information.

For example, Jasmine Directory lists educational resources and allows users to submit businesses for easy access by visitors. This web directory has been in existence since 2009 (created as a collaborative university project). It is renowned for its high editorial discretion and features several categories including arts, business, computers, finance, games, health, home, kids & teens, news, recreation, reference, science, shopping, society, sports and regional.

Each of the categories includes fields, for instance, the Computers category feature internet, software, hardware, programming and so forth and the fields in turn list matching websites.

Finance and Flooding

At Risk Areas and Property

Survey

Insurance

The Cost of Preparation

Flood Proofing

Drainage

Selling a Property After Flooding Becomes an Issue…is it too late?

ABC Money 2025 - 1st Edition