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Business development expert talks about the top businesses you can start after lockdown

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Most residents make plans for vacations, parties they will attend, and which eateries they’ll dine in as the lockdown draws to a close. Anyone with a business mindset, on the other hand, will do what they usually do in highs and lows: search for new opportunities.

With summertime coming and the pandemic finally fading from sight, there’s plenty of opportunities if you look in the right places.

None of us can foretell how the future will look. Still, experts with intuition and expertise can make informed predictions about which business ideas will prosper in the post-pandemic era. We spoke with a few business development experts from various fields who have done just that.

This article will analyze the three niches that are expected to thrive in the post-pandemic environment. If you’re interested in setting up a business, these solutions could be an excellent starting point.

Artificial grass supply

Indoor meetings and recreational pursuits will eventually come back, but perhaps not in their entirety or even in the exact way you remember them.

As a result of this fact, one post-COVID-19 business idea stands out as a clear opportunity ripe for the taking.

“Since everyone’s been momentarily shut off from person-to-person engagements, artificial grass will most certainly become the next choice for gatherings for quite a while,” said María Bhatia, a reporter, businesswoman, and blogger.

Artificial grass has gradually blossomed into an immensely popular lawn solution today, thanks to breakthroughs in technology that make it look just like natural grass.

Its low-upkeep features and year-long beautiful green appearance attract many households around the world.

However, as artificial grass has grown in popularity, it has become more widespread in various applications, including play areas, football pitches, concerts, fairs, and small business firms.

Artificial grass is being employed by various businesses and corporate entities to change boring, uneven stretches of grass into beautiful green lawns that customers may enjoy throughout the year.

Hotels, recreational places, eateries, car dealerships, and almost everywhere with extensive outdoor spaces are now gravitating to the many benefits that artificial grass provides over genuine turf.

To see the promising future of this idea, the United Kingdom plays host to hundreds of companies that specialize in artificial grass supply online.

With an overall quality share of about 33.09 percent in 2016, Europe is the top producer of Artificial Grass Turf.

As per ResearchAndMarkets.com, the synthetic turf market was worth £2.5 billion in 2019 but will be worth £6.5 billion in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.5 percent between 2019 and 2026.

Cleaning Services

After the easing of lockdown, it’s impossible to picture many individuals in the country being oblivious to germs in the building facilities where they reside, do business in, and eat as they had been in 2019.

This leaves a large market gap.

There will forever be a growing demand for cleaning services in our neighbourhood,” said Pritchett Andy, creator of VERILL and former sales manager at the marketing firm Profitch in Milton Keynes. “Clearly, COVID has raised concerns about office sanitation and hygiene. All of these firms will start controlling the larger urban businesses in the post-covid era.”

Consulting firm ReportLinker backs up Lally’s claim. According to their projections, the cleaning industry will increase at a cumulative yearly growth rate of 6% within the next five years, from now to 2026. Smaller companies that manufacture or supply cleaning goods or materials, educate cleaning staff or organizations, give advisory services, offer licenses or diploma training, and those that perform the actual cleaning, all have the growth potential.

According to the survey, robotic and automated professional cleaners, eco-friendly janitorial services, and customized cleaning companies are in great demand, indicating that companies that disrupt the standard cleaning template are more likely to succeed.

“A contemporary indoor cleaning firm advertised as an extremely successful startup has the capacity to be extremely profitable,” Lally added.

Online Learning

It’s no mistake that moms and dads throughout the country are either relieved that their children are ready to go to school or looking forward to the day when they will be. On the other hand, many parents found that e-learning provided them with more freedom and influence over their children’s education than the outdated twentieth-century classroom paradigm. There’s no stopping for them — at least for now.

According to Cleeves Lewis, chief operating officer at Monetars, E-learning is a viable business strategy for the post-COVID era. “We’ve already seen how the popularity of remote services has increased dramatically. E-learning is a convenient educational platform that is quickly gaining traction as a better solution to more conventional types of training and education.”

Martin’s analysis, according to EducationWeek (EW), is accurate. According to a RAND Corporation poll of 300+ public schools, 20% of schools anticipate that virtual programs will be sustained and even widened in the weeks and months following the lockdown. According to a different EW report, much of that advancement will be based on the hybrid system introduced in 2020, with the traditional school functioning as the centre of a larger e-learning network.

There might be a huge golden opportunity here for the business sector.

Small businesses that revolve around e-learning technologies, personnel, retraining, installation, technology, publications, resources, equipment, coaching, tutoring, consulting, advising will all thrive in 2021 and years afterward. E-learning represents an exciting arena in the realm of business.

“While private e-learning is booming, corporate e-learning seems to be where I’m witnessing the most exciting advancements,” according to Martin. “Work environments are struggling to react to the needs of new customers, fresh business regulations, and a fundamentally transformed marketplace in the post-pandemic era. Companies can use e-learning to acquire proper retraining for their personnel. Within the next year, I believe we’ll observe a lot of firms pop up.”

Why You Should Invest Your Money

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“You should let your money work for you.” You may have heard this being said before, and usually, it comes out of the mouths of wealthy people who know what they are doing with their money. Unfortunately, there’s a large percentage of people that don’t bother doing anything with their money, apart from keeping it in their bank account.

You really should let your money work for you, as it can result in even more money than you previously started with. Investing allows you to put your money into a vehicle that helps you get returns.

If you’re still not sure, here are more reasons why you should invest your money.

Grow Your Money

As mentioned before, letting your money work for you is one of the smartest things you can do. Taking a part of your income and putting it straight into an investment can be one thing that could make a big difference in your life.

Einstein was believed to have said, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.” When you are putting your money into investment vehicles such as stock or bonds, for example, it starts accruing interest. As your money grows, you start gaining interest on your initial money plus the interest you have already earnt so you start earning more and more.

Saving For Retirement

Have you had many thoughts on your plans for retirement? You may only be in your 20’s or 30’s but as we said before if you can get your money to help you and take advantage of compound interest, the earlier you can start putting money away, the better you will be in the long run. 

Many people don’t look that far in the future, but the reality is that all of us will end up retiring. At what age, depends on how much money you have and when you can get your state pension if you have no savings.

Thinking about growing your pension is a sensible thing to start doing now, regardless of how old you are.

Reach your Goals

Putting your money into investment will help you gain a higher return. Some investment accounts make it hard for you to access your money so it’s a brilliant way of stopping you from getting access to it and spending it on takeaways or benign things that won’t help you.

The faster you can earn money, the quicker you will be able to reach your financial goals, such as buying a house, saving money for your children’s college fund, or buying a car.

As your money grows it’ll allow you to do more things and start making decisions on investing money into other things such as houses. Try 1st UK Money if you’re interested in getting a mortgage on a house, as investing in a house is a sure bet, as there’ll hardly be a time when houses aren’t needed. Either way, start saving some of your income and become an investor and make your money work for you.

Taxes in Spain for foreigners + some tips to save money

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Taxes can be a real stumbling block. Particularly in countries with high tax burdens, such as Spain. Taxation in Spain is a complex process and anyone who fails to disclose and pay the necessary tax risks facing hefty fines and penalties.

The taxation system in Spain

If you live and work in Spain, you must pay income taxes in Spain on your earnings and assets and file a Spanish tax return. It is only your residency status that determines whether you pay Spanish taxes on your worldwide income or Spanish-based income.

In Spain, taxes are divided between state and regional governments. This means that income tax, property tax, wealth tax, capital gains tax, and inheritance tax rates in Spain can vary across the country.

Useful tips to save taxes

With the overall tax system in mind, we can now move on to the specific tips that will assist you in saving taxes as a foreigner.

Fill out an application for the Beckham Law.

The Beckham Law is a special tax regime that applies to foreign workers who come to Spain for work. It allows you to become a non-resident for tax purposes even if you spend more than 183 days a year in the country.

What exactly does this mean?

The Beckham law in Spain is a special tax regime that allows foreigners who relocate to Spanish territory to pay a flat fee of 24 percent only on

income earned in Spain rather than a progressive tax on all income earned worldwide (19-45 percent ).

Who is eligible to apply for this special tax regime?

Generally, any foreigner who moves to Spain and meets the following criteria can apply:

  1. Foreign workers who have recently relocated to Spain.
  2. Wealthy foreigners in positions of authority or management.
  3. Administrators who are hired by a company

The following people, on the other hand, are not eligible:

  1. Employees who work for themselves
  2. Athletes in professional sports are entity directors.

Read more…

Find out the specific requirements to apply for the Spanish Beckham Law here.

So, basically, this special tax regime for foreigners allows them to pay much lower taxes, allowing them to save a lot of money. During the first six years, it allows all workers who live abroad and want to come to work in Spain to pay income and wealth tax as if they were non-residents.

This theory, which was published in 2004, is governed by Section 93 of the Spanish Income Tax Act. It was named after the famous football player David Beckham in order to attract talented and qualified workers to Spain (the first one to take advantage of it).

Who is required to pay taxes in Spain? Spanish tax for residents

If you have lived in Spain for six months (183 days) or more of the calendar year (not necessarily consecutively), or if your main vital interests are in Spain (for example, your family or business), you are considered a Spanish resident for tax purposes.

In the following situations, as a Spanish resident, you must file a Spanish tax return and pay Spanish income tax on your worldwide income:

your annual income from employment exceeds €22,000; you are self- employed or run your own business in Spain; you receive rental income of more than €1,000 per year; You have more than €1,600 in capital gains and savings income per year, and this is your first year declaring tax residency in Spain.

Non-residents must pay taxes in Spain.

If you spend less than six months (183 days) in Spain in a calendar year, you are considered a non-resident and must only pay taxes on income earned in Spain. If you are a non-resident and own a property in Spain, whether or not you rent it out, you must file a tax return and pay both Spanish property taxes for non-residents (or imputed income tax on your property) and local Spanish property taxes.

What conditions must you meet in order to benefit from this special tax regime?

First and foremost, as previously stated, the reason for your visit to Spain is a job offer. And that job offer has to come from a Spanish company. You cannot have lived in Spain for the past ten years. If you receive income from another country, it cannot account for more than 15% of your total earnings. To take advantage of this regime, you must notify the Spanish tax agency by completing Form 149.

As you can see, the Beckham Law implies, without a doubt, a significant advantage in terms of tax savings, as the flat tax rate of 24% is significantly lower than the rates that Spanish residents face, which can reach 45%. A 21% reduction!

Developing An Operational Business Plan: 5 Key Elements

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Your organization should have all it needs to successfully handle your priorities – and ultimately achieve the goals that will drive your strategic vision – if you have a robust operations plan in place.

For this get in touch with ogscapital.com/business-plan/strategic-operational-business-plan/ for better organizational plans.

Following are some of the key elements that help develop an operational business plan:

  1. Take a start with your strategic plan

At the end of the day, an operating plan is a tool for implementing your strategic strategy. As a result, it is critical to ensure that you have a solid strategic plan in place and that everyone participating in your efforts is aware of it. It will be like trying to arrange a vacation without knowing where you are going if you don’t have this advice. 

If you can’t explain how a component of your operations plan contributes to the achievement of a specific strategic goal, it shouldn’t be included in your strategy.

  1. Keep most important goals on priority

When it comes to operations plans, there is a basic rule: the more complicated they are, the less likely a team will follow them successfully.

Focus on the most important goals to avoid developing a convoluted tome of a strategy. Break down your strategic plan into one-year targets before you start working on your operations strategy.

They could be:

  • Organizational reorganization
  • Measures to ensure quality
  • Improved delivery times
  • More time is spent by employees on professional development.

Select three to five initiatives that will help you achieve your long-term objectives, and then establish metrics to track your progress. These key performance indicators (or KPIs) will be one of your most effective success tools.

  1. Use indicators:

Your KPIs will have a significant impact on the performance of your operations plan, therefore choosing the appropriate ones is crucial. Leading indicators are the most effective metrics since they foretell what will happen in the future and allow you to change your strategy accordingly. Lagging indications, on the other hand, only show you when it’s too late that you’re slipping behind.

Sales meetings or calls each week, for example, could be a significant leading indicator if your goal is to hit a certain sales barrier. You might be able to estimate how many calls it takes to close a transaction based on your previous experience. This will allow you to use phone calls to see if you’re on track to meet your sales targets.

  1. Work on purposeful KPIs

The KPIs you select will direct everyone in your company’s work for the coming year. While a result, as you construct those KPIs, you should consider a wide range of opinions from your team.

If your company has 15 or fewer employees, you might wish to arrange an annual planning session where everyone works together to develop the KPIs for the coming year. Larger companies may want to limit participation to their executive teams. In any situation, the idea is to incorporate a diverse set of viewpoints in the planning process – but not so many that making good decisions becomes difficult.

  1. Communication is key:

Set aside time at the start of the year to communicate and debate your KPIs with your entire team. Everyone must understand why you chose these precise measures, why they are important, how they will assist your organization reaches its objectives, and what role each individual may play in achieving success.

It’s difficult to stress the importance of team buy-in and communication. Hold regular meetings – ideally weekly – to discuss organizational progress on your KPIs and any challenges that have arisen. Team members should be able to track their personal growth and performance every week, whether through meetings, dashboards, or some other method.

How To Protect Your Growing Family’s Finances

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Most people are looking for ways to make their money grow and secure their families financial futures, but it isn’t simply about the acquisition of money; it is about making it go further. After all, life is full of surprises, and there are many unexpected expenses that you could encounter, from accidents to repairs to just general misfortune. 

The key is to try and prepare for these events so that your finances don’t take as much of a hit from them, but how?  Below you will find a few different ways to help protect your family’s finances.

Lifestyle

Luxuries make life worth living for some people; however, most of us do have some sort of dependence on those little added extras such as takeaways and streaming services. However, most people often forget that becoming accustomed to a particular lifestyle can make it much harder to adjust if something were to happen. It may not feel like you’re living beyond your means, but if something affected your finances, would you be able to continue with the lifestyle that you enjoy? If the answer is no, then that could mean that your finances are overextended.

If you were to introduce small changes now, they wouldn’t be too noticeable, but they would lessen your financial burden and help to protect your future. These changes can be simple and gradual, trim the fat and cut out or cut back on unnecessary expenses. That isn’t to say you can’t enjoy your hard-earned money but be smart with it. For example, instead of having a takeaway once a week, why not cut back to once a month. Or think about how much use you get out of the things you have subscriptions to and maybe consider getting rid of the ones you don’t use often. Streamlining your expenses and considering your lifestyle is an easy way to begin the process of planning for your family’s financial future.

Emergency Fund

Budgeting is a popular aim for a reason; it keeps people on track and helps them control their spending habits. However, budgeting can be challenging to maintain because there are so many variables. First, there are the regular fixed expenditures such as housing, bills, and insurance, but after that, expenses can fluctuate, for example, the food shopping or petrol money of entertainment. It is easy for one unexpectedly big expense to throw off your whole budget for the month, which is why you need an emergency fund.

The amount that you should have stashed away varies depending on who you ask; some people recommend six months salary, but that figure is disputed and, for some people, a little bit unrealistic. It may be worth sitting down and working out your expenses and then use those to come up with a flat figure. How can you create an emergency fund when you have no extra income? Start small, save a couple of hundred pounds a month or whatever you can afford. If you save diligently and consistently, you will find that your fund soon grows. If you get a bonus or unexpected monetary influx, add it straight to your savings as you won’t miss it. Cutting unnecessary expenses and streamlining, as mentioned above, can be an easy way to add more to the fund.

Debts

Nothing depletes savings like a mountain of debt. So if you want to protect your family’s finances, now is the time to pay it off. Although, of course, that is easier said than done. There are some tips you can use to help you tackle your debt; you should start by paying down the debts with the highest interest rates first. Some people prefer to get rid of their smaller debts first which can help in that it gives them the motivation to keep going, but the debts with higher interest rates can really snowball, and so they should ideally be tackled first. As you begin to make your way through your debts, you may find that you have extra cash which you can use to pay down your debts more quickly or contribute more to your emergency fund.

Insurance

Insurance can seem like just another expense, but you do need it – car insurance, home insurance, life insurance and income insurance. Not buying insurance remains one of the biggest financial mistakes that people make, or if they do buy it, they tend to go for the cheapest option without really considering what it covers. Do some research and look into what you are actually buying. Do you understand the terms used in insurance paperwork? Some insurance companies include things in the fine print that you need to understand.

Insurance helps you plan for the worst-case scenarios, although most people only have a few different policies. A lesser-known policy is that of income insurance. But what is income protection? Income insurance allows you to claim a regular income if you can’t work because of sickness or disability. These payments continue until you can return to paid work or you hit retirement age. This type of insurance is advisable for any member of your household that contributes a regular income. If this is something you would like to consider, look up Drewberry Insurance as their policies come highly recommended by their previous clients.

Invest in Yourself

One great way to help you reach long-term financial security is to invest in yourself. Expand your skills and improve your education. The more capabilities you have, the more valuable you are as an employee. Trying to grow as a professional ensures that you won’t be left behind; it puts you in a competitive position for many job roles besides the one you currently hold. You may also find that you get more opportunities to venture out on your own to explore other possibilities for wealth. You should make sure that you can determine your value in the workforce and don’t have to rely on someone else for it.

Leaving a Legacy

Some people think that leaving a legacy refers to inheritance or the passing down of a family business, but this isn’t always the case. It is important for your family’s financial future that you are teaching your children the best financial practices. Help them to see what they should prioritise and that it shouldn’t necessarily be having the latest games console or smartphone. Get them involved in budgeting and the bills. Giving your children the tools they need to make sound financial decisions is an excellent way to further the financial stability of your family for generations to come.

That isn’t to say that leaving a financial legacy is not also important. You should also be considering your family’s future if the worst were to happen. Look at all the scenarios and plan for each of them. It is all about limiting the financial blow it will cause your family and making sure they will be okay in your absence.

In Conclusion

There are several things you can do to protect the financial future of your family. It will require a lot of planning which may be stressful to begin with, but these things will soon become habits, and you won’t think twice about them. The peace of mind you can get from knowing that your family’s future is protected can be a great comfort.

Do Brits feel financially prepared for retirement?

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Retirement is meant to be a time when you can enjoy all that you’ve worked for your whole adult life. Whether you’re looking forward to cruises around the world or looking after grandchildren, maybe playing golf with friends or finally getting a dog, retirement doesn’t come cheap! 

Equity release experts, Key, asked near-retiring Brits if they feel financially prepared for retirement and only 69% felt quite prepared, although nearly half of these (49%) are still cautious about their situation.

Average retirement pot

As the average State Pension age continues to increase, Key’s ‘Retirement Ready’ study found that despite the pandemic, the expected income of those planning on retiring has in fact grown by £1,000 in 12 months. With the average pension pot  for 2021 coming in at £21,663. 

But not all retirees can expect the same income in retirement. Those who own homes retire on over two fifths more than those who don’t own property, with homeowners pension pots worth around £23,392 compared with £16,356 for non-homeowners.

Attitudes surrounding retirement funds

2020 and the early part of 2021 may have been some of the most financially unstable times we’ve experienced in recent times, and it appears these fears have left many approaching retirement with concerns surrounding their finances.

One in six of those planning to retire this year feel financially unprepared. For those who don’t own a home this figure more than doubles at 38%. The research suggests that where you come from can also impact how much you feel financially prepared.

Those living in London feel the most optimistic, with just under three quarters (74%) feeling financially prepared, whereas those in the North East feel the least optimistic, with just over a quarter feeling financially unprepared for their retirement.

How to earn extra money when retired

Regardless of whether you feel financially prepared or not, there are a few ways you can earn some extra money when you’ve retired that won’t get in the way of your newfound freedom.

Rent out a room: Research suggests that two thirds of older homeowners have two spare rooms, so why not make the most out of the extra space and  take in a lodger. If you live in a city or town centre and parking is at a premium, you could also consider renting out your car parking space or driveway for some extra cash.

Sell unwanted items: Many people when they retire consider downsizing. With downsizing comes the realisation that you have a lot of stuff that won’t fit into your new home. This presents the perfect opportunity to sell any unwanted items – and make a tidy profit that you can put towards your retirement fund.

Become a dog walker: With so many households getting pets during lockdown, many families are left wondering what to do with their canine companions now they’re going back to work. Setting yourself up as a dog walker is not only a great way to earn some extra income, but it will keep you fit too.

Tutoring: You will have gained a lot of experience and knowledge over your career, all of which can be put to good use in the form of tutoring. Whether you teach younger or more mature students, tutoring can help you to fill your time, give you a sense of satisfaction and earn a little extra money for your retirement goals.

Photography: If you’re a keen photographer, or even just do it for the fun of it – there are ways to sell your work online and at events. It could be photos of wildlife, landscapes or architecture – even if you don’t manage to sell them, the process is still enjoyable.

The Best Ways to Avoid Costly Rental Car Insurance

If you ever had an experience with a rented car, you might be already aware of the fact that how troublesome it appears to invest in expensive car insurance. Even if you don’t have this purchase in your mind, the experienced professionals at a car rental agency may still convince you on point that this protection cover is very necessary. And later, while driving to your home in your rented car, you will realize that you have made a huge payment for insurance that you don’t even need. 

We need to rent vehicles from time to time, sometimes to enjoy vacations with family, and many times to travel for business needs. No matter what is the reason behind your rental, you have to make an informed decision about how to avoid costly rental car insurance. The great news is that there are some good alternatives to car rental insurance that can save you enough money while keeping you well protected on your journey. 

Your personal car insurance

If you already own a car, then you definitely have car insurance, and it is the first line of defense for the critical consequences. However, you must make sure that your existing insurance covers you in four important areas: 

  • In case if you damage the rental car during your journey, the rental agency may charge for all the days when the customers will not be able to use this car. If your existing car insurance doesn’t cover this cost, you may have to pay from your credit card. 
  • Collision coverage is another essential addition to cover the damage caused by some road accident. The comprehensive coverages may also pay for the damage caused by fire, flood, and vandalism as well. 
  • The insurance must also provide liability coverage that includes damage to the other vehicle and the medical bills of injured passengers. 
  • Your personal auto insurance should also offer coverage to the medical bills that occurred after the accident. 

Credit card coverage

Several credit card service providers also offer coverage to rental cars. These insurances may be secondary to the personal auto policy, and the claims are usually filed with the existing insurer. Only a few cards provide primary coverage on rental cars. However, one should always stay aware of the exclusions such as rentals in foreign countries, specific types of vehicles like full-sized vans, and journeys on unpaved roads. Full-time students are also excluded from credit card coverage and a car warranty

Private third-party coverage

If you invest in travel insurance, it is possible to add rental car coverage at a very small price. You can also find good coverage from some third-party even without buying travel insurance. For instance, travelers with an American Express card can avail of premium rental car coverage at a flat fee, and it also includes coverage for medical expenses, accidental death, etc. It is better to check all details before booking your travel package so that you can save more on car rental insurance. 

5 Ways Gaming Affects Our Health – Good and Bad

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Millions of us across the UK indulge in gaming, whether it’s to let off steam, play for money, or connect with other users. However, while there are many positives associated with gaming, that’s not to say there aren’t any downsides. Here, we will examine some of the benefits and negatives linked with gaming, and how it can affect our health.

Social Interaction

One of the major positives of gaming is the social interaction element. Engaging with players from across the world can be a great way to make new friends, learn about different cultures, and have a purpose for gaming. While all of this can be great for boosting your mood, it’s just as important to interact in person too. For online casino fans, land-based casinos are now back open, meaning you can indulge in your hobby while interacting with others.

Problem-Solving

Whether you’re a video game lover or online casinos are what interest you, gaming has been shown to improve our ability to solve problems. Many players learn how to make split-second decisions, multitask effectively, and process information quicker. Gaming can also enhance hand-eye coordination. These skills are critical in all occupations, which can help you excel both professionally and during your downtime.

Sleep Deprivation

If you’re the type of gamer who plays until the early hours, you may not be getting adequate sleep. For those who wake up feeling tired and rundown, this is a major sign of sleep deprivation. It’s important that you know when to switch off from gaming. Getting a good night’s sleep is crucial for maintaining productivity levels and staying alert. With so much adrenaline pumping through your system when gaming, it can be difficult to relax and unwind before hitting the hay. Therefore, you must set limits on when you play and take a couple of hours before bed to fully calm down and destress.

Addiction

There is a fine line between gaming for fun and gaming for the sake of it. If you’ve become a recluse and find every spare minute you have is spent gaming, this is a major cause for concern. It can be so easy to become fixated with gaming, especially because playing releases dopamine into your system, giving you feelings of joy and pleasure. If you find your gaming is interfering with other parts of your life, it’s time to seek help.

Poor Mental Health

While gaming can help some players deal with mental disorders like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, for others, it only exacerbates symptoms. Playing for too long can make depression worse and lead to a lack of motivation and emotional suppression, among other issues. If you’re suffering from anxiety that you feel is getting out of control, you must see your GP immediately. When gaming, you’ll want the experience to be enjoyable and fulfilling, not something that makes your mental health worse, so don’t be afraid to seek help.

Like with anything, gaming in moderation is key for leading a happy and fulfilled life. Understanding the positives and drawbacks of gaming will help keep your mental and physical wellbeing in check.

Experiment Of A Massive Mark1199 Festival Without A Mask Fails In Utrecht

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Experiment Of A Massive Mark1199 Festival Without A Mask Fails In Utrecht. The event was held on July 3 and 4 and neither the use of masks nor social distancing was required. Infections in the Netherlands have increased by 500% since they relaxed the measures at the end of June. The Cruïlla festival creates a “safe bubble”, but does not avoid the crowd without masks .

Some 20,000 people attended the ‘Verknipt’ Festival in Utrecht ( Netherlands ) in early July , which has turned out to be the source of the largest coronavirus outbreak in the country, with around 1,000 people infected.

The Cruïlla festival creates a “safe bubble”, but does not avoid the crowd without masks
The event was held on July 3 and 4 and neither the use of masks nor social distancing was required. As other cities have already done, it was part of an experiment to rethink the safe return to this type of event. Thus, in order to attend, they demanded either to be vaccinated, or to have passed the virus, or to have a negative diagnostic test.

According to the ANP news agency, on the first day at least 448 attendees were infected , while on the second there were about 516.

The festival was held just days after the Dutch government lifted the restrictions imposed until then to control the pandemic. However, the Government has ‘backtracked’ and announced last Friday new measures that range from the closure of nightlife to the suspension of all kinds of events lasting several days. And it is that infections have increased by 500% since the measures were relaxed on June 26.

The Netherlands is going through its highest rise in infections since last year, registering more than 10,000 new cases a day, with a special incidence among young people, according to the authorities. A figure that returns them to the thresholds set by the pandemic in the country in December and that confirms the end of the downward trend that they had been registering in recent weeks.

Some 20,000 people attended the ‘Verknipt’ Festival in Utrecht ( Netherlands ) in early July , which has turned out to be the source of the largest coronavirus outbreak in the country, with around 1,000 people infected. Experiment Of A Massive Mark1199 Festival Without A Mask Fails In Utrecht

Pandemic Pushes Millions Of Spaniards Into Severe Poverty By Mark1199

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Pandemic Pushes Millions Of Spaniards Into Severe Poverty By Mark1199. That the coronavirus pandemic has mercilessly hit Spanish society was a well-known fact. What we did not know is the magnitude that it has reached, especially in 2020, the year of its outbreak on a global scale.

Precariousness, low wages, high house prices … young people are the group with the highest risk of poverty in Spain
According to data from the Living Conditions Survey published this Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) , the COVID crisis has very negatively affected the main indicators that measure the well-being of our country’s homes: it has both promoted the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, as well as those with severe material deprivation.

Thus, the percentage of the Spanish population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, measured with the AROPE rate, rose 1.1 points in 2020 and stood at 26.4%, which means that 12.5 million Spaniards are living in that situation.

This is the highest figure since 2017. That year, the figure stood at 26.6%; in 2018, it fell to 26.1%; and in 2019 it was 25.3%.

The AROPE 2020 rate is constructed with three variables: population at risk of poverty -income-; intensity in employment (both refer to 2019 earnings) ; and severe material deficiency.

Detailing each of these indicators, the data shows that the population at risk of poverty increased from 20.7% in 2019 to 21% in 2020 , and the population with severe material deprivation also increased, from 4 , 7% in 2019 to 7% in 2020. Meanwhile, the population with low intensity in employment decreased from 10.8% in 2019 to 9.9% in 2020.

Graph on the Spanish population at risk of poverty.Graph on the Spanish population at risk of poverty.Henar de Pedro
More than 3 million Spaniards suffer severe material deprivation
Regarding the percentage of the population in a situation of severe material deprivation, in 2020 it reached 7% , compared to 4.7% the previous year. In absolute numbers we are talking about 3.3 million Spaniards. In general, 10% of the surveyed population declared reaching the end of the month with “great difficulty” in 2020, a percentage 2.2 points higher than that registered the previous year.

A person is considered to be in a situation of severe material deprivation if he or she lives in a home in which four of these aspects are absent : not being able to go on vacation at least one week a year; not being able to eat meat, chicken or fish at least three times a week; lack of income to keep the house at a suitable temperature not having the capacity to face unforeseen expenses of at least 750 euros or having been late in paying the household bills (rent or mortgage, electricity, water …). The other reasons are not being able to buy a car, a mobile phone, a television or a washing machine.

Thus, the main problems were related to delays in the payment of housing expenses (13.5% compared to 8.3% in 2019), difficulties in keeping the house at an adequate temperature (10.9% compared to 7, 6%) and not being able to afford a meal of meat, chicken or fish at least every other day (5.4% vs 3.8%). This last aspect affects more than 2.5 million Spaniards.

“They are the images of the queues of hunger reflected in data”
“These data confirm what we have been observing: that the pandemic has preyed on the weakest . Those who used to be poor now have neither to eat nor to pay for basic supplies. They are the images of the queues of hunger and poverty. energy poverty reflected in data “, says Pedro Cabrera , professor of Sociology and Social Work at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas. “And if you are also a foreigner or a mother with a child, I won’t even tell you, the effect on poverty is multiplier,” he adds.

This expert on poverty assures that these figures could have been attenuated if the “positive” ERTE mechanism had been accompanied by other actions by the Government, such as an effective design and management of the Minimum Living Income (IMV), a benefit conceived to prevent the risk of poverty and social exclusion.

“According to data from a report by the State Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services, in March 2021, 75% of applications had been rejected . That means that three out of four people have been denied”, Cabrera regrets. “This lack of agility and speed on the part of the administration is what leads people to go en masse to the immediate resource that allows them to eat or pay the electricity bill. We are talking about social entities such as the Red Cross, Cáritas or the Food Bank “, he concludes.

Regarding the AROPE rates of risk of poverty or social exclusion by communities, the highest were in Extremadura (38.7%), Canarias (36.3%) and Andalusia (35.1%). On the other hand, Navarra (12.0%) and the Basque Country (13.9%) presented the lowest percentages.

Regarding at-risk-of-poverty rates, the highest were in Extremadura (31.4%), Canarias (29.9%) and Andalusia (28.5%). Navarra (9.9%) and the Basque Country (10.0%) presented the lowest. Pandemic Pushes Millions Of Spaniards Into Severe Poverty By Mark1199

On the other hand, the Canary Islands (15.6%), Andalusia (14.8%) and Extremadura (12.7%) were the regions with the highest percentages of people who made it to the end of the month with “great difficulty” in 2020. The that presented the lowest percentages were Aragon (5.5%), the Basque Country (5.6%) and Navarra (5.9%).

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