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What Steps Can you Take to Ensure Your Online Bingo Experience is Enjoyable? 

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Online bingo is one of the most popular online activities, and it is continuing to attract more players every year. Sites are doing everything they can to attract new players by creating an experience in which there’s something for everyone. If you’re thinking about getting into bingo, you can have an enjoyable time if you stick to a few key rules. These include managing your budget and choosing options that suit your needs. 

Choose a Game That Suits your Personality 

The main reason why online bingo is blowing up is that there is so much choice for players. In the old days, before it moved to the internet, players would go to a bingo hall and have to play the sole games available at these locations. Nowadays, there are numerous bingo rooms to choose from, so lovers of the game can choose something that suits their personality. 

When you log on to a bingo site, you’ll notice that there are themed rooms. These include options like Cash Cubes and The Big Wheel. The diversity of these shows that they are designed to allure different types of players. If none of the rooms strikes a chord with you, you could check out some of the other games at these sites, which include slots and Slingo options. There is much more accessibility and choice these days. 

Use Money Management Techniques to Stay in Budget 

The best way to ensure you enjoy your online bingo experience is to make sure you always stick to a budget when you’re playing. This is where you can apply your money management techniques from everyday life. Having a monthly budget to spend on essentials, the house, the car, and other outgoings is important, and your leisure budget should be considered in this. From that leisure budget, you need to assign a certain amount to use on bingo games. 

When you enter a bingo game it’s a one-time payment for a ticket, meaning that it is easy to work out how many games you can play based on your budget. Of course, you can enter a game with more than one ticket if you choose to, as this can be a way to increase your chances of winning. But once you’ve spent your budget, you should walk away and take a break for a few days. 

Stay Safe and Secure Online 

One of the biggest ways to get your online enjoyment spoiled is if you fall victim to cybercrime. This is why it’s important to always play bingo at sites that have the correct licences in place. It’s wise to keep an eye out for well-known payment methods as well, such as Visa and PayPal. When you open an account, take steps to improve the security by choosing a strong password with multi-factor authentication

If you play at reliable sites and make sure you budget carefully, you will have an enjoyable online bingo experience. The sites have something to suit everyone’s needs, and you should always go with a title that appeals to your personality. 

Hundreds of billions in pension funds commit to emerging markets switch 

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12 of the UK’s biggest pension funds have made a joint commitment to supporting the global climate transition by refocusing their investments in emerging markets. As a result, some £400 billion of savings locked into some of the nation’s biggest pension funds will be ring-fenced into emerging markets to invest in a more sustainable future for the planet. 

The announcement was made at a net-zero delivery summit in London. The press release reiterated the funds’ joint commitment to scaling investments in favour of emerging markets and collaborating to ensure a more significant impact. 

The most notable British pension funds included in the pact 

The joint move was led by the Church of England Pensions Board, which manages assets worth in excess of £3.7 billion. This fund is ten years ahead of its net-zero target, having invested almost 12 times more in green energy than fossil fuels. Other partnering pension funds include the Universities Superannuation Scheme, worth £83 billion, the £57 billion BT Pension Scheme and the £55 billion Border to Coast Pensions Partnership. 

Source: Unsplash

The group committed to weighing up the “most practical and effective way” to pinpoint and “scale the funding” towards emerging markets, having acknowledged the “urgency of the transition” to underpin this economic shift. It also reiterated the need to work collaboratively with major global financial institutions to “target” the right emerging markets. If even the biggest pension funds are finding a shift to social and ethical investing a challenge, so will individuals managing so-called ‘DIY portfolios’. 

For investors at the beginning of their investment journeys, it can be a daunting prospect to know which funds or markets to invest in. However, for those who choose stocks and shares ISAs to invest free from income and capital gains tax, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can potentially be a good investment, offering diversification across different economies and markets. As always with investing, remember that your capital is at risk, and you might get back less than you initially invested. 

ETFs are funds that trade on the stock market and usually track the performance of a market index or basket of stocks, making it easier to spread your money across a varied range of companies.   

In addition, there are several sustainable and socially responsible ETFs featuring some of the greenest and most innovative companies pioneering everything from renewable energy to vegan produce. 

Attention turned rapidly to COP27 in Egypt 

The statement of intent from a dozen of the UK’s biggest pension funds was made following the City of London’s net-zero summit, which was jointly hosted with the COP26 UK Presidency 2022. The summit discussed areas of progress related to the fiscal priorities highlighted during COP26 in Glasgow and looked ahead to COP27, staged in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this winter. 

Within the joint statement, Clive Mather, chair of the Church of England Pensions Board, reinforced the need to “increase ambition” and collaborate with fellow “investors” to achieve the necessary levels of “investment required in emerging markets”. Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency Pension Fund, admitted that “significant market shifts” were yet to materialise. In addition, Ms Howard Boyd noted that emerging nations have grown irritable at the lack of investment as the $100 billion in promised “climate finance” from “industrialised nations in 2009” had still “not been delivered”. 

What You Should Know About Using Alternative Payment Methods

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In the past few years, the development of technology has dramatically changed the way many people pay for what they want. Let us ask a question: How much less likely are you to withdraw cash to pay for something today?

For most people out there, digital payments have replaced traditional cash payments. Nowadays, alternative payment methods like digital wallets, cryptocurrencies, prepaid cards and more have become very popular. In addition to that, most businesses have started accepting cashless payments or credit card payments to support their customers. In this article, we will analyse the most popular alternative payment methods in a bit more detail.

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are one of the most popular trends in the world in recent years. Although these currencies are losing popularity due to their volatility, many industries around the world are using them as a means of payment. Companies which mainly focus on digital sales are particularly interested to implement as much payment methods as possible. This approach allow the to attract broader audiences and ensure that user experience will meet any needs. More specifically, this situation is very often seen on real money online gambling sites.

If someone wants to understand the power of cryptocurrencies, we can only say a few things. First of all, more than 18,000 companies worldwide accept cryptocurrencies as a means of payment. In addition, the global market of all cryptocurrencies is around $1.28 trillion as of May 2022.

Of course, for most people, the only cryptos they know are Bitcoin and Ethereum. However, there are more than 10,000 different cryptocurrencies active. It is easy to understand why the world of cryptocurrencies can hope that their popularity and power will continue to grow.

Digital wallets

Another very popular alternative payment method nowadays are digital wallets. The most famous eWallets such as PayPal, Alipay, Yandex and others have recorded a very large number of payments through their services in the last few years.

The popularity of these digital wallets has increased a lot, as they are not only easy to pay, but also offer a very high level of security. It is no coincidence that today more than 900 million people own a digital wallet and use it as their main payment method.

Mobile wallets

How many people in the world do not know about mobile wallets? Certainly, there are not many. To be more precise, more than 25% of the world’s POS payments have been made via mobile wallets in 2021.

Apple Pay, Venmo, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay are just some of the most popular mobile wallets that you can find out there. Mobile wallets offer their users the ability to make contactless, cashless payments at any shop they like. In addition, this payment method is proven to be one of the fastest ways that a person can use to pay for something. With all that in mind, the number of people using mobile wallets as a means of payment has risen up to 1.5 billion in recent years.

Prepaid cards

Prepaid cards have also become one of the most common payment methods in the past few years. It is estimated that this method is used by more than 20 million people around the world. Prepaid cards can be used to buy just about anything, whether in person or online. In addition, many prepaid cards can also be used at ATMs to withdraw cash.

One of the reasons prepaid cards have become very popular in the past few years is also the nature of gift cards. A gift prepaid card is a card that can be used in certain stores and is one of the most common gifts nowadays.

In addition, there are also the payroll cards that are used by companies that want to transfer the salary amount of their employees to these cards. With this type of card, the employee can buy what he wants and also pay bills and services.

Bank transfers

With this payment method, customers can pay for what they want to buy with an authorised payment from their bank account. This payment method is becoming more and more popular. To be more precise, it is expected that more than 40% of customers will buy items using instant bank transfer in the upcoming years. Some of the most popular technologies that have enabled this method are IDEAL, Sofort, Trustly and others.

Why these alternative payment methods have become so popular

For many years, the only thing people knew as a payment method was cash. But with the evolution of technology, that has changed a lot. Those alternative payment methods that we talked about above have come to make payments a very simple and fast process.

Given the security that most of the alternative methods offer to their users, it is easy to understand why they have become so famous. Moreover, the contactless and cashless system is the key to why most people are using these payment methods more and more.

What is coming in the future

Well, nobody knows what the future will bring when it comes to means of payment. But the steady rise of digital payments in recent years is perhaps the strongest indication.

Today, debit and credit cards and cash are still the most common methods in the world when it comes to buying something. However, we can see everywhere that many people have started using or thinking about alternative payment methods. If we add the fact that more and more companies and stores are accepting alternative payment methods, we have a better view of what will happen in the next few years.

Use Blue Living Room Wall Art Signs to Enjoy Stylish Decor

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Nowadays, people use bright and stylish lighting for living room wall decoration. The best lighting is required in living rooms so you can read books or work on your laptop without any issues. Also, framed art and other accessories are not only enough for wall decorations in your living room. Transform your living space into a personalized gallery by adorning your walls with custom canvas picture prints for wall art, tailored to showcase your favorite memories and designs.

One of the best decorating tips is using neon art signs for the gallery wall of the living room. You can discover a variety in the colors and designs of room neon signs. The use of blue aesthetic neon signs is also increasing for the living room decor. Below, you can check details for blue neon lights for living room:

LED Blue Neon Signs For Living Room

Blue LED neon signs are perfect for the decoration of the living room. Neon wall art UK signs are in great demand among the people. Blue aesthetic neon signs are more attractive and unique than incandescent bulbs. Blue aesthetic neon signs display pictures and texts in glowing colors. Also, this lighting is compatible with remote control and dimmer. People can create a good environment in their living room using a blue neon sign. Best LED blue neon signs are available in online neon stores. Customers can continue shopping for neon room signs without any issue as it is safe.

You do not need to worry about cookies and similar things. Here, you can also find neon signs for business advertising. There are many benefits of using LED blue neon signs in living rooms. You can afford a LED blue sign for your living room as it does not increase the electricity expenses of the users. Also, you will get this lighting at an affordable price. LED blue walls signs are also safe as they do not contain toxic gases and breakable glass. The lifespan of the LED blue signs is also longer than other lightings. You can use it for seven years.

Creating Custom Blue Neon Signs For Living Room Online

People can also create custom neon signs in blue color for living room decor. Customers have the freedom to use their ideas in the customization process. Also, you can add any quote, artwork, or logo on the custom blue neon signs. It is easy to customize a LED neon sign through online neon stores.

You can use their customization tools to design custom neon blue signs. You will have the choice to pick any font, color, and size for them. After your custom neon sign is ready, you can add it to your cart and checkout.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Blue Neon Sign For Living Room

There are some things that people have to consider before purchasing a blue neon sign for their living room. You have to consider the design and color of a blue neon sign. The neon sign must match the decor of the living room. Also, you have to select the blue neon sign with the correct size carefully. You will not face any issue with the installation of the blue neon sign with the right size.

People have to buy the blue neon sign as per their budget. There is no need to spend money on an expensive neon sign. Also, buy the blue LED neon sign compatible with remote control or dimmer.

Types Of Blue Neon Signs For Living Room

People can discover stunning blue neon signs for living room decor. You can use these neon signs available in different shapes: moon neon sign, cloud neon sign, wave neon sign, Pac man neon sign, smiley neon sign, dolphin neon sign, and more. There are also blue neon signs with best quotes or words: this must be the place neon sign, good vibes only neon sign, Netflix and chill neon sign and more,

People can also create custom blue neon signs of their names. Also, you can add any quote, artwork, or logo to your custom blue sign.

FAQs 

Q1. What Is The History Of Neon Signs?

Ans. Back in the 1900s, neon signs were presented to the world by engineer Georges Claude. He showed how neon signs work after the electricity flows through the electrodes to the glass tubes.

Q2. How Are Neon Signs Durable?

Ans. Now, people can find modern LED neon signs that are famous for their durability. They are made using strong PVC tubing and LED lights. You can use LED signs for around seven years without upkeep.

Q3. What Is The Delivery Time For Neon Signs?

Ans. Online neon sign makers take around 2-3 weeks to make and deliver the neon signs.

Q4. What Will Happen If I Receive A Broken Neon Sign?

Ans. If you receive a broken neon sign by mistake, you can ask for a return from the online neon sign store.

Investing in Original Art

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Art comes in many shapes and sizes. From paintings to sculpture, art will enrich the lives of anyone in its presence, from casual viewers to the most ardent of collectors.

Personally, I am a fan of original artworks. In contrast to mass-printed reproductions, original art possesses particular and unique qualities that make it come alive. These subtleties are visible in the fabric of the work itself, allowing the hand of the artist to truly shine through.

Universally, art is a highly enjoyable experience for many which brings the question, why don’t more people invest in it?

By buying original works of art, one is able to own an image that brings them delight, and financially benefit from what has also proven to be a great form of investment in the long term.

There are three artists whose works I would love to have displayed in my home. Firstly, there is Sean Jefferson (b. 1957) whose vivid and fantastical scenes blends William Blake, Richard Dadd, Symbolism and Art Nouveau with a more contemporary psychedelic aesthetic. His paintings are impressively original in both their composition and style, never failing to draw in mystify and entertain its viewer.

Secondly, I am an admirer of Ken Howard’s (b. 1932) art. Painting in a highly traditional manner involving precise observation, an emphasis on draughtsmanship and close attention to tonal detail, his Impressionistic depictions of cityscapes and the human figure are breathtaking examples of fine art. His expert treatment of light and surface textures allow him to convey highly evocative atmospheres, elevating the beauty of everyday life.

Lastly, there are the charming compositions of Bernard Dunstan (1920-2017). Best known for his depictions of figures in interior spaces, along with the occasional portrait and landscape, Dunstan’s works clearly show a blend of influences including Impressionist Renoir, Post-Impressionist Vuillard and Modernist Walter Sickert. Like myself, he enjoyed painting scenes he came across spontaneously, capturing and translating the immediacy one experiences in the real world in paint form.

As you can see, there are very specific reasons for why I enjoy and admire each artist’s output. Art is an extremely personal matter, and many art advisers will emphasise that above all other factors, you have to buy what you love.

The paintings of the artists whom I have described are all unique and impressive, but this can only be fully comprehended when the original work is experienced in real life. There are many reasons for why one should buy original art, one being the preservation of artistic integrity.

When creating the artwork, artists make specific decisions regarding their choice of colour, media, treatment and placement of the medium. Commercial reproductions are very rarely able to convey the true scale, depth, colour and texture of the original, thus losing the artist’s intentions and therefore the actual impact of the work. For example, an artist painting in thick dabs of oil paint produces a heavily impastoed and bold surface, and the appearance of these textures will transform as light conditions change. These special nuances can no longer be experienced when one views a flat copy of the painting.

Not only is viewing art an enriching experience, but so is the process of browsing and purchasing. When you buy a work from a living artist, you are supporting the arts by supporting their career. Sometimes there is even the possibility of meeting the artist or visiting their studio. Talking to the artist and learning more about their creative and practical process can allow you to gain a deeper understanding and develop a stronger connection to the work. It can be highly pleasurable to explore different options in the space, fostering a greater idea of your likes and dislikes, and discovering and acquiring something you care about.

The innate rarity of an original work makes it special, meaning its value is more likely to increase in the future. Not only is this financially beneficial, but one also gains satisfaction and pride in being the only person to have a particular piece.

In addition, ownership is an important element of the work’s provenance. Typically, tracing the provenance of an artwork is key to determining its veracity. By owning an artwork, you embed yourself into its history and become part of its story.

The advantages of investing in original art are diverse, from financial incentive to personal enhancement and joy. It is certainly a long-term endeavour, but ultimately, you will prosper in extraordinary ways as a result.

Oliver Maughan is a London-based landscape painter.

https://olivermaughan.com / @OliverMaughan

What can a private investigator do for your business?

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Businesses can go under for several reasons, sometimes they simply aren’t profitable whereas other times somethign sinister is happening underneath that most business owners aren’t aware of.

Today we will be looking at some of the best ways a private investigator can help your business and we will also get some expert advice from a private investigator that has over 15 years of private investigation experience.

So what can a private detective do for your business?

A private investigator can be hired when you suspect something is wrong in your business but you just can’t figure out what. Maybe your balance sheets don’t add up or some services are costing more than you expected them to be.

A private investigator can look at your company accounts and audit them to see if any money is being illegally taken out of your company. You may think this would never happen to your business but the truth is that it happens more than you would expect. For businesses facing internal challenges or suspecting fraudulent activities, hiring private investigators can provide the necessary insights and resolutions, ensuring a secure and trustworthy environment.

Helping with fraud

If you suspect that money or assets are being taken out of your company without your knowledge then it may be a good time to hire a private investigator. The cost of hiring a private detective is more affordable than letting a problem fester on for a few months so if you suspect it, you should get it investigated to cut it out as soon as possible.

When someone steals from your company they won’t stop until they are caught, sometimes this can last many years and could have lost your business thousands. A private detective can put an end to business fraud in a matter of weeks.

Keeping your business secrets a secret

Corporate espionage is bigger than you may think and if you have a product or industry secret that your competitors would love to get their hands on then hiring a private detective can help. There are many ways your competitors may use to steal your business data, some of which could be installing malware on your company computers or bugging your office or meeting rooms.

A private detective can be hired to search your business for electronic bugs and get rid of them accordingly. If you think this is a work of fiction and it doesn’t happen you would be mistaken. Bugs are placed in businesses and private residents illegally all of the time.

Legally delivering your documents

If you don’t have the capacity or knowledge to deliver legal documents correctly then the most affordable way of doing so is by using a private detective.

A spokesperson from Bond Rees a private detective agency in the UK had this to say “Failure to deliver your legal documents correctly could mean that your court case may be thrown out.”

“Knowing the correct evidence handling procedure and delivering your legal documents in the right way will allow you to use the evidence in a court of law.”

Help with hiring your employees

The cost of hiring an employee costs business thousands but hiring the wrong employee costs even more. Depending on the level or the position of the job you may want to hire a private detective to help with the recruitment process.

Private detectives can be hired to conduct background checks, or even provide lie detector services if the job is that important.

Although hiring someone and requesting them to do a lie detector test isn’t normal, looking into someone’s background is far more common and often brings up red flags which means that they aren’t suitable for a position they could have been hired for. If you are in the hiring process and don’t want to get it wrong, hiring a private detective will give you an extra level of security to help you make the right choice.

Trace lost and stolen assets.

Has your business been a victim of theft? If it has then a private detective can be used to recover your assets. In the past, we have heard stories where business partners have stolen off each other and have then run away to a different country or have gone missing.

Private detectives can be hired to recover your assets and can also be used to track down a missing business partner in the first place. This isn’t as common as other levels of fraud within a business but when it does happen it can have devastating effects on the business and the other business owner who is left to pick up the pieces.

5 YouTube Simple Advertising Tips to Improve Your Views and best for YouTube promotion

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Second-biggest second biggest web search apparatus, YouTube can be one of the top publicizing channels. Maybe the most ideal way to guide individuals to your page is to stretch out your watch to move video content. Taking everything into account, the substance is content that entices individuals to appreciate watching. Also, recording is a strange method for publicizing your business and catching the consideration of your picture. With endless individuals reliably captivating YouTube promotion, there could be no more prominent time than now to begin moving video content. All things considered, claiming one is still past the span of the typical individual. Luckily, there are a couple of explicit projects you can use to advance your contemplations quicker than you can envision. Coming up next are 5 explicit YouTube improvement tips that will assist you with working on your group:

Use YouTube Play features

Programmed playback YouTube will play your substance to advance YouTube promotion will be when somebody peruses the site. You can set auto-play to play in a couple of ways to increment power. One way is to press the “size” or “default” button close to your video. One more method for making the game work is to utilize a YouTube ruler. At the point when you place a level ruler level close to your video, it will turn your video until it raises a ruckus around town. That ruler will then be given over and the game will be opened. This will guarantee that your video is normally positioned at the highest point of your page, making it alluring except if individuals are watching it.

Source of inspiration Button

The call button (or “CTA” button) short expression or expression that you can incorporate toward the finish of your video or in its text wrap. This is planned to urge watchers to tap on your site, buy your email synopsis, or make a buy. A wellspring of motivation work can be pretty much as essential as “Watch the video for more” or “Purchase now.” Alternatively, you can make a quick and dirty call button that urges individuals to finish something. Different models incorporate “Download our PDF guide,” “Purchase from our email rundown,” or “Purchase Now.” You want to ensure your CTA button is adequately short to comprehend without scroll. Likewise, you want to ensure the button draws in an adequate number of individuals who will need to click it. You can figure out which words or expressions work best by keeping them in contact and seeing what sounds the ringer.

Video web-based and exhibit

Recordings are a strange method for showing watchers something or your administration. Individuals like to perceive how various associations work, and that movement and presentations are exceptionally helpful. There are a couple of ways of making a movement component or item. You can utilize a video recording program like iMovie, or a decent web video altering program like Adobe Creative Cloud. On the other hand, you can utilize a video transformation program like Final Cut or Premiere. Regardless of how you make your video, ensure it follows a slow cycle. Begin with a concise outline of the thing or show the executives. Then, at that point, demonstrate the item or bearing utilized, trailed by a short show. You can add stock photographs or pictures to make a cycle thought.

Move Content for Real People

While the great video is significant for the advancement of your review, you likewise need to pass on great YouTube advancement content. That implies you need to ensure your recording is alluring to such an extent that individuals need to watch it. There are numerous ways of expanding your obligation to your recording. One more convincing method for adding jokes to your substance. Numerous YouTube channels incorporate insane jokes or deceive that way. This kind of satisfaction is notable.

Continue to advance until You See Results

The excellence of the upgraded show is that you can gauge your outcomes. That implies you can follow your prosperity and shift your direction until you come by results. Besides the way that playing regular and utilizing an adaptable YouTube part will assist you with getting more thoughts, it isn’t ensured. Assuming you assume you keep on sending content that individuals are truly watching, those numbers will progressively develop. Sooner or later, you will see that you have a ton of thoughts on your page. You can incorporate that data as a proportion of your prosperity. Along these lines, you can figure out which video works best and change your methodology likewise which will help you in advancing YouTube.

Make an effort not to go crazy – Consistency is vital

On the off chance that you genuinely want to make your own YouTube promotion, you need to convey something fascinating. Regardless, that is a two-way understanding; assuming that you think your recording is too centered around visual craftsmanship, you will lose the quality you want to do. That implies you need to follow the way of the horseplay between making content for individuals to see, and utilizing play with a ruler to get that look. Hence, you will assemble your YouTube traffic without losing video quality. Recall that anticipated advancement is the way to long-haul achievement. That implies you must be patient and firm until you see the outcomes. One way or the other, that perseverance will be compensated as you see your contemplations disappear.

Conclusions

There are numerous ways of growing your YouTube promotion. Most likely the most effective way to convey something truly fascinating. To bring in cash from your recording, you need to ensure your thing is alluring. You can do that by making g computer-generated experience, and real-time a video that gets the thoughts they merit. At long lastwe, strongly suggest the best YouTube advancement sites where you can find every one of the assets connected with YouTube Promotion

How crypto is revolutionising grassroots humanitarian support

The tech-driven nation of Ukraine timed their crypto fundraising perfectly. All it took was a few forward-thinking government officials, and enough people who wanted to make a change.

With almost $100 million in cryptocurrency donations now raised, people are beginning to wonder, how else can we use crypto for good?

For years, digital currencies have been viewed with scepticism and distrust, particularly regarding transparency in transactions. This reticent mindset has been reciprocated throughout society and into both charitable and grassroots organisations, who in the past, have preferred the traditional route of fundraising through major banks.

However, attitudes towards conventional methods of raising money are changing. Never has there been so many people not only participating in the crypto community, but also placing trust into these systems of transactions.

Countries around the world are beginning to recognise the opportunities that crypto holds for humanitarian assistance. In fact, Finland’s Finance Minister recently announced that it will donate “tens of millions” of euros of seized Bitcoin to Ukraine.

Multiple companies and crypto exchanges have taken the lead by facilitating financial assistance for Ukrainian citizens. Binance, the largest exchange in the world, has provided support through their Binance Charity Foundation, which committed to contribute $10 million to those dis-placed by the war. Additionally, they created the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund crypto crowdfunding site to support donations.

Following the success of these efforts, this style of fundraising has been adopted by various non-profits and influential organisations. The NGO Come Back Alive, began accepting crypto to fund Ukraine’s military forces, followed by other charitable organisations including Kyiv Independent, Nova Ukraine and Endaoment. The Russian punk band Pussy Riot have even launched their own UkraineDAO, which is currently selling 10,000 NFT’s and accepting direct crypto donations to help those in need ($5million+ already raised).

Other companies have taken a more direct route to facilitating aid. For example, the Himalaya Exchange raised funds amongst their ecosystem through its native trading coin (HCN) and stable coin (HDO). The proceeds were used to buy essential relief items including food, clothes and first aid kits, all of which was distributed by hand to Ukrainians.

HDO makes donations safe and secure – particularly given the recent dip in the crypto market. During this time, the stable coin is the only one of its kind to be stable at 1:1 with USD.

Conrad Pawelec from the Hong Kong People Association (HKPA), and the person responsible for donating the life-saving supplies to Ukrainians and delivering them to the Ukrainian border, says that “the speed that donations took place and the manner in which aid was provided, is yet another example of how crypto is saving lives”.

William Je, the CEO of Hamilton Investment Management Ltd and founder of cryptocurrency exchange platform Himalaya Exchange and the HKPA, says “whatever is allowed to happen in Ukraine today will inform the fate of Hong Kong and Taiwan tomorrow”. That is why the HKPA is committed to supporting those escaping Russia’s authoritarianism.

He adds that “while the world’s eyes are rightly glued to Ukraine, we must never lose sight of what the CCP is planning in the background”.

Simultaneously, the HKPA continues to provide guidance and support in terms of education, career, healthcare and adapting in a new community, guidance on welfare and financial advice for those fleeing Hong Kong.

This is not the first time we have seen crypto utilised effectively for the benefit of grassroots movements. We have seen the Bitcoin Beach project in El Salvador prove how a disadvantaged community could successfully use crypto in their daily lives, despite the technical difficulties and hardships that they faced.

We have also seen other instances when a community has been in crisis and subsequently used crypto to overcome a real humanitarian disaster. An example would be following the eruption of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano on May 22 2021 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One program called the ‘Lightning torch’, effectively allowed individuals and companies to create a local Bitcoin economy which supported them through the crisis.

Despite these projects having their restrictions, it is more proof that digital currencies are effectively reaching harder to access communities, often where grassroots movements begin. The two main factors which these movements have in common, is that they require quick and un-restricted access to funds.

The conventional approach of using centralised banks as intermediaries often results in international transactions taking up to three days to be processed. In times of crisis, this can mean the difference between life and death.

Furthermore, many have had concerns that sending fiat currencies through the banking system can be high risk in certain circumstances due to accounts being closed with little notice. Therefore, for those wanting to have a secure and immediate impact, crypto is seen as the most direct route to provide support.

Although the wider community are not always directly accessing crypto wallets, we are seeing an increase in not only people who are donating, but also those who are opening crypto accounts. Dune Analytics, calculated that the number of new wallets which donated crypto to Ukraine’s Ethereum wallet, outnumbered its previous total number of donor wallets in only 18 hours.

What is unique about this moment in time, is that we are witnessing more trust in alt-coins (alternatives to Bitcoin) as a form of supporting grassroots movements. For instance, rather than only accepting Bitcoin and Ethereum, the Ukrainian government have now officially started accepting USDT, TRX, DOT SOL and even DOGE.

William Je, the CEO of Hamilton Investment Management Ltd and founder of the Himalaya Exchange, states that “as banking systems are impacted by financial sanctions or war, those people who seek to help others are looking to crypto to fill the gaps”.

We are witnessing a fundamental shift in the approach of grassroots fundraising away from established banks transferring fiat currencies and toward digital currencies facilitating support where it is required. With the efficiency and transparency of the various initiatives taking place in Ukraine, this approach will continue being refined and the trend is likely to be utilised for years to come.

Top Tips for Managing Your Pension Pots

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Managing money can be a real pain, particularly when it comes to chasing down pension pots and preparing yourself for a happy retirement.

Somewhat ironically, pensions are perhaps the most important financial aspect in one’s later life, yet they’re also among the most difficult to understand.

For those of you wishing to get a head start on managing your pension pots, your investments, your plans, and generally anything to do with your retirement fund, here are some top tips to make life easier along the way.

Locate Your Pensions

First off, if you’ve worked a few different jobs over your lifetime, you’ve likely got multiple pension pots hanging around somewhere.

Many people even have upwards of five pensions, an accumulation of various work-related and private pensions.

It’s imperative that you find these pension pots and figure out how much they’re worth and what kind of benefits your various plans are offering.

If you don’t know these details, you can use the government’s pension finder tool on their website; you can find it here.

Once you’ve found your pensions, you can get an idea of how much money you have awaiting you later on down the line and where your money is physically invested.

Consider Consolidation

Once you’ve got all your pension pots in one place, you may want to consider the many benefits of pension consolidation.

This is essentially where you combine pensions into one easily manageable pot, allowing you much greater flexibility and accessibility with your money.

With all your pensions under one roof, you may find investing your money easier than ever before. If you don’t plan on doing any manual investing, then there’s no need to worry, consolidation is a superb way to maximize your tax efficiency too, so there are plenty of benefits for everyone.

Check on Your Investments

If you’re interested in using investment funds to grow your pension pot, it’s worth checking out where exactly your money is invested in the first place.

A financial advisor might be able to help you make the right decisions when it comes to manually investing your pension fund, but be warned, like any investment, your money is subject to risk.

This means your investments could perform badly and diminish in value, or alternatively, they could rise substantially over time.

Whatever the case may be, looking into your investments can help you get a better understanding of how to manage your money moving forward.

Maximize Tax Relief Opportunities

You’ll get 20% tax relief on your pension payments in most cases, so it’s worth taking advantage of the extra income you can generate by increasing the amount you pay into your pot each month.

If you’ve got a workplace pension, you can discuss this with your employer, and they might even be able to match your pension contributions to a certain percentage.

It’s worth taking advantage of as many pension income-boosting opportunities as possible, as it will ensure you’re managing your benefits to the best of your ability.

If you’re worried about not being able to manage your pension pots properly, you may want to reach out to a financial advisor for some professional direction. It could give you some peace of mind.

Strategies to Become a Shopify SEO Expert

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Are you searching for strategies to increase your company networks? Gain relevant organic traffic, maximize search engine rankings, and have higher eCommerce sales compared to different Shopify stores?

If so, then becoming a Shopify SEO expert could be a great way. 

But first, what is a Shopify expert?

A Shopify expert is a highly-regarded partner approved by the platform. They demonstrate their expertise and skills to help different Shopify stores grow online. A Shopify expert can be a designer, web developer, photographer, or programmer who is listed in the Shopify Experts directory.

So how does one become a verified Shopify expert? Knowing the ins and outs of Shopify is a must. A Shopify expert’s qualifications include but are not limited to:

  • an average of five years of working experience in the field on both technical and business elements of Shopify projects 
  • proven record of high-quality provided services in helping Shopify businesses thrive 

Shopify Partner vs. Shopify Expert

It may seem like a Shopify Partner and a Shopify Expert are the same because they do similar tasks and get access to the same tools. 

However, there’s a big difference. To become a Shopify Partner, you only have to sign-up for the Shopify Partner Program. On the other hand, to become a Shopify Expert, your work has to be well-reviewed and meet the platform standards. Also, to start making money, you should be vouched to the Shopify Expert Marketplace.

In this blog post, we’ll explore some steps that you can take to become experts in this field. So, whether you’re starting from scratch or want to get better, read on for tips from the pros!

Ways to Become a Shopify SEO Expert

Becoming a Shopify SEO specialist requires knowledge, skills, and expertise. First, eCommerce SEO is complicated, particularly in technical SEO. You’ll also need to deal with structured data.

Shopify’s subtleties should be well-known. It’s not SEO-friendly out of the box. With some know-how, you can rank product pages in search results. However, even if you already know a lot about your field and have relevant skills, becoming a Shopify expert is not easy. You still need to build your business’s reputation and improve your expertise. So, here are some things you can do:

  1. Be an expert in on-page SEO.

The word “expert” clarifies that you must be good at what you do to be called one. In this case, you must improve and sharpen your skills, to have solid knowledge about SEO. At the least, you need to know what the essential parts of an online store and how to put navigation bars, collections, and products together to make a good user experience.

It’s essential to learn something new every day. Search engines’ algorithms change all the time. If you don’t want to fall behind, you must constantly learn new things and improve your skills.

And who knows? You can help merchants trust the best Attractive, highly targeted, conversion-ready traffic to your online store like Shopify search engine optimization (SEO) company!

  1. Improve Your Portfolio

To have worked on many sound, successful Shopify stores, the first thing you need to do is find more clients and win more projects. Hence, you have to gain more projects in Shopify SEO services.

Well, there are many ways to get the right customers for your business:

  • Partner programs with other Shopify Partners can help you get clients. You both win when you join their partnership or affiliate programs. Your partners can help you get more clients by telling merchants to use your service, and the same goes for them.
  • Making an SEO campaign on different social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook can help you get more clients. Social media is a great way to talk to people. You can use them to promote your brand and get more clients’ contact information.
  1. Make your brand known

If you don’t perform any branding or marketing, merchants won’t know about your brand or services. Having a solid brand helps you gain the confidence of customers, partners, and even Shopify. 

What you can do:

  • Use social media and other digital marketing platforms

Social media and digital marketing are like a huge ocean with many ways to reach people all over the world. Being greedy with social media will squander your time and money. Better to choose and invest in channels that fit your audience’s demography.

  • Inform retailers of your content 

This helps establish your brand as trustworthy and informative.

  • Testimonials 

Client evaluations are social evidence. Your high-quality service and skills are reflected in these glowing testimonials.

The Bottomline

So, you want to be a Shopify SEO expert? It’s not as difficult as it seems. In fact, with the right tools and resources, anyone can become an expert in this field. So, we put this complete guide together on optimizing your Shopify store for search engines.

We cover everything from SEO basics to more advanced techniques that will help you improve your ranking and visibility online. – give these tips a try yourself and see what a difference they make!

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