If you’re wanting to increase your savings in a safe, low-risk manner – a savings bond might be ideal for you. Perfect for people that have money they’d like to invest, but don’t need access to it for some time.
How does a saving bond work?
A savings bond can have a set duration of your choice, usually between 6 months to 5 years and a fixed interest rate for the period. This is one of the main perks of a savings bond. As you have a fixed interest rate, you’ll have a good idea of how much money you’ll have once your time is up. Therefore, this is a great option if you have a specific goal or require a precise amount of money.
Usually, once you’ve agreed to your terms with the bank you can’t access your money until the arranged time is complete. If you do wish to withdraw your money before the remaining time is up, you might have to pay an additional charge. So, if you’re looking to invest money, but aren’t willing to wait – you could be better looking for another option.
Can I add money into my savings bond once I’ve opened it?
Unfortunately, you can’t add more money into your savings bond once it’s been agreed. So, you must make sure you’ve accepted the terms you’re happy with and invest the correct amount.
Types of saving bonds
There are two types of main savings bonds, a Fixed Rate Saving Bond and a Tracker Bond. A Fixed Rate Saving Bond is often the most popular for this type of investment. This is because the interest rate doesn’t fluctuate so you know where you stand before and after your investment. A Tracker Bond works slightly differently in that it tracks a specific rate of return to determine the gain on your investment. Arguably, this is a riskier move, but it might make you more money in the long run.
What happens when I’ve finished the duration of my savings bond?
Once you’ve finished the fixed term on your savings bond, you’ll have near-instant access to your money. From here, it’s your choice what you do with it. You might want to withdraw it and use it to fund a new venture or retirement. You could transfer the money into a run of the mill savings account with the same provider. Alternatively, you could reinvest the money into a new savings bond, agreeing on new terms and adding to your healthy investment.
MattressNextDay has partnered with a global environmental organization – Ecologi to support its mission to make the world greener.
The company is committed to planting over one million trees by 2030; by planting a tree for every online order as part of the project in collaboration with Ecologi.
It has also become an official Climate Positive Workforce and pledged to planting over 500 trees per month to help offset its carbon footprint.
So far, the action has been well-received as a strong show of the company’s dedication to curbing climate change in its business ecosystem.
As per the CEO of MattressNextDay, Martin Seeley, “We have been looking for different ways to showcase our support to eco-green projects for some time now, and now we are delighted to be a part of the Ecologi team. The work that Ecologi has done for the past few years has been incredible, from generating clean electricity in countries like India to protecting and preserving forests worldwide, including the Amazon rainforest.“
Before the collaboration, MattressNextDay already provided a disposal and recycling service for its customers. The goal was to ensure that no mattresses ended up in a landfill.
According to top executives, this new partnership creates avenues to expand their environmental efforts within the company.
Mr. Seeley added, “Alongside our partnership with Ecologi, we have also been working on other parts of the business operations to raise our sustainability efforts. We recently transitioned to a more modern fleet with a long-term goal of moving to electric vans to further reduce carbon emissions”.
Likewise, Ecologi have also expressed delight in partnering with MattressNextDay. The Head of Partnerships at Ecologi, Linda Adams, said, “We are really pleased that such an eco-conscious company like MattressNextDay has partnered with us to help them become more sustainable.”
“Their dedication to the cause is evident, committing to planting 1 million trees by 2030, which will significantly impact sequestering thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere during that time. It’s encouraging to see the company is taking so many steps to reduce its carbon footprint. We hope more companies in the space follow their lead and play their part in this collective effort to combat climate change.”
MattressNextDay will also look to move away from plastic packaging and find more environmentally friendly alternatives.
Martin Seeley added, “We are already discussing greener packaging with our manufacturers, and it’s looking optimistic that we can help make these changes happen.”
Established in 2003, MattressNextDay specializes in affordable mattresses with free next-day delivery.
If being in the trading business hadn’t been stressful and uncertain enough, the circumstances of the last couple of years really put the nail in the coffin for many traders – newcomers and seasoned alike.
The state of trading is affected by ample powers beyond your control. From political events and entrepreneurs’ investment decisions to companies’ internal and external affairs, and the public’s views, there’s simply too much of the unpredictable to rely solely on you burning the midnight oil.
Of course, your trading skills will improve as you’re putting in the work analyzing the market occurrences and charts and studying expert books. Yet, the vast knowledge you’ve acquired and your trading intuition may not always be enough to make the most profitable choices.
To help you make smarter trading decisions, we’re bringing you the top 9 habits to develop to become a successful trader.
#1 Draw Upon the Experiences of Both Winners & Losers
When you want to cook the most tender filet mignon, you’ll probably search for recipes by Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver. Similarly, you’ll read Elon Musk’s or Bill Gates’s success stories when you want to learn about wise trading decision-making.
And while by following a professional’s recipe, you will probably make the most delicious steak ever, you also won’t know what cooking practices cause a filet mignon to taste bad.
The same applies to trading – if you don’t learn about the trading stories that went south, you might never possess the knowledge to predict a potential failure of your own.
Read about and talk with traders that experienced losses, contemplate alternative scenarios, and try to draw conclusions from every trading win and loss story you hear.
#2 Learn From Your Own Experience
The best way to leverage your trading experience is to keep track of and review your every trade. Take notes of your stop-loss levels, targets, and other valuable technicalities you can easily examine later.
Keep a trading journal to monitor your decisions in those specific market conditions and review your trades at your established time – weekly, monthly, quarterly or semi-annually.
Monitoring your trades carefully and regularly will help you identify your common trading mistakes and improve good practice.
#3 Discuss with Others, Decide for Yourself
Expert traders encourage talking about trading strategies, discussing performance, and seeking general advice from others. However, it’s best to avoid asking other traders to share their opinions on specific trades.
To entirely rely on your expertise and intuition, you need to create and adhere to your trading plan. Constantly altering your mind based on other people’s opinions, the latest news or “expert” analyses will cause anxiety and subpar performance.
Prior to making any crucial decisions, avoid discussing your plans and second-guessing your trading strategies.
Examining your trade decisions with others is always better done once everything’s over. Then, use those talks to learn about other traders’ perspectives and leverage their experience.
#4 Practice Clearing Your Mind
Daily errands, family responsibilities, social media, market reports, fellow traders’ news – all affect your focus when trading. Therefore, you must ensure you’re feeling clearheaded, concentrated, and present in the moment when making trading decisions.
Focus means different things to different people – thus, find the best method for you, and practice it daily, even when you don’t have any trades to make.
These atomic habits can save you a lot of money and nerves, and they only take a few minutes a day.
So, foster maintaining a state of mental clarity, both when trading and when conducting trade analyses.
#5 Be Cost-Conscious & Efficient
Becoming a successful trader means making cost-conscious decisions and leveraging opportunities at the lowest possible cost. For your trading business, even a slight increase in costs can yield your trade unprofitable.
Suppose you face difficulties transforming your trading into a more profitable business or believe you can make more cost-efficient trading decisions. In that case, it’s a good idea to seek a partner in a brokerage firm.
NY-based Trade Securities offer Triad prime brokerage service based on your business needs, not asset size. They offer robust middle and back-office help and multiple custodian and broker relationships to support your every unique account structure.
#6 Be Involved in Trading Every Day
As Morgan Housel, the author of The Psychology of Money, puts it: “Things that have never happened before happen all the time.”
A strategy of keeping yourself involved in trading may seem like a simple quest. Still, to completely leverage this method, you should monitor live market conditions, trends, and pullbacks – every day.
Trading events are always slightly different, and no two occurrences look the same as they did in the textbooks. Thus, to get proficient at implementing a trading method, you need plenty of practice.
Market conditions transform fast, but if you have a tried-and-tested strategy, you’ll be able to use your skills and knowledge at the perfect moment.
#7 Find Balance In Optimism & Confidence
Blend your optimism with realism and have faith that the next day is the day when you’ll trade profitably. The truth is, you cannot afford to lose hope, but, at the same time, you have to be realistic about your trading expectations.
Achieving a series of winning trades can boost a false sense of self-confidence, as those wins are results of luck rather than finely-tuned trading skills. However, genuine confidence and optimism come from proper trading habits.
In other words, trading with patience and discipline, following your trading plan will help you nurture positive habits.
#8 Manage Your Risks
Trading is a way of earning that balances being disciplined and not taking uncontrolled risks. Managing your risk is one of the most crucial trading tips as it helps you stand firmly on the ground even during your worst-case trading scenario.
Record everything you do to ensure you have definitive feedback you can use to continuously and consciously improve your trading methods.
#9 Take Your Time to Learn
Starting out any activity requires implementing a “fake it till you make it” approach from time to time. The same goes with trading, as even in your first trades, you’ll have to act confident enough.
At the very beginning, you may find it hard to do trading activities without really knowing all the finesses of the market, but over time, you’ll learn your way around and start believing in your trading skills.
To Sum Up
Growing into a profitable trader is not a destination but rather a mental state created by deliberate and practiced choices.
Following these deliberate and practiced actions helps you avoid the common pitfalls. The success stories of the most prolific traders might seem esoteric to newcomers to the market. Yet, in reality, it’s all about the plain and boring discipline, hard work, and perseverance.
Avoid being influenced by the opinions of others, stay focused on every trade, keep notes of your every trading action, and use your instincts and knowledge to improve your trading methodologies and strategies.
Your goal is to make money. However, if you don’t take care of your employees, you will have a bigger challenge. It will affect employee well-being, lead to poor performance, and you risk losing talented employees. You need to invest in office equipment to make working there a pleasant experience pleasant.
Office Equipment Affects Employee Health
Workers who are sitting all day need ergonomic chairs to protect their backs. Companies should ensure employees have chairs with good lumbar support, armrests, and adjustable heights. Chairs should also allow workers to sit at 90-degree angles while typing on computers. Back pain is one of the most common issues in the workplace, so choosing the right furniture is essential.
Office supplies companies provide furniture that they adjust to fit each employee’s needs and preferences. Comfort and good health will lead to better productivity and performance at work. It will also reduce the rates at which employees take sick leaves and ultimately increase productivity in your firm.
Bad Equipment Is Bad For Your Business
Office equipment that is old, dirty, or uncomfortable can make employees feel unmotivated and unproductive. That can lead to a loss of productivity and even a high staff turnover rate as employees look for better places to work. Fortunately, it’s easy to create a comfortable office environment with the right office equipment. Employees are more likely to stay with a company if they like the office environment and have the right office equipment.
Boost Employee Comfort and Productivity
In today’s work environment, making sure employees are comfortable is more important than ever. A worker’s well-being can impact productivity and performance in the workplace, so it’s critical to ensure employee comfort. Office technology and equipment play a huge role in how comfortable employees feel at work. For example, if a worker doesn’t have a computer monitor stand, he will constantly look down at the screen throughout the day. This can lead to neck strain, back pain, and other health problems that negatively impact workers’ well-being.
Boost Collaboration With The Right Furniture
When your office furniture is set up to encourage teamwork and interaction among your employees, you’ll notice a difference in their performance. As long as everyone is comfortable and has everything they need within reach, meetings will run more smoothly, and creative ideas will flow more freely when everyone can confer with one another.
Shuffle the Workplace
Maybe your office equipment is old, expensive to maintain, or just not built for the way you work. Perhaps it’s time to rethink how you look at office furniture and equipment. Firms like Kaiser Kraft understand that the right environment can make a big difference to employee productivity and well-being. They offer a wide selection of high-quality products for every area of your business, including storage solutions, desks, chairs, and workstations.
Look for Ergonomic Furniture
When choosing chairs and desks, it’s important to get the right ergonomic furniture for your company. Back pain is common in workers who sit for long periods. Ergonomic furniture supports your back and neck, allowing you to work comfortably in your chair. Ergonomic seating helps prevent back and shoulder pain, leading to better productivity over time. Adding standing desks also contributes positively to worker well-being by promoting healthy blood flow and decreasing sedentary behavior linked to obesity and high blood pressure. When choosing furniture for your workplace, be sure to pick pieces that align with the overall wellness goals you want for your company.
Desk Privacy
Even in open-plan offices, workers need somewhere to put their personal belongings and get some privacy from time to time. If you don’t want everyone working in cubicles, provide units with drawers where employees can store belongings when not in use.
Office Set-Up
Well-designed office space can have a significant impact on employees’ well-being. The relationship between employees and their office setup seems to be often overlooked by business owners. When employees are happy, they are more likely to remain loyal to the business. They will also experience less stress and negative psychological effects. Previously, office spaces were designed without considering how they would affect their occupants. Today, the focus has shifted to making workspaces more user-friendly and conducive to employee productivity.
Boost Employee Wellbeing with the Right Office Equipment
Office setups can make or break an employee’s day, and they’re an easy way to promote health and happiness in the workplace. For example, if you want your team to work more efficiently, look into a standing desk solution. It gives them the option to stand while working on their computer. This can boost productivity by allowing them to work longer hours at a stretch. You will also reduce the discomfort of sitting for extended periods. Standing desks also help people stay more alert and focused, so they are popular among office workers.
Look for an Office Equipment Company
Firms like Kaiser Kraft can help you find the right office equipment for your needs. They have products that will suit any business, whether you’re in an open office or a cubicle farm environment. Take some time to research and make sure that you find someone who will work with you to get what you want and need.
Give Your Workplace a Boost Today
It can be challenging to relax at work fully, but a well-designed workspace can help employees decompress and focus on their tasks. You might think that it’s too expensive to change your office space, but even minor adjustments can make a big difference.
A clean and modern office with ergonomic chairs, reliable electronics, and well-maintained equipment can improve the morale of your workers and their overall job satisfaction.
As Elon Musk finalises the process of purchasing Twitter for $44bn, retail investors continue flocking to buy Twitter and Tesla shares en-masse via brokerage firms, a clear indicator that retail investing is still a key component of US market activity. Nonetheless, US regulators are warning that retail investors are often unaware of the risks involved with their trading especially when brokerage firms fail to disclose the complexities of their products.
The trading of Twitter shares over the past couple of weeks has been at an all-time high for retail investors. In April so far, trades in the stock have been 11x higher than the monthly average since 2020, the Wall Street Journal reports.
As retail investors flock once more to the marketspace to either cash in on their investments or seek new investments in light of massive developments as seen with Twitter, US regulators have warned of the inherent risks involved.
Calling for brokerage firms such as Robinhood and Webull to remind their customers of the risks involved with their platforms, the US Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), issued a regulatory notice to all US brokerage firms last month.
The notice, labelling such brokerage products as ‘complex’ in nature, reminded firms of their legal obligations to make sure investors are aware that the platforms are suitable for their needs.
Speaking to CNBC about concerns held by FINRA and the SEC, Dave Nadig, financial futurist at ETF Trends, stated that: ‘The SEC (and other regulators) are concerned that there is a new raft of retail investors who are under-educated about what they are doing’.
FINRA’s notice states many brokerages make it ‘difficult for a retail investor to understand the essential characteristics of the products and their risks and are, therefore, complex’.
Crucial to the debate surrounding the future of retail trading is the issue of Payment-For-Order-Flow (PFOF). Payment-for-order-flow is central to the rise of the commission-free trading apps which have allowed trading by retail investors to boom in recent months.
Trader TV is now the most popular day trading show on YouTube (Source: TraderTV)
The practice enables brokerages like Robinhood to sell customers’ buy and sell orders to wholesalers, such as Citadel. So brokers generate revenue by offering zero-commission trading to retail investors when commissions are in fact being subsidized by wholesalers.
Daniel Schlaepfer, CEO of Select Vantage Inc (SVI) and Day Trade the World (DTTW) has called for the US and Canada to follow the EU’s intent to ban PFOF outright.
In an interview with Forbes earlier this year, Schlaepfer said:
‘In my view, banning PFOF would strike at the heart of the “gamification” problem. Access fees would become transparent and so properly factored into trading decisions, and the fact of incurring this cost would likely deter small retail investors from indulging in risky gamification, so a more sustainable equilibrium might be reached in the long-term’.
While regulators in the US continue to decide on their next moves, retail investors are being encouraged to think carefully about the risks involved in amateur day trading.
Recent studies by Vanda Research shows that around $1.3bn is still traded daily by retail investors alone in the US market, and that around 10 percent of Twitter’s entire investment base comes solely from retail investors.
It would seem that a new normal has emerged in which retail investors intend to occupy their newfound territory in the market for the long-haul. The sector is also more sophisticated than it was pre-pandemic, in light of the supply of available advice and information having increased to meet rising demand, with a number of day trading news and broadcast outlets rising to prominence in a short space of time.
With equipment such as Bloomberg terminals being extremely costly and designed specifically for seasoned financial professionals – and available only through order requests predominantly by internationally recognised financial firms – a gap has emerged in the market for platforms aiming to capture audience share for the newly ascendant amateur investor class.
TraderTV, for instance, is now the world’s largest day trading show. Sponsored by Daniel Schlaepfer’s ‘Day Trade The World’ franchise, the show broadcasts daily with professional traders Brendan Wickens, Shawn Catena and Neal Roberts. The show has already accrued over 25 million views of its videos and daily livestreams assessing the state of financial markets, as well as the wealth of expert guests that have featured on the platform, from Peter Schiff to Kevin O’Leary.
Retail investing, although not at its pandemic high, continues to play a growing role in global financial markets. It is arguably now becoming a cultural force in its own right.
Are you looking for a mobile event and conference app? Look no further than Eventleaf! Our app is designed to help you manage your events and conferences, so you can focus on what’s important – the event itself! Do you require a mobile app for an upcoming event or conference? Eventleaf is the place to go. Our simple platform makes creating an event app that engages your participants before, during, and after the event a breeze. In addition, our team is here to assist you every step of the way! To get started, give us a call today.
Are you looking for a mobile event app that is simple to use and navigate? Evetleaf is the place to go! You can create an engaging event experience for your attendees with our user-friendly platform that will keep them coming back for more with our user-friendly platform. Furthermore, our team is available to assist you every step of the way – so get in touch with us today to get started!
With Eventleaf, you can easily create and manage events, invite attendees, track registrations, and more. We also offer a wide range of features to make your event run smoothly, including:
– A customizable event dashboard
– Schedule and agenda management
– Attendee check-in
– Real-time session tracking
– And much more!
Whether you’re hosting a small gathering or a large conference, Eventleaf is the perfect solution for managing your event.
How Eventleaf can help you save time and money when planning your next event or conference:
If you’re planning an event or conference, you know how important it is to have a good mobile event app. Eventleaf is a great option for anyone looking for a mobile event or conference app. It’s easy to use and can help you save time and money when planning your next event. With Eventleaf, you can easily create and manage your event or conference schedule, track attendees, and send push notifications to keep everyone informed. You can also use Eventleaf to create custom surveys and collect feedback from attendees.
The features of Eventleaf that make it the perfect tool for event planners:
Eventleaf is the perfect mobile event and conference solution for busy event planners. Our mobile conference app and event app makes it easy to manage your events and keep track of your attendees, whether you’re at the office or on the go.
Some of the key features that make Eventleaf the perfect tool for event planners include:
– A simple, user-friendly interface that makes it easy to manage your events and attendees
– Powerful tools for tracking registrations, payments, and more
– The ability to send push notifications to keep your attendees updated on important event information
– A wide range of customization options to make sure your event is exactly what you want it to be.
How to get started with Eventleaf:
Getting started with Eventleaf is easy. Simply create an account and then start creating your events. You can add all the details, including the date, time, location, and description. Once your event is created, you can invite attendees and start managing everything from one central place.
Benefits:
Here are just a few of the benefits of using Eventleaf:
– Our mobile app makes it easy to manage your event on the go.
– Our attendee tracking features make it easy to stay on top of who’s coming and going.
– Our networking features help you connect with other attendees and find common interests.
– Our messaging feature allows you to easily communicate with other attendees before, during, and after the event.
– Our event management features help you keep track of your event schedule, speakers, and more.
– Our mobile app is available for both iOS and Android devices.
If you’re looking for a mobile event app that can help you manage your event and connect with other attendees, Eventleaf is a great option. Our app makes it easy to stay on top of your event schedule, speakers, and more. Plus, our networking features make it easy to connect with other attendees and find common interests. Get started today and see how Eventleaf can help you create a more seamless event experience.
Conclusion:
Eventleaf is a mobile event app and mobile conference app that was created with you in mind. Whether you’re searching for an app to manage your personal events or a robust tool to help with event planning and coordination, we’re here to help. Create personalized event pages, manage registrations and payments, collect comments from attendees, and more with Eventleaf. So, what do you have to lose? Begin planning your ideal event right nowadays!
Owning and operating a business can be difficult enough without facing a number of major threats that actually have little to do with the way you are running your company. The biggest threats today often come from outside. With that said, there are some things you can do to mitigate some, if not all, of the damage these threats can cause. Unfortunately, there are some threats there really is no solution for except to strengthen your lines of defence.
1. Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is something that every business, large or small, must come to terms with. There is nothing you can do to put a halt to all the threats being devised every day of the week. Sometimes the threat comes in the form of a hack intent on the theft of information or databases. Other times it is malware with the sole purpose of creating havoc on a company’s system but in all cases, the only thing you can do is build an impenetrable wall so that hackers can’t access your company’s network. Cybersecurity services like those offered by Dial a Geek in Bristol can take on the task. From building firewalls to ridding a worm that may have already infected the mainframe, cybersecurity protections are worth their weight in gold. Fortunately, with adequate protection, you may finally see more of that gold!
2. Volatile Economy
Across the pond, there are several market analysts who say the end is near. They fear Armageddon in the economy because inflation is growing at the fastest rate in 100 years. Some not only fear a recession is imminent but also that it just might be another Depression to rival anything we have ever seen. Many commodities are doubling in costs within a matter of weeks and there is no end in sight to the exponential price increases consumers are facing. Conversely, there are other analysts who feel the threat is minimal. In any case, if there is another recession of the magnitude of that in 2008, it will almost certainly trickle down to all economies around the globe.
3. A New Kind of Workforce
For just a moment, consider how the digital climate in which the newest generation of workers has grown up. This is actually the first generation to have been born and raised through to adulthood well-rooted in technology and connectivity. Whereas older workers are reluctant to work remotely, younger workers are totally in their element online. Today’s workforce, then, is nothing like it has ever been. Companies are now tasked with finding top talent who can handle the job vacancies they are trying to fill. As a result, today’s workforce is actually a global workforce because the most experienced candidates may be in any country around the globe.
4. Global Competition
Speaking of a global workforce, this calls to mind the massive increase in competition today’s businesses face. The very same internet that is changing the face of today’s workforce is also changing how businesses must step up marketing efforts to reach a global marketplace. This is, again, something ‘new’ to this generation. There was a time when businesses focused their marketing resources on a more local audience. Now with globalization in everything from recruitment to sales and services, increasing the reach of marketing efforts will be a company’s main focus in the months and years to come.
5. The Rapidity of Change
This is also something that is going to be difficult to deal with. There is no way to call a halt to progress, and who would want to? However, the sheer speed at which so many advances are happening is extremely challenging to businesses old and new. It seems as though the moment we become almost comfortable with advances in technology, for example, they’ve advanced again. This starts the process of learning all over again, which leaves many businesses feeling like they are on a perpetual treadmill. In fact, this probably is the case! The only thing that can be done is to provide educational resources to key employees within your company. In this way, you will at least have ‘trainers’ to keep everyone else informed.
While cybersecurity poses the most immediate threat and one you cannot procrastinate on dealing with, the other four major threats will need to be dealt with soon enough. Your key takeaway in all this is best said in the words of a time-worn cliché from across the pond. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Many small business owners like to have full control and oversight over their day-to-day operations. This is one of the reasons why so many of them are reluctant to hand some of the work over to a third party. But outsourcing could be the hack that allows you to be more productive, efficient, and profitable. It could also help you scale your operation and even save you from legal trouble. Let’s take a look at some core functions all small companies should consider outsourcing.
Human Resources
HR is one of those things many business owners assume they have to handle in-house even though they don’t. Even if this is a very personal function of your business, a third party could do just as good a job as anyone close to your business, if not more.
A good, outsourced HR team will understand and truly get immersed in your company’s culture. They will then recruit floor employees and managers that will be in line with that culture. Not only that, but they can help with onboarding and training too, and do it in a highly professional way, which will help project a strong employer image and ultimately increase retention numbers.
IT
Handling IT in-house is usually a big mistake for most businesses. One of the reasons for this is that no network actually needs to be actively monitored 24/7. This means that you will be hiring someone to twiddle their thumbs during their shifts.
There are also other issues like a lack of expertise that you may have not considered. Even if you hire a well-rounded expert to run your systems, they are still just one person and there will be gaps in their skillset that you’ll eventually have to plug with outside help.
If you have a substantial network to manage but not enough to hire an IT person full-time, then it’s a much better idea to work with an outsourced IT team. They will look after your networks and notice problems or stop any suspicious activity. And don’t assume that they will only be able to assist you from a distance. If you live in Bristol, for instance, then you could hire a Bristol IT company like EvolvIT that will send people to your premises to personally attend to urgent issues if needs be.
Hiring an outsourced IT team is also a great idea if you were thinking of making the shift to a remote workplace but were afraid of the security implications. An IT team will help you to secure communications and set up applications so you can make the transition smoothly and safely.
Web Administration and Online Marketing
There is also no reason for you to hire someone to look after your website or do online marketing. Website maintenance demands even less attention than your network, so there’s no point in hiring someone to make some small modifications from time to time.
Online marketing also doesn’t require round-the-clock attention. Things like SEO and PPC to a certain extent are largely passive, and no one should have an employee on their books that handles online marketing only.
The same goes for social media. Only major companies can benefit from having a dedicated social media manager, so don’t assume that you have to hire one to gain traction on these platforms. There are plenty of companies who will do it for a fraction of the price and will even teach you how to handle some of it on your own, so look at this option instead.
Payroll
Payroll is a thing we believe no small business owner should handle on their own unless they’re savvy about it. If you don’t have an accounting background, then there’s a strong chance that you’ll make mistakes on the payroll, and these mistakes could end up getting you in trouble.
You have to constantly be on top of the latest rules and regulations in your industry. Some of these could creep up on you, like different reporting rules after you reach a certain number of employees, for instance.
It’s a payroll company’s job to know all of these things for the sake of their reputation. So, if you want to stay out of tax and legal trouble, then you should definitely consider deferring payroll to a third party.
If you’re handling any of the functions in-house currently, then you should look into outsourcing. You’ll be able to save money and time that you can redirect towards more important tasks.
APIs have been increasingly popular over the years. It’s understandable since they facilitate data flow and interaction between apps.
Furthermore, APIs save developers from recurring activities and boost work effectiveness by directing their attention whenever required. In this article, we will be discussing 12 helpful tips for using a currency API, more specifically, currencylayer API.
Currencylayer API offers a simple REST API providing real-time and past conversion rates for 168 international currencies. It is defaulted to USD and is offered in compact and versatile JSON format, as well as it is adaptable for any application.
1. Is it secure enough?
2. How easy is it to use?
3. How many currencies does it support?
4. Can I rely on it?
5. How can I reduce request bandwidth?
6. Can I detect if my query failed?
7. Can I get real-time rates?
8. Can I change the source currency?
9. Can I get historical exchange rates?
10. Can I limit output to a specific currency?
11. Why is it important to look back at previous trends?
12. What should I do when I am stuck?
Are you ready to get started with currencylayer API?
1. Is it secure enough?
You will never have to deal with security issues if you use the currencylayer API. It’s extremely safe and secure to use as it only allows 256-bit HTTPS encryption interactions and uses business-standard bank-level encryption. ‘
Access Key concept makes it further safe by making it required to assign a unique key to everyone signing in. This access key must be used in the API request to do the communication.
2. How easy is it to use?
The currencylayer API is straightforward, and your engineers will have no trouble integrating it into the application or website.
The normal API response is a simple JSON file that can be quickly parsed and contains various objects and characteristics. Currencylayer API responses are supplied in JSON format to get the best usage. The image below shows the JSON attributes returned from the API and their descriptions.
If you run into any technical challenges, you can refer to the API documentation. Also, it includes a dashboard and the capability to alter default currencies, among other things.
3. How many currencies does it support?
Currencylayer provides various currencies in one spot, so you will not have to waste any valuable time hunting for them on other exchanges.
You can find a complete list of available currencies using this currencylayer resource and the JSON Format (access key needed). Append the access key to the currencylayer API’s list call to get a JSON file including all supported currencies. Overall, it has real-time and historical exchange rates for 168 world currencies.
4. Can I rely on it?
Currencylayer gathers information from many reliable sources. Data on spot exchange rates are received instantaneously from multiple major forex data suppliers. It is checked, filtered, and given hourly, more accurately every 10 minutes, and even inside the 60-second exchange frame.
It also includes API usage monitoring and scheduled notifications whenever a currency goes below specific criteria. Currencylayer also provides worldwide support for back-office systems, mobile applications, and currency converters.
5. How can I reduce request bandwidth?
Reducing the bandwidth is an added advantage to optimizing the application performance. An Entity Tag (ETag) is an HTTP response header that checks if the material in the web browser cache matches the information on the server. Moreover, ETags enable users to see if exchange rates have altered after their last API call.
If the rates haven’t been changed, the API response is much smaller than if they had. ETags, in practice, provide a way for caching exchange rate data that isn’t updated; therefore, since currencylayer API provides support on HTTP, ETags help you save bandwidth on your requests.
6. Can I detect if my query failed?
Detecting query failures is essential because it helps us figure out why the error occurred. Therefore when a query fails, currencylayer API provides a three-digit error code and a human-understandable “info” property with user recommendations. You can find common error codes in the currency layer documentation.
7. Can I get real-time rates?
Indeed! Currencylayer API’s live endpoint allows users to get real-time currency exchange rates. You can optionally use the ‘currencies’ variable to designate a different source currency and particular output currencies.
8. Can I change the source currency?
First, let’s dig a little deep into what source currency is. Source currency is the unit of measurement (currency) for all quoted values in a relevant API return set (default value: USD). The source currency can be seen in the source object of the API’s response.
You can switch the currency in currencylayer API by simply adding the source parameter and appending the three-letter currency code of the currency you want to use as a source.
9. Can I get historical exchange rates?
Currencylayer API gives precise historical exchange rates for every day dating back to 1999. Therefore, past rates can be retrieved by entering a date (Format: YYYY-MM-DD) into the API’s ‘historical’ endpoint using the date argument.
10. Can I limit output to a specific currency?
The answer is ‘Yes’; you can limit your API call to a selected currency by appending the ‘currencies’ parameter preceded by any accessible three-letter currency codes of your preference for both current and past rates.
Each of the API’s endpoints (excluding the Currency Conversion Endpoint) accepts the currencies argument, which has no size restrictions. This feature is highly recommended since restricting your API request to the currencies you only need can lower the file size, which could have a significant impact on your application’s speed.
11. Why is it important to look back at previous trends?
Currencylayer offers both current and past currency rates and also the ability to analyze past patterns. This allows experienced stakeholders to make decisions, place bids on certain currencies, and even negotiate trade deals in order to increase revenue.
12. What should I do when I am stuck?
Currencylayer provides thorough and detailed documentation that helps users solve their problems whenever they get stuck. However, if the documentation doesn’t provide the answer you are looking for, or you are unable to fix the solution by yourself, you can get the support of a professional support team at any time.
Apart from that, currencylayer has a support team who is always available to assist you with any issues you cannot resolve on your own.
Are you ready to get started with currencylayer API?
As you’ve seen, the currencylayer API offers extensive currency data that can be used with every framework and programming language. currencylayer provides a free tier for newcomers who wants to test the API.
However, you will have to go for a paid subscription package if you want to use their advanced features like Source Currency Switching, HTTPS Encryption, Currency Conversion.
As a new web developer, hearing about Bootstrap file upload should not be a big deal to you because it makes a good website.
But before we get into the guide for uploading files with Bootstrap, we need to remind you about some of the basics of Bootstrap file upload again.
What is Bootstrap File Upload?
How Do You Get Started with Bootstrap File Upload?
What are the Components of Bootstrap?
Types of Bootstrap Buttons
Sizes of the Buttons
Color Pickers
Size and Border
What are the Steps to Bootstrap File Upload?
How Hard is It to Use Bootstrap File Upload?
What is Bootstrap File Upload?
Bootstrap is an HTML, CSS, and JavaScript framework that is free and allows websites to be responsive. It is also open-source, which means you can make changes to it.
Front-end web developers use it because it is suitable for making high-speed and flexible websites. It also works well with any DE or editor.
The first time Twitter used Bootstrap was in 2011. It has become very popular with web developers because it is free and has a lot of creativity.
How Do You Get Started with Bootstrap File Upload?
The bootstrap package comes with HTML and CSS design templates that you can use.
If you want to use it with any browser, like Opera or Chrome, you can do so. You can also easily change parts of it to meet your own needs and preferences.
We will focus on how to upload files with Bootstrap. So, even though you have never done it before, you can use Bootstrap file upload. Here, I will show you how to make file uploads work.
To start uploading Bootstrap files, you need to know some basic information about the parts of Bootstrap. These are the types of buttons, the classes of the controls, the color pickers, the border, and the sizes of the buttons.
What are the Components of Bootstrap?
Types of Bootstrap Buttons
You need to know the Bootstrap button styles and what they look like.
.btn-default
.btn-primary
.btn-success
.btn-info
.btn-link
Sizes of the Buttons
You can choose the button size that works best for your project using Bootstrap as a developer. There are four sizes of buttons. Here are the four different sizes:
.btn-lg
.btn-md
.btn-sm
.btn-xs
If you want to apply the sizes of this button, it is essential to add elements such as <a>, <button> or <input> when making your bootstrap file upload button.
Color Pickers
Choose the right color if you want your button to look good. If you want to change the color of a button, you need to change the control style that comes with it. You can select the color by typing;
<button class= “btn btn- name of your website btn-widget”> Pick File</button>
Size and Border
When you are working on your border, you can use the radius of the wall to make the edges round and add padding. The font should be 12 pixels wide and weigh 600. Make sure you do this. An example of this is here.
After inputting this code, the border and size of your Bootstrap file uploader button are set.
We now know the basics of Bootstrap, so we can move on to the steps for uploading a file with Bootstrap.
What are the Steps to Bootstrap File Upload?
Step 1
Make sure you add the files of the Bootstrap structure from the Content Delivery Network (CDN). To do this, you need to have both files of CSS and JavaScript, and here is the code for it. Make sure you copy this code into your CSS and JavaScript (JS) files.
You can start to create buttons by using markup. You can also create a Bootstrap file upload using an input file and PHP upload script with the following guide for a beginner:
One can include a plugin and libraries in the head section by copying the following code into your CSS and JavaScript files.
After writing this code, the process.php file will have the form in it as it contains the script of the uploaded file that is being managed and the information saved in the database.
Use the following PHP code to upload the placed file in the process.php file.
echo “Oops, There was some Problem! Please fix it.”;
}
?>
How Hard is It to Use Bootstrap File Upload?
Building your website or web application with Bootstrap would help you get ahead quickly. The open-source framework has heaps of benefits and some drawbacks as well.
Majorly, it is efficient in creating responsive web designs and saves you a chunk of development time. The drawbacks might be similar sites, a steep learning curve for newcomers, and a heavy codebase.
But overall, using the bootstrap framework is a great way to make your whole coding experience more fun and build a beautiful, responsive web interface.
Do you want to start building robust file upload solutions? Then, it would be best if you had a solution like Filestack.
Filestack provides a robust collection of technology tools and API that works to improve your file upload, transformation, and delivery experience. It is one of the best developer services for fast and seamless file uploads, URL ingestion, and iOS/Android device integration.
Ready to get started today? Waste no time – sign up for free at Filestack and begin enjoying a seamless file uploading experience!
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