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10 Refreshing Summer Fundraising Ideas

Sam Allcock
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10 Refreshing Summer Fundraising Ideas

Summertime is one of the best times for nonprofit organizations to host fundraising events. The warm weather and often slower pace of the season mean that more potential donors could become interested in attending your events. However, a successful fundraiser requires the ability to target the right audience first.

How To Target the Right Audience?

Tap into your Raiser’s Edge softwareor any other CRM software your nonprofit organization uses to begin targeting the right audiences. Previous donors are likely to become repeat donors when you host fundraising events that interest them. In addition to previous donors, consider hosting focus groups about your business to see what potential new donors would want to see from a fundraising event as well. When you determine who is in your target audience, be consistent with your choice and keep communication open via email marketing or social media marketing options.

Good Data Management Practices

The best thing you can do to establish good data management in your nonprofit organization is to use a tool like Salesforce for donor management. Donor management helps you to maintain organized records about your donors, including their contact information, when they last donated, how much they’ve donated, and more. Using management software helps you to keep your information at the tip of your fingertips and accessible from anywhere you are via mobile apps. It also keeps data safe and secure to protect you and your donors alike. The analytical options will help you see patterns and determine where to focus your summer fundraising efforts. 

Summer Fundraising Ideas To Put Your Plans Into Action

Car washes and charity softball games are tried-and-true methods of fundraising for many nonprofit organizations, but they aren’t helpful for everyone. Luckily, there are plenty of other options as well.

1. BBQ Cook-Off – Ask people to donate an entry fee and provide a prize for the person who makes the best BBQ. 
2. Community Clean-Up Day – Allow donors to sponsor teams for a certain dollar amount per pound of trash collected.
3. Have a Pool Party – Set up a family-friendly pool party. Pool waterpark owners can work out a deal for sharing a percentage with your organization.
4. Go To the County Fair – Many county fairs need volunteers to run exhibits, games, and even rides. Ask if your organization can help in exchange for a percentage of entry fees for some of the shows or competitions.
5. Host an Eating Competition – July is National Hot Dog Month, so why not host an eating competition with the entry fees as donations?
6. Join a Music Festival – Attend events to canvas crowds for donations and to help raise awareness about your organization.
7. Host a Booth at a Farmer’s Market – Talk to local farmer’s market organizers to set up a booth. You can use it to communicate with potential donors, sell raffle tickets, ask for donations, and more.
8. Throw a Prom – Host an adult prom and sell tickets that benefit your organization.
9. Partner With Local Businesses – Talk to local restaurants about a donation day where a percentage of the day’s sales go toward your organization. 
10. Have a Sandcastle Contest – Host a sandcastle contest and charge an entry fee.

When you use a combination of RE system integration to track donors and unique fundraising ideas to attract them in the first place, your organization is more likely to thrive during summer fundraising months.

What Is A Good Engagement Rate For Your Publications?

Sam Allcock
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What Is A Good Engagement Rate For Your Publications?

How do you calculate engagement rate? It’s a question that many people struggle with, and it can be difficult to find the right answer. This question can be answered in many different ways, depending on the type of publication. For example, if you are a daily newspaper, then any number over 10% would be considered a good engagement rate. If you are an online news source that publishes articles once per week or less often than that, anything over 50% would be considered a good engagement rate.

Truth be told, engagement rates can be a tricky thing to calculate. You’d want to know how many people are actually reading our content, but there is no good way to measure this. Some people only read the headline and then make a judgment about whether or not they will read it in full, while others might skim through the article and leave without any interaction at all.

If you are interested in improving this metric for your website, visit https://viafoura.com/ to learn more about increasing the engagement rate for your publication.

What Is An Engagement Rate?

An engagement rate is a metric that measures how much users participate with your content. Essentially, it is a formula that measures the amount of interaction your social content earns relative to different audience figures and reach, including click-throughs, mentions, direct messages, saves, shares, comments, likes, and reactions, among other things.

When it comes to social media, engagement will depend on the social network and actions that are more active than passive.

Engagement rate can be broken down into three types: impressions, clicks, and time spent on site. You want to have the highest possible engagement rates for all of these metrics because they all measure different things about your audience’s experience with your post.

Impressions show potential readers that you are posting quality content, clicks show actual interaction, and time on site shows how well people are able to get through your article.

To help you understand engagement rates more fully, we have compiled some information on what is considered “good” for your publications.

What is an ideal engagement rate for a publication?

As said earlier, depending on the publication, anything that falls between 10%-50% would be considered a good engagement rate.

For example, if you are publishing articles once per week or less often than this, then any number over 30% would be considered a good engagement rate.

If you are writing content daily and have over 30% of your audience reading the articles, or you have more than 50 followers on social media, anything over 60% would be considered good.

This is because in both cases, there are many people who engage with your content.

Things to consider when measuring engagement rates

To measure the engagement rate of your publication, you need to understand the impact of your marketing channels. For example, if you are posting on Facebook once per day and only a few people “like” your post, then this would be considered less engagement than someone who posts to their page every hour and has 100% of the audience liking it.

A metric like impressions is also something that needs to be included when measuring an engagement rate because they show potential readers that you are posting quality content.

There is no right answer to what an ideal engagement rate for a publication would be, but the main thing is to know how your audience interacts with your posts and use this information to create better ones in the future!

With that said, there are different marketing channels that can help determine the engagement rate of your publications. They include:

Direct Traffic

After you publish an article, the direct traffic rate is how many people end up on your site via a bookmark or search. This doesn’t include social shares, so it will be less than what we see with impressions and visitors.

If you are looking at your analytics for a specific post, direct traffic will be within the “referrers” section, and this is what should be used when measuring engagement rates because it will provide an idea of how many people actually read your content.

For instance, if 200 readers came to your site via direct traffic but only 100 of them read your content, then this would show an engagement rate of 50%.

Paid Search

This will show you how many readers came from paid ads, such as Google Adwords and Bing Ads.

The most important thing when using this method is it’s more likely for someone who clicked on an ad to view full articles than just click on the title.

This is because they have already seen an advertisement and then clicked on a link that leads to your site. So it’s more likely for them to read what you posted, even if this was just one article in particular.

When reading these metrics, make sure not to confuse paid search with direct traffic or impressions, as it will have a much higher number.

Social Media

This is the most popular way for people to get information nowadays because of how easy it is to share content via social media.

If you are trying to calculate engagement rates, consider which social media platform(s) you use and how often you share your content.

For example, if you are using Twitter and posting content every day, then a 0.045% engagement rate is normal.

However, for Instagram, this would be considered high because it is more engaging than Twitter. With that said, the average engagement rate for Instagram is considered to be 4.59%.

It’s important to take into account how often someone posts and their audience size when looking at an engagement rate. For example, if you have 100 followers on Instagram, then it wouldn’t be fair for you to compare yourself with someone who has 1000 followers.

Conclusion

The engagement rate can tell you a lot about your audience and what posts are working. In order to get the best measurement, take into account how often you are posting as well as your marketing channels.

It’s also important to know that it might be difficult for publications with smaller audiences to have high engagement rates because of competition from other brands.

What is a Stablecoin?

Sam Allcock
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What is a Stablecoin?

Cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether come with a host of benefits, one of which is the trust and privacy they provide for every transaction. Cryptocurrencies removed the need for any intermediary institution when sending or receiving payments, hence opening up their use to anyone around the globe.

However, one major drawback for cryptocurrencies is that they are particularly considered volatile investment instruments because of their unpredictable price. Prices of cryptos fluctuate a lot – rising and falling too often. Because of that, it is difficult to use them for everyday goods and services.

On the other hand, fiat currencies such as U.S dollars or other assets like gold have a more stable price. But they don’t provide the same level of privacy and security offered by cryptocurrencies. That is where stable coins come in. They attempt to offer the best of both worlds – providing the security and privacy of cryptocurrencies and the price stability of fiat currencies.

What is a Stablecoin?

Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies that are pegged to an underlying asset like the U.S dollar or a precious metal such as gold. These types of coins are designed to reduce the volatility associated with unpegged cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Unlike cryptocurrency whose price fluctuates and is also very unpredictable, the price of a stablecoin remains steady, in accordance with whichever fiat currency or asset backing it. Stablecoins can be used as a store of value or units of accounts, as well as for other purposes where cryptocurrencies may be less desirable because of their volatility.

Better Understanding of the Concept behind Stablecoins

Although Bitcoin is the first and most popular cryptocurrency, it tends to suffer from high price volatility. For example, in November 2019, the coin rose in price from around $5,950 to above $19,700 in December that same year. But by early February 2020, the price dropped again to about $6,900. This is not uncommon to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies – they tend to move in any direction based on supply and demand.

Because of this kind of short-term volatility, cryptocurrencies become unsuitable for everyday use by the public. Generally, anyone would expect a currency to act as both a medium of monetary exchange and a mode of storage of monetary value. Plus, the value of such currency should remain stable over a relatively long period of time. Who would want to adopt a currency they are not sure will retain its purchasing power tomorrow? Stablecoins come to provide a solution to achieve this ideal behavior.

Because stablecoins are backed by fiat currencies and some reserve authorities that help to control the price, they tend to be more stable in price than cryptocurrencies. They are immune against the usual value swings that do happen in the crypto world – thanks to the controlling authorities that ensure the prices remain stable by helping to manage the demand and supply of the currency.

Different Types of Stablecoins

Fiat-collateralized stablecoins

These types of stablecoins are backed by fiat currency reserves, such as the U.S dollar, as collateral to ensure a suitable number of the coins are issued. There could also be other forms of collateral backing stablecoins such as gold, silver, oil. However, most of the present-day fiat collateralized stablecoins are backed by the U.S dollar reserve. A good example of such stablecoin is Tether (USDT) and TrueUSD.

Crypto-collateralized stablecoins

These stablecoins are backed by other cryptocurrencies. Because the reserve cryptocurrencies are also prone to high volatility, they are usually backed by a whole lot of the backing cryptocurrency which is maintained as a reserve for issuing a lower number of the stablecoin. For instance, $3000 worth of ether may be held as reserves for issuing $2000 worth of crypto-backed stablecoins.

Non-collateralized stablecoins

These types of stablecoins are also called algorithmic stablecoins. They don’t use any reserve but retain a stable price using a working mechanism, like that of a central bank. For instance, an algorithmic stablecoin, basecoin, uses a consensus mechanism to maintain the supply of tokens based on demand. Most of these stablecoins use a smart contract on a decentralized platform that can run in an autonomous manner.

What Are The Most Popular Stablecoins?

#1: Diaem (Libra)

Libra is a stablecoin originally conceived by Facebook. Although the coin is yet to be launched, it has had more psychological impact than any other stablecoin. In fact, China’s government is planning to create their own crypto-inspired digital currencies because they are scared of how much of a competitive threat Diem would be when it is eventually launched. They are scared because the coin is owned by Facebook which is a multinational company with billions of users across the globe.

#2: Tether (USDT)

Launched in 2014, Tether is one of the oldest stablecoins and also the most famous. The stablecoin is claimed to be backed by a reserve of real dollars as collateral locked up somewhere in a physical location controlled by a centralized third party.

That way, investors can be more confident investing in the coin because they are sure that their tethers really are worth one dollar each. That means there is great stability with the price of the coins. So if you are thinking of whether to buy Tether and add it to your portfolio, it might just be a wise decision.

#3: USD coin (USDC)

This stable coin was launched in 2018. It is jointly managed by cryptocurrency firms Coinbase and Circle via the Centre Consortium. USD Coin is backed by U.S dollars and has about $26 billion of it in circulation. In a recent investor presentation, Circle stated that people should expect to see USD Coin supply touch $190 billion by 2023.

#4: Dai (DAI)

Dai is a stablecoin created in 2015 and runs on the Ethereum blockchain. The coin is pegged by U.S dollar and backed by ether. Unlike other stablecoins, Dai is designed to be a decentralized coin. That means it won’t be controlled by any central authority. Instead, it will be run and maintained by Ethereum smart contracts.

#5: Terra (LUNA)

This is also a decentralized stablecoin. Instead of it being controlled by and protected by a third party, it uses a complex algorithm to get the job done. With the use of smart contracts, it is able to balance “on-chain” reserves with supply and demand automatically, removing the chances of any trader tampering with the price.

Some More Popular Stablecoins You Should Know

  • Ampleforth (AMPL)
  • CACHE gold (CACHE)
  • Gemini Dollar (GUSD)
  • True USD (TUSD)
  • Paxos Standard (PAX)
  • Binance USD (BUSD)
  • Stasis Euro (EURS)
  • Petro (PTR)
  • Paxos Gold (PAXG)
  • Paxos Standard (PAX

Best desk organsier

Sam Allcock
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Best desk organsier

Organizing is the key to doing your job. When you have an organized desk, you create the best environment for everyday tasks. One poll found that 85% of people believe that disorder has a negative impact on their lives and work, and 65% believe that disorder actually hinders their efficiency.

So, to start productive thinking, start with what you have in front of you: your desk. Here are 5 ways to get your desk organized.

An organized desk speaks professionally

Creating an organized environment is important not only for you but also for the people you are working with. Your workspace is a visual display of your work ethic. It promotes strong professional behavior and shows that success is important to you. Limit your desk to everyday items. Delete anything without a daily goal. This will make you less cluttered when you need to pursue something.

Less disorder reduces stress

Stress is inevitable when chaos overwhelms you. A cluttered work environment can be distracting and can reinforce a negative mood and help you feel overwhelmed or overwhelmed. When you are experiencing stress about a future project, having an organized space helps you focus and be efficient.

Transform your trash can. Howard drawer inserts create chaos by creating a specific place to store electronics, pens, paper clips, notebooks, notes, and sudden changes.

An organized desk helps you remember important tasks

Everyone has an inbox for their email. However, many of us do not realize that the physical inbox on our desk is just as vital in today’s modern office. To organize, designate an input and output unit for office work. This helps you avoid misplacing documents, which in turn keeps you ahead of your to-do list.

Use wall space. On the surface of the eye, hang the papers you use as a daily reference to reduce the clutter on the table. Also, if in doubt, throw it out! Use the best desk organsier tools to keep paper flow regular and off-the-shelf.

Organizers bring creativity into work

Creativity is very important in the workplace and nothing inspires creativity as much as a blank page. Keep your desk clean so you can focus on what you want to do, not be bombarded with side projects or deadlines.

Discard and recycle. Keep trash and bins out of reach to dispose of unnecessary items. Are you afraid to throw away that loose paper with an important note? Save it in an organised drawer or never lose it by scanning it on your computer!
Do you constantly move around your house during the workday? If you are never sure if you want to sit at your kitchen table, sofa or patio, you need a portable work desk to hold your laptop by your side. This device, called a “vault”, measures approximately 13 by 10 inches, with a tasteful fabric cover and a magnetic clasp.

The organizer has two drawers, each divided into compartments, and labels to help you figure out how to work and locate. Articles can be sorted using ten acid-free vertical files – six full-size files and four half-size files. You may even buy a box for each of your children and use it as a homework command center. As an added bonus, you can fold it every night to hide any long-lasting clutter.

One of the other organizers you can use is a daily diary & calendar which you can buy from Office Corporate.

Do you have an unwanted drawer that needs to be shaped?

If you are still a person who has not yet become a necessity for drawer organizers, this collection will change your mind. This device is designed for a standard size drawer (dimensions 15 x 9 inches) and has seven small gifts: four rectangular and larger and three small and square. (It is easy to see why fans of these organizers compare the setup process to a challenging Tetris game.) Of course, if you know exactly what you want to store and how big these devices are, you can also choose to make your own la carte slider organizer set from multiple container store mesh options.

How can you trade Gold?

Sam Allcock
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How can you trade Gold?

Gold takes its class amongst the precious metals and is popular amongst investors due to its volatility and long-term trends. The metal has been around for thousands of years where it has been regarded as one of the most valued items amongst many. It has been traded as a physical asset in the past, and now it is available readily for most traders through brokers. Market participants can buy and sell higher or choose to short it.

In the forex market, gold is represented as XAU and is frequently paired with the greenback as a base currency. The symbol is XAUUSD. Investors speculate on the prices based on fundamentals and technical factors to make profits.

Various Forms of Gold Trading

There are multiple ways in which investors can invest in gold and trade it. We have listed them below:

  • Physical. It is possible to purchase the yellow metal from a jewelry store and then sell it when the price is higher. This form of trading has been common for a long time.
  • CFDs. Contract for differences is a popular way for trading gold where traders speculate on the price of the metal. When the buy or sell contract ends, they are paid the profits or losses.
  • Gold certificate. It is basically a paper that shows the proof of ownership of gold. Instead of pertaining the asset in physical form, traders can hold the metal in the shape of a certificate.
  • Futures. Gold futures are available at centralized exchanges that allow traders to receive the asset at a designated amount in the future. The contracts may cause swap fees if the investor chooses to hold the asset for the long term.
  • Gold stocks. Traders can invest in the shares of the companies that are actively involved in mining gold. As the demand for the metal increases, the probability that the relevant stocks will rise is also present.

Characteristics of Gold

Before placing your trades on gold for the short and long term, it is essential to understand the critical features such as spreads, volatility, pip size, etc

Volatility

Gold is generally considered a volatile instrument with a high daily pip range in contrast with other assets. It can go on a long-term bullish or bearish trend which is beneficial for swing traders.

Pip

The value of a pip can differ for the instrument gold is paired with. For XAUUSD the pip size is 0.01. It means that the change in price from $1600.00 to $1610.00 will mean a difference of 100 pips.

Manipulation Free

As gold is traded globally with a substantial volume, it is pretty difficult to influence its price. Retail investors can trade it without worrying about spikes in price. A few factors that can influence gold prices are geopolitical conditions, aggressive central bank purchases, and global demand.

Strategies to Trade Gold

There are several strategies traders can use to trade gold. Most of them are built around technical indicators as fundamentals rarely affect the yellow metal. Price action traders frequently scan the charts for support/resistances, supply/demand zone, and other possible scenarios.

Image 1. A price action trader has plotted many support and resistance lines. Notice how the price moves to and fro from the possible points.

Technical indicators such as moving averages, RSI, Stochastic, etc., are also frequently employed. One such strategy is the use of 50 and 100-period moving averages to determine the long-term trends. As the 50 SMA crosses the 100 SMA from below, it triggers a buy and vice versa.

Image 2. Notice how the 50 and 100 MA cross-over triggers a sell-off.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Gold Trading

The benefits of gold trading can be summed up as follows:

  • Safe haven. Gold is considered a safe haven for traders when the markets are in turmoil. It provides a good solution for those who are looking for a low-risk, long-term investment.
  • Profitability. As the volatility of the financial asset is high, it is possible to make quick profits. Volatility is regarded as the bread and butter for traders, and gold has plenty of that.
  • Diversify. By investing in gold, traders are able to diversify their investment portfolios. By trading on gold, you can make money on both the long and short sides.
  • CFD. Trading gold as a CFD trader has access to a good amount of leverage and other benefits such as liquidity and no expiry date.

While a few disadvantages can be stated as follows:

  • Beginners can have a tough time trading gold due to its high volatility.
  • Gold generally has higher spreads than other instruments.

How Does a Forex CRM Boost ROI for Brokers?

Sam Allcock
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How Does a Forex CRM Boost ROI for Brokers?

The Forex market is always ready to unlock big opportunities for new business owners although costs are frequently a major consideration for new brokers. Are there any useful tips on how to minimize costs? What kind of effective measures can you take to stay profitable?

Necessary expenses for a new broker: what does this include?

Expenses incurred by beginner FX brokers can roughly be broken down into the following categories:

  • Company and legal issues. Brokers need to set up a company and get a license in order to ensure their activities are fully compliant with legislative norms. This stage may cost from $1500 to $125 000, depending on the chosen jurisdiction.
  • Software. The second important step is to integrate high-quality software that includes a trading platform, trader’s room, back office, etc. Hundreds of different solutions are available on the market, and brokers should not forget that the sphere is fiercely competitive, so traders will expect to get ultimate features. The software cost may vary from $10 000 to $200 000.
  • Staff. Brokers cannot function without employees. Admins, support agents, programming engineers, analysts, and other specialists may be part of your staff. Salaries depend on a certain country, and the overall expenses may vary from $20 000 to $100 000.
  • Promotion. With the ultimate functionality and best conditions for traders, your company may fail without a well-planned promotional campaign. Such a stage may cost up to $20 000.

As such, the overall expenses to run a Forex brokerage company vary from $55 000 to $450 000. Many brokers think hard about every new spending pattern. What is within reach?

How can a new FX broker reduce costs?

When it comes to cost reduction processes, imagine yourself a de-mining expert. You cut the wrong wires, and the company is going the wrong way.

For instance, newly created brokers cannot choose a cheap and ineffective trading platform or a basic Forex CRM, as their competitors will easily convince traders to switch websites and get access to better opportunities. Customer Relationship Management software is especially important for beginner brokers, as their success may mainly depend on how functional and reliable the chosen system is.

In what ways can you cut costs? New brokers may choose White Label solutions to access top-rates trading platforms and liquidity pools. For instance, B2Broker offers a set of WL services for brokerage businesses.

How does a Forex broker earn money?

When the spending patterns are clear, and business owners understand which expenses they can accommodate, and which ones they can’t, it’s high time to switch the focus onto income sources. Forex brokerage companies make a profit from fees and commissions paid by active traders. What are those fees and commissions i.e. the key ones?

  • Fees for bid and ask orders. Brokers charge commissions when a trader buys and sells assets.
  • Spreads. The difference between bid and ask prices also relates to the category of fees.
  • Financing fee. The commission is charged for orders a trader is holding open overnight.

As such, a broker’s profit depends on how many traders join the company, and how active they are. A high-quality trading CRM is a crucial factor to cut your costs and increase incomes, making the ROI (return on investment) of your business higher.

The impact of CRM systems on the profits of a brokerage company

Why should you never ignore this component and get the most functional CRM for Forex? Let’s look through the reasons.

  1. This software clusters your leads and helps control the interaction process.

Brokerage businesses are interested in attracting as many new clients as possible, yet frequently rely on one and the same strategy to transform leads into active traders. A CRM system divides leads into numerous categories so that business owners can understand which promotional approach is the most effective for each group. Furthermore, you get quick access to the interaction process with every potential client.

  1. Active traders are also grouped in categories to retain them.

When your business has completed the process to transform a lead into an active trader, you are still far from success. Multiple new brokers attract traders and then lose them due to various reasons. This is why you need to retain active traders on your platform. CRMs enable business owners to understand what signed-up users are looking for in order to adjust the functionality and special offers to their needs.

  1. Most processes are automated.

Another important aspect to note is that a high-end CRM solution is responsible for the automation of most inner processes, and brokers get an opportunity to reduce their staff. Expenses are also minimized. On top of optimization, this procedure makes most inner processes more effective and planned out with the possibility of providing end-users with the very best features and an immediate reaction to any issues or problems they may have.

  1. Timely reports to check your company is moving in the right direction.

Many businesses fail because when owners figure out they are going the wrong way, it’s often too late. A high-end Forex back office CRM enables managers and owners to get timely reports related to statistics, active traders, their behavior, and other key statistics. When something goes wrong, you are then able to implement changes instantly, losing no time.

  1. Full control of rewards, payments, and invoices.

Successful brokerage businesses frequently become partners with other platforms or private traders, and this may impact on profits. CRM systems are responsible for delivering payments and rewards timely, convincing your partners to stay loyal which will help your business grow.

Bottom line

In summary, a Forex CRM is an effective measure to boost your company’s ROI as this system is responsible for diverse aspects related to leads, traders, and even partners. Where can you find the best-matching software? B2Core is a packaged product that combines innovative features and advanced technologies to elevate your business to new highs. You also get a set of features you truly need, so you don’t waste any money.

Debunking 3D printing fears

Sam Allcock
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Debunking 3D printing fears

The positive impact of 3D printing has been discussed extensively across many different sectors. It’s already proven to be a key solution to prototyping in manufacturing, with many companies like Proto Labs offering exclusive 3D printing services, as well as traditional manufacturing solutions.

Its rise and continued innovation across multiple sectors such as the dental, medical, automotive, aerospace and even the art and food industries has also been recognised. Yet despite the positive outcomes of the technology, there are reservations about the negative effects 3D printing could have on the global economy. Here, we take a more detailed look into these fears and how they can be dispelled.

Supply chain threat 

Known also as Additive Manufacturing (AM), the increased adoption of 3D printing has resulted in some concern about the technology’s impact on global trade. With the perceived removal of some mechanisms within the supply chain thanks to the technology’s ability to make products as a whole, it seems like the global production process as we know it, is significantly condensed.

Because 3D printing enables ‘local’ printing, as opposed to outsourced overseas manufacturing, there’s an understandable doubt on what this means for cross border shipping. A 2021 report by financial experts ING suggests 3D printing will experience and increase in market share of about 5% by around 2040 which would present a ‘downward’ effect on global trade if all goods were printed locally by consumers.

What we know about localised printing so far 

However, despite the logic behind the concern, some industry experts have assuaged these. A 2020 research paper by The World Bank, does point to the continued use of 3D printing leading to a growth in trade, but also outlines that 3D printing does not pose a threat to mass manufacturing as we know it. To demonstrate the argument, it underlines the abundant use of the 3D printing in dentistry, stating that although the production process has changed, the supply chain hasn’t, and products like 3D printed crowns and bridges are not printed locally but are made by engineering businesses that are often then exported to their customers. Dentists are not necessarily investing in 3D printers but are receiving deliveries of parts that are 3D printed elsewhere. Hearing devices have also long been produced via 3D printing and have not resulted in localised printing as production actually takes place in a few different countries.

ING report compounds 

The ING report, written by Head of International Trade and Research, Raoul Leering, also highlights that the next two decades do not present a serious threat to global trade and that the effect of 3D printing was more ‘subdued’ than some anticipate.

Leering also said that weight and size are key considerations when evaluating the impact of 3D printing on world trade. Emphasising the fact that most 3D printed products are usually very small means that determining financial factors do not include shipping costs, resulting in a more negligible impact on existing supply chains.

Although the report does forecast an increase in market share, this is only if 3D printing were to be made closer to consumers. Considering the evidence we have from the use of 3D printed hearing and dental devices, Leering said that the impact of the technology on world trade would be ‘somewhat lower, around 3%-4% for goods. He added: “Taking into account the part of traded services that are linked to the goods trade, the damage to trade adds up to 4.5%,”

Forecast risks

Experts also encourage critics to remember that Additive Manufacturing is not economically sound for the mass production of products and although significant technological developments could change this and the use of 3D printing is likely to grow, it will remain for now that 3D printed goods are used only for complex shapes and designs.

Summary

Although 3D printing is becoming more prevalent, many leading industry experts are comfortable in the knowledge that the effect on world trade will be limited for now. Using the market knowledge we have of 3D printed dental and hearing devices, supply chains will not be significantly affected in the short term because the finance relating to transport is not critical for the tailored products that 3D printing creates.

Why Do Women Initiate Divorce More?

Sam Allcock
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Why Do Women Initiate Divorce More?

Research shows that almost 70 percent of divorce are initiated by women, which may sound strange given that women are stereotypically and traditionally perceived to be the ones who want to settle down. Society and expectations have changed dramatically over the years and women now feel more empowered to make decisions such as starting divorce proceedings.

Some of the reasons that women are initiating more divorces than men include:

Improved gender equality

While gender equality may still have a long way to go to be seen as being fully equal, big progress has been made in this area. Compared to 30 or 40 years ago, women have been able to pursue more types of careers and we have seen more women in higher levels of roles. Women in general now feel less reliant on their husbands for financial support, where many years ago this was rarely the case. This progress and greater equal opportunities give women the safety of knowing that they are not financially dependent on their spouse and confidence that they will be able to cope financially if they get divorced.

Women are more empowered

In the past, more women would put up with bad behaviour such as infidelity or other disrespectful behaviour from their husband. In the modern world, a lot of women won’t put up with anything less than how they want to be treated. There are some very strong, powerful female role models such as world leaders, doctors, musicians, actresses etc. who demonstrate to society that women should take control of their own destiny and make decisions that will make them happy.

Expectations are higher from women

Women are more likely to have higher expectations of what they want from their marriage, including romance and being in a team, where both partners are building towards their joint future. Some studies show that men, on the other hand, are more likely to start making less effort in the marriage and neglect their wife’s needs. In some cases, men might feel that they are not particularly happy in their marriage but they do not see a need to start divorce proceedings, as they know it will require a lot of effort and can cost a lot in divorce fees and solicitor’s fees.

Domestic activities not shared equally

In a large percentage of marriages, women still do a lot more of the domestic work compared to their husbands, even with full-time jobs and other commitments. Many men have been brought up in homes where their mother did the majority of the housework, and that is instilled in their idea of what happens in relationships. Also, it is often the case that women are more concerned about having an untidy house, so they are more likely to clean and tidy up before their husband would think to do it. After doing this for a while, it can become very frustrating and if other aspects of the marriage are not working out how the wife hoped, then they may decide they want out. 

If you are contemplating initiating divorce, don’t try to navigate the divorce process alone, make sure that you confide in your close friends and family and seek expert divorce advice. Even though it is becoming so common for women to file for divorce, if your spouse contests the divorce, the process can get more complicated.

It is recommended that you speak to a divorce lawyer for advice before you start proceedings, to help you to prepare details that will show the courts that you have grounds for divorce. They can tell you what to expect and what documents you will need to get started with your divorce petition.

Call Centre Philippines: e-Commerce Outsourcing

Sam Allcock
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0
Call Centre Philippines: e-Commerce Outsourcing

E-commerce has revolutionised the shopping industry. While the traditional high street might be disappearing, online transactions are flourishing—so much so that estimates suggest that by the end of 2024, 93% of the UK’s internet users will be shopping online.

With this growing trend, online retailers are finding a growing pressure to meet the rising demands of their customers. “Technology and social media have created a culture of instant satisfaction that has fed through to expectations of immediate responses when it comes to customer service. Businesses are now expected to be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week across a wide range of communication methods,” says Ralf Ellspermann, CEO of PITON-Global, an award-winning call centre in the Philippines.

This has led to a rise in the need to outsource contact centres, with the Philippines being the global hub for the industry—operating an incredible 800 call centres across the country and employing 1.2 million Filipinos. Some of the biggest e-commerce companies in the world have chosen the Philippines as their call centre hub, including giants such as Amazon and Alibaba. In fact, the list of online retailers that have been outsourcing their call centre requirements to industry-leading service providers such as PITON-Global is tremendous, and those that are yet to do so are beginning to struggle to keep up.

Why is the Philippines so popular? Primarily for the world-class service capabilities on offer and highly educated and English-proficient agents. Not only that, but the country also offers far lower operating costs and ability to scale programs quickly, which are just not possible when operating an in-house call centre.

The fact that these globally leading online retailers, particularly Amazon, which is renowned for its focus on customer service, have chosen the Philippines as their call centre and back-office outsourcing hub is a testament to the quality of support that the country offers,” says Ellspermann

The call centre outsourcing industry in the Philippines is now worth an incredible £20 billion; however, it is vital to choose the right provider when looking to outsource your contact centre to the Southeast Asian nation. Opting to partner with a premium call centre, such as PITON-Global, can ensure you are not only receiving the very best service but are able to take advantage of the latest technology, all functioning to keep customers satisfied while reducing costs by up to 50%.  Partnering with a high-performance call centre in the Philippines to gain a competitive edge in today’s hyper-competitive marketplace makes good business sense. The only question is, will you and your company take advantage of it before your competitors do?

List Of Tax Deductions for Small Business

Sam Allcock
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0
List Of Tax Deductions for Small Business

The sound of tax deductions itself can bring a smile to the face of a small-business owner. However, not every business owner is cognizant of the various deductions that they are eligible to take advantage of. Most of them miss out on their rightful gains simply because of a lack of knowledge or improper bookkeeping.

If you are one such small business owner who is keen to take full advantage of all the tax deductions you are entitled to claim, keep perusing the upcoming sections. Start-up costs, inventory, utilities, insurance, auto expense, office supplies, and many other tax deductions are available to small business owners. If you need more information, you can check the taxact pricing guideline and avail yourself of the advantage of appropriate tax deductions.

List of Various Tax Deductions for Small Businesses

We have created a list of various deductions that you can take advantage of if you are running a small-scale business, including S-corps, sole proprietorships, partnership firms, C-corps, or LLC for easy and quick understanding. Here is the list for you to skim through:

1.    Inventory

In order to determine the cost of the goods sold, you must consider various other expenses. If your business is inventory-based and you manufacture products or purchase them to resell, you can claim the expense related to it as deductibles. Here are some costs that can be included in tax deductions:

  • Storage costs
  • Overheads of factory
  • Labor costs
  • Freight
  • Cost of production

2.    Insurance

Insurance is a common expense that various business undertakes to protect themselves from various risks. If you have health insurance (of the owner), business owner’s policy, or business continuation insurance, you can get a 100% tax deduction for the amount paid. Other forms of insurances like liability coverage, property insurance, auto insurance, malpractice insurance, etc., are also tax-deductible.

3.    The Start-up Cost

Most readers would be wondering why this capital expenditure is included in the list of tax deductions, right? Well, IRS does consider start-up costs as a capital expense. However, you can amortize the expenses over the years and take advantage of the deduction. You can read the 535 publication of IRS to get a better idea about it.

4.    Utilities

The utilities used for business are tax-deductible, and you can take full advantage of them. These expenses that can be used in this category are telephone and electricity bills, water bills, etc.

5.    Property Rentals

Many businesses run on a rented property. Not many are aware that the amount they pay for rent is tax-deductible. Even if you are doing business from home, you can get certain tax deductions like insurance, utilities, mortgage interest, depreciation, and maintenance. However, you need to confer with the IRS to check your eligibility for such deductions.

6.    Depreciation and Lease/Rent

Any equipment or machinery taken on the lease is 100% tax-deductible. Moreover, the depreciation on these equipment can also be claimed for deductions. Assets like computers, machinery, automobiles, etc., can help with tax deductions in the form of depreciation. Please check with IRS about the percentage of depreciation that is allowed on such assets.

7.    Office Supplies

Every business requires office supplies, and these are pretty small expenses. However, you incur these costs in lieu of running a business, and therefore, you are entitled to get deductions on any amount you spend on office supplies. Expenses like staples, pens, papers, etc., can be included in office supplies expenses to claim tax deductions.

8.    Auto Expenses

If you have purchased any vehicle to use in your business, then any amount you spend on repairs or maintenance of the automobile is tax-deductible. You must keep track of the usage to keep track of the miles, but if it is not possible, you can use the standard IRS mileage rate. Only the mileage related to the business work must be considered for tax deductions, and personal usage must be kept separate.

9.    Travel Expense

Small-business owners who have to travel a lot to keep their business running are allowed to deduct their travel expenses from the taxes. There are certain placeholders for such expenses to be considered business travel expenses, which you must be aware of. E.g., your travel must be away from your tax home for more than one full workday.

10. Office Furniture

Small office furniture can also be considered for tax deductions since they are a type of office supply. You can get the benefit of the tax deduction for any amount you spend on office furniture.

11. Salary to the Employees

Any amount that you pay as a salary to your employees is entitled to a full tax deduction. It includes any bonuses or commissions paid. Please note such compensation paid to the owners, partners, or LLC members cannot be claimed as salary deductible.

12. Marketing and Advertising Expense

Many businesses thrive on account of marketing activities and advertising. Not many are aware that the expenses like billboards, yellow pages ads, etc., can be claimed as tax deductions. If all these expenses are related to the business, then you are eligible to get a deduction.

13.  Bad Debt

Risk is an inclusive part of business, and however unfortunate bad debts are, they do happen. If you happen to have suffered a loss on account of bad debt, then you can claim it as tax-deduction. However, you need to prove to the IRS that such a bad debt was business-related and not personal bad debt.

Here are the examples of bad debts:

  • Business load guarantees
  • Loans to clients
  • Credit sale to customers

Concluding Words

Tax deductions for small business is a legitimate way to help you keep your finances intact and enjoy the rightful earning. Hopefully, this article helps you take advantage of the various tax deductions that you are eligible for.

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