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Housing prices in the UK have been rising faster since 2004

Sam Allcock
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Housing prices in the UK have been rising faster since 2004

The property market in the UK has remained resilient over the years since 2004 despite volatile situations.  After the slight slumps during the 2008 financial crisis and at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, the real estate industry has bounced back and continues to do well.  House prices have been rising, and recently, there seems to be a spike in housing prices.  This differs from area to area, of course, as the estate agents in Sittingbourne will agree.

There are various reasons for the fast rise in UK housing prices, some of which are explained below.

SDLT holiday:  The extension of the Stamp Duty Land Tax holiday till the end of June 2021, with a tapering process till the end of September 2021 has been a great incentive for new buyers as well as professional investors.  Properties up to GBP 500,000 and GBP 250,000 till the end of June and the end of September, respectively, are applicable for this tax holiday.  While the land tax saving on such properties is a great benefit to buyers, the increase in demand for such properties has resulted in a rise in house prices as well.

Preferred accommodation:  One of the effects of the lockdown caused by the pandemic was working online from residences.  This, in turn, led to many people prioritizing the comforts of larger, more comfortable accommodation with working space as well.  Being cooped up at home, the need for open garden spaces for relaxation was also high on the list.  This resulted in many people moving to larger accommodation with outdoor spaces usually in the suburbs away from the city centres.  Prices for such properties naturally increased as well.

Housing shortage:  The demand far exceeds the supply, and this has triggered a growth in house prices.  Also, the supply was further hampered by a decline in construction activity due to the lockdowns.  Hopefully, this will revive, and constructions will continue to try and come closer to meeting the demand.  As long as the demand remains, the prices will also remain high.

Mortgage and interest rates:   The government guarantee scheme of 95% mortgage with a small 5% deposit for eligible prospective buyers has encouraged more property investment with applications for mortgages.  Many competitive mortgage offers have now come on the market after the withdrawal of such offers when the pandemic started.  The Bank of England low-interest rate has also been an incentive for prospective buyers.

Help to Buy:  The Government’s new equity loan scheme came into effect from 1 April 2021, where the Government will lend up to 20% of the cost of a new-build home with a 5-year interest-free period.  This offer will be available till 31 March 2023.  It is limited to first-time buyers only.  However, the scheme is of great benefit to those whose affordability will not allow them to put down a large deposit to obtain their dream homes. This is especially so at the time of furloughs and job redundancies.   There is a cap on the regional property price for this offer.  For South East England, the price limit is GBP 437,600.  

Covid vaccination drive:   With the vaccination programme well underway, a return to near normalcy is hoped for.  This means that offices, shops, restaurants, entertainment venues not only in cities but in other areas as well are reopening. This will lead to a boost in the property market.  Schools and universities are functioning, and with international travel resuming, the student rental market is predicted to be high.   Smaller accommodation may be preferred, but the demand will be there and, consequently, the prices will rise as well.  

Foreign investment:  The UK property market is still appealing to foreign investors.  With virtual viewings of properties during the lockdowns, people were still able to decide and transact property contracts without physically being present. Now that travel restrictions are lifting, more foreign investment in properties is likely.  The high investment rate of foreign investors also reflects positively on housing price rises.

Conclusion:  The future can never be accurately predicted, especially in times of uncertainty like the pandemic, but the property market has remained stable.  Prices of property have been rising faster recently due to the reasons given above. However, the rate of price rise differs from region to region.  The South-East has not seen as high a rise in property prices as some of the other areas.  This makes it feasible for prospective buyers, especially in view of it being a fast-growing and prosperous industrial area, which provides one of the largest regional economies in the UK.  

5 Actionable eCommerce Trends That Actually Build Relationships with Customers

Sam Allcock
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0
5 Actionable eCommerce Trends That Actually Build Relationships with Customers

eCommerce has revolutionized retail in the past few years. The world of eCommerce has become full of competition. And why not, when almost every business owner is going online. They are using WordPress Push Notifications along with other techniques to attract customers.

Moreover, eCommerce trends are further igniting the competition. So when everyone is going with eCommerce trends, why not you? You must know that it is crucial to follow the latest and effective eCommerce trends to build relationships with customers.

You might be wondering what those trends are?

Well, let us discuss the top 5 of them.

  1. Mobile Marketing: According to “Statista” currently there are more than 3.8 billion smartphone users in the world. This means most of the population is using mobile phones. This gives eCommerce business owners an opportunity to target people easily and quickly.

It doesn’t matter in which part of the world your audience resides, you can reach them anytime you want using simple SMS or push notification. It doesn’t matter if you want to attract new customers, you want to engage them, or are looking to build a solid relationship, you can easily do so using WooCommerce Push Notifications or app push notifications.

The good thing about push notifications is they are capable of carrying rich media. This means you can add images, graphics, videos, gifs, emojis, etc. Moreover, they are automated, so you need not worry as they will timely reach your customers and will help you to build solid relationships with them.

  1. Social Media: Gone are those days when social media was used for interaction with your known ones only. These days it is being used more as a marketing platform. Don’t you see advertisements on various social media platforms even from some top brands?

According to “Global WebIndex” currently, 53.6% of the world population is using social media. If we take average daily usage it is about 2 hours and 25 minutes.

This means they are not spending this whole time interacting with their known ones. So what are they doing? They are shopping online from social media platforms. Even platforms like Facebook and Instagram are promoting this activity.

Most of all you can build your own community on social media to interact with your customers. This will help you to build solid relationships with customers through two-way communication.

  1. Augmented and Virtual Reality: When it comes to online shopping, you are not able to interact with your customers face to face. This means you are not able to build that relationship that is essential for establishing trust. Moreover, customers are not able to get that experience that they can get at a physical store.

In order to minimize this gap and provide a rich user experience, you can go with Augmented and Virtual Reality. This will let your customers get a similar experience as they used to get in the physical store.

This experience will be even more strong, for example, if a customer wants to purchase an Almirah then the technology will help to decide whether it fits properly,  looks good, etc. This will provide a rich experience and build a solid relationship.

  1. Integrate more Personalization: When it comes to attracting customers and building relationships with customers, personalization is the key. The more personalized you get with your customer by offering the products and services of their choice or interest the more trust they will show in you.

The thing is, this will help to build loyalty. Once you are able to achieve this, your customers are not going to easily leave your platform to your competitors. You can go with omnichannel marketing or introduce loyalty programs to achieve this aim. You can also use personalized push notifications. There are a lot of platforms like WonderPush that offer you such services.

  1. Green Consumerism is Rising: In a survey conducted by Global WebIndex, nearly four in ten digital consumers admit that poor environmental records impact their bonding with the platform as well as influence their purchasing decision.

You are required to create more sustainable practices. You need to make sure that your practices are environmentally friendly. It includes sourcing products from fair-trade organizations in order to create a greener eCommerce environment. As a brand, it is your responsibility to cater to the eco-friendly needs of the customers. This will help you bring more close to customers. As a result, you will be able to build a solid relationship with customers.

Conclusion: 

When it comes to attracting customers and building relationships with them, there is no end to what you can do. But it is also true that you don’t implement each and everything especially if you are a small-scale business owner. In this case, you can take the help of some actionable eCommerce trends. This will help you to achieve your target without hard efforts and without investing a lot.

ASIN and SKU on Amazon: What’s the difference

Sam Allcock
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0
ASIN and SKU on Amazon: What’s the difference

Specific Amazon terms: ASIN, SKU, and others

Amazon is one of the largest trading platforms globally, with huge sales volumes. It is the most reputable online marketplace in the US. That’s why so many stores (wholesale and retail) are trying to increase their sales by registering accounts on Amazon. However, they may face certain difficulties at the start since Amazon has many specific terms (ASIN Amazon, SKU, FNSKU, and many others) that can be confusing to novice sellers. If you understand their meaning, you can significantly simplify the work with the online platform.

The nuances of selling on Amazon

Many people wonder why the Amazon marketplace is so popular among third-party sellers and its secret. One of the most apparent reasons is the Amazon FBA program. This program allows sellers to fulfill orders both from their warehouses and from Amazon warehouses. In the second option, Amazon does all the work that helps sellers to focus on business development instead of handling administrative routines.

The scheme of delivering products on Amazon FBA warehouses is pretty simple. First, the Pos system generates an FNSKU number for each seller. It’s a physical barcode that must be placed on the seller’s products before shipping them to Amazon so that the system can correctly identify them. The FNSKU bases on the unique product’s SKU (stock keeping unit). Its properties are similar to the universal product code UPC but are used exclusively within Amazon.

There’s another option for identifying products on Amazon – GTIN (global trade item number). This code is generated based on international GS1 codes. With its help, sellers can list their products on the international Amazon marketplaces over the world. It is also a physical barcode that is placed directly on the item.

Such an inventory management system allows stores to process orders many times faster and improve the service of the entire trading platform. As a result, more and more buyers choose Amazon as their selling platform.

What is an ASIN Amazon? 

Many sellers who visit Amazon for the first time are wondering what’s an ASIN?

ASIN is an abbreviation that stands for Amazon standard identification number. ASIN meaning is a product listing’s number in the catalog. So, retail stores can specialize in various goods, and each of its products will have its ASIN. For example, if a store sells TVs, headphones, and smartphones from different companies, every part of the seller’s catalog will have one unique ASIN.

The system itself generates it. It consists of 10 letters and numbers. You can find ASIN directly on the listing’s page and in the page’s URL.

What does ASIN stand for? First of all, unique identifiers are needed to simplify the search for goods in the system and niche analysis. For example, Amazon can analyze which listings are most successful, and based on the data obtained, adjust the marketing strategy.

As you can see, the existing ASIN is a handy thing, both for buyers and sellers and for the system itself. Therefore, make sure that all your listings have it.

What is an SKU number?

The next question that often arises among Amazon users is: what is an SKU number?

SKU (or Stock keeping unit) – unique position number in your inventory. If a store has several TVs in the catalog from different manufacturers, then it is advisable to create an SKU for each model. It allows you to understand which model is more popular and which products require additional advertising or have no sales at all.

Every seasoned Amazon seller knows that analyzing metrics can help develop a business exponentially.

Amazon SKU also makes the system easier for shoppers. For example, if they found a suitable product but decided to postpone its purchase, they would find it again using this code. All product details and descriptions assign to it. 

As you can see,  seller SKU Amazon allows you to handle many organizational issues, which is especially important when there are billions of goods in the catalog of the trading platform.

By understanding all the specific terms, you can better understand how the trading platform works and learn more about its advantages. This knowledge and Amazon feedback software allow you to develop your business at the same time faster.

Final thoughts

ASIN – a unique number that Amazon gives to all products, mainly in the interests of Amazon.

FNSKU – a unique code that links a product and a seller. Amazon sellers must use FNSKU labels on the packaging of every product they send to the Amazon warehouse. However, if you choose the commingled storage option, you don’t need an FNSKU.

SKU – it’s a unique code that mostly helps the FBA sellers. It means a code or description that sellers assign to their products to help manage the inventory and keep track of products.

New Technologies And Their Application In Post-Pandemic Offices

Sam Allcock
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New Technologies And Their Application In Post-Pandemic Offices

The pandemic has proven time and again to be what is decidedly the most challenging area in recent human history. Over the last year and a bit, the entire world has been thrown into chaos as unforeseen circumstances tore apart life as we knew it and wreaked havoc on a grand international scale like never before. Practically every aspect of our lives and every corresponding industry has been and continues to be impacted by the pandemic and its ongoing ripple effects even, and especially, now.

Even so, the world around us has become accustomed to uncertainty in some fresh and really unexpected ways. As a result, we have seen a tremendous focus on not only how we can move through this time in the healthiest and safest way possible but also how we can do so in creating a stronger way forward for us all. and in many ways, some of the leading innovations that have been introduced around this time have been powered forward by digital and technological proficiency. Today, these innovations have proven themselves time and again.

The pandemic puts technologies in position of power

Practically every aspect of life as we know it and every corresponding industry has been and continues to be monumentally impacted by technological advancement. The introduction of technological advancement in even the most unexpected of places during the pandemic introduced an entirely new era in which the pandemic has put Technologies in positions of power. These positions of power have of course been designed and intended from the ground up to allow us to find a better way to move forward and to live in the coming years and beyond. and this was all about active consistency.

New techs and their application in post-pandemic offices

Naturally, these technologies have influenced even and especially the way that we work. Including, of course, post-pandemic offices. New technologies and the applications in post-pandemic offices are all about creating the most effective and healthy way for professionals across the varying Industries around the globe to be able to achieve balance in their careers while also working towards building those careers from strength to strength as time goes on.

Interest and investment meet necessity and opportunity

More than ever, convenience and efficiency are the aim of the game. From advancements in the touchless vending machines that are on the streets around the globe to the implementation of incredibly revolutionary technologies that have transformed even the most traditional aspect of our lives, the interest and investment in new technologies and their impact on professionals and offices being met with necessity and investment. All of this is geared towards creating a way for individuals to be able to maintain healthy careers in a way that gives them the power like never before. While there is still definitely work to be done, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate that we have taken significant strides in the right direction and that the best is still definitively yet to come.

The Elon Musk Effect

Sam Allcock
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The Elon Musk Effect

By now, Elon Musk has become a household name as an innovative entrepreneur who has hit the world by storm with his out-of-this-world ideas. In addition to having founded Space X, the aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company, Musk is also at the helm of Tesla, the de facto leader in electric vehicles worldwide. Musk has proven himself as someone of such clout that his tweets are taken as sage advice and continue to inspire others to set their own sights on things beyond this world. The billionaire tech entrepreneur has used his influence to lead the global shift towards electric vehicles with his ground-breaking impact on Tesla Inc. With so much going on, it’s little wonder that Musk is currently jostling with Jeff Bezos for the title of World’s Richest Person which, for a few days in January of 2021, he was. Let’s take a look at where it all began for Elon Musk and how two of his most successful companies, Tesla and Space X, are performing in the markets this year. If you’re looking to invest in shares CFDs in hot tech companies like Tesla, you’ll definitely want to keep reading.

Where it all began

Musk was born in South Africa, but his beginnings were far from humble. His mother Maye, who is originally Canadian, is a model and dietitian, while his father Errol counts such titles as electromechanical engineer, pilot, sailor, consultant and property developer on his resume. Musk started out his life with an entrepreneurial spirit from as young as 12 when he created and sold a BASIC-based video game to PC and Office Technology Magazine for around $500. Since then, Musk has certainly made his presence known around the globe by his involvement in a host of businesses, from 2002 when he founded Space X, to 2004 when he joined Tesla. Musk also has helped to create a solar energy company called SolarCity, co-founded OpenAI, which is a non-profit company that promotes research into artificial intelligence, and Neuralink in 2016 which is centred around brain-computer interfaces. With so much going on, Elon Musk entered the Forbes Billionaires list in 2012, and then increased his net worth by a whopping $150 billion over 2020. Musk has racked up an eye-watering fortune and overtaken Jeff Bezos as the Richest Person in the World in January 2021 with a net worth of $185 billion.

Buying a Space X ticket

Elon Musk feels that in order for life to survive we need to become a multi-planet species, and so Space X was born. Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) in 2002, with the goal of making more affordable rockets. The first rocket to be developed was the Falcon 1, which was launched in 2006, and the Falcon 9 was then launched in 2010. These were designed to be more affordable rockets than anything else that was on the market. In March of this year, Space X successfully landed its SN10 prototype Starship, which is a reusable ship that only needs maintenance and fuel between space trips. The difference between this model and others on the market is that this ship can maintain an orbit and only come back to Earth when it needs to. This has attracted the attention of many investors, largely because the ship can be used as a space tourism vessel that can carry up to 100 people, all at a more affordable price. In fact, with Musk at the helm, the company aims to release its first tourism flight with Starship in 2023, and effectively change the world’s perspective on space travel.

Electrifying ideas

In 2004, Elon Musk became one of the major funders of electric car company Tesla. Musk’s impact on the company was evident when it released its first car in 2006, the Roadster, which was a faster sports car than other electric vehicles on the market. Tesla’s initial public offering took place in 2010, and since then, the electric car company has entered the S&P 500 and became the most valuable car maker in 2020. Recently, Tesla has been performing better than ever in the financial markets thanks to the world’s shift towards sustainable energy, and the company’s continued innovation and high levels of performance. At the beginning of this month, Tesla stocks leaped up by 7% as the company announced that they had delivered 184,800 and produced 180,338 vehicles in the first quarter of the year. According to data from FactSet, analysts had only expected the company to deliver about 168,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2021. According to Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives, “In our opinion, the 1Q delivery numbers released on Friday was a paradigm changer and shows that the pent-up demand globally for Tesla’s Model 3/Y is hitting its next stage of growth as part of a global green tidal wave underway.” Ives went on to predict, “We now believe Tesla could exceed 850k deliveries for the year with 900k a stretch goal, despite the chip shortage and various supply chain issues lingering across the auto sector.” While Tesla shares have been down by 9% in 2021 overall so far, the electric vehicle company and its maverick leader seem to be poised for success as the frontrunner of the electric vehicle realm.

What’s next?

That’s truly a loaded question when it comes to Elon Musk and his far off way of thinking. With both Space X and Tesla continuing to roll out innovation on a daily basis, the news is always brimming with hot content for the tech savvy. And if you take a closer look, it’s also rife with content for the financial savvy, as the price movements of shares of companies like Tesla may provide both opportunities and risks for traders who invest in shares CFDs.

How to trade shares with a regulated broker as CFDs

The chance to invest in shares CFDs in brands like Tesla allows you to take advantage of price movements in both directions—increases as well as decreases—without having to purchase the underlying asset (in this case actual shares). So, for example, if you expected the price of Tesla shares to increase, you could open a ‘Buy’ deal or ‘Go long,’ whereas if you expected them to decrease, you could open a ‘Sell’ deal or ‘Go short.’

How To Effectively Navigate Your Side Hustles

Sam Allcock
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How To Effectively Navigate Your Side Hustles

With the world of work being ever-changing, it’s not unseemly to see more and more people delving into more than one job. From working a full-time job with a part-time job on the side to freelancing and setting up businesses, side hustles are becoming the perfect way for people to dabble in basically whatever they want and earn some extra money along the way!

A side hustle, technically speaking, is a type of employment that you take alongside a full-time job. It can come in the form of freelance work, an extra part-time job, working online or working on your own business and passions. With a side hustle, you normally have the freedom to dictate to a certain degree how much time you want to put into it and how you want to navigate it around your full-time job. With working styles and expectations becoming more flexible as more people are working from home, the opportunities to have a side hustle and create another source of income for yourself is most definitely an option.

Passive and active income

Side hustles can provide a great way for you to explore a particular career avenue or interest without quitting your primary job completely. Being an entrepreneur is not a way of working that everyone prefers. Some people enjoy the dabble and flexible nature of having a side hustle and still being able to rely on the stability of a full-time position. On the flip side of the coin, some may turn their side hustle into their full-time job.

(Image: Statista)

Statistics show that there are more than 7.5 million workers in the US who hold multiple jobs and in the instance of this statistic it is regarding active income. Active income is when your income is received for performing a service. Think about it as actively working, you get paid for the time worked. Passive income on the other hand is a form of income where it’s not derived from you actively. This could come in the form of investing or rental from a property.

Both of these types of income could technically constitute a side hustle, but generally, we refer to an active income when speaking about them.

Your goals, what is important to you?

You may or may not have a side hustle already, but if you’re thinking of starting one or have started one, it’s always good to regroup and think about what your goals are. The temptation can often be to take on too many things and then not actually reaping the benefit of what you’re doing. So by setting goals and finding out the reason why you want to do a certain side hustle can help give you some perspective on your career.

A great way to try and make sure you’re navigating your side hustles in alignment with your goals is to establish what you want out of them. Is it experience, is it extra money or is it the opportunity to launch your own business, this is a good place to start when getting your side hustles or potential side hustles in order.

Plan ahead and navigate your side hustles

The organisation is key when it comes to side hustles,  ensure that you’re timetabling yourself well and make sure your primary income isn’t compromised when navigating a side hustle. It’s great to grind and use your working from home opportunities to accommodate for extra jobs, but you don’t want it to take away from your performance at your full-time job. It’s vital that you are meeting your company’s standard before you even consider taking on an extra side hustle.

There can be costs when it comes to establishing side hustles for yourself, whether you are starting a side eCommerce hustle or simply investing in educating yourself about something, like with these TEFL certificates, you want to rationalise your spending. Are you buying the equipment for something that realistically you’re going to give up after a month? Don’t get yourself into a financial tizzy for the sake of a side hustle that you’re not that passionate about.

Make sure that you’re taking care of yourself, make sure you’re getting enough sleep and factoring in time to have a social life. It can get addictive when you are navigating multiple side hustles, but remember to enjoy life too!

Think about how you’re using your income from your side hustles. You might be in the infancy of starting a new business outside of your full-time job, but is it really a necessity to have the latest desk chairs and swanky computers at the beginning. A mistake that is often made is spending too much too soon. Work within your means at the start and your work will speak for itself, you could repurpose that cash in something that your customers or client will benefit from instead.

Time Management is king when it comes to side hustling. Remember you’re navigating your full-time job, so you need to make sure you’re setting aside time to do what you need to do as well as time for yourself. Try techniques like the Pomodoro technique to maximise your time.

Revisit your goals and focus regularly. This will keep you on the right track and make sure that your actions are direct and in alignment with what you set out to do. If you wanted to take on side hustles as a way to make more income but actually you’re losing it, it might be time to rethink that certain side hustle, if you wanted to refine a skill but actually can’t find the time to do it at the current moment, plan for a time when you can.

Final and arguably the most important, when choosing a side hustle make sure it’s something that is worth it! Is it helping you in the long run with things you want to achieve? Is it something you enjoy? Consider your side hustle as the time you are investing in yourself so think clearly and wisely when you do so, there’s nothing worse than giving your precious time for something that might not be worth it to you.

UK Scholarships for International Students

Sam Allcock
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UK Scholarships for International Students

Students who live in underdeveloped countries have dreams and aspirations of improving their lives and their respective countries. To achieve this, they feel that their only option is to further their education in a country like the UK.

The UK has some of the best universities in the world, and they offer some amazing scholarship programs for international students. 

It doesn’t matter where a student is from, as long as they meet the criteria set by a particular college or university, they will be selected. This article by UK.customwritings.com will look at some of the best UK scholarship programs for international students.

Benefits of Scholarship Programs 

  1. Scholarships help international students get into expensive colleges or universities. Students from developing countries often come from poor backgrounds, and getting high-quality education in a country like the UK is a dream. This is why scholarship programs are so important because they make this dream a reality. It gives them financial aid which enables them to study a course of their choice at one of the UK’s best colleges or universities. Once their course is finished, they can go back to their home country and improve their lives there thanks to the knowledge they gain.
  2. Scholarship programs allow students to focus on their studies rather than work. When international students arrive in the UK, they look for part-time employment to have some extra cash, however, they can affect their academic performances. Scholarship programs allow international students to worry less about getting a job and focus more on their studies. This lets them get better grades and eventually a better job as soon as their course is complete. 
  3. Scholarship programs can boost a student’s resume. Since competition is stiff, winning a scholarship is not easy at all, and you need some good fortune on your side to be picked from thousands of applicants. As soon as you’re awarded a scholarship, all your previous school achievements get enhanced. When you apply for jobs and employers see that you were on a scholarship program, they know they’ve come across a candidate who is hard-working. 
  4. Scholarship programs help international students gain additional experience. Even though one might have studied a particular course they are passionate about, they might be interested in another to gain experience or broaden their knowledge. A scholarship allows students to fulfill this need to gain extra experience and knowledge in something different from what they already know by helping them get enrolled at a top educational institution. This makes them an attractive candidate for employers in the future when they’re finished because they bring different disciplines to the table.

UK Scholarship Programs Available for International Students

  1. The Chevening Scholarships. This is one of the best scholarship programs offered by the UK government. Any student that feels that they have strong leadership skills is advised to apply for this program. Candidates are selected by the British Embassies located in different parts of the world. Future leaders of big organizations all over the globe have a chance to develop new skills while studying this program while experiencing what the UK has to offer. There are over 1500 of this scholarship offered every year to international students, and it offers financial help for a year Master’s Degree.
  2. Euraxess UK. Euraxess UK is an online portal that is managed by the British Council. Its purpose is to help the careers of researchers and make the most of the mobility opportunities out there. This program supports people who want to move to the UK as well as local researchers who have aspirations to work in other countries. Euraxess UK scholarship programs are as follows, first stage researcher (postgraduate level), early career researcher (postdoctoral level), and experienced researcher (over 6 years post-doctorate). Lastly, this scholarship program allows researchers to use its online service to find information and jobs in the UK.
  3. The Commonwealth Scholarships. The scholarships that come under this umbrella include Commonwealth Ph.D. Scholarships, Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships, and Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships. Students who come from the commonwealth countries can apply for any of the programs mentioned above every year.  This is a wonderful opportunity for those students who can’t afford to study in the UK to further their education due to financial constraints. Students for this program are picked based on their academic background as well as their desire to help their respective home countries. 
  4. The Royal Society Grants. This is a great program for scientists and is up there with some of the oldest scientific academies in the world. Its three main goals are to promote excellence in science, support collaboration at an international level, and prove science’s importance to everyone.
  5. UK university scholarships. Some top UK universities offer international students a chance to study on their premises via scholarship programs of their own as long as they’ve excelled in their home country. Some of the best universities in the UK that open their doors to international students include the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, King’s College London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and University College London (UCL). Students can find all the information they need by visiting the official websites of the universities mentioned above. 

Good quality education is not cheap, especially in a developed country like the UK, and most international students need financial help to cover the cost as well as living expenses.

Competition is very high when it comes to applying for a scholarship, and a student needs to make sure their application stands out to be picked. They need to have a strong academic background and a desire to push themselves to be the best they can be. Many universities look for this before picking students because their reputation is on the line if they pick candidates who affect their pass rate.

Any student with top honors in their respective country should not think twice and apply for any of the scholarship programs mentioned above.

BPO Philippines 2.0

Sam Allcock
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BPO Philippines 2.0

The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry in the Philippines started at the turn of the century, primarily driven by government policies designed to encourage investment. While many sectors took advantage of these policies, the country’s BPO industry was exceptionally well-placed to make the most of the opportunity. The combination of low labour costs and the high level of English meant the Philippines was an ideal location for offshore contact centres and BPO providers.

“Although its beginnings may have been rooted in providing low-cost outsourcing, the rapid growth of the Philippine BPO industry means the sector has matured over the last twenty years. Like any large, competitive industry, this one has moved from competing on price, where providers attempt to win business by undercutting rivals, to one in which premium providers compete on quality (people, processes, and technologies) and their domain expertise. In some ways, this has mirrored the growing sophistication of consumers,” says Ralf Ellspermann, CEO of PITON-Global, an award-winning, mid-sized BPO provider in Manila.

The consumer at the turn of the century was radically different to the consumer of the 2020s. Whether this reflects generational change or the internet creating more informed customers, it’s widely accepted that price is no longer the dominant factor in consumer choice. Instead, they are looking for something more.

“When choice is readily available and switching is easy, consumers are looking not just at the price but also at the quality of the transaction. While no customer would pay over the odds for a product or a service, they will frequently prefer to pay a premium for a service that provides high standards, and where they feel the brand values them as more than just a transaction. One prime example of this is Apple. The company’s customers are obviously prepared to pay a premium for Apple’s products and services,” says Ellspermann.

The development of BPO services in the Philippines matches the increasing sophistication of customers. The growth of the industry—there are over 800 BPO providers in the Philippines today—has been accompanied by increased expertise and specialisation. And, to service this, a large pool of experienced agents has emerged. There are over a million Filipinos employed by the BPO industry at present.

“Today, industry-leading BPOs have a clear focus on people, processes, technologies, and facilities. They pay higher salaries, knowing these attract the most experienced and proficient English speakers. Indeed, jobs in BPO companies are seen as some of the best employment opportunities in the country. Premium outsourcing providers continue to invest in the training and development of their staff, ensuring they are fully equipped for their roles and able to provide excellent service,” explains Ellspermann.

And similar investment takes place in processes and technology. This is especially true in specialised sectors like finance and healthcare, where BPOs in the Philippines are set up to meet the necessary regulatory requirements. Moreover, premium BPOs have been early adopters of technology. This is not just about ensuring reliable connections for their agents but also embracing advanced technologies such as AI, which can improve efficiency and enhance the customer experience.

Meanwhile, the customers will also benefit, having an enhanced customer experience whenever they need to contact support. They might not have been the ones to choose a BPO in the Philippines—though with the best and most fluent agents, they may never know the agent’s location—they benefit nonetheless from positive exchanges in which their queries, problems, and requests are handled effectively and efficiently.

“Today’s consumer is often choosing platforms, not products. Someone might use either Apple or Amazon to buy or rent the same movie. The product they get in either case will be identical, so their choice is often based on the customer experience,” says Ellspermann.

Once a customer has a bad experience, it’s easy for them to switch and hard for a business to win them back. Using anything but a high-quality outsourcing solution is high risk. One bad customer experience is all it takes, and it’s likely the customer will be someone else’s next time. But choosing an award-winning BPO provider such as PITON-Global in the Philippines ensures outsourcing with someone who understands and values the importance of the customer relationship.

Fuel Demand Returned To Levels Of The 90s Due To Pandemic

ABC Staff
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Fuel Demand Returned To Levels Of The 90s Due To Pandemic

The demand for fuels in Spain registered a historical drop and reached levels of the 90s as a consequence of the pandemic , while the prices of sale to the public were at the lowest levels of the decade, according to the annual report of supervision of fuel distribution in service stations corresponding to the year 2020 published by the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC).

Thus, during the past year, the demand for gasoline 95 and that of diesel A jointly experienced a fall17.1% and were at levels typical of the 90s as a result of the pandemic. Sales prices to the public fell to 1.2 euros per liter (-9.3%) for 95 gasoline and 1.1 euros per liter (-11.7%) for diesel A on an annual average.

The drop was less than that experienced by the reference products (gasoline and diesel) in the international markets. This is explained, according to the CNMC, because the rise in the gross distribution margin in Spain, that is, the difference between the price before taxes and the international price, reached all-time highs: 25 euro cents per liter for gasoline 95 and 24 euro cents per liter for diesel A, on an annual average.

Likewise, the price differentialsand gross margins with Europe widened. On the supply side, a continuous growth of the service station network was observed, led by independent installations, although with little penetration of the model without on-site personnel, a model that, in the opinion of the body chaired by Cani Fernández, it would help to reduce distribution costs and therefore gross margins.

In 2020, independent gas stations exceeded 40% share in terms of points of sale. With gross margins lower than those of the flagged stations, they applied a greater reduction in their sales prices. In its report, the CNMC concludes that the measures included in Law 11/2013 to promote competition in the retail distribution of fuels have had a positive effect,

In contrast, the network of the main operator (Repsol Group) has been reduced, significantly reducing its presence in many provinces. By virtue of said Law, the opening of new facilities was facilitated, certain restrictions were imposed on the flagged service stations to give the retail entrepreneur freedom when setting their prices at the gas station, softening the relationship contracts with wholesale operators and limited the expansion of the networks of the dominant operators, in particular Repsol and Cepsa with quotas at the provincial level (island or autonomous city) higher than 30%.

On an annual average and for the peninsular area, in 2020 differences of the order of 9 cents per liter could be observed between the service stations of the different groups (7 cents per liter in 2019).

Cheaper standalone gas stations
The improvement observed in recent years is mainly due to the independent facilities that, in addition to growing in number, continued to lower prices compared to those of the service stations of the flagship networks that, on the contrary, showed a significant alignment of prices.

The gross distribution margin (difference between the price before taxes and the international reference price of the wholesale price) has maintained an increasing trend in recent years, explained by the costs associated with the point of sale, but also by the costs associated with regulatory obligations, which fall on wholesale operators.

The most significant regulatory obligations are the maintenance of minimum security stocks, contributions to the National Energy Efficiency Fund and the obligation to market biofuels. The latter, according to the CNMC, is the main reason for the increases observed in the gross margin in the period analyzed, since penetration targets have been established for these increasingly demanding products.

“Improvable” competition
Therefore, the CNMC concludes that fuel prices in Spain respond to a level of competition that could be improved (despite the improvement in recent years) and to structural factors typical of the Spanish market.

Finally, the CNMC in its report makes a series of recommendations to improve competition and market supervision, among them that the regulations do not put barriers to the installation of more cost-efficient service stations that are not justified by reasons of general interest .

Energy accelerates inflation to 2.2% in April due to electricity and gasoline
In addition, in his opinion, it is advisable to improve transparency in exclusive supply contracts in service stations with a firm sales regime, as well as to analyze a possible rethinking of the limitation of the network to operators with a quota greater than 30%.

Likewise, it considers that it is advisable to improve the information available to the Administration on exclusivity contracts and annual sales, and on the purchase prices of the product by service stations, among others.

Economy With Pending Subjects In Spain

ABC Staff
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Economy With Pending Subjects In Spain

Productivity . That is one of the keys to progress . And that is one of the pending subjects of the Spanish economy, as the president of CaixaBank, José Ignacio Goirigolzarri , the president of the Spanish Chamber, José Luis Bonet , has agreed to highlight ; and the Secretary of State for Digitization, Carme Artigas, during the debate on the challenges of the Spanish economy in the framework of the Cercle d’Economia Meeting , which ended this Friday in Barcelona.

In this sense, in Goirigolzarri’s opinion it is necessary to make an “extraordinary” effort so that education and trainingincorporate the new skills that the economy requires to fight unemployment, advance productivity and achieve social cohesion .

The Chairman of CaixaBank recalled that we now have the most prepared youth in the history of Spain, which is in contrast to the fact that 30% of people have not finished secondary education .

For this reason, he considers it essential to work so that the entire population incorporates digitization skills , because there is an “asynchrony” between the demand and supply of work, which, in addition, will serve to fight against inequality , since 80% of the itself has its origin in unemployment.

It has opted for making a great effort in education and training to incorporate permanent skills of the entire population to achieve the “great challenge” of social cohesion. The Chairman of CaixaBank has set as a key element in which companies must be involved ” dual training”, which requires a certain size, which is why the Spanish productive fabric with such small companies “makes it difficult.

Carme Artigas has highlighted that 86% of Spanish companies lacked digital transformation plans before the pandemic, while 20% have joined after. Artigas believes that many changes brought about by the pandemic have come “to stay” and that a much more ” resilient green and digital” production model should be advocated , “we have the opportunity to make significant changes and come out better prepared.”

In this sense, he has ensured that now 19% of Spanish GDP is digital and that, in five years, this percentage has risen to 40%, since the economy will be increasingly linked to data or sectors such as the artificial intelligence. According to Artigas, we must take advantage of the great opportunity that technology represents for growth and employment.

For his part, the president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce has stated that Spain should have the internationalization of companies as a “priority” objective. In Bonet’s opinion, the challenges of transforming the Spanish productive fabric also involve entrepreneurship, digitization, sustainability and professional training.

He has considered that public-private collaboration is a “necessity” for administrations and institutions to accompany companies in these challenges, especially in internationalization, and has pointed out that European funds are an opportunity for this transformation.

In addition, he alluded to the Strategic Projects for Economic Recovery and Transformation ( Pertes ): “They will work, but we risk the future in the structure of SMEs.” Bonet has warned that in Spain there are 6 million homes where no one works and that they need a “social shield”, which is to promote and facilitate entrepreneurship, he said.

He has also defended betting on those people over 45 years of age or young people who have become unemployed, so that they can access and be part of the transformation of the productive fabric, and has asked to be accompanied in their “recycling”.

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