Up to 60% off Bedsure Home products for Amazon Prime Day

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

Up to 60% off Bedsure Home products for Amazon Prime Day

Bedsure Home will be offering discounts of up to 60% as part of Amazon’s Prime Day 2021.

The premium bedding company will be offering products to customers in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, France and Italy for the two-day event on June 21st and 22nd.

Discounted products will include a Flannel Fleece Blanket, a Soft-Brushed Microfiber Fitted Sheet and a Waterproof Dog Bed.

As traditional on Prime Day, some specially discounted products will be available both days, some for just one day with others only available for a couple of days as Lightning Sales.

Discounts for Bedsure Home products will range from 5% to 60%, with 20% off Percale Pattern Comforters, 50% off Bamboo Sheets and a 60% discount on Baby Sleep Bags.

Amazon Prime Day is one of the world’s biggest annual sales events.

Two years ago, Amazon offered more than 1 million deals to customers in 18 countries, with a total of 175 million products bought.

Bedsure Home provides its millions of customers with over 1,000 home products in eight countries.

Its products aim to help people and pets feel cosier, more comfortable and relaxed inside and out of their homes.

For more details on the products that will be on sale for Prime Day in the UK and Europe, click here.

About Bedsure Home

Bedsure Home has over 50 Amazon-bestselling home products in eight countries, including the US and the UK. We have been featured and mentioned in reputable publications like Country Living, CNN, Glamour, Forbes and Huffpost UK. While we’ve grown into a global company with diverse products to meet different customer needs, our focus on comfortable home products and everyday value stays the same.

Media contact

Daniel Menges

daniel.c.menges@shinebed.com

Commercial Lending Options in Today’s Investment Property Market

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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Commercial Lending Options in Today’s Investment Property Market

Many people, realtors, investors, and the public, are wondering what will happen to property prices after the pandemic. 2020 saw an inevitable slump in the property market generally once Covid hit businesses and individuals around the world.

The housing market now is seeing something of a boom as far as prices are concerned due to a supply and demand problem. More people are interested in buying homes than are actually available, at least in some regions. Commercial property is also looking buoyant as 2021 progresses and could represent a good investment now.

When you are considering a move into the commercial property market, or are already involved in investing, you need to weigh up your lending options. Today’s loan options are far greater than those offered in the past and some may be easier to obtain and more useful than others.

What condition is the commercial property market in today?

When looking towards cities such as New York and London, you will see that many offices are now being turned into homes as the need for workspace is diminishing. One of the causes of why this is happening in the pandemic. The virus has changed many things including the way people work now.

The lockdowns of 2020 and now, 2021, meant that many people were asked to work remotely from home. Other individuals who found themselves unemployed also looked for ways to work online. The effect of this is that less office space is now needed in many cities in the UK, the USA, and in other countries.

However, there are signs that some locations with traditionally high levels of office space are returning to normal. There are also many other commercial properties available due to the number of businesses that failed during the last eighteen months.

Is commercial property investment a good idea?

Before you get involved in raising finances, taking out property loans, or investing in the market, you should ask yourself if now is the right time.

There are many reasons to get involved with the commercial property market. Purchasing property, in general, is often a good way to invest money and can lead to high returns in a strong market.

Options for investing could include the following:

Apartment buildings
Office buildings
Land development
Strip malls or centres
Restaurants and bars
Hotels
Sporting arenas
Storage facilities
Medical offices

In fact, any property or land that is intended to be able to make a profit could be considered a commercial property. Even if offices will not be used for their intended purpose, it may still make sense to join the bandwagon and convert them into homes for a profit. Empty retail units may be available at a good price after so many bankruptcies, and land is going begging in countries hard hit by the pandemic.

The main reason to invest in commercial property is to make a profit.

How much could you make on a commercial property investment?

When it comes to profit predictions it would be hard to put any type of figure on it as there are so many options for investment. An office building could potentially remain empty for some time and an apartment building may not attract buyers. Alternatively, you might discover you have to fight off potential purchasers.

When it comes to rental yields on commercial property it is a little clearer. According to some experts including Statista, rental yields on commercial properties tend to lie between 5% and 10% depending on the type of property. Retail figures very highly in the best options for UK investment including the high street, shopping malls, and retail warehouses.

Residential property, by contrast, usually provides a yield of between 1% and 3%, making commercial property far more attractive.

What are the different types of commercial loans for property investment?

Now that you are committed to the idea of commercial property investment it comes down to finding the best options. There are many types of lending options for a potential investor and they are all useful in different circumstances.

Some types of commercial property loans:

SBA or small business administration loan
CDC or certified development company loan
Traditional loan or commercial mortgage
Commercial bridge loan
Hard money loan

Small business administration and certified development company loans

In America, the US Small Business Administration offers a variety of loans for commercial investors. The organisation will lend up to $5 million and can process loan applications quickly.

The purpose of these particular loans is to help stimulate the economy, growth of companies, and help provide employment. They can be used for the purchasing and development of land, construction of new facilities, and for buying existing commercial property.

Traditional loans or mortgages

In Britain, you might search for the best UK commercial mortgages when you want a standard way to raise finances. The big banks such as Barclays, Nationwide, TSB, Lloyds, ICICI, Santander, and Halifax, are all involved in commercial mortgages as well as residential options.

A traditional loan may be paid back over a longer period than some other options, perhaps up to 20 years. Just like residential home loans, you would be expected to provide a substantial deposit from 15% to perhaps 35%, of the total LTV ratio.

The perks of this type of loan are the longer payment period and the lower interest rate. The disadvantage of this type of lending option is there is less likelihood of being approved. Banks are less likely to approve large loans than they were in the past.

Commercial bridge loan

A bridging loan for a commercial property is much the same as when it is used for a residential purchase. Bridging loans are providing to help fill the gap between selling one property and acquiring another.

For instance, you own a building that is up for sale but there is a delay in completion. However, you are already far down the line in the purchase of another commercial property. A bridging loan will provide a short-term finance option for your new purchase while you are waiting on the sale of your other property.

They tend to be short-term options and come with substantial interest rates and fees. A borrower should pay the loan back quickly or look to switch to another financing option.

Hard money loans

A commercial hard money loan is another short-term option that can help get you onto the commercial property ladder. These companies are licensed to lend to investors and the loan can be used to purchase any manner of commercial property or for individuals who want to flip houses.

They are intended to be used by owner, non-occupant, investors and typically pay out up to 75% of the ARV of the asset. They may need to be paid back within 12 months but often do not have early repayment penalties. The disadvantage in using one of these loans is the high-interest rate but many accept this as they are easy to arrange in a matter of days and allow for quick and easy property purchases.

Summary

The commercial property market could be a good investment, even for a beginner, if the research is done properly. Conventional loans provide low-interest rates and longer terms but for someone looking to get involved in the market easily, a hard money loan may be the best option.

As the pandemic continues, it will be interesting to see how the property markets pan out, but for now, bricks and mortar are still looking like a solid investment.

A comprehensive guide to Buying & Designing Black Curtains

Fashion

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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A comprehensive guide to Buying & Designing Black Curtains

Curtains play an important role when it comes to designing the interior. They provide your place with a much-needed look and help to transform it effortlessly. They add a pop of color and pattern to the windows, making them a focal point of your place. There comes a wide variety of curtain colors, fabrics, styles, and patterns which allow one to choose freely that complements his/her place. People opt for all colours when buying window panels but avoid black curtains because of their striking and dark shade.

Some people think that black curtains are too extravagant to add to their place, while others believe that black looks odd as it is associated with gloom and sadness. Well, it’s a misconception; if seen logically, black colour is associated with power, strength, mystery, elegance, formality, and sophistication. So do the black curtains indicate; they are the best way to bring depth & variation to the windows. This article aims to provide you with an essential guide to buying and designing them to help you go for a big transformation by adding them to your place.

Let’s begin with the buying guide…

Construction material: The very first thing you need to consider is the construction material. Curtains come in fabric as well as polymer materials where both offer specific features. When it comes to choosing between both, cloth panels are the best Go-to choice because they are environment friendly and help you achieve the formal look completing the rest of the elements of your place. The thick and heavy black fabric helps to block the light entirely from entering your place and achieve the perfect darkness, which provides you with a temperature balanced, secured, and comfortable place. Heavy black curtains provide the user with a comfortable sleeping environment by extracting excessive light as well. You can also choose lightweight black cotton panels combined with a light coloured sheer panel.

Design & size: once you’ve chosen the fabric material, the next step is to select designs. There come solid black and printed panels with beautiful floral & jacquard prints. If you are a beginner and don’t have an idea which design to go for, opt for plain and solid panels. Next comes the size; you’ll find all standard sizes in the market, including full length, window sill length, & half of the window panel length. The size depends on your budget because the more significant the size, the more expensive the panels will be. We’ll recommend you to buy full-length panels that are double in width as your window for an ideal designer look.

Heading style: the overall look of curtains dramatically depends on the heading type. There exist eyelet, pencil pleat, pinch pleat, tab top, grommet, reverse pleat, weave pleat, & red pocket headings among which eyelet, pencil pleat, and pinch pleat are widely used. Eyelet panels have metal, wood, plastic, or glass rings at the top that runs across the width. These rings have a diameter of 30mm typically and are mounted at an equal distance app. Three inches from each other. This results in deep and evenly distributed pleats. This heading allows an easy adjustment of panels according to need. At the same time, pinch pleat and pencil pleat curtains are usually fixed and don’t allow the user to open or close them completely. They come with ties and strings that are used to keep them open.

The choice of heading depends on one’s personal preference and the look he/she wants to achieve. For instance, if you’re going to create a formal look, you should opt for heavy fabric pencil pleat or eyelet curtains, whereas lightweight eyelet or pinch pleat panels are recommended for casual use.

Designing ideas

Hang high above: For modern and contemporary looks, hanging the panels high above or from the ceiling is widely practiced. This only helps you make the windows appear broader and wider and creates an illusion of a spacious and bigger place. If you are out of budget or have very high ceilings, hang them 10-12 inches above the window track and end them 1-2 cm above the floor. Also, extend the rod 5-7 inches on both sides for a perfectly balanced look.

Layer up: Black curtains can look overwhelming if you are crowded or decorative interiors. To balance the look and reduce the glaze of black, it’s a better idea to combine it with any neutral panel & layer up your curtains. Any colour, either white, off-white, vanilla pink, duck egg, beige, or any other, will go well against the black. The key to choosing the best colour that complements your place is to select the base colour of your interior. Other than fabric panels, roller blinds and Roman shades can also be used for a chic and balanced look.

Let the panels touch the floor: a common mistake that most people make without realizing is buying store-bought curtains without measuring the size of their windows, which results in a messy look. Doing this makes the chances of smaller or larger panels very likely. For a perfect and tailored look, always measure the size before buying & opt for extra-large panels that slightly puddle or kiss the floor when hanging indoors. If you hang them outdoors or to the windows where there is significant traffic, you can hover the panels 1-2 inches above the floor. This rule applies to homes, offices, cafes, and theatres.

Accessorise: plain and solid panels often tend to add a mute accent to the place. To balance it, one can add metallic tie-backs or hangings. Decorative finials and rods are also a go-to choice. Always remember that silver or gold finials and tiebacks are best for achieving a designer look on a limited budget.

Places to Buy From

We are listing three of our favourite bedding companies to buy the black curtains from;

Imperial Rooms: Imperial rooms is a bedding company that has been selling top-notch bedding products as well as premium quality curtains for the past decade. When it comes to black curtains specifically, you can find blackout curtains, embossed curtains, jacquard curtains, and crushed velvet curtains at Imperial Rooms.

Oxford Homeware: It is another bedding company based in the UK. Oxford Homeware is also selling bedding products for a decade. You can find the matching bedding sets and black curtains from Oxford Homeware. Moreover, you’ll discover crushed velvet and blackout curtains in black colour at this company. We love most about this company because its products are made from premium quality material that makes them last longer.

BedBasics: Last but not least, BedBasics is another go-to choice if you’ve been looking for black curtains at affordable rates. Like Imperial Rooms and Oxford Homeware, BedBasics is also a UK-based company that has been dealing in bedding and curtain products for over a decade. It offers high-quality black curtains with both contemporary eyelet & traditional pencil pleat headers in all standard sizes & trendy designs.

Why online tech is key to propelling business forward

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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Why online tech is key to propelling business forward

It is sometimes the case where the growth of your business outpaces the growth of your workforce. While your business may try to compensate by tackling the extra workload with existing resources, this could be detrimental to other areas of the business that may get neglected as a result.

Working extra hours to navigate the added workload can become counterproductive and lead to stagnancy. Businesses that realise this will explore solutions to keep it on its trajectory of growth while maintaining its key elements. Companies that experience overwhelming growth often turn to outsourcing to handle key elements of their operational model. Another option that businesses may consider is upgrading their system into a smart workspace which promotes productivity for the employees.

What is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing is a common practice that businesses use to help them with operational challenges that they may be facing. This is done by engaging in the skills and expertise of people outside of the business structure. A company may decide to outsource a specific task, project, or section of its operational model to an external party.

By doing so, the company can focus their effort, time and attention on core business requirements with their existing staff. Moreover, the company can save costs as no recruitment and onboarding processes are required. When a company is thinking about outsourcing, they typically assess their current skill set to determine which tasks need to be outsourced.

Core competencies are usually kept in-house while specific tasks are outsourced to specialists in that field. Businesses are only as strong as their weakest link, so it is vital to outsource to an expert that will meaningfully contribute to your company’s goals.

How to approach outsourcing?

When thinking about outsourcing some elements of your business, you must consider the following.

Understand your motive

Before diving into the actual outsourcing process, you need to identify your approach. You need to determine if you are looking to get straightforward tasks off your hands, save on costs, or hire an expert to assist with a specific part of your business. This will help you to understand what your goals actually are and how much you are willing to invest in them.

Whilst outsourcing is an excellent means to achieve specific goals, wasting money on undefined expectations can lead to more confusion. A good idea is to decide on a project or hourly rate, or a fixed price that fits within your budget. If you are having trouble reaching this figure, you can break down the required tasks into hours and calculate the hourly rate to estimate your fixed budget. Both fixed prices for projects and hourly rates are great options as long as there is an understanding between you and the outsourced party.

Get clarity on project specifications

Once you understand why you want to outsource, the next step is to get clarity on the project specifications. Some elements to consider are the length of the project, whether it is a once-off or ongoing commitment, the scope of the work required, and what type of deadlines will be given.

Although some projects may not be as urgent and without any time pressure, it is a good idea to set deadlines for those as well. This will avoid the project rolling along for extended periods and also ensure that the outsourced party does not get complacent. With deadlines in place, you can then move on to your expectations.

Define expectations

It is critical for you to define your expectations with the outsourced party at the beginning of your interaction. You must be clear and specific about what you expect from the outsourced party. There may be instances where you will want to outsource an entire project as you don’t have the time or resources to be involved in that specific project.

In other instances, however, you may want to be involved in some capacity with that project to provide feedback and insight as the work progresses. In these circumstances, you must specify that you would like to keep track of progress and ensure that revisions will be adhered to, as per your feedback and insight.

In terms of fixed-cost projects, it is very important to be specific on exact deliverables. You must specify exactly what you are paying for and what you expect the outsourced party to deliver in return for that payment. With clear expectations spelt out, the job of the outsourced party has direction and purpose from which to work.

Benefits of outsourcing

Access to quality resources:

When businesses experience growth, they usually require more resources to accommodate them. Key components of your business may already be stretched to the limit by other critical responsibilities and this may pose a challenge. By choosing to outsource vital elements of your operational model, you relieve your in-house staff of an unwelcomed burden.

Moreover, you have access to quality resources with a specific skill set that your team may be lacking. Overall, outsourcing will help to better allocate resources and helps with the growth transition without compromising other parts of your business.

Expertise and experience:

Usually, the need for outsourcing is due to a lack of expertise and experience in specific domains and technologies. Acquiring such skills at your company can be a costly affair, especially if those skills are only required for a limited period of time. By using an outsourced party, you can tap into specialised resources with the exact skills that your company lacks for a flexible amount of time. With these outsourced parties equipped to address critical elements of your business, you will be able to see results quickly as implementation is accelerated.

Avoid Risks:

By choosing a skilled outsourcing provider like PrimePixels who have experience with multiple companies, you will be more confident in getting effective results. Such outsourcing providers understand industry-specific problems, challenges that lie ahead, and practical ways to overcome these challenges. Not only will you save time and money, but you will avoid risks that follow unforeseen complications or missteps.

Flexibility and scalability:

By employing an outsourcing provider, you can control the cost of your transformation by upsizing or downsizing your outsourced team at any time, depending on your business needs. You only need to use specific skill sets when necessary and you can take advantage of a dedicated outsourced team during the most demanding phases of your operations.

Improved security:

You can be assured that outsourcing providers use the most stringent security practices to safeguard companies like yours from risks such as cybercrime. This is particularly useful when the outsourcing provider launches projects from their end on behalf of your company.

Final thoughts

Outsourcing is an excellent way for companies to manage their growth by engaging in specialised skills from experts in their field. Where companies lack the skills, experience and resources to perform specific tasks, outsourcing providers can offer trained capabilities that give the best solutions for an organisation. Moreover, companies can benefit from access to the best talent, cutting-edge technologies, and unique expertise that all contribute to an effective strategy. Choose wisely and take your business to the next level!

How to Choose the Best Forex Strategy

Finance

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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What is the most frequent question by both novice and experienced Forex traders? They are constantly puzzled about which trading strategy will bring them the biggest profit. And, if you are one of them, we have exciting news for you! You’ve got a chance to learn which strategies top traders apply and which of them are the most fruitful. Intrigued? Then, get acquainted with the research by the experts of Traders Union.

This platform is known to constantly monitor the current trends and innovations in the Forex market and regularly perform related investigations applying diversified approaches. Their reviews enjoy popularity among thousands of novice and advanced traders who strive to enhance their knowledge, skills, and profits.

So, their latest research was focused on the methods and schemes used by leading traders. Having looked through hundreds of reviews and tutorials, the team of Traders Union found out that every expert and trader has his own opinion on which strategy is winning. As a result, novice traders analyzing materials available get confused and cannot choose which method to start with. So, Traders Union decided to provide exact statistics on the use of different strategies by prosperous traders so that other traders can see through their examples which methods really work.

Why should you read this research? Its unique feature is that it covers 2,400 accomplished traders working with the top 10 brokers in the market. Traders Union has the largest base of traders working with hundreds of varied brokers. So, you can be sure that the results they received are objective and worth trusting.

Which strategies can you select from?

After studying the behavior of traders under consideration, as well as the materials available in open access, Traders Union experts singled out the following types of strategies.

Depending on the period of position holding, one can distinguish such methods:

Day Trading. Most traders prefer to open and close positions on the same day without leaving them open overnight. That allows them to easily and effectively adjust to the fast-paced market trends.
Position Trading. Those who select this method analyze long-term chats to catch the current trends. They open positions when the prices on the corresponding assets start to grow and close them when the prices start decreasing. As a rule, positions are held open for several days or weeks.
Swing Trading. In such a case, one takes advantage of the high volatility periods. So, one earns from differences in prices. This strategy implies holding positions for short terms.
Scalping. Traders sticking to this scheme can perform hundreds of trades per day. Holding periods do not usually last longer than several seconds or minutes. Such traders are oriented toward small but frequent gains from the difference between supply and demand prices.

Speaking about types of market analysis, traders can choose from:

Fundamental analysis. It implies analyzing the current trends and recent events in the sphere of global economics and basing decisions upon the corresponding conclusions.
Technical. This approach involves analyzing the past tendencies on the market and the past trends in other traders’ behavior. Traders using this method believe that people are prone to act identically in identical or similar situations.
Combined. As you have probably guessed, this strategy unites the two previously mentioned. So, a trader may make a decision based on the fundamental analysis and use the conclusions from a technical investigation as an extra argument in support of it or vice versa.

Besides, there are three types of strategies based on market tendencies:

Trendline. It implies opening positions in the direction of the current tendency and closing them when it weakens.
Countertrend. According to it, traders open and hold positions for the period of pullback.
Sidewise trend. One opens a position for the period of price stability and takes advantage of slight rate movements.

Which strategy turned out to be the most effective?

Now, when you have learned about all the schemes available to traders, you probably want to know which one will help you earn the most. If yes, be sure to get acquainted with the results of the study in the article by Traders Union.

droppTV Co-Founder Gurps Rai Sees Experiential As The Key To NFT Market Growth

News

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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droppTV Co-Founder Gurps Rai Sees Experiential As The Key To NFT Market Growth

Although the term “NFT” has dominated the news cycle for a couple months now, for many of us up until this point the idea has served as little more than a source of anecdotes involving large amounts of money collected from something we once considered trivial (did you see the “Disaster Girl” meme NFT sold for $500,000?) In a way, it’s easy to see why these stories keep making the news: it’s certainly hard not to click on an article stating Grimes made $5.8 million dollars in less than 20 minutes on her digital artwork, or that Jack Dorsey sold his first tweet ever for $2.9 million. The explosive growth of these sales has been called “the latest blockchain craze” or “the NFT gold rush,” but while it is fun to laugh or even tsk our tongues at the novelty of a meme selling for half a million dollars, others are recognizing the potential NFTs have to revolutionize industries.

One such person is Gurps Rai, founder and chief executive officer of droppTV. Billed as the world’s first shoppable streaming platform, droppTV uses proprietary artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision algorithms to recognize products in video content and tag them in real-time, building at the intersection of entertainment and retail. Today’s consumers are increasingly looking to buy with purpose, seeking an emotional connection with their purchases more than ever before that can only be achieved through authenticity and relatability on the part of the brand. The accessibility of the internet has created a savviness in the consumer that means they are quickly able to identify – and distrust – when they are being “sold to,” and Rai recognized that even a pop-up ad or a new window that opens to purchase a product is disruptive to the experiential nature of shopping within a video.

Shopatainment with droppTV

The idea of being able to purchase while simultaneously being entertained – also known as “shopatainment” – is a powerful one, and Rai’s hope has been to see droppTV’s technology used to transform industries. Making the first phase of the company’s consumer rollout music videos, Rai has sought to innovate within the music industry by allowing artists and creators a new way to tell stories through their content as well as connect with their fans. Although the technology that is available today has made it possible to create professional-quality videos without a gigantic budget, many up-and-coming artists overpay directors for videos of mediocre quality while also failing to adequately monetize the content they create. However, the problems within the music industry extend well beyond the monetization of music videos, and Gurps Rai has recognized the parallels between droppTV’s innovative technology and that of NFTs.

NFTs in a nutshell

Before we go any further, it would be best to provide as brief of an explanation as possible of the nature of NFTs. NFT stands for non-fungible token, with “non-fungible” meaning that it is unique and unable to be interchangeable with anything else. NFTs can technically be anything digital, but much of the current excitement is about using the technology to sell digital art from photographs to drawings to music as we’ll discuss in more detail.

Blockchain technology is what has allowed cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, bitcoin or dogecoin to evolve, and in the simplest of terms can be described as a process for storing data in a transparent and unalterable way. Similar to how watermarks and special paper prevent people from simply printing money, blockchain technology is what allows cryptocurrencies to exist independent of traditional banking networks. Most NFTs are part of the Ethereum blockchain, which supports NFTs by storing extra information that makes them work differently from an Ethereum coin, but other blockchains can and have begun to implement their own versions of NFTs.

While technically every NFT has a unique token on the blockchain, it is possible to issue multiple copies that are still all classed as authentic and unique, similar to a limited edition print or a trading card in which only a certain amount was made.

NFTs and the music industry

The ability to create identical and yet unique NFTs opens the door to changing the way the music industry currently operates. Just as Rai’s droppTV platform puts the power back into the hands of the artists to monetize their creations, NFTs have the ability to revolutionize the way we access music. Rather than be dependent on large record labels and streaming services to earn revenue, musicians can choose when and how to release their content and let the markets establish their value. Additionally, blockchain’s ability to track an NFT through every sale after its creation means that even as items such as merch or concert tickets are sold and re-sold, the artist can continue to receive monetary compensation for them. Think about how a band tee’s value can increase over time as it becomes older and more rare – with NFTs, rather than it being a one-time, direct-to-consumer payment it results in multiple payouts that can result in a more expansive, long-term career for the musician.

The experiential element

NFTs provide fans with the ability to invest in artists directly, but unlike droppTV they lack the experiential element that can draw in a crowd by creating excitement and hype. According to Rai, this is one of a number of roadblocks that can prevent NFTs from reaching their potential within the music industry. The current user experience is more traditionally e-commerce, very transactional in nature and resembling a bidding marketplace such as eBay. As “shopatainment” proves to be an increasingly viable way for retailers to revitalize their business, there is no reason for such an exciting new technology to be using antiquated e-commerce methods. As Rai puts it, the NFT market is in its “Wild West” phase which means that while it is dealing with problems such as copyright issues, fees, energy use and intellectual property infringement, it is also ripe with opportunity for those who see it. While experiential shopping can be an effective strategy for any retail business, working it into the music and entertainment industry has the potential to be one of the most seamless transitions. As stated earlier, Ethereum is currently where most NFT tokens are minted, but on the ERC20 chain the gas prices of minting a token can be taxing. Within the business model of the current NFT marketplaces sellers must be accepted to be able to sell in the marketplace. Additionally, the marketplace transactional fees can fluctuate and are currently quite high with the marketplace taking 15% in addition to other fees.

Bringing together the best of both worlds, Rai is leveraging the energy-efficient cryptocurrency Hedera to verify and tokenize one-off iconic pieces in music videos on the droppTV platform. Through this new innovation, creators will have the unique ability to tokenize music video sets and sell digital and real life pieces. Imagine owning the actual chair Beyonce sat on in her music video or those actual sneakers DJ Khaled is wearing in his music video. droppTV’s interactive video technology will allow viewers to purchase one-off outfits directly from a music video with a single tap, while Hedera’s Hashgraph technology will be used to track and trace the provenance of the collectables and mint the NFTs. This way, the purchasers know the items they have purchased are authentic, and that everybody involved in the creation of the product is properly compensated for it, for old music videos as well as new.

By using Hedera, droppTV has created the world’s first experiential marketplace of verified collectibles. Although market capitalization of NFTs has grown by over 125% in this year alone, it is in no way close to a mature industry yet. As Rai put it, artists are selling music on droppTV already and they make way more money than any other streaming platform can offer them. Adding this NFT layer to that just means there is a solid and robust structure for artists to cut out the middleman and go direct to their fans. NFTs have created the ability for the music industry to evolve way past its current structure, and has massive utility in creating the fair creator economy that artists deserve.

Starting a business in Singapore

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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Singapore is an ideal place for any global companies to set up their businesses. The investments and strong trade relations make it one of the most competitive countries in Asia. Strict enforcement of intellectual property laws, free trade agreement, and double taxation avoidance make it easier to start your company.

This article enlightens you on the comprehensive steps to starting and registering your company in Singapore.

1. Registering your company

Whether you’re a local or foreign investor, it is ideal to register a company with Singapore authorities before starting any operations. It would help if you chose a service provider to help you during this process. Rikvin is a service provider with an expert who will advise you on all the registration needs like grants, policies, and tax concessions in Singapore. The service providers offer the services to both foreign-based and local-based investment.

2. Finding the company’s premises

Singapore provides a wide range of choices for choosing the premises of a company. You can choose the location of your company. When choosing the premises for your company, you can opt for setting it at the heart of the headquarters or a suburban estate. The government assures these companies of premium infrastructure and facilities for the setup. After your approval, seek the help of a service provider company like Rikvin to help you with the corporate administration and company secretarial functions.

3. Recruiting workforce

After setting up the company premises, it is more difficult to acquire both skilled and unskilled workforce in most countries. However, the situation in Singapore is different. The substantial pool of both local and international workforce attracts most companies to Singapore. After registering with a company in Singapore, you will find a lot of workforce for your company through various ways. The most common way you can get through the various recruitment agencies.

Furthermore, you can also find more employees at Enterprise Singapore. Also, remember that the Singapore Company Act requires your company to appoint a secretary within six months. Rikvin can provide your company with the services of a secretary who should be a Singapore resident. Lastly, you can try out training programs to partner with other cooperatives and agencies to get a quality workforce. Always remember that for any non-resident workforce, you need a special pass for them to work in the country.

4. Assistance from government agencies

Worldwide, Singapore is best known for its inter-agency cooperation, which helps grow most businesses and companies. The economic development board ensures that the investor has a first-rate business environment. Lastly, the Accounting and corporate regulatory authority oversees all the registration and regulation of the company’s entities. Furthermore, they provide information on any new business structure and governance practices.

The bottom line

Registering a company in Singapore becomes one of the essential steps in starting an investment. Consider service providers like Rivkin to help you navigate through this effortlessly. After the registration and setting up of the company, you need to be conversant with the Singapore statutes to avoid problems with the state agencies. Lastly, when hiring any non-resident workers, you need to apply for a valid work pass.

How To Go About Understanding Stock Market Terms?

Finance

Sam Allcock

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21 June 2021

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How To Go About Understanding Stock Market Terms?

There are multiple ways via which an investor can choose to learn about stock markets.
Learning about the stock markets does not depend on your age. Understanding the stock market will help you trade well and generate a passive income source.

There is no age limit for learning. Anyone starting from a child to a retiree can learn anything he or she wishes to. There are different ways to learn something, some prefer reading, some prefer seeing video whereas others prefer doing it rather than just gaining theoretical knowledge.

Similarly, there are many ways to understand the stock markets, where the shares of publicly listed companies are traded. Understanding the stock market will help you in building your confidence and you will be able to understand better whatever you will buy or sell.

Even if you are not trading in shares and investing in other asset classes, you should understand the markets as this will help you in enhancing your knowledge and you can discuss multiple investment opportunities with your financial advisor to generate a passive income source.

Let us look at the various methods to make this learning process easier.

Reading books: To start with the basics is always a good idea. Reading books related to the stock market will build a strong base for new investors. Initially, one should read basic books on the stock market, which will help them to be familiar with terminologies.

However, once the basic is build-up, one can choose books depending upon their area of interest, be it technical or fundamental analysis.

Reading Articles: Another way of educating yourself is to read articles. Articles written by business and investment professional will help you in understanding how the stock market functions. There are multiple options available to start with, like search the topics on the internet you want to know about. You will also find additional information and related articles on the topic. You should always rely on authorised sources and websites and should verify all the information before taking a call.

Online classes: Online classes can help you in knowing a topic or basics of stock markets in details. One can learn about various aspects such investment tools and techniques required to understand the fluctuations of the stock market.

These online sessions are conducted by trained professionals, who will help you with the theoretical concepts and teach you the tactics of profitable trading. There are many online institutes that offer the courses to learn the financial markets and once the course is completed, they also provide the learning certificate.

There are various courses available to choose from. One can choose depending upon the interest and need. However, you may not be aware of your interest in the beginning, so choosing a mix of fundamental and technical analysis course is recommended. The online course will train the investor to pick the right company for investment and learning from the technical analysis will help you determine the correct entry or exit for stocks.

Once you start developing an interest in a particular field, you can opt for advanced courses.

Analyse the market: Learning and analysing are the two sides of a coin. You need to learn the basics and start researching the companies based on their performance and past trends. Also, try to analyse the impact of news on the stocks, like travel restrictions across the world affected the stocks of all travel companies all over the world.

There are multiple internal or external factors that affect the movement of stocks, such as war, political unrest or change in leadership, government policies, health crisis, etc. Try to decode the impact of these changes on the stocks, and with exposure to the trends, you will move a step closer towards understanding markets better.

Hire an Advisor: One can hire a financial advisor, who can either train you in financial matters or help you in making financial decisions based on your requirements. You can also learn the market fluctuations from a mentor. A mentor is any reliable person who has enough experience in the field of stock and understand it thoroughly.

Go for Trading: There is a well-known saying that burned hand teaches you the best. So, open a trading account and start trading to get first-hand experience. Initially, start with a small amount just to learn the fluctuations of the market. Then gradually depending upon your experiences, you can increase the flow of money into your trading account. However, if you are not comfortable trading with real money, you can create a dummy portfolio of stocks and learn the market behaviour. Once you are confident enough to trade you can switch to real money.

These methods of learning do not guarantee any success in your trades. However, they will increase the odds of your success. Choose what works out best for you depending upon your investment goals and time you can devote to learning.

Second charge mortgages vs remortgaging: Which is a better option for you?

Property

Claire James

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21 June 2021

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Second charge mortgages vs remortgaging: Which is a better option for you?

Whether you need money to refurbish your kitchen, repay debts or convert your loft, you may be able to get the funds you need through your most-significant investment — your home. Paying off your mortgage every month means you are continually building up equity, which is how much of your property you own outright. Your equity also increases if your home goes up in value.

So, how do you unlock the cash that’s tied up in your house? One way is to remortgage. This is when you get a new mortgage and use the funds to pay off an existing one. You could get a new mortgage that’s bigger than what you owe on your old one, then you have the leftover funds to pay for whatever you need. For example, if you have £180,000 left to pay, remortgaging for £200,000 gives you access to an additional £20,000.

However, another option is a second charge mortgage. This is exactly as it sounds: a second mortgage that’s taken out alongside the primary mortgage and secured against the property. This financial product appears to have grown increasingly popular in recent months, with some providers reporting over 40% more interest in secured loans last year.

This article explains the key differences between remortgaging and second charge mortgages, and which might better suit your needs.

What is a second charge mortgage?

While your mortgage is a loan secured against your home, a second charge mortgage is another mortgage that’s taken out alongside the primary mortgage. Your repayments for your primary mortgage won’t be affected. Instead, you’ll have a second mortgage with its own repayment date and amount. Nevertheless, you still risk losing your home if you fail to repay your second charge mortgage.

Your equity determines how much you are able to borrow. For example, as Loan.co.uk notes on second charge mortgages, “if you own 20% of your £300K house outright, you could be eligible to borrow up to £60K with a second charge mortgage”.

As with most forms of borrowing, the amount and interest rate depends on your circumstances, your ability to repay, and your credit history. Your home will also need to be valued so they can calculate how much equity you hold based on what it’s currently worth.

What is remortgaging?

Remortgaging simply means taking out a new mortgage on your home and using the funds to pay off an existing one. This could be with the same lender or a brand new one. Remortgaging is necessary once you come to the end of your current deal — unless you’re happy to switch to your lender’s standard variable rate (SVR). However, this usually isn’t recommended as it’s likely to be more expensive than other products on the market. Those who aren’t on any kind of fixed-rate deal can remortgage whenever they like.

The process of remortgaging is similar to securing your original mortgage. You will compare products from different lenders and once you choose the best deal for you, the loan is secured against the value of your home. This means you could be at risk of losing your property if you fail to make the repayments.

Which is best for you as a homeowner?

Second charge mortgages and remortgaging are very different, and like any financial product, the right option depends entirely on your circumstances. While it’s certainly worth consulting a mortgage broker or financial advisor, there are a few things that may help you find the best solution.

Are you getting a good deal with your current mortgage?

If you currently have a mortgage with a low interest rate, remortgaging might mean losing the good deal you’ve secured for yourself and getting a higher rate instead. This will make your monthly repayments cost more, and so a second mortgage might be a better option. It’s always worth shopping around, as some homeowners are currently being offered mortgage rates under 1%.

Are you on a fixed-rate mortgage?

You will most likely need to stick with your current lender until your deal ends if you’re on a fixed-rate mortgage. In this case, a second charge mortgage could be considered as you can arrange this separately.

Are there early exit fees on your current mortgage?

It may be possible for you to leave your current mortgage before your term ends, but you could have to pay expensive exit fees to do so. In this instance, you’ll have to see if it’s cheaper to pay the early exit fees and remortgage, or whether it’s more cost-effective to get a second charge mortgage.

Are your personal circumstances different from when you started your mortgage?

It’s probably been some time since you started your original mortgage, and perhaps circumstances have changed since then. However, if they have shifted in a way lenders perceive as negative (your credit score has dropped, you’ve missed a lot of repayments, or your household income has been reduced, for example), odds are that remortgaging will attract a higher interest rate than when you first started.

You need to weigh up whether it’s cheaper to pay higher mortgage rates on a new product, or cheaper to take out a second charge mortgage.

Are there any other ways to raise capital?

Even if remortgaging isn’t a viable option for you, a second charge mortgage may not be the best way to unlock cash. See whether there’s a cheaper way to borrow. For instance, 0% credit cards are a cheap way to borrow, if you can get the credit limit you need to cover your purchases.

However, this is only applicable to card transactions — if you withdraw cash with the card, you’ll accumulate interest at the standard variable rate and incur a withdrawal fee, which probably wouldn’t be a cheaper way to borrow.

It could even be more cost-effective to take out a personal loan, with the added bonus that you won’t be increasing the risk of losing your home if you default. A second charge mortgage may still come out on top, but make sure you explore all options before committing.

Are you meeting your current mortgage repayments comfortably?

Struggling to meet your monthly mortgage repayments is the clearest sign that a second charge mortgage is not for you. Taking on another loan on top is a bad idea as there’s a high chance you could default on at least one of them. If you’re struggling to keep up with any repayments of any kind then it’s inadvisable to take out further lines of credit. Contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau or visit their website where help and support is available on such matters.

A loan of any kind should never be taken lightly. If you’re considering remortgaging to release cash from your property or taking out a second-charge mortgage, it can be helpful to speak to a whole-of-market mortgage broker. They will assess your situation and advise on which option is the most suitable for your own unique circumstances.

Roca Group Earned 12% Less Last Year

News

ABC Staff

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21 June 2021

0

The Roca Group earned 60 million in 2020, 12% less than in 2019, which attributes to the fact that sales were “strongly affected” during the first half of last year due to the pandemic .

The company has reported that it had a turnover of 1,684 million euros in 2020, 9.5% less, and points out that, despite the economic crisis, the operating result reached 306 million, 21% more.

Roca Group’s net result was affected by the strong increase in non-operating expenses , derived from temporary closures and periods of less activity in production plants during lockdowns due to the coronavirus, explains the company.

It also indicates that the restrictive measures to curb the virus caused a decline in sales -especially in Spain-, breaking “the sustained growth trend that had been maintained since 2014.”

Roca Group is optimistic about the coming months, since “in the second half of the year a progressive recovery began”. Despite the decrease in profit and turnover, Roca Group highlights “the positive behavior of operations in China, Germany, Austria, Poland and Switzerland , whose evolution managed to partially offset the decrease in turnover in other countries” .

Although “the evolution of turnover in the BRIC markets as a whole was also singularly affected by the depreciation of local currencies, particularly in Brazil and Russia.” In 2020, Roca Group made investments worth 106 million euros, mainly aimed at expanding its production capacity in Brazil, Russia and China.

The group’s CEO, Albert Magrans, underlined “the commitment, effort and professionalism of the entire workforce, in a context of exceptionality and great difficulties”.

“Despite this complicated environment, we have once again generated the necessary resources to continue gaining efficiency and optimizing the performance of our investments, promoting technology, innovation and digital transformation and advancing in our sustainability strategy to be a global benchmark in this matter, “he added.

In this 2020, Roca Group has acquired 75% of Royo Group and has incorporated a sanitary ware plant in the northeast of Brazil, as well as has bought the German firm Sanit .

What condition is the commercial property market in today?

Is commercial property investment a good idea?

How much could you make on a commercial property investment?

Traditional loans or mortgages

Commercial bridge loan

Hard money loans

Summary

Let’s begin with the buying guide…

Designing ideas

Places to Buy From

What is Outsourcing?

How to approach outsourcing?

Understand your motive

Get clarity on project specifications

Define expectations

Benefits of outsourcing

Access to quality resources:

Expertise and experience:

Avoid Risks:

Flexibility and scalability:

Improved security:

Final thoughts

What is a second charge mortgage?

What is remortgaging?

Which is best for you as a homeowner?

Are you getting a good deal with your current mortgage?

Are you on a fixed-rate mortgage?

Are there early exit fees on your current mortgage?

Are your personal circumstances different from when you started your mortgage?

Are there any other ways to raise capital?

Are you meeting your current mortgage repayments comfortably?

ABC Money 2025 - 1st Edition

Magazine - 2025 Edition