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Abu Dhabi government begins their ICO path publishing industry guidance

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The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi has just released a set of rules and guidelines on digital currencies for the first time ever. The guidelines also apply to ICOs where they take a similar approach to securities. The FSRA considers ICOs to pose a level of risk, but the FSRA deems that digital currencies should be treated in much the same way as regular commodities.

Governments and financial regulators around the world are currently cracking down on ICOs with China banning them altogether a few months ago. It would appear the regulators in Abu Dhabi plan to take a slightly more friendly approach than some other nations.

Cryptocurrencies

To the joy of many users and investors, the FSRA will not class digital currencies as legal tender under the new regulations. Instead, the official body will treat them in the same manner as precious metals, oil, and other commodities. That means that, for the most part, the marketplace will remain unregulated at the current time. For established cryptocurrencies, that’s a fantastic revelation, and it means that unlike many other countries at the moment, Abu Dhabi aims to strike a balance that enables them to thrive.

While the goal is to protect residents and citizens from the risks involved with ICOs, the country is taking a forward-thinking stance when it comes to cryptocurrencies, and the FSRA is essentially encouraging their use.

ICOs

Different countries choose to brand Crypto ICOs and categorise them in various ways. China made a point of banning them altogether recently, but most nations like the US treat ICOs like commodities. The FSRA says that ICOs are similar to securities in many ways, and so they plan to categorise them as such. With any luck, that will mean the regulations will be identical to those placed on businesses releasing a new stock onto the market.

The head of fintech strategy at the FSRA said: “The ICO market is diverse regarding quality. However, there are some ICOs which constitute high-risk.”

He went on to say “The disclosures are not there, there aren’t any financial statements, and that means they are extremely high-risk. That said, we are aware of some firms that want to use ICO technology to fund in a transparently and openly.”

Potential for future cryptocurrency regulations

The FSRA isn’t ruling anything out when it comes to the possibility of regulating digital currencies in the future. Indeed, the Authority made contact with their Japanese counterparts to discuss their approach only recently. Bitcoin is growing in popularity every single day, and so there is a reasonable chance Abu Dhabi will implement some new rules and guidelines at some point. However, right now, cryptocurrencies are not under the group’s regulatory remit. Will that change during the coming years? Almost certainly.

Abu Dhabi is taking a cautious approach to all of the issues mentioned in this article, and so it’s sensible for everyone to keep their eyes peeled for more revelations. For now, at least, the country appears to be moving in the right direction.

How to Employee Performance in three, simple steps

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Whisper it quietly, but the UK has an employee engagement deficit at present.

Several surveys have exposed this; with various data sets suggesting that only one-third of UK workers are currently engaged. This not only leaves the UK ranked ninth among the world’s 12 largest economies, but it is also causing a productivity deficit that is hindering business growth.

In fact, the average output per hour in the UK was around 15 percentage points below the average for the rest of the G7 nations. With this in mind, firms clearly need to focus on engaging their teams and driving an improved employee performance. Here are some ways to achieve this:

  1. Go Above and Beyond when creating a Flexible Working environment

While we appreciate that this sounds a little vague, we are going to add some context in terms of how to make it a reality. A good example is provided by the flexible working directives in the UK, which enable employees that have accrued more than 26 weeks of consecutive service through their employer to apply for flexible hours.

This is a mandatory requirement, however, and as the employer you should be proactive and promote this throughout the business. This ensures that every staff member understands their basic working rights, and has the opportunity to create a work schedule that works for them.

Similarly, you can empower staff members further by embracing the principles of BYOD (bring your own device). This allows individuals to work using their own laptops and smartphones, reducing each employee’s cost base and empowering them to be more productive (so long as they are connected across a secure, wireless network).

  1. Invest in Viable, HR Software Platforms

We have seen something of a revolution in HR software in recent times, with sophisticated, analytical systems replacing standard reporting.

You can use this to your advantage as an employer, by investing in advanced and relevant software that can collate data and offer practical insight into how employee performance can be improved. Modern software packages gather and present absence data in real-time, for example, helping you to identify patterns and determine whether or not certain employees are struggling with aspects of their role.

This can prove invaluable, as it highlights the hidden problems in your business and identifies potential solutions.

  1. Think Beyond Traditional Rewards

Historically, a high salary and lavish cash bonus was all it took to retain or attract talent. While there is still some truth to this, the current generation of workers is far more diverse in terms of its outlook and motivation to work.

Your benefits and rewards packages must reflect this, while they must also be agile and form part of a wider, employee culture within your firm. In short, all benefits should be people-centric, so you should listen to the needs of your employees and strive to introduce tailored options wherever possible.

You should consider benefits that reduce the cost of living, such as reduced gym memberships with selected partners. This not only saves your employees money, but it also empowers them to improve their work-life balance and perform better in the office.

How can your office design save money on recruitment?

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Staff turnover in an office can be caused by a number of different issues. Working conditions, frustration and a lack of engagement with the role to name but a few.

The cost of replacing staff, recruitment fees and lost income due to not necessarily being able to complete work effectively can all have an effect on a business’s finances.

So how can office design ease staff churn and ultimately save a business money on recruitment?

Engaging with staff

Staff that don’t feel a part of a business, disengaged and potentially trapped in a working environment that doesn’t excite and inspire them can be a major problem for businesses.

These are the staff that are likely to leave, and in the interim the work they deliver might not be as good as it could have been.

Enlisting office design specialists, such as Penketh Group, can help in these situations. Creating an office environment that is much more inviting, comfortable and inspiring can work wonders on staff morale. Creating somewhere were people actually want to come and work and makes a striking impression on staff, customers, and interviewees can put them in the right mind-set to work with and for a business.

Looking at the needs of staff, their roles and their day to day tasks, then finding ways in which office design can help make these tasks easier and improve working conditions can keep staff engaged with a business. From layout to the facilities an office provides, the simple to the extraordinary, meeting and exceeding the needs of staff demonstrates a level of dedication to staff from their employer that can build morale and foster a sense of loyalty to a business.

Helping concentration

One way to keep staff engaged is to make it easier for them to focus on their job. Dedicated quiet areas and breakout spaces are great ways to give staff the opportunity to get away from their desks, change their surroundings and focus on a task.

Quiet, cosy areas, or a staff canteen that has the ability to transition into a relaxed and informal working space, breakout areas are versatile and can be made to fit around the rest of an office layout.

Having the option just to get away from the hustle and bustle of an office can help people to refocus and reengage with what they are doing. This can help reduce frustration at working conditions, stopping staff feeling disengaged and reducing churn.

Aiding collaboration

Using office design to help facilitate getting work done can also help staff feel more engaged with their workplace. Engaged staff will see their office as a benefit to their ability to work not a hindrance, this is why collaborative areas are crucial.

These are spaces set aside to allow groups to complete tasks, plan and discuss without disrupting the rest of the office. They should promote collaborative thinking and allow for the easy sharing of information. This might mean including technology such as interactive whiteboards and projectors for working together on a document or presentation. Or it might mean simply being a space that allows staff to talk in a relaxed environment, such as training sessions or one to one meetings.

These are spaces intended to inspire staff, think clearly and collaborate to deliver effective work. Not having these can hamper creativity, disrupt an office, especially in an open-plan setting and be a major source of frustration for staff. Feeling like you are creatively stifled because you can’t focus can lead to staff looking for other places to work where they feel they will be more effective and able to work.

Getting the design of an office right, and meeting the needs of staff can pay major dividends for a business. Instead of frustrated, disengaged staff and a high level of staff turnover, a business has engaged staff, able to work creatively and focus on the tasks required of them.

Making working life easier builds a better sense of unity, reducing the reasons why staff would leave a business considerably.

 

Uniform considerations for a new small business

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When you’re thinking about starting a new business, there are a lot of great reasons why a well thought out uniform can be a useful addition. That’s why high-quality uniform suppliers such as Simon Jersey can provide you with the right choices for whatever your business needs. With that in mind, here is some useful information on what you should consider for you new business’s uniform.

What will your business need?

The needs that you’ll have to meet with your new business’s uniform will vary. You’ll want to think about the kind of industry you’ll be going into and the kind of work that you’ll do day to day as a result.

For example, you likely won’t need a uniform to keeps you safe and protected if you’re working in an office. It might be a business such as a spa, in which case you’ll want to be thinking about keeping clean and hygienic throughout busy and stressful days by using a high-quality tunic that hides away zippers and fastenings.

If you are going into something a little more active that has safety requirements – for example, a gardening business – you should consider how to protect yourself and your staff with personal protective equipment.

Think about things like masks and protective goggles to keep out fumes and dust, heavy-duty gloves to protect hands, and tough reflective jackets. The protective uniform equipment you need will vary based on the kind of business you’ll be operating.

What sort of image would you like to present

The image you have as a business, both internally and to clients and customers, will play a part in the kind of people you’ll attract as potential employees and new customers.

Think about the ‘character’ of your business. Do you want to show exemplary, high-class professionalism at every step, or would you prefer a more casual look that shows a friendly and approachable feel?

For the former, consider a suit and tie combination alongside matching trousers, while for the latter, something like a colourful polo shirt that’s embroidered with your company logo would be a great choice.

Creating a brand

Uniforms are more than just something to wear at work; they’re a way to further emphasise your brand and create a corporate personality.

Think about what colours can help emphasise your brand to everyone who comes into contact with you. A matching colour scheme for a staff uniform can help create a sense of unity within your team, which can help potential customers feel more invested in you as a business.

Think about what colours you use in your branding, promotional images, and business communications, and create a colour scheme that matches or complements it. Doing so will surely be beneficial to your business in the long term.

When you’re starting a new business, there’s a lot of thought and preparation that’ll go into the early stages. Careful consideration at this point can help lead your business to great success in the future, and a well-designed uniform is just one part of that success.

The Biggest Football Transfers of 2017

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Over the last few months, the world’s top football clubs have paid out serious cash to acquire talented new players.

More than £2 billion has been spent by Premier League and European football clubs over the course of this year’s transfer window, making it one of the most expensive years in the entire history of competitive football.

Not surprisingly, the most expensive deals tend to occur in the Premier League, where teams are willing to invest tens of millions of pounds to acquire the world’s best players. Football fans are also willing to put their money on big players via bookies and bets on top scorers.

Below, we’ve listed this year’s 10 biggest football transfers and acquisitions, ranging from £36 million deals to a record-setting £75 million transfer.

 

Corentin Tolisso: £36 million

French midfielder Corentin Tolisso attracted plenty of attention when he was acquired by Bayern Munich this year in a £36 million deal, which will see him play for the Bundesliga team for a total of five years.

 

Mohamed Salah: £37 million

After moving to Roma in August 2016, Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah was acquired in a £37 million deal that saw him move to Liverpool. The transfer is one of the most costly in Liverpool’s history, topping the £35 million paid to acquire Andy Carroll in 2011.

 

Vinicius Junior: £38 million

Brazilian teen football star Vinicius Junior signed a £38 million deal with Real Madrid this year that will start shortly after his 18th birthday. Currently 17, Vinicius is expected to start playing in the middle of 2018 for the 2018–19 competitive season.

 

Tiemoue Bakayoko: £40 million

French defensive midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko is one of the game’s best all-rounders at the moment, making him a valuable acquisition for any team. Bakayoko was signed by Chelsea earlier this year in a £40 million acquisition deal.

 

Bernardo Silva: £43 million

Another midfielder, Bernardo Silva was signed by Manchester City this year in a deal worth as much as £43 million. Prior to Man City, Silva played for Benfica as a youth in Portugal, followed by three seasons with Monaco.

 

Alexandre Lacazette: £46.5 million

Alexandre Lacazette has been a highly valued player for years, standing out as a youth player for France and a striker at Lyon. Lacazette was signed by Arsenal this season in a deal worth £46.5 million.

 

Kyle Walker: £50 million

Best known for his eight years with Tottenham Hotspur, Kyle Walker switched to Manchester City this year in a deal worth as much as £50 million over the long term, making him one of the Premier League’s best-paid defenders.

 

Benjamin Mendy: £52 million

Another expensive acquisition, left back Benjamin Mendy split with Monaco this year as part of a £52 million deal with Manchester City. Prior to playing for Man City, Mendy spent three years as a defender for Marseille before spending 2016 and early 2017 playing for Monaco.

 

Alvaro Morata: £60 million

Spanish striker Alvaro Morata was one of this season’s most expensive acquisitions, moving to Chelsea from Real Madrid in a £60 million deal. The deal seems to have paid off; Morato scored a hat-trick against Stoke City earlier this year.

 

Romelu Lukaku: £75 million

The most expensive acquisition of the season was Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, who joined Manchester United as part of a five-year deal worth £75 million. Prior to playing for Manchester United, Lukaku spent four seasons with Everton.

Preparing a Will: Things to Consider

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Writing your last will and testament may not be something you think about in your younger years, but putting something in place as early as possible could go a long way to avoiding unnecessary turmoil should something terrible happen.

Thinking about your own death is unpleasant, sure. However, creating a will is the most important thing you can do to ensure that your family are cared for when you die. By not writing a will, the process will be much more time consuming, costly and painful for your family during an already difficult time.

Why you need a will

A will is a legally binding document which states what you want to happen to your estate and assets after you die. Age shouldn’t be a factor when deciding when to draw up a will. As soon as you own anything of significant value, or have someone else in your care it’s time to think about writing a will.

Getting married, having a child or buying a property are all reasons to write a will. However, if you live with a partner and are not legally married, it’s also a good idea to set something up. If you die and you’ve not stated who gets your inheritance, legally, inheritance isn’t handed down to unmarried partners.

Additionally, if you set up a business you’ll need a will.

Who to include in your will

Who you include in your will is completely at your discretion. Immediate family, friends, charities and organisations are all common benefactors of wills. Drawing up a will ensures that the people you love will benefit from your wealth. Making donations to charities is a way of passing down wealth whilst also avoiding tax.

You will also need to choose who the executor of your will is. This person will be in charge of ensuring that your wishes are carried out. It is often a spouse, but could be anyone that you trust.

How to write a will

Writing a will doesn’t have to be a complicated process. As long as the document states who you want to leave your estate to, is signed and dated by you in the presence of two witnesses (not benefactors of the will or any relation to them), and signed and dated by these witnesses, then the will is technically a legally binding document. However, it’s not always this simple and you should seek legal advice if unsure. There could be terrible complications down the line if your will is contested. Precious Igbokwe, a solicitor at Slater and Gordon advises against handwriting a will.

“Unless it’s an emergency (e.g on your deathbed or a soldier at war) holographic wills should be avoided. Creating your own will – handwritten or not – can make things complicated”.

Although thinking about writing a will isn’t a pleasant thought, it’s necessary to look after your family after you die. For more information on writing a will visit

Progressive games online – a great money machine

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There are lots of fantastic progressive games online – a great money machine for many people, and something that has managed to earn some people millions of dollars. It’s important to remember that people really cannot push the odds in their favour when it comes to games of chance. They can influence the outcome to a certain extent, but largely because they need to complete a certain number of trials in order to give themselves a chance at all.

A person who plays one progressive slot game will almost certainly fail to get anything. People who play that game twenty times might have a chance, albeit a small one. People who play progressive slot games regularly will have a much greater chance. One of the important things to keep in mind with progressive slot games is that the size of the jackpot can be large enough to justify the amount of money that people might risk when playing the games.

Each time people play these games, they are adding to the jackpot. A person who has played the same progressive slot game for years and who won the game will actually be getting money back, at least theoretically. The fact that these online casino slot games will grow over time will only make things easier for the people who ultimately manage to collect the jackpots. People are more or less financing the winner each and every time, and this is the sort of thing that can give almost anyone enough of an incentive to play.

For a lot of people, the thrill associated with progressive games can be enough of a reason to play in the first place. They don’t necessarily need to be sure that they’re going to win, since they certainly won’t be sure that this is the case. However, progressive jackpots really can offer people a lot of money, and that can be enough for anyone involved.

There are lots of great choices for the people who are interested in the online progressive jackpot games. Of course, when people look at the lists of the winners, some of the same games will tend to show up over and over again. It’s actually a good idea to try these games. They will tend to attract a lot of players as a matter of course.

The fact that so many people play these games enthusiastically will only mean that many more people will want to try them. A list of jackpot winners that features a particular game can certainly serve as fantastic marketing for anyone involved. This is only going to make the jackpot larger and larger, convincing more and more people to finance the success of the eventual winner.

Progressive games can be something of a good investment for the people who were going to play online casino games anyway. When people get bonus spins, it’s a good idea to use them on progressive slot games. A lot of people will find it that much easier to get ahead when they use bonus spins wisely, and using them on progressive games is using them wisely.

How Bitcoin is changing the online sector:

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The internet has transformed the world in a completely unprecedented way in the world history. From social media sites to the betting apps on your mobiles, the growth of the internet has boomed like never before.

All this has sprung up new markets and opportunities for companies. Yet, the online markets have faced the recurring problems of privacy and security. Therefore, companies have tried over the years to fix these crucial problems. Bitcoin is also a step in this direction which aims to make the online transactions safe and secure.

Security:

Security and privacy issues have been the serious problems in the online markets. But the Bitcoin’s blockchain technology seems like a great step in this regard.

With this technology, the online transactions will be stored but can only be accessed by a single person. The brilliance of this idea is that it eliminates the requirement of a third party and does not store one’s information on a centralized ledger.

Only a single person can access the information regarding his/her transactions. This way it greatly increases the security of the transactions.

Online Gaming:

It is quite easy to enlist security and privacy to be the prime reasons for the growing popularity of the Bitcoin. Yet, there are other reasons at play here as well. Particularly if we talk about its use in the online gaming where online betting companies are increasingly using bitcoins.

The internet has seen a boom in the numbers of these online casinos which is unprecedented. Bitcoin is making the running of these gaming businesses extremely simple and easy. Besides the vast and accepting market for start-ups, the Bitcoin gaming sites are less time consuming and far more cheaper. Also, better payouts are alluring more bettors to bet because using Bitcoin means the absence of any fees.

Banks:

Despite all the benefits to the bettors and the betting companies, there is a line of argument that makes the banks on the losing side in all this. It is feared that Bit coin could substantially reduce the importance of the banks or worst make them obsolete.

While the opposite is quite true. The banks could benefit a great deal from the block chain technology that Bitcoin is currently using. The bank transactions would be more secure through this way. It is because the transactions could be encrypted such that only a particular person or his/her bank can decrypt that information. Therefore, this block chain technology could be a huge step in the direction of security for the banks.

Just like the internet, the bitcoin is a huge innovation that is already changing things around. They are the reason that a huge number of new casinos have sprung up and now they are offering extremely lucrative casino bonus offers.

5 biggest Bitcoin crashes: how to profit?

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Crashing at your friend’s place over the weekend? Sounds good! What happens when something else such as currency crashes? The minds of traders crash along with it! In the history of cryptocurrency, bitcoin has jumped way up nearly hitting the 5k mark before landing so hard that 40% of its value was lost. Here are 5 other times when bitcoin needed more than a simple plaster.

April 2013 meltdown, bitcoin down 71%

 

Why it happened?

The price of bitcoin fell 71% from $233 to $67 overnight. The initial boost in price was all due to media coverage and the hard fall was the correction in price. This took bitcoin 7 months to recover from this injury.

Bitcoin prices have not stopped moving so much since its release. In a blink of an eye, bitcoin prices can soar way up high or dive rock bottom. As a result, investors can turn filthy rich or lose great amounts of money super fast. If you are not ready to risk your own money to trade bitcoins, you can use The Trading Game ( for Android, iOS)  to practice trading bitcoins. It is important to have a proper trading strategy for each financial instrument and especially bitcoin where prices can go crazy without warning. Know your trading limit and adopt the proper mindset before venturing into the trading world with your money!

 

Bitcoin get sliced in half in November 2013

Why it happened?

Bitcoin prices went up 10 times to a new high of $1150 in late November before crashing again to $500 in mid-December. This boost was due to amateur investors swooping in to get their hands on this new toy. This incident took bitcoin an even longer time to recover stretching to years.

 

850,000 bitcoins gone without a trace

Why it happened?

The hacking of Mt.Gox, Japan largest bitcoin exchange, left bitcoin bleeding from $867 to $439. February 7 was the day where hackers made away with 850,000 bitcoins and left investors doubtful of the security of bitcoins. Bitcoin started to recover from this in the late 2016.

 

2017 record breaking run

Why it happened?

In January 2017, bitcoin cross the 1k mark for the first time in years and did not stop. In June, prices soared close to $3000 before falling to $1869 in mid-July. The drastic fall was due to developers not able to come up with a proper update for the bitcoin software. Bitcoin was performing bad as compared to its brothers Litecoin and Ethereum. This gave prospect towards a “fork” and the market reacted badly towards this and started to lose confidence.

 

Cold shoulder China

Why it happened?

Bitcoin had nearly touched the 5k point before hurting itself by 37% in September 15,2017. $30 bilion from bitcoin’s total market cap was lost suddenly. The world’s biggest market, China, had announced that they are going to ban trading cryptocurrency and CTCChina will end trading at the end of September 2017. With one of the biggest players out of this game, this makes bitcoin less attractive already.

 

What can traders do during all the scenarios?

Bitcoin is highly volatile as seen by the many incidents it encountered. It can go up really quickly and dive really quickly as well. Historically, bitcoin has managed to recover from all the incidents and even managed to hit new highs each time. Traders can sell fast once signs of a crazy drop seems to be happening to take profit or cut losses. Traders can also buy when bitcoin is recovering from a crash and hold on to it for long term investment or quick profit.Due to the quick and big changes in bitcoin prices, traders are able to earn big profits in small amounts of time.

What Shares Are Exempt from Inheritance Tax?

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If you are not familiar with London’s Stock Exchange Junior Market, or the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) to you and me, you are missing out on an entity that could ultimately enable you to minimise inheritance tax on your estate.

This is because the AIM offers access to shares that can be transferred without a fixed tax liability, enabling investors to retain as much of their hard-earned capital is possible.

This market is defined by hidden risks and complexities, however, and you will need to understand these in careful detail if you are to operate successfully.

 

What AIM Shares Qualify as Being Tax Exempt?

In simple terms, investing in AIM-listed equities offers investors access to a tax relief benefit known commonly as business property relief (BPR). This theoretically provides a 100% exemption from inheritance tax, while also offering access to the type of lucrative shares typically found on virtual trading platforms such as LCG.

This concept is simple enough, but it is at this point that things begin to get a little more complicated. More specifically, it takes an estimated period of two years before such investments become eligible for BPR, meaning that you will not immediately benefit from significant tax breaks. Not only this, but not all AIM-listed shares currently qualify at all, so it can be an extremely expensive error to invest in volatile or high value stocks that will still be eligible for inheritance taxation.

To make matters even more complicated, the existing tax authorities do not provide a definitive list of the shares that qualify, presumably because this document would change considerably and in real-time. There are also circumstances in which companies evolve to qualify for the tax break, only to lose eligibility as their business model adapts and aspects of its operation are changed. The retention of so-called ‘expected assets’ (which are not used for trade purposes) can cause businesses to lose their listing, for example, while dual listings can also cause similar issues for brands and investors alike.

 

The Bottom Line

 The complexities of AIM-traded securities means that these assets can be subject to considerably high levels of risk and volatility, particularly in comparison with traditional markets. As a result, such securities can incur losses that are far in excess of any proposed inheritance tax savings, which is even more damaging when you consider that this type of share does not pay dividends.

With these points in mind, the challenge facing investors is to take proactive steps to constantly audit and moderate their investment portfolios. While AIM-listed shares may benefit from significant inheritance tax breaks, you can only leverage this if you have a clear understanding of the marketplace and select viable asset classes.

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