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UK Tech Industry Bounces Back From Brex-Shock

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The UK tech industry has bounced back from BREX-SHOCK with a sharp rise in the community’s confidence since June.

Almost half of tech businesses expect the environment to get better in 2017 according to the latest figures. That compares to just eight per cent in the days immediately after the referendum.

Tech City UK polled 2,732 businesses in the digital and tech communities in the Tech Nation 2017 report finding that there has been a dramatic improvement on the tech sector’s confidence.

The latest poll of business sentiment from the tech community finds that the initial shock felt by the sector, which had lobbied hard for the UK to remain in Europe, has largely faded.

In a shift in opinion, almost half of respondents now expect things to get better this year and only 5% of people expect the business environment to get a lot worse, compared to 42% in June.

Back in June 2016, 74% of tech businesses thought that things would worsen, but only 24% now expect them to deteriorate.

Four in ten of those questioned by Tech City UK identified themselves as founders or chief executives of tech or digital companies and the improvement in confidence among CEOs and founders in the sector is encouraging.

Immediately after the Brexit vote, 12% of founders thought things would get better and 72% that it would get worse.

In the latest poll, 46% of founders now think things will get better with just 26% thinking things will worsen.

The survey also found that sentiment had improved amongst those in the London tech community – which stood to lose the most from Brexit, as it relies heavily on EU workers, founders and investors.

Almost a third of London’s digital community (35%) now expect things to improve, compared to 6% in June.

Gerard Grech, CEO of Tech City UK, said: “We have conducted the largest ever survey of the UK digital community and at the start of 2017 it is encouraging to find the mood becoming increasingly positive.

“This reflects the resilience and underlying strength of our digital sector, which continues to grow and create jobs at a far faster rate than the wider economy.”

The UK tech and digital sectors received strong endorsements from US tech giants in the months after the Brexit poll, with Apple committing to its £9bn London HQ project; Google announcing plans to hire 3,000 more people across the UK and Facebook unveiling plans to create 500 new UK jobs in 2017.

IBM also said it planned to open four new UK data centres.

Just before Christmas, British tech unicorn (valued over $1bn) Just Eat bought its UK rival Hungryhouse in a £200m deal, while Tech City UK has seen a surge in applications for the digital technology specialist Tech Nation visa since the referendum, making 2016 a record year for visa applications and endorsements.

The British tech sector’s confidence follows a second half of 2016 in which several UK tech businesses  – notably Arm Holdings and Skyscanner – were bought by overseas investors, representing the strength and talent in the industry, as well as the opportunities created by the weakness of sterling.

How to Save Money When Online Shopping

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One of the biggest struggles that people have with their own personal finance comes when they start to find the best deals, and helping them save money.

Thankfully, there are a number of ways that you can save money when shopping. Whether it be through discount and voucher codes or simply using a comparison website, you have the potential to save hundreds of pounds every year by simply using a few nifty online shopping tips.

Elise from Celebricious explains how you can save money when shopping online, and the best places to look for discounts and deals on your favourite eCommerce websites:

1. Mailing Lists

As much as you may hate them for clogging up your email inbox, subscribing to mailing lists can be worth it because they’re usually packed with discount codes, exclusive to newsletter subscribers.

You can get around the issue of your inbox being “too full” by only subscribing to the brands you purchase from regularly. Or, you can create a separate email address solely for online shopping that can give you a pool of discount codes, no matter where you’re wanting to buy from.

2. Discount Websites

As obvious as it may sound, there are thousands of discount and voucher code websites that offer money-off coupons for thousands of different stores. Google is your best friend when it comes to online shopping – use it to your advantage!

With 20% off vouchers and free shipping to discounts exclusive to students, all you need to do is copy and paste the code in the checkout page of your order and you’ll automatically receive the discount… Not bad for five minutes’ work!

3. Shop Around

Although you might fall head over heels with something when you’re ordering in a department store, it might be best to hold off on purchasing it to have a look if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.

Again, Google is your best friend for this. You can just search for your desired product, press ‘Shopping’ on the tabs beneath your search box and have a look where is offering that product. Ordering the price from High to Low will tell you where it is being sold for the cheapest.

It might not be much of a price difference, but it all adds up!

4. Weight Up Online vs. In Store Prices

As mentioned before, you might fall in love with a product when you’re online shopping but waiting until you’ve done your research might save you a few pounds.

Sometimes it can be cheaper to purchase the product you’re wanting in-store rather than online, where shipping costs and taxes may add extra finances to your purchase. This combined with the constant wanting to wait by the door for your parcel to arrive can be very frustrating!

Although you’re able to online shop in the comfort of your own home, sometimes, it may be better to brace the stores.

Properties owned by Wealthy Celebrities

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It looks like many celebrities have taken the “Build an Empire” motto too seriously! Many wealthy celebrities own houses across the globe, and they hardly step in any of these. However, showing off and having a huge net value is what make these celebrities. And some of the wealthiest celebrities are Tom Cruise, Adam Saddler, Robbie Williams and Johnny Depp. Now let’s take a sneak peek into these amazing properties owned by these well- known actors.

Having an estimated net worth of $480 million, Tom Cruise possesses a Mansion in Beverley Hills, bought with his then wife, Katie Holmes, for an amount of $35 million. The Mansion is set on 1.3 acres, and comprises of a tennis court and pool. Being in a very private area, the Mansion sits behind closed gates, and has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. Cruise’s possession also consists of a nine-bedroom mansion in Telluride. Cruise has also sprung his wings in New York where he has a condo apartment of two bedrooms, on the 10th floor of a twelve stored American Felt Building. He also has a Gulfstream and Aviat- Pitts S-2B as private jets as these are quicker. When it comes to cars, we can say that Tom Cruise has class as he opted for a Porsche 911 and a Bugatti Veyron.

It looks like a monopoly game, right? Just like with each throw of dice, players can acquire properties, these celebrities can just buy another property they want anytime. Speaking of monopoly… At Magical Vegas, you can find some Vegas games alongside slot games based on the Monopoly Board game. Be your own celebrity and throw the dices on games like Super Monopoly Money, Monopoly Big Event and Epic Monopoly II, only at Magical Vegas!

And who doesn’t know Jack Sparrow?! Johnny Depp has an estimated net worth of $400 million. His properties consist of the Somerset Mansion in Quantock Hills, a West Hollywood Mansion, and a Mansion in Plan-De-La-Tour, France. All these were bought while he was still with the gorgeous Vanessa Paradis. Moreover, he has a Vajoliroja yacht which can be rented for $130,000 per week! Unlike many stars, Johnny Depp has an island called the Little Halls Pond Cay which consists of six beached named under his children, friends and ex-partner. Being a vintage lover, Depp drives a red coloured 1959 corvette roadster, which was presented to him as a gift.

As for Adam Sandler, he has a net worth of $300 million. His main property lies on two-thirds of an acre in the high profile Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. Comprising of nine bathrooms and seven bedrooms, his mansion also consists of a swimming pool. Ah Bel Air! Indeed, he also have a luxurious mansion in Bel- Air costing $42.5 million, which fits a large tennis court and a swimming pool. The Grown-up actor currently drive a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid, which replaced his old Cadillac DTS.

The party like a Russian singer, Robbie Williams’ net worth is estimated to be $200 million. His Mansion is the largest in his area, which is known as the Compton Basset House. Beautifully designed by the legendary architect Michael Phillips, the mansion consists of seven bedrooms, a swimming pool, a helipad, a sauna, a cottage, two staff flats and a tennis court, surrounded by greenery. He also has a house in Los Angeles where he lives more often, and a lavish apartment in London. That’s not all… He also owns a mansion in Mulholland estate, in Beverley Hills. BMX X6, Bentley Azure, Rolls Royce Phantom, Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren, Range Rover, E Type Jag and a Smart car adds to his properties, while having a Honda CBR 600F, Ducati 996 as well.

Local Removal Companies – Finding and Trusting the Right One

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Moving house is hard. Hard on parents, hard on kids, hard on grandparents. Hard on everyone. Any help you can get is so invaluable at such a tiring, demanding and stressful time.

Moving home is rated as one of the single most stressful life events, after divorce and childbirth (so you know what you’ve got to try next!) and as such, doing it with as much assistance as you can get is a must.

We spoke to Bristol removal company I Move Removals about how to find the right local removals company for your residential or commercial move.

If you’re one of those people who moves around frequently, maybe for your job, and you’re used to moving, you can look at doing it on an absolute shoestring budget, but if this is only your first or second ever big move, then you need to look at getting some serious help in, because mistakes made at this stage can cause major problems, hassles and cost for you later on, which no one wants.

What’s the point of using a removals company? Well, depending on how far you’re moving, how many possessions you’re shifting, and whether or not you’re staying in temporary rented accommodation and using a storage facility, using a great removals firm can be a very quick, convenient way to make an awkward situation easier, all the while being not much more difficult than having a quick conversation.

A great removals firm will handle all the awkward logistics, and make all those irritating little problems go away, they’re the convenient option.

Most Important is Trust

Garnering trust with a faceless company can be difficult, but once you’ve spoken to and met several staff, and seen other satisfied customers, you will find it easy to see the right company for you. You can’t be handing over all your stuff to a company you have any doubts about. You essentially need to find a great quality, great value removal firm that you can trust entirely. We can’t overstate the fact that one point, you will be trusting this firm with the vast majority of your worldly possessions, and as such you need to trust them. Trust comes down to a variety of other points, such as the company’s guarantees, their quality of staff and their training, and most importantly, the quality of reviews on the company.

Going online and reading through a variety of unbiased reviews can be a great way to evaluate the trustworthiness and reliability of a company. Make sure you’re reading unbiased reviews though, and not the ones the company themselves is presenting, as they’re not going to tell you if they’re not that reliable or great!

Endlessly Compare

Find the right removals company, because there are lots of different removals companies are out there, and there’s bound to be variances in what they offer. There will be a great variance in price, quality and value, and it’s up to you to find the best option for your move. Comparing quotes from multiple firms is always going to be the best option for getting the cheapest and best value service. You always want to avoid going for the very cheapest firm, unless you particularly enjoy the prospect of your precious belongings, housed in simple cardboard boxes, being manhandled by undertrained, pressured staff. If you’re something of a gambler, then maybe that’s the route to go for you, but for everyone else, who needs that worry when moving?

Get Their Guarantee

A lot can rest on guarantees, so make sure you check out the guarantees the removal firm offers. The quality and confidence of the guarantees offered can really say a lot about the quality of the service that you can expect to receive. A company with thousands of satisfied customers and successful moves under their belt is going to be able to say with some confidence that they WILL get your possessions where you need them to be, and in great time too! And all at a great price! If you detect doubt and uncertainty, keep shopping, you want the confidence and certainty. However, remember not to be too taken by great sales technique, examine all the other elements of the company too.

 


Featured image courtesy of www.sunsetremovalsnewcastle.com.au

Why Getting Your Blinds Professionally Installed Is Important

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When it comes to your home, you want something modern, stylish, easy to maintain and effective, and when it comes to your windows, curtains are no longer your only choice.

Curtains can be awkward, bulky, difficult to maintain and clean as well as generally outdated. They gather dust and grime, aren’t as effective at blocking out light and never look as sharp or stylish as blinds. That being said, there are plenty of blinds out there that look terrible, and it goes to show, you get what you pay for, especially when it comes to installation.

We spoke to Plymouth based blind installation company Sol Komfort about the importance of getting your blinds installed correctly and professionally.

Incorrectly installed blinds risk breaking sooner, as well as looking terrible due to sloppy angles and non-flush finishes, the potentially flawed installation will put essential parts of the blind at risk from breaking, and you won’t get the full time of use out of them. Even if you’ve spend hundreds on the blinds themselves, it won’t matter if you don’t install them properly, because you risk them breaking, not looking right, and not functioning as they should. Hiring a professional to do the installation is just common sense, and can save you a lot of time, hassle and money.

One of the biggest risks of DIY installed blinds is that it simply won’t function right. Blinds have to be smooth and slick operating, otherwise they tend to look clunky and cheap. They need to rotate to let in light smoothly and easily, and open and close smoothly and easily. If they’ve been installed less than perfectly, and have had to be trimmed to size to fit the window, then you’re running the risk of having poorly functioning blinds, which can end up really ruining the sleek and stylish look.

Blinds that aren’t installed completely correctly also run the risk of sitting wrongly. This can be far more disastrous than it sounds. The whole beautiful, minimalist appeal of blinds comes from the their sharp, straight lines, and if those lines are slightly off, at weird angles due to a poorly measured and planned installation, the whole window can look off, often with you unable to exactly put your finger on what looks so wrong.

Blinds can be expensive, but they can also last a very long time, if installed, looked after and used correctly. One decent set of blinds can do you for up to a decade, but if those blinds were poorly installed, you can expect them to break much sooner than they would’ve otherwise. You can find them pulling off their fixing, destroying their gear, or all manner of other issues, all because incorrect installation puts lots of stress on the wrong parts.

Blinds are designed to withstand regular use, but also be very lightweight. This can mean that when misused, they’re very easy to damage. Poorly installed blinds can be dangerous, especially if you’ve got young kids around who like to tug on the blinds cords and clamber onto the window sills.

A professional will be able to unpack, set-up, modify if needs be and install the blinds to your windows. Blinds are not theoretically difficult to install, as you’ll quickly learn going online and looking at tutorials, however, if you’ve ever tried to do any DIY straight from an online tutorial you’ll have quickly learnt, much like I did, that nothing is ever so simple in real life. If you’re investing in quality blinds, that’re going to be a beautiful feature in your beautiful home for, for the next five years at least, then you need to think about employing a professional to install them.

A professional can have your blinds installed within hours, saving you the weekend you’d have spent trying to figure out how to modify the blinds and set them up, all while terrified of damaging your expensive new blinds set! It’s easier, quicker, and really not that expensive to simply get a professional in, and get the job done.

Planning your dream holiday? Five expert tips for bagging a bargain in the January sales

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The January sales are a time-served tradition in this country, with department stores and online retailers offering amazing deals on everything from kitchenware to designer shirts.

Already planning your dream getaway? We recently sat down with Holiday Gems’ resident travel expert, Neil Latham, to find out how you could save even more on your next holiday by shopping in the January sales.

Be quick to grab the best deals

The second and third weeks of January are usually the busiest times for booking a holiday, due to it being the first payday after Christmas.

If you’re going to be booking a holiday around this time, we recommend putting aside a little bit of extra Christmas cash. You can expect most of these offers to be gone by the end of the month, so act fast!

Being flexible can cut the cost of your holiday

January is without doubt the best time to save money on a holiday. But if you really want to secure the deal of a century, you’ve got to be flexible.

That means flying at unsociable hours and from a larger airport that’s not necessarily local to you, like Birmingham, London Gatwick or Manchester.

Often it’s the price of flying that has the biggest impact on the overall cost of your holiday, so keep an open mind and be prepared to travel.

Sign up to mailing lists for special offers from holiday companies

Are you one of those people that always says no to receiving marketing emails and newsletters? While your inbox may already be brimming with spam, emails from holiday companies are often filled with deals.

Often travel agents will send out their best deals via this method. You may find yourself receiving exclusive holiday offers before the general public, just for being a subscriber.

Don’t assume self-catering is cheaper than all-inclusive

It’s fair to say most of us assume an all-inclusive holiday is more expensive than going self-catering.

But don’t be fooled, January is the holy grail of holiday deals, with discounts across all board types.

All-inclusive breaks can sometimes work out more cost-effective; especially when you consider the money you’ll be saving on eating, drinking and hotel activities.

When it comes to destinations, think outside the box

The January sales are a great opportunity to book a holiday to somewhere you wouldn’t usually visit, including long-haul holidays that can often hold their price.

And while Spain and Majorca will always be popular, lesser-known destinations like Croatia and Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast are often where you’ll find the best holiday savings.

There are so many spectacular places out there that get overlooked. Keep an eye on these hidden gems, you never know, you may fall in love with somewhere completely different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New survey reveals that over two-thirds of drivers eat while driving

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Nowadays, a cup of tea and a slice of toast have become a morning luxury with many of us choosing to grab a quick snack and a hot drink during the commute to work.

According to a study by insurancerevolution.co.uk, 73% of UK drivers eat food and enjoy soft drinks or hot beverages while driving.

The research shows that almost a half have spilled a drink or dropped bits of food while driving – this can be major distraction!

Over a half admit they were not fully focused while in charge of their car because of such instances, seriously affecting the safety of themselves and other commuters.

Shockingly, 12% lost control of their car while doing so.

In more detail, of those who lost control, 8% admitted to having an accident, followed by 17% who almost had an accident.

Ironically, 55% of those questioned say eating or drinking soft and hot drinks when driving is dangerous. But despite this, the majority of people still continue to do so.

Mark Rigby, Managing Director at Insurance Revolution says: “Our research highlights that the biggest distractions might not solely be a mobile phone, but eating is also ranked highly.

“The figures from our survey revealed that 11% of UK adults still say they are distracted by their mobile phone when driving. But while mobile phones are still a major driver interruption, the 73% who lose concentration when eating or consuming food is certainly a cause for concern.

“If you do need to have a quick bite while driving, be careful to avoid any potential accidents or hazards, caused by you or others on the road.”

 

Conquer the January Sales

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That magical time of year, when retailers slash their prices to make way for a fresh new stock, is almost upon us. It’s a great time to take advantage of some amazing deals from fashion to electronics and homeware.

This hectic time of year can put many people off sale shopping. It’s no surprise that the much-preferred alternative to queues and overcrowded shops is shopping online from the comfort of your own sofa (you’d be mad not to).

Although you may be comfy, there’s no denying you still have to be on your A-game when trying to find that perfect deal online. Jumping from site to site to try and bag the best bargain before everything sells out can be just as stressful.

This is when the new shopping platform, Octer, comes in handy, to save you some extra time and effort. Octer features thousands of brands and hundreds of stores from High Street to designer in one place. Everything is categorised into a useful retail format, so you don’t have to worry about a scary jumble sale.

Here’s just a few ways Octer can help you with your sale shopping this year:

  1. Only shop sale items

When you’re in your chosen category you can tick a Sale Items Only filter, which makes it quick and easy to view all the sale products from multiple stores.

  1. Shop the stores you love

You can also choose to only view products from stores you’re interested in, this is great as Octer features so many different retailers from Topshop to Marks & Spencer – there’s something for everybody. Our top tip is to leave all the retailers selected the first time round – you may be surprised at what you find.

  1. Compare Prices

Remember Octer doesn’t stock or directly sell any products; it just collates them from all the top stores. It’s likely you will find the same product at various prices, from different retailers, so at a glance it’s easy to see which is the best deal!

  1. Easy Search

If you know what you want, the search feature makes it super quick and easy to compare the same product from multiple stores. A great way to double check you’ve got the best price.

 

Visit Octer here or download the handy app here.

As Octer is a new and upcoming business, they are open to feedback to help make their product better. Email hello@octer.com if you would like to give your feedback or have any questions.

If you’re really a big fan of the sales – you can also try out WozNow.co.uk, which only lists sale products from all the big stores.

5.7 MILLION SAVERS CHASE BEST RATES TO STAY AHEAD IN 2017

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5.7 MILLION SAVERS CHASE BEST RATES TO STAY AHEAD IN 2017

· 5.7m Brits resolve to switch savings account in 2017, as only 8% are sure they’re on best rate

· In 2016, 40% of British savers collectively spent 35 million hours researching best savings rates

· Masthaven welcomes its 1,000th saver – only weeks since it opened its digital doors

New research from the challenger bank Masthaven, reveals that many savers are losing hope that their main bank will deliver, with just one in three savers (29%) saying that they trust them to provide a good rate. Now millions seem to have lost patience and resolve to switch accounts in 2017.

Disheartened

The survey of over 2,000 UK adults found British savers are not confident in the returns they make on their money, with just 8% very confident that they are getting the best savings rate. The majority (61%) are not confident or unsure if they are getting the best rate.

Almost a third (29%) of savers admitted that they stick with their main bank and trust them to deliver a good rate, and a similar number (27%) have been put off shopping around saying there are poor deals everywhere, while 18% admitted they just can’t keep up with the [savings account] market.

Determined

Although almost a quarter (23%) say they do actively seek out good rates, a fifth (22%) of those who are not confident they’re on the best rate said they are likely to switch in 2017 – this is the equivalent to 5.7m (5,673,100) UK adults who intend to switch saving account this year.

The survey by Opinium for Masthaven found two-fifths (40%) of savers had switched or thought about doing so in 2016 – this is equivalent to 17m (16,891,528) UK adults researching switching for 35m (35,463,264) hours in total within the last 12 months.

Taking the leap

Masthaven says many savers are confident to take the leap from traditional banks to the challengers. Since it launched on 28 November 2016, more than 1,000 savers have moved their money to take advantage of the bank’s competitive rates; collectively contributing in excess of £40m in deposits.

Jon Hall, Managing Director of Masthaven, said: “Masthaven is delighted to welcome its 1,000th saver so soon after launch. This milestone emphasises how many customers are simply not getting what they want from traditional savings accounts, and when that’s the case they will move their money to get a better deal.

“This sentiment is reinforced by our latest consumer research – millions of savers in the UK are losing patience, and have resolved to switch saving accounts in 2017 to find a better rate. Masthaven is proud to be able to challenge the traditional banking market with competitive savings rates – helping people to make the most of their savings.”

The Masthaven Flexible Term Saver account challenges banking convention by allowing people to decide the date when their savings account matures. The combination of competitive rates and ease of use means savers can take advantage of a fixed term rate over a timeframe that suits their lifestyle.

Designed to help savers meet their short or long-term goals – whether that’s a holiday or wedding anniversary or a future event such as university fees or house deposit – customers can use a sliding scale to pick any date between six months and five years to create their personalised fixed term end date. They can also decide whether they prefer to receive interest annually or monthly.

Over a quarter of all UK homes to be solar-powered “within a few years”

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The number of homeowners planning solar panel installations is set to rise, according to a recent poll carried out on behalf of one of the leading independent suppliers, OVO energy (https://www.ovoenergy.com).

Just 6% of homes have been fitted with solar panels. However, the figures show that just under 20% of homeowners are planning to fit them to their homes in the not so distant future.

This means that over a quarter of all British homes could be running on – and receiving all the benefits of – solar energy in the next few years.

The data also shows the reasons for staying with more traditional energy sources.

75% of UK adults don’t have any panels installed on their homes, of those some (13%) admitted they hadn’t thought about it, while others (16%) were not planning to stay at their current address long enough for the investment to make financial sense.

However, the main reason came down to price – almost a third (32%) saw the biggest stumbling block was the initial cost of getting panels fitted.

People might be put off by cost, but after the initial expense, solar panels have been proven to be extra efficient in paying for themselves – in terms of cutting energy bills and also allowing the householder the chance to be paid for the energy created.

Installations also vary in popularity in different areas across the UK 

The survey suggests massive disparity from region to region.

Northern Ireland, for example, has some of the highest numbers of homes with existing or planned solar panel installations in the United Kingdom. Wales, on the other hand, has the lowest, with under 3% of all homes invested in solar panels.

Energy efficiency, financial benefits and environmental concerns are just some of the reasons why solar panels have sparked a lot of interest in recent years.

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