On 29th July 29 2021, BoxMedia joined AICPA-CIMA at Engage 2021 both online and in-person at the Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas to discuss how game-changing, innovative digital learning products are revolutionising the modern workplace.
Engage 2021 is an unforgettable, invaluable and one-of-a-kind career opportunity that offers exclusive insights and networking opportunities for engaged finance professionals.
BoxPlay (a BoxMedia company) exists to improve employability possibilities through relatable learning that builds confidence and was thrilled to be supporting their partners AICPA-CIMA at this amazing event.
CQ Originals focuses on interpersonal confidence-building skills – essential for anyone in the workplace today. The first digital version of this course is Active Listening, an accredited course based on CQ: Communication Quotient and created by Clare Munn.
Communication Quotient (CQ) is the bridge between EQ and IQ. It exists in the space between your intelligence and your emotions and helps you understand how to be expressive and receptive and thereby increasing confidence along with your ‘communication intelligence’.
Hawkins discussed how, to remain employable and relevant, we need to take charge of adaption. This includes learning both digital and technical fundamentals, understanding data analytics, and mastering our soft skills like active listening, critical thinking, negotiation and stress management.
Hawkins talked about how BoxPlay’s stackable and modular award-winning learning products are both beautiful to look at and immediately applicable to all aspects of your life.
Chargeback was created as a protective tool for customers from any fraudulent merchants on the market. Nowadays the situation has changed. Merchant payments for chargebacks became a target for numerous fraudsters. So, if your client started a dispute, it is recommended to check all the reasons immediately and make sure that no criminal scheme is involved. Unlike the refunds procedure, chargeback does not require contact between seller and buyer. Instead, the customer contacts the bank, files a complaint complaint and starts the dispute. Bank decides whether to approve chargeback or not. Unfortunately, chargeback fraud happens often, even with the best merchants with solid reputations. Some customers misuse the chargeback process to receive money after getting the product or services they paid for. Legal Actions or Crime? Customers who misuse chargebacks for their gain learn this system well enough to know that their actions are partly legal. Regulations of the dispute are far from perfect and stay unchanged for decades. While this type of fraud is still called friendly, every merchant who suffered from such a scheme disagrees with the name. Unfortunately, not all actions can be argued. If the customer did not put the signature on the delivery document, they may claim that there was no package delivered. Dishonest cardholders can get motivated by next reasons:
They don’t need to contact the merchant directly;
They want to receive free services;
They want to avoid the handling fee;
Refund limit is expired;
The delivery schedule is not suitable for them;
The return process on the website is too difficult;
The real owner of the payment card does not know that a purchase was made;
The buyer is not aware that he made the transaction.
Best Ways to Protect Your Business against Chargebacks No matter which digital tools or strategies you use, there is no 100 percent guarantee of protection from chargebacks. Every day the global market is attacked by fraudsters and criminals. Whether you have a small business or a big one, you can only minimize the chances for unnecessary spending and cut the damage that may occur. Follow the next steps:
Use the payment processor you trust. Even if you don’t know the system, check out the reviews, ask your colleagues. Pick the trustable way to accept payments. It must be highly secured fraud hackers with the detection of frauds. It may ask for the CVV card number or AVS. This way, you will not only protect your money but your customers as well;
Advanced seller protection. If you use services like Cash App, PayPal, or even Shopify, you have an automatic fraud detection system that monitors every action. You may decide which charges you can approve automatically or not, whitelist some accounts while blacklisting others. Many reliable companies also offer insurance in case of chargebacks. Besides, you may handle the disputes started by customers through the platform of payments;
Always keep receipts and proofs of transactions. Whether you trust your client completely or not, you have to make the transaction screenshots and automatically save all the receipts. These are the major pieces of evidence of your point of view. Save copies of all receipts and orders. If you can, save the conversation screenshots with customers. Make screenshots of delivery moves and keep them in the specific folder;
Provide the information on the payments and return policy clear and visible. Your customers need to know what to expect and how to file for a refund. A refund is always better than a chargeback since you don’t have to pay unnecessary fees;
Monitor the quality of services you provide. Perhaps, the chargeback you have to pay is justified. Check out the quality of the product and the reliability of the delivery company.
Life without Chargebacks Although there is no 100 percent guarantee that your actions will keep your business safe from chargebacks, you can still avoid them. Pay attention to every factor on the list, and make sure you follow these basic rules. A happy customer will stay with you for a long time.
LONDON – 26 July 2021 – Sproutl, a UK gardening tech start-up that aims to open up gardening to a whole new generation of gardeners and get everyone to plant something, has today launched a curated online marketplace that celebrates the best brands and businesses in the gardening industry. The company has also announced $9 million of seed funding led by Index Ventures with participation from Ada Ventures.Today, consumers from across the UK can access some of the best gardening products and plants from the country’s leading independent garden centres, nurseries and shops in an online curated marketplace, with more to be added over the coming months. In addition, the platform offers inspiration and straightforward advice, making gardening accessible to everyone.
Sproutl is not just an online gardening marketplace. It’s a platform that provides inspiration and advice to a new generation of growers, demystifying gardening, making it accessible and fun to fresh new audiences who may never have grown anything before, bringing plants and products seamlessly from phone to door.Gardening in the UK is experiencing a renaissance. According to the Horticultural Trade Association, the number of gardeners rose by three million last year, with nearly half of these aged under forty-five. During the lockdown, searches for plants rivalled those for dresses. And Google searches related to gardening have doubled from May 2020 to May 2021.GlobalData estimates that the green-fingered boom shows no sign of abating this year, with spending estimated to rise by seven per cent.From plants, pots and planters to outdoor living and gardening essentials, the site celebrates the best that gardening has to offer for the UK consumer.The platform is designed to make shopping hassle-free for consumers and take the pain out of online selling for horticultural suppliers and integrate with their systems.
Sproutl manages not only logistics, packaging sourcing, and delivery but also online marketing and customer services. Allowing local garden centres, shops and nurseries to develop their online presence and reach new national audiences, generating incremental sales.Horticultural launch partners include Rosebourne, Polhill and Millbrook garden centres. As well as specialist nurseries such as Middleton and indoor plant specialist Bellr. Peat-free pioneers, Fertile Fibre and living wall specialist, Horticus have also come on board.
Sproutl is already in discussions with many more partners who will join the marketplace in the coming months.The seed and need for Sproutl were sown back in 2016 when former VP Trading and Strategy, Marketing at Farfetch, Anni Noel-Johnson, wanted to plant her small London garden. Working full time, she looked for an online option but found that they typically catered for an informed, mature audience and had huge variations in availability and delivery lead times.After leaving Farfetch, over a coffee with former colleague Andy Done (who had previously been Director of Data Engineering at Farfetch and headed up data analytics at King, makers of the hit game Candy Crush), Sproutl was launched.
Hollie Newton, who swapped from being an award-winning creative director to become a bestselling gardening author, was brought on board to be the chief creative officer.Anni Noel-Johnson, CEO, & Andy Done, CTO, commented: “We built Sproutl to invite a new audience to take up gardening and give them the world-class eCommerce experience that digital natives expect. Our mission is to demystify growing plants and remove the barriers to getting started.” They continued, “We want to celebrate the UK’s brilliant horticultural industry and the network of family-owned and independent businesses, bringing their plants and products together in one place, generating incremental sales to new nationwide audiences.”
Hollie Newton, CCO, added: “You don’t need a ten-acre plot in the countryside to start gardening. To be honest, you don’t even need a garden. A terrace, a balcony, a small sunny windowsill – the modern garden is a brilliant place and one that thousands of people rediscovered in lockdown. Who cares if you’ve never picked up a trowel before? This is gardening made easy. The best plants and products, sitting alongside advice, inspiration, easy-to-shop edits, and high profile limited edition collections. It’s gardening for a new generation.”
The launch of the platform and its expansion are supported by a $9m seed investment which will allow Sproutl to move a step closer to its ambition of changing the online gardening landscape in the UK. The funding is led by Index Ventures (backers of Dropbox, Etsy, Farfetch, Patreon and Deliveroo). This is complemented by investment from Ada Ventures (backers of Bubble and Huboo) and C-Suite angel investors from leading global tech companies, including Farfetch, Airbnb, Made.com, and Slack.
The funds will be used to expand its strong, industry-leading team of veterans of the gardening industry and senior talent from leading consumer brands, including Soho House Group, ASOS, Selfridges, King and Habitat.Danny Rimer, Partner at Index Ventures, commented: “The notion of who is a gardener, and what it means to be a grower, has been transformed in the past few years, with a whole new generation of young people breaking the long-held stereotypes. More than anyone we’ve met, Anni and Andy have understood this cultural change and built Sproutl, a gardening destination that’s like no other.”
Check Warner, Partner at Ada Ventures, commented, “At Ada, we are looking to invest in dynamic founders with bold ideas. The Sproutl team is reinventing and reshaping the online gardening landscape in the UK, making gardening more accessible and inclusive. The depth of experience of the team and their passion for celebrating independent garden retailers made us really excited to partner with them on this ambitious mission.”
If you’re a first-time buyer currently living at your parents’ house or in a fully-furnished rental property, you probably have everything provided for you. Your current living situation is almost like being in a hotel except you don’t get room service and your bedsheets changed every day. And if you do, why are you moving out? Quick, call the sale off!
Joking aside, buying your first home is wonderful and exciting. Whether you’re buying outright with cash or a mortgage, or the rapidly rising property prices in the capital means you’re joining a shared ownership scheme in London, you’re going to need to furnish your new home.
You would have received a fixture and fittings form in the documents you received from your vendor outlining anything that was included in the sale price or available for you to buy.
However, if you’re starting out completely from scratch, here are five items you need to buy for your first home.
Curtains or blinds
You’d think window coverings would come with the property and a lot of the time, previous owners do leave them behind. However, unless you’ve arranged for curtains or blinds to be left, don’t take it for granted.
If you do need to buy something to cover your windows, unless your windows are a standard size and you can easily buy what you want from your local high street, make sure you order your window coverings in plenty of time, as made-to-measure curtains, blinds or shutters can take weeks, if not months, to be delivered.
Bed
Unless you want to spend the first few weeks in your new home sleeping on the floor, you’ll need a bed. Again, unless you’re picking one up from Argos or somewhere handy like that, a bed can take a long time to be delivered.
Don’t forget to buy a mattress, pillows, duvet and linen too.
Kettle
A kettle is the type of thing you forget you need until you wake up on your first morning in your new home and go to put the kettle on, then realise you don’t actually have one. If you did forget to buy a kettle, they’re easy enough to find in your local supermarket and you can get one while you’re buying the tea, milk and sugar you also forgot to buy.
Cleaning supplies
Unless you’re a Mrs Hinch devotee, cleaning is really boring but, unless you’ve got aspirations to be the new Quentin Crisp who famously said, ”There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse” you’re going to need cleaning supplies.
Trust us, in a few years, your kitchen cupboards will be bulging with cleaning supplies as you search for the holy grail of cleaning products but, for now, at the very least, make sure you have some bleach, cleaning cloths and multi-purpose cleaner. You’ll also need some washing up liquid, laundry detergent and dishwasher tablets (if you’ve got a dishwasher).
Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector
A smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector may sound even more boring than cleaning supplies, but these things could save your life. They’re inexpensive and easy to install, so make sure you have them on the day you move in.
These are just five of the items you need to have in your new home. They’re not the most exciting things to buy but they’re definitely necessary.
According to the quarterly report of CoinGecko, during this period, the cryptocurrency showed a colossal yield of 11,566,501%. Despite the fact that SHIB is not included in the top 5 cryptocurrencies, at the end of the quarter it surpassed DOGE. This article compares the various value propositions presented by the Shiba Inu coin (SHIB) and Dogecoin (DOGE). We explain the key features of two cryptocurrencies, their history, idea, and their investment potentials in the future.
What is Dogecoin?
Dogecoin is a decentralized network for performing payment transactions, with open source code. It is the result of a fork of Litecoin. DOGE functions based on the Scrypt technology. It has unlimited emission, and fast transaction processing speed (it takes only a minute to add a block).
As of July 2021, the coin is in the top 10 by market capitalization ($21,604,889,877), and the cost of one DOGE is $0.1654. DOGE is one of the best cryptocurrencies for mining. Its active and dedicated community widely uses coins for conducting financial transactions and also uses DOGE to raise funds for charitable purposes.
What is Shiba Inu?
Shiba Inu is a decentralized ecosystem based on the Ethereum blockchain that is completely controlled by its community. The main functions are the exchange of digital assets, the NFT marketplace, and passive income tools. SHIB is an ERC-20 standard token with a limited issue of 1 quadrillion.
In July 2021, value of SHIB is $0.000005801, with a market capitalization of $2,286,443,703. According to the creators, they deliberately set a low cost, so that everyone could buy millions of coins, and earn a fabulous profit on a seemingly insignificant price increase.
The team is trying to create an ecosystem consisting of several coins (LEASH, SHIB, and BONE), a decentralized exchange (DEX) known as ShibaSwap, and a dynamic community.
SHIB – is a service token of the ecosystem
LEASH – (“DOGE Killer”) was created to hedge the value of DOGE, as well as a reward for holders who provide their liquidity.
BONE – plays a vital role in the main ShibaSwap DEX protocol, and allows you to earn money on staking
Differences between Shiba Inu and Dogecoin
Although both coins have similar characteristics: they use Shiba Inu as their mascot, are decentralized, are actively used in community circles, and also participate in charity fundraising events. Still, they have different basic characteristics, which are important to examine.
So we see that although SHIB and DOGE are direct competitors, they are essentially completely different. It should be noted that Dogecoin is a fork of Litecoin. While SHIB operates on the basis of the Ethereum blockchain. In addition, the limited issue played into the SHIB’s hands, and the fact that the project is switching from PoW to PoS consensus is well accepted by many investors. However, Dogecoin has existed since 2013 and over the years has managed to earn a good reputation and enter the top best cryptocurrencies. The reason for such a stunning success of Dogecoin is often called the fact that such a global influencer as Elon Musk actively supports the project in his Twitter. After a series of tweets that DOGE is his favorite as well as the people’s cryptocurrency, the asset’s quotes soared to the skies.
At the same time, SHIB also has a kind of patron in the form of the well-known Vitaly Butyrin. The SHIB team sent about 40% of its assets to Buterin. He, in turn, refused such a gesture and burned 90% of coins, sending another 10% to charity. Thus, the attention to the currency was extremely high. Since a considerable part of the tokens is burned, and the issue of SHIB is limited, this had a favorable effect on the price of the asset.
Where to buy Dogecoin and Shiba Inu?
On July 6, 2021, the decentralized exchange platform Shiba Swap was launched. The platform offers users to exchange tokens, as well as to deposit SHIB on stacking. The website presents various ways in which Shiba Inu holders can receive rewards for placing their SHIB coins on the platform. This was followed by the release of two new tokens: LEASH and BONE. These tokens were not available for purchase before the launch of ShibaSwap DEX. Therefore two questions arise: 1) Where to trade doge; and 2) Where to buy shiba inu.
Both SHIB and DOGE cryptocurrencies have high liquidity and are traded on most large and reliable crypto exchanges. The best exchanges for buying or selling these coins according to CoinMarketCap are:
Binance – one of the most liquid platforms in the world. Spot Trading, P2P, OTC, futures trading with leverage up to x125, margin trading, etc. are available.
Huobi – a multifunctional and multi-currency platform, with a pleasant and intuitive interface. The same fees of 0.2% for makers and takers.
OKEx – a well-designed and easy-to-use crypto exchange, works with both crypto and fiat currencies. Quite low fees in this market segment.
FTX – crypto exchange for spot trading, derivatives with leverage up to x110. A specialized liquidation system significantly reduces the risk of losses.
7b – is your guide to the world of cryptocurrencies, with the most pleasant and convenient interface, useful trading tools, and reasonable fees.
Always remember that investing in any cryptocurrency is an extremely risky venture – you may know how to buy doge and how to buy shiba inu coin, but you should also know how to earn on it. And such meme-currencies, which are supported only by hype, can both make you rich and ruin you. So be extremely careful in your calculations and investments, and do not invest more than you can afford to lose.Our dog friends
Since the launch of Dogecoin in 2013, the process of creating cryptocurrencies has become noticeably easier, and therefore new meme tokens could be created every day and become known if they were somehow connected with current events or major influencers. So, in addition to SHIB and DOGE, there is already a whole family of dogs on the crypto market:
Papa Doge – the developers claim that the project is the first meme token with real use cases. The token is characterized by high security, full decentralization, and full BEP 20 compatibility.
Mama Doge – according to the developers, the young project aims to protect and give home to homeless dogs. The coin is deflationary and is completely managed by the community.
Baby Doge – according to the developers, BabyDoge is a DOGE child who has learned the lessons of his father. Altcoin belongs to the category of deflationary assets, and it is based on the principle of smart stacking. According to the creators, token owners will earn money not by speculating, but by accumulating.
Dogelon Mars – one more interesting young project, which is a fork of DOGE. According to the developers, it has two goals, namely to help victims of fraud, and also to become the currency of Mars.
All these cryptocurrencies do not carry a fundamental novelty, but are simply used in narrow circles and are hyped at the expense of the progenitor.
FAQ
Is Shiba Inu coin better than Dogecoin?
There is no clear leader in this battle. Both coins use a Shiba Inu meme, both are hyped, both are used for charitable purposes. DOGE is supported by such world celebrities as Elon Musk and Mark Cuban. At the same time, this also affects Shiba quotes. The advantages of the latter are the limited issue and their DEX, in which tokens serve as a bridge.
Will Shiba Inu beat Dogecoin?
DOGE has been trading on the market since 2013 and has already managed to gain the trust and recognition of the community and celebrities. At the same time, SHIB quotes have increased significantly over the year, largely due to hype and confusion on Elon Musk’s Twitter. It is not necessary to exclude the possibility of a Shiba victory, but still the project is too young and has not yet fully recommended itself.
What is Doge and Shiba?
Doge is some progenitor of the meme cryptocurrencies. And SHIBA is probably the most successful project of the followers. Despite the similar concept, use cases, and idea, they have different basic characteristics and function on the basis of different blockchains.
Can a Shiba Inu hit $1?
The one dollar goal is extremely cloud-based for the SHIBA project. There is a better chance of achieving it if most of the tokens are burned. However, if the growth continues at this pace, then by the end of 2021 SHIBA could reach such a mark. Still, according to Market Realist, quotes will be able to reach $1 by 2025, provided that the price will grow by 20% per month.
Is it worth buying Shiba Inu coins?
Yes, SHIB is a profitable long-term investment, given the growth indicators over the past year. If the project adheres to its strategy, the potential growth for the year will be +102.32%. In addition, SHIB coins are very cheap, so you can safely invest some of your free funds in their purchases and earn money on increasing the price.
What does Doge stand for?
First of all, the Dogecoin project was created for ordinary people. It was planned that it would be really useful to everyone and, most importantly, affordable at its price. DOGE is currently used in many industries. Its main purpose is to conduct various charitable collections. Also, this coin can be used by users to transfer their funds on P2P basis, exchange for other cryptocurrencies (or for withdrawal to fiat money), purchase goods on the Internet, pay for services, etc.
Conclusion
When investing in SHIB or DOGE, it should be remembered that their value is not based on any fundamental principles, but on the mood of the crypto market and attention from world famous personalities. For example, on July 9, 2021, in just two hours, DOGE quotes increased by 14%, after a tweet by Elon Musk, where he expressed his opinion about the advantages (fast transaction speed and low fees) of his favorite cryptocurrency over such giants as Bitcoin and Ethereum. But as can be seen from the history of the price rate, SHIB is also not far behind. The cost is increasing quite steadily. And with the launch of its decentralized exchange (ShibaSwap), the project has a chance to refresh its all time high.
To date, it may seem that investing in DOGE entails less risk of losing your funds, since it is more widely accepted and reliable. But at the same time, SHIB quotes are growing rapidly and the coin is extremely cheap, so there is more room for maneuver.
A gentleman from Liverpool was wrongfully arrested following the death of his cousin. The police arrested him in his house for grievous bodily harm. The officers ignored his pleas including his request to get his medication before they left for the police station.
Despite all the information provided to them by the family of the accused, the officers ignored everything and still detained the alleged suspect for 12 hours. After his release, the gentleman filed a lawsuit against the police officers and the police force; they ended up paying him £5,000 plus legal fees. The cases filed against them were false imprisonment, assault/battery, trespass, and breaches of sections 6, 7, and 8 of the Human Rights Act.
For parking illegally, an American resident in Hastings, East Sussex, was gassed, attacked, and humiliated in the town centre. He was frightened of losing his job because he was only taking a break from work to get a birthday present for his child. Police detained him and made up stories about his aggressive actions, which were not accurate, as evidenced by one of the officers’ body cameras.
The gentleman was pinned to the ground, spit hooded, and leg restrained before he was detained for four and a half hours in the Hastings Police Station. The police denied the allegations but there was CCTV footage and an independent witness that served as proof of the cases filed against them.
The American suffered physical and psychological injuries from the incident. The police were eventually charged for police brutality, for which they paid the victim £25,000—initially £5,100 increased to £7,500 then to £15,000 and finally to £21,000.
Police complaints
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) recorded close to 30,000 complaint cases about the police in England and Wales from 2019 to the end of January 2020.
Police officers are not allowed to discriminate, especially regarding race or color. They are not allowed to treat people unfairly and disrespectfully; police officers cannot abuse their powers. In addition, they also cannot use excessive force when arresting suspects or misuse the information they gather from you for purposes that go beyond police responsibilities.
The IOPC and the local Professional Standards Department of the police are responsible for investigating complaints and claims against police officers. Complaints can be made by persons related to the victim of the police misconduct, the victims themselves, witness or witnesses to the conduct, or a representative of the witness and the victim’s relative.
Police complaints are not limited to the police force. Complainants may also forward their grievances to the authorities regarding misconduct of the following:
England and Wales police forces
British Transport Police
Ministry of Defence Police
Police and Crime commissioners
The National Crime Agency
The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime
Border and immigration officers
The Gangmasters and Labor Abuse Authority
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
There is a broad list of complaints that can be made against the police. In recent years, the allegations that tallied the highest for England and Wales were “other neglect and failure in duty”. Ranking second is “incivility, impoliteness and intolerance”.
How to make police complaints
If you have been mistreated, wrongfully accused, or assaulted by the police or by any representative of the departments listed above, you may file a claim for compensation against them. You can be compensated in case you win the lawsuit.
The following is a list of some of the actions of the police that you can file a complaint for:
Oppressive behavior
Malpractice
Breach of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
Lack of fairness and impartiality
Discriminatory behavior (especially against mental illness)
Neglect of duty
Incivility
Traffic irregularity
Direction and control
Other acts such as irregularity in procedure, improper use and access of information, and other sexual conduct.
The first step in registering a claim is to provide all relevant information regarding the incident. Your complaint letter must contain details on which police force your complaint is directed at, who was involved in the incident, the “who, what, why, when, where, and how,” and how the incident has affected you mentally and emotionally. Also, you have to include what outcome you expect from your claims against police officers.
If all else fails, find a solicitor or a legal firm that is an expert in dealing with taking action against the police. Contact the police complaints experts at Claim Experts. They might be able to help you persecute the officers that mistreated you and get you compensated for all the damages they caused.
The firm’s new approach will support its ambition for sustainability – without sacrificing performanceGotshal Rhoades, an investment management firm that offers a broad spectrum of investment strategies, today announced new improvements of its sustainability strategies, which will provide institutional investors the possibility to connect Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing solutions with the advisors’ expertise and knowledge in investing across emerging markets.
The Gotshal Rhoades Sustainable Strategy will target the climate change risks by implementing innovative investment solutions and focusing on companies that are efficiently structured, profitable, and have strong cash flows, consequently the firm will strengthen its performance by delivering better ESG outcomes to its customers.Built to invest at the junction of high quality and low carbon, this strategy is a proof of Gotshal Rhoades’ constructive approach of delivering quantitative investment solutions that focus on the efficient use of ESG – without cutting performance. Driven by customers’ demand, the strategy is being implemented by using the proven track record creativity and knowledge our advisors team has in ESG and value investing.
“With many years of involvement in the ESG strategies and innovations, we’ve observed how investors’ attitude and views evolved over time,” said Peter Lai, Gotshal Rhoades Chief Executive Officer. “We at Gotshal Rhoades, are extremely excited about developing, improving and delivering efficient, responsible investment tools and solutions – and we truly believe this can be achieved without negatively affecting the financial performance, on the contrary it can have a bigger positive impact.”
“The improved quality of the received global emissions data, combined with the composure of our strategy selection techniques, proves that we are in a strong position to combine Gotshal Rhoades’ core proficiency of investing with climate change investment considerations,” said Gordon Lee, Gotshal Rhoades Head of SRI (Socially Responsible Investments). “Our main focus is to help investors avoid unnecessary risks and pass other sector challenges within their portfolios by targeting low exposure to risk factors achieved through our range of tailored strategies and to offer them a safe exposure to the markets with a carbon intensity reduction target.”
About Gotshal Rhoades
Gotshal Rhoades is an investment management firm that merges proven theories about security analysis and portfolio management with a genuine interest in helping people and institutions achieve their financial goals. The company serves individuals, corporations, pension funds, foundations, and endowments via a selection of specialist asset classes, including low volatility strategies, capitalizing on in-house fundamental and quantitative capabilities. The professionals at Gotshal Rhoades are proud to partner with customers to deliver sophisticated solutions that result in their success. Gotshal Rhoades continuously expands its investment and wealth management offerings to keep pace with the evolving landscape.
The grandson of Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa, is to auction an NFT (non-fungible token) of two of his books to raise funds for a new mental health care app.
Dumani Mandela, 44, is the son of Phumla Makaziwe Mandela, the second daughter of South Africa’s first black head of state and a former winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
After a career in management consulting, insurance and banking, he has spent the last 14 years working for his family’s investment company OSR Holdings, specialising in train manufacturing and property development.
He is also the author of four books, including I Dream of Kemet and Young and on the run from Apartheid.
I Dream of Kemet is a novel about African magic realism from an African perspective, while Young and on the run from Apartheid is a fast-paced novel about one man’s search for humanity against the backdrop of apartheid.
Mandela is now seeking to convert the books into an NFT, a type of digital asset, with proceeds from the sales going towards his mental health care web app My Minimalist, which is currently in the prototype stage.
He is working on the release with BlockSmart NFT, a digital creative agency based in London.
BlockSmart NFT provides a full, turnkey management service for creatives who want to explore and monetise NFT, advising on strategy, promotion, tokenisation, monetisation and representation.
Mr. Richard Ossei, BlockSmart NFT CEO, said: “We work with creatives and handle the digital administration and promotional side whenever they want to launch an NFT.
“Given Dumani’s family background, we expect there to be considerable interest in his tokens, and it is particularly pleasing that on this occasion the proceeds will be going to such a good cause.”
The NFTs will be listed on the OpenSea platform in mid-August.
The last year has been a rollercoaster for business owners, with prolonged periods of closures to great uncertainty around plans to reopen physical premises, it’s been a test for the most seasoned of businesses. Whilst these challenges may have pushed you to the edge at times, there has been some good that has come out of this time spent locked down. There is now an opportunity to rethink your brand identity and become that business that you have always dreamt about.
Branding involves much more than a pretty logo and a poster in the shop window. We now live in a day and age where all aspects of your brand need to be crystal clear and eye-catching to capture the attention of the public. Gone are the days where all you needed was to hand out your business card to attract new customers, the market is now more competitive than it’s ever been before, therefore creating a need for a flawless brand image.
In this article, we aim to cover some of the most important aspects of branding in 2021, the goal, to help business owners make better decisions when it comes to investing in brand identity.
Establishing An Online Brand Identity
The world of digital is a huge part of business as we know it. Just think back a few years and businesses were mostly done face to face, now it’s rare to have a face to face meeting. With this great shift in where business is conducted your online presence must be felt the same as your physical. This means that investing in a well-designed logo, website and email is an essential part of connecting with your customers on a deeper level. This online brand not only allows you to connect with existing customers but is also a lead generation tools for small and growing businesses.
Building Up A Industry Reputation
Whilst many aspects of the business have changed over the past couple of years, one thing stays the same, the need for a solid reputation in the industry. Whether this is positive word of mouth from previous clients or a collection of five-star reviews that clearly describe the quality of service received when dealing with your business, it’s still just as important that this reputation is there. A lack of reputation can make customers hesitate to deal with your company and trust me when I say there are plenty of other options out there.
Creating A Physical Brand Image
The actual workplace in which you conduct your daily operations must also be considered. Whilst the pandemic has forced us to work from home where possible we must not forget to keep a clean and presentable workplace to help with client meetings and retaining a motivated workforce. This may mean that you invest in frequent render cleaning Cardiff service to help upkeep the maintenance of your physical workplace. Just remember that branding is not just about dealing with new customers but it can also help to create a positive work environment for employees, making sure that they are proud to tell people about the company they work for.
Advertising On The Right Channels
The last point we want to discuss is marketing channels. It’s now more important than ever before that you are connecting with your potential clients where they spend most of the time whether this is on their morning route to work, on the social media channels they enjoy or through the newspapers they read. Your advertising and marketing methods are an essential part of your brand image and by placing your business name and logo in highly reputable newspapers, magazines and press release articles you will be portraying a highly professional appearance that is clear to win new customers over.
To summarise all of the points mentioned above, branding in 2021 is not meant to be a minefield, it’s all about making sure that your company appeals to the masses. As long as you deeply understand the thought process behind your ideal customers you can make sure that every aspect of your business speaks to them and brings them in. If you need further guidance around growing your brand don’t be afraid to speak to someone. Many companies decide to hire employees
Don’t get it twisted – being an entrepreneur is hard work. Very hard work. And with hard work comes a heavy workload. From learning new skills to managing employees as well as planning ahead, just getting through an average day can sometimes feel overwhelming.
But there are ways to work smarter and not harder.
We’ve listed some handy tips to help you handle your workload, alleviate your stress and sort through even the deepest sea of never-ending tasks.
Take time out to plan
Just one hour of planning could save you hours of time. Avoid rushing in and wasting time by mapping everything out before you dive in.
Think about the purpose of each project or task, how long it will take, the deadline and the desired outcome before noting what the KPIs and challenges are.
Having absolute clarity on your to-do list will help you block out the required amount of time and help you focus and concentrate, as a result.
Get your priorities straight
The saying “there aren’t enough hours in the day” holds very true. In times when there seems to be more work than capacity, don’t wear yourself thin. Accept that you aren’t a superhero and that you won’t be able to get everything done at once.
Prioritise tasks so that the most urgent and important items rise to the top of your list. Get these done first before moving onto tasks that fall further down the list.
And remember – don’t put off tasks!
This will only push important tasks further down the list and delay your progress. Don’t let this happen!
Limit the amount of time you spend on tasks
The law of diminishing returns dictates that the more time spent on a task, the less value gained from it. With this theory in mind, make sure you limit the amount of time you spend doing certain tasks.
It may also be worth investing in a time audit to see exactly where you are spending your time.
Start by analysing how much time it takes to complete each task and what value you are getting out of each one. At the end of the work, record the total time spent on each task and change your focus, if needed.
Stay up-to-date
Keeping track of what you’re doing each day can help you measure how much time you really need for each project or task.
Knowing this will help alleviate your stress levels as you will know what to expect from individual tasks in future.
Avoid being a perfectionist
In the famous words of Gordon B. Hinckley, “mediocrity will never do”. And while mediocrity is never okay, spending hours on tasks just to bring them to your personal level of perfection isn’t either.
Being a perfectionist will not only affect your confidence level, but also kill time, delaying other tasks in the process.
Remember – good work is what you produce for your clients. Perfectionism is something you only spend time on to satisfy yourself.
Rid yourself of distractions
Do you know how many times you get distracted in the day? You may actually be more affected by distractions than you think.
According to The Cost of Interrupted Work, a study conducted by Gloria Mark, it takes a person 23 minutes and 15 seconds, on average, to return to the original task after interruption.
This can lead to increased stress, a bad mood and lower productivity.
So, eliminate distractions at all costs! Exercise discipline and remain focused on business-related projects and tasks.
Share the load
No human being is good at everything. So, focus on your own unique skill set and outsource everything else.
From general admin to social media management and copywriting, you can utilise the service of a virtual marketing company to redistribute tasks and help you manage your time better.
Remember – you’re not an expert on everything. So why not utilise someone else to do what you can’t?
Stop multitasking
No matter how good you may think you are at multitasking, try to stop yourself from doing it.
The truth is, multitasking is a myth and your brain simply can’t work effectively by doing more than one thing at a time.
Focus on your list of priorities, get through each task one at a time and create firm boundaries for specific tasks. That way, you won’t feel overworked.
Take time out
As human beings, we require rest to replenish energy levels and stay on top of a heavy workload.
As impossible as it may seem, take time out of your day to go for a walk or exercise. Leave early when possible and even sneak in a nap (if you can).
And never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep and healthy eating plan!
Maintain a healthy work-life balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance can be an uphill battle but it is of utmost importance.
A healthy work-life balance is subjective, but it involves finding peace within yourself in order to be fully present wherever you are at any particular time.
Make a conscious choice to focus on what matters most to you and create a balanced life that serves your needs.
A heavy workload can be tough to deal with. From stress to fatigue and burnout, it is something that must be tackled head-on to overcome it.
Utilise this step-by-step guide to be the champion of your workload.
