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How Covid-19 Impact Startups: Survival Strategy & Tips

Mankind has not yet encountered a crisis similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although experts in various fields compare it with the 2007-2008 mortgage crisis, economists have come to a unanimous conclusion: the economic crisis and the total lockdown caused by the pandemic will be much harder and more serious than the mid-2000s crisis.

They agreed that the global economy will need 3 years to fully recover from the effects of the crisis and return to the indicators of the end of 2019. This forecast will take place only in the most favorable scenario when there are no new outbreaks of the disease. But it is doubtful since new cases of infection are reported in the regions that have seemingly defeated the virus.

Meanwhile, in most countries, people continue to stay at home, and businesses of all sizes and specifics suffer from disrupted cash flows and operations. Tech development companies, like purrweb.com, were forced to continue providing their services remotely. Still, small businesses that do not have a financial airbag received a huge blow.

In our article, we will talk about how much COVID-19 influenced startups, and also try to give some tips on how to cope with this situation.

Source: VentureBeat

The Impact

The impact of the pandemic on startups is obvious. And the vast majority of companies have experienced negative effects, mostly. That’s why we will talk about them first.

Negative impact

Speaking about the negative consequences for startups, we can briefly highlight the following points:

  • Capital. About half of startups do not have financial savings and are in the red zone. Those who raised some investment in rounds A and B can last less than a year. Government support varies from country to country, but often includes interest-free payday loans and helicopter investments, which are often not enough;
  • Employees. 74% of startups reduced their staff due to the crisis. Speaking about geography, most employees lost their jobs in North America, followed by Europe and Asia. This is due to the fact that the United States leads in the number of sick and dead from the virus by a wide margin. In Europe, the situation is not so deplorable. Asia seems to have coped with the pandemic faster than others, so there are fewer layoffs;
  • Revenues. Estimates are approximate, and yet: more than 70% of startups declare a reduction in their income. Statistically, about a third of them faced a critical decline in profits of more than 80%.
Source: PYMNTS.com

Positive impact

There are also positive trends, however. While B2B startups have been affected the most, B2C companies are more likely to survive the pandemic with less serious consequences. It depends on the sectors, of course. For example, people continue to order food, read books, or watch films online.

  • Growth. One-tenth of startups report a slight increase in their income. There are absolutely incredible stories. For example, the shares of video conference service Zoom grew by more than 275%. Any crisis opens up new possibilities;
  • Operating activities. The level of digitalization in the modern world is very high. That is why most B2C online startups continue to operate. Some say that nearly 96% of tech startups run despite the crisis.

It is very difficult to derive exact numbers here. There are too many factors to consider: industry, type of startup, level of digitalization, the presence of a financial airbag, and so on. In general, the crisis has hit startups hard and caused a negative impact, no doubt.

Source: Startup Info

Survival tips

Not all startups can survive in this crisis, but here are some universal tips to improve your chances.

  • Develop a plan. The effects of the crisis will be felt for several more years. That is why startups that are hoping to continue operating after the lockdown, should have a clear plan of action. All stakeholders should be involved in the development of this plan, from ordinary employees to potential investors;
  • Assess damage and redistribute income. Understanding the exact numbers is crucial. Diversify your cash flows, reduce expenses as much as possible, and outline several possible financial scenarios — from the most negative to the most positive;
  • Choose a new direction. Evaluate how your activities and the specifics of your startup can be useful to the world in times of crisis. For example, car-rental company ZoomCar focused on providing services to healthcare industry workers, as well as delivery services;
  • Lean is the key. You need to be as lean as possible. The lower the costs now, the greater the chance of survival;
  • Search for investors. Not everyone in the world is losing money now, and many investors view this crisis as an opportunity. Therefore, conduct a thorough market analysis and try to make your startup profitable for certain investors;
  • Don’t panic. Nerves and panic will definitely not help you. Accurate calculations and a cool head are really important right now.
Source: YourStory

Conclusion

We would like to finish on a positive note. Yes, the situation is extremely difficult and many will not be able to get out of it. However, these are the days when we should show our compassion and willingness to help. Startups are one of the most vulnerable types of business in any crisis. Nevertheless, there are chances to survive.

The key tasks here are either to put the business on hold for several years so that it will reopen when the economy recovers. Or, to reformat your startup in such a way that its activities are in demand in the new reality. Just believe that the good fortune lies ahead.

5 Signs That You Need Air Conditioner Maintenance

Ever since air conditioners became an integral part of every home during the 50s and 60s of the last century, we have begun to wonder how people once lived without it. When summer comes and temperatures of over 90 degrees Fahrenheit strikes us, we think we wouldn’t survive without the help of air conditioning. When the summer heat is at full swing, we just want to be as close as possible to this device and somehow survive until evening.

But if you live in the northern hemisphere, it is currently winter and you may have already forgotten how much you will need air conditioner in just a few months. That now seems far away. Now your main concern is that your home is well heated, and you will think about cooling when the time comes. But we can tell you that is a mistake. You need to prepare in advance and do regular maintenance, especially if you noticed at the end of last summer that your air conditioner is not working as it did before. We will tell you what are the signs that you need air conditioner maintenance, so if you have noticed any of them, do not wait for the summer but solve the problem immediately.

Source: The New Daily

1. Energy bill higher than usual

Of course, the air conditioner does not have to be the only culprit for the fact that the energy bill is higher than usual. First check if it is only one month where the energy bill is higher than usual. It is logical that the electricity bill is higher than usual if it is a warmer month, but it must be a rational difference compared to winter. If this is the case, then it is not a red flag. But if this is repeated from month to month, and the price of electricity has not increased, it is very likely that some of the devices are damaged and therefore consume more electricity than before. The air conditioner is one of the largest, if not largest consumers of energy in the home, so it is the first device that you should check and, if necessary, do regular maintenance or repair.

Source: DIY Network

2. Air is not cold enough

In case the air is not cold, first you need to check if the cooling mode is on. Maybe you forgot to switch back from heating mode you used during fall or winter or someone mistakenly switched to the wrong mode. If it is in cooling mode, and the air is still not cold, then that is a completely clear sign that you need professional help. It happens that the air coming out of the air conditioner is not as cold as it used to be or even not as cold at all, and the reasons can be many. It can be restricted airflow, compressor problems, clogged filters or blocked ductwork. It can also happen that the replenishment of freon is necessary. In any case, there is a problem. Do not ignore even if the temperature varies. The air temperature must be constant, if the thermostat or something else is not broken.

Source: The Forbiz

3. High humidity indoors

During the warm part of the year, it is normal for the humidity to be much higher than usual. First of all, it is very high outside, sometimes close to 100 percent, which of course must be reflected to the humidity we feel inside the house. But still, it should not be very humid indoors, because that is one of the main reasons why you have an air conditioner, in addition to cooling you down. One of the basic functions is humidity control, so if you notice that you are sweating in the house and feel like you are in the middle of the jungle, you may have a problem with the air conditioning. If this happens again for several days in a row and the device fails to bring the humidity to the level it was before, call a professional to determine what the problem is. It’s probably leaky ductwork, but let them determine the cause.

Source: Edwards Air Ent LLC

4. Unpleasant smell

If you smell an unpleasant and strange odor, it is very likely that it is coming from your air conditioner or HVAC system. Of course, first check that it is not some other source of that smell, but it probably is not. This probably means that the unit is dirty or the filter needs to be replaced. Don’t procrastinate, because it’s not just a matter of unpleasant smell. A dirty filter can cause allergic reactions, especially in people who are prone to it. If you are interested in that topic, find more about how A/C unit is affecting indoor air quality at www.acservicesmaui.com. You can also try using ultraviolet lamps if you have them, to destroy the various bacteria and mold that may exist in the air conditioner, but regular filter replacement is also necessary. Also, make sure that there is no problem with the wires, because they can be source of strange small too, and that can be dangerous and cause a fire.

Source: Comfort Air Service

5. Noises

You’ve probably having an air conditioner for decades, so you know it’s not a noisy device at all. It’s often so quiet that you’re not even sure if it’s on until you look at it or feel the cool air. So if it suddenly starts making sounds that sound more like a tractor rather than an air conditioner, there is certainly a problem. Some of the most common sounds that can occur are metallic screeching, grinding or banging. This may indicate loose belts, a broken part of the unit, as well as debris in the filter. It is best to call professionals as soon as possible to check what is causing those strange noises. Because if you do not react in time, it can happen that some part is irreparably damaged and you have to replace the air conditioner. Worse, if you have an HVAC system, then there can be significant system damage, which will be very expensive to repair.

Conclusion:

The most important thing is to regularly maintain everything in your house, including the air conditioner. This way you will always have a highly functional device and you will reduce costs

6 Tips for Choosing the Right Tools for Cryptocurrency Trading

Source: Medium

Crypto trading requires a high level of knowledge, skills, interest, but also having the right platforms and tools to accomplish your goals. Since you are here, you are probably interested in trading, or you’ve already tried something, and now you want to be more informed about all the aspects and possibilities you have at the crypto market. If you do it right, you can be sure that all your actions will result in a profit, and improving your economic health, especially right now, when the world is fighting against the new wave of the dangerous coronavirus.

You also maybe know what’s mining, trading, and exchanging, as the main activities of working with cryptocurrencies. But, sometimes you need additional tools, so you can stay active and earn as many cryptos as possible. The most common trading tools are tax reporting software, trading bots, charts, and APIs. How can you be sure that you are using the best of them? Here are a few tips for that:

1. Crypto tax reporting software

Source: Pinterest

This tool can help you manage your actions, and also increasing your chances to profit. The trick is to find reliable ones, by researching them and look for real and legit user experience. These tools include analysis of your current activity, generating charts, listing the best trading websites (you can look here to see what is verified trading platform), and giving you tips on how to secure your activity, and protect the earnings from cyber-attacks. During your trading, it will also calculate the tax fees, if required in your country. It is advisable to consult with a tax expert or CPA online with TurboTax Live from your house in Seattle or wherever else you might live just to make sure everything is covered. Sometimes they can generate predictions or recommendations for your future activities. You can convert your crypto belongings to their equal worth in fiat currencies, and keep a history of every move, so you can easily find some previous activity.

2. Finding the right trading bots

Source: Altrady

Some software lets the traders use bots, so they can automate the activities, and plan what they will do next. In most cases, these tools are pretty expensive, because they really have a huge responsibility working for you, and ensuring that your earnings and savings are safe and secure all the time. Most of them are cloud-based, and the best thing is that you can sync them with your smartphone, so you can be notified when something important is happening on the market. Don’t go for the free bots – this is the best advice you will get when talking about them. If you don’t want to put your earnings at risk, then you consider buying the bot as an additional investment that will improve your trading performance.

3. The chart tools

Source: YouTube

If you have serious intentions to be active as a crypto trader, then you will need to follow how the rates changed over time. This is essential because many traders are sure they can predict how things will go, based on the previous experience. Also, you can compare the different cryptocurrencies, so you can decide when it’s the right time to trade, and when to stop. The best thing is that the charts are easy to read and understand. Find the one that you find easy enough to follow, even if that means you need to pay some price for that. You can choose different criteria, and the tools will generate a chart following your interest. Sometimes, if you read them carefully, you can find important things and details that will help you plan your trading.

4. Crypto API tools

Source: Medium

API is short for Application Programming Interface, and it’s a type of tool or software that is helping two separate apps to sync and communicate, for mutual benefit. For example, the Facebook chat is a separate program from the social media with the same name, but it’s imported successfully, and you can send and receive messages, using only one pair of credentials, instead of logging in to both apps. In crypto activities, APIs are used to collect data from reliable resources and sync them with your trading profile. That helps you not to miss anything important, and always receive crucial updates for your activities. The same advice here – don’t use free and untrusted APIs, because it may end up really bad. You will probably earn enough from your trading activity, and you can afford to pay a little for a complete premium plan.

5. Automated tax payment

Source: The Financial Express

Trading can be taxable activities, depending on where you are based geographically. That’s why most of the trading platforms charge the taxes immediately, once you get your earnings. This is great, especially if it’s legal in your country. In other cases, you will use some of the tools we described above, to calculate the taxes and pay them by yourself.

6. Cryptocurrency wallet

Source: Finance and Markets

Once you complete the transactions, you have to transfer your crypto coins to the e-wallet. That can be software installed on your computer or even an online service you can use for that purpose. But, experienced traders know that the best option is owning a physical device that is protected with private and public keys, PIN codes, passcodes, and passwords, so the earnings can always be safe until the person decides to exchange them for money, or spend them the way they want to. Owning a cryptocurrency wallet is maybe the most important tool for your trading activity on the network. But, our advice is to choose the physical option, and remove it from the computer once you use it. Some people even keep it locked in a safe box, so they can be sure no one will be able to touch it.

Conclusion

These were the most important tools and the tricks on how to choose the best of them. Crypto activity is not a joke – it can be a serious source of additional money to your household if you are dedicated enough, and you know how to do it. In the end, we will say that you have to be active and follow what’s new every day, so you can stay up to date with all the changes and improvements.

Top 7 Best Weebly Themes to Boost Your Online Presence in 2024

Source: baamboostudio

2020 is a difficult year for most businesses. It is a high time to think about a better outlook and more advanced features for your Weebly website. A strong web presence can always boost your sales and conversion rate.

And we have created a list of the top 5 latest Weebly themes with all responsive and Weebly 4 updates that can add new life to your website in 2024.

Be it marketing or blogging, personal or a professional website, these themes can cater to your every need.

Bamboo studio‘s Weebly themes come with superior, cutting edge designs to give your website a modern and professional look. These easy to customize Weebly themes, including all the advanced Weebly features, can make your website look outstanding.

Top 7 Best Weebly Themes to Use In 2024

These top themes can enrich your website, taking it to a more responsive level. Flexible color customization and the addition of the slide-out search bar, customizable headers, and full-screen images are a few awesome features of these themes. They have been designed to provide a pixel perfect, high-quality visual outlook for your website.

1. Infiniti

Source: youtube

Infiniti’s clean and crisp lines deliver a great visual experience for business websites. Providing a contemporary look to your traditional and corporate businesses, this theme combines style and functionality.

You get an opportunity to choose from 4 customizable menus and 11 different page layouts. Full-size header images and minimal navigation add that bold touch to your budding business’ website

2. X

Source: websitebuilderinsider

X is one remarkable theme, perfect for your creative business like artistry, photography, and graphic designing. An attractive online storefront is just a click away with X’s exclusive features.

With 1- page scrolling layout embedded into this Weekly theme, you can even choose from 13 incredible page layouts to create a multi-page website. Enjoy a variety of menu styles, with 5 different styles to choose from, you can even add smart pop-ups along with the theme options.

3. Vine

Source: medium

This clean and simple theme gives a professional look to your website with minimal design. With the inclusion of 3 menu styles and 11 different page layouts, this theme also comes with multiple specialty page layouts to choose from. You can choose different cool theme options, too.

Vine theme caters really well to websites of restaurants, corporate agencies, e-commerce shops. Vine is for you if you are a writer or a freelance designer.

4. Leica

Source: rapidweblaunch

A slick powerful theme loaded with 16 unique page layouts, it can make your website visually stunning. The themes options are user-friendly and there are six customizable menu styles available. Leica can help you create a highly functional website.

If you want to showcase your portfolio as a designer, architect or photographer, Leica creates a beautiful platform for you. You can create a successful website with this well-organized theme if you are a freelancer, blogger, or an online store owner.

5. Linen

Source: divtagtemplates

Rich in design, Linen portrays warmth and elegance. If you own wedding and furniture businesses, restaurants or online stores, you can benefit highly with Linen’s special features and sensible design.

Linen is one of the most popular Weebly themes and is suitable to create almost any type of website. It creates a friendly and calm interface, with 12 different layout options and various theme designs for you to choose from. You can even add a footer to your web page.

6. Ethereal

Source: mojomarketplace

You’ll realize at first glance that it is a minimalist, concise and solidly designed theme. It was created for authors who aren’t really interested in attracting the attention of visitors with colorful, stuffed pages, but with content that can be presented in a simple, yet effective way. In addition to being cheap, it’s also optimized for use on mobile phones, which guarantees fantastic visibility on all devices.

Updates are included in the price, which will only further contribute to the modernization and fine appearance of your site. When you take a closer look, you really have nothing to lose!

7. Unity

Source: weebly

Fans of classic shapes and easy navigation will probably be pleased with Unity. Not only because of that, but also because of the general responsiveness required by almost all site authors, since it is extremely important that the webpage is accessible to everyone. This type of theme is the most common choice for lifestyle blogs as it goes perfectly with minimalist displays of decorations, furniture, tips for a better life and seems serious and by no means too fluttery.

It has CSS buttons, as well as a side navigation system, and there are a whole range of various colors that you can customize according to your needs.

The Last Word

Weebly is definitely a platform that can make creating your own website more than an absorbing and creative activity. Of course, themes are what determine the nuances and perfectly match our concepts and ideas with the available resources.

Webpages are online virtual places where we have the chance to express everything that the paper does not let us show or does not display enough, knowing that we will have an audience that needs complete information about us and our services or works. Some will read our stories, some will rejoice as they won’t have to penetrate into the essence of informatics in order to easily manage our page, while others will find a way to contact us and share their opinion with us precisely in this way. Since human beings are visual types, what will attract them at the very first glance are certainly the design and the way the content is presented.

Whether you want simplicity or pomp, a blog or an online store, just to express your opinion or to help others reach your services, you need an ideal solution. Therefore, don’t think too much – get ready to embark on a creative and incredible web building journey with these outstanding themes in 2024. These should help you reshape your identity on the internet in a personalized and innovative way and also make your service or business flourish!

4 Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges For Trading Bitcoins in 2024

Source: unsplash.com

You probably have a pretty good idea of just how popular script of current he became in the past two, three, or maybe four years. What was once seen just as a simple gimmick and something that will not become a reality is now easily worth over $10,000. I am specifically talking about Bitcoins. At one moment in 2018, it was even worth more than $20,000. Many people make some serious money out of this by using the right cryptocurrency exchange sites.

Unfortunately, in 2018 and the year after that, the entire market had a crash, and the value of almost every corner drop considerably.

However, one year later, it seems like this market is making a comeback better than ever. Now, people finally have the option to make a profit out of this industry. But, as it was before, it is today. Making a profit out of cryptocurrency is not a simple as just buying a coin and then selling it when it has a bigger value. It is much more complicated than that.

Although I imagine that you are not here to learn about how this entire industry works, you are more interested in finding out about the most popular and the best cryptocurrency exchange websites for trading Bitcoins in 2024. Fortunately for you, this article will focus on exactly that subject.

Binance

img source: unsplash.com

During the peak of this industry, Binance was probably one of the most successful websites that handled the trading of different cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. Today, I think it is safe to say that this website is still probably rated in the top five which is the reason why I decided that it deserves to be on this list.

Since 2018, Binance has kept on growing despite the problems that occurred on the market. Right now, this website allows users to trade over 100 different currencies with affordable fees. So, if you want to trade daily with a variety of coins, this might be the site that you are looking for. It is also a good option if you plan on making trades in big volumes.

The fees are pretty straightforward on Binance. There are no extra or hidden expenses. What is even more interesting is the fact that you can reduce the trade fees for your account. As your VIP level increases (by trading larger volumes in 30 days), the fees for your account can drop considerably.

Coinbase

img source: unsplash.com

Coinbase is a digital currency exchange that has been around for eight years. It is then, this website has accumulated over 10 million users, and for good reason. It is a reliable place where you can store, buy, or sell Bitcoins.

The advantage of using Coinbase is the fact that you have a variety of alternative points that you can choose to trade with. You are not just limited to Bitcoin which is always a great plus. If you do not have any kind of experience with making trades online, you will be glad that Coinbase has a fairly simple user interface that will help you understand how all of this works.

I think it is also worth mentioning that cashing out from this site is also pretty simple and quick. There is no need to wait several days for your money to reach your bank account. The entire transaction can take just a couple of minutes.

The only disadvantage of this website is the fact that their support is not exactly perfect. Personally, I think that proper customer support is essential, considering that most of the users are risking their own money. Before you jump onto this site and make an account, bitcompare.net suggests that you read an in-depth review before you make that kind of decision. Once you do your research, you can decide whether you have picked the right exchange site or not.

Bittrex

img source: unsplash.com

Another very popular option for cryptocurrency traders is Bittrex. At first, this site was not very popular because it was limited to US residents, but today, there is also a Europe based site that allows for the registration of residence outside of the US.

Right now, Bittrex handles over 190 different currencies and has a trading volume of over 60 million which means that you can cash in or cash out at any time. With so many different coins you can trade with, you can easily make your profits and then put that money in your bank account. I think this is a very good alternative for a lot of inexperienced traders.

However, even if you do have some experience in this market, Bittrex is still quite a good option.

Simplex

img source: unsplash.com

One of the biggest problems I have with most of these websites is the fact that it is very difficult to purchase Bitcoin or any other kind of digital currency. The entire payment process is long and very frustrating. You first need to send your cash to PayPal then you have to verify your account and do dozens of other things and only then will you be able to purchase some Bitcoins for your wallet.

Well, simples is here to make things a lot simpler. You can directly pay for Bitcoins with your own debit or credit card. The payment process is also quite fast and it will not bother you with unnecessary information. And even though this entire process is faster, it is still very secure and reliable.

However, with these kinds of advantages, you know that there will be some disadvantages. The main problem I see with Simplex is the fact that it supports only a small amount of currencies and that it has very high fees when trading with certain coins. Although, if you do not mind paying for those extra fees then go right ahead and make an account on Simplex. On this website, you will be able to start training in a matter of a few minutes.

There are probably dozens of other cryptocurrency exchanges on the Internet, but I believe that the 4 I mentioned are probably the best ones.

4 Reasons To Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident that Wasn’t Your Fault

Source: medium.com

Being caught up in a car accident that wasn’t your fault is too much to handle. Along with being firm with your statement, you require solid evidence that speaks for you. There is no worse feeling than being blamed for a thing that you did not do. In such a scenario, getting in touch with a reputable law firm is something you must do.

Why would you end up suffering physical, mental, and financial trauma due to someone else’s fault? There are specific car accident lawyers that can help you file a case easily. All you need to do is reach out to their firm and they are more than happy to help.

For knowing about the legal procedure in detail, hiring a lawyer is something you can’t avoid. Based on the damaged property, a lawyer ensures you get a proper settlement for the damages you suffered.

If you wondering whether or not every person involved in a car accident hires a lawyer, the answer is no. Only people with severe injuries and the damaged property reach out for a lawyer. If you get into a car accident that caused you immense suffering then you surely deserve to recover the damages. Others seem to handle it on their own. Today, we will list down reasons why you should hire a lawyer in a car accident that wasn’t your fault.

1. You Are Not Responsible For Their Damage

Source: Whiplash

People often prevent themselves from getting into legal procedures due to the required time and money investment. But why would you pay for the damages that you didn’t cause? Oftentimes the repairing costs are higher than you can imagine.

Once you hire a lawyer, you will get the answers to all your questions along with understanding your options in detail. When you are not responsible for the accident, the responsible party must suffer and pay for the damages and injuries suffered by you. A lawyer will put in all necessary efforts to collect some solid evidence to back up your case.

For doing that, he will first get a copy of the case filed in the police station, talk to your doctor to gather your medical reports, and discuss the accident with witnesses. The efforts will go in the direction to prove that you were a part of an accident that could have been prevented but due to the carelessness of the driver, you both suffered.

Contacting the right law firm decides whether or not you will receive the initially claimed amount. The Embry Law firm has been in business for a long time and has helped several clients in successfully retrieving the money for the caused damages. Hiring the right people ensures your case is rightly handled by professionals rather than amateurs simply running behind your money.

2. You Deserve Financial Awards

Source: unsplash.com

The financial awards you will be able to claim depends upon the losses you suffered. The losses include trauma suffered by the person, medical bills, amount of property damaged in the accident, etc. But to receive financial awards, you need to be proved innocent.

You cannot attain that on your own since the other party will put in all their efforts to ensure you are proved guilty. A professional lawyer has many ways to demonstrate what happened to back up your claim. Without proper legal support, you will end up paying more money than you can think of.

3. Ensures A Fair Settlement

Source: Atkinson Vinden Lawyers

Let’s say no one filed a case against you being guilty and you went to your insurance provider to claim the money. Insurance companies have been in business for a long time and are good at fooling their customers. They will try to fool you and offer you less amount than you initially require for the trouble caused to you.

The problem is that most of the accident sufferers are not sure about the amount of money they should claim from the insurance companies. There is no such shame in accepting this since you are not the one to work in this field for years, the law firm you will contact is.

Your lawyer has the necessary experience to claim the right amount of money. Do not let these million-dollar industries fool you since you have every right to claim the amount for damages caused to you.

Most people avoid hiring a lawyer because of the fee it takes. But you will be shocked at the money you receive in the settlement made by him. It will be much more than the money insurance companies offer you initially. Never make the mistake of pursuing the claim on your own. But before choosing a lawyer or law firm, invest an appropriate amount of time in studying their background to ensure you are making the right choice.

4. You Can Direct Your Focus To Yourself

Source: Entrepreneur

When you get into a car accident, you need to focus on your recovery more than anything else. Healing from severe injuries takes time and following a proper routine is of utmost importance. In such a scenario, you cannot expect yourself to get into legal matters on your own. All that you need to do is rest and your lawyer will handle all the legal procedures.

As discussed earlier, you need to collect some solid evidence to back up your case. While you recover from the injury and trauma, your lawyer will put in all necessary efforts to collect evidence. Amidst your case, if the insurance company causes any sort of trouble, a lawyer will always be there to handle the same.

The Final Verdict

Contacting the right law first is the first step you need to take. You deserve to receive money for the damages caused to you. Backing off must not be an option in this case. Investing your time and money in this area will surely be worth it. In the end, no matter how many false accusations run behind your back, hiring a professional lawyer is the right option to choose. You will end up receiving a much greater amount than the fees you will pay him.

4 Best Online Banking Tips to Follow This Year

Standing in line at the bank and talking to a teller about your money management plans is old-fashioned. The modern way of banking is entirely online.

If you want to optimize your online banking experience, you should follow these four essential tips:

1. Check Your Accounts Regularly

Source: Compare The Market

One of the biggest benefits of online banking is that it allows you to check your accounts whenever you want. So, you should take advantage of this feature and check your accounts often. Every day, if you can.

Your finances should not be out of sight and out of mind. That’s how mistakes are made. You need to keep a close eye on your finances to make sure that everything is going smoothly. Your bills are going through, your credit card balance is far from the limit, and your expenses are staying well within the guidelines of your budget.

Checking your accounts regularly can also help you detect problems right away. You can see if you’re getting charged for subscriptions that you thought you had canceled or whether your transactions are pushing you over-budget. You can even detect the signs of identity theft and financial fraud, like transactions that you don’t remember making.

If you rarely check your accounts, it could take you weeks — even months — to figure out that something is going on. Luckily, there are services such as IDShield that can monitor your social security number and alert you of any unauthorized use.

This is an especially important tip for anyone that experiences financial anxiety to the point where they’re afraid to look at their accounts. The best way to resolve this feeling of dread is exposure therapy. Practice looking at your finances until it becomes a mundane habit. The more that you push yourself to do it, the easier it will get.

2. Apply for a Line of Credit

Source: experian

A line of credit is an excellent financial tool to have in your back pocket. It can help you handle emergency expenses when you don’t have enough funds readily available. In those moments, you could withdraw funds from your line of credit account and have them deposited into your bank account as soon as one business day. As long as your account is in good standing and your request is within your approved credit limit, the withdrawal should go through.

It’s not just an optimal tool for emergency situations. It’s a revolving credit tool that you can use to improve your credit score. Opening this type of account could help add to your credit history, new credit, credit mix and payment history — these are all factors that impact your score. If you’re strategic with your repayments, you could use the line of credit to your advantage.

How can you do this? You can go to the website Creditfresh.com and see whether you meet all of the qualifications to get a line of credit. If you do, you can submit a request for a line of credit online.

3. Put the Effort into Security

Source: Elie Bursztein

Security is incredibly important when it comes to online banking. You don’t want someone to hack into your account to access your savings or run up your credit card. That would be devastating.

Passwords

So, the first safety precaution that you can take is to set a strong password. What makes a strong password? A combination of numbers, characters and letters in upper and lower cases.

You don’t want to input something simple. This is your first line of defense against unwanted intruders. You wouldn’t leave the front door of your home wide open for strangers to enter, so apply that same attitude to your bank account.

What is a weak password? It’s short, simple and easy to guess at random. Think of entries like “password” or “1234.” These are codes that someone could crack in seconds. Take a look at the top 100 worst passwords for cybersecurity and see if your current choice is anywhere on the list. If it is, you need to make a change right away.

Do not tell anyone else your password — not even your friends or family members. It should be a secret for you and you alone.

Security Questions

If your online banking account allows you to set up security questions, you should fill them out right away. Just like your password, you should choose answers that you know no one could guess. For instance, your birthday is something a stranger could easily find on social media. The same goes for your sibling’s name, your mother’s maiden name or the city/town that you live in.

Be specific. The more difficult that you make your answer, the better it works as a security barrier. So, if your security question is “What’s Your Favorite Color?” you shouldn’t give a general answer like “pink.” A specific shade of pink like “magenta” or “fuchsia” will be much, much harder to guess.

These are some other important tips for improving your cybersecurity:

  • Do not use public computers for online banking purposes (for example, computers at libraries, college labs, etc.)
  • Run software updates on your computer and smartphone. These updates tend to patch vulnerabilities in security.
  • Do not leave your banking app open. Log out when you’re done.
  • Use a personal firewall to keep your information safe.
  • Do not open suspicious links or download unverified apps. This could infect your device with malware.

4. Automate Bill Payments

Source: Forbes

If you have trouble keeping track of your bill payments, then this simple online banking tip could come in handy. You won’t have to worry so much about missing deadlines and racking up late fees. By automating the bill payment process, the funds can be immediately withdrawn from your online account and sent to the appropriate creditor on the due date.

The only thing that you have to be careful about when automating your bill payments is making sure that you always have enough in your accounts to cover the payments. If you don’t have the funds available, the payment will still attempt to go through. This could put you into overdraft and force you to miss a payment.

Keeping a close eye on your accounts and budgeting carefully will help you avoid this tricky situation. You should also apply for overdraft protection so that your bill payments go through, even when you’ve technically reached the limits of your account. This will at least make sure that your creditors get paid in full and on time.

Make the most out of your online banking. Follow these tips, and you’ll rest easy knowing that your finances are in top shape.

5 Tips and Tricks for Writing an Effective Ethics Paper

An ethics paper is one of the most dreaded tasks if you ask any student. At the same time, we can see that this task can be a pretty good one for them. For example, it can help them to obtain some new skills, especially with writing. It can be said that this task is widely different than any other one. The reason is that it asks for people to elaborate on the moral and ethical implications of the philosophy.

All the students assigned with this task are writing on various topics from the moral perspective. Naturally, it needs to be said that the structure of the article is similar to other papers, but the perspective is widely different. Naturally, it means that they need to be focused on crucial elements of various topics.

Of course, these papers need to be written with a certain academic level. One of the most important ones is a properly written personal narrative. If you would like to learn more about it, be sure to consult wr1ter.com. Otherwise, we are not talking about an effective one, right? It needs to be said that this is one of the things why some students find it pretty scary.

Source: writersdigest

1. Understand the Assignment

Before you start working on an ethics paper, you will need to completely understand the task that has been placed in front of you. Without any doubt, you will receive some instructions provided by your mentor. In case you have stumbled across something that you don’t understand, you will need to have consultations with the mentor. That way, you will be able to understand what is asked of you to do in the particular paper.

As you can presume, you will not be able to complete the task most effectively if you don’t understand the task properly. We are not talking only about the general stuff. In some cases, you will be provided with some other specifics and other small details that will help you to achieve the best possible grade. Plus, you will need to know what’s time you have available to finish the task. So, gather all the valuable information before you start working on it.

Source: Medium

2. Start with a Proper Introduction

Its needless to say, when writing any kind of paper, you will need to start with a proper introduction. But, to write an introduction, there are two main things you need to think about. We are talking about coming up with a proper topic, and doing proper research. That way, you will be able to compile the proper introduction. The critical part of the paper you are writing needs to be pointed out at the end of the first part of the paper.

We would advise you to come up with an outline, where you will be able to put all the research, and by doing that, creating the framework for future works. We are talking about a pretty effective way to avoid all the mess, which is always possible if the work hasn’t been done properly. It needs to be said that this part of the paper shouldn’t be too long. You are looking between four and six sentences. You can be sure that this is more than enough for an effective intro.

Source: unsplash.com

3. Choose the Right Topic

When it comes to choosing the proper topic, it needs to be said that you should opt for the one that you’ll feel comfortable with. Choosing a topic you don’t have a lot of knowledge about will surely not provide you with a chance to write a high-quality paper.

Sometimes, this can be a pretty hard thing to do since there are countless different topics you can take a look at before you can make the ultimate decision. By choosing the one you feel the most comfortable with you will be able to write an effective one.

Source: essaytools

4. Do a Proper Research

After you’ve chosen a proper topic, you will seriously need to think about how you are going to research it. It doesn’t many what’s the topic of your choosing, you will have countless sources to look at. Of course, not all of them will be useful to you. But the art of properly done research is that you will need to select only the best ones.

It goes without saying that this part of the process is probably the most important one. At the same time, some of them are not reliable. So, you would need to have an insight into which one of these is reliable and who is not reliable. Sometimes, this can be a pretty complex thing to do. However, it is an absolute must to do something like that.

Source: moroccoenglish

5. Use Understandable Language

In case you would like to have an understandable paper, you will need to invest your best efforts. We are sure that it is pretty easy to use ambiguous language when you’re writing about ethics and other similar topics. At the same time, you should use pretty clear language. It means that you should avoid the words like could, might, and should. If you use them, you can be sure that your paper will sound pretty ambiguous.

At the same time, you need to make sure that your writing makes sense. So, try not to include sentences that will speak against another thesis in the paper. As you can presume, including these kinds of sentences is pretty easy and, therefore, you should do everything you can to avoid using these. In case you make these mistakes, you can be sure that the paper will sound confusing. Certainly, you don’t want it to sound like that, especially in front of your mentor or professor.

Source: iedunote

The Wrap-up

As we’ve stated, writing an effective ethics paper can be pretty hard sometimes. The commonest reason people are not being careful. Therefore, we’ve provided you, our reader, with the top five tips and tricks you can apply to make it as effective as it can be. We hope you will find these tips and tricks useful down the road.

5 Financial Lessons to Teach Your College-Bound Kids

When you have a kid (or a bunch of them!) It feels like they’ll stay babies forever. Even as you watch them grow and learn for themselves how to function like adult humans, it can be really difficult to suddenly realize that the infant that was throwing food at the wall is now graduating high school.

Ideally, kids should be taught how to manage their finances in school or gradually as they get older. However, going to college in the current climate is supremely difficult and as the economy slides deeper into recession, this is the best time for some essential financial lessons.

College kids have already been struggling to keep their finances on track over the years while continuing to eat healthy and make ends meet. However, with some key advice and lessons from their parents — they could make the best of this time in their life.

1. Basic Banking and Finance

Think back to when you first became financially independent. What was the one thing that you just couldn’t figure out? Thanks to the complex world of banking and finance today, there’s a lot of things your college-bound teens need to be experts at.

First of all, they’ll need a beginner or student checking account. This will get them started on basic bank functions like depositing checks, writing them and managing their bank balance. Balancing a checkbook can also be a really tough skill to learn, so make sure you start them on learning to match entries and account for interest early.

You should also show them the ropes of how internet banking works, especially since you don’t want your teen to be scammed or not keep their online bank accounts secure. They should learn the difference between bill payments and account transfers, so that when they’re eventually living on their own the transition will be a lot smoother.

Lastly, everyone should know how to read a bank statement. Even as adults, this task can be stressful and difficult to get through, but some basic tips will be an excellent foundation they can build on later.

2. Essential Credit Score Knowledge

If your kid is going to college, odds are they’re probably taking out a loan. That’s why credit score knowledge comes in handy right now. Just like any other kind of debt, student loans are linked to their credit scores. Even though the payments will likely be deferred till after graduation, you want to make sure your kid isn’t digging themselves into a deeper hole during that time.

Make sure to explain to them how the significant amount on their student loans will affect their ability to get a credit card and get some more money from banks or private lenders. What many younger adults (and some older ones as well) don’t know that every time they try to get another loan, the lender will make a credit inquiry which brings your credit score down even more.

That’s why you should emphasize the importance of managing the loan money and any part-time job salaries they get efficiently.

Source: Medium

3. Choosing Student Loan Plans Wisely

Choosing a student loan plan can be a harrowing task and you may feel the impulse to exclude the kid from the process and handle it yourself. This is an injustice to your kid. What you really need to do is look through the options with them.

Assist them in calculating tuition, dorm/rent, textbook and learning paraphernalia costs as well as eating, shopping and basic living expenses. After estimating all these expenses, you can arrive at a basic number and then look for an interest rate and repayment plan that suits you best.

Make sure to advise them not to put too much pressure on themselves to repay the loans as soon as possible. If the repayment per month amount is too high, they could be putting too much pressure on themselves to get employed immediately and start doing well. This may not always happen, which is why a flexible lender with low interest rates like ELFI could work well for your kid’s student loan financing in the long run.

4. Budgeting to the Last Cent

Budgeting seems like the simplest task of all — but it can actually be a lot more difficult for younger adults. College is supposed to be a time when young adults explore themselves and have fun doing it, which is why a budget can feel like its holding them back.

Try to emphasize realistic expectations. There’s no point in allocating money so severely that your kid won’t be able to stick to the budget at the end of the day. Clothing, textbooks, college trips, studying supplies, job interview outfits and leisure spending are all as important as rent, utilities and tuition.

It’s also important to help them create a cushion, in case inflation rises or the dollar depreciates. Finally, there’s a great need for emphasis on smart shopping. Your teen needs to understand the importance of value for money. Splurging on a winter coat that will last them for years is better than buying something that will become useless in 6 months.

5. Understanding Refinancing Options

What many young adults don’t know about college loans that they probably should is refinancing options for their student loans. First, make sure they understand that refinancing won’t solve all their debt problems, but will help them to renegotiate the terms of their payment and the interest with a private lender.

Refinancing usually only works after your kid has graduated college and has a steady income, but you can even get parent loan refinancing to your kid’s name instead, thus alleviating the burden on your credit report.

Refinancing experts have stated that savings from refinancing can help save money, lower interest rates, and also help boost credit scores in the long run. In cases where your kid is having trouble making monthly payments or wants to pay their loans back faster — refinancing is the way to go.

With these basic financial lessons, your young adult will be all set to go to college and make a brilliant professional out of themselves. Just remember that you’ve done everything you could, and your child has to go out in the world and make a name for them now.

You can check out the Education Loan Finance (ELFI) website by clicking here.

How to Protect Your Business From ID Security Risks

When you are running a business online, which most people do nowadays, you need to find a good way to protect it. How can you do that?

First of all, you need to be aware of the problems that might affect your online business. Later on in the article, we will outline each of the biggest ID security risks and show you how to overcome them. Once you identify potential issues, you need to have a clear idea of what to do and how to combat them.

Mind you, this is easier said than done. However, there are various tools and services that can help you make your business completely secure. In some instances, tools are the solution, while for some others, you might need to hire new staff who understand how to build a security network.

Either way, protecting your business from various risks is essential, so here are some of the biggest threats and how to deal with it them.

Source: CSO Online

Cybercrime (Phishing, ID Theft, hacking)

Cybercrime is one massive area, but we will not discuss each and every potential problem that can emerge. Instead, we’ve collected all the most common threats and placed them under this category. Someone can always try to hack your business, confiscating all the information and ask you for money in order for you to get the information back.

What’s concerning is that the number of attacks is growing and an increased number of smaller businesses are suffering the consequences. Why not large companies? Usually, larger companies have better protection and therefore, it is riskier to try and knock it down. Smaller firms and sites are mainly unprotected and they can be breached without leaving any traces.

One of the possible solutions is to find a hacker who will try to hack into your online business, showing the weak sides of your protection. After that’s been identified, they can propose solutions to these issues and once you have it fix, it will be much harder to penetrate.

These don’t have to be solutions that cost millions of dollars. They can be simple yet effective deals which would be enough to revert hackers after they fail to get what they want, the first time around.

Source: East West Bank

ID Verification Might Be Enough

Not everyone can afford a hacker working diligently to improve your business’ safety. That can be expensive, especially for smaller businesses. If you cannot go for the full-fledged protection, you can at least introduce ID verification, which with idanalyzer.com is quite simple and effective.

With this simple tool, you can identify remote users with useful digital onboarding solutions and thus prevent fraud in almost in 98% of cases. Of course, this is only one of the ways to keep you business safe and many people are using it. If you want to find out more ingenious features, make sure to visit their website as well.

Source: Medium

Tech Failure/Natural Disaster

In order to protect data, and your business as well, you need to understand that tech can fail us from time to time. Therefore, you don’t want to keep all the information at one place and you need to have some sort of a backup.

This is especially true if you have information of your clients inside your system and you risk losing it. Other computers breaking down, there are natural disasters to take into consideration as well. They are not that common, but if you live in an area where you know that weather is unstable, you should keep that in mind. Physical damage to your computer means that you will not be able to recover files and that your entire online business might be jeopardized.

Source: iqminds

Monitoring Employee Activity

This is a bit of a “taboo” topic, but we must take it into consideration. Not a single employee likes to be monitored at all times and this isn’t what we suggest at all. All we are saying is that an ID theft or breach can come from the inside and it is good to know what employees are doing.

Therefore, the best way to deal with this is to trust your employees but introduce occasional checks. They will be free to focus on their work and they will know that routine checks are necessary to keep the business safe. Once you explain it that way and that is indeed what you do, they will not feel monitored and they will be able to enjoy their work.

This shouldn’t give you an excuse to track everything your employees are doing because all that creates is a bad business model which leads to everyone’s doom.

Source: EC-Council University

Malware Attacks

No matter what you do online, your business is susceptible to malware attacks. Most of the malware attacks are regular people encounter can be detected easily (a bunch of email scams) but some viruses are much stealthier.

Installing a malware protection system/antivirus is one step to keep your business safe and preserve the IDs. This might not be enough, but it is better to have some protection then none. Secondly, and this ties to our previous point and the following as well is to keep your employees from visiting sites unrelated to work.

And that leads us to…

Source: Business Matters

Security and Privacy Regulations

In 2024, your online business must guarantee data safety. If that’s not the case, you might as well shut your business down. People are becoming aware of the dangers on the web and how easily someone can have unauthorized access to their information. So they will not entrust their IDs and Credit Card info to any suspicious site, which isn’t transparent about their safety.

Therefore, you need to regulate this segment and protect all the data you have in your possession.

Conclusion

As the technology progresses, it becomes easier to shield yourself and your online business against unwanted guests. But they too use the advanced tech to their advantage and there are always some novelties in how they try to get hold of the IDs you own.

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