How To Create An Effective Travel Policy Mar 25th
Business travel sounds simple. Book the ticket, reserve accommodations and make it to your meetings on time. However, anyone who has traveled for business knows it’s not that easy. Companies that require employee travel must implement travel policies. These policies are in place to ensure all employees who travel for business follow the same steps in planning, booking and receiving expense reimbursements.
But travel is unpredictable. Flight cancellations occur, hotel stays are upgraded and food expenses can vary greatly. Creating a business travel policy that addresses every eventuality can feel impossible — but not having one in place can cause unnecessary confusion and even hurt your business’s bottom line. The following guidelines will help you create a corporate travel policy that’s a win-win for your company and your employees.
Aim for Balance
A corporate travel policy that’s one-sided, whether in the employer or employee’s favor, won’t work. An effective policy will understand the employee’s need to have some decision making power and flexibility. It also will require complete and accurate records on business expenses. A thorough and effective business travel policy will include the following:
- Arrangements that employees are allowed to make on their own.
- Arrangements that require approval.
- Reimbursable expenses and how to report them. This also can include when a company credit card may be used.
- Expenses that will not be reimbursed, such as pet boarding, in-room movies, laundry service and parking tickets.
- The company’s preferred sites for booking online when arranging flights and accommodations.
- The company’s preferred airlines, accommodation options, rental car companies and restaurants, if applicable.
- Parameters, such as a daily allowance, for approved accommodations, meals and transportation.
Corporate travel policies can vary greatly from business to business. It’s also important for certain companies to include exceptions that are unique to their individual business needs.
Don’t Forget Safety Information
Travel safety information is an essential part of every business travel policy. After all, employee safety should be a priority for every business. One safety precaution to include in your travel policy is the requirement for employees to submit their itineraries prior to travel. This enables you to know where your employees should be and when. Employees also should provide accommodation phone numbers and emergency contact information. The employer should make the employee aware of any travel insurance policies they have available. These are simple steps that can greatly aid both parties in the event of an emergency.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology plays an important role in business travel, and it can be a significant help in the creation and execution of your corporate travel policy. A number of digital tools are available online to help employees record expenses on the fly and submit them quickly upon arrival back at the office.
Businesses can use online resources such as Google Drive spreadsheets to record expenses or invest in corporate travel management software. These programs can help employers create travel policies that also address the employee booking process. Because they record purchases and expenses in real time, employees and employers are always on the same page.
Using technology to help create and enforce your corporate travel policy leaves less room for confusion or error. This can result in happier employees and fewer unnecessary expenses.
What to Avoid
It’s easy to make a number of common mistakes when creating a corporate travel policy. Companies can get carried away and create too many restrictions, which can make employees dread business travel. Examples include implementing unrealistic pricing requirements and causing employees to waste valuable time and energy looking for deals or stressing about costs.
An out-of-date policy also can cause problems, as the travel industry is constantly in flux. It’s important to read your company’s corporate travel policy often and adjust restrictions, pricing guidelines and other directives to suit the current travel market.
Creating an effective corporate travel policy doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Start with the simple guidelines above, keep employee safety a top priority and remember that your policy can always be adjusted as needed.
Author bio: Matt Singley is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Pinnacle Furnished Suites, a provider of short-term, fully furnished apartments and temporary corporate housing. Singley is a mechanical engineer by training, but an obsessed entrepreneur at heart. His light-hearted and friendly management style complement a serious dedication to the use/advancement of technology and enhanced customer experience to create a winning product and client journey.
Linked URL:
https://www.pfsuites.com/nashville
Sources:
https://www.lola.com/learn/building-a-corporate-travel-policy
https://www.30secondstofly.com/corporate-travel-management/how-to-write-a-travel-policy/
https://www.g2.com/categories/travel-management
Mar 25th
Business travel sounds simple. Book the ticket, reserve accommodations and make it to your meetings on time. However, anyone who has traveled for business knows it’s not that easy. Companies that require employee travel must implement travel policies. These policies are in place to ensure all employees who travel for business follow the same steps in planning, booking and receiving expense reimbursements.
But travel is unpredictable. Flight cancellations occur, hotel stays are upgraded and food expenses can vary greatly. Creating a business travel policy that addresses every eventuality can feel impossible — but not having one in place can cause unnecessary confusion and even hurt your business’s bottom line. The following guidelines will help you create a corporate travel policy that’s a win-win for your company and your employees.
Aim for Balance
A corporate travel policy that’s one-sided, whether in the employer or employee’s favor, won’t work. An effective policy will understand the employee’s need to have some decision making power and flexibility. It also will require complete and accurate records on business expenses. A thorough and effective business travel policy will include the following:
- Arrangements that employees are allowed to make on their own.
- Arrangements that require approval.
- Reimbursable expenses and how to report them. This also can include when a company credit card may be used.
- Expenses that will not be reimbursed, such as pet boarding, in-room movies, laundry service and parking tickets.
- The company’s preferred sites for booking online when arranging flights and accommodations.
- The company’s preferred airlines, accommodation options, rental car companies and restaurants, if applicable.
- Parameters, such as a daily allowance, for approved accommodations, meals and transportation.
Corporate travel policies can vary greatly from business to business. It’s also important for certain companies to include exceptions that are unique to their individual business needs.
Don’t Forget Safety Information
Travel safety information is an essential part of every business travel policy. After all, employee safety should be a priority for every business. One safety precaution to include in your travel policy is the requirement for employees to submit their itineraries prior to travel. This enables you to know where your employees should be and when. Employees also should provide accommodation phone numbers and emergency contact information. The employer should make the employee aware of any travel insurance policies they have available. These are simple steps that can greatly aid both parties in the event of an emergency.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology plays an important role in business travel, and it can be a significant help in the creation and execution of your corporate travel policy. A number of digital tools are available online to help employees record expenses on the fly and submit them quickly upon arrival back at the office.
Businesses can use online resources such as Google Drive spreadsheets to record expenses or invest in corporate travel management software. These programs can help employers create travel policies that also address the employee booking process. Because they record purchases and expenses in real time, employees and employers are always on the same page.
Using technology to help create and enforce your corporate travel policy leaves less room for confusion or error. This can result in happier employees and fewer unnecessary expenses.
What to Avoid
It’s easy to make a number of common mistakes when creating a corporate travel policy. Companies can get carried away and create too many restrictions, which can make employees dread business travel. Examples include implementing unrealistic pricing requirements and causing employees to waste valuable time and energy looking for deals or stressing about costs.
An out-of-date policy also can cause problems, as the travel industry is constantly in flux. It’s important to read your company’s corporate travel policy often and adjust restrictions, pricing guidelines and other directives to suit the current travel market.
Creating an effective corporate travel policy doesn’t have to be a difficult process. Start with the simple guidelines above, keep employee safety a top priority and remember that your policy can always be adjusted as needed.
Author bio: Matt Singley is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Pinnacle Furnished Suites, a provider of short-term, fully furnished apartments and temporary corporate housing. Singley is a mechanical engineer by training, but an obsessed entrepreneur at heart. His light-hearted and friendly management style complement a serious dedication to the use/advancement of technology and enhanced customer experience to create a winning product and client journey.
Linked URL:
https://www.pfsuites.com/nashville
Sources:
https://www.lola.com/learn/building-a-corporate-travel-policy
https://www.30secondstofly.com/corporate-travel-management/how-to-write-a-travel-policy/
https://www.g2.com/categories/travel-management
Developing a perfect risk management strategy for trading Mar 12th
Proper risk management can create an opportunity for your trading account
to grow. Mainly the pro
traders follow proper risk management in their trading and thus they become
successful. If you want to make profits in the market then you should never
avoid the risk management in your trades. Taking too much risk in any trade is
not going to work. You may be the richest person in the United Kingdom, but
still, you should play it safe in the trading business. Taking the unnecessary
risk to earn money is a very big mistake. So, focus on the safe side of trading
and learn the details of advanced risk management.
Every trader should learn risk management to trade profitably. You cannot learn all the
processes of risk management within a month. You need to learn it over time and
learning will be not enough if you don’t use your knowledge in your trades. In
this article, you will get some points that will help you to build a risk
management strategy.
What is risk management?
Traders use risk
management to protect their trading account from losing in the trades. Risk
management decreases the percentage of losing and allows you to trade
profitably. You can make great money in the Forex market if you can manage the
risk in your trades. But for that, you need to understand the nature of the
market. Start trading with the demo account. Click
here to contact the professional brokerage firm and get a practice account for
free. Try to trade with low risk in the virtual trading environment so that you
don’t lose a big sum of money in the real market.
Risk management acts as
a savior for traders who want to trade profitably. Risk management the
foundation of your traders. The more you learn about and execute the risk
management in your trades, the more profitable your trades will be.
Keep a risk reward-ratio
It’s really hard for
new traders to maintain a proper risk-reward ratio for their trades. Many of
them fail to set a good risk-reward ratio and thus they lose their money. If
you want to be successful then you need to conquer the hurdles of setting a
proper risk-reward ratio. If the winners are always bigger than the losers, the
chances of making a profit are high. This will also allow you to reduce the
risk of trading to a great extent. Even if you lose a few trades in a row,
recovering the loss will not be hard.
The best ratio is 1:3+
for each trades to make good profits. The risk per trade is something that you
need to refine more often but don’t ramp it up quickly unless you have good
trading experience.
Maintain a fixed money management
Fixed money management
basically means to risk only about 2% of your capital in each trade from your
trading account. You cannot make more than a 2% risk for a single trade, you will be in for a
big loss if you take more than a 2% risk.
A fixed money
management strategy helps to grow your account profitably. You should always be
concerned not to make any loss consistently in the trades because if you
drawdown in the market then the risk of ruining your trades increases. A fixed
money management strategy can help you to tackle the losses at a higher rate.
Conclusion
If you don’t put risk
management then you are unnecessarily risking your entire capital. The only way
you can be successful in the long run is by setting a proper risk-reward ratio
of a minimum of 1:2 order. Pro traders never avoid the risk-reward ratio in
their trades so you shouldn’t avoid it either. You can easily turn a losing
strategy into a winning strategy by simply setting proper risk and money
management in the trades.
Mar 12th
Proper risk management can create an opportunity for your trading account to grow. Mainly the pro traders follow proper risk management in their trading and thus they become successful. If you want to make profits in the market then you should never avoid the risk management in your trades. Taking too much risk in any trade is not going to work. You may be the richest person in the United Kingdom, but still, you should play it safe in the trading business. Taking the unnecessary risk to earn money is a very big mistake. So, focus on the safe side of trading and learn the details of advanced risk management.
Every trader should learn risk management to trade profitably. You cannot learn all the processes of risk management within a month. You need to learn it over time and learning will be not enough if you don’t use your knowledge in your trades. In this article, you will get some points that will help you to build a risk management strategy.
What is risk management?
Traders use risk management to protect their trading account from losing in the trades. Risk management decreases the percentage of losing and allows you to trade profitably. You can make great money in the Forex market if you can manage the risk in your trades. But for that, you need to understand the nature of the market. Start trading with the demo account. Click here to contact the professional brokerage firm and get a practice account for free. Try to trade with low risk in the virtual trading environment so that you don’t lose a big sum of money in the real market.
Risk management acts as a savior for traders who want to trade profitably. Risk management the foundation of your traders. The more you learn about and execute the risk management in your trades, the more profitable your trades will be.
Keep a risk reward-ratio
It’s really hard for new traders to maintain a proper risk-reward ratio for their trades. Many of them fail to set a good risk-reward ratio and thus they lose their money. If you want to be successful then you need to conquer the hurdles of setting a proper risk-reward ratio. If the winners are always bigger than the losers, the chances of making a profit are high. This will also allow you to reduce the risk of trading to a great extent. Even if you lose a few trades in a row, recovering the loss will not be hard.
The best ratio is 1:3+ for each trades to make good profits. The risk per trade is something that you need to refine more often but don’t ramp it up quickly unless you have good trading experience.
Maintain a fixed money management
Fixed money management basically means to risk only about 2% of your capital in each trade from your trading account. You cannot make more than a 2% risk for a single trade, you will be in for a big loss if you take more than a 2% risk.
A fixed money management strategy helps to grow your account profitably. You should always be concerned not to make any loss consistently in the trades because if you drawdown in the market then the risk of ruining your trades increases. A fixed money management strategy can help you to tackle the losses at a higher rate.
Conclusion
If you don’t put risk management then you are unnecessarily risking your entire capital. The only way you can be successful in the long run is by setting a proper risk-reward ratio of a minimum of 1:2 order. Pro traders never avoid the risk-reward ratio in their trades so you shouldn’t avoid it either. You can easily turn a losing strategy into a winning strategy by simply setting proper risk and money management in the trades.
Steps in finding the right financial company Feb 29th
Money is arguably the most powerful tangible
item in the world today. This is because, with money, any tangible item in the
world can be gotten. Some people see money as an
item with which you can achieve anything in the world. A clause used to
describe money that is becoming more popular by the day is that ‘any problem
that money cannot solve, more money would solve it’. Thus, it is easy to see
the high level of importance that has been accorded to money. Thus, people
engage in different jobs to make money, with some having to work daily and for
over 12 hours. Others would not mind doing anything to get money irrespective
of how low they have to go to get the money. Cases of corruption have always
arisen in severally every country in the world, with every country in the world
having a lot of corrupt people. While some countries have made progress with putting
in place strong legislation to fight corruption, some other countries continue
to witness huge levels of corruption. Since finance companies are also run by
individuals from different countries, with some being corrupt or having corrupt
tendencies, it is important to know the reputation of the financial company you
want to invest in as well as make sure you are choosing the right financial
companies.
Get to know about financial companies
The first thing you want to do when you want to find the right financial
company is to look for the financial companies that
operate in your area and are also into the type of financial service you are
interested in. This is considering there are financial companies that only
provide loans, while others allow saving and loaning of money and there are
yet, others that only provide mortgage financial services. Thus, you want to
know which financial companies in your locality on online that cater to people
in your country that provides the financial services you are interested in.
Reviews website sometimes group their companies by category and thus, you could
easily click on their finance category to find all the companies that provide
finance-related companies.
Read reviews
The next thing you want to do is to read Finance company reviews to know the types of financial services that are offered by the
company. In the process, you would also be able to find out how reliable they
are and if they have the tendency of helping you lose money in one way or the
other. Once you are satisfied with the reviews about the company, you can now
visit their website.
Visit their website or local office
You could shortlist t3 companies that have mostly positive reviews, you can
then visit their websites. Read more about them and their policies as stated by
them. You don’t want a situation where you claim something you saw in a review
was part of their service but it was not on their website or their brochure.
You can subsequently patronize them through their online platform or visit
their local office to ask further questions and begin a business relationship.
Feb 29th
Money is arguably the most powerful tangible item in the world today. This is because, with money, any tangible item in the world can be gotten. Some people see money as an item with which you can achieve anything in the world. A clause used to describe money that is becoming more popular by the day is that ‘any problem that money cannot solve, more money would solve it’. Thus, it is easy to see the high level of importance that has been accorded to money. Thus, people engage in different jobs to make money, with some having to work daily and for over 12 hours. Others would not mind doing anything to get money irrespective of how low they have to go to get the money. Cases of corruption have always arisen in severally every country in the world, with every country in the world having a lot of corrupt people. While some countries have made progress with putting in place strong legislation to fight corruption, some other countries continue to witness huge levels of corruption. Since finance companies are also run by individuals from different countries, with some being corrupt or having corrupt tendencies, it is important to know the reputation of the financial company you want to invest in as well as make sure you are choosing the right financial companies.
Get to know about financial companies
The first thing you want to do when you want to find the right financial
company is to look for the financial companies that
operate in your area and are also into the type of financial service you are
interested in. This is considering there are financial companies that only
provide loans, while others allow saving and loaning of money and there are
yet, others that only provide mortgage financial services. Thus, you want to
know which financial companies in your locality on online that cater to people
in your country that provides the financial services you are interested in.
Reviews website sometimes group their companies by category and thus, you could
easily click on their finance category to find all the companies that provide
finance-related companies.
Read reviews
The next thing you want to do is to read Finance company reviews to know the types of financial services that are offered by the
company. In the process, you would also be able to find out how reliable they
are and if they have the tendency of helping you lose money in one way or the
other. Once you are satisfied with the reviews about the company, you can now
visit their website.
Visit their website or local office
You could shortlist t3 companies that have mostly positive reviews, you can
then visit their websites. Read more about them and their policies as stated by
them. You don’t want a situation where you claim something you saw in a review
was part of their service but it was not on their website or their brochure.
You can subsequently patronize them through their online platform or visit
their local office to ask further questions and begin a business relationship.
A guide into staff productivity and how to improve it… Jan 21st
Workwear is a topic regularly
discussed. Over the years, employees have adapted their clothing for work with
what employer’s think is practical for industrious-based jobs and smart in
client-facing jobs.
But with rules and attitudes changing
all the time on how we approach the way we dress our employees, how much does
is affect productivity in the workplace? We explore this issue with Jermyn
Street Design, corporate uniforms suppliers .
The history of the uniform
Employees that
regularly deliver important items would have wore a badge showcasing the
royalty of which they served. The badge would also indicate the exact role of
the wearer.
It was a way of
proving the legitimacy of the workers themselves, as well as giving workers
such as merchants authority, to prove that their items are of higher quality.
Though this was common centuries ago, the durability of them wasn’t up to the
standards that they are today, so many of them did not survive. However, these
badges were the start of the uniform tradition that would go onto become
mainstream.
Liveries were a popular
form of uniform throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th
centuries, and many retail uniforms today still have similarities where brand
logos are concerned. Liveries were items of clothing that were fashioned with
the colours and insignia of the families or countries they were serving.
Why are uniform seen so positively?
One of the main
benefits of having a specific work uniform, is that some of the staff may not
actually be able to afford a whole new outfit(s) for work. This helps the
employee not only financially, but also keeps them in a working mindset.
Scientific research has also shown that those in formal clothes
tend to perform better in situations than those in casual clothes, although
this does not account for all industries. But opposing research has also found
that 61% of employees are more productive at work when the dress code is
relaxed.
In a study by Social
Psychological and Personality Science, subjects were asked to dress in either
casual, everyday clothing or formal business dress, before going on to take
part in cognitive tests. It was found that those in business dress showed an
increase of abstract thinking when compared to those who remained casual — the
findings of the experiment suggest the effects are related to feelings of power
and authority, in turn granting confidence.
Although it’s common
to assume that allowing workers to wear what they want will make them work to a
higher standard, providing uniforms is a great way to instil a sense of belonging.
It reminds them that they’re part of a team too, proudly representing the
brand. Deploying a uniform could also harness team spirit, creating unity and
fostering that feeling of belonging.
It’s really important to
build a great place to work to ensure that you’re ticking all of the ‘work
positivity’ boxes, alongside the workwear. Another way you can add to the work
experience, is displaying office
plants to improve the ambiance.
How popular are dress codes?
There have been studies
carried out which suggest that both having a dress code and not having one has
its advantages. As a generalisation, dress codes in non-industry roles are
approached differently by the individual; some people like the creativity and
flexibility of not having a dress code enforced at their workplace, but others
like dressing up to feel as though they are in a more formal working environment.
Some of the most
successful people in the world decide to dress more or less the same every day,
limiting the decision-making process. Steve Jobs was known for his black
turtleneck jumper, jeans and New Balance trainers, and Mark Zuckerberg for his
daily grey t-shirt, with their arguments stating that it lowers their
decision-making process and allows for more brainpower on their day-to-day
roles.
Certainly, uniforms
are more apparent in customer-service based roles, as it helps customers
distinguish authority from consumer, with hotels, leisure parks and airlines
being the main examples. But if smaller businesses were to adopt a ‘wear what
makes you comfortable’ dress code, where health and safety isn’t concerned, this
would perhaps encourage a more relaxed environment in the workplace.
Jan 21st
Workwear is a topic regularly discussed. Over the years, employees have adapted their clothing for work with what employer’s think is practical for industrious-based jobs and smart in client-facing jobs.
But with rules and attitudes changing all the time on how we approach the way we dress our employees, how much does is affect productivity in the workplace? We explore this issue with Jermyn Street Design, corporate uniforms suppliers .
The history of the uniform
Employees that regularly deliver important items would have wore a badge showcasing the royalty of which they served. The badge would also indicate the exact role of the wearer.
It was a way of proving the legitimacy of the workers themselves, as well as giving workers such as merchants authority, to prove that their items are of higher quality. Though this was common centuries ago, the durability of them wasn’t up to the standards that they are today, so many of them did not survive. However, these badges were the start of the uniform tradition that would go onto become mainstream.
Liveries were a popular form of uniform throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, and many retail uniforms today still have similarities where brand logos are concerned. Liveries were items of clothing that were fashioned with the colours and insignia of the families or countries they were serving.
Why are uniform seen so positively?
One of the main benefits of having a specific work uniform, is that some of the staff may not actually be able to afford a whole new outfit(s) for work. This helps the employee not only financially, but also keeps them in a working mindset.
Scientific research has also shown that those in formal clothes tend to perform better in situations than those in casual clothes, although this does not account for all industries. But opposing research has also found that 61% of employees are more productive at work when the dress code is relaxed.
In a study by Social Psychological and Personality Science, subjects were asked to dress in either casual, everyday clothing or formal business dress, before going on to take part in cognitive tests. It was found that those in business dress showed an increase of abstract thinking when compared to those who remained casual — the findings of the experiment suggest the effects are related to feelings of power and authority, in turn granting confidence.
Although it’s common to assume that allowing workers to wear what they want will make them work to a higher standard, providing uniforms is a great way to instil a sense of belonging. It reminds them that they’re part of a team too, proudly representing the brand. Deploying a uniform could also harness team spirit, creating unity and fostering that feeling of belonging.
It’s really important to build a great place to work to ensure that you’re ticking all of the ‘work positivity’ boxes, alongside the workwear. Another way you can add to the work experience, is displaying office plants to improve the ambiance.
How popular are dress codes?
There have been studies carried out which suggest that both having a dress code and not having one has its advantages. As a generalisation, dress codes in non-industry roles are approached differently by the individual; some people like the creativity and flexibility of not having a dress code enforced at their workplace, but others like dressing up to feel as though they are in a more formal working environment.
Some of the most successful people in the world decide to dress more or less the same every day, limiting the decision-making process. Steve Jobs was known for his black turtleneck jumper, jeans and New Balance trainers, and Mark Zuckerberg for his daily grey t-shirt, with their arguments stating that it lowers their decision-making process and allows for more brainpower on their day-to-day roles.
Certainly, uniforms are more apparent in customer-service based roles, as it helps customers distinguish authority from consumer, with hotels, leisure parks and airlines being the main examples. But if smaller businesses were to adopt a ‘wear what makes you comfortable’ dress code, where health and safety isn’t concerned, this would perhaps encourage a more relaxed environment in the workplace.
The Data Points You Didn’t Know They Had Jan 21st
Smartphones have become an everyday necessity for the
majority of the population— a life without a smartphone is certainly an
inconvenient one. Our lives are stored within these devices, from our calendar
appointments to conversations with our closest friends and family.
With all our data stored in such a way, the issue of privacy
is always paramount. It’s no surprise then that the media has been focused on GDPR,
which was introduced in 2018 to protect EU citizens’ data from corporations. Previous
data protection regulations from 1995 were outdated in a digital age, failing
to scrutinise how data should be collected, stored, and transferred. An intense
focus around data protection combined with revelations of data breaches from
companies like Facebook and Equifax has made many of us aware that our
information being disseminated with companies wanting to target us with better with
personalised advertisements. But do we know which information is being used?
According to research, over
70 per cent of apps are recording and reporting personal data to third
parties like Facebook and Google Analytics. Here, RedMosquito take a look how brands
and technology are tracking what we do, and just how concerned we should really
be.
Location Tracking
One of the more controversial issues is our location being
tracked — even
when we deny permission on our phone settings. Google Maps requires us to
agree to sharing our location for the purpose of the app, however this tracking
doesn’t stop when we finish our journey. A timeline of our daily routines and
activities are mapped out, even recording minute by minute how long we spend at
these locations. Did you spend the day at home, or have a busy day visiting
family and friends? Google will likely know everywhere you’ve been, but that
isn’t the most concerning and intrusive part; Google still records location
information even when we turn it off in our settings.
Google takes this data to help advertise to people based on
location, using local campaigns to boost in-store visits, measuring how
effective a campaign is in driving traffic by taking data from user’s location
histories.
A matter of privacy risks, many are concerned that this data
is stored in cloud databases which could be hacked. So, is this sensitive
information secure or should we be worried that this could be accessed in a cyber-attack?
To deny Google from saving your location data by turning off
an option called ‘Web and App Activity’ in your Google apps, an arguably
misleading title for those concerned about their own privacy who turned off
location services.
What You Said
Google Home and Google Assistant are artificial intelligence
virtual assistants that probably knows you better than your friends and family
do. Voice
commands that you give to these speakers are stored to help build a
consumer behavioural profile around yourself. All commands are saved no matter
how mundane you might think they are — if you commanded your Google Assistant
to turn off a light, this will be saved alongside an audio recording.
Google’s speakers are supposed to be triggered by saying
“Hey Google”, however at the beginning of 2019 people were unaware that these
virtual assistants were eavesdropping on conversations people had in the
privacy of their own homes. It was revealed in July 2019 that third-party
contractors were listening to these recordings to help develop the artificial
intelligence system’s understanding of speech and dialect. Regardless of the
intent, whether it’s for advertising purposes or to simply improve technology, it’s
safe to say nobody wants someone listening in on what you’re saying.
Track Your Behaviour on the Web
What we’ve seen so far is Google tracking us through their
systems and applications, but what about what we do on other websites? A lot of
Facebook’s revenue depends on finding out as much as it can about our likes and
dislikes and gets this information from other websites we visit. Facebook Pixel
is the feature that tracks our online activity to create accurate profiles of
us, making it easier for advertisers to target us with our interests. To limit
this access, it’s recommended to install extensions on your internet browsers
such as Ghostery to disable trackers on your activity.
In-store purchases can also be tracked by Facebook, although
not as easily as online shopping. By collaborating with payment providers such
as Square, call centres, and loyalty programs, Facebook can find out whether
advertisements are working on those targeted. If you have loyalty cards, use
sign-up details that are unlinked to your Facebook account — request paper
receipts over digital receipts to stop companies making the link between your
in-store purchases and Facebook account.
If you’re concerned about how your personal information is
being used, it’s worth taking a look at measures you can take to prevent your
details being exploited by third parties – your privacy is important!
Sources
Jan 21st
Smartphones have become an everyday necessity for the majority of the population— a life without a smartphone is certainly an inconvenient one. Our lives are stored within these devices, from our calendar appointments to conversations with our closest friends and family.
With all our data stored in such a way, the issue of privacy is always paramount. It’s no surprise then that the media has been focused on GDPR, which was introduced in 2018 to protect EU citizens’ data from corporations. Previous data protection regulations from 1995 were outdated in a digital age, failing to scrutinise how data should be collected, stored, and transferred. An intense focus around data protection combined with revelations of data breaches from companies like Facebook and Equifax has made many of us aware that our information being disseminated with companies wanting to target us with better with personalised advertisements. But do we know which information is being used?
According to research, over 70 per cent of apps are recording and reporting personal data to third parties like Facebook and Google Analytics. Here, RedMosquito take a look how brands and technology are tracking what we do, and just how concerned we should really be.
Location Tracking
One of the more controversial issues is our location being tracked — even when we deny permission on our phone settings. Google Maps requires us to agree to sharing our location for the purpose of the app, however this tracking doesn’t stop when we finish our journey. A timeline of our daily routines and activities are mapped out, even recording minute by minute how long we spend at these locations. Did you spend the day at home, or have a busy day visiting family and friends? Google will likely know everywhere you’ve been, but that isn’t the most concerning and intrusive part; Google still records location information even when we turn it off in our settings.
Google takes this data to help advertise to people based on location, using local campaigns to boost in-store visits, measuring how effective a campaign is in driving traffic by taking data from user’s location histories.
A matter of privacy risks, many are concerned that this data is stored in cloud databases which could be hacked. So, is this sensitive information secure or should we be worried that this could be accessed in a cyber-attack?
To deny Google from saving your location data by turning off an option called ‘Web and App Activity’ in your Google apps, an arguably misleading title for those concerned about their own privacy who turned off location services.
What You Said
Google Home and Google Assistant are artificial intelligence virtual assistants that probably knows you better than your friends and family do. Voice commands that you give to these speakers are stored to help build a consumer behavioural profile around yourself. All commands are saved no matter how mundane you might think they are — if you commanded your Google Assistant to turn off a light, this will be saved alongside an audio recording.
Google’s speakers are supposed to be triggered by saying “Hey Google”, however at the beginning of 2019 people were unaware that these virtual assistants were eavesdropping on conversations people had in the privacy of their own homes. It was revealed in July 2019 that third-party contractors were listening to these recordings to help develop the artificial intelligence system’s understanding of speech and dialect. Regardless of the intent, whether it’s for advertising purposes or to simply improve technology, it’s safe to say nobody wants someone listening in on what you’re saying.
Track Your Behaviour on the Web
What we’ve seen so far is Google tracking us through their systems and applications, but what about what we do on other websites? A lot of Facebook’s revenue depends on finding out as much as it can about our likes and dislikes and gets this information from other websites we visit. Facebook Pixel is the feature that tracks our online activity to create accurate profiles of us, making it easier for advertisers to target us with our interests. To limit this access, it’s recommended to install extensions on your internet browsers such as Ghostery to disable trackers on your activity.
In-store purchases can also be tracked by Facebook, although not as easily as online shopping. By collaborating with payment providers such as Square, call centres, and loyalty programs, Facebook can find out whether advertisements are working on those targeted. If you have loyalty cards, use sign-up details that are unlinked to your Facebook account — request paper receipts over digital receipts to stop companies making the link between your in-store purchases and Facebook account.
If you’re concerned about how your personal information is being used, it’s worth taking a look at measures you can take to prevent your details being exploited by third parties – your privacy is important!
Sources
3 Ways To Improve Your ROI For Online Marketing Campaigns Jan 20th
While having an effective marketing strategy is vital for the growth of your business, sometimes it can be hard to know which of your marketing efforts are really making a difference and which ones you could afford to scrap. Luckily, with online marketing, there’s so much data available that determining these answers is often easier than with other forms of marketing.
That being said, it can still be a challenge to know if the time, money, and effort you’re putting in is really having a good return for you. So to help you boost these numbers, here are three ways you can improve your ROI for your online marketing campaigns.
Know How To Use Your Data
Just because you’re being given data for the marketing efforts you’re putting in online doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll know how to best use that data to your advantage in making future marketing decisions.
To help you with this, the Digital Marketing Institute recommends that you take the time to really learn about all the data you’re gathering and how that data can then be used for planning and executing marketing objectives in the future. By fully utilizing this data, you may be able to make some adjustments that could heavily impact your ROI from here on out.
Focus On The Right Metrics
When you’re looking at the data you’ve gathered from your marketing efforts, it’s important that you spend your time focusing on the right metrics rather than the ones that you think sound most alluring.
For example, Neil Patel, an online marketing guru, shares that while people are worried about things like their Twitter followers or how many views they’re getting on their blog, you should really be concerned with metrics like how much engagement you’re getting and what your cost per acquisition is. By focusing on the right metrics, you’ll be better able to focus your attention where it counts, especially with content marketing. And since there is typically a higher ROI with content marketing, this will be well worth your time.
Run A/B Tests To Find What’s Most Effective
Once you think you’ve been able to find some areas where you can tweak to improve your ROI, it’s time to put your hypothesis to the test.
To best do this, David Gasparyan, a contributor to Business.com, recommends that you try running A/B tests to see what changes really are having an effect on your marketing success. With the information you glean from these tests, you’ll be able to get closer and closer to the optimal formula for a great ROI for your business.
If you’re wanting to improve the ROI for your online marketing campaigns, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this objective.
Jan 20th
While having an effective marketing strategy is vital for the growth of your business, sometimes it can be hard to know which of your marketing efforts are really making a difference and which ones you could afford to scrap. Luckily, with online marketing, there’s so much data available that determining these answers is often easier than with other forms of marketing.
That being said, it can still be a challenge to know if the time, money, and effort you’re putting in is really having a good return for you. So to help you boost these numbers, here are three ways you can improve your ROI for your online marketing campaigns.
Know How To Use Your Data
Just because you’re being given data for the marketing efforts you’re putting in online doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll know how to best use that data to your advantage in making future marketing decisions.
To help you with this, the Digital Marketing Institute recommends that you take the time to really learn about all the data you’re gathering and how that data can then be used for planning and executing marketing objectives in the future. By fully utilizing this data, you may be able to make some adjustments that could heavily impact your ROI from here on out.
Focus On The Right Metrics
When you’re looking at the data you’ve gathered from your marketing efforts, it’s important that you spend your time focusing on the right metrics rather than the ones that you think sound most alluring.
For example, Neil Patel, an online marketing guru, shares that while people are worried about things like their Twitter followers or how many views they’re getting on their blog, you should really be concerned with metrics like how much engagement you’re getting and what your cost per acquisition is. By focusing on the right metrics, you’ll be better able to focus your attention where it counts, especially with content marketing. And since there is typically a higher ROI with content marketing, this will be well worth your time.
Run A/B Tests To Find What’s Most Effective
Once you think you’ve been able to find some areas where you can tweak to improve your ROI, it’s time to put your hypothesis to the test.
To best do this, David Gasparyan, a contributor to Business.com, recommends that you try running A/B tests to see what changes really are having an effect on your marketing success. With the information you glean from these tests, you’ll be able to get closer and closer to the optimal formula for a great ROI for your business.
If you’re wanting to improve the ROI for your online marketing campaigns, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you accomplish this objective.
Top 3 promising industries for investment in 2020 Jan 17th
Any investor in the UK worth their salt
will be trying to work out which industries could do well in the coming year.
This allows you to identify promising ones you expect to flourish early and
invest in them to get the best return possible. Whether you are a business
looking to invest in stocks or a
private investor, this makes sense. But which are the hottest industries which
could dazzle us in 2020?
Healthcare and pharmaceutical
On both domestic
and global scales, the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector is set to be a
tempting one for UK investors. This can be seen when looking at a country like
China which is becoming increasingly keen to partner with Western drug
companies. As well as a large population to run trials on, there is tight
regulation by the CFDA (Chinese Federal Drug Administration) on Chinese companies who
perform clinical trials. This makes it an attractive proposition for drug
companies in the West looking to test out new products reliably and on a large
scale before bringing them to market.
The net effect
of global business like this could be more healthcare companies bringing new
products to market and the people who invest in these companies achieving decent
returns. The other factor which could make this sector a wise investment choice
in 2020 is that the world’s population is growing older. This means that
businesses in this industry will experience a greater demand for their services.
Tech
Canny investors
will know that 2019 was a great year for the technology sector with growth of 29.4% recorded. The good news
is that 2020 looks set to continue this trend. The major reason for this prediction
is that we simply live in a tech-driven world where the latest innovations or
gadgets are important to people. You only have to look at how the Internet of
Things (IoT) has blossomed in recent years to see this in action. This global demand
for tech in business and personal life should be enough to see this sector and
the businesses in it have another great 12 months.
Renewable energy
It is thought
that around a third of UK investors surveyed by GraniteShares pick renewable
energy as the industry they expect to have a great 2020. When you think about
it logically, this makes sense after the increased attention that climate
change received in 2019. The next 12 months could see companies in this
industry experience more demand for their services and products. This in turn
could not only bring investors in them profits but also create a feel-good buzz
around the sector which will in turn attract more money into it. Do not be
surprised if this is one industry which will make 2020 its own.
2020 looks set to be an exciting year
Now that
investors have reviewed 2019 and how it affected their portfolios, a new year
is the ideal time to make fresh plans. For many, this will involve hunting out
promising sectors to invest in. If you are a UK-based investor looking to
branch out, the above are some great choices to think about.
Jan 17th
Any investor in the UK worth their salt will be trying to work out which industries could do well in the coming year. This allows you to identify promising ones you expect to flourish early and invest in them to get the best return possible. Whether you are a business looking to invest in stocks or a private investor, this makes sense. But which are the hottest industries which could dazzle us in 2020?
Healthcare and pharmaceutical
On both domestic and global scales, the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector is set to be a tempting one for UK investors. This can be seen when looking at a country like China which is becoming increasingly keen to partner with Western drug companies. As well as a large population to run trials on, there is tight regulation by the CFDA (Chinese Federal Drug Administration) on Chinese companies who perform clinical trials. This makes it an attractive proposition for drug companies in the West looking to test out new products reliably and on a large scale before bringing them to market.
The net effect of global business like this could be more healthcare companies bringing new products to market and the people who invest in these companies achieving decent returns. The other factor which could make this sector a wise investment choice in 2020 is that the world’s population is growing older. This means that businesses in this industry will experience a greater demand for their services.
Tech
Canny investors will know that 2019 was a great year for the technology sector with growth of 29.4% recorded. The good news is that 2020 looks set to continue this trend. The major reason for this prediction is that we simply live in a tech-driven world where the latest innovations or gadgets are important to people. You only have to look at how the Internet of Things (IoT) has blossomed in recent years to see this in action. This global demand for tech in business and personal life should be enough to see this sector and the businesses in it have another great 12 months.
Renewable energy
It is thought that around a third of UK investors surveyed by GraniteShares pick renewable energy as the industry they expect to have a great 2020. When you think about it logically, this makes sense after the increased attention that climate change received in 2019. The next 12 months could see companies in this industry experience more demand for their services and products. This in turn could not only bring investors in them profits but also create a feel-good buzz around the sector which will in turn attract more money into it. Do not be surprised if this is one industry which will make 2020 its own.
2020 looks set to be an exciting year
Now that investors have reviewed 2019 and how it affected their portfolios, a new year is the ideal time to make fresh plans. For many, this will involve hunting out promising sectors to invest in. If you are a UK-based investor looking to branch out, the above are some great choices to think about.
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