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Category: BUSINESS (Page 4 of 6)

Business

Companies Pulling Out of Russia Daily.

Fri, March 11, 2022 / CMJUK / 0 Comments
Boycott Russia
Join The Revolution and Boycott Russia.

Fossil Fuel W#r!

I recently wrote about companies still in Russia but each day more and more are pulling out and ceasing trading.

However, even if the Russian Economy collapses the Russian Dictator has Gold reserves and money in offshore accounts not in his name to fund his evil plan regardless of what the rest of the world does to him.

Furthermore, someone as powerful as this P#tin, do you not think he has ways of moving his wealth?

Also, I will embed a video which is in Polish and what these people are saying that the Russians are going to Poland to stock up on medicines and food in lorry loads crossing to Belarus and then onto to Russia. So the sanctions are not being addressed properly by the Polish Government. I would stop all import-export to Russia and I would put a special tax or sanction visa as a security measure.

https://fb.watch/bHwmAUEW3N/

Here are some ways money can be moved:

  1. Blockchain
  2. Crypto Currency
  3. Digital Assets
  4. NFTs
  5. Money Laundering
  6. Precious Metals
  7. Precious Gems
  8. Artwork
  9. Dark Web
  10. Import Export by Lorrys.

The reason in layman’s terms why this w#r is happening is because the US President imposed sanctions ready for the New Green Deal which meant countries will be moving away from fossil fuel otherwise they will get heavy sanctions and fines.

It is no coincidence that we were told that energy prices were going to rise this spring way before w#r broke out.

This was already on the table and P#tin who supplies 1/3 of the gas and oil basically had to make Ukraine the scapegoat and an example to the west of what he can do if he does not get his way. He does not want his supply to be worthless but if I were him I would have re-evaluated and would have maybe started the largest solar energy provider and manufactured solar panels, turbines, etc. But P#tin is not a businessman, just a thug and his entourage whom may I add look like they come from the dark ages and set in their ways are no better.

The EU’s Green Deal has a new purpose — not just to fight against climate change, but also against Vladimir P#tin and Europe’s dependence on Russian gas.

The Russian president’s attack on Ukraine is creating newfound unity in cutting off one of Moscow’s biggest sources of cash. That’s something repeatedly promised during past times of Kremlin aggression, but it was never delivered.

https://www.politico.eu/article/putin-made-europe-green-deal-great-again/

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was “a focused acceleration of the European Green Deal” as a “strategic investment in our independence.” 

A large share of the initial savings would come from finding new suppliers of gas. But the EU wants to double down with a rapid boost of renewable energy and measures to cut energy use. Commission Green Deal chief Frans Timmermans called it “a huge opportunity.”

Now Ukraine which wanted to join the EU and Nato would have meant they too would have to do what all the other countries are doing and Russia who supplies 1/3 of the energy would start to feel a dent in their pockets if everyone went Green. This is now being dubbed the ‘Fossil Fuel War’ similar to the sanctions ‘Trade W#rs’ Trump imposed on China which caused them to retaliate with the C#v#d Pandemic. In order to understand why things happen in this world, we have to look at the bigger picture and uncover what world leaders do at the expense of the citizens. It’s a game of monopoly and who can win and not be defeated. So if all countries had sanctions imposed not to buy oil and gas from Russia, this would bring the country to its knees.

Washington is delegating for an embargo and sanctions on Russian oil and gas as a way of weakening Putin in the midst of his violent invasion of Ukraine. The move makes strategic sense: fossil fuels make up 60 percent of Russia’s exports and account for 40 percent of its federal budget. Literally what this means is oil and gas fuel Putin’s war machine.

Companies that have recently pulled out are:

Russia is becoming a commercial pariah,” said economist Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “Pretty much no company, no multinational, wants to be caught on the wrong side of U.S. and Western sanctions.”

STOP TRADING WITH RUSSIA

The move to pull out of Russia is not only a humanitarian responsibility, it also is a political stance in order to comply with Western sanctions against Russia.

Companies are increasingly aware of the potential risks to their reputations by continuing with business as usual in the country.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin of Russia said last week that it would help investors make “a considered decision” rather than succumb to the political pressure of sanctions. It’s not clear how that measure may affect corporations’ efforts to withdraw from Russia, but I am sure secret handshakes will be made.

Here is a running list of companies that have scaled back or cut ties with Russia.

Fossil fuels 

Western sanctions on Russia have for now excluded the energy sector, where Russia is a major player. The nation is the world’s third-largest producer of oil and the second-largest producer of natural gas. However, oil and gas companies, already feeling the heat from climate activists to invest in renewable energy, were among the companies that announced the most rapid and dramatic exits.

  • BP
  • Equinor 
  • Exxon
  • Shell

Cars and planes

  • Boeing and Airbus
  • Daimler Truck
  • Ferrari
  • Ford Motor Company
  • Harley-Davidson
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Renault
  • Toyota
  • Volkswagen
  • Volvo

Consumer goods 

  • Adidas
  • Airbnb
  • Budvar
  • Carlsberg
  • Disney
  • Estée Lauder
  • H&M
  • Ikea
  • Nike
  • Richemont 
  • Swatch Group
  • TJX Cos 
  • Unilever

Food and beverages

  • McDonald’s 
  • Coca-Cola
  • Pepsi
  • Starbucks 

Musicians, venues, promoters

  • AJR
  • Carnegie Hall
  • Nick Cave
  • Green Day
  • Health
  • Live Nation
  • Metropolitan Opera
  • Yungblud
  • Louis Tomlinson

Payment systems and accounting firms

  • Deloitte
  • Discover
  • Moody’s 
  • Pricewaterhouse Coopers 
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • American Express

Tech & Streaming

  • Netflix
  • Apple
  • Dell
  • Fortinet
  • Google
  • Meta
  • Spotify
  • Trimble
  • TikTok

“A smart business proposal”

For many companies, exiting Russia is as much about business as it is about morality.

“It’s really tough to do business in Russia under the best of conditions. Now it’s become just crazy. So getting out is a smart business proposal,” said James O’Rourke, professor of management at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, who specializes in reputation management and business communications. https://5f464be4842b2c839c66f46a898c6d23.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Two million people have fled Ukraine as of Thursday, according to the United Nations refugee agency.

Company commitments to environmental, social, and corporate governance, known as ESG, are being put to the test. ESG has become the acronym that’s increasingly seen as an important way for corporations to have responsible business credentials.

“But there can also be an element of ‘greenwashing,'” where companies say things that make it seem like they hold certain values or are on the right side of ESG issues while their practices and behavior suggest otherwise, Columbia Business School associate professor Vanessa Burbano said.

“Stakeholders like employees and consumers will want to see if companies’ actions and behaviors are consistent with the communicated support that companies are expressing for Ukrainians,” she said.

Final Thoughts From The Editor.

Where there is a will there is a way and I am not convinced that this w#r will be over anytime soon. It was projected that on day eleven P#tin would have run out of money to fund the w#ar, by day fifteen it is still going strong. His troops need food, he also needs to replenish his artillery so where is his money coming from? I believe he has a vault full of gold so who is buying his gold?

Just like sanctions on blood diamonds, there should be sanctions from blood gold. Any gold, artwork, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and digital assets should also be frozen coming from that country but I believe he is now in hiding in his fortress near the baltic sea with his entourage. Furthermore, all borders should be closed to stop import-export into Russia. Whilst borders remain open money, gold will exchange hands, but how do you stop a country going by land unless you make up special security visas which have to go through certain protocols that could take many months to be approved. Like I said where there is a will there is a way. How about offering the enemy a reward if they surrendered and give security when they have defected. They say you cannot buy people but if the country they live in has an economy on its knees imagine what they could do with the money you pay them. Currently, the Ruble is worth 6 pence which means 100 Rubles would be £6.00 One would have to make the troops worth their while. Imagine if each person was paid £100 in their money that would be 1,660.00 rubles.

Credits:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-corporations-pull-out-invasion/

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/putin-big-oil-americans-gas-prices-b2030415.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/list-all-the-companies-pulling-out-of-russia-ukraine-war-2022-3?r=US&IR=T#5-disney-5

Final Thoughts From The Editor.

I am by no means any way qualified to give political opinions but from a personal perspective and what I can see on a daily basis P#tin is a sore loser, his entourage is most probably scared of him hence will do whatever he tells them to do.

But what if you took the instigator out of the equation you would be left with a country that would have to reform. I personally would find out where his sorry arse is located and I would without warning drop a bombshell or two.

The way to find this pathetic example of a human being is to locate his family and friends (although I bet you he has none) then you will get to him. He has children and nannies and servents find out who actually works for him. I am sure that some use smartphones, tap into the phones, and track the phones via satellites.

According to reports The long-term girlfriend of Russian president Vladimir P#tin – Alina Kabaeva – has reportedly gone into hiding in Switzerland, together with the couple’s four young children. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-hiding-olympian-lover-4-26399997

He is bound to be in contact with his girlfriend and children, I would start there. He also has two grown-up daughters living in Germany. In addition to his four children with Kabaeva, P#tin also has two adult daughters, 36-year old Maria and Katerina (35), both from his first marriage to Lyudmila Shkrebneva, a former flight attendant. Maria is married to a Dutch national, Jorrit Faassen, and lived in the Netherlands until recently. She is believed to have left Holland for her native Russia recently.

How hard is it to locate a person with modern technology and Artificial Intelligence? What one does is peel off the layers to find out who all the families are and the connections of all the people that need to be targeted and put surveillance on them all.

I would capture his girlfriend, family, and children’s location, going as far as detaining them to flush him out. His girlfriend has friends and family, I would put surveillance out on all of them.

I may not have any political experience but I used to run a security company with my ex-husband “Alan Barnes” called “Siren Security” in Cardiff in 1993 -2001 back in the day doing covert operations. Alan is sadly not with us now “God Bless his Soul”.

But this is what I would do to flush out this low life.

A true leader does not destroy lives he motivates and empowers people and will stand on the front line to show others how it is done. A true leader is someone like the “Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy”.

#boycottrussia #fossilfuel #pricerises #energypricerises

Boycott Companies Trading With Russia

Mon, March 07, 2022 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

UK ADVERTISMENT!

Disclaimer of the Brands In this Article. Many Brands are Switching Sides so you need to do your research before making a campaign. Every day more brands are washing their hands of the Russian Dictator. Shell has announced today they will no longer be trading with Russia.

Boycott Companies Still Trading in Russia.

We as citizens need to take a stand and support Ukraine from companies that continue to trade with Russia. This means putting pressure on corporations and refusing to buy their products, so even if you may love your coffee, beefburgers, and your fizzy pop, it is a small sacrifice to make to help put an end to this atrocity that is happening in Ukraine.

You would not only be helping our own Governments but you will also be helping people in Ukraine and trying to end this senseless w##.

The more companies that turn their backs on Russia eventually their economy will collapse. They need money to buy artillery, pay their military, and provide for their people.

If we can hit Russia in its pockets, they will eventually run out of money, but this also applies to putting a point across to the companies that are in bed with the enemy.

Global News has already published the outcry to boycott McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Shell as these companies are still trading in Russia thus helping to fuel the fire.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cocacola-mcdonalds-pepsico-boycott-russia-b2029741.html

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17865602/mcdonalds-coca-cola-boycott-russia-business/

https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-pepsico-face-boycott-halt-business-russia-ukraine-invasion-2022-3?r=US&IR=T

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60649214

It has been reported that three Ukrainian supermarket chains announced they are removing Coca-Cola products from their store shelves and the hashtags #BoycottCocaCola, #BoycottPepsi, and #BoycottMcDonalds were trending on Twitter over the weekend. However, people who support Ukrainians around the world should also take a stand against these companies until they join the rest of the world to help end this diabolical w##

Companies Still Trading With Russia:

Boycott Companies That Are Still Trading With Russia!

Citigroup Inc C -1.83%(Get Free Alerts for C): The Bank was trying to remove itself from Russia long before the Ukraine invasion, but it is trapped in a quagmire — efforts to sell its Russian consumer business is in limbo because the sole potential buyer, the Russian state bank VTB Bank, has been sanctioned by the U.S. government. In its defense, Citigroup CFO Mark Mason stated the bank might need to write off nearly approximately $9.8 billion.

Coca-Cola Co KO -2.37%(Get Free Alerts for KO): Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company AG, the Swiss-based firm distributing Coca-Cola products in Russia has not only shown no signs of suspending operations, but it also went so far as to tell the Russian news agency Tass: “All operational, production and logistics facilities of Coca-Cola in Russia are working. “We are fully responsible to partners, society, and thousands of our employees in Russia. Our top priority is the safety of our employees.” Coca-Cola announced it had halted production at its factory in Kyiv and evacuated its employees, yet is still doing business in Russia, which makes you wonder where their priorities lie?

Estée Lauder Companies Inc EL -7.56%:Thie hair and skin care and cosmetics provider which has headquarters in New York generates 2.7% of its revenue, or approximately $500 million, from sales in Russia. The company issued a statement on March 4 insisting it was “committed to supporting those impacted by the invasion of Ukraine,” adding that its “priority is the safety and well-being of all ELC employees, and we are continuously monitoring the situation and evaluating all possible measures to support them.”

Herbalife Nutrition Ltd HLF -0.06%:This multi-level marketing corporation gets 3% of its revenue, or approximately $150 million, from sales in Russia. On Feb. 23, the day before Ukraine was invaded, Herbalife President John DeSimone answered an earnings call question about the region and stated while there was a risk in Russia, “the biggest risk is probably in Ukraine, and it’s not a material country to us.”

Hilton Hotels Corporation HLT -6.32%: Among the U.S. lodging companies, Hilton has 29 hotels in Russia; its sole Ukrainian operation is a hotel in the capital city of Kyiv. Hilton is still operating at the locations and the company has yet to make any public comment regarding the crisis in the region.

Kimberly-Clark Corp KMB -0.91%:The personal care product provider has been part of the Russian market since 1996 and generates 3% of its revenue, or $600 million, from sales in that country. In January 2019, it announced an $80 million to expand its Russian flagship factory in Stupino, a town 61.5 miles south of Moscow. Kimberly-Clark has not offered any public comment regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

McDonald’s Corp MCD -4.88%: The fast-food giant gets 9% of its revenue from the Russia/Ukraine markets, or roughly 2.3% billion. The majority of its Russian locations are franchised by Russian Business Owners, yet the company has ignored growing demands from consumers and elected officials to shut down its Russian eateries.

Papa John’s International Inc. PZZA -7.76%: The Pizzaria chain has approximately 185 restaurants in Russia, headquartered in Atlanta USA. On the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Feb. 24, the day of the invasion, President and CEO Robert Lynch stated: “that any change to our restaurants in Russia will depend on how much disruption there is there and the impact of that business.” He continued to say he has no plans of closing any of the restaurants down and added the company had no restaurants in Ukraine.

PepsiCo Inc. PEP -1.99%: The Purchase, New York-based company is being pressured to rethink their business with Russia, with 4.4% of its revenue, or $3.4 billion, coming from that market, the firm is being pressured by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli who controls the state’s $280 billion pension funds, which includes PepsiCo shares, and he bluntly stated it would be in the company’s best interests to “address various investment risks associated with the Russian market.”

Starbucks Corporation SBUX -6.19%: The famous coffee house headquartered in Seattle has 130 licensed coffee shops in Russia; with no presence in Ukraine. The CEO Kevin Johnson is not forcing its Russian partners to close, he informed his workforce via an internal memo that the company “will donate any royalties we receive from our business operations in Russia to humanitarian relief efforts for Ukraine.”

Shell PLC said they would continue to buy crude oil from Russia so as not to disrupt the market for the consumer but with the news hitting headlines today that car fuel prices will be rising, I as a consumer would much prefer to buy fuel that is not laced with blood. https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-war-fuel-prices-hit-new-uk-records-with-diesel-averaging-1-61-amid-warnings-of-worse-to-come-12559818

(At the time of this article going to press, it has been announced today Shell is now pulling out of Russia which is excellent news 🙂 I would have hoped that contacting the family office in the UAE had something to do with it).

The complete list of companies that remain can be seen below:

Credit Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (som.yale.edu)

“This does not say much about these companies if they are in cahoots with a Dictator that is threatening everyone that interferes with his actions”.

Companies that have turned their backs on Russia are:

Over 200 corporations including Apple and Netflix have halted operations in the country since President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale att### on Ukraine.

Amongst the Companies Are:

Accounting and financial services companies:

British-Dutch multinational professional services network KPMG; professional services network PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC); and payment card services giant American Express have stopped their respective operations in Russia.

* Entertainment and messaging companies:

Global streaming entertainment service Netflix; and instant messaging app Snapchat have also ceased their operations in Russia.

The Walt Disney Company, Sony, and Warner Bros have said they are pausing their release of films in Russia

* Technology companies:

Apple has paused selling its products (both offline and online) in Russia.

Microsoft has also stopped “other aspects of business in Russia.

Alphabet Inc’s Google has blocked the Russian news outlets RT and Sputnik.

Meta (formerly Facebook) also blocked the Russian state media houses.

Samsung Electronics also suspended its shipments to Russia.

* Automobile companies:

Mercedes-Benz has stopped manufacturing and passenger car export in Russia.

Ford and General Motors have discontinued their operations in the country.

* Retail companies:

American company PVH, which operates Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, has suspended ops in Russia. 

Nike, H&M and Ikea also suspended operations in Russia.

Home rental company Airbnb and payment firm PayPal have also suspended their operation in Russia.

Ikea has temporarily closed all 17 stores and factories across Russia in a move affecting 15,000 workers

M&S the British Retailer said has suspended shipments to its Turkish franchisee’s business in Russia, which has 48 stores and 1,200 employees stating “we are building on our existing support for Unicef’s UK’s Ukraine appeal with £1.5m packages to support the UN Refugee Agency and Unicef to help children and families in need.” They also said it was sending £0.5m of coats and thermals to Ukraine, where it ceased operations at 10 stores a week ago.

Volkswagen Group announced it had stopped production of vehicles in Russia until further notice, a decision affecting the Russian production sites in Kaluga and Nizhny Novgorod. Vehicle exports to Russia have also been stopped with immediate effect, it said. Carmaker Ford said it had suspended its commercial van joint venture in Russia “until further notice”. And in the past few days, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover and Renault have all halted sales and operations in Russia.

Diageo, which makes Smirnoff vodka and Guinness, said it had paused exports to Russia and Ukraine.

Online travel booking firm Expedia said it had stopped selling travel in and out of Russia, making it one of the first travel companies to announce such a move.

British online retailers Boohoo and Asos announced they had suspended sales in the country, as did the Swedish clothing giant H&M.

The Spanish fashion retailer Mango announced a temporary closure of its 120 shops in Russia and its online sales site there.

The British Luxury Fashion House Burberry said it had ceased shipments to the country, effectively shutting down its online operation they also have three stores in Russia, one of which is run by a franchisee and one in Moscow’s Red Square, and these currently remain open but they are not receiving new deliveries.

Nike has said it is preventing Russian customers from buying online and Adidas has suspended its partnership with the Russian Football Union.

The Full List Of Companies No Longer Trading With Russia

Can Be Seen Below:

Credit Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (som.yale.edu)
Credit Jeffrey Sonnenfeld (som.yale.edu)

Petrol Diesel Price Rises.

Despite presumingly getting cheap crude oil, petrol retailers have urged the chancellor to help motorists absorb record bills by cutting VAT on fuel.

The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) spoke up as the cost of filling up hits new heights on a daily basis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

https://news.sky.com/story/cost-of-living-sunak-faces-calls-to-cut-vat-on-fuel-as-retailers-defend-necessary-pump-price-hikes-12555716

Final Thoughts From The Editor.

I have redacted some words as I have noticed that online censorship is causing certain articles to get flagged or banned so I have replaced certain letters with hashtags. I wrote about online censorship and words can get you struck off https://marketingagency.cymrumarketing.com/2022/03/05/online-censorship/

I first noticed a problem when I used certain keywords like the Russian Dictators name in an article I wrote about how all Energy and Fuel Price Rises are going to increase poverty to unprecedented levels and how it will affect people’s mental health. This article kept coming back as a 500 sever error and my IT team could not understand what the issue was until I did a bit of digging and finally edited the article into three parts omitting certain words and phrases and not publishing the video that was controversial. You can read the edited article about Financial Difficulty here.

If you are finding your utility bills in the UK going to be unmanageable do consider changing utility providers.

Mental health can affect all people in all walks of life and poverty can cause poor mental health through social stresses, stigma, and trauma. When individuals find themselves in financial difficulty and perhaps do not have the necessities to survive, mental disorders such as depression or anxiety can develop and intensify. Mental health is also caused by grief. Grief can be caused by a number of situations such as the loss of a loved one through death, divorce, or separation. Grief can also be because of the loss of your home and worldly possessions as in the case of many millions of people in Ukraine right now.

If you have been affected by grief or are in financial difficulty I highly recommend you read the following articles I have written on this site and on another that I own:

  1. Coping With Grief
  2. Financial Difficulty
  3. Mental Health Useful Links

“If you found this post useful do take a moment to comment, share and subscribe”.

“Please don’t forget to do your part as a consumer to help stop this evil dictator and put an end to all the people dying”.

“This is now another reason why our prices are rising and inevitably our mental health getting worse”.

“If we come together and stand united we can conquer everything that faces us. My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine”.

“Slava Ukraini“.

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/current-emergencies/ukraine-crisis-appeal

#BoycottCocaCola, #BoycottPepsi, and #BoycottMcDonalds #BoycottMcDonalds #BoycottHiltonHotels #BoycottEsteeLauder #BoycottRussia #BoycottPapaJohns #BoycottStarbucks #BoycottPirelli #BoycottMarriot #BoycottCoty #BoycottUnilever #BoycottNestle #BoycottYumBrands #BoycottCitiGroupInc #BoycottHerbalife

Shell Continues To Buy Crude Oil From Russia.

Sun, March 06, 2022 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

Shell Continues To Buy Crude Oil From Russia.

Europe’s largest oil company said on Saturday that it would most probably still continue to buy Russian crude oil to supply its customers and feed into its refineries with petrol and diesel, however, on the other hand, to put a band-aid on a gaping wound would donate any profits to a charity dedicated to “the people of Ukraine.”

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/05/world/russia-ukraine?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur#shell-says-it-will-buy-russian-crude-and-use-the-profits-to-help-ukraine

According to https://fortune.com/2022/03/05/shell-says-it-bought-russian-oil-after-government-talks/ Shell reportedly on Friday bought a cargo of Urals crude oil from Trafigura Group, at a record discount to benchmark prices in a signal that major buyers will likely continue to make purchases of Russia’s energy products despite its increasingly deadly war against Ukraine.

https://fortune.com/2022/03/05/shell-says-it-bought-russian-oil-after-government-talks/

If this is not helping to fuel the fire, I don’t know what is? and people should make the right decision to continue to use this brand.

Is there not enough oil in UAE?

Has UAE got enough oil or is it running out?

The United Arab Emirates has enough oil for the next 299 years and has proven reserves equivalent to 299.0 times its annual consumption. This means that, without Net Exports, there would be enough oil for the next 299 years (at current consumption levels and excluding unproven reserves).

https://www.worldometers.info/oil/united-arab-emirates-oil/

Therefore the only reason why Shell would continue to do business with Russia is the price of the oil, where Russia’s oil is cheaper.

If all major corporations, government, and countries are turning their backs on Russia then this company should be no different.

“Any company that helps the Russian Economy is as bad as the Russian Dictator and they too have blood on their hands”.

Shell PLC.

Shell plc is a British publicly traded multinational oil and gas company headquartered at Shell Centre in London, United Kingdom. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). It is one of the oil and gas “supermajors” and by revenue and profits is one of the largest companies in the world, ranking within the top 10 of the Fortune global 500 since 2000. Measured by both its own emissions, and the emissions of all the fossil fuels it sells, Shell was the ninth-largest corporate producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the period 1988–2015. Citation Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_plc

Shells Key People.

I think any company that trades with Russia should be penalized by the government and anyone that knows of a company trading with Russia should stop buying from them its as simple as that.

If I am an itsy bitsy business that can sever all ties with Russia and take down my eCommerce platforms powered by “Ecwid Lightspeed” then everyone should do their part to help stop this w## and bring down the dictator and the Russian economy.

Shell released a statement on Saturday, saying it was a tough decision. “Yesterday we made the difficult decision to purchase a cargo of Russian crude oil,” Shell tweeted however it would abandon its involvement with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, its stake in the company’s natural gas facility, and its venture with Gydan energy.

According to Shell the reason why they have decided to continue doing business in Russia was to not disrupt the market supply that if sourced elsewhere would have caused delays for the consumer. However, the consumer would have waited for delayed shortages and would have temporarily used an alternative supplier until Shell got back on its feet again.

Credit www.newsweek.com

https://www.newsweek.com/shell-continues-buy-russian-oil-after-vowing-stop-russia-investments-1685263

“It is now down to the consumer if they wish to continue buying from ‘Shell’ or help end this senseless w## by finding an alternative supplier of auto fuel”.

If you found this article insightful, please take a moment to comment, share and subscribe to get more news that has not got a paywall.

#shell #shellfuel #petrol #diesel #shellpetrol #shelldiesel #shellunleaded #crudeoil

Going Ahead With the Plan: Starting Your Business After the Pandemic

Thu, February 17, 2022 / KATIE CONROY / 0 Comments
Image Courtesy of https://www.pexels.com/

Going Ahead With the Plan: Starting Your Business After the Pandemic

Have you had dreams of becoming a business owner?

Did the COVID-19 pandemic stop you short in your tracks?

As life slowly moves back to normal, you might still feel hesitant to move forward with your plans to open a new company.

Why You Should Start Now

MIT Sloan Management Review explains that many entrepreneurs are finding the business world has changed. According to experts, the labor market became disrupted in 2020, and there were not enough workers to manage certain industries like retail and health care. Fed up with restrictive jobs, many employees decided to forge their own path.

As bigger chains face hardship with workers leaving them, this is a good time to pursue something you have always dreamed of. Depending on your industry, you might face less competition and find it easier to make your first sale. As businesses close, many sell equipment, giving you a chance to purchase at a low price and start your own company. When things return to normal, you might not find the same savings to benefit from.

Make the Most With What You Have

Before you rush out to take a loan, start small and allow your company to grow as needed. Perhaps this means running your business out of your home or garage to keep costs down. Maybe you’ll only buy a few pieces of equipment or limit how many supplies you purchase to estimate how much demand is currently there. Or maybe you’ll renovate a dedicated space in your home and create a fully functional office, which includes your tech set up (computer, keyboard, printer, monitor, etc.) as well as furniture like a desk and comfortable chair. Keep in mind that any updates you make may even boost your home’s value.

The Business Journals recommends doing some research about the competition in your area. Maybe they recently went out of business themselves, or perhaps there is a service people need that they are not offering. Try to step in and fill these gaps for your potential customers.

Also make sure you are allowed to operate your business in your location, especially if you work from home. HOAs, local governments, and landlords usually limit what can be done and what sort of business can be conducted on properties within their limits. If it’s determined that your business can’t be run out of your current place, consider moving into one of the nearly 4,200 houses for rent in Phoenix, to a property that does allow you to run your operation without restrictions.

Know Where to Turn for Help

It is crucial that you know when to seek help. While you do not want to needlessly throw money around, it is important to outsource certain tasks you are not knowledgeable about or if it would take away time that you could use to grow your company. Sometimes, it is worth the extra cost to spend on a freelancer or another type of remote worker, such as blog writing services, a graphic designer, or a bookkeeper.

If you’re worried about hiring a contractor, consider one or two areas that you think would benefit from outsourcing. Track the results and judge for yourself how much time you get back when you use a freelancer instead of doing it on your own.

Get the Word Out About Your Business

Marketing will play a critical role in the success of your business. Make sure you have a solid marketing plan that can appeal to the demographic you want to attract, all while keeping costs low.

Consider using free or low-cost marketing methods for social media or a website. Later on, you can spend money on marketing that is more likely to stick with people, such as creating promotional items like t-shirts or keychains.

Starting your new business in an unexplored economy might sound challenging, but this might be the best time to put your dreams into action and move forward with your goals.

Image via Pexels

Cymru Marketing is your information hub, providing your business with connections to marketing consultants, branding, SEO, graphic design, public relations, and so much more! Contact us for more info using the form below!

#businessstartups #startups #katieconroy #advicemine #businessconsulting

Vishal Garg, US CEO of Better.com Fires 900 workers.

Tue, December 07, 2021 / CMJUK / 0 Comments
Vishal Garg
Vishal Garg CEO of Better.com

Vishal Garg, US CEO of Better.com Fires 900 workers.

Vishal Garg, US CEO of Better.com makes 900 workers redundant just before Christmas on a Zoom call.

The chief executive of a US mortgage company has drawn criticism after he reportedly fired 900 employees on a Zoom call.

“I come to you with not great news if you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group being laid off. Your employment here is terminated effective immediately. The market has changed … we have to move with it in order to survive. Ultimately it was my decision and I wanted you to hear it from me.”

Firstly the employment laws in the UK differ from the US but here in the UK if you want to make an employee redundant you have to follow strict protocols.

Severance (Redundancy) payments are usually outlined in an employment contract, along with other things, like whether you get paid for unused vacation (holidays) if you leave a company before your contract is up, how much notice a company must give you before they terminate a contract and more.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans do not have an employment contract. In that case, they may not even know if they’re entitled to severance at all, according to Farnaz Kashefi, a California attorney who specializes in labor and employment law.

Your notice in the UK period during the redundancy

This advice applies to England

If you’re made redundant, your job won’t end straight away – you’ll get a paid notice period.

You might get notice pay instead of your notice period – this is called ‘pay in lieu of notice’. Your employer will tell you if they’ll give you pay in lieu of notice.

As long as you work your normal hours in your statutory notice period you’ll get your normal pay. This is as well as any redundancy pay you’re entitled to.

How long your notice period should be

If you’ve worked for your employer for at least a month you’re entitled to statutory notice. This is the minimum notice period your employer can give you.

Your statutory notice depends on how many years you’ve worked for your employer when you’re given notice.

Time with your employerMinimum notice
1 month to 2 years1 week
2 years or more1 week for each full year, up to a maximum of 12 weeks

For example, if you’ve worked for your employer for 5 years and 3 months you get 5 weeks’ notice

Contractual notice

Your contract might say what notice period you’re entitled to. If it does, this is called ‘contractual notice’.

Contractual notice can be longer or the same as statutory notice. It can’t be shorter – you should always get at least your statutory notice.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/leaving-a-job/redundancy/redundancy-notice-period/

There is never a good time to lay off staff. But doing it during the holiday season is going to affect people’s mental health more so than any other time of the year. People are making preparations for Christmas so not planning your timing correctly can cause a knock-on effect.

I have just visited the website and did an audit report and perhaps he should have fired his website designers rather than his workforce.

When it comes to SEO one thing you need to bear in mind is to have an exact match searchable keyword or phrase domain name and have a header description to match the keywords in the domain and your keywords need to be consistent throughout your website.

The word ‘BETTER’ is an adjective that describes something as being superior or is an adverb that means something is done to a higher degree or more completely. But the word is used broadly it has no meaning when it comes to targeting mortgages or finance. However, putting two words together with brandable and exact-match searchable keywords gives you a better chance of generating traffic.

I am not saying you cannot use brandable names in your business but you also have to have an SEO link wheel of exact match searchable keywords or phrases domain names that can be integrated into blogs or forwarded to pages that mention the keywords. Having the word ‘Better’ does not describe the business of Real Estate, Mortgages, Finance, or Insurance, if anything he should have secured www.bettermortgages.com www.betterinsurance.com. I have noticed that www.betterrealestate.com is forwarded to www.better.com Just because it is drummed into our heads short one-word dot com domain names are valuable they also have to have meaning to drive traffic, such as www.hotels.com www.insurance.com, etc….you catch my drift.

The other thing one has to take into consideration is that one has to have consistent content on a website that is updated regularly, otherwise, a static site will take forever to rank.

Garg, a self-confessed“serial entrepreneur”, said “the decision was really challenging” and stated it was the second time in his career he had made such drastic measures to lay off staff.

“I do not, do not, want to do this. The last time I did this I cried. This time I hope to be stronger,” he said during the call.

One employee said, “They dumped us like trash. We were there since the beginning and worked hard for the company and for our roles,”.

The mortgage lender startup reportedly received a $750m (£564m) cash infusion from investors last week and was recently valued at around $7bn, according to Forbes. The company, which says it uses technology to make homeownership “faster and more efficient”, is backed by Japanese conglomerate Softbank.

So what was the reason for the badly timed layoffs?

Chief Financial Officer Kevin Ryan, said the company had laid off 9% of its employees after the call, according to Forbes. Ryan continued to add “Having to conduct layoffs is gut-wrenching, especially this time of year; however, a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offense going into a radically evolving homeownership market,”.

I am sitting on the fence here but if my company was valued at $7 Billion and I ran into financial difficulty, I would sell my assets and shares to keep my workforce going. I certainly would not penalize my staff.

As I say this about every company “A happy customer will tell their friends and family about you but unhappy will tell the world”. This said, has made 900 people extremely angry in they will tell all their friends and family and social media connections which will then go viral and give this company a bad name.

The key is in the timing and if one needs to lay off staff I would not do it all in one go but gradually over a 10-month period avoiding the holiday season (900 workers divided by 10 months is 90 people a month, although one could also do it over 2 or 3 years depending on your financial circumstances.

STATISTICS TO BAD REVIEWS

1. 63% of negative information including news and blog articles from third-party websites are more likely to be clicked on than positive information, which means that social media algorithms designed to maximize such signals are bound to spread negative information. Source: AdWeek. (2014). Bad News: Negative Headlines Get Much More Attention.

2. 86% of negative reviews stop buyers from wanting to use a business. Source: BrightLocal. (2018). Local Consumer Review Survey. Source: Vendasta. (2019). 50 Important Stats You Need to Know About Online Reviews.

3. It takes roughly 40 positive customer experiences to undo the damage of a single negative review. Source: Inc.com (2010). The Secret Ratio That Proves Why Customer Reviews Are So Important.

Citations: https://blog.brandbastion.com/how-social-media-comments-impact-sales

FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR

Trending US Business News – There is a hot debate should ‘Vishal Garg’ have laid his staff off on a Zoom Call? Well If I were in his shoes I would have sent a letter in the post ahead of the Zoom Call and then apologized and given my reason for my decision face to face on Zoom. I would also have avoided doing it during the holiday season where such devasting news can affect people’s mental health. Furthermore, the risk of bad press and negative feedback could also result in the company losing business due to questionable finances and trustworthiness.

#betterhomes #bettercover #betterinsurance #bettermortgages #betterrealestate #vishalgarg

Big Tech Giants Forced to Open Offices on Russian Soil.

Thu, November 25, 2021 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

Big Tech Giants Forced to Open Offices on Russian Soil.

Yes, you are reading this right companies, such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Twitter, and Tik Tok to name a few are being forced to open offices on Russian Soil.

A Bill passed by the British Government allows Russia to fine companies if they do not comply with their terms which means that companies that do not delete content banned by the Russian government could have their sites restricted access if they ‘discriminate’ against Russian media.

From what I understand if countries that oppose social media and restrict their residents, cannot expect the rest of the world to not read or view fact-checked content.

Now let me get this right and just for argument sake I build a social media platform and have more than 500,000. users I will be forced to open an office in Russia even though I am a British Citizen and have no intention of ever doing business with Russia.

So this brings me to the next question who owns the internet and what about free speech?

To answer the question of who owns the internet?

No one owns the Internet, and no single person or organization controls the Internet in its entirety. Yet there are organizations that think they have the right to control the internet as a whole. The internet is more of a concept than an actual tangible entity. The Internet relies on a physical infrastructure that connects networks to other networks. Therefore, the internet is owned by everyone that uses it.

What about freedom of free speech?

Under Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998, “everyone has the right to freedom of expression” in the UK. But the law states that this freedom “may be subject to formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary for a democratic society”.

This includes the right to express your views aloud (for example through public protest and demonstrations) or through:

  • published articles, books or leaflets
  • television or radio broadcasting
  • works of art
  • the internet and social media

I can understand regulations and restrictions not to mention licenses that website owners and social media companies have to abide by, governed by the laws in their own countries.

Should a country decide to restrict content in their region similar to the EU and GDPR then I understand about licenses in order for the content to be viewed in targeted countries. The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside the EU and EEA areas.

Surely though any country that forces a company to abide by their regulations in order for their residents to view your content then that should be down to the discretion of the company if they want their content viewed or not, pending the purchase of a license.? For example, if a country said to me buy a license or we will restrict your content, then it would be up to me to decide if I wanted traffic coming from the targeted country or not and I could restrict it on my end if I so wished or pay the license. The country that enforces the license could also restrict the content if a license was not purchased.

How To Block A Country Using a WordPress Plugin:

https://geotargetingwp.com/blog/how-to-block-countries-in-wordpress-by-ip-address

You can turn a WordPress Site into a Community Social Media Platform Using BuddyPress Plugin.

WordPress is the easiest to use the platform to build your own social network using the free BuddyPress plugin. It is super flexible and integrates beautifully with any kind of WordPress website. You’ll need a self-hosted WordPress.org website to start using BuddyPress.

Physical Office on Foreign Soil.

However, to be forced to physically open an office in a foreign country is beyond ridiculous. However, with the rules of GDPR that came into force on 25th, May 2018 most website owners added cookie banners and privacy policies whilst others blocked people in the EU from visiting their sites. Here is an example of one site that restricts EU users: https://www.wfla.com/

So how is it that Russia has any say in what BIG Tech Giants can and can’t do unless they are sponsoring and investing in them in some way? The move is to stop any company from promoting propaganda about Russia and that is fair enough in itself.

The 13 foreign and mostly US technology companies must now be officially be represented on Russian soil by the end of 2021 or could face possible restrictions or outright bans. If anything the website owner could restrict a country from gaining access and that is what I would do if I were in the Big Tech Company’s shoes?

Roskomnadzor, Russia’s communication regulator enforced demands that even companies that already have Russian offices will need to register online accounts with the regulator to receive user and regulator complaints, according to Reuters. All of the social media companies named, including the messaging app Telegram, have reportedly been fined this year for failing to delete content that Russia considered illegal.

I agree that all social media giants should stop the propaganda and fake news. However, if the news is fact-checked there is no reason for it not to be published. It stands to reason the social media giants should also remove content that is prohibited, such as drugs, pornography, suicide, and terrorism, or any criminal activities, you do not need the likes of Russia to tell you that and it is the responsibility of the website owner to do their due diligence and be responsible to protect its users from ever accessing anything that is deemed illegal. With High-Tech AI Algorithms, it is easy for robots to scan millions of articles daily and flag them for deletion.

This comes as Russian authorities tried to crack down on social media companies in the wake of protests following the arrest of Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. Furthermore, a court in Moscow filed a lawsuit against Telegram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Google accusing the social media platforms of failing to remove content calling for teenagers to attend unauthorized protests.

Roskomnadzor also announced that it was restricting its citizens’ access to Twitter, accusing the American company of failing to remove thousands of posts relating to drugs, homophobia, pornography & enticement to unauthorized illegal protests.

Apple, which monopolizes the mobile applications market in Russia has been targeted for alleged abuse of its dominant position. Roskomnadzor said company’s that violate the legislation could face advertising, data collection, and money transfer restrictions, or outright bans.

If I were Apple I would not sell my product to Russia. I have clients that only ship to the UK, it is their prerogative at the end of the day although I am sure Welsh produce would be welcomed to the rest of the world.

Apple and Google in September removed an app meant to coordinate protest voting in the Russian elections. The Russian government has previously said that Moscow had no desire to block anyone or anything, but stressed that companies needed to follow Russian law.

Data that is used by Russian residents should be stored on Russian Servers according to Russia who has imposed repeated fines for banned content. Russia is promoting its domestic tech sector over Silicon Valley alternatives, proposing taxes on foreign-owned digital services, tax cuts for domestic IT firms, and requiring smartphones, computers, and other devices bought in Russia to offer users Russian software by default.

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#socialmedia #facebook #twitter #telegram #tiktok #google #apple

Does posting URLs in comments be of concern?

Wed, November 03, 2021 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

Does posting URLs in comments be of concern?

It was brought to my attention today that adding an URL within a comment to a post can be interpreted as spammy and unprofessional (and I quote “needy“). This was a eureka moment for me because now I was given an opportunity to write about it.

I will link other articles I have found on other marketing websites that all basically say the same.

It has to take a top marketer to stop all the rumors and false information flying about.

Posting URLs in Comments Debunked.

If you post a picture or text-only post on LinkedIn and state “link in the comments,” would your post be penalized (i.e., receive lower impressions/views and lower engagement)? This may have been the case some time ago but it is not so any longer. (The instigator of the post this morning, automatically went on the defense and called the person I have got information from a “Moron”). I did not respond to the insinuation.

Here is What I have found out and is backed by credible sources.

Research conducted by https://growthrocks.com showed a study on the reach and click-through rate of LinkedIn posts with the link in comments and found reach to be almost three times higher on posts with the link in comments:

Linkedin Reach

According to Guy Kawasaki who conducted the research reported in mid-2017 amazing findings on his LinkedIn account when he added the link in the comments:

Linkedin Post Types

Guy Noted his LinkedIn post with the link in the comments section received three times the views over traditional link posts. (Views on personal profiles are equivalent to impressions on business pages.)

These two claims inspired the Social Media Lab to run a small experiment to see if they could verify this technique.

https://www.agorapulse.com/social-media-lab/linkedin-comments-link/

In conclusion, it was found that Hypothesis: LinkedIn is not punishing posts with the phrase “link in the comments.”

Data Testing LinkedIn “Link in Comments” Strategy

Data collected found impressions 169.29% higher on posts with the link in the comments, thus there is no punishment by LinkedIn using this technique.

But we need to delve deeper and what can happen if someone comments on a post and leaves an external link of their own. what would happen to your post?

In 2017, Facebook announced a change to its algorithm designed to reduce the reach of posts with click-bait and low-quality links. At the time this followed Google’s lead of penalizing lower quality content and intrusive ads and pop-ups that affected the user experience. However, in 2016, an update to the Facebook algorithm aimed to rank posts with engaging links higher in people’s feeds.

The topic of external links on social platforms is a hotly debated one.

If your link is ‘good’ (i.e. not click-baiting spammy rubbish) then will it affect your post’s reach or not?

External links act like backlinks although like any link you will find on the internet the link basically acts as an exit for users who are then directed elsewhere on the web.

Will the link damage your credibility, well let just say if the link posted does not match your niche and looks spammy then you have every right and are in control to remove the comment.

Going back to this morning I have been following a Super Yacht Hospitality Event Organiser for a few years and his content sometimes, very funny and sometimes crap has always caught my attention. I was planning on booking a VIP weekend for my 60th Birthday but it looks he has now lost a customer. He metaphorically speaking bit his nose to spite his face.

It turned out he had a bee in his bonnet because he went on a rant stating my link posted by me was and I quote”needy” in which I hit back stating his posts “Buy from me now as I have to feed the kids” were needier than my link, obviously this hit a nerve because he called it tongue in cheek humor and he could write what he wanted.

I tried handing an olive branch to keep the peace and even asked him to send me a banner so that I could advertise his business for free. I told him the link I sent him was not selling anything and that if he put a link in my comments I would not be so upset. I even tried to be the bigger person and apologized several times.

When I told my daughter who is studying marketing management at Cardiff University that he had blocked me, her words were his loss. She knew my plans for my birthday where I was planning on having a weekend on a Super Yacht. I guess I will have to look for another organizer and promote them instead.

What people fail to realize especially if they do not know me that well is if you cross me you do not get a second chance. I will not mention this person’s name or the company he represents but all I will say is he will see my posts including this one as he and I have mutual connections and he will know this post was about him.

What you should also do is act professionally and not draw attention to yourself. If the commentator shared a link that was found to be beneficial to you and your network, you should not bite the hand that feeds you and you should be civil. I was offering free advertising and trying to help him.

What you should not do is block the person, accuse them of hijacking your post, because “a happy customer will tell their friends and family whilst an unhappy customer will tell the world”.

By criticizing the commentator you stand to lose business especially if they happen to work in the marketing industry and maybe contemplating buying your product or service further down the line.

LinkedIn has stopped penalising posts with external links in 2020

It appears that LinkedIn has now stopped penalizing posts for containing external links.

In Summary

No one really knows for certain how social media algorithms work at any given time, and we also don’t know if or when LinkedIn might return to penalizing external links. There’s a lot of guesswork and bet-hedging that goes on in the social media community, all of which muddies the waters for therapy business owners who just wish social media could be simpler!

#socialmedia #socialmediacomments #socialmediabacklinks #eternallinks #socialmediacommentating #socialmediacomments #comments

How To Get More Clients

Mon, September 06, 2021 / RENATA BARNES / 0 Comments

How To Get More Clients

Regardless of what industry you are in, you always want more business. However, for startups, it is even more daunting when your phone does not ring or you have tonnes of emails with people selling you things but you have no inquiries.

So you have got a business plan and you think you have it all worked out but you still have no customers so what do you do?

In this article, I will list some ideas that you may not have thought about.

But first, we have to establish the difference between a small business and a large powerhouse. With a corporation or business that has been established for many years their brand name is well known and people will always choose a well-known brand over a lesser-known one.

If you are just starting out or are struggling to get business through the door, you may have to adopt different strategies to get you noticed. If this is the case you need your business to be in the news you need to be consistent and not hide behind your brand but instead be out there flying your flag high.

A more established company will have more money to spend on advertising and on staff and employee incentives. These companies use marketing agencies to help them get more exposure and will encourage their staff to publicize their company, products, and services

If you are a small business for example of 1-10 employees and your advertising budget may be on a shoestring, you have to invent ways to advertise your brand on next to nothing.

So here is a list of things to do to increase business.

(Some are free and some are pay per click or editorial or offline advertising suggestions)

  1. Start a podcast, talk about your company, conduct interviews with people that are making the news in the same industry as you.
  2. Start a Vlog and set up your own YouTube Channel.
  3. Consider Video Marketing, design your own videos or hire an agency.
  4. Start a Blog and write regular content. Do make sure the domain name has the exact match searchable keywords and phrases.
  5. Perform a SEO audit report and see how you can optimise your website/blog to perform better.
  6. Get backlinks.
  7. Get Like for Likes on social media groups and pages.
  8. Guest blog for free on other peoples blogs or comment on their articles. Some companies even pay you if they find your articles useful.
  9. Network with other businesses, LinkedIn is a good place to start and if you have networking events in your area consider going to one or two and start making acquaintances.
  10. Make use of all your social media platforms. Create business pages and join groups and like, comment and share your blog posts and interact with other business owners, don’t forget to use hashtags and if permitted backlinks to your page or site.
  11. Set up a business forum in your niche through WordPress, they have plugins that are already designed for you.
  12. Join Business Forums and interact.
  13. Set up a (chat) on your website and blogs so that you can interact with your visitors (www.talk.to is free). Remember to have the chat bot on during office hours.
  14. Share Banner Ads on Social Media, Platforms, Pages and Groups.
  15. Advertise in Business Directories (most are free).
  16. Advertise on Classified Ads (Some are free, like Gumtree, Craiglist and FreeAds).
  17. Interact with local communities, some have websites (Quora, Reddit) aswell as Facebook groups.
  18. Set up a local workshop.
  19. Do Public Speaking.
  20. Offer free business consultation if you are in the industry of helping business grow.
  21. Offer to advertise other peoples businesses, products and service on your site free of charge for a limited time.
  22. Sell your advertising space to business owners.
  23. They say the money is in the list, set up a newsletter and send out information to your contacts. Offer incentives to get people to sign up to your newsletters.
  24. Consider Affiliate Marketing where you get paid if someone clicks an ad you are displaying on your site or through an email list or newsletter.
  25. Pay people to advertise your business through companies such as ‘Clickbank’ ‘Rakuten Linkshare’, ‘Shareasale’.
  26. Write an ebook that you can offer your customers in exchange for their email.
  27. Set up an event such as a conference, auction, or networing seminar.
  28. Sponsor an event, this could mean you may have to either pay/domate or offer your services for free. This will give exposure to your company and your brand.
  29. Organise an open house and offer wine tasting or set up a stall and sell your products and services. The series on Netflix “Selling Sunset” hosted parties and a wedding in a few of their luxury properties they were selling to VIP guests, multi-million dollar real estate.
  30. Set up an auction or fashion show and get other businesses to donate something and charge an entry fee for the evening of the event with your brand name in the limelight.
  31. Partner with a small business, offer your products and services at a discounted price and ask them to do the same in exchange. They may be a Web Designer but may not offer marketing, whilst you as a marketing agency could offer your service in exchange for leads and visa versa.
  32. Public Relations – make an announcement on PR Agency websites where journalist can write about you.
  33. Create a Google Business Page and update regularly just like you would a blog.
  34. Set up a contest/competition.
  35. Offer Discounts and Incentives to all you current and prospective clients.
  36. Upsell to your existing clients.
  37. Offer Free Trials and Demos.
  38. Wear your insignia and get your employees to wear branded apparel.
  39. Send out compimetary useful merchandise with your company logo, website and telephone number.
  40. Ask for referrals, offer you clients incentives that if they refer you, you will give them something in return, it could be a product, service or discount.
  41. Get your family and friends to spread the word.
  42. Consider leaflet drops to businesses or homes depending on the industry you are in.
  43. Sell a course online to educate people in your industry.
  44. Sell merchandise with your company name.
  45. Set up a Wikipedia page.
  46. Set up a Crunchbase profile.
  47. Pitch your business to angel investors, private equity firms to raise funding and spread awareness. Angel investors may put you in touch with some of their contacts if they think your business is viable, in exchange for a commission on every introduction.
  48. Set up a squeeze page using click funnels to your offer.
  49. Consider advertising your busness on other sites (rate card advertising prices will apply).
  50. Google Ads not only help with ranking they will get you on the first page of Google instantaneously providing you meet the bidding price of your daily budget.
  51. Facebook Ads, can fine tune the audience you wish to target.
  52. Instagram Ads – Instagram has over 500 million users per month.
  53. Start following people and businesses in your niche on Instagram and interact with their posts.
  54. Newspaper Ads.
  55. Editorial Publication Ad Campaign.
  56. Guerilla Marketing, do something outlandish but first get permission from the local council and the police. If you are a web designer set up a office type table and chair in a busy high street and when people ask what you are doing you can hand out your business cards. Baroness Michelle Mone did a stunt promoting her ‘Ultimo Bra’ brand back in the day when she was starting out by having actors dressed up as plastic surgeons protesting that ‘Ultimo’ was putting them out of business. The day of the event all her bra’s got sold out. Hire a plane or drone with the flogo and have your advert flown sky high.
  57. Promotional giveaways, you can do this digitally or can set up a physical stall, you can giveaway products and services but do get permission first if you plan to do it in a public place.
  58. Make the most of trade shows by either networking or setting up a stand an expo.
  59. Create your own App.
  60. Billboard advertising is another way to attract business, such as bus stops and on sides of buildings.
  61. Advertise on Publish Transport on the side of buses and taxis.
  62. Send your products and services to influencers and celebrities and ask them to endorse your brand.
  63. Advertise your business on Black Cabs if you are in the UK and Yellow Cabs in the States.
  64. TV & Radio Advertising.
  65. Help non profit organisations by donating or marketing, either way the charities will advertise you.
  66. Go physically into businesses that are in the same niche as yours and if you are a pet sitting/dog walker business go to your local vets and ask them to display your posters or brochures. If you are selling cruises get your local high street travel agents to display your information.
  67. Offer your services for free for the first month or so, get people to sign contracts as they could take you up on the offer and then walk away once it is ended. Or if you are selling a product why not “try before you buy” type of offer.
  68. Ask businesses if they would like free exposure to their products and services and display, their merchandise in your establishment, moreover they may also do the same for you.
  69. Go to cafes and grocery stores where they have message boards and display your information, or if you are more high end, visit hospitality venues and advertise your products and services there. Give them incentives to market your business such as an exclusive discount and mention their name in the print.
  70. Start a directory of businesses in your niche and offer both free and paid listings. When constructing the directory contact each business owner and tell them they have a free listing. This will give you the opportunity to explain who you are and offer them more exposure with more prominent paid advertising. Instead of waiting for the mountain to come to Mohammed, get Mohammed to go to the mountain.

Note From The Editor.

When promoting your business try to expand your products and services, it is good to have your fingers in many pies.

As well as the above-mentioned hints and tips, re-train your mindset and stay focused and positive. Be assertive with yourself and do not allow any negativity to get in your way. Just before you go to sleep visualize your ultimate goals and desires and imagine yourself already have acquired your wealth, do this every night for 30 days and see changes manifesting. Research neuroscience and the power of thought.

Do some research into neuroplasticity and a book that is highly recommended read is Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich”

Further Reading:

https://blog.wishpond.com/post/59612395517/52-tips-how-to-market-on-instagram

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Pros and Cons Hiring a Contractor vs Employee

Tue, August 10, 2021 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

Pros and Cons Hiring a Contractor vs Employee

When businesses start up they may invariably decide that you need extra help.

Most small businesses start by hiring outsourcing their work to agencies and freelancers, but eventually, they may decide to hire staff instead to make things more permanent. This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of hiring employees vs. independent contractors and how starting out can save you money hiring companies rather than employing staff.

Hiring Employees

Hiring employees, a business owner is obliged to pay a wage regardless if there is any work or not. The perfect example is being furloughed during lockdown; this was a headache for most business owners unable to trade.

An employee is basically a person who works for a person or company whereby the employee is under the control of the employer and has to work a certain number of hours each week.

The advantages of hiring an employee are you have sole control of the employee’s work schedule which would mean the employee only works for you and is trained and guided by you. You have few restrictions or limitations on what you can assign to the employee or about your ability to terminate the employee without paying out a contract.

However, by employing a staff member, you have to abide by the laws and regulations of your given country. You cannot hire and fire unless it is legally warranted. You have to abide by the payment of wages or salaries, overtime, and other work rules.

You must adhere to comply with payroll tax requirements, including paying National Insurance and Taxes, Pensions. (This part is an example for the UK, other countries have different payroll rules).

Hiring Independent Contractors

By hiring an independent contractor, you pay for a job or assignment. You do not have to worry about paying for holidays or sick leave. You do not have to worry about paying wages and P.A.Y.E.

The advantages of hiring an independent contractor are you assign a job to meet a deadline and once the job is completed you have no other obligation to the person or company you hired. You can assign duties to an independent contractor and impose a deadline, but you cannot tell that person how to get the job done. You can however ask the independent sub-contractor to sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure your trading information is not shared with their competitors.

An independent contractor sets his/her/their own hours and fees which are agreed by the client and he/she can work for other companies as well as yourself. An independent contractor often provides his/her/their own equipment and tools i.e., computers, cameras, software, and may come to your place of work or work remotely based on their terms and conditions.

However, when you are doing your tax returns (HMRC UK) you should also include that you have paid sub-contractors.

To be defined as an independent contractor the following must apply:

  • He/She/They consult for multiple businesses.
  • He/She/They control the hours worked.
  • He/She/They choose where they work.
  • He/She/They are ineligible for employment benefits from your business.
  • He/She/They work independently and choses their location where to work.
  • He/She/They decide how they will complete the work.
  • He/She/They incur costs that relate to the comletion of the assignment.
  • He/She/They are experts in a chosen field with the relevant qualifications and experience.
  • He/She/They are responsible for paying self-employment tax.
  • He/She/They are not entitled to workers’ or unemployment compensation benefits.
  • He/She/They are not eligible for overtime pay.
  • He/She/They are not entitled to holiday pay, sick pay or maternity leave.

Disclaimer

This post is meant for UK Businesses and in other countries, federal laws will be different, so you must check the rules and regulations appertaining to your location.

#employee #independantcontractor #subcontractor #selfemployed #outsourcing #hiring #staff #payroll #furlough #furloughed #employment #contractor

Working From Home.

Wed, August 04, 2021 / CMJUK / 0 Comments

Working From Home.

The burning question that is trending right now is the topic of working from home especially after Rishi Sunak said that “working from home is not nearly as “valuable” for young people’s career progression as going into the office” after the government changed its guidance.

I agree that young people need to be nurtured and need onsite training, they also need to be monitored for complacency. Young people left to their own devices (no pun intended) are more likely to spend more time on their phones than doing any work. Only focused people who are dedicated to their jobs will succeed, that is why it is imperative to keep an eye on young people especially school leavers. A more mature person will be more responsible.

Hence home office jobs should only be offered to people who are more than capable of setting critical time paths (CTP’s) and guarantee to get the job done by the given deadline.

A young person needs to learn the skills first and that usually needs to be onsite. They also need to have someone of authority (management) making sure they do the work properly and do not slack.

The advantages of working from home can be beneficial to both the employer and the employee. The employer will save on overheads of heating and lighting and coffee breaks. Whilst the employee will save money commuting to work.

However, there will be employers that will want to get their money’s worth and will expect their employees to work at the business location rather than home.

Employees, working from home on the other hand can boost productivity as the employee will get more done without the pressure from a normal working environment.

An employer that hires virtual assistants can save a lot of money rather than employing someone and having them on their books.

The employee will have a duty to their employer and an obligation to complete the assignments. If they are customer service telesales they have to have an area in their home designated without distractions. A virtual assistant is a subcontractor and will already be self-employed with their own office setup. A virtual assistant will already be supplying a service that would invoice for the job in question.

In an office, banter is kept to a minimum and people have less freedom to talk, whilst working from home you can do the work productively without the stress of your boss overhearing or management watching you.

Working from home is ideal for mums and disabled people. Disabled people can adapt their home around their office unlike a business adapting their office around the disabled person.

To work effectively from home, you’ll need to make sure you have the technology & equipment that you require, a separate workspace from your family and kids.

When working from home you also need good Internet service and speeds, you will also need a landline or a VoIP phone. You also need to treat your home office as a business and work the hours set out by your employer unless you work for yourself that is.

Top Hybrid Jobs for working remotely include information technology (IT) and healthcare; positions include customer service representatives, sales representatives, project managers, etc.

A lot of top companies such as Google, Microsoft do offer work remotely.

At the end of the day, it is up to the individual’s personal preference and personal circumstances if they would prefer to return to a normal office environment or work from home and the employer should give the opportunity providing deadlines are met. However, the bottom line will be whatever your employer wants rather than what you want.

FURTHER READING.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15762396/rishi-sunak-warns-home-working-harm-career/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58068998

#HybridWork #workfromhome #workremotely

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