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Ayesha Saeed

Reasons Behind the Growing Popularity of Sustainable Building Materials

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The green movement has been gaining an increased momentum over the last few years, thanks to the millions of concerned citizens. Businesses have also been listening to this shift and changing their practices to be environmentally friendly, especially in the construction realm.

The emerging trend of energy-efficient structures is one of the main reasons for the growing popularity of sustainable building materials. From being economically responsible to ecologically responsible, there is a lot more to green building materials.

The Structures Can Last For a Lifetime

The idea behind using sustainable building materials is to build a structure that can last for a lifetime. Extended lifespan and cost reduction are two good reasons that attract more and more people to gravitate towards sustainable building materials.

From low-flow plumbing fixtures to solar panels, reclaimed wood, metal roofing, and more, there are endless options when it comes to materials that can be used for building a sustainable home.

Helps Conserve Energy and Save Money

Using sustainable building materials helps in conserving energy and saving money over time. Green materials contribute to energy conservation in two ways:

  • Larger-scale energy conservation takes place using sustainable materials that do not leave behind toxic waste products during manufacture.
  • Energy conservation takes place on the premises using efficient materials like intelligent thermostats, eco-friendly heating systems, green insulation, and more.

The growing public awareness has contributed to people becoming aware of such sustainable practices and their advantages. So, naturally, more people are opting to go green with building materials.

Contributes To Minimal Waste

As sustainable building materials majorly use recycled or reclaimed materials, the manufacture of the materials leads to far lesser waste than other materials. If everyone starts to use more recycled products, new products will gradually die down along with the need for natural resources.

People who are mindful of exploiting natural resources are now choosing sustainable building materials to reduce their carbon footprint in the world.

Low Operation Cost & Maintenance

One of the main reasons for the growing popularity of sustainable building materials is that it requires significantly less maintenance. Buildings constructed with such materials allow the users to save as much as a third of their energy and water bills.

As the maintenance and operating costs of a structure can account for almost 80% of the lifetime cost of a building, using sustainable materials reduces such costs. It increases the owners’ earnings collecting rent from the building.

Contributes To Better Health

People living in a green building can enjoy many health benefits, thanks to the safety of sustainable building materials used in the construction. Other materials like byproducts of plastic have been found to release toxic materials into space. These carcinogens can cause severe breathing issues and also lead to cancer.

In the light of the rising health care, people are now looking for ways to incorporate sustainable building materials even in an existing home to create a healthy space. 

With green building construction gaining traction in the residential sector, the market for environmentally friendly building materials has started to soar. If this topic has awakened the green thumb of yours, then it is time you consider some sustainable options for your house.

How to Find the Best Accountant

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If you’ve decided that it’s time you engaged an accountant for your business, then it’s time to look at who would be the right person for you to work with.

Having someone confident, qualified, experienced and capable is essential to oversee what is, after all, one of the most vital areas of your business because maximum revenue equals maximum survival rate. Which didn’t used to be such an important matter, but if there’s one thing that the COVID pandemic has taught us, it’s that smaller businesses are typically going to struggle to stay afloat. Which is why having an experienced, savvy accountant on your side is the best way to protect your business. The right person will be saving you both time and money year after year.

finding accountant

Carrying out careful research is imperative to make absolutely sure that you’re choosing the best person for your business – there are all different types and what works for one business might not work for another. So, go through the selection process carefully and make sure that you consider all of your options. For example:

  • Are you confident that they can reduce your business taxes?
  • Where are they based?
  • How big is their firm? Big isn’t always better, but it does indicate experience and probably expansion to a certain degree.
  • What type of accounting software are you hoping to use?
  • How expensive will they be?

1. What about their location?

This isn’t as important as it once was. It used to be that a local accountant was necessary for face to face meetings and taking with you to visit clients, but times have changed and proximity is not so much of an issue now. A lot of business can be carried out remotely through online collaborations and managing your business through cloud-based technology.

This means that no matter where you are, you will be looking at real time, identical data, at the same time. Plus, moving towards remote collaborations means that the field of choice for you in terms of choosing an accountant opens up dramatically and gives you maximum flexibility to hunt and seek the right person for your own business. It doesn’t necessarily matter where you are in the world, for example, so you can select the accountant who suits you best, rather than relying on the five accounting companies that your town might have available.

 Again, the last year or so has meant that as we moved to mostly remote working, it has honed, refined and massively advanced things like videoconferencing, emailing and using accounting software. However, if having face to face time is important to you then you’ll have to stick with your local options, or find someone who is prepared to travel to you on a regular basis.

2. Taxes?

It goes without saying that your accountant will need to be an expert in the tax laws that are applicable to you. These can sometimes be tricky waters to navigate and having someone who is on top of the relevant taxes for you is essential.

3. Their expertise

Do make sure that you check out their expertise in your particular field of work, because not all sectors have the same requirements. Look at whether they have experience with businesses that have a similar revenue and size to yours. Plus, looking at whether they have relevant knowledge and wider experience in your market sector is a good indicator of whether they could adequately handle an expansion in your business.

Basically, the more experience the better (if you’re near the Northwest of England, I can personally recommend Daniel Sam Bolton accountants). Have they worked with larger clients? If so then it shows that they could cope with the growing demands of your business as it gets bigger over time. You could even look at their client list and their individual growth to give you a better idea of how the accountant has worked for them and whether that translates into good business practice for you.

4. Qualifications

You almost certainly will need someone who is chartered or certified, regulated by a professional body and/or recognised by the government. Not only will this speak volumes about their qualifications, it also gives you redress if something goes wrong. Chartered accountants are generally highly experienced, they will have completed post-degree study, as well as a professional competency programme.

5. Finding the right person

Take advantage of what could be right under your nose, in terms of social media and professional connections. Obviously, steer clear of things like Facebook and Instagram, but LinkedIn for example is a great, business orientated platform where you can explore any existing connections you might have or those of people working in the same market sector as you.

6. Think about your exact needs

If you’re a smaller outfit, or you just need someone to book-keep, do general financial management or prepare the taxes, then someone less qualified could be the ideal solution for you. 

Ultimately, once you’ve found a likely candidate, you should consider:

  • Are they interested and enthusiastic about their services?
  • Do they have a strong network of professional people to engage with?
  • Do they have any published recommendations from either previous or current clients? If so, what are the details?
  • What is their length of experience in the accounting field and what did they do before they started practicing as an accountant?
  • Exactly what qualifications do they have?

Putting in the work now could mean that you find a perfect candidate for the role and your business thrives, going from strength to strength and you can maximise the potential revenue.

How to Prepare for SBI Clerk Mains Exam

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When appearing for competitive exams like SBI Clerk, the amount of effort you put in your pre-exam preparation process can make a huge difference. Candidates should focus on working hard and create a preparation strategy that will help crack the examination.

The final merit list of candidates is prepared according to performances in the SBI Mains exam. Only those candidates who qualify for the Mains exams are called for an interview.

This makes it essential for candidates to give their best to get qualified for the further selection process. Taking up the SBI Clerk mock test can help candidates get a grip of the different sections.

SBI Clerk Section-wise preparation

Reasoning Ability and Computer Aptitude

  1. This is a scoring section and can help you increase your overall exams in the Mains exam.
  2. A part of this section consists of puzzles and arrangement-type questions. Make a habit of solving a few puzzles every day to build concentration, enabling you to solve in less time.
  3. Major focus areas for Reasoning include Input-Output, Coding-decoding, Critical Reasoning, and decision-making.
  4. For computer aptitude, you need to have basic knowledge of computers and learn shortcuts on MS word, MS Excel, LAN, etc.

General/ Financial Awareness

  1. This section comprises questions about the Banking Industry, the Indian Economy, and Current Affairs.
  2. Candidates should study Current Affairs regularly to stay updated.

English Language

  1. Even if you have strong English language basics, taking up mock tests keenly will help you score well in your Mains exams. For those who are weak in this area, hard work and patience will help them master the language.
  2. Focus on some of the major topics such as comprehension, spot the error, multiple phrase replacement, etc.
  3. Read newspapers, magazines, or novels, which will help you know how to build sentences and more.

Quantitative Aptitude

  1. Revise and practice shortcut tricks for quantitative aptitude.
  2. Practice simple questions from Series, data sufficiency, data interpretation which will help you score maximum in this section.
  3. Give mock tests which will help you in managing time.

Few Tips to Prepare For SBI Clerk Mains Exam

  1. Adopt a Section-wise Approach

From the year 2018, SBI has introduced a new pattern of exams which has made preparation easier. For each section, time is allotted, and you can create a study plan based on these to ensure all the sections are covered before your exam.

  1. Practice Previous Years Question Papers

Analyze your performance by solving previous years’ question papers. Candidates will know where they stand in their preparation and work on the difficult areas. To ace the examination, candidates should solve more and more questions from each section of the previous years’ question papers.

  1. Take Online Tests

When appearing for your mains exam, your focus should be to maximize scores in each section. Apart from practicing several previous year’s question papers, candidates should also take up online mock tests. Giving the SBI Clerk mock testwill help the candidates understand what type of questions are asked in the exam.

Candidates need to give mock tests as often as possible, which will help them enhance their skills and increase speed and accuracy, which are essential aspects of clearing this exam.

  1. Revision

It is the solution to success in any examination. The revision will help candidates remember the important formulas and current affair topics. Remember, you cannot retain all of the information, so focus on essential topics to revise before the exam.

It is tough to clear the SBI Clerk Mains exam, and candidates should put in a lot of effort. There is negative marking for every wrong answer, and so the preparation should be such that candidates can maintain accuracy for each question which will help them score good marks.

What is Direct Sourcing, And How Can It Benefit the Organization?

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Businesses today are looking beyond traditional hiring models to better their growth prospects. The shift in talent acquisition strategies is evident with the large-scale recruitment of consultants, contractors, or freelancers over full-time employees.

Flexible solutions are what global staffing agencies like High5 excel at. Contingent workers with their specialized skills facilitate your company to meet project-specific demands. By focusing on building a substantial pool of contingent staff, you gain access to quality talent.

What is Direct Sourcing?

The method of building a talent pool for your company without the intervention of a third party refers to direct sourcing. Identifying candidates with potential directly from the labor market allows you to hire them when the need arises instantly. Unlike your permanent employees, this section of your workforce only gets paid for the work assigned and completed.

Your entity’s ability to engage and re-engage such top talent via direct sourcing depends on your business size, recruitment budget, and project requirements. Straightforward processes and transparent dealings are central to a fruitful association and generate interest among prospective candidates.

How Does Direct Sourcing Cut Recruiting Time and Cost?

By properly managing your direct sourcing strategy as industry specialists at High5 recommend, you shorten the time and costs involved in hiring the best fit. Instead of focusing on earning an ’employer of choice’ reputation, market your company as a ‘client of choice.’

Adopting this wider strategy makes independent workers eager to associate themselves with your brand. You save on costs incurred on vendors who otherwise assist you in identifying appropriate talent. Moreover, actively engaging with your labor pool allows you to fill vacancies in record time.

When you treat your contingent workforce as supportive partners, they deliver quality results and guarantee higher returns. Leaning on a growing population of high-quality contractors allows your entity greater staffing flexibility.

While working with independent talent, your company has a role from start to finish. Whether it is sourcing, engagement, compensation, or management and re-engagement, putting a centralized system in place is beneficial.

Strategy for Direct Sourcing

Your venture can boost its bottom line when existing employees actively advocate and refer future talent. Compellingly position your brand as adding value to the career graph of every workforce category you target. Doing so enables your entity to attract the best talent.

The different strategies your company can consider to source talent directly could include:

  • Encouraging existing employees to tap their networks for potential independent talent
  • Using the internal recruitment resources at your organization’s disposal by sifting through resumes submitted
  • Reaching out to your HR business partners for suitable leads
  • Creating a centralized engagement program open to all employees to help streamline your company’s direct sourcing initiative

Leadership support and ongoing internal communication across levels are critical to building an independent talent pool. More than a third-party agency, the employer can deliver a seamless experience for the candidate with a committed and focused approach.

How Does The Organization Benefit From Direct Sourcing?

A direct sourcing strategy benefits your organization in multiple ways, as enumerated here:

Facilitates Greater Control over Your Recruiting Budget

Not having to depend on placement agencies to source contingent workers saves you on paying service fees. Besides avoiding this significant expense, you can also identify candidates that fit your budget and organizational culture. All these aspects give you greater control over how you spend your allocated budget for recruitments.

Quickens Your Hiring Process

When you have a pool of talented people whom you have identified and engaged with all along, filling your available vacancies does not take time. Dipping into this interested pool of candidates associated with your organization in the past cuts down your hiring time.

Thanks to the latter, you deliver an enhanced candidate experience. Starting the hiring process from scratch is very time-consuming, and direct sourcing simplifies the exercise of identifying the right person for the job.

Retains Niche and Quality Talent

Certain projects may demand niche skills, and your diverse pool of freelance workers supplies such talent on a need basis. Your brand benefits from those who contribute productively to its success as they further the tradition of building on your industry reputation.

As long as your venture provides self-employed professionals with fulfilling work and remunerates them proportionately, they remain loyal. Whenever an opportunity arises again, you can re-engage their services with ease.

Conclusion

Potential independents prefer collaborating with brands that match their work ethics, aspirations, and career goals. Direct sourcing gives you the power to engage, attract and hire top contingency talent.

Partner with a dynamic platform that offers innovative talent strategies to manage contingent labor.

Treasury Management for Small and Medium Enterprises

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Many of us associate treasury management with large businesses. However, globalization of the economy and accelerated competition in the marketplace calls for the need for management of financial system for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which continue to rely on spreadsheets for core treasury functions such as cash flow, forecasting, and bank account management. This requires creating a treasury that can effectively and efficiently manage, control, and organize financial operations, mitigating its operational, reputational, and financial risks.

Treasury plays a key role in the financial system of an enterprise as it aims to evaluate the management of cash and ensure there is always enough liquidity to operate. It also plays an important role in various other activities such as project budgeting, pricing, strategic planning, hedging of risks, data collection, maintaining, shareholder relationships, managing risks, capital allocation, and so on.

Considering the factors that are driving the need for SME treasury services, the management model should be such that it can handle the distribution of appropriate objects which include capital, financial resources, and other assets. That alone doesn’t justify the existence of treasury management services. They also help simplify all the things you hate – fraud, payroll, etc., and help you do what you do the best – running your business. That’s why it is important to have well-structured treasury management as it leads to the success of an enterprise.

While treasury departments for banks and non-banks might differ a bit, some of the common entities of a typical treasury include a fixed income desk to buy or sell interest-bearing securities, a foreign exchange ‘FX’ desk to buy and sell currencies, a capital market desk that takes care of shares listed on the stock market and a commodity desk to deal in commodities like gold and metal.

FX Management and Treasury

One of the key tenets of the international financial system is foreign exchange, which facilitates trade and commercial transactions between different countries involving the conversion of one currency to the other. Integrating foreign exchange (FX) with treasury is key to finding the balance sheet and deployment of funds across global as well as domestic money and forex markets, enabling banks to optimize their asset-liability and capitalize on arbitrage opportunities.

The need for integration has also arisen on account of the development of the forex market, liberalization of exchange control, interest rate deregulations, and advancement in the dealing ecosystem. The integrated FX treasury management is meant to not only perform traditional forex dealings but also various other functions such as capital adequacy, derivative products, risk management, and so on. 

As foreign exchange rates and commodity prices continue to see unexpected changes and movements, it becomes increasingly important for enterprises exposed to these risks, be equipped with the right tools to manage them efficiently. Such price fluctuations make it difficult for businesses to estimate their future revenue and costs. This is where FX treasury services come into the picture – they control the price volatility and help increase the flow of capital between countries, offering better opportunities to diversify the associated risks. However, globalization of investment has led to newer risks arising from exchange rates, the interdependence of financial conditions, and political actions in various countries.

How to know when your business is in need of a good treasuring management system?

According to the latest surveys and studies, small businesses are increasingly realizing the benefits of having a cash management system. When you see liquidity management is getting more complex and there is a strong need to optimize payment flows, it is time your business needs a treasury management system. Some of the challenges most of the small and medium enterprises are facing today include:

  • SMEs generally operate with greater uncertainty when it comes to cash flow, leading to otherwise profitable enterprise going bust due to cash flow issues
  • SMEs chose excel sheets over treasury management systems as they are expensive and require upfront investment in terms of both time and money
  • Susceptible timing of cash flow

However, as treasury departments are doing more with less, process and technology advancements are needed to provide better data and remove reliance on excel sheets. Implementing a treasury management system can help small and medium enterprises to focus on increasing control, deeper analysis, and adding more value to the business, offering the ability to overcome the mentioned challenges through-

  • Resource management
  • Equipment investment
  • Funding requirements
  • Making informed decisions
  • Project management timing

The organization of what needs to be included in the treasury system depends on the volume of activities your business is handling currently. Mainly there are three distinct functions – front, back, and mid office, which work as watertight compartments. The front office takes care of dealing and investment – risk-taking; the mid-office is responsible for risk management and management information, and the back-office deals with settlements, reconciliation, confirmations, and accounting.

Opting for in-house or external treasury management services

The industry is facing a period of transformation where the enterprises can choose the way they wish to employ treasury management. Cloud technology is opening up opportunities for outsourcing at reduced costs than having an in-house treasury management system. Businesses can even opt for ever-more customizable systems that particularly suit their business models and needs.

Outsourced services allow businesses to reduce operating expenses while providing access to the latest treasury applications for managing the functions. One of the often-overlooked benefits of these SME treasury services is the expertise of the service providers who understand the goals and roles of the financial system.

The benefits of a treasury management system over traditional spreadsheets are undisputed, but so far these have been the province of only large companies. This means SMEs have not been able to reap the benefits of solutions built in this space, missing out on the tailor-made, technology-based treasury solutions. The time to embrace these cutting-edge solutions has arrived and SMEs shouldn’t miss out as they play a key role in improving global economy.

How To Run A Business Successfully- Revealing Top-Notch Approaches To Adopt

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Business is all about taking chances. It is the best way to test the capabilities of a person. To survive in the world of business, it takes a lot of courage. Business can shape your world where there is all comfort. It can provide the lavish luxuries to enjoy. It is a metaphor for overnight success, but it can be extremely detrimental as well. When businesses collapse, they take away everything from the owners. It just takes a blink of an eye to come down from castles to roads.

Business is all about how accurate the plans are. Hitting the bullseye at first instance is a jackpot. Building a business empire that stands firmly for a lengthy period asks for diligent work. The combination of brains with passion can lead anyone to a height never reached before. Regardless of the nature of your business, it should fit the excess thought process to succeed.

Many entrepreneurs thought out of the box beyond the boundaries and achieved mesmerizing successes. Bill Gates brought the idea of a user-friendly operating system, and today, he is one of the wealthiest persons on the planet. He kept his business up to date, which is another reason for his constant success. Mark Zuckerberg developed Facebook to make this world a tiny place. Now everyone is using it for free, but his business marketing tactics have made him a billionaire.

Moreover, the world of real estate business is booming. It’s a never-ending industry as people keep moving for better opportunities. Kuba Jewieniew’s is one of the most prominent realtors. He is the CEO of Realty ONE Group that has proved to be game-changing for the real estate business. You can find all the latest stories on Kuba Jewieniew’s Facebook page and keep yourself updated with all the stuff happening in the real estate world. 

There are some methodologies to embrace to run a business with the utmost ease. One can climb the ladder of progress by adopting these methods. Let us discuss some of them here.

Always Draft the Ideas

Business is all about ideas and plans. Writing them down gives them strength. Always draft the ideas and note them somewhere. It is unnecessary to write a bulk of pages but a few elaborative points to convey the idea. In this technology-driven world, you can share the strategies related to financing, marketing, sales, and employees without any hurdles. Cloud computing allows a business to share the stuff with all stakeholders with ease. In this way, communication gets better. Maybe someone has a better idea that can benefit the company more, therefore adopt this approach before giving any idea a shot.

Keep an Eye Over Market Trends

Business depends upon the market. If you do not have customers, to whom are you planning to sell your products or services? Never underestimate the worth of the market. Before launching any product or service, have thorough research on the market. Learn about the targeted customers, excellent selling prices, and competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. These magical insights help you to recognize the market traits and assist in setting goals. It is not necessary to follow whatever the market is doing. Always keep in mind what you want too. Without it, there will be a lack of self-motivation that would let you drive smoothly. 

Establish Profit Margins

There are no second thoughts in it that people do business to earn lots of money. Money is the driving force of a business. Set your profit margins. Without money, nobody can afford to run a business. Money is essential to keep the operations going and marketing upright. Keep your profit margin enough to satisfy your business needs and reinvesting to grow the business. If you don’t have this approach, it is high time to do so. Restructure your pricing; make sure you get enough revenue and sales to hit your target. Without this, it becomes difficult for businesses to thrive. 

Don’t Always Stick to Your Plan.

Being determined and stupid are two different things. Businesses want smart decisions to grow. Imagine a devised plan is giving only losses. Are you going to stick with it till it gets you down on the streets? It’s always better to make changes in a plan if it’s not worthy. It doesn’t take seconds, and the market can turn upside down. Make the necessary adjustments when needed. Nobody knows the future circumstances that may appear against your plan. Therefore always be ready to make changes. Adopt the changes and learn to innovate.

Hire the Right Employees

A collective effort is mandatory to run a business successfully. If the employees are not suitable for the job, they will ultimately become the reason for the loss. To build a team of professionals and experts who have the expertise that you don’t. Their opinions and strategies can take your business from ground to sky. Take their input in every aspect of the company. Motivate them; make them realize that your win is their win as well. Hiring the right kind of employees builds a great work environment that increases productivity.
Every organization needs to conduct a small career test before taking any interview to shortlist the candidates as the right kind of personality and knowledge leads to tremendous business growth and run.

Don’t Try To Do Everything By Yourself.

We understand that you want to build an empire of a business by yourself. But if you ever research about successful people in business, they never do everything on their own. Large corporates are having their shares in the industry. Ask the people to join your adventure. Make a team that can work in your absence. You can avail the facility of outsourcing to lower the burden. It might cost you a bit, but many jobs outsource firms do for you at comparatively lower prices.  

Give Incentive to Employees

Employees are the backbone of any business. If they stop to perform well, that’s detrimental. Therefore, keep them happy. Offering incentives can be a way to make them work diligently. It is of paramount importance to keep them motivated so you can extract out their maximum potential. Providing them allowances, overtime charges, lunch, and a relaxing office environment will create enthusiasm for work.

Conclusion

There are many inspiring strategies of eminent businessmen. Their creative thinking and unparalleled vision made them prominent among others. Adopting their strategies could take your business to great heights. Following these approaches will let you grow and make you stand firm.  No success means there is no business. Think of the strategies that can improve the success rate. Think before taking any step and live it. 

Best Preparation Strategies for SBI PO 2020

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A strategic study plan, the right approach, and SBI PO previous year question paper is crucial for your success in SBI PO Exam 2020. Once you do your preparation tactfully, you perform well and get the best scores.

Since the exam is slowly approaching, it is time that you start preparing. The following are the best preparation strategies for SBI PO 2020 that you must not miss.

Familiarise Yourself with the Latest Exam Pattern 

Even before you start your preparation, make sure you know about the updated SBI PO exam pattern. You should know that:

  • The question pattern of SBI PO has already altered with the introduction of the sectional time in the prelim’s exam.
  • Now, you cannot spend time as per your preference and ease in the exam.
  • There will be sectional timing for each section, and you will need to attempt each section in only 20 minutes. Make sure you do maximum questions with total accuracy.

Draw a Preparation Plan and Divide Your Tasks

You may calculate the time you have for the SBI PO exam preparation and prioritize the topics that you need to study. Furthermore, prepare a time table to attain your daily goals and assign more time to the syllabus’s weaker sections.

Refer to Previous Year SBI PO Papers 

Check the SBI PO previous year question paper, and it will help you to narrow down the syllabus and focus on the important topics first. Similarly, when you know what type of questions have been in the previous year’s papers, modify your preparations accordingly. 

For example, check all the concepts related to the questions that repeatedly made their way in the PO exam. Once you have clarity about the topic concepts, you can solve any related question.

Proper Practice and Revision is a Must 

If you are only learning new concepts, it is not sufficient to study a few hours every day. Instead, indulge in daily practice and revision. Once you practice the previous year question papers and different questions from different books, it will improve your speed and accuracy in answering questions.

Moreover, when you revise your questions and topics weekly or fortnightly, you end up with clarity about everything. After all, the SBI PO exam is difficult, and you cannot just keep on feeding material in your mind. Hence, you must do a regular revision to ensure that you have no confusion about any topics you learned at the beginning of your SBI PO prep.

Take Mock Tests 

Mock tests will help you stay on track and learn from your errors. Moreover, mock tests after every topic or multiple topics will help you to know about your progress, weaknesses, and strengths. Hence, you can work on your overall preparation accordingly to ensure no gaps in your studies.

Stay Consistent and Healthy 

Once you prepare for the SBI PO exam consistently, it will help you improve your knowledge, skills, and confidence. Consistency ensures that you do not procrastinate while you prepare for this exam, and hence, you learn new concepts and topics every day.

Furthermore, when preparing for SBI PO, make sure that you are not compromising on your food and sleep. You must sleep for a minimum of 6 to 7 hours at night and take healthy and proper food because a lack of sleep or skipping meals may lead to lesser energy during the day. 

To sum up, if you use SBI PO previous year question paper, maintain a proper SBI PO preparation schedule, do weekly revisions, and stay dedicated, you will pass the SBI PO test with flying colors.

A Brief Guide to Life Insurance for Police Employees

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One of the most important things that can have an effect on the selection of life insurance offered to you is your profession. Some occupations, including police profile, are considered more risky compare to other jobs and need insurance more compare to other people.

All the advisors you work with are independent and have access to insurance companies throughout. They have the knowledge and tools to find the best police life insurance policy available at the best price available to meet your needs.

How to buy police life insurance?

As a police officer, you may previously have some life insurance as part of your reimbursement package. On the other hand, not all the benefits of life insurance can be obtained, such as taking care of your relatives or dependents in case of death.

Also, if you release the force, it may not be covered. As a result, many police officers are trying to buy life insurance. Some insurance providers specialize in providing life insurance to the police officers only. They can offer life insurance transactions specific to your needs, so it is advisable to go with them.

Police Life Insurance Cost 

Working in the police is generally considered a high-risk profession, and the higher the risk an insurer perceives, the more likely you are to claim a higher non-standard premium.

Not all insurers view risk the same, so it’s important to search for a quote or, better yet, ask a market-wide expert. Then only you can find affordable life insurance rates for police officers and a rate varies according to the benefits.

It is also worth noting that the evaluation is done in the same way that the general public has life insurance. Providers will want to know your age, health status, smoking and drinking habits, and existing illnesses you may have.

Types of policies

There are many types of life insurance available. As a police officer and life insurance benefits, there is a special life insurance policy that includes compensation for serious illness and protection of income.

These additional insurance protection policies can also be used as separate add-ons to life insurance coverage.

Is police life insurance terms vary depending on the role?

The level of risk depends on your role in the police. For example, the activities performed by special agents, police officers, and community support officers vary. This can affect the premium rates offered. If your role is considered a low-risk role, they may offer you standard life insurance premiums.

Can you buy life insurance when you retire from the police?

You will still be covered by life insurance after retirement. However, the higher the premium, the higher the premium for most types of life insurance. Different types of insurance, such as whole life insurance for the elderly, may suit your needs. Before making such a major financial decision, it is advisable to consult an independent financial advisor with whom you are cooperating. They can explain all the options you have available.

It is paid if you get injured?

Life insurance is paid for your death. If you get injured, you will not be paid by life insurance. If you are concerned about this, consider purchasing accident insurance.

The second option is to consider income protection, as you may receive payments when you are injured and unable to work.

Important life insurance can be added to your life insurance and is usually at standard rates. However, you need to disclose the content of your work to the supplier. Otherwise, you may find that some are not covered. For example, if you travel abroad at work, you need to be notified if you don’t. In the event of an accident overseas, compensation may not be included. The provider also asks about your health. If you smoke or drink alcohol, you need to tell them. If you find out later, the policy may be invalid. 

3 Ways to Make Sure Your Company’s Finances Are Secure

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Poor cash flow is the top reason why businesses fail, according to research by the U.S. Bank. Businesses grapple with insufficient funds because of several factors including improper financial planning, inadequate financial skills, and low sales. Lately, theft of finances and financial data has been marking the end of many small businesses.

How do you ensure that your company’s finances are secure? Which loopholes should you close? Here are 3 top ways to secure your money so that your business survives:

1. Protect Your Cash Reserves

In light of an employee survey by Statistic Brain, the employees you trust could be stealing from you. The survey findings revealed that 75% of workers stole company money at least once. 60% confessed to stealing from their company’s’ cash reserves no less than once.

Small businesses are losing money in billions of dollars to theft, and over 30% of these businesses do not survive the shock. Here’s how you can keep safe:

  • Use smart safes

Smart safes have come to the rescue of many businesses.

A smart safe is a device that accepts, records, and stores cash. It is “smart” because it connects to the internet and other cash management technology, providing real-time cash records and monitoring transactions. Smart safes can also detect fake cash.

Access into a smart safe requires two credentials, so you can easily spot the fraudster in case cash goes missing. You can also hire a criminal lawyer to help you get back lost money.

  • Secure cash movements to the bank and monitor transactions

Use an armored car to move your cash to your bank. Monitor bank activity as well to confirm that the employees deposit money as required.

  • Monitor employees

Yes, you can monitor employee activities at work. You can install anything from CCTV cameras to computer software and check anything from emails, postal emails, and usage of computers.

2. Check the Security of Your Data

If you thought that employee theft is all that you have to worry about, think again. Leaking of financial or other sensitive company information can result in costly litigations for breach of data.

Protect client data, employee data, and even intellectual property. Here’s how to do this:

  • Follow the basic rules

You’ve heard it time and time again—don’t store passwords on any device, always log out of all devices, update your password regularly, and use fewer apps and tools for your financial transactions. These are the foundations that help keep your data safe.

  • Invest in a password management application

Password managers keep your data secure. They generate complex passwords for each of your sites and store them safely. To top up your security, enable multi-factor authentication as well.

  • Comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

If your company accepts, stores, or transmits cardholder data, you should be PCI DSS compliant. Some of the ways to comply include installing and maintaining a firewall configuration, making room for customers to change default passwords to stronger ones, and encrypting cardholder data, especially when moving it across public networks.

  • Beware of phishing attempts

Criminals may try trick your employees or customers to give out sensitive information by sending them unsuspicious text messages, emails, or ads.

To prevent this, train your employees and customers to follow security practices such as not opening up suspicious emails and installing internet security software that offer protection should employees click on dubious links.

  • Maintain at least two company credit cards and bank accounts

It helps to scatter your money in a few places just in case hackers still get through to your data. Having at least two company bank accounts and credit cards can help you do that.

3. Avoid litigations and insure your business

Between running your business’s day to day operations and trying to stay afloat, you may not see a lawsuit coming. If you run a small business and have reopened or are planning to reopen after the pandemic, you are looking at new CDC reopening guidelines that put you at the risk of litigation in case of non-compliance.

Other issues that can expose you to litigation include theft of intellectual property, workplace accidents, and failure to comply with the Employment Law. The Employment Law addresses issues such as termination, discrimination, and harassment at work.

Hiring a lawyer to help you breakdown the legal issues affecting your business can help you keep off such litigations.

You can also insure your business against unforeseen expenses such as workplace injuries, business crimes, and data breach.

The Livelihood of Your Business Is Its Financial Health

While many factors determine whether your business makes it through the 1st, 5th, or even 10th year mark, the state of your finances tops the list.

Be intentional about protecting your financial data, preventing litigations, and guarding your cash reserves. Do not forget to insure your business against possible financial losses. If your employees commit financial crimes, hire a criminal lawyer to help you recover lost money.

Protecting Your Business and Employees

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As an entrepreneur or business person, the last thing you want is you or your business getting entangled in a lawsuit. You do everything to limit the risk of disputes that disrupt your business operations and incur huge legal costs. There are several safeguards you can use to protect your business from legal disputes.

Avoid Controversies

Always make sure that you and your employees avoid making inflammatory statements that can attract lawsuits. Advise your employees to avoid making slanderous or libelous statements in private and public settings. Avoid engaging in activities that may create a conflict of interest.

Such activities can harm your integrity as an individual or a brand and increase the risk of lawsuits. For instance, if you are a member of a municipal council, avoid sitting in a committee that passes laws that benefit your business.

Further, avoid dealing with people of questionable character. Do not engage in business with people who have a history of cutting corners or engaging in unscrupulous businesses. Even if your actions are above board, the association could stain your image and lead to lawsuits or loss of customers.

Turn the Business into A Legal Entity

If you are the sole owner or have partners, find ways of separating your private property from the business property. This will save you problems when your business is sued because your private property won’t be used to cover the cost of the lawsuit or compensate the claimant.

One way of protecting your assets is to register your business under a trust. A trust is a legal body that can own properties and other assets and files tax returns independent of the owners. If a business owned by a trust is sued, the court can only attach properties owned by the trust in the lawsuit.

Another way of protecting private property is to incorporate your business. The law considers corporations to be legal persons that can be sued independently. When a corporation is sued, only the property registered under the entity is attached by the court. This protects your private properties and personal belongings from being used to cover the costs of the suit.

Insure Your Business

You should insure your business against the most common liabilities in your sector. For instance, if it is a medical practice, you should insure against medical malpractice. You should also insure against some of the most common suits leveled against employers. Most businesses have liability insurance that covers common suits such as claims resulting from workplace accidents.

Protect Your Data

Modern businesses rely on data stored in servers to run their operations. That is why it is so important to protect your data from security breaches. Make sure you have reliable firewalls and anti-virus software to protect sensitive files and customer data from infiltration by hackers.

You should also train your employees on data protection and introduce protocols to prevent intruders from accessing company data. Make sure that you have backups files stored safely by a reliable cloud service provider. Securing your data will also allow you to continue operations during major disruptions, such as natural disasters.

Protect Proprietary Information

To protect proprietary business information, apply for patents, trademarks, and copyrights. This will prevent employees or contractors from claiming ownership of ideas, processes, or concepts that are invented within your business premises.

Further, sign nondisclosure agreements with employees and contractors who leave your company so that they will not use proprietary information stolen from your premises to start new ventures that compete with you. Confidentiality agreements also prevent former workers from joining rivals.

Understand Employment Laws

Most of the legal disputes firms have with employees revolve around compensation and discrimination. That is why you should take time to understand compensation laws related to wages and hourly rates. You should study overtime laws and ensure fair compensation for employees who work for more than 40 hours a week.

Further, take time to understand discrimination laws related to age, race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, and medical condition. Due to the complexity of these laws, it is advisable to hire an employment law firm to audit or review your employment practices.

Hire an Attorney

You should engage an employment lawyer who will advise you on important business undertakings, such as hiring workers, writing contracts, and undertaking major operations. The attorney will direct you on the steps to take when you have disputes with former employees or contractors. Good lawyers will also advise you on tax compliance and provide legal counsel if you have disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Bottom Line

Businesses are exposed to all manner of legal risks, some of which can incur heavy legal penalties. That is why it is important to separate your business interests from private possessions. It also helps to understand all the different types of risks that your business faces and take necessary measures to protect it. Lastly, engage a competent lawyer who will advise you and provide legal counsel.