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Moving is stressful for everyone, adults and kids alike. This can be especially true if you own a home-based business—and even more so if you have children.

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But it is also stressful if this is the first time you have had to know how to pack the house for moving. But it is even more complicated for kids as they cannot influence the choice of their parents. If you move out of the district and kids have to change the school, it will be more complicated.

Also, is it better to hire a reliable moving company while moving with kids? What tips should you know to move smoothly and without any hassles? Keep reading to learn more.

Inform Your Kids About Moving Before the Big Day Arrives

Kids usually need time to accept the idea of moving. Even if you think that the information about moving was taken into consideration and they accepted it without any problems, there can be some issues.

Importantly, kids do not want to be separated from friends. This can be the biggest problem when you plan to relocate and move far from the place where you live now. That is why kids need time to calm down and find positive sides in the moving process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMxWJXqfKp8

Do Not Move During the School Year

The most stressful thing for kids is changing schools. If you cannot do anything about that, try not to take kids from school at least in the middle of an academic year.

Yes, moving in summer is usually more expensive. But if you plan moving your house in advance, you can find some discounts and cut down on some bills.

If summer vacations are not when you plan to move, try to shift moving to other vacations anyway. Kids need time to adapt to a new city before changing school.

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Ask Kids to Help with Moving

When it’s time for the process of moving to begin, you can hire local movers or pack everything with your kids’ help.

Kids love it when you let them make decisions. This can be a great time when you sort all toys and clothing, picking what to move and what to donate. You can offer kids the opportunity to sell some stuff to earn pocket money. Show kids that it is essential to keep things in order, and teach them to donate and protect nature.

If you’re moving soon, why not involve the kids in the process? There are plenty of variants they can help with, from packing their own belongings to helping with loading and unloading the moving truck. Not only will this make the moving process easier for you, but it will also be a great learning experience for your children.

Use these tips to get your kids involved in moving:

Let Them Pack Their Own Belongings

This is a great way for kids to learn about the process of moving and packing. Plus, it will free up the time for you to focus on other aspects of the move.

Ask Kids to Help with Loading and Unloading the Moving Truck

Kids can be a big help when it comes to unloading and loading the moving truck. Just be sure to supervise them and give them clear instructions on what needs to be done.

Let Them Help with Unpacking

Once you’re all moved in, let your kids help with unpacking and setting up their new rooms. This will help them feel cozier in their new surroundings.

Moving can be a big task, but involving your kids in the process can make it easier and more fun for everyone involved. Just be sure to give them direct instructions and supervise their work, and you’ll be all set.

Arrange a Farewell Party

The moving process can be a big adjustment for kids, especially if they’re leaving behind friends and familiar surroundings. A farewell party is a great opportunity for them to say goodbye to their old home and start getting excited about the new adventure ahead.

Here are some tips on arranging a farewell party for your kids:

• Choose a time that’s suitable for everyone. If possible, try to schedule the party a few weeks before the move so that everyone has plenty of time to prepare.
• Make sure to invite all of your child’s friends and their parents. This is a great opportunity for them to say goodbye to their old friends and start making new ones.
• Plan some fun activities that everyone can enjoy. Some ideas include games, crafts, and a farewell dinner.
• Moving is stressful, so make sure to have some refreshments on hand for the parents as well. This is also a good time to exchange contact information so you can stay in touch after the move.

Arranging a farewell party for your kids is a great way to help them transition to their new home. With pre-planning, you can make sure that everyone has a great time and makes some wonderful memories.

Final Thoughts

Moving can be a truly stressful time for kids. Hiring a moving agency to help with the move can take a lot of the stress out of the situation. Moving agencies are familiar with the process of moving and can help make the transition smoother for everyone involved.

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Like most startup companies, 888 Holdings began with big dreams and a lot of passion.

Interestingly, the group was initially called Virtual Holdings Ltd.

The company launched in 1997 and has since gone on to be one of the most prolific online casinos. Today, it offers a range of brands, including 888 Casino, 888 Sport, 888 Poker, and 888 Ladies. It also owns sub brands Wink Bingo and Winkslots. In fact, Winkslots has been a star player this year. This is largely because 888 Holdings has invested significant amount of resources into technology innovations. This allows consumers to enjoy the best versions of mobile slots uk.

Considering the absolute scale of 888 Holdings currently, it can be hard to picture it as the small startup it once was. But today it is a fierce competitor in the casino market, partly due to the team at the helm.

The online casino market is intensely competitive. During the 1990s, there were plenty of other companies that tried to take the industry crown. However, during that time, many other online casino brands folded while 888 Holdings thrived.

How 888 Holdings Got Its Start

One of the group’s first offerings was called Casino-on-Net. This site hit the market in May 1997 and cashed in on all of those early online casino customers.

That was just a start, though. Random Logic LTD launched the following year, skyrocketing earnings for 888 Holdings.

Random Logic LTD was the R&D and marketing department for 888 Holdings.

It was following these launches that the group’s products began to have 888 brandings. Then, in 2002, 888 Holdings secured its first UK offices and began to expand their portfolio further.

It became clear that 888 Holdings had become a big fish in the casino pond by this time.

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The Company Enters the Stock Market

In fact, 888 Holdings became a listed company on the London Stock Exchange in 2005. At this time, they began winning awards that included Best Overall Online Gaming Operators and Best Casino Operator of the year.

It was a sign that their early preparation as a startup was going to pay off in dividends.

In the three years following the exciting slew of achievements in 2005, the group acquired Global Limited Bingo. Then they began the incredible launch of 888 Sport.

This meant that 888 Holdings now had a site for every kind of online gambling players could wish for. They were also continuously adding new poker games, video slots, and blackjack.

In short, they were extending their reach and taking hold of their corner of the market. To top it off, 888 Holdings had become a company on the stock exchange market.

888 Goes Global

A complete game-changer came in 2011 when 888 Holdings secured approval to answer the demand of the North American market. They did this by going to the Nevada Gaming Commission and the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

In the same year, they also launched in Italy as soon as that country legalized regulated gambling. The following year Spain also opened up their market by making regulated gambling legal. Additionally, 888 added slot games to their Italian site.

You might be wondering at this point if there were there any bumps in the road for the group. Yes, there were. In 2006 there was a short period where they had a dip in their share price.

However, they were tenacious. In spite of the setback, they decided to expand into as many markets around the world as possible. They made sure they offered every kind of gambling game available, and their share price began to increase.

The Names Behind 888 Holdings

So who are the leading players are behind 888 Holdings?

Virtual Holdings Ltd, or as we know it today, 888 Holdings, was started by Avi and Aaron Shaked and Shay and Ron Ben-Yitchak.

Initially, the company was based in the British Virgin Islands. It also had a subsidiary company in Antigua, and this is where they built their online gambling titan.

The initial company started in 1997. Then, in 1999, the founders established another new company in Israel called Random Logic Ltd. It was Random Logic Ltd that provided all of the research, development, and marketing for 888.

In 2005, the company’s chief executive, John Andersen, said he believed it was the best time to merge all of the group’s commercial interests. The main goal here was to increase the overall value of the company.

And, of course, we now know that was the right move.

Today, 888 Holdings is a large gambling firm with a range of sub-brands available on a variety of devices.

The Components That Make 888 Holdings So Successful

Several factors make this company successful, with their slow and steady expansion, of course, being one of them. But more than that, it was how the founders highlighted gaps within the market. They did this based on their own research and development branch. They then and filled them using suitable online games.

Such games now include innovations such as women driving the online bingo industry. Also, slots are quite popular and contribute to greater earnings.

A fine example is 888 Ladies, launched in 2008. This cemented the company’s move into the bingo world.

A Towering Acquisition

In 2021, 888 Holdings made a move to purchase William Hill International for a massive £2.2 billion. This is a huge undertaking. Moreover, it illustrates that 888 Holdings, while they have a considerable portion of the online market, are getting ready to move into brick-and-mortar betting shops.

As part of the acquisition, they intend to keep all 1,400 betting shops.

The deal is expected to be completed during early 2022, so long as their shareholders all approve. Importantly, the investors in 888 currently hold 47% of the company’s shares, and they have already approved the deal or offered support.

The company’s current chief executive, Itai Pazner, stated that 888 Holdings is substantial enough to be able to deal with any changes in UK gambling laws. Moreover, the William Hill retail stores have great people and customers, and 888’s leaders foresee success.

In 2020 the group reported revenue of $849.7 million. Remarkably, from what started as a relatively small business, four founders’ tenacity and smart plays grew 888 Holdings into a multi-million-dollar industry colossus.

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The Future of the Group

And as for the future of the group? We are likely to see more acquisitions similar to that of the William Hill purchase. The group expects to continue to grow their revenue even further through 2022 and beyond.

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A sales staffing agency functions as an intermediary between business owners and potential employees. If you’re casting about for business ideas, this can be a good business to start. A good sales staffing agency can help your existing business grow. It might even save your business by helping you build a top-notch sales team.

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Businesses need sales staffing agencies. This is because it can be tricky to match candidates with specific companies whether there are few or many open positions. The crew of a staffing agency goes through every single open position for different companies. Then they try to match candidates with companies they think will be right for them.

There has been an increase in the number of staffing agencies in the last few years. More and more companies have started turning to staffing agencies to help them find new employees for their businesses.

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How to Start a Sales Staffing Agency

With the growth of the economy, more business owners have begun taking bold steps to turn their ideas into reality.

Therefore, you might be thinking you would like to start your own sales staffing agency. Especially if you have experience and training with recruitment and hiring, this could be a good business idea for you.

But before you start your business, be on the lookout for exactly what it is that businesses in your area want and need. Pay attention to factors that could affect what you might have envisioned in your mind. You can follow this link to get more information: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/1484-starting-a-business.html.

Strategies to Increase Staffing Agency Sales

If you already own a sales staffing agency, you’re going to want to find new ways to increase your sales.

The global economy is a significant factor for any business. However, newer businesses might feel the effects of changes in the global economy. Nonetheless, even staffing agencies that have been in business for years or decades will notice at least some changes in their bottom lines.

Many factors go into determining whether one staffing agency should charge more than another. It all comes down to the agency’s location, their clients’ needs, and a multitude of other factors.

What’s more, the competition will always be either just ahead of you or breathing down your neck.

You could set your pricing so that your sales staffing agency charges more than others in your area. But you should only consider that option if you’re certain your services are superior in every way.

There are those clients who almost always choose whatever is cheaper regardless of the quality. But others know they get what they pay for. Once business owners in your area understand that your agency could save them money in the long run, you will likely attract more business with higher pricing than you would if you kept your fees low.

How to Market Your Agency

In most cases, however, it is likely that the prices for different staffing agencies are pretty similar. When you’re setting your pricing, be sure that you understand the industry and your competition thoroughly, especially as it relates to your locale.

Marketing is an essential way to get more clients faster. You must promote what your agency is all about and convince more business owners to look into it. Put your creative skills to work on designing a good marketing strategy that will catch the attention of business owners immediately.

Where to Look for the Right Agency

If you’re a business owner who needs help with recruitment and hiring, be aware that there is more than one type of sales staffing agency you can search for. In fact, there are different types of staffing agencies to accommodate the needs of every industry.

The agency’s job is to find people who will be good at representing your brand and your business. The agency will identify people with unique skills that set them apart from others and bring those people to your doorstep.

However, in order to attract the best candidates, it is important to check out a number of sales staffing agencies. Then choose the right one to guide you through the process.

Final Thoughts About a Sales Staffing Agency

Whether you want to start a sales staffing agency or you need the services of one, keep in mind that these agencies are probably the best solution for almost every business that wants to expand and be around for years to come.

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David Malcolm, San Diego entrepreneur, understands what makes a successful company.

For one thing, he says, a remarkable idea is not the key ingredient in the secret sauce of a successful company. There are deeper levels in what makes a company great and outlast competitors.

For another, good companies establish themselves with foundational building blocks. These foundational blocks create a mission, vision, and quality culture within the organization. Furthermore, there are additional pieces to the puzzle regarding long-term business success.

The Right Leadership Is Essential, Says Malcolm

“Yes, every business needs a strong company culture, mission, and vision. However, the company will fail without the right leadership,” said David Malcolm, a San Diego entrepreneur.

As president of Cal West Apartments, Malcolm has an insightful entrepreneurial perspective gained from his four decades of business experience. It is this depth of experience that qualifies him to share the difference between companies that thrive and those that fail. When reflecting on why some businesses fail while others prosper and leave a legacy, Malcolm says the quality of leadership is the number-one requirement during a company’s development.

“I would rather have a great leader versus a weak leader with strong written vision and mission statements,” said Malcolm. “Company culture starts with the leader regardless of written policies. Employees quickly see through the pretty speeches when they see hypocritical actions by the company’s leadership. Great companies must have all of the above: leadership, culture, mission, and vision.”

A Company’s Mission Plays a Vital Role

Even though leadership is a primary player in business success, a company’s mission plays a vital role. A company’s mission is especially important during significant growth stages, but it is also important in the company’s overall operation. With a mission in mind, leadership can better establish a company’s long-term and short-term goals. Moreover, the mission will generate a sense of purpose throughout the organization and keep everyone on the same page. A company’s mission serves as a grounding anchor not in who a company is or what a company does but in how a company runs.

Even with solid leadership, culture, vision, and mission, however, there are still factors that can lead a company to failure.

For example, according to the Small Business Administration (SBA), 20% of small businesses do not make it past their first year in operation. In addition, only 50% of small businesses succeed for five years of operation. Only 33% make it to ten years or more.

Though a company’s leadership might have the skills, there could be a lack of experience in managing a business or working within a specific sector that leads a company to failure. Financial hurdles and marketing campaigns that miss the mark also jeopardize business success.

Malcolm Strives to Reinvent Cal West Continually

Underestimating the costs of marketing campaigns and operational improvements can lead to financial issues. Establishing budgets for ongoing marketing campaigns through all stages of a company’s growth helps constantly communicate to consumers how an organization adapts to customer needs over time. As Malcolm says, he and his team at Cal West Apartments continually strive to “reinvent” their company. Further, they endeavor to communicate that to their customers.

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“Reed Hastings, the head of Netflix, is a hero of mine,” said Malcolm. “Reed has reinvented Netflix several times, always striving to improve his product and service. If you recall, Netflix started by mailing DVDs to homes, promising never to develop original content. Today, Netflix is a leader in the streaming space and produces some of the best content in the world. Cal West looks nothing like it did just four years ago. We constantly strive to improve our products and service, just like Netflix. And this willingness to change will help keep us ahead of our competition.”

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What Malcolm is also referring to is a competitive advantage. In this case, competitive advantage comes with adapting company operations to modernization, just as Netflix did and is still doing. A competitive advantage is defined as the characteristics integrated within a company that assist with efforts to keep up with and surpass the competition. Maintaining a competitive advantage is another significant piece of business success.

“Competitive advantage comes in many forms. It could be the product cost, product design, service, convenience, or first to market, to name a few,” Malcolm points out.

Being the Best Gives a Company Competitive Advantage

Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter is considered a pioneer in defining competitive advantage, categorizing the concept into cost advantage and differentiation advantage. Cost advantage focuses on beating the competition with lower price points for the same or similar product or service. Differentiation advantage highlights gains by offering superior products or services at the same price.

“At Cal West Apartments and its twenty-plus related companies, we believe our competitive advantage is not one single thing,” said Malcolm. “We believe we must be the best in service, pricing, appearance, design, technology, and ease of transaction. Someone will always ‘knock you off’ if you only have one advantage. Having the mindset of being best of class in all areas of your company’s operations will help ensure business success.”

A Company’s People Make All the Difference

Being the best of class in all company areas boils down to the people who operate those areas. To this end, maintaining a high-performing team to manage the operation of a company contributes to fostering business prosperity. According to Malcolm, mediating this angle of success for a business begins with hiring. It then continues with retaining employees.

“We constantly have our competition try to ‘steal’ our employees. Keeping an exceptional team is very difficult since opportunity will always come knocking at the door of high-performing employees. Maintaining great employees isn’t necessarily about paying them more than the competition. Employees want to be recognized for their work. They want educational opportunities and opportunities for advancement, to name a few,” said Malcolm.

Malcolm’s experience and findings align with those of other prominent business leaders and workers. The New York Times interviewed over 500 leaders in business who stressed the importance of company leadership supporting a work environment founded on mutual respect and trust across all parties to instill teamwork. A study reported by CNBC shows where most workers’ modern mindset lies, as 56% of employees will opt for a strong workplace culture over higher pay.

Malcolm concluded, “The entire cycle of a company’s success has many moving pieces, but leadership’s actions and approach influence so much for better or worse.”

About David Malcolm

David Malcolm of San Diego is an influential real estate professional, entrepreneur, and community leader with over four decades of work experience. Mr. Malcolm is an esteemed graduate of Harvard Business School’s Presidents Program, a licensed real estate agent and broker, and a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). David Malcolm has run and advised multiple public and private companies and held several municipal and statewide public offices.

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The digital era has been developing for quite some time now. However, in recent years rapid advancements have meant that many small businesses are struggling to keep up.

The continual advancement of digital devices, alongside the digital requirements that companies need to adopt, have left many organizations financially challenged. Mainly, this is because not only do businesses need new equipment, but also new training for staff has increased.

Nonetheless, there are a number of simple steps business owners and managers can take to make digital transformation a little easier to digest. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the top ways businesses can thrive in the digital era.

Create a Digital Plan

Moving to the digital world can be a challenge if your business is mainly based in the physical world. Yet, by creating a digital plan, you’ll be able to set your focus on achievable goals within a realistic timeline.

It could be a step as simple as ensuring you have a business email account set up where customers can contact you. Or you could list your company as a Google business so customers can find you online.

While moving to digital may seem overwhelming at first, starting with small steps will make it more manageable. You’ll soon see there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Create a Website

A website is a major tool in growing your business. Importantly, it opens up your company to an international customer base. Many industries have had great success from creating an online presence through a website. This is particularly true for the casino industry.

The casino industry has created significant benefits for their customers through their online presence, including increased accessibility across the globe. Now, instead of having to visit a brick-and-mortar setting, customers can simply head to one of many online gambling websites in any location and at any time of day or night depending on local gambling laws.

You may be worried about losing personal connection with clients. However, new technologies such as those that online dealers and live casino playrooms use have helped bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds. This helps to maintain the quality of the experience.

While having a website created professionally can be expensive, there are ways to create a simple website yourself. What’s more, you won’t need any prior coding knowledge. Sites like Wix offer templates that allow you to easily customize your site through drag-and-drop features. There are also helpful integrations if you need to create an e-store or online booking system, too.

Focus on Your Customers’ Needs

When creating your digital plan, it can be easy to get wrapped up in all the exciting new technology available. To counteract this, focus on your customers’ needs and main problems.

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In order to maximize your return on investment (ROI), it’s essential that you conduct thorough market research. Be sure to conduct competitor research as well. It’s important to see what your competitors are offering that you currently are not. Mainly, though, consider what will be most useful to your customers. Don’t go for something that is just a shiny new piece of technology that you would like but won’t be very useful.

Some top technologies to consider include:

• Having a chatbot on your website
• More advanced payment options like PayPal or Bitcoin
• An online returns process
• An online booking system

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Foster a Digital Culture Internally

One of the biggest challenges an organization can face when making the move to digital is getting their employees on board. Naturally, people often dislike change. It can interrupt their usual work routines and temporarily make life a little difficult.

It’s important to foster an “embrace change” mindset within your organization. You could even put an incentives program in place to reward employees who make the leap and encourage others to so as well.

You will also need to provide advanced training and support for all employees. In this case, it can be helpful to put a digital-first team in place. This team’s sole focus should be on helping your organization make the switch to digital. They could provide IT support, user guides, and drop-in sessions where team members can learn more about what the digital switch means for their job.

Some of the most successful industries that are currently transferring to the digital age have so far been the gaming industry, the healthcare sector, the telecommunications sector, and education.

Don’t Take on More Than You Can Handle

Moving to the digital era can be an exciting time for your business, with lots of new tools to embrace that will make your life easier. However, be careful not to bite off more than you can chew. The digital transformation is a slow process and takes time to adopt. It also requires significant resources.

It’s important not to burn all your finances and resources on this until you have a solid plan in place. You’ll need to understand how you will make the move to digital. You will also need to have calculated whether there will be enough return on your investment. To accomplish this, you should establish a key task force of senior staff and stakeholders from different departments so they can each bring their unique perspectives.

Overall, moving to the digital era can be an exciting yet challenging time for organizations. Nonetheless, by making a solid digital transformation plan, your business is sure to succeed.

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You’ll find in this post a list of the top ten most tradeable currencies in the world, along with some information about each one of them, so you don’t have to find it out on your own.

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If you’re into currency trading but don’t have a reliable brokerage like OANDA to rely on, there are a few things that you’ll need to know so that you’re able to conduct knowledgeable trades.

Of course, you’ll have to have a basic understanding of how trading works. You’ll need to learn how to use the platforms or apps that you’ll be trading on. You’ll need to have an understanding of trading vernacular as well. Understanding the terms used in the industry can help you avoid embarrassing or even costly mistakes. One of the most important things to understand is the difference between the values in different currencies and which ones are the most desirable to trade with.

Luckily for you, we’ve put together a list of the top ten most tradeable currencies in the world and a little information about each one of them, so you don’t have to find it out on your own.

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US Dollar

The US dollar is, as the name implies, the official currency of the United States of America. The dollar is made up of 100 cents and is represented by the $ symbol. The US dollar is the currency most used in transactions all over the world, even in territories outside of the US. As such, the US dollar is definitely tradeable.

People the world over refer to the US dollar as the greenback. It was created in 1792. The Coinage Act of 1972 specified that one dollar of currency must be equal to anywhere between 371 and 416 grains of pure silver. An “eagle” ($10 at the time) had to be equal to between 247 and 270 grains of pure gold.

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Euro

While the Euro is one of the world’s newer currencies, it is the second most tradeable currency available. The Euro is the currency all over the European Union and has been since 1999. By February 2002, the Euro had taken over from all the other countries in the European Union as the sole currency of the EU. It became so popular that several other states took it on as their official currency as well.

Represented by the € symbol, the Euro rose out of the Maastricht Treaty, which was signed in 1991.

Japanese Yen

When Japan’s monetary system changed over to something more modern in 1871, the country introduced the Yen. At the time, the Yen had to be equal to 1.5 grams of gold or 24.26 grams of silver. It is made up, to this day, of 100 sen or 1,000 rin. The Yen replaced Japan’s previous monetary system, which had been in use since feudal times. 

After World War II, Japan’s currency took a massive dive in value. To stabilize the country’s economy, the Yen’s exchange rate was fixed at  ¥360 per 1US$. In 1971 this fixing was abandoned, and the Yen was left to float in the world of currencies. Accordingly, it increased in value to become the third most tradeable currency worldwide.

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Pound Sterling

The pound sterling has been Britain’s official currency for much of the British Empire’s existence, except for the time when England was part of the European Union.

The eminently tradeable pound sterling got its name from way back in 755. At that time, the silver coins issued in the Saxon kingdoms were called “sterlings.” This was because 240 of them were minted from one pound of sterling silver. Large payments were referred to as “pounds of sterlings,” which later became shortened to “pound sterling.”

Australian Dollar

Since 1966, the Australian dollar has been the official currency of all Australian territories. The Australian dollar also uses the $ symbol, invented and popularized by the US Dollar. However, its value is significantly different.

The Australian dollar is also known as a buck, dough, or aussie. Similar to the US dollar, the Australian dollar is divided into 100 cents. The currency features 5 cent, 10 cent, 20 cent, 50 cent, $1, and $2 coins. All of the rest of this tradeable currency comes in notes.

Canadian Dollar

The Canadian dollar has an interesting nickname: the loonie!

Like the other dollars, a single Canadian dollar is 100 cents. It is presented as C$ to differentiate it from the Australian dollar and the US dollar. The CAD is a benchmark currency, which means that banks all over the world keep Canadian dollars in reserve. What this tells us is that the Canadian dollar is that forex traders worldwide value this currency as a highly tradeable one.

Swiss Franc

Switzerland’s official currency is the Swiss franc, represented by the code CHF. The franc has been the official Swiss currency since May 1850. At that time, it replaced several different currencies used by all of its member states. The franc is one of the features that unites the Swiss people, as they have several different languages and several different cultures. The Swiss franc is made up of 100 cents.

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Chinese Renminbi

Though its official name is not as well-known as those of most of the top ten currencies, the Chinese renminbi is the eighth most-traded currency in the world.

The word means “people’s money” in Mandarin and the People’s Bank of China has the only official right to distribute it. The renminbi has been the currency’s name since 1969. It comes in denominations of 1 fen to 1 renminbi.

Hong Kong Dollar

Hong Kong has not always had its own currency. This is because it was a British colony from 1841 until 1941 and a British Overseas Territory from 1941 until 1997. Though the UK tried to implement a pound-based system, it simply did not work for the people of Hong Kong. As a result, the Hong Kong Mint was established in 1860. The new mint printed the first Hong Kong dollar that year.

New Zealand Dollar

As is common with dollar currencies, the New Zealand dollar is made up of one hundred cents. It is represented by the $ but earmarked by the addition of NZ so as not to confuse it with other dollar systems. People in New Zealand, the Pitcairn Islands, Niue, Tokelau, and the Cook Islands use the NZ dollar. New Zealand used British currency up until 1967 when they country introduced their own dollar-based currency.

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Prescriptive analytics uses data mining and mathematical optimization techniques to provide decision support to business users. It goes beyond descriptive and predictive analytics by not only describing what has happened and what might happen but also by providing recommendations for what actions should be taken to achieve specific goals.

This article examines the prescriptive analytics definition. Let’s look at how this field of analytics can help your business.

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What Is Prescriptive Analytics?

Prescriptive analytics is a form of advanced analytics that uses mathematical models to prescribe actions to improve business outcomes. You can use it to optimize business processes, make better decisions, and plan for the future. It relies on simulations and mathematical models to analyze data. Then, it identifies the best possible actions for achieving specific goals.

You can use it to improve decision-making in a number of ways, including:

• Determining the best course of action for a given situation.
• Predicting the consequences of different actions.
• Identifying the risks and rewards associated with different actions.
• Helping to choose the best action for a given situation.
• Determining the best time to take an action.
• Determining how much of a given resource to allocate to a given task.

Moreover, businesses can use this advanced form of analytics in a variety of domains. These include marketing, finance, operations, and human resources.

In marketing, prescriptive analytics can identify the best target customers, determine the most effective marketing campaigns, and optimize prices to maximize revenue. For finance, it will identify the best investments, optimize asset allocation, and forecast cash flow.

In operations, it can optimize production scheduling, identify the best suppliers, and recommend inventory levels. Additionally, in human resources, it can identify the best employees for a given job, identify the best training programs for employees, and recommend pay levels.

How Does It Work?

Prescriptive analytics is the next step up from predictive analytics. It looks at what has happened in the past to try and predict what might happen in the future. However, this advanced form of analytics takes it a step further. It looks at what has happened in the past and tries to find the best solution for what might happen in the future.

This might mean recommending a specific course of action to take. Alternatively, it might mean providing a range of options with different probabilities of success. Then the decision-maker can choose the best solution.

Prescriptive analytics combines data mining, statistics, and machine learning algorithms. These algorithms examine data to find patterns and relationships. They then use these patterns and relationships to predict what might happen in the future. The algorithms also look at the consequences of different actions to find the best solution.

What Are Its Benefits?

Prescriptive analytics is especially beneficial for businesses that want to make the most of their data. It can help them identify new opportunities, understand customer behavior, and optimize operations. Additionally, prescriptive analytics can help businesses reduce costs and improve efficiency.

It is also beneficial in helping organizations optimize their decision-making. This is because it provides insights into what actions will lead to the best outcomes. Moreover, it takes into account all of the relevant variables. This allows organizational leaders to make more informed decisions, reduce waste, and improve performance.

Prescriptive analytics can also identify and prevent potential problems. This is because, by analyzing past data and trends, this advanced form of analytics can help organizations anticipate potential issues and take action to avoid them. This can be particularly helpful in areas such as risk management and fraud prevention.

Overall, prescriptive analytics can help organizations become more efficient and effective in their decision-making. It can provide insights that would otherwise be unavailable, and it can help organizations avoid potential problems.

Make the Most of Your Business with Prescriptive Analytics

Prescriptive analytics is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It can help organizations to become more data-driven and to make better use of their data. Prescriptive analytics can help organizations improve their bottom line and become more competitive in the marketplace.

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Featured image by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Employee monitoring has been around for quite some time. It allows managers to gain insights into what their employees are doing. It also helps them ensure that people are working on what they are supposed to be working on.

And with technology in the field becoming more prevalent, more and more companies are considering implementing screen monitoring software as part of their processes. Nonetheless, there are privacy concerns. Therefore, some business leaders are still on the fence about whether monitoring what their employees are doing during their productive time is a good choice.

To help you figure out whether you should track your employees’ time and utilize the solutions available today, let’s go over some of the most important pros and cons. This will shed light on the best choice in your situation.

The Pros of Employee Monitoring

First, let’s look at some of the main benefits of employee monitoring. Consider these when deciding whether it’s right for you.

Increased Productivity

The single biggest advantage of using employee monitoring solutions is the ability to consistently increase your team’s productivity. By tracking what your employees are doing, you gain multiple ways to make sure people are working on what’s relevant. This will also help you to see whether they are using the best approaches for various tasks.

You can ensure that your employees don’t waste time on unproductive activities. Naturally, you wan them to use their productive time on things that create the most value for the company. When you notice that someone isn’t structuring their time effectively, you can help them understand what aspects of their responsibilities are the most important. You can let them know what they should prioritize. Most employees will appreciate this type of constructive criticism.

At the same time, you can identify the best performers. Use their processes as a benchmark for everyone else, asking them to share their approach so that others can replicate it.

Cost-Effectiveness

As a business, you need your employees to perform at their best to maximize the value that they create. Therefore, companies that want to maximize the money they are investing in their workforce can benefit from setting up a way to track how employees are spending their time.

In the end, each hour an employee spends at work costs a company money. And when managing a large team, the payroll can become one a company’s key expenses. Because of that, you need to ensure that people are creating value while at work. You want to make sure that your company will continue moving in the right direction.

Having a time tracking tool is a great way to control how employees spend their time. At the same time, this method of employee monitoring can help you stay in contact with employees. You will be able to provide them with more constructive feedback about what they might change to be more effective.

Better Planning for Projects

Image by Alvaro Reyes via Unsplash

A big part of the successful execution of a plan is making accurate estimates about how much time and resources different projects might take. But for that to happen, you need to have historical data about your team’s performance. You can use this data to gauge how much time to allocate to future tasks.

The good thing about using time tracking solutions is that you can collect a lot of data that will be quite useful in the future. In addition, you can get more granular. In other words, you can see how much time each task might take. This will help you to allocate portions of the workload to different team members accordingly.

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The Cons of Employee Monitoring

Now, let’s look at some of the cons of employee monitoring you should be aware of.

Trust Erosion

The biggest drawback of using employee monitoring solutions is that it can result in less trust between the employee and the employer.

However, the key to avoiding that is being transparent about why the company chooses to track time. It’s not just to keep tabs on the employee. Nor is it about micromanagement. Rather its purpose is to help both management and employees better understand how to approach tasks more effectively and get the most from employees’ time.

Time Cost

Another possible drawback is that monitoring what employees are doing can take time.

However, the time you invest in understanding employee behaviors is time you spend on potentially improving how efficiently they work. This is always a great thing to focus on. Moreover, the amount of time you invest is really up to you.

The mere fact that they know their time is being tracked will provide your employees with more motivation. What’s more, employee monitoring will give you access to data whenever you need it.

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Is Employee Monitoring Right for Your Business?

Employee monitoring can be a great way to provide a boost for your business. At the same time, however, some are hesitant about whether it’s the right choice for their business.

The pros and cons above should make it clear that in most cases, employee monitoring can deliver great results. You should strongly consider it.

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Companies require easy and efficient technologies to create large-scale and flexible products. And now Go is one of the programming languages that meets these requirements, as it allows for the creation of secure and scalable applications with minimal effort. Go is a modern, simple, and fast language, ranking among today’s top five most popular languages. Let’s take a closer look at its benefits and ways of use that make it so popular on the market.

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What Is Golang Used For?

Go was created to solve the diversity of internal tasks for Google’s network, so there are many cases for its use. Golang is good for web and mobile back-end development. It is also good for web services, microservices, and a variety of application types. It’s also used in the creation of media platforms, utilities, stand-alone tools, news outlets, e-commerce platforms, and cloud-native development. Its areas of use are really fascinating and full of developmental ideas.

What Types of Software Can You Develop with Go?

Benefits of Golang

1. Good Reputation

The Go language appeared in 2009. Since then, it has gained popularity and a strong reputation among such worldwide giants as Microsoft, Adobe, HP, BBC, Dropbox, Netflix, SoundCloud, Twitch, and more. Its popularity with leaders of the business world pushes Golang to further develop its community. This further deepens its level of trust and safety and encourages more companies to use it. 

2. Speed and High Performance

High speed is one of the significant advantages of the Go language. Code is quick to compile and execute. Go allows developers to increase performance by five to ten times without any optimizations. But if that’s not enough, you can also use additional tools to make it even better.

Fast code execution speeds up project development and time to launch. It’s valued by companies that want to migrate their services to a more modern language in a short time. This is because there is no need to stop all work to make the migration. Importantly for businesses, it reduces development costs.

3. Stable and Simple Syntax

The simplicity of Go’s syntax not only facilitates learning but also makes the process of programming easier and faster. One of the reasons is that Go is an open-source language.

This means that Go programmers worldwide are working on modifying and eliminating bugs, so it’s constantly improving. Another one of the Go development features is plenty of additional tools that provide virtually limitless possibilities to developers for implementing a wide array of projects.

4. Scalability and Versatility

Scalability is a decisive factor for companies when choosing a language. They need a technology that will fit all stages of development, from startup to large corporation.

Go’s scalability comes about through concurrency and microservices. While Go is not necessarily suitable for every industry and purpose, it is in more general use.

The most popular niches for using Go are networks, virtualization, and management. The ongoing development of the language and the introduction of new additional tools and drivers support its use in these areas.

This gives companies an opportunity to focus on a single programming language and avoid having to find new specialists when new business challenges arise.

5. Concurrency of Functions

Unlike Python, using Golang for web development allows the running of several independent programs simultaneously. This approach is perfect for big scalable applications development.

In practice, it helps create clear and beautiful code in minimal time. Moreover, it is fast and enjoyable to use.

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6. Security

All languages strive for better security, and Go is especially good at this. Thanks to a special garbage-collecting tool, all potentially dangerous things are prohibited.

It scans the code and deletes incorrect objects when it detects them, thereby providing memory security and maintaining a high speed of program execution. This tool is automated, so it is always active and does not require any developer intervention.

Easy Integration

As it can be quite expensive and time-consuming for a company to rewrite an existing project from scratch in a different language, there is a tendency to integrate it into the backend. Web development in Golang allows companies to modify the project faster and at less cost.

Cross-Platform Support

This means that with Go you can create code for all operating systems, such as Linux, Windows, UNIX, and Mac. Additionally, you can create code for mobile devices as well. Using Golang, there is no need to look for another tool for a new operating system. All of them are already available for development.

Google’s Influence

One of the reasons to choose Golang for web development is the fact that it was created by Google. Google is a giant in the digital market and acts as quality assurance for companies, as its products directly affect its success.

The Go Programming Language Is Worth Your Attention

Modern, fast, flexible, and secure: These are the main advantages of Go. It is more advanced and productive than many other programming languages, so it’s definitely worth your attention. The demand for Golang is now quite high, making its cool specialists even more valuable. This is why it is so important to choose the right team of professionals to ensure the quality of Golang development for your project.

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Featured image by torstensimon via Pixabay

The 5G rollout is underway and picking up speed.

It promises to increase mobile data speed far beyond that of 4G. This will bring a fundamental change in our lives and potentially open the door to endless opportunities. From faster connectivity speed to ultra-low latency and tremendous bandwidth, the new technology has the power to advance society. It will transform industries and enhance users’ daily experiences. 

Do you remember the dream of 2010? E-health, connected vehicles, traffic systems, and advanced mobile gaming? All of those futuristic services are moving within reach with 5G.

But it’s not plain sailing, as cutting-edge tech inevitably raises new challenges. Let’s take a look at recent developments and possible ways they could affect 5G stock prices. 

The New Tech and the US Airport Puzzle

In December 2021 AT&T and Verizon decided to postpone the expansion of their 5G services. The reason behind this sudden move turned was the US airlines flagging a possible delay in thousands of flights. This was due to the new technology’s effect on US planes.

The FAA warned about possible interference with several different systems. Airlines for America expressed concern about the operation of altimeters. The concern was that the new technology could affect a pilot’s ability to land safely in inclement weather. It could slow down the plane while landing, which could result in the plane veering off the runway.

With that, AT&T and Verizon had to delay 5G rollout twice. A temporary compromise followed that placed a two-mile buffer zone around airports. However, that’s not a practical solution for the long term, since significant populations live and work in that area.

Yet the 5G Rollout Continues

In 2021, there was significant progress in the spread of 5G tech. In fact, by the end of 2022 industry watchers expect its reach to double.

By late November 2021, 170 mobile companies had launched commercial 5G networks around the world, reaching 7% of the world’s population. The maps below show the US and Europe both possess widely distributed 5G networks. 

Image source: https://www.speedtest.net/ookla-5g-map

Image source: https://www.speedtest.net/ookla-5g-map

In the US, telecommunication companies are ready for the 5G rollout this year. Once AT&T launches 5G+ in 8 metropolitan cities, they expect to extend it to 40 cities. They will then be covering approximately 75 million customers as the year rolls around. That’s a huge chunk of the population with access to 5G network services. On top of all that, the US market is likely to gain a boost with the arrival of 5G entrant Dish, which says its commercial 5G service will go live early in 2022.

But the biggest 5G rollout winner so far in 2022 is Verizon.

Verizon Capitalizing on 5G Adoption Gains

2021 turned out to be a poor year for Verizon, with share prices declining. But the chance of progress in 2022 with a 5G rollout is very much in the cards. As noted by Livy Investment Research, “Stepping into the New Year, Verizon has been on a steady reversal of said losses by capitalizing on the growing 5G momentum.”

With its service of 5G Ultra Wideband on the high-band mmWave spectrum, for ultra-high-speed connections which are ten times faster than 4G LTE, Verizon has what it takes in terms of 5G services. Its 5G Ultra Wideband rollout is on track to meet its goal of covering over 100 million customers in more than 1,700 US cities by the end of the first quarter of 2022.

The progress of 5G nationwide is fairly strong. This is especially true if we take a look at the number of US cities that already have the service. More than 2,700 cities in the US have taken their leap into this new technology.

Verizon has been rapidly gaining market share by attracting switches to its unlimited 5G subscription plans. In recent quarters, the company has reported strong results.

Since the launch of the 5G Nationwide network back in 2020, Verizon has converted more than a quarter of its consumer phone base to 5G-enabled devices. Moreover, 70% of them are already compatible with the C-Band spectrum.

5G Stocks Rollout Exposes 5G Stocks to Buy

If 2022 ends up becoming the year of widescale 5G adoption, it will directly affect the 5G stocks in the market.

Market watchers expect all types of 5G stocks, including 5G network stocks, semiconductor chip stocks, and 5G infrastructure stocks, to benefit. So while there may be hiccups and challenges on the way, there is still room for confidence in the future of this technology and its entire ecosystem of components, companies, suppliers, manufacturers, consumers and use-cases surrounding it.

For current performance and holdings, please visit defianceetfs.com/FIVG

Important Disclosures

Fund holdings and sector allocations can change at any time. You should not consider these to be recommendations to buy or sell any security.

Consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the investment company. Please read carefully before investing. You can request a hard copy of prospectuses by calling 833.333.9383.

Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible. Also as an ETF, the funds may trade at a premium or discount to NAV. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. The Funds are not actively managed and would not sell a security due to current or projected under performance unless that security is removed from the Index or such action is required upon a reconstitution of the Index. A portfolio concentrated in a single industry or country may be subject to a higher degree of risk.

The value of stocks of information technology companies are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition. The Funds are considered to be non-diversified. Therefore, they may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks including risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability. This risk is magnified in emerging markets. Small and mid-cap companies are subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than securities of large-cap companies.

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The possible applications of 5G technologies are only in the exploration stages. The possibility of returns is uncertain and may not be realized in the near future.

The “BlueStar 5G Communications Index™,” “BFIVGTR™ Index” (collectively “5G Communications Index”), is the exclusive property and a trademark of BlueStar Global Investors LLC d/b/a BlueStar Indexes® and has been licensed for use for certain purposes by Defiance ETFs LLC. Products based on the Global 5G Communications Index* are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by BlueStar Global Investors, LLC or BlueStar Indexes®, and BlueStar Global Investors, LLC, and BlueStar Indexes® makes no representation regarding the advisability of trading in such product(s). It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

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The Defiance Next Gen Connectivity ETF is the first ETF to emphasize securities whose products and services are predominantly tied to the development of 5G networking and communication technologies. The fund does this by tracking The BlueStar 5G Communications Index. The Fund attempts to invest all, or substantially all, of its assets in the component securities that make up the Index.

Total return represents changes to the NAV and accounts for distributions from the fund.

Median 30 Day Spread is a calculation of Fund’s median bid-ask spread, expressed as a percentage rounded to the nearest hundredth. The calculation identifies the Fund’s national best bid and national best offer as of the end of each 10-second interval during each trading day of the last 30 calendar days. Then it divides the difference between each such bid and offer by the midpoint of the national best bid and national best offer. Finally, it identifies the median of those values.

Diversification does not ensure a profit nor protect against loss in a declining market.

Commissions may be charged on trades.

Go to defianceetfs.com/fivg to read more about FIVG including current performance and holdings information. Fund holdings are subject to change. You should not consider these holdings as recommendations to buy or sell any securities.

FIVG is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.

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