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Reasons A Business Needs To Take Employment Law Seriously

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Employment law can be a challenge for businesses both small and large.  Common challenges include employee rights, disciplinary actions, poor performance, diversity and answering employee grievances.  Businesses need to be proactive in areas of employment law and take it as a serious business matter. The importance of employee and corporate policy development cannot be overstated; it is recommended that as a normal course of doing business, policies and employee contracts should be reviewed and changed as necessary.  Reactionary measures including discrimination suits and charges of unfair hiring or firing practices can be effectively handled by an employment law firm or an employment law consultant.

Development Of Legal Employee Policies

One of the most important aspects in all of business law, and especially in employment law is the development of legally binding policies.  These policies dictate not only the employer responsibilities towards their employees, but also outline acceptable and inacceptable behavior of employees.  Many cases of unfair dismissal that ended in an employment tribunal could have been prevented with custom employee policies.  An employment law consultant can structure legally binding and thorough policies and procedures for organizations of all sizes.

Writing And Periodic Review Of Employee Contracts

Employment contracts need to be specific and personalized to ensure that if a time comes when the contract is challenged, that the business is protected.  Employment law firms or employment law consultants construct contracts, review existing contracts, and make recommendations for changes needed.  Legally binding and comprehensive employment contracts are necessary in today’s rush for employees to apply for an employment tribunal.

Legal Representation In Employment Tribunals

When an employee has a grievance against a business, they can take their employer to a tribunal.  Whether or not the business has broken the law, there is a risk that the tribunal will rule for the employee.  Employees and previous employees have 90 days to apply for a tribunal in matters of discrimination, unfair dismissal, and unfair deductions from their pay cheque.  It is vital that businesses have expert legal representation from an employment law firm or an employment law consultant during an employment tribunal to ensure all of the relevant facts of the case are heard.

Today, businesses of all sizes in the United Kingdom need employment law advice and such seek out to speak to an employment law consultant.  Setting up the proper policies and procedures and preparation of employment contracts can stave off legal battles and employment tribunals.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Work With Your Mortgage Broker To Find The Best Home Loan

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If you are in the process of buying a home, you understand how important it is to pre-qualify for mortgages offered by various lenders. When you are pre-qualified, you know exactly how much the banks believe you can afford to spend. You will also learn how much interest you might pay and whether or not you will need a large down payment. Applying for a mortgage before you start your home search is essential if you want to walk into the process prepared and equipped to bargain. But contacting several different lenders for approval can be a time-consuming task. This is why more and more home buyers are hiring mortgage brokers to find the best loan products at the best rates.

Why Buyers Should Do Business with Mortgage Brokers

A mortgage broker is an independent professional who works on your behalf. They are not employed by the lender, and because of this, they are working to find you a loan product that suits your best interests. When you hire a mortgage broker, essentially you are hiring your own professional to shop mortgages for you. They will research the lending requirements, the terms of the loan, and the rates to show you what your options might be when you are ready to submit an offer on a home.

But when you hire a broker, you have to be ready to work with the broker for the best outcome. The broker may do the legwork, but you will need to provide the professional with the documentation and information they need to analyze your situation and come up with the most practical loan plan for you. You need to remember that brokers have connections in the industry. They know about all of the latest programs and will place options in front of you that you may have never found if you were doing the research on your. But for this to happen, you need to know how to work efficiently with the broker.

How You Can Work Efficiently With a Broker to Secure the Best Mortgage

When you sit down with your broker, it is important to provide them with all of the information they need to do their job. Every question a broker asks you is important. To you, the difference between working at your job for 9 months or a year might not sound important. To the lender, the difference can become the difference between getting approved and denied for a loan. Be honest about your income, your employment, your credit, and how much you can afford to put down. If your broker asks you to provide a specific type of documentation, ask how soon they need it and meet the deadline. Failing to provide the documentation that is needed to support a loan application might cost you thousands of dollars.

If you work with your broker, you can make their job easier and ultimately find the best loan. Stay involved in the process even after the application has been submitted. Familiarize yourself with the processes, read all of the forms you receive in detail, and hire an experienced broker that can save you money.

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Clock Watching And Property Sales

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Home owners in 2013 are in an unenviable position right now with the property market in a state that even a blind man could see is far from healthy but, there is light ahead. This could mean (in the near future) that those wishing to move home (either up or down the property ladder) might feel trapped as homes remain on the market for months and even years at a time. The financial strain this can put on a homeowner could be devastating. If it’s finally reached that stage where you’re starting to think you’ll never sell your house but are in desperate need of an influx of cash then before you start working through the idea of the dreaded second mortgage. An injection of cash might be the lubrication answer you’re looking for to free the cogs of the home buying process.

If you’re a home owner then a loan is surprisingly easy to attain; however it’s important to shop around and make sure you’re getting the loan that you need and that it’s fair to both you and the lender. Figuring out exactly how much to borrow and how long you want to borrow it for is of course up to the individual and will depend on your specific circumstances but it’s suggested that you take as small a loan as is humanely possible. Make sure you budget to figure out exactly the maximum amount you can commit to repaying to the lenders, there are numerous online budget planners floating around the Internet that can help or of course you could just dust off that old scientific calculator you stole while the teacher wasn’t looking back in high school and tally it up yourself!

There are two main types of loan available in the UK to both the home owner and the renter; these are unsecured and secured. We will primarily be focusing on unsecured loans as they are generally more desirable for a multitude of reasons.

Unsecured

An unsecured loan will generally only be available to those with a decent credit rating and the amount available and the time frames are significantly reduced and less flexible. Of course the major positive of an unsecured loan is that you essentially have nothing to lose but points on your credit rating as it won’t be secured against your assets and the ‘risk’ involved is on the lender. For this reason you’ll only be able to attain an unsecured loan if you have an impeccable credit history and are earning a decent wage but if you do meet this criteria then (as long as you don’t need to borrow in excess of around £20,000) an unsecured loan is definitely recommended. Unsecured loans last on average between 5 and 10 years and whilst it’s not technically required for the loanee to be a home owner, lenders are far more likely to grant a loan to a home owner over a renter for obvious reasons. Possible lenders obviously include high street banks and building societies but there are also specialist lenders to consider, who might be more willing to arrange unsecured loans for specialist loanees such as the self-employed or students.

Because there are very few requirements for arranging security, a home owner can usually get an unsecured loan cleared and made available within 48 hours. The terms and conditions of the loan will depend very much on your specific situation and will generally allow for smaller amounts and require a higher interest rate than a secured loan. They are generally repaid monthly although there are exceptions and many lenders (specialist lenders especially) might allow for ‘payment holidays’ (a break from your repayments) or early repayments should you suddenly come into a windfall (you always said you’d win the lottery ‘one of these days’ right?). Remember however that whilst the idea of an unsecured loan might sound wonderful, you should always remain vigilant in making payments on time as failure to do so could very well land you in court!

Secured

A secured loan is probably the most popular as it’s far easier to attain but it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. The ‘security’ belongs completely to the lender as you will be required to put up your home as collateral should you fail to make the successive, agreed upon payments. The APR however is generally more forgiving and the term of the loan can be significantly longer, in many cases up to 20 years! The only reason any sane home owner with a steady wage and a decent credit history would choose a secured loan over an unsecured one is if they required a larger amount of money (up to £75,000) or were feeling particularly masochistic.

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How Can We Get Out Of A Financial Crisis?

In a world of economic downturn, everyone is struggling to make a decent living. However, when monetary issues become too severe, instant cash loans can really be of great assistance. This type of cash advance demands minimum requirements and it doesn’t take into account your credit history.  When you don’t have access to quick cash and you have monetary emergencies, these cash advances are excellent solutions.  Check some of the following tips and implement them in your head. Sooner or later they might help you deal with your economic problems in a much more efficient way.

Understanding the matter

Instant cash loans are a good, rather convenient way of getting out of debt without having to go through embarrassing situations. Nobody likes to borrow money from friends and relatives to pay off their monthly mortgage for example. Hence, this type of loan can be an excellent way of organising your expenses. These quick loans have the capacity to remove outstanding costs and help with your pay-outs. When you know in advance what your outlays are, things will run hassle-free. The person who lends you the money will also ensure you that your monthly payments will match your budget.

Do you need financial help fast?

The best thing about quick, short term loans is that they solve problems, and they’re the best chance you have to avoid further complications once and for all. You have an entire portfolio of things that cost you money, and when bills are piling up, it’s crystal clear that you need financial assistance. You have payments to make everywhere and at every hour of the day, and that gets your budget tied in knots. The scenario is horrible and it seems like there’s no way out of this. Instant cash loans are your ticket to freedom. As long as you have a stable job you are in a position of applying for this type of financial aid.

Keep things simple, don’t make mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to budget organisation.  Excessive shopping, delayed payments and so on, can often lead to financial disaster. When you have debts and you’re determined to get rid of them, it’s critical to keep things well-organised. Applying for instant cash loans can prove to be a really smart idea. These types of loans are quick and they can literally get you back on your feet.  However, it might be a good idea to keep things simple and try not to make mistakes. Although a quick loan can get you out of trouble, it can also intensify your situation and make you drown in debt. The secret is to organise your payments and do your best not to go over budget.

Make plans and never back down

When you’re in debt but you are determined to make things right, it’s a really good idea to have a methodology in mind. Separate costs, don’t go over the budget and be strict. Although a quick loan can help you pay off some of your necessities, a plan is required in order to be able to repay that loan in due time. You should never back down even when things get tough.  Instant cash loans are your way out of debt but you should always have in mind that you need to repay the loan in a really short amount of time. To do that, you really need to organise your monthly payments.

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A Twitter List Revolutionising Forex Technology

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The landscape of the foreign exchange currency market has changed drastically; when it comes to forex technology, how traders received information has evolved a great deal in a short space of time. One thing remains though – information is invaluable to brokers and smart forex technology that can organise real-time information twenty-four hours a day may seem too good to exist but exist it does. Enter Twitter; a real-time social sharing site that you’ve probably heard of. However many may not realise that the platform is good for more than just sharing what you ate for breakfast, #Bacon.

Twitter’s Role

Twitter is fast becoming a primary news provider and essential piece of forex technology for traders; the only problem you may have using Twitter is knowing who to follow or subscribe to. With the experience I offer, I’ve compiled a list to get you started of the absolute best accounts to follow and tweets to look out for; let’s take full advantage of this forex trading technology.

The List

@FXStreetNews – FXStreet is a site with little necessary introduction; they comprehensively cover the latest break stories in forex which gives you better judgement for your purposes. The site’s authority spills over into their tweets which should be ignored at your own peril.

@World_First – The absolute highlight of this particular account is a solid round-up of the day’s currency movements and agendas; of which Twitter demonstrates forex technology traders of even five years ago couldn’t dream of.

@hantecfx – This top-tier broker not only offers demo accounts to test your trading muscle but with a wealth of educational resources and tweets suitable for all levels of experience, you’re sure to gather some keen insight no matter who you are; forex technology allows all manner of agendas to be covered professionally.

@forexmagnates – Everything you would want to know about the forex current, future and past broadcast by this on-the-ball account. A wealth of information is smartly organised and linked to via their feed and should definitely find a spot on the list.

Forex Technology Trends

These accounts are just a taste of the raw potential Twitter offers traders as an item of forex technology. Our tip to you would be to create an account (if you haven’t got one especially) dedicated to following only the brightest and best in the forex field or, if you’re more comfortable with technology, creating a forex list within your  account of these forex accounts to begin with and then test out some others. Twitter is fast trending as a piece of forex technology and as we all know in this industry, staying ahead of the pack is the best way to move forward.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The Importance Of Public Relations For Business

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Starting a new business is exciting as is taking over an established business. However, having a business is not the same thing as having a successful, money-making enterprise. A business will quickly fold if no one knows the business exists or how and where to find it. This is true whether the business has a physical location or does business by mail or online.

Key to Success
Customers and sales are the key component for a successful enterprise. This is why public relations is so important. Public relations is a term that encapsulates a variety of methods. Positive public relations promotes the business.

Press Releases
Businesses should prepare and send press releases to the media when there is a change, new staff, new direction, change of location or any other reason to get the business in front of the public. Sponsoring little league baseball teams or fund-raisers for good causes with T-shirts and other promotional items produce positive public relations.

Website
Some businesses throw up a website and wonder why it doesn’t bring in customers. They may not realize the professionalizm or, lack thereof, reveals something about the business. If the website is not well done, potential customers might well pass it up, concerned that the business will be as shoddy as the website. Other websites may look professional when created, but if they are not changed and updated regularly, customers will be leery. Websites require a web master who understands how to create a user-friendly, eye-catching website–and keep it updated.

Social Media
Staying up-to-date is key in the chaning world of business. While a website is important, social media helps businesses stay in touch with customers, gain new ones and have an interactive method of letting customers know of changes and deals. Social media means businesses can interact with their customers throughout the day. From feedback, the owners will know if there is a problem and have a chance to fix it before the information goes out to the public, causing harm to the business.

Reviews
These days individuals are quick to write reviews online about problems with a business and let everyone know about it. Sometimes, someone with vicious intent can even publish false information. It is important to keep on top of what is being said about the business in case damage control needs to be put into operation. Most businesses aren’t equipped with the persons or the expertise to handle public relations on a continuing bases. That’s where the services of a PR Agency are invaluable. They formulate a plan to promote the business in positive ways.

Quality Business
Of course, the best public relations come from word-of-mouth and reviews from satisfied customers. This starts, not with a fancy, expensive campaign by a PR Agency, but by offering a high-quality product or service and good customer service. If the business promotes integrity and honesty in advertsing and in dealing with customers, a PR Agency will have a bases on which to build a positive public relations campaign.

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Top Tips For Choosing A Good Employment Law Lawyer

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Employment law is a heavy subject. There are many terms to understand and rights for employers and employees. Before attending an employment tribunal, it is essential to seek legal advice and understand more about the case. This involves finding the right firm, which involves research.

Make Sure the Firm Specializes in this Area

There are so many different areas of law that law firms tend to specialize in certain ones. Corporate firms usually handle cases involving employment and dismissals but they can be expensive. This is due the resources needed to research any previous cases to help support the case and find all the evidence. Firms that do not specialize in the area are not likely to accept the case.

Check the Experience of the Firm and Lawyer

Always find out more about the firm and any lawyer who will handle the case. It is important to find out how many cases the firm has won and lost in similar areas to yours and the experience the lawyer has with employment tribunal cases. More experience naturally increases the chances of winning but could also increase the settlement amount if the company wants to avoid a judge. Some firms may place a first-year associate on an easy case but you can request someone more experienced to increase your chances of winning.

Find Out the Name of the Company’s Law Firm

One law firm will not represent both parties in a case; it is a conflict of interest. Save your time and resources by finding out the name of the firm the other party is using. Employers usually already have a legal team and will have used them in the past. After researching this, you may find that there are sister companies to avoid.

Talk to the Lawyers

When you narrow down your choices, talk to the lawyers within the firm by arranging a consultation. Some firms offer the first consultation free of charge as it not only helps you but helps them decide if the case is worth their time. It will give you both a chance to find out more about each other, about the case and experience and for the lawyer to understand everything you want out of the tribunal.

Finding a good and experience employment law lawyer takes time but is worth it. This helps increase the chances of winning, without having to stand in front of a judge. There is a higher chance of a large settlement offer to reduce the stress.

Keith Cronin loves the law – and he enjoys sharing his knowledge with you. Keith has contributed this article on behalf of Ashby Cohen – the employment law experts.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Everything You Need For A Corporate Product Launch

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When a new product is being launched in the corporate world, it is essential that it is launched with a bang that will leave an impressive impact on consumers around the globe.  These launches are designed and developed with the primary goal in mind of making sure that as many people hear about it as possible.

These are not normally cheap endeavors that only cost a few hundred dollars. Most corporations invest tens of thousands and even millions of dollars into their corporate product launches because they are looking to gain the maximum amount of exposure in order to generate a buzz hat will drive millions of people to buy their new product.  Regardless of how big or small you want your specific corporate product launch to be for your own company, there are three key elements that must be in place in order to achieve the same magnitude and overall effect of some of the most successful launches that have ever been held.  What are those key elements?

An Overabundance of Promotional Gifts

You want all of the people that attend your corporate product launch to have something to take home with them as a souvenir that will also double as free advertising when they show what they received to their friends and family members.  It is important to include all of your employees in on this aspect of the launch as well for the same reasons.

The higher the quality of the promotional gifts that you are offering, the higher the chances of the recipients being willing to show their gifts off to as many people as possible almost immediately after receiving them.

Entertaining Music & Delicious Food   Great music and great food are two important factors that are common traits of any successful party, which is why they are requirements if you want your corporate product launch to be successful as well.  You have to treat these events as if they are massive parties that are sponsored in part by your company.

You want your employees and customers to enjoy themselves while they are there as they are indirectly and also directly being persuaded to purchase the new products that are being released.  Enjoyable music and tasty food will keep your attendees there longer, which will increase your overall conversion rate exponentially.

Make the Event Theatrical

Another key element of a successful corporate product launch is finding a way to turn your event into a theatrical spectacle.  If you have the funds available, you should seriously consider investing in a celebrity to make an appearance to help promote the product or even perform at the event itself.  If that is outside of your budget, you can never go wrong with purchasing a bath of legal fireworks that you will set off safely into the night sky at just the right moment.

Corporate product launches are major investments for companies, because they know that the initial success of their new products depend greatly on the success (or failure) of these events.  That is why it is so important for companies of all sizes to take these events seriously and do everything that they can to keep their attendees engaged, educated and entertained.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How To Be Aware Of Additional Housing Prices

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The housing industry is most definitely a labyrinth, especially because living in different states in Australia or different cities in the world encompasses different costs and fees. Besides, due to economic fluctuations experienced in the past couple of years, most of us are naturally anxious and curious as to the risks attached to purchasing a home. For your benefit, we’ve going to a compile an updated list of different countries and the costs attached to housing. Be prepared: it’s a rather daunting.

New York

With real-estate prices gradually rising after the recession from a couple a years ago, it is still considered prime-time to enter the property market. However, it is important to consider the cost of down payments with lenders requiring more money upfront as they react to economic volatility by tightening standards. If you’re one of those less than ideal borrowers, a new array of loan fees can be an issue. There are also home inspection and closing costs to take into account. Home inspection fees can easily be $500 following a verbal offer for the property while closing costs include legal service fees and documents such as credit reports, appraisals and list continues…

Australia

In Australia, purchasing a home involves in the first instance, payment for a loan application which can easily cost $700 and is followed by a loan establishment fee which can cost you up to $1000 (and even higher in some cases!). Other lender fees include mortgage insurance and valuation on your property—that’s another couple of hundred dollars. Stamp duty which is a property tax is then charged, unless you are a first home buyer and are exempt. The cost of which can exceed $20 000. Generally speaking you will also be liable to pay conveyance fees of around $1000. If you have cleared all of these costs, there are still a couple more so bear with us: connection to utilities such electricity, gas and phone, television services council and water rates. Depending on the type of property you purchase, you must also do further research in the area of Strata title and strata title management.

U.K

Similar to the other countries listed above, there are convincing fees involved, arrangements fees for the setting up of the mortgage though some lenders may waive this fee. Basic valuation is compulsory in the United Kingdom and the cost depends is proportional to the value of the property. It is also strongly advised that buyers find an independent surveyor to check for defects, also called a Homebuyer’s report which costs between £250 and £500. Meanwhile, stamp duty is charged for properties over £125 000. Properties below this do not require stamp duty not properties in an area designated by the government as being ‘disadvantaged’. Additionally, there is a land registry fee that is a payment made to a government department for the transferring of register and again, is calculated according to property price.

Clearly it isn’t simply the cost of the property that you incur when you make that decision to purchase property. By no means should you be discouraged by the information above, it is solely intended to make sure you are smart and well-informed for a major event in your life – creating your own home and building your future!

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6 Reasons Why Customers Say ‘No’ To You

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We all hate the word ‘No’, especially when you are selling something you know people really need. If you have been in the sales business for quite some time, you must have already heard most of the ‘No’ phrases. There may be those who immediately shuts the door after one look at you, those who simply enjoy disagreeing with you and contradict everything you have to say and those who tell you they have another provider after hearing you out. There are just so many reasons and phrases that people just do not seem to run out of them.

Is ‘No’ Really A No?

The fact is, when your potential customer tells you ‘No’, he may not be telling the truth. If you probe a bit more, you can find out why the customer said ‘No’ and then use it to improve your strategy in making more sales. However, if you keep getting rejected, do not let it get to you. You must remember that there is no smart answer when customers resist what you have to offer.

The best thing you can do is determine why your customers say ‘No’. Once you know the reason, finding a way to make them say ‘Yes’ or perhaps consider your business will be easier.

Uncovering The Truth Behind The No’s

Usually, customers say ‘No’ based on various factors that are not apparent to you and sometimes, even to them. You may question your capabilities, but do not let it affect the interaction you can have with all your customers, because all customers are different. Simply uncover the real reason behind their ‘No’ and learn from it.

1. They May Not Like You

The first reason why customers resist sales people such as yourself, is because they may not like you. They do not dislike you, but they do not really know you since there is not built relationship, they do not trust you. To overcome this, you simply need to get them to like you. Build that trust and relationship, by being friendly, smiling and being a wonderful listener.

2. You Sound Like A ‘Smarty Pants’

When you have a habit of using too many technical terms or jargon, customers tend to misunderstand you and mistake you for a ‘smarty pants’. This habit also makes it difficult for customers to understand as the usage of complicated terminologies and phrases do not make the language clear. Instead, stick to simple terms, speak clearly and ask questions to check if customers understand you.

3. They Were Not Listening

Some customers are the type of people who are easily distracted that stops them from listening to you attentively. Such people are usually those with phones continuously ringing off the hook, children running about, baby crying and dogs barking. They can also be those who are constantly busy and worn out by the time you get there. To ensure that you have their attention, simply keep on checking on them to see if they are comfortable.

4. They Are Hesitant About Change

People, who do not like change, have a preference to stay in their comfort zone. In fact, having a sales person suggest or recommend a change in how they do things can trigger annoyance and instant dislike. This situation calls on for special tactics such as free trials, promotions and the like.

5. They Are Not The Decision Maker

Perhaps you were talking with the wrong person. If you want to make sure that you do secure a sale, you must look for the decision maker. If you are uncertain if the person you are already speaking to is the decision maker, do not be afraid to ask.

6. They Just Do Not Need It

Sometimes you just have to give in and accept the fact that they do not need your product and services. Other times, they just do not have the money to pay for what you are offering. Regardless, try to provide them with scenarios to help them reconsider and payment plans so that they can afford it.

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