Satellite Communications and Social Media

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Over the last year data traffic from mobile devices has increased 2.4 times. Industry leaders had forecasted an increase of only 125%. This has been the  global trend over the past 5 years. In 2012, monthly mobile internet data was at 624 petabytes. In the year 2000, the entire Internet has a total capacity of only 75 petabytes.

With the rising need to move more and more data, finding resources to do the job has become an ever growing problem. Data centers are not only getting ready for an ever growing amount data but to make it worse the growth of social media, YouTube, and online games is just adding to the problem. Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr has made a great impact on the webs need for more capacity.

Satellite Communications from SATCOM Systems  have become more available in the last few years and are helping to carry the additional traffic. Because of the billions of dollars spent by both private and public sectors it is now available to be used for data traffic. Today, much of Internet traffic is being carried by wireless providers. People use their cell phones to surf the net and use social media and the trend is rising. 

The benefits of a partnership between cellular network operators and satellite operators can only benefit the end user by providing better and more reliable service. The combination of satellite and cellular allows service coverage of more areas which wasn't possible before with just landlines. 

Remote areas that are not close enough to the standard phone company lines will be able to pick up their internet through compact and efficient satellite dishes. 

Peer-To-Peer Lending an Alternative to Big Banking

One of the newest trends happening online is Peer-to-Peer services. This business model of connecting people to people to provide a service is growing more every day. Some examples of peer-to-peer businesses are Airbnb (lodging), Kickstarter (project funding), and TaskRabbit (to-do lists). These companies are growing because they provide services at a personal level. The business model of dealing with large, impersonal companies is no longer your only option. Whether you're choosing a place to vacation, fund your start-up, or borrow money.

Five years ago the peer-to-peer way to borrow money online was started by Internet Company "Lending Club". Lending Club offered an alternative to large commercial banks that scaled back their lending during the financial crisis. They offer to be the middle man between borrowers who couldn't borrow and lenders who were looking to get a higher return on their cash. Lending Club provided the structures to make this happen and they have been successful ever since.

The Internet has made it possible for peer-to-peer businesses to offer their services around the world. UK peer to peer lending company Folk2Folk has a different twist on peer-to-peer lending. They are looking for individuals who are able to lend £25,000 or more. They offer secured loans on non-residential property to individuals and businesses. Folk2Folk does the banks one better by processing a secured loan in seven to ten days. This tops the time that regular banking takes, which is usually is months, to fund a loan. 

We are seeing the future with the growth of Peer-to-peer services. Even Internet giant Google sees the potential of this type of lending. Recently, Google invested $125M in Lending Club in the U.S. while in the U.K. Zopa announced that they are putting in new safeguards to protect lenders funds and Funding Circle starting to do secured loans. With Google's investment, we are seeing peer-to-peer lending services becoming mainstream. 

How to Start Your Business Safely

Starting a business can be a daunting prospect, especially if you are leaving the security of a salary and regular hours to do it. There are some things to consider long before you get close to starting up your company, and neglecting them can result in negative consequences for your fledgling business.

Create a Business Plan

Draw up a business plan, taking careful account of all expenses and working out a best case, worst case and average scenario. Note down the accurate costs of each product, including a good hourly rate for your labour if applicable, and work out how much you need to sell them for to make an acceptable profit. Not only does this let you know if your business idea is feasible, it will let you know how long you should remain in paid employment saving up to get the start-up costs together. If you are confident you can apply for a small business loan from your bank, make an appointment sooner, rather than later.

Seek Professional Help

Consulting professionals is always advisable before starting any business venture. Any slips or mistakes on your behalf are not easily forgiven by regulatory authorities so make sure you are getting it right, from the very beginning! Bank managers are a mine of useful information when setting up a company, and, as it is the interests of the bank for your business to succeed, they will be more than happy to pass along useful hints and tips.

Have a Good Accountant

Sit down with an accountant before you start trading, or very shortly thereafter. It may be annoying to pay a hefty accountancy fee, but you will leave the meeting with peace of mind, and a clear understanding of your business obligations; and that is well worth the cost.

Do Your Research

Do plenty of research into your chosen market, and begin to accumulate customers before the business starts up. If you can begin official trading with a few loyal customers ready and willing to spread the word on your behalf your company will be off to a good start. Make sure that there is a ready market for your product and that you will be able to sustain sales over time. Remember, there is a limit to the amount of goodies a family member or friend will buy before they say enough is enough!

Follow Laws and Regulations

Make sure that you are legally compliant in every aspect of the business at all times. Skipping a regulation because it is too hard to enforce, or because you do not think that it is sensible, may land you in legal trouble, which can lead to financial trouble if a large fine is imposed… The rules and regulations may seem petty or be inconvenient, but they have been implemented for a reason and should be obeyed.

Have Adequate Insurance

Another area where many small businesses go astray is in the matter of insurance. If you have employees, you are legally obliged to hold employee liability insurance, to cover them in the instance of injury, illness or even death occurring at the work place. If you have a shop front, or office into which the public may venture, then public liability insurance is a must. This covers you in the event that an accident happens, resulting in a member of the public being hurt or killed.

Professional indemnity cover is there to protect professionals, such as lawyers and doctors, from dissatisfied customers unhappy with a treatment or result. If the company has a fleet of vehicles, or even just one delivery vehicle, then fleet insurance is needed to cover accidental loss or damage to the goods.

It may seem to be unnecessary and annoying to have to spend precious funding on insurances that will hopefully never be claimed upon, but it is better to accept that they are a necessity and pay up. Your business is highly unlikely to survive in the event that one of these calamities was to happen and you found yourself liable for all costs. So, look around today for reliable insurance providers, like AXA business insurance, and find the best insurance option for your company.

Running a business is an exciting, hair-raising career that is sure to change the way you think, act and even spend your money. Make sure that you take all the steps required to keep your small business safe and secure, so it can grow into a large, well-known brand!

Useful Things You Should Know to Boost Your Credit Score

When applying for loans, opening a bank account or even renting out an apartment, your credit report is required. It helps determine whether or not you have the capability to repay the loans that you have taken out. 

Of course these credit companies would like to know if you are a good risk or not. If you have poor ratings on your credit report, there is a lesser chance that your loan will not get approved or you will not get the interest rate that you want. 

More often than not, people with bad credit reports will run the chance of paying loans with high interest rates and shorter payment terms. If you want to improve your credit score, here are some useful things you should know: 

• Get a copy of your credit report from the credit bureaus. It will be difficult to improve your credit score if you don’t know your current standing. Credit reports are given free once each year, but if you want to know your credit score then you have to pay minimal amount for it. FICO credit score is the most commonly used by creditors. There are three credit bureaus that can supply you with this score namely Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. 
• Don’t accept all the pre-approved credit card offers. There are times when you will get this type of credit card offer in your mail and even online. Resist the temptation of responding to these offers because easily approved credit cards can affect your credit score. Whenever there’s an inquiry in on national credit bureaus, points are deducted from your score. Frequent and impulsive checking of your credit score can harm your score. 
• Avoid transferring from one credit card to another. You may think the transferring your balance will not hurt you because you will receive 0% interest rate for a particular period of time. However, it will be much better if you don’t close your old credit card because long-stand credit card will look good in your credit report and may give you a good credit score too. 
• Don’t miss out on due dates. Paying your bills on time and on a regular basis if you want to avoid credit score dings. For every late payment you make on your bills, it depicts a picture that you are not reliable. Keep in mind that a huge chunk of your credit score is based on your payment history. If creditors can see that you are a responsible in paying your bills, it can improve you credit score big time. 
• Raise disputes when necessary. If you see that something is wrong in your credit report, make sure that you dispute it. If you have been a bad person as far as your creditors are concerned, you can get one bad thing out of the report yearly. You just need to be consistent in improving your credit scores. If there are negative notations on your credit report, make sure that you dispute these things. Be patient because it is not easy to remove any negative information on your credit reports. 

About the Author: The article is done by Mackenzie Sulivan, technology, seo and finance copywriter, guest blogger and web developer. She likes covering seo, technology and finance articles and news via online edition. She contributes to this site: 12 Month Loans from eMoneyBuddy.

Some Currency Trends to Note in the Future

Yen (Photo credit: Mr Wabu)

When I trade currencies, I do so with a lot of leverage, usually a 10x leverage ratio. However, if you're a long term investor and still want to try playing with currencies, that is possible. All you have to do is be aware of the long term trends that are happening between different currency pairs. So without further ado, here are some megatrends we're going to see in the next couple of years between the major currencies.

 

US Dollars vs. Euro

As you might know, I'm super bearish on the Euro at this point. I think that one day, the Euro will cease to exist. Why? It's rather simple. The Euro has two big problems.

• Debt.
• A Monetary Union but no Fiscal Union.

As you probably know, practically every country in the Euro with the exception of Germany is drowning in debt. That's thanks to the Europeans' policy towards 3 hour lunches and 60 vacation days a year - unproductive! Coupled with the fact that Europeans really like to live the good life, the only way they can do so is to go heavily into debt (which they are). 

Right now, Germany is the only thing that's holding the Euro together. The Germans are the only economic engine that's functioning in Europe. Which means that at this moment, the Germans are taking their surpluses and handing them out to their fellow Europeans who are drowning in debt. But nowadays, the Germans are getting angrier - their attitude towards helping their fellow Europeans is "why should I waste my money bailing you out when this debt problem was created by yourself?" When election time comes, the German politicians will reconsider their handing out economic aid. When the Germans stop the flow of aid, the Euro will crumble and cease to exist. 

In addition, the Euro is inherently flawed. The Euro is a monetary union (money policy) but not a fiscal union (government spending policy). Thus, what happens is that these two policies often clash. Like a dog with two heads, the dog goes nowhere if the two heads have different ideas about what to do. 

Hence, I believe that within the next 5 years, the Euro will cease to exist. Pretty scary forecast, eh? But remember, the impossible has happened in the past. 

Thus, as a long term investor it might be highly profitable if you buy the US dollar and sell the Euro. 

US Dollar vs. Yuan

For those of you who don't know, the Yuan is China's currency (also known as Ren Min Bi). Currently, the Yuan is semi-controlled by the Chinese government. This means that China allows for the Yuan to fluctuate by a maximum range. This, in effect, means that the Yuan is being artificially depressed by the Chinese so that their exports remain strong (devalued Yuan = cheaper Chinese goods = more exports for China). 

In the next 5 years, the Chinese are planning to liberalize their financial laws. And one of these financial reforms includes letting go of controls on the Yuan. China will cease to restrict the Yuan's fluctuation because only then can the Yuan have a serious chance at challenging the U.S. Dollar as the world's reserve currency (something the Chinese are itching to do). 

Thus, when the Chinese government transforms the Yuan into a total free market mechanism (meaning that the government no longer restrict's the Yuan's fluctuation), the first thing the Yuan will do is increase in value because the government is no longer artificially depressing the Yuan's value. Thus, it might be a wise decision for long term investors to load up on the Yuan and sell the US dollar, which is basically a bullish call on the Yuan. 

US Dollar vs. Yen

Not to be confused with the Yuan, the Yen is Japan's currency. In the past few months, the biggest news has been the devaluation of the Yen. Abe (Japanese Prime Minister) is doing everything in his power to depress the value of the Yen and create inflation so that the Japanese economy and exports can become competitive again. 

In the future (meaning for the next 5 years), I expect the Yen to continue devaluing. HOWEVER, the reasons behind the Yen's devaluation will change. 

Right now, the Yen is being devalued because the Japanese government is printing money like there's no tomorrow. HOWEVER, eventually that inflation will get out of control and become hyperinflation. When hyperinflation hits, the Yen will continue to devalue. So for y'all long term investors out there, selling the Yen and buying the USD will be the bonanza of the decade. 

A Note

2 notes, actually. As you might have noticed, all these predictions are the USD vs. something. That's because based on the Bretton Woods agreement, all currencies are valued in USD. 

Hence, one cannot directly say what the value of the Yen to Euro is. The second note is that if you're investing in currencies, you have to use a stop loss. A stop loss will protect your rear end and prevent a small loss from becoming a bigger loss (should you lose some money). 

Troy blogs at Badass Currency Trading, where he discusses the currencies of various nations and other how-to-play-currencies information. So if you're interested in currencies, please check out my site. Cheers, and all the best!

Debt Management - A Way to Clear Your Debts

Are you worried with huge slice of debts? Are you attempting very difficult to come out the economical debt trap? Everybody might have gone through economical debt relevant problems at least once in their lifestyle. Most individuals fail to obvious their economical obligations because of their bad managing economical debt. 

It can bring pressure, worry, agony and pain, if you are not paying promptly. It is appropriately compared with quicksand which is easy to fall but very difficult to come out, the more you fight to come out of snare the more you are going to drain, if you don’t have an appropriate planning. 

Following is a way to obvious your economical obligations. Few individuals obvious their economical obligations without any battle, but few individuals have to face many difficulties to obvious their economical obligations, all these because of managing economical debt. 

Take advice from managing economical debt services

You can take help from managing economical debt organizations like Fresh Finance who can settle with the lenders as your representative for smallest quantity necessary to obvious your economical obligations. You can take help from managing economical debt organizations because they are expertise in discussing with their years of experience. But you have to pay affordable fee to acquire their facility which is very minimal quantity. 

List out the debts

Create sure that you are record out all the current economical obligations to understand each economical debt and its situations before taking help from the managing economical debt solutions. You should also record out value resources like benefits, investment, home and vehicles. 

Pay off the tiniest economical obligations first

It is better to obvious your small economical obligations which add more interest in the lengthy run. It will reduce the economical debt pressure in the lengthy run. 

Savings plan

According to business experts, you should save at least 20% from your income to meet economical requirements. You can use this stored cash to pay the economical obligations. An appropriate benefits strategy not only helps you to obvious your debts, it can even reduce mental linked to pressure to economical emergency situations. Try to reduce the use of bank credit score cards and applying for new bank credit score cards until you pay off your current economical obligations. 

Budget plan 

You are like immeasurable other individuals who generate income for a living; you can live a simpler lifestyle by setting a price range strategy. You should have a well-planned price range to exercise more control over cash to obvious your economical obligations. A well-conceived price range strategy gives a wide idea on income and expenses. You can reduce the cash you are spending on needless items so that you can pay to obvious your economical obligations. 

Consolidate your debts 

Ask your lender to allow another financial loan to obvious other economical obligations. It brings together the different types of economical obligations for making it simpler. Merging is the best way to obvious your economical obligations without having difficulties very difficult. You can turn all your per month installments to a single transaction. It allows you to pay per month expenses promptly without unable. You can ask for ppi on your payday loan. If you are unable to pay per month installments, PPI statements will get triggered to offer reimbursements.