Author: Reginald Chan

How To Keep Your Confidential Business Documents Secure?

The unprecedented rise of the internet and the role it now plays in every aspect of our lives is one of the defining factors in the shaping of our modern world. The opportunities which the internet has brought for businesses are immeasurable; international communication, customer outreach, brand growth and partnerships, would all have been impossible before we were so well-connected online.

With these advantages, however, has come a new type of crime which businesses in the past never had to deal with; cyber crime. Hackers, virus creators and cyber criminals can all cause serious damage to your business, and if they manage to get access to your data, they can jeopardize your whole operation. With cyber criminals becoming more and more sophisticated, the requisite protective measures need to stay one step ahead of them to keep businesses safe.

To help all the businesses out there who are worried about their online security, this article will answer some important questions about data storage and protection.

What is Data Storage?

These days, every business has countless numbers of important files and documents which are pivotal for the success of their companies. These include important financial records, contractual agreements, and the personal information of customers and clients. Without these documents, businesses would be operating in the dark, and so the development of software and digital storage systems have enabled businesses to keep all of their data in one place so that it is easy to access and analyze. With targeted marketing campaigns and personalized customer service, the conclusions that can be drawn from this data are vital for the success of a business.

Why is Data Security so Important?

Whilst digital data storage has obvious benefits, it has also made this information vulnerable to attack, and hackers have been exploiting this ever since the Internet first became popular. The experts at https://www.dsolutionsgroup.com/ explain that a major data breach can be devastating for a business, because if your business’s financial records or accounts are hacked, cyber criminals can steal all your confidential information which will leave you completely paralyzed.

Whilst business insurance can provide some protection in the case of a data breach, if the insurance company concludes that you did not have the correct security in place, they may argue that your losses were the result of your own mistakes. Similarly, if cyber criminals are able to gain access to your operating files, they can cause irreparable damage to your processes which will take considerable time and resources to rectify.

Arguably even more damaging than an attack on your business’s operating or accounting files, is the theft of your customers personal information. Modern businesses store vast amounts of their customers’ financial records and a data breach can see all of this information stolen. Your customers can then have their bank accounts hacked or can become the victims of identity theft and other types of fraud.

How Can Businesses Keep their Documents Secure?

With such devastating potential consequences, it is vital that business do everything that they can to secure their files. There are now more options than ever which provide businesses with data protection, but some are more effective than others.

To help you choose the right option, here are some of the most popular storage methods for businesses:

Private Server Storage

When information was first going digital, businesses began storing their data on private servers. For small businesses this may be as simple as saving your information on a single computer’s hard drive, whereas big multinationals may have dedicated external servers which hold everything. These are all kept on premises so that they can be accessed easily as well as being physically protected from external breaches.

Despite these advantages, this method of data storage has quickly become obsolete because the amount of hardware required, and the cost of running, maintaining and replacing the servers, is just no longer feasible in this day and age. Furthermore, it is very difficult to update external servers with new cyber security, and so whilst it may appear that your data is protected, it is still very easy for sophisticated hackers to access.

Data Colocation Centers

After private servers were no longer judged to be suitable for storing data on the premises, businesses started turning to data colocation centers to do the job for them. Sometimes referred to as data hotels, these centers have their own servers which companies can pay to rent out space for their data. This means that businesses do not have to have their own huge, expensive servers and can also leave the security of their data to people with more knowledge. Colocation centers, like private servers, offer businesses the opportunity to access their data whenever they need it, but at the same time offer better security.

Cloud Storage

Whilst private servers and data colocation centers were the best options in the past, online cloud storage has emerged as a far superior option for modern businesses. Without the need for investing in your own hardware or outsourcing your data to another company, cloud storage has enabled companies to save money whilst at the same time provides a far greater level of data security. Cloud storage providers offer various data packages so no matter how much information your business needs to store and protect, it can be done easily and with very little cost.

For most companies, public cloud storage is sufficient, as it still offers far more in terms of protection and data storage limit than a business could ever achieve on its own. For huge corporations or businesses with especially valuable data, however, private cloud storage provides that extra level of service and protection that is required. Virtual data service centers operated by private cloud offer the most up to date security measures, maximum accessibility and unlimited storage capacity. With companies looking to maximize their data storage and analysis, private clouds are emerging as the number one choice.

Choosing the right data storage option for your business can be difficult but the three most important factors to remember are security, access and capacity. Modern cloud storage offers the best levels of all three, and private cloud storage in particular looks to be the way of the future. Never underestimate the importance of keeping your data safe, or the negative consequences which can occur if you don’t take the appropriate measures.

September 30, 2020
The Importance of Social Media for Stock Traders

The stock market keeps investors on their toes on a daily basis. Add to that the global pandemic and things move up a gear. Whilst some industries have been hit, others have flourished. It’s the task of traders to identify the best places to invest their money.

Everyone knows that the internet has brought a colossal revolution. Smartphones and social media have followed in its wake. The rise and popularity of such technology have unsurprisingly gained the interest of stock market traders. But is this justified? Let’s take a look.

Social Media is Successful But Volatile

Over two and a half billion people used social media in 2018. This figure is expected to exceed three billion by 2021. In 2019 the global advertising revenue for social media added up to more than $32 billion, and this year it could increase by $6 billion more.

Wall Street has many stories of top companies who have a sudden reversal of fortune. Any wise investor will be consistently researching the market for what to invest in, and when. According to the guys at www.thestockdork.com people want to read reviews of the stock market and to receive details of the best day trading stocks. They also want to know the best books to read on the subject, and even where to find stocks under $5.

Facebook

This is a highly popular platform for writing posts and publishing photos and video content. It is more of a family of apps to be honest, as it also includes WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.

At one stage shares were selling at $220 each, which is expensive for social media. One set of the year on year statistics said the revenue had increased by nearly a third. Another report said users had increased by over ten percent year on year.

Stocks can be volatile when companies are volatile. There was a lot of negative publicity about fake Covid information and equipment being featured on Facebook. The company was forced to clean up its act and even created a Covid information center.

Unsurprisingly, the economic downturn has reduced the amount of advertising on Facebook. As it gains almost all of its income through this, investors need to keep a close eye.

Twitter

This is a platform allowing people to publish mini-blogs of up to a maximum of 280 characters. Imagine 145 million people standing in a crowd – that’s how many people are using Twitter on a daily basis. This number is still growing.

At one stage the stock price was $34 (much cheaper than Facebook). Each year revenue has been growing at around eight percent. In March 2020 the pandemic took its toll, and ad revenue was down by nearly one third.

Zoom

This is a video conferencing app a little like Skype. In December 2019 there were around ten million users, but by the start of April 2020, this had grown twenty times larger. Four weeks later there were three hundred million!

Investors may see a surefire value in buying shares here. Whist Zoom is going okay and will continue to do so, it did experience a blip. Some major security issues were discovered, so three months of potential product development were turned into data protection work.

Pinterest and Tiktok

Pinterest is a popular picture-sharing app. Its stock values have declined, however. At one stage this was by ten cents per share. Expenses have been up and down, and this volatility has limited Pinterest’s ability to consistently make money. This will have to be dealt with in order to secure its ongoing survival.

TikTok has been growing in users at an exponential rate. It’s a Chinese app originally used for lip-syncing, but which now features short video clips. Businesses were looking to advertise on this platform due to its huge audience, but there has been major turbulence too. America had been debating whether to ban or remove it from the app stores due to concerns over potential data breaches. The other option was to buy it.

Snap, Tencent and Weibo

Snap includes the better known Snapchat which features quickly disappearing posts. 210 million people use this each day and it has recently been improved for Android users. Whilst shares at one stage tripled in value from $5.74 to $19, the company has battled to make profits. Analysts say Snap should be well-positioned to have a stable future, however, as growth is steadily increasing.

Tencent features WeChat, which is the top social media platform in China. This has 1.15 billion users! Tencent actually has several arms. Their music and video businesses are flourishing. When it comes to video game publishers, they are the biggest globally. Because of the spread of investment, they are a stable company and their shares are doing well. They are in a good position to face the future.

Weibo is another Chinese application, having 486 million users every month. Whilst there has been a high market share in advertising, stocks have declined. This makes it an insecure route for investors.

Social Media Advertising

Sadly, there has been a lot of advertising which has lured inexperienced people into the world of stocks and shares. Driven by financial desperation, some people have believed offers of fun and quick financial gains through using trading apps. Some brokerages have underplayed the risk element, and not warned that losses can be big and quick with market trading.

Whilst stock trading is a valid past time or full-time job for the experienced, it can be dangerous for the ill-advised. Some apps are designed for ease of use, but they can easily become a place for unwise people to gamble away their money and become addicted to the process. Newcomers need to research well and practice on simulated apps first. Conservative trading is more appropriate at the beginning.

Another advertising misunderstanding occurred when people jumped to buy shares in Zoom. Many folks bought shares in Zoom Technologies instead of Zoom Video Communications.

As we have seen, stock markets can widely vary. The popularity of social media seems set to continue, whilst some platforms struggle to make profits. Interested investors can watch their progress daily in order to make the right decisions. Social media companies need to provide clear advertising in response.

September 28, 2020
How SEO Can Turn The Tide For Your Business
If your business is currently struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, you are not alone. Around the world, the fallout from this pandemic has been devastating, particularly for small businesses who are vulnerable to collapse in their first years. Your business’ next steps are crucial to its survival; this crisis is far from over, and unfortunately, many more companies will suffer at the hands of it.

So what does this have to do with SEO? SEO, standing for Search Engine Optimisation, is a helpful set of tools which increases your website’s chance of being at the top of the search list. Search engines like Google present hundreds of thousands of results for popular searches, and as a small or new business, it can be very difficult to be noticed at all. If your website is fully functioning, well designed and perfect for users, all that is missing is a boost in visibility. SEO helps attach more meaning, definition and importance to your website in the search engine’s algorithm, helping to promote your site to the top of the page. So how can you get started with SEO?

Get Started With SEO

If you have never used SEO or even heard of it, there are many different ways to get started. Basic SEO tools include using the right keywords and backlinks on your website to help Google’s algorithm associate it with more categories, thereby listing your site on more searches. Here are a few different avenues to get you started with SEO.
- Using an SEO Agency
SEO Agencies are run by professionals who understand the ins and outs of search engine algorithms, and use this knowledge to help your website improve its standing on search engine results. They might connect you with bloggers who use their expertise to write readable content with the right keywords and links integrated seamlessly into the text. Using an SEO Agency is an affordable way to increase traffic to your site, without paying advertisers to do so.
- Learning SEO in your free time
If you want to get to grips with SEO on your own, there are ways to cultivate the skills used to achieve SEO. You can use free YouTube tutorials and guidance articles like this one to understand how SEO works and teach yourself the skills needed to implement it on your site. This is time consuming work, but with patience, it is achievable.
- Understanding Keywords
In order to use SEO service successfully, you will need to understand and research how keywords function on your site. The more useful keywords you use, the better Google’s algorithm will understand what your site is for and why it is important, and the more you can drive footfall on your site.

Times have been hard for businesses this year, but with an SEO strategy in place, your website could be the turning of the tide your business needs. Start today by learning about SEO and how it can be a game changer for your site.
September 25, 2020
What Everyone Should Know About MoneyFarm
The advancements in modern technology paved the way for several processes to become more convenient because they are already made available in digital channels. For instance, in the retail industry, customers can now order any product they need online and have it delivered right in front of their doorstep. They also have the option of paying for these products through online channels as well. Likewise, investing is already made more seamless through digital avenues and the emergence of various robo-advisors like Moneyfarm.

What Is Moneyfarm?

There are now low-cost automated investment platforms that allow you to yield an optimized long-term portfolio. One platform is Moneyfarm, which is based on an algorithm that can provide you with a personalized investment plan that you can readily put into action, much like a human, a financial advisor would. The beauty of this platform is that you will be able to implement your course of action in terms of your investment anywhere you are, even in the comfort of your home, as long as you have a stable and reliable internet connection.

How Does Moneyfarm Work?

Generally, investing in stocks and shares yields far better revenue than what your money can earn when you leave it in your savings accounts or even when you go for bonds. However, you need to keep in mind that, along with a greater return, comes greater risk. In parallel to this, to ensure that you will be able to earn a decent sum from your investment, you also need to have patience because growing your money through the stock market can take years. To use the service of online investment platforms, you need to sign up and answer questions through the form that they provide. Your answers to these questions will help the platform determine your investment risk appetite, which is essential in creating your portfolio. Some of the questions that you will need to answer include your reason for investing, the amount that you are willing to invest, the amount that you can add to your investment regularly, as well as your main source of income.

From there, the platform will assign you to one of the six risk profiles available. After this, you can already open an account in the platform and fund it accordingly, either through a bank transfer or a credit card transaction.

Services Offered by Moneyfarm

Accounts That Can Be Opened

The online investment platform offers three types of accounts that you can open, which includes the ISA, pension, and general investment account. Each of these accounts has its specific features and advantages.
- ISA
One of the types of accounts that you can open through the platform is an Individual Savings Account (ISA), which is a tax-free form of saving and investing. However, you need to be at least 16 years of age before you can open an ISA. Just keep in mind that with ISA, there is a cap on how much you can invest in stocks and shares, but you have the liberty of transferring your existing ISAs into it.
- Pension Account
If you are preparing for your retirement, then you should open a pension account through the platform. With this account, all your investments are managed by an investment team to fund your retirement. Rest assured that their investment decisions are based on your portfolio that is a culmination of your savings goals, risk appetite, planned retirement date, as well as the amount that you can invest.
- General Investment Account
A general investment account is very much similar to an ISA, only that all your earnings are taxable. Nonetheless, you will be able to use this account for all your investment needs, regardless of whether your goal is to save up for the down payment of your new home or start a business.

Customer Support and Advice Center

While Moneyfarm is regarded as a robo-advisor, it is still backed up by real human support. This means that you get the best advice because of the team of people who will be able to provide answers to your queries as necessary. Rest assured that the team of portfolio experts are seasoned and knowledgeable investors who spend their time monitoring the performance of various portfolios. In this case, they can modify the portfolios accordingly to ensure that these reap the maximum returns.

Advantages of Using Moneyfarm

Aside from the convenience that this online investment platform can give you, below are some other advantages of using this robo-advisor.
- Low Fees
Compared to other investment platforms currently in the market today, Moneyfarm collects a much lower operating and maintenance cost. Aside from low fees, they also impose a low minimum requirement, allowing you to start investing for as low as a pound. However, you may find other investment platforms impose a no minimum deposit. The platform is also tax efficient, for as long as you go with an ISA account instead of a general investment account.
- Ease of Use
Another notable benefit of using an online investment platform is the simplicity of doing so. You have the option of using the platform through a web browser on your computer or installing an app on your smartphone or mobile devices. No, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to navigate through the site or through the app to find your way because of the intuitive interface that they have integrated it with. Because of this, you will be able to grasp how to use the features of the platform immediately. The great part is that you can easily get in touch with their customer service or human support in case you need to.

The Bottomline

In this modern-day and age, there is no stopping you in leveraging online investment platforms to grow your money. However, you need to consider that, like any investment vehicle, these platforms have their benefits that you can take advantage of, as well as drawbacks that you need to work with, such as limited investment opportunities. The key is in identifying your purpose for investing to ensure that using these types of platforms will suit your needs.
September 23, 2020
8 Proven Reasons Your Business Needs a Lawyer

Business owners go through a multitude of difficulties not only while setting up their business, but even after the business is thriving and on the go. There are many legal complications that are involved in a business. In fact, almost every sphere of running a business has a legal aspect to it, be it buying property, hiring employees, or getting a license. If you are running a big business, an in-house team of lawyers works better than having to hire a lawyer every time you need one. For a small business, hiring one lawyer to take care of all the legal complexities is advisable.

1. Preparing for the Worst

You can never anticipate the challenges you may have to face in your business. You might not want to bother yourself with the legal intricacies of running a business, the legalities involved in procuring a license, the lawsuits that come your way, etc. You might not even be prepared for any of it. In such cases, having a lawyer in your team would be an advantage, so you can concentrate on running a successful business and leave the nitty-gritty of the legalities to your legal department. The lawyers can help you anticipate and avert any future problems likely to crop up.

2. Avoid Legal Problems Before They Surface

Running a successful business is full of legal pitfalls and intricacies that you might not even be aware of. Whether the problem is small or big, if anticipated and corrected in time, it will not only help avoid unnecessary legal issues but also cuts costs. A legal issue that is not handled at the right time could end up being very expensive. An experienced and knowledgeable lawyer will be a great asset in anticipating and avoiding possible future legal complications.

3. Protect Your Interests

Business entrepreneurs are not aware of the legal formalities that are required of them when setting up and running their business. Every country and state has its own set of laws, rules, and regulations that businesses need to follow. Your lawyer can keep you abreast of the do’s and don’ts of your business and keep you free from any ensuing legal hassles. Lawyers are well versed with the minute legalities of running a business and can help you avoid any pitfalls that might come your way.

4. Filing Required Paperwork

Paperwork is the very basis of any business. There are umpteen types of papers to be looked into, contracts to be signed, customer data to be updated, etc. You often need to sign agreements and contracts pertaining to your business. A lawyer will scrutinize the paperwork to check for any loopholes. It is advisable to have a standard contract while hiring for your enterprise. Filing petitions and lawsuits are also down the line of action for a lawyer.

5. Filing Returns and Handling Taxation

Filing returns and paying taxes is an essential aspect of any business. If the returns are not duly filed or there is any discrepancy in the payment of taxes, it could have serious implications, like income tax raids or heavy fines. Lawyers can help avoid such situations by keeping the paperwork updated, making sure that the taxes are paid, and the returns are filed on time.

Any other tax-related issues can be handled by lawyers who specialize in taxation.

6. Handling Punitive Damages

At times, knowingly or unknowingly, there could be cases of harassment among employees. If you are running a factory, there could be unforeseen accidents. If any of your employees is injured as a result of negligence, it could result in having to pay punitive damages. A professional lawyer well versed with the ropes of the law is just the person to help you handle such cases. Your lawyer will also help keep up the image and the goodwill of the company in the face of punitive damages.

7. Protection of Your Brand Name

Every business is based on an idea. You have a trademark, copyright, a patent, a registered brand name that cannot be infringed upon. To protect your rights and your goodwill from being misused by others, you need a lawyer to look into this aspect of your business. Unauthorized use of your registered brand name is punishable by law; that is where your lawyer comes in.

8. Fundraising

Businesses tend to get into unnecessary debts and liabilities and often have to liquidate assets or spread equity. Legal advice is a must to protect you from investors who could end up taking undue advantage of your position. The legalities of all the agreements you sign and all the contracts drawn up are very intricate and not within the understanding of a layman with no knowledge of the law. In such cases, legal advice becomes mandatory to protect you from the loopholes that might exist in the agreements and contracts you signed. You need to know how much of your equity can be safely given out precisely, without jeopardizing your business.

It is not necessary to hire a lawyer every step of the way in your business. Many minor issues can be sorted out at your level. At the same time, it is also true that there are situations where different types of legal help and advice are required. Depending on the size of your business, you may opt for a lawyer to take care of all your legal formalities, or a team of lawyers specialized in fields like registration of your brand name, handling lawsuits, tax-related issues, agreements, and contracts related to takeovers or franchises.

Don’t cut down on the money spent on lawyers; otherwise, you will surely have to pay through your nose to rectify mistakes. If you haven’t launched yet, it’s best to get the legalities sorted before you proceed with your venture to stay on the safe side. It’s also best to hire a lawyer who is familiar with the laws in your state. So, entrepreneurs do not hesitate. Go ahead and hire the best legal brains on the market and watch your business grow.

September 23, 2020
How to Pay Quarterly Estimated Tax on Time?

Paying tax is an essential role individuals need to play in society. Paying taxes on time is not easy for everyone. Most importantly, if they live on a hand to mouth basis. Only rich people are the ones who do not have a hard time paying taxes. However, anyone can pay tax on time, like how the rich do without any problem. It is possible if they have self-discipline and dedication. If they have a plan and commit themselves to it, paying taxes on time won’t become a hassle and problem to them. Quarterly taxes is one of the known taxes individuals need to pay, which is common among freelancers. It is how these self-employed individuals pay for their taxes. Wherein it varies on their income. There, estimating it ahead of time is essential for them. If you are also a freelancer and you want to know more about how you can pay your tax on time, the following are ways of how you can do it.

Calculate

Every year or every month, inflation takes place in all countries around the world. If you are a taxpayer, you must be aware of the inflation rate the country you live in has. It will help you with this step that you must do, which is calculation. You must calculate estimated taxes you need to pay depending on the inflation rate to know how you will divide your money. If you are having a hard time in math, you can use an online application that can help you calculate your quarterly taxes. It will make your life easier, and if you have a business, it is going to be on your advantage.

Budget

If you do not have overflowing money, learning to budget your money is essential. It is a vital skill that everyone needs to learn and practice. Hence, teach your kids to budget money while they are young. It will teach them accountability, responsibility, and the value of money. And when they are old, they will not have a hard time budgeting their money to pay their taxes. If they don’t know how to budget, there is a tendency for them to have money problems in the future. They might drown themselves in debts and loans. It is the same with freelancers when they do not dedicate themselves to estimating their taxes ahead of time. Wherein they can have debt and loan problems. Therefore, if you are a parent, practice the modeling of budgeting money. It is for your family’s financial stability and security. It is also a way of influencing your kids.

Schedule

The art of scheduling is also essential in paying your quarterly taxes. You must be aware of your scheduled paying of the tax you owe. If you know the schedule, you must not have any expensive activities for that week or month of paying taxes to avoid spending the payment for your tax. People who do not have any schedule of activities often end up spending their saved money on their taxes. Therefore, if you have a hard time scheduling, practice it because it is a vital part of life.

Early Notification

Being notified a week or month because your scheduled paying of taxes is an ideal way to remind yourself. If the company does not inform and send notifications to you early, you should find ways to do it yourself. Use the technological advances society has, there are many ways of doing this. If you do not receive notifications before the scheduled date of paying your taxes, there might be additional charges for you. Most importantly, if you realized it late and weeks or months passed by already.

Tracking

To not lose track of paying your quarterly estimated tax on time, you must keep track of it. Through having a record of everything by tracking your taxes, you can also ensure that your tax refund is accurate and complete. You will have proof of payment whenever something goes wrong. Through this, you can also learn to track your expenses. You will have an idea of where your finances go the most, and you can decide if it is essential in your life. If you are spending on something that you need, and not you want. Remember, everything you spend your money to has taxes. Therefore, you should spend your money wisely.

The following shows that paying your estimated quarterly taxes is hard if you do not practice any process for it. Without records, estimations, and schedules, you can encounter problems. You might pay overdue, forget to pay, have interests, and more. Also, if you do not have any record of your expenses, you might spend money on unnecessary things that you do not need. If you are not crazy rich, you must use and spend your money wisely. You should make sure that your taxes are a part of your budget, and you must always have an extra for emergencies and savings.

September 22, 2020