As a result of this review, on the 1^st of April 2013, legislation came into place enforcing the above, ensuring that someone who has suffered a personal injury can no longer keep 100% of the compensation they are awarded from a successful claim.

The creators of the infographic, Express Solicitors in Manchester, are quoted as saying: “In any case, people are still able to apply for no win, no fee, it just works differently. Claimants will not be expected to pay any fees up front; their fees will be deducted from compensation gained; if they gain no compensation then fees will not have to be paid to the solicitor. It’s a similar concept, no win, no fee is still available. The new law just means 100% compensation isn’t available anymore.”

To make up for the 25% loss, it was decided inflation rates will see a rise in total compensation amounts by 10%, although this will still see people losing out on money. In fact according to research carried out by Express Solicitors, under the new legislation a typical small case claimant could actually lose out on over £1,300 which is all demonstrated in the graphic below.

Injury compensation has changed as of the 1st of April 2013. Find out more here.

Graphic by Online Trading Academy

Have a goal to save money for

Believe it or not having a specific goal to save for increases your chances of saving significantly. It could be the big round the world trip that sees such exotic destinations as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, the United States, or even good old Great Britain. Maybe your saving towards a deposit for a new or first home which is considered to be one of the common reasons to save or is it that you want to splash out on the latest supped up V6 Holden Commodore SS Ute… what ever it is the chances are if you have a goal to save for you’ll be more inclined to save.

Put a little bit away every month

By having a saving for a rainy day mentality and put money away each month you are training yourself to be disciplined with your money. In other words:  a total frugalista. Personally I would start small and build my monthly savings contributions more and more on a monthly basis until you make saving a habit of yours. The best place to put your “Slush Fund” money or “Rainy Day” money is to put it into a high interest savings account to get the maximum amount of money which is exactly what this infographic from RAMS High Interest Savings Account is all about.

How Australians are Saving Money infographic by RAMS Saver

So why are all the expats over there in the first place? Big pay cheques for one. A great lifestyle, too, especially for those well suited to an extremely hectic pace. Frenetic, some would say is a better word to describe it all. Yes, high living and high spending Dubai, where credit cards and shopping go hand in hand. That’s because this global city, nothing less than an economic powerhouse, is home to some of the best of shopping malls to be found anywhere on the planet, let alone the Middle East.

But it’s not all singles, shopping and stunning night life. There are plenty of families in Dubai and the rest of the UAE, too, enjoying a standard of living hardly attainable back home. As well as plenty to keep the kids amused, there are also many excellent schools offering a variety of curricula, from American, British and Canadian to Indian and many more.

The UAE is also well served by an extremely strong and well regulated banking system which is certainly worth getting to know. Barclays and HSBC, for example, should be familiar names. They’ve operated in the country for decades. Of course, there are many others, less familiar perhaps, but also offering first class money management services.

Opening a personal bank account should present little in the way of difficulty, provided you can produce the required official documentation. Naturally, this’ll include passport, residence permit and tenancy agreement to confirm your UAE address. Some banks may also require a letter from your employer stating your monthly salary.

It’s also an idea to take along a couple of the latest bank account statements and a letter from your bank back home, if you have them. That should help expedite matters. And take along several passport-size photographs, too, which the prospective bank will use for their records. A good tip is to always shop around, even when opening something as mundane as a personal account. Some banks may not be quite so strict and offer a lot more besides a basic ATM cash card.

Finance has certainly been key in Dubai, and the wider UAE, in terms of the city’s rapid development. Oil, discovered during the 1960s, changed everything, transforming a struggling economy which for many years depended on fishing and pearl hunting. The pearl industry nose dived following the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl. The depression of the 1920s and 1930s added to the misery, as did the Second World War.

But the discovery of the oil was the catalyst for change, which turned a desert landscape populated by the odd Bedouin tribesman into the magnificent city we see today. To say everything has happened at a breathtaking pace is surely an understatement. Sure, the global downturn has affected  the pace of development to an extent, but this restless and incredible metropolis is already leading the country’s recovery. This is Dubai, after all, expat magnet and jewel in the crown of the UAE.

A good list of Dubai banks can be found here.

Things to also consider is the projected future wealth streams for the business. Yahoo is predicting projected revenues in the range of$4.5 to $4.6 Billion. This might sound really good to the investor but ultimately commentators are already looking very closely at Yahoo’s display revenue, especially in the fourth quarter of 2013 which is what Yahoo’s traditional and very much key revenue source. This alone should definitely when placing a financial spread to speculate the position of a tech stock like Yahoo in the coming months ahead.

“This infographic was provided by the spread betting and forex trading specialists City Index”

Businesses who compare business gas & electricity with Make It Cheaper often wonder how they can turn something they joy into profit, but it’s perfectly doable. All that’s needed is a keen eye for a bargain on everything from office furniture to energy, a good sales strategy and knowledge of your potential target audience.

If you fancy yourself as an entrepreneur, there’s nothing stopping you from following your dream. Doing something you enjoy will help you to become a success. You’ll be more motivated to make your new business work, plus you may be able to make more from your new job than you ever did working for someone else.

Source: Make It Cheaper: The Saving Experts for Business

Average college costs in the USA and the UK

Tuition is the first cost on the list at any institution of higher learning. While other expenses, such as books and lab fees, rent, food and incidentals may all be reduced or eliminated in various ways, tuition fees must be paid for each semester. Most colleges and universities will not permit registration for any classes if this sum is not paid in full.

In the United States, tuition at a state university can be fairly reasonable for residents of the state, with costs ranging between $2,000 and $6,000. The amount increases substantially if the student is from out-of-state, sometimes by as much as $10,000. Private universities have much higher tuition fees; upwards of $10,000 regardless of residency, while ‘ivy-league’ schools may charge as much as $15,000 per semester.

From 2013, tuition fees in the United Kingdom are capped at a maximum of £9,000 per year. International students are hit much harder, with yearly fees of up to £14,000 a year, depending on the university and course being taken.

Managing and reducing college costs

A first step toward reducing the overall cost of higher education begins with a visit to the prospective college or university. While a great deal of information is available online or in reference books, visiting the campus will give the prospective student a good idea of how much it will cost to travel to and from the campus; how much accommodation and food will cost, and any other incidental expenses that may be incurred.

Another great way to save money while studying for a degree is to start coursework in a community college, earning a two-year or Associate’s Degree. These programs generally focus on many of the mandatory courses that must be taken in the first two years of college. It is important to ensure that the credits earned at a desired community college will matriculate to a four-year university. Pursuing an Associate’s Degree is a great way to try a variety of courses and learning tracts, giving students the chance to see what works for them, discovering what they are really interested in and making the choice of their major and future career more defined.

Most prospective students tend to apply for at least one student loan of some type, but in addition, it is a good idea to spend some time researching what scholarships may be available. Academic or athletic scholarships are the obvious first stop, but a wide number are made available by a variety of institutions and organizations. Look at all options available, even the most unique or bizarre; when it comes to getting money for college pursue them all.

In this infographic, it starts with statistics that show the percentage of employees in the UK  that are using video conferencing as well as the increase it is expecting to have. We see the reasons that we should invest in it. It delivers a clear message that shows all the benefits of video conferencing and the statistics are there to prove it too. The third interesting statistic which is show is the top reasons for introducing video conferencing.  This shows you a diagram of the benefits and how much costs can be reduced when you are using video conferencing.

Being an informative and interesting Infographic with the many statistics and diagrams, it is well worth your time to read this. There is a lot to learn and maybe you have never understood the importance of video conferencing. Perhaps you have never heard of the word video conferencing and this will give you a good understanding of what it is, and why you should add this to one of your communication mediums. Learn more about this exciting topic today.

Video Conferencing – An infographic by the team at OmniJoin Uk

Embed Video Conferencing on Your Site: Copy and Paste the Code Below

Video Conferencing – An infographic by the team at OmniJoin Uk

Making use of technology

Having the right software for the task at hand is a must. Opting for a software package that will save time can also help to reduce overheads, as it may be that not as many staff members are needed. The right software can also help to keep systems more accurate and make life a lot easier when the tax return needs to be done.

Creating a ‘digital’ office can often help too. Making use of Google Docs and other cloud systems to share information will cut back on the amount of paper needed in an office, saving on simple things such as stationery bills and printing costs. It can also help with efficiency, as information can be passed from one colleague to another instantly. Use features on email such as calendars and contacts to keep everything co-ordinated.

Any member of staff with access can file electronic documents on a shared drive, which will save on the time-consuming task of filing paper copies. Electronic documents can be accessed instantly
and there is no loss of time spent searching through mountains of paperwork for one piece of paper. Any measure such as this that saves time allows staff members to work on other things that will earn money for the company.

Outsourcing services

There are many tasks that can be outsourced to other companies, freeing up time and money within the organisation. Payroll is just one of these tasks, and there are many organisations that can help.
A company that has employees will need a payroll run completing on time and accurately, and it can make good sense to use an accountant. An accountant is also useful for dealing with taxation issues. For a business owner, these can be something of a minefield. There may be issues such as IR35 to deal with, depending upon the nature of the business, and professional assistance can often save a lot of money.

There are other services that can be outsourced, including HR and training. Again this will save money, as there will be no need to have full-time members of staff to deal with these functions.

For a contractor who works alone, it can often make sense to employ the services of an Umbrella Company, which will take on board all of the admin from invoicing and credit control to PAYE and national insurance. All the contractor has to do is fill in a timesheet and the Umbrella Company pays the wage after making the relevant deductions. This is perfect for those who are new to contracting, as they remain independent but are legally an employee of the Umbrella Company.

Elements to consider

The cost of replacing existing equipment is perhaps the most obvious element to consider.  The extent of the outlay is likely to impact cash flow, although this may be tempered if the value of existing assets is taken into consideration and can be redeemed; for example, by selling them on as second-hand goods.

Timing is also important, as is minimizing business disruption.  Sometimes a short wait, and skipping one or more interim hardware models or software releases, can mean getting the very latest technology without going through several upgrades in the process.  However, if just a slight modernisation would make a big difference, then it is best to take advantage of ‘end of the line’ sales and get a bargain price for a computer or piece of software that is just about to be superseded.

Minimizing business disruption is about planning for an acceptable amount of downtime – the gap between getting rid of existing equipment and installing new stuff, or vice versa.  It is always prudent to allow for teething troubles when new technology is being installed.

Minimising costs

There are several options for minimising costs and these include reselling existing, fully owned equipment and then deciding whether to lease or purchase new equipment.  Buying office equipment outright means it can be depreciated over a period of time in the business accounts and is available for resale when a business next decides to upgrade.  Some purchase contracts offer a warranty – a period when the supplier will carry out free maintenance and replacement of parts; however, this is generally very short, and normally only lasts approximately 12 months.

Leasing, on the other hand, can be easier for cash flow purposes as the outlay is spread over a period of time.  A further benefit is that a maintenance contract will normally form part of the service and will apply during the lifetime of the product.  Additionally, regular upgrades to some types of equipment may be automatic.

Best ways to upgrade

The potential for resale of existing equipment should be established in the early stages of the decision making process.  To do this, an inventory of what is available can be drawn up and internet sites checked for the potential value, depending on equipment age and condition.  It pays to shop around for the best price before opting to sell your stuff online, as prices may vary widely.  The decision to buy or lease should be based upon what suits the business at the time, and what known advantages or disadvantage this may have in the future.