Archive for Business Tips

Creating Surplus Cash For Savings and Investments

Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 13th, 2006

You know you need to be saving money but you never seem to have enough at the end of the month or worse, you are further in debt.

Living below your means is more a matter of self-discipline. A few adjustments here and there could be all it takes to have the necessary funds available for saving and investing.

Some mutual funds can be opened up for as little as $200 with minimum contributions around $50.

Here’s a list of ways to save money by spending less.

*Open up bank accounts that have little or no service fees. Keep a cushion to avoid accidental bounced checks. These can eat you alive. Be sure to maintain your minimum balance to avoid service charges.

*Try to avoid banks that charge you a transaction fee for using their debit cards. If you have no choice, plan how much money you will need in a given period and then withdraw it all at once to avoid too many transaction fees.

*Compare credit cards. Look for the ones that have little or no annual fees. It’s not too hard to find those with no annual fee.

*Avoid specialty store charge cards as they often have interest rates six or seven points higher than major credit cards.

*Never choose a card based solely on incentives or reward programs. These include auto reward points and air travel miles. These cards may lead you to spend more money over time than you can afford.

*Most importantly, avoid unnecessary interest charges by paying off the complete monthly balance. You can avoid hundreds of dollars in interest expenses on an annual basis.

*When you buy a car, consider buying one that is one to three years old. A one-year old car will be about 20% to 30% less than a new car. A three-year old car is a good buy because it could be around half the price of a new car. A car depreciates the most in its first three years. After that the depreciation levels off and it will lose less of its value.

*Another good saving when buying a used car is you will pay less for the insurance.

*When going on vacation, consider staying in your home state instead of long distance trips or even international travel. It’s often cheaper to travel within your own borders, that way, you avoid visa and passport costs, border hassles, currency exchanges, tropical shots, medication, and additional health insurance. Frequently, people travel thousands of miles to see sights not nearly as spectacular as what’s next door.

*You should consider off-season vacations. Travel at a time when everyone else is at work or school, and the staff will actually be glad to see you. You may also save 50% or more on the usual travel expenses.

*Avoid large cities and tourist traps; you’ll save a ton by avoiding these places, where you pay more to eat, drink, sleep, and travel. If you do decide to visit a big city, consider accommodations in a smaller town close by.

*If you have a lot of credit card debt at high rates, look into consolidating your debt at a lower rate.

*Refrain from making impulse purchases. Exercise self-discipline.

*Refinance your mortgage or debt at a lower rate.

*Refinance your car loan at a lower rate.

*Shop around for cheaper car insurance rates. There can be a big difference.

*Lower your phone bill by using self-control on long distance calling.

*Use a phone card for long distance or international calls.

*Use coupons when you shop.

*Don’t buy things just because they are on sale.

*Wait for things to go on sale before buying them. Keep a record of when things go on sale. Some items will seasonally go on sale. Ask stores when certain things will go on sale.

*Buy generic, or non-name brand merchandise. Most times the quality is just as good.

*Stop smoking. This habit is extremely expensive.

*Contribute the maximum each year to your 401K or to an IRA.

*Remember, paying down debt is also a way to save money. If you can make extra payments on your mortgage or go for a 15 year mortgage instead of a 30 year mortgage. The savings are enormous.

*Reduce the number of times you eat out. Oftentimes eating out at a restaurant involves paying a lot of money for over-priced and over-sized meals. For healthy meals and to save money, eat at home.

*Watch videos or DVDs at home instead of going to the movies. Pop your own popcorn instead of paying a lot for theater popcorn.

*Evaluate your entertainment and recreational activities. Many are very expensive to participate in. There are many others that are just as fun and entertaining that are at the fraction of the cost.

*Don’t try to compete with your friends and neighbors. Sometimes, an apparent prosperous lifestyle can be an illusion. Those illusions come with a lot of debt. It’s much better to have peace of mind.

Be alert. There are always ways to save money. Soon you will yourself with money you never knew you had. The key is to put that money to work for you instead of spending it.

Richard Kimball is a successful entrepreneur, artist, and teacher. His latest project is to share the universal principles of success so that others can achieve prosperity and the fulfillment of their dreams.
Website: Building A Successful Life

Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

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Payroll Wyoming, Unique Aspects of Wyoming Payroll Law and Practice

Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 12th, 2006

Wyoming has no State Income Tax. There for there is no State Agency to oversee withholding deposits and reports. There are no State W2’s to file, no supplement wage withholding rates and no State W2’s to file.

Not all states allow salary reductions made under Section 125 cafeteria plans or 401(k) to be treated in the same manner as the IRS code allows. In Wyoming cafeteria plans are not taxable for unemployment insurance purposes. 401(k) plan deferrals are taxable unemployment purposes.

Wyoming doesn’t have income tax.

The Wyoming State Unemployment Insurance Agency is:

Department of Employment
Unemployment Resources Division
P.O. Box 2760
Casper, WY 82602
(307) 235-3253
http://wydoe.state.wy.us/

The State of Wyoming taxable wage base for unemployment purposes is wages up to $15,900.00.

Wyoming has optional reporting of quarterly wages on magnetic media.

Unemployment records must be retained in Wyoming for a minimum period of four years. This information generally includes: name; social security number; dates of hire, rehire and termination; wages by period; payroll pay periods and pay dates; date and circumstances of termination.

The Wyoming State Agency charged with enforcing the state wage and hour laws is:

Department of Employment
Labor Standards/Fair Employment Program
6101 Yellowstone Rd.
Room 259C, N. Bldg.
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7261
http://wydoe.state.wy.us/doe.asp?ID=246

The minimum wage in Wyoming is $5.15 per hour.

There is no general provision in Wyoming State Law covering paying overtime in a non-FLSA covered employer.

Wyoming State new hire reporting requirements are that every employer must report every new hire and rehire. The employer must report the federally required elements of:

  • Employee’s name
  • Employee’s address
  • Employee’s social security number
  • Employer’s name
  • Employers address
  • Employer’s Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)

This information must be reported within 20 days of the hiring or rehiring.
The information can be sent as a W4 or equivalent by mail, fax or electronically.
There is no penalty for a late report in Wyoming.

The Wyoming new hire-reporting agency can be reached at 800-970-9258 or 307-638-1675 or on the web at www.wy-newhire.com

Wyoming does not allow compulsory direct deposit.

Wyoming requires the following information on an employee’s pay stub:

  • itemized deductions
  • Wyoming requires that employee be paid no less often than on regular paydays; semimonthly for railroads, mines, refineries, oil and gas production, factories, mills.

    Wyoming requires that the lag time between the end of the pay period and the payment of wages earned from 1st-15th, pay by 1st of next month; from 16th-end of month, pay by 15th of next month; state employees on direct deposit-wages earned during month pay on last working day of month, for hourly and state university employees, wages earned from 16th of previous month-15th of current month pay on last working day of month; state employees not on direct deposit-paychecks mailed by last working day of month.

    Wyoming payroll law requires that involuntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay with in 5 working days; next regular payday if suspended due to labor dispute or temporarily laid off. Voluntarily terminated employees must be paid their final pay within 5 working days.

    There is no provision in Wyoming law concerning paying deceased employees.

    Escheat laws in Wyoming require that unclaimed wages be paid over to the state after one year.

    The employer is further required in Wyoming to keep a record of the wages abandoned and turned over to the state for a period of 5 years.

    Wyoming payroll law mandates no more than $3.02 may be used as a tip credit.

    In the Wyoming payroll law there is no provision covering required rest or meal periods.

    Wyoming statute requires that wage and hour records be kept for a period of not less than two years. These records will normally consist of at least the information required under FLSA.

    The Wyoming agency charged with enforcing Child Support Orders and laws is:

    Child Support Enforcement Program
    State Department of Family Services
    2300 Capitol Ave.
    Hathaway Bldg., 3rd Fl.
    Cheyenne, WY 82002-0490
    (307) 777-6948
    http://dfsweb.state.wy.us/csehome/cs.htm

    Wyoming has the following provisions for child support deductions:

    • When to start Withholding? First pay period after service.
    • When to send Payment? Within 7 days of Payday.
    • When to send Termination Notice? Within 30 days of termination.
    • Maximum Administrative Fee? $5 per payment.
    • Withholding Limits? Federal Rules under CCPA.

    Please note that this article is not updated for changes that can and will happen from time to time.

    Charles J. Read, CPA has been in the payroll, accounting and tax business for 30 years,
    the last fifteen in private practice. Mr. Read is the author of “Tax and Accounting Issues
    in Forming a New Business.”

    To find professional payroll services at a budget price go to www.payrollonabudget.com
    a paperless payroll company.

    For a full service payroll bureau with CPA’s on staff visit www.CustomPayroll.com .

    See an excerpt of Mr. Read’s interviews from William Shatner’s “Heartbeat of America”
    television show on the web sites linked above.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

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    Payday Cash Advances Explained: How Can It Benefit You?

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 11th, 2006

    A payday cash advance is a short-term, high-rate loan, which is offered by finance companies so the beneficiary may generate immediate cash to bridge the void between paychecks. The process does not involve much verification and, in most cases, an income proof is enough to bag a payday cash advance. Though rare, a few finance companies may inquire about your credit history. In general, a borrower writes a personal check payable to the lender for the amount desired plus a fee. The borrower is then required to sign the legal documents, which list the terms of the loan, including the APR (Annual Percentage Rate), late fee and finance charges. Upon doing so, the cash is delivered to the borrower.

    Usually, an agreement will be made by the borrower to repay the loan by the date of his/her next paycheck. If the borrower is incapable of repaying the amount at the established date, the loan may be extended or “rolled over”. In general, this scenario spells doom for the borrower. Since payday cash advance loans are really short-term, their APR can shoot up to an overwhelming 500%. Payday cash advance is a viable option to acquire immediate cash, provided the borrower can repay the loan with his/her next paycheck. If not, the dues incur late fee and interest charges, which could render the borrower penniless. For instance, if a payday cash advance is extended three times, the accrued interest and fee could well be equal to the original amount of cash advance.

    Though cash advance may seem quite debilitating, especially when you get to know about the high interest rates and finance charges, sometimes it’s the only choice available. Many people really live from paycheck to paycheck, and an unpredictable expense can cause havoc for their financial state of affairs. In such a scenario, cash advance can be a life saver. However, you must only take up an amount that you are capable of repaying with your next paycheck.

    Nicola publishes an informational site about loans and cash advances, with articles and news, tips and views to help you make the correct choice about Payday Cash Advances at http://www.PayDayLoansInformation.net

    This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright www.PayDayLoansInformation.net

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    How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 10th, 2006

    Identity Theft is a real and growing problem. So what is identity theft exactly? Basically, identity theft is when someone uses your social security number, your bank credit card number, your driver’s license number or any other form of identity without your knowledge or permission.

    Many people have fallen victim to identity theft through many different means. Some of these ways are easily preventable due to their common sense obvious nature. Other ways identities are stolen are more dubious and discreet.

    So, the question becomes, how can you protect yourself from someone stealing your identity?

    To protect yourself from identity theft, the first thing you should do when considering how to divulge information about your identity to someone you do not know or may not trust is to use your common sense. Never make one-sided assumptions or take things for granted where your identity is concerned.

    Credit card company statements and bank statements you receive in the mail contain your account information including your account number. Any of these items need to be shredded with an inexpensive shredder you can buy at any office supply store. Do not throw credit card statements, old credit cards or bank statements, etc. in the trash as that presents an easy way for someone going through the trash to steal your account information and use it as if they were you.

    Another thing you can do to protect yourself against credit card fraud and unauthorized credit card usage is to sign the back of your card as “Check ID”. If a store clerk asks to see your card, he or she will check the signature on the back and compare it with some other form of ID you have. This safeguard will not work where a purchase can be automatically completed (like at a gas pump).

    When you are buying items at a store or withdrawing money from a bank or ATM machine using your ATM debit card always protect the visibility of your PIN number as you punch it in.

    Do not carry your social security card with your number on it in your wallet. Keep your social security card or anything with your social security number on it in a safe place where no one has access to it but you. If you must dispose of anything that has your social security number on it, do not forget to shred it.

    When online, do not open files sent to you by strangers or even files that are from someone you know but were not expecting to receive any from them. Do not click on hyperlinks or download programs from people you do not know either. Opening a computer file from an unknown source could expose your system to a computer virus, a Trojan or spyware. These types of programs could be ones that could log your keystroke information containing your credit card numbers, passwords or other sensitive information as you type it in.

    If you use Ebay or Paypal, read the company website policies concerning how they handle communication to you about your account information. Never trust an email you may receive out of nowhere from Ebay or Paypal asking you to “update your account information” as this is more than likely a ploy to steal that information and use it illegally.

    Use a firewall program and a router while you are online if you have high speed internet that leaves your computer connected to the internet 24/7. The router and the firewall program both make it much more difficult for a hacker to see your computer’s actual IP address which means that you have a better chance of safely sending and receiving sensitive information over the internet. Windows XP operating system SP2 has a built in firewall which you should make sure is enabled in your settings.

    When you are shopping online, always use a secure browser and shop from a web site that offers secure transactions when shopping online. Most browsers in use today have this protection feature including the popular Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers. Secure website shopping carts you visit will show up as “https://thestoresdomain.com” in the web browser address bar.

    Practice keeping your computer clean from spyware or Trojan programs that log keystroke information by using virus protection software and spyware monitoring and removal software. These programs should be updated regularly, and updates for you’re operating system and other software programs should be installed regularly to protect against the compromise of your computer files and password information. Ideally, virus protection software should be set to update itself frequently. The Windows XP operating system will update itself automatically if you enable this feature, which you should.

    The consequences of identity theft once thieves have your information can be quite severe and range from going on a spending spree to taking out auto loans in your name. For these reasons and others, it is a good idea to monitor your credit report periodically. A credit report can be obtained from Trans Union Corp. New laws have made it easy for you to get at least one free credit report that you can use to see if accounts have been opened in your name.

    Tomas Cullin is a credit repair expert. He recently authored a very popular report: The Dangers of Identity Theft and How To Protect Yourself. Get it at http://creditrepairadvice.net/idtheftsls.html He has hundreds of tips, tools and articles on his website that you can use for your own ID protection! It’s a great resource! Visit him on the web at: http://creditrepairadvice.net or the BLOG http://crdeitrepairadvice.net/crablog.

    You may copy this article and place it on your own website, as long as you do not change it and include this resource box including the live link to the Credit Repair Advice site.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

    How to shun Land Scams

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 9th, 2006

    London land scams, Kent land scams and Sussex land scams are some of the scams that recently happened in UK wherein undeveloped or a land that has no title was sold to investors. To avoid such land scams we provide here a list of precautions one should take before Investing in UK land.

    Tips to avoid being a victim of Land Scams:

    1. Beware of high-pressure tactics.
    Say “no” to any person who presses you to make an immediate investment decision. You need time to do your own research. Any ethical salesperson will understand this.

    2. Exercise particular caution if you lack financial experience.
    It’s easy to feel intimidated and overwhelmed by complicated financial slang, but resists the impulse to turn it over to “the expert.” Ask lots of questions and insist that the salesperson explain the land investment in everyday language until you understand it. Protect yourself by educating yourself.

    3. Keep in mind that good manners don’t indicate personal integrity.
    Con artists are generally extremely polite, knowing that many of us equate courtesy with personal integrity. Swindlers are also counting on your good manners to keep you from cutting them off. Don’t let your good manners land you in trouble; simply hang up if you don’t like the conversation.

    4. Watch out for salespeople who prey on your fears.
    It is common for swindlers to pitch their schemes as a way to eliminate your financial fears for the future. Remember: fear and greed can cloud your good judgment.

    5. Exercise particular caution if you are an older citizen.
    The elderly, and particularly older women, are a frequent target of scam artists. Always seek the advice of a neutral party before investing in land.

    6. Monitor your investments and ask tough questions.
    Insist on regular written reports and look for signs of excessive or unauthorized trading of your account. Constant vigilance is a vital part of being an investor. If you suspect that something is muddled be very careful and take full precaution and consult a solicitor.

    7. Report land investment scam or abuse immediately, despite any embarrassment or fear you may feel.
    The sooner you report fraud or scam, the better your chances of recovering some or all of your investments.

    8. Beware of “reload” scams.
    Investment losses often create a panic well-known to con artists who have developed schemes to take a “second bite” out of investors. To recoup their losses, victims some-times invest in another scheme (a “reload”) in which the con artist promises to make good the original loss–and may offer new higher returns. Often the result is only more losses.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

    Smaller Businesses & The Executive Interim

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 8th, 2006

    It would be appropriate to assume that the management challenges faced by both the smalleer and medium-sized companies (SME’s ) would differ from those faced by larger organisations.
    It is therefore necessary for ‘Interims@ to understand the obvious subtle differences.

    Managing what you own is a very different experience from managing something essentially owned by someone else. This is referring to businesses in which ‘ownership’ is controlled by Management.

    In the SME’s the ‘Interim Business Executives’ face very diffferent pressures and conflicts from those in larger publicly owned orginsations. Key decision-makers in SME’s are likely to have to ‘don many hats’ finding themselves in the roles of employee, owner and director - probably incorporating family roles aswell! Each of these roles will obviously carry with them different agendas and indeed those agendas will conflict.

    Furthermore the nature of equity participation in smaller businesses differs from that in the bigger business. The Equity itself will be more preciously guarded. Owner-Managers often don’t mind sharing
    the management - but often draw the line at shared ownership. The larger the business the more options they can shed, as they are not weighed down with emotional baggage, like thos in the smaller sector.

    It is therefore essential that the ‘Managing Executive Interim@ is sensitive to o these conflicts. It might be necessary, before commencement and an ‘Interim Executive@ is sensitive to these conflicts. It might be necessary, before commencement that an ‘Interim Executive’ seeks a proper mandate from the shareholders and that the management understands that mandate - easy enough with one shareholder, but when several are involved it might mean raising and addressing the conflict before commencing the work.

    Alternatively, because the ‘Managing Interim Executive’ will not have equity in the business, he is often uniquely well-placed to jhelp that business. He/she would be less susceptible to conflicts of interest, thus an’Interim Manager’ can bring more objectivity not available to most permanent executives. They are able, too, to offer precious experience to a situatioon, transferring their skills from
    running a bigger business to those of a smaller one. Indeed a decent ‘Interim Manager’ is likely to be more frank and challenging and not afraids of ‘rocking the boat’ if that what his or her’s experince advocates.

    Smaller businesses are often more volatile than larger ones as their futures can be far more uncertain and they are very much affected by the personalities involved. the larger the organisation, the less likely they are affected by an individual’s personality The success can rapidly turn to failure in a small concern and it would, therefore, be necessary on the ‘Interim Manager to react quickly; something they would well able to do not having to carry any historical baggage!

    Resources within a small organisatioon can be tight, even a highly successful one can have trouble with cash; fast growing businesses can lurch from one cash crisis to another, even though they may boast healthy profits. This, initially may pose a problem for th’Interim Managers’ as utilising an ‘Interim Management’ facility can initially appear to be expensive. However the Owner/Manager
    of the business should be aware that ‘Interim Managers’ are rarely interested in Equity. In this sense an ‘Interim Manager can be inexpensive because Equity long term is very costly. Their skills, knowledge and expertise should be rewarded with cash - by definition the ‘Interim’ isn’t interested in the sort of commitment, apprpriately rewarded by Equity.

    Thus the problems ‘Executive Interim Managers’ should be asked to address should be the most important for the future success of the business. Utilising an ‘Interim Manager’ on the face of it, may appear expensive, but if it’s a resource that ensures the business survives, then it is money well spent and of course prove to be very ‘cost effective’ in the long run.

    J Hadley writes on behalf of Executive Interims - Supply Chain Practice. See: http://www.executive-interims.co.uk

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    New Recruitment Rules for NHS Nurses

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 7th, 2006

    The UK’S National Health Service is the largest organisation in Europe and it is recognised as one of the best health services in the world by the World Health Organisation yet there is a keen need to be improvements to cope with the demands of the 21st century.

    One of the big changes imposed by the Government is that the overseas nurses will no longer be able to get work permits unless NHS trusts can prove they are unable to fill the posts with candidates trained in the European Economic Area or the UK.

    The new rule is affecting the international nurses that want to come and work in UK but can’t affect the ones that are already working in Britain. The aim of this new rule is to help the UK candidates getting jobs.

    It seams that the decision was announced as a result of a survey which revealed that only a small percentage (20 per cent) of the nurses graduating this summer have found jobs.

    An important role in this decision was certainly played by the 16,000 NHS job cuts in the past four months. Even the health minister Lord Warner considers that the survey might not be accurate as I was conducted too early. The health minister also explained that the scale recruitment of overseas nurses that took place in last 5 years at such large scale was only a short-term measure.

    As a reaction to the new rule, The Royal College of Nursing that represents the interests of nurses and nursing locally, nationally and internationally and is aiming to influence and lobby governments and others to develop and implement policy that improves the quality of patient care, and builds on the importance of nurses, health care assistants and nursing students to health outcomes as well as support and protect the value of nurses and nursing staff in all their diversity, accused the government that it is trying to put the blame of the £1.3bn NHS deficit on the shoulders of international nurses.
    The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing highlights that the “international nurses have always been there for the UK in times of need” and suggested that it is not fair for them to pay for the deficits crisis.

    There is also known that there are specialised areas such as intensive care in which there are shortages plus 150,000 nurses are due to retire in the next five to 10 years and the homegrown nurses alone won’t be able to replace them all.

    For more news stories on Medical Recruitment visit the Jobserve website. Use Jobserve to search for the latest Medical vacancies.

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    Fighting for Cheaper 4G

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 6th, 2006

    When 3G services were introduced, big mobile phone companies had to pay around £100bn which made the launch of 3G harder.

    Now when all the major leading mobile phone companies are preparing for the launch of the next generation of fast wireless broadband, the same bill issue might occur.

    This is the reason for which six of the world’s leading mobile phone companies have joined their powers to take the steps to avoid a repeat bill of such amount. The companies intend to lobby governments, regulators and the rest of the industry to make sure that the next generation of fast wireless broadband which is called 4G, is not as expensive to introduce as its predecessor.

    The idea is that the mobile phone industry looks to broadband internet access as a new way to make money. O2, owned by Telefonica, bought the residential internet service provider Be Broadband, a move that will allow O2 to offer converged mobile and fixed-line services.

    Most players in the industry think that the future is mobile broadband and believe that “the convergence strategy seems to be a defensive strategy as the major mobile phone companies are scared that the fixed-line operators are coming after their business.” (Jim Hyde, head of T-Mobile’s UK business).

    BT seems to be on the side of converged mobile and fixed-line phone services and offered a package with interactive TV, videophoning and other integrated home media services including video on demand, voice-over-internet phone calls and wireless broadband.

    T-Mobile, fair to its strategy, is launching an upgrade to its existing equipment that will make its 3G network four times faster. The service will cost £17 a month for up to one gigabyte of web surfing while Vodafone that launched a similar service but with a quarter of the capacity will charge £25.

    Although these new services seem overwhelming on the market, they are only the opening of what the industry will offer when 4G, a super-fast mobile broadband technology will be put into work. With speeds of 20MB a second there is no need to have a fixed-line broadband connection. The new service aims to speeds of 20MB a second which will make the fixed-line broadband connection almost useless.

    At this point nothing can stop the industry to develop in this direction, except maybe for the governments who are looking to make billions from licensing spectrum and technology companies looking to tie up intellectual property rights. But here comes the role of the new created Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) Forum that includes companies like Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, KPN, DoCoMo and China Mobile and will lobby regulators to allow operators to use their existing spectrum to run the super-fast wireless broadband.

    Use iTalk 247 to make cheap international phone calls.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

    Roaming Fee on Debate

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 5th, 2006

    The GSM Association, founded in 1987 is a global trade association representing more than 690 GSM mobile phone operators across 213 territories and countries of the world. In addition, more than 160 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association’s initiatives as associate members. The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers.

    Following the announcement of European commission plans to regulate the market for making mobile phone calls abroad and reduce “roaming” prices to the level of domestic charges, the GSM Association claims that the operators’ profits will be cut
    by about €2.3bn (£1.6bn). This leads to a raise of prices for the roaming services of about 7%, according to Viviane Reding, the IT commissioner.

    Operators’ reaction was to start a lobbying campaign among Ms Reding’s 24 fellow commissioners. Still, Ms Reding can claim public backing from José Manuel Barroso, the EC president, and her advisers insist that commissioners targeted by the lobby are on her side.

    Britain’s five big mobile operators have reduced the cost of roaming by varying amounts in the past month, which was the best proof, according to the GSM Association, that the market was working. Operators say Ms Reding’s officials failed to carry out
    a required “impact assessment” of their proposals. Tom Phillips, the association’s chief government and regulatory affairs officer, said: “Fresh legislation is unwarranted. It will provide an unnecessary burden; it’s just Brussels bureaucracy”

    The response of a senior EU source was that “If we had not moved, the market would not even has thought of moving and the responses so far, while welcome, simply don’t go far enough.” Mr Phillips replied that competition had forced operators’ voice revenues down 5% a year over the past five years, with roaming prices down 8% in 2005 and set to fall even further this year.

    Use iTalk 247 to make cheap international phone calls.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

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    TfL is Fighting Rush-hour Congestion

    Posted in Business Tips by Rob on August 4th, 2006

    Transport for London (TfL), created in 2000 is an integrated body responsible for the Capital’s transport system. The primary role of TfL, which is a functional body of the Greater London Authority, is to implement the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy and manage transport services across the Capital. TfL manages London’s transport network being responsible for London’s buses, the Underground, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and the management of Croydon Tramlink and London River Services. In addition, TfL manages the central London Congestion Charging scheme and regulate the city’s taxis and private hire trade.

    TfL has produced a 20-year policy vision called ‘Transport 2025′ which is aiming to help Londoners move through the capital in the new condition of the growing number of the population and commuters.

    One of the ideas promoted by TfL is to encourage big employers to stagger working hours so they can help reduce rush-hour congestion. TfL suggests that big companies should allow more flexible arrangements with working hours while the employees are encouraged to change their commuting habits.

    Another solution offered by TfL is to introduce higher rush-hour fares for the most congested public transport routes.

    For more news stories on Jobs visit the Jobserve website.

    Source: High Quality Article Database - 365articles.com

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