With crops being grown indoors under controlled environments, a selling point used by multiple vertical farms is that they can grow crops anywhere – even in the heart of a city. This has led to proponents of the industry envisioning “smart cities”, where vertical farms in city skyscrapers help feed the urban population. While this is achievable in principle, the truth is that the choice of location for vertical farming is much more involved and intricate than it may appear from these claims alone. Choosing an ideal location can be one of the most important factors in determining the success of a vertical farm.

Some vertical farms may choose to set up their facilities in pre-existing facilities, such as abandoned warehouses. In these cases, identifying the suitability of the venue is the first point of consideration: vertical farms are very energy intensive, and it is important to ensure the facilities chosen can support these energy loads. In addition, the ergonomics of the facility is also important; should the layout not be given proper consideration, this can impede workers and decrease worker efficiency. As labor costs are typically among the largest sources of expenditure for a vertical farm, improving labor efficiency to reduce these costs is of paramount importance.

While growing crops in the center of a city may seem ideal, the reality is that this may be counterproductive. Obtaining and maintaining such a location is expensive and can contribute significantly to the operating expenditure of a vertical farm while presenting logistical challenges in distributing produce; the “last mile” of food distribution is often the hardest. Having a farm right next to the consumers themselves may also be less ideal than instead choosing a location near food distribution centers, as this allows for more efficient delivery of produce. As distribution centers are typically located on the outskirts of cities, the cost of land is also much cheaper. This is the approach chosen by UK-based Jones Food Company, which chose Scunthorpe as a location for its vertical farm – this is a relatively low-cost location located near food distribution centers and a network of motorways that can reach many consumers in a day, even if it isn’t right in the middle of the capital city. Vertical farms should carefully consider their place in the supply chain before establishing a base.

On a larger scale, vertical farms may prove more profitable in different geographical regions. Vertical farms can reduce water usage significantly over conventional agriculture, and the high degree of control over the growing environment allows them to grow crops in extreme climates – where such crops may otherwise be unable to grow. In return, vertical farms demand more energy to carry out growing operations. To maximize their potential, vertical farms would ideally be located in regions of water scarcity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, or in areas with extreme climates, such as in Scandinavian countries, where the low amounts of sunlight and high costs of regulating greenhouse environments single out vertical farms as an optimal solution. The amount of agricultural land available is also an important factor – regions looking to increase food security and reduce reliance on imports while facing challenges in acquiring sufficient agricultural land would find vertical farms to be ideal. A particularly prominent example of such a country is Singapore, which has demonstrated much interest in vertical farming over the last few years.

Beyond the considerations of water scarcity and temperature, the general availability of fresh produce and the distribution networks of given countries should also be considered. Vertical farms use the added freshness and higher quality of their crops as a primary selling point, but these are typically offset by higher prices. Should there already be a large supply of high-quality produce available at lower costs, vertical farms will find it hard to distinguish their own produce and may struggle to establish a significant market share. The converse would also be true; should a country lack easy access to fresh produce, vertical farms are expected to see much demand for their produce. An example of such a region would be the Middle East: leafy greens typically travel several thousand miles to reach stores, resulting in consumers facing high prices and low-quality products. The high price of conventionally farmed leafy greens, alongside government subsidies, makes it easier for vertically farmed produce to approach price parity while providing much fresher, higher-quality products.

While the choice of location is an important consideration, it is only one of many others that must be given proper thought. Only through proper optimization of growing operations to improve efficiency and reduce costs can vertical farms reach their true potential. In the IDTechEx report, “Vertical Farming 2022-2032”, many further important factors for consideration are discussed in detail, and the future of vertical farming is evaluated through 10-year market forecasts.

The post Research Finds Location Is Key to Success of Vertical Farms appeared first on Grit Daily News.

How can businesses be as strategic as possible when choosing a developer who will take the
time to understand their business and have the skills to stay competitive?

Building custom software versus buying a SaaS solution

When organizations need software to automate a process, the easiest solution is Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). There are hundreds, if not thousands, of SaaS products on the market to automate nearly every aspect of your business, from accounting to project management to sales. SaaS products are quick to implement, affordable, and easy to use.

The downside? You’re limited to SaaS functionality built for everyone and not specifically for you. Your business workflows must fit into the SaaS technology rather than the technology customized to your business requirements and can interfere with the way your employees perform daily tasks and inhibit your unique strategies. SaaS is often the most affordable option at the expense of flexibility. A SaaS application built for the masses can only do so much. A custom application can do anything you need. It lets you own the product allows for growth and additional features while giving you a competitive edge.

Become more efficient and more productive by building what employees need rather than compelling them to work with limited SaaS functionality. Organizations might hesitate over the initial investment and the questionable return on that investment. Still, a custom solution will often prove to be much more cost-effective in the long run and can even make you money.

Custom, like SaaS, is not a fit for every case. There are plenty of SaaS products on the market that fit basic requirements or work as short-term stepping stones. The decision to go custom ultimately comes down to your specific needs. There’s no need to shift if a one-size-fits-all solution works for your team, but if you are constantly running into roadblocks in your off-the-shelf solution or have complex processes, custom could be your solution.

What makes a custom software solution be compelling?

Hours saved on team effort and time spent on a specific project. If your processes are highly customized, it’s reasonable to assume your software would also need to be. Instead of requiring teams to change the way they work, they can define the most efficient workflow in their software requirements.

Increased opportunity for customer acquisitions. You can build your strategies into your workflows using custom software to give your organization a competitive edge using tools that benefit customers. Perhaps your strategy has faster onboarding, better customer service, or a more personal approach. All these strategies can be built into custom software rather than limited by the same SaaS workflows used by all your competitors.

Intellectual property. With custom solutions, your organization drives the outcome, and you own the codebase, and it becomes your intellectual property. You no longer have a solution if your SaaS application goes out of business. With custom software, you own the solution.

Custom software needs a skilled team to build it. A competent development team requires several factors and solutions —technical, financial, and even cultural. Together, you work towards improving business workflows, revenue, and growth. Knowing what you need will help you describe what you’re looking for with prospective partners, compare skill sets, and ultimately decide the best fit for your project. Because a custom software solution gives organizations a competitive advantage in their industry – the caliber of developer talent needed to fit the bill may be more difficult to find than you realize. Custom software developers can offer a molded workflow that meets client needs and supports employee preferences. Still, they also need to have experience troubleshooting, managing enterprise projects, and building rapport with you when (at times) you may not know what you want or need.

Here are four tips to keep in mind when searching for the perfect partner:

They Need To Understand Your Business Needs

You understand the nuts and bolts of your business, but the development agency does not. Very few developers will take the time to understand your workflows step by step. They will code an application based on the requirements you tell them. If you are non-technical yourself, you may not even understand what you are asking for until the product doesn’t align with your vision. The right partner will bridge the gap between technology and your business requirements. They will ask questions not just on the technical specifications but also on what is driving these workflows. The development firm must share the same level of competence and depth of experience to understand your project’s technical and business considerations.

They Should Anticipate Long-Term Project Needs

Since custom software is more flexible and scalable, the partner you choose must take the time to understand your unique business requirements and the way you work. They must build scalable solutions so that you can always make changes as your organization grows and anticipate any pitfalls so that technology is no longer an issue in your growth. Finding the right partner who knows what it takes to build a solution to support future services proactively rather than reactive is critical. The agency and development team will need to be a quick thinker with experience selling and making decisions around software modifications.

You Should Understand that Top Talent is in High Demand

Gone are the days you could hire a single developer to handle all your IT needs. Most projects require a team with a diverse set of skills and expertise. “Full-stack” developers are as rare and mythical as unicorns. Not only that, but demand for software engineers is higher than we’ve ever seen before. Amazon alone has more than 20,000 available tech roles. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, more than 1.2 million unique job postings were in early September. This translates to higher developer costs to get quality services.

What About Hiring Internally?

That topic could be an entire article by itself. Hiring internally for your software needs can be a great solution but comes with its own host of challenges. Without diving into too much detail, you’d need to consider: a CTO, what kinds of development resources you’d need, UI/UX resources, proper implementation and production processes, and maintenance and security procedures. This is more challenging if you are non-technical. While building a successful internal development team is entirely possible, it can be a significant investment of time to get them up and running. Ultimately, this decision boils down to your specific business needs.

A Strong Partner

The goal of choosing the right development partner goes beyond the project alone. An ideal partner understands your company’s larger mission, is aligned with your future goals, and collaborates with you as a ‘partner in crime’ to achieve these goals and realize your vision. As in any relationship, a strong partner is characterized by transparency and trust related to all aspects of project development, efficient ongoing communication, and clarity around expectations at every stage. Most of all, the developers you work with must take the time to understand your requirements and the way your business flows, so they can build a solution that gives you a competitive edge and makes you money.

The post Top Considerations When Choosing a Developer for Bespoke Projects appeared first on Grit Daily News.

As inflation is surging, it is putting pressure on mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve is likely to keep raising rates this year with the goal of containing consumer prices. While the Fed doesn’t control mortgage rates, its policies have an ancillary effect. 

Think Solar

At times like this, homeowners have to use every tool in the toolbox, and solar installation is a vital one to contain/reduce monthly costs.  Buying a home that has a solar energy system, or having one installed upon purchase is a savvy financial move that also benefits the environment.

Home appraisers, who review property for mortgage companies, understand that that the installation of solar panels and solar batteries can increase a property’s market value. In fact, a Zillow study indicated that homes with solar panels sold for 4.1% more than those without.

“The sale premium varies substantially by market,” reports Zillow.  “In Riverside, Calif., for example, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 2.7% more than comparable homes without solar power—a markup of $9,926 for the median-valued home in the metro. In the greater New York City metro, solar-powered homes have a premium that is double that of Riverside. At 5.4%, that’s an extra $23,989 in value for the typical home in New York. In three other coastal metro areas—Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando, Fla.—homes with solar power can fetch a premium of around 4%.”

Getting a solar system installed is like creating your very own power plant. Homeowners make energy right on their own property instead of relying completely on the utility company to do it for them. While you can’t disconnect completely from the grid, homeowners have the ability to generate their own power every time the sun comes up.

For homeowners paying $70 or more on electricity bills each month, there are programs available that could permanently lower electric bills up to 75% with no upfront costs.

Smart Solar Financing

According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency And Renewable Energy, the average cost of solar PV panels has dropped nearly 70%. Markets for solar energy is economically competitive with conventional energy sources in most states.

A solar system is either leased or purchased. Whether you buy a system or lease it, the use of solar energy will significantly decrease monthly energy costs and increase the value of the home.

Increase Purchasing Power

An energy-efficient mortgage or green mortgage allows borrowers to finance energy-efficient improvements under advantageous loan terms. A green mortgage offers added funds with the mortgage purchase or refinance that can be applied to energy-efficient home upgrades. To qualify, applicants must meet the standard mortgage requirements of credit and debt-to-income ratio and an energy consultant develops a home energy rating report to estimate potential energy savings.

Tapping into a green mortgage can increase purchasing power and allow home buyers to qualify for a larger mortgage. And, for those people buying a home that already is energy efficient, the monthly bills will be lower.

Other ways to increase purchasing power are reducing debt, reviewing credit scores to see where any improvements can be made, and stash as much money away as you can for the down payment and closing costs and eliminate the need for mortgage insurance.

Explore First-Time Home Buyer Programs

For those who are buying their very first home, there are a variety of homebuyer assistance programs available at the national and local level. On the national level, there are Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans that are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, a government agency that sets standards for the construction and financing of homes in the United States. With a FICO® credit score at least 580, home buyers are required to put down a 3.5% down payment vs. the 20% that is industry standard.

Home buyers should also investigate their state and city level options for first-time home buyers. In New York City, for example, “the HomeFirst Down Payment Assistance Program provides qualified homebuyers with up to $100,000 toward the down payment or closing costs on a 1-4 family home, a condominium, or a cooperative in one of the five boroughs of New York City.”

Set a Budget

Before starting the housing hunt in earnest, it is important to understand how much house is affordable.  Generally, keeping housing costs to 30% or less of after-tax income is the recommendation. Getting pre-approved for the mortgage is recommended so that the house-hunt can proceed with confidence.

Consider that while mortgage rates today are on the rise, they are still relatively low on historical standards. In 1981, according to Fannie Mae data, the annual average interest rate was 16.63%! There are many benefits that come along with home ownership including tax deductions, financial stability, a permanent home and sense of belonging in the local community. 

The post Why Home Buyers Should ‘Think Solar’ in Post-Pandemic Climate appeared first on Grit Daily News.

This theory was developed by event strategist, workplace “fixer,” and CEO and Founder of RDC Robyn Duda. She saw how many organizations created wellness initiatives to mask the real problem. The workforce at large is overworked, underequipped, and rarely compensated fairly. These are all massive stressors. Unfortunately, you can have all the wellness initiatives and so-called health perks, but it doesn’t make up for workers feeling undervalued.

Duda’s number one piece of advice? We should be looking at the “Return on Energy.” What does that mean exactly? Well, think about the time spent in meetings, the number of emails, drafts of presentations, and the toll it takes on an employee. But also (and likely more important) the number of moments that elicit epiphanies, connections deepened and even innovations uncovered—the more motivating moments. There is a diminishing return when the toll outweighs the motivation. That is where we need to be looking versus an EOY result. 

“Return on energy is the idea that energy spent has value,” said Duda. “Companies should measure this to understand the toll an output has on their human capital. People do not have an infinite amount of energy to expend, meaning there must be a value placed on their energy relative to the thing they are using it on. 

For example, we should look at the number of emails, time spent in meetings, drafts, v1s v2s, and the psychological toll something takes on an employee. And, we should compare that to the number of innovations created, epiphanies had, connections made, etc. 

What does a return on energy look like in action? “The first step should be showing your employees you value them,” said Duda. “It is a way of exercising personalization in the workplace. It’s an indicator of the potential burnout of top talent, as well as overall culture and workplace improvements. Mindsets and emotions are real in the workplace and a variable to growth for every employer.”

She added, “While work is a transaction—output for money—it’s affected by many outside variables. So having a pulse on key metrics like hours spent in meetings and number of emails in a day versus how someone is feeling (their emotion) could help employers understand where potential vulnerabilities lie in the overall employee experience.”

Duda’s energy hypothesis comes from her award-winning event strategist and experience designer work. She’s created event strategies for some of the most recognized brands in the world, including Coca-Cola, Spotify, Visa, and IBM. As a result, she has become known for thinking differently and creating bold change. And the goal at the end of the day is to harness growth for her clients. 

It’s this experiential touchpoint Duda found throughout her events career that she believes can make a difference in every workplace. 

“I’ve been on the strategy side of events for many years, exploring the intersection of design thinking and experience psychology,” said Duda. “Understanding more about the humans we design for, their motivations, their mindsets, and their emotions has opened my eyes to the impact of an experience.”

The post The One Thing Companies Should do to Increase Employee Loyalty appeared first on Grit Daily News.

There are at least one-and-one half billion internal combustion engine-powered motor vehicles used solely for land transportation globally today. The equivalent of 100’s of millions more of such vehicles sail the oceans and fly in the skies.

Can all of this be replaced by vehicles powered by electric motors using on-board battery storage?

The “laws” of nature are logical and experimentally “proven” and reaffirmed by computational rules, not just by observations of behavior by selected groups of human beings. Laws of nature can be replaced with improved computation rules that give results more closely aligned with observed data; Einstein’s gravitational theory has replaced Newton’s for that reason.

The “rule” of supply and demand is not a law of nature; it is an action guideline that takes into account how much human beings will give up of their time, possessions, and promises of future actions (aka, money) in order to obtain a physical good or a service. It is NOT a law of nature, but rather an observation of the most common reaction of human beings to shortages of goods and services, which human nature deems important.

Human desire may create a demand for, but it does not create a supply of natural resources. Technology, the engineering of science, is necessary for obtaining supplies of natural resources, but it is not sufficient.

The availability of natural resources for use by the human race is a function of:

1. The logistical accessibility of deposits of those resources, i.e., can they be reached by road (or rail), or ship,
2. Are they of sufficient grade (concentration) so that available mechanical and chemical engineering technologies can SELECTIVELY extract the minerals containing them and concentrate them ECONOMICALLY enough to be AFFORDABLE for intended use,
3. Is there a downstream processing regime (group pf technologies) that can economically transform the mineral concentrates produced by mining into forms necessary for mass production of the resource into an end user product or necessary part of a product?
4. Is the above regime ECONOMICAL or AFFORDABLE (e.g., the transformation of U3O8 into enriched U-235, which is only necessary if you wish to build nuclear reactors or weapons, and which would never have been affordable other than through the driver of war allowing massive “investment” in the processing regime, and, most important of all
5. The recognition that there is a grade limit below which the resource is not available to contemporary human economically deployed technology.

ALL of the deposits of natural resources, upon which human life and leisure depend, were laid over hundreds of millions and billions of years ago. Those resources are not organic; they do not grow back in mines.

The easiest deposits to work are those of the highest grade of the desired element which also have the least “contaminants” of other related elements that must be removed to purify the desired resource into a form useful to mankind.

The only factor to be considered when planning for mass producing a consumer good that requires a specific natural resource is the cost of that resource in the form necessary for the intended use. There must be a strong indication that the capital deployed to recover and process the natural resource will be repaid by the sales of the product into the general or, in the case of the military, specific, market. Capital must be repaid through wealth creation. It cannot just be wasted in a rational society, because if it is, it will eventually run out.

Note well that subsides by government are merely a way of socializing waste of capital (aka in government as “investment”). Note also that American elites always benefit from the subsidies through the ownership of the perpetually non-going concerns the losses from which are covered by the subsidies.

There is no scheme in the green universe to repay the capital; it’s use is intended to impoverish the mass of mankind to enhance and preserve a static world (fantasy) to be enjoyed only by elites.

There is NOT sufficient lithium accessible or available, economically, to replace more than a fraction of today’s transportation fleet, much less tomorrows. Deglobalization is a necessary concomitant of less availability of cheap fossil fuels. This is already happening in the guise of protecting “democracy’ from the evil scheming of those Chinese leaders who recognized the West’s propensity for cultural suicide long ago and can think of nothing better than granting the green wishes. China now has all the lithium it needs for its domestic use of reducing urban pollution. And China uses its monopoly of the necessary critical materials to dominate the global solar panel manufacturing and wind turbine industries.

Only those transportation vehicle makers who continue to make, improve, and market internal combustion engines (ICE’s) will survive the cull as electric vehicles (EV’s) get increasingly expensive and the infrastructure to support their use with power and service fails to appear. The price for lithium itself is already too high to sustain the mass production of affordable EVs. I predict that lithium prices will come down, but, of course, that will extinguish unsubsidized low-grade production, so that an ICE/EV equilibrium production will be reached, in this decade. Oil prices will also decline as production resumes, so that the energy economy recovers it normal path.

The law of supply and demand can be applied to money, but not to wealth or value. Their creation is limited by the supply of resources, productivity, and innovation.

The post Lithium, Electric Vehicles, and the Law of Resource Availability appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Spend to Earn

Customer loyalty is the key to any successful business. Loyalty leaders growing their revenue roughly 2.5x as fast as competitors and peers lacking loyalty. A loyal customer is someone who is willing to stick with a product or service through thick and thin. They are also more likely to recommend a product or service to their friends and family.

An essential tool for building customer loyalty is to offer a rewards program. In fact, according to Bond, the average consumer belongs to 14.8 loyalty programs and is engaged in 6.7 of them. Rewards programs engage customers and give them an incentive to keep coming back and refer new business. They also serve as an analytical tool providing businesses a way to track their customers’ behavior and preferences. 

There are many different types of rewards programs, but the best ones share some common features. They are easy to use, offer a variety of rewards, and allow businesses to customize the program to fit their needs. A bold player in the space with a distinguished vision, Numi3, provides a novel rewards platform for modern businesses that understand the importance of customer loyalty and are looking to differentiate themselves.  

Brand loyalty the Numi3 way

Numi3 is a crypto-agnostic Web3 rewards SaaS platform that offers a unique solution for small to medium businesses looking to offer exceptional customer loyalty programs. For businesses, Numi3 boasts a full suite solution that is well thought out and executed using the latest technologies to provide:

• easy onboarding and integration
• secure and reliable infrastructure, and
• the lowest fees on the market.

Businesses can create reward campaigns, referral programs, or giveaways to reward their customers. Numi also provides the ability to validate and process crypto rewards transactions in real-time. So this means you can earn crypto at the checkout of your grocery store. This technology is considered feasible for future use cases to process crypto transactions in real-time. This is where a consumer pays a business for a product in crypto and the payment is validated immediately.

On the customer-end, attractive features of the loyalty program include earning crypto rewards as determined by the offered rewards program. Numi3’s user-centric solution helps businesses cater to the 79% of Americans that say they are more likely to join a rewards program that doesn’t require them to carry a physical card.

The user-friendly and navigable interface offered by Numi3 allows the utilization of crypto rewards to be simple. Apart from providing a seamless experience, the platform adopts a high level of security with several layers of defense. There is also a dedicated team of security professionals who understand the intricacies of keeping digital assets secure. Numi3 provides a simplistic journey for users regardless of previous experience with cryptocurrencies.

With large-scale Web3 adoption, businesses need to grow together with their users and increase their engagement in a maturing market. Seamless implementation will allow businesses to launch an innovative reward program without the headache associated with creating novel solutions from scratch. 

Staked rewards

Another special feature Numi3 will offer to businesses is their state-of-the-art crypto wallet solution, allowing consumers to stake, save, or withdraw their rewards.

Staking their rewards will allow users to earn rewards for holding their tokens over a set period of time, as chosen by the business, giving them even more of an incentive to spend money to add to their compounding pool of points. Additionally, implemented QR code systems prevent connectivity or network service providers from ever being an issue when registering purchases during the point of sale.

The combination of several differentiators could be a game-changer for businesses looking to increase customer engagement and prevent frustrations associated with the previous generation reward programs.

Future of brand loyalty programs

The customer loyalty market is anticipated to increase four-fold by the year 2028, with most growth projected to be led by loyalty management companies implementing and integrating advanced technologies (Fortune Business Insights). Key players are introducing personalized features, demonstrating the opportune moment for Numi3 to build their market. 

Emerging trends in the reward program market include customer willingness to engage with brand loyalty programs. Bond says 95% of consumers prefer loyalty programs using emerging technology like chatbots, AI, VR, and smart devices. Additionally, 75% of consumers say they would engage more with loyalty programs they can easily access from a smartphone. (Source: Code Broker)

Inefficiencies and inconveniences riddle the current state of brand loyalty programs on both, the business and customer end. Considering that over 90% of companies have a loyalty program, there is a major opportunity to improve the reward landscape. (Source: Accenture)

Customers are unable to keep track of and transfer rewards across different platforms. Simultaneously, businesses are not seeing their reward programs benefiting them to the fullest extent. Numi3 offers a refreshing solution for businesses and customers in both revenue and user satisfaction.

There are still a lot of uncharted waters in how cryptocurrency can play a more major role in everyday lives. Consumers are starting to understand this economic landscape better. Incentivizing their participation is a step closer to pushing cryptocurrency to the economic forefront.

The post Web3 Brand Loyalty Programs Will Funnel Millions of New Users to Crypto appeared first on Grit Daily News.

But, as much as this scenario brings about a particular problem all of its own with capital outflows out of the United States reaching worrying heights, there are also an increasing number of companies moving back to the United States. Now, whether you’re based in America or you’re reading this post from outside of the States, if you’re serious about business you have to be serious about America. The vastness of the American economy and the reaches of Americana influence are matched only by the far-reaching power of the US Dollar – the Republic of Zimbabwe can attest to that, they no longer even use their own currency anymore. Different discussion for sure, but still of interest.

So what is driving American businesses back home, and is this a sign of things to come – how do these businesses survive abroad at all and what drove them there in the first place?

Let’s discover more.

Image By GDJ

WHAT MAKES A COMPANY LEAVE AMERICA?

The most obvious reason we have to explore here is the complex, never-satiated, and permanently demanding debacle that is the United States system of taxation. Depending on the city and state you conduct your business in, how many employees you have, and the industry you’re operating in, you’ll experience a very different taxation system. There is that and then actual monetary policy. Not just the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve, but how it translates to corporations themselves. We could all get better at managing our money, specifically cash reserves.

With States like Texas on an aggressive drive to bring in investment from tech companies leading to something like a “nouveau’ silicon valley in the State, they have achieved this only because they have installed a highly attractive tax deduction system. Companies setting up shop in the State will enjoy little to no State taxation and some of the most favorable Federal taxes in the country, with a generous deductible program for new startups that create jobs, and the rule is simple: the more Texans you employ, the more generous your taxation becomes. Just ask Elon Musk.

The problem is that taxation, simply in words, is sufficient in and of itself to cause stress to investors and the money-people.

But, we also know that that is not entirely true. New York City has some of the highest tax rates in the country – for individuals that are. For all the skyscrapers in New York, there are ten times that amount of companies based there who have taxation domiciled somewhere other than New York, and in most cases – not in America at all.

The Caribbean has been particularly successful in luring company HQs to their shores. With promises of highly lucrative taxation systems and, in many cases, little regulation, it’s no wonder that the “Yanks” are on the move.

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF AMERICAN TAX

You may be surprised to learn that some of America’s biggest and most loved brands are no longer…well, “American”.

Burger King is Canadian after they acquired Tim Hortons, Budweiser of all companies now calls Belgium home, and Purina is now Swiss after their merger with Swiss giant Nestle.

What is more than just a little interesting is that many companies have left the USA for the United Kingdom – not exactly known for its liberal tax regime. Many American families have followed and now call London home. Sparking something of a “little America” in England’s capital, they bring that highly attractive Greenback with them. Relocation and migration it’s big businesses not just logistically but also in terms of consumption.  New migrants from America tend to come from backgrounds higher up on the social strata and need services that range from banking to Building Surveyors when they get there.

But it’s not exactly an easy process, so how bad is the tax in America that so many are prepared to navigate the complex migration system practiced in countries like the UK?

Let’s see how America compares.

Firstly, America is only just behind the UK in the Group of 7 nations that between them represent the world’s most industrialized nations, in terms of tax collection. So what’s the attraction? The UK is expensive, the weather takes some getting used to, and post-Brexit is not nearly as competitive as before.

Well, it turns out that they’re moving there precisely. Nearly 40% of American businesses in Britain pre-Brexit had to consider moving to other countries in the European Union. Still, many decided against it – and returned to the United States instead.

Photo By Stux

So if that’s true, and it is – why is it happening?

Well, the plot thickens, and it turns out that the problem that sent American companies packing for shores abroad is the reason they’re returning – American businesses set up company HQs abroad knowing full well that they won’t turn a profit, thereby creating a massive tax write-off opportunity.

And therein lies the problem, and it’s a multi-billion dollar problem.

These companies are not breaking any law unless it can be proved that they are deliberately devaluing or mismanaging their companies to gain this advantage, and the short answer to that is this: Good luck with that.

This sort of blatant abuse of the laws of the United States is providing tax campaigners with limitless fodder. It is costing the US economy hundreds of billions of dollars and, in recent times, even more.

The overall issue is way more complex to explain here thoroughly, but certainly, it is skewed to the advantage of CEOs and holding companies.

It is precisely the liberal business environment of the United States that makes it so competitive. Still, it is not necessarily an environment that is shared equitably, at least not yet. Speaking to whether or not you should take advantage of those laws? Only you can decide if that will work for you or not, but what is somewhat unfair is the lack of access to those benefits that the “average Joe” would experience.

The post When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough…Go Abroad (And Then Come Back Home) appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Cryptocurrency is the current buzzword in the realm of economics these days. But for those who haven’t dipped their toes into this lucrative market, the world of crypto remains a questionable investment, especially in light of today’s months-long crypto winter.

But there is a good reason to believe that crypto will become bullish, especially due to the increased use of blockchain technology and the crypto market in different industries. Crypto’s value has seen exponential growth in the past year, with the market cornerstone Bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $68,000 in 2021. And although crypto has declined this year, Bitcoin is still projected to be worth $100,000 in two years.

This growth is especially reasonable considering the growing use-cases of cryptocurrencies. While numerous establishments are starting to accept crypto, its applications have spread beyond conventional transactions and into more unexpected and exciting areas.

Here are some novel applications for crypto and digital assets.

Gaming

Gaming is one of the most popular uses of cryptocurrencies, as they benefit from streamlined and decentralized payments. Online casino games, for instance, have started using cryptocurrencies in their operations, accepting crypto payments for cash-ins and handing them out as rewards. There are also play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity and Pegaxy, whose mechanics award players with cryptocurrencies once they complete certain goals within the game.

Yes, incorporating crypto-based rewards allows you to accrue assets that have value in fiat. But more importantly, it allows you to monetize gaming for leisure.

Fan Support for Sports

Crypto assets can now allow you to support your favorite sports teams by purchasing fan tokens officially. Although not exactly a cryptocurrency, fan tokens operate similarly as a public ledger authenticates them. Elite sports teams worldwide, including top soccer clubs PSG and FC Barcelona, are embracing fan tokens. Fan tokens can be bought using a proof-of-authority blockchain called CHZ, giving the owner access to voting and membership rights ownership. These tokens allow you to participate in official team polls to help your team make fan-related decisions in notable sports clubs. They are also interchangeable for merchandise, rewards, exclusive promotions, and VIP experiences.

Nonprofit Security

Charities and nonprofit organizations, such as UNICEF and the Rainforest Foundation, are largely benefiting from the secure transactions they can afford from cryptocurrency donations. Because the blockchain enables a transparent flow of information, donations based on crypto assets allow for a more cost-effective, convenient, and secure receipt of donations. For the same reasons, they also facilitate anonymous donations without donors entrusting their anonymity to the organization’s discretion.

Most significantly, perhaps, are the low processing fees that come with donating in crypto. Because of this, more money goes to the organizations’ projects and initiatives and allows administrators to declare these assets as non-cash gifts.

Travel

Because of the numerous use-cases of cryptocurrencies, travelers can now rely on their digital assets to travel more conveniently. Notable travel agencies like Expedia now accept Bitcoin as payment for logistical travel expenses like flights, car rentals, and hotels. Some even offer discounts if you choose to pay with Bitcoin. Moreover, Bitcoin ATMs, available in select countries, make it much more convenient for you to convert your digital assets into the local currency in many major cities.

Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. As the world opens up to cryptocurrencies, these assets’ applications become more and more relevant in the real world. Ultimately, widespread implementation of these uses will pave the way for optimal convenience.

The post The Applications for Crypto Are Growing—Here Are a Couple of Notable Ones appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Led by investor and entrepreneur Fernando Garcia, Bridge 3 Labs (B3L) is an Austin-based blockchain startup focused on long-term wealth creation through disruptive Web3 technology. Founded in January of this year, the startup describes itself as “the 1st NFT Venture Studio bringing access to exclusive IRL assets through utility NFT projects.”

Born in Spain and now living in San Francisco, B3L’s CEO and Co-Founder Fernando Garcia has made a name for himself as an unstoppable leader and entrepreneur. He currently holds the position of Vice President of K2 Capital and Senior Vice President at Postlane Partners, having held similar leadership positions at Gladieux Energy, CKC Partners, and Search Fund Accelerator. Fernando is now channeling all of his experience on Bridge 3 Labs, which he is sure will outperform his previous $75M fuel automation technology and distribution business.

With this mission in mind, B3L is bringing together a private community of entrepreneurs and investors from different backgrounds to revolutionize how NFTs create wealth. By sourcing, identifying, and investing in promising teams, the startup not only helps new Web3 projects get off the ground but also brings value to its members. The B3L team has over 30 years of combined experience as founders and leaders of start-ups and mid-stage across the IT, Energy, Luxury Real Estate, and Wine industries.

The project uses its own NFT “B3L Pass” not only to grant its holder access to the exclusive community but also to advanced trading analytic tools, research, educational content, private IRL event invitations, and exclusive rewards. While the use of NFTs as a means to access a community is not new by itself, the highly professional nature of the B3L pass. In addition to this, the team will soon be adding value to the Genesis Collection via “Heirloom” NFTs.

Non-Fungible Tokens have been long criticized for their highly speculative nature and supposedly “lack of value”. Heirloom NFTs address this issue by using tangible high.end luxury experiences and commodities as their backing. At this time, these include a private Bitcoin mining operation, a boutique hotel chateaux, and a world-class winery. The high value and utility of the assets backing these NFTs mean that they will be especially beneficial to long-term holders, resulting in them being an heirloom of sorts as they continue to appreciate in value.

By taking the idea of NFT away from an art-focused technological tool, B3L is looking to make them a more effective and attractive wealth-generating tool. While this would be closer to the idea behind cryptocurrencies, Heirloom NFTs differ in their use of stable IRL assets instead of services and trust. B3L is bringing the best out of the worlds of crypto, NFTs, and luxury assets into a single product, a mix that is sure to be a game changer in the long term.

The post NFTs Changed Art and Gaming Forever: B3L Doesn’t Think That’s Enough appeared first on Grit Daily News.

In business, you have to make sure you have longevity. If you don’t stick around for at least a while, then you’re never going to be successful. There are lots of different ways of achieving this kind of longevity, but we’re going to be focusing on doing everything possible to possess an amazing reputation. How people view you matters an awful lot – you could have amazing efficiency in the workplace and all of the best attributes, but it doesn’t matter if nobody is there to see it all. 

Building a solid reputation as a business is a lot of doing so in your personal life. You have to make sure you do things, directly and indirectly, to improve relationships and improve your business as a whole. Here are just a few ways you can ensure people will look at your business in a positive light and will want to work with you: 

Possess The Right Morals And Values A Business Should Have 

Everyone has a different viewpoint, but we can all typically agree on a few points. There are some things that are just objectively ethical. If you want to be on the right side of people’s opinions, then you’ll have to make sure that you’re a business with a heart in the right place. Make sure you also have values that are linked to your field and what you wish to achieve. 

Always Listen To Feedback And Constructive Criticism 

A business that doesn’t listen to the people that they’re trying to win over will never get to where they want to be. Of course, you shouldn’t bend over backward all of the time, but listening to feedback is so important. You are going to make mistakes from time to time, and constructive advice will help out a lot in the grand scheme. A business owner with a stubborn attitude and big ego will never understand the importance of feedback and will never learn. 

Ensure You Have A Marvelous Workplace And Working Area

You will be judged on pretty much every aspect of your business. Whether you like it or not, this is absolutely the case. You have to make sure that the likes of first impressions and the way you conduct yourself are both on point. Your workplace – be it a store, an office, or a factory – will need to be looking good and operating well. This kind of thing will say a lot about you in the eyes of onlookers. 

Don’t Become A Clickbait Business Or Something Else Similarly Cheap

Clickbait seems to work a lot of the time and a lot of people have just sort of accepted that it’s a form of marketing. The majority of people become majorly put off by this kind of strategy, though. The idea of looking for quick and cheap clicks or false promises isn’t a good look. Make sure you’re not doing this kind of thing regularly – or at all. 

Know All Of The Right People And Have Contacts Who Will Improve Everything

A lot of success in this world comes from knowing the right people. Whether you like it or not, that absolutely is the case. It’s the case in your life as an individual, and it’s the same for business life. You have to know people who can get you what you need. It’s also wise to be able to strike up partnerships with reputable groups so that your name can soar, too.  

Possess Amazing Imagery 

People become impressed by the images they see in front of them. When advertising your business or your product, you’ll have to make sure you have a sexy look. Obviously, you don’t want to set out to deceive anyone with exaggerated or edited images, but enhancing things should be something you look out for. Working with photographers or graphic designers should be something you think about because the chances are that you’re not going to be able to do this kind of thing yourselves. Amateurish photos will knock the reputation of a business quite easily. Using things like DJI drones to get the right angles and other modern techniques should do the trick. Think about it from the outside looking in – how do you want to be perceived by those upon first glance?

Possess An Amazing Online Presence 

Everything is online in this day and age – everything. If people want to know more about you, then they’ll head onto a search engine or a social media page. They’ll want to instantly know about you and then make a decision. We’ve become very spoiled in that regard. So, make sure that your website and social channels are looking good because you will be judged in this way. 

Get Contingency Plans And Business Continuity Ideas For When Things Go South 

Things will go wrong over the course of your tenure in business – that’s just how things happen. You will never have a flawless run. So many different issues can occur, so you’ll likely run into stalls or a little downtime. You have to make sure that you have plans to deal with these kinds of things. Ensure that little problems won’t halt or derail the company. 

Keep Professional In Every Single Facet Of The Business

Nobody likes dealing with amateurs. Sure, you’re allowed to make mistakes, but if someone is parting with their money, then you have to make sure you’re a professional outfit who can do things properly. Ensure you’re looking good and behaving in the right way at all times. 

Hire The Best Lawyers That Will Help With Any Legal Aspects 

You never know when you might run into trouble as a company. You might make mistakes or you might end up needing to go on the offensive. In this case, you should have the best lawyers available in order to help you out. They’ll also be able to help you to start up the business without hitches in the first place. 

Work Hard And Develop A Habit Of Putting In Effort 

If people know that you’re a group that will go the extra mile for customers and clients, then you’re only going to look good. If you gather a reputation of being lazy and not doing your best, people will look elsewhere. There will always be people and groups around that will work hard, so you have to make sure that you’re matching that kind of habit. If you’re motivated to work, then you’re going to have a lot more success in all kinds of different departments. 

Hire Good People Who Are Passionate About This Field

This is an important point to make because a business can only be as good as those working in it. If you have passionate employees that really want to do well in this field, then you’re going to have a much better time. When it comes to customer-facing tasks, they’ll be able to speak with enthusiasm and they’ll genuinely care about what they’re doing for them. This can go a very long way in terms of getting people to fall in love with what you’re doing. 

Always Look To Improve On Whatever You’re Doing 

A company that always wants to improve will always be seen as an attractive one. If you’re okay with how things are and you show no ambition, then people are going to be put off pretty quickly. Just like in your personal life with friends and admirers, you’re going to look more attractive if you have lots of things going for you. If you’re boring and not looking for greater things, then a lot of people will become a little disinterested. Always look to grow and evolve. This will benefit you directly as well as the way you’re perceived. 

Stay Consistent With Your Brand And Fundamental Ideas 

People do not like wishy-washy behavior of any kind. This goes for your personal life and also your professional life. Consistency is key and you have to make sure that you’re not changing too much up too quickly. Whether we’re talking about the way you work, new product ideas, or your fundamental views on things. People choose you because they like what you do but also because they align with the way you do things. If you change your stance or your activity too much, they might not see you in the same light anymore. 

Be Genuine With Customers And With What You’re Trying To Achieve 

As you probably know by now, people are not stupid. We all make mistakes in life, but we’re able to see right through a person when they have an obvious ulterior motive. If they are being disingenuous with their behavior or they don’t seem genuine at all, it’s not going to make them a very attractive proposition. As a business, you have to be honest and genuine with what you’re looking to achieve. You also have to be straight-up with the people who are doing business with you. If they see that you have only your best interests at heart, then they’ll likely lose a little bit of affection they once had for you and look elsewhere for their needs. 

The post 15 Sure-Fire Methods Of Improving The Reputation Of Your Company Even More appeared first on Grit Daily News.