Io T Product Development: Complete Guide For Startups

Ninety percent of companies that took part in the 2021 Microsoft IoT Signals survey have already adopted the Internet of Things solutions to reduce operating costs, unlock additional revenue streams, and gain a competitive edge.

Companies that struggle with IoT product development typically cite high scalability costs, technical challenges, and vague ROI perspectives as the key reasons for IoT project failure.

As a startup looking to create an IoT solution, you could avoid most of these challenges by carefully planning your IoT pilot in advance.

Here’s where our guide to IoT solution development comes in useful.

Understanding IoT Product Development

This time, we’ll focus on the Internet of Things definition, architecture, and stages your connected product goes through before hitting the shelves.

What Is an IoT Product Exactly?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of physical objects connected to the Internet and/or each other over a wired or wireless network.

The “things” term may apply to both electronic devices, such as fitness trackers, and non-electronic objects enhanced with sensors and lightweight control gadgets (think smart curtains operated via a relay and mobile app).

There are two types of IoT solutions you could create:

  • Sensing devices, which measure information on the surrounding environment and convert it into digital signals
  • Actuating devices, which receive digital signals from the network and act upon them

These devices can talk to the nodes within an IoT ecosystem (i.e., peer-to-peer communication), connect to the network via a gateway, or establish gateway-less connections.

What Does an IoT Solution Architecture Look Like?

To create an IoT device or non-electronic gadget scavenging and acting on environmental data, it is essential to understand how connected solutions function under the hood.

The Internet of Things architecture comprises four levels:

  • Application layer. This layer features embedded software — i.e., firmware or proper operating systems — that runs on sensing and actuating devices. It may also include mobile, web, and desktop applications helping users interpret sensor data and manage gadgets. So if you’re looking to create an IoT app, we’ve got bad news for you: applications are just the tip of the IoT iceberg.
  • Service and application support layer. Essentially, this is the IoT infrastructure layer where data aggregation, storage, and processing operations take place. To save costs and ensure uninterrupted device/service performance, IoT startups often choose to set up this infrastructure in the cloud (as opposed to on-premises servers).
  • Network layer. On the network level, IoT engineers can implement cellular, Wi-Fi, and wired connectivity technologies to interface the components of an IoT ecosystem — i.e., “things,” back-end infrastructure, and user applications.
  • Device layer. We could segment the functionality enabled by the device layer into:
  1. Gateway capabilities. IoT gateways support devices connected through wired and wireless technology, such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and LPWANs and perform protocol conversions, enabling devices with different connectivity tech stacks to communicate.
  2. Regular device capabilities. IoT nodes typically collect and share data. But they can also construct networks on the fly to accommodate new nodes or replace an existing malfunctioning device. Also, some IoT devices can display limited data processing functionality (i.e., edge IoT deployments) and switch between sleep and awake modes to save energy.

The Internet of Things architecture also incorporates device management and security components.

The former helps resolve traffic congestion issues, monitor IoT product performance, roll out software updates, and track device activation and deactivation.

The latter ensures privacy protection and data confidentiality and supports application-specific requirements, like facilitating secure mobile payments.

Commonly, this functionality is baked into popular IoT platforms, such as Google Cloud IoT, AWS IoT Core, and ThingWorx.

What Stages Does the IoT Product Development Lifecycle Span?

Prominent IoT infrastructure vendors like Microsoft and Google distinguish four stages of the IoT development process:

  • Learn
  • Trial/proof of concept
  • Purchase
  • Use

Here at Expanice, we prefer a slightly different classification, which, in our humble opinion, better aligns with the IoT product development stages startups go through:

  • IoT product idea validation
  • IoT product discovery
  • Minimum viable product (MVP) development
  • Market launch and MVP scaling

Let’s inspect the activities undertaken during these phases of the IoT product development lifecycle.

IoT Product Idea Validation

By 2025, the Internet of Things could become a $11.1 trillion market with a whopping 41 billion connected devices deployed globally.

To develop a product with strong commercial appeal, your startup should start your IoT product development journey with thorough market research. Its elements include:

  • Assessing the demand for your IoT solution. Besides studying research papers issued by technology consulting companies like Gartner and Accenture, your startup could conduct in-depth interviews with experts and potential customers from your target domain — e.g., healthcare, wellness, manufacturing, retail, etc. Next, ?analyze the macro- and micro-environmental factors affecting your business using marketing frameworks like TEMPLES, VRIO, and Porter’s Five Forces. You should pay special attention to the data privacy and security laws governing IoT adoption in your target geographic locations, as well as industry-specific regulations for IoT devices, such as HIPAA, HL7, and NIST.
  • Getting to know your competition. Being part of the macro-environmental audit, competitive analysis allows you to determine the optimum feature set, pricing, and marketing strategy for your IoT product. Your goal here is to identify an unoccupied niche and offer something — i.e., a piece of functionality, competitive price, superior quality, or five-star customer service — that your competitors are missing.
  • Choosing a suitable IoT business model. Drawing on the insights obtained from the market and competitor research, your company should choose an appropriate business model to monetize your IoT product. Some popular options here include one-time purchases, subscriptions, and the monetization of accompanying services and products, such as sensor data analysis. To better align your service offering with your company’s mission, resources, and marketing mix, you could use the Business Model Canvas template by Alexander Osterwalder.
  • Estimating the efforts required to build an IoT device. In this step, you need to summarize the findings of your market research using the SWOT analysis and determine what resources and capabilities you are lacking to create an IoT device and the applications supporting its logic. Based on your company’s primary focus (hardware, embedded, web, or mobile), you’ll figure out which parts of IoT product development need to be outsourced.

IoT Product Discovery

In the IoT product development lifecycle, the discovery phase helps verify your IoT product idea against your business needs, evaluate your project scope, and create a preliminary technical vision for your custom IoT solution.

To reach these objectives, enlist the help of a skilled business analyst. The IT specialist will collaborate with your company’s internal and external stakeholders and determine what the IoT solution should do and how it is supposed to function.

These characteristics are known as functional and nonfunctional requirements for IoT product development.

Following the discovery phase, you’ll get definite answers to such questions as:

  • What tasks and processes would your IoT system enhance or automate?
  • What type of data capturing devices are you going to use?
  • Which connectivity technologies will your IoT product rely on?
  • Where will sensor data be stored and analyzed — and how is it going to be presented to end users?
  • How will your custom IoT solution interface with third-party devices and services?
  • What is the approximate size of the user base you’re targeting?

Based on this information, you’ll be able to select a suitable technology stack for your project, lay a foundation for an IoT architecture that would flexibly scale along with your product, and get a realistic IoT cost estimate.

IoT Prototyping

The goal of the prototyping phase of the IoT product development lifecycle is to create a proof-of-concept version of your connected device, identify technology roadblocks, and test the prototype with real users to further refine its functional and nonfunctional requirements.

To build an IoT device prototype, you (or the vendor of your choice!) could leverage off-the-shelf single-board computers and microcontrollers like Arduino Uno and Raspberry Pi.

Such IoT development boards come with a variety of features, including USB support, SIM card slots, multiple digital inputs and outputs, robust connectivity options (BLE, Wi-Fi, cellular), and decent processing capabilities. Additionally, they are compatible with different open-source hardware components and development kits and could be connected to popular cloud IoT platforms — for instance, AWS IoT.

The choice of ready-made IoT prototyping tools is based on initial hardware requirements, such as connectivity, power consumption, RAM and flash memory, system architecture, and the availability of SDKs.

The benefits of prototyping in IoT are mostly cost-related. For example, you could create a working version of your connected solution at a small fraction of what it would cost you to design a custom device. Also, you can start developing firmware, back-end infrastructure, and mobile apps faster — and rule out technology limitations early on.

IoT MVP Development

As we mentioned earlier, the Internet of Things term does not always refer to electronic devices. If you’re working on an asset tracking solution based on BLE beacons, you don’t have to design custom hardware and could focus solely on creating a supporting software infrastructure.

Otherwise, your IoT minimum viable product development project would span three stages:

  • Hardware design (plus certification)
  • Infrastructure setup
  • Application development

Custom IoT Hardware Development

How to create an IoT device? Well, pretty much like the other IoT product development activities, the custom hardware design process involves several steps:

  • Analysis. From concept development to technical requirements specification, the analysis phase largely builds on the insights you’ve gleaned from IoT product discovery.
  • Modeling. You collaborate with hardware engineers and industrial designers to devise printed circuit board (PCB) layout schemes and visualize the gadget’s case in 3D CAD.
  • Prototyping. Do not confuse the IoT prototyping activities we mentioned in the discovery section with custom device prototyping. This time, you won’t be using BeagleBoard, Raspberry Pi, and other off-the-shelf IoT development boards. Instead, you need to contact a hardware manufacturing company and produce up to ten PCBs based on the layout schemes created in the previous step. Your hardware vendor will run extensive tests to validate the PCBs meet your performance requirements, debug them if necessary, and update the technical documentation.
  • Testing. At this stage of the IoT product development lifecycle, engineers will transform successful prototypes into pre-production models while using different materials for the device case. Next, you’ll need to conduct electrical safety, pre-certification, and user tests. Do not be surprised if critical errors surface in the process. This is not at all uncommon, and your custom IoT device could spend anything between six months and two years before you achieve your performance and safety goals.
  • Certification. When doing market research, you have learned about the Internet of Things regulations effective in your target markets. Depending on your gadget’s scope of application, you might need to procure various certificates before selling the IoT solution to end users. These may include the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS) and Energy Star compliance, the Electrotechnical Commission (EC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL) certifications, Bluetooth Sig Qualification clearance, as well as industry- and product specific test certificates for gadgets that collect user data or come in direct contact with the skin.

IoT Infrastructure Development and Setup

The infrastructure layer of an IoT system includes several components:

  • Embedded software. Firmware, middleware, device drivers, and full-fledged operating systems interface the hardware components of your custom IoT device, allow it to perform its intended sensing and actuating operations, and help integrate the gadget with other devices and components of an IoT infrastructure. Typically, the hardware vendor you’re working with can handle the embedded part, too, although you might need to hire a separate team for that.
  • Connectivity. Again, it’s your embedded team who tackles the networking part. To send sensor data to a gateway or directly to the cloud, your gadget will rely on short-range or long-range wireless connectivity technologies. When selecting a connectivity tech stack, you should consider networking costs beforehand. For instance, if you opt for cellular technologies, you might end up spending $0.04 per every megabyte of data your gadget sends over the network.
  • Cloud infrastructure. Based on the requirements identified during the discovery phase of the IoT product development lifecycle, you’ll need to select a cloud platform supporting your gadget’s business logic. Here’s where sensor data will be aggregated, stored, analyzed, and visualized using dynamic dashboards. Cloud service providers like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft typically charge per the amount of server calls your gadget makes — or the number of devices within an IoT ecosystem. But the cloud providers’ fees are not the only issue to consider here. When designing a blueprint architecture of your IoT solution, you should make the necessary provisions regarding your user base, the amount of data traversing the network, and the overall complexity of your system. For example, if you’re planning to deploy a machine learning model to interpret sensor data at some point in the future, you should be able to do so without a complete infrastructure overhaul. The same goes for device management, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and ongoing performance optimization through DevOps.
  • Supporting infrastructure. Setting up a data warehouse or data lake solution in the cloud and configuring some analytics capabilities is only half the job. Complex IoT solutions like remote patient monitoring (RPM) or end-to-end home automation systems require a dedicated customer support department — and a plethora of related software tools like mobile, web, and desktop apps enabling end users and admins to operate connected devices.

The Internet of Things App Development

Being part of the IoT product infrastructure, user-facing applications help configure and manage connected devices — and visualize sensor data processed in the cloud.

Depending on your overall IoT product requirements and target audience, you might need to create:

  • Native or cross-platform mobile applications, which? act as a remote control for IoT products
  • Embedded human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that allow users to operate devices without a mobile or web app
  • Web-based or desktop applications that mirror the functionality of their mobile counterparts and allow IoT product admins to manage user accounts

Speaking of IoT MVP development, it normally takes three to six months to create a complete software ecosystem for an IoT device.

The good news is, software development activities can run in parallel with custom hardware design. And if you’re developing IoT devices on a shoestring budget in the hope of getting funded, you can skip the hardware design part altogether and make do with an off-the-shelf board for the time being.

IoT Product Launch and Scaling

Congratulations! You’ve built your first connected device containing enough features to meet user expectations and differentiate your company from the competition. Now it’s time to get your IoT solution to the market, analyze initial user feedback, and tweak your product accordingly.

Technically, going to market is not part of the IoT product development lifecycle — and that’s why it often gets overlooked by IoT companies. Here’s what you can do to avoid getting stuck in the IoT startup limbo:

  • Assemble a beta user group to test your MVP and adjust your product — i.e., the applications and the gadget itself — to better meet user needs
  • Develop a marketing plan covering content production, participation in industry-specific and technology events, and partnerships with influencers
  • Gradually expand your product’s feature set by adding new functionality and use cases once you hit your initial revenue targets
  • Go the extra mile to provide superior customer experience: after all, acquiring new customers costs five times as much as keeping existing ones

Five Ways Your IoT Product Development Project Could Go Awry

Finally, we’d like to draw your attention to common challenges startups face when developing IoT devices:

  • Stumbling upon technology roadblocks late in the IoT product development process. Creating a luxurious gold bracelet with physical activity tracking capabilities might be a good idea, but what if the metal case would interfere with the Bluetooth signal, preventing the gadget from sending sensor data to a mobile app? A surefire way to avoid such scenarios is to kick your project off with a discovery phase and ensure extensive test coverage before sending the device to production.
  • Struggling with multi-vendor IoT project management. Few companies possess the required IoT product development expertise and personnel to build all components of an IoT system under one roof. As an IoT startup owner, you should elevate your project management knowledge and choose appropriate project tracking software to keep your distributed hardware and software development teams on the same page.
  • Incorporating too many features into an IoT product MVP. The results of your market research might indicate that users want a self-learning smart home system with biometric control options, but in reality, you most likely lack the skills and resources to create such a complex IoT device from the ground up (and within a single iteration). Here at Expanice, we recommend that our clients start their IoT product development journey by creating an MVP containing just enough features to ignite user interest and get investors on board.
  • Ignoring IoT scalability and hidden infrastructure costs. To choose the right development tech stack and design an IoT solution architecture that would grow along with your business, you should partner with a skilled business analyst during the product discovery phase, interview stakeholders both within and outside your company, and hire top-notch software architects, no matter the price.
  • Taking IoT security lightly. Despite the global IT community and government efforts, the Internet of Things remains a low-hanging fruit for cybercriminals. From hard-coding device passwords to using open-source software development tools containing documented vulnerabilities, there’s a million ways to overlook security loopholes in your IoT infrastructure — and let your customers down. That’s why “security by design” should be your IoT product development mantra from day one.

Stay tuned for more — and follow Expanice on social media to not miss our next article about IoT-enabling technologies!

P.S. The story was originally published here.

A Very Good Forex Trading Technique Can Imply The Difference Between Failure And Success

A very good forex trading technique can imply the difference between failure and success

by

mattyj1xwo

Taking a cruise to a international country can be a new and exciting expertise if in case you have never traveled abroad. There are plenty of new sights to see and issues to strive, however there are also risks that na ve travelers must be aware of. When touring internationally there are a selection of things to take into accounts that can make your vacation even more enjoyable.

When touring internationally on a cruise it could be a good suggestion to put money into travel insurance. Not solely does travel insurance protect you from any surprising cancellations, which will be necessary since cruises abroad may be extra expensive than domestic rates, however travel insurance can turn out to be useful in other ways as well. Earlier than leaving test into your medical insurance plan to search out out in case you are lined in foreign countries. Some insurance policy don’t cover medical expenses in international countries and in some cases insurance coverage aren’t accepted by international hospitals. In case of medical emergency while you’re away, journey insurance insurance policies might be bought to cowl any unforeseen medical prices that will occur while you are traveling.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKQU-CcrQhs[/youtube]

Be sure to get to the boat early. In at present s world, there are a variety of safety precautions and safety measures that are taken earlier than you’re allowed to board any mode of public transportation. This means that you’ll want plenty of time to test your luggage and get by security before your boat leaves. If you find yourself having just a little extra time before you board your cruise, most shipping docks have areas the place travelers can wait for their cruises to leave. It’s better to have a little bit further time than to miss your boat. Additionally, be sure you have your boarding pass and passport helpful so you can get them checked rapidly and simply fairly than having to go looking by means of your baggage for them.

If you are traveling overseas for the first time, watch out for scams that many international travelers sadly fall prey to. There are a selection of smalltime thieves that lurk in areas the place cruise ships dock, waiting to make unsuspecting passengers their next victims. Ensure that to maintain your bags in sight at all times, to keep away from getting something stolen. Also, you should definitely only hold items you’ll really want in your wallet during your trip. Try not to carry loads of pointless objects with you. It is also a good idea to lock all baggage that you carry with you.

It is a smart concept to make copies of all essential documents before your trip. You must make photocopies of your passport, bank cards, medical prescriptions, and your medical insurance information. Photocopying your bank cards will can help you have photographs of them if they occur to be misplaced or stolen throughout your trip. You should have the numbers, expiration dates and the telephone quantity to name if you do misplace them. By copying medical prescriptions you’ll be able to have the knowledge for any drugs you may want throughout your trip. Medicine bottles are small and can easily be misplaced. You will need to always have your medical insurance coverage information with you in case of any medical emergencies. After all, as beforehand talked about, you need to make it possible for your medical insurance absolutely covers any medical expenses in other countries before departing on your trip. If it does not cover you, travel insurance coverage is likely to be a sensible alternative for you.

Be sure to know the forex conversions between American dollars and the forex of the country you are visiting. Ensure you are visiting locations that will settle for your bank cards or make sure that you’ve sufficient native forex on you for any expenses. You will also wish to look into places to alternate your currency. Totally different places supply totally different rates of conversion. Banks are typically the very best wager, as they usually provide one of the best rates. Nevertheless, it is sensible to look into this and do some research earlier than your trip. An alternative choice is traveler s checks, which will be bought from your local bank prior to your journey, and can be utilized anywhere.

An important tip for people planning to travel abroad is to have enjoyable and enjoy the trip. For most individuals it isn’t on a regular basis that they get to visit a overseas country, so strive your best to soak up as many sights as possible and don t overlook your camera.

Forex Trading Global

More Information Here:

Forex Currency Trading

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

Proper Use Of Stock Trading Software

One of the staple techniques in trading FOREX (Foreign currency exchange) is called trend trading. This method of trading currency pairs is really simple. You decide which currency pairing you want to trade, then perform some analysis on the pair for the last 60 days, 90 days or even a year. This gives you a good feel for how the pair moves and when the best time to buy exists.Speculation can be taken away from your stock & currency trades with stock trading software. Some software is free to use and others require a purchase but the end result remains to be; buy low, sell high and increase your profit margin. You may be questioning if and why you should use stock trading software. Can it be trusted? The answers are complete automated operation and YES, you can absolutely place your trust in stock trading software.Manual technical analysis can take time because you need to trace each currency pair through charts and graphs or on FOREX trading web sites. Stock trading software puts those tools at your command. It is positively crucial for a trader to have fresh and up to the second trending information and software makes it available to you on a constant basis.To find and select the right stock trading software for you as an individual, a few things should be considered. Foremost among them is education and training, especially for novices just starting out. Look for a free virtual trial period. This allows you to use the software, see how it fits you and test the technical analysis features in real time.Trading signals are another factor in using stock trading software. Trading signals tell you when a commodity is at a low point. You enter the trade and sell the item when it rises again. That is how you are best going to make profits with stock trading software. Stock trading software can automatically enter a trade on your behalf when a currency hits a specific level and then sell when it goes higher. All this takes place even when you aren’t watching and is the foundation of trend trading.The stock exchanges are completely automated and real time info updates are a necessity. Select a piece of stock trading software that provides rapid updates that can be analyzed fast and be prepared to make your buy or sell accordingly. The markets are fast moving, so you must keep the pace as well as stay informed.Next, see if the software uses a price to earnings (P/E) ratio option. This is basically a percentage of profit related to the price paid on average. The higher the P/E ratio, the more likely you are to make a profitable trade on it. Among stock trading software programs, this is the most commonly used analysis tool. Most high end software programs will have this.Trading software helps you with data analysis, trade selection decisions and makes automatic entries to the market for you. Almost a “set it and forget it” type scenario. Trend lines, graphs and charts are all analysis tools that can be utilized to find the best entry ad exit points. Trades can take place 24 hours a day since it is always tomorrow somewhere in the world. Take advantage of the automation.

Owner Builders And Home Warranty Insurance Nsw

By Frank Egan – LAC Lawyers

We are often approached by people who have decided to build their own home as owner builders rather than retain a licensed builder. There is a common misconception that not only will the house be cheaper but owner builders do not bear the same responsibilities with respect to home warranty insurance as licensed builders. As advised in previous articles, licensed builders bear a mandatory obligation to take out home warranty insurance if the value of the contract exceeds $12,000. This insurance protects against the death, disappearance or insolvency of the builder. It does not protect against defects. Where defects cover was previously available it allowed the nominated insurer to compensate the home owner for defects yet they were entitled to recover their losses from the builder/responsible party.

Owner/builders are not necessarily required to carry home warranty insurance during the course of building their own home or when they are living in it, but when they seek to sell the property they are required to obtain a certificate of home warranty insurance. There are a number of brokers and insurers that offer this cover. Where problems arise the buyer can rely upon this insurance for protection. Irrespective many owner builders believe that home warranty insurance is all-encompassing including defects which it is not. There are a number of owner builders including tradespersons who take the view that provided council has inspected the dwelling during the course of construction they don’t bear any liability for defects but council does. This could not be further from the truth as Council has attended as an inspectorial authority to ensure that what is being built accords with what has been approved. It is not there to ensure that the building is without defects or to protect both the owner builder or any subsequent buyer from problems associated with the death, disappearance or insolvency of any person involved with the construction of the dwelling.

Owner builders often forget that where they substitute for a licensed builder they assume the role and responsibilities of the builder and need to ensure that they comply with their statutory obligations. Owner builders have obligations under the NSW Workers Compensation Act 1987 and the Occupational Health & Safety Act 2000. The Occupational Health & Safety Act 2000 extends to include any employees of theirs or anybody who visits the site at any time during the course of construction. Owner builders need insurance to protect both themselves and the site works which can be done by effecting:

1 home warranty insurance;

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2 workers compensation insurance;

3 contract works insurance; and

4 public liability insurance.

Home Warranty and Workers Compensation Insurance are required by law. As for contract works and public liability insurance, they are optional and often bundled together and sold as a contractors all risks policy. Essentially the protection under any one of them is not duplicated by the others as they all fit together to provide cover.

It is important to recall that with home warranty insurance it is not issued on a general replacement value basis but is subject to either a limit of indemnity of $300,000 as from 1.3.07 (previously $200,000) or a limit specified and agreed to by the insured to cover the cost of construction. It should always be remembered that this limit may prove to be inadequate because building costs often escalate for any number of reasons including variations and therefore this is something which needs to be watched closely by the home owner. Sometimes builders deliberately understate the actual construction costs to obtain a cheaper premium. It is worth noting that although this area falls under the control of the Office of Fair Trading as home warranty insurance is a matter dealt with by the States, this does not automatically exclude the operation of the Trade Practises Act.

From 1 January 1999 any licensed contractor who contracts with an owner builder to undertake residential building work must provide home warranty insurance from an approved insurer. Currently insurance is required where the work to be performed by that tradesperson exceeds $12,000. For the sake of completeness where an owner builder decides to sell his/her home within a period of six years of completing the work they will need to take out home warranty insurance where the value of the works performed exceeds $12,000. Currently, under home warranty insurance an approved insurer is taken to have admitted a claim after 90 days if they have not obtained an extension of time either from the OFT or the tribunal. Three months or more is a long time to wait for an insurer to respond to any claim particularly given the history normally associated with these matters. Insurers in this area are trying to minimise their financial exposure and although there are a number of safeguards under the legislation these can be easily circumvented.

Legislative changes have also had an impact in regard to making sure that where a property is sold by an owner builder within the six-year period then the contract for sale must include a note that an owner builder permit was issued in relation to the work; that the work done under the permit required home warranty insurance; and attach a copy of the home warranty insurance certificate.

Whether you be home owner, builder or owner builder and encounter any problems associated with building and construction or home warranty insurance please do not hesitate to contact LAC Lawyers on 1300 799 888 to arrange an appointment. Remember, matters only get worse the longer you leave them and the more they cost to resolve. Further reforms are contemplated in this area.

About the Author: Frank Egan is the Chief Executive Officer of LAC Building Construction Lawyers Sydney and has over 27 years of experience as a lawyer.

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=153946&ca=Legal

Solar Heating For Above Ground Swimming Pools Start Saving On Heating Bills

If you own an above ground swimming pool and want to save on heating bills while helping the environment, it’s time to consider using solar energy to keep your pool warm. After all, the sun’s energy is free and provides a far greener option than non-renewable energy sources such as electricity. There are many different solar pool heating options available, including above ground solar pool blankets and reels, sun pool domes and solar pool heating systems with solar panels. No matter what type of solar pool heating product or system you decide to use, you will significantly lower your heating costs while enjoying warm water, a longer swimming season and the knowledge that you are helping the planet.

Many pool owners are already using solar pool blankets and reels for above ground pools to help them harness energy from the sun. Above ground solar pool reels and blankets are probably one of the best-known ways to use solar energy for heating pool water and can raise the temperature of an above ground pool by 10 to 15°F. Widely available and with many economically priced models, above ground solar pool blankets feature thousands of tiny air pockets which make the blankets appear similar to bubble wrap. These air pockets serve to transfer heat from the sun into the swimming pool as well as to retain heat and prevent heat loss through evaporation. Solar pool & spa blankets are available in a variety of thicknesses (usually between 8-mil to 16-mil), each with their own features & length of warranty so there’s sure to be one that’s perfect for your pool and your budget.

While some pool owners may think that above ground solar pool blankets would be too difficult to deal with as a result of their size, above ground solar pool reels provide a solution to this problem. Above ground solar pool reels use a hand crank to manually remove or cover the pool. They’re easy to use and greatly enhance the convenience of using a solar pool cover. When used together, solar pool blankets and reels for above ground pools provide a very handy and straightforward way to make effective use of energy from the sun.

However, if you would prefer to use a solar pool heating method that offers even greater convenience than using solar pool blankets and reels for above ground pools, you might want to consider using solar sun rings or solar pills. Solar sun rings are buoyant vinyl inflatable discs that focus and absorb sunlight, transforming it into heat which is transmitted into the pool water. When a set of solar sun rings are placed on the water, they join together to form an insulating blanket which covers all but 20 to 30% of the water’s surface. The reason for leaving part of the water uncovered is to allow some direct sunlight to still reach the water, which promotes the health of the water and reduces the incidence of algae growth.

Solar sun rings can easily be handled by one person and are also very durable. However, if you want a product that offers ultimate convenience, solar pills could be the right option for you. Solar pills are simply placed in the pump basket and release a harmless compound which forms an invisible shield over the surface of the water. This shield serves to reduce heat loss through evaporation. While solar pills require the least amount of effort to use, they are typically only 60% as effective as above ground solar pool blankets.

Sun pool domes are another solar pool heating option. Sun pool domes are designed to enclose swimming pools completely and provide a number of benefits. By keeping pools enclosed, sun pool domes provide protection from airborne pollutants, debris and the elements. At the same time, sun pool domes enhance heat retention which keeps water warmer and allows for longer swimming seasons. While sun pool domes need to be assembled at the beginning of the season and taken down at the end of the season, they can extend your swim season and greatly reduce heating costs as well as the effort required to keep your pool clean.

In addition to all of the above solar pool heating options, there are also advanced solar pool heating systems available such as the SunGrabber solar pool heating system. The SunGrabber system uses solar panels to effectively and efficiently transform sunlight into heat. Solar pool heating systems are very environmentally friendly and can significantly reduce or even completely eliminate heating costs for your swimming pool.

If you are interested in using the SunGrabber system or any of the above solar pool heating products, you can find everything you need for installation and assembly in convenient solar heating kits. Once your system or product is ready to use, you can immediately begin to channel the sun’s free, green energy into your swimming pool. Whether you prefer above ground solar pool blankets and reels or solar panels, solar pool heating will allow you to save on heating bills while reducing your reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

Packaging Meat Products Advantages And Marketing Strategies

Meat is usually a traditional diet in most parts of the world. With the increase of population, there was an increase in the quantity of meat products as well. Processed meat products are technologically advanced because they are seasoned with special herbs and spices.

Packaged meat usually retains the shape and texture of the original cut as it is preserved for a long period of time. Smoked meat is preserved through the use of heat, smoke and salt. Pickled meat is prepared by adding vinegar to the solution. Dry meat is one of the oldest method of preserving meat. It involves cutting meat into small strips and leaving in an open environment so that the heat can reduce the water content. Fermented meat is usually ground, spiced and prepared in the shape of sausages.

If you want to learn more about the meat products in Armenian, then you can take advantage of the Armenian Meat Products Translation. There are several advantages of packaged meats products and how these products can be best used for advertising.

Advantages of Packaging

A lot of people have become health conscious so, they like to buy packaged foods. Proper packaging of your meat products can protect from damage and contamination by micro-organisms, air, moisture and toxins. The packaged meat product also acts as a barrier from bacteria, oxygen, dust etc. Packaging can easily help your customers to compare between similar products. The color, material and size of the package also gives information about the quality of the meat product.

One of the best way to package your meat products is by using the vacuum packaging method. This is very essential because it prevents your meat products from bacterial growth without stopping the natural aging process. Vacuum packaged meat is a little pale once it is opened due to lack of oxygen but within a while it blossoms into a cherry red color. Once the vacuum has been broken you can only use the meat products within four to five days.

According to the medical studies, it is very important to package your meat products. For additional reference, you can use the Medical Translation Services for those customers who cannot understand your language.

Marketing Your Packaged Products

When you go to a store, the shelves are full of various products stored in bottles, jars, boxes and other containers. Similarly, the same goes for packaged meat products. You will find several types of packaged meat products such as undercut meat, sausages, nuggets, ham, hot dogs, beef patties and many more.

According to the studies, packaging your meat products can increase customer satisfaction and also can be easily noticed. In addition, packaging plays a significant role in the labelling the product. It can also attract the customers by giving them a variety of packaged meat products to choose from. Packaging can also help in increasing the sales by sharing information about the product such as nutritional information, usage or directions. If you want to properly advertise your meat products, try not to hire the Cheap Translation Services just because they are cost effective. Get the best translation services especially for people who have no knowledge of English.

If you have customers all over the world, you can hire the Global Translation Services that will be very helpful and will translate the information about your meat products in all the different languages. Moreover, if you are starting a business in Armenia, make use of the Armenian Meat Products Translation.

How To Boost Your Business With A Virtual Phone Number?

In-depth analytics: The virtual number solution will give detailed analytics that will provide a comprehensive view of your business that will let you make the best decisions in your company’s interest. The solution gives you call and campaign reports, caller location, and analytics. The data helps analyze the traffic generated and helps in optimum use and resource allocation to improve the same.

Smart Call Routing: Virtual numbers give you the flexibility and ease of intelligent routing and enable the most appropriate agent to take the calls and provide the best feedback and satisfactory responses to the callers. The virtual number solution automatically redirects customer calls to the available agents based on parameters such as caller history and location. The calls are directed to regional agents to offer a personalized experience to the customers.

Multiple call handling: The virtual number solution allows a business to handle up to 50 calls simultaneously. It helps companies to increase the pick-up rate by 80%! Also, it helps to manage the peak hour call load effortlessly and efficiently. So, an organization does not miss even a single call and quickly addresses its customers’ concerns.

Universal CRM Integration- Yes, the virtual phone numbers are equipped with capabilities to integrate with leading CRM software. A business can create a customizable dashboard to synchronize customer information from different sources and use the same to make better decisions.

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Tap both the local and international markets: Virtual numbers allow your business to be global and reach out to prospective clients in any part of the world. A business organization can get virtual numbers to engage with clients in domestic and international markets, ensuring that it grows by leaps and bounds by increasing its domestic market and creating a global footprint.

VOIP and PSTN support- Virtual phone numbers support the traditional PSTN calling across the globe and facilitates VOIP calling in International markets. So, it meets your diverse requirements and assists you in reaching out to your clients efficiently.

Hosted Services: A hefty upfront investment can drain a business- the SMEs and mid-size business in particular. But with the virtual numbers, there’s no investment required in infrastructure. The virtual phone number solution customizes IVR flow and allows quick universal CRM integrations. It provides APIs to address the clients’ business requirements efficiently.

Increase productivity: The Virtual number solution is equipped with several capabilities that offer a streamlined business operation. With advanced features such as auto keyword spotting, IVR automation, and AI-driven sentiment analysis, the solution is certainly more than a phone number. It’s a complete solution that an organization can use to leverage its business.

Round-the-clock support: The virtual number solution allows a business to receive support 24×7 throughout the year to function without any glitches. With 24×7 availability, it gives a business a professional image.

With so many advantages, it is easy to recognize the several benefits a virtual phone number offers to a business. Therefore, it makes complete sense to get the solution. It will ensure the business’s growth and provide maximum satisfaction to its customers and retain them.

Tax Planning: Top 6 Strategies In 2023

Taxation imposes on different social groups, including persons with high or low incomes. Only some people can do tax planning and achieve effective financial practices.

You must be wondering how these people can follow their taxes without paying money or tax evasion from financial issues.

We will address several strategies in this article that help you plan and reduce the value of your taxes.

Best tax planning strategies:

The concept of tax planning aims to create many creative economic ideas in tax accounting. Dealing with the tax chain, the possibility of obtaining an exemption from specific tax amounts in the business. Here is a set of the most important strategies:

  • Investing in the buy and retention of bonds:

This strategy is one of the most essential and famous tax planning strategies.

Capital taxes are levied when making a profit, such as selling a property and taking advantage of its price (then the tax must pay).

Thus buying and holding bonds (both from private companies and a government entity) will not make you pay sales taxes.

Besides, investments can always keep to an unlimited period; that is, you are postponing the payment of your selling taxes to the time you like.

While at the same time, the price of bonds can increase and thus make more profits.

Government bonds can sometimes buy from the country where they live for a certain monthly interest. This amount may be tax-free, depending on the country.

Where they live, interest paid in government bonds is less than their counterpart in private companies but safer.

  • Investing in private business:

Private economic and business businesses help create more profit opportunities for greater annual income. Besides, allowing formal applications for tax deductions for many expenses. Such as a discount on workers’ health insurance services and a conclusion for some home expenses.

A deduction for business expenses and expenses, and a discount for office or shop rent.

Remember, to get these discounts; you must own your NO.

If you don’t have capital, you can invest in any successful company to get paid and start your own business. This may help you own many skills, such as financial understanding and problem-solving skills.

  • precise study and planning of house taxes:

Tax planning using this strategy is effective if you have several properties (in different countries or states).

Attention should pay to analysing and studying reports that explain the best tax performance in these countries—taking into account the search for all data and information to reach the ideal tax planning for you.

If you have a property with a low tax ratio, Try to make this property your permanent place.

Thereby managing and saving a lot of taxes. But you should pay attention; there may be other high taxes.

Careful investigation requires house taxes to get the help of a financial accountant or tax adviser to identify all the tax amounts to pay for.

Paying the financial value of the tax can be very useful for financial planning.

Many states and states introduce a law that provides for deducting a certain amount from the total value of the tax when paying early. In this case, do not hesitate to pay your taxes early to reduce the money lost on taxes in the future.

  • Subscribe to Plan (401 K plans):

The 401(k) Plan is one of the most prominent and efficient tax planning strategies for individuals and companies and has the support of many employers.

The employer deducts a small number of employees’ salaries while providing many tax benefits.

The most important is to improve the general tax obligations that the employee will pay each year.

With the K 401 Plan, you can defer the payment of tax amounts due to all the financial profits you earn. These profits are sums of money, investments, or shares.

K 401 contributes to reducing transportation, education, and health insurance expenses.

  • Reliance on Tax Exchange 1031:

When you want to sell a property that you own, and you want to reinvest in another property.

Nothing is more effective for you than the 1031 stock exchange can define or describe as an exchange. Selling in its content one property that you own, and in return, you can defer a tax payment.

Planning by Exchange 1013 is a complex tax planning strategy that contains a lot of puzzling professional laws and rules, so if you’re a novice in selling real estate training courses, such as accounting courses online UK.

You can get advice from selling and tax planning experts to help you avoid making financial mistakes.

Any mistake may make you lose your owner or the ability to get a tax deferral.

  • Establishment of a donor-advised fund:

Many countries make many legal tax deductions when donating to a charitable entity. So you can reduce your tax implications in the future by donating.

Placing in the donor fund all your contributions to get deductions in the taxes you pay.

Thereby achieving tax planning.

But an important thing you don’t know will harm you is that if you don’t create a “donor fund”, the possibility of deferring a tax will be for one year. Whereas if you have that fund, the case of waiting could be for years and even decades.

In conclusion, the importance of tax planning lies in its positive role for companies and individuals. It must ensure that the strategies and methods of tax planning are many, and the above has been the best and most distinctive.

Purchasing government bonds is the simplest, safest, and least profitable.

How To Make A Memorable Wedding Speach

How to Make a Memorable Wedding Speach

by

Mike Pagan

Wedding speeches when done well can be the highlight of the party, but they are very often dreaded by those who have to give them. The main reason for this is that we are just not used to public speaking.

Having recently been Best Man at my best friends wedding, I saw close up the stresses and strains all the speakers were going through before delivering their speeches. With that in mind I thought I would share my top tips to help you deliver a relaxed, enjoyable and memorable wedding speech! There are many more – this is just an appetiser.Everyone is behind you

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Its true. This is a wedding and everyone is on your side, no one wants you to do badly. They want to be entertained, and it wont take too much to do so. Visualize the end of the speech, you have nailed it, there is thunderous applause and the audience are smiling.Its not a speech

This is not The Kings Speech, you are simply having a conversation at a largish dinner party and all you are doing is sharing a few stories to wish some friends well and thanking people on the top table.Control your emotions by breathing

Take time to pause, take a breath and carry on. Many people believe they need to be speaking constantly. Pause, have a quick drink and allow the audience to catch up, this will also give you time to gather your thoughts and recover should you need to. Practise to your video camera (in private)

You might hate this idea but believe me, it works. Record yourself delivering your speech 3 times on camera and then watch it back. Initially you will query your voice or how you look. Once you have stopped criticising yourself for being who you are you will notice which stories and anecdotes knit well together and which ones sounded not quite right. Smile, smile and smile again

Make eye contact with the wedding party while you are speaking; look around to the other guests and talk with a smile. You may not be entirely comfortable delivering your speech but if you smile the audience will love you all the more and give you that standing ovation at the end.

Do you want some help with your wedding speech? Contact me on enquiries@mikepagan.com to investigate some personal coaching or a group session for your wedding party.

\”My passion is productivity, one of my greatest frustrations in life is seeing talent and opportunities go to waste because of faffing about.\”

Mike Pagan Motivational SpeakerStop Faffing About

Article Source:

ArticleRich.com

The Complex Nature Of Exchange Rates In Forex Trading

An exchange rate is simply a score for one currency against another and represents the number of units of one currency that need to be exchanged for a single unit of another currency. The exchange rate is thus the price of one currency against another and, given the number of world currencies today, within the US alone there are literally dozens of exchange rates. Now that seems simple enough but, unfortunately, it is not quite that easy.Quite apart from these simple exchange rates, which are sometimes referred to as ‘spot’ rates, there are also a whole range of ‘trade weighted’ or ‘effective’ rates which show the movement of one currency against an average of several other currencies. There are also exchange rates which are used in markets such as the forwards markets in which delivery dates are set at some point in the future, rather than at the time of the initial transaction. In other words, there is no such thing as an exchange rate, but are in fact a series of different exchange rates depending upon the nature of the transaction.The foreign exchange market is driven largely by supply and demand and the exchange rate between any two currencies at any moment in time is influenced substantially by the interaction of the various players in the market. In a few cases currencies are still fixed, or the exchange rate is set by the monetary authorities, and when this is the case the country’s central bank will normally intervene if required and either buy or sell the currency to keep its exchange rate within a narrow and defined band. In the vast majority of cases however, and certainly in the case of the US, currencies are allowed to float and central banks do not normally, and certainly not routinely, intervene to support their currency. Accordingly, the exchange rate for a particular currency against other currencies is determined by players, large and small, who are buying and selling the currency at any particular moment in time.The mix of participants in the market is important and will affect different currencies to varying degrees. Some buyers and sellers deal in the market purely in support of international trade and are operating in the ‘goods’ market buying and selling currency to pay for merchandise being traded across national borders. Other dealers are buying and selling currencies in support of ‘portfolio investment’ and are trading in bonds, stocks and other financial instruments across national borders. Yet another group of currency traders are operating in the ‘money’ market and are trading short term debt across international borders.As if this were not complicated enough, this mix of traders whether they are paying for imports, investing, speculating, hedging, arbitraging or simply seeking to influence exchange rates are also focusing their attention of a variety of different timeframes in their trading which will range from a matter of minutes to several years.Against this background it is no wonder than predicting exchange rates is a complex business. Doing so however is vitally important since exchange rates influence the behavior of all of the participants in the market and, in today’s open market, also influence interest rates, consumer prices, economic growth, investment decision and so much else. It is for this reason that the forex market plays such a critical role in determining exchange rates.