Category: Portfolio

Gaia Internet’s Portfolio.

Calendar Spread Strategies For Volatility Challenged Markets(Content Strategi)

When market conditions are making trading a tricky affair, it can be difficult to know where to look for secure trading. A calendar spread can be a strong medium to long term options strategy to reduce the risk of getting burned by a volatile market and to exploit any market conditions for a decent gain.

What it is

In essence, a calendar spread is a group of Options of the same stock, with the same strike price, but, crucially, with different expiration dates. Options, obviously are a time-sensitive asset, and the calendar spread profits from this sensitivity.

In essence, the trader can integrate the advantages of spreads, the difference between the market value and the strike price, with the pros of a more directional option for a trading strategy. With the strengths of these two styles combined, a calendar spread can almost guarantee profits under any trading conditions.

How calendar spreads work

A calendar spread can work in one of two ways: you can take a market neutral position and benefit from the time decay in the value of the stock options or, alternatively a shorter term market neutral position with a longer-term directional strategy.

Time Spread

A long-term calendar spread strategy, known as a Time Spread is the selling and buying of either a call or put option at the same strike price, but, crucially, those which expire at different times. In its most basic sense, you buy the longer-dated option and sell the shorter dated one. Taking this position on the short-dated option has the effect of bringing down the price of the longer dated one. Thus the trade becomes cheaper than the outright buying of the longer term option.

A long calendar spread can be one of two types. A call strategy or a put one. The put strategy has some advantages over the call, but it depends on your opinion of the underlying stock. Those of a bearish tendency will want to buy a calendar put spread; the more bullish will opt for a call.

The overall effect is to create a relatively neutral, low-risk position which will gain from the time decay of the front option sold short.

For example

Say MegaCorp stock has traded for years at between $55 and $65, this sort of “sideways trading” low volatility stock is perfect for a calendar spread. We can reasonably assume that the selling price isn’t going to shift that much regardless of market conditions. So if the stock’s trading at $61.10 our strategy is first to sell the January, $62.50 calls for $0.30 each then buy the March ones at $0.80 apiece. So the calendar spread’s net debit at this juncture is $0.50. That $0.50 represents the total risk of the trade, which is part of the reasons why calendar spreads are a good option for a canny trader.

Now, in an ideal world, the MegaCorp stock will rise a little before falling below $62.50 at the January expiration. This has the effect of removing all value from the short January call. So with two months to go until the March expiration, without too much volatility in the stock price the March calls value will stand at around $1.70. That’s a profit of $1.20 on the $0.50 spent.

The short term option expiring without making its money is, of course, a best case scenario; not all calendar spreads will work this efficiently. The beauty, though, lies in the flexibility, you still have that long position, so if you think that the market’s going to remain relatively neutral, you have the option of selling another option against that position, effectively rolling the spread over into a new one.

If, however, you feel that the stock is starting to move more in the direction you expected, you have the option of treating it as normal. It’s the ability to cover both ends of the market which make the calendar spread a healthy choice.

The secret’s in the planning

The first thing you need to do when laying the plans for a long-term calendar spread is to get a good feel for the market sentiment surrounding the stock and get a good feel for what trading conditions are going to be like over the next few months. If it’s looking bearish overall, then a put calendar spread is a healthy option.

The next step is to identify your stock. As we’ve already seen, we don’t want a stock that’s too volatile; you wouldn’t want a big difference between the bidding and asking prices.

Once you’re in the trade, close monitoring is essential. If your little option doesn’t decline as much as you’d expect, then the parameters of your overall debit (and the profit you can turn on the extended position) start to shorten. Be vigilant.

The downsides

While a properly managed calendar spread is a relatively low-risk investment strategy, it should be remembered that all investments are risks. Too much market volatility and the long position suddenly becomes a more vulnerable one.

With a time-sensitive strategy such as this, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping a close watch on the option expiration dates and time your entry into the market precisely, to ensure that you’re trading in the general direction of the stock. A mistimed entry running against the market could result in a sizeable loss.

Conclusion

The main thing to remember about calendar spreads is that it is at the start a neutral position, and generates profits only as time decays start to factor in play. It can be used in a bull or bear market, but just make sure you’re running the same way the market is. The number one thing to take away is that a calendar spread is most effective when you expect the price to stay stable in the short term, and move with market trends in the longer term. If that’s what you expect to happen, then this could well be a fruitful trading option for you.

Sources

http://www.nasdaq.com/investing/options-guide/definition-of-options.aspx

http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/spread.asp

http://www.investinganswers.com/financial-dictionary/optionsderivatives/strike-price-2125

http://www.investorwords.com/6792/directional_trading.html

http://www.call-options.com/what-are-call-options.html

http://www.theoptionsguide.com/put-option.aspx

http://www.investorwords.com/8638/market_sentiment.html

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Simple but Effective: Five Quick Tips you’re missing from your Ideal Product Management Portfolio (Content Princess – SEO)

If you think that portfolios are just for graphic designers and photographers, you’ve got it all wrong. Your product management portfolio is a vital tool in obtaining that perfect role for what you’ve been searching. No need to panic! Improve your chances of an interview with these five core tips:

Love your data

Love your data, and your interviewer will love you. It’s a very simple formula, but it works. Anything you describe in your portfolio will be vastly strengthened by the data you collect. For example, if you took a product right from concept to launch and it made it to a million downloads your interviewer wants to know.

Even if the product you lead failed, is there data that you can pull concerning why it failed? The hard data in your portfolio should be blindingly obvious; from there, you can spin it however you like. It is that simple to make yourself sound impressive…

Hearing the customer’s voice

How are your ears? Can you hear that consumer crying out for your product? Did you do your consumer research and fill that gap in the market? Let’s hope so. If you can’t display that you’re completely in tune with your customer or user group’s needs, you can’t claim to have a complete portfolio.

Don’t worry if your user research examples seem terribly humble to you. To your interviewer, they may well show the much initiative they’ve been looking for. So gather all the examples you have of listening to and acting on the voice of your consumer, and you’ll whip that portfolio into shape in no time!

Get ‘touchy feely’

Don’t worry – we’re not suggesting anything inappropriate here. But engaging the interviewer with something tangible from design processes you have worked on can take your portfolio to a whole new level. For example, you could try bringing in some product prototypes or even wireframes.

Sometimes it is as simple as engaging your interviewer on a human level. We all remember the ‘show and tell’ tasks at school, and this strategy works on the same theory. You interact with what you touch on so many more levels than speech alone. The result will be an engagement with your interviewer which will leave him or her with a lasting impression of you.

Always remember the team

Whether you’re currently part of a team or can reference teams you’ve worked in in the past, your team engagement is a hugely important part of a product management portfolio.

As a product manager, you are aiming to be at the centre of a complex network of everyone from designers and researchers to sales teams and senior management. You are the mediator between this highly mobilised team and the customer. Make sure your interviewing panel knows you’re up to scratch.

Build a website

And finally, it may seem obvious, but there could not be a better way of collating and displaying your portfolio work than by building your site. Even the very process of this will demonstrate your proficiency with HTML and basic coding.

And if that seems beyond your capabilities at the moment, just use one of the great services out there like ‘About.me’ or ‘LinkedIn’ and you will still be able to build your project work up into an impressive portfolio very successfully. Just remember to incorporate all the tips included above when it comes to the structure.

So you’ve read this far, which must mean you’re really serious about getting that product management portfolio. All that’s left is to follow all the tips above and work them into your top-performing portfolio.

Remember to keep on following our blogs and apply for a place on our certification programme for expert training in all the fundamentals of product management.

KEYWORDS:

Product Management, product, consumer, user, portfolio, team, service, services, customer

SOURCES:

https://www.producttalk.org/2012/06/4-questions-i-always-ask-when-interviewing-product-managers/

https://www.producttalk.org/2012/08/to-portfolio-or-not-to-portfolio/

https://www.quora.com/Do-product-managers-have-portfolios-and-if-so-what-are-good-examples#

https://www.producttalk.org/2012/09/so-you-want-to-be-a-product-manager/

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5 Incredible Product Management Portfolios – And How to Create Your Own (Content Princess – SEO)

If you’re hoping to get into product management, your portfolio will be crucial. We’re going to look at 5 great product manager websites online and think about what makes them so good.

A huge number of product managers have websites detailing their experience and showcasing their management skills through their resume. Here are just five of them.

Juan J. Ramirez – http://whoisjuan.github.io

The projects included in this portfolio showcase a range of different skills with a strong focus on the software and design aspects of project management. Links to case studies on Mr Ramirez’s Medium page are also great, as they give a clearer picture of how he approaches projects.

Taylor McCaslin- https://www.taylormccaslin.com/portfolio/

By giving each project in his portfolio a category (e.g. web, mobile, talks, etc.), Mr McCaslin demonstrates a range of project management skills, including communication with consumersand design. He includes a description or a more detailed case study for each item and explains exactly how he used his skills as part of the project.

David Parelli – http://www.davidparrelli.com

The ‘Selected Work’ aspect of this product management portfolio may be relatively brief but it still clearly demonstrates Mr Parelli’s strong design skills and consumer focus. He also uses his resume to show that he is continually adding to his skill set.

Emily Ingram- http://emilyingram.com

With a thorough list of the products she has managed and her specific tasks in each, Ms Ingram shows that her skills cover business, communication and marketing, amongst others. She then emphasises these in her ‘Skills and Strengths’ section.

Martin Eriksson- http://martineriksson.com/portfolio/

In his portfolio, Mr Eriksson is clear about how his contribution to the products he manages has helped each of them to grow. It is particularly clear that he has strong business skills. Also, his blog is housed on the same website and the posts he includes help to clarify his approach to product management.

Building your portfolio

The five sites we have looked at so far have shown that successful product managers can and do fulfil different roles and make use of different skills. While you’re developing your product management portfolio, you should aim to show experience of several different product management roles.

Product managers are often said to fall into different categories. The descriptions vary, but there seem to be about four major groups.

Engineering-focused – They usually have a background in software engineering and are very focused on the performance of the product. Their skills are of most use on products that need to be very nuanced.

Business-focused – They are great if you need to market your product in a competitive sector. They can work well with other businesses and are very useful in projects that rely on partnerships.

Consumer-focused – With less knowledge of the software and design aspects of product management, these are strongest when it comes to understanding and building relationships with the product’s consumers.

Design-focused – They are focused on the design and functionality of the product. They are most useful in perfecting a product that needs to deliver a fantastic user experience.

While your background and skills are likely to lead you in a specific direction, it is useful to demonstrate that you have experience of several different product management roles. This will make your portfolio seem more rounded than if it only shows a more narrow skill set.

The other advantage of having a range of experience in your product management portfolio is that it will make you more aware of your skills and strengths. Armed with this awareness, you will be able to choose your niche and take your product management career to the next level.

Primary Keyword: product management

Variants:, product management experience, product management role, product management portfolio,  product management skills,  approach to product management,  product management career

Synonyms/ Antonyms: product manager, resume, work experience, versatility, narrow skill set, product manager website, product manager skills, product manager resume

Resources

http://whoisjuan.github.io

https://www.taylormccaslin.com/portfolio/

http://www.davidparrelli.com

http://emilyingram.com

http://martineriksson.com/portfolio/

https://medium.com/@juanjramirez

https://medium.com/axiomzenteam/the-4-types-of-product-manager-3a507246173#.inszh52hb

http://www.sachinrekhi.com/3-types-of-product-managers-builders-tuners-innovators

http://blog.aha.io/what-type-of-product-manager-are-you/

http://onproductmanagement.net/2013/04/23/14767/

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Find Out What Type of Product Manager is Best for You (Content Princess – SEO)

“Product manager” (not to be confused with “project manager“) can be a rather vague title. As you research this field, you may wonder what would be expected of you. It all depends on which type of product manager you become.

Here, we have outlined five main types of product managers.

The Techy

In business, different departments work on various aspects of a product. They then exchange information to begin putting the product together. As a Techy, you would help in this process.

Not everyone can understand the complexities behind engineering. This confusion can lead to trouble communicating between departments. A big part of your job would be to prevent this. You would put the technical information into simpler terms that are easier to understand.

In most cases, PMs are not required to code. However, it is still helpful to know. It will also make communicating with the engineering team a lot easier.

The Marketer

This kind of product manager knows how to handle customers. The Marketer can also translate information.

Successful Marketers know what their customers want. You would have to be able to read people. It would also help to have a strong emotional intelligence.

You would also make sure the product is understandable for the customer. You should always take customer input into consideration.

A Marketer would benefit from also being a Techy. Knowing the technical details helps a Marketer explain the product.

The Designer

Designer PMs are always needed when developing a product. They help provide the first look at what the result may be.

Designers need to be creative. You would often have to come up with ideas not thought of by the Engineers and Techies.

Because a product can change at any time, you would always have to be ready. You also need to be able to collaborate well with other members of your design team.

The top priority of a Designer is the way a product looks and functions. Is it easy enough to use? Is the design too complicated? Will it work under those conditions? These are questions you would need to ask yourself as you work.

The Manager

If you like managing others, consider being a Manager.

You would make sure everyone meets their deadlines. You would also ensure that each part of the product is as it should be.

As a manager, you would need to be thorough in your inspections. If anything is not up to par, you must send it back for improvements. You need to be able to multi-task to do this job well. You also need to have a good memory.

Successful Managers can motivate others. They make instructions clear and let everyone know when their part is due. Great Managers have at least general knowledge about all the other fields of product managing. This helps them when checking for errors.

The Businessman

As a Businessman, you would always have the company’s interests in mind. You would focus on what you can do to improve profits.

You would make important investments that could either help or harm the company. You are responsible for the growth or decline of the business.

This type of PM needs to know how to manage stress and get out of challenging situations. It is also important to know how to negotiate and form partnerships. You must represent your company well.

When managing a product, you also need to keep your eyes on the company’s data. You must be ready immediately in case something does not go as planned.

What If None of These Appeal to You?

Don’t be afraid to make your own!

You do not have to fit in one of these categories. The best PMs can tackle two or even three of these fields.

However, a company also needs general PMs. These are the managers of the product who can do a little bit of everything.

Companies also need people who are skilled at analysis. This can be analysing data or problem-solving. Analysers are required throughout all steps of the development process.

You can also be useful to a company by being creative. Original ideas are important in companies. If you can imagine things no one else would consider, you could try becoming a creativity-focused PM.

Whether you enjoy selling things or bossing people around, there is a product manager job for you. You just need to examine your skills to find or create the one that best suits you.

Primary keyword: Product Manager

LSI keywords:

Variants: types of product managers, product manager job, best PMs, product management, product managing, managers of the product

Antonyms and Synonyms: project manager, designer PM, technical PM, product management profiles, successful manager, great manager

Sources:

http://blog.aha.io/what-type-of-product-manager-are-you/

https://medium.com/earnest-product-management/3-types-of-product-management-dec4b2d77271#.r28gjf6vk

http://blog.upgrad.com/decode-your-way-into-product-management-1/

http://www.mindtheproduct.com/2014/05/technical-product-manager-anyway/

https://medium.com/axiomzenteam/the-4-types-of-product-manager-3a507246173#.4js1getxj

http://www.aha.io/roadmapping/guide/product-management/what-is-the-role-of-a-product-manager

https://www.productmanagerhq.com/2014/07/product-manager-vs-project-manager/

http://www.goodproductmanager.com/2008/03/06/work-effectively-with-sales/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-de-haaff/how-successful-product-ma_1_b_8073518.html

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Top 5 Product Management Portfolios & Their Famous Inspirations (Content Princess – SEO)

Product management is a vaguely-defined professional field.  Creating a stellar product management portfolio is a necessity to your success in the ever-evolving corporate world.

Steve Jobs.

Bill Gates.

Michael Dell.

No doubt you’ve heard these names before.  They bring to mind images of success, innovation, and wealth.

As a product manager, this is the image you want to convey to your potential employers. 

A successful product management portfolio will highlight:

  • Your individual strengths
  • Your personal weaknesses
  • Your career history, and related successes/failures
  • Your style of product management

Different companies will have different expectations for their product managers, so outlining where you excel will help them determine where you fit best.

The Metric Master

Data analysis is what drove Michael Dell to success.  At the age of 14, he analysed metrics that allowed him to make an $18,000 profit in one summer selling newspapers.

If you are driven by data, then you most likely need to know your product inside and out before making strategic management decisions.  Your sweet-spot is fine-tuning all processes with mathematical precision.

As a weakness, you likely talk in jargon that is far over the heads of people outside the engineering and marketing teams. 

The Design Diva

Think sleek.  Bold.  Streamlined. 

In a word- perfection.

Steve Jobs is by far the most outstanding example of a design-oriented product manager.  He designed Apple products with one core focus:  consumer experience.  There is not an Apple product that a four-year-old cannot master, but the ease of use has not dampened the chic design.

If your focus is on pixel-perfect presentations and unsurpassable customer experience, then you are a design-oriented product manager.

You also have a hard time with products before the prototype phase.  Imperfect examples of an idea are a concept outside your comprehension.

The Execution Expert

Executioners get it done.

One of the most successful execution-style product managers is Jeff Bezos; founder of Amazon.  He quit his job as the youngest VP of D.E. Shaw to move all the way across the country and start an online bookstore in Seattle.

It was risky.  He created markets, and then created products for those markets. 

If you can quickly prioritise projects, and solve problems from outside the box, then you’re an execution-style product manager. 

Your weakness is your desire to work quickly and bypass beta testing or consumer research.

The Hungry Hipster

You have no idea what you’re doing.  And that’s O.K.; neither did Mark Zuckerberg.

That’s not to say he wasn’t gifted; he was both an avid Star Wars fan and genius programmer before he hit middle school.  But, as a product manager, his life is a culmination of lucky guesses. 

If you’re thirsty for success but have no idea how to navigate the corporate world of product management, then you fall into this category. 

Your strengths are likely your ability to learn quickly, and general enthusiasm for your product. 

Your weaknesses are yet to be discovered, as you are an under-ripe PM at the moment.  As you develop your career, you will likely grow into a different category as your skills are refined.

The Customer Commander

You have a telepathic connection with your consumer.  You just know, intuitively, what they need. 

So did Angela Hicks, founder of Angie’s List.  Customer-oriented PMs have a high EQ; which is like an IQ, but for people skills. 

If you have an incredible insight into your customer base, then you’re the MVP of product managers.  Technology and analytics aren’t your strong point, but it doesn’t matter because you don’t need them to know what your customer needs from you.

Don’t fit the mould?  Don’t worry. Most product management portfolios consist of a mixture of two or three different categories of product managers.  As you build your career and portfolio, your specific skill set will emerge. 

Above all, be confident.  Most top product managers never went to business school, and a few didn’t even finish college.  Experience and education are essential to success, but more important is your confidence in your potential and how you build an impressive product management portfolio.

Primary Keyword: Product management portfolio

LSI Keywords:

Variants:  stellar product management portfolio, successful product management portfolio, impressive product management portfolio,  most product management portfolios

Antonyms/Synonyms:  Product managers, Customer-oriented PMs, specific skill set,  Experience and education,  execution-style product managers

Sources:

http://www.biography.com/people/michael-dell-9542199#synopsis

https://medium.com/axiomzenteam/the-4-types-of-product-manager-3a507246173#.5jbw6j4yt

http://www.sachinrekhi.com/3-types-of-product-managers-builders-tuners-innovators

http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0911/how-much-would-steve-jobs-be-worth-today.aspx

http://www.biography.com/people/jeff-bezos-9542209#synopsis

http://fundersandfounders.com/how-mark-zuckerberg-started/

http://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=25071024&privcapId=729136

http://svpg.com/famous-product-managers/

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Invoice Discounting Basics and Benefits for Your Business (Content Princess)

The truth is that the business world is full of services aimed at providing them with financial support. Most of these services are created to provide businesses with the financial leverage they need. 

One type of finance solution available is known as invoice discounting.  This kind of solution offers many benefits for both the large corporation and the small business person. 

Please Explain Invoice Discounting

Invoice discounting offers a financial solution for businesses who sell their products and services to other firms on credits.  If you are struggling with your finances lately, then this may be an answer you want to consider.

Debtor balances within numerous businesses are the largest asset to be found on their balance sheet.  However, these ‘assets’ tend to bring in money much slower than the firm needs.  It could take as long as two or three months to see the cash come in from the time the invoice is sent to the time you are paid. 

This can cause your business to run low on cash.  When the company is struggling financially, it can slow down productivity a great deal.  Invoice discounting can offset this trend.

Discounting provides as much as 90{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of the total invoice within 24 hours of it being raised.  This ensures that you have the money you need to keep your business running, expand like you’ve been planning to do, and keep everything on track.  No longer do you have to wait two or three months to see the profits from these invoices.

Invoice Discounting Can Solve

There are various issues that invoice discounting can efficiently solve.  First of all, it can help with the everyday slow-paying customers.  Because this service pays you within twenty-four hours, your business is safe from the slow-paying client.

You have the cash you need as soon as you raise the invoice.  The customer can then pay without you becoming frustrated or impatient because you have already received the money you need.

It can also help ensure that you are watching out for the incredibly valuable customers.  You will be able to give the customers that have been with you a long time an extended amount of credit.  This means that they will be more likely to buy from you in the future and ensure that you and your valued customers can further strengthen the existing relationship.

Because you will have the cash nearly instantly, you can ensure that you are paying the suppliers when payments are due.  No longer will you have to worry about making late payments because someone hasn’t paid you yet.

Sometimes, you can even find yourself acquiring better deals and enjoying better discounts in exchange for quickly paying your suppliers. 

The Benefits

Invoice discounting ensures that you remain in charge of the sales ledger.  However, it also provides you with the flexible funding needed and it grows with the needs of your business.  There are numerous benefits involved with this service.

First of all, it provides assurance that you will have immediate working capital that grows with you.  This means that the more sales invoices you create, the more working capital available to your business.  The amount of finance available grows as your business grows.

Second, you will enjoy a bit of freedom with this service.  You will have the freedom of being able to spend money when you need it rather than waiting for the invoice to be paid. 

Other benefits include being able to strengthen relationships, maintain control over the management of your ledger and collection, increased flexibility, and all in all, you get paid nearly immediately.

Your customers will be able to enjoy the benefits of extended credit and more patience from you.  Your relationships will be strengthened, and you will be more patient waiting for payments because you can pay the bills you need to pay.

All-in-all, invoice discounting benefits everyone involved.

References

https://www.efinancemanagement.com/working-capital-financing/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-invoice-discounting

http://www.factoringhelpline.co.uk/invoice_discounting/benefits_of_using_invoice_discounting.php

http://www.accountingtools.com/questions-and-answers/what-is-invoice-discounting.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/invoice-discounting.html

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How the GST will be beneficial for KredX and small businesses alike (Content Prin-cess)

When the government officially implements the GST tax, small businesses will be better off for several reasons. This may take some time to become apparent, but the result should be overwhelmingly positive. First and foremost, this tax will take away a lot of the confusion and delays that exist in the current system which currently hinder small businesses.

 

Without so many individual taxes and varying rates to worry about, businesses can get on with selling goods and make profits. The GST will help open up trade by evening out tax structures, so they are uniform regardless of state, which will make it easy to trade between countries and thus help everyone gain prosperity.

All of these things should encourage more small businesses to open and flourish, which is where KredX comes in.

KredX currently seeks to benefit small businesses by making sure they have some money to tide them over during the usual 60-90 day wait between the provision of a service and payment.

 

KredX is currently helping small businesses a lot, but there is only so much they can do under the current tax system. When the GST is implemented, it is likely that the 60-90 day delay will be reduced as all the extra time-consuming tasks associated with many different taxes will be gone over time.

This does not mean, however, that KredX won’t have a place in India anymore. What it does mean is that they have to work within the new system to benefit small businesses even further. If it’s true that the GST will reduce the cost of manufactured goods and services, it is likely that there will be more small businesses than ever before and thus more clients for KredX.

 

While KredX will still be able to offer the services they do now, as it is likely there will still be delays between completing a job and receiving payment, they could also start offering new services.

For example, at the moment KredX is concerned with helping small businesses survive while they wait for payment. But what if KredX also started offering services along the lines of a small loan? Say a company wants to get started on a new project straight away, but they need more money to get started than the current KredX invoice system can give them.

 

If they were able to borrow more money against their pending payment, they could use that money to get started on a new project and thus could begin work without delay. Then even when they pay off the original sum, they should still end up with more money than they would have had without the loan. If KredX did start charging interest for these loans, they too would benefit.

This is just one of the new opportunities KredX could look into when India officially introduces the GST tax. With more small businesses than ever before, KredX can expand their reach and secure a place in this new market.

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Ashley Madison Scandal Poses As Major Threat To Marriages in 2015 (Content Princess)

The issue of whether services like that of Ashley Madison should be allowed to exist is controversial. Ashely Madison is an online dating service. The quirky thing about the company is that they specialise in people finding matches for people who are already married.

The Service

The service is marketed to people who would like to have an affair despite their commitment in a relationship. Odd as it may sound, subscription to Ashley Madison was very popular. They have over 39 million customers who have purchased a membership, and they are spread over 53 countries in the world.

A disagreeing Party

The company raises questions about moral standards. However, Ashley Madison did not become famous for its service. It became famous because of the way a group of people chose to react to the concept. While it isn’t surprising that Ashley Madison disgusted some people, it is astounding to find that people would go to the extent of breaking up to eliminate the company!

The Scandal

After finding out about (and disagreeing with) Ashley Madison’s way of business, a group of hackers gained illegal access to the information of all the customers of Ashley Madison. The hacking included hacking sensitive information such as:

  • Email addresses
  • The bodies of emails
  • The names of the customers
  • The home addresses of the customers
  • And graphic details like the sexual fantasies of the customers.

This incident took place on the 15th of July 2015. They wanted the owners of Ashley Madison (Avid Life Media) to shut Ashley Madison down as well as another one of their sites (EstablishedMen.com – another dating website). They threatened to release the personal information online for public viewing if they did not comply with their demands.

Despite this, Ashley Madison remained online, and this provoked the hackers to release some of the information on the 22nd of July 2015. After further resistance from Avid Life Media, the hackers released all the data on the 20th of August later in the year. It is this action which poses a major threat to marriages.

Huge Problem for Marriages

The hackers had just unleashed the identities of 39 million unfaithful spouses and partners. Some couples already had weak relationships due to doubt. After the data leakage, some people started to search the information to find out if their partners had been cheating on them with the help of Ashley Madison. Two marriage-wrecking scenarios could occur.

They might be unfortunate enough to have their doubts confirmed by the data and as a result, bring the issue up with their partner – severely weakening their relationships. Some people might jump straight to divorce after finding their partner to be an adulterer.

They might not have found their partner to be cheating through the website, but their partner might be disappointed that they had such little faith in their loyalty that they might also divorce.

Some people might not have doubts about their partner. However, they might mistakenly stumble onto some of the data and be shocked to find out that their partner had been cheating on them.

A website with the slogan “Life is short. Have an affair” is bound to cause rifts in relationships. And when all the information is public, it can only get worse.

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Are Ethics Violations Caused by Data Analytics? (Content Princess)

Business ethics is one of those terms I hear most often in jest, another in the long list of oxymorons. Of course, you can do business and be ethical, although it is likely more difficult to do it this way.

The law makes companies operate by some ethical codes, but other issues are either not covered at all or barely touched upon, leaving companies to police themselves.

This means that policies are based on the personal moral or ethical code of the company leaders. I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. This could get disastrous, especially if the leaders of a company have questionable personal morals or ethics.

Why the Gray Areas?

Since the coming of the digital age, politicians and regulatory bodies have been scrambling, trying to come up with clear-cut policies on things like data usage, privacy, and other related aspects. Success has been slim in this area.

Technology changes so rapidly, regulatory agencies have a tough time keeping up, and it is a hassle all around for businesses and regulators. The rising popularity and usage of data analytics raises even more ethical questions.

What is Data Analytics?

If you are not aware of what data analytics is, here is a simple definition, broken down into steps.

  1. Raw data is collected.
  2. The data is analysed.
  3. Companies look at the analysis results.
  4. The results are used to help companies make important decisions, grow, expand, change, etc.

That is the gist of it. The amount of analysis done and the conclusions are usually based on the needs of the company.

Why is Data Analytics?

Data analytics is employed by tonnes of companies these days. It sounds boring, but there is a wealth of information to be had from the results. Here is why data analytics is done by so many businesses today.

  • Results can show patterns, such as in spending, buying, highest-selling products, lowest-selling products, etc.
  • Results can help a company determine what time is the right time to expand, downsize, introduce a new product, discontinue an old product, and other important decisions that could affect the company’s future.
  • Data analytics could potentially help improve customer service by analysing customer data and finding out what they want.

The Legal

The large amounts of data that companies analyse can easily be put to ill use if not checked. This is why definitive regulations are necessary. You may not be able to imagine improper usage of data analytics, but the potential is great.

Authorities do not have much in the way of regulation as far as analytics is concerned, so it is largely up to the company itself.

What to Do

If you are in the business owner’s position or other decision-making position, here is some advice on what you can do regarding your analytics while avoiding ethics violations.

  • Get details on what is explicitly illegal.
  • Use personal morals to help create policies.
  • Ensure policies are defendable at any time.
  • Implement those policies.

Aftermath of Improper Data Analytics Usage

If you end up improperly using data analytics, there are a number of things that could happen.

  • You could end up being fined because of violations.
  • You could lose customers.
  • You could lose employees.
  • You could lose your business.

Since there are not many clearly defined rules in this area, be careful, and if it feels wrong, don’t do it. That is the best advice I can give you on the subject.

 

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Five Legal Complexities When Founding a Startup in India (Content Princess – SEO)

On January 16, 2016, the “Start-Up India” initiative was launched by the Prime Minister of India, in conjunction with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The aim is to promote entrepreneurship and innovation and to transform India into a nation of job creators.

There are some legal requirements to become an entrepreneur and build a startup business. Here are five elements to keep in mind as you create a start-up.

  1. The Legal Entity of the Business

Depending on the structure and business plan that an entrepreneur has, the legal entity of the business will change. The startup company can be registered as one of five entities listed in the infographic below. Each entity has distinct advantages and disadvantages. The investments and legal requirements will change for each category.

kbusinessboosters.vccircle.com/articles/choose-wise-right-legal-entity-your-startup”>http://kotakbusinessboosters.vccircle.com/articles/choose-wise-right-legal-entity-your-startup

  1. Business Licences and Legislations

To begin, an entrepreneur must obtain a business license to operate within a given city. The chosen office location will need to have the correct city zoning for the type of business that will be there.  Furthermore, the state and central government may require additional licenses to operate the business. Depending on the kind of work, fire, air and water pollution, and sign permits will need to be obtained.

Other than government-issued licenses, the businessperson will also need to look into labour legislations. In the beginning, they may be the sole employee of the start-up, but as the business grows, this could change quickly. There are dozens of labour welfare acts that founders should be familiar with, as well as details regarding wages, health and safety, and social security.

  1. Taxes

In addition to the licenses mentioned above, the entrepreneur will need to determine what taxes will need to be charged to clients and/or paid to the government. These will vary depending on the location of the establishment and the nature of the work it does.

  1. Comprehensive Contracts and Their Enforcement

India ranks as one of the worst countries in which to enforce a contract. Because of that, startup ventures will need to learn how to enforce the contracts that they make. This canbe done through arbitration, recovery strategies in the contract, or with the help of the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises.

Before signing, contracts need to be searched for hidden clauses that may harm the start-up. Two must-have clauses to look out for are a non-compete clause and a confidentiality clause.

  1. Investors, Investments, and Funding

Promoters may need money to start their business. Depending on the legal entity that they have registered, funding may be available from a variety of sources. Investors may be domestic or foreign, but all will require some form of a contract. Initially, this will be a term sheet and may need legal advice to complete.

Start-ups may be receiving less funding compared to last year, but this has decreased competition among companies. As long as the business model is strong, having less access to funding should not harm the start-up. Plus, as soon as the start-up is profitable, it is eligible for bank loans.

LSI Keywords

Variants of LSI:  Startup business,  startup company, Startup ventures,

Antonyms/Synonyms: Entrepreneurship,  business, legal entity, establishment

Sources:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/38882

http://withstartups.com/primer-startup-laws-india-entrepreneur-needs-know-2/

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/252192

https://yourstory.com/2014/11/startup-legal-tips/

http://kotakbusinessboosters.vccircle.com/articles/how-startups-india-can-grow-constrained-funding-environment

http://kotakbusinessboosters.vccircle.com/articles/startup-funding-applying-bank-loan-here-what-you-need-know

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