Tips for Choosing a Rewards Programme

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There are many schemes out there that reward customers for buying a certain product by offering a discount on their next purchase or by making a charitable donation to a chosen good cause, or indeed both. Here are some tips of what to look for in a rewards programme to ensure your money is put to the best possible use. 

What to look for in a Rewards Programme 

There is probably no specific answer to this question as it depends on the individual as to what they are look for from getting involved in a specific scheme. Some people want to buy a product that is promoting the fact that a percentage of the money will go to a chosen charity or a worthwhile project, so that they know some of their money is going to be used in a very positive way whilst they still get to enjoy the product that they have bought. Other people want to make their money go as far as possible and like to find offers where a discount or points for future use are going to be offered to them if they buy a certain product or specific quantity. Some offers will be more attractive to you than others depending on personal preference and lifestyle but in general, any scheme or programme that supports a good cause or offers a benefit of some kind will be winning combination and hopefully prove to be an attractive and worthwhile proposition.

What to expect from a Rewards Programme 

This again will vary according to the type of offer being made but most people have to be attracted to the rewards being offered or the purpose of the scheme or programme in order to fully embrace each particular offer and actively take part or contribute financially. There are some companies who offer you a one-stop shop scenario where you can see a range of offers suitable to your interests in one location rather than having to trawl around for individual offers. There are schemes for example that follow a particular mission statement such promoting sustainable resources and reducing the impact of climate change. If this is a subject that is very important to you then you can find companies that actively pursue this goal and reward you in several ways, not just financially, for helping them to pursue these ideals. 

Developing a relationship 

If you feel strongly about climate change as an example, then you can find a company that will identify and put you in touch with a wide range of retail partners who can meet your ethical demands and supply you with anything from everyday essential items to gifts and treats which all qualify as sustainable or environmentally friendly goods from verified sources. It makes it far easier for you as a customer to find your ideal supplier who meets your ethical needs when you go through one of these one-stop shops where everything on offer is all in one place. It gives you the chance to develop a relationship with like minded companies and also benefit financially by being rewarded for your purchases with points or discounts to be used the next time you go shopping.

If there is a strong incentive for you to get involved with a rewards programme whether it is for ethical or financial reasons, sometimes a combination of the two, you want to be sure that the company you have chosen to develop a relationship with is able to back up their promises and verify their credentials. You can of course choose to investigate each offer and the company behind them yourself, but by using a one-stop shop solution you can be sure that they will have been thoroughly vetted and therefore you can shop and enjoy rewards with a good degree of confidence that everyone involved is benefitting in some way or another.

Gina Newberry is a financial consultant and advisor. She enjoys blogging about personal finance issues and ways people can save money. Signing on to a rewards program is one good way to save money.

Managed Communication Services for Your Business Through Cloud Computing

English: Cloud Computing Image (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cloud Computing is supporting a 30% annual growth per year as more and more businesses are moving data service to the cloud. Cloud computing allows you to move your computing needs off site. You no longer are tied to a specific computer in your office.

For a small businesses, placing your data in the cloud removes the burden of all IT problems. Even though it may cost a little more, your small business can look and act like a big business.

Things to Be Careful About

1. Is Your Data Safe. If you want to use cloud computing, one of your concerns is security. When you use cloud computing you are sharing data and personal information.

If you hire a reputable company in the beginning the answer is yes. A qualified company will have in-house security experts who will monitor services and the handling of you data.


2. Managing your Data.How do you control your data when it is on another computer and you don't have control of it. You may feel uncomfortable at first because you have to trust someone with your critical data. 

Your data management company has to have the infrastructure and qualified personnel who is aware of in country and international laws concerning data security. 

3. Flexibility. Understanding the difference between a cloud computing supplier and the Internet can sometimes cause confusion. The cloud isn't the internet. The Internet is a series and networks of switchers and servers that handle the data that's put on it for storage, computing or transferring. 

The cloud service lives on the Internet and is separate from it. Your business has to understand that customer data isn't all in the same place. It may be stored in different locations to provide safety in storage containment. Keeping all services in one place could cause problems if that particular service goes down.

4. Choosing a Provider. The cloud offers real services to small companies. It increase the efficiency of your business services and allows the maximum freedom to access it any where your office may be. You should pick your cloud computing service the way you would select other providers and ask questions:

• Does the cloud computing service have a good reputation?,
• Are you ready to trust your service with off site services?
• Do you believe it will help your business?

Scrutinize a few businesses when considering managed communications services if the answer to these questions is yes, move your business to the cloud.

SWIFT: A Preferred Method of International Currency Transfer

SWIFT Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It would be great if financial institutions around the globe could communicate with each other and all trade using the same currency. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to ever happen. Enter SWIFT. SWIFT stands for The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. It's a network that enables financial institutions to send and receive information about transactions in a secure and reliable environment.

The SWIFT secure messaging network runs from two redundant data centers. One of those data centers is located within the U.S. The other is in the Netherlands. Each center shares information in near-real-time. If one of the centers fails, the other is able to pick up the slack, handing the traffic for the entire network.

History

The SWIFT system didn't always exist. In fact, it's relatively new in the financial industry. Started in 1973, it was supported by 239 banks in 15 different countries. The major benefit of the organization at that time was that it established common standards for financial transactions and it also shared data processing systems as well as a worldwide communications network.

In 1977, the first message was sent. Just one year later, 10 million messages had been sent. Then, in 1979, the North American operating center opened up. The next year, Hong Kong and Singapore were connected to the system. From there, it grew steadily through the '80s, enhancing stability and security - the system also started turning a profit in 1982.

By 1991, the organization had been noticed by the Smithsonian and received the Computerworld Smithsonian Information technology Award for its standardized financial telecommunication work. Without SWIFT, worldwide financial transactions would be virtually impossible at scale since private networks would be unable to communicate with each other.

Swift Network Organization

In 2003, the system turned 30 and had a lot to show for it. Yearly traffic reached 2 billion FIN messages - nearly double the volume since 1999. In 2010, SWIFT acquired Sunguard's AMH business (Arkelis), thus extending its portfolio of high-end messaging services. In 2011, it's most innovative advancement ever happened. It launched SWIFTRemit - the first global platform for person-to-person payments.

Why It's Good

Financial institutions, by and large, love the SWIFT system. For them, it means a couple of things:

Security - Financial institutions can transmit data in an environment that is guaranteed to be secure, uniform, and reliable. Transactions between financial institutions would otherwise be inherently risky since data transfers on a public network are not secure enough for the kind of data that most financial institutions transfer.

Syntax Standards - Financial institutions need a "central hub" where they can communicate with each other. SWIFT provides that. Since it standardizes communication between all member institutions, it doesn't matter what internal, proprietary, system a company uses.

Integration - SWIFT provides real turn-key solutions for member institutions. These solutions provide members with "Computer-Based Terminals" so that each member can manage delivery and receipt of messages.

Consideration

Financial firms that make use of SWIFT systems often feel very secure using the system. However, after September 11, 2001, the U.S. government was allowed access to SWIFT's system. SWIFT has been criticized for allowing the government access to sensitive data. While the government has only ever accessed data in an attempt to track terrorist activity, some critics believe any access at all compromises the integrity and security of the system.

Dennis Tarver is a business finance consultant. His articles mainly appear on personal finance and business sites around the web. For more information about foreign currency payments, visit the link.

Public Liability Insurance - A Necessary Evil

We all know what a drain on our finances insurance can be. It's bad enough to already have to pay for health insurance, automobile insurance, and life insurance. But if you are a business professional, you really need to take a good hard look at whether or not you need to also be carrying what is known as public liability insurance as well. 

Let's say you are a driving instructor, for example. It's one thing to need coverage in case you get into an accident while conducting a driving lesson. But what if, during the course of your training session, you give improper directions to your student, which in turn causes him or her to get into an accident, resulting in bodily injury or property damage to your student, or to an innocent bystander, or to some property? 

That's where public liability insurance comes into play. If you feel that paying for public liability insurance is like throwing money away because it is seemingly too expensive, then you should consider how just expensive it might be if you end up becoming party to a lawsuit due to an accident you caused due to your own professional negligence while on the job. 

With the hospital bills and property damage you become liable to pay on behalf of the injured party, not to mention the legal fees associated with defending yourself in court, these costs, if you were to incur them, can end up costing you many times more than the mere pittance you would have to pay for public liability insurance. Check out the business website link for more information about public liability insurance.