It’s great to always be prepared. In a moment of need, you’ll wish that you had these numbers already programmed into your phone. Save yourself some time, money and general peace of mind and take a look at the 9 essential numbers that you need to have in your phone.
Emergency Services
This goes without saying. Although you may know your country's emergency number off by heart it’s always good to know you have a backup in a fast-paced situation. Your emergency contact will put you in touch with the Police, Ambulance, and Fire Department.
Non-Urgent Healthcare
Feeling under the weather but think it could be something a bit more serious than a cold? Call your allocated non-emergency healthcare provider. Trained professionals are on hand 24 hours a day to evaluate your issues and symptoms. It can save you a visit to your GP, as they can recommend some over the counter products as well as giving great healthcare advice. In the UK the NUH has a non-urgent number 111 for help and advice.
An Out-Of-Hours Dentist
Tooth pain can sometimes sneak up on you out of nowhere, and can sometimes be unbearable. Make sure you have an emergency dentist on speed dial for those niggling dental issues that just can't wait until morning. It will also be helpful to have the number of cosmetic dentistry veneers based in altamonte springs for when you want urgent cosmetic surgery done.
Your Bank
Nothing strikes panic into most people’s heart than the thought of a misplaced bank card. With card theft and fraud on the rise, make sure that you’ve got your bank’s ‘lost and stolen’ department on speed dial, to make sure you cancel the card as soon a possible to stop it from getting into the wrong hands.
A Locksmith
It’s been reported that the average adult loses more than 3,000 possessions in their lifetime. The one item that's at the top of that list? Keys. To take the pain out of the inevitable frustration of losing such an essential item, make sure you can quickly call a reputable locksmith company like Danum Locksmiths that can get you back into your home quickly.
A Plumber
Sink drains can be blocked and running baths can be forgotten. Having a trusted, local plumber easily on hand can help you being overcharged in an emergency situation. More information about plumbing services you can find at local-plumber.london, a reliable online resource.
A Vehicle Towing Company
Your car breaking down can be a huge inconvenience, and being stranded far away from home is no fun at all. Ensure you have your local recovery company available, to get you on your way. Or if you are a member of an emergency service programme that into your phone.
Your Boss
Everyday life can take the most unexpected of turns. Sometimes it's a delayed train, an unwell child, or absolute gridlock on your morning commute. Make sure you can contact your manager as soon as possible to let them know of your whereabouts and your expected arrival time at the office.
Your Neighbour
Being able to reach your neighbours in a tricky situation can be a lifesaver. As well as helping to keep you up to date with any general issues within your block or on your street, they may also be kind enough to take in delivery parcels while you're at work. Vigilant neighbours can also report on any unexpected activity around your apartment when you’re away.
Let me know have I missed anyone out? Do you have any suggestions for essential numbers to have in your mobile?
*Collaborative post
Choosing a secondary school for your child is so important these days. You may be limited to the geographical constraints but there are some general things that you should consider when you are looking for a school for your child. Here are my top 5 tips on choosing a secondary school in conjunction with Mount House School.
1. Academic excellence
Of course, you want your child to do well academically so one of the main things to look for is how the school does academically. Check the last Ofsted report and look to see what the school has done since the visit. However, If the school has strengths and weaknesses highlighted look at how they have improved on these. If your child has specific educational or special needs check how these will be addressed and the specific curriculum for their needs.
2. Visit the school
It's important for parents or guardians and the child to visit the school they are considering to get a general feel for the place. Look at how the kids behave, do they treat others with respect? Check out the quality of resources and equipment. Speak to the teachers and the kids to get a feel for the environment. Is it a happy place where children enjoy learning?
Consequently, this firsthand experience can often provide valuable insights into whether the school is a good fit. Moreover, if you're new to the area and looking for a reliable school, you can start by searching online for "private middle schools near me" or "secondary schools near me."
This search could help you identify potential schools to visit, allowing you to assess them in person and make a more informed decision.
3. Preparation for work
Look at how the school prepare the child for the world of work. Do they have connections with local businesses, how do they organise work experience? How do they build self-confidence and soft skills, such as working with others who are valuable in the work environment?
4. Pastoral care
Are all faiths respected and is tolerance practised? If a child is not religious are those views respected as well? Respect is an important word and an equally important ethos in a school environment. Ask if there is an anti-bullying policy and what the measures are in place to address bullying. Does the school inspire the children to be the best they can be and have a clear moral code?
5. Extra-curricular activities
What extra-curricular activities do the school run? This can be a range of sports and fitness sessions, public speaking groups, I.T. sessions, Eco-clubs, day trips and field trips abroad for example. All these can help create a feeling of belonging, help raise confidence and self-esteem and are also fun! Many schools support schemes such as The Duke Of Edinburgh Award Scheme to give back to the community, raise awareness of charities and the environment and engage volunteers in learning life skills.
For more information, check out these tips by teachers on picking a school.
Let me know, what do you think is important when choosing a school?
*Collaborative post
Declaring yourself bankrupt can be a huge relief if you’ve been struggling with large and unsustainable debt for a while. It can feel like a whole new start, but you also have to be aware that bankruptcy comes with consequences and conditions that can have big impacts on your professional and personal life.
You should only see bankruptcy as a last resort, so make sure you haven’t overlooked other potential solutions first. If you’re sure that it’s the right way forward, then visit this site for help and advice. The Citizen's Advice Bureau is also a great site for impartial advice.
Bankruptcy might be best for you if:
- you have no reasonable way to pay off your debts;
- there’s little or no equity in your home and you don’t possess anything of value;
- your situation isn’t likely to improve in the near future (12-18 months), and
- you live in England or Wales, you have a business there, or you have done so within the last three years but you now live permanently in another EU country (Denmark excepted).
There’s no minimum debt that qualifies for bankruptcy as it’s about whether your unsecured debts total more than the value of your assets and property. However, in practice, it’s people with more than £20,000 in debts that suit bankruptcy most.
Bankruptcy may not be suitable for you if:
- your debts come to less than £20,000 and your possessions (apart from essential household equipment and a vehicle worth less than £1,000) are worth less than £1,000. In these circumstances, a debt relief order may be better;
- you’re in a profession like accountancy, law or financial services, as many professional associations bar bankrupt people from joining;
- you prefer to keep your financial situation private;
- your financial circumstances are likely to get better in the near future – you’re waiting for an inheritance or other windfall, for example, and
- your pension fund is worth more than your debt.
Other things you need to think about
You need to consider the consequences of bankruptcy before applying.
Can you afford to pay the £680 fee?
The fee is £680, but you can pay in instalments starting at £5 if you pay online.
You may lose your home
If your debt is large enough then your home may be sold to pay creditors.
You’ll find it tough to get credit for several years
Becoming bankrupt will probably mean several years of difficulty in getting credit, mortgages and starting new businesses.
Keeping your possessions
You’re allowed to retain essential household items and a vehicle that’s worth less than £1,000. Anything else may be sold to pay creditors.
There are more restrictions
Your bankruptcy will last for 12 months and during this period you’ll need to follow set rules in your personal and professional life.
Bankruptcy won’t clear all your debts
If you have other debts, like student loans, magistrate court fines and maintenance payment arrears, you’ll find that these aren’t covered by your bankruptcy so you’ll still have to pay them.
Your bankruptcy will be in the public domain
Bankruptcies are listed in public records so anyone can view them. If you have safety concerns for yourself and your family because of this then you can ask for a court order to stop your details being published.
*Collaborative post
Over the last thirty years, the dating scene has changed dramatically. In the olden days, if you didn't meet your partner in school, college or the workplace you took your potluck at the local bar or nightclub, you locked eyes over the room in a hazy mist of alcohol and the rest, as they say, is history. Alternatively, you were set up by friends who sometimes made a good choice but more than often didn't. A blind date was particularly scary, and as you sat by the bar with a newspaper in your hand to identify yourself, trembling with anticipation, you only hoped that the neanderthal that just turned up wasn't him (or her).
Another way to meet people was from the local adverts in newspapers and part of the fun was deciphering your potential date from the abbreviations. Did you want a date with a GSOH (Good Sense Of Humour), or one looking for an LDR (Long Distance Relationship), and if you got your BBW mixed up with your B&D you would have been in for a big surprise?!
Then the Internet age happened and online dating combined with apps made dating easier. The dating scene today has made hooking up easier than ever but is that a good thing? You can meet a wide range of cultures and ethnicities from Brazilian women, Latino men and Japanese women which means it's easier to meet up with other cultures if they are not close to you. There are some huge plus points but big pitfalls too. This can make dating exciting but scarier than ever before.
Let's look at how the dating scene has changed today.
Online dating is mainstream
There used to be a stigma attached to meeting your date online. Not anymore. People meet online on social networks, on professional sites and on dating sites and no one bats an eyelid. Attitudes have changed immensely and the overwhelming majority of Americans in a survey in 2016 felt meeting people online was a good thing.
The ease of online dating is a huge plus point. You can live anywhere in the world and connect with people via the internet and this is especially brilliant if you are isolated due to location or circumstance. However this opens up a huge choice of potential partners, so you definitely need a plan or you will become overwhelmed.
Many online sites have matching algorithms to help you find your potential partner. By answering some questions, the people search algorithms can advise you on who would be a good match. Matching can help you avoid those people who you will not click with, however, remember the phrase 'opposites attract. Algorithms are never perfect however and don't take into account chemistry.
Online dating can be open to scammers so security is important. Make some basic checks on the person you want to meet to avoid 'catfishing'. Catfishing is where someone creates an online persona to lure someone into a relationship. To help avoid this, ask some personal questions, do a quick Google search or use an advanced people search tool for more extra information, and trust your gut instinct.
Apps are where it's at
Of course as well as online dating, mobile apps have revolutionised the dating scene. Sites that allow you to swipe right often mean you are considering meeting your match on a mobile app.
There are obvious pros and cons to using apps for dating. For people with busy lives, it's an easy and quick way to check out potential partners. It also has many of the benefits of internet dating such as connecting to people from all locations. Many internet dating sites have appropriate apps too so you can harness the functionality of these sites with a click from your phone.
With the ease of signing up, as with Internet dating you do need to check people out thoroughly, to ensure they are who they say they are.
Consider a unique site
There are dating sites out there for people with specific interests, lifestyles, ages and religions too. Sites for geeks, sites for vegetarians, sites for professionals, sites for Christians, and much more. Common interests in the first place can be a great way of meeting people. Then the hard work starts by building a relationship.
There are sites for older people and senior dating is much easier with sites like older-dating.com that focus on those in their 40s to 70s and even older. Don't forget people like me, in their 40's and 50's grew up with the internet and many people much older use computers every day too. Online dating through these sites is just another way of accessing people with like-minded interests of a certain age group and are perfect for those going through a divorce or who have lost a loved one.
Safety
With all types of dating, the initial emails, conversations online, on the phone or texts may make that initial connection but sooner or later you will want to meet. This is a person you have never met, so take some simple precautions. Try to talk to them on the phone or via video chat first. If they refuse then it's obviously a red flag.
Always meet in a public place and tell someone you know where you are going. If you can meet in the daylight do so. To make better judgements I would always say avoid alcohol on the first meeting, keep the first meeting short and make sure you can leave easily if need be. Check out more safety tips for meeting someone online here.
As you can see the dating scene has changed a lot over the last thirty years. Let me know do you date online? What do you think of these changes?
*Collaborative post
An ever-increasing amount of entrepreneurs are recognising the benefits of working from home and more and more people are looking for ways to take their small businesses online. With such a wide variety of online e-commerce platforms to choose from, where does one start?
Finding the right e-commerce platform for your business is a critical decision that can make or break your online sales experience. Many e-commerce businesses got their start on complicated platforms that can be cumbersome to use and may require specialist knowledge to run effectively. Shopify is a simple and effective e-commerce platform that comes with built-in tools that make it easy to perform a Magento migration without losing any of your functionality or sales data.
Why Is Adding An E-Commerce Platform To Your Website So Important?
Recent trends have shown a tremendous shift in the makeup of the employment market. More and more people are becoming self-employed entrepreneurs or freelancers and technologies like e-commerce platforms are absolutely critical to the effective sustaining of these trends. The benefits offered by a home-owned business and those offered by technologies like e-commerce platforms go hand in hand.
E-commerce has made it possible for entrepreneurs to effectively earn an income from the comfort of their homes. Being able to sell products via the internet reduces the overall operating costs of your small business to a level that is much more acceptable. Other advantages, like lower staffing requirements, is another strong argument for adding e-commerce solutions to your small company.
How Do E-Commerce Platforms Work?
E-commerce platforms essentially provide the nuts and bolts that are required to make an online business work. The trick is that the nuts and bolts are provided in a convenient package that almost anybody can understand and use. Getting your own e-commerce shop set up can take as little as five minutes and a few clicks. Most e-commerce platforms have developed tutorials that make it easier to perform the initial set-up or transfer your shop from another e-commerce provider.
Once the initial set-up procedure has been completed, you can easily manage your products and price lists from the central admin panel or back-end of your e-commerce platform. Most platforms offer different subscription plans that allow users to select the options they need when they need them. This scalability is very important as it allows businesses to grow into the platform at their own pace and it leads to reduced monthly running costs.
No matter what type of business you are running, there is a scalable e-commerce platform that will meet your needs. Ensuring that you keep up with modern trends is vital to your success in the world of e-commerce because clients are spoilt for choice and competition is strong. Choosing the right e-commerce platform can give you the advantage that you need in order to beat the competition and close the deal. Why not investigate your options and add online sales to your business, you may just be surprised by the results!
* AD
There has been lots of talk around business security recently, particularly with the number of cyber attacks on the rise. In fact, leading insurance provider, Hiscox, estimates that approximately 65,000 cyber-attacks are carried out each day in the UK. However, your business also faces other threats, particularly from burglars and vandals. Research has shown that each burglary costs a business around £2,000. This is a lot of money for any business to recover.
To help keep your business safe, here are five security hacks you can quickly implement:
Install CCTV
It once was costly to install surveillance cameras, however, developments in technology have reduced the cost of buying and installing surveillance systems. The type of system you’ll need will depend on the size of your premises, but you should look to install them at all entry and exit points. If you have a staff car park or if you store vehicles on-site you should have cameras in these areas as well.
Invest in an alarm system
An alarm system acts as the first line of defence against theft and vandalism. There are several types of alarms available including intruder alarms, access control systems - which enable you to control who has access to your premises, to alarms that send alerts to the police when they are triggered. A Verisure smart alarm is one of the great options. Picking the right alarm for your business will depend on your requirements and your budget as the more sophisticated they are the more they cost.
Protect the perimeter of your business
Having security measures on the perimeter of your business is just as important as protecting your premises, as the more difficult you make it for someone to get access to your site, the less damage they can do. A tall, sturdy fence is a good deterrent to burglars and vandals. While gate barriers will restrict access to people who are only authorised to be onsite.
Store valuable data off-site
Your business will be a target for burglars if they think you store valuables like cash or assets or tools or materials on site. If you have to keep some valuables (particularly cash) on the premises, make sure it’s only small amounts and that it is locked away in a safe. You may not think it but ‘data’, especially people’s personal information can be extremely valuable. So, if your business is in an industry that requires you to store data, holding it on secure external servers will make it harder for hackers to steal it.
Have a lock-down plan
A lock-down is a procedure that is used when the occupants, such as your staff or customers are faced with an immediate threat. The plan outlines the steps you’ll take to keep everyone safe and it should include details on how the doors and windows should be locked, where occupants will gather and who will be responsible for contacting the emergency services.
Any disruption to your business, be it from someone trying to break in or an online cyber-attack, costs you money. These ideas will help to keep yourself and your employees safe and also protect your premises from damage or theft.
*Collaborative post
