Hong Kong is one of the most illustrious cities in the world. Since colonial Britain, the province has remained a global beacon for finance and commerce. More than just being a port city, Hong Kong has anchored both the Asia and Asia-Pacific market for many years. The province plays a big role in finance globally simply because the city has so much wealth.

In fact, the average Hong Kong resident is believed to be a millionaire and commercial real estate is just as expensive. Even in the midst of this opulence, there is room for the small guy where business is concerned, as newer office formats make it possible for businesses of all sizes to work in even the most prestigious spaces, namely the virtual office.

While some might discount the benefits of the virtual office, let’s see why it is increasingly becoming an important part of the landscape.

An Alternative To High Rents

First and foremost, Hong Kong, as of a few years ago, was rated one of the most expensive places to lease office space worldwide. Finding space in a great location might be difficult, but not impossible, though. When looking for virtual offices in Hong Kong – Servcorp, for example, can place your business right in the middle of the province’s famed Finance Street or Kowloon District.

For a fraction of the price, your business can have access to valuable offices without having to pay the ghastly rents characterised by most CBDs. The reliable internet connection and access to office support can round out your virtual office in the province. In terms of levelling the playing field, the virtual office has proven itself valuable, if not important.

Dense Landscape

Commercial real estate in the province has been forced to move outward away from the centre of the province simply because, in terms of size, space is densely packed. The virtual office proves itself important simply by solving the problem of searching for space in a place where there is very little room. Of course, coworking spaces can also offer businesses office space, especially in Causeway Bay, but the virtual office eliminates businesses having to lease physical space unless they want access to conference and meeting rooms. Even in this case, they only need to rely on the right serviced office provider.

Access Without Excess

The virtual office allows businesses to choose from a menu of options. Depending on the plan, you might have access to a simple business address, so your business appears more professional or you might gain access to actual suites and meeting rooms. Other plans help foreign business register their businesses, which can be great if you need help with this process. Ultimately, your business can choose from an a la carte menu of options, pay for what you only use, and avoid paying excessively every month.

Great Way To Transition

If you happen to be in business in Hong Kong and are waiting for an office to become available, the virtual office is one of the best temporary solutions, especially through any of the serviced office providers. The virtual office can help you grow comfortably online while waiting for office space to open up because today’s technology provides businesses with a wide array of tools to work comfortably. If you do decide that the virtual office is probably a better format, then simply adjust your online platform for business growth.

More Than Important

Being able to secure a great place in Hong Kong’s thriving business scene is very important. SMEs and start-ups can actually afford to position themselves to work in prestigious locations in and around the CBD. Just in terms of providing a platform for having access to typically expensive areas, the virtual office is more than important but very valuable as well.

There are several options for wood flooring today that deserve consideration when you are looking to purchase a new wood floor. You can select from hardwoods like Merbau, Oak, or Cherry, that have great durability and last a very long time, or softwoods like Spruce or Cedar that have a bit of a spring and look beautiful. These woods are collectively known as solid wood flooring because they are made from wood directly as it comes from the tree.

If you choose either of these woods, there is a downside in that they are tough to maintain and can damage easily. For those looking to have the beauty and durability of wood flooring another option that might be better than either hard or softwood is engineered wood flooring. Here are some of the benefits of installing this engineered wood flooring in your home or office.

What is Engineered Wood Flooring?

Engineered wood is a composite flooring that is made from several layers of wood fibers that are glued together to form one strong wood composite. There are always 3 to 12 layers of hard and soft wood layers at the bottom and center of engineered wood while the top layer is a hardwood.

The Benefits of Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered Wood Flooring Lasts a Long Time

Engineered wood flooring is made to last as long as solid wood flooring. If you maintain the floor well it will provide you with beauty and comfort as well. When the flooring begins to show wear and tear you can clean and varnish it and it will regain its beauty. You can expect it to last for more than 30 years. It also outlasts other inferior choices like laminate flooring.

Friendlier to the Environment

Solid wood flooring must look perfect meaning much of the tree will not be used for flooring planks. With engineered wood because most of the wood will not be seen. There is much less waste. In fact, an engineered wood floor would use less than one third of the trees of a solid wood floor.

Engineered Wood flooring Costs Less Than Solid Wood Flooring

Engineered wood flooring i much more cost effective than solid wood flooring. You can expect to pay one third less for a high grade engineered wood floor than for a high quality solid wood floor. And of course the floor will look as beautiful, wear better, and last as long also.

Engineered Wood Flooring is More Resistant to Wear and Tear

One of the big challenges with solid wood flooring is that it is sometimes difficult to tell how a wood plank will react when laid on a floor. It can warp or buckle without notice. Engineered wood is a finished product that is easy to care for and has a long warranty against any types of defects.

Less Contraction than Solid Wood Flooring

Because engineered wood is made up of many layers of wood glued together in a way that accounts for spaces that are needed as temperature changes in a room, this type of wood flooring will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring. If you live in an area that is tropical with high temperatures and humidity, the wood sold there will likely be made to remain solid and contract less in the heat. This is one of the great benefits of buying engineered wood flooring, you can choose the characteristics of the flooring that you need based on the location of your home or business.

Wood is Healthy and Feels Good Under Your Feet

There is no floor more beautiful in your home and comfortable to the feet than natural wood and engineered wood is that most comfortable because ifs layers provide a little bounce as well. The flooring will be warmer than the room during the cooler months and cooler during the hottest months as well. Finally it will not attract allergens and is very easy to clean.

For its many benefits engineered wood flooring should be your top flooring choice.

For the last five years, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee has been hosting an annual event: the smartphone awards. If you’re one of Marques’ 7.6 million subscribers, you know that he’s constantly reviewing the latest smartphones year after year. The man has seen and experienced more than most when it comes to handset technology, making him uniquely qualified to hand out these awards.

And so, without further ado, let’s get into it. Here are the top big smartphones of 2018 according to Marques Brownlee.

The runner Up: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

According to Marques, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro “killed it”. Despite getting some international heat (more on that later), the Mate 20 Pro might be worth all the drama. It consistently earned top marks for its larger than life features.

For one thing, it earned best smartphone camera of 2018 from Android Central for its trio of Leica lenses, including:

  • a 40-MP main (f/1.8)
  • an 8-MP telephoto (f/2.4)
  • a 20-MP ultra-wide (f/2.2)

Its super-charged battery also plays a big part in why it places as the runner up. At 4,200mAh battery, it’s bigger than most batteries found in other 2018 flagships. It also out-performs these other smartphones with some early reviewers saying the battery lasted more than a full day of heavy use.

Despite its glowing review, that’s not to say the Mate 20 Pro has had an easy run. The Chinese telecom company has hit some snags — namely the US government. Congress banned any US government employee from being able to use Huawei devices, and in an act of goodwill, American carriers chose not to stock any Mate devices from that point onwards.

Now, Trump is mulling over an official ban on Huawei that would come in the form of an executive order levied against all Huawei devices. This would cap all trade between the Chinese telecom company and the US, making it next to impossible for the average person to get the Mate 20 Pro in their hands.

Until then, there are ways you may be able to land this exclusive handset. Check out this post to find out more.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

The crowning of the best big smartphone is a “no brainer” according to Marques as he introduces the Galaxy Note 9. That’s because the Note 9 delivers on all of the big smartphone features you want and expect in a phablet, and it does it in one of the prettiest packages on the market.

Samsung’s Infinity Edge display was made for the Note 9. Unlike the Mate Pro 20, which also boasts a bleeding edge display, the Note 9’s 6-inch AMOLED doesn’t look or feel awkward with almost zero bezels or chin. This design feature creates the largest viewing surface possible for those using their Note 9 to browse, stream, sketch, or game.

The Note 9 also possess some hardware features you’d be hard-pressed to find in other 2018 flagships, including:

  • a headphone jack
  • expandable storage options
  • an S-pen
  • no notch

The fact that these big hardware features are matched with intuitive software, including multi-window support and s-pen features is why the Note 9 is the official winner.

Which one will you choose?

If first place isn’t enough to sway you, maybe it’s not performance but protection that will sway your mind. You can find a scratch-free and grime-resistant skin for both handsets. A skin designer like dbrand creates tailormade decals for all the latest flagships. They cut each Note 9 skin and Mate 20 Pro skin with precision from premium materials. Whether you’re shopping for a Galaxy skin or a Huawei skin, you’ll find the look you need when you check these out these textures.

If you’re ready to upgrade to a new handset this year, what will it be? Will you go for a forbidden fruit that the Mate 20 Pro represents, or will you go for the true champion? In either case, you’re guaranteed one of the best smartphones available until next fall, when the next round of flagships are due.

In today’s fast moving and difficult to navigate business environment, the challenges of holding on to good employees and motivating them has never been greater. Because of this it is even more critical to get them glued to each other and feeling as a unit.

One proven way to accomplish this is to have a corporate retreat where employees can get away from the usual environment of the office and other business centers and move into a completely new surroundings. A corporate retreat is designed to function as a field trip for company employees where they can learn, experience, and bond.

If you are planning a corporate event for your company, here are a few things that you should pay close attention to and include in your planning.

1. Plan Group Transportation

Since bonding is one of the goals that you want to get accomplished on your corporate retreat, you should use the opportunity to transport your crew together. This idea not only ensures that everyone will get to the location and get there on time, it also gives an extended period of time for your group to be together in the same vehicle. Since your team should be focused on team building instead of navigating traffic and directions, make sure to book a charter bus or coach bus rental so that everyone arrives safely and on time, and the team building can start while everyone is en route!

2. Choose the Right Location:

You should put extra time and care into selecting a location for your corporate event. The location you select will play a big part in the tone and mood of the event. Are you thinking of having an indoor event where the movement of your group will be controlled and where you can design the specific experience? Or are you considering an outdoor event that takes into account nature and uses the wide open spaces to your benefit?

Wherever you select, make sure that the venue can accommodate the types of activities you want to have during your corporate event. Many companies choose physical activities and these are best done at an outdoor location. Others might want to create an intimate setting that demands an enclosed room.

You should also take into account that you will have employees who are disabled or impaired. For an indoor location make sure that there is wheelchair access and equipment for the hearing or visually impaired. Similarly, if your location is outdoor make sure that it is not difficult to get to, for those who have mobility issues and that there are electronics for those who might need assistance to fully participate in the activities you have planned. You should call the location that you have identified and tell them about your specific needs. Make sure that they are able to accommodate your group so that no one feels left out.

3. Organize Networking Time

Your corporate event should include seminars and other smaller gatherings where you have experts speak on relevant business, life, company and Industry topics. Use this time to educate employees on the latest developments in the industry and on new tools and strategies that are proven to be effective. Hire speakers that are knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining because these are the qualities that are shown to have the greatest positive effect on employees.

One other important element of your corporate team building event is to have a formal time for networking. Select a cocktail mixer or luncheon and plan an extended period of time where people can talk, mingle, and get to know each other in a more social environment. Make sure that your employees are aware that this is a networking event and the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves to other people at your company. For this reason, make sure that the event you plan is informal and inviting.

Creating a corporate team-building event is a wonderful idea for bringing your employees closer together. Use this opportunity to engage them, and to encourage them create better relationships with their fellow employees.

When your son or daughter comes to you and tells you that they want to go to the prom, if you pay close attention to them you’ll see how excited they are about the opportunity. They may not act this way outwardly, but if you know them you can see that they are acting in a way that they would when it’s something that they really want to do.

Proms are really important to young people because they give them opportunities to do many new things. If your son or daughter is planning on going to a prom here are a few things that you need to understand about why they’re so excited to go.

They Get a Chance to Dress Up

The prom is a formal affair that gives a young person the chance to wear a beautiful set of clothing. and for the young couples, he a handsome suit and she in a prom dress, it is a very serious affair The prom offers the opportunity for the young person to go shopping for that specific event. Chances are the young person does not have anything in his or her closet that fits the prom, so they need to look for something new. For a young man this will mean a new suit and it will mean the first time in his life probably that he will wear a suit to formal affair outside of church.

For young lady a long prom dress is the desired outfit. You’ll find that she really wants to dress up for this occasion including makeup beautiful shoes and every other small detail needed to make her look like a princess. The goal for both of them is to have a beautiful outfit that gets compliments from all of their friends.

They Get a Chance to be Independent

The Palm represents an event that was not initiated by their parents and where they are in complete control. This one-night event is set up only for young people. Although adults do have a role in chaperoning what’s going on, the specifics and activities in the event are all pull together by the young people who attend. This marks the first time where young people have complete control over an event and they love the Independence that they are being granted.

They Get a Chance to Show Off For Their Friends

The prom also represents an opportunity for young people to show off in front of their friends. There will give awards to the prom king and queen, best dressed, and best looking. Everyone who attends the prom is seeking to be singled out as being special. Winning an award at the prom is something that kids can be proud of throughout the year and they take it very seriously.

They Get a Chance to Impress Their Parents

Because young people are controlling the event one of their agendas is to make sure that everything goes smoothly and to plan. Is actually rare to find that a prom ends in a bad way because the young people are so interested in showing their parents that they can in fact handle responsibility. This creates an environment where the young people monitor each other and their behavior. They know things like drinking and doing drugs are not allowed so they make sure that anyone there on their best behavior and not doing anything that will disrupt the prom activities.

 

Your young person will talk about his or her prom experience for months.

The goal of most people is to live a healthy and happy life. One where we live virtually pain free and when those pains do occur we have quick remedies that allow us to get back to excellent health. Living pain free is directly connected to being happy and in order to get there we need to do certain things and pay attention to others to steer towards good health away from health problems.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a primary way to increase your odds of being healthy throughout your life. Ideally you start when you’re young, doing things that contribute to good strengths in good health, but even if you start a little later in life, there’s still plenty you can do on a daily basis to improve your health, or keep it great if it’s good already. Here are some tips for you to follow to stay healthy throughout your life.

See Physiotherapists When You Have Lingering Pain

Quite often when we get injured the pain lingers. Most of the time we try and ignore it and find that in a few days the pain is gone. We hardly remember it until we get a similar pain which may be in the same place or somewhere else in our body. These are normal pains that may come from bumps and bruises, sports or other physical activities. Some pains however linger. You may not remember how they occurred initially, but after a week or two we can still feel them.

When we have lingering pain, we need to pay attention, because often it can be a signal that there’s a major problem in our bodies. When the pain is in your muscles, ligaments, or joints, and that pain persist, you need to visit a doctor to understand if there’s more long-term damage. If there is damage that’s more than minor, you might need to see a physiotherapist to help get the muscle or joint back to a good condition. A physiotherapist will use stretching exercises to reduce pain and increase movement in a joint or muscle. If your pain is the result of physical activity with sports, you might need to see a sports physio in order to get to the bottom of the problem and come up with a workable therapy to get you back to good health. So if you are experiencing lingering pain, engage a physiotherapist.

Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is a primary way to keep yourself healthy. Eating provides you with the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. When you don’t eat properly, your body is constantly fighting to find adequate nutrients. When this happens for a prolonged period of time, it can cause illness. So it is very important for you to maintain a balanced and healthy diet that includes the right amount of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Get Good Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is good for the body and the mind. The body needs proper rest in order to relax and repair its systems. When the body is in a sleep state it can utilise resources that are normally used during waking to focus on any existing problems in the body. Sleep also allows you to reset and relieve yourself from stressed, tired muscles and recharge your psyche. Make sure you get 8 hours of sleep in order to remain healthy.

In operating your business, are you losing sleep worrying about how to get more money coming in? If you said you are, you join other small business owners with the same dilemma.

That said it is important to think about ways of generating more sales and revenue for your business.

With that being the case, how can you lessen your worries over money being a problem?

business

Take Stock of Your Company Finances

In your efforts to make sure money does not become an on-going problem, remember a few pointers:

 

Is it time to get a loan?

In the event you are struggling now with money, have you consider asking for help? If you go that route, you should go online to find out how to get a business loan. With the right loan in your back pocket, your small business can get back on more solid financial footing. When using the Internet to find such a loan, do your homework. You want to learn as much history about each loan provider you consider as possible. This will lessen the odds of ending up with someone not all that well suited to be your loan provider. From the company’s history to a track record of delivering loans, find the provider that can best help you. Make it a point to understand all the language involved with the loan too. The last thing you’d want would be any surprises that could hurt your finances.

 

Cutting back on debt

As important as a loan can be to get your small business back on its feet, never overlook debt. This begins with any notable credit card debt you have acquired over time. While it may not have seemed like such a big deal when you were using plastic to buy things, those charges add up. As such, you could be looking at large debt now. If you are, work to pay it down as quick as possible. Remember, interest charges can get rather high when you keep adding to your balance. It is also a good idea to look for deals when buying supplies and equipment for your operation. As an example, do you continue to deal with the same vendors for your respective needs or do you shop around? If not doing the latter, it would be wise to give it a try. In doing this, you can oftentimes land some deals along the way. Shopping around also allows you to pit vendors against one another. This is in a competitive manner that can be good for your business.

 

Benefit spending

If paying for health care, workers comp and more are you getting good prices? As in working with vendors, do your best to get good deals on your company’s insurance needs. This can save you money over the long run. It also frees up some of those funds to put towards other needs within your business.

If money has been a problem with your small business, don’t you think it is time to you got control of the matter?

 

To help rebuild your credit score and to help you lead a more responsible financial life, nothing will help more than developing good money habits. Learn to budget, live frugally, and set reminders to make sure you don’t miss any payments. With good habits, you’ll find it easy to meet your financial goals and set new ones. With that in mind, here are some tips for improving your credit score.

Credit: Know Where You Stand

If you’re living with debt that’s gotten out of control, then know that you can turn to the Licensed Insolvency Trustees, also known as bankruptcy trustees, at David Sklar to plan your way to financial freedom and improved credit. But before you can start to see improvement in your credit score, you need to know where you stand.

Checking your credit report gives you the opportunity to see which areas of your financial profile need improvement. You can see if you are regularly making late payments, if you have many missed payments, or if your debt utilization is too high. These factors would lower your credit score but the good news is that you’ll be able to see where you’ve gone wrong and position yourself to make improvements.

Credit Report vs Score

Your credit report goes through the details of your financial standing though it doesn’t always come with your credit score. Your credit score is a very important number that you’re probably trying to improve — it’s by going through your credit report where you’ll start to see how to do that.

One major item to look out for on your credit report is whether or not there are any listed fraudulent accounts: these errors can bring down your credit score and can be very troublesome. Inaccuracies on your credit report must be brought to the attention of the creditor as soon as possible so that they can fix the problem and revise the report.

Rebuild Credit

When you’re struggling with too much debt and perhaps even wondering if bankruptcy is the only way out, then you know it’s time to team up with a bankruptcy trustee. A trustee can guide you through the stressful and overwhelming experience of managing debt that has gotten just too hard to handle.

When you’re struggling with debt, you may think that rebuilding your credit is just a faraway fantasy, but with professional help you can be on the track to rebuilding your credit sooner than you think.

You need to build a consistent payment history to build up your credit as a way to prove to creditors that you can responsibly manage debt. A secured credit card is one of the best ways to do this. Secured credit cards are just like any other credit card except you must provide a security deposit as collateral before using the card. The point of a deposit is to assure creditors that you will pay back the money you borrow.

Of course, you should be careful. The point of the card is to make steady payments and stay within your balance and our personal budget — this is certainly not an excuse to find funds to enable you to live beyond your means. You want to develop good habits and grow a healthy relationship with creditors, rebuilding your credit is how to do that.

It does not matter where you drive to. It is always vital that you are safe. Obviously, there are some things that you take into account and that you remember. However, many others can surely be said. You know that when you have a Volkswagen you need to take the car to a specialized repair shop like pickeringsauto.com/Volkswagen-service-repair, but do you know the following safe driving tips?

Get The Sleep You Need

Before any long drive starts you need to be sure that you eat a good meal and you get enough sleep. Remember that drinks with a lot of caffeine are not actually recommended when you need to stay away. You are going to feel alert initially but effects recede with time. Attention can still easily wander as you try to stay awake.

Take Breaks Often

Make sure that you take breaks and you pull over once every single 2 hours. This is needed even if you do not feel sleepy. Make sure that you get fresh air and you grab a snack. Try to stretch legs by simply walking around. Take a really quick nap if this is needed.

Share Driving Responsibilities

Whenever possible, share your driving responsibilities. You want to be sure that your eyes are on the road and on the partner that is driving. This helps since you can take naps without losing driving time.

In the event that you need to drive alone, you have to turn on your radio or you need to put on music. Keep the window cracked open if you do not have air conditioning. Try not to use the cruise control feature when you drive during the night. You can remain awake when you focus on speed maintaining.

Move Off The Road

In the event that you need to pull over the car, the vehicle should be moved off the road. Try to never park in a breakdown lane or on the shoulder. Only use these areas in the event that there is an emergency.

Cell Phone Use

You want to know all laws that apply when you use the cell phone as you drive. This might be legal in one location but can turn out to be illegal when driving in another area. Ignorance is never something that will stop you from getting a fine.

While there are areas where you can use your cell phone while driving, this is generally not recommended. The best thing that you can do is to not use the phone at all when you drive.

Take Weather Into Account

It is really important that you plan ahead when it comes to the weather. Use apps that help you to know how the weather will be like when you travel to a destination. Minor detours can save you so much time in the long run. In addition, you can always use navigation apps that can help you to plan the best possible route for your journey. This helps you to easily reach your destination as fast as you can.

When you are designing a PCB, you need to make sure that you have a really effective schematic which is going to contribute to your overall design. Of course, this is not always easy as there are many different elements to think about when creating your schematic. Here, we are going to give you some tips on how you can create an effective PCB schematic. Keep reading if you’d like to find out more.

Use The Same Symbols For The Same Device

Our first tip for those who are trying to create an effective PCB schematic is to use the same symbols for the same device. This tends to make the whole process a lot less complicated and it can help you to identify similar devices quicker. This will help to keep the whole thing a lot more organised and you will thank yourself when you get to the next stage of the process.

Use Top PCB Design Software

Some of the best PCB design software packages come with some amazing features that you can use to improve your schematic and your design. This is really good news as the Schematic Capture Datasheet found in software like Altium PCB Designer can really improve the way that your schematic works. Make sure to take advantage of this feature to create an effective schematic.

Arrange It Logically

Another great tip for those who want to create an effective PCB schematic is to arrange it logically. You will want your schematic to flow just as your circuit flows so think about the direction in which you are drawing out your schematic. If you are able to arrange it logically, you will make it a lot easier to reference when you reach the next stage of the process.

Design It For Printing

Once you have completed your schematic, you might find that you need to go ahead and print it. This is why you should make sure that you are designing it to be printed and consider the dimensions. If you don’t do this, you will find that you need to work on it a little more when it gets to the printing stage and you will have to waste even more time doing this.

Remember The Title Block

Our final tip for creating an effective schematic for your PCB design is to remember your title block. This should appear on each of the pages on the schematic as it can really help you to organise it a lot easier. The title block should include the name of your circuit, your name and the date of creation. Also, make sure to add the schematic sheet number and any notes of revisions.

Final Thoughts

If you are designing our schematic for your PCB design, you need to make sure that you consider all of the things that we have discussed in this article. When you do, you’ll be able to create a successful schematic.