Capital raising refers to a process undertaken by businesses to secure the funding required to start, operate or grow that business. No matter what stage a company is at, raising capital is a necessary requirement.

There are two main types of capital raising: debt capital, such as taking out a loan or credit card, and equity capital, which involves selling shares in the company in exchange for finance.

Kevin Neal has been involved in raising funding and capital throughout his career, drawing on his experience as a former independent financial adviser.

Within both debt and equity financing, there are various methods and sources a business can use to secure the capital they require.

Debt Financing

Debt financing involves the business borrowing a sum of money under contract to repay that money, usually plus interest, within a certain period of time. The two most commonly used types of debt financing are loans and bonds.

With a loan, the company borrows a sum from a lender such as a bank and commits to making repayments until that sum plus an agreed rate of interest has been fully repaid.

Corporate bonds are another option; these are sold to investors to raise immediate capital, with the company then paying the investor interest payments until the bonds reach a pre-agreed date of maturity. These types of bonds pay a relatively high yield to investors, as they come with a higher level of risk than other similar investments such as government bonds.

Equity Financing

Equity financing raises money for the company that does not have to be repaid, as the investor is given shares in the company in exchange for their capital. There are two main types of shares that can be issued.

Common shares provide the shareholder with the right to vote at board meetings but come with few other perks. Holders of common shares are the last to be repaid if the company liquidates.

Preferred shares do not confer voting rights on the shareholders, but they do guarantee payment of a specified dividend before any common share payments are made.

Realistic Capital Raising Goals

No matter which capital raising route a company chooses to go down, it will have a better chance of success if the owners or management are realistic about the amount of capital that will be required from the offset.

Entrepreneurs are often optimistic which, although a positive quality, can result in forecasts and predictions which do not come to light. Being realistic about the required amount of capital – while accounting for a variety of possible scenarios rather than just the best case – helps ensure enough capital can be secured to see things through.

Know Your Investors

A large part of successfully securing the capital a business requires comes from knowing which investors to approach, as well as ensuring that all the relevant information and documentation is in place before approaching them.

Some projects will benefit from appealing to investors with local knowledge, for example, while others will be more attractive to investors with an international scope.

Approaching the right investors armed with an in-depth business plan and well thought out projections can make the difference between securing the capital and going home empty-handed.

What Is Amaiz?

Amaiz is a popular electronic money institute that has been built under the United Kingdom’s regulations related to electronic money in the year 2011. Amaiz is regulated by the financial control authority and is registered by a popular electronic money institute called the PrePay Technologies Ltd. The popular E-money Institute PrePay is authorized to issue electronic money and other money paying instruments.

Features

The best thing about Amaiz is that it can be fully trusted. The level of security they provide is unmatchable and helps you feel safe and secure about making online electronic payments comfortably. It is easy to forget your password and sometimes passwords are not enough to get you the security you desire that is why Amaiz provides you a security system that helps to make sure your card, app, account, and other personal information is kept safe. This is done by tools such as biometric identification, card control and identification by the video.

Another amazing advantage of having a current account at Amaiz is that it is available all the time and saves you from the unnecessary fuss of managing your account. It helps to keep your spending separate from your business expenditure and covers up all your basic expenses. Whenever the money enters or leaves your account you get notified so everything is simple and straightforward with Amaiz. The good news is that it is very easy and quick to set up your current account at Amaiz you just need your passport, your residence permit, your cell phone and your time.

Amaiz also provides you with the expert service that helps you in answering your queries and solving your problems related to accounts, invoicing, and bookkeeping. Their expert team is fully trained and experienced to help you out in anything and everything. The invoicing by Amaiz is easy and straightforward. You can easily and simply bill your customers once the sale is done from the invoicing app. The process of invoicing is simplified by having portions on the app that deals with important information such as adding the client’s name, the due date, adding the taxes, costs, and listing the items. The total amount would be calculated automatically for the customer and would be shared through the messenger or Amaiz app.

The pricing is simple, easy and low. The advanced plan that they offer is amazing and they help you get started for free. Later on, you can choose to pay monthly through PAYG once things start getting better for you. You can choose any monthly plan of payment that suits you. The three plans that you can choose from are Amaiz starter pack, Coconut start, and starling. Each plan is low priced with a low monthly fee, bank transfers, International transfers, cash deposits, cash withdrawals, and card reissues.

Conclusion

Amaiz is an amazing online electronic money transfer institute that helps you to make payments and transfer money easily, comfortably and safely. It offers various types of cost effective pricing plans which are perfect for customers looking for digital banking services.

The UK has reduced its oil imports by more than a fifth (21%) in five years, a new online tool from Daily FX has revealed.

While the country remains the 12th biggest global importer of oil, including petroleum oils, it has taken great strides towards reducing its reliance on such environmentally-harmful fuels.

Between 2013 and 2018, the UK had the eighth-best rate in Europe for reducing such imports, with its intake dropping by 76.9 million barrels (from 359 million to just over 280 million).

Malta (93%) and the Republic of Moldova (92%) experienced the most significant decreases across the continent.

The data has been visualised on a new interactive tool built by Daily FX, the leading portal for forex trading news, which displays global commodity imports and exports over the last decade.

The tool shows that China has recently overtaken the USA as the world’s biggest importer of oil. The Asian giant imported nearly 3.4 billion barrels in 2018, which was over 240 million more than the USA. China tops the list having increased its oil imports by 64% since 2013 – nearly six times the rate of its rival (11%).

The top 10 global importers of oil (2018) are:

1. China – 3.38 billion barrels
2. USA – 3.14 billion barrels
3. India – 1.65 billion barrels
4. Japan – 1.09 billion barrels
5. The Republic of Korea – 1.09 billion barrels
6. Germany – 622 million barrels
7. Netherlands – 506 million barrels
8. Italy – 460 million barrels
9. France – 397 million barrels
10. Singapore – 376 million barrels

Daily FX’s unique tool allows traders to spot developments in the flow of commodities and the growth of both supply and demand while comparing the changes to critical economic indicators.

One trend highlighted by the tool is the decreasing reliance on oil among African countries. Five of the world’s ten best nations at reducing oil imports are found on the continent, including the top four. Morocco, Kenya, Burundi and Gambia all decreased such imports by over 99%.

John Kicklighter, Chief Currency Strategist at Daily FX, said: “The world is changing and so is the way that it uses energy. Renewable and environmentally-friendly fuel options are the future, and while the end of crude oil is still far off, there will be considerable changes in the world’s top importers and exporters. Our new tool helps track those changes.

“While some of the larger countries have increased their appetite, it is interesting from an investor’s perspective to see the UK exploring alternative energy sources and reducing its dependence on oil.”

‘Global Commodities’ takes the form of a re-imagined 3D globe where the heights of countries rise and fall to show the import and export levels of a range of commodities over the last decade. The data visualisation allows users to switch views from a single commodity or market and show information relevant to that commodity or market’s performance.

To learn more about Global Commodities and view the tool, visit: https://www.dailyfx.com/research/global-commodities

Streamlining the retail industry has been the goal of a number of technological advancements in recent years and effective management software is no exception. With the implementation of AI and a number of other tools, this can help to monitor stock, organise workforce and maintain healthy customer acquisition rates all through one connected software. In this article, we will be providing you with more insight into effective management software and how this can continue to aid the retail industry.

Encourages Open Communication

One of the biggest benefits to effective management software is the open channel of communication that you have with people in your store as well as others up and down the UK. This is great for retail in particular as this can ensure that all workers are on the same page throughout the course of the workday. In addition to this, management software will also ensure that you are clocking in on time as well as out on time, therefore, keeping track of employees.

Helps Keep Track Of Shipments

If you are running a business that receives a vast amount of international shipments, then a management software may benefit you. This will not only to help organise the information that you need to send international parcel to a customer, but it will also help you to track product shipments and ensure that you receive all the items that you need.

This is crucial to the success of a business as all international parcels will then be accounted for, allowing you to replenish stock effectively as well as monitor the number of units that you have sold, therefore helping you to order stock when it is needed and increase efficiency.

Helps Aid The Human Resources Department

Though there are a number of departments that will benefit from management software, none will benefit quite like the human resources department. Whether this is working out shift patterns, allowing holiday or ensuring that everyone knows the department that they are working, this will help to streamline processes and ensure that everyone is on the same page. This will help retail as a whole as this will help to keep the store looking great and therefore help to boost sales as a result.

Manages Stock

Managing stock is an essential part of retail that cannot afford any kind of human error, therefore, an effective management system is the perfect way to streamline the retail business and ensure that all stock is monitored and recorded correctly. By using an automated system that calculates sales, the amount of remaining stock can be calculated almost instantaneously, this will streamline the retail business as it aids in ensuring that all stock is accounted for and can be re-ordered easily without having to calculate the amount that you will need as all the numbers are there for you.Whether you are a small business looking to optimise efficiency from the start or you are a larger company looking to modernise a number of outdated practices, a management system can help you to achieve exactly that as well as help to boost monthly sales.

Operating in a crowded market can be an issue for a business, particularly if they are just starting up as it can be difficult to stand out against competitors. However, finding your niche and marketing yourself to appeal to a specific audience are just some of the things you can do to stand out with or without the help of an SEO company. In this article, we will provide you with more information on how you can stand out against your competitors in the long term.

Offer Something Different To Others

When looking to stand out in a crowded market it is vital that you offer something different to your customers. Whether this is a reward point system or a return policy, this can help to put you ahead of your competitors regardless of the size of the business. This will not only encourage people to come back and use your business again, but it will also help to boost the reputation of your business.

Leave A Lasting Impression

In addition to offering something new and exciting for your customers, it is important to leave a lasting impression. By taking pride in customer service and ensuring that every customer leaves the store happy, this can help to drive up sales and increase the likelihood of customer loyalty as customers feel valued when shopping with you. This is of a benefit to a business as word of mouth will then help to increase footfall to a physical store and even increase online traffic to your website as more and more people decide to shop with you on a weekly basis.

Use Social Media To Your Advantage

Another way that you can stand out against your competitors is by using social media. With competitions, frequent social posts and advertising on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, you can begin to market efficiently and build the relationship between you and your audience. In addition to this, having a quick response time to queries online is key as this will help to show your customers that they are valuable to you as a business. Though it will take time to build up the trust between your customers and your business, using social media is the perfect place to start as it provides you with the direct connection that you need on a platform that many people use on a daily basis.

Listen To Your Customers

The final way that you can stand out against your competitors is to listen to your audiences. This is something that a number of corporate businesses are lacking in and can provide an enjoyable experience with your business every time. By implementing a customer service process for both online and in-person this will help customers to feel valued over time. This is key to the growth and reputation of a business as customers will feel as though they are valued by you.

With this in mind, there are a number of ways that you can ensure that your business stands out from its competitors whilst building and nurturing the relationship that you have with your customers both online and in-store. Which of these options would you be trying first?  

OCBC Bank, the best bank for small and medium-sized businesses in Southeast Asia, according to Euromoney, has long called Osome its valuable partner. Recently, the companies jointly created an online service that can significantly reduce the time for entrepreneurs to open their own business and its essential attribute: a bank account.

The service is revolutionary for the Singapore market and allows entrepreneurs to register a company and instantly open a business banking account for one day. The service is built on the basis of the secure Osome application, accessible both from a desktop and mobile device. Myinfo account is used to log in. The whole process takes place online, which frees customers from having to visit offices or make phone calls. The client uploads the necessary information to the chat in a few clicks through the chatbot, then the Osome expert guides the client through the registration procedure, answering all questions. Since the work of Osome is being built is closely connected with the use of artificial intelligence that automates the process, all incorporation can be carried out in 38 minutes.

After the company is registered, the data will be transferred to OCBC BANK, and the client will receive a secure link to open a business account instantly. The Osomе and OCBC’s collaboration allows new entrepreneurs not to waste time re-filling out documents. Therefore, the unique product takes on the important function: it will enable businessmen to switch to implementing their business ideas quickly and safely.

Osome presents different packages, including various services, such as corporate secretary and accounting. The packages are designed to meet different customer needs and make doing business as convenient as possible. Furthermore, the advantage of opening an OCBC bank account is that you start a business with one of the lowest initial deposits required on the market at one of the largest banks in Southeast Asia.

As Viktor Lysenko, founder, and CEO of Osome, said, the main goal of the company has always been to save entrepreneurs from the daily routine problems that prevent them from doing business. Cooperation with the OCBC will allow people in business to complete formalities throughout the day.

Osome solves administrative tasks, carries out the accounting and informs customers about all deadlines. In addition to accounting and bookeeping, Osome provides tax reporting, ensuring that all reports are flawless and timely filed. A convenient system for storing and sorting documents allows customers to access documents of interest from any device quickly. In a secure chat, on the basis of which the client builds his working relationship with Osome, you can get an answer within 15 minutes around the clock seven days a week.

Since recent times, Osome began expanding into new markets. The company has already started to provide its services in the United Kingdom and Great Britain.

Exactly a year ago, in his interview to the Economist, Mikhail Fridman, #79 in the Forbes list of billionaires, quoted a widely used Russian proverb – you can never be sure you won’t go to prison or be a beggar. He never had an objective reason to fear jail, he said then. The year has shown how the tides may turn.

Today, Spanish prosecutors accuse him of raider attacks, market manipulation, fraudulent insolvency, business corruption and misuse of company assets in regard to two Spanish businesses – Zed and DIA.

Earlier this year, a Spanish court has put Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman under official investigation for corruption, accusing him of having helped orchestrate the bankruptcy of Spanish technology company Zed.

The National Court, which deals with major financial cases, summoned Fridman for questioning in September placing him under probe for corruption in business, market abuse, fraudulent insolvency and misuse of company assets.

As told by AFP, Fridman is accused of having led “a series of actions that led to the insolvency of the Spanish company Zed Worldwide SA… in order to buy it at a ridiculously low price, much lower than that of the market,” the court document said.

According to the National Court, the Russian magnate was a shareholder and creditor for Zed, a Spanish technology company declared bankrupt in November 2016. As a result, he had “a privileged position for any type of decision in the group,” it said.

Spain’s anti-corruption prosecutors say mobile phone operator Vimpelcom, which has since been re-named as VEON, controlled by Fridman, suddenly terminated or modified contracts with a Russian subsidiary of the Spanish group from 2014, depriving it of significant revenue.

Those contracts had boosted Zed’s revenues to such an extent that it planned to list on Nasdaq and secured a 140-million-euro ($157-million) loan in 2013, increasing its debt. Some of that was loaned by a bank controlled by Fridman, prosecutors say. In difficulty, Zed applied for bankruptcy in June 2016.

Four months later, people close to the Russian businessman came forward to buy Zed for 20 million euros, “much less than its value when blockage manoeuvers controlled by Mr. Fridman started,” prosecutors say.

The very same manoeuvers have been spotted by the press in the case of DIA, the embattled Spanish supermarket chain Mikhail Fridman bought in May via a hostile takeover.  The Reuters  writes that Spain’s High Court is investigating allegations that Russian tycoon Mikhail Fridman acted to depress the share price of DIA when trying to take control of the supermarket chain, a court document seen by Reuters showed.

Spain’s Supreme Court gave the High Court a mandate to investigate anonymous accusations which it said indicated Fridman may have acted to manipulate prices, engaged in insider trading and damaged the interests of minority shareholders.

The court document cites a police report alleging that Fridman acted in a coordinated and concerted way through a network of corporations to create short-term illiquidity in the company and lower the share price before launching his takeover: “LetterOne Investment Holdings (directed by Fridman), shareholder in DIA, maintained a heightened financial tension to lower the share price before buying the company.”

In October, Fridman appeared in court in Madrid as part of the ZED case, and denied all charges. The Court however, ruled to maintain the ‘accused’ status in his regard.

Not all smooth back at home either. Fridman’s name is being mentioned in the context of another hostile takeover, that of Korund-M, an R&D and production enterprise that develops secure computers for Russian state-owned structures (including those responsible for aviation and space programmes), and holds a license for developing weaponry.

As told by Business First, Fridman’s A1 investment company bought 50% of Korund-M’s shares earlier this year via an affiliated company and is now being accused of an attempted raider attack by its founder and director of 35 years Russian Academic Betelin.

Betelin claims that Fridman’s involvement in a strategically important enterprise related to national security can be qualified as “foreign involvement”  because A1 is registered in Luxemburg. Sources in Russia say that since the ‘Kremlin dossier’ was published, Fridman’s local structures have been avoiding any contact with the national military forces not to anger the US, whether or not Fridman’s involvement in a Russian national defense enterprise will affect the way he is profiled in the US sanctions lists remains to be seen.