Category: O

January 1, 2021 admin123@ No comments exist

Obsolete What seems obsolete can be catapulted into the frontier!  Use of UK postboxes had fallen as we switched online.  But they’re now vital receptacles for secure, fast & frequent collection of Covid test samples.  For their intended uses, windows, buckles, bricks, forks, paper & shipping containers are also unbeaten.  Unlike cutting-edge tech, all these…

October 20, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Oldest At 233 years, the US Constitution is the world’s oldest. A messy compromise on 4 pages of parchment, it united States with different interests, laws & cultures.  Should we revere its age or its usefulness?  Designed to check the power of 1 branch of government against the other, it also proves that agreements can…

On

September 4, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

On Always on culture:  It’s the weekend; are you working?  1/3 of UK workers do paid work on Saturdays/Sundays.  Who are they?  Men rather than women, and 34% of the self-employed, compared to 22% of employees.  Top 5 sectors for weekend work are Food & Beverage, Gambling, Farming, Accommodation and Retail.  The longest hours are…

August 7, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Overstay Don’t overstay in your holiday city: working there changes your tax landscape, too.  Work income is taxed in the country where you work + your worldwide income is also taxed in the country where you usually reside.  If you’re a manager, your firm’s profits could also get taxed in the holiday city.  Pre-Covid19, UK…

Out

May 22, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Out Lockdown release: who should be let out, to return to work?  Let everyone out for 4 days, then back in lockdown for 10 days to wait for Covid-19 symptoms to show.  Or let people with odd- and even- birthday dates out on alternate days.  Or all those under age 50 return before the rest. …

April 27, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Out of stock The list of Out-of-Stock essentials rolls on.  But now is the time for firms to identify how, what & where to stock items they need as Covid-19 lockdown eases.  Switzerland holds 3 – 6 month’s worth of staple foods, fuels & medical supplies. But stockpiles are held by private firms, so large…

April 10, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Order in Lockdown = order in some food!  Online orders boost sales, but to pivot to delivery, a restaurant must overhaul menus with transit in mind, coordinate couriers, absorb delivery firms’ 30%+ fees, re-jig kitchen layout to include dedicated production lines to fulfil digital orders, & install pick up units in place of tables &…

March 31, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Other side Coronavirus: how will it be on the other side?  Unwillingness to commute far for work.  No need for big offices, or to live in costly city houses.  More home cooking & buying online.  No dividends.  No interest from savings/investments. Higher taxes. More health spending. And no faith in insurance, which turned out not…

January 22, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Outbreak Outbreak outlook 2020: the bugs will spread.  Now that a keyboard can do more damage than a gunship, we overlook the most devastating enemy – contagious disease.  During World War 1, flu killed more people than warfare.  Firms need to put up their own defences against disruption & loss, as governments can’t do much. …

January 17, 2020 admin123@ No comments exist

Open Data troves held by tech giants will be forced open, to benefit consumers & level the playing field for rivals.  Further crackdowns likely: ban on sharing data across their businesses, unwinding of mergers, new rules/fines for use of personal data.  The pain will fall mainly on their reign over internet search, digital advertising, e-commerce &…