Modern Living

Telephone Banking Facts

Most of us use telephone banking these days and rightfully so. Telephone banking such as RBS Banking is a safe way to conduct many banking operations that can be done without the presence of a real person to assist you. Here are only some of the examples of transactions that can be completed using this form of banking and here is what you can do :

1. Check your balance.
2. Pay your bills.
3. Trace your bank deposits.
4. Block your credit or debit card in case it has been stolen.
5. Stop payment on a check.

Of course, the list goes on and on and many banks still work on expanding their telephone banking service based on how popular it has become over the years.

Telephone banking is easy to use and probably this is why it is so popular these days. All you need to have in your possession is the type of phone that allows you to input numbers and you are ready to conduct a number of transactions without even speaking to a real person. All you need to do is to listen and then at the right time provide the right numerical answers.

In the past, some people were concerned about the safety of online banking. What makes a huge difference is the fact that most banks constantly work on improving this kind of service adding more and more ways to ensure that their system is safe. The introduction of unique numbers for each transaction is only one example of how far online banking safety goes and just another reason to opt for it instead of talking to a real person.

Telephone banking saves everybody time and money. The banks are happy to have an automated system that handles most queries that people have, and the clients save their time not having to wait in queue for their phone call to be answers. In other words, it is a win-win for everybody.

If for some reason your concerned cannot be resolved with the help of telephone banking only, most banks give you always the opportunity to handle any case in the presence of their representative.

A beginners guide to greenhouses

Even though we are coming into the Winter months and gardening has slowed down, now is actually the perfect time of year to think ahead and plan your garden and any accessories you may want to purchase for the year ahead. The types of vegetables and fruits you want to plant in the Spring, any new items you want to purchase to help you grow your produce such as shed, greenhouses…etc.

Your greenhouse should be placed in a location where it will get the most possible sunlight. This will almost always mean that you will want to build your greenhouse so that it is sitting south or southwest on your property. This will allow for the most direct light each day. It is essential that you position your greenhouse near a water supply of some kind so you can water your plants with ease.

Greenhouses allow you to grow plants and crops that may require warmer more sheltered conditions than our UK gardens may offer. Installing a thermometer will ensure you can effectively monitor the Greenhouse temperature. Ideally greenhouse should be frost free with a temperature from at least 2 degrees centigrade, or for delicate plants, the temperature needs to be above 13 degrees. You could use heaters to warm your greenhouse, a layer of bubble wrap on the inside of your Greenhouse can protect from winter chill and draft.

Circulation and ventilation are important if you want to avoid fungi attacking your plants and heating your Greenhouse can increase the risk of this. In the summer even with our unpredictable British weather it can be difficult to maintain good ventilation. Keeping wall and roof vents open should help. You could install a small fan if needs be.

Leaving adequate space between plants also helps avoid poor circulation of air. Reducing moisture in the air also prevents damage to benches – ideally use metal or treated wood benches if possible.

The normal sowing period in UK is typically March to April. Start off with starter pots, cardboard egg cartons, tubes or even egg shells are all great containers to get things growing! Now is a good time to do some Greenhouse maintenance, clean your shelves and pots. Clean the outside of your Greenhouse and remove muck and debris and maximise light for your growing season.

A Greenhouse is a great addition to any garden and will extend your gardening calendar through the winter months, or at least give you a good head start! When deciding what type or size greenhouse to go for, make sure you have measured up well beforehand and that the area you have in mind get sufficient sunlight for your veggies. The average size is 6×8 greenhouses for sale although they do come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Why Your Business Needs a Lawyer

Starting a business is stressful, and no more so than in the early days. In the opening stages of running your own business, you’re laying the foundations of something you hope will grow and grow for years. Making a mistake at this key stage could have terrible consequences, not the day after, or the week after, but months or years down the road.

It’s important to make sure that when you set up your business that you have the right structure to grow; are registered in the right category to accurately describe what you do to avoid incorrect charges and taxes; and are also compliant with all aspects of business law.

One of the people who can best help you with this is a good business lawyer. You may be able to find one on the high street in the town where you work, especially if you have a good professional network who can recommend someone specific to you. Another option is to look for an online law firm: you may find this more convenient and cheaper, which is definitely a consideration in your busy and budget conscious early days.

A lawyer can help guide you through the process of setting up your business to ensure you lay the optimal foundations for your future success. They’re also useful to keep in contact with: As you secure your premises, your raw materials or products and your staff, having a lawyer available to review their contracts will make sure you get the best deal and avoid nasty surprises later. If you haven’t had a lawyer review your contract you might find that when you come to rely on a clause later, it doesn’t protect you in the way you thought it did.

If a lawyer is involved in your contract drafting and review process you can be assured that the contracts you’re creating accurately describe and enforce the terms you need, and also that you understand the contracts you are signing. For example, when you are signing the lease on your premises, a lawyer can review that contract and ensure you are getting all the use out of the building that you need: that there are no restrictions or additional responsibilities falling to you that limit your ability to use the premises in the way you need.

This means that you can start running your confident that everything is set up just as you need it to make a success of your new venture.

Social Care: A Growing Industry

If you’re thinking about social care, whether you’re considering training for the first time, or in the middle of your career and looking for new social care jobs you must wonder about the state of the sector. It’s often talked about as being overburdened, or under resourced, but social work is the hidden engine of our aging nation, there has never been a better time to commit to it.

Experts estimate that adult and child social care add around £50 billion to the UK economy in wages, supplies and even profits. If you factor in the additional value added by relieving the burden on family members to allow them to work and support themselves, and ushering children through the care system and into society it’s value is incalculable.

The UK has an aging population, so in the next decade, more and more resources will have to be devoted to caring for the aged who are no longer able to care for themselves. This doesn’t just mean more traditional carers. This opens the door for new innovative kinds of occupational therapy and people delivering workshops to help make sure those in care homes aren’t left isolated and bored: art and drama therapy groups, even ceramics can help to boost the quality of immeasurably for the elderly, even those requiring full time care.

This also creates opportunities for social carers in rural communities: social funding is traditionally concentrated on big cities, but there are aging populations in need of care right across the country, including smaller towns and villages that don’t normally figure on budgetary agendas. David Powell’s report calls for more localised funding that wouldn’t just ensure provision of care for the elderly away from urban centres, but also lead to an economic regeneration in the isolated, rural areas that are so in need of it.

Funding initiatives like ‘Community Catalysts’ in Somerset point the way forward to how local schemes that serve the needs of the community and build on its strengths can attract the money needed to get off the ground. It’s entrepreneurial ‘social start ups’ like this that point the way forward to a bold and exciting future for the social services in these otherwise embattled times.

If you grew up in a rural community and are considering social work, this could be the best time and get in on the ground floor of the coming revolution.

The Strangest Ways Students Have Saved Money

When you’re a student, money can be tight. We all have memories of pinching pennies and living on beans on toast because we’ve spent our budget on beer. Some students take savings above and beyond though, with epic work arounds to avoid big costs.

The Rent is Cheap, but the Commute’s Murder

One of your biggest costs as a student is accommodation. It varies widely depending on where you are studying: University of Huddersfield accommodation can be had for as little as £70 a week, whereas in London prices can stretch into hundreds of pounds.

One way to get a better deal on accommodation in a big city is to live away from the centre of town and live with a long commute into lectures, and many do this, but one student has taken things to the next level.

Jonathan Davey, an anthropology student studying at the University of London could have been paying nearly £900 a week to live nearby. Looking further afield, he found a great deal on a flat. In Poland.

Rather than cycling in to study, he flies 1000 miles from Gdansk to Luton every Monday, getting in at 6am and staying with friends or in cheap hostels through the week. On Friday, he flies 2000 miles home again. Paying only £35 a week for his room in Poland, his entire rent and transport bill comes to only £2100 a year, the cheapest for any student in London.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Train tickets are extremely expensive for long journeys across the UK. Going from London to Edinburgh can cost more than £150, which can make going home for the holidays tricky to budget at the end of term.

Blogger and Student Jordan Cox was on his way back from Sheffield to Essex and found a train would cost nearly £50. A bit of creative googling later, Jordan found he could save money and see a bit more of the world by travelling from Sheffield to Essex via Berlin.

Flying from East Midlands Airport to Berlin, exploring the city and then flying to Stansted came in at £3 cheaper than the train. Obviously this isn’t the most eco-friendly way to economise, but a journey like this certainly gets you some added value if you have the extra time to enjoy exploring an exciting European city into your trip.

Do X-factor’s runners up do better than winners?

Received wisdom dictates that to not win the X-factor is better for your career than to win it – but is that actually true? We’ve taken a look at some of the show’s best known stars to find out:

Little Mix

Now one of the biggest bands in the world, Little Mix started their career with a win on the ITV talent show in 2011. Runners up Marcus Collins and Amelia Lily, meanwhile, have been less successful.

Rebecca Ferguson

A firm favourite with viewers, Rebecca Ferguson nonetheless lost out to Matt Cardle in the final of the X-Factor in 2011. Coming second has not held her back, however, and she has released several successful albums, has a regular slot on Loose Woman and is in constant demand for private performances with her booking agents. In the same year, One Direction placed third, before going on to become the biggest boyband in the world!

Olly Murs

In 2009 Olly Murs lost out to Joe McElderry in the X-Factor final, but while the former is now a big name in the world of music and presenting, the latter has not seen much recent success. In the same year, Stacey Solomon placed third, and she too has found success as a TV personality.

Leona Lewis

A huge celebrity who is especially in demand in the US, Leona Lewis won the X-Factor in 2006. Her runners up, Ray Quinn and Ben Mills have since disappeared into relative obscurity, while her star is very much still on the rise.

Book Rebecca Ferguson

If you’re after an X-Factor alumni on the books of a talent agency to perform at your next event, Rebecca Ferguson is a cracking choice. Her soulful voice and charismatic performances are sure to make her a big hit. Contact her booking agency, MN2S, to find out more about when she’s available and how to book.