Business articles, B2B advice, travel destination reviews and economic insights

HOUSE I 2019 Expo — A Detailed Report (Part 2)

By Oleg K Temple, March 2019

Read part 1 of this article HERE

In part one of this article we explored the luxurious splendour of the Decco Centrs conglomerate, the heat pumps by NIBE that are, quite literally, saving the world we live in and the slick, indestructible fibre-cement roofing and facade products by Eternit Baltic. Let’s continue reviewing the interior design and construction companies from Latvia and her neighbours. As advertised, brace yourself for an encounter with grass-shredding robots, alternative energy gurus and Flemish lions! Don’t forget to share your experiences and thoughts in the comment section below.

HOUSE I 2019 Expo — A Detailed Report

By Oleg K Temple, March 2019

You could be forgiven for thinking that nowadays the vast majority of business is conducted between computers, in an endless stream of precise, albeit apathetic and impersonal data. However, a significant portion of deal-making still endures in the real world, as it requires a human handshake and that was evident at the HOUSE I 2019 Expo. You see, fancy website templates, however well-designed and engineered, are no substitute for the raw human passion and drive—qualities brought in spades to the exhibition hall by the participants. These intrepid sales warriors are the reason why the brick and mortar stores will always endure. And I do mean warriors. Even after long days on their feet, always answering the same questions, each expert we spoke with endeavoured to present their product in the best light, remained courteous and highly enthusiastic.

How to start a business: The 4 tenets of business ethos or how to build relationships when starting a business

By Oleg K Temple, November 2018

When researching how to start a business, etiquette is one of the fine details people tend to overlook. Etiquette is too often taken for granted and its importance underappreciated. Despite the fact that proper manners are a sign of a good upbringing and label the individual as a cultured member of society. After all, if you do not understand how business mannerisms work, you have no business being in business, right? First impressions are important, as is body-language. We all know that and yet we assume that we will always react correctly and respond flawlessly. However, etiquette is a learned skill like any other. It takes practice and a willing, supple frame of mind to assimilate good habits.

How to start a business: 5 mind-sets for starting a company you will be proud to own

By Oleg K Temple, October 2018

The keys to going faster and farther than most when staring a business, are planning, passion and keeping things simple. Take a firm grasp on the fundamentals and you will become worthy of being called a master in your own right. This is true for everything in life, from the martial arts, to the art of writing, to the culinary arts, to visual arts and, yes, indeed, this wisdom seamlessly translates into the realm of the financial arts as well.

You might wonder, what makes us qualified to write this piece and why you should trust our advice... Well, the truth of the matter is that in the course of running our international business directory, we have seen thousands of companies rise and rise, as well as quite a few rise and fall. Some pile on risks like they are Christmas decorations until good fortune abandons them, others burn too bright and hot until they burn out, others still just fizzle and fade away. We have studied hundreds of cases and even saved a few enterprises from going extinct through patient, unbiased counselling. So if you are in search of advice on how to start a company or how to keep your company in business, you are in the right place. Here are five business frames of mind to adopt, hone and make your own.

Future-proof ideas for starting a business | Part 3 of 3

By Oleg K Temple, September 2018

PART 3 of 3: Starting a business? Here are 4 more Low Risk, High Reward Ventures to consider when starting a company. 

In part one of this article we looked at the primary principles in future-proofing your business.

In part two we reviewed the advantages of online business, as well as three distinct directions you may consider when starting your online business.

But first, a quick question: are you already self-employed? Share your experience and thoughts in the comment section after reading this article and remember that freelancers are welcome in this business directory. Do you want to reach businesspeople without paying a tithe commission on your gigs and leads? Then advertise your small business on The Cornerstones of World Business and be seen by tens of thousands of entrepreneurs from around the world. Our mission is to help small businesses grow and our prices, starting from just $2/month, reflect that. Alright, back to the topic at hand.

Future-proof ideas for starting a business | Part 2 of 3

By Oleg K Temple, June 2018

PART 2 of 3: 7 Low Risk, High Reward Ventures to consider when starting a company 

Before jumping into writing your masterplan for starting a business, consider and compare these seven small business ideas that will do well in the future. These are all areas with high growth potential and a high independence factors, which insulate them from mainstream industries such as construction or forestry, which are very susceptible to market pressures and climate change.

Futureproof ideas for starting a business | Part 1 of 3

By Oleg K Temple, June 2018

PART 1 of 3: An overview of risks and best practices when starting a company

Starting a business has never been more of an intense commitment than it is today. Will new business ideas conceived today still be viable in 2019, 2020 and beyond?

With the accelerating onslaught of globalisation, automation, artificial intelligence and ever increasing competition, entrepreneurs and investors need to think long and hard before shelling out actual resources for a hypothetically profitable start-up company. The outlook may be rosy, but optimism a business strategy does not make. “A bird in the hand…” as the saying goes. The most pertinent questions are these: is the proposed business model relevant to the market and sustainable? And are the people at the helm of the project credible, reliable and passionate about the venture?

20 Best Gift Ideas For Busy Ladies

Best Birthday Present, Anniversary Or Valentine Gift Ideas For Women

Have you heard that women are indecisive? Hogwash.

Some say that we girls are hard to please and never know what we want. But that’s just an excuse not to make an effort—perhaps some should listen more and try harder. What we crave is attention and a thoughtful gift speaks volumes about how much you care for your special lady. We have scoured through hundreds and hundreds of items within the Amazon store and distilled the best gift ideas to the selection below. Whether you need a present for Valentine’s, International Women’s Day (8^th of March), Mother’s Day, birthday or anniversary, you will find something delightful for any budget here. 

20 Best Gift Ideas In 2018 For Busy Gentlemen

Best Birthday Present, Anniversary Or Valentine Gift Ideas For Men

Thinking of what to give an enterprising friend or co-worker? 

You could, of course, just give an Amazon gift card or... colder still, plain cash. That way the person can get what they want for themselves. However, money in an envelope or a bank transfer are such impersonal gifts, don’t you find? Almost inevitably, your congratulatory tokens will get mixed up with rent or grocery payments and your best wishes will get lost in the humdrum of everyday life. Yes, it is a pragmatic and time-efficient solution, but practicality and convenience are not the qualities that build lasting friendships. Attention, empathy and trust are.

The best storage devices smart money should buy

The vast bulk of the world’s computer data was created over the past couple of years. In 2013 this figure stood reportedly at 90% and today pundits estimate that the 3.7 billion folks online in 2017, create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily. All this information must be catalogued and stored for posterity, right? But a server is only as good as its storage drive. This article is all about helping you choose the right storage device for your specific needs.

Samsung T5 Portable SSD Review

Portable storage units are invaluable assets in today’s busy world, where we demand ever more time-saving and performance from our machines. With the advent of the USB flash sticks, the public developed a taste for convenience. Portable drives no longer belong, primarily, in the sanctified domain of architects, game developers, RAW photographers, video editors, graphic designers and other high-end professionals. Today, everyone with a smartphone fancies themselves as a proficient photographer and most people spread their work online through social media. Computers have limited storage and are vulnerable to attacks (such as the ransomware debacle of 2017), thus, many among us prefer to keep the built-in drive for programmes and store work files elsewhere.

Head-to-head DSLR Comparison: EOS 60D vs EOS 80D

Photographic history at a glance:

Photography is a huge industry, Although the first partially successful photograph dates back to 1816, only a few million pictures were taken during the 19^th century. It was only in February 1900, when the first commercial camera was introduced, the $1 Kodak Brownie, did mass photo-mania truly take flight. In 1930, a billion photos were taken and the annual average continued to climb. It was 3 billion by 1960 and 86 billion pictures by 2000. By 2012, with the advent of the smartphone, the figures exploded. We were taking 380 billion photos per year. Already back then, on average 300 million photos were being posted to just Facebook every day. Today, just some two odd hundred years after the dawn of photography, experts estimate that every 75 seconds, humanity takes more photographs than it did throughout the entire 1800s. Amazing.

Is Bitcoin a worthy investment or a reckless risk? (part 2)

By Oleg K Temple, January 2018

PART 2 — How cryptocurrencies are made

Read part 1 of the article here: https://www.cornerstonesworld.com/article/is_Bitcoin_a_worthy_investment_or_a_reckless_risk

Is Bitcoin a worthy investment or a reckless risk?

By Oleg K Temple, January 2018

PART 1 — What are cryptocurrencies?

Are democracy and capitalism mutually-exclusive? (Part 1 of 3)

By Oleg Temple, September 2017.