Business is generally perceived to be hard-nosed, totally profit-driven and calculating, but sometimes there is a middle ground-one that benefits everyone involved. Take Mirakle Couriers, based in Mumbai India.

As the name suggests, the company offer a pick up and drop off service in Mumbia. What isn’t obvious though is that the company only employ deaf workers. India has one of the largest deaf populations in the world, with around 6% of the population affected. Many find it difficult to find work. Mirakle Couriers are able to provide that work.

The company founder is a former investment banker who insists that the company is a commercial operation rather than a charity, and that the social element is simply embedded in the commercial operation. In any event, it seems to work and the company has grown rapidly since its 2008 launch.

So from the companies standpoint, is there an advantage to solely employing workers who have a disability? There could be several. Prospective customers could be impressed with the companies social element, and be therefore more likely to use them. It’s something unusual, and is therefore likely to be of immerse PR valve. And the workers themselves-having experienced difficulty finding work elsewhere-are likely to be hard working and loyal.

It seems like a win-win situation, and one which could be copied elsewhere. Are there European laws against positively discriminating in favour of people with disabilities in the workplace? I’d like to think not, but don’t know, so that would need looking into. But it seems like an idea with potential.

Upcycling Opportunity

I was reading about a business run by Scott Hamlin in Portland Oregon, and wondered how many other people might be able to cash in on something like this.

Hamlin’s company, Loop works buys up end-of-line, unwanted fabric from warehouses in Asia which is destined for landfill or the incinerator. It then turns it into shirts, skirts, laptop sleeves and backpacks. The company is very much for profit, but has a strong environmental ethos.

Any enterprise that has a positive environmental impact will be well received by prospective customers and the media. Upcycling (converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality) is environmentally friendly and can be highly profitable if done well.

Are there upcycling opportunities in your sphere of expertise? Do you know of any waste materials that could form the basis of a new upcycling opportunity?

Today’s National Day

NATIONAL TAKE A WALK IN THE PARK DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE

Dear Streetwise Customer,

Once or twice a year I receive exceptional quality information and a few months ago one of these rare and very special documents landed on my desk.  

  It revealed an amazing system which is making its author an absolute fortune and a large sum of money was asked for in exchange for the information.  

   An agreement was reached whereby I could share the information with Streetwise customers, but first I insisted on ‘proving’ the system and so I asked 25 of my customers to test this for us.  

   The results have been nothing less than astonishing. Every single one of my 25 testers has reported fantastic success!  

   Consequently I signed the deal and now I am delighted to be able to share this information with you. Please do not pass this on to anyone else because this information truly is TOP SECRET. It is just for you and Streetwise’s best customers and no-one else. 

We authorised just 50 copies to be printed for our best customers only. At the time of writing we only have 16 copies left and one of these is waiting for you to claim it.

For full details CLICK HERE

…and you’ll discover why I am so excited about this incredible winning system and what’s going to happen next.

Best Wishes,

John Harrison

Recent Comments 

“Every Signal so far has been a winner, that is for the time I have been using it which is 21 race days. It is solid and when I place the bets this system throws at me I just place them and walk away for the day. You don’t get lot’s of bets, and they only take 5 minutes max to spot anytime after 9 in the morning.”

– D Lean 

“The program I bought in July is so very simple to run and is consistently proving to be a money spinner. I have never before found a system to equal this one.”

– C A Davies 

For full details visit: 

www.streetwisenews.com/IS

If you are taking a payment holiday from your mortgage or credit-card debt, tread carefully. Not paying your bills – even with the approval of your lender – could lead to problems with your credit rating and cost you hundreds of pounds.

So far 1.6 million homeowners have taken a repayment holiday on their mortgage. It means you won’t have to make your monthly repayments for a few months, which could come in very handy during lockdown. But your bank is going to do very well out of the arrangement.

Lenders are set to make at least £821m in extra interest as a result of people taking a break from their mortgage repayments. The average borrower will save £2,256 in repayments over a three-month mortgage holiday. But they will ultimately pay £500 more than without the break because of the interest accrued on the unpaid sum. 

Anyone taking a mortgage holiday also needs to be careful it doesn’t lead to problems with their credit report. Don’t cancel your direct debit until your lender has confirmed that your application for a repayment break has been accepted. Banks are struggling to cope with the number of customers wanting a mortgage holiday, leading to delays in approvals.

Those who miss a mortgage payment because a break has not yet been confirmed by the lender could be marked as going into arrears. This could affect their credit score and result in extra interest being charged. Even if you do everything by the book, a mortgage repayment holiday could affect your future ability to get a mortgage.

The Financial Conduct Authority, the City regulator, has confirmed that banks could take a holiday into account when they decide whether to offer a mortgage. The same advice applies if you are stopping your credit-card repayments. Your interest will continue to build, so you will owe more when you restart paying and it could affect your credit rating, even though it shouldn’t.

Some borrowers are taking a hit to their credit report as lenders accidentally report repayment breaks as missed payments. Pre-empt this by waiting until you have received formal approval for a payment holiday before you cancel your direct debit. If you have taken a repayment holiday keep an eye on your credit report.

Do You Have Hidden Assets?

Just read something, aside from being fascinating, may provide a ‘light bulb’ moment for someone. 

BT’s network has 75 million miles of copper wire. At today’s price that’s worth around £50 Billion – which is more than three times the company’s market capitalisation of around £15 Billion!

So the company is worth far more in scrap value than it is for it trading and profitability potential.

Now I know the company aren’t about to throw in the Telecom’s towel and go into the scrap metal business, but that got me thinking; How many individuals and companies are sitting on big assets which they don’t really think about?

And is there a way they could capitalise on these assets outside of their regular trading activity. Perhaps it’s worth thinking about your own hidden assets. They may be more modest than BT’s but that doesn’t mean they can’t be life changing for you.

Today’s National Day

NATIONAL BBQ DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE

Dear Streetwise Customer,

Once or twice a year I receive exceptional quality information and a few months ago one of these rare and very special documents landed on my desk.  

  It revealed an amazing system which is making its author an absolute fortune and a large sum of money was asked for in exchange for the information.  

   An agreement was reached whereby I could share the information with Streetwise customers, but first I insisted on ‘proving’ the system and so I asked 25 of my customers to test this for us.  

   The results have been nothing less than astonishing. Every single one of my 25 testers has reported fantastic success!  

   Consequently I signed the deal and now I am delighted to be able to share this information with you. Please do not pass this on to anyone else because this information truly is TOP SECRET. It is just for you and Streetwise’s best customers and no-one else. 

We authorised just 50 copies to be printed for our best customers only. At the time of writing we only have 16 copies left and one of these is waiting for you to claim it.

For full details CLICK HERE

…and you’ll discover why I am so excited about this incredible winning system and what’s going to happen next.

Best Wishes,

John Harrison

Recent Comments 

“Every Signal so far has been a winner, that is for the time I have been using it which is 21 race days. It is solid and when I place the bets this system throws at me I just place them and walk away for the day. You don’t get lot’s of bets, and they only take 5 minutes max to spot anytime after 9 in the morning.”

– D Lean 

“The program I bought in July is so very simple to run and is consistently proving to be a money spinner. I have never before found a system to equal this one.”

– C A Davies 

For full details visit: 

www.streetwisenews.com/IS

Lenders have granted almost 1.2 million payment holidays on credit cards and personal loans since the Covid-19 outbreak began. Banks have also offered to waive interest on overdrafts of up to £500 for 27 million customers.

Anyone considering asking for a break should be aware that interest would still be charged on most credit cards and personal loans during payment holidays. So, your debt will grow.

Gareth Shaw, head of money at consumers’ association which has warned that regulators need to “work with firms to ensure that customers who take a payment holiday are not plunged into unnecessary financial distress once it ends”. 

Banks are increasing rates on credit cards despite the cuts to the Bank of England’s base rate. Average credit-card interest rates have risen from 24.8% in February to 25.2% at the time of writing.

This has always been an issue, with savers getting cuts almost instantly after a base-rate reduction while borrowers are less likely to benefit. One of the reasons that credit-card rates have risen in recent years is because they are helping to fund 0% introductory offers.

While new customers can often get a great interest-free offer, loyal customers pay over the odds to finance this generosity.

Additionally, Holidays could double in price once lockdown is lifted due to a raft of new safety measures imposed on hotels. When we are finally able to travel again, holiday accommodation will have to be at the top of its game when it comes to hygiene.

Firms could be forced to increase cleaning budgets, leave rooms vacant between guests and install expensive equipment to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Be prepared for a rather dramatic increase in costs. In some instances prices could even quadruple.

Enjoy The Finer Things In Lockdown

Fine dining has gone mobile. The coronavirus lockdown has closed down luxury restaurants, so Michelin-starred chefs have been scrabbling to sign up to upmarket versions of Deliver and Just Eat.

Zuma, the high-end Japanese restaurant in Knightsbridge, Chinese fine-dining outlet Hakkasan and Mayfair’s Michelin-starred Hide are among the brands supplying Supper, a central London posh food delivery service.

Demand has jumped by 700% during lockdown; one family in Surrey sends a driver to collect dinners at £1,500 a go.

Nor need the lockdown deprive the rich of other pleasures. Vintage wine-tasting for your friends, car viewing or the odd Mykonos-themed beach party from Annabel’s are all options on Zoom.

Some people hired an in-house chef just before lockdown, while a Covid19 deep-clean squad to root the virus out from under the sofa is also an idea.

The boss of one cleaning group, which usually services industry but now sends people fully gloved and masked into houses, says some people are obviously not used to cleaning … they think it’s more complicated than it actually is.

Today’s National Day

NATIONAL SUNGLASSES DAY!

PUBLISHERS NOTICE

Dear Streetwise Customer,

Once or twice a year I receive exceptional quality information and a few months ago one of these rare and very special documents landed on my desk.  

  It revealed an amazing system which is making its author an absolute fortune and a large sum of money was asked for in exchange for the information.  

   An agreement was reached whereby I could share the information with Streetwise customers, but first I insisted on ‘proving’ the system and so I asked 25 of my customers to test this for us.  

   The results have been nothing less than astonishing. Every single one of my 25 testers has reported fantastic success!  

   Consequently I signed the deal and now I am delighted to be able to share this information with you. Please do not pass this on to anyone else because this information truly is TOP SECRET. It is just for you and Streetwise’s best customers and no-one else. 

We authorised just 50 copies to be printed for our best customers only. At the time of writing we only have 16 copies left and one of these is waiting for you to claim it.

For full details CLICK HERE

…and you’ll discover why I am so excited about this incredible winning system and what’s going to happen next.

Best Wishes,

John Harrison

Recent Comments 

“Every Signal so far has been a winner, that is for the time I have been using it which is 21 race days. It is solid and when I place the bets this system throws at me I just place them and walk away for the day. You don’t get lot’s of bets, and they only take 5 minutes max to spot anytime after 9 in the morning.”

– D Lean 

“The program I bought in July is so very simple to run and is consistently proving to be a money spinner. I have never before found a system to equal this one.”

– C A Davies 

For full details visit: 

www.streetwisenews.com/IS