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The Ultimate Guide to Hobart Cup Weekend for 2020

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tasmania cup australia

The Hobart Cup is a race run over 2,400 meters and takes place each year in early February. The cup is deemed to be among the three biggest races that occur during the whole Tasmania’s racing schedule.

Prior to being held as a group 3 race, it had previously been placed in the group 2 category. It had been placed in this category for more than ten years, and to-date, it still happens to be among the few Group listed Tasmania races.

Traditionally, the race occurs two weeks before the Launceston Cup. It’s run at the same distance as this race and using the same set of conditions. It, therefore, acts as the perfect predictor of what will occur during the Launceston Cup.

Quick Facts on the Hobart Cup in 2020

Inaugural Race: 1875

Race Day: 9th February 2020

Track Location:  Racecourse

Track Surface: Turf

Type: Thoroughbred

Grade: Group 3

Operator: Tasmanian Race Club

Prize Money: $200,000- $250,000

The Weekend

Thursday

The Hobart Cup weekend often begins on Thursday when guests start to arrive from different parts of the country. Given that there are different accommodation venues in the vicinity, it’s not hard to find somewhere comfortable to stay for the duration of the racing weekend. You can also spend your time on arrival to get to know and interact with the other visitors.

Friday

Friday is the day to head to the racing club for what is known as the replacement Trots meeting. This is a chance for you to see how well you can translate the information and knowledge you have on thoroughbreds to that of the Standardbreds. If travelling as part of a tour, you can rest assured that the tour organizers will do everything they can to make sure that you have the best views of the racing track.

Saturday

Saturday is often a day dedicated to learning the local region. You can use this day to check out the locality that comprises of the Peppermint Bay Cruise that will help you get a feeling of the real Tasmania. If you get to be a part of the cruise, you will get an opportunity to take in local sights such as the stunning d’Entrecasteaux Channel, the city and harbour views, the magnificent estuary along River Derwent, and the stunning local bay.

Sunday

Sunday is the main race day. The race often starts at 11:30 am. For those travelling as part of a tour, you can expect to view the race from the comfort of the Committee Room. It’s a room known to provide amazing views of what is happening in the racetrack below it. The races will continue all day before concluding at around 6 pm. This should leave you with enough time to sample the region as you reminiscence on the time spent in the region.

Hobart and Surroundings

Hobart provides a contrasting mixture of culture, scenery, world-class activities, heritage, and various attractions nearby. Hobart is nestled in the midst of Mt. Wellington foothills and is renowned for its ability to combine modern lifestyle with heritage charm in a setting filled with natural, exceptional beauty. This may explain the reasons why Lonely Planet once classified as among the top 10 places to visit in the globe.

During your free time, consider taking a short walk along the length of the Hobart iconic waterfront. From here you can grab a bus or a ferry upwards to Hobart’s iconic Museum of old and new art (MONA) to experience an art experience that is out of this world. The good news is that it’s only a short distance away from the track which means that you will be able to get back in time to watch all your favourite races.

How to Get the Most Out Your Business Trip to Australia

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trip to australia business

When making a business trip to Australia, you may wonder how you can make the best out of your journey. If you take care of the following concerns, it may be easier for you to make your business trip to Australia a thrilling event.

Organise Your Schedule

While travelling to Australia, there is a need to have an order to prevent unnecessary anxiety. Have a clear hierarchy of events so that nothing may overwhelm you as you take part in the trip. This will ensure that you get the best out of your business trip to Australia.

Consider Renting a Car

While on your trip you will need to have transport facilities. It is necessary that you get the most convenient means while remaining within the scope of your mission. Hiring a car will be an excellent way to solve your transport of issues. Remember that people in Australia drive on the left side of the road. Also, in Australia, there are many private car transport companies. Don’t forget to have a plan for any accidents on the road as well!

Online Services

Business trips, in most cases, do not give you too much time at your disposal. Instead of taking everything personal, try making an online booking to save on time and costs. Doing this will ensure you do things quickly and avoid moving around. You may get lost and end up in the headlines. Take advantage of technology.

Use Corporate Apartments

Hotel rooms have been used for many years to solve accommodation issues. Though while in your business trip to Australia, you may consider a better provider of this service. The corporate residence will give an assurance of personalised services which can suit your business trip. It will also be quite adventures having an out of hotel experience.

Money

Monetary issues are quite fundamental in most aspects of human life. In your trip, you must also be in a position to understand this vital determinant. What is the worth of your currency compared to that of Australia? You may need to have your cash exchanged to the local currency to make your work easier and trip enjoyable. It is also wise to have enough money for your trip.

Kill Two Birds with One Stone

You can try solving most of your problems using one service provider. Most companies nowadays have linked services. The corporate apartments may also have car rental services etc. Try answering all your questions using one service provider to help boost your bargaining power and ensure quick and timely transactions.

Seek Necessary Information

While on your trip to Australia, try knowing more about the country, its culture, the dos, the don’ts, and the untouchables. It will help you understand how to behave and respond to specific issues. It will also prepare you to know what to expect outside the scope of your trip.

Have Plans to Explore the Locality

Australia, like many other countries, have a lot of things peculiar about them. The cultural practices, the animals, and the natural aesthetics will be of great benefit to your adventurous impel. Get out of the tight and official schedule and have some fun. It is necessary to give yourself a little holiday on the trip to relax and create some memories.

The above golden tips will add more fun to your trip to Australia, and you will have a memory preserved. You can mean business and not spoil anything with some fun. Enjoy Your Trip.

The Ultimate Vape Cloud Guide

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vaping for quitting article1

If you are in the vaping scene you may have wondered how some vapers get their clouds so big. There are a group of people who go by the collective of cloud chasers which essentially means that they build and modify their vape set ups to create those massive plumes that you see on the street, however, not everywhere you can vape. Many people also refer to the act as extreme vaping or stunt vaping.

The cloud chasing fad stemmed from the original vaping trend where people would start to figure out all the cool things that they can do with their clouds. It now has a massive cult following with many social media accounts dedicated to the craze. To help you fully understand cloud chasing we have put together a short little guide.

Where it came from

According to E-cigarette Club an e-cigarette shop – there are mixed reports of the origin of cloud chasing but many people claim that it originated off the west coast of America. A lot of people who are new to the vaping scene use cloud chasing as their entry point to help them become more acquainted. Not all vapers are fans of the cloud craze though. There is a distinctive split amongst the community of those who believe it is a legitimate representation of the culture and those who believe it gives the rest of them a bad name.

It is now a sport

What started off as a recreational hobby has turned into a competitive scene. Across the globe there are many competitions where vapers can show off their skills and produce the thickest clouds. These competitions also offer the winners thousands of dollars in cash to further promote the activity as a sport. This scene can be thought of as a subculture within a subculture that is starting to gain a lot of traction thanks to social media.

How you can get started

There are 9 main factors that you should take into consideration before you start trying to blow the biggest clouds.

E-liquid

E-liquids or e-juice can in two main categories, those with PG and the other with VG. VG produces more vapour which makes it a dominant product. Additionally cloud chasers don’t usually use nicotine in their vapours as it can leave you short of breath quicker than an e-juice without it.

Battery

Batteries and their safety are of the highest concern. Be sure to use trusted and safe products and don’t be afraid to ask other vapers or even the people who you are buying the products from.

Atomizer

Sub-ohm tanks are starting to become the preferred choice when it comes to cloud chasing. However as the products aren’t perfect yet, many people still tend to go with a RDA model with airflow control.

Airflow

The key to the best clouds is the right combination of airflow and resistance. Less resistance means more airflow but if it gets to thin you vapour will disperse and won’t produce as much.

Wicking

Using the right material for your wicking it vital when letting air and your e-juice flow to the coils in an efficient manner.

Coil Build

There are many different coil builds that affect how your vapour is produced. Generally speaking people tend to go for a low resistance build to maximise the amount of vapour produced.

Modifications

Modifications are a big part of the competitive scene. Mech mods are common as they offer a lot of power to your device.

Technique

Techniques and practice play a big part in all tricks. You need to perfect every aspect including inhaling and exhaling techniques as well as having the right body posture.

Lung capacity

At the end of the day some people are just born with a higher lung capacity than others. This plays a big part in how much you can inhale and exhale.

How Did the Markets React to the ECB’s Interest Rate Announcements, and Mario Draghi’s Press Conference?

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Sometimes, announcements from the ECB and the following press conference with bank president Mario Draghi can be interesting occasions that leave us with plenty to discuss – such as the time in April 2015 when a protestor attacked Draghi with glitter and confetti before he had a chance to make his comments. The interest rate announcement on the 19th of January in Frankfurt, however, was far less dramatic, both in terms of content and eventfulness.

image

Royalty Free Photo

No Change in Interest Rates

As anticipated, the ECB has decided to keep interest rates as they are for the time being, reasoning that the desired effects of the current low rates were beginning to show. The refinancing or ‘refi’ rates are to stay at zero, and deposit rates will remain at -0.40%, This is not only what was expected from this announcement, but is expected to be the status quo for some time to come.

It was also announced that quantitative easing will be set to continue without any reduction in investment from the current rate.

Mario Draghi’s Dovish Stance

Draghi’s press conference did surprise some forex and indices trading analysts – with positive signs indicating a potential uplift in the inflation and growth in the Eurozone, some were wondering why quantitative easing is to continue at its current rate. The answer that was received was that core inflation isn’t showing a convincing enough upward trend to convince Draghi and the ECB that quantitative easing (a program of investment by the ECB into government bonds intended to bolster the Eurozone countries) should begin to be reduced at this time.

Draghi is known for his prudent, sensible and often – in trader terms – dovish style, and this was very much in evidence on this occasion. It is likely that Draghi intends to wait and see how things play out in the changing economic landscape that is being created by events like the UK leaving the single market, and Trump beginning to put his presidential plans into place.

The Market’s Reaction

In the time leading up to the announcement, the euro ramped up a little, before taking a bit of a dive after Draghi’s press conference. This indicates that some might have been hoping to see some more bullish tactics from Draghi, especially with regard to quantitative easing (interest rates not changing was already taken as a given). However, the days when announcements like these take place are always volatile ones for currency pairs that include the euro, and generally, there are no real knock on effects from this, with the euro seeing a bit of turbulence throughout the trade day but ending up pretty close to where it started.

Effectively, this has been an interesting time for the euro, but with Theresa May’s announcements about her plans for Brexit involving leaving the single market and Trump’s official inauguration, for once, this ECB announcement was probably one of the least impactful things to happen in the week’s trading!

Some analysts predict that QE will need to start being dialled back soon, and that now would have been better than later, however other than that, there was very little that could be read into this announcement and press conference other than that the ECB doesn’t seem keen to add any more complication into the global mix right now!

5 Techniques for Effective Leaflet Distribution in London

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Leaflet distribution is still one of the most preferred types of marketing for small business owners. Although, many people feel skeptical about it and think its ineffective when compared to modern marketing channels such as radio, television and newspapers. However, the truth is that leaflet distribution in London actually helps you achieve far higher response rate than any of the previously mentioned marketing channels.

london business leaflets

Similarly to every marketing approach, leaflet distribution requires careful planning and research in order to be successful. You need to learn as much as possible about your target audience, asses your distribution locations and plan the entire campaign from scratch. However, the most important thing to consider at that stage is the technique you will use for the actual distribution.

Door-to-door leaflet distribution

Door-to-door leaflet distribution achieves the highest response rates among all other techniques – more than 75% of the people read or keep leaflets delivered to their front door. It also enables you to personalize your leaflet and make it even more appealing for your prospects. However, keep in mind that unless you can create your own leaflet distribution team, you can always hire professionals to help you with that task. There are numerous benefits in hiring leaflet distribution company in London, including easier planning and detailed performance metrics.

Leaflets handout

Events, shows and popular venues are great way to meet up with dozens of new prospects and introduce them to your leaflet. When handing out your leaflets at specific locations, it will be easier to make simple sales pitch and increase the response rate among people.

If you plan to handout your leaflets at public places, consider their size. Studies suggest that the smaller the leaflets are, the higher are the chances that people will keep them and read them later on. According to researches made by the Direct Marketing Association, credit card sized leaflets work best when distributed from hand to hand.

Local newspapers and magazines

Showing your leaflet in local newspapers and magazines is great way to build credibility for your business. There are varying costs for that type of leaflet distribution service, but most of the time these are quite cost-effective. The prices are calculated often based on the size of your leaflet and personalized message.

Through subscribers and existing customers

If you keep a mailing list for your business, you should include your leaflets with every newsletter you send out. It is also great idea to include your latest leaflets with new order deliveries. You can even call your customers, ask them to review your service and enquire whether they will be happy to send out leaflets about your business to their friends and relatives. Your existing subscriber/customer base is great for distributing your leaflets, so take advantage of it.

Showcase your leaflets at local and public places

There are many great ways to showcase your leaflets at popular local and public places to earn even more exposure for your business. Great places to start your leaflet distribution in London are café’s, shopping bags, public bulletin boards and gas stations. Depending on the type of services or products you offer, you can choose specific locations that complement them in some way.

How are your taxes calculated in US?

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tax law in states us australia

Taxes are common for every state or city you live in, all over the United States and if you do not pay them on time, you are likely to get in trouble. What many people don’t realize is that the amount of taxes owed actually varies from state to state and even from town to town. The reason for this is the fact that for tax calculations each state considers different factors and follows different laws.

What are some unique tax laws for the different US cities?

Although most of the taxes are rather trivial – you owe tax for your pet, vehicle and property, there are some that seem more or less strange, here are some of them:

· In the state of Colorado, some food packaging is not considered essential and therefore it’s eligible for taxation. For example, if you go to any fast food chain and order your favorite drink – its cup is considered essential, but the closing lid is not, so it will be taxed with 2.9%!

· In the state of Indian, you will owe sales taxes if you decide to get custom made Halloween costume. However, if you decide to get a pre-made one, you will not owe extra taxes.

· In Kansas taxes are applied to "any place providing amusement, entertainment or recreation services." Although, taxes can’t be imposed to airlines and airport passengers, the state’s department decided to apply sales taxes only to hot air balloon rides.

· In Kentucky candy not containing flour is imposed with taxes, while products containing it are exempt.

· In New York you will owe sales taxes if you decide to visit a haunted house! Think this is weird – you owe taxes for prepared bagels, but the ones you cook yourself are tax free!

· Fine Texas clothing is also eligible for extra sales taxes. For example, you can buy nice leather belt is tax free, but if you purchase a belt buckle you will be charged with sales tax.

· In Wisconsin ice cream cakes are subject of sales taxes, if the ice cream is mixed with another food item by the retailer. If you made the ice cream cake yourself or by anyone else than the retailer, you might not have to pay taxes unless it can be considered a prepared food.

· Since the 1960s businesses offering their customers the opportunity to dance in the state of Washington are subject to sales taxes!

· If you are more than 100 years old in the state of New Mexico you are able to receive tax-exempt. Why? Because for 100 years you have paid enough taxes according to the state’s laws.

· Some Virginia and Maryland residents need to pay taxes for flushing their toilets!

· Business owners in Utah, employing nude or partially nude workers need to pay 10$ sales tax.

· If you are resident of the state of Arkansas and you have tattoos, you will be required to pay 6% sales tax.

Besides these rather weird and unique tax laws for every state, there are many other things you need to know when it comes to calculating the amount of taxes you owe. You can learn more from this beautiful infographic titled – The Geography of Taxation!

Woolworths and Wesfarmers in GLOBAL top 250 Retailers list

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Article updated:

Australian  favourite retail giants, Woolworths and Wesfarmers ( Coles Supermarkets), are now listed in the world’s top 25 retail companies list.

Top Australian Retailer in Global Rankings

 

coles against woolworths

The report brought out by research agency Deloitte , identifies the “250 largest retailers by revenue globally” for the fiscal year 2010, lists Woolworths in 20th (26th last year) and Wesfarmers in 23rd position (28th last year).

While the global downturn and economic slowdowns have seen many  top retailers companies going down the list , The Australian retail companies both Woolworths and Wesfarmers both  have jumped up by the list by six and five places  respectively.

The global Retailers list

 

The top Global retailers rankings also included other top global retail companies like WALMART ( No .1 From USA ) , CAREFOUR S.A. ( No.2 – From France ), TESCO PLC ( No. 3 – From UK)

wesfarmers top retailer list

Among the top 30 were also other companies like Costo , Best Buy Co,  Safeway , Ikea and Amazon. Brazil another rapidly growing economy has topped the “top 10 Latin Americas retailer  list”  with its “Grupo Pao De Acucar” taking the top honours.

So what is the big giants Woolworths and Wesfarmers made up of ?

Below is a listing of  the different divisions and businesses that make up the two Goliath’s of  australia

Wesfarmers

§ Retail – Coles, Bi-Lo, Liqourland, Coles express, Coles.com.au, First Choice Liquor, Vintage Cellars, Target, Target Country, K Mart, Kmart Tyre and Auto Services

§ Home Improvement – Bunnings, Bunnings Warehouse, Bunnings Trade

§ Office Supplies – Officeworks

§ Insurance – Lumley, WFi, Oamps, Crombie Lockwood

§ Resources – Urragh, Bengalla

§ Chemicals and Fertilisers – CSBP, QNP (Queensland Nitrates) and AGR (Australian Gold Reagents)

§ Gas/Energy – Kleenheat Gas, Evol LNG, Premier Power (electricity)

§ Industrial and Safety – Blackwoods, Protector Alsafe, Bullivants, Total fasteners, Coregas, Blackwoods Protector, Packaging House, Gotstock.com.au, Safety Source

§ Others, and stakes in – ModWood wood-plastic products, 50% stake each in Gresham Partners (Barminco, Silk Logistics Group and Tasmanian Walking Company) and Westpine Industries and a 24% stake in BWP warehouse retailing properties.

Woolworths

§ Retail – Woolworths Supermarkets, Woolworths Petrol, Big W, BWS, Dan Murphy’s, Wine market, Cellarmasters, Ezibuy, Countdown, Thomas Dux.

§ Home Improvement – Masters

§ Hospitality – ALH (Australia Leisure and Hospitality) group and its brands including Great Food Great Value, Live At Your Local, 28s, Function Venue Finder and Graziers beef.

§ Finance – Woolworths Money credit cards, Reloadable MasterCards and Gift cards.

§ Others – Woolworths Mobile, Langton’s

More details  about the top global retailers can be got from the Deloitte website

Download Global Powers of Retail 2011 Read and download the full report ‘Global Powers of Retailing 2011’ in PDF format.

4 Ways to Save Money on Your Federal Taxes

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Here are four easy things you can do right now to reduce your federal tax bill in the US. The idea here is to pay as little as you can in taxes, and we do this by reducing our taxable income. The way federal taxes work, you take your annual salary, then subtract from it …and arrive at your Adjusted Gross Income. Naturally we want to subtract as much as we can to make that AGI as low as possible. Subtractions are called deductions. That brings us to the 4 ways to save money on your federal taxes.

pay taxes or save

The 4 deductions are

  1. Put more money into your 401(k) if you have one. The money you put into your pension plan at work will not be taxed. For example, if you put $10,000 into your 401(k) then your AGI will be that much lower. The added benefit is that some employers will match what you contribute up to a certain amount. Nice!
  3. If you volunteer, keep track of transportation. That’s because you can deduct the mileage at $0.14 per mile, parking, tolls, and other ways you may have gotten to the volunteering work.
  5. If you give to charity, keep records. If you donate clothes, furniture, or anything else make sure it’s to a qualified charity. That way, you can deduct the amount you give off your taxes, thus reducing your Adjusted Gross Income.
  7. Plan your medical and dependent care. If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) then make sure you use it. Contribute to it through your employer…money is taken out pre-tax so you are reducing your AGI even before it hits your Federal Tax Return.
  9. Set one up, put the right amount into it, and make sure you spend it by the end of the year.

       Christina Davis CPA at Large

    Selfies goes viral with oscars

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    Well most certainly this selfie  has pretty much won an oscar in the online world due to going viral and becoming humongous’ly popular , as many people would vouch for.

    oscar winning selfie 1

     

    selfie of 2014

     

    the oscar world famous selfie

    This wasnt the first  time a celebrity selfie went viral  as  we can  see from this selfie  with Obama ,  British Prime Minister David Cameron and Denmark’s Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt

    obama uk prime minister selfie

    They are also many other me too amusing selfies

     

    Pope Francis Takes a Selfie (http://parade.condenast.com/)

    Have you ever snapped a selfie only to hurriedly delete if before anyone else sees it? It’s OK. We’re all guilty of it.

     

    Justin bieber

    (businessinsider.com)

    How to find accountants in Hemel Hempstead

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    accountant in uk hemel hempstead

    If you are self-employed you’ll likely need the assistance of an accountant to help you with your tax and financial affairs if you live in Australia or then UK. Having an accountant can be invaluable as they’ll free up hours of your time each month to enable you to focus your time on developing your business. There are a number of accountants in Hemel Hempstead who can help.

    When searching for the right accountant for you, there are a number of things you need to consider such as whether or not they offer the services you require and if they are fully qualified. The following paragraphs will cover the main points that you need to consider and should help to make your search for an accountant in Hemel Hempstead that bit easier.

    How to find an accountant in Hemel Hempstead

    There are a number of different ways you can find an accountant in Hemel Hempstead, one of which is recommendations from a friend. You can read all the promotional material you want about a company but nothing is better than a solid recommendation from a friend. Therefore, if you have any friends who are self-employed and have an accountant, make sure you ask them about their experiences and whether or not they would recommend you go with the same firm or person.

    Another way of finding an accountant is probably the easiest and most obvious… a Google search! These days everyone has a website, be it a large firm or an accountant who works out of their bedroom, so if you type in “accountants Hemel Hempstead” on a search engine, you should be presented with a wealth of results.

    Make sure that any accountant on your initial shortlist (if you are going to shop around) is located in an area that you are happy to travel to should you ever need to meet face to face with your accountant.

    How much do they charge?

    Accountancy fees will vary and sometimes the cost quoted each month isn’t actually what you end up paying. Many firms will charge you each time you pick up the phone or write them an email. However some firms, such as Express Accountancy, offer tailored fixed fee packages which allow clients to speak to their accountant as often or as little as they need. After all, why should you have to pay each time you have a question? Therefore, it is suggested that you try to find an accountant who works on a fixed-fee so that you won’t have to worry about any unexpected charges at the end of the month.

    Are they qualified?

    Not all accountants in the UK have official qualifications; in fact, anyone can call themselves an accountant. Now that doesn’t mean that any accountant who doesn’t have an official qualification isn’t good at their job, but it’s always worth getting a good accountant who has qualifications as you know that they are the cream of the crop.