A transport-based business is any business that relies upon the use of some form of transportation. Common examples are trucking, warehousing, railroads, oil and gas pipelines, airports, public ports, motor freight carriers, bus lines, and shipbuilding corporations. Many transport-based businesses will have a legal department to assist with specific legal issues. However, they should also consider using professional legal counseling instead of relying on in-house counsel for all legal issues. In this article, we discuss some of the advantages of using professional legal counseling for all transport-based businesses.

Get Expert Help When Dealing With Legal Disputer

Many transport-based businesses will have legal issues arise that require the assistance of a lawyer. For example, if a truck accident occurs in Folsom due to a blind spot and leads to personal injury and/or property damage, the parties involved may need to engage in negotiations and/or litigation. Depending on the laws where the accident happened, different attorneys will be needed for various stages of representing both clients. The injured party, in this case, will probably hire a blind spot accident attorney in Folsom, CA, to represent him in a personal injury claim against the truck driver. If a car accident leads to a criminal investigation or prosecution, a trucking company will need a good accident attorney to represent them as well. The costs associated with defending a lawsuit can be quite expensive and using professional legal counseling can help transport-based businesses prepare for litigation and create a comprehensive defensive strategy. 

Save Time and Money

In-house counsel typically spends a lot of time on administrative tasks, such as creating contracts and other business documents, reviewing contracts from competitors and suppliers, compiling data for audits or tax filings, etc.  A law firm can provide all these services promptly while freeing up the in-house counsel’s time to focus on substantive legal matters. In addition, in-house counsel may have access to a greater number of lawyers for specialized tasks in certain areas of law whereas a law firm will typically include more experienced attorneys that mitigate risk by having experience with multiple types of transactions. Moreover, when problems arise with customers or suppliers regarding breach of contract claims or disagreements over obligations under commercial agreements, having an outside agency takes the matter out of the hands of in-house counsel who are also responsible for representing the business.

Avoid Conflicts Of Interest When Representing The Company And Its Employees

In most cases, an employee will have a conflict of interest when he has to represent both his employer and himself in a legal matter. That is because if he chooses to protect one client, he will inevitably have to harm the other client. For example, an attorney may be able to prevent his client from being sued if he removes evidence that would likely lead to liability but doing so would place his client’s company at risk for breaching its contract with another party. Thus, it is better to practice for both attorneys and their clients benefit to utilize outside counsel rather than having an in-house counsel represent both the company and individual employees.

It Can Help Define/Take Advantage Of Industry Trends

One area in which transport-based businesses can benefit from using professional legal counseling is in defining or taking advantage of current trends in the industry they are involved in. For example, an oil and gas pipeline company should use professional legal counseling to understand the environmental regulations that are likely to be imposed on them by both federal and state governments. This would include understanding any new legislation that could affect their business practices, as well as understanding how current legislation may affect their business practices in the future. Because of these changing regulations, oil and gas pipeline companies need to work with legal counsel to better understand the risks they face.

Keep Up With New Regulations

The government is constantly creating new regulations that change the way transport-based businesses do business. For example, there are many federal laws and state laws that regulate business with firearms which include licensing, background checks, etc. This is to ensure that weapons are kept out of the hands of people who would pose a danger to others. These rules often apply not only if you own a gun store but also even if you sell guns online or at gun shows as well. Thus, any transporter needs to understand the legal requirements they must follow when transporting illegal weapons or firearm components to avoid serious consequences such as fines, lawsuits, or worse yet an arrest on their record.

In summary, using professional legal counseling can be a cost-effective way for transport-based businesses to protect their business from unnecessary liability and position themselves for success. This is why transport-based businesses need to choose attorneys with experience in the industry they are involved in. So if you own or run a transport-based business, hiring a reputable attorney should be one of your top priorities. 

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Why Should Transport-Based Businesses Use Professional Legal Counseling appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

A transport-based business is any business that relies upon the use of some form of transportation. Common examples are trucking, warehousing, railroads, oil and gas pipelines, airports, public ports, motor freight carriers, bus lines, and shipbuilding corporations. Many transport-based businesses will have a legal department to assist with specific legal issues. However, they should also consider using professional legal counseling instead of relying on in-house counsel for all legal issues. In this article, we discuss some of the advantages of using professional legal counseling for all transport-based businesses.

Get Expert Help When Dealing With Legal Disputer

Many transport-based businesses will have legal issues arise that require the assistance of a lawyer. For example, if an accident with trucks occur in Folsom due to a blind spot and leads to personal injury and/or property damage, the parties involved may need to engage in negotiations and/or litigation. Depending on the laws where the accident happened, different attorneys will be needed for various stages of representing both clients. The injured party, in this case, will probably hire a blind spot accident attorney in Folsom, CA, to represent him in a personal injury claim against the truck driver. If a car accident leads to a criminal investigation or prosecution, a trucking company will need a good accident attorney to represent them as well. The costs associated with defending a lawsuit can be quite expensive and using professional legal counseling can help transport-based businesses prepare for litigation and create a comprehensive defensive strategy. 

Save Time and Money

In-house counsel typically spends a lot of time on administrative tasks, such as creating contracts and other business documents, reviewing contracts from competitors and suppliers, compiling data for audits or tax filings, etc.  A law firm can provide all these services promptly while freeing up the in-house counsel’s time to focus on substantive legal matters. In addition, in-house counsel may have access to a greater number of lawyers for specialized tasks in certain areas of law whereas a law firm will typically include more experienced attorneys that mitigate risk by having experience with multiple types of transactions. Moreover, when problems arise with customers or suppliers regarding breach of contract claims or disagreements over obligations under commercial agreements, having an outside agency takes the matter out of the hands of in-house counsel who are also responsible for representing the business.

Avoid Conflicts Of Interest When Representing The Company And Its Employees

In most cases, an employee will have a conflict of interest when he has to represent both his employer and himself in a legal matter. That is because if he chooses to protect one client, he will inevitably have to harm the other client. For example, an attorney may be able to prevent his client from being sued if he removes evidence that would likely lead to liability but doing so would place his client’s company at risk for breaching its contract with another party. Thus, it is better to practice for both attorneys and their clients benefit to utilize outside counsel rather than having an in-house counsel represent both the company and individual employees.

It Can Help Define/Take Advantage Of Industry Trends

One area in which transport-based businesses can benefit from using professional legal counseling is in defining or taking advantage of current trends in the industry they are involved in. For example, an oil and gas pipeline company should use professional legal counseling to understand the environmental regulations that are likely to be imposed on them by both federal and state governments. This would include understanding any new legislation that could affect their business practices, as well as understanding how current legislation may affect their business practices in the future. Because of these changing regulations, oil and gas pipeline companies need to work with legal counsel to better understand the risks they face.

Keep Up With New Regulations

The government is constantly creating new regulations that change the way transport-based businesses do business. For example, there are many federal laws and state laws that regulate business with firearms which include licensing, background checks, etc. This is to ensure that weapons are kept out of the hands of people who would pose a danger to others. These rules often apply not only if you own a gun store but also even if you sell guns online or at gun shows as well. Thus, any transporter needs to understand the legal requirements they must follow when transporting illegal weapons or firearm components to avoid serious consequences such as fines, lawsuits, or worse yet an arrest on their record. There are also laws regarding waste disposal, so if you operate vacuum trucks that carry waste, you may also wish to get a lawyer who will be able to advise you on how you can ensure that you are fully compliant when it comes to your industry’s regulations.

In summary, using professional legal counseling can be a cost-effective way for transport-based businesses to protect their business from unnecessary liability and position themselves for success. This is why transport-based businesses need to choose attorneys with experience in the industry they are involved in. So if you own or run a transport-based business, hiring a reputable attorney should be one of your top priorities. 

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Why Should Transport-Based Businesses Use Professional Legal Counseling appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

When you look at GIS applications, there are a lot of references to land use and environmental projects. It did not take long for businesses to start realizing that they could use spatial analyses. Nowadays, location-based information is crucial for companies to know more than where customers work, live, play, and spend. Business solutions need to be fast, reliable, and cost-effective. Enhancing your business data to create simple maps and analyses will lead to more innovative, better business decisions. 

GIS stands for Geospatial Information Systems and makes it simple to do complex things such as finding a car dealership, new store, or bank in the most profitable place. How else could you understand what products people really want? And make sure they are in stock and at the right location. Your business data will reveal patterns and relationships that can better help you manage staff, resources, and logistics. Applying GIS will raise the bar on customer expectations and improve service regardless of if you are a small startup or Wall Street giant. Understanding all aspects of your operations will reach every level of decision-makers in real-time. It is one of the critical factors to being successful as a business and staying successful. So in this article, we will talk about how companies are already using GIS. 

Digital mapping

One of the first GIS maps for business and humanitarian purposes was done by Dr. John Snow, who worked and lived in the Soho section of London. He held the unpopular belief that cholera was spread by contaminated water. When the outbreak began in 1854, he mapped new cases as they occurred and was able to show that clusters of the new cases were centered around the Broad Street pump, which was the source of water. The handle to the pump was removed, which ended the cholera outbreak.

Mapping is one of the main functions of GIS, and it gives the users a visual interpretation of data. This gives different users the ability to communicate using these satellite maps. You do not necessarily need to be a skilled cartographer to create maps with GIS.

Transport planning

Today, getting products and people from point A to point B takes more than planning a route and watching traffic reports. We want it fast, reliable, and cost-effective. GIS gives you the ability to improve services by understanding travel patterns, monitoring noise regulations, and projecting capital improvement projects. It also helps you manage street sign assets and share data in real-time. Road congestion causes delays and potentially missing your delivery windows. Managing deliveries and supply chains are key to meeting customer expectations, improving services, and more importantly, identifying waste and cost-saving opportunities. Understanding all aspects of your operation will help improve overall safety and security and be crucial in crisis and first responders. When there are many moving parts to an operation, GIS brings understanding to top management and those tracking inventory.

Disaster and Business Continuity Planning

Companies now have the ability to make informed decisions by viewing location and building assets together with emergency data such as disaster areas and weather patterns. Using GIS, companies can now get a holistic view of their performance, analyzing all the data collected from different departments.

Customer segmentation marketing

GIS provides different businesses with a better understanding of the demographics and psychographics of their customer base within a specific area. By seeing this data on a map, companies can better plan their marketing efforts for better results. It helps them provide answers to questions such as:

• Who is their target audience?
• Where are they located?
• What do they like? 

Banking

Financial institutions are already embracing GIS for hyper-local market developments. As more people adopt mobile banking options and spend less time in a branch location, banks are looking for ways to understand and service an increasingly digital customer base. Using GIS branch and ATM networks are being optimized so that the bank can continue to service their existing customers while lowering operational costs.

As GIS technology continues to advance, it will provide businesses with more applications. So companies need to make full use of GIS to understand their customers, surpass competitors, and provide the best services. 

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post How Businesses are Using GIS appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

For UK workers, commuting time has increased by 18 hours compared to a decade ago, according to the TUC. A study by Totaljobs shows the average worker is set to spend a whopping £135,000 on their commute by the time they retire.

Following these findings, Instant Offices has investigated which cities around the world are the best and worst for commuting and whether a rise in flexible and remote working can finally tip the balance for UK workers. What the research found is that London is set as the worst city for commuting, whereas Nice, in France, leading the list as the best city for commuting. In fact, in Nice is where transport is cheaper and the average time of travel is just 44 minutes a day, compared to 90 minutes in London.

According to the Department for Transport, London by far has the longest commute with the average worker spending 46 minutes per trip or a roundtrip of 92 minutes each day from the workplace. With so much time spent simply travelling to and from work – around 400 days for the average person – it’s no surprise that the topic of how to reduce commuting time is so popular.

One study by Focus considered various factors, including journey times and cost of travel cards, to rank the best and worst cities for commuting in the world. Unsurprisingly, London tops the list, with Miami USA a close second.

Nice in France took the top spot as the best city for commuting. Travel cards in Nice cost more than four times less than they do in London, and average travel time is around 22 minutes a trip, or just 44 minutes each day compared to over 80 for London.

In the UK, Leicester, Bristol and Edinburgh topped the rankings as the easiest commutes in the UK, with London, Birmingham and Manchester coming in last.

There is a large body of research into the negative impact of long commuting times on employee physical and mental health. One report by the Royal Society for Public Health shows the following:

• More than half of commuters say travel increases stress levels.
• Two in five commuters say it decreases the amount of time they are physically active.
• Over one-third of commuters sleep less.

In addition to the impact on mental wellbeing, excessively long commutes over a long period can also reduce employee happiness and negatively impact health due to lower physical activity.

There is also a loss of productivity to consider among talent. If one employee given up to two hours of their day back, ten hours of potential productivity could be released back into the workplace each week, which equates to a potential 40 hours a month.

Lucinda Pullinger, Global Head of HR at The Instant Group commented: “To cut down on stress as well as commuting times and costs, more companies in the UK are introducing flexible and remote working options for employees. An increase in co-working and flexible office space, access to new technology and faster internet speeds have also changed the way we work, and by 2020, a predicted report by HSO shows 50% of the UK workforce will be working remotely.

“While some companies are concerned about the impact remote and flexible working will have on productivity, research by YouGov shows 20% of HR managers believe that their staff work to a slightly higher standard at home than they do in the office, while 7% say the standard is much higher.”

Testing Remote Working in the Workplace

Here are four ways to introduce remote working in the workplace:

1. Ensure your performance is flawless: a company is more likely to have the remote working conversation with top performers who are good at communicating and can handle the responsibility of progressing deadlines from another location.
2. Provide reasons why: whether to reduce commuting costs, increase productivity, gain more quiet time or move from one area to another, provide clear reasons to justify your choice when discussing the possibility of remote working.
3. Research your options: put together a plan to ensure you can do the job remotely. This includes having all the tools you need, fast internet and access to technology or tools when needed. Research different flexible office space options and weigh up the costs and amenities.
4. Testing remote working: most companies will be more comfortable introducing remote working for one day a week as a test. A trial run is a good way to ensure productivity and work quality remains as high as expected.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post These Are The Best And Worst Cities For Commuting appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.