Latest news with #clients
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
HSBC Exits Business Serving Smaller US Firms in Latest Revamp
HSBC Holdings Plc is exiting a business that serves small and midsize US companies, as it continues an overhaul aimed at making the lender more competitive. 'Following a strategic review of our business, we have decided to exit our business-banking portfolio in the United States,' a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. The division has about 4,400 clients and serves firms with revenue of as much as $50 million.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
HSBC to disband US unit serving small and medium-size businesses, WSJ reports
May 30 (Reuters) - HSBC (HSBA.L), opens new tab is disbanding a division that serves small and medium-size companies in the U.S. affecting roughly 4,500 clients, the Wall Street Journal reported, opens new tab on Friday.
Fast Company
3 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
How automation improves real estate interactions
Miscommunication, missed messages, forgotten requests—these are the hidden costs of doing business in real estate. In the real estate industry, manual data entry mistakes, such as misallocated expenses or incorrect financial reporting, can cost companies millions annually. Research indicates that manual data entry has an error rate ranging from 1% to 4% and each error can cost up to $25 to rectify. These costs can manifest as missed investment opportunities, unresolved tenant issues, and lost client trust. Real estate professionals cannot afford to ignore these inefficiencies. But it doesn't have to be this way. Automation is transforming real estate by eliminating these friction points, not just for large firms but for small businesses and independent professionals as well. When used correctly, automation doesn't replace the human touch—it enhances it—bringing clarity, consistency, and professionalism to every interaction. Clarity and consistency through automation In any business, consistency is key to maintaining professionalism. Automation allows companies to standardize processes, ensuring that terms, policies, and interactions are clear and uniform. This not only minimizes misunderstandings but also builds trust with clients and partners. Everyone knowing what to expect reduces disputes and enhances professionalism. In real estate, this is especially true in lease management. Automated enforcement of lease agreements ensures that terms such as late fees, payment deadlines, and maintenance responsibilities are clearly outlined and consistently enforced. Clear, legally compliant lease terms reduce ambiguity and prevent disputes. For real estate agents, investors, and landlords managing their own properties, automation makes it easier to comply with local laws by applying consistent terms across all leases or transactions, protecting interests, and building client trust. Additionally, automated in-app messaging leads to stronger relationships and fewer misunderstandings by providing a centralized platform where landlords and tenants can communicate. Real-time, two-way communication directly within a secure system eliminates the need for scattered text threads, emails, or missed calls. Landlords can track and manage conversations efficiently, while tenants gain a clear channel for addressing concerns, receiving updates, or asking questions. Predictable and respectful communication Automation can also elevate customer interactions by maintaining consistent, respectful communication. In business, this means automated reminders for appointments, follow-ups, or deadlines, ensuring clients are kept informed without feeling overwhelmed or neglected. For property managers and landlords, this is exemplified by automated rent payment reminders and notifications. Rather than sending ad-hoc texts or emails—sometimes at inconvenient hours such as early morning or late night—landlords can set up reminders delivered consistently at the same time of the day and on the same days of the month. This reduces late payments, maintains professionalism, and respects tenants' personal time. Automation also supports multiple payment methods, offering tenants convenience while providing landlords with a clear, trackable payment history. Streamline management Effective management requires keeping track of tasks, requests, and communications without anything slipping through the cracks. Automation excels at this, offering centralized systems where tasks are logged, prioritized, and tracked. In real estate, this is best seen in maintenance management. Automated systems allow tenants to submit maintenance requests, which are then logged, categorized, and tracked. Tenants can see the status of their requests, reducing repetitive follow-ups, while landlords have a clear record of completed work, costs, and vendor interactions. Enhance client experiences Businesses across industries are increasingly focused on the client journey, ensuring that every touchpoint is smooth and satisfying. In real estate, automation can transform this experience by streamlining scheduling, property showings, and follow-ups. For real estate agents, this might mean automated property match notifications or self-service scheduling tools that allow prospective buyers or renters to book showings without waiting and prevent double bookings. Beyond convenience, automation elevates professionalism. Agents and landlords can maintain consistent follow-ups, ensuring that clients receive timely responses and critical information without delays. This reduces client anxiety, builds trust, and helps real estate professionals create a reputation for reliability and responsiveness. Furthermore, automation can help investors offer value-added services that improve tenants' financial well-being. For example, credit-boosting features allow tenants to report on-time rent payments to major credit bureaus, helping them build their credit scores over time. This benefits both tenants, who see improved credit, and landlords, who often experience a noticeable increase in on-time payments. Such features make rental properties more attractive to prospective tenants and foster long-term loyalty. Data-Driven Decisions for Smarter Investments Automation is a game-changer for investors who rely on data to drive decision-making. Automated tools can collect and analyze market trends, rental yield data, property valuations, and investment forecasts in real-time. This gives investors immediate access to insights that can guide strategic decisions. Beyond basic data access, automation also allows for customized dashboards where investors can visualize performance metrics across their portfolio. This helps them quickly identify high-performing properties, spot emerging opportunities, and make informed decisions faster than competitors relying on manual research. For instance, RentRedi runs surveys that provide critical insights into landlord behaviors, from how they prepare for tax season to how they screen tenants. Understanding these patterns helps professionals benchmark their practices, anticipate challenges, and make more informed decisions. Additionally, we partner with Chandan Economics to develop data reports that offer broader market insights by tracking trends in rental demand, property values, and landlord investment plans. Access to this kind of data ensures that professionals are not making decisions based on guesswork but on solid, actionable intelligence. Elevating Industry Standards In an industry where professionalism can make or break a deal, automation allows real estate professionals to minimize miscommunication and hidden costs. Businesses that embrace automation can reduce costly errors and deliver consistent, high-quality service that sets them apart. As they raise the bar for professionalism, they gain a competitive edge, build stronger client relationships, and operate more efficiently. This means that even the smallest landlords can adopt best practices once reserved for large corporate investors. Automation allows real estate professionals to focus on higher-value tasks like client relationships and portfolio growth. As automation becomes the norm, professionalism in real estate is becoming the standard, rather than the exception.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Feeling stuck in life? A simple guide to getting back on track
We can all be overly critical of ourselves, telling ourselves we aren't good enough, that we are rubbish or we are going to make a fool of ourselves if we do something new. It's part of being human. But when we let that critical voice take over it means our lives can be less fulfilled. We stop ourselves from taking risks and can miss out on exciting opportunities, leaving us feeling stuck and unhappy in it doesn't have to be like that. I'm going to share one of my favourite psychology lessons, which I have used to help hundreds of clients in the nine years I've worked in clinical psychology. It's a simple metaphor which worked for me too. Let me explain. 'Think of yourself as a bus' Firstly, think of yourself as a bus - both the vehicle and its passengers. The bus represents our physical body and mind. The passengers represent our thoughts, emotions, sensations and of our passengers are kind and helpful, encouraging us to try new things or improve our lives. However, others can be overly harsh and harmful. For example, for many of my clients, public speaking can trigger thoughts like: "I'll sound stupid and therefore be humiliated and rejected", causing them to feel anxious and scared, and say no to opportunities. For me, such thoughts and feelings come up more often in my romantic cope, we might try to push negative passengers off our bus (e.g., "I shouldn't feel scared, it makes me weak"). We might also distract ourselves with work, drugs or alcohol, or just scrolling endlessly on our phones. Sometimes we bargain ourselves out of the things that we want ("I'll go to the party or meeting, but won't speak to anyone", "I'll apply for the job, but not the one I really want"), causing us to stay on a comfortable and familiar road, even if it feels other words, we avoid by trying to ignore or remove parts of ourselves that we feel are unacceptable. Getting into the driver's seat The problem is that we take ourselves everywhere we go. Which is why most of my clients are exhausted by the time they come to me, often feeling depressed and anxious. They've been pushing hard, but are pushing against works much better is realising that rather than spend our limited energy trying to avoid parts of who we are, we are better off learning to accept and help ourselves with compassion. We're human and our passengers – the positive and the negative ones - are here to good news is that we can learn to drive our bus where we want it to go. For a better life, you have to get into the driver's seat of your own bus. Lead the way, and your passengers have no choice but to follow how do you do that? Here's a step-by-step guide: 1) Accept your passengers Even though emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming, they last minutes at a time, peaking and then reducing to a baseline. If your emotion is triggered by an activity - such as speaking in public or going on a first date - the next time you do the same thing, the peak will be that little bit lower, until eventually you get a flat line and no longer feel anxious. For me personally, setting boundaries - communicating my needs in order to protect my well-being - used to feel scary - "what if I'm too much for others?" Such thoughts still worry me, depending on the situation, but it's become easier with practice. 2) We only get one life Work out what your values are and what you'd like out of your life. Use the following questions to help you decide where to take your bus and how you want to get there. What matters to you? What do you want, and what do you need? What are you committed to, even if it might not feel easy or pleasant? Personally, I'm committed to personal growth. I want to continuously develop self-awareness and learn new skills, whether at work or through my hobbies. I accept that learning and growing can take effort and sacrifice and I remind myself regularly that what's important is that I tried, even if I haven't always got what I wanted. 3) Accept what you can and can't have I still don't have the family I dreamt of as a child. I was separated for many years from both my parents at different points in my childhood, and I promised myself that I'd have my own family one day, one that couldn't leave me. But in this unpredictable world, of course people can leave, voluntarily or otherwise. The pain of losing my parents (plus a bunch of other things) made it hard for me to tolerate uncertainty in my romantic relationships. I'd hold on too tightly and then push people away. But I believe in change and I continue to grow. Ultimately, I won't give up on my dreams and neither should you. 4) Mistakes are part of the deal If you're not making mistakes, it's probably because you're playing it too safe, and you'll know it, even if others don't. 5) Value the journey as much as the destination You can either be on your bus counting the seconds until you get there, or you can try to make the most of the journey too. Look out the window - ask for directions if you need to. If we appreciate the journey itself, life will be smoother and more this journey called life, consider others, seek support and guidance, but remember that ultimately it's your life and you get to be in the driving more stories and tips on how to support your mental health and wellbeing, visit
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Secret To Growing On LinkedIn Without Posting Every Day
The secret to growing on LinkedIn without posting every day Founders are spending hours every day writing LinkedIn posts, adding thoughtful comments, and scrolling the feed. With 310 million active monthly users and only about 1% creating content, there's opportunity for growth on LinkedIn. But at what cost? Stop struggling with constant content creation and mindless activity that delivers minimal results. Stop wasting hours chasing likes while actual client work suffers. You can win on this platform without sacrificing your business. I figured out LinkedIn during eighteen months of consistent posting and tracking. But most importantly, treating LinkedIn as a business asset worth optimizing. When you build a system instead of a content treadmill, LinkedIn becomes your ally, not your second job. Daily posting results in most people creating junk. Quantity kills quality. Standards slip and people unfollow. Here's how to stop that right now. Block one hour each week to batch write 2-3 strong posts. This concentrated effort produces sharper insights than scattered daily attempts. Make each post count with thoughtful formatting and relevant visuals. Start with the questions your clients ask and the challenges you know they want to overcome. High-quality content, posted less often, consistently outperforms low-effort daily content. This approach builds reputation without consuming your calendar. Perfect for entrepreneurs who have actual businesses to run. Your audience would rather read one insight that changes their thinking than five posts that repeat common knowledge. Your content should match what you sell. Random posting confuses your audience about what you stand for. Accounts that stay focused on core topics see engagement rates double compared to those posting about anything and everything. Define exactly who you're writing for, bearing in mind a small fraction of LinkedIn users match your ideal client profile. Speak directly to them about their specific challenges, using their exact language. Use this targeted approach to build a following that converts to clients because they feel understood at a deeper level. Your clarity attracts their attention and makes them feel like you're writing just for them. Build a library of post formats that work for your audience. Maybe Monday posts share client transformations, Wednesday posts break down methods, and Friday posts tell personal stories. Keeps content fresh while saving mental energy and time. No one will know you're sticking to a template. But they'll get familiar with your style of posts and start to look out for them. A hook that captures attention, a body that adds value and a compelling call to comment. Simple templates for different post types save time and keep your content strong. Save ideas as they come to you during the week. Client questions, breakthrough moments, industry news become your content foundation. Use a notes app or voice notes if writing slows you down. You'll never face a blank page again. Track which posts get responses from potential clients. Do more of those. Watch which specific posts drive profile views and meaningful conversations, then create more content with those elements. Your best-performing posts contain clues about what your audience truly values from you. LinkedIn wants to eat your calendar alive. Don't let it. Two great posts that make people think and message you beat five forgettable ones any day. Create quality content that positions you as the expert you already are. Pick your posting days and stick to them. Establish your pillars, and use templates where it makes sense to. Save bright ideas when you have them, then trust your system. Your audience rewards reliability with their attention, engagement, and ultimately, their business. Access my top personal brand prompts for ChatGPT
