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By Hugo Tilmouth, CEO, ChargedUp
As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads, it is important for companies of all sizes to make a contribution to help contain and fight the virus. We are seeing many companies coming forward and taking action. One way to help is by providing something that we all need in the current circumstances, for example, access to hand sanitizer.
This is where we realized that at ChargedUp, Europe’s largest phone charging network, we can make our contribution.
We are switching our network of charging stations to hand sanitizer stations. We have named this initiative CleanedUp and aim to give our support to the UK’s efforts to combat COVID-19.
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Guest Post
By Ferran Martínez, GlobaTalent
As an ex-pro basketball player and Olympian, I like to keep track of developments in sports, particularly those where tech is involved. Let me share my thoughts on 5 areas in which tech is improving sports…
Image: Ferran Martínez
What separates the amateur and pro athletes is training. More, better training will create professional athletes out of even the most modest spark of talent. A lack of or low-quality training will hamper even the most promising of players.
Computer-aided training programs are now being employed to integrate live data into sports science models to help improve every aspect of the athlete’s performance. A tennis player can improve their services, a swimmer their technique, and footballers their strike rate. What’s more, computers are now beginning to spot areas of weakness and suggest improvements, potentially helping to avoid long-term injuries building up.
Technology has also improved sports nutrition. New technology makes it easier to monitor an athlete’s nutrition, computer programs have improved nutritional advice, and developments in food and drink production allow for very precise nutritional balance as well as new protein bars, energy drinks, etc.
In the future, I see more wearable technology being integrated to utilize live data and provide immediate feedback to athletes and coaches. Training and nutrition can then be quickly adapted to the athlete’s needs, improving performance while helping to avoid future injuries.
While computers have been at the forefront of a lot of changes in sports, one of the most significant comes from the world of materials and product design and engineering.
Tennis rackets and golf clubs, for example, have seen some huge technological leaps, using new graphite shafts for better weight to strength ratio. Computers have, of course, assisted with these new designs, improving performance through the use of aerodynamics.
The deployment of new materials, such as kevlar, has also dramatically improved the strength of sails, bicycle helmets, and even football boots. Kevlar is a fibre that is around five times stronger yet much lighter than steel, making it ideal in these heavy-use situations. I see many of these new materials being applied to sports equipment in the coming years, helping to make it stronger, longer-lasting and safer.
Some of these materials have, however, led to some controversy, such as the development of polyurethane for swimwear. So effective was this new material that it was banned after the 2008 Olympics due to offering an unfair advantage. As this technology becomes more widely available and mainstream, however, it may well improve the sport for good.
Ever since the rise of professional athletes, there has been a separation between sports players and fans. Matches were screened on one broadcast channel and professional athletes were shielded from fans just like film stars and politicians.
Since then, there has been a proliferation of new ways to watch sport ‒ from HD streaming to watching via betting sites. This has allowed fans to get involved in the action, betting on in-play odds, commenting on streams, and even just seeing more detail of the game.
There have also been now ways for fans to get involved in the action, such as fantasy leagues and in-play betting, engaging fans through personal investment. Fans can also support individual players and teams financially, through sites like GlobaTalent, as well as trading player-based stocks on sites like Sports Stack and Football Index.
Platforms such as Twitter have also made it easier for fans to connect directly with athletes, getting immediate responses and exclusive opportunities to meet their idols. I believe this interactive element is responsible for the resurgence of interest in sports over the past ten years and is helping athletes to build a business around their sporting career.
Talent and effort should be all it takes to become a professional athlete. Unfortunately, funding tends to be a major deciding factor. Those without the funding can’t afford to take time out from work to train, can’t afford the best trainers, and won’t be able to access the best technology.
Until fairly recently, however, top athletes and teams have taken the lion’s share of funding and sponsorship opportunities. Less well-known athletes along with those just starting out have struggled to get the funding they need to break into the professional leagues.
The good news is that, in recent years, new sources of funding have arisen, allowing fans to financially support clubs and athletes in return for a share of future incomes. Not only does this provide an additional avenue for fans to get involved but it also provides a way for up-and-coming athletes and clubs to raise unrestricted funds, helping them to go pro.
While we’d all like for players to be good sports and professional in their attitudes, we also want to see passion bursting forth through their performance. We want them to push as hard and as far as they can go in order to surprise and delight their fans.
However, the downside to all this passion and performance has been athletes cheating or claims of unfairness in referee decisions. We’ve all been aware of the controversies surrounding goal-line decisions in international football games, for example, and Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal shocked and shook the world of cycling, damaging the reputation of the sport.
Fortunately, however, technology is improving every aspect of fairness in sport. Video referees can now be called on to make decisions using slow-motion cameras at every angle, goal-line and Hawkeye technology can now deliver uncontroversial decisions in football and tennis, while anti-doping techniques can now spot a huge range of illegal performance-enhancing drugs before a scandal breaks out.
Not only will this new level of fairness help keep controversy and scandal away, but it will also bring a renewed enthusiasm for sports that have been plagued by unfairness in the past.
We still have some way to go, but now that the technology has been accepted in the sporting world, I believe we will see the rapid adoption of new technologies across every aspect of the sporting world, helping to improve everything.
The progress of tech in sports will be relatively slow compared to disruptive businesses such as Airbnb and Uber. However, I think this more cautious approach will help us maintain the traditions together with the passion that means that sports are such a thrilling and significant part of life for both athletes and fans.
Ferran Martínez is one of the co-founders of GlobaTalent. He is a former pro basketball player for FC Barcelona and Spanish National Team, a Laureus member, led sports entertainment at several private banks and is now a successful entrepreneur. He also has experience in advising in terms of investment and has done so for FC Barcelona players.
The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company.
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Ferran Martínez, Guest Post, Sports, Technology
By Craig Bulow, Corporate Away Days
Employees in the UK take over 13 million sick days per year as a result of work-related stress, depression, and other mental health issues. Another important statistic is that stress costs the British economy almost £4 billion a year.
Looking after employee wellbeing is clearly of great importance yet REBA (Reward & Employment Benefits Association) reports that only 8% of boards of directors actively drive their company’s wellbeing policy.
Image: StockUnlimited
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Tagged as: Business, Craig Bulow, Employees, Guest Post
By Shon Alam, founder of Bidwedge
When you come back from holiday what do you do with the local currency that you still have in your pocket or purse? There is a good chance that you will put it into a drawer or perhaps a special container and tell yourself that you will use it when you next travel to that country. Some organized people even put the spare cash into carefully labeled envelopes and file them away for future use.
But what happens when you travel abroad again? Quite often you may find yourself at the airport kicking yourself because you have forgotten to bring the spare notes with you. Just when you need them to give a tip to a taxi driver.
Image: Pexels
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Business, Forex, Guest Post, Travel
By Ferran Martínez, GlobaTalent
When you’re an athlete your sport is a calling, not a job. It is driven by your passion and takes great determination and perseverance for you to succeed.
To build a career or business out of playing your sport, you will need to channel all your passion. The difficulty is keeping things in perspective. It’s a buzz when your training is going well and you are winning, but what happens if you get injured or need to retire early for health reasons?
Those athletes who do not plan for their career after sports often find life really tough. With some careful planning, however, it is possible to build a successful business out of your sports career.
As a professional basketball player, I reached the height of my fame during the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics when I was just 19 years old. Peaking so early brought me great fame and fortune but it wasn’t enough to set me up for life. If I was going to have a life after sports, I knew I needed to carefully manage my career from day one.
Image: Pixabay
Here are my top tips that I hope will help you to build a business using your sports career as a launchpad to success in a new arena.
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Business, Ferran Martínez, Guest Post, Sports
By Marieta Bencheva, Consulthon
In addition to defining what to do, how, and when, business processes are a fundamental part of your company’s culture, expressing who you are, your values, and why you do what you do. By having clear processes and following them rigorously, your business will maintain consistent quality, service and brand experience.
Having said that, processes also need to grow and evolve in response to internal and external pressures. Processes that work for a small startup with a single product won’t work for a medium-sized business with hundreds of employees and a full catalog of products or a large enterprise with multiple offices around the world.
Image: Scopio
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Business, Guest Post, Marieta Bencheva, Money
By Craig Bulow, Corporate Away Days
Although for every company it is important to put the client first, it is equally important to make sure your staff is engaged. This means that they feel connected to the company/business and are motivated to do a good job.
Image: Jump Story
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Business, Craig Bulow, Employees, Guest Post
By Warren Pryer, Equinox
Complaints to telecoms providers from businesses and consumers in the UK are increasing. These focus on a wide range of issues including sub-standard quality of internet connections and missed appointments.
When problems arise you need to complain. What are your options for doing this and getting compensated for poor connection and service?
Image: Jump Story
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Guest Post, Telecom, Warren Pryer
By Amanda Hamilton, CEO of NALP
Whether it’s the aftermath of Christmas shopping or generally throughout the year, it’s inevitable that some people will want to return the items they bought or were gifted. But what rights do they have?
Legally, without a receipt you aren’t obliged to give them a refund, but of course you may feel that doing so is worth it for the goodwill. In fact, without a receipt there’s not a lot a customer can do.
Image: Pexels
But with a receipt it’s an entirely different story. Whether the gift was bought in-store or online, there are some pretty strong and clear consumer rights relating to returns: the 2015 Consumer Rights Act. This Act was updated to provide clearer shopping rights, especially when returning items bought online, including digital downloads.
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Guest Post
Tagged as: Amanda Hamilton, Guest Post, Legal
By André Fonseca, CEO of Zypho
Around the world environmental concerns are at an all-time high, and business owners want to ensure that they do what they can to reduce their environmental impact of their business.
Businesses can lobby through professional bodies, industry groups etc. for greater action at a national level, but what else can be done to confront the climate crisis by businesses themselves?
Image: Scopio
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Guest Post
Tagged as: André Fonseca, Business, Environment, Guest Post
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