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Cyvatar Named Finalist in Computing Security Excellence Awards 2020

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced that it has been chosen as a finalist for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Security Solution Award in Computing’s 2020 Security Excellence Awards . Computing celebrates the achievements of the IT industry's leading security companies, solutions, products, and personalities that keep every other part of the industry operating. Award categories include product-and project-related recognition, organizational achievements, and accolades for outstanding individual success. Computing selected Cyvatar for its cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) solution for SMEs , an all-in-one subscription-based offering that builds bespoke solutions for customers who are not large enough to invest in in-house security teams, do not have the runway to experiment with multiple security tools as they scale, or cannot compete against larger firms for the scarce number of skilled resources available. By pairing skilled security experts with market-leading technologies across the security spectrum and pricing based on consumption, Cyvatar can deliver guaranteed business outcomes and demystify the complexities inherent in cyber defense. “Every organization is different, but most vendors don’t treat them that way,” said Cyvatar Founder Corey White . “We work side by side with our customers--not across the table from them--to break down barriers that impede a strong protective posture and create a flexible, affordable environment that fosters positive security experiences. No other services provider matches the quality of our technology partners, the deep skills of our security experts, or the business outcomes we guarantee.” Cyvatar believes in the democratization of cybersecurity, ensuring that protection from breaches is accessible and affordable to SMEs--not just to enterprises with deep pockets and dedicated security teams. It also believes in teaching and training SMEs to get the most from every dollar they spend on cybersecurity without the shrouded black-box approach that requires vendor-specific support to operationalize. And Cyvatar lives its values. Its promise to SMEs states that it will never tell customers to buy unnecessary products or hire unneeded resources; will ensure customers make the best security investments for functionality and value; and will consistently deliver maintainable and sustainable business, compliance, and technology outcomes. What security challenges are you trying to solve? What barriers do you face? Visit https://start.cyvatar.ai/ to explore the ways Cyvatar can help. About Cyvatar Cyvatar.ai is a transformative cybersecurity company that operates at the intersection of our customers and technology to define what a cybersecurity solution should be: guaranteed business outcomes that are measurable. We break down barriers to create positive experiences for passionate companies globally. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California. Learn more at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter . Contact Details KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

October 20, 2020 08:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with Parava Security Solutions LTD

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with Parava Security Solutions Ltd in the UK, and the establishment of the CMMC COE EU. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between Parava Security Solutions Ltd. and CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices for the DIB contractor community and the information and communications technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Source qualified CMMC/ cyber professionals to serve as cyber advocates. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) and the CMMC COE EU ( https://cmmc-eu.com/ ) will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will share a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (approximately 400,000 contractors). The CMMC-COE is establishing both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that includes resources supporting the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more.. to help reduce the cost and burden on small/medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. “This is a momentous occasion for us” , said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence , “Our European center will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) beyond North America”. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit Americas: http://cmmc-coe.org email info@CMMC-COE.org or call +1-703-863-3766 Europe: https://cmmc-eu.com/ email andy@cmmc-eu.com or call +44 (0) 7734 113952 For more information on Parava Security Solutions, Ltd., please visit https://www.parava.org/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Parava is a cyber security advisory firm, with experience in providing strategic, tactical, and operational cyber security, risk oversight, and assurance services to Government agencies and private companies in Europe. For more information on Parava Security Solutions, Ltd., please visit https://www.parava.org/ For more information on the CMMC COE EU, please visit https://cmmc-eu.com/ Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

October 19, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

RTCORE Announces Executive Appointment

RTCore Inc

October 16, 2020, RTCORE Inc. (OTC Markets: “PPPS”), a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) is pleased to announce that John Kelly has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting directly to Phil Walton, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his appointment, John served as Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer for Pentagon Federal Credit Union, the nation’s 2nd largest Federal Credit Union. A frequent guest speaker at national conferences on banking, payments and the evolution of technology in financial services, John also contributes articles to several industry publications. “John is an accomplished senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, having built a track record of transformational growth in consumer banking products, operations and customer experiences,” said Phil Walton, Chairman and CEO, RTCore Inc. “Grounded by a passion for setting strategy and building businesses, John in an entrepreneurial leader recognized for vision and energized by innovation and the opportunity to deliver game-changing results.” Effective immediately, Kelly will assume responsibility for the Company’s daily operations, including oversight of all subsidiary companies, corporate marketing and professional services, ensuring operational excellence across the company. “I am excited to join RTCORE at such a pivotal point in its trajectory,” said Kelly. “From our first discussions, it became apparent to me the company’s technology is transformational, the team is filled with exceptional talent, and there is a real opportunity to empower clients to drive meaningful change in how they scale their businesses in real time.” About RTCORE Inc. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, RTCORE Inc. is an industry leader in the design, development and commercial deployment of Cloud-native, real time transaction processing software for the global financial services industry. Safe Harbor Statement -This press release may contain forward-looking information that involve a number of risks and uncertainties made pursuant to Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, the company’s business plans and the company's growth strategy and operating strategy. Words such as “strategy,” “expects,” “continues,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “would,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “targets” and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous and varied factors. RTCORE, Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or any person acting on behalf of the company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Contact: RTCORE Inc. +1 (704) 965-4087 contact@realtimecore.com Contact Details Phil Walton +1 704-965-4087 philwalton@realtimecore.com Company Website https://www.realtimecore.com

October 16, 2020 09:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Weed And Whiskey News launched by W And W Digital, LLC

W And W Digital, LLC

W And W Digital, LLC is an entertainment and media holding concern headquartered in Dallas, Texas. W And W Digital owns and operates the streaming TV Network, Weed And Whiskey TV. Jerry Joyner, executive producer at W And W Digital, LLC, discussed the announcement at 4:20pm CST on Tuesday, September 30, 2020. Joyner shared the intent of the newly launched news program. Weed And Whiskey News will cover topics including: medical benefits, cannabis strains, alcohol trends, infusion innovations, legalization, film, music and celebrity cameos in our reporting. "We call it “News with a Twist”. Surely, you get it?”, exclaimed Joyner. The news show provides a unique format as well. The show will stream each Friday at 4:20pm CST and each segment will run 4 minutes and 20 seconds. The broadcast can be seen thru Roku, Twitch, Weed And Whiskey TV, YouTube and on WeedAndWhiskeyNews.com. After ingesting four minutes and twenty seconds of twisted content, the show will go on with a special musical guest performance followed by an episode from one of the W And W Digital original series such as “Higher Than Space” or “History Written In Stoned” that currently streams on Weed And Whiskey TV. In addition to licensed feature films and episodic series, W And W Digital created and produces the following episodic series. “DI High”, “Higher Than Space”, “History Written in Stoned”, “In Luck” (filmed at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion that coincides with SXSW), “Paper Bartender”, “Trailer Talks” and “Tequila Shots”. ###END### Weed And Whiskey News is a short format, fact based news show that engages audiences with smart comedy. The show includes a digital “watch party” to draw viewers and a 4:20 “countdown clock” to deliver bite sized news covering cannabis and spirit education, developing brands and strains, the latest tech, medical advancements and legislation. W And W News delivers content via streaming on the W And W News website along with Roku, Twitch, Weed And Whiskey TV & YouTube. Weed And Whiskey TV is an On-Demand TV Network, featuring original, highly-entertaining cannabis and spirit friendly programming. The vast majority of their original programming is only four minutes and 20 seconds in length and can be viewed on virtually any mobile device. Weed and Whiskey TV also streams curated music concerts, feature films, shows, and holiday specials. Twist one up, pour a whiskey...sit back, relax, and enjoy Weed And Whiskey TV. It's TV with a Twist! W And W Digital, LLC is an entertainment and media holding concern headquartered in Dallas, Texas. W And W Digital owns and operates the streaming TV Network, Weed And Whiskey TV. In addition to licensed feature films and episodic series, W And W Digital created and produces the following episodic series. “DI High”, “Higher Than Space”, “History Written in Stoned”, “In Luck” (filmed at Willie Nelson’s Luck Reunion that coincides with SXSW), “Paper Bartender”, “Trailer Talks”, “Tequila Shots” and the soon to stream weekly news show “W And W News”. Contact Details Jerry Joyner +1 469-372-0816 info@weedandwhiskeynews.com Company Website https://www.weedandwhiskeynews.com

October 15, 2020 07:00 PM Central Daylight Time

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RTCORE Enters 2 Strategic Letters of Intent for Acquisitions.

RTCore Inc

October 15, 2020, RTCORE Inc. (OTC Markets: “PPPS”), a Delaware corporation (the “ Company ”) entered into Non-binding Letters of Intent to acquire 100% of the equity of Conquest Group Inc., a South Carolina corporation (“ Conquest Insurance ”), and 100% Membership Interest in Spanish Moss Premium Finance LLC., a South Carolina limited liability company (“ Spanish Moss ”). Both acquisitions are expected to close on or before November 30th, 2020 with Definitive Agreements subject to RTCORE, Conquest Insurance and Spanish Moss obtaining necessary corporate approvals. Through these anticipated acquisitions, RTCORE intends to demonstrate the operational and financial benefits of deploying its real time, cloud-native core processing software to Conquest Insurance and Spanish Moss clients, while expecting to increase the combined business value to all its stakeholders. About RTCORE Inc. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, RTCORE Inc. is an industry leader in the design, development and commercial deployment of Cloud-native, real time transaction processing software for the global financial services industry. About Conquest Group Inc. Conquest Group Inc. is a South Carolina Insurance Brokerage Firm with offices located throughout the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Since 2007, Conquest advises its personal and business clients on the evaluation and purchase of the most appropriate policies to fulfill their Property & Casualty coverage needs. About Spanish Moss Premium Finance LLC Spanish Moss is a Premium Lending firm based in Hilton Head, South Carolina, providing insured parties with financing options to cover the cost of their insurance premiums. Safe Harbor Statement - This press release may contain forward-looking information that involve a number of risks and uncertainties made pursuant to Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things, the company’s business plans and the company's growth strategy and operating strategy. Words such as “strategy,” “expects,” “continues,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “would,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “targets” and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous and varied factors. RTCORE Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the company or any person acting on behalf of the company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Contact: RTCORE Inc. +1 (704) 965-4087 contact@realtimecore.com Contact Details Phil Walton +1 704-965-4087 philwalton@realtimecore.com Company Website https://www.realtimecore.com

October 15, 2020 12:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Hospital Sisters Health System Selects Innovative Technology Product to Automate and Enhance Physician Compensation and Performance Management Capabilities

SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of rewards programs and workforce solutions for the health care industry and not-for-profit sector, has partnered with HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular, two Hospital Sisters Health System ministries, to implement its comprehensive Provider Performance Management Technology™ (PPMT). Hospital Sisters Health System is a large, multi-institutional health system committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care to communities throughout Illinois and Wisconsin. By leveraging PPMT™, an industry-first, cloud-based product that enables physician and APP engagement through transparent performance-based compensation administration and analytical capabilities, the organization is looking to automate and align the management of clinician pay and performance across its medical group. Driven by the need to provide a growing network of physicians with more accurate compensation and productivity data, HSHS Medical Group and Prairie Cardiovascular started the journey with an in-house application designed to enhance a process that was once very manual. Developing the right mix of internal resources and support to expand the application’s capabilities in line with the system’s evolving needs, however, proved difficult. “We required a more comprehensive system with the ability to flex and scale with us as we add or change value-based incentives, modify compensation plans and analyze the impact of Evaluation and Management CPT code changes. PPMT™ will now enable us to automatically deliver extensive supporting documentation with drill-down capabilities to the patient-level for our clinicians to access any time they want. Providing this visibility and transparency is critical as we navigate an increasingly complex and rapidly changing health care environment,” said Linda Dace, System Vice President of Finance, Hospital Sisters Health System. Designed to address a spectrum of physician, leadership and other key administrative needs, PPMT™ delivers centralized and actionable data tailored to the unique needs of each stakeholder. It combines years of health care compensation insight and expertise with an intuitive, automated technology platform, and serves as a single source of truth that helps empower physicians to drive desired outcomes and enhance organizational performance. PPMT™ incorporates SullivanCotter’s industry-leading benchmarking data into three integrated modules, including Provider Performance Management, Provider Productivity Insights and Compensation Management Analytics. Hospital Sisters Health System selected all three modules to help support their goals - allowing for a more cohesive approach to compensation and performance management. For more information on Provider Performance Management Technology™, visit www.sullivancotter.com/PPMT or contact us at 888.739.7039. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights and expertise to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights and expertise to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. Contact Details Becky Lorentz +1 314-414-3719 beckylorentz@sullivancotter.com Company Website https://sullivancotter.com/

October 13, 2020 10:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Center of Excellence (COE)

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership serving the public sector, announced the establishment of a new Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMMC) Center of Excellence (COE) intended to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The CMMC-COE will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest under one roof to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000 contractors). The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small/medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc.coe.org email info@CMMC-COE.org or call 703-863-3766 About Us ---------- IT-Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC) a public/private partnership (P3) was chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

October 12, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

UK SMEs lose £2.2bn as customers fall into administration during lockdown

Stockwood Strategy

SMEs across the UK are counting the cost of the lockdown as they prepare for a testing final quarter of 2020. Risktech business Nimbla , surveyed* 2,000 UK SMEs and found that £2.2bn in revenue (for goods and services provided during lockdown) has been lost because those customers fell into administration. A number that is set to increase dramatically over the course of the next year. More than a third (38%) of SMEs are still waiting to be paid an average of £59,013, for work they completed before the lockdown. Worryingly, a fifth (21%) of these companies believe they will never recover the full amount, losing on average £24,903 because those customers have gone into administration. Looking at the bigger picture, this is worth £2.2bn in revenue across all SMEs (with outstanding payments) that will not be realised. Lost time and revenue Businesses reported, on average, 6 invoices go unpaid every year with half of these worth £41,193 written off due to their customers becoming insolvent. Yet, surprisingly, only 4% of business owners take out trade credit or invoice insurance, which protects the supplier against their customers’ insolvency. Business owners do spend time thinking about a potential insolvency event with their customers. In the event that happened, most of them (83%) would continue trading but the impact on cash flow would lead to changes in asking customers for deposits, requesting shorter payment terms, declining larger projects and fear their credit scores falling. Business owners spend, on average, two weeks chasing an invoice payment which eventually was never paid because the customer became insolvent. Flemming Bengtsen, CEO at Nimbla commented: “The impact the lockdown has had on SMEs, who are the heart and soul of the UK economy, is astonishing. Many have survived several attacks during the pandemic and, now, knowing they won’t get paid for the work they did is another huge body blow. There could be more bad news on the horizon for smaller businesses as high street chains face difficulties and potential insolvencies.” Looking ahead Businesses anticipate making, on average, £263,000 revenue between now and the end of the year. However, as customers seek longer payment terms from 30 to 60 days to settle invoices, three in five (60%) business owners are nervous about not getting paid at all with expectations that one in six customers will become insolvent before the end of the year. This is a major issue as more than a third (36%) of businesses were heavily concentrated, reporting that more than two-thirds of their revenues came from a handful of customers. Overall, business owners reported 61% of their customers said they were doing well in terms of their revenue, going steady with sales and generally content with the business environment. Yet, business owners were sceptical about their buoyant spirit, with only a quarter (26%) believing what they say. Flemming Bengtsen added: “The current uncertain economic environment means doing business isn’t easy, it’s made all the more difficult with SMEs anxious about getting paid. Trading on trust and confidence has deteriorated. It is time, as a collective, to bring this back. Business owners cannot afford to bury their heads in the sand; they should protect themselves and insure against the potential insolvency of their customers.” ENDS Notes to the Editor *Research findings based on a survey of 2,000 UK companies (who are employers with a minimum turnover of £250,000) conducted for Nimbla in September 2020 by LM Research & Marketing Consultancy (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). About Nimbla Nimbla makes sure businesses get paid for their hard work, even if a customer becomes insolvent. Founded in 2016, the risktech company is on a mission to give SMEs the confidence to trade with a peace of mind using invoice insurance. Nimbla’s digital insurance platform backed by expert risk analysts, allows businesses to check a buyer’s ability to pay and insure individual invoices against non-payment in a fast and affordable way. This will enable business owners to safeguard against insolvent customers, expand into new and existing markets and secure better borrowing terms. The platform can be accessed directly ( www.nimbla.com ) and through partnerships with Barclays and Starling Bank. Based in London, Nimbla aims to bring the trade credit industry into the 21st century. Challenging traditional insurance models, the cover is flexible and adapts to fit your business — whether it’s a one-off invoice or multiple transactions. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 bilal.mahmood@nimbla.com Company Website https://www.nimbla.com/

October 06, 2020 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Construction industry rallies in rebuilding Britain, finds Skrap survey

Stockwood Strategy

The construction industry is rallying from the aftermath of the lockdown as builders report steady workflow and recovering revenues, finds a survey* of 2,000 UK construction companies by Skrap , the on-demand construction hire specialist . Almost half of construction businesses (44%) reported that workflow has reached pre-lockdown levels. The bounce is such that almost a quarter (23%) of businesses felt they would hit at least 2019 revenue levels and possibly see a 20% increase. This is despite nearly two-thirds (63%) of businesses still waiting to be paid, on average, £47,784 for work they did pre-lock down. However, this is an improvement from June 2020 when they were waiting for £157,642. Of the work that is being done, building contractors are seeing the greatest demand from residential projects (48%) and public sector work (30%) such as roadworks and in schools. However, of those businesses seeing a partial slowdown in work, they pointed to the uncertain state of the economy which is delaying investment decisions. Construction industry business owner Jamie Herd, MD of Lords builders’ merchants commented: “We’ve seen sales of supplies increase steadily over the past 3 months and orders to the end of 2020 look good especially in London and the home counties. The government’s favourable loan schemes have boosted the cash flow of construction businesses to enable them continue their work and overall, there is a bullish mood that work is returning to normal in the industry”. Hussain Hilli, co-founder at Skrap commented: “Although building activity shrunk during the lockdown, this survey provides a cautious note of optimism for the construction industry. It’s not surprising this wave of optimism comes from residential work as people continue to work from home and consider their new needs. The decision to scrap stamp duty on homes below £500,000 has also got home owners active. Government policies are taking effect and builders are benefiting but a lot will rest on how investors see Brexit playing out on the UK economy”. 2020 expectations Boris Johnson’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ initiative is making a difference. Almost half of builders (46%) said they had benefited from the policy announcement and were expecting more contracts from this in the next few months. However, they do feel that investment in house building developments is being held back. This is chiefly down to investors being vary of valuations given the impact Brexit could have on the economy coupled with the lack of urgency from the government to support this crucial infrastructure need. Looking ahead to the end of the year, builders fear the biggest disruption to business will be a second wave of COVID19 cases leading to another mass lockdown impacting delivery and demand of projects. Brexit The majority of construction businesses are confident that there will be little fallout from a no-deal Brexit. They felt the Government would negotiate a good trade deal in time and it will be business as usual. However, they do feel the greatest concern in the run up to Brexit centres on workforce availability. This is understandable as up to a quarter (25%) of their workforce are non-UK nationals. Ends Notes to the editor * Research findings based on a survey of 2,000 UK construction companies (who are employers with a minimum turnover of £250,000) conducted in September 2020 by LM Research & Marketing Consultancy (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). About Skrap Founded in 2017, Skrap offers on-demand services for skip and construction hire resources. Every year almost 100m tonnes of construction waste is collected in the UK and construction businesses spend £5b in collecting this waste, and a further £15b on other hire services. Skrap intends to remove the hassle from ordering a skip and other construction hire needs to make this experience simple and user friendly. Skrap’s strategic ambition is to automate the entire construction hire supply chain across major cities globally over the coming years. Founders Marwan Field, Hussain Hilli and Ahmed Rao came across the problem while running a construction business where logistics were unorganised and fragmented; prices were asymmetric, and the marketplace of suppliers and brokers were doing everything manually. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 bilal@skrap.xyz Company Website https://www.skrap.xyz

October 06, 2020 03:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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