Mercedes-Benz, the German luxury automotive brand, recently debuted its first-ever electric sedan, the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The company is describing the EQS as a sibling of the recently redesigned high-end S-class, which is typically considered the brand’s most luxurious ride. But the slightly shorter vehicle, which Mercedes has been teasing in advertisements, has its own electric architecture.
The EQS is expected to compete directly with electric cars like the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan. It will debut as a 2022 model and while a starting price hasn’t been announced, car-research site Edmunds recently estimated $110,000.
Missing the trademark engine roar associated with high-performance gas-powered models, the EQS will nonetheless deliver significant power, albeit with a quiet electric motor.
“The biggest surprise is maybe there is no surprise – it really rides and feels like a Mercedes through and through,” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius told reporters. “Everything you would expect from a Mercedes you will get from this electric car as well. It’s not a lesser product just because it’s an electric car. It’s equal to the S-class.”
The EQS is part of the brand’s plan to convert more than half of its sales to electric drive systems “as soon as 2030” and go “carbon neutral” with its entire car fleet within 20 years.
In one particularly bold claim, Mercedes said in a statement that the EQS is “the most aerodynamic production car in the world.” Engineers often focus on aerodynamics for electric vehicles to boost their battery range by reducing drag.
The EQS has electric range of up to 478 miles based on European ratings, which typically are higher than U.S. range estimates. It was not immediately clear what the estimated range would be for the American market.
The vehicle also comes with the brand’s new Hyperscreen, a 56-inch-wide digital display that nearly spans the width of the vehicle, featuring the infotainment system and digital instrument cluster. Mercedes announced the Hyperscreen at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show in January.
It’s the first Mercedes vehicle to enable over-the-air software updates, a feature popularized by Tesla that allows automakers to improve or fix aspects of their vehicles without owners needing to visit dealerships.
Other features include back and passenger doors that can be opened with a finger tap using the touchscreen. Compatibility with more than 90% of U.S. public charging stations. A voice recognition system that works with 27 languages. Also, a system that actively assists the driver with parking, including steering, braking, and gear changes.
The stories of successful leaders have always attracted people. Not only do their examples make for an inspirational story, but they also help you learn how to deal with a certain situation. Few people try to solve their problems by choosing the methods used by successful leaders. This may not always work because the situation that they were in might have demanded a specific step, and the answer to your problem may be completely different. It is good to have a few successful leaders to look up to, but just replicating their solutions will not always help you.
Not all successful leaders have followed the same path. In fact, most of them tasted success because they dared to think differently and took the road less traveled. Good leaders have the ability to not just look into their own work but also that of the ones working for them. Linda Hill, a professor at Harvard Business School, says that a leader who cannot manage his or her own work cannot succeed in being a team player. Linda has also co-written a book named ‘Being the Boss,’ which talks about the essential qualities that leaders must possess to become successful.
It is never one or two qualities but a combination of them that makes people evolve as successful leaders. Of course, there are a few must-haves that make leaders successful. Effective leadership is not about following the prescribed success mantras but about discovering what can give you the results you want. Say a certain situation might require you to focus on the core operations, but another one may call for looking into the various aspects involved in it. This explains that there is no one universal rule that you can follow to achieve success as a leader. However, if you are looking for the key elements that make a successful leader, here are the three elements of effective leadership:
Solving issues with integrative thinking
Overcoming barriers to change
Using your power effectively
Why is it essential for a successful leader to be an integrative thinker?
Given the neck-to-neck competition that businesses face these days, it has become essential for leaders to make quick yet smart decisions. They do not have the option of pondering over the issue. They are expected to think of a solution, communicate it with the team in detail, and work in correspondence to overcome the road bump. However, this is not a simple task and is likely to lead to a lot of tension, which can hinder your decision-making ability. You will be able to solve the problem if you apply the theory of integrative thinking to it, which is making a decision based on reasoning, understanding of the issue, and intuition.
The concept was created by the dean of Rotmon School of Management (the University of Toronto), Roger Martin. The mindset of a leader who is an integrative thinker will certainly differ from that of a conventional one. An integrative thinker will actually make an effort to create innovative solutions rather than stick to the past ones. He/she will not be intimidated by the complexity of the issue. In fact, that is what will attract him/her and push them into coming up with an effective solution.
Change is constant.
As said earlier, the market is ever so changing. No matter how many policies you have to keep things under control, now and then, you will certainly face challenging situations. As an integrative thinker, you will, in fact, love tackling these challenges as they will make your job much more exciting.
When things get dull and routine, work may seem boring. Your employees may not love the idea of doing the same thing over and over. In such cases, bringing in a little change in their work can help them. It will also allow them to learn new areas of work. Whether your employees like it or not, they will have to face change constantly – in the form of handling projects, guidelines, clients, organizational changes, and so on. These are inevitable. Instead of having your team members cringe over the thought of opening to something new, explain to them how the changes serve as opportunities to display their skills.
Also, to change how things are working, you will first have to begin with yourself. If you as a leader do not motivate your employees, you cannot expect them to show amazing results. Implementing changes regularly will prevent your teammates from feeling trapped in their roles and give them a chance to polish their skills in other areas.
Effective use of power.
With leadership comes immense duties and powers. It is your duty to keep your team motivated and to listen to the issues that your teammates might be facing. Also, it is you who have the power to solve their problems. Often leaders do not understand where to draw the line while using their powers – some do not use them enough, and some overuse them. An important element of effective leadership is to learn how to use your powers in a balanced manner. You wouldn’t want your teammates to feel that you are unnecessarily exercising your powers or that you are hardly helping them.
Just because you have certain powers, you do not get the liberty to be unempathetic towards your team members. To ensure that you are effectively using your powers as a leader, you can begin by listing the various times you have used different powers given to you. These powers can vary in nature. They can be – legitimate, coercive, referent, expert powers, and so on. Also, never forget to think from the point of view of the other party. It will help you balance your decision and be fair in your role as a leader.
Located in the Turks Caicos Islands, this dynamic, spectacular compound known as Turtle Tail Estate is a property in paradise to completely fall in love with. The estate combines the personalization of a custom home with an ultra-luxury resort’s amenities, elevated on a magnificent private 4.57-acre peninsula all its own. The home is a 15-minute drive from the famous Grace Bay and Long Bay Beaches.
Built in 2014 by JAL Consultants Ltd, Turtle Tail Estate is essentially your own personal resort. Over the past few years, Turtle Tail Estate has welcomed a myriad of high-profile international travelers, offering complete privacy and seclusion.
Accommodations:
This 15,000-square-foot home has seven bedrooms and 12 bathrooms in total. Accommodations include a 5 bedroom main house (4 King Masters + 1 Twin/King Master – all with en – suite bathrooms and an additional 5 half bathrooms), as well as a fully independent 2 bedroom guest cottage (1 Queen + 2 Twins + kitchen / living room) + on-site staff living and accommodation in the guard house.
Design:
Masterfully executed on an architectural and interior design level in every sophisticated detail, the property also provides unparalleled infrastructure, pools and includes a commercial kitchen.
Beyond the custom mahogany entrance doors, interiors, which were designed by Domino Creative, exude an organic Asian-contemporary vibe, Ms. Siegenthaler said. Throughout the home is a mix of teak and mahogany wood accents and finishings, Ipe wood decking, limestone flooring, handmade Indonesian wallpaper, and custom furniture, including a hand-carved bathtub in one of the guest bathrooms.
Designed to maximize the 1,400 feet of water frontage, the indoor-outdoor flow takes full advantage of breathtaking, panoramic views. Rooms open to outdoor lounge areas, decking, and dining nooks, so it’s hard to tell inside from out.
This newly completed family resort-like retreat with beautifully landscaped grounds, gardens and protected sandy shore provides an opportunity for immediate gratification to its new owner.
Amenities:
This resort-style home does not skimp on perks. There’s a 90-foot private dock for yacht mooring, another 75-foot private dock, an expansive wrap-around infinity-edge pool with LED lighting.
Other luxurious amenities include multiple outdoor lounge and daybed areas, fire-pit daybed pavilion, family kitchen and complete separate professional kitchen and outdoor pizza oven, screening room, game room, wine cellar, fully equipped gym, ocean-facing office, fully integrated smart control system, and top-of-the-line audiovisual system, 2 car garage, extensive storage, lighted tennis court, hardwood beach-facing deck, and staff/guardhouse.
Turks and Caicos:
With its private peninsula locale, this property is a tranquil retreat. Turks and Caicos, the archipelago is some 550 miles southeast of Miami and is made up of 40 different tiny islands which only a few are inhabited. For much of its history, the beaches of Turks and Caicos were the sands less traveled. Until that is, Club Med opened a resort in the early 1980s and put the archipelago on a trajectory as a rising star of posh Caribbean beach destinations.
As one of the most luxurious destinations in the Caribbean, it’s no wonder the late musician Prince owned property nearby. While the ocean and sandy shores take center stage here, the home also features lush landscaping and gardens filled with both native and imported flora and fauna.
Transforming a small company into a multinational can never be easy. The road to success is littered with failures. Business research displays that only a tenth of all companies starting along that path reach the $250 million annual revenue milestone. A very few (about 0.036 percent) reach $1 billion in yearly sales.
But if you truly have stars in your eyes and the hunger of achievement in your belly (as they say), then you will realize that staying small is not good enough, not for you and not for the survival of your business. Do not fret: there are many companies out there who have successfully transitioned from being a start-up or small business to an extremely profitable, huge commercial concern.
Develop a growth strategy: the most intensive the better
You need a growth strategy to go from milestone A to milestone B on your achievements’ highway. The ideal strategy is one that harvests the maximum results from minimum risk. Growth strategies somewhat resemble a ladder, where the lower rungs represent less risk and less impact on faster growth. Small businesses should concentrate on strategies which typify the lower rungs of the abstract ladder and then climb up when they have the confidence to do so. When you develop your company’s growth strategy, first take a sharp look at the bottom rungs; this approach is popularly known as an Intensive Growth Strategy. As you climb each rung, new opportunities for faster growth manifest as trade-offs for greater risks.
Penetrate the market: The strategy for growth with a minimal quotient of risk for any commercial entity is to sell more of its present product or service to its existing clients. This strategy is honed into perfection by huge consumer companies. For a smoother business performance (read easier profits), find new and novel ways by which the customer can use your product or service. For example, baking soda can be used as a deodorizer for the refrigerator.
Develop the market: Congratulations! You have negotiated the first few rungs of the business ladder. Now it is time to go up a few higher rungs. To do this, find a way to sell your product or service to clients based in another country, state, or city. Many companies adopt this strategy by peppering the country with franchises. QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) companies do this all the time (Subway sandwiches are omnipresent). Locational presence is racked up before you can say “alternative channels”.
Alternative channels: This strategy calls for your company to literally be at the fingertips of your clients where ever they go. This can be achieved by selling the products online. You can be one with the world by enabling your customers to access your services or products in newer ways like, through an app which sits in the corner of the smartphone mobile screen.
Develop new products: A strategy as old as sin itself! It means creating new products to sell to your existing clients as well as to attract new ones. If you enjoy the luxury of choice, then ideally you can sell new products to long-time customers. This is because appealing to a completely new audience will require more time and effort to be invested in understanding tastes and preferences.
New customers mean new products: Many a time the market itself will compel you to create a new product for a newer type of customer. For example, Sony invented the Walkman and opened a floodgate of profits. The Walkman also showcased the Japanese company’s skill for mastering technology and paved the way for its dominance in electronics in the subsequent years.
If you elect to pursue an Intensive Growth Strategy, then you must take only one step of the ladder at any given time. Remember that with each rung or step comes risk, effort, and uncertainty. Sometimes the market conditions urge you to innovate and take more risk.
Integrative Growth Strategies
You have exhausted all the footwork in the course of the Intensive Growth Strategy path with no effect; it is now time to foster growth via Integrative Growth Strategies or by acquisition. Here is a dampener: almost 75 percent of acquisitions could not deliver the efficiencies or values which were predicted. In a few cases, it may come to a flaming end, like the deal between Time Warner and AOL. However, there are three excellent alternatives when there is time to implement an Integrative Growth Strategy:
Horizontal: This strategy involves buying your competitor business or businesses. If you employ the horizontal strategy, your company’s growth will be much smoother. Not only do you get more resources, there is also less competition.
Backward: You could take control of your key supplier for better control of the supply chain. Doing this will assist you to create new products much more swiftly and economically.
Forward: You can also concentrate on purchasing the component companies which are an integral part of the distribution chain. For example, many garment companies buy retail stores to push their products without competition following their heels. You could also diversify for more growth.
It is not enough to simply scale up in terms of size, but it is also important that you become an industry leader. It is wise to make bold moves when other businesses are following the established line. There is no sense in avoiding problems when they come up. Remember that the first person to solve a problem also makes the most money.
Most small business owners are constantly looking for ways to engage in low-cost marketing to grow their business with minimal investment. As marketing is all about cost and ROI, some business owners with limited to no budgets resort to bootstrap marketing to increase their market share and boost sales.
Choosing the proper marketing techniques to launch your business is vital. Putting in an extra effort to get the best practices saves you the costly mistakes and endless debt most people experience while building their companies.
Implementing digital marketing techniques such as SEO marketing, Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, and Mobile marketing are easy and cost-effective methods to promote your brand if you are starting from the ground up.
Below are several effective tactics you can apply to run an effective marketing campaign on a bootstrapped budget.
Focus on and Incentivize your Target Customers
The main idea behind marketing is to attract and retain new customers. Instead of using an impractical advertising method to the whole world, you need to target your marketing to reach the right customers using a combination of digital and physical marketing techniques.
These can include the use of demographic information or buyer habits to present the right products or services to your potential clients. Once you have established your potential marketing base, it is time to use a well-thought-out strategy to launch your marketing plan while showing your customers that their loyalty is appreciated.
Spending more time understanding and rewarding customer loyalty will teach you about their tastes and preferences regarding your products. Incentives may include;
Creating a frequent buyer program to enhance brand loyalty,
Sending coupons and gift cards on an annual basis,
Giving away free samples as appreciation for their business,
Running contests that gift the winners, and
Designing webinars,
Teleconferencing, or
Local workshops for the target customers.
Invest in Social Media
The rise of social media networks provides brands and bootstrapped businesses alike with a cheap, practical ways to engage large audiences in a short amount of time. Marketers have great opportunities to advertise directly to a very receptive audience close to these products.
However, you must ensure that you use the right social media channels to ensure that you post frequently and constantly engage with them. To gain the most benefit from social media marketing, you must put together content that is relevant and useful to the customers’ needs.
Ensure that you understand the audience to be able to provide relevant and helpful information as you incorporate visual content and powerful presence on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. There many ways you can use social media for marketing your business. One way is to create a YouTube channel and post videos of your products and slot in Q&A sessions to handle common customer questions.
You can also create and manage a Facebook page for your business, list it on Google Places, and create a Pinterest board with images of your products and services. You can even start a blog and encourage customers to participate in conversations on topics that interest them.
Engage in Email marketing
Email marketing is one of the economical ways that you can use to enhance brand awareness and recognition. Different types of email marketing types that you can use include dedicated emails, brand story mails, engagement emails, welcome emails, and email newsletters. Though it will not yield immediate success, building an email list is one of the creative methods that would generate any small business success over time.
To do this, first build an email list by signing up for an email marketing service that will enable you to acquire email addresses, send out targeted marketing messages and track the responses. You can enhance this by offering subscribers discounts, providing sound advice and information on market trends and products, creating a periodic email newsletter, and offering free downloads when customers sign up.
Use SEO Marketing
SEO marketing is very effective for improving website traffic quality and quantity and create brand exposure through non-paid search engine operations. A working knowledge of SEO techniques is essential to ensure that your site stays informative. Good SEO practices help your site remains relevant and ranks highly on search engines for relevant keywords, driving more traffic to your website.
This type of marketing is also helpful in evaluating the demand for a product and establishing the required empathy you can use to support copywriting activities. Unpaid search results from search engines cover more digital sites and appear more credible to tech-savvy searchers and, as a result, attract more clicks than paid advertisements.
Create Great Videos
Videos attract more views, shares, and leads than any other type of content. As a result, videos create more opportunities for you to convert visitors into customers and buyers. YouTube demos used to advertise various ordinary products have attracted thousands of followers online.
If you are on a bootstrapped budget, you only need a camera and simple editing software to create a video that has the potential of reaching thousands of viewers, some of which may be your intended audience.
Videos help you to incorporate as much information into a limited time while at the same time allowing you to engage your audiences powerfully using a combination of visual and audio elements. You could also create a video using a smartphone if your budget doesn’t allow for a camera, videographer, or professional editing.
The upside is that you can add a human touch to virtual relationships through product transparency. Subscribers and fans can easily follow how you make a product. As a result, several benefits eventually accrue from allowing customers to enjoy the transparency of seeing the people who create the products, which builds trust and loyalty to your brand.
Go Mobile
Cell phones are a form of marketing in their own right, and technology has advanced to the point they can now be a wiser part of any marketing strategy. Advertising on smartphones is a convenience that allows you to market your business at low rates. This may involve engaging in mobile ad networks that have relatively small fees associated with them.
For business owners, it is crucial to recognize the potential of connecting with customers via smartphones and cell phones. With location-based mobile services and apps reaching billions of smartphone users globally, mobile marketing has become the most effective and inexpensive method of getting new leads and customers, even for a small-scale bootstrapped company.
Starting a business on a shoestring is an exciting but challenging task. The digital marketing techniques listed above will enable you to connect with your customers and engage them toward developing a positive experience about your company.
No matter how you analyze it, a brand is the most critical marketing asset of all. Without a clear brand – your company’s unique identity – you won’t be able to appeal to your ideal customers with any semblance of success.
Far too many young entrepreneurs nowadays start their business with high hopes and a fat marketing budget, but not long into their journey, they notice that customers aren’t reacting to their products and services as expected.
Sometimes, the hardest thing to do in marketing is grabbing a consumer’s attention, hold on to it, and position your company as the best option to fulfill their needs – and do it without resorting to a corny, “salesy” angle.
You know that your products contain only the most robust materials sourced from a quality manufacturer; you know that it works and works well, yet consumers still aren’t buying.
But why not? What makes another company more attractive than yours?
The answer is this: a strong, catchy brand that distinguishes and differentiates businesses from one another.
Recipe for Creating Your Company’s Brand – 5 Healthy Ingredients
You’ll find plenty of information online about what a brand should and shouldn’t be like, but few resources online actually outline how to sketch one.t33
It would be fantastic if we could all sell ice-cold water in the Sahara for a living, but most entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of an endless, untapped market.
You have to make the most of what you already have before committing to additional marketing investments. The easiest way to do that is to take the time to build a brand and outline it in writing.
A brand synopsis doesn’t have to be an essay or a business report plump with statistics, but it will still need to:
Determine an audience
Establish a mission statement
Differentiate products and services
Include visual media
Create a brand voice
Think of each of these requirements as the five recipe ingredients you need to bake a tasty marketing pie that your customers can’t get enough of.
Determine an audience
Who is your target market? Who do you want as customers? If your answer is, “anyone who sees my stuff and wants it,” stop immediately and narrow it down much, much farther.
Ask yourself what emotional biases (beliefs) do consumers have before they even see your product? If you’re positioning your products or services as affordable and low-priced, only certain consumers will likely respond to that angle.
No matter how you analyze it, creating a brand must initially begin with a well-defined, narrow audience.
Establish a mission statement
What is it that you value as an individual?
Typically, entrepreneurs are ripe with ambition and hope for a better future. They value hard work and are a meticulously fastidious bunch.
But what does your company value, not you personally?
Sometimes, value propositions are the same as how the business owner views the world, the market at large; however, this situation isn’t always the case.
That’s where a mission statement goes into the recipe. The key is to be open, honest, and forthright about your intentions.
If your mission statement literally is, “I want to buy a new boat and a Lamborghini in three years,” you’ll fail in six months with that kind of attitude.
It also can’t be a vague, general cliche like “I want to make the world a better place.”
If your company manufactures products for infants and toddlers, a better mission statement might be, “we want to help raise happy, healthy families on a tight budget.”
The most effective mission statements are neither exaggerations nor overtly financially motivated. The best are genuine, genuinely seeking to help a consumer solve a problem.
Differentiate products and services
What makes your products or services unique? What makes them special?
Do they come in different flavors and colors?
Or to say it more bluntly…why should consumers even care your company exists at all?
If your company isn’t distinct and unique from your competitors, there’s no way you can achieve the success you want.
For example, if you’re a fruit vendor operating an absolutely adorable stall in a weekly farmer’s market, what makes buying your apples the best choice? Anyone visiting the farmer’s market will have a wide range of fruits to buy, so why should they buy yours instead?
What’s the hook?
Maybe it’s your sustainable farming practices, or perhaps it’s your commitment to non-GMO preservatives. Consumers won’t know this unless you tell them, so that’s where visual media come into the equation.
Include visual media
It’s a mistake to begin to make a company with a logo because there are bigger fish to fry in marketing. Undoubtedly, logos are mission-critical, but you can change a logo quickly, easily, and cheaply too.
Also, making a logo is only step one of 100. That’s not an exaggeration for a comical effect. You’ll really need about 100 visuals to execute a full marketing plan over the course of a year.
The essence of visual media is the emotional impact it communicates to consumers. A cool logo is one thing; 90 high-resolution, on-brand photographs for social media promotion is another entirely.
Create a brand voice
Creating a brand voice is by far the most challenging aspect of all. It sounds counter-intuitive because your company can’t speak for itself, but your consumers will perceive that it does.
The only way they can make those kinds of judgments is to “listen” to how your brand communicates messages, your voice.
You can’t add brand voice to the branding recipe until all other ingredients go into the pie.
It’s OK to toot your own horn in your brand voice because that’s what your advertising will essentially do.
If your product is a brand new type of ratchet wrench, you don’t want your voice to be overly empathetic and emotional. You’d like a brand voice with a “rugged” personality as your target market will likely be male automobile owners.
Businesses like auto manufacturers and insurance companies are fantastic at identifying which brand voices resonate most with different consumers.
At the end of the day, creating a brand should be a fun and exciting journey from start to finish, not stressful and challenging.
Bentley Motors, the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world, has released details of the new Continental GT Speed – the most dynamic road car in Bentley’s 101-year history.
Designed, engineered, developed and handcrafted in Bentley’s carbon-neutral luxury automotive factory, this new third-generation model builds on a long tradition of Speed variants. Originally introduced with the highly-acclaimed, first-generation Continental GT Speed in 2007 – itself inspired by the 3-Litre Speed models of the 1920s. The latest GT Speed continues the bloodline by representing the ultimate combination of luxury and performance in a Grand Touring package.
Dr. Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board for Engineering at Bentley Motors, comments: “The new Continental GT Speed represents the very pinnacle of performance grand touring. This new model is the most powerful expression of Continental GT values, exciting and dynamic, with unique Speed detailing to enhance the ownership experience and offering customers more control over the character of the car.
“The world’s most luxurious Grand Tourer is now truly more capable than ever before, with a new sportier edge which will appeal to performance-focused drivers. The Speed is the latest chapter in the Continental GT story, helping Bentley customers to create their own extraordinary journeys.”
New Chassis Technology – True Sporting Potential
New Electronic All-Wheel Steering enhances the dynamic nature of the Speed in BENTLEY and COMFORT driving modes. However, this is even more apparent in SPORT mode, as the steering combines with Bentley Dynamic Ride and an electronic limited slip differential for a level of agility unlike any other Bentley road car.
At low and medium speeds, the GT Speed’s rear wheels are steered in the opposite direction to the front wheels to aid a rapid change of direction, noticeably increasing the feeling of nimbleness. The steering feels sharper and with a quicker ratio, and a commensurate increase in steering feel provides even more driver confidence. At high speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front to improve stability.
Featuring Active All-Wheel drive, the traction control and torque distribution has been recalibrated in all driver modes to provide a noticeable character shift relative to the standard Continental GT.
For the first time in a Bentley, the latest generation of the Continental GT Speed introduces the use of an electronic rear differential (eLSD). Specifically tuned hand-in-hand with the traction control and active chassis systems, the eLSD provides increased lateral capacity, improved longitudinal stability, enhanced on-throttle adjustability and delivers better traction in adverse road conditions.
In BENTLEY and COMFORT mode, this provides improved traction, provides a greater level of confidence for the driver, and makes the vehicle feel more stable at high speeds. In SPORT mode, the eLSD has been tuned to balance on and off throttle adjustability, improved turn-in response, and increased straight-line performance. The combined benefit means the Continental GT Speed is now more adjustable and more driver-focussed than ever before without compromising comfort or stability.
Improved cornering dynamics and the extra grip provided by the new systems allows the driver to exit any corner with an increased level of precision and confidence. In turn, the vehicle is able to extract the maximum performance from the available traction to deliver stunning acceleration and composure from the apex. In SPORT mode, the traction management system sends a greater proportion of power to the rear axle to allow for even greater on-throttle control of the cornering line.
Working alongside these systems are the key chassis technologies that deliver body control and ride comfort with no compromise to one another – namely Bentley’s three-chamber active air suspension with adaptive damping and Bentley Dynamic Ride – the 48V active anti-roll control system that Bentley pioneered on the Bentayga and third-generation Continental GT. This innovative system features powerful electric motors within each anti-roll bar to resist body roll. In their firmest setting, the motors can deliver 1300 Nm in 0.3 secs to counteract cornering forces and keep the body level.
Meanwhile, depending on the mode, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) System allows the driver to experience an even greater level of freedom before the Speed’s safety systems intervene to correct any anomalies. With the ESC engaged, the car provides reassuring stability over uneven surfaces, abnormal cambers or in inclement weather conditions. When switched to Dynamic mode, the ESC extends the freedom of the driver, allowing the experienced pilot to set and alter the cornering stance of the car at their discretion.
With the ESC switched off, the mechanical grip and inherent balance of the GT Speed comes to the fore, allowing a driver-focused experience previously only seen in Bentley’s racing machines. After utilizing strong turn-in performance thanks to the All-Wheel Steering and eLSD, on track, the driver can choose to balance throttle and steering to deliver effortless, progressive yaw angles.
To complement the extra capability of the chassis, a newly-engineered Carbon Ceramic brake system has been introduced as an option on the GT Speed. Carbon Silicon Carbide discs provide additional brake bite, with a strong, firm brake pedal feel and excellent brake fade resistance.
Continental GT Speed – Thrilling Performance
The new GT Speed is the ultimate performance-focused expression of Bentley’s definitive Grand Tourer, yet maintains the luxury, comfort, and usability of its siblings. It is equipped with an uprated version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, delivering 659 PS (650 bhp) – a 4 per cent increase of 24 PS over the current W12 model – whilst maintaining an extraordinary 900 Nm (664 lb.ft) of torque. With exceptional handling, this results in a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h) and 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds), a reduction of 0.1 second.
Both engine and transmission have been deliberately calibrated to suit the car’s driver-focused credentials. This is most noticeable in SPORT mode, where the twin-turbocharged W12 has been tuned to keep the engine in the power band longer by up-shifting later, or downshifting earlier. This creates a more eager response to the driver’s throttle inputs.
The dual-clutch, eight-speed transmission shift is twice as fast in SPORT mode as in the standard W12 model, in keeping with the Speed’s ethos. This combines with a greater exhaust character during start-up and downshifts.
Not only does the Continental GT Speed offer impressive performance, to maximise efficiency the model benefits from Bentley’s Stop-Start technology where the engine rests not only when the vehicle is stationary, but also at near-to-stop speeds.
Bentley’s Variable Displacement system shuts down half of the engine’s 12 cylinders under certain conditions with the transitions between the two being imperceptible to the driver. Intake and exhaust valves, fuel injection and ignition are all shut down on defined cylinders, with the engine running as a six-cylinder for improved fuel efficiency.
Exterior Detail – GT Speed’s Statement of Intent
The muscular bodywork of the Continental GT has been amplified further on the GT Speed. Unique exterior detailing complements a powerful, athletic stance, blending seamlessly with the effortless elegance inherent to the Continental GT.
Speed models add a Dark Tint radiator grille and lower bumper grille, as well as unique, more sculpted sports sills, a Dark Tint radiator matrix and discreet Speed badging in chrome on the front fender.
Another signature feature of the most potent version of the Continental GT is unique, 22” Speed wheels in bright silver, with the option of a dark tint or black gloss finish. “Jewel” versions of the fuel and oil filler caps are standard, while illuminated Bentley treadplates to both sills are a nod to the Speed’s performance credentials.
A Unique and Luxurious Cabin
The cabin of the new Continental GT Speed showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating the world’s finest automotive interiors. Handcrafted materials blend with unique trim and badging that are only available in the Speed and can be further personalised if desired.
The Continental GT Speed’s credentials are further highlighted by a unique duotone colour split handcrafted in hide and matching Alcantara, which is also applied to the steering wheel. The exterior badging is matched with an elegant Speed icon on the passenger fascia.
The luxurious interior can be further personalised with a choice of 15 main and 11 secondary hide colours, as well as the use of leather in lieu of Alcantara for the Speed colour split. The centre console can be finished in a new dark tint engine-turned aluminium, bringing a geometrically perfect machined surface and a beautifully patterned finish.
A range of veneers are available in GT Speed, starting with Piano Black veneer as standard. Customers can also choose Crown Cut Walnut, Dark Stained Burr Walnut and Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus at no extra cost, with three open pore options (Dark Burr Walnut, Crown Cut Walnut and Koa) available as additional options.
As with all Continental GTs, the Speed offers four seats and exceptional grand touring luggage capacity of 358 litres. Packed with exquisite detail, a technologically advanced instrument panel and the acclaimed Bentley Rotating Display, the new driver-focused model widens the Continental GT’s performance credentials.
Continental GT Speed is available to order in all markets, except mainland China, and is currently not available in EU27, UK, Switzerland, Israel, Ukraine, Norway, Turkey and Vietnam.
It’s one of America’s biggest wire and cable manufacturers, taking around half the market share. Southwire manufactures half the electricity transmission cables used in America. Its products are found in nearly 50% of all newly built American homes.
Southwire is a family legacy. Founded in 1950, it quickly became a technological trendsetter. Its influence goes beyond products to considering the environment it operates in.
Southwire seeks to positively impact everyone in its sphere of influence: employees, customers, and the community. It even extends its influence to suppliers, requiring them to meet sustainability standards.
Philosophy
Southwire operates with a long-term view. The company is rooted in community, seeing its members as caretakers and stewards.
This idea of stewardship is visible throughout the company. Everything is connected, integrated, and therefore all corporate activities matter.
Southwire operates based on five core tenets: growing green, living well, giving back, doing right, and building worth.
Growing Green
A truly sustainable world is achieved when fundamental processes and essential materials are environmentally responsible. Southwire works to bring this to the energy-intensive manufacturing sector.
Southwire operates on the principle of “growing green,” with a Carbon Zero mission. The current aim is to achieve 100% zero-carbon energy by 2025.
Southwire is taking this on with a mix of strategies.
Schemes like carbon offsetting, renewable energy certificates, and virtual power purchase agreements give an immediate impact.
The company also invests in employee ingenuity with a global sustainability team. The team has representatives from every business area. This team originates new ideas and guides the company’s overall sustainability strategy.
Sustainable manufacturing considers the impact of every activity, source material, and product. With many stakeholders to consider, Southwire values insight from diverse groups.
Living Well
Work is work; family is family. The workplace is often likened to a family when employers are acting exploitatively.
But Southwire really does look after its people. This goes beyond maximizing productivity, by ensuring their safety and wellbeing while at work.
Southwire invests in its people by giving health benefits, equitable pay, professional experience opportunities, community engagement, and life planning.
Forbes has ranked it as one of America’s best employers.
Giving Back
Many manufacturers have an extractive view of the world. Southwire thinks differently. It operates with a holistic, circular view of its economic environment.
The company’s success depends on thriving communities. By heavily investing in the surrounding communities, it’s ultimately providing for itself and ensuring its own future.
Southwire doesn’t just provide jobs and work training. It educates young people to be resourceful and capable of meeting future needs as employees.
Doing Right
One-off campaigns aren’t being used to cover up poor corporate governance. Southwire integrates ethics into all areas of business, especially when working with outside parties.
As an ethical manufacturing company, it prioritizes anti-corruption, trafficking prevention, supplier diversity, conflict-free minerals, and sustainable supply chains.
Southwire is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact. This backs up its professed values with transparency and accountability.
Building Worth
Southwire runs on financial stewardship, designed to lead its market.
Why does this matter? Because social and environmental ideals are only viable when the company can thrive. Southwire proves that profit doesn’t need to come at the expense of people.
Standout Projects
Southwire nurtures the communities it operates in. It’s identified a number that is deeply in need and created projects to serve them.
12 for Life. Southwire provides at-risk young people with skill-building education and work opportunities. It places classroom learning inside a manufacturing environment—these strategies for incentivized, practical learning work. Southwire took a county with a 64% graduation rate and raised that to 91.35%. This program is incredibly successful. The White House has taken it on as a model for raising graduation rates.
Project GIFT. Southwire has its own 501(c)(3) registered non-profit. Employees run it and volunteer through it to serve their local communities. Southwire brings the funds, while its people bring passion, purpose, and direction. It has over 1,200 committed employee volunteers.
E-Recycling. Southwire provides its communities with electronic recycling programs. Many communities don’t have the infrastructure or financial resources to sustain their own e-recycling. Working in partnership with Keep America Beautiful, Southwire’s collected over 1,000,000 lbs of electronics. These would otherwise have been trashed. Southwire’s Project GIFT volunteers provide the staffing.
Disaster Relief. Southwire gives disaster aid relief when natural disasters hit its communities. Project GIFT volunteers collect food, supplies, and funds. They also provide direct on-the-ground help after hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, or floods. Southwire responded to February 2021’s winter storm by donating emergency water, food, and funds. On their own, Southwire employees donated over $3,000 in a program that gave ten meals to every dollar.
Toys for Tots. Southwire runs an annual holiday toy drive, complete with concerts and drive-in donation marathons. All toys are then handed off to the US Marine Corps for distribution through its official Toys for Tots program.
Solar Infrastructure. Indirect green energy schemes, like purchase power agreements, are good temporary solutions. To directly improve sustainability, Southwire is building its own on-campus solar infrastructure. New additions include a rooftop solar array, solar car canopy, electric vehicle charging stations, and solar picnic tables.
Charitable Partnerships. Southwire operates by forming healthy partnerships with employees, community members, and other involved stakeholders. Its charitable giving is investments, not temporary fixes. All charity projects align with its core values of supporting local communities, developing a better workforce, and protecting the environment.
For Southwire, doing good isn’t an isolated initiative or something taken care of with a few donations. Its values are integrated into every aspect of the business.
Southwire demonstrates that social responsibility and environmental stewardship don’t come at the expense of financial health.
This company is a leading model for good corporate governance, sustainability, and social responsibility. As one of America’s largest manufacturers, this example makes a powerful statement.
Southwire has been revolutionary since day one. The company has invented and introduced many of the products we rely on for electricity.
Waldorf Astoria Maldivesunveiled the exclusive Ithaafushi – The Private Island, the largest Maldivian private island spanning 32,000 square meters in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Ithaafushi – The Private Island is the ultimate escape offering unparalleled levels of privacy and personalized service that create unforgettable experiences for guests seeking only the most prestigious and coveted accommodations.
“Ithaafushi – The Private Island is the crown jewel of our luxury portfolio in Asia Pacific, limitless in the level of privacy and unrivalled hospitality guests are promised,” said Nils-Arne Schroeder, vice president, Luxury & Lifestyle, Hilton, Asia Pacific. “Designed for the most discerning of travelers, the Ithaafushi – The Private Island is the epitome of exclusivity, perfectly placed within one of the most inspirational destinations in the world where a dedicated team anticipates every need and delivers the brand’s elegant and effortless service at every turn.”
“The launch of this unique resort offering represents a momentous milestone for the Waldorf Astoria brand and truly speaks to our commitment to redefining luxury hospitality around the world,” Schroeder added.
Every aspect of the island has been expertly choreographed, featuring a refined, yet modern design with a nod to Maldivian charm. Its name, ‘Ithaafushi’ is translated to mean ‘Pearl Island’ in Dhivehi, the local language of the Maldives, and represents the isle’s beauty and distinction.
Effortlessly Convenient
Located in close proximity to Malé, guests can be escorted directly to Ithaafushi – The Private Island via a 40-minute ride on one of the resort’s six luxury Ithaafushi Princess yachts or via a 15-minute seaplane flight. From the moment they land on this piece of undisturbed paradise, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi’s Personal Concierge team will ensure their every need is met with utmost discretion. To explore beyond the private island estate, direct access to the main island is available via speed boat.
Where Endless Space Abounds
The sprawling estate accommodates 24 guests across two elegantly designed villas and one sweeping four-bedroom residence, perfect for bonding with loved ones or celebrating life’s significant milestones with close friends.
A two-bedroom overwater villa promises a unique ocean experience with two spacious master bedrooms complete with double dressing rooms, indoor and outdoor rain showers, a shared living room, infinity pool and jacuzzi. A separate three-bedroom beach villa, set within lush gardens and coconut palm canopies, has its own beach access and two swimming pools. Those staying in the four-bedroom residence will enjoy two king bedrooms, two queen bedrooms, jacuzzies and an expansive common living area, all with direct access to the beach.
Surrounded by never-ending tropical greenery and white sand, guests will be greeted by a sense of complete calm and relaxation. Every inch of the expansive paradise is waiting to be discovered, whether by a leisurely stroll along the meandering pathways set amidst lush palms, by bicycle or on one of the island’s buggies.
World-Class Dining
The private island’s dedicated culinary team promises to take guests on a diverse culinary journey, offering bespoke menus to be enjoyed in an array of extraordinary settings. Guests can savor world-class dining for any occasion, from in-villa dining to special celebrations in the estate’s common living room, Haali (translated to mean ‘the nest’ in Dhivehi).
Guests who want to explore the resort’s various dining experiences can journey a short distance to the main island, where culinary innovation meets excellence with 10 specialty dining venues such as The Ledge and Terra.
Created by Dave Pynt, the culinary mastermind behind Singapore’s Michelin-starred Burnt Ends restaurant, The Ledge features an elevated Australian barbecue experience that can be savored against the stunning backdrop of the Indian Ocean. Guests can also enjoy the only private hand-crafted bamboo dining pods in the Maldives at Terra, located on the main island’s highest point for a unique gastronomic escapade.
Unforgettable Experiences Await
Ithaafushi – The Private Island holds no boundaries for guests with an appetite for adventure. Beginning with the sparkling depths of the underwater world which is ripe for exploration, a plethora of watersports, diving activities and yacht excursions are available when the desire arises. For those who wish to embark on an off-island experience, guests can castaway to a private sandbank in the middle of the ocean where they can indulge in a sunset dinner, a personal yoga session or simply take in the astonishing surroundings.
An abundance of options to soothe the body and mind await those wishing for some quiet time to rediscover and recharge. A dedicated Wellness Concierge is on hand at the overwater spa to provide customized therapies catering to the needs of each guest, helping them reconnect with nature while indulging in a unique spa experience. The meditation and yoga pavilion along with fully equipped gym offer magnificent ocean views, with personal training and classes upon request. Guests will instantaneously be transported from everyday life as they unwind on one of the sea swings, take a moment to relax under the palm hammocks, sunken loungers, or bask in one of the five luxurious pools.
A myriad of entertainment choices are available in Haali, catering to guests of every generation. The remarkable space features unblocked panoramic ocean views and extends across expansive indoor and outdoor areas, all set within a botanical sanctuary. Guests can host memorable celebrations under the stars, watch a movie on the cinematic LED screen or bask in the 35-meter infinity pool.
Young visitors will be in a paradise of their own on the private island estate with a dedicated children’s pool and gaming area, or they can enjoy the Young Discovery Park at the main resort, which features a water recreation area and a variety of bespoke activities designed to capture the younger guests’ imagination.
Limitless Possibilities
On this island, any desire can turn into reality. A team of Personal Concierges anticipates every need and takes the brand’s iconic True Waldorf Service to a new level, offering guests fully personalized service from day to night to guarantee curated experiences which will push the boundaries of imagination.
“We are committed to making Ithaafushi – The Private Island a highly sought-after, world-class destination for the privileged few,” said Etienne Dalancon, general manager, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. “Our dedicated team is devoted entirely to ensuring every moment is absolutely personalized, with exceptional service and unsurpassed attention to detail. We will pull out all the stops to ensure the most memorable stay for our guests, every single time.”
With the promise of ultimate exclusivity and every need being met with just a call, Ithaafushi – The Private Island is ideal for intimate group gatherings, from milestone celebrations with loved ones to an incentive trip planned for the most exclusive group of clients.
Ithaafushi – The Private Island also offers an idyllic stage for the ultimate dream wedding in paradise, with culinary offerings and experiences that are expertly tailored by the dedicated events team to create an iconic wedding with memories that last a lifetime.
Are you tired of the daily grind? Who can blame you? With a boss constantly peering over your shoulder and boring coffee room conversations, there must be other ways how you could make a living? And you’re certainly not alone, with the telecommuting population growing immensely in the past few years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people work, with many forced to work from home. Maybe working from home has made you realize that you’re tired of the daily slog, or perhaps you’ve even thought about it before the pandemic.
Be that as it may, you’re probably reading this because you want out. One of the perfect ways to do this is by becoming a digital nomad, where you can work whenever you want, and, as a bonus, you’ll get to travel and see the world.
But what are some of the things you can do to make this reality? Here, we’ll give you a list of the best ways to ditch your job and earn money as you travel the world.
Option 1: Start A Blog
Blogging is an excellent way of earning money while you travel. It gives you total freedom of working when and where you want. The fact that there are many bloggers out there earning over five figures a month is a testament that it certainly is possible. Remember, though, that it takes time and patience for your blog to let the dollars roll in, so you might not want to quit your day job just yet.
Also, blogging opens up several other income streams like display ads on your site, affiliate marketing, and selling digital products, which on their own can give you a healthy income.
When it comes to earnings, the figures vary wildly. For example, a survey of 1,500 bloggers revealed that 9% of them made between $1,000 and $10,000 per month, 4% made over $10,000 per month, and the vast majority made less than $100 per month. Keep in mind that the last-mentioned were all blogs that were less than two years old.
Option 2: Become A Freelance Writer
Freelance writing is an excellent way of earning money. You can do it on its own or even as a supplement to your blogging, and you’ll need the least outlay in terms of equipment or courses to learn additional skills. From here, you can venture into copywriting, where you write persuasively but also get paid more.
With more companies moving online, there are a lot of opportunities for freelance writers, and there are several freelance platforms that offer a variety of work, from blogging to web content, ghostwriting, and copywriting.
Option 3: Become A Freelance Editor And Translator
Tying into freelance writing to a certain extent is freelance editing and translating. Here you use your language skills to edit writing for other writers or translate their writing into another language.
Like freelance writing, there are a lot of opportunities out there, and you can work for companies, publications, blogs, or use freelance platforms to get editing and translator jobs.
If you’re not into writing, you could always look into becoming a software developer. Obviously, you have to learn the skills first, so this takes longer than writing and editing to earn an income.
Luckily, there are a lot of resources available online for you to learn, with many of them being free. Keep in mind that doing a course or two is not enough, and you have to build up a portfolio of work before you can start applying for jobs. And speaking of jobs, you can either apply for a full-time remote job or look at any available freelance platforms for software development projects.
It’s estimated that freelance software developers earn about $113,000 per year.
Option 5: Digital Marketing Services
Companies are increasingly looking to digital channels for their marketing strategies. Digital marketing is becoming one of the most effective marketing strategies out there. This means that there are a lot of opportunities and that it can be pretty lucrative if you’re skilled and you get a few good clients.
You can do anything from social media ads to SEO consulting by providing digital marketing services. Here, you should have some skills or experience, though. Still, like software development, there are a variety of online courses and other resources available for you to learn and build up a portfolio.
Once you’ve done this, there are a lot of job boards and freelance digital marketing platforms where do you can start looking for work.
Becoming a virtual assistant is an option if you’re good at admin. As a virtual assistant, you’ll work with brands and businesses and do dedicated tasks for them, including scheduling appointments, making travel arrangements, making phone calls, and managing email accounts.
Like many of the other jobs in this list, you can find virtual assistant jobs on freelance platforms, and there are even dedicated virtual assistant platforms where you can apply.
As a native English speaker, you have an asset that many companies are willing to pay you for. There has been a huge demand for native English speakers to teach online in the last few years.
To do this, you need a steady internet connection, a quality headset, and the ability to converse with people worldwide. Although you don’t need a degree with many of these jobs, you’ll still probably need a TEFL certification before any company considers hiring you. Fortunately, these don’t take time to complete and don’t cost much money.
To find jobs, you can look at any available online teaching platforms to see their requirements and how to apply.
Another option would be to become a transcriber. There are a variety of platforms online where you can apply to be a transcriber, take a short test, and if you pass, you can start working.
Here, you’ll listen to recordings or watch videos and convert the content into text. To do it properly, you need transcription software, a headset, and possibly a foot pedal. Luckily, most transcription platforms provide the software, so it’s up to you what headset you’ll buy and whether you get a foot pedal.
You have a few options available if you want to quit your job and become a full-time digital nomad. Remember, each option has its pros and cons and barriers to entry which you’ll have to consider depending on the time frame you’re looking at.
Despite this, it’s possible to make the switch soon and work on your terms while you travel. So get out there—the world beckons.
