The International Finance Centre at Hong Kong

Posted on July 28, 2011 by admin



The International Finance Centre was completed and became operational in the year 2003. However, it is still the epicenter of all talks related to international business and investment. It has become one of the landmarks of the Hong King Islands that are known worldwide.

It is situated in the midst of a jungle of skyscrapers that have dominated every corner of the island. It seems to command a sense of respect from all those tall buildings. It is one of the most gruesome battle sites in the recent history of international corporations. At the time of writing this, the International Finance Centre is the 8th tallest office building in the entire world. It is often compared to the former World Trade Center in New York. It is a symbol of strength and potential of the new and emerging Asian markets.

The tallest building in Hong Kong, it also has an international symbol of prestige for companies that have their offices in it. It stands out from the crowd and is one of the most recognized modern structures in entire Asia, outside the continent. To the modern world, the International Finance Centre is what the Great Wall used to be to China, a few centuries ago.

The IFC is divided into two main buildings. They are called Tower One and Tower Two. Tower One is known for its signature shopping mall, while the other for its 88 storey’s.

Tower One was completed and started prior to the second one going operational. It has around 40 floors and is no less magnificent than its taller counterpart. It is divided into 4 zones, and is built up on a total area of approximately 800,000 square feet. More than 5,000 people can occupy the building at an instance.

The International Finance Centre was developed under a joint venture of Sun Hung Kai Properties and MTR Corporation. The IFC was created with the aim of exhibiting the financial prowess of Asia to the rest of the world. It is strategically placed; very close to the airport, to make it better accessible for international business tycoons.

Tower Two of the IFC is as appealing as it is magnificent. It is the tallest feature of the complex and was designed by the world renowned architect Cesar Pelli. It was completed only in 2003; years after Tower One became operational. It has 88 floors, as the number 88 is considered to be very lucky in Chinese mythology.

However, it is interesting to note that Tower Two does not have exactly 88 floors. This is due to some other superstitions in the local culture. A number of floors have been omitted while numbering. This is because many numbers, such as 14 and 24 are considered taboo, because they sound very much like some expressions related to death.

The Tower Two of the International Finance Centre is known for its excellent and modern telecommunications facilities. A number of floors have been reserved for the use of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The floors of the building are designed in such an amazing manner that the columns are not visible at all. This tower is designed to accommodate three times more people than its counterpart. Together, both the towers can accommodate 20,000 people at one go.

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Choosing and Gaining Your Business Finance

Posted on July 18, 2011 by admin



When it comes to business start up every new business needs that bit of extra cash for such aspects as equipment, marketing costs and getting the workplace established. As most of us don’t have a few extra thousand pounds lying around we have to turn to outside help in order to gain this extra money that is needed to get your new business venture off the ground. This extra cash is needed for your business before it even makes its first sale.

Thankfully there are a number of finance options open to you, the important decision that you need to make is which finance option you are going to use. You need to make sure that the business start-up finance that you decide on is best for your companies needs. Always remember when deciding on your funding that cashflow is what enables a business to survive and is a primary indicator of the health of a business. Businesses can however survive for a short time without sales or profit but without cash it will die. This is why when it comes to your business it is highly important that you keep an eye on what cash is going into your business and what cash is coming out. You need to manage your cashflow efficiently if you want your business to make a profit and succeed, to do this you need to make a cashflow forecast. This is an invaluable business tool if it is used effectively. By having a regular review of your cashflow situation you will be able to identify when problems are likely to occur so that you can sort them out in advance it will mean that you can identify any potential cash shortfalls and allows you to take the appropriate action. Also you need to ensure that you have sufficient cashflow before you take on any major financial commitments.

Each type of finance that is available for businesses are designed to meet different business needs. Finance is a term that covers a huge spectrum of different fields including asset finance/leasing, overdrafts, loans, mezzanine, equity and grants. Before you decide on which of these forms of finance is right for you it is important that you have an accurate idea of what your financial needs are then you will be able to calculate the amount of finance that you will need to cover your initial start-up costs. When thinking about your initial start-up costs it is a good idea to remember that you will also have to keep in mind your start-up running expenses as you will have no profit to begin with to cover these. It is probably a good idea to make sure that you have enough capital for about six months of business.

Sorting out all of the finance that you will need for your business is merely just one part of the finance that you will need to sort out. You also need to make sure that you have enough money to live on.

Business finance is essential for your business to become a success so before you go looking for your ideal source of business finance you need to make sure that you have thought through everything that you will need to cover with this start-up finance.

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International Bankruptcy Lawyers

Posted on July 18, 2011 by admin



If you are located in the US and are looking for an international bankruptcy lawyer, there are a few ways you can do that. Some of the common ways to find a lawyer include: phone book, internet, referrals from friends (these are a great way), Avvo and the National Association of Bankruptcy Attorneys.

The phone book will have a lot of listings for your local area, it wouldn’t hurt to contact local lawyers to see if they handle bankruptcies in other countries. Often they may specialize in another country or may know a good contact that can help you out.

Google search is another great resource for finding an international lawyer. If you were looking for a German Lawyer – try typing that into Google and see what comes back. There are bankrutpcy lawyer directories that are useful for quickly searching for a local bankrupty attorney, you can contact a lawyer that way and see what you can find.

If you have a friend that has recently used a lawyer, ask them for advice. A personal referral is a great way to get feedback on an attorney before you give them a go yourself.

Avvo’s mission is to help people navigate the complex and confusing legal industry. They have customer generated reviews of lawyers and a rating scale from 1-10 that is useful for evaluating a potential lawyer.

It’s also a good idea to check out the NACBA and find out if your lawyer is listed as a member. The NACBA offers a complete list of all their participating members and is a great resource for finding a skilled international bankruptcy lawyer.

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