Hamid-Reza Khoyi: "Decarbonisation goal: nuclear is part of the solution"

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti

HAMID-REZA KHOYI NUCLEAR - The climate crisis before, the war in Ukraine after, led us to reflect more on the topic of nuclear power. I’m not talking about it in terms of a weapon of destruction, but as a possible source of energy. The controversies about this possible use are multiple and almost all related to the safety of the installations. The Chernobyl and Fukushima disasters are alive in the memory of many generations still alive. But is it still valid today to use these examples to obstruct the use of nuclear energy as a source of clean energy? Let’s talk about it together.

Global Warming

The Paris agreements have established that every nation - but also individuals - must commit to implementing plans that allow us to keep global warming below 1.5,000 by 2100. Despite this, there is growing fear that temperatures will reach the point of no return between 2023 and 2052. For this reason, efforts have been intensified, also by the UN itself, to find the best solutions to reach the climate objectives of the 2030 Agenda as soon as possible.

The IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN body responsible for evaluating scientific research on climate change, published in 2018 the "Global Warming of 15 ºF C". It is a report based on 6 thousand different studies, from which emerged four possible and feasible scenarios, reported by "Avvocato dell'Atomo".

1- Scenario of efficiency:

"The demand for energy falls thanks to the efficiency of social, technological and business processes by 2050. It remains only to reforest.

2- Scenario of sustainability:

It foresees an increase in the use of sustainable and low-carbon energy, international cooperation; sustainable consumption patterns and the use of Bioenergy with carbon capture & storage (BECCS).


3- Realistic scenario

A middle way: technological and social growth continue at current rates following historical cycles. Emissions are reduced by changing the way energy is produced.


4- Turbo scenario

Intensive global growth. Pollutes at the throttle. How do you reduce emissions? With a massive use of BECCS and CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) technologies.

What do these scenarios have in common? All predict an increase in the use of nuclear energy: from 59% to 106% by 2030; from 98% to 501% by 2050. "


Hamid-Reza Khoyi: "Decarbonisation goal: nuclear is part of the solution"

The "Global Warming of 15," C, not only refers to nuclear energy, but also to renewable energy sources. Yes, because nuclear energy is not the solution to decarbonisation but is part of the solutions. Its use cannot, of course, be exclusive, but shared. In fact, both nuclear and renewable have limits.

Let’s start from renewable

They are coach energy sources and not available all over the planet. For example, hydrological sources are limited and alone are insufficient to meet energy requirements. With regard to biomass, they can lead to the opposite effect: increasing our impact on the environment. If plant operators pay more attention to profit than to the well-being of the environment, they could cause massive deforestation to increase revenues.


The nuclear

Nuclear power can cover 20 to 70% of energy needs. Already this data shows us that alone can not cover the entire demand, even if these numbers are much higher than the renewables taken individually. The old generation of reactors, however, needs a large number of water resources to operate and this makes it unusable and highly dangerous in those areas of seismic and hydrogeological risk.

The combination of renewable and nuclear energy, however, should not arise just to make up for the lack of one or the other. They can also be used together to help one increase the use of the other. For example, it is very difficult to obtain permits for the construction of new dams to be used to create artificial reservoirs to produce water energy. If we had more nuclear power plants, we could use them, for example, to supply existing ones through pumping systems powered by nuclear energy. This would create a green production circle that definitively excludes the use of coal and provides a sufficient amount of energy.

The controversies around nuclear energy

The main objections to nuclear energy mainly concern two aspects: safety and the disposal of waste.

When it comes to security, those who object seem to raise a wall that doesn’t allow them to look any further. And what’s beyond that? The technological growth. We are, in fact, condemning systems that today rely on power plants 50 years ago and do not look at progress and evolution made. We cannot rely on the mistakes of the past. There have been massacres - very true - but they come from mistakes that have allowed us to learn. Technology has made great strides in recent decades. Today’s power plants are much more protected and safe so that, now, the purpose of the studies, focuses on making them smaller, so as to occupy less space on the territory.

Power plants may take up less space in the future, but they need to be given that space so that they can be planted. In Italy, for example, many places have been identified to accommodate a nuclear power plant, but nobody wants to make them available. Why? Everyone is afraid of radioactive waste. I do not have the technical skills to be able to give you all the explanations you need, so I invite you to read this in-depth study of the Italian Nuclear Association, which talks about nuclear waste.

What I can say is that we cannot play the blame game with the preservation of the planet.

Change your mind!

It’s never too late to change your mind. I’ll give you the example of Switzerland. There are four nuclear plants in operation here and it has been decided that they will all be closed by 2025. For the moment only one has been deactivated, but only in 2034 the area of the abandoned plant can be used. For the other 3 we do not know anything yet and it is very likely that it will not come to the total shutdown. The current state of events could in fact lead to the decision - in my opinion more appropriate - to renew the power plants still in operation, which date back to the 1970s.

Of course we cannot say that nuclear power is perfect, but we cannot deny the benefits it can bring and the great strides that have been made. We do not exclude it regardless but let’s welcome it and integrate it with other green energy sources and save our planet.

READ ALSO -> 5 trends for a sustainable business

5 trends for a sustainable business - Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Tempo di lettura: 4 minuti

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS TRENDS - Environmental awareness is on the rise and by 2022 it will be increasingly a focal point. Both consumers and companies will look at you. Hamid-Reza Khoyi summarized in 5 points what will be the trends for the current year.

5 trends for a sustainable business

1. Data

One of the goals that companies will try to pursue for 2022 will be to make their environmental impact measurable. A first step in this direction is to carry out accurate cartoteca or inventory. In this way we can proceed to the verification of the infrastructure, the machinery, the food, the transports of the employees. Once you have made a well-organized list you can proceed to calculate the environmental impact for each item. The process to be implemented is not easy, especially in the start-up phase. To make it easier it is important to start early.

From a practical and economic point of view, in order to start analysing its environmental impact, a company has to bear internal costs, sometimes high, but which, within a reasonable period of time, will bring benefits. Obviously the initial effort will be different from company to company. In order to try to reduce start-up costs, it might be interesting to start from internal surveys, related to, for example, compatible data. Another move not to be underestimated is to think about the building where the company operates.

As an employee, different companies can have different ways, costs and problems in making their environmental impact measurable. But once the process is in place it will be similar to collecting other types of financial data and drawing up a budget. Moreover in the medium-long term this type of approach will bring of the benefits going to reduce also some financial costs. Benefits can also come from communicating and sharing your data with consumers.

2. Finance shall aim at sustainability

Incentives to make your business more sustainable come from all sides. Not least the world of finance. In fact there is more and more the tendency to invest in green realities. This attention stimulates companies, listed on the stock exchange, or with the intention of doing so, to make themselves as sustainable as possible. Not only in the field of green, but also looking at all other aspects of sustainability. To support this, research claims that 53% of the big players in the financial sector say that sustainability will be "central" to their business in the future. These figures should not be underestimated.

3. Coherence

The trend for a more sustainable business cannot fail to be consistent. The phenomenon of Greenwashing is widespread. After two years of pandemic, however, consumers have learned to make better choices and to be very careful about this type of behaviour. It therefore becomes more and more fundamental for a company to be consistent with what it does and what it declares. The messages that the business sends must be in line with its actions. Otherwise they risk that everyone turns against it like a boomerang.

4. Renewable energy suppliers and sources

The fourth trend is perhaps the one that makes others possible. Choosing to rely on sustainable suppliers and sources greatly simplifies things for our business. In fact in the medium and long term it can also help and bring an advantage in reducing costs. Initially it certainly requires a large investment, but in a reasonable time brings benefits and will weigh on the investment capacity of the company.

State and government incentives can be provided to help companies make this transition, but they change from case to case. Obviously, the issue is very different even if you own or do not own the factories in which you work. Being subject to a rent does not allow the same freedom, of course, to be owners.

This choice will also affect consumers, but not necessarily negatively. Surely you may experience an increase in the prices of the final product. But, as mentioned above, buyers are increasingly attentive to sustainability, so the fact of having a product that costs something more because green does not necessarily mean losing market share.

Moreover, in the medium and long term, relying on 100% green choices makes companies more competitive on the market. Both for the sale of its products and for the choice of its employees. In fact, it will attract more qualified people because they are more interested in turning to employers who believe they are choosing a sustainable path. The same applies to businesses that supply goods and products to multinationals, which must prove to be green in order to continue to comply with their collaboration contracts.

5. Transparency towards all

As already widely said, a process of greater awareness of sustainability is underway. This is supported by UN research, in which 70% of people are now more aware of the environment than before the pandemic. Not only 40% want to actively change their habits to live more sustainably. What does this mean for a company? That from now on you will no longer have to look only at the interests of your shareholders, but also at all other stakeholders. This includes investors, employees, suppliers and consumers, for example.

This implies many problems since they are different categories and with needs and interests that do not always match. The only thing they have in common is the need for transparency. So far, the UN is only asking larger companies to make their emissions data available, but that doesn’t mean smaller companies don’t have to. Surely, however, we will arrive at a time when they will also be explicitly asked. We might as well prepare first. Also because it is not a simple process. First you have to make a cultural change. It is a difficult step. But necessary, also because it is not far off a future in which quality brands will arrive that certify the sustainability of a company. Already in recent years there has been growth among the B corp.

READ ALSO -> The emerging economy and one of its leaders - Certified B Corporations

The green economy introduced by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiGREEN ECONOMY HAMID-REZA KHOYI - Green economy, blue, circular are now many adjectives that we hear accompany this word. But what do we mean when we use them? To explain Green Economy is Hamid-Reza Khoyi, with hints also to the blue economy.

Green Economy and Blue Economy explained by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Let’s start by defining what is meant by Green Economy and Blue Economy. Green Economy indicates the economic model aimed at achieving well-being and social equity, while reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcity. The blue economy is nothing more than a development of the green economy, which directs its interests towards the marine and oceanic world. Where the green aims to achieve a CO2 reduction within an acceptable limit, the blue economy plans to achieve zero CO2 emissions.

The greatest danger for these economic models is to be used for the wrong reasons. There are many who believe, for example, the Blue economy can be the answer to the possibility of a future in which there is a loss of employment due to the use of robotics and artificial intelligence. Most likely this will be true, but limiting these economic models to only this uses is a very wrong thing. The primary purpose of the application of green and blue economy is not to create jobs, but to safeguard our planet.

The commitment of individuals, companies and politics

Unfortunately, there are still not many companies that implement actions in line with the principles of the Green economy and even less the number of those who consider it a feasible project. The commitment must come from everyone.

Europe currently produces 10% of global pollution, compared to India and China, which produce almost all of it. But if we wait for the great powers to be the first to move, we will not go anywhere. Somewhere you have to start to start the change and the first are us. The commitment of the individual starts from the attention in the purchases, the consumption and the origin of the various products. Making prudent purchases, however, requires commitment and time. A facilitation could come from the institutions with the introduction of a globally recognized mark or certification that helps the consumer to distinguish who respects the principles of the green economy and who does not.

Limits and potential of the Green Economy identified by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

As we have said, consumers play an important role in implementing the green economy. Very often, however, they may not be encouraged to take green action by the bonus that green products have. For this reason, demand could decrease day by day, resulting in a further increase in the price of products in line with the green economy, which in turn will lead to a greater reduction in demand.

The green economy also has the potential to become a strong ally of the economy of small countries. In fact these, having an economy in the beginning, have more ease in implementing the moves necessary to make their economy green, compared to the large realities that have situations already established for decades. If they manage to enter the market they will have greater possibilities to create a strong competitive network with the West where the demand for green products is very high, at the expense of a low-level and high-cost offer.

Do it because it’s right, not because you have to

The implementation of the green economy must not be a burden for companies but a necessity. Something that is done, not because we must but because we want, for our own good, that of the Planet that sustains us and for generations to come. If a company chooses the green economy because it believes it will surely be more successful and successful than one that does it because it must and will know how to put in place the best and most fruitful actions. This is the thought of Hamid-Reza Khoyi on the green economy.

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Financial audit explained by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiAUDIT HAMID REZA KHOYI - A company or entrepreneur must always be able to guarantee the economic stability and correctness of its actions. But the word alone is not enough, must also be put in place of real checks that confirm the veracity of what is reported. This operation has a name: Audit and Hamid-Reza Khoyi explains it to us.

What is a financial audit, says Hamid-Reza Khoyi

The audit is a financial check of the financial state of health of a company or a natural person. This practice takes its name from the Latin word "audit", which stands for "listening". Already in use in Ancient Rome, "it was meant to indicate the subjects who controlled the administration of public money through the audit of accounting results".

Today it is still in use but has expanded its functions. It is used to assess whether mandatory procedures are followed, whether the various roles and duties within the company are clearly defined and respected. The checks are valid for every type of company, from small to large, and for every degree of risk.

A financial audit shall consist of several stages culminating in the preparation of documentation establishing:

The subject of the analysis (company or private) shows that its situation is safe and stable.

This documentation is then made available to all interested parties to the subject of the analysis such as stakeholders, shareholders and banks.

The implementation phases of the Financial Audit

When approaching the financial audit, says Hamid-Reza Khoyi, it is important to respect three stages. Let’s look at them in detail.

Planning

This is the most sensitive phase, when all the audit activities to be carried out in the course of a year are planned. Yes, because the audit is a continuous process that must be periodically checked to check how the situation changes over time. Each intervention must:

Collection of documentation

At this stage, the situation of the company or private auditees is perfectly identified and the actual process begins to be carried out, respecting the activities planned previously. For every moment it is essential to collect and carefully catalogue all the documentation provided so that you can have everything at your fingertips if you need it. Any action taken and checked must contain supporting documentation.

Verification of the veracity

The financial entities involved in the audit shall, at this stage, verify the veracity of the documentation collected. We then proceed to verify, for example, the transitions. If necessary, further documentation may be requested.

Report

Once the verification and documentation collection phase has been completed, a report can be drawn up, including the conclusions drawn from the financial audit. The final document will then be made available to all those interested in the subject of the transaction. It may be ordinary, if it relates to a single activity among the many planned, or final statement, if it relates to all the audit activity planned over a period of one year.

Hamid-Reza Khoyi warns against audit errors

When carrying out a financial audit it is necessary to be very accurate in the collection of documentation. In addition, this material must be accurate and verified, so that whoever gets hold of it must be able to reach the same conclusions as us. You should never be hasty in carrying out the analysis and archiving the documentation because:

"what has not been documented has not been verified"

How Switzerland is fighting inflation

With Hamid-Reza Khoyi discovering trust services

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiHAMID-REZA KHOYI TRUST SERVICES - For individuals or companies it is increasingly important to have financial, banking and insurance services capable of safeguarding and protecting their assets. Not only is it also important to make it easier to set up a new company, that’s why there are Trust Services that explains Hamid-Reza Khoyi.

Hamid-Reza Khoyi introduces trust services

The trust is a legal instrument that, in the interest of one or more beneficiaries or for a specific purpose, allows to structure in various ways "legal positions" based on trust ties. Trust services are a series of services used to apply or implement the trust. It includes the domiciliation of companies, requests to reside in a company board, the safeguarding of the company assets. It is mostly about services rendered to a corporate client, but they can also be applied at a family level.

The protagonists of trust services are two entities: the settlor, the one who requests the service of the trust; the trustee, the person who, like Hamid-Reza Khoyi, is in charge of operating trust services. Often today the services of trusts not only monetary, but also real estate, such as buildings, financial files or participations of company shares. In any case, when they are transferred to the trustee they do not become its property, but are only safeguarded and managed by it.

At present, more and more people rely on trust services to protect their personal assets and make them separate from corporate or corporate assets. Entrusting them to a trustee in fact, the assets become impregnable, and are defended against any consequences related to a risky professional activity by the settlor or inappropriate personal behavior. The same applies also in case you pass to the trustee and assets related to the company.

The professionals of the sector

The trust services available today are mostly: domicile, shielding, privacy protection and the creation of real financial trusts to solve, for example, succession problems. To manage this type of operation it is very important to rely on a professional, and that this is recognized as such. In fact, an expert can guarantee the protection of privacy and give an advantage to the initiation of certain activities, such as the foundation of a start-up. The trustee is not a nemesis of the settlor, who thinks only to get hold of his assets,  but a legal figure whose purpose is to safeguard the interests of his client.

As part of the Digital Trust Services - of which Hamid-Reza Khoyi speaks in the next paragraph - the professional reference figures, called Trust Services Providers, are recognized at the level of the European Union and Switzerland. It is a person or legal entity that provides and preserves digital certificates to create and validate electronic signatures and to authenticate their signatories. To be recognized as such, their names must appear on an official list.

Introduction of Hamid-Reza Khoyi to Digital Trust Services

As Hamid-Reza Khoyi has already anticipated, there is a particular class of trust services. These are the Digital Trust Services that according to the definition given by Article 3.16 of the Regulation eidas are:

Having this kind of service is fundamental for today’s society given the direction and strength with which the Digital Transition is being imposed. More and more operations of any kind are carried out exclusively online and remotely. Not only does it increase the demand of customers for digital services that can facilitate many activities. However, it is important to make these exchanges transparent and safe, so more and more digital trust services providers are recognized and certified. Their presence in transactions gives more weight to the digital trust services carried out and makes them even more legally unassailable, compared to those not mediated.

Want to know another financial instrument? Discover KYC

Know your client: Hamid-Reza Khoyi introduces the topic

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiKNOW YOUR CLIENT HAMID-REZA KHOYI - Investing is not so easy, as it is not easy for those who manage the client portfolio to be aware of the person’s history and his money. In order to do their job properly, advisors need to know as much as possible about investors in order to make the most of their money. To do so they have a number of tools including the "Know your client, let’s discover it together with Hamid-Reza Khoyi.

Know your Client: what is it?

The Know your Client is a tool used to verify the identity of a customer and assess potential risks or illegal intentions in the relationship with the customer. Investment advisors, for example, use it to ascertain the financial situation of their clients and that this is not included in the "black list" or otherwise. This tool is also useful for auditors for whom it is called "Understand your Business". In general, the fields of application are many.

There are three steps in the KYC procedure:

At this stage, all the basic information of the assisted person is collected through the compilation of the primary documents. It therefore requires all the user’s personal data and occurs through the use of credentials such as name, date of birth, address, or other documents. At this stage, the modern screening tools of the customer made available by the modern Fintech are also available.

At this point the customer’s identity is verified and the risk profile is evaluated using the user’s credentials collected. The legal nature of the client, the activity mainly carried out, the geographical area of residence are thus verified.

Performing KYC only in the client’s cognitive phase is not enough. There must be continuous monitoring over time to verify that the information collected initially continues to be valid and that the user behaves correctly over time.

Know your client: Hamid-Reza Khoyi tells you who you are interested in and how to use it

The Know your Client is a freely usable tool in the business world, but there are figures who have the obligation to implement it. These are banks, financial intermediaries, trustee, and industry professionals.

These figures have at their disposal many management technologies to do it at their best. There are directives that require you to prove that you have the software for testing KYC, but everyone is free to adopt the most appropriate degree of depth. Of course, the more you think the customer is a potential risk, the more convenient it is to do a more in-depth analysis.

Important tool to support anti-money laundering

As we have seen, it is a very versatile tool that affects several fields of application, but the first purpose for which it is designed is to support the battles of money laundering. The necessary practices to ensure that illegally obtained money can be used legally, such as insurance fraud, are unfortunately difficult to detect, but the Know your Client, as Hamid-Reza Khoyi says, is an excellent ally.

Now that most operations can easily take place online, adopting KYC becomes more and more fundamental.

Know your customer, the prospects for the future projected by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

The market offers numerous KYC implementation solutions including a wide range of artificial intelligence algorithms that can implement research processes and speed them up without losing efficiency and safety. The future that is slowly showing us technology allows us to look very far ahead.

"Maybe one day the technology will amaze us so much that even the Blockchain can be a useful tool for the Know your Client" - says Hamid-Reza Khoyi.

Greenwashing with Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Tempo di lettura: 4 minutiGREENWASHING HAMID REZA KHOYI - The need to fight climate change and defend our planet is an issue that must concern everyone. Unfortunately, however, there is still no adequate interest on the part of the common opinion, even if we are slowly moving in this direction. Companies have understood that the market is increasingly sensitive to the issue but too often they say they are sustainable businesses rather than actually being sustainable. Greenwashing is a widespread phenomenon, but equally harmful to the planet and Hamid-Reza Khoyi explains why.

Greenwashing hazard

To speak well of the topic you need to first explain what greenwashing is. By greenwashing is meant "to be green facade" or declare to be a sustainable company, ecologically cutting edge, but not to be with the facts. Companies are inclined to do so to win over a market that is increasingly sensitive to the issue of sustainability, but is still too little informed. Communicating that you are a green company fascinates the customer and therefore allows you to maximize profits.

Investing in eco-sustainable adjustments is expensive and still does not lead to adequate economic feedback, so greenwashing is a marketable issue. Unfortunately, consumers find it extremely difficult to defend themselves against such deception. The only tool available to them today is that of information, that is to make accurate searches, also on the web, on the company from which you want to buy to understand if they apply or not what they say.

Boycotting greenwashing is wrong for Hamid-Reza Khoyi

There are solutions that could also be implemented by politics to try to eliminate greenwashing, but we will talk about it later. In fact, change can and must also start from the bottom, that is, from us consumers. We must be the first to believe in the values of sustainability and put them in our choices, but without falling into heavy mistakes.

In my opinion, for example, boycotting a company that turns out to be greenwashing is both wrong and counterproductive. But you can denounce and expose the names of those who do not work in a sustainable way as you say. This operation brings two benefits: - forcing the offending company to become effectively sustainable; - highlighting even more those who actually implement eco-sustainable policies.

As consumers, however, we must also become more aware and more informed in order to be more sustainable ourselves and to be able to find those who operate greenwashing. Our relationship with consumption must also change. It is not utopian to think of the realization of ethical consumerism, despite the society in which we live. It is wrong to impose what we buy, but we can think that we can ensure that the consumer has everything he needs to be able to take ethical and responsible action.

The importance of communication

A very powerful tool that those who do greenwashing have is advertising, whether through billboards, social, TV, or online. In fact, it is all a matter of facade and communication and these are the main means on which everything revolves. Unfortunately, this cannot be prevented, but here too it is necessary for the consumer to have an interest in developing information and to find out where the truth lies.

To recognize if a company is really sustainable you have to look at some things. For example, you can search within the description of your company values if there are the principles of eco-sustainability that you are committed to follow. In addition, in some cases it is also possible to access concrete data, such as on CO2 emissions. In fact it is possible to monitor the emissions and the collected data can be reported publicly so as to witness the actual commitment of the company.

Greenwashing can be fought with the help of certifiers like Hamid-Reza Khoyi

Around there are still no viable policies that allow you to prevent greenwashing or at least hinder heavily. But an important tool is already entering the market. It is the Bcorp certifications. They are attested that they are obtained after having demonstrated with the facts that they have respected very high criteria of sustainability.

"Certified companies must meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to demonstrate that they are balancing profit and purpose, doing good for all stakeholders, in other words, not just the shareholders."

As a certifier of accounts I consider this road easily feasible and the right one. In fact, governments could require that companies provide certifications in which they guarantee to meet certain parameters and make them public, a bit like it happens for the energy classes of many products. In this way it would be clear to everyone if a company only says it is sustainable or it really is.

In this sense, my profession would also be very important because of course it would be useful for there to be competent bodies to verify the authenticity of the certificates issued. And if we didn’t do our job well and support greenwashing practitioners, we’d be at great risk. In fact, once discovered, we would lose credibility and our business would also be affected.

Greenwashing is wrong but turns on hope

There are those who believe that, despite the lack of eticity, greenwashing is an awareness and those who condemn it in no uncertain terms. I feel like I’m in the middle of these two schools of thought. In fact, the fact that there are companies willing to use it means that you feel the weight of a market that wants to be sustainable. This is good because it means that consumers are moving in the right direction. However, as I said earlier, we cannot remain silent. We must make this phenomenon known and we must expose those who implement it so as to force them to implement concrete and real sustainability actions.

If you are curious about the Bcorp theme, click here.

Hamid-Reza Khoyi’s advice to create a successful startup

Tempo di lettura: 4 minutiHAMID REZA KHOYI STARTUP - More and more startups are born around the world. What before seemed to be a phenomenon, today constitutes a very important part of the market. But given its wide diffusion as you do today to start and bring ideas that are innovative. Hamid-Reza Khoyi provides some interesting ideas for those who are at the start of a startup.

Let's start with the basics

First of all, let’s start from abc, considering what a startup is. Without going into the technical definition we can say that startups are business and entrepreneurial initiatives in new fields and sectors that aim to launch, develop innovative services and products. The ideas that are at the basis of an emerging startup must be absolute news and never seen before. In order to start, therefore, we need a valid intuition, entrepreneurial ability and financiers.

Yes, we need someone to finance our startup right away, because the initial investment needed can be very high. In fact, depending on the sector, service and products we are aiming at, they could serve us from a few thousand euros, to several million.

Then who do you turn to?

First, we must look for professionals who can help us to give substance to the initial project. You can then turn to associations involved in supporting emerging activities or you can look for professionals in the commercial sector, or even lawyers who are experts in these fields. Once you have a solid and structured project then start the search for funders. Unfortunately, to immediately identify who are those who can do our job is not easy. This is because the target to contact varies from case to case, so giving a general rule is counterproductive. In principle, however, the financiers are to be sought among specialized investors or intent on diversifying their investments. Attempts can also be made among private investors attracted by new realities or foundations created specifically to support innovative startups.

Hamid-Reza Khoyi believes that the key to a startup’s success is a structured plan

We have to be on the alert at all times because we’ll never know when the brilliant idea will strike us. From a shower, a run in the park, an aperitif with friends, can spring revolutionary insights that we do not escape. But once there is the idea what you should do before you go hunting for any financiers?

For me, Hamid-Reza Khoyi to create a successful startup is important to start by putting on the table clear ideas and a good plan. First draw up a white paper that clearly describes what you want to go deal with. Necessary is also a business plan, with market analysis that goes in search of any competitor on the market. It is therefore very important from the outset to be clear about which sector we are going to go in. Once all the analyses and documents have been completed, they should be submitted to professionals who are able to carry out a critical survey of what has been developed and outline that everything has been done correctly.

These operations may seem trivial and obvious, but they are not. I remember a project that was presented to me years ago and that was successful not only thanks to the idea, but especially for the attention and precision that there was in the initial phase of the startup. It was an application that uses artificial intelligence to select personnel within human resources. Right from the start and also over the years they have been able to find a solid market and customers so much so that after a long time they are still growing.

Useful tips from Hamid-Reza Khoyi for those who want to start a startup

Once the business plan has been done and approved, we must not forget it. But even more important is to remember that if the costs will be there right away, the revenues will be late to arrive. In fact, it could take a few years compared to what was planned. That is why we must not be discouraged, but try to have broad shoulders thanks to the right investors.

You should not be discouraged especially if you are aware that you have brilliant ideas, perseverance and the ability to find the right financiers. If you are able to devote the right time to set the scenarios for the first 3-5 years, to find the right partners and plan not the whole project, but a small slice then you are already sure to start on the right foot. You don’t have to worry about having everything 100% ready if you are not certain first to have the means to deal with and pass the first stage, which is always the toughest.

Help can also be provided by someone like me who deals with auditing. In fact at the beginning can play the role of shoulder partner, who knows how to ask the right questions and has a critical eye on the business plan. Also more direct towards the development of proper management and setting of the company. Having an auditor behind you is also necessary to present yourself to lenders. Because investors care that there is a certification that puts securities on the investment model and this can only be provided by an auditor.

Just think about sustainability but you need winning ideas

More than a necessity sustainability today seems to have become a trend. Even for those who want to start a startup project looks at this topic. But it is not enough. In fact, it is a factor that all investors consider, but of course what they most aim at is that the idea is successful. So it is right to propose ideas that are also sustainable, or that focus on the problem, but you should not think that enough to secure funding.

Commitment to the sustainability of service clubs

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiSUSTAINABILITY SERVICE CLUB - Hamid-Reza Khoyi member of a club, with a role both at the local level and within the national organization explains what are the initiatives that these realities are carrying out for our planet. In fact, service clubs have many possibilities both to implement activities related to sustainability and to raise awareness on the subject.

What service clubs are and how they differ

Service clubs are associations made up of people who have friendly relationships and who share basic values. In addition to this, they try to do good to others. In fact, they propose and take part in activities for humanitarian, social and educational purposes, for example. Generally everyone can join a service club but there are rules of admission. For example, a new member must be proposed by another already active member and of course must share the values on which the club is based.

There are many existing realities, including Optimist International, Lions Clubs International, Rotary International, Kiwanis and Round Table International. They are all realities that are part of a common organization at an international level, which then branches off at a national, regional and local level. In fact, many cities have their own.

The importance of service clubs in raising awareness of sustainability

As we said, the themes and activities that service clubs carry on are many, but practically all focused on doing something useful for others and for society. That’s why service clubs are also committed to talking and acting in terms of sustainability. Until recently, those who dealt with green issues and tried to raise awareness on the subject were considered idealists or even extremists. Today, however, we are beginning to be more aware of the importance of this issue and we understand that it takes little to really achieve much. That’s why the outreach work done by service clubs is so important. In addition, they turn more to an audience of the average age of 50/60 years that are those who now have the real power to be able to implement these messages in everyday life and in the various working realities.

The more clubs are good at getting the message across, the more results we can achieve. Achieving these goals is especially important for young people, to whom this planet inherits. They are helping us to join the service clubs to bring their very good ideas, we adults should listen to them, share them and implement them with our baggage of experience.

The goals that service clubs are committed to achieve

Already in the past, many presidents had put in place some activities related to sustainability, especially with regard to climate change. Today these issues are increasingly important and initiatives involve virtually all clubs.

Of course, to begin with, the inspiration was taken from the 2030 Agenda and the 17 UN goals. Among these those that the service clubs are committed to achieving are:

These are the main ones, then each club also pursues others, according to their own characteristics. Obviously we are talking about 2030, but these are goals that go much further over the years, because they cover principles that will be valid even after. They are so important that they must be maintained and shared.

To try to achieve these goals, clubs first try to raise awareness among their members, so that they can bring these values back into their lives with concrete and appropriate actions. In addition, their commitment to focus on the choice of associations and projects that have a positive impact. It is very important to organize promotion activities at local level or in union with other service clubs. All this, however, is also reflected in the choices within the club that tend to implement their own ecological footprint.

It's up to all of us

The commitment to safeguarding sustainability must therefore be ahead of us in order to succeed. And service clubs understood this very well. Outside of any activity or project, their most important task is to raise awareness and make known to as many people as possible the problems and possible solutions.

Hamid-Reza Khoyi and fundraising

Tempo di lettura: 3 minutiFUNDRAISING HAMID-REZA KHOYI - There are numerous charities in the world that deal with improving the lives of people with difficulties. It ranges from research facilities, to rehabilitation and reception facilities. However, these realities cannot manage to do it alone, going forward only through their goodwill. Even though we don’t like to say it, they need money to move forward and you don’t even bring it. In every nation the state supports the various foundations with tax concessions and economic aid, but it is not enough. There is a need for other inputs. Hamid-Reza Khoyi, an accountant and former member of the board of one of these foundations, introduces his experience and advice on how to look for external financiers.

 Hamid-Reza Khoyi’s experience with the La Fonte Foundation

A few years ago the La Fonte Foundation was looking for a new board member to join its team. A friend of mine, also part of the above-mentioned board, informed me about this place because he is well aware that when you need to roll up your sleeves I am in the frontline. So I agreed to join the foundation board.

Never was a choice more right.  The La Fonte Foundation hosts children with disabilities. The kids of the structure can not only find accommodation, but also a place to learn new things. The environment has got a family atmosphere and their long-term intent is to teach children a job to be useful in society and find their place in the world.

The guys I’ve met over the years have given me a lot of emotions. They have no filters, therefore all the emotions and reactions they have are genuine and sincere. Dealing with them gives a great peace because you know that they are wearing no mask, and all the interactions they have with you are guided by pure truthfulness.

For charitable foundations it’s not all puppies and rainbows

Being able to work with children with disabilities and trying to give them a bright future to aspire to is already difficult in itself. But it is not the only difficulty charities have to face. The environment in which the children and members of the foundations must be suitable and have all the necessary equipment to assist the work of the guests and workers. The realization of such a thing requires a lot of money. The spaces must be brought up to standard, all infrastructures must be equipped with the necessary machinery and, in addition, safety standards must be guaranteed.

The organizational organs of the various Countries guarantee to cover part of the costs of the foundations through a contract of performances. The Foundations, in return, must be able to cover with these refunds fixed utilities, the maintenance of environments and the introduction of new equipment to ensure performance standards. However, this aid is not sufficient to cover all the costs.

The resources of a good fundraising explained by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

The charitable foundations must understand that in the future the state will not offer them more aid, indeed perhaps the funds available will be even less. The risk is therefore to see revenue decrease considerably. What to do then? Turning more and more to donations systems from private individuals and companies.

Fundraising, however, is not so easy. Every day dozens of new foundations and charities are born. In order to start their business and keep it running, they need numerous economic resources that they seek in the state, but especially in private donations. But asking for money is not so simple. In fact, private individuals, before jumping into a new initiative assess every little detail.

To be successful in fundraising you need a structured plan

Fundraising is a very interesting sector because it allows structures to raise funds for their operational part and make investments. There are many companies and individuals who have large amounts of capital to invest in charities, but just as many are the latter.

To stand out in the mass you need to put in place a well-structured and organized fundraising. For this purpose, there are specialized companies that can support fundraising. But everyone needs to understand the importance of building your fundraising very well. This is because who does it can make use of sufficient funds, since that for many there are funds but not associations to allocate them to.

Proposals of a good fundraising by Hamid-Reza Khoyi

The most important thing in fundraising in my opinion, Hamid-Reza Khoyi, is to realize that every day a new foundation is created. This could have billions in availability but often people do not know who to ask, because they do not know how to submit his proposal well. Instead, it would take very little to have small amounts for a large population, thus leading to huge successes.

Investors can be multiple. Just think of some examples of the world of art and education that have already realized projects. These projects were made possible by funds from former students. A bit built along the lines of what happens in American universities. All this to reiterate that the potential is there but must be used well.