World is getting older. These seniors needs better living. Investing in Senior and Assisted Living has huge potential.
The number of people aged 65 years or older worldwide is
projected to more than double, rising from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion
in 2050.
Asia and Europe are home to some of the world’s oldest
populations, those ages 65 and above. At the top is Japan at 28 percent,
followed by Italy at 23 percent. Finland, Portugal, and Greece round out the
top five at just under 22 percent.
Southern Europe, which includes such countries Croatia,
Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain, is the oldest
region in the world with 21 percent of the population ages 65+.
On one end of the spectrum, high-income countries with
plummeting fertility rates will experience a shift toward an aging population
that will strain national health insurance, social security programs and health
care infrastructure. They will also have to contend with labor shortages,
according to the study.
The total fertility rate in Western Europe is projected to
fall from 1.53 in 2021 to 1.44 in 2050 and 1.37 in 2100.
Italy, Spain, and Andorra were projected to have the lowest
fertility rates by then.
Care Home and Wellness for Elderly is Future Investment
Disease burden of modern society are Life Style Diseases. These diseases are putting stress on healthcare system and human life. Lifestyle diseases are responsible for life threatening and disease burden. These diseases can managed, its effects can be reduced . The change is possible if Healthy Life Style is adopted. Key to Healthy and Happy Living is Healthy Lifestyle. Life style diseases are because of lifestyle decisions. Healthy eating is first step towards better life, healthy and happy life. Other key life style decisions are adopting balance lifestyle. Leaving the habits which are cause of problems.
Some lifestyle diseases examples are:
Heart disease Atherosclerosis Stroke Respiratory ailments Obesity Type 2 diabetes
Causes of lifestyle diseases
These diseases are typically the result of certain habits a person has developed, certain restrictions and limitations they have owing to their lifestyle or some kind of exposure or lack of it that their lifestyle necessitates. To simplify, we can categories causes into: Smoking, drinking, drugs Exposure to pollutants at work or home Lack of physical activity, restricted movement for prolonged hours Habits that cause direct damage to the body (earphones, poor seating) Poor or unhealthy eating habits (plenty of processed food, little or no nutritive value in diet, lack of hydration) High stress levels Poor and/or little sleep
Prevention of lifestyle diseases
The good news here is that it is possible to break the dangerous connection between lifestyle and diseases simply by making changes in the former. To keep lifestyle diseases away, these are the four key points to remember and follow: Track and maintain healthy weight Focus on nutritious food Stay active both mentally and physically Avoid smoking, drinking, drugs Go for regular preventive screening
Startup Ecosystem is essential to the Sustainable Growth. Small businesses are key driving force of the economy. Most of Employment is created by Small Business. Vibrant Small Business drive the growth. Every Big Enterprise essentially runs on inputs and supports given provided by Small Businesses. Startups and Small Business essentially needs environment which encourages and supports them. This Environment / Support Mechanism which make sure to build Success Story is called Ecosystem. This Ecosystem has many components, which make sure things can move in right direction.
Learning System
Early Education is first step. Education system should be creativity and curiosity driven. Enough importance should be given to building skills and knowledge driven by Creativity and Curiosity. Students should understand importance of learning to improve the lives. Building confidence to do something new, something different. Yes, I Can, Attitude Can only Bring Change. Which will develop creativity and curiosity
Training
Which will build Entrepreneurial Capabilities. Training is essential component of success. Entrepreneurship Training Programs which will cater essential skills to the Entrepreneurs. These training programs should be available to everyone and widely promoted. Programs should build Entrepreneurial skills. These training programs must also tell, Failure is not End, it is only a step to success. Right training will mentally strong Entrepreneurs who are ready to take risk. No Risk no Reward Entrepreneurship is all about taking risk. Putting your money and time to build bright future for self and society. Entrepreneurship is all about improving life for everyone, at the same time getting Rewarded. Training programs must preach importance of Risk Taking, and Rewards on success.
Idea Development
Developing Ideas is very important. Feasibility Study, Market Strategy, Evaluation of Idea is essential. Evaluation is required to see if idea is commercially viable. What is market potential, what are the challenges. Once basic questions are addressed, now it is ready for launch.
Support for building Ideas
Even though Idea may be very good. What is important is its Commercialization. Hand-holding is essential to building a Commercially viable Idea. Understanding the potential and then Monetization are very important.
Mentors
Mentors are essential for Hand-holding. Mentors provides essential inputs and knowledge to successfully implementing the Idea. The role of Mentor is multi-functional and needed at each step. Mentors are essential to the Success of Idea.
Seed Capital..
The First investment must come from the owner of the Idea. This is essential to the commitment of the project. After first money, next money should come from Near and Dear who trust the Owner of Idea and Idea. Once Idea starts moving, it is time for others to cheap in.
Commercialization Support
Every good Idea can not be monetize and make money. It is most important to understand the monetization potential of the Idea. Unless the Startup does not potential for mass acceptance and success, no investor will put his money. The Entrepreneur must prove the Startup can be monetize and has potential to grow.
Venture Finance.. Investment
Once Startup Idea is commercialize, and it started growing. This is stage when Venture Capital sees potential and invest. Investors see long term growth potential. They see market opportunity and invest. At this stage the the Idea gets big boost and growth speeds up.
Growth Capital.. Private Equity
Once the startup comes to the breakeven and see huge growth potential, Private Equity takes interest to invest more money. Speed up the growth, so that it can be listed or sold to another investor. Exit.. Exit is essential, it is life. IPO, sell out or Mergers, what ever may be the name, Exit is life.
Salam (Advance Payment against Deferred Delivery of Goods) Salam (also
referred to as Bai Salam, Al-Salam, Bai al-Salam) is an
ancient form of forward contract wherein the price is paid in advance at the
time of making a contract of sale for goods to be delivered at a future date.
What is given in exchange for the advance payment of the price
should not in itself be in the nature of money. For the payment in advance, the
contracting parties stipulate a future date for the supply of goods of
specified quantity and quality Salam may be considered as a kind of
debt, because the object of the salam contract is the liability of the
seller, up to the agreed future date, to deliver the object for which advanced
payment of the price has already been made.
There is consensus among Muslim
jurists on the permissibility of salam, because the object of the
contract is that the goods are a recompense for the price paid in advance, just
as the price is recompense paid for getting the goods in advance. Salam is
permitted, notwithstanding the general principle of the Shari´ah that
does not permit the sale of a commodity which is not in the possession of the
seller. When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came to Madinah (the second holiest city
in Islam, after Makkah), the people used to pay in advance the price of fruits
(or dates) to be delivered within one, two or three years. But such a sale was
carried out without specifying the measure, weight and the time of delivery.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: "He who sells on Salam (money in advance)
must sell a specific volume and a specific weight to a specific due date (to be
delivered later)". The practice of salam, as ordained by the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), continued during his life time and also in later
periods. The list of items covered by salam suggests that it benefited
the owners of farms and orchards. Barring a few exceptions, the Muslim jurists
have now expanded the list of items which can be sold under salam to cover all
homogeneous commodities that can be precisely determined in terms of quality
and quantity.
Rules for a Valid Salam Contract
Only those fungible (mithli) things which can be precisely
determined in terms of quantity and quality can be contracted in salam.
Besides, salam cannot take place between identical goods, e.g., wheat
for wheat, Dollar for Dollar and potato for potato. All goods that can be categorized
as belonging to the same species can be the subject of salam.
For example, wheat, rice,
barley or other grains of this type, motor cars of any trade mark, oil, iron
and copper can all be sold through salam. Similarly, electricity
measured in kilowatts can be considered a fungible commodity. In salam, it is necessary to fix
precisely the time of delivery of the goods. The buyer must unambiguously
specify the quality and the quantity of the goods and the specifications must
be applicable to the generally available items of the goods of the contract.
The specification of goods should particularly cover all those characteristics which
could cause variation in price. Thus the general terms and conditions of salam
should be binding in nature and Q2P2T be followed. The first Q stands for the
quantity of the commodity to be supplied. The second Q stands for the quality
or variety of the commodity. The first P stands for the price to be paid in
advance by the buyer and the second P stands for place of delivery. Finally, T
stands for the time of delivery.
The buyer in salam should advance the price of the commodity
at the time of making the contract
Risks in Salam-based Financing
Islamic banks may face the following risks in salam-based
financing:
a) Counter-party Risk (the client may default after taking the
payment in advance.)
b) Commodity Price Risk (at the time the goods are received the
price may be lower than the price that was originally expected).
c) Quality Risk/ Low investment Return or Loss (goods received
might not be of desired quality – unacceptable for the potential buyer)
d) Asset-Holding Risk / possibility of extra expenses on storage
and takaful (the bank might not be able to market the goods in time,
resulting in possible asset loss for the unsold goods and locking funds in the
goods until they are sold)
e) Asset-Replacement Risk (in case the bank has to purchase goods
from the market in parallel salam where the third party fails to supply
the specified goods under the parallel contract.
f) Fiduciary Risk in the case of parallel salam (original salam
seller might not deliver).
Islamic banks need to take proper measures for mitigation of the
above risks. They should purchase only those goods which have good marketing
potential; take proper security and a performance bond; insert a penalty clause
in the contract as a deterrent against late delivery; obtain a binding promise
from the prospective buyers along with a sufficient amount of earnest money in
deposit; and fulfil the responsibility of parallel salam-purchase
similar goods from the market on spot to supply these to the buyer and recover
the loss, if any, from the seller in the original salam.
Parallel Salam and Disposal of Salam Goods – to manage
and mitigate risk
For the disposal of goods purchased under salam, Islamic
banks have a number of options, including:
i) to enter into a parallel salam contract where the bank is
involved as a buyer on one side and as a seller on another side,
ii) an agency agreement with any third party or with the client
(seller) to sell the goods on behalf of the bank and / or
iii) a sale in the open market the bank itself by entering into a
promise with any third party or direct selling upon taking the delivery.
Where the bank (as buyer) enters into a parallel salam contract
there cannot be any condition or linkage to the first salam contract. (Parallel
Salam is allowed with a third party only. The seller in the first contract
cannot be made purchaser in the parallel contract of salam, because it will be
a buy-back contract, which is not permissible in the Shari’ah). Each one
of the two contracts entered into by a bank should be independent of the other,
but the bank (as seller) can sell the goods on parallel salam on similar
conditions and specifications as previously purchased on the first salam
contract without making one contract dependent on the other. This arrangement cannot
be tied up in such a manner that the rights and obligations of one contract are
dependant on the rights and obligations of the parallel contract. The period of
parallel contract in the second transaction is usually shorter and the price
may be a higher than the price of the first salam transaction. The
difference between the two prices is the bank’s profit
The parallel contract arrangement may not be an attractive mode of
disposal of goods for banks, as the amount invested by the bank (the advance
payment of the price in the first salam) would be disinvested when the
buyer in the parallel contract made the advance payment to the bank for the
purchase of the goods under the parallel contract. Under an agency agreement,
the Islamic bank may appoint the seller its agent to sell the salam goods
on its behalf at a given price which would include the bank’s profit. Some
Islamic banks are, therefore, using salam for purchasing goods and
appointing the sellers as their agent for subsequently marketing the goods at a
price with a suitable profit margin for the bank. In the case of an agency, the
salam contract and the agency agreement should be separate and
independent of each other. The purchased goods cannot be sold back to the salam
seller, hence a parallel salam cannot be entered into with the
original seller in the salam contract as it would be considered as being
a ‘buy-back’, which is prohibited under the Shari’ah rules.
In the third option, the Islamic bank (as buyer under salam)
may obtain a binding promise from a third party to purchase the goods from the
bank. This promise should be unilateral from the prospective buyer. The bank
(as buyer) will not have to pay the price in advance, as the prospective buyer
is merely making a promise and it is not an actual sale. However, the bank can
ask for earnest money (a security deposit as an act of good faith). As soon as
the bank purchases the goods, they will be sold to the third party at the
pre-agreed price, according to the terms of the promise. Banks may also wait
until receipt of the goods and sell them in the open market, but they will be
taking the asset-risk for the period the goods remain in the bank’s inventory.
It is important to note again that the salam goods cannot be sold back
to the original seller owing to the prohibition of the ‘buy-back’ arrangement.
