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Showing posts from October, 2017

This Incredibly Simple Packaging Idea Could Reduce Global Emissions

A Dutch design student proposes a common-sense alternative to the way most home goods are sold today. Look at any label on a household product, from laundry detergent to dish soap to shampoo, and you’ll see that most are 80% water. Across billions of units, shipped around the world, that adds up to a huge amount of extra weight–which means more packaging wasted, more fuel needed, and more pollution produced. What if each product was distilled down to its non-water ingredients and sold as a solid? That’s the idea behind the designer  Mirjam de Bruijn ‘s project  Twenty , a concept for packaging where these products are sold in solid form. Once you’ve bought your shampoo pellets, you simply put them in a reusable bottle, and add water. [Photo: Mirjam Lois de Bruijn ] If the concept, which is de Bruijn’s thesis for the Design Academy Eindhoven, were to be widely adopted, she estimates the average plastic packaging per person in the Netherlands would reduce significantly.

10 Proven Ways to Make Millions on Social Media

Sales and marketing is a numbers game. With 2.5 billion people online and more added every day, are the numbers working for you? Marketers go where the people are, and marketing dollars follow. Last year, for the first time ever, marketers invested more money in digital advertising than television advertising. Today, the people are on social media platforms. Nearly  2.5 billion  people use at least one social media platform each month, and companies like Facebook intended to keep expanding their reach until the whole world is on a social network. For entrepreneurs and business leaders, the movement from traditional marketing to digital marketing represents a significant opportunity for anyone interested in created new pockets of revenue. Consider that last year  nearly $27 billion  was spent on Facebook ads. If you are able to master Facebook marketing for a niche market that spends one ten thousandth of $27 billion, the total addressable market is still worth $2.7 million. Thi

8 Steps to Spice Up Your Brand's Voice (Infographic)

Having a distinct and recognizable brand voice can really give your business a boost. As a brand, it's important to have a distinct and unique  brand voice  so people recognize it. However, creating that brand is often easier said than done. But with a few quick and easy tips, you'll be well on your way to creating a strong brand voice for your company. For starters, evaluate your brand's current voice, and decide what you like and don't like about it. Also look at how your brand voice has evolved and what it looked like in the past. Asking yourself these questions can help: Has it been consistent? Does it align with your  core values ? Still not sure where to start? Look around for  inspiration  -- examining how your competitors are developing their voices can help you figure out the right tone for yours. Creating an outline of this ideal voice and the steps that you'll need to take to get there will help create a clear, concise and actionable plan. That

How to Write a Business Plan

Now that you understand why you need a business plan and you've spent some time doing your homework gathering the information you need to create one, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get everything down on paper. The following pages will describe in detail the seven essential sections of a business plan: what you should include, what you shouldn't include, how to work the numbers and additional resources you can turn to for help. With that in mind, jump right in. Executive Summary Within the overall outline of the business plan, the executive summary will follow the title page. The summary should tell the reader what you want. This is very important. All too often, what the business owner desires is buried on page eight. Clearly state what you're asking for in the summary. Business Description The business description usually begins with a short description of the industry. When describing the industry, discuss the present outlook as well as future po

15 Awesome Techniques for Efficient Time-Management

Let’s talk about time management. Specifically, about good and wise time management. The kind that helps you get more things done during the day. The kind that allows you to know what plans or events are coming next. The kind that won’t let you waste a minute, even if something goes wrong or plans change. There are many things that good time management skills can help you achieve, and they're not that difficult to master and handle once you get the hang of it. Even if at first it seems like only a professional could manage their time so well. The key to successful and wise time management is to take into account every tiny detail of your daily schedule. You also need to be well aware of your habits. Why is that so important? So that you know what could possibly prevent you from following your schedule. Another thing you need to remember when building daily schedules is how difficult or time-consuming the tasks you’re going to complete may be. Being able to accu

5 Things Amazon Isn't Telling You About Selling On Their Site

For many retailers, the thought of going up against Amazon is daunting. One strategy is to embrace the “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” mentality — and build a brand as an Amazon seller. But using Amazon as a commerce platform is not as straightforward as one might think, according to James Thomson. Thomson is a Partner at  Buy Box Experts  and co-author of  The Amazon Marketplace Dilemma . He believes that a company looking to win on Amazon must understand 5 specific concepts if they want to succeed: Amazon is not your partner – start behaving accordingly. “Too many brands appear to believe that when Amazon Retail reaches out to buy product, somehow a partnership is being formed between your brand and Amazon. It is critical to realize that in fact, Amazon’s incentives rarely align with the incentives of your brand.” Amazon is committed to building a marketplace with the largest selection at the lowest prices. “While a brand may be attracted to the customer base of

Huawei brand Honor launched India’s first bezel-less phone with 4 cameras

Huawei brand Honor launched a new phone in India on Thursday. The Honor9i comes with an aspect ratio of 18:9 for an immersive viewing experience. This is the first smartphone in India to come with dual camera set-up at both the rear and front, and with an aspect ratio of 18:9 for an immersive viewing experience. The phone features 5.9-inch full HD+ display and is topped with 2.5D curved glass. The 16MP dual-lens primary camera comes with flash. There is 13MP + 13MP front camera set-up at the front with “selfie toning” flash. Huawei-owned brand Honor has launched the  Honor 9i smartphone with a bezel-less 5.9-inch display and four cameras in the Indian market. The Honor 9i price in India is Rs. 17,999, and the new smartphone will be available in the country starting October 14, exclusively via e-commerce titan Flipkart. The company has not yet announced the launch offers for the phone, which will be revealed at the time of release only. Honor 9i will come in three colour

DIPP To Rank States On Basis Of The Success Of Their Startup Policies; Invites Feedback From Ecosystem Stakeholders

The Efforts Taken By The States Before March 2018 Will Be Considered And Final Ranking Will be Announced In June 2018   The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, DIPP is now inviting feedback from startup ecosystem stakeholders to rank the states and union territories on the basis of the success achieved in implementing their startup policies. A feedback mechanism has been opened on the  official website of Startup India . As mentioned on the Startup India website, the said stakeholders include startups, mentors, investors, accelerators, incubators and the government bodies. “For this exercise, all actions and initiatives undertaken by states on or before March 2018 will be considered. Some of the parameters, which was essential for states to have a well-defined startup policy running, include having a startup cell or helpline and a mobile or web portal to act as a one-stop-shop for all queries on starting up, the size of the mentor network created by the state g