Online shopping is set to rise this year in the US with internet savvy consumers, enjoying the convenience afforded by ecommerce, and spending more and more time online.  According to Forrester Research, in 2012 ecommerce generated a staggering USD231 billion in sales for U.S. retailers.  This figure is expected to increase a whopping 13% to USD262 billion during 2013.  Ecommerce accounts for approximately 8% of total retail sales in the U.S. currently, and over the next five years is expected grow more than sales at offline stores reaching USD370 billion in sales by 2017.

Reasons for Growth in Ecommerce

Consumers are finding it easier and more convenient to spend time online due to the increased prevalence of smartphones and tablets.  More than half of US online shoppers now have a smartphone.  Phones and their users are becoming smarter and smartphones are now used to research purchases, comparing stores, prices and availability, with transactions often being completed directly on the phone.  Tablet owners are also enjoying the convenience and usability of their devices, and are spending their leisure time at weekends and in the evenings engaging in some online retail therapy.

Ecommerce has also experienced growth due to the fact that traditional retailers are expanding their sales division to the online marketplace.  Larger retailers are changing retail offline experiences and facilitating consumer convenience by utilizing online databases and networks.  Thus enabling store staff to order out-of-stock merchandise through online systems, and making it possible for online shoppers to order remotely and collect their goods in the store.

Ecommerce growth is not due to new shoppers entering the online marketplace, rather the growth in online shopping is attributed to existing online shoppers who are spending more time and money online.  Shoppers are also purchasing across a wider variety of goods categories. Typically, early online shoppers lacked confidence in their online experience and began with “low-involvement” goods like music and books, people are now buying more ‘high involvement purchase’ goods online for instance, clothing, shoes and furniture.

What are You Waiting For?  Tips on Setting Up Online

So, there’s an ecommerce revolution going on, why not get a slice of that action?  Here’s a few of the main things you need to be aware of.

What do I Need to Sell Online?

Obviously you will need a website.  This can be as basic (simply purchase a template online and edit it yourself) or as complicated (full bespoke development by a web developer) as you want it to be.  You can simply have a small range of products listed on your site which can be selected from a simple menu, or an entire store housed in a back-end database utilizing fully integrated shopping cart software.

Accepting Payments Online

To engage in ecommerce, you must have a means of accepting payment.  Accepting credit cards in your web store can increase sales. However the options for accepting payment online can be confusing if you are new to ecommerce.

• Real time online credit card processing
  Customer submits the payment information and payment is processed right away. The payment is processed immediately; however a higher charge is usually incurred for this service.
• Collect credit card information and process by hand.
  Seller collects the credit card information via a secure form or over the telephone; it is then submitted manually to the credit card processor.  Costs may be lower using this method, however it is a slower and more inconvenient process for both seller and customer.

With either method, you will need a secure web space for customers to enter their payment information.  Then you need a link to get the payment info either to you, if processing by hand or the credit card processing service which handles the actual credit card transaction.

E-Bay and Paypal European HQs

The all-in-one payment service is often the best choice for businesses just starting out or those with low volume. It is the least expensive for both set up and month-to-month operating costs are much lower.  PayPal Standard, 2CheckOut, and Google Checkout are what is known as all-in-one services.  These companies use their own accounts to process the customer credit card data, you do not need to have a merchant account of your own. They also offer some form of purchase protection to protect against fraud and theft. The set up is simple and relatively inexpensive. Usually, the only fees you’ll pay are a small fee plus a percentage for each transaction processed.  Some will charge an initial set-up fee.  You and your customer are each notified by email when a transaction has been processed.  A secure interface is provided for clients to enter their personal data, which means the seller does not need to develop their own secure server site.

The money is then deposited into your bank account…result!  So what are you waiting for?

This article is written by Eve Pearson

Articles featured are derived from a variety of sources and are provided as a service, while of potential interest to readers do not necessarily represent the opinions nor constitute the advice.

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Victory at the CIMB Malaysian Open (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Business and sport are close together. Some people say that business is sport, others say sport is business. Both are right. So – why not have a thought about it? Let’s talk about the sport of business.

I have taken on squash again, after five years of just fitness. I couldn’t stand pulling machines and cycling indoor making no distance. I liked the energy squash gives me and I missed it badly. The first time I went in court, I remembered lessons from the past. I like to share them with you as they also have a reflection on business.

1. You have missed the ball only if you really did all to get it. Squash is essentially a simple game however you need tactics. If you’re positioned strategically (on the T), it’s easier as you don’t need to run across the court all the time. But still – you need to hit that ball. Many people give up very quickly and don’t try to go for a ball that they think they will not get. Mistake! Go for it and you will see that you can get there in time at least to beat it to the wall (so you have at least a return). And you will also be surprised that you actually can make a good shot of it. After some training, you will be able to get those balls more often. It’s strengthening and rewarding!
2. The game is over when one of them has won. Every rally is a point (especially in the ‘new’ system of rallypoints). So stay focused and don’t loose concentration. And work for every rally, every service. It’s good to have a fun game, but in a championship, it’s about winning. Go for it.
3. The match is over at 3 games won. And You will be the one winning it. Two lost ones don’t mean that you can’t win. I did it several times, win the match after a 0-2. My tactics even anticipated a bit: I tend sometimes to save my own energy in the start of the game and try to exhaust a keen player. When he gets tired, I can speed up and work my way up. You just have to estimate the endurance of the counterplayer.

Squash Sportsmanship (Photo credit: Edson Hong)

These principles are also there for business. Put your teeth in the game, go for it and be sure you don’t give up if you’re a bit behind.

Do you apply sports principles in business? Share them in the comments! And share this post if you like it!

Related articles

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• Key Strategy to Winning in Squash
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Protector

Protector is a nutritional supplement that combines specific vitamins, minerals and amino acids recognized as important for the health of areas associated with the human immune system. Astragalus is a key ingredient known for improving immune system integrity by relieving stress-induced immune system suppression. Additionally, research indicates that kelp supplies dozens of important nutrients for optimal cardiovascular health and function. This product is gluten free.

Protector may:

• Support the immune and digestive systems
• Function as an adaptogen to reduce stress-induced immune system suppression
• Support optimal cardiovascular health

Protector is white listed by the Netherlands Security System Food Supplements Top Sport (NZVT).

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WIN strives to keep each of their product’s Supplement Facts up-to-date and accurate, but consult the label on the product’s packing prior to use. If you notice a discrepancy, please contact us for more information.

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Let’s be explicit about Lovpil

You can make a mystery of it, but let’s be explicit about LovPil. Lovpil is a dietary supplement formulated with vitamins, minerals and the herb Turnera diffusa which together are important for general health and sexual vitality. Turnera diffusa, known as Damiana leaf, is known as an aphrodisiac and is therefore a key ingredient in Lovpil. The mineral zinc helps with maintaining normal testosterone levels, and selenium supports spermatogenesis. This product is gluten free. You also can use this product when it’s not Valentine’s Day!

Lovpil may contribute to:
• overall health and well-being
• sexual vitality of men
• Fertility and reproduction
• Spermatogeneisis
• Testosterone levels in blood

Order LovPil online now!

The recommended daily dosage (2 capsules) contains an average of:

Lovpil™ proprietary blend consisting of 254 mg: Damiana leaf = Turnera diffusa, soy protein isolate, yeast (ribonucleic acid), adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance

LovPil

INGREDIENTS: hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (capsule shell), Damiana leaf = Turnera diffusa 75 mg, Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), calcium carbonate, stearic acid, soy protein isolate, yeast (ribonucleic acid), anti-caking agent magnesium stearate, zinc amino acid chelate, anti-caking agent silicon dioxide, manganese amino acid, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), dicalcium phosphate, vitamin A (as vitamin A acetate), folic acid, selenomethionine, vitamin D (as cholecalciferol), Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin).
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS AND DOSAGE: When used as a food supplement, take one capsule two times a day, with meals. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. This food supplement is not suitable for children. A balanced diet contains sufficient vitamins. A dietary supplement is no substitute for a varied diet. A healthy lifestyle is important – as well as a varied diet.
Keep cool, dry, closed and out of reach of young children.

For nutritional information, call (USA) 001 972 312 1100.
30 doses per package
 – Serving Size: 2 capsules

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Flexibility is part of WIN’s Joint Venture

Flexibility is rich in vitamins and minerals that contribute to bone and cartilage. Vitamin D and Zinc are important for strong bones. Vitamin C and Manganese contribute to the formation of collagen important for connective tissue. Vitamin C is also important for the cartilage. The other ingredients are added to support.
Flexibility may:
• Help maintain collagen, cartilage and connective tissue
• Contribute to optimal bone strength
Flexibility is white listed by the Netherlands Security System Food Supplements Top Sport (NZVT).

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The recommended daily dosage (1 capsule) contains an average of: (%RDA)

Flexibility

Flexibility® proprietary blend consisting of 263.74mg: Soy protein, sodium borate, glutamic acid, whey (milk), ribonucleic acid (RNA), bee pollen, adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
% RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance; * = RDA not established

INGREDIENTS: Soy protein (145.28 mg per capsule), capsule shell (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose), sodium borate, glutamic acid, whey (milk), vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), anti-caking agent (stearic acid), emulsifier (magnesium stearate), Vitamin E (dl-alpha tocopheryl succinate), anti-caking agent (silicon dioxide), niacin (as niacinamide), yeast (ribonucleic acid), calcium (as calcium amino acid chelate), bee pollen 10 mg, zinc (amino acid chelate), thickener (cellulose), vitamin B1 (as thiamine hydrochloride), vitamin B5 (as dicalcium panthenate), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), vitamin B6 (as pyridoxine HCl), vitamin B2 (as riboflavin), vitamin A (as retinol palmitate), folic acid, selenomethionine, biotin, vitamin D (as cholecalciferol), vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin).
CAUTION PHENYLKETONURICS: Contains 9.2 mg phenylalanine per serving.
USAGE INSTRUCTIONS AND DOSAGE: Take one capsule daily with a meal or glass of water. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied diet. A healthy lifestyle together with a varied and well balanced diet is very important for your well-being. This food supplement is not intended for children.
Keep cool, dry, closed and out of reach of young children.
For nutritional information, call (USA) 001 972 312 1100.
60 doses per package

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Keep your message clear

In order for people to understand what you are doing and more importantly, what the significance of this may be for them, keep your message clear. Especially when you have a more complicated business, product or subject to explain, this may be a challenge and put people off (which you ultimately don’t want). Tips to keep your message clear.

1. Have your central message ready at all times – and in one sentence. Exercise this and know sharply what the main aspect of your message is. This is not an elevator pitch, but your message in one sentence!
2. Keep it simple! Use normal language and undo the message from clutter. What is the main message you are saying – and what will this do in everyday language? Without professional lingo?
3. Use short sentences. When writing or speaking, short sentences force you to have your thoughts sharp. And short sentences – as well as short paragraphs – can’t be complicated too much!
4. 

   Message (Photo credit: phatcontroller)

   Give yourself time to think. This creates a silence, in which the people you are talking to have a little rest to understand what you are saying. And you can formulate the next sentence.

5. Stay logical. If you are writing, create a thought line and fill this in – from a start to the conclusion. When you go from the start to the conclusion in a logical move, using information that connects internally, chances are that your audience understands you better.
6. Keep your story factual and know your facts. This is more convincing. If you don’t know something, just say so and don’t invent a story around it. This often tends to be longer, vague and confusing.
7. When speaking: repeat. This means – tell your story a couple of times and everytime, use a slightly different dimension. The facts, an example from a real-world application or a client, and a summary from your own experience. Andrew Dlugan has an interesting outline of the Rule of Threes in speeching which goes even further.
8. Summarise. It’s often forgotten in speeches but also in your own communication, take the habit of summarising your key message.

Above, you could read tips on how to keep your message clear. There are many ways to do this and feel free to add your experience in the comment box below this article!

Related articles

• How Long Should My Sentences Be?
• People remember Facebook posts better than faces and book excerpts
• 9 Tips For Better Copywriting
• Do You Feel That Beat? How to Write Like a Songwriter

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Solar panels to cut costs in business

With the fragile economy in these times, you may be looking to cut costs in business. Best is of course to have barely any overhead (which is possible) by working with a good business model. They exist – just join one of our webinars to learn more. Most entrepreneurs however are looking into cutting existing costs. Enough options!

1. Think green. I don’t say you have to operate electrical cars (which could be a good option especially if you run short distances), however did you look at solar energy on your roof? Are there recycling options? Or options to use prints more often, print double-sided (just chech that mark by default)? How do you use water? Higher temperature in the room cost money for the heating. Can you use mugs instead of buying disposables? Be creative…
2. The new way of working. Instead of hiring staff, make use of services like virtual assistants who you don’t need to pay for when you don’t use them. They also don’t take office space. With the modern way of communications, this is possible to do. Some organisations work completely virtual, worldwide, or facilitated this. And if you need to have a team meeting, there are plenty of office sharing services to meet that you can rent for a couple of hours, a day and which are equipped with all communications to get ahead.
3. Advertising can be made measurable in effect if you include a coupon to test the responses to your ad. Or make use of the virtual options, like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. They require time to set up and maintain and make it possible to reach your market in an interactive way. You’d be surprised!
4. Try using FreeConfrenceCall.com or one of he many other free tele-conference services. Think of Skype, Google Hangouts. These services free (they make their money through rebates issued by the phone company) they are great for more than just business. Did you know that WebEx can be used for free up to three participants?
5. Trade Exchange allows you to save on cash and generating revenue (better than cutting costs). Barter is a no-brainer for most small businesses and these contacts may lead to paid business. Of course be aware not to give your business away.
6. Move files and storage offsite so you can fit in a smaller office space. Storage costs are much less in a giant warehouse than they are in your office.
7. VOIP for your phone system have low upfront costs (set up of service and purchase of hard phones and soft phone software) and low monthly cost bring free calling.
8. Print your own business cards. The card stock can be bought for a few tens of euros/dollars in any office supply store. You can get 200 to 300 cards per box depending on how proficient you are when it comes to printing. And think of using both sides of the cards!
9. Do It Faster and make more of your time. Instead of providing 40 minutes per coaching call, reduce it to 30 minutes. With less time you focus better and you can add another client to the daily schedule. Same results, less time, more money.
10. Have your web designer build the site with WordPress. It will look great and you can keep it up to date yourself instead of paying some-one for that work.
11. Referrals are the best source of strong clients… make use of networking organisations in your area (Chambers of Commerce, BNI groups, Junionr Chamber International (JCI) for under-40s, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.) and introduce yourself, your business, and your quality. Most organisations allow you to visit at least a couple of times before expecting you to join.
12. Negotiate. In tough economic times, vendors are often willing to work with long term, loyal customers. If you can pay early, ask for a discount. If you can’t pay on time, ask for an extension to stretch out cash flow. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by asking.

There are of course many more ways to cut costs. Share your tips below in a comment! I’m curious to hear about them.

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How to improve business in January

January normally suffers from the month of December which is often expensive for consumers and either slow after a busy December month for businesses. How can you give a business kick-off in this month? It does not need to be so difficult – and if you have additional experiences please share them in the comments!

1. In Sales: also choose for the runners! However it may be obvious to sell off the less-wanted items, you can negotiate special prices with your suppliers for the more popular items as they get people in your business. Maybe you don’t need to emphasise too much on the popular items but they may get some first attention.
2. An irresistible discount. A classic: according to merchandising and sales expert Debra Templar, a 5, 10 or 15% discount isn’t enough anymore. Aim for a 20–40 % discount on the majority of your sales lines. Discount overstocked items or slow sellers even more within your profit margin. In many retail outlets, this gets to discounts of up to 70%
3. Tell the world you are in business! Just email your customer database,
 put sales messaging on the home page of your website and
 think of a mailing to potential customers. Plan a series of communications during the month, highlighting different offers and the sale end date as a deadline for a sense of urgency. You even may have weekly or 14-days special promotions. In store, set up your window display and point-of-sale signage. From experience, handwritten signs may work better than prepared, printed ones. Try to experiment with this.
4. Cross-sell by suggesting additional purchases, accessories or upgrades. Gather the details of each new customer, so you can let them know about new products and promotions later in the year.
5. Plan ahead as small business owners tend to neglect long-range planning. If you have a business plan, update it to reflect your current goals. If you’ve never written a business plan, do so as it forces you to think about what you want to achieve in the year to come and beyond. And then: imprement. Don’t put that business plan in a drawer and forget about it. Set aside one hour a week to assess your progress toward the goals. Use this moment as an update for your partners and key employees, creating action steps and set deadlines for accomplishing them.
6. Give your website a makeover. Does your business’s website reflect what you do, or is the information outdated? Does it look current, or is it sporting a design template from 1999? Does it load easily on mobile devices so customers can access your business wherever they are? Just modernise your website. Using applications like WordPress make this possible very easy, by keeping the existing content.
7. Start socialising. No matter what your industry, almost any business can benefit from social media. If you aren’t currently using social media, resolve to try at least one social network in the new year. If you are active on social media, step it up a notch by learning more about your favorite social network, posting more often or adding more videos and photos to your mix. Using email, Facebook and Twitter to talk to your customers doesn’t cost you anything (other than your time). I a hotel or restaurant, you should carry on sending out photos of delicious dishes, recipe ideas and special offers to remind your customers of the enjoyable evening they had at your restaurant.
8. Upgrade your equipment. Whether it’s technology tools like tablets and smartphones or a new pizza oven for your restaurant, small changes can make a big difference to your bottom line. Decide what investment would have the biggest impact on your productivity and profits, and figure out a way to make it happen. Savings can be made in the lower energy costs of equipment, cars or a cheaper contract if you’re talking utilities or communications.
9. Celebrate success. No matter how busy you are, be sure to celebrate when important goals are achieved. Taking time out to recognise results will re-energize you and your team for the next challenge.
10. Do something special. A restaurant can offer a special menu lasting just for the month of January. You could even try running a poll on Facebook or ask for customers to email their suggestions on what they’d like to be added to your business as a service, product or for restaurants, on the menu. The option with the most votes wins and you can use it as an excuse to email out invites to come and enjoy the new deal. This is a great way of drumming up interest with customer participation, and without the costs of endless discounting.
11. Add a new line to your business! Is your focus worth looking a bit towards the sides? Are there more profitable systems? Can you do something (or more) online? Are there new markets that you could serve? Are there new business models that you could implement? Keep your eyes open, gather information and use the knowledge. If you always do what you always did, you always get what you’ve always had.

Did you use these tips? Did you like them? Do you have other examples? Share them in a comment!

Related articles

• Small business tips series: Is it worth writing a business plan?
• How To Make Location-Based Social Media Work for Your Business

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Good new year start

After Christmas, the thoughts mostly just move one week ahead, towards the good new year start. But how do you make a good start, businesswise or personal? The time between Christmas and the new year is perfect to reflect on the time to come as this normally is a quiet time. Use it effectively.

1. Set your goals. The goals should be ambitious and challenging. Probably an incentive to get outof the box, exploring fresh ground. Make the goals as factual as you can – how much do you want to increase your business, visualise what you want to achieve. And as important, when will you get there?
2. Establish which actions you need to achieve your goals. Do you need to find new clients or business partners? Which market will you open? Where will you meet them? Do you need to get training, to consult other people? Is there a programme you need to follow? You can make a mindmap to shape this: set the goal in the middle and create branches for the sub-goals and actions.
3. Diarise these actions. Be sure you allocate time to do what is needed to do. You can use a normal diary but you also can use online resources like agendas with added to do lists, actions and note options.
4. Evaluate. Often forgotten, but evaluate your progression on a daily/ weekly/ monthly/ trimester/ halfyear basis. What did you achieve? What did you miss out on? Why did you not achieve what you had planned? Is there room for improvement? Can you get back what you relatively were behind on? A good help is be to diarise the evaluation as well. This is rarely done.
5. Share your goals with other people. They help you reminding of the goals and keep asking where you are. They also can help achieving your goals or they know people or resources that will contribute.
6. Think action rather than procedure. You can’t progress if you get stuck in planning. Nike’s slogan is ‘Just do it’. You always can correct what you did wrongly, but at least you have done something and have the experience (and likely: results) from the action.
7. Don’t be afraid of people! Does this sound strange to you? Many people fear contacting other people as they may hear the ‘no’ word. Why would this stop you? They also may have bright ideas, contacts and referrals, suggestions to improve if they can not help you directly and themselves. Extend your network – and interaction is the best way of doing this.

The list can be longer. I also realise that I am missing out loads of useful aspects contributing to a good new year start. What additional tips do you have? What will be your goal? Don’t be afraid to share it in the comment section below!

Related articles

• So far so good?
• Not Achieving Your Goal? Check out these 5 life-changing reasons (Reason #1)
• 5 Magical Tips for Achieving Your Goals
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Looking forward making growth plans for 2013

This is a great time to reflect and to think about the year to come. First of all, we want to share our reflection on last year.

For the next year, we will commit for further expansion. We are to grow our organisation with 12 business partners, each of them aiming to earn 200,000 euro/year in three years time working with us in a growing and promising market. This is the contribution we will make and we see it as important value that in this time, that we can help people creating their income stream independent of the economy. We see that as growth plans that make most sense as this is touching the basics of your life. At the same time, we help them through our business to achieve a better balance in fysical, mental and financial health.

We also are to strengthen our links with charities. We are already supporting Nothing but Nets and we thank all of you helping us supporting this organisation doing good work preventing kids getting malaria. Our eyes are open for new charities to support, especially for Liz when she is running in various marathons.

You will see us in various events, from JCI, business gatherings and in the Chaine des Rotisseurs. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

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