Amazon’s Modern Retail Experience: How to Build a Future-Proof Shop

As usual, January kicked off with several articles detailing disappointing Christmas retail sales and the imminent death of the high street.

But this year, there was also a surprising bright spot amongst the usual fearmongering reports.

Amazon Go

We’re talking about the Amazon Go concept store.

Launched last December, the new bricks-and-mortar shop raised the hopes of entrepreneurs around the world.

Basically, shoppers download a free app, scan it as they enter, pick up their items and go – their Amazon account will be billed automatically, and an email receipt sent. No cashiers, no queues, no payment points.

This modern setup hints at how tech could be used to breathe life back into the retail industry.…

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3 Ways Your Small Business Could Be At Risk For Fraud

Fraud is one of those words that can put the fear into even the most confident of businesses. Being a victim of fraud within your small business can be a real kiss of death if you’re not able to rectify any damage done and make up for your losses. So to help your business stay one step ahead of those who’d like to defraud your company, here are three ways in which your small business could be at risk of fraud.

Fraud alert

Unauthenticated Callers

If your business is one of the millions that does any portion of your business over the phone, you could be at risk for fraud in this arena.…

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5 Tips to Save on Printing Costs in the Office

The printer is one of the most used pieces of office equipment. Whether its copies of a resume for an interview or notices for employees, you’ll always have to print something. The problem is that printing isn’t exactly cheap.

Businesswoman printing documents

Fortunately, there are ways to save on your office printing costs, from the cartridges you empty to the paper you use. Here are five tips:

1. Use printers with separate cartridge slots

There’s nothing more expensive than replacing an entire printer cartridge when one ink color runs out. If your printer is an older model that combines ink types into one cartridge, then it might be time to replace it.…

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How Content Marketing Can Reach Targeted Customers

Despite continued reports of its death, content marketing is alive and well and remains one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. Types and modes of delivery continue to evolve, spurred on by changes in the way consumers engage with brands, but the concept remains the same. Researching your audience, identifying an ideal market and delivering the content they want when they need it influences purchase decisions and builds brand loyalty.

Content strategy

To target your content to the consumers with the most interest in your products and services, consider these best practices as you plan your online marketing strategy.…

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SEO For Your Startup: Tips and Tricks

Search engine rankings, and the methods by which one achieves quality rankings, has always been an organic, ever-changing process rather than a simple and straightforward to-do list. From obvious, announced algorithm adjustments and overhauls to more subtle shifts, it can be pretty difficult as an entrepreneur to understand how to attain good rankings. Between keeping track of update names like Penguin and Panda alongside a laundry list of acronyms, it can sometimes give even seasoned SEOs a headache.

Startup SEO tips and tricks

This isn’t meant to scare you away: SEO can be hard, but like any other element of building a startup, is also very rewarding.…

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Smart Ways to Manage International Transactions for Your Small Business

Having an international presence is one of the best choices a small business can make.

With the international consuming class expected to grow by 75% to 4.2 billion people by 2025, expanding your operations overseas will give you the opportunity to capitalize on international demand and enhance sales potential of your current offerings.

International transaction

In addition, you get to source products from low-cost countries and recruit skilled individuals.

But while global expansion increases your potential for growth, it’s not without challenges. A major one is international payments. Conventional banks often put hefty fees on international transactions for businesses. Also, managing business finances across multiple currencies is no easy feat.…

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The Million Dollar Dog: Pet Industry Gold Mines

Money has gone to the dogs – but in a good way. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Americans spent about $62.75 billion on their furry, feathered or finned friends, including dogs.

Dog business

The APPA note that 54.4 million homes have pets. That means that even if home included only one person, over 54.4 million customers are looking to make their pets’ lives fun and healthy.

Why the Increase in Dog Ownership?

The APA do frequent surveys of American households to see what is new in pet trends. In 2013, they noted that dog ownership hit an all-time high of 56.7 million homes.…

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The Baby Boomer Business Continues to Grow

Conventional wisdom has long held that when it comes to making money on a product, it pays to market it to young people. In our youth-obsessed society, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Baby boomer

Companies typically focus on younger demographics not only because they could become customers for life but because they tend to be more tech-savvy and more willing to try new things. As the baby boomer generation enters its golden years, however, a major shift is occurring.

Baby boomers rule!

In 2015, there were more than 75.4 million baby boomers alive in the U.S.–and they aren’t done buying things. According to the AARP, in fact, as of 2013, the U.S.…

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Corporate Billing Errors Cost Consumers Millions

Some corporations process customer billing in-house, but others pay 3rd-party services or even outsource their billing to foreign lands in order to save money. No matter how corporate billing is done, it’s a mistake to think that billing today is computerized and accurate.

Billing errors

Companies of all sizes make mistakes; even a single missed keystroke can wind up over-charging customers. Sometimes errors in the system go on unchecked for months, and wind up costing customers millions of dollars.

Telecom Errors

Cable TV, phone, internet, and so on are essential services today. However, there are some common telecom billing errors that customers should watch out for.…

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17 Small Business Dilemmas and Its Solutions for Budding Entrepreneurs this 2017

Startups face a lot of challenges. Sadly, some don’t triumph over these challenges and end up closing down. We are here to help new entrepreneurs by taking into account 17 of the most common small business challenges, and how these problems can be solved.

Small business challenges

1. Thinking of the right business

Coming up with the right business idea is on top of the list of the challenges that new entrepreneurs safe. This is also perhaps one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenges there are. It is hard to think of a business that you will have to commit to, and one that will survive.…

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