Author: mikelebus

Infographic – Social Media Is Not Only For Marketing Your Business

Today it’s not enough for small businesses to solely use social media for their immediate marketing needs.  They need to sew it through the fabric of their entire business strategies – from customer service to collecting and prioritizing ideas – in order to derive the most value.

This infographic from Get Satisfaction shows how small businesses can go beyond just marketing by using well-set social media channels to respond immediately, 24/7, to customer concerns while projecting a more personal approach to customer service.

First ever Imperial Startup Weekend a huge success

Angel Investment Network were delighted to be involved as both judges and mentors at the first ever Imperial Startup Weekend, which saw 65 budding Entrepreneurs assemble in the basement of Skempton Building, Imperial College. A total of 10 teams worked on new business ideas for 54 hours in a frenzy of customer validation, business model planning, coding and design.

Here is some info from Stuart Brameld, Event Director about the companies and teams at the event:

1. Giglist (Winners)

Team Members: Tomasz Nguyen, Phil Thomas, Sahil Chugani

Giglist is the website all music festival lovers have been waiting for. It gives festivalgoers the ability to hear every artist in the line-up of any festival, all within the simplicity of one site. Users can then create and share giglists with friends.

Giglist takes festival playlists and artists, organises them neatly into stagelists and interfaces with Soundcloud enabling users to play individual tracks or whole stage lists.

The team had some great conversations with mentors from GoSquared and The Angel Investment Network before getting down to work. Tomasz used the same frameworks as Pinterest along with various APIs to provide the required functionality and, on a mission to have a working prototype by the time the team pitched to the judges, was still coding during the final presentations.

A number of the judges expressed a keen interest in the business and Giglist are already in discussion with music industry professionals about licensing and taking their product to market.

A number of the judges expressed a keen interest in the business and Giglist are already in discussion with music industry professionals about licensing and taking their product to market. You can follow their progress on the Giglist landing page giglist.it  and on twitter@mygiglist.

2. ShopMyBlog (Runners Up)

With a relatively large team comprising 7 people including ideator Emma Walker, ShopMyBlog set out to devise a revolutionary experience to easily and effectively monetise the blogging world.

The team created a unique solution not reliant on the traditional advertising methods widely used today and had a working prototype by the Sunday evening final. More information is available at shopmyblog.com and on Twitter @ShopMyBlog.

3. Fair Helper (3rd Place)

After a strong initial pitch by ideator Franco Leoni, the Fair Helper team formed to find a unique solution to remove the hassle and cost of visiting trade shows. The idea was based on a problem Franco himself had experienced earlier in the year.

Fair Helper enables interaction between business people who lack the time and money to attend trade fairs or expos outside of their country, and local students who want to earn extra money and learn more about business. Students are equipped with the latest technologies, enabling real-time video conferencing, which provides an experience similar to that of visiting in person.

The Fair Helper team performed an impressive amount of market validation over the weekend, visiting a number of trade shows and events to glean real-world customer feedback.

For more information contact info@fairhelper.com or visit their website www.fairhelper.co.uk.

4. Blacklist

Founded by ideator Val Lefebvre, Blacklist is a digital megaphone, enabling inidividuals to blacklist brands or products they have had a bad experience with. The teams vision is to bring more transparency between consumers and brands, enabling increasingly aligned interactions.

Anyone with a web-enabled device can go to blacklist.co and check-out, browse or search what’s happening with consumer reactions on brands, products and services.

The team used tools and technologies including Photoshop, Fireworks, backbonejs, jquery mobile, HTML5 and CSS3.

To learn more visit this online demo available here. You can also follow the team on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.

5. Yini

Yini is a photo sharing app with a focus on online privacy allowing to feel confident about protecting the content they share. Yini app is a platform providing a variety of social features on a range of existing storage solutions such as Dropbox, Google Drive or the users own server.  It allows users to share media online with unparalleled confidence and security.

An iPhone minimum viable product (MVP) was developed using Dropbox, Python and Objective-C which provided sharing and commenting features. The prototype was built on Dropbox and utilised existing shared folders and data security.

For more information view the team’s presentation slides and check out their website at  yini.co.

6. Data Sherpa

Founded by John Sandall, Data Sherpa is an online set of tools that help users to explore, visualise and analyse data, providing deep insight and statistical testing. Aimed at those who have data but have limited knowledge of statistics, Data Sherpa guides the user through the process of extracting meaning from data and drilling down to what’s really going on.

With James Gill (GoSquared) as one of the mentors, the team benefited from his advice and support, with technical conversation focusing on the pros and cons of utilising frameworks and library’s such as D3.js, Square, the Rickshaw framework and Pandas. The team built a prototype with Django and Python while using bootstrap for the front-end. For more information visit Data Sherpa

7. Tripbook

How much time does it take to plan a multi-destination trip? Planning such trips isn’t easy and the team’s research indicated the process can take up to 48 hours, with many chosing to just pay a travel agent to plan the trip for them.

Tripbook comprises a mix of developers, designers and MBA students, including ideator Karan Gajwani, all of whom love travelling. Over the weekend the team built a platform that, given a set of cities, will calculate the cheapest and most time efficient route, together with prices and transport options.

With an example of 5 cities the algorithm analyses 120 possible routes and compares prices and journey lengths. In gathering data the platform talks to various APIs and scrapes website data to add intelligence to the results. The team is now working to improve accuracy of the algorithm while making the site more user friendly through integrations with Facebook, Foursquare and Twitter.

You can follow the team’s progress on blog.tripminded.com and contact them through info@tripminded.com.

8. Path

Founded by Chris Edson, Path set out to solve the problem of managing diabetes with the team having a wide-range of expertise and experience in the field.

There are currently over 3 million people in the UK living with diabetes which, if not managed correctly, can result in a variety of life-threatening complications.

Dealing with these complications costs the NHS around £8 billion every year. However, if the disease is managed correctly, these complications can be significantly reduced and, in some cases, completely avoided.

Path is working to design a web and mobile self-management platform for diabetics to take control of their disease, reducing the footprint that diabetes puts on their life and ensuring they’re taking the necessary steps to stay healthy. The team is also planning to utilise various products currently on the market to assist in managing exercise, bloody sugar and other health indicators. The application is unique in utilising user data to predict future complications that may arise through poor management of the condition.

Keep up to date with Path at https://ourpath.co, take their diabetes survey and view their Prezi presentation from the final pitch. For more information contact chris@ourpath.co.

 

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Seizing Singapore’s Advantage as a Gateway to Asia

Dubbed as the ‘Asian Century’, the economic growth of Asia is seeing no signs of distress. China and India are not the only stars of this sparkling economic skyscape but smaller economies are emerging as the rising starlets. The economic might of Asia is growing in mammoth proportion; it is both a destination and a source of investments. Hence, you can also Interim Home Healthcare Franchise  to promote economic growth. The upward trajectory of Asian economy is unperturbed by the turbulence in the west and this is evident from the increased FDI inflows into the Asian economies. Closer scrutiny of the FDI inflows reveals that China is loosing steam and ASEAN is closing in on the race for FDI. South East Asia’s share of the global FDI inflow has risen to 7.6% almost close to the 8.1% share of China, the largest FDI recipient globally.

For global companies and entrepreneurs that are keen to explore and get into the investment opportunities in Asian economies, Singapore has become the ideal gateway and a preferred jurisdiction to establish a holding company. Following is a snapshot of the key merits of Singapore as a gateway to Asia.

Extensive double-tax treaty network

Singapore boasts of an extensive Double Tax Agreement (DTA) network, to date 70 DTAs have been established with key trading partners. Such a network is extremely important when investing in foreign jurisdictions as it prevents double taxation of income and paves way for a reduced tax burden in the form of lowered withholding taxes and preferential tax treatments. Single tier taxation system prevails in Singapore therefore dividends at the hands of the shareholders are not subjected to taxes.

Attractive tax regime

Singapore has an attractive tax regime, with a headline corporate tax of 17% and a progressive personal tax rate capped at 20% (above S $320,000) that is charged on a territorial basis. In addition regional head quarter tax concession scheme, sector specific tax concessions and zero tax for capital gains and dividends attract international conglomerates as well as foreign SMEs.

100% ownership allowed

Singapore allows 100% foreign ownership, except for a few primary sectors (such as insurance, banking, media etc.); therefore a foreign company may establish a Singapore Limited Liability Company also known as a subsidiary company in Singapore and retain 100% of the shareholding. Such local subsidiary companies are entitled to most of the tax concessions and privileges similar to that of a local company. Foreign companies can also establish Branch Offices and Representative Offices depending upon what suits them better for their expansion plans. It must be noted that Singapore boasts of one of the world’s fastest company startup process.

Strong IP framework

Companies operating in high-tech sectors and new age industries gravitate to Singapore to harbor their R&D assets because of the republic’s robust Intellectual Property (IP) rights regime. As ITIF demonstrated in its report The Global Innovation Policy Index, Singapore offers top-tier IP protections similar to those in other developed countries and has strengthened them in recent years. This is in stark contrast to most other Asian countries that lack any serious respect for international IP laws. For example, the piracy rate for software is over 85 percent in Indonesia, 80 percent in Vietnam, and 70 percent in Thailand.

Strategic Location with world-class infrastructure

Singapore is strategically located on the corridor of East and West and therefore commands superb connectivity with a superior flights network and frequency. Most of the commercial centers of the region are just a short flight away. As a transportation hub, Singapore’s Airport and Seaport have received several accolades, and these endorse the logistic efficiency of the island state, which has evolved into an important trading hub in the region.

Singapore is a modern, clean and extremely efficient country with an excellent infrastructure and world-class communications. It has a very cohesive social system that upholds the cultural values amidst its cosmopolitan outlook. Singapore’s top class educational system with several international schools and reputed universities having campuses here, vibrant social life, low crime rate, countless dining and entertainment options etc., make it a top choice among expatriates who admire high standards of living.  According to Human Rights First services, Singapore immigration policy welcomes highly qualified, experienced and skilled professionals and there are several relocation options available to them and their families in the form of Employment Pass, Entrepreneur Pass, Dependent Pass, etc.

Efficient enterprise ecosystem

The enterprise ecosystem is well developed for all the key sectors. As an international financial center most of the global financial institutions and foreign banks are represented in Singapore. Efficient and highly qualified and skilled foreign talent complements Singapore’s competent English speaking local workforce and together they have pushed up the productivity and are capable of tackling any challenges. The multi skilled, multi lingual ad multi cultural human capital of Singapore is commendable for its versatility.

Singapore’s legal system is efficient, transparent and is continuously evolving to remain relevant to the changing global political, social and economic situation. The judicial system largely embraced the British common law, however it is constantly reviewed and compared with the other mature legal systems globally and revised accordingly. Singapore’s courts, legal professionals and commercial jurisprudence have all gained a reputation for efficiency, integrity, neutrality and competence therefore when entering into contracts foreign companies, investors and other stakeholders increasingly choose Singapore as the preferred arbitration destination to resolve disputes.

In conclusion, Singapore incessantly punches above its weight and offers a host of strategic merits for commercial enterprises and investors seeking vantage jurisdictions to ride the Asian growth wave.

This is a guest post by Janus Corporate Solutions, a leading Singapore-based firm that provides comprehensive range of Singapore business incorporation, accounting, tax and immigration services to entrepreneurs and businesses worldwide.

Infographic – How Sales Messaging Affects Conversion Rates

This infographic provides information for online sales and marketing tactics. It shows the different buttons on an internet shopping site and shows which messages and buttons produce more sales and which negatively effect sales. It shows the different tactics such as wording and button colour.

 that online sales sites use in order to produce the most sales on their sites.

 

Infographic – What Really Motivates Employees?

It’s no secret that happy, satisfied employees are a key ingredient to a successful company. But what really motivates people? Traditional thinking follows that the more you pay someone the more loyal and satisfied they are in their job.

But, the truth behind employee motivation is a more complicated mix including praise, autonomy, and leadership opportunities. Take a look at the infographic below for more on the many factors involved in motivating employees.

Infographic – Everything you need to know about Dragons’ Den in one excellent stat attack

From Oriental dipping sauces to a car parking space lettings agency, from a sausage manufacturing company to ice cream for dogs – the most recent series (can you believe it was the tenth?) of Dragons’ Den has continued to show that where there’s tat, there’s brass.

Or so the Dragons – Hilary Devey, Duncan Bannatyne. Deborah Meaden, Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones – hope, anyway.

Freshly updated to reflect all of the investments made right up to the wire of last night’s final episode, our lovely infographic has all the DD stats you could ever hope for.

Wonder how much each Dragon is worth? We got that in pic and word from, scroll down for a look.

Need, need, need to know exactly how much dosh the rich ones have ploughed into their top combined investments? Well, we wouldn’t tease you like that without following up, that’s below too.

Have a passing interest in the most successful companies that have gone on to thrive after missing out on the Dragons’ dollars? You should know by now which direction we’re going to point you in…

Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/dragons-den-2012-infographic-everything-1470843

Infographic – Business confidence among SMEs is high for the next year

SMEs in the UK, US, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands were, overall, confident of a successful year ahead for their businesses. The infographic revealed that 48% of SMEs felt confident, as opposed to 27% who were inclined to be more pessimistic.

High percentages – 75% – were hopeful about their businesses not making any redundancies in the forthcoming year. There was a similar positive feeling about recruitment also.

Around a third of SMEs admitted to losing sleep because of worrying about financial issues. But, a similar percentage saw the difficult financial times as a reason to work harder and to become more efficient – and so consequently enable a better chance of future success.

There were big differences, as regards the confidence of SMEs in individual countries. 61% of Dutch SMEs were confident about the next year, but only 28% of Spanish SMEs were. French SMEs optimism was also low, on 35%. Germany, the US, and UK joined the Netherlands in being confident about the next twelve months. In Germany, 59% felt positive, and 55% in the US, and 47% in the UK were also optimistic.

The research, by Hiscox business insurance, showed that Spanish SMEs were also generally worried about issues such as personal bankruptcy and increased stress levels. Germany (58%) and the US (50%) had recorded increased profits, with 54% of British SMEs being happy with the progress of their business.

Source: https://www.business2community.com/infographics/infographic-offers-some-business-cheer-from-smes-0327183

Lack of Planning: the Number One Reason why Angel Investors say No

Seeking financial support from an angel investor should be mutually advantageous. Investors are looking for great opportunities in which to invest and make money, while entrepreneurs may have great ideas but no capital. Angel investors do refuse investment opportunities and for all sorts of reasons, it may well be because they don’t consider the idea a viable one, or it is just not something that has grabbed their attention. However, sometimes the idea may well be a great one, but the investor still says no, simply because the entrepreneur hasn’t done their homework.

Pitching an investment opportunity, no matter how great the idea, requires plenty of planning. All too often, entrepreneurs go into a pitch cold and are shocked as to why the investor has declined the opportunity. They may well be onto a winner, but have been refused simply because they have not prepared properly and considered the needs of the investor, and this poor planning soon becomes evident.

Poor pitch

The pitch is something many people looking for investment fret about, and yet it should be simple, after all, it is your business idea and if you can’t explain it, nobody else can. If you can’t explain your business idea to somebody, you can’t expect that person to want to invest. An angel investor needs to know what they are plowing their money into, so the pitch should be succinct and concise and should clearly explain what your business is about both as an outline and in detail. For instance, say you intend to provide a European wedding service where you help people get married in romantic places such as Paris, Rome or Venice and do all the arrangements for them. Your pitch should detail what exactly it is your business offers, so you should explain that for a fee you take care of everything. You organize the necessary documentation and visas, sort through the European bureaucracy, organize the photographer, buy euros on the behalf of the couple, book the hotels and arrange the flights.

Once you have set up the business idea, you need to have also planned for any questions. For instance, after pitching the European wedding idea, an investor may ask what happens if the hotels are all booked, or do you charge commission for buying euros or booking the hotel? What happens if the couple changes their mind? If you can’t answer these questions then you can’t expect the angel investor to want to give you any money.

Poor business plan

Too many people asking investors for money have either a poor business plan or none at all. A business plan should outline not just the initial idea, but also outline every aspect of the aims for the business and possible threats. This should include how it will be marketed, operational information such as where you will be based, the running and set up costs, possible threats to the business, any potential barriers to success, a sales forecast over three years, and what return you are offering for any investment.

Of course, if it is a new business you may have no idea of what your sales forecast or costs may be. However, an investor will have expected you to research similar ideas and come up with at least a realistic estimate. Most investors will want to scrutinize or question your business plan so make sure you have done your homework and you business plan contains as much information as possible.

Overvaluing the business

You may think you have a million dollar idea, but that doesn’t mean you should value your business at a million dollars. If you ask an angel investor for $100,000 for a ten percent share of your business, you will probably find the investor either laughs or walks away. You need to be realistic, while you may think the business has the potential to earn millions, an investor will look at what the business is worth at the moment. If you have few assets and limited sales, your business is not going to be worth very much. A more realistic figure for a start up to offer an investor will be around 50%. While this may sound steep, without investment, your million-dollar idea will essentially be worthless. Furthermore, any investment is a risk to the angel investor, and the potential share should reflect this.

No exit strategy

While your business idea may become your whole life and is all you think about, it won’t be the angel investor’s, and there is a chance he or she doesn’t want to be tied to you and your business forever. Most investors will want you to offer them an exit strategy and a time limit on the investment where they will get their money back and be able to walk away. An angel investor is just that, an investor, they are not your partners so don’t plan on them wanting to stay with you forever. Make sure you have planned for the future, both positively and negatively. You may think things won’t go wrong, but an angel investor probably won’t share the same optimism, so ensure you have a strict time limit as to when you will be able to pay them back.

This is a guest post by Eve Pearce (https://andalemono.com/)

Infographic – Why Do Investors Prefer LinkedIn To Twitter And Facebook?

Did you know that some five million affluent investors use social media to research financial decisions, and almost three times as many of those choose LinkedIn over Facebook, Twitter and Google+ combined?

73 percent of investors use LinkedIn for financial analysis, ahead of topic-specific discussion boards (53 percent). Facebook, Google+ and Twitter account for just 26 percent of investor attention.

Investors stated that what they want most from social media is relevant and timely content, greater transparency and real-time interaction and conversation.

The survey, which was – surprise, surprise – conducted by LinkedIn, found that LinkedIn members were 23 percent more likely to have IRA accounts, 32 percent more likely to have a 401(k) and 40 percent more likely to invest in mutual funds.

Investors were also 157 percent more likely to trust articles shared on LinkedIn than on any other platform.

Source: https://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-investors_b25778

Infographic – Social Media vs Traditional Media

Social media has rapidly integrated itself into our everyday lives, both personal and professional, and it’s perhaps had no greater impact than on the world of marketing, with consumers and brands seeing enormous benefits and changes.

But how does social media compare to traditional marketing? What are the pros and cons of each?

The advantages of social media marketing are numerous.

  1. It’s cheaper. A lot cheaper. You can reach 1,000 people for a fraction of the cost using social media than you can through television, billboards or even email
  2. Social media is the only marketing platform that allows you to engage and interact with your consumers – it’s a two-way relationship, which can be hugely lucrative for brands
  3. The results are measurable, and marketers can take immediate action to spot trends and re-align campaigns

It’s not all gravy, though. Social media campaigns can be time consuming and the impact can disseminate very quickly, whereas traditional marketing campaigns, certainly in television, can produce short term results that have greater tangibility.

This infographic from Kuhcoon.com takes a closer look at social media vs traditional marketing.

Source: https://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/social-vs-traditional-media-marketing_b25389