Snapchat Is Buying an Israeli Augmented Reality Startup
Tech Coast Angels Leads $2M Funding of Echo Labs
Warning signs your job is at risk
Warning signs your job is at risk.
The biggest of these have been driven by technology, which has altered the way we work.
‘Anyone, anywhere, anytime’ is the new approach to work.
They are low on employment.
The skills that make employers queue up are niche skills.
People with niche skills are self-taught.
The best projects go to people like you, but not to you.
Those who have got hikes are all people who are working on the projects that matter to the company.
Nobody reviews your work: If your work is critical to the organisation, several leaders will be keen to know what you have been up to.
Company is not investing in updating your skills: It is in the interest of the organisation to have employees who possess cutting-edge skills.
Logistics startup Shadowfax raises $10Mn in Series B round from Eight Roads Ventures
Logistics startup Shadowfax raises $10Mn in Series B round from Eight Roads Ventures.
This capital infusion comes from existing investor Eight Roads Ventures, an investment arm of Fidelity International.
The company has built a differentiated technology platform and diversified from being a food-only delivery player to now delivering for grocery, pharmacy and e-commerce clients.
Abhishek Bansal, CEO of Shadowfax, said: Our key focus areas in delivery include food, grocery and ecommerce related deliveries, which have an equal division of revenues coming from each vertical.
He further added that the startup is operationally profitable and is expecting the company to be at a break-even point in around four to five months.
It is also planning to add over 10 cities in the next 12 months.
As per the company, it processes close to 30,000 orders per day with an average cost structure of Rs 55 per order across categories.
The platform also serves as the same-day or next-day delivery partner for e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon Prime.
Shadowfax had raised $8.5 million from Eight Roads Ventures in September 2015 as a part of its Series A round of funding.
The company also counts Snapdeal co-founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal as angel investors.
Santa Claus announces his 2016 good and bad kids list of Indonesian startup scene
Why job loss is a real threat and how to manage finances, career if you are dismissed
If you are laid off for external reasons and you are good at your work, any company will be ready to hire you without taking advantage of your situation.
Globally, MNCs have been announcing cuts for the past few months, with Cisco axing 14,000 jobs, Microsoft 4,700 and IBM 5,000 staffers.
High & low: Employment growth in corporate sector in 2015-16 Industries with growth above 10% Industries with negative growth (%) Source: CARE Ratings.
In India, the impact began small, with startups like Flipkart and Ola letting go of several hundred staffers, but is now becoming more pronounced due to demonetisation.
“The impact of demonetisation on hirings in the formal sector is about 5-6%, with the worst affected being the small manufacturing units and SMSE sector,” says Neeti Sharma, Senior Vice-President, TeamLease.
“But it may be a short-term impact, with the situation likely to normalise in about six months’ time,” she adds.
In fact, according to a CARE Ratings study of employment among 2,112 corporates across sectors, employment witnessed 1.6% growth in 2016 after a marginal decline in 2015.
Reasons for job loss The reasons for lay-offs can be macro or micro.
If you are laid off for external reasons and you are good at your work, any company will be ready to hire you without taking advantage of your situation.
Warning signs your job is at risk How to survive and recover from job loss How to ensure your job is secure
3 Things Successful Leaders Do to Get Out of a Rut
3 Things Successful Leaders Do to Get Out of a Rut.
I have seen countless authors cite statistics that say 80 to 90 percent of startups fail within the first 18 months.
I never do, and neither do most people.
In fact, the numbers are not quite as dire in a 2016 article cited research by the Statistic Brain Research Institute, which broke down startup failure rates by industry after four years.
And whether it is marketplace demands, knowing exactly what your clients expect or how to improve your product/service offerings or sales approach, you can avoid that rut and keep your growth momentum by getting close to the details and doing the following things.
But because many entrepreneurs focus on selling, they don’t spend enough time evaluating the features/benefits of their existing products and services.
Remember, whether you’re in a b-to-b or b-to-c business, people don’t buy products; they buy solutions.
They don’t buy cars; they buy a way to get to work or enhance their image.” To avoid these traps, buckle down and take a fresh look at your sales techniques – and get all your team involved.
Be a Better Businessperson Yes, being a successful entrepreneur requires you to have strong business acumen, but just because you can sell or market something doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a good businessperson.
Sure you can hire people to do these things for you.
As valuations plunge, startups asked to shell out more in tax
Will Mobile Apps Change How We Interact With Ecommerce Websites?
Will Mobile Apps Change How We Interact With Ecommerce Websites?.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday mobiles sales were over the top, with top online retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart releasing numbers that mobile has opened a new era of online shopping, with its tumultuous contribution on their online sales via exclusive mobile app deals.
Flipkart has dared to go where other sites won’t try; an app-only ecommerce store in India.
Because a mobile app is considerably lighter than a desktop website, user experience can be improved.
Aside from that, mobile apps for ecommerce sites are far easier to navigate than mobile websites on a phone’s browser.
They actually expect more known brands to have a dedicated app.
That being the case, companies should see the need to come up with a mobile app to increase their reach and engagement, on a channel that is used by a lot of potential customers.
With mobile apps, it will also be easier to collect data from the user for you to be able to understand their behavior better.
With the help of mobile analytics tools, you can make use of these data to further personalize the shopping experience of mobile app users.
Mobile apps will continue to change how shopping is done True enough, these reasons are enticing consumers to utilize mobile apps instead of mobile websites.
3 Unexpected Ways Reading Personal Development Books Changed My Life
3 Unexpected Ways Reading Personal Development Books Changed My Life.
Here are three ways reading books completely changed my life: 1.
I hear things like “How can reading change your life” or “Books are just wasted paper; why do you read them?” Before I ever read my first self-help book, I thought I had a fairly decent mindset.
Within three months of reading my first book, I went on to read 10 more.
You start following people who have the same mindset as you.
This eventually leads to having more positive relationships with people you encounter.
They have great ideas but they never take action and eventually end up working in a job they most likely don’t enjoy.
Seven years later, I started self-educating by reading books that would help me in life.
If it wasn’t for reading and expanding my mind, I probably would’ve never started writing and if I did, I’m not so sure I would’ve been able to see the opportunities that nobody else could see.
Open your mind, start reading a book that can help you, and implement what you read.
The Biochemical Reason Helping Others Is Good for You
The Biochemical Reason Helping Others Is Good for You.
David Meltzer, CEO of Sports 1 Marketing, studies the art and energy of giving.
In this moving video, he passes along the health benefits—both physical and mental—that helping others can bring you.
Watch, learn and get inspired.
How Tech and Data are Transforming Small Businesses (Infographic)
How Tech and Data are Transforming Small Businesses (Infographic).
As technology and data continually impact how small business owners conduct and operate their businesses, there will be new opportunities to transform business functions and leverage these capabilities for business growth.
See how businesses are already changing and how technology can serve as an enabler to uncovering new ways to be successful.
Small Business Funding
Flipkart co-founders bet big on startups with futuristic ideas
The latest such company the Flipkart cofounders have backed is Pandorum Technologies, which has found a way to 3D-print experimental-stage human liver tissues in a laboratory.
The two Bansals are also finalising another investment in a startup that makes implants, which would mark their fourth funding deal into a healthcare startup.
Overall, one-fourth of the two dozen or so companies in their combined investment portfolios are working on similar deep technology ideas, making the Bansals a rare breed of investors not averse to taking risky bets that can spur truly disruptive innovation. “In India, core sectors like healthcare, education and supply chain will be disrupted (by emerging) technology… Those (startups) don’t get funding easily while consumer internet companies do,” Binny Bansal said.
Founded in 2011 by Arun Chandru and Tuhin Bhowmick, who were both research scholars at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, Pandorum designs and manufactures functional human tissues intended for medical research.
Until now, Pandorum has been dependent on grants from the government funding agency Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, which makes for a longer process than securing equity funding.
Electric bike maker Ather Energy’s chief executive Tarun Mehta met Sachin Bansal in 2014 to ask if he would put in $500,000 of the $1million the company was seeking to raise.
Ather had developed only a basic prototype of the scooter at the time but that didn’t deter Bansal.
While Sachin Bansal is more interested in futuristic startups working on things like artificial intelligence, Binny Bansal said he is more focused on areas like healthcare.
It’s not as if they have not invested in consumer internet companies or that all their investments have been successful.
How to Get the Media Hooked On Your Company
But with everyone’s products vying for media attention, how do you go about getting their interest to secure coverage for your product?
Know your media.
Some ideas I’ve used successfully have been: Calendar Hook: Valentine’s Day Subject Line: Did you know you could meet Mr.
likes to know you’re paying attention and a personalized pitch that shows you’ve done your homework is a great way to do that.
Be sure to list ALL media you’ve done, even if they’re no longer on the air.
Blogging If you are promoting your product, you need a blog.
Media people are tasked with the sometimes impossible job of finding the exact right expert for their topic.
Your building blocks consist of your website, your social media, your blog and any pitching you’ve done for yourself.
If you start off with a solid foundation, you could market your product for years – or as long as its relevant.
You can take off, too – because no matter how much we see in social media, our traditional media is still in need of good stories, great experts, and unique insight.
9 Ways to Make Your Customers Happy (Infographic)
9 Ways to Make Your Customers Happy (Infographic).
Customer satisfaction is vital to keeping your company afloat.
Without customers, how would you make any money?
Bad customer service can cost a business a lot.
Just this year, poor customer service cost businesses in the U.S. $83 billion.
And not only does it affect companies’ profits, but it can also result in lost clients and a bad reputation.
If you’re worried about money and wary of an investment in good customer service — here’s a hopeful statistic: 86 percent of consumers say they would pay more for a better customer service experience.
From simply asking your customers how their day is to sending handwritten notes — there are a number of ways your company can boost customer happiness.
To learn more, check out Headway Capital’s infographic below.
How to Change Careers in 2017
How to Change Careers in 2017.
Seth M. Siegel started his career as a copywriter.
He then became a lawyer before taking on an executive marketing role.
This Broadway producer, mobile entertainment executive, best-selling author and businessman has held seven job titles in seven different industries.
While some may look at Siegel’s “hopscotch career” as a negative, he believes learning different skills in areas he is passionate about has made him successful.
In this video, he shares his advice for anyone looking to take a career leap in 2017.
Watch more videos from Jessica Abo on her YouTube channel here.
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How to Retain More Customers Without Spending a Dime
A startup business needs a constant supply of new customers to survive.
But once you do get that customer base going, your next step is to establish a balance between maintaining current customers and scouting out new ones.
This is especially true when it comes to paying by credit card.
Credit card payments have been standard business procedure for over 30 years now, yet some startups still make it difficult for consumers to make payments via Visa or MasterCard, tacking on extra charges or making customers jump through unnecessary hoops.
The technology is out there right now to let your customers make a credit card payment as easy and fast as greased lightning; if you want to retain them, make it easy for them to pay, and reward them for prompt and timely payments.
Make ’em comfortable.
Edelman has conducted research showing that a customer’s comfort level corresponds with his or her spending level; that is, the more comfortable customers feel with a company, the more money they’re likely to spend on its services and products.
As a startup, you probably have a way to go to gain that kind of trust and comfort level from new customers, but if you work at this effort, it can be achieved in a relatively short time.
Story after horror story about customer service plasters the news on a daily basis.
As the British like to say: “Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.” Bottom line: Your passion, ideas and hard work will give you the ability to gain market share and find ways to generate revenue.
Yi, Raipur chapter organises workshop on angel investing
Yi, Raipur chapter organises workshop on angel investing.
(Representative image) RAIPUR: A workshop titled ‘Angel in the city: Igniting angel investing’ was organized by Young Indians Raipur (YIR), with Sanjay Enishetty, a Hyderabad based entrepreneur who runs a company that helps in establishing startups and provides information on access to funding, mentorship and GTM strategies.
During the seminar, Sanjay said that a recent trend has been for individual angels to band together and form angel groups.
He also went on to say that while no two groups operate in a similar pattern, most angel groups maintain a local or regional geographic focus in order to maximize members’ ability to actively engage in the growth of their investments.
Angel groups generally put up guidelines for submitting business plans on their websites.
If the group (or members of the group) decides to proceed, interested members commonly collaborate on due diligence and deal negotiations. “Based on the group’s structure, investments are either made directly by individual members, or by the group as a whole.
The critical task is to analyse your company in the same way as the investor does.”
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