Mohit Tater's Blog, page 634

How to Rock your First Client Meeting

It doesn’t matter if you are an up-and-coming startup, or if you have been in the game for years, everyone would agree that making a great first impression at that elusive first client meeting is absolutely essential. It’s something that can make or break a business and if you don’t have the right tactics on hand, or the right team on board, you’re destined to fail.

All of the above is why this guide has been put together. Sure, nobody can hold your hand as you physically enter the room for the client meeting, but armed with a few tips your job can suddenly become all the more easier. Let’s take a look at some of the best approaches you can try.

Location, location, location

If you have the choice of location, choose wisely. A lot of the time, this might be held at either yours or the potential client’s offices, but there might be occasions where a neutral venue is available.

It’s in these cases where you should turn to a specialist meeting room, which at least shows that you are in the market to mean business. It’s here in which you will have all of the modern technology available that will allow you to really give the best impression to your prospective client as well.

Don’t underestimate an agenda

It’s quite traditional, but don’t let that stop you from putting an agenda together ahead of your meeting. As simple as it might sound, it just makes your services suddenly appear to be much more trustworthy. Both you and the client know what is going to be covered, there are no hidden surprises, and it just means that you’re not making things up as you go along. The last part can be particularly off-putting for some people.

Conduct enough research on the client’s competition

We were tempted to talk about the importance of researching about the client themselves – but that’s too obvious. Instead, this next suggestion is going to focus on something that can really wow your prospective audience; finding out and revealing what their competition is doing.

This is something that most people won’t expect at this stage, so to have it in your arsenal is something really impressive and can help seal the deal. It means that you already possess knowledge of the industry, and that just adds to the trust-factor that we have already spoken about.

Dress for the occasion

Some clients view their contractors as an extension of their team, and that means that you have to fit in appropriately. This stems right the way through to the way you dress.

The general rule is that a suit is always going to work wonders – but that’s not going to be on every occasion. If you know that the client you are targeting works in a casual environment, turning up in 3-piece attire is hardly the definition of “fitting in”. Like most areas, you’ve got to work your audience.

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Get a Brand-Name MBA on Your Own Time – Online

An MBA can be the perfect way to get ahead in your career, whether you want to start your own business, make yourself more competitive in the work force, or move up in your current company. But the decision to enroll in an MBA program isn’t one to take lightly. MBAs are expensive; between tuition, the cost of relocation, and the opportunity cost of leaving the work force for a year or two to study, the price tag of an MBA can easily reach six figures.

But, an MBA could bring your salary up to six figures, too, especially for entrepreneurs. What if there was a way to earn an MBA from a reputable institution without the need to move to a new city, quit your job, and pay many of the costs associated with attending graduate school, such as renting an apartment close to campus and commuting to and from class every day? What if you could earn your MBA while staying in your job and continuing to raise your family? Here’s how earning your MBA online could help you further your education and career while still leaving you the time to live your adult life:

Employers Respect Online MBAs

One of the biggest fears many prospective students have about earning an online MBA is that employers won’t respect the degree. In the past, online degrees have carried the stigma of for-profit education, but that’s changing as more and more reputable, well-known schools offer online-only or low-residency MBAs. Employers are receptive to online MBAs from reputable universities, and many won’t even bother to ask whether you earned your degree online or on campus. Academic standards are just as rigorous for online students as they are for on-campus students, and the degrees awarded are the same; yours won’t have an asterisk with the words earned online printed next to it.

Study on Your Own Time

MBA programs traditionally expect applicants to have some real-world work experience, and program administrators understand that many of their students are fully-fledged adults with careers and families of their own. Online MBA programs are typically designed with these adult students in mind. They’re friendly to the needs of students who have full-time jobs, mortgages, kids, and other responsibilities.

Most programs incorporate a lot of asynchronous learning, meaning that course materials are made available online and students are allowed to go over them and submit assignments at any time of the day or night that works for their schedule. Some programs are entirely online, meaning you can complete the degree from home, working early in the morning, late at night, on your lunch breaks, on weekends, or whenever works for you. Some low-residency programs give students the opportunity to spend a few weeks a semester working together in a more traditional classroom environment on campus, so you can get to know your fellow students and build network connections for your future.

Save Money

You’ll still have to pay tuition and fees to attend an online MBA program, but these programs still cost students less on average, because they allow you to save on many of the secondary fees associated with going back to graduate school. You’ll be able to keep your job, so you can keep earning your full-time salary while you study. For most programs, that’s at least two more years of earnings at your current salary in your pockets. You may even be able to get your company to reimburse your tuition, which can make the degree even more affordable.

Because you won’t need to relocate, you won’t need to pay to move, to store items you can’t take with you, or to rent an apartment closer to campus. You won’t need to buy gas or pay bus fare to commute to classes. You’ll just need to pay tuition, fees, and books, and you can probably get your company to reimburse some or all of these costs.

Is an MBA the Right Choice for You?

Now that you’re more familiar with the benefits of an online MBA, it’s time to decide if it’s the right choice for your career. An MBA can give you an edge over other candidates, or make you more valuable to your current employer, increasing your future opportunities. In addition to building the technical skills needed to run a business or advance to a leadership role in your company, an MBA can help you develop the soft skills managers and leaders need. Pursuing an MBA online can also help you grow your professional network and build the technological aptitude that’s increasingly important in the business world today.

If you’ve been thinking about an MBA, an online program might be right for you. Online programs offer the flexibility working adults often need, with all the academic chops of traditional brick-and-mortar programs. Finish your education, further your career, beef up your resume, and increase your earning potential with an online MBA.

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Why Pursue a Master’s Degree?

Considering the costs that come with pursuing a master’s degree, there has been a much debate on whether the courses are really worth it. As much as there are several master degrees in Barcelona, some experts believe that some of these courses do not have any impact on salary increment. However, there are a whole lot of reasons why master’s degree is important in career development.

Learn about your passion

Most people enroll to different programs out of passion; whether it is teaching, nursing or management. If you enroll to a master’s program on a field that you enjoy, you will get more information to help you in career advancement.This will help you enjoy the work even more.

More job opportunities

In many countries, you cannot get a job promotion when your level of education is still at the lower levels. As much as there are some companies that favor job experience more than education, it can be helpful to know both the theoretic and practical aspect of the career. There are also other careers that value education first, and train you on how the work is done.  Not having the required degree will lower your chances of getting such jobs positions.If for instance you enroll to a master’s degree in education, you will get the necessary knowledge required to get better teaching jobs.

Career change

In most cases, master’s degree offers you the knowledge required to work in different field. In other words, master’s degree courses offer transferable skills. If you have a bachelor degree in a certain field, you can as well have a master’s degree in a completely different program, and be competitive on the job just like anyone else. This offers you the necessary knowledge needed for career change.

Respectability

Having a college degree earns you respect among peers. But master’s degree is far better. You will also receive fast recognition not only from colleagues, but also when looking for a job. Candidates with master’s degree are normally given fast consideration and this will help you stand a better chance of getting the job.

Networking

By pursuing a master’s degree, you will have the advantage of interacting with the top leaders in the industry, either as your team members or tutors. This helps build networks which is very beneficial in career growth. Such connections can lead to job promotions or landing on better jobs in future.

Intellectual growth

The same way physical exercises helps maintain a healthy body, degree courses also help in build mental strength. Master’s degree will help you grow and expand your knowledge in the field you pursue.

Leadership skills

Another benefit that comes with pursuing a master’s degree is that you will also develop leadership skills. Most master’s courses have programs to help graduates effectively take up leadership roles. This is important in individual growth and will also show potential employers that you can effectively play the role of a leader in your department.

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Guide to Buying Restaurant Bar Stools

Bar stools might be tucked away in a corner of a restaurant or under the shadows of a dim bar. They do not have a strong presence like a love seat or a booth. Regardless of their understated appearance with long legs and no armrests, there are a variety to choose from. Restaurant barstools come in many different styles, they can be rustic with reclaimed wood or industrial with polished chrome. Another thing to consider when looking for your bar stools is the different features they offer and how that connects to your space.

Floor mounted or free to roam?

Bar stools that are mounted on the floor may be a popular choice for people who prefer fixed seating and have no plans of changing the space. It is also convenient in places that might have rough clientele because they cannot be used in a fight, this is a popular option for bars.

On the other hand, having bar stools that can be moved has its own perks as well. They can be cleared out when necessary, easily replaced when broken, and there are no cumbersome fees for installment. When deciding on floor mounted bar stools or the regular ones, think about what you value and how they can contribute to your overall plan.

With or without a back?

In your overall plan, who might sit there in the future. The bar stool might not be the first choice when people sit, so think about who might go for it. If there is a nice view, and that is the main point of having a bar stool, then maybe having a backrest would be best. It allows the person to sit back and relax. However, if the location is very hot, having a backless bar stool might be good as well. There are many types of back and backless bar stools, having a style in mind is no problem. Think about the people you are expecting, and make your judgement based on what might be convenient for them.

The kind that swivels or the kind that stays put?

Another major distinction between the different kinds of bar stools are whether they swivel or not. Swivelling barstools are best for crowded places and when mounted on the floor. Since the chair cannot be moved, a swivel aids in getting on and off quickly. The downside of the swivel stool is when people or children get too playful with them, accidents may occur.

There is no one design that perfectly fits all situations,so assessing your needs properly is the best way to find the bar stool that seamlessly fits in your space. Be it in the corner of your restaurant or under the bar, there are many kinds of bar stools that can make a difference to your overall seating plan.

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So, You Want to Get Into Product Design Engineering

Product design engineering is an exciting field. Developing the next generation of products and figuring things out when problems arise is a key part of this enjoyable vocation. The product design engineering field is broad and has specializations depending on your interests and talents. These include bioengineering, environmental engineering, nanotechnology, data science, mechanical engineers, and several others.

Beyond product design, many people are interested more in the specialty subjects which we now explore below.

Bioengineering

The Bioengineering specialization brings together the confluence of engineering and the medical field. There’s the option to work in at least three different job roles. The Pharmaceutical Engineer works to develop new compounds, create medications from them, test and finally deliver an approved medicine to help deal with viruses and previously unmanageable diseases.

The Medical Scientist is involved in the clinical trial areas to validate the medications under testing post-development. And the Medical Device Engineer takes fresh ideas and turns them into devices that can be used outside or inside the human body whether that’s a better artificial leg or a replacement organ for one that’s failing.

To learn more about product design engineering, the University of California-Riverside runs an online degree course. UC Riverside cover the primary subjects and all the specializations mentioned in this article too. Whether you’re interested in bioengineering or perhaps data sciences, there’s an engineer specialization that’ll be right for you.

Data Science

The Data Science specialization focuses on data management and the provision of services relating to this. Once the course is completed, graduates are equipped to work as an E-commerce Data Specialist who is responsible for the improved analysis of collected information on visitors and customer purchase patterns. This information helps change what products are shown first on a website to get the best sales numbers.

The Chief Data Officer is another position that deals with big data and you’ll work with a team of analysts, programmers and associated personnel. For social media mavens, there’s the Social Media Data Analytics that does the same for social platforms to help companies analyze data and trends, and respond to them. Targeting ads more successfully also falls under their purview.

Nanoengineering

New advancements are being made with Nano technology every week now. Studying in this area opens the door to work as a Materials Engineer on the cutting edge of nanoscience, creating new solutions at the microscopic level. The Chemist is another role covered by this specialization where you will work to create new formulations at the molecular and atomic level. The Medical Scientist is not to be forgotten either as this role benefits both the bioengineering and nanoengineers specializations.

Getting into the product design engineering field is fascinating because it splinters off into so many specializations beyond the primary one. People who love the environment and have a knack for systems may enjoy going into the Environmental Engineer arena to make a difference there. We can never have enough Mechanical Engineers either and studying this course offers this option too. It’s just a matter of seeing where your interests and talents lie within the broad engineering field and narrowing down your academic and future career choices.

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5 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Digital Assets

For many of us, there is nothing more important than finding out how we are going to earn more money and then sit on it.

Are you sure making the right investment is your best chance to growing wealth? Let’s get one thing straight: finding the right investment is not an easy ball game.

There are very many different avenues of investment that one can pick to make their money grow. The plethora of alternatives makes it a bit difficult to discern which investment would be most effective in helping accomplish the goal of generating more returns for you. Real Estate. Bonds. Investments. What not?

But if you are interested in exploring new business opportunities, and fancy taking calculated risks on putting your money to work for you, consider buying an online business or investing in a digital asset.

If you’re bitten by the digital-asset-investing bug, as you would know by now, there are quite a few options available out there. From eCommerce and Subscription businesses to Lead Generation and Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) businesses, there is quite a lot of options to choose from. Although zeroing in on your prospects could be a daunting task, you can do it right with proper guidance.

Here are a few convincing reasons to devote all your time and energy into buying and maintaining digital assets. Consider the following:

1. Highly Impressive Returns

Although there are quite a few benefits to investing in websites, the biggest reason I like to invest in digital assets over any other alternative is for the huge financial returns. Digital assets can help you make two-digit returns on your investment every month. For instance, my first investment was around $15000, yet I make about $500 to $650 from that asset every month. Oh yeah, It amounts to 35% to 40% annual return on my investment.

I don’t have to stress upon the fact that it is practically very difficult to come across an avenue of investing that can deliver such a huge scale of returns within a short period of time, regardless of your investment strategy and the potential of that marketplace.

What about the risk involved? Is it a risky undertaking? Yes, there are a few risks associated with investing in websites, but, trust me, it’s all worth it.

2. A Good Passive Stream of Income

How would you like to have a constant pool of income deposited into your checking and/or savings account? Just think about it. Investing in digital assets and online businesses is a good way to earn passive income and get onto the road to financial independence.

Certain websites do not need much work on your part, like the content websites you come across on the internet. Put out a lot of content on your website and get paid when a visitor clicks on an advertisement or when the advertisers pay you.

Other websites require more work than their counterparts, but the return you get can pay off for several years  to come. Basically, there is a wide degree of effort involved in managing a web property.

Therefore, the amount of passive income you can make is up to you. The more time and money you put into your business, the higher the income. And, you can maximize your chances of building a greater stream of passive income, by always doing a little extra.

3. Superior Control over Investment

With traditional asset classes, you just don’t know what will ensue. It’s a harsh reality that can be quite difficult to come to terms with as an ordinary investor. From market volatility and unemployment rates to quarterly earnings and debt ceilings, it can feel like we have no control over our investments.

When it comes to website investing or investing in digital assets for that matter, everything is under your control. You can either choose to improvise your asset so you could appreciate its value and increase its ROI manifold or leave it as it is if you think it is much better to not tamper with a system that is already doing well.

And this superior feeling that we are in cruise control, combined with a solid strategy for appreciating the value of the asset (by building a list, making necessary changes to the website design and content, trying out different marketing channels including social media)  can make it quite easy to get the desired returns in no time.

4. Lower Overheads

Investing in an online business means that there will be a fairly low overhead costs. This is especially true in cases where rent, wages, and other fixed costs are simply nonexistent. Not only can you get rid of the capital costs required to set up a retail space and the legal costs linked to leasing, but you can also get rid of stocking, distribution and inventory management costs.

Look at it this way. Reduced expenditure in both starting up a business and running it successfully often translates to greater revenue margins, and, in turn, greater profit margins as well.

Having said that there is a completely different focus with businesses online, where SEO, SEM, content marketing and social media marketing have a lot of relevance. Although these channels may require a significant amount of time investment on your part, the resources necessary to get the job done is less than that of those offline businesses with physical assets.

5. Enhanced Flexibility

With a 9 to 5 job or an offline business, you are simply tied to a particular location. Even though your job may be interesting, the added flexibility of working from anywhere is something that cannot be taken lightly.

With an online business, you get the luxury to work from almost anywhere in the world.  Thanks to latest technology, laptops, tablets, smartphones, VOIP systems, and several online conference software tools allow such businesses to be location independent.

A well-maintained digital asset may not require setting up of special business infrastructure to maintain its shape and/or grow. Moreover, when you choose the right asset to invest your money in, your time commitment becomes less relevant as well.

If you are looking for a business venture that allows you to balance work and personal life, provides you the  freedom to be able to manage a successful business while exploring new business areas, the flexibility of managing web properties will be very useful to you.

Personally, I simply love to invest in digital assets that are cash-flowing, and I love it for quite a lot of reasons. A good chunk of the money to be made can be passive and it can be 100% passive for you as an investor if you hire a website management company to manage your web portfolio. The time flexibility is there. More importantly, I get to figure out different stuff ranging from luxury camping  to alternative medicine. I am my own boss and I don’t have to deal with employees and customers. I do not commute to work and I get to work typically from anywhere I like in the world (usually from the comfort of my home).

What’s there to complain?

If you want to get started with investing in digital assets to increase leads, sales and set goals, visit Blackbook Investments to get the information out.

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5 Habits You Need to Adopt to Carry Out a More Productive Life

There are actual studies that prove that people who are professionally the happiest aren’t the people sitting in big, fancy offices made of glass, but those people who do their work with utmost respect, even if it is just a menial labor job. The one thing that actually determines our success is our habits. Good habits cultivate us in the right direction, whereas bad habits will only lead to a dull, unhappy professional career. So, what are the habits that will change your course of life? Let’s find out:

The one habit you need to break is to keep a distance from people who tend disrupt the quality of your life. A toxic person can get under your skin and stay there. There are always those people who will discourage you, or make you feel insecure about your own self. The only way to change those negative feelings is by avoiding such people – from selfish coworkers to complaining friends.
The most destructive habit of the millennial generation is their excessive addiction to gadgets – laptops, phones, tablets, etc. People don’t realize the harm these gadgets cause to their sleep cycle and productivity. The blue light coming from the screens makes you feel alert, and when you use your phone in the night, just to casually scroll through your Facebook or Instagram feed. The direct blue light is hitting your face, messing with the melatonin production and therefore disturbing your sleep.
Another problem with the millennial’s is that they always complain – complain about their past, complain about their future and complain about everything that is happening around them at the moment. The only truth is that if you can’t appreciate what you have, and accept what has happened, then you will never be able to find the good life that you are keenly waiting for.
Don’t get too anxious about how your competitor is doing well, instead take some lessons and make strategies to do better. Competition has to be taken positively in order to improve yourself.
One habit you may have to break free from is procrastination – get started now, and stop wasting time. From the laziness to start a new book to the carelessness of not starting a project till the end deadline, you need to gather up all your energy and get started. There is no good day, the only good day is today.

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3 Common Mistakes Startups Make When Selling Their Business

You’ve just read another news story about an average guy with a great business idea who just sold his business for millions of dollars and you cannot wait until your big payday arrives! Just take a deep breath and realize that your “big payday” will only arrive if you properly plan and avoid common mistakes startups make when they want to sell their business.

Common mistakes tend to fall into three categories – trying to sell your business too quickly, misunderstanding the process of business valuations, or being too eager to sell to the first bidder.

Mistake #1 Trying to sell your business too quickly

Potential company buyers are everywhere, but none of them are going to want to buy your business too quickly or too soon after it was founded. If these business investors wanted an early startup business — a company in its first few months or even a year of operations — they could just start their own.

According to Forbes, 8 out of every 10 startup businesses are out of business within 18 months. Those odds don’t look good to a potential buyer or investor. Attracting buyers and investors at the early stages of your business can be a huge challenge, especially if you aren’t willing to give up large percentages of equity.

Business buyers tend to avoid the risky odds of businesses during the first 18 months and even first few years of a business operation by waiting to see if your business survives the odds. Before purchasing or investing, they want to see that the business has a proven concept, a solid product or service, has found its market niche and has successfully differentiated itself from its competitors. Most buyers also want to see steady and increasing revenue that demonstrates growth that will help them reap a quick return on their investment.

One of the most important things to do is exercise patience and use the early years of your business to prepare for making the biggest impact on prospective buyers. Keep the following tips in mind:

Methodically build your business into something you would be proud to own for many years to come, especially if no suitable buyer showed up to make you an offer.
Aggressively build market share, build a great reputation and build name recognition among potential clients and competitors alike.
Work out the kinks in your business processes and operations to make them streamlined and efficient, and as you go, create an operations manual that documents it all.
Properly save and store your corporate records, business licenses, contracts, intellectual property records and other legal documents.
Keep up-to-date, properly managed financial and tax records.

These details can pay off in spades when prospective buyers start sniffing around and placing valuations on your business. Properly kept records also reduce the likelihood of surprises or killed deals during the due diligence process that precedes any business sale.

Mistake #2 Misunderstanding how businesses are valued

Whether a business is worth a few thousand dollars, a few million or even a few billion dollars is all in the eye of the beholder. There are many different, entirely legitimate, ways that a business can be valued and you may not know which will be applied to your business by any given prospective buyer. A couple of common ways of assigning value are on the basis of assets or on a multiple of annual profits.

Asset Approach

In simple terms, valuing a business based on an asset approach is rarely used if a business is being sold as a going concern. Generally, the asset approach is only considered if the business is more valuable if liquidated for its assets then it would be if it continued to operate for cash flow. That said, patents and other intellectual property can be extremely valuable and often more valuable than the business as a whole.  This type of valuation is where you find businesses that are sold for millions or billions of dollars even though they have very little profit.  This is because the buyer has a platform where they can profit.

Multiple of Profits

Most often startups and other types of established businesses are sold based on a multiple of profits.  These types of valuations are called Income approach and Market approach.   Both of these approaches are based upon the financial benefits (Return on Investment, or ROI) that are expected from the future operations of the business.  This amount is multiplied by a number that takes into account all of the goodwill and on-going concern of the business. The multiple is determined by the amount of risk that the business is expected to face in the future. The multiple is then determined by looking at other businesses similar that have sold in the past.

Based off the valuation methods above, every business is valued differently. For example, a struggling service business with no profit may not even be sellable, while a struggling research and development company, who can’t seem to make a profitable launch of its products, may be able to sell one of its patents for $100M to a company needing its patented technology for their already developed client base.

Another time a business value may be far more specific is when a unique factor is important to one or two prospective buyers. For example, if you own a trade secret or process that could be used by another company to increase their production by a factor of 10 (even if you don’t have the infrastructure to support such an increase on your own), that can factor into a great sale price.

When you understand that there is not just one way to value a business, you widen your mind to more options, a wider field of prospective buyers, and you will be more prepared to exploit business building opportunities as you grow and get ready for eventual sale.

Mistake #3 Don’t get attached to the first bidder

There’s something magical about the first offer you get for your business. You’ve created something from nothing and now a stranger has assigned value and offered you something in exchange for your creation. However, the first bidder is not always the right bidder for your company and may not be the optimum value exchange.

The value of your business – any business – is what a willing buyer will pay and a willing seller accepts. Your business may be worth $10,000 or $10,000,000 depending on who you ask and what a prospective buyer plans to do with it.

Maybe your competitor wants to increase its market share by taking over your piece of the market pie, or a similar business wants to expand their product lines. Maybe they want one of your assets and plan to liquidate the rest. There are a myriad of reasons to buy your business and these motivations are details to which you won’t be privy. Thus, you need to cast a wide net to optimize the chance of finding the right bidders.

Obviously, you aren’t going to do this by just putting up a “For Sale” sign in front of your business headquarters when you think you are ready to go on the market. Start by getting to know a Merger and Acquisition professional now. Find out how they go about discretely finding prospective buyers to bid on your business. Find out if they already have a stable of vetted potential buyers upon which to draw and how they work with their clients to prepare for sale. Armed with an expert by your side, you will be much better prepared to evaluate bids, narrow down the list and find the best buyer for your business.

If you have a quality business with a proven concept… there is a buyer that would like to purchase your business.  The question is more about your preparation and presentation of that business to maximize your opportunity to sell the business.

AUTHOR BIO

Scot Cockroft is a serial entrepreneur and business broker who helps business owners realize their full potential in selling their business. He is passionate about the process, having created and sold four of his own businesses to date, and helped hundreds of other businesses do the same. As President of Sigma Mergers & Acquisitions, Scot is in the trenches day-to-day and is always looking for the next business to buy, grow, and of course sell! Scot is also working on his first book, The No B.S. Guide to Profiting From Selling Your Business.

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How Will You Profit from Cryptocurrency in the Future?

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Last year was a rough one for the financial sector, even when considering the unprecedented growth of the euro. With the first month of the current year nearing its end, the market is ripe with predictions regarding all forex fields. And Bitcoin is still the star of the show. So, what does the future hold for cryptocurrency trading?

More Regulation

According to CNBC, one of the major points of interest in Bitcoin’s future in 2018 will be the enforcing of more and more regulatory practices by global governments. This movement was ignited back in November 2017 when China, one of the world’s biggest spots for cryptocurrency traders, banned this activity altogether.

Yet, the market wasn’t destabilized just yet. Investors quickly moved their activities offshore to other Asian crypto powerhouses such as Singapore, Hong Kong,and South Korea. But then another devastating blow followed when the latter announced its intentions to follow in China’s steps. Needless to say, people were furious.

Traders went as far as starting an online petition to stop the ban, and it immediately gathered more than 200,000 signatures. The country’s financial regulator then decided not to go to this extreme, but ban anonymous trading instead, as well as that performed by both resident and non-resident foreigner. Thus, Seoul’s days as an offshore crypto paradise were over for good.

Global governments quickly warned to follow suit. And 2018 will be the year when they finally do it. This will bring a definitive price drop along with it, but also a lot of newfound stability. Once all the necessary laws are outlined, proposed and enforced, Bitcoin and its fellow cryptos will finally be able to enjoy a period of serenity and smooth sailing.

But should you go into online forex trading for beginners just yet? If you were to ask the experts in the field, you couldn’t get a clear answer. The last few months brought a lot of conflicting opinions on the future of cryptocurrency in the financial sector, so let’s see what they are.

Conflicting Opinions

Even if you’ve recently become interested in this market, you most likely know what big-time investors have to say about cryptocurrencies nowadays. Between J.P. Morgan’s CEO calling them a fraud and Warren Buffett predicting an unsavory end to this entire story, there isn’t much room for hope, at least not when you read popular media on the topic.

However, there are optimistic experts out there as well. For example, Kay Van-Petersen, the Saxo Bank analyst who predicted that Bitcoin will rise past 2,000 dollars per unit when it was still going for 900 dollars, now says that the cryptocurrency will reach never seen before values of 100,000 dollars in 2018.

It’s easy to see that these statements are sheer opposites. So, what should we make of it at the end of the day? Unfortunately, it’s hard to say. The best way to ensure that you still gather profits from cryptocurrency trading is by analyzing trends and coming up with your own predictions.

Base your decisions on your own knowledge and understanding of the market. Don’t let what others say influence you because that will be your downfall as a trader. Even if you make mistakes, you need to own them as being your own instead of relying on blaming the opinions of others.

Final Thoughts

Investors and traders should proceed with caution in 2018 when it comes to cryptocurrencies. It’s way too early to tell what the market will look like in just a few short months. Our best bet thus far is to wait and see the outcome of all the announced laws being enforced. Until then, always make decisions based on cold, hard knowledge and know when to sell

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International Ecommerce – Have You Started Thinking About Your Strategy?

Trading internationally is a major part of many businesses’ work. If they cannot sell their products and services to overseas markets, there is a very strong chance that they may go into the red. Enabled by improving transport links, trade legislation and technology, trading overseas has never been easier than it is right now.

A big driver of the growth in international trade is ecommerce. Being able to sell goods online to customers all over the world has seen it spike further. To make sure your business is able to take advantage of the estimated $2.2 trillion global ecommerce market, what should you do?

First, look at demand for your products/services in overseas markets. If you sell items that are popular in one particular country or continent, look at marketing said items to those areas. Should you have the means to do it, look at producing a version of your online store or whole website in another language or have a translation tool.

Accepting Different Currencies

To make your business more appealing to overseas customers, consider accepting their native currencies. As a starting point, offer them the choice of the most widely-used currencies. These include the US Dollar, the Euro, the Yen and Pound Sterling.

Depending on where your business is based, you may incur a small fee from your bank for accepting or processing payments in another currency. There may be some exceptions though, especially from international banks such as HSBC and Barclays. Indeed, HSBC have an account for dealing in foreign currencies; something like that can reduce costs of selling abroad.

Delivering Overseas

The next part of your ecommerce strategy should be to organise the shipping and delivery of products to overseas customers. This should involve devising a system where parcels are sent to customers as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Take into account postage and fuel costs in each country when choosing how to arrange this.

Choose an international courier services partner to take on the actual delivery work. This will save your business time, leaving you to focus on the task of selling to customers all over the world. It will also take care of some of the admin work involved, such as planning routes.

Finally, you need to think about tailoring some of your customer service in other languages. If you have customers in, for example, France and want to provide information or support to them, have some of your store’s content in French. If possible, hire someone who is a fluent speaker in those languages to manage sales to those markets and engage with those customers.

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