Network Offers Help to Black Women Seeking to Start and Grow a Business

Atlanta businesswoman announces the birth of e-Black Women Network™ – a network designed specifically for African-American women who:

· Want to start a business and need guidance starting the business.

· Own a business but wants to increase her business' visibility by learning effective marketing strategies.

· Who want to start a business but are unsure of what business to start.

Businesses owned by Black women have exploded in recent years. Articles recently published on the Fortune and Huffington Post websites indicate that since 1997, the percentage increase of Black women-owned business is a whopping 322% since 1997. Carmin Wharton, founder of e-BlackWomenNetwork asserts, “This significant increase in Black female-owned businesses is due to the fact that no matter how much education, experience and talent Black women bring to the workforce, we are routinely passed over for promotions, are not paid fairly and are often made to choose between long hours and caring for our families.”

The purpose of e-Black Women Network™ is to provide women with the tools, resources, information, motivation and networking opportunities to help launch them into entrepreneurship. Wharton states, “Our goal is to help Black women take their business from start up to prosperity – on their own terms. Starting a business on our own terms is important because when a Black woman starts a business, she is usually still working full time, maybe a single parent or caring for an elderly family member and, we are routinely denied bank business loans so we often have to bootstrap our startup businesses.” Networking luncheons and other events are also offered where women can sell their products and services and collaborate with other business women.

e-BlackWomenNetwork offers a $30 monthly and semi-annual membership option where women are coached every month on a specific business topic, including Q&A sessions and goal-setting workshops. The network also offers home-study coaching packages, group coaching and one-on-one VIP coaching. Wharton says, “We also offer a large number of freebies such as training webinars, informative teleseminars and e-Books. I think the greatest thing we offer is inspiration and motivation; we support Black women as they move through one of the greatest journeys of their life – becoming an entrepreneur.”

You can learn more about the network by visiting: www.e-blackwomennetwork.com.

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Failed Deals in Japan Become Interesting for Private Equity Firms

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It seems that there is a new pool of fish for the sharks to attack, the sharks being private equity firms and the fish being the Japanese market. The Japanese economy is built on mergers and acquisitions (M&As), and many of them fail. Not just that, there have been some serious integration problems, as well as lengthy litigation battles. The country may be going through an M&A boom, many of them are also failing. And this is an interesting development for the private equity field.

Executives from a range of private equity firms, including Eric Schiffer who is Chairman & CEO at Patriarch Private Equity, have now indicated that they are looking at a range of different options and deals. Some of these deals could mean that they could take over some of the more difficult assets that are currently struggling in Japan, offering their personal expertise, while at the same time working together with local businesses to have the local market expertise also needed to make a new business a success.

Since 2011, there has been a significant increase in the Japanese outbound M&A activity. In 2015, it hit a new record. Many Japanese companies are looking at a way to fight shrinkage of the domestic market and long term economic decline, by growing overseas. Unfortunately, the assets they purchased as part of this have turned out to not be as successful as they had hoped for.

Many financial experts are less than surprised by this. An M&A boom is almost always followed by a massive decline in economics, particularly when entering an unknown market. However, private equity firms could play a really big role in resolving this issue.

A number of key problems are appearing that are leading to the failure of so many M&As:

• Japanese companies overpaid tremendously for the new assets.


• Company executives are leaving to find more secure jobs elsewhere.


• The Japanese often do not have the necessary experience to run a business overseas.

Not only has there been a significant rise in failed M&As, litigation is also up, with disputes being very frequent. It is believed that all of this could be of benefit to private equity investors, however, and particularly those in the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors, where the cultural gap seems to be too big to overcome at present.

Again and again, it has been seen that the companies do not properly engage with acquired leadership or, when they do, they do so much too late. They don't have good integration plans in place that have been shared around, leading to ever increasing problems. Added to that is the fact that there isn't a large enough talent pool of executives in Japan yet, and particularly not one of people that understand private equity and M&As.

Private equity could, if done properly, present a real solution to the problem with Japanese outbound acquisitions. It is a system that is not well known yet in Japan, but since this concerns outbound companies, it shouldn't be a problem. Those involved in private equity also usually have a lot of experience in M&As, so they understand the importance of getting the right people on board, while at the same time being able to access other talent pools. This is why those who are interested in the failed acquisitions already want to work together with the local Japanese market, essentially bringing the original, failed idea to a positive and profitable result. It will be interesting to see how the Japanese market will develop over the coming weeks and months.

The post Failed Deals in Japan Become Interesting for Private Equity Firms appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

2016 is the Year for Social Commerce

The e-commerce industry has only been growing – and at a rapid rate we may add – over the past five years. Last year saw not only an increase in e-commerce sales, but also saw an increase in sales coming through social media. According to Social Media Explorer's article 5 Tips for Taking Advantage of the 2016 Social Commerce Boom, “out of the total global eCommerce sales, more than $30 billion were generated directly from different social networks” in 2015. This is an increase of “$10 billion from 2014, and more than $25 billion from 2011.”

So whether a small business, a major retail brand, or an bourgeoning entrepreneur needing everything to sell for the first time with an online shop, those wanting to get in on the action will need to maintain a diverse approach that includes all of the following major social networks.

E-commerce Within Social Platforms: The New “Buy Buttons”

Social media is still proving to be one of the best ways to boost online sales for your e-commerce venture. One of the biggest methods that the social media industry leaders have better adapted themselves for e-commerce is by incorporating “buy buttons” on the platforms. This has allowed social platforms to no longer operate as merely shop fronts promoting advertisements and siphoning traffic to merchant sites, but has allowed social platforms to convert e-shoppers directly on these platforms, changing the e-commerce landscape.

1. Facebook

Motivated by the desire to produce better e-commerce user experiences, Facebook has been investing heavily in mobile optimization and further developing their Facebook Advertisements section. Now traffic coming through Facebook will be referred to “mobile-ready pages” before being redirected to the actual merchant site where they can make the purchase. This circumvents the problem that many e-commerce sites are not well-optimized for mobile. Facebook acts like the intermediator ensuring that e-commerce customers have a better mobile shopping experience. Aside from this offer, Facebook has also launched a “store” tab which can be used to shop directly in the app itself. It seems that they are poised to move beyond selling Facebook Ads and will now sell store space.

2. Instagram

Instagram also ramped up multi-product ads and included its 'Shop Now' buy button. Transactions through this button still occur on the merchant site, so really Instagram is referring traffic to merchant sites; however, the payment page does actually open up in Instagram. The user is diverted to the merchant site, but then ushered back to the app after the purchase. This allows users to complete the entire purchase through the app itself without having to go searching for the e-store themselves.

3. Twitter

Twitter has gone in a slightly different direction, partnering with Stripe payment solution, which allows users to buy directly through the platform from tweets, avoiding the need to go through the merchant site at all. The idea behind this option is to encourage conversion directly in apps and on mobile, where often e-shoppers are hesitant to complete purchases. This one platform – no muss no fuss – approach takes out extra steps that could cost conversion.

4. Pinterest

Similarly, Pinterest's “buy it” button allows e-shoppers to buy directly within the Pinterest platform. Seeing a rapid success, moving up from 30 million buyable pins to 60 million in only a couple of months, Pinterest intelligently decided to expand their buy button program in an effort to increase shopping even further on the platform.

5. YouTube

YouTube rolled out a new element to their ads in 2015, displaying products underneath the video box that are physically in the advertisement videos being viewed. They also implemented a “shop now” button to allow viewers to go directly to these items on the merchant pages. Regardless of the ability to skip ads on YouTube after five seconds, this targeted, visual advertisement approach with a captive audience is already showing exceptional results.

E-commerce Referrals from Social Platforms

However, Andrew Meola from Business Insider, boldly claims that Millennials are not buying through social media, but they are still relatively new and time will tell. However, even if what Meola says is true, this doesn't mean that social media isn't playing a huge role in e-commerce. Quite the contrary; according to Meola, instead of using these buy buttons, “millennial shoppers use Facebook, Twitter, and the like to research products before they buy them,” with “40% of global consumers ages 16 to 24 [using] social media to research products. And 30% of the general population [using] these platforms for product research before they buy.” Within the first quarters of 2014 and 2015, “social media increased its share of ecommerce referrals nearly 200%.” This means that even if the shoppers are not using the “buy buttons” and shopping directly through these social media platforms, they are still responding to the advertisements placed there and being redirected to merchant websites.

Either way, whether consumers are buying directly through social media with these new “buy buttons” or consumers are being referred to merchants by these platforms, both aspects make it perfectly clear that ignoring social media as an e-commerce business is no longer an option. The best thing that any e-commerce venture can do throughout this year is really invest in their social commerce strategies.

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Top 10 Best Cities to Start a Massage Therapy Business

Stressed out? Overworked?

It's nothing a great massage therapist can't fix, and it seems that demand for massage therapy is on fire.

To meet demand, the number of massage therapists working in the U.S. is expected to grow 22 percent between 2014 and 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is much faster than other occupations, which grow at an average pace of 7 percent during that time.

That got us at SpareFoot wondering: Where are the best places for massage therapist to start a business?

To answer this, we teamed up with Thumbtack.com, an online service that connects consumers with skilled professionals to get things done-including finding a massage therapist.

The Top 10

Based on their marketplace data, Thumbtack recently found the top 10 markets with the highest demand for massage therapy, controlling for supply. Cities with the most demand relative to supply scored highest on the Thumbtack Opportunity Index.

Thumbtack also provided the average price per session (per customer) for massage therapists in each of those cities. To come up with our list of best cities to start a massage therapy business, we also wanted to consider the cost of living and the cost of real estate for your business.

To rank the top ten, we scored each city on the following metrics:

• Price per session (Thumbtack.com)


• Median monthly rent (via Zillow.com)


• Number of sessions required to pay a month's rent


• Median home sales price (via Zillow.com)


• Median asking price for retail property (via Loopnet.com)


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space

Here are the top ten best places for starting a massage therapy business ranked:

10. Madison, WI

Take a deep breath and head to Madison to start your massage business. Home prices might be higher than the other cities on the list, but retail property is more relatively affordable at $101.86 per square foot.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 65.52


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $66.12


• Median monthly rent: $1,430


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 21.63


• Median home price: $218,300


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $101.86


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.54

9. Columbus, OH

Columbus has the the lowest price per session for massage therapists on our list, but don't let that deter you. Demand is still strong for additional message therapy providers and the cost of living is very affordable.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 71.1


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $61.40


• Median monthly rent: $1,430


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 21.35


• Median home price: $139,940


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $115.41


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.88

8. Kansas City, MO

Kansas City had the highest score on the opportunity index, which means demand is hotter here than anywhere else. The pay per session may leave something to be desired, but with a reasonable cost of living the city could be right for you.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 100


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $62.84


• Median monthly rent: $1,294


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 20.59


• Median home price: $119,000


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $125.35


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.99

7. Baton Rouge, LA

Baton Rouge massage therapists make the most per session according to Thumbtack. They also pay the most for commercial real estate, however. Still it takes just over 16 sessions to pay for a typical month's rent.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 70.84


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $83.41


• Median monthly rent: $1,351


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 16.2


• Median home price: $189,000


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $146.85


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.76

6. Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga scored best when it comes to median monthly rent, where it came in third place. It only takes just over 18 sessions to cover the median rent of $1,173.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 68.02


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $64.21


• Median monthly rent: $1,173


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 18.27


• Median home price: $155,000


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $108.99


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.7

5. Rochester, NY

Rochester has some of the most affordable real estate, both residential and commercial on our list. This upstate city could be the right fit for you, if you can take the cold.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 69.9


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $63.94


• Median monthly rent: $1,395


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 21.82


• Median home price: $84,925


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $96.19


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.5

4. Birmingham, AL

If you like it hot instead, head to Birmingham where demand is very strong and both residential and commercial property are priced affordably.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 81.17


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $66.07


• Median monthly rent: $1,079


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 16.33


• Median home price: $164,401


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $109.07


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.65

3. Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh scored within the top five on all of our criteria, with the exception of home prices. That makes Steel City a prime spot for your therapeutic work.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 79.29


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $68.47


• Median monthly rent: $1,142


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 16.68


• Median home price: $156,485


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $102.20


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.49

2. Jackson, MS

Back down South, Jackson offers an extremely healthy market for massage therapists and some of the most affordable prices for real estate on our list.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 84.25


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $72.30


• Median monthly rent: $1,240


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 17.2


• Median home price: $110,000


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $100.65


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.39

1. Buffalo, NY

Pack your snow boots and hot oils, you'll need them in this chilly New York city. Buffalo has the cheapest retail property prices on our list, and requires the least number of jobs to pay a for it.

• Thumbtack Opportunity Index: 89.78


• Thumbtack Average Price Per Session: $72.58


• Median monthly rent: $1,316


• Sessions required to pay a month's rent: 18.13


• Median home price: $71,728


• Median asking price for retail property (per sq.ft.): $87.22


• Number of sessions required to pay for a square foot of commercial space: 1.2

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4 Ways Your Business Can Stand Out From the Crowd

When you have a business, your biggest challenge is finding a way to get people to notice you, especially if you offer a product or service that's common. Unfortunately, most companies stick to the same old tried and true tactics that don't really generate any interest or get people excited. That needs to change. Whether you're a new or existing business, here are four ways your business can stand out from the crowd.

1. Social Media

By now, most companies have a social media account or two, and that's fine. You need one also. But what you don't need is to use your social media accounts the same way as everyone else. For instance, stop sharing information about yourself on social media. Instead, help generate awareness for others in the industry and your community. Promote special events for your chamber of commerce. Help spread the word about a local nonprofit's event. When you generate this type of help for others, they will return the favor. All of a sudden, you're getting free press from these companies, and that can create great success.

In addition, find fun things to do on social media for your customers. For instance, why not have a live stream take place in your office so people know what happens on the day to day? Why not host a social media contest and give out fun prizes? The more you can do to stand out, the more following you'll build.

2. Signage

If you have a storefront or physical office space, you need to stand out. The best way to do this is through some fun business signs. By using signage that stands out and gives an overview of your company, you'll be more likely to attract customers to your location. Using a professional sign company is the best way to go about this, as they can create a custom sign that not only fits your needs, but also fits the space.

In addition to exterior signage, you should also be sure that you have branded interior signage as well. Make sure that people can get around your store easily, and do so in an engaging way. Instead of just a traditional sign, why not throw in some company flair or a bit of attitude (as long as it matches your tone and brand). If you can find a way to make the inside of your store look different, you'll definitely stand out from the competition.

3. Swag

Everyone loves getting free stuff, and if you want people to recognize you, it's a good idea to give something away. Most people opt for what's cheap, such as pens or flash drives. This doesn't work. Instead, think outside the box. What is it that people will use that you can brand? Why not a gift card, or something else that represents your talents and services in a fun way? You want this swag to be useful and a reminder to others that you are not the same type of company.

4. Mission and Vision

Having a mission and vision statement is important, but you'll notice that almost all companies have the same type of mission or vision statement. Sure it works, but it doesn't stand out. Why not think of the true purpose of your company and then broadcast yourself that way? Do you really want to make the community better with your product or service? Then tell the world how you do that. Get involved in any way that you can and make sure people see you for who you are. When you can do that, you'll help get customers' respect, and that can be the reason they choose you.

It's hard for a business to stand out, but it's not impossible. Spend some time to think outside the box and figure out how you can separate your business from the competition. Remember that a lot of it will be trial and error, so don't be afraid to constantly try something new.

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How to: Push Your Business into the Real World

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Here's the number one flaw of home business owners – most of them have an inability to push themselves.

And, instead of people learning they should enter the real world to do their business, the rise of the internet is turning company owners into virtual hermits.

Designers on the verge of success confine themselves to Etsy accounts and social media to promote their wares. Potential antique dealers relegate themselves to EBay salespeople, the equivalent of people with discerning taste slinging their rubbish at a car boot sale.

These people have become handcuffed to the internet, relying on blogs and homepages more than brick-and-mortar shops.

Indeed, we're raising groups of businesspeople who don't have a clue how to find decent shops to let or speak to a customer face to face.

Admittedly, their suspicions are well-founded. At least one high street store a second on average was closing its doors only a few years ago. Why would you want to venture into the big bad world when it's liable to bite off your head?

With that in mind, we've come up with a few tips to help your progression from minor league home business to major player on the high street. Take a look.

Know your properties

It's unquestionable – some letting agents can be shiftier than a shape-shifting chameleon trying to rob a bank. They'll bend the truth until it snaps if it'll persuade you to sign on the dotted line, and they'll sleep at night without a peep.

The reason these letting agents continue to operate is that no one reports them. But finding out who you can trust is becoming easier thanks to customer review sites online.

Before you arrange a viewing with any agency, make sure they stick to a high standard and understand the markets. That way, you won't suffer the fate of being ripped off.

Get in the know

In some circles, admitting you've been trained in people skills is tantamount to admitting you're a reformed social recluse. But understanding the ins and outs of conversation is an art that every manager should be able to perfect if they want to get ahead.

There are plenty of training courses available for anyone looking to finesse their people skills, and they can prove invaluable to a huge number of sectors, not least if you're looking to lead a retail empire.

This is just a bite-sized list of how you can move from the world of the internet to a brick-and-mortar premises. If you've got any more ideas, let us know in the comments.

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Make Sure You're Following These Online Marketing Golden Rules

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If you're running a business online you do need to think about marketing and promotion. This is how you're going to increase the number of customers for your company. It's also how you keep already interested customers excited about new products and services. You should know that there are quite literally countless businesses now operating online every day. Many will be appealing to the same consumers and customers as you. This could be true, even if you are not in the same industry. Customers buy lots of different things and if they're buying something else from another company, they won't be buying from you. That's why you have to make sure your marketing campaign is flawless, built to appeal to the masses. Here are the golden rules you must follow.

Content Is Only Useful If It Connects

Have a look at a few different websites right now. You'll be amazed by how many have truly awful pieces of content. Either, they are poorly written, have no relevance to the company, or they simply don't have any marketing appeal. If you fill your site with this type of content, it's not going to get you very far. You might see a small increase in customer numbers. But the increase won't last, and it definitely will not have a noticeable effect. Instead, you need to be writing content that connects with an audience and is based around selling your product.

SEO Is Not Just Keywords And Links

There is no denying the fact that SEO is a vital part of business marketing. Unfortunately, many people believe SEO is a simple process, and it isn't. Instead of hiring a professional digital marketing team, they try to complete an SEO campaign themselves. Typically, this either fails or works for a short period and then fails. If you just think of SEO as adding keywords and links to your site, you might receive a Google penalty. Or, it may just have no effect at all. You will receive a penalty if links are added in a way that isn't natural at all. But mainly, your problem will be a limited effect. These days, links and keywords just aren't enough. You need to look at CRO, social media and content as a combined form of SEO marketing.

You Reap What You Sow

An old idea but one that is still true when we think about online marketing. There are lots of advertisements online right now, telling you a website can become successful overnight. How, may you ask? Why, just by clicking this friendly red button. That's right, for just two grand you'll see your website traffic…do nothing. That's typically what you're paying for with these marketing schemes. Nothing at all. If you want your marketing to be a success online, you need to put the time in and avoid the scams. Try writing some real content yourself because no one knows your company and your customers better than you.

Following these golden rules, you should have no problem making your business a hit with online promotion.

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5 Ways to Beat the Summer Slump

The summer slump is complete BS! Summer is usually everyone's favorite season, it's a time to be free and to have fun but many business owners complain about the lack of business. Well they are doing it wrong! Don't let your business suffer from the supposed summertime sadness. Learn from seven figure entrepreneur, Stephanie Synclair, author of “Shut Up and Do The Work”. We are sharing her 5 tips to help people business eradicate that summer slump.

1. Invest in an app: Part of the reason that sales slump, especially for businesses where the major marketing is done online, is that no one is sitting in front of the computer. Everyone is spending as much time on the beach as possible this time of year and a laptop or desk top is the last thing on their mind. That said, mobile use is higher than it has ever been and if you have an app that makes buying your programs, products and services a breeze from any device, on the beach or in the mountains, you'll decrease your chances of experiencing the summer slump.

2. Three month packages: If you're a service-based company, consider selling packages right before summer comes in. 3-month packages that ensure that revenue is still coming into the business and ensures that you can give this client/customer what they need throughout the summer. Even if sales slump during the summer months, your revenue won't because you've secured summer contracts.

3. Show up where they are: If your client is at the beach and not at the computer or watching tv, they likely won't see your marketing. How can you get in front of them where they are? Again, with mobile use higher than ever, consider marketing on online platforms such as social media and popular blogs, places where your audience frequent, even during the summer. Since brand awareness doesn't slump, neither does sales.

4. Start building your mailing list early: Assuming that at this point every business at minimum has a mailing list. If not, get one. TODAY! The best way to stay in front of your clients/customers is to stay in their inboxes. This is your “in” for your customer. Make sure you're sending regular emails, at least weekly, with your sales, offerings and insight.

5. Get in on the summer fun: Make your offering a part of what is exciting about summer for your customer. Are you a retail store? Make sure you have the summer “must haves” a part of your inventory. A couple of summers ago, I added summer trips to Italy for business consulting and coaching apart of my offering. Not only did you get to laser focus on your business and its growth with an expert but you were able to do so from the Mediterranean. I opened the doors and it was filled in less than 48 hours. How can you get in on the summer fun with your clients and customers?

You can learn more in Stephanie's new book. “Shut Up and Do The Work”. Stephanie will guide readers through the 80/20 rule of success, with 80% being mindset and 20% being action. By the end of the book, readers know where they are in the entrepreneurial spectrum, discover the thought processes and belief systems that are holding them back, and how to eradicate these beliefs.

It's not enough to just eradicate those beliefs, though. Once done, Stephanie takes her readers through her foolproof system to replacing those beliefs and reprogramming the success blueprint.

“Shut Up and Do The Work” is the ultimate guide for experienced entrepreneurs, new entrepreneurs and those with dreams and ambitions of entrepreneurship, who know without a doubt that they were born to do more, be more and have more, yet they can't seem to grab it. It's a book, a workbook and their new best friend who is committed to telling them the truth!

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Online Casino Industry Trends

From the moment that the online gambling industry exploded – as the 20^th century morphed into the 21^st – this global phenomenon has never stopped growing and improving. The graphics have gotten better, the slots have gotten more diverse and exciting, and, as the game selection and variety has increased, the membership has grown in parallel. The biggest and best gambling sites – like William Hill Vegas Casino online – has learned to read user needs, and they manage to stay ahead of the curve by constantly introducing innovative ideas. As such, here are a few trends to watch for in the year(s) ahead.

Bitcoin on the Rise

First there were credit cards, then e-banks (like Neteller and PayPal), and now there is bitcoin. This popular “crypto” currency is fast becoming a viable option for online payments of all sorts. Online casinos have noticed the trend and more sites are offering bitcoin depositing options as part of their large and convenient suite of payment methods.

Virtual Reality Becomes a Reality

Virtual Reality is to 2016-2017 what live dealer games were to 2014-2015. It's the hot trend in online gambling that is already popular with savvy users. Whatever you call it – e-sports, virtual reality games, or fantasy sports – this new technology is take off like a shot with no limit but the virtual sky. Due to new and improved technology, gambling on virtual games is fast becoming a trend that no self-respecting online casino can afford to ignore.

More – and More – Mobile Gambling

There's no getting around the fact that mobile gaming is here to stay and that it is quickly overtaking computer-based gambling. If a year or two ago only a few casinos were offering online versions of their popular games, now it is a required offering, as smartphones and tablets apps become omnipresent. Mobile devices give users the flexibility they are demanding. For an online casino to stay at the top of this extremely competitive industry, mobile gaming will have to be a top priority.

Slots Still Rule the Roost

Slots are the bread and butter of online gambling, and the leading casinos will be focusing on this sector to attract younger gamblers. Online slot games will need to be instantly entertaining, as fewer users have the time or patience to play one game for a long time. Mobile slots are the leading the pack, and the entertainment factor is being emphasized alongside the financial wins. To keep younger users interested and engaged, online casinos are raising the win rates, attracting those looking for instant gratification. Seamless, convenient play is what the millennials are looking for and that's exactly what the best online casinos are giving them.

Bigger, Better Bonuses

From the very beginning, the welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions have set online casinos apart from land-based gambling venues, and these promos are an important way for individual online casino to attract new customers. As the industry continues to evolve, we can expect to see promotions and bonuses becoming even more appealing and exciting, to both new players and veteran members.

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Moving People, Moving Things: Types of Transportation Businesses You Can Start

There are many ways to start a shipping business. But, if you're not familiar with the shipping industry, it can all seem like one big confusing mess. Here are what savvy business owners have done to get their business off the ground, or rolling, as the case may be.

Boats

Buy a boat from a company like NautSNP and start your own shipping business. Transporting others goods via the ocean seems unusual, but it's a profitable business model.

You'll need to decide which kind of boats you want to use, how much cargo you want to haul, and all the regulatory stuff, which can seem overwhelming. But, hire a lawyer, invest some dough, and hire a captain, and you're off to the races.

Of course, you'll need to do a lot of marketing to get your name out there, and it helps to have a few contacts in the industry. But, usually, when you get a contract, it's a long-term deal. That's what makes it such a profitable endeavor. Your first-time clients often become lifelong ones.

Taxi Service

A taxi service works real well. And, despite its initial controversy and claims of unfair competition, some taxi services like Uber and Lyft are changing the way businesses ship products. Uber's attraction as a small business opportunity is you're a contractor working on your own schedule. So, you're not bound by certain traditional taxi rules. To sign up as a driver, you can go to the website and click “Become a Driver” button. A short questionnaire starts the process.

As a driver, you use your own car, so your startup costs are nil. Uber handles all the legal and tax stuff and financial aspects of the ride. Meaning, you don't even have to sign up for a merchant account. That's a tremendous savings over starting a traditional taxi business.

And, you can do anything as what amounts to a private courier. That means, you could start a “gopher” business. Go get people's takeout meals, dry cleaning, and even pick up the kids from school.

Limousine Service

This is a more upscale service, and requires you buy limos and get set up as a legit business. That means getting a merchant account, a business name, and so on. You could provide limo services to regular folks though. Whenever someone is hiring you as a driver, a clean reputation is important. But, it's especially important as a limo driver. Obviously you need to be super trustworthy and the vehicle needs to be safe and well-maintained. It's not cheap. So, plan on a large startup budget and ongoing maintenance costs.

“1992 Mercedes-Benz 310D Reimo Campervan” (CC BY 2.0) by Riley

Moving Van Business

If you want to help other people move from their apartment into a house, or maybe the other way round, a moving business can be perfect. It's also relatively easy. You need at least 2 strong people and a van or truck. Maybe both. Your ace card will be you'll set up and conduct your business professionally. Do you know how many shady movers there are out there? A lot. You can stand out by being the only honest mover in your area.

Startup costs are the vehicle, the moving blankets, and straps. And, of course, you need two bodybuilder types who can lift heavy things. For really large items, you'll need dollies.

It can be a very expensive business to be in, but it doesn't have to be. Keep in mind that moving companies compete for both short-travel and interstate moving. Both have different regulations governing them so be sure to check it out.

“1981 Bedford TM” (CC BY 2.0) by Riley

Specialty Transportation

Want to move and transport unusual things? Let's say you want to move airplane parts or modular homes. There's a business idea for you. What about refrigerated perishables, blood, or even human organs? The procurement business is very niche, but pays well.

Depending on where you're located, you can do this yourself or with minimal employees. You may need a few extra security measures for your vehicle depending on what you're hauling. In some cases, you will need a specialty truck or vehicle.

Conclusion

Starting a shipping company isn't always easy, but it can be very lucrative if you're willing to put in the work. Often, this is what keeps other people out: the work. But, if you're willing to do what others won't, you can position yourself as a leader in your niche. And, that is one of the best ways to command any price you want for your services.

The post Moving People, Moving Things: Types of Transportation Businesses You Can Start appeared first on Home Business Magazine.

10 SEO Mistakes to Avoid

SEO or search engine optimization is the process in which you make your site more easily read by the search engine spiders. Thus giving it more visibility and higher search engine rankings.

The higher your rankings, the more searches your site will be included in and this in turn will get you more traffic.

There are a lot of factors involved when optimizing your site for the search engines. They range from keywords to image tags to social media.

Many of us make the following common SEO mistakes that can easily be rectified.

1. Not Enough Content – Content is very important for your site. The search engines want to display the best sites for people who are searching for specific information. If your site contains quality information and content, they will consider your site to be one of these sites. Make sure your content is relevant to your site, has proper spelling and grammar, includes not only text but videos, links, images and other content.

2. No ALT Tags – Alt tags, also referred to as alt text, describe images on your site. The search engines cannot read images so adding an alternative text tag gives the search engine a readable description of the image to help the search engine spiders place your site within the search results of that text. For example: If you have a picture of a sunset with vibrant colors you may give it the alt tag description orange red summer sunset. Don't use words that do not describe the image in hopes of getting better SEO results. This can do more harm than good by lowering your rankings.

3. Keyword Stuffing – Back in the day when search engines relied mostly on keywords it was a popular practice to stuff them in as much as possible. Now, keyword stuffing can get you penalized or even banned. Focus on one or two keywords or keyword phrases and sprinkle them lightly throughout your text. Keep your keyword density in the 1% – 3% range. So that would mean for every 100 words, use your keyword 1-3 times. This will give you a high optimization value.

4. Too Much Flash – Flash is a software used to build colorful, animated, flashy websites with a lot of graphics and light. They may look beautiful but unfortunately they are not user-friendly or SEO friendly. Flash has been widely phased out for the above reasons and more. Search engines find it difficult to read Flash. Flash can also cause your site's performance to become substantially lower resulting in an increased bounce rate and lower rankings. Flash is not totally worthless but can cause you many difficulties.

5. Expecting Immediate Results – Many people make the mistake of thinking as soon as their site is up, they will be listed in the search engines. SEO is a long term, ongoing process so don't feel cheated if your site does not get instant rankings. Your site will need several months or more to get indexed and appear in search engines so keep working on your SEO and give it time to work.

6. Not Being Social – Social media and SEO bond together for a mutually beneficial relationship. Social media provides quality backlinks to your site. Social media can get your name much more widespread exposure. Social media can increase traffic to your site which is a major factor in SEO. The wider your social media circle, the better your chances of higher rankings.

7. Broken Links – Check your links often as broken links can hurt your SEO. Search engines look for high quality sites to put in the search results and a site with broken links and/or images will not be considered as such. You will also want to correct any backlinks that point to pages that no longer exist. Google Webmaster Tools has tools to help you do this.

8. Not Updating Your Site – Keeping your site fresh and updated consistently is very important. Fresh content will get your site indexed more often. This does not guarantee higher rankings but with fresh quality content the chances are good. Fresh content also contains more keywords. Google loves fresh content so keep it coming!

9. Not Researching Keywords – The purpose of keyword research is to find out which words and phrases your target audience is using to search for information. You need to know these keywords so you can add them to your content. Do not try to guess for what people are searching. Keyword research is one of the most important phases of SEO. There are many free tools to help you conduct this research.

10. Neglecting the Title Tag – The title tag is the search engine headline that shows up when you conduct a search and at the top of the browser when your webpage is displayed. This title should accurately summarize the web page's content for the search engines and people doing the searching. Keep the title tag short, about 70 characters and make it keyword rich. Leave out meaningless words like, the, it, can, etc. Use different title tags for each page. Customize it to that particular page.

With a little persistence and commitment, you can learn the proper methods of SEO to get your site to the top of the search engine's rankings.

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