5 Essential Packaging Elements that Always Get Overlooked

With the commerce largely moving to the Internet, the competition for any type of product is incredibly strong. However, there’s one thing that can help you stand out from the rest: packaging. In the age of e-commerce, the packaging is the only direct contact between your brand and your client, save for the product.

You know what they say, first impressions are everything!

Packaging elements

That said, companies that offer custom packaging solutions like The Box Co-op make it easier to come up with a perfect package for your product. However, there are several things brands overlook when choosing the best package for their product.…

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Poop Pollution: 4 Reasons Businesses Should Be Concerned About It

No businessperson wants to worry about poop. Out of all the things entrepreneurs and startups think about, poop’s impact on the environment is often at the bottom of the list, because it’s not a sexy or exciting topic. Commercial septic tanks and wastewater reduction just aren’t business buzzwords in the same way that disruptive innovation or work-life balance are.

Poop pollution

So, while many businesses are rightly concerned by the impact they have on the environment, not enough businesses are considering the issue of poop pollution. However, they really should be, and here are a few reasons why.

1. The Wastewater The Average Business Produces Is Astronomical

The maths don’t lie.…

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5 Alternative Financing Options for Startups

Lack of funding is one of the biggest hurdles startups face. Banks are reluctant to lend to a brand-new business – or even an established business. Even loans from the Small Business Administration can be tough to secure.

Alternative financing options

If you’re struggling to get the capital you need for your startup, consider these four alternative financing options.

1. Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding can be an extremely effective way to raise capital. Platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter have helped countless startups get up and running.

The idea behind crowdsourcing is simple: everyday people make small investments in your project, or business.

Maybe you have an innovative new product.…

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How to Market Your Start-Up Political Consulting Company

If you’ve had dreams to help make a difference in the political landscape of the country, then there is a good chance you’ve been working hard to make it happen. For many people, the answer is an online degree in political science through a well-respected school such as George Washington University. An online masters in political science can open the door to all kinds of careers in politics.

Political consulting

Now, if you’ve gone ahead and decided political consulting is the route you want to take, and you’re ready to open the doors of your start-up company, then these marketing tips are bound to help.…

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What Makes Up a Development Finance Funding Process?

One of the major problems with property development lenders is that it can be a little awkward to stay abreast of all the different nuances, developments and changes.

Constant comparison and monitoring can prove a tall order, but it can be rewarding in the form of insights into the different lenders’ pros and cons, and getting the cheapest deal. Most importantly, you need to understand how the lenders operate, so here’s a breakdown when it comes to property developer finance.

Property developer

Pre-Approval

Standard property lending is calculated via a percentage of the property value, with the value dropped to 80%, to take into account repossession and low resale value risks.…

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How Your Employees can Increase the Risk of Cybercrime

Businesses these days face a number of risks that could have a seriously damaging effect on their operations and reputation. One huge risk is cybercrime, which has become rife over recent years. With businesses becoming more and more reliant on technology, cybercriminals have more opportunity than ever to cause chaos for companies.

Employee causes cybercrime

It is important to invest in online security for your company.  Due to the critical nature of it, you might need to use financing options, such as looking into working capital loans for small business enterprises.

However, it is not just security software and hardware you need to invest in.…

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How to Avoid Network Latency that Costing You Money

It’s one of the oldest phrases around – “time is money” – and as the CEO of a small business, you’re probably more aware of that than most others.

In business matters, dealing with the hours, days and weeks usually suffices in relation to achieving targets – but what if we told you that increments as small as milliseconds could be impacting your business in ways you hadn’t even considered? Network latency is measured in these tiny fractions – and it can mean the difference between good and bad customer interaction.

Network latency

Why milliseconds count

In our modern world, we’re still happy to wait 20 minutes for a meal, 5 minutes for a taxi or a couple of minutes for our latte to arrive – and when questioned, it’s because people say they perceive the physical item and can understand and appreciate the process required for it to arrive in front of you.…

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How to Expand your Business into China

China is the world’s second largest economy, and is due to continue expanding, so it makes sense that businesses want to capitalise on the investment opportunities the country presents. With a population of over 1.3 billion, breaking into the Chinese market is attractive to almost every business, but there have been a number of famous companies that have tried, and failed, to expand in China.

This could be due to a lack of knowledge in how to localise and launch a business in China, or it could simply be because there simply isn’t a market for the company. According to the program director at Chinacelerator, a company which helps startups bridge the gap to the east Asian market, Oscar Ramos: “Ninety-nine per cent of companies who want to access China as a foreign company, shouldn’t.”…

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Let’s Bust Some Common SEO Myths!

If you’re just learning about the SEO world, you may find it daunting to try to sift through all of the information to determine what’s true and what’s false. Our friends at Kamil Web Solution, a premier provider of SEO in Dubai, bust some of the biggest myths about SEO.

Search engine optimization

Myth #1: If you’re not first, you might as well be last

Many sources will tell you that if you can’t land yourself a first-place spot on the Google rankings, there’s no point in using SEO services. These are usually the same companies that will promise you first-place rankings, incidentally!…

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5 Things Your Accountant Should be Doing

Is your accountant giving you more than just tax advice? If not, it may be time to find a new one.

Happy accountant

Your accountant should be helping you with these five important things:

1. Helping You Prepare for Tax Season – Well in Advance

Most business owners hire an accountant purely for tax purposes, although they can offer assistance in other ways as well.

Ideally, your accountant should be helping you prepare for taxes well in advance, so there are no last-minute surprises. He or she should be helping you understand:

  • Which credits to claim
  • Which deductions to claim
  • Tax laws that can maximize your write-offs

Tax opportunities, like the R&D credit, can help reduce your tax burden, and your accountant should know if you qualify for such opportunities.…

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