The global shipping industry is responsible for nearly 90% of the world’s trade - with over a million workers operating 50,000 merchant ships and other shipping industry vehicles in over 150 different nations. These workers, ships and companies generate close to a half-trillion dollars every year for the global economy, making it a great option for investors. Yet, breaking into the investment sphere of the shipping industry–the lifeblood of the international economy–is easier said than done. ...

In the United States alone, the e-commerce industry represents 10% of retail sales, with a rapid increase of 15% each year. New blockchain technology solutions are proving to help simplify the process of customer acquisition as well as helping buyers make informed decisions before their purchase. As e-commerce continues to evolve at a rapid pace, business owners should keep up with the latest online trends to help boost sales and stay ahead. Check out how Blockchain technology is shaping the fut...

Marketing a new business is a struggle. You don’t have a lot of money to invest in a professional marketing campaign, so you’re often left doing it all yourself. It can be difficult to know where to start. The best thing you can do for your new business is to promote yourself on social media—primarily, on Facebook. Facebook has over two billion users and is a tried-and-true way of reaching a target demographic. But how can you run a marketing campaign through Facebook? Here are a few tips. Ma...

If you want to progress in your career you need to take responsibility for your own self development. There may be development activities that your employer arranges for you to be involved in such as team development programs, but at the end of the day you need to make sure that you are in the best position to take advantage of any opportunities for advancement. We are going to take a look at some of the most important skills you need to develop if you want to progress up the management ladd...

It's fairly common to hear that a business without a strong Internet presence is doomed to fail. Depending on the nature of the business, that might mean having its own website, its own Facebook page, a broad social media presence, or even a simple blog. But now, the expectations for a business's Internet presence have extended to include mobile apps and capabilities. And at this point it's beginning to become clear: a small business that's not taking advantage of mobile opportunities is without...

For those still unfamiliar with the concept of mobile payments (have you been living under a rock?!), here’s what the latest technology to make waves in the retail transactions industry is all about. Mobile payments Mobile payments is part of the fledgling e-commerce industry where payments are eschewed from traditional forms such as cash or via credit card processing, instead they are made through the use of a compatible mobile device (like a smartphone or a tablet). Revolutionary te...

While many US based mobile payment service providers may be encouraged by eMarketer’s projection of over 60 billion dollars sales by 2017, implying a great positive growth in the mobile payment industry in the next few years, what they might not know is what motivated eMarketer to revise their US mobile payment projection to reflect this figure. In their 2013 roundup of mobile commerce, eMarketer observed that the US retail mobile commerce market had been growing in terms of aggregate sales r...

Cloud computing takes a bigger chunk out of business administration each and every year. In 2013, nearly 50 percent of businesses and software developers alike added private cloud computing to their budgets. Whether it's customer relationship management or shipping software, businesses and the software companies that cater to them are streamlining their operations with the cloud. Among the most common and constructive ways to improve your daily business operations by shifting to a remote hos...

You got in business to make money, and sometimes you need to find ways to save money that aren't so obvious in order to stay afloat. Cutting corners is smart only if you can do it without sacrificing quality of work. Here are some tips to saving money wherever you can. Smart Marketing: Strategy The general rule for marketing budgets is to spend as much as you can afford up front. Most strategies call for businesses to spend big in the first three years — up to 20 percent of their total...