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Topics - sabbir

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16
News Paper Articles / Cryptocurrencies on the Comeback Trail
« on: June 20, 2019, 10:24:15 AM »
Cryptocurrencies on the Comeback Trail
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If you follow the cryptocurrency market, then you know that bitcoin has taken off, rising a little over 50% in 18 days, when measured from the last swing low of $4,963 to last week's high of $7,581.82. When calculated from the December bear market bottom of around $3,128.89 (exact price varies relative to data source), the digital currency was up as much as 149%.


Bitcoin is now clearly above its 200-day simple moving average (SMA) and long-term downtrend line, which were exceeded over the past couple of months. These are signs of a bullish reversal, which significantly improves the outlook for the intermediate time frame. Recent price action also bodes well for the wider cryptocurrency market, especially the more actively traded alternative coins.

Short-term weakness can be used to accumulate positions in anticipation of further market-wide strengthening. Coins showing relative strength, such as bitcoin, generally have a better chance of outperforming the wider market. The relationship of price to the 200-day SMA is one way to see relative strength.

The following cryptocurrencies are above their 200-day SMA and long-term downtrend line:

    Bitcoin cash (BCH/USD)
    Dash (DASH/USD)
    EOS (EOS/USD)
    Ethereum (ETH/USD)
    Litecoin (LTC/USD)
    Monero (XMR/USD)

Let's look at the charts for a few of these coins.

The first is bitcoin cash. It has been progressing nicely and is still at the early part of its bullish reversal based on price behavior. The cryptocurrency was up as much as 425% from the $73.6 December bottom as of last week's high of $387. The long-term downtrend line and 200-day SMA were exceeded to the upside at the beginning of April. That strength was quickly followed by a decline in volatility and the formation of a descending consolidation channel that formed at support of the line and SMA.

That channel creates a bullish flag trend continuation pattern. Last week, a breakout of the flag occurred. This is classic bullish behavior for a strengthening trend.
Performance of bitcoin cash vs. the U.S. dollar
TradingView

Next is ethereum. From its $80.56 December low, ethereum has risen as much as 156.8% as of last week's $206.87 high. It broke above its 200-day SMA at the beginning of April, then quickly consolidated above that line, subsequently forming a bullish flag pattern. Price broke out of the pattern last week.
Performance of ethereum vs. the U.S. dollar
TradingView.com

Finally, let's look at litecoin. Its chart shows greater strength than bitcoin cash, as it has already gotten well above the downtrend line and 200-day SMA. Litecoin has been a market leader as it broke above its 200-day SMA early, in mid-February, and kept going, rising as much as 347% as of the $99.50 high reached seven weeks ago. At the beginning of May, it broke out of a bullish wedge pattern and continues to point higher.
Performance of litecoin vs. the U.S. dollar
TradingView.com

Disclaimer: Investing in cryptocurrencies and other Initial Coin Offerings ("ICOs") is highly risky and speculative, and this article is not a recommendation by Investopedia or the writer to invest in cryptocurrencies or other ICOs. Since each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should always be consulted before making any financial decisions. Investopedia makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information contained herein.


source:https://www.investopedia.com/cryptocurrencies-on-the-comeback-trail-4687044

17
Entrepreneurship / What Is Enterprise Value (EV)?
« on: June 20, 2019, 10:16:40 AM »
What Is Enterprise Value (EV)?

Enterprise value (EV) is a measure of a company's total value, often used as a more comprehensive alternative to equity market capitalization. EV includes in its calculation the market capitalization of a company but also short-term and long-term debt as well as any cash on the company's balance sheet. Enterprise value is a popular metric used to value a company for a potential takeover.
 Formula for EV

EV=MC+Total debt−Cwhere:MC=Market capitalization; equal to the current stockprice multiplied by the number of outstanding stock sharesTotal debt=Equal to the sum of short-term andlong-term debtC=Cash and cash equivalents; the liquid assets ofa company, but may not include marketable securities \begin{aligned} &EV = MC + \textit{Total debt} - C \\ &\textbf{where:}\\ &MC=\text{\small Market capitalization; equal to the current stock}\\ &\text{\small price multiplied by the number of outstanding stock shares}\\ &\textit{Total debt}=\text{\small Equal to the sum of short-term and}\\ &\text{\small long-term debt}\\ &C = \text{\small Cash and cash equivalents; the liquid assets of}\\ &\text{\small a company, but may not include marketable securities }\\ \end{aligned}​EV=MC+Total debt−Cwhere:MC=Market capitalization; equal to the current stockprice multiplied by the number of outstanding stock sharesTotal debt=Equal to the sum of short-term andlong-term debtC=Cash and cash equivalents; the liquid assets ofa company, but may not include marketable securities ​

 How to Calculate EV

    1.Calculate the market capitalization if not readily available by multiplying the number of outstanding shares by the current stock price.
    2.Total all debt on the company's balance sheet including both short-term and long-term debt.
    3.Add the market capitalization to the total debt and subtract any cash and cash equivalents from the result.


18
Adidas Sells Diversity. Black Employees Say It Doesn’t Practice It.

Fewer than 4.5 percent of the workers at the company’s North American headquarters identify as black. Members of that small group say they feel ignored and sometimes discriminated against.
In the United States, Adidas has built much of its name — and sales — through its association with black superstars. In the 1980s, the seminal hip-hop group Run-DMC gave the company’s sneakers and apparel cultural cachet through its song “My Adidas.” Popular black athletes and entertainers like James Harden, Candace Parker and Kanye West endorse its products.

In April, Adidas announced a new partnership with Beyoncé Knowles. Ms. Knowles posted a photo on Instagram that showed her reclining on a pile of Adidas sneakers and wearing a red Adidas bodysuit. The image was liked more than seven million times.

Black employees at the company’s North American headquarters in Portland, Ore., however, describe a workplace culture that contradicts the brand’s image. Interviews with more than 20 current or former Adidas employees show the company’s predominantly white leadership struggling with issues of race and discrimination. On the campus, known as Adidas Village, the employees say, race is a constant issue, leaving the relatively few black employees often feeling marginalized and sometimes discriminated against.
Of the nearly 1,700 Adidas employees at the Portland campus, fewer than 4.5 percent identify as black, according to internal employment figures from last summer that were shared with The New York Times.

Adidas employees who spoke to The Times said that in the company cafeteria, black employees often sit together. Some said they had been told that this made some of their white colleagues nervous and could hurt their chances of getting promotions or being put on important marketing campaigns if it appeared that they were not trying to fit the Adidas mold.

19
Newspaper / Budget documents to be available on websites
« on: June 19, 2019, 10:43:34 AM »
Budget documents to be available on websites
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Budget documents will be available on different websites of the government, as Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is set to announce the proposed national budget for FY20 this afternoon.

The finance minister is scheduled to start unfolding the budget in parliament at 3:00pm.

This time the budget will be a “Smart” one with the title - “Samridha Agamir Pathajatrai Bangladesh: Samay Ekhon Amader, Samay Ekhon Bangladesher”, according to the finance ministry.

The budget documents will be available on the website of the finance division www.mof.gov.bd.

The documents will also be available on www.bangladesh.gov.bd, www.nbr-bd.org, www.plancomm.gov.bd, www.imed.gov.bd, www.bdpressinform.org and www.pmo.gov.bd and at the BSS website – www.bssnews.net.

Any person or organisation at home and abroad can send feedback, opinion or recommendations by filling up a form after downloading it from the website.

Post budget press conference will be held tomorrow at 3pm in city’s Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC).


source:https://www.thedailystar.net/bangladesh-national-budget-2019-20/bangladesh-budget-documents-be-available-on-websites-1756438

20
News Paper Articles / Tk15,166.18cr supplementary budget
« on: June 19, 2019, 10:24:30 AM »
Tk15,166.18cr supplementary budget
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The parliament has passed the supplementary budget of Tk15,166.18 crore for the 2018-19 fiscal year to meet the increased expenditures under different ministries and divisions.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal placed the supplementary budget before the parliament on June 13, along with the national budget for the FY2019-20.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina moved it on Monday as the finance minister was absent due to ill health, reports UNB.

Different ministries, divisions, and institutions sought the additional amount under 34 demands for grant. As many as 217 cut-motions were moved by eight members.

Discussions were held on four cut-motions, including that of Home Ministry, Housing and Public Works Ministry, LGRD and Cooperatives Ministry, and Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

The cut motions were brought by Jatiya Party MPs Md Rustum Ali Faraji, Rowshan Ara Mannan, Fakhrul Imam, Kazi Firoz Rashid, Leakoat Hossain Khoka and Pir Fazlur Rahman, BNP MP Md Harunur Rashid and Gono Forum MP Mukabbir Khan.

However, the cut-motions were rejected by voice votes.

According to the budget document, an amount of Tk464, 573 crore was allocated in favour of 62 ministries and divisions for the 2018-19 fiscal year.

But in the supplementary budget, allocations for 37 ministries and divisions have been increased to Tk15,166.19 crore, while Tk37,348.05 crore reduced for 25 ministries and divisions.

As a result, the budget allocations for these ministries and divisions got reduced by Tk22,032 crore and the total allocation now stands at Tk442,541 crore.

The Election Commission Secretariat received the highest allocation of Tk2,447.88 crore while the lowest Tk83.54 lakh to Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry.

The Prime Minister's Office received Tk17.02 crore while Cabinet Division received Tk8.07 crore, Supreme Court Tk33.72 crore, Public Administration Ministry Tk229.68 crore, Public Service Commission Tk46.93 crore, Bangladesh Comptroller and Auditor General Office Tk2.06 crore, Economic Relations Division Tk428.04 crore, IMED Tk9.60 crore, Statistics and information Management Division Tk141.86 crore, Foreign Ministry Tk151.67 crore, Defence Ministry Tk1,604.64 crore, Law and Judiciary Division Tk54.12 crore, Public Security Division Tk674.33 crore, Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division Tk2.88 crore, Secondary and Higher Secondary Division Tk972.05 crore, Science and Technology Ministry Tk190.50 crore, Labour and Employment Ministry Tk44.06 crore, Housing and Public Works Ministry Tk1,182.93 crore, Cultural Affairs Ministry Tk115.93 crore, Religious Affairs Ministry Tk326.58 crore, Youth and Sports Ministry Tk21.08 crore, Local Government Division Tk1,542.84 crore, Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Tk57.56 crore, Industries Ministry Tk220.97 crore, Textile and Jute Ministry Tk876.16 crore, Energy and Mineral Resources Division Tk305.43 crore, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry Tk69.37 crore, Water Resources Ministry Tk586.64 crore, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry Tk59.13 crore, Shipping Ministry Tk677.73 crore, CHT Affairs Ministry Tk51.59 crore, Power Division Tk1276.79 crore, Technical and Madrassa Education Board Division Tk55.29 crore and Department of Security Services Tk674.71 crore.


source:http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/economy/2019/06/17/supplementary-budget-for-fy2018-19-passed

21
Businesses clamor for Trump’s ear as $300 bn in new China tariffs loom

Washington is planning another tidal wave of tariffs on Chinese imports that represent a worst-case scenario for markets and major industries on both sides of the Pacific.

And on Monday, seven days of public hearings are due to begin as major businesses issue their loudest warnings yet about layoffs, lost business and America’s waning industrial predominance.

Some industries, such as steel and aluminum producers, have benefitted from President Donald Trump’s trade policies and strongly support tariffs.

But the lion’s share so far are pleading with his administration to spare the imports they depend on — if not to step back from the brink of an unprecedented all-out trade conflict that economists say would prove dire for global growth.

Should they take effect, the newest $300 billion round of tariffs — which follow last month’s sudden crackup in trade negotiations with Beijing — would mean stinging duties cover just about all of the more than half trillion dollars in goods that Americans buy from China every year.

Major trade bodies share Trump’s principle grievances with Beijing, accusing it of rampant industrial espionage and massive state intervention in markets.

But in a letter to Trump on Thursday, hundreds of US companies large and small, including retail giants Target and Walmart, warned Trump the new tariff round could cost two million jobs and cut US GDP growth by a full percentage point.

So far, Trump has imposed tariffs on more than $250 billion in Chinese goods but this has spared most consumer items from major price increases.

Still, William Reinsch, a trade policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP the new tariffs were likely to pinch
ordinary consumers far more.

“Unlike the previous times, I think there’ll be a sharp negative reaction
from the public,” he said.

“If these things go into effect in July, what you’re going to see is fairly
immediate price increases on a whole bunch of things right at the point where
people are gearing up to shop for the fall season, for winter clothes and for
Christmas.”

Trump has pinned hopes for resolving the impasse on a planned meeting with
his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this month at the Group of 20 summit
in Japan.

– America makes no tea –

Should Xi fail to attend, Trump told CNBC this week, he could impose the
new tariffs “immediately” — although the period for public comment on the
tariffs extends beyond the conclusion of the summit.

At the hearings, more than 300 people are scheduled to testify. And the US
Trade Representative’s office has collected more than 1,200 written comments
and requests to appear in person.

“We are not able to quickly or simply shift all manufacturing to other
sourcing countries, resulting in price increases for the average US
consumer,” wrote Patrice Louvet, CEO of Ralph Lauren Corporation. “This
ultimately undermines American competitiveness.”

Oilfield services giant Halliburton warned of job cuts and decreased US
oil-and-gas exploration if duties rise to 25 percent on barite, a key mineral
used in drilling fluids for which China has the world’s largest reserves.

Smaller businesses also came forward.

“We would like it to be known that the retail segment of the economy is
preparing for a big hit and pray that the present administration consults
God,” said an anonymous retailer in western Kentucky that imports outdoor
seating and artificial Christmas trees, among other items, but supported
Trump’s trade policies overall.

Lu Yu, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce of Food Stuffs,
Native Produce and Animal Byproducts, said putting tariffs on Chinese tea
made no sense.

“The USA is not a tea producing country,” she wrote.

“The tea industry of the USA does not need to be protected by tariffs and
there is not any tea grower or group that would be protected.”

Trump’s departing chief economist Kevin Hassett told CNBC on Friday the
possible Trump-Xi meeting at the G20 summit could yield rapid improvements.

“I think the hope is that at the G20 meeting the two presidents can get
together to start to get closer to where we were a few months ago where we
really, really close to having a deal,” he said.

But Trump’s commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, told the Wall Street Journal
on Sunday he thinks “the most that will come out of the G-20 might be an
agreement to actively resume talks.”

“At the presidential level they’re not going to talk about the details of
how do you enforce a trade agreement,” Ross said.

And the specter of such a massive hit to consumers’ wallets holds political
peril for Trump.

Polling last month by Monmouth and Quinnipiac universities showed
majorities disapproved of Trump’s trade policies and expected his tariffs to
raise prices.

Reinsch of CSIS said Trump was left with a dilemma, as Beijing was not
likely to meet his toughest demands.

“The president has a choice: accept a weaker agreement or continue the
war,” he said, adding that either outcome would leave him vulnerable to
attacks from Democrats.

“I don’t see a clean way out of this.”

22
New budget : BGMEA demands 3pc cash incentive for RMG sector

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has demanded three percent cash incentive for the garment sector in the budget for 2019-20.
“There’s an estimated one percent incentive in the proposed budget that’s not enough for the industry. So, we demand three percent incentive to meet our challenges and compete in international markets,” BGMEA President Rubana Huq said this at a press conference on the proposed budget at a city hotel on Sunday.
This is very good that an amount of Tk 74,367 crore has been allocated for social safety net, Rubana Huq said hoping that apparel sector workers would be brought under the social safety net program.She also said the proposed budget is business- and people-friendly one. “But we cannot be 100 percent happy with it. We’re 70 percent happy at the budget.”

“We’re facing many challenges in product diversification, improving image crisis, technological development, innovation and value edition. Our orders have been reduced as consumers demand changed in global markets,” she said.


source:https://businessnews24bd.com/new-budget-bgmea-demands-3pc-cash-incentive-for-rmg-sector/

23
Newspaper / ‘Trade war has not made America great again’
« on: June 18, 2019, 11:39:56 AM »
‘Trade war has not made America great again’

Washington’s escalating trade war with Beijing has not “made America great again” and has instead damaged the American economy, China said Sunday, stressing that while it wants resolution through talks it will not compromise on core principles, reports agency.

The comments came in a white paper released by the Chinese government a day after it hit $60 billion worth of US goods with new punitive tariffs ranging from five to 25 per cent, in retaliation for Washington raising duty on $200 billion in Chinese goods to 25 per cent.

“The (US) tariff measures have not boosted American economic growth. Instead, they have done serious harm to the US economy,” the paper said, pointing to what it described as increased production costs and consumer prices in the United States and threats to economic growth.

Washington and Beijing resumed their bruising trade battle last month when the latest round of talks ended without a deal, with American negotiators accusing their Chinese counterparts of reneging on previous commitments.

But China said the US should bear “sole and entire responsibility” for the breakdown, accusing Washington of repeatedly changing its demands and of making “reckless” allegations about Beijing’s conduct during the negotiations.

The world’s top two economies have so far exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs on two-way trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars, and the spat has spooked markets and sparked worries about global economic growth.

The trade conflict has been upstaged in recent weeks by Washington’s blacklisting of Chinese tech titan Huawei over national security concerns, and in an apparent response to that move, Beijing said Friday it would release its own list of “unreliable entities”.

24
News Paper Articles / Tk 1 billion to promote startup enterprises
« on: June 17, 2019, 11:23:16 AM »
Tk 1 billion to promote startup enterprises



As the government wants to use the full potential of demographic dividend, an amount of Tk 100 crore (0ne billion) has been earmarked in the proposed national budget for fiscal 2019-20 as startup capital to promote all types of startup enterprises by youths. While presenting the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 in parliament, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said, "We'll have to exploit the full potential of the demographic dividend that is available for Bangladesh. Tk 100 crore will be allocated in the coming budget to provide startup capital to promote all types of startup enterprises among youths."

Acting under the slogan of 'Power of Youth: Prosperity for Bangladesh', the minister said the government is taking necessary steps to transform youths, one-third of the total population in the country, into well-organised, disciplined and productive forces. "To generate jobs for the unemployed youths and create self-employment opportunity, skill development trainings in different subjects are being provided to youths through 111 formal training centres across the country, and 498 training centres at the upazila level.Kamal hoped that a widespread employment opportunity will be created in economic zones.

25
That Time Disney Rejected A Woman Job Applicant...Because She Was A Woman




Once upon a time a woman applied for a job at a big company that everyone knows.

But, as Alyssa Rosenberg at ThinkProgress writes, the woman was unfortunately rejected. Not because she was unqualified. But because she was a woman. The woman's name was Mary Ford and the company was Walt Disney Productions. The rejection letter, which can be seen here, went like this:

Dear Miss Ford:

Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen as that work is performed entirely by young men.  For this reason girls are not considered by the training school.

The only work open to work women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with India ink and filling in the tracings on the reverse side with print according to directions.

In order to apply for a position as "Inker" or "Painter" it is necessary that one appear at the Studio, bringing samples of pen and ink and water color work. It would not be advisable to come to Hollywood with the above specifically in view, as there are really very few openings in comparison with the number of girls who apply.

The letter was signed by a Mary Cleane. Another woman. It was written in 1938.

If you're a female entrepreneur, business owner or employee, does this letter make you angry? It shouldn't. It should make you very, very happy. Why? Because it's clearly not 1938 anymore.


In 2018, there were 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. as compared to 402,000 in 1972, Since 2007 that number has increased by 58 percent.  Today, four out of every ten businesses in the U.S. are female-owned. Last year more than 1,800 net new women-owned businesses were launched every day and more than two-thirds of those were founded by women of color. In today's business world, women are slightly more likely to start a business than men. (All of this recent data comes from two reports - one from SCORE and the other from American Express - and both were summarized in this article by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council).

It's great news but it's not time to put on the party hats.

According to the 2018 Women in the Workplace Report from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org. while women now hold 38 percent of managerial positions in corporate America, they are still twice as likely to be mistaken for much more junior employees, continue to suffer from harassment and discrimination at work at rates far above their male counterparts and still lag behind in earnings and advancement opportunities. There is clearly much, much work to do.

But the takeaway is this: while we haven't reached parity, females have come a long, long way since 1938. Be grateful. Keep fighting. Males -- particularly those of us in our 50's who make up the majority of business owners in this country -- are getting the message. Maybe the change isn’t as fast as it should be. But it’s happening – and the reaction by society today to what was once a commonplace occurrence in 1938 should be confirmation enough.

Oh, and if it's any consolation, the men working those cartoon preparation jobs at Disney back in the '30's were replaced by computers long ago!

source:https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/335088

26
Strategy and Planning / Business Process Quality & Balanced Scorecard
« on: June 16, 2019, 02:56:28 PM »
Business Process Quality & Balanced Scorecard




There are a number of big corporations, especially in the private sector, that pay attention almost entirely to financial results, while on the other hand many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not pay much care to their overall financial strategies and structures. The primary goal for all sorts of business enterprises should be to strike some kind of balance between paying attention to financial results and outcomes, along with other sides of the business such as operations including sales, marketing, supply chain, human resource, production.

Every industry segment and its associated business enterprises has a series of fundamental business processes that define the business model a company imbibes and implements. That is the core reason why a  company’s business model forms the basis of the company’s long term competitive advantage. The goal of the company’s business process’ quality manuals is to assist the employees at levels with key aspects of business operations that include finance, sales & marketing, supply chain, regulatory compliance, improving performance (through well-defined procedures and processes) and implementing best management practices into all operational areas including HR.


Quality in a product/service is the result of having easily reproducible and replicable processes and global standards such as ISO 9000/QMS distinguish quality as regularity.  However, quality in a business process is not always an objective measure. Simply put, if a company can simply repeat the same product or service related result, constantly over time, then they have what is called ‘business quality’. 

The strategic victory for a business is constant, resulting from  well-defined processes and procedures that can be quantified, assessed, and attuned over time, which is the key essence of process management.  With meticulous processes, procedures, policies and forms, a business has a base to build a quality program; conversely, one of the goals of producing a policy and procedure manual is to document the core business processes that have the optimal business model.  This optimal model will be easy to understand, repeat, and replicate by other employees, in other offices over time, which will produce consistent results, profits, and morale. Consistency reduces risk and uncertainty producing a more stable company.

Before you start forming and assembling material in preparation for writing the business process quality manual, you should assess the following points:

Select the employees who will have the power and accountability for preparing the main sections of the quality manual and who will have the decisive authority over the entire business process manual.

Define the preferred content of the manual, containing what should and should not go into the manual.

Sketch the main sources of information for the manual.

Decide the appropriate communication style for your policy and procedure statements to make sure that all company employees write them for clearness and comprehensive understanding.

Regulate the final format and organization of the manual.

The Balanced Scorecard

The business process quality manual describes, in procedural form, the best management practice activities required to manage the basics of organisational processes to attain regulatory compliance and improve overall organisational performance; however, it does not explain how to keep a balanced approach.

Each division of the business must function efficiently in its own right for a business to be prosperous in the real sense.  It’s a known fact that very few businesses survive despite poor performance of some division(s), and that performance is being made up by another division.  Thus, when one business unit is not productive, other division/business units must be even more productive to recompense for it.


While this situation definitely exists in many businesses, it is far from epitome.  When all divisions are not operational properly, it leaves the business exposed to economic crisis, competitors and socio-political issues.  So, the question to be asked here is when sales fall or production drops, can your business survive if it does not have a solid strategy and process-based operational structure and practices?

Kaplan and Norton in their famous work, The Balanced Scorecard, have highlighted four business areas that require emphasis in a balanced way.  Here, it must be clarified that the basic notion of ‘balance’ should not be taken too literally in every possible sense – there has to be an absolute seamless balance in all areas of business.  Although few sections of the business might require priority, but the fact is that in order to create a successful enterprise, business needs to be pay attention to, and work to develop in, at all key business units.

The four fragments presented for a balanced scorecard include:

1.Customer

2.Learning & Growth

3.Internal Processes

4.Financial

This should be viewed as a nominal list; your business might categorise other areas that require attention in a balanced way based on the industry and legal compliance requirements.  Success in financial areas alone cannot convert into complete success if the business does not have great products or services that are delivered in a timely and cost effective manner that satisfies customers.  While financial operations are significant, they should never be the elusive focus of management, no matter how large or small the business is.

The finance is itemised as one of the key mainstays needed for business success in the Balanced Scorecard and it shows its prominence in the overarching view of what in required for businesses to be successful.  Remarkably, still, research shows a large number of SMEs do not proactively manage operational processes and neither have they developed a good financial and managerial strategy. Therefore, if you are one of such business owners, developing a business process quality manual and keeping a balanced scorecard will help you take positive steps towards growth and success.  But, always remember, the success of the business is dependent on all areas of business if they are truly aligned with corporate mission, vision and values and the leadership knows how to drive the corporate strategy – ‘balanced’.


SOURCE:https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/335274

27
How to Make Positive Changes to Your Marketing Process



If you’re in marketing, you’ll likely agree with me that your field is the toughest job in the world, and that being a good marketer is becoming harder than ever.

Related: 8 Ways to Make Your Marketing Message Stand Out

But it can be an incredibly rewarding and lucrative job too -- if you know how to do it right. Unfortunately, most marketers focus on how to do more instead of how to be efficient and that’s why they keep making the same mistakes again and again.

As a marketer, you need to focus on the things that it matters to say and make as much impact saying those things as possible..] Below are a few such things that can make your marketing process super-effective this year:

1. Focus on nurturing.
No matter what you sell, if you’re not focusing on nurturing buyers, you won’t be able to get good returns from marketing. Why?

Because, according to a report from the Bright funnel, it takes 52 percent more marketing touches (than if you didn't use those touches) to close a deal. But most marketers focus instead on bringing more people iton the funnel instead of moving them through the funnel.


If you’re a B2B marketer who is using the lead-based marketing strategy to fill the funnel for sales, you should change this approach immediately. The reason is that this approach is broken and sub-optimal: Forrester Research has stated, for example, that fewer than 1 percent of leads will ever become customers.

Want, instead, to nurture your leads? Take inspiration from Sprout Social, a social media management software business that promoted a new feature by reaching out to leads via email and nurturing them.

Everyone wants more leads from marketing every year. That has become the basic expectation and unit of comparison for marketing success. But it shouldn't be.

2. Follow the "less is more" approach.
The biggest mistake most marketers make when marketing is believing more channels + more messages = more conversions. Even if 'til now this has proved right for your company, it doesn’t have to dictate your future marketing process anymore.

Related: 7 Facebook Messenger Marketing Strategies You Can Try Today

Why? Because in the world of information overload, capturing attention has become tougher. So, no matter what the channel where you’re using email marketing, push notifications or content marketing the focus should be on providing value and engaging audience members instead of just reaching out to them.

Remember, when it comes to marketing, the main metric to look at is engagement. Start quantifying that. You can even just rank it on a scale of zero to ten.

3. Add clarity to your messages.
Attention spans are becoming shorter; it’s tough to capture attention, but it’s even tougher to hold it. Without a clear message, it’s tough to keep the attention as people will be confused. When people are confused, they don’t act on your messages.

Clearly define your target audience so you can speak to them in a way that resonates with them. Once you do that, you can efficiently reach the right people and turn them into customers.


You need to be creative with your marketing messages to capture attention, but you need to be clear too to hold that attention.

4. Leverage the power of AI
I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t we already harnessing the power of AI? Though it has been around for years, everyone is talking about it now. Yet in reality, few marketers are actually leveraging artificial intelligence.

Why? Because there’re myths and misconceptions about AI in marketing. Now the question is how to use AI to enhance marketing?

Use AI to gain a deeper understanding of your customers which in turn will help you in sending targeted marketing messages and improve your customer experience. For example, Sky TV has implemented a machine-learning model that is designed to recommend content according to the viewer’s mood.

It’s vital to use AI in your marketing to reach the next level of personalization, which in turn will separate you from marketers who are just contributing to the noise.

5. Apply Sturgeon's Law to your marketing.
Are you familiar with Sturgeon’s law? And are you using it in your marketing? If you haven’t heard about it, let me tell you what it says and then explain how it can help your marketing.

Simply put, the law says that 90 percent of everything is crap. You read that right.  In reference to marketing,90 percent of your messages are not delivering value.

Now, I know that's tough to accept, but once you do, you can better refine your messaging and stand out from the clutter. The law can help you avoid sending generic marketing messages to your buyers and become a better marketer. So definitely add it to your marketing process in 2019. You want to reach out to your audience when you have something to say and when it adds value, not because you think you have to.

All marketers should ask themselves how they might be adding to the noise and what they can do to stop doing that and start improving the buying experience.

SOURCE:https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/335152

28
Facebook Stock Rises as Company Prepares to Unveil Its Cryptocurrency



A late rally in the stock market fizzled and left the stock indexes with losses on the day. The Dow and S&P 500 indexes were down 0.07 percent and 0.16 percent respectively while the Nasdaq Composite index fell 0.52 percent. The Entrepreneur Index™ closed the day down 0.12 percent.

Semi-conductor stocks were down sharply after Broadcom reported weaker than expected revenues today. The chip-maker also lowered guidance for 2019, blaming weak global demand and the U.S. crackdown on Chinese telecom firm Huawei for its deteriorating outlook.


FB Quotes by TradingView
Chipmakers NVIDIA Corp. (-2.7 percent) and Analog Devices (-1.66 percent) had the biggest declines in the tech sector on the Entrepreneur Index™. NVIDIA, which produces high-end graphics chips, is up 8.3 percent this year but down 45.8 percent in the last twelve months. Netflix (-1.01 percent), TripAdvisor Inc. (-1.58 percent) and salesforce.com (-0.88 percent) were also down.

Facebook had the biggest gain in the sector, jumping 2.13 percent on buzz about the cryptocurrency GlobalCoin that it plans to unveil next week. The social media giant reportedly has backing from traditional payment firms like Visa and Mastercard as well as PayPal and Uber Technologies for the new digital currency. Facebook has a "crypto opportunity," according to RBC Capital Markets.


Comcast posted a 1.49 percent gain after Rosenblatt Securities initiated analyst coverage with a buy rating. The firm suggested that Comcast could increase its market share and profitability moving forward. The stock is up 24.6 percent this year. Homebuilder D.R. Horton Inc. was up 1.1 percent today. It is now up eight percent in June and 32.7 percent on the year.

Related: Facebook, YouTube the Most Widely Used Platforms for U.S. Adults

Clothing-makers Under Armour Inc. and L Brands, both had solid gains, rising 1.77 percent and 1.35 percent respectively. Under Armour, despite concerns about its North American business, has been the hottest "athleisure" stock in the industry. The shares are up 53 percent this year.

Hess Corp., down 1.82 percent, gave up more than half the pop it got yesterday after the attacks on two tankers in the Gulf of Oman sent oil prices higher. The stock is nevertheless up 41.4 percent on the year.

Other notable declines on the Entrepreneur Index™ today included mall-REIT Macerich Company (-2.01 percent), liquor-maker B">Brown-Forman Corp. (-1.8percent) and hospital operator Universal Health Services (-0.97 percent).

The Entrepreneur Index™ collects the top 60 publicly traded companies founded and run by entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurial spirit is a valuable asset for any business, and this index recognizes its importance, no matter how much a company has grown. These inspirational businesses can be tracked in real time on Entrepreneur.com.

SOURCE:https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/335308

29
8 Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Business

Nothing can fully prepare you for starting your own business—but you can learn from others who’ve been there. We asked eight founders and Advisors in The Oracles what they wish they’d known when they were starting out. Here’s what they said.

1. Realize entrepreneurship is a marathon.

The Nasdaq crashed one year after we started Bluemercury. For a year and a half, there was no way to raise venture capital and we had to figure out how to build our business with revenue and cash flow. Now the company has been through two recessions.

Many entrepreneurs focus on how they can exit their business in a few years. But things are always changing, and life rarely works out like you plan. Instead, focus on building a great company for the long term. Remember, entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint. —Marla Beck, co-founder and CEO of Bluemercury, which was acquired by Macy’s for $210 million; creator of M-61 Skincare and Lune+Aster cosmetics


2. Ensure there is a demand for your product or service.

Matt Mead
Image credit: The Oracles
Entrepreneurship requires working harder and learning more about yourself than you can imagine. It has lucrative rewards — but no guarantees. When things get intense, you’re running out of cash, and you want to quit, remember that sales may not cure all issues, but you can’t cure the issues without sales.

Companies that thrive focus on being consistently profitable so they can withstand unforeseen events like economic downturns. Before you start a business, do your research, know your numbers, and be certain there’s a market and demand for your product or service. Every sale should be profitable, ideally by 50 percent. Then you’ll have money to hire A-list players so you can focus on the work you want to do. Document everything and build systems as you go, so anyone could do your job tomorrow. But first, learn how to sell! —Matt Mead, founder and CEO of Mead Technology Group, EpekData, and BrandLync

3. Know you won’t get it right the first time.

Don’t dwell in information-gathering mode. The only way to progress is to actually do it — take action immediately. Then you must be quick on your feet, analyze the results, and make changes if needed. You’re probably not going to get it right the first time — or even the second or third. But if you’re nimble, you can pivot.

Avoid heavy overhead. Look for ways to make cash quickly and get paid upfront. The more cash you have, the more you’re able to take calculated risks — which you need to do. You can’t have an upside without a downside. Invest in yourself and have confidence that you will deliver. When you “fail,” consider it feedback. Each time you test a theory in the real world, you’ll get feedback that shows you how to improve. The only way you’ll actually fail is if you give up. —Joshua Harris, founder of Agency Growth Secrets; teaches entrepreneurs how to start, grow, and scale marketing agencies that help businesses grow


4. Be patient and make sure you have adequate funding.


Anyone starting a new business should fully understand the timeline and funding needed to survive the startup phase. I wish I had understood how long it would take to get to a revenue level that would allow my business to thrive and grow.

Nearly half of all small businesses that fail didn’t have adequate funding. Plan on it taking longer than expected to generate a profit, and make sure you have a backup funding source. Every startup’s timeline to profitability is different, and failure is always a possibility. But if you have adequate funding, you dramatically reduce the chances of failure. —Guy Sheetrit, CEO of Over The Top SEO, who provides customized SEO marketing solutions for e-commerce, local, and Fortune 500 companies

5. Forget about what you want to sell.

Many entrepreneurs focus so much on marketing and selling that they neglect to deeply understand exactly what their clients want to achieve or solve. Profitable companies know their customers better than they know themselves. They sell the value, impact, and results their customers want to buy.

Become a student of the game. Don’t wing it or assume you already know the answers. Plan a listening campaign to understand your target audience’s problems and dreams. It’s never too late to pivot, expand, or adjust what you sell to exactly what your clients desire and demand. When you do that, you become that rare company whose products don’t need to be sold — they’re just bought. —David Newman, best-selling author of “Do It! Marketing” and creator of the Speaker Profit Formula; host of the iTunes Top 50 business podcast “The Speaking Show”; connect with David on Facebook

6. Be prepared to pivot.

Business school can’t teach you the lessons you learn from founding a business. When you are dealing with people, ideas, and markets, hell breaks loose on the battlefield no matter how good the business plan is.

The first lesson is to vet your partners. Make sure they have the right personality, are financially stable, and are available for the long hours required. They must also have skin in the game. Second, don’t overcomplicate your business model or product line. Simple, well-executed, and elegant plans are best. Third, be prepared to pivot quickly based on changing markets and needs. Know your customer well and listen to what they’re saying. —Peter Hernandez, president of the Western Region at Douglas Elliman; founder and president of Teles Properties

7. Listen to your customers.

Traditional thinking will tell you to start everything with a business plan and the product.  But when we started The Boutique Hub, I learned the hard way that identifying the minimum viable product (MVP), implementing, and getting immediate customer feedback were most important. In our first iteration, I started with a plan and a product that made sense to me, but it didn’t fit the market. It nearly killed the business.

I started over and hustled to find what our customers really needed. Then I offered it, even without the right pricing, details, or layout. I did it for little to no cost, just to learn from them. Once we had a product-market fit, we added the details necessary to grow. Always remember, your customer decides if your business is going to work, not your business plan. Test your market first, then go all in. —Ashley Alderson, founder and CEO of The Boutique Hub; cancer survivor, motivational speaker, seven-figure entrepreneur, and host of “Boutique Chat”



8. Solve a problem.

Always ask yourself what need or problem your product or service will answer. If there is no demand or interest from the market, you should rethink your idea.

I started my first business because I needed a tool to send automated, mass emails to my subscribers. I had some programming skills, so I built it. As it turned out, many others had the same need. More than 20 years later, GetResponse has over 350,000 customers. I built my second company, ClickMeeting, on the same foundation. At GetResponse, we needed to improve communication with our globally dispersed team. We couldn’t find a solution that met our needs, so we built one. Now ClickMeeting is in over 160 countries and serves over 100,000 customers. —Simon Grabowski.

30
News Paper Articles / Learn to Scale Growth and Revenue With YouTube
« on: June 16, 2019, 02:23:40 PM »
Learn to Scale Growth and Revenue With YouTube

Building the foundation for your startup is hard enough, and getting your company’s name in front of your customers’ eyes is even harder. If you’re not getting the returns you want from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, it might be because you’re missing out on a site that’s grown like a weed — YouTube.

YouTube pulls in 1.8 million users each month; it has even more users than Gmail.
ou’ve got to capitalize on its dynamic platform if you plan on reaching as many people as possible. The Complete YouTube Master Class covers everything you’ll need to earn YouTube success.


You can’t have a successful channel without the right equipment. This class starts off with camera, lighting and audio equipment recommendations. After you’ve created the perfect video to showcase your brand, you’ll learn how to upload it and pick the perfect title and tags.

YouTube analytics are the key to understanding how to reach your desired audience. You’ll learn how to read them and tweak your strategies to get the results you need. Raking in extra cash through monetization is the final step towards YouTube success.

The Complete YouTube Master Class costs $49, but you can benefit from YouTube’s popularity now for only $11 (77% off).




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