FinTech Will Continue To Change How We View Real Estate In 2018

As technology drives our push towards advancements in many aspects of our lives, it is beyond doubt that these changes will also be felt in real estate. In 2018, we will continue to experience many changes in how real estate firms deal with buyers and sellers, with proptech and fintech major forces integral to how we deal with the process of buying and selling homes.

It is conceivable that a radical overhaul in the real estate business could lead to the traditional means of purchasing property being completely phased out. The requirement to even leave our existing homes to search for another could one day be a thing of the past. Those looking for real estate in Edmonton, for example, can already do so from the comfort of their couch, but completing the entire process without even getting dressed is the exciting future we may have at our fingertips.

But how, is the question.

Data.

The most basic way in which fintech and proptech can improve the real estate industry is in the advantages the use of intricate data can have for the future of how we “do” property. From market predictions and analytics, we may get a greater sense of where trends will lead us as a whole. By integrating behaviors into projections which can be used to model a more efficient way for individuals to interact with suitable buyer and sellers, we can also cut the time a typical house sale takes from sale agreement to completion.

Therefore, we can generally approach a new way to understand what drives migration of those who look to rent, and the social-economic reasons which are behind the patterns and behaviors of individuals who fall into particular demographics.

As fintech continues to influence how we operate as businesses, expect the emergence of new platforms which can also, in turn, direct the way business is done. With advancements in how we fund new businesses also likely to contribute to the emergence of fresh ideas, there may be more control for the average seller.

Blockchain.

Additionally, we may see the impact of blockchain on real estate. The influence of big data on the real estate industry could revolutionize how we pay for transactions, and create scope to introduce new methods which could promote both competition and an evolved way of dealing with the process of purchasing a home. As big data becomes more useful to property owners and moguls, there is also scope to radicalize our expectations in real estate sales.

Additionally, the use of blockchain in real estate could have extensive benefits to the combatting of fraud and money laundering in the industry. This alone is among the chief reasons why real estate will embrace this technology, give that 27% of all real-estate cybercrimes were attributed to wire fraud. Given these problems, we can expect fintech to play a significant role in the re-development of the real estate industry as the next few years play out.

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Forex Scalping 101 – What You Need To Know

It’s no secret that currency exchange has been going on ever since ancient times. Because the craft has such a long history, change is inevitable. Thus, old techniques are phased out by innovation all the time. One strategy that used to be extremely popular in the golden days of trading is that of scalping. Unfortunately, many people steer clear of it nowadays.

However, scalping is still very much feasible, in spite of the obstacles the modern electronic forex floor lays before it. As long as participants use the available technical indicators wisely, profits can still be made from currency trading in amounts of time as short as fifteen minutes, sometimes even less.

But even when considering its obvious advantages, scalping for beginners is a challenging strategy to master because its fast-paced nature tends to leave most newcomers in a state of dazed confusion. Nevertheless, once you’ve got the basics all figured out, you will surely master this particular approach and be able to make a handsome profit off of it over time.

What Is Forex Scalping?

There are quite a few ways to make a profit on the foreign exchange market. Out of all of them, scalping is perhaps the fastest one. It consists of a fast-paced trading style that allows those who engage in it to gain quick money from small price changes among various currencies. This usually happens right after a stock has become profitable.

According to Investopedia, scalpers are a fast-fingered crowd that makes use of the ticker tape which is constantly moving during a market day. In the past, they used bid and ask screens to locate the adequate buying and selling signals by pinpointing supply and demand imbalances. However, this has become increasingly difficult in today’s electronic market.

Nevertheless, scalping is still a popular approach to forex nowadays. Those who practice it make use of three technical indicators in order to gather the necessary data for determining when to profit off of the aforementioned small market movements. When real-time data becomes futile due to lagging and other issues, knowing the prices is indispensable.

Because the strategy is based on minor fluctuations, multiple trades need to be attempted in one day. This is the only way to make a considerable profit. After all, increasing winner number does sacrifice the size of the win, but they all add up in the end. Thus, you could think of scalping as your own FX piggybank.

The Essentials of Scalping.

Scalping relies on shorter times frames, such as M1, M5 or M15. This basically means that you will spend between 1 and 15 minutes on the market. For this reason, having a thorough entry and exit strategy is essential. Here are some of the most aspects to master and apply to your tactic so that you can practice it successfully.

The first thing you need to use is the moving average. It is a standard concept in the field of FX trading, and it consists of a value derived from successive segments represented by price movements. Its purpose is to filter out of the noise of small and inconsistent fluctuations. By using it to determine a trend’s strongest moments, you can establish when to enter a trade.

Once you’re in there, taking profits or cutting loses should be your main concern. Although the market is unpredictable due to its very nature, it is way easier to understand and foresee movements for periods of time as short as those involved in scalping. The most suitable way to time your exits is by watching how the band interacts with a price.

Band penetrations usually predict trend reversal, or at least a slowing down of sorts. When that happens, it’s time to go and collect your wins. On top of that, if price thrusts fail to reach the band altogether, you need to exit the trade as early as possible and cut your losses. You shouldn’t expect to make a profit with every single movement.

Last, but certainly not least, working with multiple charts simultaneously is a sure way to keep track of the background conditions that impact your trading actions. Because real-time data is no longer reliable in the present electronic foreign exchange market, you will need to compare support and resistance levels manually in order to succeed.

Final Thoughts.

Today’s foreign exchange market is ripe with opportunities for success as long as you have the right strategy going in. For those who are interested in trading, the offer is quite varied on this front. Depending on whether you want to engage for the long term or for shorter periods at a time, you need to design your technique accordingly.

Short-term traders can benefit tremendously from scalping. The fast-paced approach relies on profiting off of small movements on the market, which is entirely possible once you’ve got the best entry and exit points figured out. The only thing that’s left to do is to leave the inaccuracies real-time data behind and manually set up the right technical indicators.

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Pathways To Lateral Thought

The best business ideas are the “out there” ones. If we all think along the same lines, then, by definition, we aren’t going to out-perform the rest. This kind of performance may be acceptable in making a living; there’s nothing wrong with a job done well. But, if you’re really looking to do something different in any sphere of life, including business, then you’re going to have to be a little outré.

But have you ever noticed how difficult it is to come up with a lateral and creative thought when you’re put on the spot? You try to force your brain to come up with the kind of “out-there” idea you know it’s capable of but it just won’t come. Well, your brain is giving you a big clue here; it’s because you’re trying to concentrate on the task at hand in a fully conscious and focussed way. This is a mistake. The best ideas come to us at the strangest moments; just as we’re falling asleep, on waking, in our dreams, or while we’re busy doing something completely unrelated. That’s because your subconscious has been working on it while your conscious thoughts were busy elsewhere.

So how do you nurture that laterality?

Find ways of tapping into your subconscious thoughts. Some of these can be fascinating. For example, clairvoyant readings or talking to a psychic can be a unique way of revealing to yourself your innermost thoughts – with the help of a perceptive individual. Whether you believe or don’t believe there’s a magical unknown element to these processes, the people you’re talking to are, unequivocally, trained professionals who will see in you things you aren’t aware of yourself. The same can happen via hypnotherapy or even self-hypnosis or meditation. They’re all ways of shutting down your conscious thought processes and letting the sub-conscious do the “talking” for a while. And this is the spring source of our greatest creativity because it is uncluttered by the mundane practicalities of your existence.

In other words, this is “spiritual” or soulful. Whether you have any strong faith or are a complete atheist and don’t believe in anything that isn’t explained by science, you still have a spiritual side as a human being.

Some people find listening to music stirs the soul, whilst others will find it via singing or through a long relaxing massage or a yoga class, meditation or maybe even a glass of wine. It’s really all about finding whatever does it best for you as long as it’s healthy. For many people, making notes of their dreams or thoughts during the night or on immediate waking can be very useful.

There are lots more conventional ways to improve your lateral thinking, all of which have their place in this process. But these don’t help you prepare your mind to be truly open to creativity in the first place – which is what we’re really looking for here.

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The Seven Elements Of Business Development

by Tom McMakin, author of “How Clients Buy: A Practical Guide to Business Development for Consulting and Professional Services“

Clients aren’t sold services. They buy on reputation, relationships and referral.  Along the journey from not knowing you to engagement, they ask seven questions.

How do your answers to their questions rate?

1. Awareness — Who are you?

If clients are not aware of your firm, you can neither scope nor engage with them. The branding work done by our marketing colleagues is useful here. In the whitespace of corporate need, it is helpful to be known as an option. Think websites, social media, and airport signage. Being known in advance, of course, is not a necessity. Sometimes awareness first comes when you send an email or introduce yourself over the phone.

2. Understanding — Do I understand what you do?

Potential clients need to have an understanding of your capabilities. This is not a trivial point in a world where many firms offer a wide range of capacity. We often ask firms “What are you selling?” only to have them offer up a slurry of undigested professional services pap. Here is the rule: Specificity attracts. For example, “We sift through retail register data and are able to pinpoint which customers and which offers will help you optimize your marketing spend” is more compelling than “We drive digital transformation and strategy in a full range of industries across the globe.” Boil down what you offer to no more than a handful of value propositions where you have a) some form of competitive advantage, b) a data-rich track record of success and c) a statement that is easily understood by a parent or a neighbor. This is your elevator pitch and is the definition of your niche.

3. Interest — Do I have a problem for which you have an answer?

In order to sell consulting services, your client must have a felt need, an interest. At least they should be open to the idea of improvement. Create distinctions which illuminate challenges or opportunities to which you are the answer. This is why practice leads write thought leadership, speak at conferences and more generally work to articulate the kind of “burning platforms” on which urgency and engagement are built. “Did you hear they changed Regulation 8b?” you whisper to a potential client. “We are seeing a variety of responses. How is your company prepared to act?”

4. Belief — Do I think you can do the job?

Potential clients might know you, know you are active in a vertical and have a problem they need to solve, but they need to have a belief that you can do the work effectively. The secret to creating “Belief” is to clearly describe the promise of your service (“we lower costs,” “we drive revenues,” “we position you for future success”), while at the same time highlighting your track record of doing “the same thing for companies in your similar situation.” Think case studies and references.

5. Trust — Do I trust you?

For professional services business development, reputation is the Holy Grail. When you hear, “I’ve worked with her before; she’s a solid player,” you know someone is about to ink a new engagement. Here is the formula for creating trust: (Your effectiveness) x (Your “fit” with the client) x (The amount of time you have known the client) = trust. If you are super-smart and have been calling on a client for five years, you will not win an engagement if the client feels “she just doesn’t get us.” Ask yourself, “How can I demonstrate value to a potential client in advance of the sale, provide evidence of my fit with the buyer, and do this repeatedly over a long period of time?” Working shoulder-to-shoulder with executives builds trust, but so does staying continuously connected over time, so long as you add value when you do. This is why people travel, offer free audits, and distribute research. Abuse this imperative to repeatedly connected, however, and you risk being thought of as human spam.

6. Ability — Do I have the ability to pull the trigger?

Is the company (or division or unit) big enough to afford you? Are you talking to a decision-maker? This is not about pining after those hard-to-get CFO appointments; it is about being thoughtful about where the preponderance of decision-making lies. Here is a clue: It is generally not the CEO and often not in the C-suite at all. Yes, your partner went to prep school with a CEO and that resulted in a new engagement, but mostly, you are selling to the “head of retail operations” or the “director of compliance.” These are the problem solvers in an organization. Seek to be in front of the right level — not too low, but not too high, either. Target those with budget, authority and for whom your services move the needle on their objectives. Understand their mandates and responsibilities. Do your homework. What does the world look like from their perspective, not yours? Care enough to walk a mile in their shoes.

7. Readiness — Is the timing right?

Often you have convinced the decision-maker but for reasons beyond their control, she cannot make it happen. Be patient. You are selling to large organizations with their own idiosyncratic biorhythms, including planning and budget cycles and the Byzantine politics of who is on the rise and who’s not. Be attuned to timing, and never write off a potential client. No one ever needs a consultant, until they do, and then, when they do, it is the professional who has invested in a relationship and who is most proximate to the opportunity who wins the day. Stay in touch.

 

Tom McMakin is the author of “How Clients Buy: A Practical Guide to Business Development for Consulting and Professional Services“. He is also the CEO of PIE, a business development consultancy for professional services firm.  He can be reached at tmcmakin@profitableideas.com.

 

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Understanding E-Commerce Website Development Cost: A Guide

There are a lot of options to consider when building your first e-commerce site. Sometimes, it can get confusing. Some websites perform like Ferrari, while others perform like Honda. One option or another, if you’re a start-up trying to create a website the cost will range from $20,000 to $500,000.

This cost will depend on how you want your website to perform and the company you choose to assist you in developing it. In this guide we help calculate your ecommerce website development cost so that you can create a realistic budget for your business.

What is an E-commerce Site?

An E-commerce Site is a mix between an online vending service and a fully designed website. Products are sold on the site and are marketed towards the company’s target audience (i.e., 20-30-year-olds, male/female, etc.).

When you create your eCommerce site, you have to decide who you’re selling your products too. Once you’ve done that, you can start creating a budget and finding a development company that will make it according to your requirements and needs.

Quick Advice When Creating Your eCommerce Website.

The first thing you need to ask is “What are my goals?”. Having a general idea as to what you’re trying to accomplish will increase the success of your page. Additionally, it gives you expectations that your development company needs to meet. Set up S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reliable, Time-Based) goals to help your hired company work effectively.

Cost.

This table explains the average ecommerce website development cost. Use it as a reference when creating your site so you know what to expect:

	Small	Mid-Size	Enterprise
Design	$5,000	$10,000-$15,000	$35,000-$50,000
Programming	$2,000	$15,000-$30,000	$50,000-$75,000
Data Imports	$0	$3,000-$5,000	$10,000-$15,000
Integrations	$500	$8,000-$10,000	$15,000-$20,000
SEO (annual)	$12,000	$34,000	$50,000
Hosting (annual)	$500	$5,000	$10,000
Total Average Cost:	$20,000	$75,000-$99,000	$165,000-$220,00

Remember, you have to establish a reasonable budget for your ecommerce website development cost. If you’re just getting started, $20,000 is a good deal for a basic website. However, if you have a good crowdfunding campaign or have the money, your website can go for around $75,000 – $220,000 if you want more high-end features (automated response, ai technology searches, increased data size).

What Determines the Cost?

• Design – i.e., If you’re getting your site custom made, it’s going to cost more than using a template.
• Data Imports – Do you need customer data or other forms of data imported to your site?
• Outsourcing – You can reduce the e-commerce website development cost by using developers outside the U.S.
• Company Reputation – Getting service from an experienced, reputable company tends to cost more.
• Market Integration – Integrating your e-commerce market with ERP or 3rd parties might cost you thousands.

Keep these factors in mind when creating your first e-commerce site. While you can take the economical route and outsource it, you’ll want to check the company first. See if their work matches their credentials and make sure that they complete your project on time.

Conclusion.

Your website depends on your capital, resources. And it relies on your ability to hire developers that can complete your project requirements (without lacking quality either). To conclude, get your website costs figured out so you can start obtaining sales and growing your business!

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7 Powerful B2B Content Marketing Trends For 2018

by Uzair Khan, VP of Sales & Marketing at Enterprise Monkey

With 89% of B2B marketers using content marketing in their organization, the stakes for content marketing this year are no different.

From leaping forward from a buzzword to today as a crux and essence of nurturing a B2B industry, content marketing has left no stone unturned for educating the industry best practices to the potential customers.

Ever since content marketing practices first came into existence in the late 19th century, the focus had always been providing value to the customers. Today as we have transcended into the digital age, content marketing has undergone a with a whole new transformation. Today with the onset of technology, content marketing has facilitated more and more people to produce quality content for the customers. This has become both boon and bane for marketers. Boon because there is abundant helpful content, bane because ‘there is an abundance of content’. The competition has increased fourfold with several content creators vying with each other to produce the creme de la creme.

Unlike last year, where content marketing trends involved less technology and more strategy, the year 2018 sees a healthy mix of both along with some extra dose of disruption.

Without any further ado, let us see what trends content marketing has in store for 2018.

Artificial Intelligence.

With Press Association winning a million dollar grant by Google last year, A.I barged into the journalism world and secured its sweet spot in content creation. Giants like Associated Press, Yahoo, and Fox have already been using AI for content creation for a long time.

It has become hard and illogical to put it out there manually. AI is used to streamline these processes and also help you to classify a significant amount data based on user intent. Here’s how A.I is growing in content marketing:

Tailored Feeds on Social Media.

Providing tailored news feeds on social media as per the user interests. This will significantly increase the engagement on each post as the readers are being shown exactly what they want to see. Facebook is already using this technique without readers even realising.

Optimization for Every Individual.

The market is not divided into segments anymore, but into every single individual. A.I will help marketers to optimize the content on real-time basis and provide an unmatchable experience to each customer.

Easier Content Curation.

Content curation has also become quite easy with A.I. Its algorithms have simplified the data collection for content marketers. They can sort the topics that the target audience wants to read about a specific business or the kind of questions that run through their minds. Thus the  content  relevance will significantly increase causing more engagement.

Content Generation.

Using A.I generated content for repetitive and bulk content such as news stories, reports, statistics etc. where creativity has a minimum role. This has further breached into A.I being used for interacting with the customers using chatbots with really direct and simple conversations.

If you look closely, A.I has increased the personalization of content tuning down to a single individual which would otherwise have been very cumbersome manually.

Influencer Marketing.

If you missed it, content marketers have recently shifted their focus from millennials to Gen Z, reason being, by 2020, Gen Z will account for 40% of the total consumers.

Gen Z seek validation from social media. For them, the influencer endorsements are equally important as the celebrity endorsements, and this is exactly why content marketers should care about influencer marketing this year.

Content marketing and influencer marketing go hand in hand. People ‘listen’ to them and that is exactly what you want. Another trend to note here is allowing the influencers to create some of the content for you. This will be like killing two birds with one stone. First, it will ease the load of new content creation and secondly, the trust factor will highly increase among the audience after reading something that’s coming directly from their favourite influencers.

This year the influencer marketing will reach a whole new level, moving from payment model to relationship model. Content marketers will have to focus on building a meaningful relationship with the influencers in order to kindle authentic promotion from their side.

Blockchain.

Blockchain technology has been relatively new in the content marketing arena, but the truth remains that it is being explored aggressively in any industry that you can imagine of.

As we are moving deeper into 2018, the development of blockchain in content marketing is growing as well.

Taking Care of Authenticity.

The main issue with a large amount of content that is being produced today is its authenticity. This decreasing trust from readers can pose a major threat to content marketers. The digital identity authentication facilitated by blockchain technology can take care of this issue. It can be used to validate the produced content and ensure that it comes from a reliable source.

Taking Care of Ad Fraud.

Another sector where blockchain can help content marketers this year is ad fraud.

According to research, ad frauds will cost advertisers about $19 billion dollars in 2018. Content markers can never be sure of whether or not the ad placements they have chosen are reaching  the correct audience. This means that they’ll be paying for fake clicks and impressions without even realising. With blockchain ledger the ad networks will be able to substantiate the legitimate clicks and impressions.

Creating Decentralized System for Influencers.

We understood how influencer marketing is emerging as one of the dominating trends for content marketing this year. But have you ever thought that what if the flattering followers that you see on their profiles are all fake and bought?

All the money that you have spent on the influencer marketing will go down the drain. Blockchain technology will create more transparent and decentralized system for influencers and content marketers.

Reward System for Micro-Influencers.

Even the virality of the content can also be taken care of blockchain by providing rewards to micro-influencers ensuring that they share and promote your content. Infact platforms like  Mavin have already stepped onto this turf.

 

Uzair Khan is the VP, Sales & Marketing at Enterprise Monkey, an Australia based e-business consulting company which helps Small-to- Medium Enterprises and Not-for- Profits and Startups by providing integration, automation and greater visibility of their business processes.

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Things To Include In Your Start-up Company Checklist

Starting a new business can be a fun and exciting undertaking. Companies always start out with ideas that need to be explored and developed, until they crystallize into a business. The potential of creating a company that becomes successful and even exceeds your expectations, is enough to rouse the entrepreneurial spirit.

In order to build a successful business, one needs to make sure that all the necessary bases are covered. Here is a list of things that may not seem obvious at first, but can make the difference between failing and long term success for your business.

Hire a Great Graphics Designer.

New companies should always focus on creating great graphics. Presenting your company using great graphic design can immediately give someone interacting with your company an idea of the level of seriousness that you have about your company.

When you have a logo that looks professional, and your business, online, and marketing materials are of the highest quality, people take you more seriously and are more inclined to give you their full attention.

When looking for a freelance graphic designer, select someone who has a portfolio that you can peruse. When viewing the portfolio when you see a design that catches your eye, ask about the desires of the client and compare that to what this graphic designer created. Are you impressed?

You should also ask about delivery timelines for anything you order and finally make sure to ask for references that you can contact about the quality of the graphic designer’s services. In the end you must be sure that this person can provide what you need consistently, and on time.

Shop Hard for Everything.

When you start your business you should make a budget for every big and small thing you need to operate your company. Everyone understands that the big purchases like renting an office or purchasing computers demand that you identify several before you select the one you want.

But most new entrepreneurs do not shop the small and medium sized purchases and as a result often spend way too much money on them. Things like office furniture, stationary supplies, and even mobile phone can vary in price wildly, so taking the time to check on several sources will put more money in your pocket for other things.

Another key area for hard shopping is when you hire companies to provide important services to you. Key service providers include lawyers, accountants, and online marketing companies. Many people do not think that these services can be negotiated, but doing so can save you hundreds and even thousands of dollars off the final bill. When you speak to these companies tell them that you are a start-up and are tight on funds. Because of this you need a company committed to giving your great services for a great price. Many companies are happy to lower their prices for a new company in exchange for the promise of a higher payment once you start making profits.

Find a mentor.

Nearly every successful entrepreneur was guided by someone who was a successful entrepreneur. Whether it was Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos, the most capable business leaders have sought out experience and wisdom to help them guide their enterprises.

Mentors are very valuable because they give you an understanding of the business challenges you will undertake on your road to success. They anticipate likely problems and can offer potential solutions, while also offering support and encouragement.

Locating a mentor can be a challenging job. You want someone who has the track record, but also someone who has the time to provide your mentoring needs. So you should assume that locating a mentor will be process that may take considerable time. But it will be time well spent because you will gain a needed experienced mind to help you steer and grow your business.

Plan for Contingencies.

Every new entrepreneur likes to think that their ideas are great and their plans will work to perfection. Because of this they often only gather the specific money and resources that their plan calls for, without a thought of contingencies. The reality is that almost nothing planned ever goes to plan. The likelihood is that things will take longer to get accomplished, things that seem obvious will become not-so-obvious, and additional funding will be needed to complete many of the things laid out in the plan. This is why it’s very important to have a contingency plan and budget.

Go through your ideas and plans for your business with someone you trust who has a history of successfully operating a company. Ask that person to help you find any areas of your business plan that may go awry. Work through what options you can put in place that can get you back on course. Then make sure that you have the funding for these contingency plans. You may never need to execute these plans but in the event you do being able to move on them might save your company.

Add these key items to the list you have for building a successful company. They will certainly prepare you better for the road ahead.

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