FAHION INDUSTRY AND E-COMMERCE

The rise of mobile and e-commerce made a huge significance in the fashion industry. With the introduction of online companies like LIBBSY, the fashion industry is so very different as compared to what it was few years back. Most of the major fashion brands are so progressively marking their mark and tend to grow or build their market with the help of the e-commerce platform. Consumers are so engaged to spend their time on online purchasing than direct shopping as it is more convenient by saving time and effort to reach the destination. One need to create an effortless shopping experience to be positively leverage the e-commerce.

                                         

     

           

            Social network plays a vital role here.  I said so, as me as the user depend on the online or the user- generated content before making a purchase. Various social networks are now available [LIBBSY – ONE STOP DESTINATION FOR WOMEN SHOPPING]. Instagram, repost, Facebook, blogs and many more fashion buying and selling application or platforms are at ease for the customers choice. For me the urge to do online shopping have increased from the past as I have more options and seamless services to choose from a single portal rather than running around in a mall with a fuss…

                       

            LIBBSY - WE BUILD MARKET-PLACES FOR YOU TO LEARN AND GROW YOUR BUSINESS

           

E-platforms have made it easier for us. [LIBBSY PROVIDES GOOD QUALITY BRANDED PRODUCTS.] Most of the E-platform effortlessly try to provide highest level of customer satisfaction. As I have experienced that these application have made the users wanting come back for more. In fact, the retailers are keen to work with start-ups to please the hunger for modernism's. Online market-place for women clothing allow them to connect with a selection of products, indirectly helping the growing brands gain limelight through a larger platform.

            For those who want to create their own line of clothing but don’t have access to the resources or funding to do it on their own, these E-app aids to provide ability for the entrepreneurs to use E-platforms like Facebook, blogs or any related apps targeting to promote to specific individuals. 

BE SMART AND CHOOSE WISELY - LIBBSY COMING SOON

Flipkart Makes Seed Investment In Mobile-Technology Startup Cube26

BENGALURU: Flipkart has made a seed investment in mobile-technology startup Cube26, the latest in nearly a dozen such deals as the ecommerce giant chases innovations to stay nimble and gain an edge over rivals. Flipkart contributed a minority share in a Rs50-crore investment led by Tiger Global in Cube26.

"Our overall investment philosophy is around backing a phenomenal team trying to solve a hard problem in a large market through technology," Nishant Verman, head of corporate development at Flipkart, told ET, adding that the firm especially backs startups focused on mobile technology.

Delhi-based Cube26, which has built multiple mobile-based technologies since its inception in 2012, fits right in. The startup already assists Flipkart and other ecommerce companies in customer acquisition.

Verman said that while a few of Flipkart's investments were in companies associated with its business, others had zero overlap, such as home rental listings startup Nestaway."While we have a lot of great, prominent people in Flipkart, all innovation is not going to happen behind our doors. There are amazing entrepreneurs outside," Verman said.

"(Cube26) is a very disruptive company. We feel this can really impact the lives of users, both today and in the future."

Cube26 has worked with mobile phone manufacturers including Micromax, Panasonic and Karbonn to create customised operating systems for users and gesturelinked features.

The startup, which has acquired 10 patents, recently ventured into building technology related to Internet of Things, which are networks of connected devices.

Cube26 announced that it will make affordable connected devices, the first of which, a smart bulb, will be released in the market in November.


"We are elated at the trust showcased by our investors so early in our journey and glad to be associated with global leaders," Cube26 cofounder Saurav Kumar said.

The now-profitable company, founded three years ago by Kumar, Abhilekh Aggarwal and Aakash Jain, earns a monthly revenue of over Rs1 crore.

Disclaimer :- Following article come from ET

Tech business week: Start-up map and financial results revealed

Start-up map of Ireland goes online

A very useful, living and breathing online map has been produced by Start-up Ireland that takes into account the entire start-up ecosystem in Ireland, including start-ups, accelerators co-working spaces and more.

Produced ahead of the Start-up Gathering this October, the map will always be a work in progress.  For anyone trying to get a grasp of the start-ups of today, access incubators, investors, co-working spaces, accelerators and lots more, it is a fine, detailed piece of work.

Apple reports US$49.6bn quarter, says little about Apple Watch

Apple has been circumspect about the performance of its Apple Watch wearable except to say it got off to a ‘great’ start. The company reported a US$10.7bn profit on third quarter sales of US$49.6bn.

Apple reported third-quarter growth was fuelled by record numbers of iPhone and Mac products and strong revenue from services.

“We had an amazing quarter, with iPhone revenue up 59pc over last year, strong sales of Mac, all-time record revenue from services, driven by the App Store, and a great start for Apple Watch,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Microsoft posts US$2bn loss on US$22.1bn in Q4 revenues

Software giant Microsoft has incurred losses of US$2.05bn on fourth quarter revenues of US$22bn, which the company attributed to the costs associated with the US$7.5bn writedown for its acquisition of Nokia Devices as well as restructuring charges of US$780m.

Microsoft also blamed its poor fourth quarter results on the strengthening of the US dollar.

There was also a further charge of US$160m associated with the company’s restructuring.

ChangeX raises €400k seed round

ChangeX, a not-for-profit start-up, has raised €400,000 from a coterie of investors including Storyful founder Mark Little, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield, prominent Irish financier Dermot Desmond and some high-profile Silicon Valley investors.

The investors also include: John O’Farrell, general partner of Andreessen Horowitz; Albert Wenger, managing partner at Union Square Ventures; Realex founder Colm Lyon; Brian Caulfield from DFJ Espri and Bil McKiernan from WMC Capital.

“I’m a long-time supporter of and believe in the power of grassroots movements and ChangeX has the potential to really accelerate their growth and impact and that’s important for the world,” Greenfield said. “I’ve known Paul for a few years now, I like his work and I’m just delighted to support him and the team in getting ChangeX to fly.”

ChangeX, which was our Boole Start-up of the Week in recent weeks, connects people with the best ideas and like-minded people so they can work on causes that they are passionate about.

Qualcomm to slash 15pc of workforce

Smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm — maker of the Snapdragon processor — is to slash 15pc of its workforce amidst a global slowdown in chip demand and pressure from an activist investor.

Qualcomm, a US$105bn technology powerhouse, employs 31,000 people worldwide and believes it could cut US$1.1bn a year in annual costs by cutting 4,500 workers by 2016.

Qualcomm, which operates a global R&D operation in Cork and is an investor in Dublin tech firm Cubic Telecom, has been under pressure since activist hedge fund Jana Partners acquired a US$2bn stake in the company.

9 out of 10 Irish adults bought online in the last year

The digital economy is alive and kicking in Ireland with nine out of 10 adults making purchases online in the last year. But Irish firms are missing out because 91pc of them don’t have e-commerce capabilities.

New research from Deloitte shows Irish consumers are no longer using the internet to simply source information. Engaging with businesses and other consumers, as well as sharing experiences, is becoming an increasingly important part of the purchasing decision and the majority of consumers under the age of 35 put most of their trust in anonymous online consumer reviews.

Clothing and footwear (49pc), hotel and accommodation (46pc), transport services (44pc) and books, music and games (42pc) are amongst the most popular items purchased online.

Citation from Siliconrepublic : https://goo.gl/JUaNiC

STARTUPS WOO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS LEADERS TO JOIN THEIR BOARDS

BENGALURU: Some of India's biggest startups including Flipkart, Ola and Paytm are wooing global leaders in technology and business to join their boards, as they strive to cope with challenges of rising complexity and scale in their companies. Among those in demand: PepsiCo Chief Executive Indra Nooyi, payments startup Square's head of engineering Gokul Rajaram and Google Senior Vice-president Sundar Pichai. 

"It's quite lonely at the top—investors are bringing more money with subtle expectations about big exits, and there aren't many in the management who can be trusted for balanced advise," said a founder at one of these startups, requesting anonymity. "These names have been through cycles of growth pangs and can even help us balance investor pressures with day-to-day management." 

Paytm last month made three high-profile appointments to its board—Ruchi Sanghvi, the first woman engineer at Facebook, WhatsApp global business head Neeraj Arora and InMobi Founder Naveen Tewari—to compete with the big boys of online retail in India.

Tuesday, Ola appointed Arun Sarin, former CEO at telecom giant Vodafone, as an independent director. "(Sarin's) experience in management and in growing large businesses is invaluable to us," Ola Co-founder and CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said. "Arun not only brings global perspective, but also very deep understanding of emerging markets like India."

After raising billions of dollars in funding and poaching top talent from companies like Google, India's fast-growing ecommerce companies are now beefing their boards for technology strategy and execution.

"The best companies usually have the best boards and they have to work very hard to attract the top players," said Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur-turned-academician who advises startups. "Now that there are so many billion-dollar startups (in India), I expect we will see many senior executives from US companies joining their boards."

Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma expects India will have about five emerging technology firms creating more than $50 billion (about Rs 3 lakh crore) in wealth, and they will all need experienced executives on their boards who have helped build such companies.

"It is a sign of playing long-term and faith that credible business leaders are putting in new-age business models," he said.

Executive search firms specialising in scouting top board talent said startup founders are also looking to add international credibility to their boards. "Some of the things which these founders are looking for in their (boards) are international reputation which can bring global credibility to these companies, (and) global businessbuilding experience which can help these companies to build global scale, systems and processes," said Anshuman Das, founder of executive search firm Careernet.

Ravi Venkatesan, an independent director on Infosys' board, said young companies need to strengthen their boards with veterans who can provide adult supervision when necessary. "Increasingly, smart entrepreneurs are realising this," said Venkatesan.

CITATION FROM ECONOMIC TIMES : http://goo.gl/A0BD9u

Startups On a Shoestring: 5 Successful Tech Companies That Were Started For Under $10,000

There’s good news if you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a future technology entrepreneur. You don’t need venture capital (VC) or even a wad of cash squirreled away under your mattress to fund the next big thing. In fact, a recent Kauffman Foundation study found that less than one percent of U.S. startups have VC benefactors. But you don’t have to tell these five bootstrappers; they’ve already parlayed a modest budget and a big dream into wealth and fame.

Code School: $0

By the time Gregg Pollack founded Orlando, Florida-based Code School in 2011, he was already a seasoned entrepreneur. “I’ve created other startups,” he says, “but the only reason Code School succeeded where the others failed is that I already had an audience for this product.” Gregg began his company one customer at a time—with no investors and zero debt, he says—by selling his services to clients who wanted to learn how to code. “See, for the 5 years before we launched Code School, I started a developer blog, a developer podcast, and I often posted free educational videos,” he says. “I was building an audience, so by the time I had a product charging for educational content, I had people who were willing to buy.”

Today, the company has more than a million users around the world.Pluralsight , which is on Forbes’ list of America’s Most Promising Companies, acquired Code School in January 2015 for $36 million.  When asked about what advice he’d give fledgling entrepreneurs starting a company on a shoestring, Gregg says, “Find customers before you start building a product. Some people call this customer validation—meaning that you find customers willing to pay for what you’re going to sell, which will validate, or sometimes invalidate, your idea.”

Craig Technologies: $150

In 1999, former naval flight officer Carol Craig started Craig Technologies, which designs software and courseware and provides systems engineering and program management support to the military, with an initial investment of just $150. Today, her company is approaching $45 million in yearly revenue. In 2013, Craig Technologies opened an aerospace and defense-manufacturing center in the former NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot (NSLD) building in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

“When starting up, it’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing all of your attention on your customers’ needs and potential business,” says Carol. “Don’t overlook your own technology needs and forget that technology should be ubiquitous in your company infrastructure.” She advises technology startups to innovate. “Look for internal options to meet your technology needs and position your business for growth early on,” she says. “You never know, the tool you develop for your own business could be the next hot product you sell to your customers!”

JAMF Software: $1,399

Zach Halmstad founded JAMF Software, an Apple device management company, in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2002 for just $1399. That was $999 for an eMac, $350 in software and $50 for the LLC, says Zach. Today, the company is valued at a $225 million, achieving 530 percent revenue growth between 2009 and 2013. In 2014, JAMF Software was named one of Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 companies.

“For the first 2 years of JAMF, I had a full-time job working as a desktop support technician at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire,” says Zach, who was finishing his bachelor’s degree in music at the time. “Around 5 p.m., we’d go to Racy’s (a coffee shop he says he still frequently works from today) and write code. Around 10 p.m., we’d move from the coffee shop to a bar across the street and finish work around midnight.” Zach says it’s important for would-be entrepreneurs to stay focused on their product. “It’s easier to build a company around a perfect product than it is to build a product from inside a perfect company,” he says. “A perfectly run business with no product has no value.”

Appster: $3,000

Mark McDonald and Josiah Humphrey were only 18 and 19 respectively when they co-founded the application development firm Appster in Melbourne, Australia in 2011 with an investment of $3,000. Three and a half years later, the company has 140 employees in three countries, including a brand new North American headquarters in Silicon Valley. Appster is set to generate $25 million in revenue this year and has its sights set on $100 million by 2018, say the founders.

“Josiah and I have been running and starting businesses since we were 12,” says Mark. “Because we were much younger our voices hadn’t got deep yet, so when we were 15 or so we had to fake deep voices and pretend to be much older on the phone,” he laughs.

“We wouldn’t recommend this to anyone starting on a shoestring budget,” says Josiah, “but we went and leased out an expensive office. It was a ‘burn the ships’ kind of moment that really forced us to take action because we had to make rent every month. Mark and I went straight to the phones and started to convince and win clients. We were profitable in our first month.”

Applico: $9,000

In 2009, 20-year-old Babson College junior Alex Moazed  racked up $9,000 in credit card debt to fulfill his lifelong dream of starting his own business. That company is Boston-based mobile app and platform developer Applico, which had $10 million in revenue in 2014. Applico boasts high-profile clients and backers including Disney and Google Ventures. Not bad for an investment of under $10k.

For those with similar dreams, Alex suggests starting small and not wasting any time. “If you can get a functioning product to market quickly, it will help validate the prospects of your business,” he says. “If you have the right timing, even a crude version of your product should see some traction—that’s when you know you’re onto something. From there, you can only improve and you’ll have the flexibility to make mistakes,” Which, he adds, “are inevitable.”

These enterprising founders prove you don’t need a ton of money to begin building your technology empire. Start with loads of talent and a great idea, throw in some grit and perseverance and heed the advice from those who’ve gone before and, who knows, you may be thenext next big thing.

Citation from Forbes :http://goo.gl/pogJZZ

VODAFONE DRAWS CLOSER TO SME CUSTOMERS

Vodafone Business Solutions, the enterprise arm of Vodafone Ghana, is bringing its services closer to its SME customers within the Western and Central regions of the country between July 7^th to 15^th.

The initiative is part of a strategic commitment to identify and meet the bespoke needs of its SME customers across the country.

In a competitive telecommunications landscape such as Ghana’s, mobile telephony companies are devising effective and well-tested mechanisms to stay ahead and win the positioning battle. Vodafone Ghana appears to have taken a step ahead in this regard.

Beginning this Tuesday in Takoradi, staff of the unit will set up interactive and service desks in the Takoradi vicinity to interact and provide assistance to SME customers on all their challenging issues.

The team will also re-introduce their flagship ‘RED BUSINESS’ product to customers in an effort to entrench their position as the Best in ‘Telecoms Business’ – a feat they achieved at the recently held Ghana Telecom Awards. The interactive activity will be replicated across other parts of the Western Region, particularly, Tarkwa and then to Cape Coast in the Central Region.. Commenting on this, Angela Mensah-Poku, Head of Vodafone Business Solutions said: “The customer is at the heart of the business landscape in the present dispensation. The service-dominant logic is what makes businesses successful and it is something we have unflinching dedication for. Going forward, we want our customers to rest assured that all their concerns will be effectively addressed by us. We want them to know that without them we have no business”

Citation from Citifmonline : http://goo.gl/KylP9Z

21 SUCCESS TIPS FOR YOUNG AND ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS

Being successful often means learning from those who have already achieved their goals. Having a mentor is an amazing blessing to an entrepreneur, but not everyone can find one in person.

If you haven’t yet found your personal business guru, here are 21 tips for young or aspiring entrepreneur to help get you started.

1. Challenge yourself. 

Richard Branson says his biggest motivation is to keep challenging himself. He treats life like one long university education, where he can learn more every day. You can too!

2. Do work you care about. 

There’s no doubt that running a business take a lot of time. Steve Jobs noted that the only way to be satisfied in your life is to do work that you truly believe in.

3. Take the risk. 

We never know the outcome of our efforts unless we actually do it. Jeff Bezos said it helped to know that he wouldn’t regret failure, but he would regret not trying.

4. Believe in yourself.

As Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.” Believe that you can succeed, and you’ll find ways through different obstacles. If you don’t, you’ll just find excuses.

5. Have a vision. 

The founder and CEO of Tumblr, David Karp, notes that an entrepreneur is someone who has a vision for something and a desire to create it. Keep your vision clear at all times.

6. Find good people. 

Who you’re with is who you become. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, noted that the fastest way to change yourself is to hang out with people who are already the way you want to be.

7. Face your fears. 

Overcoming fear isn’t easy, but it must be done. Arianna Huffington once said that she found fearlessness was like a muscle -- the more she exercised it, the stronger it became.

8. Take action. 

The world is full of great ideas, but success only comes through action. Walt Disney once said that the easiest way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. That’s true for your success as well.

9. Do the time. 

No one succeeds immediately, and everyone was once a beginner. As Steve Jobs wisely noted, “if you look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.” Don’t be afraid to invest time in your company.

10. Manage energy, not time.

Your energy limits what you can do with your time, so manage it wisely.

11. Build a great team. 

No one succeeds in business alone, and those who try will lose to a great team every time. Build your own great team to bolster your success.

12. Hire character. 

As you build your team, hire for character and values. You can always train someone on skills, but you can’t make someone’s values fit your company after the fact.

13. Plan for raising capital.

Richard Harroch, a venture capitalist, has this advice for upcoming entrepreneurs: “It’s almost always harder to raise capital than you thought it would be, and it always takes longer. So plan for that.”

14. Know your goals. 

Ryan Allis, co-founder of iContact, pointed out that having the end in mind every day ensures you’re working toward it. Set goals and remind yourself of them each day.

15. Learn from mistakes. 

Many entrepreneurs point to mistakes as being their best teacher. When you learn from your mistakes, you move closer to success -- even though you initially failed.

16. Know your customer. 

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, cited knowing your customer as one of his three keys to success. Know those you serve better than anyone else, and you’ll be able to deliver the solutions they need.

17. Learn from complaints. 

Bill Gates once said that your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. Let unhappy customers teach you where the holes in your service are.

18. Ask for customers’ input. 

Assuming what customers want or need will never lead to success. You must ask them directly, and then carefully listen to what they say.

19. Spend wisely. 

When you spend money on your business, be careful to spend it wisely. It’s easy to spend too much on foolish things and run out of capital too soon.

20. Understand your industry. 

Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos, once said, “Don’t play games you don’t understand, even if you see lots of other people making money from them.” Truly understanding your industry is key to having success.

21. Deliver more than expected.

Google's Larry Page encourages entrepreneurs to deliver more than customers expect. It’s a great way to get noticed in your industry and build a loyal following of advocates.

Being a successful entrepreneur takes a lot of work, a lot of vision and a lot of perseverance. These 21 tips, from entrepreneurs who have already found success, will help you navigate the path much more easily.

Citation from ENTREPRENEUR: http://goo.gl/52S2Xm