Difference between online and offline stock trading?

The introduction of the Internet has surprisingly changed our way of life as a society. It has defined the way we do business and the way we correspond. The Internet has opened many opportunities for online trading. The financial industry revolves around the Internet. Every thing is just a few clicks away. This makes online trading most convenient. But there are still investors who prefer the old fashion way of offline trading and they mainly prefer offline trading for security reasons.

Internet has introduced a way for consumers to manage their money online. Not to mention, Internet has transformed the way investment companies operate their business and has made it easy for private investors to gain straight access to a range of different markets and online tools that were at one point only reserved by the use of investment professionals. Consumer investing and online trading has dramatically changed over the last decade. Online trading dynamically continues to be redefined. Services have expanded to include integrated management of additional financial accounts. Not to mention, it has subsequently expanded in conjunction with ground-breaking improvements to the traditional trading interface, such as telephone interface systems.

Of course, online trading has many pros. There are several wonderful reasons to invest online and consider online trading.

1. Money saving opportunities
The amount of money you save depends primarily on the online brokerage firm that you choose. No two firms are the same. There may be different regulations, similar to bank regulations. There are minimum deposits required that must be maintained. As mentioned above, this will depend on the online brokerage firm.

2. Instant online access
You can gain instant access to your account, the value of your portfolio updates immediately before your eyes.

3. Enter online trades at anytime
You can enter online trades at anytime and from anywhere. This is very convenient if you live in a different time zone than the country you are trading in. Not to mention, it is especially fit for investors with busy schedules.

4. With online trading you are in charge
You are in control of your investments. No sales pitches and no hassle. You decide where to invest your money.

Nevertheless, with all the convenience of online trading there are still investors who prefer the old fashion way of offline trading. Offline trading has lost some popularity but it is still the main form of investing. Offline trading offers many benefits as well.

1. The one benefit that an investor appreciates the most is that they are not alone when making investment decisions.

2. There are experienced and professional brokerage companies that handle their investments for them.


3. Investors are not faced with the challenge of making these vital investment decisions; especially, if they do not have the experience necessary to make the appropriate investments.

4. Also, there is someone there to answer any questions that may cause concerns.

Not to mention, with offline trading mistakes are less likely to take place. No one wants to throw their money away or stand by and watch someone else throw their money away. It may be wise to hire a professional to assist you in making the correct investment decisions if you feel you lack the knowledge necessary.

Getting noticed on the Internet - Digital Marketing for Small Business

The Internet has grown from a small network of academics needing a way to trade research into a world spanning, ubiquitous marketplace and repository for nearly every possible kind of information and knowledge. How does a small business avoid being washed away in the constant tide of buying, selling and marketers hawking every conceivable item (and some difficult to conceive...)? The Internet provides advantages for both customer and proprietor in that one can search for exactly what is desired, without the bother of endless phone calls, driving to malls, or poring over mail-order catalogs. A quick keyword or 3, and hundreds of results vie for attention on the screen. Making sure your company is one of those results near the top is a combination of factors: specificity in product offerings, Search Engine Optimization of web content and linking to and from related topics and sites. The only way to get noticed on the Internet is to have a listing or presence, whether a dedicated website, ads on relevant sites, or by word-of-mouth. Oftentimes ads on online journals, informative sites, or e-zines (online magazines) are cheaper than space in a print publication, as well as being available to a wider audience than a dedicated website may be. Rates are often available for daily, weekly, or monthly terms, increasing flexibility and allowing a tight budget more leeway. Word-of-mouth advertising can be very cheap, but the returns may be difficult to quantify. Sponsoring web shows such as podcasts or webcasts can be a great and cheap way to gain word-of-mouth exposure. Many times, a podcaster will be so thrilled to gain sponsorship that rates can be negotiated for very little, but make sure to approach a podcaster that has a show related somehow to your business. Don't overlook resources like Google's Adwords either, as they can be slightly pricier than similar options like banner ads, but they are shown to be far more effective than pop-ups, banners, or pay-per-click ads due to their specific targeting.When a potential customer decides to look up a product that you sell, is he or she going to find your site or listing? Being specific in the terms used on your site or listing is key, as keywords are what drive the search engines like Google and Yahoo. If your company sells shoes, it's not enough to put the word "shoes" on your site--it has to be anticipatory to the searches that potential customers are doing. Most customers have an idea of what they are looking for when doing a search, so instead of "shoes," a customer will search for "imported Italian leather shoes." Specific focusing of terminology and product listings are involved in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), as SEO is driven by specific keywords and their repetition or location on a page. If the term "Italian Leather Shoes" is used 15 times on a website, it will pop up higher on the rating listings than one with the same words, but only as a page heading or title. It would be easy to go overboard on this if it were the only criteria, but it is only one of many different methods search engines use to list websites by relevance. Our article on Search Engine Optimization, located here, is a great reference to optimizing your site for maximum Search Engine Performance.With a clear idea of where you want to go with Internet marketing, it can be a valuable tool to expand your business into the digital realm, but be careful not to go overboard, as all marketing eventually crosses into the zone of limited return. Customers are looking for what they want--it's up to you to make sure they run into you, and the only way they will is for you to make sure your business is at the places they are going to go.

Some of the websites we recommend from where you can buy products to resell on ebay.

UK Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Pages UK Wholesale Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Canada - Canadian Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Aid & Trade Drop Ship Directory and Dropshipping Products
French Wholesalers and Wholesale Suppliers

Importance of Branding: What's in a Name?

Branding is perhaps the most important facet of any business--beyond product, distribution, pricing, or location. A company's brand is its definition in the world, the name that identifies it to itself and the marketplace. A model may be beautiful, but without a name, she's just "that girl in that picture." Where would Norma Jean be without Marilyn Monroe, or who would imagine Coca-Cola as just a soft-drink manufacturer? A brand provides a concrete descriptor to customers and competitors alike, a name for a product or service to distinguish it from anything else. Bob may run a hobby shop, but trying to advertise as "The hobby shop a guy named Bob runs down the street a ways" is financial suicide. Each customer will have to describe the shop, who Bob is, and what the shop does every time someone asks about it. This makes the process of recommending a good hobby shop too much work for the average customer, and far too much work for a user looking for hobby shops on the Internet. A customer looking up Bob's hobby shop will have an easier time of it if he or she knows to refer to it as "Bob's House of Hobbies," and the customer can then refer others to Bob's hobby shop by name, increasing the potential advertising exponentially.

Developing a brand involves more than just picking a catchy name and placing an ad in the newspaper--a brand is more than a unique string of letters denoting a particular product; a successful brand is a mnemonic trigger that makes a consumer feel a certain way when the brand is thought of. For those who drink cola-flavored soft drinks, which is more appealing on a hot day: a cold cola soda, or an ice-cold Coke? Coca-Cola has spent 100 years developing their particular brand of cola-flavored soda as a refreshing beverage and a seminal representation of a market segment. Coca-Cola has used a combination of direct marketing, give-away techniques, and multi-product cross-branding to achieve maximum brand recognition and visibility in not only its immediately competitive market, but in markets as diverse as Coca-Cola branded race cars and house wares.

Brand loyalty is an integral part of building a brand, as consumers usually have a choice of products in the same market segment, and so a successful company will come up with a way to keep consumers re-buying their product or coming back to their location rather than going to a competitor. These brand loyalty-building efforts may come in the form of coupons, incentives such as many grocery chains' technique of "grocery discount cards" or "loss leaders," meant to draw consumers into the store, where they will hopefully buy products along with the discounted fare at a higher profit ratio. In exchange for these discounts and grocery cards, many companies collect information about buying habits and average spending amounts, the better to tailor advertisements and better-focus future promotional efforts. Once a consumer is hooked, brand loyalty tends to result in higher sales volume, as well as loyal customers being less sensitive to price changes of their favorite brands (within reason, of course), as well as less sensitive to competitors' incentives. Studies have shown that it takes 5 times as much money to gain a customer as it does to retain one. That's 5 times as much money as could have been spent on other things.

A brand is who your company is, and what it is selling--it is as important as naming a baby, and should require the same amount of effort to develop it, but if done well, can mature into a successful and profitable adult.

© 2005, Wholesale Pages UK. All rights reserved.

Some of the websites we recommend from where you can buy products to resell on
ebay.

UK Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Pages UK Wholesale Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Canada - Canadian Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Aid & Trade Drop Ship Directory and Dropshipping Products
French Wholesalers and Wholesale Suppliers

Selling your Business – Step by Step Process

So finally the time has come to sell the business. After investing years of your time and uncounted thousands of dollars, it has become successful, providing for your needs and wants, and it's time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Where do you start?

A good time to start thinking about selling a business is right after startup, when it shows signs of beginning to succeed and become self-sustaining. Even if you are planning on bequeathing it to your progeny or a partner, it's never too early to think about what will happen afterwards.

The first step is to take your time--selling a business is a complex process and you will only do it once. Confidentiality is a necessity at this point, as word of an impending sale can cause repercussions among employees and business partners (suppliers, customers, etc.) alike.

Your position in the business is also a point to consider. If you are the sole proprietor, the decision is yours alone. However, if you are a partner or board member, selling your part of the business will involve more considerations.

Finding a good broker is worth any amount of time needed to locate one you are comfortable with. Check the Better Business Bureau for any investigation history, and get referrals from fellow business owners or from industry associations like the International Business Brokers Association (IBBA). This is a non-profit "trade association of business brokers providing education, conferences, professional designations and networking opportunities" (IBBA), as well as professional certifications and boasts over 1300 members.

Next, a professional appraiser should be consulted, as just like selling a home, a professional appraisal will give a fair value to begin negotiations with. Keep in mind though, an appraisal is an estimate of the fair value of a business' hard assets, and the market value of the business may be higher or lower, as a business is only worth what someone else is willing to pay.

Determining major terms and price are issues that you are going to have to work out with your broker, but a few basic factors come into play: what do you want to get out of the sale? Continuing salary? Lump sum? Stock options? This is a step often overlooked until late in the negotiations, often to the detriment of the seller.

Financing the sale is usually about 90% left to the seller. If you can't or won't be willing to cover the costs of the sale, it may not be a good time to sell.

Once you and your broker have located a buyer and agreed on a price, a Letter of Intent is drafted. This letter outlines the terms and tentative price in a non-binding document and allows the buyer time to thoroughly investigate the business. This process is subject to Due Diligence, as the onus of discovery is placed upon the buyer and buyer's agent.

After the discovery process is completed to both parties' satisfaction, the Purchase Agreement is drafted. This set of paperwork creates a formal agreement between buyer and seller regarding purchase price, terms, and other legal details. Once the respective lawyers have finalized the details and complied with state law requirements regarding the sale, the Purchase Agreement is signed, closing documents finalized, and the sale is complete. If everything has gone well, it's time to breathe a sigh of relief and start planning what to do with all that free time!

Some of the websites we recommend from where you can buy products to resell on ebay.

UK Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory

Wholesale Pages UK Wholesale Dropshippers Directory

Wholesale Canada - Canadian Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory

Aid & Trade Drop Ship Directory and Dropshipping Products

What is Dropshipping? Finding Dropshippers, Its Advantages and Pitfalls!

Dropshipping is a type of retailing where the retailer does not keep goods in stock, but instead passes the customer's order and shipment details to the wholesaler, who then dispatches the goods to the customer directly. The retailer makes their profit on the difference between the wholesale and retail price. Some retailers may still keep "show" items on display in stores, so that customers can inspect an item similar to those that they can purchase. Other retailers may only provide a catalogue or Internet presence.
Drop shipping can occur when a retailer receives a single large order for a product. Rather than route the shipment through the retail store, the retailer will arrange for the goods to be shipped directly to the purchaser.

Let us assume, you purchase an item from a dropshipping site for $20.00. You would sell that item for a price determined by you; let's use $35.00 plus $4.50 shipping for an example. After you collect the total payment of $39.50 from the customer and their mailing address, you would forward the $20.00 plus $4.50 for shipping to the wholesaler, and keep the $15.00 as profit, never having to touch the product, as the wholesaler ships it out to the customer.

In short, dropshipping is simply selling products for wholesale companies, sending them the address of the person who bought from you, and they ship the product to them. This is an incredible opportunity, most times for the cost of a meal at a restaurant, to start a profitable eBay business.
Many sellers on eBay also drop ship. Naturally a seller will offer an item as new and ship the item directly from the wholesaler to the highest bidder. The seller profits from the difference between the winning bid and the wholesale price, minus any selling fees from eBay.

Finding Dropshippers

Startups and individuals new to the dropshipping world generally face severe difficulty in finding legitimate and authentic dropshipping companies. Several online directories have popped up in recent times on the net which help to make this task easy. Its best online example can be seen by working of the famous online dropshippers directory http://www.aidandtrade.com/.

Whilst looking for dropshippers, there is a general misconception that dropshipping companies who charge an initial fee to sign-up and open accounts with them are not considered genuine. Although this might be true in some cases however the reason for charging this fee is that, these companies want to make sure that they are dealing with genuine traders and not individuals merely looking for quick bargains and one off items.

Advantages of Dropshipping

Working with dropship companies has numerous advantages for small companies and individuals looking to earn part time or even full time income. Following are some of its benefits.

- The dropshipper researches for products and provides their lists/catalogues of available items at trade prices - one can sell any of these items by any method they wish.
- The dropshipper acts on the order - Only when the item has been sold and the payment has been received, the dropshipper is asked to fulfil the order.
- The dropshipper packages the orders – No packaging costs are involved at the end of the seller.
- The dropshipper sends the orders out direct to the customer – No delivery costs and efforts are associated with the seller
- The dropshipper is transparent to the customer - As far as the customer is concerned their purchase has come directly from the seller.
- The dropshipper holds all the stock – No warehouse or storage issues at the end of the seller
- All the seller has to do is concentrate on sales and marketing and banking the profits!

Dropshipping Pitfalls
While it is true that the profits can be gigantic, the seller effectively has to rely on the goodwill and professionalism of the dropshipper/wholesaler. Eventually, one should always keep in mind that should the deal go raw (for instance, the dropshipper supplying a faulty product or a downright incorrect one), it will be the seller's reputation that will take hit. The end buyer cares nothing for whether the seller used a dropshipper or not; all they truly care about is receiving the product that they paid for. For that reason, dealing with unconfirmed dropshippers can be risky.

Additionally, profit margins can be low when working with smaller dropshipping companies. Typically the biggest discounts from manufacturers go to larger volume resellers who further pass their discounts to sole traders and individuals. Using smaller dropshipping companies one might end up paying much more per unit of product than by contacting manufacturers direct. Most manufacturers refuse to deal with individuals, but many will offer low volume quantities at wholesale price. For a fast selling product it could be worthwhile buying small quantities directly from the manufacturers.
These directories are strongly recommended to seek out famous online dropshippers.

UK Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Pages UK Wholesale Dropshippers Directory
Wholesale Canada - Canadian Wholesalers & Dropshippers Directory
Aid & Trade Drop Ship Directory and Dropshipping Products