Interested in accepting credit card online as well as internet banking for your online eCommerce website? The following services provider at below is few of option you can look in to. There are few more other in market than the listed name below but I think the listed name below will help you to decide which payment gateway provider is more suitable for you.

Author: CKyzson @ Instagram

​Whether you're tapping into international markets, looking to boost conversion rates, or running a subscription-based business, 2Checkout can help you tackle the complexities of digital commerce, globally. The Avangate Monetization Platform is comprehensive and flexible, so you can quickly pursue new market opportunities and deliver exceptional user experiences.

​Start accepting bitcoin, store and spend bitcoin securely, or get the BitPay Card.

Payment Express Is a high growth, innovative global leader in payment technology. Providing PCI DSS compliant payment solutions, we're certified with all major card schemes. A global end to end platform for ecommerce, retail and unattended that facilitates payments seamlessly in real time. 

Amplify Your Online Business Sales With iPay88 Secure Online Payment Gateway Ecosystem. Fast Approval Guarantees. Easy Integration. Fraud Prevention. Dedicated Support. International Currencies. Types: Start-Ups, SMEs, Corporate, Partnership.​

​MOLPay is an online payment solution that enables e-commerce merchants to collect payments from online buyers securely through physical and online payment channels. ... MOLPay is a Joint Venture between MOL AccessPortal Sdn Bhd and Netbuilder Sdn Bhd, a pioneer in the Malaysian e-commerce space since 2000.

​Established in the year 2011, AsiaPay Malaysia is a wholly owned subsidiary of AsiaPay Limited which is one of the leading payment service providers in the Asia Pacific region. We deliver secure and reliable payment services for businesses of all sizes, helping them to reduce fraud, lower costs and improve selling efficiency in both local and international markets.

​The platform makes taking Bitcoin and other blockchain currencies as easy as installing a plugin. Make more money by letting all of your customers pay. You receive money deposited to your bank account. Everyone wins.

​ManagePay Systems Berhad (“MPay”) is a provider of end-to-end electronic payment (“e-Payment”) solutions for banks and financial institutions, merchants and card issuers with operations in Malaysia. The Company is currently listed on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia with market capitalization in excess of RM120 million. 

​The LAY-BUY button is the only button merchants will need to display within their checkout environments. All other checkout buttons, Lay-Buy calculators, layby/layaway payment plans and supporting Lay-Buy processes are hosted within www.lay-buys.com secure environment.

eGHL began long before the year 2000, where they started as a business department under GHL System. They were rebranded as a subsidiary of GHL Group of Companies in 2013 and officially launched as eGHL on 15 April 2014. Today, eGHL are running in 5 countries, connecting payments in over 48 currencies.

​The PayPal Express Checkout with In-Context flow gives your customers a simplified checkout experience that keeps them local to your website throughout the payment authorization process and enables them to use their PayPal balance, bank account, or credit card to pay without sharing or entering any sensitive site.

​Sezzle helps businesses sell more, period. We make shopper checkout seamless. Sezzle assume all fraud, chargeback, and repayment risk, and Sezzle pay merchants in full upfront. Does it get any better?

e-pay was founded when Malaysia’s telco industry was just emerging in the late nineties. We have been providing top-up services ever since prepaid mobile plans became popular. Since our simpler beginnings, e-pay has expanded to include a host of other e-payment services, allowing us to drop our earlier moniker “One Stop Prepaid Reload” to adopt the now more accurate “One Stop E-Payment Service Provider”.

​Learn how to securely accept Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies with Coinbase Commerce. Get started in minutes.

​PxPay 2.0 is a platform independent ecommerce solution provided by Payment Express. Using a Hosted Payment Page to accept sensitive card data, PxPay2.0 provides a financially secure and compliant solution without exposing merchants to sensitive information. Instead of hosting a payment page on their own website, PxPay 2.0 allows merchants to redirect their customer to a payment page hosted by Payment Express; this will normally reduce the scope of Payment Card Industry compliance.

Braintree, a division of PayPal, is a company based in Chicago that specializes in mobile and web payment systems for e-commerce companies. The company was acquired by PayPal on September 26, 2013. Prior to acquisition, it had been funded by Accel Partners and New Enterprise Associates as lead investors.

​Accept and process payments in 40+ countries and over 130 currencies. Secure Data Storage. Highlights: Innovative Payments Technology, 20+ Years Of Online Payments Experience.

Do you have any other payment gateway company's contact? If do please feel free share below :)

​This is a guest post by Scott Yates. Scott is the CEO of BlogMutt, and is a former writer and PR pro. He also doesn’t like tofu. In the same way that American Airlines and Alcoholics Anonymous are radically different yet share an acronym, now vegetarians and Asian bean curd fans need to share the word “tofu” with marketers using “ToFu.”

It’s short for “Top of Funnel” and MoFu and BoFu then are the middle and bottom of the funnel. It’s the shorthand way of talking about prospects, and where they are in the decision making process. No matter what a company is selling, there are people who are in some stage of making a buying decision, and in nearly all cases the prospects can be divided into those three groups.

How does this relate to PR?
Well, there once was a time when PR was just related to the interplay between an organization and the press. We don’t have to tell you that those days are over. The “press” has been completely turned inside out, so now one customer review on Amazon can have as much impact as a story on the NBC Nightly News.
​
Where success in the old days was clipping out a newspaper article with a favorable mention and taking it to your boss, now PR professionals need to show success that is tightly integrated with your organization’s overall growth goals in mind.
So, here are some tips for each stage of the funnel:

The greatest sales team in the world can’t close deals if they don’t have leads. Every organization needs prospective buyers to find out, at a minimum, the name of the company and what the company is selling.
If you are lucky enough to work for Burger King or Sony then your job is more nuanced. For most of us, the competition isn’t really other companies doing the same thing, it’s potential customers who just want to keep the status quo and not do anything different ever.

And those potential customers can keep the status quo if they don’t know there’s an alternative. That’s why your job is to do great PR. With tremendous effort, careful planning, and exuberant execution, you can pierce the bubble that people create around themselves and let them know that your solutions exist, and that they have a name. This blog is full of tips of how to do all that.
​
When you do, be sure to let your boss know. Do not tell your boss that you had a PR victory, even if you did. Say that you’ve helped fill that Top of the Funnel. That nuanced difference will make all the difference in the company’s view of you.

As someone who can write press releases, you’ve probably also been asked to write blog posts.
Ugh.

​It’s true, writing blog posts is an entirely different animal, and if you can’t do it, fear not! There are content writing services out there.

But don’t underestimate the power of a blog. There are three things that a blog can help you with that nothing else comes close to:

1. Search. All the experts are very clear that blogging is really the only “trick” left in the world of Search Engine Optimization.
2. Small Talk. Prospective customers want to know if you are able to solve their problems, but they also want to know that you are friendly and accessible. When you meet someone in person you don’t launch into a sales pitch… you make some small talk first. A blog is the internet version of that.
3. Currency. Many prospects, when comparing you to competitors, just want to see that you are active and engaged in your business. If your competitor’s blog is three months out of date and you blogged yesterday, you have a huge leg up.

It’s not classic PR, but if you can help those prospects move through the Middle of the Funnel with some great content, you’ll be a valuable part of this crucial aspect of your company’s sales funnel.

Traditionally PR is not involved in closing the sale. That’s just the way it is. Want to be a standout PR person beloved by the sales team? Here’s a tip that will make you a hero.

Once a month or so, just wander over to the desk of a salesperson and ask them this question: “What’s an objection that you get in the sales process, and what’s your response?”

Why do you want to know that? Here’s why: The objection — with a bit of editing — will make a fabulous blog headline. The answer — with your deft hands at the keyboard — will make a great blog post.
​
When the salesperson sees that post, they will look so smart and they will give you lots of credit.

Resources ​https://www.cision.com/us/2014/08/tofu-mofu-bofu-marketing-acronyms-that-help-prs/

If you're a creative professional — e.g. a designer, photographer, writer or advertising exec — you'll likely need to show an online portfolio as part of the application process for any job.

But no matter what field you're in, having a permanent link where people can access your work has other benefits, too. It's standard practice these days for recruiters to Google candidates' names to see what they can dig up. And when they do, having a website that shows off the articles you've written, campaigns you've been a part of or other past work you're particularly proud of can be a huge asset.

In addition, an online portfolio allows you to easily collect all of your clips or work samples in one spot. When you need to pull together materials to showcase in an interview, you'll be happy that everything is available and up-to-date. I've found my collection of clips that I keep on Tumblr to be a great way for others to see my latest articles all in one place and for me to assess the trends and topics that I cover best.

Of course, before you start throwing things up on a website, you'll want to make sure that this micro-homepage is visually attractive and dynamic. There are plenty of platforms you can use (Carbo, DripBook, Krop and Carbonmade are some of the best), but regardless of which one you choose, these tips will help you convey the right message in your portfolio.

1. Get to the Point
Recruiters will usually make their hiring decision within the first minute of meeting you, and that same rule should apply when a potential employer views your online portfolio. From the second someone arrives on your page, you have to make sure he or she gets the best, most effective impression of you.

Besides having a clean and professional design, one of the easiest ways to do this is to have a single, compelling image to greet visitors at the top of your page. Even if you're not adept at shooting a camera yourself, you can use a stock photo that will represent you well. Just make sure that your selection matches the industry in which you're competing. For instance, if you're a PR professional, you'll want an image that shows activity and connectivity; if you're a writer, something that uses words, letters or writing tools.

No matter the industry, check out Curalate's infographic for guidelines on which types of images work best: Images that are reddish-orange, for example, perform better than images that are blue, and photos without people in them are shown to be more compelling.

2. Keep it Simple
During the interview process, you will have plenty of time to talk about your best projects and greatest achievements. On your online portfolio, though, you just want to whet people's appetites. Think of it like an auction — you get to see the item in a catalog and fall in love with it beforehand. Then, during the live portion of the event, the auctioneer will give you more info about the object up for sale.

Sell yourself in this same way by telling the story with less on your portfolio. For example, include the front page of the brochure that you designed and created — -not all 16 pages — or links to your top 10 articles, not top 100. Wait for a prospective employer to request the rest. It's a good sign. And once someone is interested in your work, you will have plenty of time to give him or her more information.

3. Give Your Interviewers What They Want to See
Found the perfect job to apply to? Great. Don't be afraid to adapt and adjust your portfolio from time to time, especially if you're interviewing for a specific position.

Pay particular attention to the skills advertised in the job description, then use that information to help guide you on what to put front and center on your portfolio. For instance, if you're interviewing with a healthcare company, make sure the work you've done for other healthcare clients is easily accessible — more so than say, your fashion, sports, and media work. It'll be comforting for the interviewers to see your relevant experience in action, and it could even help them carve out their vision for what they want for theirs.

Like your resume, your cover letter or anything else a potential employer might see, your online portfolio should showcase what you have to offer in a concise, compelling and interesting way. Keep these rules in mind, and you'll already be one step ahead of the competition.

Graduation season is upon us, and that means college graduates everywhere are preparing to enter "the real world." But chances are your liberal arts degree, as hard-earned and valuable as it is, doesn't equip you with every digital skill you need.


We've put together a short list of fundamental skills that every college graduate should possess, from simply branding yourself online to learning basic coding. They're guaranteed to increase your overall digital know-how, and you can learn them all on your own.

Did you graduate college a long time ago, or never attended? Don't worry — it's never too late to learn these skills. They're useful to anyone.

1. Setting Up a Wi-Fi Network
These days, most students are lucky enough to go to colleges that already have wireless Internet set up in the dorms. By simply typing in a password on the provided network, the web magically appears on your laptop. But once you graduate, that's no longer the case. To save yourself from this harsh reality, learn what it takes to get working Wi-Fi: setting up the modem, launching a new network and researching local companies and pricing.

2. Backing Up to the Cloud
With all those photos of your friends, your music library and a copy of your 40-page thesis, your entire world exists on the hardware of your computer, phone or tablet. You're going to want to back all of that up to the cloud, either to preserve it, or so you can access your information anywhere. Whether you're interested in iCloud or Dropbox, research the various services that are available and find the one that's right for you.

3. Basic Photo Editing (Photoshop)
Even if you don't plan on using Photoshop regularly after graduation, it doesn't hurt to know the basics. More and more careers require Photoshop skills, whether it's journalism, marketing or even non-profit work. Snag a cheaper copy of Elements and learn your way around a paint brush, layers and color correction.

4. Basic Video Editing (Final Cut Pro)
Just like photo editing, video editing can come in handy, too. Check if a friend or someone well-versed in multimedia at one of your school publications or libraries can teach you the basics of Final Cut Pro. At the very least, you'll be able to cut some sweet YouTube videos.

5. Google Drive and Microsoft Office (Seriously)
These tools may seem obvious, but knowing the ins-and-outs of Google Drive and Microsoft office is a digital skill you shouldn't go without. Learning how to make a proper Excel spreadsheet actually takes effort, and it's still a specific qualification for many job listings. Google Drive includes docs, spreadsheets and forms, and it's easy to collaborate with other users at the same time. Slideshow presentations still haven't gone out of style, so re-familiarize yourself with Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Presentations or other sites like Prezi.

6. HTML and Basic Coding
Since our culture is increasingly web-centric, you should know the basics of crafting online content — and how to control the look and feel of it. HTML5 is the standard markup language used everywhere from web design firms to newsrooms. Other types of coding can help you make programs and easily get information from your computer (check out Codecademy and Khan Academy for beginners' tutorials).

7. Setting Up a Website and Domain
Every college graduate should have a website, whether it's to brand himself (see number 10 on this list), showcase his original work (art portfolio, writing samples, etc.) or just to learn for future instances. Coding can help you out here, but you can also use various website-building services, such as Wordpress and Squarespace.

You should also learn how to create a custom domain: for example, "yourname.com" rather than "yourname.wordpress.com." This looks more professional (and cleaner overall). Namecheap and GoDaddy are two popular domain name services and hosting sites.

8. Converting File Formats
Sometimes you'll have a file format different from the one you need — DOC instead of PDF; WMA instead of MP3 and so on. Knowing how to convert these files is useful, especially when you're trying to send your resume (or at least, getting that movie to play on your Roku USB Media Player). Certain programs, like Microsoft Word, will do the legwork for you, but you can find a variety of file conversion programs for those other tricky file extensions.

9. Online Banking
Who needs to balance a checkbook when you're living in the digital age? Major banks like Bank of America and Chase feature very intuitive online banking systems and mobile apps. You can manage your finances anywhere you have an Internet connection. Instead of waiting in long lines at your local branch, deposit checks and make transfers right from your phone.

10. Branding Yourself
Companies are screening prospective employees through Google searches and social media — and since 94% of users click on the first page of results, it's in your best interest to brand yourself properly before going on any big interviews.

What does this entail? Google your name and see what pops up on the first page. If you see anything problematic, learn how to fix it. In addition to setting up a website and claiming a domain name, you should establish a social media presence, especially on LinkedIn and Twitter, and post positive content. If there's anything you wouldn't want prospective employers to see (e.g., Facebook photos), make sure it's completely private

By Matt Petronzio

There are times where you are just bored or simply just lack in motivation and enthusiasm and want to check some quotes to keep you going. We all get burnt out, so whenever your thinking to yourself: how can I keep going? Just read some of these quotes from the greatest business men in the world.

Here is one to get you started : “A bank is a place which will lend you money when you do not need it.”  The reasoning behind this quote is simple really: banks are just like any other investors, they want to ensure that your idea is unique and profitable. Therefore they only want to invest when they know that the business could potentially be profitable in the near future without taking the banks investment.

1. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. – Richard Branson
2. The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. – Peter F. Drucker
3. No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others.. or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist. – Calvin Coolidge
4. Live daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you. – Henry J. Kaiser
5. Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. – Vince Lombardi
6. In all realms of life it takes courage to stretch your limits, express your power, and fulfill your potential. It’s no different in the financial realm. – Suze Orman
7. The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. – Confucius
8. The first one gets the oyster the second gets the shell. – Andrew Carnegie
9. Hire character. Train skill. – Peter Schutz
10. The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. – Bill Gates
11. Look well to this day. Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. – Francis Gray
12. Surviving a failure gives you more self-confidence. Failures are great learning tools.. but they must be kept to a minimum. – Jeffrey Immelt
13. Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches. – Napoleon Hill
14. It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. – Charles Darwin
15. Industry is the soul of business and the keystone of prosperity. –Charles Dickens
16. I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages. – Robert Bosch
17. People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps. – Mary Kay Ash
18. In business, I’ve discovered that my purpose is to do my best to my utmost ability every day. That’s my standard. I learned early in my life that I had high standards. – Donald Trump
19. In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. –Harold Geneen
20. To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart. – Thomas Watson, Sr.
21. The absolute fundamental aim is to make money out of satisfying customers. – John Egan
22. There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities. – Michael Dell
23. I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well. – Alan Greenspan
24. You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi
25. Let’s be honest. There’s not a business anywhere that is without problems. Business is complicated and imperfect. Every business everywhere is staffed with imperfect human beings and exists by providing a product or service to other imperfect human beings. –Bob Parsons
26. You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall
27. The only way around is through. – Robert Frost
28. You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong. – Warren Buffett
29. The noblest search is the search for excellence – Lyndon B. Johnson
30. The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to neither make money nor find much fun in life. –Charles M. Schwab
31. You must remain focused on your journey to greatness. – Les Brown
32. Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt
33. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier. –Charles F. Kettering
34. Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! – Henry Ford
35. You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills. – Jim Rohn
36. Who likes not his business, his business likes not him. – William Hazlitt
37. The new source of power is not money in the hands of a few, but information in the hands of many. – John Naisbitt
38. The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed. – Henry Ford
39. It’s through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we’ve always mapped our path at Dell. There’s always an opportunity to make a difference. – Michael Dell
40. If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours. – Ray Kroc
41. Winners take time to relish their work, knowing that scaling the mountain is what makes the view from the top so exhilarating. –Denis Waitley
42. Management is nothing more than motivating other people. – Le Iacocca
43. Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it. – Dwight D. Eisenhower
44. The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question. –Peter Drucker
45. Why did I want to win? Because I didn’t want to lose! – Max Schmelling
46. To succeed in business, to reach the top, an individual must know all it is possible to know about that business. – J. Paul Getty
47. I wasn’t satisfied just to earn a good living. I was looking to make a statement. – Donald Trump
48. To succeed… You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. – Tony Dorsett
49. Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business. – Zig Ziglar
50. To win without risk is to triumph without glory. – Pierre Corneille

By Lee Haxhiu

Do you have any motivational quotes to add? Please comment below and let us know and also remember to follow us on twitter.

According to recent research by the Corporate Executive Board (CEB), corporate businesses looking to hire working professionals for new jobs find 10 new talents and skills to be defining traits amongst high performers.

1. Ability to Prioritize
   
2. Works well in teams
   
3. Organizational Awareness
   
4. Effective Problem Solving
   
5. Self-Awareness
   
6. Pro-activite
   
7. Ability to Influence
   
8. Effective Decision Making
   
9. Learning Agility
   
10. Technical savvy
    

Just one problem: The organization notes that this particular skill set is “scarce” and that most “employees lack the ideal mix of skills and competencies to achieve employers’ desired outcome.” This news is hardly reassuring for upper management or your HR department.

Increasingly, lower levels of management are making more hiring and strategic decisions that affect key stakeholders. Therefore, the workplace needs to make major shifts in corporate culture and strategic thinking amongst new hires.

Happily, certain types of job seekers looking to more meaningfully contribute to their organization and grow their careers may be better predisposed to mastering these new success skills and rules of engagement.

Keep the following seven traits in mind when interviewing new hires, to determine whether they’ve got what it takes to be defining members of your team.

1. Communication Skills
The umbrella term “communication skills” includes a trifecta of abilities, including the capacity to listen, write and speak. This is one of the top qualities employers look for in modern-day hires; it's essential for receiving, interpreting and giving direction. Likewise, a sense of social intelligence is also vital: Employees need to be able to understand where peers, colleagues and strategic partners are coming from, not just the words they’re saying, so they can better empathize and act on this information.

2. Multi-Tasking
Chances are your employees will be simultaneously involved in several projects, tasks or initiatives. Therefore, the ability to juggle all with aplomb is a highly-valued skill. Effective multi-tasking is achieved when work is completed both efficiently and correctly, with a minimum of stress. Tomorrow’s workers must be well-equipped to juggle multiple tasks.

3. Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is a valuable asset in new hires, as it shows the employee in question is passionate about the tasks he or she is performing for the organization. It goes hand in hand with positivity, and both can make a noticeable difference in what’s often a stressed, strained and/or hectic work environment. Plus, according to Sigal Barsade, professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, positivity is not only contagious, but also has an impact on overall job performance, decision-making, creativity and turnover. A winning attitude can be invaluable and contagious.

4. Decision-Making
Problem solving is a skill that sits somewhere at the nexus of creativity, level-headedness and logic. Those who exhibit it demonstrate a proven ability to objectively interpret incoming signals, and act both thoughtfully and with grace when a solution is needed. Workers with solid problem-solving skills aren’t just strategic thinkers; they should be able to keep a cool head when a situation arises and stay on task without the need for micro-management.

5. Organization
While not a single defining trait, solid organizational skills can be an asset to any worker. They indicate an employee is self-disciplined enough to gather the necessary information and data to keep his or her tasks both well-managed and on schedule — important traits for any leader. Powerful organizational skills alone do not great managers make, but they do help drive job candidates to be more professional, efficient and productive.

6. Integrity
Integrity means being true and honest to oneself and others. It shows that someone knows his or her strengths and weaknesses, isn’t afraid to make mistakes or accept responsibility for doing so, and possesses a high degree of loyalty. Someone with strong integrity can be trusted to show respect, take responsibility and stand by the old adage “honesty is the best policy” — all a boon to your enterprises.

7. Likeability
Chances are your open positions will require employees to cooperate and collaborate seamlessly with others. Therefore, you’ll want someone warm, friendly, easygoing and genuine — a solid team player can help bolster any winning lineup. With teamwork key to business success, look for candidates who are ready and willing to become a meaningful part of your organization.


Scott Steinberg

The marketing mix is made up of the following elements, often referred to as “the four Ps”:

• Product (or service)
• Place (location and distribution)
• Price
• Promotion

For a business to succeed, you need to:

• get all of the elements right
• strike a balance between the elements

Differentiation of your business from your competitors can be achieved through adjusting the elements to make your product/business more attractive. For example, if you wanted to market a high profile brand, you would focus on promotion rather than price.

Product
Satisfying the customer’s needs or wants and in turn making a profit is your aim in providing a product/service. It is essential therefore that you get your product/service right.

There are various ways in which you can make your product stand out and be appealing. Use your senses in evaluating the product: ask yourself how does it feel and look.

Key questions:

1. Attractiveness - is the packaging and the product itself visually appealing?
2. Expectations - does the product meet customer’s expectations? For instance, they may have expectations in terms of product quality.
3. Benefits - does the product have benefits a customer wants or needs? Benefits describe what it is that a customer gets out of a product, and differ from features.
4. Functionality – how well does it do the job it’s supposed to?
5. Competition - how does it fair compared to other similar products?
6. Reliability – is it reliable?

Place
‘Place’ is the mechanism through which goods and/or services are moved from the manufacturer/ service provider to the user or consumer. It is also referred to as distribution, channel or intermediary.

Successful distribution of your product/service is not only dependent on the delivery mechanism. You must also consider your customers – where is it that they would expect to go to find products/services like yours? It is therefore essential that you choose the correct distribution channel(s).

Key questions:

1. From where do your customers expect, or prefer, to buy the product or service?
2. What are the existing distribution channels in your chosen market?
3. Do you want to use direct or indirect channels? (eg 'direct' to a consumer, 'indirect' via an intermediary)
4. Do you want to use single or multiple channels?
5. If using an intermediary:
   Is the intermediary familiar with your target consumers? 
   Is the intermediary appropriate for your business?

Intermediaries include:

• wholesalers
• agents
• retailers
• the Internet
• overseas distributors

Price
You need to know what your customers would be prepared to pay in order to price something effectively.

Compare your products/services with similar ones belonging to your competitors. This should give you some idea of typical prices in the market.

You will then need to decide upon a pricing strategy. For example, you might use cost based pricing where total costs are calculated and a mark up is added to give the required profit. Or you might consider differential pricing, where you charge different segments of your market different prices for the same service. The strategy you choose will have an effect on the success of the product. (For a further discussion of pricing strategies see the link at the bottom of the page.)

Whichever strategy you choose, you need to distinguish between cost and price. To maximise your profits, you should aim to charge the maximum amount that people will pay, while seeking to reduce costs and increase productivity.

Promotion
Promotion is about effectively communicating with your customers so that they are encouraged to buy from you. You need to promote to both existing customers and prospective ones, which may involve promoting to each in different ways.

To promote successfully, you need to take the following into account:

• You need to know as much as possible about your customers and their buying habits.
• You need to identify which are the important questions customers could have about your product/service, eg is this a reliable product? Your promotional activities should answer these questions.
• You need to identify your unique selling point (USP) and communicate it effectively to your customers.
• You need to identify the style of your promotional activities
• You need to decide when you are going to promote.

When you have answers to the above, you are in a stronger position to decide what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and which promotional method(s) to use.

Promotions mix
The ‘promotions mix’ is the combination of promotional elements you use to promote your product/service.

The various elements which can make up the promotions mix include:

• Personal Selling
• Sales Promotion
• Public Relations
• Direct Mail
• Trade Fairs and Exhibitions
• Advertising
• Sponsorship

You would choose the appropriate elements for your product/service and integrate them to form a promotional campaign.

Note: Sometimes you might see the marketing mix described in terms of the 'five Ps', to includePeople. Alternatively, the ‘seven Ps' also include Physical evidence (eg uniforms) and Process(the whole customer experience).


Summary:
PRODUCT
The business has to produce a product that people want to buy. They have to decide which ‘market segment’ they are aiming at – age, income, geographical location etc. They then have to differentiate their product so that it is slightly different from what is on offer at present so that people can be persuaded to ‘give them a try’.

PROMOTION
Customers have to be made aware of the product. The two main considerations are target market and cost. A new business will not be able to afford to advertise on national television, for instance and would not wish to because its market will be local to start with. Leaflets, billboards, advertisements in local newspapers, Yellow Pages and ‘word of mouth’ would be more appropriate.

PRICE
The price must be high enough to cover costs and make a profit but low enough to attract customers. There are a number of possible pricing strategies. The most commonly used are:

• PENETRATION PRICING – charging a low price, possibly not quite covering costs, to gain a position in the market. This is quite popular with new businesses trying to get a ‘toehold’.
• CREAMING – the opposite to penetration pricing, this involves charging a deliberately high price to persuade people that the product is of high quality. Luxury car makers often use this strategy
• COST PLUS PRICING – this is the most common form of pricing. Costs are totalled and a margin is added on for profit to make the total price.

PLACE
The business must have a location that it can afford, and that is convenient and suitable for customers and any supplier.

Because the company culture influences everything and everyone in it, a well-developed company culture creates positive changes across the board. Managers who have developed their company culture report improvements in many areas, including:

Productivity
A well developed culture gives dramatic, sustained increases in productivity and performance. A 10% increase is minimal. While you can  expect productivity to rise to somewhere between these two points, continuous improvement is the norm. Theoretically there is no limit—if you keep working on the culture.

Morale
High morale is a key to success. It is closely connected to trust, purpose, team loyalty, pride, and faith in the leadership—all qualities that improve as the culture develops.

Costs
Employees know cost control is important. As the culture builds, people take responsibility for costs. With widespread   focus, administrative and operating costs drop well below industry norms.

Profits
Often the underlying reason for improving the company culture is profits. Because the developing culture creates  across-the-board improvements, increased profits are inevitable.

Safety
The keys to safety are  trusting, open relationships. In a safe work culture, people speak up openly about  unsafe
situations, they don't stand silent  when someone violates safe  practices, they constantly look for ways to improve safety, and they  take personal responsibility for creating and maintaining a safe  workplace.

Supply Chain
Supply chain efficiencies depend very much on cooperation between multiple functions and levels. As the culture develops, relationships, cooperation and communications improve. The supply chain becomes more efficient, streamlined and responsive to rapidly changing customer needs.

Injuries and Claims
This is a complex area, closely related to attitudes and relationships. As people see each other in new ways, lost-time injuries and worker’s compensation claims drop. Sometimes this is quite sudden and dramatic.

Insurance Rates
Along with a safer workplace, with   fewer injuries and claims, come lower insurance rates.

Customer Service
As the culture builds, managers  learn to better manage the quality of everyone's experience, inside the company, and with outsiders such as customers, clients, suppliers, and other corporate entities. Customers who like you, return more often, buy more, and recommend you to others.

Retention
When you have a great place to work—where people can satisfy their needs—they just don't want   to leave.

Absenteeism
It is common sense that there will be less absenteeism when people like their jobs. They also develop a new attitude    
towards their fellow workers and to the problems that their absenteeism creates for them.

Recruiting
A well-developed company culture,  clearly stated in promotional materials, is a powerful recruiting point. Companies  with an open, participative workplace, where people enjoy working, and have  broad opportunities for growth and creativity, attract top candidates.

Employee Morale
At the root of morale are trust, a clear purpose, team loyalty and support, and faith in leadership and the success of  the organization these increase as the culture develops.

Employee Motivation
When people can fulfill their desires around work they are highly motivated.

Union-Management Relations
You will see a move away from adversarial relationships and towards cooperation. You will have few grievances and low workers compensation costs. I have clients where grievances dropped to zero.

Openness to Change
A striking increased openness to change and the desire to make things work. As trust and responsibility increases,  employees initiate significant improvements in operations.

Involvement
When the leaders show that they   want everyone involved, people step forward in creative and productive ways.

Leadership
Developing the culture trains managers in people leadership skills and gives them a clearer sense of their role. Many managers say that the culture development process was the most important  experience in their career.

Meetings
With improved openness and trust, people participate more in meetings so they become more energetic, focused, and creative.

Mergers
Smoother mergers and acquisitions,  with higher success rates. People get involved and make them work.

Cooperation
By definition, a developed culture  increases cooperation, collaboration, and motivation.

Teamwork
Expect improved teamwork and communication  between people, divisions, and levels.

Relationships
The culture change process improves  relationships between people, levels, and departments.

Responsibility
Problems are solved where they  happen, or by  those affected. They are not passed up to management.

When you ask a freelancer why he or she started freelancing, you’ll get answers like ‘I wanted to work for myself’, ‘I love being my own boss’, ‘I freelance for the flexibility it provides’ etc. At the heart of it, all those answers mean the same thing: they wanted to escape the cubicle nation.

While freelancers may indeed have escaped ‘imprisonment’ in a cubicle, they can’t completely escape all the things that made their corporate life difficult. Actually because you’re out on your own now (in freelancing), you have to do all the things that your colleagues in their respective departments do on behalf of the company.

In any case, you should know that there are elements that remain the same in both the corporate working life and when you are out of it, and prepare accordingly.


1. Salary/Rate Negotiations
In a corporate job, 9-to-5′ers get a fixed salary and structured pay raise. On the surface, freelancers are the exact opposite. They set their own rates and can raise them whenever they want. In reality however, regular employees negotiate their salary much like how freelancers negotiate their rates with clients.

The only difference is that 9-to-5′ers only do it when accepting a job or negotiating a raise; freelancers do it on a regular, client-by-client basis. So unless you have fixed rates stated on your website, you’re actually negotiating more on your rates than you ever did over your full-time job salary.

2. Accountability
Freelancers boast of not having to be accountable to anyone but themselves. I beg to differ. We’re accountable to our clients. Sure, no one asks us what we’re doing with our time, or checks in on us throughout the day, but on the day of the deadline, the client expect to get their results from you.

Ultimately, a freelancer is accountable to his/her client. Miss a deadline and you can’t simply say ‘Oh sorry, I wasn’t able to meet the deadline.’ Explanations must be given and in most cases, a client is well has the right to dock pay due to your tardiness.

While full-timers report to their superiors, freelancers report to their clients. The accountability cycle is there – it’s just the names and designation of who we report to that has changed.

3. Responsibility
While you might not be completely responsible for a single project or deadline, working in a company gives you a bit of a safety net as far as taking the blame is concerned, when things go wrong. In a corporate setting, the manager takes the rap for a failed project regardless of which of his or her subordinates made the fluke.

In freelancing, congratulations, you get to shoulder ALL the blame regardless of your job function, when things go wrong.

4. Office Politics
Office workers deal with office politics and the different behaviours and personalities of their colleagues on a daily basis. From the passive aggressive co-worker to the know-it-all colleague, the limelight hogger to the boss’ pet. If you have ever worked in an office setting, chances are you have seen them all.

Freelancers see these characters every day too – only instead of co-workers, they experience them in their clients. Gather two or more freelancers together and the topic of client personalities invariably comes up.

5. Working After Hours
If you started freelancing because you wanted the flexibility of working your own hours or less hours, then it probably didn’t take you long to discover that you actually work more hours as a freelancer than you did as a full timer.

Even though plenty of people work after-hours in a corporate job, for freelancers, it’s basically a must. Freelancers often find themselves working nights and even weekends to meet deadlines. If they want to make a success of their freelance business, working long, hard hours is a requirement.

6. Getting A Promotion
In a corporate setting employees get promotions as recognition of their hard work and dedication. For freelancers, it’s pretty much the same, except they give themselves the promotion, or a break, or a raise, or a new gadget etc. Getting a raise in their rates, and handling bigger clients, etc are all part of that promotion.

7. Bigger & Better Opportunities
Whether it’s within the company or with another, corporate employees are always on the lookout for their next big break – be it a new designation, job, benefits or environment. Freelancers are the same.

We’re always on the lookout for our next big client. We’re always looking for bigger and better opportunities that’ll help us earn more. Just as no employee sticks to one company for his entire life, a freelancer doesn’t stick to that one client. It’s simply not in the nature of how a freelance business is done. Sure, every freelancer has clients who retain them but that partnership is not indefinite. Eventually they will move on to other clients.

So What’s The Difference? If there are so many similarities, are we just fooling ourselves into believing we’re better off as freelancers? Is making the switch from a corporate full-time job to a freelancing business just a change in the scenery?

The answer is no. There is a big difference between a full time corporate job and a freelance one:flexibility and control. In a full-time job, you don’t have flexibility. You can’t start work later if you want to go to the gym in the morning, you can’t take the random afternoon off and you certainly can’t just turn off your computer and leave work to go pick up your kids in the middle of the day.

By Samar Owais

Editor’s note: This is a contributed post by Jordan Driediger, an entrepreneur, public speaker, and writer from Toronto, Canada. He is the CEO of his own company DM2 Studios LLC. He and his company are dedicated to support the creativity and inspiration in others.

The freelancer-to-client relationship is a tricky thing to deal with. Your ability to work with the various types of clients can make or break your freelancing career. To help you deal with this problematic area, here is a breakdown of the most common client characteristics that may curse your creative career.

Every client is different. Although we can find faults with each client we work with, we as freelancers need to overlook their strange tendencies, and learn how to interact effectively with them. I hope this guide will help you identify your client’s needs, and increase your success as a freelancer.

The Curious
The Curious client can be a frustrating one. When you first meet them, you are thrilled that someone can be so interested in your work! They are generally hyperactive, very friendly, and very talkative.

Begin work on a project? you may be inclined to share the ins and outs of what you do with this client. Teaching a client is fine, especially if the work you are doing for them requires ongoing maintenance. However, as time passes you may find they take up too much of your time, and can beto be a hindrance to your productivity.

How To Handle Them
They want information. This type of client doesn’t just want to know what you’ve done but also how you did it. They will request meetings on a regular basis and guides on how you performed specific tasks. Once you start feeding them, they only get hungrier. With the Curious client, it is always beneficial to address the issue directly:

Say you’re busy. Let them know bluntly that your time is limited, and that you want to focus on the work they’ve assigned – they will usually understand and respect your time.

Set time limits. You should set end times for every meeting and every phone call you have with this person. This will force both of you to focus on the work at hand.

Become a consultant. When they start asking too many questions, offer them your services as a paid consultant. This way, even if you do talk for a few hours, you will get paid for your time.

The Oblivious
Client never cease to amaze you with their lack of knowledge about your work. In their defence, they are usually part of an older generation. While they can be kind and patient, they bring with them a unique set of challenges. You cannot message the Oblivious on Facebook, because they don’t have an account. You cannot use your favorite movie scene as an example, because they haven’t seen it. Don’t try to show the Oblivious how to do something on the Internet, because you’ll get a 15-minute tale about how great their nephew is with computers.

How To Handle Them
They want to be reassured that they are being treated fairly. This client unfortunately has been abused in the past for their lack of knowledge, and is concerned that you will do the same. Be patient with the Oblivious. It may take extra time to communicate with them, but they can be an absolute joy to work for.

The extreme alternative is to exploit them and overcharge for your work – if you value your reputation, don’t do this. Do however:

Use terms and examples that they can relate to. Don’t bother with the long acronyms or technical terms that will only leave you with a confused and concerned client.

Use pictures and visual aids to illustrate your points. This is incredibly useful because it reinforces the authenticity of what you are saying, and promotes trust.

Write it all down. Work out a comprehensive contract with them to help them feel secure. They may not understand the details of your work, but they do understand a fair deal.

The Know-It-All
You can easily recognize a Know-It-All client because you will hate them shortly after meeting them. They are the ones who apparently know exactly how to do your job, yet for some reason hired you. They will interrupt you during your presentations, and not budge from a decision once it is made.

How To Handle Them
The Know-It-All’s desires are clear: they want control, and they want respect. Their need for control is usually a reflection on insecurity within them. You can easily win their trust with some basic psychology. If your client wants control, and demands respect, then let them have it. This client can be an absolute nightmare if they don’t get their way, so use these simple tactics to win their trust:

Give them an occasional compliment. A Know-It-All will be much more inclined to accept your proposals if their input and ideas are appreciated.

Pick your battles. Don’t fight on every little issue; save your strength for when the critical moments occur.

Don’t work for them. Sometimes the best way to win is to not participate. If a client doesn't respect you or your work, I recommend looking around for someone who does.

The Cheapskate =.=
Many clients today fall under this category. The Cheapskate is on a budget, and is willing to sacrifice time and quality in exchange for a lower price. They will always chose the cheaper option, which makes it easy for you decide what tools to use for their projects.

How To Handle Them
The Cheapskate just wants the product to work. Talk to them about quality and durability all you want –they just want the job complete with the lowest total cost to them. If you want to make them happy, let them know you saved them some money. This client can actually be great to work for if you are looking for a quick payday. The trick is to make sure the product reflects the price.

Do the work quickly. Time is your most valuable asset as a freelancer. This client just wants the job done, so that’s exactly what you need to do.

Get it in writing. Some Cheapskates are so cheap that they won’t even pay you. Be sure to sign a contract with them before beginning any work.

Start the estimates high. It doesn't matter if your prices are fair or not, this client will want a lower price. By beginning your estimates with a higher-end price, you can haggle with a Cheapskate and come to a win-win compromise.

The Dreamer
The Dreamer doesn’t quite live on planet Earth. Their heads are filled with crazy ideas and big plans. Whether it is in style or in function, the Dreamer envisions his or her final product as being the best thing available.

How To Handle Them
Dreamers want their dreams to come true. This can be difficult if you are unable to live up to their high expectations. However, if you impress a Dreamer – they will absolutely adore you. Without discouraging their passion, you must bring the Dreamer back into reality. Letting them visualize and interact with your work can help them:

Ask them to show you examples. You may be hit with the line, "it is so awesome it doesn't exist yet!" but be persistent until they are able to think rationally.

Be straight forward with prices and time frames. Sometimes what the Dreamer wants isn't impossible, it’s just difficult. If this is the case, give them a solid price and time frame to do the work in.

Ask them about the details. Dreamers rarely fill in the blanks. While their end goals are usually incredible, sitting down with them and discussing the details can help both you and them get a good grasp on the scope of the project.

The Helper
The Helper can be sweet at first, but can get in your way if not handled correctly. They are very hands-on people, who need to interact personally with your work. A Helper can be fantastic client to work for, provided you can keep them busy.

How To Handle Them
The Helper wants to be involved in the work. They carry with them a lot of enthusiasm that needs to be released in a constructive and practical way. If a Helper wants to assist you, then give them that opportunity. This gives you a great chance to practice your skills as a delegator and team player, as well as help expedite your work for this client. When working with a Helper:

Give them tasks. Letting them assist you with some of the simpler tasks of your job can save you time and money. Be sure to identify your client’s skillsets before asking them to preform a complicated task.

Ask them to research. Whether you use the information they find or not, research tasks can keep a Helper out of your way for a long stretches of time, leaving you the freedom to focus on your job.

Make noise. As unusual as this may seem: the Helper can be easily scared off by loud noises. If they won’t leave you alone, taking a phone call or turning on a power tool will most often cause them to give you some space.

The Sprinter
Some clients are born Sprinters, and some are just forced to run to meet a deadline. The Sprinter always has time on their minds. They are serious when it comes to deadlines, and are often very busy people. They frequently think if a project can get done in one month; you should be able to get it done in three weeks.


How To Handle Them
For a Sprinter – time is of the essence. Their goal is to get projects done fast. This type of client is generally hard-working, so they expect the people around them to be the same way. When dealing with a Sprinter:

Proceed with caution. Sometimes it only takes an hour to negotiate your workload for the next month. Don’t get caught in a deal that leaves you stuck with an over demanding assignment.

Guard your deadlines. You will be held accountable to the time frames mentioned on your contract, so be realistic and flexible with them. The Sprinter may want you to complete work ahead of schedule, but don’t move from those deadlines unless you are comfortable doing so.

Pace yourself. When working for a Sprinter, follow the basic rules of productivity: stay focused, cut out distractions, take breaks, and stay organized.

The Underling
The Underling is not allowed to make any decisions. They are clients who work under a strict chain of command, meaning they need approval before making most decisions. They usually have no clue what is going on, and are rarely prepared for the questions you have to ask.

How To Handle Them
What the Underling wants doesn’t really matter – what matters is what their superiors want. Ultimately, if the work you give the Underling pleases the ‘guys upstairs’, you will have a very happy client. They key to dealing with an Underling is to think like an employee. Strategically plan ahead for the "let me get back to you" mentality. When working for an Underling:

Ask questions in bulk. Individual questions get lost in emails and sticky notes. The best way to save yourself time and stress is to compile a sizeable list of questions you will need answered and submit them all at once.

Prepare for the lag. You know how news reporters always take a minute to respond to questions? This is exactly what you will have with an Underling. Ask questions ahead of time so you are properly equipped for the next phase of your work.

Don’t bother explaining. If you are working for an Underling there is a good chance their boss is the next type of client on our list. This means that the Underling just needs to know the highlights of the work you’ve done, because that’s all their boss wants to hear.

The Delegator
The Delegator hired you because they know what you’re doing, and expect you do complete your work with skill and professionalism. They won’t want to be bothered with the details or bogged down by long meetings; their credo is: "you do it lah".

How To Handle Them
They simply want a solid finished product completed within a reasonable amount of time. The work you are doing for them is usually just a small piece in a much bigger plan. Your work will have to speak on your behalf, because the Delegator isn't available to meet for the next two months. When working with a Delegator:

Respect their time. Delegators guard their time like they guard their very lives. When interacting with them, come prepared and keep it short.

Be direct and honest. Delegators loathe excuses. They are not interested in what tools used on a project, how long it took you, or what went wrong along the way; they want to know if the job is done, and if the product works.

Give them a document. This type of client can handle paperwork much better than they can handle human interaction (unless of course they have delegated the paperwork to someone else). By giving them a written report, you are able to keep them informed without taking up too much of their time.

By Hongkiat.com