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

​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. 

Award winning digital platform has successfully executed over MYR 1 billion in transactions covering cross-border trade payments and individual remittances. We've achieved such rapid success by optimizing our treasury operations with machine learning algorithms and integration with blockchain solutions for swifter disbursement. MoneyMatch is expanding globally at a rapid pace with operations in three countries already with many more to come!

​Touch ‘n Go has been a part of Malaysia’s mobility journey for over two decades. With 25 million active cards, 1.2 million active TNG RFID users, and 13 million unique customers, Touch ‘n Go continues to champion Malaysia’s mobility ecosystem through tolling, parking and transit powered by innovative technology.

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.​

Leading payment gateway that provides over 110 payment methods across Malaysia and Southeast Asia such as FPX Online Banking, E-wallet etc.

​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 :)

For perhaps the first time since the 1950s, the retail and restaurant franchise environments are undergoing a huge transformation right now. In-store trackers, geolocators, and increased digital/brick and mortar integration mean that owners need to be as tech savvy as they are sales savvy.
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A big part of that discussion is how best to utilize digital signage. Driven by demand, opportunity and the dropping cost of digital screens, it’s an increasingly popular option for franchise owners.

One of the best things you can do to improve customer experience is to keep them entertained. A digital screen gives them something to do-it’s a lot less annoying to wait in line if you’ve got something to watch. As a result, perceived wait time drops.

The lead time on a print ad is at a minimum six weeks. For most restaurant franchise companies, it’s even longer. But digital signage is connected to the internet, which means that fresh ads can be rolled out as easily as a social media post. It also means:

• You can run social media feeds, weather, blog posts – whatever you could run on a website.
• You can run extremely relevant and local ads (since you’re not relying on a national brand to send you collateral)

​Compared to traditional print signage, it’s far less expensive to develop and roll out new ads for digital screens. This means that you can run more targeted, local marketing campaigns. Your digital marketing plan can now take into account local events as well. For example, you might create two ads depending on the outcome of a local football game and then run the relevant ad.

Breakfast ads during breakfast if you’re a restaurant franchise, for example. Alternatively, if you have a retail clothing franchise, you might run ads featuring rain gear on rainy days and sunglasses on sunny ones.

​A report in from DataTrend found that digital signage increase purchase amount and dwell time by almost 30% each in retail business. In terms of digital marketing tactics, it’s hard to get a better bang for your buck.

​You can use digital signage to interact with your customers and thus learn more about them–“Data-driven marketing”. For example, you might run a social promotion where customers can sign up to receive email newsletters in exchange for a discount. Waiting in line to check out with their smartphone is a prime time to deliver that message to customers.

​Most major franchised brands, from Krispy Kreme to McDonald’s, produce far more digital marketing content at both the national and local level than ever ends up offline. With digital signage, you can leverage a lot of that creative work and reuse it, quickly and effectively updating your in-store marketing.

​Because you can put up and take down different ads at the click of a button, you can be extremely effective in testing which marketing messages work best. Over time, you can hone your digital marketing strategy accordingly.

​Digital signage might be expensive to install, but you save money in the long run by reducing print and administration costs. As a one-time expense, digital signage equipment is generally regarded as a capital investment and comes out of an operations budget and not your marketing budget. Even better, there is no print cost.

And, digital administration can be done by one person in a central location. So if you own 10 franchises, you can update all of them at once. With just one person updating it, it’s easier to manage and you can ensure peace of mind that it’s been done, and done consistently with brand standards. In comparison to coordinating a new print roll out, digital signage:

• Is faster and easier
• Creates a more consistent brand experience across franchises
• Is easier to comply with changing regulations

Video is far more engaging than stills. Digital signage lets you leverage the hypnotizing power of video to snag and hold customers’ attention. Even simple animations like pause and zoom effects on still artwork provide a more engaging viewer experience.

Source: burkhartmarketing

​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.
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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.
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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.
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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/

Source: ​http://tubularinsights.com/47-ways-promote-youtube-channel/

Thanks to t-shirt marketing, you can promote your YouTube channel by wearing a t-shirt that has your channel info. You can create custom t-shirts for your channel on websites like CafePress and Zazzle. Pick a color that makes your t-shirt stand out and include your YouTube name along with the channel url.
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Another way to use this form of marketing is to sell or give away your branded t-shirts. You can give them away to family, friends, and those interested. More people wearing your t-shirts will lead to more viewers for your YouTube channel. This is a great way to expand your potential reach.

Do you have a budget to promote your videos? If so, you can create video ads for your YouTube channel through the Adwords for video program. These video advertisements are called TrueView ads and are played before a video on YouTube loads (those 15-30 second ads or the ones that allow you to select “skip” after 5 seconds).
You are only charged when someone views the required time for your TrueView ad and can target where you would like them to appear. This is a very effective way to bring awareness to your YouTube channel. Always try to make your first 5 seconds as effective as possible in order to entice viewers to finish watching the rest of the advertisement!
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You can get more views by optimizing your YouTube videos for search engines. SEO, also known as search engine optimization, involves adding relevant keywords and phrases to your videos in order to be found by search engines like Google. These phrases and keywords should be similar to search queries that are relevant to your video. This will help people come across your videos on search engines when searching for a certain topic or keyword.
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You can place these keywords/phrases in your title, video description, file name, and as tags. Make sure the keywords are relevant and be careful not to over optimize (placing too many keywords) because this will not do any good.
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Starting a blog allows you to build a following for your channel outside of YouTube. Every time you create a blog post, it can bring you visitors from search engines. You can then convert these visitors into your viewers. For best results, try placing your YouTube videos at the end of each blog post or on your sidebar. You can do this by using the embed feature on YouTube. Just copy and paste the code wherever you like.
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Another tool you can use is the YouTube subscribe widget. This can be found on the Google developers web page. It allows your readers to subscribe to your YouTube with just one click! If you’re running out of blog content ideas, you can even transcribe your videos! This allows you to get visitors who are searching for information that can be found in your videos.
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Forums are where discussions happen. Whenever there is a discussion happening that is relevant to your YouTube channel, you should try taking part. By providing quality answers and discussions, other members of the forum will be enticed to visit your channel.
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In regards to letting others know about your videos, you never want to spam or post your YouTube links when irrelevant or unhelpful. Most forums allow you to create a custom signature. This is a great place to link to your channel. If allowed, you can even use the name of your channel as your username.
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People love contests! By setting up a contest around your YouTube channel with a cool prize, you are sure to garner a lot of interest. For example, the contest could require participants to share your videos on social media, leave a specific comment, or even blog about your channel. This will help spread the word about your YouTube channel and grow your audience.

When it comes to choosing an awesome prize, you do not have to spend money. For example, the winners could receive a mention in your next video or even a personal video thanking them. Just remember to be creative!
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VidCon (Example) is the largest gathering of online video creators and YouTube lovers. By attending VidCon, you can meet and network with creators of other channels as well as those involved in your industry. You may even end up collaborating with another YouTube creator. This is an effective way to expand your audience.

VidCon is also a great place to meet with your viewers and followers. Engaging with those who support you is essential for long term success. Speaker panels hosted at the event allow you to gain knowledge and a better understanding of what it takes to market your YouTube channel.
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As mentioned above, collaborating with other YouTube creators is a really effective way to grow your viewership. Collab videos involve 2 or more channel owners producing a video together. The person uploading the collab video to his or her channel usually provides a mention and link to the participants.
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Collaborating with YouTube creators allows you create a bigger audience because viewers from other channels will be interested in checking out your videos. One of the best formats for collaborating is to split the collaboration video into 2 or more parts and then each partner can upload a part to their YouTube channel.

​You can also exchange video mentions with other YouTube creators without even creating a collaboration video. Creators can find similar channels to work with using the free Audience Dashboard from Tubular Labs which effectively and easily facilitiates these kind of collaborations.

​Writing for a magazine allows you to showcase your industry knowledge by providing great content to readers that are relevant to your niche. You can mention your YouTube channel in your author bio with each contribution. It’s important to write for a magazine that provides content similar to yours. This will help transition readers into your viewers.
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Podcasting allows you to build a following separate from your YouTube channel. It also allows you to provide more content to your current YouTube fans and followers. Most importantly, it gives you the ability to convert your listeners into YouTube subscribers.
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You could start a podcast on topics similar to your channel. For example, let’s say you make videos on fitness tips and exercises. You could start a weekly podcast on the latest fitness trends, workouts, and diet tips. While doing so, you can mention your channel anytime during the podcast and encourage your listeners to subscribe. ReelSEO’s Tubetalk is an excellent example of a podcast that caters to the topic of video marketing, and promotes the YouTube channels of all contributors.
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As mentioned earlier, blogging is a really effective way to promote your videos. Guest blogging allows you to get the same benefits without managing a blog. You can email blogs that are relevant to your YouTube channel to see if they are open to taking a guest post.
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Many websites and blogs usually have a guest posting page to let readers know that they are open to guest posts. These pages also include guidelines, so be sure to follow them. At the end of each guest post, authors are allowed to link back to their blog. In your case, you can link back to your YouTube channel.

If you are a brand or have a budget then you can rent a booth at an event or trade show. When people visit your booth, you can giveaway branded merchandise and t-shirts with your YouTube info. The more people that make use of your branded merchandise, the higher your potential viewership will increase.
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Renting a booth gives you the chance to network with visitors who may be interested in subscribing to your YouTube channel. You may also be mentioned by the press covering the event.
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By starting a Google+ community page, you are creating a place for others to discuss topics similar to your channel. When you are setting up your community page, you can add a link to your YouTube profile.
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Post your thoughts and answer questions to get even more exposure for your channel. The community page can be set up as public or private. You can also invite people to join. The community will allow you to brand your channel. Every time someone joins the page, they will be able to see your YouTube link.
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Did you know that YouTube is spending money to help you promote your YouTube channel for free? The YouTube Fan Finder program allows you to submit up to 5 advertisements for your channel. These ads are then shown across different YouTube videos to an audience that is relevant to your channel.
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The goal of this program is promote your YouTube channel to viewers that will enjoy and engage with your videos. Your ads should be short video clips that give a preview of what your channel is about. Be sure to make your first 5 seconds really good. Every time a viewer clicks on the channel ad, they are directed to your profile. Fan Finder is a great way to build a bigger audience at no cost to you!
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​Taking the time to interact with those that support you is not only the right thing to do but it is important for long term growth. Viewers like to feel appreciated so it’s essential that you engage with them.
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One of the best places to interact with your supporters is on Twitter. You can tweet or reply to those who watch your videos. When others on social media see you interacting with your followers, they may be interested in joining the conversation and possibly becoming your newest subscriber.
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You should always be using hashtags on social media. Google+, Twitter, Facebook and many other social media platforms that allow you to use hashtags. Every time you use a hashtag it increases your potential reach.

​Whenever someone searches for your hashtag, they will come across your post. So it’s important to use relevant hashtags when creating a post that is linked to your YouTube video. Someone who makes videos on soccer lessons could use the hashtag #soccer or #soccerlessons. Using hashtags helps you reach potential viewers that are currently not following you.
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A playlist is a custom list of videos on YouTube. They should always be used! Whenever someone is watching a video from a playlist, they will be directed to the next video in that list after the current one is finished being viewed.
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Try creating a playlist with your recent videos and then send visitors to the playlist instead of just each video. This increases the chances of your viewers watching more than one video. Playlists allow you to group videos together in order to get more channel views.
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The more videos you create the more pathways to your YouTube channel. It’s good to have as many pathways as possible. If you are not consistent with uploading videos to your channel, people will start to unsubscribe. That is the opposite of what we are trying to do here!
You should create a consistent amount of videos per week and follow a specific schedule to keep your following on good terms. This will allow your viewers to know when to expect your next video. With each video you create, you have the ability to show up in different search results. Over time as you create more content, you will end up noticing a higher total in channel views.
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Reddit, Digg, and StumbleUpon are just a few of the many social bookmarking websites that can make your videos go viral. Social bookmarking sites are filled with communities and users interested in checking out new content.
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Every site has a different feel and community, so it’s important to do some research before submitting your content. Doing so will show you where you can find the best results. If users like your video, they will vote for it and as you get more votes, the submitted video will rank higher. Content that is ranked high receives a lot of traffic so there’s a good chance your video will get a ton of views.

Yes, this form of marketing still works for many people. Creating flyers about your YouTube channel is a very easy task. All you have to do is create a design on your computer and print it out! After printing out your flyers, you can hand them out or place them in busy areas. Placing your flyers in areas that are visited often is usually the best option because it allows them to be seen by more than one person. Make sure to include your social media links as well!​
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​QR (Quick Response) codes can be linked directly to your YouTube channel. They are known as those square shaped barcodes that can be scanned by your smart phone. QR codes have become a popular way to share information. There are tons of QR code generators online that can help you create one that directs people to your YouTube videos. These codes can be placed on your business cards, flyers, and all other promotional materials.
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A lot of companies and brands are very open to partnering with content creators. By partnering with a brand, you would be giving them exposure through your videos. In return, you can get advertising from the brand and their following.
It’s important to put your best foot forward in reaching out to brands. A great resource to help creators promote themselves is Tubular Creator Profiles. Share your Profile link with anyone you’d like to partner with to give them a quick way to check out your content, reach and rankings.
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​Just like with Google+ communities, you can establish a place to discuss topics related to your channel by creating a Facebook group. The group can be open or invitational. By starting a Facebook group, you can build a community around your YouTube channel. Having an engaging community who supports your videos is vital for growth. With a Facebook group, you can create just that!
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The freelancing industry enjoyed impressive growth in the past several years.

In 2011, the Financial Times (UK) reported a 12% growth in the number of freelancers from 2008. Popular freelance broker site Elance enjoyed consistent growth in past years, with the number of jobs posted rising from around 200,000 in the first quarter of 2012 to 300,000 in the same period in 2013.

In addition to a more flexible work schedule, freelancers tend to be happy. According to the 2012 Freelance Industry Report, 90% of freelancers are happier now than they were before going solo, and nearly half felt no impact from the economic downturn. Perhaps most tellingly, 77% of freelancers were optimistic about their business prospects over the following 12 months.

With freelance work being such an enticing prospect, no one would blame you for giving it some serious thought. However, a common issue is simply not knowing how to start. Fortunately, building a successful freelancing career is easier than it seems — just follow the steps below.

1. Choose Your Craft
Just about everything can be outsourced these days. That's why there's a strong likelihood that the skills on your résumé contain one or more freelancing opportunities.

You may be required to think outside of the box — we're not all graphic designers or programmers. However, you may find that your "secondary" skills can offer up freelancing opportunities. For instance, if you are a strong writer, then you have the potential to develop a freelance writing business.

Don't be paralyzed by a preconception that you do not have the necessary skills or experience — you would be surprised how little experience you need in order to get started. A little faith in your abilities will take you a long way.

2. Create a Brand
If you plan to succeed in the world of freelancing, you will need to create a strong brand that sets you apart from the competition. Your brand is your identity (i.e. your website, blog and social media accounts) and it should clearly communicate your unique selling proposition — what you do that makes you special.

With that in mind, you should narrow down your focus to a specific industry. For instance, as a graphic designer you might choose to do branding work for digital startup businesses only. This form of specialization will make you far more attractive to a specific set of prospective clients and give you a greater chance of success. You can try to cater to all and sundry, but you will probably only provoke indifference.

3. Build a Portfolio and Source Testimonials
The world of freelancing lacks the red tape of the corporate world. Many prospective clients are not concerned with qualifications; they simply want to see what you have done in the past and judge whether it is the right fit for them.

Therefore, if you are good at what you do and can demonstrate your skill through a quality portfolio and positive client testimonials, you have every chance of success. The conundrum, however, is in building a portfolio without experience.

Many freelancers will react to this by picking up the smallest and least lucrative jobs around, but that puts them into a vicious cycle of bargain-basement work. To work for high-paying clients, you need to demonstrate that you are worth big money by doing good work.

So don't be afraid to do pro bono work for the right clients when you are first starting out. The free work you do at this stage can ultimately be priceless when it clearly communicates your worth to future potential clients via an extensive portfolio and glowing testimonials. Also, offering your services at no cost is a gentle introduction into the world of freelancing where you do not feel the pressure of having to deliver a service of requisite value.

4. Start Pitching
You should only seek paying clients when you are able to demonstrate your abilities (and your reputation) with a quality portfolio and testimonials. Once you have done so by working on pro bono jobs, it's time to start pitching.

But whom should you pitch? Well, if you branded yourself correctly then you should know exactly whom to pitch. By having such a narrow focus, potential clients are far more likely to take you seriously than if you offered a generic service. Businesses want to work with freelancers who seemingly came into existence to serve them specifically — you can create this illusion through specialization.

Potential clients can be found everywhere: from Google to social media to your doorstep. The possibilities are endless.

The two keys to successful pitching are relevance and volume. Only pitch those clients who fit the mold of your brand and pitch a lot of them. Ruth Zive of Marketing Wise, a content marketing firm based in Canada, had a "ten before ten" rule when she first started out as a freelance writer — she would make sure to pitch ten prospective clients before 10 a.m. every working day. Those numbers add up quickly.

5. Play the OddsUltimately, securing freelance work is a numbers game — the more prospective clients you contact, the more likely you are to find work. That is the equation you should keep in mind. If you have a reasonable skill set and create a quality brand, there is no reason why you cannot succeed in the world of freelancing like so many others have before you.

By Tom Ewer

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.