May18

Intellectual Property Patents Could Be Sold Like Shares

by admin on May 18th, 2012 at 7:59 am
Posted In: Business, Guest Posts

The internet and communication technology industry has recently seen a spate of intellectual property disputes between major global players. In May the first legal round between Oracle and Google over a Java programme language patent and copyright issue closed. The decision did not give outright victory to either side. In other courtrooms, Apple and Samsung are currently fighting over patents related to smartphone technologies. Facebook and Yahoo are head to head in securing a win over internet intellectual property patents. With all the attention given to the legalities of patents, innovation may soon fall behind.

Intellectual Property as Units

Against this backdrop, it seems as though there is no better time to introduce a new approach to developing, sharing and making profit from intellectual property, according to Gerard Pannekoek, CEO of IPXI, a financial exchange company that’s offering an alternative solution. IPXI will allow companies to purchase, sell and hedge patent and intellectual property rights, similar to any other company asset. This will be done by offering patents or groups of patents in single units, aptly named ‘unit licence rights’ (ULR’s), these individual rights function in a similar way to shares and can easily be bought and sold.

How Intellectual Property Units Work

In essence a ULR allows the buyer a one-time use of the patented technology in a single product. For example, if a motor company wants to use a particular technology in a 500,000 cars, it would have to purchase 500,000 ULR’s at the market price according to the IPX intellectual property agreement. According to IPXI, patent would also be able to be traded on secondary markets. This type of system for buying and selling intellectual property design rights is far more effective and economic compared to more convention intellectual property patents that often involve complex bi-lateral licences and extremely high legal fees. Furthermore, it is a system that does not discriminate against smaller companies who have less finance and legal bulk to throw behind intellectual property patents and copyrights. Finally, it minimises the risk of patents being left unused due to unsalvageable disputes, which only serve to hamper innovation and creativity.

Although the IPXI system for patenting intellectual property will not work for all ideas, it should make it simpler for companies to make money from inventions. So far the exchange company has signed up thirty members, including the electronics giant Phillips, as well as several universities and research centres. The IPXI was created in 2008 by the merchant bank Ocean Tomo that specialises in intellectual property. The exchange is expected to open later this year.

Penny Munroe is an avid writer in the latest business news, innovations and trends. Articles include the benefits of transforming the serviced offices Mayfair has into green eco-friendly offices to online marketing tips.

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May14

Business Tips For Utilising Pinterest To The Fullest

by admin on May 14th, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Posted In: Guest Posts, Social Media

Social media has become a predominant platform to market your business and the latest craze in the social media sphere is Pinterest. Utilising Pinterest is a great way to drive traffic to your website, generate leads and market yourself. Pinterest has now become the fifth largest social media site and this app is conveniently free. Pinterest is primarily a visual sharing app where content ranging from images to interesting articles and stories are shared and ‘pinned’ to their ‘pinboard’. It has been evaluated that Pinterest has created a rush of traffic to websites so many businesses are optimising on this social media tool. In this article we look at some tips to help you enjoy success and get noticed on Pinterest.

Tips on Business Success For Pinterest

1. Start off by joining Pinterest. You will need to request an invitation to join but as soon as that is done, you are good to go.

2. Pinterest and Twitter are joined so if you have a Twitter account, be sure to utilise the same email address that you use for Twitter, when you sign up with Pinterest.

3. When writing about your business on the Pinterest home page and blog; make sure it is immensely detailed, includes high ranking keywords and includes geographical position. Another important thing to remember is to make sure that your “Hide your Pinterest profile from search engines” is off.

4. Make sure you link your Pinterest profile to your other social media profiles as stated but also your website. Also, bear in mind there is no such thing as a business profile on Pinterest but rather an individual profile.

5. A great way to facilitate your Pinterest following and presence is to include a follow and link structure on your website and social media pages as well as printed documentation.

6. You should primarily focus on visual elements for Pinterest as it is highly visual. Use snapshots of your products and offerings and evenyour geographical positioning.

7. It is beneficial to keep in mind that Pinterest and its blog following is 65% female orientated. Structure and target your Pinterest presence in this manner.

8. If you are utilising a blog and it depends heavily on visual content, make sure that the images used on your blog are also pinned to your pinboard on Pinterest and the titles used to describe them are properly optimised.

9. Pinterest works in the same manner as other social media sites do, the same sentiments used on other social media sites should be extended to Pinterest.

Jemma Scott is an avid writer of all business related topics. Her interest in business tips and advice stems from her time in office space in London in executive suites.

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May08

Get in the QR Game

by admin on May 8th, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Posted In: Guest Posts, Social Media

Although QR codes have been around for over two decades, they’ve only just lately moved to the forefront of the mobile marketing scene. The booming smartphone industry has now made them readily accessible to all manner of users. They are now the must-have marketing tool.

If you don’t have a QR code, the technology-savvy public will view you as out-of-date and out-of-touch with the current business climate.

Many businesses are wondering how to use mobile marketing to generate leads for your business. You’ve created a mobile-friendly website, now what?

The key to using mobile marketing is in being up-to-date on which mobile marketing tools are the most effective to attract the interest of potential customers.

QR Code … huh?

The “QR” in QR code means “quick response”. They are simply an advanced form of barcode, which allows immediate access from any smartphone with a “QR code reader” to a relevant link to a company’s website and information about that company.

A potential customer simply scans it on their mobile device, and they are then directed to the appropriate company link. QR codes can easily be printed on anything, from business cards, brochures, and social media accounts to product packaging. Moreover the options continue to expand as the technology improves.

Where to Use QR Codes

Billboards: Be among the first companies within your industry to do a massive QR on a billboard depicting your business.

Storefront Windows: Position a QR code inside the storefront window of your business to direct potential buyers to your website. Your retail store hours will not prevent people from shopping at any hour of the day or night.

Websites: Pin a QR code to the sidebar or homepage of your website. That makes it even easier for visitors to find your company contact info and take it with them on the go.

Surveys: Include a QR code on a survey form or a store receipt that encourages customers to rate their experience and offer comments. This serves a dual purpose of generating traffic to your website and gathers information about customer satisfaction.

Business Cards: Place a QR code on your business card in a highly visible spot that gives contacts the ability to easily access and store company contact information.

Networking Events: At a conference or another networking event, try placing a QR code on your badge so that people can see it. Encourage networking prospects to use that rather than collecting yet another paper card that gets thrown together with the rest of the accumulated pile.

Truly Mobile Advertising: Brands that utilize service cars can affix a QR code sticker to the sun-visor. Talk about highly visible!

Coupons: Offer coupons or special deals and discounts to customers who use your QR code. If you’re an internet services company, include a link to a discounted web filter. Most people can’t resist a bargain.

Packaging: Include a QR code on your product packaging. For instance, if you sell parental control software, place a code right on the box.

This guest post was written by Shane, who enjoys blogging about ways owners of businesses, like those selling parental control software, can use social media to generate sales.

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May08

Staying Focused with Online Niche Businesses

by admin on May 8th, 2012 at 2:54 pm
Posted In: Leads Generation

A niche business, by definition, usually has a small but select customer base. An industrial surplus buyer, for instance, provides products to a very specific group of buyers. Outside of large urban centers, the company may not be able to reach enough buyers to succeed, or find enough people who sell surplus to maintain stock.

In this respect, online businesses have been blessings for niche-based business. A company that sells surplus may not have a big pool of customers in its local area, but put that same company online and it can reach clients across the globe.

If you’re considering starting a niche business online, here are a few suggestions to help you succeed.

Stay Focused

In 1985, Apple fired Steve Jobs. In his absence, Apple expanded its product offerings in an attempt to expand into different industries. When Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he slashed the company’s offerings, reducing a total of 350 products to a mere 10.

Why would he do this? Quite simply, Jobs understood that by trying to be reasonably successful in multiple areas, Apple failed to have any success at all. By cutting products, Jobs was able to dedicate his considerable skills to the remaining products, turning around Apple’s financial fortunes and making history.

A niche business owner can learn from Jobs. When a company makes the shift from brick and mortar to the borderless world of e-commerce, company owners may be tempted to offer as many services as possible, casting a wide net to attract customers. The problem with a wide net is that, metaphorically speaking, it has holes in it. By focusing on a specific set of services, a niche business can offer a much better end-product.

For instance, let’s assume the hypothetical surplus buyer starts an online store. He might be tempted to expand the business into other areas, selling new parts as well as surplus. Doing so would spread his resources too thin, however, so he chooses instead to specialize in industrial surplus valves. By limiting his business scope, he provides a better service to his customers, who are more likely to buy from him again or recommend him to other people.

Focused Doesn’t Mean Local

Focusing on specific products or services doesn’t mean that you should limit your profits. Apple’s profits soared when Jobs culled the company’s product line. A quality product, coupled with proper marketing, will catch people’s attention. The surplus buyer we mentioned may find he can buy and sell surplus internationally if he focuses on one particular type of surplus. Committing to a niche business means committing all your energy to a limited set of services. Instead of a jack-of-all-trades who does many things fairly well, you become a specialist who does a few things very well indeed. And as Jobs proved, specialists stand out from the crowd.

This is a guest post by blogger Mary who blogs on niche businesses, surplus buyers and surplus valves.

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May04

Market Research Tips for Businesses – Surveys

by admin on May 4th, 2012 at 5:07 am
Posted In: Business, Guest Posts

Market research is a process that has been used for years to find out information about customers and the market, in an effort to help sell or market a product.

But market research can be tricky. Getting it right requires a lot of work, but it’s important to do. Some people don’t know where to start with it all.

Here are some tips to get you going with market research, or to help you with a campaign already started.

1. Decide your goals

Working out your goals and aims for carrying out market research is vital to carry it out effectively. You need to have an idea of your objectives before you begin and what you hope to have achieved by the end of it.

For your goals, you should consider whether by the end you will have assessed the need for a certain product on the market, or maybe what kind of person you should be marketing a certain product towards. Either way, a goal is important to set so that you’ll have actually achieved something by the end.

2. Use different surveys

There are many ways that you can get market research surveys to people so that you can carry out the research. While standing in a street with a clip board asking the general public questions is still popular, a far less invading tactic is through an online survey.

A specialist developer can set up an online survey for you on a website, allowing people to visit and leave their opinions. It’s sometimes seen that a company gives out prizes when someone completes an online survey, encouraging more people to take it.

Social media can be a great tool to advertise your online survey once it’s set up. Encouraging people to share it can give you a much bigger sample size.

3. Pick the right questions

If you’re looking to gather research on a particular topic then the questions should all be related to that topic. Alternative questions aren’t only useless when drawing conclusions, but also could distract and confuse someone filling the survey in.

Questions should be neutral to provide the truest responses. Leading questions that could influence someone’s response should be removed to get the best results.

4. Have evidence of your results

At the end of your market research you should have achieved a better understanding of the public’s opinions on the topic you were researching. Putting that information into a method that anyone can look at and read is important; therefore your information should be collected in a way that it can be put in a graph and displayed at the end.

While having thousands of peoples unique statement written out for a topic can provide great insight, it would take far too long to process and isn’t the way to start out. Having people pick from a few options provides the data you need to begin with, statements can come later on.

5. Make your survey short and precise

A long survey is going to be off putting, especially compared to one that’d only take five minutes. A short survey will also be more to the point, forcing you to leave out any unnecessary questions.

Article by guest author James Harper for Xibis, specialist developers of online surveys.

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