How To Setup An International Business With An eBay And A PayPal Account

International Business – Not Just For The Big Guys

When you hear the words “international business”, it would be normal to think of the companies with billion-dollar turnovers who have offices and possibly production plants in many countries. This is indeed what many people think when they hear those words because, after all, that is largely what it used to mean. Any company which had the money to carry out such a level of International trading would be one of the big ones. However, this has changed, as so much has in the business world, due in no small part to the Internet. As a budding entrepreneur, one of your first thoughts should be “How do I give this an International angle?”. By doing that you can seriously increase your profit margins.

Whatever your business is, there is sure to be some way that you can dress it up for an International market. Indeed, there is a case to be made for the argument that smaller businesses can cater for a wider range of people (if not a larger number) because of the freedom that their independence brings. If you can make your service so personalized that it allows you to offer the same refined items to people from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, it will allow you to take advantage of the massive reach of the world wide web. Although not everybody has the Internet, there are few parts of the world where there is not some level of Internet service. Its importance in terms of transferring information has seen most governments pump lots of money into making Internet capability widespread.

Having an Internet business presence is really one of the simplest things on the world. On the most basic level all you really need is an eBay account. If you have a stock of items to sell, or you make things to order, then all you really need to do is list them on the site and set prices, either for auction or using the “Buy It Now” option. If you set up a PayPal account alongside this, then you can receive payment in any currency, allowing you to have a balance in dollars, pounds, euros, dirhams, pesos or any other currency you could name. You can transfer it into your national currency or leave it as it is – but costly money transferring charges can now be a thing of the past.

You do not need to be a faceless conglomerate to make your business viable on an International level. The more trading you do with people in other countries, the more you will understand what plays well in different markets. People are learning every day, and the world is genuinely becoming a smaller place in a figurative sense. Getting an international, online element sorted out could take your business from respectability to fully verifiable success – all you need to do is play it the right way. A little bit of research is all that you require. Then sit back and watch the money roll in, in whatever form it comes.

First Published: June 22, 2009 EntrepreneurJourney.com

What Will Happen to Aeroplan Without Air Canada?

Air Canada Will Start Its Own Loyalty Program

Air Canada is leaving Aeroplan to launch its own frequent flyer program. Things will be business as usual until June 2020. After that, Air Canada and Aeroplan will travel their own paths. Today, I will talk about the future of Aeroplan and what to expect in light of this breakup.

Aeroplan has a network of 5 million members, 75 worldwide partners, and 150 brands. However, most of these members are in Aeroplan for Air Canada, not for Aeroplan itself. A lot of these members not even aware of that Aeroplan is not owned by Air Canada and is actually a separate program. It is questionable how many of these members will stick to Aeroplan once it is is no longer with Air Canada.

Aeroplan will lose access to Star Alliance partners and fantastic redemption opportunities through its partners. Star Alliance is the largest alliance of 27 airlines and some of its partners are airlines like Thai, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Air Canada. For example, my business-class flight from Toronto to Asia cost me only $61 instead of $4000/$5000 (watch the YouTube video for proof) and a fantastic redemption opportunity like this on Aeroplan is possible only because of being a member of Star Alliance through Air Canada. On its own without being part of an alliance, Aeroplan will lose lots of its members, as it will not have access to any alliance.

Aeroplan will be able to provide flight redemptions on its own like other proprietary programs such as Scotia Rewards program, BMO Rewards program, or Air Miles. However, it will no longer be able to provide significant value like before to redeem for business class flights.

Air Canada is leaving Frequent Flyer loyalty program Aeroplan. What it means for travel rewards credit cards & programs? How about frequent flyer partners? Financial author Ahmed Dawn's insights.

Banks and retailers will be reluctant to renew Aeroplan contracts once existing contracts expire. Aeroplan will have to work on new credit card partners and retailers to offer its programs once Air Canada leaves.

The end result will actually be good for consumers due to more competition. There will be new credit card offers with hefty sign-up bonuses from both Air Canada and Aeroplan as both of them will fiercely try to grab market share. Also there will be an extensive fight to secure retailers to offer Air Canada or Aeroplan points, thus more opportunities for consumers with more promotions and bonuses. I can’t wait to see all these after 2020.

Simple Tips To Relieve Stress And Rejuvenate Yourself At Work

Stress Relief Tips

A long day of work can be stressful and draining. Follow these simple tips to relieve stress and rejuvenate yourself at work.

• Splash some water on your face to refresh yourself. This is a simple yet effective way to refresh yourself.

• Go out for a walk. A walk in the fresh air can give you renewed energy to stay up at work.

• Eat some fruits or drink their juices. Drinking coffee can give you instant adrenaline boost to feel revived but over time it causes exhaustion. Fruits and their juices can invigorate you without causing any side effects.

• Keep nature or other soothing photos on your desk. Nature photos can reduce stress and improve productivity.

• Avoid greasy fast food for lunch. Greasy food can make you feel tired and sleepy. Brown bag your lunch. Bringing lunch from home will not only save you money but also a lot healthier.
  
  First Published: Aug 30, 2007 ADawnJournal.com

What Question To Ask Yourself When Planning Business Success?

Learning A Trade Pays Off

One thing that holds a lot of people back from going into business is a lack of confidence in their own value as a potential businessperson. They look at the world of entrepreneurial endeavour and think of how great it would be to be their own boss, decide the rules and the hours, and make money for themselves. All looks rosy until the question arises of what they are actually going to do. Regrettably, people on getting to this point are liable to think “Well, what can I do that no-one else can offer?”, come up against a brick wall and shelve the plan altogether. Firstly, there are very few unique businesses in the world, and those that are, are so niche that they probably do not make much money.

The better question to ask yourself when planning business success is “what do people need?”. You may also ask yourself what people want, but the former question is more important. People will always pay for what they need, but sometimes they have to lay aside what they want for reasons of economy. Depending of course on how busy you want to be and how much you want or are able to commit to the business initially, you can decide for yourself whether you want to serve a need or satisfy a want. One way or the other, this raises the question – “am I equipped to do what people need?”. If you do not feel that you are, this need not be the end of your entrepreneurial venture.

It has been proven time and again that people will pay for someone to do something they cannot do for themselves. It may be something really rather straightforward in real terms, but there may be many factors preventing them from doing the job themselves. Maybe they are impaired in terms of mobility or a certain motor function. Maybe they are extremely busy. Maybe they feel that the job would be better done by someone with the knowledge of how to do it.

This is where learning a trade really pays off. If you have ever considered learning a trade, there is really no better time. And if you never have, then why not consider it? Remember, there are many of us who work for a company or a boss because we don’t feel that we can drive things forward ourselves due to a lack in some part of the process. But why limit yourself? You can learn a trade, and the knowledge will end up paying for itself.

There are countless trades that we can go into. Maybe you’ve always fancied learning to become a plumber. By doing this, you can find yourself very much in demand from the get-go. People will always need plumbers, handymen, decorators and all kinds of other tradesmen. The benefits to you from doing a course in a trade that you find interesting will stay with you for some time – and could be the key to a goldmine that will just keep on giving.

First Published: July 4, 2009 EntrepreneurJourney.com

Jumping Into The iPhone

Do You Really Need That iPhone?

All of the iPhone hype and anticipation is about to end. Apple will launch first model on June 29. 6.00 pm. iPhone is a combination of a cell phone, iPod and a wireless internet device. iPhone has lots of never seen before features but some of the features might not meet consumers' expectations and first generation product will always have flaws.

The following are some of the issues consumers should take a close look at before jumping into the iPhone:

• First model product is kind of a test product and will always have flaws.

• Touchscreen (no button keyboard) typing may not be a pleasant experience for many consumers.

• iPhone is not 3G compatible, instead uses a slower 2.5-generation network.

• There is no memory card slots.

• No 3rd party applications can be used. 

• Battery is sealed and can not be removed like other cell phones.

A prudent financial decision would be not to buy this first generation gadget. Wait till the hype dies down and all the first generation bugs are fixed. You will be paying a lot less and will be getting a lot more value for your money.

First Published: June 26, 2007 ADawnJournal.com