The recent flash floods  (DANA: Isolated Depression at High Levels in Spanish) affecting Valencia have left a trail of destruction and death never before witnessed in Spain. Over 211 people have lost their lives, hundreds are still missing, and thousands have lost their homes, vehicles, and businesses. 

In addition, over 15,000 houses have been severely affected, and entire towns—like Paiporta — have been almost entirely evacuated to new temporary safe areas under the protection of the Spanish military and Protección Civil. 

Beyond the human losses, which are the central tragedy, the secondary effect of these terrible flash floods is the destruction of Valencia's small and medium business ecosystem. The DANA has primarily affected small business owners in towns and cities in the countryside.

Massive destruction: over 4000 businesses affected      

The loss of entire stocks, the destruction of stores and warehouses, and the subsequent looting and rioting have caused considerable damage to the whole of the entrepreneurial community of Valencia. 

The floods in Valencia have damaged some 4,000 to 4,500 businesses, of which 1,600 to 1,800 establishments have been destroyed, according to the Valencia Chamber of Commerce estimate. 

Of the 65 municipalities affected, approximately half, 32, have damage that can be considered severe, according to the exact estimate. According to the data available so far, the municipalities whose economic activities have been most affected have been Alaquàs, Albal, Aldaia, Alfafar, Algemesí, Benetússer, Catarroja, Llocnou de la Corona, Massanassa, Paiporta, Picanya, Sedaví, Utiel and the neighborhood of La Torre in Valencia city. 

Industrial areas and logistics were compromised 

The Chamber points out that “the Alfafar Parc Shopping Park, Sedaví Shopping Park, MN4 and Bonaire Shopping Center would be the most affected large commercial facilities, not only by flooding but also by looting that has also affected businesses in urban areas”.

In the 65 municipalities most affected by the DANA (including the neighborhoods of Valencia), there are over 54,289 companies, 123 business parks, and multiple industrial estates. This means that the logistics and warehousing networks are compromised even if the business is not directly affected. To all effect, Valencia's business and industrial capability has almost dropped to zero at this moment. 

The bullet train service was also affected and it is currently canceled. Two key areas of the tracks have been rendered ‘un safe’ and thus, the Spanish government has stop all train services into and from Valencia. 

The roads are also severely damaged. Over 100 main roads and highways have been destroyed or damaged. Here is the current most updated list of roads affected by the DANA:

The affected roads in the Valencian Community

The Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) has informed that the roads cut in the province of Valencia are the following:

• A-7 in Masía del Juez.
• AP-7 in Carrascalet.
• N-3 in Villar de Olmos and Siete Aguas.
• CV-36 from Picaña to the junction with the A-7.
• V31 and V-30 in Horno de Alcedo.
• CV-50 in Chiva.

On the other hand, those that are conditioned are:

• A-7 in La Cañada and Picassent.
• AP-7 in Oliva.
• A-3 in Mislata, Barrio de Sant Josep and Buñol.
• V-31 in Beniparrei.

In the province of Castellón , the AP-7 remains block.

How can you help? 

The Spanish government has reported that they have launched several communication channels “to channel all the solidarity”, to prevent it from being scattered “despite the goodwill”. The Vice-Presidency of Social Affairs of the Generalitat Valenciana, in collaboration with social entities, has opened a communication channel via WhatsApp, with five numbers available to citizens and civil society, “to analyze, channel and distribute resources effectively and attending to priorities in the most appropriate times and moments”.

The five telephone numbers enabled to coordinate the aid actions are the following, according to the regions of origin: 

Utiel (659289726)

Horta Sur (682177249)

Ribera (619975059)

Hoya (690027099)

Castellón (679161664)

At the same time, the website somsolidaritat.gva.es has been set up to channel all the proposals through a form.

The post CBM Stands with Valencia: Situation Report + Aid Channels to Support the Victims  appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

In Spain, 3 out of each 10  people want to be an entrepreneur. This is the result of the Entrepreneurship Study Spain, a report presented by the Spanish delivery company Glovo and the Spanish Confederation of Associations of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE)

This first edition of the Entrepreneurship Study Spain report analyzes the current situation of entrepreneurship in Spain. It lists the main challenges faced by professionals who want to create their businesses.

The study reveals that more than 30% of those surveyed plan to start their own business in the future. This is, in most cases, a medium-term project: specifically, almost 67% of those who want to create their company plan to do so within one to five years. Only 6.5% intend to start up in less than twelve months.

By region, Andalusia is the region with the highest number of people between 31 and 45 years of age who want to become entrepreneurs, followed by Catalonia and Madrid. Thus, 4 out of every 10 Andalusians in this age group intend to become entrepreneurs in the short or medium term.

The main reason for Spaniards to create their own company is personal and professional fulfillment, followed by the possibility of making their own decisions and the success of other founders and companies. 

Likewise, the two main reasons motivating respondents who do not want to start their own company, especially among the youngest, are receiving financial assistance to cover the initial investment, someone else suggesting that they create a company, or facilitating the bureaucratic procedures.

The fear of failing is one of the main obstacles for entrepreneurs 

Fear of failure is one of the unresolved issues for those surveyed. In fact, 5 out of 10 people who do not want to start a business indicate that they have a high fear of failure, almost 20% more than current entrepreneurs.

On the other hand, almost 30% of the entrepreneurs surveyed would start up again if their business idea failed. Only 11% of current entrepreneurs would recommend entrepreneurship to a friend or relative, compared to 30% who would not recommend it.

The people who say they do not want to start up a business consider the initial investment to be the main obstacle, especially among the youngest. The time and effort required is another of the causes.

The post In Spain, 3 out of each 10 people want to be an entrepreneur appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Business news about B2B services has changed significantly in recent years. With the pandemic, an already existing trend in digitizing the purchasing process has become more acute.

Today, B2B companies have experienced a change in their buying habits. Therefore, it is essential to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition.

🔥Do you want to know more about international commerce and e-commerce and get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!🔥

The rise of digital B2B

A study by Gartner states that salespeople are playing an increasingly less relevant role in the buying process due to the availability of quality information through digital channels. B2B buyers spend only 5% to 6% of their time meeting with a sales representative during the supplier comparison process. Therefore, it is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting, as 94% of the process is not vendor-dependent.

However, we should not wait for the customer to contact us to solve their last doubts before making the purchase. It is necessary to complement omnichannel attraction marketing strategies with others that approach the potential B2B buyer individually, with empathy and cordiality.

To achieve this, it is essential to master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate oneself in a market saturated with information. A McKinsey report highlights how "hybrid" sales reps, who interact with customers across multiple channels, are becoming the most effective sales role, generating up to 50% more revenue.

"It is critical to have a B2B digital strategy in place for effective invoice forecasting"

Iñaki Alcaraz

In addition, a change has been observed in the attitude of buyers towards the figure of the seller, which I call the "Amazon buyer", because their behavior when buying for their company resembles the behavior they would have when buying something for themselves on this platform. It can be said that nowadays, the salesperson is no longer the one in charge of selling, but the customer is the one who makes the purchase.

B2B businesses that do not have a solid digital presence may find it challenging to earn recurring revenue in markets where their brand name, products or services, or sales reps are unknown.

To become known, it is essential to implement omnichannel strategies that involve sales reps interacting with customers through social media, posting videos about the benefits of their services, making phone calls to customers, and engaging with them frequently to build trust before sending a personalized offer.

In my experience, the approach to company decision-makers starts with the "Digital Personal Brand" (DPM) of sales reps. This MPD is built through the social networks used, and LinkedIn stands out as the most important due to its large size and high usage worldwide, with approximately 900 million users. Currently, about 9 million company profiles on LinkedIn. Can you imagine the wide range of B2B marketing actions you can carry out?

In the current context, the entrepreneur's reputation transmitted through digital media is essential for developing your company. The best way to communicate this reputation is by example.

Although many business leaders still have the opposite belief, more is needed to be a good professional, to send internal communications or use the intranet to communicate with employees or to believe that the business will automatically flourish due to good work and customer recommendations.

It is now necessary to demonstrate influencing skills in the lives of employees and customers, also through digital media such as LinkedIn. This is important for all managers and business leaders, not just large companies. This is what is known as "digital exemplarity."

Selling B2B on LinkedIn: How to do it successfully?

But often, lack of knowledge or time prevents entrepreneurs and managers of B2B companies from implementing a digital strategy that generates new opportunities regularly. 

Entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn-related tasks in their daily agenda, as this professional networking platform offers them several key benefits to improve their digital presence and grow their business. 

Some of these benefits why entrepreneurs should prioritize LinkedIn would be:

• Increase their visibility and that of their business: a complete and up-to-date LinkedIn profile will help entrepreneurs increase their digital visibility and reach a wider audience. Of course, a LinkedIn profile that reflects your experience, skills, and accomplishments, along with a professional photo and a detailed description of your knowledge and skills, can generate new business opportunities. But it is not enough; you also need the following point.

• Enhance your professional reputation: if you post relevant content frequently, which is helpful to your network of contacts while showcasing your experience and expertise. Also, actively participate in relevant groups in your industry. This will encourage receiving positive recommendations and reviews from other professionals to establish yourself as an expert in a given industry.

• Establish good relationships with other businesses: LinkedIn is a platform designed to connect with other professionals in your industry and join relevant discussion groups. To increase the chances of success, the professional reputation cultivated in the previous point, personalizing connection invitations with topics of interest to connected people, and mastering the filters of LinkedIn's advanced search tool to find potential clients are essential. Having a quality network of contacts on LinkedIn is crucial to building relationships that allow you to do business with other companies.

• Find new clients: Entrepreneurs can employ their network to build valuable relationships, research people potentially interested in their product or service through one-on-one conversations, and discover new business opportunities, in those conversations. 

However, it is essential to remember that this tactic requires a strategic approach and careful planning. If the goal is to reach a specific audience and generate a significant impact, selecting the content to share, the discussion groups to join, and the people to connect with is essential.

The keys to implementing a good strategy for engaging on LinkedIn can be summarized in three recommendations:

• A well-built and filled-out profile on LinkedIn is essential to give a good impression of you to others. An excellent professional photo, an original and accurate professional title, and a well-crafted and keyworded excerpt are fundamental elements to stand out on the network and attract the attention of potential clients or professional contacts. It is important to be creative and differentiate yourself from others, showing your skills and achievements differently and attractively. In addition, it is essential to keep your profile updated and active, publishing relevant content and participating in discussion groups and communities related to your field of work.

• Target audience segmentation must be very clear about your potential client and get to know them as much as possible through the data they can offer you in their LinkedIn profile. By segmenting your target audience with similar characteristics, you can develop more effective marketing strategies, targeting a specific group of potential customers with similar needs and desires. By knowing your target audience better, you can create more effective and personalized communication, which increases the chances of success in your B2B marketing strategy.

• Be subtle in your posts and cordial in your conversations. "Commercial pressure" is a tactic often perceived negatively by potential customers, as it is based on selling something directly and quickly. However, there are indirect ways of doing business that relies on persuasion and seduction, with strategies to attract customers subtly, making them temporarily forget that they are being sold something. It is important to note that people do not enjoy being pressured to buy something, so it is advisable to avoid this tactic.

In conclusion, the digitization of the B2B buying process has become more acute with the pandemic, and B2B companies need to be present on digital channels to be found by customers, providing them with quality information and standing out from the competition. The B2B digital strategy is crucial to effective turnover forecasting, as 94% of the process is independent of the salesperson.

Master the different platforms and digital tools and develop digital communication skills to differentiate yourself in an information-saturated market and achieve greater sales effectiveness.

Implementing omnichannel strategies and building a "Digital Personal Brand" to build trust and make personalized offers is essential. In summary, having a B2B digital strategy is critical to a predicted turnover in 2023.

About the author: Iñaki Alcaraz is a Founding Partner of AGLV, an international speaker, and an expert in business strategy and new technologies. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing and business strategies, both in start-ups and multinationals in many different sectors. After intensively managing Linkedin profiles of B2B business owners and entrepreneurs for more than five years and maintaining more than 50,000 conversations with potential clients, Iñaki has become one of Spain's main referents regarding B2B sales and brand building via LinkedIn. 

The post Keys to B2B selling using LinkedIn! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Freelancing has spread worldwide - especially during the pandemic - and for many, it has consolidated as a way of achieving professional happiness and independence. That's why our guest expert Mirko Ciesco will explain to us the fundaments and benefits of using Financial Management Dashboards.

🔥Do you want to know more about international commerce and e-commerce and get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!🔥

By Mirko Ciesco - Of course, there's no point in hiding the truth: freelancing also brings a lot of hassles and stress. Countless variables are involved in allowing a freelancer or entrepreneur to work fluently and henceforth: with a smile always on one's face. 

The factors that seem to contribute to this joyful mood during freelancing are mainly two: improving one's work efficiency and being able to choose clients to work with in serenity. These clients are the ones who, when the video call ends, let you know that you are on the right path. 

To ensure this happiness, people like me who freelance in remote working - that is, via laptop, smartphone, and an Internet connection - must get increasingly good at keeping track of all their business information, especially information about income and expenses. 

Doing this independently without a good tool is not easy. That's why I decided to design and develop a solution for these problems - first for myself, and later free for everyone - based on two tools we all know: Google Sheets and Google Data Studio (now Looker Studio).

In the next paragraphs, I will explain step by step how a Financial Management Dashboard will help you be a happy and satisfied freelancer. 

Keeping track of expenses and budget 

The first function of a Financial Management Dashboard is expense tracking. If you have ever budgeted your business activity, you will know that knowing the main expenses is an excellent premise for increasing one's turnover. 

The reason is simple: if we know how much we will spend on tools, training courses, office rent, etc., we can manage the annual budget without too much stress. 

In my case, for example, spending planning allows me to define each year the budget to invest in creating content, images, blog articles, and advertising campaigns to promote my business.

Of course, thanks to the Dashboard, I can check in real time the difference between income and expenses and know if the accounts are in the black.

Keep track of revenue 

At the same time, with the Dashboard, I can monitor the revenue stream generated by projects month by month. As well as outstanding payments.

The main problem of any business - even a freelance business - is receiving payment from clients. Although we can protect ourselves through contracts, not everyone always pays on time. So what does one do?

Spending your days checking your bank account is certainly not a viable path. Therefore, I have included a formula in the Dashboard that shows me the number of days that have passed since the invoice date.

All are easily calculated through two fields: invoice date and payment receipt date, which I will share with my accountant for annual accounting management.

Understanding work-generated happiness

In Italy, when a freelancer goes on overload, we tell him or her, "Do you work to live, or do you live to work?" The sense is this: if you spend all your time working, you have none left to live your personal and family life.

Another perspective should be added: "You have to work happily to live happily" and take care of yourself. This is the point of view that I call work happiness in the dashboard because it tracks the level of joy during the year.

The result is a pie chart that makes happiness gluttonous, even if it is made of numbers and lines.

In the dedicated Google Sheets, I can indicate for each invoice my degree of happiness:

• Pleasant when I follow projects I enjoy and collaborate with clients who have exciting projects;

• Indifferent when some activities I don't particularly enjoy;

• Unpleasant when jobs or clients are difficult for me to handle due to excessive agitation or lack of planning and management.

Through these variables, I created a pie chart that shows me three different colors of my state of happiness:

• Red means I have chosen many wrong jobs and clients;
• Orange indicates that I have a few projects that excite me;
• Green is the pass for satisfaction. It lit up when I learned that mental health is worth more than a stressful job.

For a freelancer like me, working with peace of mind allows you to be more productive and spend time on training or creating personal projects.

Set new business goals

By tracking income, expenses, and happiness levels, I can take qualitative and quantitative stock of my work each year-end. What does it do for me? To set new goals for the next 12 months (or more). 

With the data from the Financial Management Dashboard, I can monitor the percentage of services I have performed during the year and see if the service that makes my heart race has a high value. 

If it does not, I will be free to consider whether to invest the budget in its promotion and set a goal to increase the percentage of projects and happiness. 

Consequently, an additional goal will be to increase turnover, which in the Dashboard will turn into a numerical value to be achieved. This approach will stimulate me throughout the year to give my best.

Get ready to be a happy freelancer

Self-employment has a significant advantage: being able to choose one's clients and work how, when, and where one wants. 

With the enhancement of the Dashboard, I can dedicate myself not only to the best clients but also to training, which will help me increase my value as a professional and as a person. 

I hope this Dashboard will inspire your work, making it happier, more fulfilling, and more rewarding.

Good Luck! 

Mirko. 

About the Author: Mirko Ciesco - Web Performer

Free tool: 🔥Dashboard for entrepreneurs🔥 

I enjoy collecting data from sites to understand how to take them to the next level! 🚀I am an expert in web performance, optimizing technical SEO, and improving website usability through web analytics. I create winning strategies from the problems of startups and companies. Finally, I teach custom courses online and throughout Italy with the mission of making the web a better place.

The post Financial Management Dashboards: a key solution for entrepreneurs' happiness + free tool! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

Starting an e-commerce business can be a daunting task, but with the right plan in place, it can be a rewarding and profitable endeavor. Today we want to provide all starting entrepreneurs with seven steps to start a successful e-commerce business! 

🔥Do you want to know more about international commerce and e-commerce and get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!🔥

1. Define your target market 

Before you can start selling anything, you need to know who your target market is. This means identifying the demographics of your ideal customer, including their age, gender, income, and location. You should also consider what they want in a product or service and how your business can meet those needs.

Keep in mind that a target market is a specific group of consumers to that a business or organization aims to sell its products or services. 

To define a target market, you should consider the following factors:

1. Demographics: Look at factors such as age, gender, income, education, and occupation to identify your potential customers.

2. Behavioral characteristics: Consider purchasing patterns, brand loyalty, and the benefits customers look for in a product or service.

3. Psychographics: Analyze customers' lifestyles, values, and personality traits to understand their motivations and interests.

4. Geographic location: Identify where your customers are and how this might impact their purchasing decisions.

5. Market Segments: Break down the market into smaller segments that have similar characteristics and needs, and then select the segment that is most likely to purchase your product or service.

💡 It is important to note that the target market can be defined based on any of the above factors or in a combination of them.

2. Conduct market research 

Once you have identified your target market, you need to research to determine the size of the market and the level of competition. This will help you to understand the potential demand for your products or services and identify any gaps in the market that you can fill.

Obviously, if you are an entrepreneur just starting, market research can be - and will be - a daunting task. To tackle it cheaply and effectively, you could consider the following: 

• Online surveys: Use online survey tools such as SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to gather data from a large number of people at a low cost.

• Social media: Utilize social media platforms to gather information about your target market. You can use tools like Hootsuite Insights to track mentions of your brand, competitors, and industry keywords.

• Google Analytics: Utilize the free version of Google Analytics to track website traffic and gather data on the behavior of website visitors.

• Online forums and discussion boards: Utilize online forums and discussion boards such as Reddit or Quora to gather information about your target market and their needs and preferences.

• Phone interviews: Conducting phone interviews is an effective way to gather qualitative data and can be done inexpensively using a service like Zoom or Google Meet.

• Email campaigns: Use email campaigns to gather data from many people at a low cost.

• Secondary research: Utilize existing data and research, such as government statistics, industry reports, and academic studies, to gather information about your target market at little or no cost.

💡 It is important to note that while these methods may be inexpensive, it may also come with a trade-off in the quality of data collected. It's also important to keep in mind that a combination of different methods would give a more holistic understanding of the market.

3. Develop a business plan 

A business plan is fundamental to start a successful e-commerce. Now, a business plan is nothing more than a document that outlines your business goals, strategies, and tactics. It should also include financial projections, such as projected revenue and expenses. A well-written business plan will help you to secure funding and attract investors.

A business plan is a detailed document that outlines the goals, strategies, and operational plans for a business. To develop a business plan, you should follow these steps:

• Research: Conduct market research to gather information about your industry, competitors, and target market. Use this information to identify opportunities and challenges for your business.

• Define your objectives: Clearly state your business goals and objectives, such as increasing revenue, expanding to new markets, or launching new products.

• Identify your target market: Define your target market based on factors such as demographics, psychographics, and purchasing behavior.

• Develop a marketing strategy: Outline the strategies you will use to reach and engage with your target markets, such as advertising, promotions, and public relations.

• Outline your operational plan: Identify the resources, such as equipment, personnel, and facilities, that you will need to run your business. Develop a plan for how you will acquire and manage these resources.

• Create a financial plan: Develop financial projections for the next three to five years, including income statements, cash flow projections, and balance sheets.

• Include an executive summary: Provide a brief overview of your business plan, including your mission, goals, and key strategies.

• Review and refine: Review your plan and refine it as needed. Share it with others, such as industry experts, mentors, or potential investors, to get feedback and make revisions.

💡 It is important to note that a business plan should be updated regularly to reflect the current state of the business and the market environment. The plan should be a living document used as a guide and reference for the business.

4. Choose a product or service 

One of the most important decisions you will make when starting an e-commerce business is what to sell. You should choose a product or service that you are passionate about and aligns with your target market. Consider the cost of the product or service, as well as the demand for it in the market.

Also, when deciding about the product or service, you should keep in mind that there are several types of products that are relatively inexpensive to transport and well-suited for e-commerce:

• Digital products: Products such as e-books, software, music, and video downloads are easy and inexpensive to transport as they are delivered digitally.

• Small, lightweight items: Products such as jewelry, clothing accessories, and small home decor items are easy and inexpensive to transport as they take up little space and are lightweight.

• Dropshipped products: Products that are dropshipped directly from the manufacturer or supplier to the customer are relatively inexpensive to transport as the supplier handles the shipping and handling.

• Print-on-demand products: Products like t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases can be printed on demand and shipped directly to the customer. This approach allows for reduced inventory cost and the capability to test the market before producing a large quantity.

• Subscription-based products: Products such as monthly subscription boxes, meal delivery kits, and online memberships can be shipped regularly, making them well-suited for e-commerce.

💡 It is important to note that the cost of shipping and handling can still be a significant factor for e-commerce businesses, so it's essential to factor in shipping costs and consider offering free or discounted shipping options to customers. When choosing products, it's also important to consider other factors like demand, competition, and the potential profit margin.

5. Build an e-commerce website 

Your website is the backbone of your e-commerce business. It should be user-friendly, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. You should also make sure that your website is optimized for search engines and is mobile-responsive. 

One key thing to keep in mind while building e-commerce is how vital customer care is nowadays, especially for online brands and businesses. Having efficient and customer-satisfaction-driven customer care is fundamental to acquiring and retaining customers. 

For more on this vital point, we will like to invite you to read our partner Salesupply guide on customer care here: 

🔥E-commerce Customer Care Playbook: Are you ready for tomorrow’s customers?🔥

6. Establish a payment system 

To sell products or services online, you need to establish a payment system. You can use a third-party payment processor, such as PayPal or Stripe, or set up a merchant account with a bank. You will also need to comply with laws and regulations regarding online payments and data security.

7. Market your business 

Once your website is up and running, you must market your business to attract customers. This can include paid advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing. You should also focus on building relationships with your customers and creating a community around your brand.

By following these seven steps, entrepreneurs can start a successful e-commerce business. However, it's important to remember that starting a business takes hard work, dedication, and perseverance. It's also important to be flexible and adaptable as the e-commerce market constantly evolves.

Now, to tackle the issue of how to market your e-commerce business, we would need an entire book - or several - but for the purposes of keeping this guide functional and efficient at a basic level - for starting entrepreneurs - suffice to say that you need to review and decide to further experiment with one or more of the following e-commerce marketing techniques: 

• Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimize your website and product pages for search engines so that they appear higher in search engine results, making it easier for customers to find your products.

• Pay-per-click advertising (PPC): Use paid advertising platforms like Google AdWords or Bing Ads to run ads that appear at the top of search engine results, increasing visibility and driving traffic to your website.

• Social media marketing: Use social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to reach potential customers and engage with them through content marketing, influencer marketing, and paid advertising.

• Email marketing: Use email marketing campaigns to reach customers with personalized promotions and updates on new products.

• Affiliate marketing: Partner with other websites or influencers to promote your products and drive traffic to your website.

• Content marketing: Create and share valuable content, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics, to attract and engage customers and build trust.

• Retargeting: Use retargeting ads to target customers who have visited your website but haven't made a purchase.

• Referral marketing: Encourage customers to refer friends and family to your website through referral programs and incentives.

• Influencer marketing: Partner with social media influencers to promote your products to their followers

💡 It's important to note that the most effective marketing strategy will depend on your target market and the products or services you offer. A combination of different marketing strategies is usually the most effective, and it's important to continually test and optimize your marketing efforts to maximize ROI.

All in all, these are the core steps you must take - no matter the kind of business - if you want to start selling online. So keep them at hand, and if you are an entrepreneur: be brave, be smart and be patient!

The post 7 Basic Steps to Start a Successful E-commerce Business appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Alex Kassab - It is not a secret that Amazon is the biggest marketplace in the US and the world. Amazon represents a big part of eCommerce and having an Amazon strategy for your brand is important to get your product into current and future customers' hands.

🔥Do you want to know more about international commerce and e-commerce, and also get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!🔥

Why Sell on Amazon vs your website?

I see it as having an aquarium (your brand with your eCommerce store) and going hunting for more fish in the ocean (Amazon). Amazon is where your potential future customers are buying, therefore our duty is to make sure they discover our brand where they are currently buying. 

Once they explore and buy your product, then you have a small window to try to convince them to go to your site and continue nurturing that relationship.

Some impressive Amazon Stats:

• 300 million customers shop in Amazon stores worldwide.
• Nearly 2 million small- and medium-sized businesses are Amazon's third-party selling sellers.
• It is one of the most trusted brands in the world.

I started selling online back in 2006 when I lived in Venezuela. I used to sell stuff on MercadoLibre, a marketplace like eBay in Latin America. Later I moved to the US and started selling on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces.

Let's assume you have a community and a product and you want to launch your brand to the world. 

Here are some lessons I learned and what I would do if I were starting a brand today.

1. Create a website (using any eCommerce platform)

You need to have a website and a place where you can list all your products. This is like your house. You own the land, you can create your own rules and terms of service.

The main difference between your website and Amazon is that you get to know your customers, their phone numbers, email addresses, how often they buy from you, and what they like. 

This is key to really understanding where to innovate and the pulse of the brand. 

2. Register and Protect your Brand with Amazon Brand Registry

Assuming you own the trademark of your brand, the first step is to register with Amazon Brand Registry. 

This allows you to use different tools Amazon offers to enhance your listing and protect your brand from potential IP infringements by your competitors.

Amazon is all about the experience and these tools allow you to add pictures, videos, enhanced content, and a better grip on your listing.

3. Select one product and list it on Amazon

Select one or two products to launch.

If you list every single one of your SKU then you will dilute the effort. It is important to only list your best-selling product, so you can focus 100% of your attention on making that product rank on A9 (Amazon Search Algorithm).

You will still have all your portfolio on your website, but on Amazon focus on ideally one product at a time.

Many brands don't pay attention to their presence on Amazon and they either let other sellers list their products or simply do not have any presence at all. Both of these options harm your brand, especially option 1 as you are at the mercy of the person that listed the brand.

4. Select Fulfillment Type Service

There are two options when selling on Amazon. FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant). I suggest you try FBA as Amazon will do the fulfillment for you. You can list your product to have a backup as FBM in case you go out of stock on FBA.

5. Drive External Traffic to your Listing

Amazon loves this. You are going to do a big launch through your social channels, blog, website, email list, influencers, etc, and drive tons of traffic to your listing. Since you are bringing outside traffic to Amazon and they are converting, Amazon will rank you higher than other products. Depending on the size of your community you might get into the “Amazon Hot New Releases”. That will trickle new eyeballs and therefore your community will make other potential buyers notice your product.

6. Monitor Pricing

There are tools to help optimize your pricing and make sure you are being competitive. Pricing changes multiple times a day and tools like Profasee help you maximize sales, margins, and profits. 

7. Get Reviews - Social Proof

Once you get your initial sales since it is your community the verified purchase reviews will start trickling down and help you rank higher for the keywords in your listing. 

That is why it is important to make sure your listing has the proper keywords so amazon knows what are you selling.

8. Replenish Stock and never go out-of-stock

Try as much as you can to never go out of stock. This will make the product tank as it will not sell while you are out of stock. It is an art and a science, how many units do you need to send to avoid going out of stock, but at the same time, you don't want to send too many as Amazon will charge you per sq ft of inventory stored.

9. Rinse and Repeat

Once you rank your first product, you can plan a second launch for your second product. Many sellers try to list everything at once and end up not positioning any product as the efforts get diluted among all products.

If you use Amazon as a way to acquire new customers and your website as a way to nurture your customers, you will probably have a great brand. I used to rely too much on Amazon which is a risky game to play, as you are relying on rented land and you might get kicked out when you least expect it. Having an omnichannel brand or channel agnostic brand is the way to go in 2022.

About the author: Alex Kassab, a Serial Entrepreneur, Brand Builder, and Digital Marketer is an expert entrepreneur in the USA featured multiple times in the media as a successful history and case study for its brands Vitabox and Paletas Morelia. Check out more about Alex here!

The post How to use Amazon to launch your brand! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

The European entrepreneur differentiates from other entrepreneurs globally in many ways: for once they have to battle in a remarkably competitive market. Europe is filled to the brim with high-quality brands, companies that have centuries of history, and even some of the world's top-notch technological and industrial brands. 

Do you want to know more about international commerce, e-commerce, and also get all the tips and news that might give your company an edge? Subscribe to Cross-Border Magazine and get your digital copy now for free!

This is by no means an easy market. Especially for those who are just starting from scratch. 

So, what can we do to be successful as European entrepreneurs? Let’s find it out today! 

How to be an entrepreneur in Europe?

First things first, to be an entrepreneur in Europe you need two fundamental things: comply with all the current legislation that will allow you to enact your commercial activity in whichever country of the Union you are based, and secondly, have the nerves and the steel to pursue a total commitment towards acquiring or developing the following five traits. 

Otherwise, your story as an entrepreneur will be short-lived and probably doomed to fail. 

Legal requirement to start a business in the EU

Depending on the country that you choose, the type of business, and the legal formula you want to use - either be a company, a limited society, or a corporation just to mention a few - you will face different kinds of requisites to be able to legally operate inside the EU. 

And please, do pay attention to this first step. Becoming an entrepreneur in the EU is something that you can not do outside of the law. This is not like it happens in Latin America or India - just to put two examples - where you can start rolling out with your business and eventually find your way around all the legal paperwork. 

Laws concerning commercial activities in the EU are enforced with keen zeal by each member state government and often carry with them heavy sanctions that can fatally wound any fledgling business.  

• Don't even start your business if you do not have all the legal requirements for your commercial activity. Not even to “try out” with just a “few quick sales among friends” for this could bring legal consequences for you, your business, and your brands. 

If you want to know more about what specific legal requirements you need to comply with, we highly recommend that you check your desired business activity requirements on the corresponding website of the national authority for that activity in the country in which you want to operate. 

And you can also use this official link to have a general idea of the requisites inside the EU. 

Entrepreneurs are flexible and resilient 

With the legal part of our chests, we can start checking out some core traits that will give you the cutting edge if you plan to become a European Entrepreneur. 

And the first one is to develop business flexibility. This is fundamental in Europe.  

Business flexibility is the ability of a company to adapt to changing circumstances and thus remain a profitable enterprise. A business that is able to anticipate changes in consumer preferences and alter production to meet those new expectations has a much better possibility of continuing over the long term. 

For this reason, including measurement of flexibility within the company operation is often considered key to assessing the strength of the business, and thus arriving at an accurate understanding of the potential for business endurance.

This becomes acutely important in highly competitive markets, like the European one, where a new product or a product innovation for an already established product, can shift the entire “balance of power” for that particular activity, plunging into the deeps of the ocean those companies incapable of adapting themselves to the new competitor. 

Entrepreneur Lifestyle: focus and commitment

Focusing on your goals, and pursuing them relentlessly is also a fundamental trait for the European entrepreneur. The EU market is highly competitive but, it is also considered stable from an inflation and economic perspective. 

This in turn allows for long-term plans to be implemented with a certain degree of accuracy, as long as “ceteris paribus” applies, meaning, as long as no massive innovation or breakthrough comes to light in your line business. 

For the European entrepreneur, success is usually achieved via discipline. It's a marathon, not a sprint. 

So try to keep your long-term plans on the horizon, be focused on the small things that you can do to improve every single day, and pursue the mid and short-term goals with relentless dedication. 

Keep in mind that, in the EU, most small businesses take at least 2 to 3 years to be profitable and become truly successful once they’ve hit the 7 to 10 year mark. 

An Entrepreneur is smart and keeps learning

Finally, the third component you must have is the will and wisdom to keep learning. You need to understand that entrepreneurship in general, is a lifelong vocation. This is not a second plate gig that you can do “just to increase a bit more my revenues” it doesn't work like that. 

To be successful you must dominate a lot of things that are, by their own nature, everchanging: payment methods, logistics, competition, markets, and so on and so forth. 

So when we said “you need to keep learning” it is not a recommendation or guideline, is a requisite. You need to set time apart from your daily schedule to learn every day a bit about the things that might impact your business. 

For many entrepreneurs, this comes as a natural thing, because well, normally those with curious minds end up choosing the adventurous path of entrepreneurship. But if you feel lacking in this department, it might come in handy to develop a routine of “continuous improvement”. 

This is a nice way to do it by combining intellectually challenging activities with hobbies but you can rest assured that we will also provide you with our own Cross-Border Guide for Entrepreneurs to Keep Learning in the near future! 

Finally, we want to leave you with two more unofficial traits that, even if they are not technically needed to be successful, we can highly recommend: 

Be humble and efficient and be yourself and unique. 

Do not think that you know already all that there is to know about any specific part of your business or the market, and have the degree of human decency to give allowance for your own mistakes or for other people to make mistakes in good faith. 

Things, sometimes don’t go the way we want them. And we can’t be crucifying the whole world for the slightest mistakes. 

In that same line of thought, you can perfectly well be efficient without being rude. Finally, try to be yourself. Being different is good for a brand or product. It makes you earn a place in the mind of the consumers, it gives you identity. As an entrepreneur it applies the same principle: be unique, be yourself. That’s the best way to stand among the crowd!

The post Entrepreneur: 3 core traits for success in Europe! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.