Perhaps the answer is "never".

By Jacco Bouw
Co-founder of Agency China

The question is a common one among companies eager to expand overseas, yet they hesitate, questioning if they are prepared to sell internationally. The allure is there, but it's quickly overshadowed by concerns: how and where should I market my products? How will I protect my intellectual property, and will I receive payment?

And after all that, what arrangements must be made for taxes? These concerns, while legitimate, should not hinder the development of a strategic plan and thorough preparation. It's wise to seek advice, but
wavering can be expensive.

Determining the next market is part of the research. Europe might be considered, but China may not be the first choice. However, there's much to learn from a market like China.

In China, our established social media channels are blocked by the 'Great Firewall'. There's no access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Google. Thus, any strategy dependent on these platforms is ineffective. China has its own social media networks, with features that far exceed those we're accustomed to.

Sales in China often occur through social commerce, a buzzword some companies experiment with. It's a cost-effective, direct alternative to traditional online advertising and a welcome addition to standard marketplaces. On standard marketplaces, you pay for visibility. The higher your product's placement on the page, the greater the likelihood of a sale.

Social commerce is leveraged by live streamers with millions of followers. A successful early sale in the livestream can boost the algorithm, broadening visibility. If traffic is low, it's possible to buy it.

Live streamers, often under 30 and commanding audiences in the millions, work with teams to curate and promote products. They're integral to brand success.

Next-level customer service is crucial, especially during live shows. For instance, we were recently penalised for responding to a query after 26.7 seconds — too slow for the Chinese platform's standards.

To drive higher conversions, entertainment is key. This could be a live stream recorded from a factory or warehouse or outside in a nice environment. Social commerce isn't just commerce; it's setting trends.

In the West, we do not have an app where everything is so linked together, and that is why we will not match the user experience here for the time being. In addition, China is also mobile only. Nevertheless, the trends abroad indicate which direction things are going, although not everything will be matched 1 to 1.

Ultimately, we find our own style, and it is very likely possible to achieve operational excellence with the support of AI. The trend of relevance for the right target group and entertainment to retain the buyer is a
logical progression from what is currently common and something that all platforms are working hard on.

This is the main thing that creates real engagement between customer and brand and is, therefore, the same all over the world.

Cross-border e-commerce is a non-linear journey that, despite its challenges, can fulfill an organization's ambitions. While ticking every box beforehand is ideal, it's often not realistic.

Jacco Bouw
Co-founder of Agency China

The post When Are You Ready for Cross-Border E-commerce? appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Laura de Blas Ballester - Nowadays is of vital importance to take into account the regulations applicable to our website and, therefore, the legal texts that must be implemented on-site.

When users browse your website, you must convey trust and transparency. In this way, we demonstrate, in addition to compliance with applicable regulations, respect for the rights of the users of our website.

Legal aspects to considered

Some of the fundamental legal reasons and aspects you need to consider while we deal with texts for your website are the following. 

• Legal compliance: Using legal texts, you comply with applicable laws and regulations, avoiding possible lawsuits or sanctions by the authorities or affected third parties.

• Protection of users' rights: You will comply with current data protection regulations, guaranteeing users' rights, transparency, and accessibility.

• Trust and credibility: Complying with legal rules and regulations on your website is a sign of seriousness and commitment to your users, which can improve confidence in your brand and increase the chances of conversion.

It is essential to comply with the regulations when creating a web page, as this ensures legality, security, and trust in the site, in addition to protecting users' rights.

Wich legal text should you include?

The core texts that any online business should include in their website, according to the current European legislation, should be the following - keep in mind these are the ones referenced by the Spanish legislation; if you live in any other country, you should search the corresponding equivalent - : 

• Legal Notice: It must be included based on Article 10 of Law 34/2002, of July 11, 2002, on information society services and electronic commerce (hereinafter, "LSSI"). This would include all the Entity's identification data. 

• Privacy Policy: It must be included based on the RGPD and the LOPDGDD, regulating the purposes of the processing of personal data of users of the Platform by the Entity. 

• Cookies Policy: In accordance with the LSSI, for the use of cookies, it will be mandatory to have a Notice (Banner) and a Cookies Policy to obtain the informed consent of the users of the website. 

• General terms and conditions of contracting: In the case of being able to purchase products or services through the website must be included all the information about the purchase process, payment methods, guarantees, and returns... among others.

All these documents should be available and easily accessible on your website for all visitors.  Please remember that the aforementioned texts should be written in the corresponding legal format by a lawyer or by any other professional with the certifications required to guarantee a proper legal redaction of such content. 

For these reasons, we strongly advise all business owners to search for professional legal counsel such as the one we provide for our clients in Spain. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about this text or any other legal-related issue. 

About the Author: Laura de Blas Ballester is a lawyer at Blas Legal, specializing in several areas, such as Intellectual Property, Personal Data Protection, Digital Law, and New Technologies.

The post Why Is it Important to Include Legal Texts and Disclaimers on Your Website? appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Sandra Galiano - "If you don't show it, it doesn't exist" - This is one of the mottos we follow in Business Analytics. In theory, it could be applied to many things. You can be the best at your job or what you do, but if you don't demonstrate it, you don't allow others to see it, and it will never be known. 

When we work on a project involving technical concepts like regressions, analysis, data processing, and big data techniques, we gain a deep understanding of how they work and use them to achieve our desired results. For instance, we can predict a company's future, identify reasons for poor product sales, or determine the best time to adjust prices for specific products. These are only a few examples of the countless outcomes that advanced data techniques can offer to companies. 

Here we face a problem: the engineer will understand us, your fellow data scientist will understand you and other analysts will understand you, but with the director, executive, and decision-makers, who may lack technical knowledge, we face a challenge. 

We can't simply present tables filled with numbers, code scripts, and predictive models during meetings and expect everyone to comprehend.

This is where data visualization comes into play. By creating visual and graphical representations of our insights and conclusions, we can make them understandable to those without data expertise. In doing so, we can effectively communicate the value of our data-driven decisions and ultimately achieve our project goals. 

How do you present your insights? 

Insights are usually presented in one or several dashboards. These are canvases where information is displayed in a style that mixes infographics and graphical representations. 

The dashboards can be adapted to different platforms where the graphics will be displayed, such as mobile screens, desktop screens, etc.

The main advantage of dashboards is their digital nature. Before, if you wanted to present your graphs, you had to print them and explain them. You've probably seen thousands of photos on the internet of a table full of papers with graphs. What problems does this approach entail? 

1. The obvious paper and resource consumption 

2. It's not efficient: To begin with, in a physical format, less information can be condensed and related than in a digital format, and the most important thing is that it's static. 

When we have a dynamic dashboard, we can establish filters and "play" with the screen to see the information we want or more specific information.

Before, if you have a sheet with a graph of, for example, all the products sold in a store in a month by quantity to your superior, and he/she said, "No, but now I want to see the specific sales of this product in this location," you had to go to the computer, edit the graph, print it again, and explain it again. This way, we save not only time and resources but also the person seeing it feels more functional when interacting with the dashboard and seeing how they can find the information. 

The Rules of Data Visualization 

- Colors: Colors are very important, they must be visually appealing and aesthetic. Most software programs come with pre-made color palettes that combine well and provide a clear view of the information. 

- Categories: Categories are preferably each represented by a different color. This way, the legend or label only needs to be placed once. That is, if in Chart 1, blue represents Product X and red represents Product Y, it is ideal only to specify once that red is X and blue is Y, and therefore assume that in the rest of the charts that have the variables X and Y, these colors will be used. There's no need to explain what blue and red represent in each chart.

- Gradations: They are important; sometimes there are no categories but gradations, such as the number of inhabitants on a map. We will represent the higher numbers with darker colors and the lower ones with lighter colors, in a scale. But it is best to use the same color, only changing the darkness or lightness of the color. 

- 3D figures should not be used on a dashboard unless essential. The reason is simple: we want to simplify complexity, why make it complicated? If we use 3D graphics, our audience's brain will have to work harder, first converting the image into 2D in their mind, then understanding the representation, and finally interpreting the graph. This is partly why some people get headaches when watching 3D movies because their brain is working on converting the images into 2D, which is what we are used to. 

- Filters: We have mentioned them before to make dashboards dynamic. They should be placed on the edges or corners of the dashboard, never in the middle. 

- Tree Maps: They are the great hated ones. Care must be taken when using them. They will be helpful when we have few variables that are very different from each other because the distinction would be clear. Still, in terms of percentages, they can make it more difficult to differentiate which square is larger or smaller than another, especially when you move away from the dashboard, as would happen with the audience of a presentation. 

- Pie Charts: Categories in pie charts are represented from largest to smallest. The more significant categories are painted from the center to the right, and the smaller ones are left at the end of the circle. This is because the more significant categories are usually the ones people are more interested in seeing at a glance. 

💡 Extra tip: It is best to create a public dashboard with important conclusions first, and then, if you want to go deeper, you could give each part you want to focus on its panel.

How to choose the right chart? 

To choose the appropriate chart, it is essential to consider the type of data being visualized and the objective of the visualization. 

● Bar charts: are used to compare numerical values. They help show the distribution of a categorical variable in a data set. 

● Line charts: are used to display trends and patterns over time. They help visualize time series data and compare multiple variables.

● Pie charts: are used to show the proportion of each category in a data set, especially when you want to highlight the proportion of each category, but are not recommended if you want to show multiple categories or compare values.

● Scatterplots: are used to show the relationship between two numerical variables. They help show patterns or trends. 

● Area charts: are used to show the evolution of a numerical variable over time. They help compare multiple variables on the same chart.

● Histograms: are used to show the distribution of a continuous numerical variable. They help visualize the frequency of each value or range of values in a data set. 

● Box plots: are used, for example, to represent actions or results derived from data mining. They are graphs that collect different types of information at a single glance. 

Many charts can be used to visualize different types of data. The choice of the appropriate chart will depend on the nature of the data, the objective of the visualization, and the audience to whom the information is being presented. 

Data Visualization Tools 

Multiple data visualization software is available with powerful tools to manage, clean, transform, and analyze data.

The most recognizable and appreciated tools in the field of Business Analytics are: 

● Microsoft Power BI: a tool that is also a Business Intelligence solution that provides a wide range of data visualization functions, including pivot tables, charts, and diagrams. 

● Tableau: offers a wide range of functions and tools for effectively visualizing data in an easy-to-understand way. 

● Google Data Studio: an online data visualization platform that allows you to create customized and interactive reports and dashboards. It also integrates with other Google tools, such as Google Analytics and Google Sheets. 

● QlikView: a Business Intelligence tool that offers a wide range of data visualization tools, including pivot tables, charts, and diagrams. 

● D3.js: a JavaScript data visualization library that allows you to create customized and highly interactive visualizations. 

It is important to note that the field of data visualization is constantly evolving, and staying up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques can give you a competitive edge in the job market. As companies increasingly rely on data-driven insights to inform their decision-making processes, the demand for skilled data professionals who can effectively communicate complex data through visualization will only grow. 

Moreover, becoming proficient in data visualization can also benefit your personal career growth. By presenting your data in a visually compelling and informative way, you can effectively communicate your insights to stakeholders and decision-makers, making you a valuable asset to any organization. 

So, whether you're a data analyst, scientist, or simply interested in data visualization, investing time and effort in learning these tools and techniques can bring great rewards both professionally and personally.

About the author: Sandra is a tech-savvy young entrepreneur currently President of Generación Empresarial, a youth-oriented university association committed to creating the next generation of successful European business leaders.

🔥 Check out more about Sandra here!🔥

The post Master the Art of Data Visualization: Tips and Techniques for Captivating Insights appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

By Sandra Galiano - We live in the era of the so-called "titulitis", - as we say in Spanish - and is the overwhelming compulsion to have titles or degrees. 

That's why today we want to help business analytics entrepreneurs and all those who have chosen this as both a career path and as a prime tool to help grow their business and brands to clearly identify the SAS certificates that will, indeed, be of use, and will place them ahead the competition. Let us begin!

Too many options

This situation is expected nowadays, with so many courses available, so many wanting to catch our attention, and so many tools available in the form of programs, programming languages, APIs, techniques...

Sometimes it can be frustrating not knowing where to go and how to discern what you need to stand out professionally.

Every day there are new things to learn. In a world like nowadays where the only constant is that everything is constantly changing, we must be up to date, especially professionals in technology, which is in continuous exponential development and will not stop surprising us. 

What do companies look for? How many courses, degrees, or diplomas will bring me closer to the job I want?

Today, we will focus on our field of interest: Business Analytics and something that will surely make you stand out and increase your professional value. This not-so-well-known software can open many doors and allow you to choose where you work: SAS. 

Yes, Python, R, SQL, etc., are still important for a data analyst. Still, it's about bringing excitement to the game, raising the level a little, and looking beyond the basics, something that makes us stand out and I think SAS can be that game-changing asset that could allow you to be one step above your peers.

SAS stands for Statistical Analysis System, a statistical analysis and business intelligence software that provides us incredible tools for data management, statistical analysis, data mining, predictive modeling, and data visualization.

Due to its capabilities, more and more companies are using it to analyze their data and be part of their BIT (business intelligence tools). It is not surprising then that these companies seek professionals with a firm grasp of SAS to perform roles such as data analysts, data scientists, business intelligence consultants, etc.

Born in university, raised in top Businesses 

This highly-demanded software was born in North Carolina, in 1966, at the hands of James Goodnight, Anthony Barr, and John Sall while working at the university. They began developing statistical software for the United States Department of Agriculture and later expanded their reach to include more areas, founding SAS Institute in 1976.

In the blink of an eye, it became one of the first statistical software companies in the market. It quickly became a popular tool for statistical analysis and business decision-making. Over time, SAS has expanded to include a wide range of data analysis and business intelligence solutions.

Today it is a private company based in Cary, North Carolina, with a global network of offices and partners. It is considered one of the leading providers of statistical analysis and business intelligence software in the world.

What sets SAS apart from other software?

Certainly, if there is something that stands out about SAS, it is its focus on integrating different data analysis tools and solutions in a single platform; it also has a large number of built-in functions and procedures, which allows users to perform advanced analysis quickly and easily. As well as many machine learning algorithms and predictive models, which allow companies to make accurate predictions about their business.

Something else that is fundamental, too, especially in the area of Big Data, is that SAS has a remarkable ability to handle large volumes of data with shocking scalability. Therefore, it has enough capacity to perform real-time updated data analysis solutions.

A striking feature mostly loved by analysts is the fact that SAS also has API (Application Programming Interface), which allows connecting SAS with other tools and programs, unifying all necessary in one single place to successfully perform their job, saving time, compatibility problems, and improving the integration of data and processes between different programs.

For instance, imagine that you are working on a project in SAS, and you need to do something that you are better at or already had consolidated in Python; you can use the SAS interface with that other program having everything in one place. You could also connect SAS with R, even with relational databases, which are daily bread in the world of data: Oracle, MySQL, etc. Besides, in a more focused big data environment, you could connect it with Hadoop or Spark. 

In short, something very comfortable for professionals in the world of data.

Last but not least, an advantage that seems obvious but, in the long run, is appreciated is that it has a GUI (graphical user interface), which provides easy and intuitive use.

Companies do use SAS:  

As technology advanced and became more accessible in businesses, SAS became an increasingly valuable tool for analysis and decision-making.

Various companies in different industries use SAS and are looking for professionals with SAS experience to work on their teams. For example: 

• Banks and financial institutions: Bank of America, Citibank... to analyze financial data and make decisions.
• Insurance companies: Allstate, AIG, MetLife, Prudential... analysis of risk data and development of products.
• Retail companies: Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Macy's... To analyze sales data and develop marketing strategies.
• Market research companies: Nielsen, Kantar, Ipsos…
• Service companies: Deloitte, Accenture, PwC…
• Technology companies: Microsoft, IBM, Google…
• Healthcare companies: Many healthcare companies use SAS to analyze patient data and develop strategies for improving medical care.
• Government: Governments of the United States, United Kingdom, and France, among others.
• Telecommunication companies: Vodafone, Telstra, AT&T, among others.
• Transportation companies: UPS, FedEx, and DHL, among others.

These are just a few examples of companies that demand SAS for hiring; many other companies in different industries use SAS and look for professionals with SAS experience.

What certifications are available? How do I learn SAS?

SAS Certification credentials are globally recognized in over 120 countries and are highly valuable.

There are several SAS certifications available; some of the most popular are:

• SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9: certify an individual's ability to use the SAS platform to manipulate and process data.

• SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9: certifies the individual's ability to use advanced SAS programming techniques to manipulate and process data.
• SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner: certifies the individual's ability to use SAS Enterprise Miner to build, test, and implement predictive models.
• SAS Certified Big Data Professional: certifies the individual's ability to use SAS to analyze large volumes of data and big data processes.
• SAS Certified Data Scientist: certifies the individual's ability to use advanced data analysis techniques and predictive modeling to solve complex problems.

There are different ways to study for these certifications to take the exam. The most common one is to follow the study pills on their website, which you can access from the different types of certifications with materials, examples, cases, and videos for self-study. 

However, it is not an easy exam, so I would recommend you to look for additional material, such as tutorials or private lessons, for those concepts that you are not very clear about or concern you.

Be very clear about the structure of the exam and go to the SAS offices calmly on the day you are going to take the exam. It can be a bit impressive to arrive at that place, see the offices, and be amazed that the experience is real with those innovative spaces where people work. If you pass, you’ll be closer to something similar, but far from being scary, it has to inspire, excite and motivate you to give your best on the exam.

In summary, to pass a SAS exam you must know the requirements of the exam, acquire the necessary knowledge, practice with exercises and problems, use exam study materials, and review and rest adequately before the exam.

What do you think? Sounds good, doesn’t it? Good luck in your SAS journey!

About the author: Sandra is a tech-savvy young entrepreneur currently President of Generación Empresarial, a youth-oriented university association committed to creating the next generation of successful European business leaders.

🔥 Check out more about Sandra here!🔥

The post The must-have SAS certificates to boost your business analytics career path! appeared first on Cross-Border Magazine.

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