enMarkit Leads in Social Commerce in India

enmarket listing

One of the biggest trends in e-commerce today is the role social media is playing in the industry. Consumers exchange information, recommend and review products and services widely. enMarkit is an Indian company that wants to capitalize on this trend and facilitate and complete actual transactions on social media.

Vipin Aggarwal, campus entrepreneur turned venture capitalist, and Ekta Mittal, formerly with Amazon, launched enMarkit at the end of 2012, a mere year after meeting each other.

Through enMarkit, Vipin and Ekta take a technology-enabled approach to addressing the fundamental issues of doing business online in India.  The idea is to emulate real world Indian shopping behavior where people seek references about good shops from friends then use their friends’ name and business with the shopkeeper in order to get better deals.  After a purchase, the shopkeeper is eager for more referrals so he offers incentives for repeat shoppers and referred customers.

Providing transactional solutions for social commerce to both buyers and sellers alike.

That’s the enMarkit motto Vipin Agarwal, founder of enMarkit, champions.  By combining all the best aspects of already existing ecommerce websites such as ETSY, Amazon and eBay, with social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, enMarkit has found a way to leverage the advantages of social networking to properly benefit ecommerce for service providers and individual buyers.

EnMarkit’s nifty Pinterest-style website allows vendors to create a Web page for their business, get a dedicated brand page within minutes, and sync up their social networks so that enMarkit can manage their product listings for them.  Likewise, buyers can rate and review sellers they’ve purchased from and share their experiences among their online network.

Since the launch of enMarkit at the end of 2012, they have reached over 7,000 new registered sellers, over one million page views with only a 23% bounce (industry average being 40%), and the month on month growth in number of visitors is over 400%.   In addition, 37% of traffic on the enMarkit website comes from referrals.

F.A.S.T Payments at O.N.E. Storefront

The team has built two enabling solutions, the F.A.S.T. check out system and ONE unified storefront, to help translate this real world social buying behavior to the virtual world of ecommerce.

fast

As all vendors know, if something is too hard for customers to figure out, they won’t do it.  Through enMarkit’s universal and mobile friendly Fast Anywhere Secure Transactions (F.A.S.T.), buyers can safely purchase services or products that run the gamut from handcrafted gifts to home stays abroad.

First, sellers choose their membership:

  • Starters: Those who are just learning how to sell their services get up to five listings.
  • Advanced: They get between five and fifty listings.
  • Professional: They get fifty or more.

Then they create a listing that describes their product or service (pictured top of page).

Once they’ve entered a description, uploaded photos and even videos of their product, a unique, integrated payment link is generated allowing the seller to then share their listing through every online networking outlet they use.

The perk here is that there are no setup fees because sellers don’t pay enMarkit anything until they actualize their first transaction.  Once they’ve made their first sale, only “Advanced” and “Professional” members pay a first transaction fee.  EnMarkit does, however, enforce a 5% transaction commission for each sale, which is used to recover money transfer fees and operating costs, but buyers can use enMarkit at no cost.

When buyers click a listing link a clean popup opens with the item description, its price and a “Buy It” button at the bottom, which takes them to the F.A.S.T. page that collects their payment information.

F.A.S.T. makes it easy for buyers and sellers to make online purchases, but the most intriguing part about enMarkit, what sets them apart from all other e-commerce websites, is their ONE storefront, which connects vendors and customers on multiple social platforms.

Social media then plays a crucial part in lead generation and indirect marketing for the enMarkit seller because once a shopper has purchased an item, she can write a review for the seller and share her new product and experience with her online network of friends.

On the flip side, in order to retain and draw more customers, sellers can offer discounts to loyal patrons who write positive reviews and refer their friends.

Can this be the start of crowdsourced marketing?  Where social networks function organically as airwaves for consumerism?

ONE enables social graph search among the displayed items so that buyers can get information on the sellers who have been ranked by their social networks; they can see who’s viewed it, liked it, commented on it, bookmarked it, bought it and reviewed it.

Furthermore service providers are ranked on the enMarkit webpage depending on how closely they are connected to each buyer creating a personalized shopping environment for each buyer and seller.  Further empowering the buyer is their ability to post a product or service they are looking for on enMarkit and have vendors vie for their business.

For Buyers it’s an Inverted Ebay; For Sellers it’s a More Personalized Craigslist

Vipin and Ekta have created a mash up of ecommerce websites and social networks and added Yelp with a twist. And they’ve done so all the way from Gurgaon, India, a small city just north of Delhi.

Vipin had spent more than five years investing in, managing, building and exiting multiple business in India, but he was always eager to help entrepreneurs and therefore kept a look out for technology enabled solutions to help launch their businesses.

Once Vipin and Ekta were introduced to each other, they discovered a shared interest in social enablement.  Whereas Vipin shared the business challenges to be addressed, Ekta brought together solutions through technology.

At the end of 2012 Vipin and Ekta left their jobs and started the journey to launch Colabcom Technologies, the holding company that owns the enMarkit brand.  And so far enMarkit has already been recognized at multiple forums for its unique innovations on design, simplicity, and usefulness to the online transactional ecosystem.  Just to name a few, enMarkit has been shortlisted among the top 4 up and coming ventures from India by the TiE Global Conclave, has been hailed as the fastest growing ecommerce company in India by YourStory, and has been featured on NextBigWhat, India’s largest platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Not even a year later.

Currently, enMarkit focuses on the Travel and Design verticals within the Indian geography, specifically targeting service providers and service seekers, but in due course, they will broaden the footprint of their offering.

When asked about enMarkit’s future, Vipin’s ambition is for enMarkit to reach over one million users by this year’s end.  He expects to be operational break even within the next 5-6 months and he expects to be profitable on a Net Profit basis by March 2014. And Vipin won’t be resting on his laurels once that goal is reached.

The idea is to make enMarkit the one stop destination to provide solutions for all go-to-market and post-launch market building strategies for individuals and businesses.  Instead of focusing on service led business models, the aim is to leverage technology to create products that offer higher scalability and better margins.

Vipin and Ekta have introduced a universal yet individualized social ecommerce solution that embraces social network marketing unobtrusively for its users. It is a personalized market for buyers and sellers to mingle among their own, their family’s and their friends’ vast online networks.




Offer Newsletter Sign Up Incentives to Your Site Visitors With Incentivibe

newsletter incentives

Imagine you have a small business website with plenty of traffic. Unfortunately, you don’t have many subscribers to your regular email newsletter. These visitors are finding your site okay, but once they leave, they never return.

Now imagine you could give them an incentive for signing up for your newsletter. This might include a chance to win a big prize like a great weekend getaway, a new Tiffany Co Gift Card, an iPad and Apple TV combo or other prize.

A startup called Incentivibe gives you a way to offer high ticket prizes on your website as an incentive for the leads you need. Incentivibe CEO and Co-Founder, Adeel Vanthaliwala, took time out recently for an exclusive interview with Small Business Trends to explain.

The Conversion Problem

Here’s the problem, said Vanthaliwala. While website businesses have worked long and hard to build traffic on their sites, converting that traffic into leads is a bit more difficult. In fact, according to data supplied by Incentivibe, 95 percent of the people who visit your website leave without ever becoming leads.

One solution is to offer free ebooks or white papers to visitors in return for newsletter signup or other actions. But Vanthaliwala said this generally only works for business to business websites with less success if you sell to consumers.

Worse yet, he added, for some visitors white papers or other information just aren’t enough of an incentive to sign up and give you their email addresses.

Larger prizes might create more incentive, Vanthaliwala said. But the cost is sometimes prohibitive to small startup websites. they may not have the budget to spend for giveaways week after week or month after month.

Newsletter Incentives: How Incentivibe Works

Incentivibe offers websites the ability to pool their resources by paying a fraction of the cost of a larger prize. For example, for a $24.99 monthly fee, small websites can participate in a giveaway for a prize worth $500.

A site owner simply install a widget with the giveaway information to his or her website. Incentivibe offers integration with a wide variety of platforms including Magento, Shopify, Big Commerce, Volusion, Unbounce, WordPress and any custom made website.

The contest widget includes only the name of the site on which it appears. So site owners don’t need to worry about promoting other sites inadvertently. They can even co-sponsor a contest with a competitor, said Vanthaliwala.

Incentivibe also offers free administration of the contests and free contest rules tailored to legally meet the requirements of your country or region.

How They Got the Idea

Vanthaliwala and co-founder and chief technology officer Abdul Basit Munda came up with the idea for Incentivibe while wrapping up a previous venture in February 2012.

Carrying $50,000 in debt and working two to three part-time jobs at a time to support their families, Vanthaliwala and Munda decided to learn from their own mistakes and built a new business as a result.

Vanthaliwala explains in a post on the company’s official blog:

We looked at [the] previous startup and diagnosed major problems. We realized that one of the big problems was that we were lacking incentives, big contest prizes, like the big brands. All the big brands offered big contest prizes and got tremendous leads and fans. So we asked ourselves, why can’t we combine the purchasing power of small businesses and help them do the same?

For a basic overview of Incentivibe’s service, view the video below.




Don’t Let Summer Heat Waves Fry Your Small Business! Top 3 Tips For Protecting Your IT Infrastructure

For many of us across the U.S., we’ve been experiencing weather that is hot, hot hot. Here in the Greater NYC area, it feels like we’ve been in a perpetual heat wave, with temps hitting well into the upper 90′s, low 100′s for the last couple of weeks.

The heat doesn’t just have a physical effect on us, but it has a definite effect on your business.  It’s a common occurrence to experience power outages during heat waves, as demand goes through the roof, and this affects your business.

We’ve asked Larry Lang, CEO of Quorum - a one-click backup, recovery and continuity service provider that helps businesses safeguard their revenue, customers and reputation - to share with us ways that we can protect our businesses during summer heat waves and ensure our IT infrastructures are not compromised. Enjoy his article and tips on keeping your business protected.

Don’t Let Summer Heat Waves Fry Your Small Business. Top 3 Tips For Protecting Your IT Infrastructure!


By Larry Lang, CEO of Quorum

Over the past several weeks, many cities across the U.S. have been hit with triple-digit temperatures. And with extreme heat (and humidity) comes extreme risk for small businesses. Blackouts and power outages occur when extensive use of air conditioning puts a strain on the power grids.

According to the National Archives and Records Administration, 93 percent of all businesses that lost their data center for 10 days went bankrupt within one year. So, with the dreaded heatwave and subsequent threat of downtime, how can small businesses protect their IT assets?

While we cannot prevent heat waves or natural disasters, we can stem or even circumvent their damage. How? The answer goes beyond backup generators and having a few battery-operated radios, extra batteries and flashlights on hand. Rather, disaster recovery planning and technology that enables instant recovery of data, application and systems â€" along with frequent system testing â€" is the only way to protect small businesses.

Following are some tips you can consider now to prepare in advance for whatever downtime troubles a heatwave may cause:

  1. Always Be Testing: Testing on a regular basis is crucial to business continuity, and it should be done frequently. However, many small and mid-sized business run into barriers that make frequent testing difficult or impossible. Ask yourself these questions: Does your vendor charge extra to test your disaster recovery system? How hard is it to test your recovery system? Some solutions take hours to spin up virtual machines. How long will it take to test yours?
  2. Business Continuity Is the Best Recovery: Any business can implement a backup solution that covers every device and machine used, but being able to recover that data quickly should the system go down is the real test. Building an always-on IT environment in a virtualized computing world isn’t rocket science, but it does require the ability to make the right choices. Unlike in fashion, vintage accoutrements like tape don’t look very good when it comes to disaster recovery. You also have to do your due diligence to ensure that the tools that are more attractive â€" cloud and appliance solutions â€" don’t come with a built-in Pandora’s Box effect. As Alexander Graham Bell said, “Preparation is the key to success,” and nowhere is this more true than in disaster recovery and business continuity.
  3. Devil’s in the Detail: Any recovery solution should be effective when faced with a major disaster like a hurricane. But it should be just as effective if a power strip fails. Having a system that cannot handle a minor setback is just as troublesome as one that cannot recover from a major catastrophe. For a small to mid-sized business, it’s imperative to know what types of natural disasters can occur in the area and ensure the right backup solution is in place to handle them. Just as important is knowing what errors could occur in technical systems â€" whether a power outage or hard-drive failure. Do a back-of-napkin calculation on how long your vendor will take to recover your systems. Does your vendor need time to manually rebuild recovery nodes during the recovery process? Can you have an unlimited number of recovery nodes running at one time? If not, you may experience processing delays during the recovery process. Can the recovery nodes run inside the same appliance? Some vndors export recovery nodes from spare servers â€" and charge you for it. Ask for a recovery scenario demo to clarify everything.


Don’t Let Summer Heat Waves Fry Your Small Business! Top 3 Tips For Protecting Your IT Infrastructure

For many of us across the U.S., we’ve been experiencing weather that is hot, hot hot. Here in the Greater NYC area, it feels like we’ve been in a perpetual heat wave, with temps hitting well into the upper 90′s, low 100′s for the last couple of weeks.

The heat doesn’t just have a physical effect on us, but it has a definite effect on your business.  It’s a common occurrence to experience power outages during heat waves, as demand goes through the roof, and this affects your business.

We’ve asked Larry Lang, CEO of Quorum - a one-click backup, recovery and continuity service provider that helps businesses safeguard their revenue, customers and reputation - to share with us ways that we can protect our businesses during summer heat waves and ensure our IT infrastructures are not compromised. Enjoy his article and tips on keeping your business protected.

Don’t Let Summer Heat Waves Fry Your Small Business. Top 3 Tips For Protecting Your IT Infrastructure!


By Larry Lang, CEO of Quorum

Over the past several weeks, many cities across the U.S. have been hit with triple-digit temperatures. And with extreme heat (and humidity) comes extreme risk for small businesses. Blackouts and power outages occur when extensive use of air conditioning puts a strain on the power grids.

According to the National Archives and Records Administration, 93 percent of all businesses that lost their data center for 10 days went bankrupt within one year. So, with the dreaded heatwave and subsequent threat of downtime, how can small businesses protect their IT assets?

While we cannot prevent heat waves or natural disasters, we can stem or even circumvent their damage. How? The answer goes beyond backup generators and having a few battery-operated radios, extra batteries and flashlights on hand. Rather, disaster recovery planning and technology that enables instant recovery of data, application and systems â€" along with frequent system testing â€" is the only way to protect small businesses.

Following are some tips you can consider now to prepare in advance for whatever downtime troubles a heatwave may cause:

  1. Always Be Testing: Testing on a regular basis is crucial to business continuity, and it should be done frequently. However, many small and mid-sized business run into barriers that make frequent testing difficult or impossible. Ask yourself these questions: Does your vendor charge extra to test your disaster recovery system? How hard is it to test your recovery system? Some solutions take hours to spin up virtual machines. How long will it take to test yours?
  2. Business Continuity Is the Best Recovery: Any business can implement a backup solution that covers every device and machine used, but being able to recover that data quickly should the system go down is the real test. Building an always-on IT environment in a virtualized computing world isn’t rocket science, but it does require the ability to make the right choices. Unlike in fashion, vintage accoutrements like tape don’t look very good when it comes to disaster recovery. You also have to do your due diligence to ensure that the tools that are more attractive â€" cloud and appliance solutions â€" don’t come with a built-in Pandora’s Box effect. As Alexander Graham Bell said, “Preparation is the key to success,” and nowhere is this more true than in disaster recovery and business continuity.
  3. Devil’s in the Detail: Any recovery solution should be effective when faced with a major disaster like a hurricane. But it should be just as effective if a power strip fails. Having a system that cannot handle a minor setback is just as troublesome as one that cannot recover from a major catastrophe. For a small to mid-sized business, it’s imperative to know what types of natural disasters can occur in the area and ensure the right backup solution is in place to handle them. Just as important is knowing what errors could occur in technical systems â€" whether a power outage or hard-drive failure. Do a back-of-napkin calculation on how long your vendor will take to recover your systems. Does your vendor need time to manually rebuild recovery nodes during the recovery process? Can you have an unlimited number of recovery nodes running at one time? If not, you may experience processing delays during the recovery process. Can the recovery nodes run inside the same appliance? Some vndors export recovery nodes from spare servers â€" and charge you for it. Ask for a recovery scenario demo to clarify everything.


Cash Isn’t Always King: Accepting Credit Cards Can Increase Your Business

increase business2

If you don’t already accept credit cards at your business, you are missing out. There are many advantages to accepting payments via credit card, but the most notable of them have a positive effect on your bottom line. Here’s how:

1) Increase Sales Overall

The simple act of accepting credit card payments can give a significant boost to your business.

Research shows that sales can double or even triple versus current sales. One survey, sponsored by Intuit, found that 83% of small businesses that accepted credit cards saw increased sales. Fifty-two percent of those surveyed made at least $1,000 more a month and 18% made at least $20,000 more a month.

2) People Spend More with Cards

This is probably not a new concept to you: there is seemingly endless research that shows it’s easier to spend money with a credit card than with cash. The pain of paying is greatly diminished when handing over plastic instead of cash or a check, so customers spend more. Credit cards also increase impulse purchases (and tips for those in the service sector, such as cab drivers, waiters and other). Why? Simple: consumers are not tied to what is in their wallets at that moment.

3) It’s Just Good Customer Service

Cash payments are decreasing. Almost one of every three purchases is made with a credit card, according to Visa. Providing the option to pay with a credit card is becoming less a courtesy and more an expectation. Customers are more likely to do business with you if you accept the form of payment that offers them the most convenience and flexibility. Especially when dealing with big-ticket items, consumers appreciate the ability to pay up front with a credit card and pay off their purchase over time.

4) Broaden Your Customer Base

Credit cards are like a global currency. Because purchases are automatically converted to the appropriate currency, selling internationally with credit cards is easy for both the buyer and you, the seller. If your business has an online presence, the world is your market, not just your city or town.

5) Give Your Business an Instant Facelift

Accepting credit cards gives your business a better image with greater credibility. In the eyes of the customer, it means your business is established and trustworthy.

6) Increase Cash Flow

Credit card payments take the waiting out of getting paid. No more waiting weeks for checks to clear, and no more waiting weeks or even months for a payment after sending a bill. Instead, your funds are deposited automatically and directly to your bank, usually within a few days, giving you faster payment cycles and better cash flow for your business.

7) Time is Money Too

Credit card payments are more efficient and less time consuming. The payment process is automated: automatic approvals and automatic deposits into your bank account. That means fewer trips to the bank, no invoices to print and mail and no more dealing with bounced checks. With the time you save, you can focus on other important aspects of your businessâ€"like making even more sales.

Sometimes, getting the process started to get your business ready to accept credit and debit cards can be complicated. To make it easier, Community Merchants USA has put together free tools and resources on everything you need to know about credit and debit card acceptance. Check them out and add more value to your business!

Credit Card Photo via Shutterstock




Nokia Unveils Introductory Smartphone with Largest Screen Ever

lumia 625

Your business needs a smartphone. But you aren’t ready to pay the price hanging off some of the more ballyhooed models available today. Fortunately, your options are opening a bit.

This week Nokia unveiled the Lumia 625 set to reach markets in Europe, China, Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America by September. There’s no word yet on when it will be available in the U.S. But other Nokias released in emerging markets have eventually found their way here, so no worries.

Lumia 625: Not a Flagship Phone

Though not a flagship phone, most notably because it packs only a 5 megapixel camera, the Lumia 625 does have several things to recommend it.

At 4.7 inches, the Lumia 625′s LCD screen is the largest on a Nokia phone ever. The display is bright enough to be easily visible in daylight and the phone comes in an attractive pallet of colors: orange, green, yellow, white or black.

The Lumia 625 is also a Windows phone running on Windows 8 with Amber updates of new features included, important to many business users.

Most attractive, of course, is the price. The phone is being introduced at 220 euros (just under $300 if offered in the U.S. market, Computer World estimates.)

At that price and with available features, the Lumia 625 makes an attractive introductory phone however, reports Mat Smith of Engadget in a video overview below.

No Need to Wait

Fortunately, if you’re located in the U.S., there is no need to wait for the Lumia 625. Another Lumia phone will be available at an even lower price by the end of the week.

AT&T will introduce the Lumia 520 for $99.99 to customers of its prepaid GoPhone wireless service beginning July 26, CNET reports.

Also introduced in emerging markets earlier this year, the phone features a 4-inch 800Ã-480-pixel resolution screen of the same quality available on pricier Nokia phones.

Like the Lumia 625, the phone also runs on Windows 8, carries a 5 megapixel camera, and comes in a variety of colorful shells.




10 Tips,Tools and Strategies To Help You Create An Effective Customer Loyalty Program

Recent Colloquy research found that there are 2.65 million loyalty program memberships in the United States, an increase of 26.7 percent since 2010. This is great, but before you jump on the loyalty program bandwagon, there is much more you need to know.

Gallup research shows that loyalty programs only work when paired with customer engagement - the emotional connection between a customer and a business/brand. Unfortunately, having a loyalty program does not automatically translate into engagement. As proof, the same Colloquy research found that active participation in loyalty programs declined 4.3 percent, indicating that after people sign up, businesses have trouble continuing to engage customers.

To make engagement a top priority, consider these tips when you begin your loyalty program:

  • Make it fun. Think of your loyalty program like a game. How do customers “play” and what do they “win?”  Having a fun program with attractive incentives will excite your customers and even bring out their competitive side.
  • Keep it simple. You don’t need an elaborate point system or a million rewards to have a good loyalty program, so if your staff or customers are confused, it’s a signal you’ve gone too far. Make sure the sign-up process is easy and fast, and consider a sign-up bonus as a great way to promote initial engagement.
  • Get the word out. Have your staff promote the program to customers - the conversation itself can be an effective form of engagement for your business. To catch former customers who haven’t come in lately, spread the message on your website and your social media.

The above tips are easy to understand, but what is more difficult is the logistical side of how to set your loyalty program up. Major companies have large budgets devoted to analyzing customer behavior and creating sophisticated loyalty programs. With smaller budgets, small businesses can look to technology for an affordable and engaging program. Some options include:

This list is just a small sample of loyalty program businesses; others include Swipely, Foursquare, Affinity Solutions, Punchtab, FiveStars, Cardfree, and many, many more.

Once your loyalty program is set up, the work is not done. It is important that you continually focus on customer engagement if you want your program to work. Remember to:

  • Customize your loyalty program. Engagement is about developing an emotional connection to your business or brand. Include your company logo and strive to create rewards and incentives that are uniquely you.
  • Get to know your customers. Some of the programs mentioned above include the ability to see customer-level data or to send individualized rewards (for example, via email). Tailoring your program to your best VIPs will let them know how much you appreciate their loyalty.
  • Promote! Whether it’s in store, on your website, or on your social media, you should always be promoting your loyalty program and communicating any news or changes about the program. As an added bonus - some loyalty programs that run on smartphones allow customers to ‘check in’ on their social media, giving you free online advertising.
  • Track the program. You want to make sure the program is working for you and your customers, so track things such as total members, daily activity, changes in sales, and out of pocket costs. Some loyalty program options come with free analytics to help with this. Also, don’t forget that the best way to track your loyalty program is through customer feedback.

Loyalty programs can be a great way to create buzz and gain faithful customers - but no loyalty program can work without engaging your customers. Plan your program carefully with an emphasis on engagement, and your loyalty program is sure to succeed.



Exclusive: Reverse assessment reveals KPMG\'s publicly accessible data

Publicly available information has been found on auditor and consultancy KPMG, on the day it released a report on the FTSE 350's security flaws.

In its report, KPMG said that according to research and simulated attacks carried out by its cyber response team, every company on the FTSE 350 list left employee usernames, email addresses and sensitive internal file location information online. It found that on average, 41 usernames, 44 email addresses and five sensitive internal file locations were available for each company. 

In an email to SC Magazine, security researcher Robin Wood said that running two public, commonly available tools against the KPMG website achieved over 400 email addresses, 164 users, 112 PC names and quite a lot of internal directories. He also said that there were a handful of printers accessible, as well as software versions. “A quick check of www.us.kpmg.com showed they are running IIS 6.0 while the latest is version 8,” he said.

He confirmed that this was public information, and he gathered information that was available without hacking tactics. He showed SC a 62-page document of these details. 

A spokesperson for KPMG said that the report was not designed to throw stones, but demonstrate how easy it is for hackers to get hold of information that can be used against companies.

The company said in a statement: “As you might expect, KPMG put its own site through the same examination as we did other sites. We recognise that many websites provide some level of data leakage and with this in mind, the purpose of our report is to highlight concerns so they can be dealt with, rather than highlight individual weak spots. We were careful not to reveal specific weaknesses of any company as it would be inappropriate to do so.” 

KPMG said that as a partnership, it does not appear on the FTSE 350 Index and was not evaluated as part of its assessment.



Lakeland suffers attack due to Java vulnerability

Kitchenware store Lakeland suffered a cyber attack on Friday evening, where attackers were able to access two encrypted databases.

According to an email notification, hosted here by ThreatTrack Security, the company was not able to find any evidence that data was stolen, but as a precaution it has deleted all customer passwords used on its site and has invited customers to reset their passwords next time they visit the Lakeland site.

It said: “We deeply regret that this has occurred and apologise for the inconvenience caused. The security of our customers' data is hugely important to us and we are devastated to have fallen victim to these criminals. This has occurred despite the best efforts of ourselves and the industry-leading IT company that runs our website for us to use the best security systems available.

“We are committed to protecting our customers' data and will continue to seek additional measures to ensure the integrity of our systems.”

It went on to confirm that attack was achieved via a Java flaw in the website and it suspected that achieving this “has taken a concerted effort and considerable skill”. It said: “We only wish that those responsible used their talent for good rather than criminal ends.”

Dodi Glenn, director of security content management at ThreatTrack Security, said: “It is common practice to purge passwords in the event someone suspects a compromise of their database. While customers may be alarmed as is natural in these circumstances, Lakeland should work with the authorities to identify what information was leaked.

“Customers should have the right to know if their credit card numbers were stolen. Lakeland and others should take note that being proactive instead of reactive is the best approach, because brand reputation is priceless.”

Greg Day, VP and CTO EMEA at FireEye, said: “The Lakeland attack highlights some key issues that all companies need to be aware of: typically there is still the perception that advanced persistent threats (APTs) are aimed at government and global companies, this attack validates that all industries and market sizes are being targeted.

“With the depth and complexity of todays IT, organisations struggle to keep pace from a security perspective. Companies need to start looking at the problem from another angle: all too often we over focus on preventing attacks, but companies are starting to recognise that breaches will occur, which means we need to: understand the what, where and how and gather up the forensic data to identify the indicators of compromise that help us understand; gain insight into the who and why by looking at data such as the communications and call back points we can often glean some insight into the motive of the attacker; and accept that a compromise can happen, and start to look at what is an unacceptable loss.”



PhishMe and FireEye partner to educate in the battle against targeted attacks

PhishMe and FireEye have announced a partnership to focus on improving defences against a broad array of advanced cyber threats, including spear phishing and targeted attacks.

Pairing the FireEye platform with employee training through immersion in PhishMe's simulated phishing scenarios, the two companies said that users will be able to promptly assess intrusions and remediate threats.

PhishMe and FireEye said that they hope to create a new organisation-wide mindset that cyber security impacts each employee. Both companies are committed to creating an open environment where employees are educated and aware of potential security threats, as well as the need for a robust security infrastructure.

Didi Dayton, vice president worldwide alliances, at FireEye, said: “PhishMe's unique employee training modules couple well with our advanced threat protection platform, helping organisations minimise the amount of vulnerabilities on the endpoint and the network.” 



10 Tips,Tools and Strategies To Help You Create An Effective Customer Loyalty Program

Recent Colloquy research found that there are 2.65 million loyalty program memberships in the United States, an increase of 26.7 percent since 2010. This is great, but before you jump on the loyalty program bandwagon, there is much more you need to know.

Gallup research shows that loyalty programs only work when paired with customer engagement - the emotional connection between a customer and a business/brand. Unfortunately, having a loyalty program does not automatically translate into engagement. As proof, the same Colloquy research found that active participation in loyalty programs declined 4.3 percent, indicating that after people sign up, businesses have trouble continuing to engage customers.

To make engagement a top priority, consider these tips when you begin your loyalty program:

  • Make it fun. Think of your loyalty program like a game. How do customers “play” and what do they “win?”  Having a fun program with attractive incentives will excite your customers and even bring out their competitive side.
  • Keep it simple. You don’t need an elaborate point system or a million rewards to have a good loyalty program, so if your staff or customers are confused, it’s a signal you’ve gone too far. Make sure the sign-up process is easy and fast, and consider a sign-up bonus as a great way to promote initial engagement.
  • Get the word out. Have your staff promote the program to customers - the conversation itself can be an effective form of engagement for your business. To catch former customers who haven’t come in lately, spread the message on your website and your social media.

The above tips are easy to understand, but what is more difficult is the logistical side of how to set your loyalty program up. Major companies have large budgets devoted to analyzing customer behavior and creating sophisticated loyalty programs. With smaller budgets, small businesses can look to technology for an affordable and engaging program. Some options include:

This list is just a small sample of loyalty program businesses; others include Swipely, Foursquare, Affinity Solutions, Punchtab, FiveStars, Cardfree, and many, many more.

Once your loyalty program is set up, the work is not done. It is important that you continually focus on customer engagement if you want your program to work. Remember to:

  • Customize your loyalty program. Engagement is about developing an emotional connection to your business or brand. Include your company logo and strive to create rewards and incentives that are uniquely you.
  • Get to know your customers. Some of the programs mentioned above include the ability to see customer-level data or to send individualized rewards (for example, via email). Tailoring your program to your best VIPs will let them know how much you appreciate their loyalty.
  • Promote! Whether it’s in store, on your website, or on your social media, you should always be promoting your loyalty program and communicating any news or changes about the program. As an added bonus - some loyalty programs that run on smartphones allow customers to ‘check in’ on their social media, giving you free online advertising.
  • Track the program. You want to make sure the program is working for you and your customers, so track things such as total members, daily activity, changes in sales, and out of pocket costs. Some loyalty program options come with free analytics to help with this. Also, don’t forget that the best way to track your loyalty program is through customer feedback.

Loyalty programs can be a great way to create buzz and gain faithful customers - but no loyalty program can work without engaging your customers. Plan your program carefully with an emphasis on engagement, and your loyalty program is sure to succeed.



New Business Trend: Pricey Play Date Consultants

play date consultants

A new business trend is making headlines. Pricey play date consultants are being hired by well-to-do Manhattan parents. The idea is to prepare children at an early age to make it into highly competitive private kindergartens.

Sound crazy? Well, some media outlets seem to think so and are having some fun at these services’ expense.

Yes, consultants are charging upwards of $400 an hour in some cases. And what they teach children certainly seems obvious. Lessons include how to share Read More

The post New Business Trend: Pricey Play Date Consultants appeared first on Small Business Trends.



4 Powerful LinkedIn Tips To Generate Sales

Many people think of LinkedIn as just another social networking tool that lets them connect with people who share their career interests. Those in the know, however, can take advantage of powerful LinkedIn tips to generate sales.

Follow these 4 tips to start making your LinkedIn profile work for you.

1. Join Discussions, Groups and Associations

join inDiscussion Photo via Shutterstock

The more connections you make through LinkedIn, the more people you’ll meet who might want to buy items from your company. That means you should get involved.

Join discussions, groups, and associations so you can find other people working in your industry. You can even start a group to attract people who might want to buy from you.

Make sure that sales is your secondary goal. Making connections should always be at the front of your mind. If you make the right connections and get involved in the community, then the sales aspect will become much easier.

2. Select an Account Type That Meets Your Needs

clickClick Photo via Shutterstock

The standard LinkedIn account is free, but it doesn’t give you access to many tools. If you really want to connect with more people to boost your sales, you should consider upgrading to a premium account.

Good account options for businesses include:

  • Sales Basic
  • Sales Plus
  • Sales Executive

Even if you choose a Sales Executive account, which is the most expensive, you’ll spend less than $75 a month. That’s worth it if it helps you make more sales. Of course, you can start with the cheaper Sales Basic option ($15.95 a month) to see if it works for you.

These premium accounts let you:

  • See who has viewed your profile
  • Manage your leads to close deals
  • Have LinkedIn introduce you to people who might help grow your business
  • View full profiles

3. Display Your Expertise

stand outStand Out Photo via Shutterstock

LinkedIn has over 200 million members. That means you face a lot of competition from other people using the site to make connections and sales.

How do you plan to stand out from the crowd?

Displaying your expertise is a powerful way to get noticed. Post insightful, well researched information in discussions. If you can teach something to other people in your industry, then they will start to see you as a leader.

Once you become an industry leader that others rely on, you should have a much easier time converting leads into sales.

4. Manage Your Flow of Information

information managementManage Information Photo via Shutterstock

People want to buy from a company that offers good customer services and reliable products. That doesn’t mean they want a barrage of information from you.

Don’t use LinkedIn as your personal advertising forum. That will make people dislike you. After some time, it will even make them disconnect from you. No one likes to get spammed. If you become a spammer, then you will lose potential sales.

At most, you should send updates only once every two days. Anything more than that is overkill.

What are some of the most successful ways that you’ve used LinkedIn to generate sales?

Stand Out Photo via Shutterstock




FTSE 350 companies demonstrate very poor security manners

FTSE 350 companies are leaking data and failing to keep systems up-to-date, according to KPMG.

According to research and simulated attacks by KPMG's cyber response team, every company on the list left employee usernames, email addresses and sensitive internal file location information online.

The firm found that on average, 41 usernames, 44 email addresses and five sensitive internal file locations were available for each company.

Martin Jordan, head of cyber response at KPMG, said: “What our research has shown is that companies do not have full control of their web presence at a time when cyber security has been turned upside down.

“Our findings send out a clear message to business: while the internet may be a shop window to the world, it can also be a substantial security risk. FTSE 350 companies should accept that cyber threats are real. Protecting their networks is not just about self-interest; is about safeguarding the economy and, in the case of critical national infrastructures, it is also about the safety of the population.” 

The cyber response team conducted a simulated attack to get inside FTSE 350 companies. It said that all the research was conducted using public domain data without breaching security. Among those researched, companies in the aerospace and defence sector recorded the highest number of leaked internal email addresses, while 53 per cent did not have up-to-date security patches or were using old server software, making them potentially vulnerable to attack. 

Companies in the support services sector and software and computer services sector were at the top of the list in terms of sectors with the most vulnerabilities.

Security researcher Robin Wood told SC Magazine that all companies leak email addresses, and a lot are deliberate where things such as marketing campaigns or feedback forms where the addresses deliberately look more personal. He said: “Also, how many people does a FTSE 350 firm have on its books? Is 44 email addresses really a significant number? How many of the addresses are info@, sales@ etc?

“Usernames shouldn't be out there but as with email addresses, their use can be limited by having good software controls in place. Sensitive file locations are only an issue if there is another vulnerability to go with them. Knowing a website is served from /var/www or that a document was stored in c:\docs doesn't mean much unless combined with other vulnerabilities.” 

He said that missing software patches is more serious and is something that should be addressed, although old server software isn't necessarily a problem, as a lot of companies deliberately run a version or two behind to avoid bugs in bleeding edge versions.

Asked if security infrastructures often do not scale to the size of the business, Wood said: “Larger companies definitely don't scale well. A small firm, say 200 people, may have a single security person to manage the whole firm but a large, 10,000-person firm often has less than 20, usually quite a bit less. That is a difference between a ratio of 200:1 versus 10,000:20 or 500:1. 

“With the size of their infrastructure, it is very hard to successfully manage all of it and keep it all up-to-date. Security is easy to not spend money on. If they do their job properly and nothing happens it is seen that they don't need the budgets they have as nothing happened so cut costs. A company often needs a breach to get cash into the department.”

Brian Honan, CEO of BH Consulting, said that any company holding sensitive information, such as financial details or valuable intellectual property, should have a comprehensive information security management system in place, which includes vulnerability and patch management programs, to identify and address potential risks to the business. 

He said: “It is important to remember context when evaluating systems and their weaknesses. Ensuring 100 per cent security is not possible, particularly in today's rapidly changing computing environment. Priority should be given to address vulnerabilities in systems that hold sensitive data or are critical to the business.

“However, companies need to ensure that other systems on their network don't provide a weak entry point into their network and through there into the sensitive systems. Where systems cannot be patched, be that for technical or business reasons, or simply because the resources are not available, companies should look at other ways to mitigate their risk. 

“It's a fact of life that in large organisations it will be impossible to have every system running on the latest releases. It is important to know which systems are most critical to the business and ensure they are secured first with other less critical systems following suit.”



Competing businesses encouraged to share incident data as the attackers do

Sharing information between different sectors will help protect companies from attacks.

Speaking to SC Magazine, Tal Be'ery, web research team leader at Imperva, said that sharing information within a sector is more effective than sharing generally.

He said: “They [should] share between themselves and know about attacks and experiences; the attackers have the same rules when it comes to assessing attacks as they want the best return on investment on a tool.

“People are getting attacked, so sharing information and data with others is really important and really helps the defence side. Sharing characteristics can really help in the defence of an attack.”

According to the Imperva web application attack report that was released this week, some businesses reported a maximum of 3,006 attacks during a six-month period. Be'ery said that if attack characteristics are better shared, then victims will know what an attack looks like and know the source of the attack.

“You can use it as you need to, as you have got to share as it is important to acquire intelligence. You can also identify malicious traffic without investing resources in seeing what the traffic is doing.”

Asked if businesses could share with confidence that incidents would not be exposed and undermine their reputation, Be'ery said that when choosing sharing software, you need to make sure that you are not disclosing private details of users.

He said: “If it is not anonomised, you need to be careful not to share as the impact that can have is as bad as it ending up with the attackers.”

Imperva launched the ThreatRadar Community Defense crowd-sourced threat intelligence service earlier this year to aggregate and validate attack data.

Responding to a call from a CISO for vendors to better share intelligence between themselves, Imperva CTO and co-founder Amichai Shulman said that as Imperva sees the value in sharing threat data between customers of the same vendor, it makes sense to aggregate shared threat data from different, competing vendors.