How to Make Money Online - Entrepreneur
How to Make Money Online - Entrepreneur |
- How to Make Money Online - Entrepreneur
- 10 Profitable Small Business Ideas in Pakistan for 2021 - Alibaba Blog - Alibaba News Channel
- How Government Initiatives And Positive Investor Outlook Is Making Small Businesses Funding-Ready - Entrepreneur
- Business Trends: Marketing in 2021 - Lifestyle - New Haven Register
- How Antler East Africa is building early-stage startups with experienced professionals - TechCrunch
- 5 Simple Valentine's Day Business Ideas - Entrepreneur
| How to Make Money Online - Entrepreneur Posted: 20 Feb 2021 11:15 AM PST  Determine your strong skills and sell them. You can do just about anything online. Grow Your Business, Not Your InboxStay informed and join our daily newsletter now! 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. These days, online jobs and education opportunities are quite popular. People love to work from home, and the internet is exploding with money-making opportunities. How can you fit into this new popular niche? Let's explore! Working online does not impose the same time restrictions as working in an office or brick-and-mortar store. You don't have to adhere to strict dress codes or company policies. Often, you don't even have to interact face-to-face with clients, customers or co-workers. This can be especially nice for independent spirits or introverts. Not having to go to an office affords people a lot of freedom and autonomy. Imagine working in your pajamas! If you need to take off to get your kids for an activity, you can do that without having to call your boss and arrange to leave the office. Your attendance is up to you as you set your own hours. Often, you can leave the computer for a spell to get things done and then return to work when you are ready. Related: 5 Ways to Stand Out from the Competition on Major Freelancing Sites You can also be your own boss. Expand your business as you see fit. No one can restrict your decisions or tell you what to do with your work. This does not apply if you work online for a company, but it does apply if you are a freelancer or have your own online business. The internet is a great way to reach lots of people on an international scale. You can use it to advertise or offer your services to a variety of clients all over the world. Marketing through social media enables you to reach lots of people with minimal effort. What can you do online?Anything, really. But having a clear goal and solid service or product is key. You must be able to offer your future employers something. Determine your strong skills and advertise those. Freelancing Try freelancing sites like Upwork or Guru. You can charge an hourly rate or charge by the project.
Related: 10 Business Ideas to Make Easy Money and Change the World Education
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Penny hoarder Maybe you don't want to start your own business or teach or freelance online, but you want a little extra spending money on top of your current income. The internet offers a wide variety of ways to make money without really working. You can find great tips on The Penny Hoarder website. The Penny Hoarder shares opportunities with you such as apps that pay you to download them. They also offer surveys that pay you to fill out the information. There are lists of other things, such as banks that pay you to open an account. Check this site out for lots of tips on how to make a little extra cash online.  |
| 10 Profitable Small Business Ideas in Pakistan for 2021 - Alibaba Blog - Alibaba News Channel Posted: 19 Feb 2021 12:20 AM PST If you want to start a small business as a Pakistan business owner in 2021, get ready to discover 10 profitable business ideas. From launching a manufacturing company and exporting goods overseas from Pakistan, to taking advantage of consumer trends and new emerging markets. Let's take a look at some of the best opportunities for Pakistan entrepreneurs to start a business this year. An overview of the Pakistan economyBefore we explore 10 low investment business ideas, we first need to understand the current economic climate of Pakistan. While 2020 has certainly been an unpredictable year due to Covid-19 and international travel restrictions, 2021 provides a new opportunity to explore new and emerging industries and shifts in consumer trends and behavior. Pakistan is home to highly skilled professionals and has an incredible supply and variety of raw materials and goods. Despite a rise in inflation rate, the country remains one of the cheapest places to live in the world, according to CEO World Magazine1. This means Pakistan can offer high-quality goods and services for a low price, and on a global scale, helping new businesses to out-perform their international competitors online. However, corruption still holds the country back, and this is something you'll need to take into consideration before opening a small business. Is 2021 a good time to start a business?One major takeaway from 2020 is the progress international business has made in terms of digitizing their processes to overcome the global pandemic. Customers are now more accustomed to placing orders online, tracking deliveries and communicating with businesses around the world. Due to national lockdowns, it is also far easier to reach consumers who are stuck at home and bored. Worldwide e-commerce sales are still heading towards the $5 trillion mark with online retail sales expected to rise by 14.3 percent in 20212. Another thing to consider is competition. Major international companies suffered significant financial loss during 2020, and businesses that opened in early 2020 have now shut down due to the pandemic. This has created a unique opportunity for small to medium-sized entities to break into the global market from the get go. In 2021, start-ups and new businesses are at an advantage, since they can react faster to a changing marketplace and are not tied down by financial commitments such as offices, warehouses, factories and hundreds of employees. Plus, with many industry leaders struggling to stay afloat, the competition is now wide open for ambitious entrepreneurs3. 10 profitable small business ideas to exploreAfter you've weighed up the risks of starting a business in 2021, let's now explore 10 profitable business ideas for Pakistan entrepreneurs. #1: Import-export businessBusiness analysis: Pakistan is one of the major players in terms of importing and exporting goods and services worldwide. Since many manufacturers have suffered during 2020, now could be the best opportunity to launch a new, Pakistan import-export business. While the country's exports are expected to be impacted still by Covid-19, according to the International Trade Center's latest export potential assessment for Pakistan, the country's exports are set to rise to $12 billion in the next 3 years4. Now consider the fact that more people than ever before are working from home, ordering products online is becoming the norm and this will help you to attract overseas buyers and start trading internationally. With high-quality products and the low cost of labour in Pakistan, focus on trading with European countries who value quality will be key to your success. Industry: Manufacturing Products/ services: Importing and exporting goods in and out of Pakistan can cover a wide range of products and services. Target market: European B2B & B2C Considerations: The pandemic is still causing major disruption worldwide in terms of travel restrictions, and this may cause delays when importing and exporting goods. #2: Textile manufacturerBusiness analysis: Pakistan's textile industry is booming, despite pandemic impacts. Recent data has revealed that textile shipments have risen by 3.8 percent to $4.8 billion. This significant rise is promising news for Pakistan business owners looking for a profitable small business idea. Export recovery has been most prominent in knitwear, home textiles and denim. The more people who work from home, the more demand there will be for cosy loungewear, soft furnishings and denim over formal office wear5. Industry: Textile & Clothing Products/ services: Soft furnishings, denim, knitwear Target market: International B2B & B2C Considerations: Will people return to the office as Covid-19 vaccinations are rolled out, or will people continue to work from home?
#3: Plant-based meal providerBusiness analysis: Veganism and plant-based diets are growing significantly, and on a global scale. According to Unilever CEO Alan Jope, the planet-based trend is unstoppable. Vegan-friendly goods such as almond milk, hemp milk, soya milk, plant-based meat alternatives and vegan candy are all interesting business ideas for Pakistan business owners. Unilever recently set out a $1.2 billion sales target for the plant-based sector for the next 5 to 7 years. Companies such as Beyond Meat and THIS, are leading the way forward and towards a more sustainable, meat-free lifestyle, so why not jump on this growing vegan trend?6 Industry: Food manufacturing Products/ services: Plant-based food and beverages. Vegan alternatives. Meat alternatives. Target market: B2B & B2C - Eco-conscious, plant-based customers. Considerations: To manufacture plant-based food, you may need to team up with a reliable factory and product-development team. #4: Halal confectionery manufacturerBusiness analysis: Demand for halal food is on the rise across Pakistan and the rest of the world. The global halal food market reached $1.9 trillion last year and is set to continue to rise in 2021. Halal food refers to food and drinks that have been carefully prepared according to religious rules defined by Islamic dietary law. Halal snacks and in particular confectionary can be sold across the world and is a low investment small business idea, worth considering in 2021. While Asia Pacific is the leading market for halal goods, there is also room for small to medium-sized startups to meet the rising demand for halal candy across Europe7. The demand for ethical and halal goods is primarily driven by a global Muslim population which has grown significantly to one-quarter of the world's population. By 2025, the global halal food industry is expected to be worth $9.71 trillion. For those interested in starting a business as a halal food manufacturer, the UK should be your target market. In 2018, gummy manufacturer Haribo opened its first halal candy store in the UK, and leading supermarkets are also expanding their halal and vegan offerings8. Industry: Halal Food Manufacturer Products/ services: Halal and vegan confectionery Target market: UK leading supermarkets and independent businesses Considerations: You will need to consider the cost to ship goods to the UK from Pakistan when exporting halal confectionery in large quantities, in order to make a healthy profit. #5: Henna & mehndi wholesalerBusiness analysis: The global hair color product market is set to witness substantial growth between 2019 and 2026, due to growing awareness of online beauty trends and natural self-care. This expected growth is creating a unique opportunity for henna wholesalers from Pakistan. With a consumer shift towards natural cosmetics and beauty products, henna is becoming more popular for hand and body decoration as well as natural hair dye. Real henna is generally safer to use and comes in orange, red and brown tones9. Since Covid-19 has disrupted the beauty industry and caused a lot of hairdressers and beauty salons to close their doors to the public for good, consumers are now looking online for affordable ways to dye their hair, tint their eyebrows and temporarily tattoo themselves with henna. Not only is this a creative way to pass the time during lockdown but it's also considered safer than box hair dye. Plus, Pakistani weddings and festivals also call for henna and mehndi designs, so Pakistan businesses that start to sell henna can target both local customers and overseas buyers. Since henna is very affordable, this type of business can be started with even a modest initial investment. Industry: Natural beauty industry Products/ services: Henna hair dye, mehndi kits Target market: Pakistani women, and overseas buyers of natural hair dye. Considerations: Henna is already an affordable product to buy, so securing a healthy profit will take market research. What can your business offer that adds value and demands a higher price tag? #6: Leather footwear manufacturerBusiness analysis: While leather exports from Pakistan dropped by 5.6 percent from $58.186 million to $54.955 million from 2019 to 2020, year on year, exports have increased by 12.19 percent. So, if you're thinking of starting a business in Pakistan, perhaps high-quality leather footwear is the ideal industry for you. Although India and China are major competitors within this space, Pakistan is well positioned to compete. With low manufacturing and production cost along with high-quality materials readily available, there is certainly room to open a small leather footwear manufacturing business from Pakistan in 202110. Moreover, leather garments worth $52.5 were exported from Pakistan in the first two months of 2021, showing a 2.81 percent increase from 202011. As one of the oldest and most prominent industries in the country, the manufacturing of footwear should be an easy industry to move into, with plenty of experienced and talented local professionals available to hire to help you business succeed. Industry: Leather Footwear Products/ services: High-quality handmade leather footwear Target market: European and US B2B and B2C buyers. Considerations: While leather continues to be in demand, there is also a major global shift towards veganism, which rejects leather and promotes faux leather, eco-friendly companies. #7: Virtual assistantBusiness analysis: The world of virtual assistants is an interesting business idea to explore, especially if you're looking for a low investment start-up. As a great Pakistan business idea, you can manage a team of virtual assistants from a small office or online, and help provide professional support to clients from around the world. Virtual assistants can take the role of data entry executives up to experienced personal assistants. You can choose to specialize in a particular field of VAs such as marketing and social media management, or customer service and IT support. By having a niche, you can build a brand and make your company stand out from most of your online competitors. All you need to start this type of business is a high-speed, stable internet connection! Industry: Virtual Assistants Products/ services: High-quality virtual assistants that can help save businesses time and money. Target market: Busy international clients looking for reliable professional help. Considerations: English is often a key requirement for virtual assistants, especially if you want to attract US, UK and European customers. #8: Air quality smart masksBusiness analysis: As Covid-19 vaccinations are starting to be rolled out, the need for face coverings and PPE will eventually begin to decline, but a smart move for Pakistan businesses is to branch out into air quality smart masks. Environmental issues are a growing concern around the world, and air pollution is a significant health concern for city-workers. To protect yourself against air pollution, air masks are becoming increasingly popular especially for those who cycle to work and are exposed to fumes on a daily basis. With light-weight designs that offer comfort and smart filtering systems, this is an industry that is about to emerge within the health and technology sectors. Although combining technology with face masks is not a new concept, in fact AirPop Health have launched a sensor mask that measures breathing rate and alerts the wearer when it's time to change their disposable filter12. Industry: Environment, Air Quality, Urban Healthcare Products/ services: Air quality smart masks Target market: B2B & B2C concerned about pollution and air quality. Considerations: This is a new emerging market and more market research is required before you heavily invest in this sector. If we combat air pollution by moving towards smart, sustainable cities, the demand for air quality face masks might drop. #9: Herbal medicine manufacturerBusiness analysis: Herbal medicine involves treating a wide range of health concerns with natural and plant-based remedies. This traditional approach to healthcare is on the rise, with The World Health Organisation stating that the trade in medicinal plants, herbal raw materials and herbal drugs is growing at an annual growth rate of around 15 percent13. Pakistan businesses able to trade in herbal medicine can take advantage of the international rise and reliance of e-commerce in 2021 and start selling almost instantly on a global scale. The global herbal medicine market was valued at $138350 million in 2020 and is expected to almost double this figure ($218940 million) by the end of 202614. Industry: Global herbal medicine Products/ services: Plant-based medicine, natural remedies, herbal substances, raw herbal materials Target market: Worldwide B2B & B2C Considerations: You will need to be aware of what natural products are restricted in each country you plan to export natural and herbal medicine to.
#10: Sustainable fish farmingBusiness analysis: Fish farming is a highly profitable and well-established business in Pakistan, however you can take this a step further in 2021 by specializing in sustainable and eco-friendly processes. The 'blue revolution' is the combination of technology and aquaculture that provides a sustainable approach to fish farming. Using the latest developments in technology, farmers can provide high-quality fish and seafood without the ammonia concerns currently associated with fish farming. While this is not a new business idea, it is still extremely sought after in countries such as Japan, India, Thailand and Malaysia. The World Bank report, 'Revitalising Pakistan's Fisheries' states that the European Union countries, Japan and the US are the world' biggest export markets for seafood, but Pakistan exports to these countries only accounts for less than 3 percent of export earnings. So, there is clearly huge potential for Pakistan to capture a larger percentage of these markets by improving their quality standards, processing plants and supply chain15. For anyone already experienced within the fish farming industry, this is certainly an interesting business idea to consider in 2021. Industry: Sustainable fish farming Products/ services: High-quality seafood Target market: B2B & B2C who value high-quality seafood and are concerned about ammonia levels in seafood. Considerations: This can be an expensive business idea to start from scratch, so is best for those already experienced within the food manufacturing and seafood industry and are looking for a way to diversify or expand and develop their product range. B2B e-Commerce platforms like Alibaba.com now make it easier than ever for wholesalers, suppliers, and manufacturers to connect with more customers, generate more leads, boost sales, and grow your business. Get your business on Alibaba.com to find more international buyers and generate more sales today. References:  |
| Posted: 22 Feb 2021 01:37 AM PST  4 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. India is home to 55,000-plus startups from multiple verticals, and hosts about 37 unicorns, featuring among the top five countries with the highest number of unicorns. The impact of the pandemic on the Indian startup ecosystem has been critical and multi-fold, thus creating a record of bringing in 11 startups to the unicorn club, as against the previous years: 9 in 2019 and 8 in 2018. The year 2020 also witnessed a total of $8.4 billion worth funding raised by Indian startups, at a time where sectors such as edtech, healthtech, enterprise/software and fintech, etc., were booming. The year 2020 witnessed an increase in the emergence of entrepreneurs from tier II and III cities. While migration to hometowns during the pandemic could have been one of the contributing factors, investors and accelerators had begun to expand their services to more markets to help nurture upcoming businesses. Several startups from tier II and III towns are now up on investors' hotlist amid the lockdown. The pandemic has further strengthened the Internet ecosystem, with online businesses such as reselling, education, cloud kitchens, home cleaning, bookkeeping and the likes having come up on demand. The government, through the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative is working to uplift startups and MSMEs to help boost the economy. Following are some of the government initiatives that will help MSMEs build their business: Credit support schemes Government has approved the establishment of The government has also approved the establishment of a INR 50,000-crore fund of funds for selecting MSMEs with high growth with a strong track record and assisting them in listing exchanges. Also, it was recently announced that the majority of start-ups will be eligible under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan credit support schemes for additional liquidity and funding to MSMEs. MSME classification The definition of an MSME has been revised by the government to include more small businesses in the purview of the category. This will not only give businesses access to benefits but also help them avail exemptions that can greatly impact business operations. These benefits include an exemption from GST registration for businesses that have an annual turnover of less than INR 40 lakh; and the expansion of the ISO reimbursement scheme for MSMEs. Udhyog Aadhar memorandum The benefit of registering in this scheme is ease in availing credit, loans, and subsidies from the government. Registration can be done both ways in the online mode or the offline mode. Benefits include exemption from excise and direct taxes, easy loans with low-interest rates, loans with credit guarantee, government subsidies and more. Registered businesses are also eligible to receive financial aid for participation in various foreign expos. These are ideal places to network and showcase products. Zero defect, zero effect This model necessitates that goods manufactured for export have to adhere to a certain fixed quality management standards and technology tools to ensure that there is no rejection and waste of production. Registration under this scheme will help MSMEs recognize and adopt the quality standards needed along with new technology. Incubation This scheme helps innovators with the implementation of new designs, ideas or products. Under this, 75-80 per cent of the project cost can be financed by the government. This scheme promotes new ideas, designs, products, etc. Credit-linked capital subsidy scheme This scheme aims to replace old and obsolete technology with new and upgraded ones for businesses. The capital subsidy is given to the business to upgrade and have better means to do their business. MSMEs can directly approach banks for to avail these subsidies. Women entrepreneurship Aimed at supporting women who wish to start their own business, the government provides capital, counselling, training and delivery techniques to these women so that they manage their business and expand it. This scheme comprises initiatives such as Cent Kalyani scheme and Mudra Yojana that offers multiple benefits to get more women into the business ecosystem. Atal Incubation Centres The government of India has set up the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) at NITI Aayog with overarching purpose of promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in India. Currently, there are 59 Atal Incubation Centres (AIC) in the country. They have been built to provide to end-to-end support for MSMEs, in terms of providing resources and guiding them through their inception journey. AIM will provide a grant-in-aid of up to INR 10 crore for a maximum period of five years to cover the capital and operational expenditures to establish the AIC. With the support of several government initiatives and programs from VCs and incubators, businesses can expect the financial backup they need to grow online.  |
| Business Trends: Marketing in 2021 - Lifestyle - New Haven Register Posted: 20 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST Looking to enhance your marketing strategy for 2021? 2020 has not been a good year for small businesses and marketers. From political turmoils to the pandemic, these all affected the marketing landscape. It's all due to the uncertain effects they create with customers in using new products. The good news is that it's not all doom and gloom. This 2021, marketers are now looking at various factors to keep with the competition. To do that, they need to think and adapt new strategies to new business trends. Although they might look impressive, sometimes it isn't necessary. It is important to stay up to date with the constant changes in business trends. That's why we have compiled the 7 digital marketing trends to look out for this 2021. 1. Investing in Social MediaSocial media has had a huge impact on engagement and relaying new information to others. With over a billion people spending their time online, it creates a trending shift in the market. Using social media increase the chances of brand exposure and return of investments. It creates a simple path of making sakes without making the customer leave the platform. That's why many businesses and companies dedicate more resources to social media. They offer an opportunity for the public to find you. The only problem that you will need to deal with is to keep up customer retention. The trick here is to keep your customers satisfied with your products and services. However, what's important is that you keep your customers informed on your business. It costs you less to keep your existing products and help provide referrals to others. 2. Video MarketingVideo marketing provides a new way to reach a wider audience. It's a current trend that marketers hook up into. Videos are versatile and give life to the real-life picture you're trying to show. There are many new formats, innovation, and engaging ways to catch them. Videos are also powerful tools that can tap into viewers' emotions and lead to more sales. Viewers like it because it's fun to watch. They're accessible to anyone on the internet and easy to share across many platforms. Making an advertisement video isn't that easy. You need to balance the branding message and make it look simple. For the product to become a success, it needs a good video marketing strategy. 3. Using PPC AdvertisementsPay per click advertisements isn't going anywhere in 2021. If anything, they're the most efficient campaigns for digital marketing. These small business trends might look a little different from one another. The campaign that continues to dominate the trending state is PPC Automation and AI. It maximizes conversions while minimizing cost. Combined with new technology, it then focuses on efficiency in choosing targeted customers. Many sites advocate the use of PPC automation campaigns in their platforms. Remember that businesses still get a $2 return for every $1 they spend on Google Ads. 4. Optimization of SEO UseSEO's are the constant target that all businesses look into. Some businesses may find it hard to keep up because SEO is an ever-changing landscape. However, many trending business ideas can influence the SEO rules. User experience proves to be the most prominent one among them. It designs customer experience according to the users' perspective. To take advantage of this is to know how the ranking shifts. To do this, you need to optimize your platforms in the SEO. You need your page to load fast, easy to find, and accessible to all devices. Before choosing the right keywords, research what it means first. A good strategy is keeping it updated depending on the search flux. 5. Improved Product AvailabilityThe availability is a top reason why customers change brands. It's a problem that all businesses will face sooner or later. However, there are a few ways to remedy this problem. The most obvious solution is to increase your product inventory. Although costly, it will give you on-hand time-slots for services. If it becomes a problem, timely communication will be the key. Set reasonable expectations to prevent accidents. This is so that it will not disrupt your business's production time. You can also create a subscriber list to notify them about what's available. 6. Make More Interactive ContentAdding interactive content is always a good way to get more attention. It allows viewers of the site to engage with your brand and learn more about them. Contests are a great way you can engage with your audience. It increases your visibility and expands the reach of your brand. Sometimes, they even give out rewards to the winners. Other than that, it increases the chance to refine your personas and offer-targeting. You can check out this blog post on marketing during 2021 about consumer habits. 7. User Privacy Protections for Audience TargetingBuyer privacy is important to any customer that comes across your product. With users spending more time on the internet, businesses can collect data for the future. Businesses are becoming more concerned about the sudden exposure of customer info. Because of this, companies need to make some changes in their security. This resulted in a sudden 33% decrease in cyber-attacks. That is why people flock to companies that ensure info security. They see them as more reliable and trustworthy as compared to companies that don't. This later leads to increased revenue and no cost of legal actions. Despite this, businesses will need to undergo changes to track customers. You can start by setting up a marketing platform. After which, tell your customers how you will handle their info. Keep up With Latest Business Trends Today2021 will become a year full of digital marketing. You can expect new kinds of strategies, tactics, and technologies to keep the trends. Yet, the success will always come down to how you use it. We hope you have learned about the upcoming business trends. Looking for more ways to enhance your marketing strategy? Check out our other business guides for more valuable tips on marketing your brand. June Potter wrote this article on behalf of FreeUp. FreeUp is the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. FreeUp only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world. New Haven Register and Hearst partners may earn revenue when readers click affiliate links in this article.  |
| How Antler East Africa is building early-stage startups with experienced professionals - TechCrunch Posted: 19 Feb 2021 06:37 AM PST Unlike incubators and accelerators, company builders are organizations that tend to develop startups from scratch mainly based on their own ideas and resources. In the process, they bring together tech enthusiasts — designers, developers, marketers — who likely meet each other for the first time to work on a startup. Antler is one such organization. But it runs a mixed model where it also acts as an early-stage venture capital firm. It helps founders build complementary co-founding teams, and provides support with deep business model validation and a global platform for scaling their businesses. To date, Antler has invested in and helped build more than 250 companies. Of these companies, 40% have at least one female co-founder, and the founders represent more than 70 nationalities. Founded in 2017 by serial entrepreneur Magnus Grimeland and a team of experienced entrepreneurs, investors and company builders worldwide, Antler has raised more than $75 million to help entrepreneurs spread across nine of the world's major entrepreneurial hubs. They include Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Nairobi, New York, Oslo, Singapore, Stockholm and Sydney. Antler's only office in Africa is in Nairobi, and it is run and led by women. Marie Nielsen, founder of a paper recycling company in Ethiopia called Penda Paper Recycling, is a partner at the firm. She was an associate partner at Mckinsey & Company responsible for opening their Addis Ababa office. Melalite Ayenew is the firm's tech partner. Her experience includes Oracle, Bain & Company and Princeton Consultants. Selam Kebede is the firm's director and leads operations. Before joining Antler, she worked for a couple of VCs and entrepreneurship support organizations. Turning professionals to foundersSimilar to other locations around the world, Antler East Africa runs two cohorts in a year. The firm is particular about adopting a people-first approach, and they bring together professionals with, on average, 10 years of experience in their respective industries. These professionals who become founders ideate, iterate and create solutions typically based on insights they have gathered or problems observed during the course of their past professional experience in their respective industries. After six months of incubation, the firm invests in the teams they can help further. Typically in the pre-seed stage, Antler cuts $100,000 checks for a 10-20% equity in each selected team. But for Antler East Africa, the stake is exactly 20%. "Our process is very hands-on; by working with the co-founders over several months, we get the opportunity to help shape the business models and perform extensive due diligence before investing," Nielsen said to TechCrunch. The due diligence Nielsen talks about is supported by the global Antler platform, where they pull upon its network of more than 400 experts across technologies and industries. After the pre-seed investments, Antler East Africa claims to continue to support the teams as they hit the ground running and start raising funds from follow-on investors. Ayenew adds that the firm is also exploring the opportunity to invest in pre-existing, early-stage startups developed outside its program, but early enough for them to come in and still provide value in addition to the monetary investment. Given that Nairobi is Antler's only office in Africa, the team looks out for founders working on pan-African problems and solutions. It has attracted founders from more than 15 African countries, which plays a large role in maintaining its cohorts' outlook to be organically pan-African. To date, Antler East Africa has invested in a broad range of technology companies in the B2B, B2C and direct-to-consumer space, ranging from emerging sectors like robotics and AI to sectors such as health tech, fintech and proptech. From its last two cohorts, Antler East Africa has invested in six startups. Cooked is a subscription-based meal kit provider. Cooked operates with weekly and monthly subscriptions and delivers products to its customers on pre-agreed days of the week. The founders have more than 20 years of experience in finance, food and restaurant industries. UNCOVER claims to be building the continent's most trusted skincare brand and content platform by partnering with top skincare labs in Korea. The company carried out a skincare survey with responses from 1,000 Kenyan women and claims the data obtained will help develop viral knowledge platforms and effective customized products. Having spent its early days in FMCG, and particularly with small traders, ChapChapGo identified that the lack of simple and affordable tools tailored to the local context was a major challenge for Kenyan businesses to adopt e-commerce. ChapChapGo enables businesses to transact online in a few minutes with simple invoicing, automatic reconciliation and faster M-PESA checkouts.  Image Credits: Antler East Africa Anyi Health wants to improve access to financial support for primary healthcare seekers. In Nigeria and many other African countries, patients unable to pay their hospital bills are detained in the hospital or left untreated. Anyi Health aims to solve this through a mobile-based point-of-need credit facility, where patients can apply for credit directly at the hospital. The company just started its MVP pilot with three hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria and is looking to raise a $300,000 seed round based on pilot proof of concept. AIfluence is an AI-driven influencer marketing platform. Founded by advertising veterans, AIfluence enables brands in Africa to make a better decision when launching, managing and evaluating their influencer marketing campaigns. The company has signed customer contracts worth more than $600,000 with leading international and African companies, including Sony and Safaricom. Digiduka positions itself as the digital service solution for Kenya's cash economy. Its thesis is that payment solutions in Africa have two problems shutting out millions of potential users. One is high transaction fees, ranging as high as 9% per transaction, and the other is inconvenient payment modes. With the CEO and CTO having between themselves over 15 years of experience working with leading African telcos and as a technical lead for various startups, they aim to build the unified digital services solution of choice for both consumers and smaller retailers in Kenya. Antler East Africa's next cohort is in April, and Kebede says by bringing brilliant and experienced people together to create outstanding businesses in Africa, they hope that Antler "will help foster organizations that change the way people think, are sustainable and innovative as well as encourage other people to realize their own business goals."  |
| 5 Simple Valentine's Day Business Ideas - Entrepreneur Posted: 12 Feb 2021 08:08 AM PST  The date of love and friendship is approaching. Here's how you can generate extra income. Grow Your Business, Not Your InboxStay informed and join our daily newsletter now! This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In Mexico, Valentine's Day or the day of love and friendship is the fifth most important date among the population according to data from the Mexican Internet Association, and if to this, we add that approximately 72% of Mexicans participate in This holiday becomes a date that can generate extra income for anyone who wants to earn money. To give you a clearer idea, the National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services (CONDUSEF) revealed that approximately 61% of Mexicans spend between $ 100 and $ 400 pesos on gifts during this date, while approximately 34% spend from $ 400 to $ 800 pesos, and these figures are without counting the people who spend above those amounts. If you want to generate an extra income or, adapt your business a bit so that it generates more money during these dates, I share 5 extremely simple business ideas for the day of love and friendship:
The options are endless, these are just some of the easiest and that you can adapt to your business model during these dates. Get creative and make the most of the festivities in the country, as everything represents an opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs.  |
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