Printify

printify

In the wake of the recent global Coronavirus pandemic, most of us have gone into self isolation to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others. However this increased time we spend indoors is a good opportunity to work on building an online business that can financially support you if it succeeds. What is Ecommerce? Ecommerce, also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce, refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, as well as the exchange of money to complete these transactions. Ecommerce is mostly used to describe the selling of physical or digital products online, however it actually describes any kind of commercial transaction that takes place online. Ecommerce is rapidly growing retail market and these are a few of the reasons why: Global ecommerce sales are estimated to reach $27 Trillion in 2020 The ecommerce market grows by 23% on average every year According to roughly 8 out of 10 Americans shop online, with 15% doing so on a weekly basis. Pew Research Center, and over half of them use mobile devices for purchases 80% of Americans shop online The type of ecommerce we will be looking at in this story is , which you can do using an online store builder tool like . selling online Shopify Whilst ecommerce is a fairly simple business to start, it is no magic bullet. It's a business that could take weeks, months or even years to become successful. You should approach it with a long term mindset and focus on building customer trust, especially since most of your business will come from repeat customers. Repeat customers also spend more when shopping online. Now lets look at the different types of onlne businesses you can start from home. Here are 5 ecommerce business ideas you can start today from home. Start an Online Store See yourself as a good salesperson? Well sourcing and selling trending products online could be a good fit for you. Not sure on what to sell? What are your interests? For example, if you like technology you could sell smartphone accessories like phone cases or chargers. If you're into beauty you can sell wigs, makeup or beard oil, if you love pets you can sell pet clothing, toys and accessories. Another great way to brainstorm ideas is looking at what people around you always need or are always buying. Below are a few examples: Charging cables for Android/iPhones/USB-C - Every single day I am looking for a charger, either to charge my iPhone or my wireless headphones, theres multiple chargers in my house and I still have trouble findind one that hasn't been used. Portable chargers - Similar to the charging issue, everytime I go the gym there is somebody who needs a charger. Smartphone Grips - PopSockets are a good example, I'm always seeing people with adhesive grips attached to the back of their smartphones. For product research you can use tools like to see what customers are interested in, for example you can type in "online store" or "online shop" then scroll down and look at the results to see what niches or shops pop up. Google Trends Look at the name of the stores, search them up on Google and see what they sell. Make a list of their top selling products, if they don't have a top selling products section, just list down as many products as you can. Next go back to Google Trends and type in the products you listed to see how many people are searching for them. In the example above you can see me researching grills from a website I found, you can always scroll down to see additional information about your trend searches. Now you can see more refined information on the products you are researching as well as the popularity, as you can see the popularity is rated as "Breakout" which is the highest rating. For more product research methods you can search the Amazon best sellers list, choose a catergory and make a list of the best selling products and run those through Google Trends too. You can also check out a products Amazon Best Seller Rank (BSR) to give you an idea of how well the product is selling. Products with higher BSR ranks make more sales per day, so an Amazon product with a BSR of 5,000 is selling more per day than a product with a BSR of 10,000. This is due partly to 2 reasons: Successful products get ranked higher on the BSR so they have to be making a lot of sales to reach a high rank. Amazon's alogrithms reward sellers with successful products, pushing their products closer the first page of a search query. This in turn increases sales due to exposure, creating a snowball effect. calculated the estimated number of sales per month for Amazon USA products in the Pet Supplies category, related to its Best Seller Rank (BSR). HomeGrown Income Here are the results below: BSR 10,000 – 480 sales a month. BSR 5,000 – 900 sales a month. BSR 3,000 –  1,410 sales a month. BSR 2,000 –  1,920 sales a month. BSR 1,000 – 3,060 sales a month. BSR 500 – 4,560 sales a month. BSR 250 – 6,450 sales a month. BSR 100 – 9,450 sales a month. BSR 50 – 12,060 sales a month. BSR 25 –  14,820 sales a month. BSR 10 – 18,660 sales a month. BSR 5 – 21,600 sales a month. BSR 2 – 25,380 sales a month. BSR 1 – 28,140 sales a month. Source: How to Find the Best Products to Sell Online: Product Research Guide You can use the above stats as a reference when checking the Best Seller Rank of a product on Amazon. Look for products with a BSR of at least 10,000, these are the products selling a few hundred units a month. When you have a list of products you want to sell, you can find suppliers on . Always start your orders small with 100 - 500 pieces for cheaper goods and 20 - 100 pieces for expensive goods. Alibaba Sell Clothing or Merchandise Clothing and merchandise are very a lucrative business idea in 2020, fitness clothing, summer dresses, shapewear, phone cases, bags and shoes are all popular products you can sell in. You can sell clothing or merchandise online in 3 ways: 1. Hands-on method (Buy wholesale) Buy clothing wholesale from Alibaba & AliExpress, sell via Shopify and market use Instagram influencers & Facebook ads. This is essentially running an online store, buying the clothing or mechandise and reselling it for a profit. 2. Hands-off method 1 (Print-on-Demand) Use a Print-on-Demand service like or to link your store automatically to clothing and product manufacturers. You just need to provide a design for the printed goods, you don't have to buy any inventory. Printful Printify The manufacturers hold all the inventory and once a customer places an order on your site, they print your design onto the product (a t-shirt for example) and ship it to the customer. This is similiar to dropshipping since you are not storing any inventory, instead your manufacturer keeps stock, then prints and ships your products on a per order basis. You can print designs onto t-shirts, hoodies, leggings, hats, bags, phone cases and many more. 3. Hands-off method 2 (Dropshipping) Use the free Shopify dropshipping app to link your online store to a dropshipping supplier. Just like Print-on-Demand, with dropshipping your supplier stores the inventory for you and ships only once an order has been placed. Oberlo Why start a clothing line or sell mechandise? Put your creativity to use - If you know how to find or create good designs, this is a good way to create an income from your creativity. If you use the Print-on-Demand or Dropshipping method you don't need to buy or hold any inventory. Clothing is a very popular industry and there are so many niches you can choose from. Start a Dropshipping Store You can create an online store without having to hold any inventory. Thats right, with dropshipping you simply create an online store and link it to multiple dropshippings partners for free with . This Shopify app connects to thousands of dropshipping suppliers and you can even it's chrome extension to import products to your store from AliExpress. Oberlo Every time you get a sale, the supplier packs and ships your product direct to your customer under your companies details. Your customers never find out who the suppler is the whole time. Since you don't have to physically handle or ship and inventory yourself, this is a great option for entreprenuers who want to work remotely or from home. Popular dropshipping niches include: Health & Beauty Fitness Products Drones & Drone Accessories Mobile, Tablet & Smartphone Accessories Travel Accessories Home & Garden Products Diet & Weight Loss Why start a dropshipping store? You don't need to purchase, manage or ship any inventory, this reduces your business costs drastically. You can easily add new products to your store with just a click using . Oberlo You can drophip thousands of products to customers across the world. Sell Digital Products It's not only physical products you can sell online. Digital products such as eBooks, workout guides, meal plans, themes, design assets, albums, courses etc. can all be sold on your online store. The great thing about digital products is, you only have to create it once, then you can sell it as many times as you like. Since it is not a physical product you don't have to spend any money on getting new inventory. Popular digital products you can sell online include: Meal Plans & Workout Guides Courses E-books UX/UI Kits Website Themes & Templates Virtual Goods (Game Skins etc.) Printables (Recipe books, calenders, business cards, workbooks) Applications & Plugins Graphics & Illustrations Why sell digital products? Good cashflow - Since digital products are only made once, you save money since you don't have to buy new inventory. You just sell the same product over and over again. Very high profit margins - A digital product can be a PDF ebook or an online course and the profit margins are usually large for digital product sales. You can easily edit or change your product at any time. Sell Handmade or Unique Goods Selling handmade crafts is a good way to turn your hobby into a business that pays you. You could sell 3D Printed products, Raspberry Pi based gadgets, knitted goods, orgigami, hand stitched bags and clothing, custom made jewellry etc. Another great thing about selling handmade goods is that there is usually a niche community already established around that particular product or craft. Raspberry Pi accessories for example are very popular in the computer science community. Popular handmade goods you can sell include: Bath Bombs Soaps Jewelry Candles Sweets Art & Paintings Fragrance Combs & Hair Pins Chef Knives Greeting Cards Why sell handmade or unique goods? You get to turn your hobby into a an income stream You can use local craft shows to build a following for your brand Since you make the goods yourself, you can easily make changes to your product line Conclusion There you go, 5 business ideas you can start at home. Hopefully this story has given enough inspiration to get started. If you are currently self-isolating, let's make the most of this and take the first steps towards building a home-based business. For those of you who are not self-isolating, if you have an idea for an online business, why not start now? If you want to try out Shopify, click here

5 Online Business Ideas You Can Start From Home (Ecommerce)

Entrepreneurship definitely is one of the most misconceived terminologies of the era. It seems like a mountain of tasks to start a business. When we think of all the time, money, and risks involved, it’ just seems so inaccessible to a regular man or woman. We don’t doubt the complexities and the groundwork critical to start a business, but it’s not that much of a task you can’t commence without spending a fortune. Especially, when we are living an era of digital commerce and online businesses, the available high-tech solutions have made eCommerce business ideas accessible to the masses. We have seen giants coming up from college dorms and garages, online entrepreneurship can’t be this tough to take on your own. Take the current state of task, money, and time obligatory to build an eCommerce website for instance. Just a decade ago, entrepreneurs would spend a great deal of fortune to get their eCommerce stores developed, but today, we have ready-made eCommerce platforms, which build web stores in no time. This grown-up accessibility has made low-investment business ideas practical and offered easy entry points to any person with a business idea. 5 low-investment online business ideas to start on the go Here are five low-investment you can undertake in 2019 without thinking much about the massive investments required. eCommerce business ideas 1. Dropshipping eCommerce Dropshipping is a result of not just modern-day advancements in web technologies but also the logistic infrastructure that we see today. First came inventory-based eCommerce where entrepreneurs would invest in in-house inventories, warehouses, and supporting-infrastructure to fulfill the orders they would get on their web stores. Then came the marketplace model of eCommerce, which allowed web store owners to ditch hassles of managing an inventory. The eCommerce website in this model would act simply as a platform to connect the sellers with their customers. The website owner would pass on the orders to the sellers and the sellers would hand over the products to your shipping partner, who would deliver the same to the customers. However, still, the website owner would need to manage the warehouses and shipping of the products. That’s where the modern Dropshipping business model came into existence. It allowed the website owners to ditch even the warehouses and shipping hassles, as sellers now were also responsible for shipping the products directly to the customers. Image Credit: brihaspatitech.com As a dropshipping business owner, you just need to pass on the orders to your dropshipping supplier, and they would take care of everything from managing the stock to delivering the orders to the customers. Eventually, you are responsible for the marketing, customer service and branding of your business, while dropping all kinds of bulky investment and focusing on fetching the sales to the drop shipping suppliers. A drop shipping business is considerably a low-investment venture that can accommodate all sorts of products, and easier to expand, as you can collaborate with both local and overseas suppliers to fulfill orders around the globe. You can earn from the commissions paid by the suppliers on each sale they get from your platform. Of course, you need to collaborate with a reliable supplier whom you can trust for the fulfillment and quality of products, too. Otherwise, it’s you and your brand name that would take a hit if anything goes wrong. So find some profitable products you can dropship, find a supplier(s) you can trust, use a ready-made to build your drop shipping platform, market, promote, advertise, optimize, and sell as much you can to earn as many commissions without even investing in inventories, warehouses, logistic, and shipping of the products. marketplace software 2. Design and sell printed stuff If it wasn’t for the drop shipping model, this particular low-investment business idea could have been one of the most expensive ideas. Keeping in-house printers, raw materials, labor, and then managing the stocks and shipping would have been a heck of a complicated mission for a regular entrepreneur with a limited budget. Thanks to the drop shipping model and never-ending demands for printed clothes, accessories, stationery, and other printed supplies, you can sell all kinds of printed stuff without any hassle today. You can sell three types of printed supplies in this segment: : You can sell from the already available inventories of your suppliers. Get in terms with suppliers/manufacturers/wholesalers with ready-made supplies of the products. Generic-Branded : You can create your exclusive designs and ask the suppliers to fulfill them. Get in terms with suppliers/manufacturers/wholesalers ready to produce on your exclusive designs. Exclusive-Branded : Let your customers submit their desired designs, which you would pass on to the suppliers/manufacturers/wholesalers to fulfill accordingly on-demand. Print-on-demand To get the most out of this business idea, you can adopt a hybrid of all three methods. There is a huge demand for printed products in both the individual customers and the bulk orders segment. What and where should you print? T-shirts, phone covers, laptop skins, tote bags, t-shirts, pants, shoes, sandals, wallets, water bottles, coffee mugs, photo frames, holiday cards, and a lot more. You can think of trending memes, slogans, hashtags, anything that resonates with the current trend will make a good fit to print. However, you would also get the bulk orders from brands to print their brand identities on office supplies, stationary, clothes, business cards, and much more; there is no shortage of stuff and ideas to print. While there is a lot you can sell, selecting a niche and focusing on making a name in the same would be a good idea. There are so many businesses already in the market supplying almost everything. The only way to stand out would be serving a niche and focusing on product quality, marketing, customer support, and conversion optimization in the same. The market is full of some great drop shipping suppliers for printed stuff. They also offer easy APIs integration with popular eCommerce platforms to synchronize the orders and inventory. To name a few, you can check out the suppliers such as Printify, Zazzle, Gooten, TeeSpring, Printful, Society6, Spreadshirt, Merch Amazon, Fine Art America, Design by Humans, RedBubble, Merchify, CG Pro Prints, and Heat Press Fun. 3. Create and sell online courses The easiest things to sell online are digital products. They don’t demand inventory management and administration of shipping hassles. You just need a good digital product, responsive customer support, great marketing, and competitive pricing to kick-start a digital products business on the go. While there are many products you can sell and fulfill digitally (software, magazine, songs, videos, e-books), selling eLearning courses makes a great fit in today’s scenario. Online courses today are not just coming out in complement to regular courses but have also acquired their own fair share in almost every segment. Be a vocational course, degree course, simple tutorials, or K-12 academic help for school students, online courses are trending in the market. Now, you must be wondering who would create these courses? Maybe, you can create one or two courses with your skills, but you can’t just become a master of all fields overnight and create courses for everyone. That’s a good point, but the marketplace model of eCommerce has a solution to this, too. You can simply start an eLearning marketplace (just like Udemy) and let different subject experts create and upload their courses. You would be making money from the commissions you would get from every sale these subject experts make on your platform. So how to build an eLearning marketplace? You can start with free eCommerce platforms like Magento, PrestaShop, WooCommerce, and OpenCart; all of them support selling digital products. If your courses are PDF, TXT, Videos, Images, etc., it’s not tough to sell and regulate their download on these platforms. However, we would suggest using a decent Udemy clone script, if you can spare some budget for website development. Selling digital products and selling eLearning courses are two different undertakings. Websites for online courses require special features for course authoring, instructional designing, learner management, and tutors management. Traditional eCommerce platforms and create an online stores to sell physical products, but they lack special features for eLearning management. A good Udemy clone script will have everything sorted out and inbuilt. So what do you want to teach? Have you decided on your niche yet? Perhaps, a K-12 academic help site or a site just for Astro-physics will make a good fit. Explore your prospects now. 4. On-demand service marketplace Selling a service instead of a product is yet another way to start a low-investment business. Here, the only investment is time, as you will have some limited period to deliver your services to the customers. A service could be anything thing you or your associates can provide to your customers on-demand. To name a few, you can experiment with ideas such as content writing, website development, house help, cleaning, cooking, and dog walking. You can follow the service marketplace model and add as many service providers and services to your catalog. The same commission-per-transaction model will let you make some great money by just facilitating the communication and transactions on the platform. Depending on how good are your connections you can include both scheduled and on-demand services in your eCommerce business ideas. You can let people schedule plumbing work after a week, request a beauty salon at home, or even book a wedding planner. The range of services will depend on your groundwork and business model. Take some cues from the likes of TaskRabbit, Thumbtack, Upwork, and Freelancer, and start a service marketplace similar to these. It’s best to start within a niche and market yourself as an expert in supplying the niche services. For example, Upwork and Freelancers are popular for freelancing services, while Thumbtack and TaskRabbit have acquired a great name in on-demand and scheduled utility services such as plumber on-demand, baby-sitter on-demand, wedding planning, etc. You can establish yourself in any such niche. For instance, photography services, videography services, electricians, AC repairing, and moving & packing services, etc. There are various TaskRabbit and Thumbtack clone scripts available in the market to build a service marketplace platform. You should test them out. 5. Build a followers’ base and monetize Online business is not just about eCommerce and selling stuff directly to the target customers. There is a lot you can do with the internet to make money. In a world so connected by the internet and social media, the ability to influence an audience-base with your opinions can also open up multiple revenue channels to make money. Influencer marketing is something that big and small businesses don’t mind spending on. If you can somehow secure a big followers base on social media, brands will come to you for promotion. You can start with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and propel all the way to your own fan site. Even your blogs will pay off decently when you have people following you on social media. You can do: Sponsored blog posts Sponsored videos Sponsored live streams Affiliate marketing for brands Eventually, the audience will don’t mind sponsoring you on Patreon, YouTube Channel Premium Subscription, Twitch Premium, and even on your Fan-site. This could be indeed a low-investment business idea, but it’s not simple. It takes a lot of effort to create engaging content and attract viewership and then follower ship. Having done that, it takes an even longer duration to establish an influence; an influence so much that the audience will not mind paying for browsing your content or supporting you financially. However, if done correctly, this model will not only allow you to earn from your followers but will also let you secure some even bigger earnings from brands and businesses willing to work with you in their influence marketing-mix. Moreover, the same influence will also establish you as a brand, allowing you to launch your products and merchandise and making some direct money selling stuff to the fans. So, find out what you are good at, what kind of content you can create, how will you engage your audience, and so on. You don’t have to be a big celebrity to become an influence. You can pick a niche such as cooking, travel blogging, technology education, performing arts, and many more. Everything needs perfection The ideas and tips explained here are merely small sections of what you can do with them. These are some eCommerce business ideas to start in the least investment, and it doesn’t mean continuing on the same scale forever would be a good idea. Trends come and go, and you have to adapt to them to survive. Moreover, the more you innovate on the existing prospects, the more is the chance to stand out from many others who are willing to experiment with these ideas, the same as you.

5 Low-Investment Business Ideas You Can Start Online

Shopify is a useful tool for any entrepreneur looking to build an online income stream. Whether you’re looking to escape the 9-to-5 grind or you just want to earn some beer money on the side, there are plenty of ways to turn your skills and interests into cold hard cash online. Sure, making money online sounds like a daydream. The truth is, starting a business or online store of any kind is hard work, but countless people have already done it and chances are you can too. We’re not about to tell sell you one simple life-changing trick or a dream of driving Lamborghinis in the Hollywood Hills. Instead, we’ve put together a collection of simple ideas that you can use to start a real business, without quitting your day job ( ). unless you really want to Let’s get started! 1. Build a Dropshipping Business Think you need a warehouse full of inventory to run your own business? Think again! Dropshipping is a great way to kickstart your very own business on a budget. You can hit the ground running by sourcing a pre-existing product from a supplier and having them take care of everything else, including packaging and fulfillment. This process let’s you skip over a lot of obstacles that might be holding you back from starting your own business, especially finding out if there’s a market for your product without placing a huge order upfront. Why Choose Dropshipping? · , meaning that your cashflow won’t get tied up in inventory. Your store doesn’t need to stock products in a physical location · Since you don’t have to deal with things like tracking inventory or mailing packages, dropshipping takes care of a lot of potential headaches. Whenever a purchase is made, you place an order with a third party and they’ll handle the rest of the process for you. · Whether it’s your living room or the cafe down the street, you decide where you want to work from. No warehouse means that you can run your business from anywhere. Want to see what dropshipping looks like in action? was built from scratch using dropshipping and, after just three days, it was generating . Hello Matcha nearly $1,000 in revenue If you’re interested in dropshipping, install read the to learn everything you need to know about getting started. Oberlo Shopify Ultimate Guide to Dropshipping If you’re not sure what you want to sell, here are some strategies for narrowing down the perfect product: · Search on the Oberlo Marketplace of products · How to Find a Product to Sell Online (Including 10 Trending Product Ideas) · 10 Places Ecommerce Entrepreneurs Go to Find Product Ideas . How I Imported Gaming Glasses with Alibaba and Made $2416.51 in 5 Weeks 2. Start Your Own Clothing Line As long as you have some designs in mind and a little bit of time on your hands, you can get your own clothing company off the ground in less than a day. If you own , you can set up your own clothing line using plugins like , and that automatically link your store to apparel printers or clothing manufacturers. They handle every step of the retail fulfilment process for you, giving you the freedom to design and ship a wide range of pieces right out of the gate. a Shopify store Oberlo Printify Printful Why Start a Clothing Line? than creating products that people love and use every day**.** · There’s nothing more satisfying Thanks to apps like Printify and Printful, the process of designing and delivering your own custom-made clothing has been streamlined and simplified. · As soon as you build your Shopify store, you’ll be able to start selling instantly. You’ll love the feeling of seeing your designs come to life. · Transform your creativity into something real and profitable. One entrepreneur used Printful to set up , an apparel store for dog owners, and ended up making . With some time and research, you’ll be well on your way to building a successful t-shirt company for yourself. THINK PUP over $1,200 in just three weeks Want to get started? Read this comprehensive walkthrough, . How to Start an Online T-Shirt Business: The Ultimate Guide From crafting your brand’s story to promoting your products with influencer marketing, we’ve curated some handy resources that will help grow your apparel business every step of the way: · 22 Awesome T-Shirt Templates and Mockups for Your Clothing Line · 4 Creative Ways to Promote Your Product Through an Influential Fashion Blogger 3. Sell Your Art Online An online store is a great way to sell your art and monetize your creativity. Whether you’re a painter, photographer, or , there are plenty of ways for you to turn your latest set of masterpieces into a stable revenue stream with a beautifully designed ecommerce website. musician If painting or , you can sell your work as prints, canvases, and framed posters using Printify or Printful with your Shopify store. This is a fantastic way to turn your art into something tangible that people can take home and make a part of their space. photography is your forte Is music your thing? You can sell your beats, songs, samples, and more as and grow your own online music empire. digital downloads Just take a look at , the largest online drum sample business in the world. They created a successful and sustainable business model with the help of apps like and . The Drum Broker FetchApp ShipStation Why Sell Your Art? Get your work into your customers’ homes and headphones**.** · Be a part of people’s lives. by setting up shop online. · Create a platform to showcase your work This is your chance to turn your passion into a sustainable income stream and do what you really love for a living. · As an artist, creating art isn’t just a hobby — it’s a way of life. Ready to build a storefront for your art? Get started with these: · How an Entrepreneur from Alaska Built the Biggest Hip-Hop Drum Sample Business in the World · John Kraft: How to Sell Art Online · From Artist to Entrepreneur: How Eric Rosner Put His Passion on Pillows 4. Become a Freelance Writer, Designer, or Developer Writers, developers, and graphic designers are in high demand. As a freelancer, you’ll be able to put your talents to good use by helping people across the world with their projects (while making some quick money on the side, of course). Freelancing doesn’t mean committing to month-long projects that eat away at your free time either, you can easily pick up bite-sized tasks that fit into your schedule. To find people that need your help, try freelancing marketplaces like and . Upwork Fiverr It’s worth noting that Fiverr is a little different from a traditional job board — as the name suggests, all the posted jobs cost five dollars. The key to making big money on Fiverr lies in carefully setting up your offers, so that you can easily upsell for more money. For instance, you could offer to write a 150 word introduction for a blog post as your initial $5.00 service. As an upsell for your clients, you could charge another $10.00 for every additional 150 words. Although this might not seem like much, you can tweak your services until you’ve found a combo that makes it worth your while. If you want total control over how much you can charge, . You can list your services as products and disable shipping since you won’t actually be physically delivering anything to your customers. You can also use apps like and to give your customers the option to schedule appointments. create a Shopify store BookThatApp Events Calendar Why Freelance? and set your own schedule and workplace. · When you freelance, you choose which projects you want to work on , whether you’re looking to strike out on your own or you just to make some extra cash on weekends. · Getting paid to do something you’re good at is a rewarding feeling and get some real experience in a wide range of industries. Who knows — you might discover that you have a knack or passion for something that you never expected. · If you’re new to writing, designing, or developing, freelancing is an excellent way to build out your portfolio If freelancing sounds like it might be a good fit for your lifestyle, we’ve put together some great articles that can help you make the most of your time and be more productive. Take a look: · 7 Ways to Be More Productive While Working from Home · 5 Handy and 5 Hilarious Things You Can Buy for Your Business on Fiverr · 8 Tips for Highly Productive Entrepreneurs 5. Teach an Online Course Teaching an online course is a solid way to generate passive income. All you need to do is put together a video walkthrough explaining a subject that you’re familiar with and then host it on your own personal website. Although it takes some effort up front, if you manage to design a popular high-value video tutorial series, you could be making money on a regular basis as people continue to enrol in your courses. To start creating your first online course, brainstorm a topic that you know well enough to teach someone how to do from scratch. This can be literally anything — music production, social media marketing, web development — you name it. Next, you’ll want to grab a screencasting app like to record your screen and voice while you walk your viewers through your tutorial. Screenflow also comes with a built-in video editing suite, allowing you to shoot and cut your videos all on the same platform. Screenflow Why Teach an Online Course? · Take an afternoon to build an online course and you could be reaping the benefits for weeks. With an online course, you can literally set it and forget it. · Focus on teaching something that you’re already an expert at and the rest will come naturally, whether it’s building iOS apps, creating monthly budgets, or running Facebook ad campaigns. You already have the knowledge, you just need to share it. · While there’s definitely money to be made in teaching online courses, helping other people is always a satisfying experience unto itself. Teaching someone a new skill is its own reward. Thinking about sharing your skills with the world? Here are some inspirational TED Talks and podcasts to get your brain moving: · Must Watch TED Talks for Entrepreneurs · 16 Inspirational Podcasts for Entrepreneurs 6. Flip Your Thrift Store Finds If you love hitting up thrift stores and hunting down great deals, then opening up an online boutique to sell your second-hand treasures is a natural next step. Your potential customers want to buy cool stuff, but they don’t want to dig through old soccer jerseys and braided belts to get their hands on that one amazing find. Take advantage of this by positioning yourself as a trustworthy curator who can go out and uncover those great pieces for them. Why Sell Your Thrift Store Stuff? · Let’s face it, you’d be combing through thrift store racks anyway, so you might as well make some money while you do it. Put your shopping addiction to work. · That $2.00 Radioshack ball cap you found over the weekend? It’s now a $40.00 vintage vaporwave strapback. The margins are huge. · Nowhere else on the Web will people be able to find the collections that you’ve put together. You aren’t just selling products, you’re selling something unique. Sometimes a passion for second-hand curiosities is all it takes to kickstart a business. , an online store dedicated to selling vintage video games, started when its owner received a box of old Japanese games from a friend and wanted to sell them online. Now, Windy Gaming generates . Windy Gaming $1,000 per week sending retro gaming gear across the world Want to turn your cool stuff into pizza money? Take a look at these guides to making your products look great in photos: · 7 Steps to Beautiful DIY Apparel Product Photography · 10 Common Jewelry Product Photography Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them) Publish Your Own Book 7. It’s okay to admit it: You’ve probably thought about publishing your own book someday. While seeing your name on a list of best sellers might seem like a pipe dream, it’s actually not that far out of reach. It doesn’t matter if it’s a science fiction novel, a marketing guide, or a children’s picture book, there are now plenty of options for successfully self-publishing your own work. From releasing your writing as an ebook with to on-demand printing services like and , there are many different ways for you to become a published author and sell your book online. the Digital Download app Blurb CreateSpace To sell ebooks through your online store, install the Digital Downloads app and you’ll instantly be able to stock digital files as products. Once purchased, your ebooks will be sent to your customers via email or as a direct download link. If you choose to sell physical copies of your books, you’ll just need to place an order with Blurb or CreateSpace whenever your work is purchased. They’ll custom print your book and handle the entire storage and fulfilment process. Why Publish a Book? thanks to services like Blurb and CreateSpace · Printing, storage, and delivery is taken care of Self-publishing is the quickest way to get your books into the hands of potential readers. · What’s the point of writing if there’s no one to read it? and you deserve to be able to make money while doing something you enjoy. · Creative writing is your passion Ready to live out your dreams of being a published author? These resources will help you out on your way to the top: · The Malcolm Gladwell Guide to Starting a Business · Hacking the Press: Clever Ways to Get Free Press Coverage with Zero Budget It’s Time to Start Your Business If you’ve been wondering how to make money online, it’s time to get out there start a business. Focus on taking your first steps toward success with our guide to getting started, . 50 Ways to Make Your First Sale Have any more questions about setting up your first side business? Let us know in the comments below. <a href="https://medium.com/media/3c851dac986ab6dbb2d1aaa91205a8eb/href">https://medium.com/media/3c851dac986ab6dbb2d1aaa91205a8eb/href</a> Follow Home Grown Income on Medium: Home Grown Income Blog . Follow Home Grown Income on Twitter: @HomeGrownIncome

7 Ways You Can Use Shopify to Make Money Online

As much as construction relies on heavy machinery and robotics, it needs human labor. This has been the status quo for decades — but that’s all about to change. Three-dimensional printing is drastically reshaping labor dynamics. How far will its reach extend? Construction’s Current Labor Dynamics Construction may be one of the most labor-intensive sectors in the world, but it isn’t getting much done. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, single-family residential construction productivity dropped by 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, even though hours worked were up by 0.9%. Highway, street and bridge construction fared even worse, with labor productivity down 3.6% despite hours worked increasing by 0.8% in the same period. While industrial and multifamily residential construction saw improvements, that’s still half the sector’s efficiency down. Construction is one of the most labor-intensive industries in the world. It employs 7% to 8.5% of the working population worldwide. Despite various technological advancements, it has remained entirely reliant on human labor — until now. Frankly, the industry is long overdue for change. That’s where 3D printing comes in. This tech operates mostly autonomously, only relying on humans for design, instruction and operation. If it becomes standard, it could permanently reshape labor dynamics. How 3D Printing Impacts Labor Dynamics There are four main ways 3D printing tech impacts labor dynamics in construction. Management Workforce management is essential. Placing workers in positions best suited to their skill set and experience helps support labor productivity and project efficiency. 3D printing will affect supervision and management, influencing what positions decision-makers consider compatible. Skill Sets Workers will need to upskill or reskill soon to compensate for technological advancements. According to the Word Economic Forum, around 44% of employees’ skills will become irrelevant by 2027. Technology literacy is one of the fastest-growing core skills. Responsibilities An industrial 3D printer can build a foundation, walls and roof with minimal human intervention. Specialized machines can also weld, prototype scale models of blueprints or create custom tools. With all of that work automated, workers will need to find something new to do. Workflows A 3D printer can work much faster than humans because it doesn’t need to take breaks or go home for the night. Its automation capabilities could accelerate projects' most time-consuming phases, permanently changing traditional workflows. Does 3D Printing Tech Outperform Workers? An industrial 3D printer can make building processes more efficient and accurate. Since human error makes up 80% of all defects in housing construction, companies could lower material consumption by up to 40% if they used this tech instead of relying on people alone. 3D printing tech could walk circles around people, outperforming people in speed, efficiency and precision. It effectively forces workers to adapt or get replaced, shifting traditional labor roles toward more technologically advanced positions. If companies don’t need to rely on employees as much, they save a ton of money. In construction, labor costs account for 30% to 50% of total expenses, so they stand to save that much. This could greatly impact what they charge or what materials they use. Incorporating 3D printing tech into construction is only the beginning. Firms invested about $50 billion in architecture, engineering and construction tech from 2020 to 2022 — up 85% from 2017 to 2019 — for a reason. Digitalization will soon become an industry-wide standard. The Implications of This Industry-Wide Change The broader implications for the industry’s shifting labor dynamics are worth discussing. 1. Safety 3D printing tech could make worksites safer. For one, it produces fewer defects, leading to safer buildings. During construction, it can go into hard-to-reach places to keep workers out of harm’s way. Also, it eliminates or takes over dangerous tasks like lifting and welding. 2. Sustainability Using one formula instead of various materials shrinks companies’ need to ship, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Also, since using a 3D printer is cost-effective, leaders can afford to invest in sustainable building materials — which are 3% to 4% more expensive on average. 3. Training 3D printing tech likely won’t stay the same as time passes. To keep up with its inevitable technological evolutions — and the wave of integrations that’s likely to follow — ongoing employee training will be necessary. The Future of 3D Printing in Construction Workers may be wary of accepting a machine that could eventually replace them, so business leaders must help workers adapt to make implementation seamless. Raising awareness and conducting employee training programs is essential. As much as construction relies on heavy machinery and robotics, it needs human labor. This has been the status quo for decades — but that’s all about to change. Three-dimensional printing is drastically reshaping labor dynamics. How far will its reach extend? Construction’s Current Labor Dynamics Construction may be one of the most labor-intensive sectors in the world, but it isn’t getting much done. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, single-family residential construction productivity dropped by 0.8% from 2019 to 2023, even though hours worked were up by 0.9%. productivity dropped by 0.8% productivity dropped by 0.8% Highway, street and bridge construction fared even worse, with labor productivity down 3.6% despite hours worked increasing by 0.8% in the same period. While industrial and multifamily residential construction saw improvements, that’s still half the sector’s efficiency down. Construction is one of the most labor-intensive industries in the world. It employs 7% to 8.5% of the working population worldwide. Despite various technological advancements, it has remained entirely reliant on human labor — until now. 7% to 8.5% of the working population 7% to 8.5% of the working population Frankly, the industry is long overdue for change. That’s where 3D printing comes in. This tech operates mostly autonomously, only relying on humans for design, instruction and operation. If it becomes standard, it could permanently reshape labor dynamics. How 3D Printing Impacts Labor Dynamics There are four main ways 3D printing tech impacts labor dynamics in construction. Management Workforce management is essential. Placing workers in positions best suited to their skill set and experience helps support labor productivity and project efficiency. 3D printing will affect supervision and management, influencing what positions decision-makers consider compatible. helps support labor productivity helps support labor productivity Skill Sets Workers will need to upskill or reskill soon to compensate for technological advancements. According to the Word Economic Forum, around 44% of employees’ skills will become irrelevant by 2027. Technology literacy is one of the fastest-growing core skills. around 44% of employees’ skills around 44% of employees’ skills Responsibilities An industrial 3D printer can build a foundation, walls and roof with minimal human intervention. Specialized machines can also weld, prototype scale models of blueprints or create custom tools. With all of that work automated, workers will need to find something new to do. Workflows A 3D printer can work much faster than humans because it doesn’t need to take breaks or go home for the night. Its automation capabilities could accelerate projects' most time-consuming phases, permanently changing traditional workflows. Does 3D Printing Tech Outperform Workers? An industrial 3D printer can make building processes more efficient and accurate. Since human error makes up 80% of all defects in housing construction, companies could lower material consumption by up to 40% if they used this tech instead of relying on people alone. makes up 80% of all defects makes up 80% of all defects 3D printing tech could walk circles around people, outperforming people in speed, efficiency and precision. It effectively forces workers to adapt or get replaced, shifting traditional labor roles toward more technologically advanced positions. If companies don’t need to rely on employees as much, they save a ton of money. In construction, labor costs account for 30% to 50% of total expenses , so they stand to save that much. This could greatly impact what they charge or what materials they use. 30% to 50% of total expenses 30% to 50% of total expenses Incorporating 3D printing tech into construction is only the beginning. Firms invested about $50 billion in architecture, engineering and construction tech from 2020 to 2022 — up 85% from 2017 to 2019 — for a reason. Digitalization will soon become an industry-wide standard. invested about $50 billion invested about $50 billion The Implications of This Industry-Wide Change The broader implications for the industry’s shifting labor dynamics are worth discussing. 1. Safety 3D printing tech could make worksites safer. For one, it produces fewer defects, leading to safer buildings. During construction, it can go into hard-to-reach places to keep workers out of harm’s way. Also, it eliminates or takes over dangerous tasks like lifting and welding. 2. Sustainability Using one formula instead of various materials shrinks companies’ need to ship, reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Also, since using a 3D printer is cost-effective, leaders can afford to invest in sustainable building materials — which are 3% to 4% more expensive on average. 3. Training 3D printing tech likely won’t stay the same as time passes. To keep up with its inevitable technological evolutions — and the wave of integrations that’s likely to follow — ongoing employee training will be necessary. The Future of 3D Printing in Construction Workers may be wary of accepting a machine that could eventually replace them, so business leaders must help workers adapt to make implementation seamless. Raising awareness and conducting employee training programs is essential.

How 3D Printing Is Reshaping Labor Dynamics in the Construction Industry

The Noonification: How 3D Printing Is Impacting Supply Chains (5/29/2024)

While three-dimensional (3D) printing — also known as additive manufacturing — has been a staple in hobbyists’ lives for years, its popularity in industrial applications is rapidly rising. As more companies leverage it, its impact on logistics becomes clear. Will this technology permanently affect supply chains? The Role of 3D Printing in Supply Chains 3D printing’s primary role in supply chains revolves around manufacturing. Many manufacturers use it for small-batch or custom orders because of its fast turnaround time. Its popularity in warehousing and distribution is rising, too, since it’s a relatively versatile technology. Logistics companies use it to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds. While many people associate 3D printing products and services with do-it-yourself projects and fun, worthless trinkets, it’s not just for consumers. In the logistics sector, its penetration rate is high — which isn’t surprising, given its global market value is set to reach $35.6 billion in 2024, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 22.5% from 2020 to 2024. Since this technology can accelerate typical production and backend processes, it has become a large part of logistics. Already, 74% of supply chain companies report spending $5-$10 million on additive manufacturing technology, and another 18% spend up to $50 million. As its penetration rate increases and investments grow, decision-makers will uncover new use cases. How Logistics Companies Can Use This Technology Manufacturers use 3D printing to shift from mass production to on-demand. For example, medical equipment manufacturers use it to craft tailor-made prosthetics. Some facilities have established local hubs where they produce, assemble, and ship products from decentralized centers instead of relying on distributors to distribute from one central location. 3D printers use filaments, powders, resins, or liquids to turn a computer-aided design (CAD) file stored in the cloud or on an on-premises data storage system into a finished product. Manufacturers use industrial versions for large-scale, custom-built, or small-batch projects. In warehousing, workers can use 3D printers to make safety equipment like hard hats, disposable gloves, or ergonomic inserts to make material handling less risky. They’ve been introduced into most personal protective equipment domains because they’re fast, accurate, and require no human contact. Distributors are also using this technology to improve communication and shorten shipping times. For example, they can use it to make visual aids displaying their building’s layout or network’s flow. They can also use it for packaging and inserts to reduce the likelihood of product damage during distribution. While manufacturers use 3D printing the most — and, arguably, have the most significant impact — warehouse workers and distributors also utilize it. Even though it’s not as pervasive in those areas, its presence is still impactful. The Pros of Using 3D Printing in Logistics Logistics companies using additive manufacturing benefit from reduced lead times — meaning they shorten the time between the beginning and end of a process. Manufacturers produce goods sooner, and warehouse workers cut unexpected downtime short by replacing parts faster. This high-efficiency approach is built for on-demand production. Another pro is waste reduction — modern printers use material precisely. If any excess is left over, it can be reused in future projects. On top of being cost-effective, it’s also sustainable. Research shows it could reduce supply chain carbon emissions because it’s less energy-intensive than traditional manufacturing processes. 3D printing is an affordable alternative to many standard logistics tools. For example, it can optimize tooling and retooling — which accounts for up to 93.5% of manufacturing expenses — by producing molds, equipment, gear, and fixtures for production. Its cost-saving effects extend to warehousing and distribution. Warehouses save on inventory space and carrying costs since their “parts” are CAD files stored in the cloud and printed immediately on-site. Distributors spend less on transportation because decentralized facilities require shorter trips. If they use 3D-printed packaging and inserts custom-fit to specific products, they may receive fewer damage-related returns. The Cons of Using 3D Printing in Logistics Many decision-makers are unfamiliar with the implications of adopting new technology. They often misjudge its ripple effects, not considering how those outside their department might be affected. If they don’t understand how to integrate it seamlessly — or why they’re utilizing it in the first place — their efforts could lead to failure. Another one of 3D printing’s biggest cons is the upfront investment cost. While the average hobbyist can get a printer for a few hundred dollars, industrial-grade versions are more expensive. They start at about $5,000 and reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. If manufacturers want enough to meet demand, they have to pay up. While a potentially multi-million dollar investment might seem doable to outsiders without knowledge of the sector, the reality is different. According to the Small Business Administration, 99% of all manufacturing enterprises in the U.S. are small manufacturers. The approximately 600,000 small manufacturers make $1 trillion in gross revenue, so they each walk away with roughly $1,700,000 annually — meaning the commitment to additive manufacturing technology is a monumental decision. Investing in multiple machines could adversely affect their long-term resiliency and growth. Data breaches are another concern. Bad actors could reverse engineer designs or hack cloud platforms to steal intellectual property, making CAD files free for public use. Consequently, hobbyists could produce or distribute homemade copies, significantly impacting sales. The downside of adopting user-friendly technology is that it may be too accessible to consumers. How 3D Printing Technology Impacts Supply Chains 3D printing has several major impacts on supply chains, each with unique implications. 1. Increases Resiliency Against Upstream Disruptions About 47% of supply chain leaders agree they’re vulnerable to upstream disruption, with most naming rising material costs, customers’ timing expectations, and rising freight expenses as leading challenges. 3D printing technology’s cost-effectiveness and rapid production rate could resolve these pain points, making logistics companies more resilient. 2. Requires a Comprehensive Shift to Decentralization While decentralized production isn’t the norm yet, it’s quickly catching on. For it to take off, companies would need to switch to a decentralized logistics network, cutting out most distribution centers and centralized warehouses. Local production, assembly, and delivery hubs would make large parts of the existing supply chain infrastructure obsolete. 3. Reduces Lead Times and Accelerates Time to Market Manufacturers, warehouses, and distributors can use this technology to streamline production and reduce downtime, enabling them to bring products to market sooner and make deliveries faster. Supply chains operating at higher speeds improve customer satisfaction and help businesses meet demand. 4. Provides a Workaround for Rising Supply Chain Costs 3D printers can work with just about any material — including metals, foods, wood, textiles, plastics, and ceramic — making them the ideal workaround for rising costs. Logistics businesses integrating them will save money, enabling them to contribute more funds toward process optimization or research and development. The Transformative Power of 3D Printing Technology 3D printing is fast, precise, and cost-effective — the three qualities every logistics company strives for. Its impressive market value and penetration rate prove its popularity will likely continue rising, indicating its impact will broaden. Eventually, it could reshape supply chains permanently. While three-dimensional (3D) printing — also known as additive manufacturing — has been a staple in hobbyists’ lives for years, its popularity in industrial applications is rapidly rising. As more companies leverage it, its impact on logistics becomes clear. Will this technology permanently affect supply chains? The Role of 3D Printing in Supply Chains 3D printing’s primary role in supply chains revolves around manufacturing. Many manufacturers use it for small-batch or custom orders because of its fast turnaround time. Its popularity in warehousing and distribution is rising, too, since it’s a relatively versatile technology. Logistics companies use it to bridge the gap between the digital and physical worlds. While many people associate 3D printing products and services with do-it-yourself projects and fun, worthless trinkets, it’s not just for consumers. In the logistics sector, its penetration rate is high — which isn’t surprising, given its global market value is set to reach $35.6 billion in 2024, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 22.5% from 2020 to 2024. is set to reach $35.6 billion Since this technology can accelerate typical production and backend processes, it has become a large part of logistics. Already, 74% of supply chain companies report spending $5-$10 million on additive manufacturing technology, and another 18% spend up to $50 million. As its penetration rate increases and investments grow, decision-makers will uncover new use cases. 74% of supply chain companies How Logistics Companies Can Use This Technology Manufacturers use 3D printing to shift from mass production to on-demand. For example, medical equipment manufacturers use it to craft tailor-made prosthetics. Some facilities have established local hubs where they produce, assemble, and ship products from decentralized centers instead of relying on distributors to distribute from one central location. 3D printers use filaments, powders, resins, or liquids to turn a computer-aided design (CAD) file stored in the cloud or on an on-premises data storage system into a finished product. Manufacturers use industrial versions for large-scale, custom-built, or small-batch projects. In warehousing, workers can use 3D printers to make safety equipment like hard hats, disposable gloves, or ergonomic inserts to make material handling less risky. They’ve been introduced into most personal protective equipment domains because they’re fast, accurate, and require no human contact. most personal protective equipment domains Distributors are also using this technology to improve communication and shorten shipping times. For example, they can use it to make visual aids displaying their building’s layout or network’s flow. They can also use it for packaging and inserts to reduce the likelihood of product damage during distribution. While manufacturers use 3D printing the most — and, arguably, have the most significant impact — warehouse workers and distributors also utilize it. Even though it’s not as pervasive in those areas, its presence is still impactful. The Pros of Using 3D Printing in Logistics Logistics companies using additive manufacturing benefit from reduced lead times — meaning they shorten the time between the beginning and end of a process. Manufacturers produce goods sooner, and warehouse workers cut unexpected downtime short by replacing parts faster. This high-efficiency approach is built for on-demand production. Another pro is waste reduction — modern printers use material precisely. If any excess is left over, it can be reused in future projects. On top of being cost-effective, it’s also sustainable. Research shows it could reduce supply chain carbon emissions because it’s less energy-intensive than traditional manufacturing processes. 3D printing is an affordable alternative to many standard logistics tools. For example, it can optimize tooling and retooling — which accounts for up to 93.5% of manufacturing expenses — by producing molds, equipment, gear, and fixtures for production. Its cost-saving effects extend to warehousing and distribution. up to 93.5% of manufacturing expenses Warehouses save on inventory space and carrying costs since their “parts” are CAD files stored in the cloud and printed immediately on-site. Distributors spend less on transportation because decentralized facilities require shorter trips. If they use 3D-printed packaging and inserts custom-fit to specific products, they may receive fewer damage-related returns. The Cons of Using 3D Printing in Logistics Many decision-makers are unfamiliar with the implications of adopting new technology. They often misjudge its ripple effects , not considering how those outside their department might be affected. If they don’t understand how to integrate it seamlessly — or why they’re utilizing it in the first place — their efforts could lead to failure. often misjudge its ripple effects Another one of 3D printing’s biggest cons is the upfront investment cost. While the average hobbyist can get a printer for a few hundred dollars, industrial-grade versions are more expensive. They start at about $5,000 and reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. If manufacturers want enough to meet demand, they have to pay up. start at about $5,000 While a potentially multi-million dollar investment might seem doable to outsiders without knowledge of the sector, the reality is different. According to the Small Business Administration, 99% of all manufacturing enterprises in the U.S. are small manufacturers. 99% of all manufacturing enterprises The approximately 600,000 small manufacturers make $1 trillion in gross revenue, so they each walk away with roughly $1,700,000 annually — meaning the commitment to additive manufacturing technology is a monumental decision. Investing in multiple machines could adversely affect their long-term resiliency and growth. Data breaches are another concern. Bad actors could reverse engineer designs or hack cloud platforms to steal intellectual property, making CAD files free for public use. Consequently, hobbyists could produce or distribute homemade copies , significantly impacting sales. The downside of adopting user-friendly technology is that it may be too accessible to consumers. could produce or distribute homemade copies How 3D Printing Technology Impacts Supply Chains 3D printing has several major impacts on supply chains, each with unique implications. 1. Increases Resiliency Against Upstream Disruptions About 47% of supply chain leaders agree they’re vulnerable to upstream disruption, with most naming rising material costs, customers’ timing expectations, and rising freight expenses as leading challenges. 3D printing technology’s cost-effectiveness and rapid production rate could resolve these pain points, making logistics companies more resilient. 47% of supply chain leaders 2. Requires a Comprehensive Shift to Decentralization While decentralized production isn’t the norm yet, it’s quickly catching on. For it to take off, companies would need to switch to a decentralized logistics network, cutting out most distribution centers and centralized warehouses. Local production, assembly, and delivery hubs would make large parts of the existing supply chain infrastructure obsolete. 3. Reduces Lead Times and Accelerates Time to Market Manufacturers, warehouses, and distributors can use this technology to streamline production and reduce downtime, enabling them to bring products to market sooner and make deliveries faster. Supply chains operating at higher speeds improve customer satisfaction and help businesses meet demand. 4. Provides a Workaround for Rising Supply Chain Costs 3D printers can work with just about any material — including metals, foods, wood, textiles, plastics, and ceramic — making them the ideal workaround for rising costs. Logistics businesses integrating them will save money, enabling them to contribute more funds toward process optimization or research and development. The Transformative Power of 3D Printing Technology 3D printing is fast, precise, and cost-effective — the three qualities every logistics company strives for. Its impressive market value and penetration rate prove its popularity will likely continue rising, indicating its impact will broaden. Eventually, it could reshape supply chains permanently.

How 3D Printing Is Impacting Supply Chains

কিভাবে 3D প্রিন্টিং সাপ্লাই চেইনকে প্রভাবিত করছে

Wie sich der 3D-Druck auf Lieferketten auswirkt

Cómo la impresión 3D está afectando las cadenas de suministro

Comment l’impression 3D affecte les chaînes d’approvisionnement

3D प्रिंटिंग आपूर्ति श्रृंखलाओं को कैसे प्रभावित कर रही है

3Dプリントがサプライチェーンに与える影響

3D 프린팅이 공급망에 미치는 영향

Como a impressão 3D está impactando as cadeias de suprimentos

Как 3D-печать влияет на цепочки поставок

3D Baskı Tedarik Zincirlerini Nasıl Etkiliyor?

In 3D đang tác động đến chuỗi cung ứng như thế nào

3D 打印如何影响供应链

Business is dynamic, and innovation is important, but it's not always necessary to reinvent the wheel to be successful. A game-changer is not always the one that started the game. Innovation is simply creating something completely new to solve a problem while improving is about looking for problems within existing solutions and basically solving those problems found. Innovation and Improvement go hand in hand; success often stems from knowing the time for innovation and the time for improvement and strategically implementing accordingly. Enhancing existing solutions should not be underestimated. The most impactful advancements in technology are often built upon foundations laid by predecessors. Modern-day innovations like electric vehicle technology build upon and are reliant on the foundational principles introduced by Karl Benz in the initial invention of the automobile which is also reliant on other foundational innovations. Now, imagine enhancing a business with this strategy and a transformative force—cryptocurrency. In a landscape where change is the only thing that’s constant, hesitating on cryptocurrency adoption could mean missing out on transformative opportunities. Integrating crypto isn't just about staying relevant; it's seizing the chance to redefine your business's future and survive in the evolving digital economy. You can do this within your business and in competitors' business models to achieve a great amount of growth. And one of the best ways to do this is by adopting new progress in technology (cryptocurrency in this example). Advantages Of Improving on Existing Solutions: 1. Marketing becomes more straightforward as you can build on the familiarity of the existing solution and highlight specific improvements. Easier Marketing: 2. You can charge more from day 1. Your enhanced solution to something can never be cheaper than the prior solution. Immediate Revenue: 3. Enhancements can strengthen relationships with existing customers, fostering loyalty and repeat business. Customer Loyalty: 4. Addressing known issues in current solutions mitigates the risks associated with launching entirely new products. Reduced Risk: 5. Utilizing existing foundations speeds up the development process, resulting in a quicker time-to-market for improvements. Faster Time-to-Market: 6. Existing solutions offer a wealth of feedback that will provide you with valuable insights for targeted improvements. Feedback Utilization: 7. Leveraging existing tools, research, and knowledge will reduce the need for new investments. Resource Optimization: 8. Incremental enhancements make it easier for customers to adapt. Building completely new solutions comes with the challenge of trying to make users understand, believe, and trust your solution. Adaptability: Improving Has a Simple Recipe Pick an existing solution you're interested in. Step 1: : Identify problems within the existing solution. Step 2 Look for existing technology/technologies that you can combine to solve the problem (this is an active and iterative process and isn't always instant) Step 3: Integrate the new technology/technologies to significantly improve the existing solution. Step 4: Hakuna matata 🚀 Step 5: Optimize for best results based on lessons learned. Step 6: It is important to continue improving the improvement. So, instead of brainstorming and validating and pivoting and all the other stress you'd normally go through. You're just taking two or more systems and combining them together to make a superior solution. You'll still have to use your expertise, best practices, and common sense to make sure that the business works well. Few Examples of Improvements Using the Simple Recipe: Stores/Supermarkets: Ingredient Example Need Shopping Convenience Technology Mobile Apps Improved Solution Using to create mobile apps Shopping Convenience Customer service: Ingredient Example Need Enhanced Communication with Customers Technology Chatbots Improved Solution Using to create chatbots enhanced communication with customers Interior Decoration: Ingredient Example Need Enhance Customer Satisfaction Technology Augmented Reality (AR) Improved Solution Using to Augmented Reality enhance customer satisfaction Practical Example: Enhance Existing Solutions With Crypto A similar opportunity arises with cryptocurrency. Integrating crypto into systems already excelling with conventional payment platforms can leverage the unique benefits of crypto to make a profit. Before we proceed: It's important to make sure that the new improvement is significantly better the pre-existing solution in order to provide better value and make more money. It's not advisable to build your own  𝕏 (Twitter), just because you had the idea that when someone posts images, it should be horizontally scrollable instead of clicking in one at a time. So, I'll share some benefits that cryptocurrency can bring into the business; this will help you determine whether your business is a good fit for integrating and accepting crypto payments or not. Benefits of Accepting Crypto Payments: Privacy Enhancement: In industries where customer privacy is paramount (e.g., healthcare, legal), crypto transactions can offer heightened confidentiality. Benefits: The integration of crypto payments fosters a heightened level of trust between businesses and their clientele. Knowing that their sensitive information is safeguarded enhances customer confidence. Increased Trust: Customers, especially in sensitive fields like healthcare and legal services, often hesitate to share personal information during payment transactions. With crypto transactions, this reluctance diminishes, leading to smoother and more efficient transactions. Reduced Reluctance: 2. Global Accessibility: Traditional payment methods often pose challenges for businesses aiming to cater to a global audience. Cryptocurrency, with its borderless nature, overcomes this limitation. Benefits: Businesses can tap into a global customer base without the constraints of geographical limitations. Crypto payments facilitate cross-border transactions, opening up opportunities for unprecedented market expansion. Expanded Market Reach: Cryptocurrencies transcend national currencies, eliminating the complexities associated with currency conversions. This simplification in transactions benefits both businesses and customers, fostering a more seamless global trade environment. Currency Freedom: 3. Enhanced Security: Conventional payment systems are susceptible to fraud and security breaches. Cryptocurrency transactions leverage blockchain technology to provide secure and tamper-resistant transactions. Benefits: The blockchain ledger ensures transparent and secure transactions, minimizing the risks of fraud and unauthorized activities. Reduced Fraud Risks: Transactions recorded on the blockchain are immutable, creating an incorruptible record of financial activities. This feature enhances the overall security of financial transactions. Tamper-Resistant Records: 4. Lower Transaction Costs: Traditional payment systems often involve intermediary fees, resulting in higher transaction costs for businesses. Crypto payments offer a solution to reduce these expenses through decentralized payments. Benefits: Cryptocurrency transactions generally involve lower processing fees compared to traditional payment methods, contributing to cost savings for businesses. Cost-Efficient Transactions: The absence of intermediaries streamlines the payment process, minimizing additional costs associated with third-party involvement. Direct Transactions: 5. Financial Inclusion: A significant portion of the global population lacks access to traditional banking services. Cryptocurrency provides a means for financial inclusion, allowing individuals without bank accounts to participate in economic activities. Benefits: Cryptocurrency enables individuals without access to traditional banking to engage in financial transactions, fostering a more inclusive global economy. Broadened Financial Participation: Businesses can reach a broader customer base by accommodating those who prefer or are limited to cryptocurrency transactions, reducing reliance on traditional banking systems. Reduced Dependency on Banks: 6. Increased Payment Speed: Traditional banking transactions often involve delays, especially in cross-border payments. Crypto transactions offer a swift and efficient alternative. Benefits: : Cryptocurrency transactions are processed swiftly, reducing the typical delays associated with traditional banking systems. Rapid Transaction Processing Businesses can enjoy near-instantaneous settlements, contributing to faster cash flow and improved liquidity. Real-Time Settlements: 7. Innovation and Adaptability: Industries constantly evolve, requiring businesses to adapt to changing market trends and customer preferences. Cryptocurrency integration allows for innovation and adaptability. Benefits: Cryptocurrency integration positions businesses at the forefront of technological innovation, showcasing adaptability to emerging trends. Agility in Technology Adoption: Readiness for Future Technologies: By embracing crypto payments, businesses are better prepared to incorporate future advancements in blockchain and financial technologies. These benefits collectively contribute to a transformative impact on businesses, unlocking new possibilities and ensuring a competitive edge in a landscape where change is the only constant. There are more benefits, but it's just so you can compare the strengths of accepting cryptocurrency to see if they solve some significant weaknesses to existing solutions. For example, if the system is slow, it's a good business opportunity because crypto is fast; if there's less financial inclusion, it's a good opportunity because crypto is inclusive. And so on. Example Crypto Payments Ideas Across Industries: 1. Users purchase web hosting services using cryptocurrencies, providing a secure and efficient payment option. Web Hosting: Benefits: Faster transactions Lower fees Enhanced security 2. Customers buy event tickets using cryptocurrencies, and transactions are recorded on the blockchain for transparency. Event Ticketing: Benefits: Secure ticket sales, Global accessibility Reduced fraud risks. Transparent transactions recorded on Blockchain 3. An Online store sets up products, integrates crypto payment options, and customers pay with cryptocurrencies. E-commerce Store: Benefits: Global reach Decentralized payments Attraction of a tech-savvy customer base. 4. Patients pay for health consultations using cryptocurrencies, ensuring confidential and secure transactions. Private Health Consultation Service: Benefits: Enhanced privacy for patients Transparent payment records Reduced reliance on traditional banking. 5. Travel services are booked and paid for using cryptocurrencies, providing quick and secure cross-border transactions. Travel Agency: Benefits: Reduced dependence on traditional banking Attraction of crypto-savvy travelers Global accessibility. 6. In-game purchases or gambling bets are made with cryptocurrencies, ensuring faster and more secure transactions. Online Gaming and Gambling: Benefits: Enhanced privacy for users Global audience reach without currency restrictions Lower transaction costs. Viewers pay for content subscriptions using cryptocurrencies, facilitating direct and transparent payment distribution to creators. Content Streaming: Benefits: Reduced dependence on intermediaries Lower fees Engagement of cryptocurrency enthusiasts in content consumption. 8. Users pay for cloud storage services with cryptocurrencies, ensuring decentralized and secure payment options. Cloud Storage: Benefits: Lower transaction costs Secure and decentralized storage payments Increased user privacy. 9. Subscribers pay for app services using cryptocurrencies, benefiting from seamless global subscription payments. App Subscription: Benefits: Lower transaction fees for recurring payments Global accessibility Appeal to users that value privacy 10. Freelancers and clients use cryptocurrencies for secure escrow services, reducing payment processing time. Freelance Marketplace: Benefits: Secure transactions through smart contracts Reduced fees Attraction of freelancers and clients in the crypto space. 11. Donors contribute to charities using cryptocurrencies, ensuring transparent and secure donation records on the blockchain. Charity and Donations: Benefits: Lower fees Transparent donation records Appeal to privacy-conscious donors. 12. Affiliates receive commission payments in cryptocurrencies, benefiting from faster and more secure cross-border transactions. Affiliate Marketing: Benefits: Transparent commission. Lower transaction fees Appeal to affiliates in the crypto community. These are just some examples of business ideas where accepting crypto payments can potentially make an impact. It's important to do your own research and apply your expertise, skills, and common sense. You don't have to exactly copy them–but can use them to create or improve your own ideas. If you'd love to learn more about the tech and arts of developing money printing systems and earning more with creativity, subscribe to my newsletter by clicking on the button below my bio, where I share it weekly. Don't sleep on this; adopting these things with the right strategies is what keeps big companies ahead: Microsoft, AT&T, Wikipedia, Burger King, KFC, ExpressVPN, and more are reap benefits of adopting the acceptance of crypto payments early. In summary, we've seen the importance of looking for problems within existing solutions and solving them, and how an example of crypto can solve problems within your solution or the solution of competitors. Remember the cheatcode: Take an existing model that works and plug it into your niche. If you have questions, you can connect with me personally through my newsletter to access my free consultation as well, click on the button below my bio to get started.

Build a Money Printing Business With Other People's Sweat - (With a Practical Example)

Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889, by Various, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . PLATINOTYPE PRINTING. here PLATINOTYPE PRINTING. Platinotype, which may be considered to be the most artistic of photographic printing processes, may be separated into its three modifications—the hot bath and cold bath, in which a faintly visible image is developed, and the Pizzighelli printing-out paper. The hot bath process, again, may be divided into the black and white and sepia papers. I intend to give you a rough outline of the preparation of the paper and working of these modifications, concluding by demonstrating the hot bath method, and handing around prints by it. Platinotype may almost be styled an iron printing process, for, while no trace of iron or its salts is found in the finished print, certain salts of iron are mixed with the platinum salt, which is platinum combined with two atoms of chlorine (PtCl2), as a means for readily reducing it; this, however, cannot be effected without the presence of neutral oxalate of potash, hence the use of the oxalate bath. There is no platinum in the paper for the cold bath process, it being coated with ferric oxalate mixed with a very small quantity of chloride of mercury—somewhere about one grain to an ounce of ferric oxalate solution. When dry it is ready for exposure, which is about three times less than with silver printing. It is absolutely necessary to store all papers for platinum printing in an air-tight tin containing chloride of calcium, which must be dried by heating from time to time. For the cold bath, however, it is important to have moisture present during printing, or it may be after printing and before development. If the paper is left in a dampish room for fifteen minutes, it should be sufficient. Prints made by exposing damp paper, or damping dry paper just before development, must be developed within one hour if the maximum of vigor is desired; by delaying the development some hours, the prints in the meantime being stored in a drawer so that they may retain their moisture, an increase of half tone and warmth of color will be obtained. If it should be necessary to delay development for a day or two, the prints must be dried before a fire soon after being removed from the frames, and then stored in a calcium tube until wanted for development. While printing, the lemon color of the paper receives a grayish colored image, which, although faint, can, with practice, be judged as easily as silver printing. The developer consists of oxalate of potash and potassic chloro-platinite—about thirty grains of the platinum salt to half an ounce of oxalate forming about six ounces of solution; a great many variations, however, may be made in the proportions of platinum salt and oxalate, and different effects secured. Development is effected by sliding the print face downward on to the developer, which must be rocked after the development of each print to avoid scum marks. To clear the prints they are washed in three or four baths of a weak solution of hydrochloric acid after leaving the developer, to remove all traces of the iron salts, and finally washed for a quarter of an hour in three changes of water; they are then finished, and may be dried between clean blotting paper. Pizzighelli's process differs from the above in being one that prints fully out in the frame without development; the paper contains the platinum and iron salts as well as the developer, and so prints and develops at the same time. Although excellent prints can be produced with it, for general work the results of the paper, as at present made, will not compare with the hot and cold bath processes. It is, however, excellent for printing from very dense negatives, and occasional negatives that seem extremely suitable for it. The paper should be breathed on before printing, as if it is quite dry the printing will be very slow and irregular. The best conditions for the preparation of the paper have scarcely been decided upon yet, and it is not quite fair to judge the process. The prints are cleared in the acid baths and washed for about a quarter of an hour. The sepia and black hot bath processes are much alike in the general treatment. There are, however, some special precautions to be observed with the sepia paper, the chief being to protect it from any but the faintest rays of light; the prints, unlike the black ones, may be affected by light when in the acid bath. A special solution must be added to the developer to keep the lights pure. Over-exposure cannot be corrected by using a cooler bath, as is the case with the black prints, and the paper does not remain good so long. The paper for the black prints by the hot bath process is washed with a mixture of potassic platinous chloride and ferric oxalate, the proportion being about sixty grains of the platinum salt to one ounce of the iron solution. It will not keep good longer than twenty minutes or so, and must be applied to the paper directly after mixing. The ferric oxalate in the paper is reduced by the action of light to ferrous oxalate, which forms the faint visible image; this, when the paper is floated on the oxalate of potash bath, is capable of reducing the platinum salt in contact with it into metallic platinum; but the ferric salt, which remains unaltered, has no action on the platinum salt, leaving these parts, which represent the high lights of the print, untouched. The ferric oxalate is removed by the acid baths which follow the development. A good temperature for development is 150° Fahr., and when using this so much detail should not be apparent as when printing for the cold bath process, in which all the detail desired should be very faintly visible. There are, however, many methods of exposing the paper and developing it, and no fixed rule can be made, but the development must in every case be suited to the exposure or the result will be a failure. For instance, the paper may be printed until all detail is visible, but a very much cooler development must be used, say 80° or 90°; on the other hand, a slightly short exposure may be given, and a temperature of 180° to 200° used. 150° should be taken as the normal temperature, and kept to until some experience has been gained, as employing all temperatures will lead to confusion, and nothing will be learned. Some negatives require a special treatment, and both printing and development must be altered, while for a very dense negative the paper may be left out in a dampish room for some time. It will then print with less contrast and more half tone. A thin negative is better printed by the cold bath process, but negatives should be good and brilliant for platinotype printing. Any one taking up platinotype and getting only weak prints would do well to look to his negatives instead of blaming the paper, as the high lights should be fairly dense, and the deep shadows nearly clear glass. Time for complete development should always be allowed; with a hot bath fifteen seconds will be sufficient, but if a cooler development is used, or the prints are solarized in the shadows, more time should be allowed. When the deep shadows are solarized, or appear lighter than surrounding parts, a hot and prolonged development is required to obtain sufficient blackness, as they have a tendency to look like brown paper. I have found breathing on solarized shadows useful, as in the presence of slight moisture they begin to print out and become dark before development, getting black almost directly the print is floated on the oxalate. Three or four acid baths of about ten minutes each are used, and the prints are washed as before. The process throughout takes much less time than silver printing, and can be kept on all the winter, when it is nearly impossible to print in silver. Prints can be developed in weak daylight or gaslight, and prolonged washing is dispensed with.— N.P. Fox, reported in Br. Jour. of Photo. A communication to the North London Photographic Society. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Various (2004). Scientific American Supplement, No. 711, August 17, 1889. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/16972/pg16972-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

PLATINOTYPE PRINTING

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING BY THE BLUE PROCESS

Dear reader, Welcome to the latest edition of the “ One More Thing in AI newsletter.” For Startup founders and Business Leaders like you who want to get smarter on AI in less than 5 minutes . I hope you enjoy this edition. I'd love to hear your feedback (positive or negative). Best regards, Renjit Philip In this Edition 🤖👥 : AI Paradox: Meta's Chief Scientist Weighs in on the Existential Debate AI -Humanity 🎵📜 : The Fine Line: AI, Lyrics, and Copyright Battles Music 🛠️🖨️ : The Blueprint of Tomorrow: AI Build's Smart 3D Printing Software 3D Printing 💳🤖 : Square's AI Playbook: A New Chapter in Business Automation Payments 🌍🤝 : Bridging AI Horizons: OpenAI and G42's Strategic Middle East Expansion UAE 📊🤖 : The David vs. Goliath of AI: Why Small Language Models Could Be the Next Big Thing LLMs The AI Paradox Meta's Chief Scientist Weighs in on the Existential Debate Picture a world where AI is as ubiquitous as smartphones, yet the debate rages on: friend or foe? Meta's Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, recently stepped into the ring to share his perspective. 🔍 The Existential Question: Since the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT-4, the AI conversation has shifted towards its potential risks. While some, like Geoffrey Hinton, have left their positions to warn about AI's dangers, LeCun takes a different stance. 🏢 Big Tech and Regulation: LeCun warns that premature regulation could stifle innovation and solidify Big Tech's dominance. It's like putting training wheels on a race car; you won't get very far, very fast. This stance is ironic since LeCun comes from Meta, and you can argue that Meta is late to the AI party compared to Microsoft with its investment in Open AI. Regulation usually helps the leaders, not the laggards. Regulatory Capture: According to LeCun, the term "AI safety" is being used as a smokescreen for what he calls "regulatory capture." It's as if we're putting a leash on AI research under the guise of safety, potentially holding back progress. 🤖 AI's Future Role: LeCun envisions a future where AI mediates our interaction with the digital world. Think of it as your digital butler, making your life easier. The debate on AI's existential risk is far from settled.
While some see it as the proverbial wolf at the door, others, like LeCun, view it as a kitten that has yet to grow claws. One thing is clear: the conversation is just getting started, and it could shape the future of AI and its impact on our society. Music AI, Lyrics, and Copyright Battles 🎵 Imagine you're humming along to the Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and you realize you've forgotten the lyrics. You prompt your AI assistant to help, and voila! The lyrics are there. But what if that seemingly innocent act lands someone in a legal quagmire? 📜 The Legal Landscape: Universal Music Group and other music publishers have taken Anthropic, an AI company, to court. The bone of contention? Anthropic's AI model, Claude 2, can generate lyrics almost identical to copyrighted songs. It's not just about responding to specific song requests; even generic prompts can result in the AI spitting out copyrighted lyrics. 🔍 The Underlying Issue: It's about the intellectual property that fuels the music industry. Many platforms pay to license lyrics, but Anthropic has been accused of sidestepping this crucial step. The company is also alleged to have used copyrighted material to train its language models, raising questions about the ethical boundaries of AI training. 🤖 AI Ethics and Investment: Anthropic isn't a small player; it has significant investment backing, including $4 billion from Amazon and $300 million from Google. The company claims to take "trust and safety" seriously and even talks about "constitutional AI," a framework for rule-based AI systems. 🔮 Looking Ahead: As generative AI becomes more sophisticated, the line between innovation and infringement is getting blurry. This case could set a precedent for how intellectual property laws adapt to the age of AI. It's not just about the music industry; it's a wake-up call for anyone leveraging AI in their business operations. 🎤 The Mic Drop: This case is a cautionary tale for those navigating the evolving landscape of AI and data. As this case unfolds, it's clear that the next big hit in the AI world might be a gavel striking down. The Blueprint of Tomorrow Ai Build's Smart 3D Printing Software Imagine you're an engineer, and you've just designed a complex structure. Now, you need to bring it to life. You could go the traditional manufacturing route or leverage 3D printing. But what if the 3D printing software could think, adapt, and optimize? Enter , a London-based startup, just secured $8.5 million in Series A funding. Ai Build 📈 The Investment Landscape: Nikon has jumped in as a strategic investor in Ai Build's Series A round. IQ Capital led the round and saw participation from existing investors like Superseed and ACT Venture Partners. The additive manufacturing (AM) industry is pegged at $16 billion and is growing at over 20% per year. Ai Build aims to unlock this sector's full potential. 🎨 From Architects to Innovators: The founders of Ai Build, Daghan Cam and Michail Desyllas, started their journey as architects, solving complex geometric problems. Their experience led them to identify a niche in optimizing 3D printing processes, which are often error-prone. They developed AiSync, a machine learning-based software that perfects the toolpath for depositing melted materials. 🤝 Partnerships and Expansion: Ai Build has joined forces with industry giants like Boeing and Rolls-Royce. They collaborate with about 25 hardware manufacturers and have diversified their material range to include plastics, metals, cement, and epoxies. 🗣️ Natural Language Commands: One of Ai Build's most recent innovations is the ability to command the software using natural language. This feature is designed to lower the barrier to entry and make 3D printing accessible even to those with minimal engineering knowledge. 🎯 Takeaway: The Series A funding will be used primarily for software development and expansion into the United States. Ai Build aims to make 3D printing more efficient and redefine how we think about manufacturing itself. Square's AI Playbook A New Chapter in Payments 🤖 Picture this: you're running a bustling café, and you're swamped with orders, inventory management, and customer queries. What if AI tools could take some of that load off your shoulders? The US-based financial services company is making this a reality with its new suite of generative AI features. Square 🛠️ The Toolbox Unveiled: Square has rolled out ten generative AI tools to automate operations and speed up workflows. These tools are integrated directly into Square's existing business software. The goal? To act as an extra set of hands for businesses grappling with multifaceted demands. 🍽️ On the Menu: One of the standout features is a Menu Generator for restaurants. With a few clicks, businesses can create a full menu, saving valuable time when launching operations on Square's platform. 📸 Picture Perfect: E-commerce sellers can now elevate their websites with AI-generated backgrounds and style prompts via the latest version of the Photo Studio app. 📧 Communication Overhaul: From generating personalized email copy to sending out team announcements, Square's AI features are making communications more efficient and tailored for the business. 🌐 SEO and More: Square's AI-assisted copy generator helps enhance websites and boost SEO, from setup to refresh and from headlines to blog posts. 🤝 Personal Touch: Advanced AI responses in Square Messages allow for personalized messaging to buyers, enhancing customer engagement. 📊 Data-Driven Decisions: Square's new AI-powered starter library suggests items for businesses to adopt based on sales insights, making inventory management smarter. 🔄 Switching Made Easy: For those looking to switch booking platforms, Square Appointments now auto-imports service names, descriptions, durations, and prices during onboarding. Takeaway: Square's new AI features are a technological advancement and a strategic move to create exit barriers for its customer base. If you are a founder or a business leader in the payments domain, has your company identified generative AI as a business priority? Time to take a step toward solving your merchant’s problems by offering AI-powered tools that make their business run easily. UAE’s AI Ambitions OpenAI and G42's Strategic Middle East Expansion 🌍 , the entity behind the renowned ChatGPT, and UAE’s tech holding group G42 have recently partnered to expand AI capabilities in the Middle East region. G42 has the UAE government backing it through its Mubadala Investment arm. OpenAI 🤝 The Partnership: OpenAI and G42 intend to deploy generative AI models across various sectors, notably financial services, energy, healthcare, and public services. The collaboration aims to simplify the integration of advanced AI capabilities for organizations in the United Arab Emirates and beyond. 🔗 Strategic Synergies: G42 has committed to leveraging its substantial AI infrastructure to support OpenAI's regional operations, mainly through Microsoft Azure data centers. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, emphasized that G42's industry connections would facilitate AI solutions finely tuned to the region's unique characteristics. 🌐 Global Context: This partnership comes when AI developments are gaining traction globally. For instance, Saudi Arabia has recently announced a collaboration with Chinese universities to develop an Arabic-based AI system. These developments occur against increasing scrutiny by U.S. regulators over AI semiconductor chip exports, including to the Middle East. 📊 Regulatory Landscape: The U.S. has been ambivalent about AI exports to the Middle East. New rules have expanded licensing requirements for exporting advanced chips to countries under a U.S. arms embargo, which includes several Middle Eastern nations. 🎯 Takeaway: Sam Altman suggests that this partnership will benefit the Middle East and advance generative AI globally. These types of partnerships unlock new markets and offer a nuanced approach to AI adoption, considering regional specificities. In this particular deal, Microsoft, Open AI, and the UAE government win. David vs. Goliath of AI Why Small Language Models Could Be the Next Big Thing Imagine you're a chef in a kitchen. You could have all the fancy gadgets in the world, but sometimes, a simple knife and cutting board do the job more efficiently. In AI, particularly language models, bigger doesn't always mean better. 🚀 Quick to Train: Time is of the essence in any project. Smaller language models (LLMs) are like quick recipes; they offer faster training, fine-tuning, and results. The shorter feedback loop means you can iterate and improve much faster. 💻 Runs Anywhere: Think of smaller LLMs as a Swiss Army knife. They can run in various environments, even locally, on your laptop, making them incredibly versatile. 🔧 No Special Hardware: Smaller LLMs are a breath of fresh air in a world where the latest and greatest chips are hard to come by (I wrote about this in an earlier newsletter). They rarely require specialized hardware for training or inference. ⚡ Low Latency: In a fast-paced world, speed is crucial. Smaller LLMs can generate completions faster and are well-suited for low-latency environments. 🌐 Edge Computing: Smaller LLMs are like pocket-sized travel guides; they're perfect for running at the edge due to their low latency, smaller file size, and quick startup times. 🤝 Ensemble Power: Rumor has it that GPT-4 is an ensemble of eight smaller models. This strategy has been effective for years in machine learning, proving that teamwork often trumps individual prowess. 🤔 Bonus Points: Smaller LLMs might offer better interpretability and enhanced reproducibility. Understanding a 7-billion parameter model is likely easier than deciphering a 60-billion parameter behemoth. 🎯 Takeaway: In the AI arena, it might just be that the smaller contenders are the ones to watch. These LLMs will help create a level playing field for Small Businesses and Startups who want to use the power of AI in their solutions. That is it for this edition of the newsletter. If you , you get our newsletter first, and it stays in your mailbox as a future reference. Until next time, keep learning, applying, and experimenting with AI! subscribe to our email edition Also published . here

Stories, News & Mentions about PRINTIFY

Printify’s Stories on HackerNoon