City news: The Gym Group, Jet2.com, Steinhoff and Rolls-Royce

THE Gym Group flexed its financial muscle with a 25 per cent rise in half-year revenue and maiden dividend payout as it flagged further expansion after a big jump in membership.

Wozniak and Kawasaki Set to Keynote at NextCon16 – Look for ‘Ah-Ha Moments’

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, will keynote at NextCon16 in November

If you attend just one business conference before the end of 2016, put NextCon at the top of your shortlist.

You’ll get to see high-octane speakers like Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, and tech superstar Guy Kawasaki — not to mention executives from LinkedIn and Google.

NextCon16 is a conference for entrepreneurs, small business owners, tech professionals and more.  It’s all about building a business, managing it well, marketing it and, of course, profiting from it.

NextCon, which takes place November 14-16, 2016, is being hosted by Nextiva, a cloud-based unified communications service.

Nextiva itself has grown rapidly over the past few years. So the company executives understand well the challenges of growth.  That experience is part of what motivated this conference.

According to Yaniv Masjedi, Nextiva vice-president of marketing, who spoke with Small Business Trends in a telephone interview, the company didn’t want it to be the typical brand conference focused on products and services.

Instead, Nextiva executives wanted the attention to be on helping all businesses grow and prosper — regardless of whether they are Nextiva customers.

By holding the conference in Arizona, Nextiva also wants to spotlight the thriving tech and business scene there. As Masjedi says, Arizona’s business environment has been instrumental in Nextiva’s own growth.

‘Ah-ha’ Moments

Nextiva promises that attendees will experience some genuine “ah-ha” moments. In other words, go with the idea of getting breakthrough ideas.  Look for Ah-ha opportunities like these:

1. Professional Growth Insights

One ah-ha moment opportunity will likely occur on day one. It consists of a “fireside chat” with Darin Brown, CTO of Angie’s List; Neill Feather, president of Sitelock; and Carol Roth, TV host and CNBC contributor.

These entrepreneurs and business leaders will share how they overcame challenges and drove growth.

2. Real-world Marketing That Works

Speakers get down to brass tacks on day two. You’ll hear real-world advice about paid search, brand building, SEO, social media, customer service and more. Other topics include raising capital, women in business, sales and data analytics.

3. Real Life Business Success Stories

Day three is where local business owners talk candidly about how they started and grew their businesses.

Another “bonus” ah-ha moment will likely occur when Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak takes the stage for his keynote.

According to Masjedi, Wozniak will share what it took to create Apple’s culture of innovation, and what other businesses can do to emulate it.

NextCon16 — an ‘Everyone’ Conference

NextCon16 is an “everyone” conference. It’s designed for anyone to get value regardless of role, industry or company size. Students are welcome, too, said Masjedi.

At $499, the price is right for small business, particularly considering NextCon16 spans three full days. Plus, it’s being held in Scottsdale, Arizona, which, in November should be pleasant  just as the weather starts to turn bad elsewhere.

Most sessions will be non-product specific.

“There are tracks for Nextiva partners and customers but that’s not the goal,” Masjedi said. “The bulk of the sessions will apply to any business professional.”

Sessions are divided into four tracks:  building, managing, promoting and profiting in business.

Co-hosted along with the event will be the Rule Breaker Awards ceremony.

NextCon16 takes place at the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nov. 14-16, 2016. Learn more at: nextcon.nextiva.com.

 

Steve Wozniak image credit: Nichollas Harrison [GFDL CC BY-SA 3.0 ], via Wikimedia Commons

This article, "Wozniak and Kawasaki Set to Keynote at NextCon16 – Look for ‘Ah-Ha Moments’" was first published on Small Business Trends

Bookmaker Gala Coral ready to bet on mergers as it closes Ladbrokes deal

TWO of Britain’s biggest gaming companies said they could roll the dice on more mega-deals after scoring financial success from the Euro 2016 football tournament.

Twitter Will Pay You to Post Video, Up to 70 Percent of Ad Revenue Going to Creators (Watch)

Twitter is going to start splitting ad revenue with content creators who post videos on its platform. The company hopes that this move will make it more competitive with other social platforms like Facebook and YouTube. And actually, Twitter is giving about 70 percent of ad revenue to content creators, making it an even better deal than YouTube.

However, YouTube is already a more established platform for those looking to raise some money through their content. So influencers and content creators already know they can make money there, whereas Twitter could be seen as more of a risk at this point.

Even so, there’s no rule stating that everyone has to choose only one platform for their online videos. And a lot of influencers and online content creators already use more than one social platform to reach their audience.

So Twitter doesn’t have to convince people to leave YouTube or any other platform. It just has to convince them to use Twitter in addition to those platforms.

The Takeaway on Financial Incentives

Small content creators who are already producing video for YouTube may see this an additional opportunity for revenue. All they need to do is post video they are already sharing on other platforms on Twitter as well. Twitter’s strategy could also inspire small businesses. Giving your community financial incentives to engage can often boost the visibility of your brand. Look for ways to reward members of your community for visiting your website or sharing your social media posts. You may be surprised by the results.

Image: Newsy/Twitter

This article, "Twitter Will Pay You to Post Video, Up to 70 Percent of Ad Revenue Going to Creators (Watch)" was first published on Small Business Trends

Fashion company Abi Fisher is bang on trend as it launches own label and franchise network

Fashion company Abi Fisher looks to be the shape of things to come as it grows from styling service to own label launch and franchise network. 

Will New Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch Be Business Friendly?

The smartwatch market is picking up traction as manufacturers reassess the design and functionality of their first generation watches with much better versions. Samsung (KRX:005930) is one of the companies that has dramatically improved from the first Gear S to the Gear S2, which has placed some great expectation for the upcoming Gear S3 to be unveiled this week. When the company made a not so subtle hint a watch will be unveiled on the invitations it sent for the 2016 IFA trade show in Berlin, Germany, the speculation started in full earnest.

If history does set a precedent, then the fact Samsung announced the Gear S2 at last year’s IFA show may be a good enough reason it will do so again this year. So what will the Gear S3 have, and will it be able to compete with the Apple Watch 2, which will be unveiled on September 7 along with the new iPhone 7.

Gear S3

The S2 was a success by all accounts, with many reviewers labeling it the best smartwatch in the market. And the company will be keeping two of the physical features that went well with most people on the S3: the round form factor and rotating bezel.

The watch will come in three different versions: the Classic, Explorer and Frontier. As reported by Sammobile, the Explorer and Frontier have been designed for users with an active life style. They will feature an altimeter, a barometer, a speedometer as well as an integrated GPS. As for the Classic, there isn’t much information about any new features it will have.

With such limited information, there is not much that can be said about the potential application for business users with the the Gear S3. However, if it builds on the S2, users will be able to view SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email and IM. They will also be able to use voice with natural language commands for dictation, memo and to dial numbers. Samsung Pay should also be available to make payments on the go without taking out your wallet or your smartphone.

Gear S3 and Apple Watch 2

The comparison between the Gear S3 and Apple Watch 2 has already begun, even without the specs for the watches readily available. The fact they will be released so close to each other only adds fuel to the fire.

As with the smartphones these companies make, there are diehard fans of both brands and this extends to the watches. The form factor is still a big issue for many users, with a round watch now becoming the preferred shape by most consumers and manufacturers. But having a square design gives those who like the shape only Apple as an option.

The Bluetooth + 3G/4G options on the Gear S2, which should be available on the S3, built-in speaker for standalone phone calls, and GPS navigation are all features the Samsung excels in.

According to Macworld, the new Apple Watch may have a front-facing camera, Micro LED display, built-in GPS. It will be thinner with better battery life, Cortex-A32 processor, new health sensors, and less reliance on the iPhone. The iOS will also be upgraded, which will make it much easier to integrate with other Apple products and new generation apps.

If all these features become part of the Apple Watch 2, there is no doubt it will continue to hold the number one position in the smartwatch segment, but this remains to be seen.

The Future of Smartwatches

The smartwatch market is still being figured out by the players in the segment, and the recent International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker report will do very little to make it easier. According to IDC, the market saw a year-over-year decline of 32 percent, with only 3.5 million units sold in Q2 of 2016. The leader in the segment is still the Apple Watch, selling 1.6 million units, followed by Samsung with 0.6M, Lenovo with 0.3M, LG with 0.1M, Garmin with 0.1M, and all other brands selling 0.6M units.

A decline of one third is substantial, which begs the question, are smartwatches going to always be a niche product that will never see mass adoption? Either way, are the added productivity features they off attractive to small business owners and entrepreneurs?

Samsung Gear S2 Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Will New Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch Be Business Friendly?" was first published on Small Business Trends

This entrepreneur is making big profits thanks to Donald Trump

(This post originally appeared on The Washington Post)

Lots of companies–from advertising firms to publishers to hotels and political consultants–make lots of money during election time. But there’s one entrepreneur who’s doing something even better–he’s making money by contributing to Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders’ campaigns. And he’s doing it because of a loophole in the federal election law.

According to Federal Election Commission filings, Randy Treibel has contributed just shy of $25,000 in total to both the campaigns of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, more than any person in America has given to both the campaigns combined, according to this report from The Atlantic. Is it because he’s a great supporter of both Trump and Sanders? No. It’s because, as good entrepreneurs do, he’s figured out how to make money from the system.

Treibel has been buying up campaign merchandise and then reselling it on his Amazon store at a profit.

And he’s profited even more than he initially expected. According to the election commission rules, even purchasing a button from a politician counts as a political donation, and donations from individuals are capped at $2,700. Because Treibel’s contributions exceeded that cap, both candidates’ campaigns are refunding his payments–and not asking for any of the bling back (mainly because they don’t have the time to deal with it).

“It’s a little bit awkward,” he told the Atlantic. “The intent was simply to profit in a purely ethical and legal manner. But what it turns out is, if they comply with FEC law, I may get 90, 95 percent of my investment back on top of what I profit.”

For example, a Trump sign that he purchased for $10 goes for $35 on his site, which sounds kind of crazy, but not to Treibel. “People will buy it,” Treibel said. “Amazon customers generally are affluent and irrational and they just want it quick.” Note to other small businesses selling on Amazon: Given our need-it-now culture (and my own online buying behavior) you might be able to charge more for some of your products too.

Oh, and what about Hillary Clinton merchandise?  “That stuff just doesn’t sell,” Treibel said. “Nobody buys it.”

New FAA Rules for Commercial Drone Use Now In Effect: Here’s What You Need to Know

Heads up: if you are looking to fly a drone for business purposes, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put into effect new rules for commercial drone use.

The announcement came Monday, Aug. 29 at a press conference held by FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx. Now you can legally use drones for business purposes, whether that’s aerial photography or videography, scientific research, real estate inspection, surveying of land or other uses. However, clearly some envisioned uses won’t be possible given the current guidelines.

“The United States has been a pioneer in aviation since the Wright Brothers first took to the skies more than 100 years ago. Today we’ve reached another significant milestone. With the small UAS [Unmanned Aircraft Systems] rule now in effect, the commercial drone industry is cleared for takeoff,” said President and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the industry trade group, Brian Wynne in an official release. Mr. Wynne was also present at the press conference announcing the implementation of the new FAA rules that were first made public back in June 2016.

The New FAA Regulations for Drones Used Commercially

According to the FAA’s new rules, formally known as Part 107 (PDF), which govern commercial flights of small unmanned aircraft, all drones being used for business purposes in the U.S. must be registered with the FAA and weigh up to 55 pounds (25 kilograms).

The drones must be operated during daylight hours only, 30 minutes before sunrise or 30 minutes after sunset local time. And the unmanned aircraft must remain within the visual line-of-sight (VLOS) of the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS. Alternatively, the unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of the visual observer, FAA states.

Other Part 107 regulations that must be adhered when operating a commercial drone include:

• Flying at a maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level (AGL) or, if higher than 400 feet, remain within 400 feet of a structure.
• Flying at a maximum ground speed of 100 mph (87 knots).
• Avoiding flying over any persons not directly participating in the operation, or under a covered structure or inside a covered stationary vehicle.
• Yielding the right of way to other aircraft, like planes and helicopters
• No person may act as a remote pilot in command for more than one unmanned aircraft operation at one time.
• No carriage of hazardous materials.
• External load operations are allowed if the object being carried by the unmanned aircraft is securely attached and does not adversely affect the flight characteristics or control-ability of the aircraft.

Other rules would forbid a single remote pilot operating multiple drones at once, the use of drones for the carrying of hazardous materials and the use of drones to carry any load that is not securely attached or adversely affects the controllability or “flight aspects” of the vehicle. (This last is something to think about before strapping a couple of pizzas on your drone and sending it on deliveries, although there may be other restrictions that would also negate such a use.)

If your proposed operation doesn’t quite comply with Part 107 regulations, you may apply for a waiver of some restrictions but you’ll have to prove the proposed flight will be conducted safely under a waiver.

Training and Certification of Remote Pilots

The FAA adds that the person operating a small unmanned aircraft must either hold a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating or be under the direct supervision of a person who does hold a remote pilot certificate.

To qualify for a remote pilot certificate, the FAA says you must be at least 16 years old and demonstrate aeronautical knowledge by either:

1. Passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center; or
2. Hold a part 61 pilot certificate other than student pilot, complete a flight review within the previous 24 months, and complete a small UAS online training course provided by the FAA.

What these Regulations Mean for Small Businesses

Part 107 rules at the moment would seem to make drones usable for commercial photography, videography, very localized transport and similar simpler tasks, but certainly not long-range delivery as envisioned by companies like eCommerce giant Amazon. Amazon envisions flying drones to customers up to 10 miles from an Amazon warehouse and delivering orders within just 30 minutes of an order placement.

Foxx and Huerta, however, revealed in the press conference that government agencies are waiting to attain more data on the privacy, security and safety risks of drones in the national airspace before rolling out more rules and allowances that could help the nascent industry flourish.

The FAA anticipates as many as 600,000 unmanned aircraft will be operating in the national airspace within a year of Part 107 rules coming into effect. An estimated 100,000 new jobs will reportedly be created and at least $82 billion in revenue generated in the first decade following the implementation of Part 107, according to an AUVSI economic report (PDF).

“Drones are helping to create a whole new means of realizing the American dream,” Huerta said.

This article, "New FAA Rules for Commercial Drone Use Now In Effect: Here’s What You Need to Know" was first published on Small Business Trends

Boost for British families as households now have £202 a week in spare cash

BRITISH households typically have £10 a week more disposable income than a year ago, according to research.

Italian economy shattered as one in three jobless GIVE UP searching for work

A THIRD of jobless Italians gave up looking for work at the start of the year, amid rising fears for Italy’s economy.

3 Things To Tell Every Customer

Your customer’s or prospect’s attention is extremely important to your business.  Let’s look at three statements you should be making and backing up to your customers.

Must Have Customer Communication

1. We Want Your Feedback

At the end of any purchase, project or service with your customer, let them know you want to understand how the customer experience was for them. While it’s great to use many different methods to get your customer’s thoughts post-sale, you will get more feedback by personally letting them know you care about it and want it.

My bank let’s me know they want my feedback with signage, for example. (See the image above.)

This mention of desiring their feedback also takes your feedback process from surprise to an expectation. When your customer survey call, email or mailer arrives to request their feedback they aren’t surprised one bit.  You also have increased the responsibility of the customers to respond since you made a personal request of it.

Best of all is your extra touch of mentioning. This speaks to your business’s culture of caring about your customer’s experience and that’s valuable in itself.

2. Here’s What You Get And How Often

I see endless requests on websites, in store signage and everywhere a business can place an icon to ask people to sign-up for their email marketing, follow or like them on social media or opt-in to their mobile/SMS marketing. You absolutely should be making every attempt to gain more channels to communicate with your customer, but you can do it better.

“Sign up for our email list and get just a once per month email containing our specials, tips and clearance items.”

You just set an expectation and a value of your communication with them and they clearly understand what they are opting into.

I find endless “Join Our Email List” fields on websites without a single mention of how often you’ll be emailing them or what with. Do you know what your customer likely thinks of this? That you’ll email them daily or more with every sales pitch you have. How many customers want to sign up when they think that?

This email newsletter sign up lacks any detail on the content or frequency of this communication.

If you are asking for mobile numbers, which I think are marketing gold, make sure you clearly state when you’ll use it and how valuable it will be. Customers guard their mobile number and rightfully so. Make sure your mobile campaign delivers great savings, insight or enables your process to be perfect (like reminders).

You’ll find more customers subscribing and following if you state your offering, timing and value.

3. This Is Our Number One Differentiator

In our world of competition, access and pricing, it can be very hard for a customer to understand who is best for their needs. They combine what you say about yourself with what others say about you to make a decision.

Are you clearly communicating what your biggest difference is with your service or product? You need to be. If you don’t control this messaging and clarity you rely on your customer figuring this out themselves from online reviews, referrals and other sources. Make it easy for prospects to decide. Give them your biggest difference right up front.

The best version of this is to be specific as well. While you can state it’s your staff, you’ll be better off stating why your staff is great. “Our technicians set us apart from other Windshield installers with over 40 years experience and multiple Master Level certifications.”

Telling this to your customers is just as important because this is messaging they are likely to repeat to others when referring your business.

Great Communication Wins

All of these examples and tips center on clear and valuable communication with your customers. Showing customers you care, you respect their time and where you are unique will help win more first time and repeat customers.

Customers Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "3 Things To Tell Every Customer" was first published on Small Business Trends

Small Business Loan Approval Rates at Big Banks Decline, Biz2Credit Index Finds

Turbulence in global markets has made big banks wary of approving small business loans. That’s what the latest Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index (PDF), the monthly analysis of more than 1,000 small business loan applications on Biz2Credit.com has revealed.

Details from the July 2016 Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index

According to the report, small business loan approval rates have dropped at both big banks and alternative lenders in July.

The big bank approval rate declined to 23.1 percent in July, down two-tenths of a percent from June’s figure. Meanwhile, alternative lenders approved three out of five loan requests in the same period.

In a prepared release, Biz2Credit CEO Rohit Arora observed, “The economy in the second quarter was a bit sluggish because of slower global growth; this impacts big banks more than other lenders.”

“When there is turbulence in international markets, such as the angst over Britain’s leaving the EU, big banks tend to become more conservative in their lending. Brexit had some impact, but not a major one, on small business finance.”

Explaining why lending plummeted at alternative lenders, Arora said, “Alternative lenders have steadily lost favor among small business borrowers, in large part because their cost of capital is so high.”

“Credit-worthy borrowers can typically secure better interest rates and terms from other types of lenders. Alternative lenders still have some appeal for borrowers whose credit scores might be low.”

While small business loan approval rates dropped at big banks and alternative lenders, not all the news from July was bad.

Institutional lenders’ loan approval rates bounced back to 62.8 percent, matching an all time index high. Small banks also saw a slight increase in their approval rates.

According to Arora, “This category (institutional lenders) of lender is doing well because of high yields and low default rates. Further, institutional investors from other countries are looking to enter the U.S. market as there currently is much global uncertainty, especially in Europe.”

He also added that the current global market scenario doesn’t have as much impact on small banks as it does on larger ones.

For small businesses that are currently profitable, securing loans for expansion should not be a challenge, the index suggests.

Arora echoed this when he told the New York Daily News, “Rates are still historically low, and small businesses that are currently profitable are able to get loans for expansion and working capital.”

Moreover, the U.S. economy is stable, which is definitely good news for small business owners, Arora obsrved.

For its monthly index, Biz2Credit analyzes loan requests ranging from $25,000 to $3 million from companies in business more than two years with an average credit score above 680. Unlike other surveys, the results are based on primary data submitted by more than 1,000 small business owners who applied for funding on Biz2Credit’s online lending platform, which connects business borrowers and lenders.

Image: Biz2Credit

This article, "Small Business Loan Approval Rates at Big Banks Decline, Biz2Credit Index Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends

Spotlight: Bar-B-Clean Franchise Focuses on Cleaning and Maintenance of Barbecue Grills

Barbecue grills can be great for summer gatherings and everyday meals. But they can also get quite dirty and aren’t exactly easy to clean. A few years back, one enterprising entrepreneur decided that this somewhat messy niche could make for a great business opportunity. And Bar-B-Clean was born. Read more about the business below in this week’s Small Business Spotlight.

What the Business Does

Cleans and maintains barbecues.

Founder Bryan Weinstein told Small Business Trends, “Bar-B-Clean exists to reduce the amount of grills people have to replace. Barbecues are expensive investments that are expected to last many years. Exposure to rain and sun will prematurely age them, discolor them, and make them look old and dirty. Bar-B-Clean offers residential and commercial customers a convenient, low cost grill cleaning solution. In addition, Bar-B-Clean also offers part replacements, stone rejuvenation services and rodent removal.”

Business Niche

Doing the dirty work.

Weinstein says, “Did you know that every year, 7,000 Americans are injured while using backyard barbecue grills? At Bar-B-Clean, we take safety seriously and go the extra mile to offer advice to our customers during appointments. In addition, the very nature of our services helps keep grills clean and people healthier. We remove metal bristles, rodent droppings and more. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.”

How this Barbecue Grill Cleaning Service Got Started

Because of a stray rodent.

Weinstein explains, “In 2011, after finding a rodent living in my frequently used grill, I started wondering if my love for outdoor cooking was actually an unhealthy passion. As I probed a bit further, I learned that grillers everywhere are often cleaning up dead, rotted rat carcasses, handfuls of animal poop and cancerous chemicals. Naturally, I looked into the process of properly cleaning a grill, and realized that the task was quite labor intensive that created a problem that most people wouldn’t or simply couldn’t take on themselves. And so I created Bar-B-Clean, a franchise organization that will do your dirty work ranging from rodent removal, bbq cleaning, part replacement and more.”

Biggest Win

Having the first franchisee eclipse $100,000 in 2015

Weinstein says, “This was a win/win as it was a testament to the service and that it’s a profitable business. This has been a milestone in our business and is helping our franchise sales process. This information is listed in the franchise disclosure document (FDD), and is representative of what people can expect.”

Biggest Risk

Jumping into business.

Weinstein says, “Good ideas are a dime a dozen. You have to believe in it and be committed to see your idea succeed, no matter what that takes. Everything I do is for the business. Failure is not an option.”

How They’d Spend an Extra $100,000

Recruiting and support for the franchise program.

Weinstein explains, “The strength of a franchise system is the franchisees. People are so important, and I aim everyday to foster a sense of community; that we are all a part of something. We share in successes and failures, and we do it together.”

Recruiting Philosophy

Helping veterans.

Weinstein says, “We also have a hyper focus on recruiting veterans (both as franchisees and employees) and helping them transition from the military to civilian life.”

* * * * *

Find out more about the Small Biz Spotlight program

Images: Bar-B-Clean; Top image: Bar-B-Clean Franchisee and military Veteran Matthew Sprague; Bottom image: Bryan Weinstein, Bar-B-CleanFounder

This article, "Spotlight: Bar-B-Clean Franchise Focuses on Cleaning and Maintenance of Barbecue Grills" was first published on Small Business Trends

Eurozone confidence dives to five-month LOW in post-Brexit fall out

CONFIDENCE in the eurozone economy has crashed to its lowest level since March, in another sign the bloc's outlook has been shattered by Britain's vote to leave the European Union .