There are various factors for Startup success which we must consider early to avoid failures. Many startups face the risk of failure due to various reasons. However, by keeping these factors in mind, entrepreneurs can significantly increase their chances of success. Starting a new small business seems exciting and full of rewards if we consider and handle the challenges associated with it properly. In this article, I’ll explore some important factors that can save startups from failure.

1. Thorough Market Research

One of the fundamental steps in launching a startup, after registering the company, is conducting thorough market research. Startup owners should understand their target audiences, analyzing competitors, and identifying market trends. These are essential aspects of the startup or business process. By gaining insights into the market, startups can make informed decisions, tailor their products or services to meet specific needs, and stay ahead of the competition. They should also be aware of the startup laws in their respective country.

2. Clear Value Proposition

A clear and compelling value proposition is crucial for any startup. This statement should communicate the unique benefits your product or service offers to customers. A strong value proposition not only attracts customers but also helps differentiate your startup in a crowded market.

3. Financial Planning

Financial planning since the inception of the business is crucial and any mismanagement during the starting and mid of business causes startup failure. Proper financial planning involves creating realistic budgets, forecasting expenses, and managing cash flow. Startup owners should know how to raise capital for the startups. They should also know startup funding stages and explore various funding options, such as loans, investors, or crowdfunding, to ensure they have the necessary resources to sustain and grow the business.

4. Scalable Business Model

A successful startup should have a scalable business model that allows for growth without compromising efficiency. Entrepreneurs should consider the long-term sustainability of their business and plan for expansion. This might involve adapting products or services, entering new markets, or exploring strategic partnerships.

5. Agility and Adaptability

The business landscape is constantly evolving, and startups must be agile and adaptable to navigate changes. Being open to feedback, continuously evaluating and adjusting strategies, and embracing innovation are vital for long-term success. Flexibility enables startups to respond to market demands and emerging trends effectively.

6. Strong Leadership and Team

Every startup faces challenges during the journey of success, a strong leadership is required to come out of these risky situations when challenges appear stronger than our efforts. Business owners can follow the teamwork tips as one of the factors for startup success. Strong leaders inspire their teams, make strategic decisions, foster a creative work culture and keep up positive work environment. Additionally, assembling a skilled and motivated team is crucial. A cohesive and talented team can overcome obstacles, contribute innovative ideas, and drive the success of the startup.

7. Customer Feedback and Iteration

Listening to customer feedback is key to refining products or services if you’re in ecommerce business. Startups should actively seek input from customers, analyze their preferences, and iterate based on the feedback received. This iterative process helps in creating a product that resonates with the target audience, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

8. Business Technology Tools to Grow

Business technology tools are helpful in saving time and money. In many businesses, POS systems and POS terminals are required which should be adapted well in advance. ERP software and CRM software should also be considered in advance if required.

Conclusion

While startups face inherent risks, considering these factors can significantly improve the chances of success. Thorough research, a clear value proposition, financial planning, scalability, adaptability, strong leadership, and customer-centric strategies are crucial elements for startup survival. By incorporating these factors into their business plans, entrepreneurs can build a solid foundation and navigate the path to success. Small business insurance is also an option to adopt to tackle and come up at any odd situations.

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Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are technologies that can revolutionize the world as we know it. Many startups choose to proceed in a relatively nascent industry. Cryptocurrencies and blockchain are two technologies that are talked about a lot in the news and on social media, but hardly understood.

Blockchain vs. Crypto Currencies

Blockchain is the kind of concept that is usually explained in either a simple way or a technical and hard way. I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible.

Blockchain, as the name suggests, is a collection of blocks, linked by a chain. Easy enough? But there is more to it. The blocks consist of data, a hash that uniquely identifies each block, a timestamp, information about the previous block, among other things. Each block is linked to the last block, while the first block in a blockchain is called the genesis block and is linked to no one. Once a block has been linked, it cannot be changed or modified.

Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, are a digital commodity that can be exchanged in place of goods or services. There are no central authorities like banks or other financial institutions that can regulate cryptocurrencies.

Now that we have a surface level knowledge about blockchain and cryptocurrencies, we’ll be able to appreciate how these technologies are changing startups. These technologies have a wide array of applications. All entrepreneurs need to do is identify where blockchain can help fix a problem, and start working on developing a minimum viable product.

Here is how cryptocurrency and blockchain are transforming startups:

1. Secure and cheaper transactions

We’re living in a more connected world. Businesses have to cater to an audience that is halfway around the world. Banks and other financial institutions cater to our financial needs, but they also take a hefty fee.

Cryptocurrencies are cheaper than banks just as live chat app is cheaper than on call support agents. No extra fees are charged on Crypto. You only pay a certain amount when a transaction is made. Swish, a mobile payment system made in Sweden, is much cheaper than PayPal or other banks, but still a hundred times more expensive than Bitcoin Cash.

Cryptocurrencies help startups by making transactions secure from frauds and hacking. The blockchain is distributed and decentralized, so hacking is not an easy task. For example, a hacker decides to hack a blockchain that has around a million individual users. To make his hack attempt successful, he’ll need control of over half a million user accounts. Gaining access to so many accounts is not impossible, but it’ll undoubtedly take its toll on the hacker.

2. Establishing trust

Trust is essential for business. In our modern world, we need to rely on banks to make sure that our money doesn’t get lost somewhere.

Merchants still, to this day, have to trust that a customer won’t run away after he gets his order. The faster you can get notified about a transaction, the better.

Cryptocurrencies promote a feeling of trust that both parties will receive notifications about the transaction in minutes. The settlement will take place within an hour. With cryptocurrencies, payments are irreversible 10 to 60 minutes after a deal has been made.

Startups like Provenance help to establish trust by providing the origin of an item. In the luxury items market, dealing with counterfeits is a significant problem. Businesses can’t seem to keep up with the sheer amount of forgery in the industry.

Provenance has built a traceability system for materials and offerings. The consumers can quickly learn more about a supplier and identify if the supplier has gotten his wares from a legitimate source. Using Provenance, a great deal of the counterfeit market could be shut down for good.

Provenance was just one application where a startup used blockchain to establish trust. There could be several other areas where blockchain could be used to increase user confidence, for example, supply chains and delivery services.

3. Startups can become early adopters

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are still in their infancy stages. There are so many things to be done and issues to be resolved before the mass adoption of these technologies can take place.

Startups often focus on the pain points that are overlooked by traditional businesses and governments. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of these missed opportunities.

By becoming early adopters, these startups would have a chance to become leaders in a new industry. They’ll be able to establish their presence and build mutually beneficial relationships with other progressive startups.

Using blockchain, an entrepreneur can develop solutions that previously were thought to be impossible. There are many sectors that you can have a positive impact on. Apart from finance, you can implement blockchain in several industries like healthcare, defense, education, and many more.

4. Security

Security is a significant concern for startups. Storing data in a secure way is a concern for every business and not just startups.

Blockchain provides several security features that would make the technology the primary way to store and organize data in the future. Since the digital ledger (ledger that has records of all transactions) cannot be corrupted, it would be ideal for storing all kinds of data on a digital ledger.

The data stored in the ledger is encrypted (converted into a unique code). And the only way to access the data is through a key-value mechanism. Personal identification is also made before a transaction is made.

Since the blockchain is distributed and decentralized, the data won’t be stored in a single place. Having the data dispersed along the blockchain provides better security.

Conclusion

Startups are changing our world, and new technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrencies are transforming startups.

Startups that want to have a competitive edge over the competition need to embrace new technology early on. These advances in technology will provide new opportunities that an observant entrepreneur can capitalize upon.

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are still relatively nascent. They haven’t been around as much, but eventually, they’ll make their place into our world. A business that incorporates new technology will be the early adopters, and being an early adopter has its own set of advantages.

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There is a very famous proverb, which states that it is never recommendable to put all the eggs in a single basket when you are dealing with the business strategy. It has been noticed that the statement is entirely true when the point of financing a business. One thing that you must be aware that the banks are not the only source of getting finance, there are some other ways too. Listed below are some of the sources of finance for a business. They are-

1. Personal Investment

The first and the foremost thing that you must keep in your mind that staring a new business means that you must have a bit of cash or asset of your own. This gives an indication to the investors that you are planning for the long-term commitment of your own project.

2. Love money

This is the money, which is generally loaned by the parents, family, friends, and spouse. In terms of bankers and investors, this amount is referred to as patient capital. In this case, the money needs to be paid later when the business profit increases.

3. Venture capital

This source of finance is only applicable for the businesses, which are technology driven and also the one which has higher growth potential. Generally, these sources of finance are given to the business in the field of information technology, biotechnology, and communications. When you opt for the venture capital than in that scenario, they expect a healthy return on their investment.

4. Angel Investment

You will be amazed to know that they are the retired company executives or the wealthy individuals who make sure that their money is invested directly in the business that is owned by others. The only limitation of the angel source of finance is that they provide money only during the early stage of any business.

5. Business incubators

In the case of the business incubators source of finance, they focus mainly on the high-tech sector. They stretch their hand to provide support for the business in their several stages of development. Usually, the incubation period does not last for more than a couple of years. It has been noticed that business, which gets this type of support often, operates within the state of the art sector.

6. Government grants and subsidies

One of the important sources of finance for your business can be government grants and subsidies. But getting grants from the government can be really tough as there are strong competition and criteria that you need to follow. It has also been observed that you need to match the funds for which you are given. Moreover, the amount also varies based on the granter.

7. Bank loan

You must be aware of the fact that bank loans are one of the most common sources of funding for different businesses. But one point that you must not forget that all the banks have their own merits as well as a demerit. Hence, it always better to go around and look for the one, which best matches, your demand.

3D printing is a hot trend these days. Many hobbyists are jumping on the bandwagon and buying a 3D printer to experience the magic of what these printers can do. Certainly, large scale manufacturers are taking advantage of this technological advancement, and the health care industry as well, as they are printing medical devices that can save lives.

It seems hard to believe then that this technology can also help a marketing business be more successful but there are many instanced of companies creating promotions surrounding a prize that has been 3D printed, which can build up interest in a brand as well as offering an incentive. Keep reading to see how 3D printing can change the face of marketing.

Stereolithography

Stereolithography (SL) is used to create 3D-printed objects with the help of liquid plastic polymer. SL process uses uniquely designed 3D printing machine i.e. StereoLithograph Apparatus (SLA). SLA converts liquid plastic into solid objects. This is a patented process patented by Charles Hull in 1986, co-founder of 3D Systems, Inc., a leader in the 3D printing industry.

1. Fun Promotions and Contests!

While 3D printing technology has improved to be easier than ever, it is still a long way off from being as ubiquitous as smartphones. You can use this to your advantage by creating promotions that will benefit your clients and their businesses with a result being they can win a chance to 3D print something.

Coca Cola famously used this idea to offer a promotion to print a miniature replica of contest winners after they kept a virtual version of themselves alive for a while. While it seems silly to print small action figure sized models of people, it certainly garnered a lot of attention. Consumers want to experience outlandish contests and giveaways.

You can use a 3D printer to create any number of branded or personalized products you need. Let’s say you offered a custom phone case in a promotion. In many instances, customers without an iPhone wouldn’t enter, believing the cases were only for that particular phone style, but with a 3D printer you could print a case that could fit any smartphone that needed one.

Whatever you may want to offer as a prize can be done when you print the prize yourself. You needn’t be limited by what you want to spend or what you can find in the stores when you can create your own excitement offering something truly unique.

2. Consumers Love Promotional Products

As more and more marketing strategies move to online platforms a lot of companies have stopped focusing on promotional items to instead put their effort towards social media and customer engagement. While there isn’t anything wrong with these online resources, you can really be missing out by not using promotional products to your advantage.

Who doesn’t love getting free stuff? The absolute best part of going to trade shows or fairs is the potential to walk away with a bag of pens, yardsticks and reusable grocery bags featuring a bevy of logos from companies and brands.

But don’t keep paying someone else to print these items for you when you can easily print personalized key-chains and other products you can then offer as free swag to current and prospective customers. Having a 3D printer in-house can certainly be beneficial from a marketing perspective just by saving time and money on customer gear.

When you take time to engage your customers with free stuff, not only will they use their items but having them out in public will support the brand recognition you need and want for your company. When you get a heart on Instagram you’re interacting with one person, but when a customer is carrying around a tangible promotion, the potential for engagement is much larger.

3. You Know Best

Obviously, you know your company best and how you can best use 3D printing technology. This need is certainly going to vary depending on what industry you’re in. If you are a marketing firm, the possibilities for helping your clients are endless as you can custom print almost anything that will help their brand take off.

If you are a retail shop or restaurant looking for a new way to market yourself and you’ve stumbled upon this article don’t worry, 3D printing can still help your small business. While printing items probably isn’t going to help you drive your costs down to compete with larger businesses you can use it to make your location completely unique.

Why use napkin holders that look just like everyone else’s when you could have your logo printed in 3D to become a place to store the napkins? You will know how a printer can help you, whether it’s custom artwork, renderings of potential new products or just as a form of entertainment for people to observe while they’re visiting your location.

It can be really exciting to see what begins to take shape with 3D printing. You could even run contests for people to guess what is actually printing. Since nearly everything that is printed in 3D begins with a base layer, it can be interesting how everything looks the same during the printing process until it starts taking on it’s distinguishing characteristics.

4. Create Your Unique Identity

Don’t be fooled by the notion 3D printing is slow and incapable of printing a large variety of items. With filaments the range from glow-in-the-dark to metal to creating actual fabric, you can print almost anything you need in order to help your brand be marketed more specifically.

Having a 3D printer on-site will enable you to not only create custom items but can help you stand out from the crowd since some have shied away from 3D printing because they don’t understand the benefits it can present to marketing. When you have a printer at your disposal you won’t be waiting for someone else to create what you want.

5. Create Buzz

With 3D printing becoming increasingly popular you can stand out from the crowd and competitors by being an early adopter of the technology used not for manufacturing or for what kind of medical advances you can dream up.

By changing the face of marketing with a 3D printer you can show the industry what they’re missing and how to best help clients in how they can best compete and create new and exciting campaigns and techniques to revolutionize the current marketing standards.

Conclusion

The impact of this is still in it’s earliest stages and not every company or marketing department has figured out how to use 3D printing to their advantage, so you can really stand out from the crowd and help create the new standard for marketing as a whole. Don’t be left behind when you can easily be at the forefront of the new marketing era.

Many entrepreneurs can opt 5 Awesome Ways 3D Printing options in their businesses or they can start their 3D printing business, which is at the nascent stage at the moment and one of the best startup ideas.

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Data science is one of the fastest growing fields of expertise at the moment. We know that data science involves machine learning, but what’s the difference between these two fields of expertise?

In short, machine learning involves complex algorithms that “learn” from data in order to predict future trends and system behaviors. On the other hand, data science is the process of tackling and making sense of large collections of data. This includes data cleansing, preparation and analysis, which is, in part, machine learning.

In this article, we will unpack these two concepts, aiming to bring an understanding of what each term means and how they relate to each other.

Data Science vs. Machine Learning

A. Data Science

Data science as a field is difficult to define since it draws from so many different fields of knowledge.

Most data scientists know machine learning and understand multiple analytical functions. This person usually has experience in SQL database coding and a strong knowledge of various coding languages, such as Python, SAS, R and Scala. Added to this, they are usually able to use unstructured data in order to extract useful information. Other fields that are sometimes included in data science are bioinformatics, information technology, simulation and quality control, computational finance, epidemiology, industrial engineering and number theory.

As you can see, data science covers a very wide spectrum of knowledge and skills. Depending on which side of this spectrum you are, you may or may not use programming and complicated mathematics, but you will definitely use large sets of data, usually in an unstructured format. Due to the broad nature of this field, it is hard to define and to find one person capable of doing everything involved needed for a successful data science project. Usually, data scientists would work as a team where each would focus on a specific subset of the field.

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Here, you would see titles such as “Machine Learning Engineer”, “Analyst” or “A/B Test Expert” indicating which area of work they focus on. Tools used by data scientists include, but are not limited to, data cleansing, preparation, predictive analytics, machine learning and sentiment analysis. These experts are tasked with making sense of large collections of data, extracting useful information from it and translating that into actionable goals. A data science team would understand how data relates to business and uses this to enable executives to make informed decisions based on solid science in order to propel their businesses forward.

Data science involves processing vast amounts of unstructured data in automated ways in order to extract logical, useful information from it and make prediction regarding future trends and system behaviors. Unstructured data comes from video, audio, social media, manual surveys, clinical trials and many other sources. This can be lumped together as human consumable data, which can be read and analyzed in tabular form, by humans. The amount of data is so vast, though, that this is entirely impractical, hence the need for automating and speeding up the process. Here, the data scientists will have to borrow techniques from related fields, as is done in most practical applications of science.

As time progresses, these predictions must be updated and the system re-calibrated using new data. Data scientists must also understand and decide which analytics tools to use for their specific purposes and applications, since this would affect the type of information that they would be able to extract from a specific set of data. Real world problems are tackled in data science. This field is incredibly complex due to the complex nature of the world we live in.

In data science, unsupervised clustering can be used. Here, an algorithm is used to find clusters or cluster structures without having been given a training set of data. These clusters must be labelled by a data scientist; thus, some human interaction is necessary.

Here, the major complexity of the system is due to the nature of the data (unstructured and vast). It is necessary to synchronize and schedule tasks in a logical manner in order to render the data useful and extract as much information from it as possible.

Simply put, data science is a vast field encompassing many disciplines, of which machine learning is one.

B. Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subset of data science. Arthur Samuel defines it as “a field of study that gives computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed”.

An expert in machine learning requires in-depth knowledge of computer fundamentals and must be excellent in data modelling and evaluation skills. Knowledge of probability and statistics is needed and in-depth programming skills and knowledge is essential.

In machine learning, large collections of data are mined in order to find patterns, learn from it and predict future behaviors of systems. It basically “teaches” a system how to behave under certain circumstances. A prime example of this is Facebook’s algorithm. Here, the algorithm observes various users on the social media platform in order to determine patterns of user behavior and interactions. This information is used in order to tailor the user’s news feed to articles that they are likely to enjoy. Amazon uses a similar principle to suggest products in their “you might also like” category. YouTube, Netflix and a myriad of other media platforms and online retailers work on the same principle to suggest your next view, article or purchasing suggestions.

In finance, machine learning is used to predict whether a prospective client applying for a loan is a good or bad prospect based in historical data. This takes the guess work and “gut feel” factors out of financial decision making.

Another example of sophisticated machine learning is the autocomplete or predictive text functionality on your smartphone or search engine. The software is programmed to collect data as you type in order to better predict what you are likely to type next in order to fill in the blanks faster and more accurately as time progresses. This has become so entrenched in our daily lives that few people stop to think about it.

Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI). Here, a problem is defined in finite terms and the algorithm is programmed to know the “right” decision. Now, it trawls through the data at hand to learn which parameters are needed in order to get to that decision.

Basically, the computer is given the ability to learn new things and complete complex tasks without being explicitly programmed. When developing a machine learning algorithm, a training set of data would be used to “teach” the algorithm to perform a specific function. This would be fine tuned and can later be re-calibrated using a new set of data. On the long run, this would lead to a highly sophisticated algorithm that can accurately predict future trends and system behavior and can also make complex decisions in an unsupervised manner. This eliminates the need for regular human interference. Here, regression and naive Bayes or supervised clustering could be used.

Machine learning would not include unsupervised clustering, as is the case with the broader data science discipline. Data used in machine learning must be structured in a way that the specific algorithm would understand. Here, feature scaling, word embedding and adding polynomial features are some of the tools that can be used to render data useful and understandable for each specific application. In machine learning, the main complexity is in the algorithm itself. In some cases, an ensemble algorithm would be used, which is a combination of various machine learning algorithms. Here, the contribution from each algorithm would be weighted in order to obtain the desired results.

In short, machine learning is where practical statistics and highly sophisticated programming skills meet.

Overlap Between Machine Learning and Data Science

In machine learning, concepts that are used in data science career, such as regression and supervised clustering, are also used. In contrast to this, data science uses data that may or may not be originated in an actual machine or mechanical process. Both these fields use large collections of data in order to learn from it and arrive at logical actions in order to add financial benefit to an organization.

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Data science is a much broader term that machine learning. Machine learning focuses mainly on statistics and algorithms, while data science encompasses anything related to collecting, analyzing and processing data. Data science is multi-disciplinary. In a data science team context, each person would have a specific role to fulfill. Here, a machine learning expert would work to automate as many tasks as possible, breaking down code in order to simplify and reuse as many components as possible. Statisticians would ensure that the information teased out of data makes sense and is usable. Economic experts would optimize the system responses to ensure economic viability. Machine learning is crucial to data science and should be used in conjunction with other disciplines in order to complete the data science picture.

If you have a high level of knowledge on mathematics and statistics combined with hacking skills, you are able to program in the field of machine learning. Pair these skills with a large portion of substantive expertise, and you have a highly skilled data scientist.

In short, machine learning is one of many tools used by data scientists in order to extract useful information from large collections of data.

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Coworking is a type of workplace where coworking space provider provides the same work environment for all inmate companies on a seat basis or multiple of it to do independent startup or entrepreneurial activities within the same campus. It also creates a like minded community helping one another in that area which is rare in a typical office.

Small and medium enterprises(SMEs), Startups, Freelancers, Entrepreneurs or Solopreneurs are the major users of the Co-working space setup. Some of the Big corporate houses are also checking in the coworking space because of its advantages.

Major Advantages of Cultural Diversity In Coworking Space

The cost per seat may range from INR 4,000-15,000 per month depending on the type of cities it is present in. Companies who opt for coworking space can focus on their work while the coworking space providers take care of all amenities.

Since, most of the corporate houses are also checking in with these types of setup of offices, the coworking industry is expected to rise in coming years due to various reasons such as time freedom to work, perfect environment to nurture the creative ideas, increase in productivity of the employees, availability of basic amenities like parking, cafe, lighting, AC and other IT infrastructure such as internet, event platform, networking, conference rooms etc.

Top 10 Must Have Amenities While Choosing Coworking Space

1. Should have well-equipped office space which you can choose as per your location
2. Should be flexible in terms of timings
3. Should not be messy in terms of space which also sometimes causes decline in productivity due to messy work environment, all amenities such as Smart TVs for presentations, projectors, sound systems, podcast recording rooms etc. in one roof should be provided
4. Motivated people all around you, either startups or entrepreneurs
5. Networking Opportunities with other businesses, networking with venture capitalists and angel investors should be available
6. Free and fast wi-fi
7. High quality printer, scanner and copier (no issue if the service is chargeable)
8. Comfortable office furniture, single desks, shared tables, a work-bar and standing desks etc.
9. Calling areas and dedicated working space
10. Parking facility and cafeteria should be available (no issue if the service is chargeable)

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Overall, it is a win win situation for the startups and entrepreneurs, as well as the well established companies.

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Starting a business with no money or least money i.e. self funded startups are Bootstrapped startups or ventures which need real entrepreneurship to get profit out of less investment and lesser resources. Such startups or ventures are more customer centric since their day to day operations depends upon the money given by the customers against the certain products or services startups provide.

How Bootstrapped Startups Are More Customer Centric?

Since the ventures are started without the help of venture capital firms or angel investment, such ventures grow with the help of customer’s money. Certain part of customer money is used for the business operations and rest amount is invested back into the business to grow it further.

Often, growth of such ventures is slow because the business first has to meet its operating expenses, to improve the products or services offering, to increase resources, to beat competitions to stay in business etc. Some startups may take on loans or lines of credit, use their credit cards, take small grants for short term to fund specific growth activities but such low cost solutions are only temporarily used in an intelligent way to solve instant problems. These are only secondary source of funds to keep the startup operating and grow it taken by the founders.

When startups use such methods to operate and grow their businesses, they are practicing bootstrapping. Bootstrapped businesses invests at absolute necessary points, use their resources in full way, and derive the profit with less investment.

Pros of Bootstrapping

1. Brings out the best in entrepreneurs, you can find resources to work for equity rather than cash
2. Hones guts, passions and skills in the founders as well as Develops patience
3. Bootstrapped companies are accountable and careful
4. Build loyal customers, partnerships, and recurring streams into their business model
5. Such ventures are governed by the customers and for the customers rather than investors
6. Run the business the way you want, no external forces such as investors or VCs can push you against your will
7. Waste and needless expenditures are less thus losses are negligible or less which attracts funding in future course of actions
8. Full ownership of the company
9. In future, if funding is required, you can get investments from VCs and Angel investors easily. Investors are likely to be impressed by the fact that you’ve managed to build a company entirely on your own, This, in turn, may make them more likely to invest (and to invest more) as they recognize the true extent of your skills and dedication towards your venture
10. Focuses on profit

Cons of Bootstrapping

1. Growth of Bootstrapped companies is very slow since they have less money to implement the idea in full due to lack of resources
2. Face huge barriers for growth
3. Bootstrapped companies may become risk-averse and as a result miss growth opportunities
4. Lack of money causes less or no marketing for the product
5. Grow organically which is slow and time taking
6. Develops risk-averse mentality, preventing startups from capitalizing on big opportunities due to this may not get massive success in this competitive environment

Conclusion on Bootstrapped Startups

Keeping the above thoughts in mind, bootstrapping makes good entrepreneurs great by forcing them to be more nimble, committed, relentless, and action-focused. Although such ventures are not supported by the cushion of external investment, yet there are many entrepreneurs who made their ventures a great success through bootstrapping. Good Luck.

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Starting a startup or a business and implementing idea into reality needs funding in each stages since it is an expensive game which needs money as well as a lot of patience with solid determination to make the product or startup a Success.

Sometimes getting money funded to your startup is harder than simply starting or running a business itself. Fundraising is hard work every entrepreneur knows, as it need endless meetings, pitches, and negotiations on the desk of investors.

So if you are determined for the startup you have given life, the same determination you need to show in front of the investors. We have already covered the stages of startups funding in another article, now let us see the key differences in Seed Funding/Capital and Early Stage Funding/Capital–

Seed Funding/Seed Capital

As we have already covered the seed capital in our earlier article link given above, however Seed capital is the first source of investment your startup requires when it is in prototype stage or you have developed an initial product i.e. a minimum viable product (MVP). The seed capital can be sourced from friends and family (F&F), crowdfunding, credit cards, your personal savings, Syndicate funding (includes a startup, a lead investor and backers), P2P Lending Platforms etc.

The purpose of the money you are raising at this stage is commonly focused on research and development for an initial product, team building and sometimes marketing also.

There are many angel investors and seed accelerators who provide seed capital to the startups against some equities and partnership for the certain percentage in your company. These angel investors and seed accelerators not only invests in your startup but also potential enough to develop and pitch your solution to potential investors of next level.

Before reaching to the investor, first take the time to prepare, research, and validate your idea then approach them for a higher likelihood of acceptance. Apart from above, there are many of the venture capital firms also who are providing seed investments to the startups.

Once you received seed funding, you should provide tangible deliverable and milestones and update the investor regularly on your progress.

Later, when the business is up and running and turning a profit, you can pay them back, or they can sell their stakes to others who are looking for startup investment opportunities.

Early Stage Funding/Early Stage Capital

After the seed funding, when the product has been completely developed or achieved the stage where this can be floated in the market or shipped to the customers and now you want to expand the startup by adding employees or streamlining your production. At this stage, you may get profit out of your startup but that profit is not that enough to cover the costs of daily operations and the expansion, then early stage of funding comes where preferred stocks are allotted to the investors.

Early-stage financing comes in two parts, either Pre-Series A or Series A financing. This stage of funding generates more funding than seed funding usually the risks are equally higher. Angel investors or Venture capitalists are most likely to invest in your business at this stage when the startup has assembled key management, prepared a business plan and made market studies.

Such funding stages are followed by Series A+, Series B, Series C… rounds for additional funding when the startup is getting profitable.

Series B funding is used to make your product more sophisticated, to create aggressive marketing plan and to compete head-on with competitors. During this stage, the criteria for funding is evaluating the profit forecasts, how your company stacks up against its main competition, and whether intellectual property is involved and if so, its value in the marketplace. The funding limits are higher than Series A, but the risks are somehow lower.

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Having an startup idea and implementing that idea into the real grounds are different things and each step taken by the startup needs crystal clear vision and to solidify that vision into reality founder needs funding flow to let visualize the idea.

Money is the fundamental resource to keep the lights on, to build strong team, to build the strong product, to market the product, gaining traction etc.

Raising money/funding may not have been required when you started building the company, but in later stages it is required to gain the sustained growth and traction. There are different types of investors in the market to fund the startups, however different stages are there to understand to get funded from the investors and venture capitalists.

The five startup funding stages outlined below provide a foundation to get you started-

1. Seed Capital

Seed capital is the first source of investment your startup requires. Seed capital as one of the first Startup Funding Stages may be sourced from channels such as friends and family (F&F), crowdfunding, credit cards, your personal savings, Syndicate funding (includes a startup, a lead investor and backers), P2P Lending Platforms. No matter whom you raise money from, there is no free money, and interest on their investment in your startup should be clearly defined. You should provide tangible deliverable and milestones and update them regularly on your progress. The purpose of the money you are raising at this stage is commonly focused on research and development for an initial product, or a minimum viable product (MVP). There are different seed accelerators who are potential options if above mentioned channels are not fruitful. In my view, accelerators are one of the best options available who invests in both your startup and your potential to develop and pitch your solution to potential investors. First take the time to prepare, research, and validate your idea then approaching an investor for a higher likelihood of acceptance is the best idea. Apart from accelerators, there are many of the venture capital firms also who are providing seed investments to the startups.

2. Angel Investment

After the seed funding a startup taken and created a minimum viable product through it, now the time comes to let your startup grow and to this you need to increase funding. This kind of funding is required towards product development, marketing, expand your team to keep up the momentum. For this, angel investors come as a solution. If your startup is raising money at this stage, your business model canvas should be proven. At this stage, angel investors not only help startups in funding point of view but also they help the startups gain success, provide strategic assistance as well as play roles such as advisers also. Angels are different from other investment entities such as Venture Capital firms since they are using their own money and should be treated as such when solicited for funding. They may invest individually or also pool their money with a group. Since the money raised at this stage can be significantly higher than in the seed round, investors will also expect a compelling and well-researched pitch as well as partnerships such as equities in the startups.

3. Venture Capital Funding

Venture Capital Funding comes after the angel investment where the size of such funding is much larger. It is used to scale the business to new business channels, customer segments, or to increase marketing efforts for additional customer acquisition. At this stage, your startup might be either profitable or could benefit from offsetting the negative cash flow with this new wave of investment while the business continues to grow. Multiple rounds of funding such as Pre-series A, Series A, Series B etc. may happen at this stage of funding, and investors may also join the organization and provide additional expertise. In this stage also, various offerings such as equity, SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity), and convertible notes are provided to the investors/venture capital firms. Since VCs are investing other people’s money, their job is to make a sound investment in businesses that are likely to yield a meaningful ROI for their clients. VCs make a careful and critical examination of startups regularly, so when you pitch to them, be engaging and be prepared.

4. Mezzanine Financing & Bridge Loans

This is the stage where your startup seems to be growing significantly with a commercially available product, revenue should be coming in regularly although the startup is not yet profitable. The raised capital at this stage is used towards expansion of startup to new horizons, new mergers, new acquisitions, or the founders may be preparing for an IPO. Investors at this stage want to see a clear road-map towards profit shortly. For example, mezzanine financing can cover the expenses that an IPO involves. With the profits made from the IPO, the mezzanine investor is paid back with interest.

5. IPO (Initial Public Offering)

Very few startups reach at this point where for many this is not the end goal. IPO is an option to expand their business further. All of the investors who have invested their money for equity until this point will ideally recoup their investment along with additional profit, some investors may retain their shares, and some of them sell their stock at the beginning to reap the rewards of getting in early. After the IPO, stock options for a growing company can be leveraged to attract top talent and the increased access to capital can provide resources to push the momentum of your business forward. Planning for an should begin 24 months before since all such as reconstituting the board, setting corporate governance in place, raising a secondary round if required, identifying and discussing with merchant bankers, getting the documentation right takes time. IPO market way is the route where company is in high growth business and gaining profitability and revenues.

Also read- How to create/register a company for startups online in India.

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Steps to Start a Clothing Brand in India is simple now, if you want to start your Own Clothing Brand Or want to Convert your Existing Clothing Line into a Uniquely Identifiable Brand among its customer, then you can refer every steps of this article.

In India Clothing Brand business is the most sorts out Business Industry which is more and Startups and Companies are doing whatever they can to start a clothing brand. To start a clothing brand you need a very good designs that can capture customers attention easily and great marketing strategies to secure clients for The Brand.

5 Point Guide to Finding the Right Collaboration Tools For Your Business

So In This article, we will Talk about “How to Start a Clothing Brand in India?” which will enable you create a clothing brand that will prove to be useful in gaining customers and capture a large clothing market in India.

1. Conduct Market Research

Before You begin your Journey Of Creating a Clothing Brand, you must be aware of How clothing industry works, what are Legal formalities that you need to take care of, What will be your Product and Which clients you will target, who are your Competitors, What equipment you need and Most Important what sort of Clothing Product you will offer for Sale?

The Market research that you will conduct you need to Make A report on that and Create a Business plan for yourself.

2. Approach Bank or Financial Institution for Funding

Now that you have made a detailed Business Plan, the next step is to approach a bank or financial institute to secure a funds for establishing your Clothing Brand. For securing fund, you can also take a gold Loan by keeping your gold ornaments as collateral Security. You can also apply for a credit card to fund your business. You can also seek Venture Capitalist and Angel Investor.

How To Register A Company or Startup Online In India

3. Business Registration and GST Registration

After you have secured the funding, the immediate step is to Get Business Registration. For business registration, I would like to suggest that you should always insist on getting a registration as Private Limited Company or Limited Liability Partnership or Registered Partnership. Also you are required to get GST Registration as you will be selling goods and services in India. To get Business Registration and Gst Registration, You can approach a CA, CS or ICWA Firm or Legal Service Provider.

4. Get Office Space, Store Space and Employees

After Business Registration, The next step is to look for a space where you can setup your office or Shop. For office space and shop, you can search online or can contact any local property dealer. You also require to plan and secure employee for your clothing business for this you can contact an experienced Human Resource consultancy or you can post job opening in online job portal.

How to Choose Internet Services for Business?

Branding Process for Clothing Business

Now when you have completed above steps it is time to convert your business into a recognizable brand. To make clothing line in to Brand, you need to take below listed steps-

1. Design Best looking Style of Clothing Yourself or Hire Designer

If you have Good education regarding Fashion Designing then you can design clothes yourself or you can hire a good designer that will design the best looking clothes for you.

2. Create Good Logo Design and Come up with Good Brand Name

You need to decide what will be the name of your clothing brand which has to be unique, catchy and easy to pronounce. Also you need to make a good logo design for your brand. For logo design you can hire good designer or freelancer.

3. Form a Good Marketing Strategy and Design Good Advertising Material

You need to form a Best Marketing Strategy for your clothing brand so that you can capture a large portion of the market. And also you need good advertising material to promote your brand.

How to make your online business successful?

How to Protect your Clothing Business Brand?

When you have created your clothing business into a brand, there is a possibility that your rival companies will try to duplicate your products and services or might modify your design and sell them to earn profit. To stop this from happening it is advisable to get a brand registration, Copyright Patent Registration and Logo registration etc. You can take help of trademark expert (such as myonlineca[dot]in) or any legal service provider company for this matter.

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Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi, is all set to launch a new smartphone for the Indian and Chinese market in its Redmi series of budget Android smartphones the Redmi S2.

Redmi S2 will be launched today in China and later on in coming days it will be launched in India as well though there is no official word from Xiaomi about the India launch of the Redmi S2.

Redmi S2 Price

1. 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage is expected to be priced at CNY 1,000, which roughly translates to Rs 10,500
2. 3GB RAM + 32GB storage is expected to cost under Rs 12,000
3. 4GB RAM and 64GB storage version – no price specifications found anywhere but expected to be priced under Rs 15,000

Redmi S2 Specifications

As per Chinese certification agency TENAA and the Chinese e-commerce major AliExpress-

1. 5.99-inch HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio
2. Resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels
3. Android 8.1 Oreo-powered MIUI 9 interface
4. Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and Adreno 506 GPU
5. 16MP front camera with portrait mode
6. Dual-lens camera setup with a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP secondary sensor as the rear camera
7. 3,080 mAh battery
8. Weigh 170 grams
9. Rose Gold, Pink, Red, White, Black and Silver color options

Xiaomi India’s Mi Home Experience Store in Delhi

In an expansion drive and to lure customers for its future products, Xiaomi India has opened its Mi Home Experience Stores. After launching one in Chennai and Mumbai each, the company has launched one in Delhi as well.

The aim to open these Home Experience Stores to displays a variety of smart products available in the international market along with the offerings launched in the country to the customers.

These Home Experience store displays smartphones, TV, router and accessories along with Mi Laptops, Mi Cycle, Mi Robot, Mi Home Thermostat Electric Kettle, Mi Electric Scooter, Mi Rice Cooker, Mi Smart Shoes, Ninebot Mini, and many others.

Such stores help Xiaomi to get the feedback from the customers that again helps the company to understand consumer interest and plan future launches accordingly.

Manu Jain, Vice President, Xiaomi and Managing Director, Xiaomi India, says, “We are delighted to open the first experience store for all our Mi Fans in the national capital of New Delhi. Mi Home Experience Store is an opportunity for us to provide our Mi Fans with the best that we have to offer and in return gain their valuable feedback to continue to delight them with our offerings. We have always given a lot of significance to the feedback that we have received from our users and this is another step towards that direction.”

Apart from the Home Experience stores in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi, the company has offline presence through 36 Mi Home stores across India and it is planning to open 100 Mi Home stores in 2018.

Most recently, Xiaomi has launched internet-based services Mi Music and Mi Video in India as the pre-installed audio and video apps respectively.

Recently, smartphone maker Xiaomi announced 3 smartphone manufacturing plants in India and also to invest 6000 to 7000 crores in 100 Indian startups in next 5 years.

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StartupIndia scheme is a golden scheme launched by Government of India under MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY to promote and grow the startups in India.

Government of India has introduced very efficient policy to support startups & new business ventures with creative & innovative ideas.

StartupIndia is a campaign to promote banks for financing new ventures to encourage entrepreneurship and star ups with jobs creation. Announced by hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his lecture on 15th August, 2015 from the Red Fort, to encourage entrepreneurs for creating jobs instead of doing jobs and increase employment in India.

The purpose of this Scheme is to restrict role of States in policy domain and to eliminate of “License Raj” and break hurdles like in land permissions, foreign investment, environmental clearances, political interferences etc. It was regulated by DIPP (Department of industrial policy and promotion).

1. Incorporate your Startup/Business

You must first incorporate your business as a Private Limited Company or a Partnership firm or a Limited Liability Partnership. You can refer our earlier post to get the help on Incorporating a company.

2. Register with Startup India

Go to StartupIndia website and follow the simple steps to get registered there as a startup. The entire process is simple and online. All you need to do is log on to the Startup India website and fill up the form with details of your business and upload certain documents. Give entity details, startup office address, authorized representative details, Directors and Partners details etc.

3. Documents in PDF format to be uploaded

A) A letter of recommendation/support

A letter of recommendation, from any of the below, needs to be submitted along with the registration form.(i) A recommendation (regarding innovative nature of business) from an Incubator established in a post-graduate college in India, in a format specified by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)

(ii) A letter of support by an incubator, which is funded (in relation to the project) by Government of India as part of any specified scheme to promote innovation

(iii) A letter of recommendation (regarding innovative nature of business), from an Incubator, recognized by the Government of India in DIPP specified format

(iv) A letter of funding of not less than 20% in equity, by any Incubation Fund/Angel Fund/Private Equity Fund/Accelerator/Angel Network, duly registered with SEBI that endorses innovative nature of the business

(v) A letter of funding by Government of India or any State Government as part of any specified scheme to promote innovation

(vi) A patent filed and published in the Journal by the Indian Patent Office in areas affiliated with the nature of the business being promoted.

B) Incorporation/Registration Certificate

You need to upload the certificate of incorporation of your company/LLP (Registration Certificate in case of partnership)

C) Description of your business in brief

A brief description of the innovative nature of your products/services.

1. 1. If you want to avail Tax benefits under this scheme: Startups are exempted from income tax for 3 years. But to avail these benefits entity must be certified by the Inter-Ministerial Board (IMB). Start-ups recognized by DIPP, Govt. of India can now directly avail IPR related benefits without requiring any additional certification from IMB. There are certain other conditions as well like the entity must be incorporated on or after the 1st day of April, 2016 but before the 1st day of April, 2019, and must be working towards innovation, development or improvement of products or processes or services, or should be a scalable business model with a high potential of employment generation or wealth creation.
   2. Finally self-certify for below steps-
      A) Entity must be a Private Limited Company, Partnership firm or a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) B) Turnover must be less than 25 crores per year. C) Innovation is a must– the business must be working towards innovating something new or significantly improving the existing used technology. D) Your business must not be as a result of splitting up or reconstruction of an existing business.

Apart from the tax benefits startups get after registering in this program, startups also get funding support. Government has set up a fund with an initial corpus of INR 2,500 crore and a total corpus of INR 10,000 crore over a period 4 years (i.e. INR 2,500 crore per year) for the registered startups under StartupsIndia program.

Recently, SEBI has also taken steps to ease Angel Funding for Startups in India. You can follow the above steps to register your startup.

Other than this, there are certain Startup laws every Entrepreneur should follow.

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Now-a-day there are number of startups opening and gaining success as well worldwide. Either it is online or offline, all the businesses and startups have to follow some/all of the guidelines laid out by their governments and related ministries/offices in their respective countries.

Register A Company or Startup Online In India

In India, registering a company or startup or any business has become quite easy. First and foremost, there are some official procedures a startup or a business has to follow in order to register them in Indian official records. MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs) is the central point where all the businesses/startups falls in and gets their registrations done.

Types of companies to register in India

1. Private Limited Company
2. Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
3. One Person Company (OPC, this is also a private limited company with one person as Director)
4. Sole Proprietorship
5. General Partnership

From above types of entity registration, if you have a startup in which you need to raise funding in future through equity as the most preferred way, entrepreneurs have the option to get private limited company registered which limits the liability as well.

Process to register a company

MCA in recent days made it very simple to register any startup or business as a company in a few days only whereas it was very cumbersome few years back. Companies in India are registered with the Registrar of companies(ROC) under Companies Act 2013. Please find below on how to go about these processes when you want to register your company-

• • You can apply for registration just sitting at home. The registration includes some must follow rules and some registration like Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), Director Identity Number (DIN) and filing for an e-form.
  • These are four major steps:

• • Acquiring Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)
  • Acquiring Director Identification Number (DIN)
  • Preparing and filing Form INC-32
  • Incorporate the company, obtaining PAN/TAN/GST identification number and opening a bank account

Ministry of Corporate Affairs Introduced SPICe or Form INC-32. With this form (INC-32) Company registration has merged few processes like Getting Business Name Approval, Director’s Identification Number (DIN) and Incorporation Application into one single process.

Documents required to register a company

Before applying for the company, documents are required from the members/individuals need to be associate/partner/director of the new company as below-

1. Passport-sized photograph
2. Copy of PAN Card/Aadhaar Card
3. Latest Bank Statement/Telephone or Mobile Bill/Electricity or Gas Bill whatever available
4. Voter’s ID/Passport card
5. Notarized Rental Agreement in English
6. No-objection Certificate from property owner
7. Utility Bill for the registered address

Steps to register a company

1. Acquiring Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

In order to ensure the security or authenticity of documents filed electronically The Information Technology  Act, 2000 demands a valid Digital Signature on the documents submitted in electronic form.

This is the only and safest way that one can submit their documents electronically. As such, all filings done by the companies/LLPs under MCA 21 e-Governance programme are required to be filed using Digital Signatures by the person authorized to sign the documents.

DSC is e-signature to help you complete the new company registration online. It Normally takes 2 days to obtain DSC after the submitting the documents.

2. Acquire Director Identification Number(DIN) through SPICe or Form INC-32

Each director of the company should obtain their identification number. As per the amendment act 2006, acquiring a DIN is compulsory for every director i.e. as such every existing and intending directors have to obtain their DIN.

Register yourself on MCA Website first and have a login id. The process includes Director’s Identification Number ( DIN number ), Name approval, Memorandum and Articles of association (e-MoA(INC-33) and e-AoA (INC-34)), Registered office verification and Appointment letters and declaration.

Once all these documents are ready, we have to file the forms for company formation after which we get the certificate of incorporation.

3. Create a account on MCA Portal – New user registration

This is about having a registered user account on MCA Portal for filing a eForm, for online fee payment, for different transactions as registered and business user. Creating an account is totally free of cost. To register yourself on the MCA portal, click on the register link.

4. Apply for the company to be registered

This is the final major step in a registration of your company which includes incorporating company name, Registering the office address or notice of situation of office and notice for appointment of company directors, manager and secretary.

5. Apply for company’s PAN and TAN

Once you get the certificate of incorporation, PAN & TAN is applied in the income tax department and finally open the bank account of the company.

6. Apply for company’s GST identification number

Depending upon the type and size of the business, you will need to apply for GST identification number.

This information may help you registering a new entity for your business and basic insight about the idea of company registration. Registering a new company online though a tough process and one needs to adhere various procedures and have strong knowledge of all if & but so better advised to get the help of any expert like CA/CS/Advocate who have experiences in this field. However, online procedures are not so tough now-a-days (as online help to do everything is available in the internet) which you can’t try…Good Luck

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As per the reports by Google (Alphabet Inc.) and Boston Consulting Group, India is headed for an exponential increase in digital payments methods and the digital payments industry in India becoming Asia’s third-largest economy. It is estimated that it will grow by 10 times to touch $500 billion by 2020 and contribute 15% of gross domestic product (GDP), the report predicted.

Introduction of smartphones, the entry of several non-banking institutions offering payment services, consumer readiness to adopt digital payments, progressive changes in the regulatory framework will power the trend, it said.

Also, the Digital India program is a flagship program of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. “Faceless, Paperless, Cashless” is one of professed role of Digital India.

As part of promoting cashless transactions and converting India into less-cash society, various modes of digital payments are available as below-

1. Banking Cards (Debit / Credit / Cash / Travel / Others)

Banking cards offer consumers more security, convenience, and control than any other payment method. The wide variety of cards available – including credit, debit and prepaid – offers enormous flexibility, as well. These cards provide 2 factor authentication for secure payments e.g secure PIN and OTP. RuPay, Visa, MasterCard are some of the example of card payment systems. Payment cards give people the power to purchase items in stores, on the Internet, through mail-order catalogues and over the telephone. They save both customers and merchants’ time and money, and thus enable them for ease of transaction.

2. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD)

The innovative payment service *99# works on Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) channel. This service allows mobile banking transactions using basic feature mobile phone, there is no need to have mobile internet data facility for using USSD based mobile banking. It is envisioned to provide financial deepening and inclusion of under banked society in the mainstream banking services.

*99# service has been launched to take the banking services to every common man across the country. Banking customers can avail this service by dialing *99#, a “Common number across all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)” on their mobile phone and transact through an interactive menu displayed on the mobile screen. Key services offered under *99# service include, inter-bank account to account fund transfer, balance inquiry, mini statement besides host of other services. *99# service is currently offered by 51 leading banks & all GSM service providers and can be accessed in 12 different languages including Hindi & English as on 30.11.2016 (Source: NPCI). *99# service is a unique inter-operable direct to consumer service that brings together the diverse ecosystem partners such as Banks & TSPs (Telecom Service Providers).

3. Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS)

AEPS is a bank led model which allows online interoperable financial transaction at PoS (Point of Sale / Micro ATM) through the Business Correspondent (BC)/Bank Mitra of any bank using the Aadhaar authentication.

4. Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments into one hood. It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and convenience. Each Bank provides its own UPI App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s) such as Axis Pay, SBI Pay, PhonePe App, Google Tez App, BHIM UPI App, Bonus App – PNB UPI.

5. Mobile Wallets Or E-Wallets

A mobile wallet or E-Wallet is a way to carry cash in digital format. You can link your credit card or debit card information in mobile device to mobile wallet application or you can transfer money online to mobile wallet. Instead of using your physical plastic card to make purchases, you can pay with your smartphone, tablet, or smart watch. An individual’s account is required to be linked to the digital wallet to load money in it. Most banks have their e-wallets and some private companies and various startups have also launched E-Wallets in India. e.g. PayTM, Freecharge, Mobikwik, Oxigen, mRuppee, Airtel Money, Jio Money, SBI Buddy, itz Cash, Citrus Pay, Vodafone M-Pesa, Axis Bank Lime, ICICI Pockets, SpeedPay etc . are digital payment methods.

6. Banks Pre-Paid Cards

Prepaid debit cards, sometimes referred to as bank prepaid cards, are credit instruments that banks issue that give people an easy and adaptable way to manage their finances. Prepaid cards are independent of bank accounts, in contrast to conventional debit or credit cards that are connected to checking or credit accounts. Rather, they preload money onto the card, which they then use for a variety of payments up to the available balance.

7. Point Of Sale

A point of sale (PoS) is the place where sales are made. On a macro level, a PoS may be a mall, a market or a city. On a micro level, retailers consider a PoS to be the area where a customer completes a transaction, such as a checkout counter. It is also known as a point of purchase.

8. Internet Banking

Internet banking, also known as online banking, e-banking or virtual banking, is an electronic payment system/digital payment methods that enables customers of a bank or other financial institution to conduct a range of financial transactions through the financial institution’s website.

9. Mobile Banking

Mobile banking is a service provided by a bank or other financial institution that allows its customers to conduct different types of financial transactions remotely using a mobile device such as a mobile phone or tablet. It uses software, usually called an app, provided by the banks or financial institution for the purpose. Each Bank provides its own mobile banking App for Android, Windows and iOS mobile platform(s) which is one of the most popular digital payment methods now a days. 

10. Micro ATMs

Micro ATM meant to be a device that is used by a million Business Correspondents (BC) to deliver basic banking services. The platform will enable Business Correspondents (who could be a local kirana shop owner and will act as ‘micro ATM’) to conduct instant transactions.

The micro platform will enable function through low cost devices (micro ATMs) that will be connected to banks across the country. This would enable a person to instantly deposit or withdraw funds regardless of the bank associated with a particular BC. This device will be based on a mobile phone connection and would be made available at every BC. Customers would just have to get their identity authenticated and withdraw or put money into their bank accounts. This money will come from the cash drawer of the BC. Essentially, BCs will act as bank for the customers and all they need to do is verify the authenticity of customer using customers’ UID. The basic transaction types, to be supported by micro ATM, are Deposit, Withdrawal, Fund transfer and Balance inquiry.

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