Bridging the Cybersecurity Divide Between Large Enterprises and SMEs

This term has since been used to describe the growing economic, educational, and social inequalities between populations with access to ICT and those without, both within and between nations. While it has been mostly used in this context, the same concept can also help us understand the differences between the haves and have-nots in the business environment. Enterprises with a higher digital maturity derive more revenue from their physical assets, are more profitable, and have higher market valuations. 2 Such success, however, is not achieved overnight—it requires enterprises to embark on a journey of digital transformation. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Digital Transformation Initiative, such a transformation requires business leaders to undertake five action plans to be digitally ready.3 These include reskilling and transitioning the workforce, and creating new digital business models and digital offerings.

Spotlight

G2 Crowd

Until recently, selecting business software was hard, risky and inherently biased. G2 Crowd real-time and unbiased user reviews help you objectively assess what is best for your business.

OTHER ARTICLES
SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE, BUSINESS STRATEGY

Bridging B2B Gaps: MyTradeZone's Innovative Approach to Business Networking

Article | July 20, 2023

Become a member of MyTradeZone.com and build your permanent online booth showcasing your company profile, products, and services at the always-open networking event – it only takes minutes – the site is free to join. While social media demonstrates its prowess as a potent instrument for establishing connections with prospective clients and bolstering lead generation within the B2B sector, one vital challenge remains - the absence of a dedicated platform exclusively tailored for B2B enterprises. MyTradeZone has emerged as a guiding light within this domain, presenting a comprehensive solution customized to cater to the needs of B2B professionals and leaders. MyTradeZone's intelligent B2B search engine is your gateway to connect with other businesses to promote your products and services and to source products and services from suppliers. According to Forbes, 91% of small businesses used social media as a way of connecting with their market in 2021. A Gartner report also revealed that approximately 40% of B2B buyers use social media to help inform their purchasing decisions. Meanwhile, around 84% of C-level and VP-level buyers are influenced by social media when purchasing, according to International Data Group. However, despite the variegated benefits of social media, B2B players face significant hurdles when they lack a unified platform to conduct their operations. They lack a trade and social networking site for businesses. Without such a platform, they struggle to access the benefits that come with it, including: Difficulty in reaching niche audiences of professionals and businesses. Limited access to industry-specific products and services with insights and content. Struggles in fostering networking connections that actually count. Inability to personalize business content for improved and direct engagement. Challenges in utilizing specialized tools for effective lead generation. Concerns regarding data privacy and security. Dealing with overcrowded and chaotic digital spaces. Struggles in achieving measurable returns on investment directly aligned with business goals. Cost-effectively promoting their products & services, and generating leads. Taking advantage of emerging AI technology to do smart match-making. Furthermore, the costs and limitations of physical events exacerbate these challenges, such as: Participating in multiple physical trade shows and events at different locations is costly and often not feasible. This leads to missed opportunities for companies to reach potential prospects effectively. Networking opportunities at physical events are limited to the event's duration. The lack of a B2B creator ecosystem with monetization tools compounds these challenges. To address these challenges, B2B marketers often seek alternative approaches, such as an extensive exploration of various social media channels to reach and engage their target audience. Unfortunately, these efforts frequently fall short of achieving their desired results. In such a scenario, imagine the ease and convenience of having an innovative all-in-one solution readily available! MyTradeZone has emerged as a beacon in this space, offering a comprehensive solution tailored to B2B professionals. Here’s why it stands out: Targeted B2B Networking and Lead Generation MyTradeZone addresses the primary challenge of reaching a precise audience in the B2B sector. With its tailored approach, businesses can engage directly with other professionals, bypassing the clutter typically found on generic social media platforms. This precision in networking leads to more effective lead generation and relationship building. A Social Network Dedicated to Business One of the platform's strengths is its ability to provide users with access to social networking and collaboration tools specialized for B2B networking. Customizable and Intelligent Matchmaking The platform's AI-driven algorithms offer intelligent matchmaking and recommendations, aligning businesses with potential clients and partners who share similar interests and needs. This results in highly efficient and relevant connections. Monetization Opportunities for Creators MyTradeZone recognizes the importance of content creation in the B2B space. It empowers creators to monetize their work through peer-to-peer payments, creating a vibrant ecosystem for sharing valuable industry knowledge. Event and Trade Show Integration For trade associations and event organizers, MyTradeZone presents a unique opportunity to enhance their offerings. By integrating their events and trade shows into the platform, they can offer additional value to members and sponsors, extending networking opportunities beyond the limitations of physical event dates. Enhanced Data Privacy and Security In a world where data privacy and security are paramount, MyTradeZone places a strong emphasis on protecting its users' information. This commitment to security builds trust and credibility among its users. It enables users to exercise control over their privacy settings, allowing them to determine both the content that is displayed and the audience with whom it is shared. User-Friendly Interface and Tools The platform is designed with user-friendliness in mind. Businesses can easily establish a permanent profile, engage in discussions, manage groups, and utilize various tools for content sharing and collaboration. Provides a Unique Platform for Advertisers and Marketers MyTradeZone’s B2B search engine offers highly targeted – and – cost-effective advertisements to both buyers and sellers. Also, it provides a highly targeted audience with measurable metrics. Visionary Leadership Under the guidance of CEO and Chairman, Bachir Kassir, MyTradeZone leverages his extensive experience in the software and B2B industry to provide a platform that truly understands and meets the needs of its users. MyTradeZone.com also offers paid premium plans. You can see the details at https://mytradezone.com/pricing. For example, you can upgrade your listing from a free to Business Essential plan, and you can automatically have up to 10 keyword phrases of your choice where you company appear on the top of a search results. This alone worth trying the premium edition. MyTradeZone offers more than just a B2B social network; it provides a holistic solution for businesses looking to master the intricacies of the digital realm. With its focused approach, innovative features, and commitment to user experience, it stands as an indispensable tool for any B2B professional looking to make a mark in today's competitive environment. For additional inquiries, reach out to contact@mytradezone.com. Meanwhile, to stay updated on future platform improvements and promotions, connect with us at MyTradeZone.com. Scan the QR for more details.

Read More
Technology

5 Tax-Related Resolutions for Smarter Small Business Accounting in 2020

Article | July 17, 2023

Accountants working with small businesses often play the role of business advisors, especially when it comes to educating their clients about tax regulations and reducing their tax bill by taking all legitimate factors into account. We’ve gathered four tips that accounting professionals can use as a check-list to give to their small and mid-size business owner clients looking to make better financial decisions this year.

Read More
Small Business Trends

7 BIGGEST ENTREPRENEURIAL MISTAKES

Article | May 29, 2023

This is the first post in a seven-part-series detailing the biggest entrepreneurial mistakes business owners make. The series will run over the next few weeks so check back to learn more. These are the 7 Biggest Mistakes I have seen entrepreneurs and companies make that can devalue their Intellectual Property (“IP”) portfolio, damage their brand, or sink a deal. If you are considering turning your idea into a business, read this carefully first. There are other mistakes you can make, but these are the deal-breakers. Any one of these can cost you big bucks, credibility in the eyes of investors and potential partners, and ultimately lead to evaporation of the value of your idea.

Read More

How to Report Revenue on a Small-Business Credit Card Application

Article | February 10, 2020

When filling out the “revenue” portion of a small-business credit card application, you want to make your small business or side hustle look its very best without stretching the truth. But revenue can swing dramatically from year to year, and credit card applications often don’t spell out what you should or shouldn’t include when reporting it. So what counts as an honest, just-the-facts answer? Generally, in credit card applications, issuers want to know your verifiable gross revenue from the previous year.

Read More

Spotlight

G2 Crowd

Until recently, selecting business software was hard, risky and inherently biased. G2 Crowd real-time and unbiased user reviews help you objectively assess what is best for your business.

Related News

TECHNOLOGY, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

DigitalOcean Acquires Paperspace to Expand AI Offerings

Businesswire | July 10, 2023

DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DOCN), the cloud for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups, has acquired Paperspace, a leading provider of cloud infrastructure as a service for highly scalable applications leveraging graphics processing units (GPUs). The acquisition and integration of Paperspace’s advanced technology into the DigitalOcean platform will extend DigitalOcean’s offerings, enabling customers to more easily test, develop and deploy artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) applications, augment and enhance existing AI/ML applications and utilize GPUs in ways that have predominantly been the domain of large enterprises. The increasing demand for AI/ML cloud solutions makes Paperspace’s GPU-powered infrastructure and AI/ML focused software stack valuable additions to DigitalOcean’s portfolio. Like DigitalOcean’s approach to the cloud, Paperspace simplifies the AI/ML experience, enabling easy and cost-effective experimentation and production across various AI/ML use cases, such as generative media, text analysis and natural language understanding, recommendation engines, image classification and many others. The acquisition benefits both organizations’ customers. Paperspace’s customers will now have access to a broader cloud services platform. Paperspace customers will also gain access to DigitalOcean’s extensive documentation, tutorials and support system to assist them in their journey to build and deploy AI applications. DigitalOcean customers exploring or already building AI/ML applications will now be able to leverage GPUs alongside their CPU workloads. Together, DigitalOcean and Paperspace will provide smaller businesses and startups with a comprehensive suite of cloud offerings, advanced networking, and the flexibility to harness both GPU and CPU capabilities as AI/ML technologies evolve and demand increases. “We are excited to expand our portfolio tailored to the world’s SMBs and startups with simplified AI/ML offerings,” said Yancey Spruill, CEO of DigitalOcean. “This acquisition marks a significant milestone in DigitalOcean's journey to revolutionize how SMBs and startups harness the power of the cloud and AI/ML for their applications and businesses. The combined offerings allow customers to focus more on building applications and growing their businesses and less on the infrastructure powering them.” Paperspace will benefit from DigitalOcean’s highly effective self-serve model and efficient go-to-market strategy. The acquisition expands DigitalOcean’s serviceable market and presents cross-sell and upsell opportunities for both entities, leveraging DigitalOcean's mature platform, efficient marketing engine and its extensive customer base to drive growth. "DigitalOcean is renowned for simplifying complex cloud technologies and making them more accessible to developers and business alike,” said Dillon Erb, Co-founder and CEO of Paperspace. “We are thrilled to join forces with DigitalOcean, as we believe there is no better company to unlock the endless possibilities of AI/Ml for developers and businesses alike." Importantly, the alignment in organizational history and culture between DigitalOcean and Paperspace will ensure a smooth integration process and a collaborative work environment. The two companies’ shared values and commitment to customer success will continue to foster innovation, enhance customer experiences, and reinforce both entities as industry leaders in cloud computing. Transaction Terms Under the terms of the transaction, DigitalOcean acquired Paperspace for $111 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to have an immaterial impact on 2023 financial results. “Paperspace is a rapidly growing business with leading edge technology that significantly accelerates our AI/ML capabilities. We expect it to enhance our revenue growth in 2024 and beyond and we will invest commensurately to further accelerate its growth and take full advantage of this tremendous emerging market opportunity,” said Matt Steinfort, DigitalOcean’s CFO. On its Q2 2023 earnings call on August 3, 2023, DigitalOcean will share more details on the strategic benefits of the acquisition and update the Company’s financial outlook for 2023. About DigitalOcean DigitalOcean simplifies cloud computing so businesses can spend more time creating software that changes the world. With its mission-critical infrastructure and fully managed offerings, DigitalOcean helps developers at startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rapidly build, deploy and scale, whether creating a digital presence or building digital products. DigitalOcean combines the power of simplicity, security, community and customer support so customers can spend less time managing their infrastructure and more time building innovative applications that drive business growth. For more information, visit digitalocean.com. About Paperspace Paperspace is a cloud platform for building and scaling AI applications. Paperspace customer use-cases include deploying LLMs, fine-tuning Foundation Models, building the next ChatGPT, harnessing generative media, and many more. Tens of thousands of individuals and businesses use Paperspace to explore new models with Notebooks, automate training with Workflows, and bring their applications to life with Deployments.

Read More

Small Business Trends

Sustainable Earth Launches the Small Business Sustainability Awards

Sustainable Earth | April 23, 2022

Sustainable Earth, a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Wells Fargo, has announced the launch of the Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards (SESBA) to celebrate the innovative solutions small businesses throughout the US are developing to support their communities and the planet. The program will award more than $50,000 in prize money, with individual award amounts up to $5,000, to 15 US small businesses making strides toward a more sustainable future. The award program, which is seeking nominations now through July 1, 2022, is open to any US-based small business and its employees who demonstrate innovation in sustainability. This can include, but is not limited to, the use of renewable energy, water conservation, waste reduction, creating closed-loop systems, increasing equity and accessibility, etc. Solutions may be in development or currently in practice. “The collective efforts and innovative solutions by small businesses and individuals within those organizations are making a profound impact on the future of our earth and communities. Our goal with the Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards is to celebrate those taking action in big and small ways and share their stories so that it may trigger ideas for other businesses and leaders.” Sustainable Earth Program Manager Katelyn Armbruster, M.Ed. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees are invited to share their sustainability stories via video or podcast. Nominations must include a description of the challenge, what solutions were tested and implemented, and what worked, what didn’t, and the outcomes. “Small businesses have long been the backbone of our economy and they have become integral to moving the needle on sustainability,” said Alicia Marseille, Interim Deputy Director, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service. “This award program honors their hard work and dedication, and perhaps more importantly, will also serve as inspiration for other small businesses wanting to implement sustainability, but may not know where or how to start.” About Sustainable Earth Sustainable Earth, powered by ASU, is a sustainability-, knowledge- and idea-sharing website created to empower individuals, businesses and educators to contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow. The platform provides sustainability information, news and education presented in an approachable format, and includes sustainable-focused micro-courses, educational tools and learning activities, and new research coming out of ASU and other institutions. Sustainable Earth is a collaborative effort, funded by Wells Fargo and developed by Arizona State University (ASU). For more information, visit sustainable-earth.org. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S.

Read More

Technology

Profectus Capital Goes Live On Scienaptic AI-powered Credit Decisioning Platform

Scienaptic | April 19, 2022

Scienaptic announced that Profectus Capital is now live on its platform. Scienaptic has implemented its credit decisioning engine and industry-tested scorecards for Bureau data and Financial Statements as part of Phase-I deployment to improve small and medium company (SMB) loan choices. Scienaptic's AI technology will also be used to identify risk trends in Profectus' customer behavior and deliver more precise prediction risk alerts. Scienaptic is a market-leading global provider of AI-powered credit platforms. Profectus Capital is a systematically significant non-bank financial corporation located in Mumbai and registered with the Reserve Bank of India. It provides term loans and working capital loans to small and medium-sized businesses in the manufacturing and service industries. Profectus intends to use Scienaptic AI to bolster its credit decisioning processes and expand loan availability to underrepresented MSMEs. “We are delighted to be working with Profectus Capital to help strengthen the credit and financing opportunities for its clients. Profectus has tremendous domain expertise in MSME/SME funding and are poised to scale their asset base dramatically. We are sure that Scienaptic's unique, adaptive AI technology will enable the company to serve more SMEs, reduce credit risk and create maximum social impact to the manufacturing and service sectors of India.” Joydip Gupta, Business Leader Scienaptic AI

Read More

TECHNOLOGY, INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

DigitalOcean Acquires Paperspace to Expand AI Offerings

Businesswire | July 10, 2023

DigitalOcean Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DOCN), the cloud for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and startups, has acquired Paperspace, a leading provider of cloud infrastructure as a service for highly scalable applications leveraging graphics processing units (GPUs). The acquisition and integration of Paperspace’s advanced technology into the DigitalOcean platform will extend DigitalOcean’s offerings, enabling customers to more easily test, develop and deploy artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) applications, augment and enhance existing AI/ML applications and utilize GPUs in ways that have predominantly been the domain of large enterprises. The increasing demand for AI/ML cloud solutions makes Paperspace’s GPU-powered infrastructure and AI/ML focused software stack valuable additions to DigitalOcean’s portfolio. Like DigitalOcean’s approach to the cloud, Paperspace simplifies the AI/ML experience, enabling easy and cost-effective experimentation and production across various AI/ML use cases, such as generative media, text analysis and natural language understanding, recommendation engines, image classification and many others. The acquisition benefits both organizations’ customers. Paperspace’s customers will now have access to a broader cloud services platform. Paperspace customers will also gain access to DigitalOcean’s extensive documentation, tutorials and support system to assist them in their journey to build and deploy AI applications. DigitalOcean customers exploring or already building AI/ML applications will now be able to leverage GPUs alongside their CPU workloads. Together, DigitalOcean and Paperspace will provide smaller businesses and startups with a comprehensive suite of cloud offerings, advanced networking, and the flexibility to harness both GPU and CPU capabilities as AI/ML technologies evolve and demand increases. “We are excited to expand our portfolio tailored to the world’s SMBs and startups with simplified AI/ML offerings,” said Yancey Spruill, CEO of DigitalOcean. “This acquisition marks a significant milestone in DigitalOcean's journey to revolutionize how SMBs and startups harness the power of the cloud and AI/ML for their applications and businesses. The combined offerings allow customers to focus more on building applications and growing their businesses and less on the infrastructure powering them.” Paperspace will benefit from DigitalOcean’s highly effective self-serve model and efficient go-to-market strategy. The acquisition expands DigitalOcean’s serviceable market and presents cross-sell and upsell opportunities for both entities, leveraging DigitalOcean's mature platform, efficient marketing engine and its extensive customer base to drive growth. "DigitalOcean is renowned for simplifying complex cloud technologies and making them more accessible to developers and business alike,” said Dillon Erb, Co-founder and CEO of Paperspace. “We are thrilled to join forces with DigitalOcean, as we believe there is no better company to unlock the endless possibilities of AI/Ml for developers and businesses alike." Importantly, the alignment in organizational history and culture between DigitalOcean and Paperspace will ensure a smooth integration process and a collaborative work environment. The two companies’ shared values and commitment to customer success will continue to foster innovation, enhance customer experiences, and reinforce both entities as industry leaders in cloud computing. Transaction Terms Under the terms of the transaction, DigitalOcean acquired Paperspace for $111 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to have an immaterial impact on 2023 financial results. “Paperspace is a rapidly growing business with leading edge technology that significantly accelerates our AI/ML capabilities. We expect it to enhance our revenue growth in 2024 and beyond and we will invest commensurately to further accelerate its growth and take full advantage of this tremendous emerging market opportunity,” said Matt Steinfort, DigitalOcean’s CFO. On its Q2 2023 earnings call on August 3, 2023, DigitalOcean will share more details on the strategic benefits of the acquisition and update the Company’s financial outlook for 2023. About DigitalOcean DigitalOcean simplifies cloud computing so businesses can spend more time creating software that changes the world. With its mission-critical infrastructure and fully managed offerings, DigitalOcean helps developers at startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) rapidly build, deploy and scale, whether creating a digital presence or building digital products. DigitalOcean combines the power of simplicity, security, community and customer support so customers can spend less time managing their infrastructure and more time building innovative applications that drive business growth. For more information, visit digitalocean.com. About Paperspace Paperspace is a cloud platform for building and scaling AI applications. Paperspace customer use-cases include deploying LLMs, fine-tuning Foundation Models, building the next ChatGPT, harnessing generative media, and many more. Tens of thousands of individuals and businesses use Paperspace to explore new models with Notebooks, automate training with Workflows, and bring their applications to life with Deployments.

Read More

Small Business Trends

Sustainable Earth Launches the Small Business Sustainability Awards

Sustainable Earth | April 23, 2022

Sustainable Earth, a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Wells Fargo, has announced the launch of the Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards (SESBA) to celebrate the innovative solutions small businesses throughout the US are developing to support their communities and the planet. The program will award more than $50,000 in prize money, with individual award amounts up to $5,000, to 15 US small businesses making strides toward a more sustainable future. The award program, which is seeking nominations now through July 1, 2022, is open to any US-based small business and its employees who demonstrate innovation in sustainability. This can include, but is not limited to, the use of renewable energy, water conservation, waste reduction, creating closed-loop systems, increasing equity and accessibility, etc. Solutions may be in development or currently in practice. “The collective efforts and innovative solutions by small businesses and individuals within those organizations are making a profound impact on the future of our earth and communities. Our goal with the Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards is to celebrate those taking action in big and small ways and share their stories so that it may trigger ideas for other businesses and leaders.” Sustainable Earth Program Manager Katelyn Armbruster, M.Ed. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees are invited to share their sustainability stories via video or podcast. Nominations must include a description of the challenge, what solutions were tested and implemented, and what worked, what didn’t, and the outcomes. “Small businesses have long been the backbone of our economy and they have become integral to moving the needle on sustainability,” said Alicia Marseille, Interim Deputy Director, Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service. “This award program honors their hard work and dedication, and perhaps more importantly, will also serve as inspiration for other small businesses wanting to implement sustainability, but may not know where or how to start.” About Sustainable Earth Sustainable Earth, powered by ASU, is a sustainability-, knowledge- and idea-sharing website created to empower individuals, businesses and educators to contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow. The platform provides sustainability information, news and education presented in an approachable format, and includes sustainable-focused micro-courses, educational tools and learning activities, and new research coming out of ASU and other institutions. Sustainable Earth is a collaborative effort, funded by Wells Fargo and developed by Arizona State University (ASU). For more information, visit sustainable-earth.org. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle market banking provider in the U.S.

Read More

Technology

Profectus Capital Goes Live On Scienaptic AI-powered Credit Decisioning Platform

Scienaptic | April 19, 2022

Scienaptic announced that Profectus Capital is now live on its platform. Scienaptic has implemented its credit decisioning engine and industry-tested scorecards for Bureau data and Financial Statements as part of Phase-I deployment to improve small and medium company (SMB) loan choices. Scienaptic's AI technology will also be used to identify risk trends in Profectus' customer behavior and deliver more precise prediction risk alerts. Scienaptic is a market-leading global provider of AI-powered credit platforms. Profectus Capital is a systematically significant non-bank financial corporation located in Mumbai and registered with the Reserve Bank of India. It provides term loans and working capital loans to small and medium-sized businesses in the manufacturing and service industries. Profectus intends to use Scienaptic AI to bolster its credit decisioning processes and expand loan availability to underrepresented MSMEs. “We are delighted to be working with Profectus Capital to help strengthen the credit and financing opportunities for its clients. Profectus has tremendous domain expertise in MSME/SME funding and are poised to scale their asset base dramatically. We are sure that Scienaptic's unique, adaptive AI technology will enable the company to serve more SMEs, reduce credit risk and create maximum social impact to the manufacturing and service sectors of India.” Joydip Gupta, Business Leader Scienaptic AI

Read More

Events