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OverstockArt CEO Critiques Holiday Sales Performance

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The holiday selling season is essential for many online merchants. Including David Sasson. He's the founder and CEO of OverstockArt.com , a merchant of replicated oil paintings. The company saw a 25 percent boost in 2010 holiday sales, versus 2009. We talked with Sasson to find out what worked and what did not work for OverstockArt last holiday season. Practical eCommerce: Give us a little background on OverstockArt.com. Sasson: "We were set at the end of 2001 and we're located in Wichita, Kansas. We also have an office in China and we have a small office in Israel. I tell people we are a tiny multinational business. "We deal in handmade oil paintings and frames. We keep all of the product-in-stock in our Wichita facility, and we receive orders through our site and telephone. We try to ship most everything within 24 to 48 hours. Our vacation season is in November and December and it [2010 holiday season] went extremely well." Our products: Magento 2 po

U.S. Agency Official on International Commerce

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Many ecommerce merchants are drawn to selling products to customers in different countries. However, the complexities of international sales may include tariffs, customs and export laws. For United States-based merchants, the U.S. Department of Commerce can help. It has just released a free PDF manual called Preparing Your Company for Global Ecommerce to assist merchants with export earnings. The official responsible for the manual is Ken Walsh. He's an international trade specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service, an agency of the Department of Commerce, and he talked with us about it. Practical eCommerce: Inform us about the U.S. Department of Commerce's international ecommerce manual and why it exists. Ken Walsh: "The manual is there to help companies understand what they have to do to receive their back-of-the-house systems in place so as to export efficiently. Including new information to be gathered on their products and by their clients, specialized traini

4 Steps to a Paperless Office

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The lure of a paperless office has existed for decades. However, the technology is finally here. And ecommerce companies are uniquely suited to go completely paperless -- receipts, invoices, newsletters and much more are digital documents already. Ditch the paper-based filing system with concrete closets, shelves, storage centers full of files, folders, stacks of papers and go completely digital with searchable PDFs, storage clouds, e-faxing and much more. There are numerous advantages to removing paper in your enterprise. A paperless filing system takes up far less space and makes for quicker retrieval of information on your documents and sharing of the data electronically. And it's an efficient way to go green; less paper used is better for the environment. Here are the fundamental building blocks and issues to be mindful of if considering going paperless. Our products: Magento 2 pos Bigcommerce pos software Woocommerce pos app Shopify pos app Commercetools Pos MSI 1. Opt-

10 Mobile Shipping Apps for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android

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Shipping, monitoring, and calculating time and cost of imports are in the heart of ecommerce businesses. Merchants are often tied to a desktop computer to create these choices for transport their stock. But there are numerous mobile apps that can now help free merchants from their desks. I looked in the top 40 shipping-related apps -- based on consumer ratings and the many downloads -- for each of the top three mobile platforms: iPhone, Android and BlackBerry. I then handpicked, from this group of 40, the top five most common shipping-related apps for each telephone. Download these apps and monitor all your shipments from your mobile device while on the move. Our products: Magento 2 pos Bigcommerce pos software Woocommerce pos app Shopify pos app Commercetools Pos MSI Apps Compatible with iPhone, Android and BlackBerry Avery Universal Package Tracker on Android. FedEx Mobile . Get up-to-the-second monitoring information for any FedEx-shipped bundle simply by keying-in the tracking

You are backing up more than your information, right?

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Every website owner should be backing up their site and database on a daily basis. If you are not, set up that immediately. But this is not what I am referring to when it comes to backups. I am referring to all the crucial aspects of your company. Here are some questions to ask yourself: If worker X doesn't appear in your busiest day of the year, what are you going to do? Would you step in and do their job? Do some of your other workers know how to do their job? Otherwise, you need that key employee to record how they perform their job. This is very good practice if they go on holiday, get sick, cease, or be terminated. In year's past, I have had critical part-time workers stop at a moment's notice during the busiest time of year. Fortunately, I had job postings written, posted them to Craigslist, and had replacements in as little as a day. In addition, I use a service named LaborReady to help with instant manual-labor needs. If the printer you use for shipping la

Things to Do When an Employee Leaves

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Employees quit. It's a reality of every enterprise. Big companies with dedicated human resource groups have a procedure or checklist they follow when someone leaves. But small and midsize firms might not have processes in place. What follows are significant tasks to tackle when an employee decides to proceed. Employees quit. It's a reality of every enterprise. Alright, see our products: magento pos extension Pos for woocommerce Pos for shopify Pos for bigcommerce MSI management   Legal Obligations The maximum priority is to meet your company's legal obligations to the worker. Your organization should pay the last salary, duties, and outstanding reimbursements. By way of instance, under United States federal law, an employee who quits voluntarily must receive her final paycheck on the next scheduled payday. Other jurisdictions may have different requirements. In California, companies have 72 hours to deliver a last paycheck when an employee stops. In Idaho, the last pa

The Keys to Lower Inventory Costs

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Managing inventory is one of the most crucial tasks of an ecommerce business. Poorly managed, stock costs can escalate, and gains erode. In this post, I will review five strategies of high-performing, multichannel vendors that greatly lower inventory costs while streamlining operations. Alright, see our merchandise: Magento 2 pos extension Pos for woocommerce Pos for shopify Pos for bigcommerce MSI management The Keys to Lower Inventory Costs Construct an accurate sales forecast. Do not purchase inventory until you understand what you will need, if you want it, and how much. Creating a good sales prediction requires understanding: Revenue history by item and weekly. Sales volatility to your category. Upcoming promotions. Aggressive action. External variables that influence your market. Importantly, understand the 80/20 rule. For many retailers, 80 percent of sales come from approximately 20 percent of goods. Shorten your supply chain. Try buying from producers and provide