4 ways to grow your business with Powerlinx

Powerlinx is constantly striving to be the world’s most advanced business matching platform and an invaluable resource to business development teams. 75% of CEOs say strategic partnerships are essential to their growth, but more than half report trouble finding and connecting with partners. The fact is, companies are missing out on new strategic partners because they lack the resources and networks of larger firms and we don’t believe that’s right. There are many ways to use the Powerlinx platform to maximize your value and growth – here are a few places to start:

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Continuous innovation is a major challenge faced by business executives today. As customer needs grow more diverse in the face of a globalizing economy, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to innovate and meet all of their customers’ needs on their own. Thankfully business leaders are finding a strategic partnership to be a meaningful way to meet customer demands. READ MORE

Technological Disruption – Important and Inevitable

The technology industry has always been defined by rapid innovation and technological disruption. Companies are always looking to disrupt the status quo with, “better service, more innovative products, lower prices, and the ability to respond flexibly to changing customer habits and preferences.” Technology’s commitment to innovation and fast-paced disruption shows no signs of abating.  78% of American CEOs report concern over how rapidly technology changes in their industry. Their concern is well founded, 45% of tech companies have expanded into a new industry in just the last three years.

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The slowing down of China’s economy has sparked vigorous debate, with many experts predicting hard times ahead for the world’s second-biggest economy.

Nevertheless, China still managed to achieve 6.9 percent GDP growth in 2015 – the slowest in 25 years, but still well ahead of other developed economies. And then there’s the recent announcement by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz that his company will be opening thousands of stores across China over the next five years. Furthermore, a BT poll of 1150 businesses around the globe found that China remains the third-most-desirable market for international expansion, after the US and UK.

However, the general consensus is that China is undergoing a major economic transition, driven largely by weakening demand for its manufactured goods and a record-high debt-to-GDP ratio. So what does this mean for US-based enterprises looking to expand into this vast but volatile market?

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Bullish Markets

Companies whose operations heavily rely on manufacturing have good reasons to be optimistic. The manufacturing industry is currently experiencing a bullish trend. June saw the US Manufacturing Index reach a 16 month high. The index posted an increase of 1.9 points and the new order index is up 1.3% from May. With the export index at its highest level since November 2014, companies that manufacture can have confidence in their industry’s stability moving forward. It is vital that manufacturing businesses make the most of these fortuitous times. In a rapidly changing political and technological environment, companies should be aware and actively working to stay on the cutting edge of business.

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It’s no secret that technology is rapidly changing the logistics industry. But what ripple effects will the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) have for this evolving industry?

When the Internet of Things (IoT) appears on TV news segments or in glossy magazines, it’s usually wearables such as health bands or internet-connected televisions and thermostats that get a mention.
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Moving forward, digitization is prime to transform nearly every aspect of the logistics industry. With the future potential of Industry 4.0 becoming our present-day reality, the industry is in the midst of rapid change. Cloud computing, cyber-physical systems, and the Internet of Things are all changing how businesses operate. By the year 2020, the number of logistics businesses boasting an advanced level of digitization will skyrocket from 28% to 71%. Industry experts and CEOs see digitization as the best way to achieve cost reduction and revenue growth. Companies expect to see their costs fall 3.6% per annum and their revenues to rise 2.7% per annum. With the industry becoming more efficient and advanced, companies that fail to adapt will find themselves lagging behind their competitors.

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How can small and big business work together to build strong communities and profits? Small businesses form a vital part of the American economy and market. In December 2015, businesses with under 50 employees created 93,000 jobs in the US, making them an important source of post-recession job growth.

That’s not to say it’s an easy job being a small-scale entrepreneur – Bloomberg found that a staggering 80 percent of people who start businesses fail within the first 18 months. The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce is hoping to defy that trend by partnering with the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) of Louisiana.

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When two companies collaborate with their mutual interests in mind, great things can happen. Supply chain partnerships are the focus of our latest infographic, where we examine a few case studies that a win-win collaboration between two companies has yielded to a high, beneficial impact.

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