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Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

The Minuteman Press franchise in Northvale, NJ has been operating for over 40 years. Alan Schneider and his wife Nadine are celebrating 15 years as owners and share their insights and reflections. Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. Congrats on 15 years! What does this milestone mean to you and what are the keys to your success and longevity? Nadine and Alan: “This is a tremendous milestone for us. Although we have hit this milestone in our tenure, the shop has been in business for over 40 years in this community. We are well known and very involved in the town. For years, people were saying the printing industry was dying. Then the pandemic hit and I think everyone feared a little bit for the future. However, I have to say that I never expected the bounce back from the pandemic to be such a boon for business. I think people realized that community is important, supporting local business is important, and although online marketing has a place, it’s not the only game in town. Print is still king. The keys to our success and longevity are: providing a warm and friendly place to do business; being knowledgeable about our products and services; letting our clients know that their success is important to us and we are here to help them; caring about our clients as people—not just as customers; and, most importantly, reliability and integrity.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Nadine and Alan: “Believe it or not, the pandemic was a blessing for our business. It forced us to take critical look at how we were operating. We took a hard look at our numbers, and strategized on what we could do better in both operations and marketing. On the operational side, we cut out some of the fat and streamlined things where needed.” Alan: “My wife, Nadine, has an MBA in marketing and has owned a marketing and graphic design business for 15+ years. She joined me in our Northvale, NJ location and is providing all the graphic design services. Not only was this a strategic financial/operational move, it was the best marketing move we could have made. We are now truly a marketing, design and printing company – a one-stop shop!” Nadine and Alan: “Our clients are provided with a free consultation on the best ways to market their business. We do the strategy, design and printing. When the clients see the results, they come back for additional products and services—and they tell their friends! The savings we realized from our reduction in payroll was also reinvested in the business by increasing our participation in the SEO/Internet marketing program. We are starting to see an uptick in our internet leads! A couple of other cool things… Last year, we expanded our marketing strategy by promoting ourselves as a local family business. Our holiday cards now feature our family photo – myself, Nadine, and our 4 grown children. The theme is, Family is everything. We appreciate you being part of ours. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received on that card. People feel like they know our family, and always ask how our kids are doing. This year, we will be planning a marketing program to celebrate my birthday on October 26 th. Why? Because we found out that it’s also National Printing Day! We are going to have a lot of fun with that. We also do a lot of in-person networking by being active in our home and business communities. We are BNI members and directors, are involved with many not-for-profits, serve on the boards of the local Chambers of Commerce, and are Auxiliary Police Officers in our hometown. We are always visible helping the community in whatever way we can.” What are your high-demand products and services? Nadine and Alan: “We do a ton of direct mail, particularly EDDM. Although the program has been around for years, it’s really been gaining traction since the pandemic. Once our clients see how well direct mail works for them, they either expand their reach or frequency…or both. We help them build their customer lists as a result of their EDDM efforts, then assist them with targeted direct mail programs to these new customers. We are proud to say that many of our clients credit us with helping them build their businesses through direct mail. They refer to us as the direct mail experts! We also began heavily promoting branded apparel. It’s featured in the front of our store, and we make a point of mentioning it to our clients when they come into the shop. Once we learn about their business, we suggest what types of apparel and promotional items they may want to consider to boost their brand awareness.” What are your key growth areas? Nadine and Alan: “Again, direct mail and apparel are huge for us. Design as well. Our previous graphic designer was more of a layout/production person. Nadine is a true creative. Everything we do for a client now has a marketing strategy behind it, and a creative, eye-catching design. Clients who come in with their ideas are truly blown away by how we bring their visions to life. One successful campaign for a client usually snowballs into more business—and more referrals! But our true measure of success is knowing how we are helping our clients grow their businesses.” How would you best describe your community? Nadine and Alan: “Northvale, NJ is one square mile in area, right on the New York State border. The community is comprised of mostly residential homes, a small downtown with shopping and a handful of light industrial/manufacturing. Since it’s a small-town area, we focus on serving the local trades, retail stores, restaurants, professional services and industrial businesses. We have also built a client list outside of our small regional area by creating relationships with professionals that can provide us with ongoing business.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? What are the benefits of print? Nadine and Alan: “Several years ago, email marketing became extremely popular because it was free. Today, in-boxes are flooded with messages that are deleted before they are even opened. A wasted marketing effort, even though it is ‘free.’ With print, your message is tangible. A direct mail piece in someone’s mailbox is handled – even if it is eventually discarded. Someone saw it, and handled it. Print is the ultimate conversation-starter. Hand someone a brochure, mail them a postcard, or even embroider your company name on your polo – and you are now visible to them. The most successful businesses rely on print for the majority of their marketing, so it is definitely here to stay.” What was your background before franchising? Alan: “I owned a food distribution company prior to owning a Minuteman Press. I wanted something new, but I still wanted to be a business owner. I chose Minuteman Press because of the company’s reputation for training and support of its franchisees. Also, printing is a consumable business which means repeat business.” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Nadine and Alan: “Pick up the phone, send an email, and someone is there to help. The conventions are invaluable. We always come back learning something new, whether it’s from corporate or fellow owners. We look forward to seeing everyone, and meeting new people. It’s like a family reunion! We’ve also come back with new vendors to try which really had an impact on our business.” What are the biggest rewards of owning your business? Nadine and Alan: “Being an integral part of other people’s businesses and helping them achieve their goals. Also, being part of the community.” What advice would you give to others? Nadine and Alan: “Be professional and be persistent!” Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/northvale/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 06, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Hypemachine launches a PR subscription platform with a powerhouse network of top PR executives from bluechip agencies such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, and Ogilvy

Hypemachine

New York-based company Hypemachine today announced the launch of their platform and bluechip PR network ( www.hypemachine.io ). The company has attracted early-stage to publicly traded firms globally as clients and replaced what mid-sized PR agencies used to do with its technology and business model. Hypemachine offers à la carte PR subscriptions that can be scaled up or down quickly based on client needs. The company provides bluechip PR agency quality results at a fraction of "big agency” fees. How Hypemachine is different: Hypemachine Match – Hypemachine identifies what media relationships PR executives have, the sectors they worked in, and what they enjoy doing most in PR and matches senior PR teams to clients in tech, consumer, venture capital, and other sectors. Hypemachine Intuitive Dashboard – Hypemachine’s intuitive dashboard provides PR data and recommendations from Hypemachine's executives. The next stage of the dashboard will use artificial intelligence combined with executives' personalized insights. Hypemachine’s dashboard also streamlines the administrative and account management work that junior staffers typically do. Hypemachine Story Strength Score – The company has also created a ‘Hypemachine story strength score’, which assesses clients' announcements and story assets and offers recommendations on how to make them more compelling for reporters. “As a two-time startup founder and former agency SVP at a leading PR agency in New York City, I saw that the agency model was broken for most brands and founders,” says Hypemachine Founder and CEO Olga Orda. "A big part of why we’ve attracted so much incredible A-list, senior talent at Hypemachine is that they feel their work and senior counsel is valued, both in our network and by our clients," Orda said. “Contrary to what many may assume about public relations, we get paid to think, and public relations is more than just who you know. Even if I’m best friends with a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, no reporter will put their career on the line for a terrible or boring story. That’s why we hire the best talent in the industry from leading brands and agencies. We're passionate about helping clients strengthen their storylines and get media coverage.” “Adapting to the changing public relations industry, Hypemachine has created a powerful model for clients to capture tomorrow's audiences," says Andrew Graham, Founder and Head of Strategy at Bread & Law and 2021 PRSA-NY president. About Hypemachine Launched in 2023, Hypemachine ( www.hypemachine.io ) offers a PR subscription platform and powerhouse network of former PR executives from bluechip firms such as Edelman, FleishmanHillard, Ogilvy, and other leading agencies. Hypemachine’s senior associates have advised brands and organizations such as Google, GE, Samsung, Unilever, Netflix, Salesforce, and Amazon. The company offers bluechip PR agency capabilities at a fraction of “big agency” fees and an intuitive Hypemachine PR dashboard for clients. Based in New York City, Hypemachine’s clients include early-stage to publicly traded companies globally. Contact Details Hypemachine Media Relations info@hypemachine.io Company Website https://www.hypemachine.io

February 06, 2023 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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NASDAQ-Listed HeartCore Inc. Looks Back On The Past Year With Pride

HeartCore Enterprises

By David Willey, Benzinga As the market settles into its new year, companies are gearing up for the fresh challenge of a new quarter and are looking to build on the successes of the past twelve months. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company HeartCore Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: HTCR) may have every reason to look back with pride as it takes stock of a previous year filled with exciting developments that could point to a promising 2023. The looming recession has given the 2022 market its share of difficulties, but Japan-based HeartCore has had some wins throughout the year. A digital transformation, customer experience management and IPO consulting company, HeartCore has established itself in a software business and services market worth over $121 billion. Other companies in the space include Infobird Co. (NASDAQ: IFBD), Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) and HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS). The first half of the year saw exciting developments for the company as HeartCore became only the third Japanese company to list on the NASDAQ market. It has since launched “ Go IPO ” - a consulting service to help other Japanese companies navigate the complex processes of making an initial public offering (IPO). As part of its consultancy expertise, HeartCore signed a consulting and services agreement with SBC Medical Group, Inc. (SBC) to aid in SBC’s uplisting process. The company expects to generate $900,000 in sales fees through this and several similar service agreements. Looking Back On 2022 - And Forward To 2023 As per the company’s Q1 report for 2022, the company saw a gross profit increase of 74%, gross proceeds from the IPO totaling $15 million, and a global enterprise customer base increase to 858 over the first quarter. Confident in the trajectory of the company’s growth, the board then authorized a share buyback of $3.5 million. The company launched a couple of major products and services over the year, including its e-commerce Robot Store which provides Robot Automation Processes (RPA) services. These RPA bots are part of HeartCore’s digital transformative services to help clients automate and integrate key tasks, such as invoice processing, employee onboarding, ERP data entry, and more. It also launched its truRes-12K. The company says this product is the first 360° real-time virtual reality (VR) camera that is compatible with 12k resolution. Compared with alternative cameras that capture in 4 or 8k, the product offers a high-resolution VR experience which the company especially markets to the medical, manufacturing, aerospace, e-commerce and travel sectors. HeartCore also recently acquired the American information technology (IT) company Sigmaways. This important acquisition represents a vertical integration for the company, providing HeartCore with in-house solutions it previously outsourced. It extends the company’s digital solutions, and both companies profit from cross-selling and upselling to their respective client bases. At the end of October, the company licensed its product Apromore to Japanese tech company Transcosmos Digital Technology Inc. (TCDT). This advanced process mining tool will provide TCDT with increased business visualization and is part of HeartCore’s commitment to providing businesses with cutting-edge digital transformations. The company has plans to build on this past year of development and growth as it advances into 2023. To learn more about HeartCore, visit its website. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, HeartCore Enterprises, Inc. is a leading software development company offering Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to enterprise customers in Japan and worldwide. The Company also provides data analytics to create tailored web experiences for their enterprise clients. HeartCore’s customer experience management platform (CXM Platform) includes marketing, sales, service, and content management systems, as well as other tools and integrations, which enable companies to enhance the customer experience and drive engagement. HeartCore also operates a digital transformation business that provides customers with robotics process automation, process mining, and task mining to accelerate the digital transformation of enterprises. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details TraDigital IR - Malaika Temu malaika@tradigitalir.com Company Website https://heartcore-enterprises.com/

February 06, 2023 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

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tvScientific Announces New Leadership Addition, Expanding World Class Technology Team

tvScientific

tvScientific, the first and only CTV advertising platform built for performance marketers, today announced its appointment of Chris Johnson, as the company’s first VP of Technology. This expansion of the leadership team further demonstrates the company’s commitment to driving sustainable growth in performance advertising today. “Chris brings an extensive amount of leadership expertise to tvScientific, from successfully scaling infrastructures to building out robust and talented teams,” said Jason Fairchild, CEO at tvScientific. “Our mission at tvScientific is to push the boundaries of what’s possible with CTV advertising, and we have set ambitious 2023 organizational goals to continue to drive product innovation in the space. We’re proud of the engineering culture we’re building at the company and value the type of visionary tech leadership Chris will bring in this new role.” As the new VP of Technology, Chris will be responsible for overseeing teams under tvScientific's technology umbrella, including software engineering, data science, DevOps, and IT. Prior to joining tvScientific, he served as VP of Engineering at Infillion – a full-service media solutions provider, housed of leading adtech companies true[X] and Gimbal. “Looking at where the industry is headed and how performance advertising fits into current trends, I’m so grateful to be a part of the tvScientific team, trailblazing the future of CTV advertising,” said Johnson. “This is an organization that has shown immense growth and traction within the industry. tvScientific is forging a new path forward for performance marketers, one in which they can get to a place of radical transparency and unlock a new level of real-time and granular CTV measurement that wasn’t possible previously.” ABOUT TVSCIENTIFIC tvScientific is the first and only CTV advertising platform purpose built for performance marketers. tvScientific offers a self-managed solution that leverages data and cutting edge science to automate and optimize TV advertising to enable massive growth for businesses of all sizes. Our solution combines media buying, optimization, measurement, and attribution in one, efficient platform. Our data science driven attribution technology and automated campaign optimization work together to drive strong business outcomes. The platform reaches 95% of AVOD inventory using proprietary, deterministic ID technology to measure ad exposure to outcome in an approachable, radically transparent and scalable way. tvScientific was co-founded by senior executives with deep roots in programmatic advertising, digital media, and ad verification. tvScientific is backed by some of the world’s leading tech investors and media companies, including Norwest Venture Partners, NBCU/Comcast, Hearst Ventures and Idealab. Today, the company continues to make strategic alignments with key players — the most recent being NBCUniversal — to advance CTV performance advertising forward. The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California. For more information, visit https://www.tvscientific.com. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Julia Worthington +1 973-722-7881 julia@kitehillpr.com

February 06, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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LevLane Advertising Appoints Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Client Officer

LevLane

LevLane Advertising, a full-service, award-winning advertising agency, has announced the promotion of Elizabeth Weir to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and Kevin Dunn to Chief Client Officer (CCO), effective February 1, 2023. Both are newly created roles for the 40-year-old Philadelphia-based agency. The announcement comes on the heels of continued expansion for the agency, which has experienced healthy growth over the past 5 years. Weir and Dunn have held leadership positions at LevLane for six and four and a half years respectively, and during their tenure have contributed substantially to the cultural and financial growth of the organization. As CMO, Weir, who previously held the title of SVP, Content, Social Media and PR, will lead and oversee agency promotion efforts, refining and elevating the brand and mission both internally and externally, and will lead all marketing operations for LevLane. “Liz’s breadth of marketing experience and dedication to keeping her finger on the pulse of the future of marketing makes her an invaluable leader,” said Bruce Lev, Founder and CEO of LevLane. “The role of Chief Marketing Officer is a natural progression, as she has shown incredible depth and extraordinary talent for content and storytelling.” Dunn previously held the title of SVP, Strategy & Client Engagement in the Life Sciences division. In his role as CCO, Dunn will continue to lead the agency’s Life Science clients in addition to consolidating Account Management processes across all strategic verticals. “Kevin brings tremendous marketing expertise and extensive leadership capabilities to the agency, and I am thrilled that we are expanding his services across our client roster,” said Josh Lev, President of LevLane. “He has a consistent track record of providing our clients with first-class experiences and has built a strong, customer-centric culture within his team.” About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details Lauren Stralo +1 484-747-0172 lstralo@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

February 06, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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BIO-key’s Innovative IAM Solutions Address C-Suite Top Priority – Managing Cyber Risk

BIO-key International, Inc.

By Gita Karunakaran, Benzinga In recent times, the potential threats of ransomware and data breaches have been gaining more attention among corporations around the world. Companies are constantly faced with the threat of loss of control over customer data and the adverse impact of an attack on their brand reputation. This has resulted in cybersecurity risk being elevated to discussions at the most senior levels of corporations. Despite the C-suite attention the subject has garnered in corporate boardrooms, the implementation of suitable risk-mitigating solutions in organizations has seemingly been lagging. Some of the reasons for this could be a lack of understanding of the level of cyber risk an organization is subject to and willing to accept, and thereafter the inability to decide on which cyber security solutions they would need to implement to stay ahead of potential attackers and protect critical data. Companies like BIO-key International Inc. (NASDAQ: BKYI) offer Identity and Access Management (IAM) cybersecurity solutions for enterprises and often play a key role in bridging this gap in understanding by providing their expertise to design customized solutions to suit the individual needs of organizations. Cybersecurity Risk Increasingly Ranks As A Top Corporate Risk Worldwide Potential cyber incidents and business interruption remained the two leading worldwide corporate risk concerns for the second year in a row, according to a report published by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. The report included IBM data showing that ransomware attacks remained the top threat, and the average cost of a data breach hit a record of $4.35 million in 2022, with the cost expected to surpass $5 million this year. While ransomware has become a serious concern – with threat actors engaging in double and triple extortion against companies resulting in reputational harm – another aspect that has equally become an area of consternation is the tightening of regulations surrounding the protection of customer data. Non-compliance with privacy laws and regulations, like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or state laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), could result in hefty privacy violation fines adding to the cost of data breaches. With all the attention that cybersecurity breaches and risks have been garnering, it is no wonder that the global cybersecurity market is booming and reportedly expected to reach $403 billion by 2027. What Can Organizations Do To Reduce Cybersecurity Risk? While cybersecurity and IAM are about ensuring that legitimate authenticated users are the ones gaining access to data and resources in an organization, risk management has always had a more strategic focus with the goal to understand the threat landscape and make informed decisions on the strategy that would work for the organization. It has been seen time and again that regardless of the sophisticated technologies being used to keep hackers out, no system is perfect or 100% risk-free. But organizations can indeed take steps to reduce the likelihood and potential impact of such threats, including educating employees, ensuring adequate housekeeping of software and hardware, and restricting staff access in accordance with job role-based needs. According to BIO-key, the method used to authenticate is a core area that organizations need to focus on when assessing risk and informing their IAM strategy. While relying on passwords to authenticate users may be an easy and inexpensive solution, it comes with the risk of weak security and easily breached networks. As a result, companies have begun adding an extra layer of security with Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), which is believed to prevent as much as 90% of cyberattacks. BIO-key says that it incorporates Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-on (SSO), and its one-of-a-kind biometric authentication option (Identity-Bound Biometrics) under a single, unified IAM platform, PortalGuard, to create holistic cybersecurity solutions for its customers. BIO-key has been a trusted provider of Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Identity-Bound Biometric solutions for over 25 years. The company has been playing an active part in changing mainstream Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) within IAM by offering easier and more secure ways to authenticate the identity of employees, customers, and suppliers, while managing access across devices and applications, for enterprises, educational institutions, and consumers. Its innovations are backed by years of research and expertise and its products and solutions are trusted by leading organizations across industries, including Fortune 500 companies in financial services, healthcare, education, manufacturing, communication, transportation, military and government sectors. With a burgeoning global cybersecurity market and increased cyber-risk awareness in organizations, BIO-key seems poised to thrive and grow by offering the most flexible, secure, and easy-to-use solutions to help organizations combat increasing threats. Learn more about BIO-key’s cybersecurity solutions here. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication and cybersecurity with biometric-centric, multi-factor identity and access management (IAM) software managing millions of users. Its cloud-based PortalGuard IAM solution provides cost-effective, easy to deploy, convenient and secure access to devices, information, applications, and high-value transactions. BIO-key's patented software and hardware solutions, with industry-leading Identity-Bound Biometric (IBB) capabilities, enable large-scale Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solutions, as well as customized on premises solutions. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Catalyst IR- William Jones, David Collins +1 212-924-9800 BKYI@catalyst-ir.com Company Website https://www.bio-key.com/

February 03, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Power Digital Acquires Digital Marketing Agency Sproutward

Power Digital

Power Digital, the leading tech-enabled growth marketing firm—today announces the acquisition of the marketing agency Sproutward, headquartered in Boston and Columbus. It is the fifth acquisition since 2019, bringing in 30 new team members to grow the organization's headcount to 580 strategic, consultative marketers, creatives, data scientists and technologists. The leadership team at Sproutward has a wealth of experience working in marketing organizations. Prior to founding Sproutward, Kevin Biondi served as VP of Digital Marketing at Staples, while Anabela Perozek was the CMO of Shoes.com and the Head of Marketing for Staples.com. Third partner, Scott Zakrajsek, previously led digital analytics and optimization departments at adidas, Reebok and Shoes.com. “Sproutward’s growth mindset and culture are incredibly well-aligned with our core values,” said Grayson Lafrenz, CEO of Power Digital. “Having worked on the brand-side, the leadership team deeply understands the mindset, challenges and needs of today’s sharp business and marketing leaders.” Sproutward is a marketing consultancy that focuses on clients who are in the midst of a digital transformation, blending creativity with robust analytics. Their work is backed by a proprietary platform integrating data across systems to create a single customer-facing view of revenue, marketing spend and business. Sproutward’s platform will be integrated into Power Digital’s technology, nova, to realize a data science offering designed to guide marketing investments for revenue growth. “Being data-driven and technology-enabled is in the DNA of both of our companies. By joining forces, we will expand offerings to better serve our brand clients across the board,” said Kevin Biondi, Co-Founder at Sproutward. Through this acquisition, Sproutward’s advertiser clients will gain access to a range of new marketing services offered by Power Digital, including TikTok, creative, content, influencer, performance PR and more. Power Digital continues to grow rapidly and was recently ranked in Inc. 5000’s list for companies winning in a challenging and unpredictable global landscape––seeing 95% team retention and a 91% client retention rate. Power Digital was also named one of Adweek’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2022, as well Ad Age Best Places to Work in 2023. Potomac Business Capital acted as financial advisor to Sproutward in the acquisition. About Power Digital: Power Digital is a tech-enabled growth firm––at the intersection of marketing, consulting & data intelligence––igniting revenue and brand recognition for leading and emerging companies around the world. At the heart is proprietary technology, nova, which analyzes businesses through first-party data, simplifying investment planning for marketing and diligence in M&A––putting marketers in a strategic seat at the table––and providing value in unparalleled ways. Managing billions in media, Power Digital’s dynamic team––of consultative marketers, creatives, analysts and technologists––challenges traditional ways of planning and measurement through meticulous testing and data science across each milestone of the customer journey. Discover more at PowerDigital.com. Contact Details N6A Kevin Pryor +1 347-781-3074 powerdigital@n6a.com Company Website https://powerdigitalmarketing.com/

February 02, 2023 10:29 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Who Needs VC? How One SaaS Startup Bucked the Trend and Beat the Odds

NetReputation.com

By Caroline Hunter, Content Writer (at NetReputation) In the world of tech startups, venture capital (VC) often acts as a gatekeeper, providing the keys to market entry and the pathway to eventual success. The initial investments from VC groups can come at a high price for many entrepreneurs, typically with significant ownership stakes. Despite the costs, most startups do not have the necessary experience and financial backing to build and operate their company, leaving them vulnerable to VC interests. Although it’s mutually beneficial, venture capitalists do have the upper hand in the relationship with green founders. VCs understand the anxiety that comes from bringing new ideas to market and VCs can exploit the situation for ownership. The percentage of startups partnering with VC groups in early growth stages is, in reality, considerably low. According to Marc Andreessen of VC giant Andreesseen Horowitz, of the 4,000 startups seeking funding from major VCs each year, only about 200, or 5%. Despite the low percentage of startups who qualify for and receive outside funding, it's a common misconception that in order to succeed in the tech sector VC endorsement is necessary. The VC stamp of approval can open more doors and provide the fuel to accelerated growth, but brute growth isn’t always the better path. Despite the familiar pattern of VC and startup relationships, occasionally, a business comes along that balks at convention. Invoice Home is an innovative company with two experienced co-founders funding the operation out of pocket. It is not often you see two individuals opt for a bootstrapping approach in competitive sectors like the tech industry. VC vs. Bootstrapping and the Invoice Home Choice Despite notable exceptions like GoPro, VC is the traditional financing method among tech startups. The approach is less risky and provides greater opportunities for success, but it is not all rainbows and unicorns. Venture capital arrangements usually stipulate new founders to give up some control in their company in exchange for funding and mentorship. In some of the worst deals, product creators lose most, if not all, controlling interests in their company. That said, VC is not all bad, and it definitely has many benefits over the bootstrapping approach, including fewer risks. The Invoice Home founders chose to bootstrap after their own experience dealing with big investors and corporate institutions in their previous companies. The owners reviewed their financing options, concluding that the deemed more difficult and longer road was best for them and their business model as they wanted full control in shaping the product from its inception. Venture Capital Venture capital is financing, a form of private equity, that can fund companies at any stage, but investments in tech startups or small businesses have been on the rise in recent years. Capital investments usually come from wealthy investors, financial institutions or other investment banks. That said, VC is not always monetary. Sometimes, capital comes in less tangible forms, such as talent, knowledge, and experience. Regardless of the capital form, investing in a startup is risky, even if it has potential. Founders also face considerable risks with how potential partners justify ownership asks. Many VC deals include limited partnerships, which a VC firm defines. Venture capital agreements have pros and cons. The pros include: Early-stage financing for bootstrap operations No proof of cash flow or assets needed to secure funding Mentoring and network often part of the arrangements Despite the benefits, VC agreements can lead to a few cons. Some of the possible negatives include: The demand for company equity Loss of creative control of product Pressure to exit the investment ahead of growth Bootstrapping The founders of Invoice Home, Jiri Hradil and Petr Marek, weighed the pros and cons of VC and decided the traditional route of other tech startups was not for them or their idea. These two entrepreneurs chose a more challenging road to success, bootstrapping. Bootstrapping is usually a more gradual road to success and presents greater risks earlier on for startup owners. A person bootstraps when they attempt to build and grow their business using only personal finances or operational revenue. Both Hradil and Marek have extensive professional experience in the tech industry, specifically with building niche financial software in the FinTech space. Their expertise, independent finances, and knowledge in the current market likely played a role in the decision to step away from VC. Invoice Home Throws Norms Out the Window To Hradil and Marek, relinquishing any control of their business, especially during the beginning phase of product development, was premature. The partners knew what they wanted from their program and service — a simple way to create, organize, and send invoices to customers. The pair knew that partnering with VC firms would cut into their controlling interests. The last thing they wanted was to create a platform that didn't conform to their initial thought for the startup. Because each of them had several years in leadership roles at their own successful businesses previously, they knew the risks involved with starting a company without private equity financiers. However, because of their experience, they understood they could mitigate some risks. The primary issue was patience. The co-founders knew that without VC, the business could take time to mature and reach its potential. After proving the concept and fully committing to operations in 2013, Invoice Home now has over 7 million global users, retaining and growing its user base through the pandemic. Not giving up the control on the product proved to be the right decision, as the simplified invoicing tool found a perfect product market fit with freelancers and micro-businesses. VC Is the Norm, But It Doesn't Have To Be Venture capital is the traditional way of making it in the tech industry, but it doesn't have to be. Invoice Home is only one example of startup owners making the right decision for their product and bootstrapping their way to success. True, not every startup or tech creator can afford to take on the personal financial risks associated with starting a business. Also, many startups do not have the leadership experience to bring a product to market or identify lucrative channels. There is a place for VC in the tech industry, but it shouldn't be the automatic approach and sole path to launching a tech business. For young startups or creators, there is a lot to overcome when starting a new company. First-time founders often rush into VC partnerships in the beginning, particularly if they have the opportunity. But the faster road to success doesn't always mean it's the better option long term. Other financing and operational pathways may seem out of reach, depending on the founders and their circumstances. Before committing down a set path, try market testing a product on a smaller scale. Put the operational revenue back into the company to see if the product concept works in the current market. Creating a tech product and building a company without VC funding will be slower, but steady, consistent growth can prove to have a better long term outcome. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. NetReputation.com is an industry-leading online reputation management solutions provider focused on helping businesses and individuals repair, improve, and maintain positive brands on the web. Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, NetReputation.com utilizes the latest in digital processes and technology to restore online reputations and empower long-term success online. NetReputation was established by online services innovator Adam Petrilli in 2015. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Caroline Hunter Caroline@netreputation.com Company Website https://www.netreputation.com/

February 02, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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FatBrain Is Providing Real-Time Strategic Cash Management For SMEs

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By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga For small-to-medium-sized enterprises, also known as SMEs, protecting, predicting, and increasing cash flow is the lifeboat that will allow a business to succeed and flourish. However, data collection and analysis is essential to understanding cash management, and not every SME has the resources to predict accurately. SMEs actually make up over 90% of businesses around the world and approximately half of employment. In the U.S., SMEs account for 44% of all US economic activity and produce the bulk of GDP output. SMEs are a huge part of the economy but are fundamentally lacking the tools to compete with larger companies that use AI and outsource accounting concerns to entire teams of specialists. FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI) (“FatBrain”) is looking to change this reality and use AI to give SMEs an edge to succeed in cash management. FatBrain is known for widening AI options for SMEs. The company has created a RansomProof AI software that ensures small businesses will be safe from cyberattacks; the free program is leveling the playing field between big businesses and SMEs. FatBrain has also launched an FX Transaction product that allows SMEs to optimize their foreign transactions and save money. Recently, FatBrain acquired FinTech Alliance company, Predictive Black. Predictive Black supports SMEs in the UK with real-time cash management and financial insights, which helps promote overall business wellness. The SaaS platform uses AI to forecast revenue, costs, and cash for SMEs. Why Is Predicting Revenue, Costs, And Cash Important For SMEs SMEs oftentimes do not have the same emergency infrastructure as larger corporations and as such, they are more vulnerable to fluctuating economic changes. Whereas large companies like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), IBM (NYSE: IBM), and Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) may have entire teams dedicated to making sense of economic data and planning accordingly, SMEs may not have the manpower or expertise to excel at predictive treasury management. This is where FatBrain’s Predictive Black comes in. Predictive Black uses the latest AI to compile relevant industry and market data based on a company’s sector, peers, clients, and suppliers. The AI then creates a baseline and users have access to a “Scenario Planning” function that allows for “what-if” scenarios to be calculated and accounted for. For example, you can calculate if a supplier increases their prices or if you lose a few clients and how that impacts your revenue. Each function is designed to improve speed, reduce risk and analyze real-time cash data​. These tools can provide ease of mind for SMEs and give them the analysis needed to make safe and sound business decisions. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.; OTC: LZGI) is the first and leading provider of powerful and easy-to-use AI solutions to millions of businesses of tomorrow driving the majority of the global economy, empowering them to grow, innovate faster and savemoney. FatBrain’s innovative solutions transform continuous learning, narrative reasoning, cloud, blockchain and Web3 technologies into auditable, explainable and easy to integrate products. FatBrain’ssubscription model allows all companies to deploy its advanced AI solutions quickly and easily, securely utilizing them on premises behind their firewalls or via cloud. The AI 2.0 pioneered by our teams is like WAZE for business growth, using advanced peerdynamics technology to automatically learn patterns from individual and peer behavior. This allows us to deliver coached, personalized AI solutions at hyperscale. FatBrain unifies insights from SaaS applications, turbo-charged by peer and market dynamics: 1) Realize attainable goals from explainable peer performance. 2)Turbo-charge human expertise with superhuman AI insights. 3) Accelerate growth through the contributory network effects. 4) Simplify harnessing data across common apps and market signals. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Shawn Carey ir@fatbrain.ai Company Website https://fatbrain.ai/

February 02, 2023 09:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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