Influencers and followings by Ambassadors Scottie Pippen, Daymond John (FUBU Apparel & Shark Tank), Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena, Jamie Foxx, Vivica Foxx, the Khardasians, Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keyes, La La Anthony and partnership with DJ Khaled, an award-winning DJ, songwriter, record producer, media personality, record executive and entrepreneur.

 

SHOP.COM Ranks in Internet Retailer Top earning high e-commerce ranking

Driven by its continued strong growth, SHOP.COM ranks in the new Internet Retailer Top list of online retailers. SHOP.COM ranks in its specific Internet Retailer category of mass merchants.

We are very proud of our high ranking on the Internet Retailer Top, and of the UnFranchise Owners, customers and corporate staff whose hard work and determination made this happen. Our business model of entrepreneurship is driven by sales of our industry-leading MC products and by the millions of Partner Store products available to consumers on SHOP.COM. Being ranked shows that SHOP.COM continues to shine as a leading force in e-commerce.
Internet Retailer compiles the most complete ranking of the Top 500 retailers selling in North America, ranked by web sales. It spent the past year analyzing industry trends and studying website traffic data to identify all the significant e-commerce retail websites.

SHOP.COM’s high ranking on the Top means it is one of the leaders that drove more than 95% of the $450 billion in online retails sales for the year.

 

Entrepreneur‘s 4 Effective Business Models That Built Billion-Dollar Companies

From software that's free to virtual goods that cost real money, all the new models have their uses.

It takes more than a mere initial idea to build a successful business. To start with, you’ll need a roadmap of where you’re headed and how to get there. Since businesses thrive on profit, one of the crucial questions you must ask yourself at the outset is how to grow your user base to build revenue. Both of these issues are covered under the umbrella term “business model.”

While a lot of business models exist, four of them are worth studying in the context of today's marketplace.

1. The on-demand model
This model has been receiving a lot of attention because more and more start-ups are adopting it. As its name implies, the on-demand model pitches its tent on the real-time provision of goods and services. That is, all you’re required to do as a consumer is to place an order for a good or service, using your gadget, and await its delivery. Dead simple.

But why is this model even a thing? Many people argue that its increasing popularity is tied to the fact that it fits right into the hectic lifestyle that we are all now used to: a life where, thanks to technology, we expect instant gratification. In fact, technology is considered to be its single major propeller, as technology serves as a fillip to its core pre-conditions, which include cost-effectiveness and speed.

Better for you, the on-demand model is not just convenient to consumers but also to businesses. It’s especially suitable for platform businesses that utilize already established infrastructure to solve a problem. Uber, for example, doesn’t own a car. Without its present model whereby independent drivers sign up for the service and are then added to a database of Uber drivers, Uber would need to purchase its own cars while also trying to build and maintain its core product. This would be costly and ultimately lead to scaling issues. Think about what it would cost to not only purchase vehicles but also to maintain them, while running about 3000 micro services that make up its product -- all this while also trying to grow on a global scale. Painfully difficult, if you ask me.

2. The freemium model
The freemium model is mostly adopted by tech products when they group features into basic and advanced products. The purpose of this model is to promote the basic features for free, where anyone and everyone would be able to use them, but grant only premium users access to the advanced ones. Becoming a premium user usually comes in the form of an account upgrade, as seen in the case of LinkedIn. A venture capitalist, Fred Wilson, aptly described the models as: “Give your service away for free, possibly ad supported but maybe not, acquire a lot of customers very efficiently through word of mouth, referral networks, organic search marketing, etc., then offer premium-priced, value-added services or an enhanced version of your service to your customer base.”

DropBox, Evernote and MailChimp are a few of the many companies that have been able to successfully leverage this model.
What makes freemium interesting is nothing other than psychology. Allowing users to access high-quality features for free will most likely lead to the rapid acquisition of mindshare. Soon, some of the users who find the product indispensable will pay for more advanced features. Moreover, people naturally attribute low-quality to free things and will consider an upgrade as the best way to improve quality.

Using freemium, it’s usual to expect to convert only a fraction of your users. This model works on a 5 percent rule -- that is, 5 percent of paying customers support the remaining 95 percent of free users. Some companies however record better conversions. MailChimp, for example, reported a 150 percent boost in paying customers and 650 percent increase in profit, within a year of adopting this model. In LinkedIn’s case, a little less than 20 percent of users pay for premium services but the company earned nearly $1 billion revenue in 2017.

Freemium also thrives due to the network effect. Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, characterized it: “The easiest way to get one million people paying is to get one billion people using.”

3. Shopping annuity
The so-called shopping annuity is a not-so-talked-about business model, but one that’s presently gaining some ground. The idea behind this model is simply to enable customers to earn from their own current spending. Consumers actually earn money when purchasing everyday items, such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, razors and so on. It can be a very compelling model that fits well into the ecommerce space.

A good example of a business that’s pioneering the shopping annuity is Market Canada, through its ecommerce site, SHOP.com. Founder and CEO of SHOP.com, JR Ridinger, is seeing significant success with this business model in nine countries, including the U.S. In a recent interview, Ridinger said, "The shopping annuity -- converting everyday spending into earning -- is the foundation of our business model and is like rocket fuel for our UnFranchise business, overall.  Let’s face it, Uber is essentially the largest taxi service in the world, and they don’t own a single taxi/car. We look at the retail landscape in a similar way, and realize there’s an equally powerful opportunity for us as a global ecommerce powerhouse. People don’t just shop for luxury items; they shop for the things they use every day. By making those purchases the cornerstone of a shopping annuity, we feel this concept will revolutionize the retail industry as well as our economy. It took 25 years for the technology to catch up to our original vision of interconnected shoppers who wield their collective buying power and convert spending into earning.”

The shopping annuity business model might just revolutionize the way ecommerce works. You might want to look into it.

4. The virtual goods model
If you’ve ever played a game or used an app in which you were required to make in-app purchases for an intangible product, then you’ve experienced the virtual goods model. This model creates revenue by giving users the sense that they are gaining real value from purchasing a virtual good.

For example, since many people enjoy Candy Crush, its developers leveraged this to monetize the game by enabling users to buy stuff that would get players up and running quickly after losing a stage. The same thing goes for action games where buying weapons and abilities make the experience way more fun.

If you’re going to create a widely appealing app or game, then this model is one that you’ll want to consider, as people will want to purchase virtual goods that make their experience with a fascinating product more fun.

 

SHOP.COM Voted World’s Best Online Retailer
Tops Amazon and other major retailers in poll by wide margin

Last year TheTopTens asked people to choose the best online retailer, and the votes are in: 94% of poll participants picked SHOP.COM!

SHOP.COM crushed the competition, which included Amazon in second place with 2% of votes cast; Overstock.com came in third with 0.5%. Other major online retailers that SHOP.COM bested by even wider margins include QVC, Ebay, Tiger Direct and Buy.com.

SHOP.COM is the best online shopping site in the world, with the best deals on millions of products from thousands of stores, plus Cashback or SHOP Points - and the opportunity to pursue the dream of ongoing income as an UnFranchise Owner while building your Shopping Annuity.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of enthusiastic comments made by those who voted for SHOP.COM:

  • “Great platform where you can buy almost everything and get paid by the Cashback, and it's free to use the website. Plus this platform also gives you opportunity to build your Shopping Annuity, retirement income, that is amazing!”
  • “One-stop shop for everything we need in our home! The fact that we get paid Cashback on the things we're already buying is unbelievable, but on top of that - it's FREE! And, unlike any of the other sites on this page, you can build a Shopping Annuity and create income through this platform. The #1 shopping site in my world!”
  • “Great site with vast amounts of stores that are reputable, reliable and offer great customer service. Love the price comparison and ShopBuddy to find all coupons on the web.”
  • “I love how it's partnered with legit big-name brands. Not to mention the Cashback it offers by doing the same thing you were gonna do anyways: SHOPPING! Free membership helps you make the most out of your money, and gives it back!”
  • “The Cashback program is awesome. Not only I could get money back on online shopping, but also on local brick-and-mortar stores. Two thumbs up!”

SHOP.COM on a roll!
The dominating performance by SHOP.COM as world’s best online retailer at TheTopTens is just the latest in a string of stellar accolades this year for SHOP.COM:

  • Last week we announced that the company won four Telly Awards for its excellence in online video presentations.
  • The Shopping Annuity recently earned praise from Entrepreneur.com as a top business model.
  • Earlier this year SHOP.COM was ranked 65th in the Internet Retailer 2018 Top 500.
  • Joining other Internet Retailer milestones, SHOP.COM in June was ranked 96th on Internet Retailer’s Asia 500, a ranking of the 500 largest ecommerce retailers in Asia by annual web sales; it was the company’s first recognition on that list.
The company received the 2018 Torch Award for Ethics from the Better Business Bureau - the first two-time winner of that award.

Why You Still Need To Understand The Shopping Annuity

“This is the Uberization of online shopping in the digital age.”

We have conversations with people all the time because that’s what business is about. Relationships are all about conversation. Someone’s talking and someone’s listening. Hopefully you’re the one doing more of the listening. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason!

Good businesses are more consultative, not so hard in the “selling” department. When sitting across the table from someone ask yourself, “What is this person’s specific want or need?” What we’re really doing is connecting with people through conversations. Through need, cause, love, heart and emotions. We’re positively getting into their minds and hearts to perform what some surgeons call brain surgery. Most importantly, we’re looking for win-win situations. Honestly, I believe more businesses are moving in that direction in the 21st century.

First, it’s important to lean into the future. That’s what’s happening right now with traditional businesses and more American malls closing their doors than ever before. Where are they going? Well for one, there hasn’t been a new mall built in the U.S. in more than a decade.

That migration is moving towards e-commerce, click-and-order and online shopping. It’s not sexy but positioning yourself for what’s happening next, versus what’s happening now is always smart. That’s what made Wayne Gretzky a great hockey player. He didn’t focus on where the puck was, he focused on where it was going, and he skated there first. Let’s do that!

The Financial Logic of the Shopping Annuity

It doesn’t matter your background, upbringing, profession or financial situation because we are all consumers and we all spend money. We will be doing that for the rest of our lives, there is no disputing the fact. Go try to not spend money for a week or month and let me know how far you get!

Doctors, lawyers, CPAs, engineers, teachers, bankers, marketers, surgeons, technologists and financial planners are all very smart individuals assessing the Shopping Annuity in today’s day and age. This is something that’s being shared all over the U.S., and now globe, after 25 years of entrepreneurial success!

So, you may ask, what do we talk about? We are really talking about money. When we are younger, say 18 - 30 years old, we have our time freedom and health but we might not be happy with our financial situation. From 30 - 50 years of age, maybe your health and financial outcome is getting better, however, time freedom isn’t when owning a home, raising a family and working 60 - 100 hours a week for a large company and traveling. Lastly, from 55 - 75+ years of age, we may finally have the time and financial freedom, but at what cost? Did you really see your family or did you work all the time? Did you sacrifice and put your health at risk? Were you there for your children?

When we reflect and look back on our lives, why not strive for health, proper nutrition and wellness, financial prosperity and time freedom? Contrary to the media and popular opinions, we can have all three. But, ‘Donovan’ you may be asking, how? Great question!

Let’s talk about how to earn, save and invest your money the smart Shopping Annuity way.

Did you know that the amount of money we hold in our banks today gets completely eroded by inflation. The purchasing power of our money and dollars today is no good. How can we really do much with this?

When wages are stable (rising at 1 - 3% a year if we’re lucky), and the cost of living is going up year after year, don’t you think you need an additional vehicle or stream of income to increase your quality of life? Allow me to pose three questions:

  1. Do you shop?
  2. Do you currently get paid to shop?
  3. Would you like to get paid to shop?
Great! Let me explain and elaborate. It’s fair to say, that with the Internet today, people have a lot of ways to earn money. But remember, it’s not about how much money we earn, it’s about how much we keep.

If you’re an employee, technically you are renting a position at whichever firm or location you work at. If you are self-employed, you are technically owning an expensive job. The only way to build long term success financially is to own a business which leverages a system and training. Ask any millionaire or billionaire and I’m confident in saying that many of them own their own businesses.

More people need to realize they’re doing okay but ultimately that vehicle won’t get them to where they want to go. So ask yourself, “If I stopped working today, how much money would I need coming in every month to support my already existing lifestyle?”

What’s The Final Entree?

The Shopping Annuity is money we already spend on everyday purchases such as groceries, gas, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, vitamins, supplements, skin care products, makeup and so much more.

Not all people believe in traditional annuities, which to each his or her own. For one, the majority of people do not have enough money to invest in a single lump-sum premium or deferred income annuity. This can be an income for a specific amount of time, or for the remainder of one’s life. Secondly, people don’t trust insurance companies or financial institutions after the setback and Great Recession. It is true that pensions and retirement plans don’t work like they used to. The whole industry is going through a lot of innovation and change as we speak. Lastly, Millennial’s aren’t saving or investing nearly as much money as their parents did because of debt such as student loans and credit cards. But, as a rational optimist, much has changed.

E-commerce trends are on the rise in America and click-and-order is dominating the brick-and-mortar space, and will continue to do so. More individuals are looking to lead healthy lifestyles after witnessing their parents and grandparents work their butts off and go through so much burnout. Thankfully with a product brokerage, internet marketing and patented franchising concept, the buying power is being put back in the customers hands, not big businesses or advertising giants on Madison Avenue.

Let’s take a look at Shop.com. What we have got to do now is shop smarter and be our own best customer. Howard Shultz does not buy his coffee from Dunkin Donuts. Elon Musk does not drive a BMW. Jeff Bezos doesn’t shop at Shop.com. And, Loren Ridinger doesn’t use Mac, Sephora, Chanel, L’Oreal or Estee Lauder cosmetics. That wouldn’t be good business or a legacy you would want to pass down to your children. We’re simply helping individuals change their buying habits and re-direct their purchases that have been brainwashed by main stream advertising for decades now.

The customer program we have to offer is completely free, as opposed to paying $99.95 a year for Amazon Prime. What this does is it puts 2% -  50% live cashback back in customers pockets and bank accounts. Think about where you currently shop. Did Target, Apple, Nike, Walmart, Jet.com, Macy’s, Travelocity, Hotels.com, Home Depot, Victoria’s Secret, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Coach, Adidas, Dell, HP, Microsoft or any other name-brand stores pop up in your mind or mental list? If they did, great! There’s a partnership that goes along with them that’s looking to benefit everyone involved in a win-win situation.

At the end of the day there are three types of shoppers in today’s economy:

  1. People who shop in store. Maybe they have some type of loyalty card or credit card giving them .5% - 3% cashback for their in-store purchases.
  2. Online shoppers. Yes there may be better deals on Amazon and Ebay but there is no cashback. Shop.com has over 4,000+ partner stores, 3,000+ exclusively branded products similar to the Walmart’s and Target’s of the world and additionally offers everyone 2% - 50% cashback on all of their online purchases.
  3. Unfranchise owners. These individuals are shopping annuity consultants who teach others how to save money shopping smarter online.

There’s much more to talk about but for the sake of this blog I won’t continue much more with the logic or facts, but you have to get one of them! Understand and position yourself in this new year to capitalize and take advantage of concepts and successful trends that will continue well into the future.

Think about 10 and 20 years from now, which I understand isn’t easy, as opposed to wishing and hoping for the next Friday, Saturday and Sunday to roll around. This was a small blueprint to elaborate and unfold the layers of what we are capable of achieving in life. Reach for your highest level of success in 2018 — and then go just a little bit higher!

P.S. I intend to put out much higher level content this year than I did last. With that being said, we’re looking at about 1 maybe 2 blogs per month as opposed to the almost weekly one’s I was churning out in 2017. As always, thank you for reading!

My Very Best,

Donovan Vogel (Philly based working for a NY financial services startup)

Loren Ridinger Featured in ELLE Magazine
Senior Executive Vice President Loren Ridinger was recently featured in a special edition of ELLE Magazine titled “ELLE X SHOP.COM Dream Calling.” For this special edition, the ELLE team visited Loren at her residence in New York. The content is rich, inspiring and helpful for building a positive mindset. The content includes articles on the Motives brand and its philosophy, dream blueprints of 16 UnFranchise Owners, the digital success of Partner Stores, secrets of living a healthy life and the latest trends in fashion and cosmetics.

MA Ranked No. 2 of 25 Top Triad Companies
MA was honored recently with yet more recognition of its stature, ranking second on the Triad Business Journal list of the Top 25 largest private companies in the Piedmont Triad of N.C. by revenue.
The magazine marked MA SHOP.COM revenues as second only to Ennis-Flint Inc., a global producer of traffic safety and pavement marking products with worldwide headquarters in Greensboro. Other top companies in the list include paving giant Thompson Arthur Division of APAC Atlantic, and Frank L. Blum Construction Co., a leading builder for more than 90 years. The other firms on the list of 25 are also large global companies.
“This latest recognition again shows MA SHOP.COM as a global force to be reckoned with,” said Marc Ashley, MA Worldwide President and COO. “We’re honored to be recognized as the leading private online retailer with headquarters in our area.”

MA SHOP.COM was founded in Greensboro 27 years ago and now has UnFranchise Owners in eight Market Countries around the world, as well as several countries in the Emerging Markets Program. It has products available to people in many more countries through SHOP.COM Global (GLOBAL.SHOP.COM). Most recently, the company began offering U.S. products to customers in China through the giant Tmall Global shopping site.

 

 

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