If you’re like me and your wallet is full of all different types of cards: gift cards, debit cards, and credit cards, do you ever wish that you could just have one card that contained all the contents of your wallet? Now my wish has come true. I’ve recently heard about Coin’s first product– a credit card device that  digitally stores up to eight cards (Verge).  A single card can now act as eight.

What I found particularly intriguing is that you never have to worry about leaving your card behind at a restaurant or store because of syncing the device over BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) to your phone.  My only concern is that since everything is linked to your phone, what happens if your phone dies, or you forget your phone? Coin also needs to address the concern of security hacking, since all of your credit card information will be accessible on your phone.

Currently you can pre- order a Coin for $50, but it will sell for $100 when it comes out in the summer of 2014. I think this is a reasonable starting pricing point because consumers may be resistant to change at first, and since the battery only lasts for 2 years, a new one would have to be purchased.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkfBmZ4ZVnU

I believe with a little more development- coin has the ability to change lives. With a strong point of difference, this company is onto something. I wonder if electronic cards will soon eliminate the need for the plastic kind, thus contributing to sustainability.

After recently visiting Entrepreneur- Daily Dose, a blog contributed to by successful entrepreneurs and dedicated to providing blogs with helpful tips and stories for business owners, I was fascinated at the all the different articles and areas of expertise it provided.

All topics covered, educates either inexperienced entrepreneurs or ones already running a small business: how to start up, how to grow and develop, how to handle your finances,  marketing strategies, and more; everything you needed to know to enable your business to thrive.

After browsing through the website, I found a blog post that I was particularly interested in- there were 3 tips that successful entrepreneurs shared about increasing your productivity in your business. The blog post was very organized and concise, simply breaking down each tip, while also embedding links to other blog posts about similar topics.  I also liked how there was an inspiring video at the end, featuring David Steinberger, CEO of Comixology an app dedicated to reading comics online to give readers a look into his business model and his journey to success.

Entrepreneur Daily Dose provides an ideal platform for entrepreneurs to gain insight and advice from successful business owners, as well as strangers who comment on the posts. Even though I am not an entrepreneur yet, I still find value in looking through there blogs and learning about tips they provide.

After visiting Safira Nabila’s blog, I was intrigued by her post on the possibility of Instagram joining the advertising train, and pondered many things. Safira’s opinion is logical; during this Instagram frenzy, teenagers especially are addicted to posting photos and videos on Instagram and by adding advertisements, Instagram can capitalize on this app traffic.

As an Instagram lover myself, I question whether loyal Instagram fans will be willing to endure the frustration of ads? It’s no question that teenagers all complain about the frequent pop up of ads and their inability to visit a social media site without seeing some kind of promotional ad is annoying.   After all, we’re all guilty of clicking the ‘skip’ button as soon as it presents itself on Youtube in order to skip the commercial and immediately be directed to our video of interest.

However, if advertisements persist on Instagram, what’s stopping another company from creating a similar add free app? This could potentially be the perfect environment for innovative minds to bring forth an alternative video and photo posting app and winning over previous Instagram fans. Also, with this change, this could be a growing advantage for ad blocking programs.

I agree with Safira on one thing; we all constantly complain about ads, but we continue to use sites such as Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter anyways. The real question is whether or not Instagram enthusiasts will be able to transition to another app, or stop using Instagram all together because of their strong dislike for advertisements, and the consequences this would have for Instagram.

If only a platform to encourage entrepreneurial efforts from teenagers was introduced years ago, current entrepreneurs  would have had mentors, guidance, and the support they so desperately desired. Ten lucky young entrepreneurs will now get the chance to interact in the real business world; Hootsuite is hosting “The Next Big Thing”, a 6 month program in Vancouver where young entrepreneurs will be provided with first hand experiences, mentor-ships, and collaborations.

The act of simply ‘doing’ is a much better learning process than sitting in a classroom environment and taking notes. I believe that the way to really understand something is to get involved in the action, with none other than hands on experience itself. All some entrepreneurs need is the guidance in order to help bring their innovations to life; Hootsuite is taking a primary role in providing an idealistic stage for these future entrepreneurs, by providing them with real opportunities and a life changing experience.

This will ultimately inspire young entrepreneurs and allow them to ask questions, grow, and get a foot into the business world at an accelerated pace. After all, these bright young individuals are the next innovators and creators of the future. Who knows what ideas and inventions they have in store for society, and how potentially world changing their ideas could be.

Being an iPhone lover, after recently visiting the Apple Store and witnessing customers  purchasing the latest iPhone 5s, I questioned whether the sales for the iPhone 5c were as successful.

I have to disagree with my classmate Cherry and her opinion of supporting Apple’s decision to highly price the iPhone 5c. I feel like since in comparison the iPhone 5c is only approximately $100 less than the iPhone 5s, which is not a substantial pricing difference for the model that is supposed to be more affordable . This could be why the iPhone 5s is currently outselling the 5c by double (Bloomberg).

Personally, for an additional $100 I’d rather purchase the iconic iPhone 5s as opposed to the 5c because of the features; the 5s has a faster processor, the fingerprint scanner, and advanced camera. I feel like customers automatically associate the 5c to being a lower quality and essentially labeling it as the “cheaper iPhone”. The plastic coloured casing doesn’t have the same branding effect as the classic metallic framed iPhones.

Although, Apple is doing one thing right; they have stopped selling the iPhone 5c in stores, which is smart because then they force customers to spend more money by upgrading to the newer phone- giving them a choice of either the iPhone 5s or the iPhone 5c.

For smartphone lovers, there will be soon another ‘gadget’ that you can add to your collection. Google owned Motorola Mobility is unleashing it’s newest Project Ara: creating a Lego like block phone.

There would be separate blocks for all the elements that make up the phone (one for the battery, a separate for storage) that would be plugged into a base. The screen would be attached to the central endoskeleton  by two screws.

I think this is a very innovative and creative rendition of a smart phone. Not only is it environmentally friendly by reducing electronic waste, but it is practical and cost effective for consumers as well. Instead of purchasing a new phone every time something breaks or needs to be upgraded, that specific part of the phone can be replaced.From experience, damaging your camera on your phone is awful. If only I could replace the camera without getting a brand new phone.  Consumers can personalize their phones to their liking, appealing to all customers: photographers can add a high resolution camera, and music lovers can have a larger storage block.

While integrating management information systems, the Moto team will look to recruit volunteers and conduct research on what people might want from the project, and which additive ”blocks” will be the most popular. (source)

Shopping at Walmart just got a lot more convenient for the common household by growing into the e-commerce industry. Customers in the United States are able to purchase food online from Walmart, and Canadians will soon be able to exercise this power by being able to purchase non-perishables online, with no additional charge for delivery. Walmart has high hopes for meeting customers’ needs with the addition to the e-commerce grocery industry, with hopes of expanding into fresh and frozen offerings.

Adopting a broad cost leadership strategy allows Walmart to sell products at average and affordable prices and provides consumers with a wide variety of products.

This new strategy may be more convenient for seniors and people who are unable to go to a grocery store to shop, but it also poses several risks. If people simple shop online for their groceries, Walmart may suffer losses in other products. Usually when people go to the store they pick up extra items they may not need because of their strategic placement in the store. As well, Walmart is offering free delivery through the joint cooperation of Canada Post, which could increase their costs in the long run. Only time will tell if Walmart’s entrance into the e-commerce industry will prevail to be beneficial.

Small businesses and entrepreneurs in Vancouver are experiencing the hardships of starting up fresh; businesses are faced with many challenges-the lack of rent control, and changing prices in leases.

Rachel Sawatzky, owner of Cocoa Nymph, a chocolatiere in Point Grey was forced to close down her second chocolate shop after losing $75,000 in under a year of opening. It is unfortunate that after her lease expired, the landlord increased the lease, causing the rent to double. (source)

Because Vancouver has no law preventing landlords from increasing their rent price, I think it is extremely difficult for new businesses and entrepreneurs to start their business. Businesses future’s are dependent on establishing a brand name in their current location. When landlords increase their rent, it is a dramatic obstacle for entrepreneurs who are trying the establish and grow their business.

New business owners can’t afford the increase in leases- they’re already trying to survive in a competitive market with little existing funds, and have larger concerns to think about.

Despite the struggles, entrepreneurs are committed and keen to continue growing successful businesses in Vancouver, no matter what they have to encounter.

Future residents and guests of Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver will now have exclusive access to luxurious amenities at the tower, especially with Trump Vancouver’s announced partnership with London Air Services and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

This announcement has advantageous benefits and is key to creating a branding image of luxury alongside the Trump name; hotel guests and residential suit owners will be able to travel in style by having access to a chauffer driven Rolls-Royce Ghost. Resident suite owners will also seek an additional perk; London Air Services, the first airline to partner with a residential development offers services on their planes with customized schedules and a pilot at their expenditure. This will allow residents to experience the exclusiveness of living in Trump Vancouver and will entice the elite to purchase ritzy suites in the towers.

Trump Vancouver  has proven to  ensure that customers and clients get a first class experience at the towers; from a list of ‘firsts’ in Vancouver, services and amenities also include, Canada’s first Mar-a-Lago Spa by Ivanka Trump, a lobby champagne bar, and pool bar nightclub.

The design of the tower and first class services and amenities offered are an ideal match to the Trump brand name and the luxurious lifestyle that comes with it, but will Vancouver as a whole benefit from this iconic tower?

Over the past few years, the world has witness BlackBerry stocks plummeting. Recently, Blackberry has decided to sign a provisional agreement to be purchased by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, a Toronto based company who is currently BlackBerry’s largest shareholder, owning 10% of the publicly traded stocks. As a result, Blackberry would no longer be a publicly traded stock, but rather a private company. This deal would also allow current BlackBerry’s current shareholders to walk away with nine US dollars for each share they own. The transaction valued to be at $4.7 billion, much less than the $83 billion the company was once worth.

The sale is contingent upon the approval of regulators, and shareholders. Up until November 4th, where a final transaction agreement would be in place, BlackBerry still has the right to “actively solicit, receive, evaluate” and “negotiate with other parties” and look around for alternative proposals. (CBC)

With the launching of the new Blackberry Z30 and competitor offerings from Samsung and Apple, there are speculations of whether or not the transaction will actually go through, but with benefits of keep stock prices from further declining. The stock remained unchanged from Friday September 20th to Monday the 23rd, and has since dropped to $8.80 on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Only time will tell what is in store for BlackBerry’s future.