In recent years, cause-related marketing campaigns — based on a firm’s support of social issues — have become key components of corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. And with good reason: In a recent survey, 80 percent of global consumers said they thought businesses should play a role in addressing social problems. Accordingly, spending on cause-related marketing has grown from US$816 million in 2002 to $2.14 billion in 2018. Business leaders can be a powerful force for good — especially during a crisis. As leaders forge their way through the challenges COVID-19 is bringing and plan for what is likely to…

Silver prices have rebounded from the low levels seen yesterday, with the metal commanding a huge premium following scarcity in the physical markets. Premium for spot delivery rose to around 3 to 4 per cent today. The reason for this is that at lower prices, demand was quite high while supplies were limited. Even silver micro futures (1 kg) on the MCX, which can be used by retail investors to take deliveries, is quoting at a premium, indicating that market doesn’t have enough floating stock of the white metal. There was…

How affiliate marketing can help you find consistent return on investment. March 20, 2020 4 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. In an era of caution, companies need to invest in marketing efforts that lead to a direct payoff and don’t require more than they can afford. Over the past week, I’ve had to evaluate all the things I’m doing at Calendar to see what’s really moving the needle. It’s astonishing the things we’re spending money on that aren’t actually driving revenue to our bottom line. As today’s environment forces drastic behavioral shifts in our daily…

I already have a standard health insurance policy. There is a lot of fear about the Coronavirus epidemic. Will my standard policy cover me for it? Coronavirus is an infectious disease and hospitalisation on account of such conditions is generally covered under most health insurance policies. For more detailed information, go through the policy documents issued to you. You can also contact your insurer for greater clarity. I am a freelance movie maker. I live in Bengaluru and have irregular and lumpy income. Do I need a health insurance policy? I…

Regulator Sebi on Friday came out with various measures, including revision of market wide position limit, to ensure orderly trading and settlement, amidst continuing volatility in the securities market. The measures would be effective from March 23 and would be in place for one month, it said in a release. Taking note of the continued abnormally high volatility in the market, Sebi said it discussed with stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories appropriate measures that may be taken in the existing circumstances. Among other steps, Market Wide Position Limit…

Don’t overlook the role branding plays in your business’s success. March 18, 2020 5 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Not so long ago, if somebody mentioned owning a startup, you could assume it was all about a nifty app or gizmo. But these days, food is the new tech. While food and beverage categories have always had a steady stream of newcomers, the arrival of shared commercial kitchens, in particular, has given entrepreneurs a place to create, iterate and rapidly whip up epicurean delights at relatively low cost (and in compliance with state and local…

At one of the world’s most respected manufacturers — a company known for innovation and employee engagement — the CEO was asked recently about his greatest concerns about the enterprise. “We lack leadership capacity,” he said. The company was entering an intensive phase in its quest to become digitally adept, seeking to master new technology, and it had not made enough progress in improving its employees’ skills or connecting with customers through digital channels. “We need our top executives, in particular, to be better at thinking long-term and driving meaningful change.” The problem, he added, was not so much a…

Coronavirus (Covid-19)-hit US economy has already sunk into recession, warned economists at BofA Securities in a recent report, though they expect this phase to be short-lived and see a bounce back in the third quarter (July–September) of 2020 (Q3-2020). In the interim, however, the research firm expects massive job losses and urges the US Federal Reserve not to restrict the quantum of stimulus measures. “We believe that the US economy has fallen into recession, joining the rest of the world, and it is a deep plunge. We now expect the economy to collapse 12 per cent…