This time of year always ushers in resolutions and thoughts of what will be different when we wake up on January 1. But commitments to make lasting changes to diet and fitness can be fleeting. So why not tackle something at work that is well within your control and will make a real difference? Make January a “simplification month.” I first heard about the idea in 2013 when I interviewed Jess Lee, the former CEO of the social e-commerce site Polyvore, who joined Sequoia Capital as a partner in 2016. Here’s how she described it: “We just asked everyone in…

India’s bond markets, reeling from increased supply from the government’s record-borrowing plans, won a reprieve from the central bank. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the reverse repurchase rate to free up more cash for lending, fueling a rally in short-end bonds even as it dashed market hopes of massive debt purchases from the open market. The yield on the 6.18 per cent 2024 bond fell 26 basis points to 5.48 per cent. The benchmark 10-year yield, in comparison, slid nine basis points to 6.35 per cent after dropping as much as 15…

Yes, but you need to craft a very compelling, very targeted pitch. April 17, 2020 4 min read During normal times, many entrepreneurs build partnerships, seek sponsorships or offer other paid opportunities. But what are we to do now, when budgets are tight and the future is uncertain? Can you still ask someone to pay for your partnership? The answer: Yes, but you have to make a very compelling case. To dig into the details, we arranged a coaching session between an entrepreneur and an industry expert—and filmed it so you can watch. Anna Kachikyan is the creator of The…

Data from Amfi (The Association of Mutual Funds in India) for March 2020 shows an inflow of Rs 2,076 crore into index funds, which is marginally more than the inflow into large-cap funds. This indicates an interest in passive indexing strategies to the extent that that Index Fund NFOs are launching in this market too. Take, for instance, the currently open Motilal Oswal S&P 500 Index fund or L&T Mutual Fund Nifty50 and Nifty Next50 NFO, which closed on March 31. Pratik Oswal, Head of Passive Funds, Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company, says, “Passive investing is…

The closure ratio for systematic investment plans (SIPs) saw a sharp jump in March, climbing to 70 per cen and indicating that for every three new SIP registrations, at least two requests were made for closure. Both SIP closure ratio and the number of closures were the highest in FY20. The SIP closure requests crossed 600,000-mark for first time in FY20. At 70 per cent, the closure ratio was significantly higher than 11-month average of 57.4 per cent seen in the mutual fund (MF) industry. “The 70 per cent closure ratio…

April 15, 2020 5 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. The following excerpt is from Robert W. Bly’s The Content Marketing Handbook. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble  Design plays an important role in the success of your content. Long before they read your words, readers will begin judging the value of your content by its appearance. Here, according to desktop design guru Roger C. Parker, are 10 of the most common graphic design mistakes and how to avoid them: 1. Overuse of Color The overuse of color does a disservice to readers…

Imagine you are a business leader operating a decade from now. Your organization has become the unassailable leader in its market. How did this happen? In years past, you were competing head-on with several other players. Each time you tried to move ahead, your competitors kept up with you. You watched what they did, and if you noticed them doing something new, you would try it out yourself to make sure they didn’t build a lead over you. But now, you have left your competitors behind. Your organization has been able to command higher margins and win business more easily.…

While production of edible oil continues to be in full swing due to its being an essential commodity, manufaturers are finding it hard to reach consumers at the retail level. Lack of workers to pick up stock from distributors, transport problems and shortage of packing material are among several factors that have led to branded edible oils struggling to reach retail stores, forcing consumers to opt for unbranded ones. “Only 20-25 per cent retailers are being reached. This is because While supply chain issues from factory to distributor level have largely been sorted, the…