Tips to Suitably List Your Products in Products Catalog

Preparing a products catalog is an art and it requires the business owners to follow some good rules. Apart from taking care of the layout of the product catalog, it is equally significant to list the products in a suitable manner. A product catalog is capable of getting impressive results if it features the products desirably.

For new business seller in the b2b space, it might be difficult to come up with a good catalog copy. The following discussion provides information on useful steps to list the products in product catalogs.

Hire a Professional Copywriter
If you are incapable of writing a catalog, you can hire a professional copywriter who delivers the professional copy of products catalog. Consider the factors like the writer’s experience in writing catalogs. Also consider the experience of the writer in writing catalogs for different industries. It is a good idea to go through the samples written by the writer.

Order of the Products
In case you are preparing the product catalog yourself, you must take into consideration the right order of the products your business sells. Make sure that the most popular products are listed on the top. For this, you must check the market trends and refer to the product catalogs of other businesses belonging to the same niche.

Suitable Product Description
A products catalog must contain impressive details of various products. For example, a product description should contain the colors, sizes, dimensions, shapes and other similar details. Don’t forget to mention the price of each and every product in the description. The most important thing is to include the unique selling points of the products.

Add Images to Descriptions
The clear and impressive pictures of the products enhance the product descriptions. Make sure to use a good layout where descriptions and images are properly aligned.

Another good idea is to add keywords to the product descriptions so that the buyers searching in the online business directories are able to find your product catalog.

The final step should be editing and proofreading to ensure that the products catalog provides concise and crisp information. Taking care of these points should convert your products catalog into a good sales copy with high sales pitch.

How Technological Innovations Affect B2B Marketplaces?

B2B marketplaces are the products of technological innovations. First and foremost, the advent of internet provided the platform for global b2b marketplaces to exist. This was followed by the use of various technological ideas to improve the capabilities of b2b marketplaces.

The business directories and b2b marketplaces would have not been so effective without the use of technological concepts. The following discussion highlights the main technology-based concepts that have helped the b2b marketplaces to gain importance among the buyers and sellers.


Electronic Data Interchange
Electronic data Interchange or EDI is the way by which buyers and sellers communicate during a business transaction. Sending and receiving the information about your trading partners in the form of electronic documents is made possible by EDI. So, EDI has played a significant role to maintain communication between a buyer and a seller in a b2b marketplace.

B2B Hubs
Also known as e-Hubs, these are the b2b marketplaces that help in implementing the business to business commerce strategies. B2B exchanges and catalog hubs are the two types of B2B hubs. High-end synchronization and great visibility in the supply chain are two of the many benefits offered by these technology driven marketplaces.

E-Procurement
Also known as supplier exchange, e-procurement is the purchase and sale of supplies using internet and other systems like enterprise resource planning. The e-procurement websites allow the registered members to search for buyers and sellers. Supply chain management is taken to a higher level with the help of e-procurement.

E-Catalog
Online product catalogs or e-catalog are among the most useful technological innovations that b2b marketplaces have. These are the product catalogs with higher degree of precision than the printed catalogs. E-catalogs allow the businesses to maintain their products’ information and display it is the quality form. Use of colored texts, images and other multimedia features make these catalogs an important part of b2b transactions.

Online Payment
Online payment methods are governed by technological advancement, adding more value to the b2b transactions. The technology behind online payment makes it easy for the buyers and sellers to finalize the deal instantly.

Standards have been setup for all the technological innovations that contribute towards the success of b2b marketplaces. Facilitated by technology, b2b marketplaces are significantly contributing towards the world trade cycle.

Important Features of a Business Directory

Businesses in the physical world as well as in the b2b marketplace are highly dependent upon the supply chain. However, the supply chain that exists in a b2b marketplace has some more advantageous features that make b2b such an innovative and popular concept among the buyers and sellers.

Internet has helped in bringing drastic changes to the traditional supply chains. The result is the creation of a new e-commerce model in the form of b2b marketplace that follows the rules of new supply chain. Here are some of the salient features of a business directory supply chain.

Communication Forward and Backward
A b2b marketplace has its main players less dependent upon one another. For example, a wholesaler in a b2b directory doesn’t involve a middleman to contact a supplier. So, the communication in such directories works both backward and forward. This further leads to fast transactions and overall improvement in the business efficiency.

Easy Collaborations
The absence of middlemen makes it easy for the businesses to collaborate with one another. The supply chain is between the original supplier and the original buyer and thus both the groups make profit out of the business transactions.

Trust Building
The business supplier directly deals with the buyer and a buyer directly deals with a seller in a b2b space. This helps both the buyer and the seller to directly inspect the authentication of one another. This further leads to an important process called trust building. So, a supply chain in b2b marketplace is based on the trust and credibility among the buyers and the suppliers.

More Exposure
Direct communication among the key players of a business directory supply chain helps in greater exposure of the businesses. In the physical world supply chain, a manufacturer’s business is known mainly to the suppliers and distributors, while the wholesalers and retailers remain unfamiliar with it. On the other hand, direct communication between wholesalers and manufacturers in a business directory arranges for greater promotion of the manufacturer’s business.

The above-mentioned salient features of a business directory supply chain confirm that b2b business directories are at their best to help businesses collaborate and make their individual profits.

SMEs Are Making Best Use of Online Product Catalogs

SMEs, or small and medium sized enterprises, constitute the fastest growing sector in various countries like India. The contribution made by these enterprises towards the economical development of the countries has made them popular on the international economic map. The use of business directories and online product catalogs has helped these enterprises to gain an international recognition.

Talking about the product catalogs that SMEs publish in the global B2B space, they are no less than the powerful means of taking business to the world. Learn from the following discussion how these enterprises are making best use of the product catalogs.

Entertaining the Global Audience
Using online product catalogs, the small and medium sized enterprises are entertaining the needs of global buyers. There is no other medium other than online business directories for these enterprises to enter the global market. So, product catalogs are the tools for the SMEs to make their products visible at an international level.

Inexpensive Publicity
Online marketing is an essential need for each and every enterprise that wishes to do business through the web. Small and medium sized enterprises, who usually don’t want to invest in expensive advertising, make use of online product catalogs to gain publicity in a cost-effective manner.

Providing Easy to Order Facility
The small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) make use of product catalogs to assist buyers in saving time and efforts to order for the products they require. The buyers find it convenient and cost-effective to order for the products using a product catalog.

Adding New Products
Another use of online product catalogs for the small and medium enterprises is the easy way of adding newly introduced products to these catalogs. This helps in making the new products immediately visible to the intended buyers. And it further helps an enterprise to keep on existing in the competition.

Product catalogs are helping the small and medium sized enterprises to deliver right products at the right time to the targeted audience. In this way, these enterprises have the good reasons to credit online product catalogs for the global exposure and consistent growth that was not possible a few years ago.

How Products Directory Makes B2B Transactions Effective?

An online products directory makes transactions easy for the buyers and sellers in a B2B space. If B2B space is a huge space, the product directories act as designated points to buy and sell products in different categories. Carrying out business transactions has not been simpler before the advent of online product directories.

B2B transactions are much more effective than the traditional ways of transacting. This is because a number of things have improved for the online B2B transactions. Learn from the discussion below that how a products directory contributes towards the effectiveness of B2B transactions.

Avoiding External Factors
First of all, a products directory is a comprehensive place for the buyers and the sellers to meet. It is not required for a purchaser to leave a product directory or to involve any external factor before carrying out a business transaction.

Avoiding Middlemen
A business transaction carried out without the intervention of a middleman proves to be more effective for the buyer and the seller. The product directories help the buyers and sellers to avoid middlemen and directly deal with one another for carrying out a business transaction.

Effective Communication
A business product directory allows communication among various players of the supply chain in the forward as well as backward directions. So, it becomes easy for a manufacturer and a wholesaler or a supplier and a retailer to communicate with each other for a rewarding business transaction.

Fast Business Transactions
Buyers usually take a fast buying decision while referring to an online products directory. This is beneficial for the buyers as they are able to fulfill their needs without any delays. And the sellers obviously make fast profits out of the business transactions carried out this way.

Cost-saving Transactions
Finally, and most importantly, the business transactions carried through online product directories are cost-saving for the buyers and sellers. While sellers save on inventory costs, the buyers are able to make use of the low prices to save on the price they spend. This is in fact counted among the biggest advantages of online business directories.

Considering all of the points mentioned above, it is an obvious choice for the buyers and sellers to use products directory for effective business transactions.

How to Make Effective Utilization of B2B Space?

Getting listed in the b2b space is the first good step for your business to grow. However, you can’t expect the success to arrive without effectively utilizing the b2b directories. There are many ways through which you can add value to your business listings in the b2b directories.

Considering the fact that b2b directories have become extensively popular, more and more businesses are finding their way to the b2b marketplace. So, you must learn and practice the following tips to help your business achieve the maximum benefits.

Have a Powerful Website Design
While adding your business to the b2b marketplace, you must provide your website address as the part of the information. However, it is equally important to have a powerful website design. Most of the buyers would like to visit your website before taking the decision of dealing with you. So, your website must have the right content and information to make the right impression.

Provide Efficient Customer Support
Most of the business buyers expect the seller to provide good customer support. Add strength to your customer service support and maintain a post-transaction relationship strategy to make the buyers happy and to aim for a long-term business relationship.

Optimized Content
There is a limited space on the b2b directories to display the information you provide about your business and business products and services. So, the content should be optimized to highlight the unique selling points of your products. Also, you must take care of the communication language, as your b2b listing would be catering to the global buyers.

Product Updates
If the buyers like your products once, they would like to revisit your business listings in the b2b marketplace. To keep them interested, you should be regular in updating your products with an aim to offer better quality every time.

Know Your Competitors
One advantageous aspect of b2b marketplace is that allows you to learn about your competitors as well. So, to maintain an edge over your competitors, you must learn about the strategies, prices and products implemented by them in the b2b marketplace.

B2B marketplace allows the businesses to market their products and services. So, you must utilize these opportunities to make best out of the b2b marketplace.

Top 5 Ways to Use Product Catalogs for Business Improvement

Product catalogs in a business directory should appear as the perfect sale copies. Many businesses make the mistake of creating unprofessional product catalog that lacks the appeal to grab instant attention of the intended buyers.

There are many ways using which a product catalog can be made useful for business improvement. The following discussion describes 5 most effective ways to use product catalogs as business improvement tools.

Make It Multimedia Rich
The online product catalogs beat the traditional printed product catalogs by including multimedia features to describe the products. You must make use of colored texts, images, graphs and other things to make the product catalog look impressive. Use the clear product photographs clicked against black or white backgrounds.

Prepare a Good Layout
The layout of your product catalog must make it easy for the intended buyers to study it. Use tables if you have a long list of products to sell. Choose a professional background and don’t make the catalog too fancy.

Product Details
Mention the unique selling points of various business products you intend to sell. For this, you must study the product catalogs of your competitors as it will help you to learn how to prepare unique product descriptions. Include information like size, color, weight and other traits of the products. Also mention the different varieties or versions of different products to offer choices to the buyers.

Mention Special Offers
The targeted buyers must learn about the special offers made by your business. So, it is a good idea to include information about special offers like free shipping and discount offers in the product catalog.

Impressive Call to Action
The product catalogs must have a call to action line or button at the end to instantly encourage the buyers to take the decision. You can also include a small order form on the product catalog to make use of the instant interest generated among the intended buyers.

It is a good idea to get the content for the product catalog prepared from a professional copywriter. The tips mentioned above should help you to prepare a product catalog that plays the important role of making your products visible in an online business directory.

Business Directories: Top 10 Reasons Why You Need Them

Buyers and sellers follow a new way of business communication at business directories where product relevance is given preference over face-to-face conversation. The online business directories have given a new definition to the process of building buyer-seller relationship which has high probability to last for longer.

With the improvement in technology, even the small businesses are discovering a global platform with the help of online directories. So, it is the demand of time to get familiar with the top 10 reasons of using the business directories.

Gateway for Startup Businesses
A startup business can acquire no better exposure than a business directory offers. These directories provide the right gateway to help a new business get linked to its niche industry and that too at a global level.

Seamless Business Communication
The business directories completely eliminate the need of a middleman between the buyer and the seller. This leads to seamless business communication between the buyers and the sellers.

Relationship Building on Trust
Once you build a successful business relationship with a buyer, you actually make a business contact that has invested trust in you. Trust building is an important advantage offered by the business directories.

Better Exposure
Through online business directories, one has the greatest chances to gain business exposure. Product catalog is one tool that helps your business products and services to become visible.

Cost Effectiveness
For the business sellers, the business directories offer cost-effective solutions to advertise the business and find the buyers. At the same time, the business buyer enjoys the availability of products at lower costs.

Timely Transactions
Internet is the medium that ensures timely business transactions. This is n fact one of the most important reasons to use business directories as they introduce time efficiency in the business transactions.

Reduction in Errors
Online business directories let the transactions to be automatic. This ultimately leads to less scope for human-generated errors.

Flexible Business Transactions
The need to carry out business transactions at a specific time gets eliminated with online business directories. An interested buyer may use these directories at anytime to find a seller.

No Business Traveling
Small companies benefits from the business directory advantage that eliminates the need of traveling to other cities and countries for business purposes. No face-to-face communication is required.

No External Factors
Finally, everything happens within the b2b marketplace and no external factor can affect the business transaction.

The world of business is getting smaller and the businesses are maximizing their profits through business directories. Be a part of the revolution and share the space on the business directories.

Top Business Verticals In B2B Marketplace

B2B marketplace is the common place for the enterprises from various industries to find the potential buyers of their goods and services. While some of the business categories in a b2b marketplace have started gaining popularity, there are others that have attained maximum market shares.

The market share of a business category in a b2b marketplace depends upon the number of business transactions made by the enterprises in that particular category over a fixed period of time. Here is a discussion about the top business categories with maximum share in a b2b marketplace.

Apparel: The business category represents the regular as well as fashion clothing for men, women and children. Apparel designing services, machinery and tools are other parts of the category that have helped it to achieve a huge market share.

Computer Hardware & Software: The rising popularity of technological products has helped the computer hardware and software business category to flourish in a b2b marketplace. Computers, laptops, computer accessories and peripherals, network devices and computer software are the main goods transacted in this category.

Consumer Electronics: Camera, media players, home entertainment systems, game players and various accessories belonging to this category have attained a major share in the b2b marketplace in the recent years. Browse more related items and companies on business directories online.

Furniture: The category includes home and office furniture, kitchen furniture, bedroom furniture, living room furniture, outdoor and garden furniture, antique furniture and furniture making materials, tools and equipments.

Chemicals and Energy: Many types of industries need to buy products from the categories of chemicals and energy. So, these categories have earned a good reputation for themselves in the b2b marketplace.

Packaging and Printing: Printing and packaging are two essential requirements for different industries, including cosmetics, foods and beverages, pharmaceutical, agriculture and so on.

Textiles: Fabrics like cotton, feather, fur, silk and leather are among the most exported items from various countries. So, the business category is one of the highest profit making categories in a b2b marketplace.

Other categories with a good market share in the b2b marketplace include rubber and plastics, health and medical supplies and beauty and personal care. Many other categories are expected to have a rise in their market share with the growing popularity of b2b trading space.

Reasons Why Cotton Sarees Are in Vogue Today

Sarees have always been the most desirable attire in a woman’s wardrobe. It is worn in different styles according to the different cultures of the various states in India. Of all the materials, cotton sarees are most popular and used attire, both in the North and South India.

Reasons Why Women Prefer Them

There are many reasons why women prefer to wear cotton sarees.

• Comfortable yet elegant: It is one of the most comfortable wear compared to other fabrics. Though it can be simple, it is unmatchable in style and elegance. When it is worn coupled with gorgeous jewellery and other accessories, it gives an ethereal look to the wearer.

• Suitable for all occasions: It is the only wear that is suitable for any kind of occasion, may it be a party, a social event or even while going to office or college.

• All throughout the day: It is most appropriate for those women who wear only saris as it is comfortable during summer and easy to carry.

• Suits everyone: It is known to embellish the beauty of a woman. It can be worn by all as it suits all body types.

There are different types of saris available online as well as offline. The B2B market places are the centre of some of the most beautifully designed saris in the world. There are handloom saris, printed and saris with zaris and embroideries. Each state has a different culture and significant patterns on their saris.

In South India, saris are found with zari work and patterns like silk. They are quite expensive especially the saris from Kanjevaram and Madurai. The Venkatgiri saris of Hyderabad are quite famous for its color and texture. In West Bengal, these saris are known as Jamdani and it has unique patterns.

Cotton sarees have become one of the most popular wear of women today. As these saris are available in innumerable designs and patterns, you will find it difficult to choose the most beautiful one. It is loved by all because it gives a crisp and chic appearance to the wearer. To know more about these elegant saris, you can visit the product catalogs of the B2B market places.

Online Business Directories Versus Yellow Pages

Online business directories and internet yellow pages, both are the online versions of printed directories that list information about various businesses in a particular region. The online audiences looking for businesses of their interest often search through these mediums.

There are some factors that make online b2b directories different and better than the internet yellow pages. Here are some of the factors that differentiate between business directories and yellow pages available online.

Targeted Audience
Online business directories are business to business (B2B) or business to customer (B2C) in nature. This means that they serve the end-users as well as the wholesalers and retailers. On the other hand, yellow pages are meant mainly for the end-users. So, the targeted audience served by the online directories differs from the audience of internet yellow pages.

Integration of Sales Process
The specialized b2b online directories serve as global marketplaces as well. This means that the sellers, like manufacturers and suppliers, meet buyers, like retailers and wholesalers, to carry out business transactions. This facility is not available in case of yellow pages, as they are simple vertical directories of information.

Product Catalogs
One advantageous feature of online business directories is that they feature product catalogs for different companies and businesses. Product catalogs provide detailed information about the product and services offered by the listed companies. On the other hand, internet yellow pages have a limited space and they don’t offer product catalogs.

Price Comparison
Another advantage of online b2b directories is that they allow the buyers to compare the prices of the products offered by different companies. In addition, the sale terms and conditions of a seller can also be accessed using business directories on the web. Yellow pages available on the internet don’t provide information or comparison on prices of different products.

Promotion and Marketing
Though, both online business directories and yellow pages are meant for online promotion of the products and services. But the level of exposure one gains with business directories is not possible with internet yellow pages.

Online business directories are the global b2b marketplaces available on the web whereas the yellow pages are simple sources of information. The difference between the two is quite easy to understand.

How Is SME Sector Growing in India: An Analysis

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are rightly tagged as the engine of the modern Indian economy. As per the experts, the small and medium enterprises in India must be encouraged to achieve the stable Gross Domestic Project growth trajectory.

The SME sector in India is definitely growing at an exceptional rate. Still, there are some important things that need to be focused upon so that best out of these enterprises can be obtained. Here is a brief analysis of the Indian SME sector.

Some Figures of Interest

• The Indian SME market is worth $5 billion.
• There are over 11 million SME units in India that produce more than 8,000 products.
• Nearly 90 percent of the Indian industrial units belong to the sector of small and medium enterprises.
• The SMEs contribute 40 percent to the overall industrial output of the country.
• These enterprises contribute almost 35 percent to the Indian industrial export.
• Finally, these enterprises are estimated to grow at the rate of 20 percent per year for upcoming years.

Main Reasons for SME Growth

• Foreign and local fund providers are taking huge interest in the small and medium enterprises of India.
• Banking sector has also shown a keen interest in lending credit to these enterprises.
• Many recent mergers have taken place in the sector.
• The sector has significantly contributed towards the domestic production as well as the export earnings.
• Low investment is required to start and maintain these enterprises.
• The sector has contributed impressively towards job creation and increase in individual incomes.
• Technological growth is also a factor for growth of SME's in india as there are several trade portals and business directories available online with huge database of buyers, sellers, manufacturers who are basically back bone of SME's.

Challenges Ahead
Even after recording an impressive growth in the recent years, the small and medium enterprises of India face many challenges:

• Infrastructure needs to be developed for setting up the SMEs in the rural sector of the country. Transportation, electricity and communication are the main parts of the infrastructure required.
• Technology need to be evolved so that quality products are manufactured by the sector.
• Lack of information about the inputs, including raw material, machinery and skills, is one critical challenge in front of the owners of these enterprises.
• High level of research and development is required.

It has been confirmed that the small and medium enterprises sector has the potential to drive the Indian economy. Some sincere attempts by government, finance providers and enterprise owners are required.

Leather Products Industry: From Necessity to Luxury

Have a look at how the leather industry has grown and you will find that leather products have transformed from necessities to luxury items. The global leather industry is ready to perk up after witnessing a considerable decline in retail sales.

A rise in the demand for leather items in different categories can be seen easily. The following sections highlight some of the major facts that have surfaced from the latest analysis of the industry.

Leather Industry Analysis
According to the latest analysis the European leather industry is estimated to have the worth of $29.5 billion by the year 2015. Some other expectations have been confirmed by the analysis carried out on the industry of leather products:

• The global leather industry is dominated by the Asia-Pacific region in the terms of leather production volume.
• China has grown as the largest leather and hide producer in the world with a large number of tanning facilities located in the country.
• Latin America is the fastest growing market in the world for the leather made products.

Contribution of Developing Nations
As far as the developing nations are concerned, countries like India are making huge efforts to attain leadership in the field of leather products export. Currently, the country accounts for 2 percent of the total leather trade in the world. The yea 2003-04 was favorable for the country, as it experienced the growth of 22.79 percent in leather footwear. Though, the rate declined in the upcoming years, it is again following a rise in the graph. In 2007-08 the growth rate was nearly 20 percent.

Germany, Italy and the UK are the three major markets for the leather products manufactured in India. Besides, United States and Japan have emerged as the markets where Indian leather items are in great demand.

Increase in Leather Product Demand
Some of the main reasons for the increase in the demand of leather made products are:

• Fashion consciousness towards products like handbags and footwear.
• Rise in sale through departmental stores.
• Increase in the number f women in the corporate world.
• Rise in demand for leather cases used for laptops, mobile phones and computers.
• Affordable prices.

The facts and figures clearly indicate the way leather products are gaining importance in our lives. And the trend is expected to keep on growing like this.

Most Popular Carpenter Tools

Carpentry is just not a crafts skill but an adventurous activity as well. Carpenter tools are the hand working tools that have existed for centuries and have been passed from one generation to another. There are some specific carpentry tools that are required to perform each type of job at a carpentry shop.

Carpentry tools are best purchased from the wholesalers available on the web. The following discussion is about the most common tools for carpentry that a wholesaler is asked for.

Hammers
Hammers are required in carpentry to drive nails into and out of the wooden pieces. Two popular hammer types are those with wooden ad aluminum handles. There are other types of hammers including ball peen hammer, straight peen hammer, riveting hammer and rubber mallet.

Chisels
Chisels are the carpenter tools used to cut and remove gouges of wood. Socket chisels and tang chisels are the two popular forms of chisels demanded by the carpenters. In addition, there are butt chisels and firmer chisels.

Saws
Handsaws are the traditional tools used in carpentry. Today, carpenter use advanced form of saws, like jigsaws, miter saws and table saws. Circular saws and reciprocating saws too are demanded by the carpenters to perform specialized jobs. These tools are used for cutting wood in different lengths and in different ways.

Screwdrivers
As the name suggests, screwdrivers are the carpenter tools used to draw screws in and out of wood. Standard slot and Philip head are the two popular screwdrivers available in varying lengths.

Planes
Planes are the tools used for smoothing the wooden surfaces so that the wooden pieces are made to fit at the required place. Jack plane, bench plane and block plane are the three main types of planes demanded by the carpenters.

Other Tools
Other carpenter tools include auger bits, sanding blocks, braces, jointers and shapers. Measuring tape is also counted among the tools used by a carpenter. Finally, there are drills that play a significant role at a carpentry shop.

Carpenter tools can be purchased from the manufacturers and suppliers at the online business directories. One can look for the sellers at global marketplaces to find the best quality and right prices.

Packaging: Contributor towards Business Profit Making

The concept of packaging started with the packages made of natural materials, including reed baskets, wooden barrels, woven bags and wineskins. Cans made up of iron and tin plated steel, along with paperboard cartons and fiberboard boxes, were discovered in the 19th century. Bakelite closures, cellophane, aluminum and plastic packages became popular in the 20th century.

Today, flexible packages like those made up of laminated sheets of PVC, paper and metal foils are other popular packaging materials. It is the global rise in need and demand for packaging that has led to the improvement of packaging materials. Businesses and production houses integrates packaging as an important part of their profit making process.

Here are some important reasons for packaging being an important part of business process:

• To protect the products against physical damage.
• To protect packaged goods and drinks against adulteration.
• To prevent moisture, heat and other weather elements from damaging the products.
• To enjoy convenience in handling and transportation.
• For effective marketing. In fact, it is among the most important motives for businesses to use packaging.

Packaging Industry Overview
According to the latest analysis, North America has the highest consumption of packaging material per capita, accounting to US $45. The packaging consumption per capita is US $31 in Japan and US $25 in Europe. Consumer market accounts for 70 percent of the global packaging sales, leaving only 30 percent for the industrial applications. Food and beverage industries are the main consumers with respective value of US$ 145 billion and US $75 billion.

In India, the businesses have started focusing on packaging as an important part of the overall business strategy. Processed foods, mouth fresheners, beverages, bakery industry, spices and edible oils, drugs and pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are among the major consuming segments of the packaging industry in India. Some of the reasons for the increase in importance of packaging in India are:

• Urbanization in all parts of the country.
• Increase in consciousness towards health and hygiene.
• Popularity of small packets and sachets.
• Changing lifestyle and increase in packaged food demand.

Packaging adds value to the products and services and this reason is enough for businesses to take it seriously. Being such an important part of business process, there are a lot of packaging companies which are giving their valuable services to the business who are involved in product manufacturing and supply operations. 

Types of Ladies Suits Popular in India and Abroad

Indian ladies suits, popularly known as salwar suits or salwar kameez in the Indian subcontinent, are the traditional dresses with lot of style and comfort to offer. A long scarf called dupatta is an important part of this Indian ethnic dress.

Even the celebrities from the west have been attracted by the salwar suits from time to time. Diana, the Princess of Whales, Jemima Goldsmith, an English socialite and well known celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman were seen in these elegant dresses. Here is the classification of different salwar suits popular across the Indian subcontinent and beyond the oceans as well.

On the Basis of Materials
Cotton and silk are the two very popular fabrics used for designing the traditional Indian ladies suits. Besides, one can find the salwar suits made from chiffon, satin, velvet and organza. Apart from the base material, different popular types of ingredients are used to make the suits look appealing. Stones, sequins, stars, sippy, ghunghroos, zari and beads are the popular materials used for embellishment.

On the Basis of Region
Different regions lend different styles to the Indian ladies suits. For example, the cotton suits are very much popular in West Bengal. In Punjab, the Patiala style salwar kameez have always been admired. In Uttar Pradesh, a huge variety of elegant Lucknow embroidery suits are found. Rajasthani bandhej suits are also the popular styles.

Other Types of Classifications

• The Indian ladies suits can be classified among hand embroidered and machine embroidered suits. Hand embroidered suits have a great appeal and are liked overseas as well.
• Type of work done on the suits also makes them popular. Patch work, beads work, zari work, floral work and embroidery work are some of the popular styles.
• Neck cuts also classify the suits, most popular being v-neck and rectangular neck. Design of sleeves, including cap sleeved and sleeveless designs, too categorize these suits.

The designer suits that are designed by ace fashion designers from the country have come up with huge demand in the last two decades. Finally, there are wedding ladies suits with heavy work done on them. These suits are considered as beautiful wedding attires, just like the Indian wedding sarees.

You can find the ladies suit exporters and sellers on the internet. Look for them in the business directories and b2b marketplaces.

Computer Hardware: The Ongoing Trends in the Global Market

The computer hardware industry, like most of the other industries around the world, faced the period of recession during a couple of last fiscals. However, the impact of global recession is very much left behind and the IT hardware industry is back on the growth path.

So, which hardware components and peripherals of computers are being focused in the global markets? And what are the growth statistics of the computer and IT hardware industry at the global level? Obtain useful information from the discussion below.



Categories of Computer Hardware

• Input/Output Devices: Input devices like keyboard, mouse, scanners and bar code readers and output devices like monitors, video cards, printers, headphones and speakers have consistent demand in the market.
• Storage Devices: Demand for hard disk drives, including conventional HDD and modern SDD drives, has consistently increased.
• Processors: Companies like Intel are on their way to decrease the cost of their CPUs. Recently, Intel reduced the price of its quad-core chips by 40 percent and Core 2 Quad chips by 20 percent.

Other categories of computer hardware include networking hardware, system hardware and memory selectors. The overall sale of PCs has increased, thanks to the launch of new operating systems like Windows 7.

Some Facts and Figures
The computer hardware market that experienced a decline in the year 2008 has started experiencing growth, though the growth rate is expected to remain low till 2010. In 2013, the market is expected to become stable and to have the worth of $511.2 billion. If this happens, a growth of 24.4 percent will be recorded in 2013.

Another important thing to know is that the European computer and IT hardware market alone accounts for 39.2 percent of the total global market share.

PC shipments have increased by 19.4 percent in India in 2010 which is a great recovery from the decline of 3.8 percent recorded in 2009. Recovering economy of the country is the main reason behind this. Printers, including laser, inkjet and dot matrix printers, too have experienced an increase in their sale.

So, within the next 2-3 years, the computer hardware industry is going to stand on its feet once again, for which the preparations have already begun.

Growing Popularity of Vending Machines

Vending machines belong to the automatic retailing industry. A coin-operated vending machine dispenses products and services to the consumers without the intervention of a cashier. The concept is more than 120 years old in the countries like England and the USA.

In India and other countries from Asia, the potential of vending machines is still untapped. On the other hand, Japan from the same continent has highest number of vending machines per capita. Growth in sale of vending machines as well as the products and services sold through them is inescapable.

Products Vended
Canned beverages are the most popular products vended by the vending machines. In fact 40 percent of the machine vended products are the canned beverages. Snacks have a share of 19 percent while there are 8 percent vending machines that vend hot beverages. A vending machine dispensing hot beverages can be found at shopping malls, restaurants and offices. Remaining 33 percent consists of other categories of products and services vended through machines. The most common example of vending machine is coffee vending machine which is in huge demand by corporate sector and domestic level as well.

Innovations in Automatic Vending
The popularity of vending machines has inspired the manufacturers to come up with innovative ideas. In Japan, one can see machines vending fresh lobsters, eggs, umbrellas as well as the unusual products like lingerie. A fortune vending machine can be found in the premises of various temples in the country. Telemetry based and cashless vending machines have added new dimensions to the automatic retailing industry.

Recently, Intel devised an intelligent vending machine with a huge touch screen that displays information about the products dispensed by it. A Core 2 Duo chip powers this machine and it features facial recognition software as well. Innovations are keeping the wheel of popularity rolling for these machines.

Vending in Developing Nations
Countries like India are fast recognizing the use of vending machines for various purposes. The industry is expected to attain the worth of $1 billion by 2012 in India. Some of the reasons that contribute towards the vending machine success in these countries are:

• Changing lifestyle
• Changing eating and drinking habits
• Economic growth that has led to increase in consumerism
• Rise in corporate culture and
• Automatic retailing being a fairly new industry

Vending machines are going places and they are gaining significance in the lives of people around the globe.

Antibacterial Drugs: How To Use, Where To Find

Manufacturers and suppliers of antibacterial drugs can be found on the web. Various online business directories and b2b marketplaces provide information on antibacterial drug sellers. Buying antibacterial drugs from a manufacturer or supplier requires taking a number of things into consideration. Refer to the product catalogs of different drug providers and obtain the following information that should help you make a genuine purchase.

What Are the Features?
Find out what the online sellers have to say about the features of antibacterial drugs? For example, learn about the effectiveness and side-effects of the drugs and antibacterial products the online dealers sell. Also learn whether the drugs are available as tablets, capsules or injections.

What Are the Applications?
Learn about the application of the antibacterial drug specified by the online seller. For example, some of these drugs are available for treatment in humans while others for poultry and farm animals. Some of the drugs are used in aquaculture as well. So, obtain information about the exact purpose solved by the antibacterial drug you want to purchase.

Quality Certification
Look for the quality certification the antibacterial drugs supplier possesses. The WHO’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is the most common certification in the pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturing industries. In fact, GMP compliance is a qualification for the drug suppliers to trade pharmaceuticals. So, certification should be an important consideration while purchasing any antibacterial drug.

Legal Status
Also check out the legal status of the antibacterial drug manufacturing and supplying company. Most of the companies dealing in the antibacterial drugs are the private limited firms and companies. Legal status safeguards the interest of you as the buyer of these drugs from a company.

Packaging
An antibacterial drug manufacturer and supplier should provide information about the packaging methods in the product catalog. An important guideline for the drug providers is to use tampering proof materials for drug packaging. Make sure that the manufacturer or supplier you choose follow the guidelines.


Manufacturing Unit
Finally, obtain information about the manufacturing unit where the antibacterial drugs are made. Learn about the things like manufacturing methods, hygiene conditions and other important things about the unit.

Be an informed buyer of antibacterial drugs to ensure that they solve the purpose you buy them for.

What Things to Consider When Purchasing Non Stick Cookware?

Non stick cookware is a healthy invention over traditional cookware as it consumes less oil for cooking. It is also a convenient option as it doesn’t allow the food to stick while cooking. Finally, non stick cooking items are easy to clean.

First made available in the 1960s, the nonstick cooking items instantly became popular worldwide. If you wish to buy a non-stick pan, non-stick fry pan, non-stick tawa or any other similar item, here are some serious considerations that should help you to make a good selection.

Material Used
Aluminum is the most popular material used for making non stick cookware. However, your main concern should be the non-stick coating that prevents food from sticking. Polytetraflouroethylene or PTFE is the most popular coating for these cooking utensils, though experts raise questions about the health threats associated with it. Manufacturers of non stick cooking items therefore use ceramic, diamond and other environment-friendly coatings these days.

Finish and Durability
Also consider the quality finish of a non stick cooking utensil. As obvious, a non stick pan with double coating has better finish than one with a single coating. Similarly, a cookware with multiple coating layers is more durable than those with single layer.

Thickness
Non stick cookware should be purchased considering its thickness at the base. Right thickness is required for reasons like proper distribution of heat and retention of heat while cooking.

Temperature Rating
When overheated, a non stick pan and other similar cookware release fumes that are harmful for creatures and environment. So, you must learn about the temperature rating that the cookware supports. This will help you to cook food at the right temperature range in non stick cookware.

Handling Safety
Consider the safety provided by the handles attacked with the non stick pans. Another important consideration should be the washing safety of the cookware. Though most of the manufacturers recommend washing with hand, some of them manufacture dishwasher-safe non stick cookware.

Finally, learn about the foods that can be cooked using the cookware your purchase. Taking care of all the tips mentioned above should help you invest in the right non stick cookware.

Milling Machine: Its Types, Usage and the Next Gen

Milling is the procedure of cutting away material by feeding a workpiece past a spinning cutter having multiple teeth. The machine used for this procedure is known as a Milling machine. They are highly multipurpose because of their ability to perform a vast variety of operations

These machines are not only limited to the variety in usage, but they also come in various sizes and control options. Milling machines can be operated by hand, mechanically or by total automation using Computer Numeric Controls (CNC).

Types of Milling Machines:
Milling machines are in two forms vertical and horizontal. These forms represent the arrangement of the cutter on the machine.

These machines are broadly classified into the subsequent types:

• Column and Knee Type Milling Machines: They are the most widely used class of milling machine and are normally used for common milling operations. In this type, the alignment of the milling cutter can be horizontal or vertical.
• Bed Type Machines: They are more rigid and are used mainly for high fabrication work. The alignment of the milling cutter is upright.
• Planer Machines: This type of milling machines is almost similar to bed type machines. The difference between them is that planer machines have multiple cutter heads.
• Tracer Controlled Machines: They represent the latest in milling machine technology and are used to produce complex parts in the automotive as well as aerospace industry.

Other than the ones mentioned above, there are a few more subtypes like - C-Frame, Turret mills, Ram type mills, Boring mills etc.

As the technology is advancing, usage of manually operated milling machines has almost come to a halt. The CNC machines now provide better accuracy and quality in fabricating products. Also, human labor is reduced because a single person can control multiple CNC machines. These machines can work non-stop and only need to be switched off for occasional maintenance.

Although milling machines started evolving from rotary fillings, since the 1800’s, they still continue to evolve and it is expected that the future holds even more sophisticated and yet more productive machines.

Product Catalogs And B2B Marketplace: Brief Survey

Product catalogs designed for global b2b marketplaces are the ideal ways to gain right business exposure. More than gaining exposure, a product catalog helps in producing sales and leads by providing right information in the right manner.

Boring and purely technical product catalogs render an uninteresting image of the businesses. Focus should be to deliver a product catalog that compels the business managers and executives to consider your business.

The three important components of a good product catalog are:

• Impressive design to grab attention,
• Informative content written in an interesting manner and
• Images of the products featured in the catalog.

Here are some useful tips to produce an imposing product catalog:

• Use good designing software like Photoshop and QuarkXPress to make the product catalog design impressive. Take care of font style, colors, and backgrounds and maintain balance between professional and informal approaches.
• Provide detailed information about different products, their features, advantages and unique selling points. Organize the products according to their types, models, names and so on.
• Include testimonials of satisfied customers in your product catalogs. Also mention your business experience, infrastructure and annual sales.
• Use images of the products. Make sure that the images are clear and clicked with right background.

So, how are product catalogs of great importance for businesses present at online b2b marketplaces? Here are some of their advantages:

• A product catalog is preferred by potential buyers, as its helps them save money. Ordering a product through product catalogue of a seller helps buyers obtain the best deals. This is one good reason for buyers to prefer sellers with impressive product catalogs.
• A product catalog builds confidence in the buyer that he or she is taking the right decision of buying from that particular seller. Business executives, who buy on behalf of their companies, need to have trust in the seller and a business catalog helps in this.
• A product catalog provides instant information to those searching b2b directories so that they find immediate solution to their problem.

Having impressive product catalogs displayed at business directories help businesses to increase their sales and build credit for their products and services.

Paper And Paper Industry: A Brief Overview

Paper first developed by the Egyptians in the form of “Papyrus”. It is now one of the most resourceful materials used by humans. It has many alternative uses and applications in various fields.

In this age of technology, although most of the data storage or official work is done online, still the demand for paper in various fields has not decreased. Paper industry plays a vital role in overall industrial growth. Let us read further to understand its types, applications and the flip side of paper usage.

Paper and its Products:

• Barcodes, stickers and labels
• Greeting cards, visiting cards and invitation cards
• Miscellaneous school and office stationery items
• Government papers, currency notes, vouchers, legal papers

Diary’s, letter pads, post its
Rust prevention and corrosion prevention products

These are just some of the products that are manufactured and form a part of the paper industry.

Paper and its Applications:
Just like the vast variety of paper products available in the market, the application of paper is also quite versatile.

Here are some of the applications of paper:

• For storing and sharing information
• For domestic applications like cleaning
• For building or construction purposes
• For packaging of various products
• For entertainment or recreational purposes
• For business purposes

The paper industry is an ever-growing industry. But there is a minor drawback that currently exists. Because of the increased environmental concerns, researchers in the paper industry are now trying to come up with alternatives of conventional paper. By doing so, they can not only save the environment but can also reap profits from the newly developed substitute of paper. Manufacturers have now started to use a biodegradable plastic packaging made out of paper known as “paperfoam”.

Although there are environmental concerns regarding paper manufacturing, paper industry and its future seems to be secure because trees, which is the main raw material used in production of paper, is renewable and the obtained product is also recyclable.