E-Commerce is the future

Electronic commerce, commonly known as E-Commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. The use of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange, inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail, mobile devices and telephones as well.

E-Commerce appeals to the population at large for several key reasons.

-          It is the most convenient way to shop.

-          It doesn’t involve lines or long drives.

-          E-Commerce typically offers a larger selection than brick and mortar stores.

-          E-Commerce offers the ability to shop 24 hours a day

-          Most E-Commerce stores offer bigger discounts and savings on their products.

-          Comparison-shopping is simple because of the vast selection.

With all of the benefits offered to the typical consumer, it just makes sense that the business of E-Commerce will continue to boom.

Even more than benefiting the average consumer, E-Commerce makes doing business easier and more economical for merchants and retailers. Advancements in technology have provided a fast, cheap way to sell and market products. Because of the mass appeal of the Internet and the enormous visibility, advertising and marketing has become an integral part of the ecommerce business model. E-Commerce also offers less overhead, a wider marketing base, and eliminates the need for a physical storefront. Those with the brick and mortar storefront also have ecommerce sites; this is the greatest proof that E-Commerce is here to stay, it is just easier and much more efficient to find, compare and decide.  The greater visibility ecommerce offers will mean that many businesses can expand far beyond their limits of a physical store, but it also means a market at risk of becoming saturated, which is why internet marketing is one of the most essential aspects of the E-Commerce business model.

Carlos Slim, the richest man in the World

Carlos Slim is a Mexican business magnate and philanthropist who has at various times been noted as the world's wealthiest person. He is the chairman and CEO of telecommunications companies Telmex and América Móvil and has extensive holdings in other Mexican companies through his conglomerate, Grupo Carso SAB, as well as business interests elsewhere in the world.

Slim and his siblings were taught basic business practices by their father, and at the age of 12 Slim bought shares in a Mexican bank. He went on to study engineering at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, while simultaneously teaching algebra and linear programming there. In 1965 he incorporated Inversora Bursátil and then bought Jarritos del Sur. In 1966, already worth US$40 million, he founded Inmobiliaria Carso.

Construction, real estate and mining businesses were the focus of his early career. By 1972 he had established or acquired a further seven businesses in these categories, including one which rented construction equipment. In 1976 he branched out by buying a 60% interest in a printing business and in 1980 he consolidated his business interests by forming Grupo Galas as the parent company of a conglomerate that had interests in industry, construction, mining, retail, food and tobacco.

Between 1980 and 1990 Slim invest heavily, he bought a large percentage of numerous Mexican businesses. Later he invest in foreign countries to expand his empire.

On August 4, 2007, The Wall Street Journal ran a cover story profiling Slim. The article said, "While the market value of his stake in publicly traded companies could decline at any time, at the moment he is probably wealthier than Bill Gates". On March 29, 2007, Slim surpassed Warren Buffett as the world's second richest person with an estimated net worth of $53.1 billion compared to Buffet's $52.4 billion.

On August 8, 2007, Fortune reported that Slim had overtaken Gates as the world's richest man. Slim's estimated fortune soared to $59 billion, based on the value of his public holdings at the end of July.

Beginner Investing : What Is the Dow Jones Industrial Average?

Explanation

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow. It is now owned by the CME Group, which is the majority owner of Dow Jones Indexes. The average is named after Dow and one of his business associates, statistician Edward Jones. It is an index that shows how 30 large, publicly owned companies based in the United States have traded during a standard trading session in the stock market.

Investing in the DJIA

The Dow Jones Industrial Average isn't just a stock market gauge. For some people, it's a tool in an investment strategy. Probably the most popular strategy - and one of the more successful over time - is to invest each year in the 10 Dow Jones industrial stocks with the highest dividend yields (the yield is a stock's dividend divided by the share price). From 1973 to 1994, this strategy produced an annual total return of 17.5%, compared with 11.5% derived from investing in all 30 of The Dow industrial stocks, according to the book The Dividend Investor by Harvey C. Knowles III and Damon H. Petty.

 In the century-plus history of The Dow Jones Industrial Average, dividends have directly accounted for about 40% of investors' returns. If the dividends are reinvested in the 30 stocks,  roughly half of investors' total returns are derived from dividends.

In the broader market, simply buying the highest-yielding stocks is usually considered unwise. A high yield often indicates a depressed stock price, which might mean that the company has stumbled. The dividend may be cut or eliminated, or the company may be headed for even more serious trouble.