eShipGlobal

Author: Saul Severe

  • International Office Consulting, sunapsis and UEMS

    International Office Consulting, sunapsis and UEMS

    International higher education in the US has changed dramatically over the last few decades. In 1998/99 there were only 490,933 international students studying in the US. By 2008/09 there were 671,616. As of 2017/18, there were 1,078,822 international students studying in the US. That is more than double what it was two decades ago.

     

    This sudden growth in international students, along with how complex immigration regulations have gotten, means more work for the small international student and scholar staff at universities. The manual method used in previous years was now too time-consuming for the staff to handle efficiently. Which is why many universities are looking for software, like sunapsis, to help manage their universities international student population.

     

    sunapsis is a case management software that connects to the SEVIS database to help manage international students. However, implementing sunapsis into a university system can be very difficult, especially if you do understand many of the steps necessary.

     

    This is where International Office Consulting comes into play. Jodi Barnhill, the CEO, started International Office Consulting last year (2017). It is comprised of a team of “veteran international case management software experts who have been in higher education for, combined, over 25 years…” They have expertise “working with international cases management software. Homeland Security Sevis systems, student information systems, and HR systems on campuses.”

     

    International Office Consulting “helps international students and scholars offices leverage the power of technology and join the 21st century.” They help universities, ones without any software and those with older case management software, implement sunapsis into their campuses systems.

     

    Jodi is also a strong supporter of eShipGlobal and our UEMS system. UEMS helps international student advisors in several ways: by enabling students to pay for shipping labels, helping to ensure accurate shipping addresses, bulk label printing and more. UEMS can also be integrated with synapsis, allowing advisors to see which students’ shipping documentation is ready. If a university uses UEMS or if they are interested in integrating UEMS with synapsis, Jodi and her company would be able to help.

     

    International Office Consulting has helped several universities, such as Rutgers and University of Texas at Dallas. Their clients often call their help a “blessing” and that they feel “safe and comfortable” knowing that International Office Consulting will be there for them.

     

    With more and more international students coming to the US to study, universities are having to adopt new techniques and technology to handle the influx. This trend does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon either. So, the question many universities now face is how efficient is their international student and scholars office and department running and how can they improve it.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Diversity and Connecting Cultures

    Diversity and Connecting Cultures

    Diversity. It is something we hear often but many don’t stop to think about what it actually means. It is far more than just the color of one’s skin or their gender. Diversity includes beliefs, social class and cultures. But why is diversity so important? A diverse culture is full of varying perspectives. Differing perspectives help us to sharpen our own ideas and perspectives. We either strengthen our already existing ones, obtain completely new ones or blend the perspectives to build a potentially stronger one. Diversity is especially important in higher education.

     

    One if the goals of universities is to produce enlightened and educated individuals. To do this universities and professors have to expose students to various cultures, ideas, thought processes, traditions, etc. One group that helps to create to a diverse campus is the international student population.  International students from all over the world contribute to the diversity by sharing  their own experience, perspectives and cultures, which can greatly benefit the higher education community.

     

    Diversity is so important that it is the theme for the 2018 NAFSA Annual Conference. The full theme is  “Diverse Voices, Shared Commitment.” It focuses on the multiple perspectives, including those across national boundaries. One aspect they emphasize is that without a shared commitment multiple voices are just noise and have no real power. Shared commitment has trust; it is a relationship, a connection. Without that relationship, a true connection, diverse cultures tend to clash.

     

    We at eShipGlobal believe in having a diverse culture, which is why we have a staff comprised of various ethnicities, genders, cultures and backgrounds. We have seen first hand how these combination of cultures can produce amazing results. So, our question and theme for the 2018 NAFSA Annual Conference is: “What is true intercultural connection?” We would like to hear from all the advisors and anyone else who would like to contribute. What is true intercultural connection and what is its greatest benefit?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Helping with OPT- From Shipping to Jobs

    Helping with OPT- From Shipping to Jobs

    Spring is a busy time for international student advisors. They are busy managing on campus programs, processing I-20 requests for Fall’s incoming international students and they are busy preparing current international students for life after college.

     

    There are about 176,000 international students on Optional Practical Training (OPT). Advisors have to process their OPT applications and instruct the students on the procedures and requirements of the OPT process, usually done through mandatory workshops. Some advisors also help students find jobs.

     

    Finding jobs as an international student can be difficult because many US companies will not hire foreign students they will need to sponsor. This lowers the job pool quite a bit. To make matters more difficult, students’ OPT period does not start when they have a job but rather at a set start date. So, students will probably feel the time crunch.

     

    eShipGlobal has been helping international student advisors and international students with the shipping of I-20 documents through their  UEMS solution. However, last year they added OPT mailing to UEMS, allowing international students to save money on expedited shipping, while having the security of a customer service team dedicated to helping customers should any trouble arise.

     

    This year, eShipGlobal is launching a new service underneath their international student-focused initiative, CollegeThink. The new service is a job search site just for international students. In addition, they have partnered with recruiting agencies to help boost the job prospect of any student who shipped their OPT through UEMS by sending recruiter the students resume.*

     

    The eShipGlobal team has many employees who came in as an international student and have been through the OPT process. Which is why we want to help this next wave of international students find jobs within the US.

     

    If you would like to share this information with your international students or with a fellow international student, here is a PDF taking about both UEMS and the job search site. We are also interested in working with universities when it comes to OPT. Let us know if there is something we can do to help.

     

    We hope you have a great semester!

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

     

    *Limited to those who fall within our partner agency locations and focus. 

    **We do not guarantee any jobs or interviews will come from our services

  • The Start of the New Year

    The Start of the New Year

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    Happy New Year! It is a start of a new year, which brings about great new changes and opportunities. We are happy to be entering this new year with a successful 2017 behind us and are excited to see where we will be at the end of this year.

     

    There are a lot of great things planned for eShipGlobal throughout this year. We are going to be putting a lot of effort in to the higher education market and learn more about how we can better help universities improve their shipping process. We also will be focusing on increasing the awareness of our shipping solutions, eShipEnterprise and UEMS (University Express Mail Service) within higher education by making more universities aware of the benefits these solutions can provide.

     

    Last year we launched our newest service to international students: OPT application shipping. Through UEMS, international students can ship their OPT applications (I-765 form) to the USCIS office at discounted shipping rates. We are working to increase awareness about this solution to international students and to university international student advisors. The US saw huge growth in OPT during the 2016/2017 year and we want to encourage this growth by providing services that help the process.

     

    One thing that will never change at eShipGlobal is our commitment to our users. We are constantly working to improve your experience by listening to your feedback and providing excellent customer support. We hope this year we will further strengthen our relationship with our users, both old and new, by providing solutions, content and connections that matter.

     

    We hope everyone will have a great new year and we look forward to working with you to create opportunities for growth.  

     

    “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” –  Benjamin Franklin

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

    Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

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    The year is quickly coming to a close. University staff and students will be celebrating the end of the semester and the holiday season. The holiday season is a time to relax and spend time with the people we care about. It is also a time to reflect and look back at all the great things that happened and accomplishments we had over the year.

     

    “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” – Winston Churchill

     

    We have had another great year at eShipGlobal working with our users to bring in new international students. While the increase in international student enrollment was not as high as last years, we still brought in more international students than the year before. We hope that in this upcoming year we can work together to bring in more international students and expand the global community.

     

    One of the greatest accomplishments this year is the increase in the number of international students applying for OPT. To help support this growing number, we improved our UEMS solution to better support OPT shipments. Our products evolved and grew this year thanks to your great suggestions.

     

    As we usher in the new year, we hope to provide more service and support for all our clients. Our goal at eShipGlobal is to simplify the shipping process. So, whether you are a single international student services department, an entire university or a business, we want to be able to help you simplify your shipping process. We look forward to working with both new and old users and can not wait to see what this new year has in store or us.

     

    We are very grateful for all your loyalty and support. We hope you have a great holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

     

    “Cheers to a new year and another change for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Helping to Lower Shipping Costs

    Helping to Lower Shipping Costs

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    Shipping is typically not a fun thing to do. We all greatly enjoy receiving packages, but not necessarily the mailing of them. However, shipping is still important, even in our digital dominated society. There are many things that cannot be digitally transmitted and must be shipped, such as OPT applications and I-20 documents.

     

    Shipping, especially expedited, can often be a bit more costly than ground mailing. However, the speed and security it offers is significantly better. Unfortunately, the cost for shipping in general will be increasing in 2018 as shipping carriers, like UPS, FedEx and DHL, will be increasing their shipping rates.

     

    At eShipGlobal, we believe in making shipping easier by simplifying the process and mitigating the amount of money spent on shipping. We don’t believe shipping should be difficult, which is why we offer shipping solutions that help lower shipping spend across various industries, such as business and higher education.

     

    We also strive to help both incoming international students and international students currently studying in the US by offering discounted shipping rates, carrier rate shopping, and will soon be offering a-la-cart shipping fees. This allows us to lower shipping rates for international students looking to ship important, time-sensitive documents like Optional Practical Training (OPT) Applications, also called the I-765 form.

     

    Shipping is one way that connects people together. It empowers global and cultural exchange to build a global community. Which is why we strive to make it easier for individuals, businesses and other entities to ship their important documents and packages.

     

    Businesses and universities, if you are looking for a way to lower your shipping spend in 2018, we have several solutions that can benefit you. International students can save money on shipping through our UEMS (University Express Mail Service) or eShipNOW solutions.

     

    Let us help you save money on you shipping.

     

    “Because we are a globally connected village, we need to remember that our choices are not isolated. They have a powerful ripple effect, and that ripple is global.” –  Linda Fisher Thornton

     

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

     

  • Tips for Strengthening Your LinkedIn Profile

    Tips for Strengthening Your LinkedIn Profile

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    Having a LinkedIn account is almost becoming a necessity these days. Employer like to look up job candidates and/or post jobs on LinkedIn. It is a great social platform to network with other professionals, look for jobs, look for candidates, stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and reach other businesses.

     

    If you are a CEO or are looking to start your own business, having a great LinkedIn profile is important. Investors, partners, other businesses, future employees and even customers will be looking you up. So, here are some tips to help make your LinkedIn profile stand out.

     

    1. Have a professional profile picture
    Profiles with pictures are more likely to be seen and it is always nice to be able to put a face to a resume. The profile picture should look professional and only have you in the picture. It is also important that the picture be current, within the last few years unless you have changed a lot since then.

     

    2. Ask for recommendations
    Having recommendations looks great on a profile page and strengthens your overall content. Ask your co-workers, clients, customers connections, and/or bosses to write a positive recommendation on your LinkedIn page.

     

    3. Network
    You don’t need to have many network connections to reach LinkedIn’s All-Star level profile, but they are important for a strong LinkedIn and to get the most out of this social platform. When asking people to be your connection, write your own message and include how you met them or a personal message. Do not use the standard connection request.

     

    4. Write a strong headline
    Think carefully about what you write for your headline and summary. Your headline does not have to be your title and is not recommended to use a title if you are looking for a job. Instead try to write something that showcases your value, speciality or where you want to be.

     

    5. Have a clear and concise summary
    Your summary is a description of who you are and what you want to be. What makes you stand out? Highlight your passions, key skills and other unique experience or talents you have that will set you apart. Ideally your summary should be short, a few paragraphs. Using bullets when listing out skills or other lists makes your summary visually appealing and easier to read.

     

    6. Showcase your talents/business
    LinkedIn allows your to add portfolio/website links, and also allows you to showcase photos, videos, presentations, or links to files to your profile summary. This allows clients, employees, employers or investors to see your skills and the different projects you have worked on. It is also a great way to show off your talents!

     

    7. List your talents/skills and get endorsements
    Another way to show off your talents/skills is to list them in the skills section on your LinkedIn profile. To strengthen this section get people you know and work with to endorse your skills. You can list a number of skills, but focus on your most relevant skills. You don’t want the people viewing your profile to only see your outdated skills first and potentially not even seeing your newest skills.

     

    8. List all your degrees and job experience
    For your education, you should write a brief summary for the university/degree listed. What did you study, did your minor, were your involved in any organizations or honor societies? For your job experience, write a brief description and include the various projects you worked on and what responsibilities you had.

     

    9. Add a background image
    LinkedIn profiles that include background images receive more views and get better response rates. It is not that had to add one and it can make a big impact.

     

    10. Fill out as much information as possible
    LinkedIn provides many other areas that you can fill out: volunteer work, interests, contact information, your Twitter handle, accomplishments and more. The more your can fill out the better. Just don’t go too far back when listing accomplishments or volunteer work. They don’t need to know what awards you received in middle school.

     

    Another important thing about LinkedIn is to remember to update your profile page: change your profile picture, add new job experiences, etc. Don’t just fill it out and let it sit there. Update it and revise it. It is a living profile, not like a hard-copy resume which only has to be updated when you are looking for a job. LinkedIn is a social media platform, so it is beneficial to go and be active on it. Happy networking!

     

     

    By Ashleigh

  • How Small Colleges Can Benefit From UEMS

    How Small Colleges Can Benefit From UEMS

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    International students are a big source of income for many US universities, large and small. This is why universities across the US are actively trying to recruit international students. The process to bring in international students can be long and costly, especially for smaller universities and colleges. They often are understaffed and have a smaller operating budget than larger universities.

     

    One area that universities have challenges with is shipping the I-20 documents to the incoming international students. Usually it means gathering shipping information, filling out a shipping label, and printing the label for each incoming student. Also, the university must either pay the shipping cost, which smaller colleges may not have the budget for, or collect payment information from the students. For understaffed universities, this is very time consuming.

     

    Luckily there is a solution that simplifies the process, saving the universities and the students time and money. UEMS, University Express Mail Service, has been used by large universities throughout the US (Yale, Carnegie, Columbia, and more). However, it is extremely beneficial to smaller universities as well.

     

    UEMS is completely free to use. There is no monthly cost and no subscription fee for either the university or the student. It is an online solution that allows students to pay for the shipping label to ship the I-20 document. Students input their own information, which improves accuracy. All the university staff needs to do is print the labels, which can be done in bulk, and mail them off.

     

    In addition, students save with discounted shipping rates. They can also choose which carrier available to them that they want to ship through and how fast they want the shipment.

     

    So whether you are a large university or a small community college, UEMS can help you ship important documents to students all over the world. It will help improve efficiency giving you more time to focus on other important matters.  

     

    If you are interested in signing up for UEMS, you can register your university or department at https://study.eshipglobal.com/uregister/. You can also learn more about UEMS and all the benefits it can provide to both universities and students on the UEMS website.

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Office

    Celebrating Thanksgiving in the Office

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    In business we tend to emphasize customer relations and appreciation. We recognize that without them our business would – well – have no business. However, there is another important part of business that can often get overlooked: employees.

     

    Without the work and expertise of employees, businesses could not grow. Which is why it is important to recognize and appreciate all the hard work employees do throughout the year. Having a Thanksgiving office celebration is a great way and time to let your employees know that they are appreciated. Here are a few great ways to celebrate Thanksgiving at the office.

     

    Have a Thanksgiving lunch
    Set a time during the month of November to schedule a Thanksgiving lunch for all your employees and have food catered in. Make sure to give plenty of time for people to eat, chat and for a nice toast.

     

    Have Fun with a Thanksgiving Potluck
    If you are on a tight budget or do not have the manpower to plan a catered lunch, then plan a potluck lunch. Get everyone to bring their favorite Thanksgiving dish, give out prizes or have fun games. Just don’t forget the turkey!

     

    Exchange Thank You Cards/Notes
    Encourage employees to write notes of thank yous to fellow employees. Gather them in jars and pass them out or have a Thank You board where they can pin their notes. You can even make it a board where they can post whatever they are thankful for.

     

    Volunteer/Donate
    A great way to celebrate Thanksgiving and give back to the community would be to volunteer at a local soup kitchen or charity organization. Call around and see if any organization needs extra volunteers. Or you can encourage employees to bring in canned food to be donated to help feed the needy on Thanksgiving.

     

    There are many ways businesses can celebrate Thanksgiving together. Not only can it demonstrate your appreciation to your employees, it can also help strengthen relationships and communication between departments and employees. Just remember to let them know that you appreciate all the hard work they have been doing!

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • A Thank You from All of Us at eShipGlobal

    A Thank You from All of Us at eShipGlobal

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    It is that time of the year again! The time when students return home and busy university staff get to enjoy the Thanksgiving break. It is a time to relax and reflect on all of the things we are thankful for. However, just feeling thankful is not enough. The holiday is not only about feeling thankful, but also about giving thanks. That’s why it is called Thanksgiving.

     

    “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” – William Arthur Ward

     

    We have had another great year here at eShipGlobal and when we look back at all that has helped us achieve the success we have had, we find ourselves most grateful to our many users.

     

    eShipGlobal has been working with universities since 1999 and many of our users come to us through word-of-mouth. Our UEMS (University Express Mail Solution) service, which launched 10 years ago, is now being used by approximately 898 universities and colleges and together we have helped 749,724 international students and scholars enter the US to study.

     

    All of this would not be possible without your support, usage, suggestions and wonderful testimonials. Every year through various channels like email, phone conversations or when you all stop to see us at our booths during conferences throughout the year, we get to hear your kind support and encouragement through testimonials or just simple thank yous. It is now our turn to thank you for being a part of the eShipGlobal family.

     

    “No one who achieves success does so without acknowledging the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude.” – Alfred North Whitehead

     

    Whether you have been using us for many years or you are a new client, we are very grateful for all your loyalty and support. So, from all of us to you, we want to thank you and wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!



  • Simplifying the Shipping Process

    Simplifying the Shipping Process

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    Shipping should never be difficult, which is why we aim to provide businesses, universities and individuals with shipping solutions that simplify the shipping process. Below are some of the great blog articles we have posted showcasing our most popular solutions/services.

     

    UEMS –

    I-20s and University Shipping

    University Shipping

    Universities all over the US are faced with the task and challenge of shipping important documents like the I-20 to international students all across the world. These challenges can be time consuming and costly. (Read More…)

     

    Studying in the US, I-20s and UEMS

    Personal Shipping Solution

    Coming into the US to study is a long process with many steps and forms. One of those forms required to even start the process is the I-20 form. Without a system, this can be a time consuming and costly process for universities. (Read More…)

     

     

    Enterprise –

    Improving Business Shipping Efficiency

    Manage Your Business Shipping

    Efficiency is crucial to businesses, this includes shipping efficiency. Manage your business shipping and improve efficiency with eShipEnterprise. (Read More…)

     

     

    Export Control –

    Importance of Export Control

    With every thing becoming more and more global, it is gradually becoming more difficult for businesses, organizations or institutions to operate solely within one country. However, doing business internationally often has its own set of challenges, one of them being shipping. (Read More…)

     

     

    Inbound –

    Managing Inbound Shipping

    Manage Inbound Shipping

    Do you have a way to Manage Inbound Shipping to your business? With proper control you can improve inbound shipping to your business and increase efficiency. (Read More…)

     

     

    Supply Chain Analysis –

    Analyze Your Shipping Spend

    Analyze Shipping Spend

    One way to improve shipping efficiency is to analyze shipping spend. Supply Chain Analysis uses your shipping data to provide valuable insights. (Read More…)

     

     

    eShipLab –

    Managing Hazardous Material Shipping

    Shipping Hazardous Materials

    It can be difficult for businesses and universities to maintain compliance when Shipping Hazardous Materials, but with eShipLab they can do it easily. (Read More…)

     

    If you are interested in any of our solutions, check out the product pages and fill our the contact form. Let us help you simplify your shipping process.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

     

  • Top 10 Blogs On International Education

    Top 10 Blogs On International Education

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    This week universities and campuses all across the US will be celebrating International Education Week. International students from all over the world will be showcasing their home countries cultures, holidays and food! Perhaps you will learn more about the Chinese culture, try a Nigerian dish or attend a Diwali celebration/event. Universities and advisors are working hard to put together fairs and events that celebrate international students and international education. It is a great time for domestic students and international students to mingle, share cultures and learn more.

     

    In celebration of International Education Week, here are our top 10 favorite blogs talking about international education:

     

    Top 10 Universities with the Most International Students

    Universities with the Most International Students

    There are a lot of universities in the US to choose from. To help we have gathered a list of the top 10 universities with the most international students! (Read More…)

     

    Top 10 US States With The Most International Students

    The United States has fifty states and over one million international students. Here is a list of the top 10 states with the most international students. (Read More…)

     

    What Degree Fields Attract International Students From The Top Origin Countries

    top degrees international students study by country of origin

    It’s important for international recruiters to market efficiently. Looking at the top degrees international students study by country of origin can help. (Read More…)

     

    What Degree Fields Do US International Students Come to Study

    Attracting International Students

    With international recruiting efforts, it is vital that universities know what degree fields are attracting international students. (Read More…)

     

    New Beginnings and Making American Friends

    Studying in the US is a time for new beginnings. Once concern international students have is making American friends. Here is why you shouldn’t be worried. (Read More…)

     

    Campus Cultural Connections Can Enrich University Experiences and the Global Community

    Attending university is an experience that can be enriched by sharing your time with people from other cultures, both domestic and international. (Read More…)

     

    Why International Recruitment Efforts Are Important to US Universities

    The US universities has lost ground in the international higher education market, which is why international student recruitment efforts are important. (Read More…)

     

    Understanding the Critical and Ever-Changing Role of International Student Services Professionals

    The role of international student professionals

    ISS professionals help international students who come to the US as they navigate the practical and social challenges of studying in a foreign country. (Read More…)

     

    Getting International Students Acclimated

    University Shipping Solution

    With so many international students entering the US it is important for universities to help them to acclimate to their new environment. (Read More…)

     

    Studying in the US, I-20 and UEMS

    Personal Shipping Solution
    Personal Shipping Solution

    Coming into the US to study is a long process with many steps and forms. One of those forms required to even start the process is the I-20 form. (Read More…)

     

    Happy International Education Week!

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • I-20s and University Shipping

    I-20s and University Shipping

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    Universities all over the US are faced with the task and challenge of shipping important documents like the I-20 to international students all across the world. The I-20 form cannot be scanned or photocopied, which means universities must mail the form to the student. Here lies some challenges:

     

    Cost
    Universities normally use express mail or expedited mail when sending these forms. This can be expensive when sending documents internationally. Not all schools want to pay for the shipping and, therefore, require students to. To do that the school has to bill the student for the shipping cost by gathering credit card information or use another mean of getting the payment information.

     

    Accuracy
    In addition to having to collect the payment, universities have to gather the shipping information from the student. This can often result in errors in the shipping address.

     

    Time
    This is self-evident given the first two challenges. For the shipment of just one I-20, university staff needs to collect and write down payment and shipping information. They also must print out shipping labels, often one at a time. The entire process can be very time consuming.

     

    UEMS, University Express Mail Service, by eShipGlobal helps simplify this process. It is an online solution that allows students to pay for shipping labels on requested documents. University staff can print labels in batch all through the UEMS system. Better yet, It does not cost the school or the student to sign-up/register for UEMS and students can save money with eShipGlobal’s discounted shipping rates. They can also choose which carrier available to them that they want to ship through and how fast they want the shipment.

     

    For larger universities or universities with multiple departments, eShipGlobal has another solution which includes UEMS. Their Enterprise solution can provide more visibility and management of the shipping process across multiple departments or systems. It is a customizable solution that allows universities to manage their outbound shipping, connect and manage their own carrier accounts, and it consolidates invoicing.

     

    The web-based solution integrates with financial, ERP or 3rd party legacy systems and allows universities to look at past orders and receive reports on shipping analytics. Anyone or any department connected to the system will be able to compare the carrier rates based on the universities carrier discounts, saving them more money.

     

    Universities can also add-on to the Enterprise solution with packages like:

    • The Export Control Package, which helps universities ship internationally in compliance with government regulations: ITAR, EAR, etc.
    • The Inbound Package, which provides universities with more control over inbound shipping.
    • Supply Chain Analysis Service, which is a more in-depth analysis of universities shipping data to provide meaningful insights into their shipping habits and spending.

     

    Shipping should not be difficult, which is why eShipGlobal aims to simplify the process while saving their users money and time.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Top 10 Universities with the Most International Students

    Top 10 Universities with the Most International Students

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    There are thousands of universities in the US, which means there are a lot of choices and tough decisions to make when looking to study in the US. As of 2016, the US was home to over one million international students and more come every year. So if you are looking to study in the US as an international student, you’re probably are looking at a bunch of different universities. To help you we have gathered the top 10 universities that attract the most international students (for the 2015/16 academic year).

     

    1. New York University
    • Number of international Students: 15,543
    • Global Ranking: Tied for #28
    • Globally ranked #7 for Economics and Business
    • Nationally ranked #5 (tie) for Business Programs

     

    1. University of Southern California
    • Number of international Students: 13,340
    • Global Ranking: #62
    • Graduate Engineering program is ranked #15
    • Ranked #24 for their graduate Business program

     

    1. Arizona State University – Tempe
    • Number of international Students: 12,751
    • Global Ranking: #134
    • Ranked #1 for innovative schools
    • Ranked #24 for Economics and Business

     

    1. Columbia University
    • Number of international Students: 12,740
    • Global Ranking: #9
    • Graduate Engineering program is ranked #19
    • Graduate Business program is tied at #9

     

    1. University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign
    • Number of international Students: 12,085
    • Global Ranking: #51
    • Engineering program is ranked #19 globally
    • Graduate Engineering program is tied at #9

     

    1. Northeastern University – Boston
    • Number of international Students: 11,702
    • Global Ranking: #228
    • Graduate Engineering program is ranked #39
    • Their graduate Business program is ranked #54

     

    1. University of California – Los Angeles
    • Number of international Students: 11,513
    • Global Ranking: #13
    • Computer Science program is ranked #40 globally
    • Their graduate Business program is ranked #15

     

    1. Purdue University – West Lafayette
    • Number of international Students: 10,563
    • Global Ranking: #103
    • Ranked #40 for their Graduate Engineering program
    • Graduate Engineering program is ranked #8

     

    1. Boston University
    • Number of international Students: 8,455
    • Global Ranking: #39
    • Their graduate Engineering school is ranked #34 (tie)
    • Ranked #44 (tie) for their graduate Business school.

     

    1. University of Washington
    • Number of international Students: 8,259
    • Global Ranking: #10
    • Their Computer Science program is ranked #56 globally
    • Ranked #25 (tie) for their graduate Engineering school

     

    Good luck with your decision making! There are a lot of great choices. If you are looking for more great universities, check out our University Spotlights or our University Program Spotlights!

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • 3 Mistakes Companies Make That Hurts Their Business

    3 Mistakes Companies Make That Hurts Their Business

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    Every company and business leader wants to have a successful business. They work hard to attract customers and develop products. They pour money into products, marketing, advertising and public relations. Unfortunately, some businesses focus too much on grabbing customers that they neglect other areas. Here are three mistakes businesses can make that will hinder their success.

     

    1. Poor Customer Relations

    Customers are crucial to a business, which is why having a good relationship is essential. This includes providing great customer support and listening to customer feedback. Many companies have been negatively affected by bad customer service. The best marketing is word-of-mouth, but if what is being said is not positive it will make it very difficult to gain new customers. To make matters worse, an unhappy customer will share their views to more people than a happy one.

     

    2. Inconsistency

    People like stability and dependability when it comes to businesses, products and services. Products and businesses that are inconsistent with their practice, appearance, quality or support have a negative impact on customer experience; which can often lead to poor customer relations. Poor service or products, even with a great customer support team can detract customers from using your service or purchasing your product ever again.

     

    Inconsistency in business appearance may not be quite as damaging but it does have an impact. Consistency in business brand makes a company look professional and provides a feeling of stability. An inconsistent brand does not.

     

      3. Poor Leadership

    Leaders are responsible for their employees and their department/team’s productivity. A poor leader often results in poor financial results, lower productivity, lower morale and collaboration, and increases turnover rates. Poor leaders can be micromanagers, lack communication skills, have unclear expectations, have to high of standards, and do not listen to employees. They create a negative environment that stifles innovation/creativity and hinders productivity. A great leader listens and communicates clearly. They focus on supporting their employees and not pushing them.

     

    If a business base is not strong, the company will not be successful. A strong base comes from happy customers, a clear business plan/identity and through great leadership. If one of these three is not strong, it can affect the other two. How strong is your company’s base?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • 5 Elements of a Good Marketing Plan

    5 Elements of a Good Marketing Plan

     

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    Marketing is important for any business. However, without a marketing plan even the greatest ideas can be failures. Plans provide insight and determines if the marketing was successful. There are several parts that go into a marketing plan, starting with the business.

     

    1. Business Identity

    All marketing plans should align with the business’ overall mission and vision statements. Marketing plans also need to take in who their business’ audience or target audience is. In other words, the marketing plan needs to be in alignment with the business’ brand identity.

     

    2. SWOT Analysis

    Another important aspect of a good marketing plan is the SWOT analysis. A good SWOT analysis provides insights on what your businesses/products strengths and weaknesses are, what opportunities available and the threats business or product may face. A successful marketing plan leverages the business/product’s strengths and opportunities while being mindful of the weakness and threats.

     

    3. A SMART Plan

    The actual marketing aspect of the plan needs to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely.

    Specific – A great marketing plan has very specific goals and objectives in mind. What are you trying to do with your marketing efforts? Increase revenue? Expand brand awareness? Objectives are supposed to help meet the goal, which move the company towards its vision or goal.

    Measurable – All objectives should be measurable. You want to increase revenue? How much do you want to increase it by? This will also help determine if your plan was successful: whether or not you reached the measured objective you were trying to hit.

    Achievable – You objectives and goals should be achievable. Don’t expect to turn your business/products into a household must have overnight. That is not achievable.

    Realistic – Similar to achievable, having realistic goals and objectives are ones that can be met. Realistic goals and objectives are ones that are reasonable for your company and products. You cannot increase sales by 200% if production cannot support that number.

    Timely – It is important to set a time frame for the objectives. When do you want to see the results? For instance, seeing a 10% increase in revenue by the end of 6 months. The time frame should be achievable and realistic. At the end of the time frame you will see if you met the measurable objective.

     

    4. Tactics

    After you have laid out all of the above you need to think of tactics that will help you meet the objectives/goals. Tactics can include social postings, flyers, rebranding, SEO, representatives and more. How are you going to use advertising, communication, public relations and representatives to reach your objectives?

     

    5. Evaluate and Modify

    Marketing plans are not set in stone. The data and information gathered throughout the process should be looked at and the plan should be adjusted accordingly. If one tactic is not working, try a different one. Evaluating and modifying a plan occurs throughout the entire process until the end of a campaign.

     

    Whether you are developing a marketing plan for a campaign, a product or company, it is important to keep these 5 elements in mind. Having a good marketing plan can be the difference between a failing business and a successful business. So, what does your plan look like?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • What Social Media Channels Should Your Business Use?

    What Social Media Channels Should Your Business Use?

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    Using social media in marketing strategies has become a must for many companies. The question many businesses face is what social media platforms should they use or focus on. Posting on every social media channel is not efficient and can be a waste of time and resources. The best thing businesses can do is to  post on the social channels their audience or target audience is on. Here are some key demographics to help you determine what social channels to use.

     

    Facebook

    Facebook is still the dominant social media channel and is used by a wide variety of audiences. Here are some key demographics to be aware of (percentage is based on those who use the internet):

    • About 79% of all online adults use Facebook.
    • The demographics lean slightly more towards women with 83%
    • Men are slightly lower with 75%
    • The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age, with only 62%
    • The ages of 18-29 are the largest demographic with 88%.

     

    Instagram

    Instagram is the second most popular social media platform, but still does not compare to Facebook. Instagram is very image dominate and is great for very visual businesses, like clothing lines, bakeries, or travel-related industries. It is difficult for businesses that are more service based, but not impossible. High-quality, and preferably original, images are important.

    • About 32% of all online adults use Instagram.
    • The demographics lean more towards women with 38%
    • Men are lower with 26%
    • The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age, with only 8%
    • The ages of 18-29  makes up the largest demographic with 59%, much greater than the next age range, 30-49, with 33%

     

    Pinterest

    Pinterest’s popularity did not increase much between the 2015-2016, but it still remains a popular platform just under Instagram. This again is another visual social media platform, but the great part about Pinterest is the lifespan of pins and the high conversion rates. Infographics and how-tos are very popular.

    • About 31% of all online adults use Pinterest.
    • This platform heavily leans towards women with 45%
    • Men, while a growing demographic, only sit at 17%
    • The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with 16%
    • Pinterest is one of the few platforms that spans age ranges, with no particular age range holding a larger portion. Ages 18-29 are still the largest with 36%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 34% and 28% respectively
    • Pins lifespan lasts months, not hours or minutes
    • 88% of users purchase something they pin

     

    LinkedIn

    LinkedIn is very popular among professionals of all ages and genders. It contains the most varied demographics, but is tailored for working adults. If your target is teens, housewives or retirees you may want to consider a different channel.

    • About 29% of all online adults use LinkedIn.
    • The demographics are almost equally tied with men being slightly greater at 31%
    • Women are just slightly lower with 27%
    • The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with 20%
    • Linked, like Pinterest, is one of the few platforms that spans age ranges, with no particular age range holding a larger portion. Ages 18-29 are still the largest with 34%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 33% and 24% respectively

     

    Twitter

    Twitter has struggled with gaining popularity and has been surpassed by the previous platforms mentioned. However, it is easier to target audiences that use Twitter through the use of Hashtags. The only other platform that does this is Instagram, but it does not have the same ability to go viral that Twitter has.

    • About 24% of all online adults use Twitter.
    • The demographics are almost tied with women only being a margin more at 25%
    • Men are just slightly lower with 24%
    • The lowest demographic is for those 65+ years in age with only 10%
    • The largest age demographic is the ages 18-29 with 36%, but ages 30-49 and 50-64 are 23% and 21% respectively

     

    The key thing to do when developing a social media marketing strategy is to monitor the various social channels and adjust accordingly. If you find that you attract your audience on one platform more than the other, focus on that social channel. The more you learn and adapt the more successful your social media marketing will be.

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • 8 WordPress Plugins for Businesses

    8 WordPress Plugins for Businesses

     

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    WordPress has become the go-to website tool for businesses, professionals and individuals. It is easy-to-use and has many great plugins that help you customize your website to do what you need it to do. Here are some great WordPress plugins for Businesses:

     

    Yoast SEO

    Yoast SEO improves WordPress’ already good SEO. The plugin helps by checking title length, meta description, analyzes reading level, checks whether the focus keyword was used (in images, description, post, etc.) and more. SEO is important to businesses, which is why this plugin is so important.

     

    WP Forms

    WP Forms is a powerful form builder. Its drag & drop functionality makes it easy to use. The Contact Form for this plugin is free and the full form functions start at $39 a year. The full form plugin allows users to create unlimited forms, have unlimited entries, advanced form fields, multi-page forms, integrates with constant contact and has conditional logic. It is a cost effective form plugin that businesses will find useful.

     

    WooCommerce

    This plugin does not need much introduction since it is well known, especially in the business world. WooCommerce turns a wordpress website into an eCommerce storefront. It is a completely free tool that has been downloaded over 3 million times.

     

    Constant Contact Forms by MailMunch

    A great way to market to existing customers is through newsletters and email campaigns. Constant Contact is a mass email marketing tool that allows businesses to easily create beautiful emails and send them to a large number of people with just one send. The WordPress plugin allows you to add a popup to your website that allows users to signup for your newsletter. The emails are automatically added to an email list within your Constant Contact account.

     

    W3 Total Cache

    W3 Total Cache is another plugin that improves SEO. W3 Total Cache helps with website caching, which improves website performance and reducing download times. Increasing web speed improves SEO and user experience, both of which is good for businesses.

     

    Smush Image Compression and Optimization

    This plugin also helps improve website speed by compressing large image files. It eliminates unnecessary data from every single image without losing the image quality. This is great for eCommerce or other businesses that utilize a lot of images on their website.

     

    WordFence

    WordFence is one of WordPress’ most popular security plugins. Its Web Application Firewall reduces your risk of getting hacked. It also alerts you to failed login attempts and if your website was compromised. You can also see your web traffic and hack attempts live with the Live Traffic view.

     

    Visual Composer

    Visual Composer makes it easy to build and alter your WordPress website. It is a drag & drop page builder. When creating a page you can drag & drop a variety of elements (grids, sliders, images, videos, etc) onto your page. You can also easily divide pages into columns. This plugin makes it easier to design and customize your business’ WordPress website.

     

    There are tons of great plugins out there. WordPress is a powerful website tool that allows businesses and people to build virtually any type of website. And with so many plugins to choose from, you can do pretty much anything.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • The Importance of Having a Mobile Responsive Website

    The Importance of Having a Mobile Responsive Website

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    It has become necessary for business to have an online presence. One of the biggest ways businesses build an online presence is through their website. A website is like a digital storefront and it provides customers with their first impression of your business. It used to be that was all you needed, a website. But now, just having a website is not enough. Today, businesses don’t only need a website, they need a mobile responsive one.

     

    About 77% of the US population has a smart phone. More than 11% of people access the internet through devices like a smartphone or a tablet. In fact, the number of mobile-only users has surpassed the desktop-only users. This is especially so for the younger millennial generation.

     

    About 85% of millennials own a smartphone and about 15% are dependent on their phone for online access. In fact, 89% of millennials connect to the internet on a smartphone vs 75% access the internet on a laptop. Millennials are also more likely to buy stuff when using a smartphone. It is their dominant way to shop.

     

    Having a mobile-friendly website also improves your search engine optimization. Google penalizes websites that are not mobile friendly. They rank mobile-friendly websites higher since most of their searches are done on phones. This is important because SEO and search engine ranking helps potential customers find your companies website. The higher your business ranks, the more likely you are to be found.

     

    Luckily, it is not too hard for business to make their website mobile responsive. WordPress, a tool used by many small businesses to manage and build a website, has several themes that are mobile responsive. It is a bit more difficult for HTML webpages, since knowledge of coding is required. However, there are people and companies out there that will help business either build a new mobile-friendly website or make their current one mobile responsive.

     

    Don’t know if your website is mobile-friendly? Google allows you to check. There are many reasons why businesses should be developing websites with mobile-first in mind. Increased traffic and revenue are just two very important reasons.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Is Your Business Socially Responsible?

    Is Your Business Socially Responsible?

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    There are many areas of business that get attention: business plans, growth hacking, social media marketing, etc. Another big buzzword in the business world today is “Social Responsibility”. The focus on social responsibility have been driven by millennials. The millennial generation are passionate about social causes and prefer businesses that are socially responsible. So what is social responsibility? The short definition is that it is improving the welfare of society. However, there are many ways business can be socially responsible.

     

    1. Environmental Efforts

    There are many ways businesses can get involved in environmental efforts. Reducing their carbon footprint, recycling, and making their products or operating plants more environmentally friendly. This is especially important for businesses that are perceived as not being environmentally friendly, like power plants and oil companies.

     

    2. Ethical Practices

    The government already has many laws that determine business practices, but there are still areas businesses can improve ethical practices. This can include what overseas labor they use, how much they pay their employees, improving work culture, reducing employee risk,increasing transparency, etc.

     

    3. Volunteering

    This is a great way for businesses to be social responsible because the impact can be seen by the company, the community, and the customers. It is also a great way to bring together employees and team build. There are many ways to volunteer: blood donations, can food drives, planting trees, working at a soup kitchen, cleaning up a local park, and so much more. Volunteering in an area that you business or your business’s customers are in can not only help the community, but is great marketing.

     

    4. Donations

    This is the most easiest way to give back to the community. There are many organizations, local, national and global that accept money donations from individuals and companies. A way to involve the entire company is to encourage employees to donate and have the company match those donations.

     

    Just doing one of these methods can demonstrate social responsibility and no matter what size you business is there is a way for you to give back to your community. People nowadays are looking for socially responsible companies, whether it be to buy from or work for. So, what are you doing to help society and/or the environment?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • 5 Great Books for Entrepreneurs, Startups and Marketers

    5 Great Books for Entrepreneurs, Startups and Marketers

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    There are so many books out there that business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs should read. They all offer great insight into strategy, innovation, business, marketing, etc. It can be difficult to decide what books to start with first. Here are 5 great book that every entrepreneur, business professionals and marketers should read.

     

    Trust Agents:

    Learn how to build brand influence and reputation while earning trust from people all online. Social networks are powerful. With this book you will learn how to grow your brand, build influence/trust and increase your business profits profit using social media.

     

    Letting Go of the Words:

    If you are starting a business or are in the marketing field, you probably understand how important content is to SEO and business growth. Letting Go of the Words is a book that helps people write content for the internet that works. It covers a wide range of topics like, content strategy, SEO, social media and even some web design.

     

    Made to Stick:

    This New York Bestseller talks about why some ideas take off and others fail. Entrepreneurs and startups have great ideas that they want to see thrive and become successful. This book helps improve your ideas chances at sticking and thriving.

     

    The New Rules of Marketing and PR:

    Marketing and PR have changed drastically with the dawn of the digital age. This book aims to provide insight on how to get your message to your audience through means like social media, video, blogs, news releases and viral marketing. Learn how to reach your audience without paying the cost of traditional advertising.

     

    The Innovator’s Dilemma:

    This book on innovation has been referenced by many great thought leaders, like Steve Jobs. Without innovation, even the most outstanding companies can still lose market leadership. Know when and how to push aside traditional business practices when pushing products.

     

    Have fun reading!

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • eShipGlobal’s eShipLab Solution in Yale

    eShipGlobal’s eShipLab Solution in Yale

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    Many years ago, Yale University came to us with a challenge they were facing. The university was shipping about 40,000 packages around the world and about 4,000 of it contained regulated research materials (Hazmat). They had about 500 shippers processing packages daily and had little to no insight on what was being shipped from the university on a daily basis. The university needed a system to provide transparency on what was being shipped, by who and was it following hazmat regulations (if necessary).

     

    The Challenge

    Hazmat Shipping

    When shipping research or other hazardous materials, it is important to follow federal hazmat regulations because failing to do so can result in significant fines and civil penalties. They needed a solution that ensured compliance with systems like FAA, IATA, and the DOT. They also needed to ensure that the shippers were authorized and properly trained prior to shipping out hazmat shipments.

     

    Unified System

    In addition to needing something for compliance, the university needed a solution that allowed them to see who was shipping and what they were shipping. The solution needed to be able to integrate with their business systems and allow them to track shipping expenditures. They also needed one solution to manage their various shipping carrier accounts, like FedEx, UPS and DHL.

     

    The Solution

    Our eShipLab solution allowed Yale to manage the entire universities shipping and their multiple carrier accounts. This allowed the shippers at the university to ship using Yale’s carrier accounts for discounted shipping rates and compare carrier costs, saving the university and departments money. Administrators can review the various shipments by material through the dashboard. The system was integrated with their 3rd party legacy systems and since eShipLab is an online system they can access it anytime from anywhere.

     

    One top of improving shipping transparency and management, eShipLab improved hazmat compliance shipping by ensureing that packages meet all compliance requirements from governing entities (FAA, IATA, DOT, etc.). It also helps to ensure that regulated materials were packaged, classified marked and labeled properly by trained, certified shippers. Lastly, restricted party screening (RPS) ensures that it is compliance with export regulations.

     

    eShipLab helped Yale reduce shipping risk, manage the universities shipments, and simplified and automated their shipping process.

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • 10 Inspirational Business Quotes to Help You Grow

    10 Inspirational Business Quotes to Help You Grow

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    It is fairly easy to start a business. To grow the business and make it successful is the real challenge. There is a lot that goes into growing a successful business: business plans, product development, marketing strategies, product launches, customer service, financial obligations, and more. Growing the business is hard, which is why it is easy to become discouraged.

     

    Luckily, there are many entrepreneurs and successful CEOs that have shared stories of their challenges and successes. They all probably had difficult days and faced numerous challenges. Here are some quotes from successful business people to help inspire you and your business.

     

    “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” – Steve Jobs


    “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell


    “A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all” – Michael Leboeuf


    “There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” – Sam Walton


    “An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch


    “Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.” – Steve Jobs


    “The golden rule for every business man is this: ‘Put yourself in your customer’s place.’” – Orison Swett Marden


    “Great companies are built on great products” – Elon Musk


    “The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity.” – Peter Drucker


    “If you don’t drive your business, you will be driven out of business.” B.C. Forbes



    Learn from the entrepreneurs that came before you and the businesses that surround you. Business is an ever changing landscape. The sooner you learn, adapt and change, the bigger chance you have at being successful.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • The Importance of a Well-Designed Website

    The Importance of a Well-Designed Website

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    A business’s website is their online storefront, whether or not it functions as an eCommerce store. Websites are usually the first impression consumers usually see when searching for businesses, products or services online. Much like the popular saying, first impressions are lasting impressions. Which is why your first impression should be positive.

     

    There are several factors which can impact the impression a business website gives to its audience. The main ones are content, design and functionality. Here are some things you will want to keep in mind when developing your website.

     

    1. 55% of visitors only spend 15 seconds on a page.
    2. As of October 2016, more people access the internet via mobile or tablets than desktops.
    3. Users want to be able to find the information and can get frustrated if you have too many or too ambiguous navigation links.
    4. Customers may leave your site before it finishes loading if it loads too slow.

     

    The Content:

    Content is almost or just as important as design/functionality. The content is the message you are wanting your users to read. The design of the website should enhance the content and not detract from it. Below are some tips for creating web content.

     

    1. People get intimidated by long blocks of text, so keep your sentences/paragraphs clear and concise.
    2. Most people don’t actually read website content, they scan it. Make you website scannable by using headers and short paragraphs.
    3. The average American adult only has a reading level of a 7th-8th grader. So try to avoid long or difficult words.
    4. Write content using the inverted pyramid style – overview first then get to the more in-depth details further down.

     

    The Design and Function:

    Design and functionality should go hand-in-hand. Yes, you want your website to be visually appealing, but you also want people to stay and interact with your website. When designing your website keep these things in mind.

     

    1. Use quality images. Remember your website reflects your business. Low quality images could make your visitors think that your business is low quality or not as reputable.
    2. Your design, colors, font, etc. should be consistent with your brand identity.
    3. Keep navigation simple, you want your visitors to find the information they are looking for.
    4. Know what your objectives are. What actions do you want your user to take on your website?
    5. Design with your user in mind. Think about how your user will be accessing the website, what will they see first, what will stand out, etc.
    6. Paragraphs with centered text is harder to read and should be used sparingly.

     

    Your website is your businesses digital face. It is the first thing you customers see when searching for you or discovering you online. Having a well designed website is important because you only get one chance to make a good first impression. So, what is your website saying about your business?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Needed Documents for OPT Application

    Needed Documents for OPT Application

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    As graduation time approaches for international students, many start to think about gaining experience in the US through Optional Practical Training (OPT). Students can start applying for OPT 90 days prior to graduation and are encouraged to do so because it can take a while.

     

    Besides the long wait it takes for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process and approve the request, time is spent gathering all the paperwork and filling out the forms required. It can feel like you are shipping your life to the USCIS office, because you almost are.

     

    All the documents needed to apply for OPT are VERY important documents. Below are just a few of the documents international students need to send to the USCIS office.

     

    1. The G-1145 Form in order to receive a text notification when the USCIS accepts your form.
    2. Completed Form I-765 signed in blue ink. This is the main form that is necessary to get your Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
    3. Required $410 fee – which can be paid for using a personal check.
    4. Photocopies of all pages of all I-20s. This means photocopies of your OPT-endorsed I-20 and all other I-20s starting from the one marked “initial attendance”.
    5. Photocopy of your unexpired passport ID page, which must be valid 6 months into the future.
    6. Photocopy of your most recent F-1 entry visa
    7. Most recent I-94 arrival record
    8. Two U.S. passport style photos no more than 30 days old when the application is filed.

     

    These some of the important documents that you will be sending and there may be more. This is your US identity. With all this private information, money and the limited time international students have to get OPT approval from the USCIS office it makes sense to invest a little more into securely shipping and expediting the shipment.

     

    UEMS, eShipGlobal’s University Express Mail Service, is designed to help international students ship these important documents securely, quickly and at discounted rates. UEMS has been used and trusted by hundreds of thousands of international students in order to receive their important I-20 documents from the university.

     

    It does not cost a thing to sign-up for UEMS or to get access to the discounted shipping rates and using UEMS is easy. The addresses for the USCIS offices and lockboxes are already preloaded into the system, so all students need to do is select the proper address.

    Students can compare carrier rates from trusted carriers, like UPS, FedEx and USPS. They will also be able to compare the different service options offered by those carriers, like next day or overnight shipping.

     

    The package, or envelope, that is being sent to the USCIS office contains the personal identification of the international student, their history in the US, and could even contain their bank information via the check. Wouldn’t you want to ship that information securely and quickly?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Analyzing Your Shipping Spend

    Analyzing Your Shipping Spend

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    Businesses operate with numbers in mind: KPIs, ROIs, profit margins, expenses, etc. It is important for businesses to keep close eyes on what they are spending and how much. It is also important for growing business to limit how much they spend in some areas in favor of investing the money in areas that would help them grow. One of the areas that can often be overlooked is how much money businesses are spending on shipping.

     

    When analyzing shipment volume, UPS and FedEx usually divide it up between business-to-business and business-to-consumer. Notice that business is in both categories. Businesses often ship products, supplies or important documents to customers, partners or other businesses.

     

    One way to cut shipping costs is to improve efficiency and compare carrier rates and services. eShipGlobal’s flagship solution, eShipEnterprise, is a customizable solution that allows business to manage their outbound shipping and consolidates invoicing. However, what can really help lower shipping costs and provide more insight into shipping spend is the Supply Chain Analysis add-on service.

     

    The add-on service adds on to eShipEnterprise, and eShipLab, solution to help businesses analyze the shipping data collected within enterprise. It aims to provide meaningful insights that can help businesses manage how they ship in the most efficient way.

     

    The Supply Chain Analysis service looks at many different variables like, human error, carrier performance, billing errors, cost per shipment and more to determine how to improve shipping efficiency. Shipping reports are usually done on a quarterly basis and provide an in-depth analysis of the routing and shipping data, the efficiency of shipping and suggestions for potential improvements.

     

    Supply Chain Analysis is just one of the multiple add-on that can be customized into the enterprise solution. Others include:

     

    • The Export Control Package, which helps businesses ship internationally in compliance with government regulations: ITAR, EAR, etc.
    • The Inbound Package, which provides businesses with more control over supplier inbound shipping.

     

    The less money you spend on shipping, the more money you can invest into growing your business. Do you know how much you are spending on shipping and are you shipping efficiently?

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Growing Your Audience Through Partnerships

    Growing Your Audience Through Partnerships

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    Partnerships can be very important to startups or small businesses looking to grow. When two companies come together they can expand their reach, offerings, content and message to a wider audience. Partnerships can also increase profits with revenue sharing. When your business sends traffic to the partner, you get a portion of their revenue.

     

    There are many different types of partnerships: cross-marketing partnerships, product collaborations, brand partnerships, influencers, and more. If you are wanting to grow your audience, you may want to consider cross-marketing, brand and influencer partnerships. Influencers can cost a bit of money, but they are not called influencers for nothing.

     

    When looking at cross-marketing and brand partnerships with other businesses, you will want to at partners that share the same target audience as you or have the audience you are looking to reach. You will want the partner company to have the similar values, goals and objectives.

     

    A partnership is a relationship. Like all relationships there are things that will need to be communicated and consider before entering into a partnership. Like what are you looking to get out of the partnership, what will you need to give towards the partnership, will there be revenue sharing involved, how with the two companies work together, how will decisions be made, etc.

     

    At eShipGlobal, one of our biggest audience is international students and international student advisors. Over the summer we launched a new initiative, UEMSConnect, to help build a closer relationship with our audience. One of the ways we are looking to grow this community is through partnerships.

     

    When looking at partners, we look at what services and products they are providing and if they can help our audience. Our partners have the same audience as we do, or they are looking at reaching our audience. We have several different types of partnerships and are looking to grow our partnership program to include more services/products.

     

    One aspect of our partnership program is cross-marketing and content sharing. Our partners are highlighted on newsletters, our website, and through various marketing promotions. We are also included in some of our partners marketing efforts. In addition to cross marketing, we share content. We allow our partners to produce guest blogs and we write guest blogs for them as well. We also have exclusive content and offers that are provided to our users and theirs.

     

    Our partnership program is new and still growing, but the possibilities that are open when two companies work together are amazing. If you are looking at growing your startup or small business, you may want to consider partnering with another company. After all, they say two heads are better than one.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • New Beginnings and Making American Friends

    New Beginnings and Making American Friends

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    Coming to the US is not just a grand adventure or a great journey, it is also a time for new beginnings. You are in a completely different country, dealing with a different culture and having to start a new life as an US international student. There are many fears that international students face when coming to study in the US. One of which is whether they will be accepted by American people.

     

    Unfortunately, there are many bad stereotypes associated with the US and Americans. For instance the idea that Americans are: boastful and arrogant, alcoholics, promiscuous, racist, think they know everything, or that they believe all countries should imitate the us. Stereotypes are usually created through two ways: learning from people around you or media. Neither are good representations of an entire country.

     

    A good example is a study conducted that American’s who watched crime shows had an increased fear of crime, despite the the fact that crime actually decreased. Another real life example is the fear of safety when living in the US as an international student.

     

    According to the FBI there were 5,850 incidents of hate crimes in 2015. Out of those 56.9 percent, about 3,300 incidents, was motivated by race or ethnicity bias and the majority were not violent. The number of incidents did not increase much from the year prior. Even if it increased 20% (which is unlikely) and was only towards international students (again unlikely), the number of being a victim of hate crime is .33%. The actual odds of international students being victims of a hate crime is extremely low.

     

    Believe it or not, US is one of the top 5 friendliest countries in the world. The biggest challenge to making American friends is putting yourself out there to meet them. Many of the students you meet on campus are away from their friends and family. They are starting a new beginning as well and want to make friends.

     

    If you want to get connected, make American friends and start your new beginning off right you need to get involved. Join an organization, go to campus events, talk to fellow classmates and put yourself out there. Just be mindful of the social cues, which can differ.

     

    Another way you can get connected is by joining our community, UEMSConnect! The purpose of UEMSConnect is to be a community where international students can connect with other international students, domestic college students, organizations and advisors. It is also a great place to find resourced to help you with this new beginning, such as guides, how-tos and great business partners who offer services to help you live and study in the US. So, what are you waiting for?

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Managing Inbound Shipping

    Managing Inbound Shipping

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    Operating with efficiency is important to businesses. This includes shipping efficiency since businesses are the biggest shipper.  In fact, business-to-business shipping makes up nearly half of all shipments UPS and FedEx ship. One of the most difficult aspects to managing shipping to improve shipping efficiency and spending is managing inbound shipments, shipments that come into the business. This is especially true for businesses who utilize suppliers. There are several challenges that businesses face when it comes to inbound shipping.

     

    When suppliers ship to businesses, the businesses often do not have much control over how a supplier ships or if they are shipping in compliance. Suppliers are not obligated to use business shipping carrier accounts. Many businesses have their own accounts with FedEx, UPS, DHL or other shipping carriers that provides them discounted shipping rates. If businesses do provide their carrier account numbers, they have an increased risk of fraudulent use of the carrier account numbers. This means they may see shipping charges that are not theirs and have to dispute those charges with the shipping carrier.

     

    So how can businesses make their shipping more efficient and control inbound shipping? eShipGlobal has a business shipping solution, eShipEnterprise, that helps business control and manage their outbound shipping. It is a web-based solution that integrates with financial, ERP or 3rd party legacy systems and allows businesses to look at past orders and receive reports on shipping analytics. They will also be able to compare carrier rates, saving them more money.

     

    eShipEnterprise is a customizable solution that has several great add-on packages, including an Inbound Add-on Package. The Inbound Add-on lets businesses limit suppliers ability to ship based on restrictions they put in place. The solution also has compliance procedures to enable shipping compliance. Since the solution deals with the carrier account numbers and not the suppliers, the risk for fraudulent use of the accounts are significantly lowered.

     

    The Inbound module allows for real time collaboration between suppliers, buyers and carriers. It also collects supplier shipping data, which in combination with the Supply Chain Analysis Add-on Service, will provide insights on how much you are spending in shipping costs, what shipping carriers are being used the most, carrier performance and provides useful insights that could help lower shipping costs.

     

    It is important for businesses to operate efficiently and to save money where they can. Using the eShipEnterprise solution with the Inbound Add-on Package will help businesses manage and control both outbound and inbound shipping which can help them save time and money. Managing and growing a business is hard enough, which is why services that help improve efficiency are practically required.

     

    By Ashleigh Cue

  • Managing Hazardous Material Shipping

    Managing Hazardous Material Shipping

     

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    It is important for businesses to run efficiently and compliantly, especially when dealing with restricted or hazardous material. Universities are the same. Universities all over the country are shipping important research material and one university could have several principal investigators shipping hazardous materials. It is important for universities to have a system that guarantees the researchers are shipping compliantly because failing to comply can result in heavy fines and civil penalties.

     

    Yale, classified a R1 university (highest research activity) by the Carnegie Classification of Institution of Higher Education, had to deal with the challenge of monitoring and managing their university shipping. They ship about 40,000 packages a year throughout the world. About 4,000 of those packages contain regulated research materials. They had little to no insight on what was being shipped from their university on a daily basis. They had a problem.

     

    The university wanted a way to improve compliance for shipping hazardous materials and having the assurance that the authorized shippers are properly trained. They also needed a solution that integrated with their university systems so they could track shipping expenditures. They wanted a green web-based system that would allow them to manage all their carriers, track shipments and other shipping reports. This is where eShipGlobal’s eShipLab solution was able to help.

     

    By using eShipLab, Yale was able to improve regulatory compliance with governing entities like the FAA, IATA, DOT, etc. The restricted party screening evaluations also ensured that the packages were compliant with export regulations. The system also helped to ensure that regulated materials were properly packaged, classified, marked and labeled by certified shippers.

     

    eShipLab is a centralized web-based solution. University administrators can review shipments by material with the “in-a-glance” dashboard reporting. Because it is a web-base solution it reduces paperwork through electronic documentation. Yale was also able to save money by having the ability to ship using most carriers and see a route cost comparison during the shipping process.

     

    Other great features eShipLab has is a configurable approval workflow, training verification, the ability to forward shipment information to airlines and shipping carriers, auditing/cost reconciliation and more. It is a customizable solution, allowing you to add-on great packages like: Export Control Compliance, Inbound Shipping and Supply Chain Analysis.

     

    Yale was able to reduce their shipping risk by using eShipLab. They now have an easier way to manage the thousands of shipments the university makes every year. It is simple and automated.

     

    Are you in the need for a hazardous material compliance solution? Do not take the risk. Civil penalties for violating compliance laws can range from in the thousands to in the hundreds of thousands. Why take the risk when there is a simple solution that can help? Stay safe and compliant with eShipLab.

     

     

    By Ashleigh Cue