https://www.campustrack.io/

Twitter – @CampusTrack_

WHAT DOES IT DO?

CampusTrack enhances K-12 educational asset management through advanced integrations with Mobile Device Management, Intune, and Google Admin Console, ensuring efficient inventory control and resource availability with Bluetooth tracking.

WHY DO WE NEED IT?

Schools face significant challenges in asset management, with needs to reduce costs and ensure resource availability. CampusTrack addresses these issues with real-time tracking, alerts, and integrations with key management platforms.

WHO IS IT FOR?

Designed for K-12 institutions, CampusTrack is ideal for school administrators and IT staff tasked with managing and reporting on educational assets, from technology to textbooks.

WHAT MAKES IT STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?

CampusTrack sets a new standard in asset management with its unique blend of real-time Bluetooth tracking and integrations with Intune and Google Admin Console, offering unmatched efficiency and insight.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We’re expanding our engagement with local schools to refine our features and plan to enhance our predictive analytics and broaden software integrations to further support educational environments.

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Amcor is a global leader that develops and produces responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and other products. Amcor Lift-Off 2024 is now accepting applications! If you are an early-stage startup, apply now for the chance to gain exposure within Amcor and win funding and other support to bring your idea to the next level!

As a global leader in design, innovation, and manufacturing, Amcor works with more than 1000 R&D experts who are innovating new materials, formats, and technologies to offer better protection to millions of products. Amcor operates around the world, including:

Ghent, Belgium — where they coordinate global R&D efforts to manufacture increasingly sustainable flexible packaging.Manchester, Michigan — where Amcor experts work with customers to design, engineer, prototype, and test rigid containers.Neenah, Wisconsin — where Amcor accelerates packaging ideas from concept to commercialization with collaboration, rapid prototyping, and hands-on research.Why Should You Apply for the Amcor Lift-Off 2024?

Exposure to Senior Leaders: Gain a chance to present in front of a team of senior Amcor leaders and benefit from the exposure.

What’s in for Successful Companies?

Funding SupportIf successful, you will be awarded up to USD 250,000 in funding to scale your startup (up to USD 500,000 for later-stage companies)Access to Amcor Experts and External NetworkGet in-kind support from Amcor to help you refine your technology by building partnerships and R&D collaboration to scale across geographies.Win an opportunity to sign commercial agreements. For example, if you were to establish a supplier or customer relationship with Amcor.Are You a Good Fit for the Amcor Startup Challenge?

Amcor Lift-Off 2024 Startup Challenge will be focusing on early-stage startups providing technologies in three focus areas:

Paper-based Packaging Solutions — these can be either substrates (i.e. flexible or rigid packaging made from cellulose) or methods and technologies to create barriers on a paper substrate (e.g. water, oxygen, grease barrier). They should fit with the existing Amcor portfolio, i.e. high-barrier solutions for food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging.New Business Models — startups that provide technologies in areas that are not directly used in packaging but have potentially the same or similar technologies (e.g. films with coatings providing high barriers, vacuum deposition, printing with inks) for applications like solar panels, technical films, aviation, space & construction products, etc.AI in Manufacturing — new solutions to optimize Amcor’s manufacturing processes using machine learning solutions (e.g. network optimization, data gathering in operations, predictive maintenance).

NOTE: Amcor is looking for early-stage startups with interesting ideas. You should have a prototype that they can test out. Amcor would also consider scaling up later-stage companies if they are willing to accept the funding.

Building on a Successful Track Record of Amcor Lift-Off Challenges

Launched in April 2022, Amcor Lift-Off targets breakthrough, state-of-the-art technologies that further advance Amcor’s goal to make the future of packaging more sustainable.

circolution, one of the winners of the 2022 edition, is a provider of reusable packaging solutions for pre-packed retail products. In addition to supplying high-quality containers, they also offer comprehensive reverse logistics activities and data to measure economic and ecological performance.

“We are delighted to be in a position to support circolution at this early stage and see great synergies with both our existing products and other investments as we work toward a circular system for packaging. Amcor is passionate about supporting the development of a circular economy, and innovation is essential to achieving our goals. Collaboration and investment drive progress and it is this ethos that led to the formation of the Amcor Lift-Off initiative. Our team continues to discover the most impressive innovative startups across the industry, and we look forward to seeing what fruits this latest partnership will bear.”

– Frank Lehmann, Vice President of Corporate Venturing & Open Innovation, Amcor

Amcor provided the lid-sealing solution for circolution’s first product in the coffee, cacao, and powder sector, launched in 2022, using Amcor’s recyclable AmFoil and AluFix peelable can lidding.

 “We are very happy to win Amcor as the first ticket in our funding round. After having successfully launched in 2022, and begun to scale up our operations, Amcor’s expertise and funding will be invaluable. We’re excited to take this important step.”

– Alessandro Marchiaro, Co-founder, circolution

circolution is the third company to secure funding through Amcor’s Lift-Off initiative. In 2023, Amcor announced seed funding for:

Nfinite Nanotechnology – an advanced materials company that leverages smart nanocoatings to make packaging recyclable and compostable.Bloom Biorenewables – chemical and biomaterials company that converts plant waste into chemicals used in packaging.Greyparrot – the company uses AI waste analytics to unlock a new understanding of discarded resources called waste intelligence.

So, what are you waiting for? Be the next on the list of Amcor’s Lift-Off winners!

Click here to visit Amcor’s website and apply for the Amcor Lift-Off 2024 Startup Challenge today!

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When considering a personal loan, it’s paramount to recognize the array of personal loan requirements that come into play. These prerequisites not only ensure one’s eligibility but also impact the feasibility and practicality of taking on the loan. Applicants will need to consider their credit score and history, income, debt-to-income ratio, and potential for collateral.

Each lender has its unique criteria, which may include additional specifics such as employment status or educational background. Therefore, individuals must meticulously evaluate these factors against their circumstances to determine their qualification for a personal loan.

In the process of this evaluation, prospective borrowers should be cautious to take a look at universal credit personal loan reviews and various loan offerings. Getting access to such comprehensive information can direct individuals to make more informed decisions tailored to their financial situation.

Key Takeaways

Credit history and income are crucial for personal loan eligibility.
Researching loan options streamlines the borrowing process.
Reviewing loan terms ensures a well-suited financial agreement.

Understanding Personal Loan Basics

Before venturing into the world of personal loans, it’s crucial to understand the basics, including determining your loan needs, distinguishing between different loan types, and assessing various lender options. This foundational knowledge enables borrowers to navigate loan decisions with accuracy and confidence.

Determining Loan Needs

A borrower should first evaluate their financial necessity, pinpointing the exact loan amount that will meet their needs without leading to over-borrowing. It’s important to consider both the principal and the potential interest rate, as well as any associated fees. Utilizing a personal loan calculator can help in estimating monthly payments and total cost over the life of the loan.

Knowing Different Types of Personal Loans

Personal loans can be broadly categorized as either secured or unsecured loans. Secured loans require collateral, which the lender can claim if the borrower defaults. In contrast, unsecured loans do not require collateral and are typically granted based on the borrower’s creditworthiness. The APR (annual percentage rate) reflects the true cost of borrowing and varies between these types.

Assessing Lender Options

Borrowers have a range of choices when it comes to selecting a lender. These include traditional banks, credit unions, and online lenders. Credit unions often offer lower interest rates but may require membership. Online lenders may provide more flexible lending criteria or faster funding times compared to traditional banks. However, it’s vital to scrutinize the origination fee and repayment terms, as these can significantly affect the overall cost of the loan.

Qualifying for a Personal Loan

When considering a personal loan, prospective borrowers need to meet specific eligibility criteria set by lenders. These personal loan requirements generally center around creditworthiness, stable income, debt management, and a clear borrowing history.

Credit Requirements

Lenders assess credit scores as an indicator of risk, with higher scores favoring loan approval. A credit report details a borrower’s credit history, including past loans, credit cards, and payment history. Credit unions and banks may require a soft credit check during pre-qualification and a hard credit check upon application, affecting credit scores temporarily.

Income and Employment Verification

Proof of stable income is crucial, as it reassures lenders that the borrower can make monthly payments. Borrowers must present employment history, tax returns, and bank statements as proof of income. For self-employed individuals, 1099 forms or bank statements may suffice.

Understanding Debt-to-Income Ratio

The debt-to-income ratio (DTI) compares a person’s total monthly debt payments to their monthly income. Lenders use it to gauge a borrower’s ability to manage monthly payments and repay borrowed money. A lower DTI often improves the chances of loan approval.

Application Process

To pre-qualify for a personal loan, applicants submit an initial application detailing proof of identity (like a driver’s license), proof of address (such as a utility bill), and income verification documents. Full loan applications often require additional documents and a more detailed review of a borrower’s financial situation.

Conclusion

When considering a personal loan, individuals should closely review their credit score and history, as this is often the primary factor lenders evaluate. It is crucial to provide proof of steady income and maintain a low debt-to-income ratio to show repayment capability. Borrowers should also be prepared for possible collateral requirements or origination fees. They must ensure that all necessary documents are in order, which may include proof of identity and address. By understanding and meeting these core personal loan requirements, potential borrowers are better positioned to navigate the personal loan application process successfully.

Andrej Safundzic, Alan Flores Lopez and Leo Mehr met in a class at Stanford focusing on ethics, public policy and technological change. Safundzic — speaking to TechCrunch — says that the class drove home the point that few people, particularly in the corporate sector, have control over their online identities.

“The future of software is in automating manual workflows fully end-to-end,” Safundzic said. “Authorization decisions are probably one of the first workflows that make sense for this, since they’re a very straightforward — but also highly frequent — need with real business impact.”

It’s this seed of an idea that led Safundzic, Lopez and Mehr to brainstorm ways to better manage digital corporate identities. Their efforts culminated in Lumos, a platform that helps companies manage app access permissions across on-premises and cloud environments.

Lumos, which can be accessed via a command line or the web, helps to orchestrate tasks like audits of which users have access to which apps and systems within a corporate environment. Beyond this, Lumos can estimate and recommend ways to reduce spend on software licenses by tracking usage and integrating expenses data. And — leveraging AI — Lumos can convert support tickets into workflows and analyze employee data to suggest modifications to staff access credentials.

Lumos’ tools come especially in handy for businesses with lots of apps to wrangle, Safundzic says — which surveys would suggest is most businesses. Per BetterCloud, companies were using an average of 130 apps as of 2023, up 18% from the year prior.

“Now that people are starting to invest again, our features around employee onboarding and ticket automation are gaining traction because IT leaders want to enable their workforce to achieve more,” Safundzic said. “The future of access management is IT and identity access management becoming more of a strategic function that tunes and releases AI agents that automate repetitive tasks in different areas.”

With claims of 9x revenue growth since May 2022 and a customer base that includes Roku, MongoDB and Chegg, it’s not surprising that some VCs are throwing their weight behind Lumos. This week, the startup closed a $35 million Series B tranche led by Scale Venture Partners with participation from a16z, Harpoon Ventures, Neo and others.

With a total of over $65 million in the bank, Lumos is well-positioned to head off the many, many rivals in the access and identity management identity markets, Safundzic says.

“Building a generalizable core infrastructure makes it possible to mature our products way faster than normal,” Safundzic said. “Because of that, Lumos has been able to grow faster than competitive point solutions because we serve multiple pain points for customers, which made us show up in many different requests for proposals. For any company building an end-to-end platform, you’ll have a lot of competitors due to the large product surface.”

Lumos, which is based in San Francisco, plans to grow its workforce from 95 people to ~150 by the end of the year.

I always knew I wanted to start my own business but had little idea what shape this business might take. I set off to university to study a Business Enterprise degree to nurture my entrepreneurial vision but jumped ship after a year. I figured 8 hours of lectures a week was a poor return on a mountain of student debt.

The lightbulb moment

Convinced that getting my hands dirty in the real world would be the best way to unearth a great idea, I took up my father’s offer to join the family meat business and got stuck in.

It was during a run-of-a-mill meeting with a client that my inner lightbulb went off.  The highly enthused restaurant owner insisted on showing me his novel steamed chicken that was a huge time-saver.   Whilst the basic idea was excellent,  the execution left a lot to be desired.  The chicken was watery and riddled with artificial nasties and unsavoury e-numbers.   What if I could create a clean deck alternative? 

Making it happen

It took some food-grade pouches, a slightly battered Tesco van, several second-hand freezers and many months trundling up and down the motorways to find the customers for my game-changing steam-cooked chicken. Gold Standard Nutrition (GSN) was up and running, albeit at 56mph! 

I have rebooted frozen ready meals by refusing to accept great taste, convenience and nutritional integrity are mutually exclusive ambitions.  Today’s healthier living society wants delicious, protein-rich meals made with quality ingredients that don’t rely on high salt and sugar to make them edible.  

Healthy living

I believe strongly that we work best when we’re involved in categories that are close to our hearts.  A workout fanatic, it made sense that any brand I launched would be aimed at the nation’s growing network of independent gyms.  I wanted to be the first to meet the demand for healthy ready to go meals to be sold inside gyms.

Finding the pot of gold

Our best-selling, 6 minute microwavable meals pots (Pots of Gold) struck a chord with the gym owners who were looking not only for additional secondary income streams but for innovative ways to combat the nationwide gym chains with strong points of difference.

Today my business operates in over 450 independent gyms nationwide providing the perfect pre or post workout meal and options to takeaway for later. This has helped build coffee stations and seating areas for members to socialise as we have seen gyms become more or more of a social environment.  

Hard lessons

It’s not been easy.  Three years into my business, I needed to scale back as I had trusted too many gyms with credit that didn’t pay; I was forced at 24 years old to make my colleagues (and friends) redundant.  But I’m very proud that twelve years down the line my seven-figure business feeds the Royal Marines, are the chosen food supplier to Chequers, work with the NHS healthy frozen food vending initiative, and we stock and support over 450 independent gyms. We’ve achieved a turnover of £5 million with only a team of 4 full time staff, we’ve sold over 9 million meals to date, we are debt free as a business and never had a single bit of funding.

Final thought

I’d say to anyone reading with entrepreneurial ambitions – find a way to make it happen.  Whilst the lows are so much more personal, any win, however small, means more than you can possibly imagine!

Trading has always been about balancing risk with reward, and while even the best can’t predict the market without fail, good information kept in good order can make all the difference. TradingView has been around since 2010, but in recent years, it has become the go-to software for traders looking for a comprehensive, customizable charting tool that integrates well with major brokers.

TradingView 101: The Basics

In days gone by, traders who wanted to keep a vast amount of information to hand either needed a phenomenal memory or a method of manually charting price changes, spikes, drops, and market trends, as well as an eye for the kinds of world events that would impact the market. A subscription to the Financial Times never hurt, either.

Charting software takes the legwork out of staying informed, but not all charting tools are created equal.

TradingView uses a proprietary algorithm to provide real-time data from international financial markets, allowing users to collate and analyze the data that is relevant to them in customizable charts. With four menus offering customization, editing, social, and learning features, the software manages to be compact but versatile.

How to Use TradingView well

The best tools in the world are no good if you don’t use them effectively. Charting software is no different. Here are three tips to help you use TradingView well.

Choose a compatible broker

These days cross-platform compatibility is incredibly common, and TradingView has become popular among forex brokers in particular. Many brokers and trading platforms now integrate TradingView with their sites, making it much easier for traders to track and chart their portfolios on-site. Choosing a broker that allows this streamlines the process of analyzing your portfolio and planning new strategies.

Connect with other traders

TradingView has a built-in community feature that acts as a specialized social media platform. New traders in particular should make good use of this feature. Learning from other traders is one of the best ways to expand your knowledge base and discover new strategies, and get tailored advice.

Test new strategies

A lesser-known but incredibly useful TradingView feature is their paper trading option. Think of paper trading as a test track that lets you play around with the platform’s features and get an idea of how trades work in real time without risking capital. You don’t have to forget about this feature once you have experience, however; it’s perfect for testing new trading strategies.

It’s a good idea to start with a free membership and familiarize yourself with the basic features before you consider upgrading to more robust memberships, too. However, if you’re already an experienced trader, paid memberships can be beneficial, as they allow you to create more charts and even multi-chart layouts that allow for direct comparison.

Author: Marcus Fitzpatrick

Businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their operations and improve efficiency. One area that is ripe for transformation is the traditional mailroom. By implementing a digital mailroom strategy, organisations can modernise their mail handling processes, reduce manual tasks, and enhance productivity. In this in-depth guide, we will explore the steps for successfully implementing a digital mailroom strategy.

Step 1: Assess Current Mailroom Processes

The first step in implementing a digital mailroom strategy is to assess the current mailroom processes. This involves understanding how mail is currently received, sorted, distributed, and managed within the organisation. Identify pain points, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement in the existing workflow. Consider factors such as mail volume, types of mail (e.g., physical mail, emails, faxes), staff resources, and technology infrastructure.

Step 2: Set Clear Objectives and Goals

Once you have a clear understanding of your current mailroom processes, it’s essential to set clear objectives and goals for the digital mailroom implementation. Define what success looks like for your organisation. Are you aiming to reduce mail processing time, improve mail delivery accuracy, enhance data security, or increase overall productivity? Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals will help guide your digital mailroom strategy and measure its effectiveness.

Step 3: Choose the Right Technology Solution

Selecting the right technology solution is critical to the success of your digital mailroom strategy. There are various digital mailroom software options available, ranging from basic document scanning and indexing tools to comprehensive mailroom automation platforms. Consider factors such as ease of integration with existing systems, scalability, security features, user friendliness, and customer support. Take the time to demo different solutions and choose one that best meets your organisation’s needs and budget.

Step 4: Design an Efficient Workflow

With your technology solution in place, it’s time to design an efficient workflow for your digital mailroom. Map out the entire mail processing journey, from mail receipt to final disposition. Determine how incoming mail will be digitised, indexed, categorised, and routed to the appropriate recipients or departments. Establish clear procedures for handling different types of mail, including physical mail, emails, faxes, and electronic documents. Aim to streamline the workflow, minimise manual intervention, and maximise automation wherever possible.

Step 5: Train Staff and Stakeholders

Training is a crucial component of any successful digital mailroom implementation. Ensure that all staff members involved in the mail handling process receive comprehensive training on the new digital mailroom system. This includes mailroom staff, administrative assistants, department heads, and any other relevant stakeholders. Provide hands-on training sessions, user manuals, and ongoing support to help users become proficient in using the new technology and adhering to the new workflow.

Step 6: Test and Iterate

Before fully deploying your digital mailroom solution, it’s essential to conduct thorough testing to identify any potential issues or areas for improvement. Test the system with sample mail items to ensure that it accurately captures, processes, and routes mail according to the established workflow. Solicit feedback from users and stakeholders, and use this feedback to iterate and refine the system as needed. Continuous improvement is key to maximising the effectiveness of your digital mailroom strategy.

Step 7: Roll Out and Monitor

Once testing is complete and any necessary adjustments have been made, it’s time to roll out your digital mailroom solution organisation-wide. Communicate the changes to all staff members and provide any additional training or support as needed. Monitor the performance of the digital mailroom system closely in the initial weeks and months following deployment. Track key metrics such as mail processing time, accuracy, productivity gains, and user satisfaction. Use this data to identify areas of success and areas for further optimisation.

Step 8: Continuous Improvement

Finally, remember that implementing a digital mailroom strategy is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of continuous improvement. Regularly review and refine your digital mailroom processes based on feedback from users, changes in business needs, and advancements in technology. Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in mailroom management to ensure that your digital mailroom remains efficient, effective, and aligned with your organisation’s goals.

Conclusion Implementing a digital mailroom strategy can provide significant benefits for organisations seeking to modernise their mail handling processes and improve operational efficiency. By following these steps for success—assessing current processes, setting clear objectives, choosing the right technology solution, designing an efficient workflow, training staff and stakeholders, testing and iterating, rolling out and monitoring, and continuously improving—organisations can unlock the full potential of their digital mailroom and position themselves for success in the digital age. With careful planning, strategic implementation, and a commitment to ongoing improvement, organisations can transform their mailroom operations and achieve tangible results that drive business success.

The following is a guest post by Arjun Moorthy, founder of The Factual. Arjun and I have known each other for a long time, originally when he was a member of the HubSpot leadership team.  He’s one of the smartest people that have come through the halls of HubSpot. -Dharmesh

Startups are hard. 90% fail, 10% within the first year itself. If you’re a startup founder you already know these statistics and yet you are irrationally proceeding forward. Bravo! I did the same thing six years ago and having just successfully sold my company I’ve learned a few hard lessons that I’ll share below in the hopes that you avoid them and improve your probability of success.

Hiring full-time employees before product-market-fit

As Marc Andressen said, getting to product-market-fit is the only thing that matters in the early years of your company. Simply put, do you have something that people really love. Until this point you will be frantically trying many ideas, sometimes weekly. During this time any one other than a co-founder will soon get frustrated by the changes of direction and eventually wonder if the compensation they are giving up on elsewhere is worth it.

I made this mistake three times before learning this lesson and more than the money lost I feel bad that I put those early employees through this very schizophrenic period.

Deprioritizing offshore talent

Saving money is crucial in the early days. No surprise that Google and many other great companies started out in garages. But the biggest expense is labor and given the quality of talent around the world, and tools to collaborate with them, hiring offshore is the best way to save money early on.

At The Factual we hired talented designers and engineers in Argentina for $35-50/hr where the timezone overlap was pretty good with the US west coast. CEOs I know found similar impressive talent in Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, and Vietnam for $20/hr or more. Occasionally, we hired US and Canadian talent in rural towns, or working from cheaper areas abroad. And with few exceptions we found offshore talent to be reliable and easy to work with.

I should mention that while offshore talent is impressive they will not solve problems for you. Like most other contractors, they will do as you ask them. So use them for precise efforts rather than vaguely defined tasks.

Holding on to first idea far too long

Your first idea is very likely going to fail. This may seem like a gross generalization, especially since you probably just quit a job to launch your startup based on an idea you think is very good. But success with startups, at least in consumer, usually comes from insights that no one else has. And such insights are seldom read or found in a survey but rather learned through failure. So the key to success is to iterate fast through ideas and get those insights quickly.

I built a complete product for my first idea before finding out people wouldn’t use it. A simpler landing page test might have told me the same for far less money and time. It’s easy to think a landing page can’t possibly capture the product’s promise but if you can’t write it out in text and get users to sign-up then you don’t know what problem you’re solving and who you’re solving it for.

Building a bigger MVP than necessary

Most founders have a grand vision for the solution to a thorny problem and set out to build an expansive product, albeit in stages. But product form factors like a mobile app or website are far larger undertakings than people realize, even if you really try to minimize the feature set. Just standing up a site or app, getting reliable login/authentication, having useful onboarding, ensuring responsive layout etc takes a ton of time and you haven’t even got a feature yet.

Instead, find the smallest product area you can test with. That may be a simple newsletter but this was our first hit product. And its built-in retention means you are building an audience first, which will be crucial when you do have a more robust product to test.

Not having a marketing co-founder

The number one thing investors look for in a startup is high growth, typically 10% month-over-month or more. That’s because it’s an easy signal for product-market-fit and a business that scales. But getting to high growth is very difficult and requires constant experimentation with new marketing channels and strategies.

A marketing co-founder is essential so that he/she focuses on growth every day and is not distracted by other things. In our startup we had a technical co-founder and a product co-founder/CEO. So neither of us focused on growth exclusively and we never hit the 10% m-o-m growth rate consistently. When we finally hired our marketing co-founder (5 yrs into the journey) it was late and had we done this earlier we would’ve likely have had more steady growth.

Bonus lesson:

Some of the best ideas above came from other startup co-founders. Talking with other founders was often the best source of advice and I had a regular group of four founders who met every quarter for dinner. Beyond the tips, it was great to commiserate with them and realize that my mistakes are not unique. Hope you find your tribe during this incredible journey and drop me a line if you have any questions: arjun dot moorthy at gmail dot com.