Press Coverage

Classroom teachers spent an average of $468 out of pocket on classroom supplies and equipment in the last year — amounting to nearly 1 percent of an average teacher's salary in the United States. Nearly eight in 10 teachers — 77 percent — spent "at least" $200, with some as high as $5,000, according to the latest results of an annual survey from SheerID and Agile Education Marketing . The results were based on responses from 674 educators.

It has become a common theme among schools across Rhode Island. In addition to buying new clothes, backpacks and notebooks as their children prepare to go back to school, parents in communities throughout the state are also being asked to help stock classrooms with basic supplies that used to be paid for by school districts. An Eyewitness News review of school expenditures shows Rhode Island public schools spent about $15 million on supplies during the 2016-17 school year, with districts often dedicating less than 1% of their total budgets to classroom necessities like paper, crayons and scissors. Now schools are turning to families to chip in, providing parents lists of needed supplies that can cost between $50 and $100.

Buckle is a proud champion of the military, and shows its support in many ways, including by sending care packages to soldiers overseas. Additionally, a percentage of the proceeds from select merchandise goes to military members and military non-profits. since 2016, combined donations have totaled more than $95,500.

Today music streaming service Spotify has announced the launch of Spotify Premium for Students in Australia (and 33 other countries, but that's less crucial). The deal boils down to a half-price subscription for ad-free music streaming and offline listening, meaning you'll only be playing AU$5.99 per month. Before you get excited and claim to be a "student of the life experience" or something, Spotify has partnered with SheerID to verify that you're an actual student before you can take advantage of the deal. You'll get 12 months at that price, before you'll need to prove your ongoing studenthood to resubscribe.

Above: Spotify Image Credit: Paul Sawers / VentureBeat Hot on the heels of the news that Spotify is launching a shiny new Facebook Messenger bot, the music-streaming giant has now revealed that it’s expanding its student-focused Premium subscription discount to 33 new markets. advertisement Spotify first introduced its half-price student subscription back in 2014, kicking off in the U.S. before expanding into the U.K. and Germany, but today’s news represents a significant increase in the student subscription availability. New markets include Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. The 50 percent discount applies to all registered students for each year of their study. But, of course, students must first verify that they are indeed students by registering here. For the initiative, Spotify says it has teamed up with SheerID, a company that specializes in verifying consumer eligibility.

Hot on the heels of Pandora’s public launch of its on-demand streaming service, Pandora Premium, rival Spotify is looking to make its service more appealing to younger users by rolling out discounted student pricing to more countries around the world. The company announced today that its roughly half-priced version of its Premium service is now available to students who qualify in 33 new countries, in addition to the U.S., U.K., and Germany where student pricing is already offered. The new countries where student pricing is now available includes: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.

While serving in the U.S. Army in Oklahoma, Cody McGraw of Portland would help connect his fellow platoon members with military deals and savings. When they asked him where to find a list of the deals, McGraw had the idea for an application that would keep an updated account of stores offering discounts for veterans.

By now, it’s more than obvious that focusing on a single channel is not a long-term, sustainable business model. Even while storefronts are struggling, the organizations that master how to create a seamless experience for customers using in-store, online and mobile strategies are poised for growth.

Promotions and discounts are the prime force behind customer loyalty programs despite the fact 75 percent of companies are slicing margins to offer the discounts, reveals a new SheerID survey. This year more than 84 percent of companies plan to offer promotions and 64 percent will offer exclusive loyalty promotions to specific customer groups, such as teachers and military personnel.

Projects backed by Lane County’s technology leaders in recent years are starting to produce results, including improving access to affordable high-speed Internet service in downtown Eugene and deepening the pool of tech talent. “We will be one of the best places in the country for Internet access in 2017,” said Matt Sayre, director of the Technology Association of Oregon, an industry association.

Product promotions and discounts are clearly a driving force behind customer loyalty programs—so much so that according to new research from eligibility verification firm SheerID, even though a reported 75% of companies sacrifice margins to offer exclusive discounts, over 84% of companies plan to offer promotions in 2017. On par with the industry as a whole, 64% of those companies surveyed are already offering or planning to offer exclusive promotions to customers such as students, teachers and military members.

SheerID, which provides a solution that verifies whether consumers taking part in a promotion are qualified to do so, said its research suggested that the growth of targeted discounting, while strong, might be hampered by fraud. The company released a survey involving 76 companies in the United States that looked at exclusive promotions, their bottom line impacts and their effect on loyalty programs.

Voyager Capital – one of the Puget Sound region’s oldest and most active venture firms – is bringing on a Silicon Valley venture capitalist to allow the firm to make more investments in the Seattle area. James Newell leaves Menlo Park, California-based Institutional Venture Partners to join Voyager as a partner. Newell has more than a decade of experience working as an adviser and investor to technology startups including Casper, DoubleVerify, General Assembly, Sauce Labs and Zerto.

These are the best of times for retail. The industry is coming off a record-setting holiday shopping season that formally kicked off with Black Friday online sales of $3.34 billion — an all-time high, up 21.6% year over year. In all, holiday spending surged 3.8% to $196.1 billion in 2016, the strongest rate of growth since 2011, research firm Conlumino found.

Joanna Moore asked for playground equipment, Malia Gutierrez for iPad minis, and Marissa Phillips for phonics lessons. These weren't wish lists for Santa. They are requests from local teachers posted to the crowd-funding website, DonorsChoose.org, which teachers across the country often turn to to raise money for extra materials and supplies for their students.

Tableau, Costco and Symantec are just a few companies using new technology that expedites promotional campaigns, prevents fraudulent purchases, captures and retains consumers and uses analytics to analyze consumer-purchasing trends.

Teachers digging deep into their own pockets to finance their classroom supplies is a regular part of the school year for pre-K-12 educators, but a bill prefiled by state Rep. Jeff Jones, R-St. Simons Island, seeks to provide some relief. …Read More

Birdies for the Brave, a national military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR has partnered with SheerID, a point-of-sale verification provider, to verify status of active duty, Reserve, military retirees, dependents, and veterans interested in obtaining complimentary and discounted tickets offered at select PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, and Web.com Tour events.

49. SheerID (Eugene, Oregon) Oregon-based software company SheerID verifies the identities of online bargain hunters who use sites like Amazon. Desks at the office are made from repurposed doors, the company keeps lots of snacks around, and employees can work flexible hours or telecommute if they need to. …Read More

Birdies for the Brave, a national military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR has partnered with SheerID, a point-of-sale verification provider, to verify status of active duty, Reserve, military retirees, dependents, and veterans interested in obtaining complimentary and discounted tickets offered at select PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, and Web.com Tour events.

As a response to overwhelming interest in Bunion Booties by active duty military and other members of the military community, Bunion Bootie has introduced an exclusive Military Discount Program, protected by SheerID. Eligible active duty service men and women, veterans, retirees, and military spouses qualify for a 10% savings on each and every order placed with Bunion Bootie.

As more technologies are being developed to supplement and enhance existing point-of-sale (POS) systems, it’s becoming more important than ever for retailers to determine which types of software and applications are integral to reaching their end goals. While Google’s recent emphasis on e-commerce indicates that the big players see growth in online sales and revenue, well-known e-retailers like eBay, Etsy andPiperlime, a division of Gap, are opening showrooms, pop-up shops or developing other strategies that make them relevant in the brick-and-mortar space.

SheerID is a new national business based in Eugene providing merchants and service providers with opportunities to offer discounts to verified active duty military personnel and their families, and other targeted groups. David Shear, Marci Hansen and Jake Weatherly are co-founders. “We are a team of marketing geeks, programming whiz kids and creative account advisors who are transforming the world of ecommerce,” reads the company’s mission statement at sheerid.com.

When a theater or a sports team offers a discount to senior citizens or military veterans, what was intended to reward a customer sometimes can take more effort than it is worth. “So many venues that offer special discounts or free tickets to military service members and families or students, most, if not all, of those tickets, in terms of customer experience, means that you come here on the day of the event, wait in line at the box office, show an ID and gain access to a special price,” said Jake Weatherly, co-founder and CEO of SheerID.”

If perpetrators of retail crime are good at anything, it’s identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting them. Targeted discounts, used by retailers to extend their brand to new or existing customer groups, are precisely the kind of initiatives that are potentially exploitable.

This week Diane Fraiman, a partner at Voyager Capital, offers a look at the dynamics at play during the fundraising process. A fatal mistake when raising money is not giving yourself enough time. You have the disruptive model in a very large market and the team who can articulate the value. But do you have realistic expectations about how long it will take to raise that first institutional round?

SheerID, point-of-sale verification provider enabling merchants to offer discounts to special interest consumer groups, has announced its free active duty military verification solution created to help retailers and companies give back to the men, women and families who sacrifice for their country every day. The free, fraud-proof technology verifies active duty military without requiring a service member to share a social security number or any sensitive information, or become a "member" of any community.

SheerID, point-of-sale verification provider enabling merchants to offer discounts to special interest consumer groups, today announced its free active duty military verification solution created to help retailers and companies give back to the men, women and families who sacrifice for their country every day.

Last May, Amazon pledged to offer 10,000 service members, transitioning military personnel, and military spouses free membership to AWS Educate as part of Joining Forces, the initiative that works hand in hand with the public and private sectors to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives. AWS Educate helps individuals learn the skills needed for in-demand cloud computing jobs through AWS service credits, online career pathways, provision of micro-credentials, and the AWS Educate Job Board.

Fathead, the leading brand of officially licensed sports and entertainment wall graphics, today announced the launch of an everyday discount for military members and their families. This exciting new program, valid for 20% off all Fathead product, everyday, is open to United States active and retired service members, veterans and members of their immediate families. Fathead is partnering with SheerID, an automated verification solution, to validate military status.

Jake Weatherly, David Shear, and Marci Hansen met while working for a software company. But Jake and David had dreams of creating their own company. It wasn’t long before they quit their jobs and found themselves spending countless hours at Agate Alley Bistro brainstorming and trying to poke holes in their idea. Once they had an idea cemented, they worked through an accelerated business incubation program at Beaverton’s Open Technology Business Center.

Veterans Day is a time to celebrate the service of those who have sacrificed so much to keep us safe. While military members don’t serve for recognition, it’s nice to know that many companies and organizations set aside a day to honor their service. This page lists a variety of Veterans Day offers for our nation’s servicemembers – past and present. These offers include free haircuts, free oil changes, free car washes, retail discounts, and much more. Please see the following resources for more Veterans Day offers:

We asked industry leaders, movers, and shakers, and founders of some of the most innovative mobile companies the question: “How is mobile technology changing the world?” The answers tell a story of innovation, disruption, and a whole new business model that unchains consumers and businesspeople alike from not just the desktop, but from the office entirely.

SheerID, point-of-sale verification provider enabling merchants to offer discounts to special interest consumer groups, ended 2012 having achieved several company milestones. As of Q4 2012, SheerID is the most comprehensive point-of-purchase verification vendor, the only company enabling businesses to customize discounts and savings for special interest consumer groups, such as students, teachers and the military, and to verify their eligibility.

Special thanks to SheerID for sharing these Veterans Day deals and discounts for 2016. Calling all Veterans, Active Duty Military, Guard, Reserve, Retired … Veterans Day is your day, and rightfully so. Thank You for your service and sacrifices ♥ Here is a list of all the Veterans Day Freebies and Deals for you taking place this year! Don’t forget, some establishments require proof of service … such as the following: U.S. Uniform Service ID card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired ID card, current LES, show up in uniform, American Legion or VFW member card, or DD Form 214.

A Eugene web-design manufacturer hopes it means more jobs for the high-tech sector. KVAL’s Tom Adams joins us with more on the “Silicon Shire”.

Big Data is a buzzword that’s currently getting thrown around a lot at retail conferences and in online webinars. As little as twenty years ago, the kind of information that has now been dubbed “Big Data” might have been printed as hard copies and stored in file cabinets or printed in vocational journals with few subscribers. It was filed away, collecting dust, or it wasn’t collected at all.

With Veteran’s Day only days away, both large and small organizations across the country have partnered with verification company SheerID to extend exclusive offers to those who have served in the United States Military. As a token of their appreciation, brands such as Quiksilver and Men’s Wearhouse, among many others, are providing veterans and active duty military men and women, as well as their families, with offers only available to America’s heroes.

Startup SheerID is attempting to solve the problem of seamlessly providing customers with offers based on their verified segment. Perhaps you have heard of the oft-repeated marketing joke where a CMO says, “We know 50% of our marketing is working, but we do not know which 50%.” The advent of tools and technology that provide data on customer behavior and buying habits is useful to determine the success of your marketing campaign.

Challenge America Military Opportunities (CAMO), partnering with local organizations and businesses, welcomes all Dallas-area veterans and their families to the inaugural CAMO Family Fitness Day, Saturday, January 19, 2013, on the field of iconic Cowboys Stadium. CAMO Family Fitness Day, focusing on comprehensive soldier and family fitness, brings a day of fun with Dallas-based sports professionals and free resources and seminars led by veteran and family support organizations.

With retail sales continuing to gain traction throughout the year, there's little doubt that the holidays (November and December) will be a major revenue driver for U.S. retailers. According to eMarketer's holiday sales preview forecast, total U.S. retail sales will increase 3.3 percent over the same period last year to $884.50 billion, while e-commerce sales will jump to $94.71 billion, representing 10.7 percent of total holiday retail sales — the largest portion ever.

As the holiday shopping season looms, a new study from verification solutions firm SheerID has found that today’s consumers want an in-store experience without actually stepping into a store. Conducted in September 2016, the survey of over 500 U.S. shoppers who have made purchases online looked at shoppers’ habits, likes and dislikes, as well as holiday spending plans for the upcoming holiday season.

A majority of consumers surveyed (61 percent) in a SheerID study said they planned to do anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of their holiday shopping online this year, and nearly as many (57 percent) said their total holiday shopping budget was more than $500. (Scroll down to view the full SheerID infographic.) When asked how much they would spend per person on gifts for family members, the most popular answer was $100-200 at 35 percent, followed closely by 31 percent who put the number at $50-100 per person. Only 16 percent said they would spend less than $50 a person, and only 17 percent said they would spend more than $200 a person on gifts for family members.

The holiday shopping season is well underway and while industry experts are predicting a prosperous season across the board, online sales will be its main driving factor with 61% of shoppers planning to do 50-100% of their holiday shopping online according to a new study by SheerID. It surveyed 500 US shoppers to find out their preferences in online shopping habits, pinpointing consumers’ likes, dislikes, and holiday budgeting.

According to a recent study by SheerID, 52% of college students buy their academic software in the college bookstore or through their college IT department. Only 34% of college students surveyed shop online for academic software, a surprisingly low percentage considering the advantages to purchasing software online.

Does your e-commerce property offer military or student discounts? How can you confirm these buyers qualify? Well, if you’re a Magento powered platform, you’ll now be able to use SheerID’s verification plugin to protect your most special, targeted discounts.

U.S. consumers are expected to do the majority of their holiday shopping online this season, but there are still quite a few barriers that will have them abandoning shopping carts. For the most part, these shoppers expect the online experience to match that of the physical store, especially the checkout experience.

SheerID, a technology provider, has integrated its instant verification API with e-commerce platform Magento. As a result, retailers who use a Magento powered e-commerce platform will be able to protect their targeted discounts by using SheerID’s verification plug-in to confirm that customers qualify for special offers such as military or student discounts.

SheerID announced today the integration of its instant-verification technology with e-commerce platform Magento, making it easier for online retailers to verify special offers such as military or student discounts.

College students are notoriously frugal spenders. Their diet consists mostly of fast-food value menu items and anything you can buy in packs of 20. This college football season, METRO and the University of Houston have worked together to ease the pain on wallets by helping students reach UH games. Any University of Houston student with a valid school ID can ride for free. But METRO isn't the only place where university students can get a free pass, or as least a discount. According to Sheer ID, a company that verifies student identification for businesses, there are 21 million enrolled U.S. college students with a spending power of $417 billion.

A new twist on an old idea. The good folks at SheerID recently purchased a number of used doors at BRING and outfitted their entire office with desks and tables made from them. Instead of simply setting the doors on old filing cabinets, they worked with

SheerID is an eligibility verification service that was specifically designed to help companies offer exclusive discounts to the military market. Military Job Networks started working with SheerID to help verify that our community remained veterans only. Here is their story and why eligibility verification is such an important tool for both companies and military members to utilize.

Consumers who demand tighter mobile security do so in large numbers. According to NTT Data, Inc., a Plano, Texas-based business and technology services provider, 75% of consumers say "guarantees against monetary fraud would accelerate mobile payment adoption." The report also found that almost 50% of financial consumers believe mobile wallets are less secure than cash. "Fear is a powerful inhibitor, and fraud fear is top of mind for many consumers," says Peter Olynick, senior practice lead in retail banking at NTT Data Consulting, Inc. "Consumers are not just worried about losing one or two transactions, they fear."

The long-simmering online sales tax issue may finally be reaching a boil. State governments are applying pressure on Congress to enact a law that would require online retailers to collect sales tax on most transactions, something many web-only and catalog retailers don’t do today. And if Congress doesn’t act, several states have passed laws that directly challenge the U.S. Supreme Court decision that has exempted many e-retailers from collecting sales tax, which could lead the high court to reviewing its 1992 decision within the next year or two.

As of last year, the Millennial generation overtook the Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the U.S. This young, vocal, decision-driving group will carry the majority of consumer spending power by as early as next year. Even now, the Boston Consulting Group estimates that Millennials in the U.S. wield about $1.3 trillion in annual buying power.

Perception is king and, as most luxury retailers know, success is dependent on how a brand is perceived. When consumers think of luxury, certain terms often come to mind such as exclusive, high quality, special and expensive. All are indicative of an experience that consumers consider themselves lucky or privileged to have. Because brand integrity is key to any luxury retailer’s growth, many often shy away from a practice associated with less-sought-after brands: discounting.

Why is account based marketing (ABM) so hot today? More and more companies have reached the epiphany that while B2B marketing still has its place for B2C-style branding and awareness, demand generation should be uniquely B2B. And they’re changing everything from their organizational philosophies to the technology they use to accommodate the shift. Consider SheerID. Like many companies in recent years, SheerID found itself executing a B2B marketing strategy that wasn’t very B2B-ish. SheerID, which helps corporate clients such as Spotify, Foot Locker and the PGA Tour instantly verify consumers’ eligibility for special offers, adopted digital programs aimed at reaching as many people as possible within organizations and generating as many leads and contacts as it could. That’s the sort of elaborate fishing expedition more closely associated with B2C than B2B.

Perception is king and, as most luxury retailers know, success is dependent on how a brand is perceived. When consumers think of luxury, certain terms often come to mind such as exclusive, high quality, special and expensive. All are indicative of an experience that consumers consider themselves lucky or privileged to have. Because brand integrity is key to any luxury retailer’s growth, many often shy away from a practice associated with less-sought-after brands: discounting.

Why is account based marketing (ABM) so hot today? More and more companies have reached the epiphany that while B2B marketing still has its place for B2C-style branding and awareness, demand generation should be uniquely B2B. And they’re changing everything from their organizational philosophies to the technology they use to accommodate the shift. Consider SheerID. Like many companies in recent years, SheerID found itself executing a B2B marketing strategy that wasn’t very B2B-ish. SheerID, which helps corporate clients such as Spotify, Foot Locker and the PGA Tour instantly verify consumers’ eligibility for special offers, adopted digital programs aimed at reaching as many people as possible within organizations and generating as many leads and contacts as it could. That’s the sort of elaborate fishing expedition more closely associated with B2C than B2B.

Whether you’re a full-time student, holding part-time status and working, a veteran student (thank you for serving!) an Eagle alumni, a freshman, or a teacher adding more to your resume, I hope you find some time today to reward yourself whether you plan to hit the mall or shop online! Keep your valid HCC student ID, teacher ID, and veteran IDs on you at all times, because today is National Student Discount Day!

Each year, major retailers crowd the airwaves and newspaper circulars to cash in on back-to-school season. But as a small business owner, there are ways you can benefit, too. Here are some creative strategies to reach students, teachers and schools while growing profits and boosting brand awareness this fall.

Terry Rooney is a teacher, which means she is well versed in organization, planning and executing those plans, none of which seems to help when it’s time to pay her monthly bills. Rooney organizes her activities very carefully, budgets expenses prudently and plans to pay for it all at the end of every month, but it almost never happens. “Student loans,” she explained in a humble voice. “It’s a burden every single month and it feels like it’s never going to end.” Rooney is single, owns a home and just bought a new car when her old one died. She borrowed $37,000 to get her degree. Her first job was a pre-K teacher at a parochial school that paid $35,000.

Staples and pop singer Katy Perry are teaming up to provide full funding on all middle and high school literacy projects — as well as college and career prep projects — posted on DonorsChoose.org, a charity that has funded more than 700,000 classroom projects for teachers and has impacted more than 18 million students in the United States, according to a news release.

It's not uncommon for enterprises to offer an employee-discount program for recreational items like movie or concert tickets, but even though staff members are demanding more and more perks from their employers, not everyone is taking advantage of these offerings.

A recent Google consumer survey conducted by employee-verification company SheerID asked more than 500 respondents about employee-discount usage within companies. The results revealed that only 22 percent of workers use their employee discount programs often. However, if these programs were easier to use, 46 percent said they would use them more often.

A few years ago, most people would have scoffed at the thought of ecommerce becoming a necessity for retail success. Now, we know that it’s very much required for many retailers to survive. According to Forrester’s Ecommerce Forecast looking at the next few years in retail, ecommerce accounted for over nine percent of total U.S. retail sales in 2015, which is roughly $334 billion.

Eligibility verification provider SheerID launched its Employee Verification Solution, aimed at helping businesses streamline employee purchase programs and corporate channel partnerships.

Subject lines can be tricky, especially when creating campaigns for cold leads. It’s all about spiking the readers’ interest enough to open your email. Try A/B testing a few different methods, like teasers, questions, and click-bait ("What you may not know about…"). Depending on your readers, different subject lines might illicit different responses, so try a variety to see what gets the best open rates. Keep your email copy and landing pages consistent with your subject lines to give your readers a cohesive user experience.

Running a successful influencer campaign has the ability to bring brand visibility that many marketers can only dream of. A study conducted by Schlesinger Associates found that 81% of marketers who have conducted an influencer marketing campaign agree it is effective. While putting together one of these programs may seem simple, there are a few tactics that shouldn’t be overlooked.

The TAO's Matt Sayre says things are bubbling in Lane County, with several growing tech companies and a downtown revitalization. However, challenges remain.

On their own, each industry is rapidly evolving in Oregon. But to really see the forest for the trees, you need only look to Eugene-Springfield, where these seemingly unrelated industries are punching through the canopy. While the largest trees may command the most attention, it's often the smallest seedlings and youngest saplings - and in this case, a fire - that is sparking diversity in this green, economic forest.

"Tech is booming in the South Willamette Valley," says Matt Sayre, director at the Technology Association of Oregon, which opened a new office in Eugene early last year. Media stories increasingly refer to the area as the "Silicon Shire," he notes.

SheerID is an eligibility verification service for online commerce, based in Eugene. Co-founded in 2010 by CEO Jake Weatherly, President David Shear and CMO Marci Hansen, the company currently provides its service to companies like Spotify, Foot Locker, PGA TOUR, and Costco. We recently sat down with Jake Weatherly to talk about the company and its history, and find out how it’s been able to gain such great market traction in just a few years.

On Memorial Day, we remember and recognize the men and women who lost their lives serving the nation. Many restaurants and companies also recognize those who are serving and who have served by offering discounts - May 30 and some year round - as a thank you. Check out the following Memorial Day military discounts. - See more at: http://www.moaa.org/Content/Publications-and-Media/Features-and-Columns/MOAA-Features/Memorial-Day-Military-Discounts.aspx#sthash.eWrTxDrL.dpuf

When it comes to an email marketing list, size shouldn’t be what matters most. Although upper management and potential partners may be impressed by sheer volume, the real value of your list should be measured by how actively engaged its subscribers are.

The omnichannel evolution represents a unique opportunity for retailers to create loyalty that goes deeper than club cards or cashback rewards. Empowered by technology and data, retailers can now connect with their customers across several channels to meet their needs and offer personalized service.

Alex Disette as a Regional Vice President at SheerID will be an evangelist of the brand responsible for driving and supporting sales opportunities, gaining support for critical resources needed in both pre-sales and post-sales, and supporting customers throughout the sales cycle to ensure success.

Amazon is going the extra mile to get products to your door even more quickly. The e-commerce giant is opening two new fulfillment centers in New Jersey that would help the company quickly ship orders to a greater scope of its customer base, according to ChainStoreAge.

Oregon tech companies SheerID and Concentric Sky traveled to Washington, D.C. with tech companies from around the U.S. for ACT The App Association’s App Economy Conference. Katie Keller of SheerID tells us that the company’s co-founder and CEO, Jake Weatherly, and Concentric Sky President Cale Bruckner, “will spend three days with senior members of Congress discussing contentious issues that plague companies across the U.S. and in Oregon.”

In 2005, Steven Mandell, founder of Party City, decided to create a costume e-commerce site to provide consumers with a wider selection, higher quality products, more fashion savvy designs, and a more convenient shopping experience.

For the past seven years, the Oregon Athletics Department has used the annual Spring Game as a platform to honor and pay tribute to active and veteran members of the military. Each of the five branches are represented in pre-game festivities: Army sets up an inflatable obstacle course, Army National Guard brings Humvees and other large vehicles, Marines interact with a chin-up bar challenge, Air Force allows fans to use a Halo jumper and night vision gear, Coast Guard flies in a helicopter, and Navy does a push-up challenge.

The new Portland team of Eugene-based tech company, Sheer ID, has a tradition of making desks out of doors, so when the company opened a new location in NW Portland, they naturally had to carry that tradition. Repurposing doors all found at Rebuilding Center, the Portland team was able to create more door desks full of character to make them feel at home in their new space.

In the not-so-distant past, the primary responsibility of loss prevention personnel was to deter theft and control shrink. Many of us started our careers with the important but unpopular job of investigating internal fraud as well as identifying and detaining shoplifters in stores. Although important to the operation of a company, loss prevention wasn’t perceived by many as an obvious career path to a successful business career. It’s time for that perception to change.


JEGI held its first Emerging Company Dinner of 2016 on April 6th at the 21 Club in New York City starting at 6PM with cocktails. These events are structured as roundtable discussions and provide a stimulating evening of great conversation and networking.

For several years now, Portland’s booming software sector has been defined by a handful of high-profile companies. You know their names: Puppet Labs, Elemental Technologies, Act-On Software, Urban Airship, Janrain, Jama Software, Simple and Viewpoint Construction Software.

Rocky Scales has been hired at SheerID as the Senior Vice President of Sales. He brings over 20 years of sales and marketing senior leadership experience in establishing and executing enterprise sales strategies. Rocky will be based in the Portland office.

Being a student in the age of the Internet has its perks. From accessing databases from the comfort of your dorm room to applying for internships and jobs online, the academic side of being a 21st century student is more than enough reason to celebrate. But today, as online shopping becomes more ubiquitous than ever, several retailers are also extending special offers to students.

SheerID, a company specializing in eligibility verification tech and located in Eugene, Ore., announced two new executives are joining its team in its new Portland, Ore. office. Julianne Matzell has been appointed the VP of Product and brings over 15 years of experience in software design, go-to-market strategy, and product management. Prior to SheerID, Matzell was with Portland-based Janrain, where she directed its product management. Scott Hollingsworth will be the VP of Finance for SheerID. Prior to this, Hollingsworth worked with The Clymb as its director of analytics and then as its VP of finance.

The growing team at Eugene-based SheerID is expanding to Portland with a new office that is expected to quickly eclipse the size of the headquarters. The expansion is a natural progression for the company said co-founder and CEO Jake Weatherly.

T-Mobile seems to be offering a new deal, running a new promotion or otherwise, drawing attention to themselves in a new way every week. Mostly consisting of ideas from CEO John Legere, this tactic has worked pretty well for the past few years in regards to obtaining new customers and, in some cases, helping to give current customers more value and thus more reason to stick around. On February 16, the in-your-face carrier announced a new promotion aimed at those involved with the school system. Specifically, K-12 faculty, college faculty and college students can get $48 off most devices in T-Mobile’s stable with a new service on the device and with only a few caveats. The deal is online only, so you’ll have to wait for your phone to ship. Additionally, K-12 students are seemingly left out in the cold, but if you happen to be a high school student over 18 and living on your own, it may be worth giving your local T-Mobile store a call.

One of the things I love about entrepreneurs is that we have all learned some important lessons in business from doing it the hard way. Failing cheaply and quickly is how we stay in business. So when you come across some sage advice from someone who's struggled and prevailed, it's really great to share their insights so that our fellow entrepreneurs reading these insights will avoid these same mistakes.

Lane County’s growing tech industry became more organized, more networked and more visible last year, and it will build on that momentum in 2016, industry sources say. “We have all the right ingredients to sustain growth and build hopefully even a brighter future,” said Cale Bruckner, president of Eugene Web development firm Concentric Sky. “We’re getting noticed outside the region — that’s attracting investment. We’re offering more support for entrepreneurs,” such as the Fertilab business incubators and the state-backed Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network (RAIN).

While many question whether or not technology is having a positive effect on education, Jeremy Johnson provides four ways in which technology makes education more affordable and accessible to more people.

ABBYY North America went through a signi cant business transformation in terms of our go-to-market strategy, with a huge emphasis towards the online channel and electronic software distribution. Avangate has been instrumental in helping us build our online business, enabling us to take some major leaps forward regarding business optimization, integration with 3rd party applications, new online sales channels and improving commerce KPIs to support our growth and essentially improve customer experience through frictionless selling

This year the app marketplace passed some big milestones. The industry has grown, generating $120 billion in revenues while continuing to create jobs and reshape key sectors of the economy. ACT | The App Association’s member companies are at the forefront of this year’s class of leading innovators.

It seems like a real change to me. We’ve passed a tipping point of sorts. Eugene is finally perceived as a place that’s friendly to tech startups. Conditions aren’t that much different now from what they were 20 years ago when I first moved a software company from the San Francisco Bay Area to here. But perceptions have changed. And that’s a really good thing, in my opinion.

Scott Hollingsworth has been hired as the Vice President of Finance at SheerID. He is a results driven finance and accounting professional who brings experience in full cycle accounting, systems, and operational and financial analysis. He will be based in the Portland office.

Jane Yates has been hired as the Head of Corporate Legal at SheerID. She brings over 15 years of experience working in the Eugene area in business law, real estate law, intellectual property law, and trademark law. She will be based in the Eugene office.

Julianne Matzell has been hired as the Vice President of Product at SheerID. She brings over 15 years of experience driving software product design, go-to market strategy, and enterprise solution implementation.

Education: Bachelor of arts, religious studies, bachelor of science, geography, University of Oregon. Professional accomplishments: Founded SheerID with two partners in 2011. The company has grown to a 31-employee leader in the verification technology industry. SheerID’s technology enables clients, such as Amazon, Microsoft and Spotify, to verify customers’ eligibility for special promotions for groups, such as college students or military members. SheerID recently received a $5.3 million venture capital investment led by Voyager Capital.

Since the 20 under 40 awards began in 2008, 160 rising stars in the local business community have been honored. They have come from all walks of life, working in a variety of demanding jobs from health care to medicine, technology to the arts. Despite their differences, they share some common ground.

These are women who evangelize innovative technology solutions, build go-to-market business development strategies, nurture channel partnerships, build external education and focus on staying on the cutting edge of what is happening in our industry.

Marketing automation is the name of the game in today’s complex, ever-expanding marketing and sales landscape. The marketing automation trend spans businesses of all sizes, from SMBs to the world’s major corporations. What business doesn’t want to reach tons more prospects with minimal effort and automate the lead nurturing process as much as possible?

At times covering tech can feel like waking up in Wonderland, with headlines about very nascent ideas getting millions of dollars in venture capital. As that becomes the typical story out of Silicon Valley and San Francisco, stories like that of Eugene startup SheerID’s sound downright strange.

Marketing is all about the message. It is such a simple truth, yet it is often lost amongst the hustle and bustle of marketing professionals and the shifting technology they use. Making messaging priority number one, is something that Marci Hansen has made a conscious effort to do throughout her entire career, as a marketer and a marketing teacher. “I would say the number one for me, and I have seen it both in career and it is something that was important to me when I was teaching marketing, was that the message needs to come first,” she says This, however, is easier said than done, especially with a marketer’s tendency to move around.

Oregon-based SheerID has raised USD5.3m in Series A funding from Voyager Capital. The firm provides B2B-eligibility verification to businesses so they can on-board new customer segments. Arnold Venture Group also participated.

It’s been six months since the Technology Association of Oregon expanded its presence in the Southern Willamette Valley with the addition of Matt Sayre as TAO’s new Director in Eugene.

From science and math to art and music, teachers impact the lives of our young society each and every day. In many ways, teachers provide the building blocks to a successful future for our children and provide a sound foundation of both academics and creativity.

At times covering tech can feel like waking up in Wonderland, with headlines about very nascent ideas getting millions of dollars in venture capital. As that becomes the typical story out of Silicon Valley and San Francisco, stories like that of Eugene startup SheerID’s sound downright strange.

SheerID, the leading customer verification solution, announced today the close of a $5.3M investment round led by Voyager Capital. SheerID provides enterprises the trusted eligibility verification needed to aggressively compete for new revenue streams by attracting unique user segments.

A Seattle venture capital firm has made a big investment in a small Eugene startup — the fast-growing tech firm SheerID. SheerID announced Tuesday that Voyager recently led the Series A financing round that raised $5.3 million for SheerID. Arnold Venture Group, another Seattle venture capital firm, also invested.

Identity management software maker SheerID is adding its first institutional investors to its investor pool as part of its $5.3 million Series A round.

Eugene startup SheerID said Tuesday it has raised $5.3 million, backed by Seattle venture firm Voyager Capital.

Eugene, Oregon-based SheerID, a startup developing technology to help companies verify eligibility of customers for certain discounts and programs, said today that it has raised $5.3M in a funding round.

This summer we, at SheerID, surveyed 737 active servicemembers, veterans, retirees, and military family members on their online shopping behaviors, with the help of our friends at Military Discounts Central and Army Wives 101.

Fast-growing Eugene tech firm SheerID recently raised $5.3 million from investors, according to its latest filing with federal regulators. The company filed records with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicating that it had raised $5.3 million from 42 investors.

Identity management software maker SheerID is continuing the fundraising storyline from August with what looks like a $5.3 million funding round.

About 300 people who are part of, or interested in, Eugene's booming tech scene came to the App Industry Eugene Conference. Morgan Reed is CEO of The App Association, based out of Washington D.C.

The start of the school year rapidly approaching- if it hasn’t already started- leaving many teachers, parents and students with anxiety over the start of the school year. How will this school year go? Will I make any new friends this year? How can I get my teachers to like me? And the dreaded… How much are these back to school supplies going to cost me? As a teacher, you want your students to have all the supplies necessary to have a productive and successful school year, and with dwindling school budgets for supplies, that often leaves the teacher holding the bag when it comes to paying for supplies for their own classrooms.

It's back to school time and Bunion Bootie is proud to announce its Teacher & Staff Discount Program. Now, qualifying private and public K-12 teachers and staff can save an additional 10% on every order placed at BunionBootie.com. After completing a quick verification process on the Bunion Bootie website by providing their name, school name, and school zip code, verified teachers, administrators and faculty will instantly receive a promotional code. Home school teachers may also be verified through a secondary electronic verification process that may take up to 20 minutes once submitting their qualifications. Bunion Bootie welcomes any staff or educator to visit the Bunion Bootie website to begin the quick online verification process.

Like many other teachers, Jody Schwab spends some of her own money on pencils, pens, notebooks, tape, calculators and whatever else her elementary school students might need.

School is back in session after a long summer break. We hope to help students come back fully prepared, so read below for tips and advice from educators, professionals, and alumni, as well as items students should consider for their College years.

College students and those registered for next year can get Best Buy student discounts as part of the College Student Deals that allows users to stack coupons on top Best Buy sales to score huge deals on new notebooks and other items like Beats headphones.

As the back-to-school shopping season ramps up, SheerID, a teacher verification provider, and Agile Education Marketing release the results of their annual survey of K-12 teachers about their spending habits. The average amount teachers spend of their personal funds on their classrooms hovered around $500 for the second year in a row.

Despite the 2015 Minnesota Legislature increasing K-12 education spending by $525 million, each year teachers pay hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket and parents see long back-to-school lists each summer.

Kent State University will show its appreciation to military members and their families by hosting a military-exclusive hospitality chalet during the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at the historic Firestone Country Club on Aug. 5-9.

Back-to-school shopping is in full swing, and American parents are expected to spend nearly $25 billion for their kindergarten through 12th grade students.

An annual study that asked K-12 teachers about their spending habits revealed that the average amount teachers spend on supplies (using their own money) is $500.

Teacher verification provider SheerID and Agile Education Marketing today released the results of an annual survey in which they ask K-12 teachers about their spending habits. For the second year in a row, the average amount of their own money that teachers reported on their classrooms was about $500.

Discounting is one of the most popular (and arguably among the most effective) ways to drive sales. According to a study by Software Advice, a POS system research site, discounting is the top “pricing strategy for retailers across all sectors, used by 97 percent of survey respondents.”

It hasn’t always been the case that sales teams and marketing departments have been closely aligned. In fact sales and marketing alignment has been a hotly debated topic.

Right now the clock is ticking. Back-to-school time is right around the corner. Parents are not the only ones opening their wallets for money for the children. Teachers these days are spending more and more of their own money to pay for school supplies.

For those brands who do not normally offer "special" discounts to target groups like teachers, students, military families, seniors and others, certain holidays present the perfect time to do so, such as the Fourth of July for veterans and active-duty service members.

The National Retail Federation today announced the recipients of its annual loss prevention awards: Ring of Excellence, Law Enforcement Retail Partnership and Retail Case of the Year. Recipients will be honored during an awards ceremony at NRF PROTECT, the retail industry’s largest event for retail loss prevention executives in North America. NRF PROTECT will take place June 23 – 25 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in California.

Send an email. Build a landing page. Make a phone call. Rinse and repeat. Do your lead generation tactics need a boost? Are your prospects bored by your sales advances, leaving you with fewer new leads month after month?

Fifteen years in the home-improvement business taught Matt Fineberg that no one pulls the trigger on a big-ticket project—such as a new roof or windows—without first getting a handful of estimates.

SheerID provides eligibility verification solutions that make it possible for retailers to instantly verify customers qualify for special offers. “For example, Foot Locker uses our platform in their stores to verify that customers who want to use the military discount are affiliated with the United States Armed Forces, and Spotify uses our online solution to ensure that only currently enrolled college students can get their student pricing,” explains Marci Hansen, a co-founder and CMO at SheerID.

The teaching profession is one that demands dedication, commitment, and sacrifice. Indeed, most teachers, whether in a public or private school setting, often go beyond the “call of duty”, motivated by their desire to create a stimulating learning environment and to ensure their students’ success.

This past week I was in Salem with a handful of technology executives for a meeting with legislators about cyber security issues and House Bill 2996, which calls for the creation of a Cyber Center of Excellence in Oregon.

Cale Bruckner of Concentric Sky and Jake Weatherly of SheerID visited Washington, D.C., last week to join software and app companies from across the country for the ACT | App Association 2015 Fly-In conference.

Fifteen years in the home-improvement business taught Matt Fineberg that no one pulls the trigger on a big-ticket project—such as a new roof or windows—without first getting a handful of estimates.

Whether it's Veteran's Day, Memorial Day or simply a time a company wants to show gratitude, military-exclusive discounts are common in the world of commerce. Just like every other promotion, however, there are those who will take advantage of offers not intended for them.

Net neutrality talks continue, but Dems aren’t thrilled -- The top telecom Republicans in Congress are continuing to work on their net neutrality bill, hosting meetings with tech companies, public interest groups and ISPs to discuss the draft bill from Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune and his House counterparts Reps. Greg Walden and Fred Upton. But some Democrats say they’re cooling to bipartisan cooperation after being given less than two days to digest a new FCC reauthorization bill that would cap the agency’s funding and a limited role at the recent net neutrality meetings — where staffers of the top committee Democrats are invited to observe, sources tell MT.

Sports are a huge part of today’s culture. There are millions of fans around the United States who dedicate time every week to watch, or even attend sporting events. During the 2014-2015 season, the combination of the Super Bowl, NCAA Football National Championship, and the FIFA World Cup Championship brought in:

While many question whether or not technology is having a positive effect on education, Jeremy Johnson provides four ways in which technology makes education more affordable and accessible to more people.

When Sal Khan agreed to help tutor his niece in middle school math, he had no idea he was embarking on a journey that would lead to the creation of Khan Academy, a nonprofit that offers “a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.”

Active, reserve, veteran and retired service members and their families are eligible for free or discounted tickets at some of the nation's top golf tournaments this year, including this weekend's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in Monterey, California, and The Players Championship in Florida in May.

Washington would be a less exciting place without its out-of-town visitors. And “fly-ins” — when interest groups bring their members to town to lobby legislators and agency officials — do more than just keep the hotels full and the Metro lines long. They can draw attention to an issue, rally stakeholders and even move the dial on legislative priorities.

Over the last decade, holiday shopping has slowly evolved, and numbers are now showing that physically going to a store or the mall to shop is becoming a thing of the past. According to the National Retail Federation, 44% of holiday shopping will be done online in 2014. With so many people transitioning to online shopping, the customer’s online experience is becoming as important as customers’ in-store experience. Retail giants as well as small businesses are restructuring their marketing plans to ensure that they can give consumers a consistent omni-channel experience.

Over the last 10 years, customer acquisition costs have skyrocketed. Building customer loyalty dramatically impacts your bottom line because the biggest costs come from acquiring a customer. Profits come when you get that same customer to repeatedly purchase from your business.

While not necessarily expected, exclusive discounts for students, teachers and military sure are welcomed and, for retailers, could mean the difference between sale or no sale.

Eugene startup SheerID is only three years old. But it recently raised $2 million from angel investors, has a client list that includes Fortune 500 companies, is gearing up for significant growth next year and may be poised to become the The Next Big Thing to come out of Eugene’s tech community, according to people in that community.

Eugene-based SheerID, which makes identity verification software, has secured $2 million in funding from its existing group of angel investors. According to documents filed Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, there were 23 investors involved in this latest round.

Jay Roberts has been appointed VP of Research and Development at SheerID. Working out of Eugene, Oregon, Roberts brings domain expertise to the company and added depth and sophistication in the areas of platform scalability, reliability, and data security.

Kevin Teel comes to SheerID with tremendous experience as a financial strategist and is a licensed CPA. In his new role as SheerID’s chief accounting officer, Teel will oversee payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable and budgeting, among other responsibilities.

Fashion Week may be over for New York and Milan trendsetters, but college marketing firm and media company Her Campus Media is bringing collegiates to the catwalk with its College Fashion Week tour this October. And the brand is giving its millennial audience the front-row treatment.

On today’s episode of The Boomer Business Owner, Charlie interviews honorary Baby Boomer and the CEO of SheerID, Jake Weatherly. SheerID is the pioneer of instant customer eligibility identity verification services for retailers.

First-year teacher Samantha Field didn’t just buy papers and pencils for her first-grade students at Centennial Elementary School.

It’s SXSW Interactive PanelPicker time, or the time of year when various members of the technology community (and, increasingly, the marketing community) make the call for votes on topics to be covered at next year’s global tech bonanza in Austin, Texas. Voting is open through Sept. 5.

With school right around the corner parents are rushing to retail stores to get the best prices on back-to-school gear. While most retailers target sales to parents on clothing, school supplies, and gadgets, teachers are also spending their own cash to fully equip their classroom.

With back to school shopping in full swing, it seems as if every retailer is marketing their stores as the best destinations to get student must-haves for the 2014-2015 school year. And while most retailers target parents and students in their back to school campaigns, there’s a large audience of consumers that are spending about $400 a year on back to school supplies that aren’t being catered to… and that audience is teachers.

Retailers’ investments in mobile show no signs of slowing down as these marketers continue to explore how to stay top-of-mind in light of how the path to purchase is evolving, according to exhibitors at eTail East 2014.

I haven’t been to a Six Flags since I was 17 and would love to go back. Unfortunately I don’t live near California or else I would take part in this amazing military promotion on July 12th at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

As you may know us East Coast and Southern military folks have been able to enjoy the military discount offered by Legoland in Florida. Another fun theme park is offering a military discount. LegoLand California is offering two different military deals for government personnel and their families.

In the wake of data breaches at Target, Sony, Neiman Marcus, and eBay, consumers are becoming more wary of how their personally identifiable information is being collected and used. Post-Heartbleed, data security has entered the popular lexicon, and it is a growing concern for everyone from CTO’s at large companies that are vulnerable to cyber-attacks to shoppers who feel like they’re taking a risk every time they use their credit cards or log into an online account.

Retailers need to make smart choices when selecting third-party vendors. While differentiators like price, customer service, reporting, and extra functionality often play into the decision making process, many retailers do not think about the impact their contracts with third-parties may have on their customers. Meeting customer expectations is the key to maximizing ROI and maintaining a loyal base, and third-party solution providers can either help retailers exceed those expectations or undermine their efforts.

“If you operate from a place of fear or resistance to change, you become blind to the most exciting opportunities and growth. Celebrating the adventure of uncertainty, while staying focused on vision and measurable goals, makes me more productive.”

Eugene-based SheerID is continuing to grow, partnering with for-profit and nonprofit enterprises to validate legitimate discounts. Just in time for Memorial Day, SheerID is now serving Winter Park Resort, American Century Championship, Good Home Co. and several others offering discounts for active duty military, reserves and veterans.

Inspiration and drive can come from the unlikeliest of places. Where does success in business come from? It could be the logical outcome of a good education and favorable circumstance. Success might be born from tenacity, drive or passion--or all three.

To discount or not to discount? For CFO’s, CMO’s, and other business executives, the question of whether to reduce the prices of their products is a tricky one. On the plus side, offering discounts brings in new customers, keeps existing customers loyal, moves out stagnant inventory, and increases orders.

Spotify is making a land grab. In a space that continues to fill up with competition from small startups and incumbents alike, Spotify is trying to acquire as many new users as possible with the launch of a 50 percent discount for college students.

Streaming music services are getting more popular. How much more popular would they be if they were cheaper? Spotify will start finding out today. The subscription music company is cutting the price of its premium service in half, from $10 to $5 a month, for college students in the U.S.

Identifying core customers, targeting new customers, and recognizing consumers' shopping behaviors are all challenges that retailers grapple with in today's omnichannel marketplace.

Offering special promotions, experiences, and discounts to targeted groups of customers is a proven strategy for reaching new customers, increasing incremental revenue, and strengthening brand loyalty.

As you expand and aim to maximize your market share in 2014, promoting your exclusive offers, in-store via mobile, and online, should be a high priority. According to PriceGrabber.com, 66 percent of consumers expect retailers to offer better prices and discounts this year because of the economy, meaning your marketing campaign should include a variety of deals and discounts to entice buyers to connect with your brand on a personal level and spend more with you instead of your competitor.

Omnichannel marketing strategies are powerful and effective, because they allow retailers and brands to connect with consumers across multiple touch points in a variety of different ways.

Jake is the CEO and Co-founder of SheerID, the pioneer of instant customer eligibility verification services for retailers. A fearless backcountry skier, bat-out-of-hell mountain biker, global trekker, and rare car collector, Jake doesnt do anything part way; he is one of those people who seems to have 28-hour days and 8-day weeks.

Attractions like LEGOLAND California and the PGA Tour and e-commerce brands like Fathead and ProFlowers, offer discount prices for veterans, active duty military and their families.

SheerID, the point-of-sale eligibility verification provider that enables merchants to provide exclusive offers to special interest consumer groups, introduced faculty, alumni, and first responder verification in 2013 and closed the year having processed 80 percent more verifications than in 2012.

Local tech firms are on a hiring binge. At least 50 companies belonging to the Silicon Shire — a local tech networking group — are hiring, according to its website. They range from Symantec’s 1,400-employee center in Springfield, which has 90 openings, to the eight-employee Eugene office of a Florida-based software developer, 3Cinteractive, which is “always looking to add any time we can find highly qualified people,” Chief Operating Officer Mark Smith said.

11 entrepreneurs shared with me over 20 plus ways how to increase sales for small business owners in this multi-series post. Often I write about marketing strategies you can use to grow your business and I love asking other entrepreneurs who’ve succeeded to share their winning strategies. I’ve grown 2 separate million dollar plus businesses using completely different marketing strategies in each.

What as online business owners should we be looking ahead for in 2014? What trends should we expect? As 2014 gets underway you’ll see a number of predictions including areas the experts believe you should focus on.

This past July Boca Raton, Florida-based office and school supplies retailer Office Depot announced that it had deployed handheld devices to its more than 1,000 locations. The devices enable employees to provide customers with instant access to extended product information, availability, reviews, and the option to pay for their purchases anywhere in the store.

With the holidays right around the corner, it's a good time to take a look back at the impact technology has had on consumer spending and shopping habits, especially on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Here's a review of the top technology influences on e-commerce over the past decade, as identified by SheerID, a retail technology provider.

If you follow Internet Retailer as closely as I do, you’ve probably read articles lately lamenting the rise of showrooming or proclaiming an increase in webrooming. Webrooming? Showrooming? What kind of rooming is next? And what do all these made up marketing words even mean?

SheerID, a point-of-sale eligibility verification provider enabling merchants to provide exclusive offers to special interest groups, launched its verification technology for professors today. Aimed to help retailers and organizations provide special offers to nearly two million higher education faculty and administrators across the country, the fraud-proof platform verifies shoppers by just a name, email address and institution. Unlike other verification technology providers, SheerID does not require consumers to hand over sensitive personal information.

E-commerce now dominates the retail discussion but many merchants are struggling. Struggling to keep their existing customer base, struggling to keep those customers loyal, and struggling to understand, find and implement methods to accept payments for a more commerce-savvy user.

Jeff Tacher joined SheerID, Seattle, as vice president of business development.

Although there were a few memorable highlights in the busiest shopping period of 2012, last year's holiday season will not go down in the history books as one of the most successful for retailers. What can retailers expect this year, and how can they prepare now?

SheerID, founded in Eugene earlier this year, has this week added the UO Duck Store to its client base. SheerID will help the store confirm alumni status for discount offers. The store had a problem last year when a coupon code went viral and nonmembers redeemed discounts. SheerID also confirms military status and other targeted groups, according to CEO Jake Weatherly.

Some customers don't mind if you run a behind-the-scenes check on their personal information. It helps if you're giving them a nice price break as a result. In a sense, Armed Forces Eyewear has it easy when it comes to handling customer data. The online retailer's customers, primarily military personnel and their families, rarely grumble about verifying their identities -- especially if their military status earns them a discount or other benefits.

The loyalty and reward solution, once considered a valued-added service included in the overall service package, is becoming central to the paradigm shift occurring in merchant sales. The rise in the importance of loyalty thus represents a potentially more profitable way to sell merchant services.

Instead of simply waiting with baited breath to see whether or not the Marketplace Fairness Act passes the House, many online retailers are taking a proactive approach by putting programs in place now to ensure that if and when a new online sales tax requirement goes into effect, they’ll be ready.

Not everyone is going to buy from you on the first visit. Most visitors will leave your site and never return. Collecting their email addresses will allow you to stay in touch and convert them into paying customers later through occasional messages about deals, new arrivals, or valuable content.

A retired Army lieutenant colonel recently wrote in to say he has “significant security concerns” about two programs that have been developed to give companies ways to verify that people are veterans before giving them special deals and discounts.

Today SheerID, the leading provider of online verification technology, announced the launch of its first responder verification platform. In addition to verifying military, college students, teachers, and associations online, via mobile, or at POS, SheerID can now verify emergency medical technicians, paramedics, firefighters, and federal or local police officers. SheerID’s technology allows retailers to offer exclusive discounts, special offers, or memberships to a targeted segment of consumers.

“Since its founding in June 2011, SheerID has built a customer base of about 50 clients, including warehouse retailer Costco and e-commerce giant Amazon.com, which was SheerID’s first customer. SheerID charges those merchants and other companies and organizations that use its services a fee for each check SheerID performs.”

For years, the PGA Tour has offered members of the military and veterans free of deeply discounted tickets to its gold tournaments and special events. But it hasn’t been easy. People had to show proof of their service to the volunteers working at the gate, who weren’t always familiar with various military ID cards and paperwork.

The proposed Marketplace Fairness Act is not a new tax. But it will certainly feel new to Internet and catalog shoppers. And, if they're looking for someone to blame for the increased costs of buying goods and services online, the companies they do business with make the most likely target.

As POS systems have advanced, you may feel overwhelmed by all of the bells and whistles they offer. But, ultimately, today’s models are making life much easier for the operator—streamlining online (and even old-fashioned call-in) ordering, simplifying loyalty programs and menu management, promising top-notch security for customer information, and enhancing mobile possibilities for customers who increasingly expect to order on the go. PMQ talked with operators and experts in the field to find out how the new generations of POS systems are working smarter and harder for you—and your customers.

Rockin' Green Eco Friendly Cleaning Products (http://RockinGreenSoap.com), an up and coming leader in the green cleaning movement, gets a new website to match their personality and improve customer interaction.

In today’s economically challenged environment, businesses are getting more and more creative in what they offer in the way of discounts to targeted groups such as the military or college students. Unfortunately, these types of special offerings open the doors for some people fraudulently claiming to be a member of the discounted group.

Using SheerID's online military verification services, five companies are launching military discounts to celebrate Memorial Day 2013 and bring the focus back to those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

To some retailers, the Marketplace Fairness Act is anything but. If enacted, the contentious piece of legislation, which gained Senate approval last week, will require Internet retailers earning more than $1 million in annual sales to collect sales taxes for online purchases — a move that's pitting e-tailers against brick-and-mortars for a playing field advantage.

I was [at WebEx] from 2005 to 2006. I was there when the company was preparing for an acquisition. It was a fantastic experience and I was fortunate enough to be there during the acquisition. I stayed there for a quarter after the acquisition before I was wooed back to Palo Alto Software.

Jake is the co-founder and CEO of SheerID, an online shopping cart platform which provides instant, seamless group verification. For more than 15 years, Jake has focused his career on entrepreneurship and small business growth. He has traveled the world to teach business and marketing planning to small businesses, consultants, large enterprises, universities, and government organizations.