We have written about M-Commerce in the past and still believe it is the wave of the future in regards to payment processing. Self Bank Mobile is the newest player on the block that appears to have the infrastructure and management in place to take it to the next level. They could possibly be the next “PayPal”, but much better.

Why would we write about an M-Commerce payment processor in our blog about alternative investments? Here is why, it is all a matter of reading the fine print and seeing the hidden opportunity. Self Bank offers both a free user account and paid merchant accounts. While we like the affiliate program that earns residual monthly commissions from referring new users, we really like the opportunity to own an equity stake in the company.

Just those two factors alone have set them apart from other online payment processors like PayPal, Alert Pay, Safepay or standard credit card merchant accounts. When was the last time you got paid from your current online payment processor for introducing your friends to them? The opportunity to earn residuals month after month and being able to receive equity shares in what will become a powerhouse is enticing. To find out more you will have to sign up for a free account to get all the details.

There is much more to this company that will ensure their eventual success. Among the benefits are lower transaction fees, no charge backs, a rewards program and a soon to be launched world’s first mobile social networking site called Meet Franklin. A percentage of interchange fees and advertisement revenue will go to the affiliates that help promote their services.

Self Bank will soon launch in the USA/Canada & UK first in early 2009 then to all other countries internationally. The time to get involved is now while it is still on the ground floor. This is a secure service that millions of people will want and need. Ask yourself this:

How many people around the world do not have credit cards?
How many people around the world do not have a banking account?
There are 10 times more people with a mobile phone than there are PCs!

Unlike many of the current M-Commerce competitors, the service will be hardware and telco independent. Self Bank Mobile is the killer app solution for all people to be able to buy and sell both online and offline. It is in our opinion that they will capture a large share of the multi Trillion dollar payment processing market in the next few years. Wouldn’t you like to own shares in this company when that happens? They are definitely in the right place and at the right time.

$100 Dollar Sign Up Promotion:

The company has a goal of giving out $100,000,000 dollars in ‘Cash Advance Dollars’ ($100 per user or $500 per merchant signup) in the next 90 – 120 days. When the program goes live after the BETA launch, then you will be able to redeem your ‘Cash Advance Dollars’ at participating SelfBank Mobile Merchants through your own personal spending. When you spend money at participating SelfBank Mobile merchants, above all other discounts provided by the merchants, 25% of the interchange fee collected by SelfBank Mobile from your purchases, will go back to you.

Why pay more for transaction fees than you have to? For more information and get your sign up bonus, visit Self Bank Mobile.

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Starbucks Corporation (Nasdaq:SBUX) may currently be the largest coffee house chain in the world, but it lacks in “star” power. A new player has arrived. Hollywood Espresso, founded by film industry veterans Roberta Pacino and her husband, Mark Oliver Richman. The couple aims to inject a little “Hollywood” into your daily coffee consumption.

If the name Roberta Pacino rings a bell, it is because she is the sister of Al Pacino, the movie Actor. That may not be enough to excite you, but then maybe the concept and ground floor investment opportunity will. Think “Planet Hollywood” the next time you have a cup of cappuccino.

The initial rollout will be 5 company owned stores in Hollywood, Chicago, New York, Miami and Houston to act as distribution centers 366 planned franchises in the coming 60 months. Each company store is an LLC where 49% is available to investors via private placement (DPP).

“It’s Not Just Coffee It’s Entertainment, is not only our company’s service mark, it’s our credo. We believe that coffee is not only the best way to start your day, but also a great way to entertain. Roberta Pacino’s Hollywood Espresso is dedicated to providing the finest coffees and coffee related products found anywhere in the world, offering a unique source for your social tastes.” – Hollywood Espresso

Among publicly traded companies in the same sector, the coffee retailing industry offers a PE ratio in the range of 28-56 operating at 85% margin. Once Hollywood Espresso gets its’ foothold, their exit strategy may include a buyout, IPO or reverse merger. They also plan to grow internationally with the first company store in Tokyo.

The combination of Hollywood glamour with the local coffee house has an interesting appeal and may be a great business for those that have always dreamed of owning their own coffee shop. Here is their opportunity to become part owners with one of the most recognized “Hollywood names” in the world.

Accredited investors interested in this venture can contact the company for more details.
As always, do the due diligence before investing or starting a business.

Contact Info:

Hollywood Espresso
849 S Broadway
Ste 202
Los Angeles, CA 90014
954-850-7750

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“As technology has advanced so have customer expectations and networks, and these factors are setting the stage for expanded micro payments growth across the mobile, Internet and physical channels,” – Edward Kountz, TowerGroup Analyst

What exactly is M-Commerce? It is the buying and selling of products and services via mobile phones. Basically, it is e-commerce transactions online or at a point of sales where buyers use their mobile phones as the payment gateway. This market is enormous.

According to a recent TowerGroup research report, by 2009 the total market for Internet and mobile micro-payments in the U.S. will increase 23 percent (at a compound annual growth rate) to $11.5 billion in revenues, up from just over $2 billion in 2003. The total international revenues have not even been considered in this projection. Online merchants with a vision of capturing a part of this revenue stream should take note seriously.

E-commerce and online retailing have matured, but many online merchants have encountered two huge obstacles. The high costs in having a merchant account for services and products consisting of micro-payments and a second obstacle of not being able to make sales to an inaccessible group of people that do not have a conventional way of purchasing. Today, merchants can rejoice that both issues can be resolved.

Online merchants and retailers have spent millions in marketing and advertising to get buyers to their sites in hopes of making sales. In all their successes, there is a large base of potential customers that are lost. This is e-commerce’s “Last Mile”; a demographic group of underserved buyers that if targeted will increase their bottom line. These potential buyers are all ready visiting the marketer’s sites, so the targeting is not by more advertising but providing an alternative purchasing option.

Who are these potential buyers? These are people that have no credit, no credit cards, no banking or checking accounts and in extreme cases, motivated buyers with no cash on hand that would buy if the payment was deferred. This same group of potential buyers includes many people that feel insecure about buying online because they have to give out personal information or just prefer not to use credit cards online if they have them for fear of identity theft.

“Since e-commerce began, credit cards have been the primary online payment method, consistently holding an 85% or larger share of e-commerce activity. But a variety of forces have combined to create growing demand for additional Internet payment options, including expansion in the demographic mix of online shoppers to include consumers who do not have or do not wish to use credit cards, an increase in the number and types of merchants offering products and services, and merchants’ desire to build sales volume.” – Jennifer Roth, TowerGroup

In the U.S. alone, there are over 28 million people without a banking account and according to the Federal Reserve, about one in 12 families (8.7 percent) do not have one. Add in the additional number of people without credit, credit cards and fear of online use; this group of consumers is massive when looking from a worldwide perspective.

How does a merchant capture this large untapped market? A solution in catering to this demographic group is through what they most consumers have in common – their mobile phones. Welcome to the birth of M-Commerce.

The number of cell phone users worldwide is approaching 3 billion. Today, there are more cell phone users than there are credit cards and in some countries, the mobile phone usage has reached 99.9% penetration. Merchants can now capture new sales from this market by accepting payments online through a mobile phone. The consumer does not need to have a bank account or credit card to make a purchase online.

How does it work? There are only a handful of mobile phone merchant accounts available, but each differs in the way they are set up and how the payment transactions are processed. One simple way that a payment is processed once it is integrated into a website is as follows. The customer enters their mobile phone number on the payment page and is presented with the total amount payable on screen, inclusive of transaction charges in their local currency. On proceeding, the customer is sent a message to their mobile phone confirming the amount that is to be charged to their phone bill or account. The customer simply replies to this SMS message and the billing process is initiated.

For the millions of merchants out on the web that deals with micro-payments, this is the solution they have been waiting for. A mobile phone merchant account can be opened up at no cost. Any transaction costs can be passed on to the motivated consumers in marked up pricing for the product or service. It has been proven that the buyers are willing to absorb the extra costs because they are now able to buy without cash, credit, credit cards, a banking account or giving up any private information. The consumer is also able to “defer” their payment because the charge does not have to be paid until their phone bill arrives; often a 30 -45 days grace period.

Paying by mobile phone is a Win-Win situation for both the micro-payment merchants and the millions of consumers that were not able to make online payments. Merchants will see an increase in sales to their bottom line; consumers will have a secure and fast new way to purchase what they want.

What does this mean for entrepreneurs and investors? The number of businesses providing the products and services for M-Commerce is still small. A company that provides the killer app in this sector can become the market leader. Investors that can see the potential in M-Commerce and want to get on the ground floor should consider aligning with startups in this area or keep it on the radar for emerging public companies that are involved in M-Commerce.

To learn more about M-Commerce and additional information in this explosive new market, visit the following companies that have taken the lead in this sector

www.getpaidbyphone.com
www.smskambi.com
www.paycashmobile.com
www.onebip.com
www.epay.vg
www.txtnation.com
www.luup.com
www.paypay.com
www.123ticket.com
www.nocreditcard.com

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This is where new comer Dubli.com has a shot at taking a market share. They have the technology and strong financial backing. If Dubai in Dub-li doesn’t make you wonder who may be involved, then you will have to take a closer look. The first thing you should do is visit their trade portal and see what they have to offer and how they may be better than eBay.

The portal has launched a little more than a year ago and has been gathering steam. The MLM model that they chose allows associates to earn recurring commissions on referrals, something that users of eBay do not have. While we do not like MLM or network marketing when it comes to investments, this is one of those rare exceptions. Dubli.com has announced its intention of going public some time in 2008 on the London Stock Exchange. This is what we at OWI are all about, the investment opportunities.

As of October 1, 2007, there are 1,000,000 units available until all sold at a price of 1.30 Euro per unit. The minimum purchase is 1,000 units. To find out more details of this offering, please visit www.dubli-invest.com. You should be aware of the required 3 year holding period on these stocks before you can sell. A long term investor should not have a problem with this, considering it took eBay 9 years to get to where they are today.

Before you get too excited about this opportunity to become a pre-IPO shareholder, there is one catch. To be able to purchase units in Dubli.com, you will have to become a Business Associate which costs about 500 Euros. This seems to be smart on the company’s part because it rewards the people who are helping grow it’s business, plus business associates who owns stocks in the company has a vested interest in seeing the company succeed.

As an investor, you will have to weigh the risks and rewards. There is no stated requirement that you will have to recruit or sign up new Dubli members once you sign up as a business associate. It will cost you a total of 1800 Euros to obtain 1000 units, so effectively the price per unit will be 1.80 Eur. The company is offering an extra 5% incentives for investments of 1000-3999 Eur and 10% for 4000 Eur and above. So if you buy 1000 units, you will get an extra 50 units.

No one can predict the future or stock market for that matter. Only you can review the information that is given and make your best judgment. If Dubli can keep to its business plan, grows in the next 3-5 years and captures just 5% of eBay’s market share, which would be $2.65 Billion at current market cap. Translated, a huge ROI on your investment.

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Worldlpp.com has been around since 2005 and are led by what appears to be reputable people. They have a unique concept for those that want to invest a little money for a share in the profits of the business ventures they initiate. In real world business operations, one must realize that any returns on investment could take a while. This investment is not for those that have little patience. It may take a long period of time to break even or to see a return just for the fact that some of the ventures have to be built from the ground up… start to finish. As in all new business startups, there is the risk of failure in the first few critical years.

In this program, one can make money as an affiliate or choose to participate in the pools once one is comfortable with a proposal that is presented. Once a person becomes a part owner (limited partner), he will receive dividends per the number of the shares or units invested for life; as long as the business or venture is profitable. The cost per unit is usually around 50USD. Affordable for the small investors to participate.

To date, two ventures have been started. Vivamin.com, a vitamin online sales site and ItConsultinglive.com which is an IT outsourcing business. Returns on invested monies have been reported to be minimal by those that have participated. Since the inception of the two ventures, it should be noted that only ITConsultingLive has shown to have some growth and profit. There are several other ventures currently in the works and have either been launched or in the process of.

Worldlpp.com is worth taking a closer look at, but only for those that have a long term strategy and can have funds tied up. Here are snippets from their website.

We are a consortium of business and marketing experts who are tired of watching the scammers take away your hard earned money by promoting worthless mlm’s. So we decided to take the bull by the horns and show people that money can still be made on the internet and honestly. When you get your very first venture pool email, we will be sure to show you EXACTLY who we are and how to contact us (even by phone). Once again, you will pay nothing until you are totally satisfied with every aspect of our program.

LPP stands for a Limited Partnership Program that will be used to form venture capital pools. Mlm’s are now ineffective as evidenced by the profound lack of enthusiasm that they generate when they hit the internet. They are obsolete in structure, methodology, and results.

So what’s next and how do you earn money now? With Limited Partnership Programs that form venture capital pools and purchase actual revenue producing companies, franchises, and websites. That’s right – we (the both of us) will be buying profitable companies outright, and sharing those profits for life as we build them up.

The concept is actually very simple – yet quite profound and profitable. It will enable you to earn commissions now, and to receive residual income for the rest of your life.

YOU CAN EARN COMMISSIONS, VENTURE POOL PROFITS, AND GROUP PROFITS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!! AND YOU WILL ACTUALLY BE PART OWNER OF THESE COMPANIES FOR LIFE!!

Plus all pool members will also be part of the 49% ownership group i.e. you will OWN a percentage of ALL of our acquisitions. ALSO – all non-pool members who remain active will be part of our 10% Group Profits pool where you will split 10% of all profits even if you never join a pool. All totally free just for being a free member of our community. You will never pay anything until YOU want to.

Do you have any guarantees?

“Most definitely and probably the best in the industry. We are so sure of our program that, should you pay into any venture pool and it does not perform well, we will fully return your venture pool contribution. We feel that the only concern you should ever have is how much you will make, and not whether you will lose any money. We will return 100% of your funds up until the end of the month that you paid. And up to 6 months after that, if the venture does not perform well, since we do pay commissions out and they are non-returnable, we will deduct 25% of your total spend and refund 75%. However, after 6 months we will not issue refunds but we will replace the venture with something better that you do not have to pay for again.”

For complete information, visit www.worldlpp.com and read the FAQs.

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U-Gotcash will be paving the way in excellence with its new, innovative payment portal solution for individuals and businesses alike.

Get ready for a secure currency transfer system based in Panama that will be fulfilling the needs of people on a global scale.

U-GOTCASH will be an ecurrency only payment portal offering complete security, safety of funds, stability and transperancy.

All accounts will be held in US$$ and all currencies sent to this portal will be exchanged into US$$. They will be backed by insurance for your protection and will follow international money transfer laws.

You will be able to transfer your funds to and from your own bank via the network of our own corresponding banks simply and fast. You will have easy access to your funds by debit card that will work in ATM’s all over the world.

MLM companies, are you looking for a highly secure method of paying your commissions?

Businesses & merchants, are you looking for a solution to accepting payments for your products online worldwide? U-GOTCASH is your answer! You will also be able to pay your employees quickly and securely using this financial payment portal. No more paper checks–pay online.

All members or businesses will maintain a sub account in the company’s corporate one which will only be accessible to the members themselves. There will be no more fear of accounts being frozen. That will be a thing of the past.

good-bye to exorbitant fees!

U-GOTCASH will be the answer to all of your needs regarding the transfer of money worldwide. All types of business will be welcome except for porn, gambling, or money laundering.

We will be ushering in a new wave of the future in payment processing solutions! Do not get left behind. Sign up during our prelaunch.

If you are interested in becoming a founding shareholder please go to http://www.mita-inc.com to buy your portal shares now! This is your opportunity to be on the ground floor–the opportunity of a lifetime is yours. You will not want to miss it.

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“Across the country, demand for heart scan centers is surging as thousands of doctors begin to refer patients. Our investors will participate in first-to-market revenue and profits as we build state-of-the-art centers in major markets.”

Fact: 70 Million Americans Have Heart Disease Invest in Medical Centers That Will Detect It Before Anyone Else Can

General Electric’s Volume Computed Tomography (VCT) scanners are revolutionizing early detection of heart and coronary artery disease–catching it years before other tests. We’re building completely outfitted and staffed scanning centers that will perform thousands of VCT scans per year, generating millions in revenue.

As one of a limited number of investors, you will:

• Enjoy projected annual returns of 10% or better
• Recover principal in 18 months or less
• Be eligible to receive quarterly income. (based on 40 year returns)
• Receive free heart scans yourself, annually”

Go here to download the investors’ kit: Signature Services

Signature Services – (866) 643-7277

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