Supreme Court probe into leak of draft opinion on abortion narrows list of suspects

Nearly three months after a bombshell draft Supreme Court opinion over abortion rights was leaked to the media, the question of who was responsible remains an ongoing Washington summer mystery.

Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered the Court’s marshal to conduct an internal investigation, but there has been no official update, and no indication whether the probe is ongoing, ended or suspended.

But multiple sources tell Fox News the investigation into the approximately 70 individuals in the court who may have had access to the draft opinion has been narrowed. Sources say much of the initial focus was on the three dozen or so law clerks, who work directly with the justices on their caseload. Fox News had previously reported those law clerks were asked to turn over their cell phones and sign affidavits. It is unclear whether those clerks have all cooperated.

Supreme Court law clerks work on a one-year contract for individual justices, and their term typically ends in mid-July. Most of the law clerks have now presumably moved on to other jobs, and any future cooperation with them into the leak investigation was seen as problematic.

SUPREME COURT’S ROE V. WADE DECISION: READ THE DOBBS V. JACKSON WOMEN’S HEALTH RULING

Fox News has been told court Marshal Gail Curley has also asked several permanent court staff who may have had access to the draft opinion to turn over their cell phones and electronic devices.

But the key question of the leaker’s identity remains unknown, at least publicly. Also unanswered is whether any punishment or discipline will be forthcoming; whether outside federal law enforcement or private law or security firm has been hired to help; and what steps if any will be taken to prevent future such leaks.

The court’s public information officer Patricia McCabe offered a formal “no comment” when asked Friday by Fox News.

A day after the early May leak, Roberts announced the internal probe, which was not given a deadline or any publicly-released mandate.

“To the extent this betrayal of the confidences of the Court was intended to undermine the integrity of our operations, it will not succeed,” the chief justice said in a rare public statement. “The work of the Court will not be affected in any way.”

It all comes amid ongoing, underlying tensions at the court. The building remains surrounded by high metal fencing, erected shortly after the May 3 leak of the draft obtained by Politico. That draft showed at least five conservative justices prepared at that time to strike down the nearly five-decade Roe v. Wade precedent, and end the nationwide constitutional right to abortion. The final opinion issued June 24 did just that, causing enormous political, legal, and social ripples, as states and Congress now grapple with revising and crafting legislation on access to the procedure.

The justices and their families are now under round-the-clock protection, and vocal protesters have shown up regularly at the homes of some justices. A California man has been charged with attempting to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, after being arrested near the justice’s Maryland home, armed with a handgun and after making threats.

Inside the court, the leak and ensuing final opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization intensified the already strained dynamic among the nine justices, where a 6-3 conservative majority in the past two years has moved aggressively on hot-button issues like gun rights, immigration, religious liberty, and executive power.

“Look where we are, where now — that trust or that belief is gone forever,” Justice Clarence Thomas said shortly after the leak became public. “When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I’m in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s like kind of an infidelity that you can explain… but you can’t undo it.”

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS WILL NOT TEACH GEORGE WASHINGTON LAW SEMINAR AFTER UPROAR

Thomas is not exaggerating. But several people close to the justices say the nine members hope the ongoing summer recess serves as a “cooling off” period after tensions in the last weeks and months of the past term made the unique workplace very difficult.

And there is the expectation the newest Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will bring a fresh perspective and a new dynamic to the court — someone who like her mentor and predecessor Justice Stephen Breyer may be able to reach across the ideological aisle on many issues.

Jackson officially joined the court July 1, and has spent the past few weeks quietly moving into her chambers and hiring her small staff — including the four law clerks who will serve a vital supporting role — a sounding board for the myriad of cases big and small that will come her way.

Her colleagues — and the public at large — will watch to see how quickly the 51-year-old Jackson adjusts to a fractured court, and whether she will be the strong progressive voice President Biden and her supporters have promised.

Like last term, the court’s docket for its next term that begins in October is already filled with its share of divisive cases — affirmative action in college admissions, religious liberty and LGBTQ+ rights, immigration policy, and election redistricting.

For now, the conservative majority seems poised to advance its winning streak.

“I expect that continuation of where they’re going, they’re going to be controlled by a conservative majority,” said Thomas Dupree a former top Justice Department official and now a leading appellate attorney. 

“There’s not going to be a great ideological shift when you’re replacing one liberal vote with another liberal vote,” with the addition of Justice Jackson. “But at the same time, justices over history will tell you that any time you have a single member added to the court, given that it’s a nine person body, it’s a new court. The interpersonal dynamics are different than negotiations behind the scenes are different, and you can never quite anticipate how that might ultimately play out. But at least for the foreseeable future, I think we’re going to continue to see the conservative majority controlling the outcomes in most of the big ticket cases,” Dupree said.

Justice Elena Kagan has expressed concern for how the public will perceive the court moving forward.

“I’m not talking about any particular decision or even any particular series of decisions, but if over time the court loses all connection with the public and with public sentiment, that’s a dangerous thing for a democracy,” Kagan said at a judicial conference in Montana last week. “Overall, the way the court retains its legitimacy and fosters public confidence is by acting like a court, is by doing the kinds of things that do not seem to people political or partisan.”

14 Niche Marketplaces to List Your B2C Services

Consumer marketplaces are essential to connecting businesses with consumers looking for services.

However, it can be hard for smaller businesses to compete with well-known brands in their market. That is where B2C niche marketplaces can help.

Alongside customer choice, brand awareness and visibility are critical to business success. Niche marketplaces allow businesses to leverage the power and branding of larger platforms to reach their target audiences.

Today, with 11 percent of all shopping is done online, it’s vital you know the digital platforms that will give your B2C niche service brand the reach it needs to flourish. 

What Are B2C Niche Marketplaces? 

A B2C niche marketplace is an online platform that matches vendors who provide specialized service providers with their ideal customers.

A marketplace is a platform that enables consumers and suppliers to find each other. One excellent example is Amazon.

However, the problem with such marketplaces is that they’re often so big that it can be difficult for users to find specialized goods and services. The same goes for brands who struggle to reach their customers—it’s easy to drown in the sea of players (including indirect competitors).

This is where niche marketplaces come in.  

The Benefits of Niche Marketplaces

When looking where to sell online, you need to make the best decisions for your business. While some platforms (like Shopify) are free to set up, they can also take expensive fees for each sale. As a B2C brand, it’s even more important to make the right decision. Niche marketplaces are the solution. Why?

1. Access to a Targeted Audience

One of the biggest advantages of a niche marketplace is that you gain easier access to your target audience when compared with standard marketplaces. With innovative products, services, and brands being added to global commerce every day, it’s becoming an increasingly crowded market to operate in. Choosing a smaller platform that caters to high-intent customers will help you cut through some of the noise and deliver a high-quality product or service. 

2. Less Competition

Niche marketplaces give you the opportunity to target your service offerings to the right audience—without having to compete with other non-related products and services. As the marketplace only promotes services you offer, your conversion rates are more likely to improve. This ultimately results in a boost in revenue.  

3. Lower Marketing Costs

Because the focus of your marketplace is narrower, advertising on a niche market is easier and thus cheaper. As a result, you can focus your resources on exploiting your target market more effectively. Your marketing costs get lower while your return on ad spend (ROAS) improves.

4. Help Boost Brand Loyalty

Niche marketplaces make it easier for your prospective customers to find you. This is an essential step towards creating a customer journey they’ll love. If your customers enjoy the journey right from discovering your products to actually buying them, the chances of them becoming repeat customers and brand ambassadors are higher. 

5. “Done for You” SEO and Digital Marketing

One of the most challenging aspects of running a business online is getting visibility. As a small business, you may not have the money or skill to run effective digital marketing and SEO campaigns to get your business noticed.

Niche marketplaces allow companies to leverage the SEO efforts of their platform and benefit from the success of their digital marketing campaigns

14 Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services 

You’ve heard of Amazon, eBay, and Shopify. They are international brands with millions of sellers. You may not have heard of marketplaces that cater to your niche, so let’s look at some service examples and find the perfect one for your business.

1. Teachable

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Teachable

Teachable is one of the most popular B2C niche marketplaces for those in the information products niche. 

One advantage of Teachable is that it allows users to run the entire production process on the platform. They can create, curate, market, and sell their information products without needing multiple complicated software programs. This makes it very convenient for niche brands and smaller businesses, as well as helping cut down on costs.

Teachable is especially effective for freelancers who want to turn their knowledge and experience into a revenue source. However, businesses of any size can use the platform to monetize their knowledge and expertise. 

2. Special Guest App 

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Special Guest App

Entertainment plays a huge role in most events. From weddings to birthday parties, to stag nights and everything in-between, the life of the party is the quality of entertainment. Often, finding the perfect special guest is never an easy task. The opposite side of the coin is also true—finding enough gigs as an entertainer can be quite daunting.

That’s exactly where B2C niche marketplaces like Special Guest come in.

Co-founded by one of Hollywood’s finest entertainers, Damon Wayans, Special Guest is a marketplace that specializes in live entertainment. With a mission to make it easy for live entertainers to find more paying gigs, it’s the best platform to leverage if you’re an entertainer. Customers can choose to pick a “special guest” from their area or from anywhere in the country.

3. Cameo 

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Cameo

If there’s one thing people love, it’s meeting their favorite celebrities. 

Cameo makes that possible, no matter who you are or where you are.

For celebrities and influencers, Cameo is a great marketplace to find people willing to pay you to create short (average of 3 minutes) personalized videos. You set your own rates and can choose whether to fulfill a request. Besides videos, you can also do live Zoom calls with “fans,” for which you can charge higher rates than the videos.

Whether you’re a well-known celebrity or still building a name for yourself, Cameo is one B2C niche marketplace you should consider listing your services on.    

4. Booking.com

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Booking

If you offer services in the travel and tourism space, Booking.com is the niche marketplace for you. The premise of the platform is a simple one—to connect people to accommodation, travel options, activities, and other travel needs they may have. 

As a brand providing any service in this area, you can simply create an account and list your service. With a footprint in almost every corner of the world, Booking.com gives you access to an international target audience.

5. Airbnb

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Airbnb

Affordable accommodation is in high demand. People traveling the world or touring a region of the country are always looking for a place to sleep as they enjoy their travels. 

That’s where niche marketplaces like Airbnb come in.

Airbnb offers users affordable lodging, primarily homestays, that users can book through their platform. If you have a room, home, or other types of lodging you are able to let out, getting your property listed on Airbnb is an excellent way to reach renters. 

Fortunately, listing your accommodation on the marketplace is free, and you’re only charged a 3 percent fee when you book a reservation. As you control the price of your listing, you can easily factor this into your night rate to ensure you get the profit you want.

6. Fiverr

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Fiverr

If you offer digital services and need a marketplace to promote your services, Fiverr is definitely one to check out. The platform was created to bridge the gap between service providers and their target customers. 

For service providers, especially those just starting out, finding first clients willing to take a chance on you can be difficult. By listing your services on Fiverr, you (almost) eliminate non-revenue generating tasks associated with running a digital services business (such as marketing yourself). 

A well-polished Fiverr profile will help you stand out and attract clients looking for your services. Plus, jobs can be anything from designing personalized greeting cards to web design or writing copy—all depending on what your skillset is. 

7. Upwork 

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Upwork

Another excellent B2C marketplace to consider for digital services is Upwork. No matter what your talent or skill is, if you can monetize it, you can sell it on Upwork. From writing services to tax preparation, you can list any skill you have.

To get started with Upwork, you first have to create a profile. From there, you can either bid for jobs, pitch your services, or communicate with recruiters as a way of landing your desired project. 

8. PeoplePerHour

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - People Per Hour

As a freelancer offering digital services, getting noticed is essential to your success. Listing your services on PeoplePerHour should be a critical component of your marketing strategy. 

PeoplePerHour is a platform that connects digital service providers to clients looking for specific services. Like Upwork, you have to create and optimize your profile to make sure you stand out. Through simple keyword research, your ideal clients can come to you.

9. Koachee

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Koachee

Some people are gifted at bringing out the best in others. If you’re such a person and would like to generate revenue by offering coaching services, then Koachee is the B2C niche marketplace to promote your services on.

Koachee is a platform that helps you connect to clients by providing you a marketplace and the tools you need to succeed, such as:

  • client booking and scheduling
  • marketing tools
  • invoicing run 
  • in-app communication

No matter your expertise or industry, it’s free to create an account and profile on Koachee. 

10. TaskRabbit

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - TaskRabbit

Are you good at running errands or hands-on tasks?

No matter your skills and abilities, you can always find people who need your help and are willing to pay for your time and labor. 

A great B2C niche marketplace to help you make money by running simple errands is TaskRabbit.

Whether it’s cleaning, grocery shopping, handyman work, or any time of service you offer, listing yourself on TaskRabbit will help you find customers in your area. Available both as a desktop and mobile app, you can easily find jobs wherever you are, even when you’re on the move.   

11. LoveCrafts 

Examples of Niche Marketplaces for B2C Services - Love Crafts

Almost everyone loves art and crafts, but most people aren’t good at it. If arts and crafts—particularly knitting, embroidery, crocheting, and painting—are areas you’re skilled in, LoveCrafts is your go-to B2C niche marketplace.

LoveCrafts is both a community of creators and a marketplace for selling your services as an artist. For example, if you’ve designed some dress patterns people love, you can list them and get paid for your creativity.

12. Etsy 

Etsy is a niche marketplace for b2c services for selling handmade goods and vintage items.

Another popular B2C marketplace place to sell your handmade crafts (or vintage goods over 20 years old) is Etsy. But Etsy is good for more than just knitted mittens; you can also list worksheets, calligraphy, patterns, printables, and more.

Joining Etsy and starting a shop on the platform is free. However, you’ll be expected to pay listing, transaction, and payment processing fees.

Users love Etsy for its ease of use and the tools available for managing and growing your small business. You also get excellent support and free tips for running your Etsy shop. 

13. Decorist

Founded in 2014, Decorist is a B2C niche marketplace specifically for interior designers to sell their design services. If you have an eye for detail and a flair for transforming homes into works of art, then Decorist is definitely the marketplace for you. 

The application process includes submitting a portfolio and a case study. It also includes a brand review so make sure you have everything in place before applying. According to the website, there’s so much demand for designers on the marketplace that most are usually booked solid. 

14. Meowtel

One of the B2C services that has been growing over the past few years is pet-sitting. For those who love animals, and especially cats, you can find your perfect jobs on Meowtel.

Meowtel was created to make it easy for cat moms and pops to find reliable sitters for their furry family members. Of course, the other side of the coin is that you as a pet-sitter can list your services and get paid doing what you love.

B2C Niche Marketplace Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a B2C Niche Marketplace?

A B2C niche marketplace is a digital platform that connects you as the service provider to your ideal audience. In most cases, only services in your niche are allowed to be listed.

Do I Need to Be Licensed to List on a B2C Niche Marketplace?

You don’t need qualifications or a license to list on most B2C niche marketplaces. However, most conduct a thorough screening process. This is to ensure the platform only registers high-quality service providers.

Can I Make a Full-time Income Listing My Services on B2C Niche Marketplaces?

You can definitely make a full-time income by promoting your services on niche marketplaces. The key is to optimize your profile and ensure you deliver quality services on time.

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Niche Marketplace for B2C Services: Conclusion 

With so many B2C niche marketplaces available, making a few extra bucks or even a full-time living is achievable. 

You just need to know where to list your services for maximum visibility. 

Whether you’re a freelancer or small business, listing your services on the right platforms is essential to finding and attracting your ideal clients, and especially if you don’t have the skills and resources to run your own digital marketing campaigns

Leveraging a niche marketplace is the best move you can make to grow your business.

If you’ve used one of the B2C niche marketplaces above, what was your experience?

Here’s a Customized List of Keywords You Can Rank For Today

Everyone says SEO takes a while and it does.

Especially if you want to rank for competitive terms like “auto insurance” or “credit cards”.

But there must be a list of keywords that you can rank for today that is super easy to rank for, yet the keywords are still good in which they will drive traffic and sales.

And to help you find those keywords we released a new Ubersuggest feature that will show you a list of keywords that are perfect for your site in less than 60 seconds.

What do you consider “easy” Neil?

What’s easy for my site NeilPatel.com to rank for, maybe hard for your site.

And what may be easy for Wikipedia to rank for, maybe hard for my site.

“Easy” is very relative to the site. Depending on your domain authority and the age of your site, a keyword could be easy or hard to rank for.

So, with Ubersuggest, we took that into account when it came to giving you a list of keywords that are “easy” to rank for.

The list is based on your site and what would be easy for you. We base that on a wide variety of factors such as domain authority, age of the site, what you currently rank for, and your current organic traffic level.

How to find easy keywords that are still valuable

Now let’s go find you some keywords that you can start ranking for.

I want you to head over to Ubersuggest and type in a keyword related to your space and click on “Search”.

If you are unsure what keyword to type in, it can be any related to your website and it can be generic. For example, if you have a site that sells “dog food” you can type in the keyword “dog food” or even something like “dog”.

For this example, I used the term “digital marketing” as the NeilPatel.com site isn’t just about SEO I cover all aspects of online marketing.

You should see a report that looks something like this.

It’s an overview of the keyword. It tells you how many people search for the keyword each month. It even breaks down how many people search for that keyword on mobile and desktop devices.

In the left-hand navigation click on “keyword ideas”.

You’ll see a report that looks something like this:

This report is showing you all the similar keywords of the phrase you typed in. In this case, these are all the words and phrases related to digital marketing. There are also tabs on that report, such as related, questions, prepositions, and comparisons. These tabs show even more keyword ideas for you.

Now click on the button that says “Page 1 Ranking Potential”:

Once you enter your domain you’ll see all the keywords you can rank for.

When I put Npdigital.com, my ad agency, it filters the results and shows me keywords that are easier to rank for.

When I put in NeilPatel.com it doesn’t really filter much because the site has so much authority I have the ability to rank for most keywords.

When I put in brand new sites it filters much more. Like when I put in my holding company site it shows me keywords that aren’t competitive at all, but of course, I have even a smaller list as I barely have any authority with that site.

Once you have a list, I want you to look for keywords that contain the following traits:

  • Traffic greater than 100 – even if a keyword is searched 100 times it doesn’t mean you will get 100 visits if you rank number 1. You will only get a fraction of that. So you don’t want to aim too small.
  • High CPC – CPC stands for cost per click. That is what someone pays per click if they advertised on Google Ads. The higher the number the better as it typically means the keyword converts from a visitor to a customer standpoint.
  • Low SEO difficulty – the lower the “SD” or “SEO difficulty” number the easier the keyword is to rank for. So, target keywords with the lowest number first assuming they meet the above 2 points as well.
  • Relevancy – even if a keyword meets the above 3 points, you have to make sure the keyword is relevant to your business. If it isn’t related to what you do then you wouldn’t want to waste your time targeting it. Traffic for the sake of traffic is just a waste of money because you are putting in time and energy optimizing your site for keywords.

Conclusion

SEO is great, but it does take time.

It’s the reason why some people think SEO is dead when it really isn’t. It is just more so competitive and takes longer to rank for popular terms.

So, give this new feature a try. Head over to Ubersuggest and put in a keyword and see what is easy for you to rank for today.

What do you think about the new feature?

Work at a Startup: job list of YC companies most actively hiring for engineers

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