Archive for June, 2009

Market Research Firms recommend taking Time to do a smart Startup Business Plan

Monday, June 15th, 2009
Lori Olson asked:


p businesses need to realize that a successful business marketing plan is based on sound market research data rather than on a gut feeling, hunch or luck. Small businesses that realize this will have a competitive advantage. Since most entrepreneur ideas center on entrepreneur business opportunities and creating successful products, there is usually considerably less energy and time devoted to market research analysis. Well done market research data is crucial for understanding the competition. By understanding what this means on all levels: product competition, segment competition, demand competition, technology competition and future competition, entrepreneurs would be well on their way to knowing all about competition strategies and what needs to be done to effectively create one.

Where should one start?

The most important decisions a small business needs to take into consideration right off the bat when making a competitive business plan is what needs to be done and then how the business’ time, energy and money will be spent doing the tasks that need to be done. Time, energy and money are the only things that any business can spend so proper planning right at the beginning will assure the best and highest uses of these resources.

So step one is for business owners to do their market research (to determine what needs to be done). Step two is to determine how to get it done in a timely fashion and how to get it done right.

Solo entrepreneurs who have the do it yourself (DIY) mentally must realize that the need to allocate these resources applies to them as well. Consider this: It may not be in the best interest of the business to take a significant amount of time gaining expertise; whether that is in getting the necessary knowledge for doing market research or for professional web development solutions as examples. This is true especially when there is a limited budget. The cost of staying in the learning/development stage will ultimately take its toll. This will be seen when a business loses out on potential revenue that would have been gained if development had been ramped up more quickly. Not to mention: delaying will allow the competition to get a lead.

Market research to determine what business the needs are and then deciding how to allocate time, energy and money correctly is so crucial. The reality is that it is also so often ineffectively done. Ultimately it will determine whether entrepreneurship successfully launching an idea will ever even happen.

Why then do entrepreneurs fail to do these two steps? Simple and trite as it may seem, it is nevertheless true. Most entrepreneurs do not know what they do not know. They do not know how to research their market. They do not know how to create an effective business plan, based on their time, energy and money, which will get them to where they want to go. They don’t know how to get the market research data that they need to create a competitive marketing strategy. They don’t know about the best practices for a real online marketing strategy and how it will create a powerful web identity.

The following three reasons are typical ways that entrepreneurs respond when they do not know.

The first response is the hit or miss approach of just taking action. The success of this will depend on how adroit a business owner is at developing the necessary skills and making the adjustments on the fly. This approach can lead to a lot of wasted resources which will be spent because of lack of knowledge. It is not cost effective.

The second response is to learn every aspect that is needed for successfully running the business before moving ahead. This happens for example when a startup online business, for example, tries to reinvent the web development, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing(SEM), social media optimization (SMO), pay per click (PPC) and customer relationship management (CRM) wheels. Reinvention is a time wasting and unwieldy task that is destines to side track the entrpreneur; sometimes indefinitely. An example of this is seen in the case of startup business owners who continue to spend time and money on endless seminars and products that promise to solve all of their problems; except they never get started. These entrepreneurs are more correctly defined as opportunity seekers rather than serious business owners.

The third response is for the entrepreneur to gain a broad education in the business planning processes that will be needed to develop the business. The business owner can determine which levels of expertise already exist and which ones need to be bolstered. This is the entrepreneur who makes an assessment of the highest and best use of time, energy and money. This entrepreneur will be asking questions such as:

- How do I get the market research analysis I need to create and keep a competitive edge?
- Are adequate web development solutions available in house? Do I need a dedicated team or should I hire a professional?
- How do I keep abreast of the rapidly evolving internet marketing landscape? How will I get the specialized skills that are needed to participate in the interactive world of Web 2.0? Measure and analyze results?
- What are best inbound marketing practices?
- How can I find the best ways to extend marketing dollars?
- Will my business be better off with an in house staff or will virtual office management be better?
- Do I need an extensive sales force or can web based CRM software automate a lot of this?
- How can I make the best hiring choices and provide the training that is needed?

Clearly, the questions that must be addressed by a startup business as well as an established one are considerable. This is why the third response is the only one that makes sense.

A successful business owner will wisely decide not to do it all since this is not the highest use of time, energy or money. By keeping educated about current trends and what a successful business needs, the business owner will be in a position to make appropriate decisions. The decision on what should be done in house and what should to be outsourced needs to be made.

Marketing research firms agree that the best business plan for a startup or existing business is to get the help of a marketing partner who already has the new Web 2.0 marketing tools and most importantly knows how to effectively use them. They can help determine what needs to be done and the best ways to get them done. Can a startup business afford this? Expert services are highly affordable. The real question is can your business afford not to use them?



Morna

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10 Step-by-step Business Startup Guide: Step 5

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
Dave J asked:


STEP 5: Create Key Assets

I definitely would not startup a business without any key asset. But it doesn’t stop here. My key assets are only as good as my ability to protect them, especially when intellectual property is concerned.

I have summarized five key assets that are crucial to all businesses - regardless of its nature:

* Website

* Trademarks

* Copyrights

* Patents

* Confidential Agreements

Website

As we live in the world of information, businesses are turning to the Internet for retailing opportunities, marketing and servicing. Every business should have a Website regardless how big or small the operation and the key to establishing a Website is securing a domain name i.e. www.yourbusinessname.com or www.yourbrand.com. Once a domain name is established, anyone can create their own Website using DIY software or engage a Website designer to get the job done.

Trademarks

My brand name, logo, and any other symbol that distinguishes my company or goods from others are classified as my trademarks. Trademark is one of the most important business assets I’ll ever own. I need to register my trademark with the local authority to ensure that I am the official owner of the mark, which gives me the sole exclusive rights to use the trademark.

Copyrights

A copyright grants me the exclusive legal rights to my creative work, which can include anything from literary or Website content to artistic compositions. I need to file a copyright with the local authority before I reserve the rights. Once granted, it prevents others from copying, performing or using my work without my permission. Don’t confuse copyright with trademark. Trademark is used only to protect intellectual property such as company names, brands, logos and symbols.

Patents

Assuming I start a business because I have a creative yet “best-selling” idea and I want to turn it into a commercial success. Therefore I should quickly protect my invention so I can have a head start. The best way to protect it is to get a patent on it. A patent is a legal property right granted by the government of the country I want to trade in, to the inventor to have the sole exclusive rights to exclude others from using, manufacturing or selling the invention for a limited time. In the United States, a patent will last for 20 years in exchange for public disclosure of the invention when the patent is granted.

Confidential Agreements

They are legal documents that allow me to keep my company’s secret once I have exposed them to my staffs, business associates, or any authorities. The documents will legally disallow them to disclose such information to the public indefinitely. For this reason, it’s important that I get the relevant parties to sign the agreement before disclosing any information to them.

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website :)

=> To get the complete online business course on

small business startup guide, log on to

http://www.12daysonly.com , and redeem your

BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

–

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.



Vitia

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Make Your Computer Startup Faster © - One Click & Done!

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Matt Terkovsky asked:




Your pc isn’t running as fast as it used to be? Just for you to know, there are many ways you can take in order to make your computer startup faster, but, there’s another method which basically doesn’t require you to have any special knowledge or require you to fix your Computer by yourself. Follow this report and easily find out the ultimate way to dramatically speed up your windows.

Do you experience a windows ‘freeze’ occasionally? or maybe you experience weird error messages, activex problems, and other popular windows performance issues - in most cases it is almost certainly about your Windows registry system. By time, when you install and uninstall various programs onto your operating system, it happens that several programs aren’t installed properly, causing your registry to get corrupted.

The registry is a Windows database - it keeps data about your hardware and software installations. The windows system uses this data when you run each of your hardware or software. You can now understand how sensitive this part of your system is.

If you need to make your computer startup faster you should maintain your registry optimized - corrupted windows registry can cause your Pc various errors that in many cases slow down or even freeze specific programs and unfortunately your entire windows.

As you probably already understand the registry is quite complex, it is highly recommended not to try and fix it manually unless you know exactly what you are doing - you may cause more damage than help. The safest way to make your computer startup faster is to work with a professional registry clean software and enable it scan, identify, and fix any registry error automatically. This cleaning process can easily repair your Pc’s ‘freezing’ and speed problems and preserve your System’s performance on the highest level. The most recommended programs offer time based automatic repair tasks and automated application updates, so it easily enables you to keep your system optimized day-by-day.



Ingelbert

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10 Step-by-step Business Startup Guide: Step 7

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009
Dave J asked:


STEP 7: Support Team

I found out that many businesses went bust before they even went fully operational because they did not start right. Starting right can mean the difference between success and failure. It simply means I should have all the tools, information, facilities, contacts, money management and government compliances all fully prepared and organized. The four key professionals who could help me in getting all these logistics organized and put my organization on a path to starting up smartly and cost effectively, are listed below. They will also be instrumental as my business grows.

1. Accountant/Financial Planner – I need a qualified accountant’s expertise to ensure that my cash flow is in good order, expenses are well managed, tax liability is minimized and book-keeping is well organized. In some cases, a financial planner could cover a wider scope than an accountant.

2. Lawyer – An experienced lawyer will ensure that all agreements with my associates, staffs, and third parties are placed under well drafted contracts to protect my personal and business interests.

3. Banker – A banker can be helpful as the business gets running because I may need some financial facilities (i.e. short term loan, credit facility, checking account, treasury management) that can be useful from time to time.

4. Insurance Professional – I need an experienced insurance professional to identify all possible risks that I may encounter and insure all those risks cost effectively. I won’t attempt to cut corners in this segment and land myself into any possible financial liability.

In addition, there are other supports that may be vital to certain types of business. Of course there is a long list of people who can help an entrepreneur along the way depending on the nature of the business. However, I manage to sum up four important supports that all business entrepreneurs should not miss out. The four are listed below:

1. Website Designer or Programmer – These folks could help me build my multi-functional Website that would be the backbone of my entire business if my business depends heavily on online transaction. A web presence is also essential for my company’s brand positioning and customer after sales service.

2. IT Specialist – This kind of consultant could assist me to set up a paperless office system and an effective computer system to minimize office operational expenses. Besides, an IT Specialist could also ensure all business data and client database are well managed, hassle free and accessible.

3. Real estate agent – When owners are venturing into a brick and mortar business model, they definitely need an experienced real estate agent to advise them on the overall cost of leasing or purchasing, location suitability for their particular business, amenities and parking facilities, monthly maintenance and whatever hidden costs.

4. Local business council/association – I would definitely join a local business council or association (usually there is a small joining fee) and find out what kind of support or advisory they could provide. Normally the group members conduct a regular forum or meeting, where members could seek out solutions to many of the existing problems and foreseeable roadblocks. Many of them would have walked through the problems and could share with me some valuable insights.

Before I start my search for any form of assistance and support, it’s crucial to know what I want to accomplish with each of them and prepare a well-defined budget to meet my goals. However, I would be cautious as certain supports may be expensive! Once I hired them, I would work closely with them to attain my business goals in a strict timeline.

Regardless of who I retain, they should be well versed and experienced in the field of business I am involved in. Most importantly, I must be able to trust them, therefore I usually select my service providers through referrals, their years of experience (which is a key factor) and I must be comfortable dealing with them.

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website :)

=> To get the complete online business course on

small business startup guide, log on to

http://www.12daysonly.com , and redeem your

BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

–

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.



Antone

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Great Part Time Small Business Startup Goals

Thursday, June 4th, 2009
Craig Ritsema asked:


There is a trend growing in America’s workforce of a large number of people who want to try their skills at a small business startup company. With the flexibility and lucrative rewards available with your own small business startup, you can devote more time with your family, attend all of your kid’s recitals and team sporting events without the need to ask your boss for the time off. Those people who begin a small business startup will also have more potential income than what they would have if they work at a normal job. Today, the internet and many other technological advances, entrepreneurs have many more options for starting their very own business with little cost.

Gift baskets are a superb idea for a small business startup. Being that you can build gift baskets at home and then have them delivered anywhere in the world, it is the perfect way to enjoy the luxuries and responsibilities of owning your own business while still owning the potential for a good deal of income. The internet along with websites such as eBay have helped to contribute to the popularity of this small business idea since people, your customers, can shop for gift baskets from the convenience and comfort of their own home. If you have creativity and you can turn these creative juices into product which is sent out in a timely manner, you the qualities to be successful with this kind of small business startup for many years.

Selling new and used items on eBay has become another one of the many popular business start up small information resources in recent past years. If you are a person who can sniff out something valuable at rummage sales, yard sales or in the attic, putting these items for sale on eBay can be a very profitable small business start up. Basically, you buy the items at various sales, clean them up, and turn an easy profit by selling it on eBay for a higher price. If you are good with crafts, you can make your own things to sell on eBay. If you know basic product marketing and how to attract customers, you are very much on your way to making a moderately to excellent good income by selling things on eBay from your home.

Other opportunities people have decided to start include a cleaning service that they manage on their own. Only a few cleaning supplies are required along with a little basic know-how, and a cleaning service can be a very nice profitable small business start up for self starters and motivated individuals. With societies busy lifestyle nowadays, more professionals and even multi-income non-professionals are hiring services to clean their homes for them and you can quickly cash in on this trend with very little or no training. This is an excellent idea because you can schedule your clients on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis so you can have a regular, steady income. If your business continues to grow enough, you can hire employees who will do the services for you while you manage the company from home.

Working at home with your very own small business startup is fast becoming the new standard in today’s electronic society. People are worn out from the busy lifestyles and long work weeks and have chosen to pursue different opportunities. If you have small business startup ideas with a strong desire and motivation, you can create a profitable business which could eventually take the place of your normal “day” job. Or maybe you simply want to keep it part time to supplement your regular income. However, depending on your levels of motivation, experience, and passion, it is possible to create a small business startup which could generate an unlimited amount of income for you and your family.



Nero

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10 Step-by-step Business Startup Guide: Step 8

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009
Dave J asked:


STEP 8: People

In a small to medium scale business, the importance of a single team member can be enormous. Every person I place under my organization (be it associates, staffs or suppliers) must be a star. This may sound “impossible”, but it is possible. Firstly, I would define what a star is within each role in my organization. Then I would seek them out.

Throughout the years, I have been employing three simple approaches to be sure superstars are attracted to work for my organization - they have been proven to work successfully:

1. Understand the power of people

2. Take proactive role in recruiting great people

3. Retain great people through constant motivation

Great people can make mediocre idea and turn it into success. Thus do not underestimate the power of great people. I have read many autobiographies of successful business magnates and all do point out that their businesses shine partly because they have great people serving them.

Hence, I usually brainstorm to list down what kind of great people I want in my organization. I would cover all the people that I will be dealing with including my associates, suppliers, association members, staffs, sales representatives, etc.

When it comes to attracting great people, I always keep the recruitment role to myself. If I want a superstar, I must be proactive in recruitment. Find out as many ways as possible that I can to attract and recruit great people - for example personal observation, advertisements, word of mouth, recruiting agency and so on. Once I have the names, either through personal observation or advertisement, the key step is to call them for an interview or a meeting. People like to be invited or head-hunted to join an organization because people are flattered when they know they are wanted.

Once I have recruited great people and they have proven to deliver results, I would retain them at all cost. Of course I have to be cautious not to over commit! It is true that, many people work for money but money is not the sole denominator for loyalty. Here are some effective ideas I constantly put into practice to keep people motivated to stay loyal with my organization in the long term:

* Sharing the business vision and mission, and if possible, I would accommodate theirs into my business plan

* Creating a positive and supportive working environment

* Giving them a personalized touch so each member feel wanted and respected

* Customizing perks and incentives so that they could get what they desire

* Recognizing the whole team for their performance, yet avoid bias recognition

* Organizing regular social events to linger with my members to enhance the organization’s sense of belonging

* Listening to members’ problems and morally support them to solve their own problems

* Motivating for positive results and avoid fear management

*Note: Unproven teories to not be shown to my readers! If you need any small business startup help, feel free to visit my Website :)

=> To get the complete online business course on

small business startup guide, log on to

http://www.12daysonly.com , and redeem your

BONUS PACKAGE worth US$1,396.00

–

Disclaimer - This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.



Ruddie

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