In starting a new venture, most start by trying to write the business plan because everyone tells you how much you need one. So you sit down to write the business plan and you start through your checklist. Typically this is how it goes:
“Management team -- well so far, there’s only me, so I’ll just add two more positions to be determined later. Next, it’s Problem to be Solved. Well, that’s an interesting question. I’m solving so many problems, I’ll just say, we’re going to save the customer time, and make it easier for him to do his job. That should cover it. “
If the above description sounds familiar it should because most everyone starts by trying to write the business plan but there’s just not enough information to carry it through at the early stage. There are too many decisions still to be made. There’s too much information not yet accumulated.
Instead of working on the business plan from day one, work on the business model. Focus on how you are going to generate revenue and what will be your core costs. If you figure out this, then you have the key elements of a business plan. You can fill in the other pieces based on the business model. For example, the management team positions will become clear once you know the business model. The problem you are solving is much clearer and so it goes with the other elements of the plan.
Best regards,
Hall T.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
5 Common Misconceptions About Starting Your Own Business
Starting your own business is extremely appealing for a lot of reasons. Being your own boss, running things the way you want to, and doing something you love are key reasons why people seriously consider making the immense investment in time and money -- and taking on the significant risk of failure. This risk can be minimized if you actually know what you're getting yourself into. Here are 5 common misconceptions of starting your own business with a dose of reality to clear up any confusion.
1. If I have my own business I won't have to work as much. That is completely false, especially when getting your idea off the ground -- and turning it into profit. Expect longer hours, more tasks, and in all likelihood more headaches than when working under someone else. Even if you have staff, you still have to set them on the right course, deal with payroll, hiring and management, etc., etc.
2. I'll be able to set my own hours and create my own schedule. To some extent that is true, but a business' priorities lie with customers and clients. You, and your business, have to be there for them. And as head of a business, you have to be there for your employees as well, ready to assist at all times in any way necessary to keep your business running well. Running an online-based business allows some more flexibility, and to learn more check out these Great Resources for Online Entrepeneurs.
3. It will be easy to attract investors and customers to my business. Unfortunately, there's a lot of competition out there for peoples' dollars, whether those dollars be from investors or customers. You have to sell to both of these groups, and often, there is no such thing as an easy sell. Be prepared for some slow (and low on revenue) times and be prepared for lots of "no"s. To make yourself more attractive to investors and customers, just be prepared: have a polished, well-thought out plan to present to potential investors and have an equally thoughtful and high-quality product available for potential customers and clients.
4. The books will be easy. Taxes, payroll, and money management can be difficult. There are a lot of numbers to keep track of and (hopefully) a lot of money to be accounted for. Make it easier on yourself, if you have the resources, by getting an accountant and Human Resources personnel.
5. Business owners are rich and someday I will be too. It's a nice thought but the reality is that many business owners are just scraping by, hoping to keep their business and personal finances just barely in the black. Sacrifices will be necessary until the business becomes profitable, and unfortunately, many businesses never do. Starting your own business can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting venture, but it takes a lot of hard work and does not always lead to equal rewards.
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Joseph Gustav is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement, an up-and-coming outlet for career-oriented expression. An ambitious freelancer, Mr. Gustav also contributes articles about call center management careers for Guide to Career Education.
1. If I have my own business I won't have to work as much. That is completely false, especially when getting your idea off the ground -- and turning it into profit. Expect longer hours, more tasks, and in all likelihood more headaches than when working under someone else. Even if you have staff, you still have to set them on the right course, deal with payroll, hiring and management, etc., etc.
2. I'll be able to set my own hours and create my own schedule. To some extent that is true, but a business' priorities lie with customers and clients. You, and your business, have to be there for them. And as head of a business, you have to be there for your employees as well, ready to assist at all times in any way necessary to keep your business running well. Running an online-based business allows some more flexibility, and to learn more check out these Great Resources for Online Entrepeneurs.
3. It will be easy to attract investors and customers to my business. Unfortunately, there's a lot of competition out there for peoples' dollars, whether those dollars be from investors or customers. You have to sell to both of these groups, and often, there is no such thing as an easy sell. Be prepared for some slow (and low on revenue) times and be prepared for lots of "no"s. To make yourself more attractive to investors and customers, just be prepared: have a polished, well-thought out plan to present to potential investors and have an equally thoughtful and high-quality product available for potential customers and clients.
4. The books will be easy. Taxes, payroll, and money management can be difficult. There are a lot of numbers to keep track of and (hopefully) a lot of money to be accounted for. Make it easier on yourself, if you have the resources, by getting an accountant and Human Resources personnel.
5. Business owners are rich and someday I will be too. It's a nice thought but the reality is that many business owners are just scraping by, hoping to keep their business and personal finances just barely in the black. Sacrifices will be necessary until the business becomes profitable, and unfortunately, many businesses never do. Starting your own business can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting venture, but it takes a lot of hard work and does not always lead to equal rewards.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joseph Gustav is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement, an up-and-coming outlet for career-oriented expression. An ambitious freelancer, Mr. Gustav also contributes articles about call center management careers for Guide to Career Education.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Fitur dan Spesifikasi BlackBerry PlayBook
Research In Motion (RIM) telah memperkenalkan secara resmi produk tablet bernama BlackBerry PlayBook. Berikut adalah beberapa fitur BlackBerry PlayBook yang telah diungkap oleh RIM dalam Developer Conference 2010 (DevCon10) di San Francisco, Selasa (28/9/2010) dinihari WIB. Sebelumnya perangkat tersebut diprediksi bernama BlackPad ternyata PlayBook.Dari sisi piranti lunak, PlayBook akan menggunakan sistem operasi BlackBerry Tablet OS berdasarkan arsitektur micro-kernel QNX Neutrino. Neutrino telah banyak digunakan pada perangkat kesehatan, otomotif hingga router internet.
Piranti lunak PlayBook mendukung Flash 10.1, WebKit dan HTML 5, OpenGL (untuk grafis 3D seperti pada game), Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, Java, POSIX dan BlackBerry WebWorks.
Media yang bisa diputar di PlayBook termasuk video hingga resolusi 1080p High Definition. Formatnya, mencakup H.264, MPEG, DivX dan WMV. Sedangkan audionya mencakup MP3, AAC dan WMA.
Berikut adalah beberapa spesifikasi perangkat kerasnya:
- Layar sentuh capacitive LCD berukuran 7" WSVGA dengan resolusi 1024 x 600
- Dukungan penuh pada multi touch dan gesture
- Prosesor 1 GHz Dual Core
- RAM 1 GB
- Kamera High Definition 3 Megapixel (depan) dan 5 Megapixel (belakang)
- Kamera bisa merekam video hingga resolusi 1080p HD
- HDMI Output (microHDMI)
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n dan Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Konektor microUSB
- Ukuran 130mm x 193mm x 10mm
- Berat sekitar 400 gram
Semoga bermanfaat.
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