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Answer Upon - Booting A New Business - On The Software Development Highway
Looking For Ways to Improve Sales and Customer Relationships?Find Out Where Your Firm Stands in Today’s Customer Touchpoint Management (CTM) Revolution by Taking the CTM Quiz(San Rafael, CA) What could be more important than improving sales and your customer relationships? Today, there is a fast growing movement, a revolution, among organizations interested in improving their customer-centricity through a better understanding of customer interactions, or “touchpoints.” Called “Customer Touchpoint Management” (CTM), the goal of this new movement is to improve customer experiences, and as a result, improve customer relationships. By improving customer relationships organizations improve market share, sales, and both customer and employee loyalty and advocacy.But what exactly is a “touchpoint?” Touchpoints are all of the communication, human and physical interactions your customers experience during their relationship lifecycl
I didn't intend to change to another supermarket.For the last 18 years my family has used the same supermarket.It's less than half a mile from our home. It sells almost every food item that we need. We buy our petrol there, our newspapers, postage stamps, stationery, wine, CDs. We even buy our domestic gas and electricity from this store.But one little thing has really been bothering me recently.When I go to fill up my motorcycle with petrol, there is a sign that says I must remove my crash helmet before entering the shop to pay for my fuel. And I can understand that this is to deter any potential robbers who might use a crash helmet to conceal their identity.This wasn't too bad in the summer. And I complied with the request. Although I noticed that the petrol stations of other supermarkets and oil companies had no similar condition.But when the colder weather arrived, I started to wear a thermal
Those amongst us, who were born at least before 1970, must have witnessed the dotcom boom of the late 1990s, as well as seen and been affected by the bust that followed soon enough. When the boom began, the media was inundated, day in and day out, with news of dream tie-ups between venture capitalists and just-out-of-college, still-wet-behind-the-ears young twenty-something boys and girls. The entire dream was woven around what the internet could do for folks like you and me. And when the boom busted, boy! How it busted! A quick review of the top ten dotcom businesses that gobbled up millions of VC dollars and took them down the drain really makes interesting, if introspective, reading.
A few years down the line, and the next generation of entrepreneurs and businessmen are ready, yet again, to take the software highway. This time around, however, they have the power of hindsight with them. All the dotcom stories are now neatly chronicled in the form of case studies and enshrined in the libraries of business schools and available on the web to browse through and draw lessons from. Internet, the backbone which dotcom businesses based their strength upon, has quietly gone from strength to strength since the boom/bust. Newer technologies and newer hardware have made the internet more robust, more reliant, and more user-friendly than ever before. Software companies, most notably Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and their ilk, have realigned their manpower and restructured their products, rejigged their business model to make internet their center of gravity, and have come up with far better ways to both transact and seek pleasure on the web than ever before. Blogs, RSS, Merchant Accounts, dropshipping, podcasting, adsense, online local advertising, are terms that have found coinage as a result of some creative footwork by technocrats and savvy businessmen and women like you and me. Marketing channels and consumer strategies are creatively tapping into the newfound interest in computers and the web, generated by the convenience that they bring to day-to-day life. Entrepreneurs are veering once again towards Internet in general; and software development in particular, as a possible option around which to build a business and career.
Bridging Entrepreneur gung-ho With Software
Yet, despite all the promise of business success and prosperity that Software Business holds out, there are still quite a few who find it beyond their reach. The moment you mention S o f t w a r e, the mind immediately visualizes a group of nerds who are furiously banging out some gobbledygook on their keyboard. Some entrepreneurs simply fail to make the connect between their wealth-creating ability and software. Which is a pity, actually.
People who come to me for counseling on new businesses are invariably people with a lot of entrepreneurial vision and grit. They are people with an ingrained perseverance and stamina to withstand the rough and tumble of lean days that a career as businessperson invariably involves. They are people who don't mind dirtying their hands and feet in the trenches, so that they understand the nitty-gritty of their business. These are the guys and gals for whom the golden cage of a cushy, nine-to-five job holds no meaning, and they yearn to fly the skies and test the limits of endurance of their wings. The breed of entrepreneurs is a breed apart. And yet, whenever I would broach the subject of this exciting new opportunity to them, they would baulk at the idea. "But, Software Business, Sanjay? Isn't it supposed to be so damn technical? Can't you suggest something that is more conventional? Something that is within my limits? Something that does not involve a steep learning curve, and where I can invest my time and money and begin to see results in the fastest possible time? Huh?"<
There are welding defects that are sometimes overlooked or not considered. Each welding project requires careful considerations. They include:The process, the type of welding i.e. stick, MIG, TIG.The composition of the base metal and thickness.The welding position, i. e. flat, vertical, horizontal, overhead.The weld joint and type.Electrical supply and equipment.And finally, the welding techniques to be used.To minimize the chance of welding defects be sure to consider 1) the travel speed of the pass; 2) the size and type electrode; 3) machine settings; 4) make sure the welding is done in accordance with the plan and the current conditions.Most of, or a great deal of, welding defects can be identified by the "naked eye." By knowing what is likely to produce welding defects you will learn how to avoid them. Production without defects sav
Bridging Entrepreneur gung-ho With Software
Yet, despite all the promise of business success and prosperity that Software Business holds out, there are still quite a few who find it beyond their reach. The moment you mention S o f t w a r e, the mind immediately visualizes a group of nerds who are furiously banging out some gobbledygook on their keyboard. Some entrepreneurs simply fail to make the connect between their wealth-creating ability and software. Which is a pity, actually.
People who come to me for counseling on new businesses are invariably people with a lot of entrepreneurial vision and grit. They are people with an ingrained perseverance and stamina to withstand the rough and tumble of lean days that a career as businessperson invariably involves. They are people who don't mind dirtying their hands and feet in the trenches, so that they understand the nitty-gritty of their business. These are the guys and gals for whom the golden cage of a cushy, nine-to-five job holds no meaning, and they yearn to fly the skies and test the limits of endurance of their wings. The breed of entrepreneurs is a breed apart. And yet, whenever I would broach the subject of this exciting new opportunity to them, they would baulk at the idea. "But, Software Business, Sanjay? Isn't it supposed to be so damn technical? Can't you suggest something that is more conventional? Something that is within my limits? Something that does not involve a steep learning curve, and where I can invest my time and money and begin to see results in the fastest possible time? Huh?"<
Generally, shipping supplies include boxes, bags, anti-static materials, barcode labels and equipment, bubble wraps, edge protectors, envelopes and mailers, material handling equipment, safety supplies, scales, warehouse equipment, tubes, and moving supplies.The most important among shipping supplies are the different types of boxes. Boxes suitable for different uses and occasions in the ship are available. Corrugated boxes, mailers, slide loaders, and bulk cargo containers are the most common among them. The double-wall, heavy duty boxes; storage bins; computer boxes; and storage file boxes are among other widely used shipping supplies. Space is a matter of concern in ships, and to serve the need, boxes are available in different sizes.Anti-static bubbles, shippers, and shielding bags, mats, and labels are also among widely used shipping supplies. Mailers include bubble mailers, poly mailers, rigid mailers, and corrugated mailers
Bridging Entrepreneur gung-ho With Software
Yet, despite all the promise of business success and prosperity that Software Business holds out, there are still quite a few who find it beyond their reach. The moment you mention S o f t w a r e, the mind immediately visualizes a group of nerds who are furiously banging out some gobbledygook on their keyboard. Some entrepreneurs simply fail to make the connect between their wealth-creating ability and software. Which is a pity, actually.
People who come to me for counseling on new businesses are invariably people with a lot of entrepreneurial vision and grit. They are people with an ingrained perseverance and stamina to withstand the rough and tumble of lean days that a career as businessperson invariably involves. They are people who don't mind dirtying their hands and feet in the trenches, so that they understand the nitty-gritty of their business. These are the guys and gals for whom the golden cage of a cushy, nine-to-five job holds no meaning, and they yearn to fly the skies and test the limits of endurance of their wings. The breed of entrepreneurs is a breed apart. And yet, whenever I would broach the subject of this exciting new opportunity to them, they would baulk at the idea. "But, Software Business, Sanjay? Isn't it supposed to be so damn technical? Can't you suggest something that is more conventional? Something that is within my limits? Something that does not involve a steep learning curve, and where I can invest my time and money and begin to see results in the fastest possible time? Huh?"<
What is a package any way? We all know it conveys a product from point A to point B. Besides the obvious of getting it there undamaged or not broken, what's a box supposed to do? That job has changed dramatically in the last decade. The package has become the “first moment of truth” at retail. And now, especially it’s going to decide whether someone will by your product, or not. So you better pay attention to not only what goes inside but what’s on the outside of the box.Just because you have a great product doesn't mean its going to sell. Or even if you have it in the right retail environment that it’s going to fly off the shelf. Packaging a product the right way entails much more than just creating a box to put your product in. Sure, you are going to get it there in one piece, we hope but gone are the days of the box acting as only a protective shipping container. The box today is the "retail" salesperson. The box or package is expect
Yet, despite all the promise of business success and prosperity that Software Business holds out, there are still quite a few who find it beyond their reach. The moment you mention S o f t w a r e, the mind immediately visualizes a group of nerds who are furiously banging out some gobbledygook on their keyboard. Some entrepreneurs simply fail to make the connect between their wealth-creating ability and software. Which is a pity, actually.
People who come to me for counseling on new businesses are invariably people with a lot of entrepreneurial vision and grit. They are people with an ingrained perseverance and stamina to withstand the rough and tumble of lean days that a career as businessperson invariably involves. They are people who don't mind dirtying their hands and feet in the trenches, so that they understand the nitty-gritty of their business. These are the guys and gals for whom the golden cage of a cushy, nine-to-five job holds no meaning, and they yearn to fly the skies and test the limits of endurance of their wings. The breed of entrepreneurs is a breed apart. And yet, whenever I would broach the subject of this exciting new opportunity to them, they would baulk at the idea. "But, Software Business, Sanjay? Isn't it supposed to be so damn technical? Can't you suggest something that is more conventional? Something that is within my limits? Something that does not involve a steep learning curve, and where I can invest my time and money and begin to see results in the fastest possible time? Huh?"<
To make something from nothing is what visionaries do. In the 1970's few entrepreneurs were looking for opportunities in Bangladesh. What opportunities could be created with millions of poverty stricken people? Yet one man saw something in what appeared to be nothing to most people. His name is Muhammad Yunus, and he founded the Grameen Bank. Dr. Yunus, an economist, and his bank have been awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. How and why did a banker win this year's Nobel Peace Prize? He won the award because he made something from nothing.Dr. Yunus began Grameen Bank by loaning $ 27 to a poor bamboo stool maker and 41 other desperately poor villagers in Bangladesh in 1975. A whole new industry of micro credit, loaning small amounts of money to poverty stricken people, was born. As of August, 2006, Grameen has loaned over 6 billion dollars to over 6.6 million borrowers, 96 percent of them women. Interest rates on Grameen's loans are about
Sigh. Here is one exciting opportunity - Software Business. At the time of writing this article, Microsoft is on the verge of launching its most awaited operating system, the Vista, E-commerce is elevating to the next higher level of operations, more and more customers are getting hooked up to computers and the internet, with even mom-and-pop stores looking for a piece of the cake .... And here are these entrepreneurs, the people who can make things happen - the people who have the ability to change the world. And they say - "Tell me about a more conventional business"!
There are so many things that you can do with a computer. The machine that sits on your desktop is like a monster that needs forever more work to do - and it is within the grasp of your ingenuity and creativity to think up things that you can make it do for you. When these "things" are something that positively affect the lives of thousands and millions of ordinary folk - boy, will they flock at your door on all fours! Such a mouth-watering thought! But - this Business of Software development; this programming; this gobbledygook - how does one come to terms with this monster? Heck, I am an entrepreneur, not a programmer!
It was this quest to bridge the gap between a software-illiterate entrepreneur and the exciting, moolah-rich Business of Software, that made me scour the net. And scour I did. Quite a few of the solutions on offer were downright imbecile and premature, and quite a few others I dismissed as thoroughly impractical.
Insights From Ben Prater's Book
It is a book written in 2001. And it was crafted by someone who is already into the thick of the business of developing and selling software, and is willing to share his insights with the rest of the world. This man is Benjamin Prater. His sales page on the web actually begins with a blunt and hyped-up statement - "How to Create Hot Software - Even if you've never touched a line of code!" Marketing spiel, eh? The price tag said USD 97, and I bought it online.
The content has hype in its pages, which is something that I can forgive Mr. Prater for (he has to sell his book, after all). But once he settles down to the core content, the book begins to unveil, layer by layer, all that it takes to set up a neat business in the domain of software. Right from idea inception, through to developing the software, setting up a website, down to selling it and maintaining / upgrading it: in short, the entire works. And best of all, the entire content is presented in a very lucid style, without introducing any business management mumbo-jumbo.
Test Your Entrepreneurial Skills
Which of the entrepreneurs who come to me will I recommend this book? As I mentally shortlist the probables, I think I am looking at the following qualities:
- You must really, _really_ want to build a career in software business, for you really, _really_ see the potential that this domain has in the years to come. Remember, the book acts as a guide. You are being shown the way; but it is you who has to do the w
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