Answer Upon - Business

How Much Is Your Website Worth?
It’s a new way of thinking about your website. Once you understand it, then you are able to finally take full advantage of your web space because you realize just how valuable your website really is on internet.You see, the internet is filling up as more and more online stores are opening up shop. It’s still cheap and easy to get started. Web space is still easily available. However, it’s already changing.The best domain names (or store locations) are worth thousands upon thousands of dollars and the prices are only going up. If your website has traffic, then it is already a valuable store potentially worth thousands upon thousands of dollars if you sold it to somebody else.But, you have a problem. How do you cash-in on your website traffic in the most effective way and capitalize on your valuable real estate? If you put ineffective advertisements on your site, then you are throwing your hard-earned advertising in the garbage potentially thousands of dollars.This is because when generating revenue from your website even the smallest mistake c

iche for themselves in the product segment by adopting and learning various Open Source products and implementing them for customers. The sense of appreciation in most companies using open source products is quite high, and sooner or later, they do contribute to the movement and the community in effort, money or materials. Srijan remains at the forefront of this movement, with its specialisation in helping customers in the Small-Medium Enterprises, Government, Education and Social sectors, use 'information' and 'knowledge' gainfully for their business/purpose enhancement.

Information Technology is only the beginning. At Srijan, we dream that in the near future we shall be able to diversify and create “successful business-models” and work in

a) renewable energy;

b) promote 'sustainable' organic agriculture;

c) water security;

d) environment sensitive products' development and marketing;

e) health – through preventive alternate medicine and practices;

f) micro-finance<

Accounts Receivable Outsourcing
Accounts Receivable factoring is a process that enables a small business to sell off its invoices and other Account Receivables to a financing company. The financing company purchases these invoices at a discounted rate, gives the cash to the business and, when the due date of the invoice arrives, it collects the cash from the customer at the face value of the invoice. The company can collect the cash itself or outsource the work to another company that specializes in cash collection services.The Outsourcing company first carries out what can be termed as an image capture. This means that as soon as a purchase order is received, the company uses a large number of recording techniques to scan the purchase order, and then index it based on fields such as customer name, customer number, invoice number and date. This will ensure that all customers??bf? data is stored together digitally and is accessible when required.The next is to scan the POD, or proof of delivery. Here, the customer??bf?s signature on the document is verified. This serves as a proof that th

Recently, during a discussion with Suman, a co-worker in the car while stuck in a traffic jam on the way to a client meeting in Gurgaon, I shared the vision of transforming Srijan into a company in which all its members collectively manage the growth, direction, etc. In response, Suman said, we already have a good work environment within the company; and why we should think of such measures at all?

I tried but could not provide an answer; and asked him to allow me to write down why, as I am better expressed that way. On the way back, I did manage to provide an answer, but decided that I would still write it, to share it across our company and possibly consider publishing it in a supportive media publication, to let the idea rub-off on other companies as well.

Unlearning the ways of the world

In the last few years, I have been deeply influenced by books such as “Built to Last” and more recently by “Maverick” and “Seven Day Weekend” by Ricardo Semler talking of his experiments with 'democracy at work' in his company Semco in Brazil. I have also been influenced by the late Sh. P.L. Tandon, the first Indian chairman of HLL, and well-known economist, with whom I had several late evening discussions on 'management' with the heart.

To add to all this, we have an advisor to our company who believes in complete transparency at the work place, as a basic tenet to 'building great companies' of the future.

Through months and years of training, or may I say, 'questioning' and then 'unlearning' the 'thought paradigms' and 'values' taught to us by society, have I now begun to initiate processes which are transparent, idealistic, and really how, companies must run.

Purpose of a business

Firstly, each company must have a reason to be in business. Earning as much money as possible', having the best car, foreign trips, etc. for the promoter and his/her family, could be the motivation. However, this reason alone creates the insane world we live in, with such huge inequities that 60%-70% of our population lives 'below poverty line'. Now, I refuse to be drawn into the technicalities of the BPL category; people, actually much more than the percentage above, are struggling daily to meet their daily basic survival needs. This is poverty; and I do not care if they earn the US$2-3 subscribed as a benchmark by World Bank or IMF to define the 'poverty line'.

When I formed Srijan, we did not have much of a reason, except generating financial security, so that I could be involved in areas of political reform in this country. Over the years of training and 'unlearning', it is now a personal dream to create a 'great company' which works for a larger purpose than fulfilling the gluttonous appetite of the shareholders or promoters or even the employees, for money.

So what is Srijan's purpose?

Srijan will work in areas of 'national significance' such as those which address the social needs of the people of the country, and in-turn the world at large.

We believe that Information Technology and Media, both of which culminate in the Internet, has the power to transform lives of millions, by giving them a voice, and an opportunity to come together, share and learn from each other. Srijan will continue to work at the forefront of this revolution.

Over the last few years, we have seen the power of communities at work, where one person's willingness to share his university project code, has culminated in an OS which has challenged the might and monopoly of Microsoft, in a manner that no large corporation in the world has been able to do. Linux, is getting mature, and its acceptability increasing by the day. It has given birth to an Open Source movement which is giving the power of choice, affordability and security to the end-user. It is for the first time, in the last 30 years or so, that small businesses are being able to afford IT for increasing their business efficiency. Small IT companies, such as ours, are being able to find a niche for themselves in the product segment by adopting and learning various Open Source products and implementing them for customers. The sense of appreciation in most companies using open source products is quite high, and sooner or later, they do contribute to the movement and the community in effort, money or materials. Srijan remains at the forefront of this movement, with its specialisation in helping customers in the Small-Medium Enterprises, Government, Education and Social sectors, use 'information' and 'knowledge' gainfully for their business/purpose enhancement.

Information Technology is only the beginning. At Srijan, we dream that in the near future we shall be able to diversify and create “successful business-models” and work in

a) renewable energy;

b) promote 'sustainable' organic agriculture;

c) water security;

d) environment sensitive products' development and marketing;

e) health – through preventive alternate medicine and practices;

f) micro-finance Let's Get Physical
A lot of companies have gotten it right in the digital realm, only to drop the ball once you meet them on the physical plane. People show up to shop and retailers don't always have a good grasp of what to do with them.You walk into a store and human assistance is in short supply. And, you find, the store layout doesn't make sense to you. Probably designed by some engineer who has no idea about how the customer experience works.Wine stores are a great example. Now, I like wine and read a lot about it. So, I have a grasp of the basics: varietals, countries from which they hail, etc.But the average wine shopper is lost. Grapedistrict has come to the rescue with its new coding system.They have ridded themselves of oak shelving and wine segregation by color or country. A color coded system based upon flavor quickly tells the consumer what he or she needs to know. Customer Service - The Little Things Count
"It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), British novelist and author of the Sherlock Holmes seriesThe smallest little things we do in our business can mean the difference between positive and negative buzz.On a recent trip to the mall, I stopped for a frozen yogurt snack at a TCBY stand. When I asked for a cup of tap water to accompany my yogurt, the counter person said, "I'll have to charge you 25 cents for the water." When I did a double-take, she said with a look of embarrassment, "Oh, I'm so sorry that I have to charge for water…but that’s what the owner wants."I’ve always loved TCBY frozen yogurt, but this left a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn’t stop thinking that a paper cup of tap water must cost only a few pennies. The profit margin on a cup of frozen yogurt is surely generous, so why would a business owner charge for tap water?Of course, I didn’t pay for the water and instead walked to the nearest drinking fountain. I'll never go back to tha

Srijan will work in areas of 'national significance' such as those which address the social needs of the people of the country, and in-turn the world at large.

Information Technology is only the beginning. At Srijan, we dream that in the near future we shall be able to diversify and create “successful business-models” and work in

Srijan is already working on building a 'consulting' division within our company through association with a couple of highly-recognised management consultants, and began our first project in 'assessing water security' of villages in hilly regions of Uttaranchal.

We are already working in the sector of micro-finance, though currently at a personal level. I recently lent our domestic-help a few ten-thousand rupees to enable purchasing land in his village, which would in the years to come enable him to become independent and an entrepreneur. Who knows, he may get to run a Petrol pump one-day on this piece of land which is on the road leading to Chilka lake. The only condition remains that once he is doing well for himself in the future, he would help others in-need and with an opportunity, become independent as well.

So, how does all this relate to my discussion with my colleague, mentioned at the beginning? Well, the only 'humane' and 'sustainable' way to grow and diversify into these areas, is by involving a group of inspired people to work towards these 'shared common goals'. It makes this movement (or the company) much more stable, sustainable and one that lasts.

Such a company could only provide a 'loving' and 'balanced' environment, required for creating new brilliant ideas, which will give new direction and new areas of business and thus, profits to the company; and a more equitable society.

The challenge is to find the right kind of people. A company must share and 'live' its culture rather than talk about it. It is what one 'does' and not what one 'says' that will help put in place such a culture.

At Srijan, we have a good work environment. Inspite, of being small, we are now able to afford better salaries for our people. We have recently redesigned our office to improve the environment and the ambiance, thus making the work hours more comfortable. In order to bring in transparency in management, we

share information on the company's billing to its customers, each other's salaries are known to all key people, including the normally hidden perks to the top management. :-)

Although, everyone does not have an opinion in all decisions, we still ensure that everyone is consulted or apprised before any major initiatives. All of us, in capacity as Account Managers, build relationships with our customers. There are 'strategic consultants' associated with us, who are encouraged to make project bids, building customer relationships, deliver the work – independently, without bothering with the bureaucracy of control-based centralised Project Management practices. Quality does not suffer at all. We trust that we are dealing with adults, who are aware of Srijan's 'quality practices' and the 'code of conduct'.

This is not where it ends. We have a long-way to go in creating a company led by its people. There is still a lot of unlearning to do, to create a truly great company. However, our open and transparent management practices, often inspired by the leadership of our highly-charged advisors, will ensure that new inspired initiatives keep cropping up, leading us to new directions and new business initiatives within the company, which will help achieve and expand our 'purpose'.

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I am often asked by aspiring entrepreneurs for tips that are essential to being successful in launching a new commercial venture. Below I have assembled the big 10, something like the 10 Commandments, only for entrepreneurial success. The areas covered below are not negotiable in the process of taking projects. Trying to short-circuit the list is a death knell for any start-up.

Implementing a bar-coding system can be difficult without the care and discipline any serious undertaking requires. That means preparing yourself and your staff for the job at hand and setting aside the time to properly implement the barcode systems that will become an integral part of your overall business information system.

Never mind email, get belly to belly with your people; let them see and feel your presence. Good leaders lead from the front and set the example for others to follow.

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