Let’s face it. It’s 2010 and considering oneself to be environmentally friendly, or “green” is no longer limited to park rangers, UC Santa Cruz students, people that listen to Phish or anyone that has both dreadlocks and a bottle of patchouli oil. The Harley-Davidson riding motorcyclist standing in front of me in line at the liquor store the other day had brought his own tote bag so as to avoid wasting a plastic one. Wow. Talk about progress over the past decade or so. But amidst all the flurry of “going green” and making eco-friendly choices, have we forgotten what it’s really all about? The other day I saw a “Keep Tahoe Blue” sticker on the back of a Hummer SUV.
While I applaud the fact that caring for the environment is trendy, it seems to me that too often, people make the decisions that are most apparent to others. Parking
At least they're trying?
your prius…
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I have a friend who asks for a discount on every single thing he purchases. He is a business owner, but he doesn’t just ask for discounts when signing contracts or making purchases for his business. He asks for a discount on every single thing he buys, business or personal. A lot of the time his inquiry is done in humor and good taste. I finally asked why he does this and he explained that if he does not get into the habit of asking for discounts or negotiating, you may miss your opportunity or not have the confidence when the time comes for it to really make a difference.
This makes sense. How many times have you bought something where you knew you could of negotiated but felt uncomfortable to ask? Well, you just left money on the table. In some countries negotiating is a part of the culture. I’ve heard from several people…
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Taking the leap of faith to start your own business is difficult enough. According to the SBA, in 2008 an estimated 627,200 businesses opened. On the flip side, an estimated 595,600 closed their doors. While many factors contribute to the decision for a business to open or close, prioritizing the following three items will get you headed in the right direction when you start your own business.
- Business Plan – The most important part when you start your own business is developing your business plan. A business plan forces you to consider all foreseeable areas of your company and address issues before they occur. It helps you to diagram the operations, research your competition, plan your marketing strategy, and understand how you will make money. It is the most critical part of your business, it will grow and expand as your business grows and expands. A business plan should be developed before you ever start your…
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Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with the oft-quoted remark in favor of innovation: “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” Though brilliant and an outstanding essayist, Emerson could not have been more wrong. This quote has since left countless entrepreneurs under the wrong impression that all they have to do come up with a great new idea or design and their work is finished. The world will take notice while they sit back and watch the sales roll in.
There are several inherent flaws presented. The first is lack of marketing. If you build the best mousetrap or car or computer and potential consumers are unaware that you exist, nobody will know that there is even a path worth beating. After watching the Super Bowl, it is clear that many of the companies advertising are not “best of breed” and yet they often dominate their industry with their marketing…
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Has anyone ever built a successful business without a business plan? Sure they have. However, I’m hard pressed to believe many interested partners, private investors or investor organizations give money to entrepreneurs with out seeing a well outlined business plan and a professional presentation first. Unless this individual or group has started many great businesses prior, blind investing won’t happen. If it does, the investors are most likely betting on the “jockey” (individual), not the “horse” (business concept).
Chances are you’re here because you don’t have that reputation of turning out more million dollar businesses than you can shake a stick at. To help, here are two very useful tips for business plan writing and presenting.
1) Being to the point wins people over: Don’t lengthen content because you feel it looks more legitimate. Audiences tend to pick up on that and will get irritated their time is being wasted. This goes for writing and presenting. Explain…
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