<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" ><channel><title>Doug Richard&#039;s School for Startups</title> <atom:link href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk</link> <description>UK’s leading provider of business training for entrepreneurs</description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:22 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0</generator> <item><title>How To Price Your Products And Services</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-price-your-products-and-services/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-price-your-products-and-services/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:59:37 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Nancy Fulton Mazur</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[An Entrepreneurs Guide To]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4907</guid> <description><![CDATA[ Most new entrepreneurs believe that their price is calculated by adding  all the costs required to deliver a given product or service to the  margin they want to earn per product or service delivered. The truth is that prices aren&#8217;t determined by the owner of a  business. They are determined by the customer [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/successful-startups-almost-never-compete-on-price/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price'>Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/marketing-is-all-about-frames-so-put-your-products-in-the-picture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Marketing is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture'>Marketing is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-price-of-money-part-4-say-no-no-no-no-till-your-tongue-bleed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Price of Money Part 4: Say No, No, No, No Till Your Tongue Bleeds'>The Price of Money Part 4: Say No, No, No, No Till Your Tongue Bleeds</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/16450133-201x300.jpg" alt="" width="201" height="300" align="right" /><br /> Most new entrepreneurs believe that their price is calculated by adding  all the costs required to deliver a given product or service to the  margin they want to earn per product or service delivered.</p><p>The truth is that prices aren&#8217;t determined by the owner of a  business. They are determined by the customer of a business. Business  owners determine cost. Customers determine price based on how much they  are willing to pay.</p><p>To discover the best price for your product or service:</p><ul><li>Explore the prices of your competitors. What are they selling and  how much are they charging.  How does their brand effect their price.   If their offering costs less and delivers the same value to the  customer, how will you justify a higher price?</li><li>Present your product or service to customers at your specified  price, at a slightly lower price and at a slightly higher price.  Experiment with bundling your products and services to create packages  of greater value. Try varying your price based on where it is purchased.   Online purchases, for example, usually cost less than purchases made  in a store.</li><li>Look at the pricing for products that replace your product.  For  example, if you sell Sari&#8217;s you may find that your product sells at  prices comparable to a dress, though they are an entirely different  garment.  Kilts may be priced comparably to pants.</li><li>If your product has no direct competitor, and no comparable products  seem to exist, price it based on what it costs not to own it. For  example, if you sell a new wind turbine, you can price it in line with  what it would take to produce comparable amounts of electricity another  way.</li></ul><p>If your product or service isn&#8217;t selling at any price, you need to  sit down with a number of customers to find out why what you have to  offer is not what they want to buy.  You don&#8217;t have a pricing problem,  you have a product or service design problem.</p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/successful-startups-almost-never-compete-on-price/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price'>Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/marketing-is-all-about-frames-so-put-your-products-in-the-picture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Marketing is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture'>Marketing is All About Frames, So Put Your Products In the Picture</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-price-of-money-part-4-say-no-no-no-no-till-your-tongue-bleed/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Price of Money Part 4: Say No, No, No, No Till Your Tongue Bleeds'>The Price of Money Part 4: Say No, No, No, No Till Your Tongue Bleeds</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-price-your-products-and-services/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Want Your Business to Succeed? You Better Understand “Brand”</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/want-to-succeed-you-better-understand-%e2%80%9cbrand%e2%80%9d/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/want-to-succeed-you-better-understand-%e2%80%9cbrand%e2%80%9d/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:50:00 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Nancy Fulton Mazur</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[I Have To Show You]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brand]]></category> <category><![CDATA[brand building]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to brand]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to build a brand]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing for entrepreneurs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing tips]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing tricks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[products]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[SEM]]></category> <category><![CDATA[services]]></category> <category><![CDATA[starting a business]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4887</guid> <description><![CDATA[People’s attachment to the brand is emotional, not intellectual. The brand becomes a guarantee of value for its customers, and that emotional attachment to the product spurs a large percentage of a well-branded company’s sales.Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/successful-startups-almost-never-compete-on-price/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price'>Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-give-it-away-business-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide To &#8216;Give it Away&#8217; Business Models'>An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide To &#8216;Give it Away&#8217; Business Models</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/why-we-buy-what-we-buy-understanding-consumers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Entrepreneurs Guide to Understanding Why We Buy What We Buy. Understanding Consumers.'>Entrepreneurs Guide to Understanding Why We Buy What We Buy. Understanding Consumers.</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4900" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="Do You Know the Importance of Brand?" src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/32334705-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="201" />Generally I don’ t like to start blogs with threats.  Bloggers are always telling the readers that the end of the world is right around the corner if some arbitrary rule isn’t followed.  In this case, however, a firm statement is warranted.  The vast majority of entrepreneurs and small business owners do not understand what a brand is, why it is important or how to build one.  These failings keep their enterprises from succeeding, and lack of success becomes failure over time.</p><p><strong>What is a Brand and Why Do You Want One?</strong></p><p>If Coca Cola released a new beverage, how likely do you think you would be to try it?  If Apple announced a mysterious new product that it said would combine the features of the iPad and iPhone, how likely do you think you would be to place an order for the product even without a working demo to look at?   If Google came out with a new Customer Relationship Manager application that cost $10 a month, how likely do you think you would be to try it out?</p><p>In most of the cases outlined above, millions of people would respond in the affirmative.  Why?  Because Coca Cola, Apple and Google all have great reputations for delivering exceptional value to their customers.</p><p>How did they develop these brands?  By understanding their customers well enough to know what products and services would most please them.  The source of a strong brand is in the understanding an enterprise has of:</p><ul><li>Who their customers are from a demographic standpoint</li><li>Where their customers find solutions for a given problem, or products for a given use</li><li>What problems their customers have</li><li>What solutions are available for those customers</li><li>How much customers are willing to pay for those solutions</li><li>What emotional reasons drive customers to purchase a given product</li><li>What pleasant associations customers have for a given product</li><li>What unpleasant associations customers have for a given need the product meets</li></ul><p>When a company fully understands its customers, and develop and sells the products and services that meet their needs over, and over, and over again, they develop a “brand” that they become known for. People’s attachment to the brand is emotional, not intellectual.  The brand becomes a guarantee of value for its customers, and that emotional attachment to the product spurs a large percentage of a well-branded company’s sales.</p><p>What does this mean to you?</p><p>Every time you sell a product or service to a customer, you are defining your brand. The promises you make to customers you understand well, and your ability to deliver on those promises, determine how happy a customer is, how likely he is to buy the next product you sell and how likely he is to refer other customers to you.</p><p>If you want to develop a good brand, start by looking at your best customers and finding out why they buy what they buy.  Ask them what improvements they would like to see.  Follow their advice and develop a product that flies off the shelves and delivers great value to it’s customers.  You will, in short order, have a brand that makes people like you and your business enough to buy products even before they are completely sure they need or want them.</p><p>If you want to learn more about branding and marketing, join us at the <a href="http://www.madein48hours.co.uk" target="_blank">Made in 48 Hours</a> bootcamp next week.  We’ll teach you how to build or strengthen a brand quickly and cost effectively, and you will learn marketing techniques that use brand to buy customers.  See you there.</p><form method="post" action=""><input type="hidden" name="ip" value="38.107.191.101" /><p>Your email:<br /><input type="text" name="email" value="Enter email address..." size="20" onfocus="if (this.value == 'Enter email address...') {this.value = '';}" onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Enter email address...';}" /></p><p><input type="submit" name="subscribe" value="Subscribe" />&nbsp;<input type="submit" name="unsubscribe" value="Unsubscribe" /></p></form><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/successful-startups-almost-never-compete-on-price/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price'>Successful Startups Almost Never Compete On Price</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-give-it-away-business-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide To &#8216;Give it Away&#8217; Business Models'>An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide To &#8216;Give it Away&#8217; Business Models</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/why-we-buy-what-we-buy-understanding-consumers/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Entrepreneurs Guide to Understanding Why We Buy What We Buy. Understanding Consumers.'>Entrepreneurs Guide to Understanding Why We Buy What We Buy. Understanding Consumers.</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/want-to-succeed-you-better-understand-%e2%80%9cbrand%e2%80%9d/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Woo Hoo! I Am The Mentoring Club Director! That is so cool&#8230;</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/woo-hoo-i-am-the-mentoring-club-director-that-is-so-cool/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/woo-hoo-i-am-the-mentoring-club-director-that-is-so-cool/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:12:03 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Nancy Fulton Mazur</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Naked Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[designing a great product]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug richard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[finding investors]]></category> <category><![CDATA[growing a business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to increase sales]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to start a business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing tricks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mentor]]></category> <category><![CDATA[mentoring club]]></category> <category><![CDATA[naked business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[nancy fulton]]></category> <category><![CDATA[School for Startups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[starting a business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[startups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[uk small business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[venture capital]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4864</guid> <description><![CDATA[We plan to launch the Mentoring Club in October.  Initially we’ll accept no more than 100 members.  If you aren’t on our Mentoring Club Contact list go sign up now. I'll email you to follow up within 24-hours :)Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/practical-qa-with-doug-richard-from-london-university-college-event/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Practical Q&#038;A With Doug Richard: Mentoring, Recruiting &#038; Seeing Opportunities'>Practical Q&#038;A With Doug Richard: Mentoring, Recruiting &#038; Seeing Opportunities</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/naked-business-building-a-wall-of-sound/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Naked Business: Building a Wall of Sound'>Naked Business: Building a Wall of Sound</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-naked-business-what-we-get-right/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Naked Business: What We Get Right'>The Naked Business: What We Get Right</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you ever wanted a job really bad?  Not because of the money. Not because of the prestige.  But just because you knew it would be so much fun?</p><p>I have&#8230; several times, and three times it has been working on insanely great projects for a very wry, very intelligent, very pragmatic, very hard working and just a little whimsical&#8230; Doug Richard.</p><p><strong><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mentoring-club/"><img class="size-full wp-image-4865 alignleft" style="margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 10px;" title="Nancy Fulton, Director of the Doug Richard Mentoring Club" src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/nancy_portrait2_web.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="205" /></a></strong>I met Doug and his brother Ken because they were giving equipment to Amnesty International, and I was the Hollywood Amnesty International’s computer consultant.  (That gig gave me two great tickets to their concert featuring Peter Gabriel, Sting and U2 )</p><p>I walked into ITAL’s lobby to pick up my missing power cables, saw the small office of a dozen people and the insane amount of computer equipment, and asked Doug’s brother Ken if they needed a trainer.  He asked if I was “smart”.  I said “Yes” and he handed me my first accounting package to learn.</p><p>Three months later, after consulting on multiple gigs and learning another half dozen software applications including AutoCAD, I walked into the office of a young Doug Richard and said . . . “So what does a girl have to do to get hired around here?” He signed me on for about $25K.</p><p>For over two and a half years I worked for ITAL, learning more than 70 applications and becoming a professional “demo jock”, a software and training documentation writer and a nascent marketing professional in the process.</p><p>I moved to the UK to work for DATECH, sole distributor for AutoCAD in the UK, only to come back a year later after a death in the family to consult for Doug’s new business&#8230; Visual Software. The following year I launched my first enterprise, a company called OpenCAD that consulted with Autodesk and published a subscription based training site, books and training CDs.</p><p><strong>And then&#8230;<br /> </strong><br /> About a year ago I heard Doug had launched School for Startups. I went to the website, started reading articles and thought, “Look, he’s doing what I do!”</p><p>For 20+ years I’d been running my own businesses&#8230; Everything from computer consulting and technical writing under contract, to launching subscription based websites with thousands of customers, to making independent film. I’d taught for UCLA and the Art Institute, and written hundreds of articles for dozens of publications, and produced more than a dozen books for several publishers. My husband and business partner during this period participated in the launch of several Internet startups and now works for one of the hottest app developers on the iPhone, Gogii (producer of Text+ the group based messaging software) and is co-founder of ICS Mobile which owns FreeAppADay.  They drive apps into the Top Ten Games on the Apple Appstore every week.</p><p>All along the way, I have been assaulting people with instructions on how they could start their own businesses&#8230; whether they knew they wanted them or not.  I can actually provide references of people so instructed <img src='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /></p><p>I was overjoyed when Doug let me sign on as Editor for School for Startups.  Since then I’ve been writing 2-5 articles a week, and supporting the marketing department with copy, working on curriculum development, and helping out the web team.  Did I mention that Doug always hires the best people?  I have learned crazy things&#8230;</p><p><strong>I thought it could get no better.<br /> </strong><br /> And then Doug started talking about this Mentoring Club thing . . . and it was like watching Daddy build a bike for my brother.</p><p>I really like helping  people start businesses.  It is one of the best things in the world.  Someone wants to write a book, make a movie, open a day care center, launch an Internet startup, build a profitable iphone application, I want to help.</p><p>I like telling people the easiest way to build a store, the fastest way to get national attention for a product launch, the best way to find great programmers who work at a reasonable price.  I feel like every great business I help get going is a public service . . .</p><p>Small businesses and startups package innovation, create new efficiencies, support local economies and create jobs.  They change the world.</p><p>So&#8230; I must confess I actually asked Doug if he had someone to run the Mentoring club picked out.</p><p>He said I could be it’s first Director.</p><p><strong>I am stoked.<br /> </strong><br /> As first Director of the Mentoring Club (Yeah!) I’ll be able to help Doug build a remarkable business network that incorporates ongoing support and training for entrepreneurs working at every level.</p><p>This will be the hands-on business school for folks who really want a successful business.</p><p>We don’t care if you are starting an enterprise that will let you be home to take care of the kids after school or tomorrow’s new Google-style high-tech startup soon to be worth billions. We don’t care if your business is just starting out, struggling to survive, or ready to scale up.  Want real world guidance in building products that sell themselves, running sales teams, building a brand or finding investors? We are here to help.</p><p>If you become a member you will:</p><ul><li>Join us for two live online events every month where Doug and the occasional expert will answer your questions and lecture regarding topics of specific interest to members of the group.</li><li>Receive two video-casts where we take on topics and questions we didn’t cover live.</li><li>Be invited to a quarterly Members Only networking event where you’ll have a chance to meet group members and the experts we invite to lecture and mingle.</li><li>Get access to a private online forum where we will be around to provide quick ad hoc advice.</li><li>Get discounts on all our face to face events.</li></ul><p>All that for £100/month.</p><p><strong>If you can find a better, more cost effective, more responsive business development &amp; networking program, I suggest you sign up immediately.<br /> </strong><br /> We plan to launch the Mentoring Club in October.</p><p>Initially we’ll accept no more than 100 members.  If you aren’t on our Mentoring Club Contact list go <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mentoring-club/">sign up now</a>.   You&#8217;ll get a follow email from me within 24 hours.</p><p>Folks who are on the list should already have heard from us.  We’ve been offering them discounts and special opportunities already, and we’ve been soliciting their input on how the program can best meet their needs.</p><p><strong>Anyway, in this Naked Business, I just wanted to say, it just doesn’t get any better than this . . .</strong></p><p>Thanks <span style="text-decoration: underline;">again</span>, Doug <img src='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /></p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/practical-qa-with-doug-richard-from-london-university-college-event/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Practical Q&#038;A With Doug Richard: Mentoring, Recruiting &#038; Seeing Opportunities'>Practical Q&#038;A With Doug Richard: Mentoring, Recruiting &#038; Seeing Opportunities</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/naked-business-building-a-wall-of-sound/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Naked Business: Building a Wall of Sound'>Naked Business: Building a Wall of Sound</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-naked-business-what-we-get-right/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Naked Business: What We Get Right'>The Naked Business: What We Get Right</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/woo-hoo-i-am-the-mentoring-club-director-that-is-so-cool/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>I Would Like To Go On A Journey With You</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/i-would-like-to-go-on-a-journey-with-you/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/i-would-like-to-go-on-a-journey-with-you/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:29:39 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Mark Boyd</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Doug Says]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4859</guid> <description><![CDATA[I would like to go on a journey with you.  My goal: to make sense of the web in a way you may not have considered before. The web is more than a random collection of websites. It has a structure and a meaning to it that, if you understand it, you can use [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/luke-johnson-and-dragons-den-is-it-good-or-evil/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Luke Johnson and Dragons&#8217; Den: Is it Good or Evil?'>Luke Johnson and Dragons&#8217; Den: Is it Good or Evil?</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I would like to go on a journey with you.  My goal: to make sense of the web in a way you may not have considered before. The web is more than a random collection of websites. It has a structure and a meaning to it that, if you understand it, you can use to the advantage of your business. I would like to expose that inner structure and show you how to structure your website, and indeed your entire business.</p><p>We are no longer in a position, whether we run small local businesses or businesses that aspire to sell products and services worldwide, to merely view the web as a marketing tool, or an ecommerce site or a distribution channel. We must start thinking of it as the primary organizing principle of our business. It is more important than the “real” world it mirrors. And in the coming year or two it will become obvious to everyone that a new order of business is emerging. These will be businesses, small or large, that are large in their impact on the web.</p><p>The heart of a business is the answer to a simple question: What do you promise? It is a simple question that answers many other questions. It answers, what do you do, why is what you do better than everyone else, and what expectation should I have. The promise your business makes is the reason people want you and need to find you.</p><p>Your promise should be what makes you different. Every business is unique in some way, however small. Your uniqueness is your advantage. It could be your convenience; you’re closer to the main road. It could be your opening hour. Of course it could be much more substantial. You might be the fastest or the cheapest or the best quality. But whatever makes you different and better than your competitors for your customers; that’s your promise. And a certain set of people want that particular advantage. There may not be many of them, or there may be quite a few spread out all over the world, but you need to make sure that every possible potential customer who wants the particular version of product or service you sell with the particular advantage you offer, knows about you so they can buy from you.</p><p>Like every other business, you are a secret waiting to be discovered by customers who are looking for someone to make that promise to them. The web, through obvious and unobvious ways, puts you in an extraordinary position to make sure they discover you and your promise.</p><p>If you are interested in knowing more, join me at <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/" target="_blank">Made in 48 Hours</a>. And join me on a journey.</p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/luke-johnson-and-dragons-den-is-it-good-or-evil/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Luke Johnson and Dragons&#8217; Den: Is it Good or Evil?'>Luke Johnson and Dragons&#8217; Den: Is it Good or Evil?</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/i-would-like-to-go-on-a-journey-with-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>How to Network Effectively: For the Shy &amp; Polite</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-network-effectively-for-the-shy-polite/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-network-effectively-for-the-shy-polite/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:15:08 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Doug Richard</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[An Entrepreneurs Guide To]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[branding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug richard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to fix bad reports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to network]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[networking]]></category> <category><![CDATA[School for Startups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[small business startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[starting a business]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4837</guid> <description><![CDATA[Networking is something most entrepreneurs don’t do nearly enough of, and the more you do it the better your business will do.  People deliver opportunities.  It is unlikely that a multi-million pound customer is going to knock on your front door, but its quite likely several of them will be at the next big local trade show for your industry.Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website'>Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/turning-web-traffic-into-cold-hard-cash/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Turning Web Traffic into Cold Hard Cash'>Turning Web Traffic into Cold Hard Cash</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/i-have-to-show-you-tubemogul-rapid-deployment-of-video-across-the-internet/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: I Have to Show You: Tubemogul Rapid Deployment of Video Across the Internet'>I Have to Show You: Tubemogul Rapid Deployment of Video Across the Internet</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The common wisdom is that entrepreneurs naturally like to meet people. The truth is, most would rather do almost anything else.  While some entrepreneurs are naturally gregarious, the majority seem to dislike networking so much that they will make every effort to avoid the exercise.</p><p>Yet, time and again I’ve seen that businesses led by owners who refuse to make new connections struggle rather than succeed.  Customers, strategic partners and key employees must be sought out if a young company is to thrive.</p><p>That said, I understand the reluctance people feel when entering a room full of strangers  How do you sift through a mass of people to find those who share common interests, work in similar industries, work toward shared goals?  The truth is, there are tricks and techniques you can master that make it far easier than you imaging.</p><p>If you find networking difficult<a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/doug-richard-analyzing.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1705" title="Doug Richard's School for Startups" src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/doug-richard-analyzing-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>, try the following:</p><ul><li>Start your networking by joining groups that share your industry, your profession or your market.  You can find these groups on Meetup.com, LinkedIn.com and by contacting the professional organizations that certify those in your industry.</li><li>When you join a new group, offer to serve as a volunteer.  Try to be given a job that puts you into direct contact with every member of the group. You’ll find that the person who passes out name tags gets to know everyone.</li><li>Smile.  Really, it is all going to be Okay.  Networking is what we used to call “play” before we grew up.  It’s finding  group of people doing something interesting and hanging out with them while they do it.  You aren’t looking for true love or deep friendships, though over time you may find both.  You’re just looking for someone to hang out with. If you recall your playground manners, you know you have to be nice to the new kids, avoid the bullies and befriend people with a “Hello”.  “Hi!  My name’s Ted.  I’m a programmer with a start up.  What do you do?”</li><li>Be able to describe what you do in a sentence. The older you get, the harder that is. Find something interesting to say that gives people a general idea and then assume that you’ll have more time to fill in the blanks.  “I work in steel,” or “I’m a film producer” or “I sell things” are find handshake intros.</li><li>Have business cards to trade and make sure they have your email address.  One friend I know writes something he thinks will be helpful to everyone he talks to on the back of every card he passes out.  So if he meets someone that would benefit from knowing how to upload lots of videos onto the internet, he writes “www.tubemogul.com multiple video upload” on the back of his card. He writes the same thing on the back of the card they give him. That makes it easier to reconnect the next day with the folks he like.</li></ul><p>Networking is something most entrepreneurs don’t do nearly enough of, and the more you do it the better your business will do.  People deliver opportunities.  It is unlikely that a multi-million pound customer is going to knock on your front door, but its quite likely several of them will be at the next big local trade show for your industry.  Maybe you should be a “regular” at that event for the next few years.  Maybe every week you should find a way to network with a few hundred people in your industry, in your community or among the groups that support your customers.</p><p>If you accomplish that objective, and follow the suggestions outlined in this article, I can almost guarantee you’ll pick up lots of new business and many new opportunities in just a few weeks.</p><form method="post" action=""><input type="hidden" name="ip" value="38.107.191.101" /><p>Your email:<br /><input type="text" name="email" value="Enter email address..." size="20" onfocus="if (this.value == 'Enter email address...') {this.value = '';}" onblur="if (this.value == '') {this.value = 'Enter email address...';}" /></p><p><input type="submit" name="subscribe" value="Subscribe" />&nbsp;<input type="submit" name="unsubscribe" value="Unsubscribe" /></p></form><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website'>Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/turning-web-traffic-into-cold-hard-cash/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Turning Web Traffic into Cold Hard Cash'>Turning Web Traffic into Cold Hard Cash</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/i-have-to-show-you-tubemogul-rapid-deployment-of-video-across-the-internet/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: I Have to Show You: Tubemogul Rapid Deployment of Video Across the Internet'>I Have to Show You: Tubemogul Rapid Deployment of Video Across the Internet</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-network-effectively-for-the-shy-polite/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>What’s a Mentor &amp; Why Do You Want One?</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/what%e2%80%99s-a-mentor-why-do-you-want-one/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/what%e2%80%99s-a-mentor-why-do-you-want-one/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:12:27 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Mark Boyd</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[I Have To Show You]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4833</guid> <description><![CDATA[Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Try to be born into a wealthy family that starts and owns successful businesses. That almost always seems to work well.  Growing a company from the ground up requires a broad set of skills, and there’s nothing like discussing corporate mergers and intellectual property rights over the dinner [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/social-enterprise/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: What is a Social Enterprise? Not Another Word for Charity or Non-Profit . . .'>What is a Social Enterprise? Not Another Word for Charity or Non-Profit . . .</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/404020-the-winning-combination-for-marketing-success/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 40/40/20: The Winning Combination for Marketing Success'>40/40/20: The Winning Combination for Marketing Success</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Want to be a successful entrepreneur? Try to be born into a wealthy family that starts and owns successful businesses. That almost always seems to work well.  Growing a company from the ground up requires a broad set of skills, and there’s nothing like discussing corporate mergers and intellectual property rights over the dinner table to prepare you to launch a successful enterprise as soon as you leave school.  At least that seemed to work well for Bill Gates.</p><p>But, for most of us, it is too late to choose a Mother and Father.  That means you’ll have to find a good Mentor instead.  Nothing shortens the road to personal and financial success for an entrepreneur more than some early hand holding by someone who has built a business from the ground up.  Why?  Because you can’t teach what you don’t know . . .</p><p>An effective mentor for an up and coming entrepreneur should have the following properties:</p><ul><li>They have owned and operated a successful business, and they have demonstrated that they have the skills you need to master in order to succeed.</li><li>They have some experience in running businesses similar to the one you want to run.  It doesn’t need to be an enterprise in the same industry, but if you are planning to sell products it helps if your mentor has some insight into product design and product sales.  If you are selling services, it is handy if they can help you come up with manpower management solutions.</li><li>They’ve dealt with their fair share of disasters and disappointments.  More than half of the skills required to build a successful business are related to dealing with the unknown and turning unpleasant surprises into unexpected opportunities.  Furthermore, most very successful business professionals have had to start multiple enterprises in order to reach their current positions.</li><li>They need to understand the true evolution of a business. A business starts with a simple idea which becomes a business model.  They’ll understand the dangers inherent to each stage of a business, and be able give you some guidance to alleviate the growing pains. They won’t tell you to just write a business plan and take a loan . . .</li><li>They’ll be honest.  They’ll happily admit that they don’t know something they don’t know. They’ll tell you when they think an idea is unwise.  They’ll offer their advice and then happily watch you make your own mistakes.</li><li>They’ll be almost as proud of your successes as you are.</li><li>And they’ll open up their Rolodex to offer you access to some of the resources and relationships they used to build their own successful enterprises.</li></ul><p>While your boss may be your mentor, your mentor is not your boss.  He is not your teacher.  He is your advisor and your slightly senior compatriot.  He is your coach and your confidant.  One day, if you are very lucky, you will find he is your friend.</p><p>Finding a good mentor can make all the difference between success and failure when it comes to starting a business.  It will almost certainly change the course of your life forever.  If you are starting your first business, and you don’t have a mentor to guide you, perhaps it is time you set out to find one.</p><p>It may be one of the best business decisions you ever make . . .</p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/social-enterprise/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: What is a Social Enterprise? Not Another Word for Charity or Non-Profit . . .'>What is a Social Enterprise? Not Another Word for Charity or Non-Profit . . .</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/404020-the-winning-combination-for-marketing-success/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: 40/40/20: The Winning Combination for Marketing Success'>40/40/20: The Winning Combination for Marketing Success</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/what%e2%80%99s-a-mentor-why-do-you-want-one/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Announcement: BusinessZone.co.uk come on board as official partners of MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival.</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/announcement-business-zone-come-on-board-as-official-partners-of-made-the-entrepreneur-festival/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/announcement-business-zone-come-on-board-as-official-partners-of-made-the-entrepreneur-festival/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 11:51:10 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Mark Boyd</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Sheffield Minisite Blog]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4827</guid> <description><![CDATA[School for Startups is pleased to announce that BusinessZone.co.uk a leading online community for owners and managers of small to medium sized businesses has come on board as an official partner for MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival. BusinessZone.co.uk provides free resources including the latest news, expert interviews, blogs and podcasts and, through sister site UKBusinessForums.co.uk, a highly [...]Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/smarta-come-on-board-as-official-partners/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Announcement: Smarta come on board as official MADE In 48 Hours partners'>Announcement: Smarta come on board as official MADE In 48 Hours partners</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-original-dragon-joins-judges-panel-at-the-pitch-09/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Original Dragon Joins Judges Panel at The Pitch 09'>The Original Dragon Joins Judges Panel at The Pitch 09</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/coming-to-sheffield-for-the-made-festival-bring-the-family/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Coming to Sheffield for the Made Festival? Bring The Family&#8230;'>Coming to Sheffield for the Made Festival? Bring The Family&#8230;</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>School for Startups is pleased to announce that BusinessZone.co.uk a leading online community for owners and managers of small to medium sized businesses has come on board as an official partner for <a href="http://www.madefestival,com" target="_blank">MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival</a>.</p><p>BusinessZone.co.uk provides free resources including the latest news, expert interviews, blogs and podcasts and, through sister site UKBusinessForums.co.uk, a highly interactive forum for debate, networking and knowledge sharing with fellow professionals. Register free at <a href="http://www.BusinessZone.co.uk." target="_blank">BusinessZone.co.uk.</a></p><p>BusinessZone are also the brains behind The Pitch, which is Britain’s biggest pitching competition, searching for the  best entrepreneurial talent from around the country with a team of high  profile business experts scrutinising business concepts and presentation  skills.  The Pitch 2010 grand final, to be held in London on Tuesday 16  November, will incorporate a one-day conference jam-packed with  practical business advice, and offering the chance to network with top  business mentors and investors. For more details and to register your  place to attend the final visit <a href="http://www.thebusinessfactory.co.uk/pitch-2010" target="_blank">thebusinessfactory.co.uk/pitch-2010</a>.</p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/smarta-come-on-board-as-official-partners/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Announcement: Smarta come on board as official MADE In 48 Hours partners'>Announcement: Smarta come on board as official MADE In 48 Hours partners</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/the-original-dragon-joins-judges-panel-at-the-pitch-09/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: The Original Dragon Joins Judges Panel at The Pitch 09'>The Original Dragon Joins Judges Panel at The Pitch 09</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/coming-to-sheffield-for-the-made-festival-bring-the-family/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Coming to Sheffield for the Made Festival? Bring The Family&#8230;'>Coming to Sheffield for the Made Festival? Bring The Family&#8230;</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/announcement-business-zone-come-on-board-as-official-partners-of-made-the-entrepreneur-festival/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Mass Media Starts &amp; Ends At Your Website</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:22:53 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Nancy Fulton Mazur</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[I Have To Show You]]></category> <category><![CDATA[branding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug richard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[how to fix bad reports]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[School for Startups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[small business startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[starting a business]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4820</guid> <description><![CDATA[These days, an effective, evocative website is one of the most important tools you can use in selling writers, editors, producers and reporters on the importance of your story.Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/social-media-marketing-is-never-spam/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Social Media Marketing is Never Spam'>Social Media Marketing is Never Spam</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/your-identity-online-how-the-world-decides-who-you-are/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Identity Online: How the World Decides Who You Are'>Your Identity Online: How the World Decides Who You Are</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/seo-through-press-releases/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide to SEO Through Press Releases'>An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide to SEO Through Press Releases</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><p><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dougrichardportrait_smiling.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4365" title="Doug Richard, Founder of School For Startups Social Enterprise" src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/dougrichardportrait_smiling-300x243.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="243" /></a></p><p>As we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, marketing takes many forms.  Companies reach out to networks of people online through social media.  They communicate with communities through public relations. They reach out to individuals searching for solutions online through search engine optimization and search engine marketing.  But, if you have the budget and the time, the best marketing of all is still mass media marketing.</p><p>Newspapers and magazine editors, radio and television producers, communicate with hundreds of millions of people every day.  While the competition is fierce to gain this information market’s attention, it’s hunger for new news, insight and information is inexhaustible.  When the mass media adopts a story and begins to propagate it, it can deliver hundreds of millions of eyes in a matter of days.</p><p>These days, an effective, evocative website is one of the most important tools you can use in selling writers, editors, producers and reporters on the importance of your story.  Your website will be the first place they will look for more information about you and your business after initial contact.  They will look there for facts to check and leads to follow on whatever story they plan to write.  Once they make their article or program about you available to the world, the traffic they generate will come back to your website.  If your site is ready to sell what thousands, or millions, may be able to buy, mass media can serve as the most effective sales engine imaginable.</p><p>When Apple releases a new iPhone or Google produces a new Android, marketing professionals ensure their website provides:</p><ul><li>Information on the product</li><li>Information on any tools or applications that work with it</li><li>Some information about the product’s development and production</li><li>Instructions on where and how to buy the product</li><li>Trackable links so that every customer can be tracked back to their media source</li><li>Information about the business</li><li>Links to press contacts in the marketing department</li></ul></div><div><p>Providing this information succinctly, attractively and in a form editors and producers can use makes it easy for them to write their articles with little or no help. The easier it is to write an article, the quicker it gets published.</p><p>Every enterprise needs a website that the mass media can use to tell the world about the business.</p></div><div><p>For more information, tools and techniques related to running a website that really serves your company, join Doug Richard, Joost De Valk and Andrew Davis at the<a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/"> MADE IN 48 Hours Bootcamp</a> in Sheffield on September 10th &amp; 11th. This is a “must attend” event for every business owner that wants their website to contribute greatly to the bottom line.</p></div><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/social-media-marketing-is-never-spam/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Social Media Marketing is Never Spam'>Social Media Marketing is Never Spam</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/your-identity-online-how-the-world-decides-who-you-are/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Your Identity Online: How the World Decides Who You Are'>Your Identity Online: How the World Decides Who You Are</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/seo-through-press-releases/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide to SEO Through Press Releases'>An Entrepreneur&#8217;s Guide to SEO Through Press Releases</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Turning Web Traffic into Cold Hard Cash</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/turning-web-traffic-into-cold-hard-cash/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/turning-web-traffic-into-cold-hard-cash/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:50:47 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Nancy Fulton Mazur</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[An Entrepreneurs Guide To]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug]]></category> <category><![CDATA[doug richard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[monetizing]]></category> <category><![CDATA[money]]></category> <category><![CDATA[profit]]></category> <category><![CDATA[profitable]]></category> <category><![CDATA[School for Startups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[small business startup]]></category> <category><![CDATA[starting a business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category> <category><![CDATA[website]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4774</guid> <description><![CDATA[Millions of business owners host a virtual feast on their website every day and play host to thousands or tens of thousands of visitors every month and yet get next to nothing in return for their efforts. Generally speaking, this is not good business...Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-turn-pr-into-cold-hard-cash-sales-advice-for-consumer-businesses/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Turn PR into cold hard cash sales (advice for consumer businesses)'>How to Turn PR into cold hard cash sales (advice for consumer businesses)</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/entrepreneurs-guide-to-google-pagerank/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Google PageRank &#038; Search Engine Optimization'>Google PageRank &#038; Search Engine Optimization</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website'>Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website</a></li></ol>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/"><img class="alignright" title="Underpants Gnomes Grand Plan" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dd/Gnomes_plan.png" alt="" width="323" height="244" /></a>South Park, a cartoon for adults produced in the United States, has a great episode that accurately describes most web-based business plans.</p><p>In this cartoon, “Underpants Gnomes” enter homes all over the world every night to steal underwear.  When asked why, they reveal their grand plan:</p><ol><li>Collect underpants.</li><li>?<span style="color: #ffffff;">?_____________________</span></li><li>Profit.</li></ol><p>Countless numbers of entrepreneurs build websites or write blogs following that “business model”.  They aren’t sure exactly how their website will make money, but they are convinced that if they just generate enough traffic, revenue will automatically follow.  They invest thousands of dollars in time and materials to create great web designs, exceptional web apps, great free ebooks and remarkable blogs.  They host a virtual feast on their site every day and play host to thousands or tens of thousands every month and yet get next to nothing in return for their efforts.  Certain fundamentals must be understood in order to run a website as something more than a hobby.</p><p>Specifically:</p><ul><li><strong>People who come to your site need a reason to give you money</strong>.  Unless you are running a website that earns reasonable revenue from advertising, or survives on sponsorship from third parties, there has to be something on your site that people can actually buy.  Ideally, there should be a lot of things for them to buy since that would tend to maximize the chance that they will make multiple purchases over time.</li><li><strong>In order for people to buy something from you, they must have a way to give you money. </strong>Paypal, Xoom, Google Checkout . . . Which commerce solution you use has everything to do with what you are selling and what service your customers prefer to use when they buy.</li><li><strong>Not all traffic is created equally.</strong> If Google directs thousands of people to your online doll store every day because you have the best “doll pictures”, you may see lots of traffic and almost no sales.  People who get to your site when they want to “buy dolls” are far more likely to give you money.  Using a website traffic analysis tool, like Google Analytics, look hard at the people coming to your site, where they are coming from, and what they buy when they get arrive.  You can then maximize the traffic that actually buys stuff.</li></ul><p><strong>Who are all these people?<br /> </strong><br /> If you have traffic coming to your website, but no revenue being generated, one of your first tasks is to determine what draws people to your site.  That is your core value and you don’t want to stop providing it. You must then discover who your guests are so you can determine what they are most likely to buy.</p><p>For example, if your site has proven effective at collecting writers local to London because it tells them where all the open poetry nights can be found, you may find that books on where and how to publish poetry sell well. You may also discover your guests are willing to buy tickets to events you run that showcase local writers. Knowing who people are usually tells you what they will buy.</p><p>Some sites have so much traffic, of such a diffuse nature, that they embody many diverse target markets.  This may well require you to channel traffic from your home page into pages that address each segment.</p><p><strong>Softening the Shock</strong></p><p>Turning a free site into a site which effectively markets products and services usually raises a few hackles. Some visitors will necessarily complain about commercialism and how the site has changed. Be prepared for this response, and actively limit your response to the complaints. Most reasonable people understand that no website of any value can run indefinitely without revenue, and every day people purchase the products and services they need to survive and prosper.</p><p>Your visitors will be happier if your site is profitable because you’ll have the funds required to add new content and new services over time.  Sites that don&#8217;t produce revenue usually fade away over time.</p><p><strong>Want to make your website contribute to your bottom line?  We want to help&#8230;<br /> </strong><br /> For more information, tools and techniques related to running a website that earns a profit, join Doug Richard, Joost De Valk and Andrew Davis at the <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/">MADE IN 48 Hours Bootcamp</a> in Sheffield on September 10th &amp; 11th. This is a “must attend” event for every business owner that needs to take control of their enterprise online.</p><p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/how-to-turn-pr-into-cold-hard-cash-sales-advice-for-consumer-businesses/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Turn PR into cold hard cash sales (advice for consumer businesses)'>How to Turn PR into cold hard cash sales (advice for consumer businesses)</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/entrepreneurs-guide-to-google-pagerank/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Google PageRank &#038; Search Engine Optimization'>Google PageRank &#038; Search Engine Optimization</a></li><li><a href='http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/mass-media-starts-ends-at-your-website/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website'>Mass Media Starts &#038; Ends At Your Website</a></li></ol></p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/turning-web-traffic-into-cold-hard-cash/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item><title>Interview with James Cunningham (@jamescun), Developer of #Twifficiency</title><link>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/interview-with-james-cunningham-jamescun-developer-of-twifficiency/</link> <comments>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/interview-with-james-cunningham-jamescun-developer-of-twifficiency/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:20:46 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator>Mark Boyd</dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Movers and Shakers]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/?p=4763</guid> <description><![CDATA[At around 10am on Tuesday the 17th of August 2010, Twitter appeared to be taken over by a website called Twifficiency, an app which identified your Twitter efficiency and then posted the result to your twitter feed.  Thousands of tweets were going out every hour with the format &#8220;My Twifficiency score is 43%. What&#8217;s [...]No related posts.]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/jamescun.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/me2.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4771" title="me2" src="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/me2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>At around 10am on Tuesday the 17th of August 2010, Twitter appeared to be taken over by a website called Twifficiency, an app which identified your Twitter efficiency and then posted the result to your twitter feed.  Thousands of tweets were going out every hour with the format &#8220;My Twifficiency score is 43%. What&#8217;s yours? <a rel="nofollow" href="http://twifficiency.com/" target="_blank">http://twifficiency.com/</a>&#8221; and the service became viral in a very short period of time. However, some tweeters were not happy that the service had not asked for their permission to tweet their score to their feed and began to tweet attack the 17 year old Scottish based web developer, James Cunningham (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/jamescun" target="_blank">@jamescun</a>).</p><p>James soon logged on to his account to what must have been thousands of messages, some good, but mostly bad.  Instead of responding nastily to the tweets, James alerted everyone to the fact that it was simply a mistake on his part, and he had only made the service in an attempt to learn OAuth, which is an API for access delegation for Twitter.</p><p>Literally within hours, James has become something of a celebrity! <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23Twifficiency" target="_blank">#Twifficiency</a> soon became a trending top not only in the UK, but the World. Even better than that though, the term Twifficiency became one of Google&#8217;s top 100 searched terms, which is an amazing feat for any web developer, never mind a 17 year old who is just out of school who is making apps simply to learn a specific programming language!</p><p>Articles were published in <a href="http://www.businesszone.co.uk/blogs/dan-martin/dan-martin-editor039s-blog/twifficiency-hard-lesson-how-business-news-travels-fast" target="_blank">Business Zone</a> and <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/08/17/twifficiency-by-james-cunningham-better-than-a-college-diploma/" target="_blank">Time</a>, and Clarke Duncan of <a href="http://www.paidonresults.com" target="_blank">Paid On Results</a> even suggested <a href="http://twitter.com/ClarkeDuncan/status/21403490863" target="_blank">he would offer the young developer a job </a>based on his coding ability.</p><p>School for Startups has been lucky enough to interview the 17 year-old web developer and entrepreneur James Cunningham, from Dundee&#8230;</p><p><strong>Q: Well Mr. James Cunningham, your new Twifficiency tool has gone to the top of Google Search trends in just a few hours.  Can you tell us exactly how it calculates how active someone is on Twitter? </strong></p><p>Basically it acts like any Mechanical Efficiency calculation, how much you put in versus how much you take out and it does this with your tweets (how much you read and tweet, and your twitter conversations) and your followings/followers. The functionality of the app wasn&#8217;t the purpose of the application to be completely honest, it was more about learning oAuth for me.</p><p><strong>Q: Is this something you felt people need to measure? Is it an important measurement for businesses to look at? Or more just matter of general interest?</strong></p><p>For businesses, I think it is an important measurement because its easy for someone to rack up X followers or follow X amount of people, but its all about how engaged with the platform they are rather than figures (although this just does output a figure). It is also important for general interest because people have a thirst for little tid-bits of knowledge that they can you, and thats what this does.</p><p><strong>Q: Do you think Twitter fills an especially important niche from a business or personal perspective?  I notice you didn’t make a tool for calculating how efficiently people use Facebook or Linkedin . . .</strong></p><p>Well, the application in its current state doesn&#8217;t really fill much of a need more than that of &#8220;Hey, that was interesting&#8221;. Twitter (as with all social networks) are very important tools especially for business because what business has been lacking for so many years is a way to engage its consumers and get real feedback and thats what Social Networking provides. It wasn&#8217;t made for Facebook or LinkedIn because I wanted to learn oAuth (which Twitter uses), Facebook&#8217;s API documentation leaves A LOT to be desired, and I do not have a LinkedIn Profile.</p><p><strong>Q: At 17, you’re a web developer.  Some might see you as uncommonly young to be working so effectively in such a competitive industry.  May I ask what you think led you to start a business so young and so well?</strong></p><p>I was recently at the Young Rewired State 2010 event and met many talented developers who are about my age and clearly have the potential for great things, the issue it just breaking in and once that&#8217;s done its done. I have always wanted to start a business from a very young age and while Twifficiency isn&#8217;t really a business (yet) I think its that sort of thing which would help young developers into the technology world.</p><p><strong>Q: Are you currently in school?  And if so, may I ask which one?</strong></p><p>I left High School this year, and I will be starting College at the end of August. I will be studying for a HND in Computer Networking and Internet Technology and Dundee College.</p><p><strong>Q: One of School for Startups’ memes is the absolute necessity to teach entrepreneurship from an early age, just as people teach maths or language.  Is that a position you would agree with?</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Of course, I think entrepreneurship should be taught and encouraged from a young age because so many people have the potential to run their own business but I also think it takes a certain type of person who wants to start their own business, and they should be encouraged.</p><p><strong>Q: I know it has only been a few hours, but do you have immediate plans to add features to Twifficiency?</strong></p><p>Well, the first thing I am tackling is the auto-tweet thing, and I am currently sorting out this version and testing it properly before moving on to new functionality.</p><p><strong>Q: You’re a UK entrepreneur . . . Do you have any thoughts about how the UK helps or hinders really entrepreneurial young people? Does the educational system foster the kind of creativity and innovation required to jump start a business young?</strong></p><p>I think currently being in the UK hinders technology entrepreneurs, although this is really a problem for all non-Silicon-Valley based technology entrepreneurs where investment and support is focused. Whereas for other startups I think we are in a very good position because we have good ties to the rest of Europe and the United States and great financial links with China which pretty much has all your super-power bases covered.</p><p style="text-align: center;">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p><p>A lot about this story ties in with what we will be teaching at our <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/" target="_blank">MADE In 48 Hours</a> event next month. James&#8217; story shows that with some out of the box thinking and a strong knowledge of social media, you can make a website go viral in a very small period of time.</p><p><a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield-10-11-september-speaker/" target="_blank">Doug Richard</a>, the School for Startups founder, and former BBC2 Dragons&#8217; Den panelist, alongside <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield-10-11-september-speaker/" target="_blank">Joost De Valk</a> and <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield-10-11-september-speaker/" target="_blank">Andrew Davis</a>, will be teaching a 2 day bootcamp in Sheffield next month, looking to teach you everything there is to know in order for your business to succeed online. In this day and age, any business must have visibility on the internet to succeed, and this seminar will show you exactly how to become visible using a myriad number of techniques taught by three of the world&#8217;s leading internet experts.</p><p>Joost De Valk is a world renowned SEO and WordPress expert and will be flying in from the Netherlands, just to pass on his wealth of knowledge to 300 lucky business owners attending this event. Andrew Davis, former head of social media marketing at MySpace, will be coming along to teach you everything you need to know about social media and how you can utilise it to attract thousands of visitors to your website, at zero cost to your company.</p><p>This seminar will help you setup a website, learn search engine optimisation so your business can feature high up in the google results and teach you sound social media marketing techniques to get your business known to thousands of web users in your target market. All in 48 hours.</p><p>MADE In 48 Hours is part of <a href="http://www.madefestival.com" target="_blank">MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival</a> and for a limited time only, if you register for the &#8220;Entrepreneurs Passport&#8221; you will also receive access to two other exceptional event: Rachel Bridge&#8217;s &#8220;How To Make A Million Before Lunch&#8221; and TEDx Sheffield. More information on all of the festival&#8217;s events can be found at <a href="http://www.MADEFestival.com" target="_blank">MADEFestival.com</a>.</p><p>Use the discount code <strong>TWIFFICIENCY </strong>when buying your <a href="http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/made-in-48-hours-sheffield/" target="_blank">MADE In 48 Hours</a> ticket to receive a 10% discount.</p><p>We would like to thank James for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish him the best of luck in the future, and we are excited to see the next version of <a href="http://www.twifficiency.com" target="_blank">Twifficiency</a>!</p><p>No related posts.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.schoolforstartups.co.uk/interview-with-james-cunningham-jamescun-developer-of-twifficiency/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>4</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>
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