Use "Quick Set Up" to Start Your Business

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

For a new entrepreneur, starting a business can be a mystery. You just do not know where to start because there are so many things to do and so many risks you want to avoid. Generally, there are two ways to begin. Some start by doing a business plan, while others just start selling with only a product in hand and market in mind. I like to call the latter Quick Set Up. Both paths can be a good way to initiate the business. The business plan is effective if you plan to bring in investors early on in the business. On the other hand, Quick Set Up is a good way to get the ball rolling fast and find out if your are assumptions are correct or not. For this article I will not focus on starting a business by creating a formal business plan. Instead, I will zero in on the entrepreneur’s way of starting a business. Continue reading →

4 Step Social Media Marketing Strategy for small businesses

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Marketing is a very important function in any business. Its sole purpose is to bring in customers, old and new. Our notion of effective marketing campaign equates to spending plenty of money. If this is the case, no small business with limited budget will ever succeed. The key to a great marketing campaign is not the amount of money spent, but how it effectively drives the message to its target market. Continue reading →

Treat Customers like Royalty

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Any size of business will have paying customers. But customers will always vary in terms of their wants and needs; however one thing is common among them, they all want good customer service. When we talk about customer service, we mean how one deals with his buyers before, during and after a transaction. Continue reading →

Pattern Recognition: A Skill Every Entrepreneur Must Have

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

Pattern recognition is a skill every entrepreneur must develop. First, let me define pattern recognition. This pertains to the ability of a person to spot small changes in the environment and make sense of it. Over the years we have seen many changes that have happened, like martial law, coup de tat, economic downturn, boom in the IT and nursing industries. We have noticed them and labeled them because they are big events but these events have originated from little spark of events. In the book Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell, he said that small events will lead to a tipping point and after the tipping point, events become viral and hard to stop. These group of small events are like small ripples in the sea that expand and eventually go big over time. These Events can be anything from disease to fashion. The role of the entrepreneur in such events is to spot the wave of trend early; to either exploit the opportunity or protect the business from the threat. The key to unlocking the trend is Pattern Recognition. Continue reading →

Managing a Start Up's Bumpy Road

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Business Class Podcast

The fate of a small business depends on the foundation it was built upon. The most important factor during the start up phase is the owner; for he lays his vision as the foundation, and his values serve as the cement that binds the corporate culture. However, having good vision and values do not ensure the success of a venture. Both are only concepts and will remain as concepts unless it is being acted upon. Continue reading →