Hello Folks. In this post, we will understand how to use your website as an effective Sales & Marketing tool. The points covered here have been asked by various clients and partners in the last few months, and a post to summarize them should help everyone.
What we have seen in our experience of advising over 100 businesses is that almost 95% of them do not use their website an effective Sales & Marketing tool, and that’s why they are unknowingly leaving a lot of money on the table.
For example, today, many prospects come to our websites when they hear about our services or products, and our website has to be ready to engage any visitor, and also provide answers to all the common questions that any visitor/prospect would be expecting, to increase the interest in the products and services that you are offering. Now this may look very logical, but the fact is that 95% of the websites that we have come across are not able to do this, and so chances are high that your own business website may be lagging in this aspect.
Some of the things that you should really consider to check if your website is really interesting and effective in Sales & Marketing are the following: Continue reading →
We are happy to share this fast paced 30 minute interview with Peter Vekselman, who is based in Atlanta, USA and is a successful real estate investor with experience of 1000+ real estate deals across the USA. His real estate investing tips and coaching have helped dozens of real estate investors to achieve success in every possible market.
In this telecon/video, Peter shares his tips on how to avoid the wrong buying decisions, how to make the right buying decisions, and how to identify the best properties.
You can learn more about how to make successful real estate investments, in any market conditions, by visiting Peter’s website at: CoachingByPeter.com
Tags: real estate investing courses, real estate investing tips, real estate valuation
Prof. Stewart Friedman of the Wharton School shares his views on work-life balance, and how taking leadership and the associated risks and challenges, helps in bringing out the best in you. Its takes more self-discipline than you are probably exercising today. And it needs you to accept your assets and limitations better. Self improvement is a process, and that’s a learning.
In this post, we will answer 5 Questions on Venture Capital Investment, that we have seen from early stage companies seeking Venture Capital funding. The above video also expresses similar views.
Q1: How does Venture capital work?
Answer: Venture capital is the term used for unsecured equity funding by specialist investment firms (often focusing on a few sectors) in return for a part of the equity in the company being funded. Venture capital investments carry considerable risk because they are unsecured and it is estimates that only 1 in 10 early stage companies generates good profits.
Q2: How much equity stake do VCs usually take?
Answer: The most common equity stakes taken seem to be in the range of 20-50%, which ensure that if the company succeeds, then the VC makes a good return. Over 50% equity investment by any one VC is rare because the risk increases significantly.
Q3. What do a VC expect in return for the equity funding.
Answer: Because only a few ventures actually become profitable, a venture capital company looks for a high return (a compound return of 25% or more) on each plan, largely generated by growth in the share value of the invested company through increasing brand name and also increasing sales. Most VCs also seek a representation on the company’s board, though it is not a guarantee of producing success from the venture. A good VC would be a partner with the entrepreneur. So personal dynamics are very important. VCs help with raising additional money and financial strategy and also executive team strengthening.
Q4: How much time does it take to raise venture capital?
Answer: It takes about 6 months. Raising capital will take longer than you imagine. Plan for 6 months, and think beyond initial funding. Set realistic milestones, and keep planning for future capital. Learn from others, including other business owners and investors. If you are looking for funding, you have to be patient. For every VC who invests in your venture, there will be 10 VCs who would say no to you.
Q5: How should we approach the business plan writing?
Answer: When it comes business plans, you need a crisp 1-2 page executive summary and it must show a good story of what you want to achieve and what resources you have and what you are looking for. The more you precisely know your Haves and Have Nots, the better your business plan. So don’t get trapped in a 50 business plan that’s full of all kinds of data and it never completes itself.
A long business plan is not a good idea if the same message can be expressed in a couple of pages. Don’t confuse number of pages with clarity of thoughts. Go ahead with a business plan that’s brief and present a coherent logic that interests to the VC. Be honest on things you don’t know. Investors appreciate people who are transparent.
If you are looking to write a business plan, then use this website: BusinessPlan247.com
Genetically modified seeds can give higher farm yield but they come at a high price because the real cost of the seeds comes from the sustained dependency of the farmer on the seed company. In fact, for the control it gets on the farmers, the seed company could even give the seeds for free.
So the business strategy is very similar to how the printer companies like HP can actually afford to give the printers free, because the actual money comes from the printer cartridge sale.
The main difference is that seeds are much more important for a country’s economy, especially for a country like India with a large base of farmers who depend completely on agricultural income. It is also believed that most domestic seed companies in India are controlled or influenced by the multinational seed company.
A company like Monsanto is just doing its business. They have made investments in R&D and want profits like any other business. The solution lies in having more educated farmers who can make informed decisions about when to use Genetically Engineered/Modified Seeds and when to stick to organic seeds.