The Internet holds out the promise of untold wealth, at least that is perception some ads and articles may give to people when it comes to making money online. In reality, very few business models can successfully be run exclusively via the Internet. However, some people rely on the Internet for deriving at least a portion of their income, working with proven business models and enjoying profitable returns as a result.
To that end, we’ve identified six business models suitable for the internet. There is some overlap between some of the featured models; perhaps mixing and matching is the best way for you to derive a profit.
Web Communities
Message boards, forums and weblogs with a strong following can provide income for the owner of that site. According to Professor Michael Rapper of North Carolina State University, popular Internet sites can make money through the “…sale of ancillary products and services or voluntary contributions; or revenue may be tied to contextual advertising and subscriptions for premium services.”
Pay-per-click ads strategically placed on web pages can bring in some income.
Online Merchandising
eBay gave rise to the term “PowerSeller,” people whom the Internet merchandising giant describes as having “achieved eBay requirements for sales volume, customer satisfaction, policy compliance, and account standing.”
How much that sales volume is and what profit is made is rarely published by PowerSeller’s themselves. However, the size of some of these pages and related sites is a clear indication that the demand for online shopping remains strong.
more information :-http://www.sayeducate.com/2010/06/09/6-internet-ready-business-ideas/
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Indian tablet market raring to take off
While the iPad was launched in the US and other select countries, developing countries such as India are yet to get a first glimpse of the iPad. Only some tech savvy upper class types have been able to lay their hands on the iPad, by buying from the US or Europe. But the developing countries are not to be left out of the tablet game all together, with many of them bringing out their own tablet PCs. Once the initial hype subsides the new devices will have to face challenges that are characteristic of individual markets. What factors will decide their success or failure in the Indian market?
Developing countries like India already have prototypes of tablet PCs designed and manufactured locally and more in the pipeline—tailored to suit the local market. Affordability will be a major concern in this price sensitive market.
The ‘Palaka’, meaning slate, by elLoka is due to come out in prototype form in September. It will have two choices for OS: the company’s patented operating system and Android. The tentative price is USD 150 (INR 7,000), which is quite affordable compared with brand name alternatives.
Some tablets that are popular in the West are being customized to suit other markets in developing countries. Meet the recently launched iProf! This is a customized version of the Archos tablet. This Android based tablet PC has a 7-inch touch screen and is aimed at students preparing for the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). In India, any device designed to help students would be attractive. Focus on content could be an interesting angle.
more information :-http://www.shanzai.com/index.php/market-mayhem/8-op-ed/1193-indian-tablet-market-raring-to-take-off
Developing countries like India already have prototypes of tablet PCs designed and manufactured locally and more in the pipeline—tailored to suit the local market. Affordability will be a major concern in this price sensitive market.
The ‘Palaka’, meaning slate, by elLoka is due to come out in prototype form in September. It will have two choices for OS: the company’s patented operating system and Android. The tentative price is USD 150 (INR 7,000), which is quite affordable compared with brand name alternatives.
Some tablets that are popular in the West are being customized to suit other markets in developing countries. Meet the recently launched iProf! This is a customized version of the Archos tablet. This Android based tablet PC has a 7-inch touch screen and is aimed at students preparing for the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). In India, any device designed to help students would be attractive. Focus on content could be an interesting angle.
more information :-http://www.shanzai.com/index.php/market-mayhem/8-op-ed/1193-indian-tablet-market-raring-to-take-off
Monday, June 7, 2010
MVL, first Indian mobile handset to launch push mail feature
The feature which was earlier confined only to the high end models of the Global Mobile handset brands will now be available on MVL mobile phones, priced around 50% lower than these brands
MVL Telecom has become the first Indian Mobile Handset Company to launch the Push Mail feature in its mobile handsets. The feature which was earlier confined only to the high end models of the Global Mobile handset brands will now be available on MVL mobile phones, priced around 50% lower than these brands.
Creating a distinguished niche in this already cluttered space, Premadip Rishi, Chairman - MVL said, “the launch of push mail feature for the first time by an Indian mobile handset company reflects our Company’s philosophy of introducing technologically advanced products at competitive price points”.
With a legacy of over 30 years of expertise in the consumer electronics industry MVL is venturing into the Rs700bn mobile handset industry in India. The company plans to roll out its mobile handsets through brand ‘MVL’ under the newly formed separate entity named MVL Telecom Limited.
The product innovations are spread right from the product features to the operation integrations to service back-ups. MVL Telecom will be the first ever Indian mobile handset Co. to launch the PUSH MAIL feature, complemented with a track-pad, which were available only in the high-end handsets offered by global players.
Talking on who the competition is, Rishi said, “we don’t have any competition since we are offering high quality handsets with innovative technology at less than half the price of the other global players and in the entry-level category, we have smart handsets at unmatchable pricing.”
MVL Telecom intends to offer distinct products which will come pre-equipped with VAS complementing the overall brand positioning of High Quality products at smart prices.
The company has hugely invested in setting up an own international R&D Center by investing US$5mn, which will focus on introducing latest technology, consumer centric products at the most competitive price points.
This pledge further gets reinforced with the Company’s plans to set up an L4 Service center to cater to all service back-up need, right from basic servicing to component level repairing. MVL telecom will make significant initial investments and will set up its service centre in Gurgaon. Premadip Rishi, Chairman - MVL, says, “The commitment to the Indian subcontinent reflects in the history of our company and the fact that the investments made in the R&D and L4 centers shows that MVL Telecom will become one of the top 5 dominant handset player operating in the Indian market.”
more information :-http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/MVL-first-Indian-mobile-handset-to-launch-push-mail-feature/4855507734
MVL Telecom has become the first Indian Mobile Handset Company to launch the Push Mail feature in its mobile handsets. The feature which was earlier confined only to the high end models of the Global Mobile handset brands will now be available on MVL mobile phones, priced around 50% lower than these brands.
Creating a distinguished niche in this already cluttered space, Premadip Rishi, Chairman - MVL said, “the launch of push mail feature for the first time by an Indian mobile handset company reflects our Company’s philosophy of introducing technologically advanced products at competitive price points”.
With a legacy of over 30 years of expertise in the consumer electronics industry MVL is venturing into the Rs700bn mobile handset industry in India. The company plans to roll out its mobile handsets through brand ‘MVL’ under the newly formed separate entity named MVL Telecom Limited.
The product innovations are spread right from the product features to the operation integrations to service back-ups. MVL Telecom will be the first ever Indian mobile handset Co. to launch the PUSH MAIL feature, complemented with a track-pad, which were available only in the high-end handsets offered by global players.
Talking on who the competition is, Rishi said, “we don’t have any competition since we are offering high quality handsets with innovative technology at less than half the price of the other global players and in the entry-level category, we have smart handsets at unmatchable pricing.”
MVL Telecom intends to offer distinct products which will come pre-equipped with VAS complementing the overall brand positioning of High Quality products at smart prices.
The company has hugely invested in setting up an own international R&D Center by investing US$5mn, which will focus on introducing latest technology, consumer centric products at the most competitive price points.
This pledge further gets reinforced with the Company’s plans to set up an L4 Service center to cater to all service back-up need, right from basic servicing to component level repairing. MVL telecom will make significant initial investments and will set up its service centre in Gurgaon. Premadip Rishi, Chairman - MVL, says, “The commitment to the Indian subcontinent reflects in the history of our company and the fact that the investments made in the R&D and L4 centers shows that MVL Telecom will become one of the top 5 dominant handset player operating in the Indian market.”
more information :-http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/MVL-first-Indian-mobile-handset-to-launch-push-mail-feature/4855507734
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Decor on retro themes helps restaurants carve a niche for themselves
What would you do if you were gifted a Fender Lead guitar used by Eric Clapton? Or a vintage Norton classic motorcycle that costs over Rs 3 lakh at current value? The owner of London’s Hard Rock Café, mounted the priceless guitar on the restaurant wall, setting a tradition that would eventually be followed in all his café’s across the globe.
Closer home, at the Bikes & Barrel bar in Chennai, the two-wheeler was hung mid-air over the service counter, stirring the thoughts of motor enthusiasts as they downed their beer and ale. The rationale is that such vintage items will draw steady customers and prove to be a goose that lays the golden egg over a period of time. And selling such period valuable for a one-time fortune would amount to killing the goose.
“The huge collection of music memorabilia has been one of our major USPs that draws crowds,” says Amit Keswani, VP sales of JSM Corp, which runs Hard Rock Café chain in India. “We even organise memorabilia tours around our cafes.”
It is no secret that with new restaurants and bars adding to the long list of existing ones, the diner today is spoilt for choice. Be it specialty cuisine, crisp service, pricing or the friendly/business surroundings, the alternatives abound in each group. It thus becomes incumbent upon a new restaurant to create a niche for itself.
“You have to be inventive,” says social commentator and marketer Santosh Desai. “With so many restaurants and pubs all around, your joint has to become a reference point to survive and do well.” Retro, or vintage ambience as one may term it, serves to be that reference point.
Take The All American Diner in Habitat World, Delhi for example. Designed around the culture of the 50s and 60s, the restaurant attempts to capture the original aspects of those times. Be it the classic cappuccino-maker, the juke box, or the walls in pastel shades with bright red seating—even the jar of maple syrup and strawberry toppings—the setting re-generates the gone-by era in a stylish manner. Adding to the ambience are the pictures of products used in the 1950s and 60s, consumables and durables that dot the walls.
more information :-http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/life--style/Decor-on-retro-themes-helps-restaurants-carve-a-niche-for-themselves/articleshow/6016071.cms
Closer home, at the Bikes & Barrel bar in Chennai, the two-wheeler was hung mid-air over the service counter, stirring the thoughts of motor enthusiasts as they downed their beer and ale. The rationale is that such vintage items will draw steady customers and prove to be a goose that lays the golden egg over a period of time. And selling such period valuable for a one-time fortune would amount to killing the goose.
“The huge collection of music memorabilia has been one of our major USPs that draws crowds,” says Amit Keswani, VP sales of JSM Corp, which runs Hard Rock Café chain in India. “We even organise memorabilia tours around our cafes.”
It is no secret that with new restaurants and bars adding to the long list of existing ones, the diner today is spoilt for choice. Be it specialty cuisine, crisp service, pricing or the friendly/business surroundings, the alternatives abound in each group. It thus becomes incumbent upon a new restaurant to create a niche for itself.
“You have to be inventive,” says social commentator and marketer Santosh Desai. “With so many restaurants and pubs all around, your joint has to become a reference point to survive and do well.” Retro, or vintage ambience as one may term it, serves to be that reference point.
Take The All American Diner in Habitat World, Delhi for example. Designed around the culture of the 50s and 60s, the restaurant attempts to capture the original aspects of those times. Be it the classic cappuccino-maker, the juke box, or the walls in pastel shades with bright red seating—even the jar of maple syrup and strawberry toppings—the setting re-generates the gone-by era in a stylish manner. Adding to the ambience are the pictures of products used in the 1950s and 60s, consumables and durables that dot the walls.
more information :-http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/the-sunday-et/life--style/Decor-on-retro-themes-helps-restaurants-carve-a-niche-for-themselves/articleshow/6016071.cms
Friday, June 4, 2010
Laws of attraction: Store design
In today’s ultra-competitive market it’s more crucial than ever that retail jewellers make their shops as enticing as possible. Retail Jeweller considers how every shop - whatever its budget - can turn heads
Shopping is a bit like searching for the right partner. You want the place to look good, have some spark about it, a bit of personality and be dressed well - and finally it helps if it smells pretty nice too. Only after you’ve got over those initial impressions do you really start to look closely at the detail.
Get any one of those things wrong, and shoppers will high tail it away from your shopfront quicker than someone after their blind date rescue call.
We’ve gone from being what Napoleon called a nation of shopkeepers to a nation of shoppers, and shopping is now one of the top leisure activities in the UK. But consumers are so spoilt for choice with Bluewater, Westfield London and Lakeside et al that they have become fussy about where they buy, and the brands they choose to engage with. This makes it even tougher for shops to woo customers and maintain the excitement levels in their relationships with them.
But if shopping is like dating, then stylish jeweller Cottrills at Wilmslow in Cheshire is the perfect partner. It’s open and attractive from the outside, smart but welcoming, and has a central champagne bar that could entertain you in style for hours.
“It always amazes me that a restaurant can have the most fabulous décor and charge, say, £100 a cover, when a jeweller can be selling £10,000 items from an outdated, tatty and boring environment,” says Malcolm Rawle, managing director of Peter Dooley Design, which designed and fitted out Cottrills and Prestons of Bolton, as well as custom-making cabinetry for the new Stephen Webster store in Mayfair and interiors for Weirs in Dublin.
“A store should be able to attract customers into the shop without feeling intimidating,” says Leona Nicholas, director of retail design specialist Robert Nicholas.
Good looks definitely count high on the list of features that will attract a shopper into a store, but they have to be more than just style over substance, according to the experts. “Store design should accurately reflect the position of the retailer’s brand,” explains Rawle. “The design should state with confidence the proposition from the retailer to the consumer. Image is incredibly important and the materials used and the quality of manufacture are paramount. You often see shopfits that look like quality, but then on closer inspection you spot poor joinery or light fittings that are not flush. At whatever level you trade, this is important.”
more information :-http://www.retail-jeweller.com/news/laws-of-attraction-store-design/5013719.article
Shopping is a bit like searching for the right partner. You want the place to look good, have some spark about it, a bit of personality and be dressed well - and finally it helps if it smells pretty nice too. Only after you’ve got over those initial impressions do you really start to look closely at the detail.
Get any one of those things wrong, and shoppers will high tail it away from your shopfront quicker than someone after their blind date rescue call.
We’ve gone from being what Napoleon called a nation of shopkeepers to a nation of shoppers, and shopping is now one of the top leisure activities in the UK. But consumers are so spoilt for choice with Bluewater, Westfield London and Lakeside et al that they have become fussy about where they buy, and the brands they choose to engage with. This makes it even tougher for shops to woo customers and maintain the excitement levels in their relationships with them.
But if shopping is like dating, then stylish jeweller Cottrills at Wilmslow in Cheshire is the perfect partner. It’s open and attractive from the outside, smart but welcoming, and has a central champagne bar that could entertain you in style for hours.
“It always amazes me that a restaurant can have the most fabulous décor and charge, say, £100 a cover, when a jeweller can be selling £10,000 items from an outdated, tatty and boring environment,” says Malcolm Rawle, managing director of Peter Dooley Design, which designed and fitted out Cottrills and Prestons of Bolton, as well as custom-making cabinetry for the new Stephen Webster store in Mayfair and interiors for Weirs in Dublin.
“A store should be able to attract customers into the shop without feeling intimidating,” says Leona Nicholas, director of retail design specialist Robert Nicholas.
Good looks definitely count high on the list of features that will attract a shopper into a store, but they have to be more than just style over substance, according to the experts. “Store design should accurately reflect the position of the retailer’s brand,” explains Rawle. “The design should state with confidence the proposition from the retailer to the consumer. Image is incredibly important and the materials used and the quality of manufacture are paramount. You often see shopfits that look like quality, but then on closer inspection you spot poor joinery or light fittings that are not flush. At whatever level you trade, this is important.”
more information :-http://www.retail-jeweller.com/news/laws-of-attraction-store-design/5013719.article
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The iPad invasion will come
It happens that my laptop carked it this week just as I bought an iPad, so I can give Steve Jobs some feedback about his prediction on Wednesday in which he compared PCs to farm trucks.
In an onstage interview at the Wall Street Journal’s D8 conference in California, Jobs was asked by WSJ’s Walt Mossberg: “Is the tablet going to replace the laptop? Tell me what you think about where it's going?”
Jobs: “You know... (long pause). I'm trying to think of a good analogy. When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centres, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them. And this is going to make some people uneasy.”
Yes, well, Apple still has some work to do before the iPad can replace a laptop for me, but I can see how it will eventually get there. That work is crucial because I’m not going to carry three devices – iPhone, laptop and iPad.
At least two of these, preferably three, need to merge into one, and if the iPad can’t operate in the same way as a laptop, then it will be the niche product, not the PC. (By the way laptops now represent 80 per cent of all PC sales, with desktops only 20 per cent. In 2003 it was the other way around.)
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft (whose market capitalisation was surpassed by Apple for the first time last week) appeared at the same conference yesterday and blithely defined the issue away: “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” he boomed.
That is, iPads are PCs too – PCs will come in multiple flavours, some with keyboards, some without; some that fit into your pocket, some you have to carry.
Maybe so, but at this stage they are very different. My immediate problem is I’m forced to use the new iPad as a laptop for a week or two while my beloved Macbook Air is in the hospital having its sick screen seen to. And when it comes home, arms out for a hug, will Air have lost her place to the interloper? Possibly.
I bought a keyboard dock so I wouldn’t have to write by tapping on the screen, but lugging that awkwardly shaped, heavy metal keyboard around with the iPad kind of defeats the portability purpose. So, yes, I will have to get used to typing on a touchscreen, and so will everyone.
But leaving aside keyboard issues, as a laptop the iPad is severely limited – so far. The main problem is that it only opens one application at a time, and for someone used to toggling between Word, PDFs, internet browser and email client while writing articles, that is infuriating.
I guess there will eventually be a bigger range of decent word processing applications available for the iPad, but the ones I can find so far fall short. The biggest problem I’ve found is that you can’t copy and paste between different applications, so long quotes have to be typed out.
I haven’t tried to use it for spreadsheets or PowerPoint, but those who have tell me it’s impossible.
more information :-http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/iPad-Steve-Jobs-Apple-Mac-PC-Microsoft-pd20100604-63T34?OpenDocument&src=sph
In an onstage interview at the Wall Street Journal’s D8 conference in California, Jobs was asked by WSJ’s Walt Mossberg: “Is the tablet going to replace the laptop? Tell me what you think about where it's going?”
Jobs: “You know... (long pause). I'm trying to think of a good analogy. When we were an agrarian nation, all cars were trucks. But as people moved more towards urban centres, people started to get into cars. I think PCs are going to be like trucks. Less people will need them. And this is going to make some people uneasy.”
Yes, well, Apple still has some work to do before the iPad can replace a laptop for me, but I can see how it will eventually get there. That work is crucial because I’m not going to carry three devices – iPhone, laptop and iPad.
At least two of these, preferably three, need to merge into one, and if the iPad can’t operate in the same way as a laptop, then it will be the niche product, not the PC. (By the way laptops now represent 80 per cent of all PC sales, with desktops only 20 per cent. In 2003 it was the other way around.)
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft (whose market capitalisation was surpassed by Apple for the first time last week) appeared at the same conference yesterday and blithely defined the issue away: “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail,” he boomed.
That is, iPads are PCs too – PCs will come in multiple flavours, some with keyboards, some without; some that fit into your pocket, some you have to carry.
Maybe so, but at this stage they are very different. My immediate problem is I’m forced to use the new iPad as a laptop for a week or two while my beloved Macbook Air is in the hospital having its sick screen seen to. And when it comes home, arms out for a hug, will Air have lost her place to the interloper? Possibly.
I bought a keyboard dock so I wouldn’t have to write by tapping on the screen, but lugging that awkwardly shaped, heavy metal keyboard around with the iPad kind of defeats the portability purpose. So, yes, I will have to get used to typing on a touchscreen, and so will everyone.
But leaving aside keyboard issues, as a laptop the iPad is severely limited – so far. The main problem is that it only opens one application at a time, and for someone used to toggling between Word, PDFs, internet browser and email client while writing articles, that is infuriating.
I guess there will eventually be a bigger range of decent word processing applications available for the iPad, but the ones I can find so far fall short. The biggest problem I’ve found is that you can’t copy and paste between different applications, so long quotes have to be typed out.
I haven’t tried to use it for spreadsheets or PowerPoint, but those who have tell me it’s impossible.
more information :-http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/iPad-Steve-Jobs-Apple-Mac-PC-Microsoft-pd20100604-63T34?OpenDocument&src=sph
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
The value of 2-tier ERP for small and large businesses
There is no doubt that SAP is the world's largest provider of ERP software. According to the website www.erplists.com, it has about a third of the market. But that still leaves a lot of share for other vendors, many of which do not trip of the tongue. Understanding where the applications of some of the smaller players are being used can be tricky.
ERP is one of those categories where getting an accurate picture of market share is not that easy. The reason for this is twofold. First it depends on the size of companies; SAP and its closest rival Oracle are most closely focussed on larger businesses, other vendors such as Microsoft and Infor are more focussed on the mid-market—so overall market share does not tell you that much.
The second reason tying down ERP market share is tricky is that it turns out that large enterprises also buy mid-market ERP products. That is not to say they eschew the big players, but that they select other products to fit niches that SAP and Oracle do not serve well.
For example SearchManufacturingERP.com cites an example of the French company Areva using Infor SiteLine for site operations alongside SAP for its financials. It was felt that the Infor product was more cost effective and easier for its employees to learn to use for that particular purpose or group of users.
Such mixed use is referred to as 2-tier ERP and it is making a muddle of market share figures because many product usage surveys only ask questions like "what is the main ERP product that you use", or they only interview representatives from the finance department who forget about products used by other departments.
In fact the mid-market vendors actually see the 2-tier market as a significant opportunity for increasing their market share. Microsoft actually has a page dedicated to 2-tier on the Microsoft Dynamics area of it web site. It provides a number of case studies including the German company Wurth that uses Microsoft Dynamics' Navision in branches whilst maintaining SAP at its HQ.
However, it is not a one way street. SAP has been targeting the mid-market for many years with its Business All in One product. Quocirca spoke to a number of SAP's mid-market customers last year. A motivator for some of these organisations to use SAP, including Dishman, a UK based pharmaceutical components supplier, and Consol, a South Africa bottling company, was, they reported, the ease of participating in the business processes of larger organisations that also used SAP.
To enable this, larger organisations need to open their ERP applications to authorised outsiders and the degree to which they were doing so was examined in Quocirca research conducted a few years ago. 50% of the enterprises surveyed were allowing external users to access their ERP systems, putting it third behind supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM). In the past this may have been done using electronic data interchange (EDI) but it is now usually accomplished by web-enabling the application—that is, allowing secure external access via a web browser.
It is interesting that CRM is at the top of this list with over 60% of organisation allowing external access. Of all enterprise applications, CRM is the one that has been most successful in moving over to the software as a service (SaaS) delivery model as evidenced by the rise of salesforce.com and others in the last decade. So why isn't more ERP being delivered like this, as it seems an obvious way to enable the sharing of ERP functions between businesses?
The answer to that is that ERP is being web-enabled but on a more modest scale. Businesses have been slower to web-enable their own ERP applications ahead of other more obvious candidates such as portals, content management and CRM, but even when Quocirca's research was published, 25% had done so.
ERP is one of those categories where getting an accurate picture of market share is not that easy. The reason for this is twofold. First it depends on the size of companies; SAP and its closest rival Oracle are most closely focussed on larger businesses, other vendors such as Microsoft and Infor are more focussed on the mid-market—so overall market share does not tell you that much.
The second reason tying down ERP market share is tricky is that it turns out that large enterprises also buy mid-market ERP products. That is not to say they eschew the big players, but that they select other products to fit niches that SAP and Oracle do not serve well.
For example SearchManufacturingERP.com cites an example of the French company Areva using Infor SiteLine for site operations alongside SAP for its financials. It was felt that the Infor product was more cost effective and easier for its employees to learn to use for that particular purpose or group of users.
Such mixed use is referred to as 2-tier ERP and it is making a muddle of market share figures because many product usage surveys only ask questions like "what is the main ERP product that you use", or they only interview representatives from the finance department who forget about products used by other departments.
In fact the mid-market vendors actually see the 2-tier market as a significant opportunity for increasing their market share. Microsoft actually has a page dedicated to 2-tier on the Microsoft Dynamics area of it web site. It provides a number of case studies including the German company Wurth that uses Microsoft Dynamics' Navision in branches whilst maintaining SAP at its HQ.
However, it is not a one way street. SAP has been targeting the mid-market for many years with its Business All in One product. Quocirca spoke to a number of SAP's mid-market customers last year. A motivator for some of these organisations to use SAP, including Dishman, a UK based pharmaceutical components supplier, and Consol, a South Africa bottling company, was, they reported, the ease of participating in the business processes of larger organisations that also used SAP.
To enable this, larger organisations need to open their ERP applications to authorised outsiders and the degree to which they were doing so was examined in Quocirca research conducted a few years ago. 50% of the enterprises surveyed were allowing external users to access their ERP systems, putting it third behind supply chain management (SCM) and customer relationship management (CRM). In the past this may have been done using electronic data interchange (EDI) but it is now usually accomplished by web-enabling the application—that is, allowing secure external access via a web browser.
It is interesting that CRM is at the top of this list with over 60% of organisation allowing external access. Of all enterprise applications, CRM is the one that has been most successful in moving over to the software as a service (SaaS) delivery model as evidenced by the rise of salesforce.com and others in the last decade. So why isn't more ERP being delivered like this, as it seems an obvious way to enable the sharing of ERP functions between businesses?
The answer to that is that ERP is being web-enabled but on a more modest scale. Businesses have been slower to web-enable their own ERP applications ahead of other more obvious candidates such as portals, content management and CRM, but even when Quocirca's research was published, 25% had done so.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
How to become a risk taking boss
Few things can rattle your world more than the loss of a job. But faced with the resultant soul-searching, some recent pink-slip recipients are refusing to be casualties of the latest recession. Instead of quietly joining the ranks of the unemployed, they're resolving to seize control over their career and become their own boss. They're pursuing an entrepreneurial dream.
Is launching a business today a high-stakes risk? Of course. But it's never been easy to build a successful business, in any era or in any economy.
The right business idea at the right time can overcome all manner of obstacles. An ordinary person today still has the potential to catapult a startup company into an industry leader. But reaching that goal requires tireless commitment and sound business strategies.
Here are 10 broad strategies that were used to build multimillion-dollar (in some cases, multibillion-dollar) businesses, taken from the entrepreneurs profiled in my book "The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success."
1. Go on a treasure hunt and find an underserved niche
Identify and then cater to the particular needs of a market niche that competitors have neglected or ignored. Develop a specialty in which your business clearly excels. Remember, even a huge multibillion-dollar corporation can't offer everything to everyone. Many niches are too small for them to consider.
2. Spot a new trend and pounce
Look for emerging consumer needs and desires arising from a shift in cultural, economic or technological trends that signal new market opportunities. Act quickly. Don't be tentative.
3. Just start!
Stop the excuses. The "perfect" time for a business launch will never present itself. Don't give would-be competitors the opportunity to beat you to the punch. Get moving. Set short-term goals and deadlines that bring you closer to opening for business.
more information :-http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/05/31/cb.have.takes.start.biz/?hpt=Sbin
Is launching a business today a high-stakes risk? Of course. But it's never been easy to build a successful business, in any era or in any economy.
The right business idea at the right time can overcome all manner of obstacles. An ordinary person today still has the potential to catapult a startup company into an industry leader. But reaching that goal requires tireless commitment and sound business strategies.
Here are 10 broad strategies that were used to build multimillion-dollar (in some cases, multibillion-dollar) businesses, taken from the entrepreneurs profiled in my book "The Risk Takers: 16 Women and Men Share Their Entrepreneurial Strategies for Success."
1. Go on a treasure hunt and find an underserved niche
Identify and then cater to the particular needs of a market niche that competitors have neglected or ignored. Develop a specialty in which your business clearly excels. Remember, even a huge multibillion-dollar corporation can't offer everything to everyone. Many niches are too small for them to consider.
2. Spot a new trend and pounce
Look for emerging consumer needs and desires arising from a shift in cultural, economic or technological trends that signal new market opportunities. Act quickly. Don't be tentative.
3. Just start!
Stop the excuses. The "perfect" time for a business launch will never present itself. Don't give would-be competitors the opportunity to beat you to the punch. Get moving. Set short-term goals and deadlines that bring you closer to opening for business.
more information :-http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/worklife/05/31/cb.have.takes.start.biz/?hpt=Sbin
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