Archive for the ‘Business Plan’ Category

handmadeAn alternative for entrepreneurs who sell handmade products is to use online tools. Before investing in a website that will be lost among the millions of websites of companies that have a major online presence, a good option is to use sites that brings together entrepreneurs who offer handmade products and give them a “virtual showcase” more visible .

There are many such portals: Etsy, Dawanda, Artfire, Folksy, coriander, Misi, among others, are all in English, a barrier is not impossible to overcome.

1. Etsy
is the largest portal for the sale of handicrafts that lists a varied range of handmade products. It is a portal based in U.S. but you can reach different markets. Check if it hits the market they want to address.

How to sell on Etsy?
Need:
1. Credit Card
2. Paypal account, this will verify your identity through your credit card, charging $ 1.95. Once verification is made, that money is refunded to your account.

Register and create Store
The most recommended type of account is the Premier: single use and accept credit cards.
“List an Item” You can upload your products to the page, putting the name, a short description, price, handling fee and of course, photos and notes the means of payment that are accepted.
Etsy charges $ 0.10 for each item published and a 3.5% commission for each sale made.
This is charged on the credit card the 15 of each month. The first day of the month will be sent an email detailing all charges.

Some trends in times of economic change. One of them is the way to display the products to be sold to the public.

Generalmente it is usual for large companies to use packaging to give the impression that the consumer gets more of what you are paying. This trend seems to now changing.

Unnecessary costs on the packaging material and storage costs are causing the gaskets to try to reduce as much as possible in order to present compact products with a consequent saving of space.

That is at least the new policy being developed by a company that markets a range of products for water sports Water called Destination as reported by CNN Money.
business ideas
The company grew 14% in 2008 compared to 2007 and 2009 plans to grow by 12% having been its sales in 2008 of U.S. $ 25 billion.

The interesting thing about this policy of using small packets that the consumer is perceived positively as it perceives that there would be a waste of resources in times of economic crisis and that has allowed him to excel in the market for these products.

Sometimes simple changes like the one discussed here, which also produce significant savings, a business can change for the better by producing more sales for more money.

Business Plan

Many people have doubts about whether to make a unique business plan, or use one already made. Here are some ideas you have to consider on making a business plan:

1. The Business Plan is not a process:
It is not writing a lot of leaves, borrowing money and finally have the capital for a business. The plan is the map of the business, is what will tell how their decisions. For example, if you have a differentiation strategy, where his company will focus on unique products to a segment of people very well defined business plan you think and develop ways to effectively advertise to this market, how it to be the design of his store, which has additional products to sell, what is your competitive advantage.

2. It’s okay to use a pre-made plan, but as the basis for his: If you plan to use a pre-made business plan, for example you have found a business and Entrepreneur magazine, or you have downloaded from the Internet, the probability of failure of his Business discharge. Why? Because it has to adapt the business plan to the specific setting. There are many variables that have to consider that are unique in their case, for example the location where you plan to put the business, the type of customers and their behavior, etc.. For example, say you are interested in putting a candy business and uses a pre-made business plan. However, do not realize that the area where you put your business will not pass children, but had the opportunity to sell traditional sweets to tourists. In 6 months will be closing, for not doing its own business plan.

3. Make a business plan takes time:
It is not something done in 1 day. The plan requires you to think, research, write, re-think, re-investigate, etc. But you have to consider this: it is better to take your time and create a viable business plan to accelerate to make quick decisions. As an analogy, imagine that a man loves a woman. Maybe if taking the relationship slowly and known, comes to marry her and start a family. But if making things faster and faster, most likely be a one-night. The same goes for businesses.
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