董军：无界的互联网http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年11月11日 12:53 中国经营报
互联网的世界里是没有界线的：信息没有界线，交易没有界线，沟通没有界线。在互联网应用模式的演进过程中，也使互联网企业的竞争没有界线。今天的伙伴，可能会是明天的对手。
微软是软件业的巨头，Google是互联网的新秀。两者原本可以相安无事，但互联网改变着软件的应用及销售模式，互联网无处不在，微软与Google踏入对方的领地是必须的动作。微软这个多年的行业霸主，现在最大的对手就是Google。
在中国互联网发展的这短短十余年中，有很多战友成为对手的故事。
周鸿袆当年创立的3721做的是中文网址业务，那时候搜索还没有成气候，李彦宏的百度也刚刚起步。当时双方都互称不是竞争对手，不是一类产品。但时隔不久，他们成为行业里最大的一对冤家。
盛大在纳斯达克一举成名之后，可能没想到现在最强劲的对手是从门户转型而来的网易。如果倒推几年，盛大与网易的业务根本谈不上冲突。网易在面对三大门户之争中最弱的一个的窘境时，以网游作为突破转型的做法相当成功。
腾讯的QQ成功之后，开始思考：如何有效地利用最广泛的互联网用户群。腾讯后来四处出击，要把这个用户群的潜力挖到极致，通过更多的商业模式留住这些用户，并从各个方面赚“透”他们的钱。做游戏，与连众成对手；做电子商务，对淘宝网虎视眈眈；做新闻，成为新浪的对头。虽然有些扩张现在看来并不算成功，但从挖掘用户潜力的角度看，腾讯的战略是对的。从对投资者负责、拓展更多收入渠道来讲，腾讯的战略也是对的。因为互联网是没有边界的，用户的需求无止境，互联网应用模式也无止境。
阿里巴巴与百度的竞争，说起来也不算恶意进攻对方，都是从自己的核心业务出发做扩张和延伸。一方面充分挖掘现有客户潜力，拓展更多收入渠道；一方面跟着客户的需求和互联网发展不断提供更多的新应用。这种发展是互联网应用模式和用户需求不断变化的必然结果。
互联网无界，而且随时变化发展，使互联网的竞争也没有边界。正如马云和李彦宏所说，电子商务只是初级阶段，企业和个人对电子商务的需求也各不相同、各种各样。以不同核心延伸出去的这两家公司，虽然在市场上会有碰撞，但他们给用户提供应用模式还是会有区别，也会使得电子商务的服务模式丰富多样，也许都会有自己很好的生存发展空间。
作者：董军
Monday, November 19, 2007
网络社区养出的绒毛玩具
网络社区养出的绒毛玩具www.网娃http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年11月11日 13:00 中国经营报
9岁的特拉(Tara)有一只黑色的绒毛熊，她为其取名“午夜”。特拉是在新泽西州海城休闲街的一家玩具店里以12.95美元的含税价买到的这只绒毛熊，与其他的绒毛玩具一样，特拉可以跟“午夜”在家里玩，或者带它到任何地方。但是真正有意思的是特拉可以用她的密码登录网上社区，并和社区里的虚拟“午夜”玩上一整年。
“午夜”便是“网娃(WEBKINZ)”宠物玩具之一，如果你还不知道“网娃”热潮的话，没关系，只要你有孩子，或者是你所住的小区里有孩子，你就会知道“网娃”有多火。“网娃”之所以能够成功俘获少年儿童的消费心理，是因为其将传统的零售模式和现代的网上营销巧妙地结合在一起了，并将虚拟世界的宣传优势发挥到了极致。
孩子购买“网娃”绒毛玩具并不是因为它本身如何好玩，而是为了得到登录网上社区的密码。这样，他们就可以在“网娃”的网上社区与他们的宠物玩上整整一年，可以和这些宠物一起玩游戏，赚钱为他们的宠物买生活用品，甚至与它们谈心。一年到期后，孩子们需重新购买另一只宠物来更新账户，用“网娃”的话来说就是“领养”，如果不购买别的宠物的话，他们就无法再次登录网上社区。
为孩子们创造的虚拟世界
尽管孩子们花在网上的时间已经越来越多，但他们还是很喜欢和传统的绒毛玩具嬉戏玩耍，那为什么不把两者结合在一起呢？Ganz是安大略省伍德布里奇的一家私人公司，2005年4月的时候，便通过启用“网娃”模式对他们的产品进行了整合营销。
沃顿商学院的法学教授凯文·韦百赫的儿子和女儿都拥有“网娃”的宠物，他说，“网娃”对孩子之所以具有如此强大的吸引力是因为，它将个人情感因素和社区融入集合在了一起，孩子们不仅可以照顾他们的宠物，还可以和社区里的其他成员进行交流互动。
韦百赫的研究领域还涉及电子商务，他认为，从广义上来说，“网娃”与其他的在线娱乐系统同属一宗。他说：“对人们来说，这些都是一种超越了他们日常生活范畴的虚拟体验。在虚拟世界里，孩子们可以把他们的绒毛宠物带回家，跟它们玩游戏，为它们建造一个小家，或者给它们买一些小饰物，然后他们还可以跟社区里的朋友交流各种新的体会，为宠物饲养增添了新的乐趣。”
Ganz就是希望通过引进“网娃”模式来提升孩子们的玩耍体验并最大限度地利用因特网来扩大影响，他进一步补充道，“网娃”就是为孩子提供了一个随时交流的平台，让他们可以认识更多的朋友。
所以，“网娃”的另一个成功之处就在于孩子们可以通过一个叫做“儿童聊天”的聊天软件和社区内其他的孩子进行即时在线聊天，还可以通过玩在线城堡游戏或者回答智力竞答问题来赚取Kinz币，有了Kinz币，孩子们就能给宠物买东西了。
新泽西州弗雷明顿市《儿童技术分析》杂志的主编华伦·巴克莱纳的女儿也拥有一个“网娃”账号，他认为，能够让孩子们在屏幕前交谈是“网娃”最大的一个卖点。人类本来就是群居动物，喜欢交流、聊天，能够给同龄人网上留言对这些孩子来说更有无比的乐趣。
此外，他也指出，因为孩子们可以在网上给他们的宠物布置房间，从而能够获得一种拥有感，“网娃”另一个值得一提的方面就是：它通过赚取Kinz币或布置房间的表现来记录每个孩子每天的点滴进步。
拥有教育心理学博士头衔的巴克莱纳还说道，“网娃”的话费并不高，因此深得家长的青睐。网上体验原本要13美元，一个真实的玩具也要13美元，但现在，两样合在一起只要13美元，这中间的差距是显而易见的。
“互动”和“圈子”套牢孩子
弗吉尼亚大学丹顿商学院的顾问兼客座教授詹姆斯·吉尔摩说，他的女儿安娜有三只“网娃”的宠物。在与女儿的交谈中他发现，“网娃”的确有它的过人之处，它似乎是一种倒退，又使得孩子们自发地与同龄的朋友一起玩耍了。
吉尔摩说，“我女儿说她之所以喜欢‘网娃’是因为她的朋友们可以来拜访她，当然是在网上，并不是真的。”吉尔摩说，她的女儿通过聊天软件Kinzchat和她的朋友进行交流，尽管她们是仅隔着两户人家的邻居，但她们在网上聊天的时间远比在现实生活中多得多。
Ganz并不是第一家利用无形的网络商品和加密账号的理念进行营销的公司，多年以来，Textbook一直在应用这一营销手段。另外，一些糖果公司、早餐麦片公司等也开始利用网络营销的影响力，现在消费者们只要登录到这些公司的网站，无论是大人还是小孩都会在网站上找到一些和他们的产品相关的概念和信息。
“商家自然是希望能提升消费者与其产品的互动性”，沃顿商学院的市场营销学教授约拿·博格说，“研究显示，消费者与产品的互动性越强，消费者对该产品的认可度就越高。人们买苹果电脑或iPod，是因为苹果这个品牌已经成为他们生命的一部分，就算别的品牌给出更优惠的价格，苹果的粉丝们还是会一如既往地购买苹果的产品。同样的道理，就算出现了别的网上宠物社区，用惯了‘网娃’的孩子是不会轻易离开他们已经相当熟悉的‘网娃’的。”
用口碑而非大量广告营销“网娃”
特拉的妈妈赫玛说，特拉在“网娃”上学到了很多东西，她不仅获得了和宠物一起玩耍的乐趣，还培养了不少责任感。
“我女儿已经知道怎样照顾宠物”，赫玛说，“她会跟我说‘我的小熊饿了’或者是‘我要赚钱给我的小熊买一个蹦床’，尽管听她说这些话有些奇怪，但‘网娃’确实让她认识到规划生活的重要性。”
但是，赫玛对特拉花大量时间在网络宠物上并不十分愉快，开始的时候，特拉每天大约上半小时的网，最近，她每天要上三次网，每次都要将近1小时，因为只有在特定时间才能获得免费赠券。
Ganz公司的发言人苏珊·麦克维说，我们的公司并没有对“网娃”做大量的宣传，我们的销售代表只是向消费者介绍一些宠物，然后做最基础的营销，我们的成功来自口碑，孩子们会口耳相传，越来越多的人会知道我们的网站。
巴克莱纳和沃顿商学院的博尔顿教授同时也指出，“网娃”一旦失去了孩子们的信任，就会失去市场。会致使失信于孩子的一个原因便是过分的商业化，向企业开放广告服务或者是产品的冠名权，比如某个品牌来命名狗粮，就像电影工业的做法一样。
博尔顿认为，Ganz公司以口碑而非大量广告的营销手段是值得提倡的，也是一种聪明的做法。“没有广告，商业色彩的味道就没有那么浓，孩子们就能把更多精力放在社区交流上，”博尔顿说，“相较于广告推销，孩子们更愿意相信他们的朋友，这些不到10岁的孩子们对广告有一种逆反心理，为了避免这种逆反心理，他们采取了另一种特殊的传播方式——口碑。孩子们会自发地传播这些信息，而不是被父母或广告强制灌输。”
博尔顿也与赫玛有着相同的担忧，即孩子花太多时间在网站上，博尔顿指出，美国儿童研究院已经警告家长限制孩子每天或每周的上网时间，切不可让网络占据了做作业和进行户外活动的时间。
沃顿商学院的博格教授认为“网娃”的营销模式将得到更大的发挥，尽管Ganz公司没有披露销售数据，但我们已经知道“网娃”已经成功售出了约200万个账号，而Ganz尚有巨大的市场潜力，他认为“还有很多孩子愿意到‘网娃’的社区来玩耍。”
思想闪光点
“网娃”将传统的零售模式和现代的网上营销巧妙地结合在了一起，并将虚拟世界的宣传优势发挥到了极致。
“网娃”将个人情感因素和社区融入集合在了一起，孩子们不仅可以照顾他们的宠物，还可以和社区里的其他成员进行交流互动。
消费者与产品的互动性越强，消费者对该产品的认可度就越高。就算出现了别的网上宠物社区，用惯了“网娃”的孩子也不会轻易离开他们已经相当熟悉的“网娃”。
相较于广告推销，孩子们更愿意相信他们的朋友，这些不到10岁的孩子们对广告有一种逆反心理，为了避免这种逆反心理，他们采取了另一种特殊的传播方式——口碑。
9岁的特拉(Tara)有一只黑色的绒毛熊，她为其取名“午夜”。特拉是在新泽西州海城休闲街的一家玩具店里以12.95美元的含税价买到的这只绒毛熊，与其他的绒毛玩具一样，特拉可以跟“午夜”在家里玩，或者带它到任何地方。但是真正有意思的是特拉可以用她的密码登录网上社区，并和社区里的虚拟“午夜”玩上一整年。
“午夜”便是“网娃(WEBKINZ)”宠物玩具之一，如果你还不知道“网娃”热潮的话，没关系，只要你有孩子，或者是你所住的小区里有孩子，你就会知道“网娃”有多火。“网娃”之所以能够成功俘获少年儿童的消费心理，是因为其将传统的零售模式和现代的网上营销巧妙地结合在一起了，并将虚拟世界的宣传优势发挥到了极致。
孩子购买“网娃”绒毛玩具并不是因为它本身如何好玩，而是为了得到登录网上社区的密码。这样，他们就可以在“网娃”的网上社区与他们的宠物玩上整整一年，可以和这些宠物一起玩游戏，赚钱为他们的宠物买生活用品，甚至与它们谈心。一年到期后，孩子们需重新购买另一只宠物来更新账户，用“网娃”的话来说就是“领养”，如果不购买别的宠物的话，他们就无法再次登录网上社区。
为孩子们创造的虚拟世界
尽管孩子们花在网上的时间已经越来越多，但他们还是很喜欢和传统的绒毛玩具嬉戏玩耍，那为什么不把两者结合在一起呢？Ganz是安大略省伍德布里奇的一家私人公司，2005年4月的时候，便通过启用“网娃”模式对他们的产品进行了整合营销。
沃顿商学院的法学教授凯文·韦百赫的儿子和女儿都拥有“网娃”的宠物，他说，“网娃”对孩子之所以具有如此强大的吸引力是因为，它将个人情感因素和社区融入集合在了一起，孩子们不仅可以照顾他们的宠物，还可以和社区里的其他成员进行交流互动。
韦百赫的研究领域还涉及电子商务，他认为，从广义上来说，“网娃”与其他的在线娱乐系统同属一宗。他说：“对人们来说，这些都是一种超越了他们日常生活范畴的虚拟体验。在虚拟世界里，孩子们可以把他们的绒毛宠物带回家，跟它们玩游戏，为它们建造一个小家，或者给它们买一些小饰物，然后他们还可以跟社区里的朋友交流各种新的体会，为宠物饲养增添了新的乐趣。”
Ganz就是希望通过引进“网娃”模式来提升孩子们的玩耍体验并最大限度地利用因特网来扩大影响，他进一步补充道，“网娃”就是为孩子提供了一个随时交流的平台，让他们可以认识更多的朋友。
所以，“网娃”的另一个成功之处就在于孩子们可以通过一个叫做“儿童聊天”的聊天软件和社区内其他的孩子进行即时在线聊天，还可以通过玩在线城堡游戏或者回答智力竞答问题来赚取Kinz币，有了Kinz币，孩子们就能给宠物买东西了。
新泽西州弗雷明顿市《儿童技术分析》杂志的主编华伦·巴克莱纳的女儿也拥有一个“网娃”账号，他认为，能够让孩子们在屏幕前交谈是“网娃”最大的一个卖点。人类本来就是群居动物，喜欢交流、聊天，能够给同龄人网上留言对这些孩子来说更有无比的乐趣。
此外，他也指出，因为孩子们可以在网上给他们的宠物布置房间，从而能够获得一种拥有感，“网娃”另一个值得一提的方面就是：它通过赚取Kinz币或布置房间的表现来记录每个孩子每天的点滴进步。
拥有教育心理学博士头衔的巴克莱纳还说道，“网娃”的话费并不高，因此深得家长的青睐。网上体验原本要13美元，一个真实的玩具也要13美元，但现在，两样合在一起只要13美元，这中间的差距是显而易见的。
“互动”和“圈子”套牢孩子
弗吉尼亚大学丹顿商学院的顾问兼客座教授詹姆斯·吉尔摩说，他的女儿安娜有三只“网娃”的宠物。在与女儿的交谈中他发现，“网娃”的确有它的过人之处，它似乎是一种倒退，又使得孩子们自发地与同龄的朋友一起玩耍了。
吉尔摩说，“我女儿说她之所以喜欢‘网娃’是因为她的朋友们可以来拜访她，当然是在网上，并不是真的。”吉尔摩说，她的女儿通过聊天软件Kinzchat和她的朋友进行交流，尽管她们是仅隔着两户人家的邻居，但她们在网上聊天的时间远比在现实生活中多得多。
Ganz并不是第一家利用无形的网络商品和加密账号的理念进行营销的公司，多年以来，Textbook一直在应用这一营销手段。另外，一些糖果公司、早餐麦片公司等也开始利用网络营销的影响力，现在消费者们只要登录到这些公司的网站，无论是大人还是小孩都会在网站上找到一些和他们的产品相关的概念和信息。
“商家自然是希望能提升消费者与其产品的互动性”，沃顿商学院的市场营销学教授约拿·博格说，“研究显示，消费者与产品的互动性越强，消费者对该产品的认可度就越高。人们买苹果电脑或iPod，是因为苹果这个品牌已经成为他们生命的一部分，就算别的品牌给出更优惠的价格，苹果的粉丝们还是会一如既往地购买苹果的产品。同样的道理，就算出现了别的网上宠物社区，用惯了‘网娃’的孩子是不会轻易离开他们已经相当熟悉的‘网娃’的。”
用口碑而非大量广告营销“网娃”
特拉的妈妈赫玛说，特拉在“网娃”上学到了很多东西，她不仅获得了和宠物一起玩耍的乐趣，还培养了不少责任感。
“我女儿已经知道怎样照顾宠物”，赫玛说，“她会跟我说‘我的小熊饿了’或者是‘我要赚钱给我的小熊买一个蹦床’，尽管听她说这些话有些奇怪，但‘网娃’确实让她认识到规划生活的重要性。”
但是，赫玛对特拉花大量时间在网络宠物上并不十分愉快，开始的时候，特拉每天大约上半小时的网，最近，她每天要上三次网，每次都要将近1小时，因为只有在特定时间才能获得免费赠券。
Ganz公司的发言人苏珊·麦克维说，我们的公司并没有对“网娃”做大量的宣传，我们的销售代表只是向消费者介绍一些宠物，然后做最基础的营销，我们的成功来自口碑，孩子们会口耳相传，越来越多的人会知道我们的网站。
巴克莱纳和沃顿商学院的博尔顿教授同时也指出，“网娃”一旦失去了孩子们的信任，就会失去市场。会致使失信于孩子的一个原因便是过分的商业化，向企业开放广告服务或者是产品的冠名权，比如某个品牌来命名狗粮，就像电影工业的做法一样。
博尔顿认为，Ganz公司以口碑而非大量广告的营销手段是值得提倡的，也是一种聪明的做法。“没有广告，商业色彩的味道就没有那么浓，孩子们就能把更多精力放在社区交流上，”博尔顿说，“相较于广告推销，孩子们更愿意相信他们的朋友，这些不到10岁的孩子们对广告有一种逆反心理，为了避免这种逆反心理，他们采取了另一种特殊的传播方式——口碑。孩子们会自发地传播这些信息，而不是被父母或广告强制灌输。”
博尔顿也与赫玛有着相同的担忧，即孩子花太多时间在网站上，博尔顿指出，美国儿童研究院已经警告家长限制孩子每天或每周的上网时间，切不可让网络占据了做作业和进行户外活动的时间。
沃顿商学院的博格教授认为“网娃”的营销模式将得到更大的发挥，尽管Ganz公司没有披露销售数据，但我们已经知道“网娃”已经成功售出了约200万个账号，而Ganz尚有巨大的市场潜力，他认为“还有很多孩子愿意到‘网娃’的社区来玩耍。”
思想闪光点
“网娃”将传统的零售模式和现代的网上营销巧妙地结合在了一起，并将虚拟世界的宣传优势发挥到了极致。
“网娃”将个人情感因素和社区融入集合在了一起，孩子们不仅可以照顾他们的宠物，还可以和社区里的其他成员进行交流互动。
消费者与产品的互动性越强，消费者对该产品的认可度就越高。就算出现了别的网上宠物社区，用惯了“网娃”的孩子也不会轻易离开他们已经相当熟悉的“网娃”。
相较于广告推销，孩子们更愿意相信他们的朋友，这些不到10岁的孩子们对广告有一种逆反心理，为了避免这种逆反心理，他们采取了另一种特殊的传播方式——口碑。
Sunday, November 18, 2007
为什么说现在回国网络创业是最好的时机?
为什么说现在回国网络创业是最好的时机?
来源: lyj1968 于 07-10-14 00:00:16 [档案] [博客] [旧帖] [转至博客] [给我悄悄话]
互联网的发展，在上个世纪90年代的蓬勃发展，到2000年网络泡沫破裂。许多人认为，网络创业的黄金时机已经一去不复返了。其实现在网络创业，回国发展的机会比上世纪90年代还好。我在此简单分析一下，为什么现在回国网络创业是最好的机会？
在美国，2000年网络泡沫破裂以后，许多人分析研究了那些没有倒下，并且依然蓬勃发展的企业的经验，发现企业的市场营销， 结合利用互联网宣传，起到了非常惊人的经济效益。于是网络营销这样一个新兴行业得以发展壮大。网络营销是2000年互联网泡沫破裂后的一个新的经济热点。
上世纪末的网络高潮，基本上是侧重于互联网的基础设施建设。打一个通俗的比喻，相当于房地产开发，房子造得太多了二卖不出去，所有网络泡沫破裂了。历史发展到现在，商场造好了，随着营商环境的逐渐成熟，租用柜台的商家开始赚钱了。以前是做建材，造商场的人赚钱，现在则是在商场上作生意的人开始赚钱了。
现在回国网络创业，比2000年以前搞网络创业更有优势的原因是，以前的网络创业都是以建设网络基础设施为主的创业， 这种创业，公司可以做的很大，但成功的不多。比方说百度搜索。中国只要一两个这样的搜索公司就够了。但是，基于像百度这样提供搜索引擎服务的而引申出来的网络营销公司，在中国则可以多达几千几万家。也就是说，如果你在2000年前回国，要搞一个象百度这样一个中文搜索，你成功的机会只要一个，而现在如果你去做基于百度免费搜索的网络营销创业，你的成功概率则多达几千几万倍。
在中国的网络营销市场，几乎还是一片空白市场。这个市场，同样需要一大批在具有海外市场营销经验的人士去启蒙，去开拓。 就好像百度的李彦宏在美国研究搜身引擎后去中国开发中文的搜索引擎。现在的中国需要一大批懂得利用搜索引擎赚钱的人去做网络营销市场推广。
前几天在赢时代网站看到一个消息，网络营销引发新一轮VC 投资热潮， 也证明了中国网络创业的新趋势。中国的网络营销还处于非常初级的阶段，大部分的人对网络营销的理解还处于发垃圾邮件和网络传销的层面。而国外，特别是美国在2000网络泡沫破裂以后，网络营销行业已经取得的突飞猛进的发展，已经有许多很完善的系统供我们学习参考。利用你现在国外的语言以及环境的优势，学好一套成功的网络营销方法。 如果你想回国发展，不管是想自己创业，还是想去企业某一个高薪的工作，网络营销都是最好的一个行业。
如果对这个网络创业回国发展感兴趣的人多地话，我可以另外写一篇文章，具体分析一下有哪一些网络创业项目在中国具有很大的前景， 又有哪一些项目是投资少，见效快的创业项目， 特别适合个人网络创业。在美国以及其他一些国家，已经有成千上万的个人网站，准对一些很小Niche Market，就可以做到每年有上百万甚至上千万的盈利。 我们完全可以学习这些个人网站的成功经验，去中国复制成功。
最后说明一下，国人在海外学电脑网络的人很多，但是研究网络营销的很少。恨多人觉得我们中国人作网络营销没有优势。其实网络营销是一门科学，你不需要什么过人的天赋。 就像学习电脑编程一样，你只要花一点时间认真学习，每个人都可以熟练掌握， 应用自如。正是基于海外华人研究搞网络营销的人很少这样一个原因，我觉得现在学习研究好网络营销这门学问，机会更大。
我的“网络创业和市场营销的搏客”， 已经写了60多篇有关网络营销的启蒙培训文章，如果你对网络创业感兴趣的话，欢迎你到我的网络创业搏客访问交流。
转载本文请注明：转载自蒋海明的网络创业营销博客http://www.jianghaiming.com
来源: lyj1968 于 07-10-14 00:00:16 [档案] [博客] [旧帖] [转至博客] [给我悄悄话]
互联网的发展，在上个世纪90年代的蓬勃发展，到2000年网络泡沫破裂。许多人认为，网络创业的黄金时机已经一去不复返了。其实现在网络创业，回国发展的机会比上世纪90年代还好。我在此简单分析一下，为什么现在回国网络创业是最好的机会？
在美国，2000年网络泡沫破裂以后，许多人分析研究了那些没有倒下，并且依然蓬勃发展的企业的经验，发现企业的市场营销， 结合利用互联网宣传，起到了非常惊人的经济效益。于是网络营销这样一个新兴行业得以发展壮大。网络营销是2000年互联网泡沫破裂后的一个新的经济热点。
上世纪末的网络高潮，基本上是侧重于互联网的基础设施建设。打一个通俗的比喻，相当于房地产开发，房子造得太多了二卖不出去，所有网络泡沫破裂了。历史发展到现在，商场造好了，随着营商环境的逐渐成熟，租用柜台的商家开始赚钱了。以前是做建材，造商场的人赚钱，现在则是在商场上作生意的人开始赚钱了。
现在回国网络创业，比2000年以前搞网络创业更有优势的原因是，以前的网络创业都是以建设网络基础设施为主的创业， 这种创业，公司可以做的很大，但成功的不多。比方说百度搜索。中国只要一两个这样的搜索公司就够了。但是，基于像百度这样提供搜索引擎服务的而引申出来的网络营销公司，在中国则可以多达几千几万家。也就是说，如果你在2000年前回国，要搞一个象百度这样一个中文搜索，你成功的机会只要一个，而现在如果你去做基于百度免费搜索的网络营销创业，你的成功概率则多达几千几万倍。
在中国的网络营销市场，几乎还是一片空白市场。这个市场，同样需要一大批在具有海外市场营销经验的人士去启蒙，去开拓。 就好像百度的李彦宏在美国研究搜身引擎后去中国开发中文的搜索引擎。现在的中国需要一大批懂得利用搜索引擎赚钱的人去做网络营销市场推广。
前几天在赢时代网站看到一个消息，网络营销引发新一轮VC 投资热潮， 也证明了中国网络创业的新趋势。中国的网络营销还处于非常初级的阶段，大部分的人对网络营销的理解还处于发垃圾邮件和网络传销的层面。而国外，特别是美国在2000网络泡沫破裂以后，网络营销行业已经取得的突飞猛进的发展，已经有许多很完善的系统供我们学习参考。利用你现在国外的语言以及环境的优势，学好一套成功的网络营销方法。 如果你想回国发展，不管是想自己创业，还是想去企业某一个高薪的工作，网络营销都是最好的一个行业。
如果对这个网络创业回国发展感兴趣的人多地话，我可以另外写一篇文章，具体分析一下有哪一些网络创业项目在中国具有很大的前景， 又有哪一些项目是投资少，见效快的创业项目， 特别适合个人网络创业。在美国以及其他一些国家，已经有成千上万的个人网站，准对一些很小Niche Market，就可以做到每年有上百万甚至上千万的盈利。 我们完全可以学习这些个人网站的成功经验，去中国复制成功。
最后说明一下，国人在海外学电脑网络的人很多，但是研究网络营销的很少。恨多人觉得我们中国人作网络营销没有优势。其实网络营销是一门科学，你不需要什么过人的天赋。 就像学习电脑编程一样，你只要花一点时间认真学习，每个人都可以熟练掌握， 应用自如。正是基于海外华人研究搞网络营销的人很少这样一个原因，我觉得现在学习研究好网络营销这门学问，机会更大。
我的“网络创业和市场营销的搏客”， 已经写了60多篇有关网络营销的启蒙培训文章，如果你对网络创业感兴趣的话，欢迎你到我的网络创业搏客访问交流。
转载本文请注明：转载自蒋海明的网络创业营销博客http://www.jianghaiming.com
Friday, November 16, 2007
马云：下一个比尔·盖茨
马云：下一个比尔·盖茨？(图) 南方周末
下一个比尔·盖茨是谁？在今年4月的博鳌亚洲论坛上，比尔·盖茨的答案是：亚洲的马云 资料图片
当天下午，阿里巴巴的承销商宣布行权超额配售1.137亿股——阿里巴巴的融资额从15亿美元跃升到17亿美元，这一数字仅次于GOOGLE在2003年的19亿美元融资。一夜之间，这家电子商务公司已直接晋升入全球互联网企业前六名。而在8年前，它仅仅是一家由18个人用50万元创办于杭州的小公司。
以当天39.5港元的收市价计算，阿里巴巴不仅是中国互联网企业首家市值过200亿美金的公司，在整个亚洲市场也仅次于雅虎日本，低5亿美金。
这家公司的创始人是前大学英文教师马云，他虽不懂电脑也没出国镀金，却凭借着奇特的想法对竞争对手步步紧逼，数年内不仅以免费手段打败了eBay，还吃掉了雅虎中国，从而成为中国活得最久的电子商务公司。这也是投资者对阿里巴巴信心百倍的原因，该公司这次公开招股冻结资金破纪录地达到4520亿港元。
但上市并不仅仅是推开了一扇财富之门，还意味着更大的压力。阿里巴巴的市盈率已超过300倍，在未来数年内，马云能使这家公司保持与此相对应的增长速度吗？
36岁的阿里巴巴首席执行官卫哲对此表示乐观，他认为此次香港上市的B2B业务公司仅是阿里巴巴集团旗下五大业务群之一，阿里巴巴仍有进入全球互联网企业前三甲的实力。
但就在本周三，阿里巴巴的股价已经回落到30港元的开盘价以下。
上市前的变革
早在去年7月，马云就在和成都的网商对话时透露出上市的打算。他将2007年视为公司的“重大改革年”。
那时，人们最关心的倒不是阿里巴巴的上市计划，而是它能否成功改造雅虎中国。两年前，阿里巴巴全面接管雅虎中国，并获得雅虎的10亿美元投资。
改造的结果是，雅虎中国的门户网站地位被弱化，搜索引擎功能被强化。这样的手术似乎使业内人士有点失望，很难看出雅虎中国这只“病虎”有什么痊愈的迹象。
此时，马云的心思却完全放在了阿里巴巴的国际化上。一些从财务到市场布局考虑的全新公司成立——2006年9月20日在英属维京群岛注册成立阿里巴巴投资控股有限公司，2006年10月5日在香港注册成立阿里巴巴中国有限公司，2006年7月19日在开曼群岛注册成立日本投资控股有限公司……
去年12月，阿里巴巴在北京的公关部门接到通知：要求所有员工全部回到杭州办公。很多人完全没有任何心理准备，但不到一个星期的时间，阿里巴巴各个项目的公关部全部收回杭州总部统一办公。
宣传口径的统一仅仅是开始。从去年年末开始，阿里巴巴花了三个月的时间“做了有史以来最大的一次组织架构变动”，将原本一体的各业务部门独立出来，成为5个全资子公司：阿里巴巴、淘宝、支付宝、中国雅虎和阿里软件。这次拆分被称为“达摩五指”的架构，开始将阿里巴巴未来10年乃至20年的发展规划清晰勾勒出来。今年1月2日，阿里巴巴旗下有4家公司完成了股权之间的转让，各种业务之间的互补关系、股权关系逐渐清晰。
今年7月28日，马云在全体员工大会上第一次宣布：阿里巴巴正式启动B2B的上市程序，并在此前一天向香港联交所递交了上市申请。在这次会议上，公司也宣布了各子公司股票和上市公司之间股票的兑换方法。
事实上，只要是2006年底前进入的员工几乎都获得了一定数额的股权，运气好或有能力的员工即使刚来几个月也都获得了一些股权。员工大会后几天内，每个获得股权的员工都签署了几十页的股权转换方案的协议——将集团购股权转换为阿里巴巴上市公司购股权。为了使员工有足够的资金行使购股权，阿里巴巴还为非总监级员工提供了有全数追索权的两年期计息贷款，截至换股结束日阿里巴巴给予员工的贷款本金约为3030万元。
国际化三部曲
翻开阿里巴巴的历史，可以看到中国电子商务行业发展的几个重要节点：
2003年，阿里巴巴第一次开始挑战国际对手。这是阿里巴巴创办的第四个年头，虽然公司在上一年仅仅实现“盈利1块钱”的象征性市场目标，但没想到行业的春天却悄然而来。突如其来的SARS，让众多企业认识到了网上电子商务的独立和便捷。但eBay此时也已进入中国，它是否会给阿里巴巴的B2B模式带来冲击？马云选择了主动出击——创办和eBay模式一致的淘宝网，借以进入C2C市场。但很多业内人士都觉得这不是个好主意。
携资金和品牌优势的eBay与多家主流门户网站结成“攻守同盟”，基本封锁了淘宝一切可以利用的宣传渠道。无奈之下，淘宝只有将广告投放到公交车、电梯、地铁和体育赛事中。
短兵相接，阿里巴巴集团公关副总裁王帅回忆说：“当时他们把服务器搬到了国外，很多校园网的流量受限，立刻成了我们的突破机会。”更大的机会来自对手自身，eBay开始在中国收费，而淘宝直接推出“三年免费”的承诺，从而一举击败eBay。
2005年，阿里巴巴并购雅虎中国是阿里巴巴第一次改良外资互联网公司。在卫哲看来：“此前的阿里巴巴得到的都是风险投资的认可，但雅虎是专业的互联网公司。从金融资本的认可再到产业资本的认可，可以说阿里巴巴的团队是被肯定的，这个意义也是截然不同的。当雅虎自己参与到互联网的投资中，本身就是一种战略联盟。这应该是阿里巴巴国际化中非常重要的一步。”
就在这一年，阿里巴巴的会员数从2004年底的600万增长到1100万，营业收入从3.59亿增长到7.38亿元，净利润从0.25亿增长到将近1亿元，员工数也从1737人上升到2347人，几乎所有的指标都实现了翻番，而增长最多的是净利润，增长率接近4倍。
马云开始考虑国际化的可能性。至于与雅虎的合作，他辩解说：“合同规定了雅虎不能进入中国，但是没有规定阿里巴巴不能进入美国啊。”
2007年，阿里巴巴B2B业务的IPO是其第一次在国际资本市场正式亮相。10月下旬，马云在4天时间内前往6个城市进行路演，描述着他的电子商务帝国的全球梦想。在马云看来，“阿里巴巴的全球化发展中，美国、日本和欧洲这三个市场一定不能丢”。他的脑海里期待着阿里巴巴成为一个全球通行的B2B平台，但这也意味着更大的挑战。
第五模式的天花板？
下一个比尔·盖茨是谁？
在今年4月的博鳌亚洲论坛上，比尔·盖茨的答案是：亚洲的马云。
而马云为外界所称道的正是阿里巴巴一直推广的中国本土B2B商业网站，因为这确实是地地道道的国产货，和分众一样是一个没有复制美国硅谷商业模式而获得巨大成功的商业故事。今年上半年，阿里巴巴公司总收入为9.58亿元，税前利润约4亿元，净利润2.95亿元超过2006年全年收益。
阿里巴巴首席执行官卫哲承认，净利润的提高主要来自阿里巴巴付费用户数的激增，这半年来阿里巴巴付费用户数已经达到25万人，是增长最快的一段时期。
在全球互联网市场上，以谷歌为代表的搜索模式、雅虎为代表的门户模式、eBay为代表的C2C模式、亚马逊为代表的B2C四大互联网模式，无论在资本还是业务上都获得了极大的成功。这一次，资本的聚光灯照向了人称“第五模式”的阿里巴巴B2B模式。调查公司iResearch的资料表明，阿里巴巴公司是国内B2B领域毫无争议的老大，其注册用户数占了中国整个电子商务市场的70%以上。按收益计算，2006年，阿里巴巴集团的B2B业务收入额约占中国B2B电子商务市场贸易总额的51%。
阿里巴巴公司收入主要来源于向参与B2B交易平台的供应商销售会籍和提供增值服务。招股书显示，2006年这部分收入约为9.54亿元，占其总收入的99.6%。此外，阿里巴巴公司还通过提升大量的免费注册用户(潜在的买家)人数来增加网站流量、吸引供应商和增加付费会员数。
一位不愿意透露姓名的电子商务从业者承认：从阿里巴巴公布的数据来看，销售收入并不算大，甚至和百度、腾讯比还有些差距，这说明B2B市场空间有限。
前8848创始人、现6688.com总裁王峻涛也质疑说：“从招股书看，阿里巴巴未来三年年收入成长率将连续下降，从年成长100%下跌到了60%。”
虽然很多人认为B2B模式已经碰到了自己的天花板，但卫哲仍然很乐观，他对南方周末记者说：“上市不代表衰退。当业务需要高速增长的时候，上市是一个加油站。”卫哲曾是百安居中国区总裁，将百安居由1家店开到了51家店。马云对其寄望之高，从其薪酬上可见一斑：自去年进入阿里巴巴到今年6月的8个月间，卫哲的总薪酬高达901万元，而马云自2004年以来的三年半时间里的总薪酬才接近956万元，阿里巴巴的联合创始人蔡崇信的同期总薪酬仅为794万元。
“加快国际化，在相当程度上是服务于国内的供应商。”卫哲说。据招股书上显示，截至6月30日，阿里巴巴B2B公司已经有1万多名海外的付费供应商，阿里巴巴的平台可以称得上是全球贸易。
如果说国际化是第一步，深入内陆城市就算是第二步了。今年，阿里巴巴开始进入内地的核心城市，以从沿海到内陆的方式，在国内增加了14家公司。
除了地域上的拓展计划，卫哲还在推进管理上的变革。他正在加强对不同行业、不同客户的服务培训方案，今年就主要对太阳能电池板和纺织服装企业进行重点扶持。同时，阿里巴巴还在和建设银行合作探索中小企业联保信贷模式，借助阿里巴巴8年的客户信用体系完成小额信贷的电子商务模式建设。
正如马云所言：阿里巴巴未来5年的发展战略是逐渐将“Meet at Alibaba”发展到“Work at Alibaba”，让中小企业从在阿里巴巴上找商机到未来“工作在阿里巴巴”。这至少包含两层含义：一是完成整个贸易，除了信息流以外，还需要资金流和物流，下一步把资金流和物流更多地引入到阿里巴巴平台上，为中小企业提供更多融资和物流方面的帮助。二是定位为“大于贸易”，一般的贸易只是完成一个交易过程，大于贸易是使中小企业在完成贸易的同时还可获得更多服务，比如管理、人力资源培训、法律顾问以及营销等。
阿里巴巴融资大事记
1999年10月，引入了包括高盛、富达投资(Fidelity Capital)和新加坡政府科技发展基金等在内的首期500万美元天使基金；
2000年1月，获得日本软银(SOFTBANK)的注资2000万美元；2002年2月，进行第三轮融资，日本亚洲投资公司注资500万美元；
2004年2月，获得8200万美元的战略投资。投资者包括软银、富达投资、Granite Global Ventures和TDF风险投资有限公司等四家公司；
2005年8月，与雅虎结成战略同盟。阿里巴巴实际收入2.5亿美元现金。其中包括雅虎的7000万美元(购买普通股)，以及软银的1.8亿美元(购买可转换债券)。淘宝成为100%控股公司。雅虎成为第一大股东，拥有40%股份。马云及其团队为第二大股东，拥有28.2%股份，软银为第三大股东，拥有股份16%。
2007年几家互联网公司的预测市盈率
阿里巴巴 261 倍
腾讯 78.81 倍
百度 191.23 倍
搜狐 86.51 倍
Google 59.35 倍
雅虎 54.17 倍
eBay 27.17 倍
下一个比尔·盖茨是谁？在今年4月的博鳌亚洲论坛上，比尔·盖茨的答案是：亚洲的马云 资料图片
当天下午，阿里巴巴的承销商宣布行权超额配售1.137亿股——阿里巴巴的融资额从15亿美元跃升到17亿美元，这一数字仅次于GOOGLE在2003年的19亿美元融资。一夜之间，这家电子商务公司已直接晋升入全球互联网企业前六名。而在8年前，它仅仅是一家由18个人用50万元创办于杭州的小公司。
以当天39.5港元的收市价计算，阿里巴巴不仅是中国互联网企业首家市值过200亿美金的公司，在整个亚洲市场也仅次于雅虎日本，低5亿美金。
这家公司的创始人是前大学英文教师马云，他虽不懂电脑也没出国镀金，却凭借着奇特的想法对竞争对手步步紧逼，数年内不仅以免费手段打败了eBay，还吃掉了雅虎中国，从而成为中国活得最久的电子商务公司。这也是投资者对阿里巴巴信心百倍的原因，该公司这次公开招股冻结资金破纪录地达到4520亿港元。
但上市并不仅仅是推开了一扇财富之门，还意味着更大的压力。阿里巴巴的市盈率已超过300倍，在未来数年内，马云能使这家公司保持与此相对应的增长速度吗？
36岁的阿里巴巴首席执行官卫哲对此表示乐观，他认为此次香港上市的B2B业务公司仅是阿里巴巴集团旗下五大业务群之一，阿里巴巴仍有进入全球互联网企业前三甲的实力。
但就在本周三，阿里巴巴的股价已经回落到30港元的开盘价以下。
上市前的变革
早在去年7月，马云就在和成都的网商对话时透露出上市的打算。他将2007年视为公司的“重大改革年”。
那时，人们最关心的倒不是阿里巴巴的上市计划，而是它能否成功改造雅虎中国。两年前，阿里巴巴全面接管雅虎中国，并获得雅虎的10亿美元投资。
改造的结果是，雅虎中国的门户网站地位被弱化，搜索引擎功能被强化。这样的手术似乎使业内人士有点失望，很难看出雅虎中国这只“病虎”有什么痊愈的迹象。
此时，马云的心思却完全放在了阿里巴巴的国际化上。一些从财务到市场布局考虑的全新公司成立——2006年9月20日在英属维京群岛注册成立阿里巴巴投资控股有限公司，2006年10月5日在香港注册成立阿里巴巴中国有限公司，2006年7月19日在开曼群岛注册成立日本投资控股有限公司……
去年12月，阿里巴巴在北京的公关部门接到通知：要求所有员工全部回到杭州办公。很多人完全没有任何心理准备，但不到一个星期的时间，阿里巴巴各个项目的公关部全部收回杭州总部统一办公。
宣传口径的统一仅仅是开始。从去年年末开始，阿里巴巴花了三个月的时间“做了有史以来最大的一次组织架构变动”，将原本一体的各业务部门独立出来，成为5个全资子公司：阿里巴巴、淘宝、支付宝、中国雅虎和阿里软件。这次拆分被称为“达摩五指”的架构，开始将阿里巴巴未来10年乃至20年的发展规划清晰勾勒出来。今年1月2日，阿里巴巴旗下有4家公司完成了股权之间的转让，各种业务之间的互补关系、股权关系逐渐清晰。
今年7月28日，马云在全体员工大会上第一次宣布：阿里巴巴正式启动B2B的上市程序，并在此前一天向香港联交所递交了上市申请。在这次会议上，公司也宣布了各子公司股票和上市公司之间股票的兑换方法。
事实上，只要是2006年底前进入的员工几乎都获得了一定数额的股权，运气好或有能力的员工即使刚来几个月也都获得了一些股权。员工大会后几天内，每个获得股权的员工都签署了几十页的股权转换方案的协议——将集团购股权转换为阿里巴巴上市公司购股权。为了使员工有足够的资金行使购股权，阿里巴巴还为非总监级员工提供了有全数追索权的两年期计息贷款，截至换股结束日阿里巴巴给予员工的贷款本金约为3030万元。
国际化三部曲
翻开阿里巴巴的历史，可以看到中国电子商务行业发展的几个重要节点：
2003年，阿里巴巴第一次开始挑战国际对手。这是阿里巴巴创办的第四个年头，虽然公司在上一年仅仅实现“盈利1块钱”的象征性市场目标，但没想到行业的春天却悄然而来。突如其来的SARS，让众多企业认识到了网上电子商务的独立和便捷。但eBay此时也已进入中国，它是否会给阿里巴巴的B2B模式带来冲击？马云选择了主动出击——创办和eBay模式一致的淘宝网，借以进入C2C市场。但很多业内人士都觉得这不是个好主意。
携资金和品牌优势的eBay与多家主流门户网站结成“攻守同盟”，基本封锁了淘宝一切可以利用的宣传渠道。无奈之下，淘宝只有将广告投放到公交车、电梯、地铁和体育赛事中。
短兵相接，阿里巴巴集团公关副总裁王帅回忆说：“当时他们把服务器搬到了国外，很多校园网的流量受限，立刻成了我们的突破机会。”更大的机会来自对手自身，eBay开始在中国收费，而淘宝直接推出“三年免费”的承诺，从而一举击败eBay。
2005年，阿里巴巴并购雅虎中国是阿里巴巴第一次改良外资互联网公司。在卫哲看来：“此前的阿里巴巴得到的都是风险投资的认可，但雅虎是专业的互联网公司。从金融资本的认可再到产业资本的认可，可以说阿里巴巴的团队是被肯定的，这个意义也是截然不同的。当雅虎自己参与到互联网的投资中，本身就是一种战略联盟。这应该是阿里巴巴国际化中非常重要的一步。”
就在这一年，阿里巴巴的会员数从2004年底的600万增长到1100万，营业收入从3.59亿增长到7.38亿元，净利润从0.25亿增长到将近1亿元，员工数也从1737人上升到2347人，几乎所有的指标都实现了翻番，而增长最多的是净利润，增长率接近4倍。
马云开始考虑国际化的可能性。至于与雅虎的合作，他辩解说：“合同规定了雅虎不能进入中国，但是没有规定阿里巴巴不能进入美国啊。”
2007年，阿里巴巴B2B业务的IPO是其第一次在国际资本市场正式亮相。10月下旬，马云在4天时间内前往6个城市进行路演，描述着他的电子商务帝国的全球梦想。在马云看来，“阿里巴巴的全球化发展中，美国、日本和欧洲这三个市场一定不能丢”。他的脑海里期待着阿里巴巴成为一个全球通行的B2B平台，但这也意味着更大的挑战。
第五模式的天花板？
下一个比尔·盖茨是谁？
在今年4月的博鳌亚洲论坛上，比尔·盖茨的答案是：亚洲的马云。
而马云为外界所称道的正是阿里巴巴一直推广的中国本土B2B商业网站，因为这确实是地地道道的国产货，和分众一样是一个没有复制美国硅谷商业模式而获得巨大成功的商业故事。今年上半年，阿里巴巴公司总收入为9.58亿元，税前利润约4亿元，净利润2.95亿元超过2006年全年收益。
阿里巴巴首席执行官卫哲承认，净利润的提高主要来自阿里巴巴付费用户数的激增，这半年来阿里巴巴付费用户数已经达到25万人，是增长最快的一段时期。
在全球互联网市场上，以谷歌为代表的搜索模式、雅虎为代表的门户模式、eBay为代表的C2C模式、亚马逊为代表的B2C四大互联网模式，无论在资本还是业务上都获得了极大的成功。这一次，资本的聚光灯照向了人称“第五模式”的阿里巴巴B2B模式。调查公司iResearch的资料表明，阿里巴巴公司是国内B2B领域毫无争议的老大，其注册用户数占了中国整个电子商务市场的70%以上。按收益计算，2006年，阿里巴巴集团的B2B业务收入额约占中国B2B电子商务市场贸易总额的51%。
阿里巴巴公司收入主要来源于向参与B2B交易平台的供应商销售会籍和提供增值服务。招股书显示，2006年这部分收入约为9.54亿元，占其总收入的99.6%。此外，阿里巴巴公司还通过提升大量的免费注册用户(潜在的买家)人数来增加网站流量、吸引供应商和增加付费会员数。
一位不愿意透露姓名的电子商务从业者承认：从阿里巴巴公布的数据来看，销售收入并不算大，甚至和百度、腾讯比还有些差距，这说明B2B市场空间有限。
前8848创始人、现6688.com总裁王峻涛也质疑说：“从招股书看，阿里巴巴未来三年年收入成长率将连续下降，从年成长100%下跌到了60%。”
虽然很多人认为B2B模式已经碰到了自己的天花板，但卫哲仍然很乐观，他对南方周末记者说：“上市不代表衰退。当业务需要高速增长的时候，上市是一个加油站。”卫哲曾是百安居中国区总裁，将百安居由1家店开到了51家店。马云对其寄望之高，从其薪酬上可见一斑：自去年进入阿里巴巴到今年6月的8个月间，卫哲的总薪酬高达901万元，而马云自2004年以来的三年半时间里的总薪酬才接近956万元，阿里巴巴的联合创始人蔡崇信的同期总薪酬仅为794万元。
“加快国际化，在相当程度上是服务于国内的供应商。”卫哲说。据招股书上显示，截至6月30日，阿里巴巴B2B公司已经有1万多名海外的付费供应商，阿里巴巴的平台可以称得上是全球贸易。
如果说国际化是第一步，深入内陆城市就算是第二步了。今年，阿里巴巴开始进入内地的核心城市，以从沿海到内陆的方式，在国内增加了14家公司。
除了地域上的拓展计划，卫哲还在推进管理上的变革。他正在加强对不同行业、不同客户的服务培训方案，今年就主要对太阳能电池板和纺织服装企业进行重点扶持。同时，阿里巴巴还在和建设银行合作探索中小企业联保信贷模式，借助阿里巴巴8年的客户信用体系完成小额信贷的电子商务模式建设。
正如马云所言：阿里巴巴未来5年的发展战略是逐渐将“Meet at Alibaba”发展到“Work at Alibaba”，让中小企业从在阿里巴巴上找商机到未来“工作在阿里巴巴”。这至少包含两层含义：一是完成整个贸易，除了信息流以外，还需要资金流和物流，下一步把资金流和物流更多地引入到阿里巴巴平台上，为中小企业提供更多融资和物流方面的帮助。二是定位为“大于贸易”，一般的贸易只是完成一个交易过程，大于贸易是使中小企业在完成贸易的同时还可获得更多服务，比如管理、人力资源培训、法律顾问以及营销等。
阿里巴巴融资大事记
1999年10月，引入了包括高盛、富达投资(Fidelity Capital)和新加坡政府科技发展基金等在内的首期500万美元天使基金；
2000年1月，获得日本软银(SOFTBANK)的注资2000万美元；2002年2月，进行第三轮融资，日本亚洲投资公司注资500万美元；
2004年2月，获得8200万美元的战略投资。投资者包括软银、富达投资、Granite Global Ventures和TDF风险投资有限公司等四家公司；
2005年8月，与雅虎结成战略同盟。阿里巴巴实际收入2.5亿美元现金。其中包括雅虎的7000万美元(购买普通股)，以及软银的1.8亿美元(购买可转换债券)。淘宝成为100%控股公司。雅虎成为第一大股东，拥有40%股份。马云及其团队为第二大股东，拥有28.2%股份，软银为第三大股东，拥有股份16%。
2007年几家互联网公司的预测市盈率
阿里巴巴 261 倍
腾讯 78.81 倍
百度 191.23 倍
搜狐 86.51 倍
Google 59.35 倍
雅虎 54.17 倍
eBay 27.17 倍
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Helping Startups Win Investors
Helping Startups Win Investors
October 19, 2007
By Scott Austin
TAL GOLAN KNEW he invented potentially game-changing technology in the fight against spam. Proving that to investors was a different story.
While venture capitalists in 2003 were intrigued by Mr. Golan's product, a hardware box that checks for spam before the message reaches corporate email servers, they kept telling him the same thing: He lacked the right pedigree for an investment.
"I didn't have the right degree. I didn't work for five years at Cisco and Oracle, then start up three companies," said Mr. Golan, who previously founded a small software development and consulting firm. "The reality is that VCs invest in people first, second and third, then the technology."
Undeterred, Mr. Golan operated out of his garage in Costa Mesa, Calif., for three years and invested roughly $750,000 in his company, Sendio Inc., by maxing out credit cards and refinancing his mortgage, betting the financial security of his wife and young children. By late 2005, the device was selling, but it was clear he needed to take his business to the next level. That is when he linked up with Momentum Venture Management LLC, an unconventional firm that promised to give him the credibility needed to court VCs.
Matt Ridenour and Andy Wilson, veteran start-up executives, incorporated Momentum in late 2004 to work full time with company founders to shape their business plan, find credible management, finish a product and gain customers — a process that typically takes them about nine months to complete. At that point, they shop the company to VCs with hopes of securing a Series A round of between $4 million and $5 million.
Momentum is one of several firms that have cropped up in recent years to fill a funding void left by VC firms shifting their investments downstream and bypassing the traditional guy in a garage. That shift left many unseasoned entrepreneurs such as Mr. Golan to fend for themselves in bringing intelligent ideas to fruition. But it is also opening up an opportunity for smaller firms willing to take on higher risk and lend more credibility than do traditional angels.
"If you're an entrepreneur, seed and Series A deals are really tough to get right now," said Beau Laskey, a managing director at Burbank, Calif., early-stage firm Steamboat Ventures. "Venture firms are looking for customers and traction."
Los Angeles-based Momentum has a distinctive model that dedicates far more time than a typical angel or seed-stage investor would, while also assuming considerable risk. Momentum first spends about six weeks — usually for a fee of less than $20,000 — validating a business plan, confirming the chemistry with the founding team and completing due diligence before committing to the start-up.
Upon approval, one of three Momentum partners then installs himself as the chief executive officer, moving the founder to the role of chief technology officer and eventually bringing on a new CEO a few months later. At some point during the process, Momentum provides a bridge loan — typically $250,000 to $500,000 taken from a small bridge fund pooled from wealthy individuals — to keep the company going, all for a "nominal" monthly stipend.
"We're solving an intractable problem in the early-stage business ecosystem," Mr. Wilson, Momentum's managing director, said. "Entrepreneurs are often stuck in that vicious business cycle of needing money to recruit business talent, build a product and attract customers, yet they can't raise the money unless they have those pieces in place."
Typically a Momentum partner works with two companies at a time, spending half of his time on each, with an operating associate subbing as a project manager and director of operations. Momentum's ultimate goal is to deliver the company to venture capitalists and secure that first round of capital, when the firm's bridge investment converts, often at a discount, into Series A preferred stock. It is at this point the firm gets paid for its work after having deferred the majority of its management fees during the previous nine months.
Longtime venture capitalist Lou Volpe, a managing general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based Kodiak Venture Partners, believes Momentum's model is unique and would consider investing in a start-up seeded this way, but questions the firm's scalability. "Whipping a company into shape, enforcing operating discipline and building an executive team takes a lot of energy and time," Mr. Volpe said. "These guys are going to be limited with their scale."
Thus far, the firm has taken all seven of its start-ups to the Series A level, focusing on Los Angeles-area technology companies that require less than $10 million in funding to break even on a cash-flow basis. The seven have raised a total of $30 million in Series A funding from venture capitalists. The firm had its first exit in 2006 when Discovery Communications Inc. acquired Academy123 Inc., which had raised a $5 million Series A round the year after Momentum brought the company to venture firms Arcturus Capital and Hanseatic Group.
For Mr. Golan, it took about 10 months to get Sendio through the Momentum-coached process and into the hands of VC investor Kline Hawkes & Co., which provided $4 million in Series A capital in October 2006. Sendio now has about 275 customers. Earlier this year, it estimated it would have 1,500 customers and sell $7.8 million of product by the end of 2007.
Before linking up with Momentum, Mr. Golan said, he pitched his plan to angel coalitions, but found them as unwieldy as investors. "You have to make like 100 presentations to 100 guys and the only thing that qualifies them is money," Mr. Golan said. "It's kind of like 'American Idol.' You make the pitch, move on to the next round, and try to get 10 people to agree on everything. I'd rather take the risk on the credit card than have to deal with angels."
Klaus Koch, a Kline Hawkes investor who led the firm's investment in Sendio, said a firm like Momentum is especially beneficial to VCs because it is bringing only companies with proven business models and customers.
"Momentum comes in and takes out the significant risk," Mr. Koch said. "They're pitching us with all the information we need and cleaning up the legal issues. They really understand what a VC wants, and for a firm like us that manages $270 million, that's very valuable."
Write to Scott Austin at scott.austin@dowjones.com
October 19, 2007
By Scott Austin
TAL GOLAN KNEW he invented potentially game-changing technology in the fight against spam. Proving that to investors was a different story.
While venture capitalists in 2003 were intrigued by Mr. Golan's product, a hardware box that checks for spam before the message reaches corporate email servers, they kept telling him the same thing: He lacked the right pedigree for an investment.
"I didn't have the right degree. I didn't work for five years at Cisco and Oracle, then start up three companies," said Mr. Golan, who previously founded a small software development and consulting firm. "The reality is that VCs invest in people first, second and third, then the technology."
Undeterred, Mr. Golan operated out of his garage in Costa Mesa, Calif., for three years and invested roughly $750,000 in his company, Sendio Inc., by maxing out credit cards and refinancing his mortgage, betting the financial security of his wife and young children. By late 2005, the device was selling, but it was clear he needed to take his business to the next level. That is when he linked up with Momentum Venture Management LLC, an unconventional firm that promised to give him the credibility needed to court VCs.
Matt Ridenour and Andy Wilson, veteran start-up executives, incorporated Momentum in late 2004 to work full time with company founders to shape their business plan, find credible management, finish a product and gain customers — a process that typically takes them about nine months to complete. At that point, they shop the company to VCs with hopes of securing a Series A round of between $4 million and $5 million.
Momentum is one of several firms that have cropped up in recent years to fill a funding void left by VC firms shifting their investments downstream and bypassing the traditional guy in a garage. That shift left many unseasoned entrepreneurs such as Mr. Golan to fend for themselves in bringing intelligent ideas to fruition. But it is also opening up an opportunity for smaller firms willing to take on higher risk and lend more credibility than do traditional angels.
"If you're an entrepreneur, seed and Series A deals are really tough to get right now," said Beau Laskey, a managing director at Burbank, Calif., early-stage firm Steamboat Ventures. "Venture firms are looking for customers and traction."
Los Angeles-based Momentum has a distinctive model that dedicates far more time than a typical angel or seed-stage investor would, while also assuming considerable risk. Momentum first spends about six weeks — usually for a fee of less than $20,000 — validating a business plan, confirming the chemistry with the founding team and completing due diligence before committing to the start-up.
Upon approval, one of three Momentum partners then installs himself as the chief executive officer, moving the founder to the role of chief technology officer and eventually bringing on a new CEO a few months later. At some point during the process, Momentum provides a bridge loan — typically $250,000 to $500,000 taken from a small bridge fund pooled from wealthy individuals — to keep the company going, all for a "nominal" monthly stipend.
"We're solving an intractable problem in the early-stage business ecosystem," Mr. Wilson, Momentum's managing director, said. "Entrepreneurs are often stuck in that vicious business cycle of needing money to recruit business talent, build a product and attract customers, yet they can't raise the money unless they have those pieces in place."
Typically a Momentum partner works with two companies at a time, spending half of his time on each, with an operating associate subbing as a project manager and director of operations. Momentum's ultimate goal is to deliver the company to venture capitalists and secure that first round of capital, when the firm's bridge investment converts, often at a discount, into Series A preferred stock. It is at this point the firm gets paid for its work after having deferred the majority of its management fees during the previous nine months.
Longtime venture capitalist Lou Volpe, a managing general partner at Waltham, Mass.-based Kodiak Venture Partners, believes Momentum's model is unique and would consider investing in a start-up seeded this way, but questions the firm's scalability. "Whipping a company into shape, enforcing operating discipline and building an executive team takes a lot of energy and time," Mr. Volpe said. "These guys are going to be limited with their scale."
Thus far, the firm has taken all seven of its start-ups to the Series A level, focusing on Los Angeles-area technology companies that require less than $10 million in funding to break even on a cash-flow basis. The seven have raised a total of $30 million in Series A funding from venture capitalists. The firm had its first exit in 2006 when Discovery Communications Inc. acquired Academy123 Inc., which had raised a $5 million Series A round the year after Momentum brought the company to venture firms Arcturus Capital and Hanseatic Group.
For Mr. Golan, it took about 10 months to get Sendio through the Momentum-coached process and into the hands of VC investor Kline Hawkes & Co., which provided $4 million in Series A capital in October 2006. Sendio now has about 275 customers. Earlier this year, it estimated it would have 1,500 customers and sell $7.8 million of product by the end of 2007.
Before linking up with Momentum, Mr. Golan said, he pitched his plan to angel coalitions, but found them as unwieldy as investors. "You have to make like 100 presentations to 100 guys and the only thing that qualifies them is money," Mr. Golan said. "It's kind of like 'American Idol.' You make the pitch, move on to the next round, and try to get 10 people to agree on everything. I'd rather take the risk on the credit card than have to deal with angels."
Klaus Koch, a Kline Hawkes investor who led the firm's investment in Sendio, said a firm like Momentum is especially beneficial to VCs because it is bringing only companies with proven business models and customers.
"Momentum comes in and takes out the significant risk," Mr. Koch said. "They're pitching us with all the information we need and cleaning up the legal issues. They really understand what a VC wants, and for a firm like us that manages $270 million, that's very valuable."
Write to Scott Austin at scott.austin@dowjones.com
Angel Groups Spread Their Wings Beyond Te
Angel Groups Spread Their Wings Beyond Tech
October 29, 2007
By Kelly K. Spors
IN 1998, when Paul Conforti and business partner Kim Moore started Finale Dessert Co., an upscale dessert restaurant chain in Boston, no angel investor groups had the appetite to fund it.
"We were not even remotely appealing to organized angel groups, because they were all funding tech and Internet firms," Mr. Conforti says.
But since 2005, Finale Dessert, now with four restaurants in the Boston area, has raised nearly $1 million from three different angel groups. The company plans to open four more restaurants in the next 18 months, and several angel groups are already clamoring to help, he says.
What changed?
Angel investment groups — wealthy individuals who band together to invest in companies, often for an equity stake — used to concentrate almost exclusively on hot high-tech start-ups considered able to produce fat investment returns in about seven years or less. But a potentially dramatic shift in the funding landscape is emerging.
As more angels with varying backgrounds link up, a growing number of these groups are aligning themselves with a mission and funding all sorts of businesses that support the cause. Investments include food and beverage makers, consumer-product firms and retail stores — all sectors once considered too risky or stodgy to bet on. And even some angel groups that once funded only tech firms are adding nontechnology companies to their portfolios as a way to diversify and accommodate investors with backgrounds in other industries.
But while angel money is more widely available, businesses still need to look primed to produce big returns and have an exit strategy so that angels can eventually cash out.
"I think people are just looking for other areas to put their money in," says Sharelle Klaus, founder and chief executive of Dry Soda Co., a Seattle company that makes flavored sodas meant to be paired with foods that are sold at upscale grocery chains and restaurants. When Ms. Klaus needed to raise $1.5 million last year, she found angel groups willing to chip in about $350,000. One group funded women-led businesses, and the other was an angel group that mostly funded technology that was looking to branch out.
The number of angel groups is growing rapidly. There are about 265 groups, up from just under 100 in 1999, according to the Angel Capital Association, a Kansas City, Mo., membership group. A directory of angel groups, along with links to their Web sites, is available at www.angelcapitalassociation.org.
Among the missions newer angel groups are focusing on are spurring economic development in a distressed region, funding women- or minority-led businesses, or helping a social or environmental cause. And mission-based groups are often willing to fund companies in any sector as long as they fit the group's criteria.
"We already feel like we have a niche, and we don't want to further narrow it down," says Erica Duignan Minnihan, executive director of Golden Seeds, a New York-based angel group started in late 2005 that invests only in companies where a woman holds a central role. About one-third of Golden Seeds' investments are consumer-product companies. The group is close to providing funding to a diaper company.
Ms. Duignan Minnihan says while high-tech firms still tend to be the "most scalable," meaning they can produce the high returns and fast exit angels generally seek, other types of companies can be just as lucrative if they have the right business plan and leaders.
Artemis Woman LLC, a Wilton, Conn., firm that sells its beauty-care products through Wal-Mart and other chains, has received about $1 million in funding from Golden Seeds since 2004. Co-founder Ann Buivid says she and her partner were fortunate to find an angel group that understood women and the selling potential of their products. "When I show microdermabrasion products to men, they say 'I don't know what that is — will it wax my car?'"
Other mission-based groups include 12 Angels Investment Group, started in 2005, which invests in firms that help prevent or treat addictions, such as alcoholism. The Los Angeles group's first and only investment, so far, was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
Even some angel groups that once exclusively funded tech start-ups are branching out to other types of companies because many new members come from nontech backgrounds.
Launchpad Venture Group of Boston was the first angel group to invest in Finale Dessert in 2005, after a member saw Mr. Conforti speak at a forum and was impressed with him and his business plan. It was the angel group's first nontech investment.
Launchpad is now trying to add other nontech investments as a way to diversify its portfolio and appease its growing membership base with backgrounds in sectors like retail and real estate, says managing director Hambleton Lord.
What's more, angel groups traditionally provided early-stage funding, but many are now funding later stages of growth and competing with venture capitalists on deals of $1 million or more. A consumer-product firm or retail store is more attractive to angels once there's some proof the concept is successful.
"Once you hit profitability," says Ms. Buivid of Artemis Woman, "they're a lot more interested."
Write to Kelly K. Spors at kelly.spors@wsj.com
October 29, 2007
By Kelly K. Spors
IN 1998, when Paul Conforti and business partner Kim Moore started Finale Dessert Co., an upscale dessert restaurant chain in Boston, no angel investor groups had the appetite to fund it.
"We were not even remotely appealing to organized angel groups, because they were all funding tech and Internet firms," Mr. Conforti says.
But since 2005, Finale Dessert, now with four restaurants in the Boston area, has raised nearly $1 million from three different angel groups. The company plans to open four more restaurants in the next 18 months, and several angel groups are already clamoring to help, he says.
What changed?
Angel investment groups — wealthy individuals who band together to invest in companies, often for an equity stake — used to concentrate almost exclusively on hot high-tech start-ups considered able to produce fat investment returns in about seven years or less. But a potentially dramatic shift in the funding landscape is emerging.
As more angels with varying backgrounds link up, a growing number of these groups are aligning themselves with a mission and funding all sorts of businesses that support the cause. Investments include food and beverage makers, consumer-product firms and retail stores — all sectors once considered too risky or stodgy to bet on. And even some angel groups that once funded only tech firms are adding nontechnology companies to their portfolios as a way to diversify and accommodate investors with backgrounds in other industries.
But while angel money is more widely available, businesses still need to look primed to produce big returns and have an exit strategy so that angels can eventually cash out.
"I think people are just looking for other areas to put their money in," says Sharelle Klaus, founder and chief executive of Dry Soda Co., a Seattle company that makes flavored sodas meant to be paired with foods that are sold at upscale grocery chains and restaurants. When Ms. Klaus needed to raise $1.5 million last year, she found angel groups willing to chip in about $350,000. One group funded women-led businesses, and the other was an angel group that mostly funded technology that was looking to branch out.
The number of angel groups is growing rapidly. There are about 265 groups, up from just under 100 in 1999, according to the Angel Capital Association, a Kansas City, Mo., membership group. A directory of angel groups, along with links to their Web sites, is available at www.angelcapitalassociation.org.
Among the missions newer angel groups are focusing on are spurring economic development in a distressed region, funding women- or minority-led businesses, or helping a social or environmental cause. And mission-based groups are often willing to fund companies in any sector as long as they fit the group's criteria.
"We already feel like we have a niche, and we don't want to further narrow it down," says Erica Duignan Minnihan, executive director of Golden Seeds, a New York-based angel group started in late 2005 that invests only in companies where a woman holds a central role. About one-third of Golden Seeds' investments are consumer-product companies. The group is close to providing funding to a diaper company.
Ms. Duignan Minnihan says while high-tech firms still tend to be the "most scalable," meaning they can produce the high returns and fast exit angels generally seek, other types of companies can be just as lucrative if they have the right business plan and leaders.
Artemis Woman LLC, a Wilton, Conn., firm that sells its beauty-care products through Wal-Mart and other chains, has received about $1 million in funding from Golden Seeds since 2004. Co-founder Ann Buivid says she and her partner were fortunate to find an angel group that understood women and the selling potential of their products. "When I show microdermabrasion products to men, they say 'I don't know what that is — will it wax my car?'"
Other mission-based groups include 12 Angels Investment Group, started in 2005, which invests in firms that help prevent or treat addictions, such as alcoholism. The Los Angeles group's first and only investment, so far, was a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.
Even some angel groups that once exclusively funded tech start-ups are branching out to other types of companies because many new members come from nontech backgrounds.
Launchpad Venture Group of Boston was the first angel group to invest in Finale Dessert in 2005, after a member saw Mr. Conforti speak at a forum and was impressed with him and his business plan. It was the angel group's first nontech investment.
Launchpad is now trying to add other nontech investments as a way to diversify its portfolio and appease its growing membership base with backgrounds in sectors like retail and real estate, says managing director Hambleton Lord.
What's more, angel groups traditionally provided early-stage funding, but many are now funding later stages of growth and competing with venture capitalists on deals of $1 million or more. A consumer-product firm or retail store is more attractive to angels once there's some proof the concept is successful.
"Once you hit profitability," says Ms. Buivid of Artemis Woman, "they're a lot more interested."
Write to Kelly K. Spors at kelly.spors@wsj.com
Starting Up: The Art of the Gimmick
marketing
Starting Up: The Art of the Gimmick
November 5, 2007
By Diana Ransom
FOR START-UP BUSINESS owners, nothing says "here I am" like an enticing sales promotion.
When a young couple getting married in Boston last November spotted rain, they weren't upset a bit. That same day, Richard Berberian, owner of Elyse Fine Jewelers in Reading, Mass., where the couple purchased their engagement and wedding rings, was doing what he calls "the happy dance."
Six months earlier, Berberian had started a sales promotion that called for a full refund of the price of a couple's engagement and wedding rings if the National Weather Service at Boston's Logan International Airport reported half an inch of precipitation on the couple's wedding day.
To limit his risk, Berberian had sought out prize insurance, which took about six months to find. "It is very difficult to insure a program like this," he says, largely because the payout hinges on nothing more than the weather. But from that one fateful day, the couple got back the $13,000 they paid for their rings and Berberian — who didn't have to pay anything besides roughly $1,300 for the insurance premium — won an impressive amount of publicity, including a front-page story in the Boston Globe and numerous television reports. Thanks to the promotion, the four-year-old business now "sells three to four more engagement rings a month," he says. "At about $11,000 to $14,000 a pop, that's a lot of money."
Being the new kid on the block poses a challenge for any business owner. While a big business often gets its name out via high-priced advertising campaigns or blow-out sales, a small business typically can't afford such strategies. For this reason, many entrepreneurs like Berberian are increasingly turning to marketing gimmicks to get noticed.
An over-the-top sales promotion can be a great way to gain attention and boost sales. But if things go wrong, such promotions "can be an expensive way of building awareness," says Bonnie Carlson, president of the Promotion Marketing Association in New York.
That was the case for Lee Peppard, who in 1972 started the first-ever national foosball championship in Missoula, Mont., with a $1,500 prize. Peppard, who sold foosball tables though his company Tournament Soccer, hosted more and more tournaments, eventually doling out some $3 million in prizes at 100 events through 1980. One unfortunate problem: He didn't count on foosball's popularity to fade. Not only did Tournament Soccer declare bankruptcy in 1981, but Peppard had to pay winners' cash prizes out of his own pocket, according to Johnny Lott, co-author of the recently released "World Table Soccer Almanac." (Peppard who went on to head Medalist Marketing Corp., a soft-tip dart promotion company based in Pacific, Wash., was traveling in Europe and unable to comment for this story.)
For business owners considering making a similarly high-stakes bet, be sure to take the necessary precautions. Here are some ways to not only limit your risk but also translate promotional enthusiasm into long-lasting customer relationships:
Keys to Promotional Success
Promotional success starts with a consistent message, says John Jantsch, author of "Duct Tape Marketing" and a Kansas City, Mo.,-based marketing coach. "People really like getting free stuff," he says, but if there's no association between the giveaway item and your brand, your efforts and the promotion's cost will likely be spent in vain. Instead, he says, "spend some time finding an item that has a natural or metaphorical tie-in to [your business's] core message."
From the very beginning, sisters Casey and Sloane Simmons started their Kansas City, Mo., designer arts-and-crafts store Stuff with "people, not product" in mind, says Casey. For nearly 11 years, Stuff has sponsored large-scale promotional events such as "Diva Day" geared toward women customers, and "Wings of Hope," a cancer fundraiser for the holiday season. About 600 to 700 people usually pile into the sisters' 1,700-square-foot store to attend the two-day events, which are typically replete with entertainment, demonstrations and giveaways. It's an opportunity, she says, for people to see brand-new works of the season, donate to a worthy charity and to connect with artisans and other community members. The major events, she says, score solid sales and serve as the "top performing days of the year."
It's also a good idea to target your message. For instance, Jantsch says, a local accountant might send out about a hundred or so calculators with the business's name and contact information stenciled prominently on the outer casing to select residents. In this situation, he says, timing is also important. That same accountant, for example, might have a greater response if the calculators are sent out just before tax time.
Be sure to also follow up with customers and clients. Bruce Hollander, executive vice president at Don Jagoda Associates, a promotional marketing agency in New York, recommends establishing a database of customers during promotions. "As you begin to compile a database and do follow-up marketing, promotions can allow you to sell more products going forward," he says.
Ways to Reduce Risk
It's also a good idea to get prize insurance, especially if you're considering a large-scale promotion. A number of companies offer this unusual insurance. One is Grand Prize Promotions, in Richardson, Texas, which sells policies covering prizes worth $5,000 to $1 million, starting at $700 per event, according to Brad Henderson, a spokesman for the insurer.
When Debbie Martinez and her husband planned the first Annual Fight "Fore" Sight Golf Invitational at her family's Terrace Hill Golf Course in Algonquin, Ill., the couple tapped Hole In One International, a Reno, Nev., company that specializes in insurance for golf contests.
For a $1,000 premium (which Sam's Club, a sponsor of the charity event, agreed to fund), the insurer covered $30,000 worth of prizes at the event. A person scoring a hole-in-one on certain holes throughout the course would have been able to choose between a new BMW, a custom motorcycle or $25,000 in cash. "We wouldn't have paid anything out of pocket," says Debbie. As it turned out, no golfer made a hole-in-one, but the event raised $27,000 for a foundation for the Martinezes' twin sons, who are seeing-impaired, and also made Terrace Hill more well-known in the community. Since the event allowed nonmembers to attend, "quite a few people signed up for the waiting list," she says.
Another option for cutting costs and limiting risk is to give away donated prizes. For instance, Virtual Instruments, a magazine that focuses on music software, has offered readers a "chance to win" ever since its first issue in June 2005. Various companies that want their own publicity will give items to the magazine for free; the magazine in turn advertises the prizes on its front cover. The current giveaway item is music-creation software valued at $249. According to Nick Batzdorf, the magazine's founder in Los Angeles, about 300 people enter each contest. And at $4.95 an issue, that attention, he says, "helps us with newsstand sales."
("Starting Up," a weekly column written by Diana Ransom for smSmallBiz.com, follows entrepreneurs through the early stages of launching a business. Write to her at dransom@smartmoney.com.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correction:
According to Elyse Fine Jewelers’ sales promotion, at least half an inch of precipitation must fall on a couple’s wedding day for the rings to be free. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that over an inch and a half of precipitation needed to fall.
Starting Up: The Art of the Gimmick
November 5, 2007
By Diana Ransom
FOR START-UP BUSINESS owners, nothing says "here I am" like an enticing sales promotion.
When a young couple getting married in Boston last November spotted rain, they weren't upset a bit. That same day, Richard Berberian, owner of Elyse Fine Jewelers in Reading, Mass., where the couple purchased their engagement and wedding rings, was doing what he calls "the happy dance."
Six months earlier, Berberian had started a sales promotion that called for a full refund of the price of a couple's engagement and wedding rings if the National Weather Service at Boston's Logan International Airport reported half an inch of precipitation on the couple's wedding day.
To limit his risk, Berberian had sought out prize insurance, which took about six months to find. "It is very difficult to insure a program like this," he says, largely because the payout hinges on nothing more than the weather. But from that one fateful day, the couple got back the $13,000 they paid for their rings and Berberian — who didn't have to pay anything besides roughly $1,300 for the insurance premium — won an impressive amount of publicity, including a front-page story in the Boston Globe and numerous television reports. Thanks to the promotion, the four-year-old business now "sells three to four more engagement rings a month," he says. "At about $11,000 to $14,000 a pop, that's a lot of money."
Being the new kid on the block poses a challenge for any business owner. While a big business often gets its name out via high-priced advertising campaigns or blow-out sales, a small business typically can't afford such strategies. For this reason, many entrepreneurs like Berberian are increasingly turning to marketing gimmicks to get noticed.
An over-the-top sales promotion can be a great way to gain attention and boost sales. But if things go wrong, such promotions "can be an expensive way of building awareness," says Bonnie Carlson, president of the Promotion Marketing Association in New York.
That was the case for Lee Peppard, who in 1972 started the first-ever national foosball championship in Missoula, Mont., with a $1,500 prize. Peppard, who sold foosball tables though his company Tournament Soccer, hosted more and more tournaments, eventually doling out some $3 million in prizes at 100 events through 1980. One unfortunate problem: He didn't count on foosball's popularity to fade. Not only did Tournament Soccer declare bankruptcy in 1981, but Peppard had to pay winners' cash prizes out of his own pocket, according to Johnny Lott, co-author of the recently released "World Table Soccer Almanac." (Peppard who went on to head Medalist Marketing Corp., a soft-tip dart promotion company based in Pacific, Wash., was traveling in Europe and unable to comment for this story.)
For business owners considering making a similarly high-stakes bet, be sure to take the necessary precautions. Here are some ways to not only limit your risk but also translate promotional enthusiasm into long-lasting customer relationships:
Keys to Promotional Success
Promotional success starts with a consistent message, says John Jantsch, author of "Duct Tape Marketing" and a Kansas City, Mo.,-based marketing coach. "People really like getting free stuff," he says, but if there's no association between the giveaway item and your brand, your efforts and the promotion's cost will likely be spent in vain. Instead, he says, "spend some time finding an item that has a natural or metaphorical tie-in to [your business's] core message."
From the very beginning, sisters Casey and Sloane Simmons started their Kansas City, Mo., designer arts-and-crafts store Stuff with "people, not product" in mind, says Casey. For nearly 11 years, Stuff has sponsored large-scale promotional events such as "Diva Day" geared toward women customers, and "Wings of Hope," a cancer fundraiser for the holiday season. About 600 to 700 people usually pile into the sisters' 1,700-square-foot store to attend the two-day events, which are typically replete with entertainment, demonstrations and giveaways. It's an opportunity, she says, for people to see brand-new works of the season, donate to a worthy charity and to connect with artisans and other community members. The major events, she says, score solid sales and serve as the "top performing days of the year."
It's also a good idea to target your message. For instance, Jantsch says, a local accountant might send out about a hundred or so calculators with the business's name and contact information stenciled prominently on the outer casing to select residents. In this situation, he says, timing is also important. That same accountant, for example, might have a greater response if the calculators are sent out just before tax time.
Be sure to also follow up with customers and clients. Bruce Hollander, executive vice president at Don Jagoda Associates, a promotional marketing agency in New York, recommends establishing a database of customers during promotions. "As you begin to compile a database and do follow-up marketing, promotions can allow you to sell more products going forward," he says.
Ways to Reduce Risk
It's also a good idea to get prize insurance, especially if you're considering a large-scale promotion. A number of companies offer this unusual insurance. One is Grand Prize Promotions, in Richardson, Texas, which sells policies covering prizes worth $5,000 to $1 million, starting at $700 per event, according to Brad Henderson, a spokesman for the insurer.
When Debbie Martinez and her husband planned the first Annual Fight "Fore" Sight Golf Invitational at her family's Terrace Hill Golf Course in Algonquin, Ill., the couple tapped Hole In One International, a Reno, Nev., company that specializes in insurance for golf contests.
For a $1,000 premium (which Sam's Club, a sponsor of the charity event, agreed to fund), the insurer covered $30,000 worth of prizes at the event. A person scoring a hole-in-one on certain holes throughout the course would have been able to choose between a new BMW, a custom motorcycle or $25,000 in cash. "We wouldn't have paid anything out of pocket," says Debbie. As it turned out, no golfer made a hole-in-one, but the event raised $27,000 for a foundation for the Martinezes' twin sons, who are seeing-impaired, and also made Terrace Hill more well-known in the community. Since the event allowed nonmembers to attend, "quite a few people signed up for the waiting list," she says.
Another option for cutting costs and limiting risk is to give away donated prizes. For instance, Virtual Instruments, a magazine that focuses on music software, has offered readers a "chance to win" ever since its first issue in June 2005. Various companies that want their own publicity will give items to the magazine for free; the magazine in turn advertises the prizes on its front cover. The current giveaway item is music-creation software valued at $249. According to Nick Batzdorf, the magazine's founder in Los Angeles, about 300 people enter each contest. And at $4.95 an issue, that attention, he says, "helps us with newsstand sales."
("Starting Up," a weekly column written by Diana Ransom for smSmallBiz.com, follows entrepreneurs through the early stages of launching a business. Write to her at dransom@smartmoney.com.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Correction:
According to Elyse Fine Jewelers’ sales promotion, at least half an inch of precipitation must fall on a couple’s wedding day for the rings to be free. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that over an inch and a half of precipitation needed to fall.
When Success Isn't Enough
When Success Isn't Enough
November 1, 2007
By Chris Penttila
RACHEL ASHWELL started out as a wardrobe and prop stylist for photographers and TV commercials in her native England, where she spent a lot of time exploring flea markets as a child. By the late 1980s, however, she was looking for a change and decided to use her eye for decorating and furnishings to start her own home furnishings company, Shabby Chic. Launched with $70,000, the company's first location, a 1,300-square-foot store in Santa Monica, California, featured washable slipcover furniture and other décor — items she snagged using her mastery of flea market bargain hunting. The launch was an instant success for Ashwell, who admits that rent, cash flow and inventory were new concepts to her at the time. "In a funny way, it was my ignorance that made me as brave as I was," says the 48-year-old entrepreneur. "Had I known all the 'what ifs' that could have happened, I probably would have never done it."
Over the next decade, Ashwell added five retail locations, inked a licensing deal with Target, attracted a celebrity clientele, wrote five how-to books and hosted her own program on the Style Network. But a few years ago, she started to feel like the company was stuck in a holding pattern. "Business was fine," she says. "But it had definitely reached a plateau [at just over $10 million in sales]."
At some point, the rapid growth in your company will level off. Sales will be good, but not great enough to provide the sustained year-over-year growth needed to take your company to the next level. This scenario is fine for lifestyle entrepreneurs who want to keep their companies small, but not for entrepreneurs who aspire to run the next Microsoft, Nike or Starbucks. "There is a choice [of] whether you want to grow or not," says Larry Greiner, a professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California who has spent decades studying how companies develop. "If you get on the growth path, that's a whole different game."
Ashwell realized Shabby Chic's business model had to change if the company was going to grow. She weighed her options and signed on with private equity firm Goode Partners last summer to position Shabby Chic for a big retail expansion. The plan is to boost the company's sales by opening at least 45 new stores nationwide over the next few years. "I wanted to build a team that would really be able to support growth," she says. "There are so many things I haven't experienced with my company."
Picking Up the Pace
What's holding your company back? Ironically, the pressure for short-term growth can make you lose sight of your long-term growth potential, and no industry or segment is immune. Angelo Santinelli, an adjunct business professor at Babson College and a former partner at venture firm North Bridge Venture Partners, has watched companies stall out because they don't have enough capital to grow with the pace of the market, then cede market share to highly capitalized competitors. "They'll get to $50 million [in sales] and plateau," Santinelli says.
In some cases, a small company has the capital but underestimates just how long it can take to build a product and have the mass market embrace it. "Companies can stall out because they have new ideas but run out of early adopters," says Dave Lemont, founder of Lemont Consulting, a firm that advises young companies on growth strategies. "The company can get the first $8 million to $10 million because there are many people in the world willing to try a new thing. But to become mainstream, you've got to get the more conservative laggards in the market."
Brad Allen, founder and CTO of Siderean Software, is trying to grow his El Segundo, California, company from annual sales of $3 million to sales of $10 million over the next year and a half. Siderean started out in 2001 with its own sales staff, but the focus has shifted within the past year to building partnerships and indirect channels that will take the company to the next stage. The company has secured 12 partnerships in the past year, including a co-selling agreement with Oracle and a reseller agreement with software company Inxight Corp.
"Building a scalable, enterprise-focused software company in this day and age is something that needs to depend much more heavily on partners and indirect channels," says Allen, 48. "The real issue moving forward for us is putting people in place to effectively establish, manage and grease the skids for these indirect partners."
Greiner's research has found that successful companies go through five distinct stages of growth. The free-for-all, wear-all-hats first stage gives way to greater divisional structure, formal communication and hierarchy in the second stage. The third stage of growth is focused on delegation, where lower-level managers and employees have greater power to develop new products, chase new markets and help customers. The fourth stage — coordination — is geared toward creating product groups and formal planning and review procedures. Companies that evolve to the last stage — collaboration — are focused, among other things, on creating cross-functional teams and streamlining systems that have gotten too formal. The key is how companies handle the instability that lies between each push for growth. "The [company] starts to get really chaotic and unorganized," says Greiner. "This is often where they fail."
Fifty-five-employee Shabby Chic is feeling the turbulence as it pushes ahead with its multiyear growth plan. Ashwell's management team includes a new CEO, CFO, head of stores, planner and buyer — a big change for Ashwell, who prefers informality to formal analysis. The new team has opened three new stores this year and plans to open 10 more next year. "We are going to do this carefully," says Ashwell, adding that of the 45 new stores planned for the next few years, 15 will probably be free-standing stores, 15 lifestyle mall locations and 15 traditional mall locations. Once the company meets its U.S. goals, Ashwell would like to target the Asian, Australian and European markets.
Ashwell is trying to stay true to the company's original branding concept as she makes big decisions, like whether to move the company's Los Angeles-based manufacturing offshore and where new stores should be located. She has also had to make compromises with her team and come to terms with market realities. Ashwell prefers older storefronts, but a Shabby Chic location recently opened in a brand-new mall in Austin, Texas. "Believe me, I had to be educated and talked into that one," she says. "But it's where the traffic is going." The company is a little bit slower to open stores than anticipated, but the growth is already evident. "Even in this first year, [same store] sales [show growth of] 19 percent," she says. "They're pretty damn good."
Those companies that break through the ceiling of growth have to challenge the status quo and innovate continuously, says Rich Laxer, CEO of financial services firm GE Capital Solutions. They must also be good at finding waste and eliminating it — whether it's in terms of finances, production, time or materials. "You can't have steps that don't add value," says Laxer. "It's making sure you have as lean an organization as you possibly can, both in the people you have and in the steps they [take] to deliver the service."
Middle-Age Spread
Theresa Welbourne, founder of eePulse, an HR technology and research consulting firm, sees small firms struggling with what to grow first, second and third--whether it's head count, cash, customers or sales. The typical scenario is to focus on product, sales cycle and people (in that order), but the companies that win are the ones that spend more time hiring the right people. "[They're] really built on their core team and they're working on the people, but that's not what most people do," she says.
John Keagy is co-founder and CEO of 6-year-old ServePath, a San Francisco-based managed hosting company with 2,500 customers that is working to go from annual sales of $10 million to sales of $20 million. Its growth strategy is to target more sophisticated customers — namely accomplished Web 2.0 firms and software as a service companies — that have more complex requirements, but Keagy needs to build the 100-employee company's middle management layer to spur this growth. "Ten people can't fill out this whole company anymore," he says. "We need to teach the executives we've got now how to build executives that report to them."
Keagy is trying to keep the company's hiring costs in line with recurring revenue, which he expects to grow 60 percent a year. "I hope that our head count doesn't grow quite as fast," says Keagy, 40. "If our head count grows 40 percent and our revenue grows 60 percent, that's probably about right."
To grow, you'll have to balance your company's short- and long-term thinking, creating time and budgets that are focused on the future while also fighting today's fires. "You have to have both points of view," Greiner says. "You have to be short-term oriented to solve problems and get performance; you have to be long-term minded about where you're going."
For Siderean, balancing capital between short- and long-term growth is a struggle as the company alters its business model to expand into new markets. The company has taken on $12 million in venture funding since 2004, which only makes the push for aggressive growth more urgent. "It's easy to watch cash flow and to be able to manage expenses," Allen says, "but it's not necessarily easy to know when you need to increase your expenses to make sure you can capitalize on that investment with increased revenue downstream." Allen and his team constantly analyze market trends and talk about how to generate more repeat sales. At the same time, cost control is always an issue: To keep costs down, Siderean has shifted toward working with customers online. "It's about being very careful with spending," says Allen, "but also spending to be able to grow opportunities to address the market."
Ashwell has learned she's not the only one who wants something different: Sales of her three most recent bedding collections broke company records. "It showed me that I've got a loyal fan base, [but] they still need newness," she says. "That's been a great learning curve for me." And it's not too bad for the bottom line, either.
Rate yourself with this checklist based on questions developed by General Electric's Six Sigma Black Belts. If you answer no to any of them, it may be time to reassess parts of your company's growth strategy.
Y N Our company has a defined process to tackle and fix problems raised by customers.
Y N We constantly identify waste in our financial, production, time and materials processes and get rid of it.
Y N We spend more time and resources trying to generate new customers than to retain existing customers.
Y N We balance capital efficiently between today's needs and long-term growth.
Y N We have a defined process to develop, launch and expand products and services.
Y N We've come up with clear growth goals, and we invest in the staff and processes needed to meet these goals.
November 1, 2007
By Chris Penttila
RACHEL ASHWELL started out as a wardrobe and prop stylist for photographers and TV commercials in her native England, where she spent a lot of time exploring flea markets as a child. By the late 1980s, however, she was looking for a change and decided to use her eye for decorating and furnishings to start her own home furnishings company, Shabby Chic. Launched with $70,000, the company's first location, a 1,300-square-foot store in Santa Monica, California, featured washable slipcover furniture and other décor — items she snagged using her mastery of flea market bargain hunting. The launch was an instant success for Ashwell, who admits that rent, cash flow and inventory were new concepts to her at the time. "In a funny way, it was my ignorance that made me as brave as I was," says the 48-year-old entrepreneur. "Had I known all the 'what ifs' that could have happened, I probably would have never done it."
Over the next decade, Ashwell added five retail locations, inked a licensing deal with Target, attracted a celebrity clientele, wrote five how-to books and hosted her own program on the Style Network. But a few years ago, she started to feel like the company was stuck in a holding pattern. "Business was fine," she says. "But it had definitely reached a plateau [at just over $10 million in sales]."
At some point, the rapid growth in your company will level off. Sales will be good, but not great enough to provide the sustained year-over-year growth needed to take your company to the next level. This scenario is fine for lifestyle entrepreneurs who want to keep their companies small, but not for entrepreneurs who aspire to run the next Microsoft, Nike or Starbucks. "There is a choice [of] whether you want to grow or not," says Larry Greiner, a professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California who has spent decades studying how companies develop. "If you get on the growth path, that's a whole different game."
Ashwell realized Shabby Chic's business model had to change if the company was going to grow. She weighed her options and signed on with private equity firm Goode Partners last summer to position Shabby Chic for a big retail expansion. The plan is to boost the company's sales by opening at least 45 new stores nationwide over the next few years. "I wanted to build a team that would really be able to support growth," she says. "There are so many things I haven't experienced with my company."
Picking Up the Pace
What's holding your company back? Ironically, the pressure for short-term growth can make you lose sight of your long-term growth potential, and no industry or segment is immune. Angelo Santinelli, an adjunct business professor at Babson College and a former partner at venture firm North Bridge Venture Partners, has watched companies stall out because they don't have enough capital to grow with the pace of the market, then cede market share to highly capitalized competitors. "They'll get to $50 million [in sales] and plateau," Santinelli says.
In some cases, a small company has the capital but underestimates just how long it can take to build a product and have the mass market embrace it. "Companies can stall out because they have new ideas but run out of early adopters," says Dave Lemont, founder of Lemont Consulting, a firm that advises young companies on growth strategies. "The company can get the first $8 million to $10 million because there are many people in the world willing to try a new thing. But to become mainstream, you've got to get the more conservative laggards in the market."
Brad Allen, founder and CTO of Siderean Software, is trying to grow his El Segundo, California, company from annual sales of $3 million to sales of $10 million over the next year and a half. Siderean started out in 2001 with its own sales staff, but the focus has shifted within the past year to building partnerships and indirect channels that will take the company to the next stage. The company has secured 12 partnerships in the past year, including a co-selling agreement with Oracle and a reseller agreement with software company Inxight Corp.
"Building a scalable, enterprise-focused software company in this day and age is something that needs to depend much more heavily on partners and indirect channels," says Allen, 48. "The real issue moving forward for us is putting people in place to effectively establish, manage and grease the skids for these indirect partners."
Greiner's research has found that successful companies go through five distinct stages of growth. The free-for-all, wear-all-hats first stage gives way to greater divisional structure, formal communication and hierarchy in the second stage. The third stage of growth is focused on delegation, where lower-level managers and employees have greater power to develop new products, chase new markets and help customers. The fourth stage — coordination — is geared toward creating product groups and formal planning and review procedures. Companies that evolve to the last stage — collaboration — are focused, among other things, on creating cross-functional teams and streamlining systems that have gotten too formal. The key is how companies handle the instability that lies between each push for growth. "The [company] starts to get really chaotic and unorganized," says Greiner. "This is often where they fail."
Fifty-five-employee Shabby Chic is feeling the turbulence as it pushes ahead with its multiyear growth plan. Ashwell's management team includes a new CEO, CFO, head of stores, planner and buyer — a big change for Ashwell, who prefers informality to formal analysis. The new team has opened three new stores this year and plans to open 10 more next year. "We are going to do this carefully," says Ashwell, adding that of the 45 new stores planned for the next few years, 15 will probably be free-standing stores, 15 lifestyle mall locations and 15 traditional mall locations. Once the company meets its U.S. goals, Ashwell would like to target the Asian, Australian and European markets.
Ashwell is trying to stay true to the company's original branding concept as she makes big decisions, like whether to move the company's Los Angeles-based manufacturing offshore and where new stores should be located. She has also had to make compromises with her team and come to terms with market realities. Ashwell prefers older storefronts, but a Shabby Chic location recently opened in a brand-new mall in Austin, Texas. "Believe me, I had to be educated and talked into that one," she says. "But it's where the traffic is going." The company is a little bit slower to open stores than anticipated, but the growth is already evident. "Even in this first year, [same store] sales [show growth of] 19 percent," she says. "They're pretty damn good."
Those companies that break through the ceiling of growth have to challenge the status quo and innovate continuously, says Rich Laxer, CEO of financial services firm GE Capital Solutions. They must also be good at finding waste and eliminating it — whether it's in terms of finances, production, time or materials. "You can't have steps that don't add value," says Laxer. "It's making sure you have as lean an organization as you possibly can, both in the people you have and in the steps they [take] to deliver the service."
Middle-Age Spread
Theresa Welbourne, founder of eePulse, an HR technology and research consulting firm, sees small firms struggling with what to grow first, second and third--whether it's head count, cash, customers or sales. The typical scenario is to focus on product, sales cycle and people (in that order), but the companies that win are the ones that spend more time hiring the right people. "[They're] really built on their core team and they're working on the people, but that's not what most people do," she says.
John Keagy is co-founder and CEO of 6-year-old ServePath, a San Francisco-based managed hosting company with 2,500 customers that is working to go from annual sales of $10 million to sales of $20 million. Its growth strategy is to target more sophisticated customers — namely accomplished Web 2.0 firms and software as a service companies — that have more complex requirements, but Keagy needs to build the 100-employee company's middle management layer to spur this growth. "Ten people can't fill out this whole company anymore," he says. "We need to teach the executives we've got now how to build executives that report to them."
Keagy is trying to keep the company's hiring costs in line with recurring revenue, which he expects to grow 60 percent a year. "I hope that our head count doesn't grow quite as fast," says Keagy, 40. "If our head count grows 40 percent and our revenue grows 60 percent, that's probably about right."
To grow, you'll have to balance your company's short- and long-term thinking, creating time and budgets that are focused on the future while also fighting today's fires. "You have to have both points of view," Greiner says. "You have to be short-term oriented to solve problems and get performance; you have to be long-term minded about where you're going."
For Siderean, balancing capital between short- and long-term growth is a struggle as the company alters its business model to expand into new markets. The company has taken on $12 million in venture funding since 2004, which only makes the push for aggressive growth more urgent. "It's easy to watch cash flow and to be able to manage expenses," Allen says, "but it's not necessarily easy to know when you need to increase your expenses to make sure you can capitalize on that investment with increased revenue downstream." Allen and his team constantly analyze market trends and talk about how to generate more repeat sales. At the same time, cost control is always an issue: To keep costs down, Siderean has shifted toward working with customers online. "It's about being very careful with spending," says Allen, "but also spending to be able to grow opportunities to address the market."
Ashwell has learned she's not the only one who wants something different: Sales of her three most recent bedding collections broke company records. "It showed me that I've got a loyal fan base, [but] they still need newness," she says. "That's been a great learning curve for me." And it's not too bad for the bottom line, either.
Rate yourself with this checklist based on questions developed by General Electric's Six Sigma Black Belts. If you answer no to any of them, it may be time to reassess parts of your company's growth strategy.
Y N Our company has a defined process to tackle and fix problems raised by customers.
Y N We constantly identify waste in our financial, production, time and materials processes and get rid of it.
Y N We spend more time and resources trying to generate new customers than to retain existing customers.
Y N We balance capital efficiently between today's needs and long-term growth.
Y N We have a defined process to develop, launch and expand products and services.
Y N We've come up with clear growth goals, and we invest in the staff and processes needed to meet these goals.
The Fastest Way to Find New Customers
The Fastest Way to Find New Customers
October 24, 2007
By Brad Sugars
SOME YEARS AGO, I overheard a debate between two friends about the name of a startup business. "It's a good name," said one friend to the other, "but I'm not sure it's the best name." You could say the same thing about the techniques typically used to attract customers to a new business. Traditional strategies like networking and mailings will do the job, but they won't do the best job.
If you're a startup, the fastest way to get the cash registers ringing is a little-used method that involves forming "host-beneficiary" relationships with established businesses that cater to a target audience similar to yours. Then you promote yourself to their database with a special offer presented as a gift from the older business.
The beauty of this arrangement is that the startup (the beneficiary) can instantly reach large numbers of highly qualified prospects with the tacit endorsement of the established business (the host). The host is willing to participate because it's a way to reward loyal customers without incurring any costs. The rookie gains new customers, while the veteran gains goodwill.
Women's Clothing and BMWs
One startup that successfully used this technique was a high-end women's clothing boutique. The store arranged to give a free silk kimono to every female customer of a local BMW dealership who brought in a letter sent by the dealership offering the gown as a gift for their past patronage. The kimono had to be picked up at the boutique.
More than 600 women responded, picking up $100 kimonos that cost the store just $16 apiece. Those 600 women spent an average of $400 on other merchandise during their initial visit. Do the math, and you'll see that the startup spent $9,600 to generate some $240,000 in sales — and, not incidentally, to begin building its own clientele.
Six Steps to Success
Host-beneficiary marketing is actually a simple and relatively inexpensive process that will deliver solid results if you follow a few basic rules:
1. Precisely define your target audience. "Women 35 to 55" might be a start, but it's not enough. Create a detailed profile of your target customer. The more segments you can identify, the more potential hosts you can approach.
The women's clothing boutique that marketed to BMW owners, for example, determined that their likely customers drove certain types of cars, patronized a certain class of hair salon, belonged to a health club, and were likely to play bridge. A birdseed store might come up with a list that includes consumers who shop at outdoor equipment outfitters or are affiliated with local conservation groups.
2. Identify local businesses that serve the same market segments. That way, you can not only bring people in the door for your initial offer, but also increase the likelihood that they'll return to give you repeat business.
For a cigar store, logical host partners might include better men's clothiers, upscale shoe stores, luxury car dealerships and country clubs. And don't forget non-commercial organizations like Rotary or Kiwanis.
3. Develop a clear offer for each prospective partner. Come up with a free or deeply discounted product or service that has a high perceived value for the consumer with a low dollar cost for you.
One new computer support business offered a voucher worth two free hours of computer repair to the small business clients of a local accountant. A jewelry store offered free jewelry cleaning to clients of a hair salon. A marketing consultant offered a free seminar on how to run sales to one local newspaper's advertisers. A framing shop offered free photo framing to a photographic supply store's top 200 customers.
4. Pitch the plan, highlighting the benefits to the host business. Emphasize that it's a way for the established business to reward their customers at no expense and with virtually no effort. It's also a way to reach out to customers without overtly trying to make a new sale.
5. Supply a letter for the host's use. Providing a draft "offer" letter that can be sent to the host's customers on the host's letterhead will help put the plan into motion quickly. It will also show the partner how easy it will be for him to participate.
Some businesses will allow the letter to be inserted into their monthly invoices or newsletters at no cost to you. Others will charge or require that you pay for a separate mailing. It's a small price to pay for access to the host business' customer base.
6. Develop a strategy to convert redeemers to repeat customers. This, after all, is your long-term goal. For the women's boutique that gave away a kimono, the strategy was to encourage browsing and lure shoppers into dressing rooms to try the merchandise. For one new bakery that gave away a chocolate éclair, the approach was to hand out a buy-five-get-one-free VIP card with the free pastry.
Whatever the specific plan, the host-beneficiary method is the single most effective way to quickly attract a critical mass of qualified customers to a new business. Instead of beating the bushes for customers with individual referrals or scattershot ads, you can tap into a targeted group of consumers en masse to jumpstart sales.
Best of all, you're piggybacking on the success of another entrepreneur who has spent years building a solid customer base. In many ways, this eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel. For a startup facing so many other challenges, it's just smart business.
Brad Sugars is Entrepreneur.com's Startup Basics columnist and the founder and CEO of ActionCOACH,recognized by Entrepreneur.com's Franchise 500 as the world's leading business coaching franchise.
October 24, 2007
By Brad Sugars
SOME YEARS AGO, I overheard a debate between two friends about the name of a startup business. "It's a good name," said one friend to the other, "but I'm not sure it's the best name." You could say the same thing about the techniques typically used to attract customers to a new business. Traditional strategies like networking and mailings will do the job, but they won't do the best job.
If you're a startup, the fastest way to get the cash registers ringing is a little-used method that involves forming "host-beneficiary" relationships with established businesses that cater to a target audience similar to yours. Then you promote yourself to their database with a special offer presented as a gift from the older business.
The beauty of this arrangement is that the startup (the beneficiary) can instantly reach large numbers of highly qualified prospects with the tacit endorsement of the established business (the host). The host is willing to participate because it's a way to reward loyal customers without incurring any costs. The rookie gains new customers, while the veteran gains goodwill.
Women's Clothing and BMWs
One startup that successfully used this technique was a high-end women's clothing boutique. The store arranged to give a free silk kimono to every female customer of a local BMW dealership who brought in a letter sent by the dealership offering the gown as a gift for their past patronage. The kimono had to be picked up at the boutique.
More than 600 women responded, picking up $100 kimonos that cost the store just $16 apiece. Those 600 women spent an average of $400 on other merchandise during their initial visit. Do the math, and you'll see that the startup spent $9,600 to generate some $240,000 in sales — and, not incidentally, to begin building its own clientele.
Six Steps to Success
Host-beneficiary marketing is actually a simple and relatively inexpensive process that will deliver solid results if you follow a few basic rules:
1. Precisely define your target audience. "Women 35 to 55" might be a start, but it's not enough. Create a detailed profile of your target customer. The more segments you can identify, the more potential hosts you can approach.
The women's clothing boutique that marketed to BMW owners, for example, determined that their likely customers drove certain types of cars, patronized a certain class of hair salon, belonged to a health club, and were likely to play bridge. A birdseed store might come up with a list that includes consumers who shop at outdoor equipment outfitters or are affiliated with local conservation groups.
2. Identify local businesses that serve the same market segments. That way, you can not only bring people in the door for your initial offer, but also increase the likelihood that they'll return to give you repeat business.
For a cigar store, logical host partners might include better men's clothiers, upscale shoe stores, luxury car dealerships and country clubs. And don't forget non-commercial organizations like Rotary or Kiwanis.
3. Develop a clear offer for each prospective partner. Come up with a free or deeply discounted product or service that has a high perceived value for the consumer with a low dollar cost for you.
One new computer support business offered a voucher worth two free hours of computer repair to the small business clients of a local accountant. A jewelry store offered free jewelry cleaning to clients of a hair salon. A marketing consultant offered a free seminar on how to run sales to one local newspaper's advertisers. A framing shop offered free photo framing to a photographic supply store's top 200 customers.
4. Pitch the plan, highlighting the benefits to the host business. Emphasize that it's a way for the established business to reward their customers at no expense and with virtually no effort. It's also a way to reach out to customers without overtly trying to make a new sale.
5. Supply a letter for the host's use. Providing a draft "offer" letter that can be sent to the host's customers on the host's letterhead will help put the plan into motion quickly. It will also show the partner how easy it will be for him to participate.
Some businesses will allow the letter to be inserted into their monthly invoices or newsletters at no cost to you. Others will charge or require that you pay for a separate mailing. It's a small price to pay for access to the host business' customer base.
6. Develop a strategy to convert redeemers to repeat customers. This, after all, is your long-term goal. For the women's boutique that gave away a kimono, the strategy was to encourage browsing and lure shoppers into dressing rooms to try the merchandise. For one new bakery that gave away a chocolate éclair, the approach was to hand out a buy-five-get-one-free VIP card with the free pastry.
Whatever the specific plan, the host-beneficiary method is the single most effective way to quickly attract a critical mass of qualified customers to a new business. Instead of beating the bushes for customers with individual referrals or scattershot ads, you can tap into a targeted group of consumers en masse to jumpstart sales.
Best of all, you're piggybacking on the success of another entrepreneur who has spent years building a solid customer base. In many ways, this eliminates the need to reinvent the wheel. For a startup facing so many other challenges, it's just smart business.
Brad Sugars is Entrepreneur.com's Startup Basics columnist and the founder and CEO of ActionCOACH,recognized by Entrepreneur.com's Franchise 500 as the world's leading business coaching franchise.
Consulting and Licensing Agreements
From WSJ.com/Entrepreneur
Consulting and Licensing Agreements
November 6, 2007
By Kelly Spors
Q: We have a start-up and we know a couple of people interested in using our model to open their own company. We don't want a partnership, nor do we think we can create a franchise. We just want to offer them use of some of our resources. What kind of agreement do we need?
— Maricar Sison, Leesburg, Va.
A: Your best bet is a consulting agreement or licensing agreement, depending on the type of start-up help you're providing the other companies, says Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, an online entrepreneurial advice firm.
A consulting agreement covers any transfer of knowledge or consultation you provide, whereas a licensing agreement would be most appropriate if you're letting another company use some proprietary technology or infrastructure you've developed. You can then charge the other company a flat fee or period fees for those services, as laid out in the agreement. Continuing royalties are often too onerous to administer with such hands-off relationships, Mr. Sloan says.
Such contracts can be set up in multitude of ways, so it's best to consult an attorney who can evaluate the best model for your business.
Generally speaking, however, you shouldn't let another company use your name or brand unless you're entering into an official franchise agreement. "It's not a good idea to let somebody else potentially be in control of what your brand stands for," Mr. Sloan says.
Q: I own 25 domain names and am looking to sell them. How can I do that?
— D.J., Boston
A: Start with simple steps, such as placing an ad with your contact information at each domain's Web site so anyone who lands on the site sees it's for sale and can easily reach you.
You might then look into posting the domain names in online auction sites, such as Afternic.com or Sedo.com. You can list a domain name on Sedo.com, for instance, free and set a minimum asking price or a fixed price. If it sells, you pay the site a fee — often 10% of the sales price, with a $50 minimum.
The domain name organicchickens.com recently got a $2,000 bid on Sedo.com with about six days left of bidding.
Another option: While you're waiting for a domain name to sell, you might "park" it, or put ads on the site that pay you a fee every time someone clicks on them or makes a purchase. That way, you'll make extra money when somebody stumbles on the site and clicks on the ads.
You may even discover that you can earn more money from ad revenue than from selling the domain name itself. Some of the online auctions offer domain parking for an extra fee.
Consulting and Licensing Agreements
November 6, 2007
By Kelly Spors
Q: We have a start-up and we know a couple of people interested in using our model to open their own company. We don't want a partnership, nor do we think we can create a franchise. We just want to offer them use of some of our resources. What kind of agreement do we need?
— Maricar Sison, Leesburg, Va.
A: Your best bet is a consulting agreement or licensing agreement, depending on the type of start-up help you're providing the other companies, says Rich Sloan, co-founder of StartupNation.com, an online entrepreneurial advice firm.
A consulting agreement covers any transfer of knowledge or consultation you provide, whereas a licensing agreement would be most appropriate if you're letting another company use some proprietary technology or infrastructure you've developed. You can then charge the other company a flat fee or period fees for those services, as laid out in the agreement. Continuing royalties are often too onerous to administer with such hands-off relationships, Mr. Sloan says.
Such contracts can be set up in multitude of ways, so it's best to consult an attorney who can evaluate the best model for your business.
Generally speaking, however, you shouldn't let another company use your name or brand unless you're entering into an official franchise agreement. "It's not a good idea to let somebody else potentially be in control of what your brand stands for," Mr. Sloan says.
Q: I own 25 domain names and am looking to sell them. How can I do that?
— D.J., Boston
A: Start with simple steps, such as placing an ad with your contact information at each domain's Web site so anyone who lands on the site sees it's for sale and can easily reach you.
You might then look into posting the domain names in online auction sites, such as Afternic.com or Sedo.com. You can list a domain name on Sedo.com, for instance, free and set a minimum asking price or a fixed price. If it sells, you pay the site a fee — often 10% of the sales price, with a $50 minimum.
The domain name organicchickens.com recently got a $2,000 bid on Sedo.com with about six days left of bidding.
Another option: While you're waiting for a domain name to sell, you might "park" it, or put ads on the site that pay you a fee every time someone clicks on them or makes a purchase. That way, you'll make extra money when somebody stumbles on the site and clicks on the ads.
You may even discover that you can earn more money from ad revenue than from selling the domain name itself. Some of the online auctions offer domain parking for an extra fee.
Getting the Most From Tradeshows
Getting the Most From Tradeshows
October 31, 2007
By Ray Silverstein
TRADESHOWS CAN be a tremendously powerful marketing tool or a tremendous drain on your time and resources.
There are many excellent reasons to exhibit at tradeshows. They're great way to connect with customers and prospects, launch new products and catch up on the industry buzz.
But never attend a tradeshow "because we go every year," or just because you think it's expected. Always have a specific goal in mind and prepare a strategy for achieving it.
After all, exhibiting at a tradeshow represents a large investment for a small business. It entails all kind of expenses, from preparing and shipping your booth and materials to travel and entertainment costs, not to mention your lost work time.
To get something out of a tradeshow, put something into it. Plan your tradeshow activities from start to finish, before, during and after the event.
Before the Show
Before you even register, identify your tradeshow goals. This makes all your future decision-making easier; all the choices you make afterward should be geared toward achieving your objective. In addition:
Promote your attendance at the show through e-mails, newsletters and on your website. Encourage customers to visit your booth through a contest or promotion.
If your goal is meeting with clients, don't leave it to chance. Set up those appointments well in advance, including time and meeting place.
Don't wait until the last minute to check out your booth. If you need to spiff it up, you'll need time to do it right. A shoddy, outdated booth is a real liability.
Ditto your marketing materials. Are they current? Do you have enough? If you need a particular marketing piece, now's the time to do it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to do a good job.
Between the event ad book and expanded trade pub circulation, tradeshows offer unique, once-a-year advertising opportunities. Determine if advertising will help achieve your goal, and if so, have a compelling ad ready before that deadline sneaks up on you.
Devise a strategy for collecting contact information at the show. For example, a prize drawing — with a trendy, sought-after prize — motivates prospects to part with their business cards.
It's Showtime
If you've done your planning, you'll be well positioned to make the most of the event. Keep your goal in mind throughout the show. For example, while it's tempting to socialize with your pals, don't be sidetracked from connecting with new prospects.
Because you're talking to so many people, it's easy to forget parts of conversations. After meeting with each contact, take a moment to jot down some quick notes. At the end of each day, review and expand your notes. It's important to do it while everything's fresh in your mind. If you're a scribbler, transcribe them onto your laptop. That way, once you get back to your office, you won't be scratching your head and wondering what you were trying to tell yourself.
After the Show
Plan in advance to spend your first days back fulfilling all the commitments you made. Do it first, before you get drawn back into your day-to-day activities.
Follow up with prospects or clients who asked for information. If you do it while the subject's still in their heads, it's more meaningful — plus you get points for follow-through.
Hopefully, you collected some business cards during the show. Follow up on them right away, too. A smart way to do this is to create an e-mail template or follow-up packet before you go, and all you need to do is personalize it upon your return.
It's essential that you do some Monday morning quarterbacking and review your tradeshow performance as objectively as possible.
Did your booth do its job? Are improvements required?
Were your materials effective? Does something need to be changed or added?
Was your advertising worth the investment?
Were your meetings effective, or is there something you should do differently next time? Did you miss anyone?
Most importantly, did you achieve your goal?
This isn't a rhetorical exercise. Think deeply about each question and commit your notes to paper. Start a "tradeshow" file. This way, you'll have a place to begin when the next show rolls around and you start the process all over again.
Ray Silverstein is the "Sales" columnist at Entrepreneur.com and president and founder of PRO: President’s Resource Organization, a network of advisory boards for small-business owners.
October 31, 2007
By Ray Silverstein
TRADESHOWS CAN be a tremendously powerful marketing tool or a tremendous drain on your time and resources.
There are many excellent reasons to exhibit at tradeshows. They're great way to connect with customers and prospects, launch new products and catch up on the industry buzz.
But never attend a tradeshow "because we go every year," or just because you think it's expected. Always have a specific goal in mind and prepare a strategy for achieving it.
After all, exhibiting at a tradeshow represents a large investment for a small business. It entails all kind of expenses, from preparing and shipping your booth and materials to travel and entertainment costs, not to mention your lost work time.
To get something out of a tradeshow, put something into it. Plan your tradeshow activities from start to finish, before, during and after the event.
Before the Show
Before you even register, identify your tradeshow goals. This makes all your future decision-making easier; all the choices you make afterward should be geared toward achieving your objective. In addition:
Promote your attendance at the show through e-mails, newsletters and on your website. Encourage customers to visit your booth through a contest or promotion.
If your goal is meeting with clients, don't leave it to chance. Set up those appointments well in advance, including time and meeting place.
Don't wait until the last minute to check out your booth. If you need to spiff it up, you'll need time to do it right. A shoddy, outdated booth is a real liability.
Ditto your marketing materials. Are they current? Do you have enough? If you need a particular marketing piece, now's the time to do it. Be sure to give yourself enough time to do a good job.
Between the event ad book and expanded trade pub circulation, tradeshows offer unique, once-a-year advertising opportunities. Determine if advertising will help achieve your goal, and if so, have a compelling ad ready before that deadline sneaks up on you.
Devise a strategy for collecting contact information at the show. For example, a prize drawing — with a trendy, sought-after prize — motivates prospects to part with their business cards.
It's Showtime
If you've done your planning, you'll be well positioned to make the most of the event. Keep your goal in mind throughout the show. For example, while it's tempting to socialize with your pals, don't be sidetracked from connecting with new prospects.
Because you're talking to so many people, it's easy to forget parts of conversations. After meeting with each contact, take a moment to jot down some quick notes. At the end of each day, review and expand your notes. It's important to do it while everything's fresh in your mind. If you're a scribbler, transcribe them onto your laptop. That way, once you get back to your office, you won't be scratching your head and wondering what you were trying to tell yourself.
After the Show
Plan in advance to spend your first days back fulfilling all the commitments you made. Do it first, before you get drawn back into your day-to-day activities.
Follow up with prospects or clients who asked for information. If you do it while the subject's still in their heads, it's more meaningful — plus you get points for follow-through.
Hopefully, you collected some business cards during the show. Follow up on them right away, too. A smart way to do this is to create an e-mail template or follow-up packet before you go, and all you need to do is personalize it upon your return.
It's essential that you do some Monday morning quarterbacking and review your tradeshow performance as objectively as possible.
Did your booth do its job? Are improvements required?
Were your materials effective? Does something need to be changed or added?
Was your advertising worth the investment?
Were your meetings effective, or is there something you should do differently next time? Did you miss anyone?
Most importantly, did you achieve your goal?
This isn't a rhetorical exercise. Think deeply about each question and commit your notes to paper. Start a "tradeshow" file. This way, you'll have a place to begin when the next show rolls around and you start the process all over again.
Ray Silverstein is the "Sales" columnist at Entrepreneur.com and president and founder of PRO: President’s Resource Organization, a network of advisory boards for small-business owners.
Drop Shipping Can Relieve Inventory Headaches
Starting Up: Drop Shipping Can Relieve Inventory Headaches
October 22, 2007
By Diana Ransom
WHEN JUDY AND RONALD Smelser of Arvada, Colo., started selling items on eBay two years ago, their business was a far cry from the well-trafficked "Power Seller" eBay store that it is today.
At first, selling stuff online was simply a novelty, says Judy. "We sold things we'd find at garage sales" or even around the house, she says.
But after a year, and once Judy discovered that she would soon lose her offline job, she began to focus her attention online. Without knowing who to buy from, or even what to sell, she says, sales stalled. After some initial research, which included Internet searches, contacting wholesalers and paying attention to late-night infomercials, Judy learned of an increasingly popular technique known as drop shipping.
Drop shipping, which is the delivery of merchandise from a supplier directly to a retail store's customer, seemed to solve the couple's seller's dilemma. They'd no longer have to figure out where to keep inventory, or contend with packaging and shipping costs.
Now, whenever the Smelsers receive an order for anything from motorcycle jackets and chaps to bedding (which they generally don't keep in stock) they receive a customer's payment instantly. Then they order the requested item from the corresponding drop shipper, which ships the item directly to the customer. From the profit between the wholesale cost of the product and its retail price, the Smelsers pay eBay a fee and a drop-ship fee that can range between 50 cents and $6 to $8 on top of shipping and handling costs.
While maintaining a scant inventory, the Smelsers sell 30 to 45 drop-shipped items each day and capture roughly $6,000 in sales each week via their eBay store Rocky Mountain Traders, which has since branched out into its own online site. Business has gotten so busy, says Ronald, "we'd like to taper it back some."
But even as opting to have products drop-shipped has many benefits — namely, lower costs for stocking, packaging and shipping inventory — the method is not without its drawbacks. For instance, "you are at everyone else's mercy," says Ronald. Suppliers may run out of certain products and returns can be a headache. Drop-ship fees can be pricey and there's typically no discount for buying in bulk.
About Drop Shipping
Drop shipping, which was first popularized by Amazon.com and other large-scale multichannel retailers, used to be off limits to small businesses, says Jeremy Hanks, co-author of "Drop Shipping for Dummies."
That's changed as small businesses have gained greater web footing and captured more customers. Now, like large retailers, they're telling suppliers "why can't you ship it directly to my customers," says Hanks, who also co-founded Doba, an Orem, Utah, software firm that matches retailers to drop shippers.
In 1998, when Gi Goodall first started looking for wholesalers willing to showcase their items online, the lack of enthusiasm was discouraging, he says. But after he persisted and found some takers, he says: "Lo and behold products started selling." And once he launched a more professional site Dealz4Real.com in 2005, Goodall began working exclusively with three drop shippers. Today, he works with about 10 different suppliers plus Doba, which connects him to about 230 others, and the site features about 35,000 items, of which about 75% are drop shipped directly to customers. These days, he says, "it's easier to get a supplier [to drop ship items] when you are a small Internet company."
Combating Obstacles
To be sure, there are still obstacles, and one thing Goodall has learned is: "Don't compete on price." Bigger retailers who can buy in bulk and pass on discounts to customers will undercut you every time, he says. And the web, being a comparison shopper's paradise, is an even worse turf to compete on price. For that reason, he says, "electronics are very difficult to sell." Separate yourself by some other means. The Smelsers, for example, pride themselves on their excellent customer-feedback score on eBay. At nearly 3,000 positive customer reviews and no negative responses, Ronald says: "You can charge $20 higher on an item if a customer can trust that they'll get good service."
Or, "find specialty products and a niche rather than compete on price," says Hanks. Just make sure there's a market for those products, he says. For example, you might be able to find a wholesaler to drop-ship ceramic baskets, but if customers aren't interested, they won't sell.
Once you've found wholesalers to work with, figure out ahead of time how you'll deal with back-orders and returns. To combat getting hung-up by drop shippers suddenly running out of products and having to backorder items, the Smelsers try to keep one of just about everything they sell in stock. "There is nothing more frustrating than [a drop shipper] saying we don't have any" of whatever item you need in stock, says Ronald.
It's also possible to run into drop shippers that will change prices on you, says Goodall. If backorders and price changes become frequent, cease working with the drop shipper. To cut down on this back-and-forth, some retailers have opted to work with companies that research wholesalers; one is Worldwide Brands, which sells a directory of drop shippers.
Lastly, and most importantly, work with only reputable drop shippers.
"As soon as you make things virtual, you open the door up for the bad guys," says Hanks. Drop-shipping scams of recent years include sham drop-shipper lists, shipments of poor quality products or no shipments at all, and middlemen pretending to be wholesalers who instead jack up prices.
To protect yourself, says Hanks, do as much research on prospective wholesalers as possible. Make sure a drop shipper has a web site or ask the company to mail you a catalog. Also, check and see if they are a member of the Better Business Bureau. Find out the location of the drop shipper's warehouse and go on a tour, if it's near you.
Another way to find reputable suppliers is to go to trade shows, says Hanks. "If someone has a booth there, they are legitimate," he says.
October 22, 2007
By Diana Ransom
WHEN JUDY AND RONALD Smelser of Arvada, Colo., started selling items on eBay two years ago, their business was a far cry from the well-trafficked "Power Seller" eBay store that it is today.
At first, selling stuff online was simply a novelty, says Judy. "We sold things we'd find at garage sales" or even around the house, she says.
But after a year, and once Judy discovered that she would soon lose her offline job, she began to focus her attention online. Without knowing who to buy from, or even what to sell, she says, sales stalled. After some initial research, which included Internet searches, contacting wholesalers and paying attention to late-night infomercials, Judy learned of an increasingly popular technique known as drop shipping.
Drop shipping, which is the delivery of merchandise from a supplier directly to a retail store's customer, seemed to solve the couple's seller's dilemma. They'd no longer have to figure out where to keep inventory, or contend with packaging and shipping costs.
Now, whenever the Smelsers receive an order for anything from motorcycle jackets and chaps to bedding (which they generally don't keep in stock) they receive a customer's payment instantly. Then they order the requested item from the corresponding drop shipper, which ships the item directly to the customer. From the profit between the wholesale cost of the product and its retail price, the Smelsers pay eBay a fee and a drop-ship fee that can range between 50 cents and $6 to $8 on top of shipping and handling costs.
While maintaining a scant inventory, the Smelsers sell 30 to 45 drop-shipped items each day and capture roughly $6,000 in sales each week via their eBay store Rocky Mountain Traders, which has since branched out into its own online site. Business has gotten so busy, says Ronald, "we'd like to taper it back some."
But even as opting to have products drop-shipped has many benefits — namely, lower costs for stocking, packaging and shipping inventory — the method is not without its drawbacks. For instance, "you are at everyone else's mercy," says Ronald. Suppliers may run out of certain products and returns can be a headache. Drop-ship fees can be pricey and there's typically no discount for buying in bulk.
About Drop Shipping
Drop shipping, which was first popularized by Amazon.com and other large-scale multichannel retailers, used to be off limits to small businesses, says Jeremy Hanks, co-author of "Drop Shipping for Dummies."
That's changed as small businesses have gained greater web footing and captured more customers. Now, like large retailers, they're telling suppliers "why can't you ship it directly to my customers," says Hanks, who also co-founded Doba, an Orem, Utah, software firm that matches retailers to drop shippers.
In 1998, when Gi Goodall first started looking for wholesalers willing to showcase their items online, the lack of enthusiasm was discouraging, he says. But after he persisted and found some takers, he says: "Lo and behold products started selling." And once he launched a more professional site Dealz4Real.com in 2005, Goodall began working exclusively with three drop shippers. Today, he works with about 10 different suppliers plus Doba, which connects him to about 230 others, and the site features about 35,000 items, of which about 75% are drop shipped directly to customers. These days, he says, "it's easier to get a supplier [to drop ship items] when you are a small Internet company."
Combating Obstacles
To be sure, there are still obstacles, and one thing Goodall has learned is: "Don't compete on price." Bigger retailers who can buy in bulk and pass on discounts to customers will undercut you every time, he says. And the web, being a comparison shopper's paradise, is an even worse turf to compete on price. For that reason, he says, "electronics are very difficult to sell." Separate yourself by some other means. The Smelsers, for example, pride themselves on their excellent customer-feedback score on eBay. At nearly 3,000 positive customer reviews and no negative responses, Ronald says: "You can charge $20 higher on an item if a customer can trust that they'll get good service."
Or, "find specialty products and a niche rather than compete on price," says Hanks. Just make sure there's a market for those products, he says. For example, you might be able to find a wholesaler to drop-ship ceramic baskets, but if customers aren't interested, they won't sell.
Once you've found wholesalers to work with, figure out ahead of time how you'll deal with back-orders and returns. To combat getting hung-up by drop shippers suddenly running out of products and having to backorder items, the Smelsers try to keep one of just about everything they sell in stock. "There is nothing more frustrating than [a drop shipper] saying we don't have any" of whatever item you need in stock, says Ronald.
It's also possible to run into drop shippers that will change prices on you, says Goodall. If backorders and price changes become frequent, cease working with the drop shipper. To cut down on this back-and-forth, some retailers have opted to work with companies that research wholesalers; one is Worldwide Brands, which sells a directory of drop shippers.
Lastly, and most importantly, work with only reputable drop shippers.
"As soon as you make things virtual, you open the door up for the bad guys," says Hanks. Drop-shipping scams of recent years include sham drop-shipper lists, shipments of poor quality products or no shipments at all, and middlemen pretending to be wholesalers who instead jack up prices.
To protect yourself, says Hanks, do as much research on prospective wholesalers as possible. Make sure a drop shipper has a web site or ask the company to mail you a catalog. Also, check and see if they are a member of the Better Business Bureau. Find out the location of the drop shipper's warehouse and go on a tour, if it's near you.
Another way to find reputable suppliers is to go to trade shows, says Hanks. "If someone has a booth there, they are legitimate," he says.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
薛村禾称阿里巴巴盈利增长空间广阔
薛村禾称阿里巴巴盈利增长空间广阔http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年11月14日 08:03 中国证券报
□本报记者 徐晓巍
11月12日，亚洲著名的风险投资机构软银中国CEO薛村禾在接受记者采访时，首次透露了当年软银坚定选择马云和阿里巴巴的一些内幕。薛村禾表示，考虑到付费用户的增长和增值服务的推出，阿里巴巴盈利空间非常大。
公开资料显示，目前软银持有阿里巴巴集团29.3%的股份。薛村禾原先是孙正义的代表，曾任阿里巴巴董事。薛村禾参与了软银与阿里巴巴的一系列投资与合作，他个人亦是国内最大的VC之一。
盈利增长空间广阔
薛村禾表示：“资本市场其实是很聪明的，他们已经把阿里巴巴未来的增长考虑进去了。实际上阿里巴巴现在大概有2500万用户，到现在为止，付费用户才几十万，很多服务的收费也是最最基本的收费。所以阿里巴巴一直在讲，有很多潜在的盈利增长点。”
薛村禾称：“第一，阿里巴巴的付费用户现在不到1%，我觉得三五年里面，有15%—20%变成付费用户是可以‘想象’出来的。第二，阿里巴巴现在提供的是最最基本的服务，以后可以有不同的服务衍生出来，收益还可以增加。如果收费用户数增长15倍，而新业务收益增长20倍的话，那么阿里巴巴的收益增长就是300倍。”
11月6日，阿里巴巴网络有限公司成功在香港主板上市，成为中国首个市值近200亿美元的互联网公司。阿里巴巴此次融得的上市资金近17亿美元，成为仅次于谷歌的最大互联网融资。
阿里巴巴网络有限公司预计，2007年的净利润将不少于6.22亿元人民币。保荐人高盛预测，2008年、2009年阿里巴巴净利润增长率分别为62%和45%，达10.2亿元和14.7亿元。
阿里巴巴的两道槛
在薛村禾的回忆中，阿里巴巴的发展历程中，有两个最艰难的决定。
“第一个就是互联网的冬天，.com概念全线崩溃的时候。2000年下半年到2001年上半年，阿里巴巴本来打算进行全球扩张，在韩国、日本和北美都建立了办公室，成本非常高。但是当时整个互联网的大势不利，好在马云和他的团队很快就认识到这个问题。很有名的就是马云的‘回到中国’的说法，其实是以退为进，退回中国退回杭州。这个做法是完全对的。”
薛村禾回忆，马云当时说，“我熬也要熬过这个冬天，我爬也要爬过去，跪着也要活下来”。
“第二件事情，就是2003年开始做淘宝的时候，那是一个很大的槛。”薛村禾说：“马云是个很有领导才能的人，他很有战略眼光，那时候我记得很清楚，马云是第一个来跟我沟通的，说有这个想法，我说这是很好的想法。但很多人当时是不同意这个看法的。”
薛村禾表示，最后软银“主要还是支持”马云的这个决定。“美国的公司是不把中国的小企业放在眼里的，我们却认为中国中小企业可以有很大的发展空间，是重要的客户，我们就赌大公司会犯这个认识上的错误。当时压力是非常大的，阿里巴巴要在很短的时间里面能够站起来。现在回过头来证明我们是对的，虽然很多人都反对。”
据悉，软银第二次投资阿里巴巴的6000万美元中，大部分都投入到了淘宝的发展中。
□本报记者 徐晓巍
11月12日，亚洲著名的风险投资机构软银中国CEO薛村禾在接受记者采访时，首次透露了当年软银坚定选择马云和阿里巴巴的一些内幕。薛村禾表示，考虑到付费用户的增长和增值服务的推出，阿里巴巴盈利空间非常大。
公开资料显示，目前软银持有阿里巴巴集团29.3%的股份。薛村禾原先是孙正义的代表，曾任阿里巴巴董事。薛村禾参与了软银与阿里巴巴的一系列投资与合作，他个人亦是国内最大的VC之一。
盈利增长空间广阔
薛村禾表示：“资本市场其实是很聪明的，他们已经把阿里巴巴未来的增长考虑进去了。实际上阿里巴巴现在大概有2500万用户，到现在为止，付费用户才几十万，很多服务的收费也是最最基本的收费。所以阿里巴巴一直在讲，有很多潜在的盈利增长点。”
薛村禾称：“第一，阿里巴巴的付费用户现在不到1%，我觉得三五年里面，有15%—20%变成付费用户是可以‘想象’出来的。第二，阿里巴巴现在提供的是最最基本的服务，以后可以有不同的服务衍生出来，收益还可以增加。如果收费用户数增长15倍，而新业务收益增长20倍的话，那么阿里巴巴的收益增长就是300倍。”
11月6日，阿里巴巴网络有限公司成功在香港主板上市，成为中国首个市值近200亿美元的互联网公司。阿里巴巴此次融得的上市资金近17亿美元，成为仅次于谷歌的最大互联网融资。
阿里巴巴网络有限公司预计，2007年的净利润将不少于6.22亿元人民币。保荐人高盛预测，2008年、2009年阿里巴巴净利润增长率分别为62%和45%，达10.2亿元和14.7亿元。
阿里巴巴的两道槛
在薛村禾的回忆中，阿里巴巴的发展历程中，有两个最艰难的决定。
“第一个就是互联网的冬天，.com概念全线崩溃的时候。2000年下半年到2001年上半年，阿里巴巴本来打算进行全球扩张，在韩国、日本和北美都建立了办公室，成本非常高。但是当时整个互联网的大势不利，好在马云和他的团队很快就认识到这个问题。很有名的就是马云的‘回到中国’的说法，其实是以退为进，退回中国退回杭州。这个做法是完全对的。”
薛村禾回忆，马云当时说，“我熬也要熬过这个冬天，我爬也要爬过去，跪着也要活下来”。
“第二件事情，就是2003年开始做淘宝的时候，那是一个很大的槛。”薛村禾说：“马云是个很有领导才能的人，他很有战略眼光，那时候我记得很清楚，马云是第一个来跟我沟通的，说有这个想法，我说这是很好的想法。但很多人当时是不同意这个看法的。”
薛村禾表示，最后软银“主要还是支持”马云的这个决定。“美国的公司是不把中国的小企业放在眼里的，我们却认为中国中小企业可以有很大的发展空间，是重要的客户，我们就赌大公司会犯这个认识上的错误。当时压力是非常大的，阿里巴巴要在很短的时间里面能够站起来。现在回过头来证明我们是对的，虽然很多人都反对。”
据悉，软银第二次投资阿里巴巴的6000万美元中，大部分都投入到了淘宝的发展中。
品牌家电网计划明年底上市
品牌家电网计划明年底上市http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年11月15日 07:59 中国证券报
品牌家电网总经理汤溪蔚近日对记者表示，预计明年年底或后年初，品牌家电网将按照既定的时间表上市，但上市地点目前未正式确定。据了解，品牌家电网注册用户目前已经突破9万。
品牌家电网是中国首家专注于品牌家电网上直销的网上商城，由信息产业部中国电子视像行业协会主办，由有6年多电子商务运营经验的广州亿码科技有限公司独家研发运营。网站已吸引了50余个国内外知名品牌先后进驻，在线销售3000多款家电产品。截至今年6月30日，网站共处理有效订单1.5万个，销售总金额达2600万元。预计到2008年2月，销售额将达到1.2亿元。
汤溪蔚还表示，品牌家电网未来上市后，将拿出一定比例的股份以低于发行价的价格，优先配发给在品牌家电网购物获得积分的以及推荐其他人购买的这两类用户。但是，品牌家电网会根据会员积分的权重来考虑是否将其计入优先购股名单，并不是所有会员都有如此机会。(陈
品牌家电网总经理汤溪蔚近日对记者表示，预计明年年底或后年初，品牌家电网将按照既定的时间表上市，但上市地点目前未正式确定。据了解，品牌家电网注册用户目前已经突破9万。
品牌家电网是中国首家专注于品牌家电网上直销的网上商城，由信息产业部中国电子视像行业协会主办，由有6年多电子商务运营经验的广州亿码科技有限公司独家研发运营。网站已吸引了50余个国内外知名品牌先后进驻，在线销售3000多款家电产品。截至今年6月30日，网站共处理有效订单1.5万个，销售总金额达2600万元。预计到2008年2月，销售额将达到1.2亿元。
汤溪蔚还表示，品牌家电网未来上市后，将拿出一定比例的股份以低于发行价的价格，优先配发给在品牌家电网购物获得积分的以及推荐其他人购买的这两类用户。但是，品牌家电网会根据会员积分的权重来考虑是否将其计入优先购股名单，并不是所有会员都有如此机会。(陈
支付宝拓展合作银行网络
支付宝拓展合作银行网络http://www.sina.com.cn 2007年11月15日 08:00 中国证券报
□本报记者 徐晓巍
在阿里巴巴B2B公司于11月6日成功在香港上市后，阿里巴巴集团旗下独立第三方支付平台支付宝也加紧了海外扩张的步伐。“我们正在进一步拓展与国内及国际商业银行的合作网络，为支付宝用户提供更加便捷的第三方支付服务。”支付宝公司相关负责人说。
支付宝已与温州商业银行、嘉兴商业银行、青岛商业银行、台州商业银行等签订合作协议，开通网上购物付款结算等业务。迄今为止，与支付宝达成合作协议的银行增至16家。
支付宝展开海外攻略
据悉，目前中小企业已经占中国企业总数90%以上，其所创造的最终产品和服务价值占国内生产总值的60%左右，成为经济发展中最重要的主体力量之一。受供大于求等问题的困扰，这个群体一直在寻求更为高效便捷、低成本产销通道。
全球化电子商务平台的兴起，将成为唤醒这一“长尾”经济活力的“起搏器”。统计数据显示，2006年，中国线上B2B电子商务市场总交付价值规模为17.96亿元，其中外贸额度就达到了12.20亿元。
在线对外交易需求的不断释放，使得作为电子商务基础服务平台的独立第三方支付平台，意义日益凸显。基于此，支付宝海外战略加速跟进。
除了与VISA国际组织达成战略合作协议外，今年8月，支付宝又联手建设银行和中国银行，提供跨境支付结算业务。国内买家通过支付宝就可以用人民币购买海外商品，境外商家也可以通过此业务，进入中国内地市场。
此项业务将从香港地区，逐步拓展到东南亚、日本、韩国、欧洲、美洲。预计到今年底，签约的境外购物网站数量将超过100家，月交易额有望突破1亿元，支持包括英镑、港币、美元、欧元等在内的12种海外货币。
“5200万支付宝用户和32万商家，以及新加入的境外商家，都将从这一海外战略中受惠。”支付宝相关负责人表示。
加深与银行合作关系
短短几年间，支付宝迅速与中国银行、建设银行、工商银行、农业银行、招商银行等12家全国性商业银行建立了稳定的合作关系。如此一来，绝大部分的银行用户都能通过支付宝“卡通”业务，实现在线结算。没有银行卡的用户，则可以通过支付宝联手中国邮政推出的“网汇e”业务，实现网上安全支付。
一系列服务的推出，极大刺激了支付宝用户的几何级增长。截至10月17日，支付宝注册用户已经增至5200万，加盟商户达32万。截至今年10月17日，支付宝日交易总额达到1.9亿元人民币，日交易笔数超过100万笔。据最新行业分析报告数据显示，在30多家支付平台之中，支付宝以53.29%的市场份额排名第一。
“信用才是电子商务产业发展的基石。下一步，我们将和各大银行展开更加深入的合作。”支付宝相关负责人介绍，目前支付宝正尝试与中国工商银行、建设银行等合作，以中小企业的信用记录为基础，对其提供信贷融资服务。
□本报记者 徐晓巍
在阿里巴巴B2B公司于11月6日成功在香港上市后，阿里巴巴集团旗下独立第三方支付平台支付宝也加紧了海外扩张的步伐。“我们正在进一步拓展与国内及国际商业银行的合作网络，为支付宝用户提供更加便捷的第三方支付服务。”支付宝公司相关负责人说。
支付宝已与温州商业银行、嘉兴商业银行、青岛商业银行、台州商业银行等签订合作协议，开通网上购物付款结算等业务。迄今为止，与支付宝达成合作协议的银行增至16家。
支付宝展开海外攻略
据悉，目前中小企业已经占中国企业总数90%以上，其所创造的最终产品和服务价值占国内生产总值的60%左右，成为经济发展中最重要的主体力量之一。受供大于求等问题的困扰，这个群体一直在寻求更为高效便捷、低成本产销通道。
全球化电子商务平台的兴起，将成为唤醒这一“长尾”经济活力的“起搏器”。统计数据显示，2006年，中国线上B2B电子商务市场总交付价值规模为17.96亿元，其中外贸额度就达到了12.20亿元。
在线对外交易需求的不断释放，使得作为电子商务基础服务平台的独立第三方支付平台，意义日益凸显。基于此，支付宝海外战略加速跟进。
除了与VISA国际组织达成战略合作协议外，今年8月，支付宝又联手建设银行和中国银行，提供跨境支付结算业务。国内买家通过支付宝就可以用人民币购买海外商品，境外商家也可以通过此业务，进入中国内地市场。
此项业务将从香港地区，逐步拓展到东南亚、日本、韩国、欧洲、美洲。预计到今年底，签约的境外购物网站数量将超过100家，月交易额有望突破1亿元，支持包括英镑、港币、美元、欧元等在内的12种海外货币。
“5200万支付宝用户和32万商家，以及新加入的境外商家，都将从这一海外战略中受惠。”支付宝相关负责人表示。
加深与银行合作关系
短短几年间，支付宝迅速与中国银行、建设银行、工商银行、农业银行、招商银行等12家全国性商业银行建立了稳定的合作关系。如此一来，绝大部分的银行用户都能通过支付宝“卡通”业务，实现在线结算。没有银行卡的用户，则可以通过支付宝联手中国邮政推出的“网汇e”业务，实现网上安全支付。
一系列服务的推出，极大刺激了支付宝用户的几何级增长。截至10月17日，支付宝注册用户已经增至5200万，加盟商户达32万。截至今年10月17日，支付宝日交易总额达到1.9亿元人民币，日交易笔数超过100万笔。据最新行业分析报告数据显示，在30多家支付平台之中，支付宝以53.29%的市场份额排名第一。
“信用才是电子商务产业发展的基石。下一步，我们将和各大银行展开更加深入的合作。”支付宝相关负责人介绍，目前支付宝正尝试与中国工商银行、建设银行等合作，以中小企业的信用记录为基础，对其提供信贷融资服务。
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