Business Ideas That Deliver

One reason–maybe the key reason–that online retail revenues continue to soar is because consumers are too busy or maybe too tired to get into their cars and go to the store. The number of businesses that offer products or services that can be acquired with a few clicks of a mouse or some fancy finger-work on a mobile phone continues to grow.

One of the latest entries, just profiled in the New York Times, is a New York City business called MonsterSavings.com, headed up by Michael Eberstadt. Knowing that plenty of New Yorkers are reluctant to schlep to Costco, which can be a two-hour round-trip journey, he brings Costco products to customers’ homes, splitting the difference on savings. He is not affiliated with the members-only wholesale club, but according to the article, the big-box store doesnt seem to mind.

Such delivery-based ventures are a particularly strong business model for an urban location like New York City, where many residents don’t own cars and have to rely on public transportation or taxis to bring home bulky goods, sometimes to a high-floor walk-up apartment to boot.

But MonsterSavings.com is also one of those delivery-based business models that could start off in one location and head elsewhere.

Consider delivery kingpin Netflix–which is headquartered in California, but probably got some of its best initial buzz in New York City–where busy Manhattanites loved the idea of having their movies delivered right alongside their Chinese food. Its now a phenomenon that has made the video store on the corner just about obsolete.

Another online delivery idea that started in Manhattan is online grocery-delivery service Fresh Direct, which gradually took root in neighborhood after neighborhood, then suburb after suburb, and now spans the tri-state region covering New York, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut.

One more promising-looking upstart based in New York is HamperVille.com, a subscription-based online services which offers free pickup and delivery for dry cleaning and laundry and touts its services as environmentally friendly. With coverage in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, it was started by a former auditor and a design engineer who didn’t have time to ferry around their laundry and dry cleaning. The service is available until 10 pm, making it particularly friendly to residents of the city that never sleeps.

Out of Chicago, there is GrubHub, an online business that brings together a network of more than 13,000 delivery restaurants and is now in 13 cities with more in the works. It lets users view delivery menus, reviews, and available coupons for their local restaurants, and allows them to order online or by phone for free. It now has its own app, which makes it easy to find delivery when you are on the go for business, and not familiar with the local area. Founded in 2004, the venture-backed company has garnered $34.1 million in funding.

Thats a lot of money, but for those who dont want to fetch items themselves, services from these delivery-based companies are apparently priceless.

Get more business intelligence from Portfolio.com:

Teresa Novellino writes for Portfolio.com

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Students develop business plans for contest

By Christina Burch
Posted on February 8, 2011 | News | No comment

Aspiring entrepreneurs and small business hopefuls are encouraged to submit the next big-business idea for the fourth annual Springboard Ideas Challenge.

The competition is designed to support winning participants in their entrepreneurial ambitions, with the help of cash and other prizes. Advancing participants will also have the opportunity to receive feedback and advice from current business owners.

Jim Litton, JD, director of the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship amp; Philanthropy, said he encourages students to utilize this unique opportunity.

“The competition is a great way for students interested in entrepreneurship or simply with a great business or nonprofit idea to get valuable feedback and potentially win significant prizes to help them launch their venture,” Litton said.

Each team must outline their projected idea by submitting a written mini-business plan. The plan should highlight core concepts and other explanations that would be of interest to new potential investors.

The challenge, sponsored by the College of Business Administration, is open to students and other interested participants in the West Texas region. Teams can consist of up to four members and must register online by March 4. There is a $10 registration fee.

Ashley Carroll, junior business marketing major from Prosper, said she believes this challenge proves ACU’s strong commitment to promoting student success.

“Not only does this contest encourage students to think outside the box and push themselves to be innovative, but it also generates interest from potential investors,” Carroll said.

The competition will award winners in three divisions: Student, Community Pre-Revenue and Community Post-Revenue. From each of the categories, a first place winner will receive $7,500, a second place winner will receive $2,500 and honorable mentions will receive $1,000. A “Most Fund-able” prize of $7,500 will be awarded to only one team, chosen from the three divisions. In addition, the “Social Entrepreneurship” award will grant $2,500 to one team in the competition.

The Springboard Ideas Challenge has launched past winners into mainstream success, including four ACU students who presented the idea of Sheepdog. Sheepdog, a research service aimed at helping organizations identify their customers’ preferred social networks, was the first place winner of the 2009 Springboard Ideas Challenge. The company was sold Fall 2010.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase talents and potentially put a business plan into action,” Carroll said. “The ultimate winnings consist of an investment to jump-start your business plan.”

For information regarding registration, deadlines and competition rules, visit www.acu.edu/springboard.

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Results Show that the Quality of New Business Ideas do Not Matter
The quality of new business ideas do not matter. Do you have an idea for a new business? Is it any good? Tomer Yogev, a leading authority on startup and small business strategy says it really doesnt matter if it is good or bad. The co-founder of TandemSpring, a strategy consultancy for startups, small businesses, and non-profit organizations in Chicago has helped dozens of startup businesses and budding entrepreneurs turn their ideas, both good an bad, into successful businesses. Find out why you should stop obsessing on the quality of your idea, and focus on more important aspects of your new business plan.

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Blount County businesses, industries, entrepreneurs and
governments, small and large, were represented.

They were on hand to hear a renowned small
business expert expound on “Strategies for Success in Life and Business” — and maybe to pick up a
few pointers on how to make things better quicker.

Jane Applegate, the keynote speaker, did
not disappoint.

“We have been through a very, very tough time called the great recession.
We’ve all seen the darkest times in America,” Applegate said.

“But I truly believe, based on
my travels around the country — and I have been able to meet with chambers in 15 cities in the past
few months, so I really have been on the road and talking to hundreds and hundreds of business
owners — I do feel that things are brighter.”

Applegate is the leading speaker for Bloomberg
Television’s “Idea Exchange” and author of four books about entrepreneurial success, including “201
Great Ideas for Your Small Business,” published by John Wiley amp; Sons. A third and thoroughly
revised edition of her “201 Great Ideas” book is due out in April.

She writes a bimonthly
column for the American Express Open Forum site and is a former award-winning columnist for the Los
Angeles Times, where she did investigative reporting on white collar fraud. She has been honored
by the US Small Business Administration for her service to the business community.

Applegate acknowledged the economy’s downside.

“Things are still not terrific. But
there are a couple of things that we have to remember. First of all, America has the strongest
economy. This is the only country in the world where you can wake up in the morning with a great
business idea, sit at your desk, go online, file your incorporation, register a website, hire
people through a virtual talent agency and start your business by the time the sun goes down,” she
said.

“Another thing, a lot of business owners are going to benefit from pent-up demand. You
just cannot go on much longer without buying things, hiring people, expanding, getting back to
business. I think that is going to have a wonderful result for small business owners around the
country.”

For her Chamber presentation, Applegate cited her four pillars of small business
success: management, money, marketing and morale.

She also pared her 201 great ideas for
small business down to six:

Of those ideas, she is emphatic enough about the first to make it her
motto.

“If your desk looks like the Walgreens and you’ve got Maalox by the gallon and
you’re buying Advil by the pound and you’re popping Pepto all day — you know who you are. If you
look at your desk and your stomach starts to churn, you know you have people problems,” Applegate
said.

“I have never met a successful entrepreneur or a corporate executive working with
people that are making them sick. If you remember nothing else, make this year, 2011, the year you
are going to eliminate toxic people from your business life.”

Those people could be an
employee or a client, anyone who is dragging down morale.

“I would also like to remind
people that there are no bad people, but there’s often a bad fit,” Applegate said.

“There is
so much talent out there. This is the best time to be hiring people. So why would you be paying
people to aggravate you?”

Applegate’s appearance was sponsored by Bloomberg Television and
Charter Business.

Corporate sponsors of the annual Chamber meeting were ALCOA Inc., Alcoa
Tenn Federal Credit Union, Charter Business and Multi-Media Solutions.

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Necessary minimum of the equipment: a seed capital.
Necessary level of knowledge: the General representation about computers.
Earnings kind: the constant.
If you, having taken advantage of ideas from this book or other source, have earned the starting sum for employment by business, or you have a possibility to enclose some sum of a turn, it is possible to use the idea described in this chapter.
Modern time demands a computerisation practically all fields of activity. Especially it is actual for trading enterprises, in particular accounts departments. But not each enterprise, especially small or recently organised, is capable to lay out at once all sum for computer acquisition.
Sale on credit which was practised earlier by some computer firms, has already become obsolete is it became unprofitable. But on it you can earn.
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Gradually, at capital growth your incomes will grow more aloud.