TeAm SuCcEsS

1. Start with an idea-: The first thing you need is an idea. What is that thing you want to start manufacturing? It is important to come up with innovative ideas and not just a copycat kind of manufacturing business. I mean, you can copy but it has to be a better version of what already exists. Some of the ways to come up with innovative ideas include-: Choose a niche you like-: There might be a product you are passionate about; this is a good place to start from. High demand products -: There are certainly some products whose demand exceeds supply or products that typically have high levels of demand; you can look into any of these products . Fill a gap-: You could also look for existing gaps in the market that you can fill. For instance, if you live in a place where getting clean, portable drinking water is a problem, you can consider production of packaged water to fill this gap.

Are you interested in starting a manufacturing company? Do you want to learn what it takes to run a manufacturing company? If YES, here are 50 profitable small scale manufacturing business ideas you can start with little money and no experience. One of the major vehicles that drive the economy of any nation is the manufacturing industry. Countries that are considered to be industrialized, advanced and economically buoyant are countries with vibrant and active manufacturing sector. No doubt the manufacturing industry is indeed an industry that is wide and all – encompassing – simply because manufacturing is all about producing goods, equipment, chemicals, machines, et al.

How can I test my idea to ensure that I'm entering a profitable, or at least healthy, market? I would like to understand the steps involved and when I can be sure my product is ready to enter the market? There are two parts to this question.  A) How big/healthy is the market you are trying to enter (or, what is your primary demand)? And,   B) is there an opportunity within that market for your product (what is your secondary demand)?

Startup entrepreneurs often go it alone or almost alone, serving every function in their new companies. They are the idea people, the passionate leaders, the team builders, engineers, marketing experts, logistics officers, bookkeepers and strategists all in one.   The reality is that often this phase is necessary. That means that one of the most challenging things for the startup-minded to do is to keep investing, keep building their own personal skills and abilities. Time and focus-wise, it’s a monumental challenge. Most entrepreneurs skip the personal investments because those investments seem disconnected from their businesses and products. If an entrepreneur has an extra hour, for example, many prefer to invest in their company over investing in themselves.

A vast majority of American workers are worried about their financial future, according to a new study by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The latest Workplace Benefits Report has revealed that American workers’ stress about their finances has increased, while confidence in their financial futures has decreased. Specifically, three in five employees today feel stressed about their financial futures, up from 50 percent in 2013. For the study, Bank of America Merrill Lynch conducted a nationwide survey of more than 1,200 employees with 401(k) plans at companies of all sizes. Key Takeaways Some of the key findings of the study about employee financial stress include the following: More than half (55 percent) admit to needing help managing their finances, including saving for retirement and managing debt.

Email continues to be our primary means of communicating, both personally and professionally. Because of this, it needs to be an important consideration as part of our personal brand, reflecting in every email we send who we are and how we want to be seen. Unfortunately, we seem to be getting worse rather than better when it comes to email etiquette. Each day, over 200 billion emails are sent and received around the globe, and U.S. workers spend an average of 6.3 hours on email daily. Add to this the constant flow of information and content from countless other sources, and it is easy to understand how we might be suffering from email fatigue and getting lazy.  With that said, here are a few common email mistakes you can avoid. Including vague subject descriptions:  We all look to the "sender" first when deciding whether to open an email, then to the "subject" line. Clearly describe the purpose of your email so that if you aren’t cool enough to pa

If marketing is critical to the success of any business -- and believe me, it is -- how do we reconcile that with the reality that few business leaders actually understand marketing and give it the focus it deserves? I think I've figured out the answer. While selling is relatively straightforward and intuitive, marketing is not. Marketing is complex and nuanced. That’s why it mystifies so many, and yet it’s absolutely critical to business success. That’s why the four principles I’m about to put forth are important. Principle 1: In competitive markets, it's winner take all. While markets tend to grow and shrink over time, at any point in time, markets are static, and so is market share. Those near the top enjoy higher margins, pricing power, and more money for employees, perks, and future development. Those near the bottom will soon be goners. And it’s a tough slog for everyone else.

In  Start Your Own Microbrewery, Distillery, or Cidery , the staff of Entrepreneur Media Inc. and writer Corie Brown with Zester Daily Contributors explain how you can get started in the craft alcoholic beverage industry, whether you want to start your own microbrewery, distillery or cidery. In this edited excerpt, the authors suggest six critical elements that will determine whether you succeed or fail in the craft alcoholic beverage industry. To thrive in today’s craft alcoholic beverage business, you'll need to bring brains, heart, and brawn to your venture. And while your entrepreneurial personality may trend one way or the other, what matters is how you take those small identifiers in your own story and work them in your favor. Following are six key characteristics that will help you succeed in the craft alcoholic beverage industry.   1. Start prepared There's no time to learn on the job these days. You may not need specific credentials, but you need to come to c

There comes a time in the lifespan of every organization when the price to stay the same outweighs the price to change; when the old ways of working are no longer sufficient or get in the way of growth. It is at this time that organizations, no matter their size, must examine the best organizational design for continued success. Moving from startup to established business, pursuing new markets, or assimilating a newly acquired company all represent an opportunity and a challenge for leaders. When organization design is mentioned to many leaders, minds quickly jump to the organization chart -- the “boxes and wires” of an organization. While this is one of the more tangible, visible parts of organization design, the process is about so much more than moving lines on paper, as simply changing reporting relationships rarely has a lasting impact on the way a company functions. In fact, you should leave the organization chart until the end of the design process.

Managing a startup can be a minefield, especially when the pull of entrepreneurship clouds your decision-making – and when you go it alone with no business experience. But if you do decide to start your own business, it’s a great idea to learn from other’s mistakes and set yourself up for success. Here are five mistakes to avoid: 1. Inaccurately gauging demand for your product or service. Remember – just because  you  like jalapeño-flavored pickled okra, that doesn’t mean  everyone  likes it. Too many small businesses fail because the owner overestimates demand. Before launching your venture, find out how strong the demand is for your product or service. Is it a product or service that most people need or want? Does it fit with current trends? For instance, a DVD rental store is probably not a good investment now due to the popularity of streaming services. Before settling on a business venture, ask yourself if the benefits to the customer are compelling and easy to understan

An aligned workforce is a happy, engaged workforce. Unfortunately, alignment between an organization and its employees doesn’t come naturally -- it takes planning, hard work and communication. Think of alignment as a playbook for the entire company, just like in sports. For a coach to make sure every player is on the same page and goals are made, that playbook needs to be shared and discussed in real time. There’s a reason watching a sports game is much like watching a choreographed performance -- every movement and play has a purpose that each player knows inside and out. The same goes for employers and their employees. To achieve a completely aligned workforce that plays as a team and knocks each ball out of the park, here are the four levels of organizational alignment every company needs to build and maintain:    1. Employee-role alignment The first level of organizational alignment requires finding the right fit for the position at hand. After all, an aligned workforce

I started my business in 1999 while a student in college. There were pros and cons, but I’m largely thankful for the experience and would recommend it to other aspiring entrepreneurs. Here are seven reasons why. 1. Low risk, high reward What have you got to lose? You don’t own anything, you have few commitments relative to later in life, and the worst case scenario is that you go back to doing what you’re doing now. This isn’t to say you should take a casual approach to starting a business. Your years in college will be over before you know it, and suddenly the risks will be larger. You probably have time to start one serious business venture per year of college and within 12 months figure out if it’s going to work out or not. Maybe you’ll get it right the first time, maybe you’ll pivot, maybe you’ll quit and start something new. The sooner you can test your ideas, the better.

It’s not uncommon for women to face unique challenges, especially when trying to juggle traditional roles of wife and mother with the demands of starting and running a business. Over the years as a business owner myself, and through training women to run their own etiquette businesses, I have learned a few tips that may help women looking to start a business. 1. Find your passion. You are going to spend many long hours working in and on your business, so pick an industry that you don’t just like, but are passionate about. When you are passionate, it shows, and your enthusiasm and belief in what you are doing translates to your customers, sparking their enthusiasm about what you are offering.

It’s not only about the name and market share you stand with, but the consistent sales performance and numbers your team has been coming up with as well. After all, this is one big metric by which the investors, your boss and above all, the audience is going to judge you. You might’ve chipped in a zillion efforts to build an efficacious brand, made up a team that speaks volumes about your hiring capacity and introduced ample team building activities to maintain cohesion in the entire department, but in the end, it all comes down to the numbers you score. Think about all the times your company wasn’t going as per the business plan and sales figures started to dwindle. There sure was a mild possibility that many in your team might have lost their jobs with backups being readily available. It does stand imperative to avert such situations and go for a higher sales performance through enhanced and focused efforts. Here’s a clear insight into the same. #1. Focus on One Product/Ser

When it all seems so useless and pointless, exactly how do you find the time and energy to refocus on what really, truly matters? Allow me to share 7 of my own strategies on how to focus on what matters and cut out all the stuff that doesn't. Write down your top priorities...and keep them in view. To focus your attention in the right place, it's essential to remind yourself every day of what is truly most important. Recognize what is essential in your life to have clear goals. Ask yourself: "What is most important for me this year? What excites me? Is it an important project at work? My family? Improving my social life? My blog, hobby or money situation?"

There are many ways to start an  online business  or to start the internet business from home. In fact, you are not limited by choice but limited by an idea. I will give you five major money making ideas. You can make money online with online business Online Business Ideas: You can earn money, by selling your own products on the internet, using a blog. You can make money through writing – such as blogging or writing articles and papers. You can earn money, selling other people’s products –such as drop shipping. You may earn money promoting other people’s products or websites- this is referred to as affiliate       programs or partnership. You can make money through turnkey – readymade websites.

The decision to run an online business is a great one. You get to be your own boss and start a business that doesn’t require too much initial investment. On the downside, there are thousands of people starting an online business every day which means the competition is stiff. What is more is that of the businesses started, only a handful of them succeed. Just like starting any other business, it is important that you take the process seriously and research every step that you will take. In spite of most online startups failing, the good news is there are a couple of things you can do to start a business that succeeds. There are basically 7 prime rules that you have to follow when starting a business online. #1. Create a simple and well-organized website A common mistake most people make when it comes to creating a home for their business is focusing solely on what they desire rather than what their consumers need. As a result, most people have a tendency of over-designing t

When you stop worrying about being nice and start putting your needs first, incredible things can happen for your career. 1.  People start to respect your time. It’s the basic principle behind the scarcity value people value something more when it’s less available. The same goes for your time. When you stop making yourself available at all hours, people respect the time they  do  have with you more.

The Business Development Strategy is used to underpin your main Business Plan and essentially it sets out a standard approach for developing new opportunities, either from within existing accounts or by proactively targeting brand new potential accounts and then working to close them. This document highlights the key issues you should consider prior to compiling your own plan and will hopefully guide you logically through a proven framework. The key word is  Strategy , because you are creating a workable and achievable set of objectives in order to exceed your annual target. Your Starting Point :

A clearly written business plan should: set the vision and direction of your business carry out a SWOT analysis map out a one page action plan for your next steps.

Good general management can produce organic, steady business growth. However, update and refresh your business with these five foundational steps in mind to see quantum leaps that are sustainable. 1. Have a vision and plan to get there Understanding where your business is and where you want it to be is the first step in planning. Ask yourself 'What do you imagine your business to be in five years' time and how will this fit into your lifestyle?' Make sure your plan: is simple (even if it's just one page) is not just ‘in your head’ or ‘in your bottom drawer’ has any vision you choose but it must have one includes goals and steps to be taken to reach those goals aligns your business with family and lifestyle aspirations has mitigation strategies to cope with change, survive the bad times and prosper in the good Whether you prepare it yourself or use a business professional for an objective outside view, remember the thinking that goes into a plan is

According to the Grand Unified Theory of Business Development, Biz Dev is simply about pursuing opportunities for long-term growth from customers, markets, and relationships.  Sounds simple enough, but has anyone ever set out to describe what a “Biz Dev Person” actually does?  How do they spend their day?  What should you look for when hiring someone for a Biz Dev role? While Business Development may still mean many different things to many different people, at it’s core  I believe a Biz Dev job is focused on 3 activities: According to the  Grand Unified Theory of Business Development , Biz Dev is simply about pursuing opportunities for long-term growth from customers, markets, and relationships.  Sounds simple enough, but has anyone ever set out to describe what a “Biz Dev Person” actually does?  How do they spend their day?  What should you look for when hiring someone for a Biz Dev role? While Business Development may still mean many different things to many different

Customers The “customers” portion of the definition may be slightly more obvious – customers pay the bills.  They are the people who pay you for your products and services, and without them you won’t have any business to develop.  But not everyone is a natural customer for your business. Maybe your product doesn’t have the features I’m looking for.  Maybe your product is perfect, but I don’t even know your company sells it.  Or maybe you’re not reaching me because you’re not knocking on my door.

What starts as a dream can become reality with these key things to consider when starting a business.  Here we share some of the things to consider when starting a business and why they’re important steps to take. 1. Choose your business Before you begin to set up your business you need to decide what your business will be all about. Key things to think about include: What industry you’d like to set up in? How much time you can commit? What your budget is?

There are many skills needed to run a business, especially when you’re building a start up from scratch. As your business grows no doubt some of those skills you first need will be delegated, but as a business owner having a firm understanding of the way all of the cogs within your business turn is a good idea. Here we examine some of the skills needed to run a business successfully and why they’re can make a difference. Organisation Running a business takes oodles of organisation and it’s important to take a positive approach so that you don’t become swamped. From managing your diary through to keeping the finances in check there is much to learn and you’ll find that the organisation skills needed to run a business over arch all other needs. Your organisation skills need to cover: Finance - managing budgets, making sure the numbers add up and keeping the money coming in and going out, at the right times.

Starting your own business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s stressful and pretty much demands your complete focus. On the plus side, it can also be a fulfilling experience professionally and personally. Here are 50 tips on how to make your business come to life: 1. Do a self-inventory. Not everyone has what it takes to start a company. That’s not to say that your idea is not brilliant. It just means that you may not have the personality traits to handle launching a company of your own. Before investing any time or resources, evaluate yourself and see if you have some the typical traits of an entrepreneur. Are you motivated, able to adapt and confident? Are you resilient?

No matter what kind of business you start, some  marketing mistakes  are inevitable. But startups in particular must navigate a unique set of marketing challenges: restricted budgets, limited resources and the pressing need to build brand visibility. Knowing when and how to invest in marketing for your business may be the key ingredient to your startup’s success. Here are some common marketing mistakes that every startup makes -- and how you can avoid them. 1. Spending money on 'big marketing' too quickly You may want to take the industry by storm, with a powerful ad or a killer booth at the next trade show, but, whoa! You should really rein it in and start slow. You don’t want to blow your budget this early in the game.

Are you always complaining that the 24 hours is not enough? Do you find yourself always in a hurry? Do you wish to have more time?   Time after time ? Just like budgeting, time management is a chore. We have many things to do in a day and many things to accomplish only to find out yet again that the time we have is not enough. With that regard, we tend to sleep late, have more unfinished projects and the cycle repeats by the day. Time is one of the things we freely have. With regards to money matters, time is money according to  Benjamin Franklin . Hence, if you want to be rich, or you want to burst into a song that is I wanna be a billionaire, so freaking bad, you must use your time wisely. If we push into investments, time is an ally. They would often  persuade  you to invest today, to invest now. Because in due time after x number of years, the money that we had invested will yield greater value, millions even. As such, it is important that we make a balance betwe

That daytime job of yours may be terrific. But there’s one thing that is far more rewarding and meaningful than good pay and benefits: being your own boss. Still, think carefully before choosing to go down the entrepreneurial path; it carries a lot more risk than punching in for your daily 9-to-5, and it requires a lot more sacrifice and hard work. However, once you’re finally reaping the benefits of owning your own business and hustling your way to more money, the sweat and tears you invested will have all been worth it. Nor do you have to quit your day job in order to get started: five o’clock may mean happy hour or video games for some, but for a growing number of professionals, it means shutting down the computer at the office and firing up that business at home. So, if you're game, you next have to select what kind of business you want to start. Which type is right for you? Here are 10 great ideas you can build from: 1. Think 'food first.' A great w

Smart money management is about more than understanding the math. That part is simple: Spend less than you earn, and invest early and often so compounding will make you rich when you're old. The numbers aren't difficult, but the psychological and emotional hurdles that prevent most people from achieving their financial dreams are. It doesn't have to be that way if you can stay on the right side of the mental issues surrounding your nest egg. Consider this list a mental reset button on your financial psyche. 1.There are no secrets.   The basics of wealth building have been well-documented for centuries. Stop searching for shortcuts and secrets; focus instead on the simple things your parents and grandparents taught you, such as not to spend more money than you make. (If you need a place to start, pick up George S. Clason's  The Richest Man in Babylon , first published in 1926.)

No industry is easy to break into, but that is especially true about apparel. While other industries enjoy a 50 percent or higher business success rate after four years, retail and apparel do not. Indeed, a full 53 percent of clothing lines will fold by the fourth year’s end. One reason for the higher rate of business failure is competition. New designs are abundant, and today’s in-demand style will be tomorrow’s forgotten look. Competition alone isn’t the reason many lines fail, however. Another significant reason clothing businesses have lowered success rates is the business end itself. Many individuals who launch clothing lines do so because they are artistic, yet these individuals generally are not entrepreneurs who understand how businesses operate. Before launching an apparel line, individuals should consider the following seven start-up steps. Understand the commitment The potential business owner must understand the time and money commitment necessary to make the cl

Have you ever liked a business just based on the name alone? Often said to be a blend of art, science and luck, naming a business properly is no easy task. While good names are easy enough to remember, great names really have an impact on people when they hear them. Such a name for a business is one that is integral, perhaps descriptive of the brand in multiple ways, humorous, legally appropriate and maybe even slightliy provocative. The name could also pertain to the nature of the business itself. Naming agency A Hundred Monkeys stresses the importance of a name not sounding like others: "Businesses should be finding a name that grabs people's attention  and  gives them an opportunity to describe what they do. Bonus points for getting a smile, laugh, question." Big Ass Fans is a company that creates really large fans that cool a room or space. The name is distinctive and of course humorously descriptive. Naked Juice is a name with just enough suggesti

  People often throw around the term business model in discussing startups. But just what is a business model? Which ones work best and why? How do you know if your startup has the right one? A business model explains which consumer pain your startup chooses to relieve, why your solution works better than competing ones and how big a wedge a company can drive between what customers are willing to pay and the costs. I recently spent three hours with some clients, executives from Beijing, to discuss these questions: I presented several business models and their financial benefits. After sharing the idea of the  business model canvas , developed by Alexander Osterwalder to help entrepreneurs design a customized business model, I gave the Chinese executives an hour to "paint" a new business idea. (We did not use the interactive tool; they wrote their choices on a white board and addressed the class in Chinese. With the help of a translator, I asked follow-up que