This is quite literally a golden opportunity for ordinary people to launch their own businesses at low cost and make serious money’ – Laban Roomes
The picks, shovels, pans and finger callouses may have disappeared but the UK is about to witness a brand new 21st century ‘goldrush’.
A London-based businessman dubbed the ‘Ring Bling King’ after he supplied dozens of his £800, 24-carat gold plated mobile phones to dozens of superstars at the ‘Emmy Awards’ last year, is looking for ‘serious entrepreneurs’ nationwide to help grow his burgeoning GoldGenie gold-plating empire.
Laban Roomes (36) who has been mentored by multi-millionaire Yo! Sushi founder and ex-Dragon’s Den TV panellist, Simon Woodroffe, plans a nationwide roll-out of ‘GoldRush Roadshow’ events which will introduce the easy to use Goldgenie gold-plating system to independent–minded businessmen and women.
Said Roomes, who is currently filming a BBC TV programme about the global gold market: “Goldplating has become very fashionable and it’s not just mobile phones. The list is endless; golf clubs, bathroom taps, jewellery, car badges – even flowers.”
He added: “There is a massive demand out there and that’s why we have set up this new business opportunity. We plan free roadshows across the UK which will reveal the secrets of running a highly profitable business without a huge investment or the need for extensive training. This is more about prospecting with gold than prospecting for gold.”
Roomes’ business partner Terry George added: “We did our market research with the Goldgenie Pro 900 system at a recent Business Start-Up trade fair at London’s ExCeL Centre. Hundreds of people watched the demonstrations and as a result we decided to roll-out this new business opportunity.”
So how does it work and what do you get for your money?
George explained: “Serious entrepreneurs can now buy into an exclusive ‘Goldgenie Pro 900 Postcode Operator’ programme.”
The overall entry costs just £1,995 (ex VAT) and that buys rights to a designated postcode area. GoldGenie provides comprehensive product training and in addition, a full day’s marketing assistance, complete with flyers, posters and a complete DIY press release guide.
Over £2,000 worth of plating chemicals are included in the price, enabling the operator to fully recover the initial cost of buy-in. Users get the benefits of a franchise but without having to pay an ongoing monthly percentage of turnover or profit”
The GoldGenie package includes two goldplating machines, the Pro 900 and its entry level Pro 100 sibling, plus all accessories needed to get the business started.
Said Roomes: “This programme enables people to get into business at very low cost and with marginal risk.”
More at:http://www.goldgenie.co.uk/
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Serial entrepreneurs push themselves to start new ventures over and over again. So what do they know that we don't?
Serial entrepreneurs push themselves to start new ventures over and over again. So what do they know that we don't?
by Kerry Miller
Lawrence Gelburd remembers the exact moment he realized it was time to cut loose from the high-tech company he had helped found nearly 10 years earlier. It was during a staff meeting, and for the first time he had heard an employee say, "That's not my department."
"I was stunned," he says. All of sudden, "it was like I was running a big company." And while his business, American Auto-Matrix, was doing quite well, Gelburd's paradigm for success was somewhat different. Like other entrepreneurs, he thrives on the excitement of starting a new business—taking an idea and actually making it happen (see BusinessWeek.com 5/7/07, "Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur").
Success Can Be a Letdown
Gelburd relished American's early years, when they first started challenging big competitors like Honeywell (HON). "We felt like we were killing Goliath with a slingshot," he says. Once they started winning, Gelburd realized they had lost the rights to the "outsider" status they had so relished. "We had won the war, but it felt like a Pyrrhic victory."
Gelburd now keeps himself firmly planted in what he considers the more exciting early stages of things, consulting with a variety of startups and small companies to help develop business plans and strategies and teaching courses in entrepreneurship at the Wharton School. "There's something very intoxicating about starting at zero and getting to 100," he says, and that's what pushes serial entrepreneurs to start new companies again and again.
It's About More than Money
But generalizations about the psychology of successful entrepreneurs aren't terribly useful to those who hope to duplicate their success. That's why we rounded up a group of those who have been there and done that to share their observations and advice in the accompanying slide show. From Sam Yagan, who started his first business, SparkNotes, during an all-nighter at Harvard, to Pam Marrone, who is now running her third company, Marrone Organic Innovations, each of them say that financial success was almost a byproduct rather than the goal of their ventures. That's good, because fulfilling entrepreneurial curiosity doesn't always result in a big financial payoff (see BusinessWeek.com 5/22/05, "Failure Is Part of Success").
"You need that kind of brash attitude…to create huge change out of a small idea. It doesn't always work, but when it does work, it's better for everyone," Gelburd says. "And when it doesn't, we're silly enough to try again."
More at:http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070601_336379.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+stories
by Kerry Miller
Lawrence Gelburd remembers the exact moment he realized it was time to cut loose from the high-tech company he had helped found nearly 10 years earlier. It was during a staff meeting, and for the first time he had heard an employee say, "That's not my department."
"I was stunned," he says. All of sudden, "it was like I was running a big company." And while his business, American Auto-Matrix, was doing quite well, Gelburd's paradigm for success was somewhat different. Like other entrepreneurs, he thrives on the excitement of starting a new business—taking an idea and actually making it happen (see BusinessWeek.com 5/7/07, "Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur").
Success Can Be a Letdown
Gelburd relished American's early years, when they first started challenging big competitors like Honeywell (HON). "We felt like we were killing Goliath with a slingshot," he says. Once they started winning, Gelburd realized they had lost the rights to the "outsider" status they had so relished. "We had won the war, but it felt like a Pyrrhic victory."
Gelburd now keeps himself firmly planted in what he considers the more exciting early stages of things, consulting with a variety of startups and small companies to help develop business plans and strategies and teaching courses in entrepreneurship at the Wharton School. "There's something very intoxicating about starting at zero and getting to 100," he says, and that's what pushes serial entrepreneurs to start new companies again and again.
It's About More than Money
But generalizations about the psychology of successful entrepreneurs aren't terribly useful to those who hope to duplicate their success. That's why we rounded up a group of those who have been there and done that to share their observations and advice in the accompanying slide show. From Sam Yagan, who started his first business, SparkNotes, during an all-nighter at Harvard, to Pam Marrone, who is now running her third company, Marrone Organic Innovations, each of them say that financial success was almost a byproduct rather than the goal of their ventures. That's good, because fulfilling entrepreneurial curiosity doesn't always result in a big financial payoff (see BusinessWeek.com 5/22/05, "Failure Is Part of Success").
"You need that kind of brash attitude…to create huge change out of a small idea. It doesn't always work, but when it does work, it's better for everyone," Gelburd says. "And when it doesn't, we're silly enough to try again."
More at:http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2007/sb20070601_336379.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+stories
Inexperienced entrepreneurs who live or want to live in market towns might be interested in a fitness franchise
Inexperienced entrepreneurs who live or want to live in market towns might be interested in a fitness franchise whose expansion is focused on those areas.
Attiva’s strategy of providing affordable gym services in mostly market towns has worked well so far, as it has grown steadily since it was established in 2003.
It has clubs in Malvern and, rather incongruously, Barbados, with new franchises opening in Bridgnorth, Market Harborough, Newport, Evesham, Uttoxeter and Coventry soon.
Just two days ago one opened in Andover, courtesy of former O2 manager and fitness enthusiast Andrew White and his wife Helen.
Andrew White has worked in the corporate world all his life, first for NatWest and then for O2, where he rose to the rank of corporate accounts manager.
“After 20 years I wanted to go it alone and was eager to look at various business options,” says the 38-year-old.
With this in mind, Andrew attended The National Franchise Expo late last year. He was almost out the door, disappointed with the exhibition’s offerings, when he saw the Attiva stand. After a one-hour consultation he decided to buy the franchise, happy to have found a business model that would combine a life-long passion for fitness with his wealth of business know-how.
Andrew took Attiva’s six-week training course on business and operational management. The ‘gym-in-a-box’ programme includes coursework in business management, accounting, marketing and promotion, health and safety, human resources and equipment operation. Andrew also participated in a job share at the Malvern club, which provided him with invaluable hands-on experience.
Ongoing support
Appreciating the comprehensive nature of Attiva’s support, Andrew’s experience demonstrates how the franchise model can be a manageable way into business for new entrepreneurs apprehensive about the risks and pressures of setting up their first business.
“I was uncertain about starting a business completely by myself.
“I gave up a nice comfortable job and salary to make a leap of faith with a new business, but I’ve been very pleased with Attiva. Unlike some franchise models where you are left alone, I’m receiving top-notch attention and expertise. I get on very well with Craig Farman [managing director] and Richard Noble [operations director] and I feel like they are my business partners.”
Attiva says its 35 years of experience in the fitness industry means franchisees are in good hands. The ongoing support they provide ranges from helping to secure loans, to finding and kitting out premises, to the recruitment and training of staff and beyond.
Attiva’s emphasis on market towns is shrewd if Andrew’s assessment of the market in Andover is applicable to other market towns.
More at:http://www.attivauk.com/
http://www.franchisesales.com/
Attiva’s strategy of providing affordable gym services in mostly market towns has worked well so far, as it has grown steadily since it was established in 2003.
It has clubs in Malvern and, rather incongruously, Barbados, with new franchises opening in Bridgnorth, Market Harborough, Newport, Evesham, Uttoxeter and Coventry soon.
Just two days ago one opened in Andover, courtesy of former O2 manager and fitness enthusiast Andrew White and his wife Helen.
Andrew White has worked in the corporate world all his life, first for NatWest and then for O2, where he rose to the rank of corporate accounts manager.
“After 20 years I wanted to go it alone and was eager to look at various business options,” says the 38-year-old.
With this in mind, Andrew attended The National Franchise Expo late last year. He was almost out the door, disappointed with the exhibition’s offerings, when he saw the Attiva stand. After a one-hour consultation he decided to buy the franchise, happy to have found a business model that would combine a life-long passion for fitness with his wealth of business know-how.
Andrew took Attiva’s six-week training course on business and operational management. The ‘gym-in-a-box’ programme includes coursework in business management, accounting, marketing and promotion, health and safety, human resources and equipment operation. Andrew also participated in a job share at the Malvern club, which provided him with invaluable hands-on experience.
Ongoing support
Appreciating the comprehensive nature of Attiva’s support, Andrew’s experience demonstrates how the franchise model can be a manageable way into business for new entrepreneurs apprehensive about the risks and pressures of setting up their first business.
“I was uncertain about starting a business completely by myself.
“I gave up a nice comfortable job and salary to make a leap of faith with a new business, but I’ve been very pleased with Attiva. Unlike some franchise models where you are left alone, I’m receiving top-notch attention and expertise. I get on very well with Craig Farman [managing director] and Richard Noble [operations director] and I feel like they are my business partners.”
Attiva says its 35 years of experience in the fitness industry means franchisees are in good hands. The ongoing support they provide ranges from helping to secure loans, to finding and kitting out premises, to the recruitment and training of staff and beyond.
Attiva’s emphasis on market towns is shrewd if Andrew’s assessment of the market in Andover is applicable to other market towns.
More at:http://www.attivauk.com/
http://www.franchisesales.com/
Task Managment Go Simple
Todoist is a to-do list application that claims to be "useful, fast and easy to use". In the crowded market of task management apps, led by the likes of Ta-da List and Remember the Milk, it has to be. And, as I found out in my tests, it is.
Interface
Built with a focus on absolute simplicity, this application is a joy to use for my task lists. It allows a hierarchical structure of categories or projects - each with their own task items. Sub-projects can be collapsed to simplify the interface even more.
More at:http://www.readwriteweb.com/
Interface
Built with a focus on absolute simplicity, this application is a joy to use for my task lists. It allows a hierarchical structure of categories or projects - each with their own task items. Sub-projects can be collapsed to simplify the interface even more.
More at:http://www.readwriteweb.com/
How To Set Right Price For Your Product
Your website is getting thousands of hits a day, and customers are banging down the doors. But how do you know what to charge?
You’re not the only one with this problem. Large companies also struggle with this issue. Professor Kent Monroe of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that across the U.S. price setting has been sloppy and that the common instinct to match prices to cost is foolish. Even investigating historical trends can’t accurately determine pricing.
So how do you do it?
If you are a bigger small business, you can hire professionals. Researchers can perform discrete choice analysis, meaning that they ask participants to evaluate prices assigned to goods and services. However, this method is costly.
A cheaper alternative: talk to your employees and customers. They know what customers want, and you can set your pricing accordingly.
Consider selling your goods at different prices to different customers. Audiences have different demands based on their environment and income. Businesses don’t lower their prices for students and seniors just to be nice.
More at:http://www.fastcompany.com/online/68/pricing.html
You’re not the only one with this problem. Large companies also struggle with this issue. Professor Kent Monroe of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, says that across the U.S. price setting has been sloppy and that the common instinct to match prices to cost is foolish. Even investigating historical trends can’t accurately determine pricing.
So how do you do it?
If you are a bigger small business, you can hire professionals. Researchers can perform discrete choice analysis, meaning that they ask participants to evaluate prices assigned to goods and services. However, this method is costly.
A cheaper alternative: talk to your employees and customers. They know what customers want, and you can set your pricing accordingly.
Consider selling your goods at different prices to different customers. Audiences have different demands based on their environment and income. Businesses don’t lower their prices for students and seniors just to be nice.
More at:http://www.fastcompany.com/online/68/pricing.html
Idea Which Could Be Equal To Million Dollor
Dwight Schultheis was waiting for a business idea to inspire him. Then he noticed something: He and his male friends had shaving-related skin problems, and the products they used didn't help. "We're spending $200 on jeans, but using soap on our faces," he says. "It felt to me like it was a really untapped market."
Months of market research and a few focus groups later, his upscale men's grooming products company, Amenity, was born. The New York City business has grown to nine employees and annual revenue surpassing $1 million--quite a leap from last year, when Schultheis and co-founders Lisa Lehan, 28, and Kimberly Pecoraro, 32, started the company with $500,000 from personal funds and angel investors. "We're trying to be a first-mover and innovator in the men's category of clinical grooming," he says.
Moving could get a little trickier now that the proverbial 800-pound gorilla has entered the market. In January, Schultheis, 32, learned that Procter & Gamble was acquiring DDF, one of Amenity's competitors. The news brought a mixed bag of emotions for Schultheis, who was excited that such a big player saw potential in the $75 million U.S. market for men's premium skin care but also worried that DDF would be even more competitive with Procter & Gamble's marketing, innovation and distribution power behind it. Amenity spent the following weeks reassessing its business strategy. "If we're going to stay competitive," Schultheis says, "we're going to have to sharpen our mission."
More at:http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178520.html
Months of market research and a few focus groups later, his upscale men's grooming products company, Amenity, was born. The New York City business has grown to nine employees and annual revenue surpassing $1 million--quite a leap from last year, when Schultheis and co-founders Lisa Lehan, 28, and Kimberly Pecoraro, 32, started the company with $500,000 from personal funds and angel investors. "We're trying to be a first-mover and innovator in the men's category of clinical grooming," he says.
Moving could get a little trickier now that the proverbial 800-pound gorilla has entered the market. In January, Schultheis, 32, learned that Procter & Gamble was acquiring DDF, one of Amenity's competitors. The news brought a mixed bag of emotions for Schultheis, who was excited that such a big player saw potential in the $75 million U.S. market for men's premium skin care but also worried that DDF would be even more competitive with Procter & Gamble's marketing, innovation and distribution power behind it. Amenity spent the following weeks reassessing its business strategy. "If we're going to stay competitive," Schultheis says, "we're going to have to sharpen our mission."
More at:http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178520.html
Yoorl service provides a way to monitor the spread of links to web resources, and their popularity, in real time
“Yoorl service provides a way to monitor the spread of links to web resources, and their popularity, in real time. This is done independently of the web resource, its contents, and the means by which the link to that resource is shared (IM, forums, email, air mail)”
Yoorl is a means to monitor the dispersal of links in real time. The idea is that people send out interesting links to their friends all the time; sometimes those links get sent back to them from a completely different source—a sort of chain or meme has been started. Curious minds might want to know how that link got around, and how popular it is. Yoorl lets you see what kind of resonance your link made. Once a yoorl member sends a link they will know if the person who received the link viewed it and how long; whether it was further spread and to whom. All members can see the spread of URL’s in real time. Registration is free.
More at:http://www.yoorl.com/
Yoorl is a means to monitor the dispersal of links in real time. The idea is that people send out interesting links to their friends all the time; sometimes those links get sent back to them from a completely different source—a sort of chain or meme has been started. Curious minds might want to know how that link got around, and how popular it is. Yoorl lets you see what kind of resonance your link made. Once a yoorl member sends a link they will know if the person who received the link viewed it and how long; whether it was further spread and to whom. All members can see the spread of URL’s in real time. Registration is free.
More at:http://www.yoorl.com/
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