Internet Retailer - Internet Marketing » business plan http://www.internet-retailer.com Reviews and Discussion about Interent Retailing and Internet Marketing Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:10:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Time Management http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/time-management/ http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/time-management/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:22:48 +0000 admin http://www.internet-retailer.com/?p=31 time_managementDo you ever wake up in the morning overwhelmed by the amount you would like to achieve and at the end of the day feel under-whelmed by what you have actually managed to complete? If this is the case you could probably benefit from a good time management process.

I recommend the use of lists; list all the tasks you would like to achieve and then give each task a priority based on how important it is that you finish the job.

Using a unit measure of say 30 minutes (1 unit = 30 minutes) give each task in your list an estimated unit value based on how long you think the task will take to complete. If your work consists of lots a small tasks like phone calls or trades you may wish to use a smaller unit of time (i.e. 1 unit = 15 minutes)

Try to break down tasks with large unit values into smaller easy to complete sub-tasks. I normally work with a maximum unit value of ‘5-Units’ or 2.5 hours

You also need to establish how many hours of the day and how many days of the week you can commit to your work. This will give you the average number of units in your working week. Try to build-in some contingency units, unexpected things can always crop-up and it’s important not to fall behind on your schedule. Also, try to be realistic about how long tasks are going to take, underestimating the time a task is going to take and falling behind on your schedule can be both frustrating and demoralizing.

Some e-mail applications like Outlook have built-in task management applications, where possible use these facilities to keep on-top and up to date with your workload.

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]]> http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/time-management/feed/ 0 Get Your Finances In Order http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/get-your-finances-in-order/ http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/get-your-finances-in-order/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:36:46 +0000 admin http://www.internet-retailer.com/?p=23 financesEssentially, what makes a company successful is the same whether you operate on the internet, on the high street or out of a spare room in your house.  We have spent years trying to work out what makes successful people successful. Single-minded determination and a willingness to knuckle down and do some hard work are important characteristics. However, the most disturbing fact I have discovered is that generally speaking, being successful often involves forgoing some of the things success will ultimately bring.

Unless you have a mountain of cash behind you, being frugal is key to the success of your business venture, living a life of fast cars, large houses, casinos, partying, night-clubbing and chasing the opposite sex is not conducive to building a successful business. You must look for ways to conserve your money in both your business dealings and your personal expenditure. Before starting your business find ways to minimize your personal out-goings, so in the important early stages of your venture you can reduce the personal drawings you need to take from your business.

If you would like tips on reducing personal expenditure, the below site is packed with great money saving advice:

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]]> http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/get-your-finances-in-order/feed/ 0 Preparation http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/preparation/ http://www.internet-retailer.com/index.php/2009/02/preparation/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:31:01 +0000 admin http://www.internet-retailer.com/?p=21 preparation2Preparation maybe boring but it is one of the most important aspects of starting any new venture, if you fail to prepare – be prepared to fail. In our opinion, every business should write a business plan; essentially a business plan is a structured process – an analysis of the work that needs to be completed to achieve specifics goals, the sum of these goals being a successful revenue generating business. A business plan will also provide forecasts of the financial rewards you expect your efforts to achieve. These pages are essentially a generic structured process that can be modified to suit your own business model. Sections that are not required can be removed and the sections that are left can be tailored as required. This will leave you with an impressive business plan that if followed; the resulting company will build into a successful internet business.

It is very important to plan meticulously and work to a set of achievable goals, set milestones and strive to reach those targets. There is no point putting a lot of hard work in if you don’t know what you’re working towards. Setting both personal and business goals will give you direction and purpose, making them realistic and achievable will maintain your interest and the likelihood of your success.

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