i want to start a business, but have no ideas This is my third business start-up since 09. In the early stage, he fought high and lost a lot of money. In the later stage, I was cautious and found a blue ocean in a mature industry. I just received financing , broke even every month, and established an elite + grassroots entrepreneurial team.
I want to start my own business
From 2004 to 2006, he started his second business in wireless communities and games. The company’s annual revenue exceeded 10 million, and it was later acquired. It was barely successful. Later, he worked for an international wireless Internet company in charge of USA for two years.
established an elite + grassroots entrepreneurial team.
- If you are a college student , be cautious about starting a business. Today’s entrepreneurial environment is not very good. Especially this year. People are expensive, it is difficult to get money for early-stage projects, and there are many big bosses, making it difficult to expand.
- If you are alone and do not have like-minded partners, especially if you do not have a strong technical partner, do not start a business – what is strong is not just technical ability, but also entrepreneurial spirit .
- If you are interested in a certain field, it is recommended that you first go to the best company in the field to polish your studies and find your entrepreneurial partners . Don’t worry about your creativity being used by others and you will regret it in the future – creativity is not bullshit, execution is the first priority.
- If you have been in a big Internet company for a long time, you must first find a reliable direction , contact several like-minded partners who have cooperated with each other for more than 2 years , and ask everyone to contribute money at the lowest cost . , make a prototype together to prove that your product is reliable, the direction is promising, the team can stand the test, and the profit model is visible. – Then you can get some money quickly. By the way, when you get money for the first time, don’t open your mouth like a lion . The first financing is not critical. It would be better to find someone reliable and with less money.
- There are many types of money. Personal money, Internet Angel money , ordinary VC money, and big VC money all mean that your starting point is different.
- Don’t be happy before you get the money. Starting a business is difficult and full of battles. GCD is the most impressive entrepreneurial history in the past century . You can carefully study their strategy, team, ups and downs, etc.
- Don’t think about subverting the Internet, engaging in Penguin, stepping on Sina, kicking Shanda , or punching Alibaba. Xiao’er can’t do this kind of work, at least not in China .
In short, don’t worry before the age of 25, patience is more important. The key is to master the skills, go deep into the industry, and build a potential team. The more you accumulate, the less you gain. Haste makes waste.
Personal opinions, for references only
Based on the topic question, I would like to share with you 10 of the most profitable business models today to see if they can inspire some ideas:
All entrepreneurs should understand that a start-up has only two options: make money or fail. A good business model will force you to answer the following two questions:
Whose pocket is your money in?
How are you going to put this money in your pocket?
Expressed in plain language:
You need to target your customer base and understand their needs;
Establish a sales mechanism to ensure that your revenue exceeds your costs.
Top ten business models
The book “The Art of Profitability” by Adrian Slywotzky provides a list of the best business models. The following are excerpts from the book’s 10 most profitable ones : Big business model.
Free + value-added (Freemium)
The free + value-added model first provides free services to customers until customers want more features or capacity, or want to remove ads, at which time they need to spend money. For example, Evernote lets people store information in the cloud for free, but if customers want more storage or more features, they have to pay $45 a year.
Eyeballs
This model provides a platform to create and share content to reach an audience. The logic behind it is: some brands also want to win the attention of the same group of people, then these companies will advertise on this platform or sponsor this platform. Facebook, Tencent, Sina , etc. adopt this business model.
3.Virtual Goods _
Virtual gold coins, flowers, badges, etc. are all products that require almost no cost or storage fees. However, today’s young people are willing to spend money to recharge “gold coins” in various games and live broadcasts to improve the virtual product experience. The most popular short video platforms such as Douyin, live broadcast platforms, and various mobile games are all virtual product models of traffic monetization + value-added services .
4.Craftsman _ _
The Mavericks electric vehicle is a typical example of this model. Startups in this model regard quality and craftsmanship as their life. This kind of enterprise may be difficult to achieve on a large scale, but it can become a leader in this field… But when it built its own online trading platform , everything changed a lot. The offline experience store and the online The combination of purchasing can attract more young purchasing power in this era.
5.Master console
Slovacki used this term to describe companies like De Beers ( De Beers is the world’s largest diamond supplier, processor, and dealer , with a classic advertising slogan : ” A diamond is forever . A diamond is forever.”). There are several challenges in building this business model: achieving control of supply and convincing people that this control is necessary and has nothing to do with monopoly.
6.After- sales model
In this business model, the products sold require a constant supply of ancillary products, such as printers, coffee makers, and soda fountains . Such products are not finished once sold, but will continue to bring benefits to the company during the lifetime of the product. Enterprise services companies can also use this model to sell software and charge for software upgrades, services and support.
7.Personalized solutions
Including a deep understanding of the problems faced by customers and doing everything we can to satisfy them. Over time, startups can significantly increase their overall sales by building deep relationships with their customers. But the process of winning each new customer is a physical battle . (Slowacki calls this model customer-oriented solutions.)
Diverse combinations
Slowacki believes Coca-Cola uses this model. The Coca-Cola Company sells its products in supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and vending machines. The same products are sold in different packaging and at different unit prices.
Market Leader
Apple uses this model. Market leaders develop the most innovative and cool products. Achieving market leader status can allow a startup to command a premium for its products , but acquiring and maintaining this position is extremely difficult.
Core components
Intel and Dolby do not sell products directly to customers, but their products are core components in the devices customers hold. Intel provides computer chips to many hardware companies; Dolby provides audio compression and noise reduction technology to many audio and video producers.
our suggestion
If the business model is never changed, or if major adjustments are never made on the development path, entrepreneurs may not be able to adapt to the changing market. Therefore, the company’s business model must be adjusted frequently. Here are some suggestions that may help you:
Focus
The more precise you can be about your customer base, the better. Many entrepreneurs fear that their focus will be too narrow and unique, and that they will not be able to build a global business. But remember, most successful companies start out by focusing on one or two specific markets before branching out into multiple other markets and growing into large-scale enterprises.
Simplicity
If you can’t describe your business model clearly in ten words, then you don’t have a business model. Don’t use fancy business rhetoric (e.g. strategic, mission-critical, world-class, collaborative, first-mover, scalable, enterprise-class, etc.). Because business rhetoric does not represent business models.
3.Copy
Business has been around for a long time, and people have created almost every possible business model so far. You can innovate in technology, marketing, and distribution, but trying to build an entirely new business model is highly unlikely. Adopt a business model that is already successful and understandable. There are many other important things to consider on your entrepreneurial journey.
Make the market bigger
For start-ups, creating a bigger piece of the pie, rather than trying to grab the existing pie, may be a more appropriate business model. Customers also expect to discover cool new products from startups, not better existing products.
Entrepreneurship is the same as anything else you want to do, it is a life pursuit. In order to achieve this goal, the average person has to go through three stages.
The first stage is the process of mental preparation. This stage is mainly about realizing personal spiritual sublimation and realizing the stage from wanting to start a business to actually doing it. This process can be achieved naturally by everyone. Whenever you are thinking about whether you should start a business, whether you are suitable for starting a business, what you can do, etc.
Some people, when they lie down to sleep every day, will think a lot in their minds and come up with many good ideas. When they wake up the next day, they still go to work and clock in as usual. That is to say, as the saying goes, “I thought of a thousand ways at night, but when I wake up, I am still the same.” Selling tofu “. This is at this stage, this is normal.
This stage has its own lengths and shortcomings. Everyone has different talents. Some people may not have to go through this stage by nature, or they may skip this stage all of a sudden because they have guidance from noble people, or they see their family and friends starting businesses. stage, it is normal to go directly to the next stage . And some people may not be able to cross this stage in their lifetime. It depends on each person’s personality.
second stage is the stage of actual exploration
The second stage is the stage of actual exploration. At this stage, entrepreneurs are mentally prepared and start taking action. But the first thing an entrepreneur does may not be something that can make money, or be accepted by the market. Of course, if you have someone to guide you from the beginning and your understanding is high, this stage may pass quickly. But it is necessary anyway. Unlike the first stage, some people may not need to go through the first stage because of their natural adventurous personality.
The second stage should end as soon as possible. Because unlike the first stage, which does not require any cost, this stage requires economic costs and opportunity costs .
At the beginning of this stage, you just know that I want to start a business, I resigned, and I have a vague idea. You don’t know how to turn it into a product, let alone how to sell it or open the market. You don’t even know. How to register a company and find people to form a team. When this stage is over, you will understand everything . For any idea, you can immediately understand whether it is suitable for you. You understand your strengths and weaknesses, whether there are market opportunities, and how to operate it.
Then, you enter the third stage, the stage of mature entrepreneurs. At this time, you no longer have to worry about creativity . You see many opportunities in your eyes, and you know which opportunity is yours, and you also know what you should insist on.
achieved great things and great knowledg
To paraphrase a paragraph, “Those who have achieved great things and great knowledge in ancient and modern times must pass through three realms. ” Last night, when the west wind withered the green trees , I climbed up to the tall building alone and looked at the end of the world . This was the first state; “Regret, because Yi disappeared and made people haggard “, this is the second state; “The crowd searched for him thousands of times , and when I turned around, I suddenly saw that person in a dimly lit place “, this is the third state. These words are not beyond the reach of a great poet. Tao. But if I suddenly interpret the words in this way, I am afraid that Yan and Ou will not allow it.”
How to start a business
If your job search is not going well, you may have an idea at some desperate moment: Don’t work for others at all, it would be faster to start your own business.
Some people have always wanted to be their own boss without having to work for others. According to surveys, nearly 80% of workers have considered this idea. Everyone has a dream, maybe your dream is: I want to set up a website to teach everyone how to live an environmentally friendly life and protect the natural environment; or: I want to sell jewelry; I want to set up a security company; I want to open a bakery, Sell the bread and pies I bake; run a B&B; grow lavender and sell lavender-scented soap and perfume; become a consultant and help others with my years of experience in the industry; I want to do real estate sales… and so on.
Or maybe you don’t have a clear dream, you just know that you don’t want to work for others, you want to be your own boss, and you are willing to accept suggestions in any direction.
Is starting a business as difficult as everyone says?
Sometimes it is easy to take this step, sometimes it is harder than reaching the sky. Let’s look at some real historical cases.
Historical Case #1
AJ trained as a physiotherapist and easily found work at a regional hospital, but he felt anxious about working indoors all the time and wanted to get outdoors. He thought about his assets: he was a skilled photographer, an expert at painting and retouching furniture, and he loved visiting second-hand stores and flea markets. So, at first, he educated himself on antique furniture from a certain period and learned how much people who liked this type of furniture were willing to pay for it. He then visits local second-hand stores, flea markets, house sales and furniture sales every week, patrols classified ads, looks for furniture that is being sold for less than its true value, buys it, transports it back to his garage, polishes it up, and makes it look like new again. , then take photos of the products with beautiful lighting, and post the photos and prices on classified advertising websites. He was very professional and quickly became famous for it, with people flocking to buy every piece of furniture he posted online. He also keeps a list of local regulars, and if he finds new furniture for sale, he emails photos to the regulars before listing it publicly. Of course, after finishing the work, he sold the furniture for a higher price than the purchase price. Soon he was earning a very good living income for himself and his family, which continues to this day, and he can always work outside.
Historical Case #2
CW is a stay-at-home mom with a teenage daughter. The organization my daughter is involved in hosts an event every year to collect unwanted items from the town where they live. CW’s daughter is the one who collects recycling. On a predetermined weekend, the organization will hold a town-wide auction to sell the collected items. This activity earned them a lot of money. If they couldn’t sell the items, they took them home and slowly figured out what to do with them. The daughter brought back one hundred and fifty books, and they temporarily piled them in the room next to the living room. Visitors to their home would look at the stack of books and say, “Oh, this book looks interesting, what are you going to do with it?” The answer was: I can sell it to you. Soon, CW was running a small business at home, with visitors buying a few books they wanted and often bringing her unwanted books. Soon, the scale of the business became too large to be carried out at home, so CW rented a store in the city center and named it CW Second-hand Books. She set up a website to announce the types of books she owned, store opening times and other information, and her business was booming.
Historical Case #3
RJ is a retired military man. The first job she found was writing programs for a large company. Gradually, she decided she wanted to be independent. She chose a field that she knew a lot about, set up a website, and used Google ads and other channels to promote it. Soon, her website became a must-go place for people who wanted information in this field, and she also earned a good income.
These are true stories, I have only changed their names to protect privacy.
You’ll immediately notice that these historical cases have several things in common:
These people don’t need huge capital to start a business.
These people don’t research starting a business beforehand and spend a lot of time making sure everything works.
All three people use the Internet to let everyone know about their products, services, and expertise.
None of them took the traditional route of starting a business, such as buying a dealership or becoming a member of the heavily advertised “work from home” program that often attracts many unemployed people. Compared with the past, the face of the “self-employed” is very different.
So, since you are reading this chapter now, you must also be weighing whether to go out on your own, create your own business, and be your own boss. Where to start?
If you have no idea what business to start
In the first scenario, suppose you want to start a business but don’t have any ideas. How do you start? All careful and wise people will faithfully implement the following four steps: write it down, read the information, understand it deeply, and get feedback.
create your own business, and be your own boss
Start with Chapter 8 of this book and don’t just read, follow along! I have emphasized many times in this book that “who” takes precedence over “what.” Before deciding “what you want to do,” you must first have a clear understanding of “who you are.” Ultimately, what you decide to do must be based on who you are as a person. After you’re done, look at the entire flower diagram and see if the petals can inspire you to start your own business.
Get a blank piece of paper and write down any ideas that come to your mind. When completing other steps, whenever you think of any new ideas, write them down on this piece of paper, all on the same side (because you want to stimulate your right brain to think and use your intuition).
If you don’t have a resume yet, the next step is to write a resume and answer all the questions in Chapter 2, “Resume Writing Beginner’s Pack.” Once you’ve finished, read it again to yourself and see if any entrepreneurial ideas come to mind.
Sometimes, you have been doing the same thing for many years, but you just did it for others in the company. Now, you can consider doing the same job yourself, such as an independent accountant, masseur, business consultant, maintenance person, etc. Dance teacher, interior designer, home caregiver, sculptor, producer or seller of some kind of goods or services. If you meet this requirement, you can write down your business idea on the piece of paper just now.
Who would pay me to do these things
If you don’t have any inspiration, you can try Daniel Pink’s method: (a) list five things you are good at; (b) list five additional things you like to do the most; (c) combine the previous two lists List some of them; (d) Look at the third list and ask yourself: “Who would pay me to do these things?”.
read information
Ideally, after all this thinking and implementation, you should already have an idea. It is best to come up with three different entrepreneurial directions. If you really want to try one of them and feel that you are passionate about that thing, try that one first, then the second most interesting one, and then the third one. three.
The next step is to look at all the pros and cons of starting a business. Before you dive in, think it through! There are many related resources on the Internet and many books for reference.
