Expert Views on Business Plans

The views on business from the experts below did bring a lot of insight on how to successfully handle a business. To begin with, America’s Top Chef Bobby Flay owns several high-end restaurants, and casual dining burger places. Together these establishments gross million of dollars a year (bpexpertviews.com, 2011). The one thing I thing is important to highlight in this expert’s vision is that he diversifies. I believe that diversification would be a great tool to make use of in my business plan. For instance, this businessman did not limit himself to restaurants; he became a spokesman and an author but managed to keep his vision within the original industry.
The next successful businesswoman I admire the most is Oprah Winfrey. To try and number all of Oprah’s accomplishments would take book. She started out as a broadcasting pioneer, and went on to become a titan in the entertainment industry (Allen, n.d.). Oprah’s vision is and always has been of particular interest to me. Oprah is the perfect example of how one can be successful in any business when one works for a community’s best interests. With all her success, Oprah has always found the time to do her fair share of charity work, community involvement and much more. I think a part of a business plan should always include giving something back to the customer’s that keep the business profitable. For instance, a lot of businesses contribute to charities and encourage employees to do so by offering to match a percentage of their donations to the charity of their choice.
Another businessman who has left his mark in the business world is Donald Trump. He is the New York real state magnate. His vision has always been to lock the best business deals he can. Donald Trump has countless properties and has become a true entertainment personality having host a business show (Investingvalue.com, n.d.). The one quality Donald Trump has is his people skills. Although this term has become meaningless overtime it is an asset on the business world. A key to running a business is learning how to read people and what they do. Today many businesses even train their employees on reading body language in the workplace. This to me would be the take away I would incorporate into my business plan.
In closing, when starting a business one has a lot to learn from those ahead of us. Their ups and downs are something we should always study carefully and learn from.

Allen, S. (N.d). Reader’s most admired entrepreneur. Retrieved June 22, 2011,
Fromhttp://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/famousentrepreneurs/p/oprahwinfrey.htm
BP Experts Views. (2011). Bpexpertsviews.com. Retrieved June 22, 2011,
From http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/
Investing Value. (2011). Investingvalue.com. Retrieved June 22, 2011,
From http://www.investingvalue.com/investment-leaders/donald-trump/index.htm

Expert Views on Business Plans

Kevin Taylor
Kevin Tailor is an experienced public relations (PR) consultant. His area of expertise includes company positioning, and messaging. In addition, Kevin Taylor is an accomplished writer and commentator on PR issues. He is also a strategist who specializes on mobile IPTV and IT companies (Taylor, n.d.).
I found an article on Taylor’s views about a business plan that stated that a business plan couldn’t be in verbal form only, particularly when it involves a partnership. According to Taylor a verbal agreement could never substitute a contract, and specified exclusivity clauses. Another key element of a business plan is IP protection.
In addition to protecting a company’s innovative ideas IP also opens the door to the global market. Specifically, Taylor suggests that a company should prepare an IP portfolio to make sure it has valid registrations in the countries it will either operate or manufacture in. Taylor final comment on the business plan concept was that innovative companies should always make sure to turn their innovative ideas into a competitive advantage (telegraph.co.uk, 2010).


Michael Dean
For the next section of my blog I decide to elaborate on Michael Dean’s views on the Stockshifters’ business plan. To begin with, Michael Dean is a Marketing Specialist with a director level experience in both marketing and business development. Among other areas of expertise, he has tapped in to sales, IT management, and new service development. He is currently the head of marketing at the National Computer Centre (Dean, n.d.).
The key elements that Dean has brought up about this business plan include communication, a target market, and a work force. Dean’s position on this business plan is to communicate to the consumer the benefits of the new technology Stockshifters is bringing to the table. This will allow the consumer the opportunity to break from the old and embrace the new. The main reason for this strategy is the fact that with new technology, as with anything new from drugs, food, and more, there will be resistance from those who stand to make a profit from the present product or service. In addition, the workforce will play key role, as the company will need a competent sales staff to better sell their new product to the consumer. A sales staff can go from front-of-the-line associates to phone representatives.
Michael Dean truly has a goo point regarding the communication to the consumer. Delozier (n.d.) said:
The best definition of marketing communication is the process of presenting an integrated set of stimuli (promotion mix) to a target market with the extent to evolve a desired set of responses within that target market. (Para. 1)

In closing, a business plan has many elements that need to be considered to make sure the venture is a success. Business owners will continue to strive to make a profit and the changing needs on the market they operate will continue to be of great importance no matter the nature or ultimate goal the plan established.

Dean, M. (N.d). LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved May 31, 2011,
From http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-dean/5/a69/304

Delozier. (N.d). Marketing communication process. Retrieved May 31, 2011,
From http://www.best-information.eu/international-marketing-strategies

Taylor, K. (N.d). LinkedIn Profile. Retrieved May 31, 2011,
From http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kevin-taylor/0/5b/3b0

Telegraph (2010). Telegraph.com.uk. Retrieved May 31, 2011,
From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/7504112/

Search Engine Optimization

The artist I chose for this particular assignment is Prince Cat-Eyez. One of the reasons I chose this particular artist is because he happens to be a great friend of mine, and because he is a self-made public figure. Prince Cat-Eyes has, in my opinion, successfully uses social media to promote his material, and give continuous updates on his tours, and new releases.
Some of the channels he utilizes include Face Book, and Twitter.
When any of his fans visit his profiles they will be able to read his biography, accomplishments, new material, and upcoming events. Prince Cat-Eyez has successfully used these channels to put his name out in the industry, and booked many gigs in different events.
It is very important to mention also that another social media channel he uses is YouTube. If any of his fans type his name they will find some of his most recent videos. He has created an image and a style that stand out. This particular channel is by far the most effective because this is the finalized product. This is what the public ultimately sees, and what gives him the name and reputations he made for himself. In addition, his My Space profile gives his fans access to pictures, bio, and free music.
Aside from social media, Prince Cat-Eyez also resorts to networking channels as part of his marketing efforts. He has different contacts with recording studios, and booking agents he has worked with in the past. Prince Cat-Eyes is on the right path by combining social media with a networking channel because this is crucial to any artist or business that want their name to be known. By creating a social media network you can reduce your social networking efforts significantly and still get the best results from it. By integrating the 2 you not only can monitor the outcome your efforts produced but also how others in the industry are achieving their goals and hitting target markets (virtualsocialmedia.com, 2010).
I would suggest that this artist run his own website with all his information from Bio, pictures, music, downloads and such. He can use his existing channels to promote it, for example he can include a Twitter or Face Book button on the website. He can also look into different SEO options to drive traffic to his website (i.e. pay-per-click, and such) and increase his brand awareness.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prince-Cat-Eyez/111361905542802

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfVAxSIKaRs

the Fashion Industry and Digital Media

The fashion world has always interested me, ever since I was a child. I have some favorite designers and models, and sketch many looks including, ready-to-wear looks, costumes, different decades and eras, and more. This will be couple with my brushing up my sewing, and constructing skills. A head of costumes job for a major film company is on my list of possibilities. 

This article shows us that the fashion industry has not only discovered digital media but has embraced it. I must admit that before I read this article I had no idea of how much the fashion industry has come to depend on digital channels. On reading the article you will find that top designers like Gucci sell tickets online for online viewing of runway shows (Kramer, 2011). 

Another example is Ralph Lauren who created several apps around his products and audiences. According to the article its latest application is the RLX app. The application is name RLX because one can see athletes wearing RLX clothing. The app is meant to give the public a clear idea of what the product is about and what is meant to do (Kramer, 2011). 

I strongly believe that today is easy to realize how digital media has taken over the fashion industry, entertainment industry, and many others. For example, every reality TV shows such, as Top Model, and Project Runway are available online. Many of this shows can even involve the public by allowing viewers to pick favorites and sometimes either text or visit a website to cast a vote for a favorite contestant in the show. 

In the case of shows such as American Idol the final decision on a winner comes directly from the viewers of the show. In recent years, each contestant was assigned a code a viewer can use to vote for his or her favorite contestant by simply texting the code.  I really believe the digital media will continue to play a part in how industries reach their target markets. The new generations have grown up to know nothing but digital media. This article has shown readers the even the must successful people realize the importance of digital media. Below is a link to the article. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-fashion-industry-embraces-and-becomes-digital-media-2011-2

Kramer, L. (2011). The fashion industry embraces and becomes digital media. Retrieved May 07, 2011, from http://www.businessinsider.com/the-fashion-industry-embraces-and-becomes-digital-media-2011-2

Website reviews

For this blog I chose to review some websites I found on our collaboration assignment posted by Mandy Chenoweth.  The reason I decided to review these websites is because on that particular posting Mandy mentioned that she is dyslexic.  This really hit home for me because I have a dear friend from college who was also dyslexic and I know how hard she had to work to overcome this disability, and get good grades on both individual, and team papers.

If memory serves me she always was concerned with the proofreading part of the assignments, and would always request a neighbor friend to proofread for her. I was very grateful to her because her disability made me work harder, and commit more to our work together right down to the day we graduated.

To begin with, I visited a website called www.Arborservices.co/editing.php. This website offers such services as editing, proofreading, line editing, and more.  The websites offers a detailed explanation of how each service works, and also a price rate attached to each product. For example, comprehensive editing cost 0.04 to 0.14 cents a word, line editing cost 0.04 to 0.08 cents a word, and book read cost $500 per 20,000 words.  While the services offered are excellent I find the prices a bit exorbitant.  For instance, if you go with the book read option you have to figure that 1,000 words will fit in 2 pages (depending on size of print) so 20,000 words will fit in 40 pages. This mean you will pay $500 for a 40-page book. Imagine if you have a 200-page book, this would not be an option for someone trying to self-publish.

Next I visited www.editing-writing.com/book-editing.shtml. This website was not as straightforward as the one above, and certainly did not have as much detail on the main page; the pricing was not there, and you need to navigate through different links to learn about services offered. One thing this website did have was some reviews from users, and their comments on the editor who helped them with their work. Reading the reviews shows you that the work is very personal, and the author has direct contact with the editor, which makes it more personal.

Overall I found both websites useful but different in many levels. I was pleasantly surprise to learn that many services exist out there to help authors make their material known to the public.  This was definitely a great learning experience. 

Is self-publishing right for me?

Throughout this class we have learned all about self-publishing. My personal focus lay on book self-publishing. Although all the information provided was most helpful the question still remains whether or not self-publishing is the right option for any given author. Something I found very interesting is the fact that authors face the same quandary but for different reasons based on genre, market, resources, and such.

The research I conducted on the Internet lead me to a website that provides a very generic checklist that anyone can use to determine if self-publishing is right for him or her. The fact that is generic in nature makes it easy for any author to make good use of it no matter the genre.

Of course one advantage of self-publishing is that you get to keep the rights to the book if you choose to do so and get 100% royalties. These facts alone make it very appealing to the average author who is trying to put his or her work out there.

The website’s checklist appears very simple but in my opinion the questions it poses really put things in perspective. It basically helps you analyze each factor independently. For instance, you have to consider the market and ask yourself, is the market narrow and easily targeted? If you have a marketing strategy ask yourself if you have the time and energy to set things in motion and keep them going? If you do self-publish are you setting realistic goals in terms of profit and time marketing will take? In addition, you have to ask yourself some hard questions and try to be as objective as possible. For instance, you need to do some soul-searching and look at your work as the average reader would and ask whether or not you would read this material? If a professional opinion regards your work as average and not excellent ask yourself if you are considering self-publishing for egotistic reasons (writeservices.com, n.d.)?

Previously I have mentioned how important is to have a strong foundation when developing a business plan. Self-publishing is no exception. I strongly believe you have to have a well-thought out plan before even searching for the means to self-publish

           

Writer Services. (2003). Writerservices.com. Retrieved April 14, 2011

               From http://www.writersservices.com/wps/s_for_you.htm