Startups That Made A Recent Buzz

With new businesses appearing consistently almost on daily basis, it can be barely noticeable the ones that are worth observing or trying.

Some startup discussion boards, however, happen to filter some of the best startups on weekly or monthly basis.

These buzzing startups are going past the fundamentals of offering an item and affecting genuine change in an assortment of commercial ventures. The value that they bring in is the reason they are more talked about.

Do check out the list of top 15 startups of October 2015, listed at Startups BUZZ.

To Sell in South Africa You Must Develop a Brand

There’s no question on South Africa’s being the best place in Africa to do business, however, it’s not easy too!

Well, it’s very easy to set up your small business in South Africa, if your business idea is something that is delivering some value to the population. Do check if your idea matches something in this list of best small business ideas for South Africa.

So, you have a great business idea and a super product or service for the South African market, but if you cannot develop a brand and do not have brand loyal customers, you will ultimately fail!

Brand loyalty is high; very high in South Africa, Just have a look at the food and beverage and banking sectors in South Africa and you will find how things go there. 

Also read: South Africa is the Gateway to Africa for Your Business

Setting up Public and Private Shareholding Companies in the UAE

I have received a lot of queries on my Linkedin regarding a quick guide on setting up business in the UAE. Well, I will always recommend getting in touch with a business setup agent as they are the experts and can guide you in the right way, but a little do I know must also be shared publicly.

So, if you have a kick ass business idea that you want to launch in the UAE, do check this list of most popular small business ideas for UAE and make sure you have something that is in demand here.

Now coming to the setup, I discussed details about general partnerships vs joint venture companies in the UAE here. and now I will share some points on Public and Private shareholding companies.

The law makes it a must for companies engaging in banking, insurance, or financial activities should be run as public shareholding companies. Foreign banks, insurance and financial companies, however, can establish a presence in the country by opening a branch or representative office.

UAE is a big money market and so a there's a big clientele. So, Shareholding companies are suitable primarily for large projects or operations, since the minimum capital required is Dh. 10 million (US$ 2.725 million) for a public company, and Dh. 2 million (US$ 0.545 million) for a private shareholding company.

For the shareholding companies, it's a must that the chairman and majority of directors must be UAE nationals and there is less flexibility of profit distribution than is permissible in the case of limited liability companies which I will discuss later.

Writing a Business Plan: When & Where to Start

Business plan is not just a simple document that you may need to attract investors, but a clear roadmap to start and run your business in the right direction.

Being a roadmap to success, business plan is considered to be an essential development before starting s of time, when you have a business idea and plans ready in the minds.

Well, business plan is never a waste of time, but yes at times your idea is so much vulnerable to theft and is time sensitive that getting yourself into writing a business plan may not be the right idea.

In that case, you can start with business plan outline and let the expert business plan writer expand the document as needed. Since, a thorough research  is needed to identify the potential weaknesses, opportunities, and threats your business is likely to have, make sure your writer follows a careful policy in this regard.

Here are some useful links for developing a good business plan. Check if you need to follow any of these:

Writing business plan for non profits.

Top resources for business plan writing.

Guide on writing business plan.

Transforming Your SEO Expertise into a Successful Online Marketing Business

There are tons of SEO experts who claim to bring any business on first page in Google, but the bitter truth about online marketing is that, it's not just about pleasing Google.

There is more to it than just knowing how to please Google and so, whether or not your job is just about SEO, you should explore other arenas of online marketing too.

Once, you have hands on experience of multiple dimensions of online marketing, you can start your own online marketing company by offering a full range of value-added service to your clients. To get a detailed insight on how to start online marketing business, you will, however, need to do lot of research.

Most of the online marketing business owners have started with very low budget, so think of ideas and actions that do not require major investment but can generate good profits.
Some ideas can be:

• Start a home based business.
• If you have a circle of friends who can offer web design, hosting, copywriting etc, do take them onboard as strategic partners. 
• Offer referral discount to get more clients.

To read more about starting online marketing business on budget, check out this guide on How to Start an Internet Marketing Business on a Budget.

How to Develop a Recession Proof Marketing Plan for Salon Business

Unlike a bakery business and a laundry business, salons are more vulnerable to recession. Salon businesses, face the direct impact of economic behavior prevailing in the country.

But, being more vulnerable to recessions doesn't mean you should not get into the industry. Rather it means to have a recession proof marketing plan that is part of your beauty or hair salon business plan.

See, when the economy is riding high, people are willing and able to buy more or your services and they don't care if they are bit expensive;  so offering and highlighting services like luxury spa services like detailed hair treatments, relaxing massages etc during these times can work like a charm.

On the other hand, special discount packages during low times can work great. One way to create a great marketing plan for your salon is to research your target market's economic base carefully.

Knowing the income slabs, you can easily design all in one services plan that caters the need of each slab. This way just in case the economy fluctuates, the high end customers have the option to find an alternate on budget.

Financial Independence; a Great Entrepreneurial Motivator

Financial Independence is probably the biggest and most common reason people start their own business for. And that’s a good thing!

Everyone has the right to struggle for financial independence in their own way.  If you are really serious about becoming wealthy and financially independent,  the number one road to success is entrepreneurship.

Starting up and building a successful business will not only make you financially independent, but will also reward you with skills, recognition and many other benefits that you may have not thought about. So, don't waste time and start with 2015 small business ideas today!

The Keys to Success:

• The succeed you must be goal oriented and have the ability to overcome your fear of failure. 
• The second major reason for financial underachievement and failure is just plain ignorance. Most people do not know how to start and build a business, so stay updated with latest trends and have hands on on everything needed.
• The third reason why people don’t start and succeed in their own businesses is because they think that they don’t have enough money. Forget about money, and create some value for people. Money will come itself!

Overcoming the challenges is necessary as you may face a new challenge on each stage of your business development and growth, so be ready and you will be successful!

Is Passion Not Enough to Start a Laundry? Then What Else?

Many entrepreneurs, who consider opening a laundry, have little or no prior formal training in the business.

Well, as a fact of the matter many laundry owners simply run the numbers, but it doesn't mean you just decide that starting a laundry equals a good business opportunity.

Since, the business scenario around the world is getting competitive, it's good conduct thorough research into the industry first and then analyze whether or not there's an opportunity for you. Innovating the existing solutions like mobile laundry, pick and deliver laundry and so on can be a better option rather than just starting a simple laundry shop.

So, go out in the market, start talking to laundry owners, consider reading trade literature and also keep a close eye on the problems of customers. All this can lead you towards a better business idea for your laundry shop. Once, you have the idea, documenting things into a laundry business plan is the road map to success.

While formal experience may not be necessary, you may have sufficient knowledge of the operations, so you can monitor the staff at least. In addition, a solid understanding of financial, sales, marketing and management principles can be a big plus. Don't worry if you are not at that level for now, starting today can lead you there tomorrow!

11 Ideas to Grow Your Small Business Startup

The biggest challenge for any startup is to survive and those who successfully make it happen comes another big challenge, i.e. growth.

If you have survived startup and built successful business; the only thing covering your mind at this stage is how to grow small business faster. Looking for business growth is a requirement and growing it faster is your ultimate goal.

There are numerous possibilities to grow your business, some a faster ways and some are comparatively slow and steady. I am going to list a few I know well about.

1. Opening another location: Aiza discusses, Opening Another Location: Is It the Right Way of Business Expansion?
2. Franchising: Sundus has word on it, Franchising; Is that the Right Way for My Business Growth?
3. License your product. This can be an effective, low-cost growth medium, particularly if you have a service product or branded product.  Unlike complete franchise rights, you can license individual products whereby you can receive upfront money and royalties from the continued sales or use of your software.
4. Affiliate Program: It's very popular in online sales of services and non-tangible or digital goods. You have to pay to the affiliate only when he makes sale.
5. Strategic Partnerships: Sarah outlines details as Strategic Partnership: A Virtually No Cost Startup Growth Option.
6. Diversifying: Bianca explains how Diversifying Your Business Can Let it Grow Faster.
7. Targeting other markets: If your consumer market ranges from teenagers to college students, think about where these people spend most of their time and take your business there. By offering special discounts you can grab a share of other markets too.
8. Winning a government contract: Well, it's not that easy, but if your business can serve a government department in anyway, that's a big plus.
9. Mergers and Acquisitions: Sam details some Success Factors for Business Growth Through Mergers & Acquisitions.
10. Global Expansion: Starting export can be really beneficial, if you think you can remain cost effective in production and transportation.
11. Expanding Over the Internet:  Probably cheapest and the fastest way to reach customers in any corner of the world, however, you need highly professional online marketing experts for this option.

The above list is just my brainstorming; you can come up with more ideas by simply twealqc4

Business Plan; a Must before Opening a Bakery Business

Whether, it’s a home based concern or a small scale bakery business, a business plan is a must. It will not only help you operate your bakery rightly but will also assist in marketing it better and generating funding and growth options.

With a Business plan in hand, you always know what your goals are and how you are going to achieve them. So, it keeps you on a track for all the concerns of your business.

Let’s have a look at details of what should be the content of your bakery business plan.

1. Executive Summary (including Mission & Keys to Success) 
2. Company Summary 
3. Products 
4. Market Analysis Summary 
5. Strategy and Implementation Summary 
6. Management Summary 
7. Financial Plan 
8. Appendix 

Although developing a bakery business plan should not be a big issue for anyone enthusiasm and cool business idea, at times it gets difficult to draft things out.

Sometimes when you are short of time and other times when you are clueless what to write and what not, using a quick business plan template can do wonders for you.

Beauty Salon Business & Licencing Requirements

In all the developed countries, let it be in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, anywhere in the Middle East or Europe, all businesses must be licensed.

So if you are looking to open a beauty salon, make sure that you know all about licensing in your city/state. In fact, make sure to add the licencing details within your beauty salon business plan too, as it will help you build more trust and grab authenticity.

Since, beauty salon business is all about dealing with the appearance of individuals and they are most concerned about their look and style. Anything done wrong to any client will surely drag you to the court, so besides the beauty salon opening permit, you must have to make sure that your all staff members are also licensed in their particular expertise.

All personal appearance workers must have a valid license from local authority in their particular field, i.e. cutting or coloring hair, painting nails, hair removal, and makeup application.

Rules vary by state and country, so the best idea is to contact your local division of occupational and professional licensing for detailed information and guidance.

Should You Sacrifice Design Over Conversions?

Believe it or not, the design of your website has a direct and major impact on the number of sales conversions.

Once upon a time, experts would have suggested that a detailed stuffy navigation that makes things easier for user is great even if it looks ugly. But now, with the changing technologies and the more internet exposure of people, looking good is as important as increasing sales.

Think of an ugly restaurant or a shop; would you enter to spend? Well, same applies in online shopping. People buy when something looks good!

Every business looks to improve the process and increase sales through online marketing. In this connection; many sacrifice the design. Increasing sales is always a priority, but sacrificing a great design must not be an option.

Encouraging sales does not mean that to sacrifice good design in any case. The look and feel of a site over the other requirement to turn visitors into customers must not be taken down because an aesthetically-pleasing design that gives users a clear path to conversion is is a big plus.

Landing Page Optimization Fundamentals

Knowing the basics of landing page optimization can turn you terrible landing page into a lead generation machine.

I'll be kind of to the point here, so if you are looking for the details about each fundamental, do check the landing page optimization best practices by StartupGuys.

I hope, you can get some instant ideas with my quick list, so do not hesitate to apply them vigorously as you get started. Try these first and then enhance your pages by digging into the areas discussed in the link i mentioned.
Here it goes:

• Send people to a relevant and targeted page only. (use PPC and other promotion wisely).
• Provide a consistent experience; keep relevant content on the page.
• Don't bore them; add some spice to engage them.
• Make the headline clear, easily noticeable, and in a relevant position on the page.
• If you have multiple user types, create a landing page for each segment and drive traffic via separate sources. 
• Remember that ad campaign that had a single button proclaiming “Don’t click me”? Nobody could resist that. 
• Remove the unnecessary items from the navigation.
• Keep reading to a minimum.
• Experiment with different media types; videos, presentations and more.
• Enable sharing on viral landing pages.
• If you are asking your visitors for personal data (name, email etc) on your landing page, duly thank them when they provide that.

So, got your idea? Apply it now!

Offering Few Products On Home Page Increases Conversions

Well, that's a tip for you if you are currently selling a number of products or services on your website.
As I talked to experts and tested some stuff myself as well, offering fewer products in one place with more copy describing those products always translates into higher sales.

See, it's all about focus. Offering too many options at one place means you are confusing the visitor to make right choice. Instead of trying to please everyone who visits your site by offering a large range of products with minimal detail about each one, if you offer just one product or better is a set of products/services.

Few choices that focus on one key set of benefits and answer all the possible questions and doubts your visitors might have about your product.

A question may arise that "Should I stop selling other products?".

Well, you don't have to stop selling your other products. Those can always be offered to customers from other web pages or by using follow-up offers.

Website Conversion Optimization Strategy is something that needs constant testing.This is the only way to find out what actually works better with your target audience. And so you have to test it!

Write a sales letter for your lead product, and put it on your home page. Then run the test for a week or two to see how it increases your sales.