Business Action Group

Archive for the ‘Business Plan’ Category

The ability to identify opportunities for better living conditions and make efforts to materialize into concrete action has been characteristic of human beings from their appearance on earth.

The challenges of modern life, where competition for survival and growth are constant, highlight the relevance of the spirit that gives individuals and organizations the strength to fight, overcome and improve. When viewed from the perspective of business, the momentum is clearly identified as entrepreneurship.

Several authors recognize the importance of this factor on the possibility of improving the living conditions of individual and collective, as part of a coherent economic development
highlighting its potential impact on small and medium enterprises.

As defined in the European Green Paper, entrepreneurship takes the attitude that it is an individual, by acting both as individuals and as a member of an organization, which shows their ability and motivation to identify an opportunity and achieve through their own efforts to generate greater value or economic success.

The concept emphasizes the importance of creativity, innovation and sound management, taking the respective risks in the generation of skills to achieve positive changes in existing markets, creating new markets and generally promote higher value added to existing processes.

Entrepreneurship can occur in any business of all sectors, in companies of any size and individuals with varying degrees of preparation and maturity. Its main benefits are associated with: Read the rest of this entry »

Much has been written about business, but really, little has been characterized by describing the actual stages by which pass, to become great entrepreneurs like Carlos Slim, Bill Gates and Donald Trump, just to mention a few.

Every company has its origins based on three characteristics: the idea, and finally capital management.

This can be done from a single person having three points or more partners.

Call it an entrepreneur who has the idea and concept of a product or service to be performed, an investor who provides capital for startup and initial business support and, last but not least, the person who is going to take accountability and to manage the new business to undertake.

Most articles and books always focus on the typical features that should have people to become good entrepreneurs, as entrepreneurs, motivation, breadth of vision, creativity, openness, discipline, perseverance, honesty , love of work, leadership, teamwork, humanistic culture, incorporating elements qualities and integration of internal and external to the enterprise, respect for ecology, prudence, fortitude, patience, perseverance, cooperation, passion for excellence of product or service offered and finally provision of service-meaning social-responsibility.

Daniel Goleman, Doctor of Psychology UniversityHarvard, is the creator of a new concept applied to the employer, as well as the new leaders (political and managerial), and every kind of worker, called “Emotional Intelligence.”

This new concept of intelligence, which promotes personal and professional excellence, ensures that you reach higher levels of leadership and efficiency in enterprises, through self-knowledge, self security and self-control, commitment, integrity and ability to communicate with others. Read the rest of this entry »

In recent years there has heard that the Colombian family businesses are close to face major generational changes. Statistics show that only 30% of family businesses survive the change from first to second generation and 13% change from second to third generation. These data raise concerns me about how to get companies Colombian family endure over the years and the face of generational change?

I found that one factor of great importance and that some have talked about is the “entrepreneurial spirit.” The project, as suggested by some scholars, is a tool that allows companies to develop new strategies and capabilities to compete in mixed environments and changing environments. In a family business, the venture could lead the way to be an ancient family business.

Therefore, it is worth asking what is actually undertaken, and how can families Colombian entrepreneurs cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and carry out entrepreneurial practices. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a key question that can define both corporate strategic capacity as opening your mind to new ideas and potential to develop and expand your business, and that is: when do you think should take new risks and try new ways and strategies to business?

Unfortunately, most home business is family SMEs, which means more experience, “street” that training, and more conservative than innovation. And by returning to our question, he finally be the answer … only when things are falling apart.

SME business training (mostly family, but grows well in cases of companies not familiar with untrained members in administrative, managerial or marketing) is usually obtained on the fly. A first initial success may be added some others, and a certain trend of growth or stability, those who command these companies tend to stagnate, “achancharse” and assume (falsely) that have the cow tied, and that just to get milk life, they, their children and future generations.

Not even Bill Gates and the almighty Microsoft, which have a quasi-monopoly (the largest in the world) have tied the cow, there is Linux and other operating systems market shares scratching, there are other alternatives to Office Suite … eminences assumptions are not eternal, but in the case of Microsoft, get out of it (market forces) has to take much longer than just SMEs in Argentina.

The problem is complacency. Family SMEs assume that in times of plenty, it is time to take profits, renovate cars and houses, investing in currencies, bonds and time deposits, and “living la vida loca.” To take an example close the prosperity of a neighborhood business involves change of car, home improvement, buying houses for children, nice clothes, travel and university in-class institutions. And indeed, this should not be.

“Why?

If we speak of Argentina, but everyone who reads this note, you can study the cases of their country and reach their own conclusions. The economy is cyclical, and in the case of Argentina, taking into account more recent years, it is easy to conclude that about every 10 years comes a serious crisis, recession included. Without going any further, I can guess that fixed deadlines apoderación 91 is the grandfather of the “yard” of 2001 … and about 2011 the government again seize foreign savings.

Even in first world economies there is regular and constant growth there are always cyclical crises. And unfortunately, only when these crises erupt, is when they venture entrepreneurs to take risks that did not want to take. They do it on time, bad, without advice and with little room for maneuver.

Returning to the example of the business district, not a bad reward for the sacrifice to build it up and running … but why do not foresee, optimize, and above all, to expand?

When you must take risks, it is precisely at the time of fat cows, money back and room for maneuver. There are some simple recipes that can serve as a kick to build more complicated strategies:

- First, you should try to calculate your monthly residual income. Sea with a scientific method or not, you must have performance indicators for the month. For example, you can define from 1 to 20 is the time of operating expenses (assume 20 per take, eg the date of payment of VAT as a major expense last month), and measure results from Day 21 and 30, with the period of 21 to 30 last month (as was the bank last month to that date?, I have checks held more or less than last month? regarding my stock? how much I have dates receivable similar?). The measurement of so-called assets used to know if the month has been successful or had to put money in your pocket.

- Second, the comparison of results tends to form a trend, especially if it results build one or two years, to measure seasonal variations (summer sold less in January, selling more than in December because everyone already received the bonus, etc) Read the rest of this entry »

Perhaps you have a company or a good idea to start a new business, perhaps you know a product or service that everyone needs and you can improve or sell at a cheaper price, you might think that your city or community need some kind of business as a shoe store, stationery, hospital, butchers, law firm, doctor etc., or however you want make a product or service, but first let me say that most new businesses or businesses close their doors due to lack of profitability, and all for problems that originate from business planning as location, type of product, quality, price, management, promotions and poorly planned.

The planning, organization, operation and control of your company is one of the biggest challenges for any small business owner who intends to start a new business.

Being an entrepreneur requires discipline, accountability, consistency, and perseverance, a businessman working more than one person and almost always used initially earn lower income, even after the income can be increased depending on the success of your business, in a nutshell Being an entrepreneur is a challenge.

Entrepreneur is called to the person who starts a mission. Entrepreneur, is a person who starts a company with a defined objective. Among other features, an entrepreneur or entrepreneur, you must be consistent, determined, visionary, daring, charismatic, planner, organizer, leader and have a working capacity above the average. Many features to appear together in a single individual, however, entrepreneurs, as most dealers are-they have them.

If you want to improve their position as an entrepreneur, will identify a vision and goal. The vision will be the ultimate goal for which you started your business, which, of course, is not making money. Making money is a requirement of any enterprise for profit. Your vision must be something subtle, to guide you through the difficult time the world of distribution of computer equipment and related services. If you do not set a vision, hardly be staying in the market. Once you have established a vision, it shall set a goal for a year, six months, or three. The time depends on the type of segment that is highly dynamic and that is it.

One of the characteristics that differentiate an entrepreneur from a typical manager is that the entrepreneur takes risks, or at least risking your money. The entrepreneur invests large amounts of time, “and usually, all your money, and sometimes even more. This should have a pretty clear vision of what is going to do, because otherwise it will be difficult to recoup the investment. In this wave of Internet business is changing and becoming, you never know what will happen tomorrow. The risk increases. Read the rest of this entry »

The trend toward equalization of working conditions between men and women should not be limited to paid work. One of the objectives of the Lisbon Agenda is to reach next year the female employment rate of 60%, but the European Commission is aware that an employee is not the only means of employment integration, and is therefore promoting women’s participation in entrepreneurship. The last step in this area has been the launch of the “network of Ambassadors of Female Entrepreneurship, whose mission is to share with other women first-hand experience in enterprise projects.

The launch, held in Stockholm, attended by 150 ambassadors chosen from throughout Europe. The network image arises from that in Sweden, the country holds the EU presidency until January 1, given over from Spain. Nordic government has designated some 800 ambassadors to encourage other women to make the leap. As in many other matters, the European Statistics Sweden commands respect: women led 32% of new projects last year, and the goal is to reach 40% in 2010. We speak, of course in a country where a quarter of companies are run by women, a level unthinkable to the South.

According to the Commission, the launch of the network represents an opportunity for mutual inspiration between the various ambassadors. At the opening session, several of the entrepreneurs presented their business the rest are already a reality: from a home-based distributor of raw foods to a unit that acts as personal secretary for various clients.
Carin Holmquist, professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, notes that in the entire European Union, 5% of women are entrepreneurs, a percentage that has increased by half a point since 1990. Their motivations, Holmquist says, are finding freedom and fulfillment, and the possibility of reconciling work and family life.

The traditional role that society assigns to women, focusing on family care, is a barrier to their access to the labor market. To balance family responsibilities with employment requires flexible hours, and the creation of companies is, according to the Swedish Presidency, an opportunity in this regard.

Sectoral diversity by sex
One thing to note is that entrepreneurs tend to seek opportunities in sectors that have previously worked, and these are employed in varying degrees by men and women. Thus, these dominate the trade and non-market services such as education or health, while male employment focuses on the industry or financial services. Jöran Hägglund, Minister of State for Energy and the Swedish company, explains that this distribution makes the women’s entrepreneurial action, because his job focuses on “activities not open to entrepreneurship.”

The challenge, then, are many (including difficult access to finance), but they begin to lay foundation. The presentation of the Network of Ambassadors was closed with a gala dinner at the impressive City Hall of Stockholm, place of delivery of the Nobel Prizes. A symbol, perhaps, the pursuit of excellence pursued by the Lisbon Agenda.

It is essential to address when we speak of organizational development, entrepreneurship. Indeed, we tend to confuse or find texts that speak equally of “Entrepreneurship” and “entrepreneurship.”
As shown in the article, could be considered the first as a broader term, perhaps oriented business vision, and the second a number of specific qualities of those who understand that ideas can become viable business models, making it his personal project and labor.

Entrepreneurship is inherently a set of skills, as might be the ability deliderazgo, risk aversion, motivation superlative, the analysis capacity problems in search of opportunity, tolerance of failure, etc.., Which probably resides today These days the importance of promoting the adquisiciónde these skills, by those who tomorrow will face decisions endisposición of the fact cuentapropia or do work for others, indeed, those who perhaps should entenderque development of these skills or can llevarsea implementation proceeded smoothly, provided that the culture of the organization in our professional lives quedesarrollemos assume it, “chipped in structures do not have to own and to that aspect (the intrapreneurial) I dedicate a few lines at the end of the article.
I want to do some reflection theFallas importance in promoting entrepreneurship can be luchacontra stigma of failure, while in countries like the United States made several times dehaber started from scratch an entrepreneurial venture is a aspectomuy valued by those who may be willing to invest in the project, since it is understood that the previous administration is a wealth of experience quedifícilmente may transmit the most prestigious business schools oinstituciones-training in Spain, for example, is still pending unaasignatura mainly financial institutions and elsistema governing the grant or funding support for these people.
Projects designed to work unmundo of second chances “to which some international institutions like the Development BancoIberoamericano are already facing higher value-aquellosque would bet their heritage by carrying out a project, sometimes inclusoalgunas against the closest.
According to statistics from various reports and studies, it is rare that the youth of our schools and our centers’ training for employment (vocational schools, universities, etc..) Think in a majority of this possibility delemprendimiento as the ideal career opportunity personal fulfillment at work. The stability, security, salary, type of contract … are often the concerns they face when the time is coming decomenzar his career work.

The inclusion in currículosde Secondary Education / High School and Vocational Training (in the first case models using free elective subjects for students vary, depending on the Autonomous Regions, and the second one through the study of cross laasignatura Initiative Entrepreneur “) are two good GETTINGSTARTED towards the development and exhibition of new possibilities for instructional levels at the end of his academic life, although there is still much greater slope unacercamiento business world to these groups, conidea to show success stories like a reality and the cases of tropiezocomo a path to success on successive occasions.

I wanted to consciously avoid the word failure because I think it should apply only to those who lose lailusión, and not those who have run the wrong way your aventuraempresarial, recursively, in addition, they lack training in subjects specific ohabilidades, and of course, still do not know an entrepreneur / a quecarezca any illusion for use in body and soul into his project to develop entrepreneurship.

Now, speaking of intrapreneurs, should be equally important in managing teams focused on common objectives ypersonas (departments or business areas and entities deempresas) promoting the acquisition and development of habilidadesemprendedoras in team members. A team capable of facing nuevosretos, manage and be able to find innovative solutions to analyze problems from a positive perspective and guidance to the búsquedade new opportunities to work with laconfección multidisciplinary vision of the equipment itself, to develop their project sintoníacon staff in the common goal of the organization … will be a team with a very high level decompetitividad.

Work thus far know about our chances, heading for entrepreneurial development, understanding and political talconcepto medium term and looking for tangible results in time.

Profit, competition, leadership, entrepreneurship, productivity, innovation, risk … All these terms are part of a system called “organization” or “business” system which performs a process that enables the creation and opening of the market. And among these concepts, entrepreneurship is regarded as important, because it depends on the articulation of the process, the direction of the system and the actions that lead to productivity and profit.

Corporate action and results, which become entrepreneurship, depend on the agent called social entrepreneurs. And is it economically important in an organization, not production, but the entrepreneur’s ability to generate business opportunities and foster innovation. It is the job of the employer to determine where there is a business opportunity and analyze the factors that define these opportunities as good and viable. To understand this phenomenon is to assess the expectations, levels of uncertainty and risk, have intuition, to anticipate future possibilities and surprise factors, make decisions in relation to them and present reality, be clear about the investment, advantages, disadvantages and projected earnings. Thus, the agent of the evolution of a company is the employer because of his vision, ideas, skills and actions depend on the establishment, development and progress of the organization.

Thus, the entrepreneur is part of the formation, consolidation and development of the company in the market, according to current needs, which implies risk to change, bet on innovation and know when to do so and know what aspects to enhance the organization. It is here where the businessman with his strong instinct for perfection away from the Read the rest of this entry »

Many companies are now overwhelmed by the amount of unpaid debts of their clients. Even those who are behind always paid on time, often a domino effect with its own debtors. Not only is the impact on cash, but also risk losing the final total amount of bills, much higher than the margin that it could win.
We present here some guidelines to reduce outstanding:

1. Have a day reconciliations of clients:
It is clear that if the reconciliations are not current, the information is not reliable and people will lose valuable time to determine what is really up. It seems obvious, but many companies these data are not current.

2. Make an inventory of the customer up and regularly review:
The management information system, its configuration and the actual use made by people who have accounts can make a big difference between a list of unpaid very difficult to read and a real working tool. The ideal is to get a list of customer balances, with the vanquished by age, and the explanations to date. Many computer systems allow you to update comments so we can know at any time the unpaid position of a client. It is vital to know the reason for nonpayment. Read the rest of this entry »