Rolfe Larson – Page 9 – Management Library

May 20, 2011March 28, 2023

Using social media to sell stuff (Part II)

A-person-holding-a-phone-trying-to-log-in-to-facebook

Given the explosion of social media for networking, relationship-building, communication and awareness, I’ve been surprised at how few social enterprises seem to be using it specifically to attract and retain customers. The good news is that this is changing, and, well, the more I look the more ventures I come across taking advantage of these new opportunities. Here are some more examples (see also my blog on this topic on 3/12/11):

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May 18, 2011March 28, 2023

Pricing Strategies (Part 1)

Figuring out how to price your products or services is often very challenging, especially for a new venture. Yet you need a pricing strategy for your business plan, to determine your break-even point and profitability, and of course to launch your business. Here are some tips on how to make that decision:

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April 29, 2011March 28, 2023

What Gandhi taught us about business planning

A reporter came to interview Mahatma Gandhi one day. It turned out this was his day of silent fasting, but the reporter still insisted on getting Gandhi’s message to the world. Ghandi wrote: My Life Is My Message. In a business world where many hours and dollars are often spent crafting that perfect positioning statement and marketing message, based on what research and our instincts tell us customers will gobble up, it’s worth remembering Gandhi’s words.

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April 29, 2011March 28, 2023

Low/no profit is not a virtue

The way you hear some social enterprisers talk, you’d think it’s an inherently good thing to lose money, or if you have to make a profit, keep it small. For example, the new Low-Profit Limited Liability (L3C) corporate structure, which allows an SE to have social objectives and attract investors, has that low profit mentality built into its name.

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April 15, 2011March 28, 2023

Interns help write your business plan

Creating a business plan takes a lot of time. But you can get help. Consultants can be valuable, but to save money, find out if there’s a qualified college intern who could carry some of the load. Many college courses require students to participate in internships. With the right intern and a carefully structured project, they can help turn your business concept into something closer to a completed business plan. Here are some tips for developing that perfect internship:

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April 15, 2011March 28, 2023

“Social” alternatives to Groupon

Groupon seems to have recently arrived at the social enterprise sector. Many SEs have applied for participation in Groupon promotions, and a few have been picked. Results so far have been mixed, in terms of long-term benefit to the social enterprise. And there are folks who would prefer to avoid Groupon, in part because of their Superbowl ads, which ridiculed social change and the nonprofit sector. Fortunately, there are now a few “social” alternatives to Groupon.

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March 24, 2011March 28, 2023

Implementation: Turning Your Business Plan Into A Business

You’ve gone through the steps. Your business plan is reasonably thorough. So there’s not much to worry about, right? Wrong. If it’s good, it will get you started. But it’s only a plan. The rest you’ll have to figure out as you go. Reality has an annoying way of interfering with plans.

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March 24, 2011March 28, 2023

Measuring outcomes for social enterprises

Business-people-discussing-on-social-enterprise.

Evaluating the impact of a social enterprise is often difficult to do. For most sectors, there are no agreed-upon metrics to rely upon to tell others how successful you have been. But you don’t have to start from scratch. Here are some perspectives and suggestions that might be helpful:

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March 16, 2011March 28, 2023

Do “Just Enough” Business Planning

Woman beside a colleague going through business files

There’s nothing magical about business planning. At its core, it involves thinking through who your target customers are, how your proposed venture will profitably address their needs better than the competition, how you will communicate with these customers, and where you plan to get the funds to start it all up.

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March 12, 2011March 28, 2023

Use social media to increase sales

A person holding a gadget with social media on it

Social media is not novel any more. Facebook and Twitter are now household names, worldwide. They connect people and causes, they build online communities, sure. But they also sell products, big time.

The corporate sector has discovered this power, and recently many nonprofits are finding these online, interactive communities to be powerful places to build awareness, engagement, and ultimately contributions.

Social enterprises can benefit from skillful use of these tools as well.

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