Leyla Bonilla's List: Negocios

• Según este método es el precio el que determina el coste y las inversiones son decididas una vez que el precio ha sido establecido. El siguiente esquema muestra la diferencia entre el precio determinado por el coste y el determinado por el valor.
• El precio basado en el coste comienza con el producto. Los departamentos de Iingeniería y Producción diseñan un “buen” producto, luego Finanzas calcula los costes totales y al final el departamento de Marketing tiene la tarea de comunicar con publicidad que hay suficiente valor en el producto para justificar el precio.
• Un ejemplo reciente de este método es Nintendo y el lanzamiento de la Wii.
  
  Cuando comenzaron el desarrollo de la Wii, en Nintendo se enfocaron en los beneficios y el precio, antes que el producto y sus costes.
• “Buscábamos diseñar una consola que se pudiera vender por menos de 25 mil yenes ($211)” –explica Shigeru Miyamoto, diseñador estrella de Nintendo- “una consola que las madres quisieran –fácil de usar, rápida de instalar, que no consumiera mucha energía y que fuera silenciosa mientras está en funcionamiento (…)
• Al definir los beneficios buscados por el segmento objetivo, Nintendo fijó un precio y luego se embarcó en la tarea de diseñar un producto que tuviera un coste que resultara rentable para el precio fijado.
  
  Como resultado, Nintendo puede vender la Wii a un precio substancialmente menor y aún así tener un mayor margen que sus competidores Sony (Playstation) o Microsoft (Xbox).
• identificó qué buscaban esos potenciales consumidores: los jóvenes se morían por un coche deportivo aunque no podían pagarlo, y lo que más querían de un deportivo no eran las prestaciones mecánicas (un motor costoso, suspensión deportiva, etc.) sino la excitación de conducir un coche deportivo (diseño exterior, asientos bajos, neumaticos deportivos, etc.).
• Como paso siguiente, el equipo de diseño determinó el precio del nuevo coche: los jóvenes estaban dispuestos a pagar un máximo de 2.500 dólares
• Entonces el equipo de ingeniería comenzó a diseñar el producto, aunque para lograr rentabilidad a un precio de 2.500 dólares tuvieron que ser creativos.

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• 2. Sigue trabajando en tu startup
• Recaudar el dinero siempre lleva más tiempo del que te imaginabas. Lo que parece que será una interrupción de 2 semanas se convierte en una interrupción de 4 meses. Esto puede ser muy desmoralizante. Y peor aún, puede convertirte en algo menos atractivo para los inversores. Los inversores buscan empresas dinámicas. Una empresa que en 4 meses no generó algo nuevo, no parece ser dinámica, entonces, empiezan a perder interés.
• Lo que digo a la mayoría de los startups que financiamos es que si alguien reconocido te ofrece financiamiento en términos razonables, acéptalo. Hubo startups que no tuvieron en cuenta este consejo y les fue bien – startups que ignoraron una buena oferta a la espera de una mejor, y de hecho consiguieron una mejor. Pero en la misma situación, volvería a repetir el mismo consejo. ¿Quién sabe cuántas balas había en el revólver con el que jugaban a la Ruleta Rusa?
• si tienes un interesado muy entusiasmado, ciérralo ahora o dalo por perdido. Y salvo que ya cuentes con el dinero necesario, tus opciones se reducen a: ciérralo ahora.

• Hay dos preguntas que los VC preguntan que no debes responder: “¿Con quién más has hablado?” y “¿Cuánto buscas recaudar?”

   

  Los VC no esperan que respondas a la primera pregunta. Sólo la preguntan por si acaso. Sí parecen esperar que respondas la segunda pregunta. Pero no creo que tengas que decirles un número.
• Aconsejamos a los startups que digan a los inversores que existen varios caminos que se podrían tomar dependiendo de cuánto recauden. Tan poco como USD50.000 serían suficientes para los gastos en comida y alquiler de un año de los fundadores. Un par de cientos de miles les permitiría contar con una oficina y contratar personas inteligentes que conocieron en la facultad. Un par de millones realmente les permitiría hacer explotar la cosa.

• 5. Se independiente.

   

  Un startup con un par de fundadores de veinti tantos años tienen gastos tan bajos que con sólo USD2.000 mensuales ya tendrían rentabilidad.
• No hay nada que a los inversores guste más que un startup que parece que va a tener éxito incluso sin ellos. A los inversores les gusta cuando pueden contribuir con un startup, pero no les gustan aquellos startups que se morirían sin esa ayuda.
• 6. No te tomes los rechazos como algo personal.
• Entonces, cuando te rechazan, utiliza la información que se te ofrece, y no de lo que no es. Si un inversor te da motivos específicos para no invertir, mira tu startup y pregúntate si están en lo cierto. Si hay problemas verdaderos, soluciónalos. Pero no tomes su palabra simplemente. Se supone que eres experto en el campo; tu eres quien decide.
• Probablemente hables con varios inversores. Concéntrate en los que es más probable que acepten. El valor de un inversor potencial es una combinación de lo bueno que sería si dijera que sí, y cuál es la probabilidad de que digan que sí. Coloca el mayor peso en el segundo factor.

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• To me, the definition of good debt is any debt that is used to grow assets and is tax deductible
• An Investment Loan - For example, with the Smith Manoeuvre, the HELOC interest on a readvanceable mortgage is 100% tax deductible providing that the HELOC is invested in income producing assets.
• This is the kind of debt that you want to avoid at all costs as it will drain your cash flow, grow against you, and reduce your net worth. If you have this kind of debt, you’ll want to pay it down as fast as possible.
• Credit card debt
• Personal Car loan - Not only is the car depreciating at a sickening rate, there is non-deductible loan on the vehicle as well. Prioritize this as high on the list as debt to pay off ASAP

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• you never know if you like something until you try it!
• Try different things in order to find your way
• The will to achieve always a bigger goal will bring you more into your pockets.
• you should learn from your mistake but never regret them.
• Dreaming is the very first step of planning No dreams, no goals. No goals… non plan!
• Always remember that when you buy a stock on the market and you are telling yourself “what a dumb ass, the other guy is selling me a stock at such cheap price”, the other guy thinks:” I just made a good profit out of another clown! This stock is going nowhere”.

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• 2. Fortalezca el trabajo en equipo. El trabajo en equipo es muy importante en los deportes y también en los negocios. Incluso los deportes más individualistas como puede ser la maratón requiere de un trabajo en equipo donde le maratonista tienen que tener un excelente entrenador y auxiliares que le ayuden a ese esfuerzo de largo aliento que es similar en los negocios. Si usted quiere ganar dinero entonces conforme un equipo de trabajo sólido y de primer nivel.
• Igual ocurre en los negocios uno es más hábil en ciertas cosas que en otras entonces uno debe concentrarse en esas áreas para desarrollar su idea de negocios y tal vez usar a empleados o socios para cubrir las áreas donde uno no es fuerte. Aprender nuestras fortalezas y limitaciones es muy importante.
• 7. No tenga miedo en tomar alternativas. Por más planificado que uno tenga todo debe estar en capacidad de tomar alternativas en el momento de la verdad y el atleta olímpico permanentemente lo hace en todos los deportes en una forma arriesgada pero calculada a la vez. En los negocios debemos estar preparados a tomar las opciones que se nos puedan plantear dado que la vida es muy rápida y cambiante.

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• A good rule of thumb is to subtract your age from 100. Allocate that % of your portfolio to stocks. Me being 25 (100-25 = 75), I would want to allocate around 75% of my portfolio in stocks.

• 3. Start Yesterday

   

  Yes, we are young, but even the difference between starting at 20 vs. 25 or especially 30 is huge in the long haul.

   

  Developing smart investing habits now vs. later in life pays out exponentially in the future because of the "magic" of compounding returns.
• Ideally, try to ditch the adviser and learn the basics of investing yourself.

• 5. Invest in yourself

   

  Running your own business is risky. It's also one of the best ways to achieve financial freedom. Start a side-project in the evening while you keep your W-2 job.

• 6. Think Long-Term

   

  You don't need to check your investments every week. A quarterly checkup is a good idea.

• 8. Invest Like a Robot

   

  Automation, automation, automation. Set up all your investments to get deducted automatically from your paycheck or your bank account. If it's not automatic you'll make excuses and not put away as much as you should.

• 9. If You Don't Understand It, Don't Invest In It

   

  Complex options, annuities, oil wells, currency, any "investment" that you don't understand completely should be avoided.

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• Sponsor a contest. When you can find a larger business that’s running a contest, sponsoring it with your cash, products or services can put you in front of a lot of people throughout the entire promotion.
• Create your own contest.
• Open your mouth. Public speaking is a huge way to get your brand seen – find relevant groups to speak to as often as you can. Teach what you know and position yourself as an expert that other influencers will talk about in the future
• Open your ears. Again, turn the tables and invite someone interesting to speak at your offices – and then put the word out to the people you want to reach to attend and hear the speaker for themselves
• Host your own event. No matter what you do, there’s something interesting you can create an event around – for example, host a industry-relevant workshop or create your own networking event
• Write a book. There’s no mistaking it – business owners who write books get more attention and are perceived with greater authority in their field
• Offer “meta”-consulting services. Another way to get people to see your business as an authority worth talking about is to offer consulting services around your area of expertise. For example, if you are a software company, you can offer a small workshop on how to write better softwar
• Get interviewed. Publications (both online and offline) are always hungry for content. Find a media outlet that serves your target audience and arrange an interview with them to get in front of qualified prospects
• Get reviewed. People make buying decisions – and judge your brand – by the reviews they read. Offer your products or services to reviewers in exchange for a thorough writeup on their experience
• Get “stepping stone” referrals. Think about the products and services customers go to right before they look for your offerings, and make arrangements with those providers to bring you up as a referral to their customers
• Be a newsmaker. Both local and national outlets are always on the lookout for compelling stories – so give them one. Find a way to showcase something your company is doing that is cutting-edge, human-interest or unique
• Get behind a cause. This goes beyond the one-time contest sponsorship at the top of this list – become part of the yearly fundraising efforts of a worthy cause and you can find yourself getting repeated exposure each time a new fund drive begins. The positive PR doesn’t hurt, either
• Create a referral program. Finding new customers is expensive, so create an incentive for people to spread the word about you.
• Start a blog.
• Interview others. By featuring interviews with other people on your blog or website, you can tap into their audience as most people like to promote their own interviews
• Write a guest post. Guest posting on a well-read blog is a powerful way to get in front of a new audience and get noticed.
• Feature a guest post. Tap into other’ audiences a second time by offering others the chance to guest post on your blog. As with interviews, they will spread the word and point people to your site
• Participate on blogs and forums. Join comments and conversations on blogs and forums to boost your visibility in front of your target audience (and learn more about them at the same time)
• Start a newsletter. Having a regularly published newsletter tells people you have something worth reading and something worth passing along to others. Write useful content let your subscribers spread the message
• Write articles. Another useful way to show up in search engines is to submit short, relevant articles to article directories around the web. You’ll not only create useful back links to your site, but position yourself to be found by more web searchers
• Make a video. YouTube and other video upload sites can be powerful ways to get a fast-spreading message about your company out there. Learn from those who do “viral video” well
• Trade ad space with a partner. Find a related company that has an audience you want to reach and swap ads on your website, blog or print publication. It’s easy, free, and can get you noticed by new prospects
• Go “half-and-half” on ads. Big ads get noticed, but are expensive; consider splitting the cost with a relevant partner and making an ad that promotes both of you
• Give incredible customer service. Nothing beats great customer service for generating word-of-mouth advertising. Go the extra mile for a customer and they’ll come back to you – with their friends

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• Fix everything two ways

    

  Almost every tech support problem has two solutions. The superficial and immediate solution is just to solve the customer’s problem. But when you think a little harder you can usually find a deeper solution: a way to prevent this particular problem from ever happening again.
• Every time a plane crashes, they send out investigators, figure out what happened, and then figure out a new policy to prevent that particular problem from ever happening again.

• Let me tell you a story. We needed some shirts for a trade show. I called up Lands’ End and ordered two dozen, using the same logo design we had used for some knapsacks we bought earlier.

    

  When the shirts arrived, to our dismay, you couldn’t read the logo.

    

  It turns out that the knapsacks were brighter than the polo shirts. The thread color that looked good on the knapsacks was too dark to read on the shirts.

    

  I called up Lands’ End. As usual, a human answered the phone even before it started ringing. I’m pretty sure that they have a system where the next agent in the queue is told to standby, so customers don’t even have to wait one ringy-dingy before they’re talking to a human.

    

  I explained that I screwed up.

    

  They said, “Don’t worry. You can return those for a full credit, and we’ll redo the shirts with a different color thread.”

    

  I said, “The trade show is in two days.”

    

  They said they would Fedex me a new box of shirts and I’d have it tomorrow. I could return the old shirts at my convenience.
• They paid shipping both ways. I wasn’t out a cent. Even though they had no possible use for a bunch of Fog Creek logo shirts with an illegible logo, they ate the cost.
• By providing remarkable customer service, they’ve gotten me to remark about it.

• “It still doesn’t work?” he asked. “Let me see.”

    

  He looked at it.

    

  I was sputtering, trying to figure out how best to express my rage at being forced to spend the morning going back and forth.

    

  “Ah. It’s my fault,” he said.

    

  And suddenly, I wasn’t mad at all.

    

  Mysteriously, the words “it’s my fault” completely defused me. That was all it took.

• The solution is to memorize some key phrases, and practice saying them, so that when you need to say them, you can forget your testosterone and make a customer happy.

    

  “I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”

    

  “I’m sorry, I can’t accept your money. The meal’s on me.”

    

  “That’s terrible, please tell me what happened so I can make sure it never happens again.”
• There is only one way to survive angry customers emotionally: you have to realize that they’re not angry at you; they’re angry at your business, and you just happen to be a convenient representative of that business.

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• 1. Work on Your Portfolio Site

   

  The portfolio is critical to attracting new clients and building your reputation as a designer. An outstanding portfolio speaks for itself.
• it’s not just the quality of the work itself that’s important, how you display it can also make a big difference
• Those who are able to stand out can get plenty of attention from web design and CSS galleries as well as from other designers that write about, and link to, the best portfolio sites
• Networking can take place in any number of forms. You may be a member of a local chamber of commerce that has specific networking events, or you may prefer to network online with designers around the world. For networking online you can set up profiles at places like LinkedIn, Virb, Twitter, Carbonmade, deviantART , and more. Commenting on design-related blogs or niche social media sites can also be a great way to interact and get to know others.
• When was the last time you worked on new business cards or other marketing materials?

• Set Up a PPC Campaign

   

  Pay-Per-Click advertising is capable of giving you an outstanding return on your advertising investment.
• It’s possible to get results by only spending $50 per month with PPC ads.

• Build a Free WordPress Theme

   

  Designing and distributing a free WordPress theme can bring tons of links and traffic to your site

• Design Icons to Give Away

   

  There are a number of skilled graphic designers that offer free downloads of icon sets that they have developed.

• Work on Sites that You Own

   

  You may already have some sites of your own that are currently, or have the potential to, produce income
• there’s always the option to develop an e-book on your own and to sell it through your website.
• we all need to be constantly improving our skills and developing new ones. The industry never stands still, so we shouldn’t either.

• Catch Up On Paperwork

   

  The details and finances of freelancing can be a real headache. Not many of us like dealing with invoices and taxes, but we still have to do it.

• Do Some Work for a Non-Profit

   

  If you’re looking for a chance to use your skills for good while you don’t have a busy schedule full of client work, consider doing some work for a non-profit organization for free or at a low cost.

• Take a Vacation!

   

  If you have some down time in your client work, enjoy it!

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• 5. Out-of-pocket charitable contributions. It's hard to overlook the big charitable gifts you made during the year, by check or payroll deduction. But little things add up, too, and you can write off out-of-pocket costs you incur while doing good works. Ingredients for casseroles you regularly prepare for a nonprofit organization's soup kitchen, for example, or the cost of stamps you buy for your school's fundraiser count as a charitable contribution. More: Charitable Deductions
• 6. Moving expense to take first job. Here's an interesting dichotomy: Job-hunting expenses incurred while looking for your first job are not deductible; but moving expenses to get to that first job are. And you get this write-off even if you don't itemize. If you moved more than 50 miles, you can deduct the cost of getting yourself and your household goods to the new area, including 20 cents a mile (and parking fees and tolls) for driving your own car.
• 12. Reinvested dividends. This isn't really a deduction, but it is a subtraction that can save you money ...

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• Where's the money? That is, how will you get customers to pay you?
• "Too many businesses are started without a clear path to money. Often this stems from not really understanding who the customer is and how the business will reach that customer. Self delusion can often be found in the assumptions made about getting to the customer."
• Leverage: Don't do everything yourself. In fact, with virtual assistants, on-demand applications and outsourcing, there are cost-effective ways to deal with many business functions (such as payroll, customer management systems and so on).
• "One of the mistakes I made along the way was trying to do too much alone. Even if you're the lone ranger, don't try to do all the legal and all the bookkeeping and all the administration and all the selling and all the marketing and ...
• Make sure you have an attorney you trust and an accountant you trust, at the very least.
• Reality check: Take a realistic assessment of yourself. Can you deal with lots of stress? Are you OK with working long hours? Can you sell your products and services?

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• What is your product or service?

   

  What are customers going to give you money for?

   

  Every company exists to create new value. That's what customers are paying for. What do you do to earn your income?
• Who's going to give you money? Who are you marketing to?

• How many potential customers are there?

   

  There's no point selling a product if there are only a handful of people interested. How big is the group of people who might potentially buy from you?
• Who are your competitors?
• magine you're one of the customer types you described in answer 2b. Other than your new business, where else could these customers go to get the product/service?

• What does your company look like in 1, 3, and 5 years?

   

  Answer this quickly. It's okay to "dream" a bit here.
• In the next 3, 6, 12 months, what are specific milestones you want to accomplish?
• For the first milestone (within 3 months), what are tasks that need to be done? For each task, what is the next action step? Who's responsibile for doing it? When will it be done?

• 4a. How much money will it cost to make your product or provide your service?

   

  Write down all the things you might have to pay for while launching or running your business.

   

  Your expenses will fall into three categories: fixed expenses, variable expenses, and capital expenses.
• Fixed expenses are the things you have to pay for every month, whether you make one sale or 10,000 sales. Hosting, rent, employees are examples of fixed costs.
• Variable expenses are tied to your sales volume. If you're moving product, what is your cost per item? These are the expenses tied to sales. Performance bonuses, sales commissions, pay-per-click advertising are examples
• Captial expenses are one time purchases you need to make. Web design, books, a computer are examples
• when will you make back all the time and money you'll put into the company?

• How much do you have to charge to earn a profit?

   

  For bloggers, how much does it cost you monthly to run your blog? In addition to the hard costs (hosting), don't forget to count the time involved. How much would you like to earn each month? That number plus your expenses is your target sales volume.
• Go execute!

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• A telemarketing company increased phone calls to its 800 line by changing part of its script from “Operators are waiting, please call now” to “If operators a busy, please call again.” Thus, the impression changed from idle operators waiting for the phone to ring because sales weren’t great to operators too busy to handle all the business. This is called the principle of social proof
• This is why we think restaurants with a long line to get in must serve good food.
• you might want to reduce the choices to increase sales.
• Suppose you’re a restaurant. Should you list the expensive wines or the cheap wines first? Probably the expensive ones because it will cause people to order the less pricey ones
• Which of these two questions is more likely to help you garner influence? “Who can help me here?” or “Whom can I help?” The answer is the latter. This is the concept of paying things forward.
• Unexpected and personalized gifts are powerful motivators.
• The standard pitch was “Would you be willing to help by giving a donation?” The pitch that was twice as effective contained these additional five words: “Even a penny will help.” Apparently asking for a little step in the direction you want is highly effective.

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