Facebook ads have been haunting us for a while now. However, this is probably the only update to Facebook ads that you are going to love. The social media platform is adding a little augmented reality (AR) magic to the ads, to turn it into a sort of virtual fitting room. The feature is still being tested with some users in the US. Essentially, after this feature rolls out, when you see an ad, you will be able to try the advertised products on virtually. Pretty much how Lenskart allows you to put on the glasses on the website itself. Another example would be, if you see an add of a shirt on your Facebook News Feed, you will soon have an option to ‘Tap to Try On’. There you can click your own picture, upload and then try the different advertised products, for a better idea on how it looks on you. If you look how a product looks on you, you can also add these pictures to your Facebook Stories. These ads will cater to fashion accessories, cosmetics, and furniture. As mentioned above, the feature is still being tested. The company hasn’t yet said anything about when the feature can be expected to be officially rolled out. Facebook shows off the new AR ad with a pair of Michael Kors sunglasses. Ever since Facebook bought the augmented reality face filter app MSQRD in 2016, the social media platform has been adding a lot of filters to Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. And now bringing MSQRD’s expertise to Facebook ads is nothing optimal benefit of the acquisition. Facebook has also been working on expanding shopping on Instagram. Up till now, Instagram only allowed businesses and brands to tag their products on the feed, but last month, Facebook added the ability for these accounts to tag products on Instagram Stories as well. However, these tag stickers are currently limited to a handful of brands, but the platform promised to roll it out to others soon.
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A business plan is a written description of your business's future. That's all there is to it--a document that desribes what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. If you jot down a paragraph on the back of an envelope describing your business strategy, you've written a plan, or at least the germ of a plan. Business plans can help perform a number of tasks for those who write and read them. They're used by investment-seeking entrepreneurs to convey their vision to potential investors. They may also be used by firms that are trying to attract key employees, prospect for new business, deal with suppliers or simply to understand how to manage their companies better. So what's included in a business plan, and how do you put one together? Simply stated, a business plan conveys your business goals, the strategies you'll use to meet them, potential problems that may confront your business and ways to solve them, the organizational structure of your business (including titles and responsibilities), and finally, the amount of capital required to finance your venture and keep it going until it breaks even. Sound impressive? It can be, if put together properly. A good business plan follows generally accepted guidelines for both form and content. There are three primary parts to a business plan:
The first is the business concept, where you discuss the industry, your business structure, your particular product or service, and how you plan to make your business a success.
The second is the marketplace section, in which you describe and analyze potential customers: who and where they are, what makes them buy and so on. Here, you also describe the competition and how you'll position yourself to beat it.
Finally, the financial section contains your income and cash flow statement, balance sheet and other financial ratios, such as break-even analyses. This part may require help from your accountant and a good spreadsheet software program.
Breaking these three major sections down even further, a business plan consists of seven key components:
Executive summary
Business description
Market strategies
Competitive analysis
Design and development plan
Operations and management plan
Financial factors
In addition to these sections, a business plan should also have a cover, title page and table of contents. How Long Should Your Business Plan Be? Depending on what you're using it for, a useful business plan can be any length, from a scrawl on the back of an envelope to, in the case of an especially detailed plan describing a complex enterprise, more than 100 pages. A typical business plan runs 15 to 20 pages, but there's room for wide variation from that norm.
Much will depend on the nature of your business. If you have a simple concept, you may be able to express it in very few words. On the other hand, if you're proposing a new kind of business or even a new industry, it may require quite a bit of explanation to get the message across.
Who Needs a Business Plan?
About the only person who doesn't need a business plan is one who's not going into business. You don't need a plan to start a hobby or to moonlight from your regular job. But anybody beginning or extending a venture that will consume significant resources of money, energy or time, and that is expected to return a profit, should take the time to draft some kind of plan. Startups. The classic business plan writer is an entrepreneur seeking funds to help start a new venture. Many, many great companies had their starts on paper, in the form of a plan that was used to convince investors to put up the capital necessary to get them under way. Most books on business planning seem to be aimed at these startup business owners. There's one good reason for that: As the least experienced of the potential plan writers, they're probably most appreciative of the guidance. However, it's a mistake to think that only cash-starved startups need business plans. Business owners find plans useful at all stages of their companies' existence, whether they're seeking financing or trying to figure out how to invest a surplus. Established firms seeking help. Not all business plans are written by starry-eyed entrepreneurs. Many are written by and for companies that are long past the startup stage. WalkerGroup/Designs, for instance, was already well-established as a designer of stores for major retailers when founder Ken Walker got the idea of trademarking and licensing to apparel makers and others the symbols 01-01-00 as a sort of numeric shorthand for the approaching millennium. Before beginning the arduous and costly task of trademarking it worldwide, Walker used a business plan complete with sales forecasts to convince big retailers it would be a good idea to promise to carry the 01-01-00 goods. It helped make the new venture a winner long before the big day arrived. "As a result of the retail support up front," Walker says, "we had over 45 licensees running the gamut of product lines almost from the beginning." These middle-stage enterprises may draft plans to help them find funding for growth just as the startups do, although the amounts they seek may be larger and the investors more willing. They may feel the need for a written plan to help manage an already rapidly growing business. Or a plan may be seen as a valuable tool to be used to convey the mission and prospects of the business to customers, suppliers or others. Plan an Updating Checklist Here are seven reasons to think about updating your business plan. If even just one applies to you, it's time for an update.
A new financial period is about to begin. You may update your plan annually, quarterly or even monthly if your industry is a fast-changing one.
You need financing, or additional financing. Lenders and other financiers need an updated plan to help them make financing decisions.
There's been a significant market change. Shifting client tastes, consolidation trends among customers and altered regulatory climates can trigger a need for plan updates.
Your firm develops or is about to develop a new product, technology, service or skill. If your business has changed a lot since you wrote your plan the first time around, it's time for an update.
You have had a change in management. New managers should get fresh information about your business and your goals.
Your company has crossed a threshold, such as moving out of your home office, crossing the $1 million sales mark or employing your 100th employee.
Your old plan doesn't seem to reflect reality any more. Maybe you did a poor job last time; maybe things have just changed faster than you expected. But if your plan seems irrelevant, redo it.
Finding the Right Plan for You
Business plans tend to have a lot of elements in common, like cash flow projections and marketing plans. And many of them share certain objectives as well, such as raising money or persuading a partner to join the firm. But business plans are not all the same any more than all businesses are. Depending on your business and what you intend to use your plan for, you may need a very different type of business plan from another entrepreneur. Plans differ widely in their length, their appearance, the detail of their contents, and the varying emphases they place on different aspects of the business. The reason that plan selection is so important is that it has a powerful effect on the overall impact of your plan. You want your plan to present you and your business in the best, most accurate light. That's true no matter what you intend to use your plan for, whether it's destined for presentation at a venture capital conference, or will never leave your own office or be seen outside internal strategy sessions. When you select clothing for an important occasion, odds are you try to pick items that will play up your best features. Think about your plan the same way. You want to reveal any positives that your business may have and make sure they receive due consideration. Types of Plans Business plans can be divided roughly into four separate types. There are very short plans, or miniplans. There are working plans, presentation plans and even electronic plans. They require very different amounts of labor and not always with proportionately different results. That is to say, a more elaborate plan is not guaranteed to be superior to an abbreviated one, depending on what you want to use it for.
The Miniplan. A miniplan may consist of one to 10 pages and should include at least cursory attention to such key matters as business concept, financing needs, marketing plan and financial statements, especially cash flow, income projection and balance sheet. It's a great way to quickly test a business concept or measure the interest of a potential partner or minor investor. It can also serve as a valuable prelude to a full-length plan later on.
Be careful about misusing a miniplan. It's not intended to substitute for a full-length plan. If you send a miniplan to an investor who's looking for a comprehensive one, you're only going to look foolish.
The Working Plan. A working plan is a tool to be used to operate your business. It has to be long on detail but may be short on presentation. As with a miniplan, you can probably afford a somewhat higher degree of candor and informality when preparing a working plan.
A plan intended strictly for internal use may also omit some elements that would be important in one aimed at someone outside the firm. You probably don't need to include an appendix with resumes of key executives, for example. Nor would a working plan especially benefit from, say, product photos. Fit and finish are liable to be quite different in a working plan. It's not essential that a working plan be printed on high-quality paper and enclosed in a fancy binder. An old three-ring binder with "Plan" scrawled across it with a felt-tip marker will serve quite well. Internal consistency of facts and figures is just as crucial with a working plan as with one aimed at outsiders. You don't have to be as careful, however, about such things as typos in the text, perfectly conforming to business style, being consistent with date formats and so on. This document is like an old pair of khakis you wear into the office on Saturdays or that one ancient delivery truck that never seems to break down. It's there to be used, not admired.
The Presentation Plan. If you take a working plan, with its low stress on cosmetics and impression, and twist the knob to boost the amount of attention paid to its looks, you'll wind up with a presentation plan. This plan is suitable for showing to bankers, investors and others outside the company.
Almost all the information in a presentation plan is going to be the same as your working plan, although it may be styled somewhat differently. For instance, you should use standard business vocabulary, omitting the informal jargon, slang and shorthand that's so useful in the workplace and is appropriate in a working plan. Remember, these readers won't be familiar with your operation. Unlike the working plan, this plan isn't being used as a reminder but as an introduction. You'll also have to include some added elements. Among investors' requirements for due diligence is information on all competitive threats and risks. Even if you consider some of only peripheral significance, you need to address these concerns by providing the information. The big difference between the presentation and working plans is in the details of appearance and polish. A working plan may be run off on the office printer and stapled together at one corner. A presentation plan should be printed by a high-quality printer, probably using color. It must be bound expertly into a booklet that is durable and easy to read. It should include graphics such as charts, graphs, tables and illustrations. It's essential that a presentation plan be accurate and internally consistent. A mistake here could be construed as a misrepresentation by an unsympathetic outsider. At best, it will make you look less than careful. If the plan's summary describes a need for $40,000 in financing, but the cash flow projection shows $50,000 in financing coming in during the first year, you might think, "Oops! Forgot to update that summary to show the new numbers." The investor you're asking to pony up the cash, however, is unlikely to be so charitable.
The Electronic Plan.The majority of business plans are composed on a computer of some kind, then printed out and presented in hard copy. But more and more business information that once was transferred between parties only on paper is now sent electronically. So you may find it appropriate to have an electronic version of your plan available. An electronic plan can be handy for presentations to a group using a computer-driven overhead projector, for example, or for satisfying the demands of a discriminating investor who wants to be able to delve deeply into the underpinnings of complex spreadsheets.
So what will the biggest tech trends of 2018 be, and how will our lives change, accordingly?
1. AI permeation. Artificial intelligence (AI), largely manifesting through machine learning algorithms, isn’t just getting better. It isn’t just getting more funding. It’s being incorporated into a more diverse range of applications. Rather than focusing on one goal, like mastering a game or communicating with humans, AI is starting to make an appearance in almost every new platform, app, or device, and that trend is only going to accelerate in 2018. We’re not at techno-pocalypse levels (and AI may never be sophisticated enough for us to reach that point), but by the end of 2018, AI will become even more of a mainstay in all forms of technology.
2. Digital centralization. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the debut of many different types of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and dozens of other “smart” appliances. We’ve also come to rely on lots of individual apps in our daily lives, including those for navigation to even changing the temperature of our house. Consumers are craving centralization; a convenient way to manage everything from as few devices and central locations as possible. Smart speakers are a good step in the right direction, but 2018 may influence the rise of something even better.
3. 5G preparation. Though tech timelines rarely play out the way we think, it’s possible that we could have a 5G network in place—with 5G phones—by the end of 2019. 5G internet has the potential to be almost 10 times faster than 4G, making it even better than most home internet services. Accordingly, it has the potential to revolutionize how consumers use internet and how developers think about apps and streaming content. 2018, then, is going to be a year of massive preparation for engineers, developers, and consumers, as they gear up for a new generation of internet.
4. Data overload. By now, every company in the world has realized the awesome power and commoditization of consumer data, and in 2018, data collection is going to become an even higher priority. With consumers talking to smart speakers throughout their day, and relying on digital devices for most of their daily tasks, companies will soon have access to—and start using—practically unlimited amounts of personal data. This has many implications, including reduced privacy, more personalized ads, and possibly more positive outcomes, such as better predictive algorithms in healthcare.
Barcelona: American chipmaker Qualcomm plans to sharpen its focus on driving Internet of Things (IoT) technology through collaborations with startups to develop use cases for consumers and industries in India, besides working with local and international handset players to bring out more 4G LTE feature phones in the country.
“You will see us spend more time on IoT,” Jim Cathey, president, Asia Pacific & India, Qualcomm International, told ET on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress.
Cathey said that the introduction of the 5G technology in India would really benefit IoT business. “That will benefit India in the beginning because the government will step up and they would want that to be successful because it will help the communities. The local governments would decide whether they want the use to be a smart lamp post or a smart meter,” he said.
The San Diego-based company is working with Indian telecom operators and infrastructure players for testing of 5G network technology and devices. Cathey said that the intense competition among Indian telcos would drive the 5G related developments, along with the government’s support.
“There’s a tremendous amount of competition right now with the carriers… 5G is that avenue which will finally differentiate,” he said.
In India, Reliance Jio Infocomm, the 4G new entrant, has become the first telco to launch pan-India narrow-band IoT network in partnership with Samsung. It is working with a number of vendors and companies to drive IoT use cases. The country’s leading telco, Bharti Airtel, too, is working on launching consumer IoT products, having already launched various enterprise IoT services.
Cathey said that for the next couple of years Qualcomm hopes to enable masses to have access to 4G LTE through low-cost feature phones and smartphones developed by local and international handset players.
Asked whether low-cost Android Go smartphones would hamper the LTE feature phone growth in India, Cathey said, “The LTE feature phones are not done yet and can still have a long life. That market is enormous with the number of consumers that have feature phones right now, so the growth will continue.”
For Qualcomm, the 205 mobile platform that powers JioPhone has been driving volume sales for the company.
Reliance Jio’s 4G feature phone, JioPhone, made the telco India’s top feature phone vendor in the last quarter, with sales of a total of 10 million units. Besides, HMD Global, the maker of Nokia-branded handsets, has launched Nokia 8110 4G feature phone and it plans to introduce the device in India around May this year.
(The reporter was in Barcelona to cover the Mobile World Congress at the invitation of Qualcomm.)
As entrepreneurs we all know the importance of having a professional website and getting regular traffic. But getting traffic is only half the battle. The real challenge is making your visitors stay on your website long enough to find out more about what you have to offer and, even better, come back for more.
So, what makes people click the back button? What can you do to make your visitors stay beyond the first few seconds?
1. Be Clear About What You Do.
When a visitor comes to your site, is it immediately clear what your website is about? Your visitors need to know whether your website is relevant to them. If they can’t figure out what you do, they’ll quickly move on to the next site.
Don’t forget, your visitors are looking at your site for a reason. They are looking for something to fulfill a need. Your job is to help them find the information they need, quickly and clearly.
2. Know Your Target Audience.
Everything about your website, from its colour scheme, font sizes to its contents and tone of voice, needs to speak to your target market.
If your website tries to speak to everyone on the planet, you will end up not engaging anyone in particular. Don’t be afraid to really zoom in and be specific about the ideal client you want to serve. In fact, the more specific you can be the better.
3. Simplicity, Not Cleverness.
Your website may have clever interactivity or state-of-the-art animation, but if it doesn’t engage your visitors and make them stay beyond the initial few seconds, you will have lost them forever.
4. Speed up Your Site.
We live in a fast-pace world. People are busy. Your website needs to load quickly or your visitors will go somewhere else. Nobody has the patience to wait for a slow web page to load, especially if they’re browsing your site on a mobile device.
Do a website spring clean to make sure nothing is slowing your site down. If your site is slow and you can’t figure out why, hire professional help.
5. Look Professional.
Make sure your site looks reputable, trustworthy and not spammy. There’s nothing wrong with a DIY site if you have some basic design skills and an eye for what looks good. There’s a whole world of difference between not wanting to invest in a good website and knowing that you can do a pretty good job yourself.
The problem is you can often tell a DIY site from a mile away. The bottom line is, why should your visitors invest in your products and services if your website screams “I don’t want to invest in my own company?”
Understandably, solo entrepreneurs often have a tight budget when starting up. However, a professional website, good photography and copywriting are some of the essential investments you should not skimp on.
6. Check Grammar and Spellings.
Typos and poor grammar send out the wrong signals to your visitors. This is all about trust: if people are going to part with their hard-earned cash, they need to trust your business. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes make your company appear less trustworthy.
A recent study revealed that over half of the participants would not use a company that had obvious grammatical or spelling mistakes on its website, saying that they wouldn’t trust the company to provide a good quality service.
7. Fresh Contents.
If the last entry in your blog is a year old, or if the latest “news” is from 2012, it’s time to dust the cobwebs or your visitors will assume your business is no longer current. Make sure you keep your website up to date. Nobody wants to do business with a company that appears old and dusty. Having fresh contents also tells search engines like Google that your site is still alive.
8. Make it User Friendly.
Make sure your website is easy to navigate and your visitors can find the information they need quickly without having to drill down too many levels.
Use images and white space to provide a layout that’s easy on the eye. Too much text will send your readers to sleep.
Use categories and your website’s navigation hierarchy to group contents in a logical way.
Make it easy for your visitors to contact you or they’ll take their business elsewhere.
9. Go Easy on the Ads.
Displaying too many advertisements on your site can make it look spammy and distracting, making it difficult for your visitors to navigate around your site. Ads which contain a lot of movement are particularly bad. Having too many ads on your site also makes it slower to load.
Monetising your site is a good idea, but do be considerate to your visitors. Spend some time to think about where to strategically place the ads.
10. Clear Call to Action.
Don’t assume your visitors will know automatically what to do. You need to tell them. Want them to sign up to your newsletter? Say so with a clear call-to-action button. Give them an incentive to do so. Want them to ask for a quote? Tell them where to go to fill in the form, or display your telephone number clearly. Want them to schedule a free consultation call? Provide the link to book a call with you.
Engaged Visitors = Buyers
Keeping your website visitors engaged is one of the most important things for website owners. Engaged visitors are more likely to buy your products, purchase your services and sign up to your mailing lists. They will also remember you and come back for more in the future.
By DIN | Published on : 01st January 2018 05:22 PM | அ+அ அ- |
http://www.rajinimandram.org என்ற இணையதளத்தை தொடங்கி ட்விட்டரில் ரஜினி வீடியோ வெளியிட்டுள்ளார்.
தமிழகத்தில் அரசியல் மாற்றத்தை கொண்டுவர விரும்புவோர் இந்த இணையத்தில் தங்கள் பெயர் மற்றும் வாக்காளர் அடையாள அட்டை எண்ணை பதிவு செய்து உறுப்பினராக ரஜினி அழைப்பு விடுத்துள்ளார்.
தமிழகம் மட்டும் இன்றி உலகம் முழுவதும் 60 ஆயிரம் மன்றங்கள் இருப்பதாக தெரிகிறது. அனைத்து உறுப்பினர்களையும் ஒரு குடையின் கீழ் கொண்டு வரும் நோக்கில் இந்த தளம் தொடங்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக ரஜினி கூறியுள்ளார்.
பாபா முத்திரையுடன் இந்த இணைய தளப் பக்கம் காட்சியளிக்கிறது. எளிமையாக பதிவு பக்கமாக இது வடிவமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. RAJINI MANDRAM என்ற செயலி மூலமும் பதிவு செய்து உறுப்பினர் ஆகலாம் என தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.
