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sábado, 22 de noviembre de 2008
martes, 4 de noviembre de 2008
viernes, 17 de octubre de 2008
Recomendacion practica para uso de outsourcing
Outsource (nearly) everything
A virtual medicine man wins by doing business through his large network of partners.
Carpenter's tips on how to be an outstanding outsourcer
1. Do your homework: Talk to each prospective vendor's clients and request samples of its work.
2. Stagger payments: Pay no more than 50% up-front, and devise a cash-flow-friendly payment plan, such as paying the balance 30 days after delivery.
3. Be a location scout: Before signing on with a vendor across the country - or the world - factor in the logistical costs to determine whether an option closer to home might be better.
4. Start small: Even though it costs a bit more, order small quantities at first. That way you can be sure of your needs before committing to larger orders.
Outsourcing might seem like a necessary evil - a cost-cutting strategy that guts quality control and invites theft of both intellectual and physical property. But outsourcing makes Paul Carpenter's business work.
"There's no reason we should do it all," he says. "We do what we're best at - and have other firms handle the rest."
Carpenter runs Sinol USA, a small alternative-medicine company based in Newtown, Conn. Sinol sells a sinus spray made from capsaicin oil. Derived from cayenne peppers, it's supposed to cure headaches and sinus infections. Carpenter, 45, says he adopted the idea from his grandfather: "He suffered from chronic headaches, which he treated by taking cayenne with shots of bourbon."
After running a disposable-camera business for 15 years, Carpenter launched Sinol in 2005. He sold nearly $2 million worth of the spray in 2007 and has already surpassed that figure this year with the help of heavyweight distributors such as Rite Aid (RAD, Fortune 500) and Whole Foods (WFMI, Fortune 500). The business is breaking big, but the staff remains tiny. Amazingly, Carpenter employs two full-timers: a bookkeeper and a receptionist.
How does he get the job done? By outsourcing most business functions to a network of partner firms scattered all over North America. Manufacturing and warehousing happen in Hazleton, Pa. The spray is packaged in Oxford, Conn. The bottles come from a Canadian manufacturer. Carpenter contracts with sales representatives in New Jersey and California, and works with national trucking brokers to find the best rates for drivers. A San Diego business handles his order fulfillment, and a New Haven company manages shipping to individuals. Recently Sinol signed a deal with a marketing and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Outsourcing certainly keeps Carpenter's overhead low. But it often creates new challenges, says Traci Entel of Katzenbach Partners. "Sometimes it's harder to outsource than to do it yourself," she says.
Small-business owners often find it tough to impose standards on partners, notes Entel. The result? They feel controlled by - not in control of - those outside firms.
Carpenter admits that he's faced problems. For example, a recent shipment of 2,000 smudged labels gave him a headache that couldn't be cured with capsaicin. But by choosing nearby partners that uphold high quality-control standards, he can usually correct errors as they arise (the labels were redone at the printer's expense). The rare pitfalls, he says, are far outweighed by the benefits of outsourcing.
"My business model simply makes me more profitable," Carpenter says.
He should know. Carpenter and a partner used a similar outsourcing strategy to build their former camera company into a $12-million-a-year business. He predicts exponential growth and fat margins for his new endeavor.
"Thanks to outsourcing," he says, "I have a strong bottom line"
* Informacion obtenida de www.fortune.com
A virtual medicine man wins by doing business through his large network of partners.
Carpenter's tips on how to be an outstanding outsourcer
1. Do your homework: Talk to each prospective vendor's clients and request samples of its work.
2. Stagger payments: Pay no more than 50% up-front, and devise a cash-flow-friendly payment plan, such as paying the balance 30 days after delivery.
3. Be a location scout: Before signing on with a vendor across the country - or the world - factor in the logistical costs to determine whether an option closer to home might be better.
4. Start small: Even though it costs a bit more, order small quantities at first. That way you can be sure of your needs before committing to larger orders.
Outsourcing might seem like a necessary evil - a cost-cutting strategy that guts quality control and invites theft of both intellectual and physical property. But outsourcing makes Paul Carpenter's business work.
"There's no reason we should do it all," he says. "We do what we're best at - and have other firms handle the rest."
Carpenter runs Sinol USA, a small alternative-medicine company based in Newtown, Conn. Sinol sells a sinus spray made from capsaicin oil. Derived from cayenne peppers, it's supposed to cure headaches and sinus infections. Carpenter, 45, says he adopted the idea from his grandfather: "He suffered from chronic headaches, which he treated by taking cayenne with shots of bourbon."
After running a disposable-camera business for 15 years, Carpenter launched Sinol in 2005. He sold nearly $2 million worth of the spray in 2007 and has already surpassed that figure this year with the help of heavyweight distributors such as Rite Aid (RAD, Fortune 500) and Whole Foods (WFMI, Fortune 500). The business is breaking big, but the staff remains tiny. Amazingly, Carpenter employs two full-timers: a bookkeeper and a receptionist.
How does he get the job done? By outsourcing most business functions to a network of partner firms scattered all over North America. Manufacturing and warehousing happen in Hazleton, Pa. The spray is packaged in Oxford, Conn. The bottles come from a Canadian manufacturer. Carpenter contracts with sales representatives in New Jersey and California, and works with national trucking brokers to find the best rates for drivers. A San Diego business handles his order fulfillment, and a New Haven company manages shipping to individuals. Recently Sinol signed a deal with a marketing and consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Outsourcing certainly keeps Carpenter's overhead low. But it often creates new challenges, says Traci Entel of Katzenbach Partners. "Sometimes it's harder to outsource than to do it yourself," she says.
Small-business owners often find it tough to impose standards on partners, notes Entel. The result? They feel controlled by - not in control of - those outside firms.
Carpenter admits that he's faced problems. For example, a recent shipment of 2,000 smudged labels gave him a headache that couldn't be cured with capsaicin. But by choosing nearby partners that uphold high quality-control standards, he can usually correct errors as they arise (the labels were redone at the printer's expense). The rare pitfalls, he says, are far outweighed by the benefits of outsourcing.
"My business model simply makes me more profitable," Carpenter says.
He should know. Carpenter and a partner used a similar outsourcing strategy to build their former camera company into a $12-million-a-year business. He predicts exponential growth and fat margins for his new endeavor.
"Thanks to outsourcing," he says, "I have a strong bottom line"
* Informacion obtenida de www.fortune.com
martes, 14 de octubre de 2008
Innovacion en tecnologia ayuda a mejorar mercadeo de empresas
MySpace’s DIY ad service
MySpace on Monday launches MyAds, a do-it-yourself service that lets anyone create their own banner ads, target those ads and distribute them for as little as $25.
Say you’re a pizza maker in Chicago. You follow easy-to-use prompts to make an advertisement and send it to football fans in Chicago on Sunday evening, setting the price you are willing to pay if a fan clicks on your ad and the dates you want the ad to run. These ads will compete for space with large creative campaigns sponsored by corporate MySpace (NWS) advertisers.
It’s a tough time to launch a new advertising product. With the economy in free fall, the rate of online advertising growth has slowed considerably. It even dipped slightly in the second quarter compared to the first, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
But MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe insists the site has so many new offerings, like MySpace Music, that he hasn’t seen demand slacken. Research firm eMarketer estimates advertisers will spend $755 million on the site, up from $505 million a year ago.
DeWolfe explains his “cautious optimism” this way: “A year and a half ago we were in the social networking category …. Now we’re considered to be a competitor with the portals.” In fact, comScore reported in June that MySpace had surpassed Yahoo in the amount of display ads it showed.
It’s true, the site has been on something of a tear. It has recently hired a number of former Yahoo employees, including Valeh Vakili, who was the company’s director of U.S. sales operations. And developers like RockYou’s Jia Shen report focusing more of their energies on developing applications for the site.
In August, MySpace’s 120 million users spent an average 164 minutes on the site. In tough economic times, an entertainment site like MySpace could see a bump in traffic as people cut back on pricier attractions like concerts and movies. But as social networking begins to mature, it’s not enough to get attention; MySpace will need to continue making money. And in the next few months, that may be tricky for everybody.
** Informacion obtenida de www.fortune.com
MySpace on Monday launches MyAds, a do-it-yourself service that lets anyone create their own banner ads, target those ads and distribute them for as little as $25.
Say you’re a pizza maker in Chicago. You follow easy-to-use prompts to make an advertisement and send it to football fans in Chicago on Sunday evening, setting the price you are willing to pay if a fan clicks on your ad and the dates you want the ad to run. These ads will compete for space with large creative campaigns sponsored by corporate MySpace (NWS) advertisers.
It’s a tough time to launch a new advertising product. With the economy in free fall, the rate of online advertising growth has slowed considerably. It even dipped slightly in the second quarter compared to the first, according to a report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
But MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe insists the site has so many new offerings, like MySpace Music, that he hasn’t seen demand slacken. Research firm eMarketer estimates advertisers will spend $755 million on the site, up from $505 million a year ago.
DeWolfe explains his “cautious optimism” this way: “A year and a half ago we were in the social networking category …. Now we’re considered to be a competitor with the portals.” In fact, comScore reported in June that MySpace had surpassed Yahoo in the amount of display ads it showed.
It’s true, the site has been on something of a tear. It has recently hired a number of former Yahoo employees, including Valeh Vakili, who was the company’s director of U.S. sales operations. And developers like RockYou’s Jia Shen report focusing more of their energies on developing applications for the site.
In August, MySpace’s 120 million users spent an average 164 minutes on the site. In tough economic times, an entertainment site like MySpace could see a bump in traffic as people cut back on pricier attractions like concerts and movies. But as social networking begins to mature, it’s not enough to get attention; MySpace will need to continue making money. And in the next few months, that may be tricky for everybody.
** Informacion obtenida de www.fortune.com
lunes, 13 de octubre de 2008
Apoyo e inversiones para mejorar la tecnología
Las empresas españolas recibirán 1.400 millones de euros para I+D+i en 2009
El Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) ha anunciado hoy que el año que viene financiará 1.600 proyectos empresariales destinados a la investigación e innovación tecnológica con un presupuesto de 1.400 millones de euros y una subvención asociada de 560 millones más. El Centro para el Desarrollo tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) gestionará los programas de ayudas, de los cuales se beneficiarán, además, 80 empresas de base tecnológica de nueva creación que el ministerio va a promover en 2009.
La Ministra de Ciencia e Innovación, Cristina Garmendia, ha presentado hoy en Madrid el plan "El apoyo a la I+D empresarial" y ha señalado que para 2009 se financiará con 1400 millones de euros a las empresas que se desarrollen tecnológicamente, además de una subvención equivalente de 560 millones de euros. Los datos mostrados superan a los de los años precedentes: se estima que en 2009 se aprobarán 1624 proyectos, 300 más que en 2008, y se subvencionarán a 1477 empresas, 738 de las cuales reciben la ayuda por primera vez.
Garmendia sostiene que "es a través de la innovación como la economía española aumentará su potencial de crecimiento, su renta per cápita y su capacidad de crear empleo de manera sostenida". Además, la financiación de la innovación tecnológica es una de las prioridades del MICINN, "ya que genera mayor valor añadido y nos ayuda a adaptarnos a entornos más competitivos en el ámbito internacional". Ésta es la razón por la que, además, el programa estatal NEOTEC promocionará la creación de 80 nuevas empresas de base tecnológica.
Aunque la inversión en I+D+i ha aumentado en los últimos años, España está alejada del promedio de la UE, de EE UU y de Japón en el porcentaje sobre el PIB destinado a la investigación. Según los últimos datos de 2006 expuestos hoy, mientras que Japón o en EE UU invierten el 3,5 y el 2,6 % respectivamente, España ha invertido el 1,2%.
Gestión de las ayudas
Las subvenciones se realizarán a través de entidades financieras con créditos blandos y subvenciones, cuya devolución habrá un periodo de carencia de hasta tres años y un plazo de amortización de 10 años. Las compañías apoyadas en 2009 se beneficiarán además de desgravaciones fiscales en el Impuesto de Sociedades, con una estimación de 235 millones de euros.
El nuevo programa de I+D+i empresarial estará centralizado en el CDTI, entidad pública con más de 30 años de experiencia, y que a partir de ahora, según ha anunciado la ministra, será la "ventanilla única" para atender a las peticiones y convocatorias de ciencia, tecnología e innovación.
** Informacion obtenida de http://www.laflecha.net/ (Tu diario de ciencia y tecnologia)
El Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) ha anunciado hoy que el año que viene financiará 1.600 proyectos empresariales destinados a la investigación e innovación tecnológica con un presupuesto de 1.400 millones de euros y una subvención asociada de 560 millones más. El Centro para el Desarrollo tecnológico Industrial (CDTI) gestionará los programas de ayudas, de los cuales se beneficiarán, además, 80 empresas de base tecnológica de nueva creación que el ministerio va a promover en 2009.
La Ministra de Ciencia e Innovación, Cristina Garmendia, ha presentado hoy en Madrid el plan "El apoyo a la I+D empresarial" y ha señalado que para 2009 se financiará con 1400 millones de euros a las empresas que se desarrollen tecnológicamente, además de una subvención equivalente de 560 millones de euros. Los datos mostrados superan a los de los años precedentes: se estima que en 2009 se aprobarán 1624 proyectos, 300 más que en 2008, y se subvencionarán a 1477 empresas, 738 de las cuales reciben la ayuda por primera vez.
Garmendia sostiene que "es a través de la innovación como la economía española aumentará su potencial de crecimiento, su renta per cápita y su capacidad de crear empleo de manera sostenida". Además, la financiación de la innovación tecnológica es una de las prioridades del MICINN, "ya que genera mayor valor añadido y nos ayuda a adaptarnos a entornos más competitivos en el ámbito internacional". Ésta es la razón por la que, además, el programa estatal NEOTEC promocionará la creación de 80 nuevas empresas de base tecnológica.
Aunque la inversión en I+D+i ha aumentado en los últimos años, España está alejada del promedio de la UE, de EE UU y de Japón en el porcentaje sobre el PIB destinado a la investigación. Según los últimos datos de 2006 expuestos hoy, mientras que Japón o en EE UU invierten el 3,5 y el 2,6 % respectivamente, España ha invertido el 1,2%.
Gestión de las ayudas
Las subvenciones se realizarán a través de entidades financieras con créditos blandos y subvenciones, cuya devolución habrá un periodo de carencia de hasta tres años y un plazo de amortización de 10 años. Las compañías apoyadas en 2009 se beneficiarán además de desgravaciones fiscales en el Impuesto de Sociedades, con una estimación de 235 millones de euros.
El nuevo programa de I+D+i empresarial estará centralizado en el CDTI, entidad pública con más de 30 años de experiencia, y que a partir de ahora, según ha anunciado la ministra, será la "ventanilla única" para atender a las peticiones y convocatorias de ciencia, tecnología e innovación.
** Informacion obtenida de http://www.laflecha.net/ (Tu diario de ciencia y tecnologia)
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