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Business Fundamentals was developed by the Global Text Project, which is working to create open-content electronictextbooks that are freely available on the website http://globaltext.terry.uga.edu. Distribution is also possible viapaper, CD, DVD, and via this collaboration, through Connexions. The goal is to make textbooks available to the manywho cannot afford them. For more information on getting involved with the Global Text Project or Connexions email us atdrexel@uga.edu and dcwill@cnx.org.

Editor: Molly Lavik (Vatel International Business School Los Angeles, USA)

Reviewer: Debbi D Brock (Berea College, USA)

Sales: the essential rim of the wheel

The business eco-system wheel. A circle. On the outside are various terms separated by arrows labeled sales. The terms also correspond to arrows pointing towards the center of the circle, each labeled Mentor Insights. The labels read as follows: market opportunity, financing, strategy, branding, stakeholders, ethics, operations, new product, and public relations.
The Business Eco-System Wheel and sales

What will i sell?

You can sell a product or service. A product is a physical item while a service is something you would implement or execute on behalf of someone else.

    Product ideas to consider selling

  • Hand-crafted art and artifacts for exporting
  • Fruit for selling at a fruit stand or using in the production of cosmetics
  • Honey that you produce as a bee keeper
  • Mustard condiments produced from mustard seeds
  • Handcrafted furniture
  • Paintings by emerging artists
  • Recycled goods made into products such as purses made from recycled juice and soda containers
  • A restaurant that offers food menus that others enjoy eating
  • Yogurt served in containers that are edible

    Ideas for services to consider offering

  • Providing education to children as well as adults in a school
  • Purifying water at the site of wells that may be tainted with arsenic
  • Providing guide services to travelers
  • Developing marketing campaigns for local businesses
  • Running food stands for others
  • Providing tailoring services
  • Manufacturing furniture for businesses and residences
  • Offering cooking services to families
  • Selling wireless phones for phone corporations
  • Providing people to build buildings, houses, roads and or bridges
  • Offering out-sourced from other countries call center services
  • Providing computer consulting services

Places for inspiration

" Kiva ( www.kiva.org ) is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.” Kiva, “About: What is Kiva?,” (External Link) (Accessed January 11, 2009). Kiva provides a list of entrepreneurs who seek loans and a description of these entrepreneurs’ business concepts. Visit the Kiva website to read the inspirational stories of these entrepreneurs. http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses. Kiva, “Lend,” (External Link) (Accessed January 11, 2009).

Aid to Artisans (ATA), ( (External Link) ) an international nonprofit organization, is a recognized leader of economic development for the craft industry. By linking artisans to new markets and buyers to culturally meaningful and innovative products, ATA provides needed economic opportunities to artisans while preserving the beauty of global handmade crafts.” Aid to Artisans, “About Us,” (External Link) (Accessed January 12, 2009).

Financing: the fundamental rim on the wheel

One of the greatest talents that most successful entrepreneurs possess is the ability to persuade others to invest funds and resources in a startup during the idea creation phase of a new venture. You are not alone if you have major concerns about attracting the finances you need to get your startup idea “off the ground”. If you are reading this and thinking you do not know anyone who would consider investing in your startup we suggest transforming your thinking into a more constructive thought process in which you believe in yourself and your own ability to achieve financing.

    Financing opportunities

  • Micro-financiers (Do a Google search at www.google.com using the key word "micro-finance" to find potential micro-financiers that you may want to research as one method of financing your startup costs.)
  • Family traditionally is the first place to look for funds to pay for some of the startup costs associated with a new venture. Even if your family has no resources to offer you can still talk to family members about introducing you to people they know who might be able to help. More money then you can imagine has been raised in this manner.
  • Friends , even casual acquaintances, can at times provide financing and resources for a startup. Even if a friend is not able to directly help, you should ask each friend or person you contact for help to also provide you with 3 names of others they know who may be able to help.
  • Governmental support is also a possibility. If applicable, you can also let the local non-governmental agency associated with what you are doing know your needs in case there is some support available.
  • Barter or trade is a method by which you could provide a needed service such as consulting/management advice in return for the resources needed for your startup.
  • Savings take a long time and effort to accumulate in the amount most people need to start a new venture. There are many risks involved and you may not ever be able to replenish the amount of money you took from your savings to invest in a startup. On the positive side though, if you use your own savings you do not have a loan to pay back.
  • Bank loans are not usually available to early-stage entrepreneurs unless you have a track record of a previous success and/or the assets to put up such as a home you own in return for securing the bank loan.
  • Networking refers to attending events, conferences, seminars, and any activity where by you can meet others who might be able to help your further your startup's development.
  • Online networks are online websites where you can connect with people you know to ultimately gain connections to people they know. One well-known online network is LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com . According to the About LinkedIn website, “LinkedIn is an online network of more then 30 million experienced professionals from around the world, representing 150 industries.” LinkedIn, “About LinkedIn, (External Link)&trk=hb_ft_abtli (Accessed August 15, 2008). LinkedIn is available in English, French and Spanish. You can use the search field at the top of every LinkedIn web page to search for people and companies that might be willing to finance your startup. You can sign onto LinkedIn and connect with others that would in turn potentially be willing to connect you to the people you are trying to meet.
  • Memberships in community organizations may be a place where you can meet like-minded individuals interested in your startup idea. Use the opportunity to share some information about your startup with the people you meet. You may find others who want to help you make your startup a success.

Read on : [link] contains more material on financing your business.

Questions & Answers

A golfer on a fairway is 70 m away from the green, which sits below the level of the fairway by 20 m. If the golfer hits the ball at an angle of 40° with an initial speed of 20 m/s, how close to the green does she come?
Aislinn Reply
cm
tijani
what is titration
John Reply
what is physics
Siyaka Reply
A mouse of mass 200 g falls 100 m down a vertical mine shaft and lands at the bottom with a speed of 8.0 m/s. During its fall, how much work is done on the mouse by air resistance
Jude Reply
Can you compute that for me. Ty
Jude
what is the dimension formula of energy?
David Reply
what is viscosity?
David
what is inorganic
emma Reply
what is chemistry
Youesf Reply
what is inorganic
emma
Chemistry is a branch of science that deals with the study of matter,it composition,it structure and the changes it undergoes
Adjei
please, I'm a physics student and I need help in physics
Adjanou
chemistry could also be understood like the sexual attraction/repulsion of the male and female elements. the reaction varies depending on the energy differences of each given gender. + masculine -female.
Pedro
A ball is thrown straight up.it passes a 2.0m high window 7.50 m off the ground on it path up and takes 1.30 s to go past the window.what was the ball initial velocity
Krampah Reply
2. A sled plus passenger with total mass 50 kg is pulled 20 m across the snow (0.20) at constant velocity by a force directed 25° above the horizontal. Calculate (a) the work of the applied force, (b) the work of friction, and (c) the total work.
Sahid Reply
you have been hired as an espert witness in a court case involving an automobile accident. the accident involved car A of mass 1500kg which crashed into stationary car B of mass 1100kg. the driver of car A applied his brakes 15 m before he skidded and crashed into car B. after the collision, car A s
Samuel Reply
can someone explain to me, an ignorant high school student, why the trend of the graph doesn't follow the fact that the higher frequency a sound wave is, the more power it is, hence, making me think the phons output would follow this general trend?
Joseph Reply
Nevermind i just realied that the graph is the phons output for a person with normal hearing and not just the phons output of the sound waves power, I should read the entire thing next time
Joseph
Follow up question, does anyone know where I can find a graph that accuretly depicts the actual relative "power" output of sound over its frequency instead of just humans hearing
Joseph
"Generation of electrical energy from sound energy | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore" ***ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7150687?reload=true
Ryan
what's motion
Maurice Reply
what are the types of wave
Maurice
answer
Magreth
progressive wave
Magreth
hello friend how are you
Muhammad Reply
fine, how about you?
Mohammed
hi
Mujahid
A string is 3.00 m long with a mass of 5.00 g. The string is held taut with a tension of 500.00 N applied to the string. A pulse is sent down the string. How long does it take the pulse to travel the 3.00 m of the string?
yasuo Reply
Who can show me the full solution in this problem?
Reofrir Reply
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Source:  OpenStax, Business fundamentals. OpenStax CNX. Oct 08, 2010 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11227/1.4
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