Archive for the 'Transportation' Category

August 3rd 2008

Advertising Loves to Entertain; Its Real Objective Should Be to Generate Excitement

We’ve neglected consumer desire. That’s why consumers are taking an extended holiday in this recession. Why the Web was wiped out overnight. Why many Christmas retailers and resorts have gone into mourning.

Today’s advertising is so busy looking over its shoulder to see what analysts are saying about its company’s stock value, and what its competitors are saying in their ads, that the consumer has been left out of the loop. Continue Reading »

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July 8th 2008

Just get into market? Starter? Get Establishment Costs Limited

1. Control the size of the establishment

Large-scale production brings certain economies with it especially in times of stability or growth, but in periods of retraction large-scale facilities can be too costly. Ensure that establishment costs are affordable for both high and low levels of activity.

2. Assess the minimum/optimum establishment size for your present activity level

Firms often work with facilities which have grown over the years as demand has developed. But are they what you really need now and for the future? Assess your ideal facilities objectively and compare them with what you have at present; you will at least have a picture of the changes you might make. Continue Reading »

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May 8th 2008

Making a Plan: how to construct a simple and workable business plan part 5

5. Building a solid foundation: infrastructure required to manage your business

Just as you need a solid foundation for a building, so you need theright infrastructure for your business. This needs to be addressed ahead of time. Seriously, many businesses fail because they become too successful. Their infrastructure can’t cope with their growth and so their business literally falls apart. Don’t make that mistake. Clearly define what infrastructure will be required to run your business, both in the short and long-term. Let’s look at the different components of your business infrastructure:

  • Premises: What is the physical capacity your business will require? What will be the optimal location for you in terms of closeness to your customers, major roads and the location of the competition.

Continue Reading »

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February 7th 2008

Run the Whole Show

The third delegation strategy involves more than the second. What we have been talking about so far is the deep delegation strategy, that is, off-loading a specific process or activity onto someone that specializes in that task. There is also a broad strategy, in which a customer contracts out entire business operations. As in the previous approach, the suppliers’ expertise and scale advantages motivate clients to delegate. What distinguishes this strategy is that it places a high premium on the supplier’s orchestration skills. The broader the scope and the more critical the nature of the work, the more customers have to trust that the supplier excels in coordinating and juxtaposing various pieces of the puzzle to form a solution and keep it running smoothly.

Responding to this demand, General Electric Power Systems, which builds turnkey power plants for thousands of customers around the world, will even run its customers‘ plants for them. For the company in need of a power plant, GEPS will take care of everything. In this case, all the delegators have to do is determine the spread between what they plan to charge and what they are willing to pay. Continue Reading »

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January 19th 2008

Proposed outline Marketing Plan for Multi-channel retailer W. H. Smith plc

This subsection was kindly contributed by Glen Freeman, Brunel University. Background

The traditional high street retailer W. H. Smith plc has already established new channels to market through the Internet, digital television and WAP mobile phones. The company has a huge high street presence in the UK, with 1,500 stores nationwide. It also now has stores across the globe on major transport routes at airports and railway stations, and already has over 5 million members registered with its ‘club card‘ scheme. These are already loyal W. H. Smith customers who have experienced the company through its stores. Moving this confidence online will be far easier than trying to generate new business online. Continue Reading »

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