Предприниматель | Информационно-аналитический журнал - Part 123

9 tips on how to build a dream team for a startup

August 31st, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Why talented skateboarder with no work experience will be useful for a startup than a mid-level professionals.

Creating efficient business is the main goal of any entrepreneur. You can not do it alone. You will need to recruit allies, and it is from them will depend on the success of your business. And the companions, not workers. For a start the professionalism and quality execution of work is needed, but that’s not all requirements. Need to stress mental and physical strength, increased commitment, and even a change of priorities in life. Money ceases to be the primary motivator and fade into the background. For a complete surrender to the person needs to grieve for the cause. Task manager – to find and retain such personnel is to build a dream team. Here are some basic rules to help you achieve this.

Hire the best

First and foremost – you can not save on a pro. Of course, expensive, difficult to interest them, and to keep, but their effectiveness will cover and exceed all costs. You do not need to monitor the whole process of work to spend time explaining and correcting the mistakes of others, to do the work for them, and then change the team, re-education spending. One “superspetsialist” better of two mid-level. In the allocation of your existing budget, divide it into two parts. One part – only for the team, and the other – we are all the other costs.

Look heroes

You need not only those who are good, or even a very good job with their work, looking for those who have achieved great success – at least in anything. This may be skateboarding or crochet. It might not be a self-sufficient criterion, but one who has shown outstanding results in any case, are more likely to be devoting all their time to your project and is unlikely to leave you halfway. After all, he was able to prove that his chosen path laid out by 100% and reaches the goal. Then it all depends on you – if you can capture it for new heroics.

Become a while HR-director

From your involvement in the process of recruiting staff directly dependent chances of finding exactly the right people to you. No, even the best HR will do it for you. It can adequately assess professional experience, but can not “feel” the energy potential of human ability and willingness to work at high speeds and with strict deadlines. It is you, as a leader, be able to understand how the applicant will fit you not only as a professional and as a person, if you can work together, and how strong his “fighting spirit.” During the formation of the key commands the future of the company you will need to do to become HR-director.

Play the ambitions

The right staff to get complicated, but even harder to keep them. Most often it is easy to find work, and wages – not always their top priority when choosing a new location. What is their motivation? Of course, the challenge non-standard tasks, the possibility of self-realization. These people are moving in start-ups because of his own ambition and ambition. – Your task is to use them for the benefit of the quality of the case. Make the tough deadlines, high speeds and high loads challenge professional qualities, the incentive to search for unconventional solutions and creativity. No matter what you need to do – change the design or improve KPI sales. Add the excitement, fuel a fighting spirit, and teach people to enjoy and to make matters forward. After all of this, and they came in a startup.

not insulate the department from each other

Next you need to organize the effective work. The optimal structure for a startup suggests solutions to common business problems through the involvement of specialists in different fields. From the beginning, do not need to turn the department into isolated from each other “islands” that focus only on solving their own problems. For example, when developing an IT platform we engage in the process of marketing. They describe the needs of consumers and the market that you want to lay in it. To join the process of product managers, “transform” the market terminology into plain language of IT professionals. This relationship is sure to give a synergistic effect. In turn, IT professionals, understanding the needs of the business may propose improvements to enhance the effectiveness of marketing professionals.

Do not be afraid to change people

People can work well, but not laying out at 100%, as would be desirable for you. But you reconciled with it, considering that any way better than nothing at all. Relying on the average level of work you and your startup does not raise above the average. Set yourself a question: I would choose the same people re-assembling the team? If so, then it could be in the other – in the wrong setting priorities or workflow. If not, it is better to act right away, it is too late. Anyone can make a mistake, but if he can not analyze shortcomings and continues to make the same mistakes, it is better to fire him. This also applies to you. Only your “dismissal” of the business will follow directly from your inability to make tough decisions and your own indecision.

Take the fire itself

Only when a new project is being developed, the team is small, and work, on the contrary, very much. And even when optimally competent tasking and prioritizing correctly you will need to take part in all business processes, to control every step and ultimately be responsible for any outcome, successfully achieved or unachieved. Somewhere flawed functional apparent technical flaws, not as fast sales are in the end, it stalled. Who is to blame? No technical director or sales manager – only the leader. Even if you have multiple partners, in making difficult decisions all the team should know who will have the final word. You are carrying a huge burden of responsibility – in front of your team to investors, customers, in front of your family and yourself. The only thing you can do – be patient and philosophical approach to all challenges. In the end, you choose.

Delegate authority

To be responsible for the business does not mean you have to do everything myself. Do not forget that the passing of the work of another person, you need to give him and the right decisions. No need to endlessly interfere in the work of every employee and do it yourself regardless of the urgency and complexity of the problem. On the basis of experience, it can be argued that with the development of the enterprise, team cohesion and increase mutual trust constant monitoring leader becomes weaker, and the knowledge of the workers tends to rise. No need to slow down this natural course of events.

Do not change your principles

Each of us has their own ideas about what is good and what is bad. Discuss ethics and morality in business – a thankless job. Just everyone has a line that he was in any case not cross. And everyone is their own. To whom it may be easy to dismiss the father of five children, and someone torment the conscience, if he raise his voice to a subordinate. General recommendations here. It happens that the hard times are coming, and then you have to make difficult decisions. There is a good way to understand Step back to you through their own moral boundaries: Imagine that the choice you need to justify to the audience full of people. If you falter, it will show that, in its decision you are sure that it comes from within, and therefore it is correct. Not at all correct, but specifically for you and your business. Always follow your beliefs, be confident.

And the last – like people who work in your business, try to make their life better in every way possible. And you are sure to get out!

How to organize the effective work of the IT project

August 30th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Tips company CEO CUSTIS (developing IT systems) .

The optimal situation – when the customer seek to control 100% operation, 80% support and 20% of IT systems.

“Custom” and “ready” enterprise systems is not so obvious differ from each other, as is commonly believed. To begin, we’ll try to find out who buys them and why.

For companies of any size and scope of the two groups of business processes. The most numerous group includes providing processes. This is all the procedures that help us to function normally: bookkeeping, purchasing office, the work underlying IT infrastructure. Without them it is impossible to do, but you can minimize the cost of their organization, for example, buying at the market “best practices.”

The second group of business processes are those that relate to the know-how of the company and give it a competitive advantage in the marketplace. In this case, all you need to do only their own, such as a company’s processes are unique and have no analogues.

Any IT solution that is already on the market, you need to be seriously modified, or, as they say, to customize, to automate the processes that constitute the know-how of the enterprise, as well as to ensure the processes are changed for various reasons, can not be acceptable. And the companies agree to take such a step, since it is well understood that in their situation benefits from the creation of IT systems with a high level of customization will be much higher than the costs. Of such IT solutions and we’ll talk.

A bargain is a bargain

The implementation of a large project with a high degree of customization – a very specific and accompanied by risks process. Risk is that the customer and the contractor may not be able to agree on what exactly needs to be done in the framework of the project. Most entrepreneurs describe the problem generally, without fine details. And for IT engineering requires a description of all the necessary details and the absence of uncertainties.

Based on experience, we can say that the basis for the successful implementation of the project is an agreement on the top level of IT planning – system architecture. Require the combined preparation of the conceptual design of the system – the document of 20-30 pages, which is enough even for a large system – which the customer (and from the business and from IT) and singer understand the same. This is the system architecture of the project – Framework agreement on the basic powers of his freedom. Such a coherent neoclassical architecture becomes a contract, that is a long-term contract in the face of uncertainty, when the full impact of the transaction can not be foreseen.

After designation of the critical importance of the system architecture will talk about the organization of effective work on projects with a high level of customization.

Greece has everything?

The existence of a coherent system architecture means that the prototype is already selected (product or platform), based on which the project will be executed ordered. Otherwise, IT can not give a guarantee for the completion of the work. The time to make the required changes to the prototype depends on its size and complexity. For example, it is easier to build a plant from scratch than to build it, and at the same time breaking old. Follows, the second significant risk – the right choice of the prototype project.

Two things you need to consider when assessing the volume and, consequently, the cost of future improvements, it is the size of the prototype and the new functionality required by the customer. Often turns out to be cheaper to order more changes at a smaller initial functionality. In all circumstances, effectively modifying the very large or very small prototype.

It is worth noting that so far we have described the situation in statics. In practice, changes over time and the system architecture itself, and the amount of the required improvements. We recommend that when choosing a prototype guided by the motto “Nothing more?” Rather than the traditional “Greece has everything!” As an overabundance of features of the project will need to “push” through all made improvements.

No people have no idea

The human factor – the third significant risk of the introduction of IT systems with a high level of customization. Knowledge of experts who will do engineering work, tools and ability to use it seriously affects the success of the project. The greater the number of hands through which the project will take place from authors to those who will implement it in the company, the more knowledge will be lost to the completion of the work.

In addition, people should focus on the project – they will be able to create an architecture that optimally “lies” on the tool, and it will ensure the future development of the system at the same time to the business. Employees should be interesting non-trivial tasks and innovative ideas.

Life is just beginning

By implementing the system runs the risk of the customer to buy the dependence of the performer in the operational matters, matters of maintenance and development of the project. Then the most important is the reliability of the contractor, which is characterized by loyalty and project charisma.

Loyalty is to be understood in two different ways. The first – whether the contractor is ready for rapid implementation of the specific requirements of the client. This commitment is strongly dependent on whether the artist is going to replicate the system. If he has a strong interest in replicating, you will not be willing to perform the unique options that will not be replicated.

Second – it’s keeping the confidentiality of know-how client. Customer must ensure that the information about the specifics of his company, its organizational structure, corporate standards, business processes becomes available to competitors – those who later acquire or services of the same contractor.

The most loyal is the internal IT department of the company. Slightly lower level of loyalty – by subsidiaries that are controlled by the customer. The third level of loyalty – from small companies that specialize in developing custom. They take the explicit warranty work on behalf of the customer.

The second criterion for determining the reliability of the customer – this project charisma, which suggests a desire to work for results and creative approach to execution. There is an inverse relationship between the level of loyalty and project charisma. The level of cooperation with the lowest loyalty (custom development from an external contractor) actually provides quality work on the project in the long term, making it the most sought-after. Affect this specialization, continuous efforts to improve the design of technology, development of design culture, improvement of industrial quality tools, and the lack of involvement in routine processes. Designing in large organizations is fraught with tightening in operating activities of project personnel, and they are likely to go away, losing perspective.

Reduce dependence on the designer will help correct distribution of powers. Customer need to control the architecture, operations and the bulk of support. A contractor will develop better, not a chore.

The bottom line

Based on our experience with the IT systems, which need a high level of customization, we have formulated the main points:

  • main risk of such a project that can be done is not what was needed. This risk can be removed with the right attitude of all parties to the system architecture of the project. System architecture – it’s responsible arrangements agreed between the company, its IT structure and the contractor that are clear and allow the enterprise IT side to guarantee the feasibility, timing and budget.
  • In specified projects need to closely monitor the minimization of the system volume. Every unnecessary functionality will be severely inhibit changes to the system: the greater the system, the more will have to pay for the revision.
  • Another critical factor – the remoteness of the implementation team from the authors of the prototype. The greater the distance between them, the worse the quality of the final result and the greater the amount of engineering work required, and this has a negative impact on the timing and costs of the project.
  • client should try to gain control over the operation of 100%, 80% support and 20% of the system’s development. Practice shows that this is the best option for reducing the risks and to reduce IT costs.

How to divide a business? Instructions for Divorce with business partners

August 30th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Negotiations always effective legal process.

Many analysts are convinced that this year or at least in its first half, the world will once severe economic and financial crisis. A typical feature of the economic downturn is the increased number of broken business contracts and decaying joint ventures. When parting business partners the main question – how to distribute the losses and share losses suffered by the company due to poor choices of partners to deal with the debts that were shareholders.

It is unlikely that someone will object that the negotiations on the division of loss is always difficult negotiations on the division of revenue. The person can have extremely negative attitude to losses. Various studies show that, to avoid the loss, people are willing to pay much more for insurance than profit. Separation loss is usually accompanied by a tense atmosphere, aggression, eventually leads to lawsuits, insults and even threats. According to some lawyers, is that the customer is willing to pay a million dollars to win the process by which it is possible to obtain half a million. There is no rational kernel – it’s only human emotions.

When you are going to divide the business, you need to decide what is more important to you: leave a partner on the rocks, at the risk of losing everything, or to minimize casualties. If you choose the second option – use the tips below, they can help you.

First of all, go to court and file a lawsuit. And at the same time, contact your attorney or counselor and begin to think about negotiating. The rules are simple.

  1. Set “rules of the game.” Since you do not trust the other party, you should start with a discussion of procedural issues. Thus, you have to decide how many meetings will be held and where the information that you are ready to voice at these meetings. If the opponent to accept your terms, it means that he is willing to talk, and you can deduct these organizational issues first in a series of agreements, which you then have to conclude.
  2. Try to postpone the final decision. Those losses may change over time – either increase or decrease. So it is imperative to make a list of what is possible will lead to further losses, and then separate the list into two parts – what needs to be done urgently, and what can be postponed. In practice, some Held in 2008, the loss in 2011 turned a small profit.
  3. not pay attention to the numbers. When that figures for the loss, they can cause a surge of negative emotions. Start with what proportions you will share losses. Will it be 50/50, or ownership interests were unequal? Who invest more initially, and what has changed in the structure of deposits over time? Such conversations are useful because they help to move to the bare mathematics without dwelling on the emotions.
  4. not traded. Do not try to bargain when the relationship is almost broken. Would be preferable if you only marked flexible negotiation framework and assign the rest of the proxies. With this you will be able to control the process, and at the same time avoid emotional decisions.
  5. not put the final point. Any agreement must be time limits: you can, for example, make an appointment in a year. Maybe for a year the situation will undergo changes, and lowered the amount of loss. A new meeting can also help to restore, if desired, the relationship with the former business partner.

Most importantly, remember that negotiations are always efficient judicial process or any alternative. With this you will be able to control the process more, which, in any case, good.

How to retain talented employees?

August 29th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

For a start, which is designed to help employers address this issue, and Adobe developers Zynga stopped working.

Last October, Zao Yang resigned from the company Zynga, which publishes games for social networks, despite the fact that I could get there the option. He preferred to do a difficult task – to help small businesses retain talented employees. “I wanted to get to the point and eager to fight,” – says the 28-year-old Yang. Once it is already possible – before Ian was developing computer games, including FarmVille, acquired by Zynga in 2009. Then he brought the game Zynga founder Mark Pincus billions.

How can you “get to the point”, working with small businesses? On the decision to part with Ian employer influenced Paige Craig, a defense contractor, with whom he met over a glass of tequila at the event VC firm Redpoint Ventures. I had the idea of combining technology and social media to manage motivational programs. Within two weeks, Jan versed in the details of the idea, and eventually moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, to Craig. At the same time, to join a startup and guest Craig, George Ishii, a former programmer Abobe, one of the first employees of PayPal and founder of Geni (service to create a family tree) and Yammer (social network for office workers).

They drafted BetterWorks, company that creates incentive programs for employees. These programs combine the benefit Groupon, gear recommendations, and a simple interface Amazon.com and socialization of Facebook. The company has already found investors who are confident in the success of not less developer-startaparov. Redpoint has invested in a young company $ 8 million

What is the business idea? Small firms that do not have a large staff of cadres and big budgets do not have a program of employee motivation. These programs are difficult to implement, and there is nobody to do it. “They have a health insurance program for payroll, but no single motivational system – said Ishii. – This brings us to our idea. ”

With BetterWorks employers can in a few clicks transfer to the employee’s money that he can spend on various services. There are hundreds of them – from dry land to the delivery, and they are available at a discount of 10% to 70%. The program gives a reminder, if the company is ordered pizza for the entire office or scheduled bowling (with the obligatory discount) for the management team. Software analyzes the behavior of the staff, to offer the most suitable recommendations, using the settings manager may adjust bonuses under the real situation – for example, to throw $ 25 at lunch delayed on employee performance.

BetterWorks Company enters into contracts with suppliers, develops interface, invoice and makes deliveries. They already have more than 130 clients, small businesses in Los Angeles and San Francisco, that covers the company’s subscription-based monthly service cost ranges from $ 30 to $ 500. One employee is on average $ 66 per month, but there are exceptions: in one of the firms established at the cost of $ 900 per employee. According to John Foster, senior vice president of talent and the first video portal Hulu client BetterWorks, money – not the only way to motivate. “Regular motivational encouragement great help to create a system of corporate values,” – he said.

Revenue BetterWorks are modest percentage of each transaction. Participation of suppliers in the project – and there were already 2200 – free of charge. The plans of the founders – the expansion of business in the 20 cities that will almost certainly require a significant effort in sales and advertising. “We are ready to work a couple of months without profit, in order to prove that our platform – a really great thing,” – says Craig.

How to increase restaurant revenue

August 28th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Why allow waiters and fooling around on the job free feed secretaries.

Want to increase profits from the restaurant? There are two solutions: either to work to increase the number of guests, or try to increase the average check – the amount that the visitor leaves the restaurant. Both paths eventually lead to an increase in turnover. Only need to know on what exactly you’re working on.

Three ways to increase the number of checks

If you need to increase the number of checks, we use three methods

The first way – to attract new guests. Visitors are different, they come to the restaurant at different times and different objectives. Have breakfast in the restaurant at the other end of the city no one would come. So in case you need to attract people for breakfast or for lunch, it would be logical to work with the local trade area, for example, with local offices. At the opening of “Dolls gun” We decided to put on secretaries – they disseminate information in the office. We called to nearby offices and secretaries invited to a free lunch for two in honor of the opening. Our costs were 50 000, if you calculate the cost of gift lunches. During the first month of our restaurant was visited by several hundred people. While outdoor advertising on the street would cost 80,000 rubles. It would attract hundreds of guests? But never, with the overabundance of ads out there that are hung. The restaurant was completely filled for lunch about four months from the date of opening.

We try to carry in all the different places the party, working with subcultures. For example, for the past two years on Tuesday, we are going to Couch surfers – people who stay each other while traveling around the world. At one time going to bikers, but their tusovka – not the most profitable for the restaurant all on the go, take tea or cola. Recently engaged kicker here: set the bar, “Honey, I’ll get back …” professional table football table and arrange tournaments kicker.

The second method, which we use to increase the number of checks – increases the turnover table. Then speed is important: you need to have time to feed the people at the table not three, but four times in two hours. This is possible if all quick serve, to reduce the delay to zero, and make sure that the guest is not perturbed. More importantly, all to organize on Friday, when visitors to the bar are three rows and reach for cocktails. We are seriously working on the organization of the bars, which bring a substantial part of revenue: everything is signed, the bottles are always in place. Ordered tequila – not looking bartender pulls out a bottle of the right, the service is accelerating.

And the third way – to work with the client – to increase the frequency of visits by patrons. This is extremely important to the quality of guest service. That is what we have to focus. We do not and have never done any advertising because our strategies do not attract new customers.

For example: a certain Alex on Friday sitting in a bar with friends. Two Fridays, he comes to us, the other two – to another institution. If we can do so that next month it will have three times, our sales will grow in the half. If each customer visit us once again, it will be enough for the growth and development of the restaurant. For some reason, this simple strategy is not particularly prevalent in any trade or in the restaurant industry. Convince Alexis to come a third time this month is much easier and more economical than to find a completely new visitor to lure him to the bar, to give him a discount.

To keep the guests importantly – maintaining the right atmosphere and the right service. We have no discounts, regular visitors as well. I know that the discounts do not increase the frequency of visits. And despite the fact that the hundred dollars on account of my income – twenty, and if I give the customer a discount of 10%, this means that I give him half of the profit. I prefer to give less.

Each manager has a budget change to PR, which he must give to visitors. And I like it better when they overspend him than when he sekonlen. My hope is that they make decisions wisely. For example: visitors – a company of six regulars. Manager can invite them to draw the match, and the long, short eats for free.

We work under the slogan: the people come to the people, not just to eat or to look at the design. And our staff does not just bring the food, everyone who works for us, are part of the concept, part of my proposal. On the main page of the site shows the whole team, you can view information about any. Our people – our pride, we give them the freedom to create and encourage their creativity. Even during the interview and the assessment staff, we give them the creative task.

We always try to bring something unusual. Here people come to our bar, and there is a cello, which for us is utterly absurd. Waiters or play “sanchosa” – when you have someone draw a mustache quietly whipped cream. I ask how I can make them. But I do not force anyone, I give them space for the manifestation of idiocy and set the mood.

We in the “doll” is a red armband for shaping, and her bright yellow thread embroidered: “I’m late” – and the one who was late for work, we have the whole day to work in it, entertaining visitors. They did it themselves, brought into a bar and says “late” with the accent on the second syllable, which bears called “opozdalom.” Or zateyut game of “praying mantis” – senior change every half hour shouting into the megaphone word “mantis”, and all employees must freeze on the spot, no matter what they do – to communicate with customers or carrying plate. Who stopped the last, lost. If you find the right employees, then they pin up each other, created such an atmosphere that visitors feel. All I give increased frequency of visits – the client looked then brought friends to see.

Working with average check

How to make sure that the customer has spent more? First, work to increase the number of items in the check. This is easily controllable parameter – using a database you can find out how many items in the check and how much the customer buys. Guest takes two to three positions – you can put the task of making four of them. For example, with additional suggestions. And second: work hard not to buy more items, and more expensive ones. How so?

Work with the average check, we most often is to carry out various competitions for staff, is a competition for the sale of any particular food or drink that works to expand the items in the check. It can be a game of bingo or a team game: waiters against bartenders, for example. In my opinion, the most brilliant of the competition is a game of forfeits. On the morning of the waiters write assignments for each Fanta. For example, to get on the bar and sing “Born in the Woods Tree”, or kiss the back of the visitor, or sell any dessert while sitting under the table. They put all the tasks in a hat or in a pot, then goes out and calls the manager of five courses, which will be played out today. This dish, which rose by an average check. If the waiter will sell an item from the list catechumen, he can point to any person to whom, and will need to pull the phantom. He should immediately perform the job hitting him. That’s all the motivation bartenders and waiters, elevates mood, creates a fun atmosphere. On the other hand, it works to increase the average bill – in the process we are selling the right position. And the third thing – there is increase in the number of checks, because the visitors are beginning to participate in an event. They ask the waiter what it was. Acquire the desired item from the list, wanting to see more shows. And the main thing – I do not mean by a penny.

Third by increasing the average check, I think repositioning institutions – look for another customer, which has higher requirements. This may be attracting some wealthy subcultures or set the lower limit value – we just do not happen cheaper beer 220 rubles.

We have created a restaurant online

August 27th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Experience Advertising Director of “Empire Pizza».

Why our company started with social media

Advertising department in “Empire Pizza” I joined in March 2010, and then the basic tools that are successfully used by enterprises, it was time-tested distribution of leaflets on office centers and residential districts, search engine optimization, PPC and display advertising on the Internet. It definitely was not enough.

Distribute leaflets – effectively, but it is, unfortunately, has irritated some people, leads to clogging of the city, and in addition, the costs of printing and distribution are very high. And as soon as we reduce the number of leaflets distributed as sales at the area of ??the experiment immediately fell. And in the online promotion is war budgets: all trying to get into the top ranks “Yandex”. As a result, last year alone the cost of accommodation in the system “Yandex Direct” of the popular query like “pizza delivery” increased by about half.

More recently, the top ranks in the search engines really could give a perfect result, because hungry people do not want to continue the search for a long time, and they chose one of the top ten outstanding program links. But now the situation has changed, and it affects primarily the growing popularity of social networks. Consumers have become interested in a company’s reputation, which they order food, and not only the price and range of products. In this case, they all want to get the best price and quality offer, but to spend the time, money and effort not seek. Therefore, the choice of buyers affect friends and reviews on blogs.

It seemed obvious that these features need to be running a business. We have to take part in the discussions of our company, to create a platform for these conversations, which you can control the situation and prevent the negative reviews.

Choice Agency

Start was not easy. I seriously began to study the issue. Initially, the company had three offices in the internet social networks – LiveJournal community, an account in Twitter, which we discovered by PR-agencies, and a group of “VKontakte” that I created in order to understand the principles of work at such sites – what they do, how to work with what was written. It has become clear that we need a strategy of working with social media, part of the overall marketing strategy. Then I knew nothing about the size of the budget that it would require, nor on the key indicators that show the effectiveness of the process.

Leading digital-agency offers impressive stuff, but for a lot of money without a clear description of the effect. It was clear that they are focused more on the big brands that have already generated image and are willing to invest in the experiments. There were also suggestions the average price level coming mainly from agencies and even freelancers, but they were more strategic guidance implementing client.

I considered a variety of proposals to increase the number of fans even suggested that work with virtual characters and bots in social networks. But we are looking for clients, real people, not thousands of fake subscribers for the report.

In the end, I leaned to the choice of a small agency AdComm. At the first meeting, we discussed the five o’clock future cooperation, and agreed on the fact that the main objective of social networking – sale. But at the same time, we were clear that simply selling through social networks can not relate to the company’s desire to increase sales and user’s desire to have a private space. Brand can not use the social network as a sales channel, it has something to interest a user.

Virtualization restaurant

Around the same time, we realized that we would have to sell pizza by applications “VKontakte” and Facebook. With that it was not only our initiative, but also the desire of users – they began to wonder whether it is possible to order a pizza right in the Internet community.

Now, after nine months of work, we have an image of the application as a cafe. As cafes and restaurants in the real world, we do not (except for the brand “BigBurger”) applications become their peers and communities in social networks – visitors. We gave them the menu, and they have come to participate in competitions, have communicated with each other, in a review.

In April last year we started selling the application in Facebook, is now working on launching a similar service “VKontakte”. This will complete the first phase of our vision. We plan to launch a new idea in the community: in addition to the sales function in the application options will socialization users. For example, we plan competition, where participants will have to share their dreams.

Work with iPhone

From the very beginning of the development of our digital-strategy, we plan to create applications for selling iPhone.No leading developers to charge high prices, and had to delay ready concept at the year end and wait for an opportunity. And such an opportunity presented itself – our CEO, a lover of Apple, install it on your iPhone app “Tanuki”. And immediately there was a question: “What are we worse?”

Promptly after our first beta version of iTunes on the information about it has spread, and without our participation. Users download the application, make an order, and spread the news about it on specialized forums on the Internet. But after we released the revised release, the Agency conducted a resource and Mac fans in professional societies dedicated to this campaign, there was a real rush of customers. If the first month, users have downloaded the application about a thousand times, the PR-campaign after our application can be 2000 times a week.

Program was originally not quite right, because it was not fully taken into account the specifics of the owners thinking iPhone. However, it is still in demand as unique in the market a little. In the second, improved version of the application, which we will soon be released, taking into account all our shortcomings, and included the usual for iPhone «Tabbara” (name of the menu tabs, Tab Bar).

integration of social networks, website and applications for the iPhone

Our work with social media rather surprising effect on the company. There was a need to invest not only in marketing and promotion, but also in the IT-system, and improve the business processes of the company, working to create a more comfortable environment for users of social networks and the Internet. We made an adapted version of the site for smartphones, on the front page of the site placed aggregator entries from our LJ community, adds a button social networks, the ability to tell your friends in the social networks of any heading, and the ability to log into “My Account” with a Facebook account and “VKontakte “. All of these options have been added by our own team.

The launch of iPhone-application – the next stage of our work – has led us to restructure business processes. In the application, we have included the possibility of processing the products of all three of our brands have made a booking and a unified system of discounts. The effectiveness of such associations, incorporated in the application for the iPhone, has led us to implement this approach and for bookings that are made through the site. We are working on the integration of our websites and systems ERP. To associate a single system all accounts – in sotsestyah, the application for the iPhone and on our website. This is an important step in improving the loyalty program.

Results

During the period of less than a year we have the following results: in the search engine “Yandex” number of requests “Empire Pizza” has grown two and a half times – from 10 500 to 27 000. In my opinion, even more significant is another result – the query “Empire Pizza” in January 2011, was able to overtake the number of request “to order a pizza,” the most expensive inquiry Yandex. This means the emergence of a new Russian-speaking Internet brand “Empire Pizza” as well – that the impulsive approach to order pizza began to change in a more conscious way.

We also decided its main task – increasing sales. The share of online orders in the past year increased from 5-7% to 10-12%. These results may have led to the promotion of social media, but when placing an order, or call the operator clients do not report how they found us. But such a conclusion is obvious.

Release of iPhone applications has given us an additional sales channel. The number of installations of the application is stable at 50-70 week. Orders placed with it, also becoming more frequent, but not as fast as the setup. Characteristically, the average transaction size of customers using iPhone-app is 20-30% higher average ticket sales through other channels. The costs of establishing the application will pay for itself the first month.

Andrey Vasilyev, Director of Advertising “Empire Pizza”

Former vice-president of BP in the service of startups

August 10th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

They were able to create a company profile of an oil, which costs $ 4 million in 10 months. Offices of the company located in India and the United States.

Oleg Giyazov (’23) and Oleg Parpun (32 years) at the end of 2010 have created a startup in the field of oil refining. Today the head office of the company RRT in the United States, Center for Research – Russia, St. Petersburg. Read the story of Oleg Giyazova about what, why and how they started.

Then, ten months ago, I suggested to my boss deal. I called him in the meeting room and said, “I’m terribly tired of all these people with their tea and mandatory corporate party! Let’s organize our company, but in it I’ll be your boss. ” At present, the value of our company is $ 4,000,000, and the head of it, I, at least in the legal sense. Our main office – in the U.S. are doing now opening offices in Delhi, India. Global CEO of the company is engaged in Douglas Harris, who previously was vice president of British Petroleum.

How to convince investors engaged in IT, to invest in chemistry

Last November, I and my former boss worked for engineering company – engaged in the design of factories to China. And then one day, sitting in the lobby business center with a coffee machine, with a sheet of paper describe the meaning of the technology. Searching the Internet venture capital funds and all those who have found this leaflet sent. “Thanks, but we do not like, we have IT-profile” – we got a couple dozen of these responses. In the end we still agreed to invest the fund IT-Foresight Ventures. On our side, was a model of technology and experience in the industry. Foundation, for its part, has spent to conduct a serious examination by independent experts on oil refining, and concluded a deal with us after her success. We called the company Reactive Rectification Technology, or RRT, have been registered as a company and received an initial investment for laboratory tests, in the amount of $ 100,000.

difference between the U.S. and our oil industry

At the same time we began to chat with Russian major oil producers, but it was just an ordinary game of “talking heads”. You spend a presentation to the “talking head of the first level” – a person not taking any decisions. After that, you can call back or call back. If you receive a call, go to a meeting with someone in the second level. We were able to reach only the third, but there also do not make decisions.

Prior to Douglas Harris, a former president of BP, our presentation was able to get through the fourth arm. One person from the industry, our friend, our technology has shown a presentation of his acquaintance, and in two subsequent contact, we got to Douglas. Then he was in Africa, and was about to fly to Los Angeles, but flew to Moscow to us. He said that he believes in our technology, although it appears to him absolutely unrealizable. In our first meeting, Douglas tapped the presentation and said, “If these data are real, then it is – yes!” It is understood that Douglas Harris – is a business-tank, corporate machine. It can push an opponent in the negotiations and to conclude billionth of a deal. We may be surprising – we’re used to other amounts, but Douglas always works this way.

He suggested we do the promotion of RRT in global markets. But only under the condition of American specialists thorough technological expertise of our technology. Over the past six months, it tested by many Russian and foreign experts. The main characteristic of our experts and “leaders” – to begin with spitting in the face of developers, and technology to look after it. I keep the most insane comments in a separate folder on my laptop, it is called “Slop.” Foreign experts will begin with a constructive approach, even if the work interferes with the language barrier and the large difference in time zones.

We spent the first talks with an expert team of Harris during the night, as they have in Los Angeles was the day. We both speak English with a colleague at the very minimum. Therefore, in order to begin a conversation on Skype, we needed a double break. Explained the meaning of gestures and text chat. For many more nights we practiced their English. In the end, all understood each other, and Douglas was to work with us.

difference of cultures

We will soberly assessed our chances for the implementation of development in Russia. Therefore, initially focused on China and India.

In the summer we participated in the project Start-up Roullette, where MBA students from 15 world’s best business schools hold meetings with technology startups using video chat, in random order. The decision to participate, we have accepted for some half an hour before the start of the project. Although I improved my English, but have decided to invite an interpreter. We formally dressed – in white shirt, tie, jacket – even though it was summer and very hot. Seven minutes after the chat, we saw an Indian in a t-shirt, swaying in his chair. It was a student of MBA from Calcutta Business School, the school with the largest in the world contest entrants. Both participants experienced some culture shock. Now we are opening an office in India, half of the project we are funding, and the second half of money attracts the very Indian.

At the end of the summer, we were able to contact the Investment Committee Skolkovo. We needed to convince them to give us the additional investment. Was supposed to be an oral presentation (up to six weeks it is paper work). Hurricanes in the United States prevented the arrival of Douglas in Moscow, and we decided to include it in the talks via telephone. With half of the first day in Moscow (2:30 am in Los Angeles), Douglas held the phone and waited for a call from Skolkovo. I asked him, that there were no sounds in the background, the TV, running water in the kitchen – so everything was perfect.

We had a fairly long wait, an invitation to carry out protection to the Investment Committee – we went to the office only seven in the evening (six in the morning at the Douglas in Los Angeles). All this time our American CEO continually looking at the phone waiting for an important call. Our presentation took three and a half minutes, and then performed a representative of our Russian investors. It was the turn of Douglas, which has already established a connection. “Well, you can not Americans,” – said in Investkomitete, and he was immediately cut off, without even explaining why. Former vice-president of British Petroleum from such treatment was the moral stress. However, additional investment, we still got it.

Doing Business in India: experience startups

August 10th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Experience of two Russian chemists for sale in Delhi refining its technology.

Oleg Giyazov (’23) and Oleg Parpun (32 years) at the end of 2010 have created a startup in the field of oil refining. Today the head office of the company RRT in the United States, Center for Research – Russia, St. Petersburg. Read the story of Oleg Giyazova about how they opened a representative office in New Delhi.

The year before I was engaged in designing petrochemical plants in China. This work has managed to bore me, and I suggested to my colleague risky venture – to establish a research company in the field of oil refining. We created the RRT, with only a mathematical model of the new technologies of gasoline production. As of today we have the formal status of Transnational Company. But here the “formal” all the same keyword. The company has its head office RRT in the United States, R & D-center in St. Petersburg, and representation – in India. As for India, where we are just beginning, and formed an interesting situation there.

About printing

To establish an Indian company can be from Russia. It does not make too much difficulty. Just go to the Indian law firm, and they draw up the documents for 5-6 days. Then he comes to you via the Internet DIN, a director identification number. Next you need to put a few stamps at the Embassy of India, we contacted the consulate general in St. Petersburg.

Then it became more difficult. I met an Indian who spoke the classic “Indian-English” language, which is extremely difficult for understanding. I tried to talk with him for twenty minutes, and it did not work. Next came a desperate question: “Where to put that?” – Is a water delivery courier arrived, who also did not answer. Finally, a woman came into the hall, took my papers and left. About forty minutes later she returned and asked me what needs to print and where to put them. Explained. Next was the assistant to the consul, “You are this year’s first to come up with such documents. You have to wait consul, that he looked at them, then we can put the press. ”

Consul came after two and a half hours. “I’ll have to contact the ambassador, and give him a look of paper, and we will be able to put the press” – said the Consul General. Print on my documents put in another hour, and I just had to pay a visa fee.

“In the office there is no money. Prepare the exact amount or go for exchanges. Then on the next street there is a good store, “- said the woman. After missing a key somewhere on the box office. As a result, I spent six hours a consulate in print on documents and payment of 65 pounds. It is surprising that the opening of offices in Delhi, the scale of a half man needed a connection with the presence of the ambassador and consul general.

Business Delhi

After registration of the company, my colleagues and I went to Delhi for talks with clients. Delhi – truly an amazing place. I mean, I was shocked – I’m waiting for the other. When we were planning a trip, we booked a hotel room with a site that was pointed out the location of the hotel – New Delhi, the business center of the capital. Then I thought that surely there must be skyscrapers in Moscow City, and even better.

On arrival in Delhi we met did not call a taxi, and car era of Stalin. The car had a windshield, side windows instead of the holes and broken appliances. Our driver managed to push the car off and go after different ritual: he fidgeted in his seat, frantically pressed the pedal, listening to the sound of the engine, and eventually got his way.

With us rode Dmitri, our chief engineer, a native of Petersburg’s intelligentsia, who basically never swore. Yet on his way to Delhi, he stopped caring about the choice of expressions. New Delhi, in practice, was, like Delhi, infinite, three-story and dilapidated. On all streets overabundance of traders. They sell everything, even to the point that raises the stone from the ground and begin to sell it, and it’s perfectly normal accepted. Distributed to shave points in the street, cutting, fast food. At the entrance to the shopping malls (very small compared to our) cost tommy. Our hotel is also guarded by gunmen. And at a bus stop in front of the hotel every morning, sitting monkeys. Local residents disperse them out to clean up a place to wait for the bus. At the same time, there is no one wears a sari, and all speak fluent English. Back in Delhi is very popular education, especially for natural and technological (the whole world already knows about Indian programmers on stage – Indian engineers).

Real estate in Delhi is much cheaper than in our big cities. For example, renting an office in downtown cost us $ 200 a month. And this is a serious two-room office with kitchen, an area of ​​56 square meters. m, and not little room with a desk and chair.

Indian perspective

In India, very difficult to meet with the person who actually make decisions. On the most important customer for us, we are left only with the head of our Indian Mission – Adach. The client (his name without advertising we are under the terms of the negotiations) acquainted with his father Adach – well-known professor. In India, a very high value on the status of professor. Besides his son received an MBA with Adach, the business school in Calcutta.

When a client Adash invited for negotiations, he risked his reputation (and reputation of his family to a certain extent) he would have had difficult, if our technology, which we presented at the talks, was of poor quality. But the customer looked at the presentation and said that India – this is a good market for our goods, and even a great market.

Our meeting was delayed for three hours – all because of traffic jams. In Delhi, almost no traffic rules. Normal situation – on the wrong tractor rides, and this one is not surprised. He just gives way. But the talks with the client lasted only 20 minutes. But those 20 minutes were fantastic efficient.

In general, the Indian market is complex, but very promising for us. He is very big, and the competition is weak. The main problem of our competitors is the simplicity of the old technology of oil refining. Hindus do not copy and it is not to buy a license.

Our advantage is the essence of technology that we sell: it is much better, and it is practically impossible to copy. What is it? Recent global environmental standards for gasoline is very strict: in Europe is EURO-5 in the U.S. – MSAT-2, etc. These standards are very costly oil companies, and for them it becomes difficult to produce the corresponding gasoline. But we possess the technology of combining the processes that will produce high quality diesel with low cost. Technically, it is difficult, but the effect is excellent. Negotiations in India have shown that our technology there is good demand.

The five major mistakes startups

July 30th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

Story venture investor in Silicon Valley to work with Ukrainian start-ups.

Of the eight companies, the creation and development of which I was engaged for 21 years, half can be attributed to a successful, two good results, but only two have failed. When I happened to lose his company $ 35 million, I called my mother and told her about it. She paused for a long time, and then asked, “Now do you want them back?” I explained that I was willing to give not less than venture capitalists, on my next company. This is a typical example of Silicon Valley, the largest business cluster.

Now I first came to Russia, the homeland of his parents. I am pleased to be here, but still very happy that business is no longer a crime. I would like to describe their impressions of the startups that I managed to get to know here.

Emphasis on the idea of ​​

Of course, it is interesting to look pretty good idea of ​​the presentation. But it’s still not a business. The idea is still just an idea, even if it is the basis for your business. Ideas can be for all – children, dogs – but they are not profitable. The main question will always be a return on ideas.

I had a chance here to see a lot of presentations startups. Some were really impressive, but some were like my own 40 years ago. There was a detailed description of the idea, but the fact is that to describe it and get the investment – this is not the same thing. It is better to show who is the buyer, on what market you are targeting, where the sales channel. The original idea is often erroneous. It is absolutely normal. The entrepreneur can and should make mistakes, reflect on their mistakes and improve their project.

So personally, I prefer when the presentation is not only describes the idea. It’s better when it looks different. “Hi, recently we had an idea, and that’s what came out of it. We have made a site, and the first 50 people who watched it, have left terrible reviews. So we did the following … and attracted some fifty customers who have decided to order our product / service. And then we have added this, and thus increased the number of visitors and customers, and we have learned something new. ”

Repeat business models of major companies

The conventional wisdom about startups as mini-versions of large companies. But it is not. Startups are fundamentally different from large enterprises, they have their own characteristics. For large companies is characterized by the use of well-known business models. Startups also need to constantly find new, scalable business models, technologies and markets.

Those startups that fail to find new models, such as 90%, will leave the market. As many as 90 percent! Once I was invited to speak to a large audience, with a thousand people audience, and I reminded them that 950 of them work at McDonalds will be more profitable. But 50 of them will be able to earn millions of dollars.

Improper risk assessment

Startups some areas, such as health, science, biotechnology, have a high level of technological risk. You can understand that the technology does not work, just a few years. Cancer treatment – is not a question of market and consumer risks. It all depends on technology. While these companies do not calculate all the technological risks, it is not worth thinking about customers and markets.

But the majority of Internet startups is no technological risks. You can say anything, but you are not about technology startups. My opinion – every good developer will set up a base for any startup. The main case and the failure of major companies such consumer is thinking through the risks and the risks that are associated with the clientele. Internet start-ups fail not because they have no website, but due to lack of customers. Therefore, the main issue here is how you prove the investor, which will reduce all these risks.

Inability to learn from customers

First contact with the buyer does not maintain any business plan. All that is displayed in the presentation is just a point in time. But the presentation, I can not know whether you will learn something in the future. No one will invest in a point in time. Investor’s important to understand how fast, fast, and how wisely the entrepreneur can learn something from buyers and the market.

The secret of success of an entrepreneur is his ability to learn from consumers, but not his mind. Nobody finishes his business in the same form in which he began his. You need to constantly respond to customer behavior, rather than sit back and watch the situation on the market. Your startup should be changed taking into account customer feedback. This is one of the most important points for success.

Investor is not a rich uncle

I often have to explain to budding entrepreneurs that rich uncle and venture capitalist – this is not the same thing. Experienced investors usually have a portfolio of projects both 8.12. Every day they spend tens of selections to browse thousands of startups.

When preparing a presentation for investors should be aware that he has much more experience than you, more experienced mistakes and successes. For experienced Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and investors are critical of its values. I believe that the Russian venture cluster is necessary to work on it.

How to find out if it works good shop?

July 30th, 2012 Журнал «Предприниматель»

The main indicators are customer base and its back shop . As for werewolves, for the sites software stores an indirect sign of a good chance of success in their niche will be a turnover of $ 1 million for the first year of operation. It should also take into account the gross-margin – if it does not shut off the running costs, it was all in vain. With respect to the store customer base can be said that if the first year he did not have enough buyers 100,000, then he would not live, according to Felix Muchnik. “To the online store should apply the same criteria as for the ordinary enterprise: just need to know the effectiveness of investments, the average size of accounts, customer inquiries,” added the businessman.

How many visitors are buying something? Alexey Kuzmin Litportal.ru to say that the norm – when of about two hundred visitors at least one register, and in ten of those who have been registered, customers will be 3.4 person. According to Valeria Kovaleva, in order to achieve success the project should be 2% of the buyers of one hundred requests. Excellent indicator would be if out of 100 visitors will get 5-10% of anything, I am sure Oscar Hartmann.

There are online stores, to make a purchase that required registration. “Registration will scare the client” – says Valery Kovalev, creator Holodilnik.ru. Basil Muntean, store manager rubashka-na-zakaz.ru said that in the case of the sale of clothing on order of registration is important for future updates and details of the size of things. Similar view is shared by Alex Ametov from Look At Me Store: «Registration is required for the construction of the CRM-system (Customer Relationship Management System – control interaction with customers) and to establish relations with the consumer. In order that some part of potential clients will leave, will have to accept. ” With registration, you can also monitor the index of repeat purchases . If half of the registrants will get something for the second time, this is an occasion for joy.

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