Useful Online Tools for a Small Business

If you are looking for some neat online tools which can assist you from going to the stage you are at when starting a business to the stage when you have made an established, one you will find the following tools very useful. Some of these tools are essential for entrepreneurs and are free.

1. Wordoid.com 

Wordoid is a great website if you are having difficulty looking for good domain names for a website. It randomly creates words with the preferences you set. You can then choose from the various names it generates.

2. Google Apps

Google Apps is a suite of web applications which can be used under custom domain names. There is no need to buy or install any software since all the web-based programs and file storage run on a web browser. The applications include messaging apps  such as Gmail, GTalk, Google Calender; collaboration apps such as Google Video, Google Sites, Google Docs & Spreadsheets and iGoogle 

3. Doodle

Doodle is the website you want to visit if you want to set up an event such as a meeting time between your team members or you want to create a poll and want everyone's opinion. It's very easy to use and it can be synchronized with Outlook, Google Calender and Lotus Notes. SurveyMonkey is another good alternative if you want to create online surveys for free

4. MailChimp

If you want to are into email marketing and sending out newsletter then MailChimp is the solution for you. There service is reliable and their interfaces are pretty user friendly. You can design, send and track your html email campaigns 

5. Skype

It's famous for a reason. Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over internet. Calls to other users of the service and, in some countries, to free-of-charge numbers, are free, while calls to other landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Additional

features include instant messaging, file transfer and video conferencing.

6. Picnik

With Picnik you can do almost anything with your photos: crop, resize, print, share, make a collage and edit in multiple ways. Best of all most of its features are free and the system is fast. 

7. Zamzar

Zamzar is an awesome file conversion website. All you need to do is to upload your file, give the conversion format and enter the email address you want the converted file to be sent to. Formats include those of images, docs, music, video, ebooks and other formats. Their basic service is free and is a delight to use.

8. Onehub

Most Email provider services have a small size limit on the files you can send. Onehub provides a great alternative. With it you can send, receive and track large files in a very easy manner. 

9. Senduit

In Senduit you can host files online and then send the link of the files to your friends for them to download it. The service is free and supports many file formats. Box.net is another really cool alternative. 

10. Syncplicity

This is an awesome tool for business travelers. Once installed on your computer, the software immediately backs up all of your files online and keeps them in sync with each other. You can access then access the files remotely from another location. 

11. Bubbl.us

Brainstorm individually or with friends using Bubbl.us. This is a free online application that allows you to create colorful mind maps and then share it with your friends. Lovelycharts is another good alternative to use. 

12. Twiddla

Twiddla is a webbased meeting room that allows you to brainstorm effectively by allowing the attendants to draw in a sandbox mode. This is a perfect platform for remote stakeholders to share their ideas under a single roof. 

13. 280 Slides

This is an amazing site. You can create presentations online on the site for free and similarly access and present them from anywhere. It makes you independent of  your hardware and is a great tool to have. 

14. OpenProj

OpenProj is a nice alternative to MS Project. It is a free open source project management solution and is available for various platforms. 

15. Test Everything

This is a dream site if you are a web developer or an owner of a blog or a website since you can test almost every aspect of a website using it. You can validate your coding, check how popular your website is, whether your website is really up and running and do all sorts of stuff. 

16. Adobe Kuler

Adobe Kuler is a really cool online application for graphic designers. It lets users create and save color schemes. It then allows the option of exporting the scheme to Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. 

17. Bizroof

There are many CRM software out there but hardly any of them is free. Bizroof is a free CRM and is ideal for small businesses. 

Image by conorwithonen

How To Be Innovative In Your Business

 Is your team not coming up with bright new ideas? Is innovation a long forgotten task in your list? Then have a look at the following ways to become more innovative in your industry. You might just end up with a very exciting new idea.

• Allow loads of ideas and then shortlist them

The key to a successful idea starts by having loads of ideas in the first place. A team or an individual should thus brainstorm initially and allow and list all sorts of ideas that come to mind even if they don’t make sense. You never know you might be crossing out an idea that can bring you millions in the future. The next step is to narrow down the ideas in accordance with the requirements of the consumer. Finally market research needs to be done in order to assess the feasibility of the idea.

• Act as a devil’s advocate during screening phase

It’s sometimes a good idea to ask one of the team members to wear a black hat and oppose ideas that are put forth by other team members. This allows everyone to step back and view the ideas critically. Hence there are more constructive task conflicts between team members which result in more consolidated ideas. This technique should mainly be employed after the initial brainstorming session and during the idea screening phase. 

• Allow people to make mistakes and equip them with adequate resources

Pixar is a great example of a company that is innovative and captures the imagination of its target market. The key to their success is that new employees are given all required resources and are allowed to make mistakes. They are encouraged to seek the advice of senior management but it’s not compulsory for them to follow their advice. This allows for a greater degree of creative freedom in terms of thinking and assessment

• Bring fresh perspective from outside

Group thinking (team members thinking in a similar manner) usually occurs when all team members have been working with each other for a long time and share similar opinions on matters. It is thus a good idea at times to bring people from outside to assess the situation and to come with bright new ideas. Consider Grameen bank for instance. The bank was started by Dr. Muhammad Younas who came with a non-financial background and looked at the banking system from a whole new perspective. A normal banker would have perhaps never taken the bold step of revolutionizing the banking system the way he did through the introduction of micro-financing in Bangladesh.

• Consider user scenarios and test cases for tasks

It is ultimately the user to whom you are selling the value of the idea. Therefore always keep the user’s priorities in mind and the customer experience. Some companies come up with amazing new ideas but fail to prioritize the customer needs and end up making great products which don’t fill a good demand.

• Keep a watch for trends, new competitive technologies and businesses

User needs keep on changing. So do technologies and demands and supplies of businesses. Being innovative also involves keeping a watch on all of these while consolidating your ideas accordingly.

These steps are not complete but if implemented can help your business become more innovative. 

Image by Raneko

Business Ideas for Pakistan

Do you want to start a business in Pakistan but are missing on a business idea? Consider some of the following business ideas and you might hit a jackpot:

• Start a Software Company

Pakistan currently doesn’t really have any big software company. Part of the reason is the widespread usage and acceptance of software piracy and its products. Another is the quality competition that foreign software companies offer. These hurdles generally have hindered the growth of software companies in Pakistan. Having said this more and more companies and offices are these days looking for cheaper solutions which foreign companies cannot provide. Hence opportunities in the areas of website development, planning and maintenance software, and management and communication systems have risen and should continue to flourish.

• Start a Consultancy Business

Immigration and educational consultants have been on the rise in the recent decade and the business is pretty much dominated by a couple of consultancy companies. Other areas to look into consultancy therefore are operations management, strategic management and IT consultancy. These areas are still less dominated and present an ideal opportunity for anyone with the right expertise and experience to enter. Foreign companies like Accenture, McKinsey, BCG, Bain, etc have yet to enter Pakistan and therefore can present themselves as a threat in future.

• Install an Automobile Manufacturing Plant

If you have capital or the backing of venture capitalists consider starting an automobile manufacturing setup. Pakistan currently has almost 13 automobile companies (foreign and domestic both) operating within its borders and most of the top manufacturing plants are of foreign companies which offer expensive products. Offering cheaper automobiles customized for the Pakistani market might be  viable option to look into.

• Start Power Plants

Pakistan has been facing an energy crisis for quite some while now. The demand for electricity has been increasing and the supply has remained almost constant if not totally. Start multiple power plant projects and rid Pakistan of this problem. Power plants can be of various types: gas, oil, coal, wind, solar, hydal, nuclear, etc.

• Start a Securities Company

More and more corporate offices and residential units these days are emphasing on security. Consider being a one stop for them all. Solutions ranging from pure electronic (such as security cameras and an automatic monitoring system) to security personnel can be provided. Reduce the crime rate in Pakistan while earning top money as well.

Any other ideas?


Image by Julian

Online Business Ideas for Pakistan

Looking to start an online business for Pakistan but don't have ideas?

Following are some ideas to reflect on and perhaps pursue:

• Smart Traveling

People love to find cheaper ways to travel at good quality. Same goes for Pakistanis. Make a website which identifies all travel options and compares them for areas in Pakistan. Moreover give the user the ability to buy tickets for hotels, airlines, buses and other travel companies. Additionally remember to offer travel deals to catch the attention of users. You can earn through affiliate marketing or by displaying related ads. Have a look at priceline.com, booking.com and hotels.com for more ideas.

• Promote Freelancers of Pakistan

Make a website that connects Pakistani companies looking for specialized labor with workers possessing those skills. There are loads of Pakistani students and company personnel looking for work online or some part time job. Help them make an online profile and market themselves better. Some successful websites in this area are freelancer.com, rentacoder.com, guru.com, odesk.com and elance.com

• Online Stores for Local Businesses

Help businesses in Pakistan promote themselves online by letting them offer their products for sale online. Try and follow Alibaba.com's business model but customize it for Pakistan. Provide businesses an online store with their individual website having a a sub-domain name or their own separate domain name. You can earn by maintaining a portion of the transaction fee. On a similar note you can also make something similar to a customized Ebay or a Craigslist for Pakistan and earn through it. Note however that these two options have been tried by some Pakistanis before and have not been successful. 

Any other online business ideas in mind?

Image by Abron

Business Ideas for Lahore

Starting a business in Lahore might seem a daunting task to some due to its notorious notion of it having cunning business dealers and consumers. That may be true but that shouldn't stop a Lahori from starting a business.



Following are some ideas for starting a business in Lahore:

• Start a Restaurant Business

Lahoriites love good food and in most cases will pay any amount to have it. One hardly sees any eating place in Lahore close down. The key to starting such a business is to keep the competition in the surrounding localities in mind and to concentrate on what you serve. Good food quality in this case should be considered more important than other business attributes such as cost, customer service, etc.

• Help Identify Talent 

Lahore has had a history of creating artists and you can't help but wonder that there is still more out there (talent is of course in the rest of Pakistan too and this business model can be followed elsewhere too). Become the bridge between academies and talent by acting as the middle person.  Earn money from academies for providing a talented pool of candidates. Think of this strategy similar to a recruiting agency. Moreover be very specific in the niche you select and specialize in it, be it music, dramatics or some type of sport even.

• Start an Image Consultancy firm

People from Lahore generally love to follow trends (esp fashion) when compared to any other city in Pakistan. Take advantage of this by starting an image consultancy firm. Give tips to both men and women on their appearance, communication style and behavior. Chances are you might make a name for yourself in this relatively untested area. 


Other ideas and thoughts?


Image by Yasin

Business Ideas for Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Want to start a business in Islamabad or Rawalpindi?


Listed are some exciting business ideas to ponder over:

• Start a Coffee Cafe

Let's face it, people from Islamabad and Rawalpindi don't have enough places to hang out. Cafes are a perfect place for a rendezvous. Compare the number of coffee shops in both the areas to the number in Lahore and you would be surprised. One can argue however that the population of Lahore is more than twice of both Islamabad and Rawalpindi combined (just over 3 million for both). But then again when you see people from the twin cities flock over time and time again to places like Cinepax and Hot Spot (even though they are really good), it makes you wonder. So in short start a coffee shop before Starbucks comes in and captures the market.

• Acquire land and convert it into a Parking Building

Some areas of Islamabad and Rawalpindi are getting overcrowded and at times it feels you just don't have enough parking space; Blue Area and Sadar are such examples. Relieve the urban driver of his/her tension of finding an open spot for the car in return for an appropriate fee. One option could also be to provide security with the parking space since there have been some instances of mugging and stolen car parts in some areas. 

• Facilitate Student Projects by providing cheap resources

There are loads of universities in the region and a number of them have engineering colleges. Most final year students working on their projects require cheap used resources and can't find them easily. Resources include reading material and equipment like motors, switches and other such electronic and mechanical components. Thus opening a retail outlet near such universities dedicated for such a purpose seems a plausible idea.

• Start a Cheap Fast Food Restaurant

Islamabad is the most expensive city in Pakistan. Opening a cheap fast food restaurant in the capital city which is primarily focused on a particular market segment could potentially become a profitable business. Savor early on during its operation followed this business model but has recently swayed a bit. Being consistent with the philosophy could have paid them more. 

These are just some thoughts. Any other ideas?


Image by ~MVI~

Selecting a Business Idea

There are several factors which must be considered when selecting a business idea:

•  Niche market

This is a market which doesn’t consist of many competitors and addresses specific issues. Chances are you will become the leader, provided you offer quality services or products. Picky domains http://www.pickydomains.com/  is one such example. It is a platform where contributors help website owners name a website by choosing a domain name. Already there are a number of clients that have made use of it effectively.

•    Resources

Always consider the resources that you have in hand and utilize them; this applies both to new and established ventures. Resources could be knowledge, equipment, specialized labor, etc. Once a company builds on its resources, it usually has a competitive edge over its competitors and can easily work to increase its market share value.

One perfect example is that of Jang newspaper from Pakistan - http://www.jang.com.pk/. The company utilized its existing resources of reporters and related infrastructure to found a news television channel Geo http://www.geo.tv/. This gave them an edge over other channels and consequently they now have the highest number of viewer base. Since then they have also expanded further by opening up 4 new television channels.

Resources can also be thought of as competencies that a company possesses.  These competencies vary from one company to another and should gradually be optimized with time. For example Google’s core competency initially was its search engine code. It is however trying to utilize its brand name now to broaden it into internet dominance by introducing new services such as Google docs, maps, Gmail, Chrome, etc.

Companies such as Microsoft and Google also have capital as one of their competencies. Such companies are very stable and tough to compete against. A company should therefore always target making capital as one of its competency.

•        Address an issue

Companies that work to solve specific issues and problems can easily define their strategy and mission statement. And those who are the first to meet unmet needs usually are the next big thing.

Take Napster for instance. It was the first popular online music sharing service. Although it was surrounded by controversies, it was unique and was always going to capture the market. Similarly Fedex addressed the issue of slow shipping and made it express, eventually becoming a success.

•       Target market

Providing services and products without even knowing which customer is being targeted will always leave the company unsure how to best present customized solutions in the future for that market. Thus the primary target and the secondary target markets must vividly be kept in mind when selecting a business idea.

Consider GAP http://www.gap.com/. Its primary market is a white collar person. Diesel http://www.diesel.com/ on the other hand targets more fashionable and casual people. Both provide customized products since their target market is clear.

• Uniqueness

This is the most important aspect to consider. When you have shortlisted an idea, do a market analysis of it and consider the competitors. Ask yourself; how can I provide a better service than the one they are offering? Why should a customer come and buy my services and not theirs?

Be unique and don’t completely imitate someone else’s services. Add a special feature to your service that your competitors are lacking and can’t match. Simple examples could be making your service reliable, cheap, fast, or even custom-made to your customers liking.

Sharp’s example fits here perfectly. Its uniqueness is its command over specialized optoelectronics 
technologies; it invested heavily in it and built multiple products in that domain. Its competitors just couldn’t match the amount of research and development that had gone into the field by Sharp.