5 ways to tackle your business fears

It’s our nature as entrepreneurs to have a constant fear, which can be overcome only with personal conviction. To vanquish these fears and devise an appropriate course of action, we must trust our instincts.

Entrepreneurship is not only about taking risks but also dealing with psychological imbalances. It’s our nature as entrepreneurs to have a constant fear, which can be overcome only with personal conviction. However, we sometimes find ourselves in uncharted waters causing turmoils in our life. To vanquish these fears and devise an appropriate course of action, we must trust our instincts.

Here are a few ways to tackle your business fears:

1. Be Honest About Your Fear

Personal beliefs are extremely powerful and influential, which form the basis of how we react in fearful situations. In order to tackle such things, we should ask ourselves hard questions about the uncertainties being faced. Whether it’s fear of public speaking or unfamiliarity with handling company finances, employees, need to get specific, you can find a resolution to any predicament once you recognize what it is.

2. Have a Positive Attitude

Revel in your ability to look past fear toward successful outcomes. Learn how to work with any apprehension rather than letting it become a roadblock. Always be cognizant of your attitude, and don’t let yourself succumb to your fear. If a pessimistic viewpoint develops, stop and refocus. Get creative and be bold enough to turn the fear into an opportunity for growth.



3. Have a Clear Outlook

Clarity and commitment lessen the anxiety you feel when attempting something new. Rather than avoiding challenges that alarm you, gain a sense of control by understanding the situation. Develop a simple and clear mission with a specific outcome. Stating a tangible result decreases your fear and redirects your energies toward reaching your goals.

4. Trust Yourself

You need to accept that rejections are a part of life and it happens to all of us, but they will only impair your progress if you allow them to. Unshackling yourself from people’s expectations and keeping your vision clear will propel you to greater heights.

5. Anticipate Bumps on the Road

You need to realize that there will be moments when you feel disheartened so, rather than dreading it, expect it. Remember that you’ve been apprehensive before and successfully worked through it. To lessen the impact of stressful periods, indulge in activities that make you happy and act as stress-busters like reading comics, talking to your best friend, or listening to good music and others. Engrossing yourself in an enjoyable activity can put fear on the back burner.

Fear is a natural phenomenon from which we all suffer but in the end, it is our self-confidence and conviction which help us sail through the rough waters.



Reasons to Have an Office Building for Your Small Startup Business

You shouldn’t run immediately away from the idea of having an office building for your small startup business.

When you think about an office, you might cringe at the mental imagery of a cubicle farm under the eternal glare of fluorescent lighting. Depending on your cultural background, you might even think of a certain Mike Judge movie or Steve Carell TV show. Still, you shouldn’t run immediately away from the idea of having an office building for your small startup business.

Make an Impression

A professional, inviting, and creative office space doesn’t just promote ingenuity and results from your current staff. It also sets a standard and atmosphere that others want to be a part of. Whether you’re trying to lure in investors or attract talent, the right property is a great selling point.

Readiness

Online technology and video conferencing might make it possible to hold meetings in a digital format, but communication is better if everyone is physically in the same room. Remote workers might rush to dial in at the last second, but having an organized meeting room everyone is present in means you can not only start the meetings on time but know that everyone is mentally there, too.



Accountability

Your startup might have to rely on remote workers to some degree. However, the more people you have in a central location, the better you can do in terms of keeping them accountable, not having to use a mail forwarding service to contact them. Someone you only hear from by email a few times a day is a lot harder to track than someone whose desk you can visit any minute of any hour during the workday.

Encourage a Healthy Team

When you have an office building all your own to set up as you see fit, then you can really see, to the health of your team. Provide them with a steady supply of healthy foods and snacks to maintain their nutrition and energy throughout the workday. Create a balance of quiet rooms and play spaces to let them find the relaxation they need on breaks, and encourage fitness. Organize social events to fuel friendships both in and out of the office for a stronger social fabric in your startup.

In conclusion, leasing an office building for your small startup business is usually a commitment of three to five years, so it’s not a trivial matter. However, you should know that where you do your business is just as important as how you do your business and what kind of business you do.



MSME लोन के लिए करना है आवेदन तो स्टेप बाय स्टेप फॉलो करना होगा यह आसान प्रोसेस

कई सारे लोगों को लॉकडाउन के बीच अपनी नौकरी से हाथ धोना पड़ा है। ऐसे में सरकार ने आमतौर पर स्टार्टअप और छोटे व्यवसाय उद्यमियों के लिए लोन की प्रक्रिया भी शुरू की है। MSME लोन यानि सूक्ष्म, लघु और मध्यम उद्यम लोन आमतौर पर स्टार्टअप और छोटे व्यवसाय उद्यमियों को ही दिए जाते हैं। और, ख़ास बात यह है कि इस लोन की चुकौती का समय अलग-अलग-कर्जदाता के हिसाब से अलग-अलग होती है

कोरोना वायरस की वजह से देशव्यापी लॉकडाउन के कारण लोगों को कई सारे मुश्किलों का सामना करना पड़ रहा है। इनमें मुश्किलों में सबसे मुख्य है, “नौकरी की समस्या” कई सारे लोगों को इस बीच अपनी नौकरी से हाथ धोना पड़ा है। ऐसे में सरकार ने आमतौर पर स्टार्टअप और छोटे व्यवसाय उद्यमियों के लिए लोन की प्रक्रिया भी शुरू की है।

MSME लोन यानि सूक्ष्म, लघु और मध्यम उद्यम लोन आमतौर पर स्टार्टअप और छोटे व्यवसाय उद्यमियों को ही दिए जाते हैं। और, ख़ास बात यह है कि इस लोन की चुकौती का समय अलग-अलग-कर्जदाता के हिसाब से अलग-अलग होती है। ब्याज दरों की पेशकश, आवेदक की प्रोफ़ाइल ? पिछले समय में व्यवसाय कैसा रहा है ? और, रीपेमेंट कैसा रहा है ? इस सभी बातों के आधार पर तय होती है।

बैंक और एनबीएफसी MSME लोन के लिए कुछ पात्रता मानदंड रखते हैं। वैसे MSME लोन को भी असुरक्षित लोन कहा जाता है। हाल ही में सरकार ने MSME की परिभाषा बदली है। अगर आप भी MSME लोन के लिए अप्लाई करना चाहते हैं तो आपको क्या करना चाहिए।

यह भी पढ़ें: इस बिज़नेस में होगी सालाना 10 लाख रुपए की कमाई, शुरुआत करने के लिए केंद्र सरकार की भी मिलेगी मदद

जानिए ये आसान प्रोसेस

  1. सबसे पहले, MSME के रजिस्ट्रेशन के लिए नेशनल पोर्टल Udyogaadhaar.gov.in वेबसाइट पर जाएं।
  2. आधार नंबर, उद्यमी का नाम और डिटेल दर्ज करें, इसके बाद ओटीपी जनरेट करने वाले बटन पर क्लिक करें।
  3. आपके आधार कार्ड से लिंक मोबाइल नंबर पर एक OTP जाएगा। अपना OTP भरें और “Validate” पर क्लिक करें, इसके बाद आपको एक आवेदन फॉर्म दिखाई देगा।
  4. आवश्यक सभी डिटेल दर्ज करें।
  5. आवेदन पत्र में सभी आवश्यक डिटेल भरने के बाद “सबमिट” पर क्लिक करें।
  6. “सबमिट” बटन पर क्लिक करने के बाद, पेज पूछेगा कि क्या आपने सही तरीके से सभी डेटा दर्ज किया है। पुष्टि करने के लिए “ओके” पर क्लिक करें।
  7. उसके बाद, आपको फिर से आधार से रजिस्टर्ड मोबाइल नंबर पर एक ओटीपी मिलेगा। ओटीपी भरें और आवेदन पत्र जमा करने के लिए “अंतिम सबमिट” पर क्लिक करें।
  8. अब आपको रजिस्ट्रेशन संख्या दिखेगा, इसे आगे के काम के लिए नोट कर लें।

लोन के आवेदन के लिए जरुरी दस्तावेज

  • पहचान प्रमाण के लिए आपको पासपोर्ट, ड्राइविंग लाइसेंस, पैन कार्ड, मतदाता पहचान पत्र की आवश्यकता होगी।
  • रेजिडेंस प्रूफ के लिए आपको पासपोर्ट, लीज एग्रीमेंट, ट्रेड लाइसेंस, टेलीफोन और बिजली बिल, राशन कार्ड और सेल्स टैक्स सर्टिफिकेट में से किसी एक की आवश्यकता होगी।
  • आयु प्रमाण के लिए पासपोर्ट, मतदाता पहचान पत्र, फोटो पैन कार्ड की जरुरत पड़ेगी।

MSME लोन के लिए जरुरी वित्तीय दस्तावेज

  1. पिछले 12 महीनों का बैंक स्टेटमेंट
  2. व्यवसाय रजिस्ट्रेशन सर्टिफिकेट
  3. प्रोपराइटर (एस) पैन कार्ड कॉपी
  4. कंपनी पैन कार्ड कॉपी
  5. पिछले 2 वर्षों की प्रॉफिट एंड लॉस की बैलेंस शीट कॉपी
  6. सेल टैक्स दस्तावेज
  7. नगर कर दस्तावेज़

कौन-कौन से बैंकों में है MSME लोन की सुविधा

  • भारतीय स्टेट बैंक
  • एचडीएफसी बैंक
  • इलाहाबाद बैंक
  • सेंट्रल बैंक ऑफ इंडिया
  • आईसीआईसीआई बैंक
  • बजाज फिनसर्व
  • ओरिएंटल बैंऑफ इंडिया

आपको बता दें कि, 1 जून को हुई केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल की बैठक में सूक्ष्म, लघु और मध्यम उद्यमों (MSMEs) की परिभाषा में बदलाव को मंजूरी दे दी गई है। इस बैठक के बाद से मध्यम उद्यमों के लिए टर्नओवर की सीमा को बढ़ाकर 250 करोड़ रुपये किया गया है।

इस बिज़नेस में होगी सालाना 10 लाख रुपए की कमाई, शुरुआत करने के लिए केंद्र सरकार की भी मिलेगी मदद

आज हम आपको ऐसे एक बिज़नेस के बारे में बता रहे हैं, जिसमें निवेश ज्यादा होने के साथ ही मुनाफा भी ज्यादा मिल रहा है। और, दूसरी बात यह है कि यह बिज़नेस MSME स्कीम से भी जुड़ा हुआ है मतलब इसके तहत बिज़नेस शुरु करने पर केंद्र सरकार से मदद भी मिलती है। सरकार से बिज़नेस स्ट्रक्चर के हिसाब से आपको इस बिज़नेस से सालाना 10 लाख रुपए तक प्रॉफिट हो सकता है।

देश भर में फैले कोरोना वायरस की वजह से कई सारे लोगों को अपना रोज़गार गंवाना पड़ा है। ऐसी स्थिति में लोगों के बीच अब खुद की रोजगार की ललक बढ़ती दिखाई दे रही है। और हो भी क्यूं ना। दरअसल, बिजनेस एक ऐसा पेशा है जिसका क्रेज हर जमाने में लोगों के बीच रहा है। चूंकि, किसी भी बिजनेस को शुरु करने में सबसे पहले निवेश की जरुरत पड़ती है इसलिए आपके मन में भी यह सवाल आ रहा होगा कि आखिर पैसे कितने लगेगें ? और, मुनाफा कितना होगा ? तो घबराईए नहीं, हम आपके इन सभी सवालों का जवाब लेकर आये हैं।

अन्य देशों की तरह भारत में भी बीते कुछ सालों से युवाओं के बीच नौकरी की छोड़कर स्टार्ट अप अपना खुद का बिज़नेस शुरु करने का क्रेज देखा गया है। जैसा कि आप भी जानते होंगे कि किसी भी कारोबार को शुरु करने में होने वाले निवेश और उससे आने वाली मुनाफे की खासी अहमियत होती है।

यह भी पढ़ें: स्टार्टअप कहानी: पति का वजन घटाकर आया आईडिया, अब दूसरों को घर बैठे वजन घटाने में मदद कर रही यह हेल्थ स्टार्टअप

आज हम आपको ऐसे एक बिज़नेस के बारे में बता रहे हैं, जिसमें निवेश ज्यादा होने के साथ ही मुनाफा भी ज्यादा मिल रहा है। और, दूसरी बात यह है कि यह बिज़नेस MSME स्कीम से भी जुड़ा हुआ है मतलब इसके तहत बिज़नेस शुरु करने पर केंद्र सरकार से मदद भी मिलती है। सरकार से बिज़नेस स्ट्रक्चर के हिसाब से आपको इस बिज़नेस से सालाना 10 लाख रुपए तक प्रॉफिट हो सकता है।

शुरू करें यह बिजनेस

जैसा कि आप जानते है, भारत में इस समय ट्रेंडी और स्टाइलिस फुटवियर की डिमांड काफी बढ़ी हुई है। फुटवियर की बढ़ती डिमांड के बीच इस सेक्टर में आप अच्छा करियर बना सकते हैं। मतलब, आप फुटवियर की मैन्युफैक्चरिंग यूनिट शुरू कर अच्छी खासी कमाई कर सकते हैं। इस बिज़नेस में पॉजिटिव बात यह है कि, डिमांड काफी रहने से आपका कारोबार सफल होने की उम्मीद भी ज्यादा है। इतना ही नहीं, इसमें खास बात है कि इस बिजनेस के लिए सरकार अपनी मुद्रा स्कीम के तहत कारोबारियों को सपोर्ट भी कर रही है।

यह भी पढ़ें: बस 50 रुपये लेकर निकले थे मंज़िल की तलाश में, आज 75 करोड़ है उनकी कंपनी का सालाना टर्नओवर

बिजनेस कॉस्ट को समझिए

आइए समझते हैं, फुटवियर मैन्युफैक्चरिंग का बिजनेस शुरू होने में पूरा खर्च तो वैसे 41.32 लाख रुपए आंका गया है। लेकिन, घबराने की जरुरत नहीं है क्यूँकि इसमें से आपको खुद के पास से सिर्फ 16.32 लाख रुपए ही निवेश करना होगा।

जमीन- 4 लाख रुपए
बिल्डिंग- 8 लाख रुपए
प्लांट एंड मशीनरी- 19,85,990 रुपए
इलेक्ट्रिफिकेशन- 96,610 रुपए
प्री ऑपरेशन खर्च- 35,000 रुपए
अन्य खर्च- 33,000 रुपए
वर्किंग कैपिटल- 7,81,450 रुपए
कुल- 41,32,050 रुपए

यह भी पढ़ें: कोरोना संकट और लॉक डाउन में Google का कमाल, ऐसे कर रहा है परेशान और भूखे लोगों की मदद

लोन देकर सपोर्ट करेगी सरकार

वर्किंग कैपिटल लोन – 3 लाख रुपए
टर्म लोन – 22 लाख रुपए

ये सरकारी लोन मुद्रा स्कीम के तहत किसी भी बैंक से आसानी से हो जाएगा।

जानिए कैसे होगा प्रॉफिट

16.32 लाख रुपए के निवेश पर जो एस्टीमेट तैयार किया गया है, उस लिहाज से मंथली टर्नओवर 9,07,050 रुपए हो सकता है।

कॉस्ट ऑफ प्रोडक्शन – 8,26,080 रुपए मंथली
नेट प्रॉफिट – 80,970 रुपए मंथली
सालाना बिक्री – 108.90 लाख रुपए
सालाना प्रॉफिट – 9.72 लाख रुपए

Swigyy अब खाने की तरह शराब की भी कर रही होम डिलीवरी, ऑर्डर करने से पहले जान लें ये बातें

शराब पीना है लेकिन कोरोना की वजह से बाहर नहीं जाना चाहते हैं। जी हां, अब बिलकुल ऐसा सोच सकते हैं आप। अब ग्राहक घर बैठे ऑनलाइन शराब के लिए ऑर्डर कर सकते हैं और चंद मिनटों में शराब आपके घर पर पहुँच जायेगी। क्यूँकि, फूड ऑर्डरिंग व डिलीवरी प्लेटफॉर्म स्विगी (Swiggy) ने गुरुवार से शराब की भी होम डिलीवरी शुरु कर दी है।

शराब पीना है लेकिन कोरोना की वजह से बाहर नहीं जाना चाहते हैं। जी हां, अब बिलकुल ऐसा सोच सकते हैं आप। अब ग्राहक घर बैठे ऑनलाइन शराब के लिए ऑर्डर कर सकते हैं और चंद मिनटों में शराब आपके घर पर पहुँच जायेगी। क्यूँकि, फूड ऑर्डरिंग व डिलीवरी प्लेटफॉर्म स्विगी (Swiggy) ने अब शराब की भी होम डिलीवरी शुरु कर दी है।

दरअसल, स्विगी ने गुरुवार को जानकारी दी कि, कंपनी अब शराब की होम डिलीवरी भी करेगी। कंपनी ने गुरुवार से झारखंड के रांची शहर में यह सेवा शुरू कर दी है। स्वि​गी का दावा है कि, इसके लिए उसे राज्य सरकार से भी जरूरी मंजूरी मिल गई है।

दूसरे राज्यों में भी जल्द शुरु होगी शराब की होम डिलीवरी

स्विगी ने एक बयान में कहा कि, “रांची में घरों तक शराब की आपूर्ति का काम शुरू हो गया है, राज्य के अन्य शहरों में भी एक सप्ताह के भीतर यह काम शुरू हो जाएगा। दूसरे राज्यों में ‘ऑनलाइन ऑर्डर’ पूरा करने और उसकी ‘होम डिलीवरी’ के लिए संबंधित राज्य सरकारों से भी बातचीत कर रही है।

ऑर्डर करने से पहले करने होंगे ये वेरिफिकेशन

शराब की होम डिलीवरी को लेकर जरुरी नियमों के पालन और सुरक्षा को ध्यान में रखते हुए कंपनी ने कई उपाय किये हैं। शराब की होम डिलीवरी के लिए आपको पहले उम्र वेरिफिकेशन और अन्य कई ऑथेन्टिकेशन करने होंगे। इतना ही नहीं, ग्राहकों को पहले अपने वैलिड पहचान पत्र की एक कॉपी अपलोड कर उम्र की वेरिफिकेशन करानी होगी। इसके बाद उन्हें एक सेल्फी भेजनी होगी, जिसे कंपनी आर्टिफिशयल इंटेलीजेंस सिस्टम (AI Systems) के जरिए वेरिफाई करेगी।

नियमों के मुताबिक ही कर सकेंगे शराब का ऑर्डर

इस सुविधा का लाभ लेने के लिए रांची में कस्टमर्स अपने स्विगी ऐप में ‘Wine Shops’ कैटेगरी में जाकर ऑर्डर कर सकते हैं। सभी ऑडर्स के साथ एक OTP भी दिया जाएगा, जिसे डिलीवरी के समय पर वेरिफाई करना होगा। इसके अलावा, ऑर्डर की ​क्वांटिटी को लेकर भी कैपिंग की सुविधा है ताकि कोई ग्राहक जरूरी प्रावधानों से अधिक शराब न खरीद सके। हालांकि, यह राज्यों द्वारा तय नियमों के आधार पर होगा।

आपको बता दें कि, कंपनी किराना सामानों और कोविड-19 राहत उपायों का दायर बढ़ाने जैसी पहल के लिये पहले से ही स्थानीय प्रशासन के साथ मिलकर काम कर रही है। Swiggy द्वारा दिए गए बयान के मुताबिक़, कंपनी के पास प्रौद्योगिकी और ढांचागत सुविधा है जिससे वह छोटे-छोटे गली-मोहल्ले में भी सामानों की आपूर्ति कर सकती है। स्विगी ने स्पष्ट किया है कि, राज्य सरकारों के दिशानिर्देश के अनुसार लाइसेंस और अन्य जरूरी दस्तावाजों का सत्यापन करने के बाद ही अधिकृत खुदरा दुकानदारों के साथ यह गठजोड़ किया गया है।

Flipkart and Amazon prepare for sales in May, Soon After Lockdown

Flipkart and Amazon have asked their partnered brands and sellers to stock up for the post lockdown sales. They are expecting that many people are waiting to buy non-essential goods post lockdown. The demand for these non-essential goods is immensely high at the moment.

To cope up with the economic loss during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, Flipkart and Amazon have decided to put up mega online sales in May.

Flipkart and Amazon have asked their partnered brands and sellers to stock up for the post lockdown sales. They are expecting that many people are waiting to buy non-essential goods post lockdown. The demand for these non-essential goods is immensely high at the moment.

To avail the maximum benefit and recover from the loss of lockdown, they are planning to reduce the discounts.

Brands now know that, after the quarantine, customers will be looking for the availability of products rather than discounts. The new sales will not be based on cuts rather than they will be based on high demand.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people are shifting to online platforms for buying groceries and other things. Therefore, a significant boost in E-commerce growth is expected.

Avneet Singh, chief executive of SPPL, which makes Kodak and Thomson smart televisions, said that e-commerce marketplaces have witnessed new consumers in the age group of mid-thirties are ordering products online for the first time. Singh believes that these new consumers will help boost online sales after the restrictions are lifted.

So far, Odisha is the state to allow all e-commerce platforms, such as Flipkart, Amazon, BigBasket, Grofers, Swiggy and Zomato, along with their third-party logistics partners, to resume operations during the second phase of the lockdown. Learning from Odisha, other states and central authorities are expected to take similar actions.

4 Ways startups can professionalize their customer interactions

Fortunately, there are steps a business can take to improve their professional touch when it comes to customer interactions.

Every startup business is only as good as the customers it attracts. Without a solid, loyal customer base, it is difficult for any company to stay in business. Fortunately, there are steps a business can take to improve their professional touch when it comes to customer interactions. Here are four such approaches to consider.

Outsourced Customer Service

Sometimes interacting directly with customers is not in a startup’s best interests. This can be especially true when it comes to providing exceptional customer service, and the startup lacks the staff to maintain such support in-house. Outsourcing customer service needs to a third-party service provider can make a huge difference in how a company operates in this area by providing experience and expertise in handling customer issues. Additionally, a reputable third-party customer service provider can keep issues with customers under control so that the startup’s staff can dedicate their time to other more important business-related matters.

Conversational AI for Phones

Modern businesses can now leverage the power of AI solutions when addressing customer needs. By utilizing a Conversational Interface Technology Platform, it becomes possible for customers to complete surveys, place orders and even communicate with a startup in multiple languages. The AI experience customers receive can be customized to fit virtually any customer interactions.

High-Quality Website Development

A quality website is essential for doing business online. Some startups manage all their customer interactions right from their company’s website. This mode of customer access can be a focused way of driving customer interactions in a positive direction—especially if the company’s website helps customers to quickly determine how to carry out product transactions and to access help as needed.

Website Contact Forms

One of the greatest barriers to healthy customer interaction is the contact feature on a company’s website. Most visitors to your website would rather deal with a rational, human voice over the phone than to hunt around for specific contact information. With the right contact forms in place, it is possible to intelligently guide customers to the correct contact person or to resolve other issues resulting from customers doing business with a startup.

When customers believe a company values their business, this can do wonders for such a business’s sales volume. This is why it is critical to implement methods for effectively handling customer interactions. The result of excellent customer interactions and improved relations will often translate to producing happy and loyal repeat customers.

Business 101: How to go from Amateur to Professional

The first step in how to become a legit business is filing for a business Tax ID.

Do you want to turn your talent or passion into a business? The first step in how to become a legit business is filing for a business Tax ID. Whether you are a pastry chef or a dog walker, the first step to going professional is getting an EIN. Whenever you have to start an LLC or corporation, you always need to start with getting a Tax ID number.

Choose Your Entity Type

Every business must file taxes. The business tax return shows an accurate summary of the income and expenses the business incurred that year. How businesses are taxed depends on the type of business. The classification of your business is known as an entity type. A business with multiple shareholders and lots of growth potential is a corporation. Meanwhile, a business consisting of one self-employed person is a sole proprietorship. You can still be a sole proprietorship even if you hire employees to work for you.



Now You’re in Business

Once you apply for your EIN online and receive it in the mail, you can open a bank account for your business. You will then have to get the insurance coverage that your state requires for businesses in your industry. Even if you are the only employee in your business, the business will have to contribute to Social Security and Medicare for you.

Filing business taxes is probably the biggest difference between running a business and operating as an amateur.

Many businesses file quarterly financial reports in addition to annual tax returns. If you do not have a background in accounting, all of these financial forms can seem quite daunting.

Getting an EIN for your business is the easy part. After that, you should ask an accountant for advice about making the transition from amateur to profession





5 Ways to find a lead developer for your startup

This is the person whose creative vision and technical know-how will determine the success of your product

While you should never underestimate a true geek’s creativity, you want your lead developer to be a leader. Someone who’s not a great communicator can take up leadership courses singapore. This will help them with training and development in the desired field of leadership.

But you probably already know that. You’re probably wondering how you’ll ever find the right person to serve as your startup’s lead developer, when the person who excels in interviews and jumps out on paper may not necessarily live up to your expectations.

Those are some valid concerns, and we understand why you’re holding off from doling out the offer. We’re here to provide you with important tips for hiring your top technical talent, to make sure you hire the right visionary to lead your brilliant idea to technical perfection.

1. Look where they hang out

If you were looking for great athletic talent, you would go to a batting cage, a gymnasium or a track. If you want to meet a brilliant developer, check out a local meeting for programmers.

Flatiron School founder Avi Flombaum recommends checking out Meetup.

“You find the right types of people from going to meetups, where those people might be hanging out,” he says. “Programming meetups are great for finding the people with the right experience.”

Flombaum recommends CTO Meetups for a more senior bunch of developers, as well as Agile Development Meetups, and the New York-local NYC on Rails Meetup and NYC.rb Meetup.

2. Avoid quiet geeks

While you should never underestimate a true geek’s creativity, you want your lead developer to be a leader. Someone who’s not a great communicator really should not be considered.

“We look for the ability to speak to humans,” Thrillist CTO Mark O’Neill told Mashable.

“Can you communicate well with non-geeks?”

Flombaum agrees, emphasizing the potential of developers who teach and write. You should think of the people who you’ve heard speak about programming and whose writing has inspired you.

“I think teachers, people who are teaching courses on Skillshare, make great mentors and leaders,” Flombaum says. “I like to look for people who can articulate their thoughts in writing. You should think, ‘Whose blog do I like reading?'”



3. Seek technical experience and expertise

Though it should seem like a no-brainer, all of the hiring experts we spoke with emphasized the need for dazzling technical credentials.

“The first thing we look for are top-notch technical skills backed by the right experience,” Kony CEO Raj Koneru says. “At Kony we put special emphasis on solid leadership skills, because in order for us to scale effectively, the lead has to motivate their developers to go well over and beyond the regular call of duty. In true developer fashion, leads will only be respected if they prove that they’re technical experts.”

Birchbox CTO Liz Crawford echoed the need for technical expertise. “Our ideal candidates are committed to delivering the best possible customer experience, value software engineering practices and never forget about scalability and reusability when designing code.”

However, according to O’Neill, tech know-how doesn’t guarantee an understanding of the Internet.

“We ask, do they understand the web?” he says. “We’ve seen great technical talent have a hard time adjusting if they’ve never worked on the web before.”

4. Look beyond the usual suspects

The right lead developer for your startup may not be someone who’s currently seeking a job, so look beyond job boards and applications submitted.

 ”The right developer might not know they’re in the market for another job,”

Flombaum says. “There are a lot of great programming newsletters that feature sponsored positions, and they’re read by developers who aren’t looking for jobs.”

In addition to going to Meetups where great developers mingle with other great developers, you should make sure your listing is seen by engineers happily employed or working on a project.

5. Ensure a cultural fit

Working in a startup, there’s not room for a bunch of giant egos butting heads. There also isn’t room for people not willing to be scrappy and pick up additional tasks that are beyond the agreed-upon job description.

“We look for non-divas,” O’Neill says. “Yes, they are smart, but we need leaders who are also grounded.”

Crawford agree, noting that Birchbox seeks out engineers who “love to learn and are team players.”

How did you find your startup’s lead dev? Tell us in the comments.

(Image Credit: nextshark.com)



5 Cheap tools for startups on a shoestring budget

Five essential tools that will help you stay ahead of the curve while still maintaining your budget.

Starting a business has become easier than ever. But, with a number of startups mushrooming every day in the country, the competition is also fiercer than ever. In order to make the going a little bit easier for all these newbies, we have religiously sorted out these five essential tools that will help you stay ahead of the curve while still maintaining your budget.

1) Teamwork: Online Project Management Tool

With many startups nowadays operating virtually in the crucial initial years as a measure to save costs, an online project management tool becomes a necessity.

The initial few years of a startup are a test of its survival strength, therefore there’s a need that the the entire team is on the same page and is working effectively towards the same goal. Teamwork is an excellent tool to achieve just that. Using the tool, one can specify tasks to the right people and even set deadlines for them to complete the task.

Teamwork’s file-sharing feature transforms a virtual office into a real office as team members can collectively work together without any hassles. It’s other star features includes sub-tasks, statuses, attachments and milestones. As communication is the key to success, the tools also comes with a free Chat feature facilitating live and fast communication between each team member.

2) Hubspot: Marketing Automation Software

A startup needs to continuously keep scouting for new customers in order to keep the wheel running. An effective way to achieve this is by developing good lead generation channels. By using Hubspot, a startup will no longer have to resort to the hit and trial method for cracking the code for effective online marketing for your startup.

Focusing on inbound marketing strategies like SEO, social media and blogging etc., Hubspot’s Marketing Automation Software ensures that everything that a startup needs to generate new leads and close more sales is all under one single roof.



3) Timely: Time-Tracking Tool

For a startup, time is money, quite literally. In order to make sure that all the team members are doing their work diligently, a startup can make use of the time-tracking tool Timely. The tool allows startups to specify tasks to everyone and manage their workweek, all at one place.

The tool also comes with a tracking tool that allows the user to calculate the billable hours of each employee put into every task and ensure everyone is time-efficient.

4) Kissmetrics: Web Analytics

Studying your consumer base is a stepping stone for success. Web analytics tool, Kissmetrics helps you understand the behaviour of your consumers and the way they interact with your product/service. It hooks you up with all the right analytics needed for you to optimize your conversions. It’s key features like A/B test, funnel reports and cohort reports helps the startups to save crucial time by speeding up the optimization process.

5) iKeva – Virtual Office

Having a physical working space might be a little difficult on the pockets of newbies beginning to test the startup waters, but, one does need an official address and phone number to tackle all the client inquiries and business leads. This is where the Virtual Office tool comes to a startup’s rescue.

Virtual office service such as W1 Office in UK, Opus Virtual Office in US, and iKeva in India offers to handle all the business communications of their clients- from fax to live phone reception. Further, they also offer a physical meeting rooms for company and client meetings. Currently, iKeva is offering virtual office services, starting at Rs.2200, in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

So, these were our top five picks. If you know some more and better tools, do let us know below in the comment box.

This article was originally published in indianweb2.com

Image credit: wecreatehere.net





10 Great ways to generate business ideas

You know it’s time to venture out on your own, but what to do? Find the business of your dreams with these ideas.

Great business ideas are all around you. Just open yourself to the possibilities, and you’re bound to find a winner. To start your search for that drop-dead idea that’s going to set the world on fire, start with the following sources. These can be the first steps in your search for the business of your dreams.

1. Start with family

Tapping family for great business ideas may not seem like an obvious first step. Sure, you’ll hit them up for cash once you’ve developed your idea, but what can your aging father or cousin contribute this early in the process? Plenty. Donald Trump certainly wasn’t bashful about learning the real estate business from his dad, Fred, who ran a thriving real estate development company, says Ries. Trump had the good sense to get some priceless training before going off to become one of the country’s foremost builders and real estate developers. “If his father hadn’t provided the foundation and training [he needed] to create a profitable business, Trump wouldn’t be where he is today,” Ries explains. “Unfortunately, many people insist on [creating a business] themselves without any help from their family. That’s foolish.”

2. Get a little help from your friends

Ries says you are severely limiting yourself if you rely solely on your own ideas–especially when your creative juices run dry. This is reason enough to listen to ideas others may have. If you have 15 or 20 friends, chances are a couple of them have some incredible business ideas.

If it weren’t for Steve Jobs’ good friend Steve Wozniak, there would be no Apple Computer today, Ries points out. “Jobs didn’t know anything about computers,” he says. “Wozniak, on the other hand, was the computer genius who developed the first Apple.” Jobs had an eye for great business ideas and saw the marketing potential for developing a new type of computer. The important lesson is to keep your antenna up at all times so you can retrieve good ideas when you stumble across them. Ries insists you can make more money recognizing someone else’s idea than creating one yourself.

3. Look at all the things that bug you

It may not sound profound, but this is fertile ground for great business ideas. How upset Kemmons Wilson was in the 1950s when a motel owner wanted to charge him an additional price for each of his five children. He was so ticked off, he launched Memphis, Tennessee-based Holiday Inn, today one of the world’s largest hotel chains.

If King C. Gillette hadn’t been fed up with the tedious process of sharpening his straight-edge razor, he wouldn’t have founded the massive disposable razor industry. When he took his idea for a portable razor with a blade that could be used several times to a research university for assistance, engineers questioned his sanity. Gillette followed his instincts and the rest is history.

4. Tap your interests

Thousands of clever people have taken up hobbies and turned them into a successful business. Tim and Nina Zagat, who launched the Zagat Surveys, a publishing empire that sells restaurant guides for many major U.S. and European cities, are great examples. In the early 1970s, the Zagats were high-priced corporate attorneys whose passion was dining out. For fun, they created a newsletter in which they asked their friends to rank popular restaurants in several categories. Each year, the newsletter encompassed more restaurants. Eventually it became such an expensive and time-consuming undertaking that the couple began charging money for it to allay their expenses. That was the meager beginning of the famed Zagat Survey, which is sold in bookstores worldwide.

When you’re doing something you love, it’s never considered work.



5. Travel

Traveling opens your eyes to a plethora of potential business ideas. Leopoldo Fernandez Pujals’ discovery of Domino’s Pizza on a trip to the United States from his native Spain. Pujals was so impressed with the fast-food operation, he went back to Spain and launched his own version, called TelePizza, in 1986. His company now registers $260 million in sales, and employs 13,000 people in eight countries.

6. Keep your eyes open

When you see something that piques your interest, ask yourself, What is it about this situation that’s special? The process of zeroing in on the idea often spawns important niche markets. “Blockbuster Video’s niche is renting videos, and Bulbs Unlimited’s niche is selling light bulbs”.

7. Examine old mousetraps-then build a better one

If a product doesn’t meet your own high standards, create a better one. That’s what put Ben & Jerry’s on the map. Ice cream fanatics Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield felt popular ice creams weren’t rich and tasty enough for their cultivated palates, so they created their own super-premium line of ice cream, which is a bestseller nationwide. Just think: If these ice cream gurus weren’t such picky eaters, there would be no Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby or Phish Food to enjoy.

8. Take it to the streets

There’s no better place to lock into up-and-coming trends than city streets. Street culture spawned punk, hip-hop, grunge and a number of other fads that rapidly evolved into multimillion-dollar businesses. Great ideas can often be found by just browsing happening inner-city neighborhoods in virtually any big city.

9. Sleep on it

Many people ignore their dreams, and some don’t remember them at all. But sometimes it pays to listen to those inner messages, no matter how strange or unintelligible they are. You never know, you might just find the germ of a great idea. The tough part is crawling out of bed in the dead of night to jot down those great ideas before they’re forgotten.

10. Check out the Net

Finally, Web surfing is a fun way to log on to potential business ideas. “Virtually every search engine has a ‘What’s New’ or ‘What’s Hot’ section, where it lists new trends, news tidbits and hot new Web sites. “Make it a point to check out various sites daily. It may trigger an idea or concept you never thought of.”

This article was originally published in Entrepreneur.com

Image credit: under30ceo.com