Going international, freemium and cool – business links
Wednesday, June 02, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
| Tags: innovation,
links,
growth,
international,
business models,
expansion,
employment,
free,
productivity,
cool,
freemium
This month’s pick of the web for business leaders and entrepreneurs – with a focus on new business models and driving growth.
Looking at international expansion?: Emerging markets have been a big story over the past few years with more companies looking for a slice of the pie to help grow their business. But don’t just do the numbers, says this post – you must spend some time in the country you are intending to trade in/with and understand their needs, wants and business etiquette. Check out our International and Emerging Markets blog channel for more news and comment.
Where does business power lie? (infographic): This graphic of the Forbes Global 2000 list shows which companies, sectors and countries carry the biggest clout. The chart encompasses 62 countries, and while the US and Japan still dominate, mainland China, India and Canada have all gained ground this year.
Capturing cool: Five ways to tap into ‘cool’ and help your brand become the next talked-about thing. (Note: you don’t have to go teen, but you do have to look at problem-solving, design, passion, value and connections to maximise those ‘cool returns’.)
Is the Freemium business model for you?: It works for Spotify, Flickr and other businesses where (typically) 5% of premium users support the rest who pay nothing. Could it work for yours or as a driver of growth? Another interesting post on the considerations and challenges involved in offering part of your business for free.
How TED gave away content – and won: Even if you’re not an internet business, could giving away your content for free expand your business? This talk is about TED, which began in 1984 as a conference about technology, entertainment and design and is now a worldwide platform spreading ideas as experts in any subject give ‘the talk of their lives’. The crucial change? Putting their talks online in 2006. Embracing an open/free business models buoyed up the main business model and drove substantial growth, with TED ticket prices selling out at a 50% higher price and sponsors queuing up.
The strategic imperative not to hire anybody: While many businesses are looking at growth strategies post-recession, cost-cutting and corporate diets also remain a feature. According to this article in the Harvard Business Review, it’s also bad news for employees – having squeezed their staff for productivity in the downturn, corporates are not incentivised to employ more people.
How great leaders inspire action, loyalty, sales… (TED talk): Why is Apple so innovative? After all, it works with the same talent pool as other companies. This interesting talk explains the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’ of business. Check out the ‘golden circle’ – it’ll turn your business model on its head. Then check out Grant Thornton’s own research showing the majority of UK businesses being too complacent to change their business model behaviour.
Image: © Smoking Permitted/Flickr
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