Go back to: General discussion
Business proposal:
I want to set up a web platform to help people share their books on hand with others local people. The platform is a web portal where people can register their books, browse others books and lend/borrow books. It will be a “web 2.0” style, which means that the people contribute content (books) and consume others contributions (they arrange the share processes themselves). This setup also defines the border of the customers: local people. Because it is not convenient or too expensive to exchange books with the people who don’t live at the same city or area. What’s more, the web platform will be helpful to build a local social network for the people who have same or similar interests.
Executive summary:
Suppliers: Local people who have the desire to share their books with others.
Customers: Local people who have the need to read some books that they won’t buy or can’t find from local library.
Sometimes the above suppliers and customers are same people who are exactly the target of the platform.
Income: advertisement; cooperation with publishers (i.e., sell the information to them such like what kinds of books are welcome); donation; …
Costs: Set-up and maintain of platform; advertise; …
Risks: few users; low income at the beginning; …
Steps:
1. A prototype will be set up to test the business proposal. There are various free/cheap online services which can help implement the test quickly and with lower cost.
2. If the feedback of test is positive, the platform will firstly set up channels only for few cities/areas to reduce risks.
3. Those channels will be propagandized through social media like Facebook/Twitter/local forums (it costs less than traditional media like newspaper/TV/billboard). Ideally every channel will be only advertized to the local people whom it will serve.
4. Collecting feedbacks during running and improving the functions/services of the platform continually. At the same time trying to enlarge the income and reduce costs.
It’s only a rough executive summary and every feedback is welcome!
Week4: Executive summary (including business proposal)
Business proposal:
I want to set up a web platform to help people share their books on hand with others local people. The platform is a web portal where people can register their books, browse others books and lend/borrow books. It will be a “web 2.0” style, which means that the people contribute content (books) and consume others contributions (they arrange the share processes themselves). This setup also defines the border of the customers: local people. Because it is not convenient or too expensive to exchange books with the people who don’t live at the same city or area. What’s more, the web platform will be helpful to build a local social network for the people who have same or similar interests.
Executive summary:
Suppliers: Local people who have the desire to share their books with others.
Customers: Local people who have the need to read some books that they won’t buy or can’t find from local library.
Sometimes the above suppliers and customers are same people who are exactly the target of the platform.
Income: advertisement; cooperation with publishers (i.e., sell the information to them such like what kinds of books are welcome); donation; …
Costs: Set-up and maintain of platform; advertise; …
Risks: few users; low income at the beginning; …
Steps:
1. A prototype will be set up to test the business proposal. There are various free/cheap online services which can help implement the test quickly and with lower cost.
2. If the feedback of test is positive, the platform will firstly set up channels only for few cities/areas to reduce risks.
3. Those channels will be propagandized through social media like Facebook/Twitter/local forums (it costs less than traditional media like newspaper/TV/billboard). Ideally every channel will be only advertized to the local people whom it will serve.
4. Collecting feedbacks during running and improving the functions/services of the platform continually. At the same time trying to enlarge the income and reduce costs.
It’s only a rough executive summary and every feedback is welcome!