Business Plan Checklist

Today, in Section 02, I passed out a Business Plan Checklist.

This checklist will help you figure out what you have done,

and what you need to do.

You can find this checklist on this blog post in the link below,

or under "Quick Links" on the main blog.

The parts that don't have check lists should have at least 

one question prepared before you meet with your teacher.

Ex. "Can you help me with my ROS?" or

"How would I figure out the cost for $%#@*?"

If you have any questions,

YOU. SHOULD. BE. USING. OFFICE. HOURS.

CHANGE IN FINAL PRESENTATIONS PLEASE READ.

Hello, E360.

There has been a change in the dates for 

Final Presentations.

Section 01 is presenting March 14 and 18.

Section 02 is presenting March 15 and 17.

Please look at "Final Presentation Times"

to clarify the date and time of your presentation.

If you have any questions or concerns,

please contact Brandon or Jodie IMMEDIATELY.

Also, please utilize their office hours!!

You now have an extra week to prepare for presentations.

Use it!!

Please note that Jodie will not be here 

the week of March 07.

The sign up sheet is on the left of the blog as well as

in the conference room.

I will be e-mailing students the night before

the date of any appointments made

as well as the night before final presentation dates.

Let's do this!!

Practice Makes Perfect

Survey
Today, Section 02 filled out a survey based on how the course is going so far!!
If you did not get the chance to fill out the survey, please do the following:

01. Click the link below.
02. Go to "File," then "Make a Copy.."
03. Fill out the survey the best you can and send it to me!

mdubois_4435@email.ric.edu

Survey for E360

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns,
feel free to ask me in the e-mail you attach your survey to.

Y.E.C. Register!
This is the Youth Entrepreneur Conference!

It'll be at Babson College on March 16, 2016.
You will be departing from the Met at 6:45 AM and returning by 3:00 PM.
Please be on time!! And wear your big kid clothes!!

If you were not in class and didn't register, please do the following:
01. Go to this website: Youth Entrepreneur Conference
02. Register for the conference! (You don't need to print out a ticket.)
02. Record a video of your 30-60 second pitch and send it to nftene@gmail.com
(You can use your phone to record this video.)

Fish Tank Panel

In class, we also watched the videos from the Fish Tank Panel presentations.
If you would like access to these videos, please e-mail Jodie!

Presentation Feedback

Hello, E360.
You had the opportunity to have extra time to work on your presentations!!
Your work is coming out great, but there is always room for improvement.
I made my feedback on a Google Docs if anyone wants to see it.


Presentation Feedback
^^Here is the link!^^

My comments for the most part are on the display of your PowerPoints!
Make them look pretty! It makes a difference!

Make the most of office hours and asking for assistance
from Brandon, Jodie, or even myself.
Good luck, everyone! You guys will do great.

Some Notes on Presenting

Today in class we practiced presenting for the Fish Tank Panel on Monday!! Here are a few pointers we went over.

• Condense what you present.
• Don't repeat what you are saying.
• Ex. "Good for kids... awesome for kids... kids... for kids"
• You don't want to get into specifics. Don't read every line of your PowerPoint.
• Relax!! Don't rush through!! Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

Please utilize office hours!! And ask Jodie or Melissa ANY questions you might have. 

E360 Update

"Customers buy for their reasons, not yours."

-- Orvel Ray Wilson

Market Research:

• Demographics
• Age
• Income
• Culture
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Geographics
• Where are you selling your product? Think about the demographics within your location.
• Psychographics
• study of your customers' attitudes, aspirations, and other psychological criteria (via Google)

Objectives: (via Google)

• Define Target Market:
  a particular group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed
• Define Target Segment:

Marketing Plan: Noah Salem

• Know your stuff!! Know your information and what you're selling rather than memorizing what you're going to say.
• The color, font, and style of your presentation makes a big difference!! Make it look good and appealing for your audience!!  
• The PowerPoint Presentation

Activity: Magazine Activity 

• Based on the marketing research points, think about what advertisements are trying to sell, and to who.
• Who would read this magazine and see this advertisement?
• Ex. Vap- Cigarettes in WIRED Magazine would be targeted to older men trying to smoke something other than cigarettes. 

Homework:

• Journal quote related to your business
• Business Plan 1-10
• PITCH! PITCH! PITCH!
• Remember to look at Upcoming Dates on the left!! 

Economics of One Unit

Today your EOU's were due, but I know some of
you are still trying to find prices!
Here are some websites we used to find prices
for packaging and other items.

• http://www.uline.com/
• http://aeolidia.com/wholesale-pricing-tips-formulas/
• http://www.staples.com
• https://www.dollardays.com/ 

If you have any other websites that you found useful,

comment below!!

It's a Quick-Win!

In class today, we went over some topics to consider for your business plan!! Here is a list of some of these topics.

Know your numbers!

• Price - Expenses = Profit
• We are not only thinking about the money we are making per unit, but we are also thinking about the money we are losing.
• COGS

How Big is Your Market? Some things to think about.

• Who are the people that want what you are selling?
• When do they want what you are selling?
• Why would your customers want what you are selling?
• How much of it do they want to buy?
• What is the potential of what you are selling?

Googling is a SKILL! A few ways to make Google find the information YOU NEED.

• "(your interest)" market trends
• "(your interest)" market size
• "(your interest)" industry size
• "(your interest)" industry revenue
• Add "pdf" at the end of any search, or you can try ".doc"
• If you're searching for a PowerPoint presentation, put "ppt" at the end
• An example would be:

Buzz Words!!

• Words that are used to make it sound like you know what you're talking about.
• Sound like an authority.
• Here's the list you used in class. (From Wikipedia)
• Have more Buzz Words that aren't on the list? Put them here!!
• Make sure that when you are using buzz words, you are putting them in proper context!

30-Second Pitches. How to make that 30 seconds count!

• Make your company name easy to say/pronounce.
• Think about and/or try to find out the common needs of your customers.
• Ex. Picking out a greeting card
• Ex. Cotton candy! Mention sugar-free, but possibly don't remind customers of the products that aren't sugar free.
• Try starting your pitch with a catchy phrase that will reel people into what you are selling.
• Have all of the points that you are making connect to each other.
• Reword what you were trying to say when getting feedback on your pitches.
• Word your pitches so that what you are saying in your pitch is understood the first time.
• What's the product? Let's see it!! 
• Fluctuate your voice!! Make your pitch sound better just by the way you speak.
• Sound happy. Look happy. BE HAPPY ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SELLING. Be confident!
• Always stand up when you are presenting! Command the floor.
• Introduce yourself. Who are you?!! Make yourself stand out! (First and Last Name)
• Be careful to not repeat yourself too much.

**If there is anything that you would like to add that isn't in this post, please comment below! Thank you!