Could this be used to further analyse websites? Instead of just the usual eye heat map, and optimising for that would it be better to optimise for each page based on the content on that page?
MehdiEG - thanks for all the comments; its all part of the learning experience! I also checked out your business and downloaded your software. Good luck with that.
I will definitely take this all in account and stick to what I know. At the moment I'm just starting out so everything is new to me - but at least now I know that what I am writing is not a) at the quality or b) the quantity enough that people will want. I was going under the impression that you sell what the market can bear - and if you do that wrong, you change your strategy; but you keep trucking along.
Just lastly - I did not think I was lying; I didn't assume anything, and all I thought was that this was going to get lost with the rest of HN posts.
The point of the ebook was to try and present the perspective of VCs very simply and to the point through some research. This was done through a checklist type deal, where the content was free (and an option to pay) - as I say in another reply this is so I can try to understand this type of business.
I am from an Accounting background just btw.
Thank you very much for your feedback - its all part of the learning process. I have made changes and will definitely try to incorporate this in the future.
No I'm trying to understand how small businesses work. I seriously have no idea - so I am starting at the beginning by covering their content while also trying to sell what I research.
The ebook was always free - now it is very clear that it is.
I definitely think an "about-us" page is the most important part of the website - it introduces the who, the why and allows us to get the voice of the people running the site.
One direction I could see Facebook going is becoming a proxy for real life. While it already contains all social transactions, evolving that idea into a platform for purchases that is simpler to use than Amazon or Ebay (and the respective company websites) means that they have a ready made audience, with social information to target specific purchases rather than just advertisements.
Basically you want to take an established business model and put it online. My first thoughts would be that possibly Buffalo Exchange has a very strong cultural presence which on which its Value Proposition lies, but I am going to try going through your model step by step. My second thought that this business model already exists for women in the form of 99dresses - so maybe have a look at what they do for some more ideas.
I'll go quickly through each blocks of the business model (businessmodelgeneration.com) and try and see whether your business is able to pass each value test. Sorry if it is not thorough, but try using this framework to evaluate businesses. These ideas are from my draft book Theoretical Entrepreneurship (madintelligence.com).
Business Model;
Partner Network: You are going to need partners in the form of consignment (purchase) and fulfilment.
Key Activities: Marketing, Keeping abrest of key trends, fulfilment and storage, relationships with consumers, value setting (how much they buy goods for)
Revenue: Either subsription based, for per unit based.
Customer Relationships: Online. Little to no contact
Customer Segments: Mass Market "majority...are vintage which is the opposite of direction I would be going in"
Distribution Channels: Online
Value proposition: Online, easy to access designer brands for use in the future (due to delivery).
TESTS.
Value Tests:
1. How do you know the customer has those needs? We can see by competitors and hopefully some statistics that X amount of sales are done, but this is in a local area. If somebody was able to universally control a network of consigment stores and have an online presence we can make profit through economies of scale.
2. Why do you think it is valuable to the customers to solve these needs? Because of need for value, but also a conflicting need to have the best/be the best
3. How might you quantify this value? Through price, through increasing affluence, decreasing willingness to spend.
4. What is the urgency of the need? Very low. Local stores exist in most places that cover this need.
The Execution Test
1. Why do you beleive that your firm is uniquely capable of producing this new offering? Its not. I dont believe there is any special skill you need to run this. Based on the introduction - none.
2. What current capabilities are leveraged by the new offering? None known about.
3. What capabilities are missing? Past experience in fulfilment. Partnerships with fulfilment or with other consignment stores.
4. WHere will these new capabilities come from? Through relationships
5. Which value chain partners do you need to cooperate? Consumers who you buy off. Fulfilment who stocks and issues your goods.
6. Will they be interested? Consumers - possibly an easier way to sell clothes guaranteed (lowering of risk vs. ebay). Fulfilment business - more customers (higher growth).
The Scale Tests
1. Is this need specific to the particular customer, or does it exist across a customer segment? Across a customer segment, all over the world. Its is a large niche market.
2. Specific customer need recurring or is it onetime? It is recurring.
For some background, the topics that I was thinking about:
1. Introduction to accounting
2. Differences between accounting systems (cash vs. accrual)
3. How to effectively use information in an accounting system
4. How to account for expenses/income/assets/liabilities
5. What is a financial statement?
6. How to use accounting for managing your company
7. How to analyse a financial statement
8. What is finance? How does it affect financial accounting?
9. How to account for intangible assets?
10. How to account in different geographies (America, Australia, England)