Expert Business Plan Ideologies

Many people interested in owning their own business have plans. Among those plans they all probably have at least this one thing in common, no matter the industry everyone has the need to write a business plan. According to two experts on business plans; Dave Lavinsky a co founder of Growthink, and William A. Sahlman, a Senior Associate Dean, at Harvard business school, if you plan on seeking investors, a loan, or even have people working with you a business plan is essential.
Dave Lavinsky is a graduate of UCLA, where he earned his MBA. After graduating he began to work with many companies developing over 100 business plans for companies such as Fathead, Paramount Parks and V, Starr Interiors a brand from professional tennis player Venus Williams. Mr. Lavinsky subscribes to a five-point focus for a business plan. These five points have to deal with the development of a business from concept to future plans. The first point focuses on doing just one thing well and shifting all of the focus towards that one thing. The second point he focuses on is having the proper marketing sales plan. This means that you have a well thought out plan and the means to execute it. The third point that is mentioned is the use of the correct model for your business. Maximizing the exposure and usefulness of the company’s services or products. The final points take the business plan to the next level and can indeed be the reason for failure of a lot of business plans. Not because they are that hard, but because many people according to Lavinsky, fail to put the necessary work in. Reverse engineering where you intend to be in five years and all of the steps that you envision it taking you to get there. Creating milestones is the way he suggest getting this done breaking tasks up into smaller more manageable pieces to move towards the ultimate goal. Last, but probably the most important point in Lavinsky's business plan points is communicating effectively. All of the work that has been done prior goes out of the window if it cannot be communicated in an effective manner to investors, employees and partners.
While many of William A. Sahlman’s ideas are based in the same fundamental facts the ideology seems to be significantly different. Mr. Sahlman has been involved with Harvard Business School since 1975 when he earned his M.B.A. He continued on with the university and earned his Ph.D. in Business Economics. Mr. Sahlman stresses that there are four factors for a successful business plan. The first factor for success according to Sahlman is having great people. Take a look at this video as he explains, exactly what he means. The next Mr. Sahlman points out that you should be aware of the opportunities that surround you. Being fully aware of the market that you are entering and how it is set up. Is the market large or small growing or shrinking. These according to Mr. Sahlman are important facts that should be in the plan itself and on your mind. All of this information has to be seen in the correct context and that is the next point. Understanding how to act within the market and the structure that you have chosen. Lastly paint a realistic view of the risks and rewards for the investors and for employees. This is important in order to plan your actions effectively. Notice that Mr. Sahlman’s does not call for the same strict development that Mr. Lavinsky suggests. This is merely a difference in ideology maximizing the tools you have around. Mr. Sahlman states “Ideas are a dime a dozen, it is the execution that separates us”(Sahlman, 2011).


References:

Faculty and Research Harvard Business School. (N.D.). Biography. Retrieved
November 21, 2011 http://drfd.hbs.edu/fit/public/facultyInfo.do?facInfo=bio&facEmId=wsahlman@hb
s.edu

Gallo, A. (2010). Harvard Business Review. Retrieved November 21,2011
http://blogs.hbr.org/hmu/2010/09/keeping-your-business-plan-fle.html

Growthink. (2011). Services/Business Plan Consulting. Retrieved November
21,2011. http://www.growthink.com/businessplan

Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. (1999). How to write a Great
Business Plan. Retrieved November 21,2011.
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/0565.html

Lavinsky, D. (2010). Two Paths –Which Will You Choose. Retrieved November
21,2011http://www.growthink.com/content/two-paths-which-will-you-choose

Lavinsky, D. (2009). Business Plan Milestones –How are they essential to your
success. Retrieved November 21, 2011

Sahlman, W. (1997). Harvard Business Review. Retrieved November 21, 2011 https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:5qvMSwd09nAJ:serempreende
Dor.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/how-to-write-a-great-business-
plan.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShNiy-5Gcun0eXuGJXVh-
0Ejy2qVH92PupxVXiC2bEMbFPt-g9LoiEaIcqK-b-uxem9AH- 9yTHzLOcsKJM01FrgczZRZG3w497EEvnz_4hoZTfEeiTYxJBRUExg8fhv1fpanZ0Z&si
g=AHIEtbS_xQ0-686ChLO9hNX00qnIjhDG6A&pli=1

YouTube. (2011) William A. Sahlman: Challenges of Hiring Good People.
Retrieved. November 21, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDMHbZudAUE

Independent series runs into local problem

Many of you that follow this blog have been hearing for months about an independent series we have been doing called 16 bars to be a star. This program is a reality competition that takes many of its cues from other reality shows. There has been plenty of drama and unexpected twists during the filming of this series, which started back in August of this year. Up until recently we had the backing and support of Clear Channel Communications. Unfortunately towards the end of October, Clear channel, the parent company of Iheartradio.com and several other localized radio stations decided to change the format for the radio station that was sponsoring the reality show. This left many of the crew and contestants with many questions. We were nearing the completion of the first season. Many of the participants in the actual filming of this reality show had been working for free and donating all their skill and free time towards producing a stellar, local reality show.
This also left many of the contestants, who had made it through the preliminary rounds, what was going to happen and would they get to compete still for the 360 deal that was promised to them if they won the competition. Sadly the answer to that question is no. There will be no 360 marketing deal for the winner of the reality competition. However there will be a large cash prize given to the winner courtesy of Clear Channel Communications. So to answer all the questions in one swoop, yes we will be shooting one final episode this season to determine the winner of 16 bars to be a star. This will be all competitors’ last chance to prove they are the best in South Carolina and take home a serious cash prize. So in case you have not been out to any of the filming here is the first episode pt1 and 2. If you are looking for more independent film shorts check out www.fanatikproductions.com. Episode 2 is coming soon. Enjoy and feel free to leave comments.




Pt 2

What is 16 bars to be a star?

The first episode of 16 bars to be a star! leave us a comment and let us know what you think who is your favorite rapper?

Head in the clouds? look out for Ultraviolet.

The future of entertainment is changing rapidly. The technology that we get use to using today will be the medium of the past tomorrow. About fourteen years ago a little company started to revolutionize the home rental business by making videos available through the mail at a low cost. This was followed by a streaming technology that incorporated the use of video game consoles to deliver the content through a high-speed internet access. This would be a significant event, as it would affect the home video business and coupled with a downward economic spiral, would lead to a large amount of video stores closing. Before this event there was a slow change from VHS tapes to DVD. This change was gradual a slight shift from an analog tape to a digital disk. However the change to the blue ray was one that met with many obstacles as the market was split between companies vying for the use of their medium, Sony with their Blue ray disk, and Panasonic with their HD-DVD. I enclosed a brief video from 2007 courtesy of C/Net.com Even in 2007 there was a mention of downloadable content. Now here we are in 2011 having a new discussion on the cloud. The cloud is what many in the industry are planning to use to convince consumer to come back to buying DVDs and blue rays instead of using the Netflix service so much. The new Ultraviolet technology is a direct result of negotiations with companies to avoid splitting the market as they did during the Blue Ray and HD-DVD struggle. Many studios have come together and decided to offer their movies on the ultraviolet format. Disney is the only notable hold out on the format, as they have decided to come up with their own cloud format. Either way there will soon be digital lockers available to house your movie collection meaning you may not physically own the movie, but you would have access to the movie via the cloud. As of right now the media is only available via streaming or down load for portable devices such as your laptop or your digital phone. However you can bet a pretty penny that before you know it there will be a set top device that will enable you to tap into the cloud and access your stored media. However this makes me think about the stores that closed as Netflix came on the scene. What will be the effect of keeping so much material on a server that you don’t have access to, and will this have an adverse effect on the already shaky home video market? Only time will tell, but one thing that is definite is technology will continue to expand the possibilities and boundaries of what we watch and how we watch it.


References:

C/Net video 2007 retrieved Oct 26,2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oKkqpA2ZoI

Chris Pirillo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bBLap5zOcQ retrieved Oct 26,2011

http://www.uvvu.com/what-is-uv.php retrieved Oct 22, 2011

How did this make it to T.V.?

According to many reviews of the new fall line up, it is a bad year for television shows. There are a couple of bright spots out there this season; among them Prime Suspect and Person of Interest seem to be the most prominent to me. Although this freshman class of television shows has yet to yield a stand out hit, they did make it to a fledgling season when other ideas didn’t make it past the pitch. This makes me wonder about the show ideas that were great, that didn’t get pitched or packaged correctly. So I thought we would go ever some of the more important information for someone to know about pitching an idea for a television show or movie. The first thing that you have to know is your story. If you are not clear on the story, how can you tell someone else about it? You must also be aware of what option you would like to take if they are interested in your story. Are you going to let them buy it, option it or are they going to license the work from you. You should also know what the company normally buys, and be aware of your audience. This will make it easier to choose who you want to pitch the story to. The presentation should be full of energy and you should be able to explain how the characters’ world works. All of this is assuming that you are already prepared and have an agent. Having an agent is the initial step if you ever want to get into a position where you have a captive interested audience to pitch to. An agent uses his or her connections to get you in the door. Getting an agent is no easy accomplishment, it takes some persistence on your behalf, but if this is what you want to do with your life then there is no time like the present to get started. So take a look at the links and start moving towards your future, maybe one day your show will be one of the lucky ones in a freshman class of ill-conceived pilots.

References

http://www.nbc.com/prime-suspect/video/episode-1/1357561

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x9ov8xJijg&feature=related

Jobs: Changing the world one innovation at a time

I had intended to write about the future of distribution in the music industry. However it seems more appropriate to write about the man who would inadvertently changed the way we listen to music, communicate with each other and forever change the tools we use to do business. Steve Paul Jobs was born in 1955 in San Francisco. Jobs claim to fame began in 1983 when Jobs was working as part of the Lisa project. Steve Jobs was removed from the Lisa project, and later took over another small project at Apple. The Macintosh was a project that was simply designed to make the computer as easy to use as a toaster. After finding some success with the Macintosh Jobs was forced out of the company and began to find new innovations. He started another computer company called Next and acquired a graphics department with the dream of making animated movies using computers from George Lucas, he would later rename the group Pixar. Jobs would not return to Apple until his company NeXT was acquired by Apple in 1996. This would prove to be the company’s most successful decision since the departure of Jobs. Jobs immediately reorganized the board and stream lined the company. He also did something that most could not understand at the time. He partnered with their main competitor Microsoft to help solidify the company. From this point on Steve Jobs would steer the ship that is apple into the black, and to new innovations that would change the world. Great innovations that combine flexibility with know how, such as the iMac, the MacBook, which I am currently using to write this blog, to the iPod and the iPhone. Forever changing the way that people communicate with each other and enjoy their entertainment. Mr. Jobs resigned on August of this year stating “I have always said that if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s C.E.O., I would be the first to let you know unfortunately, that day has come.” Mr. Jobs had been fighting a battle with a rare cancer; sadly he passed away Oct 5, 2011. Leaving behind many family and friends to mourn his passing and the legacy of all of the innovations he provided us with. Thank you Mr. Jobs you will be missed.



References:

http://allaboutstevejobs.com/bio/short/short.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/technology/jobs-stepping-down-as-chief-of-apple.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394212,00.asp#fbid=MqGM0gNj0e3

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/10/05/steve-jobs-apple-pixar-obit/

Go sue yourself!

It has always been the practice of businesses and individuals alike to seek justice through the court system, when a party feels he or she has been wronged during the course of business. However we are entering a time where more and more artist and entertainers find themselves or their legal representatives in court defending or filling legal actions against other entertainers or entertainment businesses. Sometimes these cases are valid and need to be aired out through the courts so that both parties involved understand where they go from here to repair the situation.
I am sure many people recall the success of a little awkward film named Napoleon Dynamite. This off beat film made a splash at the Sundance film festival that landed the producers of the film a lucrative distribution deal and a hefty amount of cash according to an article by Eriq Gardner(2011). In his article Gardner states that the producers were promised a large percentage rate of the total net profits of the home sales, and have only been compensated at less than a third of what they were promised. All of this came out in an audit between the parties involved in 2008(Gardner, 2011). Could this have been resolved between the parties involved? It seems to me that maybe the producers tried to give the distribution company the opportunity to correct their actions before proceeding with legal action. It is only right if you have been promised compensation that you receive that compensation for the product or service that you have already provided, but what if there is some confusion about what your role, or obligations are to a company that has been representing you. That can cause a whole different set of problems, problems that Bruno Mars is now becoming familiar with.
According to an article written by Josuhua L. Weinstein(2011)the new crooner is riding high on his Grammy win, but is heading to court to sue his publisher. The company representing Mars initially to told him that he had fulfilled his obligations, and that if they were gonna continue to represent him the option would need to be extended from the company. However upon learning of Mars’s intention to leave they informed him that he had not fulfilled his obligations to the company. This by far is the worst kind of company or person to deal with in my opinion. It is for this reason that it is very important to be aware of what your obligations are to companies that you choose to let represent you, or to be fully aware of what an artist has agreed to. Fully educate yourself to some of the laws for your particular avenue of services or products provided in the entertainment industry. This will help protect you from frivolous lawsuits.
These lawsuits tend to come up when people feel wronged, but there is actually no legal ground from which to operate. However this does not mean it won’t make it to court or make the media circuit. Take for instance Lindsay Lohan Suing rapper Pit bull over his lyrics in a song. According to an article for KSFM radio by Big Al,(2011) the actress and her legal team are claiming “the lyrics, by virtue of its wide appeal, condemnation, excoriation, disparaging or defamatory statements by the defendants about the plaintiff are destined to do irreparable harm to the plaintiff.” (Al,2011) Unfortunately for Ms. Lohan the damage that has been done has occurred through her own actions and mere stating of her name tied to the fact that she has been to jail is not going to win her any quick cash, but who knows in this day and age people will settle out of court to avoid being taken through a long court process.



References
http://ksfm.radio.com/2011/08/21/pitbull-sued-by-lindsay-lohan-over-give-me-everything-lyrics/#comments

http://www.thewrap.com/music/article/bruno-mars-sues-his-publisher-30591

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/napoleon-dynamite-producers-sue-fox-230245