Q: I'm considering starting an Internet dating
service, but I'm on a very low budget. Can you tell me how to
go about this?
A: Provided by Wally Bock, author, consultant and publisher
of Briefing Memo (http://www.bockinfo.com/bm.htm),
an electronic newsletter providing profit-boosting
information.
Before starting your business, the most important thing to do is
brainstorm. Make a list of your current resources, including money,
time and associates. As you take notes, highlight specific
questions about services, technology or anything else that comes to
mind. Whom do you know who could help you? Have you ever used a
personal introduction service? Have your friends used one?
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Call dating services listed in the Yellow Pages. Get their
materials and find out how long they've been in business. Pay
close attention to the more established services. These
long-running matchmakers are doing something right, so they serve
as your best operational examples.
Ask everyone you know if they have ever used a dating service,
Internet or otherwise. If they have, note their expectations,
investments, results and feelings about the experience. What did
they like and dislike about the program? Were there any services
that enriched the experience?
For specific pointers, search for articles in your local
library's database. Also visit small-business Web sites, such
as Business Start-Ups (http://www.bizstartups.com),
American City Business Journals (http://www.amcity.com) and the Smart
Business Supersite (http://www.smartbiz.com).
Next, find out what's already on the market. Use search
engines such as HotBot (http://www.hotbot.com) and Yahoo!
(http://www.yahoo.com) to find
links to Internet dating services. Visit those sites, and look
closely at what they offer. What benefits are free? What do
customers pay for? In other words, how do Internet matchmakers make
money? Bookmark the sites so you can find your way back to these
important resources. If you want further details, sign up for a few
of the services to see exactly how the programs work.
By this time, you should have a clear idea of what's out
there and be able to answer the following questions:
- What are the customer's minimum costs?
- What does every dating service offer?
- How do services differentiate themselves? (You'll need to
set yourself apart. Look at how those in business successfully
market their programs.)
Finally, review your financial resources. Costs vary according
to your type of site and services rendered. Some expenses, such as
hiring a Web site designer, may be negotiable. However, after doing
your research, you should be able to identify your assets, using
what you've learned about the matchmaking business to achieve
your goals.
Entrepreneur's Business Start-Up Guide #1393,
Internet Entrepreneur,offers general information about starting
an Internet-related business. It's available for $59 from
Entrepreneur Media Inc., 2445 McCabe Way, Irvine, CA 92614,
(800) 421- 2300.
Q: I'm interested in opening a convenience store
specializing in Asian food products. I need contacts for both Asian
and American food distributors.
A: Provided by David Alan Coia, director of communications
for Food Distributors International (FDI), a trade association in
Falls Church, Virginia.
One way to locate distributors is through trade associations,
which connect you with people who can help your business. Most
distributors have programs for start-up retail operations that
include marketing and in-store banking resources.
Visit FDI's Web site (http://www.fdi.org) to check out links to
food distributors' and other industry sites. The National
Association of Convenience Stores' Web site (http://www.cstorecentral.com)
contains daily news, links and resources for members. Also try
these reference books:
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