BUSINESS ARTICLE : Starting a business with NO money at all

The biggest myth among people who are afraid to start in business and among those who provide loans is that you must have money to get into business. It simply is not true. People start businesses for different reasons. Sometimes it is because they have no money and they need to feed their children, sometimes it is because they don¼t want to work for a boss, sometimes because they are ambitious and want to rise high and sometimes because they have a vision of something they want to achieve and starting a business is the only way to achieve it. There are as many reasons as there are businesses. But there are some key reasons why businesses work. People whose businesses are successful usually have these characteristics: * They work very hard in their businesses. * They learn everything they need to know about their kind of business and business generally. * They believe in what they are doing. * They deal well with the people who work with them. * They treat their customers like gold. * They are pro-active. In other words, they decide what to do. They do not let the world decide for them. * They never, never give up. * They usually have good reputations. * But they do not always start with money. The fundamental fact is that, in order to make your business work, you need knowledge, energy and the will to stick at it more than you need money. A community near you If you are starting a locally-based business, it is useful to start one in the community where you live. If you start in your own community you know what your customers need because they live the same kind of life that you do. A small business, attuned to the needs of the community, can give the best and most personal service. You can offer a service that is exactly right for the customer A business idea A business idea does not require brilliance. All it requires is that you see something that people need and you find a way to supply it. If they need it every day, so much the better. There is more than one way to make money Out of any community need. If you see that your community needs houses to be built, then you can get into building or you can sell bricks to the people who are building, or you can start a building material delivery service or erect fences or install electrical connections or plumbing or... In any field, there are plenty of services that people need. Your strengths and weaknesses Think about what you are good at and what you like doing. Think about what you can do now without any training. It is much easier to start a business in something you are good at. And it is much more satisfying to do work that you like. It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses before you start a business. This is because your weaknesses may cause problems unless you find ways to deal with them. Try not to see only your weaknesses though, rather concentrate on your strengths. Sometimes you can get a partner who has different strengths to you and so he or she makes the business stronger, cancelling out your weaknesses. Sometimes partnerships work well. Usually then the partners¼ abilities fit each other. One of the partners may be a sales person, one may be good at admin ã the book keeping and so on, and another good at making what you are selling. But before you enter any partnership, make sure that you can trust your partners and that they trust you. A partnership in which the partners do not trust each other is sheer hell. Ask someone who knows We all make mistakes and mistakes in business can be very expensive. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes. But sometimes you can avoid mistakes by asking someone for advice. Do not just ask anyone. Find out if there are people in your family or community who already have a business that is doing well. See if they will advise you. It is better to ask for help from someone who has been in a business that has failed,than asking someone who has never been in business at all. At least they have been there. Also, read SUCCEED. There is plenty of good advice in our pages. Or you can write to Septi. You can find his column elsewhere in the SUCCEED publication. Planning When starting in business you have to work out exactly how much it will cost you to be in business. You need to list all your expenses, those that occur every day, every week or every month, and those that are just setting up expenses. Then you need to know things like where to buy the best goods at the lowest prices. From that you can work out how much you have to sell or how many customers you need to provide yourself with an income. You also need to know if you need a permit or a licence to run your business. The people who need permits are usually the people who sell food or the people who sell things on the streets. You can find out if you need one from your local municipality. Researching the market This sounds grand but it is just finding out if people will buy your product or use your service. Here you do what is called market research. This is where you go to people and ask them if they would use your business for the price that you intend to charge. It is important to remember to ask the right people. Do not ask your friends and family, they will only say, yes, to be nice to you. Ask the people who you think will buy your things. Make sure that they are the right age and from the right area. There is no point in asking a lot of old people if they will buy the latest fashion in shoes from you. Most of them will say, no. You need to ask the young people who like to wear the latest fashion in shoes. Now you need to look at where you are going to start your business. First look at your customers. Who are most likely to be your customers¼? Will they be men or women, children or all the people? Will they be commuters? Will you find them in the suburbs or in the townships? This will let you decide where to set up your business. If your customers are school children then it would be good to start your business close to a school. Think about where you expect to do the most business. Some people start their businesses from home, some hire a place to set up their business and some walk from door-to-door. You also need to think about when you are most likely to do business. Will it be during the day or night? You also need to think about the time of the day that you will most likely be busy. Maybe you will be very busy at lunchtime, if you sell food. What time of the week or the month will you be most busy? If you sell bread then maybe it will be every Friday or if you sell toilet paper, then maybe it will be at the end of the month. You need to know these things so that you can make sure that you have enough stock to satisfy all your customers. Getting started without money Most of all, when getting into business you need to know as much as you can about it. Knowledge and ability are what you most need. The next thing is reputation. A good reputation is better than money. But it does cost money to start a business. So how can you start a business with-out money? First of all, you probably need to select the kind of business that does not cost too much to set up. It costs much less to start a service busi-ness than it does to stock a shop, for instance. A motor mechanic can repair cars from his own home. All he needs is tools. While even a small grocery store like a spaza shop costs thousands, usually tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands to stock. You need to think about what you will need to start your business and where you will get it from without money. Can you go to your friends or family for help? Do not assume that they cannot help. They may surprise you. They may not have money, but they may be able to help in other ways. A family member may provide you with food and shelter during the difficult early days of your business. You may need stock to sell and a family member may be able to supply that. Someone may stand good for a loan. This where a good reputation comes in. When Raymond Ackerman bought Pick ån Pay there were just four shops where 50 people worked. Today there are hundreds of his shops and 30 000 people work for him. But to buy the first four shops he had to borrow money. This was not hard to do because he had been the general manager in charge of Checkers. He had the reputation of being a good businessman and also of being an honest man. People who knew about him, lent him the money. When SUCCEED was started, Martin Dannheisser, the owner of the Springs Advertiser, guaranteed the printing money for the first year. He took this risk without getting anything for it. And he did it because he had faith in the people who were trying to start SUCCEED. Nothing is worth more than your reputation. It may be possible to barter for things you need. If you are making furniture, it may be that the wood merchant will take some furniture in exchange for supplying you with enough wood to get you started. Sometimes you can get a business started that only needs you to work half day. This allows you to be employed for the other half day so that you can have the money that you need for your business. If you are married, one can work in a job to keep the family going, while the other starts the business. Sometimes you can get started with a big contract by asking a customer to pay you half the money before the job, so that you can buy the materials you need. But, remember, you need the reputation of being honest. If people believe you are dishonest, they will never help you. If a customer has given you the money for paint that you need, do not think that you can now go and take your girlfriend out with the money for the paint. This will give you a bad reputation and no one will use you again. Sometimes you can get credit from a store that sells things in bulk and you can pay them back when you have finished the job. But if you let them down you will be finished. Time is very precious One kind of resource that you can give is your time. It is a very important resource for your new business. Starting a business will take up all of your time. Think about the following ques-tions: How much time do you need to spend each day to run your business¼? Are you willing to work much longer hours than you do now? Do you have another job? Will you have to stop doing this work to give your new business the time it needs¼? Will you still have time for yourself, your family and your friends? Will you be able to do everything yourself, or do you need help¼? Do you have any other important things in your life now¼? Will you have to stop doing them if you get too busy? Flow important is your business to you'? Some of the other resources that you will need are things like transport, tools and space. The following questions will give you an idea of what else you need for your business: Do you need transport? Will you need to collect or deliver the stock, customers or goods? Do you have the special tools and equipment you need. for this kind of business? These could include a telephone, and a fax machine or a computer. Or they could include spades, shovels and axes. If you do not have the tools or equipment you need, can you buy them, borrow them or rent them¼? Do you have a place to run your business? Can you store the equipment you need to make the product? Can you store the product? Are you going to need a space to sell your product? If you are going to work outside, what will you do when it rains? You need to think carefully before starting in business. And you have to be serious about your business. If you are not serious and hard-working, you will certainly fail. But if you are serious and you use your common sense, you have every chance of success. And success in business can open whole new worlds to you. Knowledge and ability are what you most need. The next thing is reputation. A good reputation is better than money Read more!

Starting A Business On A Budget

The first thing you need when you start a business is money. The next thing you need to keep your business going is more money. There are lots of guides online to help you start up a business, but you have to pay to read most of the good ones. Seems like you need money to make money. A sad fact of life. The good news is that you still can run your business even if you are strapped for cash. You'll have to be resourceful though. Lazy people need not apply. Once you've got a great business idea, do your feasibility study. Plan ahead. How much would you need for this business. How much might you expect it to earn? What is the long term potential of the business? Do you plan to run this biz for life and hand it down to your heirs or do you want to grow this business and sell it off? If you want to sell it off, you could search for venture capitalists who are willing to fund your idea in exchange for a share of your company. When you do sell it off, they get their cut and their profits from the venture. Bear in mind there is no such thing as free money. They fund your venture and they would want to make some of the decisions. You'll have to comply with their wishes or at least work out some compromise both parties can live with. Alternatively, whether you want to sell or keep your business, if your savings can cover the business costs and have enough for you to live on for the next twelve months then you can fund it yourself from your savings and keep full control of your business. Or you could borrow from family and friends but make sure you return the borrowed cash. If you can't muster up enough funds or you'd rather save that money for emergencies, you could take a bank loan. Remember that banks charge interest for their loans. You'd have to pay back the principal sum you borrow with interest. Though the interest rate might sound managable, the interest you have to pay can accumulate to a frightening sum time, A better bet is to try and get a grant. You can get grants for business development which can mean the difference between a successful business or giving up before the business takes off due to the lack of funds. Grants can even tide you through tough times. On the other side of the equation would be the cost cutting measures. Try not to pay for anything if an alternative is available for free. In my web business, I went for the free operating system Linux and the free database Mysql and saved tremendously on software costs. Instead of microsoft office, I went for open office which you can download for free online, or you could buy staroffice from computer stores for a fraction of what you might pay for microsoft office. Sure, free versions may not have as many versions as the costly, more popular software, but do you really need all those bells and whistles? Wouldn't the money be better spent on other business essentials? Do you really need an impressive office in a prestigious district? Is that really necessary? You could save substantially if you work from a home office or relocate your office to a place where the rental isn't so high. How much do you spend on the printing of your materials? Business cards, mailers for marketing your business can be rather expensive. You shouldn't compromise on the quality as these materials represent your company image. Read more!

Top 10 Questions about Business Plans Answered

1. What is a Business Plan? A business plan is a written summary of everything you already know about your business and the industry it is in, and the future you expect to create with that business. A well-done businessplan is realistic, but conveys the energy and optimism you feel about your business's future. It is an opportunity to convince the world that your idea is worth the time, energy and money it will take to make it a reality. Make it compelling, exciting, but believable and understandable. A business plan shows what you have now in terms of resources like management talent and a great idea, and what it will take, step-by-step, to get you where you are going. Just think how different our lives would be if Microsoft and Amazon.com had not been created. How different will the world be if you plan well and create your business successfully? 2. When Do I Need a Business Plan and What Do I Want to Achieve Through the Business Planning Process? 2. When Do I Need a Business Plan and What Do I Want to Achieve Through the Business Planning Process? If you are writing a business plan for management planning purposes, be specific about what goals you wish to achieve. Do you want to grow the business, create an exit strategy, and develop a new product? For many, the purpose of business planning is to get funding for a start-up company or to grow an existing business by buying real estate, investing in equipment, creating a new product, or approaching a new market. If you are writing a business plan to get funding, you need to create a statement about the purpose of the funding, and how you will pay back the loaned amount or grow the company, if the funding is through equity investors. For a new business: • When you first think about starting a business and want to make sure your idea is realistic • To attract outside investors, to send to potential lenders, and to have ready to find Board of Directors candidates or key employees. • To use as a base for more detailed tactical planning • To use as a starting point to change as you get more information or as conditions change • To track your progress against after you start your business For an existing business: • When you decide to grow your business • When your technology or business environment changes • When you want to start selling a new product or service • When you want to start selling outside your current market • If you want to acquire another business What are the benefits of doing a business plan? 3. What are the benefits of doing a business plan? Writing a business plan allows you to be sure you know everything you can about your business so you can most realistically assess your opportunities and risks in changing your operation or opening your business. It forces you to think through all the details that will be involved and find answers to problems before you spend money on them. How long does it take to do a business plan? 4. How long does it take to do a business plan? That depends on what kind of business plan you decide to do and who your audience is. For a new business plan for investors or bankers- 20-30 pages, probably with projections for 3 years - this will take at least 40 hours to research and write, maybe more. A business plan for an existing business - can be more or less and may include recruiting and compensation data, and other operational reports. An existing business should allow 2-4 weeks for planning each year. It can take longer to do a shorter business plan! The most-read business plans are not the longest ones, but the shorter ones where each word packs in a lot of meaning, and where the concept and meaning are clearest in the fewest words and simplest terms. You will need to gather a lot of data, but select only that information that helps build your case for the final plan. What is a Business Plan? 5. I'm not a great writer. What is the best way for me to do a business plan? You can have a professional write one for you. If you want to do it yourself, there are a lot of software products on the market, and web sites that can help you in Additional Resources at the end of this course. However, no matter what you choose, you must supply all the information about your business, so the worksheets in this course are essential to help you decide what information should be a part of your business plan. Writing or doing the preparation to write a business plan is an extremely important part of being prepared to open and run you own business. It forces you to think through all aspects before investing your time, energy and money. Even if you do write your own plan, be sure and have it edited, critiqued and read by others who will give you an honest assessment. Most plans are still done on paper, but if your business is to be on the Internet, you might want to consider a plan done right on the web. Plans are also done in PowerPoint presentations, on video, or on audiocassettes depending on your audience. The same information should be presented, no matter what media it is delivered on. 6. How will I know what information to put into my business plan? There is a standard format for a business plan. It generally includes the following, in this order: • Cover sheet • Table of contents • Executive Summary (1-3 pages) • Business Concept or Description (including major business goals) (2-4 pages) • Product/Service Description (4 pages) • Management Team (4 pages) • Industry Analysis (2-5 pages) • Market Strategy and Tactics (3-5 pages) • Financial Projections (5-10 pages, including basic spreadsheets) • Operations (5 pages) (Manufacturing Plan, if applicable) • Appendices (supporting documents) 7. Where will I get the information for my business plan? Much of the information you need will come from your own thoughts, but you must also validate your thinking with hard facts about your business environment to make a convincing argument about why you should open your business. Look around and pick up all the written material you can about the types of business you want to start: their ads, brochures, and web site information. Write down everything you already know in the worksheets that follow, and then set up a plan to find the rest of the information you need to round out your plan. Don't forget to check the telephone book to find your competition. Besides local data, you will need both marketing data and financial data for your industry. We will cover where to find that in detail in the marketing segment of this course. For an existing business you will also use your own business records (financial statements, operational reports, and sales reports). 8. What financial documents will lenders and venture capitalists expect me to provide as part of my Business Plan? New businesses: .. Proforma Balance Sheet (snap shot of the day you open for business) .. Proforma income projections (income/profit and loss statements) for three years. Give detail by month the first year and by quarter the 2nd and 3rd year) .. Breakeven analysis .. A List of assumptions and other notes .. Personal Financial Statement Existing businesses: .. Balance Sheet (3 years) .. Income statements (3 years) .. Cash flow .. Breakeven Analysis .. Income Tax Returns (3 years) .. Capital equipment list .. Personal Financial Statement 9. If I have a great business plan can I be certain of getting funding through the SBA or investors or a bank? And how quickly can I get funded once I have a business plan? You can't be sure of getting funding no matter how well you do your business plan, but one thing is for sure: you are virtually guaranteed that you will not get funding if you don't do a business plan. In doing a business plan you may find that you are not ready to become an entrepreneur yet, that you need to save more money to be sure that you can be successful, that you need additional training or preparation, or that the timing just isn't right to start your company and that you may need to wait a year or two. These are not bad things! Much better to wait and be successful than face disappointment and financial problems for starting too soon. The SBA and your bank will look first at your personal credit. If your credit history is good, it will still take a bank about two months to approve or disapprove your application. It can take many months to get venture capital financing. Expect several interviews over this time, and many questions about how you will make the business succeed. KEY MISTAKE: Appearance counts. Make your business plan easy to read and understand, but most importantly, make it look professional. Typos make you look as if you didn't take the time to do the job right, and might give others the indication that your work is done halfway as well. 10. What are the steps to start the business planning process? This is NOT in the order that it will appear in your business plan, but approaching these issues step-by-step is the best way to develop your plan. Business Description Setting Goals and Objectives for your Business Product or Service Description Management Team Industry and Market Marketing Strategy Financial Projections and Considerations Operational Considerations Wrapping it all up with an Executive Summary Read more!

Top Ten Mistakes made in Business Plans

1. Not proving that you have the management expertise to make it happen. The quality of your people will lend credibility to your ideas and even to your financial projections. If your management team is not as strong as it could be, join forces with a great board of advisors. 2. Not demonstrating where your revenue will come from - what customers pay you and why they pay you. Don’t be too aggressive in setting revenue projections or you will undermine your credibility. 3. Not proving that your business model and long term cost structure is good enough to make a real profit. How will your business make money - what is your margin structure, what are your costs? 4. Not being clear enough in your product description to allow the reader to quickly see the need and the niche for this product. It may seem obvious to you, but not so to the reader not educated in your business. 5. Not proving that the market opportunity is big enough to get interested in. How big is your market now and what will it look like in 5 years? 6. Not adequately acknowledging your competition. Investors know that if there is no perceived competition, there may be no market for what you are offering. The better you can describe your competition, the better you understand your market, and the more likely you will dominate it. 7. Not writing for the target audience. Although the core is the same, the plan should be written for the perspective of banks, equity investors, and others. Go as far as you can to tailor each plan to the audience’s specific interests to show you’ve done your homework and know to whom you are talking. 8. Starting with a boring, unenthusiastic executive summary. This is the first section to be read, and if it isn’t exciting the rest may never be seen. Make it fun and be enthusiastic. It should stand alone and generate interest for more. It deserves all the thought you would put into a professionally done promotional piece for your customers. 9. Poor presentation. If you have typos and grammatical errors in your business plan, the reader will assume the work you do in your business is sloppy too. 10. Saying too much. Keep the entire plan to a maximum of 30 pages, with an executive summary of 3 pages or less. If investors are interested, they will ask for any other information they need. Amateurs talk in the business plan about unimportant details because they don’t know what they should say and what they shouldn’t. Hire a professional editor to reduce the page count and help you emphasize your strengths. Read more!

How to Start a Home Based Business; Six Steps

Many people dream about having their own home business in order to escape the hassle of commuting, friction with overbearing bosses and the stress of the corporate workplace. In the good old days, the ideal home business was some kind of mail-order business. However, in today's world an Internet-based business offers the best way to gain flexibility and economic independence. If you are not sure how to go about it, take a look at the following steps which all home based entrepreneurs must take: 1.Determine what you want to do You know you want a business that is yours and based in your own home but you may not be sure what exactly you want to do. No one can decide this for you. You must pick an area of activity where you have a bit of knowledge and most importantly, a passion. After all, you are probably leaving your day job because you were not happy with what you are doing. Don't pick another type of work that will be a misery, rather pick something that you enjoy doing. For example, if you are an avid athlete, maybe you will want to sell sports supplies, or some kind of information product concerned with sports. When it comes to online selling you have a choice: to sell a physical item that can be shipped, or to sell an electronic item such as an ebook or a service, such as proofreading or editing. Brainstorm and pick your area of interest and then follow it up until your business idea becomes clear. 2.Set up your home workplace If you want to work at home you will need a separate area where you can work efficiently. It doesn't have to be a large office, but it has to be a place where you can work without disturbance. Once you have carved out your working area, you have to equip it. The minimum is an up to date computer with a good connection to the Internet. You will probably need software such as an html editor, an ftp program, and an art or photo editing program such as Adobe Photoshop. A good accounting program will also be required once you get rolling and the money starts flowing in. 3.Make sure that you have a back up income Setting up a successful home business is harder than it looks and harder than the advertisements would have you believe. In the first months you may not make any money. Budget some money to cover the initial period when sales are likely to be zero or very low, and plan your first year realistically so that you can survive during the starting period. 4.Pick a proper domain name and register it at a reputable registrar Your domain name is your brand name and it will become your online identity. The name should describe what you do and it should be memorable. Another thing to consider when deciding on a domain is to try to include a search keyword that your likely customers would use when finding you. Many of great domain names are already taken. The best way to find out is to go to one of the reputable registrars such as Godaddy, Yahoo or Directnic and put your idea into the search box. You will find out if the domain name is available and also find alternatives. Don't be tempted by low cost registrars that are not well known. If they fold, then you could have trouble maintaining your domain name. 5.Find a reliable hosting service for your business As with the domain registration, choose a hosting company that is well known and that has good customer support. Check to see if they have 24 hour phone service or an online chat service. Pick up a hosting package that has enough space for your needs. Generally most websites only use a small portion of the web space that is offered. If you are not sure which package to get, ask the sales departments of a few of the leading hosting firms to see what they offer. 6.Design and Promote Your Website Your website is your store-front. It is your sales representative and it is your business suit all in one! You can make a good impression with a professionally designed site, and whatever you invest in a good design will be repaid later on. So don't skimp on your website, have it designed professionally or purchase a striking web template and customize it to fit your needs. But even the best website can't bring you sales unless it is promoted online. Advertise your site with paid ads, through high search engine place, by participating in online forums and by distributing articles with a link back to your site. Follow these six steps and you will be on your way to fulfilling your dream of having a home-based business. "It's through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we've always mapped our path at Dell. There's always an opportunity to make a difference." Read more!

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY : SPA BUSINESS

Demam bisnis spa yang kini melanda kota-kota besar telah menular dari hotel berbintang, lokasi eksklusif, mal, hingga ke kompleks perumahan. Karena tempat usahanya di rumah, modalnya jadi terjangkau. Margin labanya bisa mencapai 50%. Urusan mengendurkan dan mengencangkan urat saraf tak pelak lagi telah menjadi ladang bisnis yang kian menggiurkan. Apalagi jika dipadukan dengan perawatan dan upaya mempercantik keelokan tubuh. Setelah bekerja dan berkutat dengan rutinitas yang menjemukan, orang-orang-lelaki maupun perempuan-butuh waktu untuk meredakan ketegangan saraf, sekaligus memanjakan tubuhnya. Maka tak heran bila solus per aqua alias spa kian merebak di kota-kota besar, dan hampir selalu dipadati pengunjung laki-laki dan perempuan. Berendam di kolam air hangat sembari menghirup wewangian aromaterapi yang menyeruak di spa ini bisa melegakan otak yang serasa sumpek. Ditingkahi sapuan scrub, elusan lulur di sekujur tubuh, plus pijatan dengan aneka minyak-minyakan alami, hmm.... timbul deh sensasi rileks yang sungguh menyenangkan. Setelah menjalani terapi itu, kulit terasa resik dan indah. Badan pun terasa ringan. Untuk menikmati perawatan itu, orang tak segan-segan keluar duit ratusan hingga jutaan rupiah sekali servis komplet. Tak heran, bisnis spa semakin merebak di mana-mana. Tak hanya di kota-kota besar, kini gerai-gerai spa juga mulai menerobos daerah-daerah. Di kota besar seperti Jakarta, selain butik-butik spa yang sudah cukup lama nongkrong di hotel berbintang, gerai-gerai spa juga terus bermunculan di mal atau pusat keramaian. Bahkan kini, demam gerai spa pelan-pelan sudah menjalar ke kompleks perumahan. Salah satu yang tertarik menekuni bisnis ini adalah Sri Surhayati. Pemilik gerai Puri Wangi Spa ini menyulap rumahnya seluas 180 m2 di kawasan Pamulang, Tangerang, menjadi sebuah tempat usaha. Awalnya, Yanti, panggilan akrab Sri Surhayati, memang seorang mania spa. Setelah berumah tangga, ia berpikir, ibu-ibu rumah tangga bakal kesulitan kalau harus pergi ke tempat spa yang ada di tengah perkotaan, seperti di mal atau hotel. Selain biayanya mahal, ibu rumah tangga itu sulit meninggalkan kediamannya. Maka, dengan modal Rp 200 jutaan, Yanti bersama suaminya pun merombak rumah mereka menjadi sebuah gerai spa. Untuk mempromosikan spa-nya, Yanti membikin plang nama di depan rumahnya, menyebarkan brosur, dan menempelkan pamflet di berbagai lokasi. Hasilnya, saban hari Puri Wangi kedatangan 4-6 orang pengunjung yang rata-rata menghabiskan dana Rp 50.000 sekali datang. Pelanggannya mulai ibu rumah tangga, para ABG, hingga para calon pengantin. "Pasar spa rumahan masih luas, masih banyak yang belum menjalankannya," cetus Yanti tanpa mau menyebut detail omzetnya. Tinggal merombak rumah menjadi gerai Bila Anda tertarik menjajal bisnis spa yang pasarnya masih lebar dan pemainnya relatif sedikit ini, persiapkanlah diri Anda. "Ketika ingin membangun spa di perumahan, si pemilik harus menguasai lingkungan sekitar," ujar Evvie Sulistijowati, seorang konsultan bisnis spa yang juga seorang hajah. Dengan begitu, kita akan tahu karakter dan daya beli pasar yang akan kita sasar. Evvie yang juga produsen bahan perawatan spa ini menandaskan, membuka spa tidak sama dengan membuka toko biasa. Kata dia, spa bukan hanya menjual pelayanan dan produk, melainkan juga kualitas. "Kita harus membuat customer datang," lanjutnya. Untuk itu, si pengusaha juga harus membekali dirinya dengan pengetahuan akan seluk-beluk bisnis spa. Modal duit tentu juga merupakan komponen yang penting dalam memulai bisnis ini. Menurut hitungan Evvie, untuk mendirikan spa perumahan seluas 60 m2, habis dana antara Rp 100 juta hingga Rp 200 juta. Ruangan seluas itu bisa diisi dengan kamar-kamar spa, bath tub, perawatan rambut, perawatan kulit, semacam bar untuk jamu, tempat potong rambut, creambath, manicure, dan pedicure. "Spa rumah tidak mengandalkan pemandangan," cetusnya. Bila kita hendak menyulap rumah menjadi gerai spa, apa yang dilakukan Yanti bisa memberi kita inspirasi. Yanti yang seorang arsitek ini tidak mengubah ruang-ruang rumahnya. Dia hanya mengubah fungsi setiap ruang sesuai dengan kebutuhan spa. Ruang tamu, misalnya, dia ubah menjadi tempat pedicure dengan tetap mempertahankan bentuk ruang tamu pada umumnya dengan satu meja bulat dan dua kursi. Hanya, kursi itu khusus untuk pedicure. Yanti mengubah fungsi ruang duduk menjadi ruang creambath, dilengkapi sebuah meja panjang dan tiga cermin bulat yang diletakkan berderet. Kamar tidur di lantai satu diubah menjadi ruang massage. Di ruang ini, terdapat kamar mandi dengan bathtub. Ruang duduk di lantai dua juga menjadi tempat massage. Yanti masih menyisakan sebuah ruangan pribadi khusus untuk keluarganya. Nah, perombakan tempat plus pembelian berbagai peralatan spa itu merupakan komponen biaya in-vestasi awal yang paling besar. "Untuk bahan spa-nya sendiri, sih, murah. Saya awalnya hanya membeli sekitar Rp 500.000," bebernya. Senada, Evvie mengatakan, untuk membeli persediaan bahan perawatan spa selama tiga bulan, paling kita hanya butuh modal sekitar Rp 5 juta. Bahan-bahan spa, seperti aneka scrub, minyak untuk pijat, berbagai aromaterapi, dan lainnya bisa kita peroleh dengan mudah. Di pasaran ada begitu banyak pilihan produk spa. Sebut saja Taman Sari Mustika Ratu, Spa Essensia, atau berbagai merek lain yang bisa kita peroleh di kawasan Pasar Baru, Jakarta dan Bali. Marginnya bisa mencapai 50% Yang mahal dan merupakan unsur terpenting dalam bisnis spa adalah sumber daya manusia alias terapis. Selain bisa membajak para terapis atau merekrut mantan terapis yang sudah bekerja di spa lain, pengusaha spa juga bisa merekrut para lulusan sekolah atau kursus spa. Cuma, ya itu tadi, kita harus benar-benar jeli memilih terapis yang berkualitas. Evvie memberi ancar-ancar jumlah terapis di sebuah gerai idealnya 5-6 orang. Jumlah pegawai segini cukup untuk spa rumahan. "Biasanya waktu ramai hari Jumat sampai minggu," kata seorang pemilik spa rumahan yang tak mau disebut namanya. Lain dengan Yanti yang hanya mempekerjakan tiga orang pegawai. Uniknya, ia tak memerlukan tenaga pembukuan khusus. Ketiga pegawai inilah yang menyusun pembukuan mereka masing-masing. Ini lantaran ketiganya dibayar harian dengan memperoleh tip dan fee. Rata-rata mereka memperoleh fee 10%-20% dari ongkos yang dikeluarkan pelanggan yang sedikitnya Rp 50.000 per pelanggan. Dengan sistem pembayaran harian dan fee, Yanti menerapkan manajemen langsung per terapis. "Jadi enggak perlu ada resepsionis atau manajer," cetusnya. Lebih fleksibel dan irit. Sayang, Yanti enggan menyebutkan berapa besar pemasukan dalam sebulan. Yang pasti, setelah berjalan tiga tahun, tak lama lagi ia bakal balik modal. Evvie sendiri membuka kartu, bisnis spa sebenarnya bisa mendatangkan margin besar. "Bisa 50%," ucap Evvie. Anda berminat berendam bisnis spa di rumah sendiri? +++++ Berbagai versi Sejarah Spa Sekitar 3.000 tahun lalu, setelah lelah berperang dengan badan penuh peluh dan debu, pasukan Romawi melakukan ritual pemulihan diri. Ritual ini juga dimaksudkan untuk menyembuhkan luka-luka mereka. Caranya, mereka berendam di kolam-kolam air hangat. Nyess.... Ritual itulah yang disebut-sebut sebagai awal munculnya solus per aqua alias spa. Konon, spa tertua masih ada di Kota Merano, Italia. Syahdan, Cleopatra selalu mempercantik penampilannya dengan berendam di air panas yang dicampuri berbagai wewangian dari minyak asiri. Malah, Hipocrates, tokoh pengobatan ulung Yunani, pernah mempraktekkan cara perawatan tersebut dan kemudian menulis hidroterapi. Keajaiban dan kehebatan ruwatan pemandian ini kemudian disebarkan oleh golongan Roma ke seluruh Eropa, hingga akhirnya tersebar di seantero jagat raya. Versi lain, ada yang bilang spa berasal dari Spau, nama sebuah desa dekat Liege di Belgia. Desa itu terkenal sejak abad ke-16 dengan kolam air mineralnya. Di sana dulu ada sumber air yang bisa menyembuhkan berbagai penyakit. Selama berabad-abad, kolam di Spau menjadi kegemaran golongan bangsawan dan raja. Mana riwayat yang benar, itu tak penting. Kini spa telah menjadi ajang pemulihan diri dan ajang mencari fulus. Read more!

Business Opportunity: Memotret Rezeki si Kotak Foto Hemat

Setelah menawarkan waralaba M Photo Studio, PT Modern Putra Indonesia kini menawarkan paket hemat (pahe) waralaba kios foto dan cetak foto digital. Bila lokasi benar-benar bagus, modal Rp 200 juta bisa balik kurang dari setahun. Umat manusia memang layak berterima kasih pada teknologi digital. Kehadirannya telah membawa perubahan peradaban di bumi. Digital membawa begitu banyak manfaat, kemudahan, dan kenikmatan bagi hidup kita. Sebut satu contoh kecil, kemajuan teknologi telepon seluler alias ponsel berkamera yang kini harganya kian terjangkau masyarakat luas. Dengan sepucuk ponsel berkamera, kita bisa membidik berbagai peristiwa di sekitar kita. Begitu mudah, cepat, murah, dan menyenangkan. Pada gilirannya kemajuan teknologi kamera digital itu juga membuka begitu banyak peluang bisnis. Mulai dari bisnis jual beli peralatan ponsel dan kamera digital berikut berbagai aksesori dan perlengkapannya, usaha studio foto digital, dan tentu saja peluang usaha cetak foto digital. Lihat saja gerai-gerai cetak foto digital yang sedang menyemarakkan mal-mal serta pusat-pusat keramaian. Para remaja alias anak baru gede, bahkan juga orang tua, tampak silih berganti masuk ke gerai-gerai itu. Sebagian ada yang hendak mencetak hasil bidikan ponsel atau kamera digitalnya. Sebagian lagi hendak berfoto bareng. Mereka tinggal memilih, mau berfoto di studio digital atau cukup mejeng di bilik foto (photobox). Berpose sesuka hati, lalu, jepret... keluar, deh, hasil fotonya. Bisnis teknologi ini umumnya memang membutuhkan kapital yang lumayan besar, bisa miliaran rupiah. Laju teknologi digital yang begitu pesat juga membuat pengusaha harus selalu bersiap-siap menyuntikkan modal untuk meremajakan teknologinya. Namun, jangan langsung kecil hati dan merasa pintu masuk ke bisnis ini sudah tertutup, hanya karena modal Anda tak begitu besar. Dengan modal sekitar Rp 100 juta-Rp 200 juta, Anda bisa membeli mesin cetak digital kecil alias ATM foto yang kini banyak ditawarkan di pasaran. Lalu, Anda bisa membuka gerai kecil di pusat perbelanjaan. Kalau tidak mau repot memulai semua dari awal, Anda bisa membeli waralaba dari perusahaan yang sudah mempunyai nama. Adalah M Photo Studio, studio foto digital yang sudah menembus pasar mancanegara, tengah membuka peluang ini. Awal Desember lalu, perusahaan yang waralabanya sudah sampai Australia, China, dan Amerika ini menawarkan waralaba paket hemat alias pahe. Namanya perusahaan itu M Photo Kios yang modalnya "hanya" Rp 100 juta-Rp 200 juta. Gerai M Photo Kios ini sudah hadir di kota Istana Plaza Bandung dan di Cikokol, Tangerang. Tak lama lagi, gerainya akan muncul di Pamulang Square. Sekadar menyegarkan ingatan, sebelumnya, M Photo Studio telah sukses menawarkan waralaba M Studio untuk pengusaha yang modalnya minimal Rp 500 juta (KONTAN edisi 2 Agustus 2004). "Konsep M Studio ternyata digemari pasar. Tapi, di daerah, banyak pengusaha yang modalnya terbatas, maka kami buat pahe agar mereka bisa ikut," papar Daniel Liman, Direktur PT Modern Putra Indonesia, pemegang waralaba M Photo Studio. M Photo Kios, kata Daniel, merupakan versi hemat dari M Photo Studio. Kalau luas ruang M Photo Studio minimal 30 m2, versi irit ini hanya butuh ruang 4 m2-20 m2. Dengan ruang lebih mini, layanan M Photo Kios terbatas pada photobox dan cetak digital (print station). Jadi, tidak ada studio digital seperti yang ada pada gerai M Photo Studio. Foto cepat saji untuk remaja Di gerai M Photo Kios, terwaralaba tetap bisa menjual berbagai barang yang ada kaitannya dengan bisnis inti dan tidak membutuhkan ruang yang luas. Misalnya, voucher isi ulang ponsel, kamera digital, dan aksesorinya. "Kami bisa memasok barang-barang itu secara kredit selama seminggu," imbuh Daniel. Ruang yang lebih kecil plus layanan dan peralatan yang lebih sedikit membuat investasi awal dan modal operasional M Photo Kios menjadi lebih kecil. Dengan modal Rp 200 juta misalnya, terwaralaba sudah bisa membuka gerai seluas 12 m2. Modal itu sudah termasuk franchise fee untuk 5 tahun, 2 unit photobox, 1 unit print station, biaya renovasi, dan biaya operasional sebulan pertama. Laiknya sistem waralaba, si mitra menerima pasokan barang dagangan dan memperoleh pelatihan dari pewaralaba. Kelak, bila gerainya sudah buka, saban bulan terwaralaba masih harus membayar royalty fee kepada pewaralaba. Tapi, royalty fee-nya hanya dari omzet photobox, besarnya 10%. Terwaralaba tidak perlu membayar royalty fee untuk omzet dari cetak foto atau penjualan barang lainnya. Sebagai imbal balik dari pembayaran bulanan ini, Daniel berjanji akan melakukan promosi dan melakukan upgrade template dan software secara rutin, 2-3 bulan sekali. Sama seperti saudaranya M Photo Studio yang lebih mewah dan komplet, si pahe ini juga membidik para remaja sebagai segmen pasar utamanya. "Konsepnya itu studio cepat saji, jadi kayak fast food di bidang fotografi dan ada unsur fun-nya," cetus Daniel. Karena itulah, gerai dua saudara ini harus mejeng di lokasi-lokasi yang banyak didatangi para remaja dan anak-anak muda. Bedanya, M Photo Studio bermain di pasar remaja yang tajir, M Photo Kios untuk remaja dari kalangan kebanyakan alias kelas menengah bawah. Karena itulah, Daniel menegaskan, mal-mal besar yang ada di pusat kota besar bukanlah tempat yang cocok untuk membuka kios pahe ini. Lokasi yang pas untuk M Photo Kios adalah mal-mal kelas menengah, atau pusat perbelanjaan di pinggiran Jakarta dan daerah-daerah. Tentu, dari kategori itu pun, terwaralaba tetap harus jeli memilih lokasi yang benar-benar pas. "Kesuksesan bisnis ritel macam ini terletak pada tiga hal, yakni: lokasi, lokasi, lokasi," tandas Daniel. Nah, lokasi yang memenuhi syarat menurut dia adalah pusat keramaian atau pusat perbelanjaan yang menjual berbagai macam barang. Tempat itu juga harus banyak didatangi anak-anak muda. Lebih bagus lagi, kalau di dekatnya ada sekolah, kampus, atau tempat kursus. Dengan lokasi yang bagus, terwaralaba tak akan kesulitan mencari pelanggan. Bila mampu mencetak penjualan 30 lembar photobox plus 60 lembar cetak digital sehari, seluruh modal terwaralaba bakal balik dalam waktu 1,5 tahun. Bila terwaralaba bisa menjaring lebih banyak pelanggan, tentu balik modalnya tak sampai setahun. Ini bukan hal yang mustahil. Lihat saja pengalaman gerai M Photo Kios di Istana Plaza Bandung. "Omzetnya sebulan sekitar Rp 30 juta-Rp 40 juta," beber Daniel. Dengan omzet segitu, gerai tersebut balik modal dalam sekitar delapan bulan. Bila tertarik dan modal mencukupi, tentu tak ada salahnya Anda mencari tahu lebih detail soal bisnis ini. Soal mau buka usaha sendiri atau ikutan waralaba, keputusan sepenuhnya ada di tangan Anda. Read more!