Global mobile revenues will be $1.1 trillion in 2012. Here’s why.

You know what’s cooler than a billion? A trillion! That’s exactly where the mobile industry is going, according to a new GSM/Wireless Intelligence study, The Global Cellular Industry Balance Sheet.

The study estimates global mobile service provider revenues will be $1.1 trillion in 2012, thanks to a massive boom in four major economies — Brazil, Russia, India, and China — collectively known as the BRIC economies. The BRIC operators had revenues of $170 billion in 2010 and will exceed $200 billion in revenues in 2012. Developing markets will be the primary engine of growth, contributing over 40 percent of global revenues by this point. In comparison, developed economies are stagnating:

Total revenue growth in developed economies has stalled at around 2 percent since 2009.40 percent of operators in the developed economies saw revenue declines last year.The demand for smartphones has led to higher handset subsidies and that’s causing some issues for carriers, which saw profit margins in the developed world decline by 1.4 percent in 2009 and 0.3 percent  in 2010 to stand at 35 percent of total revenuesThe worst hit operators are located in Western Europe (Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain), Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Hungary) and the more mature markets in the Middle East (Bahrain, UAE), as well as a number of second-tier operators in the U.S.

Some other notable facts:

Voice revenues still account for 75 percent of recurring revenues on average in developing countries and 70 percent in developed countries.Data-only revenues (which exclude revenues from messaging services) represented 16 percent of total revenues on average in the developed region in 2010, compared to 11 percent in the developing region.In 2012, over one-third of total revenues globally will come from non-voice services.Data-only services will represent close to 20 percent of total revenues.

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Big Bytes: Retail vs. the Web [Infographic]

Nicolas Rapp, who just started as the director of infographics for Fortune magazine has put together this awesome chart that highlights the efficiency of the online distribution model. Amazon and Netflix are two of the most visible examples of companies that are ascendant. In comparison, Borders and Blockbuster are two companies that fell victim to the vagaries of offline retail. If this infographic is anything to go by, Rapp has given me a reason to re-subscribe to Fortune. The graphic appears in the July 4 issue of the magazine.

Graphic courtesy of Nicolas Rapp and Fortune via Curiosity Counts.

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Business Start Ups...Let's Play Ball

Starting a business is like starting your own baseball team. Start-up (Spring training) is when you are doing your research, deciding on a business name, zoning requirements, setting up your business, deciding on what form your business will take (sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC). You're assembling all the parts of your business (team), getting ready for the season (your opening day).

Once spring training is over, and the season begins (your business is open) you start making your run around the bases. Getting to first base is the hardest (obtaining your first customer, making your first sale, doing your first consultation).  You are helped along to second base by the support staff (players) you assembled. Moving around the bases constitutes all the steps, hurdles, obstacles, however you want to think of daily business grind. This is part of running a business ( and what the game of baseball is all about). Having game plans to deal with certain contingencies.

Being aware of what your staff is capable of. Some of your staff will be single hit players.  Others will hit doubles.  Some will hit or make the triple play, while others will hit home runs. Your employees (players) look to you, the business owner, (their coach), and learn from you. They will look to you for direction (signals), on how they should respond (play the game).

The season (your first year in business) gives you the opportunity to assess your staff (your team) to ascertain where they work best. Do you need to make changes (change the line-up). Obviously, some will perform better than others. It's up to you, as the leader (coach) to decide who belongs in what position, where their strong points are, where their weaknesses are, and how to utilize them to the best of their abilities. Be sure to set up staff (team) meetings.

How successful your team is (your business) will be determined by the end of the season. Are you just one of many new businesses in your area, or will you make the playoffs (distinguish your business, find your niche, make a name for yourself in your area).

Making the playoffs and/or winning the championship means your business has made it. You paid your dues.  You're in it for the long run. You're part of the business community (recognized by the other teams).

Now you're ready to play every season. You use spring training of each year to feel out the other teams (find out what your business competition is doing) and make any adjustments you need to keep your business (team) in the thick of things for the coming year.

If you listen real carefully you'll hear......"Let's play ball!"

Copyright 2002 DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

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Pre-paid, wholesale subs keep Sprint afloat ahead of LTE

om: Amber in san Francisco needs new managers and not amateurs who can't handle booking and being honey with guests. Avoid for now!

Sprint announced Thursday it gained 1.1 million subscribers in the second quarter in addition to its lowest churn rates ever for both pre- and post-paid customers. That good news on the customer side was offset by another quarterly financial loss: The no. 3 carrier in the U.S. experienced a net loss of $847 million on $8.3 billion in revenues. Sprint did report higher overall average revenues per user as more consumers added 3G and 4G data plans, but it still lost money due to its mix of customers.

In a statement today, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse focused on the positives:

Sprint’s second quarter results, including our fourteenth consecutive quarter of improved customer care satisfaction, our best ever postpaid churn, more than 1 million net wireless subscriber additions and wireless service revenue growth, validate that our focus on providing simplicity, value and an unmatched customer experience is working.

Hesse’s statement is correct and factual, but unfortunately, overlooks other facts contributing to Sprint’s current challenge. Although the company gained 1.1 million net subscribers adds, net post-paid consumers declined by 101,000. That means the bulk of the new customers would be from less profitable segments. Indeed, 519,000 of the new subscribers are wholesale or affiliate customers, while 674,000 were added through pre-paid channels. That’s a problem, because ARPU on the pre-paid side actually declined slightly to $28.

Part of the issue here for the more lucrative post-paid side could be due to Sprint’s choice of 4G technologies. Sprint initially opted for a WiMAX network it opened for business in October 2008, but the speeds are getting leapfrogged by LTE and HSPA+ networks from competitors. Sprint is now turning to LightSquared’s spectrum, and bank account, to build out an LTE network. As a result of the deal, also announced today, Sprint will receive $9 billion over the next 11 years from LightSquared, and will be able to offer competitive speeds and coverage as its grand WiMAX experiment comes to an unprofitable close.

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Is Hulu considering ad-free subscriptions?

A couple of interesting messages just appeared from the Hulu Support Twitter account. In several recent responses to subscribers complaining about ads that Hulu plays as part of its premium subscription service, the account tweeted:

“We’re currently an ad-supported service but looking into the option of a higher price ad-free version.”

Hulu has never entirely ruled out an ad-free model, but the tweets come as a bit of a surprise, since Hulu has long maintained its reliance on ads, even for its Hulu Plus service. Rather than going ad-free, like Netflix has done, Hulu Plus has a slightly lighter ad load but also gives subscribers access to a wider library of content.

In an February blog post, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar talked up the value that Hulu provides to content owners in terms of ad revenues, comparing Hulu’s effective ad rates versus those from broadcast DVR and cable DVR. In a more recent blog post, however, Kilar was more bullish on the company’s Hulu Plus subscription service, saying that the company would soon have a million paying subscribers.

The consideration of an ad-free service comes as Hulu has been put up for sale by its owners, which include Fox, Disney and NBC Universal. The message was also tweeted after Fox announced plans to put up a pay wall which would restrict access to shows for eight days unless a viewer has proven he or she is a cable subscriber.

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In Business, Image Isn't Everything; It's The Only Thing!

We have all heard this lament, but how much do we practice it. With all the relaxed rules today, do we really present ourselves in the best light. It seems all the articles I see today are about how old fashioned today's workers find their supervisors or bosses to be in the way they dress, the policies they implement and the old fashioned ways in which they conduct their business.

I am of the belief, and will continue to believe, that the first impression I make is the lasting one. Whether it is by phone or in person, I want to present myself in the best possible light. But then again, I am from the old school, the one today's workers are complaining about.

Let's look at the companies that are still standing. After all the hoopla has passed, the companies that have used the fundamental principles of Business 101 are the ones still among us. The Intels, IBMs, Burger Kings, AT&Ts, Sears, Microsofts, Dells, Gateways, etc.

I am not advocating living in the dark ages. I believe for a company to survive it has to move with the times, but the basic structure and foundation on which we have built our business - image, courtesy, ethics, the customer being right, are the cornerstones to running a successful business, whether it is home-based or not.

Too many home-based business have taken the pajama mentality into all of their business practices. I have called on businesses that have cute messages on their machines, music that is obnoxious, children answering the telephone, screaming televisions, radios in the background. This does not inspire confidence in me to do business with this person.

That is not to say I have not had reservations about companies that have offices outside the home. In fact, it was a call placed to one that inspired this article. When I called and spoke to the owner of this business, she had no idea on how a particular process worked or what it's cost would be. Wow, it's her business and she doesn't know how it works or what it costs. Guess who I didn't do business with. I am not saying you have to be an expert, but at least know the basics and tell me you employ an expert in that area that will be better able to help me, don't hem and haw and tell me you don't have a clue. This does not give me a good impression of you or your company.

There are businesses in corporate offices that are more fun houses than companies...and they don't inspire any confidence in me either, so I am not picking on home-based businesses.

The purpose of this article is to remind all of us (home-based and non-home-based) that how we present ourselves is of paramount importance.

When you answer your telephone, answer it in a professional manner. When you go to an outside meeting, if you are home-based, dress for the meeting, not for home. If you have clients come to your home, be sure it is presentable, and that you are too. Just because you work out of your home, does not mean, shorts and a T-shirt are appropriate for meeting a client. Have your identity package (business cards, letterhead, brochure) done professionally, proofread and spell check any correspondence that leaves your office.

Your first impression, whether in person, by phone or correspondence is a lasting one. Make it a good one and you'll have clients for life if you treat them right - the old fashioned way.

The only place I've ever found I was wrong is with restaurants. Some of those little holes in the wall have turned out to have the best service and the best food, so I guess when it comes to businesses, you can't judge all books by their covers, just most of them.

Copyright 2001, DeFiore Enterprises

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

 

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5 Steps To Help Fail-Proof Your Growing Service Business

Business startup and failure rates are scary...

In The USA...

- Every Year Over 1 Million People Start A Business

- By The End Of The First Year 40% Of Them Will Be Out Of Business

- Within 5 Years More Than 80% (800,000) Of These Businesses Will Have Failed

(Source: The eMyth Revisited, Michal E Gerber, US Department of Commerce)

In The UK...

- 2003 Saw 423,100 New Businesses In England & Wales Startup

- Over Half of All New Firms Fail In The First 3 Years

- At Least 211,550 Of These Businesses Will Have Failed Before The End Of 2006

(Source: Barclays SME Market Research Team England & Wales Statistics Based On Business Current Account Customers)

Unfortunately more and more people are being encouraged to go it alone by government agencies and banks while being given out-dated advice that doesn't actually work.

The advisors in these organisations typically have experience in larger production / manufacturing / financial businesses and share marketing advice that really doesn't work for the majority of small service-based businesses today.

Their text-book marketing principles simply do not translate to businesses with limited money to invest in advertising, direct mail and telesales.

In many cases these advisors are telling people how to run a business even though they're actually working for a bank or government agency themselves. They have no real experience spending their own money to grow a business.

Survival and inevitable success means being lean, mean and focused on getting a genuine result (in the form of profit) from the time and money you invest.

So here are 5 tips you can use to take the power back and begin "fail proofing" your growing business today.

#1. Question "Experts" Thoroughly

Be wary of government funded trainers and / or advisors put forward by banks.

These people, in many cases, don't have a clue what its like to run and grow their own business. Make it your job to "suss them out" before taking anything they tell you too seriously.

Some questions that I like...

What's your experience of starting and running a small business?

Have you actually spent your own money trying to make a business work?

What mistakes have you made? What lessons can I learn from your experience?

Will this advice / support / idea cost me money or make me money?

Who really benefits when I take the course of action you're recommending?

#2. Model Excellent Businesses

Now by this I don't mean simply copy random things they do.

Just because the boss of a successful firm like yours drives a brand-new Bentley it doesn't mean you should rush out and buy one too. That won't guarantee success.

You're looking to find the things that she did in order to afford the Bentley in the first place.

So find out as much about their processes and systems as you can and then look for evidence to support applying similar things that work for them to your business.

Subscribe to their mailing list. Visit their premises. Talk to their staff. Talk to their customers. Read their ads (or notice that they don't advertise). Network with them.

You can learn just as much from non-competing businesses too. So why not set up a support / learning group or see if a successful entrepreneur would be able to mentor you.

#3. Have A BIG Goal

Big goals, by definition, should be easier to hit than small goals. So don't think small - think big.

After nearly 8 years in business I still like to set regular, big, 90 day goals. I call these goals SHAGs - Short Hairy Audacious Goals.

Too many businesses focus on surviving. They think in terms of what they don't want. They miss the opportunity to really succeed and then get what they were desperately trying to avoid - failure!

Focusing on what you don't want really doesn't work. If you don't want to fail you should focus on succeeding in a big way.

#4. Improve Constantly

Have goals and set targets. Know what outcomes you want and quantify them where possible.

Then work towards your goals using the following cycle...

1. Implement (Do Something) 2. Measure (Test & Review) 3. Improve (Learn & Adjust)

As my friend and firewalk trainer Sanjay Shah says, if you simply improve by 1 percent a day, you'll have improved 300 percent (allowing for holidays) in a year!

#5. Don't Follow The Crowd

Look, we both know most businesses fail so don't do what most other businesses do or you'll get the same results.

Don't just advertise because every other business seems to advertise. Make sure advertising will make you money.

Don't just do telesales because that happens to be the service your local Chamber of Commerce is selling.

Don't measure turnover when profit and cashflow is usually more important.

Don't take on staff just because other businesses believe more people equals growth. More people often just means less profit!

Don't do the same thing, in the same way, to the same people as every other business like yours.

Do something different!

4 Out Of 5 Small Businesses Go Bust Inside 5 Years! Finally - A Guaranteed Way To Make Sure You're Not One Of Them... http://www.leanmarketing.co.uk/toolbooks

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