Marketing, News, People / Stories, Startups

How startups can take on established players?

While the first customer could help break the ice, innovation, networking, competitive pricing, and good service quality can help you beat competition.

It is a challenge for any entrepreneur to take on big and established players in the market but a multi-pronged strategy can help swim against the tide. Here are a few pointers that can help you tackle the competition….. Click here to read more

Business Ideas, Networking, News, People / Stories, Social Entrepreneurship

e-Choupal from ITC

A powerful illustration of corporate strategy linking business purpose to larger societal purpose, e-Choupal leverages the Internet to empower small and marginal farmers – who constitute a majority of the 75% of the population below the poverty line.

By providing them with farming know-how and services, timely and relevant weather information, transparent price discovery and access to wider markets, e-Choupal enabled economic capacity to proliferate at the base of the rural economy.

Today 4 million farmers use e-Choupal to advantage – bargaining as virtual buyers’ co-operatives, adopting best practices, matching up to food safety norms. Being linked to futures markets is helping small farmers to better manage risk. e-Choupal has been specially cited in the Government of India’s Economic Survey of 2006-07, for its transformational impact on rural lives.

Click here for more

Business Ideas, News, Social Entrepreneurship

Wash clothes with just a cup of water

 

Water conservation usually takes a backseat while doing laundry, but not anymore, for now a new environmentally friendly washing machine,

 

which uses use only one cup of water and leaves clothes virtually dry, is all set to hit showrooms next year.

Click above to read how it works.

Click below to see how it works.

One Wash, One Cup of Water: Nearly Waterless Washing Machine Invented

Finance, Marketing, Networking, News, Resources

Consultancy & Advisory Services

Rajasthan Chamber Of Commerce & Industry
Rajasthan Chamber Bhawan, M.I.Road, Jaipur – 302 003 (India)

Rajasthan Chamber Of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) is today an Apex Organization for development of industry, Trade & Commerce environment in the Rajasthan State. RCCI was set up u/s 25 of the Companies Act as No Profit Organisation. It has grown to a Multi division, Multi activity, Multi faculty Organization, well equipped to cater needs of Industries and Financial Institutions in the changed economic scenario.

RCCI has been regularly providing professional Consultancy & Advisory services for Large, Medium and Small Industries/Enterprises at low cost in the following areas:

1.    Making Business Plans;
2.    Developing Marketing Strategies and Implementation of Marketing Plans;
3.    Marketing Research & Development for Products & Services;
4.    Making Feasibility/Detailed Project Reports;
5.    Project Appraisals;
6.    Evaluation of Projects/Impact Studies;
7.    Rehabilitation/Revival Studies;
8.    Energy Conservation/Management Studies;
9.    Stock Audits, Material Management;
10.    Loan Syndication and Follow up Services;
11.    Human Resource Development Paradigms;
12.    Export Management;
13.    Training including EDPs, REDPs & Cluster Development;
14.    Trainings and Placements;
15.    Poverty Alleviation- Income Generating Activities;
16.    Rural Development and
17.    Women Empowerment

The Cell is headed by Sh. Deepak Verma,IITan and Ex-Managing Director, RAJCON

You are requested to avail our professional low cost Professional Consultancy and Advisory Services

Gram    : CHAMBER
Phone    : 2565163,2567899,2574714,2562189
Fax    : +91-141-2561419, 2562610
Email    : info@rajchamber.com
Visit at    :    www.rajchamber.com

Motivations, Networking, News

Exporting The Enterprise Idea

There is no better example of this accretion of ideation, mentoring and nurturing of entrepreneurial talent than Silicon Valley. Always aspired to but never replicated in its entirety by many regions of the world, this sliver of land represents much more than a geographical location — it’s actually a state of mind. A seminar held recently at Stanford, co-sponsored by the Hoover Institution and the Kauffman Foundation, took today’s challenging times into perspective.  Read more in this issue of Tehelka – Click here

Finance, News, Resources, Startups

Government Assistance to SMEs

Government Assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) – Financial and Promotional

An interesting Powerpoint Presentation by Ms. Dolly Dhamodiwalla (dolzeen@gmail.com),  Senior Researcher at S P Jain Institute of Management.

Covers :

  • Definition of MSMEs
  • Thrust Areas for Promotion of MSMEs
  • National Level Organisations for Support to MSMEs
  • Schemes for New and Existing Enterprises
  • Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small enterprises (CGTMSE)
  • …. and much more

Click here for the presentation.

Business Ideas, News, Resources, Startups

New Ventures India

New Ventures India promotes sustainable growth by accelerating the transfer  of capital to businesses that deliver social and environmental benefits.

New Ventures India right since its inception in 2005 has been supporting enterprise from the green sector. The process in 2006 and 2007 was based on an annual cycle where the selected entrepreneurs were provided pro bono mentoring services and then given an opportunity to make a pitch to investors during the annual ” Investor Forum” event. Click here to read more

Call for Business Plans: New Ventures India is inviting business plans from environment friendly businesses. The last day for submission is May 15, 2009.
Green Investor Meet 2009: April 24, Friday at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi
Success Stories: New Ventures India facilitated INR 79.83 Crore / USD 20 million in 9 of its portfolio enterprises
Investor Forum 08: October16-17, 2008: Ten Innovators showcase fundable green tech ideasFor more details, visit the website – Click Here
Business Ideas, News, People / Stories

Solutions for Rural Communities and The Geo Tourism Challenge

Solutions for Rural Communities and The Geo Tourism Challenge

Here are announcements of two opportunities to enter global online competitions and to be showcased to a network of like-minded community members, funders, CSOs, thought leaders, universities, governments, and enthusiasts!

Ashoka is a global non-profit network and support system for social entrepreneurs—people who devise innovative solutions to the social
problems that plague society. To further this goal, Ashoka’s Changemakers provides an online, interactive forum that encourages collaboration and
discussion, along with theme-based competitions, to draw out the most effective ideas.

ENTER ONLINE GLOBAL COMPETITION: “The Geotourism Challenge: Power of Place.”
Entry Deadline: May 20, 2009.
Prizes: Three top
winners get $5,000 each.Competition focus: In partnership with National
Geographic Society, Ashoka’s Changemakers is looking for examples of sustainable management of tourism, or geotourism, as it is widely known. NatGeo defines geotourism as ”tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place–its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.” We’re looking at people and organizations — including the government, and corporations — that are are initiating responsible innovations that use tourism to help sustain, enhance, or preserve local culture, build heritage, and natural habitats. For more details on the competition, please visit:
http://www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallengeENTER ONLINE GLOBAL COMPETITION, “Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for Rural Communities”
Entry Deadline: May 13, 2009.

Prizes: a) Three top winners get $5,000 each; b) Early Bird Prize: If you
enter by April 13, 2009, you could win a cell phone and digital camera (equal value of USD $1000); c) Nominator Prize: If you nominate people/organizations who could enter the competition, you stand to win a special prize!

Competition focus: In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ashoka’s Changemakers is looking for innovative solutions that span the entire agricultural value chain – from seeds to sales. Three-quarters of the
world’s poorest people—the 1 billion who live on $1 a day or less—rely on
agriculture to feed themselves and their families, yet many cannot grow enough to sell or even eat. If you’ve come up with strategies, tools and opportunites for small farmers to boost their productivity, increase their incomes, and build better lives for themselves and their families, enter now! For more details on the competition, please visit
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/agriculture
For more information or media queries, please contact Ms. Kalpana Kaul, Asia Director & Managing Editor, Ashoka’s Changemakers. Tel. No. 033-2417-2587; 6535-8647 (Kolkata, India). Email: changemakers@vsnl.com; kkaul@ashoka.org