Marketing

Sales versus marketing

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If money comes into a business, it is sales and if it goes out of business, it is marketing. This is one simple but a most important difference between sales and marketing. As an entrepreneur, I made a few mistakes within the first month of launching Nurture Talent Academy. We gave an advertisement worth Rs 20,000 in a leading newspaper, and guess what, just one person called as a response to seeing that print advertisement. That was the first and most important lesson I learned — you cannot throw money and get customers.

Click Here to read the full article by Amit Grover

Motivations, Networking, News, Resources

Scaling up Enterprises

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I am pleased to announce the launch of ASCENT – a non-profit venture, designed as a unique and powerful ‘self-help” platform for ambitious entrepreneurs, who have already embarked on their journey and are raring to grow. ASCENT seeks to Accelerate and SCale up ENTerprises, through leveraging the power of Entrepreneur groups.

Harsh Mariwala

Harsh Mariwala founded Marico in 1990 and transformed a traditional commodity driven business into a leading Consumer Products & Services Company, in the Beauty and Wellness space.

Click Here to join this exciting group to take your existing business to new heights

ASCENT will enable access to

  • Value providers like Financial Investors, Mentors, Coaches, and Consultants in relevant areas.
  • Common Interest groups (CIGs) anchored by Subject Matter Experts around growth themes.
  • Multi-Trust Group meetings once in six-months and addressed by an inspiring Thought leader
  • Annual Convention addressed by inspiring thought leaders.
  • We will also showcase and recognise successful stories of ASCENT members.
Innovation, Motivations, News

Are You THiNK-ing of Rising ?

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THiNK is India’s most unique, thought-provoking and egalitarian platform for ideas from across the globe. THiNK brings together brilliant, cutting-edge minds from an unprecedented range of disciplines. Science. Technology. Medicine. Politics. Business. Media. Religion. Sports. People’s movements. And the Arts. Click Here for more on their website.

 

Rise is a call to action.

It’s the challenger spirit that leads us to tackle the problems India faces today. It means making decisions – big and small – that change the future. From being one of millions who decide to use less electricity at home, to being the one in a million who designs a revolutionary new technology, we are the ones who must take risks and innovate. We are the ones who will shape India.

This is Rise–the optimism, determination, and grit to take responsibility for a better future.

What is Tipping Point?

India: Vast, heterogenous, disparate. India: Ingenious, enterprising, innovative.

Anywhere else in the world, only one of these could ring true but in India, reality does not exist in a single dimension. There are multiple realities, multiple India’s, each as ‘real’ as the other. If there is an India where water is scarce and hunger is the norm, there is also an India where the cutting-edge is developed and new ground broken every day. There’s an India of shame, and an India of excellence.

And there is a segment of people – niche, driven, and ingenious – who are working to make these two Indias merge.

Innovators who believe there is a way to combat the challenges of India through great ideas, creative solutions and incredible commitment.

This is not ‘jugaad’. These are not stopgap or clumsy ideas to stitch patchy solutions onto a tattered canvas. These are some of the best and brightest minds in the country who have devoted themselves to becoming part of the development process; of driving change, not just enjoying it.

These are the innovators who are working to conquer some of India’s most formidable challenges. They exist in small towns and in our biggest cities. They range from the affluent to the cash-strapped. And they apply themselves to problems that affect thousands, sometimes millions of lives, using their skills and strengths to offer lasting solutions.

To us, they constitute India’s most undervalued asset and that’s where we come in – to find and share these incredible innovations, to spark change and magnify it, to provide a forum where ideas can go from hyperlocal to global; where others can have access to genius and apply these innovations to their own problems.

We’re combing the country to find examples of intelligent, scalable innovation – and we’re going to pick 20 of the best to be featured here, and on the pages of Tehelka. These are some of the most compelling and untold stories of our time – and they reflect yet another India. A country that can meet and master any challenge.

Click Here for Tipping Point

Education, People / Stories

10 Top Reasons Why First-Time Entrepreneurs Fail

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“For entrepreneurs — especially those just starting out — businesses succeed as much as they fail. I’ve seen this time and again as a mentor and entrepreneur. But statistics also suggest that the failure rate for new startups within the first five years is as high as 50 percent.

Of course, real entrepreneurs treat business failure as a milestone on the road to success. They count on learning from their mistakes, and use the experience to move to the next idea. But why not learn from the mistakes of others, without all the pain and suffering?

Here is my list of 10 top startup failure causes — and how to avoid them:

Click Here for the story from Entrepreneur

Calendar, Motivations, News

Design Mascot – Win Rs. 1,00,000

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Income Tax Department invites all artists and designers, both professionals and amateurs, to develop a Mascot to be used in all advertising and communications of the Department. Make sure that the Mascot you develop captures the vision and values of the Income Tax Department and exhibits a definite brand recall value. The Mascot should be captivating and inspiring, particularly to the young and future taxpayers. Don’t miss this rare opportunity of exercising your creativity and bagging a cash reward of Rs. 1, 00,000/-.

Click Here for more details

Management

What Successful People Do With The First Hour Of Their Work Day

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How much does the first hour of every day matter? As it turns out, a lot. It can be the hour you see everything clearly, get one real thing done, and focus on the human side of work rather than your task list.

Remember when you used to have a period at the beginning of every day to think about your schedule, catch up with friends, maybe knock out a few tasks? It was called home room, and it went away after high school. But many successful people schedule themselves a kind of grown-up home room every day. You should too.

The first hour of the workday goes a bit differently for Craig Newmark of Craigslist, David Karp of Tumblr, motivational speaker Tony Robbins, career writer (and Fast Company blogger) Brian Tracy, and others, and they’ll tell you it makes a big difference. Here are the first items on their daily to-do list.

Click Here for more

Calendar, Motivations, News, Resources

SME Leaders of Tomorrow

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The contribution of SMEs towards nation’s GDP and employment opportunities cannot be overstated.ET NOW and IndiaMART endeavor to capture the inspiring stories of SMEs who have carved a niche for themselves and are shaping the course of Indian economy.

Over the last two years, Leaders of Tomorrow has reached out to millions of SMEs across the country and has set phenomenal benchmarks in participation. A three-fold jump in entries in just 2 years speaks volumes about the stature of this initiative. In its 3rd year of running, we strive to grow further in scale and aspirational levels.

We welcome you to be a part of journey in our quest for the Leaders of Tomorrow.

Click Here for the event.

Calendar, Networking, News

Strategic Growth Forum

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Growth insights, new relationships

SGF will provide you an excellent opportunity to connect with the finest thinkers and business leaders; gain insights and also build important relationships. Over 50 global and Indian speakers have confirmed comprising political leaders, strategic thinkers, founders and CEOs. Some of the prominent keynotes include globally renowned achievers and champions like Rasmus Ankersen, High performance anthropologist; Viswanathan Anand, current World Chess Champion; business leaders like Harsh Mariwala, CMD, Marico; D. Shivakumar, Head – India. Middle East and Africa; Dr. Robert Kuhn, international corporate strategist, among other global thought leaders.  Moreover, keynote sessions by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Shri Praful Patel, Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises.  

For details on exceptional International and Indian speakers and panel discussions, please visit ww.ey.com/in/sgf

The inaugural SGF India 2011 was highly successful and attended by over 40 speakers and 250 CEOs from India and across the world. You can view a two-minute film on the SGF India 2011 here 

Register now!
 
The Forum participation fee is INR 27,000 (plus service tax). This will include all forum-sponsored knowledge-sharing sessions, networking meets, exclusive access to SpotMe – the international networking app, entertainment and meals.  
 
Click here to make the participation fee payment and book your place. 
 
Please feel free to write at sgf2012@in.ey.com or call 91 124 464 4149 for further information.   
 
I do hope you can make the most of this opportunity and look forward to your participation at the SGF in Mumbai. 
 
Kind Regards,
Ernst & Young