<ul class="summary-list"><li>My partner at the time and I took a management-analysis test to see if we were compatible. </li><li>Using a Google doc, we wrote down our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.</li></ul>Candlelit dinners and massages are higher on most new couples' date-night list than applying strategic-management analysis techniques to their fledgling relationship.But one of the most romantic bonding moments a former partner and I had was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis">SWOT analysis</a> one month into our relationship. Since about <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/sex-relationships/long-distance-relationship">1,000 miles separated us</a>, we shared a Google doc and compiled <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-makes-relationships-successful-2016-8">our relationship's strengths</a>, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. <h2>Our list was thoughtful and deep</h2>The "strengths" section made us both a bit mushy. "Being with you brings out the best parts of me, personally and professionally," one of us wrote. As our No. 1 strength, we listed the career paths that brought us together professionally two years before anything romantic happened; No. 2 was our physical compatibility; and No. 3 was we both believed in punctuality.We recognized the open and honest communication we'd established and the pride we felt in the other's work achievements. Thinking we were going into it clear-eyed rather than viewing our relationship through a Vaseline-smeared lens, we listed an equal number of weaknesses. In the SWOT-devotee style, we then looked for weaknesses we could turn into strengths and opportunities. Living in different countries, our first weakness, was the easiest to fix. I was happy to have more opportunities to go back to my home country, and he spoke fluent Spanish. He jumped at the chance to spend more time in Madrid, where I was based. Unfortunately, that's as far as we got before we put the rose-tinted glasses back on. <h2>Our relationship didn't make it</h2>Now, when I look at the doc eight years later, I see that not only did the weaknesses and threats we listed ultimately split us up, but we never followed through with converting most of them into strengths or opportunities.It's very telling that the last edit on the shared doc was made two months into the relationship. It should have been a blueprint we regularly added to and took to relationship counselors if we wanted our relationship to survive.Instead, we did what most people do: We ignored the fundamentals and got distracted by the superficial.The weaknesses quickly eroded six out of 11 of the strengths. The threats and weaknesses we'd identified, but did nothing about, turned our good communication and mutual respect and admiration for one another into stonewalling and disdain.Our unaddressed weaknesses — like time one of us spent working away from home, our unequal incomes, and emotional trauma of the divorce that allowed us to be together — turned into resentment.Even worse, the issues we had around money and eventual dislike of one another shaped our relationship as exes, and we failed to cooperate as coparents.<h2>I still recommend this exercise </h2>I believe the <keyword id="14115703" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="swot" source="Orion">SWOT</keyword> analysis is like a crystal ball that can tell you if your relationship will make it.Some people think your first argument is also the last thing you argue about, but you don't even need to wait for the argument to see what's likely to cause it. Many of us would like to believe that "when you know, you know" and that will help us recognize "The One." But often that feeling is hormones and lust masquerading as intuition.In fact, natural analytical abilities drive our intuition, and the SWOT analysis can draw out and break down what our intuition is telling us. Personally, I'd never attempt another serious relationship without some SWOT-style honesty on both sides first. But next time, I'll make sure to take the crystal ball's wisdom and apply it because, without action, today's insight will just become tomorrow's hindsight.Nicola Prentis is a freelance writer living in Spain, writing educational materials, stories, and articles on relationships, parenting, and motherhood for a number of outlets.

I took a SWOT analysis with my partner. 8 years later I see how our 'weaknesses' told us we were not going to make it.

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51430121.cms" /> The <keyword id="6370334" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="appraisals">appraisals</keyword> are around the corner and most of us are hoping for the much awaited promotion. The <keyword id="460869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="performance-review">performance review</keyword> meeting is about to begin, so you need to do the preps. BI India lists down a few things that you need to do before you the appraisals get over 
	 
	Authentic performance discussions 
	 
	An <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Howto-write-the-perfect-resignation-letter-without-annoying-anyone-in-the-systemyoure-quitting/articleshow/48110835.cms">employee</a> must ensure that he has had authentic performance review discussions before the appraisals processes get over. Basically, he should ensure that he has got an honest <keyword id="154361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="feedback">feedback</keyword> from his supervisors and reporting manager about his performance 
	 
	Give honest feedback 
	 
	Not only is it important to get an authentic feedback for your work, it is equally important to share your feedback about the work environment constructively. An employee must talk about factors that affect his productivity. Also, one must talk about his achievements as most often than not, reporting managers tend to forget an individual employees’ achievements as they are managing a team. 
	 
	Market yourself well 
	 
	During an appraisal discussion, it is important to clearly mention the extra initiatives you have taken up during the year. Talk about your new initiatives and ideas for your company. Really helps! 
	 
	Sync aspirations 
	 
	It is important to sync your professional goals with those of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-what-you-should-do-when-you-get-a-counter-offer-from-your-organisation/articleshow/50774408.cms">organisation</a>. Talk about what you want to do in the organisation and how you want to see your growth in the company. Do <keyword id="892967" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="SWOT">SWOT</keyword> analysis of yourself, which will also help you understand what your goals are. Thus, you can clearly explain to the management on how you want to grow i 
	 
	Set realistic expectations 
	 
	In an appraisal, it is always best to set realistic expectations. Evaluate your work and accordingly set <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-why-you-should-not-fish-for-afancy-job-title/articleshow/48111231.cms">expectations</a> and talk about them. It is important to remember that appraisals is not just given on the basis of on an individual’s performance but also on how the vertical and the company have performed overall.

These are
the things you really need to do before the appraisals

<ul><li><keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword> has planned four Earth science missions for 2022.</li><li>These missions will provide data to help scientists better understand climatic and weather conditions.</li><li>NASA’s Earth-observing satellites will be used for these missions.</li></ul>NASA plans to launch four Earth science missions in 2022 that will help scientists learn more about climatic conditions and systems. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/indian-american-anil-menon-gets-selected-by-nasa-for-its-human-space-flight-programme/slidelist/88164673.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">NASA’s</a> Earth-observing satellites will help in these science missions. The four <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2021/nasa-to-launch-4-earth-science-missions-in-2022" data-type="tilCustomLink">NASA science missions</a> include TROPICS, EMIT, NOAA’s JPSS-2 and SWOT. Each mission is designed to observe different climatic systems of Earth. The TROPICS for example will use six small satellites to examine and provide rapid measurements of tropical cyclones. EMIT will trace the origin and composition of mineral dust using an imaging spectrometer from the International Space Station (ISS). NOAA’s JPSS-2 will help scientists in predicting extreme weather conditions, and SWOT will examine surface waters and their role in climate change. TROPICS For this mission, NASA will use six satellites about the size of a loaf of bread to observe tropical cyclones. These satellites will travel in pairs and in three different orbits providing microwave observations of a “storm's precipitation, temperature, and humidity as quickly as every 50 minutes.” This data is expected to help scientists in better understanding what causes the disastrous tropical cyclones and also help in weather forecasting. EMIT Through the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission, NASA will use satellites to learn where dust originates and how it affects the planet. NASA plans to use an imaging spectrometer that measures visible and infrared light reflecting from surfaces below This mission will take place for one year and it will be installed on the ISS. JPSS The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA’s Joint Polar Satellite System satellites that currently orbit the Earth provide data that help in forecasting extreme storms. These satellites also provide information about floods, wildfires, volcanoes, smog, dust storms, and sea ice. NASA is now planning to launch the JPSS-2 satellite in 2022 that will further aid in helping scientists forecast extreme weather conditions. There are three more such satellites planned for the future. SWOT NASA’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will collect data from the Earth’s surface water bodies like the oceans, lakes and rivers, and how much climate change affects these freshwater bodies. It will also provide data on the ocean’s ability to absorb excess heat and greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/netflix-has-reduced-subscription-rates-for-all-plans-in-india-now-starting-at-149/articleshow/88269200.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Netflix has reduced subscription rates for all plans in India, now starting at ₹149</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-2-ce-launch-date-specifications-and-everything-else-we-know-so-far/articleshow/88253733.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">OnePlus Nord 2 CE: Launch date, specifications and everything else we know so far</a>

NASA to launch four Earth science missions in 2022 — All you need to know

The bell curve appraisal system, junked by many big organisations including consultancy firm <keyword id="50041" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kpmg" source="Orion">KPMG</keyword> is being proposed to be implemented in General Insurance Corporation of India (<keyword id="1031743" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gic-re" source="Orion">GIC Re</keyword>), the company unions said. They also wondered as to how the bell curve appraisal system would be good for GIC Re when its own <keyword id="17182" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CONSULTANT" source="Orion">consultant</keyword> - KPMG - was not in favour of it. "The bell curve appraisal system that has already been defunct in many organisations is being proposed to be implemented in GIC Re very soon at the cost of Rs 4 crore approx," five unions of the national reinsurer have told their management. Citing various news reports, the five GIC Re unions, in a letter to the Board of Directors and its Chairman and Managing Director <keyword id="1089020" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="devesh-srivastava" source="Orion">Devesh Srivastava</keyword>, listed names of several big companies that have scrapped the bell curve appraisal system. "The most surprising part is that even our KPI (key performance indicator) consultant, KPMG has also scrapped the aforesaid appraisal system as it was toxic for the work environment," the letter notes. "While removing this mode of appraisal, KPMG stated that 'We want to encourage a collaborative work culture and take away the internal competition between employees, thus encouraging qualitative discussions on performance'. The bell curve, the way it is understood and implemented, is wrong sometimes, making it a forced normalisation and forces rating. It cannot be a rigid curve. It could be a steep curve, flat curve depending on the business performance," the GIC Re unions said. The GIC Re is the national reinsurer with about 470 employees. In an earlier letter, the five unions had said if KPMG's recommendations are implemented, the work-life balance of employees will be adversely affected. "KPMG has proposed a phone application which will be installed in every employee's handset which will inform one's performance 24/7, thus further deteriorating work life balance," the unions had told the GIC Re management. "We also demanded the consultant's preliminary report with SWOT analysis and final pre-implementation report which has not been provided till date," the letter written by the unions notes. "Be it known to all that the recent transfers, re-transfers and retro transfers fiasco and the various departments which have mushroomed overnight were based on KPMG's report which is not even approved by the management nor has our board's sanctity. Hence, it does not adhere to the current transfer policy. This is akin to clinical trials," the earlier letter added. According to the unions, quality parameters are totally ignored, and all the employees will be judged on quantity and what the phone app reflects. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/rupee-rises-28-paise-to-79-25-against-us-dollar-in-early-trade/articleshow/94168701.cms">Rupee rises 28 paise to 79.25 against US dollar in early trade</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/tata-memorial-centre-doctors-from-11-institutes-develop-low-cost-clinical-intervention-for-cancer-treatment/articleshow/94168749.cms">Tata Memorial Centre, doctors from 11 institutes develop low-cost clinical intervention for cancer treatment</a>

GIC Re unions question the bell curve appraisal system that was junked by its consultant, KPMG

<ul><li><keyword id="1255918" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="big-data-analytics" source="Orion">Big Data Analytics</keyword> is growing exponentially as businesses use data to improve customer experience, optimize operations and create predictability. </li><li>A recent IDC study forecasts that the global <keyword id="6366410" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bda" source="Orion">BDA</keyword> spending will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 13% through 2025.</li><li>BDA can be used to generate information that can help in optimization to ensure minimal material wastage, output maximization, productivity enhancement, optimization or establishment of sustainable operational models, and continuous incremental improvement.</li></ul>In the last two years, Big Data Analytics (BDA) has emerged as a key focus area for <keyword id="14092833" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="business-technology" source="Orion">business &amp; technology</keyword> leaders in accelerating digital programs and scaling in the post-pandemic era. While security and compliance issues often come in the way of large-scale adoption, Big Data Analytics has been steadily growing. A recent IDC study forecasts that the global BDA spending will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 13% through 2025. With banking and manufacturing being the biggest adopters, the <keyword id="14092832" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="big-data-and-business-analytics" source="Orion">Big Data and Business Analytics</keyword> market is predicted to touch $260 Billion in 2022. The <keyword id="156416" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="apac" source="Orion">APAC</keyword> (<keyword id="68550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asia-pacific" source="Orion">Asia-Pacific</keyword>) region is predicted to be one of the major contributors to this growth. The government sector, which is investing heavily in infrastructure management, along with the healthcare sector with growing wellness monitoring capabilities, are adopting BDA at a much faster pace. Banking takes the lead in spending, concentrating on fraud detection and improving customer experience for better customer and brand loyalty. The overall need to mitigate supply-chain liabilities, and market disruptions while also ensuring perfect customer experiences has led to a higher investment into BDA, which assures business sustainably. If applied strategically, BDA can assure immediate business results and tangible outcomes for enterprises. Here are five areas where big data analytics can make a big difference. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Behavior analytics for improved customer experience" comment="subhead" text="Behavior analytics for improved customer experience">Behavior analytics for improved customer experience</cmsannotation> Product design and delivery must be aligned with the dynamic customer demands. In a typical scenario, a consumer would require: <ul><li>Details and product inquiry information.</li><li>Attention during the time of purchase.</li><li>Strong customer service medium to ensure retention and brand loyalty.</li></ul>With these three areas covered, there would be improved customer retention, satisfaction, and a substantial increase in cross-selling and upselling of products. Behavior-based analytics tools are a great way to assess customer buying patterns and derive real-time insights from instant feedback. Not only does this simplify understanding the customer experience, but it also provides an insight into what the company should work on and which services can be improved. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Boosting product improvement" comment="subhead" text="Boosting product improvement">Boosting product improvement</cmsannotation> BDA can be effectively leveraged in product customization. To make differentiable, competitive offerings, BDA can help to understand the purchase history of the product, the reviews, and also the overall market requirement according to current market trends. With this, the product can be upgraded with new features, have an improvement in its functionality, including innovative technology, or even simply change the packaging for easier access. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Enhancing operation optimisation" comment="subhead" text="Enhancing operation optimisation">Enhancing operation optimisation</cmsannotation> With the Internet of Things (IoT) being implemented on multiple devices and instruments, data collection has been simplified for businesses. BDA can be used to generate information that can help in optimization to ensure minimal material wastage, output maximization, productivity enhancement, optimization or establishment of sustainable operational models, and continuous incremental improvement. The results can be seen with increased sales, improved production, reduced monthly costs, decreased execution time, better asset management, and a higher turnover of products. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Facilitate planning and decision-making" comment="subhead" text="Facilitate planning and decision-making">Facilitate planning and decision-making</cmsannotation> BDA brings a 360-degree view of business decision-making. The board of directors can use BDA to evaluate the efficiency of the business – from supply chain to consumer services. BDA can also assist with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the business, along with risk and trend analysis, goal-setting, and any deviations in all areas. Business leaders can also cut down on obsolete tasks, thus improving employee satisfaction and reducing attrition. Informed decision-making becomes easier, along with data-driven solution implementation. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Identify trends to stay competitive" comment="subhead" text="Identify trends to stay competitive">Identify trends to stay competitive</cmsannotation> The biggest advantage of big data analytics has been pattern recognition. Recurring patterns are a clear indicator of emerging market trends. By identifying and acting on these trends and opportunities, businesses can innovate and allow for new product development, adding to business profits. Market trends can also predict upcoming risks, and create a clear path of growth for businesses, while mitigating any unwanted or unnecessary tasks in their operations. Overall, Big Data Analytics is a powerful tool, with billions being invested into it to ensure sustained and continuous business growth.

Five ways Big Data Analytics can boost revenues

<ul><li>There are some major space and science missions planned for 2022.</li><li>NASA plans to return to the moon, while ESA has missions targeted for Jupiter and the moon.</li><li>India’s maiden human space mission will also kick off with the first uncrewed space flight in 2022.</li></ul>2021 has been an eventful year for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/list-of-the-most-exciting-and-weird-things-that-happened-in-space-in-2021/slidelist/88278413.cms">space</a> with space tourism kicking off in full swing, the first chilli peppers grown in space, a toilet leak, some dangerous<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/international-space-station-moved-by-1240-meters-to-dodge-space-junk-of-a-demolished-chinese-satellite/articleshow/87640888.cms"> space debris</a> and more. We also have a very big launch to look forward to on Christmas day which is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/how-to-watch-james-webb-telescope-launch-live-on-december-24/articleshow/88383075.cms">NASA’s James Webb space telescope</a> that is expected to help us understand what the universe looked like 14 billion years ago after the Big Bang. There’s always something big to look forward to in space and 2022 has some major launches planned to know about other planets, the moon, exoplanets and more. With only a few days more for 2022 to kick in, we take a look at some of the biggest space and science missions planned for the next year. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission" comment="subhead" text="NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission">NASA's Artemis 1 moon mission</cmsannotation> NASA’s Artemis 1 flight, its uncrewed mission around the moon is planned to launch in March or April 2022. This mission was earlier scheduled for February 2022 but issues in its testing program delayed the launch. This spaceflight will be the first in NASA’s Artemis program under which the space agency plans to send astronauts to the moon later this decade. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Gaganyaan first uncrewed mission" comment="subhead" text="Gaganyaan first uncrewed mission">Gaganyaan first uncrewed mission</cmsannotation> India’s maiden space human space mission “Gaganyaan” is scheduled to kick off next year with the first uncrewed mission taking place during the first half of 2022. This will be followed by another uncrewed mission and finally the crewed mission in 2023 that will make India the fourth country to send humans to space. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NASA’s Psyche mission" comment="subhead" text="NASA’s Psyche mission">NASA’s Psyche mission</cmsannotation> NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is scheduled to launch in August 2022 and arrive at the metal-rich asteroid belt ‘Psyche’ in 2026. This potato-looking asteroid belt sits between Mars and Jupiter and NASA plans to examine it to find answers about the formation of our solar system. The asteroid belt is believed to be rich in metal making it part of the very first generation of early metal cores in our solar system. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="ExoMars program" comment="subhead" text="ExoMars program"><keyword id="12795955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exomars-program" source="Orion">ExoMars program</keyword></cmsannotation> The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to send UK-assembled rover Rosalind Franklin and the Kazachok Russian surface platform to Mars in September next year. The ExoMars rover will travel for nine months and reach the red planet in June 2023. It is designed to probe Mars searching for clues of past life and it will also analyse the soil to look for biosignatures. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="JUICE mission" comment="subhead" text="JUICE mission">JUICE mission</cmsannotation> Another major mission for the ESA in 2022 is JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer). The JUICE mission is designed to explore Jupiter and three of its icy moons - Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. This mission is expected to help astrobiologists understand how habitable worlds might emerge around gas giant planets. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="NASA’s science missions" comment="subhead" text="NASA’s science missions">NASA’s science missions</cmsannotation> NASA has four science missions planned for 2022 to help scientists learn more about the Earth’s climatic conditions and systems.The four NASA science missions include TROPICS, EMIT, NOAA’s JPSS-2 and SWOT, and each mission is designed to observe different climatic systems of Earth. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/scientists-find-more-evidence-of-possible-life-on-venus/articleshow/88425043.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Scientists find more evidence of possible life on Venus</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/how-to-watch-james-webb-telescope-launch-live-on-december-24/articleshow/88383075.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">James Webb telescope: How to watch NASA’s largest and most powerful space science telescope launch on Dec 24</a>

Space science missions to look forward to in 2022

Guwahati, Apr 24 () The Assam tea industry hasestimated a production loss of 80 million kg due to thelockdown, and conducted an analysis to determine its strengthand future opportunities to overcome the coronavirus crisis,an industry body said on Friday.The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) has done theanalysis to identify its weaknesses and threats to actefficiently in the crisis period, an official said."The SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats) analysis was done so as to examine both positive andnegative aspects of the impact on the Assam tea industry,"NETA Adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty said.Tea production is seasonal, and about 60 per cent ofthe crop in Assam is harvested in July, August, September andOctober, he said, adding that this is "a strength of theindustry" as the production is expected to continue in thepeak seasons.He, however, said the Assam industry has estimated "80million kg production and around Rs 1,200 crore revenue lossdue to the lockdown"."These are our weaknesses. The production in March andthis month was hit, even though the operations at gardens with50 per cent workforce resumed from April 15. Planers need todo skiffing of overgrown leaves and the production in May willbe impacted to some extent," Barkakoty said.He said it will take some more time for the supplychain to stabilise.Describing tea as "an immunity booster", he said theconsumption of the beverage is unlikely to be affected infuture, and there is "a possibility of increasing exports toChina"."It is time to explore new markets for exporting teaas the product has multiple health benefits. There is anopportunity for tea producers to sell tea directly throughonline platforms," he said.Exports to traditional markets may get affected due tothe coronavirus pandemic, he added. ESBBDC BDC

Lockdown: Assam tea industry estimates 80 million kg loss, weighs opportunities to tide over crisis

<ul><li>Not knowing the relevant trend(s) can be devastating to a brand/category.</li><li>However, the use of <keyword id="3332939" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Marketing-Intelligence">marketing intelligence</keyword> enables a brand not to err. Using machine intelligence to visualize massive amounts of text-based data can help in making informed predictions, writes <keyword id="9650639" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="udit-joshi">Udit Joshi</keyword>, <keyword id="2514044" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="integrated-marketing">Integrated Marketing</keyword> Specialist, <keyword id="9650638" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Topline-Consulting-Group">Topline Consulting Group</keyword>. </li></ul> Over hundred content items including articles, news pieces, research reports and social conversations have been used to write the content only of this 900 worded article. Imagine a marketer responsible to decide the annual strategy for a brand. She or he will be seen skimming through and scanning thousands of content items available all over to get it right. What if, it is a new market entry? Or what if there are biases and misconceptions about the market? The key to that ‘magic in the madness’ is Marketing Intelligence. Not knowing the relevant trend(s) can be devastating to a brand/category. It is getting difficult to beat the clutter to swiftly and accurately decide between the critical and non-ROI driven decisions. Imagine a company choosing unwisely on behalf of the consumer and focusing its efforts around proposing services that are popular or in vogue like the Bitcoin, Ethereum and other digital currencies as payment options, instead of the more utilitarian and humbler options. From startups to even established brands, many companies have made serious business inaccuracies. Among the hundreds of brands that lacked clairvoyance are the popular Kodak, BlackBerry, Forever 21, Google Pixel, Ambassador Cars, Kingfisher Airlines and more. A marketer’s superpower! Marketing Intelligence enables a brand not to err by using machine intelligence to visualize massive amounts of text-based data to make the most informed predictions and guidance. The software goes through conversations expanding into new locations and demographics over time, assessing traction through social amplification, and predict shifts in tastes, politics, and influence. Using big data and advanced algorithms, marketers can be up to date on all the major events, relationships, sentiment, key people, and terminology in any industry – in less time than it would typically take to locate a static industry report. It gives the brand manager an advantage in three critical areas: competitive intelligence, market landscapes and trend analysis. It is data that helps us better understand our company or industry from a foreign eye, by aggregating and analyzing data around company profiles, news portals, blogs, academic papers, news articles, patent applications, social media, job-site reviews and more. It allows us to gain an advantage over the competitors through analyzing comprehensive statistical metrics including the SWOT, visual maps and social listening. The last time a client asked us for a Brand Intelligence report when their founder spoke much more than required at a live public speech. It was only when this crisis happened that the brand realized its brand health and equity. To get an answer to such complicated questions, the brands need to come up with real-time observations and insights. Online Reputation Management is only the tip of the iceberg. The Marketing Intelligence software employs next generation artificial intelligence to cite empirical insights. Marketers can now accurately: • Gauge brand health, equity and perception • Understand top competitors’upcoming business strategy • Study the direction where the industry is headed • Identify media sentiment on the brandalong with their level of engagement • Detect apt Key Opinion Leaders and plan viral campaigns much in advance • Conduct product innovation and research as per market trends • Realize strategic risk and M&amp;A analysis The Indian scene India is an exciting market going through a phenomenal digital transformation. The potential of marketing intelligence however, isn’t fully realized by firms here. <keyword id="4274900" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MarTech">MarTech</keyword>, which applies to harness technology to achieve marketing objectives, is estimated to be a US $ 120 billion opportunity globally. In the large Indian market, it only stands at US $100-150 million. Only about 30% of the marketing technologies are being leveraged, as per the Hansa Cequity’s MX Report 2020.There is a huge opportunity for a differentiated marketing experience to evolve and impact the last mile. Traditionally, a brand campaign development exercise is disorganized despite the ‘advanced online intelligence’ access. Brand managers rely on their agencies for any creative ideation which may not bear any viable qualification. It is based on perception, assumption or client’s demand, which may not be the business problem in the first place. They aren’t realizing that the consumers have moved ahead in the chain. The old tactics have been copied by competitors making these campaigns not only redundant and obsolete, but annoying to consumers. Crafting data-driven decisions Comprehensive marketing intelligence offers pragmatic insight and shows brands new ways to connect with consumers. Carrying out a machine-led marketing intelligence reduces our time and scope of error, helping us focus our time and resources on the core agendas that are ROI-driven. With data-driven decisions, brands can capture themes, content strategies and storylines to interact and gain traction with target audiences real-time. Further, this practice enables them to know what is working, what isn’t and why. They are able to ensure brand health with advanced operational acumen. Analyse and stay alert to trends as they happen and diminishing a scope of crisis as they happen. Indian markets have grown from the metropolitans to the non-metros and the rural in a big way. There will be natural barriers as much as language, community practices, consumer sentiments and consumer behaviour and trends. Not all marketers brainstorming in the conference room may have the acumen to take charge of the opportunity. We do have a great demand lurking and a huge potential for Marketing Intelligence. Armed with Marketing Intelligence, our marketers will know the turf pre-hand and make a big win before the competition does.

Making your intuition fool-proof with marketing intelligence

In 2014, <keyword id="4596851" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="vikash-das">Vikash Das</keyword>, who is a social entrepreneur now, upset his parents as he left a high-profile job at IBM. With a Master’s degree in software engineering, Vikash was not meant to settle down in a four-walled office environment. Even as he was making big bucks at IBM, his heart yearned to do something for the <keyword id="4596852" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tribal-community-in-india">tribal community in India</keyword>. At a time when people at his age are focussed on career making and launching their startups, Vikash wanted to become a social entrepreneur and enable the tribal communities in eastern India as well. One of the subjects that was close to him was social discrimination. He was always concerned about the unequal treatment met out to the tribal community which led him to start his own venture-Vat Vrikshya- at the age of 25. Vikash at the age of 25 wanted to nurture entrepreneurship among tribals, especially, women in rural India. <keyword id="4596849" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vat-vrikshya">Vat Vrikshya</keyword> is a social enterprise, which aims to improve the quality of life of tribal communities through entrepreneurship In 2014, Vikash quit his job and led a life of poor in tribal hamlets for two months. With Vat Vrikshya, he focused primarily on creating alternative means of earning for tribal communities to ensure that families receive basic needs. Challenges Vikash’s family and friends were quite upset as he left high paying job and settled down in a remote village. But they gave in once they understood his vision and social venture. However, the toughest part was to convince tribal community to be a part of his dream. How do they do it Vikash and his 78-member team risk their lives and work in tribal areas, even in Maoist-affected areas. They spread social entrepreneurship and are not deterred by several threats by Maoists. Vat Vrikshya follows four steps for development of tribal communities-research, network, educate and marketing and transparency. They begin their work by understanding the tribe’s culture, problems, community’s needs, interest and expertise, and then perform a SWOT analysis to figure out what they can offer them. Tribal women are connected with role models, such as successful women entrepreneurs from other tribal villages, enabling the creation of a market network between different tribal villages, towns and cities. Vocational training is given to tribal women based on their expertise and areas of interest. The enterprise identifies market needs by interviewing potential customers about the requirements. Results They have increased family incomes by 300% on an average and have successfully conducted hundreds of training programmes in remote areas. They are promoted agro-rural tourism, revived tribal handicrafts, gave a brand identity, promoted 570 entrepreneurs in different non-farming activities

Meet Vikash Das, who left his high-paying job at IBM to help tribals become social entrepreneurs in India

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47468897.cms" />

	 It’s the appraisal season and most of us will either going in for our performance review discussions or are already over with it. But before you get your letters, ensure you have followed a few basic rules to get the best of the <keyword id="6370334" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="appraisals">appraisals</keyword>. BI India gives you check-list of the things that should be done before their appraisals are done. 
	 
	Authentic performance discussions 
	 <keyword id="891494" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="V-Suresh">V Suresh</keyword>, executive vice president and chief sales officer, <keyword id="218117" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Naukri-com">Naukri.com</keyword> said that an employee must ensure that he has had authentic performance review discussions before the appraisals processes get over. “He should ensure that he has got an honest feedback from his supervisors and reporting manager about his performance,” he noted. 
	 
	Give honest feedback 
	 
	Not only is it important to get an authentic feedback for your work, it is equally important to share your feedback about the work environment constructively. An employee must talk about factors that affect his productivity. “Also, one must talk about his achievements as most often than not, reporting managers tend to forget an individual employees’ achievements as they are managing a team,” said Suresh. 
	 
	Market yourself well 
	 
	During an appraisal discussion, it is important to clearly mention the extra initiatives you have taken up during the year. “An employee is expected to do extra work apart from fulfilling his KRAs,” pointed out Suresh. Hence, take notes of all that you have done in the past year and bring them to your manager’s notice. 
	 
	Sync aspirations 
	 
	It is important to sync your professional goals with those of the organisation. Talk about what you want to do in the organisation and how you want to see your growth in the company. Do SWOT analyses of yourself, which will also help you understand what your goals are. Thus, you can clearly explain to the management on how you want to grow i 
	 
	Set realistic expectations 
	 
	In an appraisal, it is always best to set realistic expectations. Evaluate your work and accordingly set expectations and talk about them. It is important to remember that appraisals is not just given on the basis of on an individual’s performance but also on how the vertical and the company have performed overall. 
	 
	Representational Image

5 ways to derive the best results from your appraisal process

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5d449cee100a2441d1514b6b-1000/luisa zhou headshot 1000x1000.png" alt="Luisa Zhou" />Courtesy of Luisa ZhouLuisa Zhou.<ul class="summary-list"><li>Luisa Zhou is the creator of the Employee to Entrepreneur system, which teaches people how to leave their day job and start their own six-figure-plus business working for themselves. She's been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, Success magazine, and more. Get her free blueprint for <a href="https://www.luisazhou.com/blueprint/">building a profitable online business that frees you from the 9-to-5</a>.</li><li>Zhou argues that not having an MBA when she started her business was actually beneficial - and part of the reason why she's made over a million in revenue in less than a year.</li><li>Not having debt - and having a steady income from past jobs - allowed her to invest heavily in getting her company off the ground.</li><li>Not knowing what she didn't know also allowed her not to get stuck in the weeds worrying about nailing down her business plan or stressing about how hard starting a business is.</li><li>And learning on the job forced her to be open to changing her way of thinking and make mistakes that became learning lessons.</li><li>"It doesn't matter what you know. If you have an MBA, great. You still have plenty to learn. If you don't, that's fine, too. You'll learn as you go," she concludes.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories.</a></li></ul>After about a year of college, I'd made up my mind. Getting my bachelor's degree was the last piece of formal education I was ever going to get. (More schooling just wasn't for me.)So years later, when my friends and family advised me to get an MBA before starting my own business, guess what I said? "No thank you."And I'm glad I did. Because here's how not having an MBA helped me grow my current business to over a million dollars in revenue in less than a year:<h1>1. I had no debt</h1>Through a combination of financial aid, scholarships, and the college fund my parents had saved for me, I was lucky enough to have zero student loans or debt.However, that would have changed dramatically if I'd decided to expand my formal education with an MBA. When <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-17/top-u-s-b-school-students-pile-on-debt-to-earn-mbas">Bloomberg Businessweek</a> surveyed over 10,000 MBA graduates, they found that almost half of the students at top schools had borrowed $100,000 or more. So it's safe to assume that's approximately the amount of debt I would have taken on as well.Having been raised to avoid debt, I would have made paying it off my primary financial goal. Which means I wouldn't have traded in my steady paycheck for the much more financially risky option of building a business. Having no debt wasn't the only financial advantage I gained. Because I was earning money at a job instead of spending it getting an MBA, I was able to set aside over $20,000 specifically for my "business fund."Strategically using that money in paid advertising and premium branding relatively early on played a huge role in helping me grow my business faster.<h1>2. I didn't know what I didn't know</h1>Looking back, there are a few reasons I'm incredibly grateful for what I didn't know as a result of not pursuing an MBA.First, I didn't get bogged down with the "theory" of building a business. When I started building my first business, I hadn't thought about my business plan or done a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Instead, I focused solely on getting one client at a time. I didn't overcomplicate it, either. I started talking to people - acquaintances who I thought might be interested in hiring me as well as potential clients I found through Facebook groups - about how I could help them while answering their questions about my area of expertise. And that's how I got my first client. And then my second. And my third.Second, I didn't know how hard it would be. <a href="https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/Business-Survival.pdf">According to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, about 20% of small businesses fail within their first year. And by the end of their fifth year, roughly 50% of small businesses fail. Not knowing this at the beginning of my business journey was a massive blessing for me. Instead of thinking about the odds stacked against me, I blissfully assumed that success was inevitable if I worked hard enough and created enough value in the world.<h1>3. I wasn't attached to a certain way of thinking or doing</h1>What's more, because I didn't know much about traditional marketing and sales, I wasn't attached to a specific way of marketing or selling. Instead, I followed the good old trial-and-error method.Here are two examples of how that made a massive difference:<ul><li>It helped me get my first clients faster. I didn't know anything about traditional content marketing, SEO, or other growth strategies. So instead, I did what made the most sense to me at the time. I figured out where my potential clients were spending their time online (by asking them). Realizing they were in Facebook groups, that's where I went. In the first few months of my business, sharing valuable advice and connecting with potential clients in Facebook groups led to over six figures in revenue.</li><li>I created a unique method to sell out my first product (an online course). Not knowing the traditional strategies for marketing and selling a new product, I came up with my own. Having observed how well potential clients connected with me via my video content, and knowing that competitions and rewards can be huge engagement boosters, I cobbled together a "Challenge" product launch strategy: Over five days, I shared one information-based prompt a day that showed participants the value of what I had to share. What's more, I hosted daily video live streams during the Challenge to engage with participants and establish rapport. Finally, I gave participants incentives for engaging via a points-based system that rewarded participants based on their engagement, with the prizes being my course and software that my potential clients would want. This allowed me to sell out my first course despite being a newcomer in my industry and not having a lot of brand awareness. </li></ul><h1>4. I got a different sort of education</h1>Last but definitely not least, that time I spent not getting an MBA wasn't wasted. Instead, I used it to earn a different type of education.Here's how I spent the four to five years leading up to my seven-figure business: I built an (ultimately failed) tech startup, a career coaching business, and a Microsoft Excel consulting business. Through these experiences, I learned so many valuable lessons that helped me cross a million dollars in revenue in the first year of my current business:<ul><li>Action beats theory. My tech startup failed in large part because we spent way too long - years, in fact - thinking about our business plan, adoption strategy, and marketing material when we should have been taking action and selling our product. Any action would have been more impactful than the great strategy we had (in theory) but didn't execute.</li><li>Prioritize building relationships with your audience. Each time I got paying clients at the start of a new business, it was because I had taken the time to connect with them, human being to human being. They hired me because they trusted me after speaking with me and getting my help (through my free content and answers to their questions). They didn't hire me because of my beautiful website (I didn't start out with one!), rockstar marketing, or perfect product - essentially, the things it can be tempting to focus on instead of building relationships.</li><li>Make sure you know your clients: who they are and what they truly care about. In my Microsoft Excel consulting business, I spent months working on my first product, a small course teaching Microsoft Excel shortcuts. When I finally tried to sell it, it completely flopped. The reason was because I had created the product after assuming that since I was interested in Microsoft Excel shortcuts, other people must be, too. I hadn't spent any time on figuring out who my potential clients were and what results they'd want with Microsoft Excel. Which meant that I created something no one cared about.</li></ul>These massively valuable lessons taught me to focus ruthlessly on the right things - and not waste time on things that didn't matter.At this point, having run my current business for six years and having in the process helped over 1,000 students go from employee to entrepreneur by building their own online businesses, here's what I've seen: It doesn't matter what you know. If you have an MBA, great. You still have plenty to learn. If you don't, that's fine, too. You'll learn as you go. What matters infinitely more is if you are open to learning - and taking action based on what you learn - every step of the way. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maye-musk-on-raising-successful-children-leveling-up-her-career-2020-1">Elon Musk's mother, supermodel Maye Musk, talks about raising successful children and leveling up her career at every age</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/fhYApqnk-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

I built a 7-figure business in less than a year -and I don't have an MBA. Here are 4 ways forgoing a degree actually lead to my success.

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46713181.cms" />

	 As the time for <keyword id="110909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="campus-recruitment">campus recruitment</keyword> come in, it becomes extremely important for a fresher to stand out while applying for the job. Sending a job application is often an unfamiliar terrain for a fresher. It starts with sending your <keyword id="6499922" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CV">CV</keyword> and ends in an interview. And if you are lucky, then it ends with the appointment letter. BI India lists down five common tips that can help you land your first dream job. 
	 
	Keep your CV short 
	 
	While preparing your resume, remember to keep it short. It is important to mention your achievements as they give a fair idea about your caliber, however, avoid using long sentences. Remember, your potential employer is looking at several CVs and hence, a long CV will be least preferred. Besides, a lot of recruiters have noted the use of SMS language in the CVs. Never ever do that. Like they say- keep it short and simple. 
	 
	Carry your work samples with you 
	 
	Once your CV gets shortlisted, you will get a call for an interview. Remember to carry your work samples along. If it’s a project you worked on in college, go through it once again and carry its samples. Work samples speak volumes about the kind of worker you are. So make sure, you carry your samples along with a few copies of your CV. 
	 
	Know yourself 
	 
	A common question that every candidate is asked in an interview is to describe himself. It is done in order to get a better understanding of the job seeker. Hence, this makes it extremely important that you know yourself. You should be well aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses. Do SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat) analysis of yourself before going for the interview. Unless, you know yourself well, how will you make the company believe in your capabilities. 
	 
	Don’t bluff 
	 
	An interviewer has sat on your chair several times before he reached the other side of the table. So, it is best to be honest about yourself than trying to act smart with him. Since you are a beginner, you are not expected to know all the answers. However, there are times when the interviewer may ask you tricky questions. In such a situation, it’s better to tell him honestly that you don’t know the answer. It is much better than shooting an arrow in the dark and end up looking like a complete fool. 
	 
	Mind your social behaviour 
	 Believe it or not, your social networking accounts are checked before you are called for an interview. What you post on social sites such as <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> or <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> gives a sneak peak of your thought process to your potential employers. Employers are completely put off if your posts are not good or if you are seen bad mouthing someone on a social site.

Follow these 5 tips to land
your first dream job

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5df1026efd9db21632301f25-2400/luminarynyc04.jpg" alt="Luminary NYC founder Cate Luzio" />Dominick Reuter/Business InsiderStartups with a detailed business plan are statistically more likely to succeed. Former bank executive Cate Luzio shares how to write one that works for your business.<ul class="summary-list"><li>For all of the popularity of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/pitch-decks">pitch decks</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/business-plans">business plans</a> still serve an important function for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/entrepreneurship">entrepreneurs</a> who are building a business.</li><li>A study of more than 1,000 US entrepreneurs found that <a href="https://www.effectuation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Greene_et_al-2017-Strategic_Entrepreneurship_Journal-1.pdf">those with a business plan were more successful than those without.</a></li><li>Business Insider asked <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-a-business-plan-in-one-week-2019-12">entrepreneur, business mentor, and former Wall Street bank executive Cate Luzio</a> to distill her decades of experience into a guide.</li><li>Her advice is the basis for these eight essential elements founders should include in a business plan, and why they matter.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime">Visit BI Prime for more stories.</a></li></ul>A pitch deck is not a plan.For all of the popularity of pitch decks, business plans still serve an important function for entrepreneurs who are building a business.A 2017 study of more than 1,000 US entrepreneurs found that <a href="https://www.effectuation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Greene_et_al-2017-Strategic_Entrepreneurship_Journal-1.pdf">those with a business plan were more successful than those without.</a> Among pairs of otherwise identical founders, planners <a href="https://hbr.org/2017/07/research-writing-a-business-plan-makes-your-startup-more-likely-to-succeed">were 16% more likely to be profitable for at least six months out of a year.</a>Of course, a fancy plan won't save a bad business model, but a thoughtful strategy can give a promising idea the winning edge in a competitive market.And that edge doesn't exclusively apply to startups seeking venture funding. Just ask former Wall Street bank executive Cate Luzio, who left her 17-year corporate career to launch Luminary NYC, a coworking and event hub for professional women."It's important for startups to make sure their product or service produces value and meets needs," Luzio said. "It's not about any method being the preferred way. I think it's important to have a plan with actionable steps and a mission 'North Star' for your business."Luzio attributes Luminary's success to the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-a-business-plan-in-one-week-2019-12">business plan she wrote in one week.</a> But as a self-financed bootstrapper, Luzio told Business Insider that she's often asked why she wrote a plan if she's not out raising money."I need a business plan to run the business," she said. "Business plans weren't created 50 years ago for founders to sell their companies. Business plans were created to build their business, understand cash flow and, and manage the business."As managing director and the global head of multinational corporate banking at HSBC, Luzio had a $2 billion portfolio and a team of more than 2,000 people across 72 countries.Over the years, Luzio has reviewed countless plans and she regularly helps entrepreneurs write their own. This February, she will <a href="https://www.luminary-nyc.com/events">lead a business plan bootcamp</a> at Luminary in New York.Business Insider asked Luzio to distill her decades of experience into a guide, which she emphasizes is exactly that: a guide, not a rubric."I don't want to focus on a one size fits all approach. I want to underscore for new entrepreneurs the importance of fully mapping out their vision," she said. "Whatever the plan or the framework you use, you have to be able to execute."A business plan simply happens to be a very useful framework, and Luzio's advice is the basis for these eight essential elements founders should include in their plans, and why they matter.<a name="top"></a><hr /><h2>1. Executive Summary</h2>The first section of a business plan is best written last, once you've worked through the questions raised in the other sections.Here is where you introduce your company's narrative, and define what success will look like. What problem or opportunity will your business address, and who are your target customers?This is also where you'll introduce your finance strategy. Are you looking for equity investors, taking on debt, or working with existing cash? How much financing will you need from different sources, and when will you be profitable enough to deliver returns?Boil down the work you've done in the following sections into a few sentences that get straight to the point.<h2>2. Company Overview</h2>If you have an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/elevator-pitch">elevator pitch</a> prepared, this is where it belongs. Summarize what your company stands for, and what its guiding principles are. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leadership-expert-inspiring-entrepreneurs-start-with-why">Why does your business do what it does</a>? Who are the stakeholders that are concerned with your company's success?Briefly introduce your target market or customer base, how your product or service will meet a demand, and what operational and staffing considerations are necessary for the business to function.Lastly, Luzio said you should be very upfront about your financial needs and goals, like start-up costs and revenue forecasts. Businesses depend on cash flow, so don't be coy about how you're going to manage that necessity.<h2>3. Business Description</h2>Here is where you start to delve into the details of the market opportunity your company will capitalize on. Consider factors like geographies, demographics, and industries, and demonstrate how your product or service is different.Identify who the key suppliers or partners are and the extent to which your business will depend on those relationships.As before, remember to think carefully about the financial picture. Base your revenue and pricing models on thoughtful research and design a structure that can compete in your target market. If you're charging more or less than the competition, provide a solid rationale as to why.<h2>4. Market Research and Analysis</h2>Expand on the market discussion from the previous section, and demonstrate how well you understand your competitive landscape. Who are the dominant players, and what are the growth trends in your industry?With nearly eight billion people in the world, your odds of success are improved if you can narrow your target to a more specific segment. Depending on your competition, what percentage of that segment do you realistically think your business can address, and how big does your business need to be to handle that percentage?Round out the section with a good old-fashioned <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/are-you-chasing-after-the-wrong-market-2014-8">SWOT analysis</a>. Listing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, is a time-honored method of keeping track of the concerns you'll need to manage for your company.<h2>5. Operating Plan</h2>Your company's operations will possibly be the hardest thing to plan in advance. Do your best to spell out how you will generate sales, deliver your product or service to the market, and handle payments from customers.Think about what you'll need in terms of facilities (like offices, warehouses, storefronts, coworking spaces) and technology (like web services, payment processing, customer resource management), or other capital investments that may be specific to your business.Review your mission-critical suppliers from earlier, and also identify any key customer relationships that could have a significant impact on your success. Luzio categorizes a key partners as any single customer who delivers more than 10% of your annual revenue.This is also the beginning of one of the biggest ongoing challenges all business owners face: building your team. Luzio recommends outlining the key roles that need filling in the first two years of operation for your company to succeed. Determine if these must be hires or can be contracted out.In addition to defining an organizational structure and each position's responsibilities, make a plan for recruiting, retaining, and compensating your team. You may need professional consultation to navigate HR issues, or if you'll be offering equity ownership of the company.<h2>6. Marketing and Sales Plan</h2>Once you've established your target customer segment, you'll need to develop a strategy for crafting the right messaging to reach them."How you promote the business is an important element of your success," Luzio said.With the vast array of available marketing channels, you may need some help from public relations and marketing professionals to choose the right ones for your business and shaping the messaging that's appropriate for each.This also figures into your hiring plan, since you many need to staff up for sales and support.<h2>7. Financial Plan</h2>Luzio said estimating your startup costs and projected earnings growth "is critical to see when the business becomes profitable or is targeted to be."Startup costs include one-time and ongoing expenses that are essential to get the business up and running, and should be summarized here and laid out in greater detail in the Appendix.Your profit-and-loss (P&amp;L) model, also known as a pro forma income statement, is a projection of your expected income and expenses for the first 12 months, and up to a period up to five years. A summary P&amp;L will suffice here, but be based on a more thorough model that is included in the Appendix.Much as you would love to see the so-called hockey-stick growth curve for your business, few founders will ever see that sort of rapid scale-up. If you've done your diligence in preparing your startup costs and P&amp;L projections, you should have a reasonable idea of when your business will break even and start earning profits.Equity investors appear to exempt some companies or industries from expectations of foreseeable profitability, but debt investors and lenders are generally less tolerant of cash-burning businesses. They'll want to know when you expect to become EBITDA-positive, since that's when they'll begin seeing repayment on your loans.<h2>8. Appendix</h2>The appendix is the home for any other matters you need to include, but may not merit a fully fleshed-out section.It's also that place for the tables, charts, and analyses that are summarized in earlier sections, such as:<ul><li>Estimated start-up costs: A more detailed breakdown of the expenses and investments required to get your business up and running.</li><li>P&amp;L projections: Also known as pro-forma income statements, here's where you'd go into more detail about your revenues and expenses, forecast up to five years out.</li><li>Additional market research: Provide more specific details about the basis for the analysis and assumptions discussed in section four.</li><li>Competitive analysis: Deeper analysis of individual competitors or potential competitors that could challenge your model.</li></ul>Now that you've completed all the sections, you're ready to return to the top and work on the Executive Summary.You can use this guide to inform your own original plan, or if you would like more detailed instructions, check out the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/mentoring.redesign/s3fs-public/SCORE-Deluxe-Startup-Business-Plan-Template_1.docx">Startup Business Plan Template</a> from SCORE, the <a href="https://www.score.org">business mentoring organization</a>. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maye-musk-on-raising-successful-children-leveling-up-her-career-2020-1">Elon Musk's mother, supermodel Maye Musk, talks about raising successful children and leveling up her career at every age</a></h3> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/fhYApqnk-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;"></iframe>

The bootstrapper's ultimate guide to writing a winning business plan, from a former bank exec who wrote hers in a week and added hundreds of clients to her startup in her first year

<keyword id="1738613" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mobile-Insights">Mobile Insights</keyword> is a daily newsletter from <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a> delivered first thing every morning exclusively to <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">BI Intelligence</a> subscribers. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/welcome?utm_source=House&amp;utm_medium=Edit&amp;utm_term=MI&amp;utm_content=link&amp;utm_campaign=BIIMobile">Sign up for a free trial of BI Intelligence today</a>. 
<hr />
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image on-image"><img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/519e3e55eab8ea9253000053-400-/img_2737-1.jpg?maxX=400&amp;maxY=300" border="0" alt="nokia lumia 928 windows phone 8 home screen" width="400" height="300" style="float: right;" />Steve Kovach/Business Insider</div></div>
<a href="http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/news-articles/Windows-Phone-nears-double-digit-share-across-Europe">Windows Phone Posts Biggest Growth In Europe Among All Platforms</a> (Kantar) In the three months to August, <keyword id="156399" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Windows-phone">Windows Phone</keyword> increased its share of the top five European markets (U.K., Germany, France, Spain, and Italy) to 9.2%. That's up from just 5.1% over the same period a year ago. While its closer competitor BlackBerry posted a market share decline, Windows Phone also bested growth from Android and iOS. In Germany, Windows Phone has closed the market share gap with iOS and is now within just one percentage point. Much of this can be attributed to <keyword id="6354716" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nokia">Nokia</keyword>, which has attack the low-end and mid-tier markets in these countries with low-cost Windows Phone devices. <a href="http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/News/news-articles/Windows-Phone-nears-double-digit-share-across-Europe">Read &gt;</a>
<a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130930/blackberry-to-gartner-not-dead-yet/?refcat=mobile">BlackBerry Informs Gartner That They Are Wrong</a> (All Things Digital) Research outfit Gartner recently warned clients that those who rely on BlackBerry's handsets and data management software should have an alternative device should te Canadian handset maker ultimately fail. BlackBerry itself refuted the statement saying Gartner's claims are purely speculative and that enterprise clients need not worry. <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20130930/blackberry-to-gartner-not-dead-yet/?refcat=mobile">Read &gt;</a>
<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/09/29/facebook-woos-tv-networks-with-more-data/">Facebook Steps Up To Twitter With TV Data</a> (Wall Street Journal) Many feel Twitter will become the most prominent second-screen social network for TV watchers. But Facebook is looking to stake their claim in the race. The social network claims it will now send weekly reports to the four American broadcasting networks that will give some insight into how Facebook users are discussing their programs. <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/09/29/facebook-woos-tv-networks-with-more-data/">Read &gt; </a>
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2013/09/30/can-lenovo-repeat-what-theyve-done-in-pcs-with-servers/">Lenovo Looks To Capitalize On PC And Mobile Growth By Targeting Data center Market</a> (Forbes) Lenovo, the Chinese electronics manufacturer, has enjoyed recent success in both the PC and mobile markets. Now, it is looking to capitalize on this growth and challenge the major players in the data center server market. Currently, Dell, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard combine for 70% of the market. Forbes details a full SWOT analysis for Lenovo's chances in the market. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2013/09/30/can-lenovo-repeat-what-theyve-done-in-pcs-with-servers/">Read &gt;</a> 
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/net-us-china-apps-idUSBRE98T0DI20130930">China Threatening To Shut Down Several Mobile News Apps</a> (Reuters) The Chinese government is looking to increase their regulation on several mobile news apps that have been providing news coverage to mobile users without regulatory approval. It's another effort by the government to mitigate potential online rumors from spreading. China is the next mobile frontier, but before mobile apps and other technologies take off, the government must be forthcoming with its mobile policies. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/30/net-us-china-apps-idUSBRE98T0DI20130930">Read &gt;</a>
<a href="http://cdixon.org/2013/09/29/some-thoughts-on-startup-crowdfunding/">Some Thoughts On Startup Crowdfunding</a> (Chris Dixon) Chris Dixon, an investor at prominent venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, discusses the potential pros and cons to increased crowdfunding for startups, now that it is officially legal in the United States. Many startups are centered on mobile apps or technologies. <a href="http://cdixon.org/2013/09/29/some-thoughts-on-startup-crowdfunding/">Read &gt;</a>

Windows Phone Nearly Doubled Its Share Of The Lucrative European Market

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5578981ff7b1054b0c8b4fad-3291-1646/silicon15_02.jpg" border="0" alt="Silicon Valley" data-mce-source="HBO">HBOIn season two of HBO's "Silicon Valley," the Pied Piper gang faces a myriad of new challenges.</img></div></div></div>This article contains spoilers for season two of "Silicon Valley."A lot of comedies can have trouble getting off the ground in their first seasons. HBO's "Silicon Valley" certainly didn't have that problem. Last year, it launched a funny and memorable first season.However, season two, which concluded Sunday, has taken the show to another level. What started off as a sharp satire of the tech world (and still remains as one) has morphed into a sometimes tense, yet always hilarious, thriller. It's also the best comedy on TV right now, and one of the best projects creator Mike Judge has worked on during his entire career. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557b2d5ff7b10595358b4ded-4950-2475/mike judge.jpg" border="0" alt="mike judge" data-mce-source="Frank Masi/HBO">Frank Masi/HBOSeries creator Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butthead," "Office Space") was a software engineer in Silicon Valley in the late 1980s.</img></div></div></div>This says a lot, given that Judge is responsible for a lot of classics. "Silicon Valley" combines the spot-on, sometimes painfully true workplace satire of "Office Space" with Judge's amazing ability to write bumbling idiots, as best exemplified by "King of the Hill" and of course, "Beavis and Butt-head." Season two of "Silicon Valley" started with a high point for Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) and his growing company Pied Piper. After impressing investors at TechCrunch's Disrupt, a yearly competition for unfunded startups, during the season one finale, it looked like the struggling young company was finally going to make it big.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557b281471ca1be1158b4fc5-3529-1765/silicon15_13.jpg" border="0" alt="Silicon Valley HBO" data-mce-source="HBO">HBOSeason two of "Silicon Valley" also chronicles the downfall of Richard's rival Gavin Belson (Matt Ross).</img></div></div></div>But it's been a rough road to the top for Pied Piper. This season has seen Richard get sued by Hooli (a fictional company with a lot of similarities to Google) CEO Gavin Belson (Matt Ross). Richard once worked for Belson and he believes Richard first created Pied Piper while working at Hooli, thus meaning that Pied Piper actually belongs to Gavin. Meanwhile, Richard nearly lose complete control of his company and all his employees all while trying to learn how to be the boss.While dealing with one lawsuit, Richard also has to deal with another company who stole his code. Watching "Silicon Valley" is akin to watching somebody on a learning curve: there will be a lot of painful mistakes along the way. And it is painful watching them.Middleditch gives an Emmy-worthy performance as the fidgety Richard. In season one, he was the quietest character in the show, despite being the lead. In season two, he still seems barely comfortable with the world around him, yet he still has to learn how to run a company. This season is about backwards character development for Richard: he has to go from being a nice guy to a huge jerk, and that manages to backfire a lot. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557b2e40f7b1050f008b5441-5100-2550/silicon15_01.jpg" border="0" alt="Silicon Valley" data-mce-source="HBO">HBORichard (Thomas Middleditch) is an amazing coder. Now, he has to learn how to be a CEO.</img></div></div></div>The first season of "Silicon Valley" showed it could be suspenseful when it needed to be, but this season has really upped the intensity. At many points, I have found myself on the edge of my seat more often while watching "Silicon Valley" than when I watch actual drama on "Game of Thrones," which serves as lead-in for the HBO comedy. The final stretch of the season finale includes a scene where Richard has to make a crucial phone call, but can't find a phone. The events snowball - his phone dies, then he loses his car keys in which there's a car charger. Once he does get to a phone it doesn't matter because he can't remember anyone's numbers. Oh the pitfalls of the 21st century.The buildup of the scene until Richard physically arrives at Erlich's (T.J. Miller) home to deliver his message gives audience members as much agida as the lead is experiencing in the moment.And while it's easy to assume that every comedy will have a happy ending, but this season has proved that "Silicon Valley" doesn't follow those rules and it seems entirely possible that yes, the entire foundation of the show could dissapear in an instant.Yes, a comedy about coders is capable of taking on the aspects of a thriller. But by focusing on the drama around getting Pied Piper off its feet, every scene involving complicated formulas and lines of code suddenly have much higher stakes. In the competitive tech world, you truly get the feeling at times that Richard and the Pied Piper crew are fighting and gasping for survival. This is not to say that "Silicon Valley" isn't still hilarious, because it is among the funniest shows on television at the moment. Part of that has to do with how much more well developed the characters have become.There's Jared (Zack Woods) who is way too square for the environment that he is working in. But the most fleshed out dynamic is between Dinesh (Kumail Nanjiani) and Gilfoyle (Martin Starr), two Pied Piper engineers who couldn't be more different, yet always end up together. In one episode from this season, the two of them use <a href="http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05.htm">SWOT</a> Analysis (a planning method that businesses use to analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a situation) to decide whether or not they should allow someone to die. It is dark comedy stretched to its limits.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557b297871ca1bfa328b4ce3-4050-2025/siliconvalley15_36.jpg" border="0" alt="Silicon Valley" data-mce-source="HBO">HBOMartin Starr and Kumail Nanjiani make a great comedic duo.</img></div></div></div>Judge pokes fun at his characters a lot, as he has a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejW8J88VS1w">habit of doing</a>, but if you are still around watching at this point, then chances are you really do care about what happens to Pied Piper. This has become the kind of show that masterfully balances the absurdity of a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KaWPYOLuT8">monkey with a robot arm</a> pleasuring itself to Richard's poignant and authentic <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpg_OyyCEYA">courtroom testimony</a>.Great characters raise the stakes immensely and as "The Social Network" first proved and "Silicon Valley" reaffirms, sitting at a computer and typing all day can be as intense as you make it.All episodes of "Silicon Valley" are currently avaliable on HBO GO and HBO NOW. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hbo-silicon-valley-gets-wrong-right-about-real-place-television-tech-2015-4">JAMES ALTUCHER: What HBO's show 'Silicon Valley' gets wrong about Silicon Valley</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="h4ZTdhdDr1aTLO2x7ZNfncP7MIY8Kipy" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'h4ZTdhdDr1aTLO2x7ZNfncP7MIY8Kipy',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

You Searched For "swot" and got 15 results

I took a SWOT analysis with my partner. 8 years later I see how our 'weaknesses' told us we were not going to make it.

Nicola Prentis

These are the things you really need to do before the appraisals

Purba Das

NASA to launch four Earth science missions in 2022 — All you need to know

Marcia Sekhose

GIC Re unions question the bell curve appraisal system that was junked by its consultant, KPMG

IANS

Five ways Big Data Analytics can boost revenues

BI India Bureau

Space science missions to look forward to in 2022

Marcia Sekhose

Lockdown: Assam tea industry estimates 80 million kg loss, weighs opportunities to tide over crisis

PTI

Making your intuition fool-proof with marketing intelligence

Guest Author

Meet Vikash Das, who left his high-paying job at IBM to help tribals become social entrepreneurs in India

Akanksha Jain

5 ways to derive the best results from your appraisal process

Purba Das

I built a 7-figure business in less than a year -and I don't have an MBA. Here are 4 ways forgoing a degree actually lead to my success.

Luisa Zhou

Follow these 5 tips to land your first dream job

Purba Das

The bootstrapper's ultimate guide to writing a winning business plan, from a former bank exec who wrote hers in a week and added hundreds of clients to her startup in her first year

Dominick Reuter

Windows Phone Nearly Doubled Its Share Of The Lucrative European Market

Tony Danova

'Silicon Valley' may be the best comedy on TV right now

Ian Phillips