Entrepreneur Services

Phase I - Research and Strategy

A good idea opens eyes and sparks the creative entrepreneurial mind. Focused research and strategy are cornerstones of a meaningful, ‘investable’ business plan.

The entrepreneur must conduct several forms of research:

1. Competitive analysis;
2. Short run market analysis;
3. User market research: survey and hands-on applications;
4. Industry and business forecasts and projections;

The bridge between the research and business plan is all strategy. We ask and answer these questions:

• What problem does your product/service resolve?
• What opportunity does your product/service create?
• Who is the buyer – target market?
• What is the plan?

These questions lead to more questions and ultimately to the framework of a tangible business plan. We take our entrepreneurs through this research and strategy phase typically in span of 4-8 weeks. The output is the outline and content for the business plan development.

Noosfolio Reference

Most consumers today manage their credit, bank accounts, investment portfolios all on-line. There’s even Web sites that manage a car’s diagnostics in real-time. So what about medical records? chartMedica creates the opportunity for individuals to obtain and manage their health record all on-line, easily and securely.

Phase II - Business Plan

The business plan is the cornerstone of launching and managing a successful entity. Many entrepreneurs skip this step thinking they can “figure it out as they go along” and many can. However, the most successful businesses always have a plan that provides the following:

1. A clear, cogent vision for the company;
2. A market analysis and segmentation that defines the user of the product/service;
3. A definition of roles and responsibilities within the organizational structure;
4. A timeline for launch and management of the entity;
5. Comprehensive view of the financial forecast including: costs, overhead, burn rate, anticipated revenue model, growth plan;
6. A long term equity and capitalization strategy.

And so much more. Mostly a business plan provides the entrepreneur a true asset to leverage in discussions for investments and to determine valuations.

Noosfolio Reference

The PhoneHalo business plan was well written, but incomplete. The partners won “most investable” concept from the University of California - Santa Barbara Technology Mentorship Program, but the esteemed panel of venture capitalists identified flaws in the plan. Noospheric analyzed the plan, conducted research, and filled in the important gaps and discovered new market opportunities in the process.

Phase III - Brand Identity and Marketing

Successful marketing is a function of well tailored research coupled with clear communication. The identity and purpose of the business must be conveyed in all images and broadcasts of the company. From the logo to the slogan to the ‘voice’ of the company – each aspect must be consistent in the message. Marketing is a function of research and repeated conversation with a potential buying group.

Noospheric has designed over 30 corporate brands that still stand the test of time. Our approach is simple: filter through the noise and simplify the message.

The Google tag line is “Organize the world’s information”. These four words are the brand building blocks of the entire multi-billion dollar organization. Google engages thousands of employees and manages hundreds of projects and each venture follows the simple concept of “organizing the world’s information.”

The marketing strategy must be well capitalized and flexible enough to adjust based on market conditions and market research. The ‘soft launch’ is a term used to describe taking a product/service to market for testing purposes. We believe today’s business are in a constant state of ‘soft launch’ always re-examining and re-evaluating what works and where to make important adjustments.

The target market makes decisions based on needs, emotions, geographic location, timing, and hundreds of other factors. If your service or product is positioned according to these factors and along the right criteria: customers will buy.

Noosfolio Reference

When building the Brush Buddy, we found ourselves in a timing dilemma. The product was at the manufacturing stage though Rough & Tumble really needed to conduct some preliminary marketing in preparations for important trade shows. In order to bridge this gap, Noospheric engaged a talented illustrator to explain the Brush Buddy in form and function. When the product was ready, so was the marketing.

Phase IV - Product development, manufacturing, asset development

Noospheric always thinks about value. Value comes in the form of assets. Business plans are assets, strong brands are assets, and these are pre-cursors to the actual prototype or manufactured deliverable.

Today, there are more options than ever with whom to partner to develop your Web based medical record system, manufacture your dog brush, or build your blue-tooth transmitters. Even a services based business must manufacture assets and tools that are used for managing client deliverables.

Noospheric helps to identify what needs developing and evaluate the partners to select. We learn more from our mistakes than successes. As is the case with development, you have to have an alternative/back-up plan and understand the project flow to ensure you produce something of high quality ready for the marketplace.

Noosfolio Reference

FirstClickSEO is a service based company providing on-line marketing and solutions to increase Web site traffic, conversions, and transactions. So what’s the manufactured product? Noospheric designed a selling system that reduces an otherwise amorphous deliverable into specific, detailed assets. This manufacturing process is very different than the selection of a five layers of engineering partnerships to create the nuts and bolts of the PhoneHalo flagship product.

Phase V – Launch and Re-launch

We believe that in today’s marketplace, an entrepreneur must be prepared to make quick adjustments based on market feedback. The launch phase is tricky as this involves careful market segmentation and customer feedback capture. Easier said than done. And, then the re-launch phase is perhaps even trickier as you take your adjusted deliverable back to market. We have been involved in over 100 Web site launches and a dozen technology or consumer goods launches. Like much of the business process, it’s very difficult to reduce this phase into specific actions, although there are rules of thumb, namely:

1. Ensure your identity/marketing is consistent from press releases, to Web site, to company communications;
2. Have a customer service plan in place before launching;
3. Carefully monitor initial customer feedback through surveys, Web site activity, or observation (if you’re conducting launch in a live environment);
4. Make sure whomever is involved is well trained.

Noosfolio Reference

SBClick.com initially launched to 30 individuals. The phases launch and re-launch plan involves six distinct stages each growing in reach. The goal? 10,000 subscribers, but in carefully thought out launch stages.

Phase VI – Growth and Capitalization

Growing a business is very different than creating one, or launching one. There are many schools of thought on how to approach market place adoption. One text we really appreciate is Geoffrey Moore’s “Crossing the Chasm” in which Moore provides detailed overview on the market segments involved in taking a product to market. There are distinct groups called influencers, early adopters just to name a couple, and the key is to market properly to the right groups in the right order. Growth involves having the right operational plan in place. How will you handle the exponential demand for your product/service. How will you take advantage of key market opportunities, often on the fly.

A key factor in growth is capitalization. Under the Noospheric umbrella, we provide the funding and strategy to launch and reach a point of profitability – this is our goal in phases 1-4. Often times, continued growth requires significant capital infusion to open up new markets and take advantage of ‘first mover’ advantages. We design this capitalization plan with the long term in mind to ensure investors obtain a verifiable ROI in both income and equity valuations.

One thing’s for sure, growth is just a phase of business. There are times when growth must slow or even pause to give room to strategize, and to develop the business. It’s critical to work “on the business” as much as you work “in the business.”

Noosfolio Reference

FirstClickSEO has been 100% organically funded and has reached a point of growth now requiring additional funding to enter greater regional markets. FCS could maintain profitability in a limited regional sector, but a technology company is either growing or contracting – this is a verity. Noospheric examines the growth pattern and market opportunities to present an accurate investment opportunity coupled with sound advice on how to take the business to the next level.