Top 5 Best Strategies to grow your StartUp

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar.

What does it take for a business to be successful in today's world?
To start, you must have a product that's wanted or needed and be appropriately priced.
In Order to have a successful business, practice these things; if your business strategy is lacking in a particular area, it's time to fix it.




First, be hands-on and meticulous in growing a business. The business owner must always be present and hands-on, like a doctor. A business owner can never be afraid of small tasks. Also, attention to detail is essential for small things to get noticed.

Second,  show your passion. Selling is a transfer of enthusiasm toward customers, and business owners offer their products and services to customers. They also have to be optimistic.

Third, focus on the customer. The purpose of business is not to make a profit, it's to create and keep a customer. So they come for the first time and come back again with friends and families. To increase customer satisfaction, you must listen to customers and be involved in the buying experience.

Fourth, become more competitive unless you have an exclusive monopoly competition and differentiation are critical to successful selling. If you don't have a competitive advantage, create one. It all comes down to your USP or unique selling proposition. This is what makes you better than competitors. It could be your location or product, but often it's you.

Fifth, mind the Money. The business owner should also focus on sales, revenue and cash flow. Focus on net profit, not gross profit.
Finally, Measure your success. The best method to measure this is to enjoy and work with passion.

About The Writer

Mohammed Shoeib Ahmer

"My branding begins with me"

Beyond Meat- The Alternative of Meat

Beyond Meat is Los Angeles-based company which makes plant-based meat founded in 2009 by Ethan SBrown. The main aim for the founding of the company was to tackle climate change and bring a meat substitute. Ethan Brown first contacted Fu-hung Hsieh and Harold Huff of the University of Missouri, who had been working on their meatless protein for years, then got the breakthrough the company acquired the licensing of the Hsieh and Huff's technology, Beyond Meat launched its first product in 2012 which was beyond chicken strips, They were made with "soy powder, gluten-free flour, carrot fibre, and other ingredients," which were combined and fed into a food extrusion machine, which cooks the mixture while forcing it through a specially designed mechanism that uses steam, pressure, and cold water to give the product a chicken-like texture. The second product of the company was beyond burger, which was a plant-based beef-based burger patty which was made using plant ingredients which were Pea protein isolates, rice protein, mung bean protein, canola oil, coconut oil, potato starch, apple extract, sunflower lecithin, and pomegranate powder are used to make the burgers. Red beet juice is used to make "bleeding" beef products. The items are confirmed to be free of genetically modified substances.

Beyond meat products are sold in various forms, including burgers, sausage, and crumbles, and are available in many retail stores and restaurants worldwide. The company has garnered significant attention for its plant-based meat alternatives and has partnerships with several major food companies.

One of the main benefits of Beyond Meat products is that they are considered more environmentally friendly than animal meat. The production of animal meat requires large amounts of land, water, and other resources and generates significant greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, plant-based meat production requires fewer resources and generates fewer emissions. Plant-based meat may be healthier for some people, as it is typically lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than animal meat.

Beyond meat has faced criticism from some quarters for its use of processed ingredients, and its products are not necessarily more sustainable than some forms of animal agriculture. However, the company has responded to these criticisms by continuing to develop new products and by working to improve the sustainability of its manufacturing processes. Overall, Beyond Meat is a company focused on providing plant-based alternatives to animal meat for consumers looking for more sustainable and healthy options. Its products have gained widespread popularity and have helped to drive the growth of the plant-based meat market.

As of the latest, beyond meat is currently facing many problems as its share has seen a drastic drop in prices, and the increase in cost has hit hard the company. The company’s founder Brown outlined three improvements the organisation is undertaking to achieve this goal: cutting operating expenses significantly, reducing product quantities generated to be more consistent with demand, and focusing sales and marketing on some specified consumers.

According to Brown, Beyond meat has reduced operating costs by 23% from the first quarter in order to better position the business for the future. The firm expects to save $39 million because of the job losses disclosed in August and October, which account for a sizeable portion of that. He further assured the stakeholder that the adjustment does not indicate a reduction in the company's commitment to innovation. He praised recent product introductions, such as Beyond Steak, which was available in stores last month, and Beyond Chicken Nuggets and Beyond Popcorn Chicken, which were only recently made available to merchants. Large QSRs are adding Beyond Meat products to the menu, and a more meat-like fourth-generation recipe of Beyond Burger will be launched soon; with all this, we hope beyond meat could come up with more products of plant-based meat as the substitution for real meat so that it could help in making the environment better.




About The Writer

Shivam Pathak

“Here to learn and explore new things”

THE ART OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ft. ZOMATO

Zomato in 2022 has come a long way since its inception 14 years ago, and this food aggregator company has become a household name in India. Zomato is winning the hearts of more than 50 million users each day, and these numbers are growing rapidly with the exponential increase in its user base. Presently, Zomato ranks among the top echelons of food technology and delivery companies. Besides being known for its good customer service, on-time delivery, and exciting offers, this company has mastered its digital marketing strategies that are winning the hearts of many!

The new age of advertising in this digital era has focused more on two-way engagement, unlike the traditional form of advertising in the past. The two-way engagement is facilitated by social media channels that are very popular across all age groups. Advertising on these social media channels is popularly known as Social Media Marketing- an easy way to connect, interact and engage your target audience, which can be done with just a few clicks and automation. While social media has given a plethora of opportunities for many businesses, Zomato has leveraged the power of social media in luring customers and influencing customer behavior. It is rightly said that social media is a sturdy tool if used properly- Let's check how Zomato is keeping up with this trend of marketing using social media platforms.

Zomato has millions of followers on its social media handles, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. While most people spend their time on these social media platforms, Zomato engages its audience with its quirky and trending posts. The posts are designed to immediately capture the audience's attention and compel them to share, like, comment, or view them repeatedly. The company knows its target audience so well that it has successfully built connectivity with its engaging posts. The email or push notifications on the users' mobile phones drive Zomato to win the users' hearts through personalized advertising. These engaging marketing strategies are helping the company to leave a long-lasting impression on the customers' minds. This company very well knows how to keep its audience engaged by posting on trending subjects.

The unconventional food content and the infographics on its social media platforms keep Zomato's primary target market engaged, as these audiences are smartphone users between 18-35. All this marketing success is possible because of the marketing research that enabled the company to identify its target audience and then find a means to keep them engaged. However, Zomato's online platform is not always bright and rosy with happy users. The company has faced a lot of criticism in the recent past. Zomato users voice their dissatisfaction regarding the orders on these social media handles that bring a bad image to the company. It is interesting to note that Zomato deals with these comments and criticism optimistically by keeping in view the interest of all its users.

The core competency of Zomato is its excellent social media marketing strategies which makes them stand out from its rival companies. Zomato knows how to keep its audiences engaged with its witty and quirky comments. E-marketing is surely the future of advertising, and Zomato is successfully deploying these marketing strategies to conquer the food-tech industry.

While Zomato India crossed 2.5 million orders on New Year's Eve 2022 for the first time ever in its history, it will be interesting to see if Zomato can surpass its own history in 2023.

 

ABOUT THE WRITER

An ambitious and result-oriented person, keen on self-learning finance and financial management.

Masterclass in Strategy, a lesson from Fictional Geniuses

Disclaimer: The following content may consider spoilers.      

A stand-out strategist is result oriented; they know their goals. They anticipate possible challenges and chalk out strategies based on insight-driven knowledge of their domain. They are more often than not conspicuous in a crowd of passive participants. Thanks to their coat of arms traits - Curiosity, Competitiveness, and Confidence. Here are some of the most remarkable strategists from our favourite fictional worlds.    

1. Ragnar Lothbrok from Vikings    

Ragnar is inarguably one of the most epic character's TV has ever seen. From being a simple farmer in an insignificant fishing hamlet, he rose to the highest regard any Viking has ever imagined. Throughout the narrative, every single move of Ragnar's is strategized. He was persistently curious - learning about other cultures, religions, lands, and languages. Ragnar was constantly heedful of his surroundings and how people perceived him. Later, he used it in his schemes as a psychological tool to further his agendas. Ragnar was ruthlessly committed to his goals. He often went to extreme lengths to achieve them. Like, faking his death to enter the City of Paris or dying in Northumbria to bring the entire Vikings together as The Great Heathen Army.   

2. James Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes     

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most competent detectives in the history of crime fiction. He is brilliantly observant, methodical, and deductive. Despite his genius feats, Sherlock does not bag the titles of "Exceptional" or "Mastermind," courtesy of his archnemesis James "Jim" Moriarty. Moriarty was always multiple steps ahead of Sherlock. One could even say that he is the personification of the term Evil-Genius. Moriarity has some of the most sought skills of a Business Strategist. He was an Expert Networker who managed and commanded an extensive web of criminals worldwide. Moreover, Moriarity was a first-class Resource Manager and Tactician. He managed to get hold of an undetectable poison at age 13 and recruit criminals willing to perform an array of crimes he wanted.  

 

3. Amy Dunne from The Gone Girl    

No list of fictional strategists can be complete without this character in it. Amy Elliot-Dunne is an extraordinarily charming and good-looking woman who is also a calculative psychopath. Amy chalked out and executed a remarkably detailed plan comprising multiple manipulations, forgeries, identity thefts, incrimination, and a murder to bring her husband to book for his infidelity. Amy predicted her kin, police, and media's reactions throughout the timeline of her disappearance. She used her insights to deliver her incriminated messages at the right time and place to keep the public and police's reaction in her favour. The Gone Girl is an excellent example of how anticipation of challenges and good communication can aid in successfully executing a strategy.     

4. Thomas Shelby    

Tommy Shelby is one of those characters who never fails to surprise the audience and his foes with strategies neither could have anticipated. Thomas started as a soldier in the British Army during World War 1. Upon his return, he ran a Local Street Gang in Small Heath. He turned it over into a Legitimate Business Empire. All of this came to fruition because of his foresight and ability to control his emotions and expressions. He had a dependable network of allies who had his back in the most dangerous times and were not his family. Shelby is an excellent example of how being calm under pressure and having a reliable network beyond your immediate team can help carry a strategy through.     

5. El Profesor from Money Heist     

El Profesor is a beau ideal strategist. In fact, he considers himself to be a strategist who thinks like a chess player - carefully calculating every move. He is familiar with all textbooks Police Strategies, Spain's Weaponry and Law Enforcement, and Crisis Management. He uses this knowledge to draw multiple plans for every anticipated challenging situation. He is knowledgeable and a good negotiator who is calm and objective under pressure. His meticulous planning and stoic temperament aid him in making quick and crucial decisions in any given situation.  

About the Author 

A Film Making and Marketing Student, she is secretly a Targaryen Dreamer.

How Cadbury became a synonym for sweets in Indian Festivals.

I visited my home last week to celebrate Diwali with my family. After all the celebrations, I realized we had a variety of sweets given by my relatives and neighbours. While most of it was Soan Papdi (of course), one of the many boxes of sweets was a box of Cadbury Celebrations. I began wondering, how did a chocolate company find its place in this country with endless kinds of sweets already?

Cadbury has come a long way from just some chocolate manufacturing company to India’s largest chocolate brand, with many product lines catering to different population segments.

How did Cadbury become so huge? Well, to understand this, let us look at Cadbury’s journey.

John Cadbury, the founder of Cadbury, opened a grocery store in 1824 in Birmingham where he sold cocoa and a chocolate drink which he prepared by himself. Not many people know the reason why Cadbury started his chocolate business. John began to it to reduce alcoholism by replacing alcohol with better alternatives.

Cadbury introduced many products like chocolate bars, easter eggs, and Turkish Delights in the coming years. In 1905, the company introduced the famous Dairy Milk chocolate bar.

Now, this was all happening in the UK. Cadbury entered the Indian market right after our independence, that is, in 1948, and it was a success! Well, it was not just a stroke of luck that the company entered a new market and found success; Cadbury understood the Indian culture and needs very well and used strategies accordingly to become successful.

Coming back to my question, “How did a chocolate company find its place in this country where there are endless kinds of sweets already?” It exercised a thoroughly planned positioning strategy and relatable ad campaigns.

When the chocolate brand was initially launched, it targeted children. While the company saw growth, some people were concerned about their children’s oral health. Reports said excessive late or sugar-filled confectionaries were harmful to teeth as they cause tooth decay and other issues.

So, Cadbury positioned itself as a brand that catered not just to children but also the youth. How did it do it? It did so through a good quality and relatable ad campaigns.

It came up with its famous ad campaign – “Asli Swad Zindagi Ka”, for the youth, where a girl joyously dances in a cricket stadium to celebrate her friend’s batting. Cadbury also reprised this famous ad recently where the roles were switched, and a guy is joyously dancing with a Cadbury chocolate bar in his hand to celebrate his friend’s batting in the stadium. The campaign then became a huge hit. The youth of India started consuming more and more Dairy Milk. Not just this, Cadbury capitalized on giving sweets whenever we celebrated something. Like whenever we started something new, passed our exams, got good news, or anything where we would buy a sweet, Cadbury positioned itself in such a way that we would buy Cadbury chocolates as sweets.

It introduced many ad campaigns like “Shubh Aarambh” and” Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye”, among others, with famous personalities like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan, which still resonate with Indian Households.

Cadbury launched various product lines to cater to different consumer segments. Cadbury Bournville was introduced for premium chocolate consumers, Cadbury Silk with its limited edition Valentine’s Special was introduced for the youth, Cadbury Celebrations was just for the Festive market, and so many more.

Today, Cadbury has a share of 65% of the chocolate market in India. It has a product offering to every consumer class in India, like chocolates, malt-based milk drinks, chocolate milk drinks, biscuits and many more.

Manan Duggar

A curious mind, interested in Technology, Cosmos and anything under the big blue sky.

What’s wrong with Credit Suisse?

                    

Credit Suisse is one of the biggest global banks in the world. It is so huge that it generated a revenue of $22 Billion, operates in 50 countries, and its assets under management (AUM) alone amount to $ 1.1 trillion. Still, in the past year, something crazy has happened. They lost more than $ 15 billion in 2 terrible investments, reported five quarters of loss in the last seven quarters when all global banks reported profits and laid off 5000 employees. Combined with the pandemic, the Russia and Ukraine war United kingdom’s economic turmoil, all of them have put this giant bank at significant risk.

In 2008, when almost all banks around the globe were facing some deep crisis, the Lehman brothers and Bear sterns collapsed, and Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs were on edge. AMRO, ABN, GE Countrywide, Dresdner Bank, and Merrill Lynch must undergo mergers for their survival. Despite this terrible situation Credit Suisse came out unscathed. That could be ascribed to Credit Suisse being more focused on wealth solutions, and their investment banking business was not as aggressive as others. One argument could be the 2008 event made Credit Suisse too optimistic.

Many big scams and losses can be observed in recent years, leading to two things. First, Aggressive investment banking and its incentive structure led to excessive risk-taking by the sales team. Second, Credit Suisse gave the sales and business development teams the liberty to overrule the risk and compliance team, which triggered some bad decisions. Out of which, some significant setbacks are:

The first would be in March 2021, when Greensill capital went bankrupt as Credit Suisse has exposure of $10 billion. Greensill capital was a financer of the supply chain, and these receivables were securitized, converted into bonds, and sold as an asset to clients. Only part of the fund is recoverable and ends up with losses rest is dependent on insurance claims and their realizable value. The second would be Archegos Capital Management, which Credit Suisse heavily funded and ended up losing $5.5 billion. This loss could have been lower if it exited from the position like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs did. Third would be facing criminal money laundering charges for handling cash for cocaine traffickers. Credit Suisse was also fined £350 million for a Mozambique tuna bond scam, the loan arranged for the Republic of Mozambique. Credit Suisse has also funded some high-risk assets like superyachts and chartered plains for Russian oligarchs, which became trouble as Russia Ukraine war started.

The most significant source of worry for Credit Suisse is CDS (Credit Default Swap), Which shoots up to a record high, i.e., above 250. Currently, other banks have CDS below 150. The probability of Credit Suisse CDSs getting into bankruptcy is 23%. Which makes people think Credit Suisse is becoming Lehman Brothers of the EU.

Like Lehman Brothers, Credit Suisse may indicate the bigger problem, which might have several other parts. First, Inflation is rising and about to touch double-digit. That forced the European Central Bank (ECB) to adopt a hawkish policy and make the cost of funds very high to control Inflation. Second, the Energy crisis that the EU is currently facing. The prime concern of many European energy companies is their dependence on Russian gas and continuous supplies. They may have to file for bankruptcy. Third, trillions of dollars invested as European pension assets are now facing a unique problem. These bonds are billions of dollars in losses due to higher bond yields. All these factors will might compound the issue for Credit Suisse.

Most likely, Credit Suisse will not be the Lehman Brothers of Europe. The banking system is much more sound, and systematic risk management is more vigorous than in 2008. Credit Suisse also has huge capital to withstand losses, and they still have a better liquidity coverage ratio of 1.91. The survival of Credit Suisse through the crisis lot will depend on how the management will present the restructuring plan on the 27^th of October when they announce their September quarter results.

Ankit Yadav

Being boring is best.

The success of Real Madrid CF

                

                 

Real Madrid CF has become the most valuable football club in 2022 with a worth of $5.1 billion, tipping off their eternal rivals, FC Barcelona. But how did they make this feat possible? What contributed to their success over the footballing giants of Europe such as Barcelona and Manchester United? The two main reasons for this achievement are:  First, signing the best players in the footballing World to play for Real Madrid, and secondly, through the marketing strategy of building the brand image. Hence, the club's success in sporting and financial terms followed this strategy.

During the start of the century, Real Madrid focused on signing the best players to the club. This move has seen the likes of the best footballers of the generation, such as Luis Figo, Ronaldo, David Beckham, and Zinedine Zidane, make record-breaking fee transfer moves to Real Madrid. Even though this move didn't pay off for the club in terms of titles and trophies won, it did help them secure record-breaking deals through its projected brand image. The club projected itself as the club to join to be the best footballer in the World. No doubt, players wanted to join the club, given its legacy of conquering European and Spanish titles over the years and having players who went on to win Ballon D'Or awards. Hence, the brand image created by signing the best players helped the club secure million-dollar sponsorship deals from Adidas, B-Win, and the Fly Emirates over the years. But, they hit a roadblock when FC Barcelona, which had the likes of Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, managed by Pep Guardiola, went on to win trophies in Spain and Europe. Over the years, they saw limited success in financial terms as well. How did they bounce back?

Real Madrid's strategy to have the best players in the club didn't change. Hence, to challenge Barcelona's dominance and become the best team in the World, they signed top players such as Kaka from AC Milan and Ronaldo from Manchester United. Also, they brought in Jose Mourinho, known for his footballing strategy to win games against Pep Guardiola. Mourinho started to shape a team that could not only win trophies but create a huge fan base that Real Madrid players started earning massive amounts through Social media. Fans from across the World were attracted to the brand 'Real Madrid' and came in huge numbers to see their favorite players play. This move significantly impacted the club as they saw a huge revenue surge through ticket and merchandise sales. After 2015, the strategy employed by Real Madrid started to pay off in sporting terms as well as they went on to win three successive European Titles, a feat only a few clubs have achieved since the tournament's inception. They also managed to control Barcelona's dominance in Spain by winning the league trophy two times in five years. Did this success sustain?

With Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid in 2018, the club struggled to win trophies, and many fans following Ronaldo changed their allegiance to other clubs. Critics and Pundits across the Globe started to criticize the club for letting Ronaldo leave and the repercussions it had caused. But, Real Madrid was slowly transforming its strategy by not buying top players from other clubs but by signing the most promising young football players across the Globe. They spent significant money in this process and also on the expansion of their home football stadium. Even though this strategy took time, by 2022, they went on to win the Spanish League title for a record 35^th time and the European Title for the 14^th time, the most a club has ever won. This success ensured that Real Madrid secured the most valuable football club title in 2022 and saw huge revenue from winning the league and tournament. 

  E C Yuvaraju

                     A humble man with a big dream to gain knowledge and experience.