Sound Business Models For Your Startup

The digital age has led to the rise of myriad startups, all devoted to finding sound business models to address or relieve particular “consumer pains.” Alternative business models offer solutions that existing industry players have ignored or at least worked on extensively. Of course, the idea is to generate profit: to balance the amount of investment and costing needed with what customers are willing to pay.

Image source: acerinnovation.com

One possible model that may sound risky at first glance is to offer products at low prices in the beginning. Profit can wait; what’s more important here is to gain a share of the industry. For this to succeed, a startup should target a big chunk of the market and never compromise service and delivery speeds. The best success story based on this model is Amazon’s.

Another viable approach is franchising. For example, you can aim for a popular brand from a company that’s not available in your location yet. Researching the target market is important here, whether it’s huge as for a fast food chain or a niche one for, say, a fashion product. Before fully committing, and assuming the franchise cost is high, you will want to look for other entrepreneurs with the same vision to partner with.

Image source: coolbusinessideas.com

Lastly, consider having a reverse auction. This works by having buyers state the price they are willing to pay for a service. The idea here is once the selling company accepts the price, the buyer will have to commit to the terms of the seller. Priceline has been very successful in using this model for its burgeoning travel and rental business, as it gives customers a winning feeling, of always getting more than they paid for.

Entrepreneur Edgar Gonzalez always dreamed of becoming a businessman. Though unable to finish his Business Administration degree, he worked on various jobs before attending Fullerton College and taking paralegal classes. Together with his first wife, he opened Ayuda Legal Latina to help the Hispanic community. For more tips and insights on business, go to this page

.

Getting Children Off The Streets And Into Sports

Too many children hang out in the streets, become part of gangs, and engage in illegal activities. That’s a fact. Some end up in jail, and others, in an even worse lot. There are, however, many ways to keep children from the streets. One of these is to get them into sports.

The advantages of having a child take on sports are overwhelming. Apart from the obvious health benefits, children also increase their self-confidence and alertness. They also become more competitive and learn how to work with others towards a common goal. All these prevent a lot of behavioral issues in the future.

Image source: sheknows.com

They also learn to encourage other kids to get into sports instead of spending their time in the streets.

It’s the responsibility of parents and guardians to know the kind of sport that interests their children. This is an important step in the process. Whether through observation or simply asking, discovering a child’s inclination isn’t at all that difficult. Once it’s established what sport a child is into, getting them to participate is a cakewalk.

Secure a child’s future. Get him/her into sports.

Image source: vwmin.org

Edgar Gonzalez is an entrepreneur living in Santa Ana, California. Hailing from Mexico, he moved to Orange County in 1993 and studied English as a second language, firm on chasing his dream of one day becoming an entrepreneur. Learn more about him and his work by subscribing to this Twitter account.

Business And Charity: Investing In Your Community

Giving back is always a good idea, regardless of the amount or nature of donation.  One great way to give back to those who supported an entrepreneur’s venture is investing in the community.  While there are numerous non-profitable organizations and volunteer groups that help provide for the community’s needs, they simply can’t do it alone and would need the network and resources of businesses.

Investing in the community gives tangible benefits to the business.  If a business gives enough, it can use the charitable deduction on its income tax.  Donating goods and services to a community is a great way to get the word out and promote a business.  Local newspapers might pick up stories in which charitable organizations recognize their donors, which constitutes excellent publicity for the business.  Teaming up with non-profitable organizations and sponsoring their events exposes the business to a greater network.

Image source: thecompanywarehouse.co.uk

Businesses can help communities in simple ways, such as offering products and services at local events, donating to the food bank, supporting a kids’ sports team, offering the use of a delivery vehicle for a local activity, donating a portion of the sales to a chosen charity, or providing a charity group free workspace on one’s office for their meetings.

Going pro bono has an invaluable impact on the community, and businesses have to be aware of this.  Everyone’s a part of the community in the first place, and a person always reaps what they sow.

Image source: bankaco.com

Edgar Gonzalez is an entrepreneur and philanthropist based in Santa Ana, California. He acknowledges that the wealth he has is from God and he donates to various communities and charitable institutions. For more updates on business and charity, visit this blog.

Persistence: A Key Ingredient In Building a Business

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going” needs to be the motto of business leaders because there is a wide variety of obstacles that would impede the road to success. Even the world’s most renowned entrepreneurs did not – or do not – have it easy.

Image source: yapande.com

For instance, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who is currently listed as the wealthiest person in terms of net worth, also struggled during the first years of his business venture. While Amazon had initial success after its inception in 1994, the dot-com bubble burst in 2001 led to massive retrenchment and a reevaluation of the business model. 

Bezos and his team powered through, which resulted in Amazon becoming the largest internet retailer in the world and most valuable retailer in the country, a defining force in American culture. 

Until now, Bezos still faces challenges, most notably political issues. But Amazon continues to grow and has even expanded its reach beyond the internet. Just recently, the tech giant has made its presence known in the brick-and-mortar retail industry. 

Bezos has mastered the art of persistence, and it is a trait that every entrepreneur should learn, especially now that the market, which is already competitive, continues to evolve.

Image source: stewartcoopercoon.com

Originally from Mexico, Edgar Gonzalez moved to the U.S. in 1992, where he began his career as an entrepreneur. After taking paralegal classes at Fullerton College, he established a paralegal clinic with his first wife. Presently, he is a resident of Santa Ana, CA, where he has opened and managed a legal service company. See more information about Mr. Gonzalez here.

The benefits of learning English as a second language

In an increasingly globalized world made even more interconnected by advancements in internet technology and social media, the non-native English speaker should seriously consider learning the language. After all, English is the dominant language used in commerce and tourism. 

Image source: genlish.com

Although English is not necessarily the most spoken language worldwide (Chinese Mandarin and Spanish are), it is the globally accepted language for communication. Interacting across cultures has been best realized using the national language of the United Kingdom and the United States. People traveling the world, migrating, or visiting tourism sites would do well to have an ability to speak English as more and more infrastructures throughout the globe have been set up to accommodate the language. 

Aside from English being the international language of business, having a second language in the first place have benefits to our mental health. A second language improves brain function while likewise stimulating brain activity. As people go about translating things in their head, they get a better grasp of how language is different among cultures and people. They also get a better picture of what it is to look at things from another point of view. 

Today, more and more people speak English more than their own native language, a testimony to the importance of communicating better with others, regardless of race and countries of origin. If you want to participate in truly global conversations, then English is the lingua franca of choice. 

Image source: oxforddictionaries.com

Edgar Gonzalez is an entrepreneur currently living in Santa Ana, California. Hailing from Mexico, he moved to Orange County in 1993 and studied English as a second language, firm on chasing his dream of one day becoming an entrepreneur. Visit this Twitter accountfor similar updates.

What Do Paralegals Do And How Can They Help Lawyers?

Simply put, a paralegal does legal work delegated by a lawyer.  This means that an attorney is ultimately responsible for the output of paralegals.  While paralegals can be found in many organizations, they mostly work for law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies.

Paralegals perform a variety of tasks that include clerical work like maintaining and organizing files.  They likewise work as writers, drafting documents and conducting legal research.  They can be hired to help lawyers during trials by investigating facts of cases, keeping relevant case information in computer databases, and soliciting formal statements and affidavits that could be used as evidence in court.

Image source: paralegalhow.com

In bigger firms, some paralegals are employed to work only on a particular stage of a case.  For example, a litigation paralegal might be tasked to draft settlement agreements and prepare trial documents, but not be required to attend trials.  In any case, they may be assigned various responsibilities based on specialized areas, from corporate law and bankruptcy, to real estate and family law.

As a career option, paralegal employment is seen to grow 17 percent by 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.   Experienced and formally trained ones with good computer and database management skills should get the upper hand.

Image source: mtsac.edu

Finally, paralegals are not law clerks, as while the latter are often given work similar to a paralegal’s, they are typically legal professionals who’ve already completed law school and get their lawyering start in firms as a clerk.  Their compensations are thus almost always higher.

Edgar Gonzalez is an entrepreneur based in Santa Ana, California. Hailing from Mexico, he moved to Orange County in 1993 to further his education, attending paralegal classes at Fullerton College while working at different restaurants at night. For related reads, check out this blog.