Of no posts, new content, and unemployment
So posts have been few and far between since I became unemployed. Part of this is lack of inspiration; part of it is the necessity to pour resources into my next opportunity. There is a necessity in this blogging experience for me though; to share knowledge and enjoy what I’m passionate about business.
Did some thinking and tried to figure out how best to proceed doing what I love, and working it in with what I need to do. I came up with the idea that distracts a bit from the dullness of job-hunting, and it will be the focus of some new content that I’m going to be posting.
The idea: Layout business plans for markets I think would be interesting if I had seed money to do them. It’s fun, light hearted, and who knows could scare up some investors. So I hope you enjoy. Consider these posts a back of the napkin type of planning session, it wasn’t exhaustive, nor is it likely to be grammatically correct.
1st Business Plan
The Market:
High unemployment rates, companies needing to stand out in the masses, and long term job searches for those hit hardest by economic downturn.
The Problem:
Employers – In the 90’s you’d have to throw a Jag at someone to land the best talent, now all you have to do is look through 10,000 resumes good luck with that.
Job seekers – It used to be you apply to a few opportunities and you’d have an interview. Now you’re having a hard time just getting through the pile of resumes and algorithms to even attract a hiring manager’s eye. Additionally, staring at never ending black and white way too long dissertations on the ideal job candidate avoiding the monotony and not dozing off has become the real challenge.
Proposed product solution:
Create a more exciting interaction point for candidate and employer. Focusing on humor, engaging open communication in a manageable amount of information sharing between prospect and prospector. Catch the buzz, become the type of company young people find cutting edge and willing to jump into. Similar to a Personal Ad providing key job requirements in a way that engages and is quick and to the point.
Primary Target Audiences:
Small businesses – typically harder to stand out in the crowd not able to attract the attention in the same way as market leaders and established players.
Young unemployed people – Huge market of the unemployed, like to do things a little different, often mistrusting of corporations.
Revenue streams:
Click based advertising – relevant ads, adsense etc.
Companies paying to post jobs – small businesses pay for serving jobs on the site.
Writing posts for companies – Helping companies adjust posts to fit with the audience they’re targeting “consulting”
Strengths: Completely unique way of looking at the hiring process, targeting segments that are not well served by competitors, cost, better job seeker experience.
Weaknesses: Going against the grain and traditional thinking. Have to be serious while still being hip and fun. Starting from zero. Many competitors who have better funding. No established relationship with companies who need service.
Opportunity: Small and innovative approach. Low start-up cost. Looking at a niche that is untapped currently. Is the type of product that plays well on Web 2.0 type of audience could make marketing and customer loyalty easier.
Threat: Key players like LinkedIn are quick to add to their service when an upstart comes along. Funding. Not being taken seriously. Backlash from core audience (they can be fickle).
Blah blah blah… another internet web site for job seekers. You have Dice, Monster, HotJobs and a ton more. It is about as weak of a concept as creating a new search engine when you have Google.
Businesses need money. You can easily get that from cutting SG&A expenses (i.e. salaries). Outsourcing to India or China, and using more contract labor is something we will continue to see, not just in the IT arena. Why mess with the hiring process when you have five hundred applicants attempting to get the one open position? Why create another job seeker site when the internet is full of them? Your suggestion is not innovative? It is mundane.. commonplace… boring… and not something a company would invest in. It is a buyer’s market, and companies are in the driving seat.
Let’s try something else… think Blue Ocean Nick. Become a grim reaper.
Step 1 – Go into a company and do a time management study. Find out who is actually doing work, and who is not. Take those resource numbers and create a plan to outsource them. Then lay those people off.
Step 2 – Go into an area with uncontrolled unemployment numbers, like western Kansas or West Virginia. Find the ten smartest guys in town and teach them how to program java. Hook them up with a cheap laptop and a high-speed internet connection.
Step 3 – Use your new “senior consultants” to replace the people you laid off in the company from step 1. Set the billable rate to something that is half what the full time employee was making, and let them get their own health benefits.
Step 4 – Sit back and collect money. Do it for a year, sell your new company to IBM, buy the big house and never work again.
Sounds crazy? I know people who have done it.
The problem with the American worker is that they feel entitled. You OWE me a job.. you OWE me a big fat salary with huge benefits. You OWE me the right to play frisbee on the front lawn instead of actually doing my job. Or worse yet, you take away my work at home day, so I have to actually work instead of playing World of Warcraft. If we are to survive as a society, we need to lose the attitude and come back to reality. Hard work, and not some witty internet site, is how you succeed in business. If we are not willing to put in the hard work, then welcome to the world of China and India.