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Anky · #1 10-05-2007, 04:24 AM

Do we have business owners outside of web hosting companies here on WHT? Anyone here ever been involved in passing a patent?

Has anyone ever owned a retail shop or thought about one?

I've done some reading on patents, but haven't played that game yet. I'm working on setting up a retail shop here on the Purdue campus by January or so, pending some real estate issues surrounding it.

Project X · #2 10-05-2007, 05:15 AM

yes!

i started doing web design at the end of 98 and that obviously led to hosting which led to other business related services. since moving to a small town we started competing with the local monopoly phone company and offer internet and voip which has led to other things such as other business services such as printing and shipping which led to gift wrapping which gave me the idea that we dont have a scrapbooking store anywhere around here and so we are opening a retail location in early 08 when the new shopping center opens

the plan is to bring them in on other things and make them buy websites and hosting and internet

cha ching!

maybe check out http://www.specialtystoreservices.com thats my new favorite place to shop! that and ebay of course.

n3tw0rk5 · #3 10-05-2007, 06:09 AM

Used to own a computer shop back in 96, and resold internet access from the local provider.

Started offering internet advertising for local companies the same year, where i would actually take online orders as most places still didnt have a pc.

Worked well till the local council and college got together and offered the damn service for free.

Rates were a killer for the shop in the end i had to give it up.

Now i have an office above my mates pub, which a lot of my local business clients seem to like

Bannaz · #4 10-05-2007, 07:41 AM

I'm a designer (self-employed) so work in all sorts of fields of Graphic Design, especially flash and banner advert design.

ThatScriptGuy · #5 10-05-2007, 11:53 AM

Every day I wake up and wonder why I haven't opened a computer shop or gaming center here yet. There are 4 college campuses, 2 public high schools and 3 private high schools and only 1 computer shop (the monopoly of the city).

If the startup costs for a gaming center weren't so great, it would be a more serious option for me...

Bannaz · #6 10-05-2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcackler

Every day I wake up and wonder why I haven't opened a computer shop or gaming center here yet. There are 4 college campuses, 2 public high schools and 3 private high schools and only 1 computer shop (the monopoly of the city).

If the startup costs for a gaming center weren't so great, it would be a more serious option for me...

Have you looked at grant options for startup businesses in your area? If you put together a serious business proposal, local councils/officials will be more than happy to help with grants if it will bring more business to their area.

ThatScriptGuy · #7 10-05-2007, 12:08 PM

Really? I never really paid attention in the college level grant options discussions in my businesses classes..maybe I should have.

I do have a very serious business proposal written up (divided into several phases), but I've just never acted on it. Perhaps I should.

**Burhan** · #8 10-05-2007, 07:44 PM

You should get a business plan together and get some projections and go to your local city council. I'm sure they have some sort of small business grant/loans program; especially if you are giving local jobs.

You might also get some local investors involved, tie it up with the colleges to offer a place for the students, etc. Lots of opportunities.

hekwu · #9 10-06-2007, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anky

Do we have business owners outside of web hosting companies here on WHT? Anyone here ever been involved in passing a patent?

Has anyone ever owned a retail shop or thought about one?

I've done some reading on patents, but haven't played that game yet. I'm working on setting up a retail shop here on the Purdue campus by January or so, pending some real estate issues surrounding it.

I'm way outside hosting... I'm into software. Never had a shop, always worked from home. Even when I performed computer repair and networking services I worked from home.

Don't know what type of store you are going to open, just make sure you do your research on current and future competitors... local guy just shut shop over the summer due to circuit city and best buy offering computer services... plus, some other larger companies moving into the consumer space.

About all I can tell you is to make sure you know the "true cost" (direct and indirect costs) of every item you sell or every service you provide... in other words, have your financials together (so many small business owners don't do this).

Biju · #10 10-06-2007, 07:32 AM

My Job

I am a Software developer.

Do we have business owners outside of web hosting companies here on WHT?

Yea, SEO and do services for some clients.

mrzippy · #11 10-07-2007, 06:40 AM

Having a patent is only as good as the amount of money you have to protect it.

Anky · #12 10-07-2007, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrzippy

Having a patent is only as good as the amount of money you have to protect it.

Sometimes that patent alone is worth it though - if it's good enough, a large company might just say, "Look, it's going to end up costing you and I $200k to take this to court, and in the end, we'll have to give you $100k. We have a check for $700k waiting for you so that we can both be happy."

I haven't had the opportunity to get involved with patents yet, but have been reading about them, attended a presentation by the USPTO, etc. and they're in the back of my head, but I'm not much of an inventor, yet.

In the end, you're right because that's what will be needed for most of the cases.

Anky · #13 10-07-2007, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hekwu

I'm way outside hosting... I'm into software. Never had a shop, always worked from home. Even when I performed computer repair and networking services I worked from home.

Don't know what type of store you are going to open, just make sure you do your research on current and future competitors... local guy just shut shop over the summer due to circuit city and best buy offering computer services... plus, some other larger companies moving into the consumer space.

About all I can tell you is to make sure you know the "true cost" (direct and indirect costs) of every item you sell or every service you provide... in other words, have your financials together (so many small business owners don't do this).

Mine won't be related to computers at all, besides possibly selling mouse pads.

I'm a bit surprised here, when I said businesses outside of web hosting, I guess I was thinking about things away from IT services. Nothing wrong with IT services, but there are others markets, and I just hadn't looked into them in the past.

I do like your point about having the metrics setup for every product I sell, and that makes sense. I'm starting the business plan this weekend and once I get some more pricing from wholesalers, I'll start putting those things together.

gordonrp · #14 10-08-2007, 12:31 PM

read so many articles recently where patent trolls have not received as much compensation as expected as they were not actually using the patents themselves.

Anky · #15 10-09-2007, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gordonrp

read so many articles recently where patent trolls have not received as much compensation as expected as they were not actually using the patents themselves.

That's probably the case, but should that stop someone from passing one anyway?

I've been spending quite a bit of time researching opportunities outside of technology for some reason, just getting down to what I feel is the basics of business.

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