So, prompted by our advisory board, Mr Falletti and I have been rewriting the business plan for FP. I've been surprised at how interesting it's been, but - in the interests of testing assumptions - would be interested in thoughts anyone reading this has on a few observations we've made. Some are (hopefully) blindingly obvious, others may be slightly more contentious:

• The web industry is moving towards mobile. The web services industry (i.e. digital agencies and the like) will likely follow.
• Consumers are becoming more comfortable consuming pure-digital content. Where music led, print and film are following.
• Applications have experienced a popular resurgence, predominately on iPhone but shortly elsewhere. Long-term they are a viable route for delivering services.
• iPhone has convinced service providers that targeting a few high-value but niche audiences is a workable strategy in some situations.
• Operators are slowly losing ground to device vendors, to whom end-users have always shown more loyalty. The industry is being redefined by fresh entrants (Apple, Google, Palm, RIM) who, whilst clearly pursuing their own agendas, are proving more convincingly "open" than operators have been.
• Mobile advertising has been about to arrive for nearly a decade. Whilst budgets are still low, there's plenty of room for growth, and interest from the advertising industry.

Comments

[Ajit Jaokar]

Hi Tom

Interesting idea. I may do same for my ventures as well. Some thoughts.

Agree on all with caveats as below

a) i.e. digital agencies and the like) will likely follow.
yes - but with one big difference. agencies are far more used to managing 'properties'. On the web - owners of the properties(sites or social networks) may not want to deal with agencies - in some cases will create functions similar to agencies - ex glam.com. FM publishing, Hyves etc etc. Since they have the network, they have a stronger position in my view in comparison to agencies who migrate to the Web

b) Whilst budgets are still low, there's plenty of room for growth, and interest from the advertising industry.
Mobile advertising will become more niche and more 'western focussed' ie by that I mean in a recession - while there is growth in emerging markets - which everyone wants to pursue - from an advertising perspective - may be better to get higher value niche audiences in mature economies.

Both mobile web and also free apps will provide that critical mass.

My two cents

Hope that helps
kind rgds
Ajit

[Steven B Dodge]

Hello,

I wrote a business plan, but I'm a little unsure whether to uphold the rules agreed to go in front of a CV or a bank licensed by the SBA. Could you please show me how to write a business plan through a website, or give me some advice from personal experience?

Thanks,
Jackson