Subscribe to this feed
Getting started
Hiya all,
One question I get a lot from people when they first join Cambrian House is how to get started. While there is no one way to kick-start your venture, I thought I would share Christine’s top 10 list.
#1. Submit your idea
How do you know whether your idea is any good? Or if it has ever been done before? Once you’ve submitted your idea, community members will be able to give you some good critical feedback. They can tell you whether it’s any good, and possibly even show you ways to improve it.
#2. Refine your idea
Under My Profile/Ideas, click Refine this idea further. Here you can add an elevator pitch and logo. Even your own commercial or video. This gives your idea more prominence in the community and qualifies it as a potential contender for the monthly IdeaWarz tournament where you can win money to start your business.
#3. Promote your idea
We believe that you shouldn’t become emotionally attached to any one idea. Test, don’t guess. Get as much feedback on your idea as you can before investing more time/money into it. Invite your friends and family to review your idea and give you feedback. Plus the more people who rank your idea, the more chances you’ll have to get into the next IdeaWarz tournament.
Just go to: invite your friends and add the URL of your idea into the message body.
#4. Convert your idea into a business
Once you’re ready to start executing your idea, you’ll need somewhere to work on it. Under My Profile/Ideas, click turn this idea into a business. This will create an instance of your very own wiki, forums and code version repository.
#5. Tag your business
Tags are one word keywords that describe your business. This is how members will find your business when they’re looking for opportunities to work on other projects. Tag your business with useful keywords so members can find it.
#6. What is your business plan? (Update your wiki)
Your wiki is your online collaboration space. Start by creating a new page outlining your business plan so that other members can get an idea what you’re up to. Consider answering questions like:
- what’s new about what you’re doing?
- what do you understand about your business that other companies just don’t get?
- how will you make $$$?
- who are your competitors? (Hint: there is always a competitor)
- what companies would be most likely to buy you?
- why would your business be hard for someone else to duplicate?
- is this idea patentable?
- what might go wrong?
- how will you structure your incentive program? Cash? Royalty Points?
#7. Fill the job jar
Need a logo? How about help designing your web site? You can ask for help by clicking on the Jobs tab when editing your idea. Soon we will have compensation models in place to help you describe what’s in it for them. Until then be really nice.
#8. Introduce yourself
Before people will rally to your cause, you need to tell them a little bit about yourself. Who are you? What makes you tick? Mac or PC? You get the idea. You can do this by completing your profile.
#9. Rally the troops
Invite members and friends to work on your business by using the Promote your business link on your business page. Or if you know what sort of skills you are looking for, use the Search under the main navigation bar and invite members by sending them a private message.
#10. Have fun 
Here are a few ideas more or less doing many of the things mentioned above.
I know there are many more. Be sure to tell us about any other good ideas you see out there in the commmunity.
April 28th, 2007 at 2:08 am
I think you guys should develop a “CH starter kit” that contains some CH branded documents around these different issues, except in greater detail. Members could obtain the starter kit for a cost (e.g., RPs in their business). I talk more about the idea here http://www.cambrianhouse.com/forums/topic/releases-feedback/1140/#post-8112
April 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
I was thinking about a system of stock credits for jobs completed. I, or we, if anyone else wants to get into the management gig, will break down the start up period into tasks that just have to get done. I would set a price for each task and put it out there for everyone to consider. If someone takes on a task, they just inform the rest of the team, do the work, then submit it for evaluation. If the whole team thinks you did a bang up job, then you get the shares promised. If you did a pretty good job, but need to give it another go, then you get partial payment. It’s democratic, it’s do-as-much-or-as-little-as-you-want, and it’s simple. My question is, will it work?
[laracee asked me this]
I’d be interested in knowing what types of compensation models other CH businesses have used. Receiving shares as payment for tasks completed seems fair, but should being active in the this stage of business development also be rewarded?
[And, I responded with this]
I was thinking a bag of shares for participation would be standard upon joining the team. Rewards for participation above and beyond or maybe rewards for participating in special working sessions, brainstorming, etc. would also be good. As I said, I’m still open for suggestions.
Does anyone know if there is a compensation model that we are supposed to be using through CH? Also, it just occurred to me, does CH own this business? If so, do we only get 1% of the revenues, etc. I guess it’s time for me to read the fine print.
-Ashley
April 29th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Hey Ashley,
Great questions.
There is compensation model we are working to get in place to make it more clear how people can interact in the community.
Cash, Royalty Points, Glory Points, and a few others are being explored at looked at. In the mean time you are free to negotiate however you wish with your team and decide amongst yourselves how you would like to work.
In the beginning CH did own shares in your business. We changed this around January of this year so that now all members fully own their businesses (apologies - we are still working on new terms and conditions to reflect this).
I like the suggestions you made above. Ultimate, whatever works best for you and your team is what we want to support. Let us know how you do, and share with us any compensation models you would like to see that we don’t currently have.
Cheers - JR
May 1st, 2007 at 9:07 am
hey all - please note that royalty points does NOT equal shares (or equity) in your business. Royalty points are similar to book royalties or profit sharing… you get a percentage of net profit.
We are currently working with our legal team to determine the best way to share equity with your team. This is a much messier issue since your team could be from all over the world, which means you need to comply to international security laws.
love the idea of the CH starter kit - I’m hoping to post the top 10 list in the CHU for free this week!
September 7th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Hey gang,
I’m relatively new to the community and am in the process of exploring the website, so please forgive if this has already been covered.
This website appears to be geared heavily towards e-businesses. While I have some ideas for e-businesses, I have very little computer background or skills.
Does CH offer any guidance for us dummies? I may be able to explain what I want my business to do, but don’t have a clue about the jobs that are needed to put the idea into practice. I also don’t know what is a reasonable fee for the types of services that are needed.
Thanks for your time and all that you guys do.
October 8th, 2007 at 11:19 pm
home online typing jobs
typing jobs at home
October 13th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Collectors
Collectors
October 29th, 2007 at 8:47 pm
Offline Home Business Ideas
The Internet has indeed brought about a fruitful revolution but newspapers still remain people’s favorite as far as reading and responding to ads goes!
November 12th, 2007 at 8:06 am
home online typing jobs
free typing jobs at home
December 19th, 2007 at 3:30 am
a good dreamer is person who produces his dreams in to reality
December 19th, 2007 at 3:32 am
a good businessman is a man who build businesses in business
February 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
home online jobs
free home online jobs
March 9th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Capegirardeausportsquarter7064$anchor$basketball Betting,final Four,final Four Betting,final Four Gambling,final Four Sports Book,final Four Sportsbook,march Madness,march Madness Betting,march Madness Gambling,march Madness Sports Book,march Madness…
Capegirardeausportsquarter7064$anchor$basketball Betting,final Four,final Four Betting,final Four Gambling,final Four Sports Book,final Four Sportsbook,march Madness,march Madness Betting,march Madness Gambling,march Madness Sports Book,march Madness S…
April 9th, 2008 at 2:29 am
i think if there was a form or something that we can fill in so we all have a “starndard” idea that we can submit so we have enough information or at least what should be relevant information that we submit for our idea.
April 16th, 2008 at 2:05 am
I think to getting good business from website, concentrate on the main services of the site. You can choose/ cover more than one service in a single website .If these services are not managed according to your business you can let go off a lot of targeted traffic.For this purpose SEO is
a big factor but this difficult to choose right consultant or company.
June 4th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Real Free Home Online Jobs
Real Free Home Online Jobs
July 12th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
work at home typing jobs no cost ever free start up
work at home typing jobs no cost ever free start up
October 25th, 2008 at 12:27 am
get sporting tickets online
get sporting tickets online
April 28th, 2009 at 9:51 am
sometimes the best is to wait or go with the flow but if you want to succeed you try different things some of which will flow and go and some will waste your time reading fluff and show that some just don’t care aut wasting the time of others. Yeah, that’s the ticket,
December 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Legitimate work from home jobs