From .Com to .Profit: Inventing Business Models That Deliver Value and Profit

Book Description

It couldn't last forever?and it didn't. Finally, scores of e-businesses that once enjoyed astronomical capitalization in spite of their vague business plans, modest sales, and absence of profits have been called on the carpet. The experimental first era of e-business is over and now its time for the next, when companies will deliver customer value and make a profit or disappear altogether. Nick Earle, Hewlett-Packard's chief strategist for e-services, and Peter Keen, a respected strategy and business consultant, map the future of online business and describe the six key drivers that companies must master in order to survive the next era of e-commerce.

Download Description

Praise for Kellogg on Marketing

Customer Reviews:

Superb 'State of the Web' Address !.......2006-03-06

First off, the authors' credentials are amazing. Nick Earl has been profiled by Fortune Magazine as "HPs New E-vangelist." Peter Keen was named by Information Week as one of the top 10 consultants in the world!
That said, this book delivers. If you are looking for small profits, this book is not for you. It cuts straight to the chase and delivers the goods on becoming an intermediary or using one effectively.
They treat this huge subject with practical advice and business philosophy. This is the best book I have found that seems to truly identify the direction the Web is going.

Five Stars

Highly Recommended!.......2002-02-23

This solidly researched and written guide shows you how to move into the next phase of e-business operations: actually making them profitable. The authors call this era .profit (dot profit), and aside from that little gimmick, the book is refreshingly free of space-filling babble. Instead, it concentrates on the elements needed to make a profit on the Internet, and gives plenty of examples from cyberspace so you can learn from those who are already in .profit world. We from getAbstract recommend this book to anyone charged with developing business strategy.

Good for understanding how the Internet affects business.......2001-02-26

"From .com to .profit" is a thought-provoking book for entrepreneurs who want to build major, Internet-based businesses or who want to understand more about the business models of larger, Internet-focused companies.

The authors discuss six "value imperatives," which they feel successful Internet companies must have in their business models. These imperatives are:

1) "Perfect Your Logistics"

2) "Cultivate Your long-term relationships"

3) "Harmonize your channels [of distribution] on behalf of the customer"

4) "Build A Power Brand"

5) "Transform Your Capital And Cost Structures"

6) "Become a value-adding intermediary"

The book devotes a chapter to each topic. One of my favorite chapters was "Perfect Your Logistics," where Earle and Keen give many examples of how companies have used the Internet to save money and significantly reduce their operating costs. The Internet allows companies to be more efficient.

Earle and Keen say that improvements in logistics will be a huge advantage of the Internet. While consumer-based Internet companies have captured the most public awareness, the biggest benefit of the Internet to businesses will be greatly increased efficiency in doing mundane things, such as ordering paper clips. Business-to-business transactions will probably create more savings and opportunities than business-to-consumer transactions.

"From .com to .profit" does an excellent job discussing business-to-business hubs and portals (web sites where businesses can come to broker supplies and services).

The book's discussions of branding, value-added intermediation, partnerships, and relationship building are also excellent.

I took off a star for some silly statements about capital structure. Earle and Keen write that the Internet has created a "capital revolution," and if a company can show a "Price/Vision" premium, investors will continue to bid up the price on the company's Internet stock. Wanna bet? The Internet has not created a "capital revolution." It has created an investment mania.

Earle and Keen go on to glibly write, "There is no correlation over the longer term between market value and any standard accounting measure of profitability. ..." Ah, can we have some evidence, please? This seems an incredibly silly remark to make without supporting evidence! Unprofitable companies over the long-term tend to disappear from the stock market. Some apparel companies do manage to limp along for decades without ever being profitable. But, such companies are hardly a good investment.

The authors observe that once you have highly-valued stock, it can be used as currency to acquire intellectual capital and other assets of real worth. This is true. And, as Earle and Keen point out, not having highly-valued shares to trade for intellectual capital is a disadvantage of privately-held companies. But, let's not legitimize funny money as a way to build a business!

Overall, "From .com to .profit" offers a lot of great insight into business models and into what separates customer-focused, successful business operations from less successful operations, making it worth a read.

Peter Hupalo, author of "Thinking Like An Entrepreneur"

Good discussion of eBusiness.......2001-01-24

Dot-profit provides a good review of the economics and fundamentals of electronic commmerce. This is particularly needed given the state of the market. While the book is good for understanding the sources of value and benefit found in eCommerce.

The book while strong on rational does not provide enough detail to implement. I like Peter's books so I read his other books on eCommerce. I found the eProcess Edge out at about the same time as a good refernece for building what it takes to move from dot-com to dot-profit. Reading both has given me the high level business strategy and the business operations requirements needed to act on the advice.

Solid Introduction to Creating E-Business Models.......2000-09-12

The authors tell us that the purpose of the book is to answer this question: "What can business do -- and do now -- to set priorities and competitive direction for being on the Web so as to provide value to customers and generate profits at the same time?" In answering this question, they have a point of view. "It's not transactions or price that create the value that gets customers coming back to a seller. It's relationships, collaboration, and community."

This book is for people who have not thought about what elements must be present in a an e-business model in order to ensure profitability, sustainability, and success. If you company is starting its first e-business initiative, this book could save you some lost time and money.

If you have done this thinking, chances are that you will not learn much from this book. I found no concepts that I had not read in at least 5 other books about e-business success. The microeconomic analysis of creating a profitable business over time was also incomplete in that it did not pay enough attention to the role of speeding up progress, reducing start-up losses, and creating permanent advantages. I graded the book down one star for these missing elements.

The book focuses on six areas for progress (value drivers, in the parlance of the book), and provides an imperative for each:

1. Relationships (cultivate your long-term customer relationships)

2. Logistics (perfect your logistics)

3. Branding (build a power brand)

4. Channels (harmonize your channels on behalf of the customer)

5. Intermediaries (become a value-adding intermediary or use one)

6. Financial Dynamics (transform your capital and cost situations)

Each value driver and imperative is detailed with check lists to consider and useful, contemporary examples that you can check on on the Web for yourself.

A weakness of the book is that it pushes a bit too hard on the idea of building relationships as the primary way to create profit. Certainly, relationships will always be important, but I suspect that most successes in the future will be built on superior, trustworthy service rather than on relationships per se. The book is also too quick to abandon being the low-cost provider of superior products and services as a valid, broadly-available business model. With specialization, many will be able to achieve that. Further, the book is not imaginative enough in thinking of new ways to add value to customers that cannot be done except on-line.

On the other hand, it is the best book I have read for explaining the importance of having a carefully considered e-business model, and providing a structure for examining the options.

In the final chapter, the authors look at new trends in technology (especially wireless applications) that will affect how you help customers.

The authors have excellent credentials. Nick Earle is the head of HP's E-Services.Solutions group, and Peter Keen has written widely on business and the Internet. The final chapter also draws on the thinking of Rajiv Gupta, general manager of HP's E-Speech operation. The quality of their backgrounds show in the clear articulation of their points of view and the examples they choose.

After you finish this book, ask yourself the question of how you can create advantages for your business that customers feel are very important and can never be overcome by competitors. And don't limit yourself to on-line solutions to get there. When you come up with a solution, you'll be off to a good start in creating a superior business model.

Average customer rating:

A REAL WORLD GUIDE TO PARTNERSHIPS

Don't be fooled by the .com in the title- this is for all

Partners.Com: How to Profit from the New DNA of Business
Michael J. Cunningham
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Shopping & Commerce | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0738206873

Amazon.com

Michael Cunningham believes online alliances are one of the most effective tools for developing the power and leverage needed to prosper in today's business world. An avid practitioner of such arrangements in his own Harvard Computing Group consulting firm, Cunningham presents a strong argument for these affiliations, along with a comprehensive guide to their creation in Partners.com. "Today, it is no longer possible for firms to do it all alone," he writes. "Whether it is hardware for a computer system, a hosting service to provide e-commerce capabilities, or a distribution partner that will sell and service products, partners are essential." Showing precisely why these associations are particularly potent in areas like sales, finance, and distribution, Cunningham details the steps involved in their formation and implementation, beginning with the partnership he considers most essential: the one that must be forged between organizations and their employees before any of these others can even hope to succeed. Drawing upon winning coalitions created by B2B and B2C endeavors such as eBay, GoFish.com and Convistint, Cunningham then delves into everything from the technology involved to the contracts required. The result is a thorough examination aimed at those serious about finding innovative ways to improve their operations. --Howard Rothman

Book Description

Partnerships are the lifeblood of e-commerce. Innovative alliances such as private exchanges, self-service partnerships, syndicated e-commerce, affiliate programs, and e-learning forums are today's new competitive advantage. In Partners.com, Michael Cunningham shows businesses how to forge leading-edge Internet partnerships fast--with competitors, customers, suppliers, distributors, employees, and other businesses--and foster an environment that will allow them to flourish. From Amazon's consumer affiliate program to General Motors' state-of-the-art business-to-business mega-hub, COVISINT, Cunningham demonstrates how relationships that would have taken years to develop prior to the Internet are now taking days and hours. As businesses focus on finding profitable strategies, partnerships will not be just one option, they will be the new weapons for succeeding in e-commerce.

Customer Reviews:

A REAL WORLD GUIDE TO PARTNERSHIPS.......2001-06-21

Complex topics such as partnerships tend to be covered in a very fragmented manner. Partners.com does not have this problem. Cunningham ably deals with the people, process, technology and market issues that forge partnerships, but also how to manage, measure and change them. Rarely are these areas covered in sufficient detail, but here there is a roadmap with milestones and strategies that are working in the marketplace. Partners.com does for partnerships what Patti Seybold's Customers.com did for customer relationships. A classic!

Don't be fooled by the .com in the title- this is for all.......2001-06-20

This book is a prize! For those that are looking for the details behind partnerships the information here is not only relevant, but very comprehensive. The mixture of technology, strategy and culture required to pull of good partnerships is difficult for organizations trying to make it happen. Cunningham provides not only a great roadmap, but illustrated with real world examples of what has and has not worked. Do not be fooled by the .com in the title, this book is targeted at all businesses. I particularly liked the sections on self-service Partnerships and the "most important partners, your staff". A practical piece with great strategic insight. Organizations will be able to use this to hone their competitiveness, internal and external consultants will buy to emulate all that has been learned on this topic.

Bright idea: East Chicago Company sees the light.(Around Indiana)(Topbulb.com ): An article from: Indiana Business Magazine

Average customer rating:

Bright idea: East Chicago Company sees the light.(Around Indiana)(Topbulb.com ): An article from: Indiana Business Magazine
Steve Kaelble
Manufacturer: Curtis Magazine Group, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Indiana Business Magazine, published by Curtis Magazine Group, Inc. on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 556 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Bright idea: East Chicago Company sees the light.(Around Indiana)(Topbulb.com )
Author: Steve Kaelble
Publication: Indiana Business Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: Curtis Magazine Group, Inc.
Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Page: 6(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Buy.com struggles with online music: slim profits, increased competition make it hard on internet retailer.(Technology): An article from: San Diego Business Journal

Average customer rating:

Buy.com struggles with online music: slim profits, increased competition make it hard on internet retailer.(Technology): An article from: San Diego Business Journal
Andrew Simons
Manufacturer: CBJ, L.P.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from San Diego Business Journal, published by CBJ, L.P. on March 29, 2004. The length of the article is 1095 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Buy.com struggles with online music: slim profits, increased competition make it hard on internet retailer.(Technology)
Author: Andrew Simons
Publication: San Diego Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 29, 2004
Publisher: CBJ, L.P.
Volume: 25 Issue: 13 Page: 10(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

CASHFLOWSOLUTIONS.COM OFFERS CD-ROM'S TO INCREASE PROFITS.: An article from: CD Computing News

Average customer rating:

CASHFLOWSOLUTIONS.COM OFFERS CD-ROM'S TO INCREASE PROFITS.: An article from: CD Computing News

Manufacturer: Worldwide Videotex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from CD Computing News, published by Worldwide Videotex on November 1, 1999. The length of the article is 495 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: CASHFLOWSOLUTIONS.COM OFFERS CD-ROM'S TO INCREASE PROFITS.
Publication: CD Computing News (Newsletter)
Date: November 1, 1999
Publisher: Worldwide Videotex
Volume: 13 Issue: 11 Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Click here: Cash, volunteers are available. (Free For All).(CharityWave.com)(Brief Article): An article from: The Non-profit Times

Average customer rating:

Click here: Cash, volunteers are available. (Free For All).(CharityWave.com)(Brief Article): An article from: The Non-profit Times
Craig Causer
Manufacturer: NPT Publishing Group, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Non-profit Times, published by NPT Publishing Group, Inc. on December 15, 2001. The length of the article is 1094 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Click here: Cash, volunteers are available. (Free For All).(CharityWave.com)(Brief Article)
Author: Craig Causer
Publication: The Non-profit Times (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 15, 2001
Publisher: NPT Publishing Group, Inc.
Volume: 15 Issue: 24 Page: 13(1)

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The comeback kid: Priceline.com shows signs of life.(Tech Cetera): An article from: Fairfield County Business Journal

Average customer rating:

The comeback kid: Priceline.com shows signs of life.(Tech Cetera): An article from: Fairfield County Business Journal
Peter Geilich
Manufacturer: Westfair Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Network Security | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Fairfield County Business Journal, published by Westfair Communications, Inc. on October 6, 2003. The length of the article is 847 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The comeback kid: Priceline.com shows signs of life.(Tech Cetera)
Author: Peter Geilich
Publication: Fairfield County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 6, 2003
Publisher: Westfair Communications, Inc.
Volume: 42 Issue: 40 Page: 31(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Crisis Investing for the Year 2000: How to Profit from the Coming Y2K Computer Crash

Average customer rating:

Absolutely THE best book on Y2K investing!
It is the reasonable person's guide to investing for Y2K.
An investment guide not only helpful but hugely interesting!
Wow.

Crisis Investing for the Year 2000: How to Profit from the Coming Y2K Computer Crash
L. Jay Kuo , and Edward M. Dua
Manufacturer: Birch Lane Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Introduction | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1559725184

Book Description

The best ways to protect investments and where to invest during the volatile year ahead as companies begin to admit that their computers are not ready for the Y2K Bug. Timely and crucial, the publication of this book will protect many a fortune and make many others. Authors are prominent West-coast businessmen.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely THE best book on Y2K investing!.......1999-08-17

This book was a refreshing change from some other books that have been published on the subject of Y2K investing. Specifically, it is an extraordinarily well-researched book. It provides indepth details of possible y2k strategies and names specific stocks. Truly an outstanding effort!

It is the reasonable person's guide to investing for Y2K........1999-06-04

As an ex Chief Information Officer for a fortune 500 company, I've spent many years communicating to government and industry alike, what impact we could reasonably expect from the Year 2000 Computer Date Change Problem. This is the best book I have read to date, which provides reasonable and definitive answers to one the questions I am most frequently asked regarding Y2K, "What should I do about my investments?"

Today, as a consultant and author of THE REASONABLE PERSON'S GUIDE TO Y2K, I spend my time communicating about what moderate, down-to-earth, level-headed governments and individuals can do to prepare. In that regard, I consider L. Jay Kuo's and Edward Dua's book the reasonably person's guide to investing for the Year 2000 transition. I highly recommend this book for those who believe Y2K will not be a disaster, nor will it be "business-as-usual", and that reasonable preparedness for something "in between" is warranted.

If you believe Dr. Ed Yardeni, Chief Global Economist and Global Investment Strategist for Duetsche Bank Securities, when he predicts a 70% probability that Y2K will create a global recession which could last 12 to 24 months, then this book is must reading.

What I particularly liked about this book, is that the information is usable and it is not the "don't worry, be happy" message most brokerage houses are espousing. Not only do the authors provide powerful insight into how and why you should defensively posture current investments against a Y2K induced recession, they also venture forth suggestions on how to profit from it as well. Something I have been trying to get my broker to tell me for months. Come to think of it, I highly recommend this book for stockbrokers and fund managers too.

An investment guide not only helpful but hugely interesting!.......1999-04-12

Not being someone who typically reads a lot of investment guides, I was very happily astonished at how easily this book reads. L. Jay Kuo is an excellent writer, describing the background of the Y2K problem without getting too technical and obscure, and depicts the issue with extreme clarity and (dare I suggest it?) engaging wit. People from all backgrounds, from the investment-astute to the "digerati" (as Mr. Kuo puts it), to the neophytes, hesitant about investing in general but looking for some simple but straightforward insightful commentary and/or advice, will be able to get a lot out of this book. Oddly enough, it's even entertaining (!) -- Mr. Kuo is clever with his subheadings and his turn of phrase. While it is definitely not written to be "over people's heads" (as many investment guides seem to be), Mr. Kuo still manages to deliver deceptively clear prose with many witty allusions and insights, such that the book does not fall into the "pedantic trap" (as many investment guides ALSO seem to do). He explains the areas most likely to be adversely (and positively) affected by the upcoming confusion surrounding Y2K, presents really quite sound reasons for these views, and then suggests some viable approaches and at-least short term solutions so as to best protect oneself (and one's portfolio) from the inevitable chaos Y2K will present to the financial markets. Even if you never read another investment guide in your life, I recommend this one. Highly.

Wow........1999-04-01

I read an advance copy of this book. A very timely look at a problem (opportunity) that will soon be upon us. Dua hits the nail on the head when he says, "With Y2K there will be winners and losers in the investing world. Try to be one of them." Excellently written. Highly recommended for the casual or professional investor.

David Paganelli: Millwood restaurateur has a green thumb.(Profits & passions; The Travelers Rest www.thetravelersrest.com)(Interview): An article from: Westchester County Business Journal

Average customer rating:

David Paganelli: Millwood restaurateur has a green thumb.(Profits & passions; The Travelers Rest www.thetravelersrest.com)(Interview): An article from: Westchester County Business Journal
Elizabeth Hlotyak
Manufacturer: Westfair Communications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Westchester County Business Journal, published by Westfair Communications, Inc. on August 11, 2003. The length of the article is 558 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: David Paganelli: Millwood restaurateur has a green thumb.(Profits & passions; The Travelers Rest www.thetravelersrest.com)(Interview)
Author: Elizabeth Hlotyak
Publication: Westchester County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 11, 2003
Publisher: Westfair Communications, Inc.
Volume: 42 Issue: 32 Page: 14(1)

Article Type: Interview

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Dot-com dynamo: eCollege profits from online education explosion.(Dot-com Dynamo ): An article from: ColoradoBiz

Average customer rating:

Dot-com dynamo: eCollege profits from online education explosion.(Dot-com Dynamo ): An article from: ColoradoBiz
Mary George
Manufacturer: Wiesner Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from ColoradoBiz, published by Wiesner Publications, Inc. on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1138 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dot-com dynamo: eCollege profits from online education explosion.(Dot-com Dynamo )
Author: Mary George
Publication: ColoradoBiz (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: Wiesner Publications, Inc.
Volume: 31 Issue: 3 Page: 46(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Supergrowth Companies is based on extensive research following the progress of over 200 businesses, including Anita Roddick and The Body Shop and Alan Sugar and Amstrad. It features interviews with company executives and a collection of over fifty case studies.

It also reports on ten years of research involving fifteen researchers in Britain and Germany and producing guidelines concerning new business opportunities, growth strategies, leadership styles, organization expansion, overseas expansion, strategies for service businesses, managing risk and uncertainty.

Supergrowth Companies is aimed primarily at managers and entrepreneurs who want to learn from the experience of a wide range of businesses so that theirs may grow faster and more profitably. It will also be of interest to students of business growth and managers on corporate development programmes.

Based on original research from Henley Management College
Bernard Taylor is the well-known and widely respected author and editor of Long Range Planning (key Elsevier business journal)
Medium-sized companies are very much in vogue - as acquisition targets and as having the most growth potential in the future.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books