Roadmap – From Idea to Start-up Business

A great idea is the seed of a good business, but it can only grow to its full potential if it is cultivated properly. Most great ideas remain dormant because people don’t have the courage, resources, time and/or money to take action. And for those who take action, most are unprepared and thus find themselves spending their valuable time and money on a dream that simply goes off track. 

If you follow certain steps, you can turn your vision for a successful new business into a reality. Here’s a start-up roadmap:

• Figure out the problem you will try to solve – You get excited with your idea and focus on the solution it will provide to your customers. But, you have to first focus on the problem which will be solved by your business. Amazon, for instance, solved how e-commerce was, at one time, expensive and inconvenient. Today, it has more customers (and sales) than its brick-and-mortar competition.
• Analyze your idea thoroughly – Evaluate it through all angles – its timing, potential customers, competitors, execution plan, payoff vs. risk involved etc. A rough business plan is a great way to make sure you've covered all your bases. Assess your idea based on SWOT – your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• Analyze latest trends - If you are looking at a new product or service, does it meet your clients’ needs in new, creative ways? Will it stand out or get lost in the chaos? Explore your idea to see how you can make it different and/or better from the rest.
• Feedback from friends/peers - Ask friends, business colleagues and other strategic people to assess your new idea. Welcome their feedback.
• Find your exact market – You need to actually figure out where exactly will your solution fit into the market and in the lives of people. You may have to relocate to a different place, if it sounds more promising for your new business.
• Prepare financial model – Create a financial model that focuses on how your product or service is created, marketed, and sold to an individual user. Doing this will give you more insight on how your business will function. Your model should also focus on the target sales to earn a profit.
• Find out sources of capital - Possible sources of funding are self-funding, money from friends and family, credit cards, or loans. Depending on the amount you need, a more helpful source can be angel investors and venture capitalists looking to back your mission for a percentage of profits.
• Create a minimum viable product (MVP) - A principle of the lean start-up  method is to create an MVP to determine demand early on and discover what works and what doesn’t. Take your MVP to potential target customers, listen to feedback, and use insights to develop your original model into a successful product or service that fully caters to your customer’s needs.

If you have a bright business idea, register on TheGongzuo.com and bring the idea to us. We will keep all the confidentiality about your idea and will also suggest to improve and groom your idea on the basis of our expertise and experience.

Latest Technology Trends

Technology is constantly evolving. Newer technologies such as smart devices, 3D printing are making headway in their mainstream adoption. The possibilities for where these technologies will take us and how they can impact our lives are endless.

Here is the list of top technology trends with potential to have a significant impact on the organizations.

1. Device Mesh - The device mesh moves beyond the traditional desktop computer and mobile devices (tablets and smartphones). As the device mesh evolves, we will see greater interaction between these devices.
2. Ambient user experience - The experience blends physical, virtual and electronic environments, and uses real-time contextual information as the ambient environment changes or as the user moves from one place to another.
3. 3D printing materials - Advances in 3D printing have already enabled 3D printing to use a wide range of materials, including advanced nickel alloys, carbon fiber, glass, conductive ink, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biological materials. These innovations are driving user demand, as the practical applications for 3D printers expand to more sectors, including aerospace, medical, automotive, energy and the military. 3D printing will see a steady expansion over next 20 years.

Best US Cities For IT Jobs

Promising IT career opportunities can be found around the world, but some places are technology hubs. The ranking of top cities is based on factors such as hiring opportunity, cost of living, work-life balance and job satisfaction. IT job seekers and especially those who want to settle down at one place should target these cities, so that they will have many IT opportunities open for them.

Here is a list of tech-friendly cities:

1. San Jose, California – It is home to several high-profile companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. Some of the hottest tech jobs in San Jose include solutions architect, data scientist, and senior software developer. The downside of San Jose is cost of living and housing prices.
2. San Francisco, California – It is another hot spot for tech jobs. Career profiles in demand in San Francisco include data scientist, solutions architect, and engagement manager. Just like nearby city San Jose, San Francisco also has a high cost of living.
3. Seattle, Washington - If you're looking for new opportunities but prefer a lower cost of living, look toward the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is a fast-growing, mid-sized tech magnet, and is gaining a national reputation as an alternative to high-cost tech hubs such as the Bay Area. Hot jobs in Seattle include solutions architect, UI-UX designer, and data scientist.
4. Austin, Texas - Austin is among the midsize tech hubs where employees can enjoy a lower cost of living without sacrificing job satisfaction, work-life balance, or a thriving job market. Austin's hottest tech jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and business systems analyst.
5. Salt Lake City, Utah - This is another star in the midsize tech hub category. Hot tech jobs in Salt Lake City include technical support engineer, software engineer, and product manager.
6. Boston, Massachusetts - Boston has a higher cost of living than tech cities in the Midwest, but plenty of opportunities for IT professionals. The hottest tech jobs in Boston include applications developer, solutions architect, and data scientist.
7. Washington D.C. – U.S. capital is another hub for tech pros on the east coast. Some hot jobs in the district include data scientist, solutions architect, and UI-UX designer.
8. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina – Raleigh is again a low cost family friendly city, having tech jobs mainly in Research Triangle Park (RTP) area. Hot IT jobs in Raleigh-Durham include software engineer, solutions architect, and software engineer. 
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota - If you're looking for work in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, some of its hottest jobs include solutions architect, data scientist, and systems administrator.
10. St. Louis, Missouri - The strongest tech jobs in St. Louis include software developer, data scientist, and IT project manager.

If you are an IT professional interested in working in any of the above cities, register for free at TheGongzuo.com. You will find a list of open positions at your preferred location based on your priorities and IT skills.