RE: UKNM: RE:Ideaz

[Richard Uttley]

Terry

I didn't mean that selling TicTacs online was a good or bad idea, I meant

that you would only know after carrying out some research and developing a

viable model. Like I said "Who's to say you couldn't make a business out of

selling Tictacs online if it were done properly"?


John

The boom as I see it was the opportunity to "make a large profit in a short

period of time". Because many of the ideas invested in weren't developed

from a solid business foundation they floundered: failing to generate the

visitors; failing to generate sufficient revenue and failing to get further

funding. VC's have now got their sensible heads on and are assessing the

quality of investments in a practical way. Even so, don't look at all of the

VC's as sheep. Many of them are still activley involved with their

investments and are providing assistance through additional finance (albeit

at a lower level than before) and advice. Growth is still expected, just in

a more civilised manner.


To get a feel for the madness that went before have a look at this

http://www.netstep.co.uk/resources/publications/madworld.cfm.


TicTac anyone?


Richard M Uttley

Marketing Director

Netstep Corporate Communications

Tel +44 (0) 1422 200308

Fax +44 (0) 1422 200306

e-mail:

richardnetstep [dot] co [dot] uk

www: http://www.netstep.co.uk



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-----Original Message-----

From: John Braithwaite [

JohnBGBGdirect [dot] com (mailto:JohnBGBGdirect [dot] com)

]

Sent: 17 January 2001 11:58

To:

uknmchinwag [dot] com

Subject: UKNM: RE:Ideaz



Richard Uttley  wrote:


>The dot.com boom fell apart not through lack of creativity but through a

>lack of good business sense. Who's to say you couldn't make a business out

>of selling Tictacs online if it were done properly.


Then Terry Wrote:

Aren't you getting as little carried away here Richard with the Tictacs

example?  I wouldn't take the marketing planning project myself.


In my view the reason the dotcom boom has stalled (it won't go away) is

that people don't really want to buy that way at the moment in sufficient

numbers.   Plus, the whole thing was based on someone else's money.

Boringly simple.


JB writes:

Even though I don't agree with Richard, speaking from experience, I don't

agree with you either Terry. People are buying online in increasing numbers

and the growth rate is still very impressive, if a little less startling

than what was projected. Many didn't recognise that it would also be a

highly competitive space, many fell for the ridiculous 'future projections

without substance' or 'finger in the air' market analysis.


The point I was trying to make was that there are some products (like books

;-) that can be bought online as the customer doesn't necessarily need to

experience them first-hand in order to be confident in the product. There

are some items or service that are less conducive to being bought online

(like Tictacs). Websites are also very useful in starting the whole ball

rolling. I may have bought my flat through an estate agent after physically

visiting them - but I did all my research and 'legwork' online.


Realism has entered those working within the New Media environment, which is

good. But, unfortunately, investors, VCs etc. who didn't really ever

understand what the Internet was really about (so invested in dumb ideas)

are retreating, with their fingers burned and the technophobes are

celebrating 'because they knew it wouldn't work all along'...... whilst

those that were lucky enough to get funding/floatation/investment are

running away with the market.


I personally don't know whether to blame the VC sheep, their investors who

lusted for 'dot.com' stock or the freeloaders who had no business sense and

created business plans built on marshmallow foundations. There are now some

good companies going to the wall that, if investors had used common sense

rather than sheep-logic, would be very good enterprises in about 4-5 years

time. But who wants solid long-term stability in a get-rich-quick

environment?



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